fauxLAhipster

Updated calendar ===>

2011-12-02T16:53:00.001-08:00

It's the holidays! blech....

But the holidays also mean lots of free parties and boozing and merriment. I've posted a few events that I think sound cool in the calendar section on the right panel. Check it out!

My "to try" list for right now:
Sunny Spot - Venice
Oldfield's Liquor Room - Culver City
Smithouse Top and Grill - Century City

Prince tickets for $25

2011-05-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

Prince, the raspberry beret wearing purple rain maker is doing shows at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood. Apparently, he wants to make these shows affordable to his fans so 85% of tickets will be sold for $25, inclusive of all fees! I just bought my tickets to see his show tomorrow. Can't wait!!!

He's doing 21 shows in LA in this format and it started on April 14th, so you know there aren't many of these shows left.

Buy your tickets here now. DO IT!!

http://www.ticketmaster.com/Prince-tickets/artist/735895

Shout out to the lovely Ms Jean Rhee for this tip.

Tramps like us, baby we were born to run...

2011-04-22T01:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been 1.5 years.

Medical school is a selfish mistress. So many times, I wanted to leave the confines of the desk or library, but she says "sure you can go to that awesome sounding party.... if you wanna be the idiot who flunks out of med school." Hence my absence from blogging for 1.5 years. But now that I'm nearing the end of my first year, I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. At least enough to have a small life outside of school. I will be ringing in Block 5, the last block of my first year with a 10K run sponsored by Nike called She Runs LA.

It's a digital run which means that you don't have to battle traffic and crowds and the crazy parking that characterizes LA. Just run between 4pm on Wed Apr 27 and 4pm Thurs Apr 28. If you have a Nike Plus device, make sure you run with that and sync your run which makes you eligible to win prizes like new sneakers and stuff. And instead of the usual post-run street fair atmosphere of energy drink samples and sweaty crowds, you get a cool concert at the Nokia Theater which Nike is calling the "ultimate girls night out." This run is catered towards women, but the boys are not only welcome to run, but also go to the post-run festivies on Thursday night!

Registration is normally $40, but if you leave me a comment here, I can even give you a code so you can register for FREE! Just remember to tweet me or leave me your email address :)

Here are some more details from the run's facebook page
• Live music performance by MIKE POSNER
• America's Best Dance Crew winners WE ARE HEROES
• Nike athlete appearances, including GOLD MEDALIST Dawn Harper
• 3 floors of pampering and fun, with experiences by BLISS DAY SPA, PAUL MITCHELL, POP CHIPS, LUNA BAR and POWERADE ZERO.

SHE RUNS LA benefits STUDENTS RUN LA, which provides access to the sport of running to at-risk youth in the Los Angeles community.

SHE RUNS LA DETAILS:
THE RUN:
• EVERYONE: Take on your 10K anytime between 4PM on April 27th – 4PM on April 28th.
• NIKE+ USERS: Upload your run to the She Runs LA Nike+ Challenge at bit.ly/sherunslachallenge by 4PM on April 28th for a chance to win Nike shoes, apparel, and more.

THE FUN:
• Scene: An exclusive night of music, fun, and celebrities, available only to participants of She Runs LA
• Time: April 28th from 7:00pm – 10:00pm
• Place: Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE in downtown LA

REGISTER FOR SHE RUNS LA:
Register at www.SheRunsLA.com. Your registration fee includes your exclusive She Runs LA Dri-FIT tank and entry into the post-run celebration at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE

See you there! :)

Angel's Piano Bar: an undiscovered gem in Santa Monica East

2009-12-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

Last night I was invited to my first ever tweetup (meeting of people completely organized via twitter) by my buddy Andy. Being the grinch I am, I was eager to leave my mom's house in the suburbs and rejoin civilization. The #xmasmeetup was organzied by Mike of Kogi PR and set to take place at Angel's Piano Bar in Santa Monica on the corner of Wilshire and 25th. I had read a few press bits about this place, but it seemed to be operating mostly under the radar so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But once inside, I was so pleasantly surprised!

It was pretty empty when we arrived, as would be expected on Christmas night around 10pm. But the atmosphere felt warm and inviting without that awkward feeling you sometimes get when stepping into a not-too-crowded bar. There is the main lounge area off to the right that has several small tables illuminated by candles and a leather bench along the wall. The baby grand piano and a retro style mic is within eyeshot of about 80% of the bar. Further back, there is a larger area that can probably fit around 20 people in comfortable elegance. Much of the decor was trimmed in white leather or floral gold leaf creating a vibe that reminded me of part Moulin Rouge, part rich uncle, and part boudoir. Or maybe even a smaller westside version of Edison Lounge in Downtown LA.

After a nice conversation with their super cool and friendly bartender guy (forgot to get his name), I decided to try their absinthe. It's presented using a fancy looking carafe and a special slotted spoon to hold the sugar. I learned several things about absinthe by chatting with the bartender:

Angel's only carries Lucid absinthe which is 125 proof (good times, indeed)
Lucid has a full serving/dose(?) of wormwood which people often consider the measure of "real" absinthe
Absinthe's original hallucinogenic property is attributed to their aging in lead barrels (no illegal) which essentially poisoned you into seeing dancing mushrooms.

It's a bit pricey yes ($15), but WHEW it packed a punch! After one drink, Andy and I were both feeling pretty toasty. We were also able to convince a few others to try this magical potion :)

Their other cocktails range from $11-15 and the Angel's Lemon Verbena I tried was a nice balance of crisp, sweet, and tart with the rosemary garnish. Apparently they have food too until 11pm.

I'd definitely recommend this place as an intimate date spot or as a fun pub crawl away from the noisy overgrown frat boys at V Lounge and the Gas Lite down the street. This place is within walking distance of The Wilshire and South which would make a nice pub crawl trifecta with Angel's.

Other notes:

Plenty of parking in front thanks to meters which end at 6pm
No beers on tap (boo) but they do have bottles
Happy hour is 6-8p and all night long on Tuesdays!!

Angel's Piano Bar and Supper Club
2460 Wilshire Boulevard
(cross street: 25th)
Santa Monica, CA 90403
info@angelssantamonica.com
(310) 828-2115

Product Review: Newcastle DraughtKeg - The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems

2009-12-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

I'm not afraid to admit that I *heart* Newcastle Brown Ale. Ever since I was a wee college student doing my summer abroad in London, I fell in love with its maltiness and earthy aroma. Stateside, it's been my go-to and favorite commercial (non-micro) brew and if I find it on tap, odds are very good that I will order it. So imagine my pleasant (ok, not pleasant, more like ecstatic) surprise when I was offered to try out their latest product, the Newcastle DraughtKeg.

Here are some specs according to the folks at Newcastle:

Holds 10 pints of beer
Recyclable steel packaging (yay, earth!)
Patented CO2 system keeps beer fresh up to 30 days after opening

I wanted to make sure to give this cute little minikeg a proper debut, so I saved it for our snowboard waxing party at my friend Dave's apt where we inaugurated the LA snow season. When you bust out a minikeg, you are sure to get some attention, especially from the boys, and this one was no exception. People kept touching it and commenting on how cool looking it was. As Dave melted wax over our snowboards, we eagerly opened the keg which reminded a lot of people of the Heineken minikeg that's been on the market for a while. However, as we attempted to tap the keg, we had some hardware difficulties attaching the spigot to tap the keg and some of the beer was seeping out of its top as it was being released from its intended spout.

And so we resorted to tapping off what beer we could, and whatever collected at the top we poured off into another glass. Unfortunately, the simple instructions didn't provide much guidance into how to manage this type of situation. Maybe it was because we were all minikeg tapping virgins, but despite following the instructions, it took a bit of creative finagling to finally get the minikeg to pour properly.

The taste was still the Newcastle I knew and loved. We were expecting restaurant quality draft beer, but felt the flavor was more similar to the cans and bottles you buy at your local store. Nonetheless, this product definitely scores points in coolness, portability (weighs around 15lbs I think - easy enough for my skinny arms to carry) and really, can there ever be too much beer in your life??

Newcastle DraughtKeg
Available for $22.99 at BevMo, Albertsons, and select retailers

Bonus points to peeps who can guess from where I derived this blogpost title :)

Luminosity: Sculpture Exhibit in Downtown LA

2009-12-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

When I was in downtown LA last weekend, I saw an amazing art exhibit that I felt I MUST write about. Thanks to the friendliness of e*starLA, I had the opportunity to have a brief chat with the artist, Sean Sobczak. He reminded me of a young David Carridine with his ponytailed hair and long Chinese-style robe. Here's a summary of our heavily paraphrased conversation:

fLAh: From where do you draw your inspiration?
SS: I'm sure you noticed the ocean theme and sea creatures. I'm fascinated by their ethereal nature and fluidity. I try to capture that in my work.

fLAh: What are your pieces made from?
SS: They're a combination of metal wire, stretchy fabric, and LED lights. Stretchy fabric is important because if it wasn't stretchy, then they would bunch up around the bends and not be translucent.

fLAh: How long does it take to make a piece?
SS: The larger pieces take about 4 months, the smaller ones take about 1 month. This is all I do in my spare time, I don't go out or drink or anything. I come back from work and put on my mask and start welding.

fLAh: What's your day job?
SS: I work in the entertainment industry. Gotta pay those bills somehow!

My photos don't do these pieces justice. You should definitely check out this exhibit. You'll feel like you're transported to a different dimension.

Luminosity
A solo sculputre exhibit by Sean Sobczak
Continental Gallery
408 South Spring St
Los Angeles CA 90013
Downtown LA

Until Dec 29th
Closing reception 12/29/09

My Whiskey Soaked Weekend - DewarsDiscovery, Edison Repeal Day Celebration

2009-12-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

My Whiskey Weekend - that would make a good name for a band.

Friday - Dewars Discovery Whiskey Tasting Event

My friends and I arrived TOTALLY late to the Dewars Discovery event at Jim Henson Studios scheduled to start at 7pm. We ended up getting there close to 7:40, but the dudes at front were cool enough to let us attend the second seating at 9.

Upon entry, we were each given a token good for one drink at the bar - guess they didn't want patrons to be sloshed before the presentation. But we made sure to tip the bartender good so he hooked us up with a very generous pour of our one drink - thanks dude!

It was also my first visit to Jim Henson Studios - you know, that building on La Brea with Kermit the Frog perched on top. KERMIT!! The event space was a simple set decked out in Dewars propaganda. The passed hors d'oeuvres were awesome tho - mini cheeseburger sliders, lamb sliders, onion tartlets, prosciutto wrapped parmesan, and fresh strawberries. Kudos to Dewars on that.

After 30 minutes or so of this cocktail reception, we were corralled into the presentation room where tables were set up with several vials of various scents of whiskey - honey, fruity, floral, vanilla, and smoke. We could play chemist and mix up our own versions of the magic brew. The Dewars Ambassador gave a brief presentation on the history of the company and what makes Dewars unique - apparently its served by the Queen of Scotland to guests or something like that. He also showed us what peat looks like and lit it so that we could smell the smokiness that comprises that unique flavor of whiskey.

At the end of the event, we were given a Dewars embossed flask as a takeaway gift. I wasn't expecting much from this event that I didn't feel was very well publicized, but I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly staff, educational value and great spread of food and booze.

Saturday - Edison Repeal Day Celebration

Blame my troubled childhood for my disdain of the holidays, but I was totally feeling festive and happy at this event.

1. Ice skating at Pershing Square. 6:00-7:30pm
Surrounded by palm trees and Christmas lights, I was joined by Caroline on Crack and e*starLA as we skated around a tiny bumpy ice rink while Mexican children were standing around the rink spectating. There was a table serving yummy winter treats: roasted chestnuts, mini cupcakes (the choco one was awesome), ribbon candy, fresh mulled hot apple cider, and REAL hot chocolate. Santa and Mrs Claus also paid a visit so revelers had a chance to relive their childhood and take pictures with Santa! I'm sure this gig for Santa was way better than having screaming little brats pissing all over him. We were also each given a lovely black Edison scarf.

As we were leaving, there was a HUGE swarm of people waiting to enter the rink. I was so glad that Edison had reserved the rink for our exclusive use. If you're considering skating here, I'd probably suggest going during off hours like weekdays or weekend daytime.

2. Short walk back to Edison Lounge for some Christmas bourbon 8:00-9:00pm
I didn't even know Edison had this extra area in the rear (to the far right as you walk in) despite the numerous times I visited. Inside, they had prepared their Singapore Chicken Wings which were super yum and hearty chili with a cornbread stick. There was also a lovely singer and her accompanying guitarist for our exclusive listening pleasure. For drinks, there was eggnog with spiced rum, and the open bar was serving up hot toddys (not enough honey IMHO), Edison Lager which is a rather light beer, and their Christmas blend of Woodford Reserve bourbon neat or in cocktails. The Christmas bourbon was surprisingly potent. Very sweet and honey scented on the nose, but is very smoky and peaty on the palette. Had to let out a couple of coughs after that one!

They then brought out some chocolate mint cookies and chewy ginger cookies for dessert. After this indoor portion of the event was over, we had major food and booze coma. But it was a perfectly heartwarming LA winter's night :)

Although I was able to attend this event without paying thanks to my well-connected blogginghead friend Caroline on Crack, at $25 I thought this event was still a total bargain and would highly recommend anyone considering Edison hosted events in the future.

Finally, a hipster weekend!

2009-11-25T00:40:00.000-08:00

I think I'm finally returning to my usual self - seeking out art, music, and free booze :)

Friday: In Bed Together at Royal/T for carolineoncrack; Du Metier at Daydream Republic

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your friends were all struggling actors and artists and you decided to host a get-together at your house with a REALLY big living room?

The lovely Vivien of Daydream Republic invited me to check out her "REALLY big living room" for the Du Metier event last Friday. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but the $15 entry fee gets you live entertainment, an open bar, and snackies. Vivien was generous enough to comp me a couple of tickets to check it out.

