Ate. Drank. Won.

That's the short and sweet of the weekend we just spent in Los Angeles. We snagged $19 airfare on Frontier, which made our trip out there cheaper than the 15 mile Lyft ride from LAX to our hotel. I think the flight was shorter too. I booked the Sheraton Grand hotel via Hotwire. It has superb location in the heart of DTLA. It was perfect! Walking to the Staples Center was a breeze and having the Metro stop right there connected us to the rest of LA with ease. There is a cool lounge on the third floor with water feature and firepit.



Seven Grand was our first stop on Friday night. What a cool spot! We love a good whiskey bar and this did not disappoint. I mean, anywhere with a whiskey bible on hand is pretty promising. Though, I must admit we were a bit surprised that they were out of stock on Angel's Envy Rye.



Next, we wandered over to La Cita for Punky Raggae madness. It's a great dive bar with a solid margarita. We were mislead, as there was no punk or raggae. Still, the margarita made the stop worthwhile and the patio was cool.

Frank discovered a new spot named the King Cigar Lounge. It is far superior to others we've frequented in the area. This place is bright, clean and has fantastic location to LA Live and the Staples Center. They offer public, private and patio lounges with a great selection of sticks.

No trip to LA is complete without pastrami from Langer's Deli. We were only one metro stop away so we went twice. I mean when it's good, it's good. It's an institution for a reason.



We found ourselves at Ritz Carlton's pool for the view, a cocktail and lack of a crowd. While Kings fans were gearing up for their home opener. It was nice of them to welcome us - Go Knights Go!











We also grabbed a scoop at Salt & Straw. A must whenever we are nearby. They are currently showcasing spooky flavors. All were better than expected. Although, I wasn't able to try the most interesting flavor with chocolate crickets and candied meal worms. I don't know if my allergen translates to a food allergy, but I figured it was best not to find out. The Coffee Bourbon is too hard for me to resist anyhow.



We took the Metro to Hollywood for dinner at Cleo. They have closed the Vegas location, much to our dismay, so we thought we'd get a fix. The menu varies a bit and the dishes we knew and loved didn't really deliver. It was not a loss, however. We loved the crispy cauliflower with blue cheese tahini and the eggplant chips!



We stopped at Lost Property for a night cap before returning back to the hotel. We had a date with old friends. El Camino, anyone?

Sunday was dedicated to sports. It was a shame, though, that bars at LA Live don't open until 10AM. They must hate money because it was a seriously missed opportunity. There were so many fans dressed up with nowhere to go. We thought we'd give Tom's Urban a try. Thankfully, they opened before the posted time of 11 o'clock. There are many TV's but we weren't too thrilled by the experience. We opted to find somewhere else at half time of the early games. We came upon Dublin's Irish Whiskey Pub. It was far more our speed. We were content the rest of the afternoon. Great beer and whiskey selection! The Shepard's Pie was pretty good too.

Hockey was the main event Sunday night. We had tickets at center ice. Not as many Knight's fans traveled for this game compared to others we've seen on the road, but we had a great time and we were thrilled to earn a win, kicking off a streak after some tough losses.





Monday, we ventured outside DTLA for some sights and fun. We took the Metro to Santa Monica. It's been more than decade since we've been so we figured it was time to revisit. I cannot recommend it. Though, we did enjoy a light lunch at Meat on Ocean.











We bailed after grabbing a bite. We called a Lyft to El Segundo. Sometime you should just stick to what you know & love. I dropped Frank off at daycare - teehee - and made my way to Sausal. Which has become tradition.





After a margarita and fish taco, I felt a bang-bang was in order. Any Louie CK fans, remain? It was a great episode that introduced me to the gloriousness of a double dinner. After settling my Mexican cravings I walked over to the Slice and Pint. We discovered it on a previous trip. They play good tunes, serve up tasty slices and offer an impressive tap list. As they should, since they are also the folks behind El Segundo Brewing. I knew I made the right choice immediately upon seeing this sign.



