Caroline on Crack

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Tag Archive: giveaway

October 26, 2011

Giveaway: Degenerates’ Halloween Ball at Neat With Open Premium Bar, Live Music, Bar Stars, Costume Attack

Believe me, Aidan Demarest knows how to throw a party.

Still don’t have plans for Halloween weekend, you procrastinator you? Yeah, I’m the same way. Well how about partying down en costume with L.A.’s hottest bar stars at Aidan Demarest’s new Glendale bar, Neat, this Sunday, All Hallow’s Eve eve? For this Degenerates Ball we’re talking OPEN premium bar (hosted by Cointreau!), nosh by Currywurst, a DJ, live French band and a costume contest! Best part is that you meet up at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery first and board a bus to the bar. Hold me!

The bad news for Joe Average is that this shindig isn’t open to the public and only those on the guest list can board the bus.

So why am I even telling you about it? Because I have TWO pairs of passes to give away! You win it and this awesome spirited spooky night is yours for the drinking.

***CONTEST CLOSED***

To win you must do the following:

Have a Facebook account.
Post on my CoC FB page what your Halloween costume is (you must have one to attend or else the attendees will dress you on the bus) and tag Neat and my page. (That’s how I know you liked our pages.) If you still don’t know what you’re going to dress as you can tell me about what was your best costume ever.
Sit back and wait to get a message from me on Friday morning around 10am telling you that you won. I’ll drop all the entries into Random.org and pick a winner. Check your Facebook email, my pretties! If I don’t hear back from you by 11am I’ll have to draw another winner and then you’ll be sad.

But if you don’t win this giveaway, not to fret! Aidan’s throwing a Halloween party on Saturday. It’s $10 at the door and you get a cocktail or beer, dj and dance floor and entry into the costume contest.

EVENT: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30 at 7pm

Neat
1114 N Pacific Avenue
Glendale, California 91202 (map)

Categories: Cocktails, Los Angeles, Nightlife

1 Comment

October 5, 2011

Win Tickets to Naja’s Place Stone Brewing Co. LA Beer Week Party: 40 Beers, 10 tastings

Kick off LA Beer Week with Stone Brewing Co. and Naja's Place. Photo by Naja's Place.

LA Beer Week (October 10-October 23) kicks off next Monday, beer lovers! And to get things started off on the right boozy foot, beer shrine Naja’s Place in Redondo Beach is throwing an LA Beer Week Kick Off party featuring Stone Brewing Co. With 40-plus Stone Brewing beers — including the Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Stone Cali Belgique IPA and Stone Levitation Ale — beer enthusiasts will be in beer heaven.

Due to the inevitable popularity of this event, it will be divided into two sessions at 3pm and 8pm. I mean, come on. It’s going to be hawt! Tickets are $45 each and will include:

Commemorative LA Beer Week ’11 / Naja’s Place tasting glass
Admission to ONE four-hour session
10 six-ounce samples; additional taster tickets will be available on site
Access to 40+ great Stone Brewing beers (many very rare)
VIP Stone Brewing guests including Greg Koch (CEO), Steve Wagner (President, Brew Master), Mitch Steele (Head Brewer), and more!
Q&A Session with Stone Brewing VIP guests
“The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.” book signing with authors Greg Koch & Randy Clemens (book will be available for purchase)
Small bites provided by Stone Catering
Chance to purchase limited edition LABW ’11 / Naja’s Place commemorative T-shirts

Stone Brewing Co taps by Naja's Place

CONTEST CLOSED

But I’m giving away a pair of tickets ($90 value) to each of the sessions to two lucky Crackheads! To enter for a chance to win, just do ANY of the following and enter as many times as you want. How badly do you want it?

