Bars

Birds do it, bees do it, even wildebeests and zebus do it. And during the "Valentine's Day Sex Tour" at Santa Ana Zoo today, visitors will learn exactly how animals court and mate in a captive setting. Wild stuff? Well, the event is for adults only, but zoo curator Connie Sweet said she wouldn't go so far as to slap an R-rating on the tour. Call it PG-13.

With work set to begin soon on a $1-billion luxury hotel in downtown Los Angeles, developer Korean Air revealed some details about the tower that is expected to dramatically alter the city's skyline. The skyscraper will be the second-tallest structure in Southern California at 70 stories, only slightly shorter than the US Bank Tower office building, said Yang Ho Cho, the chairman of Korean Air. The design is still a work in progress, but guests are expected to be whisked by high-speed elevators to the lobby on the 70th floor, where they will check in. The top floor will also have a restaurant, bar and infinity swimming pool.

Pasties and a G-string are no good to an Indian erotic dancer. With sari firmly tied, she just flashes some navel, or bares her back, to fire up a bar full of men into a money-throwing frenzy. Striptease is out of the question, table dancing an unimagined horror of Western promiscuity. Women who entertain men in India's nightclubs are supposed to do so more or less fully clothed, with a vague nod to an ancient art of suggestion.

For a downtown once famous for emptying out with the evening commute, the raucous scene around Staples Center and L.A. Live as the Lakers, Kings and Clippers compete in playoff games stands as a testament to how much the central city's fortunes have changed. Thousands jam sidewalks. Crowded cafes and bars pulsate with music and laughter. The streetscape is so lively that a group of Christian evangelists descends on street corners with free Bible booklets. But travel a block or two in any direction and the crowds begin to thin out considerably.

Dear SOS: Julienne's bakery in San Marino has delicious graham cracker chewy bars dusted with powdered sugar. Can you get the recipe? Robi Inserra Los Angeles Dear Robi: These delicious little bars combine a dense graham cracker base with a velvety custard filling rich with brown sugar and chopped pecans. Sweet, but not overly so, each bar is like a perfect miniature pecan pie baked over a wonderfully crumbly graham cracker crust. Plan ahead and make an extra batch.

Celebrities spend a lot of time in bars and restaurants, and many of them seem compelled to eventually own one. Drawing a crowd is certainly easier with a big name attached, but why would a famous actor or musician want the hassle? Tax write-off? Vanity project? Most likely, hospitality is in the DNA of any great entertainer. "For people in the industry, a big part of the draw is working with creative minds, so an obvious perk is enjoying that off the clock. Think back to the Rat Pack — the idea of powerhouses in a protected space at a table for drinks and great food.

  Aspen power bars Total time: 35 minutes Servings: 12 to 16 Note: Adapted from chef Pam Davis of the Colorado Cook for America Culinary Boot Camps 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (5 1/4 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar Heaping 1/2 cup (2 ounces) unsweetened coconut flakes 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 cup (4 ounces) nuts or sunflower seeds 3/4 cup powdered milk 1/2 cup (2 ounces)

For a downtown once famous for emptying out with the evening commute, the raucous scene around Staples Center and L.A. Live as the Lakers, Kings and Clippers compete in playoff games stands as a testament to how much the central city's fortunes have changed. Thousands jam sidewalks. Crowded cafes and bars pulsate with music and laughter. The streetscape is so lively that a group of Christian evangelists descends on street corners with free Bible booklets. But travel a block or two in any direction and the crowds begin to thin out considerably.

"I found this recipe many years ago on the back of a bag of prunes. I tried it and I realized after the first batch that they were irresistible. But then we moved and the recipe got lost in the shuffle. I went 20 years without being able to make them. I wrote to the prune company, I searched the Internet, I couldn't find them. Then one day I was going through a box of old family photos and there they were. It was like a family reunion. " - Ronna Ballister, Altadena Sweet tart oat nut bars Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, plus cooling time for the bars Servings: Makes about 4 dozen bars.

