I'll Have One of Everything!

Tapas are one of the best food concepts in the world. 

Tons of little plates of food, enabling one to sample a breadth of options from the chef – genius.

The Spaniards sure are smart (dude, they get to take siestas every day!)

  

When we feel like enjoying this smorgasbord of eats we like to hit up Tasca on 3^rd street. Yes, this place isn’t cheap, however there’s a pricing loophole that we like to take advantage of and it's called Happy Hour (duh.)

Tapas at Tasca are usually around $6 - $16 per plate (with full sized entrees available for around $25/ea), but during Happy Hour there is a special menu of dishes and drinks from $2.50 - $5.00/ea (including $3 Sangria – Yum!)

Best part of all this: Tasca serves their Happy Hour menu ALL NIGHT on Mondays.... I.E. Tonight... I.E. Call right now and make a reservation so you can enjoy this delicious, and discounted, food with some delicious, and discounted, wine or sangria.

Quick note: some friends went here on a rainy night last month and apparently Happy Hour is only available at the bar and on the patio – but if its raining, Happy Hour is JUST at the bar. Our recommendation: wait ‘til the weather is nice (like today) so you can ensure yourself a Happy Hour seat.

Tasca Restaurant and Wine Bar

8108 W. 3rd Street

323.951.9890

Happy Hour: 

Monday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm

Tuesday - Friday 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Parking: Valet or 3rd Street Meters

Prix Fixe Fix!

Here at Finer Things LA, we have a fondness for all things prix fixe and all things wine, so when today's Blackboard Eats deal landed in our inboxes, we were pretty much in heaven. Not to mention the blurb on the deal included a shout out to my favorite white wine ever - viognier.

Today's deal will get you a 3-course dinner at Mercantile on Sunset, a low key wine bar-slash-grocery-slash bakery-slash-eatery.  The fixed menu includes and endive and watercress salad, your choice of main entree (sausage, ricotta gnudi or trout rillettes) and a scoop of home-made ice cream (yum!). All this for $20!

If you haven't used Blackboard Eats before, sign up NOW, and then click to get in on the deal. You will receive a passcode for the deal that is good to use at the restaurant for a month.

Blackboard Eats: www.blackboardeats.com
Mercantile. 6600 W Sunset Blvd. (323) 962-8202. www.themercantilela.com

Cork Me!

"You haven't drunk too much wine if you can still lie on the floor without holding on."

~ Dean Martin

As you know, we love wine. With brunch, lunch or dinner, or even on its own as a pre-party beverage before a night out... Anytime there's wine - we're in. 

But if you're out to dinner and you want to drink wine like Dean Martin - you'll need a Dean Martin sized bank account too. 

So then begins the fun game we all play of 'which bottle do I order that doesn't make me look like a total cheap ass, but also doesn't cost me a fortune?' 

My dad taught me you always pick the second least expensive bottle on the menu, and then pretend you've had it before. This makes it seem as though my 'inexpensive' wine selection  ($50 for what would have been $15 at Ralphs) is based on my discerning and experienced taste, and not my 'just outta college' budget. 

OKAY, so yes, we graduated three/four years ago. Quit rubbing it in and let me finish my story!!

Anyway... There are two alternate solutions to the wine-bottle game: 

1. Drink at home before dinner (and risk not remembering the meal)

2. Find a place with free or cheap corkage so you can bring your own cheapy bottle and drink for less

Option 2 is always the best solution. 

And now I present to you: FinerThingsLA's favorite free corkage spots around town: 

* Nook - 11628 Santa Monica Blvd #8, West LA

Free corkage on Mondays and Tuesdays only. Favorite items on the menu: Flat Iron Steak and the Burger (friends claim it rivals the F.O. Burger)  

* Colori Kitchen - 429 W. 8th St., Downtown

Family owned and run Italian spot, free corkage every day of the week. This place looks like a total hole-in-the-wall but it's actually the perfect date spot and you really can't go wrong with their homemade pasta. (Thanks for the tip Mr. Lobanov!)

