Venice’s Abbot Kinney Boulevard is a hip, eclectic neighborhood, bustling with fashionable shops and fine food. Three Square Café and Bakery is a perfect example of the latter.
Chef/owner Hans Röckenwagner comes from the world of fine dining, most recently Rockenwagner, in Santa Monica. He has more than 30 years of experience in the kitchens of Germany, Switzerland, Chicago, Ill. and Los Angeles.
Röckenwagner set out to create a restaurant in tune with the times, forgoing the formal white table cloths and silverware arsenal of old-fashioned fine dining for an understated dining experience. Three Square provides a casual atmosphere in a naturally lit, architecturally designed space that showcases a seasonal menu with farmer’s market ingredients. The lunch menu features several choices for burger lovers and vegetarians, alike. Consider bringing your officemates or extended family to sit around the common table and share a variety of German-inspired dishes. Try the mini-sandwich sampler, which features a trio of small (but not too small) sandwiches with sides served informally, of course, on a simple platter.
I highly recommend the pretzel burger – the restaurant’s signature burger, which is a beef patty with trimmings on a pretzel bun made to perfection in Three Square’s commercial bakery next door (their delicious breads, scones, cookies, danishes and other sweets are delivered all over Los Angeles to stores such as Whole Foods).
Executive chef and co-owner Wolfgang Gussmack (who, by the way, is a certified sommelier) has also created magnificent burgers using lamb, pork and tuna, among other meats. The burgers pair nicely with a dark beer like the Stiegel Celebration, a smooth and flavorful double bock with more than 7% alcohol. You’ll also find excellent American beers, like Eel River and Stone breweries. Wine drinkers also have choices foreign and domestic. The list is not an exhaustive catalog, but is seasonal and represents an array of choices for any palate.
When you come to Three Square, bring your appetite. The food is hearty and the portions robust. Furthermore, the starters and sides are not to be skipped. There are too many unique tastes to try, like the avocado fries with fire-roasted salsa or the truffle macaroni-and-cheese croquettes with marinara, to forgo the experience.
And if you still can’t seem to decide what dish to try, the staff is friendly and helpful, particularly, manager Charles Borg, a smorgasbord of knowledge regarding the Teutonic taste journey upon which you’re about to embark.
Three Square Bakery is located at 1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. Breakfast is served weekdays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; lunch is served weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and brunch is served weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bakery is open every day between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
For more information, call (310) 399-6504.