Denver's newest bars bring handcrafted cocktails and funky flair
Why it matters: Warm weather calls for cold drinks.
Here are the latest spots to get your sip on:
🍸 Semiprecious, which debuted last Friday in Sunnyside, is an effortlessly cool cocktail bar with mid-century modern vibes. The divey, yet elevated concept comes from the team behind Los Angeles' acclaimed Thunderbolt.
The menu is full of funky flair, with offerings including a tomato highball, sour cream and onion martini and strawberry negroni. Drink prices range from $11 to $15.
🥃 The Whisky Bar also joined the scene last Friday as a moody speakeasy inside the lounge at Sushi by Scratch Restaurants. It's 12 seats only, and first-come, first-served.
Expect elevated handrolls and stiff cocktails in an ultra-intimate setting. Just ring the doorbell to enter.
🍺 Après at Govnr's Park, from the owners of Carboy Winery, launched Monday with a Colorado-forward drink list: Broken Compass and Storm Peak beers, Breckenridge Distillery spirits and Carboy wines.
It replaces Pancho Pancho, Carboy's former Mexican spot, and brings mountain town energy to the Capitol Hill corner.
What's next: Two new rooftop hangs drop next week.
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Los Angeles Times
13 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Eva Longoria follows ‘Welcome to Wrexham' script as she tries to boost Liga MX's Necaxa
Her name was etched in the memory of millions thanks to her role as Gabrielle Solís in 'Desperate Housewives,' a series that established Eva Longoria as one of the most influential Latina actresses in Hollywood. She went on to become a producer, director, entrepreneur, activist and, in recent years, an investor in the world of sports, where she has earned the nickname 'La Patrona' — or 'The Boss' in English — which easily could be the title of a Mexican soap opera. After more than two decades of credits and awards earned in the entertainment industry, Longoria has shifted her focus. Today, her role as 'La Patrona' of Liga MX team Club Necaxa draws on her family's roots, her passion for storytelling and her commitment to giving Mexico visibility in the world. Her involvement was not limited to serving on Necaxa's board of directors as a celebrity investor. From the beginning, she knew she wanted to tell a story. Inspired by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds' 'Welcome to Wrexham' docuseries, she decided to produce the the docuseries 'Necaxa,' which premiered on Aug. 7 on FX. Cameras take viewers behind the scenes, follow along on road trips and offer an intimate look at the soccer team. Few could have imagined a Mexican American actress would become the leading front office voice for a historic Mexican soccer club, whose home stadium — Estadio Victoria — is located in the city of Aguascalientes in north-central Mexico. In 2021, Longoria joined a group of investors who acquired 50% ownership of the team. McElhenney, the actor best known for the TV show 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' and Reynolds, who turned the mercenary Deadpool into one of the most beloved antiheroes in the Marvel universe, later joined the ownership group. While restoring Necaxa to prominence in Liga MX was only a business and creative venture, it also had a deep personal component. Longoria grew up in Texas watching sports with her father, Enrique Longoria Jr. 'My dad can't believe it. He doesn't believe I'm 'La Patrona,'' Longoria told L.A. Times en Español. 'I'll always be his little girl. ... But I love sports because of my dad. My dad always watched the Dallas Cowboys, the Spurs, the Texas Rangers. ... Every sport, I watched with him. I love sports because of the drama, the excitement, the ups and downs.' In 2020, McElhenney and Reynolds acquired Wrexham AFC, a Welsh team that had been stuck in the National League — the fifth division of English soccer — since 2008. The team has steadily climbed the ranks to reach the Championship, just one step away from the top division, the Premier League. Although promotion and relegation is no longer used in Liga MX, Longoria aspires to see Necaxa's 'Rayos' return to prominence in the Mexican soccer playoffs and is therefore seeking to mirror what her colleagues achieved with Wrexham AFC while flying the flag for her Mexican roots. 'This opportunity came from a group of investors who called me and asked if I wanted to be part of this project in the Mexican league. When they explained to me that the league has a huge audience, because there is so much beauty and talent coming out of Mexico, I decided to go for it,' said Longoria, who grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, but now primarily splits her time between homes in Mexico and Spain. 'I invested in the Necaxa team because I saw a great opportunity, not only as a business venture, but also as a great way to showcase Mexico and the most passionate sport in this beautiful country, to put Mexico on the map. 