Drink of the Week
Chanel cocktail, Savannah Chop House, Laguna Niguel
Champagne cocktails are normally paired with overbearing mixers like orange or cranberry juice to try to balance (or in some cases mask) the taste of champagne. So when I saw that Savannah Chop House’s specialty champagne drink,named the Chanel,mixed champagne with the more delicate flavors of bubbly, strawberry liqueur and cointreau, I had to try it. Especially since it was $7 on the happy hour menu, which features a selection of appetizers for $6, as well as wine and beer for $5. But like most trios, the lead singer stole the show with the effervescent champagne outweighing the bitter citrus of cointreau and the sweetness of the strawberry.
Luckily, it was good champagne. The decor of the lounge lent itself more to scotch drinking anyway, as the deep red booths and dark wood evoked the spirit of a men’s lounge of yore. The bar features two flat-screen TVs to keep the men (and women) of today entertained for the Sunday through Thursday happy hour from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The attached restaurant definitely caters to an earlier, older crowd with a bevy of regulars, so come early to grab a barstool.
,Julie Leupold
