It caught me off guard as I questioned a belief I had about myself based on external pressures, like liking dollhouses which seemingly wasn’t true, because I apparently liked fire engine trucks and water guns. This isn’t the first time someone in my family or an old friend has clarified an inconsistent thought I have about myself. It’s taken me nearly 30 years to notice how much of myself I’ve lost to those external pressures. In an effort to be someone everyone else liked, I forgot the cardinal effort of becoming the person I liked.
I’m not entirely sure what happened over the last couple years, though I could point to a number of things like COVID solitude, releasing a bunch of friends, living with my quite critical brother, being fired, going to therapy.. it could be any or all of that or it could just be this unexplainable energy of approaching 30.
Whatever tipped the scales, I’ve reached a point where I’ve lost the patience to put up with people and places I don’t like. That impatience and indifference has resulted in much less time spent trying to please others. And now, with all the available, high-powered headspace I’ve reclaimed, I have started to dig up Nina. She’s a version of me who at some point I must have gagged and buried to keep her quiet and still while I ran away to build the version of me that everyone else would find fun and palatable.
You’d think this would be a sort of amazing and freeing feeling, like coming home after a long trip, but actually it’s exhausting, confusing, and sometimes scary. Not to take away from the sincerity of this narrative, but I’ve been watching Brooklyn 99 for the first time and I can confidently say it feels like what the character Adrian Pimento goes through. He was undercover for 12 years as a gruesome hitman for a bad guy and now has to assimilate back into his old life as a cop at the 99. It’s a shit show and he’s constantly fighting the undercover version of himself to become the old cop version of himself again. It’s silly, but true. I find myself choosing each day, multiple times per day to behave like the Nina who I might have become. You might think this would be easy because I’m just supposed to “do what feels good”, but I don’t really know what would feel good to her because I’ve ignored her for so long. I don’t really know who she is, but she’s me.
Thoughts? Feelings? Reactions?
Anyway, the point of this post is that I need new friends and new hobbies in New York because she doesn’t like most of my old ones or she didn’t give the good ones a fair shot the first time around.
I’m not sure why I’ve been so reluctant to write something thought provoking for a while now, but my write up about the Venice food scene was a fun one. Then I stumbled on Twitter’s #PortfolioDay, which inspired me with whimsical, beautiful and wildly talented artistry, so I decided I had to share it in lieu of something meatier. Maybe this will help me get back on the bandwagon.
I guess #PortfolioDay is an annual thing. It’s funny how you can just decide to declare a day for something and if you do it enough and enough people do it with you, it becomes a more formal thing. Like International Sibling Day or Ice Cream Day. I once had an idea to hand out short, handwritten compliment cards to people and calling it, Say Something Nice Day. There’s some logistical things to think about there but wouldn’t it be nice if for at least a single day of the year, we’re all just a bit nicer to each other?
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Anyway, onto the art. I’ve attempted to stack rank them but I like all of them nearly equally and coincidentally there are 10, which feels like a good whole number.
First up, these stunning paintings, which reminded me of something Miyazaki might have done. I can feel Totoro or Kiki popping out of the corner or the sky of any of these beautiful pieces. Even though I said I love them equally, this one is the best of the bunch. S/O Alariko
I really like the mixing of textures in the top left image—between the texture of her dress and the rest of the piece. I’ve always enjoyed the slightly sad or thoughtful lighting that some artists utilize in their work. It’s that lighting that I ascribe to New York all the time. Sort of sad, sort of thoughtful, but always over something very detailed and also quite personal, like you’ve been there or seen that view. S/O Tishk Barzanji
So. much. fun! I feel like the wind is blowing through me as I look at these. This character feels so real and reminds me of what a female Avatar might look like. I guess that’s Korra, but this version feels sharper, where Korra feels gentle. The details of the water on her sword and the fan are unreal. I wanna see it move. S/O Kan Liu
And here again is that New York sadness, loneliness, gloomy feeling but all the while, it’s beautiful and personal. These images look clearly of another city than mine, but the feeling is familiar. And damn, that detail. S/O Marceau Nakayama
This one reminded me of my mom, particularly the top left! It feels like what she’d look like if she were some sort of forest-dwelling creature with higher powers. I love the details and tie to nature of these, they feel so friendly and cute. I’d love the top left one as a print. Reminds me of Animal Sleep Stories. S/O Ibon Adarne
This one reminded me of something a few of the men in my life would enjoy. I’ve always deeply enjoyed the comic-book-but-still-sorta-realistic style of this. The darkness of it all is so powerful. I like the top left one, with his hunched over posture, it’s almost as if he’s real. The bottom right is also a favorite, that tiger heard is superb! S/O POISONP1NK
I love this whimsical one equally as much as the former but for completely different reasons! This too reminds me of a Miyazaki piece, namely of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Those massive armadillo-looking things feel as if they’re drawn in a similar style. Feels like these should be on a deck of cards. I really enjoyed the top left and bottom right, headless sorcerers abound! S/O Scott Higginbotham
Mmmmm this one makes me feel at peace. These little detailed posters of sorts. The cross sections of rocks in the upper right graphic are particularly satisfactory. I’d love to see a brochure of each National Park done in this style. It reminds me of something you might find on Real Fun Wow or something commissioned by Parks Project. I miss the outdoors. Also look at the rest of her work, it’s beautiful. S/O Olivia Sullivan
Toddler Nina would have killed to have a doll house like these growing up. I mean look at the attention to detail! It’s unreal. I couldn’t help wondering how painstakingly long it must have taken to create each individual leaf and to get just the right curvature to make it all look so damn cute. The more you look the more you find and wonder, who has the patience for this?! S/O Nicky Blender (she makes music too!)
