Vintage Eve Circa Jan 2018: Call it What Happy Hour Really Is…A Precursor For Dining in Our Old Age (With new photo of courtyard at Salt Creek Grille!)

July 14, 2020 by evebushman

I was at one of my regular Happy Hour haunts, The Social in Newhall, when I noticed that the bar was completely packed at 5pm, much like it is at Olive Terrace Bar and Grill and Salt Creek Grille when we venture over to the other side of the valley and Le Chene when we want to go even further.

And then I noticed that the people that were packing these bars weren’t 20 somethings…not even 30 somethings…they were people that have “cultivated” their palates for a couple of decades longer than that.

There are lots of great Happy Hours all over Awesometown and we used to do a round-up of their menus annually just to share what they offer. (The last one is our 2016 version you can read here.) The four that I mentioned just happen to be the ones we have been going to of late…at least the past 10 years or so.

So why do we prefer these bars over others? They aren’t particularly loud or noisy, have comfortable seating and, as drinking at 5pm is a precursor to dining at 6 or 7, it seems to work for our seasoned age group.

Of the Happy Hours we go to – the ones that specifically were full very early in the evening – they also offer small bites for free or nominal prices, and some larger plates culled from the main menu. The libations extend from beer and wine to excellently crafted cocktails; one even doesn’t offer any kind of price deal on the drinks at all, just a Happy Hour menu of food. (And that one just happens to be our favorite. Why? Well we can walk there – we’ve said this many times, and yet we never actually have walked there! It’s the neighborhood bar and we often run into people we know. The owner gives us a welcome hug, maybe a peck on the cheek, and we know some of the servers and bartenders. Maybe at a certain age we just like to feel welcome…)

So, as we dined on dishes from appetizers to pastas we noticed how nice it is to dine early, have a well-made cocktail, linger a bit, then go home and…be asleep by 9pm. (And well on our way before the young’uns took over the bars.) However many younger people do go out to Happy Hour – when we were younger these were places with deep discounts, we could get a little rowdy with pals and we would end up staying for dinner as well. (Many were/are family friendly – we weren’t really hip on the idea of bringing our daughter to a bar or winery, but to each his own.) Back in the day that meant the party was to be found at places like TGI Fridays and El Torito. (The latter, if you stayed long enough even offered dancing in the bar. Anyone else remember the Discos of SCV? LOL.)

I feel like the next step for us will be the early bird dinners at iHop, and no cocktail at all…? I hope not. I do know that older friends of mine have pulled back from wine club memberships – at least from wines that are meant to sit in our cellars for 10 years or more – because my pals in their 70s are buying more splits (half bottles), trying to drink through what they already do have and/or are looking for wine brokers to sell their wines to. They do go out…or at least join us for wine on the porch sometimes!

Life is an every changing highway. I’m hoping by the time we start dining at 4pm we’ll be in a place like Atria assisted living, where my mother has happily camped for nearly a year now, and be having cocktails by 2pm and up to two glasses of wine with dinner…now that doesn’t sound too bad does it?

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

From April Through June Le Chene French Cuisine Has Your Event Calendar FULL

March 30, 2019 by evebushman

I love Le Chene. Always have. The menu, the location, the atmosphere, the service, the bar, the patio and gardens…there really is nothing quite like it. So, I was quite thrilled to discover that they have more than one upcoming event! Check these out:

Easter Brunch: Join us on Sunday, April 1, 2018 at Le Chene for a Very Special Easter Brunch. Read all about it! Find out more »

Santa Clarita Spring Art Festival: On Sunday, April 28th, 2019, you’re cordially invited to come and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of Food, Wine and Art in the beautiful garden at Le Chene French Cuisine Restaurant in Santa Clarita! Find out more »

Mother’s Day May 12: You and your family are cordially invited to join us at Le Chene for our special annual Mother’s Day event. Here’s your opportunity to let the most important woman in your life know just how special she is!! Click to view the details, menu and to make a reservation! Find out more »

Paella in the Garden June 9: Join us for an afternoon of appetizers, great wine, and Juan’s Famous Paella in the beautiful Gardens of Le Chene! Find out more »

Murder Mystery Dinner June 22: Help solve the case! The Murder Mystery Dinner Theater event is a fun-filled night of great food, wine, intrigue and entertainment for all to enjoy and participate in. Join us and test out your Sherlock Holmes skills! Find out more »

Unfamiliar with the local haunt? Learn more here –> https://lechene.com/history-of-le-chene/

Why Not Have…Drinking Goals for 2018? And No, it’s not too late to set them!