It definitely had an "underground" feel to it as it was way far east on Jefferson Blvd, just before you hit USC-land. Or maybe it just felt that way to me cuz I'm a westsider. A series of actors were performing monologues/spoken word pieces on living as a creative person in LA as a circle of spectators watched. I could see this as a great space for filming or band rehearsing or even a party space for you and 100 of your bffs. They also host several of their own events that sound pretty cool.

Neuro Drinks sponsored the drinks and the gals working that section were quite friendly and the NeuroBliss I tried tasted like lychee and mixed great with vodka and apparently "regulates" appetite.

Saturday: Koream Journal Afterparty for "Unforgettable"
This event was totally not my scene - bunch of "fabulous Asian Americans" strutting around in their finest Italian garb gloating at how famous and awesome they think they are. But I did appreciate the Jinro and Hite open bar and I got to try something new called Black Beer Stout which is pretty cool since Korean beers like Hite and Cass usually taste like piss-water (piss-water holding many fond memories for me FYI). Black Beer Stout was definitely not as full bodied as a Guiness, but I found it similar to the more Amber and brown ales which I prefer anyways.

But the highlight of the night for me was most DEFINITELY getting photographed with the smoking hot Daniel Henney - eeeeeeee! For those not in the know, he is a half Korean half white actor who hit it big in Korea acting in some soap operas and has successfully (so far) transitioned himself to the American stage. I spent 3 hours on Sunday watching Three Rivers on cbs.com where he is a co-star. Thanks to my buddy clammy for approaching Sr Henney since I was way too chicken - and star struck! - to ask myself.

Monday: Green Day not-so-secret show at Nokia Plaza
We stood for 5 hours in the longest line I have EVER attempted, but it was SOOOO worth it. Green Day has a raucous energy and pounding enthusiasm that 15+years in existence has not squleched. Billie Joe is as charismatic as ever with his unique voice and I still saw the younger audience members excitedly moshing in the center. It was just funny because this was a taping of the Carson Daly Show's New Years Eve special so we all wore NYE hats and noisemakers and even did a countdown! Weird.....

I LOVE LA! ;)

Hipster's Escape from Douchebag Central aka Hollywood Blvd

2009-11-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

I was invited to a birthday dinner at Beso in Hollywood last week. But no way was I gonna drop $100 at a restaurant that was co-owned by a celebrity (Eva Longoria in this case) unless the executive chef was Thomas Keller of French Laundry and the much anticipated Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills (which it obviously wasn't). So I just said that I would meet up for drinks after their dinner. I arrived a bit early and as I was standing around Beso's front bar surrounded by douchebags and a cocktail list averaging $15, I knew I needed to escape until I can be fashionably late to my party. The Cahuenga corridor (Cahuenga Blvd between Hollywood and Selma) has several options for those who wanna get away from the touristy douchey crowd so typical of Hollywood. After passing many clubby places along this strip that I couldn't bring myself to walk into alone (Velvet Margarita, Beauty Bar, etc) I found Capitol City. I remembered reading about Capitol City being an "upscale sports lounge" in the heart of Hollywood. To me, it was a relaxed reprieve from the adrenaline pumped playground surrounding most of Hollywood on a Friday night.

It felt kinda dead considering it was a Friday night at 10:30pm aside from a few small groups of diners and a couple canoodling in the corner, but it had exactly what I needed: an open and inviting atmosphere, a readily accessible bar, lots of TV screens for distraction, and a reasonably priced menu. I ended up ordering a Purple Haze draft ($7) and a Spicy Tuna with Crispy Rice ($8). The beer was so cold it almost felt like there were ice chips in it...mmmm..... and the tuna/rice combination was also quite tasty and I liked the little disc of serrano chile they donned on top. They had nearly 20 beers on tap in addition to their full bar and a variety of menu options including fancy burgers and fancy pizzas.

The servers and staff were all very friendly as well. Oh and I REALLY liked their retractable purse hooks that are under the bar! At first I couldnt locate them so my initial thought was "Figures, of course a sports bar geared towards men wouldn't be equipped with purse hooks" but boy was I wrong! It's just that they're the retractable folding kind so no one can bump their knees into it ;) So ladies, you too can feel safe hanging out here!

This place is the perfect getaway if you're looking for a more chill way to hang out in Hollywood with its reasonable prices, yummy food, great draft beer selection, and huge glass panels facing Cahuenga Blvd. My friend Carleen who met up with me here before we returned to Beso to join our party also said that she would like to come back here again.

I'll see you again, Capitol City!

Capitol City Hollywood
1615 N Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-465-1750
http://www.capcitysports.com/main.html

If it's good enough for fauxlahipster's birthday party, it's good enough for you

2009-10-27T01:29:00.000-07:00

I get asked all the time for bar and restaurant recommendations. But when it came time to figure out my own birthday party, I really wanted a home run in terms of location, ambiance, food, drinks and service for my 25+ guests with ages ranging from mid 20s to late 30s.

After reading countless Yelp reviews and talking to friends, many of whom are well informed bloggers like The Delicious Life and Caroline on Crack, and even fishing on twitter, I had narrowed it down to a few options. The rooftop lounge at Bond St, Trader Vics in Beverly Hills, and Medusa Lounge in Silver Lake.

Here's what I was looking for:

Somewhat nice and upscale lounge atmosphere without being overly douchey
Drinks that averaged under $12
No velvet rope nonsense all night long
Location near Koreatown since many of my lame friends hate to leave a 5 mile radius of it
Easy parking - via inexpensive valet/lot or ample on street
Nice to have's: outdoor area, rooftop views

My birthday buddy Raymond (his bday is a few days before mine so we decided to enter a joint bday venture) and I did a few drive by's of potential options near downtown LA and when we stopped to check out Medusa, we were like Goldilocks when she found her bed - it was just right. They fulfilled every one of my key criteria in terms of location, ambience, and cost. They have a nify page on their website where you fill in a few blanks and the manager Yosh will email you the next day with reservation details. Quick and efficient, especially for people who are afraid to talk on the phone like me - let's not get into the part when I was a kid and my mom would have to feed me a script so I could tell the gas station attendant how much money to apply to our pump.

The ambiance: Medusa is in the former Lowenbrau Keller space which I've never been to. But I was told it was a former German pub/brewery type place. Many "old" details remain at Medusa including the exposed brick walls and vaulted ceilings. It definitely had that goth-like design which I thought was a perfect prelude to Halloween coming up. The lounge portion is an L-shaped space with the walls lined in tufted sofas and a large bar in the middle. So no matter where you're sitting, you have visual access to the bar. The back room is a bit darker and louder allowing you to get your groove on after downing the many shots that bday revelers usually do.

Food/Drink: Birthday buddy, Caroline on Crack, her boyfriend Jay, and I were the first to arrive and none of us had eaten dinner, so we decided to order up some grub. Think of the food as fancified pub grub. I had fried ravioli (2 huge raviolis) served on a bed of rich marinara and topped with a light truffle cream. CoC had what appeared to be an asian spiced sauteed shrimp with bruschetta. Birthday buddy ordered a calamari salad - which he didn't even offer to share, that bastard. Can't remember what Jay ordered. It wasn't exactly Michelin star haute cuisine, but it sure beat bucket-o-wings and greasy fries!

If you opt for bottle service, they offer several specials including a free appetizer platter with the first bottle and 20%(?) off of the second bottle. We ended up ordering one bottle which came with every type of mixer imaginable including Red Bull.

As we entered, the door guy Rob gave each of my guests a little card that entitled us to a flavored shot served in a test tube for $1. It tasted pretty nasty, but everyone seemed to dig the $1 shot served in a test tube concept.

The service: I really think Medusa's service was what really set them apart in excellence. Many bars and lounges in LA can boast a luxe or interesting interior and reasonably priced cocktails. But few can couple these qualities with a friendliness and hospitality that really made me and all my guests feel so welcome. It started off with Yosh accommodating my one bazillion requests and even offering to let us bring our own mixed CD to play in the lounge - which I didn't do out of sheer laziness, much to my dismay. The door guy Rob is mad cool and a total sweetheart. He's a big and hulky in appearance, but he does his job so well, with a finesse that I wish he could teach to other door guys. Our cocktail waitress Irina (sp?) was so friendly and even though a lot of my friends were ordering drinks from the bar instead of from her, thereby reducing her tip, she was still cool about it saying "the girls at the bar need the tips too." Aw, what a team player!

The night was wearing on and it was time to leave. As our car began to pull out of the valet lot (which is only $5 by the way), Yosh stopped us to give each of the birthday babies a gift - a bottle of champagne! I've never heard of a bar gifting regular old joe's like us, but I thought that was the nicest most thoughtful thing any bar staff or restaurateur has done for me. And I have been to A LOT of bars and restaurants.

So I wanted to write this post to give Medusa the just credit it deserves. If you're looking for a elegant yet laid back space to hold your event, birthday party, or filming your teen angst vampire movie, you definitely won't be disappointed here.

Medusa Lounge
http://medusaloungela.com/
8pm-2am Wed-Sat
3211 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90057
213-382-5723
Neighborhood: Silver Lake

Thanks to Caroline on Crack for the food and drink pictures

Tip for using the google gadget

2009-08-19T01:51:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in an event I've posted and tried to click on it, you may notice a google calendar entry that looks all garbled and whack. Best thing to do would be to right-click on the hyperlink and either open it in a new window or new tab so you can see all the details properly.

I have an estimated re-entry into proper society in early September, so I hope to resume writing soon.

Til then! ;)

New google calendar gadget added

2009-08-04T11:40:00.001-07:00

I'm way too busy to write these days :( But that doesn't mean I don't stay on top of goings on around town :D

I created a google calendar which is viewable to the public and I also added a widget to my right side bar so you can see all sorts of events, parties, openings that I think are cool. Maybe I may someday have time to actually attend one of these things *sigh*

Enjoy!

I'm baaaack, for now with more cool sounding events and stuff for this and next weekends

2009-06-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, there is A LOT of stuff going on since I've been out of the loop for so long AND it's almost officially summer.... yay!

West Hollywood Late Night Happy Hour Wed/Thurs
Tis a travesty for happy hours to end at 6pm. So I'm always a fan of late night happy hours. This special is not on their website, so I would call ahead to confirm. But Lolas in weho supposedly has a Wed/Thur late night happy hour from 10:30pm - 12:30am with $5.50 food, $3 beers, and $5 Finlandia martinis.

Lola's
945 N. Fairfax, West Hollywood
323.654.5652

Corkbar Late Night Happy Hour Mon-Thurs
This is a new wine bar in downtown LA that I haven't tried yet, but have heard good things about it. They too have a late happy hour that starts at 10pm! woo! Kitchen closes at 11pm, so I'd get there right at 10 to take advantage of the food specials. $4 pints, half off apps, and some other specials apparently...

Mon-Thurs, 10pm-2am (The website is incorrect. I called them and confirmed these details)
Corkbar
403 W12th St Los Angeles (Downtown LA)
213.746.0050

Surfas Saturdays
My favorite Culver City gastro-supplier Surfas has lots of neat sounding foodie events going on most weekends. And chances are you'll get to sample something delicious if you show up on a Saturday around noon or 1ish. This Saturday, it's $1 pulled beef sliders and they also have a farmers market sounding thing every Saturday. Enjoying yummy sliders at Surfas' outdoor patio, then shopping at the farm stand sounds like a perfect Saturday afternoon to me.

$1 pulled beef sliders
Sat Jun 20th 12pm-2pm (yummy and cheap lunch!)

BeeGreen Farm Stand
Every Saturday 12pm-4pm

Surfas

8777 Washington Blvd, Culver City
310.559.4770

New Rooftop Lounge in Venice Beach
This new beachside rooftop lounge in Venice from today's Thrillist sounds rad. I can't wait to check it out! Opening June 25th, HIGH at the new Hotel Erwin. Name's a bit reminiscent of Venice's hobo drug culture. I wonder if that's what they were going for....

HIGH at Hotel Erwin
1697 Pacific Avenue, Los Angeles (Venice Beach)
310.452.1111
Opening June 25th

Stuff coming up later on: Saturdays off the 405 at The Getty (ugh, does this mean it's gonna be all crowded with B&T?), Thursday night concert series at the Hammer Museum in July, POKETO popup shop at Royal/T (and the opening event next Saturday)

Some recent hap'nens

2009-06-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

apt3 yard sale
lots of affordable vintage for men AND women, djs, hotdogs, and "grownup" lemonade, open bar
Saturday, June 20th 1pm-6pm
at apt 3's brick and mortar home
4634 Hollywood Blvd 90027

Free booze party on SATURDAY!
Sponsored by Hornitos (open bar), FREE TACOS(!), art, djs, live performances all in a downtown warehouse loft
RSVP: http://www.viceland.com/rsvphornitos/

Upstairs patio at Rush Street is getting filled with sand - if you're too lazy to drive the extra 5 miles to the ocean
June 19-21
Culver City

$3 Margarita all day every day at El Cid
3256 Cahuenga Blvd (at Bennett), Universal City, 323-851-5111

Drop in to STK
Drop-in tables in the lounge and on the patio for $15 meals like sliders, short ribs or a 6-ounce skirt steak with a salad.
Sun-Fri 6-8pm
West Hollywood

Free flights at The Foundry
Three different 2oz mixed drink pours per person, each day featuring a different potable
Tue: Soco
Wed: Jack
Thurs: Le Tourment Vert absinthe
After the flight, get 1/2 off full glasses of the same cocktails
Tue-Thurs 6-9pm
West Hollywood/Mid-Wilshire

New fancy club alert: Jane's House. It's like a house. Hopefully it's not all exclusionist like a real house.
6541 Hollywood Blvd. (between N. Hudson & Whitley Avenues), Hollywood
Tel: (323) 308-1911

fauxlahipster is going to Asia

2009-03-18T03:43:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to a wedding in Taiwan this weekend, followed by a week in Seoul filled with what I hope will be midnight shopping sprees, overeating food on sticks served from steaming carts, and reacquainting myself with the motherland.

