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…
Continue Reading »Since I’m not in the industry, I’ve never really been into the Oscars, not even for the red carpet action. But I have attended a few Oscar viewing parties simply for the camaraderie, gambling and food. Food was usually the Trader Joe variety not that there’s anything wrong with that. But I’ve got a couple…
Flickr Shot by Revolute I love Mondays off. Yesterday I actually got to watch a soap opera for the first time in 14 years. It’s good to know that I’m not really missing anything there. Anyhow, here’s my post vacation state of mind. Cool-sounding upcoming “food” events: the beer tasting at Surfas on 2/20, a…
After a not-so-great brunch experience at the Boulevard Lounge, I returned but for dinner this time. I met up with my friend Nancy who then introduced me to the chef/owner Michael Bourseau, who never brought up that less-than-stellar review I gave his place that other time. But in all fairness, I was crazy about the…
Flickr Shot by Revolute aka Crazy Andy Two more girls and two more fun dates… Date #3: Chrystine Andy had originally intended to take Chrystine out to House of Blues Gospel Brunch but the event was sold out so they rescheduled the date. Since it was for a Monday night, there really wasn’t much going…
Ugh, I’m still recovering from last weekend…and why is Valentine’s Day so tiring? Anyway, here are some stuff for you to do. Friday, February 15 DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist’s Hard Sell Tour I caught these two at their Hollywood Bowl show last summer and they were pretty darn good and innovative. That’s the first…
Flickr Shot by Sparktography I know you’ve probably been wondering, “What ever happened to that nice boy, Crazy Andy, and his quest to find a Valentine?” Well, I had a chance to catch up with Andy after his whirlwind week of crackdates — four girls in less than a week! — and pressed him about…
Flickr Shot by dotsara (detail) Ever wanted to throw a cocktail party, something so swank that it would put Holly Golightly and Sinatra to shame? My cocktail parties always involve simple Trader Joe appetizers and vodka and whiskey with mixers. Sure, my friends probably didn’t care but it’s always better to do things with style….
I feel really guilty that I didn’t blog today or this past weekend for that matter considering that I took a Hipcooks cocktail class at the new Westside location, I tried the Sunday prix-fixe dinner at the “redesigned” Violet and sampled many new cocktails. But since I’ve come down with an annoying cold/flu or whatever…
Fellas, I hate to tell you this but Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, next Thursday to be exact. But don’t panic, I have some ideas about how you can still save the day. Nope, not restaurant suggestions. You can find those here or here. Rather, treats and stuff. If none of these work…well…
Flickr Shot by davidg I don’t know about you but this weekend looks like it’s going to be soo fun! Not only is there going to be lots of celebrating for the new year in Chinatown but there’s a warehouse sale, a kid in the hall, derby girls and a tequila tasting to name a…
