1. Do not, I repeat do not get in the way of a baker and her spatula. I learned that the hard way when the Renaissance Hollywood hosted DrinkEatPlay’s annual Cupcake Challenge. They may bake sweets but I will tell you one thing-if they say you cannot lick the spatula, you drop that spatula.

2. Just because people say you look like Ryan Gosling’s older brother, does not mean you can joke that you two are related. If you do, there will be a stampede and near riot on the property.

3. Even though, the guys at Cirque de Soleil make it look easy, IRIS cannot be recreated-no matter how hard you practice.

4. Lions, like their domesticated cousins the house cat, enjoy a little cat nip here and there.

5. Sweet potato tator tots at Twist are extremely addictive. Try them with caution. I spent most of September in a spud haze because of the delicious, crispy, piping hot morsels. Kicking those babies was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to give up. Even worst than the time I went on an Almas Caviar binge. In fact, I think to reward myself for my hard work I will pop over and place a small order of them.

To commemorate this great year I encourage you to celebrate with style. Here are a few more tips from me to you for this NYE season:

Universal City Walk has a huge free, all ages, outdoor New Year’s Eve Countdown Bash available to the public. The event features live music and DJs beginning at 9 pm, and fireworks from 2 ends of the street at midnight.

When: 9 pm – 12:30 am

Where: Universal City Walk, at the top of Universal Studios Blvd. off the 101 Freeway.

Tickets: Free

Parking: Before 6 pm, $15 general/$20 preferred, after 6 pm $40 general, $45 valet.

Metro: Red Line to Universal City station

New Year’s Eve at Hermosa Beach Pier is a free community celebration with Lou Giovanetti and His Big Band performing and a replay of the New York Times Square ball drop. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to dine at the surrounding restaurants.

When: 8:30 pm – 1:30 am

Where: Pier Plaza, Hermosa Beach

Tickets: Free

Parking: various lots

Info: www.hbchamber.net

Big Bang New Year’s Eve with Cobra Starship and Lupe Fiasco hosted by Mario Lopez and Extra TV at Hollywood & Highland also includes multiple parties. In addition to the one at Highlands nightclub, which is also included in several other multi-venue tickets, there will be festivities in the Kodak Theatre Ballroom, the Annex Special Event Center and a candle-lit pool area.Entertainment includes live bands, DJs, cirque performers, choreographed dancers and more. Cobra Starship concert is only available to VIP ticket holders.

When: 9 pm to 2 am

Where: Hollywood & Highland Center, 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90028

Tickets: $75 General Admission, $125-150 VIP with open bar, table packages available

Parking: $2 for 2 hours, $10 max at Hollywood & Highland (must be validated at Hollywood & Highland), limited street parking.

Age Limit: 21 and up
Info and Tickets

As always, the Metropolitan Transit Authority will offer free rides on Metro buses and trains New Year’s Eve. Take advantage of this free and safe ride. Service will be free between 9 pm and 2am starting on December 31. To plan your Metro trip, go to www.metro.net or call 1-800-COMMUTE.

Whatever you end up doing this New Year’s Eve have fun, be safe and stay classy.

This is Bruce, signing off.

The all you can eat brunch will feature your classic breakfast foods.  A waffle station with berry and whipped cream topping, an omelet station, cold smoked Norwegian salmon, various breakfast meats and cheeses, traditional eggs benedict, herbed seasoned potatoes and enough fruit to keep the doctor away for life.

We’ll also be carving up prime rib with au jus sauce and roast rack of lamb with blackberry sage reduction.

The hot station will include herb roasted chicken, pistachio crusted sea-bass, caramelized onion smashed potatoes, rice pilaf, medley of grilled vegetables and potato & leek soup.

I am only getting started. At the cold station there will be a full salad bar, taco shimi crisp, buttery poached shrimp, spicy Italian panzanella salad with grilled chicken, fresh Caprese salad and a Waldorf salad.

I hope you didn’t think we forgot about the kiddies. Their taste buds will be tantalized with the kids’ pancake making station, allowing them to create their own masterpiece. Who knows maybe we will help create the next Wolfgang Puck or Rachael Ray.

RenHollywood will also dish up desserts almost as sweet as momma herself. Better save room for our pecan tarts, mixed fruit tarts, passion fruit cake, tiramisu, Zucotto (an Italian chocolate cake) and assorted mini pastries. 

To wet your pallet we will be serving coffee, tea, juice, soda, milk, water and of course mimosas.

