After a long walk in the botanical gardens, my friend and I walked down Haight and found Magnolia Pub and Brewery. It was a godsend that hydrated our souls (dehydrated our bodies) and lifted our spirits. Delicious homemade cask conditioned ales brewed in the basement of their Pub! Total drinkability.
Blue Bell Bitter
Gallows Hills Porter
Magnolia Pub and Brewery
1398 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 94117-2909
(415) 864-7468
I read some great reviews about the recently opened West 4th / Jane gastropub in Santa Monica. A few of the articles mentioned their extensive beer list, so of course I went to check it out. They did have a great beer list, but just know before you go that all the beer is bottled! And, maybe research the beers found on their multi-paged menu before you go because it does not offer descriptions other than location of origin. Unfortunately, our waitress was not able to describe the beers either and had to go up to one of the owners to ask for help. Even worse, she came back saying “he said that beer was good.” I fully believe this situation was just part of the learning curve that occurs when opening a bar, and I hope and encourage that they quickly learn. (Let them drink to learn! Nothing beats drinking learning games. I think that’s how I am going to get through the next few years). Also, I hope they start a Happy Hour.
My palate is currently evolving to include darker beers, so it was quite the gamble on whether I would like the Californian Telegraph Stock Porter or not. The owner was correct though, it was good. A 750 ml marriage between fresh brewed ale with aged oak ale forming a unique glass of good drinkability. I was able to pick up hints of coffee and chocolate.
If you love bottled beer and know your beer, this is the place for you!
West 4th / Jane
1432 4th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401-2309
(310) 395-6765
I haven’t posted in forever. I have a really bad cold right now. It sucks. This week has been very hard for me to get through. But, in more interesting news:
1. I went to Intelligentsia Venice. I love the way it looks. I enjoy the personalities found behind the counter and in fellow patrons. However, I think I prefer the Silver Lake Intelligentsia more simply because I find their assembly line of baristas (one to take your order, one to make your order, one to ring you up) works smoother and faster than Venice’s one stop barista (one person takes your order, makes your drink, and then finally rings you up). Maybe this is just a sign from above for me to put down my to do list, take a deep breath, and enjoy the processes of life.
1½. Speaking of Intelligentsia, I currently am sipping on the in season, direct trade, single origin, El Machete, Panama. Yum. Not the best part of waking up, but really the only reason I wake up.
2. I went to the Tavern with my roommate for drinks and bar snacks. I loved everything about this restaurant. I hope to write more about it soon. I know I have started the post, but have not gotten around to finishing it.
3. I just bought my first loaf of Woman’s Bread. I really like it. If you’re not a woman, there is also Men’s Bread. If you are not a woman, nor a man, there is gender unbiased / androgynous bread. French Meadow Bakery is healthy, organic, and tasty. I’ve used it for mainly turkey sandwich purposes.
4. I wish I could take some HiberNol.
5. Hope to update more this weekend. Have a happy Friday!
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I recently had an hour to kill at the Santa Monica Promenade. I got a glass of wine and my favorite (unlisted) side dish at Houston’s: the artichoke! It’s one of my favorite vegetables ever and I have found Houston’s to be the most delicious. However, for thirteen dollars a plate, I am willing to try to make it at home.
Houston’s - Santa Monica
202 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-7558
Father’s Office II.
Melville Syrah Wine (one of my favorite vineyards).
Beet Salad - with blue cheese and walnuts (and some lettuce hidden underneath it all)
Scaldís Noel Beer - A Winter Ale
Strangely, FO wouldn’t let me have the Scaldís bottle. Apparently there is a rule that they can’t let the bottle cross over the bar counter. Weird, huh? They did let me take a picture. This beer is a seasonal and delicious. It is thick, creamy, and had a hint of cherry and clove to it. It’s one of those beers you can’t drink too many of because it’s so filling and rich, but it was nice to sip on and perfect for the winter.
Last week my roommate and I went to Library Alehouse in Venice. We have both been there before, so our continual return only shows that we enjoy it. They have an excellent beer selection and good food to go with it. They also have a Happy Hour that we always seem to forget when we say “Hey, let’s go get a drink” at 2pm 4pm. Before my roommate arrived, I killed time by trying the Shipyard Blueberry Wheat Ale. It was refreshing, sweet (more on the cider spectrum than I thought it would be), but tart! I can’t find any links for this type of Shipyard, but believe me it’s real (I called to confirm).
