A duo of experienced restaurateurs have blended their unique backgrounds to foster a for-locals vibe on prime Venice real estate.
At the legendary 1 Washington Blvd. right off the beach lies Nalu Vida, which has gained a foothold in the beachside eatery scene since opening in May. The endeavor is helmed by chef Justin Urich and owner Christian Warren, who wanted to “bring a sense of belonging to the Venice locals” based on their fond memories of prior occupant The Venice Terrace.
“Our goal was to build something very tropical on the beach and embrace the local community,” Warren said. “Our focus is the locals, it’s just to build them like a family. We built here to be a part of that community again … touching every table, talking to every single person that comes in.”
Translated from the Hawaiian and Latin words for “wave” and “life,” the culinary destination takes from the vibrant flavors of Central and South America along with the tropical tastes of Hawaii. Despite the worldly inspiration, the location is wholly Venice, with artwork throughout the space painted by Venice-based artist Rudy Drat.
Warren was a former bartender at the Terrace while Urich, a self-described “punk actor” at the time, would enjoy himself at the spot. Both have elongated histories by the beach, including Warren, who opened Ma’Kai Lounge in 2004, a place that is now known as the Santa Monica Whaler. Now adding Nalu Vida to his portfolio along with Melody Bar & Grill down the street from LAX, the owner says his happy place has “always been in the kitchen” and that he’s always enthralled by the social aspects of owning a bar.
He “reeled in” Urich on the Nalu Vida idea, showing him the space while it was up for sale. He wasn’t quite sure how the two would mix, with Urich being a meat-based chef mixing with Warren’s plant-based ideals, but the early menu construction piqued his interest.
“All my hairs are already stranding up just talking about it, because everything was alive,” Urich said. “We were finishing each other’s sentences when it came to the (dishes) and that’s when I knew … I’m hooked in, there’s no going back.”
While Warren is a California and restaurant lifer, Urich moved to Los Angeles from New York City when he was 14, pursuing an acting career that became successful in a hurry. Booking roles for shows like “ER” and “3rd Rock from the Sun,” he believed his future was in Hollywood rather than the kitchen.
“After I booked three gigs back-to-back, (I thought), I don’t need to go to culinary institute, I can just do this thing,” he said. “I had a pretty decent career as a young, arrogant actor in the 90s in LA.”
When the roles began to dissipate, he moved into the food industry full-time by opening On The Thirty in Sherman Oaks, serving gourmet pizzas and other "elevated bar food.” Selling the spot last year gave Urich an opening to partner with Warren, eventually negotiating a lease for 1 Washington.
“We got to pinch ourselves a little bit because now it’s just work, it’s game on, but even when (we were) building, we got to take a moment to realize what we just did here,” Urich added. “We’re not a corporation, we’re not billionaires, but we were able to manage a lease and build out this beautiful space.”
Building out the space meant having a rich and creative menu, with dishes workshopped again and again until they were ready for the Venice public. Since May, the two noted their best sellers included the Furikake Poke Waffle Cones, a twist on the classic poke bowl that serves umami pineapple ponzu and savory furikake seasoning in a crispy waffle cone. Another hot item is the Tostadas de la Tierra, crisp tostadas topped with 12-hour marinate and eight-hour smoked pork.
Also attracting locals are daily specialties in the early part of the week, such as $5 Smash Burgers and $5 beers on Mondays from 5 p.m. to close, and $2 oysters all day on Wednesdays. On Tuesdays, the location’s Happy Hour menu is available at all times.
“We try to give a little bit of value to people when they come in here on any given day … it gives people an opportunity to explore something else on the menu, too,” Urich said.
Stating that they knew in their hearts that they were restaurateurs by taking on the Nalu Vida endeavor, the duo has a grand plan for 1 Washington, hoping to tear down the space in two years to build out a three-story entertainment mecca with a rooftop bar, second story entertainment area and downstairs restaurant. While the plan sounds grandiose, the two plan on keeping Venice locals at the forefront.
“We can be big and still be intimate, and that’s something that’s super important … making sure that no matter how we scale, that everyone’s getting the same amount of attention,” Urich added.
For more information on the bar and restaurant, visit naluvida.com.