Talk about Oktoberfest dreams coming true. I washed down the amazing slice, with a banana wheat hefeweizen.



It was the perfect end to a fantastic trip.

Good Intentions

How is the new year treating you? I already feel like life is on fast forward. My list of everything I'd like to accomplish is more lengthy than the days are long.

I need to get organized and prioritize. Otherwise, I may never make a dent. My plan is to update here twice weekly. I have oodles to share. I just need to hunker down and do it. In case I continue to slack, I welcome you to join me on Instagram. I stay active on vegasjuhlshines. It's easier to maintain on the fly. I miss writing, though. Hence, my desire to revive this bad boy.

Anyway, let's dig in... we rang in the new year at home. We both passed out before midnight. A first! Frank was home for a few weeks, which was such a nice treat. Work kept him mostly on the east coast since July. So, it was good to have quality time and sneak in a couple quick getaways.

We went to San Francisco (M'mmm crab) for a day and drove to Santa Clara for Bears vs. 49ers. It was great to catch a game that ended in our favor - sadly, the winning streak was cut short when we met the Eagles. Man, that game was a bummer! At least we were able to drown our sorrows with deep dish pizza, 312 beer and jello shots. Very thankful for a taste of Chicago right here in the mojave desert.

The Knights, on the other hand are on a heater!! We road tripped to Glendale to see them defeat the Coyotes for the last game of the year (and nabbed us some BBQ at Rudy's). Then, we drove down to L.A. last weekend to see them play the Anaheim Ducks. It was an intense game. We were thrilled to earn another win. The streak continues.

We spent Saturday in west Hollywood after a bite at Langer's Deli. It was such a great low key day. There are Salt & Straws all over California now. We seek them out. This trip was no exception. That Bourbon Coffee! Is damn tasty. I'm glad it's expanded beyond Portland, I don't get up that way often enough. I will this summer, though. The family will be traveling from all over the midwest to meet us for a few days on the Oregon Coast. This will be our second family reunion, last year we gathered in Colorado. I'm looking forward to another adventure.

And speaking of adventures next month I'll set off on another trip to Europe. If you've been to Stockholm or Amsterdam, I'd love any tidbits.

Better Than Chicken Soup for the Soul

Frank and I snuck off for a quick trip to So Cal. Stopping in LA for pastrami at Langers, taking in a ballgame in Anaheim - Go White Sox!, brewery hopping with an old friend from jr/high school, and running off to San Diego for tasty eats at Con Pane Bakery and El Indio, and ocean breezes in La Jolla. It's stuff that's just good for the soul.



In Anaheim, we visited The Bruery, Bruery Terreux and Noble Ale Works. All great finds, but my favorite was Noble Ale Works. Not only is it walking distance from Angel Stadium, but it also has amazing beers! Nosecandy had all the flavor of a full bodied IPA, but lacked the punch. The ABV of only 4.4% made for some easy drinking. Man's Milk was an outstanding milk stout - creamy, roasted coffee and rich dark chocolate flavor with only a scant of sweetness. The perfect dessert (at least in my book) might just be the Naughty Sauce. Also a milk stout, though, more golden in color, rich roast flavor, but with vanilla, reminds me of chocolate chip cookies. This will be a must stop whenever we catch a game!!



We sampled quite a bit from the Bruery. My favorite was a sour exclusive to Society members, Sour in the Rye 2016 - we were fortunate to get a sample. It was fantastic. I only wish we could've brought a growler home. They recently opened a second tasting room called Terreux. It has a great patio and a nice selection of sours. However, none were as good as that members only selection over at the Bruery.





Angel games are always fun, but we had an added bonus of friends from Vegas join us - both couples are originally from Chicago too. Plus, this night had fireworks after the game. It was a nice display and it softened the blow of our loss.



We had a nice stay at the Holiday Inn Anaheim. Better than expected considering its aimed at families visiting Disneyland. We met our friends for breakfast at Anepalcos. It comes highly recommended and they're known for chilaquiles, so I was mighty excited. They looked beautiful, but the sauce was more acidic than anything and as a whole the experience was rather disappointing. Bummer.



