This week found L.A. coffee pros hard at work behind the bar pulling shots and all the punches to compete in the inaugural Iron Barista competition. The event pitted six coffee places against one another in a showdown where competitors had to concoct quaff-able coffee drinks using a set of surprise ingredients. more ›

What is the big deal with Chef Roberto "Bobo" Ivan's Hostaria del Piccolo, the Santa Monica sister to his Piccolo restaurant in Venice? Well, not only does the modern pizza joint offer gluten-free pie -- made with naturally leavened dough comprised of kamut, soy and polenta flour -- but they have a gorgeously stocked bar (specifically all the fixings for an awesome Manhattan, including the formerly scarce Rittenhouse 100) and a promising cocktail menu. more ›

Cocktails can be a beautiful thing. Drink a couple, and you're feeling might groovy. Make note of the artisanal ingredients included, from the liquor to the fresh fruits to the other accents used in a given concoction. Sip slowly, to savor the mixologist's blend of flavors. This is an art. more ›

FILM : The Zócolo Public Square Lecture Series is holding a special screening of the upcoming film Elegy, starring Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsley. Based on The Dying Animal by Philip Roth, the movie is a “meditation on the power of beauty to bind, to reveal and to transform.” A college professor becomes enamored with and destabilized by the beauty of a young woman. The 7:30 pm screening at the Harmony Gold Theatre free, but reservations are recommended. more ›

Photo by kpe II via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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