Colombo's (Italian restaurant in Eagle Rock) & compliment from the 50's

Colombo's Restaurant Italian Steak House
1833 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041

I always thought that Colombo's was overrated. Yes, I know it's been around since 1954 and that's an eternity in LA. But really it's overpriced, barely average Italian food, with a cramped interior. Have you ever been seated in the add on room in the back that looks like a converted garage with wood paneled walls? Accompanied by a $150 tab, I refuse to be seated there again.The main dining room is fine although it can get quite loud with a live band, but the bar is even more convenient because you usually don't have to wait long for a place to open up.

Having said that, I first went to Colombo's about 5 or 6 years ago and it's conveniently located down the street from Colorado Wine Company, so it's an occasional stop for us after Friday night wine tasting.

The Strange Compliment
After finishing our dinner U. asked about the desserts and our mustached bartender Frank responded, "Do you really need dessert?" We were a bit perplexed as to why he would ask this, when Frank finished with, "You have your dessert right there," pointing to me (the dame sitting next to U.). My first thought was "what a sexist comment", and then considering the source it turned into "well the old guy meant it as a compliment."

Later we were told that white haired, undone necktie wearing Frank lives in Las Vegas, and flies down here to bartend from Thursday through Sunday, and then flies back to his home in Vegas every week. Kooky yes. I asked the same question you're probably thinking, "Why doesn't he bartend in Vegas?" Who knows, maybe I'll chat him up about it another night.

On another bright note, I think we found our perfect Friday night meal to share (after wine tasting at Colorado Wine Company):
1) Appetizer - Antipasto salad
2) Entree - Sauteed shrimp "scampi style" on linguine
3) Dessert - Spumoni ice cream cake

My 1st Post on Yelp - (Review of Larkin's)

(Photo by Rick P.)

Larkin's
1496 Colorado Blvd
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
(323) 254-0934
www.larkinsjoint.com

Below is my review of Larkin's (a new soul food restaurant in Eagle Rock, CA), that I posted on yelp.com.

07/22/2007
1 star rating

My husband and I went to Larkin's on 6/29/07 for dinner. It was the WORST restaurant experience we've ever had. Hence the one star.

We were both really looking forward to having dinner here, as we're locals and it's the highly anticipated new Eagle Rock restaurant, so I made reservations ahead of time.

We walked in and no one greeted us. It was like walking into someones house uninvited. We waited and waited, and finally when one employee walked towards us I thought "ok this must be it", but nope...she kept on walking right past us without saying a word. After more waiting we were approached by a second employee who took my name but never came back. Still more waiting.

After all this waiting, one of the owners (Josh) approached us only to tell us, "I'm sorry guys but we're not serving anymore tables."

What? Even though we have a reservation?

The guy gave us major attitude and made us feel awful by falsely accusing us of being over 15 minutes late.

Josh: "Oh you're Rose? Well, it'll probably be around 40 minutes until a table becomes available. We didn't think you were coming and gave your table away. Typically we only hold your table for 15 minutes. That's our policy. Just wait outside and we'll call you when a table opens up."

We looked at or watches and saw that it was only 9:14 and our reservation was for 9:00. It was at least 10 minutes of waiting. Who gives tables away after 4 minutes? Obviously they had overbooked. And furthermore what restaurant waitstaff (or owner) blames their customers? So unprofessional and rude!

Instead of being apologetic, the owner said that he didn't see us. Well maybe that's because NO ONE is manning the entrance so customers are left waiting there. He kept calling my husband "buddy" and told him to "go outside and chill".

Then he told us, "You guys have to understand this is our first weekend that we've been open. We're not ready for this. We're still figuring stuff out. No hard feelings."

We get that, but why not say that in the first place? Why makes us feel like we were to blame, when the restaurant messed up? And what's with the attitude? Then he went back inside to leave us waiting some more on the front porch. No chairs to sit on - so we had to stand. No complimentary drinks. No reassurances. Nada.

