Hello wine lovers, today is Monday the 11^th of May and its Monday Merlot Madness! . Tonight from 5pm until 8pm at the wine café at Ralphs we will be hosting Kendall Jackson Winery and the Merlot wines they feature.  Kendall Jackson wine is a household name in the wine industry.  What most people do not know is that Kendall Jackson (KJ) is a major owner of many high end brands that are frequently found on fine dining establishment wine lists.  Legacy, Atalon, Robert Young, and Cardinale are a few wines in the list.  KJ went through a major expansion acquiring high-end wineries that needed a better marketing team to represent the wine they produced.  KJ’s marketing team was the right fit for the task at hand.  KJ owns many more brands much too long to list here, be assured that they are quality wines in the portfolio.  Despite what Miles from “Sideways” might think, Merlot has rebounded as a varietals of choice since the kitschy movie the late 90’s.

Merlot found its roots in the village of Bordeaux being the most planted grape in that region. Continue reading Hello Wine Lovers! →

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I often joke in my blogs about downtownster being an unfunded startup, launched in the middle of perhaps the worst economic situation in our country’s history—this is not a joke, but the truth. As downtownster grows, literally every day, I am asked with greater and greater frequency to write about the economy, politics, and relationships. Can you imagine that we live in a time that customers, in this case downtownster readers, can tell you what they want and if you have any business sense—you can oblige at the touch of a keypad. So, I woke up this morning planning to write a brilliant essay on the state of the economy. I was even going to delve into why entrepreneurs, such as myself, should be more aggressively than ever, starting companies like downtownster. But then it occurred to me to write about Amazon’s Kindle DX.

Kindle, if you are not already familiar, is an e-book reader created and sold by Amazon. The new Kindle DX is a technological marvel, which holds 3,500 book titles at a time and is close to paper-thin. The reading display utilizes ink technology, which gives the reader the closest experience possible to actually reading print. And unlike the Sony e-book reader the Kindle operates with an internal wireless 3G capability that allows books to be downloaded to the device, usually in thirty seconds or less. Yes, THE WIRELESS HOOKUP IS FREE, the cost is covered by Amazon. I should also mention the new DX model has a 9.7 inch screen— 3 inches larger than the past models.

The LA Times take on the Kindle DX, in a recent article, is, not surprisingly, whether or not Kindle will save newspapers—like the LA Times. Continue reading KINDLE DX →

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Hello Wine and Sake lovers.  Tonight May 8th at 5pm until 8pm I will be serving Sushi and Sake for a fun Friday night.  Sushi and traditional Sake at Ralphs is a great way to start your evening festivities. Sake is an alcohol product distilled  from the rice grain.  Originating Japan and slowly made its way around the world.  Sake is consumed so often  that one in three  drinks consumed is  a sake-based product.  Many bars and sushi houses are serving Sake-tini  drinks. Continue reading Hello Sushi And Sake Lovers! →

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Hello Wine lovers tonight from 5pm til 8pm we will visit the region of South America and Spain for our wine tasting.   Malbec is considered a blending grape in most Bordeaux. In certain parts of the world this varietal is treated as its own single wine.  Much like that of a Cabernet from Napa valley, or a Pinot Noir from the central coast.   Malbec adds color and structure to any blended wine it could be considered a cohesive binder to a blended style wine that fills in the gaps that other varietal blends lack.  Be it lack of color or thin mouth feel Malbec will bring a perfect balance to blended wines. Continue reading Hello Wine Lovers! →

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Hello  Wine Lovers tonight April 28  at 5 pm the  tasting is a challenge between two areas of the world with the same types of wine.  Meritage  from the United States, vs European Blended Red wine.  Yes Bordeaux will be involved !.  The players in tonight’s competition will be as follows.  Estancia Meritage from Paso Robles, St Clement Orropas from Napa County, Mouton Cadet Bordeaux and Chateau Marguax  Lacombe’s  from Bordeaux. Continue reading Hello Wine Lovers! →

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 On Sunday night Miss California Carrie Prejean should have been crowned Miss USA, but lost because she answered the question posed to her by Perez Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, honestly—and to the majority of heterosexuals correctly. The question? Does she believe in gay marriage? Her answer: a polite no offence, but no.

            With LA Live’s plaza empty, President Obama’s trip to Latin America, war with North Korea and Iran on my mind, not to mention a whole essay worth of economic discourse to write why would I write about a fat, no talent, gossip monger and his beef with a beauty queen? I caught Carrie Prejean being interviewed; she’s beautiful, articulate, and very smart. When she was shown a video of this vial creature who would be nothing, but the nobody that he truly is if he used anything other than a knock off of someone else’s name (Paris Hilton if you’re completely clueless) ranting and raving and calling her a bitch; Carrie Prejean, simply mentioned that she was a Christian and that she loved and forgave the cretin.

            Well, I’m not a good Christian as you might have gathered and I’m weary of this trend in our culture where the best of the best, the Carrie Prejeans of the world, are brought down by the dregs and misfits, the Mario Lavandeira’s of the world. But let me go back a few years.

I was in the process of editing my novel “Stan Lerner’s Criminal”, I’ll spare you the plug, and I would often meet my editor Lawrence at the Coffee Bean on Sunset and Fairfax. Those of you who are familiar with my writing might have understood me, to have in the past, been one of the regulars at the legendary Coffee Bean on Sunset Plaza—don’t be confused, I was. But to meet with Lawrence I would trek down the street and subject myself to, what was, not as desirable a scene—no offence.

