Seasonal Cocktails?? Yes, Please!

The barkeeps at Oldfield’s Liquor Room, Bigfoot West in Culver City and Thirsty Crow in Silverlake embrace spring by infusing herbs, aromatic spices and housemade ginger beer into their new drink programs.
 
 
OLDFIELD’S LIQUOR ROOM: The Mescal Tulip & The French Lieutenant.
Popular for their shrub punches and finely-tuned cocktails, Oldfield’s new menu embraces herbs and vegetables by incorporating the ingredients into housemade bitters and syrups, perfectly light and fresh for spring. The Mescal Tulip mixes Del Maguey Vida, jalapeno honey, fresh grapefruit, lime, muddled cucumbers, mint leaves, and housemade ginger beer. The French Lieutenant combines Hardy VS, Dubonnet, lemon, in-house 5 spice syrup, creole bitters, and lemon/cardamom bitters.
 
BIGFOOT WEST: The Bourberry & The Penicillin.  
Just steps down the road from Oldfield’s Liquor Room, Bigfoot West is putting their own spin on spring with a focus on whiskey. Known for their whiskey-based libations, Bigfoot West is debuting amazing cocktails which infuse seasonal items with bourbon. The Bourberry combines Buffalo Trace Bourbon, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, muddled strawberries and mint leaves, topped with homemade ginger beer. The Penicillin takes Famous Grouse Whiskey, fresh pressed lemon, and fresh ginger-infused honey with a spritz of Laphroaig Scotch atop. “Both cocktails are great for those who want to begin a love of whiskey,” comments bartender Vanessa K.
 
THIRSTY CROW: Basil Blossom & Fleur D’Ange.
Known for their dynamic bar happenings like Absinthe Minded Tuesdays and Whiskey Wednesdays, the Thirsty Crow bartenders have created in-house infusions, homemade shrubs, sherbets, jams, and purees utilizing fresh seasonal ingredients for a brand new menu. New cocktails include The Basil Blossom: Square One Basil Vodka, St. Germaine Elderflower, fresh pineapple juice, lime juice, and cucumber with a cherry drizzle and Fleur D’Ange featuring Martin Miller’s Gin, Carpano Antica, St. Germain, and Fee Brothers grapefruit bitters.
Sounds tasty!

Short Order Isn’t Just Hamburgers — Farmers Market, Mid-City West

Short Order is skilled at making hamburgers. You have probably already heard this somewhere. And if you have eaten at Short Order, then you know—the burgers are hella good. Since you already know that, let’s talk about the other awesome stuff on the menu.

Short Order L.A.

The following post is your guide to eating at Short Order without ordering a single hamburger.

Step 1) Let the bartender recommend a drink.

Jackie O

On this visit to Short Order, we dined at the breezy upstairs bar. This exposed bar patio can get chilly at night. So if it’s cold, order the Maple Syrup Hot Toddy. If you’re already nice and toasty, try the refreshing and not-too-sweet Jackie O (above).

Read more

Hipster Hot Spot #1389: Fatty’s Public House - West Hollywood

What do you get when you pair eclectic dishes with strong-ass drinks? Fatty’s Public House in WeHo of course!

The former residence of Fatty Arbuckle is now a newborn gastropub on the west side of La Cienega Blvd, smack dab in the middle of Santa Monica Blvd. and Melrose Ave. If you weren’t that hungry on your way, you’ll be good and starved by the time you find parking. ($8 Valet)

Fatty’s is a bit fancier than our usual hangouts, but pinch your pennies and trust that it’ll be worth the splurge. Super mellow by day, hipster hot spot by night.

Let’s get down to business. The first thing I did was take advantage of their full bar. All of the signature crafted cocktails sounded great, but I picked “Life of the Party” because I’m modest. My wilder friend went for “Desert Hero” for more of a kick.

image

Read more

MY FAVORITE PLACE IN… WEST HOLLYWOOD - Basix Cafe

Brunch, Quick Booze or a simple no b.s. dinner…

eggs

When I want something fast I come to Basix. The wait staff has come to know me by name. I come here 2–3 times a month or more.

If you are ever in West Hollywood and want a place for brunch, look no further. I mean, there are others in town that are pretty good too…but, if we’re looking for VALUE, I think you get more for your buck here.

Read more

Podcast: Ted Porter, Tom Bergin’s, Bodega Hollywood

In case you missed the thrilling debut of the AudioTechnoTronic (AKA “audio”) version of this podcast last week, here ya go:

Since we live in the age of computers, we were able to create a video version of this podcast, too. Behold:

Read more

The Ace - Palm Springs Getaway

IMG_2033

OK, OK, I know this blog is usually about food and what not, but you can find food among the hottest of the hottest bikini clad babes and fellas as well. It’s HOT as hell during the summer months, so it’s almost a necessity to grab a seat near the pool and stay in the water at all times and have the waitstaff bring over multiple cocktails and finger foods to keep you sane. Not to sound bougie, but you are definitely going to want to stay refreshed and fed. So you stay alive, not fried.

Read more

30:SECONDmendations, Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Here is your review of Dogfish Head’s fall-only beer, Punkin Ale, in less than 30 seconds. Ben likes flavored beers more than Drew, but they both agree that this beer is yummy.

What we recommend: Drink one by itself first, and then make beer cocktails with this stuff. Some good cocktail ideas are here: http://goo.gl/BomD3

Pros: Great balance. An all-around good beer, and it tastes like autumn. Drink it :)

Cons: Pumpkin beers usually taste like pumpin pie, and this one is no exception. You had better like the taste of pumpkin before digging-in.

Music by Bit Shifter

West Restaurant and Lounge

A fresh taste on food West of the 405

Oh… my … god! That’s the sound of me having to be resuscitated after eating the braised pork at West restaurant in the Angeleno Hotel. These little nuggets of pork melted in my mouth and the apple topping was a great burst of sweetness that complimented the pork so well. Seriously, the pork was cooked to perfection and it changed my life.

IMG_2636

Read more