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 »No one knows where he will strike but prolific stencil graffiti artist Banksy (aka Robert Banks) from Bristol, England, will make a much anticipated “Barely Legal” L.A. appearance (or at least his work will) on September 15-17 at a super secret location that won’t be disclosed until the day of the event. Check his site September 15 to find out where….
Flickr Shot by Sosidesc The big weekend is coming up: Labor Day Weekend, the end of summer. Le sigh. Wanna get out of town without having to deal with airline hassles or freeway gridlock on your last beautiful weekend? Have you thought about taking a train? The one time I took AmTrak (and I’ve been meaning to take…
I ain’t a gambler but I was still looking forward to Vegas in L.A. way back in April ever since Dan from CozmoCard told me about it. Wine and food tastings, a dj, and partyers hoping to evoke Sin City in Santa Monica — sounded like a blast. My friend Dre, a foodie and wine…
I’m finally taking the plunge. I’m going to start training for next year’s L.A. Marathon, something as a 15-year Angeleno I’ve wanted to do but had always put off until “I got in better shape” or “could run farther than 5 miles.” My friend Jules motivated me to join her in registering with the L.A. Roadrunners, a training program that…
The too-hot-to-trot Hollywood scene seems to have found its way to Brentwood, with Katsuya taking over the old El Dorado restaurant on San Vicente. And I just had to see how Sam Nazarian’s newish venture, a Philippe Starck-designed sushi restaurant showcasing master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi’s talents, heats up an old, almost-forgotten space. Gone are…
Every year the Sunset Junction Street Fair comes around and every year I feel its pull of its music, food and people but then dismiss it. Too far, too crowded, too much stress. It’s easy for me to dismiss since I live in West L.A. but now that my friend Julie has opened up my…
Last year Ma’Kai Lounge in Santa Monica was one of those places that almost made it on my list of places I would never show my face in again because of its ugly-people meat market situation and weak, high-priced drinks. I forget how it escaped the list but that was so long ago. And I…
I used to love cooking, baking and entertaining but ever since I fell out of love with my kitchen, I stopped cooking altogether. Fortunately, my foodie friend Julie turned me onto Hipcooks.com. Her friend Monika teaches cooking classes out of her loft in the Brewery district. There she’ll school an intimate number of students in…
My friend Saucy Burnaz (his drinking name) has the same basic rituals every Sunday and this time he kindly enough invited me along to witness his fancy day of rest. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone enjoy L.A. quite in this neo-Rat Pack kinda way before. Saucy Sundays start with a dry steam…
Last night my peeps from LA.com threw yet another one of their wonderful free-drinks-and-appetizers parties promoting their food newsletter, Fooditude. They always pick a hot new restaurant for the venue and this time it was at Holly’s West in Santa Monica; the Westside sister to Hollywood hotspot Holly’s. Hollywood Holly’s is popular among the poopular Hollywood kids…
