Tipsy Roadtripping: Wine-Tasting in Solvang For Only $75.25!

I recently acquired a fulltime job. So, naturally, the first I thing I did after celebrating the return of a regular weekly paycheck--and mourning the end of my immensely enjoyable 15 month ride of my non 9-6pm freelance writing lifestyle--was look into a quick pre-"start of work" vacation.

With limited time to plan and limited resources (unfortunately, I still have to work for two weeks first before getting paid), I decided on a quickie wine-tasting roadtrip to Solvang. This was also my first roadtrip with Ugly Shoe Boy so hopefully any potentially awkward 'first roadtrip together' moments would be softened--or forgotten--under the tipsy haze of a trip dedicated to the consumption of alcohol...because, let's face it, isn't 'wine-tasting' just a sophisticated and more acceptable form of day drinking? (For those who missed reading about my first encounter with him, Ugly Shoe Boy is not ugly, but in fact quite hot...hot enough to distract me into buying a pair of ugly running shoes--and consequently, go out on dates--with him.)

Solvang is an almost creepily quaint Disneyland-esque Danish town filled with tudor architecture, fudge shops, Danish pastry bakeries, wine-tasting rooms and a Best Western adorned with a giant windmill facade, as seen in the movie Sideways. Solvang's helpful official website, www.solvangusa.com lists a bunch of hotels, including Wine Valley Inn, which had rooms for $120 but let me book their manager's special for $62 which I found on Expedia.com directly with them instead; making the Dutch-style Inn cheaper than even the chain motels in the area (Vagabond Inn and Best Western are in the $80's range). Plus, they include free breakfast and about $30 worth of free wine-tasting coupons when you check in! Score! Our 'clock tower' suite with a queen was really spacious and came with a cozy wood-burning fireplace. (Each room is different with different amenities and sizes so make sure to ask for exactly what you want; our room was #216.)

Although there's not too much to do in Solvang except wine taste, eat Danish pastries to absorb some of the alcohol and then wine taste some more, so you feel better about doing another activity which doesn't involve consuming vino, it's worth it to wake up a little earlier to check out the nearby Nojoqui waterfalls (about a picturesque 10 minute drive along Alisal Rd and then an easy 10 minute stroll to get to the falls.)

There are 12 tasting rooms within Solvang's 4 block radius town ($5-7.50 per tasting). Our game-plan was to hit up the ones we had coupons for free tastings first.

Our first one, Royal Oaks on Copenhagen Drive, was so-so, but they had a fun strawberry/cotton-candy tasting Rose and our wine pourer had great recommendations for which other tasting rooms to hit and also her preferred wineries in nearby Santa Ynez (Rideau for it's historic tasting room and English gardens, Galney Vineyards for their in-depth winery tour, Buttonwood for Sauvignon Blanc and Sunstone for its 'Under the Tuscan Sun' gardens and setting.)

We got side-tracked by our original free-only drinking tour when we came across the Olive House, a wine & olive tasting spot. It was $7.50 to sample both but you're allowed to share one tasting between two. The wines, which included a selection of Pinot, Merlot and Syrahs, were good but our palettes were clearly more fine-tuned for olive tasting; ("Ooh, this pepperjack cheese stuffed olive has some kick and I like how that almond-stuffed olives give a good unexpected crunch". "I thought the blue-cheese stuffed one would be my favorite but the garlic-stuffed spicy cajun was way tastier don't you think?" ). Despite the stingy, light-handed pours, the wine-tasting stop was well worth it just for the olives.

We took full advantage of the tasting rooms opening right at 10am so were already quite tipsy at 10:45am. Our last stop before lunch was Presidio Winery, which ended up being our favorite tasting room; there were snacks and our wine-pourer had a way with words to describe the wines to the non-wine savvy ("yes, so many layers in this wine, it's a party in your mouth! It's a party in your mouth!") and was informative with what food each wine should be paired with. Both Ugly Shoe Boy and I liked their slightly sweet white wine, Gewurztraminer--which really was a party in your mouth. ($12)

We stumbled into the Solvang Restaurant to sample their hyped-up Aebleskivers (Danish versions of beignets covered with raspberry jam) and wait out our growing tipsyness so we could drive to the nearby wineries. The Abelskivers were ok and a good deal at $2.50, but I was expecting more of a crispy coating and doughy beigney consistency inside than its soft, bready texture.

Back on the road and taking our own mini-Sideways tour, our first stop was the Fess Parker Winery. We were still too buzzed to taste any wine so just checked out the pretty picnic grounds and stately looking wine-tasting room filled with bottles and Daniel Boone/Davy Crockett paraphenalia.

