Tag: food

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You’ll Find Spirits with Spirit in West Hollywood

Hello Buttercups… so the word on the street is that you are some smart cookies.  Well of course I knew that, but now the cat’s out of the bag for everyone else you follow?  Well of course you do, question is, will you follow me on a little mission?  What mission?  Well, your mission, should you choose to accept  it sweet petites, is to take a little hop off the Isle of Downtown, to an Isle known to those in the know, see, as WeHo.  So will you accept it?  You will?  Wonders never cease!  You’re getting braver by the day!  What is the purpose of this mission you ask?  Well now here’s the thing, if I tell you I have to….oh wait a minute…we don’t do that anymore, phew! I was worried there for a second.  Your mission is to sample the delights of two establishments close to the Laemmle 5 movie theater as they pertain to independent film in Los Angeles.  Then say that three times fast, or don’t, whatever.

So now then Buttercups Intel  below, are two places about which it would be good to know, whether you are film watching or no. These venues were chosen because of their proximity to the Sundance Sunset Cinema movie theater and a delicate equation consisting of; access to good wine and snacks, the sound volume of those around you in said establishments (for conversation purposes) and because the personalities of said establishments are; can you guess? Swank not snotty!  So now consider if you will:

Vintage Enoteca!

7554 West Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles CA, 90046. 323-512-5278. Mon – Fri, 12 noon – 12 am.  Sat – Sun 11am – 12 am.

Vintage Enoteca is a causal wine bar located about 10 blocks (1/2 mile) east of the Laemmle Sunset 5.  There’s parking in the back or take your chances on the street.  Once inside you’ll find an airy space with high ceilings and minimalist decor.  The lighting is low so it’s intimate but the tables are tall and good for large or small groups.

Goodies for your gut include an array of salads, small bites, pastas, bruschetta, flatbreads and artisan cheese and salami plates. All prices range from $7-$20.  The kitchen is adventurous but not too crazy.  So there’s something for everyone, sweet petites. Really all your choices here are lovingly made, thus ensuring everything goes down nice and easy.

Libations for your liver!  Choose from a wide selection of wines by the bottle or glass, as well as a good selection of imports and domestic craft beers.  Choose from Sparkling, White, Rose or Red, prices by the glass run from $9 – $14. If wines’ not your thing dears, look at the menu again and order a beer.  Vintage Enoteca has a substantial list of great craft brews from the ol’ US of A and several outstanding imports.  And a beer will set you back a paltry $6-$25.

For more info about Vintage Enoteca check out their website: http://www.vintageenoteca.com/

Hotel Chateau Marmont!

8221 Sunset Blvd, (at Havenhurst Drive) Los Angeles CA 90046. 323-656-1010. Open 7am- 2am 7 days a week

Especially nice when the weather’s not.  Also a delight when the sun shines bright!  Famous in its own right, know when you go, The Chateau Marmont is the blast from past.

Some people live here, so joyfully and politely trip up the cobblestones and through the doors.  Now ladies and gentlemen hold your breath and walk upstairs, arriving, in the lobby.  Do you feel like you’ve stepped back in time?  Do you half expect Marlene or Cary to give you a wink as they glide by?  Or are you sitting on the Chateau’s patio and enjoying the garden?  Either way it’s lovely and why incidentally the Chateau Marmont is a keeper.

Here you’ll enjoy sustenance where it’s comfortable and quiet and private.  The Chateau Marmont has none of the hanging from the chandeliers shenanigans you’ll find elsewhere on Sunset, so behave.  If you do you might be lucky enough to meet the handsome Pierre.  He will, if invited, sidle up to you sit in your lap, you’ll be forever grateful.

Make no mistake, the Chateau is pricey, but worth it.  Please note that the gratuity will be added to your bill.  It’s not a club.  The Chateau is romance and heavy with history.  So when you go, if you can’t go full bore for dinner; enjoy a glass of wine and a little bite or desert at the end of your evening or on a Sunday afternoon. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss. And don’t fear the Chateau is happy to have you, provided you don’t set anything on fire and you are kind to Pierre. The cuisine is continental and you’ll find appetizers hovering between $17 and $30, entrees are $17 to $46. Wines and cocktails vary widely in price. If you are dining, best get a reservation.

Cheers Darling!

