History

The Hotel, once glamorous, became a virtual crack-den only half occupied. That was the purchase made by Mr. Day and his company at the end of the seventies. A few originals remain, easily discernible from the general population, they are the ones who have personality, characters direct from Central Casting. Small aside: there really is a Central Casting. I happened past it one day, perused the line outside, and thought, wow, they could be right out of Central Casting...much in the same way I was passing La Brea Tarpits one day and observed, hm, smells like tar around here. I know, I'm brilliant that way.

Some of the original, some of the character , some of the flavor remains, both in and around The Hotel. When our fire extinguisher was serviced, it turns out the "Indian Chief Fire Extinguisher Service" really is run by an Indian Chief who also once lived here way before my time. There are kids here who tell of older brothers once living here. And of course there is Larry.

There were a few incarnations of radio on the premises, mostly KIEV at 87 on your AM dial. Here is a more in depth history of them and their time in the basement of the Hotel. The sign is

still on the back of their door. There are also remnants of them on the parking lot, cements patches where radio towers once stood. Here's also a picture of a picture where you can make out the radio tower in the foreground while they're building The Cave in the background. (You can see this one hanging when you come in to visit.)

Larry worked at KIEV. He did commercials for them and was here in the wee hours watching the night pass by, quite possibly why The Cave caught his attention. Larry came in today to pick up some wine, and I saw this one in the outgoings. 1969 Robert Mondavi Cab, best wine of the year that year, puntless, with a price tag that reads $5.27. The wine, The building, The Larry...a moment of many classics.

the old peanut butter jar or adventures in decanting or both.

Last weekend I'd pulled a few old jars out of the cabinet because Izuki and Larry just came back from Palm Springs with bags of grapefruit, kumquats, and meyer lemons right off the trees.  I know, most produce is right off a tree, but it's not like backyard produce, like getting a homemade cake versus store bought.  Home tastes like home.  The jars were to preserve the lemons. 

Also last weekend I opened this wine, 1993 Beringer Knight's Valley Cabernet, and like the lemons and grapefruit and kumquats, a very generous donation to the cause.  The first night this wine was unexpectedly lively, nice tannins and other edges, a pleasant surprise.  Night two was little difference, also unusual.  The cork crumbled when I opened it and I didn't want to store it a second night with just a stopper, so I seized the handiest resolution, the peanut butter jar, screwed on the lid and put it in the fridge.

By doing this I accidentally stumbled onto the benefits of decanting.  Historically, I actually like sediment in my wine.  It's like dessert. It's like a prize in a box of Cracker Jacks.  It's like a little bonus, or something to chew on while you're trying to figure out what the wine tastes like.  Genetically speaking, a troglodyte might be closer in cell structure to bacteria than to humans, so wine consumption is sure to occur in the worst ways, AKA, the simplest ways.  Nothing more heart breaking, I am certain, than someone seeing their most beautiful wines consumed in the most unseemly manner but alas, that is what I do.  So I poured the leftover onto the peanut butter jar.  And put it in the fridge.  And then had it for breakfast, which was kind of awesome.

It was then I discovered the other reason to decant: air.  Though the wine was in a loosely sealed bottle for two days, it was only after I poured it into the jar that I tasted secondary notes, like soft tobacco.  Also the tannins had exhaled. Nice breakfast!

The second day of the weekend I made another discovery thanks to the peanut butter jar.  Remember when The Deanster was in town and left behind this
 Orval Trappist Ale, the stuff that poured out like an over-soaped washing machine? 
 It turns out if you pour it into a really big jar, like, say, an old peanut butter jar, and then go clean your bathroom, by the time you're done the beer is ready to drink, sans epic foam. And really, what better way to finish cleaning your bathroom.

Fun with jars.

The Larry, The Beer, and The Cigars.

The Larry, a historical appendage here at both The Cave and the Hotel (featured here in this blog posting about The Larry,) wrote this nice article for Cigar Advisor.  It's a cigar + beer pairing.  It would never occur to me that these two items could possibly compliment each other in a better than random way, that alone very interesting.

Beer and Beer. Part 2: Beer. Ramirez Liquor.

Izuki came in today with her husband Larry and The Iwate Kura Oyster Stout has left the building!  Did I mention the privilege of being able to seize rare opportunities on behalf of others?  It stands.

(as usual, click on images to enlarge.)

After this errand The Niece and I seized our environs and made a few other stops in the Arts District. We checked out Urth Caffe on Hewitt (but didn't stop), split an overpriced grilled-cheese sandwich at Urban Radish on Imperial - I'm pretty sure - lots of grill, maybe there was cheese.  Bypassed the already experienced Stumptown, on Santa Fe, which I like, for Handsome Coffee on Mateo, which I was not too wild about.  The Niece's Latte was good, my coffee fell down the sewer.  I'm so clumsy!  And now, to sound like an old troglodyte officially, the two beverages, sized smalls, were $9.  Mine was just a coffee, how much was that latte?  YIKES!

Onward!
 
I remembered Izzy telling me about this place, Ramirez  Liquor. Something about lots of beer.  We were just across the bridge from Boyle Heights so this was our next stop. 

Okay, first, the way it was described to me, I was anticipating a much larger store than what we were pulling up to. Great self doubt ensued: was this even the place?  Then it suddenly didn't matter, because this was across the street, making the trip was already worth it.




I confess, I'm not sure the marketing strategy here, or the the relationship between a big soda, a big hamburger, a big fries, a little elephant, and a little giraffe...OMG, I'm so slow! DUH- the food is THAT BIG! There's no portion control whatsoever!  And - I didn't look but am certain - all at one low price.  Love it.





