Great White – Venice Beach

The Venice Beach location of Great White is a lovely vibe, located across from the Venice sign in Venice Beach.

After not seeing Amanda for a few months, I wanted to pick a place for us to meet that would be lovely.

As I’d previously visited Great White in Larchmont district, I thought that the Venice Beach location would be a worthy change of pace to our usual SoHo house location of Holloway House.

After I finally – and I do mean finally – found parking that was an eye rolling $20 for three hours, I arrived to our table.

Amanda and I exchanged pleasantries over browsing the menu.

The vibe was completely different than the Larchmont location. The beautiful neutrals and overall beach vibe of the restaurant simply fit with the area and surrounding landscape.

We started with the SNAP PEAS (pea tendrils, sesame, cilantro). When they arrived, they were an oral revelation. The secret? Sesame oil with the right amount of salt for seasoning. It was a sensory experience that I savored in the Venice Beach open night air.

As a main dish, I ordered the DIAVOLA  pizza (salami picante, local honey, mozzarella, smoked chili oil). Now, what I love about well sized pizzas are that they are perfect for enjoying a little bit there – and then a little bit the next day. The diavola pizza had deliciously large salami slices and was a delicious blend of heat and sweetness.

Amanda ordered the SHRIMP PASTA (confit tomato, spinach, white wine lemon cream, pangritata). It was also extremely flavor filled, with juicy shrimp and al dente pasta cooked to perfection.

What I love about Amanda is the conversations that we have about world topics and variously interesting subject. Beyond doing a deep dive into the effects of Evangelical Christians and the casualties on societies and populations as a result of proselyting, we talked about access.

Amanda reflected on an important comment that really stuck with me:

If you’re rich enough, people just ask you to help them make more money. Getting access is about the right introduction.

As we finished up and I reflected on that comment and my life – I realized how right she was.

It spoke volumes about the levels of access, the social economic implications and the gatekeeping that happens on various levels in Los Angeles. Authentic connections create powerful relationships that benefit those involved. The right introduction and the right vibe between people can shift your life in profound ways.

But – only authentic.

Life is to short for fake ass bitch friends.

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