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 Arnold Pouteau I don’t consider myself a runner at all. Sure, I run on the treadmill at the gym when I can, but I don’t run outside, I don’t have fancy running shoes, I don’t even run after taxis. But a couple of co-workers for some reason asked me to be on…
Flickr shot by roo.db One of my favorite classes in high school physical ed, apart from square dancing, was archery. I loved wearing the arm guard, making sure the string didn’t thwack my forearm and hitting a bull’s eye. I always felt like an Amazon or something–so empowering. And imagine my joy when I discovered…
It was after a couple of drinks at the Air Conditioned Lounge, my new favorite place, when we sauntered over to Lares for some late-night margaritas since we didn’t want to get in the car to drive to the Arsenal and it was too far to walk down to 310 on this intermittently rainy night….
Asstrolo-G, aka my brother Gerard, has been an enthusiast of celestial bodies since he was 7 when he scrutinized the night sky with his high-powered telescope, and his love of stars naturally transitioned to asstrology once he moved to L.A. Having studied the new age science for 12 years, he’s become adept at doing people’s…
My folks surprised us with a visit this weekend and since they are usually big fans of TGIFridays and Chili’s and my bro and I aren’t, we had to come up with an alternative that would make everyone happy. Answer? C&O Trattoria. Yes, it’s not American cuisine but who doesn’t love Italian food? From CitySearch:…
Flickr shot by HitsHerMark True, it may be put together by students but they’re last-quarter Art Institute culinary students which means if they’re cooking in Bistro 31, they have previously honed their skills. Reviews I’ve read compliment the excellent fare but put down the chefs as servers. You have to call ahead to reserve a…
Apparently, the Russian neighborhood around the Fairfax district in West Hollywood wasn’t a great place to put a Goth nightclub, as The Parlour Club, a Goth-inspired haunt, has been replaced by a more appropriate vodka bar called Bar Lubitsch. Having not checked out the place myself yet and finding nothing on this bar in any…
Press “Play” Tickets for Goldfrapp at the Wiltern on March 11th went on sale this morning via the Internet. That’s right, if you were waiting to stand in line at a Ticketmaster on Friday at noon and wanted Loge seats, you are out of luck. Loge (at least seats together) is sold out. But single…
An hour of free cocktails? I’m in! One of my favorite L.A. guides, LA.com, is throwing a party at downtown’s gangster swank (Bugsy not Busta) hotspot, the Broadway Bar on February 23rd in celebration of Downtown L.A.’s burgeoning nightlife scene. They’re kicking off the evening with a free happy hour courtesy of Han Vodka. Sure,…
Happy Valentine’s Day! Make way for the cheese. What: “At Last” by Etta JamesWho: For all you young lovers out there on this Valentine’s Day. When/Where: After that romantic V-Day dinner when you go for an evening stroll with your sweetheart along the beach and then spontaneously slow dance together under the full moon. Why:…
