#104 La Descarga in KTown (Joe M)

FINALLY.  It's been way too long that this has been sitting on my to-do list.  Seriously this is by far my new favorite bar in the city!  Reminiscent of old Havana complete with a smoky cigar overture, this bar is stocked with delicious rum and even more delicious bartenders!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#70 Marty & Elayne at Dresden Room


Being a rare night in which my drinks were canceled and I had nothing on the docket, I finally decided to hit the Los Feliz scene and visit the Dresden for a night with Marty & Elayne, who are by far the most adorable duo in the world!  Plus a tres magnifique dinner avec a waiter who treated us like his lovable daughters & instructed us on the finer points of ordering wine at a restaurant + surprised us, literally made us cover our eyes, by splitting our meal onto two plates.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#87 Summer movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

** Absolutely amending this.  Hollywood Forever Cemetery is so over, Barnsdall Art Park screenings are the new thing!  Saw LA Confidential at what was perhaps the BEST outdoor screening series I've ever been to.  + they had food trucks there, including the amazing Lake Street Creamery!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#81 Angel City Derby Girls Tournament

The Derby Dollz are to die for!  This was an absolutely amazing event and a great time all around.  I'm certain I'll be back at the Doll Factory cheering them on!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#75 Auntie Em’s Market dinner



There aren't any more dinners scheduled, but I did get a chance to try Auntie Em's at the Taste of Beverly Hills.  And while their food was yummy home cooked goodness, I think I've had better on that front.  Maybe their Market Dinner's are a whole new experience, but it doesn't seem like that's going to be an option for quite a while.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#102 Hollywood Farmers Market (Julie D)


Totally obsessed!! The foodie in me is hooked, and the fresh produce to die for.  Thanks Jules for adding it to my list :-)

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#96 Karaoke at Brass Monkey


Brass Monkey is terrible.  Totally un-enjoyable experience with people I'd rather not ever mingle with.  Should absolutely be replaced with Karaoke at Palms!!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#92 Angel City Drive-In


This was fantastic!  Went to go see Rushmore, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience!  I'm absolutely going again, but there's something magical about a drive-in, especially when it's on the roof of a parking lot in the middle of DTLA.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#39 L.A. Conservancy’s Historic Core walking tour


Kristin has clearly pointed out that we've done these many times, but in particular, I'd count our 500 Days of Summer walking tour downtown as it hit pretty much every spot on the Conservancy's tour. And as much as I love the Conservancy after Last Remaining Seats, I don't think I need to do this walk yet again.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#17 Kobe-style beef at Park’s BBQ


I'm changing this, because I've eaten a LOT of Korean BBQ in my time.  There's good ones, there's bad ones, there's cheap ones & super expensive ones... but nothing even comes close to the experience at Manna.  So for that reason alone, I'm going to say I've done it.  But better.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#62 Bacon Waffles & Bacon Ice Cream at Fig Santa Monica *


Um.  Absolutely, absurdly delicious.  And Decadent.  Yet I fear... just a little TOO MUCH BACON.  Gasp, I know, but I'm totally glad I finally tried it!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#64 Pool party at Standard Rooftop Bar

Finally made it to the Standard Downtown Rooftop Pool as part of our Hot Bartenders & Cheap Eats pub crawl.  Gorgeous views, fun atmosphere, moderately priced drinks.  It was fun for what it is, but I could see the crowd turning later in the evening.  Overall, extremely glad I've now seen the sights!!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#61 Remember the Maine at the Varnish


I finally went to the Varnish... after many, many failed attempts. I was a little underwhelmed. The acoustics were annoyingly noisy, the clientele pretentiously pretentious, and the drink, strong, but by far the best I've ever had. I'm glad I went, especially because that marked the HALFWAY POINT at being done with the list, but I'm not sure I'm dying to go back.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

Bonus Round: #80 Courtside at a Lakers game


While it's not quite Courtside, I most certainly thing going to Game 7 in the NBA Championships & watching the Lakers WIN should absolutely count.

