it's hoppin' at the peppermill

karate kid is not the only place you will find a "grasshopper." in fact, if you head over to the peppermill in las vegas, you will find a perfectly delectable grasshopper that is creamy, icy, minty, with a splash of spirits. as you drink it, you're required to do the wax on, wax off motion, i kid you not. i do caution you that this is not the best "get fucked up drink" you can order because the alcohol level is almost nonexistent. but if you want a "tastes like a minty milkshake drink" then this is as good as it'll get. my friend introduced me to this place a while back and i've never been the same...damn you friend! like an obsessed lover, i haunt this place every time i find myself in sin city so i can wax on, wax off.

besides, the whole peppermill/fireside lounge experience is worth the overpriced drinks. the mood is 100% big pimpin' and sitting there for just a bit will give you a crazy urge to break out a small mirror and snort some coke. it has great kitschy ambience with the neon lights, watery firepit in the middle, brass bars, and faux foliage to complete the big pimpin' mood. the place also oddly transports me back to thin john travolta and his saturday night fever days. bell bottoms were hot and i wish i wore a pair as i sipped my grasshopper checking out all the pimps and hos.

you can also order little nibblies as you drink. buffalo wings are a safe bet here though they are kinda fatty. i eat all the carrot and celery sticks because i like to pretend that i'm healthy while i inhale chicken fat.

photo proof to show you i can't eat in the dark. like my gelato eating days in italy, i need a full body bib. yes, you have every right to feel embarassed when you eat with me.

i really enjoy this place and am glad to have made its acquaintance. going to vegas means visiting the fireside lounge, ALWAYS.

The Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge
2985 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 735-4177
www.peppermilllasvegas.com/resta...

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

um, no.

Valentino Italian Restaurant
3115 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 829-4313
www.pieroselvaggio.com

price: $$$$
verdict: it's aight

i took advantage of restaurant week and had dinner here the other night. it's a really gorgeous place, uber snooty, and slightly makes you feel retarded for spending that kind of money on food during these hard economic times...until you realize, HOLY SHIT, it's a dineLA deal and that's OK.

i started my meal off with a drink. OF COURSE! they had a nice reisling by the glass for $12 that i couldn't resist. having a good meal without wine is like eating an ice-cream sunday without a cherry on top. i then moved on to my appetizer of two jumbo shrimps in a diced tomato sauce. it was tasty, but i wasn't blown away by it. as the meal progressed, i discovered that this would be the theme for the night,"yummy, but nothing special." my entree was lamb ossobuco which was really tender and fell off the bone as you forked it. there was a slight sweetness to this dish though which seemed strange to my palate. the meal then culminated with a chocolate mousse dome for dessert which was their rendition of the tiramisu. little unidentifiable crackly pieces were imbedded in the mousse which gave the dessert good texture with every bite. nice!

but alas, the portion they gave for each course was way too small! i'm not sure if it's the consequence of eating dinner for $44 bucks so portion size was restricted to the smaller end. in any case, my eating buddy and i left valentino slightly hungry and unimpressed. perhaps if i win a million dollars, i would come back. otherwise, there are a gazillion other snooty eateries to conquer before i feel valentino's call once again. i require that i be seduced by my tastebuds first, and not just by ambience. valentino didn't do it for me this time.

fuzzy moons = sweet dreams

Barney's Beanery
99 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 405-9777
www.barneysbeanery.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

i was seduced by the cheesy decor of barney's. how do you say no to license plate walls and car parts? i couldn't. we stopped in for dinner and the menu appeared diverse. it seemed the right fit to satisfy all kinds of cravings.

alas, "satisfy" was not the right word to use at barneys. the food was ok. i ordered their kobe beef burger which was tasty, but i think it would have benefited from toasted buns. i did order a GREAT beer mix called the "fuzzy moon" which is blue moon beer mixed with apple beer cider (?) man, yummy! but yo barney! perhaps you should train your servers to do their job? seriously, the server we had barely acknowledged us...is it me or is the economy bad? don't you want to keep your job dear?

if i was ever around this side of town, i would check out their happy hour. the menu and prices seem good for that, but otherwise, it's not worth paying full price for crappy service and ok tasting food.

drinking in the dark

The Griffin
511 Fremont St
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 382-0577
www.thegriffinlounge.com/

price: $$
verdict: tasy, try it!

the griffin has a great medieval times/ dungeon and dragons-esque atmosphere. dark, brooding, with great music to boot. the crowd is also "down to earth" and looks more like a local watering hole for resident navadians as oppose to the "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas" crowd that you will get if you were drinking on the strip.

great bar for a night of drinking or socializing with your friends. OR make the griffin one of the stops during your bar crawl.

