First Impression: Larry's (Venice Beach)

Larry's, the new Venice cafe named for artist Larry Bell, opened this past week just off the Venice Boardwalk, adjacent to the Hotel Erwin.  The restaurant is a collaboration between Mark and Erwin Sokol of the hotel and Brendan Collins and Carolos Tomazos of Waterloo & City.  Chef Collins designed the menu, which brings his charcuterie focused dishes to the beach, with no item over $15.

The restaurant, with its vibrant mural on the exterior, is hard to miss and brings a sophisticated menu and casual vibe to the Venice scene.  The beer list is also of particular note, with 26 beers on tap plus additional bottle options.

I had lunch there this past weekend with some friends including the I Flip For Food duo Mark and Angela.  We began the meal with the Duck & Pistachio Pate, ($12) with was served with seasonal marmalade, mustard, house-made pickles and toast (above).  The pate was quite attractive and the favorite of some at the table, although for me it was overshadowed by the Potted Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Parfait (below).  The parfait ($12) was smooth and delicious and when spread across the wonderful bread, it was like a savory dessert.  Spoons kept on reaching into the little glass jar to get every bit of the parfait.

The pie of the day was a Pesto Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes ($14).  The pizza is thin crust and was crisp without being cracker-like.  As a pesto fan, I was very satisfied with this pie and look forward to trying the Heirloom Tomato Margherita pizza next time.

As the four of us were sharing food, the kitchen took the initiative to cut the Lamb Burger ($14) into four for us unprompted, which was a thoughtful touch we appreciated.  The lamb burger was served on a ciabatta bun and a large cone of fries and an enormous pickle accompanied it.  The burger was fine, but the fries are some of the best in the city.  I'd return just for the fries, if nothing else (although I'd have trouble resisting the parfait) and a glass of beer.

The Organically Fried Chicken Caesar Baguette sandwich ($12) is fried chicken, a fried egg and a caesar salad all on a baguette.   This dish (unpictured) was my least favorite of the meal, despite it being a fried chicken dish, which is one of my favorite menu items.  There was a lot going on in the dish and the fried chicken was definitely not the star.  It came with bacon, which we asked for on the side.  The caesar element also included anchovies, which I give them credit for, but this is not a recommended dish.

We shared two desserts, the Sticky Toffee Pudding (above) and the Peach Crumble (below).  While both were enjoyable, the sticky toffee pudding was the winner.  The toffee sauce and the ice cream, with the powdered sugar combined to make this dessert sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.  Order this dish, but you will be reluctant to share it.  The Crumble was well executed but had a hard time standing out next to the Toffee.  Note: our desserts were compliments of the restaurant.

The full beer list is below:

The bar area is brightly colored and comfortable, with two flat screen TVs and 26 beers on tap at the ready.

The entire seating area is an outdoor patio, perfect for the ocean breezes on a warm summer afternoon.

Larry's: 24 Winward Ave., Venice. Phone: (310) 399-2700. Website: http://larrysvenice.com/

Holiday Cocktails: The Bloody Holiday at Waterloo & City

The holiday season has rolled around again and now that the Thanksgiving meal has been consumed thoughts naturally wander to what can I drink in December that is seasonal and delicious. For many a bar, the answer will be something warm, like cider or nog, but at Waterloo & City, they have opted to imbue the spices and aromas of December into a chilled ruby red cocktail, the Bloody Holiday.

What could be more festive than a blood red cocktail, full of liquor and spices? What is in this licentious libation you ask? Dark rum, fresh cranberry puree, ginger beer and holiday spices would be the answer from beyond the grave. Fresh cranberries (none of that canned stuff) smashed into a pliable puree are mixed with ginger beer, nutmeg and other festive spices and given the sturdy base of a dark rum to form a cohesive whole in your glass.  The cocktail is garnished with lime peel and is served on the rocks.

As the ice used at Waterloo & City is small, which melts quickly, that only spurs you to drink it quickly, lest it get diluted.  A cocktail that impels you to drink it quickly?  Very much in the holiday spirit.

Photo courtesy of Carolos Tomazos

Waterloo & City: 12517 West Washington Blvd, Culver City. Phone: (310) 391-4222.  Website: www.waterlooandcity.com

Sunday Lunch at Waterloo & City

Waterloo and City, the British Gastropub which recently opened in Culver City is now home to a Sunday Lunch, a more savory version of Sunday brunch, and a development I heartily approve of. I was invited to check out the new offerings and dutifully ate my way through much of the menu. Chef Brendan Collins (pictured below), a partner in the restaurant, was there to talk about his philosophy. Collins is a believer in nose to tail dining, "You should respect the animal and every part of the animal should be used. A chef should be able to make every part of the animal taste good," he said.



We began the meal with a groaning board of pastries, including croissants, scones, chocolate chip cookies and fixings including Nutella. The scones were not too dense and the croissants were airy and flaky.



One of the main attractions of Waterloo & City, whether at lunch or dinner, is their house made charcuterie. The options include smoked salmon and potato terrine, chicken liver and foie gras mousse, beef drippings in a jar, foie gras in a jar, duck country pate with orange marmalade and a venison terrine, among others. We arranged for a sampler platter, pictured below. Collins mentioned that demand for these dishes had far exceeded expectations and they had been selling out of many of their charcuterie dishes daily.



My favorite of the terrines and pates was the smoked salmon terrine with fried egg and gribiche. The salmon was alternated with potato in a beautiful pink and white striped presentation. The fried egg sat on top. This dish is an ideal way to begin a Sunday Lunch as the salmon calls to mind the traditional lox of brunch but the dish is raised to a new level of refinement. The photo below does not do the dish justice.



Another favorite was the foir gras in a jar, simply decadent and a great way to spread the love (and salt and fat) around a piece of toast. Creamy in texture and full of flavor, this is foie done right. A jar is enough for several lunchers to share and could work as an appetizer, side dish or dessert.



As we are in the peak of summer, corn soup is a great way to take advantage of the bounty. The corn soup was sweet. The portion is large rather than dainty, so be prepared.



When I saw Corned Beef Hash, Eggs, Bernaise on the menu, I knew I had to order this dish. It arrived to the table in a skillet with the egg and sauce on top of the hash and some small toasts fanned out on top. Surprisingly this was not my favorite element of the meal, so my quest for great corned beef hash in Los Angeles continues. The beef is prepared in house, not like the canned varieties you see all over town. In fact, over 95% of the components of the dishes are prepared in house, whether its the pastries, the charcuterie or the corned beef.



A fellow fresser ordered the Roast Beef, which came with Yorkshire Pudding and some veggies. This is the traditional British Sunday Lunch and was well executed. The roast beef had real beefy flavor and the puddings were fluffy; this is a real meal, not some wimpy pancakes and is only available on the Sunday Lunch menu, not the dinner menu.



When it comes to desserts, I'd usually rather have a nice piece of cheese, but I make an exception for the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Milk Ice Cream and Salted Caramel. This is an appropriately rich way to end your lunch, with a stick to your ribs dessert. The toffee pudding was gooey, sweet, salty and delicious.


Overall Collins & crew have created a comfortable environment with ambitious but accessible cuisine, where the vibe is comfy and genial. The starters are $9 - $11, the egg dishes are $10 - $16 and the mains are $15 - $19. Desserts are $6 and are large enough to share, even if you want to keep them all to yourself.

Waterloo & City: 12517 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles/Culver City. Phone: (310) 391-4222‎. Website: waterlooandcity.com‎