I was visiting a friend on the west side of LA recently and looking for a place to grab a bite and a glass when he mentioned Bar Pintxo as a “cool little spot that served Spanish Wine”. “Stop right there…” I interrupted him, “…you had me at hello”.If you’ve spent any time on the site, you know I’ve been on a Spanish kick for some time, so I was sold pretty quickly on checking out a wine bar that was dedicated to Spain. What I found was a pretty cool spot to eat as well. Pintxo means ‘’skewer’ in the Basque language of Northern Spain, but apparently in Santa Monica it means tasty small dishes and excellent Spanish wine.

The skewer, by the way, is quite prevalent in Bar Pintxo- lots of small plates and finger foods, many held together with a skewer (toothpick).

We sat down and were greeted with a plate of ‘Dates Wrapped in Bacon with Cabralas Cheese’ (are you kidding me?) They were delicious. Orders of ‘Chorizo and Fried Quail Eggs’, ‘ Tuna Stuffed Tomato, Garlic and Parsley’ and ‘ Grilled Shrimp, Piquillo Pepper, Tomato Conserve, Yogurt & Caviar’ followed soon thereafter. It seemed as though there were a million small plates; and we rocked them all. All the food was fresh, flavorful and well presented. And at $5-$8 each it was a sure bet the check would be easy to swallow. Oh, and did I mention the wine?

Dates wrapped in bacon

Let me start by saying that putting ‘by-the-glass’ and ‘Spanish’ in the same sentence doesn’t always produce positive results. Some trendy wine bars in any-town USA have taken advantage of the average patron who have heard ‘Spanish’ as the new wine buzzword but who don’t know what good Spanish wine tastes like. They serve really inexpensive, generic Tempranillo and in the end Spanish wine gets a bad rap (it would be like offering California wine-by-the-glass at a wine bar in Europe and pouring Two-Buck-Chuck (all due respect to the folks at Charles Shaw)). But I digress…

The friendly staff at Bar Pintxo should be commended on their patience; I asked for six different ‘tastes’ before I made my by-the-glass choice (what can I say, I’m thorough). In my defense, there are a lot of choices. The menu offered a plethora of whites, reds and Cavas from all over Spain: Montsant, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Bierzo, Toro, Rioja, Penedes, Rias-Baixas, Rueda… (I could go on). Highlights from those that I actually drank (and those that I ‘tasted’):

2005 Do Ferreiro-Albarino-from Rias Baixas- Strong citrus and minerals on the nose and on the palate; crisp and refreshing.

2000 Rotllan Torra-Reserva from Priorat – A big, bad red that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Dark fruit with a dusting of oak, a blend of Cabernet, Grenache and Carignan.

2003 Ostatu-Crianza from Rioja- Tasty! A basket o’ berries, with spice and mocha; a blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo,Grenache and Graciano.

2004 Joan d’Anguera Finca l’Argata from Montsant- I like blueberries and that’s what this bad boy tastes like, with notes of mineral and spice. Reportedly made from the oldest Syrah vines in Spain with a bit of Cabernet and Grenache for good measure.

With the average price of the glasses we had hovering around $10 (and many glasses on the menu in the $6-$8 range), the bill was much smaller than we expected.

All in all a great time was had by all. Bar Pintxo has small plates, good prices and a big selection of Spanish wines. If you find yourself on the west side of Los Angeles, swing by and have a glass. As I type this blog, I’m reading a note on their website touting a daily happy hour special from 4-6:00PM that involves 6 tapas for $6.00. “…you had me at hello…”

So I was sitting at the wine bar at Ruth Chris Steak House last night, and someone offered to pick up the tab on a couple ‘good glasses of wine’.  Never one to turn down free wine, I gave him the thumbs up…

Next thing I knew, I had a glass of 2003 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in my hand…. NICE! I’ve been a fan of the Silver Oak (be it the Alexander Valley or the Napa) for many moons.

