Farmers' Market Fresh Cocktails Sunday Evenings at The Eveleigh

Kiowa Bryan (above) and Kevin Tidwell have brought a new tradition to The Eveleigh, the comfortable spot on the Sunset Strip that makes rather good cocktails.  Each Sunday evening will feature a list of four original farmers' market inspired creations and Bryan and Tidwell will rotate weeks crafting the menus.

This past Sunday was Bryan's week, and the Fig Ol' Bitties was downright delicious and attractively garnished with a fig in a lemon peel on a skewer.  The cocktail is made with Willet rye, house-made fig syrup, and Miracle Mile Fig Bitters.  Even with the double dose of fig, the rye was able to stand up to it and come out on top.  This drink was so enjoyable that a drinking companion of mine finished it off once he had drunk a sip.

Another winner was the Mai Cherry Amour, made with cherry infused rum, orgeat, lime juice, Royal Combier, Allspice dram.  It is finished with a float of Goslings Dark Rum and garnished with a sprig of mint and some nutmeg sprinkled on top.  Nutmeg appears to the trendy ingredient of the hour in cocktails, having seen it everywhere lately from the Spare Room to Library Bar.  I worried that this drink might be too sweet but it was not; rather it was refreshing - the perfect cocktail for a lazy summer afternoon.

The other cocktails on offer were the Kentucky Beet Down (below) with beets, bourbon, lemon juice, honey and ginger; and the Midori Sour with chamomile infused tequila, green chartreuse, sage syrup, lemon juice and a honey dew ice cube.  Flavored ice cubes are a Bryan signature which she previously showed off at Lexington Social House, and add a flavor dimension to a cocktail that continually changes as it melts.

Bar manager Dave Kupchinsky had already created a noteworthy cocktail program and the Farmers' Market Sunday Cocktail series kicks it up another level.  Now you know where to find me on Sunday evenings this summer.  Next week Tidwell is up at bat.  Arrive thirsty.

The Eveleigh: 8752 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood.  Phone: (424) 239-1630.  Website: http://theeveleigh.com/

Red Sun BBQ Garden @ Katana on the Sunset Strip

Lazy Sundays in the summer: hanging out in the backyard with a lemonade or beer, grilling a burger after taking an afternoon siesta.  This summer has a new Sunday tradition: the Red Sun BBQ Garden at Katana on the Sunset Strip.  Beginning this Sunday and running through Labor Day, Angelenos and well informed visitors can relax on Katana’s hip patio and munch on special Red Sun BBQ menu items and sip refreshing cocktails, while listening to DJ Cassie Stevens play a mix of tunes.

What is on this menu?  Menu highlights include Tuna “Poke” Tartare ($10); Yellowtail Sashimi ($12); Taniguchi Roll with Kobe Beef Wrapped Avocado ($18); Yellowtail or Spicy Tuna Hanabi ($13).  If that is not baller enough for you, the Shichirin Grill ($39 for two) with American Kobe Beef and Crab Legs cooked at the table, and the Red Sun BBQ Tasting Menu ($40) complete with a selection of Robatayaki and Katana favorites, are available for the hungry.  The full Katana menu will also be available all night during the Red Sun BBQ Garden but it is a Summer Sunday, so enjoy the Red Sun menu.

What is an outdoor garden without bar specials?  Nothing!  So to increase the refreshing quotient, Katana will be offering some deals that will make your mouth water including the ever-popular Sake Sangria ($6);  Champagne St. Germain ($6); Watermelon Margarita ($8); Blueberry Mash ($8); the John Daly with Sweet Tea Vodka ($8); and a Katana Pineapple Fusion served in a fresh Pineapple bowl ($20 for two). If you opt for the Pineapple bowl, you will be the envy of the patio.

Red Sun BBQ Garden is Sundays from May 29 - September 4th from 5p.m.-11:30 p.m.

