Steingarten: New Beers & Brats Bar in the Westside

Steingarten is the latest of many beer bars cropping up around town. It's located on the Westside at the old Kay & Dave's location, on Pico Blvd where parking is ample. I love the decor. The dark wooden bar with chalkboard menu feels rustic. The long communal tables gives the place a fun and casual feel. There's a lovely outdoor garden area which is the perfect location on a sunny day. The menu is also quite intriguing. They offer exotic sausages, but also other interesting plates such as deer salami and chicken schnitzel.

Happy hr is from 4-7pm and for $10, you get a choice of 2 beers and any sausage from the entire menu except the game section. The happy hour sausage selection is excellent, however, we only had a choice between the Firestone Velvet Merlin (an oatmeal stout) or the Stone Belgo-barley (a sweet barley wine). I think our waitress was new because she wasn't sure if they had a happy hour special. She also mentioned the choice of two beers, whereas it seems (on Yelp and Steingarten's facebook page) that you can choose from five house taps.

Sausages range from $6.50-$7.50 outside of happy hour. Besides the traditional bratwurst and bockwurst, they also offer exotic sausages such as alligator & pork, bison, and venison & blueberry.

The sweet potato fries was served in a huge cone. I really enjoyed the curry tomato dipping sauce. Unfortunately, I thought the fries were a bit inconsistent - some were cut too thick and felt really dense. We also ordered regular fries, which I preferred over the sweet potato fries. The regular fries were skinny with an adequate sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Trio of sliders included turkey sliders, smoked BBQ pulled pork and beef sliders. They three sliders were all unique in flavor, texture and toppings. The spicy pulled pork was the most flavorful with a zing. It was topped with pickled carrots and jalapeno. The turkey sliders felt lighter and was served with sweet caramelized onions and roasted garlic. I really appreciated the fresh toasted buns.

For the happy hour combo, I ordered the duck and bacon sausage. The sausage had really rich flavors but I didn't get much taste of the bacon. I was blown away by the caramelized onions which were sweet and cooked down really well. The bread was nicely toasted and fresh. Definitely home made and not from the grocery store. My friend got the Wild Boar & berry which was also a good choice. The sausage was quite lean and flavorful.

Steingarten is a nice addition to the area. I think the sausages are generally about 50 cents more expensive than competitor Wurstkuche, but I prefer Steingarten's wider food offerings. However I do think Wurstkuche has tastier fries and a better selection of dipping sauces. It'd be interesting to see the competition between the two when Wurstkuche opens up shop in the Westside this year.

Hits: sausages, ambiance
Misses: fries, HH beer selection, server not knowledgeable
Rating: ***

Steingarten
10543 W Pico Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 441-0441
http://www.steingartenla.com/

Happy Hour @ BLT Steak: Classy, Affordable and Satisfying

My favorite type of happy hour is upscale happy hour. Even though I'm always on the lookout for good dining and drinking deals, I'd rather pay a couple bucks more for a nicer glass of wine (thanks, but I'll pass on that Sutter Home) and good bar bites that do not include nachos and potato skins. I'd also prefer to hang out at a bar area that isn't crowded with college kids and that doesn't smell of puke. Lastly, valet preferable, please. BLT Steak hits the mark on all points. Plus its on my way home from work.

BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) is the restaurant group with numerous restaurants around the country. Although Chef Tourondel is no longer with the organization, the menu still remains the same. BLT Steak focuses on upscale American steakhouse fare with French influences. It's Los Angeles outpost is located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.

The restaurant has a surprisingly decent sized bar area with seats at the bar and a couch area.

The dining area was empty when I arrived at 6pm but filled up by 8pm. That's pretty good for a Tuesday night.

Happy hour runs daily from 5-7pm with 5 drink choices at $5 each.

Their food menu also includes 5 options at $5 each. With three of us in our party, we ordered one of each item.

Banfi Maschio Prosseco and Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Popcorn with cajun seasoning and butter.

We asked for their signature popovers. I was blown away with the size of the inflated popovers, somehow I imagined them to be tiny, like gougeres. They were served with a tiny card with the recipe listed.

The popovers were warm and airy, with a light essence of gruyere cheese.

The popover should be eaten with a pad of their soft European butter and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Just be careful with the salt shaker. I caused a salt disaster which our awesome bartender Andrew had to clean up after.

Sweet Potato Frites, Rosemary, Sea Salt
This was a large serving of fries. I liked that the fries were thinly cut and not starchy. They could have been crisped up a bit more, because they were a little limp. The fries were served with a blue cheese sauce. Wish they had mentioned that because it looked like ranch dressing.

