Danny's Venice

www.dannysvenice.com

Danny's is an eclectic eatery offering a mix of California cuisine and comfort food favorites. Danny's is located at the corner of Speedway and Windward just off the world famous Venice Boardwalk, a "matzoh ball's throw away from the beach" (Zagat, 07), in the heart of Abbot Kinney's Historic Windward District and is a cornerstone of the area's restoration. Danny's is the vision of Daniel Samakow and James Evans, the restaurateurs who created two other Venice landmarks, James' Beach and the Canal Club. For Danny's, the duo wanted to create an authentic Venice destination for locals and tourists alike, by restoring the site's turn of the century architecture and spirit, while providing the finest quality food and a truly unique dining experience.

Danny's interior recalls the stylish and bustling dining haunts that filled Abbot Kinney's popular tourist destination in 1915. High backed booths, vaulted ceilings, exposed brick and a bright, airy feel set the mood. To reach the dining room at Danny's, you walk past a sensuous curved bar showcasing art from numerous Venice artists such as Ed Ruscha, Dennis Hopper and Robert Graham (trading art for food is a Venice tradition). Once seated, you find yourself surrounded by a collection of historic Venice photos and memorabilia highlighted by a Venetian Mardi-Gras mask, the last original gondola from 1904 and Rip Cronk's forty foot mural entitled "Hobnobbing in Venice". Cronk, the Venice muralist who painted the famous "Jim Morrison" and "Venice on the Half Shell" murals, depicts the past 100 years of Venice with present and past celebrities all having fun while looking down onto Dannys booths.