The Best Restaurants in Culver City
Now, a new wave of gastronomy is washing over Culver City, spanning from the Marina del Rey border to Mid-City. Here are a dozen favorites.
Akasha Richmond was Michael Jackson’s one-time personal chef, but she’s made a name for herself in Culver City at her seasonal, multi-faceted establishment. An airy bakery and café fronts the space, touting a pastry-filled counter and Intelligentsia coffee program. The dining room showcases reclaimed wood and brick walls with arched cutouts, exposed rafters, and a mobile crafted with pieces that look like space aged guitar picks. Depending on the season, you might find citrus & fennel salad with Bliss Farms avocado, arugula, and fennel frond vinaigrette. Enduring perennials include tandoori-spiced chicken wings, roasted garlic hummus, and burgers made with beef or turkey.
2. East Borough
Chef/designer Chloe Tran and partner John Cao took their casual “Fraiche Vietnamese” concept from Costa Mesa’s Camp to the next level by joining forces with American Gonzo Food Corporation partners Paul Hibler and Jason Neroni. The space is of Tran’s design, with a cartoon-accented mural of Vietnamese “cyclo bandits,” floral floor tiles, and an inviting sidewalk patio. Lunch loosely resembles what Tran and Cao continue to churn out at The Camp. Dinner is more ambitious, with no-holds-barred dishes like lamb ribs with a tamarind glaze; fried rice with salt cod, chicken and rapini; and blue shrimp in crab paste butter with grapefruit. Dessert brings Vietnamese coffee pot de crème.
3. Bucato
Bucato made a splash when managing partner Ed Keebler and executive chef/co-owner Evan Funke announced a no cellphone, no photo policy, in an effort to encourage real-time enjoyment and face-to-face communication. However, now that the Italian restaurant is rolling, most people are more focused on the food. Upstairs, beyond hanging wooden dowels and wall-stuck knives, a glass-fronted pasta laboratorio yields nearly as many shapes as the human mind can imagine. That could mean chewycapunti with rugo bianco and Parmigiano Reggiano, or possiblycorzetti stampati. Of course, proceedings aren’t limited to pasta, and inspiration from Funke’s team often extends to meatballs, prawns and doughnuts.
4. Father's Office - Los Angeles
Sang Yoon was one of the first chefs to establish the Helms Bakery complex as a culinary destination by opening a considerably larger branch of his powerhouse Santa Monica gastropub in 2008. The Culver City outpost has a covered patio, communal seating, and a long bar with 36 mirror-image taps. People swear by the Office Burger, which features dry-aged beef, caramelized onion, applewood bacon compote, Gruyere, Maytag blue cheese and arugula on a baguette. Of course the menu runs deeper, driven by seasonal inspiration and “the rich bar culture of Europe.” That might mean cod brandade fritters with piquillo gastrique, Pimenton aioli and olive oil; or lamb pot pie with root vegetables and Irish stout.
Benjamin Ford helped to ignite growth in downtown Culver City when he opened his eponymous gastropub in 2006. His patio and brick-walled dining room continue to draw crowds despite growing competition. Ford and gastronomic lieutenant Gavin Lansdale are both committed to pork, with Cochon 555 appearances under both their belts and plenty of pig preparations on Ford’s menu. With 8-10 days notice, you can even order a whole pig to share. Ford’s Filling Station also features comfort food classics like a burger, steak frites, and shrimp and grits, each dish touting a distinctive twist.
This neighborhood market and deli with twin patios has drawn people to a quaint residential street and has been revered as a local secret for over 80 years. The market is a favorite of people who work at nearby film studios and design houses, so expect to wait at lunch. But persist, and your reward is sandwiches like the BBQ Beef Brisket Panini. Juicy chopped beef marinated in savory barbecue sauce joins sweet caramelized onions and gooey pepper Jack cheese on toasted ciabatta. The Jamaican Jerk Sandwich is another triumph between sliced bread. The wheat baguette touts Jamaican Jerk turkey with bacon, chipotle Gouda, romaine, Roma tomato and honey mustard.
