Cocktails

For all the travel I do and all the places I have been, I had never been to Austin, Texas. When work took me there for an event, I made sure to arrive early enough the day prior so that I could explore the city - through food and drink, of course. First Stop: Second Bar + Kitchen (200 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701) Second Bar & Kitchen Second Bar + Kitchen is Chef David Bull's casual, urban restaurant that sits next to his upscale restaurant Congress. I entered in the early evening and took a seat at the bar. I was tempted by the great wine list that offers 25 wines by the glass, but it was the artisan cocktails that grabbed my attention, especially the Gin + Jam. Made with Viennese Gin, the jam is made regularly with ingredients from the kitchen. I got the house-made mixed berry and fennel jam. The presentation is so simple - the jam is served on a spoon over the glass of gin. It's up to you if you want to stir it all in. The gin is still the dominant flavor of this drink but the jam added subtle flavor. 
02 December, 2014
How can you say no to an invitation to head out for a "Night of the Unexpected"? Here's how the invite went: "Here’s how it’s all going down. I will send a car service to pick you up from a location that is convenient for you. The car will take you to a secret location in LA where you will participate in the first activity of the night. Afterwards, everyone will be whisked off to a second secret location for dinner, American Honey drinks and another activity. A car service will also be provided to take you home at the end of the night." So, at 5pm I was picked up by a car and driven to the destination. Thanks to LA traffic at rush hour, it look over an hour to get to the destination - the eastside of Downtown LA. We entered a warehouse district where I was let out of the car. I entered the building where I met up with the group in a narrow hallway. What were we about to do?
21 November, 2014

This post originally appeared on FoodableTV.com Seth and Marc Gold, brothers born and raised in Los Angeles, first met Rob Herzig at summer camp in Canada...

13 November, 2014
I asked some friends if they wanted to join me for dinner and cocktails at the Venice Whaler and was met with, "Cocktails? Isn't the Venice Whaler the dive bar at the end of Washington Blvd in Venice Beach? It's a place for beers." Well, yes, that is the location but the 70 year old restaurant/bar has a new owner who has restored the Venice Whaler into an "upscale dive bar" featuring craft cocktails. Venice Whaler
06 November, 2014

This post originally appeared on FoodableTV.com As iPic Theaters continue to open across the country, going to the movies may never be the same again. From...

27 October, 2014
You may think wine when you think Santa Ynez Valley, but you can also think vodka and whiskey because Ascendant Spirits Distillery, the first legal distillery in Santa Barbara County since Prohibition, is located in Buellton, the heart of wine country. Ascendant Spirits We stopped by Ascendant Spirits on a recent trip up to wine country. After all, a few tastes of vodka and whiskey are a great start to a weekend filled with wine. Owner and Distiller Stephen Gertman was on hand to give us a tour in between the fermentation taking place that day. We got a first hand tour of the process to make Sempre Fi Corn Whiskey.
23 October, 2014
Warwick Hollywood (1) One year ago, the Warwick Hollywood opened on Sunset Boulevard. A club offering craft cocktails, when it first opened the decor included floor to ceiling photographs of naked women and dark leather couches with an all-white upstairs room. Then, in June, the Warwick opened the doors with beach resort interior including new furniture and beach umbrellas. And now the Warwick has changed their look again. This time it's Film Noir. Everything has changed......from the couches to the rugs to the chandeliers.
20 October, 2014

When I say Bordeaux, you think wine, right? But, now you can also think cocktails! L'Alchimiste is Bordeaux's first classic cocktail bar. Open less than a...

26 September, 2014
The image in my head of Bordeaux was stuffy, snooty and uptight. I would think of the cost of First Growth Bordeaux and the pretense of collectors I have met over the years. But, when I stepped foot in Bordeaux, it was not at all what I expected. Bordeaux Bordeaux is a vibrant, exciting city thanks to their long-standing center-right mayor (and former prime minister) Alain Juppé who started a massive regeneration program in 1995. He opened up the riverfront, made the city center pedestrian friendly, cleaned up the old buildings and installed a hi-tech tram system. Today Bordeaux is not only the largest urban world heritage site but has been ranked as France's second favorite city after Paris.
18 September, 2014
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