allston yacht club for holiday boozing (echo park)

picture courtesy of allston yacht club (ayc)

i did not grow up celebrating thanksgiving. in fact, i might have tasted my first turkey at koo koo roos. shhh.... but as i grew up, the once foreign traditions of thanksgiving and green wreathed holiday cheer began to infiltrate our tightly fobby traditions. as each year overlapped the next, smashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, honey-glazed ham, eggnog etc...began to share the same space as the chow mein, fried rice, roasted duck, and eggrolls that normally occupied our holiday tables. so nowadays, the mere hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cold weather automatically sparks warm feelings of holiday cheer in me too...thanks for the melting pot effect america.

my holiday celebrations were kick started this year by allston yacht club in echo park. my sis and i were invited to try a few of their holiday cocktails and to nibble on some of their happy hour menu items.

accursed fruitcake cocktail. photo courtesy of ayc.

no joke, one of the best holiday cocktails ever. fragrant and boozy in the most subtle way. if you can squish christmas, thanksgiving, and a freakin' decorated pine tree into a glass cup, you will get the accursed fruitcake cocktail. i am TOTALLY going back with my friends to get my asian glow on with this sucka.

figgy pudding cocktail. photo courtesy of ayc.

the figgy pudding cocktail was an ultra sultry, boozy version of eggnog. if you like getting messed up while singing a christmas carol, DO so as you fist a glass of this.

a reasonably priced happy hour menu for food and drinks. yay!

korean style wings with dragon sauce...aka siracha? a tasty accompaniment to the real stars of the show...holiday cheer and boozy cocktails! yeah!

short rib poutine tostada was a bit tricky to eat and not that tasty. the short rib was dry and overly stringy.

the orange french toast grilled cheese sandwich was the oddest bite of food of the night. a definite skip unless you enjoy a failed combo of orange, bacon, and goat cheese....bleh.

you can never go wrong with garlic fries and these particular garlic fries were skinny and crispy, the perfect fry profile if you will. since my sis is a french fry enthusiast, as you can see, we got more than enough of our share that night.

with warm bellies full of booze and a heart clogged with french fry grease, i want to thank allston yacht club once again for jump starting my holiday cheer. i SHALL come back for the accursed fruitcake cocktail and fries as convos flow with old friends about life, love, and all the things we should be thankful for this holiday season. cheers.

Allston Yacht Club
1320 Echo Park Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 481 0454
http://allstonyachtclub.com/

1/2 priced happiness at saint felix

sexy shoes.

fishnet legs that go on forever.

that can only mean one thing. time to go to saint felix in west hollywood for some cocktails. better yet, go between the hours of 4-8 when they have their happy hour.

during happy hour, all cocktails are half off. and if you enjoy fruity, jolly rancher hard candy tastes in liquid form, then might i suggest that you try their watermelon martini (happy hour price $6) which is a concoction of watermelon vodka with a watermelon mixer. you will even get a slice of watermelon drowning in it.

then perhaps your sexy self can move onto their firecracker cocktail (happy hour price $6), a blend of finlandia grapefruit vodka, lime juice, and then shaken with raw jalapenos. i asked for "mild" and can distinctly taste the jalapeno in it. it was intriguingly yummy and there was a certain kick to every sip.

and if you don't want an empty belly swishing with alcohol as you walk towards your parked car, you should probably partake in their $5 food offerings. unfortunately, there's not much to choose from on their happy hour menu if you're actually expecting to eat a whole lot while you drink. i decided on their kobe slider which had grilled onions on a brioche bun. CLEARLY, one comes to saint felix to drink and not to eat.

or you can just seat yourself in a cozy corner with your sexy shoes and fishnet stockings and drink the night away....till 8pm course. i'm sure you're not too sexy for a good happy hour deal.

Saint Felix
8945 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 275-4428

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

go to fraiche for the fraichest happy hour in culver city

did your boss bitch you out? did you miss a deadline? did you get into a gnarly confrontation with a client? or did you forget to kiss the right ass to move yourself up the corporate ladder...again? yup, the minute your work clock hits "GO HOME," go find yourself a fine happy hour to drown your sorrows in and to reboost your spirits. trust me, you will need it to survive the following work day. and if you are lucky enough to be in culver city, might i suggest happy hour at fraiche. with 7 days a week happy hours running from 3-7 pm, specialty cocktails, well drinks, and wine for $5 and draft beer for $3, you will SURELY drown your sorrows. man i dig this place.

the grape ($5). pumped with vodka, elderflower syrup, crushed grapes, and lime, this sweet cocktail will take you to a better place. i promise.

the good apple ($5) with granny smith infused vodka was fragrant to the nose but the addition of star anise was off putting to drink. my least favorite of the three drinks that night.

the st. tropez ($5) was another winner. the gin, lime, and cucumber ice cube reminded me of boozy spa water. i love, loved the cucumber ice cube and had a ball gnawing at it.

the berkshire pork rillettes ($5) with pickled radish and violet mustard were savory and delicious when spreaded on bread.

the ghetto fabulous nacho cheese tasting jar of classy piquillo cheese spread ($5) with manchego cheese and chorizo. i guarantee endless smearings of this cheesy delight on your bread as you drown your sorrows. a definite crowd favorite.

the pate de campagne ($5) with country mustard and cornichons. oh man i love pate and this one did not disappoint.

truffle fries ($5) with parsley and parmesan. truffle odor, fried tubers...need i say more?

and a truffle burger ($12) with onion fondue, truffle aioli, and boschetto. meaty, filling, infused with savory accoutrements that will make your toes wiggle. this truffle burger was muy delicioso and at that price? NICE.

so whether you have a bad day at work or just need a drink, fraiche culver city is THE PLACE to be. love their happy hour...love, love...and i have a feeling you will love it, too.

