Noon was upon us, and thusly, it was time to take a break, and have some snacks and drinks. We have been to Carthay Circle Restaurant, I've had some drinks in 1901, but none of us has been to Carthay Circle Lounge, so we decided to check it out right at open. There was a line for the lounge which had already formed, so Char just took a seat while we waited.
The line moved fast, and we were quickly seated at one of the high-tops in the middle of the lounge.
Charlotte's teacher had been to the lounge and gotten the Rose Petal Soda, so Charlotte was excited to try it. It's locally sourced Purified Sparkling Water flavored with delicate Rose Essence and garnished with an edible Sugar-glazed Organic Rose Petal ($5.00).
The petals themselves weren't to her liking.
I went for the Carthay Old Fashioned, Woodford Reserve Bourbon with Angostura and Orange Bitters, and a Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherry served with an Ice Sphere ($16.50). It was Deeeeelicious!!!
Amy elected for the Derby, Bulleit Bourbon, fresh Grapefruit Juice, and Honey, served up ($13.50). I took a sip and approved of the choice.
To start, we decided on Braised Wagyu Beef Sliders "Dip" with Cabernet Jus and Horseradish Cream ($24.00). They were pretty great, the meat tender and succulent, the buns perfectly toasted, the onion straws on top added a nice bit of texture, and the arugula made for a nice bite. The Jus was simply delectable, sweet and savory all in one, and the horseradish, what you would expect, perfectly creamy with the tang and bite you come to expect. I made extensive use of both dipping sauces. A bit pricey for what you got, but still great!
While we were relaxing between options, I took a bit to observe all the little details now that my eyes were well adjusted to the low light.
I love the Chandelier.
And the bar. Just to the right, there's a door, which takes you to 1901... if you are a CM.
Charlotte was running low on sugar, and being the birthday girl, we let her get the Birthday Cake Push Pop ($5.00). It had little birthday cake croutons on top.
Next up for me was the Carthay Manhattan. I'm no stranger to this concoction and have it nearly every trip. Bulleit Rye Small Batch American Whiskey, Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, Angostura Bitters, and Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherries served with an Ice Sphere ($16.50). I LOVE me a Manhattan.
Amy was still working on her Derby.
And our second offering was the Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Parmigiano-Reggiano Aïoli ($15.00). The sprouts had a charred flavor, and a nice garlic sauce, drizzled with some balsamic vinegar. These were good to experience this way, but I still prefer how I do Brussel sprouts, which is with onion, garlic, and bacon, glazed with bourbon and brown sugar, finished on wood smoke (Yeah... I give the recipe out left and right its sooo good). Regardless, I would pass on these in the future.
We finished up, and it was time to head out. I took a quick chance to check out this print I had been eyeing from across the lounge. Being a HUGE 20k fan, I go gaga for this type of stuff.
One look back at the main part of the lounge where we were seated. Love this quiet (at noon) alcove to escape the park craziness.
And back into the bright California Sun at 12:53PM.