Monthly Archives: March 2008

Dear Caroline on Crack: Afternoon Tea Under $20?

Shot of Afternoon Tea at the Biltmore (not under $20)

I love it when my friends ask me for advice. This one came via IM.

New Mama: Advice, Ms. Crack? (Yes, my friends still refer to me as “Ms. Crack.”)

Me: k

New Mama: My sister is throwing me a baby shower. I wanted something tea-like. small hotel garden or some shit like that. But my sister just moved here and knows of zero, so i’m trying to help her out (although technically i’m not supposed to, but who cares). About 15-20 people.

Me: Well there’s Huntington Library ($24.95), Biltmore ($28 Victorian Tea; $32 with sherry, Kir or sparkling wine; $48 with Laurent Perrier champagne). But let me dig around.

Cash Only Sample Sale at the Beauty Bar

Flickr Shot by Zabowski

Flickr Shot by Zabowski

Ever see a bar in the light of day? Not a pretty sight. But it sure can be if there are lots of fashionable goodies for sale. The Beauty Bar in Hollywood will be hosting a cash only sample sale pre-usual-drinking hours where you can get deals off the likes of Goorin, OBEY, Akomplice, Mishka and Reason. For example Goorin hats are priced $10-$30 instead of regular $25-$100.

But remember, they only take cash. And apparently you can order cocktails after 11am. Drinking and shopping before noon? That’s hard-core.

EVENT: SATURDAY, APRIL 5 and SUNDAY, APRIL 6 from 10am to 5pm

Beauty Bar
1638 N Cahuenga Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)
(323) 464-7676

Press Releases That Caroline on Crack Forgot

So I’ve been fortunate that publicists have actually put me on their “media” list so that I get a heads-up about upcoming events/products/venues they’re promoting. For the ones that sound rilly cool to me, I’ll excitedly write a post about ‘em. Surrrre! But for the rest, they usually sit in my email box….until now.

I thought it would be fun/funny to have a regular post where these press releases that CoC forgot can live. (That, and by the time I hit Friday, I’m usually brain dead. Heh.) Cuz who knows? The following blurbs (as lifted from the releases themselves) are things that might be of interest to others.

This Weekend: All I Want To Do Is Dance

bollywood2.jpg

Such a weird weekend: Bollywood dance lessons, the end-of-an-institution party, and a zombies meet-and-greet.

Friday, March 28

Last Chance for LF’s Only Sale of the Season
On a normal day, I’d steer clear of this store. Too expensive for me. But when it has a sale going on, I’m so there. Only a few more days left for LF’s 60% off storewide fall/winter clearance sale! $14 knit tops, $28 shoes, $32 dresses! Yay!

Rock Out Rivalry II: UCLA v. USC Battle of the Bands
We’ve seen the cross-town rivalry played out on the football field, on the basketball court and even in some sports bars, but not on stage. UCLA and USC bands compete to be rockers of the year. A competition worth watching cuz when it’s all said and done doesn’t it really come down to which school is the coolest?

  • 9pm. Free through Goldstar (with $3 service charge). Level 3, 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Brain Candy at the Nuart with Scott Thompson Q&A
I am a huuuge Kids in the Hall fan but in all honesty Brain Candy is my least favorite KitH endeavor. But the cool thing about this screening at the Nuart is that everyone’s favorite Kid Scott Thompson will be doing a Q&A! I wonder if any of the other Kids will show?

  • 12am. $9.50. Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Los Angeles (map). (310) 281-8223.

Bollywood Dance Lessons at Tanzore
Forget ballroom dancing or salsa dance lessons, this has got to be the coolest dance class ever. Tanzore Restaurant & Lounge offers a monthly Bollywood dance lesson. Munch on Indian tapas and then join in the DJ afterparty after class.

  • 8pm-9pm. $20. Tanzore Restaurant, 50 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Beverly Hills (map). (310) 652-3894.

Saturday, March 29

$1 Dance Lessons
Still itching to get your groove on after that Bollywood dance class? Try the $1 dance lessons at the Music Center Plaza where you can learn everything from the Korean Fan Dance to the Viennese Waltz. Each session is only 20 minutes long so see how many dances you can learn in five hours.

  • 11am-4pm. $1 (purchase tickets at event, sales start at 10:30am). Music Center Plaza, 135 N Grand Avenue, Downtown (map).

