It’s NYE and you know the drill:
Hot venue √
Sexy outfit √
Champagne at midnight √
What could possibly make ringing in a brand new year that much more spectacular? A performance by one of electronic dance music's hottest DJ’s? Absolutely! If you’re lucky enough to attend any of the NYE parties spanning across these five fabulous cities, you’ll be guaranteed beats, ball drops and a banging good time! Here’s a look at the Top 5:
Armin van Buuren – New York City
Don’t miss out on this adrenaline fueled electric dance party extravaganza presented by Joonbug.com. It all goes down at Pier 36, a 64,000 square foot pier that stretches out to Manhattan’s East River. There’s a 3-hour open bar taking place between 9:00 pm – 12:00 am. This event is strictly 21+. Several VIP packages are available and tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
LA-based DJ and producer (not to mention Burning Man veteran) Stephan Jacobs has been dubbed one of the "most promising DJs coming out of the West Coast bass music scene." Currently releasing music under a variety of aliases in addition to perfecting his own individual sound, Jacobs is a prime example of versatility. An original member of the Headtron crew, he's best known for his live sets and high-energy orginal production style.
AM: Can you tell us about your early days starting out as a DJ and producer?
Stephan: Sure, I got a set of turntables when I was 16. I didn’t really know anything about the electronic music scene at the time but was heavily influenced by hip hop music in general. My main focus at the time was to just get really good at mixing beats together.
A few season ago, Angelo Sosa was thisclose to winning Top Chef. And while that didn’t happen, his flair for exotic updates on Southeast Asian food (and his flair for unfashionably tight jeans) has remained in our memory.
Finally, a chance to sample some of Sosa’s spicy eats is available to Angelenos (completely accidental pun, here) at SmithHouse Tap and Grill. Sosa’s presence elevates the space from standard pub-style food and the 100+ beers on tap don’t hurt the experience either.
Just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you have to be healthy all the time, and luckily, restaurateurs in Los Angeles seem to understand this. The following are (in my humble opinion, as a vegan with a sweet tooth that influences more life decisions than I care to admit) the best places to find animal product-free desserts in L.A.
Scoops 712 N. Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles, (323) 906-2649Tai Kim’s nothing short of a genius with his impressively Yelp-approved menu of vegan and non-vegan ice creams. How he manages to rotate his eclectic flavors daily and never miss a beat, how he makes some of them vegan without a hint of iciness or intrusive soy flavor, and how he does it for just $2.49 per giant two-scoop serving, are beyond me. And how I’m ever going to be able to move away soon from my convenient walking-distance location from Scoops is definitely, most certainly, beyond me. Stop by here (perhaps after dinner at vegan haunt Pure Luck across the street), and you won’t be disappointed. Feed your vegan-phobic friends Kim’s signature brown bread dairy-based ice cream, and they won’t be disappointed, either.
The Sensitive Baker, 10836 1/2 Washington Blvd, Culver City, (310) 815-1800, http://thesensitivebaker.com/
As winter approached, we looked at our honey blonde locks and realized that their sunshine tones did not match the more serious seasons' sober mood. We needed more depth, more winter-ness! So, always one to rock and spot trends, we dyed our hair a rich chocolate brown, as did, by coincidence, Olivia Palermo.
But now, mid January, we have a hair dilemma. Unlike Olivia, we live in a city where the sun always
shines and the beach always beckons. As soon as the Xmas turkey is out of the way, the days start to
heat up and we suddenly need to feel, lighter, more free, and altogether more Malibu and less New York. We wanted highlights, but without the obvious look that they usually gave. What to do?
The Lobsta Truck from New England is driving around LA stocked full with fresh crab and lobster. This product of Maine is fresh and flown in three times a week. Flex those seafood taste buds and savor the flavors from the east coast.
The menu is short but month watering. Have Lobsta Rolls and Crab Rolls (split-top roll, with a bit of mayo or butter), and Clam Chowder (cup or pint). For dessert have a whoopee pie and some Cape Cod chips. Worked up a hunger yet? Find out where they’re going to be next by looking for a red truck with a giant lobster on it or following them on Twitter.
Monopole Wine
21 S. El Molino Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
626.577.9463
monopolewine.com
If you need a rest from the usual hard-to-get-in and crowded LA Club scene, then Bar Marmont may be the place for you (as well as a few A-list celebrities spotted here.) Located within Chateau Marmont hotel, it's no wonder that the famous flock here to remain undisturbed. The low-key, yet upscale bar features charming and delicate French-style decor, very old fashioned yet it certainly fit the image (watch out for the butterflies on the ceiling and the stuffed peacock.) Some people have compared it to a "dark Hollywood set", but perhaps that depends on how many drinks they've had!
The menu itself is "hearty with European influences" as they describe it, though they could be pricey with European portions as well. The music is eclectic and the drinks expensive, but really, it's the full atmosphere that people pay for.
