So Cal Wine Dinner - Dec. 1st

Edit: 12/01/2010, 2:19 PM PST


When: Dec. 1st

Time: 6:15 pm or so (appetizers) Dinner after 6:30pm.

Where: Manchego in Santa Monica (no corkage) Ask for the Wine.Woot group.


Attending:
1. Klezman
2. MarkDaSpark
3. Time2testit
4. Time2testit +1
5. sukeiasa
6. Klezman's FB friend


Maybes:
* K00L
* mobrien05


Regrets:
* kylemittskus
* richardhod
* merbill
* merbill +1
* JavaDrinker



-------------------------------------------
Original post that started it. Although I was thinking of titling this "Dinner for Schmucks".

Dec. 1st .... Dinner close to Santa Monica ....

klezman wrote:Anybody in the LA/Santa Monica area want to try to get together next Wednesday, Dec 1? I will be around during the day for business and could be convinced to stick around for dinner and wine to take a late flight back to the bay area. It'd be nice to meet you SoCal folks who I haven't yet met.

Well, there's Manchego in Santa Monica that's no corkage .... or in Marina Del Rey there's C&O Trattoria or C&O Cucina. Corkage (Corkage Fee: $10.00 per bottle), but they have Killer Garlic Rolls!


Or we could make a run to downtown for Phillippe's!!



K-man will be close to Manchego, and could use a ride to the airport afterwards (which I could probably do).


Anyone interested?

MarkDaSpark wrote:Original post that started it. Although I was thinking of titling this "Dinner for Schmucks".

Dec. 1st .... Dinner close to Santa Monica ....



Well, there's Manchego in Santa Monica that's no corkage .... or in Marina Del Rey there's C&O Trattoria or C&O Cucina. Corkage (Corkage Fee: $10.00 per bottle), but they have Killer Garlic Rolls!


Or we could make a run to downtown for Phillippe's!!



K-man will be close to Manchego, and could use a ride to the airport afterwards (which I could probably do).


Anyone interested?

Great! We mooted this in Nov, but things were just too hectic. I, however, will be in England! HAve fun :smile:

To answer your question from the other thread, I haven't booked my flights yet but should over the next day or two. I'd take the 1030pm flight out or maybe the next one earlier, which is 9pm, I think. Although I figured that might leave little time for shenanigans.

klezman wrote:To answer your question from the other thread, I haven't booked my flights yet but should over the next day or two. I'd take the 1030pm flight out or maybe the next one earlier, which is 9pm, I think. Although I figured that might leave little time for shenanigans.

Yep .... since you should be at the airport at least 2 hours ahead of time, if not more. LAX isn't as bad as some, where they only have one, two, or three main entry points.

The 9pm flight really wouldn't leave much time, since you need to be there by 7pm. Even the 10:30 flight means you need to be there by 8:30, so a wrap up by 8pm is needed.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Yep .... since you should be at the airport at least 2 hours ahead of time, if not more. LAX isn't as bad as some, where they only have one, two, or three main entry points.

Thus far *knock on wood* I have been fine with ~1.25-1.5 hours for United when I show up with boarding pass in hand and go right to security. So yes, while I need to keep an eye on the time, I think there's a little more there to work with.

klezman wrote:Thus far *knock on wood* I have been fine with ~1.25-1.5 hours for United when I show up with boarding pass in hand and go right to security. So yes, while I need to keep an eye on the time, I think there's a little more there to work with.

Maybe, but remember, this is the holiday season, and with the new Porno regulations in effect, it could take longer.

Even with a 1.5 hour pre-arrival, we'd still need to leave 2 hours before, just to make sure about traffic. Which has been getting worse and worse the later it gets.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Maybe, but remember, this is the holiday season, and with the new Porno regulations in effect, it could take longer.

Even with a 1.5 hour pre-arrival, we'd still need to leave 2 hours before, just to make sure about traffic. Which has been getting worse and worse the later it gets.

Sounds interesting.

K00L wrote:Sounds interesting.

I hoping he gets drunk enough to just dump him in a cab and we continue drinking!

MarkDaSpark wrote:I hoping he gets drunk enough to just dump him in a cab and we continue drinking!

So long as I'm not drunk enough that they deny me boarding!

Also, I need to book my flights asap...can we confirm in either direction by tonight? I don't want the prices to keep jumping.

klezman wrote:Also, I need to book my flights asap...can we confirm in either direction by tonight? I don't want the prices to keep jumping.

