Ground Beef & Pickle Tacos @ Malo Cantina

I recently stopped by Malo Cantina in Silverlake for a margarita and a snack. The bartender (Rhachel Shaw) told me that the ground beef and pickle hard shell tacos (2 for $6) were among the most popular items on the menu. I was skeptical of whether they would be good, worried that they might be Tito's Tacos style tacso, which were the last hard shell tacos I had eaten, and which I thought were terrible.



I am not one to dwell on authenticity as long as the food tastes good, and these ground beef and pickle tacos tasted good. If you like pickles and you like tacos, then these could be the snack/meal for you. On Mondays, which are Taco Nights at Malo, these tacos are only $2 each. Later this fall, a second Malo will be opening beneath Seven Grand, in downtown Los Angeles.

Malo Cantina: 4326 W Sunset, in Silverlake. Phone: (323) 664-1011. malorestaurant.com

Domaine de Canton Cocktail Competition

Last week many of the top bartenders in town gathered in the Fedora Room at First & Hope, the new restaurant, bar and music venue downtown, to compete for the title of best cocktail and for $500 towards this week's Manhattan Cocktail Classic. Each contestant had to create an original cocktail featuring Domaine de Canton, a ginger liqueur.



The judges for the competition included Alex Day, formerly of Death & Co and soon to be of an upcoming Dave Kaplan bar in Los Angeles, and Caroline of Caroline on Crack, both pictured above. The other two judges (not pictured) were Domaine de Canton founder John Cooper and Professional Drinker and author Dan Dunn. Each judge sampled an original drink from each of the dozen contestants before setting on the winner.


Contestants included those pictured above (Rhachel Shaw of Malo Cantina, Daniel Eun of the Varnish, and Joe Brooke of the Edison) as well as bartenders from the Edison, Copa d'Oro, Roger Room, SoHo house and others.

In an unusual twist the winning cocktail recipe was represented by someone other than its creator. Damian Windsor's beverage was represented and shaken by his wife Rebecca, and won first place.


Always the consummate host, Aidan Demarest, the beverage director for First & Hope and half of Tello/Demarest Liquid Assets, is pictured above with Domaine de Canton founder John Cooper.

For further coverage of this event, see Caroline's post.

To learn more about Domaine de Canton, visit their website http://www.domainedecanton.com/
First & Hope: 710 West 1st Street @ Hope St. Phone: (213) 617-8555. Website: firstandhope.com/