Unwind Above the City by Sitting Down at Perch

Hustle and bustle best beloved, time’s a wasting. You’re pounding the pavement and kicking the carpet, but it’s gotten stale. Times are tough, and scheming sniveling scoundrels are lurking at every turn. Hitting the street you ask yourself; what’s the scoop here anyway?  Your heart is lost in its troubles and rounding a corner full tilt, you nearly bowl over a sprightly gal.  Luckily she sees you’re troubled and takes pity on you. Ah beloved, what can you do, but keep your chin up and forge ahead? So said gal leans forward and, with a mischievous glint in her eye, asks you a riddle:

It’s high above the ground, traffic melts away, there’s barely a sound. The Redline is near, right across the street, so it’s easy to get a bite and an aperitif.

The inside is beautiful pulled out of time, the patio is better it’s highly sublime. Look out at the city, the rooftops are aglow.  Maybe a hero will drop in, save the day, thwart your foes.

I’m going there now, follow you may.  It’s a place little birds sit all night or all day. Come take a breath, get perspective and play.

Where am I going?

You smile, because you already know.  You know high above the city a swank establishment sits perched on roof of a building.  And like the carefree little birds that fly through the skies you have place to land. A place to get a peck and potable, a place called Perch.

Perch’s patio at night.

Perch is a French inspired bistro and bar that sits on the top of the Pershing Square Building in good old downtown L.A.  The menu is a playful American take on good French standards.  Try the Frogs Legs appetizer.  Be bold. Just because they taste like chicken, doesn’t mean you should be one.  Duck, Duck, Goose is another good option. If you are having an entrée go for the Perch au Noisette. If you fancy desert the Chocolate Pot de Crème with Fleur de Sel and Tart Cherry Caramel will make you change your citizenship. Perch’s menu rounds out with great vegetarian choices; a Sweet Corn and Pea tendril Risotto and hearty salads.

The bar(s) at Perch are equally enticing. If you like an Old Fashioned, get one.  Made from scratch with real maraschino cherries it will send your spirits soaring. Well appointed with clever list of house cocktails, liquors, beer and wine; Perch’s bar offers really nice options in every price range.  Don’t fret if you aren’t interested in the hard stuff, a little bird let it slip that Perch also serves a mean cup of coffee.

So with rooftop fireplaces to warm your hands, three rooftop bars where you can heat up your social skills and a hot hot kitchen to fill your belly; Perch proves that high above the streets Angelenos have somewhere to soar.

So so, here we go…

Who: Bright and Beloved Baby Birds

What: Perch

Where: The Pershing Square Building. 448 South Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90013. 213-802-1770. http://perchla.com

When: Monday – Wednesday, 4pm – 1am. Thursday – Friday, 4pm – 2am. Saturday, 10am – 2am. Sunday, 10am – 1am.

 Why: Life is to be lived.

Know when you go: Perch has Happy Hour from 4 – 6pm. Reservations are strongly recommended for dinner, or take your chances at the bar. Thursday – Saturday, The tippiest top floor of Perch is open to all and has seating for drinks.

Prices: Food runs from $8 – $37. Drink runs from $6 – 8 for beer; wines run $9 – 15 by the glass, wine is also sold by the bottle (prices vary) cocktails run $12- 14.

A la Votre!!

Shiver Ye Timbers at Redwood Bar and Grill

Ahoy Me Hearties. Yarr, The winter weather be mighty dripping watery wet.  It be stormin’ enough to wash away lily livered landlubbers if ye follow me drift.  Aye it’s watery wet enough to wash ‘em straight away to Davy Jones Locker.  Yarr!  It’s enough to make a wily wench raise a tankard of grog and giggle at ye, sprightly sprogs.  Yo Ho Ho!  Yo Ho Ho and bottle and of rum in fact mateys.  For though there’s enough water in the streets to make y’ landlubbers think yer on the seven seas, ye are in fact inhabitin’ the port of angels. That’s right mateys yer in port, and ye know that means.  Ye don’t?  Avast!  Well then, there’s a waterin’ hole ye’ll be wantin’ to know about. A waterin’ hole where ye won’t be partin’ with too many of yer hard earned doubloons.  For legend has it than on the Isle of Downtown there’s a Pirate’s lair fit for even the most polished of privateers.  A lair called the Redwood Bar and Grill.

The Redwood Bar and Grill is a Pirate bar in downtown Los Angeles located at 316 W 2nd St.  Walking in is like walking into the dark hold of a pirate ship. Where is Errol Flynn when you need him?  Hemp ropes wrap around posts, nets hang from the walls, and barrels are placed so that you can set your compass and get into the mood of this well worn establishment.  Take a look above the bar and you’ll see a skull and crossed cutlasses.  Don’t be frightened… lighten up!  These fine frills hint at the fun you are about to have.

