Cocktails

The cocktails have "gone to the birds" at Upstairs Bar at the Ace Hotel in downtown LA. That is, the new menu at the rooftop bar is dedicated to the birds with a "fowlplay" menu. It's a pretty creative theme and the result is a very tasty menu! Upstairs at the Ace Hotel Did you know that there are 477 species of birds that live in and around downtown LA? According to the new menu, a family of Cooper's Hawks have made their nest on the radio tower across Broadway and you can see them if you squint hard enough (or have super vision). Also, in the fall and spring, thousands of Voux's swifts fly across the skyline to the Chester Building chimney on Fifth and Broadway where they roost. And, on the top of the US Bank Building, you can find Peregrine Falcons nesting there. View from Upstairs at the Ace Hotel View from Upstairs at the Ace Hotel While people-watching can be fun, the rooftop patio of the Ace Hotel is the perfect spot to do some bird watching while enjoying a cocktail from the descriptive menu Daniel Sabo, Bar Manager Evan Enderle and their bar team have put together.
23 November, 2015
This story originally appeared in Beverage Industry News November 2015 Bermejo Family Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant has been a San Francisco staple since opening its doors 50 years ago. This is an impressive feat! With rents multiplying and economies shifting, it is a challenge to be in the restaurant business, especially in San Francisco. But, Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant has made it and is celebrating their 50th Anniversary. Tomas “Tommy” Bermejo came to the US from the Yucatan as a guest worker through the United States and Mexico’s Bracero Program, which ran between 1942 and 1964. Tommy’s first business was a small café on MacAllister Street called Elmy’s Café, named after his wife. When Tomas decided to start a restaurant in 1965, he found the space on Geary Street and bought the building. It was very fortuitous that Tomas and Elmy purchased the building. “I am lucky that my parents bought the building,” explained Julio Bermejo, son of Tomas and Elmy. “We were able to ride out any early struggles and never had the threat of our rent being tripled in price.”
19 November, 2015
How do you make your perfect martini? Do you like it with gin or vodka? Do you like it dirty, wet or dry? The original martini, which dates back to the 1880's, was a combination of gin and vermouth. By the 1950's, vodka was introduced to the martini and rose to fame with James Bond. By the 1990's, many variations of martinis were made, using a martini glass and adding fruit juices and other modifiers. This was the time that Lemon Drops, Appletinis and the Cosmo became popular. But, let's got back to the basic martini. A martini is made with 3 ounces of spirits. Pick your gin or vodka and your vermouth (fortified wine) of choice and do what ever ratio combination you want (2:1, 3:0, 1.5:1.5). At a recent event at Big Bar with Absolut Elyx, we got to play with different combinations to come up with our own preferences. Absolut Elyx
16 November, 2015
We all look forward to weekend brunch. It's that filling meal that can take up half the day as we sip on Mimosas or Bloody Marys and hang out with friends. But, my problem with brunch is that I can never decide what I want to eat. I am a fan of sharing lots of dishes so that I can enjoy a lot of flavors in a meal. And, at brunch where I have to pick between savory and sweet can be a challenge. But now I think I found my perfect brunch at Smoke.Oil.Salt. Smoke.Oil.Salt. is known for serving authentic and traditional Spanish foods, meant to be shared, for dinner. And, now, under the guidance of Consulting Executive Chef Ricardo Zarate, they are offering brunch on Sundays from 11am-3pm. Tapas for brunch! With 12 selections on the menu, tapas style is perfect! As a party of two, we ordered 10 of the selections and had no problem eating every course! Overall, you cannot go wrong with any of the egg dishes. No matter how the eggs are prepared, they are perfect - light, fluffy and perfectly cooked. Our favorite dishes were: Pan Tomate con Huevo de Mar (soft scrambled uni eggs, tomato toast, chili oil) - The scrambled eggs are fluffy and soft and almost melt in the mouth. The uni is not dominant but the saltiness comes through. Pan Tomate con Huevo de Mar
14 November, 2015
What was once the largest concentration of historic theaters and movie palaces on one street in the nation in the 1920s and 1930s, Broadway in downtown Los Angeles had been a street of disrepair for many years. But now The city of Los Angeles is in the process of revitalizing Broadway and new restaurants and retail stores are starting to open. One of the bars that has opened in the area is Bar Mattachine. Bar Mattachine Bar Mattachine, part of a small but growing group of downtown gay bars, isn't just a part of the revitalization of Broadway, but it is also the first gay craft cocktail bar in the area. Bar Mattachine honors and pays tribute to the 1950s Mattachine Society. Created by Harry Hay and a group of Los Angeles male friends, Mattachine Society was one of the earliest gay rights organizations in the United States, built to protect and improve the rights of gay men. Bar Mattachine Bar Mattachine is a two story lounge owned by Vianey Vee Delgadillo and Jigger Mercado (Bar 107, The Down and Out, The Little Easy) and Garret McKetchnie (formerly head barman at 1886, Cole's). The cocktail menu includes seventeen cocktails, including nine signature cocktails, six classic cocktails and two frozen drinks.
12 November, 2015
When I think about Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian steakhouse, I think about it's reputation as a meat lovers destination. With almost a dozen skewers of lamb, beef, pork and chicken being carried through the dining room, my previous visit to Fogo de Chão resulted in a "meat coma", borderlining the "meat sweats". But, rest assured, if you are looking for a "lighter" experience or perhaps you are not in the mood for an intense meat-filled meal, you can still enjoy the flavors of Fogo de Chão at their Happy Hour. Happy Hour, offered Monday through Friday from 4:30-6:30pm, not only offers Brazilian-inspired small plates but also at a special price! Check out what's available: Warm Hearts of Palm and Spinach Dip - Served with crispy toasts, it's a creamy, filling dish that is great to share with friends. Warm Hearts of Palm and Spinach Dip, crispy toasts
31 October, 2015
This article originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register (October 30, 2015) Is vodka your favorite drink? That was the question posed by Purity Vodka Master Blender Thomas Kuuttanen at a recent dinner. More than half of the hands went up. Whether it was true, shouldn’t one answer favorably in front of a vodka producer? Well, I did not raise my hand. I could not lie. Vodka is not my favorite spirit. I am a gin drinker. I find vodkas to be rough, flavorless and odorless and some are like rubbing alcohol. Sure, it is a neutral spirit and can be the base in many cocktails but I like the flavors that come from other spirits. We did not get the response you would think from a vodka producer. He responded that vodka is, in fact, not his favorite spirit either. Having worked in the spirits industry in Sweden for many years, he is more of a fan of whiskey. Thomas explained that he found vodka kind of sad; vodka is more about image and not about content. But, spirits are about soul and passion, and that is what Thomas set out to make, creating Purity Vodka, which is the winner of more than 100 gold medals in blind competitions. Master Blender Thomas Kuuttanen
30 October, 2015
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