Primitivo, Venice

One of my favorite places on Abbot Kinney is Primitivo, a wine bar/tapas joint. Their tapas aren't purely Spanish, but rather a fusion of Latin and Asian inspired tapas. I love this place because it is cozy, kitschy, and the service is always great. And, of course, the food is phenomenal. I've frequented this place quite a few times now, but because four of us went out for a late night dinner last night, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to blog about my dinner experience.



Our reservation was for 9:00 (moved from the original reservation at 7pm that we couldn't make due to unforeseen circumstances). But when we got there, it was packed and we weren't able to get seated until 9:40ish. The hostesses were extremely nice about the situation, however, constantly apologizing and reassuring us that our table would be ready shortly. Right when we got seated, they were so nice that they brought us a free fromage platter (brie, manchego, sliced baguettes, dates and toasted walnuts with honey. It was a fantastic way to start our montage of tapas.


We each chose 2-3 different small plates. I chose the heirloom tomato salad, diver scallops and bacon wrapped dates. We also had the prime beef carpaccio, BBQ short ribs, lamb chops, shrimp sauteed in garlic, spanish omelette, and paella.

The heirloom tomato salad was delicious, it was sort of like a caprese with a citrusy and sweet twist. There were a variety of tomatoes, including heirloom, yellow tomatoes and grape tomatoes, along with whole basil leaves, fresh mozzerella, and yes, pineapple. It was drizzled with a citrus infused olive oil and some balsamic. It was refreshing and tangy. Very delicious.


My all time favorite dish at primitivo are their bacon wrapped dates, that are stuffed with a bit of goat cheese. They are the perfect mix of salty, tangy, and sweet. Their spanish omelette is also good-- much better than the one at Cobras and Matador in my opinion. Their meat dishes are good, my favorite is the lamb, which has a moroccan twist to it.


My least favorites are the BBQ short ribs and the shrimp. The shrimp is over cooked and the sauce is too watery. I am not a fan of BBQ sauce, so that is probably why I don't really like the short ribs.


As for the paella, I was pleasantly surprised. I never ordered it there, and haven't had it in a long time since my horrible paella experience at ad hoc, but it is actually really delicious. The texture is perfect (not too sticky or dry), and it is very flavorful (has a little bit of a spicy kick to it) and you really taste the chorizo, shrimp and mussels.


As usual, YUM!


Primitivo
1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 396-5353