Tortillas, Tequila and a Toast to North Africa?

An intriguing tribute to Curtiz's 1942 masterpiece, yet oddly enough Mexican in every other way, guests are greeted at the door with a placard to note, "You are leaving Venice, California and entering Casablanca, Morocco." Small, quaint and uniquely relaxed, a mix of rounded booths and four-tops orbit around this gem's center attraction - a small fire cast inside a brick oven with handmade tortillas arranged in a salute to all things amazing. You won't find grease-laden chips diapered by a sheet of wax paper here. Guests enjoy freshly prepared flour tortillas served with verde salsa and butter - hot, moist and tinged by traditional cookware - this is undoubtedly one of my favorite portals of south-of-the-border cuisine.


Casablanca, located eight blocks from Venice Beach, sits on the corner of Rose Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard (220 Lincoln, Venice). Seafood-based dishes are their specialty, however, I've sampled the chicken fajitas and shredded chicken burrito - both of which brought joyous satisfaction to an already delightful pre-meal of handmade tortillas. For it is impossible to leave this refuge of sacred cuisine hungry.

Tiered levels of tequila bottles cascade behind the bar in an usual display of gold and glass, clear and corked; it is obvious that Casablanca's diversified tequila selection is not for the faint of heart.


But not to worry. For those guests unable to pair their dish with a particular refinement of tequila, Casablanca offers daily specials served with two shots of distilled agave, hand-picked and carefully matched to the cuisine at hand.

Simply put, this establishment is more than a restaurant - it is an oasis of unique intrigue only found in Venice, California. Enjoy my friends and be sure to try the Cadillac Margarita - it's every bit classic mixed with everything octane.

Casablanca is located at 220 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291

Now that's a smart cup of coffee!

Perhaps it grew out of necessity--needing something strong to help me through late nights of essays and exam-cramming during college--but I've never been a fan of the wide variety of mixed coffee drinks. I like my coffee simple, usually with nothing extra added. If I do order something other than a press or drip coffee, it'll either be a cappuccino or Americano. Occasionally I'll visit a coffee shop and sample one of their signature blended drinks. I usually end up disappointed with a drink that has lost any hint of coffee due to the excess of chocolate or other sweet syrups that have been added. Usually, these drinks turn out to be nothing more than coffee drinks for people who don't like coffee.

This weekend I was hanging out with some friends in Venice who said that I had to try a new coffee shop that opened up on Abbot Kinney, Intelligentsia. Knowing that my friend is very choosy with his coffee, I was certain that this place must be top quality considering the praise he was giving.

In most circumstances, I would just order a standard cup of coffee, but on this particular day, even the breeze from the nearby ocean wasn't enough to make ordering a hot coffee reasonable. Even though it was against my better judgment, I took my friends recommendation and ordered an iced mocha.

I've never tasted a mixed coffee drink that has tasted as incredible as Intelligentsia's iced mocha. Rather than just using a chocolate syrup and serving a drink that just tastes like an over-sweetened chocolate milk, Intelligentsia uses a bitter chocolate that perfectly compliments the coffee.

Intelligentsia's commitment to serving the highest quality premium coffee is clear in the design of the store. As expected with any shop in this trendy area of Venice, the decor is sleek and stylish. However, the layout of the place isn't meant to just compliment the look but actually has a purpose. Rather than walking up to a single counter to order drinks and then pick them up somewhere down the row, customers walk up to one of four kiosk-like counters. There they meet their personal barista who takes the order and prepares the drink(s) right on the spot. While this process seemed a little gimmicky at first, the quality of my drink made me a believer in Intelligentsia's mission to provide a unique experience centered around excellent coffee.

While I'm still partial to my standard cup of joe, I'm happy to know I can find an incredible, summer-friendly coffee drink.

Intelligentsia is located at 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
For more information, visit their website: www.intelligentsiacoffee.com