January 26, 2018 by evebushman

I’m not a person that makes new year resolutions often. It’s such a joke to set some very far-off sounding goal only to not even achieve it – as that’s become the norm. You can try and fool the system by setting goals that are simple to attain like…planning ahead for the next year’s resolutions you won’t be achieving! Egads, we’ve really become slackers.

So, in between not making resolutions at all or making resolutions that are too easy to achieve I challenge you to set some drinking resolutions. And feel free to be as lax as you want in reaching them – as it won’t matter to anyone whether you do or not! LOL.

These are my Drinking Goals for 2018, none of which requires over-imbibing but if you do please Uber:

Go to a tequila and/or Mezcal tasting as neither are in my comfort zone.

Go to more wine tastings of areas I’m unfamiliar with: Portugal (and not for the Port alone), Republic of Georgia, Finger Lakes…where else? Check out this CNN article on some lesser known wine areas.

Take advantage of more courses, maybe even a new certification, offered via my NASA (North American Sommelier Association) membership.

Frequent our local wine bars (Valencia Wine Company, Wine 661, Lee’s Wine Bistro, Newhall Press Room), winery tasting rooms (Pulchella, Double Trouble) and restaurants with fine wine lists (Le Chene, Newhall Refinery, Larsen’s, Greg’s List at Salt Creek Grille) more often.

Make it to the Japanese Food and Restaurant Expo put on by Mutual Trading again to further my education on Soju, Sake, beer and Japanese wine…all while sampling some delectable foods.

Continue to work with the WiSH Education Foundation to bring a new event to Old Town Newhall. Look for Wine Under the Stars early May where we will have wines culled from the latest winemakers making wine at the SCV Custom Crush Services paired with dishes from several different local restaurants. We will be the first to host an event on the rooftop of our new Laemmle theater.

Continue to work with our WiSH committee to bring in new spirit vendors to Cocktails on the Roof. This year marks our fourth year! (Save the date 9/7!) Last year our new vendor was Pomp and Whimsy Gin Liqueur and they said it was the best event they had ever poured at! (If you rep a spirit vendor and want your product seen in the first and only premier cocktail event Santa Clarita Valley email me: eve@evewine101.com)

Continue looking for the Spirits One Level now offered globally from WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) since my Level Two in both isn’t transferable to take a Level 2 or 3 in Spirits alone. Haven’t found one offered remotely near me yet!

Get back to Denver to visit Stranahan’s again, see if I can get a taste of their annually made limited edition bourbon whiskey.

Get back to Park City to go to High West Distillery again as some of their spirits aren’t sold in here in California.

Continue my education on peated single malt whisky by attending LA Scotch Club’s annual Peatin’ Meetin’ again.

Take more classes at the Nth Show aka Universal Whisky Experience in Vegas early April…even though my husband may ditch me just to taste.

Make it to at least one meeting, aka tasting, of the no-longer-new LA Chapter of Women Who Whisky Club!

I hope to receive a comment or an email (eve@evewine101.com) with what your drinking resolutions are, I had so much fun making up mine!

Sour Grapes and Grain: A Film Review and A Warning

January 6, 2017 by evebushman

The only auctions we’ve ever purchased wine from were Juan Alonso’s at Le Chene benefitting the senior center, Circle of Hope’s Vine 2 Wine and an event I co-hosted: Toast and a Wish. Those were little auctions in comparison to the ones held in Napa Valley that raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, or any auction – ever – held by a respected auction house like Sotheby’s or Christie’s. Why no those? Because we don’t have that kind of money.