Leave a comment below saying which is your favorite Stone Brewing Co. beer and include which session (3pm or 8pm) you’d like to attend as I’ll pick a winner for each session.
Tweet: “I wanna drink @StoneBrewingCo #beer @NajasPlace @LAbeerweek party, @carolineoncrack! http://wp.me/pNkdL-2iA”
Post on my Caroline on Crackheads Facebook page what’s your favorite Stone Brewing Co. beer and you must tag Stone Brewing Co. and Naja’s Place in your post (you have to like their pages to be able to tag them).

Again, remember to include which session you’d like to go to as I’ll pick a winner for each session, a winner for the 3pm sesh and one for the 8pm. Random.org will pick the winners at 9am on Friday and I’ll notify them via email. If I don’t hear from you by 10am this Friday, I’ll have to draw another winner so keep an eye out for my email, peeps! Good luck and happy beering!

EVENT: MONDAY, OCTOBER 10 at 3pm and 8pm

Naja’s Place
154 International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, California 90277 (map)
(310) 376-9951
Facebook: Naja’s Place
Twitter: @NajasPlace

Categories: Beer, Los Angeles, Nightlife

33 Comments

August 31, 2011

Quick Giveaway: Pair of Tickets to The Taste’s Art of Mixing

Learn a thing or two from Rivera's Julian Cox.

This weekend is Los Angeles Times‘ The Taste event, a citywide food fest, with the big event all weekend at Paramount Studios. But for you, my crackheads, I’m giving away a pair of tickets to this Friday’s cocktail-fabulous event, Art of Mixing.

Admission is $125 and will get you unlimited tastings from 30 restaurants (Eva Restaurant, Joe’s Restaurant, Wurstkuche) and 30 wineries, breweries and spirits (Luksusowa Vodka, Original Moonshine) as well as demos from Chef Ricardo Zarate (Picca), John Rivera Sedlar (Playa, Rivera) and mixologist Julian Cox (Rivera, Sotto). This cocktail party opens with a dj set by KCRW’s Jason Bentley followed by Latin-inspired punk band Mariachi El Bronx.

Awesome way to kick off your holiday weekend, no? And I’m giving away only one pair of tickets (value: $250). One! But since the event is just this Friday, this giveaway has to be quick with a winner picked out by tomorrow. So I’m keeping it Facebook-focused! For a chance at the tickets all you have to do is the following:

***CONTEST IS CLOSED***

1) Post on my Caroline on Crackheads Facebook page what’s your favorite cocktail to make at home and you must tag The Taste in your post (you have to Like their page to be able to tag them).

2) Sit back and wait to get a message from me on Thursday morning around 10am telling you that you won. I’ll drop all the entries into Random.org and pick a winner. Check your Facebook email, people! If I don’t hear back from you by 11am I’ll have to draw another winner and you don’t want that.

Good luck!

EVENT: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 from 9pm to 12am

Categories: Cocktails, Los Angeles, Nightlife

Giveaway: Tickets to Exclusive Hollywood Roosevelt Pool Party + Hangover Cocktails

Relaxing at the Hollywood Roosevelt Pool.

Our L.A. bartenders are back from Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and boy, are they beat. Lots of cocktailing, partying, schmoozing, debauchery…and cocktailing in humid, high temperatures. Fortunately, Aidan Demarest of Hollywood Roosevelt’s Spare Room knows just how to cure what ails them.

Next Tuesday the 30th, he’s throwing an exclusive pool party at the Hollywood Roosevelt for 100 or so of his bartender friends, as a follow-up to his infamous Recovery Room at Tales.

Thanks to a slew of liquor sponsors — Cointreau, Brugal Rum, Zu Vodka, Piper Sonoma Champagne, Abita Beer, Fortaleza Tequila, Four Roses Bourbon — guests will be retoxed with the following hangover-relieving cocktails:

The Anti-Oxidant: Zu vodka, pomegranate, Cointreau and lime
Green Room: Champagne, Cointreau and mango puree
The Noon-Day Reviver: Brugal Rum, ginger and bitters
Pit Stop Shot: Zu vodka, Chipotle and OJ served with 2 aspirin and 2 Vitamin C
Speedy Recovery: Brugal Rum, Cointreau, black tea, lemon and honey
Super Sangrita: Fortaleza Tequila, Cointreau, lime served with a fresh carrot, beet and ginger chaser

Aidan was quick to remind me that studies show that drinking is actually healthy. Well, that’s all I needed to hear!

