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Tag Archive: LACMA

October 27, 2011

This Halloween Weekend: Narnia at La Descarga, Candy & Wine Pairing, Extreme Tim Burton

I LOVE Halloween. Candy, scary movies, costumes — now that’s a good time right there.

Thursday, October 27

Werewolves of London Halloween Hotel Package
Partying in WeHo for Halloween? Grab a suite at the London. The hotel is doing a special Halloween package for the holiday now through November 1. Room rates start at $365 and you get two cocktails from the Halloween Witches Brew menu, an overnight parking spot, breakfast at Boxwood Cafe Breakfast Table and, since you’ll probably be out getting into shenanigans the night before, a late 2pm checkout.

Through November 1. Starting at $365. London, 1020 North San Vicente Boulevard, West Hollywood (map). Reservations: (866) 282-4560

Friday, October 28

HallowedVine: Candy and Wine Pairing at Vintage
Enjoy Halloween candy like a grown-up: with a wine pairing! Vintage Enoteca has paired Halloween faves like candy corn and smarties with Viognier and Muscat Blanc. Hmm, what does the sugar blues paired with intoxication feel like I wonder? Other pairings include Raisinets & M&Ms with Merlot, Snickers & Junior Mints with Grenache Noir.

Friday-Monday. $25. Vintage Enoteca, 7554 W. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). (323) 512-5278.

La Descarga’s Narnia Halloween 2011
A rum bar turned Narnia wonderland for Halloween. La Descarga will be transformed into that storybook land with burlesque dancers and the house band putting scenes from the story to musical life. There will be guest DJs and live music by Saint Motel. Best part is that there will be a super premium open bar with Halloween cocktails and punch bowls. Only thing is that there is a 125-person max and naturally costumes are required.

Friday and Saturday. $100. La Descarga, 1159 N Western Avenue, Los Angeles (map). Reservations: narniahalloween[at]gmail.com.

Glow Ultra Lounge’s Halloween Costume Ball
I admit it, the one thing that caught my eye today about this party at the marina is the dessert candy bar. For $20-$30 you get hors d’oeuvres and a costume contest with a $300 grand prize. Drinks aren’t included but they have “cheap drink specials.”

8pm-2am. $20 advanced, $30 door. Glow Ultra Lounge, 4100 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey (map).

Villains Tavern’s and The One Eyed Gypsy’s Dark Carnival II
This sounds like it’s going to be an epic party: 12 live bands on the outdoor stage , a food court, eight punchbowl spirits with Milagro Tequila and Sailor Jerry’s Rum, and two outdoor bars. If that’s not enough fun for you, there will also be Foosball and Giant Jenga, Tarot card and palm readings, photobooth AND snacks like the infamous bacon caramel popcorn as well as cotton candy. Pfew! A free Haunted Shuttle will transport party-goers from the two venues which are just a mile apart. A portion of the proceeds will go to Sunset Free Clinic.

Friday 7pm-1am and Saturday 12pm-1am. Free admission. Villains Tavern, 1356 Palmetto Street, Downtown (map).

Saturday, October 29

Pumpkin-palooza at Blue Palms Brewhouse
Pumpkin ale gets a bum rap from beer snobs but leave it to Blue Palms Brewhouse to pick some tasty ones for its pumpkin beer event, like 2010 Beer Valley Jackalope Imperial Pumpkin Porter Ale, Dogfish Head Punkin and Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin, in addition to fall treats like The Bruery’s Barrel-Aged Autumn Maple and Midnight Sun Treat. The event will also have pumpkin-focused food like pumpkin quesadillas and smoked pumpkin seeds!

2pm. Blue Palms Brewhouse, 6124 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood (map). (323) 464-2337.

Halloween Horror and Hooch at Neat
If you don’t win my giveaway for the exclusive Halloween party at Neat on Sunday, get in on Saturday for the public blowout. $10 at the door gets you a Dirty and Dangerous cocktail or Wychwood Brewery beer. There will be a DJ to keep you boo-gying as well as a costume contest for what I’m told will be some “kickass prizes.”

9pm. $10. Neat, 1114 N. Pacific Avenue, Glendale (map).