However, it also means I won't have time to blog. Cuz why would I be sitting around in front of a computer blogging when I can be experiencing a whole new culture!!??

But fear not, I will return in April. Hopefully with some interesting cultural observations and anecdotes to share!

For hipsters in NYC - Triple 5 Soul Warehouse Sale

2009-03-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Even though I am currently the faux LA hipster, I used to be a wannabe hipster in NYC before that. And every hipster faux or genuine should own some T5S in their wardrobe. Their biannual warehouse sales used to be a shopping staple for me, but alas I live in the fashion wasteland of LA now. But if you're in NYC, you should totally check out this sale! And unlike the previous incarnations, it will be held at their stores instead of that Metropolitan Pavilion place on W17th St.

I think their strongest line is their outerware like jackets and coats. Urban industrial with casual detailing. Enjoy!

Briny salty spicey goodness - step by step pictorial guide to kimchi making

2009-03-11T00:36:00.000-07:00

As a little girl in korea, I used to help my grandmother make kimchi by being the taste-tester to make sure it was of the appropriate saltiness. I'm still convinced that this contributed to the development of my palate at an early age which makes me the cook I am today - a damn good one! :D

This past Sunday was spent with my mom (who I love very much but who also drives me nuts sometimes) making kimchi, that traditional korean spiced pickled cabbage that many of us know and love. You see, my mom has this friend who apparently makes some of the best kimchi in LA.... so good in fact that her children won't buy regular old supermarket kimchi or even fancy expensive boutique kimchi (yes, that does exist by the way) because their mom's kimchi is that good. My mom was fortunate enough to have a kimchi knowledge transfer session with her, and I wanted to make sure that these super-awesome kimchi-making skills were passed on to me.

Now on to the adventure!

Here's my mom preparing the brine in order to salt the cabbage. She uses coarse sea salt and adds enough salt to create a saturated solution (think high school chemistry) - in other words, as much salt as possible that will melt in the water. Using warm water for this task seems to help.

When you split the cabbage in half, start at the white heads and cut about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way through and finish the splitting process by hand (for the green/yellow parts). This minmizes crumbling of the more delicate lower leaves. Once you get the soak going for these cabbage halves, rub some more of the coarse salt into the white part of the heads since these stiffer parts are more resistant to the salt penetration. Set aside for a couple of hours like this.

Next, it's time to start the sauce. Add 2 parts cold water to one part sweet rice flour (which you can purchase at most asian grocery stores) and dissolve (kinda like working with cornstarch). Then bring this mixture to a rolling boil while constantly stirring in order to prevent the paste from sticking to the bottom and/or burning. The mixture will be a bit lumpy at first, but as you keep cooking it, the lumps will dissolve. This process kind of reminded me of tempering chocolate - steady does it. You should make a lot of this. If you have leftover sauce, you can make lots of other wonderful things with it, but if you don't have enough to make your kimchi, you're kind of screwed. Once the paste is boiling, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool.

Now it's time to prep your veggie fillings for the kimchi. You can use any combination of aromatic leafy greens that you like. We make ours traditional style with scallions, ghat (peppery leafy thing, don't know what it's called in english, sorry), radish greens, chives. Give all these guys a rough chop.

Secret Ingredient #1 - raw squid
You're probably thinking WTF? But adding raw seafood is really essential to the eathy flavor of kimchi and anything raw you throw in will be cooked through the fermentation process... not too different from an over-ripe ceviche. Trraditional kimchi often uses raw oysters which I sort of despise, so I'm glad that this version uses squid which I find much more palatable. And once the kimchi is ready to eat, these squid pieces become little nuggets of flavor heaven! Buy the freshest and best squid you can find and give it a fine chop, a little finer than what's pictured here.

Next add red pepper powder to the sweet rice paste that you've prepared and cooled. It doesn't have to be cold or even room temperature, but you want to make sure the paste isn't hot, because if it's too warm, then it will take away the spicy kick that you absolutely want from the red pepper powder. Don't scrimp with this ingredient and make sure to buy good quality red pepper powder, preferably made especially for kimchi. Add A LOT of it. You want this sauce to be a deep dark red and not a pastey orange like you see here.

Secret Ingredients #2 and #3
I forgot to take a picture of the prep portion of this step, but the white swirly things are actually a mixture of grated apples and grated onions that I prepped in the food processor. The grating of these two ingredients helps them fully incorporate into the sauce will add a sweetness and aroma that will give kimchi that multi-dimensional delicious bite! There's also a generous amount of chopped garlic and little grated ginger as well in here.

This is how your sauce should look when you've added all the "dry" ingredients - really red and really thick. The consistency is almost akin to a loose peanut butter or a dry tapenade. It's starting to smell and taste pretty good now, but we aren't done yet, oh no...

Add a heap of julienned daikon radish to this paste. This is best prepared on a japanese mandolin or one of those craptastic devices they sell on latenight infomercials - unless you've got some mad knife skills in which case I supposed you can do this by hand.

By this point, you probably want to mix this up by hand since your little wooden spoon ain't gonna cut it any more. Make sure you wear disposable (or not) plastic gloves to protect your skin from the peppers and also so your skin won't stain and your hands won't smell like garlic. Add the remaining aromatic veggies that you prepared earlier and stir it up in this mix. Now is the time to adjust the saltiness. Instead of salt, use fish sauce to adjust the saltiness to give the flavors more body (kind of like how everything tastes better when cooked in animal fat than canola oil - same concept here). They make fish sauce specifically for kimchi, but I think any salty fish sauce would work here. Let these flavors sit and marinate at room temperature for a couple of hours.

The cabbage should be brined for about 4-6 hours, but make sure to rotate the cabbage at the halfway point so most of the pieces get a chance to be submerged in the saltwater solution. When you're executing this rotation is probably a good time to cut the cabbage halves into quarters. Once the brining process is complete, give each cabbage piece a good rinse in cold water - twice - to stop the brining process. You'll need to switch out this water fairly often as it gets salty fast from rinsing. After you're done rinsing, place the cabbage in a basket or colander to drain out as much of the water as possible so you don't dilute the pepper mixture once it's ready to go in.

Once the cabbage is ready, it's time to get stuffin! Grab a few handfulls of the seasoned mix and place in a large bowl. Grab a quarter of the brined cabbage and mop the outside of it generously with the seasoned mix all over, especially the sides or anyplace where white color is peeking out. Then, starting with the outermost leaf, mop the inside of it with a small bit of the seasoned mix and leave a little bit of the seasoned mix in that leaf and move on to the next outer leaf. Work your way towards the center of the cabbage head this way until every leaf has been mopped over and has a bit of the veggies from the seasoned mix in between the leaves. It's important that the veggie bits are only stuffed into the white portion of the leaf and not the green or yellow parts as the white parts are most resistant to being penetrated by flavor which is why we leave these little bits behind for those parts. This is also what creates the attractive layered look in the finished product. This will take a while, so get comfy, pop in some Beach Boys or whatever else you enjoy, preferably with people you enjoy being around.

Almost done! Once the cabbage has been fully violated by the seasoned mix and mopped thoroughly to a crimson hue, place them snuggly in a container of your choice. You want them packed snug, but not too tight. And fill the container about 3/4 of the way as the kimchi will expand and release water as it ferments and you don't want it to explode with kimchi juice when you're finally ready to enjoy these bad boys.

Optionally, you can add a layer of cut up radishes (or leftovers from the julienning process since you didn't want to slice off a finger with the mandolin) to the finished kimchi. It's recommended to cover all this with a layer of plastic wrap to minimize exposure to oxygen or undesirable outside elements.

Depending on how fast you want to eat these, you can ferment them at room temperature, in the fridge, or in my mom's case, her bad ass kimchi refrigerator. Did you know that you can get a refrigerator especially for optimizing kimchi flavor and longevity? My mom paid $1500 for one of these things! eeek! Back in the old days, koreans would put the kimchi in clay jars and bury them in dirt over the winter. I remember eating my grandma's kimchi that still had the frozen crystals on them from being stored outside during the cold korean winters which is generally when this type of kimchi is prepared.

You may have noticed that I didn't really give any exact measures or quantities or times. That's because kimchi making is largely a taste-and-go process that leaves a lot of room for flexibility. Just taste things as you go along, add more or less of things you like and go with your sense of taste and you'll be sure to create something you'll enjoy.

Obviously, this is a lot of work and something you probably don't want to undertake often or alone. But the reward is so mouthwatering and irresistible! Pair it with a piping hot bowl of plain white rice and all this effort will be well worth it :)

Just another night in Hollywood! Avalon, Blue Palm Brewhouse, El Gran Burrito

2009-03-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

Signing up for a million different mailing lists does have its advantages. Like finding out that the Fischer Spooner show I heard about through flavorpill, whose tickets I thought were a bargain at $20, I could actually acquire for FREE! (by the way, that was a really horrible run-on sentence - I know. It's been a while since I've written anything so I'm a bit rusty today :P ). On one of those rare occasions where I actually got to attend an event I wrote about, I braved the long ass line that formed outside of Avalon at 10:20pm for an event whose doors were at 10p. Apparently there was an open bar until 11pm as well that I was hoping to make, but of course I didn't with all the underaged hipsters jonesing to cut in line and me giving them my dirtiest look possible (which is sadly not too dirty, unlike my gf's favorite martini).

Finally we make it inside at 11:10pm, just after open bar, dangit! Oh well.... there was already a huge throng of people inside dancing to the opening dj Dan Oh. Apparently, it was also his birthday, so the whole crowd on the dancefloor sang him happy bday. That was cute. Finally at 11:30pm Fischer Spooner came on and the energy was really pumping. Their mix of synth electro euro dance trance music was just as I expected. Remember those E fueled rave days of yore? Well, they are alive and well here and it was actually kind of refreshing to see people just dancing and moving their bodies without much concern for how cool they looked or whether they're stepping on your feet. My friend and I agreed that if we were both on E, we'd be REALLY loving this place.

Next we went to the Blue Palm Brewhouse which doubles as the "VIP" area of the Henry Fonda Theater. The place itself wasn't particularly notable except that we had a table next to a shuffleboard table and a window. As luck would have it, a car with 2 asian girls pull up, then the girl in the passenger seat starts to barf - on Hollywood Blvd, in front of a bar!!! Classy.... Everyone at the bar rushes to the window, we can't believe our eyes - and our luck to catch such a vision! :D Check out the pix with her shoving her finger down her throat. Bulimia, anyone? muahahahah!!!

Now it's 2am and we're hungry. We're still in Hollywood - what are our options?
1. Hollywood Hotdog aka Tijuana Dog (my favorite name for this thing) aka bacon wrapped 60min-to-burn-on-treadmill dog
2. Good old koreatown - a bit far
3. Thai town - too lazy
4. Tacos - BINGO!!

We headed off to my favorite Hollywood 24hr taco join El Gran Burrito. Like a dirty boyfriend, I just can't get enough of this place. Ever since my friend Andy brought me here, I've been hooked. And at a buck per taco, you can't beat the price either. But what really sells me here is their amazing condiment cart! Not only does it have 3 different kinds of salsa (mild green, med chipotle, and spicy red), but they also have a gree avocado sauce, all the briny bay leaf picked carrots/onions/jalapenos you want, pico de gallo with huge chunks of juicy tomato, and a non-dairy vinegar-based cabbage slaw that is simple perfect with the greasy taco/burrito you'll be shoving down your throat. Can you believe all this late night goodness on this picture cost just $2?? God, I love LA!!

I'll end this post of a little vid I shot outside Blue Palm as a few male patrons decided to go outside to "help the poor girl out". Did the dog stop to eat the puke? You decide....

Grand Opening Party for Barbarella Bar in Echo Park

2009-03-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that my job is SO getting in the way of my social life, I wanted to share this quick tidbit: Barbarella Bar which is a brand new bar named after the namesake movie will have its official opening party tomorrow night with complimentary specialty martinis (yum!!), items from their bar menu, and a live DJ along with free valet parking. They claim they are located in Silver Lake, but that's just their way of trying to tell you that they are hipster-friendly. Cuz real angelenos know that silverlake = losangeles.

I'd be so all over this if I wasn't pulling my 60hr workweeks. But you should still go and tell me all about it afterwards so I can live vicariously through others!!

Try to count how many fedora hats you see at this event. Should be a fun exercise...

RSVP here!

Tuesday March 3rd
7-9pm
Barbarella Bar
2906 N. Hyperion Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(310)815-8840

Good stuff going on this week

2009-02-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

Thursday
Banana Republic City Sounds Tour
Even though I used to work there for an entire month so I could score the employee discount all those years ago, I'm not a big fan of their mainstream cookie-cutter suburban mall fashions. But I AM a sucker for free booze and gift bags.... :)

Highlights from their description:
• Enjoy a live musical performance
• Savor complimentary refreshments
• Get makeup tips from a Benefit Cosmetics beauty artist
• Take home a fun-filled goodie bag
Thanks to deliciouslife for the tip! :)
Don't forget to RSVP!

Thursday Feb 26th 7-9pm
Locations:
San Francisco, 256 Grant Avenue
Santa Monica, 3rd St. Promenade
Orange County, South Coast Plaza
Houston, The Galleria
Chicago, 744 North Michigan Avenue
New York, Rockefeller Center; 67th & Broadway
Virginia, Tysons Corner Center

Monday - Friday
50% off food at Cecconi’s Opening Week Offer
Another fancy schmancy charcuterie boasting restaurant opening up in WeHo.... **yawn** BUT because they are opening this week, this normally $$$ restaurant's foods can be had for $-$$. So that means Sea Bass Carpaccio Tapenade is $8 instead of $16 and veal osso bucco gremolata is $13 instead of $26.

