Michel Dozois of Neve Ice, who used to work behind the stick at Comme Ca and Church & State, had previously said that he wasn’t about stepping on another mixologist’s toes when visiting L.A. bars to try and sell his gourmet ice. He didn’t want to make cocktails but rather, he wanted to focus on just his ice. However, when executive chef Kris Morningstar and GM Ron Carey made him an offer, which was to put together the bar program at Ray’s and Stark Bar located in the LACMA courtyard steps away from the luminescent Urban Light installation, Michel couldn’t refuse. “This is an amazing project and has been fun…you want to work with this crew,” he said.
Originally Michel was charged with creating a 100-cocktail menu for the barestaurant but fortunately convinced the powers-that-be to narrow it down to 25 — five in each category of Champagne, Stirred Up, Shaken Up, Collins and On the Rocks — so that patrons wouldn’t get overwhelmed but there would still be something for everyone. His menu of drinks which range in price from $10-$14 is a compilation of classics, favorites he did for past venues he’s worked and those inspired by the new bar.
He said he’s basically staying on in a consultant basis “for a little while,” saying, “It’s a lot of fun. I mean, we’re at a museum, I can do whatever I want.” A contradiction for sure considering you’re usually not allowed to do anything in museums (“No photography” and “Don’t Touch This”) but Michel said he loves the team at Ray’s and Stark Bar — which includes bartender Cherish Mumm (Sona), sommelier Paul Sanguinetti (Fraiche) and pastry chef Josh Graves (Mercantile) who makes the syrups for the cocktails — plus they have a garden in the back for pulling fresh ingredients.
In any case, my drinking buddy John Colletti (Social Domain) and I were eager to check out some of Michel’s cocktails.* We aimed for trying one from each category…and then some for good measure. Our tasting notes after the jump:
There were four creations, but my favorites were the Eloper (Dimmi Italian Liqueur, vodka, lemon juice, melon juice, prosecco) and the Silenzio Dolce (Zaya Rum, Averna Amaro, blood orange juice, Nocello Walnut Liqueur, super fine sugar), which was named by the winner of my contest, @marissamed. Yay, Marissa! The Silenzio had a rim of sugar but surprisingly wasn’t as sweet as I thought it was going to be. At least I didn’t think so; others seemed to disagree and prefer Michel’s cocktail with the scotch and cynar. This I found a bit intense but the hard-core among us seemed to appreciate its bite.
Speaking of bites, there were some apps passed around like a squash blossom pizza and gnocchi, but I was really glad I had eaten before, else I would have just grabbed that dish of nommy gnocchi for myself.
The space where the party was held gave it a speakeasy vibe as it was located behind the Osteria La Buca restaurant where we had to enter through an alley. Apparently this space is going to be opened up in the future when it will become the new entrance for the restaurant and set up as a prosciutto and wine room, complete with hanging meats. Diners can order the meats to be sliced up tableside a la handmade prosciutto carts. There will also be a glass-encased pasta-making room for foodie voyeurism. Best part is that construction will take place during the hours the restaurant is closed so you can still dine here uninterrupted.
Osteria La Buca
5210 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90038 (map)
(323) 462-1900
Win a pair of tickets to a “Nights With Neve Ice” cocktail party at Osteria La Buca. You’ll want these babies (worth $60). At this event in the cozy Italian restaurant on Melrose, not only will you get to enjoy that fancy, luxury ice by Michel Dozois (formerly of Comme Ca and STK) that’s featured in the cocktails at the Hollywood Roosevelt Library Bar and Bottega Louie, but four “Italian Gypsy”-inspired specialty cocktails created by Michel and Steve Livigni, general manager of La Descarga. And for each cocktail, Osteria La Buca’s Chef Alberto Lazzarino, will pair a beautiful bite to go with it.
Tickets to the event are available for $30 per person and include food, live music and the four cocktails (it’s $8 for each additional cocktail). That’s still quite a deal even if you don’t win tickets here. Reservations are required so email Michel at md [at] neveice.com.
Want to try your luck at the contest anyway? All you have to do is come up with your own name for an Italian cocktail. I tried it on Drago Centro’s spring cocktail menu armed with only an English-Italian online translator and I think I did pretty well. You don’t have to make up your own recipe or anything complex like that, just give me a name and include the English translation. And if you’re so inclined, why that would be the name of your cocktail. Just don’t give me the Italian translation of a cocktail name that already exists, capiche? But you can rename your favorite cocktail. Like, I’d call the Manhattan “Nettare Delizioso” — delicious nectar.
OK so how do you win these tickets? Just do the following:
Leave a comment below with your email address (so I can contact you if you win) and your Twitter handle as well as your Italian cocktail name. There is no right answer, I’m just curious.
Tweet this: “I need a drink @carolineoncrack! Gimme tix 2 Nights w/ @NeveIce @OsteriaLaBuca! http://bit.ly/aQabdJ”
Submit your entries by this Thursday at 1pm and then I’ll use the randomizer to pick a winner, which will be announced the next day. Buona fortuna!
POST EDIT: The winner’s cocktail name will be applied to one of the evening’s cocktails! Go to the jump to see the drink ingredients of each of Michel and Steve’s drinks. Names have been omitted for this contest.
EVENT: TUESDAY, APRIL 27 from 7 to 10pm
Osteria La Buca
5210 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90038 (map)
Twitter: @NeveIce and @OsteriaLaBuca