I'd book the later flight ... gives us more time.

MarkDaSpark wrote:I'd book the later flight ... gives us more time.

I will book it...looks like I may be able to get a friend or two from grad school to also come.

MarkDaSpark wrote:I'd book the later flight ... gives us more time.

Because you're ALWAYS late!

kylemittskus wrote:Because you're ALWAYS late!

Never!! I'm just extremely early for the next gathering.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Never!! I'm just extremely early for the next gathering.

This sounds like a good time. We'd like to try to make it, though it's the first night of Hanukah so can't be sure just yet. Where are you thinking?

time2testit wrote:This sounds like a good time. We'd like to try to make it, though it's the first night of Hanukah so can't be sure just yet. Where are you thinking?

So far, it's been Manchego. Any thoughts?

time2testit wrote:This sounds like a good time. We'd like to try to make it, though it's the first night of Hanukah so can't be sure just yet. Where are you thinking?

I have the same problem. I'm not sure what to do about it yet...I might light candles when I get back home. But then again, I'm nowhere near orthodox...

MarkDaSpark wrote:I'd book the later flight ... gives us more time.

Cool...that's what I was thinking anyway. Flight is now booked. See you all next week! And happy turkey-day to all

MarkDaSpark wrote:So far, it's been Manchego. Any thoughts?

You might want to check with Akbar on Washington in Marina del Rey. They are my favorite Indian food in So Cal and have hosted wine dinners in the past. I don't know about corkage, though.

-- T

No preference here, although we are basically pescatarians (fish and vegetables). Also, what time were you planning? It is sure to be a busy post-holiday week at the office, and it takes about a half hour for us to get to Santa Monica. As for wine, how do these work, everyone brings a bottle or ? Maybe you can all give us some good suggestions for our Sonoma/Napa trip coming up too.

time2testit wrote:No preference here, although we are basically pescatarians (fish and vegetables). Also, what time were you planning? It is sure to be a busy post-holiday week at the office, and it takes about a half hour for us to get to Santa Monica. As for wine, how do these work, everyone brings a bottle or ? Maybe you can all give us some good suggestions for our Sonoma/Napa trip coming up too.

Which does everyone prefer? 5:30 pm or 6:00 pm? Since no one really complained, I''ll make reservations at Manchego tomorrow for the 1st.

I guess we could plan for a 5:30 arrival, with appetizers, and then order dinner around 6?

Everyone bring a bottle.



As to Napa/Sonoma suggestions, there's one active thread going on the World of Woot Wine, which has suggestions. There may also be some older, in-active ones as well.


Don't make me GTFY*!!


* - Google That For You

Is there a list of people going? I'm considering, but wasn't sure how many people it would be.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Which does everyone prefer? 5:30 pm or 6:00 pm? Since no one really complained, I''ll make reservations at Manchego tomorrow for the 1st.

I guess we could plan for a 5:30 arrival, with appetizers, and then order dinner around 6?

Everyone bring a bottle.

Sounds great, Mark! I will walk over to that general area after work and hang out somewhere until gathering time.

I will only have my work bag with me (i.e. carry-on), so I won't be able to bring a bottle...hope I don't get banned from the dinner

SWMBO is getting sworn in as an attorney so I am a no-show.

kylemittskus wrote:SWMBO is getting sworn in as an attorney so I am a no-show.

Cos many of the Calis are here I'm reposting the LA / DC 50% off at wine.com from livingsocial. use my link https://livingsocial.com/deals/16229?ref=conf-jp&rpi=2507947

Sorry I can't be there, but at least you can drink half price :D

MarkDaSpark wrote:Which does everyone prefer? 5:30 pm or 6:00 pm? Since no one really complained, I''ll make reservations at Manchego tomorrow for the 1st.

I guess we could plan for a 5:30 arrival, with appetizers, and then order dinner around 6?

Everyone bring a bottle.



As to Napa/Sonoma suggestions, there's one active thread going on the World of Woot Wine, which has suggestions. There may also be some older, in-active ones as well.


Don't make me GTFY*!!


* - Google That For You

We have to be a tentative. I don't think I'll be able to get away from the office in time to get there before around 6:30. Let me see how the next day or so go and I'll let you know (if that's ok).

time2testit wrote:We have to be a tentative. I don't think I'll be able to get away from the office in time to get there before around 6:30. Let me see how the next day or so go and I'll let you know (if that's ok).

