South of Red Rock Texas

Austin may be the best city in Texas but I've never been anywhere in Texas but Austin.  So, I'm not sure exactly. And while the scene was more reminiscent of Sunset Junction than the OK Coral they have not completely done away with the ten gallon hats and dualies. Most of the music I saw were from musicians I'd not heard of before. That said, nearly, everything I saw was amazing. First off was an extremely fun set by Ghost White Shivers at The Beauty Bar of all places, playing what I would call dixieland jazz. The band was followed up by a more than competent 80's DJ. Next up was the hard working Redd Volkaert at the world famous Continental Club.

Then it was on to Ginny's for Dale Watson and chickenshit bingo. I'm not sure about the bingo but Dale is always a blast. Last but not least I paid a visit to the non-duchebag end of 6th Street's Momo's and saw the impressive Dan Dyer and the enlightened Robin Smith.

Best Food, Better Cause

26th ANNIVERSARY AMERICAN WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL

SERVES UP WORLD-CLASS CELEBRATION FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Wolfgang Puck, Barbara Lazaroff and friends unite for a weekend of food, fine wine and festivities benefiting Meals On Wheels

LOS ANGELES, CA, September 15, 2008 - It's the epicurean event of the year. The one place that puts world-class chefs at your service for a weekend of delectable dishes, superb libations, fantasy auction items and amazing entertainment. The 26th Anniversary American Wine & Food Festival (AWFF) returns to Los Angeles for a star-studded gathering benefiting the Los Angeles Chapters of Meals On Wheels.

Kicking off Friday, September 26, the weekend of festivities features three spectacular events, an estimated 40 celebrated chefs, and fine wine and spirit purveyors. For the second year, AWFF will start the weekend with the sizzling Red Hot @ Red Seven party at the Pacific Design Center. Saturday, internationally renowned chefs serve palate-pleasing plates at the signature AWFF event on the Universal Studios' back lot. The Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner wraps up the weekend with an exclusive dinner event at Spago Beverly Hills Sunday evening.

Tickets for all three events went on sale July 1. Last year's events sold out, so be sure to mark your calendar! Please visit www.AWFF.org for tickets, sponsorship opportunities and Festival details.

Since its inception in 1982, the Puck-Lazaroff Foundation has raised more than $14 million for the Los Angeles Chapters of Meals On Wheels. The American Wine & Food Festival benefits four Los Angeles-area chapters including St. Vincent Meals On Wheels, Meals On Wheels of West Los Angeles, Meals On Wheels West and San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council.


Red Hot @ Red Seven
Date: Friday, September 26, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Location: Red Seven by Wolfgang Puck
A new event added to the line-up last year, Red Hot @ Red Seven kicks off the AWFF festivities. Set at Wolfgang Puck's chic West Hollywood restaurant Red Seven, this searing hot celebration features a night of spectacular beef, smooth wine & spirits and musical entertainment. With the ambiance of the Pacific Design Center's famous fountains blazing red, this truly is a night to remember.
Taste delicious morsels of mouth-watering beef served by Red Seven, CUT and Sidebar Beverly Hills, CUT Las Vegas, Lawry's The Prime Rib, La Brea Bakery, Montage Beverly Hills, Craft Los Angeles, 8 oz., and more.

Red Hot @ Red Seven tickets are available through the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation for $150 per person. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.AWFF.org.

Cave Cooks Curfew Cursed Concert

Last nights Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds show at the Hollywood Bowl brings the summer concert series to and end, almost. Having scored another seamless entry into the venue with our scalped $10 tickets we headed right on over to the nearest empty box seat and plunked down for the evening. And last night was a very nice evening with a mostly full moon and just a wee bit of a chill in the air. The perfect setting for the first live appearance of the band in five years. The friend I went with was not too familiar with the lineup and claimed to be no that into it, said she didn't really get it but appreciated the "weirdness" of the show. I can understand some of the concerns she had because Cave's vocal stylings are...well...unique. For me the deep grooves and layers of rhythm were as rich as Cave's lyrics wicked. Some may have called it solemn, brooding or macabre but I found it ehtereal, poetic and just plain rocking. Highlights of the night included Warren Ellis' eccentric on stage antics and the guy sitting right next to me that took two his of pot as soon as Cave hit the stage and immediately crumpled over and stayed slumpped over for the entire of the show. Almost as classic was his very PO'd girlfriend who kept up her grimmace as much as his slouching. It was a shame he only played a little more than an hour due to the Bowl's strict 10:45 cerfew.