Cast Iron Black Mussels, Chorizo, Roast Tomato, Garlic Bruschetta
This was a pretty large serving of mussels for $5. The mussels were cooked well and plump. I also liked the smokiness from the chorizo and the sweetness of the tomatoes. The broth perhaps needed a bit more seasoning or butter, because it wasn't flavorful to the point that I wanted to dip the bread into it or drink up every last drop.

Gruyere Mac & Cheese, Bacon, Truffle

Surprisingly for someone that doesn't like cheese, this was my favorite dish of the night. The cheese was rather mild and was almost milky rather than cheesy. The mac and cheese was infused with truffle and salty bits of bacon. The best part of the dish was the toasted breadcrumb topping.

BLT Sliders, Aged Cheddar, Red Wine Onions
I thought my beef patty was cooked well, but my friend's was a bit charred. The aged cheddar added nuttiness and the caramelized onions really brought a sweetness and texture to the slider.

Short Rib Grilled Cheese, Pickled Ramps, Smoked Tomato Aioli
Even though I don't like cheese, I can tolerate aged cheddar. So I took a bite of the grilled cheese with much apprehension. I was quite happy with the dish. I really liked the sharp aged cheddar together with the tender shredded meat. My only criticism was that the bread was too crusty so you might get jabbed in the roof of your mouth.

Chocolate mocha brownies (complimentary from our bartender) was a nice sweet bite to end the night.

The happy hour at BLT Steak is really an awesome deal. Wine, and delicious and filling bar bites for $5 each is really a steal. It's so refreshing to find a happy hour spot that offers good wine and a selection of food that can sum up to a satisfying meal. Service at the bar was also friendly and helpful, not something you would expect from most upscale restaurants. So next time when you're looking for an after work bar, drive away from Cabo Cantina and head over to BLT Steak. I promise, if you end up with a hangover, it's because you can afford more glasses of wine with your paycheck. It won't be because of the crappy sweet margaritas offered at your nearby watering hole.

Hits: HH prices, mac and cheese, popover, service
Misses: fries
Rating: ***

BLT Steak
8720 West Sunset Blvd.,
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 360-1950
www.bltsteak.com

HH at Dakota Lounge: Westside's almost-Silverlake

There aren't as many cool music spots to check out new bands in the Westside than there are in the Eastside. Dakota Live Music Lounge, which took over the space of Santa Monica favorite Temple Bar is no Spaceland or Troubadour but it's still pretty good. Their events calendar is filled with Indie Rock nights, Salsa (on Thursdays) and acoustic/karaoke. But Dakota goes one step further. They also offer a nice selection of food items.

We decided to attend the Fashion and Music Live Event at Dakota this week. The event included performances by three bands followed by a fashion show from up and coming young designers. Happy Hour is offered, at the bar only, from 7-9pm. It worked out perfectly because I was stuck at work until 8pm but still made it in time to put in food and drink orders. We grabbed seats at the bar area. It's very dim inside with red lighting which reminds me of an Eastside bar such as 4100.

The happy hour menu includes beers for $4, house wine and well drinks for $5, and a couple food items. The food prices are a great deal such as $2 for fries.

They also have a regular dinner menu that is still priced well. It's not your regular bar menu and includes items such as wild boar mac and cheese, kobe sliders and miso cod tempura tacos. Unlike many grungy Eastside music venues, Dakota's kitchen utilizes fresh, organic and local ingredients. Their chef Zach Sauders recently came on board and he's worked at many excellent French restaurants in the Santa Monica including Melisse, Anisette and 3 on Fourth.

Happy hour wine

Fries ($2) Twice fried shoe string fries
What a steal. They were fried crispy.

Sake wings ($1 per wing) tossed with sesame and spicy miso sauce
There was a decent amount of meat on the wings. I like the Asian flavoring over buffalo wing style so this worked for me. They packed some spice as well.

Trio of Hawaiian Sliders ($6) Grilled pineapple glazed with teriyaki sauce, mango BBQ, burmuda onions on Hawaiian rolls
The slider were a perfect snacking portion. I enjoyed the sweetness of the pineapple but my friend thought it was too sweet. I liked that they used Hawaiian rolls instead of regular buns.

After grubbing, we went into the next room where the bands were playing.

Rodeo Ruby Love was the second band of the night. They are an indie pop band and jammed pretty well that evening.

The last act of the night was Trevor Page. Page is an electro/pop/R&B artist and a larger than life character with his large retro white sunglasses and exaggerated dance moves. I was inclined not to like this artist because he's poppy not rock, and I like rock, but he was surprisingly very good. He had a great voice and his self-written songs were very catchy. He also sang a cover of Ushers' OMG, which I was proud of myself for recognizing - thankfully I caught up on my Top 20 list on VHI earlier that day.

