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 »This weekend is Los Angeles Times‘ The Taste event, a citywide food fest, with the big event all weekend at Paramount Studios. But for you, my crackheads, I’m giving away a pair of tickets to this Friday’s cocktail-fabulous event, Art of Mixing. Admission is $125 and will get you unlimited tastings from 30 restaurants (Eva…
Finally, another reason to visit Century City, other than the mall! Across the street in the old Kula space is new sports bar/restaurant SmithHouse Tap & Grill by Curtis Nysmith (Capitol City). Yeah, I was skeptical of it at first, too, especially since I was not a fan of Capitol City. But when word got…
Being a foodist, you get pretty particular…OK, anal about your restaurant experience. Does the server fill your water glass in a timely manner, does the waitress give you a five-minute warning before last call for happy hour, how’s the price-to-portion ratio? So when I come across a restaurant where the overpriced food is less than…
Thursday, August 25 Locals’ Hour at Playa Learn from one of the best in the cocktail biz, Angeleno Magazine’s “Best New Mixologist” Julian Cox. He’ll teach you some of his trade secrets for you to try at your own cocktail parties. Best part is that the class is free and you can imbibe the lesson…
So when I moved in to my new home, I found a huge stash of Coronas and Bud Lights (with lime flavoring nonetheless) tucked away in one of the kitchen cupboards. (Does that mean the house was blessed or cursed?) What was I going to do with all this crappy beer that not even the…
You’ve had a tough day and you really want to treat yourself to make it all better. Best way to indulge? Chow down on the decadent lobster mac and cheese at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Hollywood. Yup, this craft beer bar not only features 24 awesome beers on tap at any given time but it…
Our L.A. bartenders are back from Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and boy, are they beat. Lots of cocktailing, partying, schmoozing, debauchery…and cocktailing in humid, high temperatures. Fortunately, Aidan Demarest of Hollywood Roosevelt’s Spare Room knows just how to cure what ails them. Next Tuesday the 30th, he’s throwing an exclusive pool party…
Tomorrow, August 23 on the Sundance Channel’s “Ludo Bites America,” L.A.’s pop-up king, Chef Ludo Lefebvre, is taking his cross-country Ludo Bites back to SoCal when he sets up shop in, Casa Pulido, a family-run Mexican restaurant in Redondo Beach. I got a sneak peek of the episode thanks to Sundance and it was the…
Look out weekend cuz here I come… Thursday, August 18 Napa Valley Grille’s Taste Foursquare Happy Hour Get a delicious (and wallet-friendly) sneaky peek of Executive Chef Joseph Gillard’s Heritage Pork Belly he created for September 4th’s “Fashion Bites Brunch” during the Westwood restaurant’s happy hour (Monday-Saturday 3-7pm and 9pm-12am, Sunday 3-11pm). This is part…
The much anticipated Bouchon Bakery Beverly Hills opens to the public tomorrow, August 17, but I (along with other media types) was granted a (hosted) sneak peek to this French pastry paradise today. Situated at the lower level of the grand entrance to Thomas Keller’s Bouchon restaurant (talk about impulse buys) in Beverly Hills, the…
