A night out in VENICE, CA -- a favorite restaurant and wine bar

We have exhausted every spot in Venice having both lived there and we have a new favorite game plan for a night out there.  Venice Beach Wines opened over a year ago on the ever gentrifying Rose Ave, but it now seems to have fully worked out its kinks-- they have heaters and siding for the outdoor patio (the only seating area); they have honed their menu-- the pressed sandwiches, pizzas and shrimp skewers are delicious and it's amazing what can come out of that tiny open air "kitchen."  Their wine list, as you might expect, is always interesting and full of unique varietals that deliver.  The crowd is also always attractive, hipster (without going overboard) and cool-- you don't mind rubbing elbows, literally.

After wine and appetizers at Venice Beach Wines, head to dinner at Ado.  As it is not smack on Abbot Kinney, it seems to often get overlooked when running down the dinner options in Venice.  It also has had several false starts-- took awhile to get their liquor license, there was a big fire in the kitchen-- but now Ado is busy with a hip, artsy Venice crowd.  And the food is sensational.  We can highly recommend the tuna tartar, spaghetti with fried eggplant in tomato sauce topped with ricotta salata and basil pesto, and the beef filet mignion with barolo truffle butter sauce...  ridiculous.  And as for the service, unlike some of our other favorite Italian restaurants in town where the service is clipped and brusque, when we walked into Ado, the chef bounded up the stairs to find us a table, and our waiter couldn't have been more personable and professional.  We also liked that when we ordered glasses of wine, he brought a fresh bottle over, opening it for us...  and then basically gave us the whole bottle.  Love him!

If you're not in a food coma after dinner, you might brave the line (on weekends) at the Otherroom on Abbot Kinney.  We prefer it before dinner (when it's not pitch dark, so loud and jammed full of people), but it is one of the only bars to head to after dinner.