Can't Take Credit For That

For the last six months, we've heard some pretty horrible stories about credit card rate hikes, abrupt cancellations, and conversations bordering on abuse from credit card phone operators.  Just recently a friend of ours had their rate hiked to 29.99% after spending and fully paying off $1500 in two months on travel.  When they called the bank (rhymes with "shittybank") they said, and I quote, "we no longer want you as a customer".  Be a lot more helpful if they would tell us that up front rather than sending tiny little pamphlets with even tinier print saying "dear customer, we'd like to kill your pet dog or kick your grandmother down the stairs but since that's trespassing, we're just going to double your interest rate and if you don't opt out via carrier pidgeon TOMORROW there's nothing you can do about it."

So we had this idea...we have many thousands of you here on our email list and we want to know what's going on with your credit cards during this very difficult year.  Go to our blog HERE and comment, and we'll compile all the stories and send them on to our Congressman.  You can use your name or post anonymously...entirely up to you.

     In a year where most if not all of us are pinching pennies and being very careful where we spend each dollar, we found it worthwhile to mention an experience we had last night.  For a birthday dinner, we decided to go to Church & State downtown in the Biscuit Company Lofts building.  First, the bad - we called twice in the days leading up to our dinner and never got a response on our reservation request.  But that's where the 'bad' ended. 

     From the second we entered the front door to the moment we put on our jackets to leave, every employee in there was fantastic.  The host apologized for the wait, the waiter took tons of time to discuss the menu, the food was fantastic, but it was their sommelier, Josh Goldman, who really stole the show.  After ordering a Cru Beajolais to go with my pork belly (not my gut, the dish) he brought over a Belgian Blonde ale, plopped it down and said, "that wine will work great, but nothing goes with pork like a beer".  The crisp bubbles cut right through the intense fat of the pork belly and raised the whole dish to a new level.  On the way out, the waiter and the sommelier thanked us and asked us to come back soon. 

     And that's all you really want from a nice restaurant when you spend a little more than usual....a pleasant experience, a kind and knowledgeable staff, and tastes that you remember the next morning.  It's amazing how hard it is to find that combination.  So, hats off Church & State.  Thanks for a great night out.

     So this is recession related and Eagle Rock related, but only tangentially wine related.  In case you missed it, the NYTimes did a piece last week on the struggling businesses in Eagle Rock and it has caused quite a ruckus amongst Eagle Rock natives and newbies alike.  The writer and everyone interviewed for this article are either customers, friends or both, and Jennifer and I were both interviewed a handful of times, but were ultimately edited out of the final piece. 

     While there are very respectable arguments for and against the opinions in this piece, there is no doubt that it struck a cord.  I'll just throw one opinion into the mix on the whole idea of gentrification/de-gentrification/ hipsterville/ the next silverlake this-and-that.... As much as any neighborhood in Los Angeles, the Eagle Rock commercial corridor is full of first-time entrepeneurs making a very conscious decision to bet their dreams and livelihoods on this neighborhood -- it's diverse, it's open, it's wacky as all hell (that's a good thing) and it's a great place to raise a family.  If the idea were to make a quick buck, all these businesses would have sprung up elsewhere in LA.  Eagle Rock is not going to be the next anything, it's Eagle Rock and that's a unique and wonderful thing in a city where neighborhoods are becoming bland cubby holes for big chain stores.  And to those that are wishing for the 'new' businesses of Eagle Rock to go out of business or go away?  Sorry, Charlie....aint gonna happen. 

     Ever wonder why most beer and wine selections at bars or restaurants really suck?  There are many answers to that, but there is one specific reason that you may not know if you've never worked in the food and beverage business.  It's rigged...it's crooked....it's a sham...you're getting hoodwinked...beguiled...ripped off... schnookered....bamboozled... hopplecapped....ok, I made up that last one.

     Here's the thing, there are a few (but primarily one) big alcohol distribution companies that handle most of the wine/beer/liquor in any given state or territory.  A typical visit from one of these companies to your bar might go like this:

BAR: Hi, I've just spent my life savings and worked my ass off to open this bar.... I'd like to taste some wine and beer with you, choose what I like the best, then bestow on you the honor of featuring the best of the best in my bar

THEM:  Shutup.  The only way we'll sell you these three liquors that you have to have in any bar to survive, is when you devote 4 of your 6 taps to our beers (no matter how mediocre) and all of your wine lineup.

     Nice, huh?  The only other version is when they punch you in the face and steal your wallet when you're done with that conversation.  Seriously, there's no other possible variation to that exchange.

     This is why you see the same wines over and over and over again as 'glass pours' in these establishments.  It's easier...it's cheaper...it's less stressful really if your pride hasn't been destroyed.  So, let me issue a call to arms for all you barflies and foodies...cheer on those establishments that buck this trend!  They work hard to keep in the obscure stuff, the stuff from the little guy that eventually expands your palate and brings you back to that stool.  Especially in an economy like this when the big players are offering deals that are structured to drown the little guy out of business, it's more important than ever to save money, but also to spend those precious few bucks wisely.