Cuando observo esta doble 🍔 de carne de vaca vieja, con queso ahumado y tomate infusionado con soja, solo me vienen a la cabeza dos palabras: “VICIO GROUMET“ A partir de este viernes nuevas incorporaciones en nuestra carta, para los más exigentes!!!! #aseiraslires #Acostadamorte #groumet (en As Eiras) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMM0R5QjaPG/?igshid=sxanl5wmsuzc
These two appeared in my head last week. I have no idea where they came from but apparently they won’t leave until I do this thing. So here is the thing.
So I’m back in LA and was finally able to visit Venice Beach's new Gjusta Grocer. Being a lover of specialty markets and curated and unique pantry items, this was something I was super excited about since seeing their opening announcement sometime last month.
If the name Gjusta rings a bell, it’s because the new grocer is the latest storefront by the Gjelina Group which many of you may know are the minds behind Gjelina (and Gjelina Take Away), Valle, Gjusta, and Gjusta Goods in Venice. I’ve never had a bad meal at any of the group’s establishments — I come to Gjusta Bakery knowing that I’ll consistently have a good meal at any time of the day. If I’m on Abbot Kinney craving a pizza, I know I can bet on a good pie at Gjelina takeout. With that said, I had nothing by high hopes for the new market and I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed.
Straight off the bat, if you know me, you know I love conservas (see some of my gift recommendations here), so I was excited to see a number of quality tins of fish on the first aisle by the entrance. I’m talking boxes of Jose Groumet, Olasagasti, Fangst Brisling, and Scout amongst others. I expected to see some other popular canned fish-makers like Fishwife or Porthos which I did see before at Gjusta Bakery, but maybe in the future?
I also absolutely loved their cold case of condiments, dips, spreads, and butters. I’d love to have their mustardo on a nice cheese board, or any of their pickled stuff like pickled shishitos, onions, or peppers in my fridge for snacking. Or, maybe for making Gjusta Bakery’s smoked fish and egg breakfast plate at home — just get some smoked fish, labneh, capers, tomatoes, and bread, and voila. And of course, despite being a splurge at $15, I left the grocer dreaming of anchovy butter after seeing them stacked in the dairy section.
Gjusta also sells their own vinegars, marinated oils, and salts, all packed into beautiful clear bottles and jars with minimal labeling. I would imagine their pomegranate vinegar would be great in salad dressings, drinks, or even as a meat marinade. And then there are the salts — herbed salt, rosemary salt, chili salt, etc.
I didn’t pay too much attention to their produce aside from their satsumas and their small Japanese sweet potatoes, but Gjelina Group has made purchasing directly from local farmers part of their business.
Gjusta Bakery on Sunset makes amazing croissants, sandwiches, and coffee, so it makes sense they sell a few in the back for a quick grab and go if in the boardwalk area.
As for the design of the store, I did not expect anything less than what Gjelina Group’s other stores give — rustic and quant as if stepping into a European-style market with their produce baskets and flower arrangements in the front, but still somehow giving off a very cool, very California coastal vibe.
I knew that the grocer would be taking over Windward Farms, which unfortunately had to close due to a 120% rent increase, but I did wish Gjusta Grocer was closer to its other establishments near Abbot Kinney. Nevertheless, I didn’t make too may rounds before finding parking and loved my visit.
Please enjoy these iPhone photos and visit Gjusta Grocer at 105 Windward Avenue in Venice, California.
Beautiful flower display at the entrance for a pretty rustic feel.
If only my fridge could look like this.
The stacked anchovy butter I was talking about!
And the tinned fish boxes I was also talking about — big fan of the art on Jose Gourmet packaging.
Tiny Japanese sweet potatoes at what I think was $4 per lb?
If you ever went to tsuiyotsuitaro to search for Maijo’s detective stuff, your first thought was probably “who this lady. why she everywhere”
This is Sakura, the protagonist of Moonlit Gourmet (or Groumet, as Maijo constantly spells it), a culinary manga written by Maijo and drawn by Chie Okunishi. It’s currently running in the magazine Weekly SPA!, has had a few volumes released so far, and some chapters can be read on the manga’s official twitter. Every short chapter is basically a culinary review in comic format and follows in the footsteps of Jiro Taniguchi’s Kodoku no Gourmet.
The sheer range of Maijo’s writing will never cease to amuse me. His twitter TL is always like twenty cute pictures of Sakura, followed by harsh ID:INVADED gore, followed by even more cute pictures of Sakura.