Pigskin Sunday in Los Angeles

More than 45 bartenders and / or liquor industry professionals showed up on Santa Monica beach for a little touch football followed by a cocktail party featuring Grand Marnier cocktails and a very impressive spread of ribs, salads, desserts and, oh yeah, did I mention the cocktails?

Steve Olson, Leo DeGroff and Andy Seymore flew in from New York in honor of the event, so it was extra special. Having just finished the B.A.R. training program – which all 3 lead in one way or another – it was really cool to see them on the West Coast.

Proving what cool chicks we have out here (far cooler than me) Christine D’Abrosca (bartender at Malo), the lovely Courtney (gf to our own bartender and bar-owner extraordinaire Eric Alperin) and one of the lovely ladies who work with Veev acai spirit whose name escapes me now.

As for me, I sipped drinkies and cheered on the players – until it got too windy – and then I headed up to the Fairmont Hotel for the after-party.

Smashes, crustas, and margarita-like drinks were a-flowing and we had bartenders from all corners of the city. It was one of those great afternoons that reminds me of just how cool the hospitality industry people are, and what a great city we live in.

Rumor has it that we will invite down the hotshots from San Francisco, next year. An North-South intra-state rivalry sounds like the only next logical step for this annual event…

Oh yeah, San Fran. You just got served!

Watch the whole SLIDESHOW here... courtesy of fab photographer, Claire Barrett.

The Wild Life

This weekend in So-Cal is packed with fun things! In addition to the Celebrity Food Show all weekend in Anaheim (where I’ll be introducing you to Lipton PureLeaf’s delicious new products on Friday afternoon) there is also a cool, animal-lovers’ art exhibit at L.A.’s funky cool Giant Robot, on Saturday evening!

San Diego-based Artist and Wildlife Rehabilitator, Susie Ghahremani presents her fifth solo show on August 16 at 6:30 pm, featuring 100 miniature paintings in addition to aerial installations. A delight for animal lovers and handicrafts enthusiasts alike, her style depicts lovable creatures – typically dogs, birds and owls – nestled in their nests or dog houses, enjoying human-like comfort.

Susie’s art has appeared in The New York Times, Nickelodeon Magazine, Martha Stewart Kids, works for Chronicle Books, Bank of America and Target Corporation, and the highly acclaimed nature book I LOVE DIRT.

As an art and wildlife lover, I can get behind an artist who highlights the importance of natural habitat for nature’s creatures, while delighting humans with ‘warm-and-fuzzy’ art for our homes. See more about Susie’s work and the show on her website.