Michele StuevenAny I Love Lucy fan knows that almost every Ricardo argument ended with a heart-shaped box of chocolates. To celebrate the highly anticipated Amazon original movie, Being The Ricardos, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, Prime Video has teamed up with Compartés to produce a limited-time-only chocolate bar inspired by the I Love Lucy biographical drama.
An L.A. staple since it opened in 1950, Compartés became famous with Lucille Ball contemporaries like Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley and hold Oprah, Gwyneth Paltrow and Drew Barrymore as loyal customers. The chocolatiers have created a red velvet cake-flavored chocolate bar, a nod to TV’s most famous redhead. Starting today, the gourmet chocolate shop will be distributing white chocolate and red velvet cake flavored treats as gifts with a purchase via their website.
Red velvet cake-flavored chocolate bar (Courtesy Compartes)
Art DOGL, a first-of-its-kind community celebration centered on the connection between canines and their companions, will take place on Saturday, December 11 and Sunday, December 12 in Downtown Los Angeles. The two-day festival is free for the public and their dogs to attend, will feature immersive installations, visual art performances, complimentary Tito’s Vodka cocktails, a Nationwide® pet “Pup Portrait Studio” (complete with appearances from Santa Paws), and participation from over 50 local artists and businesses. Full Moon Pet will be providing dog pizzas with recipes designed by chef Elizabeth Faulkner. The event benefits Wags&Walks, a non-profit rescue and adoption center to help find forever homes for some of their rescued pups. Tickets are available via EventBrite and are free to the public (and their dogs) to attend.
BONDLE wines are popping up for the tasting on Saturday, December 11 at Garcons de Cafe in DTLA from 1-4 p.m. The new French natural wine company will be pouring from magnums offering glass pours of their champagne, red, white, rose and orange wine and will be serving bites from founder Duyen Ha. Sample bites include:
- Oysters, champagne sabayon, honey emulsion, tarragon oil
- Hamachi, perilla oil, pomegranates, thai basil, chili lime, sesame rice crackers
- Radishes, tarama, pea shoots/mizuna, cilantro, tagete, sourdough
- Mont d’or, endives, grilled broccoli rabe, saffron, toasted rice powder
- Pandan basque cheesecake, Vietnamese coffee cremeux
RSVP for the afternoon HERE.
After a two-year pop-up collaboration, Parm Boyz returns to Ronan for a “Home for the Holidays” pop-up event and toy drive benefiting Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles on Sunday, December 12. The final night revival will be a red sauce Italian four-course meal that includes antipasti, Caesar salad, chicken and eggplant parm, and tiramisu. There will also be veal chop parm and veal Tomahawk chop add-ons for an additional cost. A modified vegetarian menu will also be available. The grand finale includes a toy drive, where guests are encouraged to bring an unwrapped gift to donate to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Guests who pay it forward with a gift will receive a welcome nip of limoncello, on the house. Reservations can be made via Resy and are highly encouraged. Be aware, there is a $10 per person cancellation fee if canceled with less than 24 hours’ notice.
Courtesy Parm Boys
Piccalilli is bringing back its Night in Tel Aviv for the second year in a row on Wednesday, December 15. For one night only, the downtown Culver City restaurant will offer a menu of modern Middle Eastern dishes inspired by Israeli-born sous chef, Liyam Ezer. Highlights include Tahini & Spicy Stuff with “Har-bracha” tahini, schoug, arissa, and charred chili; Yellowtail Carpaccio with olive oil, nuts, onion and urfa chili; Seafood Kabab with fish, shrimp, amba & charred scallions; Lamp Malfoof with “Sandpit” slow roast lamb wrapped in cabbage, matbucha and herbs. Reservations are recommended by calling 424-298-8540 or on resy.com.
The former Imperial Western Beer Co. at Union Station has reopened in its full splendor as the Homebound Brew Haus with a flurry of events:
Krampus Rock ‘n’ Roll Sundays (December 12, 19, 26)
On offer will be Krampus-inspired specialty cocktails, late-night happy hour from 8 p.m. to close, first beer for $1 to anyone in Krampus dress/costume. Music stylings will include heavy rock ‘n’ roll a la The White Stripes, Danzig, Ozzy Osbourne and the like, all set to visual stylings of eerie holiday films, such as Nightmare Before Christmas, Scrooge and, of course, Krampus.
Motown Monday Holiday Happy Hour (December 13, 20)
Homebound will offer an extended happy hour until 8 p.m. on Mondays throughout the holiday season, complete with Motown holiday music programming, light bites and bar deals.
Brew Hall Karaoke Wednesdays – Holiday Edition
Running every other Wednesday in December and January, Homebound will be offering a late-night happy hour from 8 p.m. until close. Themed nights in December include:
- December 15: First annual holiday caroling karaoke with a prize for ugliest sweater, beer and cocktail specials, spiked hot apple cider and mulled wine.
- December 29: First annual hot cocoa Karaoke starts at 7:30 p.m. with ugly sweater contest, spiked peppermint hot chocolate and holiday bubbles.
What’s Popping Up is a weekly column in the L.A. Weekly that explores all that’s new in food and drink.
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