Old-school tavern serves up sophistication

Bar-sting onto the scene City Tavern has the “look and feel of an old-school tavern, yet offers a thoroughly modern menu and unique wines, classic cocktails and 25 of the best craft beers around,” says co-owner Brian McKeaney. Courtesy photo

Local drinkers and diners awoke Monday morning to a new and brighter day when a much-anticipated 2,400-square-foot bar and restaurant opened its doors in downtown Culver City. City Tavern, the latest creation from Rush Street co-owners Ken Kaufman and Brian McKeaney – now teamed with Dave Northrup – is a unique experience that departs from the neighboring cafes, bistros and wine bars.

City Tavern boasts the look and feel of a slightly gritty, slightly dark taproom with distressed brick walls, exposed wooden beams and industrial, Edison-inspired bulbs that cast a flickering glow on the reclaimed wooden floors. The dining area contains vintage leather dining benches, dark-wood tables and chairs, and a communal table with pull-out seats, all leading to a gleaming copper and walnut bar. Outside, a sprawling front patio features rustic wooden tables and a large cafeteria-style table. There are no DJ booths like at Rush Street, but patrons can enjoy late-night tunes from a state-of-the-art digital jukebox.

“It’s for the savvy bar-goer who wants a more intimate bar and dining experience with a bustling-yet-comfortable tavern vibe,” said McKeaney.

To that end, the owners of City Tavern adopted a novel feature with the beer enthusiast in mind. The establishment is the first in California to be state-approved in offering booths equipped with a computerized draft beer system in which patrons can pour their own beer. Each of the three booths offers a trio of draft taps and a monitor that tracks the amount of brew consumed.

In addition to the table tap booths, the bar’s 22 beer taps feature an all-California selection of microbrews, such as Port Brewing Co., Bear Republic, Eagle Rock Brewery, Craftsman, Telegraph and Iron Fist. The bar offers a boutique variety of California wines as well. The beverage program at City Tavern allows for a custom-tailored experience in which patrons have a variety of choices ranging from smaller sampler sizes of beer and wine to one-liter growlers of beer or bottles of wine.

“We are very excited to have created a place that has the look and feel of an old-school tavern, yet offers a thoroughly modern menu and unique wines, classic cocktails and 25 of the best craft beers around,” McKeaney said.

The handcrafted cocktail menu is a revival of traditional favorites with a modern twist: Queens Park Swizzle, with freshly muddled mint, rum, lime, bitters and soda; the Garden Pig, with Whistle Pig Rye, fresh squeezed orange juice, lime and basil; and the Carthusian Flip, with Green Chartreuse, sweet vermouth, lime, fresh egg and nutmeg – to name a few.

Chef de cuisine Jessica Christensen, whose resume includes the Ritz-Carlton – Laguna Niguel, Studio at Montage and Tracht’s, has imported fine-dining techniques to eclectic American tavern fare, creating a mix of small plates and sharable items, including Jidori chicken panini with Manchego cheese, quince and almond pesto; and grilled crudites of artichokes, peppers and olives with smoked sea salt. Dinner entrees include fresh Carlsbad Bay Oysters in a mignonette with fresh horseradish; tomato tarte tatin with caramelized shallots; and Hiramasa crudo with crushed coriander and fennel. Heartier still is the Arctic char roasted with bacon and port; and an olive-oil and stout-poached New York strip steak. A lunch menu will follow in the coming weeks.

City Tavern is located at 9739 Culver Blvd., Culver City. It is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to close; Saturday from 3:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday from 3:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Reservations for the tap booths are recommended and can be reserved by calling (310) 838-9739. For more information, visit citytavernculvercity.com.