Not free but cheap: 

* Allora Cucina Italiana - 8432 W. 3rd St, Mid-City-West

This place USED to have free corkage, but since they obtained their liquor license they started charging an $8 corkage fee. Not as good as gratis - but still relatively reasonable! While you're there drinking your weight in wine: try the mushroom ravioli, its tastey!

Surviving Saturday & Sunday Mornings

Lines at breakfast spots in LA on the weekends are nuts - especially around noon when all the drunks wake up in desperate need of greasy breakfast food to nurse their hangovers. It’s because of these lines that I rarely go to Toast anymore - its just not worth a 30+ minute wait when you’ve got the shakes and need coffee STAT. 

One of my favorite spots in the city for lunch has always been Cuvee on Robertson. I used to live nearby and the walk always helped revive me from the night before.  It’s also never super busy, they serve my favorite iced tea in town (plus a free refill!), and they have a pretty little outdoor patio. It's an ‘order at the counter and choose your own table’ sort of spot so it's less formal than a normal restaurant (which I like). However, their breakfast hours were terrible (i.e. service stopped around noon) and I can’t think of a single weekend when I woke up in time to try their breakfast menu.

Me and the man went back to Cuvee on Saturday for the first time since we moved from the Robertson/Doheny part of town and we were  pleasantly surprised to find that, not only have they updated their menu with some new great items, but they also now offer breakfast ALL day on the weekends. Yipee!

The breakfast items were great (I had the Huevos Rancheros - yum!) but it was the man's order, which came from the lunch menu, that I loved the most: the Mozzarella, Pesto, Tomato, and Prosciutto Sandwich on Sourdough. It is amazing. I think its the  balsamic vinegar that really makes this sandwich perfect but really everything about it I love. We both loved it so much we returned Sunday with friends to order it again! (I would have taken a picture to show you but we ate them too quickly... both days.)

This sandwich is also just the right amount of greasy to make you feel 100% after lunch and ready to start drinking again! 

(Can’t wait until you get home to tap the keg? Cuvee also sells a great selection of wines that you can purchase and drink right there at your table.) 

Cuvee

145 S. Robertson Blvd. 

(W. 3rd & S. Robertson Blvd.)
(310) 271-4333

We Put the 'ASS' in Class

I love the combination of fine cheese and champagne. Something about spending time with a friend, enjoying a great cheese plate with a glass of Veuve Cliquot, makes me so infinitely happy.

Wine, Cheese, and Tapenade at Froma (From SquidInk)

 

Unfortunately this love of mine is rather expensive. I've tried to imitate it at home and, though the Champange is far less expensive this way, you lose the economies of scale on the cheese that the restaurant can offer. You also lose the ambiance and the people watching. It's just not as special when you're enjoying a brick of cheese while watching Horatio take on and off his sunglasses on CSI Miami. 

However, during an amazing walk through WeHo on Sunday afternoon I found the perfect solution to this expensive habit of mine: Froma. 

Froma is a tiny gourmet market on Melrose. They sell all sorts of tapenades, olive oils, wines, etc...  They also have a handful of bar seats (maybe seven total) for you to sit at and enjoy their menu of salads, sandwiches, and delicious gourmet bites.

I've been to here once before for lunch and it was delicious, though I'd say a little pricey for a salad. But I've been enticed to return as they are now offering a key element of the FinerThingsLA bible: Happy Hour. 

During typical hours of happiness (4-7pm) Froma has a small menu of gourmet bites. Items include parmesan & herb-dusted fries ($3), 2oz Kobe beef burger sliders with mixed greens ($4), and the La Burrata: a gourmet plate that includes burrata cheese, pesto, tapenade, and toast ($6). They also have a menu of fine wines ($5 Glass), Proseco ($5 Glass), and Yanjing Beer ($4 Glass). Yum Yum Yum.

La Burrata + Proseco ($11 total) is definitely a worthy replacement for my typically expensive cheese plate + Veuve.

