Tag Archive: DTLA

To Love and Drink in L.A.: Downtown Romantic Getaways With Cocktail Options

Downtown cocktail by Caroline on Crack

Romance and cocktails downtown.

My bf and I will be celebrating a big anniversary this month (woo!) and I figured that instead of just doing a fancy dinner and drinks somewhere booking a romantic getaway in the city we love would be the way to go. So I’ve been looking for romantic hotel packages downtown. Why downtown? Because we really get a sense of Los Angeles there — the Historic Core, ice skating in Pershing Square and all those fab cocktail bars. But the thing is I can’t make up my mind of where to stay. The following hotels offer some great-sounding romance-themed packages but I’ve also got to consider what’s within walking distance (read: high heels walkable). Hmm, which to book?

Hilton Checkers’ Roses and Romance Package — $219+

  • Friday and/or Saturday night stay
  • Red rose and chilled champagne upon arrival in your room
  • Dinner for two at the Checkers Downtown Restaurant (alcohol & gratuity excluded)
  • Room service breakfast the following day for two
  • Late check-out if available

Hilton Checkers’ rooftop deck was apparently featured on The Bachelorette (barf) so naturally it’s playing up that whole roses angle. Not a huge selling point for me but it might be for those with saccharine tendencies. In any case, this hotel is located next door to the Biltmore so there’s the ice skating rink at Pershing Square to reenact your favorite holiday romantic comedy. In terms of bars, Casey’s Irish Pub is down the street (0.1 mile) and Schmeven Schmand is a quarter-mile away.

Kyoto Grand Hotel’s Romance Is in the Air Package — $129+

  • 2pm late checkout
  • Chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne
  • Full American breakfast in bed for two delivered by room service
  • Self parking

OK, this sounds pretty sweet. Nice touch with the chocolate-dipped strawberries with champagne and breakfast in bed. Bonus is the self parking since downtown is infamous for its crazy expensive parking garages. Not much within walking distance in terms of cocktailing, except the Edison (0.1 mile) and Far Bar, Bar 107 and Redwood Bar & Grill are about 0.3 mile away.

Millenium Biltmore’s Vintage Romance Package — $209+

  • Bottle of champagne and rich, signature dessert in-room
  • Full breakfast buffet at Smeraldi’s Restaurant
  • Late checkout

The Biltmore has been voted the Most Romantic Hotel by LA Downtown News readers for two years in a row. Not much included in the romantic package but who can deny its historic charm? And ooo, is it haunted? After all it’s where the Black Dahlia was last spotted and there’s a specialty cocktail at the hotel’s Gallery Bar commemorating that. Like Hilton Checkers, bars within high heel clacking distance include Casey’s and Schmeven Schmand.

Omni Hotel’s Sweet Rendezvous Romance Package — $298+

  • Domaine Chandon sparkling wine and gourmet truffles upon arrival
  • Romantic turndown including lighting, music and robes
  • Breakfast for two with signature morning cocktail (the Valentini) available in hotel restaurant or through room service
  • Late check out available upon request (based on hotel availability)
  • Receive an advance call from concierge to customize and make everything just about perfect

Really nice features in this package what with the morning cocktail available through room service to the sparkling wine and truffles and the phone call from the concierge to make sure everything is perfect. The only thing is that this hotel isn’t really within walking distance of any great bars. So you’d really have to cab it if you want to go out drinking.

Alternatives

Now these don’t have romantic packages but are closer to some of my favorite bars and activities.

Figueroa Hotel: I’ve always wanted to book a stay here ever since I fell in love with its beautiful poolside bar (terrible cocktails but awesome ambiance). It’s no sterile Ramada but rather possesses a Moroccan flair with warm colors and fabrics. Gorgeous. It’s down the street from L.A. Live so couples can go bowling at Lucky Strikes or take in a movie. But I especially love that it’s near Cana (0.1 mile), Bar & Kitchen (0.2 mile) and Rivera (0.2 mile). All stellar cocktail spots.

O Hotel: Judging just from the photos on the hotel’s Web site, the rooms are nicely decorated in a Gotham urban feel. Not Batman but old New York. Bonus is that Bar & Kitchen is just downstairs! Plus, Cana, Rivera and L.A. Live are down the street. There isn’t a romance package but an appealing Bed & Booze special where you get four drink chips to nearby bars. Not so awesome is the $12 mandatory fee which pays for the bottled water, in-room coffee, Internet, continental breakfast, etc. whether you use it or not.