If you do buy wine via wine auction, or are a vinophile, you’ve undoubtedly heard the story of Rudy Kurniawan by now. (I’ll be just abbreviating his name to RK for the rest of this article, as he’s all over this.) RK wormed his way into the wine world first by buying wine in large amounts, possibly driving up price and demand, and then started selling large amounts of it.

A new film on Netflix, Sour Grapes, is an a eye-opening documentary on RK that I just watched before writing this article.

The wine RK sold via auction couldn’t be pinpointed to a specific source or cellar other than his own and he relied on the opinions, or so he said, of other respected somms of their quality.

There were no actual tests done by the auction houses to authenticate the wines before putting them up for sale.

Things unraveled when one millionaire buyer and a French winemaker started to question RK more and more. The film is compelling to watch as the sleuths uncover RK’s work and, finally, get into his Arcadia home where everything from a printing press to bottles soaking in a sink long enough to remove their labels are exposed.

We learn in the film that Petrus didn’t make a magnum for the vintage year RK sold, glossy photos of bottles in the auction program were of fakes, one winery didn’t even exist in the vintage years sold and while a label looked brand new – albeit misspellings appeared – the foil capsules were definitely from older vintages.

Also of note in the film was a person I recognized in several shots drinking with RK: Calogero Drago of Pasadena’s Celestino restaurant. I Googled their names together and found nothing. But, if you watch the film, you will see and hear from many people that trusted, and some that still trust, RK. I found that interesting too.

We wine people are a tight bunch. If I find someone I like to taste with, that is sharing some nice wines, I might not ask/care how the wine was obtained. But I would be embarrassed to have liked a wine that turned out to have been blended by someone other than the true winemaker.

There is a scene with Christian Navarro of Wally’s Wine where a few bottles of Rudy’s wine is brought in and tasted, two or three people claim it as being perfect, and Navarro calls it out for crap. That was hard to watch.

Then this hit my newsfeed: a report of Fake Whiskey in the auction market. The article highlights a 1903 Laphroaig but the story doesn’t end there. Like RK’s cellar, these whiskies may still be out there and available via auctions, and in personal collections.

How much fake wine and whiskey could there be on the market? How much may already be purchased but the buyer left unaware? Are the auction houses now taking more serious precautions? I’m a wee bit grateful not to be a millionaire right now.

For your further study:

A little more on the ongoing story of Rudy Kurniawan.

Follow more Sour Grapes news on Facebook.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Your Santa Clarita Wine Corkage Fees, Updated for 2016

April 8, 2016 by evebushman

After compiling your Santa Clarita Valley Happy Hour 2016 Update in March of this year doing this one, the Santa Clarita Valley Corkage Fee 2016 Update, took a wee bit longer as it proved to be more daunting.

Eve cork

Most restaurants don’t list corkage fees on their website or Facebook. Some don’t respond to emails or messages on social media. (Why hire someone to do your social media if they aren’t actually going to respond to your customers?) I went so far as to try and search “corkage” on restaurants in the area on Yelp, but soon discarded the idea as Yelp is an unreliable source, and it was time consuming. And to answer why I don’t call every single restaurant: I want a record in writing, so that I can be a reliable source!

So, for your ease, all restaurants in bold have been updated via direct email or a website for 2016. Those not in bold have the 2015 information. And, as I did with the Happy Hour list, I welcome your comments for any that I’ve missed or that you know about and would like to share the information.

[From Contributing Editor Michael Perlis: I know I’ve said this before, but please remember that BYOB is a privilege, not a right. When it is allowed, it should be appreciated, whatever the cost. Restaurants often base their pricing models on a certain percentage of alcohol sales to subsidize the food prices, so bringing your own bottle impacts that. Try to buy something off the wine or cocktail list, and tip your server as if you had bought your bottle at the restaurant. Also, call ahead to verify corkage policies, as they do change.]

Bold has the 2016 update.

Bj’s Brewhouse: Wine corkage fee is first bottle per table free, $7 / bottle thereafter.

Egg Plantation: $12.

Kabuki: $15

Lazy Dog Café: No corkage fee on wine brought in as long as it’s not currently listed on their menu, and any leftover can be taken home.

Le Chene: $15.

Margarita’s Mexican Grill: $15

Marstons: $10.