'When I have the opportunity to put Mexico or Mexicans on the map, I will always do so. Whether I'm producing or directing, that's my philosophy in storytelling. That's why I wanted to do this with the docuseries because I knew there was a story there that we had to tell.' Despite her ambition and determination, her first visit to Aguascalientes was fraught with uncertainty. 'I was very anxious and afraid because I am a woman, I am Mexican American,' she said. 'I didn't know if they would welcome me with open arms, but the truth is that they have welcomed me with open arms and I have been impressed by the local support.' Although filming the docuseries is as important as any of her other projects, her work also involves finding the formula to return Necaxa to the prominence it had in the 1990s when it won its only three championships in the first division. Her power as an international star has allowed her enter the locker room, which is considered a sacred space in the world of soccer. After watching her confidently enter spaces around the club, the players dubbed her 'La Patrona.' 'It's a lot to manage a soccer club, behind the scenes, behind the docuseries,' Longoria said. 'We're so lucky to have access to the locker rooms, to go home with them. For me, it's very important to have everything in one series, because I want the world to see it all. It's not just about points and games; you're talking about real lives.' Longoria has also become a bridge between cultures and markets. As co-owner and original investor in Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League, she recognizes the differences between soccer in the United States and Mexico. That experience, coupled with her connection to McElhenney and Reynolds, has shaped a broader vision. 'Here in Necaxa, there's a saying: 'If there's no suffering, it's not Necaxa.' I'm explaining this saying to them, because the fans have embraced the idea that you have to suffer to win,' she said. 'Rob and Ryan know a little bit about this, and we wanted to explore that idea in the series.' Diego González, Necaxa's head of media relations, said Longoria's arrival marked a turning point for the club. 'It's something unexpected, something surprising to have something like this with Necaxa and Aguascalientes,' he said of the docuseries. 'It's seeing inside Club Necaxa. Getting to know not only the player, but the people, the city ... lots of emotions, lots of feelings that represent what soccer is and how it's lived in Necaxa.' Opening the doors to the cameras was not easy, according to González, but Longoria's presence made it possible. 'It's something that is highly respected, that intimacy of the locker rooms, the training camps, the trips. The players had to get used to it, but the professionalism of the club and the production team helped. You'll notice it in the series: it feels so natural because that's how it was,' said González, whom the players call 'Sheldon' because of his resemblance to the character Sheldon Cooper from the sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory.' He describes Longoria's relationship with the team as close and genuine. 'When she arrived in Aguascalientes, she showed herself as she is, even nervous, but without wanting to impose anything,' González said. 'That naturalness helped the players feel comfortable. You don't know how to treat a superstar, but she gives you the confidence to approach her and talk about anything.' The influence of Longoria, McElhenney and Reynolds has gone beyond the locker room. They have put Necaxa on the international map. 'The most visible thing is the international showcase they can give you,' González said. 'Necaxa was already known for its soccer merits, but now you have fans of Rob, Ryan, Eva, even Wrexham. A whole range of important possibilities has opened up for us, and that's thanks to them.' This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Find a hidden weekend-only bar and tasting menu at one of the Valley's favorite restaurants
If you can't find Jeff Strauss in his Highland Park deli, Jeff's Table, or inside his Studio City bar-restaurant, Oy Bar, you should probably check the parking lot of the latter. The ex-television writer — now chef and restaurateur — is channeling more of his creative energy into a new, weekend-only bar and tasting menu called Vey, Oy Bar's new alfresco space built in the back parking lot. 'I wanted to do something that had as much delight and surprise without being the same experience,' Strauss said. 'We're sitting in a parking lot in Studio City, in the Valley in the summer. It was 92 degrees back here today! So I said, 'How do we celebrate that space, the night sky?'