Next up was the Firestone Winery, which felt very commercial and impersonal. Our pourer was on auto-pilot with his recited info that really wasn't that informative at all "2002 Syrah: aged 14 months in French and American oak barrels" and would walk off between each pouring to repeat the same info to other wine-tasters before returning to ask if we wanted to purchase the bottle. Maybe the Firestone wines are also more fullbodied, which I'm not a big fan of, but their slightly harsh-tasting wines were also my least favorite of the trip. For the $10 tasting fee, we also got a Firestone souvenir glass and complimentary wine-tasting at the winery next door.

Solvang is perfect if you're looking for a quick and affordable LA getaway on the fly. We planned it only a few days advance, spent minimal $$, had plenty of time to stop off to walk around and eat at Santa Barbara's downtown State Street and UCSB's Isla Vista on our way back to LA and we were pleasantly drunk for about 80% of the trip--all for less than $100!

And, I didn't even get a hangover on my first day of work the next day.
Do the math:
Wine Valley Inn for two: $68 inc. tax
Wine-tasting for two: $17.50
Royal Oaks, Presidio ($0), Olive House ($7.50), Firestone ($10)
Solvang Restaurant: Abelskivers & lunch $15
Dinner at Joe's Cafe in S.B.: $35
Burritos at Freebirds in Isla Vista: $15
Total: $75.25 each

Santee Alley: Designer Knockoff Shopping Spree

Last Saturday, Chaya and I made the pilgrammage to downtown LA's discount shopping mecca; Santee Alley--literally an alleyway crammed with shops pandering super-cheap knockoff designer handbags, Melrose Ave-esque apparel and cute & surprisingly comfy $20 shoes. Personally, I find the scene too hectic to hit up more than twice a year but late fall is a good time to go since they have great bargain boots (my tan faux ultra-suede knee high moccasins purchase ($25) from last year are still getting compliments, ditto my $40 Melie Bianco velvet heart hobo knockoff) and you also need to allow about a month's lag time between the current season's fashions hitting mainstream stores and the cheaper versions showing up at Santee Alley.
(Previous Purchases)

Located in the Fashion District with hectic parking and even more hectic crowded streets, the slightly seedy Santee Alley isn't for the casual shopper--but the bargains are worth braving the questionably legal shopping experience and the even more questionable parking options. There are plenty of area lots available for a flat rate of $6-8; all are sketchy looking but, for what it's worth, so far, each time I've returned from my shopping excursions to find my car fully intact and not stolen, which is all you can really ask for.

It definitely helps to go with an agenda so you don't get sidetracked along the alleyway's more random bargains ($1 CD's & DVD's, pet turtles, luggage sets). Today, mine was shoes and Chaya's was jeans and boots.

On our first stop, Chaya found some knee-high chocolate brown suede mocassins ($30) while I picked up a pair of wedges for $20 and authentic Converse sneakers for $25, half the regular retail price.

We then went next door and a vendor immediately came over and started mumbling "True Religions? Sevens? $55". We had entered a designer denim haven! The key is not to question if the jeans are fakes (or stolen) but just bask in the glow of finding greatly discounted designer denims. They didn't have any in my size (I guess the box of 27"'s didn't fall of the truck that morning) but Chaya scored a pair of rockin' Rock & Republics for $55. The only downside is that they don't have dressing rooms, but if the store next door has a changing room so you can try them on and come back for an exchange if it's not the right size. For those who couldn't care less about Citizens of Humanity vs. Antiks, they also have a plethora of no-name booty-enhancing jeans for only $10.

Buoyed by our morning bargains, we bypassed some of the outdoor clothing stalls and went into the alley's more expensive "real stores" (as in, they have dressing rooms, don't bargain and take credit card); more expensive still means $20 jersey dresses, $12 yoga pants, $5 red pleather belts and $11 tops.

After hour 5 of our shopping day, we entered a shoe store so we could pretend to try on shoes for an excuse to sit and rest. After "trying on" a pair of red suede flats for 45 mins, we were asked if we were going to buy them "otherwise no-one else wil lwant to try on a pair of shoes you've worn for such a long time". I figured $20 was a pretty good deal for a pair of whimsical new red shoes and an nearly an hour of rest-time in their store.

Although handbags are Santee Alley's main draw, this time we left empty handbag handed. However, we did have fun bargaining down a Chloe replica for $30 and sifting through the vendor's "catalog" of inventory: a binder with pages of photos of celebs carrying prized designer bags ripped out of In Touch and Star Magazine.

