Whining and Dining

Allston Yacht Club

2009-11-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

Enter the warm, inviting Allston Yacht Club and you will experience a variety of tastes as richly colored as the decor itself. Imagine a great blue Hokusai wave against a vibrant yellow backdrop as you sip delicately crafted cocktails like the UltraViolet martini, the Echo Park Mule or the Allston Sunrise. You can nosh on anything from an assortment of small plates to savory entrees influenced from a variety of world cuisines. Our favorites include the merguez sausage and barbecue duck confit with green papaya. You can also find the tastiest grilled cheese - it is known to take on different forms at times- from plain to truffle infused. The staff is welcoming, and with prices between $7 and $9 for large plates, why not just make AYC your go-to place?

Allston Yacht Club
1320 Echo Park Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 481-0454
www.allstonyachtclub.com

Nicolaysen Santa Maria Valley (2002)

2009-01-29T17:45:00.000-08:00

Vanessa, Jason Surratt, and I enjoyed this delightful $44 Pinot in the Rathskellar. It put the Sangiovese we had to shame. It's Brewer-Clifton caliber for half the price. I'm eager to try Sea Smoke next...I've heard nothing but good things!

Bonterra Vineyards 2005 (Mendocino County)

2009-01-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

A real crowd pleaser, we're definitely adding this to our affordable but enjoyable list.

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut (Epernay, France)

2009-01-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

Bubbly, not too dry, not too sweet. It was our first real Champagne. One-Two-Three...Yay!

Champagne/Sparkling Wine

2009-01-25T22:56:00.001-08:00

$30-$40

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne

Syrah

2009-01-25T22:46:00.001-08:00

$20-$30
Tablas Creek 2004 (Paso Robles)

Tablas Creek 2004 (Paso Robles)

2009-01-25T22:34:00.000-08:00

A mellow wine that has a delightful aftertaste that keeps you smiling. Unlike most American Syrahs, it's not heavy (spicy, merlot-like thickness/jamminess). But it's not thin either...Glenn says that it isn't their flagship wine, but it's a popular one.

Speranza (Silver Lake)

2009-01-21T23:57:00.001-08:00

This cozy restaurant on Hyperion avenue in Silver Lake serves Italian dishes with the most perfect simplicity one could imagine. Combine this with an inviting ambiance and charming staff and you have the ideal setting for that long awaited tête-à-tête with a good pal or the reminiscences of home cooking - although most likely you never recall it being this good at home. The appetizers are made of a few fresh ingredients and are alive with flavor. The lamb was cooked to perfection and garnished with a wedge of lemon. Side dishes are ordered separately and consist of delectably prepared potatoes, spinach, asparagus and peas. The dessert, which consisted of a bed of meringue and other cookie crumbles was topped with a cream touched with vodka and sprinkled with blueberries was something your grandmother made, but somehow falls short from your memory bank. Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious. Speranza carefully prepares your food, takes you to simpler ways, and leaves you yearning to return.

Speranza
2547 Hyperion Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90189
(323) 644-1918

LA Restaurants (Silver Lake/Echo Park)

2009-01-21T23:56:00.000-08:00

REVIEWS

Speranza
Allston Yacht Club

Acacia (Pinot Noir, California 2007)

2009-01-05T22:29:00.001-08:00

At long last! An affordable pinot that Vanessa and I both like. It clocks in at less than $15 and it is spicy, has a nice color, and the alcohol is tame at 13.5%. We drank their Napa Valley Pinot (which is $25-$30) a couple of days later and it was a big hit. They are both great and affordable!

Brewer Clifton Cargasacchi 2006

2009-01-04T00:12:00.000-08:00

This pinot is about $75 and delicious. It starts with a spicy almost curry like smell, with hints of blackberry. It has more alcohol that the average pinot at about 15%. You can taste the spice as well and it finishes dry. I prefer the Santa Rita Hills pinots better (Melville for example at $60) but this one is appealing for its spice.

Napa Valley Restaurants

2008-12-29T23:13:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken by Russ Johnson and used with his authorization.

TASTING AT OPUS ONE

This picture was taken by >Russ Johnson and used with his authorization.

Don't cry over a spilled tasting of Opus One! It is very difficult to avoid when you consider how tasty this proprietary Rothschild Mondavi blend is - also the $30 price tag on the tasting is painful. Nonetheless, the view and the experience is worth a visit to this Napa Valley winery.

