As far back as Kenny Okada can remember, he was behind the bar. “My mom was a bartender. When I was little she would take me to work with her and I would run around behind the bar before the place opened,” he recalled.
Today, Okada is a bartender himself at Culinary Dropout at the Hard Rock Hotel. “When you sit at my bar, you’re my guest for the whole night,” he said. “I want to get to know you, and I want you to get to know me.”
The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native, was part of the opening team at Culinary Dropout. “I’ve always been a people person, always got in trouble at school for talking and joking. I was that guy,” Okada said, laughing. But now that type of personality attracts people to Okada; he has the confidence, ease and friendliness that one would hope a bartender would have. “I always say: Just be yourself, don’t put up a front and never judge a book by its cover.”
That mantra falls perfectly in line with Culinary Dropout. Employees get to wear their own outfits—there are no uniforms—and the environment is kept friendly and comfortable.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
“Culinary Dropout is like you’re at a house party, but with great service. You can come here have a full meal—crab legs, oysters, steak and a bottle of wine—or you can come in and have a paper bag special, a mystery beer for $3 in a paper bag. It covers all the bases.”
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Culinary Dropout’s dozen-plus handcrafted cocktails contain fresh fruit, herbs, vegetables, spices and house-made syrups. In honor of Guns N’ Roses residency at The Joint next door, they’ve dedicated one of their specialty drinks to the band. Available through June 7, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door mixes house-made apricot sour, Grand Marnier and a special blend of Angel’s Envy bourbon that can only be found at Culinary Dropout.
