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Everything Broad Ripple HomearrowRandom Ripplings Homearrow2007 01 12arrowColumn

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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v04n01)
The Wine Scene - by Jill A. Ditmire
posted: Jan. 12, 2007

Wine Scene header

"Sips by the side by side"
It's 3:45 in the afternoon of the second day of the New Year. A table of two looks over the menu while a table of one pays for her lunch and leaves. Bar Manager Wendy Gay is manning all positions in the front this day- hostess, waitress, bartender. And interviewee. My visit, like those of the food review folks, was unannounced. Yet Wendy gladly took the time to sit and talk with me about the La Jolla libation list.
"If a customer comes in regularly and wants something that we don't have then I will get it," she says as I ask about the wine and beers on the menu. The beer list is a standard mix of domestic and import; House wine comes from California stalwart Fetzer Vineyards. Gay offers tried and true varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and White Zinfandel by glass or bottle.
"The rest of the list changes weekly," says Gay, as she likes to see what customers want. Recently that means Yellowtail Merlot and Shiraz and Columbia Crest Riesling. If you're looking for wines for the menu, I'd recommend the Riesling and the shiraz, as both offer a nice balance of fruit and tannin to complement the hearty and sometimes spicy dishes.
But the drink of choice is margarita. "We try to get folks away from frozen, as the flavor really comes through on the rocks," says Gay.
The basic margarita combines Jose Cuervo Gold, Triple Sec and the La Jolla "secret sweet and sour mix". A TOP SHELF combines the same mix with a splash of Cointreau and Grand Marnier. The TOP TOP SHELF combines the above but the tequila is the smooth premium Petron. "A lot of people like Sauza better than Cuervo as it has less bite. We can substitute that if they want," says Gay. In fact, you can have your margarita made with any of the seven tequilas on the La Jolla bar shelf.
But don't sweat if you like your margarita icy and flavored. Gay says the fruit margaritas (raspberry, melon and blue) are delicious frozen. "I use fresh frozen strawberries so that's the only margarita that we offer that you MUST have frozen," laughs Gay.
I can't leave La Jolla without asking about Sangria. Many moons ago when I was a student at Butler University and La Jolla was El Matador, my best friend Becky and I made a weekly visit to a reserved table by the window where the charming and sincere owner, Larry Rangel, treated us like royalty. Rangel was a huge fan and supporter of the Indy Racing League, and drivers on the circuit were frequent guests at the then "hole in the wall" bar/restaurant. During the month of May, any driver trying to get into the lineup of the Indy 500 was sure to make a stop for food and drinks at El Matador.
Our Tuesday night visits included "Ilario's" custom made Sangria. Rich, tangy, fresh, and potent, the concoction is still the best Sangria I've ever tasted. I've searched the world for a substitute, as Larry died tragically in 2000. He was a passenger in his good friend's private plane flying back to Indianapolis from an Indy car race. That good friend was driver/owner Tony Bettenhausen, who along with his wife Shirley also died in the crash. Appropriately, their gravestones are near each other in Crown Hill Cemetery.
So I asked Ms. Gay if the current offering was anything like that of the past. "Oh no-I used to come here too when it was El Matador. No. We do offer Sangria, but it comes pre-made with the red wine and spirits blended. I add some soda and fresh fruit."
Stick with the margaritas and send up a prayer for Larry.



Jill A. Ditmire is an Omnimedia wine specialist, AWS certified wine judge, freelance broadcast journalist and 20+ year home owner in the Warfleigh neighborhood of Broad Ripple. Send your questions and comments to Jill at jill@broadripplegazette.com
Also on INSTAGRAM @jaditmire




jill@broadripplegazette.com
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