Fraiche
9411 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 839-6800

www.fraicherestaurantla.com

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

o bar and kitchen for happy hora

o bar and kitchen is nestled in the o hotel and resembles a high school hallway but swankier. yes, it's literally that small and tight. you may not see locker doors banging off the walls or teenagers necking in the corner, but you will definitely conjure up images of some kind of HALLWAY.

they have happy hora from 4-7 p.m. daily and serve $4 bites and $4 beer and wine amongst other things. the hh menu was rather limited so don't expect to have a feast for your tongue. DO, however, expect a fair amount of greasy eats and carb filled snackies that will match these rather affordable price points. but if you're not here just for the food, then it's a good place to chillax with a wine glass in hand as you commence your work related bitchings.

my friend and i started off with the ghetto fabulous fried dill pickles with buttermilk ranch. i'm not sure why i expected it to taste good and consequently persuaded her to order them because when i saw it on the menu, i felt we NEEDED them. even though i stand by the "everything-tastes-better-when-fried' rule of thumb, alas, they tasted like regular ole pickles...but er, fried. nothing special here folks.

we also ordered the mozzarella roasted tomato and basil pesto mini flatbread. tasty, but nothing special here either. the toppings were a bit sparse and the mini flatbread was rather mini so order more if you want this carb load to soak up the alcohol in your belly.

we also ordered the chili lime wings which i thought were a bit too tangy and limey. though a great way to pucker up your face, it wasn't the best item to eat unless you want to pucker up your tongue as well. it was also uber salty.

and sweet potato fries off the regular menu. crispy, sweet, thin...just the way i like them. i could have eaten this all night long. yum!

overall, the o bar was a nice place to chillax for happy hora, but the lack of variety on the hh menu limits its appeal to me.

O Bar and Kitchen
819 S Flower St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 623-9904
www.ohotelgroup.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight

toshi sushi: brothas from another motha?

wedged between the say cheese store and a shoe repair shop on hyperion avenue in silverlake is an itty bitty sushi bar called toshi sushi, NOT to be mistaken for toshi sushi in little tokyo with its omakase deal. this toshi sushi has a tough looking brotha slicing up your fish and you better like what you eat or he will surely rip you a new orifice and expect a tip from it. KIDDING. miguel, the sushi chef, is actually rather NICE and chatty too, and was constantly seeking approval of his sushi making skills while i ate. must be cuz i'm asian, and therefore, an authority figure when it comes to sushi. whether or not you require a japanese man to serve up your sushi is an entirely different issue not to be covered by roaming belly because we all have our preferences and i'll leave it at that, ALTHOUGH, i must admit i was a bit skeptical when i saw him behind the sushi bar....

but we sat our asses down cuz the belly was hungry. first up was maguro. it didn't have that deep magenta color that i like, but the quality of the fish was fine. in general, their bar does not appear to house a lot of fish which makes sense because other than their happy hour (monday through friday from 5-7 for discounted rolls), it seems rather dead...like a fish out of water.

mixed sashimi salad. white fish, salmon, and tuna, on a bed of romaine lettuce with gubo, sesame seeds, and carrot strips drizzled with ponzu sauce. it was pretty hearty and fortunately, i had an eating partner to split it with or else my pants would have splitted.

their sexy pink roll which sounded too irresistable to say no to because we all know it's hard to say "no" to sexy thangs. i should know because it's usually hard to say "no" to me (i lie, i lie). it's basically a spicy tuna roll topped with a red line of sriracha sauce with salmon and avacado slices and sprinkles of sesame seeds. it was tasty but hardly sexy.

i then asked miguel to recommend a delicious roll as a follow up and to no one's suprise, he said his "miguel angel roll" was delicious and unbeatable. this roll turned out to be a spicy tuna roll topped with albacore tuna and grilled onions drizzled with ponzu sauce. everytime i tasted the grilled onions though, i kept thinking i'm missing some carne asada. it was tasty too.

we ended the meal with an appetizer, a spicy tuna on a crispy rice cracker which was ICK. everything was really bland so i don't know what happened there.

overall, as a sushi place it's AIGHT. the rolls are fun to eat so i would go there for some of that, but if you're looking for uber fresh fish that dances in your mouth, you probably need to go somewhere else. the price points were great as well and so is miguel. i would drop by again if i feel a sudden sushi crave while shopping at trader joes.