Katana: 8439 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.  Phone: (323) 650-8585.  Website: http://www.katanarobata.com/katana/index.htm

Cocktails at the Eveleigh: Old Man Winter Warms You Up

The Eveleigh, a new restaurant and bar, sits quietly on Sunset Blvd nestled behind shrubbery, an oasis from the hectic boulevard outside.  Inside, Dave Kupchinsky manages the bar, creating a welcoming atmosphere and creating new cocktails and tweaking the classics, as his style continues to evolve.  He most recently managed the bar program at The Tar Pit and at The Eveleigh it is evident that he feels more at home as his cocktails are more confident and he is more relaxed.

Blood & Smoke

I was recently invited to sample some of the cocktails. I was joined at the bar by the legendary Yolanda Evans, a New Orleans native known to bartenders from Los Angeles to Paris as fan of all things spiritous. The first cocktail we tried was the Blood and Smoke (above) made with Mezcal, Serrano pepper, blood orange, cherry Heering, sweet vermouth and mesquite smoke. In this take on the classic Blood and Sand, the smokiness of the mezcal and the mesquite smoke was tempered by the rich blood orange juice.

Old Testament

The Old Testament, made with Noah's Mill Bourbon, nutmeg-bay leaf simple syrup and Forbidden bitters did not last long in my glass.  The simple syrup was infused with both the nutmeg and bay leaf.  Kupchinsky has been working on creating more infusions and the Old Testament is typical of the investment he has been putting into the bar program.  This cocktail is delicious on a Biblical scale.

The Eveleigh

The signature Eveleigh cocktail (above) is made with Hendrick's Gin, rose and lavendar rooibos tea, vermouth blanc, and Barolo Chinato.  This is a gin drink for brown spirits drinkers.  Attractively garnished with the flower but don't let that deceive you as the power of the digestive Barolo Chinato gives the cocktail a lot of backbone.

The Sad Bastard (below) is made with bourbon, gin, ginger, clove, lime juice and bitters, shaken and garnished with candied ginger.  I only got a quick sip of it, as my drinking companion enjoyed it so thoroughly.

The Sad Bastard

The Old Man Winter is named for the barman himself and as is described as best served with lukewarm by a grumpy bartender.  This is not a drink to begin the evening with as it will blow your palate.  No shrinking violet, the Old Man Winter includes Scotch, Campari, Benedictine, Fernet and heavy angostura.  This drink served neat in an old fashioned glass packs a wallop.  Boozy and stirred, this drink was created with imbibers like LushAngeles in mind.  I am not sure what Kupchinsky is trying to say about himself with this cocktail except "beware," as he has got a lot going on.

Old Man Winter

The Lucky Louis (below) is a produce driven drink that was a refreshing counterpoint to the Old Man Winter.  It is made with Rhum Agricole, kumquats, star anise, and lime juice.  This shaken cocktail served on the rocks has the kumquats floating in it, which gives the drink a festive look.  It is easy to drink and the combination of citrus and spices was enjoyable.

Lucky Louis

The cocktails are fairly priced at $12 (note that the Old Testament is $16), which can be a deal in the neighborhood, where many cocktails are suboptimal and overpriced.  The bar itself is comfortable and large and dominates the inside room.  Even when the room was busy, Kupchinsky and his team were able to get the cocktails flowing quickly; speed without sacrificing quality.

The menu looked attractive but as I had already eaten, I only tried one item, the chicken liver parfait with orange muscat jelly, pickles and toasts.  The chicken liver was delicious and creamy, easily spreading on the toasts.  The one drawback to this dish is that Eveleigh should serve it with more toasts.  More were brought when asked, but there seems to be an epidemic in Lo Angeles of serving dishes like steak tartare or pate with not enough toasts.  Toast is easy and cheap, please serve more.

So mosey on down Sunset Blvd, get an Old Testament and you might get lucky, or at least a Lucky Louis.  Worst case is you have some excellent cocktails and perhaps a snack to wash them down.  In any case you'll be sure to see the grumpy bartender, pouring his cold dark heart into these wonderful drinks.