Come on guys - I took the time to make a reservation ahead of time. I didn't just show up as a last minute thought. And I got terrible treatment. Not a good first impression - especially for a restaurant where service (that generates good experiences) is of the utmost importance.

We waited for a bit but when no one came back outside after another 10 minutes we decided to go somewhere else for dinner and went to Mia's Sushi instead.

I really hope that Larkin's gets their act together. It could be a really nice restaurant - there's a lot of outdoor space that could be used for extra tables - that isn't being used.

After our horrible experience I refuse to go back for dinner - and I've stayed away on purpose choosing other restaurants along Colorado Blvd. every weekend. I still haven't even tried the food, so I may go back for breakfast if other reviewers say that the service has improved. Until then - Larkin's isn't even on my radar.

The Oinkster

(Photo by Tales of an LA Addict)

For dinner last night we headed over to The Oinkster (near Colorado Wine Company) in Eagle Rock.

The Oinkster
2005 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock, CA

(Photo by By Ollylain)

They have a nice outdoor patio area, with trees and surrounded by Asian reeds. There's nothing to the inside (it looks like a generic diner with booth seats), but the outdoor patio really makes the place. And they have beer on tap (which closed the deal for U.).

I heard about this place some time ago from friends, but never wanted to go there because I thought it was a greasy spoon hamburger joint. I don't eat beef, and I try to eat pretty healthy so I didn't think there would be anything there that I would want to eat. But then I read on yelp.com that they have rotisserie chicken, so I decided to give it a try. (A plus is that it's located just down and across the street from Colorado Wine Company - which is perfect to grab a bite to eat after our wine tasting.)

What we ordered: ½ Chicken with garlic aioli, crispy Belgian fries and red cabbage slaw
Price: $7.50 each

Praise: The food was cheap, I liked the outdoor patio area, it's local and convenient, they have beer on tap, service was good and quick, and they have a diet black cherry cola (yummy!)

Criticism: They served the chicken on Styrofoam plates (bad for the environment as well as a waste, plus it makes a gross sound when you're cutting into your chicken with plastic utensils), the fries had too much salt on them (next time I'll request little or no salt), and the chicken was on the greasy side (surprising for a rotisserie chicken).

Overall: It was okay. It has a relaxed, casual atmosphere (full of hipsters) and you can't beat the price. Because of the grease we won't be frequent diners, but on occasion we'll probably be back just because it's located so close to Colorado Wine Company.

Friday Night Wine Tasting @ Colorado Wine Company (& Date Night)

"So what's the plan for tonight?" asked Uwe.

Date Night
See it's Friday night - our date night. After 5 years of marriage, 7 years of being together, and 2 years of being parents - we decided that we needed to have a weekly date night. (Believe it or not - We really do enjoy each other's company.) Our weekly date night started out originally with a babysitter (Jill a college student who's getting her PhD in psychology) coming over every Friday night to babysit. Recently we added Wednesday nights as well. Wednesdays we usually go to a movie, or to some event. Lately Fridays have been reserved for wine tasting and dinner afterwards.

TGIF
My first impression was that Uwe was upping the ante to make it more bearable for me to stay at home with the baby. Ya know - getting me out of the house so I keep my sanity and all that good stuff. I thought "how sweet." But it's become evident that Uwe looks forward to our date nights even more than I do - and there's real meaning in that old adage - "Thank gawd it's Friday!" He likes being able to watch movies, but the main attraction is our Friday night wine tastings.

The Perks

• Get to spend time quality one on one time with the spouse - Check!
• Get to chat without having to entertain our toddler (and feel like we're DINKS again - dual income with no kids)- Check!
• Get to drink wine and lots of it - Check!
• Get to bring home numerous bottles of wine - Check! (this one is for Uwe)

Yeah it's pretty much pure bliss for us old timers.

