“One unique part about our cocktail program,” says Dallas Juanes, General Manager for Verbena Kitchen, “is that we’re changing what it is to be a low-ABV cocktail bar. We have only a beer and wine license. With that said, we can use certain kinds of spirits, only distilled to certain percentages.”

According to Juanes, a loophole within California law allows them to use a fermented spirit up to 24% alcohol content. “What we do is double that volume in the cocktail so that you get a full strength beverage, using low-ABV spirits. We’re probably one of a handful of bars in the US that is utilizing its beer and wine license to its fullest capabilities.”

One of their top sellers, El Niño, is comparable to a margarita. “I didn’t want to do the classic,” says Juanes of the drink. “I wanted to do something unique that was seasonally-driven and had some fun profiles in it. You’re tasting persimmon, chocolate bitters, chili agave, lime, and our house barrel-aged tequila.”

Read Full Article Here: https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2023/mar/02/drinks-verbena-kitchens-el-nino-persimmon-puree/

Where to Dine and What to Do to Discover the Best of North Park

Creativity comes to life in North Park San Diego. Home to talented chefs, brewmasters and artists of all kinds, North Park is a hub for hot new talent! There’s always something hip and happening with its lively brunch scene, eclectic shopping, retro bars and rowdy nightlife, which is why North Park is known as San Diego’s hippest district and best beer-hopping spot. Explore all that North Park has to offer with this neighborhood guide.

Farm-to-table food is all the rage–and rightfully so. Leave Verbena Kitchen feeling better than you came with thoughtfully crafted fare. With everything made in-house and a menu inspired by the seasons, Verbena Kitchen is truly quality you can taste. Right now, we’re loving the Fall Ribeye for dinner and fig toast for weekend brunch (and the bottomless mimosas and truffle bloody marys!).

Read Full Article Here

Our annual guide to morning food, featuring the best places to get brunch in each part of the county

Verbena Kitchen

Must Order: Not Avocado Toast

A brick-walled North Park joint with a shifting seasonal menu, Verbena shines for its commitment to in-house everything: sausage, pickles, even hot sauce. Instead of a standard avo-on-sourdough situation, the eatery stuffs California’s national fruit with poached eggs, mushroom hummus, bulgar wheat, and vinegary pickled shallots.

Read Full Article Here

We eat. And drink. A lot. As a magazine staff we’re constantly poking our heads into kitchens across the city. We tell the stories of the people in them. And along the way, we taste some pretty remarkable things. Enjoy this monthly hit list of dishes and drinks and places and things in the food and drink scene we think will bring you decent if not great amounts of joy. Turn it into a bingo card. Go nuts.

One of the best dishes on cozy North Park spot Verbena Kitchen’s brunch menu is its shrimp and grits, which come loaded with spicy crustaceans laid atop creamy hominy with pickled pepper relish and a poached egg. –JB

Read Full Article Here

After hundreds of entries today we are announcing the GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the Le Grand Courtâge Live Joyously Cocktail Competition

& The Grand Prize Winner Is:

Dallas Juanes
Je ne sais quoi
@dallasmixesitup

👏🏆🍾🥂

Our winner is Dallas Juanes with his Je Ne Sais Quoi submittal. In short, this is an Outstanding cocktail. Complex with many layers of flavors yet easy to make and not too esoteric of ingredients. There is a je ne sais quoi if you will (pun intended) about the components. It has a chicness and sophistication without trying too hard… sort of like a beautiful French woman. This cocktail is easy to make at home, yet also it very much a connoisseurs cocktail and something that appeals to the mixology crowd. The judging panel unanimously loved it and it’s enormously quaffable, and with the amaro being a digestivo, it also great for settling the stomach after all the indulgence during the holidays.

What’s also cool is that Le Grand Courtage’s US offices are in Los Angeles, and serendipitously, the @AmaroAngeleno also happens to be made right here. Of course there are a lot of stellar amaros and we are huge fans of them in general.

Go grab these ingredients before the weekend and impress your guests with something unique.

We loved all the inventiveness and unique profiles that the entrants brought into the field and we will most certainly do another contest in future, and will be sharing other submissions over the next few months

You can view all of the TOP 20 entries + downloadable recipe booklet here
– head to profile for live site 📍

Cheers & Congratulations 🥂🙏✨🍸🍹🍾

Locale Magazine Must Try Summer 2022

Our very own GM was featured this month in Locale Magazine’s – Must Try Summer 2022. Have a look at the recipes Dallas shared in this issue.