Right away the familiar layered aromas of chocolate, cherry and spices filled my nose, with a hint of something a little green. Hmmm; a bit young and OF COURSE… We’re drinking it by the glass with NO DECANTER. Lots of dark fruit, with some cherry and caramel on the palette, but still that young, tight feeling, hampering the finish and leaving me with a feeling that there would be so much more if we could just DECANT.

And I can say this with confidence because we had some at a tasting just a few months ago, out of the decanter, and I was able to taste this wine it all of it’s glory.

The lessons here? 1. The Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet is fantastic, but the 2003 is still young and needs to be decanted. 2. When ordering wine in a restaurant, get a bottle (so you can decant) or if you’re only ordering by the glass, stick with the less expensive stuff.

I’m just sayin’…

It was a Friday night, and I took ‘the long way home’ veering North and driving through the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. This took my right past my new favorite place to grab a glass: Little Dom’s on Hillhurst, just south of Los Feliz boulevard. I pulled over to meet the boys for a nightcap, or two.  They were seated at the bar, holding court.

It’s no surprise that I Iike Little Dom’s. The original Dominicks on Beverly Boulevard, where ‘Frank Sinatra used to go’ has been a haunt of mine for years (any Italian restaurant in LA that’s been around for a minute claims that ‘Frank Sinatra used to go there’; apparently Frank ate out a lot and liked variety).

The menu at Little Dom’s is good, no-nonsense, fresh and delicious Italian-American fare.  And unlike many LA restaurants, there is a reasonably-priced, well-thought-out,  cuisine-appropriate wine list, and that no doubt is thanks to wine director/sommelier-extrordinaire Susan Brink.  I have to give Susan props because A.)  She knows her stuff, B). the wine I had this Friday night was RIDICULOUS, C). she also co-owns a great wine/gift shop in Hollywood called Venokado and D). back in the day when she used to tend bar, she saved me from embarassment and ensured that I would be able to drive home safely by secretly serving me SHOTS OF WATER every time my buddy Dave ordered ‘another round of tequilla shots’ at the bar.

By the time I arrived, my buddy Doug had aleady ordered a bottle of the 2001 Ciu Ciu “Esperanto” Montepulciano.  This wine is crazy:  complex dark fruits on the nose opened my eyes the second I took a sniff… The dark fruit continues on the palatte with an undertone of warm, semi-sweet chocolate.  It’s textured and heavy and it was exactly what I needed on a Friday evening after a laborious week.  The bottle emptied quickly.

Before I could blink, a bottle of 2004 Topanga Vineyards Syrah was being poured into our glasses.  A fruity, peppery nose was followed by berries and spice in my mouth.  It was balanced with light tannins- a tasty wine indeed, and shockingly enough the four of us put that one away pretty quickly too.

I figured we should try one more before I officially donned my nightcap and disappeared into the shadows, so on the bartenders recommendation I chose the 2004 Canalicchio di Sopra “Rosso di Montalcino”. This ‘baby brunello’ was no joke- it was big, dark and chewy. Dark, smokey berries on the palette and tannins o’ plenty.  I almost forgot to mention that somehow plates of meatballs doused in sauce and Parmesan had made it in front of us by now, and this wine washed ‘em down like it was nobody’s business.

After mopping up the sauce with a peice of bread and savoring the last drop of wine, I saluted the boys and headed out into the night, satisfied with my fill of wine and meatballs…

I have to gently remind my wife to read the blog (so she can appreciate the hard work I’m doing every time I get the corkscrew out) but I really hope she reads today’s entry more than any of the others…

My good friend Joseph Uliano just celebrated his birthday, and his wife decided to give him a birthday that he would never forget:  an incredible culinary/wine journey through Paso Robles. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind blogging about it and he happily obliged.

…and Joe knows a thing or two about food and wine; he’s a partner of Il Sole, a highly rated Italian hotspot on the Sunset strip in West Hollywood with a wine list that will knock your socks off.

His birthday weekend to this gorgeous Central California wine region culminated with a meal fit for a king at Artisan, an acclaimed restaurant in downtown Paso.  Run by the Kobayashi family, Executive Chef Chris, Generel Manager Michael and Wine Director Shandi, Artisan prides itself on supporting the Paso Robles community by having a menu that “…combines the very best of the superb local fare.”

