strolling along abbot kinney

Saturday morning began with brunch in Venice with Andrea, Josh, and Marilyn.  

Our mission: enjoy a delicious feast at Gjelina.  

Overpriced fresh-squeezed lemonade

 

Whimsical atmosphere (that's a paper airplane made from the menu) with quaint vintage furniture and a firepit (not pictured) in the middle of the outdoor dining area.

Mine:  Crispy sunny eggs with prosciutto, romesco, arugula, and lemon.

Josh's: Asparagus and smoked salmon soft scramble

Shared appetizer:  Thin pizza with duck sausage, nameko mushroom, garlic, and mozerella

Marilyn's and Andrea's:  Smoked trout, shitake mushroom, lemon brown butter, and poached eggs

The outcome: Food that tingled our tastebuds but left our tummies still growling. (for more details, read Marilyn's post).  

The solution: Kogi Truck!

Short rib and spicy pork tacos.

Andrea's Blackjack Quesadilla.

Charming storefronts that lined Abbot Kinney...

Look at the canopy!  And tassels in the bunting!

One day I shall have lanterns and windchimes hanging on my porch.

Ivy and twinkle lights around the door and entryway.  I bet this looks beautiful at night.

Funny find outside a vintage store.

 As we stood in line at the Kogi Truck, we were approached by a timid and awkward boy who looked like a freshman on his first day of high school.  He gave us a flyer about a bake sale to support Japan relief funds.  We decided to check it out, but based on his presentation, I never would have expected the bake sale to look as amazing as this!

 Bacon and caramel popcorn, assorted cookies and chocolate, some Japanese-inspired treats...and all homemade

Andrea, Marilyn, and I each bought a strawberry buttercream cupcake filled with strawberry preserve.  And by buttercream, I mean BUTTER.  However, it was a nice, not-too-sweet way to cleanse our palettes and conclude our visit to Abbot Kinney!