[UPDATED] Small Bites: Playboy Playmates at Pourtal; Flight Club at Rustic Canyon; four flavors at Checkers Downtown

Wine and women: File this under weird: Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar has teamed up with Playboy.com nightlife columnist Dan Dunn (fondly referred to as "the Imbiber") to present a navel, I mean novel, wine-tasting tour called "the Imbiber's Ultimate Playmate Fantasy Wine Tour." The tour (which feels more tacky than sexy to me, but who am I to judge? I have very little testosterone.) features eight wines picked because they prompted Dunn to dream of a particular Playmate when the glass touched his lips. A 2006 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon? Marilyn Monroe, of course. Jenny McCarthy? Only a 2006 Maverick from Four Vines will do. The list goes on, but you get the idea. And maybe it is just good clean fun, but having been in the Playboy Mansion grotto at least twice in my life, I seriously doubt it. The program debuted Tuesday and lasts through the end of the month. Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar, 104 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 393-7693. www.pourtal.com.    

Flight Club: The first rule of Flight Club is, well, stop making bad jokes about Flight Club. Sorry, I can't help it. Rustic Canyon Wine Bar & Seasonal Kitchen just launched a regular Monday night program called Flight Club. On offer: a flight of wines selected from various regions around the world paired with a dish created by chef Evan Funke to complement whatever region the wine hails from. This Monday's Flight Club (I just can't stop writing Flight Club. Flight Club. Argh.) featured Old versus  New World Chardonnay paired with apple risotto. Flight Club! Rustic Canyon Wine Bar & Seasonal Kitchen, 1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. 5:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays. (310) 393-7050. www.rusticcanyonwinebar.com.

I've got four on it: The Checkers Hotel downtown is in the process of reinventing itself. It's going for a bit younger, a bit hipper, but still classy. (Funny, that's what I'm going for these days too.) Anyway, every Thursday night through November it's hosting a pairing event called "Four." Here's how it works: The kitchen whips up four special-recipe cocktails and four small plates that complement them, then you chose which pairings you'd like to sample. Try one or try them all. Cocktails go for $4 each and tapas for $4 to $6 each. Checkers Downtown, 535 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 4 to 8 p.m., Thursdays. (213) 624-0000. www.hiltoncheckers.com.

UPDATE: A previous version of this post said reservations are required for the Hilton Checkers pairing event called "Four." In fact, reservations are not required.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Playboy. Credit: Chronicle Books

Relaxation, by the glassful, at Noir Food & Wine

Wine bars come and go in Pasadena, but Noir Food & Wine is notable not only for the quality of the wines on offer but because Claud Beltran, late of Madeleines Restaurant on Green Street, is cooking. Read more here.

Photo credit: Christine Cotter / For The Times

Domaine LA wine shop tries to break California Chicken Cafe curse

On a steadily gentrifying stretch of Melrose Avenue that's tucked between West Hollywood and Hancock Park, wine store Domaine LA quietly opened its doors just before Labor Day. The crisp, modern space that's highlighted by several striking light fixtures in various shades of purple was launched by Jill Bernheimer as a brick-and-mortar addition to her online business, Domaine547.

Between Mozza, Mozza 2 Go, Street, the impending debut of Hatfield's in the former Red Pearl space, the transformation of Divine Pasta Co. into Cube and next door to that, Mark Peel's new speakeasy-themed venture that's slated to open in mid- to late November, Domaine LA is in good company.

And for simpler fare, there's California Chicken Café, which is in the same strip mall as Domaine LA. Sharing a space with the rotisserie chicken juggernaut has proved difficult for other retailers. Before Domaine LA, that space was a laundromat and then a mini-mart. Both failed. So did Tutto Tutti, a hidden gem of a fro-yo shop that was recently replaced by the optimistically named Wow Bento & Roll. Can any business survive in the shadow of California Chicken Café? That remains to be seen. (It's hard to compete with off-duty police officers and yoked bodybuilders flaunting their tank top-perfect physiques.)  

Official details on Hollywood's Mercantile and District emerge

George Abou-Daoud is on quite a winning streak. With the Bowery, Mission Cantina and Delancey under his belt, the N.Y.C. transplant has created some of Hollywood’s most inviting taverns. Now, he's poised to strike again with Mercantile, slated to open at 6600 Sunset Blvd. in early September. And this time he’s bringing along critically acclaimed chef Kris Morningstar (Blue Velvet, A.O.C., Patina) along for the ride.

