Dan Tana's

At legendary Italian restaurant Dan Tana’s, the classic vodka martini remains one of the most popular cocktails prepared at the iconic bar. The public’s enduring esteem for the drink lies in its simplicity and the timelessness of its flavors. While a cocktail at Dan Tana’s always makes for a fantastic night out, sometimes, you want to mix your favorite beverage at home and stay in. Here are some essential tips for crafting the perfect vodka martini at your home bar.

Plan Ahead and Stay Chilled

There’s a reason that vodka martinis are traditionally served straight up in a cocktail glass with a long stem: heat from your hand quickly warms the drink when there’s no ice, and a warm martini is no way to begin a fantastic evening. The ideal solution is to keep your vodka in the freezer so it requires less time to chill when mixing. To keep things even colder, store your cocktail shaker and glasses in the freezer.

Use Only Good Quality Vodka

If you’re lounging by the pool sipping a sugary cocktail filled with fruit juice and ice, you probably won’t notice if the vodka isn’t of the highest quality. A vodka martini, on the other hand, is only made from a few simple ingredients and truly allows the purity of the vodka to shine. This is definitely the time to pass on the plastic bottle, bottom-shelf fare and go with something worthy of the clean, sophisticated flavors of this modern-day classic. Two ounces of good quality vodka is the basis for any perfectly mixed martini.

Don’t Fear Vermouth, but Don’t go Overboard Either

We’ve become a nation of drinkers who think they hate vermouth, and much of the blame for this can be traced back to improper storage. Vermouth is a fortified wine and, like wine, needs to be stored in the refrigerator after opening for optimal freshness. Your vermouth will last up to a month in the fridge, but beyond that it will spoil quickly and need to be replaced. A vodka martini needs to have an essence of dry vermouth, but adding too much can easily overpower the purity of the drink. Try adding a splash of dry vermouth to the ice in your mixing glass, then swirling it around for a few seconds and straining the excess. You should end up with about ¾ of an ounce which will provide your vodka martini with the appropriate amount of backbone.   

Bond was Wrong; Stir, Don’t Shake

Shaking cocktails is fun, cathartic, and looks so cool they’ve even made movies about it. But that doesn’t mean it’s suitable for every type of drink. For cocktails containing cloudy liquids such as citrus juice or thick sweeteners like honey or simple syrup, shaking provides a way to emulsify the liquids and bring the ingredients together into a cohesive unit. A vodka martini requires no such enhancement, and shaking will only cause small shards to break off of the ice and into your drink, diluting your valuable vodka. 50-60 seconds of vigorous stirring with ice should be enough to get your vodka martini beautifully chilled, and ready to be strained and garnished with an olive or lemon twist. 

On Santa Monica Boulevard is an Italian restaurant by the name of Dan Tana’s. It is situated in the heart of West Hollywood, making it a go-to for many different celebrities to come in and enjoy a meal and even sit at the bar.

Meet Michael Gotovac

For those who have sat at the bar, they have likely met Michael Gotovac - our resident bartender who has been with us for many years. He has had a front row seat to see Dan Tana’s grow into the popular restaurant it has become. It is a legendary hot spot featuring a menu with a little bit of everything for everyone.

Michael Gotovac has actually been with us for 48 of the 50 years we've been open. When he first joined our team, he knew very little English, and now he's the resident storyteller. He has impressed a number of Hollywood's finest with his bartending skills, and was soon featured in Eater, a Los Angeles based blog that is always talking about the hottest restaurants around.

While you'll now only be lucky enough to find Michael here two days a week, he still loves coming in because of the atmosphere we've created together. He remains a student of his craft, while continuously introducing our guests to the classics that were enjoyed back in the 1960s and 1970s.

Michael has become the go-to man at the restaurant. People recognize the lovable Croatian and feel inclined to spill their deepest and darkest secrets to him as he pours them a glass of Chianti or mixes up one of their favorite martinis. He has some incredible stories to share and there are plenty of people who go in just to see him. With memories dating back to 1968 when he first began slinging drinks at Dan Tana’s, it’s always fun to stop by for story time.

Authentic Italian Favorites

People choose to dine with us time and again because we have the Italian favorites that everyone loves. As Michael Gotovac will tell you, we don’t keep up with the fads because we have found it is not what people want when they walk through our doors. We keep our restaurant and our bar open late, which makes us the ideal location after coming in from a concert or show. Sit down and let Michael fix you a cocktail and recommend something off the menu, perhaps the Clams Casino or the Chicken Vesuvius.

We do accept walk-ins, but we recommend that you contact us for reservations to be sure you have a table waiting for you, any day of the week.

 

 

Located on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA is the famous Troubadour. Founder Doug Weston opened the club in 1957, hoping to entertain some of Hollywood's inhabitants with fresh new musical and comedy acts.