Decisions....Decisions
Tonight being our Friday wine tasting night - We could have gone to a champagne tasting at Red Carpet Liquor, (taste all 6 for $37), or head back to what has become our local hangout - Colorado Wine Company for their Friday night wine tasting (taste all 5 for $15) - featuring 4 wines and a Bellini (made with Prosecco & white peaches). Doesn't that sound refreshing?! We opted for Colorado Wine Company (better ambiance and crowd).

Prior posts about both wine tasting establishments
You can read my prior posts by clicking on the links below:

I Heart Colorado Wine Company
I was happy to see that after my last post where I listed some recommendations on how to make the place nicer - the owners actually made those changes. (Added more tables and seating, and redid the ceiling to give the place more ambiance.)

Wine Tasting @ Red Carpet

Good Decision
I'm glad we chose Colorado Wine Company because we discovered a new wine that we really enjoyed. It was the first wine of tonight's tasting.

Martin Alfaro Santa Cruz Chardonnay - Golden straw color, citrus and tropical fruits, vanilla, and a hint of butterscotch. Refreshing acidity on the finish.

The owner Jen said it was a bit hit tonight (aka lots of people were buying bottles to take home).

It's a refreshing white wine that's perfect for a warm summer night (like tonight!), and you can really taste the trace of butterscotch. (Different and yummy.) Uwe and I were both surprised we liked it so much because we're both red wine lovers.

Inside Joke
After I mentioned to Uwe that I liked the wine he agreed and immediately said:
"Okay - let's buy a case."
"No, better yet - let's buy every bottle they've got in this store."
"Even better, let's buy the whole friggin store. "

These remarks had me in stitches.

It goes back to when I was pregnant and I abstained from all alcohol. Now I'm not preacher's wife, and I see no harm in having a glass of wine when you're preggers - so I didn't stop drinking because of the principle itself. But the idea of drinking made me nauseous, as did the smell. I literally couldn't stomach it. Must have been the hormones. Even after I gave birth, I couldn't drink for a long time because the hormones must have messed with my palate and wine tasted gawd awful no matter what kind. Uwe kept bringing home bottles of wine for me to taste, hoping (praying) that we'd find one that I liked so we could enjoy wine together again (after over a year of waiting). I really wanted to like it - but everything tasted so horrible, that rather than having to hold my nose to drink an expensive bottle - I just said "forget it - don't bother - it's not the wine - it's just me."

Slowly but surely I started to get my palate back (although seafood is still an issue), and I can now enjoy wine (Cheers!). So the inside joke is - anytime I say that I like a particular wine - Uwe wants to run out and buy a case for me. Tonight I said just to get one bottle - but he got 3 instead.

Recommendations Needed
With that said, in part due to the delay in my wine drinking, we still haven't purchased a wine to commemorate my daughter's birth. Something that we really need to do. Does anyone have any recommendations for a spectacular 2005 red wine (like a Syrah) that will age well? Uwe and I would like to purchase a case, so we can open the wine to celebrate on her 21st birthday (and for her to have a bottle as a keepsake).

We're also looking for a great 2001 red wine (to commemorate our wedding anniversary). Again, same thing, it needs to be able to age well.

Wolftrap - South African Wine
I also spotted a South African wine - Wolftrap, which intrigued me. It's the only bottle of wine from South Africa in the entire store. The owner, Jen said this wine is amazing.
Region: Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
Winery: Boekenhoutskloof (founded in 1776)
Type: Red wine
Grape: Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Viognier
Vintage: 2005

Origin of the Wolftrap Label Name
It's name comes from the fact that when the Dutch moved into the area back during their colonial phase, they brought a fair amount of wolf traps in order to protect themselves. There was only one problem with this: There are no wolves in South Africa. So you have a wine so named because it pokes fun at the Dutch.

Tasting Notes
Dark red-black color with spice, bacon and wood on the nose. Smooth, smokey bacon and spice flavors overshadow subdued, mellow cherry and blackberry fruit. Dry, light mouthfeel with good structure and a black currant finish.

