Caroline on Crack | October 2010

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Monthly Archives: October 2010

October 7, 2010

This Weekend: Beer Me, TheJGold Drinks, Anti-Car LA

Woot! Holiday weekend! A good thing considering there’s so much to do that you’ll need your Monday to recover. By the way, tomorrow morning I’m going to be on Carson Daly’s morning show, AMP Mornings, on AMP Radio 97.1 talking about weekend to-dos so please listen in! UPDATE: If you missed it this morning, you can listen to my chat with Carson right here.

Thursday, October 7

LA Beer Week Kicks Off Today!
Beer, beer, beer! All things beer kicks off today with several beery events like the cask tapping from Stone Brewing in Library Alehouse, Rocktoberfest at El Segundo’s Rocks & Brew and Lucky Baldwin’s 14th Anniversary. Check the LA Beer Week calendar for more upcoming events, some of my faves are included in this here roundup.

Friday, October 8

LA Beer Week: Grilled Cheese and Craft Beer at Eagle Rock Brewery
Man, you can’t go wrong with grilled cheese sandwiches and craft beer. Mmm! The Grilled Cheese Truck will be selling its tasty melty wares which you can enjoy at local brewery, Eagle Rock Brewery. The tap room opens at 4 and the truck gets there at 7. Trying to figure out which sandwich would go with which beer will be fun. The Cheesy Mac & Rib with Eagle Rock’s Solidarity? The Manifesto with the Brie Melt?

7-10pm. Eagle Rock Brewery, 3056 Roswell Street, Los Angeles (map)

Saturday, October 9

Zocalo Public Square and Jonathan Gold’s 2nd Annual Cocktail Party at Union Station
What does Jonathan Gold, celebrated and award-winning LA Weekly food reviewer, have to do with cocktails you say? Apparently enough to wield his power and gather LA’s popular bartenders under one roof at the Union Station for this very fancy must-do cocktail party. Tipple from the best like Comme Ca, Providence and Rivera! If you’re 30 years old and under (but over 21 obviously) you qualify to get the Young Professional discount, $125! (Regular price is $185). So line up your designated driver and dust off your cocktail attire. Hope to see you there!

7pm. $125-$185. Union Station, 800 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles (map).

2010 Pasadena Wine Festival
Want a low-key, chill night of sipping your choice of 125 wines while listening to jazz, blues and funk bands? Haul your blankets and beach chairs to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden for the 2010 Pasadena Wine Festival. You can play bocce ball or jump on a tram tour of the gardens as well as enjoy unlimited wine tastings. Featured food trucks include The Grilled Cheese Truck, World Fare Bustaurant and Sprinkles Cupcakes. If you spring for the VIP pass you get to mingle with the live music artists backstage as well as partake of the private VIP food samplings. Regular ticket prices range from $28-$85 (online sales end at midnight on Friday) or you can get them from $17-$51 on Goldstar.

2-10pm. Tickets: $28-$85. Los Angeles Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia (map).

Sunday, October 10

CicLAvia
I’ve always fantasized what LA would be like if we removed the cars. If you have, too, you’ll love this car-free event, CicLAvia, which takes over 7 miles aka 45 acres of downtown streets where Angelenos can bike, run, stroll, skate, boogie, walk dogs, etc. without fear of the four-wheeled beasties. Pedestrians can explore the city streets and check out local shops, restaurants, food trucks and more while enjoying live music and the Indian Summer night, which I hear will be nice and balmy.

10am-3pm. Free. From Heliotrope and Rosewood to Boyle and 4th (map of events).

LA Beer Week: Beer Float Showdown II
Food GPS’s tasty annual event is back and it’s bigger than ever. This time instead of just two beer bars facing off, you’ve got four! Yup, Boneyard Bistro, Ladyface Alehouse, Simmzy’s and Tony’s Darts Away are all competing for the title of Best Beer Float in LA. Each team will make a single float while all attendees (that would be you) get to taste each one and then vote on their faves! Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door with 50% of proceeds going to Share Our Strength, a charity that works to end childhood hunger in the U.S. and Canada.

5:30pm. $25-$30. Verdugo Bar, 3408 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles (map).

Whist at The Viceroy Santa Monica Kicks Off its Savor Sundays
Savor Sundays at Whist are back. The family-style menu by Executive Chef Tony DiSalvo is available for nine weeks with three courses going for $35. An Oktoberfest-inspired menu starts things off this Sunday with cheddar and beer soup, housemade sausages like every wurst you can think of and apple strudel or German chocolate. There will also be housemade beers available for purchase.

5:30-9pm. $35, $15 for kids 12 and under. Whist at The Viceroy, 1819 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica (map).

Second Week of dineLA Restaurant Week: October 10-15
If you missed the first week of dineLA’s Restaurant Week, you still have one more chance at it. From October 10 through the 15th, diners get to indulge at certain LA restaurants for affordable-ish prices. If anything I always figured this was a great way to try that restaurant I’ve always been meaning to go to. The dineLA meals are available in three price categories: Deluxe Dining is $16 for lunch and $26 for dinner; Premier Dining is $22 for lunch and $34 for dinner, and Fine Dining is $28 for lunch and $44 for dinner. Check the dineLA site for participating restaurants and to make your reservations!

