Simmzy’s – Burbank

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There was always a couple reasons as to why I didn’t get out to Simmzy’s more often.  One it was in Manhattan Beach (then Belmont Shores) which is not an easy 405 drive or parking experience.  Secondly, it is teeny-tiny and super popular.

Well, those two problems have been alleviated for me.  With the new Burbank location that has some elbow room to it.  The same food concept reigns here with a curated menu of items that should hold a choice for everyone in your party.  Or just the S’more Pudding for dinner.  OK, I had the Bleu Cheese Burger which was really good though a bit tall to fit into my mouth.

The beer menu shows great diversity as well.  Locals? Check.  El Segundo, Smog City and MacLeod on tap.  Styles? Covered.  Porter to brown to ESB to IPA.  And you can order up a Simmzy’s Flight as well to get a broad spectrum of tastes.  I can see studios converging to the corner of Olive and Alameda for lunch often.

The 4th Dart

It’s anniversary time again at Tony’s Darts Away!

And that means beers aplenty both rare and hoppy.
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Here are the initial details for those who like to plan.

Starts on Saturday, April 5th and heads through the 6th, from 10 a.m. to close
Thet will “be tapping a heavy-hitting lineup of high sought after and interesting beers every hour to hour and a half, including but not limited to:

[the return of] DARTS AWAY IPA Golden Road Brewing (brewed by the TDA team with GRB)
Grapefruit Sculpin Ballast Point
Angel’s Share Lost Abbey
BeRazzled The Bruery”
So check  on their Twitter leading up to the event @tonysda

price: NO admission fee; $10 for a commemorative glass and one pour of Darts Away IPA or $10 for the glass.

An Expanded Story

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Story Tavern in Burbank  which is just over a year old now will be doubling their space with a party tonight.

To celebrate the expansion of 8 more taps and a game room, “Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company will be in the house this Thursday at 6:30PM to shower Story’s patrons with a wealth of delicious rarities, most of which have previously never been available in LA! Flights will be available.”

Draft List: Bag of Cats IPL, San Rafael Red Ale, Magpie Porter ,Monkeys with TypeRYEters ,Our Belgian Pale ,Irish Stout ,Wrangler Wheat and on CASK: Hoppy Poppy IPA

 

 

#LABW5 Pick of the Night – Thursday 9/19

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Each morning throught L.A. Beer Week, I will give you my Pick of the Night.  The ONE event I think rises to the top of the list.  Some days that choice will be harder and there might be 1A and 1B’s (if I get wishy-washy).  I will endeavor to pick events you can just head out to.  But if tickets are required, I will mention it.  But expect crowds.  Craft beer and craft beer in L.A. is popular.

For the first day, head to…..

Eagle Rock Brewing’s The Right Brews (Cask X Nitro X CO2) at Story Tavern

What better way to start the party than with Eagle Rock Brewing.

An Anniversary Weekender in Burbank

From Saturday, April 13th all the way through to Sunday, April 14th: Tony’s Darts Away will be celebrating what they are dubbing the 3rd Anniversary Weekender!

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Here is the pertinent information to get you started, “On Saturday April 13 and Sunday April 14 our place will be open regular hours, starting with Randy’s Best of Breakfast dishes at 10 AM followed by ongoing tappings of our most interesting and highly sought after beers every 60-90 minutes until 7PM. We will be open until 2 AM as usual and will have lunch and dinner specials on as well. There is no required entrance fee, but for $15 we are offering a special Dart Glass plus a fill of a yet to be announced specialty beer! Additionally, this glass entitles you to try specialty tappings a full 30 minutes before they are available to the public.”

Follow the event over on the Facebook HERE.

Event Review – Rocket to Flanders

Story Tavern is new this month to the craft beer scene and they have joined the fun that is L.A. Beer Week so I headed over to Burbank for the first chapter of the story.

The theme was Rocket to Flanders. Belgian beers and punk rock. The locale was all Craftsman styled except for the fake fireplace below a big screen TV. They had the cool Beer Week posters up though so I sauntered in and since the bar seats were filled grabbed a seat at one of the communal tables.

The prices were a bit high for Burbank but they had Beachwood’s Uno Belgian single so that is where I started. I ordered the Belgian stew that promised vegetables and delivered onions only which was a bit of a letdown but it was from the special appetizer section so not a total loss.

A decent flight to celebrate Belgian beer but I didn’t get much in the way of “selling” the flights or L.A. Beer Week. And it looked like the flight was from bottles which meant extra work for the bar staff and beer that might sit for a bit waiting for the next flight order.

All in all, I didn’t get a vibe of special event nor much education. (I went without saying that I was a beer blogger just to see what sort of help I would get). So I can only give a very mild thumbs up. The beer list was fine. No complaints. Just pricey and below standards that I have set for L.A. beer bars.

Maybe they will grow and upgrade but Golden Road is just down the road and better so they need to up their game.

an afternoon of colLAborating

The logo is cool but the idea behind it is even better.

