Heaven Hill Whiskey Dinner at Upper West (10/26)

If you like whiskey and are known to eat food now and then, the Heaven Hill whiskey dinner next Wednesday night (October 26th) at Upper West might be just the thing you are looking for.  The $55 five course dinner is paired with a different American whiskey for each course.

The dinner is limited to 40 people and will be hosted by Andie Brokaw from Heaven Hill who has collaborated with Nick Shipp, the Executive Chef of Upper West.  The pairing I am most excited about is the Chicken & Waffle made with jidori chicken and coffee spiced waffle that is paired with Elijah Craig 12 Year Bourbon Whiskey.  I may not usually be a dessert fan, but finishing up the meal with a fennel apple cobbler paired with Rittenhouse Rye might just make me a convert.

Heaven Hill is the largest independent whiskey producer in the United States and has a portfolio of brands that are none too shabby.  Brokaw will speak about the history of the whiskey brands served with the meal, how and where they are produced, and what the rules are that govern whiskey, rye, bourbon etc in the US.

To make a reservation contact Upper West at (310) 586-1111.

Upper West: 3221 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica.  Website:http://www.theupperwest.com/

Second Take: Ilan Hall Develops the Menu at Urbano Pizza

Last month Ilan Hall, the chef of The Gorbals in downtown LA and the winner of season 2 of Top Chef, has joined Urbano Pizza Bar, the downtown pizza spot that opened this summer to positive reviews.  At Urbano he has partnered with Chef Josh Moser on expanding and revamping the menu (he is still at The Gorbals as well).

Hall is excited to be working with the huge oven, saying "you have a lot of freedom with a wood burning oven.  We want to use the oven as much as possible.  There are two ovens and we can't just be using the wood burning ovens for pizza."

He has changed the flour to a higher gluten blend, which makes the crust of the pizzas crisper.  Hall and Moser have also been using leftover pizza dough to make open-faced sandwiches.  Below is the meatballs with warm pizza bread, which was delicious.  The meatballs are made with all beef and the sauce was full of flavor.  It is great to see pork-free meatballs on a menu.

The margherita pie ($12) is made with fresh mozzarella, hand crushed tomato and petit basil.  The pie was well executed.  The crust was firm enough and the sauce again was good; I would have preferred just a little more of the mozzarella cheese.

The Testa Verde pizza ($13) is one of the more unusual pizzas I have tasted in that it uses Irish cheddar as the base.  There is no tomato sauce on this pie.  Instead, baby spinach and herbed ricotta as well as the aforementioned cheddar are the toppings.  The cheddar was surprisingly good, mellower than I was expecting and I preferred this pie to the margherita.

Hall and Moser's collaboration is bearing fruit and they have been experimenting with putting more and more dishes into the wood burning ovens, including potatoes, lasagna, artichokes and corn.  The wood used in the ovens is almond wood, which is reasonably priced, less smokey and doesn't pop.

My favorite pie is the Mushroom Ricotta pizza with mushroom oil, eggs and bottarga.  The eggs are runny and delicious and ample enough to coat the pie.  The mushrooms are enhanced by the mushroom oil and the whole concoction is a decadent pie worth going out of your way for.

If it is on the menu when you go, a visit to Urbano is not complete without trying the Nutella dessert, pictured below.  It is made with fresh pizza dough with carmelized raw sugar, sweet ricotta with cream, sweetened and creamed nutella.  I am not a dessert guy, but I'd happily have this on a regular basis as it is not too sweet but the chocolate comes through.

All in all, Hall has rounded out the offerings at Urbano, enhancing the pizzas and expanding the menu with fun and approachable offerings.  There is a happy hour from 5 - 7 pm with six dollar margherita pizzas and four dollar draft beers, both of which are great deals.  Urbano is a great addition to the downtown dining scene and at dinner it is easy to get a table.  At lunch they also offer pizza by the slice, which is priced at $6 for two slices.  Tables are communal.