Newhall Refinery $15

Oaks Grille Valencia (Inside TPC): Non-member price is $20 per bottle (plus tax) and members are $12 per bottle. The charge is $12 per bottle for special events as well.

Persia Lounge: $15, 1/2 off during happy hour.

Piccola Trattoria: $15, additionally, if the party purchases another bottle of wine from our wine list on their visit, we waive the corkage fee!

Rattlers Bar B Que: $5.

Route 66 Classic Grill: $10.

Sabor Cocina Mexicana: $15.

Salt Creek Grille: $10.

Solita: $15

Southern Smoke BBQ and Brewhouse: $15

Thelma’s Morning Café: $5.

Vines (in Hyatt): $15.

Wine 661: No corkage on in-store purchases; $20 corkage fee for outside bottles.

Wolf Creek Restaurant: $10, and 40% off on all wines by the bottle on Tuesdays from 4pm until closing for Wine Lover’s Night.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Your Santa Clarita Happy Hours, Update for 2016

March 25, 2016 by evebushman

Every year we try to provide all the information we can get from our local restaurants on their Happy Hours – just for you, our favorite peeps. Use this as a guide and feel free to comment on any restaurants we may have missed, and any details you can share.

Every restaurant on this alphabetical list was updated in March 2016 via direct email with a restaurant representative, a Facebook representative or culled directly from their website. And, to help further, each restaurant name is hyperlinked to their website so that you can gather any other info such as directions and regular menus.

Vines, at the Valencia Hyatt, 2016 Happy Hour

Feel free to share our list on your social networks via hyperlink.

SCV Happy Hours 2016

Azul Tequila: Monday through Friday 3pm until 7pm, $3.75 House Margaritas, $3.50 wine by the glass, $3.75 well drinks, draft beers $3.50 and $5 appetizers.

BJ’s Brewhouse Valencia: Monday through Friday 3-7pm, Sunday through Thursday 10pm until closing and all day Tuesday is half off wines by the glass or bottle. $1 off draft beer, bottled beer, cocktails and wine by the glass. Happy Hour food menu.

Black Angus Steakhouse: Monday through Friday from 3pm until 7pm in the bar, all day Tuesdays and Sundays. $4 well drinks, $5 for 16 ounce bottled and draft beers, Margarita, Martini, select wines by the glass, $6 Texas Teas, Mojitos and reduced prices on full sized appetizers.

Bonefish Grill: “At Bonefish Grill, every hour is happy hour — seriously. Our All Day Every Day Cocktails are (always) $6, from the moment we open our doors to the moment we close them. We also offer a true happy hour for those of you looking for something more traditional. Cheers.”

Claim Jumper Valencia: In the saloon only, hours not listed and holidays excluded. Select menu items priced between $2 and $9.99, $4 select bottled beer, $4 to $8 select cocktails and $5 select wines by the glass.

Don Cuco Newhall: Daily from 4pm until 7pm, select beers between $3.50 and $4.50, $5.95 Margaritas and $5.25 well drinks, half price on all appetizers, in the bar only.

Gyi-Kaku Sushi Bar, Valencia location: About two dozen happy hour food specials as well as Saketini and Soju cocktails for $4.00, house sake hot/cold $5, Gyu-Kaku Nigori Sake for $7 and Sapporo draft for $1.95 a glass and $7.50 a pitcher.

Islands: Monday through Friday from 4pm until 7pm, select appetizers and drink specials.

Kabuki: Monday through Friday 3pm until 6pm, Monday thru Thursday 9pm until closing, Sunday 8pm until closing. Select cocktails $5.95 to $6.50, lowered prices on select hot and cold Sakes, select wines are $4.25 a glass and lowered prices on select beers.

Lazy Dog: Monday through Friday 3pm until 6pm, Sunday through Thursday 9pm until closing in the bar and patio only, drinks priced fro $3 to $7 and Happy Hour portioned appetizers between $3 and $7.

Le Chene: 4:30pm until 7pm every day except Saturday. No specifics on website.

Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que: In the bar only from 3 until 7 pm Monday through Friday and 9pm until closing every day. Happy Hour menu, select 22-ounce draft beers, wines by the glass and cocktails are $1 off.