I got a full days exercise (walking from store to store for 6hrs) and shopping bags full of non-cheaplooking purchases (3 pairs of shoes, a top and belt) for less than $80.

Some tips before you go:
Bring Cash!
Spanish-speaking skills helps during the bargaining process.
Ladies: Wear flip flops, a tank/tube top and a skirt so you can try on stuff over your clothes since dressing rooms are rare.
The second jean store on the right handside is the one that carries the designer denims; the brand jeans may be hidden in boxes behind the cheaper no-name brands so make sure to ask for them.
Pleather replica bags shouldn't cost much more than $30, and designer fakes with real leather no more than $70.
If you need a mid-shopping snack, the fruit cart by the scary-sounding 'Alley Hotdogs' actually has healthy and hygenic-looking fresh fruit cups $2 and granola parfaits for only $2.50

Santee Alley
Alleyway between Olympic and 11th, Downtown L.A.

Bergamot Station: With 30 Galleries All Aboard With Free Admission

My friend Carrie and I decided to go for an artsy lunchtime excursion last week and stopped by Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. The art gallery complex (a defunct trolley station which ran from the late 1800's-1953) boasts a smorgesboard of 30+ galleries featuring modern art installations, photography, sculptures, sketches and paintings as well as jewelry, fine-art paper and a charity boutique filled with designer and vintage clothing.

The good thing about Bergamot is that you don't really need to know what specific exhibit is going on because, with 30 options, chances are, you'll run into something pretty interesting. Highlights from our recent visit included cardboard furniture from various artists including Frank Gehry (Bobbie Greenfield Gallery) and the 2nd Annual L.A. WEekly Biennial exhibit of top selections from L.A. area art schools (Track 16 Gallery & Minispace) and the Flow exhibit of artwork painted on limited edition surfboards (Frank Picutres/Off Main Gallery).

Getting arty worked up an appetite and we lunched outside at the Bergamot Cafe. Featuring your basic cafe fare (soups, salads and sandwiches), we both ordered the 'Bundle Of Joy' half sandwich/half salad combo ($7.39). My greek salad and roast beef & avocado sandwich wasn't amazing but wasn't bad either. You can probably find other better eateries nearby but for its on-premises convenience (and selection of fun boutique sodas...I had the Bundaberg Ginger Brew $1.79) the cafe is totally doable.

Getting there is easy, there's plenty of free parking and free admission where you can just wander from adjacent gallery to adjacent gallery until you're all arted out. Closed Mondays and Sundays, but it's definitely an interesting weekday excursion you could fit during your lunch hour or Saturdays for a more leisurely arty walkabout.

Bergamot Station
Bergamot Cafe
2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica
310/586.6488
Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Tuesday - Friday)
11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Saturday)

Crazy Fish Sushi: Crazy Good Prices

After my sushi-licious splurge-fest at Katsuya last week, I needed to downgrade my sushi spending for my next outing so Chaya's suggestion of Crazy Fish the other night was perfect. Known for generous, fresh, creative--and totally affordable-- sushi, Crazy Fish has sporadically been a favorite spot of mine since college but for some reason I alternate between spurts of Crazy Fish obsession and spurts of forgetting about it. I haven't eaten here in over a year so I'm glad Chaya reminded me of it.

It's located on the corner of Olympic Blvd and Doheny, but if you come after 7pm, just look for the small crowd outside (they don't take reservations so expect a little bit of a wait.) Inside the corridor-shaped spot is Beverly Hill's version of hole-in-the-wall (pastel painted walls with stencilled fish, formica tables, bright lighting). They have some hot udon and tempura dishes but it's all about the sushi rolls here; there are over 20 creative--if not authentic--rolls to choose from (in addition to more traditional spicy tuna and spider rolls etc, there's also the Oy Vey! sashimi platter with salmon and red onions and the smoked salmon and cream cheese Jewish Roll.)

Chaya ordered a spicy tuna roll with avocado and cucumbers while I got a modified Kinta Roll (I switched spicy tuna with spicy yellowtail with no mayo, which is then wrapped in tempura-fried seaweed and drizzled with eel sauce). They were big, messy and totally delicious. There were other rolls that piqued our interest (Sno-Cone Roll: albacore-scallion wrapped in cucumber, Crazy Fish with yellowtail, salmon, tuna and asparagus, shrimp tempura roll topped with tuna) but with about 12 gigantic pieces with the diameter of a sliced tennis ball per order, we were too full to order more after our one roll each.

