One of my all-time favorite spots in Los Angeles is a restaurant on Abbot Kinney called Gjelina. I spent most of my summer dining there and like L’Artusi in New York City, Gjelina is definitely one of my special spots in L.A.
Every little detail, from the food, down to the ambiance is simply exceptional. The place can definitely get crowded and over-packed, but even that seems excusable.
At the end of the day, the two things that distinguish one great restaurant from the next is the creativity of simple dishes and the quality of the food and the ingredients being used.
Luckily, Gjelina has both and then some.
The menu, which can be found on their website, is rather extensive. But I narrowed it down to a few of my favorite dishes:
1. Ricotta gnocchi with brown butter and truffle honey (on the brunch menu)
2. Tuscan Kale salad with bread crumbs, shaved radish, fennel and ricotta salata
3. Mushroom, goat cheese & truffle oil pizza *you cannot go wrong with any of the thin-crust pizzas on this menu. The one with the squash blossoms is incredible too.
Now, if you are looking for a more laid back, casual dining experience, GTA (Gjelina Take Away), is right next door. After rehearsal last week, I popped in for a little bite. While there, I ordered the three salad combination (which is pictured above), a delicious mushroom pizza, a homemade sticky bun and iced tea.
The winning dish of the day: roasted butternut squash faro salad.
Check out Gjelina’s website here: http://www.gjelina.com/
Side note: get their right as the restaurant opens! this place gets packed quickly.