At this pool party lucky attendees will also be treated to a stress-relieving yoga class by the Roosevelt’s Donna DeCoster (Runyon Canyon Yoga), a massage by Gabriel Kimson (Conceptual Wellness) and a mini facial. Bonus is that girls will get a makeover after their facial so they can return to the party gorgeous.

** CONTEST CLOSED***

Again, this exclusive party is for bar industry folk BUT Aidan was generous enough to give me five pairs of tickets to give away to five lucky crackheads. If your calendar is cleared that morning (obviously, no 9-5ers..unless you, ahem, call in sick) and you want in, all you have to do is the following for a chance at the tickets (no limit to how many times you enter):

Leave a comment below saying what’s your favorite hangover cure. I’m always on the lookout for a new one!
Tweet: “I wanna go to @cointreauusa @hwood_roosevelt’s pool party, @carolineoncrack! http://wp.me/pNkdL-2cL”
Post on my Caroline on Crackheads Facebook page what’s your favorite hangover-relieving cocktail and you must tag Cointreau and Hollywood Roosevelt in your post (you have to like their pages to be able to tag them).

I’ll randomly pick 5 winners via Random.org on Friday at noon and notify them via email. If I don’t hear from you by 5pm this Friday, I’ll draw another winner so check your email, crackheads!

EVENT: TUESDAY, AUGUST 30 at 11am

Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, California 90028 (map)
Facebook: Hollywood Roosevelt
Twitter: @hwood_roosevelt

Categories: Cocktails, Los Angeles

22 Comments

July 25, 2011

Blue Palms Brewhouse 3rd Anniversary Party Giveaway

Taps galore! Photo by Blue Palms Brewhouse

When Hollywood beer haven Blue Palms Brewhouse says it’s going to celebrate its 3rd anniversary, prepare to be blown away, elated and inebriated. Their outdoor festival, which takes place on Saturday, August 13th from 12 to 8pm, will feature a seemingly endless tap list of the best brews around. Hit the jump for the crazy tap list that apparently is still growing!

Tickets to get in to this must-do beer fest are $45 each and include 10 tasters (5 oz. each), a Blue Palms logo glass, food, entry for your DD (designated drivers get in free) and live music. If you require more than 10 tasters (understandable considering the vast selection), there will be more drink tickets available for purchase at the party. And as extra incentive for buying your tickets ahead of time, food may be included when you pre-pay but if you buy your ticket at the gate it’s extra for the food.

Giveaway

But on to the giveaway! Blue Palms Brewhouse has been generous enough to provide me with not just one prize but TWO!

1st place: Admission for two (two 10-drink wristbands), BBQ “Steam” (whole cow leg) sandwich and three free throws on the dunk tank to soak a BPB staff member of your choice.
2nd place: A 5-drink wristband, BBQ Steam sandwich, and three free throws on the dunk tank to soak a staff member of your choice.

And to win, all you have to do is one of the following (no limit to how many times you enter):

Leave a comment below saying which beer(s) you’re looking forward to trying at the party.
Tweet: “Mmm. Beer. I wanna go to @BluePalms_Brew’s 3rd anniversary party, @carolineoncrack! http://wp.me/pNkdL-29N”
Post on my Caroline on Crackheads Facebook page which beer you want to try at the party and you must tag Blue Palms Brewhouse in your post (you have to like their page to be able to tag them).

I’ll randomly pick a winner via Random.org next Monday at 10am and notify the winners via email. If I don’t hear from you guys by 2pm that day, I’ll draw another winner so check your email, people!

