Laurel Hardware

How to Celebrate Mezcal Day October 21!

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Celebrate Mezcal Day October 21st or any other day with this refined spirit.  All you need to remember is that  All Mezcal is Tequila but not all Tequila is Mezcal — because of the unique way that mezcal is processed from a variety of agave plants (like tequila is) that instills a special smoky taste. The heart of the agave plant, the piña, is traditionally slow- cooked in pit ovens, giving it a characteristic smoky flavor. The type of agave plant, as well as the aging process, make each mezcal unique. It is produced in several different states in Mexico, the most prominent being Oaxaca.

(1) Laurel Hardware in WEHO designed a dedicated Mezcal Bar offering seasonal Mezcal-infused cocktails and contemporary Mexican cuisine.  The enticing, intricately designed bar area boasts nearly 100 different Mezcals sourced from over 50 distillers.

Mezcal

Mixologist Dustin Shaw

Mixologist Dustin Shaw “goes at it” at Laurel Hardware

Laurel Hardware Mezcal Bar’s, intricate speakeasy vibe

“Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo been, también.” mezcalphd.com/2013/10/mezcal-tequila-sotol-bacanora-raicilla-pulque-and-more

Dr. Lakra Cocktail: Ilegal Mezcal Anejo, Cube of Aztec Bitters, Demerara Sugar, Ancho Chili Oil

Chilled Lobster

Chilled Lobster Tostada topped with Cucumber, Avocado, Tomato, Fresno Chili perfect with a shot of mezcal

The glittering array of bottles brightens the dusky room in the new bar tucked into the side of the front lobby of Laurel Hardware. The Mezcal-infused beverages range from their Dr. Lakra cocktail – to the María Sabina cocktail – a sweet concoction of Los Nahuales Reposado Mezcal, Japanese whiskey, blood orange, basil, and lavender vanilla espuma.  (For more on mezcal, please see the post of our associate writer, Barbara Hansen’s post www.eatmx.com/2017/03/a-mezcal-bar-opens-at-laurel-hardware.html

Silky Guacamole

Silky Guacamole made with Lime, Cilantro, Pomegranate, Blue Corn Chips still is a favorite complement to mezcal in any form

The engaging, outdoor patio at Laurel Hardware – a sunburst of vibrant color, lights, and outdoor garden – perfect for a mezcal drink.

Laurel Hardware, 7984 Santa Monica Boulevard, serves dinner seven days a week, and the bar is open until 2 am. For more information or reservations at Laurel Hardware, please phone 323.656.6070 or visit online www.laurelhardware.com. 

(2) At the Newport Beach location of Malibu Farms, Natasha (below) serves the Smoke of mezcal, shishito chipotle agave, fresh lime juice, and chipotle sea salt. The standout cocktail, worth a visit on its own, can be enjoyed with the farm-fresh dishes

SMOKE cocktails

Natasha brings SMOKE cocktails

SMOKE mezcal cocktail

SMOKE mezcal cocktail at Malibu Farm

Dishes that complement the mezcal include a Burrata Salad with seasonal fruit (peaches here), arugula, fresh figs, and candied pecans, laced with a maple balsamic vinaigrette.  Lively Avocado Huarache arrives on a long rectangular platter.   Jalapeño ricotta spread, malibu honey and a lemon vinaigrette top a flatbread, crunchy enough to provide texture but not brittle enough to break in your hand.  For vegetarians, there is also a Cauliflower Crust Pizza.

Burrata Salad and Avocado

Burrata Salad and Avocado Huarache complement the smokey mezcal

Malibu Farm Restaurant: (949) 791-2096, ‬3420 Via Oporto – Newport Beach, California.  Easy, accessible parking structure (the restaurant validates for 90 minutes) and some street parking.