And last but certainly not least, this little colorful, modern, and very much on trend style that you see so much of and yet I never get sick of. I’m not blown away by it, but there’s something very pleasant about soft colors with rounded edges, overlaying each other. They’re so calming, I just wanted to share. S/O Trevor Basset
Take a look at the rest of the work from #PortfolioDay and let me know if you find one you like or commission work from these artists! People love art as gifts, I think. I would and my birthday is coming up 😉.
Have a wonderful week my friends, stay ~cool~ out there.
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This is a very long piece. Take it slowly or all at once. Disagree with me, praise me for my all-knowing opinion, but please, for the life of me, never miss the opportunity for a great meal.
I had a tweet go viral the other day, which resulted in a bunch of people signing up for this newsletter (hello), presumably under the assumption that I write about something they care about.
Normally, I write about ~life~, my life in particular. If that interests you, stay subscribed. If you’re looking for degenerate crypto content and more hot takes about tech products, then you’ll probably be disappointed, at least in the short term.
However, today, unlike all other days, I’m writing about something different! Specifically, food and coffee and cocktails and the places they are served in a little tiny town in Los Angeles, known as Venice.
Why?
I recently decided to lean into my hobby of eating and drinking because after a lifetime of doing it and then (shameless plug) running a syndicate into the now wildly successful wine brand, Une Femme Wines, that just announced their Series A (and launched on Delta Airlines!), I’ve decided I’d like to talk about it. I have a lot of opinions about the places I’ve been, some good and some bad. Sometimes people like to hear my opinion on this stuff, so I thought, maybe if I share it widely, people will care to read about it and hopefully one day use it on their next trip west of the 405.
“West of the 405”
LA is split up by West LA and East LA. There’s a large middle area, which is highly contested amongst the residents of Los Angeles. If you were to ask someone what they consider to be the west side of LA and they reply with, “west of the 405”, which is referring to the 405 highway. Some people, predominantly those who actually live on the west side of LA, believe that the “true” west side is “west of Lincoln”, meaning Lincoln Boulevard. And so, as a snooty asshole myself, I’ve decided to confine my recommendations to the part of Venice that is in fact west of Lincoln, otherwise known as “Oakwood”. Except no one calls it that. I’ve provided a map to illustrate the point.
I don’t care who you talk to, this area is Venice. There’s definitely a section of Venice that extends a bit east of Lincoln, but I’m not talking about that, plus there’s nothing there, except ★★★☆☆The Penmar, which is solid and you should absolutely go for their live music nights on Wednesdays. The food is mediocre, as are the drinks, but the music and vibes are *chef’s kiss*.
The Streets of Venice
When it comes to most things non-residential in Venice, there are 4 major streets you need to know.
Lincoln Boulevard aka Lincoln - effectively a major highway in Venice and has something for everyone—gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, literally everything.
Rose Ave aka Rose - relatively quiet (compared to Lincoln and Pacific) and has some of the best, though fewer, options with residential and commercial overlap. It’s mostly locals.
Pacific Ave aka Pacific - very close to the beach and is quite busy and loud but is only 1-lane in both directions, which sucks for parking and general movement, especially on good beach days.
Abbot Kinney Boulevard aka Abbot Kinney aka AK - this is the famous one. Everyone knows Abbot Kinney and for good reason! There are some phenomenal spots to eat, drink, get coffee, party, shop and just roam around.
“Off the beaten path” - spots worth hitting that are off the main streets. They’re not actually far off, but they’re on side streets, so you have to go find them.
I use a 5-star system, loosely. Some places have more stars for having a great vibe while others have more stars for having exceptional food. If it has a lot of stars, it means it’s probably not going to disappoint in it’s given category. If it’s a relatively large chain, I deduct a star.
I tried to put places in order of the time of day you’d go there. It’s not a perfect system.
I tried to steer clear of chains unless I felt for some reason they belonged on the list for being uniquely Venetian.
I’ve intentionally kept these reviews quite short. No one needs a novel. If you’re confused or curious to learn more about a place, DM me.
La Vie En Rose (Ave)
Rose Ave is my favorite of the 4 streets. Maybe it’s because I lived down the street from it when I first moved to Venice and subsequently fell in love with it as I crawled out of my NYC-COVID-induced depression. It’s comparative lack of places that don’t serve food and generally chill vibe helps a lot. There’s no meaningful shopping and besides a few local things like a laundromat and a hair salon, the street is almost exclusively dedicated to food, coffee, drinks, and ice cream. Although there are a few more popular spots that attract visitors, there’s a strong locals-only vibe to Rose and you’ll often find the same people coming by the same spots on a daily or weekly basis. You’ll also see people waving hello to each other and generally smiling at one another, it’s great. But at night, Rose turns up. The restaurants are often packed with reservations, the bars are filled to the brim with patrons enjoying cocktails and you’ll frequently see families walking around to get some air and an ice cream at ★★★☆☆ Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, which I didn’t know was a national chain until the second I wrote this sentence. Anyway, let’s get into the first batch of reviews!
★★★★★ Flake is the perfect place to start this list because it is a truly incredible establishment. They have, to this day, the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. Second only to my love of New York bagels, Flake perfects the art of breakfast. They probably have amazing lunch food as well, but I’ve never tried it. I’ve also never tried their coffee, but people seem to drink it. You order at a window amidst a sea of locals and you pick up your order from another window around the corner. Pro tip: ask for the secret sauce, it’s the best .50 cents you’ll ever spend. Honestly, get two. Seating is hit or miss and entirely self service. This spot is no frills but so good. You can’t go wrong. I don’t have a go-to drink order here but you can’t go wrong with anything on this menu. My food pick is the bacon burrito with avocado (and at least one secret sauce).