One More Show Left

Jamaican me CRAZY

Go to Coley's. I did yesterday for lunch in the Valley and was totally loving it. $6.95 lunch special of Jerk Chicken, rice, beans, plantains and fried dough (don't forget the Ginger Beer). It was killer. Full bar with live music & DJ's on the weekends too!

10842 Magnolia Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Telephone: (818) 761-4944
Fax: (818) 761-4565

&

300 E. Florence Ave.
Inglewood, CA 90301
Telephone: (310) 672-7474
Fax: (310) 672-7400

Long time a comin

The seasonal installment is all about the wresting; Daniel Puder and Lucha Vavoom. I was on the team in 9th grade but it was nothing like this. I guess they call it sports entertainment but that lame categorization doesn't come close to describing the actual visceral experience of it all. It is downright dangerous excitement.

Undefeated MMA'er Daniel Puder known for his unbeatable success inside and outside the ring is throwing the Cop's-n-Robbers party to benefit Cops Care Cancer Foundation at the Playboy Mansion August 23, 2008. Tickets to the event include:

• Unlimited alcohol
• Open Buffet featuring gourmet treats
• Full tour of Mansion grounds by Playmates
• Dinner and full open bar all night
• Full access to pool and historic grotto (towels not provided - swimsuits optional)
• Silent auction
• Comedy Entertainers
• Fashion Show
• Entry to the pre-party and after party
• Pre-party August 22 (9:00pm-1:00am)
• Your photo taken with Playmates or Knockouts (printed out and signed)
• Transportation to and from the Playboy Mansion
• Access to VIP Lounge at the Playboy Mansion
• Special gift bag

If you've ever wanted to go to the Playboy Mansion and really party, this is your chance. The pre party will be at Boulevard3 and will include wrestling from the knock outs from the Wet T-Shirt Wrestling Leauge. Now how can you not support wet T-shirt wrestling for kids with cancer? You can't, so get your tickets now (it's almost sold out).

Lucha Vavooooooom is an incredible series of bouts that comes around 3 times a year in July, October and February to LA and SF. Lot's of wild masks and flamboyant acts culminated in a tag team trio of 3 member teams representing Mexico, USA and Weho. I'm still not sure if the cross gendered wrestler that flew out of the ring really smashed her/his head on the floor or if it was part of the act. Either way the stoppage of the show and the entire crowd holding it's breath had me convinced he/she narrowly escaped death. Tom was there plus the Mayan Theater was worth the trip alone. Excellent night.

LA this week

It was a week of old favorites. How apropos it was that I began with what has quickly become my favorite drink in town, the Rye Manhattan, at Seven Grand (see video). With only one drink we were off to the The Royale. They'd emailed us every week about how great their Monday nights were. I had the ribs with mac and cheese. The ribs were breaded and deep fried while the mac n' cheese was plentiful. We were the only ones there but when the decent jazz band started playing we decided to split. Our last stop for the night was La Cita which I would like to say was great (like everyone else) but for some reason certain bars just jerk us around and are a dud...a couple of wrinkly, old man regulars at the bar had us leaving without a drink.

When friends come to town I often rack my brain for the hottest, hippest new spot in town. Maybe it's me trying to impress my friends but they seem to love places I consider "hum-drum Hollywood". So this week when great old friends from Cleveland came and hit and me up because of my status as LA BARHOPPER, the #1 guide to bars, clubs and restaurants in town I decided to give myself a break. I'd show them around the standard hot spots. Not unlike tourists we headed out to Yamashiro. I've been there plenty and it's always a crowd pleaser. The views, ambiance and food all deliver solid returns to natives and tourists alike. I couldn't help thinking this has to be the best place in town for a little pre or apres dinner romance, what with all the secluded Japanese gardens surrounding the place. Unfortunately I was there with my old high school buddies and not any one I'd want to sneak down the garden path with. From there we headed out to The Derby for a little split personality night. Metal on the main bar and open mike comedy/whatever (see video) on the other every Tuesday. Saturday nights the same promoter goes off! Forget not that this city thrives on the latest and greatest but old Hollywood favorites are what make this city famous around the world.