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Villains Tavern’s New Fall Cocktail Menu: Strange Spirits Warm Your Soul

Cacophony cocktail by Caroline on Crack

Ah, autumn. I'll drink to that!

Last night Villains Tavern mixmaster Dave Whitton invited me to the downtown bar for a private unveiling of his new fall cocktail menu. “The majority of the list is herbal and smoky. I went with stuff that was gonna be more off the grains and less of the normal kinds of creams,” he said. So less creamy liqueurs, less heaviness. I can dig that. Think butternut squash at the Thanksgiving table and the smell of wood fires, NOT a bag of Halloween candy, especially not that Mellocreme pumpkin candies.

We started off the tasting with the lightest in the lineup: the Lady of the Lake, which is made with a spirit Dave found at Barkeeper in Silver Lake. “We were running through bottles we hadn’t tried so me and Joe [Keeper, BK's owner] were just going back and forth,” he says. And he seemed really excited about his find which hasn’t been used in any cocktails, at least that we know of.

Lady of the Lake by Caroline on Crack

Lady of the Lake: Pur-Geist, fresh lime, bitters

Pur-Geist, Dave says, is actually a beer, which I couldn’t believe after sipping the spirit. Having just had some very strong beers at Firestone Walker’s Deconstructed event the night before, this one possessed more of the kick of hard liquor and none of the thickness of the most potent bocks out there. “They make it the same way they make beer with the malted barley,” said Dave.

The Lady of the Lake cocktail was very straightforward and simple. Its strong flavor was smoothed out by the lime and bitters. The finely grinded smoked sea salt over the rim (not rimmed like a margarita, mind you) accented the oceanic flavor of the spirit. If you’re looking for something different and spirit focused, this is a good one to sip on. Although, it’s so light, I could easily drink a pint glass of the stuff. But then would need some help off my bar stool.

Lady Percy by Caroline on Crack

Lady Percy: Tullamore Dew, stewed pear cider, honey, lime, chocolate chili bitters, cinnamon stick

Lady Percy, a hot cocktail of pear cider goodness, was my absolute favorite off the list. Turns out it’s Dave’s favorite, too. Apparently, he went through six different pears to find the right flavor for this drink. Finally he settled on a combination of six Barlett pears with one Korean pear to get all that sweetness. And for spice, it relies on just a lone cinnamon stick. “I wasn’t going for spices,” says Dave. “Most ciders you’re going to find lots of big body spices in there. This one doesn’t really have a lot of spice. I really just wanted to bring out the pear itself.” And the result is a nicely balanced hot cider cocktail, not too much booze or too much sweet apple/pear-ness. It was the one cocktail that I really had a hard time putting down during the tasting. Would be perfect to warm your hands (and your soul) during a rainy day.

Dastardly Whiplash by Caroline on Crack

Dastardly Whiplash: Metl Mezcal, chamomile syrup, Yellow Chartreuse, citrus, egg whites and grapefruit bitters.

Although its dangerous-sounding name may cause you to shy away from the Dastardly Whiplash, it’s actually a very drinkable, frothy mezcal cocktail. And that’s due to the Metl mezcal, according to Dave. “It’s so light but still had so much flavor in the middle without being super smoky like so many mezcals,” he said. Marry that to his chamomile syrup, Yellow Chartreuse and citrus and it’s an entry-level mezcal drink for those who shied away from the smokey spirit in the past. “This is acceptable for those people who really like tequila but want a little bit more body and a little bit more to bite on. But it was subtle enough for me to mix with it and accent it and blend it well without you going, ‘I KNOW mezcal’s in here.’”

What I really enjoyed about Dave’s cocktails is that they’re all simple but with great, unique flavors. The Cacophony cocktail (top picture)  is like no spicy Manhattan you’ve tasted what with its Russell’s Rye, Cardamaro, honey, Swedish herb bitters and basil leaf. That Cardamaro’s liqueurness lingers, leaving a mintyness at the tip of your tongue. Weird and neat!

Zodiac cocktail by Caroline on Crack

Zodiac: Zaya Rum, butternut squash-organic brown sugar syrup, ginger, lime, sparkling water and nutmeg

While the Zodiac is a spin on a Mule and tastes like pie without that ubersweetness. “I didn’t have to throw in bitters because the Zaya already has those herbal elements running through it. The butternut squash combined with the ginger and a little hint of nutmeg gave it that herbal flavor that we were looking for that runs through the entire menu,” Dave said.