The Eveleigh: 8752 West Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood.  Phone: (424) 239-1630. Website: http://theeveleigh.com/

Simplethings is satisfying

Simplethings sandwich and pie shop opened up Thanksgiving week in a spot on West 3rd Street in West Hollywood.  The menu lives up to the name of the restaurant with sandwiches, pot pies, salads, soups and sweet pies dominating the menu.

I had seen favorable reports from Zach of MidtownLunchLA and Esther of E*Star LA  and over the holidays decided to check it out for lunch to see for myself.  My dining companion and I split a bowl of roasted tomato soup, the thanksgiving sandwich and the steak and lager pot pie.

The roasted tomato soup ($3.50 for a cup, $5.50 for a bowl) was generously portioned, piping hot and delicious.  This was the perfect thing to warm up on a cold day.  The crouton in the soup was also nice and crunchy and then got wonderfully soggy.  The soup was not overly rich or creamy, rather simply tasting of roasted tomatoes.

The Thanksgiving sandiwch (roast turkey, cranberry chutney, jalapeño cornbread
stuffing, sage gravy, michetti roll) brought back the holiday meal to my plate all in one sandwich.  Hearty and flavorful.  The cornbread stuffing had some heft and the jalepano gave it an extra boost plus the roll was not overwhelming (a pet peeve is when the bread completely dominates a sandwich).  I will be back for the half sandwich and soup deal (only $10) and as much as I want to explore the menu further I suspect I will stick with the tomato soup and the thanksgiving sandwich, as they were such winners.

The steak and lager pot pie ($10) was good but not as strong as the other dishes.  As my dining companion put it, the flavors were great and spot on, but the consistency was less appealing.  I enjoyed it more than she did but still felt the Thanksgiving sandwich won the savory derby at simplethings.

I have not yet tried the pies, which come in three sizes: cutie pie (a bite), simple pie (a large slice) or big pie (full size) and each day a rotating selection of six of the fourteen varieties are on offer (see website for the pie schedule).

Simplethings: 8310 W 3rd Street, West Hollywood. Phone: (323) 592-3390.  Website: simplethingsrestaurant.com

Fall Cocktails at Dominick's

Monday night a phalanx of cocktail bloggers (including Caroline on Crack, e*star LA and ThirstyinLA) descended on the back bar at Dominick's to try the new cocktail list, which for the first time is shared by both Dominick's (West Hollywood) and its sibling establishment, Little Dom's in Los Feliz. The new cocktails were created by Nikki Sunseri of Little Dom's. We tried all of the new drinks:

The Scotch Leaf has Famous Grouse Scotch, Maple, Maple Bitters, Lemon, Egg White, Orange Peel.  This reminded me of the Japanese Maple, one of the signature drinks at the Roger Room (Yamazaki Scotch, maple syrup, lemon juice, egg white), and while it isn't up to that standard, is pretty darn tasty.  The froth of the egg white, the scotch and the maple all blend together seamlessly.

The garnish is anything but discreet on the Southside cocktail (above) made with Damrak Amsterdam Gin, Cucumber, Basil, Lemon and Simple Syrup.  With the cucumber it reminded me more of an Eastside than a Southside, but in any case it was refreshing and well balanced.  On the sweeter side of drinks I enjoy, but still recommended as the basil and cucumber cut the gin and simple nicely.

You may be shouting Ole once you take a sip of El Matador, which contains El Jimador Silver Tequila, Creme Yvette, Pressed Ginger, Simple Syrup and Lemon.  It is very light for a tequila-based cocktail although its pink color does not imply that it is simply a concoction for the fairer sex.  The tequila does not overpower the cocktail and you could find yourself drinking too many of these before you realize it.

The Italian 75 is a prosecco cocktail based on the classic French 75, containing Prosecco, Dimmi, Plymouth Gin, Simple Syrup and Lemon and served with a grapefruit peel.  The changes are the substitution of prosecco for champagne and the addition of Dimmi.