REVIEWS

Bistro Jeanty (Yountville)

LA Restaurants (Westside)

2008-12-29T23:12:00.001-08:00

This picture of the sunset on Sunset Blvd. was taken by Larry Tsironis who authorized its use.

REVIEWS

Opaque (Santa Monica)

LA Restaurants (Downtown)

2008-12-29T23:08:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken by redteam. The copyright information is here.

REVIEWS

The Edison
Blue Velvet

Red Blend Wines

2008-12-29T22:57:00.000-08:00

These wines are blends of different grapes.

$14
Vilosell 2005 (Spain)

Less than $5
Prosperity Red 2005

Stout and Porter Beers

2008-12-29T22:53:00.000-08:00

What is a stout or porter beer?

$10
Alesmith Speedway Stout

Pinot Noir Wines

2008-12-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

What is Pinot Noir?

$75 +
Brewer Clifton 2006 (Cargasacchi)

$60 - $70
Brewer Clifton 2006 (Mt. Carmel)
Melville Terraces 2006 (Santa Ynez)

$40-$50
Nicolaysen 2002 (Santa Maria Valley)

$15-$20
Francis Coppola 2007 (Monterey County)
Campion 2005 (Central Coast)
Acacia 2007 (Los Carneros, Napa)

Gewürtztraminer Wines

2008-12-29T22:41:00.000-08:00

What is Gewürtztraminer?

$8
Fetzer 2007 (Valley Oaks)

Cabernet Sauvignon Wines

2008-12-29T22:37:00.001-08:00

What is Cabernet Sauvignon?

$15
Rodney Strong 2005 (Sonoma County)
Bonterra 2005 (Mendocino County)

Bordeaux Wines

2008-12-29T22:26:00.001-08:00

What is Bordeaux?

$300 +
Opus One 2001 (Napa Valley)

Vilosell (2005 red from Spain)

2008-12-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

The Chronicle hit an affordable home-run with this Spanish red. At $14/bottle, it tastes like a wine that would cost at least double. Let's get into more Spanish wines!!!

Campion Pinot Noir (2005 Appellation: Central Coast CA)

2008-12-24T18:36:00.000-08:00

A nice $20 Pinot that was recommended to us by our friends at The Chronicle on California near Lake. (A note on Chronicle -- be sure to bring cash or a check as credit cards are not accepted!). Good but nothing too special. Spend $10-$15 on something else comparable rather than buying this one.

Rodney Strong (2005 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon)

2008-12-04T00:21:00.000-08:00

A light cabernet that is not too dark in color, you can tell this is no $5 bottle of wine. Clocking in at roughly $15 at Vons, it has a pleasant floral and perfume scent. It's not burdened by too much sugar, but you can taste the alcohol more than you would like. A moderately dry wine, the fruit hits first and it finishes with oak. Disappointingly, its complexity ends there.

Bistro Jeanty (Yountville, CA)

2008-12-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

Fine French Cuisine in the heart of Northern California's wine country? You must be shocked. Vanessa and I dined in style with her mom and dad and it was well under $40 each (with a nice glass of the house wine each, I might add). The steak tartare freaked me out, but I tried some and it was very good. The bread was awesome -- especially the wheat bread. Vanessa mentioned that the pork shoulder I ate actually giggled...I avoided the fat and had the best pork I have tasted in recent memory. Vanessa's dad Russ said his pork chops were the best he has had in years and mentioned that he thought they were very fairly priced. It has a perfect location and all of us thought that our meals were out of this world. Go out of your way to find BJs when you are in Napa!!!

Bistro Jeanty
6510 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-0103
www.bistrojeanty.com

Prosperity Red (2005 70% Merlot 30% Cabernet Franc)

2008-12-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

I got this red for $4 at Trader Joes in hopes that it would be a diamond in the rough. At some point, I need to abandon this hope and just get Charles Shaw (and save $2 in the process) if I want a slightly sweet red alcohol drink. A slight nose of fruit competes with the pungent scent of alcohol. It has a light red color and it starts of disappointingly sweet on the tongue. It completely lacks complexity and punishes you with the burn of alcohol on the back of the throat.

