If you ask anyone for a recommendation of where to go for food in the Venice area, you will likely be told Gjelina, The Tasting Kitchen, and Superba. Gjelina is my ‘ol reliable and I’ve been there several times, and The Tasting Kitchen is renowned in Los Angeles for their awesome vibe and amazing dinner. Superba is the sleeper in the crowd, and although it is hugely popular amongst Venice locals and the residents of the Greater Los Angeles area, it deserves WAY more attention. I’m going to go ahead and say it… Superba Snack Bar has been one of my best meals in Los Angeles to date… and I’ve had a lot of meals! …
I’ve been dying to try Superba, so you can imagine how excited I was when I heard that there are two Superbas! Superba Food + Bread and Superba Snackbar are both located in Venice, and I had the opportunity to go to Superba Snackbar this week. The restaurant is adorable and fully embraces the Venice vibe. The atmosphere is chill and the decor is cute, beachy, and casual. To start, you have to order the brisket meatballs with NO cheese (there is flour in the cheese). It is rare that meatballs don’t contain breadcrumbs or some other gluten culprit, so this is a must order and you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity. Next up was the charred octopus with lemon aioli served on top of sliced potatoes. The octopus was deliciously tender, and this dish is small, making it the perfect light, appetizer to kick off your meal. The veggies at Superba all look amazing, and my friend and I ordered the rainbow carrots with coconut, pickled onion, cilantro oil, and peanut (INCREDIBLE), the cauliflower t-bone served on top of green garlic puree (awesome), and the crispy brussels sprouts (literal perfection). The brussels sprouts are served with a poached egg and in a bowl of dashi broth; this broth, as well as other asian-inspired marinades at Superba, are made with Tamari soy sauce so they are gluten free. One thing to note: the sprouts are fried in the same fryer as the fried chicken, so if you are sensitive to cross contamination I recommend avoiding. On the topic of cross contamination, Superba has gluten free pasta, and all pasta dishes are GF when using the GF pasta except for the gnocchi and tortellini. The GF pasta is cooked in the same water that the regular pasta is cooked in, so if your gluten allergy is severe make sure you tell the kitchen. This way, the chefs will prepare your GF pasta in a separate pot of water! To finish our meal, my friend and I ordered the seared scallops in a green curry sauce… this was pretty much amazing, too.
I just finished my meal at Superba, and I’m writing this as I sit here SO full and SO satisfied. Superba Snackbar was one of the best meals I’ve had so far in Los Angeles, and I NEED to go back soon. The brunch here is very popular too, and the veggies & eggs dish is calling my name! Whether you go to Superba for dinner with your family, a catch up with friends, or on a date, you will LOVE your dining experience. Superba Food + Bread… I’m going to try you next!!