The cocktails above are all $12, with the exception of the Italian 75, which is $11.

The only beverage I tried that wasn't up to par was the Manhattan (not pictured), which was rather weak.  So stick to the drinks above and you should be a happy camper.

The back bar at Dominick's is very comfortable and seats about eight people max.  As part of a recent renovation they redid their side patio, which has a roaring fireplace and comfortable seating.  I'd recommend getting a cocktail at the front bar and relaxing outside by the fireplace or hanging out at the back bar which is open every day of the week except Monday evening.

Don't forget about the Sunday Dinner special which is 3 courses for $15, with bottles of red or white wine available for $12.  The prime seating area is the back patio, which is comfortable and relaxing.

Dominick's: 8715 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood.  Phone: (310) 652-2235.  Website: http://www.dominicksrestaurant.com/

Salt's Cure: Opening Saturday

Tomorrow Salt's Cure, a new restaurant and butcher shop, will open on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood. Initially it will be open for lunch during the week and brunch on the weekends, and should be open for dinner service around Labor Day. Note that Salt's Cure is closed on Tuesdays.

The brunch menu this weekend will include dishes like biscuits and gravy with fried eggs on top as well as oatmeal pancakes with cinnamon butter on top, from a recipe by the mother of one of the chefs.



Salt's Cure is a small restaurant and will have a highly edited menu focusing on cured meats and local ingredients. The lunch menu will be mostly sandwiches, soups and salads. Expect to see sandwiches like pulled pork, corned beef, and BLTs. There is a small butcher case (pictured below) in the front of the restaurant, of which 100% of the contents are sourced from California producers.



The two partners in the business are Zak Walters (pictured below) and Chris Phelps, who used to work together at The Hungry Cat. Walters said the food they serve will be very clean and simple, with no smoke and mirrors. "We are doing a small menu, so with everything we do, we can hit a high note," he commented. Phelps added that the small menu will rotate, as they offer different dishes, although certain offerings will likely have a permanent home on the menu.



In addition to sourcing locally, the duo's philosophy is to source exceptional quality ingredients from people that are excelling in what they do. Walters is from Oklahoma and brought a love of smoking meats and fish to the operation and Phelps is from Baltimore and has a passion for making pates, terrines and rillettes. Pictured below is the bacon produced in house.



Salt's Cure is a neighborhood spot with ambition, rather than a destination restaurant. It is a small operation with owner operators who are excited to share their love of food, especially meats, with their customers.

Salt's Cure: 7494 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood. Phone: (323) 850-7258. Website: www.saltscure.com

Fried chicken @ Tender Greens WeHo

On a recommendation from a friend, I recently ventured to the Tender Greens on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood to try their fried chicken. The chicken is described as "Southern Fried Chicken" and is offered as the centerpiece of a "big salad" or as a hot plate.

I opted for the hot plate and got sides of corn on the cob and a simple arugula salad. The plate also comes with a crouton like piece of garlic bread. ($10.50). The corn had marks from the grill (a good sign) but wasn't as sweet as I would have liked, perhaps because it is still early in the season. The arugula salad was refreshing.

The chicken is boneless breast meat. It is served warm, not hot. If you get it in the salad, it is cut up. The chicken was fine but lacked a real depth of flavor.

Tender Greens does a lot of things well and is one of the best values in the city in casual dining; fried chicken is just not something that I'd recommend getting there. If you get the flat iron steak or the albacore tuna, you can't go wrong.

Tender Greens West Hollywood: 8759 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood. Phone: (323) 358-1919. Website: www.tendergreensfood.com

Roe Roe Roe Your Yacht: Petrossian

Petrossian has long been known as a purveyor of caviar, roe and smoked salmon. Last year the West Hollywood boutique and restaurant reopened and brought on Benjamin Bailly, the former sous chef at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, to create a menu that highlighted their signature offerings.

