Acclaimed chef Wolfgang Puck has partnered with The Maybourne to present the annual Beverly Hills Autumn BBQ. (photo courtesy of The Maybourne Beverly Hills)

Autumn BBQ fires up Beverly Hills

The second annual Beverly Hills Autumn BBQ will return Oct. 18 from 6-9 p.m. at The Maybourne Beverly Hills and adjacent Beverly Cañon Gardens, bringing together chefs, pitmasters and mixologists for an evening benefiting No Kid Hungry.

The event is presented by The Maybourne Beverly Hills, Spago Beverly Hills, the city of Beverly Hills and United Card Events from Chase. Organizers said last year’s event raised $50,000 for No Kid Hungry.

Participating chefs include Damon Gordon of The Maybourne Beverly Hills; Wolfgang Puck and Byron Puck of Spago Beverly Hills; Nancy Silverton and Alisa Vannah of Chi Spacca; Burt Bakman of SLAB; Jorge “Joy” Alvarez and Victor Delgado of Tacos 1986; Daisy Ryan of Bell’s; Nicholas Priedite of Priedite Barbecue; Frank Ostini of Hitching Post; Daniel Castillo of Heritage BBQ; and Eric Werner of Hartwood.

Guests will be able to visit live cooking stations and cocktail bars throughout Beverly Cañon Gardens. Menu items announced for the event include Spanish-style California lamb, wood-fired prawns, grilled lamb ribs, smoked beef cheeks, smoked pork chop and grilled caciocavallo.

A silent auction will also be held during the event, with 100% of auction proceeds benefiting No Kid Hungry. Featured lots include five Ferragamo bags and a work created live by artist Marco Gallotta.

General admission tickets are $300 through Sept. 30 and $350 afterward, plus tax and gratuity.

The Beverly Hills Autumn BBQ will be held at The Maybourne Beverly Hills, 225 N. Canon Drive, and Beverly Cañon Gardens, 241 N. Canon Drive. For tickets and information, visit maybourne.com.

‘Black Lagoon’ haunts Melrose Umbrella Co.

The Halloween cocktail pop-up “Black Lagoon” will take over Melrose Umbrella Co. from Oct. 1-Nov. 1, transforming the Los Angeles bar with themed decor, lighting, sound and a seasonal cocktail menu.

Created by beverage industry veterans Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage, “Black Lagoon” began as a one-night pop-up in Toronto and has since expanded into an annual event at bars across the United States and Canada. This year’s edition will appear at 34 venues across North America, including Melrose Umbrella Co. in Los Angeles.

The pop-up is designed to blend a haunted-house atmosphere with a cocktail bar, featuring Halloween-inspired interiors, specialty drinks and limited-edition glassware.

“Every year, we look for new ways to expand the world of Black Lagoon and create a spooky attraction that goes beyond a traditional Halloween pop-up,” Hayes and Ramage said. “Black Lagoon has always been a place where Halloween fans, cocktail enthusiasts and everyone in between can come together, and we’re excited to continue building that world through new venues, new creations and unexpected surprises this season.”

The 2026 cocktail menu includes Abyssa’s Obsession, made with pumpkin-infused spiced rums, sherry, coconut, pineapple, lime and bitters; Bone Temple, featuring tequila, sherry, tart cherry, spiced oat orgeat, lime, vanilla honey, absinthe and bitters; and Moon Shadow, made with nutmeg-infused vodka, coffee liqueur, banana liqueur, sherry and cold brew coffee.

Limited-edition glassware will also be available for purchase during the pop-up, including pieces designed by artist Kisira Hill and a new Octo-Witch mug created with Tiki Farm.

The Los Angeles engagement is one of several California stops this season, alongside Long Beach, Sacramento and San Francisco.

Melrose Umbrella Co. is located at 7465 Melrose Ave.

For information, visit blacklagoonpopup.com.

The Georgian toasts Negroni Week

The Georgian in Santa Monica will participate in Negroni Week through Sept. 27 with a specialty cocktail offered at both of the hotel’s restaurants.

The hotel will serve “Strawberry Fields,” a $20 variation on the classic Negroni made with strawberry-infused Campari and olive oil-infused gin.

The cocktail will be available at Sirena, The Georgian’s oceanfront restaurant, and The Georgian Room, the hotel’s downstairs steakhouse and piano bar.

