Monthly Archives: January 2010

Medical Marijuana Edibles Photo Gallery

Don’t be fooled by the name of my blog. I’m actually pretty straight-laced, apart from the occasional cocktail. So when I decided to write this story for LA Weekly‘s Squid Ink about the types of edibles (food products containing marijuana) available in medical marijuana dispensaries, I knew zero about the subject. I figure I’d just take pictures of cookies, brownies, etc. and do a little roundup showcasing their funny names like “Peanut Budder Cups” and “Not Your Mama’s RCT.”

However, since I don’t have a doctor’s recommendation, naturally I wasn’t allowed in any pot shop. And no way would they let me take pictures of the products. But I did get to interview the manager of the Venice Beach Care Center, a medical marijuana dispensary which has been around since before the moratorium was placed on pot shops in 2007. He basically schooled me on edibles: how there are different strains of cannabis that provide different highs, there’s a wide range of edibles that spans beyond brownies, and even what’s the right temperature to cook with THC.

Suffice it to say, it’s a fascinating subject and one that will hopefully one day no longer be taboo. As it was, since I couldn’t get in the store to photograph the ganja goods, I had to ask someone I knew had a doctor’s recommendation if it was OK for me to take pictures of their purchases. Fortunately they said yes!

For my LA Weekly post, I even included the volunteer patient’s tasting notes on particular edibles.

This Weekend: Cookies Without Borders, Mozza2Go Wine Tasting, DecadesTwo Shoe Sale

So, looks like I’ll be working on my Web site this weekend with Tiny Nancer‘s help. Yay! If everything goes right, it may have a new look come Monday! Anyway, while that’s going on, check out all these fun to-dos.

Friday, January 29

Free People Grand Opening Party at Space15Twenty
Cute clothing store Free People is opening up a store at Hollywood hipster haven, Space15Twenty, and is doing it with panache. Nosh on food provided by neighbor Umami Burger and shop and boogie to music by DJ DEZ who will be spinning actual vinyl records. Quaint! For some reason this party is during most everyone’s work hours but if you can sneak away, it may be worth your while. And while you’re there stop by the Valentine pop-up store which debuts the same day.

  • 1-4pm. Free People at Space15Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Saturday, January 30

Save Haiti at DecadesTwo Designer Shoe Sale
Imagine: Louboutin, Prada, Gucci shoes all for under $150. Now wipe that drool off your mouth and get over to the DecadesTwo designer shoe sale. Not only will you be scoring some “gently used” designer footwear for unbelievable prices (2 pairs/customer) you’ll helping out Artists for Peace and Justice, a nonprofit on the front-lines of the support efforts in Haiti. 100% of the sale’s proceeds will go to benefit the charity.

  • 9am-6pm. DecadesTwo, 8214 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Ghettogloss Gallery’s Silver Lake Art, Craft and Vintage Flea Market
There’s nothing like perusing the best of vintage collectibles, vintage clothing and retro furniture all in a classic flea market. Mmm, shopping. Ghettogloss kicks off its monthly end-of-the-month Silver Lake art, craft, vintage market this weekend. Enjoy some Korean short ribs from the Kogi BBQ Truck while bopping to live reggae music, and ooh! a Wonder Woman curio cabinet!

  • 10am-4pm. Micheltorena Elementary School, 1511 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles (map).

Sunday, January 31

Cookies Without Borders: Bake Sale to Raise Funds for Haiti
Cookies and jams and whoopie pies, oh my! Shop a large selection of confectionary delights at this bake sale which will feature sweet treats from both pro kitchens like Valerie Confections and dessert truck Whisk LA to good samaritans’ warm kitchens. All proceeds from the sales will go to Doctors Without Borders, a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian organization which is working to help post-earthquake Haiti.

  • 2-5pm. Scoops Gelato, 712 N Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles (map).

Silverlake Wine Sunday Tasting: Italian Wines With Mozza2Go
Enjoy tasty Italian fare from Pizzeria Mozza’s takeout menu via Mozza2Go while sipping on some exquisite Italian wines hand-chosen by Silverlake Wine. For this Sunday tasting, featured wines include the likes of Luigi Scarani Pinot Nero Bianco Oltrepo Pavese 2007 and Torre Quarto Nero di Troia Puglia 2006. Reservations are required.

  • 3pm. $20. Silverlake Wine, 2395 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (323) 662-9024.

Macallan Party at W Los Angeles: Gourmet Ice, $15K Scotch & Live Tweeting

I have sipped the ambrosia of the gods, the elixir of luuuve that is known as the $15,000 57-year-old Macallan poured out of a Lalique crystal decanter. And now I can die. I was lucky enough to wet my lips on this sweet, albeit expensive, golden nectar thanks to Michel Dozois of Neve Ice. His shiny, blue business card was one of three lucky enough to be pulled out of a bowl for a drawing to win a taste of the ultra-primo scotch. When he handed the snifter to me, I inhaled its scent deeply. “It smells leathery,” I noted. “No, no, give it back,” Michel said, trying to snatch the glass away before I could get a taste. Then he smelled it himself, “Yeah, OK, it’s leathery. You can taste it now.” He handed it back to me.

