hatchet hall?
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I thought of HH. I just asked her what California fusion is… waiting.
Answer: “American restaurants that have an asian, mexican, or European flair… I think the “food” word for it is just California Cusine” She’s off of Italian at the moment.
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Republique and call it a day
Republique brunch fits this perfect with its French x Filipino vibes
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Gjelina
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“California cuisine” to me suggests Rustic Canyon. Or maybe Michael’s?
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The Rose in Venice or Fia in Santa Monica.
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Rustic canyon exec chef Andy Doubrava is a good follow on Instagram. Very creative.
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Thanks All!
She’s going to Hatchet Hall with her kids. So I sent her a few other options & this link posted up-thread. It has a few cool options but seems a little lite (no Rose Venice?). She selected Post & Beam - nice garden patio, within budget, central locale, plus they have a new owner & team with Hatchet Hall alumnus, Martin Draluck, as Chef de Cuisine. Looking forward to it. 
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Honestly, idk if all this sanitizing stops the spread of COVID-19 or not. I’m just glad peeps are washing their hands more & restaurants are cleaning their germy tables.
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I dunno the status of the restaurant itself, but the Michael’s building is being heavily renovated right now.
I guess it’s possible, but I’ve been walking by it fairly frequently and that building looks pretty gutted
Resy lists three seating areas, all outdoors, and has a detailed list of pandemic precautions.
Girls’ Night Out at Post & Beam.
(kevin eats)
They still have a big, tented, parking lot dining-area, but we ate on the permanent attached patio. It’s not expansive but has a nice vibe - good for dinner or cocktails & bites around the fire pit.
It was dark for decent photos, so I’ll post a few and describe the rest.
Starts & Sides:
The wine list isn’t extensive. I had a glass of Conundrum Sparkling Rose.
Warm Cornbread w/Honey Butter was the bomb. 
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Smoked Chicken Wings (choice of sauces) - undercooked & not crispy.
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Fried Catfish Nuggets w/Spicy White Remoulade - not a big catfish eater but these were really tasty, as was the remoulade.
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Dungeness Crab & Rockfish Cakes w/Wild Arugula & Shallot Vinaigrette - more tastiness, especially w/the spicy white remoulade from the catfish nuggets.
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Mac & Smoked Cheese w/Herb Breadcrumbs was delicious!
Entrees:
In trying to work-off the C19 lbs, I had the Torn Kale & Endive Salad w/Seasonal Apples, Roasted Squash, Spiced Pecans, Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette. Ummm it tasted like a kale salad, which is actually unfair because some kale salads are great… this was not. The roasted squash was a puréed schmear. 
Jerk Catfish, Marinated Herbs, Dirty Rice - Idk how jerk it was but my girlfriend called foul. It was breaded and deep fried. She doesn’t like breaded and deep fried fish.
Shrimp, Grits w/Beef Bacon, Roasted Peppers & Shrimp Butter - the birthday girl loved this dish!
Certified Angus Beef Short Ribs w/Fresh Horseradish - My girls thought the meat was not falling off the bone tender and there wasn’t enough sauce. I took an order home for hubs - true it was more like a Yankee Pot Roast than a tender braised short rib dish. We liked it and there was plenty of sauce.
Costco Cake & Chocolate Strawberries - Idk what kind of cake this was except it was really, really good. The giant strawberries had no sweetness and little flavor.
Post & Beam is still hit ‘n miss with the new team. But there were a few standout dishes, a warm atmosphere and good service.
Happy Al Fresco Dining!
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The Rose Venice. Sooo much outdoor space…
We sat on this raised deck in an alcove, upper-right.
It was our own little, semi-private space overlooking the action on the green “grass” patio below. I hope to win this table lottery again.
Green “Grass” Patio
Greenhouse-ish Dining
I think there’s also another covered outdoor space as you enter from the parking lot.
No longer is there a specialty market & gift shop inside - it’s replaced by a bar w/tables (note: loud music), oyster case, wine room, more cases and more tables.
There’s so much space we were able to make a brunch resy for 4 ppl the day before. That’s a luxury in the days of limited seating.
Cool restroom hallway. I must be rusty from not dining-out because I forgot to check for a Toto. 
Food & Drink…
Old-fashioneds for the Men
Banana Hammocks for the Ladies - House Rum Blend, Caramelized Banana, Pandan Syrup, Coconut Water, Lime, Tiki Bitters, Banana Merengue
This is so good. 
If you don’t like sweet cocktails this might not be for you, but I thought it was balanced and super tasty.
Curry Fries
These crispy, lightly spiced fries were good enough to rate a post on the French Fry thread.
I had my first Grain Bowl… and I liked it…
Asparagus, Snap Peas, Radishes, Avocado, Pea Greens, Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato, Quinoa, Pea Yuzu Green Curry Vinaigrette, Salmon Supplement
This is delicious. I even liked their firm, sprout-y quinoa. The salmon was cooked perfectly w/nice, crispy skin. My only quibble would be more tasty roasted sweet potato and a side of lemon, because I’m a citrus lover. If we lived close to The Rose this dish would be added to the regular meal plan for sure.
Steak & Eggs - Dry-Aged Hanger Steak, Two Fried Eggs, Crispy Potato, Summertime Chimichurri
This dish was huge, enough for two+, and everything was cooked right. Hubs was very satisfied.
Unfortunately, our friends were not quite as satisfied…
One had the Cubano - Rotisserie Pork, Ham, Swiss Cheese, Pickles, Mustard. She thought it was weak. It did look kinda’ puny. (no photo)
Hubs had the Korean-style Fried Chicken Sandwich - Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Gochujang Glaze, Pickled Green Tomato, House Slaw, Mayo
He was expecting “more sweetness in the glaze, like most Korean fried chicken.” I think he could’ve forgiven them if it was juicy, but it was a little dry too.
Maybe stick to brunch fare and California cuisine-type dishes at The Rose?
I have a sentimental attachment to The Rose. We haven’t been in a while but I practically lived in Venice as a teenager. The Rose was a favorite friends & family dining spot and in the summer my cousin and I would park in their lot, buy a to-go drink or snack, get validated and spend the day at the beach. Not no more you can. After our recent brunch we took a ride in our friends’ new car and came back to sticker shock.They stopped validating this year! 
Moral of the story… find other parking arrangements.
Happy Outdoor Dining!
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Yeah, that parking is one reason i end up at Gjusta more often or did I should say. That said the food there is really good. I’d stick with anything Cali cuisine or Italian-ish at the Rose Café Jason Neroni is great with pasta!
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Ohhh we’ll have to try the pasta.
His pizza is also good but I think it is with dinner that the food really shines and becomes most interesting.
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Putting something on the menu as “jerk” with no indication that it’s breaded and deep-fried is just wrong.
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