Sydney, Surfer's Paradise, Byron Bay and Brisbane – And Mates – Entertain This American Traveler I didn't fall in love with Australia, or with an Australian. But after spending a month Down Under, I sure did LIKE Australia and spending time with Australians a lot. In four weeks, I traveled to Sydney, Surfer's Paradise, Byron Bay, Brisbane and back to Sydney. In many … [Read more...]
Bars
A Top Tip For Late-Night Drinkers In Sydney’s The Rocks Pubs Area
Bar-Hopping After Midnight May Result In A Premature Last Call Here's a tip for you if you are out in The Rocks, the pub-filled nightlife area of Sydney, Australia: If you are in a pub at midnight, stay there and don't leave. Because you may not get in another pub that night. That's due to a stricter-than-necessary screening process by the independent security … [Read more...]
Sydney Tiki Bar Sugar Lounge Manley Beach Earns Blogger’s Cheers
Mai Tai Meets Satisfaction And Polynesian Decor Fits The Location Hard to port! Drop the mainsail! Cut the engines! I have found a place to toss out my anchor in Australia, a tiki bar in a great beach town outside of Sydney. It's called the Sugar Lounge and it has strong rum drinks, tiki dccor and a view of the ocean. As an additional bonus, you arrive there by ferry … [Read more...]
Kalibar In The Valley Is My Favorite Party Bar In Happening Brisbane
Fun Party Music Makes This One Of The City's Liveliest Nightlife Spots Well that didn't take long. Midway into my first night in this Australian river city, I had identified my favorite bar in Brisbane. It's a small, sweaty, casual, cut-loose of a place called Kalibar. It's one of dozens of bars in the happening part of town called The Valley. My local tour guide – or … [Read more...]
LAX Rock & Brews Review: Restaurant/ Bar Amps Up Terminal 5
Gene Simmons And Paul Stanley Give LA Airport Entertainment A Big KISS You know how it is when you get to the airport two hours early for your flight, only to fly through security in five minutes and suddenly find yourself trying to kill an hour and a half before boarding the plane? Happens all the time. But if you are in Los Angeles, you're in luck, thanks in large … [Read more...]
Back On Campus: The Dreamy Dreamland Ribs In Tuscaloosa
The Blogger Enjoys The Word's Best Ribs At Alabama's Legendary Restaurant One of the classic aspects about college campuses are not just the fun (and cheap) bars, but also classic food joints that help define the town and, in some cases, the entire university. They are the iconic symbols of the small towns, the equivalent of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge or the … [Read more...]
College Football Party: Alabama-Ole Miss Weekend Off To Good Start
Back To School Blog From Tuscaloosa, AL I knew this would be a good trip when I became smitten with an Alabama girl hours before I even arrived in the state. She was on the first leg of my flight from Los Angeles, an absolute DOLL from the tiny dot of Opp, AL, who was in LA shopping for her family's boutique store. She was bubby, chatty, had a wide-eyed look about her and … [Read more...]
Goose Island Craft Beers Pairing A Winner At Rock & Brews Redondo Beach
Special Five-Course Dinner Highlights Good Beer With Good Food At LA Restaurant Chicago's craft beer Goose Island has come West and - like many transplants from the Windy City - has landed in the fun Los Angeles Beach Cities of Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beach. And on a weather-perfect Tuesday evening, the kind of gentle night where you want to have a few … [Read more...]
Having A Beer At One Of The Top Hidden Los Angeles Beach Bars
Redondo Beach's Rocky Point Fuel Dock Fuels Up The Blogger Not every time I go out am I looking for a party. Sometimes, I just want to have a beer to soak in the scene. And so I found myself on a super sunny Monday afternoon in the Los Angeles South Bay Beach Cities. I had just finished recording my weekly radio show for Static Beach Radio in Hermosa Beach, when I … [Read more...]
Rock & Brews Redondo Beach Hosts Goose Island Craft Beer Pairing
Five-Course Dinner Features Top Menu Items With Chicago's Quality Beers Craft beer and good food – along with a good bit of rock 'n roll – is the mantra of the popular Rock & Brews in Redondo Beach, CA. The mostly-beer bar and restaurant has had locals lining up for dinner since its opening at the end of June. And now, it's pairing with Chicago-based craft brewery … [Read more...]
America’s Cup Provides A San Francisco Travel Treat
Sailing Race Spectacular Event For Spectators In An Eventful City When I got wind of the America's Cup taking place in San Francisco, I knew I had to be there for it. It's an international sporting event, one that gets worldwide media coverage and involves an interesting and fun (and also somewhat puzzling) sport, sailing. Plus, taking place in a city as dynamic as San … [Read more...]
Sharkeez Newport Beach Closing For 10-Week Rennovation
More Modern Mexican Lounge Decor Coming But Same Laid-Back Bar Attitude Sharkeez in Newport Beach is closing but hold on folks, it's only temporary. It's getting a 10-week makeover and will re-open in November. It's final day in its existing state is Sunday, Sept. 7. And it's going out in style, with a closing party featuring DJs and $3 u-call-its. All weekend there are … [Read more...]
Chelsea Pub Is Hermosa Beach’s Top College Football Sports Bar
Alumni Of Arizona, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon And Virginia Tech Watch Games Here And Underground Pub College football season is upon us and it's one of my favorite times of the year. And not just because I love college football – I'm from the South, where the colleges outrank the NFL in terms of passion and importance – but because I love watching it in sports bars in … [Read more...]
