Which I am not. That is one of the reasons I guess I have not gone. I was drooling over @theoffalo’s picture of their octopus though. But it just seems less obvious than Republique, if that makes sense.
or Republique is charging to cover the cost of renovating that gorgeous space. Also I would say the rent is probably a tintsy bit higher 
. As far as I know, the Silvertons (La Brea Bakery) still own the building. It is a historic landmark, once owned by Charlie Chaplin. But anyway, consumers often equate higher costs with higher quality.
Yah… I think my friend (cousin actually) feels it has as much to do with how you are treated, the feeling you get from a place, as well as the delicious meal. She feels there is a natural, authentic quality to Maccheroni. But as I wrote, she really enjoys Bestia and Republique too. And yes, she has also been to France a few times. She can afford to eat anywhere.
Gjusta’s only saving graces are that they turn out some great food and it’s not downwind of a feedlot or sewage treatment plant. It’s fine for takeout if you’re in no hurry (as Gold said, “someone will eventually notice your helplessness”) and have no problem standing for a long time.
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République and Bestia remind me of my favorite places in the San Francisco area. If I lived in LA I might be a regular unless I just stopped eating western food entirely.
Chi Spacca, nothing quite like that at home and it’s my favorite kind of place. Cockscomb is the closest thing and it’s not all that close. Both are great for vegetarians and fantastic for pescatarians.
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Wait. What?
Interesting.
Personally hated Cockscomb when I went there so can’t speak much to that.
What would you say the SF analogs to Bestia and Republique are?
République, Bestia, Rustic Canyon, and Gjelina all reminded me of lots of nice Cal-Med places, including Zuni, Nopa, Cafe Rouge, and Lalime’s 2.0. I’d happily go back to any of them if friends wanted to or they were nearby when I was hungry, but I don’t feel a compelling need to return the way I do about Petit Trois, Chi Spacca, Shunji, Baroo, Jitlada, and Langer’s.
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Ouch… That’s the harshest criticism of Republique and Bestia I’ve encountered.
Kind of curious how they come across as Cal-Med?
It’s not a criticism.
Gjusta uses a number system. If you go at night, there’s basically no wait. And you can call in your order if you’re in a real hurry.
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I’m wondering when your last visit was. I wouldn’t quite say that Gjusta is a comfortable restaurant. They offer counter service after all. But they have a number system, and have for quite some time. So the “helpless” comment is confusing. They have more of a cafe line for quicker items that moves at a decent pace, and the patio now has a number of tables and seats as well as some stretched awning that offers more shade.
I find the place busy, but pleasant enough. I can see an issue with finding a seat somewhere during peak hours, but I guess I’ve been lucky. I had that issue so often at Huckleberry, for example, that I’ve completely given up on the place. I’m empathetic to that aspect. But I think a number of your complaints may no longer be issues if it’s been a significant amount of time since you last visit.
Cheers.
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I’d rather wait the extra time it takes Gjusta to properly prepare the food than to wait less and have them take short cuts or prep certain things ahead of time for the sake of expediency. The trade-off isn’t worth it.
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I personally took J Gold’s comment differently. When one walks into Gjusta, especially for the first time, it can be overwhelming. The counter is a long linear experience full of assorted stimuli as one walks from baked goods all the way to salads - forget the drink counter.
Trying to take in and remember all the offerings and then attempting to mentally assemble a meal(s) is difficult. Then, when one realizes the menu boards in back and above the counter are full of choices as well - and those boards can seem semi-cryptic to those unfamiliar with the choices and possible combinations - the “deer in the headlights” look is a powerful and common visual cue for help that the counter ppeople see regularly. Above, I just described my first couple of visits. And I can see a seasoned diner like J Gold sensing this from some of the customers - possibly even he himself.
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Gjusta is not a restaurant. When I was there, at 2:30 on a Monday in June, well after the lunch rush, every one of the few seats on the patio were occupied by campers who had finished their food and were on their laptops or phones, and nobody left in the 20 minutes we were standing up waiting for our food.
I have no idea why it took 20 minutes to slice some cold fish and put it on a plate. Maybe the fish station guy went on break and no one filled in. It wasn’t even good.
I had posted this a while back. I think it’s from Los Angeles Magazine.
Keep in mind this was a while back
.
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I warned you about dissing their Gjusta @robert. Just teasing westsiders! I plan on making a beeline to the place next time I’m in the area. It seems like so my kind of spot.
That’s sad. I’ve never had an experience like that there, though it’s always a risk at a place without table service. I know the agita and have had particularly bad experiences at Fathers Office and Huckleberry because of that.
I happen to hold the smoked fish, in particular, in high esteem, but it’s hard to enjoy anything when feeling such angst and irritation. I’d say if you can get past the bile your first visit rightly induced, your folllow-up visits may be more enjoyable. Take-out is always an option, too.
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Interesting read. I don’t think the numbering system was in place from the get-go so that couldn’t have helped, either.
I just realized you have to tap on the expand arrows to see the whole thing. Check it out. It’s pretty clever 
.
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I have rarely gotten my smoked fish sampler in less than 10 minutes. I don’t know why, but I assume it’s either because no one in the kitchen is specifically assigned the task or it’s not considered a priority in someone’s duties. But like you, I almost always get something from that part of the counter.