Kat's 9 Lives

Before Strawberry Fest, Burumun and I got up to grab breakfast/lunch. 3 Square Cafe & Bakery is located on Abbott Kinney, where it is a very laid back and anti-conglomerate/support the local small shops kind of place. There really is no big sign for this place so it was kind of hard to tell which restaurant I was eating in. lol The dining style had a very European feel where you watch people go by as you eat. It's also the kind of place where you can bring your dog in. Technically, it's outside dining area since it is basically an open area of sorts so pets would be okay. I thought there were some cute dogs around. =p
Apparently this place is "known" for their Pretzel Burger with Swiss Cheese, Caramelized Onions, and French Fries. I debated for a while on what to order. In the end, I chose what they are most famous for... The burger looked promising but it was dry! It needed more flavor or some sort of sauce. I felt the meat was overcooked and had way too much of a burnt grill flavor on the meat. Maybe they need to clean the grills so there isn't remnant burnt flavor. I was very disappointed by the burger. =**( In the end, it felt like torture to try and finish it. The pretzel bun was unique and cute, but such a thick bun really needs a juicy and saucy burger to compliment it well. I had to give up eating the bun because I just found it hard to swallow towards the end. To make matters worse, the burger took forever to come because they were cooking it for so long.
Burumun made a wise choice to get the Potato-Leek Quiche with Smoked Salmon and Poached Eggs. Maybe she tricked me! She was the one who convinced me to get the burger... **shakes fist in the air** lol Her quiche was nice and light. The flavors were simple but came together well. I thought the individual components helped bring out the natural flavor of the opposing dish. The plate was nicely presented. Burumun kept with the light and healthy theme by ordering a Fresh-Squeezed OJ. At first the idea of a vegetarian quiche didn't sound too appealing, but pairing it with smoked salmon and salad was a nice take. This dish saved my opinion of this place. =9
All in all I really didn't like what I ordered. Burumun's dish helped save the day and allowed me to say that this place is nice and quaint. I normally like coming down to Abbott Kinney for the environment and of course Jin patisserie, which we went to afterwards. O=) As we were sitting there that day, we were goofing off with our cameras and camera phones. I think I was paying a little more attention to our environment because I suddenly heard BooM! Right across the street a guy opened his car door and a bicyclist ran right into it. The ambulance was called and the whole street was almost blocked off. Burumun didn't even know it happened! It was a crazy day. I think that person was fine, it was just a crazy hectic moment. Hey it is LA... anything can happen. lol In retrospect, I think I would give this place a second chance. I definitely would not recommend the burger, but I would like to try some of their other dishes. Besides, it is just nice to be on Abbott Kinney. ^_^

3 Square Cafe & Bakery
1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-6504