The Suave Cocktail Bar Companion to Melrose Hill's Corridor 109 Is Open
Ask Brian Baik what he would've opened in 2020 — when he relocated from New York City to his hometown of Los Angeles — what his first-ever restaurant would have been, and he probably wouldn't have answered with a bar. But on July 29, Baik will debut Bar 109 with bartender Kayla Garcia overseeing the drinks and general manager Jon Tran. The bar will open in the front portion of his forthcoming tasting menu restaurant, Corridor 109, which has been in development for years.
Garcia was most recently at Kumiko, which just won the 2025 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar and is currently number 10 in the North America 50 Best Bars. Kumiko is known for blending elements of a classic Japanese whisky bar with a beverage omakase. Garcia was also at Thunderbolt's Hollywood offshoot Night on Earth before landing at Bar 109.
Ichigo Punch at Bar 109.
Oolong Boulevardier at Bar 109.
At Bar 109, Garcia will serve updated versions of classic cocktails, like the gently salted Marine Layer, a type of martini mixing gin, Manzanilla sherry, dry vermouth, saline, and white kelp. The Ichigo Punch blends summer ingredients of strawberry and basil with vodka, mezcal, clarified milk, and junmai sake. A Korean-inflected Chic Hey (named after sikhae) employs malted barley, fermented rice, and non-alcoholic kombucha for a spirit-free sipper. While at Kumiko, Garcia earned a sake sommelier certification, and she compiled a standalone sake menu alongside the greater wine list, which was curated by master sommelier Michael Englemann.
As for food, Baik will serve a bar bites menu for probably the first time in his career, which has mostly occupied the world of New York City fine dining. Start with a smoked salmon dip with Ritz crackers and then ogle the massive shrimp cocktail using some of the largest shrimp (U-10, meaning under 10 shrimp per pound) on the market. A fried fish sandwich inspired by Japanese nanbankan comes with hefty tartar sauce and pickles between potato buns. A wagyu hot dog heavy on Dijon mustard comes with pickled pepper relish.
For Bar 109, Montalba Architects designed a sleek, mostly black-painted space anchored by the striking Forest Gold marble countertop with tendrils of rusty brown running across its surface, an element that Baik said he went 'all out' on in terms of cost. Three elliptical tables allow for groups to congregate and potentially take in some pre- or post-dinner drinks once Corridor 109 opens. But unlike the likely pricey dinner that will await those folks, Bar 109 won't take reservations and is intended to be a casual neighborhood hangout open until midnight.
Debuting on July 29, Bar 109 will be open Tuesday to Saturday, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., and is located at 641 N. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90004.
Food and drinks at Bar 109.
Marine Layer cocktail.
Coconut Swizzle, a non-alcoholic cocktail at Bar 109.
Kayla Garcia, Brian Baik, and Jon Tran at Bar 109 in Los Angeles.
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Tom's Guide
5 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
You'll live, die and repeat watching this Tom Cruise sci-fi action movie on Peacock this weekend
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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jerry Garcia: Your memories 30 years after his death
Yahoo asked readers to share where they were when they heard the legendary Grateful Dead guitarist had died on Aug. 9, 1995, and how his music makes them feel today. It was 30 years ago tomorrow that Grateful Dead co-founder, guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia died in his room at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility outside of San Francisco, on Aug. 9, 1995. He was 53. Fans of the pioneering psychedelic rock band known as Deadheads knew this day would come. Garcia had struggled with drug addiction and diabetes for years and was in bad shape weeks earlier during what would be his final tour. He was visibly frail, forgetting lyrics — more so than usual — and mumbling through his songs. Still, the news of his death was no less shocking. "I'm probably like a lot of people entering the first waves of numbness,' Tom Constanten, former Grateful Dead keyboardist and a close friend of Garcia's, told San Francisco's KCBS radio that night. I was also probably like a lot of people, looking to numb myself when I learned of Garcia's death. I had just graduated from high school and was at home in Connecticut, weeks away from going to college, driving around aimlessly in my used Volkswagen Jetta and listening to Dead tapes. (I had a couple hundred bootlegs of live shows, which, for serious Deadheads, was not many.) It was also a pivotal moment in Yahoo's history. One of the site's originally programmers, Srinija Srinivasan, told the New York Times that on the day Garcia died, searches for his name spiked immediately, so they put a link to it on the homepage. 