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For The Weekenders: Thanksgiving, Rego Style…

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What’s Better Than Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving. Rego Style.

I won’t lie – if you’ve traveled as much as I have, you embrace all holidays – and forget about nearly two-thirds of them…and then other times, make your own twist on them.

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Most of the time I don’t celebrate them for their intended reasons – mostly because their intended reasons are historical events skewed….but that’s another story. Right now it’s all about good times with family, friends, food, and that favorite bottle of alcohol. So here’s a little insight into Thanksgiving – Rego style.

To start off – I never have been a fan of turkey – I don’t know if it’s the tryptophan or maybe the combination of foods that makes me sick, but I showed turkey the road about 7 years ago and haven’t looked back since. My (not so) new love…?

Duck.

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Which means I’ve been pissing off this guy for a while now.

…but hear me out – duck is as tasty as it is, well, cute…and there’s so many ways you can make it. Or eat it. My personal favorites are duck bacon, duck sausage, and duck breasts. So who can I depend on when I’m getting a craving for one (or all) of the three? D’Artagnan, of course.

They’ve got top quality, carefully selected meat & game, and if you’re not one to skimp on freshness – they’re your go-to guys. The way I sometimes like to start my Thanksgiving day is with Duck Bacon Wrapped Scallops – because really, the only thing better than (turkey) bacon is duck bacon…but always make sure to leave room for the main dish – and alcohol. Quality alcohol. So in what way shape or form does duck beat turkey on this day of mindless calorie indulging? Duck Breasts with Black Olives and Port Wine. Yeah – I get back to my Portuguese roots every now and then.

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When it comes to the wine – you’re on your own….I’m not sharing.

Since we’re on the subject of seasonal things like holidays and all, I figure why not introduce you guys to a seasonal bar. Hey – you’re eating all that food, you’ve gotta wash it down somehow. Even if it is like, the day after. Anyway, so get this – there’s a seasonal liquor bar at 58th and 9th in New York, and the minute you walk in it feels like something out of your own living room – providing you have good taste.

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…also providing you have a leather chair with built in lights.

Maybe you’re not one for their furniture, even if you aren’t, you’ll be sure to love their drinks….and man do they have DRINKS. Take your pick from 6 different menus – enough to satisfy even the most diverse (or picky) alcohol enthusiasts. My favorites? Glad you asked…

Cocktail: Deadly Night Shade -It’s healthy, because there’s veggies in it. Seriously. Or so I tell myself. Roasted aubergine (that’s eggplant, for you Americans), Bacardi 8yr aged rum, lillet blanc, vanilla demerara add a touch of lemon and voila – an in-between meals snack. Just kidding (not really).

Beer: Ommegang Witte – Great with that appetizer wrapped in (more) duck bacon but lemony enough for barbecue or any other tangy dish you’re served up.

By The Bottle: Dom Pérignon Rosé – I had to…I just, had to. Starts out light, ends robust. If beer treated me this nicely every time I drank it – I’d drink alcohol for sport.

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If you’re about 5 drinks in and you start seeing chairs on ceilings, you’re not drunk – the guys at Henry’s just like having a good laugh at the customer’s expense…and so do I.

They have rules, of which I couldn’t help but showcase below – numbers 2, 3, and 9 are absolutely imperative. In my opinion, if every bar had these rules – nights out would be a lot more fun…that and, if they allowed legit absinthe into the states (come on, just this once).

Henry rules

  1. Drink with an open mind. If in doubt, ask.
  2. Please refrain from using cell phones for anything other than texting, photographing our beautiful drinks, or your beautiful friends (keep the flash off – it’ll look much better).
  3. Make love, not war: no jägar bombs or cosmos.
  4. Please don’t bring anyone you wouldn’t bring home for dinner with your mother.
  5. Guys, play nice, don’t sleaze on our female patrons. Most are just here for a great drink.
  6. Drug use will not be tolerated. Rehabilitation will be recommended.
  7. In keeping with our goal of promoting temperance, we will refuse service to patrons who may have accidentally had one too many.
  8. No fighting, no name-dropping, no shenanigans. Horseplay is acceptable.
  9. Our dress code? Preserve the sexy.

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Sometimes, rules can be pretty awesome…and with live jazz, you can’t go wrong. Henry, a Liquor Bar – check it out.

I don’t know why but I’m in a New York state of mind (see what I did there? Yeah.) and you’re gonna stick around to ask why…and when you do ask why and I point to the skies, I haven’t fallen off the wagon – I just like heights…and you should too, if you’re going to this next lounge – as in, cocktail lounge. Venue? The Skylark. Something off of Star Trek? No, and if you suggest something like that again I’ll slap you.

Kidding (maybe). Anyway, either make sure you go on Friday or prepare to book the place for the weekend (weekends it’s private events only), and if your friends are afraid of heights now’s a time to help them conquer that fear – or if you’re with a date now’s the time to “keep them close” for the sake of, you know, “safety”. Yeah – the ceiling to floor glass just can’t be trusted…better to just stay close.

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You’ve gotta love the view though..and the fact their narcissistic enough to name a drink after themselves – which somehow represents the class, quality, and atmosphere of this place. So if you’re looking to impress now’s the time to study their menu so you look extra confident when ordering drinks and want your knowledge of alcohol to seem effing magical. What is The Skylark made of, you ask? Hendrick’s gin, Zu vodka, St. Germain liqueur, Blue Curucao, fresh lemon, and to top it all off a brandied cherry. Just think Casino Royale and that’s how about half of their drinks are.

