Not everyone has time to drive up to Santa Barbara for a day of tasting. So Dig Lounge is bringing the tasting room experience to Downtown LA! Join owner and winemaker Keith Saarloos of Saarloos & Sons Winery on April 10th from 1-5pm, as he takes you on a unique tasting experience right here in Downtown Los Angeles.

Taste 4 of Keith’s new releases – Daughters (Chardonnay), SoLo (Syrah), 194six: moon (Cab/Syrah), and brothers (Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc) – and pair them with delectable cupcakes from Enjoy Cupcakes like Chocolate Blackberry Syrah, Strawberry Delight, Meyer Lemon Chardonnay and Chocolate Cheesecake. Tickets are limited so buy now before this event sells out. Only $15 for Dig Lounge readers! Use code “DIGLA” for $5 off.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW – CLICK HERE

Come downtown and enjoy the state of the art Met Lofts, while you sip on wine, nosh on cupcakes, mingle with other wine lovers and take in the beautiful April afternoon under the Downtown Los Angeles skyline.

No host valet parking is available in front of the building through Rivera Restaurant. Alternatively, there is a parking garage on the corner of Hope and 11th or limited street parking available. Met Lofts is at 1050 S Flower St., Los Angeles, CA 90015.

The tasting room at Saarloos. Wonderful wines and great wine makers.

Enjoy Cupcakes in the Saarloon & Sons tasting room.

On Monday march 22, 40 Napa Valley Vintners will join LearnAboutWine, Takami Sushi and Elevate for a night of fun and energetic wine tasting. Elevate DJ’s will provide the soundtrack for a great night of liquid entertainment and small bites will be made available from Takami Sushi for a small additional fee. The event space is on the Penthouse floor of this impressive downtown location – with a 180 degree view of the entire downtown landscape. It’s gonna be a beautiful night, this is a perfect location to taste and enjoy the huge selection of premium Napa Valley Wines. Wineries include Reynolds Family Winery, Napa Cellars, VinRoc Wine Caves, Honig Vineyard & Winery and more.

This event is only $35 using the code “DIG” at checkout!
Buy your tickets now before this great event sells out.

Participating Wineries:

Antica Napa Valley – Antinori Family Wine Estate
Ashe Family Vineyards
Barlow Vineyards
Bennett Lane
Boeschen Vineyards
Bourassa Vineyards
Ceja Vineyards
Coup De Foudre Winery
Cuvaison Estate Wines
Dutch Henry Winery
Ehlers Estate
Emblem Wines
Fantesca Estate & Winery
Hestan Vineyards
Honig Vineyard & Winery
Long Meadow Ranch Winery
Madonna Estate
Pine Ridge Vineyards
Renteria Wines
Reynolds Family Winery
Rombauer Vineyards
Schramsberg Vineyards
Signorello Estate
Spring Mountain Vineyard
St. Supery Vineyards & Winery
Staglin Family Vineyard
The GRADE Cellars
Three Clicks Wines
Tournesol
VinRoc Wine Caves
William Hill Estate Winery
ZD Wines

Welcome to the weekend. It’s beginning to look a lot like St Patty’s Day around here. And while the city has canceled the rockus party that is the Los Angeles St Patrick’s Day Parade in Downtown Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of Irish pubs and bars in this city for your March 17th celebrations. But for this weekend, there’s wine tasting, baking, a Mariachi brunch, a kite festival, and of course the Hollywood St Patrick’s Day Festival.

Friday, March 12

Rosso Wine Shop Weekend Tasting
Glendale (5-8pm)
Sample three wines every Fri and Sat night for just $10 at Rosso Wine Shop in Glendale. This weekend it’s Domaine St Vincent Brut Sparkling from New Mexico, 2008 Gouguenheim Malbec from Argentina, and the 92 point WA rated 2007 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone from France.

Wines from the World and Jazz
South Pasadena (6-10pm)
Enjoy live jazz music and some great wine from around the world at Wine Styles in South Pasadena. They’ll be doing a special pouring of wines from California, Italy and France. Taste five wines for just $20.

Saturday, March 13

Hands-on Baking at Kiss My Bundt Bakery
Los Angeles (8pm)
Learn the fundamentals of successful baking at Kiss My Bundt Bakery. Students will receive a demonstration of a fundamental recipe will be the “blank canvas” to creating their own cake flavor and pair off to make their own custom cake flavor and custom frosting. Students will take home secret Kiss My Bundt Bakery recipes, a packet of baking tips, and a box of cakes, including the ones they made in class. Get tickets for only $30 on Goldstar.

Sunday, March 14

Mariachi Brunch Show at La Fonda
Los Angeles (11:30am & 1:30pm)
Enjoy one of LA’s most unique brunches as you listen to mariachi music at La Fonda on Wilshire. The newly renovated landmark is under the same ownership as the world famous Mariachi USA Festival and continues the tradition year round. Enjoy delicious Mexican cuisine to the sounds of acclaimed group Mariachi Monumental de America. Tickets are $25 and include brunch and the show. It’s amazing and we highly recommend it!