'That was the birth of Yahoo News," Srinivasan said. Since Garcia's death, surviving members of the Grateful Dead, including guitarist Bob Weir and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman, have been performing in various incarnations, including Dead & Company — with John Mayer assuming Garcia's role as lead guitarist. 'I'll never come close to playing like @jerrygarcia,' Mayer wrote on Instagram earlier this month following Dead & Company's three-day run at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park celebrating the Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary. 'But if I can somehow get you closer to him — and to the spirit he created 60 years ago — then I suppose I've done my job. Thank you for accepting me.' To mark the 30th anniversary of Garcia's death, Yahoo gathered memories of the iconic guitarist from readers like you. Here are some of your most vivid and moving responses. They have been edited for length and clarity. Where were you when you heard the news Jerry died? Mitch W., 57, Wake Forest, N.C.: I was sitting in a rocking chair in my living room down in Boca Raton, Fla. I was just numb, devastated, sad and upset. The music that never stopped had stopped. Even though we knew Jerry was in rehab, we (at least me) figured he would be out soon. Mark K., 54, Fort Myers, Fla.: I was a young reporter working on Sanibel Island. At first, I thought it was just another rumor, so I called a friend/editor (who worked at the Grateful Dead fanzine Dupree's Diamond News) to confirm. I broke down and cried at my desk. I then collected myself, asked my boss for the rest of the day off, went home and watched all the coverage on TV with my roommate, who was also a Deadhead. Tony, 52, Lyman, N.H.: I was driving toward the beach to go surfing. I heard three consecutive Grateful Dead songs on the radio — and I just knew. I had to pull over my car. Complete emotional devastation. Beverly, 51, Lewisville, Maine: I was at an ARCO ampm restocking candy when a customer came in and broke the news. He was not gentle about it, causing me to be utterly devastated. Jenny W., 56, Chicago: I was working at Kraft Foods as an intern in the tax department. I received a phone call from a friend who let me know. I was devastated. I ended up telling my supervisor that I had a death in the family and needed to go home. I gathered with my friends, and we sat around sharing memories and listening to music. I had just met Jerry in St. Louis earlier that summer. We met in the concierge lounge at the Ritz, where he was grabbing some cookies. He took a picture with me and the cookies. He was amazingly kind. Ann, 51, Ann Arbor, Mich.: It was my 22nd birthday. I walked in to work the lunch shift at a local bar. Jerry's death was announced on the TV news. I was speechless, then melancholy. I was at the last show at Soldier Field, second row center. We were so close that I didn't know Jerry was wearing shorts. It was unbelievable that he was gone. J. Morgan W., 53, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: I was at home in Fort Lauderdale when WSHE Radio announced Jerry's passing; I thought it was a bad joke. Then after multiple announcements from various news and radio reports, realizing that this news was true, I went out to Peaches Music and purchased the last few Dead CDs to finish my collection. Dori R., 59, Boulder, Colo.: I was driving down the 101 from a TV shoot with my Discovery Channel crew in California when we heard the news on the radio. We pulled over in shock. I was never a huge Dead fan, but I had actually just spent the previous summer following them, attending 14 West Coast shows out of pure curiosity with the music and the whole scene. I became a big fan that summer and was profoundly grateful that I got to experience the band, Jerry and all, before we lost him. D.P.F., 78, Yucaipa, Calif: I had just been upgraded to a speaking role on "Caroline in the City." You must understand what an exciting and joyous moment this was for a simple background actor. I was, needless to say, ecstatic. The following morning, I drove to Hollywood to sign the contract. The joy just mounted. I got back in the car to drive home; happy as a lark. When the radio came on, the first thing I heard was that Jerry had died. So, in a matter of minutes, I went from the peaks of happiness to the depths of sorrow. Of course, having followed the Dead for quite some time, I was well