Our total bill was $17 for two heaping rolls and a pot of green tea; leaving both our tummies and our wallets satisfied. My ten bucks was doubly well-spent when I realized that my Kinta Roll cost less than the $10 bottle of Voss water we were charged at Katsuya.

Crazy Fish
9105 W Olympic Blvd, Beverly Hills,
310/550-8547

Calling All Fishermen: Gladstone's Free Lobster Dinner Deal

If you have some talent with lobster nets, head over to Gladstones this month. During the month of October (which is apparently Spiny Lobster Season), anyone who brings their own live lobster catch to the Malibu restaurant, the chef will have it cooked and served with two sides, sourdough bread and a cup of their tasty clam chowder--entirely gratis!

Yes, BYOL (bring your own lobster) and get a free lobster dinner with all the trimmings. The deal ends at the end of this month so you have 20 more days to catch your very own live crustacean. Call Gladstones for more info: 310/454-3474

Gladstones
1700 Pacific Coast Highway, (cross street Sunset Blvd), Malibu

"Two Turntables and a Microphone" in Downtown LA: L.A. Weekly's Detour Music Festival

Last night Chrissy and I attended LA Weekly's 1st Annual Detour Music Festival in downtown L.A. Headliners Beck, Queens of the Stone Age and Basement Jaxx were accompanied by 15 other Myspace-favorite acts including OH! NO! OH! MY!, Blonde Redhead, !!!, The Like, Of Montreal and DJ sets by Kid Millionaire, VHS or Beta and Shepard Fairey (Complete lineup here).

I'm a fan of the musical medley you get from multi-billing festival lineups, but recent outings to Coachella, Weenie Roast, Acoustic Christmas etc have become a labyrith of stringent security don'ts, mainstream sponsorship booths, overpriced beer gardens and way too many people. Maybe because this was the first annual concert with a smaller turnout or the lineup just attracted a more mellow crowd, but everything about Detour (from easy & close-by $5 parking, short &/or no lines, friendly security peeps who let you stand on street signs and the like to get a better view) was relaxed and about the music-- just what good concerts are supposed to be like.

Saran Wrap Car and Glowing Seahorse Art Installations

Yes, there's still the lineup of booths, but alongside the questionably religious act of recruiting concert-goers--the Kabbalah Center; with a sign on their booth offering a free red Kabbalah string "just for signing up now!"--there were also non-run-of-the-mill booths hawking cool, non-concert related clothing such as $10 Indian silk dresses and skate/street label Royal Cheapskates as well as a booth highlighting the pro-tree planting charity, TreePeople (which received a portion of the proceeds from the concert.) You could also feed yourself between sets without spending the equivalent of a concert ticket (which was a very reasonable $35); affordable food stall choices included $3 pad thai, $4 fried artichoke hearts and $2 for delicious custard puffs from Beard Papa.

The festival started at 2pm, but we didn't get there until 7pm; just in time to catch Basement Jaxx's frenetically-happy set, eat a Beard Papa Cream Puff and find a good spot for Beck. His 1hr set was a condensed version of his show at the Wiltern which I saw a couple months ago (complete with the puppets, dancing bears and dinner party set up), but with loud and clear acoustics, a grand entrance with Loser transitioning into back-to-back songs covering his entire discography, new songs from his new album, The Information, a long encore and a 'Snakes on a Tour Bus' short featuring his puppet alter-egos, I thought this show was tighter and more energetic than his Wiltern show.

Although we were only a couple blocks from Skid Row, with two outdoor stages flanking City Hall, another DJ stage inside an old church, art installations displayed outside the courtyard of the CalTrans Building and the Downtown LA skyline providing a twinkling backdrop to the concert venue, it was really cool to be able to enjoy a picturesque and bustling Downtown during night-time.

Chi-town: Eating, Drinking and More Eating Highlights

I recently took a long weekend mini-vacation to Chicago with my friend Melissa a couple weekends ago. I've visited Chicago a few times for work in the past but have never had the chance to explore the city.

Neither of us did much research on Chi-town before our trip and I wished I had asked around more for suggestions beforehand. So, next time you're headed to Chicago, here are a few Chicagoan highlights which we stumbled upon while we were there. (We stayed in downtown Chicago by the Loop but mainly went out in Wicker Park.)

SHARING A CAB FROM MIDWAY WITH A STRANGER: Opposed to the rushed and rude LAX taxi stand guys, the Midway Taxi guys are friendly, fast and will do their best to help you save money on the fare; if you want, they will pair together single travelers traveling into the city together for a cheaper fare so make sure to ask. ($22 for a ride into the city alone, $14 if you share with a stranger). It's about 5 bucks more from O'Hare, but you can also share there too.