Best Bar in Boise

After I cleared the slopes in Ketchum I headed back to the "BIG" City, Boise. Proudly touted as the 3rd largest city in the Pacific Northwest, "it's lots bigger than Tacoma or Spokane" they boast. Well I guess that settles that. My job was to find the best bar in town. Boise on Monday and Tuesday night does not exactly offer the hottest nightlife around, but I guess it does beat the action in the tri-city area (Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, WA in case you didn't know). So based on the information I was able to gather in Sun Valley I headed out to what was clearly considered the best spot in town, The Red Feather Lounge. Though some locals say it's to "shishi" for them I liked the hip spot with its 3 story glass wine cellar. It was Oscar night and I was the only one in the place. The space is actually split in two, with The Red Feather occupying the left side and the Bitter Creek Ale House to the right. There were plenty of folks enjoying Brews and Burgers at the Ale House but it was just me and Boise's Best Bartender Mark next door. It was all good when he put on a cocktail clinic for me and one of his friends that came in a bit later.

I had the grilled lamb with mushroom risotto and a superb Malbec for dinner. Dessert was a classic whiskey sour and watching his buddy down an 8 layer shot which took about 15 minutes to pour (no one was in a rush). Check out the managers blog Save The Drinkers (time to update guys!).





Tuesday night was another fine night out in Boise. Having already established myself as a regular at the best upscale lounge & eatery in town, I headed out to what was widely proclaimed to be the best Pizza in Boise, Guido's. Three slices and a couple of beers and I was a regular there too. I even ran into the Manager at my next stop, Lush. Lush was interesting, lots of very comfy leather couches filled the place. Four regulars were at the bar watching Crank. I found it odd that there was a very good looking woman at the bar who sat at there without as much as a glance from any of the guys there. Whats up with that? It's also where I came to learn that Idaho really isn't all that, not the potato State, not the place trends come to life or die and the only state still using the firing squad for death sentences. Oh and I got a speeding ticket for doing 38 in a 25 which was only $75. But hey I must have missed out on all the ragers for The Special Olympics which was just about the only thing going off in town when I was there. All in all Idaho had some very friendly people but go for the snow during the week and Boise on the weekend.

Ketchum piles of Sun Valley fun...never mind what Heminway did there

Hemingway blew his brains out there but honestly I liked Ketchum. Maybe a big, old, gruffed soul found it peaceful or aimless enough to end it all there but I didn't realize he had done it there it until after I had left the place . I noticed the run named for the ex -pat, Lincoln Brigadeer, Cubano, come tragic, literary, figure. But it was not until long after the turns ached in my legs had I had come to know the truth about exactly where he'd done him self in .

After I secured a killer spot at a local house via craigslist for only $75 a night I ventured to Ketchum, Idaho. I was warned to not speed through the little towns on the way up and sure enough dismissed myself in to a 38 mph in a 25 mph zone ticket 50 feet from a 40 mph sign. The Hailey cop asked me where I was from just before I handed him my CA DL. After he gave me a ticket ($75) he reminded me to be grateful for not being sited for my bent CA drivers license. I returned from Ketchum and Sun Valley in 2nd gear with no further police action.

I believe I was able to visit every bar in the town of Ketchum, Idaho. Whiskey Jacques, Casino, Pioneer Saloon, Michel's Christiania, The Cellar Pub, Lefty's Bar & Grill, Buffalo Bites and the soon to be closed Dirty Little Roddy's. The Casino won for my favorite bar and Pioneer the best restaurant. In any case it was a 2 hour jaunt from Boise, ID and Saturday I was fortunate to have had about 5-6 inches of fresh powder, the first snow in about a couple of weeks. Sun Valley is a family oriented, expensive, skier dominated environment. There were not a lot of 15-28 yr old snowboarders so I felt comfortable leaving some of my gear to dry unattended for some time during the lunch rush at one of the many stoked fireplaces.

The powder 8-12 inches deep on Sunday mooring was nice and the back bowls were epic thanks to a local guide I met on the first lift up.

