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Tag Archive: fun run

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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April 13, 2011

Nike Plus’ She Runs LA: Run Like a Girl & Party Like One

Flickr shot by Ernst Moeksis

Nike +’s She Runs LA 10K is an all-women fun run not bound by a set course, parking restrictions or ill-timed water stations. Nope, for the April 27 digital race, you create your own start and finish line, take your own breaks and more importantly, you don’t have to worry about your time being hampered by a herd of slow runners. “Move to the right!”

How is that possible? You basically run a 10K any time from 4pm on April 27 to 4pm on April 28, tracking it via a Nike + device that then uploads it to nikeplus.com. Get a group of your running buddies together and map out your own 6.2-mile course. My friend Shelley and I are looking to run around Santa Monica and Brentwood, and maybe celebrating after with a happy hour that will accept sweaty, stinky girls. Cabo Cantina? Barney’s Beanery? Who’s game?

And afterward on April 28th at 7pm, there will be a huge celebration at Nokia Theatre Live LA downtown with live music, dance crews and beauty treatments courtesy of Bliss Day Spa and Paul Mitchell.

The registration fee, which includes the digital race and the party as well as an event tank top, is $40 for the general public. But as a special for my crackheads, the first 50 of you who email liz.adams [at] rlpublicrelations.com will receive a promo code to have their registration fee waived! If I don’t see you on the streets, hope to see you at the after party!

EVENT: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 at 4pm

Facebook: She Runs LA
Twitter: @nikeplus

Categories: Beauty & Fashion, Los Angeles, Recreation

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February 10, 2011

This Weekend: Free Dessert Tasting, Beer Fests, Magnum Pinata

For non-Valentine things to do this weekend, I give you the following. It’s going to be a gorgeous one. Go out and have fun!

Thursday, February 10

Barbara Fairchild Booksigning & a Free Dessert Tasting
To celebrate former Bon Appetit editor in chief Barbara Fairchild’s new book Bon Appetit Desserts Larry Nicola, chef and owner of Nic�s Beverly Hills, is hosting a booksigning for the author as well as a free dessert tasting when Nic’s pastry chef Zak Means will recreate some of her favorite desserts from the book like Chocolate Caramel Slice and Vanilla Bean Marshmallows. There will also be a full happy hour bar food menu available and even a specialty cocktail called the Fairchild for $7.

5-7pm. Nic�s Beverly Hills, 453 North Ca�on Drive, Beverly Hills (map). (310) 550-5707.

Friday, February 11

Double Feature at the Aero: The Princess Bride/The Notebook
Now, I usually prefer slasher movies for Valentine’s Day but these are two of my favorite lovey-dovey ones. Both revolve around twoo wuuuve. And The Princess Bride has romance, adventure, comedy, a sword fight and The Notebook has, well, Ryan Gosling. Swoon! You’ll laugh and you’ll cry. The Notebook gets me every time I see it. Every. Time.

7:30pm. Tickets: $11. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica (map).

Charity Wine Tasting for Mutts and Meows
Drink wine for a great cause: Molly’s Mutts and Meows which goes toward helping cats and dogs find homes. For $25, you get to taste three wines — Domaine Guindon Muscadet 2009, Para Silverlake 2007 Merlot-Cab mix, Earth First Malbec 2009 — and half of the proceeds go to the charity. There will also be food.

7-9pm. $25. Silverlake Wine, 2395 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (323) 662-9024.

Sunday, February 13

33rd Annual LA Chinatown Firecracker 5K/10K
This is called a fun run but it’s also an ass-kicker with its 1-mile uphill. Oy. Last year when I was in great shape I did the 10K, this year I’ll be happy if I can do that 5K. If anything, all 5K/10K finishers get a medal! Plus the entry fee includes a carbo load meal the night before. Online registration is closed but you can still register at the race.

6am registration. $37. Broadway and College Street, Chinatown (map).

Monday, February 14

Hophead Heaven Kickoff at Library Alehouse
You’re bitter about Valentine’s Day, embrace that bitterness at this Hophead Heaven hop-centric fest which features AleSmith’s My Bloody Valentine, a hoppy seasonal red, as well as Green Flash’s West Coast IPA, Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum to name a few. $10 gets you the Alehouse logo tasting glass, $2 for 3.5-ounce pour.

Library Alehouse, 2911 Main Street, Santa Monica (map). (310) 314-4855.