... The other idea, since we're on effectively asphalt, we're on the street, is to pay tribute to street food both here and all over the world.' He fashioned new walls from his storage unit behind Oy Bar, while artist Nick 'Sick' Fisher painted them as a kind of home interior in surreal, almost cartoon-like fashion. At one corner, Strauss and sous chef Esteban Palacios grill crisp-edged onigiri, yakitori-style chicken liver with egg and hot honey, and scallops dripping with gochujang butter over binchotan charcoal, while a pizza oven warms whole heads of mushroom in soy and butter in cast-iron skillets. Sometimes they offer small plates, other times, like this weekend, a reservation-only, six-course tasting menu for what Strauss likens to 'a casual, rolling omakase.' On Friday and Saturday nights, guests fill the tandem concept while waiting for indoor tables, or use Vey as their meal and cocktail destination for the evening. The experience, like Vey's culinary inspirations, is meant to be flexible and fluid. 'People have taken to that very nicely,' Strauss said. 'It feels fun to me. I hope it feels fun to them.' Vey is accessed through the back of Oy Bar, and is open Friday and Saturday beginning at 6:30 p.m., with variable hours. Strauss hopes to expand its days of operation in the future. 12446 Moorpark St., Studio City, They call it a California bistro, but really, chef Miles Thompson said, it's 'an Angeleno bistro.' The new 36-seat restaurant from Thompson and his sommelier business partner, Andy Schwartz, debuted earlier this year in Victor Heights with hyper-local sourcing and a wide-ranging menu that draws on Japanese, Korean, Italian, Mexican, French and more flavors. 'I think the food is really defined by the cultures of Los Angeles,' Thompson said. 'If you already eat at any of the regional or international restaurants in this city, you'll find inspiring foods that go into this menu.' It began as a pop-up, which debuted at the base of Koreatown's Hotel Normandie in June 2023. Thompson, a former Michael's and Konbi chef, teamed up with Schwartz, formerly of Lolo Wine Bar, to serve a tight menu of seasonal dishes by candlelight. Now in its permanent home, the duo are leaning into their creativity and finding their footing. Thompson ages wild-caught squid for five days before slicing it and tossing it in a cucumber and yuzu kosho salad. His ginger-marinated prawns come plancha-seared and served over a puttanesca-leaning sauce, then garnished with Hot Cheetos-inspired fried enoki mushrooms. He drapes burnt eggplant over house-made chicken sausage with fish sauce, Hungarian wax peppers and chile de arbol. Even Thompson's signature planks of lightly fermented, fluffy house bread update with local produce. The dough is packed with sweet caramelized onions; in one iteration it's topped with Liptauer cheese and more marinated onions, and in another, it's Franklin's Teleme cheese and marinated squash. The three compact rooms in a converted bungalow — part of the reimagined courtyard that also houses Perilla, Bakers Bench and Cassell's — offer the soft glow of candlelight with a view of the open kitchen. On the patio, take in the small grove of century-old banana trees. Baby Bistro's à la carte menu is designed to share between two people, and many customers order it all. 'If you're looking to really experience the beating heart of the restaurant,' Schwartz said, 'it's in the menu.' Daily specials might involve items more flexible to the whims of the farmers market, either in small plates or a larger meat dish. The intimate new setting also allows for Schwartz to rotate his wine offerings frequently. His list spotlights natural wines, often small producers making esoteric flavors or blends. He's enjoying creating pairings for Thompson's cuisine, which he characterizes as 'classically challenging to pair with': unique concentrations of flavors, attention paid largely to acidity. The challenge is part of the fun. 'That speaks to the connection between the wines that I like, and the ones that we serve at the restaurant, which can taste different every day,' Schwartz said. 'That's sort of the nature of real cooking and real wine.' Baby Bistro is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 p.m., with its last seating at 9:30 p.m. 1027 Alpine St., Los Angeles, With laminated egg tarts, whimsical pastries, lines out the door and plenty of cute puppies, a prolific China bakery chain has touched down in Beverly Hills. Hi Bake, founded in Hong Kong, has expanded to more than 60 shops in China over the last 12 years, and thanks to a new partnership with Chubby Group (Niku X, Chubby Cattle), it just landed in the U.S. Its first American location takes over the former home of Sur Le Vert and Bouchon, and offers a number of the signature items found overseas: Tokyo banana rolls, thousand-layer cakes, meat floss rolls and egg tarts. Loaded toasts, flattened croissants, Dubai-chocolate tarts and fluffy matcha rolls all line