Hollywood St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Hollywood (2-7pm)
Taking place at the Taglyan Complex on Vine Street, benefiting the Children’s Tumor Foundation, the Hollywood St Patrick’s Day Festival features beer, wine and spirits and food from more than 30 booths, including Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Feckin Irish Whiskey, Firestone Pale 31, Buckbean Beer, Edison Beer, Ballast Point Brewing Company, Tequila Capaz and Tequila 55. A selection of sausages, cheeses and breads will recreate a typical Irish meal, in addition to Pink’s Famous Chili Dogs. Entertainment will include live music, folk dancing and the World Champion Irish Dancers. Tickets cost $100 per person.

36th Annual Festival of the Kite & Yo-yo Competition
Redondo Beach (12-4pm)
L.A.’s best and longest-running kite festival, the 36th Annual Festival of the Kite, features what else but lots of cool kites and wacky yo-yo’s. Prizes will be awarded for the best hand-made kite, best ground display, highest flying kite, and the youngest and youngest at heart kite flyers. Yo-Yo Jam competition will kick-off the festival on the pier and the winner of the Craig’s Hot Dog on a Stick Eating Contest takes home a $200 cash prize.

Family Winemakers of California Presents Tasting 2010
Del Mar
Over two hundred wineries, all members of Family Winemakers of California, will be at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the Association’s 2nd annual event. The Association has held trade-only tastings in Southern California since 2001 and has chosen to return to So Cal for this one-of-a-kind trade and consumer California wine tasting event. This large tasting will showcase small, family-owned wineries, many of which pour at very few events. Tickets are $45 in advance or $55 at the door.

Continuing:

palate food + wine Sunday Session and Supper
Glendale (12-5pm & 5-9pm)
This Sunday at palate food + wine try the featured “Single Dish” at Sunday Session for $12. Or do the full Sunday supper for $35 which includes an appetizer, a main course, and dessert. Wine flights available for $12.

Little Dom’s Monday Night Supper
Los Feliz (6pm-11pm)
On Monday nights Little Dom’s if offering a $15 prix-fixe supper featuring seasonal dishes like Shrimp & Whitebean Brushetta , Grilled Albacore w/ Roasted Peppers & Oregano,
Cranberry & Chocolate Chunk Rice Pudding. Bottles of Dago Red or White are $10, and Peroni beer is $2. Sounds like the perfect recession buster to us.

Wine Pairing Wednesday at Upstairs2
West LA (7:30pm)
Upstairs 2, located above the massive Wine House, offers a four-course dinner prepared by chef Todd Barrie every Wednesday, paired with four wines from around the world selected by sommelier Marilyn Snee. Each week will showcase a different wine region, and there will be a brief discussion of each wine and its pairing. The cost is only $55 per person. Make your rezzy here.

Friday Night Sessions @ California Plaza
Downtown Los Angeles (7pm)
Free concerts return to California Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles on the 2nd Friday of every month. The program includes performances by local emerging indie bands. The Friday Night Sessions concert series is a collaborative effort by lafreebee, Isgoodmusic, SideCho Records, Heart Music Group, Casa Downtown, Grand Performances and the artists themselves. This Friday’s performers include Under the Asbury, Garland, Lady Katherine, and Bright Million.

Upcoming:

March 20 – Obscura Day is an international celebration of unusual places taking place around the world on March 20, 2010. It is sponsored by Atlas Obscura, a guide to the world’s wonders, curiosities, and esoterica. The Echo Park Time Travel Mart and Atlas Obscura are teaming up to lead a special bus tour of some of Los Angeles’ most time-specific places. We will travel back to the days of cane sugar sodas, panoramic paintings, and whimsical marionette performances. Cost is $30 per person, reserve your spot now!

March 26 – The Early 1900s Extravaganza at the Los Angeles Athletic Club promises to be a roaring good time with wines, tasty morsels, chocolate and live music. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., discover wines from pioneer regions born in the early 1900s when vineyards began spreading throughout California. To pair with the wines will be “historic” cheeses from the old continent, including the Brillat-Savarin cheese created in the 1930s. Valrhona Grand Cru chocolates will also be offered. Adding to the vintage theme will be live music from The Dustbowl Revival, a folk-blues orchestra. Be sure to take advantage of the athletic club’s rooftop patio, with downtown views. Limited ticket packages of $88 for two people are available; regular tickets cost $66 per person. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.lawinetasting.com.

April 11 – The La Habra Spring Citrus Fair 2010, located in La Habra California, will include great food, entertainment, rides, products, games and exhibits with a historic Spring Citrus theme. Located on La Habra Boulevard between Cypress and Euclid streets. A “Home and Garden” exhibit area is planned for the Fair focusing on growing vegetables, fruits, citrus, herbs right in your backyard.

April 24 – At the 2nd Annual UNIQUE LA Spring Show, taking place at the California Market Center (11am-6pm), shop for two-days at the event that showcases independent design talent at great prices – with an emphasis on “made in America” goods, as 99% of products at the show are proudly made right here in the USA. Your $10 admission includes a collectible, exclusive tote bag designed by a guest artist, refreshments, giveaways, free workshops, DIY den, kids play area, and more.

