Mainstay of the L.A. restaurant scene sets opening date on the Strip
A bit of California cuisine arrives on the Strip this winter. Gjelina, the Southern California mainstay known for its locally sourced ingredients and sustainable practices, is opening Dec. 26 at The Venetian, according to the property website.
The restaurant was born in 2008 in founder Fran Camaj’s apartment on Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach. The restaurant is named after Camaj’s mother. Vegas marks a third Gjelina, after Venice Beach and a location in New York City.
Gjelina will serve its California cuisine from a space along Restaurant Row at The Venetian. The raw and charcuterie offerings on the opening menu include plump Kumiai oysters from California waters, briny Shigokus from the coast of Washington State, and prosciutto with fuyu persimmon and burrata.
The menu presents a dozen vegetarian options, including barley and lentil soup, green curry delicata squash, and fried farro with bok choy, black garlic, tamari and chili paste. Orecchiette with short rib and rapini, roasted chicken for two, and a board provisioned with lamb shoulder, grilled flatbread and fennel salad count among the plates.
More than a dozen pizzas showcase the Gjelina philosophy on dough: a pomodoro of confit tomato, basil and oregano; Gruyère, fromage blanc, caramelized onion, arugula; guanciale, mozzarella, tomato, Castelvetrano olives and Fresno chile. Visit gjelina.com.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.