aware of Jerry's, shall we say, "predilections" and any serious fan was prepared for this. And yet, I and many others were rocked to our cores. "Cheff" Z., 78, Lancaster, Pa.: I was monitoring the Associated Press wire. The bell started clanging — which was the sign of 'breaking news.' I pulled the tear sheet and read of his death as AP was breaking it. I stood in front of the machine, alone in the clattering wire-service closet, and started to cry. I had seen the Dead all three nights in Philly on that final tour. He was weary looking, without the energy with which I was familiar. The Jerry I knew was funny and engaging. On that last tour he looked like he wanted to be done. How did you discover the Grateful Dead? Tony, 52, Lyman, N.H.: They were popular with everyone's older brothers in school. Someone gave me a bootleg from 1985. Maybe Roanoke, maybe Raleigh? The 'Stagger Lee' from that show hooked me. Ann, 51, Ann Arbor, Mich.: I saw 'Touch of Grey' on MTV and got the In the Dark album as a teen. Then a good friend from college knew that I liked Phish. She played old Grateful Dead bootleg tapes for me since she thought they were better. I agreed and never went to another Phish show. Anna M., 56, Oregon City, Ore.: I grew up in a rural area and had no exposure to the Grateful Dead except for shirts I had seen. I did not really know their music. My partner bought me a ticket for my birthday in 1992 to see them at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. I remember I had on jeans and a black mock turtleneck. As I got closer to the venue, I quickly realized my outfit did not blend. The concert was already going when I arrived. The scene was unlike anything I had ever seen — so many beautiful, weird people. I bought a new batik dress, ordered my first falafel and sat down and just absorbed it all. I felt like I had finally come home. Beverly, 51, Lewisville, Maine: My mom's friend always told me I was a hippie and didn't know it. She told me to check out their music in 1993; when I did, I knew immediately I had found my tribe. I only saw them once, in Las Vegas, before he died. It was amazing. The people really were like a family. I never knew how kind people could be, but learned that summer. Bud, 70, Oxford, Conn.: I was attending UConn in the early 1970s, and they got a lot of airplay on FM radio. "Casey Jones" was big. They were going to play the Yale Bowl, so I picked up Workingman's Dead, which was their latest LP. I couldn't believe how "country" it sounded. I expected something heavier. I played it once or twice and put it away. I still have that record, and it has become one of my favorites of the last 50 years. Rick B., 62, La Crescent, Minn.: In 1978, when I was 15, I read a reference in National Lampoon that characterized the Dead as being "still numero uno with the acid heads." And since I had every intention of becoming one at the first opportunity, I decided that this was probably a band that I should be listening to. What do you think of the Grateful Dead's post-Garcia reincarnations, like Dead & Company? Mark K., 54, Fort Myers, Fla.: Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd still be seeing this music and enjoying the scene I loved so much some 20 years after his death — thanks to Dead & Company. I credit John Mayer especially for introducing this music to new generations. Now I have fun razzing all the newbies at D&C. A phrase me and my crew always repeat: We saw Jerry. Anna M., 56, Oregon City, Ore.: I love it. It brings the family together and helps introduce younger people to the music. I love seeing young people at shows that have never seen Jerry, but they know the music, and it's meaningful and important to them. That is the power of the music, the message and the love. Dori R., 59, Boulder, Colo.: I enjoy the shows but can't avoid feeling like the same magic is just not there. Brit O., 61, Eureka, Calif. Meh. Never the same without Jerry. Marianne R., 57, Myrtle Beach, S.C.: Initially, I was done. I grieved the loss for at least a year. In 1996 Further came to town, I went with long- time Deadhead friends for closure. I saw Rat Dog and Phil Lesh & Friends over the years, but once John Mayer joined, I didn't see anything Dead-related until Dead & Company at the Sphere in Las Vegas in 2024. It was like going home. It was a very emotional experience. I am so glad I went. I loved being with my "people" again. I am also so happy that new, young people are constantly discovering the music. Jay D., 70, Novato, Calif.: I just saw Dead & Company at the Sphere in Las Vegas in April. Like everybody says, it was amazing! I used to be in the camp that after Jerry died there was no more Grateful Dead, but no more. John Mayer is a great