I should mention that his trip was arranged by Joe’s lovely wife Sophie Uliano, author of the New York Times Best selling book:  “Gorgeously Green”, who met the Artisan team when she was in Paso Robles doing research for her newest book.

Joe’s blog below is in a shade of gray with notes from the Executive chef in green italics.

WIthout further ado, take it away Joe….

I must say I recently had one of the best birthday dinners of all time…and I have had a few.  My wife Sophie arranged a surprise dinner at “The Artisan” restaurant in Paso Robles and took me on a road trip to get there.

I would later find out, that It all centered around a 7 course “Locals Only” menu that Sophie and Artisan’s Michael Kobayashi had arranged far in advance.  The challenge was that every thing had to be local, wine included…  Of course I had no knowledge of this until sitting down and being handed the menu.

We had been on the road spa hopping for a few days as we made our way into Paso Robles.  Each stop was a well orchestrated surprise.  On the second day, my birthday, we rolled right into the beautiful town square to the Hotel Cheval.

As we checked into our room,  one of the first things I notice was a case of 2004 Reserve EOS Petite Sirah that was sitting by the fireplace. (NICE), it had arrived in a very round about way, from my in-laws in England.  They had seen a review in the London Daily Mail, called the local vineyard, who in turn delivered it to my door.

After a round of massages at the Inn, Sophie took me to their sitting room for a glass of bubbly, where I discovered that 4 of my closest friends (Mike, Rebecca, Russell and Finola), were dressed and already knee deep in Vueve Cliquot, (French and not so local) …So we cheated and had an import…sue me.  After a few glasses, and the obligitory ribbing about being old, we strolled out across the square to “The Artisan” restaurant.

As we walked into the place I noticed on the back wall two very important things:  1. The wine cellar and 2. A familiar photo of Paul Simonon of The CLASH taken by Pennie Smith:  The album cover of “London Calling”…I knew I was in good hands.

We were seated at a fantastic table just in front of the open kitchen, beautifully lit and with a very special menu.

THE STARTER: I’ll just start by saying…have you ever had a Cayucos Red Abalone “BLTA”, organic pancetta and barbara’s arugula (locally grown)? Oh yeah and paired with Anglim, Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier “Cameo”, ‘06 ? Me neither, it brought tears to everyone’s eyes.

We tend to use at least one Anglim wine for most tasting menus. Their wines are simply elegant, not overblown, perfect with food. The Cameo has that perfect acid/mineral balance while still showing great fruit and complements the abalone dish perfectly.

Course #2: Silver Horse, Albariño, ‘07 with Seared Dayboat Scallops, laughing bird shrimp, mussels, clams, Spanish chorizo, and saffron.  The wine cut straight through the richness of the food with a perfect balance of fruit and acidity.  It cleansed the palate with every sip.  Pure spring water!!

Steve Kroener did an excellent job with this Albarino – we all love it so much that we put it on by the glass and the customers love it too. Again, the balance of acidity and the fruit is what we look for when pairing with food .

Course #3 Halter Ranch, Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre Rose, ‘07 with Bison Strip Loin Carpaccio, crispy potatoes, romesco and onion sprouts. As we all sat and enjoyed the night and each other, we could not believe our good fortune to be eating and drinking totally local food and wine that had been put together with such imagination.

Halter Ranch has always been one of our favorite wineries; the wine, the place itself, the people, the style, everything represents the best of Paso. We sold an incredible amount of this wine this past summer and use it every time we are given the opportunity to create a pairing menu. It is dry and still shows great fruit – pairs with almost every starter we have on our menu.

Course #4:  Booker, Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot “Remnant”, ‘05 with Braised Berkshire Pork Belly, caramelized apples, celery root and barbecue jus. The Syrah in this otherwise Bordeaux blend made a perfect match with the barbecue jus.  WOW!

Winemaker Eric Jensen usually makes only Rhone blends – this was a step out of his normal style and we love it.

