The Barrymore is one of the swankiest places in Las Vegas

Last week, I was on my way to an event at The Royal House on 99 Convention Center Dr. I was with my friend RT, who drove us in his mother of sperm colored Cadillac. RT, a pimp in his own right, and he kind of looks like a bald version of the dad in the movie American Pie. You know the bushy eyebrows and that perverted smile, which is so endearing.

So, we enter the Royal House Hotel, which has been in Vegas for over fifty years and RT looks like he’s going to crap his pants immediately because of the location and surroundings. I think he thought his precious pimp Cadillac was going to get spray painted. I mean seriously it wasn’t that bad. So after laughing my ass off at what a women my friend was being, we finally parked in the back lot of the hotel, where RT made sure he parked under a giant light, so we could find his car. I was like dude you car is almost bright white, it sticks out like a dick without pubic hair, WTF are you worried about?  After RT got his regular heart beat back and his balls dropped below his dick where they belong, we walked in to the hotel and I have to say it was actually quite nice.

It was very loungy and boutique feeling atmosphere.  There was a very colorful piano in the center as you walk in that looked like something out of Elton John’s early Rocket Man tour days. A very cool modern bar with a very dark lounge next to it. That was the scary part. It wasn’t well lit and it definitely felt like either you were going to get killed or you were there for the gang bang!

RT and I decided to GTFO (Get The Fuck Out) and check out the restaurant on the other side which is called the Barrymore. This place was fantastic! I have heard such amazing things about it. It has the most rave reviews and the coolest interior, which is a combination of old school New York charm mixed with the modernity of today’s chic. The Barrymore is the latest creation of restaurant and club mogul Billy Richardson.  Even thought the bar only has 6 bar stools, it’s one of the most inviting and comfortable bars I have been to. The outdoor patio space is a modern day living room outside with a giant wrap around sectional couch with a glass enclosed fire pit above it. There are also little nooks of comfy chairs and couches with tables that make you feel like your home. Even if your cold, it’s worth sitting outside, sipping on your favorite single malt beverage and sucking down a stogie.

The two dining rooms one better than the next, but cool in their own ways, have old film tins all over the ceiling surrounded by the coolest furniture inviting you to stay for hours, sit back enjoy your meal and the person you are with. The menu is quite eclectic, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.  RT and I stayed had some appetizers and cocktails, ditched our event, met some really classy people and got one of the best service experiences ever.  This place is so great and what I have been looking for that I have since been back 3 times and have been blown away each time.

If your looking for something to do slightly off the Vegas Strip and want a new experience with charm, swank, sophistication,great food, good prices go to the Barrymore, I guarantee you’ll be back because once is not enough!

To check out the Barrymore’s menu and reviews, please click here

Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey is the best Wiskey ever!

Jack Honey (the most amazing whiskey you will ever consume)

The Baccarat Crystal Glass Get yourself one of these. It will taste better trust me

I like really simple shit and have very simple needs. Being a punk rocker, Jack Daniels has always been a staple drink for me, not that I am an alcoholic or anything. The only problem is I find to drink good old Jack, I found myself mixing it with a big glass of Coca Cola which is probably one of the most iconic drinks ever, but hella sweet and not really that good for you.

I guess, I wanted something more out of Whiskey, and last year my prayers were answered when I tried Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey for the first time. I felt like I had stumbled upon the liquid of the god’s! I was amazed by how smooth the taste was, still very distinct Jack Daniels, but without the burn and a little sweeter. It is quite possibly the best whiskey you will ever consume. The best part is you can drink it neat, on the rocks, or shake that shit in a cocktail shaker and poor it cold, and it taste’s perfect in every variation. Shit, I even bought a single $150 Baccarat Crystal Glass to drink it out of.  Go figure, you can buy a whole bottle of Jack Tennessee Honey for under $20 if you can find it. I know it’s retarded, but this is the only way to drink it because you feel like a king!

Wrist Shot of the week 1/16/12-1/22/12

Original IWC Big Pilot Watch released in 2002

                                             

The wrist shot of the week comes to me from a good friend from San Francisco. My friend SH who recently purchased a brand new original Big Pilot Watch in stainless steel with Pellaton movement.

Even though this watch is mammoth 46.2 mm , this watch screams vintage, masculine, cool and don’t fuck with me! SH has a pretty small wrist and he is rocking this watch with confidence and it looks really good on him.

The watch has a in house 7 day movement, is on a brown buffalo strap with deploymant buckle, classic IWC arabic numerals and date at the six o’clock and large onion crown. This watch is almost an exact reproduction of a watch that IWC originally made in the 50’s. Pilots use to strap the watch around their thy when they were flying, so when they looked down they could read it at a quick glance because of it’s size. In my mind not only is this watch one of the ultimate watches to have for your collection, but it just shows you,  you don’t have to be a silver back ape to wear it!

