Thanks to everyone for your kind suggestions for my husband’s birthday lunch! @A5KOBE suggested Gjusta, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. My husband’s a big fan of their food, but it’s a bit of a splurge - so it was the ideal treat for him. He enjoyed the porchetta melt. @Chowseeker1999 suggested I try the veggie sandwich, and it was utter perfection - from the gorgeous vegetables, to the garlicky hummus, and the expertly grilled bread - so great for a vegetable lover like me. The smoked fish salad was meltingly unctuous and smokey. The eggplant salad seemed to be an Ottolenghi-like riff on caponata, as it had golden raisins, yogurt, and chiles. For dessert, we ordered the carrot and fig cakes, which were both delightfully rustic and not too sweet. Lastly, we had the wake 'n shake smoothie, cafe con leche, and a bracing (but in a good way) sparkling ginger lemonade. The meal set me back $80, but it was worth it for a special occasion. And most importantly, the casual setting was just right for my husband, who doesn’t like being fussed over.
I also bought a maple old fashioned donut for the birthday boy at Primo’s, and the meal was rounded out with pine, cornbread, and red current swirl ice cream from Van Leewen. I was worried that the ice cream was going to taste like Pine Sol, but it had a surprisingly pleasant and subtle pine aftertaste. Needless to say, we were both extremely pleased with our indulgent feast, but are now suffering from food comas.
This isn’t exactly FTC-worthy, but my family asked me to bring a guava chiffon cake from Angel Maid Bakery (an old Japanese-American standard) to my husband’s birthday party on Sunday. I was surprised by how pretty the decorations were, although my family remarked that the macarons were pretty bland. But my mom and aunties were in guava heaven.
Please ignore the marred surface of the whipped cream, I accidentally dropped the lighter onto the cake. D’oh!!
Double d’oh, @PorkyBelly!! You’re talking to a food coma victim at the moment - ach… How could I forget your contributions! Thanks for helping with this splendid birthday lunch.
And Food Talk Central contributors, you’re really wonderful!
Yay, glad you liked it! Their Veggie Sandwich is pretty amazing, right? Not boring at all, and pretty spectacular by any sandwich standards (meat or non-meat).
I’ve never tried Angel Maid Bakery before, how does it compare with Patisserie Chantilly? (I love Pastry Chef Keiko Nojima’s cakes there! So good.)
I can not thank you enough for introducing me to the veggie sandwich, @Chowseeker1999! Every aspect of that sandwich is so well thought out! It’s such a decadent sandwich, even though it’s plant-based.
In my humble opinion, Angel Maid Bakery isn’t in the same league as Patisserie Chantilly. Angel Maid is good at what it does, which is to produce light cakes geared towards the Asian palate, but Patisserie Chantilly has true artistry. Patisserie Chantilly’s black sesame cream puff, chestnut cakes, and panna cotta are some of my favorite desserts in the city. I would say that I wouldn’t go out of my way to go to Angel Maid, but they’re good for normal occasions.
This is just as incredible as the last 2 times we’ve ordered it! It starts with their fresh, housemade Country Wheat Bread, then you get the creaminess of the Avocado, the Tomato Confit, Roasted Peppers, crunch of the Pickled Radish, Onions, fresh Sprouts, and their Tahini is SO GOOD! The tastiest Veggie Sandwich I’ve ever had.
Thanks to @chinchi, we tried their new Sparkling Cucumber Drink. It was fantastic! Refreshing, spring-like notes of fresh ground Cucumber, lightly sweetened with their fresh Lemonade and nice and fizzy.
Both were fantastic. The new Farro Wheat Mediterranean Salad was like a Tabbouleh in some ways, but with the nuttiness of the Farro giving it a more pleasing, rounded taste (not as acidic and dominated by Lemon).
Also as good as before. It makes it very hard to choose which of these 2 Vegan sandwiches are better. The Falafel Sandwich has their amazing Sesame Ficelle bread (baked fresh in-house), Tahini and Fermented Chilies and Cucumbers. The Crunch of the Falafel balls are amazing as well.
Thanks to @A5KOBE for the tip. We made it in time for their Country Wild Rice Pudding! It is as good as @A5KOBE said it was. Lightly sweet, creamy, and the fresh Figs just complemented each bite. Love their Wild Rice blend as well. Thanks!
Gjusta
320 Sunset Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Tel: (310) 314-0320
Not having eaten at St. John in London until tonight I’ve only just realized what Gjusta’s inspiration for their aesthetic (and even their general ethos) must be. I assume this has been remarked before?
For starters, just the look of the place: white-washed walls, the canteen-style approach, things arrayed casually on shelves on walls. (I’m referring to the Spitalfields St. John Bread and Wine location; I won’t be at the mothership till later in the week.)
Then there’s the mix of casual restaurant, bakery and bar. The approach to the food seems quite similar as well in many ways. Gjusta is more maximalist, of course, with a far larger (and broader) menu but there’s a similar mix of cured meats, bread-based small plates, salads, fish on toast etc. It’s hard to explain it but just from stepping into the place tonight I felt a sense of deja vu and this continued as the food came out.
The main difference is size (you could fit five St. John Bread and Wines into Gjusta) and the fact that here the food is ordered and served formally at tables (though the service is very casual). Also, the food at St. John is much better… (though not any cheaper).
I’ve actually been to St. John, very memorable meal…love Gjusta, but I don’t quite see the connection you are getting at. The casualness of the spot in which kind of simple, rustic preparations are made?
