Memphis at the Santora, Santa Ana

I have wanted to go check out some of the bars in new, trendy, downtown Santa Ana and finally got my chance back in July.  We arrive around 530 pm; the street and the bar at Memphis at Santora are empty.  There is one customer at the bar, a single guy, eating the most delicious smelling mussels.  My first issue is the stools don’t have back support.  Why do people even make these wretched, torturous things?  But at the bar we must sit.  There’s a young kid behind the bar.  I peruse the menu and discover that there is a Maker’s Mark or Old Overholt Manhattan on the happy hour menu.  I ask what else he’s got and out of nowhere, another bartender (yes, another kid; are they all kids?) appears and a lovely discussion ensues.  I’m looking to try something different.  He tells me he had a feeling about me right away and pulls down a bottle of Russell’s Bourbon and pours us both a shot.  He swigs his down.  I do not.  He tells me he never shakes his manhattans.  The cocktail turns out to be not as strong as I expect it to be, maybe a little sweet but very smooth going down.  

The first bartender is inquiring if he can leave early to go to San Francisco and gives us our food but forgets my friend's wine.  Bartender #2 asks what we ordered and quickly gets it.  Bartender #1 seems clueless and unconcerned and eventually makes his way around to our side of the bar and orders something to eat and stays there for as long as we are there.  Friend gets the beet salad and I get the crab cakes.  

Everything is very, very good.  Bartender #2, whose name is Jefferson, is having some kind of issue with one of the waitresses and makes it pretty obvious.  Then a bartender from another bar comes in to give Jefferson a bottle of something homemade.  Have no idea what it is but I get a shot of that too.  I liked this place; it's pretty and we got excellent service.  I went back a few weeks ago and got less than enthusiastic service from Jefferson but I blame it on the extremely grouchy person I was with.  I did discover on this second visit that they have a bourbon flight (4 for $20) so I guess I'll be going for a 3rd visit.  

Andrei's Conscious Cuisine & Cocktails, Irvine

There’s nothing wrong with the individual ingredients of Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine & Cocktails West Coast Manhattan (Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Morello Cherries, Bitters, Vermouth, Orange Squeeze) ($11).  It’s strong, no doubt.  Maybe it was the bitters (too much?) or maybe it was the orange squeeze which I think was muddled in my case, but there is something off about the taste.  It was shaken. And it came with a glass of water without my having to ask for it. 

Their specialty drink menu is heavy on the vodka but in their, they do have a manhattan on the menu as well as a whiskey sour ($10).  Both are listed in the straight up section.  When I inquire about about a few of the drinks, the bartender is takes his time answering my questions.  Why is a whiskey sour is on the straight up list (having been scolded by a bartender in an Irish dive bar in Dorchester, MA that whiskey sours are never made straight up). I am told the it contains egg white And the basis-cucumber gimlet (with gin, thank you very much) on the rocks? Customers complained that it was too strong.  Too strong?  Is that even possible?

Andrei’s offers several small plates ($6-8) during their happy hour from 3-7 pm weekdays and 5-7 on Saturdays.  I land on the Market Fish Taco ($8) which has grilled seasonal market fish (today it’s salmon), pineapple, avocado, spicy black bean cream (which turns out to be purple), oven-dried tomato chutney, green cabbage, cilantro, pita bread tortillas.  I know, too much, right.  You can hardly distinguish flavors.  And given this ingredient list, you’d expect a big soggy mess, wouldn’t you. Admittedly, the liquid does drip out of the taco but the pita bread tortilla is fantastic.  It holds it shape, it doesn’t get soggy.

For a Thursday night the place is not that busy.  My friend is a no-show so I amuse myself with Occupy Boston’s facebook discussion on if and how Obama is like Nixon.  Most of the comments are way off topic and long. 

