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Category Archives: Recreation

November 17, 2011

This Weekend: 1886′s Boozy Birthday, Short Order With Cocktails, Food Fight With Ben Ford

Thursday, November 17

The Ultimate Food Fight: Whole Foods Market Chefs Fight to “Stuff This!”
Local chefs Ben Ford (Ford’s Filling Station), Jason Bowlin (Catch at Casa Del Mar) and Casey Lane (Tasting Kitchen) are going head to head in this cook-off to create the best holiday stuffing in less than 45 minutes. They’ll each be given the same basic stuffing recipe but have to use a variety of secret nontraditional local and seasonal ingredients. Yum! To attend the event, just bring a couple of Thanksgiving-themed food items which will then be donated to the Venice Housing Corp Food Bank.

5-6:30pm. Whole Foods Market Venice, 225 Lincoln Boulevard, Venice (map).

1886′s 1st Anniversary Party
The booziest one-year-old’s birthday party you’ll probably ever attend. This one will have hand-crafted cocktails as well as wines and Craftsman beer! For food Chef Tim Guiltinan and pastry chef Jeff Haines have come up with hors d’oeuvres, small plates and desserts. Ticktets are $55 at the door and proceeds will go Hathaway Sycamores, a non-profit children and families mental health and welfare agency.

6:30-10pm. 1886, 1250 S Fair Oaks, Pasadena (map).

Friday, November 18

Short Order Opens, Featuring Cocktails by Julian Cox
The Farmers Market on 3rd couldn’t be a more perfect place for this burger joint by the late Amy Pressman and Mozza’s Nancy Silverton which features only meat from free-range animals and local and artisanal ingredients. Wash all that goodness down with equally fresh cocktails by none other than Playa/Rivera’s Julian Cox (Eater LA’s bartender of the year 2011).

5pm. Short Order, 6333 Third Street, Los Angeles (map). (323) 761-7970.

Saturday, November 19

Great Walk LA 2011
With Turkey Day just around the corner, it’s probably a good idea to work off some weight with a lovely walk through the city. 19 miles should do it. This year’s Great Los Angeles Walk route will have you hoofing it from downtown L.A. to Santa Monica. Enjoy your city up close and personal and out of your car for a change. For those who don’t think they can do the entire route (me), just follow @greatwalkla on Twitter to see where everyone is to meet up with them on the route. I’m thinking of joining the gang up in WeHo in the march toward the Pacific.

9am. Meeting spot: Triforium sculpture at Fletcher Bowron Square across from City Hall (map).

Sunday, November 20

Filipino Food & Cocktail Event
Mmm, the food of my people paired with cocktails? That’s right up my alley. This annual Filipino food pairing event will feature modern takes on traditional dishes and cocktails like the Manila Mule with bourbon, calamansi nectar and ginger beer. The pairings were created by Six Taste, Nola’s and blogger Abby of Pleasure Palate. Tickets are available now at for $50.

6pm. $50. Nola’s, 734 E 3rd Street, Los Angeles (map).

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

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October 13, 2011

This Weekend: Golden Road Opens, Booze & BBQ, Zombies Attack Hollywood & Highland

Feel like a beer this weekend? You might wanna check out all the fun LA Beer Week events going on here, including Beer Float Showdown 3. So much good beer to be had, peeps!

Friday, October 14

Los Angeles Food & Wine: Dan Dunn’s Booze, Blues & BBQ
This sold-out event at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine is sure to be quite saucy with the likes of barbecue by Baby Blues BBQ and cocktails by celebrated pro drinker Dan “The Imbiber” Dunn. If you’re not into the high-falutin’ fixings of the other LAFW events, this is the one for you.

4:30pm. $50. LA Live, 800 W Olympic Boulevard, Downtown (map).

