For those who absolutely cannot wait til Christmas — eff Thanksgiving, you say — Melrose Umbrella Co. is already all decked out for the holidays. And I mean, ALL. DECKED. OUT. The Miracle on Melrose Avenue bar is only one of about 100 of the Miracle Pop-Up Bars around the world: 94 in the U.S….
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I refuse to put up Christmas decorations when Thanksgiving hasn’t even come and gone yet. But one thing I will allow in anticipation of the holidays are the cocktails. Beautiful, rich, cozy, festive-inspired holiday cocktails. And Big Bar in Los Feliz just kicked off their new holiday menu, which includes three hot cocktails and a…
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Quick, what’s your favorite L.A. movie and which cocktail would you pair with it? If it’s Amy Heckerling’s Clueless then you’re in luck! On August 19, as part of its summer pop-up series, ArcLight Hollywood is hosting swank West Hollywood cocktail bar, Bibo Ergo Sum, in its Balcony Bar. And the talented bar crew crafted…
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Nowadays, a cocktail bar has to do more than simply follow a classic cocktail template to turn heads. Housemade ingredients and a strong garnish game aren’t going to cut it anymore. Besides, there are so many great bars with new ones practically opening every day, not to mention the breadth of talented bartenders in L.A….
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Looking for something fun and different — with a touch of nerdiness — to serve at your holiday party? Lucky for you barman Christopher Day (Bar Tribute, Redbird) created this recipe for a boozy butterbeer. Your Harry Potter-loving guests will squeal. It’s no coincidence that this recipe uses a butter-washed Black Cow Vodka as Chris…
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It’s no secret that brunch is my absolute favorite meal. I look forward to it all week because what could be better than having both breakfast AND cocktails? If only it was every day. Throw that in with an outdoor patio where I can bring my dog Mya and I’m in heaven. The Pikey‘s patio…
They say you can’t please everyone all the time but a good mixologist’s cocktail menu will always make sure to offer a variety from the approachable to the boozy. And at Corner Door in Culver City barman Beau du Bois has done it again with his new spring cocktail menu. “I tried to inject a…
Leave it to the bartender shuffle to make you fall in love with a mixologist and their cocktails at your new favorite bar, just to have them disappear on you. Well, Jaymee Mandeville, the creator of cocktail favorites like the Night and the City and the American Cherub, has left Drago Centro for the bright…
The brick-and-mortar CoolHaus Shop in Culver City has lots of cool things going for it over its truck counterpart. Not only does it serve San Francisco’s Blue Bottle Coffee but it has a Mason Jar program where you can mix ice cream with stuff like hot chocolate, coffee, or hot chocolate AND coffee. But, I…
Annual food event Pebble Beach Food & Wine is a haven for any well-to-do foodist (and the occasional lucky blogger). It’s where celebrity chefs from around the country show off their best dishes and acclaimed winemakers their best vino via the various dinners, parties and seminars. Since this was my first time at PBFW, I…
It’s no secret that I never really liked the cocktails at Freddy Smalls in West L.A. Overly fussy concoctions which tried too hard without really succeeding in tasting good. Thank goodness for the new bar guy. Johan Stein replaced Dave Fleisher back in February and has stripped down the drink list from a “what the…
The brunch is back! Roy Choi’s Sunny Spot in Venice stopped its weekend brunch during the cold seasons because apparently people wimp out when the marine layer swoops in. (Raises hand.) But now Chef Choi and crew relaunched everyone’s favorite day drinking opportunity. Your favorite brunch dishes have returned, like the Two-Fisted Cheeseburger and the…
Every smart man knows that one of the many things you NEVER ask a woman, along with how much she weighs or how old she is, is if it’s THAT time of the month. Unless, of course, you’re talking about this hot lady bartender shindig tonight, in which case, ask away. Yes, it IS that…
I felt like I was movin’ on up when I got the invite to the four-day 6th Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine food festival (April 4-7). I mean, that’s fancy pants, right? Pebble Beach, a picturesque seaside enclave, is known for events like the high-falutin car show, Concours d’Elegance, for chrissakes. The affluent residents’…
West L.A.’s Sotto restaurant just debuted its new spring cocktail menu by bartenders Julian Cox and Nick Meyer this past Wednesday and the stars of the list are the trio of bottled carbonated cocktails aka the “Sotto Pops.” How cute is that? Carbonated and bottled craft cocktails, a cocktail trend first introduced by Portland’s Jeffrey…
