sunny days a la mode

Brewing Up Local Art: Semi-Annual Brewery Artwalk

2010-04-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the semi-annual Brewery Artwalk in Downtown LA where dozens of resident artists open up their lofts to the public to showcase their artwork. I had heard of the event before but knew very little about it other than you can wander from live-in studio to live-in studio checking out works of local artists so I was expecting one large building somewhere in the industrial district of L.A. that housed everything.

The artist colony is actually a sprawling, campus-style complex with 22 buildings, anchored by the namesake, former Pabst Blue Ribbon brick brewery, several lower slung warehouse-style apartment buildings and a handful of high rises, including a pair joined by a wire catwalk bridge overlooking the 23 acre complex. I had actually driven past the Brewery colony when I visited the San Antonio Winery last year but the nondescript concrete and brick buildings give no clue to all the art that is being created inside.
According to their website , the artwork output ranges far, including, but not limited to "painters, sculptors, photographers, graphic design, web design, production design, motion graphics, weaving, architecture, furniture design, lighting design,set dressing, propmaking, water features, taxidermy" and the list goes on. Pretty overwhelming. The map we received upon entry was helpful but we decided to just meander the grounds and just peek our heads in any studios which caught our fancy.

Our first stop was Sandman Creations , an exhibit of dreamy, oversized light 'sculptures' of fairy-lit, kaleidoscope sea horses and luminous dragons.
We wandered into the labyrinth of show-lofts inside a high rise building where we were greeted with highlights including the following:

Artist Ted Meyers ' Scarred for Life' wall of potato-print style prints gleaned from roller-inked body (and in one case, cat) scars. Each print came accompanied with a photo of the scarred/amputated subject (long lines of open heart surgery scars, fireworks accident and bandsaw victims with missing fingers, mastectomy survivors' scars etc) which added another layer to the artwork.

An interactive, tetris-like light installation that allowed it's falling blocks to be "caught" by art patrons' outstretched hands before tumbling into a heap once people walked away.

A pop-art sneaker display including a pair of Vans emblazoned with Hitchcock's mug and profile on each foot.
A small studio filled with intricate ball point pen murals which would have kept me occupied for hours as a kid, discovering infinite new details within the finely drawn pieces.
Church of Art performance art featuring melodies thumped out on a angel-winged horn piano.
On a more macabre bent where the 'Lets Play Dead' exhibit of headless porcelein dolls doubling as planters for fresh tulips and orchids and a sultry showing of ultra-glossy, burlesque style photo subjects including Siamese twins playing the piano and a pretzeled over contortionist.

While I loved checking out the artwork, I found myself also drawn into the artists' dwellings themselves. Outside, the ivy-covered buildings had a beautiful yesteryear quality, and inside, with lofts feeling so temporarily laid-out with non-permanent walls and 'room's divided by bookcases and beams, the kitchens--with their permanently installed appliances and sinks--felt like the most lived in part of lofts we visited and were all so artistically decorated.

I highly recommend checking out the semi-annual artwalk next time it rolls around in the fall. It's a great way to expose yourself to both new art as well as catch a glimpse of how those who live and breathe art, actually live. Admission is free and street parking is slightly sketchy (see below) yet plentiful.

Brewery Artwalk
April 17-18, 2010
Next Brewery Artwalk Scheduled in the fall

ombination of the former Eastside and Pabst Blue Ribbon Breweries, from which the community derives its name, and one of Los Angeles' first power plants, Edison Power Station #3.

Trash Cans and Lazy Ox's: TRASHED Coachella Exhibit & The Lazy Ox Canteen

2010-04-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

I didn't know rubbish bins would be the thing to inspire me to start blogging again after a long lazy blog haitis but after checking out Global Inheritance's TRASHED Coachella Exhibit on Friday night, I felt compelled to write about it.

The one-night only gallery event showcased crafty, custom-designed 65-gallon trash bins before they are put to use tidying up the polo fields of Coachella next week. It's been 4 years since my last Coachella experience and while I'm not up for the exhilarating yet hot/dusty/exhausting 72hr excursion anymore, I did want to get some sort of Coachella fix this year--even if it was just checking out the artsy "official trash bins" of the festival. The online flyer I saw highlighted the featured artists of the couple dozen bins on show--not being well versed in the who's-who of the garbage can art world, I didn't recognize the names but was intrigued enough to make the trek to POVevolve Gallery on Chung King Rd's gallery row in Chinatown.