Last Saturday, I got to spend a lovely spring LA day drinking beer. Great craft beer at the ColLAboration pop-up Beer Garden. I partook of Stone Vanilla Bean, Bear Republic Double Rocket. Red Poppy from Lost Abbey but my surprise favorite was the habanero Sculpin from Ballast Point. So balanced that I imagine the technical skill it took to pull that trick off. I probably can’t do a pint of it because of my low scovill tolerance but the few sips I had were great. 2nd place went to Brouwerij West’s Blonde. Perfect on a summer day. I love both of their beers.

Brian from Blue Palms talks the beer list.
Volunteer Alex with the pour.
A blonde ale from Brouwerij West to start the day.
Me with Brian Lethcoe from Nibble Bit Tabby.
vanilla bean porter and triple exultation. Guess the brewers!

More analysis to come on FoodGPS on Thursday morning.

Tony’s Darts Away interview

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As threatened, here are the reasons why you should be beer geeked about Tony Yanow and the newly opened Tony’s Darts Away (TDA)…

REASON # 1
The hospitality at TDA will be strong from day one. Why? Because Tony has been doing beer tastings for awhile. Thanks to his “problem” of collecting great beer, he has had to occasionally purge which leads to people “helping” him winnow the size back to manageable. By doing this, Tony has not only exposed Los Angeles to great beer, he has learned how to find the right beer for people. And that is a gift in a beer world that some people are just discovering. Hence the TDA motto of “Bringing the fine beer of California to the fine people of Los Angeles.”

REASON # 2
The magical word NITRO. Tony is originally from Canada which is not afraid of the nitro. And I have had my share growing up in Portland. But is has been conspicuous in it’s absence from the burgeoning Los Angeles scene. Not now. And it won’t be confined to just porters and stouts. Nitro La Merle anyone?

REASON # 3
The staff at TDA will be educated. Tony has traveled up and down the state of California to familiarize himself with what beer the state has to offer. The staff has been assigned reading, has tasted the beers and has even brewed! Plus Tony has two aces in Paige Reilly and Dave Watrous. Fun and smart beer people.

Tony’s Darts Away

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Another beer bar is hitting the LA scene! And this time in Burbank.

Here are some of the highlights from their press release: There’s a new “Tony” in charge – Tony Yanow – who announced today plans to gently revamp the bar and restaurant, greatly enhance the beer selection and ramp up the menu. With beer, wine, and soft drinks on tap, this will be the city’s first “bottle-less” bar. The new and improved Tony’s Darts Away will be unveiled in mid-April 2010.

A dedicated beer enthusiast, and first-time restaurateur, Yanow will offer over 30 California craft beers in addition to California red and white wine and sodas – all on tap. He has designed the food and beverage component of the restaurant to create as close to a “no waste bar” as he can get. Meaning no bottled beer, no bottled soft drinks, and no bottled wine. Sticking to his motto, “Bringing the fine beers of California to the fine people of Los Angeles,” Yanow has tramped across California – from the Oregon border to the Mexico border – to source the best craft beers the state has to offer. About half the beers on the list will be fixed while a selection of seasonal and limited edition beers will rotate on the other taps. To encourage trial, Yanow will offer flights of beer, plus friendly and knowledgeable bartenders will guide customers to find their new favorite brew. Served in specialty glassware to maximize the experience, an “Honest Pint” will be priced at $4.50 for most brews.

Why only beer (and wine) from California? “Three reasons,” explains Yanow, “First, the quality and freshness of local beer can’t be beat. By offering only California beer, we’re able to serve beer the way the brewer wants it served – not something that was shipped across the country and passed through many hands. Second, I think it’s important for California businesses to support each other; we’re all in this economy together and it’s never been more important to support the small guy and buy local to help employ people in our community. Finally, the environmental impact – or carbon footprint – of shipping beer, nationally and internationally. I’m working hard to keep our ‘beer miles’ as low as can be.”

To eat, there will be a selection of locally sourced artisan sausages which are made with California meats plus four vegan sausages and a variety of toppings. The sausages will be served on a bun from a local bakery or a bed of organic lettuce. There will also be fried foods to snack on in addition to a selection of California cheeses. A few composed salads round-out the straightforward menu that is designed to complement beer, of course.

The space, which has remained largely untouched since the restaurant first opened in the 1960s will keep its divey feel and be refreshed with minimal cosmetic upgrades – most of the changes will happen behind the bar with the installation of the integrated beer tap system. There will be a “beer library” featuring books on the subject from Yanow’s own collection. Locals who have been regulars for decades will have a wall of homage featuring their photos, (plus a personal locked-in beer price). True to its name, Tony’s Darts Away will have dart boards for friendly games.
Tony’s Darts Away is located at 1710 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506. The bar will be open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 2am and Sunday from 9am to 1am. Phone, 818-253-1710.

P.S. I interviewed Tony Yanow and I will post information from that talk as we get closer to their grand opening.