(3) Nixon Chops & Whisky in Whittier has three separate bars to enjoy mezcal, two easy lounges open to the street.   Mezcal is a specialty at the under the capable eye of Barkeep and mixologist Greg who looks over 200 whiskeys in the house.  Manager Lucy’s choice for us was a SILVER MEZCAL ARTESANA, the best.  The agave type is a special San Dionisio Ocotepec blend of Tobola and Espadin, matured seven to ten years, from Oaxaca.  Distilled twice in a copper column, it is close to 42% alcohol by volume and has a smokey finish to the notes of grilled pineapple, papaya and mango with lingering floral notes to the taste.

Riazuleńo Tobola Mezcal starts the evening at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

Bartender Greg’s updated lively, original Classic and Modern Classic Cocktails

The Mezcal would go with a number of dishes on the inspired menu of Mexican-Japanese chef Katsuji Tanabe at the Nixon Chops & Whisky.  We recommend from the CHILLED section one that already has a smokey broth: Tongue & Kamapachi Ceviche with Avocado, Pickled Tongue, Smokey Chipotle Broth.

tongue & Kamapachi

CHILLED: tongue & Kamapachi Ceviche at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

A mezcal cocktail would also be perfect with the Iberico ham.  Almost anything Spanish would be complemented by the mezcal.

the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY, 13033 Philadelphia Street, Uptown Whittier, CA 90601 (562.698.3355). For more details, hours and reservations, please see  www.thenixoncw.com.

(4) The Venetian Resort Las Vegas celebrates National Mezcal Day and the completion of The Cocktail Collective bar complex with the opening of their Electra Cocktail Club.  expert mixologist Sam Ross’ Mezcal cocktails include the following, with the recipe for his Mosquito below.

  • Age of Aquarius – Mezcal, passionfruit syrup, fresh lime juice, honey, Campari (Electra)
  • Banco de Mexico – fresh mint, crème de cacao, Mezcal, Altos Anejo Tequila, rose water mist & a sprinkle of powdered sugar (Rosina)
  • Mosquito – Mezcal, Campari, ginger, lemon juice, shy, ginger candy (The Dorsey)

The Mosquito mezcal cocktail from The Dorsey at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is one of the hits.  Also popular are the.

The Mosquito Cocktail

  • 1 oz. Mezcal*
  • 1 oz. Campari
  • 1 oz. homemade ginger syrup
  • 1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice just shy of 1 oz
  • Shake ingredient in tin & strain into a coupe glass
  • Garnish with candied ginger

Photo courtesy of The Dorsey at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.

For details on the three venues at the hotel, please see: The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

(5) In Santa Monica,  MOON BAR at Lunetta at Night offers the Mariposa Calor with mezcal, Aperol, Amaro notion, lime and firewater bitters in the lounge area. It is a testament to the care that the bartending team mixes their original cocktails.  The Moon Bar itself is smoky in feel and stocked with eclectic varietals.  Dark and clubby, the room is done up in green velvet and navy blue with walnut,  soapstone and satin brass accents, a fireplace, brass-topped bar and a skylight.

Anyone of the legendary Chef-owner Raphael Lunetta’s small dishes pairs beautifully with the mezcal cocktail.

All-day diner & upscale American Eats, 2420 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405.The Moon Bar at Lunetta hours: For information and reservations, please visit www.LunettaSM.com or phone 310.581.9888.  

Five Top Hidden Menu-Crouching Vegetarian Meals In Paleo LA

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Vegetarian dishes find their way onto most mainstream restaurant most brunch menus.   These international dishes that make up filling meals even for a paleo at these spiffy, popular places, well known for their massive bar scenes – and Fogo de Chao is, of course, known for its Brazilian beef.

Texture is key to a sated appetite. You can alway seat plate fulls of lettuce and still be “hungry.”  I’ll always remember the mushroom burger I had at the Four Seasons (on Doheny in LA) that was a good as any beef burger — and I am a confirmed paleo.

Ysabel and Laurel Hardware in WeHo, Executive Chef Allison Trent creates both savory and fruit salads art pieces.  A veggie salad, fresh berry dessert with assorted Hand-Rolled Pastries makes a light meal any time of the day.  Arefreshing pinot grigio from their well-stocked bar to make it the perfect festive meal.

