Tucked in the back of Cole's on E. 6th is the Varnish Bar, the LA outpost of Sasha Petraske and Eric Alperin, the guys behind New York's Milk & Honey. Yes, it's another one of those speakeasy-esque bars but the people there roll their eyes when this word is thrown around.
"I'm so tired of hearing that," said the bartender. "Come on, it's legal to drink, let's just shut up and get on with it." Exactly.
When you boil this resurgence of everything 1890 down, what we are really getting back to are the basics…and I, for one, am thankful. Men are so much better dressed these days and you have to appreciate that. The whole giant man baby thing was getting pretty disgusting. Sure, the vests, hats, suspenders, etc can get to be a little much, but there are always going to be those people who take things to the point of ridiculous and that just can't be helped. Someone has to be absurd so we have people to laugh at. But the fact that people are focusing on the details again really isn't a bad thing. As much as you may hate all the brouhaha (and trust me, I'm going to slap the next bartender who tells me he's opening up the basil by slapping it)…I will admit that the cocktails have gotten better, men are dressing better, bar interiors are more thoughtful…and that's all great in my book.
The Varnish does the classics…lots of gin, whiskey, and rum cocktails…and they do them exceptionally well. The cocktails are beautifully crafted and unless you ask, they do not come with a lecture...the glassware is lovely, and the music doesn't make you feel like you are stuck in some horrible Cancun nightclub. In short, when it's not crowded, the Varnish is fantastic.
(FTR: I should note that the last time I was here during Art Walk, I had a wee bit too much whiskey and inexplicably...or for reasons I cannot recollect, was gently escorted out of Cole's. I also passed out on a couch and had my car towed. So yes, ashamedly, sometimes I'm that person behaving as though it's Cancun in the middle of Spring Break...)