★★★☆☆ Bluestone Lane Venice Beach Café is also a chain and so I’m off to a bad start but hear me out. This one is different. Although they have mediocre coffee, they have surprisingly good food and a fantastic ambiance. Whether you’re alone or with friends, this is a great spot to grab a seat and people watch for a minute or a few hours. There’s always seating and the menu has something for everyone with large portions, plus quick and friendly service. I’ve only given it 3 stars where I’d otherwise give 4 because it’s a chain and you should probably go to other places while you’re in town.
★★☆☆☆ Groundwork Coffee Co. has really bad coffee. I don’t get the hype and frankly wouldn’t recommend going but some people like it. They’ve also expanded to a lot more locations, so clearly everyone else feels differently about them than I do. That being said, the space is very cute and it’s a nice spot to work from and the food is actually quite good! If you like Philz, you’ll probably like Groundwork, but I steer clear of both.
★★★★★ The Win-Dow at American Beauty is very true to Rose Ave form. From 11am to 5pm, they are “The Win-Dow”, serving up a very simple menu. It’s unassuming and you’d miss it if you weren’t looking (especially now that they put up those tall walls), but they serve one of the best burgers I have ever had. The kicker? Everything on the menu is under $7.95, served up through, you guessed it, a window. This was one of the first places I experienced in Venice and to this day remains an all-time favorite. They opened up a few other spots, one on Venice boardwalk and another in Silver Lake, but this one will always be my favorite not only because it was my first but also because at night, it transitions into the gem that is, American Beauty...
★★★★★ American Beauty, which I believe is the only steakhouse in this area and for quite a distance around it (excluding chains like Del Frisco’s). American Beauty was closed for a very long time, like years and like some sort of divine intervention, they opened up just a few weeks before I left LA. I swiftly made a reservation with a few guys friends who take steak quite seriously and the results were unanimous, this place slaps. Perfectly cooked steak, delectable sides, solid drinks, an exceptionally kind and funny staff, and a cute vibe to boot. This is a phenomenal spot for any occasion, be it a date, family dinner, or a night with friends, you just can’t go wrong. Whoever is running this establishment deserves a gold medal.
★★☆☆☆ Wabi on Rose is a miss for me. I don’t know a single person who’s over the moon about Wabi and for good reason. Their prices are astronomical. The place itself is gorgeous and the staff is chill, but $30 for a sushi roll that’s mediocre at best? No, thanks. That being said, Wabi is always packed to the brim, so maybe I’m missing something, but generally speaking, Venice misses on quite a few categories, sushi being one of them.
★★★★★ Wallfloweris so, so, so, so good. From the ambiance to the staff to the menu and especially the drinks, I’ve never been disappointed by Wallflower’s Indonesian flavors and style. Both their extensive drink and eclectic food menus take a minute to get a grip on as everything is either uniquely named or simply in Indonesian. You have to read the descriptions to get a sense for what’s going on but the good news is, everything tastes incredible, so you really can’t go wrong. I recommend letting the waiter give you the lay of the land and take their suggestions on what to order for your party size, but don’t be afraid to throw in a street snacks or two with ingredients you’ve probably never tried before.
★☆☆☆☆ Cafe Gratitudeis another miss for me. I’ve never gone here of my own volition and maybe it’s because I’m neither vegan nor vegetarian and I eat gluten. I don’t get this place. The food is average, though well-presented and the staff is kind but ordering everything in the form of a statement of gratitude or affirmation, a la “I am kind”, just isn’t for me. Friends of mine have enjoyed this place but we’ve also never gone more than once or twice, so although there’s a shtick, I don’t think it’s sticking. That being said, this place has been around for a minute, so I guess it’s working for someone?
★★★☆☆ I wish I could give a half star for Chulita, because it’s solidly good, but nothing special. You won’t be disappointed by their drinks or Mexican-American fair, but it’s nothing to write home about and definitely not a spot I’d make time for if I’m only here for a few days. That being said, it’s a chill and easy spot for a first date or catch up with friends. The space itself is quite cute and the staff leaves you to your conversation without any unnecessary engagement, which is under-appreciated art form.
★★★★☆ The Rose Venicewas a very regular stop for me before I moved to LA, when I’d come to visit Dan, my infamous older brother. The Rose has three personalities—daytime, chill hangout spot to grab a drink and a bite, do some work or hang out with a friend, then at night a fun and lively spot for dinner, but late night, this place turns into a party with a line out the door into the late evening. It’s the only spot like it on Rose and for quite some distance around it, so it’s no surprise it’s always busy. The Rose caters to all types throughout the day, with outdoor as well as counter seating, baked goods and breakfast to lunch and dinner with a full bar. It’s an easy pick if you’re not sure what you’re looking for and want to appease a group of people.
Lincoln Boulevard (otherwise known as “Lincoln”) is packed! Lincoln is a major artery of the west side and has everything from cute little coffee shops to delicious restaurants and fun bars, while also home to a surprisingly large number of auto body shops and dealerships as well as fast food joints and grocery stores. I’ve probably driven down it more times than any other in the country. I wish you could remove all the cars from it entirely, but alas. The biggest downside to the spots on Lincoln is how stressful it is to be on the street in general. It’s a difficult feeling to explain, but suffice to say, it’s just not my favorite street. Either way, I’d be remiss not to shout out a few spots near and dear to my heart.
★★★☆☆ Flowerboy Project, like many coffee shops in LA, is not just a coffee shop. This spot is basically a little home goods shop with a flower shop and jewelry store mixed in, oh and coffee in the back. It’s a little over er maybe under(?)whelming because the place is often understaffed with just one person working the coffee machines and one person doing literally everything else, but the coffee is quite good and if you’re lucky, you’ll find a cute little gift for yourself or someone you love.
★★★★☆ Deus Ex Machinais a banger. You’ll feel cool just walking into this place. You’ve probably seen people across the country wearing Deus apparel. I’m not sure who popularized it but this spot is very cool, with a clothing store in the front and a coffee shop in the back and a large outdoor seating area for all the work-from-homers who inhabit it daily. My only beef with them is the staff.. though very kind, they can be incredibly spacey and often mess up my orders, but when they get it right, it’s spot on.