2008 March Zombie Walk
Addicted to eating brains? Noticed that your limbs keep falling off? Fortunately there’s a place where you can meet likeminded soulless folks who won’t flee from you for a change: the Key Club for this first annual zombie meet-and-greet. Enjoy music, morbid merriment and the crowning of your zombie queen.

  • 5pm. Key Club, 9039 W Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (map).

Sunday, March 30

Dutton’s Final Party
Independent bookstore Dutton’s Brentwood closes its doors for the last time on April 30 but its final party goes off on Sunday. Join the institution’s many friends and employees in the courtyard to bid it a fond farewell and maybe shop the shelves one last time. Everything is at clearance prices.

  • 5pm. Dutton’s Brentwood Bookstore, 11975 San Vicente Boulevard, Brentwood (map). (310) 476-6263.

FREE Shipping Off 90+ Point Wine

Vino at Fatty's

Thanks to Crazy Andy for pointing this out via tweet but, look! Free shipping off some of the best wines in the world — each rated 90 points or more by Wine Advocate, International Wine Cellar and Wine Spectator. And I’m not just talking expensivo $100 wines. There are actually some bottles for less than $25.

Mas De La Barben Les Sabines 2003 – $24.98
“The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2003 Les Sabines (a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache) offers up smoky, ripe cassis, melted licorice, chocolate, dried herb, and bacon fat characteristics. Spicy, rich, medium-bodied, and moderately tannic, it should drink well for 5-7 years.”

Bodegas Balcona Partal 1 2001 – $16.98
“The 2001 Partal I is a blend of 60% Monastrell, 15% Syrah, 10% Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot aged 12 months in French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it offers up an excellent nose of forest floor, mushroom, pepper, black currant, and blackberry. Full-bodied, the wine has gobs of fruit, well-concealed ripe tannin, and is seamless on the palate. Enjoy this forward wine over the next 4-6 years.”

Menguante Garnacha Seleccion 2004 – $16.98
“The 2004 Menguante Garnacha Seleccion raises the bar a bit. It spent 8 months in a mixture of used French and American oak. Dark ruby in color, it is a bit more sophisticated than the two previous wines with its complex nose of vanilla, smoke, cedar, red currants and kirsch. It also offers more structure with ripe tannins nicely concealed by generous quantities of red and blue fruits. There is very good concentration and depth through to the pure finish. Give this outstanding wine several years in bottle for further evolution and drink it over the following 6-8 years. Kudos to the Pablo family!”

But place your orders now as this offer expires tomorrow at 11am.

Judging a Cocktail Contest at Bar Lubitsch

Kinky Laska shot by Caroline on Crack

Last night I was charged with a very important task: Choose the newest cocktail to go up on Bar Lubitsch’s cocktail menu board. Ah me. Alchemia Vodka had asked the bartenders at the Old-Russia themed bar in WeHo to create a cocktail worthy of being BL’s new drink. And it had to include one of Alchemia’s flavor-infused vodkas — Wild Cherry, Chocolate and Ginger. I was one of five judges on the tasting panel. My cocktail compadres were Crazy Andy of LAist, Bob the marketing guy…and, um, two other marketing guys whose names I forgot. I feel terrible! But one was from Vegas.

Anyway, I had invited some of my friends to “watch me do my thing” with the promise that they would get the winning cocktail for free after the contest was over. But as it turned out they got to drink all the cocktails that the judges didn’t finish, which was basically all nine times four (I think Andy finished his drinks). I only sipped the cocktails to get a taste of them but even then, at the end of the night, I had a nice little buzz going.

Seven Grand’s New Off-the-List Spring Cocktails

Black-Eyed Susan

The boys at Seven Grand have been promising me a new cocktail menu forever so finally I dropped by the downtown whiskey bar to see what was the hold up. It’s now spring, time for those winter cocktail drinks to go!

I grabbed a bar stool on Damian’s side of the bar and he immediately set to work. But then bartender John jumped in as well. They were going to make me cocktails that would have been on the new cocktail list…if there was going to be one. Turns out there might not be one after all. Or not just yet anyway. I guess Cedd wants winter to stay longer or something.

But the following six drinks are brand-spanking-new and are the creations of not just Damian but John and I even was able to get one from Christine, the only female bartender at 7G whose skills the guys vouch for. There were a couple that I wasn’t too crazy about but three that hit the spot.