April 24 – The 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational returns to Los Angeles in April. It’s the nation’s biggest, craziest, most awesome grilled cheese sandwich cooking competition. Details are slim, and the exact location is still TBD. But let’s hope its a little bit more organized after the horror stories last year.

April 27-28 – The Guacamole Festival in Lincoln Heights promotes the consumption of all type of avocados. Attendants enjoy Food dishes serve with lots of Avocado & Guacamole such as burgers, Avocado sandwiches & salads, guacamole dips, tacos, etc. This free event will enjoy a variety of Avocado food recipes, free health screenings, free gifts, Carnival Rides & Games, live music and all type of exhibitors with 15,000 attendees expected.

May 31 – The first annual City of Angels Wine Fest taking place on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 from 12 noon to 5:00pm at the Music Center Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles. Featuring wines from thirty premiere California wineries and food prepared by several Patina Restaurant Group’s downtown restaurants, the event, hosted by the Rotary Club of Los Angeles will benefit the Volunteers of America Los Angeles downtown homeless service center. It’s a great opportunity to sample wonderful wines, eat delicious food and support a fabulous local organization.Center Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles. Tickets are $65.00 in advance and $75.00 at the door. Tickets include nine (9) wine tickets and two (2) food tickets, with additional food and wine tickets available for sale. Tickets will be available for sale on March 15.

Ventura County is slowly becoming a a wine country destination for wine lovers all over Southern California. It’s wineries range from an antique winery on a working 2,000 acre cattle ranch complete with a relaxing picnic area, to a state-of-the-art wine making facilities. With 10 different wineries (and more coming) on the Ventura County Wine Trail, it’s a great way to enjoy a relaxing day of wine tasting, fine dining and shopping in places like Ojai and Camarillo.

It’s a very different experience than tasting in Temecula or Santa Barbara. The roads aren’t lined with grape vines and the wineries aren’t exactly lined up along side each other either. But it’s still a fun day and a beautiful drive up the 101.

Cantara Cellars

We stop in first at Cantara Cellars. Owner Chris Brown was there to great us, the first customers of the day. The unassuming tasting room, located in an office park just off the highway, is welcoming and friendly. Chris explains that her and her husband first started making wines in their garage from their family’s grapes sourced from Lodi. She took us around the back so we could get a look at their facility and even gave us a taste of their 2008 futures right out of the barrel. Their wines end up being the best of the day, but I think tasting out of a barrel does it for me every time. They have a 2008 bottling event on March 20-21 at the winery and it’ll be a great event and fun time to check them out. Favorite wines: Cantara 2007 Zinfandel and Tempranillo.

Old Creek Ranch Winery

Chris from Cantara recommend Old Creek Ranch Winery for our next stop. We had a picnic basket full of cheese and charcuterie and needed a place to fill our stomachs with something other than wine. After a 20 min drive up the highway, and a literal river crossing, we arrived at the picturesque winery. The best way I can describe their wines are old world style, as the winery focuses on wines of Southern France, Spain, and Italy. At one point they grew all their own grapes, but like most wineries in this area, they now out source their grape buying now from places like Lodi, Napa, and Santa Barbara County. It’s the perfect place for a picnic, you can buy wine by the glass as you sit and overlook a small field of grape vines and the rolling hills of Ojai. Favorite Wine: Old Creek 2008 Grenache.

Casa Barranca

Casa Barranca is located in the quaint historic downtown area of Ojai. A hip tasting room and gift shop, it’s located amongst a row of ice cream shops, boutique clothing stores, book stores and art galleries. Another maker of old world wines, they practice organic wine making and even consider some of their wines vegan. I guess winemakers employ the use of animal product in the making of their wines, who knew. It’s a great place to stop in after walking the street and enjoying the historic shopping district. Favorite wine: 2007 Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills.

Rancho Ventavo Cellars

Located in downtown Oxnard, the Rancho Ventavo tasting room is situated in one of Oxnard’s oldest homes, The Scarlett House, built in 1902. Winemaker George Gilpatrick and his wife can often be found working the tasting room on weekends. Friendly and endearing, you feel a certain warmth and comfortableness in this craftsman style home, saved from demolition and placed amongst the other historic homes of Heritage Square. Their wines range from the old world style to California varietals. Favorite wine: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Camarillo Custom Crush

Camarillo Custom Crush is unique in several ways. Their tasting room for one is located in a large wine making warehouse, and is just a table, surrounded by 3 white walls and a glass door. Secondly, they make wine for just about anybody who has the will and means. You can make as little as a single barrel full of wine or as much as 100 or more. Every weekend they feature different wines from their large library of labels, which means you can go nearly every weekend and not get the same wine twice. They are located just steps from the Oxnard train station so getting there is as easy as hopping on the Metro. Favorite wines: 2008 Symphony Of Wines Tempranillo and 2008 Milan Vineyards Duet.

There are a few other wineries in the area on the wine trail that we can’t wait to get back out and try. Of course there is Herzog, you most definitely have seen there bottles on the shelf at Ralphs or Bev Mo. Then there is newcomer Magnavino Cellars, Bella Victorian, and finally the Malibu wineries; Malibu Family Wines and Rosenthal. It’s an up and coming wine making area for sure. If you like old world style wines and exploring the unique flavors and styles of boutique wine makers then the Ventura County Wine Trail is for you.