★★★★★ Superba Food + Bread Veniceis a staple. They’ve managed to create an open, airy and calm vibe on an otherwise loud and obnoxious street. The food here is very good, but please don’t sleep on the pastries! Everything about Superba just screams LA and reminds me a lot of The Rose Venice. They offer pretty much everything you could possibly want throughout the day with a stellar ambiance and lovely staff. I have no complaints, except one time the cacio e pepe I ordered was super over-salted, but whatever, I’d still get it again. Oh, the bread, please get any and all bread here.
★★★☆☆ Double Zerois also a chain, but I’ve been so deeply surprised by the quality of flavor for a pizza place in LA that’s all vegan. It’s insane. You should go, whatever city you’re in, just to marvel at cashew cheese and shiitake bacon.
★★☆☆☆ Casablancais only on this list because my aforementioned brother was obsessed with it when he lived in Venice, so I’ve gone to it more times than I care to admit. It’s a vibe. The food is good and they make guacamole next to the table, which is cute, but honestly, I wouldn’t go out of your way to dine here unless you’re into kitschy Mexican vibes (sorry, Dan).
★★★★☆ Zinqué (+ à côté) is so bougie. This place is screaming with fanciness. They used to be at the very end of Abbot Kinney on North Venice Boulevard but for some reason moved to this new location on Lincoln. It’s the kind of place you take someone who lives in the West Village—fancy but casual and makes you feel like you should be wearing a flowy dress with a wide brimmed hat or loafers with linen pants. The food is solid and the drinks (wine included!) are delicious. The staff is super chill and the patrons are very cute. You enter (and park) in the back of the building, but there’s an “upscale” provisions store in front. I’ve never been because it feels unnecessarily expensive just looking at it but honestly, I might swing through next time I’m in town.
★★★☆☆ Baby Blues BBQ - Venice is yet another addition thanks to my brother. It’s honestly surprisingly good BBQ. I’m not saying you should go out of your way to hit this place up but if you want to do take out or order in, which Dan and I often do, it’s worth it. I don’t pretend to know anything about BBQ and I’ve never been to the South, which I’m very upset about… but I’ve always enjoyed the no frills, well cooked meal from Baby Blues.
★★★★★ EL Primo Taco (aka Bootleg Tacos) is a holy establishment. Anyone who knows me or has come to visit me in LA, knows about this not-so-hidden gem. Whether it’s the incredible flavor of the al pastor, jovial yet casual vibe, or unbelievable prices, this taco stand on the corner of Brooks and Lincoln, has never left a single soul disappointed. Posted up every evening (except Monday’s), local Venetians line up with cash in hand, ready to pay their respects to the dudes who make the best Mexican street food I’ve ever had in my life. There’s only one spot in all of Mexico City that beats this place by a literal inch. Swing by the taco stand for a quick bite before a house party, for a late night snack (they close around 11pm or whenever the meat runs out) or really any time you’re in the mood for it. Don’t forget to add pineapple to your meal and get your burritos grilled! Ps - they cater for crazy good prices.
We’ve made it to the street of all streets. Named after the late 19th century visionary and millionaire entrepreneur, Abbot Kinney, this street is an homage to the special vibes of Venice. Nowadays, overpriced and obnoxious as it may be, AK is the epitome of west side LA culture. This street holds strong as the #2 spot in my heart, but if it didn’t have so many tourists, it’d most definitely be #1. A walk down Abbot Kinney is a great way to spend a morning, afternoon or evening, so if you can only make time for one of these streets, make it this one.
★★★★★ Neighbor swiftly stole my heart after one bite of their $7 sourdough bread and tapenade, which may no longer be on the menu but fear not, every single item on their menu slaps. I’m so genuinely and pleasantly surprised every time I come here because the food and drinks and vibes are so good. This became my go-to first-date spot, but my only advice is not to sit in the far back. Go as far as the couches but never the far back, it’s not the vibe and the seating is pretty uncomfortable.
★★☆☆☆ Lemonadeis yet another chain but once again, this place is really good and a great pick if you just want to eat a solidly good meal rather quickly. Though I’d also recommend just going to Erewhon down the street and trying their hot food counter. It’s expensive but worth it. There are a number of these cafeteria-esque spots in LA, serving healthy(ish) food (depending on what you order). I have, on a regular basis, gotten the mac n cheese side with a bit of the brisket sauce on top. You’re welcome. Oh and the lemonade is actually quite good!
★★★★☆ Gjelina(pronounced jeh-lee-nah) is the sister restaurant of the very famous, Gjusta (pronounced jew-stah). Whoever is running the show at these establishments is a genius. They’ve nailed every single aspect of the vibe people in west LA are going for and for that, we’re all grateful. You really can’t go wrong here. Go alone, bring a date, friends, your entire family. Gjelina is an incredibly delicious restaurant with exceptional quality of service. I’m sure people will complain about the price, but you’re getting the full package, so just try to enjoy it. Bonus: Gjelina Take Away(aka GTA)is the take out version of Gjelina (right next door) with the same quality food but a little less quality service. I don’t recommend this unless you have a hankering for the food but couldn’t get a reservation at the restaurant. It feels criminal to pay those prices without the ambiance and service. That being said, the pizza is hella good.
★★★★★ ah, Felix Trattoria, what a gem. If I could give them 6 stars, I would. Only after digging around to learn more for this piece did I find out this spot has both a Michelin star and was founded by a woman. Felix truly has it all—an incredible menu, exceptional staff, delightful libations and an ambiance that can’t be beat. If you can get a reservation, even if it’s just for two people, do it and don’t forget to order the sfincione. Mangia!
