Mark & Phil's
Rivian Safari

Head west on I-10 toward Los Angeles. Easter Sunday morning traffic is generally lighter than a typical weekend — Easter Sunday falls one week before Coachella 2026 begins (April 10–12). Leaving at 7:30 AM gives you a comfortable buffer and avoids any holiday morning traffic.

The Rivian Venice Hub is unlike any car showroom you've ever visited. Built on the historic property where author Ray Bradbury once lived, this community space is part gallery, part café, part adventure outfitter. The indoor/outdoor layout features a garden, a coffee bar, and hands-on displays of the R1T truck and R1S SUV.

With three new Rivian models to explore, plan on a full two hours here. The staff are enthusiasts, not salespeople — ask them about the new R2 and R3 platforms and the upcoming Volkswagen partnership models.

Venice has one of the best restaurant scenes in all of Los Angeles. Here are Robert's top four recommendations for a relaxed, memorable Easter Sunday lunch — all confirmed open on Sundays and all within easy walking or driving distance of the Rivian Hub.

⭐ Robert's Pick

Gjelina

California Italian · Abbot Kinney

The original Venice institution. Wood-fired pizzas, seasonal small plates, and the best patio on Abbot Kinney. Lively but never rushed. The burrata with stone fruit and the mushroom pizza are legendary.

📍 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd · Open 9 AM daily · (310) 450-1429

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Great White

All-Day Café · Pacific Ave

A beloved neighborhood café with an exceptional brunch menu — avocado toast done right, smoked salmon plates, and excellent coffee. Walk-ins welcome until 4 PM.

📍 1604 Pacific Ave · Open 8 AM–10 PM

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The Butcher's Daughter

Plant-Forward · Abbot Kinney

A bright, beautiful plant-based café that even non-vegetarians love. The grain bowls, juices, and weekend brunch plates are outstanding.

📍 1205 Abbot Kinney Blvd · Open daily from 8 AM

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Gjusta

Bakery & Deli · Venice

Famous for smoked fish, fresh-baked bread, and incredible pastries. A local secret that's no longer a secret. Great for a casual grab-and-go meal.

📍 320 Sunset Ave · Open daily

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The most famous outdoor gym in the world. Since the 1950s, bodybuilding legends including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno have trained here on the sand. Today it remains a working outdoor weight room where serious lifters train in full view of the Venice Boardwalk.

Even if you're not there to lift, the energy and spectacle are unmissable. Walk the boardwalk, watch the performers, street artists, and skaters at the adjacent skate park, and soak in the quintessential Venice Beach atmosphere.

Just two blocks from the chaos of the Venice Boardwalk lies one of Los Angeles's best-kept secrets: a network of six canals built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney, who wanted to recreate the atmosphere of Venice, Italy. The canals were paved over in the 1920s and then restored in the 1990s.

The walk takes about 45 minutes at a leisurely pace. You'll cross wooden footbridges, pass beautifully landscaped gardens, and feel completely removed from the city. One of the most peaceful and photogenic spots in all of Los Angeles.

If you're heading home via the I-5 or I-405 through Orange County, a 15-minute detour into Little Saigon is one of the great unsung food experiences in Southern California. This is the largest Vietnamese-American community outside of Vietnam, and the food here is extraordinary — deeply authentic, incredibly affordable, and unlike anything you'll find in Palm Springs.

⭐ Robert's Pick · Michelin Bib Gourmand

Phở 79

Classic Pho · Garden Grove · Since 1982

One of the most celebrated bowls of pho in the United States, and the only pho restaurant in Little Saigon to earn a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation. Open since 1982, Pho 79 serves a deeply aromatic, slow-simmered broth with hand-cut rice noodles. Order the Pho Dac Biet (special combination) and add fresh basil, bean sprouts, and hoisin at the table.

📍 9941 Hazard Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92843 · (714) 531-2490 · Open Mon & Wed–Sun: 7 AM – 9 PM (Closed Tuesdays)

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Brodard Restaurant

Nem Nuong · Garden Grove

Famous for its nem nuong cuon — grilled pork spring rolls hand-rolled tableside in fresh rice paper with herbs and a house dipping sauce. Named one of the LA Times' 101 Best Restaurants in California.

📍 9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove · (714) 899-8273 · Open Sun 10:30 AM–9:30 PM

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Garlic & Chives

Modern Vietnamese · Garden Grove

Chef Kristin Nguyen's upscale Vietnamese restaurant — the most refined dining experience in Little Saigon. Creative dishes rooted in Vietnamese tradition. Named one of Eater LA's top 21 restaurants.

📍 9892 Westminster Ave #311, Garden Grove · (714) 591-5196 · Open daily 11 AM–9 PM

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