the pastry case, while a separate pickup counter for cream-top matchas, pistachio lattes and other caffeinated beverages can be found next door. Hi Bake is extremely pet-friendly, hosting adoption events for cats and dogs around the world; the bakery's own emblem is a drawing of Dà Mài, the founder's own rescue dog. In Beverly Hills, expect house-made pet treats in the near future. Hi Bake is open Monday and Wednesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 235 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, It's not every day that Evan Funke opens a new concept, let alone a dedicated cocktail bar, but the celebrated pasta-focused chef recently launched Bar Avoja, a new semi-hidden cocktail lounge inside his Hollywood restaurant, Mother Wolf. Much like the restaurant, Bar Avoja is a partnership with co-owner Giancarlo Pagani, and it's accessed only by walking through the lounge area of Mother Wolf. It fills the former Mars bar space (which was also owned by Pagani), and features separate food and cocktail menus in a setting inspired by a Roman villa: jewel-tone curtains and pillows meant for lounging, while a disco ball reflects off the walls and gold-gilded mirrors. On Thursdays, find vinyl DJ sets, but every night of service find spuntini informed by Roman street food, including an oxtail-meatball sandwich on pizza dough; fried carbonara bites; flatbreads piled with salad, salmon or sugo; and grilled octopus skewers. Bar Avoja — slang for 'hell yeah' — is open Thursday to Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. 1545 Wilcox Ave., Los Angeles, This popular Bay Area bagel outfit made its L.A. debut earlier this year, and it's already expanding. Boichik Bagels, from former engineer Emily Winston, serves the New York-style bagels she enjoyed throughout her childhood in the Northeast. Now it serves them at the base of one of L.A.'s most iconic buildings, downtown's Bradbury Building. The new bagel shop offers the same range of bagels found in the Los Feliz location — including bagel sandwiches, more than a dozen bagel flavors, and schmear in options like hatch chile, chive or lox — with its own unique menu of daily specials. Look for whitefish-salad sandwiches, kippered salmon, frozen take-home bagels, coffee and more. Boichik Bagels is open downtown daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 304 S. Broadway, Los Angeles,
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Snow Tha Product blasts Latino Trump voters in new video for ‘Sabado'
Latino Trump voters are put on notice in Snow Tha Product's new music video for 'Sabado.' In a riotous three-minute clip, the Mexican American MC shows up to her fictional family's carne asada with an envelope in hand, revealing which family member voted for President Trump. The suspense builds, and needless to say, things get a little heated. 'Before the party begins, I want it to be known that one of us voted for Trump,' Snow sings, ominously holding up a white envelope that indicates who it is. As the tempo picks up, Snow begins to point fingers. This prompts a chaotic scene amid the crowd of attendees, which include a handful of Latino influencers and media personalities — among them queer couple Trino Garcia and Adam Vasquez, Brown Bag podcast hosts Letty Peniche and Do Know, TikToker Jesus Acevedo and more. 'There's the aunt with corn-silk hair that raised spoiled kids,' she sings in Spanish, over a Jersey club beat. 'The cousin traumatized over being American, with a paisa face that voted for Trump ... There's the foo that says the N-word, f— no sabo idiot ... A crybaby old man who always makes fun of me for being a lesbian, [but] when he gets drunk he's gayer than me.' In the song, Snow admits she won't open the envelope, as opening someone else's mail is a federal crime. But she does have her suspicions set on one person: the cousin who got married to a white man in order to have white children to better the race, or 'mejorar la raza.' It's a controversial age-old term that has been used to justify colorism in the Latino community. The party ends in a boozy frenzy, with cake plastered across some faces and an ICE patrol piñata that is beaten to smithereens by the family. The ending also gives way to a teaser for Snow's upcoming song, titled 'Domingo,' which will premiere Aug. 27. This isn't the California-born rapper's first attempt at critiquing the fraught political dynamics of late. Last week she released a cover of Molotov's rockero classic 'Frijolero,' alongside Mexican singer Belinda. The original 2003 track condemns racism, including the use of the word 'beaner,' which is often deployed as a racial slur against Mexican immigrants. It also critiques U.S. involvement in drug trafficking and foreign wars. Both new releases come at a time when Latino communities have been targeted by ICE agents, particularly in Southern California.
