Mojitos and Sangria at Border Grill

Even though we’re thoroughly addicted to the pick-your-own-seats luxury that $28 buys us at The Landmark, we make it back to the Promenade every so often for dinner and a movie.   The theaters down there are old school - no stadium seating, creaky chairs, questionable sound systems - but the dining options in Downtown Santa Monica are somewhat endless compared with their West LA counterparts.

True, the Santa Monica dining options themselves are getting a little long in the tooth, with old standbys like Jiraffe, Trastevere, I Cugini and Michael’s serving up the same dishes they’ve successfully been serving for more than a decade.  That said, if they’re still around after all these years, they must be doing something right.  Even still, many of the options for the dinner half of “dinner and a movie” are way too pricey for my wallet, these days.  Yes, we could grab a bite at Baja Fresh or a slice at Johnnies NY Pizza.  But sometimes - okay, most of the time - my better half is looking for something with a little more ambiance, the opportunity to get a drink, perhaps a menu with some sort of exotic cheese offering - i.e. something that usually ends up costing me $100+.

Border Grill Ceviche Shots

Enter Border Grill and their Monday through Friday 5 to 7pm Happy Hour.  Border Grill falls into the long-toothed class with a menu and an interior design that has been making locals and tourists alike happy for 20+ years.  Despite the artwork and the deafening acoustics you get from hanging large slabs of art from the ceiling, the team at Border Grill, celeb-chefs Mary-Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, have managed to keep the menu fresh and the crowds coming in.

They’ve had a long standing happy crowd lured in by bocatitos and cheap margaritas.  Now, with everyone still waiting for our country’s economic stimuli to kick in, they’ve made happy hour even more appealing.

The Border Grill happy hour options are designed to please a wide spectrum with $4 margaritas, mojitos, sangria, and select beers and wine.  $3 tacos offer up delicacies like Potato Rajas and Roasted Lamb in sweet adobo sauce.  Ceviche shots, coming in again at a mere $3, seem to be the best deal in the house.  And the menu is topped off by $5 bites ranging from Beef Brisket Taquitos to Green Corn Tamales and Poblano Quesadillas.

All in, with far too many tacos under my belt, we managed to get away with a $35 check the last time we went there.  Sara was happy with the cocktail options and the manchego cheese in her tacos.  Plus, we were able to make it to our 7:30 movie without having to rush.  (That’s another advantage to taking the Happy Hour option.  At $3 a taco, Border Grill is counting on quick turnover and brings the food out quickly. )

So if you’re looking for a cheap date that will keep your date happy and work with your movie schedule, I recommend making your way down to Border Grill on any given weeknight.   The Happy Hour at Border Grill can get pretty packed, especially on a Friday night.  So get there early.

LA Air Sex Championships

This Friday (6/26) the World Air Sex Championships are taking place in LA and you’re invited.

Never been to an Air Sex show before? Here’s what you need to know: It’s a lot like Air Guitar, but instead of rocking out with an imaginary guitar, you’re making sweet and/or filthy business time with an imaginary sex partner.

You choose your music, you show up in whatever sort of wardrobe you like and you come up on stage and show everyone how you do it. Or how you wish you could do it. Or how you once had it done to you, and oh my god was that a bad idea and… I think you get the idea.

The only rules are the laws laid down by the state of CA. So, no getting naked and all orgasms must be stimulated–I mean, simulated Meg Ryan “When Harry Met Sally” style. Other than that, you’re free to do whatever it takes to impress the judges, the audience and the world! Note: moose mascots okay.

Wanna go? (or even more bettah) Wanna compete? See details…

LA is your oyster

I happen to believe that there is someone for everyone.

It doesn’t matter how strange, lonely or unlovable one fancies them self to be, there’s a person out there who can relate. You can call me a romantic, and perhaps I am, but my belief has more to do with common sense than flying cupids. In a world with over 9 billion people in it, the odds are definitely in your favor that there’s a special someone out there who’d float your boat. The problem is finding them.

Los Angeles poses a unique challenge.