Course #5:  RN Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot “Cuvee des Trois Cepages”, ‘06 with Grilled Colorado Lamb Chops, merguez, green chickpeas and crushed oil cured olives. The fruit in the California Style Bordeaux held up against the spice in the merguez and the rest of the dish.

By far one of the best new wineries in Paso, RN Estates owner Roger Nicolas was a restaurateur and it shows in all of his wines.

Course #6:  Domaine Chandon, “Blanc de Noirs”, NV with the Artisan Cheese Plate, four cheeses with paired accompaniments. The acidity of the bubbles was a great palate cleanser in between tasting each of the four cheeses on the platter.

Course #7: Zin Alley, Zinfandel Port, ‘05 with House Made Chocolate Confections. MMMMMM!!

The Nerelli’s make the best Zinfandel port in Paso. Made in the old Portuguese style, the berry, vanilla, spice make it the classic pair with anything chocolate

The amazing thing was that no one felt stuffed or full and everyone was smiling and so thankful for the night and the knowledge that had been bestowed upon us by this menu and it’s local treasures, the best one being ARTISAN  and THE KOBAYASHI’s (CHEF KOBY)  CHRIS and his brother MICHAEL AND THE EVER TALENTED SHANDI… and of course my fabulous wife for setting it all up.

We all strolled back through the town and across the square around midnight back to the Hotel Cheval, where we cozied up by the fire in the library and waxed poetic about the night.  It felt good to be with friends and to have shared that night.

…something that may not have been suggested a decade or two ago, but with downtown LA in a major revitalization period, lofts and condos going up every which way that you look, and the completion of the Staples Center-adjacent Nokia Theater/LA Live complex, there are now plenty of restaurants, hotels and wine bar options to get your vino on in the downtown area.

Los Angeles has always lacked that central, downtown, heartbeat that cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco have always had. Now, after much ado, the Los Angeles heartbeat, albeit faint, can be felt.

One spot that’s doing it’s part to help the heart is a recently opened “wine bar and gastropub”, The Must Bar. According to their website: “The brainchild of Coly Den Haan of Santa Barbara, Certified Sommelier and Entrepreneur, The Must is a concept wine bar and gastropub featuring more than 50 local and global wines destined to be a ‘must’ visit location for wine and beer enthusiasts. Each of our guests, wine enthusiasts and novices alike, is treated to multiple ways of enjoying and learning more about wine and food pairing in a fun, energetic and customer-focused setting. After a brief introduction, our servers ask guests to make a selection of their mood, ranging from “Must Be Curious” to “Must Be Thrifty” providing a playful interaction with the staff and diminishing any apprehension of explaining they would like to experiment, sample by the glass, or stay within a certain price range.”

The spot is in an unassuming spot across the street from an about-to-open building of brand new lofts/condos, and I was greeted with a warm, homey-feeling interior with lots of light and lots of wood (even the menus are rubber-banded to panels of wood).

I got there in time for happy hour which features $3 snacks like soup, house made soft beer pretzels and Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. There are also $3 beer and wine options, including a great Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend from Trace Wines. A big blueberry pie in a glass with a dash of cedary-oak for good measure. For $3 a glass?!!! With all the wood in this place you couldn’t make a stick big enough to beat that deal.

While I enjoyed the happy hour wine, I was hungry for more than just snacks, so I looked at the dinner menu. I was pleasantly surprised at the moderate prices, and on a cool evening in January, I had lots of warm, comfy entree choices from Chef MaryAnn Salcedo (former sous chef to Gordon Ramsey on the hit television show “Hell’s Kitchen”). Highlights include The Must Grilled Cheese, The Must BLT, 3-Bean Salad (my mom makes that sometimes!) and the Fluffernutter, which is “Smoked almond & roasted peanut butter, marshmallow fluff and bananas on grilled brioche served with dark chocolate ganache”; wow!