IWC kill the MARK 16 for SIHH 2012 with the new Pilot’s Top World Timer

I really don’t understand what IWC is doing? I mean they really don’t get it! I am all for evolving and changing and staying fresh and exciting, but this is a horrendous attempt at trying to diversify your product mix.

World timer watches were really big like 5 years ago, I know shit is cyclical and comes back, but this is a really desperate move on IWC’s part to be noticed. This year for SIHH 2012, IWC chose to release this poor excuse they call , The Pilot’s Top World Timer. Can you say disgusting in 50 languages? That’s exactly what this watch reeks of. I am actually offended. They basically took the Mark 16, made it bigger by going to a 45 mm  case and then turned it into the biggest tranny ever by adding the world timer function to the dial. It’s way too busy and way too big of an eye soar, especially when you know it’s really a Mark 16.

The beauty of an IWC Pilot’s watch is it’s simplicity and elegance at the same time. To turn a classic like this into a world timer is absolutely heart breaking. It’s like taking a piss on the Mona Lisa. What gets me heated, is that IWC is the one who pioneered the classic simple aesthetic and made it famous with introducing the most incredible pilot’s watches to the world and now they almost don’t even care any more.

Here are the details

Ref. 3262 


The case, in stainless steel, measures 45mm x 13.5mm. It has an AR-coated sapphire crystal. 


It shows current local time and can be advanced or turned back in one-hour increments to show the new local time, even when crossing the International Date Line. 

Firefly is one of the best restaurants off of the Las Vegas Strip

If your a Las Vegas local like myself and don’t have wheels, the most frustrating thing is finding a good place to eat close by, but NOT on the Las Vegas Strip.  Convenience is a giant factor when your looking to eat good food, but in this particular situation I will hand glide to get there if I have to.

There is a place in Las Vegas called Firefly, it’s a Tapas or as my bro pronounces it because he has an F’ed up English and American accent, Tap Ass. My girlfriend has taken me here several times, and last night we wanted to take my bro out for dinner not on the strip and this place fit the bill perfectly.

Even though it’s casual dining and they have two locations in Las Vegas,  One on Paradise and the other on the West side on W Sahara, it’s nearly impossible to get a reservation and if you do, don’t be more than 15 mins late or they will give away your reservation to some other foodie fiend.

The place is casual and dark, but screams character for days. Even though it’s loud and the table’s are quite close together and you can’t hear your own thoughts sometimes, that all goes out the window as soon as you take a sip of arguably the best red wine sangria I have ever tasted. All your pressures stresses and worries for the time your there, seem to dissipate because of the infectious ambiance, the food  and your third pitcher of sangria.

Since Tapas calls for Spanish style small plates, it’s easy and fun to share what Firefly has to offer with their extensive menu, whether it’s their stuffed dates which are wrapped in bacon and goat cheese, to their sizzling shrimp in a lemon garlic butter sauce, to their spicy lamb sausage, you are guaranteed to have a great meal and leave completely satisfied. To view the other tasty options Firefly has to offer, please click here 

The best part about Firefly is that it’s extremely well priced. You can literally have almost everything on the menu and drink a shit load of sangria for almost $30 dollars a person with tip.

With a menu to die for, two locations in Vegas off of the strip, a great atmosphere that’s casual comfortable and relaxing, the best sangria in town, and incredibly well priced. Firefly is definitely one of the best restaurants off of the Las Vegas strip!

Social Distortion returns to Vegas

Mike Ness and the Boys of Social Distortion will blow the doors of the Joint at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas, Friday January 27, 2012. I am sure this show will sell out! They are one of the most exciting punk rock bands in the world to watch and I can’t wait to see them rock out for the tenth time.

To get your tickets, click here now!

The HoTel wants you to have safe sex with The Love Box

So check this, It’s a Saturday afternoon in Vegas, my brother flies in to visit me from Boston and he checks in to The Hotel at Mandalay Bay. I check in with him and notice in the room above the mini fridge in the middle surrounded by classics like Snickers, M&M’s and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, very discreetly displayed next to the Travel kit is a Box wrapped in plastic that says The Love Box.

I mean, could we be any more subtle. Back in the day there use to be a black box with black writing that you had to run a black light over to figure out it was a box of condoms. but this is just like, get ready to do the nasty! I thought it was an interesting way to promote safe sex. There is no mistaking what this box is or what’s in it. It’s almost very basic, I love it. The back of the box says the contents which read

two prophylactics
two personal lubricants
two mint packets
one massage lotion
one feminine fresh wipe
two lover’s scratch off games

I mean this is like a frigging adult happy meal without the meal. I must say this is quite original and takes the pressure off for when you want to shag!

IWC finally goes back to basics for SIHH 2012 with the new Big Pilot Top Gun Miramar Chronograph

The last 5 years have been absolutely miserable for IWC as far as I am concerned. The shit they are producing gets progressively worse as they seem to have been moving away from their identity. The product line is practically almost unrecognizable except for the IWC Pilot’s Chrono and the Big Pilot in Steel.

