Tag Archives: cocktails

thank you, děkuji, grazie, gracias, merci beaucoup!

dear Europe: thank you for one of the best months of my life!

please accept my long overdue thank you for hosting me last month for 30 lovely days. it will go down as one of the best trips of my life! i have so many i wish to show my gratitude to, so please bare with me while i do my best to remember those who went above and beyond to make my month so incredible.

go with oh cities

1) Go with Oh for the perfect apartments in Prague, Florence, Rome, Barcelona & Paris

marionette

2) Truhlar Marionety for the wonderful 4 hour lesson in making your own marionette with the master himself Pavel

pubcrawl

3) Pub Crawl Prague for the fun tour of bars & clubs

dinner at Four Seasons Prague

4) Four Seasons Prague for the delightful dinner at CottoCrudo

shopping in milan

5) Melanie Payge for the amazing behind the scenes shopping tour of Milan & bubbly company at the Four Seasons Milan Barolo dinner

barolo wine dinner

6) Four Seasons Milan for the gorgeous room & divine VIP white truffle & Barolo wine dinner

chef vito four seasons florence

7) Four Season Florence for the princess treatment by both Luca, Italian Barman of the Year & Vito, genius Executive Chef

il fontanaro cooking class

8) Walks of Italy & Il Fontanaro for the memorable cooking class & stay at a Tuscan Farm House in Paciano

rome food tour

9) Walks of Italy for the behind the ropes tour of the Vatican, the mouthwatering food tour of Rome & the day trip to Orvieto in Umbria

orvieto

10) Chef Lorenzo for the custom made lunch & educational tours of a cheese & olive oil factory

pompeii, vesuvius, naples

11) Walks of Italy for the fascinating discovery tour of Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius & the Naples National Archeological Museum

positano - amalfi coast

12) Walks of Italy for the entertaining tour of the gorgeous Amalfi coast

flamenco lessons

13) Go with Oh for the oh-so-fun flamenco lessons at Flamenco Barcelona to indulge me

cocktails at Eclipse

14) W Barcelona for the tasty lunch at Wave & cocktails at hip lounge Eclipse

photo shoot with Eduardo Frances

15) Go with Oh for the fabulous photo shoot with photographer extraordinaire, Eduardo Frances

thanksgiving in Barcelona

16) Sara & Arno and the Go with Oh staff for the fun multi-culti Thanksgiving celebration

dinner at W Paris Arola

17) W Paris for the awesome tour of your property & the “spark” design explanation as well as the outstanding dinner at Arola

how to become a Parisian in an hour

18) Go with Oh for the hilarious “How to Become a Parisian in one Hour” show

parisian tattoo

19) Abraxas for the parfait tattoo to always remember Paris by as if i could forget

burgundy wine tasting

20) Caveau de Chassagne-Montrachet for the delicious wine tasting in Burgundy

lunch at Four Seasons Paris

21) Four Seasons George V Paris for the restful retreat & most indulgent lunch of my lifetime at Le Cinq

Lionel Richie

22) Lionel Richie & Co for the unforgettable Friday evening dinner in St. Germain Paris

Henley-on-Thames

23) Mr. & Mrs. O Around the World for the warmest welcome to Henley-on-Thames with a holiday party & lovely friends

Four Seasons London Park Lane

24) Four Seasons London at Park Lane for the stunning suite & Rolls Royce ride, Amaranto for the delicious dinner & cocktails tasting, the spa for the best massage yet AND the entire property for the best staff ever encountered

Jeff Leatham

25) The incredibly talented Artistic Director for the Four Seasons George V Paris,  Jeff Leatham, who wows the world with his floral designs but made time for a chat with me

kevin at Louis Vuitton

26) Kevin, Louis Vuitton personal shopper to the rich & famous, for the fantastic history lesson behind the LV brand

52 martinis

27) Miss 52 Martinis for a quick cocktail tour of Harry’s Bar, an old haunt of Hemingway’s, on a busy Tuesday night in Paris

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST

lola & leah

28) Leah Travels thank you for being the best travel partner in crime i could ever EVER imagine. our month of adventures will bring us a lifetime of laughter!

XO – lola

 

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Filed under barcelona, europe, france, italy, london, paris, prague, spain, travel

Cocktails of Cambodia

MMMM Cocktails of Cambodia

that’s right! the drinks were divine in Cambodia. AND i think you know i’m a tough critic in this category since i’d like to pride myself on being a bit of an expert! it was as much of a surprise to me… a 3rd world country that is into cocktails?! say whaaaa?!!