Margaritas Mexican Grill: Margarita Monday all day happy hour, open to close, bar and dining room, free bean dip after 4pm, happy hour bar appetizers under $8, weekly happy hour is Tuesday through Friday from 3pm-7pm.

Marston’s Valencia: Tuesday through Sunday 5pm to 7pm. $1 off specialty drinks and Martinis, $5 well drinks, $3.25 bottled beer, $4 draft beer, $5 wine by the glass, $6 well Martinis, $8 Specialty Martinis and Specialty Drinks. Happy Hour Appetizer menu.

Newhall Refinery: Happy Hour Drinks Tuesday – Friday 3pm to 5pm: Beer flight (3) 4oz draught $4, Wine flights (3) 2oz $4, House wine $4 glass and any wine by the glass $2 off. Happy Hour Bites Tuesday – Sunday 4pm to 5pm: Hoisin pork belly bao bun $5, Angus slider & chips $5, Chicken & waffles $6, Mini refiners fries $5, Hummus and naan $5, Pretzel with Mornay dip $5, Brioche soldiers and egg $4 and Lobster corn dogs $11.

New Moon Valencia: 5pm until closing, weekends all day long. Beer $4.25 to $5.50, wine by the glass and Sangria $5.50, select cocktails $5.50 and $6.50, appetizer menu items $3.50 to $6.00.

Olive Terrace Bar and Grill: Every day 3pm-7pm, $3.75-$4.75 select cocktails, with Complimentary Hors d’ oeuvres, Snacks $5.75, Thursday Night Martini Night select Martinis $7 from 5pm-9pm.

Persia Lounge: 3pm-6pm every day 1/2 off on house wine or any bottle of wine and 1/2 off on domestic beers.

Piccola Trattoria: Monday through Thursday from 5pm – 7pm, $5 well drinks and bar bites, select signature handcrafted cocktails are at a reduced price.

Presidente Santa Clarita: Monday through Friday from 2:30pm until 6pm in the Cantina only, Happy Hour appetizer menu, all draft beer $4 for 14 ounce and $6.50 for 22 ounce, $5 plain and $5.25 flavored 16 ounce house Margaritas, $5.75 to $7.50 for 16 ounce premium Margaritas, $4 to $4.50 tequilas, $4 well drinks, $4.50 house wine by the glass.

Rattler’s Bar B Que: Monday to Friday 3-6:30 p.m., bar only, food priced between $1.50 and $5.00, 16 oz. draft beer $4.99, 20 oz. draft beer $5.99, house wine $6 to $9 a glass, cocktails between $7 and $9.

Route 66 Classic Grill: Happy Hour in the bar and patio only and not during special events, Monday through Friday 3pm until 6pm and again from 9pm until closing, Saturday 9pm until closing and Sunday 7pm until closing. $1 off draft beer, $1 off well drinks.

Sabor Cocina Mexicana: Mon – Fri 2PM – 6PM Bar or Patio only, Margaritas: De la Casa 100% Agave reposado tequila…6.50, Seasonal Flavor of the Day Served on the rocks… 6.50, Beer: Draft or Bottled…4.50. Well Drinks…5.00. Botanitas: Sabor Duo Dips, Seasonal guacamole, Bean Dip, Tostaditas… 6.50, Taquitos: Shredded chicken, salsa verde, crema, queso fresco, guacamole…6.50, Cheese Quesadillas…6.00, Panuchos Yucatecos: Corn tortilla, black beans, cochinita, escabeche, habanero salsa…6.50. Subject to change without prior notice. Not available on holidays.

