LA's Best Mixologist

Had the weather on Saturday not been bone-chilling cold, I might not have discovered some of the best tasting cocktails in Los Angeles. Some friends and I moseyed from the open courtyard of Hollywood & Highland and ventured into the Roosevelt Hotel.

I suppose all we were hoping for was to clink a pint or two of whatever was on tap, and as soon as the Library Bar opened, we stepped up eagerly to the long mahogany bar to find a panoply of colorful fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.

I overheard Matt telling the other patrons that he had just brought these in from the farmer’s market that morning, and I filed that information away, but when I discovered that the only gin he pours is Hendricks, I knew we had found a special place.

As luck would have it, we were meeting other friends at another venue but we were eager to return later that night and so we did. I described my drink order: “I want something with lots of layers of flavor and with sage,” and Matt proceeded to measure, pour, tear, and shake in a way that harks back to the days of alchemy, the result of which was “Sage Heaven.”

The Sage Heaven is made with Hendricks gin with agave, sage, ginger, and cayenne pepper topped with blackberries. The one he served me varied a little from what is pictured, but until I update my camera phone, we'll settle with the photos taken from Matt Biancaniello's album on Facebook.

Ben ordered an "Old Fashioned," which was thoroughly updated with a twist. The whiskey was really smooth and light with an orange twist, which accented the taste nicely. Gabe had the refreshing "Melonette" pictured below.

Ken generally doesn’t drink but he does like his Bloody Mary’s, so Matt concocted his 17-Step “Mother Mary” which was the best tasting Bloody Mary I had ever tasted, as if you can taste an entire garden in one draught.

Probably one of the most innovative drinks Saturday night was "Lost in Laos" which Matt mixed up for Jason because he loves cilantro. It was particularly distinctive because it tasted what I would imagine it to be like in Southeast Asia. Matt describes it as a fusion of a Mai Tai and a Pina Colada and for me it was like taking an adventure through your taste buds. It's made with Hendrick's gin, curry leaves, keffir lime, cayenne, coconut milk, ginger syrup, green chartreuse, pistachio simple syrup and cilantro. The cocktail's subtle heat perfectly cuts the rich creaminess of the coconut milk and sweetness of the pistacio syrup.

The next night, Ken and I went back to sample the "Breeder's Cup," as a natural savory complement to the "Mother Mary." The cucumber highlighted the cool cucumber notes in the gin and the horseradish provided a nice bite to the finish.

Caroline On Crack's Bartender Mentor: Matthew Biancaniello from Efren Pardilla on Vimeo.

...while I had the "Last Tango in Modena" which was named among the Top 10 Cocktails in the US by Gayot, made with Hendricks gin, strawberries, balsamic vinegar and St. Germain foam.

Matt takes care not just to deliver a cocktail tantalizing to the palate but also to the eye with these visually stunning creations. Bravo Matt! for your achievements to date being named by Table 20 LA's Best Bartender and your continued passion in creating adventurous drinks for Angelinos to enjoy.



Punchlines
They really need to do something about this weather.
Perhaps we should scrap the whole idea of having weather in the first place.

Merci Coco!

On a whim, I watched a little film called Coco Avant Chanel, a story about Chanel prior to her prominence in the fashion industry. In it, you see the influences that shaped her fashion ideas and style, from her humble beginnings growing up in an orphanage the simple clean lines of a nun's habit and garment, functional clothes that allowed you to move as well as to see a woman's face. These influences  in turn reveal the beginnings of how Chanel came to influence the rest of the world through more than fashion.



Before Chanel
This period of fashion for women was characterized by huge mutton sleeves that ballooned above the elbow and tiny, cinched waistlines accentuated by sashes or ribbons. Corsets created the look, but they confined the wearers. The materials were wool or serge and tailored. The French named it La Belle Epoc because the clothing was beautiful.

Chanel's Influence
Coco created designs that abandoned the emphasis on waist definition. She used neutral colors like cream, beige, sand and navy. Her jersey fabrics were soft and fluid. Chanel used simple shapes, designed for comfort and simplicity of wearing. Later in her career, she introduced the bell bottom, turtleneck sweaters and pea jackets; these styles found great success in the United States.

The Little Black Dress
In 1926 Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel published a picture of a short, simple black dress in American Vogue. It was calf-length, straight, and decorated only by a few diagonal lines. Vogue called it “Chanel’s Ford.” Like the Model T, the little black dress was simple and accessible for women of all social classes. Vogue also said that the LBD would become “a sort of uniform for all women of taste.”

Perhaps even more far-reaching, Coco is sometimes credited with popularizing short hair for women and shorter skirts. Here she is pictured in her own little black dress.

Many thanks to Coco for ushering in comfortable clothes for women. Not only have women become free of corsets but they had found freedom in movement, enabling women to work and take care of themselves which eventually led to their own financial independence. She was a self-made woman, very pragmatic in her approach to life, abandoned as a youth and although she fell in love, she considered marriage and coupledom boring and worse yet, resented dependency and so she never attached herself to a man, but rather focused her efforts on her work life.

In this movie, the theme of great sacrifice that propels success echoed a similar theme underlying another recent film The Adjustment Bureau. Does great success require great sacrifice? Can an individual seek achievement without hunger, challenges, competition or fear motivating her? I'd like to think not, but it's an interesting notion to reflect on. In any case, the movie about Coco Chanel while far from being a biopic certainly did inspire me as I witnessed her struggles and how that contributed to shaping her values. She was indeed a feminist before there were feminists.


Punchlines
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Or perhaps it's a stye.

Favorite Christmas Movies

In no particular order, I wanted to put together a list of Christmas themed movies that I've enjoyed through the years.

It's A Wonderful Life

Truly a classic fantasy story where George lives his entire life not knowing what sort of impact he has made on all the people around him and in his darkest hour, Clarence reveals how a dystopian life without George could be and through that experience, he realizes he desperately wants his own life back.

Love Actually

A medley of love stories leading up to Christmas, from unrequited love as is the case in this clip, first loves and crushes, infidelity, and so on. This is a wonderful movie about love around the holidays.

The Holiday

Two women swap houses for a couple weeks at Christmas and discover love in these new temporary worlds they inhabit. For Amanda who meets and falls in love with Iris' brother Graham, she finally opens up her heart.

The Family Man

Another fantasy story where Jack Campbell who has lived a jet-setting life of M&A is so full of himself that he taunts fate and is transported to a suburban life complete with wife and two kids. A fish out of water for most of the movie, he eventually settles in and realizes what he's been missing.

The Year Without Santa Claus

This one just takes me back my childhood. Loved this one growing up!

A Charlie Brown Christmas

An oldie but a goodie.

Bridget Jones Diary

This lovely romantic comedy takes place over the course of a year, but Christmas seems to bookend the opening and closing sequence which is quite touching, as you see Bridget's progression.

The Sound of Music

I remember sitting at the kitchen table in our flat in Toronto watching this beautiful musical on a small television angled at us on the counter and I was entranced.

Rent

Modern-day adaptation of La Boheme with one of the most stunning and memorable soundtrack, including Seasons of Love.

White Christmas

And what list would be complete without Bing Crosby's White Christmas.

Punchlines

I couldn't possibly wear something smaller, possibly a napkin, but do you think it's really necessary for me to cover my three nipples?