At the new downtown LA Villains Tavern, which opened just last month, it’s not about the cocktails for me, rather it’s all about that groovy outdoor bar where they only serve beer and mix-and-match beer and shots! Yes, if you don’t feel like waiting in line at the indoor bar for a cocktail, just step outside to the bar on the side patio.
You can flashback to those college years of pounding shots or create your own premium version of a Boilmaker.
For $8 you have your choice of 20 beers and 20 shots. Hmm, PBR with Wild Turkey Rye? Racer 5 IPA with Fernet Branca? Tecate with Camarena Reposado? The possibilities are deliciously endless, unless, of course, you misjudge a match like I did with the Fernet and Woodchuck Apple Cider. Blech! What was I thinking? That herbaliness did not go well with the apple as I had thought it would. Oh well, you live, you learn.
Big spenders may want to opt for the “premium” beer like Maredsous 10, Chimay and Affligem. That’ll set you back $14.
I feel compelled to go back and see if I can come up with. What do you think would be a good mix?
Outdoor bar
Front patio
Villains Tavern
1356 Palmetto
Los Angeles, California 91003 (map)
(213) 613-0766
Whoa, there’s wayyy too many things going on this Saturday, it’s so intense. Too bad I gotta pack for my move.
Friday, August 13
L.A.M.B. & Harajuku Lovers Sample Sale LA
For the first time ever in LA, Gwen Stefani’s two lines, L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers, will be available at a sample sale. Normally her stuff is wayy too expensive for me to even consider, being “designer” and all but at this sale, everything will be up to 75% off. Kawaii bags, rocker-style clothes, hot shoes. RSVP here. BTW, credit cards only.
Friday, 8am-8pm; Saturday, 10am-6pm. Siren Studios, 6063 West Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood (map).
Saturday, August 14
Rilakkuma Weekend
More kawaii stuff! A whole weekend with photobooths, djs, free gifts, Sapporo beer, food trucks and a pop-up store curated by JapanLA owner Jamie Rivadeneira. Even Umami Burger gets kawaii’d up as all four of its locations will be themed for the promotion through August 22. For the fan party on Saturday, the first 100 guests get goody bags and Lil’ Rae cakeballs.
Saturday, 11am–11pm; Sunday, 11am–7pm. 7326 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles (map).
Bloomfest LA 2010
Jonesin’ for more art after tonight’s Downtown LA Art Walk? Fortunately for you the Arts District will open the doors of its cafés, galleries, performance venues, and 40 studios for this summertime event. Tour the lofts and galleries after checking out the live bands, booths and food trucks at the nearby Bloomfest street fair. After party will be at e3rd from 11pm to 2am.
12pm-11pm. Arts District, 714 Traction Avenue, Los Angeles (map).
Blue Palms Brew House’s 2nd Anniversary Party
This Hollywood beer haven is celebrating its 2 years with a 200-pound pig, a 400-pound rib roast, 30-plus beers on tap, a cigar lounge and live music. For $40 you get 10 tastings of delicious brew like The Bruery’s barrel-aged Coton, 10-month aged Allagash Curieux, and even special limited kegs from Alesmith, New Belgium and Greenflash.
Doors open 2pm. $40. Blue Palms Brew House, 6124 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).
John Cusack Double Feature: Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer
“Gimme my 2 dollars!!!” Growing up, I loved these movies. Such great one-liners, including that one with the relentless paperboy going after his fee. And who could resist poor John Cusack, the adorable loser of these ’80s movies? Special guests will show up at the end of the screenings. No, not JC, although maybe. Rather, the writer/director of the films Savage Steve Holland as well as Curtis Armstrong, Bobcat Goldthwait and more.
7:30pm. $12. The Cinefamily, 611 N Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles (map). (323) 655-2510.
As a fan of ice cream and a huuuge fan of Scoops, there’s not much more you can surprise me with in terms of how my favorite frozen treat is served or the flavors it’s offered in. I’ve had it in beer, fried, nitrogenated and foie gras flavored. So, yes, when I was invited to the beer and ice cream social atRosa Mexicano in Downtown to check out the restaurant’s annual ice cream festival, “Festival de Helados,” I admit it, I shrugged. But once I actually read the flavors being offered at this little media party I rsvp’d asap.
The festival, which celebrates the flavors of Mexico, runs through August 1 and til then you can choose from 7 ice creams and 3 sorbets (farmed out from Milk Ice Cream Shop on Beverly Boulevard), 6 house-made toppings and 3 ice cream desserts. Think of all the flavor combination possibilities! But at this social they were making some special off-the-menu beer floats (about $8 each) which paired whatever ice cream flavor we wanted with either the Modelo Especiale (light) or the Negro Modelo (dark) beers.