EVENT: SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 from 12 to 8pm

Blue Palms Brewhouse
6124 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, California 90028 (map)
(323) 464-0808
Twitter: @BluePalms_Brew
Facebook: Blue Palms Brewhouse

Categories: Beer, Featured, Los Angeles

96 Comments

June 30, 2011

The Misfit in Santa Monica: Eat Your Vegetables + Giveaway

Veg pusher: The Misfit chef Bruce Kalman

When I got back from my two-week European cheesefest, I made a vow of (mostly) vegetarianism (with some fish flexibility) in the hopes of losing some of the weight I had gained. Fortunately in LA it’s not too hard to keep that vow but I’m still very appreciative when there’s a restaurant that offers tasty and abundant veg options. LGO’s The Misfit in Santa Monica, which opened in April of this year, is one such place with its constantly rotating selection of farmers’ market fresh small plates created by Chef Bruce Kalman, formerly of LGO’s Chelsea Kitchen in Arizona. The menu basically changes every other day.

Can't even see the table.

Chef Bruce shops for his ingredients at the farmers’ market in SaMo on both Wednesdays and Saturdays. And at the envy of most other chefs who browse the booths and have to load up their groceries into their cars, he need only show up with his cart and shuffle it back to his restaurant.

The Dinner

Recently I was invited to check out the vegetarian menu during a hosted dinner. The restaurant had gotten wind of my veg pledge and wanted to show off its vegetarian/vegan offerings. Now it should be noted that even though this particular dinner was taken care of, I’ve been a fan of the Misfit. In fact, it’s become my boyfriend’s and my favorite dinner spot off Third Street Promenade. But I had never explored their veg dishes (with a touch of pescatarian).

So after enjoying the happy hour (every day 12-7pm) of $5 well, beer, wine the chef proceeded to cover our table with nine dishes – all meat-free, save for one fish dish. If this were regular restaurant food, most of this stuff would have been doggybagged. But since it was all small plates of predominantly vegetable dishes — including kale salad, Misfit Dip Plate, street cart corn, cherry tomato herb salad, broccolini, mac and cheese, crudo hamachi with blood orange — we were able to polish everything off save for Rosa’s baked goat cheese and mac and cheese dishes. And afterward we didn’t feel gross, and still had room for the salted chocolate chip cookies that came with our “check”! By the way, LOVE getting the check here, for that very reason.

Tomato herb salad.

The Dishes

The veg dishes range in price from the $3 spicy caramel nut corn to the $11 brussels sprout salad. A majority of them are small plates that are meant to be shared, something my bf HATES (“There’s never enough food for what you buy and afterward you’re still hungry”). But here we found that we’re usually sated when we split three veg dishes. My favorites? The mac and cheese, the kale salad and the chickpea wrap.

Vegans and celiacs will be happy to know that the kitchen can accommodate requests to create any dish to suit your dietary restrictions.

What’s To Drink?

The Misfit also has a full bar and a specialty cocktail list of classic cocktails. The Clocktower Manhattan is basically a Manhattan but instead of Vermouth, they use the brandy that the cherries are soaked in and apparently no bitters. It’s all right but when I come here I usually go for one of the craft beers on their list, which is excellent by the way with brews like St. Bernardus Abt 12, Allagash Curieux and Alesmith Nautical Brown Ale. And don’t know if this is any good but there’s even gluten-free beer.

The Verdict

In any case, I really appreciate the Misfit at the Promenade. Nice to get some fresh, fairly affordable and fun food.

