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If you live in Silver Lake you are probably aware of the symbiotic business relationship between Gingergrass and Silverlake Wine. Servers at the Vietnamese restaurant regularly send customers across the street to the wine shop for spirits and Silverlake Wine stocks beverages that pair well with chef Mako Antonishek’s dishes.

Needless to say, when Gingergrass’ public notice of application for a liquor license appeared in the front door this week, I was slightly alarmed. Less worried about a potential uptick in drunken traffic (the Red Lion is also half-way up the block) I was more concerned that a disjunction was developing between the two new shops.

A Gingergrass server told me last night that the application was posted on Monday. Gingergrass’ owner Jim hopes to have the application approved within a month. In the meantime, the restaurant is strictly following code. That means, unlike before, if diners bring their own alcoholic beverages into the restaurant they won’t be allowed to open and drink them on the premises. The server also said that Jim didn’t think that having a liquor license would negatively impact Silverlake Wine because “the place is already packed with (four) weekly wine tastings.”

I also talked to Randy at Silverlake Wine who was only a little less sunny about the pending license. He said something like, “It’s very hard to make a profit on food alone and we want to see them do well.” Silverlake Wine is actually sponsoring Gingergrass’ license, he said, which means Silverlake Wine will conceive of the beer and wine selections, and thereby enhance dealings with their own distributors. Whether or not Gingergrass’ ability to sell liquor will cause a noticeable drop-off in Silverlake Wine’s business remains to be seen, but right now both parties seem to be pretty optimistic about the plan.