WBW #65: A Snow Day - Hangar One Vodka: An icy joy

Vodka has a special place in the BrixChicks's hearts. So for this Wine Blogging Wednesday with the door open to write about other spirits, I immediately thought of my favorite Vodka: HangarOne. Let's face it with my deep loathing of all things snow, it would take a whole bottle to get me out in a Winter Wonderland. Plus I would need significant fortification (and specialized footwear) to venture out into snowy climes.

Little incentive beyond the tasting is needed to get me out to St. George Spirits, however. Their Alameda Point tasting room is a wonderful place to visit (Bring a designated Driver! You will need one). Facing away from the delicious booze, you will be treated to a sweeping, unobstructed cityscape of San Francisco across the bay. Turn around and enter the industrial hangar to try excellent spirits. The tasting room and and the adjacent Caddell & Williams store are open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 7pm, Sunday noon-6pm and the address is 2601 Monarch St. at Alameda Point (the old Naval Air Station.). Tours are available on the weekend, but check the "Visit the distillery" link here as well as to find out more info

In 2001, not a great year to think back on what with the terrorists, dot bomb, etc., etc., but one great thing did happen and that was Jorg Rupf and Ansley Coale got together to bring the exquisite craftsmanship and innovative thinking of their respective efforts together to work on HangarOne Vodka. Pure, clean vodka taste infused with real fruit create lovely sipping vodkas that inspire mixologists everywhere. Look at the cool distilling equipment and concentration on the face of distiller, Lance Winters!

My favorite is Buddha's Hand. An exotic citrus that looks like a cross between a lemon and a monkey paw, Buddha's Hand vodka has a crisp, citrusy tang. I last had it in Citron Lemonade at Absinthe in San Francisco. Delicious! It also lifts up a simple Lemon drop cocktail into something special. My second favorite, Keffir Lime Is also a great mixer. By using the rarer lime variety as well as the leaves, the fresh essence of lime is captured in the spirit. A full list of the vodka's can be found here:

And back to the snow theme, a super fun thing to do with vodka, is easy and elegant. You can take citrus slices, peppers, herbs, flowers or leaves and insert them in a container that will hold your vodka bottle and a thin layer of water. Put it all back in the freezer and adjust your arrangement, so that when your guests arrive, you can place the vodka bottle on the table without losing the chill. Hint: Spray the container with some Pam before adding decorations or vodka bottle so that you can just grab the neck of the bottle to unmold.

Wow! This Wine Blogging Wednesday thing is making me thirsty!

Why I love Los Angeles, CA. (It's not the wine)

No, I don't love LA because of the balmy 70 degree late December weather. And I could care less about the film industry and celebrity culture. What I love about LA is the variety of culinary treasures available. I am not talking about the trendy, upscale eateries. I am talking about the food of the people! The pupusas, pancakes, fried chicken and bread pudding! All the stuff that is good for you, especially the pig candy. So here is the synopsis of my mini culinary tour:

So yes, Robert and I really pigged out starting with the pig candy, the specialty dish of the wine bar known as "Lou" in Hollywood. This porcine delicacy is a small serving of bacon house-cured in brown sugar and a combination of 10 secret spices, including smoky paprika. It is a chewy, sweet, rich concoction of pig meat with a smoky poke. Simply addictive...By the way Lou on Vine is a wine bar in Hollywood specializing in wines from Europe (and a few Californians) that also serves entree-sized plates (think Divers Scallops, Merguez sausage and Steak frites.)
www.louonvine.com


 

Next on the foodie agenda was Dinah's Famous Chicken. Admittedly this ain't Thomas Keller's fried chicken but I cannot resist crispy-on-the-outside, moist-on-the-inside fried chicken. Although they don't serve the kinda southern style sides I like (collard greens, sweet potatoes and red beans and rice,etc.) I still love Dinah's chicken with green beans and smashed potatoes. And even better, it is on the way to LAX.




A happy camper at Dinah's.


Next up: pancakes at the LA breakfast institution "The Griddle Cafe."


Snow-covered mountains or Oreo Pancakes?


Modern art or nutella-stuffed French Toast?









It doesn't matter what they look like because they taste phenomenally good. This is what I call breakfast decadence and The Griddle has the most creative pancake and french toast menu. Ever have corn flakes or cinnamon toast crunch in your pancakes? You can have it at The Griddle. You can have pumpkin pie pancakes, carrot cake pancakes, the infamous "bluesberry" pancakes and they even have Red Velvet pancakes for the holidays. The pancakes are the size of the plate and you get three per order. When the server brings the plate to the table your mouth drops they are so shockingly large. Normal people cannot finish the whole plate. Check out the size compared to the average person's hand:

Dang! That's a huge-ass pancake. Check out their menu at: www.thegriddlecafe.com








An honorable mention for Pupuseria del Valle in Burbank, CA. Tuesdays are $1 pupusa day. I don't have pictures of these delectable, cheesy corn cakes cuz they simply did not last long enough to be photographed.

Alas, I have saved the best for last: the most amazing bread pudding on Earth. Next time you are in the Echo Park neighborhood get yourself to "Masa." I had an oral orgasm eating this bread pudding. Oral orgasm? Is that possible? Well go experience your first one at Masa. Chef/Baker Steve explained how this orgasmic dessert is made. First the bread: buttery croissant bread, chocolate croissant bread and almond croissant bread all baked together with vanilla custard. It arrives to the table drizzled with caramel and dusted with cocoa powder. One serving is perfect to share in the charming restaurant. Visit them at www.masaofechopark.com






This concludes our culinary tour. We pigged out so much that we forgot to find the Korean BBQ taco truck. There's always next time.

Wine-Appreciation Tips | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Wine-Appreciation Tips | The Onion - America's Finest News Source


For those in need of "wine humour" click above link or just read on:





Most wine experts frown upon serving a peignoir with white meat. This is primarily because a peignoir is a type of lingerie.

In Europe, wines are named according to the region from which they come. Among the most popular are wines from the Bordeaux region of France and the Night Train region of Italy.

When dining with friends at a restaurant, order the second-least expensive wine on the list. If on a date, order the fourth-least expensive.

If you are uncertain whether to select a merlot or beaujolais for a spring breast-of-lamb garden dinner, avoid making a decision until we come down to beat the living crap out of you.

Many liquor stores offer a "Try Before You Buy" program, whether they know it or not.

When sipping wine at a Catholic eucharist, swallow quickly, before the wine undergoes the miracle of transubstantiation and you get the unpleasant taste of a mouthful of human blood.

Distinctly fruity overtones are the mark of a good sommelier.

The quality of a wine is inversely proportional to the viciousness of the animal depicted on the label.

Aw, man, once in high school, my friends and I got totally ripped on this wine Eric's older brother bought for us. I don't remember the name, but it was all pineapple-flavored. That was the night we got kicked out of Arby's.

The proper glass is crucial to wine enjoyment. Before pouring wine, thoroughly rinse out the remnants of your cherry Icee.

When throwing a tasting party, never serve more than one category of wine. [This tip courtesy of The Guide To Sucking Every Bit Of Joy And Spontaneity Out Of Living.]