As I’m enjoying my tacos, the bar manager comes over to inquire if everything is OK.  He informs me that Andrei’s is a non-profit restaurant.  The owner’s son, who died in a car accident, had some degenerative eye disease and all the restaurant’s profits go to a charity in support of finding a cure. They also source their ingredients locally.

Bartender returns after he leaves with a free drink sample. I have no idea what it is.  Vodka (of course), lycee agave, passion fruit puree.  Too sweet and fruity for me and I don’t mix browns and whites so leave all but one sip in the glass.   

Bistango, Irvine

It sounded too good to be true.  Happy hour from 4 pm until closing Monday-Friday and 530 to closing on Saturday?  Who does that?  Well, apparently Bistango in Irvine does.  And they do it very well.

So they tack on Martini to the Bistango’s Manhattan Martini for no apparent reason ($11).  Who cares?  It’s Woodford Reserve, sweet vermouth, Peychauds Bitters (yes, they included the bitters in the description!) and a Luxardo Marachino Cherry.  Steve, the very personable bartender in his mid-fifties, asked if I wanted it stirred or shaken.  Really, he asked me!  My friend gets vodka martini and, sorry, but I can’t remember the brand but she was very impressed they offered it at happy hour prices.

Happy hours tapas are offered from 4-9 pm.  I got the lovely pan seared diver scallop, lemon giner risotto, asparagus, and balsamic ($8).  This was lick the plate good.  Perfectly seared scallop; crunchy asparagus and tangy almost perfectly cooked risotto. The tiny puddle of liquid that formed around the edges was probably not supposed to be there but that didn’t prevent the guy next to me from ordering the same dish once he saw mine (his buddy ordered the manhattan after he saw mine too).

My friend got either Sashimi of Yellow Fin Tuna, ginger cucumber salad, hass avocado, spicy soy vinaigrette ($17.50) or Tartare of Sashimi Grade Yellow Fin Tuna, cucumber, scallions, avocado, chili vinaigrette ($15.75) Too raw and icky for me but she loved it. 

Duo playing 60s, 70’s 80’s softish but not too soft rock in the background adds a nice touch to the lovely vibe at this place.  It's a very friendly crowd.

Steve is busy when leave but he comes out from behind the bar when we leave and jokes about us not even saying good bye and gives us each a hug.  All night long this guy is reminding me of someone but, luckily, it’s not until I get home that I realized it was an ex-boss who done me wrong.  I will have to force myself to overlook this because Bistango does it right all the way around – attentive and charming service, quality cocktail for a decent price, good food.  

Anqi, Costa Mesa

I arrive at Anqi around 630 on a recent Thursday evening and got a seat at the bar.  Bartender is calmly walking up and down the length of the bar of approximately 15 stools.  Passes me several times without acknowledging me, he does not appear to be very busy.  No eye contact; no I’ll be with you in a minute, nothing.  What is this?  If I pretend I don’t see you, maybe you’ll go away?  Single woman to my left has her menus and tries to get bartender’s attention.  Nothing.  About 10 minutes after I’m seated, he stands in front of me and says nothing.  I ask for a menu.  My neighbor asks for a full menu.  It’s tossed at her somewhat disgruntledly.  Food is coming out in droves for the man to my right.  All smelling delicious.  Finally a second bartender comes over and we talk about my options. Jim Beam is the house bourbon and I pass on that.  Selections are pretty standard but I notice that one of the Knob Creek bottles is a rye so I ask for perfect manhattan with that ($13).  He makes the drink to my specifications and even gives me three shakes of bitters which, of course, I have forgotten to ask for.  It smells a little fruity and little sweet; tastes slightly less so but it’s got a nice wallop on the first sip and a hint of mind spiciness.  Cinnamon?  If you check out their website, you'll find out that it's oak and vanilla.  This rye is the newest addition to to the Knob Creek line.  It was voted the "Best Rye" and double gold at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  It's 100 proof.  Set back, or some of the mash from the previous batch, is added a two steps in the process - mashing and fermentation.  