★★★★★ Intelligentsiais what all other coffee shops should be modeled after. Not only is the coffee here exceptionally good, the space itself is exquisite. Seating is almost never an issue as you can grab a spot outside or find a spot inside at four distinctly different vibes, from stadium seating to bar seats, tables or against the walls. There’s free wifi, a bathroom, and beautiful artwork to enjoy while you sip your drink. The only downside? No outlets. So make your time count.
★★☆☆☆ Abbot's Pizza Company had to be mentioned. This place doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. The pizza isn’t very good, but if you’re too hungry (or too poor) to wait for GTA, Abbot’s is your spot. People are obsessed with their salad pizza, but I don’t get it. It’s open late and that’s all that really matters.
★★★☆☆ Greenleaf Kitchen & Cocktailis fine! I’d almost never choose to go here but it’s an easy, straight forward, typically healthier eatery. Counter-order-seat-yourself sorta vibe. Nothing special but good if you’re with a larger group and didn’t make a reservation somewhere better. The food is good and the staff is very friendly!
★★★☆☆ The Butcher’s Daughter. Every single time I come here, I’m waiting to be wow’d, given how much hype there is around this spot and how much some of my friends swear by it, but I just don’t get it. The food is good but doesn’t warrant the price. The vibes are great but I usually sit outside anyway. I don’t know.. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here but it’s good enough if you can’t go elsewhere.
★★★★☆ Only The Wild Onesis so cute! Everything here is kinda dainty. I’d come back because I like the vibes and I’m a sucker for a pretty ambiance. It’s definitely got that new-Venice chique (read: expensive and trendy) with solid people watching. Great spot to catch up with friends and the food is quite good.
★★★★☆ Roosterfish, ah Roosterfish. From my understanding, this bar has been around forever. I guess it’s been through a few fazes, like being a gay haven, but seemingly no longer as it’s packed with what I presume to be predominantly straight people. It’s a fun spot to go with friends, just avoid the angry bartender and the random weird dude that always finds his way in, but definitely check out the bathroom, even if that’s the only thing you go there to see. Oh and their live DJ sets are incredible!
★★★★★ The Brigis a comeback story that I’m 100% here for. I guess some time just before the pandemic, this place was a drab and dingy bar, but when it re-opened, it rather quickly stole some of the monopolized spotlight from Roosterfish to become a popular spot to hit in Venice. This place has a massive outdoor patio area with loads of seating and a paired down bar to help manage the interior chaos. Inside, you’ll find a pool table, bar and booth seating and later in the evening, an all out dance party. I love The Brig, but be sure to get there on the earlier side because the line gets absolutely ridiculous around 10pm. At some point in the evening a food truck pulls up slinging delicious smash burgers. I can’t remember the name, but you’ll know it when you see it.
★★★★★ Salt & Straw! I absolutely love this place, as does pretty much everyone who lives in LA. It’s technically a chain and was apparently started in Portland, Oregon but the one in Venice feels like it’s been there forever. Though they have normal-ish flavors, the weird and wacky ones like Baked Brie and Fig Cheesecake or Deviled Egg Custard with Smoked Black Tea, are worth a try. This is one of the few ice creams shops where the newly egregious ice cream prices are totally worth it.
★★★★☆ Blue Star Donuts is another delicious dessert spot that’s absolutely worth the price. Though the donuts are on the smaller side, they’re packed with flavor.
I really don’t like Pacific. Maybe it’s because I lived in an apartment on Pacific for roughly 18 days before needing to leave because I couldn’t fall asleep without earplugs and had to deal with the incessant buzzing of cars and tourists from my yard. It sucked but even still, there are a handful of spots that really do deserve your time and attention, if not just for the famous Venice sign. My only advice, avoid this street if you’re in a car during beach days. It’s also a very long street that runs the entire length of Venice into the Canals, so don’t be fooled, some of these spots are quite far apart.
★★★★★ if we’re talking flavor,little lunch coffee + snacksis my favorite coffee shop in Venice. Although Intelligentsia is the whole package with their seating options and amenities, little lunch has the friendliest staff of any coffee shop I’ve ever been to and a cute seating area right across the street, where I regularly watch cool cars drive by and run into local friends. They serve breakfast burritos from Great White and sell a wall of assorted (read: relatively random) products like Vegemite and the ever-so-vibey Poolsuite FM sunblock.
★★★★☆ Ospiis the most recent restaurant I tried since writing this piece. Now, I have a very high bar for Italian food, so maybe that has something to do with my not giving it 5 stars, because objectively speaking, this place is great. The food is solid, the staff is very friendly, and the ambiance is vibey if you don’t mind the noise level. It can be tough to hear the person in front of you if the restaurant is packed but it gives off a fun, pre-night out energy. The menu is quite fun and the drinks are solid. I don’t think you can go wrong with Ospi, but it’s definitely on the pricier side. Their vodka sauce is killer though, get the deep fried cheese that it comes with and thank me later.
★★★★★ Great Whiteis a gift. Although it’s becoming increasingly harder to just show up and get a seat, it’s worth waiting upwards of 30-40 minutes to sit down and enjoy a meal at this rightly famous spot. This place has great vibes, kind staff, and solid food, but as a New Yorker, I have to say, their pizza is surprisingly good. I’ve come for dinner with a group of friends on many occasions and simply ordered a bunch of pizzas and salads and every single time, we’re all left wondering how a west coast restaurant that became famous for it’s brunch has managed to make a pizza this good. There’s also a strong locals vibe here if you know who the locals are, but generally speaking, it’s tourists taking photos of their eggs…
★★★★☆ Gran Blancois technically on both Windward and Pacific so it get’s a pass. It’s the sister spot to Great White and although I’ve only been here once before I left LA in late 2021, I get the feeling it’s become a regular spot for partying on the west side. All the seating is low to the ground, which can be a bit awkward, but the waiters usually squat down to take your order. Similar to Great White, Gran Blanco nails it on the vibes as well as the drinks and their food is, by no surprise, very very good. In the evenings, this place slowly but surely fills up as the way-too-hot bartenders make refreshing drinks for the masses.
