Here’s a quick peek at what Joule has to offer.

Monika booked our bus from Manhattan to arrive at 3pm on Halloween. I dropped off luggage at the hotel while she headed to Rose’s. Around 3:30pm, Monika was in a queue already thirty people deep. Although it appeared as if we would be waiting for some time, at 5pm we were all seated promptly at the bar. Camaraderie between us, the staff, and other guests seated nearby was palatable. All in all, we had a terrific evening of drinks and merriment — and we stayed past closing. Their mantra of “awesome” in neon hangs in direct view of the kitchen and rings true of how we felt at the end of the night. I truly wanted to “Eat, go home, and come back tomorrow.”

1-4 The outside of Rose’s Luxury; interior space; dinner menu + and seasonal cocktail menu; fresh flowers in a wall mounter container at the bar.

5-9 Gorgeous, vintage cocktail glassware for the cocktails that were found on eBay: A simple Gin + tonic ($13); blanco tequila ($11); and a Gin-based drink with Bing cherry with lime, basil, and ginger beer ($13); the bar selection at Rose’s Luxury; a pour of the smooth, vanilla Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling CO.’s Barterhouse 20 year old Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (I was already intoxicated at this point and can’t recall the cost).

10-13 For starters we had: One perfectly warm loaf of challah served up with a ramekin of butter sprinkled with black sesame surrounded by a puddle of sweet honey. Why didn’t I think of this? Malpeque Oysters with green apple + hand-grated wasabi granita ($3 each); Pork sausage, habanero + lychee salad ($13) came complete with instructions on the proper way of mixing it up to get all the flavor and solid advice on using a spoon to eat it; and the charred broccoli with Caesar dressing and white anchovies ($13).

14-15 The mains: Brooklyn’s Sfoglini Pasta Shop rigatoni — made in small batches using organic semolina flour — with Parmesan cream and the crunchiest breadcrumbs that stayed solid til the last bite ($12); Smoked brisket family style with basic toast, horseradish (the way I like it — fresh and coarsely grated with a real kick), and a small scoop of slaw ($29).

Purchased and redesigned from top to bottom by photographer and cultural visionary, Glen Luchford, along with his business partner Doug Bruce, the once hang space of Abbott Kinney / run-down hostel / flophouse is now elegant, yet pragmatic; careful, yet exciting; daring and at times, simply gorgeous with a minimalist feel and fantastic artwork on the walls by photographer Dick Jewell.

The property is still under construction in a lot of ways, and once it’s complete, there will be the sort of amenities and extras that you’d expect from any wonderful boutique hotel: Blue Bottle coffee, full service bar, breakfast on the patio, etc etc. But for the moment, what the hotel lacks as it’s being developed, it makes up for with kindness from its staff and ownership, and attention given at all times, day or night.

Staying here isn’t supposed to be like staying at a Best Western, or even a Four Seasons. It’s supposed to be a little off-center, and it demands a sense of adventure on the part of the traveler. Isn’t that all the more interesting? After all, this is Venice Beach; the city of Los Angeles deliberately allows the element of surprise and crazy to roam relatively unchecked because without it, there’d be nothing to see, or no appeal to the masses. As one of the biggest tourist attractions in all of the United States of America, the beach community and its denizens know all too well that presenting anything that isn’t authentic isn’t worth anyone’s time.

But there’s no reason to have to stay in squalor simply because others around you might feel comfortable with it. No, the Rose Hotel offers the comforts you need, and the freedom to live outside of them.

We stayed for four nights ($155 a night in the shared queen bath), and enjoyed our time in the communal lobby with the staff just as much as we loved the scene that surrounds it. Thank you again to Glen, Doug, Amber, Leigh, Alex, and Eric for all of your help with our little one and for making our stay in L.A. the best one yet. We’re looking forward to returning!

1  Fat Rice menu resembles a graphic novel.

2-3 The Lover with hibiscus vodka, ginger syrup, + chewy basil seed bubbles ($11) + Gintonic made with gin, citrus, + Thai basil ($9).

4 Fat Noodles are their hand rolled rice noodles. We ordered them with mushroom and egg ($14).

5 Piri Piri Chicken is perfect in every way ($24). The oil-cured olives in the mix are impeccable.

6 The namesake, Arroz Gordo “Fat Rice” — a layered dish starting with clams, prawns, pork belly, chicken, duck, house-made linguiça, a tea-infused hard-boiled egg, and a bed of crispy rice all nestled in a hot stone bowl ($48).

7-8 On the door of the restrooms are photographs of Lo’s grandparents + the front entrance of Fat Rice off of the intersection of Sacramento Avenue and Diversey Avenue.

As he was busy preparing the noodles for dinner, Seif treated us to a few cocktails and bar snacks.

Wall art designed for Revel.

Outside of Revel in Seattle’s Fremont.

Outside of Quoin.

The mirror at the bar in Quoin.

Quoin’s menu.

Quoin’s fully stocked bar at Revel.

Revel’s bowl of pho.

Dayum Drops just happened to be filming his new show when we arrived … so, I asked him if he’d be willing to snap a photo of him in front of the famous restaurant. He happily obliged and then asked his producer to take one of me + him. Dayum, if you’re out there — I’d love to see that pic.