Gjusta: A New York Style Bakery in the Sleepiest Part of Venice.
Image Credit :https://www.bonappetit.com thumbnail image credit - cranebrothers.com
The Venice vibe: Even when the streets are jam packed with people, it's overall a laid back, beachy chill vibe. After hearing much about Gjusta Bakery, I went, excited for the salmon bagel, but was utterly taken off guard and yet pleasantly surprised. I've never been to a deli in NYC, but from the way the movies depict it, that's what this 'un-Venice' like bakery felt like. A long bar extending from practically the front to the very end, waiters calling out numbers, to go register, coffee bar, and shelves of bakery items and fresh fish and meats. People packed in tightly waiting for their number to be called, ready to pounce to the front they heard theirs.
There they are... the number you have to grab to put in an order. Took me entirely too long to find it.
Since I had never been there, I found myself standing and wandering around for a few minutes before I caught a glimpse of the "Now Serving" number sign. Aha! Numbers were being called, but where to find those numbers was another challenge. It's all rather easy to figure out, but when you haven't had coffee on a Saturday morning, feeling slightly over stimulated but the unexpected crowds, it gets a litter hard to figure out. As the plot unfolds, I was indeed, able to find the number dispenser. Headed to the quick order register for some coffee while I waited and settled into a good spot in the corner to take in all the Venice creatures while my caffeine slowly brought me to life and ready to order.
There isn't any indoor seating, but with Venice weather, you can't go wrong most times out of the year by sitting outside. The menu has a wide variety of food items, along with bakery items and fresh fish and meat that can be ordered to take home. The bread looks like a work of art and ready for ordering, without a number, but at the quick order register. I ordered the build your own sandwich that included salmon on an everything bagel and was SO EXTREMELY happy with my choice. The coffee helped with the overstimulation of all the people making it mostly entertaining and the salmon bagel was delicious. Great for a people watching experience! Great for a Saturday brunch, just be ready for a LOT of a people!