Ugly Shoe and I were greeted outside of the gallery with a trash can refashioned as R2-D2. Inside, we joined the arty types sipping on free wine and Veev cocktails milling amongst a smattering of colorful bins. Some were more impressive than others; there was a cool splatter graffiti-styled bin, another done up in a 70's Holly Hobby look and a fun, brightly painted bin inviting trash-throwers to "express yourself" with a pile of chalk for passerby's to write their own 'expressions' on the trash can.

My favorite was the psychedelic, Beatles-inspired bin which brought to life the lyrics from "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", including real tangerine trees, a girl with sparkling sequined kaleidoscope eyes, yellow and green flowers made of cellophane and a river studded with milky glass beads.

While the exhibit was an amusing 20 minute novelty, it was a great excuse to head to the downtown area to kick off a Friday night. Since we were in the area, on a whim we drove to Little Tokyo to have dinner at the Lazy Ox Canteen afterwards. I had heard good reviews and have been wanting to try the restaurant but with no reservations on Friday night, we weren't sure if we'd get the chance. I called to inquire about the wait as we were parking and was greeted by a cheesy but somehow reassuring "Lazy Ox Canteen, how can I make your day better?" While the first-come, first serve bar seats had an hour wait, the friendly hostess said we could have a heat-lamped table outside if we waited 10 minutes.

The menu (sparse on the printed menu, but accompanied by a chalkboard overflowing with daily specials) is a modern mix of French, Mexican, Japanese and Catalan cuisines. We ordered the assorted pickles (crunchy and dill-flecked, they were a great accompaniment to cut through our heavier dishes) dashi marinated yellowtail with avocado, hash browns and creme fraiche and with the waiter's recommendation, the pig trotter crepinette off the chalkboard specials for appetizers. The chunky-cut yellowtail was delicious the traingle toasts of hash browns added some crunch and texture. I was expecting the trotter appetizer to be a pulled pork filled french crepe but instead, it came as a pig trotter patty served over creamy mashed potatoes. A surprise but still really tasty.

The braised beef paleron entree we ordered was a dark, fork-tender hunk of pot roast sitting on mellow cream of wheat and kumquat slivers. Braised in red wine, the meat was almost caramelized crusty outside and deliciously yielding inside. We finished off our meal with a large ceramic skillet of bubbling, buttery crusty-topped black and blueberry cobbler. Delightfully rich in flavor and fullness, the meal lived up to the hearty and earthy expectations you'd expect from a restaurant with 'crispy pig ears' on their menu and the word "Ox" in their name.

Apples At My Doorstep: Farm Fresh To You Organic Delivery Service

2009-10-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty happy with my weekly Sunday Farmer's Market ritual for fresh fruit and veggies but when I came across the Farm Fresh To You booth at the Abbot Kinney Street Festival, I decided to give their delivery service a test run for fun. Working with a range of 6000 local family farmers growing organic fare, Farm Fresh To You is a mail-order service delivering an assortment of fruit and vegetables most in season to your doorstep on a weekly bi-weekly or monthly schedule.

The service is super easy to sign up for, and during the registration process, customers can nix any fruits or veggies they don't want to receive so although each package remains a surprise, which meant I could check off kiwifruit (which I ironically have an aversion to) so I know they'll never be included in my delivery. The multitude of package options also cover different sizes ideal from single folk or couples (Small Mix of about 8 different produce items, $23) to larger families (Monster Mix with 23 various items, $55) as well as fruit only, vegetables only and no-cooking required options. I opted for the Small Mix for my first delivery.

Several days after signing up, I came home to find my box-of-fruit'n'veggies by my door. Inside was a colorful mix of fall produce; half a dozen apples, zucchini, orange bell peppers, onions, Yukon potatoes, a couple garlic cloves, several heirloom tomatoes, button mushrooms and a punnet of strawberries, also enclosed was a sheet of paper with several recipe suggestions which complemented the items in the box (recipes also online).

Based on my package of produce, I bit into one of my crunchy Ambrosia apples while deciding to make Basque Chicken for dinner, which called for the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes I just received. I saved the potatoes and mushrooms for the 'pancetta-wrapped mushrooms' and 'mashed potatoes with cream cheese' recipes which came along with my order for another night.

The produce list varies with each delivery depending on what's freshest for the given week. Although those who like to plan can log online a couple days ahead to see what will be arriving, I thought it was fun receiving a package of surprise produce. Planning meals around the handpicked assortment of fruit and vegetables also took me out of my regular rotating roster of go-to dishes I usually cook which also made it more fun in the kitchen.

I eat out too much to sign up for the service on a weekly basis so opted for the deliveries to come every month. At $23 for the small box, you'd probably do better shopping on your own at the farmer's market, but it's not over-the-top pricey either to support and indulge in fresh organic groceries.

