City Tavern

Table Taps - you won't find these anywhere else

City Tavern
9379 Culver Blvd
Culver City, 90232

Type: Restaurant, Bar
Category: Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hour
Company: Classy enough for a date, but laid-back enough for a casual evening out.

Review:
When the first thing that comes out of your mouth is "it's like a tactile ORGASM" - there are three things you simultaneously think:

1) I hope nobody heard that.
2) Yep, they did, those people right there are looking at you with  a strange expression
3) The food and drink better be just as good

Back: Fried Grits. Front: Poutine

Luckily, City Tavern pulls through. Just as you would hope from a place that is as hip as to have walls coated in blackboard paint, hand-made tables from old barn wood, gnarly-cool lights made from re-purposed metals, and coveted booth seating with ""table taps," City Tavern is the exact opposite of cool and stuffy.

Why you know it: City Tavern is the little brother to "up the block" Rush Street.

Why you'll love it: Table-taps for select booths. Quirky spins on classic food and drink - like seasonal beer popsicles nestled in pop rocks, and the chef's understandable obsession with bacon. Beer served in milk bottles during happy hour.

What you should eat: Poutine, Fried Grits, House Buttermilk Dressing, Fried Chicken Nuggets, Roasted Mahi, Warm Peanut-Butter Brownie.

What you should drink: Any of the beers on tap via tasting flights. The Cool Hand Luke and Grape Goose from the cocktail menu.

Roasted Mahi with port, artichoke, and fig reduction

Made by locals, for locals, City Tavern is an excellent option to add to the tried-and-true options in Culver City. Plus- apparently, you can say anything here and still get served!

LifeCrowd

LifeCrowd
Change Your Social Life. Get Offline.


What: LifeCrowd.Com

How: Browse pre-scheduled “events” from categories such as Indulgent, Active, and Creative – save your spot by paying, the designated day, location, and time.

Feels Like: Lists of LivingSocial-like activities with Yelp-like testimonials made personal by integrating Facebook profiles (optional)

Cost: Varies

Imagine: Cliffside Yoga, Beer and Cigar Pairings, Sushi Rolling

Who: You! Do it alone or do it with someone, and know that however you show up you will leave with a new experience and possibly some new friends.


Review:
We’ve all had it happen – you see a link on facebook, a re-tweet on twitter or an article in the paper about Something New. Well, new to you – and likely, most of your friends. You think “Hmm, this could be fun,” and proceed to copy, paste, and email it to your group of besties with the tagline “Anyone interested?” And since it’s probably something you’ve never done before, it’s likely that if you don’t get a “Yes,” you just won’t go – because let’s be real, trying something new (alone) isn’t always the most fun and social experience.

Enter LifeCrowd. The premise is simple, yet the benefits are abundant. Join LifeCrowd and you have two options. You can browse upcoming events and sign up to participate, or you can create your own and become a host. No longer are your days of exploration dependent on BYOF (“bring your own friends”) or your ability to MYOA (“make your own adventure”) – now all you have to do is sign up, browse, click, and pay and voila - you are on your way to building your repertoire and expanding your social circle.

Fathers' Office Burger - Replica

I recently attended the third installment of the LifeCrowd event LA Burger Series which boasted the Fathers Office Burger Recipe, a “make your own” session, and of course – beer pairings. Naturally I attended alone, and I am pleased to report that not only was I not alone in my decision to go solo, but the entire crowd was so welcoming, talkative, curious, and fun that I was glad, for once, that none of my friends wanted to learn how to handle raw meat.

Our host, Angela, while admitting that the recipe card she gave out is not the verified recipe from FO itself but rather the final outcome of several weeks’ worth of trials and errors, did a wonderful job of maintaining a casual atmosphere while still directing and explaining the process and procedure. While we cut cheese, sautéed onions, and fried burger patties, a group of strangers mixed and mingled; throughout our three hour event we learned that we had mutual friends, interests, and some of us found out that we were even neighbors. 

After exchanging numbers and promises to get together again we parted – full, jubilant, and with a burger education- I realized that my evening with LifeCrowd was much more fun and successful in “getting out there and meeting new people” than any night at a local bar. So while you may get drawn in to LifeCrowd because it’s online and it’s an easy way to try a new activity, the more profound impact is that LifeCrowd draws us out of our usual crowd and back in to life.

Chego!

Chego
Let's Go Bowling. With Rice...
3300 Overland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Follow Chego on Facebook


Type: Restaurant, Cafe
Category: Dinner, Late-Night
Company: Chill Date, Friends, Visitors, Co-Workers, EVERYONE
Cost: $4-$9
Quick-Rec: Go hungry and go often. Doesn't sell beer or liquor and it is "highly frowned upon" to bring a flask, "water bottle," or any other carry-in beverage container (to list a few hints).

OTC Tip: Introduce yourself to everyone. Make friends. Seek out Micko, the GM. Fall in love.

Review:
Who knew the gateway to gastronomical heaven was in the back corner of a tiny strip mall on Overland and Motor? Well, now you do.

Chego is the first restaurant of the notorious Roy Choi, self-described as "THE BEST! NUMBA JUAN! So friggin good you're too happy eating it to describe how delicious it is" - sound like the definition for euphoria? You bet.

So, what is it? Well, basically an assorted menu of delicious tasty-tasty-drool items that you end up mixing all together anyways to make a textured mash of charred-tenders meats, indiscernible veggies, spice, and rice. Basically, the bomb.com. Squared. To the millionth power of infinity. But enough talk..Drool on...

3PM Meatballs: Korean-fried, shaved green onions, sesame, polenta patty 

Chubby Pork Belly: Kochujang-lacquered kurobuta, w/fried egg, pickled watermelon radishes, water spinach, cilantro, cotija, peanuts

Side of Sour Cream Sambal: Usually comes with the Sour Cream Hen House...but I like creamy sauces so...yea. I got a side. WHAT? 

Steak-In-The-Heart Sandwich: Prime rib sandwich on grilled ciabatta, wok-seared onions, roasted garlic Irish butter, cheese, green sauce

Rock Yer Road: Chocolate ice cream, smoked almonds, caramel, brownies, melting marshmallow fluff, Luxardo cherry

As we were finishing our meal, Micko stopped by our table to check in. Now, even though I'm not really known for being shy about my opinions, in even an epic display for myself I stood up, spread my arms like a boned chicken, and proclaimed "I.LOVE.YOU."

Aggressive? Maybe. Perhaps it's just that my stomach is shameless. It's cool, we're all friends on Facebook now -NBD.

Now, for details about the above: all I really have are three pieces of advice - either 1) Go and order everything and/or 2) Go everyday until you have, collectively, ordered everything...


Breathe.


3) Repeat.

...I plan on going back next week (and moving in the week following that) so if you see me there (probably a plus-15 pounds version), pull up a seat and let's "share."

Mini Rhubarb Pie: Rhubarb, meyer lemon, brown sugar crumble, all-butter crust served warm with homemade vanilla bean icecream.