whenever i have friends in town from various places, i really do my best to try and meet them (for a meal, a drink or both) close to wherever it is they are staying.  la is not the easiest to navigate, and i say that as someone who has only ever lived in california.  so when my friend taylor told me she was going to be in marina del ray over labor day weekend, i quickly scanned my mental rolodex and knew just where to take her…wildcraft.

 

wildcraft is this amazing modern italian restaurant in culver city (which is just a few miles from where tay was staying).  i have been for brunch, happy hour and dinner and have a great experience every single time.  from the food to the drinks to the ridiculously knowledgeable and friendly servers, i cannot recommend it enough.

 

we went for brunch and instead of going crazy with their bottomless mimosas (which i would recommend if you do not have plans directly afterwards), we had the le grand courtage with brut rose.  it is an infusion carafe with fresh fruit and mint – you get to choose what sparkling goodness you want inside (prosecco, brut or brut rosé).  as tay said, we are all about the rosé all day life so it was a no brainer.

 

 

while their brunch menu is online, the brunch cocktails are not included so i have added a photo below for your convenience.  i know for me, the cocktails being served at brunch are just as important as the food.

 

 

we started started with the rosemary bread and wild arugula salad.  naturally, i had to get a side of avocado for the salad.  i will admit, i thought our server may have been exaggerating about how much her mom loved the rosemary bread but once i had it, i understood the obsession.  i mean, who says no to honey ricotta and homemade jam?  the flavor profile was unreal.  tay and i both loved the salad and i just feel like a meal is incomplete if there is not something green being consumed.

 

 

for our main course, tay and i were both struggling between a couple of the pizzas.  so we decided to each get one the other liked enough to swap a slice or two.  she got the burrata pie and i got the bacon fontina.

 

 

what sets their burrata pie apart from others are definitely the squash blossom and orange oil.  their bacon fontina is just perfectly done and the crust is thin, crispy around the edges and doughy in the center.  i ordered a side of garlic aioli to dip it in and was in heaven.

 

if you want to go to wildcraft, i would suggest making a reservation via opentable.  you will be happy you did.

 

xoxo,

k. tap