Local 1205

I had a friend in town last week and we traveled across the city looking for fun places to see and look around and shop.  In the middle of one such adventure, I was starving at a weird time and spotted this eatery as we walked down Abbot Kinney in Venice.

I was pretty sure this was my kind of place from the outset. It has a wonderful rustic open look to it with a gourmet grocery just past the coffee bar in the front and a very well stocked deli.  There are mostly large communal tables but we were able to snag a small table on the side.

The prices at Local 1205 are ridiculous. I mean they are seriously stretching the bounds of fancy gourmet sandwiches and smoothies to an all time high.  I know Abbot Kinney is pricey but this was a little crazy.  The sandwiches were in the 13-15 dollar range and the smoothies and juices were just as high at $8-$10!

I wanted something sandwich like but I didn't really know what to order.  Right when I reached the deli counter to place my order the cashier rushed to the bathroom where she waited in line for about 7 minutes.  I almost decided against getting anything.  The guy making sandwiches eventually took my order but I don't really see why he couldn't have done it earlier.

The service for just ordering was poor but then the time it took to get my super easy not even hot sandwich was long as well.  I cringe to think of how long these handmade sandwiches take during prime time lunch.

When I finally did get my sandwich it was the prosciutto caprese and came with a side of coleslaw and some interestingly spicy yet bread and butter flavored pickles.  The sandwich was rather satisfying but it wasn't necessarily amazing enough for me to pay the price for.  I opted for a free water from their spa water jug in the front to save money and also water sounded good.

Because I had to wait around so long to make my order, I didn't really have a chance to look around the shop but I understand the prices on those gourmet goods were also top dollar.  The sandwich guy was nice but man the service is slow.  If you want an expensive lunch or maybe just to browse some fancy dry goods, head over to Abbot Kinney today!

The coffee prices were reasonable and regular so maybe that is the thing to get instead...I'm sorry that the deli wasn't more amazing because Local 1205 sure looked like my kind of place.





Local 1205
1205 Abbot Kinney Blvd,
Venice, CA 90291

(I no longer need to include a map link as blogger has added a location to the bottom of the post linkable to the maps needed!)

C&O Trattoria

Are you living in LA but looking for a little tourist trap to get a taste of what it's like to visit? Then C&O Trattoria is for you! This Italian restaurant is located just before Venice Pier. We went with a group of five on the Saturday night before Halloween. Parking can be found either in the pier lot, valet, or if you're lucky, on one of the surrounding residential streets for free.

We arrived around 8pm and I was sure it was going to be at least an hour wait. But, I was wrong. There was a little trouble getting seated because they said since I was in line for the bathroom the whole group couldn't be seated. They are very strict about seating people only when the whole party is there. After this little glitch though, we were seated immediately.

Because it was Halloween weekend, all the restaurant staff was dressed up in costumes. This gave the restaurant a little bit of an amusement park feel and further cemented my feeling that this place is tourist-centered. Our waiter was Count Dracula, his fake teeth made him a little hard to understand, but you probably won't run into this problem.

They offer wine initially for $5.50 a glass but they also have a variety of soft drinks. The menu is large and varied. While you are looking over the menu, waiters come by and fill a bowl in the center of your table with piping hot garlic knots, unlimited garlic knots. Sometimes we felt like our table was ignored in regards to garlic knots, but other times there were too many.

I ordered some penne pasta with sweet Italian sausage, creamy cheese sauce and roasted red peppers. My dish was really delicious. It was warm, creamy, with a variety of textures and flavors. Another diner had delicious looking chicken ravioli and the penne arrabiata looked very good as well. The main-course style meat dishes ordered at our table didn't appear to match up as well. The chicken Parmesan looked like nothing special and didn't taste as good as the Olive Garden one that probably would make Italians roll over in pain. Someone else had the Chicken wrapped in prosciutto. They found it bland and found the side of green beans to over take everything else on the plate. It was disappointing that the food wasn't all excellent.

What was lost in the food, was made up in the atmosphere. Just before the hour mark, waiters came around with the words for the song Mi Amore. The music got louder and all the waiters and waitresses suddenly had a glass of wine. Everyone in the restaurant started singing the song Mi Amore. Even some people at my table joined in. I loved it! I mean, these waiters and waitresses come around and toast you and drink and sing. It is so not an American tradition that it makes me think of traveling. It is also a tad cheesy, but what can you do?

Overall, I think C&O is a fun place to go once, or maybe a couple of times but not every weekend. The food isn't marvelous and it isn't overly Italian but it is worth it for a bit of atmosphere.





C&O Trattoria
31 Washington Boulevard
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Map