Mon - Fri Feb 23-27
Cecconi’s
8764 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles 90069
(310)432-2000

Saturday
Sao Paolo show at Scion Space
This show appeals to me for several reasons:
1. Close to my apt
2. Since I just returned from a Brazil trip, I have a soft spot for all things Brazilian... oh yeah, and when I was in Rio, there was some amazing artwork just plastered all over the streets for the public to enjoy
3. Free valet parking
4. OPEN BAR!! and on a Saturday!
Seriously though, this should be a great show that emanates with the pulsating energy that Sao Paolo just can't keep to itself.
Get there early to score the goods, trust me....

Saturday February 28th
7-10pm
Scion Installation L.A.
3521 Helms Avenue (at National)
Culver City, CA. 90232
(310)815-8840

Fischer Spooner TODAY at Avalon

2009-02-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite techno/electronic/alternative dj/sampling artists, Fischer Spooner are headlining at the Avalon in Hollywood for the low low price of just $15! With catchy electro-pop tunes like "Kick in the Teeth" amd "Emerge", it's impossible to turn your ears away.

And because I'm the fauxLAhipster with the mad hookups, I even found an RSVP link that will get you in for FREE!

Yeah, I rock....

Friday February 20th
10pm - 2am
Cost: FREE with RSVP or $15/$20

Avalon
1735 Vine St
Hollywood, CA 90028

Thursday night party of the week

2009-02-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

Street Fighter IV Launch Party at MOCA

Apparently, Capcom is hosting a major shindig at the Geffen Contemporary and all you need to do is RSVP to score the goodies:

The where:
The Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art
152 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012

The when:
Thursday, February 12th, 2009, from 8pm-12 midnight.

The who:
You! Yes, you. And your squirrely cousin. And his best friend. On February 12th, any friend of Street Fighter is a friend of ours, and is welcome at the party.

The how:

You sign up for the party by dropping an email to sfevent@capcom.com
and await your RSVP!

The What:

So what's happening? If a roomful of SFIV isn't enough to keep you smiling, we've also got:

-Producer Yoshinori Ono on hand for autographs
-Live performance by The Knux
-Live performance by Supreme Soul from America’s Best Dance Crew
-Live performance by DJ QBert
-Customized fitted caps by Estate LA (www.estatela.com)
-Customized etching by Coveroo (www.coveroo.com)
-Customized sketches by Udon artists
-Street Fighter Club Room – If you missed us in LA, SF and NYC, here’s your chance to relive the magic
-Screening of the new Street Fighter anime “The Ties That Bind”
-Old-school arcade cabinets redesigned and reinterpreted by artists and fashion labels

And last but not least, your chance to win a retail copy of Street Fighter IV a week before it hits stores!

Yes my friends, it's a good time to be a Street Fighter, so come one, come all, and join us for a very special night of face-punching goodness!

I'll say it once and I'll say it again: why oh why must everything good always happen on the same day!

Tony's Steakhouse on Sunset: Me eat meat. Me happy.

2009-02-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

I'm usually not a big steak person. In fact, at any given time, I'm on a low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb, low-salt, low-sugar "diet." But a gal's gotta splurge sometimes, right?

Tony's Italian Steakhouse is a brand new restaurant that opened officially this past Friday. I generally don't like going to restaurants as soon as they open since they have a lot of kinks that they haven't completely worked out, but the price and location were right so I figured I'd give it a shot.

The Parking Situation
It's situated on the "cool" part of the Sunset strip near Ketchup and Whiskey A Go Go. It can be easy to miss if you're not paying attention, but there's a vertical sign visible from Sunset Bl that says "Tony's" and a small area to receive valet parking ($5).

The Ambiance
Entering, I was pleasantly surprised by the upscale ambiance. It was illuminated with 100s of candles adorning the walls and the tables. The decor was modern with clean lines, but also had that woodsy feel that people expect from a steakhouse. The "bar" area is quite spacious and you don't feel like a second class citizen hanging out there as you can at some restaurants. There's also a baby grand piano near the entryway and a guy was playing lots of soothing covers of The Beatles, Billy Joel, etc. Live music is always a nice touch, especially when it doesn't drown out your conversations. There is a large open kitchen and in front of in front of which was a communal dining area that could easily become a private party space which is surrounded by "open" windows.

The Meal
Their main schtick that was touted in the press was the fact that you can get a 6oz cut of prime steak (filet mignon, ribeye, sirloin, etc) with 1 starch and a choice of 2 sides for $25. Our meal started off with warm crusty bread with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sea salt for dipping. I liked that it came in those compartmentalized little plate so the oil and vinegar didn't mix (unless you wanted it to).

The cut I selected was flatiron (aka skirt steak) with glazed carrots, broccolini (aka broccoli rabe) and truffled mashed potatoes. Truffle mash.....aaarrrggghhhh......*drool*. FYI - the mushroom polenta and one other side (can't remember name) is an extra $5, so ask if that matters to you. It was a simple steak and simply dressed which is really the best way since you can actually taste what you're eating instead of having it drowned out in butters and sauces. Med rare was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of the pinkish red center and a salty char to the outside. They also offer a small but well thought out pasta section, because how can they call themselves Italian without pasta, right? I didn't get to try this (though very tempting). Definitely something to look forward to for my next visit :d

The Booze
They do have a cocktail list, but nothing particularly inspiring - think snoozers like chocolate martinis - BUT you can get any martini of your choice for only $5! And it was a good sized martini... probably around 3-4oz, not those cheap baby kind. I had mine straight up with a twist, a particularly soothing way to melt away the stress that can easily build up foraging through traffic trying to get to this part of town.

The Dessert
We tried 3 different desserts - a grand marnier souffle, a lemon tart, but the standout for us was definitely the molten chocolate cake with olive oil gelato. The gelato tasted like regular old vanilla on the tongue, but it had the nose and finish of olive oil. I know it sounds weird, but it somehow works, trust me :) They also have a butterscotch pudding that I'd like to try out next time. All the desserts range from $5-7.

The Damage
The damage for this awesome meal of a perfect steak, a strong martini, and several shared desserts was only $40pp(!) after tax and tip. I'm definitely coming back here next time I'm craving a good affordable steak at an upscale spot.

Tony's Italian Steakhouse
8570 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood CA 90069
(310) 298-1145
Reservations recommended

The fauxLAhipster's First February

2009-02-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's already February? And when did it become 2009 anyways? Jan 1, yeah I know... it was a rhetorical question! Sheesh. Anyhoo, now that the post-holiday slump is pretty much over, things finally seem to be picking up again. And aren't you glad we live in sunny california where it's 75F in the winter so we can enjoy these cool sounding events all year long, unlike our chilly counterparts in the East? We could be that guy inside that truck! Yeah, I WANT you to be jealous!!

Friday
First Fridays at the Natural History Museum
I write about this event every month, and each month I never make it out. My friend is having a bday gathering here this time around, so maybe that'll be enough motivation to get me to trek out there....maybe. Live music and alcohol surrounded by a bunch of dino-bones is cool. The Bird and The Bee will be performing live as well... and they've got quite the local following so you know they don't suck :) These events fill up fast, so I would recommending getting there as close to 7pm as possible. Believe me, it's not fun when you show up at 8pm and get rejected at the door. I would know!!

Friday, 5:30p - 7pm Lectures and discussions
7pm-10pm Music
Cost: $9 for museum entry
900 Exposition Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90007
(in that ghetto ass part of LA near USC) go bruins!!

Saturday
Enjoy Human Launch Party
Since this thing got written up as the headliner on myopenbar.com, you know it's gonna be filled with starving hipsters who are either too cheap or too poor to buy their own booze, but I love them anyways! Enjoy Human calls themself a "content creation foundation" whatever that means. But who cares, it's FREE BOOZE!! There will be a couple of live bands that you've never heard of there too, but I always think live music is a nice little treat :)

Saturday, 7pm - 2am, 21+
Cost: FREE
2136 Porter Street
Downtown Los Angeles

Metromix's Art Safari
Metromix also published a cool writeup of a bunch of gallery openings going on this weekend so you can hop and traipse your way across the city in genuine faux hipster style!

Saturday, 5pm-10pm varies by gallery
Cost: FREE
Santa Monica, West/Central/East Hollywood, Downtown LA

Sunday
Grammy Afterparty by Giant
Thanks to my buddy Pierre for this tip. I actually don't know too much about this event, but it's being promoted by Giant as a Grammy Afterparty. Giant events generally have an over-the-top mix of hipsters, underaged wannabes, and professional partiers. It will be held at Elevate Lounge in downtown LA which is a popular and elegant spot (and who doesn't like lounging on rooftops?!) that I've never been to, so I may have to make the trek to DTLA on a Sunday for this one :)

Sunday, 9pm - 3am, 21+
Cost: FREE but you must RSVP
811 Wilshire Blvd.
21st Floor
Downtown Los Angeles

Join Flavorpill to win a trip to New York

2009-02-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

"flavorpill is one of my favorite weekly email mags that gives you the rundown of the best cultural events in the city. i used to follow it when they first started out in nyc, and i'm so glad they've spread all over the place.... so now's your chance to sign up too and be your own "real" hipster :P"

Your friend invited you to join Flavorpill. Join now for a chance to win a weekend getaway, including lodging, round-trip airfare and VIP access to The Armory party. Then share with your friends; the more who sign up, the more entries you get!

View >>

Mi casa es su casa... almost

2009-02-02T23:42:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about living in LA is the easy access to all things Latino. Where else in a western country can you find more Spanish language radio station than English? Well, maybe Miami.... but I digress.

For my dear friend Grace's 30-something-th birthday, I volunteered to take charge since I'm kind of a control freak when it comes to evening activities (I just think my ideas are better :P ) and I had just written a post about places to host birthday parties so I was brimming with ideas.

I chose Casa as the spot to host because I thought it was in a good central location in downtown LA with lots of semi-enclosed casitas that looked totally cute in the pictures, a good looking nuevo-latino fusiony menu, and an innovative cocktail menu utilizing highbrow tequila.

The Staff
During the course of this event, I interacted with lots of people who work for this restaurant. I made the reservation a week ahead and the restaurant manager Michael was totally cool and accomodating of all my requests. A marginal corkage fee (which I ended up not needing since no one brought their own liquor), no cake cutting fee, and willing to work with the moving parts of my party. The hostess Arlene called me twice during the week just to confirm my reservation and ask what type of space I would want. I thought that was nice. Courtney, our waitress, was on top of her game and making sure we had everything we needed throughout the night. Shawn, another manager looking guy, was totally helpful and hands on when all my friends were getting lost and couldn't find the restaurant or parking! I even had a brief chat with Chef Morningstar about the menu and some of its highlights.

The Food
Apparently, the much talked about Guac y Mole is no longer offered, but instead a 3 dip appetizer thing is on the menu. The dips are a chipotle salsa tasting thing, a peanut mole, and a roasted tomatillo salsa, the last being my favorite with its smokiness from the roasting process and sour tang of the tomatillo. None of us really cared for the peanut mole which reminded me of Thai satay sauce. We weren't too crazy about the mushroom quesadillas either. Not too much flavor and the seed sauce just wasn't cutting it for us. The tacos that I tried were all very good, but the standouts for me was the shrimp taco with its succulent meat and delicate batter on a bed of crunchy greens, wrapped up in a chewy homemade tortilla.... yum! Mi amigas also raved about the carne asada tacos, but they got eaten up so fast I never got a chance to try them! So I guess that means they were good :P

The ceviche we weren't too crazy about. It was ok, but not a standout dish in my opinion. But the chile relleno was rich and luscious in that slow-cooked sort of way. It was a mix of ground chorizo and dates, stuffed into a poblano chile, then topped with cheese and some mystery sauce that I can't remember.... but who cares when it tastes that good! Let me wipe up my drool while I describe their margaritas...

The Booze
My first cocktail was their Smokey Margarita which was a mix of whiskey and a highbrow tequila whose name I can't remember right now in a house smoked salt rimmed glass. While tequila is something cringe inducing and reminiscent of drunken nights at the sports bar for most people, this drink reminded me of what good tequila can be.... sharp, smokey, with just a subtle bite. Even my tequila averse friend deliciouslife thought it was a good margarita. My party of 12 ended up ordering several pitchers of the house margarita throughout the night, but even those were also quite tasty and not the burning-esophagus stupid-drunk kind of margarita.

The Aftermath
There was a small mixup of the birthday cake situation and a different waitress (not Courtney) started taking it out of the box and putting candles on it while we were still eating. Once I realized what was happening, I quickly walked over and blew out the candles and said "not now, later" and Courtney came over and was like "That's not your cake!" But the waitress in question later pulled me aside and profusely apologized for the mixup. It's cool.... everyone makes mistakes :)

The Parking Situation
The only thing I would really change about this place is the parking situation. They currently do not have valet parking. Apparently they have 2hrs of free validated parking somewhere on Olive St, but the night I was there (Saturday), it was closed. Street parking is also pretty limited since the place is quite near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Some people parked in a $5 pay lot somewhere near the restaurant, but I STILL don't know where it is. Also, the restaurant itself is kind of hard to see from the street since it's signage is about half a flight of stairs below street level. My suggestion to Casa would be to have clearer signage of the restaurant that is readily visible from the street with clear instructions on where to park -OR- offer valet parking!!

All in all, we had a really fantastic time at this wonderfully cute new restaurant. food - good, drinks -good, people - nice, decor - lovely. I can see this place being a very popular happy hour spot for the locals who work nearby. Hopefully they work out some of their parking kinks soon it can be a dinner/drinking destination soon :)

Casa Cocina y Cantina
350 South Grand Avenue
2 California Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213.621.2249

Writers Block

2009-01-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

Haven't had much inspiration to write lately, sorry! Maybe it's part of this whole 2009 New Years resolution of saving money, eating less, working out more, going out less to pursue my non-entertainment-related-goals thing :P Plus, none of the places I've been hitting up have really struck my fancy or inspired me.

