Puttin' The "Bar" In Barbecue

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Puttin' The "Bar" In Barbecue

I ain't no gambler, but I'd bet on this julep.

In honor of this Saturday's Kentucky Derby, hoof it over to Bludso's, Weho's new-ish bastion of BBQ, for the best julep outside Louisville. Here's why their version gets the gold cup. As co-owner Jason Bernstein (a self-taught cocktail connoisseur) explains, Evan Williams bourbon is steeped in mint for 24 hours, strained, then chilled on tap. Like the Foreigner tune, this bourbon is cold as ice, so that when poured over pebble ice, the booze doesn't get watered down.

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East Meets West

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East Meets West

Dreams of clam strips are dancing in my head.  Tonight, I head to my Connecticut, childhood home, where I will load up on fried fish, butter-sautéed scallops, and lobster rolls .  Living in L.A., land of many flavors, I have my pick of international eats, yet I lament the lack of seafood shacks of my youth.  Sure, there's the PCH standbys, Neptune's Net and Reel Inn, and Santa Monica's BP Oysterette, but head inland and the choices are slim.  That is until Son Of A Gun came to town.

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Dinner: No Utensils Required

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Dinner: No Utensils Required

When I was young, it was a special treat to have breakfast for dinner. Whether it was waffles at home or pancakes at the local diner, supper was made special by simply reversing the order of eating.  Part of its appeal was the sheer fun of shaking things up, part was that we were breaking the rules.  Nowadays, when I want to recreate that childhood tradition, I order a sandwich for dinner.  

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