            As we perused through the 800 pages of “Criminal” and the red ink of Lawrence’s grievances I could not help but to notice his constant distraction. “Why do you keep looking over at that freak?” I asked. “This is why I prefer you come down to my Coffee Bean.” I stared over at the potato sack with arms and legs that sat up against the back wall with some kind of queen fashion statement of a Hello Kitty hoody pulled over his head. “This is what’s ruining our country. I mean, I know it’s a free country but freedom without some sense of purpose or responsibility can actually be a terribly destructive force…”

            “That’s Perez Hilton,” interrupted Lawrence. “You’re right. He does totally creep me out.”

            “That’s what?” I asked.

            “Perez Hilton,” answered Lawrence, not getting that I had never concerned myself with those who are known for being known—and that’s it. “He has a blog.” Lawrence directed my computer, which was also on the table to Mario’s website.

            “So, he’s the queer version of Paris Hilton? Continue reading Perez Hilton Commits Gay Hate Crime →

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Yesterday I posted the second blog of the downtownster original series Betty Booze by our very talented young writer Meaghan LiBrizzi. THIS WAS OUR ONE HUNDREDTH POST!!!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of downtownster’s talented writers and you our readers–now almost ten thousand strong. It’s not easy to launch an unfunded startup in the middle of an economy that is somewhere between recession and depression, but with some great writing and avid readers we have.

Please continue to tell your friends about downtownster and when you like the blog you’ve just read take a moment to use our easy to use share button. There’s no better advertising than word of mouth and for this, downtownster will continue to rely on you.

Be on the lookout for downtownster’s new novella “Breakfast At Bottega Louie” our 103 post, written by yours truly. Debuting later today!

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Hello wine lovers, it has been a very busy week –moving wine days and attending corporate meetings at the Century Plaza have occupied my time more than normal. Saturday we served Beer from5 pm to 8pm, featuring Belgian beers and Lambics, Fruit style beers that have been top fermented with fruit pulp and natural juice.  These Belgian beers are popular among women and men across the world. These French and Belgian beers are sweet in flavor and have champagne like character in carbonation.  Deep rich colors are common in this style of beer.  Mainly from the fruit juice and red extract of the juice from the berries used. Belgian Lambics are sweetened by natural fruit sugar called fructose. This natural sugar is perfect for creating two things, Continue reading Hello Wine Lovers–Busy Week →

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As a product of Gen X and the 1980’s culture of “Greed is good,” I never imagined myself in the role of community advocate, let alone community activist. But whether it be the outrage of LA Live’s lack of community events in their not so public plaza or posting Vaughn Blake’s blog about Ralphs’ failing its’ customers—here I am.

            Unlike LA Live, in which I met with Vice President of Communications Michael Roth and have yet to hear back regarding any of our off the record conversation, Ralphs responded—and in a big way. As you may recall, I added a foreword to Vaughn’s post, so Ralphs knew exactly whom to call, and they did, to schedule a meeting with Store Manager Joe Martinez. Let me say here that I’ve found that while it doesn’t make for as interesting a blog if you want to get things done with the guys in charge like Joe, you have to be willing to go off the record—

             Joe took over as manager of Downtown Ralphs just four months ago and with this in consideration I was more than willing to hear him out. But after hearing his explanation as to what’s been going on with the store as of late; I could only stand firm on the position taken in Vaughn’s blog—Ralphs needed to start raising the bar back to where it once was positioned when the store first opened—starting with more cashiers and shorter lines. Also, a staff with a renewed sense of being part of a community, namely ours, that is happy to have a job and not just be looking to take home a paycheck.

            To Joe Martinez’s credit, pay attention to this Michael Roth / AEG LA Live, the staffing was changed in less than 24 HOURS. At least three cashiers were put on until 11:00pm and two until closing and the u-scan open until midnight. I came to see with my own eyes the lines that had been extending down the aisles during the late night hours—GONE! THANK YOU JOE! Continue reading Ralphs Responds →

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Foreword by Stan Lerner: a few weeks ago I predicted that a vibrant Jewish Community would emerge on Broadway, not to pat myself on the back or anything, but read this blog and tell me that I didn’t call this one.

Well, sederama 5769 has come and gone, leaving us with at least fifty-seven million new unforgettable Passover moments to love and cherish forever — venerable memories all, but the thing I keep thinking about is the gang of merciless Sephardi seven year olds who kept mugging me for matzoh in the hallways of our beautiful new Shul downtown. Those kids were street, yo, one of the hardest crews around: tight, relentless, organized; seamless in efficacy and design. In matching blue linens and insidiously misdirecting bowl hair cuts, they appeared not only harmless but adorable, to die for — I doubt there was a single adult among us who wouldn’t have gladly given our lives to preserve this paragon generation of future Jews – yet no sooner had one of them softly grabbed your hand to lay on the full heart-shmelzing big eyes and gap-toothed smile treatment than the other twelve would strafe in and converge from every nook and cranny to take your sucker tush down. “Where’s the matzoh?” they’d demand, but by that time it was already gone! Honest! Every bit of abikoman had long been found and ransomed — my own fully-grown Tante had already shaken me down for a ’76 Eldorado convertible in exchange for the packet of crunchy booty (I don’t know how that happened, really: in the spirit of the festivities I kept saying yes, and before I knew it I’m out 75 grand). These Jews are tough, and I can only thank G-d to be part of it, and that we had the blessing of a place and occasion to once again reaffirm our sweet, brutal commitment to each other. Continue reading Matzvot →

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