Fans of great L.A.-healthy-ingredient-based cooking, of eclectic-delicious cooking; patrons and followers of Gjelina, GTA, and Gjusta; the young, shoppy consumers of 'it' objects; and foodies/collectors who love popular of-the-place, of-themoment cookbooks. And people who love Venice Beach as a frame of mind.
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Fans of great L.A.-healthy-ingredient-based cooking, of eclectic-delicious cooking; patrons and followers of Gjelina, GTA, and Gjusta; the young, shoppy consumers of 'it' objects; and foodies/collectors who love popular of-the-place, of-themoment cookbooks. And people who love Venice Beach as a frame of mind.
From the LA Times: 'In some ways, Gjelina is an unlikely success story. The restaurant opened with no publicity, no sign, no valet. Lett, who says he's 'not even a highly trained chef, just a resourceful guy,' had literally bumped into the job, after meeting the owner on the street. And despite his penchant for conversation and his model good looks, he has shied away from media and refused television appearances, at a time when it's the norm for self-promoting young chefs to jump at the chance to star on reality TV. On any given Saturday, from morning to night, 1,000 people will have filled the 100-seat restaurant. 'That's 10 turns with a small margin for error,' Lett says. Even through the worst of the recession, each month has been busier than the last. And on a Monday at 10 p.m., you will still have to wait 45 minutes if you show up without a reservation.'
From Bon Appetit: 'Gjelina is the benchmark for a new kind of neighborhood restaurant. The dim room filled with wooden tables and bare old-school lightbulbs is sexy; the Venice location (on chic and cheerful Abbot Kinney) is sexy; and everyone from the servers to the diners is… sexy. In spite of it all, the food remains stellar at brunch, lunch, and dinner.'
