 Editor's note: There are five crucial questions a reporter must ask when developing a story: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. These Five W's (along with a bonus "How" for good measure) will preclude each blog post, both to satisfy my thirst for journalistic information gathering and to provide proper insight into this weird, wild nomadic journey of ours. The Five W's + H:Who: My fiance, yours truly, and two cats: Cleo and Sophie What: Top 5 places to drink up Where: Santa Monica, California When: January 2017 - April 2017 Why: Santa Monica was our first experience living in a new city on our travel journey (And how could we forget) How: Rolling through nearly 1500 miles (1,471 to be exact) over the span of three days and 24+ long hours on the road, our exhausting adventure came to a close one rainy day in Santa Monica  Santa Monica: Five Places to Drink Up Type of Place: Italian/Pizza/Bakery There are many options for quality pizza in the Santa Monica area, but my personal favorite has to be Milo + Olive. The view from the street through wide glassed windows showcases the midsized, modern interior. Dinner rush crowds make a reservation a must but, if not, you can make some new friends at community tables located in front of the kitchen. Another option is to grab a seat at the bar (my personal favorite) and watch Milo and Olive's talented chefs create your appetizer, pasta or pizza from scratch right in front of you. Local wine and beers flood the drink menu, and my favorite foods to get the party started are the arugula and radicchio salad (you have to at least try to be healthy, right?) and the mouth-watering garlic knots. Rolled just a few feet away from you and stuffed with garlic, these bready knots of deliciousness are served piping hot and dripping with olive oil. This dangerously delicious piece of doughy magic at Milo and Olive's is definitely worth the wait, and possibly worth the trip on it's own. For the main course, my two favorite pizzas are the 4 Cheese and Farm Egg and Roasted Potato. The 4 cheese is a gooey mess of parmesan, mozzarella, taleggio and fontina cream with an over-easy egg nestled on top slowly dripping down to the crunchy pizza crust patiently waiting below. The chef's even politely throw some arugula leaves on top to encourage the ill-fated illusion of eating healthy. The roasted potato pie features thick chunks of crispy spuds, rosemary cream, caramelized onions and is finished with a layer of parmesan to round out the dish. Can't decide which pizza to choose? Ask your server to do a half-and-half and you can enjoy most of the pizza on the menu in a 50/50 split. If you're looking for some of the best, most delicious, and fresh hand-tossed pizza in Santa Monica; look no further. Milo + Olive has you covered.  Type of Place: Bar/American Food/Best Old Fashioned in Santa Monica Located just steps from the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Ocean Avenue, Plan Check Kitchen + Bar features some of the best cocktails in Santa Monica. My favorite drink is an old fashioned, and I've sipped (chugged) them down all over the country, but Plan Check puts it's own signature spin on this classic drink. Whether you're embarking on a south of the border adventure with the tequila old fashioned, or keeping it simple with the slow and low; Plan Check's heavy pours and crafty concoctions will have your tastebuds tingling. Once you start to realize you've gotten a bit more drunk than initially expected (it happens to the best of us), the food here has you covered. Dive straight into bar food heaven (or hell) with the Bar Dip Trio (pimento, queso, and french onion dips) and the Bavarian Pretzel with tangy mustard or gooey queso. Pretend to be healthy with the spicy, crispy fried buffalo cauliflower with a side of ketchup or ranch. Need an actual meal to soak up all that alcohol pulsing through your toxified veins? Keep it simple with the Plan Check Burger (PCB). The PCB is liberally topped with melty American cheese, onions, ketchup and pickles on a savory crunch bun. Go out on a limb and try the Southern Fry. Cram those arteries with a fried chicken sandwich that doesn't stop there. No, they're going the full poultry mile by adding duck breast ham (not completely sure what this is but damn was it tasty) and spicy pimento cheese. Those who don't wish to devour any of our friends in the animal kingdom can also enjoy one of my favorite versions of the Kale Caesar salad (meat eaters can still add chicken or salmon, among other formerly living creatures). This large helping of chopped kale, caesar dressing and parmigiano reggiano goodness with crunchy croutons resting on top is a meal in itself. There's also a veggie burger option (one of the fiancé's favorites) that's topped with tasty fried onions and molten Swiss cheese. Do yourself a favor and add the beer-battered onion rings with anything you order. You won't be disappointed.  Type of Place: Chicken & Waffles/Breakfast/Desert/Whatever Your Heart Desires For most of my life I possessed a sick secret too dark, too twisted, too disturbing to share with others: I was not a fan of chicken and waffles. Then I discovered Bru's Wiffle and realized the true power of the chicken and waffle. What sets this chicken and waffle's place apart is simple: options. Every chicken and waffle pairing (pictured above) comes complete with a Belgian waffle, two pieces of boneless, skinless crispy chicken, syrup and your choice of extra sauces; but the devil is in the details. Want your chicken and waffle spicy? Get the Chicken on Fire that features grilled onions and jalapeños, oaxacan cheese and Bru's blazing hot sauce. How about a full Mexican-style breakfast? Choose the Huevos Rancheros chicken and waffle topped with refried beans, guacamole, and a fried egg that comes dripping with queso fresca. Those are just the chicken and waffle options. Bru's also has a jam packed menu with appetizers that include the illusive yet delicious avocado fries. Regular ole' waffles that can be stuffed with chocolate sauce and Oreos, topped with ice cream or even made into a churro are prominent on the menu. A selection of French toast can be had if that's your fancy. "Brunchies" that feature everything from breakfast burrito's to breakfast pasta. The list goes on and on. You can even get a burger or wrap if for some reason you came to this chicken and waffle joint in search of a normal lunch. Disclaimer: Try Bru's Wiffle at your own risk. You can (and will) become addicted to the enormous selection of crispy chicken and waffle goodness. My name is Derek, and I'm now a chicken-and-waffleaholic.  