LA is a city bursting with diversity and cultural complexity. It’s filled with amazing people and offers a never-ending array of wonderful things to do and see, and yet it’s still hard to meet people. With everyone locked away in their cars, the people of Los Angeles end up living fairly insular lives despite being surrounded by millions of fellow urbanites. Once you exhaust the limited dating possibilities among friends and colleagues, you’re left with the bar scene (bleh)… and something interesting you may not have considered: online dating.
Online dating opens up your possibilities.

I know there are still some folk who are skeptical about the whole “internet personals thing,” but when you combine online dating and LA you get something truly magical. Why? Because by simple act of posting a profile, you open yourself up to a whole world of unforeseen potential. You create fresh avenues for meeting totally new people, who you would have never have otherwise encountered, who might just rock your world. And who doesn’t want their world rocked?

LA is your Oyster.

In one of the many cars zipping around you right now, there is someone you ought to meet. And they’ll soon be headed to one of the many cool spots in LA–be it a restaurant, a museum, a bar, or a volunteer event–that you’d undoubtedly dig. And while no one can beam you into their car, online dating can certainly help you arrive at the same destination. And that’s what online dating is all about, expanding your world and helping you meet new and amazing people based on things you like to do and the places you like to go.

There is someone for everyone. So go out and find them!

If Venice, Italy is the ultimate romantic locale, it certainly makes sense that the canals of Venice, California would inspire the same amorousness. While all the hip magazines have written about the cute boutiques, design shops and spinning classes offered on Abbot Kinney, no one has really pointed out that thanks to a couple great restaurants, a primo gelato bar and a monthly streetside festival, Abbot Kinney is the best spot in LA for a great date night.    Here are my personal Abbot Kinney Awards winners….

Best First Date Spot – Primitivo Wine Bistro
I firmly believe that the best venue for a first date is a tapas restaurant.  If the date is interesting, sharing a bunch of plates of random Spanish goodness and a pitcher of Sangria is a great way to get to know someone and envision how dining with them (for the rest of your life) might be.  If the date is not going well, its two drinks and a small plate of food and you’re out of there.

Primitivo has that hip, happening feel and the food to back it up.  The Sangria is delicious and with valet parking, you can flee as fast as you need to.  The dining room is gorgeous and perfectly lit (my restaurant pet peeve) and there is an outdoor patio to enjoy the nice beach breeze.  This was my last first date venue and since we’re still going strong, I also give Primitivo good karma points…may the luck rub off on you too.

Best Restaurant and Cocktail Spot – Gjelina
If your looking for a nice, romantic foodie experience, Gjelina is the spot.  Your date will instantly feel your inherent hipness when they realize there is no signage to guide your way but once they find it, your good taste meter will rise.  I rarely get blown away by new restaurants anymore but Gjelina had my head spinning.  The eclectic menu includes the most delicious wild mushroom bruschetta and the perfect mussels but that’s just the beginning.  The flatbread pizzas were a pleasant surprise and with a constantly rotating menu there is always something new and delicious to try.  If your meeting someone for cocktails, they have a lovely bar and fireside patio that are the perfect venue for an intimate drink.

N'ice....

Best After-Dinner Stroll Destination – N’Ice Cream/Pinkberry
Abbot Kinney can feel like a night on Martha’s Vineyard thanks to two Norwegian guys who moved to Venice and plunked down a homemade Gelato shop right next to the Pinkberry.  Now, you’re either addicted or repulsed by Pinkberry so those that need their fix can get theirs.  But for those who like their dairy creamy,  this gelato is top-notch.  The chocolate gelato is rich, silky and smooth.  The Sour Black Cherry is a pleasant surprise for those who aren’t a sweettooth.  But the piece de resistance, IMHO, is their pistachio…definitely worth the trip to Venice all by itself.

Best Monthly Street Party in LA – “First Fridays” on Abbot Kinney
Maybe the best night to explore the AK is the first Friday of every month.  What started as a way to get more shoppers down to the street, has turned into the best monthly block party in LA.  Each “First Friday”, the stores, restaurants, bars and galleries stay open until 10pm (at least) and offer free drinks, music and the best people watching in town.  A spontaneous block party is a great date idea and “First Fridays” is the ultimate night to explore Abbot Kinney.