Some delis claim they’re purveryors of authentic italian fare. Well I’ve got news for them, roasted garlic speaks louder than words. Just off of the Lincoln Boulevard exit on the 10 freeway (West) in Santa Monica lies a gem that carries every specialty item imported from the Old Country that you could possibly imagine, and more. From fine Tuscan Chiantis to Parma Prosciuto and Buffalo Mozzarella, if the aroma of marinara doesn’t put you in a trance when you pull into the Bay Cities Deli parking lot, the lines will. When lunch time rolls around, the fine food aficionados come from all over for a little slice of the Bel Paese. And if you’ve never been, one trip to Bay Cities will change all of that.

After dining on happy hour specials at Kung Pao Kitty and surviving a nail biting contest of credit card roulette, me and my company ambled down Hollywood Boulevard looking to see what kind of trouble we could find. To my chagrin, trouble found me when I stumbled into L Scorpion. An unassuming bar off of Hollywood with a wide variety of tequilas, L Scorpion served as the potent catalyst that our standard Sunday evening needed. Wasting no time we started off the rounds with a cactus mojito and quickly graduated to the suave agave, sampling tequilas that ranged from $12 to $17 a shot. The most notable of which — Clase Azul (sold for $87 a bottle) — proved to be among one of the best tequilas I’ve ever tasted.

Soon after extending my gratitude toward our gracious bartender (Sammy) for facilitating this epiphanic experience, he offered us a few drops of one his favorites, a Don Julio 1942. Priced over $900 a bottle according to Sammy, each drop was like an experience of unbridled enthusiasm. But the excitement was short lived when one daring cougar attempted to rain on my parade. To be continued…

6679 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
323.464.3026