I like checking out new bands and I'm glad that I didn't have to drive to Silverlake to do so. I also liked the happy hour at Dakota which ran late. I thought the food was decent for bar food, and the prices very reasonable. I appreciate that they put in the extra effort from sourcing local and organic ingredients, to the furniture and floors that are made of recycled wood. Even though it doesn't have the grungy feel of a Silverlake joint, Dakota fits right in with the Westside crowd and does a good job of introducing new bands and food to the area.

Dakota Live Music Lounge
1026 Wilshire Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-8200
www.dakotalounge.com

Around the world in 1 night: German- Korean Biergarten and London's The xx concert

I was in search of a place to grab drinks before The xx concert at the Wiltern Theatre in Koreatown. Usually we'd hit up some Korean BBQ joint down the street but this time, we were looking for something lighter. I recalled reading about Biergarten on LA Weekly and it seemed like the perfect fit for the following reasons.
1) It's spelt the correct way. That's German. Even though the owner Neil Kwon is Korean and the bar is located in Koreatown and serves an Asian fusion menu, it's really a westernized bar in so many ways from its beer selection to the vibe.
2) They offered a good selection of craft beers. None of that domestic watered-down beer. I don't drink a lot of beer (unless I'm snowboarding, hot tubbing in our Mammoth condo or out at an LA beer bar like 5th Amendment Alehouse or Surly Goat) but when I do, it's usually a Belgium blonde ale or a saison in the summer.
3) Good bar food. I'm not talking about potato skins or nachos. I'm not even talking about bratwursts. The menu is Asian inspired such as kalbi tacos, spicy wings and okonomiyaki.
4) Within walking distance from the Wiltern Theatre. It's really about a mile which is the perfect distance to walk back after dinner.

When we arrived, the place was packed. Apparently the Laker game was on, game 2 of the NBA Finals. I didn't know. Guess I'm not that into basketball. In my defence, I've been stuck in a late-night-working-cocoon so I haven't kept up with what's going on in the world. As we stood around surveying the seating situation, a waiter rushed over and apologized repeatedly that there wasn't a seat available. There were two minutes left on the clock so tables would clear out shortly. I wasn't that concerned. After all, I'm used to standing around at crowded Hollywood bars. But his concern was an indication of the good service at Biergarten.

This isn't your typical Korean pub. It's not dark, dingy and smokey. In fact, it's modern and fits right in with the crop of gastropubs popping up all over town. The extensive list of European and American beers proves that this is a bar that wants to stands out in Koreatown. Owner Neil Kwon is really hoping to cater to everyone, not just Koreans. And you can see why. He himself seems to be a nice blend of Korean and American. He speaks perfect English, has big dreams for his bar, is well traveled and wants to share these experiences with everyone else. He wants to attract non-Koreans who are in search of good beer and food while at the same time, introducing and educating Koreans on such beers. He says that Koreans are slowly beginning to embrace this not-so-Korean bar. They are beginning to welcome Fat Tire into their drinking session. I also saw some patron begrudgingly but acceptingly step outside for a cigarette.

Large TVs make this place a good go-to spot for sporting events.

They offer over 25 beers on tap, from Belgium, Germany, Canada and the States. They are served in either a glass, stein and/or pitcher. They do offer Korean beer Hite but only on bottle. The prices were all very reasonable compared to other gastropubs.

We started with a Gouden Carolus and an Allagash White. I really enjoyed the Gouden Carolus which was so refreshing with a slightly sweet finish. Our waiter also brought by a basket of potato chips. Do not be fooled. These aren't Lays chips. They are homemade and pretty darn good.

Unfortunately after the hoards of Laker fans left after the game, they also depleted some of the beer options. My next beer was a Hoegarden in a huge goblet.

Fried chicken gizzards on a bed of pepper vinaigrette salad with citrus ponzu sauce
I just couldn't help it, I had to order it even though I knew it was going to be just me eating this whole plate of chewy goodness. I liked that the gizzards were tempura battered instead of flour battered because the coating was a little airy and it didn't taste greasy. It went really well with the citrus ponzu dipping sauce. The kimchee and salad was very tasty but alas, when I'm faced with gizzards, salad and only one stomach, the salad had to step aside.

Spicy pork taco with kimchee salsa and for fusion sauce
The pork was seasoned well and topped with a thick and very spicy sauce. The sauce reminded me of spicy Korean wings.

Kings Hawaiian peanut butter sliders with seasoned patty, citrus peanut sauce, beer battered onion rings
Peanut butter and beef sounded like an interesting combo so we had to try for ourselves. It worked really well. The nutty spread was a good cohesive to the bun and patty and it added a creaminess and sweetness. The patty itself was seasoned well. And Kings Hawaiian buns never fail. They were perfectly toasted. When I saw french fries on the side instead of onion rings (which was listed on the menu), I was a bit disappointed until I took a bite of the slider. The perfectly battered and seasoned onion rings were in the slider. So I get onion rings and fries? Win and Win! I'm a fries whore so they were gone in a split second. The dipping sauce was a homemade chipotle sauce. I really liked it because it was a nice spicy surprise if you were expecting it to be ketchup.