Tuesday, February 15

Russian River Brew Night at The Surly Goat
Here’s a beer night you won’t want to miss. Even the elusive Pliny the Younger will be on tap but get there early before it runs dry. Other Russian River beers on tap, some of which have never been on tap in LA before, include Pliny the Elder, Damnation, Redemption, Mortification…great names. If you miss the Younger here, there will be some available at sister bar, Verdugo Bar.

6pm-2am. The Surly Goat, 7929 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood (map).

Magnum Pop-up at Pal Cabron
Magnum pop-up part deux, featuring the food of Chef Joseph Mahon (Bastide) and wine pairings by David Haskell (Bin 8945), is going to be a blast, especially the late hours which will have a dj and even a pinata bashing. Whoever finds the Magnum condom that falls out of the pinata with the Mexican candy wins dinner for two at the next Magnum pop-up. Make your reservations asap as there are only a few spots left. Four courses for $48/eight courses $72, with pairings add $27/$48, bonus mescal and foie gras cemita pairing $20.

Tuesday-Wednesday. Pal Cabron, 3337 1/2 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles (map). Reservations: (323) 798-4648 or magnumdh [at] gmail.com.

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles, Movies, Recreation, Shopping & Sales, Sweets

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May 13, 2010

This Weekend: Vendys, Forever Oz, Grilled Cheese & Beer

Yay! I’m so happy I’m in town this weekend. And it’s a good thing, too, because there are LOTS going on.

Saturday, May 15

CitySip LA Home Brewing Class
Times are tough. Maybe you don’t have the money to go out for a night of drinking. So why not learn how to make your own booze at home? Beer guru Alex Macy will be taking you through the steps on how to brew your own beer starting with a basic extract brew. The event is $45 and gets you tastes of 6-8 commercial beers, Two Boots pizza and the know-how to make your own beer. But dress to get wet and dirty. Home brewing apparently gets messy.

1-4pm. $45. 2150 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles (map). Reservations: (213) 483-9463.

The Vendy Awards LA
The Vendys are here! And six of the best LA street vendors are up for the award of the bestest vendor in all SoCal. This Saturday they’ll be judged by a prestigious foodie panel consisting of the Glutster, those Animal guys, Street Gourmet LA and KCRW’s Evan Kleiman. Entry fee to witness this spectacle is $50 which gets you the cook-off food and an open bar of wine and beer. Proceeds from this event will go to protect vendors’ rights.

4-7pm. $50 online, $60 at the door. MacArthur Park, S. Park View and W. 7th Street, Los Angeles (map).

Connect 4 Tournament at West 4th/Jane
Spend an entire afternoon drinking beer and playing an intense round of Connect 4. Get a team of five friends together for West 4th/Jane’s second seasonal Connect 4 tournament where the top three winning teams will get prizes! If you’re not in it to win it, at least the $20 entry fee includes unlimited tap beer for all four hours of the event. Email steven [at] west4thjane.com to confirm your team.

4-8pm. West 4th/Jane, 1432 4th Street, Santa Monica (map). (310) 395-6765.

Cinespia’s First Movie of the Season: The Wizard of Oz
Summer’s here! That’s how we count the seasons in L.A., right? With the arrival of Cinespia’s cemetery screenings. Saturday night’s kickoff movie is none other than cinema classic, The Wizard of Oz. Whip up a thermos of Hurricane cocktails to enjoy on your picnic blanket and maybe play a WoO drinking game. Check out my cemetery screening do’s and don’ts on how to best enjoy the experience. No tall chairs, please!

Gates 7pm, movie 8pm. $10. Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Sunday, May 16

Santa Monica Classic 5K/10K
It’s going to be such a gorgeous weekend why not run a 5K or 10K through the streets of Santa Monica to best enjoy the weather? This annual fun run is a point-to-point course through SaMo that finishes at the Santa Monica Pier. Proceeds from the event go to benefit Heal the Bay. Online registration is closed but you can still register on race day.

7:30am 5K, 8am 10K. $40. 2600 Barnard Way, Santa Monica (map).

Margerum M5 + In-N-Out at Wallys Wine
Don’t be a wine snob. You know you want to check out this wine pairing of In N Out burgers and wine. In fact it’s already been done with great success. This event at Wally’s Wine is $20 per person and includes a glass of the Margerum M5, a burger and a full tasting. There will also be newly released vintages to taste.

