Happy Hour Pre-Game

So, say you're heading downtown to see the PAC-10 Tourney tonight and you want to go out to eat before the game - but you just don't want to spend a fortune. In the past your options within walking distance of Staples were pretty limited and pretty expensive (The Palm, Engine Co 28, etc...)

But thanks to the wonderfulness that is LA Live you've now got more options to stuff your face and damage your liver before the game.

Granted, most of these places are pretty pricey during normal L.A. dinner time (7/8pm), BUT you and your amigos have gotta eat early anyway (since the game starts at 8pm) so YOU, my friend, can take advantage of Happy Hour pricing. And, as we know with LALive/Staples, saving every penny counts when you know you're in it for $20 parking and a $10 beer inside the arena.

Below is a list of Happy Hours at LALive - so you can get nicely full and toasted before you head over to Staples. The pre-game drinking will definitely make you a better fan, and if you're a Trojan - the drinking will make you a better heckler for those damned Bruins... 


THE FARM (M-F, 4 - 7pm)
Daily Drink Specials During Happy Hour

* M:$5 Martinis

* T:$4 Specialty Cocktails

* W:$3 House Wine

* TH: $2 Well Drinks

* F: $1 PBR

ROCK'N FISH (M-F, 3 – 6pm & 9pm - Close)

* $5 Cocktails

* $5 Wines

* $2-OFF Draughts

* $5-OFF  Select menu of Appetizers

YARDHOUSE (M-F, 3 - 6pm / Sun - Wed, 10pm - Close)

*  $3.50 Domestic Pints, $4.00 Craft/Import Pints, $4.50 Goblets

* $4.25 Well Drinks

* $5.75 House Martinis

* $2.00-off Wine by the Glass

* Select half-priced appetizers and pizzas

* $6.50 Sliders

ESPN ZONE (M-F, 4 - 7pm)

* Free Appetizers with Full-Priced Beverage Purchase (At select bars within ESPNZone)
* 1/2 Priced Appetizers (at all other bars within ESPNZone)

FLEMMING'S (M-Sun, 4 - 6pm)

“5-6-7” Bar Menu

* $6 Premium Cocktails (Five Options to Chose From)

* $6 $6 Appetizers 

* $6 Premium Bacon Burger

* $3 Stella Artois Lager

ROSA MEXICANO (M-F, 5 - 6:30pm)

* $5 Beers
* $5 Margaritas
* 1/2 Off Select Appetizers

KATSUYA (M-F, 4 - 5pm)

Special Happy Hour Menu at Bar Only
* $7 Cocktails
* $5 Hot Sake Carafe
* $5 Well Drinks
* $5 Rolls, Sushi, Rock Shrimp Tempura, and Crispy Rice

TRADER VIC'S (M-F, 3 - 6pm)

* $3-Off over 70 world famous cocktails

* $4 Beers

* $5 Ocean Vodka, Bacardi Rum

* $5 Select wines

* $5 Food Items

WOLFGANG PUCK

* NO HAPPY HOUR – LAME!!!!!!

Classy Cocktails

The Varnish 1 Yr Anniversary

There seems to be a lot of buzz in the last year around mixologists – fancy pants bartenders who make amazing cocktails. Mixologists aren’t serving up your standard vodka sodas and jack and cokes, they take bartending to a whole new level and have perfected the art of the cocktail, layering many ingredients and flavors.

There are many spots around town to try some of these cocktail creations including the Roger Room, Seven Grand, the Tar Pit and The Association to name a few. And tonight, one of the best, the Varnish, celebrates it’s one year anniversary.

Now, I’m not usually a fan of overpriced cocktails that have flowers and weird ingredients floating around in them, but the Varnish is worth checking out. Especially tonight, since they will have free Beefeater punch and baked goodies from newly opened Babycakes.

The party starts at 7pm tonight and they will have live jazz music as well. So if you find yourself downtown or looking for something to do tonight, head over!