I received a $10 discount off my first order for signing up at the Abbot Kinney booth and have a $5 off refer-a-friend coupon so if anyone's interested in trying out a delivery for $18 (there is no commitment and you can cancel at any time,) let me know in the comments box and I'll send the discount your way!

Farm Fresh To You

Downtown Dogs: Wurstkuche Sausage Joint

2009-08-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

While adverse to balony, Slim Jims, weiners and other questionable 'pressed meats', I've recently become quite the fan of sausages. So yesterday, after taking a tour of downtown lofts (a fun, informative and surprisingly not-dorky way to spend your Saturday morning checking out cool NYC-style lofts hidden inside deceiving, flophouse-like exteriors in downtown LA), Ugly Shoe and I decided to hit up self-described 'exotic sausage grill' and beerhall, Wurstkuche, while we were in the neighborhood.

Wurstkucher sits on the sketchier edge of Little Tokyo in the Arts District, but it appears hipsters will brave the shadiness for their gourmet sausage. The back area's communal tables were full and the line to order when we walked in was a dozen people deep, but even with the simple menu of just sausages, I needed the entire time I was in line to decide between the 20+ various sausage options as well as which two dipping sauces I wanted to go with our cone of double-dipped Belgium fries.

The menu is separated into 3 categories; I skipped the Classics ($6; your basic bratwursts,bockwursts and hot italian), Gourmet ($6.75; the likes of mango-jalapeno chicken & turkey, sweet Filipino Marharlika, smoked chicken with sundried tomato and mozzarella) and headed straight to the Exotic dogs ($7.75); I briefly pondered the alligator, pork and smoked andouille sausage and was intrigued by the rattlesnake & rabbit (which was described as buttery but mildly spicy) but ended up going with the duck, bacon and jalapeno peppers which the guy behind the counter recommended as his favorite topped with grilled onions and sweet peppers. While our sausages were being grilled, we loaded up our table with ketchup and various mustards (yellow, spicy brown, honey, whole grain) from the condiment bar.

Although they had a couple of dozen German and Belgium beers on tap and even more bottled biers, we were headed off for some wine tasting at the downtown San Antonio Winery afterwards so I skipped the Chimay and ordered a bottle of Reed's Spiced Apple Ginger Brew from their selection of artisan sodas instead. The table of dudes across from us made up for our non-beer drinking with their monstrous, 6 liter, $250 bottle of Duvel.

As I bit into my duck and bacon weiner, I heard the lovely subtle 'pop' sound of the meat breaking through the casing. The menu's description didn't lie--my duck, bacon and pepper sausage was juicy and packed with flavor as promised and was better than Ugly Shoe's good but not memorable chicken-apple with nutmeg topped with sauerkraut. The crunchy, starchy fries were a delicious complement and as a condiment queen, I had fun rotating between our bleu-cheese walnut dip, 'sassy bbq' sauce and my various ketchup and mustard mixes.

While not expensive ($23 for the both of us), it's not super cheap for essentially hotdog (albeit exotic ones) and fries. Both sausages were tasty but essentially pretty comparable to the homemade ones you can buy at Whole Foods for a 1/3 of the price (and note, this is probably the first time I've ver used Whole Foods as a comparison for value). However, with its airy, warehouse-loft beerhall decor (exposed brick walls, overhead wooden beams, communal pine tables), fun and unpretentious atmosphere and a menu that boasts minced rattlesnake as an item, I'd still recommend this a downtown spot to check out. There could be wurst places to go for a spendy hotdog.

Wurstkuche
800 E. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013 (map)
213.687.4444

One Summer Day Inspired from 500 Days of Summer: Downtown LA

2009-07-19T15:18:00.001-07:00

Inspired after watching 500 Days of Summer on Friday night, Ugly Shoe and I decided to take a trip to downtown LA on Saturday to explore the locations which were so well shot and romanticized in the film. Besides the occasional trip to MOCA, Santee Alley or Staples Center, I don't wander into downtown LA that often so it was a good excuse to do some navigating around that part of city.

My favorite scenes in the film are where at the park bench Tom and Summer share on a grassy knoll overlooking downtown LA. My 'where is the location of park bench in 500 days of summer?' googling wasn't too successful but the historical self guided walking map and lady on the other line of the 24-hour downtown LA helpline were great resources. With our downtown map print out, we headed on the 10E towards Pershing Square and found a $5 pay lot between Hill and Olive right around the corner.

