We thought we’d mix up our Dinner Diaries by throwing a great brunch find your way. Check out Neighbor on Abbott Kinney.
Neighbor is a cute little gem nestled in the heart of artsy Venice Beach, on Abbott Kinney. The menu consists of a chef driven varietal that mixes traditional American fare with fusions like Italian and Asian cuisine. The result is a unique menu, with flavors that pack a punch. Neighbor is beautifully designed, and if you head out back you’ll be delighted to find yourself nestled in a tucked away garden. We had butterflies flitting about during our afternoon there, which gives you this since of faerie while dining. But enough about the decor, lets get down to the food.
We kicked off our meal wih Neighbor’s summer cocktail list. This is their version of a spicy margarita. It’s the perfect way to kick off your meal. Be sure to pop in and try it before, they change their cocktail list for fall.
We opted for their Heirloom Rice as our appetizer. The dish comes with rice tossed in teriyaki. The rice is then topped with salmon, a sunny side up egg, seaweed salad, ginger, edamame, pickled cucumbers, sesame seeds, and nori. What is not to love? Sushi lovers will be hooked from the first bite. The meal is basically a deconstructed sushi roll. We loved it.
For the main course we jumped into their Soft Scramble option and at our server’s behest their A.L.T. Don’t sleep on the a.l.t. incase you haven’t put it together yet, a.l.t. stands for avocado, lettuce, tomato. It is decadent. The a.l.t. comes on perfectly toasted bread with a well ripened avocado mash that is full of flavor. The tomatoes Neighbor uses are beefsteak tomatoes (which if you don’t know are the supremely thick ones), butter lettuce, sprouts, wasabi mayo, and shallots to round out the dish. We have to say, a word of warning this will be messy, but so worth it! Every bite is jam packed with flavor, and all the ingredients really do shine on their own. When you’re out dining we’re also big believers in trying the basics. Though soft scrambled eggs may be a staple, there was nothing basic about the flavor. We felt fancy and requested scallions over our scramble and it was amazing. The bread comes with chili jam which is served alongside their perfectly melted butter. The resulting flavor profile once you spread it across your sourdough bread is worth the trek to Venice, if you’re coming from the East Side. The meal also comes with their bacon, which is so thick and flavorful it is unbelievable, and we’ve been to bacon fest…so we know a thing or two about bacon. *Pro-tip: add their bacon to the a.l.t. if you’re not a vegetarian, you won’t be sorry.
To round out our adventure at neighbor we parted ways with a final taste of their cocktail list, versus ordering desert. They have a watermelon juice cocktail (Watermelon Spritz) that is paired with prosecco and sangria, that is absolutely criminal not to try. We passed on having tajin in the drink, but otherwise can’t recommend this enough. It is so refreshing, it’s like drinking juice (which can also be dangerous, you’ve been warned). We also checked out their The Girl Next Door, gin lovers rejoice. This drink is light, while flavorful, and leaves you very refreshed. Also, it has blackberries, which totally counts as your antioxidants dosage for the day…right? We joke, but it is delicious. But don’t believe us, go in and try it out for yourself!