The Pioneer Saloon is the most popular and supposedly only profitable restaurants in town. Replete with big game trophy's mounted up and down the length of the establishment. I never even made it past the bar. The steak and potato were some of the best I've had and the berry cobbler was too good to be true. Best service, food and drinks ranked in order as finest I had in the entire city.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sun Valley and Ketchum Idaho for the long runs, deep powder, friendly town folk and relative value. The lift tickets are pricey but over all it was a value. I strongly recommend you contact Rex for lodging, lunch at Buffalo Bites and dine at Pioneer Saloon. They say summer is even better and believe it and will make sure to reserve it as a multi seasonal destination location.

Holy Guacamole

I'm not exactly sure what we're supposed to be honoring or observing on Presidents day, but for me it was that I was getting paid to go out and have the time of my life in Hollywood.

We started out on foot and took the Metro Red Line to the Hollywood and Vine exit to see Wicked which was listed on la.com as having a show scheduled yesterday at 1 pm. Well that was not to be, no shows on Mondays, but they are selling tickets for shows now through June 1. Since it was lunch time we decided to head across the street to Katsuya. One of the two (soon to be three) ultra modern SBE sushi compounds with impressive decor and OK sushi. We started out with a couple of the fresh fruit elixirs, kiwi-lime and the watermelon-cucumber, both of which were extremely tasty. The shishito pepper is exactly that, shishi, with the slightest hint of bite it was billed as "the new edamame". The seaweed salad rocked and was my favorite item but he tuna and crispy rice is the most popular item on the menu and my least favorite dish so consider this source. Next up was the yellow tail & jalapeño sashimi which was fairly good and the giant clam sashimi which I wont be having there again. When the final item arrived I was wishing it were sashimi but it was what we ordered; lobster dynamite. In retrospect I feel like I should have kept it simply to sashimi which is what I like most. Unfortunately I was swept up in the ambiance of the place and compelled into ordering some of the obvious Haku-Jin dishes (e.g. crab and mozzarella tempura). It's fancy, it's beautiful, it's expensive and it's a blast, too bad it's food wasn't quite on point as the rest of the experience.

Well from there we hit S Bar which was totally closed, thank you Jesus, but Iguana Clothing a few doors down wasn't so in we went. Well we had a blast trying on all the wigs, silly hats and peeping the naughty sex toys upstairs. I'd love to have provided pictures but they don't allow it. Downstairs is a very large selection of vintage clothing with secluded fitting rooms. I'm no fashionista but I recommend this place for wacky outfits, accessories, vintage clothing and more.

From there it was on to Amoeba, the worlds largest indie record store for a used Sonic Youth CD. The adventure continued to Borders accross the street where I picked up The Four Hour Work Week, even though that sounds a bit excessive I think it's time to buckle down. We made it to No Country For Old Men, at the Archlight the hilarious new romantic comedy from the Cohen brothers about a very funny, lovable loser as he makes his way across the Southwest in 1980 making friends and learning lifes lessons of love along the way. Great for the entire family, it's a movie you want to see again because you just know there was stuff in there that you missed. I can't wait for a repeat performance.

After the movie and a quick subway ride back home to freshen up we headed out again to a no show at On The Rox for Corey-Oke with Corey Haim, Feldman and Hardt and a live karaoke band doing 80's covers. This may have been fun had the club been open and anyone actually been there. So we went for late night eats at La Velvet Margarita Cantina where we had 2 for 1 margaritas (Monday nights only), Malinda the cool server and the best guacamole we've ever had. I've been to this bar/club a number of times and thought the decor, food and scene were equally radical. With the flamenco bar in the front and Alejandro's patio bar in back it's no wonder this concept is making its way to Vegas in a HUGE way. But I must not have ever had the guac before because I would have remembered, it was un real. I don't think it's possible but If any one can name a better batch served up somewhere else please contact me at brian@labarhopper.com, if indeed a better guacamole is available then dinner (for two) is on me at Velvet Margarita.

What an awesome day in Hollywood, thank you Mrs. Wilcox where ever you are.

Santa Barbara Get Away

I love Santa Barbara and it loves me right back. The weekend began fittingly on the beach at the East Beach Grill. Just about the only place right on the beach where you can drink (& eat). Not the cheapest or best eats but the views and scenery were optimal.

