Posted September 3rd, 2008 by Meg
I love the Colorado Wine Company. So much, in fact that I need to say it again… I love the Colorado Wine Company! I have been going there ever since it first opened in 2005. Not only are the owners, John and Jen, some of the sweetest and most friendly people, but anyone that has worked or currently works there, are also great people.
I tried to think of the main reason behind why I enjoy Colorado Wine Company, but found that I am unwilling to settle on just one. Instead, I have made a list:
- I already mentioned that the owners/staff are amazing (but it is worth repeating).
- The atmosphere is organized, intimate, and cozy.
- The prices of wines by the glass are reasonable.
- I am always able to find a great bottle within my 8-15 dollar price range.
- I am always able to get a great recommendation for the aforementioned bottle; very knowledgeable people!
- Nobody judges your palate, there is “Wine For Everyone.”
- The art on the walls is constantly changing and showcasing talented, local artists.
- I always make a new friend while I am there; the people who I meet are laid back, friendly, and fun.
- Parking is rarely a problem.
- They send out witty newsletters and have a beautiful and active website.
This past Friday I went to their weekly tasting with my roommate. The tagline to the tasting was “Happy Thoth Day!” in celebration of the first day of Thoth, the ibis-headed god of knowledge, in the Egyptian calendar. The best reason to raise your glass! Here is the list of the wines in order of how they were served:
1. Tangent Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Edna Valley, California
2. Mr. Riggs Riesling 2006, Clare Valley, Australia
3. Lonardi Valpolicella 2004, Verona, Italy
4. Wisteria Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, California
5. Earthworks Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Barossa Valley, Australia
I am not going to go into great detail about how each one tasted, but instead want to stress that they were all delicious! These are the quick notes I wrote later in the evening about the wines: Favorites are 1, 3, 5. Tangent was sweet, perfect to start the tasting. Mr. Riggs was not as sweet as I expected for a Riesling, but quite satisfying. The Valpolicella was great, light in taste. Wisteria was good, but where does it come from? Earthworks was full bodied and pleasant, could drink a lot more of it.
The Co Wine Co is one of the remaining reasons, aside from a few friends in the area, that I return to Eagle Rock. When I am on that side of town, I always try to stock up on some inexpensively priced wines. I am willing to pay more here than I would at Trader Joe’s because I know that John and Jen have put a lot of time and effort into choosing amazing wines and I fully trust their judgment and selection (in comparison to me just choosing wines by which one has the cooler label). I came home with bottles Tangent and Valpolicella from the tasting, and two other bottles that I found around the store that looked good.
Whether to pick up a bottle, sit down for a glass, or have a cold one from their impressive beer selection (No Bud Lite here), I encourage everyone to visit Colorado Wine Company! Check out their website (also sign up for their newsletters) to see what event works best for your schedule. I have included information on two of their weekly tastings and their hours of operation, but I know they offer events on other days so it is best take a look at their event calendar.
Friday Wine Tastings (5 wines; 15 dollars) - 5:30-8:30pm
Lazy Sunday Tastings (4 wines; 12 dollars) - 1:00-4:00pm
Store Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 11:00am-9:00pm
Thursday-Saturday: 11:00am-11:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm
Wine Bar Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 4:00-9:00pm
Thursday-Friday: 4:00-11:00pm
Saturday: 1:00-11:00pm
Sunday: 1:00-5:00pm
Colorado Wine Company
2114 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 478-1985
Posted August 27th, 2008 by Meg
My boyfriend and I recently went out to the much talked about Kitchen 24, a cute little restaurant in Hollywood. It gets it’s name from the fact that it is conveniently open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The menu covers everything: breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and booze. I had heard about them through a friend dining there for breakfast. They said it was wonderful, and when I looked at the menu, their breakfast certainly sounded appetizing. However, you will see below that I did not order the breakfast, but opted for a salad. I know, a little boring, but I’m on a journey to find the best salad in Los Angeles.
I was excited to order one of their many crazy cocktails. I was a little disappointed that vodka took over the majority of the recipes (was really in the mood for gin). However, this does not mean I was disappointed with my decision of a Verde Verda: muddle strawberries shaken with Basil & Veev served refreshingly on the rocks with a splash of soda.