GO LAKERS!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#52 Double chocolate croissant pudding with Jack Daniels sauce at Milk


I tried. But alas they no longer make this decadent dessert! Sad, right? That said, I was already there, and blood orange sorbet seemed like a good substitute! Yummy yes. Cute shop, yes. Did I wish they had the Jack Daniels sauce? Hell yes. Satisfied by my experience? Eh.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#58 L.A. Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats

SO MUCH FUN. This was something I never knew existed, but am now so happy I do! Classics, in classic old theaters, why doesn't this happen MORE often?? I know this was the first, but certainly won't be the last time!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#109 Seasonal Shake @ 8oz Burger Bar (Groupon)

Thank you groupon, for making me go back to 8oz. Having been disappointed by their burgers, I was not quick for a second sojourn, however a $20 groupon won me over. That said, I had perhaps one of the MOST AMAZING shakes I have ever had in my life. Featured: The Roasted Peach Shake - vanilla ice cream, roasted peach compote, cinnamon crumbles. It appears that they have a seasonal rotating list of shakes, all of which sound amazing. This is now on my must-do again list.

Also, their short-rib grilled cheese most certainly made up for their eh burgers.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#71 Coleslaw and sourdough toast at Original Pantry

It still counts if I eat the food, but not at the restaurant. My parents went to Original & brought me home some sourdough & coleslaw for my noming. If there is one thing I love, it's a good sourdough, and Original did not disappoint. Chewey and yeasty on the inside, and deliciously crunchy on the outside, I would def go back for seconds...

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#74 Damn good burger at Chateau Marmont OR Umami Burger *


I'm still going to try the Damn good burger, but as for Umami, now that I've had it twice, I feel comfortable in posting that yes. It's checked off. Tho I feel like it's not my favorite of burgers... surprisingly the Fig burger at Stout is holding strong in my mind. I need to go back for a second evaluation.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#99 American Food & Wine Festival

Having recently just googled this to find out dets on it's happening, I now realize that yes, I've in fact done this many many times. As a wee girl-scout I spent several summer nights volunteering at selling raffle tickets & noming on wolfgangs incredible food.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#11 Junk food dessert platter at Simon LA


This definitely made me feel a little bit woozy. I have to say, SimonLA did more than impress. Everything we had was absolutely delicious, and I wonder why it seems to constantly get overlooked. But beyond the point, and on to the Junk Food Platter! We started with delicious cotton candy, submerged in a bowl of chewy caramel corn, next to a bag of amazingly soft cookies, behind a super sweet vanilla milkshake. On the cold side, we had blood orange sorbet and blueberry gelatto, on the square side, both chocolate and regular (not vanilla) rice crispy treats, and in the middle, homemade chocolate hostess cupcakes, snowballs and donut holes.

Did someone say sugar overload? This was good for a girls night out, but I don't know if I could ever handle it more than once.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

LA Weekly's Top Ten L.A. Inspired Cocktails...

Because... really, I need more things to add to my list. Since starting this journey, tons of people have forwarded me their own versions of "the list," and I've incorporated a few ideas, but none have really been quite as spectacular as Caroline's original list.

That being said, this one came along, and while it doesn't have the all encompassing span of the great "list," I think this is a good addendum list. And with that I introduce you to the LA Weekly's Top Ten L.A. Inspired Cocktails... Because We Love LA!

1. Alvarado Street at Little Dom's in Los Feliz: El Jimador Silver Tequila, cinnamon-infused agave syrup, lemon juice, lime, cinnamon and tangelo. This cinnamony drink is a tribute to the major north-south thoroughfare the restaurant is located near.

2. Brown Derby at the Edison Downtown: Woodford Reserve Bourbon, clover honey and grapefruit. The chain of Los Angeles restaurants of the same name was made famous by the stars who regularly dined there and is commemorated in cocktail by mixologist Marcos Tello.

3. Off Vine at Delphine in Hollywood: Ciroc Vodka, agave nectar, fresh basil and green grapes. Simply put, the cocktail is the namesake of this new Hollywood restaurant's location, which is just off the historical Hollywood/Vine intersection.