College Football Games Make For Long Labor Day Weekend at Sports Bars
Sports Bars Provide A Fun Time, Along With The Fiesta Hermosa Beer Garden It was a long day of partying – and drinking lots of beer – and I have college football to blame/thank. Opening weekend of the 2013 season took place on Labor Day Weekend, with the big day being Saturday. And where I live, in the Los Angeles Beach Cities, Labor Day Weekend also means Fiesta Hermosa … [Read more...]
Alabama And Notre Dame Alumni LA Game-Watching Bar Is Sonny McLean’s
Santa Monica Sports Bar Is Home To More Than Boston Teams For 2013 College Football Season Alabama and Notre Dame fans shared the bars for the BCS National Championship game last season, and for 2013 they will be sharing the same sports bar in Los Angeles. Sonny McLean's in Santa Monica – known primarily as the Westside's top Boston bar – is hosting alumni groups from … [Read more...]
Shellback Tavern Tops Bars For Manhattan Beach Open 2013
The Wimbledon Of Beach Volleyball Is A Big Beach Party For Locals For the players, it's the Wimbledon Of Beach Volleyball. For us fans and locals, it's a Southern California beach party. And no place parties on Manhattan Open weekend like Shellback Tavern, the long-standing bar by the beach that's in full view of the pier and the tournament. Shellback is the first bar … [Read more...]
Touring The Hermosa Beach Pier Ave Bars With The Bud Light Girls
Pub Crawling Through Sharkeez HB, American Junkie, Waterman's, Fenners During NVL Hermosa Beach Open Every now and then, the bars really perk up on Pier Ave., in Southern California's lively Hermosa Beach. When the Bud Light girls make the rounds, it makes having rounds of drinks at the bars that much better. PubClub.com happened to catch up with them on a summer Saturday … [Read more...]
The Red Room Taking Over Side Door in Manhattan Beach Bar Scene
New Downtown Nightlife Spot To Keep Same Cocktail Lounge Vibe When one door closes, another one opens, right? That's certainly the case with the Side Door lounge in Manhattan Beach. It has changed ownership – no more of Lou Giovannetti crooning his Frank Sinatra tunes on Sunday nights – but the new owners have told the PubClub.com blogger that they want to keep the same … [Read more...]
Reviewing Sunday Champagne Brunch At American Junkie Hermosa Beach
Good Food And Bottomless Mimosas And Bloody Marys For $15 One of the great things about living in the South Bay Beach Cities of Los Angeles is that our favorite bars on weekend nights like to lure us back the next morning (well late morning anyway). They do this by appealing to our basic daytime party necessities: Food and cheap drinks. Their bait is bottomless mimosas … [Read more...]
Side Door Manhattan Beach Lounge Bar Changing Ownership
Last Weekend Of Lou Giovannetti is July 26-28 Lou's crooning on Sunday nights has been somewhat of a special secret of sorts to a small, by regular, group of loungers in Manhattan Beach, CA. They are not lounging on the beach when listening to Lou sing Frank Sinatra, but at the Side Door, a small bar and lounge tucked into a downtown corner at 9th Street and Manhattan … [Read more...]
Dave & Busters Introduces New Summertime Cocktails
Summerita, Stawberry Sangria And Miami Ice Made With Flavored Ice Cubes I had always thought of Dave & Busters as being the kind of place where you go to play those arcade games – air hockey! – you loved as a kid or while in high school, except now you can (legally) drink beers while doing it. I had never considered it the kind of place to go for cocktails. And … [Read more...]
Las Vegas Pool Party Rehab Hard Rock Hosting Bikini Contests
July Sundays Feature Girls Competing For REHAB's 2014 Bikini Team As if the REHAB pool parties are not enough on their own, the Hard Rock hotel is now holding bikini contests! It's the REHAB Bikini Invitational 2013, which is a five-week national search for girls for REHAB’s Bikini Team 2014. So to go along with all the bikinis of the patrons in the pool, there's now … [Read more...]
Hermosa Beach Fight Bad For Pier Ave Bars
Crackdown On Nightlife A Possible Result From Rare Incident This one goes under "a few idiots ruin a good time for the rest of us." A fight broke out in Hermosa Beach on the last Saturday night of June – talk about June Gloom! – and it was substantial enough that the Hermosa Beach Police called in for assistance from neighboring Manhattan and Redondo. Pier Ave, was … [Read more...]
Rock & Brews Redondo Beach Liquid Lunch A Tasty Treat
Craft Beers, Good Food And Rock Music Make For A Comfortable Setting There's a line in a Jimmy Buffett song that says, "I wish lunch could last forever." That's the way I feel after having lunch at Rock & Brews in Redondo Beach. There's something about the place that's comfortable, that makes you want to have some of its craft beers with your salad, pizza or … [Read more...]
Rock & Brews Redondo Beach Bike Racks Are Works Of Art
Guitar-Shaped Racks With Kegs Provide Parking For Bicycles At Riviera Village Restaurant At first glace, they look like pieces of expensive artwork. Just to the side of the back entrance are thick, sturdy metal devices in the shape of guitars. They are attached to the ground on a base that's part of a beer keg. If any visual could describe what Rock & Brews is … [Read more...]
