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    Home » dating » Cooking for Love » Tasting Kitchen, Venice {restaurant} - Stories.

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    Tasting Kitchen, Venice {restaurant} - Stories.

    He leaned toward her, his face trembling-ly close to her cheek. "I have a story," he whispered.

    Oh. Trembling-ly.

    She loves stories, she said...

    And so there at the end of a long dinner table half-full of semi-strangers from her past, half-full of whole-strangers from her future, and full-full of wine and food and food and wine, she forgot her past and her future and let herself fall into this present.

    Metal pipes. Life-saving calculators. It was a good story.

    "Do you have any stories?" he asked her after he finished.

    She was caught off guard, a little bit embarrassed. Doesn't he know?

    She stole a casual glance up and down the table over his shoulder. He couldn't.

    No, no, she whispered through a nervous laugh. She doesn't have any stories, she said.

    (But she will soon, she promised herself.)

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Oysters

    tasting kitchen - oysters

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - French Fries

    tasting kitchen - fries

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Steak Tartare

    tasting kitchen - steak tartare

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Fig and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

    tasting kitchen - fig cheddar grilled cheese

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Fig and White Cheddar Grilled Cheese

    tasting kitchen - fig cheddar grilled cheese

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Steak and Eggs

    tasting ktichen - steak and eggs

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Short Rib Hash with Egg and Gremolata

    tasting kitchen - short rib hash with egg

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Cocktail Menu and Bloody Mary

    tasting kitchen - cocktail menu, bloody mary

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Cocktail

    tasting kitchen - green cocktail

    Tasting Kitchen, Brunch - Menu

    tasting kitchen - brunch menu

    Tasting Kitchen - Sign

    tasting kitchen - sign

    Venice

    venice beach sign

    Afterthoughts on Tasting Kitchen

    I went to the Tasting Kitchen most recently on a third date. A "date," though it was dinner with something like 14 people, some he knew, some he didn't, some I knew, some I didn't, in what might be the loudest dining room in all of LA now that Animal has done some acoustic reconfiguring. It wasn't the most ideal situation for getting to know someone, but then again, maybe it is. You learn different kinds of things by observing rather than talking.

    Chef Casey Lane's food is solid. And by "solid," I mean solid. And solid. A table heavy with bread and butter (seriously, the butter at Tasting Kitchen?), charcuterie, cheese, pastas, and of course bottles of interesting, thoughtfully selected wines is exactly the kind of dinner (of any size) that I love. Their menu changes, but some flavor of my favorite pasta is usually available — spaghetti with spicy chilies and seafood. Squid or uni and a recent obsession of mine, bottarga, or both.

    Weekend brunch at Tasting Kitchen is better than dinner, not necessarily for the food, but for the atmosphere and vibe that is the essence of Sunday late mornings, no matter where you are. The downstairs dining room is bright and warm. There are far fewer people in it. They are mellow, sipping on Bloody Marys, maybe trying to remember stories from the night before. Maybe, trying to forget. Maybe Hotel California just came onto my spotify.

    The photos in this post are from a story I started to tell, but never finished.

    But I will soon. I promise.

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    Comments

    1. louisep says

      July 25, 2013 at 7:13 pm

      from all the whispering in the beginning, I figured this must take place in Whisper Lounge. I hope you keep your promise. I love stories that end "to be continued"...

      Reply

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