For yours and mom’s musical enjoyment Judy Wexler will perform. Deemed by JazzTimes “as one of the most focused, unpretentious, no-nonsense, bop oriented jazz singers around,”

The brunch will be this Sunday, May 8, from 10 am to 2 pm (music will start at 11). $44.95 for adults, $21.95 for kids 12 and under, free for children 6 and under. Reservations can be made by calling 323-491-1000 or visiting www.jazzandblue.org

However, there is one tigress that I fear more and that that is the wrath of Mrs. Gorelick when I have not prepared the perfect Valentine’s Day. In years past I have surprised her with trips to the most romantic cities in the world. Venice, Paris, Monte Carlo, Vienna, just to name a few. While there I wine and dine her with the best the cities have to offer. In the romance department, I have that schmuk from The Notebook beat. This year I have decided to remain stateside and romance my darling at the Renaissance Hollywood’s Valentines Day Jazz Dinner.

To me the only acceptable third wheel to a Valentine’s Day dinner is a live jazz band. This year
Charmaine Clamor will romance the dinner crowd. Hailed as “a gifted vocalist” by the New York Times and deemed “one of the important and original new jazz singers of the decade,” Clamor is sure to set the perfect mood for the evening.

Dinner will start at 6pm on Valentine’s Day. First course will include tuna belly tartare, foraged
mushroom and avocado, American caviar, truffle wafer followed by an oxtail and fennel soup with Absinthe. To clear the palette an intermediary course of lavender sorbet will be served.
If your taste buds aren’t in a blissful sensory coma yet the main course will push them there. Each guest will have the choice between three different entrée course options.

•Pan Fried Grouper, Wilted Rocket Arugula, Crispy Yucca, Fried Green Tomatoes, Market
Crustacean Sauce.

•Center Cut Beef Tenderloin, Roasted Artichoke, Rosemary Potato Gratin, Beef Jus

•Braised Lamb Shank, Puree of Celeriac Root and Potato Reduced Pan Demi Jus

The meal will conclude with the sweetness of grilled fig and bitter chocolate tart with almonds, wild honey and exotic fruit panacota.

At $99 per couple, this offer is a real deal. To make reservations or find more information call
323.491.1000 or visit www.jazzblues.org.

Now I am off to find the perfect diamond ring that sparkles as brightly as my lady’s smile.

This is Bruce, signing off.

We’ll make sure to post the companion article once it goes live on Pasadena Now’s website. Until then, enjoy moving pictures!

Andrews has been in the Jazz business for over 56 years, and his saucy style and general manner reflect his debonair personality and life experience. He is a well-seasoned entertainer who is a consummate professional and still steps to the stage with vigorous energy. His last performance at our KJAZZ Sunday Brunch sold out beforehand, so you can guarantee Andrews’ return is going to be a rip-roaring good time!

The all-you-can-eat breakfast features omelets, Belgian waffles, eggs Benedict, New York Prime strip, Honey Glazed Ham, tomato bisque, grilled swordfish, and much, much more. Read the complete menu right here.

The KJAZZ brunch is held in Twist Restaurant, and runs from 11 am to 2 pm. For reservations, call 323.491.1000 or visit www.jazzandblues.org.

• Thursdays, 1pm-4pm – California Dreamin’ – Listen to Live Acoustic Performances of Classic and Contemporary Hits
• Fridays, 1pm-4pm – Pizza Party – Relax and unwind with a poolside DJ spinning everyone’s favorite play lists
• Fridays, 7:30pm-9:30pm – Indie “Best Of Series” – Kick back to live, unplugged performances from some of the best 2009/2010 Indie Thursdays artists.
• Saturdays, 1pm-4pm – Grillin’ & Chillin’ – Enjoy the soothing sounds and cool rhythms of a live steel drum band playing all the island favorites
• Saturdays, 8:30pm-10:30pm – Dive-In Movies – Spend an evening under the stars watching a Hollywood blockbuster poolside – Avatar kicks things off on June 19th!!

With all this summer fun, you may want to pack your bags and move in for the summer!

While I might look back fondly to those times with rose-colored glasses, today’s modern Bloody Mary can be a marvelous thing: gloriously fresh tomato juice, a subtle blend of spices, and a real vodka-fueled kick in the pants after a long night of merrymaking.

One such night of merrymaking is what inspired New York City-based design legend Andy Spade – husband to Kate and half of the creative force behind a little company known and loved by women everywhere called Kate Spade New York – to create a unique Bloody Mary experience and bring it to Renaissance Hotels around the country. Rolling out this June, the Partners & Spade ABSOLUT BLOODY bottle service experience offers Renaissance guests a unique table service replete with all the essentials for making the perfect Bloody Mary. If you really like what you see – and as I’ve sampled the wares, I can say you will – you can purchase a beautifully-designed bar kit created by Andy Spade at select Renaissance Hotels gift shops.