Toshi Sushi

2804 Hyperion Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 666-1019

price: $$

verdict: tasty, try it!

i'll drag you to drago

the best kinds of happy hours are the ones that you have when you're on vacation. this past friday was such a day. i collected a group of borkers (buddies/coworkers) and reminded myself that even though i'm not currently working, i still deserve to reward myself with some yummy drinks. mmmmm.....

drago centro is such a place to reward oneself with drinks. the space is modern and sleek for loungers, workers, or bums with change in their pockets like me with time to chillax.

happy hora goers have a communal table for drinking and eating inside, or seats in their covered patio for comfortable lounging purposes. we decided to seat ourselves at the communal table though it reminded me of my hong kong travel abroad days when i was forced to share table space with strangers ALL THE TIME. it's not like i can't do it, but i like my own space bitches! besides, communal tables means odd seating arrangements and fitting in where you can. do i look like a puzzle piece to you?! i don't like that.

i immediately started off with their delectable passione drink (all cocktails are $5, beers at $4, and wines were $5-$6). yummmy lychee, vodka, and peach flavors swimming in a martini glass. sweet, fruity tastes that makes you feel fuzzy like a peach. i didn't even work that day but i felt like i deserved it. actually, i always deserve vodka.

we shared a few things amongst us borkers for nibbling purposes. a due of kobe sliders with mushrooms ($7). so cute to look at, i just wanted to pinch their buns. tasty.

the summer truffle and mushroom pizza ($4). crispy.

fried boobs circa madonna's "vogue" days also known as saffron risotto fritters ($5). they were not popular amongst my borkers. i thought they tasted aight but they won't be repeated again.

bruschetta di mare ($3). an odd piece of anchovy sits on a bed of sweet tomato marmalade. i did not enjoy this. the diced tomatoes were way too sweet and the anchovy was too fishy to cut the sweetness effectively. it's like swishing a goldfish and jam in your mouth. does that sound pleasant to you?

i round house kicked the end of happy hora with the messicano which has a tequila base, lime juice, and orange bitters. loved this as well. i have yet to meet a glass of tequila that i didn't like, but then again, tequila has always been quite friendly to me.

i have a feeling that drago will lure me back with their cocktails, so delicious they were. although the food was a hit or miss, there were some nice nibblies to accompany the tasty drinks. and again, happy hour with validated valet is always a plus, plus in downtown l.a.

Drago Centro
525 S Flower StSte 120
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 228-8998

http://www.dragocentro.com/

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

vino for the wino

Vinoteca Farfalla
1968 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90189
(323) 661-8070
http://www.vinotecafarfalla.com/

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

in my brain, the word THIRST always conjures up an image of a skinny white dude in a dirty torn up dress shirt crawling his way through the sahara desert. how did he get there? who knows, but i do know that he's crawling towards a mirage thinking he finally found water. so sad when he finds nothing but sand around him.

now imagine me, waiting for the last minute of the work day on a friday to conclude and then sprinting towards my car. i too, am driven by the word THIRST like that poor white dude that i just described, but mine ALWAYS result in pleasantries and not death...and it almost always involves wine and not just plain water. it is absolutely 100% cooler than what happened to that dude. for reals.

this friday, a friend and i checked out vinoteca farfalla in los feliz for their happy hora. from 4-7, you can spend 3 full hours drowning your THIRST with $6 wine or $4 beers. holla! the space is also narrow, chic, and dark. a GREAT place for a date or for weary workers like us who wanted good eats while we drank.

check out the way they dispense wine...ghetto fabulous?

omg cheese. cheese like a wheel, cheese in buckets, cheese, cheese, cheese!

the happy hora menu looked awesome. we decided on three dishes (click on the picture if you want to read what's on the menu you blind bat) and a glass of chardonnay for my thirsty self. they do generous pours as well. marry me...please? i can cook.

we started off with the ceviche vinoteca which was limey white fish, shrimp, basil dip, and guac served with tortilla chips. the ceviche is tart but sweet and not super sour like most places. i thought it was yummy.

we also ordered the empanadas plate which were three empanadas with different types of filling: oozy cheese with hearts of palm (my favorite amongst the three), beef (which tasted like chinese stir fry for some reason. there were celery and carrot bits in it), and chicken (which tasted like chicken pot pie). although only one of the empanadas was truly amazing, if you plan to split something, this would be a good pick so i recommend that you try it.

empanada with oozy cheese and hearts of palm. salty and tart wrapped up and fried. did god make this because it is good!

and being the burger whore that i am, i convinced my friend that we NEEDED to order the braziburger or else we would be lame. the burger had a thousand island, mcdonald's big mac inspired sauce on it dressed up with grilled onions. the buns were sweet which made me think it was either a hawiian sweet roll or some sort of brioche bread. it also came with delicious crusty fries which made my lips smack. yummy. anyways, the knife stabbed through its center was dramatic and hilarious and such an appropriate way to celebrate the end of another work week.

since i eat INSANELY early, i will beat the happy hora vinoteca farfalla crowd by rolling in at 5 on the dot sometime soon. fyi, chatting up with the server revealed to me that 2 doors down on the corner is vinoteca farfalla the RESTAURANT. please don't be a stupid ass like me and go there first before finding the right place.