Dudley Market | Venice, CA

It's safe to say that Los Angeles is now officially a "foodie town." We're no longer living in the culinary shadow of Northern California; we've got our own loud, colorful identity and it's finally being reflected in our restaurants, as well. From pop-up restaurants to fine dining establishments, chefs across the city are pulling out all the stops, showing off not just our region's incredible produce but their own capacity to innovate and entertain with food. 

Dudley Market is a perfect example of the changing landscape in Los Angeles' food culture. It's a little food oasis, hiding in what feels like a back alley just steps from Venice Beach. It's the kind of place you'd happen upon after taking a wrong turn while looking for someplace else. But once you'd soaked in the welcoming exterior, the pretty gold logo etched on the massive windows, and the tempting menu by the door, it's also the type of place that would charm you into forgetting wherever it was you were supposed to go. And then, you'd taste the food, and you'd start to wonder if it was here that you were meant to be all along. 

In the rustic, light-drenched space that was once a convenience store, Chef Wesley Barden is cooking up delicious, inventive cuisine that makes the most out of the bounty of produce he finds at local farmers markets. By day, Dudley Market feels welcoming and relaxed, serving home-baked pastries, comforting breakfast and lunch dishes, and grab-and-go snacks and drinks to locals as they wander off the beach. By night, it becomes a romantic, candlelit bistro, alive with conversation and laughter as diners savor elegant cuisine and thoughtfully selected wines.

The breakfast menu during the week is short but sweet; its six items somehow manage to cover all the bases. It would be hard to top the Smoked Salmon dish as a perfect, contained breakfast (unless, of course, you added an egg on the side... which I did). The homemade bagel is perfect, and the caraway kefir provides a light and tangy alternative to a basic cream cheese. The vegetable accompaniments make the dish feel special, providing freshness and sharp contrasts in both flavor and texture. But the star of the dish is, of course, the gorgeous and vibrant house-smoked salmon, delicately flavorful and tender.

During weekend brunch, the menu doubles in size, adding stick-to-your-ribs breakfast dishes and classic lunch fare, as well as bottomless mimosas. The Shrimp & Grits dish certainly falls under the stick-to-your-ribs category; it's hearty and comforting, but somehow doesn't feel heavy. The rustic cheese grits have a texture almost like buckwheat or oatmeal, and are thick, creamy, and oh-so-satisfying. On top, spicy shrimp, runny fried eggs, and a sweet onion marmalade create a harmonious flavor profile that elevates a simple country dish into something distinctive and memorable. 

The Farro Bowl was an unexpected surprise, combining a kitchen sink's worth of different textures and flavors into something surprisingly harmonious. Perhaps the most unusual component is the sieved egg, which is impossibly fluffy and light and melts into a salty creaminess when it hits the tongue. The farro is as nutty and firm as you would hope it to be, tossed in a light vinaigrette that offers just a hint acidity, and the radish slices add a satisfying crunch to each bite. There are also chunks of tangy citrus, earthy roasted mushrooms, and flecks of fragrant rosemary. What brings this all together is the luscious smear of whipped goat's cheese on the side of the bowl; it's lemony and bright and yet still savory, and it's so light and fluffy that it's almost cloud-like. We both agreed that we'd be satisfied with a bowl of this cheese alone, or maybe with a nice slice of baguette. It's divine. 

And because no good brunch goes without a bit of decadence, there are the Seany Cakes. This should probably be called simply Seany Cake, what with there being only a singular enormous cake, but the Seany Cakes are all about challenging your expectations. In fact, nothing about this dish is what you'd expect; the cake is thick and crispy on the outside, incredibly moist and steaming in the center, and sports a robust, yeasted flavor that barely approaches sweetness. On top, deliciously tart, syrupy blackberries and a mound of soft, sweet whipped cream that melts the moment it makes contact with the steaming hot cake. This is exactly the kind of dish that Sundays were made for. 

As the Los Angeles food culture continues to explode, deciding where to brunch next can be overwhelming - but perhaps we needn't look much farther than our own backyard. Hidden gems like Dudley Market are out there, offering something special and unique (and downright delicious) to their communities. Taking the time to discover them can be an adventure in itself - and hey, if at the end of the adventure there are some bottomless mimosas, we certainly won't complain. 

Dudley Market
9 Dudley Ave
Venice, CA 90291 

Gjusta | Venice, CA

If you live in L.A., you've probably heard of Gjusta. If you're a foodie, and you don't live in L.A., you've also probably heard of Gjusta. If you're a foodie, and you are lucky enough to live in L.A., you are most likely at least a little bit obsessed with Gjusta. 