I decided on an Orange, Almond, & Bacon salad and an order of Mini Chicken Sliders. The salad was delicious with the yummy, salty bacon cutting the sweet/citrus dressing just right. The chicken sliders… well, what can I say: Fried chicken with ranch dressing and smoked mozzarella-I gulped them down back to back to back.

And to wash all this down? I ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir from a rarely mentioned region when it comes to Pinot: Alsace. I mean, to be honest, I can’t even pronounce Alsace, and if you can’t either, here’s my gift to you:

The region is mostly associated with dry Riesling, but I can assure you, this 2005 Klingenfus Pinot Noir was no Riesling . The nose was all cherry, all day long, and once I got some on my tongue I got more cherry, cranberry, some underlying earthy-ness and a nice substantial finish with a hint of strawberry. It’s funny, it didn’t taste like the Pinots that I’m used to (Central California, Sonoma Coast or Oregon); in a weird way, it somehow tasted of a faraway land… which of course, it is.

Just when I thought my meal was over, along came our server with a special treat: A Port Float. Uh, what? That’s right… “Ruby Port with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, and topped with Hawaiian cream soda. Slurp… gone.

All in all it was a great meal in a part of Los Angeles that I love to visit. And since red wine is good for the heart, well, I’ll plan on drinking as many glasses as I can at The Must… to keep that heart beating. By the way, The Must also offers Sunday Wine Classes. If/when you’re in LA, make sure you check it out!

…actually it was a white blend, and it wasn’t a werewolf at all.

It was yours truly.   And unfortunately the Trader Vic’s that used to be in Beverly Hills is closed, but it’s been reincarnated as Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Lounge, poolside at the Beverly Hilton hotel.  That’s where I found myself a few Friday’s ago, for a friend’s birthday party.  Considering they’re best known for really fancy tropical drinks served in collector’s glasses (one of their coconut mugs holds the pens on my desk), I didn’t know what to expect from the wine list.

I was happy to see a familiar favorite, the 2006 St. Supery Virtu, a blend of 52% Sauvignon Blanc and 48% Sémillon, from Napa.  It seemed appropriate for the appetizer I had ordered, the grilled scallops with mimosa butter (though I still don’t know what mimosa butter is).

I’m not shy about the fact that I’m a fan of St. Supery wines.  Their Sauvignon Blancs are always impressive, and this wine, which is made in the style of a Bordeaux white, is no joke.

As the glass went up I could smell that this would be a good one, flavors of honeydew and oak filled my mouth, with hints of citrus and grass underneath.  It’s rich and full and yummy.  I had another glass (or 2?), finished my scallops and used a piece of bread to wipe up the last of the mimosa butter.

I like the poolside Trader Vic’s lounge, but I yearn for the original, with it’s tiki decor, dimly-lit booths and over-the-top mugs and glasses.  The Trader Vic’s LA website says a new Trader Vic’s will be opening up at the LA live complex in downtown Los Angeles; I hope it still has the old school vibe and the coconut mugs.  I might need a new pen holder.

I regret posting so late, but it was a tough Friday night commute in Los Angeles, and I thougth it best to pull the car over and wait for traffic to die down.  As it turns out, I pulled over right in front of Vertical Wine Bistro in Pasadena.  Go figure.  So I climbed the stairs and took a seat.

Vertical is known for serving carefully selected flights of three wines each, but I thought I better stick to just a glass; I was driving after all.  I overheard someone behind the wine bar say, “you need a boom boom?” (I wasn’t sure if I had heard correctly.  A good friend of mine uses the term ‘boom-boom’ as a audio cue for his poodles, when he’s ready to take them outside for a bathroom break, as in “…are you ready to go boom-boom?”)

Upon examining the wine list, I figured out what was going on.  They were speaking about  Boom Boom Syrah from K Vitners/Charles Smith wines in Washington.  With a name like Boom Boom, I had to give it a try.

In my experience, syrahs tend to have a peppery quality which I don’t love; I find the same thing with granaches.  The Boom Boom however did not display the pepper at all.  Here are my thoughts:

Dark purple color with a ‘booming’ full palate of blueberry and blackberry with a hint of vanilla; it reminded me of a petite sirah.  Nice, smooth tannins.  It was delicious.

