Do It. Quentin Tarantino's March programming at the New Beverly.

A little over a year ago Quentin Tarantino made headlines when he purchased the New Beverly Cinema. A true film aficionado in addition to being a brilliant filmmaker, this move made perfect sense. This month, in celebration of Tarantino's March birthday, he's taken on the theater's programming duties.

The New Beverly is a gem of a revival theater, where I've had the pleasure of seeing everything from The Last Picture Show, to The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, to Brazil on the big screen. It's also just a short walk from Milk.

Some highlights: March 15 is Grindhouse Night (Grindhouse at 7:30 p.m., Machete at 11:00 p.m.), Dazed and Confused on March 18 and 19, and Five Minutes to Live (starring Johnny Cash) on March 24. View the full calendar here.

March 27 (which is his birthday) through the 31st, Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (a combination of volumes 1 and 2, with some differences from the released volume 1) is on the schedule. It's already sold out, any tickets that become available will be sold standby on a first come, first served basis the night of each show. This is the same print that screened at Cannes in 2006. Its running time is 247 minutes.

In other exciting news: On April 1 and 2, there will be midnight screenings of Pulp Fiction.

Happy Birthday, Q.T.!

The New Beverly is located at 7165 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. General admission $7. Info: newbevcinema.com, (323) 938-4038

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: fusedfilm.com

Drink It. Hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps [Thirsty Thursdays!].

Sure we had a heatwave earlier this week, but there's no doubt it's about to get chilly again. A good excuse to get your throat warm with some alcohol, right?

Here's my favorite -- and super easy -- drink for the season: hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps. It's about as easy as you can get:

Ingredients:
Milk
Hot chocolate mix/chocolate syrup
Peppermint schnapps

Heat up milk in a mug or over a stovetop. Mix hot chocolate mix in. Pour in approximately one shot of peppermint schnapps (more or less according to taste). And enjoy!

For extra festiveness, top off with some whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, or add in a peppermint candy cane as a stirrer.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Food GPS' Walking Tour.

Beverly Boulevard is a great area to be around for delicious but not overpriced food. We've featured our review of Milk here before, but we're also fans of Golden State Burgers (and not only because they offer Scoops!) and BLD, the younger sibling to Grace.

And those three just happen to be part of the local food blog Food GPS's latest walking tour. The dining tour will be led by blogger Joshua Lurie, who will take participants along to come sample some of the best eats offered around the neighborhood--specifically, those three restaurants plus Eva Restaurant. On the tour, chef-owners from each spot will introduce a key dish, drink or treat, and participants will get to learn much about the spot and the surrounding area. It's a definite to-do for any foodie, or anyone interested in getting some great food with some personal attention and history thrown in as well.

The walking tour occurs this Sunday, July 25 at 3 p.m. It's $45/person (which includes tax and tip) and you can buy your ticket here.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Food GPS

Eat Out. New happy hours at Milk and Tar Pit [Thirsty Thursdays!].

We've already told you how big of fans we are of Mid-City spots Milk and the Tar Pit, and luckily for you, the two spots are now featuring really cool happy hours worth checking out.

Milk is currently promoting an After School Special, where you can get their delectable milkshakes for a reduced price (opposed to their usual expensive $6-7 price tag) on Mon-Wed from 3-5pm. All the shakes are pretty great, but the Coffee Toffee and MILKIE Way Malt are personal favorites. And if you're hungry, stay for the pasta!

Or quickly head on over around the corner on La Brea to the Tar Pit, now helmed by a new bar manager and holding a special "Guilded Hour" full of deals. According to Grub Street, you can get four cocktails, including the Bees Knees (gin, honey and lemon) and the Brown Derby (bourbon, honey and grapefruit), for $6 each, and snacks like mini mac with gruyere for $5. Fries with spicy lemon salt, garlic and aioli is only $2.50! The deals take place daily, but it starts early and ends quickly--5-6:30pm.

Milk is located at 7290 Beverly Blvd. and the Tar Pit is located at 609 N. La Brea Ave., both in Mid-City.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Milk

Eat Out. Milk.

Sometimes, it's the items not bolded or pictured on the menu that really end up taking the show. Milk does quite a bit to live up to its cute and appropriate name, but it's got a few surprises up its sleeve too.

Sitting on the corner of Beverly and Poinsettia, Milk is a bakery/ice cream parlor which always seems to be buzzing with activity. Step inside the mostly white interior and you can't help but be enticed by the shop's pastel-colored and adorably crafted goodies. I first got roped in by the alluring-sounding milkshakes, and while the giant, creamy concoctions do in fact deliver, a milkshake is a milkshake. And a milkshake shouldn't cost $6-$7.

You can spend those precious dollars instead on just getting a scoop of ice cream or on the other treats of the bakery. The goods are freshly baked everyday, so are sure to vary, but the cupcakes and cookies are generally pretty delicious. Leslie's mentioned that the moon pies could be better, though.

But our pick for your Milk bill? The food. Strange to suggest for a place which you might not even realize serves hot entrees in the first place, but check out the ever-changing chalkboard of daily specials on the left wall and you might find a few delightful surprises. The orechiette pasta with pesto and chicken, for one, is totally spot on. The portions are huge and rich with fresh flavors of roasted tomatoes and pine nuts.

Plus, actually eating a meal will make you feel better about all the dessert you'll probably can't help but consume afterward.

Milk is located at 7290 Beverly Blvd.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: theBEAT