Checking Out Rock ‘n Brews Redondo Beach New Lunch Menu
Riviera Village Beer Bar And Restaurant Gets Even More Popular Rock 'n Brews in Redondo Beach which has – as the Bar Blogger predicted – been flowing like its many beers with people filling up its picnic tables, is now serving lunch. It's a good move because there's a lot of businesses in the Riviera Village area. Soon, no doubt, there will be some "liquid lunches" as … [Read more...]
Mari Vanna Has Russian Cocktails, Cuisine & Karaoke In West Hollywood
From Russia – to L.A. – With Love At This Restaurant And Bar In the diverse city that is Los Angeles, several different cultures exist, some of which even longtime residents may find surprising. For instance, there is a Russian presence throughout the area. There's a Russian Cold War era submarine by the Queen Mary, a recent Miss Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, … [Read more...]
Saint Rocke Delivers Another Good Night Out In Hermosa Beach
South Bay's Top Live Music Venue Again Provides An Enjoyable Experience Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach is one of those place that, when I'm there, I say to myself, "now why don't I come here more often?" It's the top live music venue in the South Bay Beach Cities and always gets good bands. It's not like many great live music bars in that it's not hot, dark and sweaty – … [Read more...]
Dockside Tropical Café Florida Tiki Bar Seeks Internet Fundraising
Landmark Florida Keys Waterfront Bar In Marathon Will Feature Live TropRock Music Imagine having an open bar tab at a tiki bar right on the water in the Florida Keys, a place where the house band plays Trop/Rock music, where you can have a rum drink and then jump in a kayak for a quick paddle and return for another rum drink. It's the Dockside Tropical Cafe in Marathon, … [Read more...]
Silvo’s Hermosa Beach Shows Good Customer Service With A Cold Beer
Manager Makes A Warm Budweiser A Cold Bud With A Simple But Impressive Solution It's often the little things that impress me the most, small gestures that go a long way toward making me loyal to a person or a place. Silvio's, a small restaurant/bar in Hermosa Beach, CA that specializes in sizzlin' Brazilian food, did one of those small things for me recently. I'll … [Read more...]
Chicago and Boston Bars in Hermosa Beach LA Stanley Cup Party Spots
Silvio's And Fat Face Fenners Full Of For Fans Of Blackhawks And Bruins If you're from Chicago or Boston and live in Los Angeles, there are two bars in Hermosa Beach that are the party places for the Stanley Cup Finals between the Blackhawks and Bruins. They are Silvo's for Chicagoans and Fat Face Fenner's Fishack – also known as FFFF or simply Fenner's by locals – for … [Read more...]
Old Tony’s Fire Chief Signature Drink Is The Perfect Party Starter Cocktail
Redondo Beach Pier Restaurant's Signature Cocktail In Its Crow's Nest Bar It's not the wildest bar in the Beach Cities, and certainly not one of the trendiest. But Old Tony's on the Redondo Beach Pier does have a couple of things that no other place can match, and that it a still-in-the-70s atmosphere and a drink called the Fire Chief. Old Tony's has actually … [Read more...]
John Denver Tribute Artist Jim Curry Opens The Cave In BIg Bear
New Year-Round Convert Venue To Feature Rock Tribute Bands If Jim Curry sounds as close to John Denver as he looks, then it's going to be one "Rocky Mountain Night" night at the new live music venue in Big Bear Lake, CA. Curry, a John Denver tribute artist, is opening The Cave, an entertainment venue in the old Village Movie Theater. Big Bear Lake is located two hours … [Read more...]
Sharkeez Hermosa Beach Is South Bay’s Top Sunday Night Bar
'The Black Hole' Lives Up To It's Local Nickname With Berry Bly's afternoon rooftop parties at Ocean Bar, the return of afternoon bands on the deck of Chiller's (well, now called On The Rocks) and even monthly bands and BBQs at BALEENkitchen, Sundays are again a good party day in the Los Angeles Beach Cities. But despite all these other tempting options, the king of South … [Read more...]
Getting To The Marina del Rey Yard House On The Bike Path
Directions From Venice/Santa Monica and Playa del Rey And The South Bay I was thrilled when I heard a Yard House was coming to Marina del Rey. Great, I thought, a place to stop along the bike path for some adult refreshment in a place that's bound to be lively. It's a Yard House, after all! Now that it's open, I can indeed confirm it's a hip and happening place to stop … [Read more...]
Yard House Sets The Bar For Bars And Nightlife in Marina del Rey
Restaurant/Bar Just What MDR, Playa Vista And Venice Residents Need In L.A. My suspicions are confirmed. After going to the Yard House in Marina del Rey, I can now report, without fail, that it's setting the bar for the bars in this Los Angeles coastal community. Not that MDR was exactly Mykonos (that's the wild party place in the Greek Islands in case you are not … [Read more...]
LA Nightlife Scene Monday Social Now At Hollywood’s Sound Nightclub
Longest-running Weekly Club Night In Los Angeles Cranks It Up In June Monday Social, which has been part of the Los Angeles nightlife scene for two decades, has relocated to Sound nightclub in Hollywood. It's first event is June 3 and it features DJ Felix da Housecat. Formerly housed in Playhouse Nightclub (among other venues throughout the years), Monday Social … [Read more...]