DOWNTOWN CHICAGO LUNCH: We stayed at the House of Blues Hotel,(pretty pricey but cheaper on www.hotels.com, garish (in a good way), tripping-on-acid style decor, ultra-friendly service and patient concierge desk which we hounded for suggestions before every time we stepped out of the hotel). Both concierge's we talked to suggested lunch at Rockit Bar & Grill , an upscale brewery a couple blocks from the hotel. Their roasted butternut squash soup studded with pomegranate seeds and truffle oil($4) and Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad($12)were so good that we decided to return for lunch the next day rather than try something else new; a big deal considering I'm typically all about exploring as many new spots as possible. Their brown sugar-dusted sweet potato fries and cheesy mac and cheese ($5 each)also helped persuade us.

WICKER PARK/BUCKTOWN (off the blue line on the L): I was told by several people that Wicker Park/Bucktown area is the artsy/edgy, Chicago-style version of L.A.'s Silverlake/Los Feliz. It's hard to equate artsy/edgy with sports bar-laden part of town but given Chicago is a sports bar-laden city in general, it was definitely the spot we found with the most bars, restaurants and boutiques that we liked, including;

Bongo Room: Chocolately goodness for breakfast. We couldn't decide between the chocolate-banana pancakes or the lemon pancakes with fresh raspberry coulis so we ordered one of each and shared. The veggie croissant breakfast sandwich we shared would have been better toasted but it's all about the pancakes here anyway. (Total bill $21) The wait is supposedly horrendous during the weekends but we got a eat immediately on a Monday morning. Check out blogger RachelleB's site for pics of the decadent-looking pancakes.*There's another location in downtown Chicago by the South end of Grant Park too.
Bravo Tapas & Lounge: We hit up one of the more shi-shi'ish spots in Wicker Park area for our last night. Generous tapas helpings of seafood salad, eggplant drizzled with Moroccan honey, seared scallops over mashed sweet potato and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, potato frittata and spicy papatas bravas were pretty good, if not amazing, yet ended up being a little pricey ($70 for two) but that also included our pineapple mojito and Rose Cava and a flamenco show.
Danny's Tavern IN BUCKTOWN: After a few misses (Celebrity: We were lured by the fun-looking neon $$$ signs outside. The sleek, try-hard loungey atmosphere was broken by the NFL game playing over the bar. And the crowd of suits hovering under it cheering. Cans: as in 'beer cans', yeah....a little too "frat-boy sports bar" for our liking and Lakeview Broadcasting Company it sounded like it had potential based on this citysearch review: but being located in Boystown, it was a little more gay and less coed as we would have liked), we finally found this fun Wicker Park bar housed in a cute little wooden house-looking exterior located on the corner of Damen & Dickens. The crowd was cool and the danceable tunes even better(soul/funk,salsa-tinged rock, reggaetone medleys and then more soul/funk); making a night of dancing at Danny's one of the highlights of our trip.
Rodan: Yes, named after Godzilla's monster nemisis. Our skater-punk waiter at Rockit recommended this Wicker Park spot. This diner-looking lounge had a three-piece band playing in the back area but was pretty chill where we were sitting by the counter bar. It wasn't super-mingley but had interesting people-watching (a hetero-guy wearing an arm scarf, a couple sightings of both sexes rocking the folded bandanna look)and fun drinks (I got a fruity vodka martini with boba balls).

Millenium Park: Gorgeous way to spend our last sunny afternoon in Chicago; a fanciful Frank Lloyd Wright metallic sculptured outdoor ampitheater, picturesque, side-by-side background lake and skyscraper views and snowglobe-like mirrored jellybean which reflected it all.

AIRPORT FOOD: Facing the equally disheartening prospects of skipping dinner on my 4 1/2hr flight home or worse, dining out of a Nabisco Snack Box, I hit up the food court at Midway. Lo and behold, saving airport travelers from crappy food was a Midway outpost of the famed Harry Caray's steakhouse. And, unlike McDonalds where LAX Big Macs cost more than one a mile away from the airport, the prices weren't jacked up either. It was crowded like a sports bar but I got seated right away. My gigantic chopped salad with chicken, pancetta, avocado, gorgonzola cheese and mixed greens in sweet herb vinaigrette ($10.95) was so delicious, I stayed and ate the entire heaping plate even though they had started boarding.