guitarist, and he is doing right by the Dead's music. John, 53, Ringwood, N.J.: I love them all for different reasons. I'm fortunate to have seen the Dead with Jerry. All the other reincarnations have just carried the music further and connected it to newer generations of fans. What did Garcia mean to you then? And what does he mean to you today? Gary B., 73, Columbia, Md.: He was a tour guide to so many different kinds of music, and today he, more than any other individual, is the uniting force behind so many different bands and artists. Mitch W., 57, Wake Forest, N.C.: Jerry Garcia was the leader of the greatest American band ever. I miss him and still miss him (even though Bobby [Weir], day by day, is resembling Jerry). Wish my kid could have seen him and the Dead. Mark K., 54, Fort Myers, Fla.: No guitarist's music ever spoke to me the way Jerry's did. As a singer, he understood and seemed to feel the lyrics (lost on many singers), and as a guitar player and bandleader, he was like the pied piper for many of us who weren't into hair bands. Marianne R., 57, Myrtle Beach, S.C.: He was like family, even though I never met him. I grew up with that band. Today, I smile any time I think of him or those days of my youth. That music and scene made me who I am. Beverly, 51, Lewisville, Maine: Jerry was the poppa bear, setting the example of kindness, honesty and vulnerability. He's still a legend in my book. Lauren T., 53, Shelby, Ala.: He was just so f***ing cool. So talented. His music meant something to me. Still does. I played the Dead in the delivery room when I gave birth to my children. Played it for them when they were babies. On the way to and from school. Now, my adult kids have all the Grateful Dead songs on their Spotify playlists. I try to explain what the shows were like to my kids but they can't possibly understand the vibe. I hate that they'll never see or hear Jerry live. Anna M., 56, Oregon City, Ore.: I have always viewed Jerry as someone who rescued me from a very limited worldview. To see all the many wonderful people that loved the Dead, to get to know them, to have my mind expanded with new ideas, new ways of looking at life — he was monumental in my development into who I was meant to be. He was the gateway for me; his lyrics and words are touchstones for my soul.
San Francisco Chronicle
18 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The best new food at Outside Lands
When it comes to food, all other music festivals pale in comparison to Outside Lands. The only thing that might make La Russell's set better? A hot dog made with an octopus tentacle. Some of the Bay Area's finest cooking talents are on display every year, and for this weekend's festival, 20 new spots joined the roster. Among the high-profile newcomers are San Mateo Top 100 restaurant Kajiken and San Francisco high-end Indian spot Tiya. After zipping across Golden Gate Park and eating enough caviar to fill up a Mason jar, we've determined these are the best new food vendors at Outside Lands this year. Kajiken Kajiken, a popular Japan-born ramen chain on the Peninsula, is known for its brothless abura soba, but that wasn't our favorite item on the festival menu. It was actually the karaage ($15), a Japanese-style fried chicken with grated daikon, ponzu and green onion. The crispy, flavorful chicken is easy to eat with your hands — an ideal snack option for walking around the park. Location: Hellman Hollow Popup Michoz, normally stationed at a cafe in Berkeley, brought its trademark Peruvian cooking to the festivities. The stall offers a no-filler menu consisting of nachos topped with berbere-spiced beef ($16) and a choripan ($18) dripping with chimichurri. With hints of ginger and pepper heat, the former improves on the form, while the latter punches you in the face with pungent herbiness. Grab extra napkins, both can get messy. Location: Hellman Hollow Tiya This weekend, Tiya has ditched the multi-course tasting menu in favor of more approachable dishes. The best is the butter chicken bowl ($20), featuring basmati rice and thick thighs doused in a bright red tomato gravy. While some executions of butter chicken can feel extremely decadent, this version was surprisingly subtle with pleasant tang. Location: Hellman Hollow Provecho Provecho began as a Oaxacan popup, but for the festival it has shifted toward a menu of raw seafood and barbecue bento boxes. The limited-edition Sashimi Tostada ($30) was the most expensive item on the menu, topped with fish, charred green garlic labneh, cucumber, onion and caviar. It was almost a shame to ruin the beautiful assortment of colorful ingredients on top with a first bite, but the refreshing, tangy flavors made it easy to finish. Location: Hellman Hollow