Goodbye To The Fun Waikiki Beach Bars Until, Well, The Next Holiday
Dive Bars, The Strange Liquor Law And Run-Ins With Hookers All Part Of The Nightlife Experience Parting is indeed with such sorrow. But instead of some distant land – the Greek Islands come immediately to mind – at least this one is close. I'm one buddy pass away from returning. Hawaii is easy to reach from where I live in L.A. It's one direct 5 1/2-hour flight. LAX-HNL. … [Read more...]
Costa Mesa’s El Corazon In The Triangle Now Open For Weekend Brunch
New Restaurant/Bar Expands Hours And Features Creative Margaritas On A Patio Margaritas on a deck? Sounds like the life. And now you can start it earlier in the day. El Corazon de Costa Mesa, one of the new restaurant/bars going into the suddenly happening "Triangle" of Orange County, CA, is now open for lunch and weekend brunch. El Corazon’s signature dishes are … [Read more...]
Yard House Preparing To Open In Marina del Rey
LA Nightlife To Get A Boost From Popular Restaurant-Bar The taps are in place, the kegs are in their chilled home and the staff is being trained. The Yard House in Marina del Rey, CA, is preparing for its opening on June 2. The location on Maxella Ave., a block up from Lincoln Blvd., has a patio and a very open layout. And, in true Yard House tradition, there's lots and … [Read more...]
South Bay Bars Provide Fun Partying For Visiting Australia Friend
Old Tony's Fire Chief Starts Inferno Of Bar Hopping Someone pinch me. I'm having too much fun. My friend Casey has been in town, visiting from Sydney, and I'm taking her around the South Bay Beach Cities. And she's adapted to them like dolphins to the surf. She's a natural! She loves the beach, of course, but she also loves the bars. Apparently where she lives, many of … [Read more...]
The Reef In Long Beach And Its Sunday Brunch On My Party Bucket List
Great Bartender Makes The Blogger Anxious To Return For More Drinks I'm putting The Reef On The Water in Long Beach on my party bucket list. After seeing it for several years and going past it but never going into it, I finally popped in for a drink. I was at an event at the Queen Mary and quickly tired of paying 8 bucks for a Jack & Diet that was so small and full of … [Read more...]
A Hot Time At The Haute Enchilada In Monterey Bay’s Moss Landing
A Blog About Good Food, Dynamic Drinks and One Lively Owner Sometimes, you just never know where you'll find a good time. I found one recently and it was in one of the most unusual locations, unusual because I didn't even know there was a good time to be had in it. But you never go until you go, right!? The location was Moss Landing, CA, a commercial fishing … [Read more...]
Playing Tour Guide To The Bars In Hermosa, Manhattan, Redondo Beach
South Bay Nightlife Daytime Playtime Awaits A First-Time Beach Cities Visitor It's time to play South Bay tour guide again, as I have a friend visiting me in Manhattan Beach. It's her first time to the Beach Cities and that's even more exciting than someone who has been here before, because it's all new to her. And I love playing South Bay tour guide! First, we'll get on … [Read more...]
Carmel’s Best Bars And Most Fun Nightlife Is Mundaka And Ody’s
Hip Lounge And Dive Bar Make For A Fun Combination In Monterey Bay You will never mistake it for Paradise Beach on Mykonos, New Orleans or even down the coast in Hermosa Beach. But Carmel, CA, has some fun nightlife, and my two favorite places are Mundaka and Ody's Tavern. There are the two best bars in Carmel and frankly, probably also expanding to Monterey. They are … [Read more...]
Rock & Brews Redondo Beach Opening Opens Up A Fun Day Of Barhopping
Crawling Through The Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach Bars The opening of the new Rock & Brews rock and beer (mostly) bar in Redondo Beach, CA, provided the perfect launching pad for a day of bar-hopping in the South Bay Beach Cities. I had arrived to Rock & Brews from Manhattan Beach and what followed was a full day of fun. It also included a margarita at a … [Read more...]
Rock & Brews Redondo Beach Introduces Itself With A Very Grand Opening
Gene Simmons And Paul Stanley Provide The Perfect KISS To New South Bay Bar So far so good. Actually, so far so great. And that's only after one afternoon. Rock & Brews in Redondo Beach, CA, opened to media, city and state officials and Wounded Warriors war veterans on Wednesday, May 8. And by the time you read this it's open to you, too. And I strongly recommend … [Read more...]
Rock & Brews To Rock Redondo Beach Riviera Village Nightlife
South Bay Singles Have A New Hangout Destination Bar Redondo Beach's nightlife is getting a huge lift with the opening of Rock & Brews in Riviera Village. The hugely successful craft beer bar and restaurant of El Segundo is expanding to PCH and PV Drive, and it's just what the area needs. And that is a place where the young and fun who live in 'Dondo can hang loose … [Read more...]
Playing South Bay Tour Guide To Bars & Restaurants In The Beach Cities
Showing Off Manhattan, Hermosa And Redondo Beach On Bicycles I love playing the part of host. Taking people around and sharing my knowledge of an area, entertaining them by taking them to fun place. I've done it in the Greek Islands with some friend who went with me for on a trip, I do if with newcomers to the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach each April and most … [Read more...]
Why Dive Bars Outlast Trendy Lounges And Clubs In The Nightlife Scene
Simplicity Wins Out Over Sophistication In The Long Run One of our local dive bars, the Poop Deck in Hermosa Beach, is celebrating its 56th anniversary this year. Think about that for a moment – 56 years. Eisenhower was president of the USA. Cars were actually stylish then and the only bikinis – crated just 10 years earlier – had yet to make it off the shores of French … [Read more...]
