How the West was Won...with Jagerbombs as a weapon of choice

Lobby fountain of Andaluz

Last week this lush headed out west to New Mexico for a Southwestern adventure that was a prefect mix of good food, great drink and and even better view. I hit the ground in Albuquerque and check into the sexiest little historic hotel called Hotel Andaluz that is home to the best rooftop lounge with a firepit, Ibiza. Ok this pic does NOT do it justice. Low lighting, cobalt stained class, fires, and amazing cheap cocktails.
 Several cocktails at this hip little place and it's time to walk down to Anodyne Pool Hall where cheap shots, pool tables, and hipsters reign supreme. Across the way is an Irish spot called

Maloney's Pub that reportedly has the hottest hot wings on earth. Beware: they will melt your face off.

For fabulous margaritas and even better southwestern food (New Mexican roasted Green Chile!!) hit up El Pinto in ABQ or sample one of the 100 kinds of fabulous margaritas an hour north at 

Maria's of Santa Fe. Extra points at El Pinto for the fact that there are pics on the wall of celebrity guests, my fave being Motely Crue.

Ojo Caliente in Taos County

After all that boozing you'll need some R&R and there is no place better for that than the Ojo Caliente Hot Springs. Natural healing hot springs, mud baths, lithium water and a wine bar. Pure bliss!! 

After being one with my desert-loving spirit and more relaxed than I had been in decades, it's time to ruin all of that zen with a trip out further west to Los Angeles. I got up to my usual tricks involving as many Jagerbombs as we could handle at the Rainbow, Saddle Ranch and Brass Monkey.  (Check the LA tab for a guide to my Sunset haunts)

While I was out there I did finally hear that the Extreme Brunch trend has made it out there. Here are a few all-you-can-drink brunch options in West Hollywood: 

XIV (aka Fourteen)

Olives at The Grafton Hotel

Overland Cafe only $5 for bottomless mimosas! 

Saddle Ranch

After one week on the west coast I know remember why I loved it out there. Tequila and hotness!
Can't wait for my next trip!

xoxo

New Dorp City...The Staten Island Pub Crawl

Once upon a gorgeous Saturday 7 Lushes living The Life took to the Ferry on a mission to sample some of the finest booze halls and Italian grub spots Staten Island has to offer. Here is what I found on NYC's 5th borough: 

Once you get on the Staten Island Ferry, grab yourself a Miller Lite tall boy, a sack of warm chocolate chip cookies and a SI Railroad schedule. Get on the SIR St. George train and off you go. 

Tottenville stop: Cucina de Napoli (7324 Amboy Road)

Not sure where to start with this place but one of our fellow diners, proclaimed that this Italian restaurant experience was like "Christmas and my birthday all wrapped in bacon!". That's pretty damn good, people! This old school, neighborhood place felt like I went back in time or at least back to the midwest, where you can find red-vest-clad/silver-haired crooners doing Sinatra covers and comedy over that perfect plate of chicken parm.  Good food, tufted bar stools, old-fashioned cocktails and people that feel like your awesome Italian relatives named Frankie or Marge. At one point I remarked that the only thing this place was missing was an awesome-but-cheesy faux painting on the wall of an outdoor scene. At that point the wall fresco of an "Tuscan Terrace" was pointed out to me in the next room. Perfection. 

Now that we have "laid a base", time to drink. Next stop....

Talk o' the town 

Bay Terrace stop: Talk Of The Town Pub (24 Giffords Ln) 

A down home dive with $3 drafts, erotic photo hunt, and an amazing jukebox filled with as much Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ozzy, and Guns 'n' Roses you can handle. Quite possibly my Staten Island equivalent of heaven. I could have been here all night but we had a seasoned pub crawler who kept us always on target to get the train in time! 2 beers and off we go...

Are you sure you can't change the name to Night Moves?

New Dorp stop: Night Gallery (corner of New Dorp Ln and New Dorp Plaza, No joke.) 

This is the New Dorp, same as the Old Dorp. Actually, I have no idea if there ever was an Old Dorp, but what I do know is that I love the sound of it almost as much as I love our next dive that I repeatedly mislabeled "Night Moves". We found cheap shots, were mistaken for townies, accused of being "that guy who slept with her sister" and read the framed obit for their beloved regular, "Lumpy." RIP Lumpy. RIP. 

Dongan Hills stop: Lee's Tavern (60 Hancock St) 

Much to my dismay, this stop was not in fact called "Dokken Hills" like I had hoped but we did find something that rocked almost as much right off the train. Amazing thin-crust pizza, cheap beer pitchers and a wine list that touts a Pinot Noir with "penetrating aromas of forest undergrowth." OK so Lush Life doesn't endorse that last part, but we can tell you that the rest is awesome! 

Oh no, the train is coming. Time to run if we are ever going to make the 1am ferry back...until next time SI.