I liked the cocktail for the most part save for the lime which I found too astringent. But then again I’m always superaware of when lime is used in a cocktail. Otherwise it’s a great drink that I can see enjoyed apres Thanksgiving.

The only cocktails I wasn’t too crazy about, and I told Dave this, were the Sweeney Todd — a hot vodka cocktail that tasted more of tea than anything — and the Headless Horseman — a dessert cocktail that’s heavy on the cream. But if you’re seeking a drink that doesn’t taste of booze go for the Todd; or if you want to follow up your dinner with something sweet, you have the Horseman.

It’s still warm out but Dave said that Villains is better prepared for the cold weather than it was last year, what with its new roof on the patio. Plus it has heaters out there so if it’s a cold and rainy day, you shouldn’t let that stop you from enjoying a cocktail. Especially when we’re talking about the Lady Percy. Mmm!

The fall cocktail drinks are available now.

Halloween Happening: For Halloween weekend, Villains’ party is spreading out into its parking lot, showcasing 14 bands! Keep an eye on the bar’s site for more details.

Villains Tavern
1356 Palmetto Street
Los Angeles, California 91003 (map)
(213) 613-0766
Facebook: Villains Tavern
Twitter: @Villains_Tavern

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The Edison’s New Cocktail Menu Debuts Tonight

Joseph Brooke by Caroline on Crack

So pretty...the cocktails, I mean.

Don’t count Joseph Brooke, The Edison‘s director of spirits, out just yet, L.A. drinkers. After about a year, he’s come up with a new list of cocktails for the swanky downtown bar. What took so long? The current renovation of Clifton’s Cafeteria delayed any go-ahead for a new cocktail menu from the Edison’s powers that be. But tonight, Brooke debuts his brand-new menu which is “classically driven” and at the same time offers an entry-level option into the world of mixology for the usual Red Bull-vodka Edison clientele.

Copperpot by Caroline on Crack

Copperpot cocktail.

The easy-on-the-eyes bartender, winner of the first season of On the Rocks: The Search for America’s Next Top Bartender and formerly of Santa Monica’s market-fresh Copa d’Oro bar, admits that the Edison will never be at the same level as mixology-serious bars like The Varnish and Spare Room because of its inherent size and party crowds which call for quick cocktail turnaround.

“It’s about speed,” Brooke explains. “I may not be able to muddle a jalapeno pepper but I can do two squirts of really good hot sauce and it achieves the same thing. Some purists would consider that cutting corners but I had to structure this list as what’s going to be as good as it is fast.”

And what he’s created are five new cocktails; each touted as an introduction to “fill in the blank.” Brooke says he’s “all for expanding people’s minds which is why we have drinks like…the Highland Breeze, sort of like an introduction to absinthe for people who are still sort of on the fence about it.” Made with Herradura Blanco, cucumber water, agave nectar, lime and Pernod absinthe, it’s a delicious, light and refreshing cocktail. Its anise flavor comes through midpalate, a trait sure to please those usually frightened by the strong flavor and history of the infamous spirit.

Cocktail menu:

  • Aperol Spritz: Aperol, soda, prosecco
  • Clay St. Cup: Buffalo Trace bourbon, apple juice, St. Germain, lemon, simple syrup, red wine float
  • Carnivale: Sagatiba Velha, Luxardo, orgeat, lime, hot sauce
  • Copperpot: Mezcal, white creme de cacao, sweet Vermouth, Angostura

But Brooke is especially excited about the Edison’s expanded non-alcoholic list which will cater to the bar’s huge influx of designated drivers, a common occurrence thanks to the LAPD headquarters located across the street. The mocktails also serve double duty of easing those who’ve had too much back into sobriety in a way that doesn’t scream “party pooper.” Teetotal on the Spiced Apple with apple juice, cinnamon syrup, lemon and ginger ale and served in a martini glass.

Mocktail menu:

  • Junior Jennings: apple juice, lemon, simple syrup, ginger, soda, served in flute, lemon garnish
  • La Palomita: grapefruit juice, agave, lime, soda, salt, served in Collins glass
  • Cucumber Tonic: cucumber water, lime, simple syrup, tonic, served in Collins, cucumber garnish

Cocktail fans who want to enjoy the drinks without too much of a crowd should swing by the Edison on Wednesday nights. Since the bar doesn’t currently have a regular show night, like the circus nights of the past, the hump day is perfect for serious drinkers who want to be able to chat up the bartenders and learn more about the cocktails.