Saturday, October 15

Shop Lot Fashion Truck Lot
You’ve shopped for food off trucks, so why not fashion? This weekend is L.A.’s first fashion truck lot featuring mobile boutiques Le Fashion Truck, Skulltastic, and T-Ruck. Wonder where they park the changing room? Maybe afterward, hit up the Los Feliz Shop Hop (6-10pm), a mini block shopping party which happens to feature free booze!

Saturday-Sunday, 1-6pm. Hyperion & Sunset in Silver Lake (map).

Sunday, October 16

Golden Road Brewing Grand Opening
Celebrate the opening of L.A.’s “largest craft beer brewery” by drinking lots of beer, and not just from Golden Road but guest breweries like Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada, Eagle Rock Brewery and Dogfish Head. Huzzah! Tickets are $20-$25 and include three pour tickets and a 12-ounce logo glass.

2-7pm. $20 advance/$25 door. Golden Road Brewing, 5430 W San Fernando Road, Los Angeles (map). (213) 537-4655.

3rd Annual Subway Zombie Walk
OK, I don’t think I could ever participate in a zombie walk. It would creep me out too much. But this sounds like so much fun considering the end point for all the zombie lurching is in Hollywood and Highland. So far the Facebook event page has 530 zombies signed up so it’s going to be a great crowd. After the shambling is done, maybe break off into a zombie bar crawl!

4-7pm. Meeting point: North Hollywood Red Line Station (map).

Categories: Beer, Cocktails, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Nightlife, Recreation, Shopping & Sales

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September 29, 2011

This Weekend: Macallan Open Bar, Allagash Beer Paired Dinner, Food Truck Racetrack

Thursday, September 29

Buffalo Trace Distillery Tasting at Wood & Vine Restaurant
K&L Wines is hosting a Buffalo Trace tasting of delicious proportions at Wood & Vine. For $45 at the door you get to partake of Buffalo Trace White Dog & Straight Bourbon, Elmer T Lee Bourbon, Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon..deep breath…Blanton’s Bourbon, Weller 12 Year Bourbon, E.H. Taylor Bonded 100 Proof, William Larue Weller Cask Strength Bourbon, Sazerac 18 Straight Rye! Pfew! This definitely calls for a designated driver.

7-8:30pm. $45 at the door. Wood & Vine, 6280 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 334-3360.

Friday, September 30

Macallan Open Bar at Exchange LA
For only $5 donation fee, which goes to charity:water, you get to taste one of the best Scotches out there all night at a downtown nightclub. Try some flights or have it in a cocktail. But may I suggest neat or with just a smidge of water? You’ll dance, you’ll drink, you’ll have fun.

10pm-1am. $5. Exchange LA, 618 S. Spring Street, Downtown (map).

Saturday, October 1

Food Truck Festival at Santa Anita Park
All your favorite food trucks in one place is always a good thing. Here at the Santa Anita Food Truck Festival, the mobile food court will spread itself out in the middle of the racetrack on the entire Santa Anita infield — 70 gourmet food trucks like the popular Grilled Cheese Truck, Lobsta Truck, Ludo Truck, and Lardon Truck. There will also be carnival games and live music as well as pony rides for the kiddies.

11am-5pm. $5. Santa Anita Park, 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia (map).

LA Burning Man Decompression
Didn’t get to hit up Burning Man this year? Here’s a baby Burning Man, er Burning Baby (?), event for you as well as BM attendees who are still flying high from the event. But this one, you don’t have to trek all the way to the desert, spend a fortune and worry about where to go to the bathroom. The Official Burning Man LA Decompression event showcases art, music and Burning Man culture all in a span of 12 hours. There will be live music, DJs, art, theme camps, puppets, circus and, yes, fire.

1pm-2am. $20. Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N Spring Street, Los Angeles (map).

Sunday, October 2

Octoberfest Beer Pairing Dinners at LA Market
This Sunday is the launch of LA Market’s beer pairing dinners in celebration of Octoberfest. Each week, Chef Kerry Simon will create a special three-course dinner to complement the beers from featured craft brewers. Starting things off is a dinner with Allagash Brewing Company from Portland, Maine. Upcoming brewers include North Coast, Affligem, Unibroue and more! Three-course menu including beer pairings is just $35.