4. Roh-Dee-Oh at Bar210 in Beverly Hills: Hendricks Gin, mint, lime juice, simple syrup and ginger ale. To keep in theme with spelling phonetically, Bar-Two-One-Oh christened its drink, named after the touristy shopping destination, the same way.

5. Santa Monica Gimlet at Copa d'Oro in Santa Monica: Tanqueray Gin, celery, cucumber and lime juice. Mixologist Vincenzo Marianella created what is essentially Santa Monica Farmers Market in a cocktail glass.

6. South of No North at Roger Room in West Hollywood: Bombay Dry Gin, Hennessy V.S., all spice dram and fresh lemon juice. Recently added to the Roger Room's menu, this nod to L.A. culture and history is named after L.A. author Charles Bukowski's short stories collection.

7. Surfrider Cocktail at The Beachcomber in Malibu: Light rum, blue curacao, sweet & sour and pineapple juice. It wouldn't be an L.A. cocktail list without a drink to be enjoyed beachside. Popular surfing spot Surfrider Beach in Malibu inspired this tropical concoction.

8. Tequila Sunrise at First & Hope Supper Club Downtown: Tequila, cassis, grenadine, lime juice and soda water. This classic drink was the favorite of Old Hollywood actors vacationing in Tijuana. And after Prohibition was repealed it was served at a bar on La Cienega called Tail of the Cock, now the site of a rental car agency.

9. Wilshire Sazerac at Blvd 16 in Westwood: Jack Daniels, Green Chartreuse, Peychaud Bitters. The Jack and Green Chartreuse make this a Westside-friendly version of the classic New Orleans cocktail.

10. Mulholland Drive at Station Hollywood: Vanilla bean-infused Cazadores Resposado, ginger syrup, lime and soda. Every Angeleno's favorite way to sight-see the Valley gets a cocktail named after it too.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#84 Scavenger Hunt around Los Angeles

Accomplice LA. This certainly counts as a Scavenger Hunt... and it was AWESOME. I knew I had the foresight to add Scavenger Hunt to the list for a reason!!

Really... I did it for the Orphs.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#106 Lavender Duck Confit at SweetSalt Food Store (Tasting Table)

Finally made it to the Toluca area this weekend to nom on some delicious sweet & salt foods from Top Chef Alex Eusebio, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Having read the LA times article on this little restero, I knew I couldn't pass up a locale that combined my favorite flavors, and after reading the super delicious menu, I knew the Duck Confit was dying for a try. It was just as every bit amazing as I'd hoped.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#108 Street Cart Fries @ Spitz Downtown

Fries to rival the blue cheese variety @ Pete's, these were topped with all sorts of Mediterranean yummyness... but the garlic aioli mixed with the melted fresh feta was truly the main selling point.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#54 Meatball sandwich from Bay Cities Deli

Oh Bay Cities, I thought nothing could top the Godmother, the best of the sandwiches, so I was a little weary of going to this delicious eatery and having to settle for the meatball sub... BOY was I wrong. This really is the most amazing sandwich ever! The meatballs were super flavorful, and the mix of Italian sub toppings added the right amount of kick to balance out the tomato-y sauce.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#105 Tom Kha @ Torung Thai on Hollywood

Delicious coconut-y spicy yummy-ness, the Tom Kha volcano soup from the super ghetto Torung Thai in Hollywood certainly had to be on the list. My friend Jon had taken me here once right after I'd moved back to the city & I've had fond memories of this soup ever since. 2 years later, it's still as amazing as I remembered it being, albeit we were in such a hurry to eat, we didn't give the pasta time to cook in the steamy soup before we devoured it all!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#43 Bartender’s Choice at Comme Ca

With the president's day deal of $4.40 drinks @ kommie ka, this was too good to pass up. As was the food which was also amazing. Added to the mental list, monday night chicken dinner!!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#34 Carne asada burrito from Tacos Tumbras A Tomas at Grand Central Market