Posted on LAist.

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Mas Malo Restaurant: Mas Mucho More Tequila Downtown

Mas Malo's Red Eye by Caroline on Crack

Mas Malo's Red Eye

The new offshoot of Silver Lake’s Malo Restaurant, Mas Malo, is mas in every way — space (9,700 square feet), menu, style and liquor. The new restaurant, which opened last Friday, shares the same downtown Los Angeles building as a certain whiskey bar and the same entrance. Booze fans rejoice, especially since Mas Malo boasts a tequila list with about 260 bottles and growing as well as a special tequila tasting vault and a speakeasy-esque basement cantina that can fit you and 80 of your closest friends.

Eggplant and potato taquitos by Caroline on Crack

Eggplant and potato taquitos

I had a chance to check out the new restaurant at a hosted preview dinner where we were fed a series of Chef Robert Luna’s menu items ranging from basic Malo staples like the salsa flight and beef and pickles tacos to the Lobster Diablo sautéed with garlic, red chiles, lime and white wine. S’OK stuff. If you’re a fan of Malo, you’ll find something you like.

But the big thing for me is all that booze and the fact that this new space features three bars on each level. That’s six wells and about 15 bartenders on any given night plus 10 specialty cocktails that were created by Mas Malo’s bar manager Fred Warner (formerly of Chateau Marmont), Malo’s bar manager Kevin Harper and some of the bartenders.

Here are the cocktails I tried during the preview:

  • Angelina: Gran Centenario Roseangel Reposado Tequila, hibiscus, lime juice, chile salt rim. If you couldn’t tell by the name this one is a girl drink. Pink, drinkable and lightly sweetened.
  • Old Fashionista: Kracken Black Rum, Falernum, bitters. Potent and a bit more syrupy-sweet  than the traditional Old Fashioned.
  • Pinata Smash: El Jimador Reposado, Serrano chile, cilantro, pineapple, housemade sour.
  • Red Eye: Fortaleza Reposado Tequila, float of red wine. This one was an accident. I had meant to order the Rooster and got this in return, so I only took one sip. The red wine float was all I tasted. Bar manager Fred says the beauty about this drink is that the float remains on top while you sip the drink so that you’re sure to get a taste of red wine each time. It was OK, but a bit dry for me.
  • The Rooster: Ora de Oaxaca Mezcal, Maker’s Mark Bourbon, lime juice. Who wants to get drunk? Here you go. The mezcal with the bourbon makes it one smokey mixture. Fred called it a smokey gimlet. It was fine but just had a bit too much lime for my taste.
Basement cantina by Caroline on Crack

Come and knock on my door, we've been waiting for you...

Most of the drinks were on the sweet side for me, especially that Old Fashionista and The Angelina. Although I do appreciate The Rooster. But I think I’ll stick to Malo favorites the Medicina Latina and the 100% Organic Puro Margarita next time I stop by. Or take my pick of the hundreds of tequilas they have in stock.

Speaking of which, if you want a straight tequila tasting experience, the much-talked-about and still-under-construction tasting tequila vault will have shelves of ultra-premium tequila, an L-shaped table and be able to seat about eight to 10 people. They’ll have Tequila Appreciation night once a month featuring different vendors and focusing on different tequila types like Reposado Night or Anejo Night. Odelay!

Tip: The best seat in the house has gotta be the one in the corner of the mezzanine level, overlooking the main dining room below.

Hours are lunch 11am-5pm, dinner 5pm-11pm, open til midnight on Friday and Saturday. Saturday-Sunday 9am-2am. Basement 10pm-2am. No happy hour yet but soon.

More details about Mas Malo can be found on my LA Weekly Squid Ink post.

More photos of Mas Malo after the jump.

Mas Malo
515 W. 7th Street
Los Angeles, California 90014 (map)

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Death & Co’s Alex Day and David Kaplan Bring Their Cocktails Downtown

Me and Alex Day chowing down - Caroline on Crack

Me and Alex Day chowing down on chicken.

You read right. Renowned mixologist Alex Day had teamed up with David Kaplan, co-owner of Death & Co in New York, to form their own hospitality consultation company, Proprietors LLC. And the two took over the operations of Bar & Kitchen in O Hotel downtown back in October. And apparently this was all on the hush-hush.