5-10pm. $35. LA Market, 900 W Olympic Boulevard, Downtown (map). (213) 765-8600.

Categories: Beer, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Music, Nightlife, Recreation

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July 14, 2011

This Weekend: New Hollywood Gastropub, Bastille Day Parties, Fun Run/Food Fest

You’re not going to let a little Carmaggedon interfere with your weekend plans, are ya? Especially when there’s a bunch of food festivals like LA Food Fest (which I’m giving away tickets to) going on! Plus all this other fun stuff.

Thursday, July 14

Paella and Spanish Wine Tasting at 55 Degree
If you’re all Frenched out from Bastille Day activities today, 55 Degrees in Atwater Village has got a Spanish solution: paella from chef Adriana Morera of the Paella Project and Spanish wines like Tempranillos and Malbecs. The tasting will feature the country’s beloved dish with mussels, clams, chicken and chorizo, or there’s a veg option. Cost is $5 to $13.

6-10pm. 55 Degree, 3111 Glendale Boulevard, Atwater Village (map). (323) 662-5556

Bastille Day With Cointreau at Spare Room
The Spare Room really knows how to throw a shindig (I was just there last night for tiki night and had a hoot). So it’s no shocker that they’ll be doing up Bastille Day in style with Adele Jacques of ParisLovesLA performing Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot songs. Francophiles will tipple on specialty cocktails created by bartender Naomi Schimek. There’s the cognac, lavender, lemon cocktail Duke for a Day or do it up chic with the Champagne Flip (champs, cognac, Cointreau, egg yolk, cream and sugar).

8pm. The Spare Room at Hollywood Roosevelt, 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 466-7000.

Bastille Day at The Bar at Cliff’s Edge
The Silver Lake bar is taking Bastille celebrations to another level inviting guests to show up in French costumes (I’m thinking Marie Antoinette or maybe a la hep cat Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face) for a chance to win a prize. The party will naturally have free cake as well as free rose wine and swinging French music! Vive la France!

8pm-12am. The Bar at Cliff’s Edge, 3626 Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake (map).

Friday, July 15

District 13 Gastropub Opens in Hollywood
That’s right, slotted in the strip mall between Big Wang’s and Stout in the old Soi 56 spot is a new brewpub with food by Executive Chef Aoi Ratanamanee (Rambutan). The brew food — sausages, burgers, fish and chips — is meant to complement the quality beer the restaurant will be serving up like The Bruery Rugbrod and DogFish Head Palo Santo Marron. There’s even a Danger Dog! Yummy on all counts!

Opens 11:30am. 1556 North Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 957-1313.

Saturday, July 16

Munchathon: 5K Fun Run/Food Truck Festival in Orange County
If you want to just get out of Dodge altogether, hit up this fun food festival in the OC where you can nullify any weight gained from good food truck eats by running an obstacle course (with food and drink stops for obstacles) at the same time. It’s so crazy it might just work. OK, maybe not but still sounds fun. There will be over 50 food trucks, like Ahn Joo, Lobsta Truck and Ludo Bites Truck, plus a rec area where you can play ring toss, basketball or Frisbee.

9am-5pm. Oak Canyon Park, 5305 Santiago Canyon Road, Silverado (map).

Eat Real Festival
This food festival doesn’t just feed you, it teaches you everything about our favorite subject, from where food comes from to how it’s made. Learn how to make your own tomato sauce from KCRW Good Food’s Evan Kleiman, watch a panel on “The Future of Food Writing” featuring LA Times‘ Russ Parsons and LA Weekly Squid Ink’s Amy Scattergood. Nosh on food from Nom Nom and Flying Pig food trucks and browse the marketplace with goods by Creme Caramel LA and butchers Lindy & Grundy. The festival is free to attend, you just pay for your own Marketplace goods and food purchases.