Bailly was nominated for a James Beard Rising Star Chef in February of this year and participated in the Star Chefs event at the Miramar hotel in Santa Monica in March, both of which raised his profile among the foodie and blogger set significantly. I had been meaning to try his food for a long time and when I realized that my Black Board Eats offer for 30% of a meal at Petrossian was going to expire, I took the plunge and stopped in for an impromptu feast.

My first course was the "Crispy Egg" with cipolini onion soubise (a bechamel sauce with pureed onion), smoked salmon, caviar. It is shown above with the soft boiled egg, which had been coated with panko (Japanese bread crumbs), cut open. I enjoyed the somewhat runny egg, although I would have preferred it slightly less cooked so that the yolk would run over the plate more. The crispy panko, the runny egg, the soft puree and the salty roe and smoked salmon made for a complex but satisfying dish.

My second course was the Napoleon Tartare: hand sliced steak tartare with a layer of caviar in the center and a dollop of caviar on top. This was served with crispy toasts and some greens. The caviar added a nice textural element to the classic steak tartare, by providing the "pop" of the roe in addition to the soft meat and the crunchy cracker. It was a different kind of dish than the more traditional version found at Comme Ca etc. While playful, most times I think I would prefer a well executed traditional tartare.

Last but not least was the Smoked Salmon Pizzette, with creme fraiche, red onions, capers, and generous dollops of caviar. The creme fraiche played the role that tomato sauce would play in a traditional pizza, with the salmon standing in for the cheese. The dish is a take on the Wolfgang Puck classic smoked salmon pizza from Spago, which has been one of Puck's signature dishes since the early 1980s. The salmon was very high quality and the pizzette crust was very thin, like a cracker. The size of the pizzette is large; this dish is meant for sharing. As with the other dishes, it was beautifully presented.

I was pleased to see that the restaurant was full; one can usually walk in as the packed restaurant was unfortunately not the norm. The manager Chris provided excellent service throughout the meal. The space is quite modern and was completely redone last year. Bailly is quite talented and I look forward to trying more of his dishes, particularly if his menu continues to evolve. This cafe is much more than a spot to buy caviar and while it is possible to spend as much on a meal as on a mortgage payment, there are delicious options for sailboat as well as yacht class budgets.

Petrossian: 321 North Robertson, West Hollywood. Telephone: (310) 271-6300. Website: www.petrossian.com

Bastide - comfortable luxury

The latest incarnation of Bastide opened in December for lunch and in February for dinner. Bastide has been a revolving door of chefs and concepts since it opened to the public in 2002. Owner Joe Pytka has been described as very demanding but someone who gets results, which is why he has been a go-to director for difficult and creative comemrcial shoots for years. The 4 previous incarnations of Bastide have all been different, ambitious, expensive and formal.

Joseph Mahon is the 5th chef to helm the jewel box of a ship and he occupies the captian's chair with self assurance and confidence. He has evolved his menu over the past 3 months, with a strong emphasis on the seasonal and fresh. The plates are beautifully arranged but not overwrought, no Sona daintiness here. He has supplemented the printed menu with a series of specials reflecting ideas he is working on or great meat/produce he got his hands on in limited quantities.



Mahon most recently worked at the undistinguished 208 Rodeo, but previously worked at Sona in Los Angeles and Cafe Boulud and Bouley in New York, an impressive resume. David Bouley is a great chef but is also notoriously difficult to work for, so Ptyka is not the first tough boss that Mahon has had in his culinary career.

Over the course of eight meals in the past three months I have had the opportunity to sample many dishes on Manhon's menus. I have been there more often than not for lunch on Tuesdays since the new year. The service started out fine and has improved over time. Sommelier/manager Dario Dell'Anno is an excellent host and knows his list inside and out. He is often looking to introduce his customers to wines they haven't had before or wines from unusual regions, whether a white wine from Croatia or a smooth Zweigelt from Austria. The price point on the wines is also very approachable - unlike many of its peers, you will not struggle to find a wine for less than $50 at Bastide. There is not a wine by the glass list but Dario is always eager to find a glass of something that will work with what I have ordered when we are not up to a whole bottle.