★★★☆☆ Mao’s Kitchenis nothing to write home about and I wish I could give them a half star more, but if you’re in the area and want a relatively quick, affordable and delicious bite, the dumplings at Mae’s are killer.
We’ve made it to the end! I didn’t think we’d get here. Enjoy these last few recommendations and please leave comments of deep disagreement or equally deep appreciation. I myself am taking recommendations as well, so don’t be shy to share a spot I absolutely must try in LA or otherwise, because if I’ve learned anything from this exercise, it’s that I need to get out of Venice more often.
★★★☆☆ Menotti’s Coffee Shopis a solid coffee shop off Pacific with very few, if any, frills. They have seating, are close to the fun area of Pacific and they’re close to the beach, but I’d rather grab a cup from little lunch and walk or drive the rest of the way down the road.
★★★★☆ Gjusta, Gjusta, Gjusta. Arguably the most famous spot in all of Venice, Gjusta is a marvel. Somehow they’ve managed to be a deli counter style establishment (think: Katz’s Deli) but incredibly upscale while still having a very chill vibe. Gjusta is a fan favorite for good reason and although I think the prices are absurd, the flavor is solid, except the coffee, don’t get the coffee unless you must. They have pretty much everything you could possibly want from pastrami sandwiches to pasta dishes plus a full breakfast menu, undeniably good pastries, deli meats and various general store-esque goods across from the counter—think: sauces and dips to go. Gjusta and the team behind their spaces definitely know what they’re doing, but I’ll say, there are other spots that I think are more worth the time and money…
★★☆☆☆ Hama Sushiis easy to miss and I considered not including it because I can’t understand why anyone would end up in this area but here we are anyway. It’s an odd little area on a massive (at least for Venice) roundabout. There’s not much going on in this part of town and frankly, I wouldn’t go out of my way to hit this place up but the sushi is good. The service isn’t great and the drinks are pretty good. If you really want sushi, I’d get out of town or go to ★★★★★Sushi Enya Marina del Rey. I know! It’s not in Venice but it’s very good and I love sushi so having a spot to go in the area is key. Plus, it’s like right on the edge.
★☆☆☆☆ Tacos Por Favoris a peculiar little spot. There seems to be a community of people between Crossfit Paradiso and Gold’s Gym (both right down the street) who really like this place. It’s dingy and leaves much to be desired, the food is ok, the staff is friendly and the vibe is deeply casual, counter-service Mexican food. I don’t get it, but locals do, so do with that what you will.
★★★★★ NIGHT + MARKET Sahm is crack. It’s also beyond my border area but I don’t care. It deserves to be here. I discovered this place while my good friend Helene was in town and we were looking for some solid delivery. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I’ve never actually been to the physical establishment, but I can only imagine how much better that would be. Every single dish at NIGHT + MARKET Sahm packs a punch of flavor. Every. Single. Dish. Frankly, although the flavors are great via delivery, I’m willing to bet large that the same dishes are way better in-person, fresh out the kitchen. Oh, also, if you don’t get the roti bread, you’re doing it wrong.
That’s it! What did you think? Share your opinions, recommendations, hot takes. I want it all. I’m also ready to explore beyond Venice frankly, particularly I’d like to get to know Santa Monica, since that’s where my brother lives and where I end up spending a lot of time, so let it rip and don’t be shy to share stuff more east. I need the motivation to untether myself from the west side.
I’ve found myself landing on a catch all question of, “how are things?” in lieu of the usual “how are you?” or the timeless, “how’s work?” In a world where everyone is still in some state of flux, “things” seems to encompass it all, while leaving space for someone to answer honestly, all while only divulging just as much as they want to.
And so today, I am in said flux! Generally I’m alright and in some ways I’m absolutely wretched but in others I’m quite happy. So anyway, let’s begin.
It’s been months since I last wrote to you and the chaotic energy of thinking about it has been mounting! What began as a fleeting, yet frustrating thought turned into a once every few weeks nagging feeling to a near daily, quite distracting mental block. And here we are with some probably-obvious-to-a-lot-of-people-but-not-so-obvious-to-me shit to talk to you about.
At the core of this is a conversation with Justin, my exceptionally great and oft consulted friend on matters of the mind and most notably, work. I’ve discussed work with Justin many times before. I’ve talked to quite a few friends about occupational distress over the years, but Justin seems to have a very healthy relationship with work, which I admire, so I inquire with him frequently.
A few weeks ago, I had a particularly difficult few days on the job. Some things hadn’t gone the way I wanted them to. This happens to us all I’m sure, but for some reason, this time it was particularly annoying and I was having trouble understanding why. All of a sudden, in response to something relatively trivial, I was deeply and immovably frustrated.
I was reminded of something my mother once said,
“Life is going to keep presenting you with the same lesson until you learn from it”.
My mom is like an older sister to me, so admitting she’s right is annoying, but I gotta hand it to her with this one, she’s spot on.
We’ve all been there. Something happens to you once, and in response you feel something negative about it but not so irritated. It happens again, and those negative feelings return but now they come with a stinging feeling of redundancy. Then it happens once more, and in addition to the negative feelings, you’re simply annoyed with yourself for letting it happen again. And then it happens again. At this point, if you’re anything like me, you become livid with oneself for allowing this scenario to happen yet again. I wish I could say this only happens at work but I feel it with relationships, with friendships, with my personal life. My family says I’m stubborn, so I chalk this cycle up to that.