My visit was hosted.

Urbano Pizza: 630 W. 6th St @ Hope St, DTLA.  Phone: (213) 614-1900.  Web: www.urbanopizzabar.com

Fall Cocktails At La Descarga Arrive Via Havana

Although you wouldn't know it from the heatwave, fall has arrived at La Descarga and fresh cocktails have come to town straight from Havana on a Pan Am flight.  For the first time Pablo Moix and Steve Livigni, who jointly created the cocktail program at La Descarga, left the list in the capable hands of head bartender Kenny Arbuckle (below), with the assist of a couple of his colleagues  What better way to beat the heat than by sipping several of these refreshing cocktails?

Kenny Arbuckle

My favorite of the list is the L.A. Lupe, made with Leblon cachaca, Velvet Falernum, St. Vincent's coconut, lime juice, and tonic.  The cocktail is served up in a highball glass with ice.  This drink is not technically new, but was a La Descarga favorite that has been brought back from retirement, and with good reason as the clean flavor entices sip after sip.

LA Lupe 

Another crowd pleaser is the Blood and Samba, a Caribbean take on the classic Blood and Sand.  In this version, cachaca stands in for the Scotch, alongside Cherry Heering, Carpano Antica and Orange Juice.  This shaken cocktail was served in a coupe and garnished with a lemon peel.  There is a lot going on in this drink and fans of classic cocktails should particularly enjoy this twist.

Blood and Samba

Other cocktails on the new list include:

Cartographer: El Dorado 12 Year Rum, Cynar, Angostura Bitters, Cane Sugar

Bermuda Swizzle: Goslings Dark Rum, Velvet Falernum, Lime Juice, Sugar, Angostura Bitters, Pineapple

Martinique Smuggler: Clement Priemere Canne Rhum Agricole, Disaronno Amaretto, Orgeat, Grapefruit Juice, Lime Juice

Avesta: Bulleit Rye, Benedictine, Lime Juice, Angostura Bitters and topped with Ginger Beer

Onbeat: House Spitis 100% Barley White Dog Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Mang-Basil Syrup, Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters

Circumnavigate: Blanco Tequila, Lime Juice, Tamarind Syrup, Bitter Truth Xocolatl Syrup, Ghost Pepper Salt

Maguey Sour: Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Benedictine, Orgeat, Lemon Juice, Egg White, Garnished with Grated Nutmeg

Aperol M’ama: Encanto Pisco, Aperol, Lime Juice, Sugar

La Descarga has added several noteable rums to their program, including Plantation, Rum Abuelo and Rhum Clement and their total selection is now more than 100.  If you can't find a rum to satisfy your craving, then you aren't looking hard enough.  And on Wednesday nights, there is a new live band (the Conganas) playing samba and vintage Latin music, perfect for dancing the evening away.

Maguey Sour

La Descarga: 1159 Western Blvd, Hollywood.  Phone: (323) 466-1324.  Website: www.ladescargala.com

Happy Hour Arrives at Bar Bouchon

Bar Bouchon in Beverly Hills has a new happy hour menu that should put smiles on many hungry folks faces.  I may not be able to order a Petit Sandwich au Fromage Grille with a straight face, (that would be grilled cheese to the English speaking residents of LA) but $6 for a grilled cheese sandwich on brioche is not a bad deal for the 90210.  Even better, the French take on a Steak Tartare sounds delicious and savory with capers and cornichons ($9).

The setting on a pocket park facing the Montage Hotel has the feel of a quiet corner in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.  So heft up your $5 brew and dig into your steak tartare.  There is much to be happy about with this menu.  Monday - Friday from 4 - 7 pm.

Bar Bouchon: 235 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills.  Phone: (310) 271-9910.

