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 »Flickr Shot by Wellcome to Darkman’s world (detail) It’s that time of year when you gotta start thinking of coming out of your dull winter skin. Too bad that usually means taking a pumice stone to your heels since spa treatments cost so darn much. Fortunately, Spa Week is here again where you can get…
Last night I attended my first ever Guerrilla Gay Bar event. This one took place at Brennan’s Irish Pub in Marina Del Rey on a Thursday night instead of the usual weekend night. Apparently this was a risky switch since lots of people wrote to the GGB HQ complaining the venue was so far from…
Flickr Shot by itsxtian So the communique from GGB HQ has come in and Thursday’s target is Brennan’s Irish Pub in Marina Del Rey. I’m so excited about it. Ever since I heard about Guerrilla Gay Bar takeovers from Jonathan via comments on my Bar Lubitsch post, I’ve been wanting to check it out myself….
First off, I guess I was unclear in my last post about Montana Lounge. Actually, SBE still owns the space and is using it until the Hillston Restaurant Group takes over and turns it into Cafe R&D. SBE is just keeping the liquor license active. This is all according to an insider source. She said…
What’s a good doughnut supposed to taste like? I thought that Frittelli’s Doughnuts & Coffee in Beverly Hills — self-proclaimed “Best Doughnuts in L.A.” — would be able to tell me but I was disappointingly wrong. Ever since I first heard about their designer doughnuts, way back when I had gone on a brief hiatus…
After about half an hour at Edison, Andy and I took off for the Hive Gallery’s 2nd anniversary party. I knew nothing about it except that there was art, food, drinks, music, it has apparently been around for two years and this exhibit runs through April 29. Suggested cover was $7 but, hey, it was…
Last night I met up with Andy from LAist, or as I like to call him “Crazy Andy” — you’d have to know him to understand — for some Eastside barhopping action. The mission? Go where I’ve never gone before and revisit new faves since I rarely get to go to this part of town….
Remember the advent of the cosmo and how suddenly a slew of sweet “martinis” popped up at posh bars and restaurants everywhere? Well I guess the “martini” cocktail has metamorphosed yet again with the arrival of what I’m calling spice rack martinis: cocktails that use unusual-for-a-cocktail taste enhancers other than sugar and chocolate powder. The…
I kid. You’re cute, what’s your name? I feel like you already know a lot about me, now tell me about you. As much as you want to tell. I won’t pry, just the following questions. Short answers are fine but if you want to expand, yay! Judging from the comments, I know there are…
After Bodega De Cordova, I dropped by Milk on Beverly Boulevard, known for its ice cream, ice cream bars, ice cream bonbons and ice cream sandwiches. I didn’t realize how wonderful a place this really was until I was standing in front of the freezer case licking the glass that was separating me from the…
