You can now enjoy your artisanal cocktails with a prime ocean view because the Crab Shell Bar officially debuts at the Venice Whaler (10 W Washington Blvd., Venice, CA 90292; 310.821.8737)! Opened in 1944, the seaside-watering hole, later renamed the Venice Whaler, was a favorite hangout and now, in 2014, and the Venice Whaler has been renewed, with a new owner, new chef, new menus and a full makeover to restore its former glory. The downstairs bar has been remade into the Crab Shell Bar, named in honor of the original and featuring a whimsical, fun menu of craft cocktails.
The design of the Crab Shell Bar (and of the renewed Venice Whaler) was collaboration between designer Kellie Patry, who has designed DTLA’s Honeycut to Seven Grand San Diego, and Architect Rudy Alegre. The décor highlights local talent, with buckets for silverware and napkins painted by area artists on each table and a bathroom wall painting by Venice muralist Jonas Never. Overall, it’s a beachy, easy, casual feel.
There is a tap system offering a classic Manhattan, Old Fashioned and Negroni along with a list of ten original cocktails. I headed over to the new bar for a girls night out and we quickly ordered up some cocktails. We ordered up the Moscow Whale, a classic Moscow Mule, with ginger beer and vodka (or bourbon), made with a house-made ginger-citrus syrup; the Bubble Butt that’s a mix of vodka, lemon and house-made boysenberry shrub with prosecco and you can’t forget the Blow Pop garnish; the Skinny Beach made with VeeV Açai Spirit, fresh raspberries and a house-made lemonade sweetened with agave instead of refined sugar.
There’s also the Venice Julep that has peach iced tea, chai syrup, bourbon and mint; the AWOL (Always West of Lincoln) is a West Coast take on the Sidecar, swapping out cognac for all-American applejack and pineapple gum syrup; the Dulces Sueños, a mix of gin, orgeat, key lime and cucumber topped with smoked salt and a float of El Silencio Mezcal; and the Whole Foods, combining gin, orange juice, Green Chartreuse, house-made beet bitters and carrot juice. We also tasted the Cat Daddy, which is like a root beer float and mixes moonshine, sassafras bitters, Fernet-Branca, root beer and a little powdered milk for frothiness, garnished with a whole star anise and the California King, which is a combo of bourbon, grapefruit, strawberry, orgeat and Lagunitas IPA.
In addition to the list of the cocktails, shots appear on the menu: the Pickle Back, which pairs whiskey and a pickle-brine chaser, and the Bitter Kiss, a shot of grapefruit juice and rum dropped into a glass of IPA beer. There are fourteen (mostly California-brewed) beers on draft and another fourteen in bottles or cans.
We needed some food to soak up the cocktail goodness. New Executive Chef Nick Liberato has rolled out a menu full of “upscale dive bar food” that’s served both upstairs and downstairs. The dishes we dove head first into included Homemade Clam & Corn Chowder, the biggest bowl of Crispy Brussels Sprouts I have ever seen, Beach Mussels, Westside Salmon, the Shrimp Roll and the Key Lime Pie. The mussels were amazing. We couldn’t put them down and the Key Lime Pie? Make sure you leave room! They also have a slew of appetizers, salads, pizzas, burgers and tacos.
We all know Los Angeles’ summers truly begin in August and roll on through October, so get over to The Crab Shell Bar and sipping on a great cocktail, listening to some old school tunes, while watching the sunset. This is what Los Angeles living is all about!
