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 (detail) by Sgt. Gooch You know you’ve always been curious but probably played it off by making fun of them when you passed the photography studio in the mall. Admit it, though, secretly you wondered how you’d look in a Glamour Shot. Cheesy background, cheesy Sears Catalog smile, chin on back of your…
Flickr Shot by youthlarge I’m sooo not into baseball, but I’m big into eating a hot dog, maybe some factory-cheese nachos and downing it with a giant beer all while watching a baseball game in Dodger Stadium. I don’t get to do it too often, if at all, but with the new all-you-can-eat deal at…
Flickr Shot by dotsara Finally! The end. When I first thought up this contest, it sounded like a fun thing to do. I created special evaluation sheets for each store and each cupcake, rating frosting flavor, cupcake attractiveness, cake flavor and moistness, price and size, and even customer service and display at the store. I…
One of my favorite movies evuh! is playing tonight at one of my fave Hollywood bars evuh! Tiny’s K.O. for tonight’s Movie Monday night. AND they have happy-hour priced food to snack on while you watch the fall of the Heathers and maybe even quote along. My fave? “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw.” Heathers…
Flickr Shot by dotsara Taste tester #6: Beth Qualifications: Beth has enjoyed eating ever since she grew her first set of teeth. She makes it a point to eat at yummy restaurants and bakeries all over the world. As an L.A. native, she has eaten a whole lot around this fine city. She also loves…
Kids in the Hall are back! OK, not really, but I’ll take what I can get dammit. Seems my fave Kids, Scott Thompson and Kevin McDonald, are using the Steve Allen Theater as their outlet for their comedy since the TV show is long gone and they still wanna make people laugh. Scott will be…
Flickr Shot by dotsara Taste tester #5: Donna D. Qualifications: Growing up in the food business, Donna refined her palate at an early age. Her father had a cheesesteak and pizza shop in Philadelphia and her two sisters have a luncheonette they run together in New Jersey. She can spot a bogus cheesesteak pretender a…
Flickr Shot by dotsara Taste tester #4: Emilia. Qualifications: Emilia is a “huge fan of cupcakes” and her favorite foods include wasabi, lizano, cholula. “Okay,” she says, “they’re not foods but I love spicy. Oh, and I hate red velvet cakes and mint cupcakes.” Cupcake challenger #4: Hotcakes Bakes in Mar Vista. Emilia kept insisting…
I learned a lot about myself tonight. That I can sit next to a bunch of strangers at dinner and find something to talk about. That I regard myself as “shadowy” and “cool” and my friends as “time bandits” with “tiny hands.” And that I can actually enjoy a meal of roasted rabbit. Thus was…
Flickr Shot by dotsara Taste tester #3: Valerie. Qualifications: Valerie is the creative genius behind a much lauded remodel of the traditional food pyramid. Her innovative approach favors beer as the primary starch/grain, and incorporates cookies and pie instead of fruits and vegetables (regardless of whether the pies have fruit in them). She attributes her…