FYI, there are other beers available — Corona, Dos Equis, Pacifico, Tecate — but Chef John England felt that the Modelo brews would pair with the ice cream the best. And he was right. The Especiale was perfect with the pucker-inducing tomatillo-lime sorbet, soothing away that tartiness as it would with a lime wedge. The richer Negro paired awesomely with the Mexican chocolate as well as the cinnamon chocolate cookies and cream.
Naturally, there were some flavors on the menu that I wasn’t exactly over the moon about, like the astringent hibiscus pomegranate sorbet and the Mexican chocolate and the blueberry crema which were just OK, not really standing out for me. But I did find the creamy and caramelly sea salted cajeta and the unusual sweet corn and caramel popcorn intriguing. However, my ultimate favorite had to be the pomegranate mint fudge swirl which offered an unusual flavor combination that actually worked here. I thought that the pomegranate and mint would meld together in a cough syrupy taste sensation but it was actually pretty mellow enough where I could still enjoy the chocolate chips. Yummy! I don’t think I’d douse beer on this one though.
If you’d like to try these unusual, festive flavors, you better get thee to Rosa Mexicano right quick before the festival ends in a couple weeks as none of these ice creams and sorbets will be carried over onto the regular menu. Not that the regular menu isn’t worth looking at, after all it has flavors like Mexican chocolate mole sorbet, prickly pear and blueberry sorbet and coffee-Kahlua. Mmm!
UPDATE: Rosa Mexicano decided to keep the pomegranate mint fudge swirl on the regular menu post-festival! Nope, I didn’t have anything to do with that. Apparently every year there is usually one flavor that stays on as it’s the most popular, and this time it was the pom-mint so after this past Saturday’s cooking demo the chefs decided to keep it. Yay!
You ever walk into one of those fancy beer bars and hope you don’t say the wrong thing when ordering a beer? Well, thanks to three L.A. beer experts — Larry Caldwell of Father’s Office Santa Monica; Christina Perozzi, author of The Naked Pint and former beer sommelier of Rustic Canyon; and Ryan Sweeney of Verdugo Bar and The Surly Goat — I got five things not to say and why.
There’s too much head on the beer.
This glass isn’t frosted.
Why such a small pour for higher alcohol content beer?
What’s up with this girly tulip glass?
This beer isn’t cold enough.
These guys gave me the lowdown for my LA Weekly Squid Ink post “L.A. Beer Experts Mythbust 5 Complaints of Amateur Beer Drinkers.” And surprise, that whole Budweiser technology where the mountains on the can turn blue to let you know the beer is cold enough to drink is just a gimmick. Beer, at least good beer, should not be imbibed ice cold.
Anyway, I got the idea for this post when, at the Bruery’s 2nd anniversary party, I heard Natalie, Larry’s wife and the manager of FO Los Angeles, and Ryan complain about how certain customers give them grief for these very things. So I figure it would be good to share this knowledge with everyone because, like the average beer drinker, I don’t know half this stuff. Enjoy!
I’ve always wanted to check outThe Bruery‘s tasting room way the hell over there in Placentia*. Mmm, all that good beer and apparently they’re the best place to fill a growler (you have to buy their growler, though, which is $10). But I just couldn’t bring myself to travel 40 miles and five different freeways to get there. However when H.C. of LA/OC Foodventures invited me to be his guest to the brewery’s 2nd anniversary celebration, well, of course I had to say yes. The celebration promised 10 tastings, yummy lunch by Beachwood BBQ, waffles and chocolate-dipped bacon and the release of the 2nd anniversary limited-edition old ale, Coton. Oh hells yes I was going!
Fortunately the celebration was spread out over two days and broken up into 3-hour stints. That way there weren’t any horribly long, slow lines for the taps or even for the food. Such a well-run and organized event. And the pours were generous for tastings; about 5 ounces for the beer under 10% and 2 ounces for 10%+. I started slowing down after the fourth beer but was able to power through to the eighth.
Out of the ones I tasted — all great beers — I loved the Trade Winds Tripel, an unusual summer seasonal that uses rice and Thai Basil; Einer’s Folly, a delightful porter; and the bourbon barrel aged Coton, so rich and cognac-y. BTW, to see how the Coton was made, check out this LA Brewer blog post which includes cool pics of the process. Even though the Bruery wasn’t selling growlers of any of the beers at the event, I just had to buy an empty growler with the promise of coming back. Because I’m gonna.
If you want to fill your growler, here’s what they had on tap.
What also made the event for me was hanging out with some of my favorite Tweeps/blogger buddies like Josh of Food GPS, Ryan of the Surly Goat/Verdugo Bar and BeachBum Chris the LA Craft Beer Examiner. Christina aka the Beer Chickkept me and H.C. on a tight drinking schedule, figuring that we only had about 15 minutes to spend on each beer if we were going to taste 10 in three hours. Of course, I let her down but at least the people in the parking lot coming in for the next event were happy; I gave them my leftover drink tickets.