In the case of work, the issue seems to be an unkempt obsession of identifying with my job. Work is a really big, like sometimes embarrassingly big deal to me. I obsess over work. When I’m stressed, I work. When I’m happy, I work! When I don’t know how I feel, I generally end up working. Progress at work makes me feel like I’m making progress in life.
I know I know, “find a hobby, Nina!” “Go outside, Nina!” “Don’t you realize there’s more to life than work, Nina?!”
I am in fact aware that there is an entire world out there and I understand that it’s meant to be enjoyed, but for one reason or another, I’ve historically enjoyed filling my free time with work. This is fantastic when I enjoy my job and the people I do it with. However, it’s terrible when I don’t enjoy my job or the people I do it with, for any meaningful amount of time.
I’m so obsessed with defining myself by my work that an ongoing frustration at work leads to a gutting feeling of worthlessness, which in turn makes me feel like I’ve deviated from my unclear picture of “success”.
In plain English, because my self worth is reliant on my job, when things feel wrong, I feel lost. Very lost.
As I mentioned, I had some such moment the other day and so I took to asking Justin all the same questions I normally do, but this time, something felt different.
After quire a bit of back and forth, Justin asked me, “what’s important to you?” and I replied that I wanted a job which I aligned with personally, with people I respect and enjoy working with, while getting paid enough to live an exceptional life. His response, in so many (paraphrased) words was, “good luck with that”. I don’t normally accept this statement to be true, but if you refer back to my mother’s wise words and couple it with my deep frustration, it’s not so surprising that it finally clicked. If all that I want is too much to expect and I can only have some of it, then which parts are actually important to me? And even more importantly, which parts have to come from work?
Money?
Status?
Knowledge?
Variety?
Service to others?
Validation?
After some thought on these topics, I realized that what I want, what I’m calling my values, are first and foremost, unclear to me. And I also concluded through that seemingly fruitless exercise, that my values have nothing to do, at least not inherently, with work. Or anything for that matter. Your work or your friendships or your hobbies, don’t technically have to align with your values. They’re likely to, but they don’t have to.
And that last sentence is what finally struck me!
My work does not have to align with my values.
My friendships don’t have to align with my values.
My hobbies don’t have to align with my values.
It feels wrong writing these sentences out, but it’s technically true. Actually, I bet if you took a look at those three categories: work, friendships and hobbies, you might find that some of yours don’t align with your values as much as you think they do.
Before I get too ahead of myself with extrapolations, I’m not saying my job isn’t fulfilling. I’m simply encouraging you to go through the practice of considering your work and how it serves you. If you value the things I said I valued earlier then what if your job was just a paycheck or just a group of people you like or just easy enough to give you loads of free time—but not all three at the same time? How would that change your perspective on work? When I considered those questions, I was suddenly able to consider a world in which my job wasn’t my entire life and rather a vehicle to create time and space for me to pursue what was deeply valuable and meaningful to me, even though I’m not sure what that is just yet..
After explaining this revelation to enough friends, I came up with a spectrum for how you can evaluate work based on your set of values:
tl;dr:
Work can be additive or dilutive to your values, or it can be a third, middle category that I’d never considered before, which I’ve termed, non-inhibitive. In a non-inhibitive setup, your values and your job can have nothing at all to do with each other, except to provide you with the space (i.e. financial stability or flexibility) to pursue the things which are additive to or aligned with your values.
In a world where a job isn’t the only thing or even the thing that fulfills you, your job can be objectively evaluated on a spectrum from additive to dilutive and non-inhibitive, which is somewhere in the middle.
Let me explain.
Best case, work is additive.
This is likely less than 1% of the population. If your job is additive, you’ve found the magical state where your job is both fulfilling and provides for you in the way that you want it to. For me this looks something like a relatively high-paycheck, with a flexible and remote friendly schedule, working for highly intelligent, accomplished, passionate, kind and thoughtful people, on work that makes the world a better, easier or just generally more enjoyable place to live. You could be completely unaware of your values and have an additive job. That’s called being lucky. Or maybe you worked really hard to find it, in which case, good for you!
Worst case, work is dilutive.
This is not a great place to be. You should probably find something or somewhere else to work if you feel like your job is diluting your ability to live or pursue your values for an extended period of time. I presume a lot of people are in this category, especially those who don’t have the privilege of choosing where they work for various reasons. For those of us who do, I ask you, why the fuck are you in this job? Seriously? Is it the paycheck? Or the title? Or the external validation? Is it worth it? If you’re privileged enough to have a job where you ask yourself any of those questions and have to wonder, then you’re probably privileged enough to find something new or at a bare minimum, nudge your job out of the dilutive category and into the non-inhibitive one.
If you need help with this one, call me.
Medium case, work is non-inhibitive.
I’m not entirely clear on how many people fall into this category because people don’t normally talk about or evaluate how fulfilling and aligned with their values their jobs are.
Non-inhibitive means in any given moment, people are in varying degrees of satisfied and dissatisfied with work. They’re also neither deeply unhappy nor are they deeply fulfilled. I believe most jobs, for those privileged to have choices, fall into this category.
This bucket probably constantly teeters on the edge of being additive or dilutive, but that’s based solely on how self aware you are of how you feel about your job. If you are aware that your job is non-inhibitive and you’re ok with that, then your job could easily become additive with a few minor tweaks! It could also just stay in the non-inhibitive category forever, which is also fine! However, if you’re unaware that your job is non-inhibitive and you subsequently find yourself unhappy with work, then it’s probably becoming dilutive. In that case, you could evaluate the gig and simply realize that your job is non-inhibitive and be ok with that! The primary objective is to avoid the dilutive category at all costs by figuring out what matters to you and either nudging your job into the additive category or settling into the non-inhibitive category. Then, you can make the most of it until you find a job that is additive, which may never happen, but I think it’s worth trying.
Where do you land?