See more photos on the Dig Lounge flickr pool.

Ventura County Wine Trail, click to enlarge.

Welcome to the weekend. Start your weekend of right with some fine bourbon and wine tasting on Friday night. Then on Saturday, make your Irish eyes smile at the Irish Fair and Music Festival or check out the 9th Annual Lantern Festival taking place at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. And don’t worry, there’s more wine tasting on Saturday, plus a bread baking class at Surfas. On Sunday celebrate the Oscars® by taking a tour of Los Angeles on the Metro and then enjoy some special Oscars® wine and cocktails.

Friday, Mar 5

Friday Night Spirits at The Wine House
West LA (7:30-9:30pm)
Enjoy a fantastic way to wind down at the end of the work week with a series of Friday evening spirits tastings at the Wine House. Have some fun, meet some cool people, learn about and most importantly, taste some delicious bourbon. You’ll taste all types and styles of bourbon in a variety of price ranges. Host Marc Schwarz will share his expertise in a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Cost is $50 per person.

Wine Tasting @ The Flask – Blind Tasting
Studio City (4-8pm)
Taste 7 different wines at The Flask’s “Brown Bag Blind Tasting”. Explore the different flavors, aromas and wines with their experienced wine sellers. This fun and informative event is only $19.

California Wine Tasting at Rosso Wine Shop
Glendale (5-8pm)
Sample three different California wines at Rosso Wine Shop in Glendale. The 2008 Talley Chardonnay Estate with a delicate bouquet of the Estate Chardonnay expresses aromas of green apple, toasted walnuts, and orange blossoms with hints of vanilla. Then try the 2006 Hitching Post Generation Red, a blend of 38% Cabernet Franc from Alisos Vineyard in the hills above Los Alamos, 33% of meticulously farmed Merlot from Westerly and Gainey vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley and small amounts of White Hawk Syrah and Bien Nacido Refosco. Then finish the tasting off with the 2006 Amplio Cabernet Sauvignon, a food friendly, medium bodied Cabernet with loads of personality. Cost is only $10 per person.

Saturday, Mar 6

8th Annual Los Angeles County Irish Fair and Music Festival
Pomona (10am-6pm Sat & Sun)
Celebrating its 8th year, The Irish Fair & Music Festival has become the largest festival of its kind in Southern California. With 8 stages featuring true Irish music from the likes of Dublin 4, Skelpin’, The Mulligans, The Twilight Lords, and many more. Back again this year, are the Cripple Creek Cloggers and the McCartan School of Dance. Also this year, Sheepherding Demonstrations, an Irish Dog Show, the largest Irish Import Street in the west, Leprechaun Village, Pipers and the Celtic Arts Center with a fine dining Irish buffet. It’s your lucky day if your last name is Murphy as entry is free for you, otherwise it’s $18, with children 11 and under free.

2010 Lantern Festival
Downtown Los Angeles (12-7pm)
Everyone’s favorite community tradition is celebrating its ninth year at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument! The 2010 Lantern Festival will spotlight the sights and sounds of this popular Chinese holiday with a recreation of a traditional village street fair featuring brilliant lantern displays, exciting stage performances, a variety of interactive workshops showcasing Chinese traditional and culturally-diverse arts and crafts. This event is free.

World of Wine Barrel Tasting Weekend
Temecula (10am-4:30pm)
A new world twist on old world varietals, this two day barrel tasting weekend features your favorite varietals made with Temecula Valley style. Your self-guided tour will take you to 25 wineries representing wine growing regions from around the world, each offering old world varietal wines from barrel, tank or bottle, all perfectly paired with scrumptious food samplings which exemplify the perfect marriage of food and wine. Ticket holders will receive a map of the Temecula Valley, a passport which allows a visit to each participating winery and a souvenir glass. The two day event is $89 per person. Click here to buy tickets.

San Antonio Winery: Artisan Chocolates & California Reds
Downtown LA (1-3pm)
Learn about wines, wine-making, and grape-growing regions, while experiencing gourmet wine and cuisine pairings in the heart of the San Antonio Winery. The “Artisan Chocolates & California Reds” class will focus on pairing chocolate with reds from California. Host Michael Paplia will guide you through a decadent and delightful pairing. Light appetizers included. $20 pp

LA Wine Tasting: Un Gout de Provence (a taste from Provence)
Downtown LA (3-5pm)
You’re hearing the crickets, smelling the lavender, eating Ratatouille with a glass of Rose… you might be in Provence, but you’re really at the SB Lofts in Downtown LA. Take a tour of the most famous AOCs from the Cotes du Ventoux down to the vineyards facing the Mediterranean Sea. Enjoy whites, roses and reds for $66 pp, or $88 per couple. More info and tickets here.

Artisanal Bread Baking with Jerry Maybrook
Culver City (12-4pm)
Jerry Maybrook is one of the hidden jewels of the Los Angeles food world. An artisanal baker, Jerry produces truly transcendent loaves of bread in his home oven. Spend an afternoon in the Test Kitchen with Jerry as he shares from his years of research and trial and error and leads the class through the process of making the perfect French Country loaf in a home oven. The class takes place at Surfas in Culver City and costs $25. Reservations are required. Click here for more info.

