The Expo Line’s westward expansion to the Pacific Ocean is complete. Starting at noon today, the Expo Line will have seven new stops and a new endpoint at 4th Street in Santa Monica. Another exciting development for the Expo Line is The Cannibal. (How’s that for a segue?)
This butcher shop-slash-restaurant, steps from the Culver City train stop, is a recent transplant from New York City, and this week the butcher shop portion, headed by skilled butcher Tony Suarez, opened for business, selling cuts of meat, sausages and charcuterie, and sandwiches. The restaurant is set to open next week or the week after at the latest.
The sandwich menu at the butcher shop has some classics, like turkey, Italian, Cubano, but also interesting combinations like a roast pork in General Tso’s sauce with dry chile peppers and broccoli, like you’d actually find in a General Tso’s Chicken back East. The meatball sandwich has a kimchi marinara, and the Cubano is pressed within an inch of its life but packed with flavor (and pig’s head terrine)!
The Cannibal is named after Eddy “The Cannibal” Merckx, and Christian Pappanicholas, co-owner with front-of-house veteran Cory Lane, is an avid cyclist. There are cycling supplies in the butcher shop, and each day a different Musette Bag Lunch, which includes a sandwich, side, and fruit or cookie, is available for cyclists (and everyone) to pick up for $15. For a lighter to-go snack, check out their Everything Pretzel!
There have been some early criticisms of The Cannibal on Yelp and on Chowhound-replacement board Food Talk Central, including of the choice of bread being the softer Amoroso’s-style rolls for all their sandwiches as opposed to baguettes or other styles for different ones, and the restaurant is taking in all the feedback. Expect some tweaks and fine-tuning as they settle into the space and the L.A. food community.
As mentioned, the restaurant, helmed by chefs Francis Derby and Jude Parra, is set to open in a week or two and should be worth checking out. You can get to The Cannibal from DTLA in a half hour, or from the Pacific Ocean in under 20 minutes, using the Expo Line, and you don’t have to deal with parking! Or use the bike lines built along the train tracks. Eventually cyclists will be able to score some discounts, including possibly free beer, for showing up in their gear. Speaking of beer, expect hundreds of craft beers curated by beverage director Julian Kurland. Should be fun!
The Cannibal
8850 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 838-2783
http://thecanniballa.com/
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