Take a seat or slink up to the bar.  Luckily for you The Redwood bar and grill is loaded with booty for the belly.  No one’s choking down hard tack here. The menu at the Redwood is an extremely well put together selection of pub grub. Choose from really good appetizers, burgers (half a pound served on a brioche bun; yum), sandwiches, fresh salads, nachos, tacos and other miscellaneous pirate fare.  Portions are hearty yarr.  If your appetite is on the light side, check out their rationed portions (and prices) and decent vegetarian options like their veggie burger or vegetable empanadas.

All good pirates wash down their grub with a little grog so why should you be any different?  The Redwood bar and grill has a full bar and a great list of rum cocktails that are as fun to say as they are to consume. Try a Monkey Fist for example, a Sailors Delight or the Davy Jones Locker.  Redwood also serves bottled and draft beers.  See the bartender or server for their current offerings.

Redwood also has a great line up of live music so check out the calendar on their website and make merry mateys.  Just don’t get to rowdy, else you be walkin’ the plank.

Sooo…

Whar? (yarr) The Redwood Bar and Grill

Where ye scurvy dog?  316 W 2nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.                  (213) 680-2600. www.theredwoodbar.com

When me beauty? Mon – Sun: 11am – 2 am.

Happy Hour! Mon – Fri: 4pm – 7pm

Doubloons: Food $5 – $14, Cocktails $10 – $13.  Beer prices vary but are reasonable.

Down the Hatch!

Life is Sew Sew Good at Pattern Bar

Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, has this catwalk called life got you down?  Daaaarlingssss, you can’t let that happen.  You can’t let them win.  Find a little levity, take a little break, remember your chin?  Keep it up.  Morosely little monsters do you think you are all alone?  Put the pieces together, says a merry little crone. Nay, woman.  So round the corner walk this way, follow the crook in my finger, perhaps on a Thursday. There’s a nifty little place with nifty little treats. A DJ spins some music, so while you sip you tap your feet.  Standing next to you is a man, let’s call him a bloke.  He’s witty and pretty, got some darn good jokes, that keep you in stitches. Are you following the thread?  For on the edge of district devoted to fashion sits a swanky little bar that’s well turned out. So in downtown LA, the pieces of your day fit can seamlessly into your night.  And this place beloveds, is called Pattern Bar.

Pattern bar is located at 100 West 9th street, where Spring and Main merge.  Walk in and unwind on a stool, a wooden sewing stool.  At Pattern Bar you’ll find a high ceilinged room, and a laid back vibe. The space is cozy yet airy, with dark wood, big picture windows and mirrors that keep the room open.   There are tall tables and columns with ledges for your drink, and a long low table good for groups, or sharing with strangers.

Bring your taste buds for tapas.  The menu has a lot to choose from.  Take note of the Serranos y Cabrales.  It’s plate of dry cured Serrano ham, Gironia salami, brie and port wine derby cheese, served with a selection of breads from Urth Café, that’s great for sharing.  If you want something all to yourself, choose from a great selection of paninis and salads.  From 12 to 4pm you can also order a gluten free Venezuela corn cake called an Arepa.  They are made to order and Pattern Bar serves versions to satisfy both the vegetarian and omnivore in any crowd.  Cheesecake rounds out their menu.  So whether you’re there for lunch or drinks your tummy is likely to find something it’ll like.

Pattern Bar is well, a bar, so take a look at their lovely drinks.  Grab a sangria, it goes down easy.  It’s yummy and loaded with fruit, just be careful it doesn’t load you.  A nice choice from their cocktail list is; The Jacobs.  It’s Jack Daniels Honey, muddled figs, agave, apricot liquor and ginger ale, served up, and not something you find every day.     If you are a straight shooter when it comes to libations, Pattern Bar has a small but great selection of beer and wine to choose from. And if booze isn’t your thing check out their selection of sodas and freshly squeezed juice and lemonade.

Prices are reasonable before, during, or after their “Fashionable hour” (5-7pm).  So whether you are downtown for Art Walk, lunch, or just because, Pattern Bar is good place to jam.

Sew…

Who? You.

Where? Pattern Bar. 100 West 9th Street, Los Angeles CA 90015. 213-627-7774. www.patternbar.com

What? A bar…

When? Mon-Thurs, 12 noon- 10 pm, Fri-Sat, 12noon – 2am, Sunday 12noon – 8pm. Happy Hour daily 4-7pm, Brunch Sunday 12noon – 5pm.

Why? Respect

Prices? Food, $6-14, Drink, $6-14.

Salud…