For those of you that don’t know, Veev is the first açaí spirit. Açaí (pronounced like “a-sigh-ee”) is a fruit that grows atop a certain variety of palm tree in the rainforest (the same tree that produces hearts of palm). This little berry is a powerhouse of antioxidants (yes, even better than pomegranates), making it a great fruit to eat. Veev is a pretty green company and for every bottle that you buy, they donate a dollar to the Brazilian rainforest, directly benefiting the farming communities that harvest the berries. Their organization is carbon neutral organization, partnering with the company ClimateClean to offset their carbon emissions. They are also the only distillery in America that is powered by renewable wind energy. Kudos to you, Veev! The recipe that Kitchen 24 used to make mine was crisp and clean in taste. It was only slightly sweet, definitely not as sweet as I expected it to be with the spirits and the fruit.
For dinner, I ordered the Salmon BLT Salad: grilled salmon, tomatoes, mixed greens, applewood bacon and potatoes, with a bacon buttermilk vinaigrette. I am new to eating salmon on salads, and usually prefer to have it alone and separate. I never would think to place bacon and potatoes on it either, but it worked so well that I might have to try it at home. I think the dressing made it go from just a good salad to a great salad. I also ordered some sweet potato fries for the table for comparative purposes. The fries at Kitchen 24 were
good, but only came with ketchup. I do not think that sweet potato fries and ketchup pair well, but I am sure someone out there does. I strongly believe that F.O. and The Counter have the best sweet potato fries. They seal the deal of being best by including some type of sour cream spicy dipping sauce specifically for their fries.
Overall, the food is good and probably tastes even better at 2am after a night of drinking. It is in a perfect location to pick up the hungry drinkers too, being just down the block from Citizen Smith, Beauty Parlor, and many other bars. It is very small, so I assume that it can become quite cozy after last call, but probably well worth the wait.
Note: I have just started my journey for the best salad in Los Angeles. Until I have tried a good number of salads, I cannot decide as to yet which salad ranks supreme in my book.
Kitchen 24
1608 N Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Get Directions(323) 465-2424
Posted August 24th, 2008 by Meg
After running a half marathon, walking around Balboa Park, eating a large quantity of amazing food, and car ride home to Los Angeles, there was only one thing left I needed to make the day complete. 
Posted August 19th, 2008 by Meg
After eating at Ch1ve, we met up with my friend’s friend, who was working as a security bouncer inside the dueling piano bar, The Shout! House. A dueling piano bar typically consists of a stage with two grand pianos, each played by a charismatic and outgoing professional player who is able to both play music and somehow increase the energy of audience. The music that is played is usually popular classic rock and popular music of the time. Interestingly, this format of dueling piano bars originated in late 1986 in Dallas, Texas. The Shout! House is a specific type of dueling piano bar where audience make requests and audience participation, interaction, and sing-a-long are all encouraged. Fortunately, my friend’s friend was able to put us on a guest list and we did not have to pay the ten dollar cover charge. Upon entering, I was immediately reminded of the Los Angeles dueling piano bar, Howl at the Moon. The Shout!
House definitely seems like the place to go with a large group to get really drunk and embarrass yourself and/or others. I was a little sad that I was unable to drink because of the race, but it was still amusing to watch other people drink and do crazy things that I hope I would never do when I am drunk! The pictures included are a part of the night where the pianists ask all the workers of the establishment to come up on the stage (bartenders get up on their bars) and lead everyone through the Time Warp.
We did not stay out too late because I was supposed to be up and moving at 5am so I could make it to the race before the start time of 7am. I fell asleep with practically one eye open at around 11:00pm. I was ¾ nervous and ¼ excited. I woke up repeatedly with different worries each time: going to be late, going to forget something, not going to finish, going to hurt myself, not going to finish, not going to finish, not going, not going to finish, going to be too tired to finish because I keep waking up, etc. Life seemed to be moving faster during these hours and there was no turning back or way to stop it.
The Shout! House
655 4th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
Get Directions(619) 231-6700
Howl at the Moon
1000 Universal Center Dr # 216
Universal City, CA 91608
Get Directions(818) 755-9970
I love the Colorado Wine Company. So much, in fact that I need to say it again… I love the Colorado Wine Company! I have been going there ever since it first opened in 2005. Not only are the owners, John and Jen, some of the sweetest and most friendly people, but anyone that has worked or currently works there, are also great people.
I am not going to go into great detail about how each one tasted, but instead want to stress that they were all delicious! These are the quick notes I wrote later in the evening about the wines: Favorites are 1, 3, 5. Tangent was sweet, perfect to start the tasting. Mr. Riggs was not as sweet as I expected for a Riesling, but quite satisfying. The Valpolicella was great, light in taste. Wisteria was good, but where does it come from? Earthworks was full bodied and pleasant, could drink a lot more of it.
Store Hours