Australian Chef Allison Trent

Australian Chef Allison Trent of Laurel Hardware and Ysabel Restaurants in WEHO.

Farmers Market Salad at Ysabel Restaurant

 

elegant fruit plate

Ysabel, 945 N. Fairfax, Los Angeles, CA,  please visit //www.ysabel.la/ or call 323-366-2940.

At Fogo de Chão the expansive, festive  seasonal Market Table —   about 12 by 18 feet –hold a multitude of vegetarian platters, including seasonal dishes, others back by popular demand.  The Citrus Salad alone is so popular that the platter, made fresh each round, kept emptying.  Ruby red grapefruit , oranges, tangerines and blood oranges are finished off with a drizzle of agave syrup and sprigs of fresh mint.

Citrus Salad at Fogo de Chão Beverly Hills

The Blackberry Arugula Salad features fresh blackberries and spring onions topped with goat cheese, crispy prosciutto and served with a blackberry balsamic vinaigrette.

 

Baskets of Brazilian yucca-flour cheese puffs, pão de queijo, put mini-popovers in mind with their paper-crisp exterior and spongy interior remain just as addictive.

 

IMG_0905For more menu information on the Fogo de Chão Beverly Hills, please visit //www.fogo.com.

Corn with a swirl of sumac oil and a black bean falafel floating on it, remains the star of the show at Upper West Restaurant. A steady parade of waiters march out of the upscale tavern’s kitchen with what has become a signature item.  Diners not only rave about it as “straightforward and honest,” but won’t allow Chef Nick Shipp to take it off the menu.  As Chef Nick tells the story, “When we opened we had a lot of requests for soup. Yellow corn is one of my favorites because of the texture, the mouth feel, the sweetness and the versatility of it.

Chef Nick laughs when asked about making homey vegetables so popular. “I approach things with a certain simplicity, and good flavor is key. And if it’s healthy, too, then that’s great. “

Upper West Restaurant, 3321 W. Pico Blvd. (33rd Street), Santa Monica, CA.  (310) 586-1111, www.theupperwest.com.

And speaking of stellar, unusual ways of using corn, Petite Taqueria ‘s Corn Pancakes with candied corn, mascarpone, agave piloncillo butter are  more than a meal in themselves.

 

Corn Pancakes

Petite Taqueria’s Corn Pancakes ($14), candied corn, mascarpone, agave, piloncillo butter

Fruit Plate

The Petite Taqueria Fruit Plate ($9) for a light appetite meal, a side or a side to share.

Petite Taqueria / Ainoko 755 N. La Cienega, West Hollywood, (310) 855.7223.

 

 

 

New Brunch & Bar Menus at Mediterranean -Style Ysabel Restaurant

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Ysabel Restaurant photos

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Ysabel Restaurant is so dazzling  — inviting straightforward American cuisine, unparalleled craft cocktails and extraordinary service set into a private space that takes the best of classic Mediterranean and overlays a spiffy West Hollywood tone to it –that on on a sunny spring Saturday morning, it easily becomes the center of the universe.

Ysabel Restaurant-West Hollywood

Ysabel Restaurant-CAA gloriously sun-dappled (the harder to photograph you, my dear), tree-lined patio in town and extends itself by facing into three soaring dining rooms and bar with very high ceilings.

Ysabel Restaurant-entrance
Set back from Fairfax Avenue,  spacious Ysabel is tucked in the back of a large building, down a long driveway, the white-washed Mediterranean ambiance, dotted with classic appointments and lush greenery.  It is not only the “quintessentially Californian, indoor-outdoor environment,” it sets the standard for all others.

