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Reza Farahan Thought He Was Going to a "Super Cool" Speakeasy, Ended Up in Apartment With Carpeting Instead
"It was ridiculous," says the #Shahs star.
"Surface bitch" Reza Farahan (his words, not ours!) isn't used to slumming it. So when Going Off the Menu host Graham Elliot told him they were checking out an underground speakeasy, he was expecting something major.
"I'm thinking this is like Prohibition, the Roaring 20s, it's gonna be like, red leather distressed club chairs, and an old bartender that's super cool and has made drinks for Winston Churchill and s***," the Shahs of Sunset star said in an interview with The Feast. Instead? "We end up in Glendale."
Pause.
For those who aren't familiar, Glendale is a nondescript suburb that's pretty far out from the center of Los Angeles. It's considered kind of…the opposite of "super cool." Boring, even. It's clearly not Reza's 'hood of choice.
"I was literally looking around, thinking, OK, this is the portion where I'm getting punked? No!" he clarified
The two were at a top-secret speakeasy in an apartment complex in Glendale called El Tigre Magnifico. Co-founders Matt and Cary host small invite-only gatherings in their home, serving up artisanal handcrafted cocktails. To score an invite, you need to follow their Instagram account and "do something weird to get in," explained Graham.
In this case, Reza had to create some artwork—a drawing of a tiger riding a dinosaur through a prehistoric cocktail forest (no, we didn't make that up)—with crayons.
While Reza ended up loving the bespoke cocktails, he still wasn't sold on the "speakeasy" moniker. "We ended up in an apartment with two guys and carpet. I haven't been in an apartment with carpet since I was in college. Like, it was ridiculous," he said. "Mind you they made delicious drinks, but the fact that they have the nerve to call it a speakeasy and make me draw a f***ing picture so I can get in?"
Clearly, Reza was impressed with the co-founders' moxie. "That was my most amazing Going Off the Menu" experience, he said, adding that it was his favorite because it was "so strange."
It might even have been worth the drive to Glendale.
Bravotv.com’s digital series Going Off the Menu takes viewers on an exclusive culinary adventure as host Graham Elliot uncovers the most delicious offerings within Los Angeles’ underground food scene. From a secret supper club serving smuggled cheeses to an eight-course liquid dinner, join Lance Bass, Cheryl Burke, Reza Farahan, and more as they give fans the secrets to unlock these extraordinary food experiences.