Although named California Plaza Park in the film, we recognized Bunker HIll and its shaded park benches immediately (on the corner of 4th and Olive.) The sloped sliver of green grass and broad-branched trees were a leafy oasis amid the dulled Historical section of downtown LA. Looking down, intricately adorned Art Deco buildings and brick highrises in all their faded glory blend seamlessly with squat blocks of parking garages, fast food joints and cracked asphalt-topped pay lots--forcing the eye to search them out amid the concrete sprawl.

Following our map, we peeked into the still impressive, chandelier-filled mezzanine of the Biltmore Hotel, strolled through Pershing Square to find they hosted summer concerts and outdoor films throughout the summer weeks, swung up to 3rd and Broadway to poke our noses through the glass doors of the Bradbury Building--home to both the last scene of 500 Days of Summer and the futuristic backdrop to Bladerunner and took photos of the old-Hollywood opulence of '30's movie theaters-turned-grand storefronts. All the while, taking the advice of the film's protaganist that its easy to miss the glamorous details at street level but all you need to do is look up; curvy crown moldings, fluted spires, mermaids, gargoyles and simple yet striking geometrical patterns perch discreetly along multiple building ledges and windows.

Unlike the awe-striking beauty of other metropolitan cities, L.A. makes you work hard to find its architecheral graces, which oddly made me appreciate what we spotted on our walk more. The one way streets and easy-to-avoid location makes downtown L.A. feel intimidating and not necessarily worth the drive just for a sit at a park and an aimless stroll along its boulevards, but stirred by the appreciative eyes of 500 Days of Summer, we spent an entertaining afternoon discovering an often-ignored, other side of Los Angeles that cost us half the price of our movie ticket.

More info on Downtown LA here and here
Historical Tour starting point at Pershing Square on 5th & Olive
Parking: $5 all day or cheaper at multiple lots or plentiful street parking

Doughnut Forget About National Doughnut Day: Grace Restaurant's 3-Course Donut Tasting Menu

2009-06-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

I believe I finally experienced dessert overload for the first time ever this weekend.

Always on the lookout for my interests and tastebuds, my friend J. Nash brought it to my attention that it was National Donut Day (last Friday, June 5th) and she had just the donut-filled festivities for us to honor this sugary celebration.

To commemorate this special high-calorie day, J. Nash and I made a reservation to partake in a gourmet doughnut tasting menu at the la-di-dah Grace Restaurant on Beverly Blvd. Due to the public’s high donut demand, Grace extended the doughnut-love throughout the weekend so we scheduled our donut dinner for Saturday night.

Before going, I had Willy Wonka’esque visions of servers parading around with heaping trays of assorted mini doughnut, beignets and donut holes; a psychedelic medley of shiny glazed, sugar rimmed, nut-encrusted, chocolate covered cream-filled options… Turns out doughnut tasting at Grace was a yummy yet much more civilized, white table-clothed affair.

Our reservations were at 6:45pm. While it was dinnertime—and chef Neal Fraser’s Iron Chef-winning menu offered many lovely options—in interest of our budget and saving room in our bellies, we opted for a doughnut-only dinner.

After an appetizer of some freshly baked, hot-out-of-the-oven bread served at the table, we waited hungrily for our first of 3 dessert courses.
The first—two mini doughnut brushed with a tawny gloss of salted caramel glaze—was my favorite. A perfect composition of salty sweetness and crispy softness. Accompanying the sweet doughy goodness was a scoop of homemade bourbon-laced pecan ice-cream and strawberries. Delicious.

Our second course was a larger, fluffy sugar-puff of a beignet filled with a pistachio cream with a side of chocolate buttermilk marble ice-cream and dried cherries. Not a huge fan of pistachio, I would have preferred a more traditional raspberry jam filled beignet and the homely-looking green hued pistachio cream oozing out of the donut didn’t help. However, the beignet’s yielding, pillowtop consistency and the euphoric effects of our Red Bull-like sugar high made up for the presentation and mild nutty flavor.

By the time our third and final doughnut course arrived, our blood sugar levels had already spiked and were well on their way down towards food coma. Already stuffed with a tummy full of friend dough, J. Nash and I worked hard at polishing our plates, dunking our simple, buttermilk brown butter glazed doughnut into the teacup of warm, rum-spiced milk before finally waving the white flag a couple of bites short.

Grace offered a wine pairing of various dessert wines with each course, but we just stuck to our water and rum-spiked milk.

As we rolled out of the restaurant an hour later, J. Nash and I both agreed that we love doughnuts and thoroughly enjoyed our doughnut tasting outing but probably got our doughnutty fill and won’t need another doughnut tasting for a while….or, at least until 2010’s National Doughnut Day.