But the most exciting part is that now I don’t have to wait for one of those guest bartending gigs at Red Rover or Radio Room to enjoy Alex Day’s cocktails. PLUS, even though the cocktail list is small, they’re only $10 each. A huge bargain in downtown L.A. where drinks are usually about $12 and up.

Cocktail menu:

  • Site Hound: gin, aperol, scarlet glow, fresh lemon & grapefruit juices, seltzer water
  • Blanchet: vodka, honey, fresh lemon & orange juices, basil
  • Restoration Road: blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, cointreau, lillet blanc, raspberries
  • Smokescreen: Islay Scotch, fresh lime juice, dash green chartreuse, mint

Read more deets on my post on LA Weekly’s Squid Ink.

O Hotel’s Bar & Kitchen
819 S. Flower Street
Los Angeles, California 90017 (map)

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2nd Annual LA Derby Dolls Chili Cookoff Winners

Chili contestant by Caroline on Crack

Yay bacon!

I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to judge cocktails and cupcakes contests, which makes sense, right? But this past weekend’s competition took me into completely new territory: the 2nd Annual LA Derby Dolls Chili Cookoff at La Cita downtown. No, the contestants weren’t high-falutin’ chili connoisseurs or accredited chefs but rather friends and fans of the L.A. Derby Girls. In other words, this was all for a great cause (raising money for the Derby Dolls travel team) and all in good fun. Perfect, as I don’t consider myself a chili expert but at all.

I, along with four other judges (Razor Slut of the Derby Dolls, Toxic Shakti — former skater, Carl — owner of La Cita and Thomas Refferson aka Enforcer), were sequestered in a cage in a corner of the back patio where we did a blind tasting of the 10 entries, judging it based on qualities like color, aroma, taste and aftertaste. Such a variety of chili from chocolate chipotle to meat stew. But when it came down to it, the traditional, spicy chili swayed us…and the celebrity judges who were a couple of guys from Swedish band, The Sounds. I preferred the chili with beans, some bacon, not a lot of meat, a touch of sour cream and a garnish of tortilla chips or Fritos.

Frankly there was some chili that caused us to shudder and cry for a tongue brush while others we just couldn’t get enough of. Fortunately, the judges were given unlimited drinks…you know, to help with the deliberation. I washed down the chili with a $4 margarita, a Negro Modelo and a Fat Tire Hoptoberfest.

After the judges deliberated, our scores were tallied up and Bong Jovi, head of events for the Derby Dolls, announced the top three winners.

Here they are:

3rd place winner Kammi by Caroline on Crack

3rd place winner Kammi showing off her medal.

3rd place: Kammi Kazi, Derby Doll. Her chili is a variation on a Cooking Light recipe and she had just developed it the day before the cookoff. She doesn’t really like chili but said, “I like to cook and I like to win shit.” Fair enough, she won the bronze medal and couldn’t be more ecstatic. Unfortunately, by the time the winners were announced, Kami’s chili was all gone. But she did say that it involves beer-soaked jalapenos and took four hours to make.

2nd place: Busta, Derby Doll fan. His recipe was a concoction of molasses, maple, brown sugar, smoked bacon, onions, cheddar and jalapeño because he likes that lingering sweetness.

Chef Boyardouche by Caroline on Crack

Chef Boyardouche thanks the chili gods

1st place: Chef Boyardouche, Derby Doll fan. Definitely the chili chef with the most je ne sais quoi, sporting a chef’s hat and an apron with a picture of a man’s naked chest on it. (Hasselhoff circa Baywatch?) As soon as he was announced as the winner, he blew kisses to the heavens and got down on his knees to thank the chili gods for blessing him. The man has talent. His chili had the perfect amount of heat and savoriness. “Chili has got to have some heat to it. But be soft at first and last through the end,” he said. And even after sampling 10 chili recipes, I still had to finish up with one more bowl of his chili. Amazingly, the recipe took him 6 seconds to come up with it but two days to make — a recipe involving three meats and veggies and secret ingredient spices. What besides the heat does he attribute to his chili success? “Simmering chili is key so all the tastes come together,” said Boyardouche, who apparently is part owner of Bar 107 where the LA Derby Dolls used to have their after bout parties.

Catch the L.A. Derby Dolls on Saturday, December 4. It’s the championships and their last bout of the year. VIP tickets are sold out but general admission is still available.