4,100 ways to get drunk

4100 Bar
1087 Manzanita St
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 666-4460

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

"why did i drink so much?!?!

i said this over and over in my head as i leaned over my sink in futile ATTEMPTS to barf out the alcoholic bile that sat uncomfortably in my belly. too many drinks and too much mixing of different types of fire water the night before. be gone you foul demons inside me! i had a hike planned that morning but all i could do was hover over my sink feeling shit faced from the night before.

thank you 4100 for my shitilicious experience. shit because i hate hangovers and feeling like i have to scrap my stomach for a brand new one....and delicious because of all the delicious drinks i consumed there (might i recommend a butterscotch martini and an amaretto sour to end your night on a sweet note....amongst MANY other things). great ambience as always and a cool place to chill and chat with your buds. super comfy booths to lounge in.

parking does suck, but if you live in the hood, just stumble home.

super sexy suede

Suede Bar & Lounge
404 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 489-3590
www.suedebarla.com

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

typically, i am hesitant about trying anything in downtown because downtown has notoriously sucky parking. not this time though. since suede is located in the westin bonaventure hotel, we got valet parking for $4.50 (validation covers 5 hours). *arm pump* score!!

the ambience is great! small place, lots of red decor and plushy seats and pillows to sink yourself in. the happy hour menu is limited though. at $4 a pop, there are a few beers to choose from, but wines consisted of kenwood chardonney or a kenwood merlot. ack! come on now, make it happier for us wine lovers! the staff is pretty good about refilling the complimentary nuts and japanese cracker mix which we ended up inhaling a lot because they didn't have any happy hour appetizers on the menu. what a shame. we would have stayed there for a lot longer i think if we could order some happy hour food.

they do have some overpriced sushi rolls you can order from the menu, but seriously, there's something unholy about mixing sushi with wine. anyways, i think suede is a great place to get drinks, but if you are hungry on top of that, this wouldn't be the best choice. do check it out though because even with the shortcomings, the vibe is great and the staff was awesome. i would totally come back again.

an island on sunset

Tiki Ti Cocktail Lounge
4427 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 669-9381
www.tiki-ti.com

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

i've never been to hawai'i before, but for a drunken second, i IMAGINED what it might be like through my tastebuds. oh yummy, yummy, scrumpdilidumpcious tiki ti! i love the laid back vibe, the cheezy decor, the delicious tropical drinks, and the friendly folks that run this place...if only the experience can be complete with sandy beaches and clear blue waters rather than dirty sunset blvd when you leave.

i've tried three of their drinks (rest assure there will be more), the penang (strong pineapple based alcohol), bayanihan (coconut based flavors), and the uga booga (full of fuck you up rum). all three are SO GOOD. they taste like liquid dessert with a serious kick to it. can't wait to go back and try the rest, that is unless the liver gives up.

definitely a small place, has an atm inside because it's a cash bar, prices are high, and there's street parking only. if you are in the area, do check this place out. it's worth your time and effort to taste a bit of liquid tropical heaven.

moraccan days

Hotel Figueroa
939 S Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 627-8971
www.figueroahotel.com/

price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

the decor is moraccan and the vibe is totally chill. we hung out at the veranda bar and it's pretty spectacular when the sun goes down and you're sitting there with the lighted pool and moraccan styled lamps in comfortable darkness. it totally makes you forget that you're in the middle of downtown and there's a hustle and bustle of life waiting for you outside its doors.

i ordered a cheese burger while my friends ordered steak and fried chicken for dinner from their cafe (there are only 4 entree choices from their menu). we ate our dinner on their patio so we can enjoy some drinks from the bar. purely in regards to taste, the food was mediocre. the only reason to come to this place is to enjoy the ambience and the mojitos which was grand.

it's a hidden gem...a nice place to come to and hang when you have good company and find yourself thirsting for some moonshine in the middle of downtown.