Salt Creek Grille Valencia: Featured Monday-Friday From 4-6:30pm in the Bar Only: Bites: [stuffed jumbo shrimp]$11 Stuffed with Horseradish & Bacon Wrapped, Chipotle Honey Sauce; [baked goat cheese marinara]$7 Sautéed Wild Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions, Served with Focaccia Toast; [artichoke & parmesan spinach dip]$7 Baked with Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheeses, Served with Tortilla Chips; [housemade chips]$5  With Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese & Bacon, Served with Chipotle Aioli; [blackened chicken nachos]$8 Tortilla Chips with Blackened Chicken, Cheddar Cheese, Pinto Beans Jalapeno Peppers, Pico de Gallo & Sour Cream; [chicken salad lettuce cups]$9 Chicken, Pecans, Green Apple, Dried Cranberries, Shallots Greek Yogurt & Apple Cider Vinegar, Served in Lettuce Cups; [corned beef sliders]$8 Corned Beef with Chipotle Cole Slaw, Pickles, Swiss Cheese & Dijon Mustard; [creek sliders]$9 Mini Burgers on Hawaiian Buns with Blue Cheese Aioli & Wild Baby Arugula; [chicken tacos]$9 Blackened Chicken, Bacon, Cotija Cheese & Chipotle Cole Slaw Served with Pico de Gallo. Drink: [well drinks]$4, [draft beers]$5, [bottled beers]$4 and [house wines by the glass]$5.

Sisley Italian Kitchen: All day every day in bar and lounge, well drinks and beer $3, Margaritas and House Wine $4, Selected call drinks, well Martinis and Cosmopolitans $5. Appetizers priced between $4 – $6.

Solita Tacos and Margaritas: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 3:00 pm to 6:15 pm, and for Reverse (Late Night) Happy Hour from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm. guests can enjoy a tiered menu of snacks and beverages ranging from $4.00 to $6.00 each. Naked Guacamole or a pair of Street Tacos like Wood Grilled Chicken, Crispy Fish and Tofu for $4 or for $5 there is Oak-Roasted Chicken, Pork Carnitas, Chorizo Sweet Potato and Black Bean or the Chicken Taquitos ($5). The only thing better than the signature Guacamole solita (served in a fried tortilla bowl and topped with diced mango, tomato, onion, Serrano chile and cilantro for $6), is pairing a $6 solita House, Frozen or Skinny Margarita from Beverage Director Colin Pflugradt with it. Well Drinks and glasses of wine like the Jade Mountain Merlot and Castle Rock Chardonnay are $5.

Valencia Wine Company: Sunday all day from 1 to 9 pm, Monday through Thursday 4 – 7 pm. Premium selection of wines by the glass $8 and $10 appetizers including empanadas and cheese plate.

Vines, $5 bites, $5 bartender specials as well as select wines, draft or bottled beer and “upgraded” well cocktails. (see photo)

Wine 661: All day Sunday from 3-10pm.

Wokcano Valencia: Monday all day, Tuesday – Thursday 3pm to 7pm and 9pm to 2am, Friday 3pm until 7pm, Saturday 11am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm and 9pm to 2am in lounge and sushi bar. Happy Hour food menu, $5 draft beer, $5 Sangria, $5 well drinks, $5 house wine, $5 Sake Bomb.

Wolf Creek Restaurant: Available in the bar only Monday 4pm until closing, Tuesday through Friday 4pm until 6pm, Saturday 8pm until closing. Happy Hour food menu, 25% off other appetizers, $1.50 off all pints and wine by the glass. And 40% off on all wines by the bottle on Tuesdays from 4pm until closing for Wine Lover’s Night.

Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill: Happy Hour 3pm until 6pm in the bar, all wines by the glass or bottle are half price on Tuesdays.

2015 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Dinner and Thanksgiving Dinner, both at Le Chene

November 4, 2015 by evebushman

Le Chene Presents:

2015 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Dinner

Friday, November 20, 7pm

Baby Mix Salad Vinaigrette, Seafood Feuillette with Lobster Sauce

Roasted Chicken au jus, Potatoes au gratin, Sauté Green Beans, Chocolate Mousse Charlotte.

Coffee, Tea or Iced Tea

$48 per person includes wine, food, tip, tax and a good time!

Please make reservations and pay in advance, as seating is limited. http://www.lechene.com/menus/georges-duboeuf-wine-celebration.html

Phone (661) 251-4315, info@lechene.com

Thanksgiving Dinner, 3-8ppm, November 26, 2015

Featuring Two Specially Prepared Thanksgiving Dinners:

Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings and soup or salad for $25.