Rather than stay in Anaheim, we made a last minute decision to head to San Diego for the night. I was able to secure a surprisingly good last-minute deal on Hotwire at the Hotel Indigo which is right in the heart of the Gaslamp, only a stone's throw from Petco Park. The hotel was great, only complaint was that parking was pretty pricey, but that's typical downtown. The rooms were without carpet and I was in love.



There was a rooftop lounge with a nice view of the ballpark. We hung out there for the final innings of the game.





In addition to eating at our favorite places, we also returned to the Cuban Cigar Factory which has undergone a renovation since our last visit. It's a bit more comfortable now, it's a great place to enjoy a stick and try a variety of local beers.

No trip to San Diego is complete without a stop in La Jolla. There are few places better than being perched on the cliffs above the Pacific. It is definitely our happy place.

A Quickie in LA

As I mentioned my dad is visiting. Prior to his arrival, Amy and I discussed a trip to the Grand Canyon. It seemed like a good idea since we haven't been, but the logistics were not practical. Amy is uncomfortably pregnant and I'm just getting back on my feet, it's chilly and quite aways from home. We scratched that idea, and came up with Plan B, which was to introduce dad to the gloriousness that is Langer's Pastrami. I found a cheap van rental via ACE Rent A Car, customer service was lacking, but the 12 passenger van fit the seven of us well. We had plenty of personal space; which is welcomed on road trips. I secured a good rate last minute via Hotwire at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Hawthorne and booked two rooms.

We left Vegas about 8 o'clock Saturday morning. Our first stop was lunch at Langer's. Dad enjoyed the pastrami and the latkes, which came as no surprise. It was fantastic as always. LA was warm and clear, it was a lovely afternoon. I wanted to soak up the warm rays, it's been so chilly at home I couldn't get enough. We got settled at the hotel, and then we set off for the beach. Unfortunately, our plans were derailed when a storm blew in. We watched the rain fall at Manhattan Beach with hopes it would soon pass, but no such luck.

We ended up relaxing at the hotel, and later Frank and Nick were able to swim. Hunger didn't strike until late so we grabbed some eats at Ricos Tacos El Tio. It's a quaint space around the corner in Inglewood. The neighborhood has the reputation of being "ghetto" but Frank and I found no issue with it. We drove, but it was easily walkable from the hotel. We brought back tacos, burritos, quesadilla and a torta. The latter two were the best of the bunch. The torta is where it's at! The quesadilla wasn't only your typical grilled flour tortilla dripping with grease from meat & cheese. This was fully loaded with lettuce, pico and avocado. Muy bueno!

Sunday morning, we cruised through Inglewood seeing the Forum and Randy's Doughnuts; before arriving in Marina Del Ray, since we've never been. There wasn't much to woo us, so we drove around a bit finally coming upon a sledding track made from fake snow and hay bales located across from the beach. We hopped out for a photo because the concept cracked us up. Nick and I ended up going for a ride. I was nervous about my ankle, but they say it's healed... I'd never get the opportunity to sled at the beach again so I had to go for it. I totally admit poking fun at it, but it was a helluva good time. It was warm, I wasn't bundled, it was slick and speedy. They're on to something here in LA!





Afterwards, we stopped at the park nearby. The kids chased the birds, and we took turns on the swings. We were going to walk over to the beach but Mike preferred we go to Venice Beach. We took the short drive, parked and walked over to the water. The sand was pretty compact which I appreciated, I'm not quite ready for the loose sand yet. Clouds rolled in, it was a bit too chilly to stay too long. Plus, we were hungry, Mike had his sights set on Joan's on Third. So, we continued on to Hollywood for a bit. I thought a late lunch would be less hectic, but no such luck. The place was a zoo. Frank drove around while we placed an order to go. We chowed on sandwiches on the road back home. It was a whirlwind trip, but we enjoyed ourselves. It's always nice to make new memories.