“It’s equal parts gourmet marketplace, daytime café and nighttime wine bar,” says Abou-Daoud, who describes the space as having an “urban-country, old-world feel with high ceilings, original brick walls, raw wood accents and a carbon steel-topped bar.” There are also glass cases displaying charcuterie, cheese, salads and sandwiches as well as shelves stocked with wine, dried pasta, olives and mustard.

Expect a menu of classics with an “artisanal spin.” For example: a pumpkin-seed butter and preserves sandwich served on country white bread; or a Reuben made with pastrami, Gruyère, house-made sauce and sauerkraut slaw on Russian rye bread.

In addition, Abou-Daoud promises a global selection of wines, with glasses starting at $7.

What about District, the restaurant opening next door to Mercantile? Abou-Daoud and Morningstar are opening that together too, and they say to expect seasonal bistro fare and creative cocktails. We’re especially curious to taste the sea urchin and bay scallop gratin.

-- Alexandra Le Tellier

Photo: Abou-Daoud's Delancey and Mission Cantina reside next door to each other, just as Mercantile and District will. Credit: DeeDee DeGelia for Metromix

Wine Detectives are on the case in Pasadena

Slated to open by mid-August in Pasadena, a new wine bar called Wine Detective. Good name, eh? The owners are “two shrinks and their wives” who “out of love for wine (and alcohol in general)” want to create a place where you can have a glass of wine and converse without need to yell over music.

I imagine they’ll find no shortage of similar-minded wine lovers out there. “We think of it as a conversation lounge,” writes prospective owner Lev Gertsik, director of psychiatric services at California Clinical Trials Medical Group in Glendale and one of the shrinks in question.

They’ll have 48 bottles hooked up to an Enomatic wine dispenser -- 12 whites and 36 reds, plus a number of house wines at the bar. Because it’s a wine bar, not a full-fledged restaurant, the plan is to serve charcuterie, cheeses and desserts only.

The address is 146 S. Lake Ave. in Pasadena in the Commons Mall next to Williams-Sonoma, NapaStyle and Crocodile Cafe; no phone as yet. Sign up to receive an announcement when Wine Detective opens its doors.

--S. Irene Virbila

Small Bites: Patriotic wines at Pourtal; Comme Ca to celebrate Bastille Day (with a very big block of ice)

Patriotic wine tasting: Wine bar Pourtal in Santa Monica kicks off a tour-of-the-U.S. wine tasting  Friday: "United Grapes of America: A patriotic tasting tour of 30  wines from 30 states." Each wine will be available to taste from Pourtal's Enomatic system, along with tasting notes. Owner Stephen Abronson and wine director Peter Birmingham sourced wines from as many states as possible (every state of the union has at least one winery, but state laws prevent the purchase of wine from some states). There's a "Cowboy Reserve" from Wyoming and a "Super Texan" Sangiovese from Texas. (And I'll admit it: I like Hill Country Viognier.) Available through July 13. Pourtal is open on the Fourth of July. 104 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 393-7693, www.pourtal.com

And if Bastille Day is your thing: There are no royalists at Comme Ça, which is planning to celebrate Bastille Day with a “block” party on July 12 and a special prix fixe menu that runs through that week. At Sunday's "block" party, they'll be hand-carving ice chips and chunks from one enormous block of ice for $5 cocktails, including the AF 69 (gin, Cointreau, honey and lemon verbena) -- so named for the daily Air France flight from LAX to Paris. Seven-dollar party snacks feature oysters a la nage, snapper escabeche, and pork belly confit. A $40 three-course prix fixe menu will be offered July 12 to 18. (Please see the jump for the menu.) Closed July 4. 8479 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (323) 782-1104, www.commecarestaurant.com 

-- Betty Hallock

Illustration: Lauren Paska Bro / For The Times

Must wine bar threatens local blog Eater LA with legal action after negative post

Restaurateurs have long voiced their displeasure at negative comments left by anonymous diners on sites such as Yelp. But what happens when a site runs negative -- and potentially defamatory -- comments from anonymous tipsters under the guise of news?

A blind item about the Must wine bar in downtown L.A. has left the restaurant's co-owners, Coly Den Haan and Rachel Thomas, angry enough to threaten local dining blog Eater LA with legal action.

Today the blog ran an item asserting that the Must falsely advertised items on its menu and, perhaps more crucially, threatened diners' health with poor sanitation and food safety. Their source? An anonymous tipster.

"Cheese plates are not as advertised - Double Glouster Chedder, Explorateur Triple Cream Brie, Point Reyes, etc. are all in fact US Foods low-budget generic. You are paying $15 for $4 worth of generic cheese... House Made Peanut Butter is US Foods Generic... Besides not adhering to simple food saftey standards, such as soap, sanitizing, and throwing out chicken salad that's 2 weeks old, 90% of all 'fresh' menu items are cooked days beforehand and sit in the fridge, including all vegetables; even the ones that would take 5 minutes to cook per order." (19:59:27 UTC)

"Those accusations are completely false and we have receipts to prove it," says Den Haan.

