LAist: Wine Novice: Bodega Wine Bar

holycow001

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:11:32 -0800

this place 100% MEH...

malofx

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:18:47 -0800

great! i like wine bar / tapas environments, so review them at will and i'll love you more!!! may we all meet in wine heaven!!!

Callie Miller

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:36:02 -0800

Recommendations are always welcome, as we mentioned in our first Wine Novice post - "tell us what you want to know and where you want us to go." We just went to Vertical last week and will be writing it up soon. And malofx, you'll be happy to know that we LOVED it.

Zach Behrens

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:08:05 -0800

A sponsored post/paid for post will always look like the below example: http://laist.com/2007/12/27/sponsored_post.php

Andy Sternberg

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:26:37 -0800

thanks for the recs, malofx, though those aren't all wine bars per se. Keep in mind that while our reviews are experience-based and NOT sponsored-by-venue, referencing every area competitor isn't necessary for balance. In fact if we did say the place 30 feet away was terrible it would in fact seem MORE like a paid ad for Bodega. Alas, your constructive comments are most welcome. After all, user comments are equally part of every post and often provide insight for future postings.

jamesey

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:02:01 -0800

I wouldn't really call it a "Mall wine bar" the Paseo is a bit classier than that. Hot Tip: Go to Boedga in the spring or during summer nights to find hot chicks looking for sophisticated guys.

malofx

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:20:09 -0800

if it wasnt an advertisement, then you would have mentioned D'VINE, the terrible place 30ft from bodega. so maybe i'm insulted by the small portion they serve at bodega in a spanish style glass that reminds me of a shot glass. you force me to give recommendations: HERITAGE on raymond, LE PETITE VENDOME is on granite, VERTICAL is on raymond, and you can venture to PHLIGHT in whittier...

Callie Miller

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:28:07 -0800

Vega -- Thanks! As for the haters, this is NOT a paid advertisement. I'm not saying it's HIGH END, I'm saying it's nice for a wine bar in a MALL. Which surprised me. I went on a Saturday night - so that might have upped the "happening" factor. It may be less interesting at 5pm on a Tuesday. The purpose of Wine Novice is not to bring culture to all, as malofx alluded to. Nor is Wine Novice about snotty wine sipped in the snottiest place in town. Rather, the goal is to find a way to appreciate wine in LA with reasonable prices and a low-key vibe - wherever that may be. No one wants to go taste wine and be made to feel like an idiot, unless they are a wine snob. In which case, this column is not for you.

phdiaz

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:20:21 -0800

I've been there a few times as well, it wasn't as interesting as it is written up there - unless I coincidently have been going on nights that happen to be lame.

Andy Sternberg

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:19:27 -0800

I haven't been to the Pasadena Bodega, but their SaMo wine bar is definitely a cozy spot -- and NOT in a mall (on Broadway next to Swingers). The carafe prices are cut during happy hour. I agree that it's tough to satisfy everyone with such a pricing structure... I've been similarly frustrated with the limited, yet varied wine list at The Other Room in Venice. Fortunately there is always at least one varietal that tastes just right on each visit. And, knowing that I'm covering their costs on the bottle with one glass pour, I never feel bad sending back a bad glass.

vega

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:49:24 -0800

I've been there, and I can testify that the Bodega win bar is exactly as Callie described.

malofx

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:28:51 -0800

i've been there and i can verify that it's not anywhere near as sophisticated as the picture you are painting. which leads me to assume that this is a paid advertisement. it should be named green wine bar. the wine is so green that i cant make a prudential judgement towards its future potential. but thank you callie if your intention was an attempt to bring us culture.