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 »What: “Lost Cause” by Beck Who: Stranded Angelenos staring at rainy days through their windows. When/Where: Today! or any ol’ rainy day when you’re stuck indoors. Why: This song is so sad and mellow. I can just imagine sitting on a couch watching the drops of rain run down the window pane. You want to…
Since I’m not going on a pub crawl on this here alcoholiday and will in fact be on the road to SF, I thought I’d just list some of my favorite drinks to raise a virtual glass toasting all the drunk bastards out there on St. Patrick’s Day. Irish Car Bomb: So good when it…
Flickr Shot by dotsara I am not a fan of the big alcoholidays: Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day, New Year’s Eve…Labor Day. I just hate the crowds of drunk people. Crowds of drunk people on a Thursday night, fine. But on a night especially dedicated to getting plastered? No thanks. That’s why I chose…
Mmmm ::salivating:: cream puffs. The first time I came across this in Hollywood & Highland, I walked right past it on my way out the mall, not realizing that I was in the presence of pastry greatness. Then I read somewhere about this awesome cream puff store that’s big in Japan and just opened up…
I’ve read about these “Bring Your Own iPod” nights in other cities like London, Chicago and New York but not in L.A. Until now. Saints & Sinners is hosting their very own “Bring Your Own Fucking iPod Night” on Tuesdays. Here’s the deal: 1. Program your On the Go or a Playlist for a 25-30-minute…
First off, the concert was awesome and it feels like I waited a long time to see Goldfrapp in concert even though I just started liking them last year when my personal music supervisor introduced them to me. Goldfrapp’s songs, I found, make me feel like playing dress-up, from a disco queen (“Beautiful“) to a…
Flickr shot by aka Mermaid — obviously NOT in MDR I’ve always wanted to try this out: kayaking in the marina. Of course now that temperatures have dropped down in the 40s and it might even rain again I’m not sure how good of an idea this is, but if you want to wait for…
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the Arclight is the best movie theater in all of La-la Land. It’s a church of film for those serious about movie watching. They won’t let slackers in after the previews start, ushers are on hand to show you to your seat or tell…
When I worked on Wilshire and San Vicente (Eastside) years ago, a favorite after-work spot was The Dog, a.k.a. El Coyote Cafe. I never really understood why because the food wasn’t all that impressive to me but apparently after being around as long as this place has been, this L.A. institution is allowed to have…
My friend Bernadette and I love to catch up over weekend brunch and one Saturday morning she suggested Bluebird Bakery in Culver City. She had read that they had a great bakery as well as many breakfast items. Excited, we drove all the way over there to discover to our dismay that cute little Bluebird…