Poop Deck Hermosa Beach’s Dive Bar Celebrates 56th Anniversary in 2013
South Bay Legend Has Stood The Test Of Time (And Generations) It has survived the fun patrons from volleyball tournaments taking place right out its door, spirited flip cup games on his back patio, buzzed (and bad) pool players, a Hermosa Beach makeover that saw other dives replaced and weathered heavy winter storms that had ocean water rolling over the beach wall. And on … [Read more...]
Mickey McColigan’s Hermosa Beach Irish Bar Initial Review
Locals Exited About New South Bay Nightlife Option It's always great when a new bar opens in an area. First of all, it gives us patrons another place to go to and as any local will tell you, no matter how much fun you have in your local bars, you need to break out of your routine. Change things up a bit. And so it is now in Hermosa Beach with Mickey McColigan's, a NEW … [Read more...]
In Full Support Of Breastaurants Like Bikinis, Hooters And Tilted Kilt Hot Girls Bars
Large-Breasted Female Servers A Plus In Sports Bars Every bar and every restaurant you visit have some type of theme. It's marketing. PR. And so, too, do the places that feature large-breasted girls dressed in tight sexy outfits. And the owner of one, Bikinis, has even trademarked the term "breastaurant." This is a great move and in fact, the Bar Blogger is … [Read more...]
When It Comes To Singles Bar Posture I Prefer Standing vs. Sitting
It's Easier To Spring Into Action In Singles Bars When Leaning Rather Than Being Seated I'm not a sitter, nor really a stand-up person when it comes to taking a posture in a singles bar. Instead, I'm more of a leaner. To me, there's something comfortable about taking an arm or an elbow and resting against the side of the bar or a chair, as opposed to actually sitting in … [Read more...]
Newport Beach Side Door Sunday Brunch Gets Positive Review From Mr. OC
Two Forks Up Says Orange County's Man About Town On Restaurant's Hip New Scene Perhaps he was too busy sampling the craft beers that rotate on a regular basis, or enjoying one of the menu items such as waffles and duck, to offer much more than a few quick texts. And they were all positive. Mr. OC, Orange County, CA's man about town who seems to know what places are … [Read more...]
Big Wangs Hollwood Is LA’s Louisville Cardinals Alumni Sports Bar
It's A Party For Basketball And Football Games Plus The Kentucky Derby One of the cool things about living in L.A., is that it's one of the best sports-watching cities in the world. There are so many transplants from other areas that no matter what team is playing there's a sports bar somewhere around town that has an alumni group watching it. And for the Louisville … [Read more...]
South And American Junkie Are Michigan Alumni Sports Bars In L.A.
Westwood Spots And Hermosa Beach Became Wolverine Territory When UM Plays American Junkie in Hermosa Beach and South in Westwood. These are the conquerors of the West for Michigan alumni on the West Coast, at least in the Los Angeles area. They are the places to watch the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game against Louisville. There are tons of Michigan alumni in … [Read more...]
Los Angeles Nightclub Exchange LA Exending Saturday Hours Until 4 A.M.
There's Dancing, Tho Not Drinking, At Downtown Club Not all bars in Los Angeles close at the very-uncool hour of 2 a.m. Exchange L.A., the mega dance club in downtown Los Angeles, is now open until 4 in the morning on Saturday nights. It's called "Extended Hours Inception Saturdays" and it addresses one of the PubClub.com blogger's chief complaints about Los Angeles … [Read more...]
Hip Newport Beach Sunday Brunch Comes To Five Crowns’ Side Door
Rotating Menu, Craft Beers, DJ And Live Art Make For A Unique Experience One of the best ways to start a social Sunday is, in my opinion, with a champagne brunch. With brunch, you don't have to get up too early and you can stay late. It's really like a European-paced dinner. You take your time and soak in the atmosphere of your surroundings. And now the Side Door, part … [Read more...]
Even Without LA Kings Fever The North End Bar Is Rocking Hermosa Beach
South Bay's Neighborhood Bar Among The Best In The Beach Cities You know what makes a great bar? Well, several things, but in this case it's a bar just being itself. One that has not been tainted by publicity, does not think itself any better because it's been featured on TV, is not anything more today than it was before it achieved local fame. That place is the North … [Read more...]
Why Do Sports Bars And Casual Bars Want To Become Nightclubs After 10 PM?
Hey Bar Owners, Save The House Music For Dance Clubs There is a disturbing trend – disturbing to me, anyway – happening at some of the best bars in America. They are forcing out their most loyal customers, the ones who are there on off days and off hours, in favor of younger faces. And right at the time when things get interesting in bars. What's happening? Sports bars, … [Read more...]
American Junkie Hermosa Beach Extends Friday Happy Hour To 9 PM
South Bay Bar Deserves A Cheers For This Brilliant Move Here's some good news for South Bay bar junkies. American Junkie has extended its outstanding Happy Hour on Fridays until 9 p.m.! That makes it the latest Happy Hour in the Beach Cities. Patrick Molloy's goes until 8, from Monday thru Friday. Sharkeez goes until 7. Then again, Sharkeez owner Greg Newman is not one … [Read more...]
