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"The Tar Pit" By Tara Redfield
Dear Love,
If you are aware of Los Angeles’ history, you know that many years ago it was home to the La Brea Tar Pits. Dinosaurs no longer exist, well at least not ones that look like they used to, and either do the Tar Pits, but there is a bar & restaurant that does. It’s called The Tar Pit and its happy hour this week wasn’t too bad...proof? I’m not extinct. I decided to have a brand new kind of guest for this happy hour. Someone who wasn’t afraid to get their hands dirty or feel their throat burn. Someone who showed up on a motorbike and loafers without socks; my friend Bryan. Bryan, quite the food and beverage adventurer himself, met me in front of the black as Tar door and we ducked into the pit. The time was 6:35 and we had an 8pm show to catch. Perfect! Wait, did I step onto the set of Mad Men? There was something very 60’s chic about the atmosphere, must have been the large white booths, sparkly chandeliers and the mirrored walls. It was dark, but cheerful. I liked it. The bartender handed over a leather bound menu, but it wasn’t the happy hour menu. “Oh, I’m sorry can we see the happy hour menu?” He looked at us strangely, “Our happy hour menu isn’t available anymore.” I had a reply to this, “It’s only 6:30, your happy hour goes from 6:00 to 7:30 right? That’s what it said on the website.” By this time a blonde woman had come out from some place, a manager I assumed, and took over for the bartender. “I’m sorry miss, you must have not read the website clearly.” “Me? I didn’t read it clearly! Finding happy hours is what I do,” (was my inner monologue). What I really said was, “Oh that’s strange, I was sure that it said 6 to 7:30. Well, that’s too bad, because I came here tonight specifically to try your happy hour.” She disappeared. Bryan and I looked at each other and looked at the bar trying to read what the other one wanted to do. Just stay and not worry about missing the happy hour? Or try to find another happy hour close by? Then, as quickly as cubes of ice dropping into a glass, the blonde appeared again. “Sorry about the misunderstanding, it does say 6-7:30, but under it, it says that it starts next week. It’s okay though, you two can still order from the happy hour menu now.” We thanked her greatly, picked our drinks, I really like absinthe. Black licorice jelly beans were always my favorites at Easter, so I got The Duchess. She was Bianco, Antica Carpano, Absinthe, and Orange Bitters...dee-lish. Bryan ordered a gentleman’s drink, the Sazarac; Rye, Sugar, Peychaud’s Bitters and Absinthe Rinse. He even lit the lemon rind on fire to slightly burn it, very Mad Men. The first of our four snacks to arrive were the pickled deviled eggs with shaved proscuitto. They were my favorite. Then came the warm goat cheese and fig compote with crostini. Also, very good. Next, the garlic french fries with ailoli, which were served as a mountain of golden crispiness. Lastly, just when we thought they might have forgotten, the mini mac arrived. The bubbly dish was actually not full of macaroni noodles, but penne, with gruyere, cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan. Need I say more? After my cocktail and filling bites I was very thankful that my error had been forgiven and that The Tar Pit happy hour was able to resurrect itself. I’m pretty sure Bryan was too. It would have been nice to stay stuck to our bar stools, but, the rest of the evening was waiting. Cheers! P.S. Happy Hour at The Tar Pit is NOW officially from 6-7:30 pm nightly and everything is under $6.00! xx, Tara |
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and ordered one of everything.