The staff convinced me that I should have an order of fritters to go with.  Fantastic.  If you ever find yourself in Pasadena due to traffic or otherwise, make it a point to stop in and check out Vertical.

Oh by the way, I ordered a second glass.  Damn traffic.

Those of you that have been following the blog know that I don’t mind a good deal.  And when I say good deal, I mean for $1.95 you can get a huge burger and fries or an order of oyster shooters, or for $2.95, a tasty chicken & pesto bruschetta, or and an incredible quesadilla.  All that, and a wine list that’s not half bad, and you’ve got no reason not to go.

My last trip there, I chose a great wine to wash down all this wonderful food. It was a nice little Chillean Sauvignon Blanc called Haras de Pirque and it was a tasty glass.   NOTE: This wine is actually on the regular menu, not the happy hour menu.

I can’t remember ever having a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, so I wondered if it might drink like a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. In fact, it drank much more like a California Sauv Blanc– crisp and light, with citrus tones as well as melon and pear.

It was a happy hour indeed.

As I mentioned yesterday, my silence at the end of last week was due to a quick trip I had to take to Charleston, SC (not Charlottesville as I mistakenly typed and was quickly corrected by Erika. Oops!) And while I was only in the city for 22 hours, I did manage to have a wonderful dinner and a fine bottle of Oregon Pinot.

My plans allowed for a dinner, and I found myself on Broad St. with no idea of where to go eat. As I was trying to impress my companion by using my Iphone to locate a restaurant, she pointed across the street, directly in front of us and said, “There’s a steakhouse right there.” So much for technology. The picture above was the view we had and as you can see it looks pretty inviting. So across the street we went.  We walked into the Oak Steakhouse, and the very hospitable hostess found us a table.

Sadly, neither of us had a steak, as we were both in the mood for seafood, but I can tell you that the Sesame Encrusted Yellowfin Tuna, served with mango salsa, wasabi and ginger soy glaze was AMAZING. And my companion ordered us a couple of side dishes: Brussel Sprouts with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Collard Greens. They were, in a word, ‘Yummy’ and the greens recipe included bacon and brown sugar, and I practically licked the dish they were served in.

What wine did we wash it all down with you ask?

Despite both having fish, neither of us were in the mood for white, and if you’ve been following the blog you know that I’ve been on an Oregon Pinot kick, so we decided on a bottle of ‘05 Domaine Serene “Evenstad Reserve” from Williamette Valley.  WOW.  It was a beauty.  It was bigger and more fruit forward then I expected, but it had a long, lovely finish.  Full of texture and lots of berry flavors.  Upon researching, I found out that it was #68 on Wine Spectators Top 100 Wines of 2008.  It was a perfect wine for a perfect dinner.  Jason, our knowledgeable and attentive server, pointed out that they are given a limited allocation each year, and had just gotten these in;  (hmm… I should have ordered a bottle to go….)

Knowing that I still had a few meetings before the end of the night, I wisely ordered a double espresso, paid the check, and walked out into the cool, Charleston evening.

It was a long day and instead of whipping something up in the kitchen I decided to say “heck with it” and head down to a great little neighborhood restaurant that shall remain nameless in this blog, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s named after a large city in Texas.

Anyway, I am a regular at this particular restaurant and although it is a chain, the menu is chock full of such tasty menu items such as aged prime rib and seared Ahi just to name a few. Although I love this restaurant and eat there frequently (its right around the corner from my home), there are two reasons why I return on a regular basis. The first is that they serve dinner at the bar where there is usually a great game on one of their plasma TV’s, and the second is that their “wine by the glass” list is awesome.

They pour one of my favorite wines – The Elu’ by St. Supery. It is a Meritage and the blending varies from year to year. The glass that I had was from a 2004 bottle, and (according to the website) was 66% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot, 8% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot and 1% malbec. Well, overall, this is a magnificent glass of wine with nice easy tannins and lots of blackberry and cherry.