At Gjelina in Venice, dig in and save the chat for dessert

"IT'S ACROSS from Green House Smoke Shop," I yelled into my cellphone through the din at Gjelina, a new restaurant on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. I'd invited my friend Dan and his houseguests, and with no sign out front (at least that night), I was worried they wouldn't find it. But a few minutes later the three of them showed up, having lucked into a parking space in back.

By S. Irene Virbila

August 25, 2008