Biergarten is the kind of place that I would definitely return to, and bring loads more friends with me. There was a lot of thought and attention that went into the menu. The food menu had really interesting items that I'd like to try such as an octopus noodle dish and the beer can chicken which is a whole chicken that they apparently carve tableside. I liked how everything was homemade, from the dipping sauce to the complimentary potato chips. They could have copped out and gone with Heinz or Lays but instead they made it from scratch, and it really shows. The service was awesome. Our waiter (who kept apologizing, at least three times, when we weren't able to be seated right away) was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about his beers. Owner Neil was just passionate about his venture and is always open to suggestions and improvements. I liked that this isn't just a "Korean" joint (we're not Korean). It's Westernized in so many ways from the beer selection to the decor and service, yet it holds on to some of its Asian influences through the food menu.

Hits: dishes are unique, food, service
Misses: some of the beers ran out
Rating: ***

Biergarten
206 N. Western Ave.,
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 466-4860

Afterwards, we made our way over to the Wiltern Theater for the sold out show. It was a good way to walk off some of that fried gizzard. The xx is a British indie-pop-electronic band.

They started the night with the mesmerizing Intro, track one on their debut album. If you don't know who they are, check them out. Their album xx is amazing from start to finish.

Happy houring in Boys Town @ St. Felix

I was going to the Troubadour for The Morning Benders show. The last time I was there, we dined at Dan Tana's next door. Great meal but rather heavy. This time, I was hoping to focus on drinks and a small pre-concert bite. The Troubadour is located on Santa Monica Blvd at the start of where a stretch of restaurants begin. It's also ground zero for gay bars. We decided on Saint Felix as it came recommended, and they have happy hour till 8pm.

Saint Felix is the kind of place where everyone knows your name.. if you are a regular. Let's just say, my friend and I weren't getting as much love compared to the other guys at the bar. We had to wait about 15 minutes for our server to finish chatting with his buddies. Hey, they still serve booze and food, so I'm not complaining. Happy hour includes 1/2 off their specialty cocktails, wine, beer and some food items.

Our first round of drinks were Stockholm Syndrome and Sangria. The former had Bombay Sapphire, rosemary, fresh mint, muddled strawberries, fresh lime and pomegranate juice. Refreshing. The sangria was not bad but could probably use a bit more fruit and wine! But for $4.50, it does the trick.

Kobe beef sliders on brioche bun with maytag bleu cheese, smoked bacon, grilled onions, tomato, lettuce and thousand island dressing. They call this the Happy Meal, and boy did it make me happy, sans cheese of course. It's a tiny slider but still had all the components of a good burger. The beef was juicy and the fat from the bacon soaked into the bun. The buns didn't taste like brioche though. The slider was served with a side of sweet potato fries which were delicious. Not starchy and oily. All this for $5. Not bad, I have to say.

Ahi tuna slider with sesame salad, marinated cucumber, sprouts and cantaloupe with a side of wasabi cream, also $5. I really enjoyed this slider because of the seaweed salad which was sweet and added a nice texture to the slider. It also seemed light, which is a good option especially if you're going to be spending the next cour hours standing at a concert.

Moroccan chicken cups- Chicken with Moroccan couscous salad and tzatziki sauce. Also $5. I liked the spices of the chicken and the couscous. I thought this was unique and not something you would find on most happy hour menus.

Another round of cocktails. Raspberry Bellini with champagne, raspberry puree and raspberry garnish, and Cucumber Dilettante with muddled cucumbers, dill, lemon and Vodka. Both very yummy drinks.

Cubano tacos- Braised pork taco with pickled pepper relish, avocado crema, salsa roja, gouda cheese and shredded cabbage. The meat was well marinated and the selection of condiments worked well together.

I thought the happy hour at Saint Felix was a good deal ($70 including tax and tip for 5 drinks and a five orders). The food options weren't crappy, the sweet potato fries really made my day, the drinks were good, and we had till 8pm to partake of the reduced prices. Plus lots of eye candy. A happy hour winner in my book.

Hits: fries, ahi tuna slider, HH til 8pm
Misses: service a bit slow
Rating: ***

Saint Felix
8945 Santa Monica Blvd.,
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 275-4428
http://www.saintfelix.net/

After our meal, we walked a couple blocks to the Troubadour to check out the opening band Miniature Tigers. The show was sold out but given that the Troubadour is tiny, it was still an intimate affair.

The Troubadour is always a great concert venue. There really isn't a bad seat in the house. The Morning Benders (who look like they are 16) did a good job although they mainly played from their new album. Pity, because some of the songs from their older album are pretty darn great.