Sunday, Mar 7

Metro Art Tours
Downtown Los Angeles (10am-12pm)
Metro’s Docent Council is a group of volunteers committed to increasing awareness of the broad range of art in the Metro Rail system through public tours that provide insights into the artworks, the artists who created them, the processes it took to make them, and the communities they enhance. Meet promptly at 10 am at the information booth inside the entrance to historic Union Station at 900 Alameda St. in Downtown Los Angeles. This tour is free!

Red Carpet Worthy Food & Wine Pairing
Santa Monica (7-10pm)
Cheer on your favorite Oscar hopefuls at Pourtal Wine Bar on Oscar Night. Watch on all three screens while enjoying a “Red Carpet Worthy” Tasting put together by Wine Director, Rachel Bryan and Chef Sean Takaki. Best Actress: The Rare Wine Co. “Les Mensil” Blanc de Blancs NV Champagne with Truffle Mac & Cheese. Best Actor: Scholium Project “Babylon” Tenbrink Vineyards 2005 Suisun Valley with Roasted Duck and Potatoes. Best Picture:Villalta Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2004 Vento with a Chocolate Bar. Cost, a mere $25 per person.

Oscar Cocktails At The Standard, Hollywood
Hollywood
Enjoy a special selection of Oscar Cocktails At The Standard, Hollywood. The nominees are; Pandoran punch made up of orange rum and blue curacao, Shoshanna’s revenge a mix of dragon berry rum, orange and strawberry, and the Mile High Club which consists of French vanilla kahlua and patron coffee. The Standard, Hollywood has these selection of cocktails available at $12 each alongside there normal daily selection of scrumptious goodies.

Continuing:

palate food + wine Sunday Session and Supper
Glendale (12-5pm & 5-9pm)
This Sunday at palate food + wine try the featured “Single Dish” at Sunday Session for $12. Or do the full Sunday supper for $35 which includes an appetizer, a main course, and dessert. Wine flights available for $12.

Little Dom’s Monday Night Supper
Los Feliz (6pm-11pm)
On Monday nights Little Dom’s if offering a $15 prix-fixe supper featuring seasonal dishes like Shrimp & Whitebean Brushetta , Grilled Albacore w/ Roasted Peppers & Oregano,
Cranberry & Chocolate Chunk Rice Pudding. Bottles of Dago Red or White are $10, and Peroni beer is $2. Sounds like the perfect recession buster to us.

Wine Pairing Wednesday at Upstairs2
West LA (7:30pm)
Upstairs 2, located above the massive Wine House, offers a four-course dinner prepared by chef Todd Barrie every Wednesday, paired with four wines from around the world selected by sommelier Marilyn Snee. Each week will showcase a different wine region, and there will be a brief discussion of each wine and its pairing. The cost is only $55 per person. Make your rezzy here.

Friday Night Sessions @ California Plaza
Downtown Los Angeles (7pm)
Free concerts return to California Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles on the 2nd Friday of every month. The program includes performances by local emerging indie bands. The Friday Night Sessions concert series is a collaborative effort by lafreebee, Isgoodmusic, SideCho Records, Heart Music Group, Casa Downtown, Grand Performances and the artists themselves. This Friday’s performers include Under the Asbury, Garland, Lady Katherine, and Bright Million.

Upcoming:

April 24 – At the 2nd Annual UNIQUE LA Spring Show, taking place at the California Market Center (11am-6pm), shop for two-days at the event that showcases independent design talent at great prices – with an emphasis on “made in America” goods, as 99% of products at the show are proudly made right here in the USA. Your $10 admission includes a collectible, exclusive tote bag designed by a guest artist, refreshments, giveaways, free workshops, DIY den, kids play area, and more.

April 24 – The 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational returns to Los Angeles in April. It’s the nation’s biggest, craziest, most awesome grilled cheese sandwich cooking competition. Details are slim, and the exact location is still TBD. But let’s hope its a little bit more organized after the horror stories last year.

April 27-28 – The Guacamole Festival in Lincoln Heights promotes the consumption of all type of avocados. Attendants enjoy Food dishes serve with lots of Avocado & Guacamole such as burgers, Avocado sandwiches & salads, guacamole dips, tacos, etc. This free event will enjoy a variety of Avocado food recipes, free health screenings, free gifts, Carnival Rides & Games, live music and all type of exhibitors with 15,000 attendees expected.

For all you whiskey drinkers out there, Dig Lounge has a special treat for you. Checkers Downtown is proud to be offering a tour of the whiskey cocktail classics on Thursday night from 4-8pm. Choose either rye or whiskey then pick any of the 4 specialty cocktails, and pay only four bones each.

We first experienced FOUR at the Downtown Checkers Hilton a couple of weeks ago. And it’s one of the best happy hours in town.