When we were seated in the back patio, I ordered a basic flight of beer. I asked for the wide variety of “light to dark.” I wish I had been more specific because everything that was brought to the table I had tasted before (a total life lesson). Although they were good beers, it wasn’t very exciting. My flight was composed of (from right to left on the photo): Allagash (Belgian Style White from Portland, Maine), Lost Coast Apricot Wheat (Eureka, CA), Franziskaner Hefeweizen (Munich, Germany), Stone Pale Ale (San Marcos, CA), Lost Coast Downtown Brown Ale (Eureka, CA).
For dinner I chose the Alehouse Fish and Chips (made with cod and beer batter) because I have been craving them forever. They fish was amazing and soft and the friedness made it chewy and wonderful. The curly fries were quite a treat because I rarely ever see them or order them.
Although the parking is metered on Main Street and it seems like it is always busy… you get moments like this. You can see the moon!
Library Alehouse
2911 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 314-4855
I finally got a chance to check out Rush Street with both my boyfriend and my roommate (they are not the same). Rush Street is named after the northbound one-way street in the Near North Side (1 of 77 well defined community areas) of Cook County, Chicago. It is approximately a mile long. It was named after the Declaration of Independence signator Benjamin Rush (who lived in Pennsylvania and went to Dickinson College). Rush Street is part of one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country. It is particularly known for it’s nightlife (supposedly especially on the northern side). But I digress.
The owners of the Rush Street restaurant in Culver City are Brian McKeaney, who grew up in the bar/restaurant business (his family owns thirteen establishments on and around Rush Street!), and partners Ken Kaufman, a successful television and film producer, and Tom Patchett, an Emmy winning writer (Carol Burnett Show) and producer and co-founder of Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station Art Complex. The Executive Chef is Dave Northrup. I have never been to Chicago, so I had no idea what to expect or how to judge. Fortunately, my roommate is a native. One thing I have learned about Chicago is that is raises the bar on everything, especially food. (Side note: How much did you love Top Chef in Chicago?)
Walking in, you immediately notice the high arched wooden ceiling, which I was told helped give it the Chicago feel. There is an upstairs bar/lounge/private area, but I did not go up there. We were told we would have to wait 45 minutes for a table, but could hang out at the bar. Even though I was ridiculously hungry, we agreed to the wait. While looming around the bar and taking pictures, within 5 minutes they seated us. Boo yah!
For the love of gin, I ordered their rendition of the Aviation (bombay sapphire, fresh lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, creme de violette) to drink from their Vintage Classic Cocktail menu. Let’s discuss this creme de violette. Wiki tells me that it is another name for liqueur de violette, which is a generic term for a usually French liqueur with natural and/or artificial violet flower flavoring and coloring with either a brandy base, a neutral spirit base, or a combination of the two. I have no idea what brand Rush was using, but it was not common in the States until mid-2007 when Haus Alpenz began importing Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette from Austria. The drink was delicious. I could have had 5 more, but at fourteen dollars a pop I kept it to one.
Although they have Pizza on their menu, it is not Chicago style. They only offer Chicago style on Monday nights as a special. However, our waitress (who lived in Chicago) explained that it is not great Chicago style pizza; they are still perfecting their recipe at Rush. This was a great warning. I still have never had Chicago style pizza. Tears. Our waitress did recommend the Macaroni and Cheese, which my boyfriend loves. So I ordered it for the table to share. It came looking almost too cute to scoop into, but the taste of it made the destruction of beauty worth it. Like my cocktail, I could have probably eaten several of these pots. Fortunately, we had more food coming.
As the main course I ordered the also recommended Mesquite Turkey Burger and Fries - applewood bacon, cheddar, shoestring onions, avocado, and confire sauce (confire is French for “to preserve”). I just started to eat turkey burgers recently and am becoming a big fan. It is a different taste and makes me feel a little bit healthier. Although there are a lot of toppings on it, the mesquite turkey dominates, but still plays nicely with others. I would order it again. However, they have a bunch of appetizers their that all sounded very… appetizing. Hah. (I really need to work on my burger photography)
I had no control or discipline at this dinner. Nobody else wanted dessert, but I ordered it anyways. It was a Chocolate Mousse cake. I don’t know much about cakes or mousse, but I do love chocolate. I usually can tell how good a dessert is by how quickly I can feel my blood sugar change. I felt warm and tingly about half way through, but it was so rich that by the end I had to reluctantly put my spoon down. A great dessert to share with people.
In the end, I would go back to Rush in a heartbeat. It’s a little pricey, but if you go in a group and share food it probably would lessen the blow. I would love to go to their Brunch that caters specifically to the hungover crowd. Sounds like it would be perfect for a lazy Sunday.
Rush Street
9546 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 837-9546