Earl’s Gourmet Grub Does the Earl of Sandwich Proud

, located on Venice Boulevard next to the , prides itself on creating handcrafted sandwiches with high-quality ingredients. It’s modeled after Tom Colicchio’s (head judge on Bravo’s Top Chef) 'wichcraft in New York City.

Co-owners Dean Harada and Yvonne McDonald scouted locations for a year before deciding on their Mar Vista storefront in April 2010. They were attracted to the area's demographics and saw it as being underserved. "Mar Vista is such a great neighborhood of creative, amazing people," Harada said, adding that he and McDonald wanted to design a unique restaurant to wake up the rest of Los Angeles to this vibrant, Venice-adjacent town, in the hopes that other businesses would make their way to the area.

The exterior is unassuming and easy to miss, but the inside looks as though it belongs at a modern art museum. Earl's is the recipient of a 2011 restaurant design award from the AIA (American Institute of Architects) for its contemporary, cutting-edge design mixed with a fresh and natural vibe.

It’s a dynamic space with skewed ceiling surfaces, dozens of wood panels hanging in rhythmic waves, and an embossed digital/abstract pattern of an alpine landscape adorning the west wall.

Enough about design—on to the food!

I ordered the Popeye, a breakfast sandwich (both breakfast and lunch are served from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.) with a fried egg, spinach, pepper jack cheese and Cajun aioli on a wonderfully soft brioche roll (bacon or ham can also be added). The egg was cooked perfectly. I was afraid the cheese and aioli would make this sandwich too rich, but the amounts were just right and complemented the freshness of the spinach.

I wish there were more breakfast items to choose from, but you can find the addition of a few omelets and crab Benedict on the Sunday brunch menu.

We decided to sit on the spacious patio out back (which Earl's shares with Venice Grind) and wait for our food while sipping our herbal iced teas. A lovely new awning went up about a month ago, covering the entire patio and providing ample shade.

Two slightly sweetened, decaffeinated teas are available: hibiscus/lemongrass/verbena and lavender/peppermint/clove. I preferred the hibiscus one.

Our food came out in a jiffy, delivered by very friendly servers. My friend ordered the Pig-n-Fig, Earl's flagship sandwich, with prosciutto, blue cheese, fig hash and arugula on three-season bread (hazelnut/walnut). The sandwich had a generous portion of prosciutto, which made it slightly salty. However, it was cut by the sweetness of the fig hash, the creaminess of the cheese and the bitterness of the arugula. All in all, the sandwich was well-balanced and delicious.

If you feel like having a bag of potato chips with your sandwich, you’ll find quite the collection of regional chips on the west wall with all kinds of interesting flavors hailing from Pennsylvania, New Orleans and Virginia, to name a few.

My friend also tried the Nicoise salad with seared ahi tuna, which he felt was slightly overdone (but I guess it depends how pink/raw you like your ahi). He did like the fresh, long green beans and the lemony herb vinaigrette and felt the salad was authentic with the inclusion of hard-boiled eggs, olives, tomatoes and fingerling potatoes on mixed greens.

Dean tells me that burgers are a big hit at Earl’s and are officially on the new menu (vegetarians can substitute a marinated portobello mushroom). Some customers have said that the high quality and taste of his burgers are reminiscent of the highly acclaimed Father’s Office burgers, with locations in nearby Culver City and Santa Monica. Try one for yourself and see.

Earl’s has just introduced dinner hours once a week, and plans to eventually add more evening hours. The bison bolognese will be featured on the dinner menu: ground bison cooked in a creamy ragu with prosciutto, garlic and herbs, served with mixed greens and a garlic-rubbed crostini.

Earl’s is also implementing a new menu in the next couple of weeks, which will include fresh, hand-cut pasta, burgers and a few new sandwiches and salads. I look forward to tasting the veggie Reuben and polenta salad.

I am sure the patio will be especially inviting at night with strings of lights glowing, creating a fun, romantic atmosphere. Another plus, diners can bring their own alcoholic beverages and relax even more.

, 12226 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista, CA 90066, 310-313-1717

Hours: Open daily 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Friday evenings until 8 p.m.

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