Bar Hopping Series - La Paloma (San Martin of Tours the bar's patron saint)

They actually carded me for this drink.

 Got to talking to Mexican ex-pats barflys and I asked about who the patron saint of the bar is. The woman didn't know. The older guy next to me said its San Martin. I wiki'ed the patron saint. San Martin is known for

 cutting his military cloak in half and sharing it with another pool soul. He is the patron saint against poverty, patron saint of equestrians, geese and ironically patron saint against alcoholism. I'll drink to that.

Bar Hopping Series - "I'm so drunk, I blacked out and my friends told me how bad it was" stories

Met a couple at the bar in Tenno Sushi and traded "I'm so drunk, I blacked out and my friends told me how bad it was" story. Her friend was so drunk at a concert when he went to the restroom he couldn't find his way back and she had to go looking for him so she missed the whole concert. The band was making a reunion tour and would not be getting back together ever. Her friend got so drunk at a karaoke bar her friend started jumping around all the lounge seats and breaking glassware. Her friends only comment after the drunk episode was "I did that?"

In Karla's, I traded "I'm so drunk, I blacked out and my friends told me how bad it was" stories with Emily who tends bar at the place. Last week Emily got so drunk at Tenno Sushi she is banned from the place.

Bar Hopping Series - Redz "Its a Michilada not a Michilinda, pendejo."

At Redz, I stand corrected by man-faced-butch-girl Carolina telling me "Its a Michilada not a Michilinda, pendejo." Michilada is made with tomato juice, tapatio, and any light beer. My beer of preference for this East LA bar hop is a Corona.

What bar food to pair the Michilada with? Lupita's pica pata with radish and onion. One of the guys from Lupita's Restaurant brought in the spicy pig knuckles. Not very kosher, not very halal but very Mexican.
The decor in Redz is...well there is a disco bar hanging from the ceiling I don't think I need to say more.

Bar Hopping Series - La Bufador (Soft Core Porn above the bar)

 Barflys. Soccer on LCD screens. A poster of a buxom women bent over in her undies on a bed over the bar. Quiche art celebrating "Cabrons-Viva Mi Raza". My first stop on my bar hop in East LA.

 

Bar Hopping Series - 24 Hour Bender

Its 2:18 pm. I start with a Half and Half at Dublin's. At an Irish pub you never ask for the other name for this drink. Never. The bartender must be Irish because he didn't even ask me to explain it.

Its 3:15 pm, I'm on the Blue Line train going to Long Beach. The jiga boo in the picture closest to the exit just had a altercation on the train platform. He just straight up popped somebody on the face and ran into the train to get away from them.

Its 3:47 pm, I'm having a Rainbow Roll at Sushi & Teriyaki on Long Beach Blvd. Later, I'm going to have a tall bottle of Newcastle in a brown paper bag from Rite Aid as a wait patiently for the next train to downtown Long Beach.

 I got off the last station and hopped over the the Rock Bottom brewery.

I'm having one of their brown ale micro brews. Unfortunately, I lost my notebook and so I am unable to provide the exact name of the beer. Losing my notebook...one of the major travails in trying to make it through the 24 hour bender. I am a talkative drunk and got into a discussion an elder gentleman bachelor, middle age lady and her bald headed date. From the elderly gentleman, I learned what makes the Tanquery Gin special is its heavily flavored with ginger and not so much with juniper berries. Also, there must have been a religious convention because the place was packed with people in their Sunday best.

Its 7:09 pm, I'm at Alegria. Its Flamenco night. The only drink I could think of that was a latin drink is a cuba libre. Some other middle age drunk was yapping on about his former glories. He used to hang out with a big hair band, Poison. No used trying to talk to two girls at the bar because I'm being given the brush off. I thankfully hop back on the train toward downtown.

It's 10:00 pm, I'm at Dublin's again. I ask for a half and half and the girl doesn't know what I'm talking about.  I use the facilities. The remodeling of the interior of the old building is really well done.

Guinness at The Elephant Bar in Downey

T'is But a Flesh Wound

I wanted to get some soul food and Kentucky Fried Chicken wouldn't do.  I took the Expo Line and got off on Crenshaw which is in the black neighborhood of Compton. I had been here before, exploring, when they had opened up the Expo line and I made a mental note of a soul food place.  I had some fried cat fish and greens at M and M soul food. I walked over to yum yum donuts for desert. This huge older black guy comes walking in-actually as a 5' 8" Filipino, everybody seems huge- and on his right leg he is wearing orthopedic shoes with 3 inch heels. We get to talking about the Lakers, then the conversation turns to the motorcycle accidents we've been in.  He was working as a buyer in the downtown Los Angeles wholesale grocery district, riding his motorcycle to various wholesalers. A truck crossed the median because the driver fell asleep, the result from the accident was his neck was broken, but his spinal cord was left intact. His leg was sheared off at the shin but was reattached. However, 2 inches of bone could not be replaced. Another younger black guy, just as big and beefy as the older black guy, overheard our exchange and started to tell his story.  His accident happened when he was going through an intersection, a lady wasn't paying attention and drove through a red light. He got T-boned. The exhaust pipe broke off and was driven through his calf. He showed me the picture of the wound from his phone. I took a picture of the image from his phone. I posted this pic on my blog. The older black guy said he will never ride a motorcycle and he kept telling I'm going down. The younger black guy was defiant and said he still going ride no matter what.