Culver City Beat

Surfas may be known as the store that carries hard to find ingredients and restaurant supplies, but it also has a cafe that serves a decent meal but at a higher-than-casual price.  In the mornings, they have breakfast sandwiches like a ham and cheese, and an eggs florentine sandwich. At lunch, the grill is fired up and the lunch menu boasts of kobe burgers, panini, and a gourmet hotdog.

I heard good things about their hot dog, or 'haute dog' as they like to call it, and being a fan of sausages, I wanted to try it for myself.

At first, when I saw the price of the hotdog on the menu, I did a double-take.  $10 for a hotdog seemed a bit much. But then I thought about it.  It's a kobe beef hot dog and I end up paying about that much for a mediocre hot dog at any ball game.

The hotdog came sliced on a crispy toasted baguette.  In addition to the kobe beef weiners, there was just the right amount of saurkraut. The German condiment wasn't too sour or salty, so it didn't overpower the weiner at all. It seemed like a waste of good kobe beef to make a sausage out of it, but the perfectly grilled hot dog was a lot better than any weiner-filled hot dog I've ever had.  Call me what you'd like, but I definitely prefer a toasted baguette holding my hot dog than a regular soft and soggy sesame bun.

Along with the hotdog was also a healthy mixed greens salad as well as a few slices of quick-pickled cucumber.  The dressing was a simple and light vinaigrette that added just enough flavor to the greens.  I hate lettuce-heavy salads but I do appreciate a fresh and crisp salad like this with my sandwich.

In addition to the hotdog, I also ordered a banana canele for dessert. Unlike the hotdog, the pastry was a disappointment.  It was cold and the outside wasn't crusty at all.  The flavor was there, but the crusty exterior and custardy interior, two key components to a good canele, was missing.

With its ample parking, proximity to the freeway, and variety in menu, I can see myself eating lunch here again.  Another thing Surfas Cafe has going for it is the outdoor seating area. It's right in front of the store's entrance, which makes it a prime people-watching spot. I like guessing which of the people going in and out are chefs and which are just food enthusiasts.  There's also free wifi outside so on a lazy, sunny day, I can bring my laptop and get some writing done.

View Larger Map

Cafe Surfas
8777 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA‎
(310) 558-1458‎