Villains Tavern Opening Soon in Downtown LA’s Arts District

July 1, 2010

The thriving downtown LA cocktail scene continues to expand with Villains Tavern, scheduled to open this month in the Arts District. Villains will serve handcrafted cocktails made with squeezed-to-order fresh juices, over two dozen draft beers, and an eclectic, adventurous wine list. Located at the corner of Palmetto Street and Santa Fe Avenue, Villains adds…

Welcome to the Neighborhood: The Parlour Room of Hollywood Opens

June 17, 2010

Opening June 17th in the space known in previous incarnations as Red Buddha Lounge, Play, and most recently Madame Royale, The Parlour Room of Hollywood is the latest from Craig Trager’s Vintage Bar Group (El Bar, The Well, No Bar, The Woods, The Fifth). The Parlour Room is meant to stand apart from Hollywood’s velvet…

Vive le Cocktail: Hatchi Mix Launches with Eight Classics

May 9, 2010

Last Thursday, May 6, was the start of World Cocktail Week, which culminates on May 13 with World Cocktail Day. Thursday was also the debut of Hatchi Mix, a new series of monthly cocktail events at Breadbar Century City. Hatchi Mix is curated by Tasting Kitchen mixologist Devon Espinosa, who dubbed the first night “Vive le…

The Summer of Shangri-La

May 8, 2010

The Summer of 2010 is off to an early start in Santa Monica, as the Hotel Shangri-La announces The Summer of Shangri-La, the triple threat debut of Suite 700, The Courtyard, and Ditch Day Fridays. The Summer of Shangri-La is an extension of owner Tamie Adaya’s vision for the Shangri-La “as the gathering place where…

May 6: Hatchi Mix Debuts at Breadbar Century City

May 2, 2010

This Thursday, May 6, Breadbar presents the debut of Hatchi Mix, a guest mixologist series hosted by Chef Noriyuki Sugie at Breadbar’s Century City location. Inspired by the popular Hatchi Guest Chef Series, Hatchi Mix will allow imbibers to experience the evolution of the cocktail, from the classic era to its present-day state, through a…

The Thirsty Crow Takes Flight in Silver Lake

April 23, 2010

After a brief soft opening phase, The Thirsty Crow officially opens its doors to the public tonight. The newest bar from The 1933 Group (who also own the Bigfoot Lodge bars, Saints and Sinners, and The Little Cave) is actually a complete overhaul of their own Stinkers Truck Stop. Gone are the animatronic skunk butts…

April 8: Caña Grand Opening Party

April 6, 2010

After a few weeks in soft open mode, Caña Rum Bar is ready for its close-up this Thursday, April 8th. The former Doheny has been reimagined as a 1930’s Caribbean lounge, featuring over 140 small-batch rums, a rum-based cocktail menu, and seasonal wines and beers from the world’s rum producing capitals. 213 in-house spirits consultant…

Caña Rum Bar Soft Opens Tonight

March 18, 2010

A week after Las Perlas made its long-awaited debut, cocktail enthusiasts will have another new 213 Downtown destination to visit when Caña Rum Bar soft opens tonight. The latest from Cedd Moses is a reboot of the exclusive Doheny members-only bar, which became as well-known for its high roller membership fees as it did for…

2010: So Far, So Good

January 1, 2010

So far, 2010 is off to a great start: got up early this morning, made brunch with my brother, had a nice Chinese seafood dinner with the family, then topped off the evening with a Manhattan at home on a quiet Friday night. Day One may be winding down, but a look at the calendar…

The Tar Pit is Simply Swellegant

December 18, 2009

It all started with a text message from Rivera‘s Julian Cox: “You, me, Thursday Friends and Family, Tar Pit. You down?” Hmm…go to a sneak preview of the most talked-about bar in town? Gosh, tough call! After carefully pulling my car over to text my reply, plans were arranged and we headed out to a…