“What is MacLaren’s?” you may ask. It’s the fictional pub that Neil Patrick Harris and friends hang out at in the comedy sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.” We have always been huge fans of the show, and have been searching for almost a year for own little MacLaren’s heaven here in Los Angeles, and after tonight we have found it. A place to drink, relax, get some awesome food, and have some adventures. (Okay, not sure about the “adventure” part of this place yet, but it’s coming, we’re sure!)

“Bar Food” (straightforward naming. Gotta love it) has been on our radar for a while, since it is literally down the street from our house, but after romping about Venice all day, we craved food, beer, and something close to home, and remembered the rave reviews we had read about this place on Caroline On Crack’s blog. This place is actually a stone’s throw from our home, near the Brentwood side of Wilshire (Near Wilshire and Bundy).

The sign at the hostess stand said to sit anywhere we liked, and we made a mental note that procuring a regular table would be made that much more simple due to this rule. We were already mentally moving in.

The soft ambiance and cheerful waitress that served us made the experience that much more pleasant, as we were informed that hot dogs were free until 7PM, and the Happy Hour menu was more of a permanent pricing plan than time-sensitive discount. Glorious.

The hot dogs and buns were run-of-the-mill (If only they would GRILL the buns, it would boost the flavor x2!! Garlic and bacon bits go a long way, too), but for the price of ZERO dollars, can you really gripe?

We ordered the Bar Blonde and the Bar Amber ($3.50 each… am I dreaming??), which are both from Firestone Walker’s collection of delicious bears… I mean beers… They have a large collection of beer’s on tap, and a whiskey menu as well (The old man in me will have to review that at a later date), and SO MANY DELICIOUS ITEMS on their food menu as well!

Not the “bar food” that we’ve become familiar with at Applebee’s, Bar Food serves up UK style gastropub delicacies. Additionally, it’s perfect for large groups as there is a TON OF SEATING. Who knew you COULD have it all in Los Angeles!? Thank you MacLaren’s–err we mean Bar Food!

The Steak and Kidney pie was delish! It doesn’t look that large, but it is DEEP! It was difficult getting this monstrous dish finished up!

In short, we am very, very pleased we found this gem near our house, and have dubbed thee “MacLaren’s.” Hopefully the Irish owner, Jason, doesn’t mind too much. If anyone wants to come here and have a bite, fun talk with friends, and tasty beers, give us a call! We shall be bringing all of our friends here shortly!!

Info:
Bar Food’s website and full menu
12217 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Mon-Sun 5PM-12AM
Bar Food’s Twitter

As we announced to all of our readers, on Friday night, we succried over to Gallery 1988 for the “Under The Influence: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” opening reception.

It is to no surprise that the show was INCREDIBLE! Our very own Chubbybunny geared up in Prince Adam of Eternia outfit. This outfit was well welcomed by many of the fans of He-Man, and Seth Green who was in attendance gave her an audible approval.

Outside Castle Greyskull, Chubbybunny is Prince Adam of Eternia

When we arrived, there was an exceptionally long line down the block! You could feel the excitement of He-Man enthusiasts of all ages. We have it on good authority that many dedicated fans poured in throughout the night to support the show!!

The Line outside G1988

Gallery 1988 must be commended on their excellent job in curating this show. The entire space was redone to resemble Castle Grey Skull. To one side was a replica of the very image of the castle in which Prince Adam transforms into He-Man! We congratulate G1988 in bringing back our beloved childhood nostalgia in such a great way!

The design however, cannot over shadow the amount of effort and energy all the people involved have put into this event. There were so many great artists with great pieces in this show such as our friends: Martin Hsu, Misha, and Camilla D’errico!!

Read the rest of this entry »