The gentleman next to me offers me a taste of the salt and pepper fried calamari ($12).  Very tasty but I ask for the pot stickers ($6) and am told by Mr. Standoffish that they are only offered until 6 pm.  Why put something on the happy hour menu that is not available during happy hour?  I get the

chicken crispy rice roll ($6 ).

So here’s the literal fly in the ointment.  Woman to my left lifts up her salad plate (she had returned the original they brought her because of some mistake with the chicken) and leans over towards me and points.  It’s something black.  Whoa!  It’s something black with moving legs.  Mr. Standoffish is summoned and, again, doesn’t speak.  He takes the plate and walks away.  About 10 minutes later a manager arrives, apologizes and tells her he’s taking one beverage and two of her menu items off her bill.  Really?  The freaking thing’s legs were moving!  Isn’t that immediate zeroing out of the bill?  Guess not. 

My food was decent (and thank goodness I had finished before I saw the bug), drink was decent if a bit pricey.  Based on service alone, this place flunks big time.

Bandera, Los Angeles

Hip and happening, that’s the buzz you get when walking in this place - might be the worst restaurant website I’ve ever seen.  Bandera is part of the Hillstone Group chain.  After inquiring with the hostess, we are told that the quartet at the end is next on the list for available tables so we plant ourselves there.  We stand around the bar what seems like forever but it is really only about 45 minutes to get a seat.  What appears to be one guy leaving turns out to be two but a young hipster swoops in with this bottle of wine in a brown paper sack.  Date arrives 5 minutes later.  They turn out to be the earliest to get a table so I jump on the tables only to see my companion has already gotten two seats at the other end of the bar.  I don’t want to sit right on top of the jazz trio but don’t get a vote. 

Jason, our bartender, seems a bit put out that I am asking how he makes a perfect manhattan.  “Do you mean how we make it or how a manhattan is made?” I explain but get an unsatisfying answer: Maker's Mark and Punt e Mes, ¾ of vermouth.  This I assume to mean ¾ of a jigger but no idea of how much bourbon.  So I just say I’ll take that stirred with a twist.  I’m informed that they usually put a cherry in as well.  Just the twist is fine.  And a glass of water please.  He didn’t mention bitters and I forgot to ask.  I get a decent enough looking drink with no twist and no water.  But oooh, aaah is my first reaction.  He brings the water and twist on second request. 

If you go to the Maker's Mark website, you'll learn that Robert Samuels, the great-great-great grandfather of Maker's creator, Bill, fled to and first started distilling in Kentucky in the 1870s to avoid George Washington's Whisky Tax.  You'll also learn that the James boys (as in Frank and Jesse) were related to the Samuels. The distillery became America's first distillery to be registered as a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior in 1980.

Companion gets a dark and stormy but I get a pretty unenthusiastic “oh it’s great” when I inquire.  The woman on the other side of me is tormenting Jason with her wine order.  She wants something earthy...something earthy…something earthy.  When next I glance in that direction, he is serving her a cocktail of some sort.  I almost snort some of my manhattan out my nose, I’m trying so hard not to laugh.  I lean over and tell him that at least I wasn’t the most difficult customer he’s had all night.  He admits I was fun at being fussy.  I later ask her if she just gave up on the wine order but notice her male companion is the one with the wine.  He steps over and says it’s not great and he hates their wine glasses (which even to my uneducated eye seem excessively large and unwieldly). 

Jason continue to keep my water glass filled and what?  What is this?  A first other than when I do it for myself at home.  He brings over a newly chilled glass and pours what’s remaining in my glass after we’ve been sitting there a while. 

So a little rocky start turned out just fine but I probably don’t need to go to LA for a $14 cocktail.

