Jessica Koslow

Menotti’s opened in 1915. / Courtesy of Townhouse

Farewell to the 18th Amendment. Seventy-nine years ago today, on Dec. 5, booze in the United States flowed freely again. Celebrate the repeal of Prohibition at the longest continuously running bar in Los Angeles. “We never technically closed during Prohibition,” General Manager and Beverage Director Brandon Ristaino says, referring to Townhouse and the Del Monte Speakeasy below it, on Windward Ave. in Venice.

Menotti’s Buffet (now Townhouse) opened for business in 1915, and when Prohibition began, owner Cesar Menotti turned his downstairs into a grocery store — and pop-up speakeasy. Small Canadian boats smuggled whiskey and rum from the Abbot Kinney Pier through tunnels that ran under Venice Beach to his basement. In a back room a cemented tunnel entrance supposedly leads to downtown’s King Eddy Saloon (which will close on Dec. 16 to change ownership).

In 1972, Ronald and Annie Bennett bought the building, now named Grady’s Town House, and shortened the name to Townhouse. …

Read full article at LA Weekly

The Stave, a wine and beer bar, opens in Downtown Long Beach tonight.

“What’s this going to be?” a passerby yells into the cavernous, under-construction site at the corner of Broadway and Downtown Long Beach’s Promenade. “Not a chain, I hope.”

Two weeks before the doors roll up and any Pilsner is poured, Natalie van Waardenburg and Garry Muir are walking through The Stave, their soon-to-be wine and beer bar. The space looks far from finished, and the furniture arrives tomorrow. Their expressions alternate between unwavering confidence and disbelief as they mull over what has to be done in the next 14 days. Muir offers a private tour inside the dual-compartment walk-in refrigerator, while van Waardenburg opens boxes and inspects doorknobs. The electricians and builders are busy tying up loose ends. The toilet seat cover dispensers have not been hung in the right spots. There’s always something. But no, this will not be a chain.

The Stave is Muir’s second project — he’s co-owner of downtown Los Angeles’ Corkbar — and a first for van Waardenburg and their third partner, John Murawski. It took about a year to settle on the location, but the outdoor patio and welcoming atmosphere from the city and surrounding businesses sealed the deal. Long Beach is in the process of growing the Promenade (like Santa Monica’s Third Street), a six-block stretch of restaurants, retail and residential units, like the 62 condominiums above the bar.

Muir and van Waardenburg are looking forward to opening tonight, …

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Doug Margerum inviting guests to lunch

Two crates of Pinot Blanc grapes have arrived at Margerum Wine Company on Industrial Way in Buellton. Owner Doug Margerum and winemaker Jason Barrette are excited about the delivery; the lull between the white and red grape harvests has made it quieter than usual. A group of wine enthusiasts has traveled 40+ miles from Santa Barbara to be winemakers for a day. For the first three Fridays in October, Doug and Jason are inviting guests to hand sort and crush grapes, following the process all the way to blending and bottling their own wine; lunch with the staff is included. On Oct. 3, Wine Cask, a restaurant Doug co-owns, has arranged for its chef, Brandon Hughes, plus Nik Ramirez of Intermezzo and Bouchon’s Greg Murphy to prepare small bites along with farmstead cheeses, which will be paired with Margerum wines, at Spanish Garden Inn.

These are only two of 100 events offered as part of epicure.sb, a month-long celebration of cuisine, libations and culture. Crista Fooks’ Scarlet Begonia throws its napkin in the ring with Friday pop-up dinners. Opening just one year ago, UCSB graduate Fooks (Margerum is also a UCSB grad) debuted her first dinner service on Sept. 27. The pop-ups will be her segue into officially offering evening fare. Judging from her Brioche French Toast and Maple Bacon Biscuit (the eatery offers breakfast all day) and homemade ketchup and mayonnaise, Fooks and executive chef Joel Huff’s dinner menu will deliver more “thoughtful food,” as she likes to call it.

While the term farm-to-table is familiar, Patrick Reynolds ventured into Farm-to-Bar Happy Hours at Wildcat Lounge and discovered an untapped niche. …

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The food at B+M emulates art, with each dish becoming prettier than the next. (Ximena Herschberg/Neon Tommy)

It’s hard to find Brick + Mortar; so the packed tables must mean good food.

Located on Main Street in Santa Monica, behind Ben & Jerry’s, the gastropub is adjacent to the Edgemar Center for the Arts. The two hidden spots rely on word-of-mouth and advertising for business. Keeping customers, however, is another story. Brick + Mortar does not seem to be having problems with repeat business.

According to one amiable server, Salute, the previous wine bar occupying this space, closed it doors on Jan. 29. Just a short stint later, Brick + Mortar had completely renovated opening on Feb 9. Inside, the high ceilings and impressive size of the room give it a wide-open feel, making it great for groups. It’s hard to determine why one restaurant fails and another makes it, and harder still to predict success. Delicious food certainly increases the odds. B+M doesn’t just deliver dishes to your table; I call it food art.

Starting with a puffy pizza dough loaf and a pot of hummus …

Read full article on NeonTommy.com.