By CAROLINE COX

I’m generally a jeans-and-plaid-shirt kinda girl when it comes to going out to the bars for some drinks.  Estoria, Graveyard, and East Side Lounge are just a few of my favorite Atlanta bars.

But every now and then a girl likes to throw some lipstick and a dress on to paint the town red, you know?  Whenever you’re feeling that way, the place to be, if you ask me, is Whiskey Park at the midtown W Hotel.

This glamorous hotel bar seems like the epitome of cool– for me, it was simply love at first site.  Whiskey Park has seen the likes of everyone from Usher to Cobra Starship to soccer players from the LA Galaxy (although he may have been lying about that, but he bought me a drink so whatever.)

Regardless, I love coming to Whiskey Park.  Everyone has a glamorous heir about them, the drinks are flowing, and there is plenty of opportunity to mingle on the cozy dance floor or on the large balcony, where everyone goes for some fresh air or a cigarette.  They have a weekly event on Thursdays, called “Smoke & Mirrors,” where you can come dance to a great DJ and maybe have your picture taken by Atlanta event-photogs Oh Snap! Kid or The Midnight Socialite.

One of my favorite things about Whiskey Park is that the DJs they hire actually play good music, which is more than I can say for many Atlanta bars I’ve visited.  This only adds to the posh environment and can’t help but make everyone who steps in feel a little bit like a VIP. Speaking of which, they have an awesome VIP room as well.

So, the next time you’re looking for a fancy cocktail with a side of Atlanta glamour, I suggest you venture into Whiskey Park.  I’ll be the girl at the bar with red lipstick,  leopard-print coat and a vodka Red Bull.

That’s just how I roll.

Photo credit, in order: sundaypaper.com; ajc.com; starwoodhotels.com

It’s a regular weekday night and Ron’s housemates have suggested having a drink in town. Since we are not the kind of people to refuse a night out with friends, we agree. Kat brings along two of her housemates and they meet Ron et al in town at Blue Fly Lounge. This is somewhere neither of us has been before so they are keen to see what it’s all about. It’s smack in the middle of town, so at least we know there will be plenty of second choices if we aren’t down with the Lounge.

Stat Sheet 5: Blue Fly Lounge – http://blueflyyork.co.uk
$$$
Events:  Cheap Drinks Sunday – Thursday
Notes:

Ron: At night this place turns on some thumpin’ techno beats, but we’re not here for that – seeing as it’s only 9pm.  The music is way too loud to have a conversation and we can barely order our drinks.  If it were about 3 hours later in the night I might understand the music, but no one here was partying just yet.  We have some good laughs on the patio before we bump off to the next pub, it’s too early for such a heavy vibe.  If I come here again it will be for the late show.

We’re not terribly thrilled with this bar so once everyone finishes their drinks we are happy to move on. The night is not over yet though, we head deeper into town to find our next watering hole. The good news is, we’re so ready for something else it will be hard not to like where we end up!

Cheers x x

As the Thanksgiving weekend is coming to an end and reality is creeping in, I find it necessary to reflect on a great and bizarre night that happened last week. Arun, the UG nominated mayor of LA and his friends have become our favorite downtowners and people to have amazing adventures with. Last Saturday was no exception as the gang once again threw a great a night of stops. The last pub crawl they had was the legendary one on the Party Bus so the bar was set very high. Arun is one of the most efficient people I know and the stops and times for the event were as followed:

6:00 PM
Dinner at Clifton’s Cafeteria
NOTE: We’ll likely gather to eat on the 2nd floor.

7:15 PM
Ice Skating at Pershing Square
NOTE: Wear socks. And if you’re really not gonna get on the Blades of Steel, you could cross the street and get a drink at the Gallery Bar in the Biltmore.

8:45 PM
Redwood Bar
NOTE: Wear eyepatch.

10:30 PM
Kut From A Different Cloth Runway Fashion Show
Vibiana’s
NOTE: Please RVSP!!!

Bonus Round???
The Gorbals
NOTE: Some dude named Ilan from Top Chef’s place and it’s open until 2am. He describes his cooking as “old Jewish food date-raped by bacon.” Yum!

Now, if you are a female and reading this you are most likely terrified by one very important question: WTF do you wear? This became such a big question for me that I made a mess of my closet and was completely unsure. You want to be warm and casual for the cafeteria and skating but yet still fashionable for the fashion show. I dressed down as I was pretty sure I had no interest in the fashion show, plus I had a super busy week and my mellow Friday, the night before, turned in to me driving to the Sunset Strip for a boy. Let’s just say I didn’t get home until 3pm the following day. All of this clothing indecision made me miss the secret party for the lovely Dawson of Sauce LA. Oh well, two hours late for one party means perfectly on time for another.

I had heard of Clifton’s Cafeteria before but  I always imagined it like that cafeteria in NYC that is shown on Sex & the City; very stylish, colorful and hip. Clifton’s is many things but those words it is not. It is quirky, another world, and like nothing you would ever expect to see in LA. It is set up like a camp site with the cafeteria line on the bottom floor, dining on the first and second with the occasional raccoon or bear in sight, and the third floor has red velvet walls and is out of place as just about everyone that walks in. Who belongs in a place like this? No one and everyone. The decor is best for someone with a fly fishing vest but that isn’t seen in Downtown LA. Downtown LA is a melting pot as is this restaurant and it is truly beautiful. The food was reasonably priced but I, as an Uncouth Gourmand, have big problems in cafeteria lines or anywhere where I am responsible for serving myself. My eyes are bigger than my appetite and everything looks like trying. Good for my appetite but bad for my wallet. I ended up eating mushrooms, chicken soup, mac n cheese, 2 servings of enchiladas, and a custard pudding. You should see how much I can grab at a salad bar. Anyway, my bill totaled $13 with a drink. However, I am sure “normal” people can easily get out of there spending less than $10 on dinner.

The food wasn’t awful. I have had better and I have had worse at a variety of cafeterias, from hospitals to schools. One doesn’t go to Clifton’s for the food you go for the experience and what a trip it was. As we were leaving Clifton’s Josie showed up in time for ice skating. Rather than dressing down, my other half, dressed up to the nines. She was wearing a cute dress and some very expensive sparkly heels. The rest of the pub crawl group took one look at her and said, “Clearly you aren’t going skating”. She looked shocked as ice skating was her plan but seeing how she has never done it before and was in a nice dress it wasn’t the best idea. She refrained and was our photographer and bag watcher. The “rink” was as small as can be and the skates were pretty low quality but a fun time was had by all.

We were a little late for the Redwood Bar portion of the night because we didn’t want to crawl. We were so busy talking to our Dating Sensei that we got lost and instead of finding Josie’s car that we found mine instead. Then we couldn’t find parking and were too cheap to pay so we drove several extra miles to retrieve handicap tags from Sensei’s car so we could ensure princess parking. Yup, we are lazy girls! I then drove Josie and some fellow crawlers one block for the fashion show and I headed home. I was lame and exhausted. Josie had a good time at the show and got princess seat parking in the front row of the show….Baller! A great night with great friends that always expose us to great downtown places. A big thanks to Miss Veronica for a couple of the photos!

DC streets are deserted the night before Thanksgiving with most Washingtonians traveling to their home states.  For locals like me and those who have chosen to stay behind for the holiday, it’s the perfect evening to explore normally congested destinations.  To take advantage of the quiet social scene, I visited the W Hotel’s Point of View (P.O.V.) Bar and Rooftop Terrace for the first time.

P.O.V. is located at 515 15th Street NW across the street from the White House.  It has stunning views of the Capital skyline, from a unique mid-height perspective of the Washington Monument to the roof of the White House East Wing.  The Lincoln and Jefferson memorials are clearly visible and airplanes regularly circle through Arlington’s horizon as they descend into National Airport.

P.O.V. strives for an exclusive air, and I understand that – it’s part of the appeal.  I had heard rumors about the interminable lines and offensive prices, but that the views are incredible.  I figured Thanksgiving was the right occasion to celebrate at this swanky location.  I called ahead to check whether the bar would be open and gauge if I needed a reservation.  The person who took my reservation lived up to the snobby reputation with her patronizing way of extending “yessss” in response to my questions and informing me that reservations are always required for the terrace.

As you enter the hotel, you follow a velvet-roped carpet to the one elevator that reaches the bar.  The staff is called “The Talent”. A clipboard wielding staff/Talent member checks for your name on the list, radios to a receiving staff member upstairs, and then escorts you on the elevator.  As hoped, the bar was not very crowded and many tables with Reserved table cards were never filled.

White stencil patterned screens divide the reserved sections of plush couches and side tables.  The standing area of the bar does not require reservations and there were several cabaret tables available.  There is another indoor bar area that also has a great view and had a DJ spinning.  During winter when heat lamps warm the terrace and clear plastic window attachments further shield the cold, I don’t see much difference between the indoor area and terrace except for the expansive view.  The terrace is likely more pleasant during summertime when it becomes a true open-air bar.  It’s a very dark bar with red lights and white candles, but I wonder if the dim lighting was aesthetic as well as functional: you can’t see the prices so you can’t object to how egregious they are.  P.O.V. designer cocktails are $15 and warming cocktails are a steal at $10 each.

I considered ordering a wine cocktail and asked the waitress if she recommended it.  She replied, “Well, do you like the ingredients?”  Not encouraging.  I hesitated and she said that I could return it if I didn’t like it, so I went ahead with the order.  The drink was practically just sparkling water with lemon, so I gladly took her up on her offer and ordered a Hot Spiced Pear warming cocktail instead.  She kept the drink on our table anyway without charging us for it and JP used it to cleanse his palate between scotches.  The pear cocktail was such an extreme and better option: pear cider, bourbon, and cinnamon spice blended together in a steaming mug.  It tasted like a warm pear tart – delicious!  We shared a molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert that was a little dry, but went well with the pear flavor.

P.O.V. did not change my point of view of living in DC.  A bar of that caliber could only be found in a cosmopolitan metropolis, though there wasn’t anything else special about it except for the view.  As a non-native to DC, JP was enthralled with the skyline.  In contrast, all I could think about was how many iterations of it I had already seen from different vantage points.  There is no question that the city’s skyline is a beautiful sight, but that alone won’t convince me, DC.

I found out some information on Rec Room’s weekly specials to add to the calender. I’ll peice it all together into a big calender at the end, but here you guys go for now.

Once again, if you guys are interested in this calender expanding and ending up any good, please leave me any specials you know of.

ANGELS & OUTLAWS has obligated/ allocated $500.00 Cash for this event and is Sponsored by Amarone Restaurant AZ
ALL Ladies, ALL ages (21up) may enter this event, the choice is yours?
1. Dresses
2. Slacks and tops
3. Santa costumes
4. Dance outfits
5. Bikini’s
6. Body Paint
REGISTRATION STARTS @ 9:00PM
PRE-REGISTER: Email: contestant@icehotmodels.com
Frankie Dee 623 332-7694
ICE1.LLC will orchestrate this event on Dec 04, 09

At the end of last month, Lindsay of Cooking For a Vegan Lover, organized a vegan care package swap on her blog. As soon as I saw her announce the swap, I jumped at the chance and let her know I would like to participate. Lindsay set me up with my swap partner, Lauren, and the fun began.

I sent Lauren a package full of Caribbean-inspired goodies that I collected from various markets around Miami. Yesterday, I received her package, and it was loaded with lots of raw and organic products. Here is what she sent me:

Raw gluten-free granola from Laughing Giraffe Organics.

Just look at all those healthy ingredients!

Coconut oil and agave nectar. You can’t go wrong with this duo!

A raw cacoa L.O.V.E. cup.  I have never seen this brand before, so I immediately had to open the package and try it.

It was very rich and tasted like a dark chocolate truffle.

Dr. Weil for Nature’s Path bars. I can’t wait to try these!

Also included in the package was a big bag of blue corn chips and Lauren’s favorite blueberry muffin recipe, which I will be trying out very soon. Thanks for the great care package, Lauren! I hope mine made it to you safely.

Care package swaps are lots of fun. It is also a great way to try out new foods that are not available in your area. Thanks so much for organizing this, Lindsay. I can’t wait for the next one!

Karaoke in Hakuba

Karaoke was made famous in Japan and is still a popular past time. There are a number of options here in Hakuba with snack bars, private karaoke boxes, random shop areas where you can BYO and now new to the White Horse Bar in Echoland. There will be an opportunity to belt out a couple of tunes while enjoying a few drinks with friends. I myself have been known to ruin a song or two. Please don’t be bashful and just give it a go. Plan ahead and learn a song or two before you come to Hakuba and really show off in front of your friends.

Test

Now, here’s a potential little treat, courtesy of the Spanish Government. Once again, thanks to Ben for giving me the heads up on what, this time, might just have some important ramifications for bars and shops. I say might because, as ever with some law in Spain or Mallorca, things are not exactly transparent. Maybe they are just not reported well, or maybe no-one really knows. Anyway, to cut to the chase. 

As part of its broader law on a “sustainable economy”, the cabinet agreed a measure at the end of last week that would impose certain temperature and humidity requirements on establishments such as bars. Moreover, this measure would also mean that doors which open on to the street (and presumably also a terrace) cannot be left open. This would require the installation of automatic doors that open and shut as customers and staff pass through. The point of this would be to maintain mandatory temperatures inside, and these are – no higher than 21 degrees in winter and no lower than 26 degrees in summer. 

Firstly, just read those temperatures again. The winter one seems ok, but the summer one? 26 is 79 in old money. That is fairly warm. Clearly, this all seems designed to cut back on air-conditioning use. While this measure would not make AC units obsolete, the investment that may have gone into them would now be open to question. And what is meant by summer? If the temperature inside is below the 26 degrees – naturally – in, say, May, do they have to crank the heating up? There are also any number of bars and restaurants that make a virtue of air-conditioning as part of their publicity. Not at 26 degrees they won’t be.

The confusion about what this all might mean is not helped by different references in reports. There is one suggestion that it may only apply in certain instances – administrative centres and cultural venues have been mentioned – but “El País”, for example, refers to the splendidly vague concept of “public spaces”, which can be interpreted as meaning anything and anywhere. There is also the reference to opening onto a street, so does this include terraces or doesn’t it?

If one assumes that this is intended to apply across the board, terraces, streets, whatever, you can begin to imagine the implications. Surely the government does not plan to have every single bar operating automatic doors. Or does it? Bars have enough on their plate without having to fork out for such systems. And then there is the ambience angle, ironically, as the measure is all designed to control ambient temperatures. Bars, restaurants, shops want their doors open. It shows that they – the bars – are open and that the interior and exterior are seamless.

Just think about the practicalities. Imagine a bar packed with sweaty boozers during a big football match. Doors closed, the temperature at least 26. They’ve got to be kidding. Maybe they really don’t mean every bar and in every situation, but you can’t be sure they don’t, and you can’t be sure that, in the pursuit of saving the planet and meeting a 20% target of reduced carbon emissions, they don’t intend it. But one has got used to legislation which is not as it may seem. The definition of evenings and noise in Mallorca, that law from the summer; well that seemed to mean one thing and then they said it didn’t, or more likely someone realised it was absurd and so they quietly put it to one side.

This measure does not yet have royal assent, but that’s a formality. As to when it might be implemented, don’t know. But if it is as broadly based as it might be, then I think you will be hearing quite a bit more about it.

Now at Thumpers in Downtown Portsmouth, VA. At least the drinks aren’t watered down and some guy named Jim thinking his Brice Springsteen with a mike.

A buddy and I was suppose to see a band play tonight. Found it they got moved to 12:30 am. So we decided to stop by Catherines in Virginia Beach.

This place should be Bombed. It’s so bad that Karoke night reminds me of the Family Guy & The Simpsons….

Perth hotels are located in areas like the Airport, Burswood, Cbd, East Perth, Northbridge, Perth City, Perth Hills, South Perth, West Perth and others. So those who are coming to this scenic destination there are a wide variety of accommodation options.

We stayed near the airport, it was a friendly and ideally located to all Perth city has to offer. We were given spacious and nice ambiance rooms, perfect for our holiday vacation. It’s a walking distance to shopping malls, bars, restaurants and other scenic spots at Perth.

Perth City in the centre of Experience Perth offers an easy-going lifestyle – the beautiful Swan River and inner-city parks like Kings Park add to the relaxed, natural feel.

The Perth hotels is great value for money, wide range of buffet breakfast, and internet. Book now!

Avui GAY.CAT es troba a Barcelona i la nit l’espera …
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