Gjusta

"If you leave Gjusta without bread and/or baked goods, you’re not to be trusted. In addition to a full food menu, this Venice establishment offers a huge variety of bialys, bagels, sourdough loaves, and baguettes. Their baguettes are hard to beat, but focus on the pumpernickel and olive loaves if they're in stock. Even the butter you spread on top will be in awe of their herby notes and spongy texture. Meanwhile, it’s impossible to go past the pastry case and not consider at least five things. The ham and gruyere croissants are the best we’ve had outside of France, and even those who believe vegetables have no business in cakes will approve of the carrot cake. " - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore

"This iconic beachside deli is everything your parents picture when they think of LA: breezy Venice location, lines of beautiful, sun-kissed Midwesterners, and an entire part of the menu dedicated to “lettuces.” But, the food is also really f*cking good. Grab a spot on their expanded patio and enjoy tomato and burrata sandwiches, open-face bagels littered with an entire farmers market’s worth of produce, or the tuna conserva - a slick, oily sandwich packed with roasted peppers, olive tapenade, and crunchy sprouts that will make you question if you’ve ever really eaten sprouts before." - kat hong

"Unless you’re new to eating in Los Angeles, you probably don’t need us to tell you about Gjusta. This Venice bakery/deli/restaurant has graced every Instagram feed, list, and lifestyle blog on earth. And it's worth the hype. Most days, you'll have to wait in line to place your order at the counter. But that just gives you more time to plot and scope out a table on their giant, canopied courtyard. Decide between the tomato confit sandwich or tuna conserva (honestly, order both). If you're with a group, make sure to get a healthy mix of salads, cheese, and cured meats for the table. " - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren

"Whenever we land at LAX, there are two things on our minds. The first is finding the bathroom, and the second is the tuna conserva sandwich from Gjusta. Is Gjusta in Venice a traditional sandwich shop? Maybe not, considering they’re open all day and offer roast chickens, pizza, smoked fish plates, etc. But Gjusta excels in the sandwich department. The bread is baked in-house, and the fillings hit that cliche California sweet spot of farmers' market ingredients and well-sourced meats. The tuna conserva is our old faithful because of how the roasted peppers, sprouts, salty tapenade, and cucumbers ooze into the sourdough and top-shelf tuna. But we also work the banh mi, tomato confit, and meatball sandwiches into the rotation. " - brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins

" Go ahead, roll your eyes at the idea of the $19 bánh mì from Gjusta, Venice’s hipper-than-thou bakery and delicatessen. We get it. But once you’ve moved past the price tag, you’ll find putting house-smoked brisket on house-baked bread, then adding house-made everything else, is a formula for a truly excellent bánh mì. We love the addition of the chile-laced dressing, which cuts the richness of the smoky brisket and garlic aioli beautifully, and the tender and flavorful bread is a marvel to behold. And if you’re not into brisket, there’s another bánh mì that swaps in rotisserie chicken and creamy chicken live paté. " - nikko duren, arden shore, sylvio martins, brant cox