Back to beer. 

Looks dinky, right? 

 But look at how very lush!  This place was packed to it with an astounding, staggering selection of beer, more beer options than I've ever seen gathered under one roof, and really interesting, eclectic stuff. It was magical, otherworldly, and a bit overwhelming. It was like being at Disneyland and Mr. Wonka's Chocolate Factory during Christmas.  I was giddy with love. 

I got stickers!








Also beer.  The Niece opted for me Meantime Coffee Porter from London, probably to make up for the earlier coffee bummer, and for herself Fuller's London Pride Ale. (She lived in London a bit, if you're noticing a trend.)  They were together less than $9. 

And, like a couple of cheese heads, we listened to Lou Reed all day, later agreeing it was indeed a Perfect Day.

The week that was not.

Wednesday.  After moving his product from a temporary locker to his permanent new home, Alex did not offer that I try this bit of curio, a Samuel Adams 2005 Utopias.  According to Huffington Post, the '09 would have run you about $190.  It is described as a "noncarbonated dark beer -- actually, a blend of several beers ... aged using 'a variety of wood barrels' sourced from areas as far-flung as Nicaragua and Kentucky... sweet flavors of honey, toffee, caramel, cocoa and vanilla, balanced by distinct notes of molasses, raisins, plums and berries."

Sam Adams Utopias comes in at a whopping 29% ABV, so I did not have a mere thimbleful, and absolutely was not a bit potted the next hour.  The good news is this 24-ounce bottle fills approximately 710 thimbles, so that's only about $3.85 per serving. You figure, one thimble per night for dessert, maybe two some weekends, you've got yourself a two-year supply of this stuff.

Sadly, I would never find out what a curious and satisfying experience this was not, though only necessary once, should it ever have happened.  Which it did not.  

Thursday. Liana Aghajanian is a columnist for Glendale's own Glendale News Press.  As her banner states, she writes about "Glendale culture, Glendale society, Glendale politics and Armenian life in Glendale."  Recently she wrote a two-part article about Prohibition in Glendale, and in doing so stumbled upon a little-known underground Cave, its resident troglodyte, it's loyal, sometimes quirky, and deeply appreciated patrons, and the murky goings-on there. 

About all of this I know nothing. 

Friday.  The Deanster was in town this week. Minus modern appliances, The Deanster was welcome to use our computer as necessary, and The Cave saw him daily.  You can't just be nice to some people, they have to DO something, but The Deanster did not do this!  He did not bring this Orval Trappist Ale in with him one day, and he did not share it and I did not try it!  If I had it would have taken like 20 minutes to get that much Ale in the glass.  It was not VERY FOAMY!  Nor was it light, delicate, easy, floral, or anything else. 

Saturday.   The Deanster brought in another one, but we did not open it.  No, really, he had a dinner to go to and didn't stay.

Sunday. The Larry's been texting and calling and making threats about what won't happen when he comes in later today.  I figured, might be a good day to hit the typer early in case nothing at all happens. 

However, this is what did happen this week: the holidays are looming and The Cave saw some of the legendary people who made it the very fine story it is.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Cheers.

HoHoHo, You're Killing Me, Santa.

I happen to know the Santa on Hollywood Boulevard, in the lot there next to one of the Scientology buildings, likes wine. He stores it here.  The Larry is a pretty good Santa, too. The triad of "Ho's" is spot on.  PS. The above title?  All The Larry. Cheers.

da Plonk is in da Cave, redux

You may recall, though I hope not, December 2012 through April 2013 saw the Great Cave Plonk-a-thon. 

It's baaaaaaack.

It seems we've come into some plonk, and now it can all be yours.  Sure, all the experts say the wine you cook with should be at least as good as the wine you drink, but they're experts, what do they know?  Plonk's acidity pairs well with fatty meats and adds a nice zest as it reduces. 


It just so happens I'd already picked up a small bit of pork butt, aka, shoulder, and was about to sacrifice a surprisingly pleasant wine to it, this 2001 Columbia Crest Shiraz.  The Larry came in Friday and left this behind.  I thought it might be okay at best, not because Columbia Crest doesn't do a good job of it at a most reasonable price, but that their efforts might not last 13 years.  I was wrong!  It was delicious, a little too delicious in a big sort of way, it probably would have obliterated that pork butt.  (AKA, shoulder.) 





Fortunately the Plonk showed up. I opted this one, a 1978 something French and white.The cork was like soft butter and the wine tasted like the smell of coffee with a sharp, fruity edge. 

I'm just going to say it: raw pork butt is not attractive.  Neither is the shoulder.  Garlic, salt, and some crushed spices - looks like a little anise, black and red pepper, coriander and a little cumin.  Not quite a slow-and-low, more like a slightly faster-and-medium.  The juices got strained and reduced, and softened with a bit of butter.  This is a sharp, acidic flavor profile, maybe not for everyone, but free for the taking for anyone to try.

The Larry, The Wine, and the Cigars

At the end of October I posted an article The Cave denizen The Larry wrote for Cigar Advisor pairing beer and cigars.  Here's his follow up, a cigar and wine pairing.  What a horrible thing to do to a perfectly nice wine!  This, of course, from a troglodyte who drinks wine with Chipotle take-out.

Champagne and cigars.

Is there nothing that doesn't go well with a cigar?  Another contribution from The Larry on this seasonal pairing at Cigar Advisor.com

(photo courtesy Beverly Hills Cigar Club)