After a quick change and freshen up we headed out for Dinner at the Cities top choice for butcher cut steaks and chops, Shalhoobs. I had the Spencer cut Ribeye which was perfect. But the highlight of the place was the service, particularly the bartenders who really know how to treat the customer (read great pour).

From there it was on Velvet Jones to see Spandex Tiger. It's hard not to have fun with a butt rocking glam band that gets up on stage in hilarious skin tight outfits to crank out hits like: Dumpster Love and Tijuana Handjob. I actually took the CD home and listened to it (I prefer the live show).

From there the night unwound itself quite nicely at EOS. The most (only) happening club in town. Where mythologically speaking the gates of hell were opened by the goddess of Dawn so her brother Helios (the sun) could ride his chariot across the horizon each morning. In an amazing coincidence the rest of the weekend resembled some of this mythical story. *Note to self: remember to include eternal youth when requesting immortality.

We ended our weekend on a high note. With appetizers and a culmination of old and new friends meeting at The Brewhouse and Neighborhood. The weekend was what dreams are made of. Thank you Santa Barbara, see you soon.

Pontiac Dome

Just about everyone I knew that went to NAMM this year at the Anaheim Convention Center came down with a nasty virus similar to Pontiac Fever. I'm not sure if it was the was the AC vents overrun with mold or bacteria that caused it but I'm staying away from that place from now on. Before I became deathly ill in Anaheim I was able to enjoy another great NAMM show. It was exceptionally busy (thank you weak U.S. dollar) and I was able to pick out some choice players amongst the jamming atendees. Not the least funny was the lead singer of YES, Jon Anderson, at the Alvarez booth lip syncing (badly) to a crowd of 50.

My story of inspiration, and a potential peek into where the industry is headed came from the band After The Crash. On a non stop tour for the past year plus this band came equipped with their own newspaper. I liked it, the band and the music enough to be impressed. With more and more revenues headed to the artist I feel confident in the continued stream of quality acts coming our way. It may not be blockbuster acts backed with mega dollars from what appears to be now the diminishing infulence of major labels. But if you keep your eyes and ears open theres some choice music out there to be had.

Garnish Heaven

While there may have been an absence of alcohol at the Hollywood Farmers Market, everything else needed for a proper concoction of most any sort was available in abundance. The main artery of the market runs for only a couple of blocks along Ivar between Sunset and Selma. Ivar is flanked with fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs, cheese, and produce from farmers. Selma provides prepared food of all sorts. My favorites were the cheese folks from Petaluma and the Herbalists selling fresh and dried plants and herbs. Great people producing great things.

For those needing landmarks; park at The Arclight, go to Ameoba and cross the street towards Jack in the Box. Bring your parking ticket so it can be validated at the markets info table in the middle of the market it's only $1.

Sundays
8-1
map

Mary Christmas

Christmas is the time of year for giving. And in keeping with that tradition L.A. Barhopper headed out this holiday season on a "gift giving" extravaganza.

First stop was San Diego's Hearth House, and when I say San Diego I mean La Mesa. This dive bar had it all, a fresh pot of coffee for each Irish Coffee I ordered, a $10 dollar steak dinner I only had to send back a few times before it stopped mooing, 50 cent pool tables and a mother/daughter party tag team that was the highlight of the night.

From there it was on to Tucson, AZ for the Xmas done right, Southwestern style, by the local favorite Saint Mary's Restaurant. Nothing came from the funny named butcher except the hilarious signage. And Pete the dog was a crowd favorite and honestly the best photo subject the entire trip.

Lake Tahoe was the final out of town destination for this Angelino. Irish Coffee continued to be the go to beverage of choice and for the record consists of 1 part irish whiskey, 1 part Bailey's and 2 parts coffee. Derivations I encountered along the way included adding sugar, no Baileys, adding whip cream or Kahlua only seemed to be wayward miscalculations. We were able to ascertain the best Sushi in Tahoe, Naked Fish, which was packed and needing reservations at all times. Not to be recomended was the Swiss Chalet, which could have easily been named and themed after Eva Brauns Alps Retreat. Service was horrible and the food only slightly better. That being said they did make the trips bes Irish Coffee.