Doughnut lovers out there, I would recommend tasting pastry chef, Monica Swan’s designer doughnut creations, however, in this case, less may be more; rather than downing 5 doughnut and 2 scoops of ice-cream in one sitting, I’d suggest stopping by on a Wednesday night during Grace’s Weekly Doughnut Night for a single doughnut dish. (The pistachio-filled doughnut is among a rotating selection of eight creations Chef Swan serves weekly along with doughnut-less sweets such as sticky toffee pudding with bruleed bananas and white-chocolate and strawberry tart with orange blossoms.)

Grace Restaurant
7360 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood. 323/934-4400
Three Course Doughnut Tasting Menu: $18
Regular Wednesday Doughnut Night Desserts:$12

Sweden is More Than Just Ikea and Meatballs: Global Tennis Showdown

2009-05-09T15:25:00.001-07:00

Always gravitating towards 'only in LA' activities--or, in this case, 'only in LA or Sweden'--I jumped at the chance to tag along with my friend Jimmy and girlfriend Greta visiting from Sweden to The Global Tennis Showdown charity tennis match & fundraiser to benefit the Swedish School of Los Angeles. The headlining match featuring 80's tennis Swedish tennis star, Mats Wilander and Will 'Anchorman' Farrell (who's married to a Swedish wife and has a couple of half-Swede kids attending the Swedish School.)
Although the match wasn't sold out, the showdown attracted a pretty decent crowd of curious Will Farrell fans and apparently a who's who of the Swedish celeb pack. My Swedish friend Jimmy pointed out Swedish supermodel and former host of 'Sweden's Next Top Model' Mini Anden and Swedish hip hop Grammy winner, Adam Tensta (who later stepped out onto the tennis court for a surprise Swedish-rap performance) in the stands. Prior to the game, famed Swedish stand up comedian Bjorn Gustafsson pepped up the crowd before launching into a stand up routine which made it clear English was his second language. He could very well be side-splitting hilarious in Swedish, but the translated humor was so awesomely bizarre that when I looked over to Jimmy, he reassured me that "This is for real, Bjorn REALLY is a big time comedian back home!"

Haphazardly umpired by comedian sidekick Andy Richter, the showdown adopted the ping pong point system (first to 15), which kept the game flowing quickly. The first half was a decent game of baseline hitters, volleys and occasional aces from Mats Wilander's end. Just when I was thinking I was basically watching a backyard game of tennis between Will and his celebrity fans, they started to change up the game.

A couple of leggy (as in, on stilts) blondes joined in as doubles partners for a point or two before they began handicapping Wilander by having him hold hands with a gaggle of Swedish school-children as he ran around the court.
Still holding strong, Will then brought out his big guns and hit a couple of forehands with an oversized racket.

Finally, at 14-14, the final showdown point came between Mats and his tag-a-long kids vs. Will saddled with another Swedish kid piggybacked to him. Will Farrell--not a bad tennis player.
Funnyman and piggybacked blondie wins! Farrell 15, Wilander 14.

For a musical reprieve before the doubles match, the forementioned Swedish, hip hop artist, Adam Tensta performed his hit single, "Dopeboy (Do I look Like I Sell Drugs)" Again, I glanced over to Jimmy for reassurance this was wonderfully for real. "Tensta REALLY is very popular back in Sweden. But even for Swedish people, this is a pretty weird event."

For the doubles match, they brought out a UCLA alum and Venus William's former doubles partner, Justin Gimelstob and tennis partner, Rainn Wilson (who, like Farrell, was surprisingly agile and decent at tennis for a slightly doughy comedian.)

The charity match also included a post-match BBQ and silent auction and a performance by the Dan Band for those who paid higher priced tickets ($75) but since we only paid for the cheap seats ($25) we pretty much just perused through the display of brightly hued Bjorn Borg underwear before calling it game, set, match for the day.

The Global Tennis Showdown: $25

Etsy-Heaven: Unique Los Angeles Shopping Event

2009-05-03T17:46:00.001-07:00

My first blog of 2009 is a little belated but nothing like experiencing an event featuring Swedish tennis and Scandinavian rap stars (to be fully explained in my next posting) as well as some awesome bargain shopping all in one weekend to get me back on the blogging bandwagon.

This weekend was the 2nd Unique Los Angeles shopping event at downtown L.A.’s Californai Market Center (the first, which I wanted to go to but missed was in December, 2008.) This two-day bargain extravaganza is Etsy-heaven; dozens of hand-crafted apparel, jewelry, accessories, stationary goods, baby gear...even plush toys shaped like slabs of meat all by independent designers. And many items up to 50% off.
After easy parking (there was ample street parking, but I parked in the underground lot) and a short line to buy an admission ticket ($5, half of which goes to a local charity), it was time to get my shop on.

