Comments on: Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: The Los Angeles Bar Stumble, Downtown Edition

By: Marleigh

Marleigh — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:00:55 +0000

I actually kind of like the limited approach in a cocktail bar. There’s something reassuring about knowing that you can order something made well because the bartenders are specialists; that’s one of the reasons I love Seven Grand. It’s great to walk into a bar and know that you can order pretty much anything on the menu and it’ll be fantastic, while whatever you’d get with their single well gin or vodka is going to pale in comparison to even their bottom-shelf Old Fashioned. Granted, I’m also a whisk(e)y lover. :)

By: mattatouille

mattatouille — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:47:36 +0000

matty’s also a great bartender. The Association is decided non-mixology in that they choose to stick to the drinks they have on the menu rather than trying to tailor to your taste (or what you’re in the mood for). I think that means is that while they have capable bartenders, they’d rather retain the quality and keep to the drinks they KNOW how to make rather than branching out. That said, the quality of the drinks are definitely better than the average cocktail bar, though they’re obviously limited because of their approach. And still, the decor/ambiance of the place is unbeatable, especially on a weeknight (when there aren’t ridiculous crowds). As you can tell, i like quiet cocktail bar/lounges. If i want to have “fun”, i’ll go to a dive haha

By: Marleigh

Marleigh — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:44:50 +0000

Chris and Marcos are both excellent bartenders, though everyone on staff at The Varnish has made me a great drink once or twice in the past, especially Matty and, of course, Eric.

Not sure I understand what you mean about The Association—how will they not customize drinks?

By: mattatouille

mattatouille — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:39:14 +0000

Godo point about the hipsters at The Varnish. We were there on Saturday night and it was busting at the seams! However, on a quiet weeknight, I’ve had the best cocktails there. Monday through Wednesday or later on Thursday is your best bet. Marcos Tello or Chris Ojeda make superb drinks if giving the time. Unfortunately The Varnish’s hand-crafted old school system doesn’t allow for quick output of drinks.

BTW, the association will not customize drinks – they only make what’s on their menu, but the drinks they do have are quite good.

By: Marleigh

Marleigh — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:31:55 +0000

Rich: I have not visited The Association. I actually don’t go out drinking very much, as I don’t work or live near downtown or any other place with a quality cocktail bar. Next time I’m in the area I’ll give it a shot, though.

Matt: The Varnish is an excellent bar but I’m afraid that the bar’s standards will be ground down by the crowds of hipsters who patronize bars for scene points rather than great drinks. Only time will tell, but in the meantime it’s a great place to get a drink.

By: mattatouille

mattatouille — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:31:18 +0000

hi there, ran into your blog through Foodbuzz. I totally hear you on the downtown cocktail bar scene. I’ve been to nearly all of the above but I need to check out Church & State now that the program’s a bit settled in. Also you might know that The Varnish is easily one of the best bars in the city, if not the country (or at least heading that way). Great writeup, I plan to do a review of the downtown scene myself soon.

By: Rich

Rich — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:36:22 +0000

Have you tried the Association yet? It’s right next door to Cole’s (black door marked only by the address, ’110′) and they can make a great cocktail.

Looks like you guys hit up some of the best places around – wish I could’ve been there!

By: Marleigh

Marleigh — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:32:57 +0000

One of the great things about good cocktails is that you can make them at home, anytime you like, even when you have great bars at your disposal. :)

By: Nurit - 1 family. friendly. food.

Nurit - 1 family. friendly. food. — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 03:26:45 +0000

Great review.
Oh, this makes me want a good drink right NOW…

By: Marleigh

Marleigh — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:48:21 +0000

The Bols is really great—I enjoy it more than many other genevers I’ve tried. If you can get a bottle of the Citadelle Reserve, grab it! It’s exceptional.

By: AK

AK — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:30:59 +0000

Marleigh – I’ve been keeping my eyes open for the Bols, but it seems that genever in general is in pretty short supply in Chicago. I’ve also been fiending to try that Citadelle Reserve gin…

By: Marleigh

Marleigh — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:51:23 +0000

AK—Glad you liked 7G! Isn’t it just, well, grand? You really have to know when you can get a good cocktail at the Edison for it to be worth the trip. It’s unfortunate that the bartender didn’t know what to do with the Bols Genever; it’s really a fantastic product and if you can get your hands on some I can recommend some recipes to try at home.

Duo—Thanks! Glad I could turn you on to some new places. I have more up my sleeve for other parts of the city (and I haven’t even thought about the Valley yet), so there should be more bars for you to try soon.

PS, Chuck uploaded his photos to Flickr, and he actually got a great shot of the fabled Picon Punch: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sazerac/

By: The Duo Dishes

The Duo Dishes — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:44:18 +0000

We live in L.A. and don’t even know all of these bars…but Downtown has always been a bit of a mystery to those who don’t live there. It has such an awesome life though if you find the good spots. Big thanks and great 24 post!

By: AK

AK — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:18:36 +0000

I was one of those inquisitive LA folks.

I hit up 7G on your recommendation back in June, and loved it – we had some juleps (with Woodford! I like a place that keeps a bottle of Woodford with a speed-pour top) and Sazeracs, and my non-whiskey-drinking friend got a great big Ramos fizz in a beautiful goblet, topped with grated nutmeg.

I wandered into the Edison when I was home for the holidays and, though I loved the space and style, was really disappointed by the drinking. I imagine that Tello can throw down proper, but the bartending staff as a whole… I tried to order a Last Word but the bartender didn’t know the recipe, and when I gave him the proportions informed me that they didn’t have green Chartreuse. My eye then fell on a bottle of Bols Genever, which I’d never had, and I asked him what he could do with it. He responded that they didn’t have any drinks for the Genever. In some confusion I ordered off of the regular menu and found the drink to be depressingly regular.

Next time I’m back in LA I definitely plan on exploring the menu at Varnish – sounds pretty excellent from the things I’ve heard.

By: Marleigh

Marleigh — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:06:41 +0000

Thanks Hal! 7G is amazing—if I lived Downtown I probably wouldn’t ever leave.

Matt, I’m sure the next few will be interesting given that none of us have been to all of the new places yet. Should make for an interesting expedition!