Restaurant Review: Gjelina, Los Angeles, California

My first Los Angeles review is of my recently-discovered new favorite: Gjelina.  Located in Venice, on expensively quaint Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Gjelina is categorized as Mediterranean in flavor; I am not quite sure that it follows Mediterranean cuisine too closely, but the wide variety of flavors and options do mimic the diversity of said region.

Gjelina is rather small, with several smaller tables and two large tables for parties to share or for the larger groups.  It reminded me of Magnolia, which I blogged about several weeks ago, in decor: plenty of wood, and such quirks as the alcohol bottles for water serving and dish towels instead of napkins.  However, Gjelina is much lighter and more airy in terms of atmosphere.

The first time I ventured into this spot, it was about 3 PM and crowded; my friend Torie and I were seated at one of the larger tables, side by side, across from and next to other patrons.  The side-by-side arrangement was a bit awkward, but worked out in the end when the guy next to me passed me his homemade ice cream to finish.  I marveled at the menu for quite awhile before deciding what to order; it was lengthy and had a significant variety of foods and flavors.  I was delighted because there seemed to be far less of what I dislike (onions, mushrooms, beef) than in other restaurants of similar caliber.  I ended up with the artisan cheese plate (a must for me if it is on any menu) and a side of sunchokes (a bit like artichokes but harder in texture).  The cheese plate was delicious, although I have no idea what I was eating and would have preferred some sort of explanation before digging in.  I was pleasantly surprised by the honeycomb that was included on the plate, as it went marvelously with all of the cheese and on the cranberry and walnut toasts.  Also included: almonds, dates, and deliciously oily olives.  I also devoured an interesting orange substance included on the plate, though I do not know what it was (again, some kind of introduction would have been welcome).  I found that the sunchokes, as well as all of the vegetable sides, are probably best shared; they were spicy and very good, but I could only finish about half before I tired of the flavors.

Now, about the ice cream.  Like I said, I did not order it nor did I see it anywhere on the menu, but I was handed a bowl with two small scoops by the person next to me and I was floored by how unique and delicious the tastes were.  The first was an almond-butter flavor topped with salt, and the second was a mint chocolate chip, though not conventional by any means.  The mint was poignant and fresh, not like the sweetness one usually receives from the ice cream flavor.  I recommend asking about the ice cream to anyone going; the scoops are tiny but the flavor is huge.

I went again to Gjelina this weekend, with James.  I was excited to introduce him to my new favorite, and we arrived at about 11:30 AM on Saturday.  We started with coffee (J) and orange juice (me).  The coffee received rave reviews and I must say, the orange juice was impeccable.  I had to, of course, re-order the cheese plate, and this time it was very different.  There was a brie, and James detected that one was sheep's milk; the final two were a cheddar and a bleu.  Again, I really would have liked to have been told what was being served to me.  We loved the cheddar and the brie most (two of my favorites altogether), and again the honeycomb dominated.  I ordered a prosciutto and melon plate for myself--a nice brunch, I thought, while James decided to order heavy and settled on the Niman lamb burger with french fries.  My plate arrived fresh from the charcuterie straight away, but we grew dismayed at the significant wait that accompanied the lamb burger.  I sat, tempted by the fresh melon and prosciutto, waiting for at least fifteen to twenty minutes before James's plate arrived.  We had hit the point where he said, "two minutes and I cancel the order" when the burger was set in front of him.  Also annoying was our over-attentive waiter, who came by more than enough times to ask if our food was satisfactory.  It was.  For the hassle we endured, our food was more than worth it.  My prosciutto was absolutely magnificent; there was hardly any fat on it and it was pure flavor.  Prosciutto and melon is one of my favorite combinations and although it is a simple dish, Gjelina did a fantastic job.  The cantaloupe was light and juicy, almost like the one I ate on the beach in Italy, and its sweetness paired perfectly with the salty ham.

James's lamb burger was also very good, and it tasted almost like pork sausage (to me).  The french fries were nice as well, but what caught our eye was the pizza being served at the table next to us.  We drooled and plotted to order pizza next time we were there, as apparently it is infamously good.  

So, for next time: cheese plate (I cannot help myself), beer or wine (I'll likely be 21 by then!  Also, they are a beer-and-wine-only establishment), and pizza (any kind, any kind at all).  The mushroom and truffle-oil looks very good, except that is it, of course, mushrooms.  The devil.  Anyway, Gjelina: high marks, very good.  Go!  And enjoy the boutique-y Abbot Kinney stores afterwards; the boulevard provides a nice way to walk off the food that just put a smile on your face.

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