Category Archives: Bars & Restaurants

Bar & Restaurant Reviews

Winners: Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail 2010

In addition to hosting my second annual “Live From the Red Carpet” video leading into the Spirited Awards® at Tales of the Cocktail 2010, being invited to be a jury member for them was one of the biggest honors of my career. In my tippling travels, I get to try some of the world’s best cocktail bars and products, meet the people behind them and revel in their liquid talents. It was humbling and exciting to be able to throw my 2-cents into the proverbial pot. In case you haven’t seen it yet, below is the official press release and list of winners this year. (Obviously, among these names are some of my favorite people in the business.) Cheers everyone!!

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Drinking (& Communing With) Spirits at PJ Clarke’s

The hordes of freshly minted bankers, stock traders and lawyers who shoehorn their way into PJ Clarke’s every night may, at first, obscure the 125 years of history that the unassuming watering hole has weathered. But wait for the place to quiet down a bit, and the ghosts will come out.

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“Rumming It” at La Descarga (VIDEO link)

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I often get asked which bars are my favorites in LA. I personally have a rotating Top 3, with my Top Ten being more or less staples. Because people seem interested, I’m going to make a point of publicly declaring my favorite ones from now on – and why I like them so much.

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Cana at The Doheny: Tiki, Transformed (VIDEO link)

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Downtown LA newsflash: The Doheny is about to get a whole lot busier. The once exclusive (pricey) members-only drinking club is opening its doors a little wider, and inviting the rum-lovers of the world to come in. It is keeping the members-only concept, only now the annual fee is an accessible $20, and it will transform the way Angelenos think of Tiki cocktails.

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Getting Lucky in Japan: Shochu

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This overview of shochu is provided to us by Vanessa McGrady, a LA-based writer who also blogs at 40Licious and Art of the Find. I’m a lucky person, it turns out. So lucky, in fact, that I was invited on ...

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Food With Roots: A Vegan Experience

Filed under: Bars & Restaurants, USA
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It started as a debate as to whether or not to incorporate Foie Gras into the menu at El Bizcocho, the fine dining restaurant at San Diego’s picturesque urban-escape Rancho Bernardo Inn Golf Resort & Spa . ...

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At Home at Townhouse, Sherman Oaks

I often get requests from Angelenos about where to dine and drink on the “other side of the hill,” (ie: San Fernando Valley). There are actually a multitude of charming little café’s, a handful of hipster hangouts and rowdy dive bars to enjoy. However, for the contemporary diner looking for ...

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Living Large at La Vida, Hollywood

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Hollywood has a new hotspot and you can be among the first to experience it. La Vida opened its doors only 3 weeks ago, but it won’t take long for this atmospheric lounge / restaurant’s reservations line to be added to speed dials all over town. Located inside a big blue building on the corner of Sunset and Gower in Hollywood, La Vida seems nondescript from the outside. You could almost drive past it if you’re not paying attention.

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