January 26, 2010 - Lazy Ox Canteen (Los Angeles, CA)

Once again it is time for DineLA week (DineLA Restaurants). I have previously attended Dine About Town in San Francisco, CA (Dine About Town, S.F.) which is a similar program. Basically there is a long list of participating restaurants where you, the diner, chooses a place to try out. For the majority, there are select courses offered at both lunch and dinner with a set price. For example, here at the Lazy Ox their DineLA menu was a three course meal with a choice of appetizer, entree and a creme brulee tapioca dessert.

So on to the Lazy Ox Canteen. The restaurant has only been open for a month or so, and the only indication from the outside are number decals affixed above the door frame (241). This is a tapas place, so portions are somewhat small with the intent to order several dishes and share. My evening started off right with a Lost Coast Great White ale (similar to a Belgian white). I ordered off the DineLA special menu which included an appetizer of mussels, the choice of the beef neck ravioli and the aforementioned creme brulee tapioca dessert.

There were approximately 9 of us at dinner, so I don't recall what everyone else had, but the best bang-for-the-buck seemed to be the Lazy Ox burger and then just ordering regular-sized entrees off the main menu. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my food, but this is definitely not the place to get "filled up."

Next week we try Fig in Santa Monica, CA!

Highlights:

• The front door is heavy. Get a sure footing and then pull... Trust me!
  
• Talk to Eric, the bartender, about how he likes the weather here compared to his native Boston.
  
• The hostesses' name is "Yana."
  
• Sharing means caring! Our group does not cater to selfish/order-for-yourself-only diners.
  
• Friends, food, libations and laughter = awesome Tuesday night!
  
• A few of us ended up at a nearby Starbucks to chit-chat, not order any beverages, and scared off a table of nursing students.
  

January 25, 2010 - Guh Mok Korean BBQ & Max Karaoke (Torrance, CA)

Okay, for those of you who hang out with me often enough, two things seem to be a part of my monthly routine - 1. Korean BBQ, 2. karaoke. So imagine my excitement when I actually get to partake of both in one evening!

Guh Mok Korean BBQ

Our first stop was this restaurant in Torrance, CA. I had never been prior, but the reviews on Yelp! looked decent enough. Honestly, I thought the meats served here were pretty average. As a friend and I discussed, we could have gone to an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ joint in Koreatown for the same amount (we paid ~$25 per person). Live and learn, but the only way to know good eats out there are to keep trying new places!

Max Karaoke

Okay, so my ♥ belongs to Elvis!? (Fountain Valley, CA) when it comes to karaoke. However, Max is probably running a close second, not to mention that they have a locale relatively close to where I live/work! Still, I have to give it up to Japanese karaoke establishments for having the best variety of English songs amongst any of the other Asian places I've been. As usual, I had a blast singing, although I forgot to rock out to the I'm On A Boat song... Oh well, there is always next time!

Highlights:

• I have a t-shirt that says, "Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder." It's my Korean BBQ shirt and I completely forgot to bring it!
  
• Learning that selling previously-worn panties in Japan is not as lucrative as it once was. Due to the global recession, these young women must now resort to selling their bodies. What a sad sad world we live in.
  
• Otis Redding, Jay Sean, 'Nsync, John Legend, etc. were all rocked.
  

In the beginning - January 2010

January 23, 2010 - Empire (Hollywood, CA)

Tonight we decided to go to a newly reopened club in Hollywood called Empire off of Cahuenga. The $20 cover for guys (my female friends knew one of the promoters and was able to get the girls in free) was pretty typical for a Hollywood-esque club. The venue itself was quite small. There was nothing special about the ambiance from what I can recall, and the one downside was the lack of an outside/patio area. Seriously, smokers used a seemingly non-ventilated room in the back. A nice outdoors area has become a key attribute of some of my favorite clubs, as sometimes I just want to get away from loud music. Speaking of which, the music played on this Saturday night was mostly top 40s, and the crowd was surprisingly chill. I chatted up (and vice versa) guys/girls near the restroom, bar, etc.

Highlights:

• Wow, I'm actually going out in a group where there are an equal number of guys/girls. Usually it's me and the rest are girls, but the change of pace was nice.
  