So suck it up for an evening, put away the flask, and enjoy a gourmet Happy Hour for once. It won't break the bank and you'll feel so much classier (even if you do end up down the street at the Snake Pit at the end of the night).  While you're there please don't drink too much and make a bad name for FinerThingsLA - that is not a CLASSY thing to do and, as you know, we here at FinerThingsLA are all about class.

Froma on Melrose

7960 Melrose Av. Los Angeles, CA 90046
Open Monday-Saturday 9AM to 9PM / Sundays 10AM to 7PM

Happy Hour: 4pm - 7pm Daily

SAVE MONEY MONEY SAVE MONEY MONEY

Getting fat and drunk are great fun. But getting fat and drunk on the cheap - well that's just fantastic. Thanks to 'deal-a-day' websites we can do just that.

Here's a few of today's deals to keep you tipsy, chubby, and happy all day long:

GROUPON – LOS ANGELES

$10 for $25 worth of locally grown cuisine at Food Fair by Diego

7825 Beverly Blvd. / Los Angeles, California 90036

Not a member yet? Sign up here.

BLACKBOARD EATS – LA

30% off Lunch at Lotteria Grill – Hollywood 

No Purchase necessary - just sign up and download the password to start saving! 

Discount valid until March 13th.

http://blackboardeats.com/los-angeles

WIRED FOR WINE

Premius Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Wine Enthusiast:  Designated this wine as a "Best Buy".

Sale Price:  $9.97 - 41% off (Reg. Price:  $16.99)

Free Shipping on 6 or more

www.wiredforwine.com

SOCIAL BUY

$25 for $50 worth of Gifts and Baskets at Bountiful Baskets by Jean.

I.E. Cookies, candies, drinks, and treats for a friend or to spoil yourself

Not a member yet? Sign up here.

GILT

MarieBelle Chocolates

Beautifully packaged gift sets and boxes of chocolates 30-35% off – while supplies last!

Not a member yet? Sign up here.

Calling All Winos

Looking for something to do this Saturday? Head to Venokado in West Hollywood for their $10 wine tasting event. From 2-5pm you can taste a selection of wines hand-picked by the store's owner.

Venokado is a cute boutique wine store, with reasonably priced wine and cute knick-knacks for your home or for gifts.  They also deliver wine anywhere in LA, which is great for those nights when you don't feel like leaving your couch but really need a glass of merlot to keep you company while watching the Biggest Loser. 

Venokado partners up with local restauarants - like Street and Dominick's - to waive corkage fees if you purchase wine at their store, you can always check their facebook page to see who they are teaming up with.


Venokado. 7714 Fountain Avenue. http://www.venokado.com/

Just another manic Monday..

To help you get over your case of the Mondays, head to La Boheme in West Hollywood for their Monday Wine Bar.  Every Monday from 6:30-9:00pm on the patio, they will offer a selection of wines paired with appetizers.

It is $20/person, but they do have a special if you have a party of 4, with 3 paying patrons the 4th gets the whole deal for free.  But to take advantage of that you must make a reservation ahead of time for your group.

In addition on Mondays, La Boheme has half off all bottles of wine and they will waive a corkage fee if you are dining in the restaurant. They also have a great happy hour nightly, from 5:30-7:00 ($4-$5 beer and wine + half off selection of sandwhiches and appetizers).


La Boheme. 8400 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 848-2360.

Pan e Vino on the Cheapo

Deal Alert!!

Restaurants.com is offering gift certificates for dinner at Pan E Vino on Beverly Blvd. at a serious discount: $25 worth of food for $10!

Italian food is good but I love me some wine too (just ask my friend Peter who once watched me enjoy a few glasses / plastic cups of Chardonnay at Booomers Family Fun Center)... so it couldn't get better than wine and Italian food at 60% off.  (Cue salivating Homer Simpson expression).

Here's the link so you can grab some cheap(er) eats: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp?rid=354485&mcn=00057537

Sunday, Monday, Happy Days...

I don't care if Monday's blue, Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too..

