Barfly: free pizza, boxes of wine, and Bastille Day
FREE Pizza: Did that get your attention? Good because you must hurry as today, Thursday, July 14 is the last day to receive your FREE 8” pizza at Extreme Pizza, PCH, RB, wrapping a four-day grand opening celebration/fundraiser to benefit the South Bay Children’s Health Center. All they ask is that you give a $1 donation to the SBCHC, (of course you may give more if you like), in order to walk out with your “free” pie. For more information about Extreme Pizza the brand, check out the company’s website at extremepizza.com; for the RB location call 310.540.1010, for the South Bay Children’s Health Center visit their website at sbchc.com…
Life is Like a Box of Wine: Sometimes it’s real shitty and other times it just might surprise you. Bacchus Wine Made Simple, Manhattan Ave, MB is now carrying a new “party in a box” called, “From the Tank,” a Cotes du Rhone, (red wine), just in time for Bastille Day, (that would be today). If you need a reason to get over your anti-boxed wine bias, this is it; a round, fruity, earthy varietal from a mini-cooperative known for practicing sustainable agriculture. From the Tank is a newly released collaboration between Denis Deschamps of Les Vignerons D’Estézargues in the southern Rhône Valley and Jenny & François Selections, an importer specializing in natural wines, made largely without chemical manipulation. This wine is economical, ecological and it lasts for a month once opened, although, if it takes you a month to drink a box of wine, maybe you should get a new hobby, (the three-litre box is equivalent to four regular bottles of wine). More green than glass with a much smaller carbon footprint because it is so light, From the Tank is now available at Bacchus for $39.99 per box. Remember, if it wasn’t for General Lafayette helping us out during the American Revolution we’d all be drinking afternoon tea and saying, “Cheerio pip pip Guvnor!” and we certainly wouldn’t have had a backdrop for this year’s New York Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza celebrating the 125th birthday of the Statue of Liberty, an icon forever synonymous with this great land of ours. So let’s all give a “petit merci” to our “Friends Francaises” and honor their independence day as they honored ours. For more info on From the Tank, call Paddy, Barb, Maury, Sean or Liz at Bacchus Wine Made Simple, 310.372.2021 or check out bacchuswinesla.com…
Plus de la Bastille: (More Bastille). The Bastille Day celebration is in full swing at San Pedro’s slice of England, The Whale & Ale on West 7th Street; from 6-9pm in addition to a full French a la carte menu, there will be a bargain prix-fixe two-course set menu at $17.50 consisting of a “salade fraiche,” mixed lettuce, bleu cheese, mushrooms and walnuts in a creamy pepper vinaigrette followed by the “l’entrecote grille,” rib-eye steak in a red wine reduction with fresh vegetables and “les pommes purees,” which is how you say “mashed potatoes” in French — years ago I were working at a French restaurant, describing a dish to a bunch of French people in Frenchy French and I blanked on the “mashed” part, “purees,” which makes sense, right? Easy, n’est-ce pas? Non. I made this little hand motion as if I was mashing potatoes and instead said, “les pommes… ecraser!” Which got a big laugh because I was saying, “crashed potatoes,” as in, I crashed into them with my car! I was embarrassed but they thought it was cute and left me a big tip – yes, they know they are supposed to tip and they have for awhile now; when they don’t it’s on purpose because they are being cheap, so don’t let them get away with it. Alors… Along with the special menu will be several reduced price French wines and of course that touch of Europe that British owner Andrew has got down pat. For more info call 310.832.0363 or go to whaleandale.com. If the Brits can celebrate France, we can too…
Questions? Comments? Contact Deb L at BarflyDebL@aol.com. ER