The Varnish. (located behind Cole’s).118 E 6th St. (213) 622-9999. http://www.thevarnishbar.com/

VandK’s Sausage-Fest Adventure at Big Wangs

Somehow, and I still don’t know how, we got conned into going to the new BigWangs downtown on Saturday night. While others were enjoying the delicious foods (and long lines) of LAFoodFest, we were enjoying beer and mediocre bar food with our usual crowd. This 'usual crowd' tends to consist of V, about 12 dudes, and me… i.e. a sausage fest.

The beers were good (and in some cases gigantic). The chicken-wrap-thing I ordered was a 4/10. The sampler platter was typical bar food so I’ll give it a 7/10. The wings, however, were a big hit with the guys (see a trend here with these guys?) The Rochester sauce, and the fact that the wings were actually boneless (and thus less wings than they were balls of chicken meat), was a crowd pleaser that night. 

Note: Keeping our guys happy is important, as it means we have leverage the next time we want to try out a ‘less than manly’ new establishment in the future.

However I wasn’t totally sold on Big Wangs until I ventured into the bathroom. There upon the wall, framed above the sink, was a sign showing the happy hour specials… And they are great:  

Oh how easily we are swayed by Happy Hour deals….

Plus, because of the crowd we roll with, I’m pretty sure we will have no choice but to return here in the future. At least now we’ll know what times to go so we can save some moolah!

Food Truck Lot Launches Today!

If you are in Downtown for lunch or dinner today check out the new food truck lot that opens today.  The lot opens near Little Tokyo off Alameda and Traction, and starting today will feature a handful of trucks daily for lunch and dinner. 

Lunch trucks start at 11am and dinner trucks will roll in around 5pm. The schedule of trucks is still a little TBD but so far here is what is confirmed for the next couple of days:

Thursday (today):
-11am: Barbie Qs, Dosa Truck, Kabob n Roll, Komodo Food, Fishlips Sushi

Friday:
-11am: Komodo, Slice Truck, Sweets Truck, Vesuvio
-5pm: Flying Pig, Fressers, Tasty Meat, Grilled Cheese Truck

Saturday:
-5pm: Barbie Qs, FrySmith

If you are heading downtown for ArtWalk today/tonight, it is worth checking out. And if you can't make it, don't forget this Saturday is the 1st Annual Street Food Fest, also in downtown. (For more info on Street Food Fest read our earlier post or check out http://www.lastreetfoodfest.com/).  And if you planning on heading to downtown anytime soon you can always find out where popular food trucks are stationed or are planning to be by checking out http://roaminghunger.com/la.

Traction Food Truck Lot. 216 S Alameda St Los Angeles, CA.

Whats Up in the Hood - Downtown Edition

Back in the good 'ol USC days we lived Downtown... and we hated living there. There was no close grocery store, only a handful of decent bars and restaurants, and we felt so alienated from all the 'cool' people on the west side.

Since then Downtown is like a whole new world (cue flying carpet + Aladdin + Jasmine). There's a snazzy Ralphs, LALive, inhabitants other than USC & FIDM students, and tons of great restaurants and bars seem to be opening every day.

Here's the low down on a few new spots that are coming to Downtown this year (writing low-down makes me feel like a gangsta):

* FIRST & HOPE (710 W. 1st Sreet), Opening March/April 2010.
Arc Deco Styled 1940s Supper Club with Old Fashioned Drinks

* BIG WANGS DOWNTOWN (8th and Grand), Opening Soon.
Same cheezy bar as in Hollywood.

* LOFT BAR (451 S. Main Street), Opening May/June 2010.
Huge 6277 sq ft. pool hall and bar, full liquor.

* LAS PERLAS (103 E. 6th Street), Opening Mid February 2010
Tequila, Mezcal, and Mexican Cerveza Bar

* LAZY OX CANTEEN (241 S. Pedro Street), Opened Dec. 2009
Little Tokyo 'Casual Dining Spot', everything under $25, Wine/Beer.

Drink Up Downtown.