Trotting Out The Gifted Horse

It’s Winter, which means that swaths of America have been plunged into subzero temperatures. Of course, in Los Angeles, we’re going on our fifth day in a row of 80-plus degree weather, but that’s neither here nor there. Don’t worry: when this state falls into the Pacific, you can have your laughs. The point is …

ADVENTURES IN GAME TIME: Orléans Edition

Back in June of 2015, when I was six months into my burgeoning board game obsession/addiction, I learned that a game called Orléans had been nominated for Kennerspiel De Jahres. In gaming parlance, it’s the equivalent of receiving an Oscar nod. Well, sort of. The Spiel de Jahres is actually the award reserved for game …

Plug Your Mouth at Tacos Tu Madre

There’s no shortage of tacos in Los Angeles, except for maybe in Little Armenia, but who am I kidding? There are tacos there too. Tacos are everywhere in Los Angeles. I mean er’rywhere. Yes, tacos and L.A. go together like pizza and New York, chowder and Boston, Outback and Orange County — classic combinations that …

ADVENTURES IN GAME TIME: ‘Gold West’ Edition

There aren’t many board games that do double duty as Village People song puns, but Gold West is here to buck the trend. Admittedly, the term “Go West” could also be credited to 19th century author Horace Greeley, but that’s not nearly as fun. I like to think “Gold West’s” designer J. Alex Kevern was …

ADVENTURES IN GAME TIME: ‘Nippon’ Edition

Is there anything more fun than pretending to be 19th century Japanese industrialists? I don’t think so. Luckily for us, there’s a fantastic new game on shelves that captures the thrill of modernizing Japan, all from the comfort of your dining room table. Finally, the zaibatsu simulation you’ve always wanted. This madness is called Nippon, …

PLAYERS GONNA PLAY: Viking Bravery and ‘The Champions of Midgard’

When it comes to knowledge of Scandinavia, I sadly glean most facts from my Ikea cookbook, the Thor franchise, and occasional episodes of The Amazing Race. Oh, and my friend Diana. She’s from Sweden. Nevertheless, one thing I definitely do know about Northern Europe is that Vikings used to sail its shores, paving the way …

New Episode of Banter Blender is Up!

Sorry folks, I really do want to get these episodes up more regularly again, but I’m happy to report we’ve made up for lost time with this latest installment of The Banter Blender. We touch on all the important stuff: reality stars downstairs, Lamar Odom, oversized sandwiches, Adele, my new board game, and candy. Lots …

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Maangchi Madness!

If there’s any cuisine I’m totally obsessed with, it’s probably Korean. On any given night I’m pestering my friends to grab some grub in Koreatown — or K-Town (not to be confused with my hometown of Katonah, NY, also known as K-Town amongst the local ruffians). Whether it’s BBQ or tofu or grilled clams or hot …

Making Life Easier in ‘La Granja’

Last week I casually ranked all the board games in my collection, with one of my favorites being La Granja. It’s about farming in Majorca (finally, something to fill that gaming void), and one of the central mechanics has players sliding cards under a cardboard “farm” to spectacular effect. Well, unfortunately, all this pushing and …

A Bunch of Board Games You Should Play

A year ago, my friend and former blog partner Joe (a.k.a. J-Unit) had a bachelor party up in Lake Tahoe. It was a pretty fun bro weekend full of beer pong, barbecuing, and a forest fire (unrelated to the barbecuing). With the area full of smoke, we spent a lot of time indoors, and thankfully …