New Restaurant Opens on Abbot Kinney Boulevard

A new restaurant, Willie Jane, is bringing a Southern flair to Venice.

Willie Jane, which opened about a month ago Abbot Kinney Boulevard, bills itself as a restaurant that offers seasonal California cuisine while also paying homage to the South.

It is restaurateur Brad Johnson's 100-year-old aunt who is the inspiration behind the restaurant which is named for her, Johnson said.

Willie Jane serves up family-style dishes with fare, including Cast Iron Chicken and Cornbread Panzanella, West Coast Shellfish and even Crisp Pork Belly. Side items, with Brown Butter Turnips and Shaved Green and White Asparagus and Brussels sprouts slaw among them, also offer something unique, according to Johnson.

Restaurateur Linda Johnson, David Borrego, director of operations as well as chef Govind Armstrong are also among the team behind Willie Jane.

"It's a pretty personal place," Brad Johnson said. "We're offering our brand of hospitality and warmth. We just want people to enjoy the space in a relaxed and unpretentious environment."

The restaurant serves large dishes big enough to share and is also working with master gardener Geri Miller of Home Grown Edible Landscapes on a new vegetable and herb garden next door, according to Johnson.

Willie Jane is located at 1031 Abbot Kinney Blvd. and is open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays through Saturdays.

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