Just because it's Monday doesn't mean the weekend has to end, to keep your drinking binge going, here is our round-up of drink/food specials to last you through the week:

Monday:

• Taste on Melrose (West Hollywood): 1/2 off bottles of wine
• Nic's (Beverly Hills): $7 Appetizers & Martinis, $21 Three Course Menu
• Citizen Smith (Hollywood): Half off food and drinks, 6pm-midnight
• Malo (Silverlake): $1 Tacos (Thanks Harry!)
• Kitchen24 (Hollywood): $3 Beers, $5 Cocktail, $5 Apps, 3PM - 11PM

Tuesday:

•  Taco Tuesday!...the choices are endless but here are some highlights:
• The Spanish Kitchen (West Hollywood): $2 tacos
• Marix (West Hollywood): $7.95 all you can eat tacos + Margarita Madness from 4-7pm
• El Toro Cantina (next to Busby's East - Mid Wilshire): $1 tacos
• Cabo Cantina (either Sunset or Wilshire on the westside): $5 all you can eat tacos
• Kay & Dave's (Pico/Overland, Pacific Palisades, Culver City, Brentwood): $1 Tacos + Happy Hour Drink Specials (i.e. $1 Margaritas) from 4-7pm. 
• Cha Cha Lounge (Silverlake): if you don't like tacos or enjoy hipsters, the Cha Cha lounge has $1.50 PBR all night on Tues

Wednesday:

• Bodega Wine Bar (Santa Monica): Wine Caraffe Night, regular carafes $15, premium $21
• The Edison (Downtown): $4 drinks
• Big Wangs (Hollywood): $0.25 chicken wings and $2.50 beer (chosen by the bartenders), 4pm to close

Thursday:

• The Edison (Downtown): The Edison strikes again! $0.35 cent martinis, 5-7pm
• Lola's (West Hollywood): Late night happy hour special, $5 martinis 10:30pm-12:30pm

So if you didn't have a reason to drink every night before, you should now, hope this makes your week a little more bearable.

Wine & Dine... At the Mall?

Last night we discovered a great way to wine and dine - at Westfield Century City!

Yes - the mall.

But before you judge too quickly, get this: the mall has a great food court will REAL food options (Lawry's, Gulen's Mediterranean, Take a Bao, Etc...) so everyone in your party can get the kind of food they want and reconvene to grub. There's no awkward splitting of the bill, no debating over what type of food everyone wants, no worries that its going to cost a fortune.

Once you've gotten your food fix head over the Ummba Grill - where you can order drinks on the malls' rooftop patio, chill in the comfortable outdoor sofas,  and on certain nights - listen to live music. We just chilled at Ummba with a few glasses of wine until midnight last night. Better than your average bar its not incredibly loud so you can actually hold a conversation without sounding like a 60-year-old Reno cocktail waitress the next morning.

Just a word to the wise - if the night gets away from you and you realize you've been at the mall for four hours (like we did), find a place to validate your parking. Century City gives 3 free hours - but after that the price jumps up to $7 for your next 30 minutes, and $2 for each 15 minutes after that. Ouch!

Westfield Century City
10250 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90067

Grease and Grapes

Yet another wine tasting option (more expensive, fewer wines to taste, BUT it involves In-N-Out Burgers):

Ian Blackburn - the owner of LearnAboutWine.com is holding 'Burger+Wine Blind Dates' starting this month. This Friday (1/8) he's featuring 20 different Merlots to try - and to compliment them he's serving In-N-Out Burgers... you know... so you can experience all the wonderful flavors and all that jazz.

On the 15th he features Zinfandel + Burgers.

We've have never heard of Loft 218 (the map looks like its somewhere north east of downtown) - but again I'd assume cab required. Attendance is $69 and reservations can be made online.

http://www.learnaboutwine.com/

For the Lush in All of Us

We enjoy wine. We enjoy drinking wine in unhealthy quantities (you know - more than the 'healthy' one glass a night).

Perfect Event: Pinot Noir Day

January 17th, 1pm - 5pm

Santa Monica Barker Hanger

Its $50 bucks but you get to try 200 samples of wine... you better take a cab home.

http://www.pinotdays.com/