Categories: Fitness & Health; Misc.

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Nursing Your Hangover in Los Angeles

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Like just about everyone who liberally partakes in alcohol consumption, after a hard night of drinking, the gut wrenching hangover usually gets me to swear off the sauce forever. And yet, hundreds of unrealized teetotaling declarations later, I'm still drinking - sometimes to excess - and experiencing the same awful results. Because when you really sit down and think about it, hangovers suck something fierce but like taxes, movie previews and Gehenna, the eternal lake of fire, it's just the price you have to pay in the pursuit of having a good time. So if you decide to drink up, here are a few places that'll make your hangover a little more bearable.

The Hair of the Dog

A colloquial English expression that stems from the  incorrect and exceedingly ignorant belief that a bite from a rabid dog could be cured by placing its hair on the affected wound.  Today it’s a term to refer to drinking alcohol as a hangover remedy, ironically an equally incorrect and also abundantly ignorant belief.  Some things’ll never change.

Ercoles Bar

1101 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

A popular dive bar in Manhattan Beach, Ercoles opens up early on Sundays and welcomes all of the drunks from Saturday night. Another great reason to drink here early are their surprisingly good Dodger Dogs served only from 1 PM to 3PM.

A popular dive bar in Manhattan Beach, Ercoles opens up early on Sundays and welcomes all of the drunks from Saturday night. Another great reason to drink here early are their surprisingly good Dodger Dogs served only from 1 PM to 3PM.

Looks Like Duff

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Former MTV VJ and proponent of hangover remedy #1.

Hangover Food

Another popular hangover remedy, eating a greasy meal the next day is widely reputed to stave off the ill effects of binge drinking. 

Vietname House

710 W Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776

With its unique mix of oily, spicy and savory tastes, I’ve found Pho noodles to be the absolute best post-hangover meal, and Vietnam House makes a mean bowl of the stuff. Many of my Vietnamese friends say that this dish is well suited to this purpose because of their people’s penchant for drunkeness, although I think that the staggering amount of MSG in the soup base also has something to do with it. You know, fighting poison with poison and all that.

With its unique mix of oily, spicy and savory tastes, I’ve found Pho noodles to be the absolute best post-hangover meal, and Vietnam House makes a mean bowl of the stuff. Many of my Vietnamese friends say that this dish is well suited to this purpose because of their people’s penchant for drunkeness, although I think that the staggering amount of MSG in the soup base also has something to do with it. You know, fighting poison with poison and all that.

Pho Dac Biet

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Lately I’ve noticed lots of places that have capitalized on Pho’s (fuh) quirky pronunciation including “What the Pho”, “Pho-Nomenal” and of course, my personal favorite: “Pho King”. Truth in advertising.

Doughboys Bakery

6768 Lexington Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Doughboys serves up amazing breakfast and lunch items and they’re just greasy enough to banish your hangover without exacerbating the situation. Scrapple with Dirty Eggs is my favorite.

Doughboys serves up amazing breakfast and lunch items and they’re just greasy enough to banish your hangover without exacerbating the situation. Scrapple with Dirty Eggs is my favorite.

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Toast Bakery Cafe Inc

8221 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Toast Bakery Cafe = Tons of hipster customers, poor service and terrible food quality. All consistently barf-worthy attributes in a restaurant and I’ve never failed in leaving them a nice present in their bathroom as added compensation for their continued incompetence.

Toast Bakery Cafe = Tons of hipster customers, poor service and terrible food quality. All consistently barf-worthy attributes in a restaurant and I’ve never failed in leaving them a nice present in their bathroom as added compensation for their continued incompetence.

Sweat it Out

Although physical activity is usually the last thing on my mind while nursing a hangover, I grudgingly have to admit that it always makes me recover faster from its ill effects.  Strangely enough, my exercise performance usually increases when hung over which is just another reason I give myself for tipping one back.

Bikram Yoga South Pasadena

526 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030

Despite the extreme heat and demanding positions of Bikram Yoga, I’ve found the class to be extremely helpful in alleviating many hangovers. I’ve been to a couple of studios, but the South Pasadena location, run by Inga, is by far my favorite. The people here are also very nice and most of the time politely ignore the wretched smell of grain alcohol leaving my body in the form of blood, sweat and of course, tears.