If it is true, I wish Gjusta would start offering Suckling Kid Faggots. The most memorably named dish I have ever eaten (and also truly excellent). I don’t know that I would say St. John’s is wildly better than Gjusta, but St. Johns also clearly aims higher to me… if Gjusta did sit down service, perhaps they could be equals.
fingers crossed for suckling kid faggots at Gjusta
Well, just the look and feel of the restaurants are rather strikingly similar…take the whitewashed walls and casual/canteen atmosphere, add the luxe take on not-quite high-brow dishes and ingredients and the multi-generic nature of the places (restaurant, bakery, bar) and it seems hard for me to not see the connection. I’m not saying they’re identical restaurants, mind–they’re obviously not offering identical menus. Gjusta just seems to me to be very obviously a post-St. John restaurant; many are, of course, but the similarity of the aesthetic suggested a tipping of the hat to me. This is not to diminish/denigrate Gjusta; merely to note what appears to me to be part of its genealogy.
My original comment was made in the context of St. John Bread and Wine–I would re-emphasize it after having eaten dinner at the St. John mothership later in the week.
You are right but Gjusta feels so in line with typical Venice aesthetics I always thought it was incidental… Like Newton and Leibniz inventing calculus at the same time in different places. Now I really want to ask them about I haha
Their fresh-ground, fresh-squeezed Ginger Lemonade is as wonderful and refreshing as always. Perfect for this muggy, hot weather we’re having this week! It seriously picked me up on the first sip.
But it was my tragic mistake glancing over by Gjusta’s Smoked Fish Case that side tracked us from their rotating Daily Salads.
I was so excited to see Gjusta with yet another new Smoked Fish offering, this time Pacific Saury! The first bite is tender, luscious, naturally oily and strong-flavored. Like Mackerel or Sardine, but distinct in its own way. It’s more “mild” than either of those two, but it’s got this wonderful texture and ocean-briny flavor.
This was fantastic!
Paired with a little of their Pickled Onions and their amazing fresh In-house baked Olive Sourdough Bread, and you had one of the best Smoked Fish bites of 2016!
Yes, Kanpachi, the wonderful, fantastic fish that is usually found in the realm of great Sushi bars is now being Cold-Smoked at Gjusta!
Taking a bite: FANTASTIC!
The Cold-Smoking that Gjusta does is tempered, and it feels like they balanced it out perfectly to match the type of fish (their previous Cold-Smoked “guest fish” were all at differing smokiness levels that felt just right). It was the same here.
You get the subtle, delicate taste and flavors of Kanpachi (Greater Amberjack), along with just a touch of wonderful smokiness. This is one Smoked Fish that’s even better and probably my new favorite Smoked Fish in the city. @MaladyNelson@bulavinaka@PorkyBelly and all. Do not miss this.
And a repeat of one of my favorites, their Herb Gravlax is as fantastic as always. Just look at how gorgeous and lush that looks! It tasted even better, especially with a slice of their farmers market Heirloom Tomato and their fresh-baked Olive Sourdough Bread.
The Heirloom Tomatoes also reflect on the restaurant: That their staff that go and pick the produce from the farmers market know what they’re doing. The Heirloom Tomato was seriously one of the best Tomatoes I’ve had this entire 2016 Tomato Season! It was delicately sweet, with a touch of acidity, the way the best in-season Tomatoes should taste!
At this point, you would’ve thought we could’ve ordered some wonderful offerings from their rotating Market Salad case. But oh no, I also stupidly glanced at the menu, and noticed this:
Italian Sandwich (Ciabatta, Sopressa, Mortadella, Ham, Chopped Escarole, Tomato, Pickled Peppers, Fontina, Aioli, Red Wine Vinegar):
This Italian Sandwich from Gjusta is THE best Italian / Cold Cuts Sandwich I’ve ever had! It starts with their own Housemade Mortadella and Ham(!). Their fresh-baked Ciabatta Bread (also made in-house daily), lightly toasted, with a crunch, but pillowy soft on the inside.
Their Mortadella, Ham and Sopressa are not overly salty, just wonderful cuts of top quality Charcuterie.
But it’s balanced by the delicate Summery sweetness of their Farmers Market Tomatoes, and the Chopped Escarole (so much better than Iceberg Lettuce) gives it a nice vegetable / earthiness. The Pickled Peppers recalls that “classic Italian Sandwich” feel from eating at old-school delis, with a nice bit of heat, and the Housemade Aioli is delicate, but creamy, along with the acidity of the Red Wine Vinegar and the Fontina Cheese gives it just enough funk.
Thinking about it, it’s no longer surprising. Gjusta already makes the best “Tuna Sandwich” (it’s so much more) that I’ve ever had; the best Veggie Sandwich I’ve ever had; the best Prime Rib Butcher & Turkey Butcher Sandwich I’ve ever had. Their Falafel Sandwich is the stuff of dreams (thanks again @CiaoBob@bulavinaka)!
So, when Gjusta decides to try and make an Italian Sandwich? Sure why not. LOL.
Gjusta
320 Sunset Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Tel: (310) 314-0320
Awesome report!!! I have a question, do you think this sandwich would travel well for an extended amount of time? Say 2-3 hours? This would be perfect for watching football and drinking beer.
Thanks. Funny you should ask that: The other half of the Italian was eaten a few hours later (kept in a refrigerator, before a car ride home).
The bread was softer, having soaked in more of the Red Wine Vinegar and Aioili, but it still held up very well (still sturdy).
However, you lose the toasty crunch fresh out of the kitchen. So please enjoy at least a bite or two, fresh and toasted, and then take the rest to watch your football game.
Their Veggie Sandwich is pretty amazing, right? 
The tastiest Veggie Sandwich I’ve ever had.