Sunday, October 30

Tim Burton Exhibit’s Open for 38 Hours Straight at LACMA
The Tim Burton Exhibit at LACMA draws to a close but in celebration of what has to be the director’s favorite holiday, the museum will run the exhibit for 38 hours straight! If you haven’t visited it yet, Halloween AM would be the perfect time as tickets are half-price from 12am to 9am.

10am Sunday to 12am Tuesday. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Nightmare on Elm Street and Eagle Rock Brewery at Barnsdall
Man, I love scary movie nights, especially scary movie nights with great brews to drink. Barnsdall is doing a special showing of Nightmare on Elm Street (filmed at our local Marshall High) and Eagle Rock Brewery will be providing the beer while City Sip pours the wine. And munch on fare from food trucks Heirloom LA and Border Grill truck.

Doors open at 5pm. $25. Barnsdall, 4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Monday, October 31

Halloween Makeup Makeover at Ciel Spa
Is doing your own makeup the hardest part of your costume? Have the pros do it at Ciel Spa in the SLS Hotel. The spa has partnered up with Makeup Mandy, “eyelash bar to the stars” and will be offering lashes for $30, hair extensions like feathers and bling for $12 and full face makeup starting at $180.

Now through Monday. Ciel Spa at SLS Hotel, 465 South La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles (map). Appointments: (310) 246-5560 or on the site.

Categories: Art, Beauty & Fashion, Beer, Cocktails, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Movies, Nightlife, Sweets

This Weekend: Tiki Holiday, 1886 Westside, Tim Burton Speaks

What a glorious weekend it’s going to be! Not only is it a holiday but it’s the last weekend before my European vacation! Woot! By the way, don’t forget: my Spare Room Taste of the Nation LA bowling party is tonight and I’m still collecting entries for my Bruery craft beer fest giveaway!

Thursday, May 26

BreadBar’s Hatchi Truck Stop with Rokyo Ramen Truck and 1886 Cocktails
The Raymond’s 1886 Bar in Pasadena comes to the Westside! Now’s your chance to check out what its skillful bartenders can do without having to drive four different freeways to get there. And the Rokyo Gourmet Ramen Truck will be on hand for this month’s BreadBar Food Truck series. Eight dishes like tempura eggs served with bacon-wrapped vegetables, Bibimbap and Rokyo Ramen will be be available at $8 each with a $32 minimum. The cocktails, like the Green Tea Toddy with Japanese whiskey and Sriracha Daisy, are available for $8-$12 each.

6-10pm. BreadBar Century City, 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Century City (map). Reservations: (310) 277-3770, breadbar.net.

Saturday, May 28

Spring Beer Festival at the Echoplex
Unlimited pours of craft beer (Strand, Lagunitas, Firestone, New Belgium and Green Flash), live music and food trucks! You get all that for $25 AND it’s for a great cause: 826LA, a non-profit dedicated to helping students with their writing skills.

12-4pm. Tickets: $25. The Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Tim Burton Introduces His Ed Wood Movie at LACMA
Ed Wood, a biopic of the Hollywood director played skillfully by Johnny Depp, is one of my favorite Tim Burton movies and if it’s yours, too, you won’t want to miss this screening when the director himself introduces it! This helps kick off his exhibit at LACMA which starts May 29 and goes through Halloween this year. Other movies scheduled to screen in the coming weeks are Beetle Juice, Corpse Bride and Mars Attacks!

7pm. Tickets: $10. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Sunday, May 29

Katana’s 7th Annual Red Sun BBQ Garden Kicks Off
To celebrate the summer, this Sunset Boulevard chichi sushi joint will have a party on its patio every Sunday til Labor Day. There you can do a Red Sun BBQ Tasting menu complete with Robatayaki and Katana favorites for $40. Knock back $6 sake sangrias and Champagne St. Germains or split a Katana Pineapple Fusion bowl for two.

Every Sunday til September 4. 5:30pm-11:30pm. Katana, 8439 W Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood (map). (323) 650-8585.

Monday, May 30

Tiki Night at 320 Main
It’s Memorial Day! Wind down your holiday with Tiki drinks made by those who know how to make ‘em like Matt Robold of RumDood, Jason Schiffer of 320 Main and Marcos Tello of The Varnish/1886 Bar. They’ll take turns behind the bar serving Painkillers, Nui Nuis, Navy Grogs and more! If you’re hongry there are $4 LA and Chicago dogs! Don’t forget to sport your loudest Hawaiian shirt! I’m so there.