I Can't Wait to Open the Bottle
Of the reviews I've read online, people either love it or hate it. So it'll be interesting to see to which camp Uwe and I belong to - the lovers or haters.

Back At Home
So when we got home, I confirmed with our babysitter Jill that we'll see her again next Wed. I told her it's really nice to have date night twice a week. Jill replied that it's also nice for her and gave me a big smile. I guess she can use the extra money being a student. A win win situation. =)

I Heart Colorado Wine Company

Colorado Wine Company, located on Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock, has become our local haunt since we started going a couple months ago. The first time we went, the store was celebrating the day that Jimmy Carter got attacked by a swamp bunny in the 70's. How could we resist?

Our weekly date night of going to the movies (as parents of a toddler we were movie starved and determined to watch some movies before they went to DVD) was getting a bit stale, as we were running out of good movies to see in our time slot (the time the babysitter would arrive at our house and we could get to the movie theatre). So I made reservations at cowineco for their Friday night wine tasting, to change it up a little. After that we were hooked! We went back the very next Friday, and keep going back for more. In fact, we were just there again last night!
About Colorado Wine Company (per their website)

Colorado Wine Company debuted in February of 2005, and when the owners ran out of glasses on the first night, they knew we were on to something. CoWineCo is owned and operated by John and Jennifer Nugent who wanted to create an environment where anyone, no matter what level of wine knowledge they had, could enter the store, receive personal service and recommendations, try a sip or two of the daily selections at the bar, and leave feeling more comfortable and educated about wine (and hopefully more relaxed after a hard day at work).

Our wine bar is open every night and we offer wines, sakes, bubblies, and beers from around the world, with a focus on bottles $25 and under. We believe that good wine can be had at almost any price level. Don’t agree? Come visit sometime.

They place cushions on some of the boxes so you can sit down in the store front.

It's such a great idea and I don't know why there aren't more of them. They have daily and weekly events. It's $15 for the Friday wine tasting which features 5 different wines. (I've been itching to try the Sangria Saturdays.)

They also bring in cheeses, crackers from the local Auntie Em's. So as you're standing around chatting and enjoying wine, inevitably you like one or more - so go figure- we usually bring home 5 bottles of wine each time we go there. And as you're standing in the store you're looking at the all merchandise - wines, glasses, bottle openers and cool wine kitsch. It's the best advertising that's non-intrusive (i.e., no one's trying to sell you anything and you're not obligated to buy anything) and we have a great experience each time.It feels like a house party. There's nothing fancy about it, but it's a good time and if you've gone once, you will be back. It's full of locals which is nice to see, and since it is in our neighborhood, it's really convenient for us.

The owners John and Jennifer Nugent are really nice, and we always see them on our Friday night excursions working at the store. They've succeeded in bring that local, home grown, you feel like you've been hugged feeling to their store. They were recently featured on the radio as well (Indy 103.1 FM).

When you walk in, you're greeted with a smile and "Hi Guys" from Jennifer, and after paying are given a card from a playing deck which you give to the bartender in the back. Those cards serve as your ticket for the first glass of wine.

In addition to featuring their wines on their website, they also have printed copies available at the store, so you can read what you're drinking.

When we went last night I was bummed because there was a glitch in the website and the wines weren't posted until later in the day, but I got so busy with our kid that I wasn't able to read the featured wines before we got there. Uwe mentioned that the wine list would be there, to which I said, "Yeah I know, but I like to read them and be prepared ahead of time." Uwe gave me a look which said, "I love you even after being together for 7 years, but sometimes you're a little strange." A photo of the bar in the back, with the coveted couch.

Things I would suggest to make it a little better (although it's already great!):

• More variety in the munchies. (I know it's currently free - but in addition to the free stuff - maybe bring in stuff that can be purchased.)
• More seating (I know the space is limited!)
• Update the ceiling to give the store more ambiance. (I'm sure it's on their list of store improvements.)

So this is my ode to Colorado Wine Company. (And no - I'm not being paid to say this.)