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 »Yay! My Crack blog made it onto the short list for the final contenders for “Best Los Angeles Blog”–a huge feat considering all the L.A. blogs out there. Thanks to everyone who nominated it! And thanks especially to Michael who made my being on crack look good. And now for the voting round of the…
Waiting to be ignored. Now it’s not because of an embarrassing moment or terrible food. On the contrary, the pizza was pretty good in its sinful and crispy way. Nope, this place sucked on many other levels: 1) The lights were off so it looked like the restaurant was closed. Fortunately we went during the…
Got invited to see the Wrens at the Troubadour. I have no idea who they are and apparently not many people do either. They’ve been around since 1989 and have had a string of bad luck with regards to record companies but they’re still together through it all. Playing their music and loving what they…
Ah, the lush life! My last memories of the Sunset Room were staying after a Mediabistro mixer and watching a burlesque act on stage. Wasn’t all that impressed seeing as I’d never returned. But apparently that’s all gone now and replaced by one of the many hipster steakhouses that have popped up around L.A., Sterling…
Don’t know these people, but don’t they look like they’re having dazed and confused fun? I love it when I find a “new” bar in my neighborhood and apparently Backstage is “the best dive bar in the world.” I’m not sure what exactly qualifies it as such since it seems like a typical dive bar,…
Check this out! My little Crack blog has been nominated for “Best Los Angeles Blog” for the 2005 Urban Blogging Awards. But it turns out that I need more nominations to make it in the final roster for voting so I need your help. If you likes what you see here, go to Gridskipper and…
I was getting my nails done at my fave nail place, Main Attraction, when I noticed this cute Asian girl wearing a newsboy hat with her long, straight black hair falling out of it. She was a tiny thing in little boy jeans. Since she got to the nail drying station the same time I…
Being in sunny Southern California we don’t get the sort of holidays they celebrate in the movies or Christmas songs. “Sleigh Ride, huh?” “White Christmas, what?” So it’s very exciting stuff to find out that someone put an ice skating rink in the middle of Downtown L.A. Just think, it evokes images of Rockefeller Center’s…
When I think “Bollywood” I think fabulous colors and huge musical productions. So I was really disappointed when I walked into Nirvana for its “Bollywood Nights” happy hour to find a low-lit zen sanctuary. There was no one else in the place except me, my friend and the Nirvana staff. It was a beautiful setting,…
What: “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin Who: Two very randy consenting adults. When: After a night of drinking when you’re feeling all revved up. Where: Since it grossed out my brother when I specifically named places around L.A., I’ll just say, “Anywhere–bedroom, dark alley, backseat of a ’69 Chevy Chevelle SS.” Why: That guitar…
