Big: I can tell you one thing, I sure did miss you, officially.
Carrie: Did you cry?
Big: No, but I did listen to a hellava lot of Sinatra.
~ Sex & the City
And ain’t that the truth? When you’re down in the dumps, Frankie does the trick. Maybe it’s because he delivers the lyrics with a devil-may-care attitude or that he survived an S-load of crap and came out on the other end better for it. But I found a great place to just sit with your martini, listen to every Sinatra song on the books and have a deep conversation with a sympathetic bartender. Nope, it’s not in New York. It’s the Rat Pack Martini Lounge in C&O Cucina off Lincoln.
To cheer me up on this day of the mean reds, my friend Bernadette took me there for their killer garlic rolls and to split a plate of Spaghettini Bolognese ($10.95). The infamous garlic rolls were, of course, their tasty selves and the pasta had a rich meat sauce with mushrooms and sweet basil. A Jameson and Coke ($6.50) capped off the evening. OK, now I’m good as new.
Looking around at the framed Rat Pack photos decorating the walls with Sinatra’s voice crooning over the sound system, Bern and I decided this was the perfect spot to throw a private cocktail party.
And apparently that’s the restaurant’s specialty as they offer food, drinks and even cakes made by an in-house pastry chef. The price of the shindig depends on how many guests you have, but the average amount to throw a private party on a weeknight is $1,500 which can be paid off with the amount of food and drinks your guests order.
You can reserve the upstairs of the restaurant, too, but I think for a good old-fashion cocktail party it’ll have to be the lounge. Tables can be cleared away and the music can be turned up for some dancing or you can turn up the TVs in the room for a Laker game party.
On a Thursday night, the bar was busy but not packed — a huge difference from the hustle and bustle of family-friendly C&O Trattoria located just down the street at the end of Washington. So if you just want to go to a quiet bar that soothes your worries away like a Sinatra song, this would be it.
3016 Washington Boulevard
Marina del Rey, California 90292
(310) 301-7278 x12