Venus of Venice

A Strange Tale of Tofu and Sweet Southern Iced Tea.

In the 1990’s, long before vegetarianism was hip, before vegan was a commonly known word, before yoga was a “lifestyle” and when the words “Raw Foodist” were reserved for a dude in a loin cloth who had recently returned from the high Himalayas… there was…. Venus.

I remember the first time I stepped into that little Vegan restaurant in Venice Beach. I thought I had stepped into some strange movie set. It was an old dilapidated craftsman house. The yard looked like it belonged to Sanford and Son . Odd junk was everywhere. Flowers grew out of a toilet bowl. An old rusted stove covered with children’s toys was the center piece. The smell of onions and Southern Fried Steak came from the kitchen.

I proceeded to the rickety stairs at the front of the house. A tall and beautiful, yet somewhat strange African American woman approached me. She was wearing a long and flowing red satin dress, matching pumps, and a large hat emblazoned with large faux flowers.

She spoke in a somewhat endearing yet highly abrasive tone. “Can I help you?” She said I was starving. “What a strange random place with an equally strange crazy lady “I thought.

Of course in all my newly found fanatic Vegan neurosis I asked “Is all the food here Vegan? I mean, do you use any animal products? ” . She looked at me confused so I reverted to my default veggie statement that I usually reserved for non-English speaking establishments. This statement was intended to put fear into its recipients in the event they attempted to trick me with animal products. “I am very very allergic to animal products. I’ll get very very sick” I said confidently

She gave me a quizzical look and disappeared to the kitchen. Then a small thin man appeared from the back. “Hi, I’m Chef Adan” he said as he pointed to his hat which was clearly marked “CHEF ADAN”. “Venus doesn’t use any animal products. Everything here is Vegan.” He said

“Awwwww finally” I thought. He had used the magic word “Vegan” which meant he understood.

I ordered the Vegan BBQ Steak Sandwich with her famous sweet potato fries. I can just smell them now.

After an amazing southern cooked vegan feast followed by her famous southern black “sweet” tea, Venus appeared again. But this time I didn’t see the strange proprietor of some random restaurant. I saw a revolutionary. I saw a woman that despite the time, location, economic situation had made her dream a reality and truly brought something unique to the world.

She was well ahead of her time. In a time when Vegetarian meant slimy tofu and sprouts, she had a truly unique and delicious concept: Southern Style Home Cooking done veggie and served with love!

“That was delicious, Venus! Best steak ever!” I said emphatically.

She let out a crazy laugh that seemed to go on forever. “That makes me happy! I’m so glad you like it! Come get a hug!”

She gave me a huge hug. When I say huge hug, I mean the genuine type of hug you get from those warm souled beings that seem sometimes not to be of this world.

I continued going there pretty much daily for almost 10 years until I realized to my dismay I had developed an allergy to soy, tofu and wheat ( a common side effect of a strictly Vegan diet). Technically to my great dismay, this new found allergy basically put everything on her menu out of the question for me. Needless to say I made it my Sunday morning ritual and still continued going every Sunday until she had to close down.

It’s strange that despite a ruby red rash from a somewhat severe allergy, I would continue to eat there once a week. I realized t made me feel calm in a frantic world.

But then I recently realized it wasn’t the food really or the atmosphere. It was something else. It was something seemingly impossible to decode. It was the 2,000 mile journey from the Deep South to Venice Beach. It was the strange awkward girl that never fit in. It was the young woman who was seen by everyone as an outsider. It was the young outcast who finally managed the courage to leave on a journey. It was the years of being told that she would never make it but finally living her dream. It was the health department officer who for the first time turned a blind eye to the junk in the yard out of compassion for someone. It was the endless hours spent making vegan steaks that many appreciated but few understood. It was the fact that despite “all” she continued to do what made her happy and at the same time brought joy to others. It was the strange high pitched laugh. It was the heartwarming Sunday morning hugs. Venus is long gone now. A fancy modern gourmet store selling 14 dollar teas and 12 dollar chocolates fills the place she used to call “Home”.

Man, I miss those rashes :)

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