R2 Wine Luncheon Number 5
October 12, 2019
As always, the wine luncheon in LA was excellent. Great food, great company, and great wine. Our host Donnie did it again.
We dined at Lucques, and though we did not have a private room, we were well cared for and had plenty of room.
Donnie and I arrived in time for a cocktail before lunch got rolling.
House made Negroni at Lucques
Negroni components
The house made Negroni was, um, interesting. Infused vodka?! Overly sweet home made Campari. Sweet vermouth that was pretty sweet.
R2 menu
The food was excellent. Sadly, no pictures were snapped. The wine was plentiful as always.
The wine supply
Wine
Wine
As it turned out, a number of small French wineries were in the house looking for US distributors. After lunch, we joined them for a taste.
Vive la France
After an excellent Indian dinner, we decamped to Edison for a night cap. Good times.
Greenpoint
R2 Wine Luncheon Take 4
February 16, 2019
The fourth LA wine luncheon run was excellent and fun as always. This time the highlight of the day was an absolutely top notch menu put together by Bistro 45. (FWIW, Bistrot 45 already held the top dining position for these wine lunch things and knocked themselves right out of first place into first and second place.)
Your gracious host donnie sporting a svelte new look
All hands on deck
The fun end of the table
The menu features all organic ingredients
Carpaccio
Ravioli
Duck and polenta
Did we mention the polenta?
Of course, there was lots of wine, good conversation, and laughter.
The whites
The reds
Note to self that wine tasting is much better without the last vestiges of a chest cold.
After lunch we headed into greater downtown Pasadena for a cocktail or two. The bar at Smitty’s Grill is remarkably good. Excellent standard cocktails and a bartender who is even experimenting with milk punch.
smitty’s grill bar
milk punch
NPS has accumulated lots of great memories at the Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica over the years, including the romantic, slightly-buzzed Italian singing love songs (in Italian of course) and crying about his ex-wife. And if you read this blog, you know that NPS is nothing if not a creature of habit. So we’re here again, and we’re pleased to report that a major renovation has the place all spruced up.
A new bar. A better lobby. New elevators. Shiny new look. Better furniture in the rooms. Well done!
The Georgian Hotel has a brand new bar. @GeorgianHotelSM pic.twitter.com/T3xvw83ZWI
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 8, 2018
About the only thing left behind is the showers. This is an unwelcome (non) development.
After a slightly-delayed checkin involving lunch at Lazy Daisy Cafe and a Negroni (from 11:30 to 3:00), we were shown to room 803. This ocean view suite on the top floor is very likely the best room in the hotel. The room has beautiful views, many windows, and lots of light.
View from 803
803 is a good place to be in Santa Monica
Old school touches remain on the property, like these “peep holes” directly out of the ’20s.
Who is it?
Sitting room 803
Furniture upgraded. Could use some leather up here.
The room layout has interesting angles and does pretty much all it can to avoid the “adapted hamster cage” architecture of most hotels. This is much appreciated.
architecture
803 bedroom
The bathroom could use some attention, however. Time for a shower upgrade. The current shower is a study in “not approved by NPS.”
https://twitter.com/noplasticshower/status/972156470073544706
no obesity bars!
no used jars of communal soap!
no plastic shower curtains over tubs!
no missing soap dish!This hotel has undergone a GREAT upgrade preserving much of its charm, but they left the showers behind which is a major mistake.
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 9, 2018
nope nope nope
Lazy Daisy is a good place for lunch.
Lazy daisy santa monica pic.twitter.com/9GShEmo2ZL
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 8, 2018
Dinner in the mountains at Saddle Peak Lodge is also old school. Dead animals hand from the walls. There are pistols in frames. Fire. And lots of game on the menu. NPS approved. A taste of Canada in California.
Many a dead creature @SaddlePeakLodge pic.twitter.com/Ai35mwnA4A
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 9, 2018
More soon from the upcoming wine luncheon at Little Sister (we’re just here for fun this trip).
Four showerheads and a sincere wish for a shower upgrade at the Georgian Hotel. Apparently they are making money around here, so lets drag the bathrooms into this millennium!
fin
RSS - Posts