If you had only one evening in Santa Monica / Venice where would you eat?

You and Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage must have been well-acquainted, in that case…

Isn’t revealing one of @aaqjr’s secrets enough for today?

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re: gjelina

you won’t have a place to sit while you wait.
the waiting is usually done “holding up the wall” that is nearest to the communal table.

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Tar & Roses or Gjelina are great, but if you only come beachside rarely, why not go to a restaurant that has a giant ocean outside its windows? The Lobster. Then walk down to the sand, kick your shoes off, and take a long romantic walk on the beach with your man. :wink:

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The Lobster and other beachfront restaurants with great views lose a lot of that appeal when it is already well after sunset and dark.

I love Gjelina.

And I also think that Chinois, for consistent bold-flavored food and excellent service, should have been mentioned by now.

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I love Gjelina too! But I like the ocean more. It’s still pretty by moonlight.

Cassia! aka “The Norton Place” -

We got a bistro table in the bar. Wait time? 15 seconds. Complete serendipity.

Chino Valley Egg Custard (Sea urchin roe, braised mushrooms) / Clay Oven Baked Breads

Vietnamese Pot Au Feu - Short rib stew, bone marrow, potatoes, cabbage, carrots served w/grilled bread, birds eye chili sauce, pickled onions, walnut-mustard

Alcoholic Beverages - Glass of Brut Rose Cava & an Old-Fashion

At 7:30p the drive was super easy, less than 20 minutes. The party we attended was at Ron Robinson on 5th St., two blocks from Cassia. You guys/gals probably would have known this. I had no clue. We left our car in the lot on 5th / Colorado and walked to Cassia at 9pm. Perfect timing, after the dinner service, before the late crowd.

Sorry I didn’t get a chance to check back in. Thanks for all the entries!

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[quote=“aaqjr, post:33, topic:4306”]
Rose is it’s easily walkable to Abbott Kinney after and you can leave your car in the lot.
[/quote]My girlfriends and I used to practically live at Venice Beach. I love that big parking lot.

[quote=“Chowseeker1999, post:35, topic:4306”]
Or if you’re in the mood of sushi, I just called Shunji for you and they have an opening at the sushi bar for 2 at 8:30 tonight. :slight_smile:
[/quote]So cool of you!!! Can I make a confession? A lot of you dine at the better sushi spots like it’s a regular thing. And you know your stuff. Not me. When I go to Mori or Shunji for the first time I want it to be the only plan (not squeezed in) and really enjoy the experience of the meal.

Thanks again!

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Beers and cheeseburgers at Hinano!

Oh wait too late

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Nice, glad it all worked out!

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Glad there was no wait!

How did you like the food? I’ve heard mixed things about the pot au feu, although the chef’s wife recommends it highly.

Tough wait!
Glad it worked out.

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Duck at Charcoal
Clams at the Galley is fun and casual

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Hi @paranoidgarliclover -

I was tired when I did report. Decided to talk food in anyone asked. Yes. They definitely mentioned the pot au feu was the speciality. Broth maybe a bit watery, more soup than stew. The aroma was great (allspice, star anise), the Creekstone Farms beef was incredibly tender and delicious. The smokey grilled bread was perfect for the marrow. It came with the right utensils and plating to make a complicated dish doable. The birdseye pepper sauce gave it a kick, but the walnut mustard was tangy and wish we’d used less.

I’m not an expert on egg custard w/uni. Maybe @PorkyBelly can say if it’s the standard bearer? But it was creamy, with a sea flavor from the uni, scallions gave it a little punch, shrooms gave it texture. We ate it 2 ways scooped with a spoon and schmeared on the delicious homemade naan like bread.

Hi @aaqjr - I’m on the fence with QPR. I can see why it might seem a little off - $108 (w/health tax) + tip. But I like they use some organics and list their farms. I was so tempted to to get the Cooks Ranch Charcuterie!

Too dark for good pictures. But a beautiful spot!

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I don’t mind the late entries. They’re good recs. This thread could be helpful to others. There’s a lot of good info.

Cool Chinios shout out @nosh. It was Prince’s L.A. favorite .

We saw this last night at the exhibit.

Thanks everyone.

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You’re so lucky you weren’t towed when you left your car at that lot at Fred Segal! They are hyper vigilant.

Oh shit. Really? Now that wouldn’t have been serendipitous. We may not have been in their lot. I think it was a pay parking lot.

I don’t know why we stopped going to S.M. / Venice so much. It really is great. With all the traffic and construction going on over here, it’s probably easier to get to the beach than Hollywood. These recs will come to good use.

@aaqjr What is QPR?

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