This year for SIHH 2012, IWC have released a watch reminiscent of their past with the new 48 mm Big Pilot Top Gun Miramar Chronograph.  Miramar, is a place in California where the legend of the elite Pilot’s were created. This new watch pays homage to those elite proctologists pilot’s. According to IWC pusher CEO George Kern,  “Back then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator’s.”

What can I say, the watch is good looking, even though Hamilton makes something that looks similar for like $2,000 The only thing not so straight about it is that is has the Top Gun logo stamped onto the back of the watch case. Of course the dial is very military, where the arabic numerals read in the 24 hour variation. The case of the watch is dark grey ceramic, while the rest of colors  used such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, achieve the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the pushers and caseback. The watch itself almost serves as a camouflage instrument and depicts a certain era and feel for that true IWC collector who can appreciate what a real Pilots watch has to offer.

The case of this watch is a robust 48 mm because it houses the largest chronograph movement IWC has ever conceived. The movement also happens to be the most advanced with flyback function and analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. 

Overall,I am impressed but not amazed by any means, this is a step in the right direction for IWC, now if the price would be somewhat affordable, that would be nice. 

Fred Perry and Peter Jensen make the coolest Harrington jacket ever!

I have had an extremely cool upbringing. I was born in India, I lived in the Greek Island of Cyprus at 30 days old until I was 2, moved to London until I was 5 and then settled in Boston for 27 years and then was in London and LA and now I live in the city of sin that is Las Vegas.

Going home to London for the holidays always makes me nostalgic for things I grew up with like Cadbury’s chocolate and Fred Perry clothing. I have been in love with Fred Perry button down shirts and polo shirts and the whole mod fashion.

I recently went to the Bicester outlets in England in Oxford and stumbled in to the Fred Perry shop and immediately gravitated towards this really cool red Harrington jacket with a blue laurel. Of course I bought it!  This jacket is so mod, lightweight, comfortable and one hell of a true classic.  It has the most amazing double button up collar which is definitive sixties style that the scooter boys in London once wore, which makes it a timeless icon. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that this jacket was co designed with london based Danish fashion designer Peter Jensen, who is responsible for re working the Harrington jacket as part of his capsule collection.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Peter Jensen’s work, he has caught the attention of the most acclaimed fashion critics from all over the world as well as has the support of celebrities including music icons like the late Amy Winehouse, Kayne West and Rihanna, to actors like Orlando Bloom, Nicole Kidman,  and Lindsay Lohan to legendary movie directors like John Waters.

Fred Perry is a brand that will never die for me, it will always stay relevant, fashionable, wearable,  cool and original. I have to say out of all the Harrington jackets that I have seen, Fred Perry and Peter Jansen have knocked this one out of the park and made the coolest Harrington Jacket ever! 

Howler is the new Indie band to watch out for in 2012

The Band

The New Record America Give Up coming out 1/17/12

So, on my way back from my trip the other day from London to Vegas, before I boarded the plane, I was scratching my bum trying to figure out what the F to do because I had two hours to spare at Heathrow airport in London.

I sat, I observed, I got antsy, I wanted a drink so fucking bad, so I walked around, stopped at my favorite sandwich institution Pret a Manger. I was amongst a herd of sheep flocking for the same freshly made pre packed sandwiches, but I was the victor in securing the last Peking Duck with Hoisin sauce wrap with cucumber and scallions, take that you fat turds! So, I sat down devoured my sandwich, sprayed sparkling water all over myself and everyone around me because I still don’t know how to open a bottle that’s carbonated at the age of 36.

After making an explosion of a mess with my litter, I got the sweet tooth for some British chocolate, good old Cadbury’s, Maltesers, Terry’s chocolate orange and of course the latest issue of British indie rock bible NME (New Musical Express) . It was a special issue on the 100 hottest new bands to listen to. I started reading about Howler and was immediately fascinated. They had this very young yet accomplished Strokes thing going on and at the the ripe old age of 19, NME hailed Howler as the number 3  new band of 2011!  According to the band, they make pop music and add a bit of dirtiness to it. As soon as I had an Internet connection when I arrived back in Sin City,  I tried to get my hands on anything I could find. On the NME website I was able to find the track Back of Your Neck, which is the single off of their first album America Give Up, which will be released on Tuesday 1/17/12.

I must say, I was impressed by what I heard, they sound like a modern day Strokes with a lot more raw dirtiness, still in a very pop way. The band formed in 2011 out of Minneapolis, and released their first EP, This One’s Different, February 14, 2011 in the US and was later signed to Rough Trade Records that summer and released This One’s different August 2, 2011 in the UK. The band comprises of 5 members and even though the lead singer has a Bieber like haircut and the rest of the band look like school boys, they have a very nonchalant sensibility that make them different from a lot of the formulaic bullshit out there. Even the drummer is rumored to be the son of Pop Icon Prince. To get the latest news and tour dates from the band please click here.

 Press Play to watch the Back Of Your Neck video from Howler.