by guest blogger @iam_robot
I recently got the chance to check out a one of the walking food tours by Avital, who took us on a tour around the Venice neighborhood.
![_H5A5785](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7673/26946509705_a02808a577.jpg)
This Venice food tour took us deep inside the center of the
old city and allowed us to explore real stories of this beachfront neighborhood. Snippets of lifestyles, cultures, and rich
history came into light through bites of puff pastry, savory pizza, and sugary
donut. Personally, I think it’s almost impossible to scour best places to eat
by driving around aimlessly. A feast of this magnitude must only be countered
with serious walking feast – worry not, we all walked ‘kind of’ leisurely.
Without the guidance of Avital, I never would have ventured to some of these restaurants (at least not all at once) and certainly wouldn’t have ordered many of the things I tried. So if you
decide to join – make sure to bring a hearty appetite, comfortable shoes, and strong
sense of humor J
The tour begins with 2 shots of craft beer at Venice Ale House. Located strategically on the boardwalk, you can’t help but watch hipster and westsiders going about with their weirdness. Moving along, we walked couple blocks to one of the narrow alleys to encounter a sleek, minimal storefront called as Dudley Market.
![IMG_2584](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7579/26673002550_c7f4be9d8f_n.jpg) |
Dudley Market Interior |
![IMG_2588](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/26852060402_6f2c16b2d9_n.jpg) |
Gnocco fritto, with Calabrian chili salsa and scallops at Dudley Market |
After couple of beer shots at The Ale House, I thought we were getting
greasy food to wash down the alcohol bloat. To my utmost surprise, a plate of Puff
Pastry with scallop and Calabrian Chili Salsa came to sight within 5 minutes. I
pretty much inhaled them with sips of fine Cava. I was amazed with Chef Jesse
Barber’s (formerly of Barnyard and The Tasting Kitchen) creation – it’s simple,
honest, and ingredient-centric. Definitely not the prototypical dish you’d find
on beachfronts.
![IMG_2596](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/26878307501_68a732c408_n.jpg) |
Plant Food and Wine Interior
![IMG_2599](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/26852059372_f3e85bb91f_n.jpg) |
Carrot Ginger Soup by Plant Food and Wine |
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The third stop is a
vegan hotspot called as Plant Food and Wine. The 65-seat restaurant has
gorgeous indoor and outdoor spaces. Inside, the interior is built around the
oak floors, reclaimed stone and a fireplace. Outdoor, olive and fig trees
provide a canopy for courtyard dining. Warm curry ginger soup was the perfect
complement for this rainy day. The next stop turned out to be one of my favorite dining spots, Gjelina. But before we hit Gjelina, we made a brief
detour to Cook’s Garden, an urban farm built at a vacant lot right next to
Willie Jane restaurant. Master Gardener Geri Miller are growing beds of organic
goodness for Chefs Govind Armstrong at Willie Jane and other restaurants in the
area. I was practically nibbling raw vegetables on the spot.
![IMG_2600](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7081/26673000990_40fb8fca69_n.jpg) |
Welcome Sign at Cook’s Garden |
![IMG_2606](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/26878304981_da0190786d_n.jpg) |
Chicken Coop at Cook’s Garden |
Moving along, during
that 5 minutes (seemingly long) walk, my mind ran wild between Gjelina’s
delicious pizzas and gorgeous waitress.
I’m sure by now (if you’re not living under the rock), you’ll know that
Gjelina is the furthest thing from a pizza parlor, it’s definitely one of the
most ambitious restaurants you could find in LA – delicious seasonal menu,
great ambiance, buzzing crowds and pleasantly quite arrogant (the menu
specifies “Changes or modifications politely declined”). That day I had a
chance to taste a couple of their Pizza offerings: The Lamb Sausage and The
Bottarga. What is bottarga? It is mullet
roe from Sardinia. It’s salty, fishy, and quite expensive (I heard).
![IMG_2607](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7636/26878304061_6ee2b49ac7.jpg) |
Lamb sausage, confit tomato, rapini, asiago, pecorino and mint pizza at Gjelina |
![IMG_2608](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/26852054332_71ec52a635_n.jpg) |
Bottarga, confit tomato, Jalapeno, Smoked Mozzarella, Arugula pizza at Gjelina |
As any saying goes, “Save the best for last”. Indeed, the
last stop was the most memorable one. The final stop was Blue Star Donut, the
world renowned brioche-style doughnuts from Portland. I had the chance to taste
their Mimosa Donut, which is champagne marmalade frosting with candied orange.
![IMG_2610](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7469/26672997650_0a729cb00f_z.jpg) |
Mimosa Donut at Blue Star Donut |
It was probably the best donut I’ve had to date. Aside from their super inventive frostings, the dough felt light, outer-crispy, and greaseless. Researching more – heard they utilized European style butter that has higher fat content than the typical American butter. Tidbit aside, the first bite was explosion of flavors in my mouth. Can’t wait to go back! Did I mention they have 15 to 20 flavors available daily?
As I look back, I gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed each stop.
Sure, the sweetness from the doughnut lingered on my tongue during my drive home
but the most memorable part was probably conversing with people who’s just as
much into food as I do. Come alone or come in groups, you’re guaranteed to meet
new friends at this gastronomy tour.
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