But if you have any requests, I'd be glad to oblige :D

Hot Dogs and Blow Outs - SATURDAY

2009-01-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

Since I'll be meeting my friend Carleen for who-knows-what on Saturday, I've been keeping an eye out for things that are going on over the weekend. So here's my uber-ambitious rundown of things going on for Saturday. If you can attend all of these events, I'll give you a special prize ;)

Barker Block's Pre-Super Bowl BBQ
You could start out your day at Barker Block which is a new loft development in the arts district of downtown LA for some free grubbing on Wurstkuche's signature rattlesnake, buffalo, or alligator dogs. Pair that up with some real estate developer-funded beer, music, and condo tours and you'll be getting your Saturday off to a right start :) Maybe in this depressed economy, you might actually be able to afford one of these condos they'll try to sell you!

Saturday, 12pm
Cost: FREE
513 Molino Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Cross Street: Palmetto Street
Don't forget to RSVP!

First Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence BACON BBQ EVENT!
I just had to give this event a shout out for two reasons:
1. Its Simpsons reference
2. Its incorporation of BACON!
I love bacon. I love The Simpsons. But what I love even more is the incorporation of a Simpsons theme into an event about wrapping things in bacon, then eating it. Just wrap anything in bacon and I guarantee it will become 1000 times more delicious! mmmm..... bacon.... arrrrggggllllhhhh......

While this is an UYE (unofficial yelp event), all are welcome. Just make sure to click "I'm in" on the event's page.

Saturday, 12pm
Cost: Potluck or pay what you wish
Griffith Park
4730 Crystal Springs Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Scout's Moving to Hollywood Sale
Once you've stuffed yourself with rattlesnake dogs, beer, and bacon wrapped goodness, it's time to go shopping! I've never been to this place, but sounds like there may be some good deals to be had in this hipster shopping haven.

From DailyCandy: Everything in the shop is $100 and under. Take 60-90 percent off Endovanera, Henrik Vibskov, and the rest of the designer collections; vintage is going for $25 or less.

Fri-Sun 11am-7pm
Scout LA
7920 W. Third St.,
b/t Fairfax & S. Edinburgh Aves.

15 Years of New Image Art
After your shopping fix and sausage orgy, day will slowly turn into night which can only mean - more hipster-viewing and more boozing. This particular art show was written in up flavorpill which I suppose gives it a bit of legitimacy and not your usual "let's get a bunch of art school rejects together and host a gallery show" type event. There will be visual, audio, and video installation pieces... and arty party drinks (usually beer and wine) so none of your senses get bored.

Sat 7pm-10pm
Cost: FREE
New Image Art
7908 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA

Blow Up LA Blow Out
Although this is an 18+ party (ugh), I do have a soft spot for the seemingly "secret warehouse party".... must be that suppressed wannabe raver in me or something. Anyhoo... this party will have the highest concentration of hipster sightings of any of the events I've listed. It has a "Winter Formal" theme so I'm guessing that dressing up in some hideous 80s prom getup is encouraged. You can even stumble in here after all the "normal" bars close at 1:45am.

Saturday 10pm-4am
Cost: $6 before 11pm with RSVP/ $12 after 11 and-or without RSVP
Downtown LA
263 S Main St @ 3rd
Los Angeles, CA

Happy Hour Listing by CarolineonCrack
My good friend carolineoncrack just wrote a post about happy hours in downtown culver city. I know it doesn't have to do much with what I wrote above, but I think it's a great list and reference and wanted to share with you all!

Fraiche, Gyenari, Rush Street
Downtown Culver City

Hopefully Carleen and I can find something fun to do on Saturday! :D

February shows - cuz hipsters crave music

2009-01-15T23:10:00.000-08:00

February has some really neat sounding shows coming up. If you're interested in checking any of them out with me, let me know! :)

DeVotchka at The Viper Room
I was actually surprised to see this band headlining a venue as intimate as The Viper Room since I'm pretty sure they can easily fill up something the size of The Fonda or maybe even The Wiltern. But lucky me, they are playing Viper Room. Their stuff is a bit more "calm and ambient" than my usual choices, but I'm willing to take a chance to see them live since they've been getting lots of great press for years...

Mon Feb 2, 2009
8:30pm
$25
The Viper Room
8852 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 652-7869

Airborne Toxic Event at The Fonda
This one isn't happening for a while, but.... wow, these guys are really blowing up! I remember seeing them opening for the Fratellis just a few months ago, but now they are headlining their own show at the same theater! See one of LA's best local bands at this semi-small venue before they become the next Interpol. Of course, you could've also caught them performing live at Knotts Berry Farm over the December holidays :)

Thurs Feb 12, 2009
8pm
$17.50
Henry Fonda Theater
6126 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 464-0808

Andrew Bird at The Orpheum Theater
My first exposure to Andrew Bird was at the Hollywood Bowl in the summer of 07 when he opened for the Decemberists. This guy is a total nut job. And I love him for it. Expect a one-man brass ensemble, cosmic instrumentation.... well, don't expect anything, and you will be pleasantly surprised, if not quite entertained!

Wed Feb 18, 2009
8pm
$30 balc/$35 orch & mezz
Orpheum Theater
842 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(877) 677-4386

For the professional weekday warriors

2009-01-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

This is what's on my radar so far for fun stuff going on this week. I will periodically update this list if I hear of anything else for this week....

Thurs Jan 15
Scion House Party
Scion usually throws pretty good parties. Live music, interesting DJs, eclectic crowd... And if you're lucky, an open bar and goodie bags. The Roxy is a Hollywood nightlife institution, which alone makes it worth checking out in my opinion. This is an 18+ party, so make sure you ask for ID before you get too friendly with anyone :P

Price: FREE
10pm - 2am
The Roxy
9009 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Don't forget to RSVP!

Sat Jan 17
Scion Installation LA Opening
Besides cute and witty boys, I'm also a total sucker for an open bar. If this place can sport both, I may never want to leave. Scion is hosting lots of events this week. Maybe they've decided to funnel more money into marketing with the shitty economy we're having. This will be a group show depicting "Fairytales of Berlin". Berlin only reminds me of Hitler and schizer movies. So this ought to be interesting...

Price: FREE
7pm-10pm
Scion Installation L.A.
3521 Helms Avenue (at National)
Culver City, CA. 90232
Free valet parking and OPEN BAR!

Good places to host birthday parties

2009-01-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I feel like everyone has a birthday in January or February. So I've been getting lots of inquiries from friends on what would be a good spot to host a casual yet upscale and FUN birthday party for groups of 6-20. These are some not-so-mainstream restaurants and bars that have little rooms in which you could host events whose prices won't blow a hole through your wallet. Because obviously, a hipster would never dream of hosting anything at Dave n Busters or Buca di Beppo.

See links for venue details. Listed in order from lowbrow (ain't nothing wrong with lowbrow) to highbrow (you gots some money to burn baby):

Papa Cristos
Boy oh boy, do I freakin love this place!! It's an awesomely authentic Greek restaurant just south of Koreatown serving gyros, lamb, spanikopita (did I spell that right?), and all other things deliciously Greek. It's definitely more on the casual side with the blue and white tablecloths and paper napkins. But that's part of the charm of this place. They have an outdoor patio that's probably good in the warmer months for events, but the indoor restaurant also would be good for a casual sit-down group dinner. Thursday nights offer a prix fixe special and "live entertainment" whatever that means ;) You can always finish off the night with a nightcap at one of the many ktown watering holes...hehe

Location: Koreatown adjacent

Cafe Surfas
Surfas the store claims to be "Chef's Paradise" as it's a chef and restaurant supply store. So judging by that and the constant crowds eating here, you know the food at it's adjoining restaurant is going to be chef-quality good. It's only open during the daytime, so it would have to be a brunch/lunch type party. But on a warm day, surrounded by good food and kitchen stuff is definitely my idea of a fun time :)

Location: Culver City

Royal/T
I've loved this place since my first visit when Caroline on Crack and I decided to pop in on a warm fall afternoon. It's a cross between a casual tea parlor, Giant Robot (the little shop on Sawtelle selling random cutesy Japanese tchotchkes), an anime art gallery, and restaurant. And it was deemed cool enough to host Yelp's 2008 Elite Holiday Party. But what makes it a great spot to host a party is that there's a couple of different rooms. The one in the middle can probably fit 5-10 comfortably and has a projection screen and neato funky furniture to lounge on. The rear area can probably accommodate a lot of people... like 50+. The first time I went, Mercedes Benz was doing some Fashion Week after party there. As an added bonus, the lady who owns this place is super sweet. Not sure how the food is , but the ambiance is pretty awesome.

Location: Culver City

The Abbey
For girls that wanna ogle at hot guys, but feel guilty about doing so because you're married, have a bf, etc, then the Abbey is perfect. It's a West Hollywood gay institution filled with an eclectic mix of people from all walks of life, ethnicity, and ages. I always have a great time here whether I go with my gay friends or not and even had a celeb sighting (Perez Hilton) on one random Sunday night. The atmosphere is non-pretentious and friendly which is a commodity in Hollywood. Food and drinks are both quite yummy and they have lots of little random rooms, so it could easily be turned into a bday party spot.

Location: West Hollywood

Casa Cocina Y Cantina
This is a brand new upscale-ish Mexican-Latin restaurant that opened last week in downtown LA. The thing that really appeals to me are the little "casitas" which look like little pods so you can get some privacy for your group, but also enjoy the larger restaurant should you choose. I haven't been here yet, but if you have, let me know what you think of it :)

Location: Downtown LA

The Edison
Although this place is pretty mainstream and often becomes a B&T destination on weekends, I still do appreciate it because of the beautifully designed interior and innovative drink selections. For people who have never been, it definitely will leave a lasting impression. It's in an old electricity factory so the motif is depression-era industrial chic. There are lots of little rooms of varying sizes that can host events. And if you go a bit earlier (like before midnight I think), they have a kitchen churning out some yummy food as well.

Location: Downtown LA

Cafe Was
Stones throw from the Arclight Cinemas on Sunset and Vine is this little semi-hidden restaurant. Inside is what I can only call "neo-classical-French" with lots of red lighting and ornate furniture and that rotating piano in the center of the restaurant. Upstairs has a little bar that's perfect for hosting a "non-dinner hangout and drink" type party. It'll probably hold 20+ people and when I accidentally stumbled up there once, everyone looked to be having a great time. If you want it to be a dinner thing, this place has some yummy albeit a bit pricey French-European inspired fare.

Location: Hollywood proper

I actually have more ideas that I didn't include on this list. So if you're still at a loss, just hit me up and let me know :)

Me encanta El Carmen

2009-01-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

She drew me in with her seductive perfume.

well, not really....

But after nearly missing, but passing by many times, I finally got a chance to check out El Carmen.

I love how LA has such a large variety of Mexican eating/drinking joints. You get your ghetto yet delicious taco trucks, your highbrow cantinas (like Ciudad or Casa). Then you have these nifty little bar/restaurants like El Carmen.

Walking in, it's like you've stepped into a world of mariachis mashed up with your favorite luchadores mashed up with your favorite tequila library. It's lit up in multi-reddish christmas lights, but it's not in a tacky way. The walls are adorned with portraits of mexican masked wrestlers (luchadores), but it's not brusque or intimidating.

After seeing the big old jar at the bar filled with pineapple chunks and finding out from the bartenderess that this was indeed pineapple-infused tequila, it's flavor quite surprised me. It wasn't sweet like I expected. Rather, it had the pungent tequila aroma I expected, laced with a hint of the pineapply spice. It's hard to explain, you'll just have to order it yourself ($8) :P Add a dash of salt to your hand before gulping that tequila and it'll enhace everything even more...

This place is literally a tequila library - there were pages upon pages of tequilas on the menu. I wouldn't be surprised if it numbered over 100! So if you want to graduate from "let's get drunk with tequila shots!" and elevate yourself to a true tequila connoisseur, this just might be your place.

They also have a yummy sounding food menu with the standard taco/enchilada/tamale fare for under $10. I also recall a tomatillo glazed rib entree that sounded interesting.

I came to this place on a Wednesday night and it wasn't too crazy, but I've been told it can be a real clusterf*ck on weekends. But then again, if you wanted to be in an empty room with a bunch of booze, why would you even leave your house in the first place, right?

El Carmen
8138 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 852-1552

Fun-ish things coming up in the next few days

2009-01-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

First Fridays at the Natural History Museum
The first Friday of each month from Jan - June features live music and DJs at the Natural History Museum at Exposition Park near USC. It's sponsored by Indie 103.1 which should give you an idea of the music and crowd this will cater to. And the first one is coming up THIS FRIDAY!!! I always love parties, especially when they're inside museums :) Rock out to live music while surrounded by dinosaur bones. cool!

Fri Jan 9 2009
5:30p Tour
6:30p Discussion
7-10p Music
Natural History Museum
900 Exposition Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 763-DINO

Art show/popup store close for apt 3
Not sure how good this thing will be, but it promises djs, artwork on display, designer/vintage-y clothing for sale and free colt45 (I happen to enjoy malt liquor, thank you very much!) And hey, free booze on a Saturday is never a bad thing, right?

Sat Jan 10 2009
7-11pm
Apartment3
1855 Industrial St #103
Los Angeles, CA 90021

Free tickets to shows at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood
I've always been a bit averse to going to things that I felt were a blatant knockoff of things created in other cities (like KF in NYC), but hey it's free, right? If you can swing by on Monday night b/t 6pm and 8pm, you can score a pair of free tix to most over their shows from now through April. Not bad... so hop to it!

Mon Jan 12, 2009
6-8pm
Knitting Factory
7021 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Map of sales on Melrose Ave
Don't you hate when you get that sale listing from your favorite e-newsletter, but you have to drive all over town to take advantage of it? Well, Thrillist has addressed that issue by publishing a list of sales going down on Melrose Ave and even provided a link to map the walk! I love this! The article makes it seem like the sales are mostly for men, but I know for a fact that most of these stores carry cool stuff for women too. Check it out!

Snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain - advice and observations

2009-01-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my buddy Pierre, I was able to have a nice little getaway to Mammoth this past weekend so that I can end my holiday break in style :) Being that I was staying in a condo full of Mammoth veterans and snowboarding pros, I was able to pick up some nifty tips that I think are worth sharing.