Being the experienced/anal power shopper that I am, I had checked out Unique’s vendor list the night before and jotted down a few labels I definitely wanted to visit so I could quickly get in, buy and get out. With over 250 open market-style stalls spread across the penthouse floor of the CMC, I explored each individual aisle like I was at Ralphs armed with my handwritten list of 'must see' vendors.

On a bit of a birthday gift shopping mission—as well as to replenish my sad collection of unmatched single earrings—jewelry was my big focus of the day. And there was plenty of it (maybe close to a quarter of the stalls featured some sort of jewelry.) My first stop was at Melinda Lawton Jewelry, where a simple pair of fuschia-hued teardrop gemstone earrings—and their $15 price—caught my eye (especially marked down since the majority of her stuff online sells for over $150.) In comparison-shopping mode, I made a mental note to come back for them later after perusing what other bargains could be had. My wanderings led me to Ofina Jewelry, where I picked up a pair of gold-filled hummingbird earrings ($10) and an initial necklace on a 14K gold chain which I’ve been on the hunt for over a year ($25). It looked exactly the same as an “S” necklace I’ve been eyeing on Abbot Kinney since last summer for $80.

On my way to Portland-based Amy Olsen Jewelry, I passed by 11:11 Enterprises’ set up of vinyl passport, credit card-holder and condom covers in cool prints. In need of a new credit card holder ($10), I was thisclose to picking the ‘slabs of raw bacon’ print but ended up on featuring a map of L.A. Perfect, as my Thomas Guide in my car is from 1995.

So far, 3 items for me, 0 for my three Gemini friends I was supposed to be shopping for.

Other jewelry vendors worth mentioning included Dark Yet Sunny , Flea Market Girl and Emily Tyrie Collections. I finally picked up a couple of b’day presents before heading to my last jewelry stall on my list. Nous Savons. They didn’t have any necklaces or earrings I liked for my last b’day friend KK, who’s also a big gardener. Luckily for me, the jewelry label also bizarrely sold plants. Hard-to-find absinthe plant. Done.

I traced my way back to Melinda Lawton Jewelry only to discover my fuschia earrings dangling on gold posts just got sold to the customer before. However, Melinda awesomely offered to take apart the remaining silver pair and rework the fuschia stones onto gold posts. All for still $15.

There were way too many cool stores to mention; among them, the most fantastically unique…Knickerockers’ seductive granny panties, Sock Monkey Ghetto's um street-cred enhanced sock monkeys and Mincing Mockingbird's strange bird humor paintings). In addition to finding interesting, decidedly un-mall-like items at wallet-friendly prices, it’s nice to be able to support local designers just by shopping. I definitely recommend going for some retail therapy when the next Unique Los Angeles event rolls around.

Parking: $6 or street
Event: $5
One necklace, 3 pairs of earrings, a credit-card holder and an absinthe plant: $96
Unique Los Angeles

Sun Salutations at Runyon Canyon: Runyon's Free Outdoor Yoga in the Park

2008-11-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

With a full-time job looming in my near future, I'm spending the last of my fancy-free freelancer weeks crossing off fun activities off my to-do list which have somehow remained undone despite my 10 month office vacation. Ever since I saw a grassy field full of down-doggers near the Fuller entrance while hiking at Runyon Canyon, I've always wanted to try a session of the outdoor yoga class.

The daily 10:30am classes aren't really advertised (my googling popped up a feature on la.com and a Runyon Canyon Yoga myspace page but not too much else) so I didn't know if the class was even going to be on for sure when I showed up yesterday. I needn't have worried; when I arrived, about 50 other outdoor yogi's were already spread out across the grassy knoll with their yoga mats.

Who are all these people who can take a 10:30am mid-week class? Judging from the attire, it was an equal mix of wannabe actresses (bathing suits and skimpy boy shorts), college students (hollister &/or abercrombie sweats), yoga-lovers (shirtless guys in hemp-looking yoga shorts) and other random freelancer types (wearing a variation of my boring yoga uniform of workout pants from Target and a tank top.)

The green area is expansive so there's plenty of room but the entire field is on a slight incline so the yoga exercises are performed on a bit of a slope. I found the least steep patch of space and unrolled my mat.