YEP i felt pretty much right at home in Cambodia. this country LUUURVES its happy hour. and everything is already dirt cheap – BONUS for lola! i’m talking $4 mojitos that are now $2 – incredible! let me give you my Cocktails of Cambodia tour:

Best Drink

the gigantic red wine at Topaz in Phnom Penh. it must have been the glass but i was impressed!

Worst Drink

probably the mojito at Titanic in Phnom Penh. it was just ok and i had to wait like half an hour to get it!

Most Usual Drink

definitely has to go to the red bull & vodka buckets at the Temple Bar in Siem Reap. YES i’m that lame that i’ve never had a bucket before. BTW this should also be listed as most lethal of cocktails of Cambodia!

Biggest Booze Surprise

the local beers were actually quite tasty!

CHEERS – lola

 

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Filed under cambodia, koh kong, phnom penh, siem reap, travel

Costa Brava Cocktails

plus a little food porn

pleeeease don’t cut lola off!

so you may be wondering a couple of things. one, what exactly did all these alcoholic beverages look like in Costa Brava?! i know how you love my photos of cocktails and boozy stories. don’t worry, i didn’t disappoint in my visit to Spain. i pretty much only have photos of myself enjoying the local spirits! please take a gander.

let’s just start at the beginning with local beer

then it was cava cava cava

first of maaaaannnny gin & tonics

lola interrupts this amazing cocktails photo essay for a G&T break

beer with a faux soldier – i heart his eye patch

sangria the size of my head

still more G&T cocktails – ughhhh

catalan sangria made with cava

no lunch is complete without rose

AND WAIT FOR IT…

no dinner is complete without gin & tonics

the other thing i’m sure you’re thinking is why only a little food porn? i mean Spain is full of great food! well, while there was plenty of jamon for all to enjoy, lola pretty much stuck to a liquid diet. why? because i’m a dumb ass. of the food i did try, the cheese and ham were incredible.

leg of jamon anyone?

HANG ON what’s that? wine & cheese packaged together. me encanta!

AND i cannot say enough great things about the lunch and dinner i had on my blog trip in Costa Brava. delicious seafood – like the best i ever had AND wonderful paella. TO. DIE. FOR. thank you Costa Brava tourism board for making our incredible arrangements with Club Giverola & Es Blanc for the wonderful meals. they were pretty much all i ate while in Spain!

stuffed scallops, clams & mussels – Y.U.M.

XO – lola

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Filed under costa brava, spain, travel

Boston: taking on ‘The Hub’ one cocktail at a time

Boston booze outing

as you know, if you are a regular lola fan – i just LOVE my cocktails. i have my old standbys, to be sure, but i really enjoy trying out new ones and lately this has been especially fun. hand crafted cocktails seem to be ALL THE RAGE and many establishments change their menus regularly. this means all the more for lola to sample.

my little stay-cation in Boston recently proved very successful in the cocktail tasting department. allow me to give you a tour.

second marriage

i enjoyed this lovely “lola pink” cocktail – SECOND MARRIAGE – at Woodward in the Ames Hotel. although Ames is only 2.5 years old, SECOND MARRIAGE has been on it’s cocktail list since its opening. looks like the 2nd time might be the charm! 😉 AND while this looks like a girly drink let me warn you – IT IS NOT! another Woodward cocktail institution is ONE COURT. that’ll be my next cocktail victim when i return to Ames.

  • SECOND MARRIAGE ingredients: Ketel One Citroen with Chandon Brut and raspberries
NOW onto stop number two!

peach n’ pig

  • PEACH N’ PIG ingredients: Bacon-infused House-Smoked Bulleit Bourbon, Punt E Mes, Homemade Peach Simple Syrup, Homemade Bitters, Grilled Peach Garnish

Gn’T

  • Gn’T ingredients: Beefeater, Fresh Lemongrass, Homemade Lemongrass Tonic Water, House-made Bitters

hot and dirty

  • HOT and DIRTY ingredients: Ketel One Vodka, Homemade Dry Vermouth, Olive Juice, Sriracha, Garnished with a Habanero Stuffed Olive

st. james negroni

  • ST. JAMES NEGRONI ingredients: Berkshire Greylock Gin, Camapri, Cocchi Americano, Fresh Lemon Juice, Homemade Sage Syrup

the second stop on my cocktail jaunt was Post 390. i have dined at Post 390 before but the recent cocktail tasting to-do stop was brought to my attention by Thrillist – a “what’s happening” email newsletter i receive. they had me at bacon-infused bourbon in the PEACH N’ PIG! i am not a bourbon gal but this was too intriguing not to try. while it was quite tasty, i preferred the HOT & DIRTY more. what can i say, lola likes it spicy! really all the cocktails were incredibly tasty and worth the visit to Post 390.

