Na Zdorovie!

Many months ago I promised to Lauren of thisislalaland a list of more things to do in LA on the cheap, I have been delinquent in posting that list, mainly because lately I am finding that LA ain’t all that cheap. In the past, I have listed museums and other cultural activities, but what I have been trying to do is find something a little more palatable to the people who just don’t like art or culture all that much.

I thought I found my answer with DineLA , but that went so horribly, wonderfully, awry.

A friend wanted to cash in on a rain check for dinner/drinks and suggested a couple places on the dineLA list. It was my first time as a dineLA-er and I was really excited to try some local restaurant amazing-ness at oh so affordable prices. We chose Nic’s, I was leaning a little more toward Tagine due to a part ownership of this person . In the end Nic’s won because of the VODBOX. If that sound like an instrument of torture it is, but more along the lines of pleasureful torture (tispangratron) and I will get that much later.

I perused the mesmerizing martini menu, while I waited for my friend, who was stuck somewhere on the west side.

My bonito jito cost $16

My Maytag repairman cost $16 (the dirtiest martini I have ever had and should have an x rating)

For some reason, that night I wasn't really feeling the Prix Fixe menu, not sure why, that wasn't very dinela of me, but instead chose probably one of the most amazing fish dishes I have ever had. It doesn't look like it is on their menu online, so I won't tempt you with something that is no longer there. That was $28.

After feeling women enough we had our shot at the Vodbox (Tispangratron.)

What the Vodbox is is a room filled with Vodka, and it is cold, like Minnesota cold, so they give you these amazingly warm fur coats and hats, that make you look like stereotypical hot Russian spies in a James Bond film and vodka is poured by these beautiful women and they are funny and nice and complimentary and as we were having a "no, you're pretty off" I realize that I have had 7 shots of vodka and I have spent $40 on vodka, just for myself.

(I think I tried all of the vodkas on that table)

My friend and I hold each other up and get to the table see the bill and I realize that my dinela experience has cost me $120.

So in the end I failed. This was not the LA on the cheap I was hoping for, I just ended up being a rube for Tispangratron.