Private enclave
Holy Basil Santa Monica, best beachside burritos, Lafayette Square real estate, Carroll Custom, Flannery Beef, Lakers-Celtics, MORE
WORK • Thursday Routine
Keeping it old school
BRANDO FAY • corporate beverage operations lead • Wally’s Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood you work in: Beverly Hills & Culver City
Neighborhood you live in: Koreatown
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Never a dull moment in Beverly Hills, especially leading into the weekend. Some people start brunch a day early, others start their weekend early. Either way, the energy’s electric. The workplace is always alive with laughter, the sound of glasses clinking, cocktail shakers in motion, kitchen in full swing, and a symphony of conversations happening all around you.
What’s on the agenda for today?
The focus is on forward movement, constantly expanding and elevating the beverage program and operations. I’m always asking, what’s trending today? Maybe it’s truffle fries paired with a dirty martini, or a bump of caviar with a sherry-rinsed vodka martini, chilled to perfection.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
You can never go wrong with hearty Chinese takeout paired with a crisp beer or sake-based cocktail. On Friday, you’ll likely find me sipping a martini on the south end of Canon Drive. Saturday might mean a juicy Bloody Mary at Musso & Frank in Hollywood, and Sunday is for a perfectly balanced Negroni at the Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel. Always keeping it old school, of course.
Any weekend getaways?
Palm Springs, always, especially weekends with my dad. We stay at Villa Royale, sipping Champagne by the pool with the misters running, escaping the desert heat with a BLT and gelato. Evenings end with tapas and a nightcap at the property’s Del Rey speakeasy. It’s the perfect reset. The next morning, breakfast at Farm is a must, eggs Benedict, French press coffee, and the best Bloody Mary in town.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Without question, suits from Carroll Custom in Beverly Hills. John Carroll is the best of the best, old-school craftsmanship at its finest. Whenever someone asks where to get a suit made, I send them there. All my suits are custom from Carroll — they’re statement pieces that reflect and enhance personality.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My 1958 MG MGA Roadster. Nothing classier or more thrilling, an automobile with no windows or door handles, the pure definition of freedom and style.
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RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Burritos, beachside
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Paisita (Venice), Latin-leaning spot w/ vinyl records, chimichurri steak burrito, in-house sourced and roasted coffee
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