The Partners & Spade ABSOLUT BLOODY experience includes a carafe of ABSOLUT BLOODY MARYS, rocks glasses, spice shakers, swing top bottles, and a bottle of The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters. The ABSOLUT BLOODY kit, designed as a classic, monogrammed, leather bound carrying case, includes two rocks glasses, a bottle of The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters, a bottle of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, two Spade Stirrers, one recipe/story card, four mini bottles of Tabasco Sauce, a jar of Dean and Deluca Celery Salt, two bottles of ABSOLUT® VODKA, a bottle of ABSOLUT® PEPPAR, and a bottle ABSOLUT® CITRON. Both should be available at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa in the coming days.

Now that you’re jonesing for a cocktail, did I ever tell you that one about how Ernest Hemingway threw me and my pet lion out of a bar in Paris? You wouldn’t believe a word of it, but I swear it might be true…

This is Bruce, signing off.

The essential details: This Sunday, May 9th, from 11 am to 2 pm. $44.95 for adults, $21.95 for kids 12 and under. Reservations can be made by calling 323-491-1000 or visiting KJAZZ’s site.

The menu: All you can eat… Start with a few classic breakfast options including the omelet station, the waffle station with berries and whipped cream, traditional eggs benedict, herbed potatoes, and tons of fruit. On the meat carving side, we’ve got Prime Rib of Beef with Au Jus and Roast Rack of Lamb with Blackberry Sage Reduction. Yes, I had to capitalize those letters because it sounds awesome. What else? Pistachio Crusted Sea-Bass, Caramelized Onion Smashed Potatoes, Potato & Leek Soup, a full salad bar, Taco Shimi Crisp, Buttery Poached Shrimp, and Spicy Italian Panzanella Salad with Grilled Chicken… And for dessert? Pecan Tarts, Mixed Fruit Tarts, Passion Fruit Cake, Tiramisu, and an Italian Chocolate Cake called a “Zucotto.”

The drinks: All you can drink Champagne and Mimosas Coffee, as well as tea, fresh fruit juice, soda, milk, coffee.

The music: Hailed by JazzTimes as “one of the most focused, unpretentious, no-nonsense, bop-oriented jazz singers around”, Judy Wexler’s debut CD, Easy On The Heart, showcased her expressive voice and gift for storytelling. Dreams & Shadows, her 2008 release, climbed to #2 on the USA jazz chart.

Add it all up, and it sounds pretty good, right? Hope to see you there!

This Sunday, the George J. Gilliam Trio will return to the KJAZZ Sunday Brunch Series. George is a seasoned guitarist with a smooth distinctive style that makes his sound uniquely classic. “George Gilliam subtly changes dynamics and adds fills with sweet, well-timed chording.” Commented Bill Kohlhaase from the LA Times. George has performed in many venues over the years in and outside of California. George always insists on surrounding himself with great musicians. All the while, his talent and style have evolved into an outstanding guitarist who appeals to any audience. Weather he excites you with an energetic modern jazz feel or mellows your soul with rich relaxing tones; you’ll love his “special touch” on the guitar.

The brunch, which includes all you can eat and drink from a wide variety of stations throughout the restaurant including omelets, eggs Benedict, waffles, carved prime rib, hot entrees, salads, desserts, champagne, mimosas and much, much, more.

Reservations can be made by contacting Twist Restaurant at (323) 491-1000 or online. Parking is just $2 with validation. More information on KJAZZ 88.1FM and the brunch series can be found here.

This week’s artist, Grant Geissman, is a popular Contemporary Jazz recording artist, with fourteen highly regarded solo albums to his credit, and has recorded with such music luminaries as Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello, Chuck Mangione, Van Dyke Parks, Brian Wilson, Inara George, Joanna Newsom, Paula Abdul, Ringo Starr, Keiko Matsui, David Benoit, Placido Domingo, Luis Miguel, and Julio Iglesias. Read more about Grant at his website.

The brunch, which includes all you can eat and drink from a wide variety of stations throughout the restaurant including omelets, eggs Benedict, waffles, carved prime rib, hot entrees, salads, desserts, champagne, mimosas and much, much, more.

Reservations can be made by contacting Twist Restaurant at (323) 491-1000 or online. Parking is just $2 with validation. More information on KJAZZ 88.1FM and the brunch series can be found here.