In a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood that is now home to the $12 cold brew and $20 avocado toast, the team behind American Beauty steakhouse is working to keep Venice tied to it’s down-to-earth and rebellious roots. This Tuesday they brought their beloved burger stand, The Win-Dow, to the boardwalk where customers can enjoy their impossibly inexpensive $3.95 cheeseburger and new ice cream menu with beachfront views.
Located between Ocean Front Walk and 19th Ave, the new Win-Dow location can host 40 people on its patio and many more to-go customers. Its menu consists entirely of items $8 or less and includes vegetarian friendly dishes such as the plant-based “Beauty Burger”, kale salad, and grain bowl in addition to indulgent burgers and shakes.
“From the beginning, Bruce, Paul and I wanted to create something special for the neighborhood, a neighborhood which, contrary to conventional wisdom, is home to as many lunch pail service workers as tech mini-moguls,” said Jeff Goodman, CEO of American Gonzo Food Corporation. “Much of the team comes from and lives in Venice from servers and cooks, to managers and owners. We are part of the neighborhood in which we operate and bring an authentic Venice perspective to what we do.”
Although their cheeseburger may be cheaper than a Big Mac, visitors have no reason to doubt the quality of its ingredients.
“There’s a real passionate following for our food and it boils down to delivering on a simple but potent premise. We are fanatical about quality ingredients, prepared by dedicated chefs and cooks, served fresh to order. Those may sound like talking points, but there is a palpable difference between what we are offering up and what you find at our corporate counterparts,” said Goodman.
The Win-Dow’s chefs Anthony Goodwin and Elisha Ben-Haim are the same pairing behind the American Beauty steakhouse on Rose Ave, where the first Win-Dow is located.
“Elisha and Anthony are incredibly talented and creative chefs. The steakhouse provides them an opportunity to curate really interesting dishes from the bounty of seasonal produce available here in LA. They showcase their connections to ranchers, farmers and fishermen when they select the cuts of meat and great local seafood found on our menu,” said Goodman. “The Win-Dow inspires them to deliver in a different way—maintaining the same great quality and consistency for up to 1500 experiences in a day. It takes unique talent to be so competent in these two very different disciplines.”
The first takeaway location developed a cult following after it opened in 2019, despite being launched in a city with a fairly saturated burger market. With sharp attention paid to each ingredient, the chefs believe they have created a fresh take on a classic dish.
“Our burger is a pretty unique take, griddled with onions and topped with just a couple of ingredients (cheese, pickles and sauce.) There’s a delicious simplicity to what we do and the ratio and combination of those ingredients create a real alchemy. The char, the salt, the sweet onion and bright pickles, and the premium beef blend (or impossible burger for the vegetarians) all served on a pillowy soft potato bun bring supreme balance to the experience,” said Goodman.
While business has been booming at the first Win-Dow this summer, American Beauty has limited outdoor seating and is temporarily shut down. Despite this setback, the team is hard at work on an outdoor dining room and will have news to share soon.