This week’s classic $4 cocktails will be:

• MINT JULEP – First appearing in a medical journal in 1787, the mint julep is a simple yet spectacular concoction of fresh mint muddled with a touch of simple syrup, with rye or bourbon.
• NEW ORLEANS SAZERAC – Our interpretation of this cocktail from 1870’s New Orleans uses Knob Creek bourbon, a touch of anisette-scented absinthe, Peychaud’s bitters and fresh lemon juice! Your interpretation, however, can vary.
• OLD FASHIONED – The ultimate American classic cocktail, from the 1880’s! And the true expression of the bartender’s art… Muddled orange and lemon zest, with Agnostura bitters and your choice of rye or bourbon.
• WHISKEY SOUR – the quintessential sour, dating from the mid-1800’s… your choice of bourbon or rye, shaken with fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.

As always, no experience at FOUR would be complete without the palate-pleasing creativity of our very own wave-riding Chef Todd Allison! This week’s spectacular $4 food will be:

• CORN CHOWDER – what better way to play on the bourbon flavors? Finished with fresh maple syrup!
• HOT BROWN – Smoked turkey and bacon on toasted sourdough, and topped with Mornay Sauce (a beautiful béchamel, laced with gruyere and parmesan!!)
• BLOOD ORANGE, FENNEL, AND AVOCADO SALAD WITH GRILLED HALOUMI CHEESE – need I say more??
• CHECKERS PATTY MELT – Just like Mom used to make, but better!

Welcome to the weekend. Party this weekend like it’s 1989 at the 80’s Prom Party, enjoy a “crack off” at Whole Foods, taste Italian wines in Westwood, or if you prefer learn how to cook Italian food. Then on Sunday hang out with the lord of la la land noshing Jonathon Gold at the LA Weekly Gold Standard. Or if lines and crowds aren’t your bag, learn how to prepare one pot Japanese rice dishes with Mrs. Donabe.

Friday, Feb 26

80’s Prom Party
Hollywood (9pm-2am)
From the folks that brought you the Cupcake Challange, BBQ Fest, and the upcoming OC Beer Fest, they now present a totally 80s Prom Party. Re-live High School (or College) all over again as you dance to Bon Jovi, Prince, Madonna, and Journey at the Music Box in Hollywood. The venue will play host to hundreds of partiers, and admission will include prom pictures, two tribute bands, and plenty of good karma. 100% of proceeds will support local animal rescues. Tickets are $40.

Saturday, Feb 27

Parmigiano Reggiano “crack off”
Los Angeles (12pm)
Parmigiano Reggiano “crack off” is taking place at LA area Whole Foods Market locations at Noon this Saturday. The process of carving into a large wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano to preserve the salty, crunchy, crumbly internal crystalline structure requires an expert hand. Watch this video from Whole Foods Market explaining the process. This Saturday witness a live “crack off” by an expert cheesemonger, as 270 wheels of cheese aged 24 months will be simultaneously cracked at Whole Foods locations across the U.S. and the U.K.! Samples, recipes and pairings will follow the cracking. This event is free.

Wally’s Saturday Tasting with Lorenzo Mattoni, Winemaker of Ugolino
Westwood (1-4pm)
Come on down every Saturday between 1 and 4 pm and taste some wine. This Saturday, Wally’s will be joined by Lorenzo Mattoni, Winemaker of Ugolino. The fee is only $10 per person, and there will be a worthwhile discount on the wines being tasted. Cheese and bread are also provided. Tastings are held in the store at 2107 Westwood Blvd. More info here.

Italian Cuisine Class
Los Angeles (2-5pm)
Food from the Mediterranean has long been enjoyed in Southern California and now you can make your own dishes with a Culinary Classroom twist! Join Chef Eric’s Culinary Classroom in making Fresh Home Made Pasta all’Amatriciana (Spicy Tomato Sauce with Pancetta and Crushed Red Chile), incredible Breaded Veal Chops Stuffed with Fontina Cheese, Herbs and Proscuitto, Hearty Hunter-Style Chicken Cacciatore with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Fresh Fettuccine Pasta with Home Made Carbonnara Sauce, Flaky Torta Salata (Mixed Vegetable Torta Baked in Pastry – can be used as a main dish or as an appetizer), and delicious and light Tiramisu. Classes are $85.

Sunday, Feb 28

2nd Annual Gold Standard Food & Wine Event
Miracle Mile (1-5pm)
LA Weekly presents the 2nd Annual Gold Standard Food & Wine Event featuring a selection of LA’s best and most eclectic restaurants hand-picked by LA Weekly’s Pulitzer Prize winning food critic: Jonathan Gold. This years event is at the Peterson Automotive Museum, from 1-5pm. Entry is $60. A portion of proceeds to benefit Heal the Bay and Make A Wish Foundation.

Donabe and Japanese Cooking with Mrs. Donabe
Silverlake (11am)
Naoko, a.k.a. “Mrs. Donabe”, will demonstrate to you how to make donabe and Japanese dishes in her home kitchen. After the class, taste all the dishes together. This weekends class is all about Surf & Turf. Make two different “one-pot” rice dishes with the donabe rice cooker. Dishes include Salmon and hijiki rice, Ginger pork rice, Tofu and Daikon “mizore” soup with barley miso, and Komatsuna (Japanese spinach) and abura-age (fried tofu pouch) “Nibitashi” salad. Price is $60 a person, ticket can be purchased here.