Saturday 10:30am-9pm, Sunday 10:30am-5pm. 8800 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

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

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July 7, 2011

This Weekend: WeHo Craft Beer Garden, Sunset Beer Co. Tasting, Free Yoga Class

Finally, it really feels like summer what with this warmer weather. And what better way to enjoy it than with outdoor events that involve grilling and craft beer? Funnn!

Thursday, July 7

Havaianas Pop-Up Store in Hollywood
Show off your cute pedicure while sporting your special brand of Havaianas that you custom-made yourself! The flip-flop pop-up store at Space 15Twenty on Cahuenga will blanket the 1,000-square-foot space with men’s and women’s collections as well as offer a fruit stand where you can customize your own sandal with soles, straps and embellishments of your choice.

Through July 24. Monday-Friday 11am-8pm, Saturday & Sunday, 11am-9pm. 1520 Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Nick & Stef’s Girl and A Grill Event + indie tribute band Black Crystal Wolf Kids Perform
Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse celebrates the summer with a new grilling event where Executive Chef Megan Logan grills up food, taking them from the flames to your plate. Take your pick of ribs, tri tip, BBQ shrimp, etc. for $8-$14. Sides like spicy coleslaw and corn on the cob are also available for $5 each. AND there’s also a sausage and beer pairing menu! Launching the party is none other than kickass indie-rock tribute band Black Crystal Wolf Kids at 7pm! Shout-out to frontman Jeff Miller!

Thursdays 5-9pm. Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse, 330 S Hope Street, Downtown (map). (213) 680-0330.

Saturday, July 9

ColLAboration #3 Craft Beer Garden
Traveling beer garden ColLAboration takes over Sunset Strip this month, kicking things off with Craft Beer Garden #1. 24 taps of crafted goodness curated by the guys behind 38 Degrees, Blue Palms Brewhouse, Tony’s Darts Away and Verdugo Bar, plus food and games. Cost is only $10.69 (includes membership fee + tasting glass). Each pour is $5-$6. Save yourself the hassle and buy your membership glass in advance (online or at the above bars) since they might sell out at the beer garden.

12-9pm. 8950 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (map).

Beer & Cheese Tasting With Sunset Beer Co’s Alex Macy
To get a tasty preview of the Echo Park beer store that’s opening “soon-ish” swing by Eagle Rock’s Colorado Wine Company for the beer and cheese tasting of your dreams. Alex Macy, Sunset Beer Co’s manager, will go over a flight of five beers, each paired with cheeses from Alex Brown of Gourmet Imports. I’m looking forward to Liefmans Cuvee Brut with a Bavarian Limberger and the Port Brewing Old Viscosity with Caveman Oregon Blue.

3-5pm. $18. Colorado Wine Company, 2114 Colorado Boulevard, Eagle Rock (map). RSVP: info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985.

Sunday, July 10

Free Yogaworks Yoga at SLS Hotel Beverly Hills
You don’t have to be a hotel guest at SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills to partake of this free YogaWorks yoga class! The new series starts this Sunday to promote the hotel’s Ciel Spa. Sign up by calling (310) 246-5560 and just dress up in your exercise gear and bring your own yoga mat.

9-10am. Free. SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, 465 S La Cienega Boulevard, Beverly Hills (map). Reservation: (310) 246-5560.

Categories: Beauty & Fashion, Beer, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Music, Nightlife, Recreation

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July 6, 2011

Those Summer Nights at The Spare Room: Food, Drink and Bowling Deals on Wednesdays

Enjoy bartender Naomi Schimek's Nantucket Sound summer cocktail.

Save on your electricity bill this summer by spending your Wednesday nights at The Spare Room, Hollywood Roosevelt’s swank cocktail bar/bowling alley. Every Wednesday from 6 to 9pm, have them foot the A/C bill while you spend your savings on food, drink and fun deals. Nosh on $5 mini lobster rolls while tossing back $3 beer between sets — bowling is available for half price! Normally it’s $100 an hour (six players max).