The Sixties and Seventies

In the '60s, musical shows by The Tambourines, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Neil Young, and Tim Buckley all took the stage, some with their musical debuts. Richard Pryor and Steve Martin are among the comedy acts that were viewed. 

In the '70s, Cheech and Chong were discovered, Elton John made his debut, and Neil Diamond recorded live at the Troubadour. Janis Joplin partied at the club the night before her death. Led Zeppelin took the stage and jammed with a three-hour long performance.

The Word Gets Out

In the '70s, the Troubadour took off in a way no one would have foreseen. Often, musicians would sign a record label almost immediately after a performance on the stage of the popular club. The eccentricities of owner Doug Weston had artists signing contracts so they would keep coming back to play shows after they made it big. The headlines would become bigger and bigger because of this unique agreement between the owner and those artists that did happen to make a name for themselves. Larger acts would be booked, and the word was out that the Troubadour was "the place" to be. More and more celebrities would start frequenting the club, and it would become packed with patrons hoping to catch a glimpse of musicians that have made it while watching new acts that might just be the next big hit.

At this time, Dan Tana's started to reap the benefits from the increasingly popular acts. The celebrities that were frequenting the club would stop in the Italian restaurant after the show was over to talk about the acts and to relax after the excitement of the night. The bar was busy with those who wanted to have a nightcap after the show. Once people visited, they would come back again after the next big show. The word got out not only about the Troubadour, but also that there was great food, cool drinks, and an atmosphere that could not be duplicated right down the street at Dan Tana's.

The Following Decades

The eighties brought a whole new type of music to the Troubadour with the rise of hair bands and new wave artists. Artists from Metallica to Duran Duran hit the stage. The nineties brought about grunge music and heavy metal with acts including Pearl Jam, Korn, and System of a Down. In 1999, owner Doug Weston passed away. Afterward, Johnny Cash played one of his last shows with his wife June Carter.

The next decade brought about an array of artists, from the Foo Fighters to Tom Jones to Rod Stewart. Elton John returned, this time to watch in the audience as the Strypes performed. Rolling Stones named the Troubadour the second best rock club in the United States in 2013 and Billboard named it one of the top five venues to play in the United States.

The top artists keep performing regularly today. Dan Tana's is still there as well, serving the same fine meals until after midnight. The bar is still busy with patrons who just enjoyed the show. The ambiance? It is still as if you stepped back more than forty years: unchanged, safe, and familiar. The Troubadour and Dan Tana's have now been working together for over fifty years, and time hasn't changed a thing.

Not being trendy is actually a trend in itself. Dan Tana's on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA is an Italian restaurant that prefers to keep the same ambiance and aura that it has had since it opened in 1964. This is a part of its charm, and that has made it a favorite of many locals as well as a new favorite to newcomers. Knowing some of the history of Dan Tana's helps customers realize why keeping the restaurant/bar the same over the decades is so important.

How It All Began

Dan Tana was a Yugoslavian soccer player who had started the entire idea. Naming the restaurant after himself, it started off slow but steady in 1964. With a Rat Pack theme and a delicious menu, the icon set the stage for success. Dan Tana kept the kitchen open until 12:30 a.m., allowing people to have a late night meal. Other restaurants were closing earlier, giving the Dan Tana the edge with this great marketing strategy.

Adding Culture

When the Troubadour was built in the '70's, the Dan Tana skyrocketed in sales, being the "hot spot" to go after a show. With famous performers such as Elton John, Cat Stevens, and Van Morrison playing nearby, the restaurant was always a late night hit after the music ended. During the following years, it became popular with celebrities, and many a night you could see a famous star mingling with the neighborhood regulars. With a laid-back atmosphere and décor reminiscent of the Sinatra era, it has an easy-going feel that many enjoy. 

Celebrities such as Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Angie Dickenson, Johnny Carson, Harry Dean Stanton, and Jack Nicholson have all been regulars over the years, and several others have joined in along the years. Being right down the road from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences helps keep the culture alive in the area, and the clientele show it. The seventeen tables of the Dan Tana are booked nightly, so it is best to call for a reservation if you happen to be in the area.

Keeping the History

This atmosphere lives on today, with current owner Sonja Perencevic running the show, seasoned chef Neno Mladenovic serving up specialties that have not changed since the doors have opened, and head bartender Michael Gotovac mixing up the beverages. Walking through the doors of the Dan Tana will instantly put you back to another era, a time when music and the big screen were in everyone's mind and the fun of going out for a leisurely dinner with your friends or family was part of your normal routine.

From the red and white checkered tablecloths to the Chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling, the Italian feel and flare has not changed in decades. The menu still boasts favorites such as calamari fritti, chicken Parmesan, and Italian spaghetti and meatballs. The clientele is getting a bit younger, with actors and actresses of the next generation joining in with their predecessors. This doesn't mean the aura will change, however. It is just being shared with new people. Not being trendy is a trend in itself.