Taste of Tuesday @ Whist

Labor Day is a cruel holiday. It’s an ironic, churlish little day-off, a final cigarette before the firing squad of serious employment matters kicks us swiftly in the arse—and, hello, we’re still wearing hot pants!

This year, I’m in major post-Labor-Day denial: I am officially refusing to let go of summer. First stop? Back to the beach, of course. Just a block from the Santa Monica shore, Whist at the Viceroy hotel debuted “Taste of Tuesday” this summer, a weekly opportunity to hangout poolside as passed trays of small plates and cocktails work the crowd. The event has proved so popular that it's continuing well into October.

This past week, I grabbed two of my equally overworked and underfed Metromix-ing comrades and ventured west. By 8 p.m., the party was in high gear—well-heeled twenty-somethings were clustered around the patio: by the outdoor bar, the pool and the Taj Mahal-esque cabanas. Even in her dark corner, one could tell that DJ Valida was smokin’ hot—she would give Brazilian Mary Zander a run for her hotness—as she spun moody beats at a civilized, therapeutic volume.

We found a nice little lounger in the back next to the impressive mesquite grill. Executive chef Warren Schwartz, who usually holds court there, was on vacation (the man had the right idea); but the food suffered no less from his absence. The model is dim-sum served up in paper bowls a la Pinkberry size small, each at $5 a pop. Mixed drinks from the evening’s menu are also $5. Selections are marked off on a tally sheet and added up at the end of the night. Easy enough.

Menus for both food and drink change on a weekly basis, although you’re pretty much guaranteed a sampling of chef Schwartz’s penchant for big-ticket proteins. We got the lobster (score!) with a cool and sweet peach marmalade as well as the elk tenderloin (double score!) which has been a Schwartzian signature since his days at Saddle Peak Lodge. The medallion was perfectly medium-rare, tender without being gamey—a revelation, even to Metromix events editor Alie Ward who revealed an obsession with elk and game meats.

The five specialty cocktails were low-cal/low-carb featuring lots of agave or açai—each considerately came with its respective calorie and sugar counts. “The Tall Drink of Water” looked and tasted as pristine as that, which produced dangerous (read: comical) effects in Alexandra, our veteran club-gal.

With a half hour to go, we discovered the dessert cups—and a much coveted open cabana. Awesome. And we didn’t even need to send a round of drinks to bamboozle our way in.

Taste of Tuesday
Whist @ Viceroy Santa Monica
Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. through October 16th

Food for five: A changing menu, usually of five hot and five cold dishes as well as a couple dessert options for $5 each. Grab a dish when you can or you may never see it come round again.

Drinks: A new theme determines each week’s group of five drinks, also for $5. The outdoor bar, which is dedicated for Taste of Tuesdays, sometimes closes early; so keep an eye out for last call.

Inside subterfuge: Send over a round of champagne to a cabana with a small group of unsuspecting ladies, then invite yourself (and the rest of your posse) to take over the space.

A “Ward” of advice: The bluish glow from the two pools is enticing, but refrain from taking a dip—unless you’ve got the right outfit and underwear on.

Jiyeon Yoo is Restaurants editor for Metromix Los Angeles.