Sampler Platter: Pane e Vino and stylish burgers

Midweek roundup of food bites featuring a burger shaped like a shoe, a documentary about food stamps and a local band's foray to a noodle bar.

• Blackburn & Sweetzer digs into Pane e Vino's bar menu.
• New documentary “Food Stamped” explores whether you can eat healthy on food stamps. The Ethicurean
• Forget burger porn. Get a load of burger fashion. Fork in the Road
• What members of Castledoor ordered at Viet Noodle Bar. Atwater Village Newbie

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Los Angeles Times.

Small Bites: AK to close; Social Hollywood sans Giraud; Vermont's 'new' chef

AK no longer: Chef Conny Andersson announced that AK Restaurant + Bar will be closing Saturday, June 20, because of "creative differences" with his financial partners. The Swedish-inflected Venice restaurant opened last November. It will continue to operate under a different name and menu, according to a release from Andersson, who says he is currently searching for a new L.A. location for AK (but didn't it stand for Abbot Kinney?). 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, (310) 392-6644, www.akinvenice.com.

No Giraud at Social Hollywood: Jeffrey Chodorow's China Grill Management says Alain Giraud, chef-partner at Anisette in Santa Monica, will not be involved in the restaurant at Social Hollywood. When chef Michel Richard left the location, he had asked Giraud to take over the restaurant as a consulting chef. At the time, Giraud said he was negotiating an agreement with China Grill Management (which also operates Asia de Cuba among other restaurants) and was planning on designing new menus. Apparently, those negotiations fell through (Squid Ink reports that "Giraud's stress level went up"). “While we believed that Alain Giraud was an ideal match for the banquet side of Social Hollywood, this was not the time for this collaboration," said general manager Joseph Ojeda. Social Hollywood is exploring "a number of other options." Meanwhile, the Bar at Social Hollywood is open Thursday to Saturday. 6525 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 337-9797, www.citrusatsocial.com   

Vermont taps OG chef: Now that restaurateurs Wayne Elias and Chris Diamond have closed Mark's in West Hollywood and moved to Vermont restaurant in Los Feliz, expect menu changes on June 29, when executive chef Stephane Beaucamp returns to the kitchen. Beaucamp was formerly Vermont’s executive chef; the restaurant's most recent chef, Laurent Quenioux, is setting up Bistro LQ in the old Mimosa space on Beverly Boulevard. Beaucamp already has rolled out "Lobster Bake" on Wednesdays. He'll also continue “Dish It Out Mondays,” a specially priced menu that was a Mark’s tradition. 1714 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 661-6163, www.vermontrestaurantonline.com

Valentino in Houston: Restaurateur Piero Selvaggio plans to open PS Valentino Vin Bar at the Hotel Derek in Houston this fall. It's an expansion of the primi concept he installed at his flagship Santa Monica restaurant Valentino -- small plates with an extensive list of wines by the glass.

-- Betty Hallock

Photo courtesy of Vermont restaurant

Sampler Platter: Bacaro in downtown, bizarre hot dogs and chocolate 2.0

Bizarre hot dogs, tech-savvy chocolate and another wine bar coming to downtown L.A. lead today's roundup of food news.

• Bacaro l.a. owners will open a new beer and wine bar in the Pacific Electric Lofts space that was slated for BabyCakes NYC. The cupcake joint will move one door down on 6th Street. Blog Downtown
• From the hamdog to the mac 'n cheese hot dog to the cornhole (corn on the cob wrapped in hickory bacon, hot dog slices, cheese sticks and ground beef), the 10 weirdest hot dogs. Woman's Day
• Thoughts, opinions and food porn from last weekend's Taste of the Nation Los Angeles, courtesy of Ravenous Couple, Eat: LA, Teenage Glutster and Squid Ink.
• Shiv Sena, an ultra-right nationalist party in India, has launched the Shiv Vada, a deep-fried potato ball sandwich that it hopes will become as popular as hamburgers. Boing Boing
• Four women attempting to dine and dash crash their car into a Detroit IHOP. Detroit News
• This San Francisco chocolate factory is so wired that it can be remotely operated from halfway across the world. (It helps that one of the owners co-founded Wired magazine). CNET

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Robert Rusler of Santa Monica gives son James a ride at the landmark Tail O' the Pup hot dog stand, circa 2005. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times.