Wurstkuche Venice

A month ago I was driving down Lincoln Blvd which is the main vein on the Westside that gets you from North to South.  I saw this huge line of people outside a building that once was called Air Conditioned (Supper Dance Club).  I've seen this place a million times, but never have gone in.  It use to be a pretty seedy place many moons ago.  But this day the building had a new facade.  I quickly took down the name and Googled it on my iPhone.  To my surprise this was the opening day of a hot dog, I mean exotic sausage place that had it's birth in downtown L.A.  I know I'm a bit slow, but I never get downtown much these days.  So I talked a few friends into going one Sunday afternoon.

When you first walk in the center, near the wood striped massive sliding doors, your not sure what to expect.  It's pretty small upfront, a display case of every imaginable sausage and a draft beer counter all stainless steel with brick walls behind.

 

This is what you see when you first walk in.  Exotic sausages of all kinds.  Classics (Bratwurst, Hot Italian, Veggie) Gourmet (Mango & Jalapeno, Apricot & Ginger, Chicken Apple & Spices) and Exotic (Duck & Bacon with Jalapeno Peppers, Rabbit, Veal & Pork with White Wine, Alligator & Pork, Rattlesnake & Rabbit)

Draft beers range from Belgian, German, North America.  Bottle beers include the same with one English Cider.

I had heard the space was cool so before I even ordered I snaked my way around the backside of the front people down a very dark hall into an amazing light room with textured brick walls, long warm wood beer tables, a sleek bar and cool lighting from the windows (it was afternoon) and inventive modern chandelier light bulbs.  

I was in, so were my friends, we ran up front and quickly ordered.  I just wanted a normal bratwurst, double fried Belgium fries and a Chimay beer.  You get to pick two sausage toppings and two dipping sauces for the fries.  I went basic, sauerkraut for the dog and curry ketchup and bacon bleu cheese for the fries.  This place is cool, I can't wait to take SB back, they even have Veggie sausages so with beer, I know he'll be in.  The space is awesome.  I hear party coming to this place soon.

 Bratwurst

 Belgian Fires (Double dipped fries).

Mustards on the table.

Here's the menu  Take a peek at this great place.

Venice location

623 Lincoln Blvd
Venice, CA 90291

Burton on Trent - Day 13

Here's how my morning went:  drank Earl Grey tea, rushed to Burton on Trent, got lost, took a Marston Brewery tour and drank beer all before 12noon.  Nice breakfast right?

After watching a program in the U.S. about Dogfish Head Brewery, SB and I've wanted to brew our own beer. We've got a lot to learn and this tour helped.  This is a massive brewery.  You smell the Malt in the malt room and the yeast permeates the fermenting room, I started craving a hot loaf of bread slathered with butter during this part of the tour.  SB was in heaven.  He called the room above the nursery, it was like looking at all the newborn babies, only now it's barrels of beer.  Go figure.

 Final end product from the bottle-capping machine.

Country full of short people.

In England when they serve beer from the draft, they prime the pump before anything ever comes out, makes for a delicious beer.

 Me and Sheila, she was a lovely tour guide.

After the tour they let us try a few pints of beer and everyone was able to take two bottles of beer home.  I thought SB and Karl looked like the happiest men on the planet when they discovered that.  All for 6£ = nearly $10.  I tried the Oyster Stout and it tasted like it had some chocolate malt in it.  When I went back to the malt room and was able to smell all the malt pellets and indeed it smelled chocolaty.

After the brewery we did get lunch and toured the town center of Tamworth, where K&A live. 

Anne and I got in a little shopping here and there too.

Other than Disneyland in Anaheim, how many times do you see this many swans together.  Again not a bird fan, but they are a graceful creature.

Marston's Brewery,
The Brewery,
Shobnall Road,
Burton Upon Trent,
DE14 2BW
Tel: 01283 507 391

Father's Office

No Wino Wednesday this week.  It's Beer Friday instead.  But before I get into my trip to Father's Office I cannot neglect the weird day.

