Weekly Stir Fry: 4-29-10

This week's roundup of dining deals and restaurant specials around Los Angeles, posted directly here on my site rather than LA.com. All the same valuable, up-to-the-minute info, but now you can find it all right here, so enjoy, and get out to eat!

Pourtal Birthday BBQ, Thursday, April 29

This hole-in-the-wall Santa Monica wine bar known for its rotating roster of refined wines and its shiny new enomatic machines is celebrating the anniversary of its first year in business today with $4.29 glasses of wine, and $4.29 plates of barbecue from 6:00-10:00pm, no reservations necessary. Chef Sean Takaki will be plating up his special dry rub babyback ribs slathered with homemade bbq sauce, alongside grilled artichokes with lemon butter, and pee wee potatoes with garlic and thyme. As for the wines, there will be several Spanish offerings from Verasol winery, a few Santa Barbara ones from Oreana, and a couple more from Australia, France and Chile.

104 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401, (310) 393-7693, pourtal.com

1642 Launches Slow Dance, Saturday, May 1

Get close at Echo Park’s newest bar this Saturday evening as you sip craft beers, boutique wines, and slow dance to the soul, rock and country tunes being spun by Gypsy Tailwind starting at 9:00pm. After all, when’s the last time you slow danced?

1642 Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026

French Wine Tasting at Vertical Wine Bistro, Sunday, May 2

You know I love my French wines, so I’m even thinking of stopping by Vertical Wine Bistro in Pasadena for a tasting led by General Manager Manuel Mesta and French wine consultant and exporter Pierrick Bouquet showcasing varietals from the Loire, Beaujolais, the Rhone and Bordeaux, and paired with a selection of farmers’ market small plates prepared by Chef Doug Weston. Guests will get to taste a 2006 Joseph Drouhin Fleurie, a 2008 Clos du Mont Olivet Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre blend from Chateauneuf du Pape, and bites like gorgonzola-stuffed dates wrapped with Serrano ham, and even oxtail terrine. The tasting starts at 4:00pm. Tickets are $40, reservations strongly recommended.

70 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103, (626) 795-3999, verticalwinebistro.com

Wine Tasting at Veno Kado, Sunday, May 2

One of my favorite wine stores in town is showcasing some of my favorite regions in France. Veno Kado is hosting an informal, in-store tasting of three French wines this Sunday from 2:00-5:00pm. The white on the list is the La Mere Boitier Macon-Village Chardonnay with tasting notes like honey, orange blossom, cucumber and stone fruit. Then it’s on to reds from Languedoc-Roussillon and the southern Rhone. First up is the Domain Aimé Minervois made from Carignan and Syrah with notes lush blackberry, cherry, cardamom and white pepper, then an even richer Chateau Virgile Costieres de Nimes Rouge 2008 with flavors of blackberry, black currant, cocoa, licorice, tar and even beef jerky. It’s made from a classic blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Tastings usually run $10, come whenever you want!

7714 Fountain Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90046, (323) 850-1600, venokado.com

Aperitivo at Cecconi’s

From 5:00-7:00pm daily, folks who mosey on into this West Hollywood hotspot for a cocktail will be offered complimentary snacks like slices of pizzette, chunks of parmesan, mixed olives, grissinin wrapped in Parma ham, bruschetta, and mini Italian grilled cheese sandwiches called pierini. There’s no printed menu, and Chef Andrea Cavaliere will keep things interesting by changing up his offerings daily, so feel free to stop by after work every day! There’s also a new list of hand-crafted cocktails available at the bar including the Eighty-seven Sixty-four with Makers Mark, white crème de cacao and absinthe; and the Nerone with Bombay Sapphire, Aperol, and fresh grapefruit and blood orange juice. Get there before 6:00pm, and your valet is complimentary.

8764 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90069, (310) 432-2000, cecconiswesthollywood.com

Thirsty Crow Bar Opens For Bourbon Lovers

The faux-dive bar that used to be Stinkers Truck Stop has reopened as the moonshine-happy Thirsty Crow Bar, with a bourbon and whiskey-heavy menu that features all kinds of artisanal, hand-crafted brown liquors to make you forget your troubles. The menu also includes a list of labor-intensive cocktails including four kinds of Manhattans (including one with Tabasco, and another with orange marmalade), classic Mint Juleps, and an eponymous Thirsty Crow made with rye, citrus, bitters and ginger beer. Though it only opened on Monday, it’s already packed to the gills every night with hipsters of all stripes, so get there early to secure a place at the horseshoe-shaped bar or in the cozy back room.

2939 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026, (323) 661-6007, thirstycrowbar.com

Brunch at Boa

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Boa Steakhouse is launching a new Sunday brunch menu with both breakfast and lunch classics, as well as custom drinks made tableside. The menu will be available every Sunday from 11:00am-3:00pm, and will include options like: steak and eggs with home fries; huevos with chorizo, black bean, queso fresco and tortillas; pancakes with ricotta and sautéed bananas; brioche French toast topped with caramelized pears and berries; and lunch options like the famous Boa burger with Camembert cheese and fried onion strings; and the tuna Niçoise salad with seared tuna sashimi, Kalamata olives, quail eggs, artichokes, and fingerling potatoes. On mothers day, diners can also give mom a potted herb plant to take home.

9200 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069, (310) 278-2050, boasteak.com

Savor Sundays at Whist

Starting this week, and continuing for seven more, Whist at the Viceroy Santa Monica Hotel is introducing “Savor Sundays” with a new family-style menu of classics from Chef Tony DiSalvo. The menu is a three-course prix fixe every Sunday from May 2-June 20 from 5:30-9:00pm, and costs $27 per adult, and $12 per child under 12 years old. The menu will rotate every week, but upcoming dishes include a butter lettuce wedge salad, buttermilk fried chicken with bacon cheddar biscuits; collard greens, grits, mashed potatoes and slaw; pecan pie with whisky caramel-vanilla ice cream; shrimp and lobster boil with steamers, linguine, potatoes, corn on the cob and Parkerhouse rolls; grilled Gulf shrimp salad with roasted corn, red peppers, romaine and grilled zucchini. Sounds like a family Sunday supper we’d be into.

1819 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401, (310) 260-7511, viceroysantamonica.com

The Rest

And here’s a list of other…well, listings, of weekly specials and goings on about town, so check out what the other guys are talking about!

Urban Daddy: http://www.urbandaddy.com/la/weekender/9592/The_Weekender_Sex_Comedy_4_29_Wine_and_Poolside_Fried_Chicken_Los_Angeles_LA

Rundown: http://rundown.com/article.php?article_id=972