Miss Long Beach Grand Prix 2013 Prelims At Legends Bar Belmont Shore
Pageant Continues To Find Finalist Girls For Thursday Thunder On Pine The search to find the 2013 Miss Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach continues on Thursday, March 28, with a preliminary contest taking place at Legend's sports bar in Long Beach's Belmont Shore. The contestants will gather at 7 p.m., with the contest scheduled to start at approximately 7:30. There will be … [Read more...]
Kegs A Good Beer Bar Alternative To Najas On The Redondo Beach Pier
Live Music And 25 Taps Provide Another South Ba Bike Ride Destination Finally! It's about time. For the past couple of years, I've been searching for a good beer bar alternative to Naja's on or even around the Redondo Beach Pier. I tried to like On the Rocks, but it's not been anywhere close to a happening place since it was Chiller's a few years ago. Kincaid's is great … [Read more...]
FishBar Manhattan Beach Has Late-Night Happy Hour Drink Specials
Popular South Bay Restaurant And Bar Serves Up Discounted Weeknight And Saturday Cocktails When FishBar moved into the original Sharkeez location in Manhattan Beach, it's owner wanted to welcome in the neighborhood. So he brought in a great chef, Jessica, put together a delicious menu consisting primary of seafood, and priced it ridiculously cheap considering the quality … [Read more...]
My March Madness Bracket Strategy: Get Drunk And Make Picks
Forget Over-Analyzing Teams, This Year Is A Toss-Up Tournament I'm going to win our March Madness pool this year. That's because I have the perfect strategy for picking the teams. I'm going to get drunk first! This is no half-court shot buzzer beater attempt. It's as skillful as Syracuse's zone defense, as solid as Florida's three-point shooters. After all, there really … [Read more...]
Hermosa Beach Bars Should Not Charge Cover On St. Patrick’s Day Weekend
After The Parade It's A Parade To Bars On The Pier, But Not If They Charge Customers Here's a way to turn your face green before you have your first green beer for St. Patrick's Day: Be hit with a cover charge to enter a bar. Yet that's what has happened the past couple of years in Hermosa Beach, as a few of the bars put out cash registers and had customers pay to enter. … [Read more...]
Miss Long Beach Grand Prix Event At American Junkie Hermosa Beach
Girls To Be Judged In After-5 Dresses And Swimwear In Preliminary Round Miss Grand Prix contestants will be in bikins for the Hermosa Beach prelim. Nice-looking girls are nothing new to American Junkie in Hermosa Beach, CA. But how many of them get the chance to go on to be the next Miss Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach? But on Thursday, March 14, four of them will get … [Read more...]
Whiskey Tasting Dinner At Five Crowns Restaurant Corona Del Mar
Five-course Meal Being Paired With Gordon & MacPhail Scotch Whiskeys Five Crowns in Corona del Mar, CA, is having a Scotch whiskey dinner. On Monday, March 4, it's having a a five-course meal created by Chef Greg Harrison with select whiskey pairings for each dish from the award-winning Gordon & MacPhail and their personal distillery, Benromach. Derek Hancock, … [Read more...]
Here Are The Perfect Elements That Make Up A Good Live Music Dive Bar
The Best Live Music Bars Are Dive Bars That Highlights The Music Not Decor There's a small place I went to on occasion that I just learned is closing. It was a live music venue that featured really good local bands, and I'm sad to see it disappear from the scene. It had all the elements that made a perfect live music dive venue, and even had the word "dive" in its … [Read more...]
Kincaid’s Redondo Beach Happy Hour Makes Customers Happy
Last Call For Discounted Drinks A Good Call They are doing it right at Kincaid's. The place is on the water, has a good Happy Hour that includes weekends and outdoor tables, and provides a classy setting in an area that is, quite remarkably, lacking in classy settings. But there's something else the restaurant on the Redondo Beach Pier does that is making me a regular … [Read more...]
American Junkie Best Addition To Newport Beach Bars Since Sharkeez
What's Been Good For Hermosa Beach Will Be Great For Balboa Peninsula Nightlife I can think of one word to describe American Junkie taking over the space next to Woody's Wharf in Newport Beach's Balboa Peninsula: Finally. Finally, a place is going in that location that has the right idea and will be around for a while. Finally, a place is going in that location that fits … [Read more...]
Ercoles, Manhattan Beach’s Dive Beer Bar, Has Margaritas, Too
A Review Of The Tequila-Heavy Cocktail At This Local Watering Hole No matter how much you think you know a place, or how many times you go there, it's still good to take some tips from another local. Case in point, margaritas at Ercoles in Manhattan Beach, CA. That is something I had never previously considered until I was out with a long-time local who said something … [Read more...]
Transition Time The Best Time To Pick Up Girls In Bars
The Guard Goes Down And The Odds Go Up When Daytime Transitions Into Nighttime Speaking from experience, the best time to pick up girls in a bar is not at the peak party times or even last call. It's during the period which I refer to as "transition time." What the heck is "transition time," you ask? And what makes it such a good pickup time? Well, transition time is … [Read more...]
Big Bear Businesses & Bars Remain Open During Christopher Dorner Search
Skiing, Snowboarding, Dining and Drinking Continuing At LA-Area Mountain Ski Resort On a weekend of dream conditions with tons of snow falling, which normally would bring thousands of skiers and snowboarders to the area, Big Bear Mountain is instead having to combat a blizzard of activity stemming from the hunt for former LAPD officer Christopher Donner. But Big … [Read more...]