Hands down my favorite dish on the menu is the Yellowtail, simply described on the menu as yellowtail, shaved vegetables. I have had this dish perhaps four times as I find it hard to resist. The vegetables usually include radish, green string beans, and asparagus and some individual green beans, with some diced nuts on top. The presentation is beautiful and the barely seared hamachi is just beautiful; something a sushi restaurant would be proud to serve. At $14 this dish is a great value and one of the chef's signatures.

Risotto is a tough dish to get right as it is so easy for it to become gloppy. The red wine risotto with mushrooms is a rich and hearty dish. I have had it several times as it is one of my favorites on the menu. I believe it has recently been cycled off in favor of the more seasonal Champagne Artichoke risotto, which if it is in the same league as the red wine risotto, I recommend.



Soups have also been a strong point. The winter onion soup with beef shank has been cycled off in favor of a potato soup. Recently a special of corn soup was on offer. The soup was sweet but not cloyingly so and had little bits of orange in it as well as a small amount of basil. It had a thinner consistency than I was expecting and hinted at the bounty of summer to come.

Hiding amongst the composed salads section of the menu is a Frisee salad with bacon, poached egg, crispy chicken thighs, shallot vinaigrette. I had this dish without the bacon. The poached egg sits atop the frisee salad with the fried chicken thighs to the side on the rectangular plate. The poached egg yolk gooily coats the salad once the egg white is pierced. Unlike Jonathan Gold who recently mentioned in an NPR interview that the only thing he does not eat is eggs, I love them, especially runny yolks. The fried chicken is crispy but not too salty. My only fault with the dish is that it feels like two pieces rather than one unified whole.

The baby lamb dish is very good. It includes loin cooked medium rare into slices, a large raviolo with forcemeat, ground shank and shoulder, peeled baby tomatoes, sliced cucumber, cooked greens and fried polenta. I was told that the raviolo component of the dish may be shrunk, to greater emphasize the lamb itself. The meat had a lot of "lamby" flavor, just a hint of gaminess. The polenta was the only part of the dish I did not care for. It was just an odd consistency.



Another favorite is the beef tenderloin tartare tartine (now thats an alliterative mouthful). The beef tartare is served on a flatbread open faced sandwich. The beef flavor comes through and the other components play a supporting role. (N.B. the beef tartare at the Tar Pit on La Brea is ill conceived as the Worcestershire sauce is all you can taste, so avoid that dish and get your tartare fix at Bastide, or the excellent version at Church & State). I have also tried the Smoked Salmon tartine, but it is rather boring and seems designed for those looking for something light and inoffensive, a sop to the ladies who lunch.

The only dish I have not enjoyed at all is the burger, which was just too rich and didn't really taste like a burger should. I have seen people at other tables order it and devour them, but it is not a dish I can recommend.

One last dish to think about is the foie gras special, which is almost always available off menu. He sources his foie from Sonoma Artisan Foie Gras, which is run by the Gonzalezes, a couple from El Salvador. Outstanding. After the hamachi, this is among the best dishes. You can see it pictured here.

Chef Mahon has a blog at which he updates his weekly specials. Check it out here to find out what tricks Joseph has up his sleeve this week.


Bastide is located on Melrose Place, just off La Cienega. It is only 2 blocks long and is quiet, a retreat from the hustle and bustle just around the corner. When it is warm enough, you can't beat the seating in the patio, which is right off the street. The main dining room only has 6 or so tables, so it has an intimate feeling, like you are at a dinner party at the home of a wealthy friend.

Pictures are top to bottom: Bastide exterior, the housemade butter served with radish, the yellowtail appetizer, corn soup, baby lamb entree, beet salad, lemon custard dessert.

Bastide is located at 8475 Melrose Place @ La Cienega. Phone: (323) 651-5950. Website: www.bastidela.com