Despite the extreme heat and demanding positions of Bikram Yoga, I’ve found the class to be extremely helpful in alleviating many hangovers. I’ve been to a couple of studios, but the South Pasadena location, run by Inga, is by far my favorite. The people here are also very nice and most of the time politely ignore the wretched smell of grain alcohol leaving my body in the form of blood, sweat and of course, tears.

Inga @ Bikram Yoga South Pasadena

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She’s got just the right amount of Indian technique and Eastern European drive to whip you into shape.

Other Guidespot Links

Hangover Guide to NYC

Hangover Guide to Denver

Gotta Get Drunk First

 

Hangover Guide

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant

206 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

McCormick & Schmick’s is a nice place, made much nicer by the fact that they make carefully crafted cocktails starting at 11AM. I’d take advantage of the mimosas that are popular on Sunday mornings, but enough people question my sexuality already.

I’m straight, damn it!

McCormick & Schmick’s is a nice place, made much nicer by the fact that they make carefully crafted cocktails starting at 11AM. I’d take advantage of the mimosas that are popular on Sunday mornings, but enough people question my sexuality already.

I’m straight, damn it!

Le Pain Quotidien Melrose

8607 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Relax

In my book, the most practical measure in defeating a hangover.  My preferred method of resting is to lie in bed whilst moaning pitifully, interspersing this with cajoling my girlfriend to bring me water, medicine and demanding kisses to make the boo-boo in my head go away.

As much as I love lounging in bed for the entire day during a particularly wretched hangover, many times my girlfriend will drag me out to Huntington Library with a loaf of bread in hand and we’ll feed the ducks at the lake. Who said this relationship stuff was easy?

As much as I love lounging in bed for the entire day during a particularly wretched hangover, many times my girlfriend will drag me out to Huntington Library with a loaf of bread in hand and we’ll feed the ducks at the lake. Who said this relationship stuff was easy?

Fowl Play

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I don’t know about you, but I’d kill a duck if it did this to me in hangover mode. Straight up, homey.

New Lions Health Spa

551 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Although I’ve heard numerous hushed accounts about the “special” services offered at this establishment, I’ve always found it to be clean, well stocked and generally law abiding. Plus, the blind masseuse that works here totally gets all of the alcohol kinks out in no time. At least… I think he’s blind.

Although I’ve heard numerous hushed accounts about the “special” services offered at this establishment, I’ve always found it to be clean, well stocked and generally law abiding. Plus, the blind masseuse that works here totally gets all of the alcohol kinks out in no time. At least… I think he’s blind.

Tawa's Shiatsu Spa

362 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Located in the heart of Little Tokyo, Tawa’s Shiatsu offers the most merciless shaitsu practitioners in Los Angeles. At least that’s how it felt when my back was pummeled by Toshiro, the venerable “head masseur”. Still, after enduring that beating, my hangover, in comparison was relatively modest.

Located in the heart of Little Tokyo, Tawa’s Shiatsu offers the most merciless shaitsu practitioners in Los Angeles. At least that’s how it felt when my back was pummeled by Toshiro, the venerable “head masseur”. Still, after enduring that beating, my hangover, in comparison was relatively modest.

Traditional Thai Massage

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Saw them doing this to my buddy (5’6” 130 lbs) but when I asked them why I wasn’t getting the same treatment, the masseuse hastily replied in her nasal Thai accent, “No for you, big boyyyy.”

Me: “BITCH, I’m not big, I’m husky!”

"Love" Hangover

Considering Ms. Ross was drunk 85% of the 1970’s, I think this is a pretty fitting song for her.

Switzer Falls

1 Angeles Crest Highway La Canada, CA 91011

Situated about 10 miles up Angeles Crest Highway above the sleepy bedroom community of La Canada, Switzer Falls offers a challenging four mile hike that rewards you with a view of the beautiful 20ft. waterfall. Although, from personal experience, I would encourage caution in jumping into the pool from above.

24 Hour Fitness

505 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90071

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