1. Happy hour at Whiskey Creek
From 4-5:30pm, all their food is half off plus $1 off pints and $4 off pitchers. They have a great selection of Mammoth Mountain Brewery beers so you can try them all! :D And the food is pretty decent stuff too... think one step above TGIFridays (coconut crusted shrimp, teriyaki glazed chicken wings, spinach salad with goat cheese and candied walnuts, etc). We had a ton of food, 2 pitchers of beer, and it all came out to less than $20 per person after tax+tip. SWEET! Granted it's a bit early, but just come after the mountain closes at 4pm... you'll be starving and exhausted by then anyways!

2. How to save on locker storage
Once I rented all my overpriced gear, I was still left with a pair of tennies that I needed to store somewhere. At first, I used a locker which seems like a waste at $2 per use. I mean, I already dropped $83 for a 1-day lift ticket and $34 for the equipment rental. But if all you have are a pair of shoes, you can just throw it on top of any locker and chances are, it'll still be there when you return in the afternoon. Of course, there's always the risk that your shoes won't be there, but I guess that's the chance you gotta take if you wanna save $2! Or if you want to be a real deviant, you can have a friend give your shoes to the Lost and Found counter. Then pick it up yourself at the end of the day! (thanks to deviant Pierre for this idea).

3. Restroom lines at Canyon Lodge
I've never not seen a line for the ladies room on the main level of Canyon Lodge where all the eateries and the crepe guy hangs. But if you go to the first floor, the lines seem either non-existent or short. FYI - the lockers at Canyon Lodge are not manned, so trick #2 would work best here :)

4. Achy knees from lift riding
Being the geriatric senior citizen I am, my knees are not the greatest and dangling that snowboard off one foot all day can wreak havoc on my knee (which it did). You have two options here. One is to cross your free foot across bound foot for support (so if you ride regular, cross your right foot behind your left). The other option is to simply alternate the foot that you dangle that snowboard from. So even if you ride goofy, don't always suspend the board from your right. This technique requires that you can dismount the lift with either foot leading which was a bit challenging for me. But totally worth it at the end of the day when your knees aren't killing you. Besides, if any part of your body hurts, it should be from your crazy falls or riding like a madman/woman. Not from riding the stupid lift.

5. Other safety concerns - especially for snowboarders
Kneepads - an absolute must for beginner ~ intermediate riders. I learned without them and paid a hefty price in purple knees for 2 weeks. Even as an intermediate rider now, they've saved me a bunch of times.
Helmet - I didn't think I really rode fast enough to necessitate a helmet, but I was averaging about 1 bad head fall per day that would have been less concussion inducing if I had a helmet on. (don't worry, no concussions here, just a few lost brain cells :) )

6. Replenish those fluids
A small hot cocoa on the slopes will only set you back $1.75 (no tax like inside the lodges) and is definitely the fastest and cheapest way to address the loss of fluids and sugars while riding. Dunking Twix bars (or other candy bar of choice) into said hot cocoa in its creamy chocolatey goodness is also delicious.

7. Beef jerky
Anyone who doesn't love beef jerky is guilty of sacrilege against the Lord. With that said, there are two main beef jerky joints along the highway that most Mammoth visitors are familiar with. The larger one in the town of Bishop closer to Mammoth and a smaller one further south in the town of Olancha. In the name of research, I went to both of them yesterday. My pick is definitely the one in Bishop. It's larger, has a larger selection of jerky as well as other meat items like sausages and bacons made out of funky elk meat and such. Also, you can buy as much or as little jerky as you want by weight ($35 per pound). The stuff ain't cheap. A piece of jerky about the size of your palm will be around $3. But it is really really gooooood. The jerky shack in Olancha has a smaller selection of decent looking jerkey, but they are pre-packed so you can't pick and choose by weight. The smallest pack runs around $9 for 4oz, so I think the prices are similar. And the sample of the Olancha jerky I tried tasted saltier than the Bishop jerky. Don't be afraid (like me) to ask for samples at either location... they are pretty generous with it and you wanna make sure you try the stuff before plonking down $10+ for overpriced dried meat (well, it's not really overpriced IMHO I think they're quite delicious and worth it :d).

Some other personal analogies/observations of note:

How is snowboarding like childbirth? (Note - I've never given birth, but I've heard many anecdotes of it)
Well, childbirth is one of those things that are excruciatingly painful during, but once it's done you apparently somehow magically forget about how flesh-rippingly painful it was and think "wow, it's so great to have a kid... maybe i can go thru this experience again." I feel that snowboarding is similar in that during the process of waking up at the crack of dawn, falling more times than you want to admit, and dealing with your achy body afterwards, I always think "I am never gonna do this again." But later as the soreness of body and shock to my wallet passes, I think "hey, that was kinda fun. maybe I could do it again". A sucker is indeed born every minute.

How is snowboarding like marijuana?
Everyone seems to love it. So I tried it and thought I might love it. I tried it, it was ok. I didn't love it. I still don't love it. If all my friends were doing it, I'd probably do it again. But I wouldn't initiate a snowboarding trip. Some people say you have to try it multiple times to really get the hang of it and appreciate it. I've gone enough times to ride a blue/black run in semi-comfort. But I still don't love it. It's fun and ok, but I'm not exactly counting down the days til I'm back on the mountain again.

Stuff to do this week

2008-12-30T13:48:00.000-08:00

Since most people are not working(me) or partially working (most others), here's a rundown of stuff going on in LA that I would probably do if I had an endless supply of time, money, and energy.

Tuesday Dec 30
All You Can Drink @ Velvet Room
Korean nightclubs are a unique species indeed. If you've always wanted to try one out, revisit , or just feed your daily clubbing habit, this seems like a good deal to me. AYCD is never a bad thing. And while VR isn't the premiere ktown nightclub like Le Cercle, if memory serves me right from my last visit almost 2 years ago, this place is pretty flash. Expect to see lots of hot underaged asian girls and guys too chicken shit to ask for their numbers without the assistance of "booking."

I would call ahead to either confirm this deal or make a reservation if I were you.

$20 Ladies
$100 Gents
DANCE CONTEST,CASH PRIZES,RAFFLE DRAWING

Velvet Room

3470-1 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 381-6006

Wed Dec 31
Giant Maximus
Giant used to be this weekly mega party in Hollywood back when raves where all the rage and people were dropping E and spreading that PLUR bullshit (Peace Love Unity Respect). While Giant is long gone, they do throw some awesome sounding parties each NYE. Been wanting to go every year for some reason. Maybe because of the awesome headlining djs (Paul Oakenfold this year), the idea of a gigantic mass of people just out to have a good time... almost an entire city populations' worth. I will make it out to this, one day....

From their website: Under 3 Climate-Controlled Big Top Arenas, the 3rd Annual GIANT MAXIMUS continues its reign as This Planet's Largest 21+ New Year's Eve Celebration!

Situated on a seven-acre private site in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles with the soaring skyscrapers towering above, GIANT MAXIMUS offers 3 Stages with an indoor capacity of 8,500 and a 1,500 capacity courtyard featuring the ‘Monster Midway,' presented by Monster Energy, with High Flying Acrobatix, Psychedelic Circus Antics, Amusements, Games, Carnival Rides and, of course, the GIANT Ferris Wheel.

Price $75+
7pm - 4am (!!!)
Giant Maximus
835 Francisco St
Los Angeles CA 90017

Thurs Jan 1
Pasadena Tournament of Roses
If you're still sober enough, this is a SoCal institution that I think everyone should experience at least once, kinda like the ball drop in Times Square NYC on NYE. You will likely have to camp there the night before, but even that part of it sounds fun and appealing to me. Especially if you're with the right people and either a winnebago or good camping gear :) I won't be making it out this year (again), but one of these days....

8am - 10:30am
Ellis Street & Orange Grove
Pasadena, CA

Why LA is better than SF - Father's Office v. The Toronado

2008-12-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

The whole "which city in Cali is better - LA v SF" is a topic that all Californians (and some non-Californians) have probably treaded more than they'd like. Yeah, I'll admit it, I think the Angelenos do a lot of things better. In fact, I think LA is waaay better than SF. At least in the things that matter to me :)

Aside from the 10 months a year of awesome weather, I've discovered yet another reason why LA is awesome (at least compared to SF)... the better beer pub.

Monday night, the last night of my epic SF visit, I was fortunate enough to visit the Toronado. Apparently this place is an SF institution in the lower Haight for beer and truckers and a kitschy cool that can never be replicated by high-powered chain restaurants. Everyone was raving about this place - my friends, the people I met up with inside, everyone. Indeed, it is a sight to behold and the crowd flowing through the night varied from local yuppies, guys finishing their shifts at the auto body shop, and later - the underage hipsters who probably used fake ids to get in.

The locals who brought me here were raving about the historic significance of this place and how it had "so many" different types of beer on tap. But I still think that at the end of the day, Father's Office (FO) is simply the superior brew pub. I certainly enjoyed my time at the Toronado, but here's a head-to-head comparison

1. The Beer - obviously the most important part of a beer pub. Toronado certainly had a respectful and carefully selected variety. But in terms of quantity, FO definitely wins. There may be 100s of different tap-pulls on the walls, but the actual beers you can order are only listed on the far wall and number about 20 on any given night. FO has closer to 50 different just as carefully selected beers. Though I did have a glass of hot spiced meade which I quite enjoyed at Toronado...

Winner - FO

2. The Food - Toronado doesn't sell food, but they let you bring your own or order from the sausage joint next door. Which is all cool and dandy. But really, can anything compare to the FO burger?! I think not!

Winner - FO

3. The Atmosphere - Toronado is this weird cross section of blue collar joes, urban hipsters, and just plain freaky weirdos off the street. FO Santa Monica is a casual woodsy neighborhood pub whose popularity outgrew its physical size. FO Culver City is a sleek bar/lounge that still retains the casual feel of the SM location with a mix of locals stopping for dinner, groups of friends, and random couples on dates, and the occasional celebrity sighting (I saw Evan Handler aka Harry Rosenblatt of SATC fame here once).

Winner - tie

Overall score: FO 2, Toronado 0.

You do the math.

Restaurant reivew: Whist at The Viceroy in Santa Monica

2008-12-18T13:10:00.001-08:00

Let me preface this post by first saying that I'm glad I didn't have to pay for this dinner.

At my company, we get one really good dinner a year. And by a series of events beyond my control, Whist was selected (my first choice was Providence on Melrose. I will eat there, someday...).

Valet parking was easy, but it costs $8 with validation. Again, if I was paying, I would say try to find parking on the nearby streets. It's definitely doable. But since I wouldn't be paying for this, heck why not.

Entering the lounge portion, it's really dark. So dark that I barely found my compadres as they were waving at me from their little corner spot. Upon sitting on the white leather-ish wingback chairs, I surveyed the room and found it to be upscale retro elegant. It's like a thrift store gone highbrow, on acid.

Service in the lounge area was quick. I ordered a.... shoot, can't remember the name. But it was made from Skyy vodka, and muddled blackberries and St Germain (elderflower liquer) for $15. It was really fragrant without being overly sweet. My coworker said the taste kinda reminded him of a lychee martini. I think I have to agree with him. But I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Fortunately, the dining room was illumated a bit better. Not by a whole lot, but enough. It's a pretty enough space. Not like breathtaking, but good enough. I'm here to eat, not to be in a pretty room anyways. Surveying the menu, I started to get excited..... salads with black truffle, grilled sweetbreads, a charcuterie selection. Maybe my misgivings were unfounded.

The middle charcuterie section is $15 for 3 items. As we had a big group, we ordered everything down that middle column. It was hit or miss, especially with the cheeses. While some were soft and pungent while others were dry and rubbery. Hard cheeses should not be rubbery. But I did enjoy the portuguese sausage and the candied nuts. Those were good.

For my entree, I decided to order 2 apps instead so I won't get overly stuffed. First up was a salad of brussel sprout leaves, grilled brioche, topped with a poached egg with black truffle shavings ($15). The toast and egg were very yummy, but I could barely make out the truffle flavor. I mean, I could see its shavings on my plate, but I couldn't taste it. My coworkers also tried it and agreed that they couldn't taste the truffle - boo :( Truffles are one of my favorite things to eat and usually a little goes a long way, but I guess not here....

My 2nd app was the grilled sweetbreads ($15). It was served on a bed of braised red cabbage. This was pretty good, but not like "omg, i'm going to be thinking about this all week" good. But no complaints with that one.

The other folks got the steak with duck fat fries (steak was too cold, duck fat fries didn't taste duck fatty enough $25), loup de mer (whole fish was not scaled properly and was really difficult and messy to eat $25). The people who ordered the lobster pasta entree said they liked theirs.

We had serveral bottles of wine which were also hit and miss.

I did enjoy my dessert though. It was a pear cake with malt ice cream. Some people that it was too sweet, but I liked the balance of the warm sweet cake with the cool creamy ice cream. I do wish they skinned the pears though, because the skins got a bit chewy dry when baked.

Service was friendly enough, but I thought the pacing was a bit too slow. Towards the end, I kept following our waiter guy with my eyes hoping and praying that he'd ask if we needed anything else so that bossman could ask for the check.

Yeah, so the food was pretty good, but not great. I think this place does have potential due to their awesome location and interesting food offerings. But there are definitely some kinks that need to be worked out before they can compete with places like Osteria Mozza or Providence or even a Comme Ca. Bossman declared that we're eating at Providence next time. I hope he keeps his word.

Whist Restaurant
1819 Ocean Ave
Inside the Vicery Hotel
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 260-7511

Fun things going on this week

2008-12-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

Monday

Half Price food at Citizen Smith
I don't know why I always forget about this deal. It's so good my friend CarolineonCrack and I went twice in a row back in the summer! It's half price on all their yummy foods every Monday at this usually highbrow hollywood hotspot.

