Dewar's Candy Shop | Bakersfield

"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,and they're like, its better than yours,damn right its better than yours, i can teach you, but i have to charge." -Kelis

Since 1909 Dewar's Candy Shop and Ice Cream Parlor has been solely responsible for fulfilling the sweet tooth of Bakersfield. Located close to downtown Bakersfield, Dewar's was a gift sent from heaven. As soon as I walked in the joint, the reality of being in Bakersfield slapped me right in the face. I could see why this place has been around for nearly a century, it has so much small town charm. You walk in the entrance and you feel like you are in a scene from a movie. Right away I was in awe of all the kitschy souvenir gifts, stuffed deer head, antique ceiling fans, and local patrons young and old.



They have a wide array of sweet desserts, from the classic banana split to milkshakes, to ice cream sundaes. The service was great and really friendly. But best of all was my two scoop sundae, which consisted of Cookies and Cream and English Toffee, topped with hot fudge, caramelized chopped almonds, and whipped cream. I would go here and skip the health shakes of LA any day. And let me tell you, the prices are amazingly low. Sit at the counter for a memorable experience. I highly recommend Dewar's, it was one of the highlights of my 3 day trek through Bakersfield.

1120 Eye St.
Bakersfield, CA.
Phone: 661.322.0933
www.dewarscandy.com

Little Cave Bar / The York | Highland Park

It was a random Wednesday night and the thought of driving from Mar Vista to Eagle Rock isn't something to really look forward to unless you were celebrating one of your good friend's birthday. Well this night it was my friend Pei's birthday. Now I don't mind driving in L.A. when it's 10 PM and no one is on the freeways. I hopped in my car and put on some great electronica music. Now who ever invented mapquest is a genius, but Highland Park can get confusing, so I used my trusty Thomas Guide. After a few stops to check my maps I found the Little Cave Bar which was awesome. There was free parking everywhere on the street.

To me it was the perfect example of a "Glamour Dive Bar," now you can find these all over L.A. The interior is very dark and it reminded me what a bar would look like if it was Halloween everyday, dark and bats everywhere. I walked in and was greeted with a mix of loud electro clash music and hard rock. Totally appropriate for the scene. The bartender was attentive and nice and sported a mohawk. As a few minutes go by I was brushed with a huge ass ball of fire as the bartender spewed out liquor and ignited a flame right out of his mouth. It was awesome, I've never seen that at a bar, fire breathing bartenders. The place is fun and the drinks are cheap. This bar gets 3 "O"s in the COOOL meter. After an hour of rock music we needed a change of scenery...

5922 N. Figueroa
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Phone: 323.255.6871
www.littlecavebar.com


Proclaimed as, "Highland Park's neighborhood gastropub," the York is a really cool bar. We came here immediately after The Little Cave and it only took a 2 minute drive. We were greeted by a door guy who was friendly. The vibe here is really chill and reminded me of a bar I could find somewhere in Soho in New York City. The atmosphere is dim and is a great place to hang with friends or bring a date to for that last alcoholic night cap. This is a full bar, and you can tell that immediately as you walk in, the selections of liquor was pretty sizeable. They have a few beers on draft and many to choose from. Since it is a "gastropub" they had a menu which served tapas style small plates to bigger plates if you are hungry and came for dinner. The prices are very reasonable and none of the items were over $15. I would definitely come back here! And parking was really easy and free on the street. Los Angeles Magazine hailed it as "one of the best new restaurants in 2007." This bar also gets 3 "O"s on the COOOL meter.

5018 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Phone: 323.255.9675
www.theyorkonyork.com

La Creperie Cafe | Long Beach

Now when I think of crepes, I usually think of those little crepes with bananas and chocolate topped with whipped cream. Well having dinner at the Le Creperie Cafe has changed the way I view a crepe forever. Before what used to be a snack has changed into a nice tasteful meal. I went here last Monday night with my friends Ernie and Michael who life a few blocks away. And it was really good!

I was told that this was a popular restaurant on the street, and on a Monday night it was packed. The place was cute and I was delighted to see and hear a live pianist. We sat in their little wait area and started off with a bottle of red wine. Monday nights are great here because they have half priced wine night, which I think is genius. We didn't have to wait too long, and we were immediately sat at a nice table against the brick wall. The interior was pretty nice and pretty gaudy. I did like the huge mirrors and the chandeliers.


We started off with a basket of their famous garlic fries which were delicious with their selection of 3 dipping sauces. The fries were scarfed down in less than five minutes. The crepe I got had chicken and bacon and topped with a cream sauce. It was so freakin good! The portions are sizeable, so you definitely won't leave this place hungry. You also have the option of adding a small side salad, I chose their greek salad which was great. None of the dinner crepes were over $13.95. After dinner, we couldn't leave without sharing a dessert crepe. We chose the Martinique: Bananas flambe in rum with butter and brown sugar, topped with vanilla ice-cream. Ah-mazing!

La Creperie Café is operated by Patrick & Dora Parmentier, together they have thirty years of experience in the restaurant business. This place put the crepe on the map for me that night if you ask me. I would definitely come back here. And Monday nights seem like the best time to go, especially for the wine specials. I hear they have an amazing brunch on the weekends. I would suggest reservations if you have a big party, and the place is a good place for a casual date or celebration. They also offer live jazz and blues 7 days a week!

4911 E. Second Street.
Long Beach, CA 90803
Phone: 562.434.8499
www.lacreperiecafe.net