An American Renaissance

For almost 16 years, West Beach Cafe was the laid-back Venice institution for artists and the local intelligentsia. But after the “in” crowd moved on, Bruce Marder, who still owns Rebecca’s across the street, decided to get out. Now James Evans, former general manager at 72 Market Street, and his partner, artist Daniel Samakow, who met at West Beach’s bar 14 years ago, have taken on the space and renamed it James’ Beach.

Evans brings a relaxed style to the beach cafe and has made it as comfortable as a favorite old sweater. Since artist Billy Al Bengston volunteered to do the redesign, gone is the wild and woolly art that once covered the walls. In its place is a window behind the bar, pristine white paint and a room pared down to the basics. Booths still hug the back wall, but now tables are surrounded by designer (and onetime Venice resident) Charles Eames’ classic “potato chip” chairs.

Shari Lynne Robins, who last cooked at the now-defunct fusion at pdc (where Marder was consulting chef before John Sedlar), calls her menu “new American club cooking”--a melange of traditional American comfort food, classic club meals from Hollywood’s golden age, Jewish home cooking and East Coast seafood. And she’s terrific at reinterpreting these old standbys. “Towering” shrimp Louis--several fat pink shrimp, a hard-boiled egg, wedges of lemon and lime, a couple of olives--is threaded on a metal skewer, stuck into a quarter head of crisp iceberg and served with superlative handmade Thousand Island dressing. “Texas” steak tartare comes out shaped like the Lone Star state, beautifully seasoned and accompanied by rye toast points that really set off its spunky flavor. There’s also an update on stuffed mushrooms, a large portabello cap piled with a savory crab stuffing, and an artichoke filled with good Cobb salad made with plenty of bacon and avocado.

Robins does nice things with main courses, too. Her stuffed pork chop, plumped with rye bread crumbs, herbs and crunchy celery, is served with ribbons of collard greens and a distinctive brandied applesauce. Calves’ liver is dressed up with spirals of bacon and fat golden onion rings, but it’s the sherry sauce that raises this dish a notch. The roasted half chicken is one flavorful bird, pale-skinned yet moist and delicious, with a crock of thin coffee barbecue sauce on the side and glorious fries. These potatoes, double-fried with skins on, have all sorts of intriguing angles and crispy corners and are, hands down, the best in town. James’ Beach has a good burger as well: freshly ground Angus beef on a bun that’s soft but not too bready, with all the fixings and a heap of those fries. The club sandwich is another sterling combination, moist, flaky salmon, pancetta and sliced avocado on lightly toasted rye.

I regret not trying all the daily specials. Tuesday’s chicken pot pie is high on my list, followed by Friday’s “beach style” lobster. Thursday’s fried chicken, however, is fabulous. Inside a shaggy golden crust, it’s moist and juicy and comes with dense, homey mashed potatoes, wonderful creamed spinach and your choice of salad or a bowl of the soup du jour--all for a modest $14.

A number of chefs are trying to cook this kind of food, but few can carry it off as well as Robins. She not only gives these familiar dishes the respect they deserve, she also improves them. She cooks within her abilities, which is much more impressive (and rarer) than a chef straining to come up with something startling and overwrought.

Service is good-natured but has its glitches. On one not particularly busy night, dishes seem to take an inordinately long time to arrive from the kitchen. And the earnest young runner sets the wrong dish in front of the wrong person almost every time.

Except for a mild chocolate souffle, desserts are not a forte here. And talk about disappointment! Flourless chocolate cupcake turns out to be not a cupcake at all but a boring chocolate cake.

James’ Beach is not (yet) open for lunch, but it does offer brunch on the weekends. And this meal is the essence of California casual, especially when it’s served in the enclosed patio decorated with eccentric birdhouses. “Coast toast” blows regular French toast out of the water: Made with California sourdough cut in two-inch-thick slices, it’s moist, custardy, not a bit sweet and so good that I don’t even think about dipping into the syrup caddy. One of the late risers in our party insists on ordering the “hangover stew” (which comes with an optional shot of Bloody Mary). The idea is worthy, but the stew, small bits of meat, potatoes, carrots and peas in a brown gravy, is ladled over a tall English muffin and seems too generic. Something with a fiery kick would make a better hangover remedy.

Given the chef’s resume (Robins also worked at Eli Zabar’s E.A.T. in New York and Barney Greengrass in Beverly Hills), I’d expect the matzo brei to be excellent here, but our order is hastily made, the matzo barely soaked, still stiff and cracker-like, mixed in with overcooked scrambled eggs.

A nice corned beef hash topped with two (overcooked) poached eggs would be better off without its coverlet of melted cheddar. And the old-fashioned sloppy egg sandwich--fried eggs, pancetta and more gobs of gooey cheddar and house-made mayonnaise on an English muffin--resembles an over-the-top Egg McMuffin. Oh well, you can toss back one more espresso and saunter down the beach to walk--or skate--it off.

Brunch aside, this is a good little restaurant, where the computer-printed receipts read: “Nothing is worth more than this day!” And on this or any other day, James’ Beach would be an exceptionally warm and friendly place to eat.*be not a cupcake at all but a boring chocolate cake.

James’ Beach is not (yet) open for lunch, but it does offer brunch on the weekends. And this meal is the essence of California casual, especially when it’s served in the enclosed patio decorated with eccentric birdhouses. “Coast toast” blows regular French toast out of the water: Made with California sourdough cut in two-inch-thick slices, it’s moist, custardy, not a bit sweet and so good that I don’t even think about dipping into the syrup caddy. One of the late risers in our party insists on ordering the “hangover stew” (which comes with an optional shot of Bloody Mary). The idea is worthy, but the stew, small bits of meat, potatoes, carrots and peas in a brown gravy, is ladled over a tall English muffin and seems too generic. Something with a fiery kick would make a better hangover remedy.

Given the chef’s resume (Robins also worked at Eli Zabar’s E.A.T. in New York and Barney Greengrass in Beverly Hills), I’d expect the matzo brei to be excellent here, but our order is hastily made, the matzo barely soaked, still stiff and cracker-like, mixed in with overcooked scrambled eggs.

A nice corned beef hash topped with two (overcooked) poached eggs would be better off without its coverlet of melted cheddar. And the old-fashioned sloppy egg sandwich--fried eggs, pancetta and more gobs of gooey cheddar and house-made mayonnaise on an English muffin--resembles an over-the-top Egg McMuffin. Oh well, you can toss back one more espresso and saunter down the beach to walk--or skate--it off.

Brunch aside, this is a good little restaurant, where the computer-printed receipts read: “Nothing is worth more than this day!” And on this or any other day, James’ Beach would be an exceptionally warm and friendly place to eat.

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JAMES’ BEACH

CUISINE: American. AMBIENCE: All-white cafe with enclosed patio and private clubhouse. BEST DISHES: Steak tartare, shrimp Louis, fried chicken, Angus beef burger, club sandwich, chocolate souffle, “coast toast.” WINE PICK: 1995 Alban Viognier, Central Coast. FACTS: 60 N. Venice Blvd., Venice; (310) 823-5396. Dinner nightly; late-night menu Thursday through Saturday; weekend brunch. Dinner for two, food only, $22 to $90. Corkage $12. Valet parking.