LA's Best Bartender Competition is this Weekend

This Sunday the five finalists in Table 20's LA's Best Bartender Competition 2011 will battle it out at Elevate Lounge in DTLA for the crown of best bartender.  Not only does the winner get bragging rights, but a billboard here in Los Angeles with their picture on it announcing them as the winner.  If that wasn't enough, the winner will receieve an all expenses paid trip next year to their choice of Tales of the Cocktail, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic or the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

How can you participate?  You can attend the competition and vote for which one of the five finalists created the best Karlsson's Gold Vodka cocktail.  Tickets are $25 and are available here.  Attendees will get seven drink tickets to sample the finalists cocktails, get to try Ice Ice Shavie snowcones from Damian Windsor, munch on some shnazzy snacks and vote for the best beverage.  The event is this Sunday from 3:30 - 7:30 pm at Elevate Lounge, 811 Wilshire Blvd, 21st Floor, DTLA.

The finalists are:

Joe Brooke, Next Door Lounge - People's Choice
http://labestbartender.strutta.com/entry/187370

Justin Pike, The Tasting Kitchen - Judges' Selection
http://labestbartender.strutta.com/entry/189751

Brian Summers, Harvard & Stone - Karlsson's Cocktail Challenge Winner
http://labestbartender.strutta.com/entry/188560

Devon Tarby, The Varnish - Judges' Selection
http://labestbartender.strutta.com/entry/187122

Daniel Zacharczuk, Bar | Kitchen - Karlsson's Cocktail Challenge Winner
http://labestbartender.strutta.com/entry/187406

Remember, tickets can be purchased online at http://labestbartender.eventbrite.com/

Learn more about the finalists in the video below, courtesy of Table 20 and LASates.com

Komida, tacos from Yamashiro's Chef Brock, Opens Tonight

If you have been to the weekly Farmers' Market at Yamashiro, then you have likely seen the lines for the creative tacos created and prepared by Yamashiro Executive Chef Brock Kleweno.  Now you no longer have to take the shuttle up to the mountain; the mountain (or at least the tacos) are coming to you.  Beginning tonight, Chef Kleweno's tacos will have a home of their own at Komida, in the Hollywood & Highland complex.

As of now, Komida is only opem Thursday nights (5 pm - 9 pm) and Saturday mornings (10 am - 2 pm) but sources say that days and hours will likely expand next month.  Expect to find tacos with Asian fillings inspired not by the ubiquitous Korean taco joints but by the food at Yamashiro, so Miso Sake Black Cod and Spiced Hoisin Duck Confit are among the delectable choices.  The tacos are $4-6 each and for the first time Kleweno is now offering his salsas for sale, in glass jars.

Beer, wine and sangria will all be available to wash down a plate full of tacos. This could be the perfect pre-Library Bar stop, for cocktail enthusiasts.  Alas, for now Komida is cash-only, with an on-site ATM.

To celebrate the opening of Komida, all customers who purchase a taco before 8:30 pm tonight will be entered into a drawing for Tacos for a Year.  The lucky winner gets three free tacos each week at Komida for a whole year.  Only one entry per customer and the winner will be announced at 8:45.

Komida: 1738 N. Orange Drive, Hollywood.  Twitter: @komida_la  Facebook: Komida.LA 

Tiki Night at the Spare Room Tonight!

Tiki Night at The Spare Room is tonight!  The bar with a bowling alley atop the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is hosting a special island-themed blowout in honor of Aidan Demarest's last night as General Manager.  Guest bartenders Marcos Tello of the Varnish and John Lermayer (The Florida Room) will be concocting tiki drinks featuring Kraken Rum for your sipping pleasure.  If only for tonight, find yourself on a tropical island and relax with a cocktail befitting festivities such as these.  Wear a grass skirt for bonus points.


The fun begins at 10 pm and lasts until close or until Aidan & Marcos fall over.  This is a party not to be missed!


Spare Room: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd. Phone: (323) 769-7296.  Website:  www.spareroomhollywood.com

Twitter:  @SpareRoomHwood
Facebook:  facebook.com/SpareRoomHwood