The potential of the Culver City-Mar Vista borderland once hinted at with the coming of Waterloo & City will come closer to being realized tomorrow when a new neighborhood restaurant and bar called The Corner Door opens at 6:00 P.M. on the eastern corner facing Brendan Collins’ place. The project comes from first time owners, Anthony Falati and Todd Jerry, who built a small but gleaming space of exposed brick and wall-sized windows opening up to Washington. The duo wisely hired Luke Reyes, who counts Chimu and Tasting Kitchen on his resume, to oversee execution of the menus here.
So far, the restaurant’s first menu resembles that latter employer of Luke more than the former in a taught collection free of popcorn or tricks, edited down to straight-forward Euro-Cali cuisine that includes cider-glazed chipotle wings, steamed mussels, roasted halibut and chicken, steak frites, and an eleven-dollar burger with aged cheddar. Reyes and team are making whatever they can in-house, including sausages, sauces, and ice cream.
The chef tells Grub Street his simple aim is to “just use the best product possible and treat it with care,” taking advantage of nearby markets and overseeing a changing roster of blackboard specials that will typically include a shareable plate for the communal table in the middle of the room, such as the pork loin with purple kale coming to opening night.
Meanwhile Beau du Bois, formerly at Manhattan Beach Post, has always depended on the kindness of strangers is behind the bar’s menu of classic and house concocted cocktails and eight Cali-heavy draft beers, also armed with a collection of jarred infusions and some luxury labels of tequila (Fortaleza, Clase Azul).
Speaking of drinks, desserts like a horchata-soaked almond cake and chocolate chip cookies served with “bourbon milk” stand out among the well-edited menu. The Corner Door will begin operations by serving seven days a week, with late night menus bearing special prices available after 10:00 P.M.
The Corner Door, 12477 Washington Blvd. Mar Vista. 310-313-5810.