I had expected my world to be blown, for a choir of angels to sing. Instead…it was m’ok. “It tastes weird,” I said looking up at Michel who seemed heart-broken that the sip he so generously gave me was wasted. I was disappointed, too. But then realized that I may have messed up my palate by having enjoyed a Macallan 10 with Fever Tree ginger beer just moments before. Such a dummy. Oh well. At least I had the experience.

LA Weekly’s 2009 Web Awards Party at Bardot

I scored an invite to the most exclusive party I’ve ever had the privilege to be invited to. So exclusive that I basically had to win an award (or two) to get in. Yup, it was LA Weekly‘s 2009 Web Awards party at Bardot in Hollywood. And because the VIP venue in the Avalon has limited space the invite-only list was tight. There were some Tweeps who managed to win tickets via LA Weekly‘s Twitter as well as the plus ones but mostly it was the bloggerati partying down.

Since most everyone in the blogosphere is more apt to recognize screen names and avatars than actual faces, people were mingling. I, on the other hand, being of the shy variety stuck to my booth closest to the awards table. Located in the open-air courtyard of the club that was choked with cigarette smoke we could hear the hail pelting down on the tin-sounding roof. Here, I had a great view of the awards and the slideshow displaying the winners in each category, easy access to the open bar as well as to the seemingly neverending line of servers who were passing out Thai chicken satay and mini sliders. My blogger buddies estarLA, Lindsay and Zach of Best News Blog winner LAist, FauxLAHipster and LetMeEatCake joined me.

Later when feeling adventurous and in need of a drink, I was able to run into other LA Weekly winners — Laurie Percival (Best Tech Blog lalawag), Alana Joy (Best Most Shameless Self-Promoter), and the fun dudes from The Streets Are Calling (Best Low-Brow Art Blog). It was the coolest bunch of geeks I’ve ever had the honor of meeting. Didn’t get to meet Slash (Best MySpace Music Page), even though I thought I saw him and then dismissed him with a “Nah, couldn’t be him.”

Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take our beautiful gold floppy disk plaques home this night since to remove one would apparently initiate a dominoes effect that would prove devastating to the glass-encased awards. However, the more daring among us managed to sneak their own away during the rare occasion that the table was left unguarded. Dammit! I should have done that. But you know, since I had two, that proved more difficult. Heh.

“We’re going to do it like the Oscars,” said Erin Broadley, LA Weekly‘s Web editor. “We’ll have you pose with the awards and then get them to you later.” “M’Okayyyy,” I pouted. I was kinda hoping to bring them home so that I could cuddle with them later. But then I got over it and just enjoyed the rest of the party.

On a regular night, I can see Bardot being a bit too VIP schmancy for me but on this night I actually fit in that category. Huzzah!

Trip ‘Round the World for $35: Copa d’Oro’s Whiskey Flight

Around the World Whiskey Flight

The other night as my bf and I were enjoying his birthday dinner at JiRaffe in Santa Monica, he mentioned how he really wanted a bottle of really good whiskey to keep at his own place. You know, since I insisted that the bottle of Macallan 12 that I gave him for Christmas stay at my place so that we could enjoy it together, heh. Anyway, after dinner I insisted that he allow me to buy him a cocktail at my fave bar Copa d’Oro since he’s usually the designated driver and won’t even touch the stuff then. This time I’d be the DD so he wouldn’t have to worry.

But when we got to Copa and I perused the menu for a suggestion to give him, I was reminded that they offer flights here! Three to be exact: Around the World of Whisk(e)y, Highland and Lowland Reposado Tequila and Single Barrel American Whiskey.

Seeing as how he likes to travel, I sprung for the trip around the world for a Travelzoo-beating $35.

Around The World of Whisk(e)y Menu

Unfortunately the bar was currently out of the Suntory so I left it in bartender Joe Brooke’s capable hands to find a suitable replacement. He chose the Elijah Craig 18 and I guess they were out of the Eagle Rare 17, too, as we got an Elijah Craig 12. But Joe said that was so we could compare how vastly different the years are. And instead of the Glenrothes, we got the cask-strength Glenfarclas.

So yeah, a bit disappointing that the tour kept us primarily in North America but my bf didn’t seem to mind all that much as each glass contained primo stuff.

Joe was good enough to go over each whiskey, describing its history and tasting notes, a process he says some people actually like to skip just so they could get straight to the drinking. Dumb, I say. It helps you appreciate what you’re drinking more when you learn a little bit about it. Of course we forgot all that Joe told us about each one, but we still appreciated the schooling.

Out of the whiskeys bf had, each was soo tasty that he was hard-pressed to rank them for me. However after much deliberation (and badgering on my part) he came to the following conclusion. I included his impressions of each. As you can see, he is a man of few words:

  1. Glenfarclas: “Stands out as the most complex.” Subtle smokiness but not peaty.
  2. Tullamore Dew: “User-friendly.” Light and watery compared to the others.
  3. Elijah 18: “Damn good.”
  4. Hirsch: “Peppery on the finish.”
  5. Elijah 12: “Not bad but just preferred the others more.” Rough around the edges compared to the others.

