Caroline on Crack

To step into The Wellesbourne, a new West L.A. bar which claims the 3,000-square-foot space previously occupied by Anna's Italian Restaurant, is to be transported to a pub on the English countryside. Yet rather than smelling of stale beer and years of pipe smoke, this one has that unmistakable aroma......

Since winters in Southern California aren't exactly optimal for sleigh rides or snowball fights, we need something other than the usual Hot Toddy and Irish Coffee to mark the season. Here are 10 festive cocktails by L.A.'s top bartenders, two of which include recipes to make your holiday parties extra......

David Kaplan, co-owner of Death & Co in New York, and Alex Day, former D&C bartender, are bringing their cocktails to the downtown L.A. drink scene. The pair teamed up in hospitality consulting company, Proprietors LLC, and Bar & Kitchen, the bar/restaurant in O Hotel downtown, is their newest project......

At the end of the night, Los Angeles cocktail consultant Aidan Demarest climbed on top of the polished wood bar, careful not to upset any of the bottles of housemade syrups or bang his head on the low-hanging Scotch shelf, and toasted the crowd. "Welcome to 1886," he said, steadying......

Thanksgiving celebrations take on a whole new meaning in an age when we're more concerned with Black Friday sales shopping strategies than seating placements. But that doesn't mean you have to forgo your favorite fall flavors just because you're going to skip the traditional sit-down dinner. Some L.A. bartenders are......

Looking for a chilling potion to compliment your Halloween horror fest? Three L.A. brew experts -- Christina Perozzi of The Beer Chicks, Ryan Sweeney of Verdugo Bar and The Surly Goat Bar, and Alex Macy of City Sip LA, which will be hosting a beer and zombie book pairing this......

Last year, science fiction author Ray Bradbury celebrated his 89th birthday at Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria on 7th and Broadway, a place where he, along with sci-fi writer/memorabilia collector Forrest Ackerman, founded the Science Fiction Society, which met weekly on the restaurant's second floor during the Great Depression. Bradbury has said......

The Place: Fraîche Santa Monica, 312 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, (310) 451-7482. The Hours: Friday-Monday 5-6:30pm, Tuesday-Thursday 5pm-close The Deals: $5 select draft beer; $6 red, white and prosecco by the glass; $6 well; $3-$10 food......

The Place: The Surly Goat, 7929 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, (323) 650-4628. The Hours: Daily 6-8pm The Deals: $4 selected beer and well......

The Place: Lazy Ox Canteen, 241 S San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo; (213) 626-5299. The Hours: Weekdays 5-7pm The Deals: $4 select beer and glasses of red or white wine, sangria; $5 small plates......