Citzen Smith
1600 N Cahuenga Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
Dinner 6pm-2am every day

Tuesday

Free screening at the Arclight of The Wrestler
I actually rsvp'ed for this thing thru Yelp, but am probably not gonna go. But sounded pretty fun and it's FREE! :) Message me if you want my rsvp.

From yelp: Director Darren Aronofsky (of PI fame and also Mr Rachel Weiss) presents a powerful portrait of a battered dreamer, who despite himself and the odds stacked against him, lives to be a hero once again in the only place he considers home - inside the ring.

Tuesday, December 16th at 7:30pm
Arclight Hollywood Cinema
6360 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Dim Mak Tuesdays at Cinespace
Yet another hipster mecca that happens every Tuesday. I've always meant to go, but never made it out.... yet. Steve Aoki is an awesome DJ and this place is his Tuesday residency. Free vodka drinks 10p-11p for your early birdies.

Tuesdays 10p - ?
Cinespace
6356 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood CA

A Pablove Supreme
I don't quite get how this is supposed to be a charity benefit when it's a free event. But in anycase, Silverspun Pickups will be spinning and there will also be a few acoustic sets. Expect uber-hipster silverlakey crowd here. FYI - this is an all ages event, so be wary of who's drinks you're paying for...

6pm - ?
Space 15 Twenty
1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd
LA CA 90028

Wednesday
Four on the Floor - new residency at Chloe in Santa Monica
It can be difficult to find good DJ music on the westside. And since Chloe is in Santa Monica and one of my fave "intimate" lounges on the westside, they get a shout out just for that. They describe it as "A sweaty, dancey mess of House, Disco, Bangers, Balearic beat, Yacht and Electro"
Interesting....

9:30pm - ? (closing time is 1:45am)
Chloe
1449 2nd St
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Scion House Party
Although this party doesn't offer any free booze (boo), Scion usually puts on pretty good shows/parties. Not sure what to expect with this one, but let me know if you find out :)

Free with RSVP
10pm-2am
Vanguard
6021 Hollywood Blvd
LA CA 90028

Sunday
Snow in LA Music Festival (All ages)
One of these days, I will make it out to The Echoplex. Until then, I'll just write about things that look cool that they got going on, like this Sunday! An all day music fest for $10. I like their little shoutout to the GhettoGloss girls in gorilla masks series ;)

$10 admission
5pm-12am
The Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Sunday night blues

2008-12-14T22:06:00.001-08:00

I hate Sunday nights. Even more than I hate Monday mornings. But this made me laugh, in a good way :)

http://movies.msn.com/movies/year-in-review/undressed/

Stimulate that economy!

2008-12-12T10:01:00.000-08:00

Some more shopping events that I thought sounded cool for this weekend...

Nation LTD Warehouse Sale
From their FB page: Hey! I have tons of merchandise both from last season and CURRENT styles! I'm moving to another space so need to CLEAR out my inventory... Tees at 3-10 bucks, gooey soft sweatshirts at 15 - 20 beans. Super cute Fall ponte dresses at 50% to 75% off retail!
HELP ME CLEAR!

Fri Dec 12th 9a-4p
Sat Dec 13th 9a-40
850 Broadway, #301 (cross st. 9th)
Downtown LA

Another LF Holiday Warehouse Sale
Based on my experience, LF warehouse sales have a HUGE selection of pretty decent stuff at deeply discounted prices. There may be a lot to sift through, but if you have about 2 hours to spare, it's worth it.

Must have photo ID for entry

Fri Dec 12th 10a-6p
Sat Dec 13th 7a-3p
Mon-Wed Dec 15th-17th 10a-4p
LF Warehouse (Westchester area)
5333 McConnell Ave
Los Angeles CA 90066

Unique Los Angeles
Similar to Felt Club, if you went about a month ago, this sale will feature 200+ local and indie designers selling (as the name implies) unique tees, jewelry, accessories and home stuff. And it's definitely a nice alternative to going to "da mall". There's a $5 admission, but half of it goes to some charity (can't remember the name right now).

Sat Dec 13th 11a-7p
Sun Dec 14th 11a-7p
California Market Center (downtown LA)
Penthouse
110 East 9th Street
Los Angeles, CA

I also found this neat sounding Mattel tent sale that runs thru the end of next week (Dec 20) in El Segundo thru lasnark
http://www.lasnark.com/2008/12/03/mattel-toy-tent-sale-el-segundo-barbie-hot-wheels/

***American Apparel Factory Sale***
AA is actually one of my favorite brands and it is certainly a staple of any hipster's closet. Their stuff doesn't cost too much to begin with, but when it goes on sale, it's even cheaper! When they had their sale last year, it got a lot of press (it did sound like a pretty wicked "sale" with waterslides, djs, bbq, etc) and I heard the line to get in was 1hr+. But hopefully this one isn't as insane.

From AA website: It runs from 9am to 6pm. And this one's all about the CLOTHES! Lots more stuff, lower prices, and better deals. Piles and Piles of deals to dig though for all your holiday gift giving needs. There will be music from Viva Radio, food, and a very special photo op from Polite in Public with "Santa Claus" and Jonny Makeup, everyone's favorite Holiday Elf.

Sun Dec 14th 9a-6p
American Apparel (downtown LA)
747 Warehouse St
Los Angeles, CA‎
(213) 923-0578‎

Sneaky ways to avoid carfax stalking

2008-12-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

I've learned a lot about accidents, cars, and collision damage in the past week.

Another tip of note:

When most people are in an accident and the damages exceed the amount of their deductible, their first response is to report it to their insurance company and have them pay for it, right?

Well, think twice before you take that step. Let me break it down for ya.

Let's say for example, you're in a fender bender and the damages come out to $1500. Your deductible is $500. So of course you want the insurance company to pay the other $1000, right? But have you thought about this? There's a concept called "loss of value" which means that every time your car's in an accident, it loses some of its value. Will your fender bender cause a loss of value greater than $1500? If so, you might be better off paying for the entire $1500 out-of-pocket. This way, nothing needs to be reported to the DMV and carfax will never know that your car's been in this little fender. Thus no loss of value resulting from this accident. In general, you're supposed to notify the DMV (at least in CA) if you have any accident with damages over $750. But it is the driver's responsibility to do this. And if you pay for the damages out of pocket and don't report to the DMV, then there is no paper trail and no one has to know about your little fender bender.

Remember, this is not an option if your insurance company gets involved as there will be a paper trail and all bets are off.

Now this may sound all shady and illegal to some of you, but I'm asian and fulfill every asian stereotype you can imagine including indulging in illicit activities. So if you don't like anything i've said, leave me a comment. And if that still doesn't appease you, then you can bite my shiny metal ass.

Rental Car Insurance Through Visa

2008-12-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

I know this post has nothing to do with anything faux, LA, or hipster, but I thought the info was important enough to share.

Did you know that most Visa cardholders have rental car auto collision coverage at no additional cost to you? Which means that if you get in an accident with your rental car and you used Visa to pay for it, Visa will pay for the damages!!!

I've found out this lesson the hard way. But basically, you should never accept a rental car company's offers of collision damage protection (usually at around $10/day) because your credit card can provide it to you for FREE! Some of the basic terms and conditions I've learned are:

The cardholder must be the primary renter or an authorized driver
The rental must be paid for through Visa
Collision damage coverage offered through the rental car company must be declined
The rental term must be 15days or less
If you already have personal auto insurance, this coverage is supplemental and will cover only your deductible. If you don't have personal auto insurance, Visa will pay for the entire cost of damages up to the legal value of the vehicle
The incident must be reported within 45days of occurrence

There are several others that I can't remember off the top of my head right now. But what an amazing benefit, that costs you the renter NOTHING! And it will not negatively impact your credit or cause an increase to your APR or anything like that.

I used Visa as the example since that's the card I used, but I think other companies like MasterCard and AmEx offer similar services. You should check to make sure. These types of services are offered directly through Visa and not through the bank issuing the card. At Visa, this group is called "Enhanced Services."

In this case, it really sounds like there is such a thing as a free lunch....

Website: http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/benefits/bft_dmg_waiver_personal.html

More fun freebie events around LA proper!!

2008-12-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

With the holidays come lots of free booze. Maybe I shouldn't hate christmas so much after all...

Free Wine Tastings at Second City Bistro
SCB is actually one of my favorite "upscale" restaurants in El Segundo. And they have what appears to be a very popular wine tasting every Monday from 6-7pm. The website doesn't appear updated with current info on the wine tastings, so if you're really keen on going, I would call ahead, just to be safe.

Every Monday, 6-7pm
Second City Bistro
223 Richmond St
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322-6085

Mesh & Lace Launch Party
I love accessories. Mesh & Lace is a new store specializing in gloves... who needs gloves in LA? Who cares? Gloves are awesome, and the boys love them, trust me ;)

Tuesday Dec 9th
7:30-10:30pm
Mesh & Lace
3203 Sunset Blvd
Silver Lake
rsvp: lisa@meshandlacela.com.

Gen Art Shop by Design
Thanks to my friend Caroline K for this tip! What is normally $30 is now $0 (they must be getting desperate for warm bodies). But for $0, you get a 5hr(!) open bar, runway show, supposedly complimentary spa treatments, and some pretty neato sounding shopping in dowtown LA. Neato!

Thursday Dec 11th
5-10pm
California Market Center
110 E9th St
Los Angeles CA 90015
Free, but you MUST rsvp

Also on Thursday....
Burton Flagship Store Ladies Night
I think I'm actually gonna go to this thing since I need some gear anyways, plus it sounds like fun: giftbags, giveaways, snacks, and a raffle! whee!! Don't forget to rsvp! ;)

Thursday Dec 11th
6-8pm
Burton Snowboards
8175 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 370-1777
rsvp@burton.com

Bar? Lounge? Club? Who knows....

2008-12-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to pay a little visit to a new DTLA nightspot this weekend - The Association.

First off, let me say that the parking in the area can be difficult and wrought with sketch - as in climbing over half-asleep homeless people. So my recommendation is to pay the $5 to park in one of the many nearby lots. It's better than getting a $75 parking ticket like I did :( Always listen to what the sign says, no matter how many idiots are parked on that street!!

Walking in is pretty cool. As other reviews have stated, there's no marking in the front, but it's just right next door to Cole's French Dip which is very clearly marked. The door guy reminded me of a non-gay version of Lance Bass.

Walking in, it was dark, crowded, and loud. There's a bar that runs along the left wall and mirrors and seating on the right wall. The bar was weird b/c the DJ booth is enclosed at the end of the bar. So we were stuck in front of the dj hoping and praying to be noticed by a bartender... which eventually happened about 15-20min later? The seating area has neato crystal hanging things which actually reflect the light in a very sparkly colorful manner that I liked.

There's a pretty wide open area between the bar and the seating areas where random people were congregated trying to talk or dance. The douchebag/hoochie quotient was pretty high here considering it was downtown. But if you want a semi-low-key night of drinking, dancing, and debauchery, this is not a bad choice.

The Association
110 E6th St (bt Spring & Main)
Downtown LA
213-627-7385

Photo credit: Ken Hively/LATimes

Christmas for hipsters

2008-12-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

With the holidays rapidly approaching (when did it become December??), there are lots of cool parties/shopping events/random fun things to do around the city. I probably won't have time to do most of these, but by writing about it, it makes me feel like I'm a part of the action somehow...

In chronological order:

Recessionista Holiday Sale
Sat Dec 6th 12-8pm

POOL
2900 Rowena
Silverlake

I always like to buy clothes/accessories/gifts that aren't readily available at "da mall" and this place has an extensive lineup of local designers selling neat jewelry/clothes/accessories/gifts. The chances of there being free libations is high since one of its sponsors is Honest Tea :)

Downtown LA Block Party
Sat Dec 6th 6pm-midnight

Old Bank District
401 S. Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Since I just came back from Paris, I'm a sucker for anything Parisian. There will also be a beer/wine garden (my favorite!!!)

From yelp: Come out to this FREE Block Party!!! There will be lots of live music, an art bazaar (perfect for gifts!), restaurant specials, a beer and wine garden and a Parisian-style light display on 4th Street. And since it's the season for giving, local proceeds will donate to Downtown charities. Have fun and do a good deed while you're at it!

Rock n Bowl Holiday Party
Wed Dec 10th 9pm-1am

All Star Lanes
4459 Eagle Rock Blvd
Los Angeles CA

This event is sponsored by Toyota Matrix, Filter Magazine, and the Antics team, so you know that you're guaranteed to have plenty of free booze and hipster-watching. I've gone to this event when they had their summer version and indeed it was plenty fun. This one includes free bowling, t-shirt silk printing (get in line for this part early so you don't wait an eternity), and free Asahi beer from 9-11pm. RSVP soon before space runs out!

From Antics website: ANTICS is teaming up with FILTER and erockster to present our Rock 'N' Bowl Holiday Party at All Star Lanes, where we'll be partying with a special DJ set from CSS! The Brazilian wonders will be joined by DJs Lord Nelson and Pants Off, and we'll have free beer courtesy of Asahi, a photobooth from Polite In Public, free bowling and live screenprinting. Entry is free, all you need to do is RSVP.

Apartment3 Gift Sample Sale
Sat dec 13th (and sunday dec 14th) 1pm to 7pm

Apartment 3
1855 industrial street loft 103
La Ca 90021
rsvp@apartment-3.com

Yet another holiday sale with prices mostly below $50. And of course, in true hipster fashion, there will be free mimosas and a DJ spinning throughout :)

Free Knotts Berry Farm Admission
December 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 (each weekend in December before xmas)

Knotts (duh)
8039 Beach Boulevard
Buena Park, CA 90621

Free Knotts admission! I'm not a big amusement park fan, but if you wanna spend some hair-raising quality time with the little ones in your life (or the ones that just act like it), this is a fun and cheap way to do it! :D Also, one of my favorite local bands, The Airborne Toxic Event, will be performing there live on Sunday Dec 14th at 5pm. woohoo!!

