Places 2 Drink

Wavehouse, Mission Beach

2007-06-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Wave house is a day party. Sundays are a must if you are into that kind of vibe. Every one is on their best shape, little bikinis floating around and brand name sunglasses everywhere. The first time I walked in, I thought it was spring break. If you are from out of town and it's sunny, that is the place to go feel the after beach crowd.

They have really cool bands playing in mid-afternoon. And the best guest DJs play techno every Sunday until 10PM. Besides, they have a wave pool which is totally entertaining - some guys just rip it all. Others don't.

Where: 3146 Mission Blvd
(858) 228-9283

Bar West, Pacific Beach

2007-06-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Bar West is the new trendy place in Pacific Beach, San Diego. It's from the same owner of Stingaree. People look their best, drinks are stiff and lots of flirting. Some downs are the fact that the dance space is VIP and the line at the door can be huge. I had the priviledge to be in a VIP list on a particular Thursday and everything went smooth. I can't remember the guest DJ, but he was moving the crowds. Overall, Bar West is a fun place to go drink with some good-looking people.

Portugalia, Ocean Beach (San Diego)

2007-06-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Portugalia has great food, great service and great music. They are open for lunch and dinner, but there is often something going on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday nights. My favorite option in the menu is always the "bolinho de bacalhau", aka cod appetizers or "pão de queijo" aka cheese bread. There is one rule though, you MUST order a Brahma beer to go along...

Erica, Leticia and Maile are real sweethearts, always in a great mood. Erica hates (and bitches) when I order water, but I love her anyhow. They usually have caipirinhas or caipvodkas on saturdays when there is an event going on. Saturday is my preferred night there. You may find a band playing brazilian samba (pagode), forró or reggae. Don't get disappointed if you get there early and there is no one there, brazilians are out VERY late. Getting places around midnight is a must: a way of life.

Where: 4832 Newport Ave,
Ocean Beach (SD), CA 92107
619.222.7678
corner of Newport and Sunset Cliffs Bvd.

Belo, San Diego Downtown

2007-06-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Belo is great place to go dance in Downtown San Diego. I have only been there a couple of times. Last time I was there Crystal Method was spinning and it was awesome. Particularly, I like the fact that it is not your typical downtown boyz and gals. However, it is not exactly underground. Depending on the night, it could be extremely crowded and you may see lots of Brazilians around. Probably because it's one of the few places that stay open until 4am in this city.

Note: do not wear huge heels...

Where: 919 4th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 231-9200

The Shack in La Jolla

2007-05-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Shack is by far the best casual bar in the beach area. The drinks are very cheap. On Friday nights, they have $3 u call it. It can't get any better then that. The american food (served until 9pm) is good as well. And the service is great. Yesterday I noticed that half the bar was calling the bartender Jason (I thought I was drunk). But his name is really Josh. He swears that he doesn't care, but I would like to make a mention here: his name is JOSH, dude!

Most of the time, there are only (or mostly) locals there. I like that. It's very low key, people are wearing flip flops. There is a juke box, but the music is mostly rock or reggae. It's the typical Californian surf culture. Highly recommended.

PS: Josh, thanks for the amazing drinks/shots always! :-)

Where: corner of La Jolla Blvd. and Nautilus. Next to the Seven Eleven.
(I will update the formal address later)

Sono Di Vino, Little Italy (San Diego)

2007-05-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Sono Di Vino has amazing Italian food. I have been there several times, for lunch and dinner. For lunch my recommendation is the avocado salad. For dinner and Happy Hour, they have this delicious plates with cheeses and meat. The wine selection is a key element to this restaurant. They have wine events and tasting about once a month. If you are lucky, they even have live music a few days a week.

It's a great place to hang out and go have a glass of vino with a date. They have these little couches by the window that are very cozy.

Where: India St

Sushi Fix, Little Italy (San Diego)

2007-05-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

The sushi fix is a must for those that work in the Downtown, Little Italy area. Great quick sushi at a reasonable price. The sushi is always fresh. I am a regular of their sashimi. Depending on the chef, the portions are well served. Some people at my office are a fan of the "Basic Fix" or the "Sushi Fix. It's a combo for $"8.95 and $12.95 respectively. Great value for the food, especially in that area. They also have a good Happy Hour (HH for those that know me). Hand Rolls are only $2 and half price beers/sake. You can probably find me there about twice a week. ;-)

When we don't have the patience to wait, we call in. When we get down there, it's ready to go and we can enjoy lunch in their nice little patio. If you like people watching like me, that's a good entertainment as well.

Where: 1608 India St.
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 237-7878

Art Bar, New York

2007-03-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

I had a blast in this bar. Make sure you walk all the way to the back, where they have these comfy couches and semi-private area to hang out. This is a great place to get cozy with a date, although I went there with friends. The bar is somewhat dark, obscure. They have the most awesome painting of in the back wall that you have to make sure to check if you go there. It's a satyra of the Last Supper. We took a picture, but I can't find it right now.

Maybe it is the name, but I felt a little bit more intelectual there drinking my lemon drop martini (and my melon martinis). They have amazing appetizers. I tried out their Portobello and Eggplants, their Thai Spring Rolls and the vegetarian dumplings. All absolutely delicious.

Where: 52 8th
New York, NY 10014
(212) 945-0555

Pastis, New York

2007-03-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Le Pastis is my friends' preferred spot in New York. Since the day I got to NY, she kept insisting we go to dinner there. Then I understood why. The drinks, the bar, the food, the hang out... everything so french and so great. The bartender was a little moody. But then we heard he was in several movies, we got it: he is a NY star and legend.

So we tried out the following: Onion Soup, Mushroom Ravioli, Tuna Sandwich and Tuna Niçoise Salad. For dessert, we had a most wonderful creme brulée. So crusty on the top, but melted in your mouth.
There is so much life in that restaurant. So much flerting going on. I highly recommend. This IS NY. Very unique. And you may bump into some real stars.

Where: 9 Ninth Ave.
New York, NY 10014

Room Service, New York

2007-03-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Room Service is one of my favorite places in New York for sure. The atmosphere is just so cool. It's decorated like a hotel. The back of some chairs are like doors and every table has a room number.

We went there for a late lunch on a Sunday and I had this wonderful ginger drink that I can't recall the name, but was one of the best drinks I had ever had. I had to ask them to take the cucumber out, cause I am not that healthy. I ended up having several of them later on. The food is spicy, but not too much.

Where: 166 8th Ave.
NewYork, NY 10011
(212) 619-0299