  Dear SOS: San Diego's best bakery, Bread & Cie, makes a fab bar called a paradise bar. Chewy, caramely, what I would want for my last dessert. Please get the recipe for me! Tim Cashen San Diego Dear Tim: Bread & Cie was happy to provide the recipe for its paradise bar, which combine pecans and coconut in a sweet topping that is baked over a rich shortbread-like crust. They're sure to brighten any day, no matter where you are. Paradise bars Total time: About 1 1/2 hours Servings: 12 to 16 Note: Adapted from Bread & Cie Crust 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks)

The sleepy Central Coast town of Arroyo Grande, population 17,000, is the ideal place to shut out the mayhem of city life for a few days. There's not much to do except relax, drink wine, read your book and take sunset strolls. The bed. House of Another Tyme Bed & Breakfast (227 Le Point St.; (805) 489-6313; http://www.anothertymebnb.net ; rooms for two, $120) is a remodeled Victorian home that dates to 1916 and contains three guest rooms. The B&B is run by husband-and-wife Jack Tiedemann and Judy Zwarg.

Cranberry is not vodka's best friend. Real vodka drinkers know this, but for years their taste has been marginalized by a craft cocktail scene obsessed with whiskey. Change is on the horizon, however. As Los Angeles bartenders vie to keep up with the next trending drink wave, venues all over town are favoring clear spirits. Well-regarded mixologists including Aidan Demarest and Marcos Tello of the cocktail consulting firm Tello/Demarest Liquid Assets are leading the way, serving as brand ambassadors to Stoli Elit vodka and Bols Genever (a grain-based, gin-like spirit)

The price first-time homeowner Justin Bieber paid for his new digs in Calabasas has wended its way into the public record: $6.5 million. Set on 1.3 acres in a gated community, the 10,000-square-foot main house is described as "transitional French" in style. Features include a high-ceiling foyer, library, a movie theater with stadium seating, a wet bar and a wine cellar. Just what every 18-year-old pop singer needs. Including a guesthouse, there are seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

After filing 400 stories from China, reporter Melissa Chan never thought she'd wind up in the headlines herself. Chan returned to Southern California last week as the first accredited foreign correspondent to be expelled from China in 14 years, an act that sparked a flurry of news reports and expressions of solidarity from fellow journalists. Chan, who was the sole Al Jazeera English correspondent in China, said she knew she was on shaky ground for most of this year. She had been working on month-by-month credentials since January, when the government refused a routine visa-renewal request.

Question: Shortly after I bought my town home I had to rent it out and move in with my mother because she could no longer live alone. Since I became an owner I've never been late paying my homeowner dues, and my unit is well maintained. Every year the association sends me requests for nominees to serve on the board. I have volunteered my name numerous times and have experience in property management and believe I could contribute valuable service to my community by serving on the board.

The Red & White Wine Bar is across the street from beautiful Lake Como, with forever views, in Tremezzo, Italy. The chef and his wife are charming, friendly and speak English. The food is outstanding: It was the best pasta e fagioli I have ever had, and my husband had the lasagna three days in a row. Prices are reasonable. Red & White Wine Bar, 18 Via Portico Sampietro, Tremezzo; 011-39-0344-40095. Pizzas and pastas from about $10. Main dishes $20-22. Jade Kemble Rancho Bernardo

Few aerospace employees had it as good as William Grayson Hunter. He was paid simultaneously to work full time at two aerospace firms but rarely went to work, instead spending his days at bars, amusement parks and movie theaters, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles. One of his employers, Aerospace Corp. in El Segundo, paid $2.5 million last week to settle Justice Department allegations that the company defrauded the Air Force for several years by billing for Hunter's time when it knew he was rarely at work, the U.S. attorney's office said Tuesday.

Entrepreneur Ralph Verdugo once ran downtown L.A.'s Club 740, but he left that world after having a revelation. Or maybe just a few pints. "With the economy, people don't like going to clubs so much," Verdugo said. The 41-year-old has embraced his inner beer geek and just opened Los Angeles Brewing Co. ( www.labrewingco.com) in the Chapman Building between 7th and 8th streets on Broadway. The place boasts 100 taps, a gated patio for dogs, and a menu with all but one item under $20. "People ask if we're a high-end restaurant, a sports bar or a gastro-pub.

JAZZ A fiery post-bop saxophonist who first came up as part of Miles Davis' band in the late '80s and early '90, Kenny Garrett could be counted on for a number of scene-stealing turns while touring with Chick Corea's Grammy-nominated Five Peace Band — no small feat considering he was paired with Corea and guitar great John McLaughlin. Here Garrett performs from his latest recording "Seeds From the Underground. " Catalina Bar and Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd. Thu.-Sat., 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Sun. 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. $22-$25.