cappuccino
What can be added to our favorite breakfast cappuccino?  How about whipped cream, an espresso with soft brown sugar cubes.  Servers are only too happy to please.
Assorted Hand Rolled Pastries width=
Assorted Hand Rolled Pastries and a perfect bowl of fresh fruit?  The pastries are as light and fluffy as their picture; the sort of biscuit scone on the top layer made two of us at the table forget our paleo regime.Chef Allison Trent’s dairy
All of Chef Allison Trent’s dairy, produce and oils are sourced through organic suppliers.  Local farms featured include the legendary Coleman Farms and Harry Berries, wong Farms, Pudwill Farm and JJ Loan Daughter Farm.
honey, butter and jam
The small touches of luxury and a kind of pampering arrive here on a wooden block with small dishes filled with the finest honey, butter and jam.
Chef Allison Trent
Chef Allison, who also directs the kitchen at sister restaurant, Laurel Hardware, hails from Australia and has a certain feel for dishes that work well in an indoor-outdoor setting.  Her menus also feature light but substantial flavors that perfect in the Los Angeles weather.
Farmers Market Chopped Salad
Farmers Market Chopped Salad was chock-a-block rich with spicy salami, garbanzo, provolone and olives.  It was dressed perfectly, covering each piece but nothing more.Smoked Salmon Flat Bread
Smoked Salmon Flat Bread became new again with dill cream cheese along with lemon and capers.
Organic Quinoa Bowl
Chef Allison’s artistic, composed Organic Quinoa Bowl made an organic naturalist out of everyone in the group.  Beets, radish slivers, English cucumbers micro-greens and carrots shreds for that hint of sweetness pulled this dish together with a touch of garden in every bite.
Avocado Toast
“Avocado Toast,” another current buzz word dish turned out to be another surprise topped with a spring hat of heirloom tomatoes, burrata and garden herbs that again tasted as delightful as it looked.
Buttermilk Pancakes
Harry’s berries strawberries and vanilla cream added the final crowning touch to Buttermilk Pancakes.
Italian-American Mixologist Frederico Vial
Masterful and engaging Italian-American Mixologist Frederico Vial seemed to take pleasure in preparing our cocktails.  Here he mixes the Mary Rose cocktail with  grey goose, black berries, rosemary and organic lime.

The Tosca The Tosca – which the group toasted him with- brought together the spark and freshness of fortaleza repesado, cucumber, habanero and agave. the Allie was created with tanqueray 10, market strawberries, peychaud bitters and sage.

Grappa
Mixologist Frederico was was equally pleased to prepare a glass of the finest grappa, which had the spark without the burn of other grappas.  He instructed us to sip the grappa and espresso alternately to savor each taste.

Ysabel RestaurantWe lingered over brunch for an hour after the last course, moving from the warm common table to the warm deck.  Ysabel is a truly place that once you are there, you do not want to leave.

For more information or reservations at Ysabel, 945 N. Fairfax, Los Angeles, CA,  please visit //www.ysabel.la/ or call 323-366-2940.

New Mezcal Bar & Old-Fashioned Hospitality at Laurel Hardware in WEHO

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Mixologist Dustin Shaw

Mixologist Dustin Shaw “goes at it” with one of the cocktails he created for the new mezcal bar

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The truth of it is that we had such a good time at the brand new, mezcal bar at the front of Laurel Hardware in that we forgot the trials of rush hour traffic getting to WEHO, and the next day wasn’t sure how we got back – parked.  And the next day we were very surprised to find our car backed into the driveway – a driveway with a post in the middle.  (photos below are by EDLT Photography)

No wonder. Mezcal is a distilled spirit that can be produced from many varieties of agave plants. It is produced in several different states in Mexico, the most prominent being Oaxaca. The heart of the agave plant, the piña, is traditionally slow- cooked in pit ovens, giving it a characteristic smoky flavor. The type of agave plant, as well as the aging process, make each mezcal unique.

“Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo been, también.” //mezcalphd.com/2013/10/mezcal-tequila-sotol-bacanora-raicilla-pulque-and-more/

Since its 2012 debut, Laurel Hardware has become a West Hollywood district staple renown for its superb food and fancy beverage offerings. There have been lines outside the door since it opened in 2012.

And once again proves the restaurant’s old-fashioned hospitality and enormous popularity.  Maybe it’s just in the bones of this unique location.  Proof came before we arrived and called about parking.  The hostess, Nancy, answered with instructions she had, then called back within minutes to give specifics using our caller ID.  Wow.