Roasted Goose with all the trimming and soup or salad for $29.

Wine Specials include Juan’s Red Wine Bottle, Claudia’s Grenache Bottle

and Beaujolais Nouveau Bottle – $25 per bottle.

Dessert Choices include Pumpkin Pie ($5) and Pecan Pie ($7).

If you would prefer something other than one of our specially prepared dinners, you may also order from our menu: Click Here to See All of the Items on Our Thanksgiving Menu!

Make Reservation

Mother’s Day – at Le Chene!

May 2, 2015 by evebushman

Treating your well-deserving mom for a nice meal on Mother’s Day? Want something Eve-tested? Consider Mother’s Day Le Chene! They are open for Brunch with a special menu from 10:00am to 2:30pm, and Dinner (with the regular dinner menu you’ve come to love) from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Both menus are below. Click to reserve: http://www.lechene.com/reservations.html

Brunch Menu

Eggs Benedict (muffin, Canadian bacon, eggs and hollandaise sauce) – $16

Eggs Alsacienne (pasta, mushrooms, ham, eggs and hollandaise sauce) – $16

Quiche Lorraine – $16

Chicken and Mushroom Crepes – $16

Filet with Roquefort Sauce and eggs – $20

Crab Cake Florentine with Eggs – $17

Children’s Scrambled Eggs – $12

(Egg dishes are served from 10 am until 2:30 pm)

_____________________________________________________

APPETIZERS

½ Dozen Escargot – $13

Salmon Dumpling – $14

Shrimp Monegasque – $16

Smoked Salmon – $16

French Onion Soup – $10

Asparagus Vinaigrette – $12

Duck Pate – $10

Artichoke Vinaigrette – $11

Baked Brie – $17

Tongue Vinaigrette – $12

Stuffed Mushrooms – $12

Tomato Salad – $9

Crab Cake – $13

Cucumber Salad – $10

Serrano Ham w/Melon – $16

Cheese Plate – $15

_____________________________________________________

SALADS

Claudia’s Spinach Salad – $14

Warm Salmon Salad – $20

Shrimp Salad Vinaigrette $26

Caesar Salad with Chicken – $17

Caesar Salad – Small $12 and Large $15

Duck Leg Confit Salad – $17

_____________________________________________________

Salad Vinaigrette
or
Cream of Cauliflower SoupENTREES

Filet Mignon Au Poivre – $33

Filet Mignon Roquefort Sauce – $33

Beef Bourguignon on Pasta – $30

Breast of Chicken with Green Peppercorn Sauce – $32

Chicken Pasta – $31

Black Angus Bone In Rib Eye Cajun with Bordelaise Butter – $37

Roast Pork Loin with Apples – $30

Roast Leg of Lamb – $30

Certified Black Angus NY with Bordelaise Butter – $35

Veal Forestiere – $32

Rabbit Moutarde – $30

Shrimp Escoffiere – $33

Shrimp Monegaque – $33

Swordfish Grenobloise – $32

Lobster Le Chene – $37

Lobster Fricasee – $37

Lobster Tail – $62

Duck a L’Orange – $30

Seafood Pasta – $32

Poached Salmon with Sorrell Sauce – $32

Baby Carrots

Potatoes Au Gratin

_____________________________________________________NO SUBSTITUTIONS – NO SEPARATE CHECKS ON PARTIES OF 6 OR MORE

Le Chene
12625 Sierra Hwy
Santa Clarita, CA 91390
(661) 251-4315
info@lechene.com

Santa Clarita Valley Wine Corkage Fees 2015

May 1, 2015 by evebushman

When I first compiled this list one of the restaurants I contacted asked me what a corkage fee is. I also had a reader ask me once. So, just to make sure we are all on the same page the fee, established by the restaurant, is a charge for opening and serving a bottle that a guest has brought in. What we like to tell people that do take advantage of this service is that for one, don’t bring in a bottle that is on the restaurant’s wine list and two, tip your server for what your check would have been if you had purchased the bottle at the restaurant. The first is a common restaurant policy, the second is just what we think is in good taste. And my editor Michael Perlis also added: I’d also recommend contacting the restaurant in advance to verify that it is okay, because “BYOB is a privilege and not a right.”