Absolutely delicious, as is everything on this list... but at $2.50 for a taco that could feed 3 small babies, it's a total steal as well.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#23 Red Line Metro barhop

While we didn't do this one to the t (meaning actually hoping on & off at every stop along the line...) we did accomplish a lot while tooling around on the metro line. Biggest issue, worrying that we'd miss the last train & be stuck downtown.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#21 Maple bacon doughnut at Nickel Diner


Words cannot even begin to describe this little moist bit of heaven as it entered my body. I could eat this every day. But then I'd be really fat. And, as Modern Family tells me, getting fat is a choice, while getting old is inevitable.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#101 Pineapple Sake from Tengu

I think I'm going to slowly start adding my own list of things that I've done that should now be included for future generations... and I'm starting with Pineapple Sake from Tengu.

Sweet & crisp, this was the perfect accompaniment to fresh sushi & sashimi. Good until the last drop, you just have to be wary of the water in the center and try to not spill it over the table *cough* myra *cough.*

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#44 Tomato, mozzarella, sausage, salami, bacon & guanciale pizza at Pizzeria Mozza

While it's not quite the meatlovers pizza that was proposed, I changed things up a bit & went for the Coach Farm goat cheese, leeks, scallions, garlic & bacon pizza instead. Delicious, Amazing, Incredible doesn't even begin to describe this mouth watering pizza...

Plus you know I'm a sucker for anything topped with Bacon :-)

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#38 Blue cheese fries at Pete’s Cafe and Bar

Even more heartclog in a handful than Fried Oreos, these suckers were absolutely phenomenal. Granted I felt like a rock had just dropped in my tummy, I would absolutely go back for seconds.

On top of that, the grilled cheese & tomato basil cream soup were also super delicious.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#26 Wine tour through San Antonio Winery

I think what really won me over was the lovely story behind their trademark Magdalena wine & the fact that Magdalena still works @ the Winery to this day!

Super super interesting & totally worth the trip, it was absolutely crazy to see a winery in the middle of Downtown LA! + the free tastings totally added to the enjoyment.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#16 Bowling and $4 cocktails at Shatto 39 Lanes

While the $4 cocktails were what was advertised on "the list" the true winners of the night were the Electric Ice Tea, the Roast Toast Almond, and the S.M.U.R.F. which was some concoction of blue & cream.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#97 Yee-Mee-Lu “blue drink” at Good Luck Bar


Served in a tiki cup, reminiscent of Duffy's in St. Thomas, this fruity concoction was superb, and a perfect nightcap for a lovely evening of knocking Silverlake bars off the "list."

The bar itself was also a delight. While still filled with dirty hipsters, it reminded me of Happy Endings, and not the ghetto Hollywood one, the seedy NYC bar.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#49 Blood & Sand cocktail at Tiki Ti


Based on the youtube video I'd found on this ridiculous drink, I was already wary before ever setting foot in Tiki Ti.

That said, this drink was delicious, and the presentation was amazing. Toro Toro Toro!!

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#46 Late-night Danger dogs


Something I swore I'd never do because of an LA Times Article I'd read a while back about competitors peeing in each others Hot Dog Buckets...

But drunkedness and hunger won out & I forced myself to choke down a few bites. Just so I can say, yes I've done it.

p.s. White Sauce? Totally just mayo in a squeeze bottle.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#19 Medicina Latina at Malo


Thanks to the incredible Kacie Kane, finally dragged my ass out to Silverlake to see some stand-up and knock a ton of things off "the list"

4 in one night. Can't be done you say? WRONG.

The Medicina Latina, absolutely delicious. And that's considering I'm not a tequila fan. Although I would recommend it without the salt rim.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments

#72 Real Black Dahlia Tour by Esotouric


Get her did. And that we did.

Thanks to the lovely groupon website, we even got a deal on knocking this doozy off the list. My favorite part of the tour, however, had to be when we all unloaded on some random guy's front lawn, only to see a delorean parked across the street.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS
Read Comments