Come later, then. We can easily hold off on dinner until 6:30. We'll just be an extra bottle in by then

kylemittskus wrote:SWMBO is getting sworn in as an attorney so I am a no-show.

Getting called to the bar is a solid excuse. Congrats to her! Hopefully another time...and if you're in the Bay Area stop by and say hi!

While I'd like to join my tour mate and blending partner, there's just no way I can cross nearly the entire LA basin and make it there (I get off work around 6) at any reasonable time. Maybe you'll have future business in Irvine sometime?

Have a good time everyone.

merbill wrote:While I'd like to join my tour mate and blending partner, there's just no way I can cross nearly the entire LA basin and make it there (I get off work around 6) at any reasonable time. Maybe you'll have future business in Irvine sometime?

Have a good time everyone.

Transporter a la Star Trek?
I have family in Oceanside, so I might be down in that direction in the not too distant future as well. If so, I will certainly let you know. The same 30 miles (or whatever) from Irvine to Oceanside probably takes 10% the time of crossing LA

merbill wrote:While I'd like to join my tour mate and blending partner, there's just no way I can cross nearly the entire LA basin and make it there (I get off work around 6) at any reasonable time. Maybe you'll have future business in Irvine sometime?

Have a good time everyone.

motorbike!?

One more person.. just one more for the wine.com 50% link above! 8 hours left ;)

Some potentially bad news - during my bike ride to work this morning some careless driver decided that a large guy wearing red with a green backpack was too hard to see. So he clipped my handlebars with his mirror and sent me crashing to the ground.

I'm fine overall. A few stitches on my arm and nasty bruising around my hips etc. Only catch is that it makes it tough to sit long periods of time and it's only going to stiffen between now and tomorrow. What does this mean for you? It means sometime tomorrow I'm going to decide whether to move Wednesday's work activities to my office here instead. I'll keep y'all posted and let you know as soon as I do what the deal will be.

*sigh*

klezman wrote:Transporter a la Star Trek?
I have family in Oceanside, so I might be down in that direction in the not too distant future as well. If so, I will certainly let you know. The same 30 miles (or whatever) from Irvine to Oceanside probably takes 10% the time of crossing LA

Umm, no. About the same time or more. Using the Toll Road helps, but it joins the 5 in Laguna Niguel, and from there, it's all 4 lanes to Oceanside. And the Car Pool lane ends around San Juan Capistrano.


I can get from Long Beach to Carlsbad in about 1.5 hours with no traffic. With traffic, IIRC, it's more like 2.5 to 3 hours.

klezman wrote:Some potentially bad news - during my bike ride to work this morning some careless driver decided that a large guy wearing red with a green backpack was too hard to see. So he clipped my handlebars with his mirror and sent me crashing to the ground.

I'm fine overall. A few stitches on my arm and nasty bruising around my hips etc. Only catch is that it makes it tough to sit long periods of time and it's only going to stiffen between now and tomorrow. What does this mean for you? It means sometime tomorrow I'm going to decide whether to move Wednesday's work activities to my office here instead. I'll keep y'all posted and let you know as soon as I do what the deal will be.

*sigh*

So where is your office?

mobrien05 wrote:Is there a list of people going? I'm considering, but wasn't sure how many people it would be.

Updated the beginning post to list who's in, who's waffling, and who's a whiny, little .... err, those who are unable to attend.

MarkDaSpark wrote:So where is your office?

Oh...my Bay Area office in Fremont. The others would come here instead. But since today is feeling better than expected I'm leaning towards keeping the original plans. Final decision has to be by noon if my colleagues are to book flights up here instead.

klezman wrote:Oh...my Bay Area office in Fremont. The others would come here instead. But since today is feeling better than expected I'm leaning towards keeping the original plans. Final decision has to be by noon if my colleagues are to book flights up here instead.

That's what I was wondering, since I wasn't sure if your activities meant work or Woot.

1 minute to go ......

MarkDaSpark wrote:That's what I was wondering, since I wasn't sure if your activities meant work or Woot.

1 minute to go ......

Yup...a little late since I had to run out to do something. Plans are unchanged...we're on for tomorrow still! Woot!

klezman wrote:Yup...a little late since I had to run out to do something. Plans are unchanged...we're on for tomorrow still! Woot!

Cool! 6 or 6:15 at Manchego then?

MarkDaSpark wrote:Cool! 6 or 6:15 at Manchego then?

Yup...I'll find a nearby coffee shop to sit in after I leave the office down there and wait until then.