Farm-fresh cocktails Photo By Jorge M. Vargas, Jr.
The revolution behind the bar
Mixologist Kevin Dunn of The Misfit in Santa Monica, at work making the bar’s signature drink, “The Misfit.”
BY RICHARD FOSS “We’re designing our fall menu – we’re looking at zucchini, cucumber, and pumpkin. Anything is possible – sweet potato and yam, even.” A chef planning an appetizer in a high-end restaurant? No – it’s mixologist Evan Barge considering what farmers market products might be in upcoming cocktails. The trend toward incorporating fresh and seasonal products on restaurant menus is sweeping bars too, and it has changed the whole profession. “I started bartending at a place where the main event was Jack and cokes, and if I didn’t know what was in your drink, you didn’t get it,” mused Robyn Newmark of Code restaurant in Venice, formerly known as Dry Tour. “A bartender could show up 10 minutes before opening, because the job was opening bottles and pouring. Fifteen years later I’m at a place where drinks are as well designed and decadent as the items on the menu – it’s an appetizer in a glass.” Code doesn’t have a hard liquor license, which complicates matters. “The regulations that don’t let us serve hard liquor force us to be creative,” Newmark said. “We’re trying to mimic Cosmopolitans, Manhattans, and other traditional drinks - we make an Old Fashioned using whiskey-style soju. It takes about an hour and a half of prep each day dealing with all the fresh items, and we start preparing our infusions days in advance. We cut up all our farmers market fruit so the soju can absorb the flavors, then we design cocktails around them. “ Vincenzo Marianella of Santa Monica’s Copa d’Oro knows a lot about designing cocktails – besides the ones he serves there, he consults for restaurants about integrating their cocktail menu with their food. He reminisced about how his stint at the famed Providence restaurant prepared him for the task. “When I was working at Providence, I thought of everything as connected – how was this aperitif going to open up that appetizer? Was this cocktail going to go with the food, or just finish the dinner with a little kick and a big flavor? Copa is just a bar that serves a little food. My philosophy is that I do things like I think they should be done. Every dive bar should have a margarita like mine – fresh juice, agave nectar, homemade simple syrup, nothing from a can.” Marianella cautions that there is a big difference between flavors in cooking versus creating drinks. “You have to think differently about flavors Continued on Page 14
PAGE 12 • Westside Dining Guide 2012