Continuing:

palate food + wine Sunday Session and Supper
Glendale (12-5pm & 5-9pm)
This Sunday at palate food + wine try the featured “Single Dish” at Sunday Session for $12. Or do the full Sunday supper for $35 which includes an appetizer, a main course, and dessert. Wine flights available for $12.

Little Dom’s Monday Night Supper
Los Feliz (6pm-11pm)
On Monday nights Little Dom’s if offering a $15 prix-fixe supper featuring seasonal dishes like Shrimp & Whitebean Brushetta , Grilled Albacore w/ Roasted Peppers & Oregano,
Cranberry & Chocolate Chunk Rice Pudding. Bottles of Dago Red or White are $10, and Peroni beer is $2. Sounds like the perfect recession buster to us.

Wine Pairing Wednesday at Upstairs2
West LA (7:30pm)
Upstairs 2, located above the massive Wine House, offers a four-course dinner prepared by chef Todd Barrie every Wednesday, paired with four wines from around the world selected by sommelier Marilyn Snee. Each week will showcase a different wine region, and there will be a brief discussion of each wine and its pairing. The cost is only $55 per person. Make your rezzy here.

Friday Night Sessions @ California Plaza
Downtown Los Angeles (7pm)
Free concerts return to California Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles on the 2nd Friday of every month. The program includes performances by local emerging indie bands. The Friday Night Sessions concert series is a collaborative effort by lafreebee, Isgoodmusic, SideCho Records, Heart Music Group, Casa Downtown, Grand Performances and the artists themselves. This Friday’s performers include Under the Asbury, Garland, Lady Katherine, and Bright Million.

Upcoming:

April 27-28 – The Guacamole Festival in Lincoln Heights promotes the consumption of all type of avocados. Attendants enjoy Food dishes serve with lots of Avocado & Guacamole such as burgers, Avocado sandwiches & salads, guacamole dips, tacos, etc. This free event will enjoy a variety of Avocado food recipes, free health screenings, free gifts, Carnival Rides & Games, live music and all type of exhibitors with 15,000 attendees expected.

Happy Hour is the elusive hour for most. You work till six or seven, get home at eight after fighting traffic to get back from the West Side. Happy Hour has been over at most bars for two hours. Not so on Thursdays at the Hilton Checkers on Grand Ave and 5th in Downtown LA. Because every week on Thursday nights from 4-8pm they feature four amazing cocktails and four small plates for four hours, all for just four bucks each. Is it becoming clear now? Chef Todd Allison doesn’t just create standard bar food fare either. We’re talking Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, grilled PB & B & J (peanut butter, banana, jelly ) sandwich or Dungeness Crab and fried plantain salad tossed in a Tahitian vanilla vinaigrette. (pics below)

Restaurant Manager Tyler Dow pairs these delightful dishes with artisan cocktails at the bar. Each week, he chooses a premium liquor to concoct a selection of drinks using fresh squeezed juices and herbs. Last week, to go with the Caribbean theme, they created excellent pairings with Cruzan Rum.

This isn’t Barney’s, so you won’t see tri-fold menus a-top each table or happy hour signs on the street, so ask for the FOUR menu at the bar and be prepared to be taken on an odyssey through fine food and beverage. And if you love it, ask around for Tyler and get put on one of Downtown’s best email alerts for Thursday. We’ll see you at the bar. We’re pretty sure the food and cocktails will have you coming back for more.

Menu for 2/25 Four at Checkers:

Cocktails

• LIMONCELLO BRAMBLE – A martini of Vox Vodka, Limoncello, blackberry puree, and fresh lemon juice. From the mind of our own bartender, Violet!
• RED CHECKER – Vox Vodka, St Germain elderflower liqueur, muddled raspberries, and lemon juice, with a hint of orange bitters.
• MOSCOW MULE – Vox Vodka, fresh lime juice, fresh ginger juice, and ginger beer. “Moscow” for the vodka; “Mule” for the kick of ginger!
• VESPER MARTINI – James Bond’s change-of-pace: Tanqueray Gin, Vox Vodka, Golden Lillet, and a twist of lemon.

Food

• VICHYSSOISE with house-made taro chips
• OLIVE OIL POACHED AHI, with cannelloni bean and basil pesto ragout, and red onion pickles
• SHORTRIB GRILLED CHEESE with sautéed onion, baby arugula, and a stone-ground mustard sauce.
• CONFIT OF ARTICHOKE HEARTS, with lemon zest and shaved mizithra cheese.

Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, grilled PB & B & J (peanut butter, banana, jelly ) sandwich – savory, sweet and surprisingly spectacular!

Dungeness Crab and fried plantain salad tossed in a Tahitian vanilla vinaigrette.

Haitian Cooler – Muddled lemon, lime, and orange, with dark Cruzan Rum, ginger beer, and a hint of pineapple juice! Irie Mon!

A twist on the classic Daiquiri, the Boukman Martini is made with Cruzan Light rum, cognac, fresh lime juice, and topped off with cinnamon simple syrup. Hail to the priest.

