Salt & Straw - Venice

This shop is like the Bernie Bott's every flavor beans of ice cream, minus the gross ones. Everything in here looks amazing, and their constantly-changing chalkboard boasts of ice creams in so many flavors, from the best of the classics to all sorts of creative. 

Sometimes you just want a good waffle cone filled with your favorite. The Salted Caramel with caramel ribbons isn't shy on the salt, and the salty augments the sweet. It's a manageable level of richness, a lap-of-luxury scoop that has you lapping up every scrap. 

I sampled the Olive Brittle Goat Cheese, and it was spectacular. The goat cheese is a sleek backdrop for salty hints of dark olive, a daring combination of creamy polish and robust boldness.

Like the olive, you have to be in just the right mood for the 24 Blackbirds Lavender Truffle. The chocolate is not-so-sweet, and the lavender exudes a ballsy fragrance.

The Avocado and Oaxacan Chocolate finishes earthy and damp. The avocado weighs heavy, blending with a somber cocoa. Together they brighten their darker notes, for a mix that reminds me of sunshine on grassy dew.

Salt & Straw, I knew I loved you before I met you. I forgive you for your line-out-the-door-at-all-hours Abbot-Kinney location, and I love all your creativity. The variety of never-seen-before flavors that make me say "WTF" in the best way possible is impressive, and believe me, I've seen a lot. Salt & Straw, you're a winner, keep winning.

N'ice Cream - Venice

No doubt Abbott Kinney remains a Venetian hotspot. In summer the meaning becomes literal, and you become desperate for some reprieve.

A large cup at N'ice Cream gets you three fabulous flavors, and ten samples later, I'm convinced you can't go wrong. My cup consisted of Cookies n' Cream that keeps it simple, dark-roast Coffee as earthy as the ground (groan), and a Salted Caramel that can only be called sublime.

So for a bit of a break from the hotness and the hipsterism, Venice's N'ice Cream is perfect for getting high on a scoop of high-end gelato.

Gelling with Gjelina – Venice

The first thing I ever splurged on was a left wing seat four rows from the stage for a musical called Rent. You may have heard of it. It’s only a tiny bit famous. Famous or not, it was the first and only time I ever paid face value for Broadway tickets, and the amount was staggering. It was a splurge for sure, but from it came a lesson worth more than money could buy. I learned a lot of things from Rent that night. I learned that sometimes the good things in life will cost you. And sometimes they’ll cost you a lot. But I also learned that some things are worth paying for. 

It’s a feel-good story, isn’t it? I came, I saw, I spent. I learned how great it was to spoil myself, and I’ve been entertaining the occasional indulgence ever since. I’ve seen 12 other shows on Broadway since, and most recently I ended up at Gjelina. Gjealous?

I thought Kevin was crazy when he insisted on the Mushroom Toast. So many exotic ingredients and he chooses the bread and shrooms. But these weren’t just mushrooms. These were juicy little fun-guys (fungis…get it?) soaking in crème fraiche and white wine for just the right amount of thyme. The toast balances out the texture and soaks up more stuff than Mimi was putting into her veins...too soon?

The Grilled Australian Lamb Chops were awesome. Despite being a small plate, you’ll be licking your chops on a full stomach when you’re done with this superbly balanced bit. You mainly taste the lamb, but the pesto and garlic add a subtle harmony for a song as strong as Frenchie Davis’s solo in 526,600 Minutes. Just in case you haven’t splurged on Rent yet, that’s the name of the song, not the duration of the solo.

Pappardelle is a like the character of Angel, one you can’t help but love. These ribbons of al dente pasta writhe as flamboyantly and Angel, buoyed by shreds of soft rabbit and a spatter of pecorino sweeter than his songs. (Come on, am I the only one who teared up during "I'll Cover You"?) A credible combination for which my description does no Gjustice.

Like the experience of Broadway, the Butterscotch Pot de Crème is meant to be shared. Each little spoonful of this creamy classic is utterly unforgettable, almost as unforgettable as Roger and Mimi’s duets. The creme coats your tongue with its impossible sweetness, and it’s so rich that just one order may be enough to satisfy the entire cast of Rent…except I’m not about to share something this good.

Gjelina makes amazing food, and Broadway makes amazing musicals, but Gjesus they’re expensive. Prime ingredients are hard to come by, and the quality of the casting is clear, but clarity has never been so costly. Thanks to my intern budget, it may be 525,600 minutes before I can go back to Gjelina for a meal or I’m not gonna pay this month’s Rent.