On the biggest drinking night of the year when even the light drinkers may tipple in too much champagne, it’s just smart to have a backup to your backup designated driver. Because, come on, it’s the new year and everyone is going to celebrate till they just can’t celebrate no mo. Just make sure you have the following info handy so you can get home safely and live to see 2007. With a selection of offers for free tows and free metro rides as well as an option for your own personal driver, you’ve got no reason to get behind the wheel this NYE.
This past summer on one of those beautifully hot days (remember those? le sigh), me and my bro, a WeHo inhabitant, wanted to get a cold & tasty treat so he decided to take me to Pinkberry, a yogurt shop in his hood. But when we got there there was a long-ass line of Pinkberry faithfuls stretching out the door onto the sidewalk. On other hot days following, we tried going there again only to be met with the same impossibly long queue of yogurt addicts. And what was eerie was that none of them seem peeved to be standing in a long, slow-moving line in the hot sun. Instead they all shared that same glazed-over, expressionless look you see on cult members. Online, the Pinkberry cult is out in full effect as reviews tout this all-natural, non-fat dessert option’s real-yogurt-ness. Even then I was eh about it. It’s yogurt, what’s the big deal?
After the biggest celebration of the year, no doubt you’ll be suffering from the biggest hangover of the year. Fortunately, Downtown LA’s Golden Gopher has the cure for what ails you: an all night happy hour on January 1st! So thoughtful!
From 5pm to 2am, the Gopher will serve up $4 well cocktails, $3 PBRs and $6 Low Lifes. I recommend enjoying your cocktails on one of the plush couches on the outdoor patio (lay your coat down first), best on the rare occasion when there are no smokers around. There’s nothing like stretching out and looking up at the bit of night sky that isn’t obscured by the tall surrounding buildings to get a real feel for the city.
EVENT: MONDAY, JANUARY 1 from 5pm to 2am
Golden Gopher
417 West 8th Street
Los Angeles, California 90014
(213) 614-9909
Flickr Shot by JToddM
New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and you and your honey are getting pressed for time on what to do to celebrate. ‘Cept you two don’t want anything too crazy like having to count down in the middle of a mob at Giant Maximus or Gridlock. Perhaps a six-course dinner topped off with a champagne toast at midnight might be more your scene. And maybe if you’re feeling a little adventurous, some dancing? The following L.A. restaurants, which apparently still have available reservations even at this 11th hour, present lovely ways to count down when you just want it one on one.
Stranded in L.A. during Christmas because your immediate family is an unaffordable plane ticket away? Consider yourself the lucky one because 1) you don’t have to deal with the horror that is holiday travel and 2) you can spend the 25th nursing a luscious Toasted Marshmallow while singing your favorite Xmas songs with other orphaned Angelenos during the Bigfoot Lodge’s very special holiday Rock-n-Roll Karaoke. Lucky!
Christmas karaoke at my family gettogethers consists of my Auntie Nina’s cat-yowling rendition of Pat Boone’s “April Love” and my mom’s tearful interpretation of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” all while accompanied by cheesy karaoke videos and ’70s-style synthesizers. Ay yah! Don’t worry, I’ll be sucking down the nog and Malibu Rum to numb the pain. But you, my friends, will get to hang out with hip people who are around your own age and may even get to hear some pretty good performances.
If you get there a bit before the show, consider driving through the DWP Holiday Light Festival in Griffith Park for some holiday inspiration. Merry Christmas to all and to all a rockin’ good night.
EVENT: MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 from 10pm to 2am
Bigfoot Lodge
3172 Los Feliz Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90039
(323) 662-9227
Remember them?
Months ago I wrote about how Shutterfly sent the wrong picture to my mom for Mother’s Day. Instead of an old family portrait she got a 16×20 portrait of unknown twin babies taking a bath. Well, I have been trying to get my hands on this odd canvas picture ever since then but my parents, much to my dismay, thought they threw it away. But when I came back up to Sacramento for the Christmas holiday my mom surprised me by presenting the long-lost portrait.
It’s so hiliarous…and yet kinda cute. But after much thought, I can’t keep it cuz, really, where would I put it? My mom suggested that I put it up in my bathroom but that would be a really weird thing for a single girl who really doesn’t like kids to display, wouldn’t it? So I decided to give this strange bit of PINSMFA “memorabilia” away. So whomever wants it — collectors of cute, Anne Geddes fans, etc. — just leave a comment here or if you want to be more discreet, drop me a line (caro @ carolineoncrack.com), and consider it my Xmas present to you. I think whomever ordered this picture for real must have paid about $140 since that’s how much we paid for the real family portrait, but you can pick this beauty up for free. I just want the kids to go to a good home where someone will appreciate them. Or is this picture too weird for anyone except people who know said twins?
You want to kill someone, don’t you? You probably had it up to here with those dysfunctional family gettogethers and stressful holiday shopping mob scenes where you could only scream inside your head. Take out that frustration by taking in a double feature of bad-ass cops beating up and blasting away some bad guys who really had it coming. Ah, sweet justice. The New Beverly Cinema will be showing Bullitt and Dirty Harry before, during and after Christmas.
Watching some ultraviolence dealt out by the likes of uber men, McQueen & Eastwood, will be just the thing after being beaten down by the cranky crowds of last-minute shoppers at the Beverly Center or the Grove. Remember that infamous nail-biting car chase through the streets of San Francisco with Bullitt and the Mustang or when Harry asked a punk a very important question via his .44 Magnum? Do you feel better already? Well, do ya…punk? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
EVENT: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 at 3:20pm
MONDAY-TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25-26 at 7:30pm
7165 West Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90036
(323) 938-4038
Admission: $7 general, $6 students