Type of Place: Healthy/Salad/Great for Delivery/Takeout At this point I know at least one and a half of you readers out there are banging on your keyboard and screaming, "But yeah man what about healthy options for healthy people like totally normal and not made up me sitting here being a person!" Hold on to your britches, totally real person that's not fictional. This one's for you. One of my favorite places to order in from when especially hungry and craving greens is Tender Greens. Much like Bru's Wiffle above, what sets this greenery apart is the robust amount of choices on the menu. First things first at Tender Greens: You have to pick your protein. In the mood to chow on something that had the gift of flight? Start with the tender and delicious Chipotle Barbecue Chicken (my personal favorite). More into something that spent its days swimming? Try the melt in your mouth Grilled Salmon, spiced with sea salt, lemon and a touch of olive oil. Don't want anything to die for your personal hunger satisfaction? They have crispy cumin and coriander-spiced Falafel chickpea fritters (the fiancé's fave) for all you herbivores our there. As a bonus, Tender Greens' meat is locally sourced with free range chicken, beef and certified salmon and tuna. Next up is your choice of healthy greens, with each selection offering its own dressing or vinaigrette. My personal favorite is the Kale with the parmesan and roasted garlic vinaigrette, but you can't go wrong. Just choose something green! Last we have the best part: it's time to gobble down all the healthy goodness. Tender Greens also features soups, sandwiches (the Chipotle Barbecue Chicken sandwich is fire) and numerous other salad concoctions for those of you who don't want to choose your own protein and greens combo. One of the coolest things about Tender Greens is what they call their Sustainable Life Project. TG's offers a six-month paid internship program for former foster kids interested in making their mark in culinary art. Tender Greens isn't just into nourishing your body. They're a business that cares about the community, and supporting them might just nourish your soul. Is that a melodramatic, cheesy and crazy oversell of a soup, sandwich and salad joint? Maybe. Why not try for yourself and find out?  Type of Place: Sports Bar/Dive Bar/Arcade The best way to explain this watering hole in Santa Monica is to imagine a divey sports bar and a miniature Dave and Buster's banging it out in the unused phone booth located right outside of this establishment. Their subsequent love child creation would be Busby's West. Old Fashioned Friday is a solid time to indulge at this saloon, which was just a block away from our Berkeley and Broadway corner bungalow, as six bucks will get you a heavy pour of bourbon, simple-syrup and cherry goodness. Monday's feature half price games in their arcade area that features everything from shooting hoops, to beer pong, ping pong—pretty much any pong you can imagine—and everything in between. Food-wise, I'm not going to lie to you, much of the menu has changed since I last stepped foot in this establishment at the beginning of 2017. One feature that they should never take off the menu is the chicken parmesan sandwich. This gargantuan mess of a sub provides the perfect base for your alcoholic endeavors. Pair with some cheese fries and you're good to go for your drinkathon. It may not be the best bar in Santa Monica, or even in the top-10, but it was close to our place, has many TV's, fun games, and an astounding amount of alcoholic beverages. How can you say no to that?  Type of Place: American Restaurant/Lounge
If you ever find yourself cruising down this section of the PCH, Duke's Malibu is well worth the pit stop. One of the best views nestled off of the Pacific Coast Highway, Duke's also features some of the best cocktails and daily deals in Malibu. Located just steps from the Pacific Ocean, Duke's provides a picturesque dining experience without the bougie atmosphere. Start by taking a seat on the robust patio (pictured above), or hop inside and grab a booth along the wall that also features a panoramic ocean vista. After you've had a chance to digest the view, it's time for drinks. Duke's has a plethora of red, white and bubbly wines on the menu, and even a "Locals Only" section with a handful of select local wines available in the bottle. Cocktails more your thing? The drink list is stacked with mixes crafted for maximum beach enjoyment. The Spicy Cucumber Margarita (the fiancé's favorite) is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy with agave, fresh lime, jalapeño to give it a nice kick and cucumber to mellow it out and bring all the flavors together. Once you've got some tasty beverages, it's time for an appetizer. To start, share a hearty helping of some of the best mac & cheese around with their white cheddar Lobster Mac & Cheese. It's enough pasta to feed a family of four but no one can stop you from ordering it for you and a friend (or just for yourself, you fat bastard). Just when you thought you couldn't stuff any more food in your mouth, it's time for the entree round of this eating experience. To make sure your meal is fresh, the fish served at Duke's varies depending on the selection they have on hand. The Fish Tacos (my favorite) are served on local corn tortillas with spicy tomatillo sauce, cabbage, pico and queso fresco. I've had both the grilled and beer-battered versions on this taco and each were simply scrumptious. You also can't go wrong with Duke's Classic Burger: a 1/2 pound angus chuck, brisket and hangar steak grind monstrosity served on a thick brioche bun with white cheddar, thousand island, crunchy pickles, tomato, onion a nice side of crispy fries. The view attracts guests from all over the world to Duke's Malibu. The food is what keeps locals and tourists alike coming back for more.
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