BTW, you can also buy bottles of beer, t-shirt and hats at the Bruery’s store. And visit the tasting room on Friday and Saturday 4-10pm and Sunday 12-6pm.
The Bruery
715 Dunn Way
Placentia, California 92870 (map)
(714) 996-6258
Twitter: @thebruery
Facebook: The Bruery
* Just why is it called Placentia? Apparently because it’s a “pleasant place to live,” not anything to do with birthing.
I was so excited when I heard that gastropub Waterloo & City just opened up in my old crappy hood, down the street from my old favorite BBQ joint/car wash at Outdoor Grill. It’s only been in business for four days and yet has alreadyreceiveda ton of attention. Maybe this stretch of Washington Boulevard, a wasteland of tackle stores, liquor stores and hardware stores, is heading in the right foodie-friendly direction. They already have Alibi Room with Kogi BBQ and Pit Fire Pizza and now this gorgeous gastropub that has taken over the tired-looking Crest House, which closed back in 2006.
Giant chairs!
The new venue was designed by local designers Thoreen&Ritter and offers a variety of seating like the 30-foot-long copper top bar, the large communal table and ample banquettes with high-backed wooden chairs. Touches of antique mirrors and silver platters along with the recycled church pews provide a nod to British pubness while still classing up the joint.
Now, usually I prefer to check out a place without the help of the publicist or the special attentions of the venue and had come here with that intention. But just when we were about to get our food, the publicist, who apparently was having dinner here, too, spotted me. “Caroline, you just snuck in here,” she said smiling, and then went on to introduce me to Carolos Tomazos, formerly of New York’s Per Se and Le Bernardin and now general manager and co-owner of the restaurant with chef Brendan Collins (Anisette, Palihouse). D’oh!
Yay! I’m so happy I’m in town this weekend. And it’s a good thing, too, because there are LOTS going on.
Saturday, May 15
CitySip LA Home Brewing Class
Times are tough. Maybe you don’t have the money to go out for a night of drinking. So why not learn how to make your own booze at home? Beer guru Alex Macy will be taking you through the steps on how to brew your own beer starting with a basic extract brew. The event is $45 and gets you tastes of 6-8 commercial beers, Two Boots pizza and the know-how to make your own beer. But dress to get wet and dirty. Home brewing apparently gets messy.
1-4pm. $45. 2150 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles (map). Reservations: (213) 483-9463.
The Vendy Awards LA
The Vendys are here! And six of the best LA street vendors are up for the award of the bestest vendor in all SoCal. This Saturday they’ll be judged by a prestigious foodie panel consisting of the Glutster, those Animal guys, Street Gourmet LA and KCRW’s Evan Kleiman. Entry fee to witness this spectacle is $50 which gets you the cook-off food and an open bar of wine and beer. Proceeds from this event will go to protect vendors’ rights.
4-7pm. $50 online, $60 at the door. MacArthur Park, S. Park View and W. 7th Street, Los Angeles (map).
Connect 4 Tournament at West 4th/Jane
Spend an entire afternoon drinking beer and playing an intense round of Connect 4. Get a team of five friends together for West 4th/Jane’s second seasonal Connect 4 tournament where the top three winning teams will get prizes! If you’re not in it to win it, at least the $20 entry fee includes unlimited tap beer for all four hours of the event. Email steven [at] west4thjane.com to confirm your team.
4-8pm. West 4th/Jane, 1432 4th Street, Santa Monica (map). (310) 395-6765.
Gates 7pm, movie 8pm. $10. Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).
Sunday, May 16
Santa Monica Classic 5K/10K
It’s going to be such a gorgeous weekend why not run a 5K or 10K through the streets of Santa Monica to best enjoy the weather? This annual fun run is a point-to-point course through SaMo that finishes at the Santa Monica Pier. Proceeds from the event go to benefit Heal the Bay. Online registration is closed but you can still register on race day.
Margerum M5 + In-N-Out at Wallys Wine
Don’t be a wine snob. You know you want to check out this wine pairing of In N Out burgers and wine. In fact it’s already been done with great success. This event at Wally’s Wine is $20 per person and includes a glass of the Margerum M5, a burger and a full tasting. There will also be newly released vintages to taste.
1-4pm. $20. Wally’s Wines, 2107 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).
Monday, May 17
Hudson House Hosts the Grilled Cheese Truck
Everyone’s favorite food truck, the Grilled Cheese Truck will be making an appearance at the Hudson House. The Redondo Beach gastropub will close its kitchen for the event but you can grab some cheesy melts and enjoy them in the bar along with libations from Hudson House’s beer, wine and cocktail menu. Newly revealed cocktails include the Imperia Pickled Blue ($10) with Imperia vodka, pickled vegetables and blue cheese stuffed olives and a cava cocktail available in blueberry, pear or blood orange ($8). New beer on tap is the chipotle-coffee stout, Black Phoenix.
