Dancing, dancing, dancing!

I popped into Sound Nightclub last night to squeeze in a little dancing before bed. Great music (Autograf, Robosonic, The Aston Shuffle) and a reasonable scene. A typical Hollywood mix of people who were there for the music vs. people who were there for the party. Sound is kinda small, but they use the space well, dedicating the bulk of the room to the dancefloor. The only downside is that if you want to sit down, bottle service is your only indoors option. There's a courtuard outside that has pretty poor air circulation, so your hair will smell like cigarette smoke afterward, but at least you will have had a chance to recharge your dancing legs without breaking your wallet. All of that said, the sound system at Sound is great! Nothing to distract you in that regard from a night of full-on dancing!

Review: Ilegal Mezcal Añejo

Mezcal is a Mexican spirit similar to tequila; however, it is distilled from a different type of agave (maguey as opposed to tequila's blue agave) and has a smokier flavor. I first had this particular elixir as part of a tasting flight during a friend's birthday party and liked to so much that a bottle found its way to my home during the holidays. This libation is incredibly well balanced. The delicate fruity floral and distinctive smokey flavors of the maguey are elevated by the secondary flavors imparted by barrel aging—vanilla, caramel, toffee. This is a sipping spirit. Enjoy neat, paired with the company of friends, loved ones and lingering conversation.

Suprise! You're Having Lunch, and You're Gonna Love It.

We stopped in at Europane because I was in the mood for a coffee and some brunchy fare (despite it being past noon on a Monday: ah, vacation). Needless to say, their popularity meant that breakfast offerings had been consumed by the day's earlier risers, so Plan B—aka lunch—went into effect. How I love it when Plan B is awesome! Fresh bread and pastries are the name of the game here. A made-on-the-spot BLTA for Paul and a toasted portobello mushroom sandwich from the case for me. From the pastry case, we had a "deep dish" lemon bar with a fantastic buttery shortbread crust. I'm normally a middle-piece lemon bar person, but fortunately Paul was a little quicker on the draw when we were given the option of a middle or end piece. Paul voted end, and boy am I glad! Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to one of those early mornings when I can jumpstart my day with a Europane breakfast.