Remember when I said I was in a New York state of mind? Yeah that wasn’t a lie. I think you should be too – fortunately, The Skylark has a drink that helps with just that. Offering hints of fruitiness and spice, “New York State of Mind” is made up of pama pomegranate liqueur, ginger beer, laird’s bonded apple brandy, fresh lime, and a thin wedge of hudson valley apple. Order. Sit Back. Sip. Enjoy View. Repeat.

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So eat, be merry, and milk that Thanksgiving Buzz like it’s 1983. Minus the bad sweaters.

As always…

Stay awesome. 😉

– Rego

For The Weekenders: Thanksgiving, Rego Style… is a post from Rego’s Life

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For The Weekenders: Ziplining at Venice Beach, Cash in Sulphur, Tango in New York

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You know that little voice inside your head that you always hear? You know – the one that helps you make important decisions and what not. Well, if I’m right, it should be telling you this weekend that you’re in desperate need of a bit of adrenaline…a little bump (no, not the drug kind, you smack head…jesus. Go sit with Woodhouse in the corner).

Well there’s good news – you can get that – the adrenaline rush – and a lovely bird’s-eye view of some choice eye candy at Flightlinez Venice Beach. Where epic action movie sequence meets board walks and bikinis.

Venice Beach Bikini Bar

…if you wimp out, there’s always the bikini bar to hold your head in shame.

God knows I need a thrill…and this is the perfect place to get it, at 30 mph and five stories above sea level, there’s no excuse and no one to judge you when you gleam like a little school girl/guy inside through 30 seconds of almost-free-falling fun. It costs just twenty bucks to grab an experience like this, and if you’re a Venice beach resident that gets knocked down to $15….for those of you who look like you’re 12 – you could potentially get lucky and only pay $10. For those of you who don’t – I’d recommend catching up on your beauty sleep.

So once you get a little loaded (buzzed, sloshed, call it what you may) I recommend heading down to this epic landmark and giving it a spin. You can’t go wrong because it’s just about as much fun as those glory days of seeing just how crazy you were and just how high you could jump from the swings in the park – you know, before you grew some “common sense” (pfft….). If a 30 second free fly isn’t enough, they offer re-rides for just five more dollars. The price of….not-being-on-the-ground freedom.

Venice Pic 2

Hopefully you’ll “zip” a bit more gracefully and look far more courageous than the fellow in black and red.

So after the adrenaline pump, it’d probably be a good idea to wind down at a spa….before hitting up the casinos. Hey – don’t look at me like that. I’m not much of a gambler – but I have a weak spot for Baccarat…and you should too – it’s quite fun 😉

Better yet why not do all of this in an Artesian hotel – as in, The Artesian Hotel, Casino, and Spa in Oklahoma. Don’t be fooled – Oklahoma isn’t just good for growing okra – but taking a load off and enjoying the less simplistic pleasures in life too. Like whirlpool baths….and insanely skilled massages. You’ll be so relaxed you won’t even feel tense at the table when you’ve just pocketed $500 in luck from Black Jack 21 and can’t decide whether to continue or leave.

Word of advice – house always wins. Take it and bow out gracefully and head to the bar for ONE drink. Let’s not spend all your earnings.

Artesian 3

It doesn’t stop there – they also offer cleansing treatments for when you wanna be pampered after all that relaxing and massaging. Oh and get this – the water for the treatment is drawn from the same well that served as a centerpiece for the original Artesian Hotel…meaning it must be pretty damn nice. After a hard day’s (or hour’s) worth of gambling, go ahead and relax in your room, that’s decked out with beds soft enough to make you feel as if you’re sleeping on a cloud – and decor that was painstakingly put together by the finest interior decorators.

Besides a casino, there’s also tons more to do in the area…but that’s for next time. Instead, grab some dinner poolside downstairs – you’re going to need all the calories you can get…because it’s next stop, New York.

Malbec Dining Room

…and by New York I mean Malbec and Tango House. A wine bar and restaurant that isn’t just about drinking wine and stuffing your face – but watching people tango furiously while you drink wine and stuff your face. First, you start off upstairs – don’t try to be a hero here, the world of wines is a complicated one, and to the less skilled can really make a meal taste awful. So even if you are with that perfect 10 date, request the sommelier’s advice. Two reasons – a) you won’t look like you’re trying to impress; b) you’ll actually get a wine that goes perfectly with your meal. Order by the glass or a carafe. There’s more wine drinking to be had downstairs.

Next you head downstairs and either order up more wine or some choice cocktails before the show starts, and pick a good seat while you’re at it.

Preferably next to the graffiti...for now.

Preferably next to the graffiti…for now.

I recommend the Chichibirra – souvignon blanc, limoncello, ginger beer and some berries thrown in for fun. For your date, order the Cha-cha-cha – it has some history behind it (a historic cocktail known from 1945) which you can explain while she/he sips slowly hanging on every interesting word. It’s also comprised of Apricot brandy, Old Tom gin, peach puree, and sparkling wine…meaning it kicks ass in flavor.

Finally, onto the show – the show being nightly (yes nightly) tango theater. For this I recommend getting a good seat, so make sure you reserve a VIP box. You’ll like the intimate feel.

Malbec Tango Area 2

From there it’s smooth sailing (like it hasn’t been all this time) with conversation, drinks, and tango.

Just be sure not too drink too much.

I’ve yet to test their policy of getting up on stage with the pros. If you do…

Tell them I sent you.

😉

– Rego

For The Weekenders: Ziplining at Venice Beach, Cash in Sulphur, Tango in New York is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life

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