Beer bars are blooming in Los Angeles: Stout opens in Hollywood, Surly Goat to open in West Hollywood

You can find plenty of places in Los Angeles to drink an apple cosmotini or an organic artisanal rosemary-and-mint mojito, but for craft beer Los Angeles can be a humbling city. Not long ago, beer aficionados had few options for finding quality suds in L.A. These days...

A handful of new beer bars, such as recently opened Stout in Hollywood and soon-to-open the Surly Goat in West Hollywood are making the city more amenable to suds sippers. And after 18 painful months of red tape and construction (mostly red tape), the Eagle Rock Brewery just last week began brewing, making it the only dedicated commercial brewery operating within Los Angeles city limits. Co-founder Jeremy Raub hopes to release the brewery's first three beers by the end of the year.

Read the full story here.

--Elina Shatkin

Photo: 30 taps prominently line the copper bar at Stout, a new beer bar in Hollywood. Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times.

Audrey Saunders on the Tar Pit: cocktail flights, housemade sodas, Sunday brunch (served all day because Saturday nights can be long)

Now that New York bartender extraordinaire Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club has teamed with Mark Peel and Jay Perrin of Campanile to open the Tar Pit, what's in store? Cocktail flights, food-and-drink pairings, Sunday brunch, housemade sodas and more.

And if you thought the name Tar Pit made it sound, well, dumpy, there's a reason (besides the reference to the La Brea Tar Pits).

"We drew inspiration from the old black-and- white movie 'My Man Godfrey,'" said Saunders. "William Powell is homeless and living on the city dump. He goes to work for Carole Lombard’s crazy family as the butler, rebuilds his fortune, then returns to the city dump to open the Dump -- a nightclub. When someone enters the Tar Pit for the first time, they'll be able to connect the irony in what the name represents, as opposed to the actual feel of the space." This place is no pit.

"The beverage program is neoclassical and tips its hat to the 1940s Hollywood bar scene," she  said. "It will encompass everything from old classics to new creations. We will also be developing an in-house carbonation program for housemade sodas." 

Cocktail flights also will be offered, in which you pick any three drinks from the cocktail menu and create your own flight (each is half the volume of a standard drink).

And get this:

Small Bites: Umami Burger (II) and Salaryman in Los Feliz; Raphael in Studio City; Philippe on Melrose

 

More Umami Burger: Umami Burger opened its second location Friday in Los Feliz, an Adam Fleischman-Steven Arroyo collaboration in the former Cobras & Matadors space on Hollywood Boulevard. The kokeshi-doll-accented restaurant serves the same roster of burgers as at its original La Brea Avenue location, including its signature Umami Burger (parmesan tuile, shiitake, special sauce, etc.), SoCal Burger and Manly Burger, among others. The adjacent Japanese beer bar is called Salaryman. 4655 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, www.umamiburger.com.

Coming to the Valley: Raphael is expected to open in Studio City this month. Owner Alon Raphael calls the 60-seater "fine dining casual, leaning more toward fine dining." Chef Stephen Burkalis, who had worked at the Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles, says the small menu (six or seven appetizers, nine entrees, six or seven desserts) is Japanese- , French- , Italian- and California-influenced. 11616 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 505-3337.

Melrose Avenue Chinese: High-end Chinese restaurant Philippe made its Melrose Avenue debut over the weekend in the former Dolce space, in all its red-white-and-black Deco-disco glory. Philippe already has restaurants in New York, Mexico City and Miami, with another on the way in Las Vegas. Signature dishes include satay, "Mr. Cheng's noodles" (hand-pulled noodles) and "nine seasons spicy prawns." The restaurant has attracted the wrath of Michael Chow (a.k.a. Mr. Chow), the former employer of Philippe co-owner Philippe Chow. Mr. Chow filed a lawsuit against Philippe in Los Angeles last month. 8284 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, www.philippechow.com.

-- Betty Hallock

Photo credit: Andy Lai / Philippe

Katsuya opens at L.A. Live; Hyde Lounge to open at Staples Center

On Wednesday night at L.A. Live, nightclub and restaurant impresario Sam Nazarian opened his fourth Katsuya in 3½ years. The man who's attempting to transform Gladstone's into something other than a tourist trap, where the foil-wrapped leftovers and the views of the Pacific are far more impressive than the food, beamed with pride as he took the stage.

Preceded by taiko drummers and a short speech from Lakers point guard Derek Fisher, who was attending on behalf of the charity After-School All-Stars, Nazarian officially announced that on Oct. 27, SBE will open an outpost of its Hollywood nightclub, Hyde Lounge, in the Staples Center.