This is one of those places that has a reputation that precedes it. Little sister to the nearly-legendary Gjelina (the ultimate West Side food-scene hotspot, and unwitting poster child for the gentrification of Abbot Kinney), Gjusta opened in late 2014 as a bakery with elements of a take-away restaurant, an East Coast-style deli, and a juice and coffee bar. It was immediately hugely popular; attracting techies, hipsters, foodies, bloggers, and tourists in droves. Unfortunately, it hasn't been so popular with some of the locals (see: passionate accounts of how Gjusta is "a nuisance" and a famous face objecting to the restaurant's application for a liquor license), but most worthwhile things come with a little controversy. What's not-so-controversial? The excellence of the food. Foodies and critics agree that no matter what you choose, you are in for a real treat. 

To get to Gjusta, you'll have to stray from the beaten path a bit, past a busy Gold's Gym and down a residential street. It's unmarked and very low profile, the surest sign that you've made it are the crowds of well-dressed, hungry people confusedly looking for the entrance. Inside, the space is vast and completely overwhelming. Every nook and cranny of the huge room seems to be occupied by something delicious; you're likely to experience some overstimulation before even reaching the deli-style numbered ticket dispenser. The choices seem endless: Gjusta is part bakery, part pizzeria, part deli, part smokehouse, part juice bar, part coffeehouse. And the list goes on. And absolutely everything looks mouth-wateringly delicious. 

The ordering and seating situation can cause some befuddlement; if you're not aware that there are no lines and that instead you need to draw a number, you could end up standing around confused for a very long time. Then, upon actually drawing a number, the wait time to place your order can be lengthy - I've read accounts of people waiting almost an hour, though my personal experience was closer to five minutes. Finally, you wander out to the back patio to find a seat, which even at an off-time on a weekday was fairly packed. Sharing tables with other parties is expected, so it's best to leave your personal space bubble at home (my table-mates were actually a delight - we enjoyed a lively discussion about our favorite foodie spots in Portland). When your food is up, a staff member comes out back and yells out your name. It's all very confusing, and it's probably quite frustrating to some, but it's a price that must be paid to partake in some of L.A.'s most popular and delicious food. 

As a foodie with a serious FOMO problem, you can imagine the distress I felt between the moment when I pulled a number and the moment when my number was called. I read the menu over and over again; I wanted everything. A decision was alluding me. So, when it was my turn to order, I succumbed to the overwhelm and asked the staff member for a recommendation. I was expecting him to suggest a deli classic like the Bialy Egg & Cheese Sandwich or a Lox plate, Instead I was offered a curve ball: the Gjusta Huevos Rancheros. 

Curve ball or no, I was absolutely not led astray. This dish was fresh, vibrant, and not at all heavy. I loved the addition of the kale, which added a wonderful, toothsome texture and made it feel a little bit healthier (let's be real - kale has that "miracle food" reputation that might lead you to believe that kale cookies are healthy... side note, kale cookies sound awful). The flavors throughout the dish were excellent - in particular, the tangy bean stew and the smoky tomato sauce on top were standouts that worked together harmoniously. And finally, the variety of textures was delightful - it was crunchy, soft, chewy, and crispy all at once. Truly, there were no complaints to be had about this satisfying dish. 

And because I'm the type who won't be satisfied to sample just one dish, I got a "side" of one of the deli salads: the curry roasted carrots. I put "side" in quotations because, well, this was an enormous serving. Trust me, I am not complaining - I am a sucker for perfectly roasted carrots, and while this is a difficult vegetable to treat perfectly, Gjusta nailed it. They had a touch of char on the ends and were soft in the middle without being overdone. The seasoning was wonderfully spicy and earthy, and the tangy yogurt added a creamy decadence. With those powers combined, this was veggie heaven. 

Choosing a drink at Gjusta is another difficult task. Between the smoothies, coffee, shrubs, lemonades, and juices, it's easy to be sent into another tailspin of indecision. I was already a bit hopped-up on caffeine on the day of my visit, so it was easy to eliminate at least one category (however delicious those Cortados may have looked). I went with the daily juice, because when in Venice... right? Again, I was not disappointed: the apple, beet, lemon, and ginger concoction was tangy and bright. I'd say it was downright zippy. 

As wonderful as my entire meal at Gjusta was, I left feeling a little bit dissatisfied - my inner FOMO monster had been awakened, and all I could think about were the possibilities of meals not chosen. But what about the famous baklava croissants - were they already sold out, or did I just miss them? Should I have tried a homemade bagel or bialy? And crap, I never got to taste the famous bread everyone's been talking about! Or the famous fish that they get at the farmers markets and smoke in-house! With so many incredible brunch and breakfast options throughout this diverse city of ours, it's sometimes hard to say "I'm coming back here" and actually mean it. With Gjusta, I mean it. 

Gjusta - 320 Sunset Avenue, Venice, CA 90291