The eclectic menu and posh atmosphere will put Lexington Social House on the map, but the drink menu blows similar establishments out of the water. Bar Manager David Falco and Mixologist Kiowa Bryan tell us about the homemade ingredients (like Pop Rocks!) behind the bar and the cocktails you can’t find anywhere else.

Easy to Drink, Hard to Make

Lexington Social House opened this past week and Kiowa created the “balanced and complex” drink menu to accompany the same flavor profile as the dinner menu. The drink menu is ordered from light to heaviest and offers cocktails for before dinner, during and after. A taxicab will be a good idea. It might be time-consuming, but Kiowa and David like to use homemade ingredients in the drinks. The After School Special is made with peanut-infused Starr African Rum, Chambord, Curaçao and house-made orgeat syrup. Orgeat, a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar and rose water or orange-flower water, is commonly found in the Mai Tai. The bar also makes cucumber-water ice cubes, hibiscus-water ice cubes and their own Pop Rocks candy from scratch. They also whip up their own ginger syrup. Kiowa says the labor intensive process starts with 10 lbs. of ginger. That yields about 4 cups of liquid for the syrup and only 1 oz. will be used for each Moscow Mule cocktail!

David mixed us the Oaxacan Phoenix (Jim Beam Bourbon, Del Mageuy Mescal, thai chili infused simple syrup, piquillo peppers, lemon and lime juice and celery salt). This drink isn’t garnished with your everyday olive or lemon wedge. It’s made with meat! The Oaxacan Phoenix is garnished with a slice of Spanish chorizo sausage. It’s tangy with a bite and a salty finish.

The beer list is all bottled and David says the beers are not brands people are used to like Green Flash Brewing Company’s West Coast IPA, Shipyard Brewing Company’s Shipyard Imperial Porter and Cervejaria Sul Brasileira’s Xingu. He wants to introduce people to new and different brands.

Sit and Stay a While

Now that you’re thirsty, let’s get your tummy grumbling too. Lexington Social House’s Executive Chef Mette Williams describes the dinner menu as “comfort food with global influences.” “Lexington Social House has good food with an increasing energy throughout the night,” Director of Marketing & Special Events Travis Andres explains. The idea is you will come for dinner and stay until close. The back patio is roomy and a an escape from the craziness in Hollywood with a fire pit, greenery and separate bar.

Mette has been working in L.A. for over 10 years. She was raised on a farm in Kentucky and grew up cooking for her family but it wasn’t until she was 19-years-old that she thought about pursuing a career in the culinary industry. The Lexington Social House menu is influenced by Mette’s background. Her favorite ingredient is butter and she uses hormone free meats and all fresh ingredients, just like the good ol’ days on back on the farm.

The menu offers light bites like Hamachi Crudo with meyer lemon, espalette pepper and apples and the Crab Salad with crispy avocado, citrus, mango and basil. If you are looking for something more substantial, the Roasted Pork Rack entrée with braised baby fennel and apple compote will do the trick and the Fried Chicken with smashed potatoes, braised kale and mustard sauce takes down home Southern cooking up a notch. Mette says the menu will change about every three weeks and make sure you save room for dessert. You won’t be able to pick just one.

Where?
Lexington Social House
1718 Vine Street
Hollywood, CA 90028

Transportation
Valet and conveniently located on the Metro Red Line at the Hollywood/Vine station.

Additional Information
http://www.lexingtonsocialhouse.com/