Suffice it to say, the whiskey flight at Copa d’Oro is a fun way to sample some top-shelf stuff in one affordable sitting. Treat yourself or your fave whiskey lover or even a newbie whiskey drinker you want to get started on the right foot.

Copa d’Oro
217 Broadway
Santa Monica, California 90401 (map)
(310) 576-3030

This Weekend: Help Haiti, Milkshake Madness, GR Arty Party

I’m out of town this weekend but here are some fun things for you to do. And remember, DineLA starts on Sunday so make your ressies if you haven’t already.

Thursday, January 21

Borracho Cantina Soft Opening
Tony is now a drunk. The restaurant formerly known as Tony’s Steakhouse has been transformed into Mexican restaurant, Borracho (aka drunk) Cantina. It’s got two happy hours at 3-6pm and 10pm-1am and apparently there’s a “secret society” where drinking a shot of every label in stock scores you a personalized shot glass and access to private tastings. The soft opening is tonight with the official one tomorrow but you can also check it out for DineLA – $16 lunch, $26 dinner.

  • Borracho Cantina, 8570 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (map). (310) 289-8809.

Giant Robot Biennale 2 Closing Reception
Free drinks, music and art. You won’t want to miss the closing reception of the art show that celebrates 15 years of Giant Robot. Here, you’ll actually get to chat with some of the artists who participated in the show as well as enjoy the works of Jeff Soto, James Jean and Theo Ellsworth. Get your groove on to musical guest, The Binges and DJ Puffs and mmm, free refreshments!

Friday, January 22

Wally’s Wine Spanish Wine Sale
Only one week left when you can get 20% off the wine store’s entire Spanish wine selection. Score a bottle of 2007 El Nido Clio for $43.99 (regular $54.99) or if that’s too pricey for you, there’s always the 2006 Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Zaco, #71 in Wine Spectator’s 2009 Top 100, for $11.19.

  • Sale thru 1/29. Wally’s Wine, 2107 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (310) 475-0606.

Saturday, January 23

20+ Food Trucks at TLofts for Haiti Relief Plus Other Food Events
For the first time ever, over 20 food trucks will be docked in one place at the same time, all for a good cause: the Red Cross International Response Fund relief efforts for Haiti. For this one special day you’ll get to go on a smorgasbord of mobile treats from the likes of the Buttermilk Truck, the Grilled Cheese Truck, Nom Nom, Fishlips Sushi and Barbie’s Q to name but a few. For the Twitter list of which trucks are participating, click here. For other Haiti relief restaurant events, check here. And fyi the Fig will be donating all wine proceeds generated on Friday and Saturday to Share Our Strength, for Haiti.

  • 11am-4pm. 11500 Tennessee Avenue, West LA (map).

Sunday, January 24

BLD’s Milkshake Madness
Blah! I keep having to miss these! Every month BLD’s Pastry Chef Mariah Swan creates these yummy milkshakes. You can get them spiked with a little sumthin-sumthin or not. This Sunday’s beauties will be Winter Spiced Chocolate with Bailey’s Irish Cream, Maple Walnut with Jack Daniel’s or Maker’s Mark (Man! that sounds awesome), Caramel with Sauza or Don Julio Tequila, Graham Cracker with Crème de Cacao and Dreamsicle with Crème de Cassis. Sigh.

  • BLD, 7450 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (323) 930-9744.

The Bazaar by Jose Andres: Do Play With Your Food

Foie gras cotton candy

Foie gras in cotton candy

The Bazaar by Jose Andres takes playing with your food to a whole new level. Here, you’ve got cotton candy, Wonka-esque taste sensations and ample squeals and giggles. I was lucky enough to be invited to check out the year-old funhouse of food at the uber-slick SLS Hotel on La Cienega Boulevard last night.

Rojo dining room

Rojo dining room

I had stayed away from this much-talked about restaurant all this time because it was much-talked about. All that hype, it looked too clubby for my tastes and didn’t The Hills film a couple of episodes here? Any venue that makes me stress out about my wardrobe is not for me. But the allure of a hosted dinner overrode any fears I had about getting looked up and down.

The restaurant’s entrance is guarded by a pig statue and separate from SLS’s lobby. And since it’s so dim in the venue, you can barely make out Bar Centro in the space past the hostess stand. I instinctively flinched at the clubby darkness of it all but fortunately there was no booming bass blasting out over speakers, no gaggles of long-tressed haute girls in clubwear. Rather, there were businessmen, casually dressed tourists and the after-work set. I was safe.

Now, the restaurant is sectioned into two rooms that are more like themes in their divergent atmospheres of casual festive (Rojo) versus formal Zen (Blanco), or really, fun date versus “I really want to impress this girl” date. We were seated in Rojo which is next to the kitchens whose sounds were muted by the din of the diners.

Related Posts with Thumbnails