1-4pm. $20. Wally�s Wines, 2107 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Monday, May 17

Hudson House Hosts the Grilled Cheese Truck
Everyone’s favorite food truck, the Grilled Cheese Truck will be making an appearance at the Hudson House. The Redondo Beach gastropub will close its kitchen for the event but you can grab some cheesy melts and enjoy them in the bar along with libations from Hudson House’s beer, wine and cocktail menu. Newly revealed cocktails include the Imperia Pickled Blue ($10) with Imperia vodka, pickled vegetables and blue cheese stuffed olives and a cava cocktail available in blueberry, pear or blood orange ($8). New beer on tap is the chipotle-coffee stout, Black Phoenix.

5-10pm. Hudson House, 514 North Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach (map).

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles, Movies, Recreation

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April 2, 2010

This Weekend: Grilled Cheese Duo, Tweet Crawl, Weekend Happy Hour

It’s going to be a gor-jus spring weekend. What are you going to do? Hike? Biking? Road trip? In any case, I’ve got a few ideas.

Friday, April 2

Tillamook’s Loaf Tour and Grilled Cheese Truck Team Up
Tillamook’s Loaf Love Tour is partnering with the Grilled Cheese Truck to bring the masses grilled cheese goodness at the Beverly Hills Porsche dealership today from 11:30am to 2pm. They’ll be giving out samples of their cheddar cheese as well as handing out coupons. But if you miss them, check them out later at First Friday on Abbot Kinney — no samples there, though.

11:30am-2pm. At Beverly Hills Porsche Dealership, 8425 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills (map).

Saturday, April 3

Santa Anita Derby Day 5K
One of my favorite fun runs everrr as the course has you running through the beautiful, blooming L.A. Arboretum and finishing on a real horse track! If you don’t feel like running, it also makes for a wonderful stroll. At the end, you have a hoppin’ post-race party waiting for you with food, drinks and live music.

6:30am. $35. Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia (map).

Hungry Cat’s Weekend Happy Hour Debuts
Everyone’s favorite Hollywood Cat kicks off its weekend happy hour where you can enjoy half off all specialty cocktails which end up costing about $5-$6 and half off draft beer from the likes of Craftsman, Telegraph and North Coast brewing companies.

12-5pm, Saturdays and Sundays. Hungry Cat, 1535 N. Vine Street, Hollywood (map). (323) 462-2155.

Tweet Crawl 4: Eggstravaganza on the Strip
A Tweetup not to be missed where Tweeps will play beer pong at the Standard, go on a prize-filled Easter egg hunt, enjoy some comedy at the Comedy Store, and of course plenty of drink specials like $3 Easter egg cocktails and $1 bartender�s choice shots at the Viper Room. End point is the Roxy for egg decorating, more drink specials and music.

3pm. Starts at the Standard, 8300 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood (map). For information, email alf [at] thecomedystore.net.

Sunday, April 4

For Easter’s goings-on, click here.

Categories: Cocktails, Dining, Los Angeles, Recreation

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March 18, 2010

This Weekend: Napa in DTLA, Japanese Beer Garden, Cart for a Cause

I’ll be up in Mammoth for a very bloggy snowboarding trip (Yay!) but check out all the cool, new things coming up!

Saturday, March 20

NPN LA Marathon 5K
I SO wanted to do this fun run which is the official warm-up race for the LA Marathon since 1) I couldn’t do the marathon after all and 2) participants get a medal and a T-shirt at the end of this one. I want a medal! The race around Dodger Stadium starts at the official marathon starting line and about 4,000 are estimated to participate. Free parking in Lot K of Dodger Stadium!

8am. $35. Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Sunday, March 21

UNICEF Tap Project: Donate $1 for Tap Water
Help provide clean drinking water to kids around the world just by paying $1 for tap water (you know how that stuff is usually free) at some of your fave restaurants. It’s for the UNICEF Tap Project’s World Water Week which goes from March 21 to 27. And when you pay that $1 at places like 8 oz Burger Bar, Craft or Real Food Daily you’re helping to provide water and sanitation to children around the world.

Tender Greens Hollywood – Sunday Farmers’ Market Specials
Is food made from farmers’ market produce just not fresh enough for you? How about when it’s brought straight from the market to your plate? That’s essentially what Tender Greens will be doing for Sunday meals, starting this Sunday, at its newly opened Hollywood location. Executive Chef Fermin Arias will shop for the ripest produce and freshest seafood and meat at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market on Sunday morning, cook them up and serve them. Naturally, the menu will be different every week but prices will be a very affordable $10.50 for the entrees.

