Joan "of Yelp" S.'s Profile

Last night at Hinano I was reminded of why Venice Beach is my favorite place on this earth.  
I lived on Venice Beach for a couple of years, and found Venice to be the only place I've ever hung out where I never felt judged.  People go there to be free, the reason it's populated with so many artists, musicians, and other creative types.
After spending a few hours at Hinano, I was ready to pack up & move back to Venice Beach.

I arrived at 5pm (Saturday) to hear the JT Ross blues band, all five hours worth of them. I didn't want to miss anything.  Junior Watson was on guitar and the band was smokin'. They brought the packed house down, and brought the crowd to its feet.  There were a few Yelpers there (Barry & my old friend Leila T) and I did spread the good word about Yelp to some other people who (shockingly) had never heard of the site.  They'll be hooked in no time....

Hinano represents the flavor of Venice perfectly: there were earlytwentysomething s in the crowd, and old peeps like me, and old hippies (again, like me, haha but I clean up good), and some town drunks, and the unmistakable Venice artsy types......you can tell by the creative way they're dressed & by the way they carry themselves in the I-don't-give-a-shit- what-you-think manner. Hahaha, I love it.
The one thing everyone had in common is that they were all havin' a great time.

I regret not bringing my pool stick cuz there are two nice tables.  There was one gal who was cleaning up the table time after time, a joy to watch.  She was on a level of expertise similar to our Nada, and that means she kicked some serious butt.  I was cheering her on.
And there was a fight in the pool area, later in the evening, not a good thing.  It was over quickly though.  If bar fights make you squeamish, you might be a bit turned off by this dive bar.

There's beer & wine only at Hinano, and I drank Stella on tap for $5.50 a glass.  The beer could have been colder.  I might have even knocked off a star for that 'cause I like my beer frosty cold, except ....Hinano's ladies room is five stars all by itself.  
The girls' potty was clean, had no water on the floor, no line (remarkably), and a cute set-up:  it's two little rooms, one private space with the potty and one space with the sink and the mirror.  When you open the door, if somebody's at the sink, the door smashes into them, that's how small it is.  Dunno why this was so charming to me, but it was.  See, this is why I fit right in with the crazy Venice crowd.....

I got real lucky to find a free street parking spot on Pacific, right around the corner from the bar, 'cause parking is almost always an issue in this area.

Yeah, I was dancing last night.  And meeting people.  Mostly I just enjoyed the laid-back but lively scene.   Lookin' forward to my next visit, at which time I plan to try one of those burgers that looked so so good.  They cook 'em on a grill right behind the bar, just like they did many moons ago at the Sink dive bar in Boulder, CO, when I was just a young flower child in art school.......but that's another story.
Some things change and some things, fortunately, stay the same....

This is my kind of place. http://static.px....
It's family-owned, eco-friendly, and there are views up the wazoo, along with cool ocean breezes on a hot day.  This morning it felt like a little slice of paradise to sit on Gum Tree's front porch sipping fresh iced tea (from a biodegradable cup), as Bob Dylan songs could be heard coming from the gift shop windows.....http://static.px....

A gum tree, I believe, is a eucalyptus.  The Aussie owner of Gum Tree Cafe, Will, could probably verify the accuracy of what I was once told about eucalyptus trees in Australia: I heard that they are called the widow-makers because huge branches fall off with no rhyme nor reason, without warning.  I know this is a fact, have seen many a car half squashed, parked under one of those trees around LA when a chunk gave way.

Gum Tree's proprietors are an interesting couple:  he had a successful restaurant in NYC, where she was a fashion designer.  I met Will today, but Lori was out on a design assignment.  They have a young child, which might help to explain why Gum Tree is kid-friendly to the max.  
The kid's menu is tres cool, offering grilled cheese or organic PB & J sandwiches with fruit ($4), healthy mac 'n cheese ($5), and a kids tasting plate with bite size turkey, ham, cheese & fruit ($6.50).  Dammit I want a tasting plate!  haha
And.....there's an entire kids room in the gift shop. http://static.px....

Gum Tree is located in what was once someone's residence, a 1911 Craftsman jewel.  It sits at the top of Pier Ave., offering ocean views over the rooftops & perhaps the best ocean breeze in town.  I could live there, it's beyond charming. http://static.px....
Half the indoor space is the cafe, and half is the shop.  In the shop they sell cool stuff like beach hats & cover-ups, colorful door mats, unique small furniture, cards, wind chimes, kids stuff and more. http://static.px....
Behind the shop is an enclosed outdoor patio that, I was told, can be reserved for small gatherings like a baby shower (seats up to 20). http://static.px....

Gum Tree's menu boasts organic/locally-grow n ingredients in eco-friendly packaging. My utensils were biodegradable, as was my plastic cup.
The breakfast menu includes pastries (you should see the teeny tiny mini-muffins), organic Greek yogurt, fruits, hard-boiled free-range organic eggs ($1.50 each), and breakfast sandwiches in the $6-7 range. http://www.yelp.c...
I almost had the scrambled egg, tomato & aged cheddar on a croissant for $7.50.  Next time.

Instead, today I spotted something wonderful on the daily special chalkboard:  a grilled Gruyere & caramelized onion sandwich on sourdough.  It amounted to French onion soup, in sandwich form.  Good lordy it was good, sweet & delicious. http://static.px....
I had half a sandwich with a soup of the day, tomato basil, which included a side salad with homemade dressing to die for.  $9.50 for the food, not including my drink, was a bit pricey perhaps, but worth every organic bite.....I mean dime.....

Other sandwich offerings include free-range turkey, South Indian chicken salad, Virginia ham, and veggie, in the $9 range.
There are salads that sound great....like roasted beet (what would we expect from a NY chef?)
There are hummus and cheese plates, and baked potato salad.  And sweets that include Aussie delights.
Then there are the coffees, teas, and juices.

Honestly, I would have been to Gum Tree much sooner had I known how good it is. Wow, what a spot for a private party.  And they cater, too.
The hours on the menu are different from the hours posted to the listing, and they are 7am to 4pm, closed Mondays.

Gum Tree Cafe has obviously won me over, on my very first visit, which was far from my last visit.  See ya there.