Video of Bong Jovi announcing the winners after the jump.

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Villains Tavern’s Fall Drink Menu: He Said, She Said Cocktail Review

Dave Whitton making a cocktail by Caroline on Crack

Villains Tavern's Dave Whitton making a cocktail.

Last week, Downtown’s Villains Tavern debuted its new fall cocktail menu to some media types. And since I couldn’t go I asked my friend John of Social Domain if he could check it out for me. As I told the PR peeps for Villains, I trust John’s tastebuds. But turned out they said I could still swing by the next day to try the cocktails. A good thing since John didn’t really take any good pictures as “they are jar drinks and they didn’t show well.”

So below are mine and John’s “He Said, She Said” tasting notes on the cocktails which were created by general manager/mixmaster Dave Whitton and will be available at Villains Tavern’s Dark Carnival Halloween event tomorrow and Saturday nights!

Blackheart ($11): Goslings dark rum, Blackheart spiced rum, rum batter, hot water, heavy whipping cream

Blackheart cocktail by Caroline on Crack

Blackheart cocktail

  • John: This didn’t strike me well at first. Tasted like dishwater. Then I figured out I was drinking it wrong. It was the hot water that was throwing me off. The idea is to let it sit for a bit and settle. Then drink it like an Irish coffee, carefully getting some cream off the top with the boozy bottom such that it blends in your mouth. And I mean boozy.
  • Me: Blackheart is basically hot buttered rum, which I lurve. So potent, buttery, sinful and rich. When I had this, it was really cold outside so this worked well to warm up my bones.

Day of the Dead ($11): Mulled spice cider, vodka, Apple Jack, bitters

Day of the Dead cocktail by Caroline on Crack

Day of the Dead cocktail

  • John: Didn’t take to this one, thought it was flat, no depth of flavor that holiday drinks should have. Why the vodka? That seemed to be the problem. Dave explains that it is for people who normally like the narrow flavor profile of vodka soda. Ok. So he reworks it with bourbon and is what it is supposed to be. Now the spiced cider, apple jack and bitters have a leg to stand on.
  • Me: Apparently this is the only drink Dave created that he didn’t add sugar to and yet he didn’t have to. I liked that subtle tartness and sweetness of the apple. This spiked cider would be so comforting on a cold, rainy night. I’m usually not a fan of vodka but you really don’t taste its jagged edge in this drink, a good thing. For the recipe of this autumn drink, hit the jump.

Edgar Allan Poe ($12): Fighting Cock Bourbon, green apple juice, organic egg, sugar, grated nutmeg

Edgar Allan Poe cocktail by Caroline on Crack

Edgar Allan Poe cocktail

  • John: Green apple is the magic here. Balancing out what might appear at first to be a heavy cocktail. Usually heavy and sticky at the family Christmas party, this has nothing in common with that except the heavy spiking that is obviously present.
  • Me: Tastes like artificial sweetener on the finish even though it’s made with real sugar. It was OK. Strong whiff of nutmeg. Not sure if I’d pay $12 for it. Not my fave.

Sleepy Hollow ($9): Gin, pumpkin, citrus, organic egg whites, sugar, heavy whipping cream, chocolate chili bitters

Sleepy Hollow cocktail by Caroline on Crack

Sleepy Hollow cocktail

  • John: Here’s something that doesn’t seem right. Gin and pumpkin. I admit to not getting that much of the pumpkin, but did get a nose of sewing machine oil. This is promising. Into the drink again with great balance of citrus with the cream. The chocolate chili bitters are more apparent toward the end as you work through the cream.
  • Me: This Halloween take on the Ramos Gin Fizz wasn’t listed on the menu (they say it’s a Bartender’s Choice) but they’re serving it through November. Unlike John, I liked it just fine. It’s creamy but surprisingly light. And I like the fact that here’s this pumpkin cocktail that’s not disgustingly sweet, thick or milky.

By the way, I was skeptical about the food at this bar but was pleasantly surprised. I can’t speak to the burger or the grilled cheese sandwich but the Pharoah salad with farro is fricken tasty and so fresh, as well as satisfying. Of course we had to supplement these with the Indian peas, which are so addictively salty and crisp but not crunchy. I wish they sold these in bags so that I could enjoy them at home with a beer.

Villains Tavern
1356 Palmetto Street
Los Angeles, California 91003 (map)
(213) 613-0766
Facebook: Villains Tavern
Twitter: @VillainsTavern

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