Boukman Martini

1½ oz Cruzan Light rum
½ oz cognac (I use one of the better-quality VS’s, Remy/Hennessey/Courvoisier are all fine)
¾ oz fresh lime juice
¾ oz cinnamon simple syrup

Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. You can garnish with a lime zest, and/or cinnamon stick if you’d like. Or just ‘naked’ is fine, too.

Over 20 bakeries joined the Nesquik Cupcake Challenge, and 3 would be crowned victorious in the categories of Best Original, Best Traditional and Best Overall. I was truly a cupcake noobie, as I wondered why people were standing in line with their empty boxes. Take them home? Non-sense, I’m gonna eat them all! Wrong. After about halfway through the list, the sugar overload was overwhelming. Right around the seventh or eighth cupcake, I paused as I took a bite out of each mini sized morsel. Some of the pro’s call it cupcake fatigue, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

The Big Man took the cake on this day, as Downtown newcomer Big Man Bakes “Red Velvet” took home the 1st place prize for Best Traditional. With one of our favorites Blue Cupcake “Sweet and Salty Vanilla” and Southern Girl Desserts “Red Velvet” taking 2nd and 3rd.

Best Original and Overall were dominated by three sole bakeries; My Delight Cupcakery, Two Parts Sugar, and Jus Minis. Winner of Best Original and 2nd as Best Overall was My Delight Cupcakery’s “Breakfast Cake”. A delight indeed, like biting into a plate of waffles, syrup, and bacon, it could replace a morning meal with ease.

Winner of Best Overall, and second for Best Original was Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”. I’m sad we missed that one, but the cupcake fatigue had taken over by the time we got around to it. Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry” took home the bronze for both Best Overall and Best Original.

We got through as many cupcakes as we could, washed it all down with some Nesquick Chocolate Milk, marked our ballet for our favorites and hung our heads in shame as we left defeated by the all-mighty cupcake.

Full list of winners below. Full photoset on Flickr.

My Delight Cupcakery Breakfast Cake took home the gold.

Blue Cupcake “Sweet and Salty Vanilla” was another favorite and took home second for Best Traditional.

The Tavern's Salted Caramel (right) was another favorite.

The Dig Lounge winner for best original, Fairy Cakes Pumpkin White Chocolate.

Best Traditional
1st Place: Big Man Bakes “Red Velvet”
2nd Place: Blue Cupcake “Sweet and Salty Vanilla”
3rd Place: Southern Girl Desserts “Red Velvet”

Best Original
1st Place: My Delight Cupcakery “Breakfast Cake”
2nd Place: Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”
3rd Place: Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry”

Best Overall
1st Place: Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”
2nd Place: My Delight Cupcakery “Breakfast Cake”
3rd Place: Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry”

Dig Lounge Winners:
Best Traditional: Fairy Cakes “Vanilla Bean Almond Dream”
Best Original: Fairy Cakes “Pumpkin White Chocolate”
Best Overall: My Delight Cupcakery “Breakfast Cake”

It’s not your typical match up on a blind date. In-N-Out Burger and 20 different cabs. But yet Ian Blackburn’s LearnAboutWine loft in downtown LA is anything but your typical wine class. Ian’s knowledge of wine, it’s regions, makers, vintages, and grapes is astonishing. I envy his passion for wine and his love of sharing that knowledge, without the wine speak that might make some people uncomfortable. His classes are fun, informational, and you can come away with them as much or as little as you want.

His series of classes called Blind Date is an exceptional pairing of 20 different wines, tasted blind, paired with one of So Cal’s best burgers. The class is informal, fun, and a good chance to meet and chat with others about wine. Ian starts out talking about the wine we are about to taste, the type of grape, and subtleties about the wines that makes each region different. In front of us were 20 different cabs from Napa to Australia.

Our blind date for the night, 20 cabs layed out before us.

A great opportunity to meet and chat with other wine lovers.

Our host and teacher for the night, Ian Blackburn.

Start off my sipping each one, trying to note which wine you think is which. Then the burgers are delivered, and the wines change before your very eyes – and mouth. You make adjustments, but it’s fruitless, no pun intended. Only an expert with tens of years of experience could tackle this list. I couldn’t tell a ‘05 Faust from an ‘04 Silverkoak, much less a Craggy Range from New Zealand. Although I did nail the Peju, only because we had recently been to their tasting room. The fun comes in selecting your favorite wine. Mine happened to be the Star Lane “Astral” Cabernet at $30 a bottle. We had recently been to their new tasting room on our last trip to Santa Barbara, but didn’t love the wines. I definitely want to revisit them now after revealing the Star Lane wine as my favorite from this list of stellar selections.

Double Double vision, the perfect pairing for 20 different cabs.

There are two Blind Date’s coming up in March that are a must try. On March 5 Big Reds of the World ($89) features wines from Napa to Tuscany. So if you like Italian and French reds,then this class is for you. Or perhaps you like a good Pinot then the March 12 class is perfect for you. All famous Cali labels are featured. From Kosta Browne, Hitching Post, Cakebread, to Sea Smoke and more.

This is one Blind Date you wont mind being set up on.