THE BASICS:

WHAT:  The NYC vegetarian café and juice bar is now on the best coast -West Coast (it was only a matter of time)

WHERE:  Abbot Kinney, Venice Beach, CA.

WHEN:  8AM- 3PM for now– dinner coming soon.

THE DISH:

WHAT TO KNOW:  Don’t be fooled (like me) in thinking that “Butcher” in the name means the butchering of meats — they are referring to none other than the butchering of fruits & vegetables (here in LA we call it ‘juicing’).  Yogis, hippies and health nuts will probably be more excited about this than the misleading charcuterie route.  I on the other hand… well, you see our weekly meat & cheese spreads on insta, so you know the answer.

WAIT TOO LONG OR DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO SIT:  No problem!  They have a counter where you can order a bite and a coffee, juice or smoothie to-go.  They

also have a nice selection of vegan baked goods to “indulge” in.

WHAT TO ORDER:  Between my crew we tried almost the entire vegetarian, ‘bordering vegan’ (as our waiter called it) food menu and here is the final analysis.  First off, get a juice (in the Big Apple it’s what these people are known for).  The Water Flower juice ($10) with watermelon, fennel, honeydew, lime and lavender was beyond refreshing and hit the spot.  Then, you MUST start the meal off with a toast(s) for the table.  They are famous for the Avocado Toast ($13) which lived up to the hype, but the Fig Toast ($11) with ricotta was just as delectable.  Loved having both a sweet and savory bite to begin- so yes, I am telling you to get more than one.  The stand-outs in my opinion were the Acai bowl ($11) and the Cauliflower ‘Grits’ ($14) with poached farm eggs and roasted mushroom.  I ordered the Surfer’s Breakfast ($12- the breakfast burrito) and although I wasn’t the biggest fan, it was a favorite among the rest of the table.  The Petersen’s Buckwheat Pancakes ($10) fill that void if you’re into that type of breakie option.  And unlike the name, The Best Egg Sandwich ($12) was the least favorable, but only because we added Adzuki Bacon ($6- which is a bean fyi), and the harissa mayo and roasted tomato jam was a favorable touch.  We only explored the ‘morning’ menu; the ‘afternoon’ menu features items such as stone oven pizzas and salads.  Gotta save something for next time…

WHAT TO SKIP:  I wouldn’t not recommend anything we tried as it all tasted good in its own way (for what it was), but above you saw the rankings.  Actually, I would NOT recommend the fake bacon.  Unless you don’t eat real bacon (which then we have other things to discuss) then you can maybe tolerate it, but I’m still not 100% convinced I was eating human food.

AND TO TAKE HOME FOR LATER:  A bottle of their signature wine!!  They have their own label:  “Slutty Red” Pinot Noir and “Sassy White” Sauv Blanc ($25).  Even if it tastes like shit, the name itself is enough to grab a bottle (or 2 or 3) for your bar cart and another to save for a hostess gift.

THAT VIBE THOUGH:  This place is STUNNING.  Everything about the décor is flawless. The pictures tell all.

WHO TO BRING:  Someone you want to impress by looking like you know the newest hotspots.  The scene here is something people will be talking about for a while, so I’m pretty confident you’ll get a second date if this is the first (unless you’re a total dud).  Or I’d go with the friend I usually hike or try a new workout classes with; AKA the friend you are healthy with, or pretend to be at least.  ***Day date/bestie day IDEA: hiking Los Liones (you know THAT view!), brunch here and dessert at the new Salt & Straw location, which is only a quick walk down Abbot Kinney (one can only take SOO much healthy in one day, ya feel? But, if you must, they have dairy/gluten free options too).

WHAT TO WEAR:  It’s Venice Beach so anything goes.  But it’s pretty in there, so you’ll want to feel pretty too.

WHO YOU’LL SEE:  Skinny bitches in yoga pants and men wearing deeper Vs than their girlfriends.  Ok ok, not JUST that; you’ll see a mix of everything, as people will be coming from all over town to give it a try.  But, what you will see is everyone taking pictures of the food, space and selfies in the space.  I did not feel the slightest bit awkward walking around snapping away because everyone was doing it.

EDDR LIFE LESSON:  It’s always good to have some extra vino on demand.  You never know when a last minute dinner party will pop up and you’ve got to bring something OR if that “boy” turns to “f***boy” overnight and you’ve got to deal.  You’ve got to be prepared for anything these days and if wine isn’t the answer, it’s a good place to start.

A²FINAL THOUGHT:  I have a tendency of going to healthy places and ordering what appears to be the unhealthiest dish.  A breakfast burrito at a place that prides themselves on being healthy is never going to taste like a breakfast burrito at a place that doesn’t.  With any restaurant, and The Butchers Daughter is a perfect example, it is important to order with the restaurant’s objective in mind.  Here eat healthy- it’s what they do.

But WHY can’t I get that good-for-you juice and greasy burrito at the same place,

Alex