There’s also a specialty summer cocktail, Nantucket Sound ($7), that SR bartender Naomi Schimek created for the event. If you’re the DIY type, you can try it at home, if you have lemon balm leaves, cantaloupe juice and the like already in your fridge, that is.

Nantucket Sound
by Naomi Schimek, The Spare Room

1 1/2 part Chamomile and lemon balm infused Plymouth Gin
3/4 part Bianco Vermouth
2 parts Fresh pressed cantaloupe juice
Fresh lemon juice and Peychaud’s bitters to taste

1) Shake ingredients together with ice and strain over a scoop of spiced ginger sorbet.

2) Garnish with a candied lemon balm leaf.

But I wanna play! The weekly summer event kicks off tonight!

EVENT: WEDNESDAYS from 6 to 9pm

The Spare Room
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)
(323) 769-7296

Categories: Beer, Cocktails, Los Angeles, Nightlife, Recipes, Recreation

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June 11, 2011

10 Tips on How To Enjoy 24 Hours of Le Mans on the Cheap

Even though my race team, Eyesore Racing, won this trip to the 24 Heures du Mans by winning last year’s national championship for the 24 Hours of LeMons we still tried to save money during the race itself since we were deep in the throes of an extended European vacation. So should you ever go to this legendary race yourself (definitely one for the
bucket list) here are some tips I picked up during my trip:

Food and Drink
Bring your own food since burgers are about 13 euros ($19 American!). All the mediocre food in the village is, as expected, at expensive event prices. (FYI: “Steak Americain” is a hamburger patty wrapped in a baguette and topped with fries.) You can just tailgate back at your parking spot. Yes, def rent a car which can serve as a place to picnic and to nap. Tailgate food suggestions: loaf of bread, cheese, salami, bananas, chocolate biscuits and lots of beer — all of which can stay in the car while you walk around. Pick these up at Carrefour, the local market, not the rest stop which charges about three times the amount.

You can actually bring your own beer, water and food since there’s no security bag check per se. Just don’t make it obvious by carting in coolers or six-packs. They will stop you at the gate and make you get rid of it. However once in, you can basically break out your beer and food anywhere.

By the way, Kronenburg and 1664 are sold for 6 euros (about $9) at the track. FYI a tiny glass of wine is 10 euros ($14)!

Comfort
Gravel trap on the old track off Porsche curves is a nice place to throw down a blanket and take a nap. Yellow flags are great for naptime.

Lots of toilets, no long lines for women. Pack your own toilet paper and wet naps since paper and soap usually run out in the toilets.

Even though a quarter of a million people come to the race, traffic is surprisingly not bad. Think LA traffic yellow on Google maps. Stacked parking is organized in two by two rows separated by carwide rows so you don’t have to wait for those around you to leave. It’s all surprisingly so orderly and organized.

Souvenirs
Get a Le Mans hat with a layout of the track for 20 euros. If you can’t find what you want at any of the Official Le Mans stores, check their online store. Unfortunately for the ladies they only have lame stuff like pink tank tops with “Le Mans” in rhinestones and a tank dress as well as polo shirts so I’m still on the hunt for an extra small in the men’s light blue Gulf jacket (79 euros at the track but not available online). Bew.

Make sure to come on Friday to tour the pits. You can get a great shot of the 24-hour clock and banners but move away from any pit where you hear a revving engine since those usually draw the crowds. Unless you want to take a video for just the sound.

No need to buy a beer to get those nifty plastic Le Mans cups since you can usually find abandoned ones on the restaurant tables around the village, more so on Friday than the race days.

Parking lot areas are a great place for car buffs to geek out with its variety of classic and sporty cars — old Alfas, TVRs, Ferraris.

Extra tips: Best spots to view the race — Virage de Mulsanne after the Mulsanne straight, Virage de Arnage, before Dunlop bridge where you can see the cars coming out of the pits and onto the track. Don’t forget to bring your earplugs and rain gear. Big groups should bring walkie-talkies to keep in touch.

Categories: Recreation

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