Ben Alkaly

Remember those halcyon days of last June and July… when you memorized all six words to “I believe that we will win!” and fell head over heels for dreamy Colombian James Rodriguez? What if I told you that you can feed that passion for soccer way more often than once every four years? This week happens to be a great week to become a soccer fan. The heroes you cheered for during the World Cup also ply their trade for professional club teams, and the most prestigious soccer leagues in Europe are about to reach the thrilling conclusion to their seasons.Here are four great bars to see those matches. Consider visiting one this Tuesday or Wednesday to watch heavyweights like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich compete in the European Champions League. Besides this week, you can usually catch a game on a weekend morning (given that Europe is at least eight hours ahead of LA) or a midweek match during a long lunch break from work. To assist your hooky-playing, here are several great soccer bars around Los Angeles, where the pints of lager flow freely but hooliganism is thankfully kept to a minimum.  Of course, if you love supporting the home team and catching a game live, the LA Galaxy's season is in full swing.  1. Ye Olde King’s Head. British ex-pats are drawn to SoCal’s beach cities—because they’re pretty much the polar opposite of Great Britain—therefore English-style pubs abound in these areas. Among them, Ye Olde King’s Head gets packed to the gills during big matches fro

On a first date, when we inevitably start discussing our career aspirations, I’ll proudly state that one day I’d like to serve as mayor of Palms, California. While this proclamation doesn’t lead to many second dates, it does motivate me to seek out the finest restaurants, bars and other businesses this side of National Boulevard — in hopes they’ll join my to-be-formed Palms Chamber of Commerce (note: yes, I realize Palms is still part of Los Angeles proper… but if WeHo can secede, any enclave can!). In the spirit of exposing Angelenos to a neighborhood that flies under the radar of awesomeness, here are a few places to check out when you visit Palms. 1. Get your haircut at David R. Barber Shop. There’s no question who’s running the show at this strip mall gem, as namesake proprietor David R. greets you warmly before you’re placed in the capable hands of one of his 3-5 stylists on duty wearing matching “David R. Barber” embroidered shirts. They’re all meticulously professional, and if you’re lucky your seat will be within mirror-view of the TV, always showing international soccer. Hand your $14 (cash only) over to David R., who handles all transactions and strut your fresh new ‘do at all the Palms hot spots. 2. Eat yummy Thai food at Thai Boom. Uppity Cheviot Hills and Beverlywood types fawn over the Frank Gehry-esque Natalee Thai, but your better bet is about a mile west on Venice Boulevard at this authentic and perplexingly-named eatery. I usually get one of the noodle dishe