Skip to main content

Travel and Cocktails with Westbound’s Head Bartender

westbound eatery and bar los angeles craft cocktails
Image used with permission by copyright holder
All the glamor of travel is in the newly opened Westbound. It is as though you’ve stepped into the first class train car in a bygone time of sophistication and service. There’s a reason for that: Westbound is located on the former site of the Santa Fe railway station. Now it’s a hub for incredible food and drinks, old favorites with adventurous twists and new ideas based on global flavors. Head bartender, Dee Ann Quinones, who helped create the drink menu, talks to us about all things cocktails.

First, let’s set the scene: Westbound is all about service and attention to detail. The travel/train theme is incorporated elegantly and with a light hand– it doesn’t smack of a theme park. Westbound has a surprisingly modern feel for such a vintage-inspired design: bold earthy paint colors, rich woods and chocolately leathers, with copper on the bar and Pullman booths at the tables. There’s also a patio outside flanked by olive trees.

Dee-Ann-Quinones
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dee Ann Quinones is right at home in Westbound, a world traveler herself, who first met owner Sarah Meade in New York when Quinones was managing Booker and Dax. The two kept in touch and, when it came time to open Westbound in May of this year, Quinones was Mead’s choice for Head Bartender. It’s a natural fit. “Travel is a big theme in my life,” Quinones says. “Right before I came to LA, I was traveling around the world for two months visiting 12 countries. Travel is where most of the inspiration for my cocktails comes from. I’m always trying to replicate the taste and feel of the various food, cultures, colors, and experiences that I have been exposed to. I’ve been to 48 countries in total. We’re lucky to have a travel theme to Westbound, there is always a narrative or story to start from and we’re always on the move.

Once she’s got that inspiration, how does she create a new cocktail? “Usually, I start with a flavor – something I’m looking to explore or take to the next level. Everything is flavor-focused. I like to see how I can make this ‘flavor’ as good as it can be in a cocktail, and translate that to the everyday guest.” The Conductor looks especially intriguing: Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Black Sesame, Tamarind, Egg White, and Lemon. Quinones’ current favorite is The Westbound & Up: Vida Mezcal, Chipotle Honey, Lemon, Orange Bitters, and Lime. “It’s a fantastic mezcal cocktail,” Quinones remarks, made even tastier given Westbound’s commitment to using local and seasonal ingredients.

Westbound
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Food is another important aspect of Westbound and for that Mead turned to Executive Chef Gary Nguyen, formerly of Alma and Mélisse. His menu, too, reflects the global travel aesthetic in a playful, daring way. The small plates include delicious options like Foie ‘n’ Waffle, and the Beet Trifle, which is beet meringue, orange cake, brandy caramel, and spring herb ice cream.

“Pairing food and cocktails are my favorite.” Quinones collaborated with Nguyen to develop drinks that would enhance the dishes. “We don’t have to be limited by wine. Cocktails can take it so much further. Gary (the executive chef) and I work very closely together on flavor profiles and trying to complement existing and new menu items. Our French 75 [Rutte Gin, Lemon, Simple, Bubbles, served in a champagne flute and a lemon twist] pairs perfectly with our beef tartar. The cocktail is light and its acidity does well cutting the richness of the beef.” The menu offers a helping hand, suggesting drink pairings with food, but the extremely friendly, knowledgeable staff is there to help.

So, what does cocktail master Quinones recommend as the perfect choice for summer grilling? Mezcal. Think their Westbound & Up cocktail: “The smokiness of the mezcal is great for the BBQ char; the chipotle honey and lemon give it that tart and spice that you want with a burger.”

This eatery and bar is destined to become a favorite spot among Angelenos. With such a talented staff, dedicated to providing top tier service, unique food and drinks, and a decor that might as well be a time machine to a better era, you won’t want to get off the Westbound train.

Elizabeth Dahl
Elizabeth Dahl is a southern girl in the heart of Los Angeles who lived far too long before learning what an incredible food…
Forget wine — Beer and cheese is an unbeatable combination
Put the corkscrew away and crack open a cold one
Beer and cheese

When one hears the term cheese pairings, wine is the beverage that most often comes to mind, we'd wager. Because, of course, it is. The pairing of wine and cheese is as classic a coupling as peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, or chocolate and strawberries. They're meant to be together. But that certainly doesn't mean that wine is the only adult beverage that can dance an alluring tango alongside everyone's favorite dairy product. Beer, as humble as its reputation can be, is also a beautiful balance to cheese's immense offering of flavors. While some may think of beer as not being as multi-dimensional and varied in its palate-pleasing capabilities as wine, this is not the case - especially now that we live in a world with so many exquisite craft beers, stouts, and lagers.
Of course, another classic accompaniment to cheese is bread or crackers. Why might that be, one might ask. Is it because we're simply in need of a starchy vessel to usher the cheese into our mouths? The answer is actually a bit deeper than that. Starches like bread and crackers are made from the same yeasty ingredients as beer, so their pairing makes perfect culinary sense.
This isn't to say, though, that one can simply pick up a hunk of cheddar and crack open a Budweiser and expect culinary artistry. The science is a bit more nuanced than that, so we're here to help you find the best pairings for your favorite beers and cheeses.

How to pair beer and cheese

Read more
Mijenta has a new cristalino tequila — here’s why bourbon fans will love it
Mijenta has a cristalino tequila perfect for bourbon drinkers
Mijenta Cristalino

If you’re new to tequila, you might not know all the terms. Even if you’re just a beginner, you probably know all about blanco, reposado, añejo, and maybe even joven. But chances are, you’re not familiar with Cristalino tequila. This reasonably contemporary style is simply añejo tequila that’s been charcoal filtered to remove its natural caramel color and various impurities.

The style is more than just a little popular. It’s actually the fastest growing style of tequila according to Nielsen data. The newest brand to get in on the Cristalino trend is Mijenta.

Read more
You may not dislike IPAs as much as you think — you’ve just tried the wrong type
There's much more to the IPA than bitter hop bombs
Beer

The IPA has been described as the cilantro of the beer world. It’s assumed by some novice drinkers that you either love it or hate it. On one hand, it’s one of the most popular beer styles in the American craft world. It’s loved by many drinkers for its liberal use of hops and fresh, crushable flavor profile.

But haters of the style dislike it because they have an assumption that all IPA beers are aggressively hopped and uncomfortably bitter. While there are IPAs that fit that criterion (and fans of that style can’t get enough of them), there are also a handful of other types of IPAs to fit any palate.
The IPA stigma

Read more