Finally made it to Charcoal in Venice. The two of us had the lamb ribs, lamb tartare, grilled short rib, duck, pave beef and ribeye, finished with the banana smores.
Really liked everything here. Although the lamb tartare didn’t blow me away. It was a little bland to me and I didn’t care for the ratio of the other ingredients such as the pine nuts. Loved the texture of the meat prep though. Will have to try the beef and bison on next visits…
The rest of the meats were so good with the standout being the aged duck. Loved the intensity of the duck flavor, the nice crispness of the skin and fat.
$214 before tip. That’s with no alcohol or any other dishes, just the ones listed above. We thought it was fair pricing for the quality and portion sizes.
A couple of pics but it was dark and I don’t like using a flash in a dark restaurant, most of my pics didn’t come out that well.
Stopped by Dune for an organic green herb falafel this morning. It was as wonderful as ever, especially with the outstanding Bub & Grandma’s flatbread, but the wrap seemed slightly smaller overall. Perhaps it was for the best because I didn’t feel uncomfortably full afterwards like I normally do. The greens were particularly vibrant as were the pickles. The shoestring potatoes added a decadent contrast of textures.
Feeling particularly naughty, I also picked up a slice of pistachio gluten-free cake from Proof, one of my favorite bakeries in LA. The cake was very moist and crumbly with a marzipan undertone. And although the pistachio flavor was hardly noticeable, the thin, tart slices of roasted strawberries contributed a welcome bit of zing.
Was over at the Platform today to try out the new expo line to Santa Monica. Stopped by Loqui. The mushroom bowl is a bit of a hack, as you get a lot of food and two tortillas for $10. Food was good but still has the same overall problem–it is underseasoned.
On the Gjusta front, you can now order pick up in advance on chownow. I ordered the smoked fish plate and it gave me the various options to choose from on the website. A couple minutes later I got a call from Gjusta letting me know they were out of salmon belly but could do a nice salmon collar instead. I drove over, and got one of the great take out meals I’ve had. One bag of delicious, crusty bread. And then a full size pizza box full of various smoked fish, pickles, yogurt, and more. I never think of Gjusta as a bargain, but at $15, that meal was a bargain.
As for the fish itself:
Pastrami gravlax: Their best fish IMO. Luscious and perfectly seasoned.
Hot smoked yellowtail: Mixed bag here. First piece wonderfully moist and just right. Last 2 pieces a bit dry, but still good.
Salmon Collar: Unmemorable–just fine.
The real treat with this is just the combination of the great bread, yogurt, salads, and the fish.
When it comes to Gjusta’s fish selection, I find it best to be there. At times, even their salmon belly can be on the dry side. Eyeball the case, see what appeals to you and choose away. Still -as you’ve stated - the whole package is pretty glorious.
Thanks for the report back @Haeldaur. Good to know about the Bowls (I’ve avoided them every time I went to Loqui).
For Gjusta, I love their Pastrami Gravlax as well. Bummer they were sold out of the Salmon Belly, and as @bulavinaka said, if you can dine in there, you can choose which pieces you want (normally no issue with larger fish like Gravlax / Lox, etc.
LOL. I can’t wait to go. Thanks.