Opah, Irvine

I get there before everyone else and have plenty of time to peruse the menu at Opah. Their happy hour is 4-7 pm and the bar is full but not standing room only crowded.  I was thrilled to see a manhattan on the menu.  OK, it's listed under the martinis but what are you going to do?  The cherry rye manhattans is made with George Dickel Rye, sweet vermouth and luxardo cherry syrup.

George Dickel Rye is made by, you guessed it,  Dickel Distillery.  It opened for business in 1870 in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee.  Dickel is the only Tennessee whisky to chill the whisky before it goes into the vats.  This process filters out the oils and fatty acids found in most whisky products.  When George died in 1894, his wife, Augusta and her family managed the business so successfully that they were Tennessee's largest distillery by 1904.  Prohibition began in Tennessee in 1903, nine years earlier than it went into effect on the federal level. It wasn't until 1958 that Master Distiller Ralph Dupps obtained Dickel's original recipes and methods and began making the whisky again.

Here's an interesting recipe from their website.

TENNESSEE COBBLE

1.25 oz George Dickel® Tennessee Whisky No. 12

1 tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. grapefruit juice

1.5 tsp. almond extract

1 peach slice

Combine ingredients except peach slice. Stir well, add ice, and decorate with peach slice.

Back to the matter at hand.  Opah has some interesting menu items (appetizers $7-15), entrees ($18-26) and a very nice drink menu ($7-12) . I decide that the cherry rye on the menu is probably going to be too sweet for me.  Kevin, the bartender, gives me a sip of the rye and it's quite nice.  I ask for equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth, stirred with a twist and get a beautifully colored, perfectly prepared cocktail for $9 during happy hour and $10 at all other times (a bargain at either price).

My friend gets the anjou pear martini made with Smirnoff pear vodka, St. Germain, ruby red grapefruit juice, simple syrup and lemon.  It looks and sound delicious and my friend reports, "Fabulous."

I am torn between the beet salad (arugula, walnuts, shaved onion and goat cheese ($11) but decide on the prosciutto wrapped shrimp based on Kevin's enthusiastic endorsement ($11 during happy hour).  What this turns out to be is three individual caprese salads with the shrimp on top.  So good.  So so good. 

Friend is equally happy with the scallops over butternut risotto  entree ($26). With hay?

Kevin, who turns out to be from Massachusetts (can we get some grant money to investigate why these Mass men and women make the best drinks?) works Wednesday through Sunday.  He is attentive, checks on us after he brings drinks and food, keeps our water glasses filled, can carry on a conversation.  The other bartenders never acknowledged us.

The Harp, Costa Mesa

The Dogs (as in Tijuana Dogs) were hot; the manhattan was not.  The reason to go to The Harp on Friday night was to dance the night away to the Tijuana Dogs.  Accomplished.

The drink ($8) was so uninspired in this very wrong and unfilled glass, that I just wanted to cry.  I don't think it's the Jim Beam they used that made it so weak.  I often use Jim Beam at home and the result is a kick ass cocktail. The bartender only poured a little Martini & Rossi vermouth in the shaker.  He started to shake but heard me repeat my request to stir over the dinner and then swirled (same as stirring? who knows?).  Even the guy next to me at the bar commented on the half empty glass.

Proceed to dancing on a very tiny and very crowded dance floor and all is good again.

So I'm going to turn this into a bonus post for this week - about cocktails made at home.  It was only a matter of time before Trader Joe's came out with a TJ's bourbon ($14.99 for 750 ml).  It's 45% alcohol by volume and bottled by Bourbon Square Distilling Company of Louisville, KY.

There is a slight "burn your throat" on the first sip which I like; and something I wasn't accustomed to, the same on the last.  

Nothing comes on for this company on google but several people are writing about TJ's bourbon.  Some interesting commentary here that for the price or slightly more, you can get some decent brand name bourbons.  I must, as they suggest, do some side-by-side comparisons before passing final judgement.  This may not be TJ's finest result, but I like that they makes these efforts to bring us a wide variety of high quality products for decent prices.