Stepping Out Of The South Bay Nightlife Bubble Of Hermosa Beach
The Tale Of A Trip Out Of The Beach Cities To Hear Shari Puorto Band At LA's Sagebrush Cantina I love live music and hearing bands, so when the opportunity came up to roll up to LA's famous Sagebrush Cantina to do just that, I jumped at the chance. And jumped in the car with the band leader, Shari "El" Puorto of the Shari Puorto Band. But to do so meant that I had to get … [Read more...]
2013 Super Bowl Sunday Ranks Among Top Party Days
From The Redondo Beach 10K To The South Bay Bars To A House Party, It Was A Long And Fun Day We were laughing it up in a cut-loose dive bar with no plan for the future, just living in the moment. The day was Super Bowl Sunday and the location was the VFW bar in Redondo Beach, CA. I was on my fifth or sixth beer, I had already run six miles and spent two hours in a … [Read more...]
Mucho Manhattan Beach Becoming Circa Restaurant and Bar
Zislis Group Remodeling A With New Theme Mucho, the upscale Mexican restaurant and bar in downtown Manhattan Beach – and home of the $9 guacamole – is closed. In its place is going a place called Circa. It's scheduled to open the first weekend of February and while it may take a bit of a Restaurant Impossible feat to achieve that goal based on what I saw the previous … [Read more...]
A Very Pleasant Experience at Mangiamo’s Happy Hour Manhattan Beach
Downtown MB Restaurant Is A Great Place To Enjoy Wine With A View One of the most pleasant places to spend Happy Hour in the South Bay is at Mangiamo's, the quaint Italian restaurant just up from the Manhattan Beach Pier. That's because it's a soothing sensation, a relaxing reward at the end of the day, like slipping into a Jacuzzi. Looking at the downtown activity along … [Read more...]
You Don’t Have To Be A Fan To Party For NFL Playoffs
Sports Bars Become America's Singles Bars Much of the cheering for the NFL Playoffs takes place not for the teams, but for fans of sports bars around the country. That's because the games – even as only a handful of teams make the post-season – are great excuses to go to sports bars. Guys go to sports bars to watch the games (after all, what else is there to do on a … [Read more...]
New Orleans Party Has Started From Super Bowl XLVII to Mardi Gras
The Big Easy Goes Big With Major Partying Events The prime party place in the world right now is New Orleans. That could be said pretty much anytime, but it REALLY applies now. As this blog is being written, thousands of Jimmy Buffett fans are in the Big Easy for a crazy event called Pardi Gras. Days of parades, parties, music and fun is what Pardi Gras represents. As … [Read more...]
OB’s Manhattan Beach The South Bay 49ers Bar For NFC Championship
Casual Sports Bar Hosting Los Angeles-Area San Francisco Fans Bay Area transplants in Southern California's South Bay Beach Cities are gathering at OB's in Manhattan Beach to watch Sunday's 49ers-Falcons game for the NFC Championship. The winner goes on to play the New England-Baltimore winner in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3. And if you want to party with Patriots fans, … [Read more...]
Back To The Drawing Board For Sale Of Hermosa Beach Dive Bar Mermaid
Bar And Restaurant On The South Bay Strand To Remain Open On Weekends It was a mixed marriage to begin with, a long-standing dive bar being sold to a big-time developer. Perhaps the Party Gods decided it wasn't the right time or place. So for now The Mermaid remains, well, The Mermaid. "The escrow agreement between investment group One Pier Avenue LLC and Mermaid owner … [Read more...]
Like Natalie Wood, I Fell Off A Sailboat in Catalina’s Two Harbors
The Harbor Reef Bar and Buffalo Milk Cocktails Make For A Fun Party Location Natalie Wood remains a mystery 30+ years after she drowned off Catalina Island and she's back in the news after a Los Angeles coroner changed her death from "accidental drowning" to "drowning and other underdermined factors." There's a lot of speculation about exactly what happened that Nov. 28 … [Read more...]
NFL Playoffs Good Business For Sports Teams Bars
Fans Of Patriots, Ravens, 49ers And Falcons Bring The Party When the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 41-28 on Sunday to advance to the AFC Championship, Sonny McLean's and Fat Face Fenner's were also winners. These are two Los Angeles sports bars with Boston backgrounds that attract Patriots fans. In fact, legendary Patriots (and former USC) … [Read more...]
Here’s Where And How To Cheer Presidential Inauguration in 2013
Presidential Cocktails, An Obama Burger and A 'Sloppy Joe' Featured at D.C.'s BLT Steak Restaurant The Presidential inauguration is worthy of a cheers, right? It's a massive party in D.C., a night of galas, gatherings and celebrations. So why not have a couple of specialty drinks, one for President Barack Obama and another for Vice President Joe Biden, to toast? That's … [Read more...]
Las Vegas Nightclub Bar Convention Trade Show 2013 Opens Registration
Nightlife Industry To Gather In Sin City March 19-21 Bar Owners, bar managers, bartenders, waitresses, liquor and beer manufactures and distributors, this is the time you've been waiting for since last Spring. Registration for the 2013 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center is now open. The 2013 mega-event for those in the … [Read more...]
