I was at Canal Club tonight for Slider Monday ( 1/2 price beer, $2.50 sliders) , with my #1 research team, and  the general consensus is that the Venice Happy Hour would be a much happier place if you (wisened readers) got to contribute your very valuable opinions on where to go, what to drink, etc. My delightful little webhost, who is cheap and easy ( ahem) doesn't enable that feature as of yet, but... well, I do. SO! Don't be shy- Facebook or Twitter or ol'fashioned email me (jezz@venicehappyhour.com)  what you have to say, and I will happily include, explore, etc. A  poll feature will be up and  running soon, don't be a stranger. BTW- Its First Friday this weekend on Abbot Kinney- the street will be outrageous as usual... get your tummy ready for the taco trucks, and your wallet ready for a party at the Stronghold- it's sure to be a busy night!

Whoever is behind this brilliant pre-Thanksgiving Happy Hour at James Beach ought to win an Oscar, or at least- someone should buy them a drink! Nice one James Beach! It makes me want to watch all those crazy old SNLs with Walken weirdness. I will so be there making a fool of myself with a whole new bad imitation to go along with my other bad imitations (namely, Dave Chapelle imitating Rick James, Peter imitating his doorman Mo, and of course, my father.)

This Wednesday, November 25th from 6-10pm
For those of us who need a drink to face Turkey Day, the relatives, etc...Join us for the Christopher Walken Pre-Thanksgiving
Drink-a-thon!
Order with your best Christopher Walken accent or name a Christopher Walken movie and get 1/2 price Ketel One, Sagatiba and Don Julio drinks.
Start practicing...Best impression gets a prize to drink at Thanksgiving!

Yes, well- I may be painfully, epicly hungover from marauding through the walkstreets of Venice last night, but I think that this new posting ChiChi pointed out to me on Lilly's website, basically says "free food and drink if you show up." Read along with me here ....
Happy Hour Special:

Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm, join us for
Happy Hour in our lounge or bar and enjoy a glass of
sangria or champagne and canapés on the house!

Well Okay then! Sounds GREAT! Merci Beaucoup!

The South end of Abbot Kinney is going to be party central tonight: and get ready to compose 2 new emails, as they both require you to RSVP.
You Can't Stop the Pop Up Shop trend! Like the ever growing swarm of food trucks, Abbot Kinney  is fertile ground for Pop Up Shops. Tom's is LONG GONE folks, but just in time to freshen you up for the holidays: HINT MINT has set up shop in the cool little eco-box at 1650 Abbot Kinney. Friday night is "Drinking & Drawing with Gary Baseman" Now I'm not quite clear what Gary, Mints, Alcohol and Drawing have to do with each other- but I am happy to sample their Blue Ice Vodka and find out. Get the hint/RSVP!
NEXT! The boys across the street at The Stronghold are usually up to SOMETHING (marching, selling jeans, posing in the doorway, talking on the phone while marching,  marching in jeans)...but tonight it's for a good cause. A $12 donation gets you in to see some local music, a screening of the documentary FLOW, and the chance to belly up to the JLP Tequila & Mellow bar.
All proceeds will go to SYRV & Laguna Project to build the Jiquilillo Community Center in Nicaragua that will hold a community water purifier station, library, computer lab, sewing stations and organic garden. Get a strong hold on your place in line and RSVP
So...I'll see you on the street, feel free to get back to me on how your night went.

Over the entrance to The Galley restaurant, there is a life size mermaid manniquin in a canoe , in one hand she balances a tray, upon which a glass of white wine is perched. Well they might as well have my name on the freakin' canoe because THAT IS THE BEST THING EVER. No wait. Step inside. The bar is illuminated solely by coloured Christmas lights and BLOWFISH WITH LIGHTBULBS inside their bodies! It's like an East Village 6th street Indian restaurant meets Weeki Wachee Mermaid Show.  Although the Galley is techinically " not Venice" , it's heart is. If you  just crave: a spot at the bar, a strong drink, a forgiving crowd, a real meal, and a waitresses who smiles at you like your big sister- go to The Galley. Sundays are ALL DAY/ALL NIGHT happy hour at the bar, half price on most of their great menu items and$4 beer, $5 wine. The food is real good, and get this : you'll able to hear the person next to you at the bar! Oh hell- even the the person NEXT to them ( and your waitress too!) Go, relax, read the funny salad dressing story in the loo, and don't forget to grab one of the hottest cocktail napkins on the West Coast. 

Got a little shout out this week from Yo! Venice- my favorite source for info about the news and neighbors in Venice. It's all good in the hood! Thanks Yo! Venice

Daily Candy  greeted me with an incredible piece of sweetness this morning, a new product that with the bilp-blop of some amazing pills, one can MAKE THEIR OWN CHAMPAGNE AT HOME.  I am from the south, birth place of Moonshine and Bathtub Gin, so I am no stranger to the concot-your-own-solution set. And now living in Cali- everybody and their brother either has their own vinyard, makes their own beer, or of course, ..ahem....grows their own weed ( Boring). But all of the above are time consuming and work-intensive endevours. The clever people at SpikeYourJuice.com make it neat and easy to turn your fav libation into sweet wonderfully bubbly champagne. I am wondering...what happens if one swallows the pills directly? Depending on your nationality- you could become a Prosecco or a Sparkling Sake, right? Let me know how the experments go!