Obviously this is all a spectrum that shifts with the circumstances of your life at any given moment. If you, like me, are doomed with the gift of self-awareness and a tendency towards finding fulfillment through work, I implore you to figure out what actually matters to you and then place your job on the spectrum as soon as possible. You might find that your job is unfulfilling but that you can make time to do more fulfilling work in your personal life and be just fine. This doesn’t have to drastically change your life, but it should kick your awareness into high gear.
If none of this makes any sense to you and you’re blissfully ignorant of it all, then fuck man, I’m jealous of you. Ignorance is bliss after all?
As a workaholic, this whole thing may be upsetting to come to terms with. It feels like you’ve wasted a ton of time on things that don’t actually matter. It’s ok. We’ve been sold this idea that work is meant to be fulfilling and because we spend so much time there, we’ve come to believe it to be true, because to not believe it would mean we’ve spent more time than anywhere else (often even more than sleeping) on something that doesn’t actually make us feel very fulfilled. That actually, work is just work and your values, where you find true, lasting fulfillment can more easily exist beyond the output of the work you do.
I feel an incredible sense of freedom for the first time in a long time because I finally understand that I was pouring myself into my job in moments of stress because I just didn’t know where else to put that excess energy and time. Now I’m off to figure out what to pour my stress into…
And on that note my friends, this was too much to text.
It’s been a little over 2 months since we last spoke. I’ve had a few ups and downs.
Through it all, I’ve thought of you often. Dare I say it, I missed you.
Someone subscribed the other day who I wanted to impress because they created this and this, that I so enjoyed and I wanted to show them that I too, create things, but with words and links. So here I am, writing to you from my friend’s living room in Oakwood, my favorite neighborhood in all of LA — the one I called home when I first escaped to this endless summer city with it’s bizarrely tall palm trees.
Ok but first, music. A lot of music.
On a flight from the east coast at 6am that lands on the west coast at 8am, you can really do whatever you want. Work doesn’t exist in that weird little time hop. Exceptional music does though.
Jeffrey Jordan’s voice comes through stupid crisp in this song.
Never g̶e̶t̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ letting go of Justin Bieber.
Dancing to this song like it’s 5am and the suns coming up.
And if you’ve been following along, these jams made the playlist since we last listened together.
Ok, let’s do this.
How do you know what is true?
While in SF, my friend Ricky graciously hosted me and we made pasta with his friend Louis. Louis is studying memory. I won’t pretend that I understood much of anything he’s researching, but it kicked off a peculiar stream of unrelated conversations over the following weeks related to memory.
Louis noted that night that every single memory we create, we go from the person we were before the memory to the person we are after creating the memory. That struck me.
How does the memory of something affect who I am since the memory was created?
A few weeks after that, I was back in LA making pasta (again) at my brother’s place. An important carbohydrate trend is emerging here.. He started describing the concept of a schema reference. I couldn’t explain it to you but again, something resonated. I can’t even remember what it was but I remember that he described this thing in development where there are references, which may or may not be bits of code that reference other bits of code. The issue that though is that these references need to be refreshed often and they can easily break, causing the system to reference incorrect or simply missing information. In life (aka not in code), you have a memory that you reference but the further away you get from the memory, the less reliable that memory becomes. Not groundbreaking, but a good reminder.
Do I still try to access memories that have become stale or unavailable?
A few weeks after that, I was watching one of those ASAP-Science-esque videos where the narrator is presenting you with a bunch of random facts and one of the facts stated that memory is tricky because our brains aren’t that great at recollecting things, especially after increasing periods of time. Because of this, we’re often misremembering memories or otherwise remembering embellished versions of memories.
Have I become a (better or worse) version of myself based on misremembered and embellished memories?
And then one day last weekend, I finally decided to tackle the deep hole of newsletters that my inbox had become and happened to listen to this talk about the Rashomon effect.
The Rashomon Effect is a term related to the notorious unreliability of eyewitnesses. It describes a situation in which an event is given contradictory interpretations or descriptions by the individuals involved.
So effectively, bad but convincing memory recollection.
Then I got to wondering - what stories do I tell myself as definitively true but are in fact not true at all or only partially true? What memories have I forgotten about entirely?
Right about now I’ve noticed that I keep using the word “stories” when I meant to use “memories” and if that isn’t a metaphor for how unreliable our memories are then I don’t know what is.
Maybe, (as is often my deepest fear) I’m not saying anything novel to you, but frankly, I can’t help questioning reality and that stressed me out. If you stress tested your memories, maybe by asking friends, coworkers or family to confirm or deny the tales, and they told you a different version, how would that change your perspective of yourself? What is a deeply held personal truth about yourself that’s based on a memory of yours? What would happen if that memory was challenged by a reputable source?
The reverse of this is to ask yourself, what memories have you heard about yourself, that you’ve adopted as your own? Whether it’s positive or negative, there are truths we tell ourselves based on realities others have spun for us. On the other hand, you can’t really trust your own memories either, so we’re left here with the cold hard truth that things have in fact happened to you, but your recollection of them is probably wrong.
And then, in wrapping this up, last night at a pregame, my friend Justin (ps, happy birthday!) put on this song. It sounded off. I said, isn’t this that one song? And he said yes. And I said, but this is a remix? And he said no. And I insisted. And he laughed and said, ah the Mandela effect. Watch this if you can.
The Mandela effect occurs when a person believes that their distorted memories are, in fact, accurate recollections. They can clearly remember events that happened differently or events that never occurred at all. The bottom line is that the Mandela effect does not involve lying or deception.
It was in fact the original version of the song. I was remembering a remixed version of it, but insisting that the remix was the original, passionately.
Look, the point is, I’m simply suggesting that you don’t put too much stake in memories that define who you are today. There’s a really good chance they’re not accurate. Be whoever you want to be, regardless. Also, fact check your memories too if you’re curious, the results are funny and terrifying.