Tequila Bandera

Are any of you familiar with Tequlia "Bandera" Style? I just heard about it on a radio ad. Aparently, you are poured 3 shots (I assume chilled) of tequila, lime juice and this reddish sangrita (translation: cute little blood - kind of like spicy bloody mary mix). You can sip each shot in any order you like. Check out otherways to drink tequila (other than margaritas) on liquorsnob.com

The Gobbler

Perhaps this holiday travel season you stayed a fancy motel. Perhaps it was as fancy as

The Gobbler. Click on the link and hit "Next" to take the tour. Enjoy!

Don't Go Baby Go!

It's known as The Sport of Kings. Back in the day, the likes of Sea Biscuit and many other great champions raced around Hollywood Park. But now it's just a giant fading memory, a huge land mass in Inglewood that's now home to a mediocre casino and shares the parking lot with the LA Forum (another dwindling landmark). Well, rumor has it that they want to tear down this monument to sports gambling, probably to put up a Super Walmart or live work lofts or something. It's sad really. Apparently, in the 1950's before the internet or GTV or other legalized sports book outlets, attendance was around 80,000 people per day. Now it has dwindled to 4,000 people per day with a little bit more in attendance when young whipper-snappers like me go on Friday Nights for $1 Beer and $1 hot dogs. They also usually have bands on Friday Night like, Flock of Seagulls, The Smithereens, English Beat or Super Diamond. Man, really love this place. Yes it's seedy. Yes it's sketchy. Yes, it's dirty, but it's fun and something different to do. So I ask you, should it stay or should it go now? I'm going to try to go to the track on the last day of this season, this Sunday, December 21st. The also have $1 beers and $1 hot dogs on Sundays.

If You Build It, They Will Tee.

Lately I've been bitching about the high price of cocktails, especially in towns like LA, South Beach, New York, Las Vegas. In pretty much any fancy high roller joint these days, booze ain't cheap. So here's a tip. Before you check in, steer your rental car or your cab driver by the nearest liquor store and stock up on the essentials: bottle of choice, mixer of choice, beer, snacks, bottled water and clear medium size plastic cups. I can not stress to BYOW (Bring Your Own Water). One medium size bottle of Evian in our room was $11! Plus you can take your plastic container filled with home made adult beverage down to the pool. No worries mate! (Clear ones blend in w/ the hotel's better than frat boy red cups, fyi.) Even in a recession, one wants to be cheap not look cheap.
I know what some of you are thinking. "Teed, that's what the mini bar is for!" Well, I think those things charge you for even just taking something out of the mini fridge. You can't even look at the label to see how overpriced the snack or beverage is without paying for it. Ripoff! Do yourself a favor. Fill up that ice bucket (that's what it's there for). Pour yourself a tall stiff one and relax, it's practically on the house.

Miami Beach Part 1: My Kinda Town

If you like late night partying, beautiful beaches, beautiful exotic people, then South Beach Miami, FL is for you, especially in the winter months. The weather couldn't be better. 72 and sunny! But if you don't like 18% mandatory service charges and $42 overnight parking fees at the Shore Club then, perhaps you might want to rethink your trip to Sobe.
From Cuban food to dancing to walking the Art Deco strip of Ocean Drive and Collins Ave to cocktails by the pool and late nights in the lounges Miami Beach has it all. I called it home for almost 2 years. Some of the old hotels that I remembered being abandoned Art Deco historical landmarks on the beach, now looked smashing. The city is more tourist friendly, cleaner, safer and but also more expensive. Like any resort town it has its local flair of reasonable dive bars and sandwich shops, but we mostly stuck to the beaten path this go round. It's still a young and rich man's game, so if you go, bring your wallet and a sixer of Red Bull.