Opaque, Dining in the Dark - LA Restaurant

2008-11-24T23:29:00.000-08:00

The name Opaque is false advertisement for a restaurant that claims you will be dining in the dark. You will not dine in a room that is opaque, unlit or even dark. You will be led in single file into a pitch black dungeon. Perhaps we are not the right people to review this restaurant because admittedly, I succumbed to my previously unknown fear of the dark after the first few steps into the infamous dining hall. Who would have thought that childhood angst could rear its ugly head in such inopportune moments? We chose to eat in the lit portion of the restaurant as USC fans crowded in droves to watch the game on the big screen TV - the food was passable if not mediocre. For a place that touted "you are exchanging vision for a new and more stimulating dining experience" there was dichotomy between this claimed exclusivity (not to mention steep price) versus the very present beer toting Trojan excitement and yelling at the screen. The latter happened to be my preference, but it was the good company that saved the night .

The Edison - LA Bar/Restaurant

2008-11-24T22:48:00.001-08:00

One of our favorite bars is a tucked away renovated power plant in downtown LA - The Edison. It has a 1920's feel that is executed with tasty cocktails in dim copper hued lighting, plush leather chairs, draping chandeliers and a generally sexy crowd. It also has a power plant feel - lots of rusted metal, brick, and to appeal to our inner geek, a room dedicated to old generators. Appetizers and entrees are high end bar food, but come in handy when it's late and nothing else is open. You can create your own vibe and can relax in a private, tucked away table (table service is available) or people watch in the main bars. Service is generally excellent.

108 W 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-0000
www.edisondowntown.com

Alesmith (Speedway Stout)

2008-11-24T22:46:00.000-08:00

If you have had a meal and could use another, go for some chocolate and coffee delight with Speedway Stout. At $10 for a 750ml bottle, it's underpriced by a factor of three. Just make sure you have food with it -- this beer has the same alcohol content as wine!

Francis Coppola (Pinot Noir 2007)

2008-11-24T22:40:00.000-08:00

At $17, this is a light fruity wine that you will never regret. I have bought half a case of this and am looking forward to more. Be sure to fly some home from Monterey County on the Spruce Goose.

Blason de Bourgogne (Pinot Noir 2007)

2008-11-24T22:34:00.000-08:00

Light in color with a pleasant fruity smell, the taste of alcohol overwhelms the pleasant experience you expect. Roughly $9 at Trader Joe's, it's not worth the money as the bitter aftertaste does not go away even after it has gotten some air.

Melville (Terraces 2006)

2008-11-23T23:32:00.000-08:00

A strong pinot with lots of alcohol, you can tell that Greg Brewer (of Brewer Clifton) had a hand in making this top notch wine. At roughly $60/bottle, you pay double what you would for the standard Melville pinot for having grapes from Santa Rita Hills. It's worth every penny, and note that the (sub)-standard Verna's and Estate pinots are nowhere near as good.

Brewer Clifton (Mt. Carmel 2006)

2008-11-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

A peerless pinot noir. From our favorite region for pinots, the Santa Rita Hills near Santa Barbara, you cannot get enough of it. It's about $70/bottle and well worth every penny.

Blue Velvet Restaurant LA

2008-11-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

In a nutshell, go for Blue Velvet's tasty appetizers with nicely paired wine, but not for what I found to be sub standard entrees. Appetizers included: fresh hamachi, surprisingly delicate butter lettuces and a robust braised bacon. The entrees were a great disappointment: an unremarkable piece of chicken breast that posed as a game hen and a halibut dish with an imposing taste that seemed to overstay its welcome. The dessert tasting included a delicious assortment of russian tea cake, truffles, a mini chocolate cupcake and a melon marshmallow. The service was always gracious and the atmosphere, on a balmy Wednesday night, was delightful. Stay for the appetizers, wine and dessert, skip the entrees.

Blue Velvet Restaurant
750 Garland St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 239-0061
www.bluevelvetrestaurant.com

Opus One (2001)

2008-11-23T23:20:00.001-08:00

A cabernet blend by Mondavi and Rothschild that is totally ridiculous. Complex and aromatic, it starts out by stimulating every part of the tongue and it keeps going strong straight through the finish. We paid for the glory (~$300/bottle at the Athenaeum), but it was worth it. Of course, it would be hard to justify a case of this relative to 5 cases of Brewer Clifton, 30 of Alesmith's Speedway Stout, or a small used car...but for a really special occasion, there is nothing better.

Fetzer Gewurztraminer (Valley Oaks 2007)

2008-11-23T23:16:00.000-08:00

It's cheap (~$8/bottle) and sweet. Not too complex...it's just standard sugar water with a dose of alcohol. Nothing special.