Bonaventure Brewing Co

Hi this is John Apodaca with Daddy-O's Martinis and since the weather is starting to warm up, most of us enjoy either a good beer or cocktail with their meals. I had the pleasure of going to a restaurant brewery called Bonaventure Brewing Company located in Downtown Los Angeles at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. They have a wonderful menu and a great choice of handcrafted beers from very light to dark that can't be beat.

However as far as cocktails go, they claim to have a large selection of martinis which are not martinis at all. I often look at the menu where it says "Our Signature Martinis" and I didn't see one classic drink listed. It looked more like a drink menu from the late 1990s or early 2000s that included Apple martini, cosmopolitan and lemon drops that are nothing but vodka with hight fructose candy colored syrups that make them look pretty but not classic in the least. How long will it take for Bonaventure Brewing to climb on board to the crafting quality cocktails unless they just don't care and only want to cater to tourists who don't know any better.  There is a current Renaissance of crafting quality drinks and apparently this establishment is aware of it. 

I filled out a comment card shortly before leaving and suggested they revamp the bar and learn to make real cocktails and to consider contacting my friend Tyler Dow from the bar Four at Checkers to help them out. I'm not saying to stay away from this restaurant but they shouldn't call these cocktails "martinis" when they are not or just learn to research classic drinks and serve those instead.

Cheers,

John Apodaca

First and Hope Supper Club

This is John Apodaca from Daddy-O's Martinis and I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of a brand new restaurant / bar called First and Hope Supper Club.  Located in Downtown Los Angeles, at 710 West 1st Street at Hope across from Disney Concert Hall and the Music Center.  The main bar and dinning area are splendidly decorated in a mid century Mad Men look while the smaller lounge/ bar in the back called the Fedora Lounge has a more Art Deco feel to it.

Bartenders and wait staff are dressed in a throwback to the past with white waist jackets, white dress shirts, ties and black trousers, a very classy look not seen in more than 50 years in finer establishments. The uniforms were created by the costume designer of the T.V.show Mad Men and couldn't have done a better job.

The Cocktails that were crafted by expert bartenders, some of the best, since the bar manager Aiden Demarest (formerly from the Edison bar) overseas the spirits and bar menu.  Some friends and I had a chance to sample some tasty libations such as La Revelation, The Statesmen, and The Baby Daisy and none us were disappointed. We also had samples of Hors D'oeuvres that were a celebration in the palate such as the bacon fudge, mini finger sandwiches with roast beef, and cotton candy balls to name a few.

First and Hope is a must for dining and drinking and should be a a priority when visiting Downtown Los Angeles. Please let your friends and family know about it on your social networks.

Cheers,

John Apodaca