It’s no secret that I never really liked the cocktails at Freddy Smalls in West L.A. Overly fussy concoctions which tried too hard without really succeeding in tasting good. Thank goodness for the new bar guy. Johan Stein replaced Dave Fleisher back in February and has stripped down the drink list from a “what the…
Tomorrow Chef Ricardo Zarate’s new fall menu debuts at his West L.A. Picca Restaurant. I scored a sneaky peek and taste of the 20 dishes this week at a media dinner, which was kinda eery considering just the week before I said that a 15-course dinner paired with cocktails was my idea of the perfect…
I really like Freddy Smalls Bar and Kitchen. I really do. The new gastropub by Jeff Weinstein (founder of The Counter) boasts a menu by Chef Charlie Parker (formerly of San Francisco’s Plum) and its cocktail program was created by a Seven Grand pedigreed mixologist, David Fleisher. Its location on Pico Boulevard fills a hole…
I knew my beloved Taro Coconut was doomed from the start of this week’s Scoops Westside ice cream election on Facebook. Maple Whiskey was its rival after all. Bloggers (who seem to comprise the vocal majority of the ice cream shop’s fan base) love booze and they especially seem to love whiskey. So Maple Whiskey…
Mya was scheduled to die today. She had been at the West LA Animal Shelter since July and her time was up. “They can’t live here,” said one of the shelter volunteers. She had a point. The West LA shelter isn’t exactly no kill but they do keep their animals longer than most other shelters….
Wally’s Wine debuted its adjacent cheese store, Cheese Box, earlier this summer, but I just recently checked it out for the first time. What took so long? I have a love-hate relationship with cheese. Anyhoo, when I stopped by the West LA booze shop for party supplies, I figured I’d try out one of the…
The Wine House’ Road Trip 2010 has lined up what’s probably one of the best destinations ever for a party bus and it’s only a 12.4-mile bus ride away. On Thursday, March 11 the Westside wine store is presenting a very special evening at the not-yet-opened First & Hope Supper Club, hosted by Tomas Estes…
Looking for a way to kill some time before you hit the CF that is the 405? BLVD 16 at Hotel Palomar on the Wilshire Corridor in Westwood has a surprisingly budget-friendly “rush hour” happy hour for a swank-looking setting. The small plates range in price from $3 to $5 and you can even get…