• I met a promoter for Whisper named Sam. My female friend said she was a "bitch," but she seemed friendly to me. I guess it helps being a guy if the girl is straight!
  
• My friends are awesome because if I drive, they buy me drinks all night. Or wait, is that actually a bad thing?
  
• My friend losing her cell phone and spending at least 40 minutes with my LED keychain light looking for it. We did not find said cell.
  
• The first drink was spilled on me at 11:45pm.
  
• We did not get kicked out.
  

January 22, 2010 - The Highlands (Hollywood, CA)

Well here is a place I have not been to in at least 4-6 years... And this is all for good reason. The venue is still predominantly the same. Who knew they have a back room for techno/trance? Okay, I didn't! It's a large space with a nice sized dance floor. The last time I was here, I saw Nicholas Cage. However, the crowd this evening was a completely different vibe. It was, to put it succinctly, ghetto. There are the Blvd3's, Opera's and XS' of the world, and then there are the Florentine Gardens and The Highlands of, well, another. The crowds I enjoy myself the most with are slightly classy and fun, not flannel-wearing creepy people. I will not be going back.

Highlights:

• Fun time with friends. Oh, I did get fudge with walnuts downstairs too?
  
• Watching and listening intently to an attempted pick up of one of my friends.
  
• Free admission by saying you signed up on the guest list.
  
• Pho Citi week #2 was not as good. The broth for the Rare Steak Pho was really oily.
  

January 20, 2010 - Wokcano (Santa Monica, CA)

This event/evening was to celebrate the organization CPAF (Center for the Pacific Asian Family - CPAF.info) as they sought funding to help fight against domestic violence and abuse. It was also intertwined with an Asian American group that has networking events. Fun times indeed! I ran into old friends and met a lot of new people. What I like about Wokcano in Santa Monica is the upstairs patio/bar area. And for as many times I have been to a Wokcano, I still have yet to try their food!

Highlights:

• Friendly crowd.
  
• Telling a girl her stage name sounds like a porn star's name.
  
• Meeting not one, but two pastors (one male, one female).
  

January 16, 2010 - Opera (Hollywood, CA)

I have always heard about Opera night club in Hollywood, but I had never been. I even have friends that promote for it! All I can say is, "Wow, I should have gone sooner." It ranks right up there with Blvd3 for me. The ambiance is nice. There are two main areas, and you can pretty much dance wherever you want! There is also an outside area off to the side that is enclosed by walls, but lacking a roof. The music was top 40s, and if you're in before 11:30pm, the girl:guy ratio is like 7:1 (score!). My friends actually knew the bartender, but repeated attempts at "hook-ups" did not pan out.

Highlights:

• Myself with 3 girls plus guest list = we did not have to wait in line.
  
• I had at least 8 drinks spilled on me... All courtesy of my friends.
  
• My friend falling on the floor... repeatedly.
  
• Previously mentioned falling friend getting us kicked out of the club at 12:30am.
  
• Pho at Pho Citi in Westwood, CA for my first time. It was actually pretty good!
  

Introduction - Have you met Mike?

Hi, my name is Mike. I am a 31 year-old male that, for the first time in my life, is truly experiencing life on a grand social scale. Don't get me wrong, I have always been a sociable guy. However, for reasons I cannot and do not want to get into, I missed out on the large majority of the single lifestyle during my twenties. Over the past 9 months or so, I have taken this a whole new level.

Today, my friends make it a point to call me a "social butterfly," but I much prefer Malcolm Gladwell's idea of a "Connector." He discusses this person in his novel The Tipping Point. A Connector is described as "a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances." I like interacting with people. I like engaging and understanding human behaviors. Most of all, I like to have fun! And how do I have fun? By going out, meeting new people and connecting my social networks.

Ultimately, I want this latest blog of mine to serve as a gateway to what I see through my eyes on a typical/atypical outing. While I cannot recall all of the things I have experienced in the past nine months, I will document the who/what/why/when/how from here on out. One day I hope to look back on all of these memories and shared experiences so I can say to myself, "I lived." Enjoy my journey!