7pm-11pm. 320 Main, 320 Main Street, Seal Beach (map). (562) 799-6246.

Categories: Art, Beer, Cocktails, Lists, Los Angeles, Movies, Nightlife

This Weekend: Wonderland High Tea, Bourbon Night, Young Directors

I’m outtie again this weekend. Yet another 24 Hours of Lemons race I gotta go to. This one up in Sonoma. Sucks considering there are all these fun things going on in L.A. Anyway, have fun.

Friday, March 5

CorkBar 1-Year Anniversary
Downtown wine bar celebrates its one-year anniversary with a special Founder’s Flight ($18) — a selection of five wines that helped inspire the owner to create Corkbar. Includes Brander Sauvignon Blanc, Keenan Chardonnay, Melville Syrah, Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon & Frank Family Zinfandel. They’ll also be pouring some by-the-bottle-only wines by the glass!

Corkbar, 403 West 12th Street, Los Angeles (map).

Royal/T’s Alice in Wonderland High Tea
Seems L.A. is going mad as a hatter for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland as evidence by all the high tea events. But Royal/T’s is sure to stand out, not only for its Japanese cosplay servers but the $25 high tea of playing cards tea sandwiches, a vanilla “Eat Me” cupcake, kobe beef slider, a cup of “Drink Me” Royal/T Green Milk Tea blend, blue mushroom-shaped meringues and Cheshire Cat macaroons with Earl Grey tea filling (both by BakeLab). Be sure to swing by on Saturday for the Wonderland-themed fashion show and to check out the newest exhibit, �The Never Ending Story: Fairytale, Fantasy and Obsession.”

Royal/T, 8910 Washington Boulevard, Culver City (map). (310) 559-6300

Provence Wine Council Tasting Event
Explore the wines from the Provence Region of France at this delicious wine event which is held in conjunction with the Provence Wine Council, a gathering of the largest selection of winemakers from Provence ever assembled on the West Coast. Oenophiles can enjoy 35 not-yet-available labels, winemaker discussions and Provincial French food.

6pm-1am. $55 (plus $4.02 transaction fee). Vinoteque on Melrose, 7469 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Friday Night Spirits — Bourbon
What better way to kick off the weekend than with a series of bourbons? The Wine House in West L.A. hosts a bourbon tasting where guests will get to sample all types and styles of my fave booze at a variety of price ranges. Find out which bourbon is your new favorite.

7:30pm. $50. The Wine House, 2311 Cotner Avenue, Los Angeles (map). Reservations: 310-479-3731, Ext. 0.

Saturday, March 6

LACMA’s Young Directors’ Night
Celebrate L.A.’s new talent at LACMA’s Young Directors Night. Six short films will be screened and there will be a panel discussion with the directors afterward. But, definitely stay for the after-party across the street at A+D Museum where you can peruse the galleries and video installations and partake of the open bar featuring Maker’s Mark and Malibu Family Wines as well as Sprinkles Cupcakes! If you want to go to the OK Go release party on Friday, you can purchase tickets to that event plus this one for only $40 and save $10.

8pm-12am. $30. LACMA�s Bing Theater and A+D Museum, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Sunday, March 7

Beefsteak Sundays at Bacaro LA
Apparently these Beefsteak Sundays are uber popular and there are only 32 seats so chances are it’s already booked up but give it a shot. Sorry! I just found out about this yesterday. If you are SOL, just make your ressies for next month’s event where it’s all-you-can-consume-beer/wine-and steak for only $25! There are two seatings, 5:30pm and 8pm, every first Sunday of the month.

5:30pm and 8pm. $25. Bacaro LA, 2308 S Union Avenue, Los Angeles (map). RSVP: Call (213) 748-7205 or email bacaro_la [at] yahoo.com.

Rustic Canyon’s Spring Beer Bash Dinner with the Beer Chick
But I will give you the heads-up to this tasty event on March 23 at the Santa Monica restaurant where, for $75, you get to enjoy five courses of fresh spring fare paired with five beers provided by Beer Chick, Christina Perozzi and featuring local breweries, The Bruery, Craftsman and Skyscraper Brewing Co.

Event date: Tuesday, March 23. $75 (includes beer). Rustic Canyon, 1119 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica (map). Reservations: (310) 393-7050.

Categories: Art, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Movies, Nightlife