By the way, The Misfit just began a brunch service which features dishes like San Daniele Prosciutto & Eggs, Famous French Pancakes, Chilaquiles and Huevos Rancheros as well as bottomless mimosas for $12 til 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

***CONTEST CLOSED***

GIVEAWAY: So to promote the brunch they’ve given me TWO “Drunken Brunch for Two” dealios (worth $75 each) to give away! And all you have to do for a chance to win and get your morning drank on is the following (you must do both steps to qualify):

Leave a comment below saying what is your favorite brunch cocktail and include your Twitter handle. (There is no right answer; I just like to hear how you greet the morning.)
Tweet: “I wanna get drunk @themisfitsamo’s brunch, @carolineoncrack! http://wp.me/pNkdL-26i”

I’ll randomly pick a winner via Random.org on Tuesday at 10am and notify the winner via email. If I don’t hear from you by 2pm that Tuesday, I’ll draw another winner so check your email, people!

The Misfit
225 Santa Monica Boulevard
Santa Monica, California 90401 (map)
(310) 656-9800
Facebook: The Misfit
Twitter: @themisfitsamo

Categories: Dining, Los Angeles

50 Comments

May 18, 2011

Bowling, Cocktail Punch, Connect Four: Spare Room’s Taste of the Nation Benefit

Game on!

***CONTEST CLOSED***

You know how I was going on and on about how fun it was to bowl, play board games and drink cocktail punches at the Spare Room in Hollywood? Well, now’s your chance to give it a try. I’m hosting a benefit with SR’s Aidan Demarest there next Thursday, May 26th from 6 to 9pm for Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, which works to end childhood hunger in America.

It’s going to be a fun night at the stylish Hollywood bowling alley/bar where you can compete in either a bowling tournament or Connect Four tournament for a chance at some awesome prizes like a night’s stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt, a pair of tickets to the June 12th Taste of the Nation food festival, an hour of bowling at SR, and more.

Here’s the breakdown of entry fees and what each gets you:

Bowlers, $50: cocktail punches, appetizers, one hour of bowling and chance to win bowler’s grand prize — a night’s stay at Hollywood Roosevelt and a pair of tickets to Taste of the Nation LA — A great deal since it’s normally $100 for an hour of bowling at SR!
Gamers, $25: cocktail punches, appetizers, entry fee for Connect Four game tournament and chance to win the gamer’s grand prize — a pair of tickets to Taste of the Nation LA and one hour of bowling at the Spare Room.

Email me at carolineoncrack[at]gmail.com to RSVP for the event or to sign up for a tournament; remember to specify which tournament you want to participate in. We have limited spaces so RSVP asap! I’ll put your name on the list and you pay at the door.

For the non-”athletic-types,” it’s $15 just to get into the event and partake of the passed appetizers and cocktail punches throughout the venue. You can also play the other board games like drunken Scrabble, drunken Jenga or drunken dominoes (just need to leave your credit card for insurance).

A dj will keep you moving and chair dancing while cocktails from the Spare Room cocktail menu will be available for purchase if you require more than boozy punches. Might I recommend the Figgy Smalls with Bulleit bourbon, fig jam, egg white, lemon, bitters and thyme essence? Yessss.

By the way a portion of door proceeds will go to TOTNLA as well as 10% of all liquor sales. Huzzah!

Bonus is that the night’s participants also have the opportunity to purchase Taste of the Nation LA tickets ($100 each) at a discount: $25 off for bowlers and $15 off for gamers and general attendees.

GIVEAWAY: I’m giving away a pair of general admission tickets to the event. To enter to win tickets to this fab event, do the following.

Leave a comment below saying what cocktail you think pairs well with bowling and include your Twitter handle. (There is no right answer; I just like to hear your thoughts on the matter.)
Tweet: “I want tickets to the @TOTNLA Spare Room benefit, @carolineoncrack! http://is.gd/O731qh�

I�ll randomly pick a winner via Random.org on Monday at noon and notify the winner via email. If I don�t hear from you by 2pm that Monday, I�ll draw another winner so check your email!

Either case, hope to see you there!

EVENT: THURSDAY, MAY 26 from 6pm to 9pm

The Spare Room at Mezzanine of Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90028 (map)
RSVP: carolineoncrack[at]gmail.com

Categories: Cocktails, Featured, Los Angeles, Nightlife, Recreation

22 Comments