negroni

the final stop of my Boston cocktail trip was brunch at Kitchen – a new establishment in the South End. Kitchen’s concept is a take on historically inspired foods which is a burgeoning trend right now. with every dish on the menu, Kitchen tells you how old the recipe is. most cocktails and dishes hail from the early 1900’s. i had the NEGRONI (circa 1919) with my brunch because, well, one NEGRONI tasting wasn’t enough!

  • NEGRONI ingredients: barrel aged Bombay Gin, Campari, Vya Sweet Vermouth, Flamed Orange, Orange Bitters

and that’s all folks for this edition of lola’s boozy visit to Boston!

sante! XO – lola

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Filed under boston, cocktails, travel

‘The Mikimoto’ at Beverly Wilshire

there’s a saying that “diamonds are a girls best friend” but did the girl ever meet Mikimoto?

it may come as NO surprise that the oh-so-luxe pearl jewelry experts, Mikimoto, have a store front in the posh Beverly Wilshire – Four Seasons. for those who don’t know, Mikimoto is the foremost producer of the finest quality cultured pearls. The Mikimoto name is synonymous with superior quality at every stage, from the selection of finest materials to expert workmanship to their customer service commitment. Mikimoto combines timeless elegance with sophisticated, modern design. let’s just say – VERY LOLA APPROVED!

however, only 1/3 of my Mikimoto story has to do with the gorgeous pearl jewelry outfitter.

another 1/3 has to do with a legendary cocktail that is the signature drink of Beverly Wilshire’s The Blvd. ‘The Mikimoto’ is a delicious concoction which was served for 50 days in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Four Seasons brand last year at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills. during my most recent stay with Beverly Wilshire, i requested to try the signature cocktail of the hotel. the lovely staff arranged for me to sample ‘The Mikimoto’ at The Blvd one afternoon with the dashing General Manager as my companion & tour guide to my cocktail tasting. well…i had NO idea what a treat was in store for me. i should have known as Four Seasons makes even the ordinary special! the brand prides itself on making your stay customized, unique & memorable if you allow them the opportunity. I SURE DID and they did not let me down.

it was a like a scene from Pretty Woman. no, i’m not claiming to be any Julia Roberts. let’s not get carried away. BUT this IS my Pretty Woman moment.

so, there i am at the Reg. Bev. Wil. and the GM escorted me out to a coveted sidewalk table with staff waiting on us hand & foot. he had the menu at the ready for me to view. then, as they brought me the drink – well, it was delivered in the MOST GORGEOUS crystal glass i’ve ever seen. here’s the final 1/3 of the story. the Beverly Wilshire worked with Swarovski Crystal to have a special glass for their signature ‘The Mikimoto’ drink. i can’t decide what was more heavenly?! the cocktail, the glass or the fabulous pearl designer it was all named after.

OH, and did i fail to mention Mikimoto created a signature bracelet to go along with this special anniversary? well, i was able to test drive one of these beauties and i think i’m now in LOVE.

‘The Mikimoto’ cocktail is a combination of watermelon, mandarin & pineapple infused ultimat vodka, along with cointreau & finished with a lychee garnish shaped like none other than a pearl! all of this deliciousness can be yours for $19.

if you were lucky enough to be a patron during the anniversary celebration you could have your ‘The Mikimoto’ served in the stunning Swarovski Crystal glass to take home to the tune of $500. and if your date was a BIG spender then you could have the divine cocktail, crystal glass & bracelet all for $2500. to me, this is the best value! the Trifecta…a case where three isn’t a difficult number.

i was sold. BUT where was my sugar daddy?! just kidding – the experience was reenacted for me and this was good enough for lola – for now! 🙂

thank you Beverly Wilshire for making me feel like a Pretty Woman sipping my own gorgeous ‘The Mikimoto’. you certainly did make my visit a most memorable one!

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Filed under california, los angeles, swanky luxe stays, travel