Already appreciative over the fact that I'd be breathing fresh air during my vinyasas and looking up at a palm tree fringed blue sky during my up-dogs, I didn't have--or need--high expectations on the actual yoga class. Especially because, did I mention it's free? However, Nicole, our certified instructor for the day was really good; for beginners considering the class, she demonstrated each pose and routine and explains correct body placement and breathing rhythms in great detail so it's easy to follow along. For regulars/intermediates: the class was still challenging with optional advanced poses, and besides, crescent pose and warrior 3 is definitely harder when you're doing it on a 5% incline.

With distractions such as the picturesque outdoor scenery--and a few pesky bugs (not too bad but I'd imagine quite annoying in the summer)--this ain't you're typical new-agey, chi-balancing yoga class, but it was a fun way to add the sunny outdoors into the mix with yoga; the hour class ends with a savasannah where you're lying down with your feet on the grass and your face in the sun--how SoCal-style can you get?

The class was only an hour long, but it was good exercise. I saw a few ambitious types lace up their shoes for a post-yoga hike up the hill but I wasn't quite ready for a double-dose of Runyon yet and headed back to my car instead.

Runyon Canyon Yoga
Daily at 10:30am
Free! (well, they welcome donations, but at the end of the class I saw maybe 3 people out of the 50 drop a couple of dollars in the bag)
Fuller Entrance of Runyon Canyon
Parking: A total bitch. Allow an extra 10-15 minutes beforehand to find a spot.

Sculptured Pecs in Malibu; Getty Villa's Roman Statues & Outdoor Garden

2008-10-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

Closed in 1997 for 9 years, the Getty opened its Italian villa doors again in early 2006. After multiple last-minute attempts to check out the Getty Villa, we finally got our act together and called a week in advance for tickets (they're free but attendance is limited with tickets only good for certain time slots each day.) I gotta say, for how much fore planning it takes to get the tickets, I was a little underwhelmed by it all.

The grounds--a replica of an ancient Italian villa buried under the ashes of Vesuvius--are definitely a more fitting backdrop to view the largely Roman and Greek statues and artwork than the modern Getty Museum, but the meticulously clean and orderly villa lacks much personality. I was more interested in the gardens than the artwork and we joined the audio tour of the gardens. The individual headsets magnifying what the live tour guide was saying were great but the guide's information centered around Italian history more than what we were looking at, and we soon lost interest and broke off to view the gardens on our own.
The petite herb garden looked nice but would have been more interesting if it came with plaques highlighting the names and uses of the different plants and the main garden with a rose bush flanked reflecting pool and the sparkling Pacific in the far distance was picturesque but there were no benches to sit and enjoy the space. Overall, the grounds were pretty, but more in a faux-authentic, Disney-fied way.

Inside, the majority of the original artwork has been moved to the new Getty and the remaining art focuses primarily on Roman, Greek and Egyptian sculptures, artifacts and paintings.

The Getty Villa is one of those things that's been on my to-do list for a while, so I'm glad I checked it out but if you're curious on what it looks like without really wanting to be bothered to book advance tickets and drive up to the Pacific Palisades, the pictures here pretty much cover all the highlights of the Villa.

Getty Villa
310) 440-7300 for advance tickets
Tickets: Free
Parking: $10

Artsy Politics: Ronnie Conal's "No Spitting, No Kidding" Exhibit at Track 16 Gallery

2008-10-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've been on an artsy kick lately (hitting up Bergamot Station, the Getty Center and John Lautner's architecture exhibit at the Hammer in the past couple of weeks), and also on a bit of a political kick (thoroughly into TV's presidential debate season), so I was excited to check out L.A. political artist, Robbie Conal's "No Spitting, No Kidding" exhibit opening at Bergamot Station's Track 16 Gallery this past weekend.

I wasn't familiar with Conal's work prior to the exhibit but was intrigued when I read a profile describing him as one of Shepard Fairey's inspirations and contemporaries. Apparently, Conal has quite a following; several hundred people--a good mix of older, serious artsy-fartsy folks, casually curious art appreciators like me and black-rimmed glasses-wearing Westside 30-somethings--turned out for the event.

Spread throughout 5 large rooms in the 6,000 sq foot gallery, the exhibit is a retrospective showcase of his work over the past 25 years. The eye-catching collection includes large, goopy oil paintings of political figures with pithy slogans (my favorite is the above portrait of Reagan sandwiched between the words CONTRA and DICTION), smaller charcoal-on-canvas caricatures of iconic political personalities and splashy mural-sized collages skewering our obsession with pop culture (American Idol, Michael Jackon and even Alf and the smurfs get an artistic shout-out.)

I could explain the clever and visually arresting art pieces in more detail, but they say 5 pictures is worth five thousand words...