Note: Updated for 2015 if in BOLD

Bier Academy: $20.

Bj’s Brewhouse: Wine corkage fee is first bottle per table free, $7 / bottle thereafter.

Egg Plantation: $12.

Lazy Dog Café: No corkage fee on wine brought in as long as its not currently listed on their menu, and any leftover can be taken home.

Le Chene: $15.

Margarita’s Mexican Grill: $15

Marstons: None.

Newhall Refinery $15

Oaks Grille Valencia(Inside TPC): Non-member price is $20 per bottle.

Persia Restaurant (Saugus) and Persia Lounge (Newhall): $15 at both restaurants.

Piccola Trattoria: $15, additionally, if the party purchases another bottle of wine from our wine list on their visit, we waive the corkage fee!

Rattlers Bar B Que: $5.

Route 66 Classic Grill: $10.

Sabor Cocina Mexicana: $15.

Salt Creek Grille: $10.

Vines (in Hyatt): $15.

Wine 661: No corkage on in-store purchases; $20 corkage fee for outside bottles.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Third Annual Sierra Pelona Valley Wine Festival

April 22, 2015 by evebushman

Wine aficionados and gourmet foodies will find an exceptional array of palate-pleasing experiences at the Third Annual Sierra Pelona Valley Wine Festival to be held noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25 in the vineyard at Reyes Winery in Agua Dulce.

“We are proud to be able to introduce our guests to the wines of Sierra Pelona Valley and beyond,” said Robert Reyes, Winemaker and General Manager Reyes Winery and founder of the Sierra Pelona Valley Vintners Association. “And this is our third year assisting nonprofits in the Santa Clarita Valley.” The Festival is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Clarita.

The event will feature more than 80 food and wine vendors from throughout Southern California. Guests will be treated to gourmet food pairings from highly acclaimed Los Angeles area chefs and artisanal food makers, as well as award-winning wines and other libations at the Festival.

Among those participating are: San Antonio Winery, Mystic Hills Vineyard, Alonso Family Vineyards, Reyes Winery, Steve Hemmert Wines, Agua Dulce Winery, Coruce Vineyards, Golden Star Vineyard, AV Winery, Chavez Vineyards, High Dessert Cellars, Charles Wine Co, Bouquet Vineyards, Hearthstone Vineyard and Winery, Bobcat Winery, Harris Wine Biz, Gottwine, LA International Wine Competition, Crillon Importers (Agwa, Rhum Barbancourt, Absente, Magellan Gin), Du Nasi, Six Foukes, Wine Neg, Lil Bastard Label, Popcornopolis, Sprouts, KMF Gourmet Catering, Sarah Jean’s Southern Cuisine, Bella Cucina, Organo Gold Specialty Coffee, Anheuser-Busch, Brown Knows Cider, Pepsi Beverages Company, Porto’s Bakery, Gourmet Blends, Truffles N Toffee, Rattlers BBQ, Le Chene French Cuisine, Mickey’s Momma’s BBQ, Thelma’s Morning Café, Persia Restaurant and Lounge, Hookah Bar, Tochigan Farms, Kokolita’s and Culinary Wonders Cooking School.

Festival director Beth Heiserman said the Festival is a “great way to spend the day with friends enjoying great wine, great food and great entertainment in a beautiful vineyard setting.”

Entertainment for the Festival will be provided by Just Us, Still Moving Project and Sierra Highway. A book signing will also be held at the festival by Len Napolitano, author of “Nose, Legs, Body!” In addition to food, refreshments, entertainment and an art exhibit from local artists and craftsmen, the Festival will include a raffle featuring wine-and-dine gift certificates, wines and gift baskets.

Tickets for the Festival are $90 for prepaid V.I.P tickets ($100 at the door), V.I.P. tickets allow purchasers an early entry admission at 11 a.m. and $65 for prepaid general admission tickets ($75 at the door) with admission at noon. Designated driver tickets are $40 each, prepaid and at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at http://reyeswinery.com/events/spv-winefestival.

The Festival is an “adults only” event and open only to guests age 21 and older.