Well, we didn’t make it to the Kentucky Derby this weekend, but we did make it to the downstairs bar of the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.
This is one of our favorite places for martinis on special occasions. The bartenders here have a real knack for them.
They believe in stirring, not shaking. Which is good – I want my gin to be well rested before I throw my head back and sling it down the hatch.
And the place has real atmosphere – dark leather, bar stools covered with fake animal skin and arms made out of horns.
It’s classier than it sounds.
And we like that it’s quiet in here, even though you’re in the middle of Hollywood. You’re surrounded by the action without having to be part of it.
It was the perfect stop before seeing “Wolverine” at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre across the street. Our goal was to drink enough martinis to put hair on our chests. And necks and ears.
Actually, looking back on it, we really should have had way more booze than we did. It would have helped “Wolverine” go down easier.
This is what we should have had. Two guys next to us ordered mint juleps. The bartender takes these seriously as well, as you can see.
These patrons made the classic non-Southerner mistake of underestimating the mint julep. I don’t know if it’s the “mint” or the “julep” that throws people off. They think they’re drinking a Shirley Temple or something.
Five minutes into it – already too late to turn back – one of them lowered toward the bartender and says quietly: “Seriously. Dude, this is a strong drink.”
I guess he didn’t watch it being poured – bourbon, sugar, mint. Ice. Heavy on the bourbon.
The bartender smiled.
All the martinis in LA got nothin’ on a true Southern cocktail.
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