where's the sauce?

Psssst... over here!

The Sauce hasn't disappeared, I've just been writing all sorts of good stuff at Yelp.com where I'm now their LA Senator of Sauce (and Community Manager / Marketing Wiz)!

Keep an eye on my blog over there for all sorts of cool reviews and happs around town. You can subscribe to the LA Weekly Yelp (penned by moi) and even drop me a line and come to one of my Yelp Events sometime.

I'm easy to find at http://saucyminx.yelp.com



See you soon!
~Saucy Minx

it's the great pumpkin(s)!

Sure, I may be too old to go trick or treat, but you're never too old to carve a pumpkin - or two! Last year, with crazy work weeks and everything else, I didn't have time for any pumpkin carving, so this year I vowed, come hell, high water, or a devil boss, I was going to carve some punkins, dammit!

Beer and I made a last minute trip yesterday to one of my favorite pumpkin patches - The Lopez Family, that used to be on Wilshire and is now adjacent to The Grove - to pick up a couple of orange beauties. After a near altercation with a very odd woman who kept sending her six or seven year old daughter over to snatch the good pumpkins we were literally bent over to pick up - I wish I was exaggerating here! - we finally got our hands on a couple of fresh off the truck, glorious gourds.

Today, armed with some Martha Stewart worthy tools and It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown I went to town to get those babies carved up in time for our lone two trick-or-treaters before heading out to Yelpoween.

You may ask, is all that effort worth it for a couple of hours and two neighbor kids? Absolutely!

universal horror nights

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays, (second only to the consumer extravaganza that is Christmas), but the older you get, the less there seems to be to do short of the odd costume parties here and there. Knott's Scary has been disappointing the last couple of times I went, so we rounded up some friends and headed to Universal for their Halloween Horror Nights.

Considering this is a working studio you'd expect some amazing sets and effects - and that's just what you get. The usual smoke machines and noise-making, chainsaw wielding suspects are out in force around the main entrance, but once past that, every themed area, actor, ride and maze was impressive - and scary. Friday the 13th: Camp Blood and Freddy's Nightmare on Elm Street, were a couple of our favorites.

Don't miss the back lot tour which is decked out to include a creepy killer clown zone, a walk through the War of the Worlds set - complete with plane wreckage - and a jaunt past the Bates Motel, with a very convincing Anthony waiting to greet you.

Buy your tickets in advance online (there are numerous discount deals to be had from Coke and AAA), get there early right when they open (you can do all of the mazes and rides at opening in the time it would take you later to do one or two), and if pressed for time, skip the shows (they were the least interesting of everything there).

If you work up an appetite with all that screaming, they mark down all of the theme park food to entice you to eat affordably without going outside the park.

paintball usa

How does an Angelino spend a sweltering hot summer day? Hiding out and cranking the a/c? Donning a barely there pair of sample sale Juicy short-shorts? Headed towards the coast with the masses in search of relief? Or gathering up their pals to drive an hour inland to Simi Valley where it's at least a dozen degrees steamier to gear up in layers of heavy combat gear, trekking up and down hills to hunt each other down with stinging, stinky paintballs?

Well, if you're a glutton for punishment and happen to have a friend with an August birthday who's always wanted to try paintball, that's exactly what you do.

Once you find this place - it's, quite literally, off the beaten path on a dirt road - be ready to throw on some old kicks or boots, slip into a pair of military issue oversized overalls, toss a bandanna and smelly helmet on your head, rip the fingers off some old gloves, (unlike most outings in LA, this is one that doesn't call for any exposed skin), and get a quick lesson in how to use and reload a paintball air rifle. After that, they take you out for a little shooting test, (you don't want to find out on the field your rifle is jammed), then, you're on your own.

Once you get your bearings wearing the crazy get up and get past the smell (part of the base used in the paintballs is fish oil), you're ready for action. If you've never played before, you're probably thinking, that looks like it hurts. Well, the truth is, it does. I took my first hit in the upper thigh, and after screaming out "shiiiiit!! that huuuurt!" the adrenaline took over and the killer instinct was unleashed. Yes, you're going to get hit - most likely multiple times, and yes, it's going to sting a lot like getting whipped with a wet towel - but as soon as you get into it, you're having so much fun, you won't really care, or even notice. Just imagine having free reign to chase down and shoot the ones you love! And then there's the end of the day when you get home and strip down. You'll have earned bragging rights for weeks to come! (It took about three for the photo worthy welts and multi-colored bruises on my upper arm and thighs to disappear).

This is a great place for newbs to the sport - they have packages for about $50 that include all of your gear, rental equipment, plenty of paintballs, instruction, lots of time on multiple playing fields with varying degrees of difficulty, and a spinning, stinking, splattering mess that is the paint grenade.

Between the adrenaline pumping, running up and down dirt hills, slithering across the ground on your belly, and sweatin' like a pig, an afternoon here will kill a good thousand calories. You can bring a picnic to enjoy at one of their picnic tables, grab a hot dog and soda at the roach coach on site, even order some local bbq to be delivered. Or, you could easily pile them all back on at one of the many area chain restaurants like Chilis and Applebees on your way home ;)

This is a great outing with a group. Grab your pals, leave your inhibitions in the car, and be prepared to get down and dirty for some clean, old fashioned commando style fun.

Random Trivia - If you watch the making of the movie "The Kingdom" on HBO, you'll recognize this paintball field. This is where they brought the cast to train before filming.


26413 Kalb Ct
Newhall, CA 91321
(661) 255-5332

summer nights at the arboretum

If an evening at the Hollywood Bowl is part of your summertime ritual, then you'll love the Festival on the Green at the LA Arboretum in Arcadia.

During the summer months, the Cal Phil puts on a series of three to five themed performances here which start early evening and continue under the stars. You have the option of getting a table (and even a pre-catered meal), reserving lawn chairs, or purchasing the very inexpensive lawn seats where you can bring your own blanket and picnic and find a shady place under one of the beautiful old trees to lounge and enjoy. (Unlike the Bowl, you can have a lawn spot in the back and not feel like you're a million miles away from the action). The events are very well organized and staffed, and many also feature food vendor booths under white tents to tempt you with local treats.

This is one of the few places you can truly feel like you've escaped the city and can enjoy the outdoors. If you're lucky, the resident peacocks - amongst hundreds of other native birds - will join the chorus too :)

Tip: Check out Goldstar Events. They usually have some discounted tix for the series online.

301 N Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007

(626) 821-4623