Forgive this long, run on sentence to come.  I need to get it all out at once:
It was a super weird day in fact, our family, well my family, from NM called this morning at the ungodly hour, you know when your in a deep sleep, to tell us there was tsunami coming our way and to evacuate, so we got up and turned on the L.A. News, the trite, non-alarming L.A. news, with it's over fascination with Charlie Sheen, to find out that in fact their was an advisory for Southern California to be hit by a tsunami. Bleary eye'd and all we got it, we found out that their was an earthquake in Japan, and then a devastating tsunami and then the advisory. The waves were suppose to hit Santa Monica at 8:30 a.m., they said 3-4 ft, but none of the experts were sure if it would get bigger as 3 or 4 waves had already hit Hawaii, but weren't as big as they thought.  Our friends who live in the tsunami area at sea-level, in Venice and MDR, left to higher ground or their offices inland. Some went on with their usual days.  However all the piers were closed and helicopters circled the area all day.

So SB and I had one of those silly conversations, or dumb, however you want to look at it. Yes he surfs, yes he wanted to go see the waves at the ocean, yes everyone he called on to check if they were ok asked him NOT to go surfing.  Here's our conversation:

SB:  Let's get dressed and go to the Palisades bluff and look at the waves.
Me:  Uuuh NO.
SB:  Come on we'll be on the bluffs, let's check it out.
Me:  Seriously haven't you and I watched every disaster movie and said "how stupid are those people who go out to the beach and watch the tsunami wave come it."  Yeah duh.
SB:  FINES

So what did we do, we waited till 9:15 and then made our way to the tsunami area, Venice & MDR.  Seriously I'm thinking to myself, we are so NOT smart, but the beach cams all showed less then stellar waves and no need for alarm and the tsunami sirens did not go off.  So we went on with our usual day. I found all this alarming that we are so L.A. you should see us when we get a little trembler, we just sit there and ride it out and then go on with our business.

Finally now that I got this out of the way it brings me to Father's Office.  This week we feature beer in Culver City along with their scrumptious food.  They tout themselves as a Gastropub, which we intend on visiting many of in England.

Now I've been to the original Father's office in Santa Monica, and though they have the same thing as the one in Culver City, CC is definitely without the pretensions of the original.  Santa Monica is small and ridiculous.  I never feel any bar is worth standing in line to get in and then standing in another line to get beer.  Their food is gourmet, they are known for their "office burger" which is a kobe beef burger with bleu cheese, it's rich and juicy.  I personally love their cheese platter and sweet potato fries, served with a bleu cheese dressing.  They do not serve anything with ketchup, and don't ask for it, it's not in the building.  If you want ketchup, bring your own bottle in your coat pocket, like our friend Eric did once.  This evening we said goodbye to a great work-mate, moving to NY.  Very sad to see him leave, he is a SUPER STAR.

The bar has over 36 beers on tap and serves artisan wines and some spirits, only in Culver City.  No vodka in the building.  When my friend asked for a vodka tonic, they told him they didn't have that so they gave him what they thought was an equivalent.  Ginger Ale with a high-end tequila.  He wasn't impressed.

The rest drank Pinot Noir and beer.  They serve a great Alagash and I had a Chateau Blanc beer, well it sounded like that's what the bartender said, Chateau, but he did definitely say Blanc.  It was tasty.  Light with a lemony aftertaste.

Here's the oyster, lovely and delish, at least that was what I was told.  It's a texture thing for me and I need to feel 100% healthy before I'll start eating that.

I love this location, it's easy to park and easy to get in before 8PM.  The crowds start by that time and it's pick-up season all over the place.  For a much more detailed story of this great Gastropub at the Helms Bakery in Culver City go here, a fantastic post at eatdrinknbmerry.

Father's Office - Culver City
3229 Helms Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 815-9820