11:30am-10pm. 6290 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 382-0380.

Monday, March 22

Chaya Downtown launches Japanese Beer Garden Menu
Enjoy Japanese beer and a yakitori menu at Chaya Downtown’s Japanese-lantern-decorated outdoor patio starting Monday and going through the end of summer. Executive Chef Shigefumi Tachibe will be offering a variety of yakitori skewers ($2 each or three for $5), like chicken, short rib and beef tongue. There will also be sake-steamed mussels ($8) and $15 pitchers of Kirin beer. Only thing is the patio can fit only about 50 people so get there early or maybe later in the evening.

5pm-close. Chaya Downtown, 525 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles (map).

Napa Valley Nightlife
So luxurious sipping on over 50 Napa Valley wines while taking in the view of Downtown from a penthouse. And it’s only for $40. Well, $40 when you buy your tickets in advance, $60 if you procrastinate and pay at the door. There will be small bites available but for a “small additional fee.” Wineries in attendance include Pahlmeyer, St. Supery Vineyards & Winery and Signorello Estate.

6:30-9:30pm. Takami Sushi/Elevate Lounge, 811 Wilshire Blvd, 21st Floor, Los Angeles (map).

Tuesday, March 23

Cart for a Cause Launches
This is a brilliant idea: a food truck for a good cause that features some of the top chefs in L.A.! Cart for a Cause launches on March 23 and will travel around the city serving up $10 meals, and all proceeds will go to benefit St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. The travelling chefs will change every month so look for Walter Manzke (Church and State), Susan Feniger (Street), Sal Marino (Il Grano), Eric Greenspan (The Foundry), Josef Centeno (The Lazy Ox Canteen), Jean Francois Meteigner (La Cachette), Vinny Dotolo & Jon Shook (Animal) and more in the coming months. But this Tuesday celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa will kick things off.

Twitter: @CartforaCause or Facebook.

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

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March 11, 2010

This Weekend: Mmmacallan, Comp Cocktails, Free Grooming

Sure, there’s that nerdy-awesome Star Warz Burlesque show on Saturday and Morton’s Steakhouse’s even nerdier celebration of Pi Day on Sunday with $3.14 slices of key lime pie but if you were looking for non-nerd things to fill out your weekend (not that there’s anything wrong with being a nerd) I present to you the following.

Friday, March 12

Macallan Tasting Note Project
This project will be launched to coincide with the kickoff of SXSW in Austin tomorrow but thanks to Twitter, scotch drinkers and Macallan lovers can still participate for their chance to win a private tasting with a Macallan ambassador and up to 10 of their closest friends Through Tuesday, March 16, tweet what you taste about #Macallan12 and #Macallan15. Just apply those hashtags and you’re good

Saturday, March 13

Free Brow Threading at Fred Segal Santa Monica
code.ai will be offering free eyebrow threading to beauty mavens via celebrity brow threader Marco Ochoa. He did my brows at a previous code.ai event and really does beautiful albeit pain-free work. Pick up some free samples and code.ai brow booster applications while you’re there.

12-5pm. Fred Segal Santa Monica, 500 Broadway, Santa Monica (map).

Sunday, March 14

14th Annual Susan G. Komen LA County Race for the Cure 5K
Have a fun run around Dodger Stadium while raising money for an important cause: to support breast cancer research.� You can just do the run or you can do the run and work to raise money for the cause as well. Create your own team of friends. Hooray for boobies!

8am. Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park, Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

St. Patrick’s Day Festival 2010
Celebrate the biggest alcoholiday early before all the crazies are let loose next Wednesday. Looks like this Hollywood festival benefitting Children’s Tumor Foundation is the way to go what with a huge selection of not very Irish craft beer, spirits and food — New Belgium Brewing Company, Ventura Limoncello Company, Pig N’ Whistle.

2-7pm. $100. Taglyan Complex, 1201 Vine Street, Hollywood (map).

Free Drinks & Food at Hudson House’s One-Year Anniversary Party
Toast my fave Redondo Beach bar’s one year of existence with free Hudson Ales, Blood Orange Chinaco tequila cocktails and bar bites! A local DJ will be spinning and guests will get a chance to win Hudson House apparel. Ooh! I can add it to my bar t-shirt collection!

4pm-close. Hudson House, 514 N Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach (map). (310) 798-9183.

Categories: Beauty & Fashion, Cocktails, Dining, Los Angeles, Recreation

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