ROD'S TABLE: June 2013

Legendary LosAngeles designer/restaurateur Rod Dyer discusses whatever’s on his plate – art and design, dining and drinking, style and fashion, branding and marketing. Often guest stars will join him at the table.

ROD’S TABLE #1

An Insider’s Guide To Los Angeles

Owning Pane e Vino Trattoria for over 23 years, I met some of the most extraordinary and talented people in L.A.

It was a privilege. I was extremely
fortunate to have made so many friends.

I even know a lot of people I’ve never met.

_____________________________________

Ratings are on a scale of five:

__________________________________________________________

***** Must Visit **** Excellent *** Very Good ** Good * Not so good

_________________________________________________________________

The bar at Cecconi's.

CECCONI’S (****)

8764 Melrose Ave

(310)

432-2000

Cecconi’s is a beautifully designed Italian restaurant from London, located on Melrose
at Robertson.

The crowd is sophisticated and stylish. The long bar is made of white marble and is a good hang.

The bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable, and they all know how to make my favorite drink. The ‘Aperol’ cocktail was introduced at Pane e Vino 22 years ago. Back then, Aperol was impossible to get; we luckily had access others did not.

I’ll Have an Aperol!

4 oz Italian Pinot Grigio

1.5 oz Prosecco

¾ oz Aperol

A lemon twist.

photo Rod Dyer

Aperol is an Italian liqueur made from ginseng, bitter orange, rhubarb and cinchona. It was introduced in Padua in 1919 by the Barberi Company and is now produced by Campari.

______________________________________________________

OSTERIA DRAGO (*****)

8741 W. Sunset Blvd

(310) 657-1182

Celestino Drago’s new place is an excellent Italian restaurant and great addition to Sunset Strip. I have known Celestino since he opened Scalora on Rodeo Drive, and have been designing logos and graphics for him ever since. Since his first restaurant we have done many designs including La’Anancino, the original Celestino’s on Beverly Drive, and Drago in Santa Monica. Most recently my design partner, Norman Moore, and myself have rebranded Drago Enterprises.

__________________________________________________

A NEW FILM IN PRODUCTION

I’ve just designed a logo for a great friend, writer/director Harvey Keith, who’s shooting a feature film, Mobbed Up. It is based on his childhood experiences in Bath Beach, Brooklyn with the capo di tutti capi, Carlo Gambino. He used to shine Gambino’s shoes at age 8.

The film stars Robert Loggia and Costas Mandalor. Introducing Corbin Chambers who plays the boy.

__________________________________________________

A NEW BOOK

I’m photographing and designing a new book with friend and mixologist from Pane e Vino, Josh Curtis. Called Somewhere It’s Five O’Clock, Let’s Have A Cocktail, there are over 50 new cocktail recipes and many features on local LA craft bartenders. Coming soon to a bar
near you.

Here is a delicious and simple mango daiquiri.

Let the Mango Through

½ fresh mango muddled

1 oz fresh lime juice

.5 oz simple syrup

1.5 oz Cana Brava rum by the 86Co.

photo Rod Dyer

Cheers to you in 50 languages!

______________________________________________________

The first and only official release of “Little Child” appears on the Capitol album “Meet The Beatles!,” released on January 20th, 1964. Despite the surprising occurrence of a segment of the song on the track “Beatle Medley” on the documentary double-album “The Beatles’ Story,” released on November 23rd, 1964, no compilation album throughout the years thought to include the song.

When Rod Dyer came to visit us in Maui on December of 2010, while showing him the progress of The Beatles project, he looked at this design and asked: "This looks really familiar, where did you get the art for this?" After seeing that it came from this particular album coverthat was in the Beatles Source Guide, he said: "I designed that when I worked for Capitol Records in 1964!"

WWW.ACMESTUDIO.COM

For Beatles fans, I’ve worked with Acme Pens, who’ve released a series of writing instruments dedicated to the Beatles: a pen for every year they were together and a series of designs based on every album released by the Fab Four in England. The 'Union Jack' Beatles album cover I designed at Capitol Records became the pen I designed. Many have already sold out, but some are still available. The Alphabet pen and Metro pen designs are on the website.

ROD DYER has been honored by many of the top awards presented in the fields of advertising and design, including the Art Director’s clubs of New York and Los Angeles, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the International Annual of Letterhead design, the Society of Publication Designers, the ONE Show in New York, Communications Arts Magazine, and the Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards. Rod is also responsible for some of the most recognizable logos and symbols, such as the Disney Channel, Entertainment Tonight, Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Heaven, MCA, Gramercy Pictures, Surround Sound, and graphics for Guess Jeans, just to name a few.