Scheduled to coincide with the first Lakers game of the 2009-10 season, the $1.3 million venue will hold 175 guests and feature food items from Katsuya as well as other SBE restaurants. But not anyone can get in. For the first year, Hyde will be open only to those with suites or court-side seats. Memberships will be available in the second year.

Nazarian was joined onstage by Fisher, sushi chef Katsuya Uechi and AEG Chief Executive Tim Leiweke, where they performed a kagami-biraki, a Shinto ceremony that involves breaking the lid of a sake barrel with a wooden mallet and then serving the sake. Amid Nazarian's relentless drive to dot Los Angeles with flashy, self-consciously exclusive venues, it was a brief moment to honor tradition.

[Pictures after the jump.]

Capitol City blends sports bar appeal and Hollywood glamour

The 7,000 square feet of opulence that was the ill-fated nightclub Goa will re-open later this week as the sleek sports bar Capitol City. Aiming to broaden the sports bar's appeal beyond the traditional clientele of dudes, more dudes and the occasional bored girlfriend, proprietor Curtis Nysmith is going out of his way to brand Capitol City as a lounge. It has couches! And a menu! That includes Sicilian meatball sliders, house-smoked pork ribs, an ahi tuna salad, bacon mac 'n' cheese, lamb lollipops and such standards as nachos, wings and burgers.

We get it. This isn’t just a place for bros to watch USC shame Ohio State into submission. This is a place where a girl can kick off her gladiator stilettos and sip a cosmotini while petting her mini-labradoodle as he nips at the inside of her imitation Louis Vuitton tote bag. In all seriousness, one of the signature cocktails is the Pussycat, made with black cherry vodka, raspberry liqueur and a Champagne floater.

[More pictures after the jump.]

Cuba de Oro in Los Feliz is closed, will reopen as Agave Tequila House y Cantina at the end of the month

I just got word from Franck Alix, co-owner of 1739 Public House in Los Feliz, that Cuba de Oro, which used to be known as Cuba Libre, has closed and will reopen at the end of July as Agave Tequila House y Cantina.

The theme of the restaurant will remain Latin but the focus will now be on 100% blue agave tequila. The kitchen will stay open late and Alix says the prices will be low. (Alix's business partner Jessie Singh owns Cuba de Oro, which shares a glass door and bathrooms with 1739.)

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times

Small Bites: Renovated Hotel Erwin in Venice to open Hash restaurant and High lounge; Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes opens eight restaurants

Eat your hash, then get to high: Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach has been open for about 30 years, but last year came under the management of the boutique hotel chain Joie de Vivre. Now, the hotel is revealing its new look (to fit in with the artsy, boho Venice milieu). But most important, for my purposes at least, Hotel Erwin is opening a new restaurant and a rooftop lounge. Hash restaurant is slated to open July 3 for breakfast and begin serving dinner on July 7. In the morning, the restaurant will serve a number of specialty breakfast hashes and dishes with playful names such as snooze-you-lose omelets. During dinner service, Hash will take on a bit of a French bistro air and serve dishes including red beet ravioli and spiced Kurobuta pork chops. The hotel's snazzy rooftop lounge, High, officially opens Friday night. A hotel spokeswoman says the open-air lounge and terrace is the highest rooftop space in Venice Beach and has 360-degree views from Catalina Island to the Hollywood sign. There won't be much food, just a bar menu of light snacks, including salami and oysters of the day. The drink menu includes artisan beers, wine and fresh cocktails with names such as Windward Ho and Lifeguard's Lemonade. 1697 Pacific Ave., Venice Beach. (310) 452-1111; www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/erwin.

Octohotel: Terranea Resort in Ranchos Palos Verdes has opened eight new dining and drinking destinations: the upscale Mar'sel, which features ocean views and a menu of California classics with French and Spanish accents; Nelson's, which is being dubbed "a 21st century homage to a modern surf shack"; the relaxed, family-friendly Catalina Kitchen; the poolside Terranea Grill, featuring upscale bar food; classy lounge spaces with club chairs, fireplaces and sofas (the Lobby Bar, Living Room & Terrace); the Spa Cafe with light, healthful fare; Sea Beans coffee shop; and finally, the casual Cielo Point, which is next to the "adults-only pool." 6610 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes. (310) 265-2800; www.terranea.com.