Categories: Cocktails, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Nightlife, Recreation

1 Comment

October 5, 2010

Table 20 Best LA Bartender Winner Plus Party Photos

Michel congratulates Matt by Caroline on Crack

Neve Ice's Michel congratulates Table 20 winner Matt Biancaniello

As one of the judges of the Table 20 Best LA Bartender contest, having to name just one bartender as “the best” was like Sophie’s Choice�minus the death camp. I mean, I LOVE the final contestants for different reasons. One could work a busy bar without breaking a sweat, another could turn a classic cocktail up on its head with tasty results, another could create delicious concoctions on the fly and yet another had such charisma that I never wanted to leave my barstool. But all six — Alex, Dee Ann, Devon, Joe, Matt and Max — share impressive cocktailing know-how, offer the best customer service and obviously love their craft.

I just didn’t know whom to choose. It wasn’t until I visited each bartender* at their respective bars when one truly stood out for me.

Yes, Hollywood Roosevelt Library Bar’s Matt Biancaniello, who was announced as the Table 20 winner at last night’s party, was my top pick. And here’s why.

1) Excellent customer service in adverse conditions: Granted, each of these bartenders work in popular bars with demanding clientele but Matt was really the only one who I got to “observe unobserved.”

When I visited him at his bar, during the judges’ evaluation process, he was super nice to my friends, Alie & Georgia, who had arrived before I did. Matt greeted them warmly and made sure they were taken care of even though his bar was packed with very demanding tourists. He didn’t know who these girls were and he didn’t know they were my friends, so I felt assured that he wasn’t giving them any special treatment. Suffice it to say, my friends were very impressed with him.

2) Reinventing the cocktail: Matt was the only bartender who took my standard drink order, the Manhattan, and added his own unique twist to it. Instead of just bitters he substituted Cynar which gave it a stronger kick and consequently ruined me for all other Manhattans. After a sip of Matt’s version, the regular Manhattan seemed so plain, too sweet and watered down. He also created this special 2-fer cocktail called “Mad Man” ($15) which is comprised of an Old Fashioned and a Sazerac in a Jagermeister glass. The two cocktails are separated by a brandied cherry. Genius!

3) Expanding the customer’s horizons: After I told him very plainly that I don’t like Cynar, despite its delightful transformation of the Manhattan, he took that as a challenge and made me a Cynar-based cocktail with cassis and passionfruit. But truth be told, even though it was delish on that first sip, its bitter finish reaffirmed my opinion of the artichoke liqueur. But, thanks for trying, Matt!

In addition to all that, one can’t deny his high energy, attentiveness, creativity and affability. All wins. Now if only the parking situation for the Library Bar was better (read: cheaper)!

Anyway, big congrats to Matt, and to all the other contestants. Without you fine folks, my life would be a little empty.

* Due to time constraints, unfortunately I wasn’t able to visit Max and Alex. But Trevor, Table 20 contest organizer, assured me that didn’t count against them in the voting process.

Pictures and videos of last night’s Table 20 LA Bartender Cocktail Punch Party after the jump.

Categories: Cocktails, Featured, Los Angeles, Nightlife

3 Comments

October 4, 2010

Trader Joe’s Must-Get Item: Highbrow Chocolate Chip Cookies

Trader Joe's Highbrow Chocolate Chip Cookies by Caroline on Crack

Brings out your Inner Cookie Monster

“Highbrow,” huh? What does that mean when applied to these Trader Joe’s cookies ($3.99)? I assumed it might be in reference to Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc recipe or that Neiman Marcus urban legend. But the cute box these cookies come in makes no mention of either in its description, just that “The cookies showcase the power of simple ingredients well-wrought into a classic recipe: great butter + great chocolate chips = Highbrow cookies.” Nowhere does it explain what makes the butter and chocolate chips they used to make these so “great.”

Trader Joe's Highbrow Chocolate Chip Cookies

Regardless, I had to get them. And, boy, was I glad I did. So delicious. If you like your chocolate chip cookies a little crisp, you’ll love these. It’s almost as if they were fresh off your cooling rack, not from a box.

Personally I didn’t find them especially buttery but rather a tad salty, except not in artery-hardening, thirst-inducing way. The element that reels you in is the chocolate chips. Even though chocolate lovers may be put off by the fact the chips aren’t exactly bulging from the cookie’s surface, when they bite into them they’ll experience such rich and creamy goodness that all will be forgiven.

The only issue I had is with the packaging. Not the cute box, cute font, or cute illustrations but rather the fact that the cookies come in two tiers that are individually wrapped in plastic. Each tier contains seven cookies, meaning, if you don’t want these to get stale, you have to seal them in Tupperware or the like. Either that or eat the seven in one sitting.

Suffice it to say, these Trader Joe’s Highbrow Chocolate Chip Cookies bring out your inner Cookie Monster. Cookies! Perfect way to spend a dreary day? Sitting at home, lounging in an armchair and enjoying these with a class of milk. Nom!

Calories: 140 for serving size 2 cookies
Ingredients: Semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla, natural flavor), unbleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate riboflavin, folic acid, malted barley flour), butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, water.

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles

8 Comments