The horchata is dyed blue, the garlic fries are on menus in full force, and, in at least one bar, there are free shots to be had every time Shohei Ohtani hits a home run: This weekend the Dodgers are playing the Yankees in the World Series for the first time since 1981, and the whole city is turning blue. You could celebrate this monumental matchup by dining at some of the Dodgers’ favorite Los Angeles restaurants or, if you’re headed to one of the home games, drop by one of the best restaurants and bars near the stadium . But there are fantastic, limited-run items to be found all around the city — not simply near Chavez Ravine — and for some, these specials are a celebration not only of L.
A.’s boys in blue, but of culture. Given its proximity to the stadium, its 23 TVs spread across the inside bar and patio, and its location in Little Tokyo — just under the Robert Vargas-painted mural of Ohtani — Far Bar is one of the city’s go-to spots to watch a Dodgers game.
All season long, and continuing into the playoffs, Far Bar hands out free shots of Sho Chiku Bai junmai sake every time Ohtani hits a homer. Owner Don Tahara estimates he’s given away 70 1.8-liter bottles’ worth so far.
this season It’s a pleasure, he said, especially in honor of Ohtani, one of the world’s most famous Japanese athletes and rising stars. “If you look at Little Tokyo from a historical standpoint, it was the center for the Japanese and Japanese Americans for 140 years,” Tahara.