Becky at Saints & Sinners

Becky is the inspiration for my starting this blog. Thank you, Becky!

Becky is the kind of barkeep you want to tell others about. Why? She’s engaging and treats you like an old friend. She’s got a great attitude and it’s easy to order drinks from her even when it’s busy because of her attentive eye.

She used to work at a bar somewhere on the eastside near Dodger Stadium if I’m not mistaken. One night I was having drinks at The Townhouse (she previously worked at The Townhouse in Venice where I met her) and there was a small group from that eastside bar that came out just to see her. Wow! Now, that’s dedication or she’s a bartender worth following. It’s probably both. I was impressed and thought perhaps I had struck bartender gold. No doubt that I did.

One night at The Garter in Venice (she worked there Wednesday nights until very recently) Becky turned me on to the Stevie Ray Vaughn, which apparently Stevie concocted. I’m not sure what’s in it, but it’s big and powerful just like Stevie’s guitar sound.

Becky wouldn’t let me take a proper photo. I guess she’s only camera shy. However, you can see both her hands and face when ordering drinks from her Wednesday through Saturday at Saints and Sinners. She’s one of the best. Any bar Becky works at is lucky to have her working for them. The rest of us are lucky to have Becky serving drinks.

Saints and Sinners
10899 Venice Blvd
Culver City, CA 90034

Jessica - The "Coolest Kid" at The Galley

Even though I've hung out at The Galley for some time I didn't always know Jessica, but it was easy to tell that she was nice and always full of energy. One night she was my waitress and I got an over flowing shot glass of Jessica. She is so fun and so nice! She's a real pleasure all the way around. I had no idea she was so cool and I was glad she was my waitress. I feel privileged to rub elbows with one of the "cool kids" every time I see her at The Galley.

If you're lucky, you'll get to hear Jessica sing the best version of Happy Birthday ever! On nights after it slows down she's known to start singing or whistling and she's a mean whistler and a nice singer!

Sadly, she will be moving back east in a few months. She will be missed. So hurry in before she bails on us!

The Galley
2442 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Abstract or Why.

The reason I wanted to start this blog was to spotlight great bartenders. The ones that have a great personality, always remember what you like, are attentive and have a certain je ne sais quoi. Then, I realized that I would quickly run out of bartenders to write about. I know a lot of cool bartenders, but as in any profession some folks stand out more than others.

It dawned on me that my focus was too narrow and I should open it up to anyone who's presence makes my visit a better experience. It could be the butcher or the checker at a market, a favorite counter person at the coffee shop or the auto mechanic I swear by and, of course, bartenders. There will be a few of those.

Further to my blog “mission”, I decided to give organizations a nod as well. There are quite a few who do incredible things to help people in need and who definitely strive to make the world a better place. They deserve to be recognized for their work (by me!) if they don't already get recognition. The more attention they get the better.

In my little corner of the world I want to point out people and groups that in my opinion deserve to be pointed out for who they are and what they do. And, if nothing else, if you're new to the area (Santa Monica/Westside) or plan on visiting you'll know where to go and who to see there.