-- Jessica Gelt 

Photo: High Lounge at Hotel Erwin. Credit: Hotel Erwin

Openings: Noir Food & Wine

A new wine bar, Noir Food & Wine, owned by Michael Farwell (who also opened Vertical Wine Bistro) and chef Claud Beltran is tentatively set to open in Pasadena (near Lake and Colorado) on July 9. The concept, which has been fermenting for three years, is based loosely on the famous wine bar Willi's in Paris. Beltran's menu features small plates with a "touch of Provence, Piemonte and New Orleans," including gumbo, charcuterie, caponata-stuffed green squash with pesto sauce and fried olives, wild boar chili verde with white bean ragout and a Pinot Noir-infused beef burger with red onions, cheddar cheese and remoulade sauce. The wine list features more than 300 wines, and the owners claim they have the largest selection of Pinot Noir in Los Angeles. Noir Food & Wine, 40 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. (626) 795-7199. www.noirfoodandwine.com.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Noir Food & Wine

New Bar: West 4th/Jane opens in Santa Monica -- with bacon-crusted French toast

With a 100+ beer list that features highbrow artisanal brews like Delerium Tremens, Unibroue and Hitachino alongside low-rent brews like Schlitz, Miller High Life and 40-ouncers of Olde English, two former New Yorkers are bringing the uptown/downtown aesthetic to West 4th/Jane, a Santa Monica bar that opened Tuesday. Located in the former 3 On Fourth space, West 4th/Jane is an homage to the popular Greenwich Village pub Corner Bistro, known for its Bistro Burger: eight ounces of grilled beef topped with a mound of bacon.

Founders Steven Lieberman, who worked the bar at Hennessey's Tavern, the Penthouse at the Huntley Hotel and Ford’s Filling Station, and Keith O’Brien, who has worked as a financial analyst and a bartender, have curated the menu's self-conscious schizophrenia. If you don't feel like a market-fresh organic salad or beer-steamed mussels, how about tater tots, a street dog with "all the NY fixings" or the All-or-One Hangover Sandwich, a hot mess of peppered turkey, salami, warm coppacolla and a fried egg? And not to bury the lead, but West 4th/Jane offers bacon-crusted French toast. It's made from ovals of French bread dipped in an egg batter, dredged in bacon and served with maple syrup. The only question is: Do you order that before, during or after your hangover?

--Elina Shatkin

Photo: Bacon-crusted French toast at West 4th/Jane. Credit: Aviva Studios

Small Bites: Rotisserie bonanza, cachaca fever and menu change-ups

New rotisserie menu at Cafe Pinot: Since rotisserie chicken is one of the highlights of dining at Cafe Pinot next to the Central Library downtown, chef Kevin Meehan has decided to offer a variety of meats from the rotisserie. Monday: leg of lamb with rosemary essence. Tuesday: rabbit with honey-sage glaze. Wednesday: squab with apricot compote. Thursday: prime rib with potatoes. Friday: whole sea bass with fennel. Cafe Pinot, 700 W. 5th St., L.A. (213) 239-6500, www.patinagroup.com.

International Cachaça Day is here and will be celebrated at the Buffalo Club: Friday is reportedly International Cachaça Day. And although we are suspicious of the provenance of all such "official" days, we are happy that cachaça is having its day in the sun. The Brazilian spirit is distilled from sugar cane and is the basis for the miraculously wonderful cocktail known as the caipirinha, which is unfortunately a difficult drink to find made well in L.A. On Friday at the Buffalo Club you'll find a variety of drinks made with Cabana cachaça for $8 each, including a spicy caipirinha made with Serrano chiles and a mango and dill cachaça cooler. A DJ will spin sweet samba grooves. Buffalo Club, 1520 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 450-8600.

Summer menu announced at Boho: Chef Andre Guerrero at Boho has listened to his regulars and changed the newish Hollywood gastropub's menu. The new menu has done away with heavier, meatier options and added a variety of lighter, farmers market-driven options including heirloom tomato gazpacho, $8; white corn, red pepper, kabocha squash, shallots and rice vinegar, $8; asparagus pizza with leeks, mushrooms, goat cheese and truffle oil, $14; and a summer peach crisp with vanilla bean ice cream, $8. Sadly, the delicious onion soup in oxtail broth has been removed. Boho, 6372 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A., (323) 465-8500, www.bohorestaurant.com.

Micky's in West Hollywood celebrates its official grand re-opening: Nearly two years after it was destroyed by fire, Micky's, one of WeHo's most loved bars, celebrated its grand re-opening Wednesday night with a ribbon cutting, party and presentation of a plaque to the West Hollywood Fire Department for its efforts to save the club. Micky's, 8857 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 657-1176.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: The Bianca-Verde pizza at Boho in Hollywood. Credit: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times