Oaxaca Cheese

A Small Plate: Oaxaca Cheese, Black Mole, Pickled Pearl Onion and Sesame Seed

The beloved restaurant serving new American fare and lavish cocktails was thrilled to announce the opening of its brand new Mexican-themed Mezcal Bar in West Hollywood, California.   The glittering array of bottles and the new bar, tucked into the side of the front lobby, just visible from the lines outside the door, shows their affection.

Bar

The Mezcal Bar offers seasonal Mezcal-infused cocktails and contemporary Mexican cuisine in a room of intricate design and speakeasy vibe.

Dr. Lakra Cocktail: Ilegal Mezcal Anejo, Cube of Aztec Bitters, Demerara Sugar, Ancho Chili Oil

Chilled Lobster

Chilled Lobster Tostada topped with Cucumber, Avocado, Tomato, Fresno Chili

The cocktail menu features Mezcal-oriented craft cocktails made with seasonal ingredients and nearly 100 different Mezcals sourced from over 50 distillers.  All Mezcal is Tequila but not all Tequila is Mezcal — which is made from a different process that gives it a unique smoky taste.

The Mezcal-infused beverages range from their Dr. Lakra cocktail – to the María Sabina cocktail – a sweet concoction of Los Nahuales Reposado Mezcal, Japanese whiskey, blood orange, basil and lavender vanilla espuma.  (For more on mezcal, please see the post of our associate writer, Barbara Hansen’s post //www.eatmx.com/2017/03/a-mezcal-bar-opens-at-laurel-hardware.html

Chilled Lobster TostadasSignature dishes include their mouthwatering Chilled Lobster Tostadas (above), Tuna Crudo and Al Pastor Tacos – all sourced with local ingredients and flavors. The full menu is online.

Silky Guacamole

Silky Guacamole made with Lime, Cilantro, Pomegranate, Blue Corn Chips

Tuna

Tuna Crudo with Mango, Basil, Chicharrones, Lemon

To complement the handcrafted menu, devoted co-owners Dean McKillen and Phil Howard custom built each and every detail of the space.

Hand-carved wood floors with Italian-imported marble inlay, wood panel walls that have been precisely book matched, luxurious plush seating composed of warm- colored fabrics by Loro Piana, a subtle handcrafted wood fireplace mantle and vintage mirrors on the table tops, behind the bar and lining the ceiling that give the room a mysteriously sexy, intimate and yet spacious feel. Additionally, the bar is accented with polished brass and is topped with extravagantly grained black marble.

 This gleaming polished brass material carries into the bathroom, which is designed in the same striking, dark, elegant Art Deco style with an exquisite floor pattern of alternating Connemara and Sahara Noir marble.

The cavernous Laurel Hardware goes on and on and on… this is the middle dining-bar area in between the mezcal bar and the back patio

Laurel Hardware is a farm-to-table restaurant serving new American fare and lavish cocktails. The menu offers local and organic produce, hormone free and free-range proteins and a strong selection of draft beers, specialty wine, and handcrafted cocktails.

All dishes encourage the sharing of food.

The engaging, outdoor patio and multi-functional space welcome parties of all sizes and intentions.  It is a glorious surprise after coming through Laurel Hardware’s noir lobby and dining area-bar– a sunburst of vibrant color, lights, and outdoor garden.

Established in 2012, Laurel Hardware was a mainstay for tools for decades and equally popular as a farm-to-table restaurant since it opened in 2012.   Serving new lavish cocktails and American fare dishes, generous enough for sharing, the menu offers local and organic produce, hormone free and free-range proteins and a strong selection of draft beers, specialty wine, and handcrafted cocktails.

Laurel Hardware, located at 7984 Santa Monica Boulevard, serves dinner seven days a week.  Hours of operation: Monday through Sunday, from 6 pm to 2 am. Reservations can be made by phone at 323.656.6070 or online. For more information or reservations at Laurel Hardware, please visit //www.laurelhardware.com. 

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