Zazou in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village Earns This Customer’s Loyalty
Sangria Brings About A Happy Hour Attitude From The Friendly Riviera Village Bar Manager Here's a way to win over customers. And to build customer loyalty. And that is to treat customers like guests in your house and to make them leave wanting to return. That's exactly what happened at Zazou in Redondo Beach. I had assembled a group of friends there to meet before the … [Read more...]
Barney’s Beanery Coming To Redondo Beach King Harbor Bars
Legendary Sunset Strip Hangout Taking Over Former Locations of Kilkenny's and Breakwall Not even Jon Taffner could rescue Kilkenny's. But perhaps Barney's Beanery can do it. Taffner featured the struggling "Irish" bar (it wasn't really an Irish bar, just had the name of one) on his Spike TV show "Bar Rescue." He trained the staff, made them friendly, upped the quality … [Read more...]
Girls In Los Angeles Don’t Go Out To Bars When It’s Cold Or Raining
Only In L.A. Does The Weather Give The Nightlife A Buzzkill It's chilly and misty tonight – a Friday night – and I won't be going out tonight. This is not because I do not want to go out, but I know it's pointless. That's because I live in Los Angeles, and in L.A., people don't go out to the bars when the weather is not nice. They stay home when the weather dips … [Read more...]
Hermosa Beach Game Changers Scores With Weekend Champagne Brunch
Sports Bar's Great Breakfast And Hour Of Free Mimosas Is A Winner It's the move of a champion, and is to be celebrated. Game Changers joins Sharkeez and Cafe Boogaloo as Hermosa Beach sports bars (well, Boogaloo is a music bar but shows sports before it turns to the tunes) that have weekend champagne brunches. This is a great deal for anyone who wants to start their weekend … [Read more...]
At Certain Dive Bars, You Just Feel Like Having A Budweiser
Classic Dives A True Taste Of American Drinking Establishments I often look at drinking establishments as I do people. Certain ones have particular characteristics and distinctive personalities. Yes, bars can have personalities. In my world, there are position bars, closer bars, poser bars and hoser bars. And there are Budweiser bars. The latter is actually a … [Read more...]
NJ Revel Nightclub Donating Cover Charge To Jersey Shore Sandy Victims
Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fun To Benefit From Donations; Electronic Dance Music DJs It's great when local businesses step up to help the community. Especially bars and nightclubs, which always take more than their share of hits from some residents and city council members. And Revel nightclub in Atlantic City, N.J. – which just opened back in the spring – has … [Read more...]
Zingers Has One of Las Vegas Strongest Bloody Marys
Outdoor Restaurant/Bar in Hawaiian Marketplace Packs A Breakfast Punch I have found what may not necessarily be the best Bloody Mary in Las Vegas, but certainly the strongest. It's at a rather obscure little restaurant/bar in the Hawaiian Marketplace, that courtyard on the Strip that you probably never stop at between the MGM and Planet Hollywood. The place is called … [Read more...]
Chez Jay Santa Monica Bar Deserves Local Landmark Status
Casual Celebrity Hangout And Dive With Peanuts On The Floor To Be Preserved If ever a bar, watering hole, locals' dive hangout or whatever you want to call it, deserves to be named a local landmark and preserved, it's Chez Jay in Santa Monica. It's a dive without really being a dive. There's a barrel of peanuts, and peanut shells on the floor. There's an old, large wooden … [Read more...]
Top Hermosa Beach Nightlife Singles Advice For Men
When A Wild Girl Says She 'Wants To Go To the Pier,' Do Not Follow Her To The Pier A funny thing happened to a visiting friend recently. And it's a lesson to be learned about being single in the South Bay Los Angeles Beach Cities of Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. He's been in the area plenty of times previously – and will eagerly come again and again – but got caught … [Read more...]
Bar Coaster Drink Ordering App Can’t Replace The Bartender
Using Smart Phones And I-Pads At Bars Not Practical, Though It Does Possess Dating Potential A friend went out in San Francisco recently and came back to Los Angeles telling of a new phone application he used in a bar. He was at the launch party of a friend's friend's – don't worry, that's as complicated as this gets – new product. It's Coaster, in which you order and pay … [Read more...]
On The Rocks Redondo Beach Has Big South Bay Sports Bar Potential
Here's A Few Tips For Making The Former Chiller's A Beach Cities Hotspot Again As much fun as it is to go to the bars on the Hermosa Beach Pier to watch sports, sometimes it's good to go someplace different. Break up the routine. Keep things fresh. So on a sunny Saturday afternoon, wanting to maximize my time on the Strand and being in the great outdoors, I rode my beach … [Read more...]
West 3rd Street L.A. Bar The Churchill Introduces New Cocktail Menu
Signature Cocktails Feature Names Like The Grand Alliance and Thirsty in LA Normally, when a place has the name of Britian's most famous prime minister, you expect it to be heavy on beer, and also brandy and scotch. After all the latter two were favorites of Winston Churchill. And, indeed The Churchill in Los Angeles' West 3rd Street midsection, features 20 regional and … [Read more...]
A Bikini Contest Labor Day Weekend On Alabama Gulf Coast
Bama Bells and Florida Foxes Compete At The Famous Flora-Bama Bar You think you had a great Labor Day Weekend? You guys should have been at the Flora-Bama, a bar on the Flordia-Alabama Gulf Coast state line. It's a famous bar among people in the area and was the inspiration of the Jimmy Buffett song "Bama Breeze." And on Labor Day Weekend, it hosted a bikini contest! … [Read more...]