From yelp: Bring a brand new toy valued at $10 or more(not gift wrapped) to donate to Toys for Tots and you'll receive free admission to Knott's

----------------------

Daily Candy also just put out their sample sale listing and it's really extensive. My particular interest is in the Rebecca Minkhoff one since those are THE bags carried by NYC fashionistas and my NYC gf who always hangs out at the purse forum. I may have to make some time for that one :P

flickr photo by reneeblanchard

Air France - je t'aime!!!

2008-12-01T05:11:00.000-08:00

Most Americans are well aware that domestic airlines have a pretty crappy level of service compared to many of the Asian or European airlines. Well, I wanted this post to be my love note to Air France.

Dear AF,

I can't stop thinking about how awesome you are....

The first time I knew you were something special was when I walked into your lounge at Charles de Gaulle. Not only did you have a huge selection of yummy snacks of assorted cheeses (camambert and a bunch of other French ones I can't prounounce), finger sandwiches and assorted juices and drinks at the ready... you also had a self-service open bar (with champagne!!) across multiple stations. There were many salons serving a variety of purposes including the relaxation room (where you can actually lie down to sleep), a massage room, showers, and a wifi room that also had iMacs to check the internet.

I was already impressed and wanted to spend more time with you here, but it was time to be ushered onto the plane....

You weren't the handsomest plane I had ever met, but once I got to know you better, I knew I was in love....

Shortly after takeoff, we were given little menus with our food offerings. I always think this is a nice touch, especially in the coach cabin to have something to look forward to and know what you're getting. Our first real meal together was a choice of spinach/ricotta canneollni or grilled chicken with wild rice. They were both very good and came with a quinoa salad, wedge of camembert, and a fresh baguette. Dessert was a fig compote and all this was tastefully presented with real glassware and silverware. The George DeBeouf red wine was a disappointment, but we're all allowed the occasional goof up, right? ;)

As you cradled my feet on your foot rests, it was time to watch movies. There were probably at least 50 different movies to choose from that was conveniently listed by genre and language in the back of the in-flight magazine. I settled on waching Broken English (about an American woman falling in love with a French man) and In Bruges (black comedy thriller about 2 British blokes in a small Belgian town). I also tried to watch Step Brothers (but how feasible is it for 2 40yo guys to have parents in their 50s-60s? And that's just the start of the non-sequiturs).

When I was feeling bored and sleepy from the movies, I was able to rest my weary head on your little adjustable headrests. And I was able to wrap myself around your red cotton pillowcase and cozy faux-wool blanket. And when I woke up and was craving a snack, you had in the back in a cold pouch.... OMG Hagen Daaz ice cream bars!!!!!!! It was cool and creamy and as it melted in my mouth, I was in all-consuming bliss. Once wansn't enough, I just had to go back for another :d

After another meal, it was time to say our goodbyes. I wasn't ready to leave you yet, there's still so much more we could've done together.... more movies, more food, more snuggling. But I guess 11 hours together for our first time was probably enough. And I hope to have the pleasure of your company in the near future. Merci, au revior!

Love,
FH

ps - Casper van Diem on our flight was a nice touch and a reminder of what's to come in LA. And oh snap, he was there with his whole brood including his milfy wife Catherine Oxenberg. They have cute kids.

"Secret" upstairs lounge in Koreatown

2008-11-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that I thought I was so done and over with Koreatown or "ktown" as the locals like to call it, sometimes it shows me a side of itself that gives me hope once again that reinvention is possible at any age.

Last night, my homegirl Cat invited me to a night out with one of her older guy friends and his buddies. We ended up going to a place called Gaam inside the Chapman Plaza in ktown. Apparently it used to be a pool hall called Renaissance back in the days (I'm guessing the 90s). I've been to this place in its previous incarnation last year when it was a fancy schmancy coffeeshop/cafe by the same name. But last night I was almost blown away.

First of all, you can't see this place from the outside. It's a place you only go to if someone takes you there, or if you read about it somehow. It's entrance is right next door to the entrance of Bohemian Cafe which is readily visible from the northwest corner of 6th and Alexandria. Once you get there, you ascend these steps and arrive at a huge space with 20ft vaulted ceilings and a yakitori/sushi station. Behind some bamboo trees that double as a room divider is the main seating area where lots of little groups of people can get together to enjoy themselves.

A projection tv plays music videos that match the music being played inside which was really cool. I hate when places show music videos, but the music itself is something else. So lame... I was mesermized by this tv. I'm not sure if it was because I found it so entertaining or because I thought the guys we were with were a bunch of yucky skeezebags. But I was glad to have it regardless. It was playing mostly 80s hits and a lot of Britney Spears' new stuff. As well as some kpop videos.

The food and drink selections were standard ktown fare: soju, beer, roast chicken, assorted yakitoris. Cat ordered what she called a "japanese style pancake" which was a chewy mass of imitation crab meat and batter topped with a generous amount of bonito flakes and squirts of mayo. This was strangely delicious! It was a great balance of chewy yet crunchy (it's served on a hot skillet), oceany (from the crab meat and bonito flakes) and creamy (from the mayo). This one's a keeper.

They're currently running a happy hour promotion Mon-Thur from 5-8:30pm where for $19.99, you can get a bottle of soju and lots of yummy little food items that would be more than enough to comprise dinner for 2 (or 3 if you're light eaters).

I really liked the fact that this place feels hidden and off the beaten track, even though it's right inside the wildly popular Chapman Plaza. I like the fact that it's got these super tall ceilings that create the dramatic effect. And there are windows overlooking 6th St . I'll have to come back here someday with people I actually like next time (except for Cat, she's cool... ;P )

Gaam Yakidori & Sake Bar
3465 W6th St Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 388 8850

a series of unfortunate and fortunate events

2008-11-17T13:44:00.000-08:00

Another busy weekend as usual.

Friday night, I discovered an awesome new Thai restaurant in Thai Town near East Hollywood thanks to my buddy Ray. Apparently, Ray and his friends checked out most of the Thai joints along Hollywood Blvd and Ruen Pair was deemed the best of the bunch. Everything on the menu is flavorful, with adjustable levels of spice and priced at around $7 per item. There's also a good looking Thai dessert place on the other side of the strip mall (cant remember the name though...).

Next up was the Ghetto Gloss Bronx Zoo exhibit at Silver Lake. I didn't realize this place was on the same strip as my favorite German pub Red Lion Tavern and that ok tiki bar across the street. The place had way too many people inside for such a small space. It's essentially two rooms, with one selling a bunch of random tchotchkes and the other containing the artwork. Arty parties are always good for people watching and Ray seemed entertained by the variety of folks at this place as well. I ran into a guy I met a few weeks ago who took my number and never called. I wanted to ask "Why the fuck did you ask for my number if you weren't going to call, you jerkface?!" but all I ended up mustering was "Hey, it was good to see you".

The booze was some nasty cheap vodka mixed with a low-cal sparkling beverage called Tava which was also pretty gross. But at least it was free...

Our nightcap was at The Abbey in West Hollywood. I had never been asked if I was a lesbian so many times in my life. Should I take that as a compliment? Gay bars are always good for eye candy and I like the egalitarian feel of The Abbey - you get a variety of different ethnicities, ages, and sexual orientation.

Saturday was a series of nightlife blunders involving waiting outside (and not getting into) a club that apparently Wesley Snipes also went to and ending up at a seedy Korean nig htclub on Wilshire Blvd that I would prefer not to mention. These events were definitely not initiated by yours truly.

Sunday was the Swap-o-Rama that was held in conjuction with Felt Club at the Shrine Auditorium. Again, it had the huge piles of free-for-all clothes and the volunteer crafters. The silkscreen printing by FreshPressed was really popular this year as that station had the longest lines the whole time I was there. But the highlight for me was the HUGE-mongous craft fair held downstairs sponsored by Felt Club. There were literally 100s of vendors selling all kinds of artsy crafty wares: jewelry, dolls, stationery, clothes, and everything else. I ended up picking up a few things for myself as well as xmas gifts for friends and family. That was fun.

Next up was dinner at Soowon Galbi that I hosted for my non-Korean friends (Caroline, John, Crystal) to eat Korean bbq with me. I love being able to share anything cultural or foodie with interested parties. We had an awesome dinner of all kinds of yummy meats and were stuffed to the gills afterwards, all the while being surrounded by ktown hipsters and middle aged folk returning from their Sunday golf games.

Last stop was an excursion to Silverlake to check out the new bar Stinkers Trucksto p. I had a Silverlake Lemonade which was ok, but the highlight for me and I think most of my friends were the skunk butts attached to the walls that emit a "mystery smoke" when the bartenders pulled a chain over the bar. Now that was funny...

the holy trifecta of free parties

2008-11-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

Last night Sarah and I went to the Daily Candy Holiday Fete at decadestwo on Melrose, sponsored by Disaronno. This party had what I affectionately call the "holy trifecta" of free parties.

Element 1 - free booze. Lots of parties have this. This one was no exception. The disaronno was definitely flowing

Element 2 - free food, ideally in the form of something created by a fancy catering company. This is a bit rarer than free booze and sometimes isn't even announced, but if it happens and you can get to it without competing with ravenous vultures and shameless old people, it's pretty awesome.

This place had passed hors d'oeuvres of: steak on potato cakes, tomato/mozzarella/basil on skewers, chicken salad sandwich on almond bread, whipped blue cheese on frisee with fig jelly, salmon with creme fraiche with fennel on lavosh, and an amazing cheesecake thingie for dessert :d

Element 3 - the goodie bag. A really good party will have elements 1 and 2, and as you leave, one of the workers should hand you a goodie bag. It's contents can often be dubious or even lame, but it's always nice to walk out of a party carrying a little paper bag and feeling cooler than all the plebians walking around empty handed.

The contents of this goodie bag last night were: book of Daily Candy Lexicon (MSRP ~$15), a set of disaronno refrigerator magnets made of little tiles with cocktail recipes printed on them (tres chic!), lip plumper gloss, a sample of pantene blonde expressions shampoo/conditioner, and some marketing materials (aka throw away cards). Not bad! :D

Decasdes two is a cute little store with super expensivo second hand stuff by all the big names: Prada, LV, Chanel, Christian Louboutain (sp?) discounted from their retail price of $1000+ to around $200-500. It was like being in a fancy clothes/shoes/bag museum.

But after about an hour of all this eating/boozing/shopping, we were ready to bounce out. Ambling along a rather dead Melrose ave at around 8pm, we saw a neat looking store/event space. Turned out that it was the highbrow lingerie/sex toy store Kiki de Montparnasse. We were greeted by a super friendly awesome gal who worked there (wish I got her name) and she was showing us all kinds of neat fancy lingerie and "classy" sex toys. I liked how these toys had a multi-functional element to them. Jewelry/art by day, naught toys by night... haha.

We made a quick pitstop at Winchells Donuts on Melrose. This place is ghetto fabulous! A dingy little donut shop sandwiched between hoity toity stores and restaurants. As Sarah and I walked out, the creepy old guy eating at the table waved at us to say "hi". What are creepy old guys thinking when they wave to hot girls like us? Do they expect us to stop and say hi and flirt with them at Winchells? I don't get people sometimes....

Our next stop was to meet up with Caroline at Cafe Wa s. I normally don't like places with gimmicky names like this, but that's another story.... I always thought this place would be a dingy little diner next to the Arclight, but turned out to be a beautiful French Renaissance-style restaurant with a rotating piano platform at its center. There were lots of cute little rooms to eat, hang, or have a little party. Considering how nice this place looked on the inside, I thought the food prices were pretty reasonable. Oh, and the staff here (mostly male) are all so cute and nice, both gay and straight! I was majorly crushing on our waiter. Oh what's his name.... carlos? He was just so friendly and adorable. ;)

Finally, we hopped over to the Hungry Cat next door. I love how this place does such a great job at incorporating seasonal ingredients into both their food and cocktail menu. I had a persimmon margarita (reposado tequila, persimmon juice, lime with a cinnamon sugar rim $13). I loved that rimmer!! Cinnamon on the nose, salt on the tongue, my senses were in a state of confused bliss.

All that activity and I was still home before 1am. Not bad :) I hope some more crazy adventures unfold this weekend! :D

All that hype for naught?

2008-11-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

Last night was the much hyped Thrillist 2nd Anniversary Party at Central Hollywood on Las Palmas. Being a former NY'er, I'm always a bit wary of LA spots that try to somehow bring NYC to LA.

As I was walking over from Hollywood and Highland, they were doing an "orange carpet" premiere of some new show on the GSN called Think Like a Cat. I saw Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air. That was kinda neat.

But anyways.... our crew was all paranoid about getting there early as the email clearly stated that they expected a PACKED HOUSE! So we get there right at 7pm and it's totally dead. ugh! I didn't realize Central was not a bar/lounge, but an actual nightclub. Not a huge megaclub like Blvd3 or The Kress, but a club nonetheless. 8pm, still half empty. 9pm, ok maybe the place was like 1/3 full. I think their overhype, coupled with the usual insane Hollywood traffic scared folks away?

But the Jamesons were flowing generously and freely and LAPhotoParty upstairs made from some interesting memory captures. There was lots of making out by the end of the night (none by me unfortunately) which I suppose is typical of any party featuring free booze.

There was also a clown making balloon toys. Can you guess what this long purple thing and its companion is supposed to be? :P

My only wish was that the guido douchebag that kept trying to dance with me would just leave me alone already!!

Just what this world needs - another blog

2008-11-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

Last night, myself, Caroline and Dre hit up Rush Street where I was served mediocre tuna tartare "nachos" by a waiter that my companions considered a royal douchebag. I really didn't think he was so bad. At times, there was a line to get upstairs to the bar area with the stripper pole. WTF?

This was followed up by a visit to Backstage Bar whose existence I just found out about, and so close to my hood! A rather neighborhoody dive bar replete with a karaoke stage. Good place to have deep conversations on a date though, cuz the other patrons are not too pretty, so your date won't be distracted by the eye candy. And they have my favorite - Newcastle Brown Ale - on tap! woohoo!!