As much as I love sunny days in L.A. I love this chill in the air. Perfect for cuddling and, oh, the delicious cocktails that showcase the best flavors of the season, flavors that comfort as well as evoke special memories from this time of year: pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert, apple cider for nights…
Bartender Zahra Bates’ days at Providence are ticking down. After five years of working at the two-Michelin-star restaurant, where she was trained by Vincenzo Marianella, 2012 Spirited Awards American Bartender of the Year nominee, and where she’s made a name for herself thanks to her innovative culinary cocktails, Zahra is leaving. She wanted to free…
Tomorrow Chef Ricardo Zarate’s new fall menu debuts at his West L.A. Picca Restaurant. I scored a sneaky peek and taste of the 20 dishes this week at a media dinner, which was kinda eery considering just the week before I said that a 15-course dinner paired with cocktails was my idea of the perfect…
I’m not big on wine. Frankly, it usually knocks me out, especially red. But also because I could never really connect with it like foodies and oenophiles do. Tasting notes bewilder me. I mean, what if I DON’T taste the wood, blackberry, leather or whatever they say I should? So when I first heard about…
Beer guy Ryan Sweeney’s new bar, The Blind Donkey, opens tonight in Pasadena. But it’s not focused on craft beer. Gasp! Actually it’s all about the whiskey. 68 bottles chosen by partner John Bower who’s a whiskey guy and the one who envisioned this contribution to Old Town’s drinking scene. John felt that Pas could use…
This Tuesday there are several bars in L.A. offering Election Day drink specials, especially when you come in sporting your shiny new “I Voted” sticker. Plus many will be showing the election returns on their large flat screens. What better way to spend this evening which will no doubt be a nail biter? There’s something…
Don’t let this year’s unfortunate placement of Halloween in the middle of a work week (seriously, wtf?) stop you from celebrating your favorite holiday properly, the BOOzy way. Check out these spooky-delicious Halloween cocktails available around town tomorrow only. Cecconi’s and Compartes Chocolatier’s Cocktail Party: Satisfy your craving for bad Halloween candy (mm, fun size…
This week was the 3rd Annual Portland Cocktail Week but my first time attending. Unsurprisingly it wasn’t as hot, sticky or debaucherous as Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. Not as many crazy parties nor were there spirited dinners or tasting rooms. Just good wholesome fun…wait, I take that back, there were strippers. But…
Truth be told, I feel like crap when I don’t blog. But this week has been a busy one of boozy events like Neat’s one-year anniversary, following Simon Ford around at his guest bartending stints and covering Stone Brewing’s store opening in Pasadena. Suffice it to say that many drinks were consumed and zero blog…
If you weren’t out at Sadie in Hollywood last night for the guest bartending stint of Giuseppe Gonzalez, co-owner of tiki destination PKNY (Painkiller New York), you missed out on some goood drinking. Sadie Director of Spirits Giovanni Martinez stood back and let the New York bartender have at his barware in the front bar. This night…
