"It was only a matter of time before a cutesy, all-day wine bar entered the mix along Lincoln Boulevard in Venice. During the day, Companion is more of a coffee shop, with a bring-your-laptop-and-pretend-to-work energy we appreciate. At night, the cheery, wood-raftered dining room fills with millennial friend dates drinking orange wine, eating decent thin-crust pizza, and saying things like, “We should really do this more often!” The Cal-Italian food is solid, if fairly predictable, with standouts like a caesar made entirely of romano beans and a nicely al dente rigatoni bolognese. Companion’s an ideal place for a quick glass of wine and pasta at the bar, except for one catch—there’s no physical bar. Almost every table is a two-top and you’ll likely be asked if you have a reservation. Plan accordingly." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins
