Friday the 13th Improv Show

On Friday the 13th we had our first Aces of Improv Show of the year!  We finally had a Friday performance which meant I was able to be involved.  It was a small cast with a bunch of games and we ended up with a really great and supportive audience.  We did a bunch of short-form games and all of us had a blast! 

Before the Improv Show 'Album Cover'

Emily and I got to work together on the first scene where I became Abu from 'Aladdin.'  We were searching for treasure in Agrabah, and monkey poop (I know) became the theme of the game for all the groups in Three Couple Switch.  It was a really fun scene.  I'm always nervous about playing Opera but it usually ends up being a great time, and this was no different.  As Wayne and Nathan started the scene, they called for a bear, so I had to pull out another animal, and decided being Yogi Bear in the cave would be the best choice, while we all searched for picnic baskets.  Oh the places you will go!  Our audience member shared a very vague 'Day in the Life' which is actually helpful because we, as the performers, are able to add to the scene.  The male audience member chose Rachel to play him in the scene, and I ended up being a girlfriend he never talks about.  Everyone was able to jump in and keep the scene moving along in a fun and exciting way.  Next up was the Dating Game, with myself, Emily, and Katie as the Daters and Nathan figuring out who we were all assigned to play by the audience.  I got Beyonce and I became a bootylicious performer, who talked about my child, Blue Ivy, and when asked what I feared, I responded with "Nothing."  Nathan was able to figure all of us out and I think we all love playing games like this or Party Quirks because it really gets the audience involved.  I was also a part of Cue Word and New Choice, which is one of my favorite games.  We usually close the show with Park Bench and then sometimes a group Improv Song.  Our Park Bench was set in Uzbekistan and while Nathan's accent was spot on, I had no idea what to do as a character choice.  When Wayne went in with his falafel cart, I figured Rachel and I could be Sorority Cheerleaders from California who scored 1600 on our SATs.  While Rachel raided the falafel cart, Emily and I chatted up Nathan, and the other guys came in to scare off all of us tourists.  It was an awesome end to our show!

After the Improv Show for Cocktails at Bar Lubitsch!

I understand that this may not make much sense to those reading it but that just means find an Improv show in your town and go!  If you're in LA, you're in luck, because they are everywhere and on a night you're sure to be free.  We follow the format of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway,' and it's pure comedy for all ages.  Just make sure you're 'yes-anding' and not asking any questions and we'll see you at our next show :)

Blind Barber Birthday

We all had such a fun time for my Birthday at Bar Lubitsch, I knew that having my actual party on Friday night at Blind Barber would be great!  I've been going into Blind Barber, which is a speakeasy inside a Barber Shop here in Culver City, for over a year now.  On top of their amazing grilled cheese selection, they've got an array of drinks and the service is always top notch!

I spent the afternoon by the pool and then early in the evening Jamie came over with some snacks and a bunch of wines for us so we could do some Wine Tasting.  They ranged from a Rose, to Chardonnay, to a Chianti.  The Rose surprised me the most since I typically hate Rose because it's always too dry but this was light and airy, with a touch of sweetness at the end and a smooth finish.  Jamie told me it wasn't available to buy on its own, only for restaurant sales.  It made drinking it with her while getting ready for my Birthday so special!  I also picked out one of the Chardonnay's and the Chianti that also had a smooth finish to keep.

An array of Wines for our Tasting and a mini Photo-Shoot before heading to Blind Barber!

Some of my friends were already at Blind Barber by the time we arrived, our Uber got lost getting to my apartment so we jumped right into some cocktails.  I started with the Strawberry Fields and the next thing I know, I was taking a shot, and another one a half hour later, and had another drink in my hand after that and the night just kept going from there.  Thankfully, Jamie made sure I ate some of the fabulous Grilled Cheese that I had ordered, and Carolyn was making me drink water, and I happily obliged.

Catching up with friends, Ashley, Carolyn, Jeff, and Bear at Blind Barber!

There was dancing, shots, and fun!  So many of my friends showed up and stopped by, and I apologize if I'm forgetting anyone.  Thanks to Jamie (for starting the festivities off with a bang) Jeff, Bear, Andy, Kayt, Patrick, Ashley, Raph, Mikey, Carolyn, Nick, Charlie, Sam (for also making sure we all got home safely), Adam, Giana, Justin, (for trying) Giere, Simon, Daniel, our wonderful Bartender, Allyson, the manager at Blind Barber, and anyone else who came to celebrate and toast with me!  Can we please have a re-do where I don't have to take shots and let's not celebrate my Birthday but just get everyone together to hang out and have an awesome time!?!

My favorite part of my Birthday is just getting all my friends together in one space to hang out and catch up.  So perhaps I'll try to set something like this up every few months so friends can meet other friends, we can all relax and enjoy some great food and drinks, and celebrate that we're all here in LA and having the time of our lives <3  Thank you to everyone who made my Birthday special!

Break Room 86

It's kind of nice to have off on Friday nights so I'm actually able to see what kind of nightlife that LA has to offer since I prefer to stay in my little bubble when I normally go out during the week.  It's easy to pop into Gabe's if I'm on the West Side or stop in at Lubitsch if I'm in Hollywood but the places in between are the ones that make the night interesting!

Ash & I at Break Room 86

Ashley had told me about this new 80's Bar that opened up in Koreatown a few weeks ago so I met up with her and Jake at Break Room 86, and thanks to Aamil (one of our awesome guys who used to work at Lubitsch) who was working Security there I was able to bypass the long line of people and get into the bar to meet up with my friends with no problem.  They were playing 80's music, there were 80's music videos on the TV's and everyone was dressed in the style as well.  To top it all off, every hour on the hour there were performances, that included hip hop and break-dancers, a Michael Jackson look-a-like, and then girls dressed like they were from 'Flashdance' dancing to Pat Benatar.  The dance breaks were definitely a hi-light of the night.  I started off with a Cherry Chapstick drink that tasted just like it's name and we were able to take a seat at a table above the main area.  There were separate rooms for Karaoke, private and social, and you actually entered into the bar through a back entrance and went though a kitchen area and then exited out a different door when you left.  It had that Speakeasy vibe about it.  

Dance Break.

Raph decided to meet us out after a little persuading and with the whole gang together, we enjoyed a fun night out!  Ash and I actually got some light-up 'Minnie Mouse' type ears and we bounced around on the dance floor and belted out some 80's tunes.  The DJ even took requests and played some Erasure to Ashley's delight!  I didn't get any Pat Benatar from him but there were plenty of songs to dance to!  We had gone out over the first weekend of Coachella so the bar wasn't too busy which was nice.  Although, I'm not sure we would have the same experience if we didn't have somewhere to sit or if the bar was packed with people.  Next time, I'll have to make sure to play some Pac Man since they have a bunch of old-school arcade games along one wall!

Overall, we had a really fun night checking out a new bar on a side of town I rarely go to!  Break Room 86 can be found at The Line Hotel in K-Town!  If you're looking for something fun and different to do in LA, it's definitely a great spot to check out :)

Our 'Saved By The Bell' Cast Photo!

Last Month's NEW Restaurants!

Part of my New Year's Resolution was to hit up new Happy Hour or Restaurants at least once a month to branch out from the ordinary and my favorites.  I was actually really pleased with each of the restaurants and they were both very different from each other.

I started the month of March with a visit to Stout in Studio City with Neil.  It's a burger and craft beer restaurant and similar to Father's Office, there are no substitutions.  We started with a giant Pretzel that came with four different sauces:  A pesto that was my favorite, a chipotle that was Neil's favorite, a lemon basil aioli, and thick mustard.  After checking their menu it looks like they recently changed it because I couldn't find my burger on it anymore (or the pretzel); it was a Truffle Burger with Mushrooms and a white cheese.  It was good but I actually preferred Neil's Stout Burger that had Blue Cheese, Gruyere, Bacon, Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Cream.  I chose a beer called Chocolate Indulgence which is from the Ommegang Brewery and a Belgian Stout.  It had just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the bitterness, and I enjoyed it so much I had a second one.  We sat at the bar and the bartender was polite but had a big group of her friends that were sitting at the bar who were actually obnoxious.  I was surprised the manager hadn't told them to leave because it was disruptive to other diners.  It was also a little spendy for burgers and beer but I would definitely go back and try something else!  And definitely get that pretzel again :)

At the end of March, my new roommate, Anthony, moved in and took me out to the Blind Barber in Culver City which is actually a Barber Shop during the day and Speakeasy at night.  I was sold as soon as I saw their menu consisted mostly of Grilled Cheese.  The place was packed for a Monday night but there were some tables open so we grabbed a drink at the bar and ordered our food.  They have a Cocktail Menu as well as a Seasonal Drink Menu and since it's April, it has already changed so I can't name the first drink I had but the second was the Batman with Gin, St. Germain, Peychaud's Bitters, Lemon Juice, and Mint.  The drinks were good but I prefer something a little sweeter and there were still a few more I would gladly try.  I picked out an all White Grilled Cheese that was $8 and came with a Kale salad that was actually really good.  I was so happy with my Grilled Cheese; it was delicious!  I'm definitely going back to try out more of their menu and I love that you get a dipping sauce with it so of course I picked out the Truffle aioli.  The DJ was great, the crowd seemed cool but not douchey and the Bartenders were helpful.  I can't wait to go back!

A Dinner of amazing Grilled Cheese is served at Blind Barber in Culver City!

I'm surprised I haven't been to either of these spots before but I really look forward to going back and trying more off of their menu's.  There are three Stout's throughout Los Angeles and Blind Barber is just down the street.  So far, this New Year's Resolution has been very successful!

A Night out in WeHo!

Emily and I went out in West Hollywood last week since both of us had been so busy with work and finally had a free night off together.  We decided on Laurel Hardware and got into the line around 10:45 that night.  It's been a long time since I waited to get into a club, let alone a bar, and on a Thursday night at that...but luckily we only waited about 15-20 minutes and when we got inside, it was busy, and the bar area was packed, so it completely made sense for capacity issues.

Em and I at Laurel Hardware in West Hollywood

The last time I had gone to Laurel Hardware was after the Sara Bareilles show and I got their Beet Drink, which was called The Skinneas Fog.  It tasted a little like dirt but in a good way.  I actually loved the drink, I felt like it was healthy since it was dark purple in color from the beets, but had a nice lemon taste to it as well.  This time I ordered The Gangster which was Organic Cucumber Vodka with juiced Watermelon and Lime.  While it tasted delicious, I felt like there was little alcohol in it, and for $12 for a drink, I'm hoping it's at least got a little kick to it.

 

Emily and I surveyed the scene but ended up taking up a seat at the end of the bar where we could oversee the entire bar and restaurant in the back.  The music was rocking all night long and the Bartenders were super attentive and making sure our glasses were full, including my water glass (awesome), wiping down the bar, and clearing off napkins and empty glassware.  Nice job!

  

At the end of the night we had to laugh about the sign we had seen on our initial walk to the bar and the night wouldn't have been complete without taking a picture in front of it!  'Don't even think about parking here.'  You're thinking about it, admit it!

 

It was a fantastic Roommate Night and something we definitely need to do more often :)