Negroni Week is an international campaign founded by Imbibe and Campari that brings together participating bars and restaurants to raise money for Slow Food, a nonprofit organization focused on food systems, sustainability and local food communities.

Proceeds from The Georgian’s “Strawberry Fields” cocktail will support Slow Food.

The Georgian first opened in 1933 and reopened in 2023 after a renovation. The 84-room hotel is located near the Santa Monica Pier and includes Sirena, The Georgian Room and Gallery 33.

The Georgian is located at 1415 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica.

For information, visit thegeorgian.com.

North Italia debuts Santa Monica happy hour

North Italia has launched a new weekday happy hour at its Santa Monica location, offering discounted food and drinks Monday through Friday from 3-6 p.m. at the bar.

The program began Sept. 16 and includes a selection of shareable dishes priced from $10-$12. Menu items include grilled mortadella skewers, baked burrata alla Diavola, white truffle garlic bread and a double pepperoni flatbread available only during happy hour.

Drink specials include $10 spritzes, $12 craft cocktails, $10 featured wine pours, $35 featured wine bottles, $6.50 craft beers and $8 zero-proof drinks.

North Italia is also offering two happy hour bundles. The $15 Spritz & Snacks option pairs a happy hour spritz with Zucca chips, Campari-glazed nuts and Castelvetrano olives. The $30 Sangria Social includes a pitcher of house-made red sangria and a choice of Margherita or pepperoni flatbread.

On Mondays, select bottles of wine are offered at 50% off.

North Italia is located at 1442 2nd St.

For information, visit northitalia.com.

‘Haunted Harbor’ docks in Long Beach

The Maya in Long Beach is marking Halloween season with a “Haunted Harbor Escape” package available through Nov. 1, pairing an overnight stay with access to paranormal tours aboard the Queen Mary.

Guests who book the package will receive two tickets to their choice of the Queen Mary’s Glory Days tour, Haunted Encounters tour or Steam & Steel tour. The package also includes two welcome beverages at Fuego, The Maya’s waterfront restaurant and lounge, as well as complimentary parking.

The seasonal promotion connects the hotel with one of Long Beach’s best-known historic attractions. The Queen Mary has long offered tours focused on the ship’s history, engineering and reported paranormal activity.

Reservations for the package can be made using booking code HHE or through The Maya’s website.

The hotel will also offer wellness programming during the fall in partnership with The DEN Meditation. Breathwork and sound bath sessions are scheduled for Sept. 27 and Oct. 11 at 5:45 p.m.

Additional programming includes “Sonic Devas: The Listening Temple,” an autumn sound ceremony incorporating performance, singing, mantra, sound healing and meditation.

The wellness sessions are intended as a counterpoint to the hotel’s Halloween programming, giving guests the option to combine the seasonal experience with meditation and sound-based relaxation.

Wellness sessions may be booked separately at denmeditation.com/the-maya.

For information and reservations, visit themayalongbeach.com.

The Maya Long Beach is located at 700 Queensway Drive.

Culver Hotel hosts fall ‘Yappy Hour’

The Culver Hotel will host a Fall Yappy Hour on Oct. 8 from 4-6 p.m., opening its dog-friendly patio for an afternoon benefiting a Los Angeles animal rescue.

The event, presented in partnership with Los Angeles-based pet-care brand Cleo&Hooman, will take place during Harry’s Hour, the hotel’s happy hour named for Culver City founder Harry Culver.

Guests will be able to order cocktails and shareable plates, while dogs can sample the hotel’s “barkuterie” boards. For the event, the boards will also include fresh dog food from Furever.

The Labelle Foundation, a Los Angeles-based animal rescue organization, will participate with adoptable dogs seeking homes. A portion of sales from the event will benefit the foundation and its work supporting animals in need.

Guests will also receive gift bags with products from local vendors, and the event will include a drawing for a basket of Cleo&Hooman pet-care products.

The hotel’s dog-friendly patio has become part of its regular food and beverage programming, and the Oct. 8 event will add an adoption and fundraising component to the afternoon gathering.

Registration for Fall Yappy Hour is complimentary, though space is limited. To RSVP, visit handstamp.com/e/fall-yappy-hour-cgquhedu.

The Culver Hotel is located at 9400 Culver Blvd.

For information, visit culverhotel.com.

Dogs can sample the hotel’s “barkuterie” boards on Oct. 8. (photo courtesy of The Culver Hotel)