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I’ve been to Rush Street a few times before, but I had never been for brunch. So when I was invited to try out the Chicago-themed restaurant’s weekend menu, I figured, Why not? There’s a bloody mary bar, after all, and even though I’m not a big bloody mary fan, I like the idea. So I went to see what else Rush Street had to offer.

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• Rush Street’s Christmas in August: On Friday (that’s today!) and Saturday, Aug. 14 and 15, the restaurant that is a little bit of Chicago in Culver City is holding a Christmas celebration. Why? They say it’s an homage to a summer camp tradition, but I wouldn’t know anything about that since I’ve never been to summer camp. Sounds like the restaurant is trying to capitalize on recession spenders’ nostalgia, eh? Anyhoo, expect nights full of holiday food and cheer, including Christmas tree decorating and Santa on Friday, and a white elephant gift exchange on Saturday. Dinner will feature holiday favorites such as maple-roasted turkey breast with cider gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing and glazed brussels sprouts. Friday night’s festivities start at 5:00 p.m., and Saturday’s start at 7:00 p.m. Drink specials on Saturday, too.

• L.A. Sake Festival: With a karaoke room, how can a sake event be bad? On Sunday, Aug. 16, taste from more than 100 sakes, including some in cocktail form, at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. There’s also an introduction to sake class from a pro so you’ll understand what you’re tasting. Or just chug and sing, whatever.  Entrance fee is $50.

• Gnosh Pit at Verdugo Bar: This is where I’ll be Sunday, Aug. 16. The Glassell Park bar will be home to the vegan culinary stylings of Hot Knives, two former line cooks and current food bloggers who will be serving up “pulled pork” sandwiches, curry seitan bahn mi, homemade potato chips, cole slaw, and beer — yes, beer — popsicles. Get the food for about $4 each from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. [Full disclosure: Evan George, one-half of Hot Knives, is a former colleague of mine. No, we didn’t work at a restaurant together; we worked at a newspaper. Nuts, I know. So go to this event and support local journalism at the same time supporting local eats!]

Lovers of the campy (pun intended) Bigfoot Lodge in Atwater Village can now enjoy that campiness (again with the pun) in the Culver City/West LA area, though in a more grown-up, slightly more sophisticated setting than its Eastside counterpart. (The bar is soft-open now; the official opening is this Wednesday, July 22.)

Gone are the cartoonish stuffed animals. In their stead are actual taxidermied animals (stag heads and the like) and a totem pole featuring the likeness of Sasquatch itself. Of course the log cabin feel is still apparent, with the walls lined in wood taken from the “Yes Man” set replica of the bar. Oh, and there’s no sign outside, so look for the sizable wood-crafted patio just down Venice Boulevard from Saints & Sinners, also from the same owners, the 1933 Group.

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Still looking for something to do (or someplace to eat) this July 4 weekend? I’ll be in the Sacramento area for my best friend’s wedding (woo hoo! maid of honor time!), but here are some options for those of you sticking around in L.A.:

• Rush Street: Visit Chicago via Culver City this Independence Day weekend and partake in food and drink specials. Friday has $5 Jack Daniel’s drinks (from 10:00 p.m. to close); Saturday has specials on all domestic beers and hot dogs, lamb lollipops and spicy glazed ribs (all day!); and Sunday has $6 mojitos (from 9:00 p.m. to close).

• Le Merigot Hotel: In the courtyard of this JW Marriott in Santa Monica you’ll find upscale BBQ food, i.e., organic fingerling potato salad, kobe beef hot dogs, sweet white corn on the cob with ancho chili lime butter, etc., on July 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cost is $35 for adults, $17.50 for kids 12 and under.

• The Resort at Pelican Hill: For a fancy way to celebrate our country’s birth, hit up Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. For $250 (yeah, I know) you can get a round of golf, either breakfast or lunch, and a $25 gift certificate for the resort’s golf shop. Fancy, indeed.

Caroline on Crack via LAist has a great list of places to eat and drink today for Cinco de Mayo. Rush Street in Culver City – a place I like on non-alcholidays (Caroline on Crack’s word!) – is selling $1 tacos from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. tonight.  I love me some $1 tacos!

This one is for my San Francisco/Bay Area friends, or for those of you traveling up north in the near future.

Let's Be Frank in San Francisco. From inuyaki.com (Flickr).

Let’s Be Frank, purveyor of nitrate- and preservative-free grass-fed beef hot dogs and family-farmed pork sausages (and any other hyphenated modifier you can think of, apparently), is opening a storefront this week in the Marina district. ‘Til now, you could only get the ‘dogs fully prepared from the company’s cart, which parks at the Warming Hut at Crissy Field on weekends. Angelenos will still be able to find a cart at the Helms Bakery complex in Culver City and at Silver Lake Wine. And we’ll all be able to purchase Let’s Be Frank Devil Sauce at all locations, mobile and brick-and-mortar. From Tasting Table.

Nick's Coffee Shop. From lataco.com.

Los Angeles magazine‘s May cover story “101 Cheap Eats” totally skipped over my personal favorite, Nick’s Coffee Shop, on Pico Boulevard just west of La Cienega. Huge portions, low prices, good service. There’s also S&W Country Diner in Culver City (yummy breakfast), King Taco (super cheap) and Don Antonio’s in West L.A. on Wednesday nights, when all tacos are just $1 (I know, Speidi’s appearances here on “The Hills” are annoying and the crowds on Wednesdays are thick, but the potato tacos are totally worth it).

By the way, what’s up with L.A. mag’s obsession with Langer’s deli in MacArthur Park? It makes all their food lists. I mean, it’s good, but when I interned there in 2006 and the mag sent me out there for a story, someone standing outside (not a restaurant employee) tried to sell me cocaine. I wasn’t scared, but it was definitely an experience and not exactly a selling point for the neighborhood or the restaurant.