Caroline Pardilla

What do you do when you're a gearhead with lightning-quick MacGyver fixes, $500 to spare and the need for speed? Most likely you're racing a junker you rebuilt with zip-ties and duct-tape at the 24 Hours of LeMons in Altamont Motorsports Park located between Livermore and Tracy in Northern California. That's where I spent this past weekend, tagging along with one of the LeMons veteran teams, Eyesore Pimpin (formerly known as Eyesore Racing) from...

Last night we hit downtown L.A. for the Edison's weekly event, Incandescence, where vaudeville circus/dance troupe Lucent Dossier was performing from the stage, from the rafters, from the floor amid the audience. We sampled the absinthe cocktails which were served to us in vintage-looking glass bottles that we were allowed to take home. And even some of the liquor shots were handed to us in corked glass bottles that resembled those miracle elixirs con men...

Tonight the circus is in town...at the Edison. Every Wednesday night, Lucent Dossier, vaudeville circus/dance troupe, will be hanging from the rafters and performing on stage for the well-dressed Edison patrons in the upscale downtown bar's weekly happening, Incandescence. (Get it? Like the lightbulb.). To get a sense of what Lucent Dossier is like, check out an early LAist photo gallery. And if the night isn't crazy enough, maybe a little absinthe will do...

Ben & Jerry's 30th Annual Free Cone Day is in full swing with 1 million cones expected to be given away today. But what's this? When we stopped by our local B&J's on Main Street in Santa Monica, there was hardly a line. We waited barely a minute in a quick-moving line of five people to get our free scoop of the new flavor, Seven Layer Bar. What helped, we think, is that there were...

Last night Father's Office II in Culver City* Los Angeles finally opened to the thirsty and hungry, but mostly thirsty, masses. It was supposed to be a soft opening but word got out and the bar/restaurant filled up right quick. A line formed outside the front door but patrons who finally made it in said the wait wasn't too bad, just about 15 minutes....

Hey, there, beer fans! The word is out on the street, Father's Office II in Culver City finally opens its doors tonight! You heard me. Rumors say 5pm. Our coverage of the preview party probably left you wanting more but starting tonight you get to see it for yourself, taste the gastropub fare goodness for yourself, choose from what looks to be a gazillion beers on tap and guzzle, I mean, savor, for yourself....

Tranquility Base, downtown's newest restaurant/bar, celebrated its grand opening with a "first annual" springtime cocktail party last night. There were some passed hors d'oeuvres, a cocktail tasting to choose the restaurant's featured cocktail and lots of dressed-up 30-something revelers enjoying the warm evening by the outdoor firepit....

Update: The Doheny sent over some fun facts regarding items mentioned in this piece. You can read about the biometric fingerprint reader, Sheperd Fairey's artwork and other information here. For the record: In the original story below, it was said that the initiation fee is $4,950. To clarify, $2,750 is a one-time initiation fee. When combined with the annual $2,200 membership fee, the total for the first year only is $4,950. I did it!...

Went to Finn McCool's in Santa Monica this afternoon for a "business meeting" and suddenly found myself surrounded by people dressed in green and drinking green beer and slamming Irish car bombs. I guess everyone's getting in their St. Patrick's Day celebration early to avoid the crazy bar crowds on Monday. Smart idea! Step-by-step of Irish car bombing after the jump....

Seven Grand is kicking things off early for St. Patrick's Day with East L.A. band Ollin performing at the beloved downtown whiskey bar tonight at 9pm (see a video of them below). Ollin is known as "The Mexican Pogues" for their fiesta-festive take on the English/Irish band's songs. Think Irish Mariachi music. Ollin has performed at Mr. T's Bowl and Spaceland and even opened for the Pogues last year at the Wiltern. They would have...