The opening reception invite touted a surprise musical guest by a "Hollywood Bowl" headliner. The amps and guitars set up in the corner clued me in it wasn't going to be the Philharmonic but I was stoked when L.A. Latin/hip-hop/punk band Ozomatli greeted the crowd. The surprise bonus concert capped off a great night of complimentary booze and conversation-starting artwork. Ozomatli played a breezy 6-song, 40 minute set, including a band-&-audience group serenade of 'happy birthday' to artist and birthday boy, Ronnie Conal. The fact that the high-energy concert was inside an art gallery--usually a venue that encourages hushed tones--made it even more fun. Even better was seeing the gray-haired art-crowd contingent enthusiastically bopping their heads to the punky, 8-piece band and grabbing flyers to the 2am afterparty at an undisclosed location in downtown L.A.

The exhibit runs through November 22nd. Whether you agree with Robbie Conal's political philosophies or not, his visually arresting artwork is worth checking out and a great excuse to visit the greatly underrated Bergamot Station art galleries.

Ronnie Conal "No Spitting, No Kidding" Art Exhibit
Track 16 Gallery, Bergamot Station
2525 Michigan Ave, Bulding C-1, Santa Monica
310.264-4678
Tuesday through Saturday, 11 AM to 6 PM

Whatever Floats Your Boat: A Session at "Floatation Location's" Sensory Deprivation Tank

2008-10-08T19:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I headed to Venice’s Floatation Location to redeem my gift certificate my friend Melissa gave me for a complimentary ‘float session.’

Although sensory deprivation water tanks are purported to be an ultimate relaxation inducer—their website lists benefits including alleviated stress, diminished depression and anxiety, released muscle tension, deep meditation and even freedom from habits, phobias and addictions—the Floatation Location is not for the pampered Burke Williams Spa attendee. Tucked away in a non-descript mini-mall along Venice’s beachfront walk, the bare-bones space has more of a vibe of a home office/reception area...but with two doors leading to a set of super duper bathrooms equipped with a shower and enclosed metal bathtub contraption.

Don’t let the grungy setting sketch you out; the tank is filtered, drained and cleaned after every float session, and the near ton worth of Epsom salts kills off any lingering bacteria from the previous floatee.

Owner Chris Rymarz greeted me and gave me the low-down; “you take off your clothes, shower off any lotions and soaps on your skin then go float in the tank.” He handed me a set of ear-plugs (to protect against salt-crystals in your ears after the water evaporates) and explicit instructions to keep my face dry (so the salty water won’t run into and sting my eyes or nose) and left me to it.

I had no idea what to expect (a coffin-like capsule? A giant dunk tank like at a fair?) but the float tank is like a regular bathtub enclosed in a 5ft-high metal contraption with a refrigerator door opening. I opened the door to find a dark but shallow bath.

I sat down in the 14” deep tub and close the door. Complete darkness.

Being inside a pitch black box is surprisingly not claustophobic at all, the darkness makes the space around you feel more vast and outer space-like than tight and enclosing. The warm water is only about a foot deep, but with 800 lbs of Epsom salts dissolved into the oxygenated water, I had the buoyancy of a cork; as a laid down, my limbs and torso automatically floated to the top. Lined with a black interior, it’s too dark to see anything and there’s no difference if my eyes are open or closed. With my ears half submerged underwater with earplugs, all I can hear is the sound of my own breathing (which automatically shifts to a slow, deep inhale, exhale) and my heartbeat.

Laying on top of water is really comfortable, but I’m a fidgeter so I rotated between the various poses Chris recommended; arms out to the side in a yoga Savasanah pose, arms bent by my head in a ‘hands up or I’ll shoot’ position and entwined behind my neck in a ‘reclining in a deck chair’ pose. Relaxing my mind took a bit longer, but I slowly embraced the nothingness and entered a calm, dreamy state.

Thoughts drift in and out of my head then soon, I feel ready to get out. I have no sense of time and worry it hasn’t been long enough (I want to get my gift certificate’s worth) but when I check the clock, I’ve been floating in oblivion for 70 minutes. I can still feel my achy, knot-filled shoulders and I'm pretty sure the float hasn't cured me of my bad habits, but I feel both super relaxed and refreshed.

It’s hard to explain the experience but the closest description is as if you were sleeping, but also awake so you can consciously enjoy the feeling of snoozing. Floating might not for everyone, but it's an interesting-enough experience to try if you want to block out the world for an hour or so.

Floatation Location
Hours Vary, call for an appt: 310 255-1905
$50 per session

Flying Pigeon, Crouching Dim Sum: Flying Pigeon's Dim Sum Bike Ride

2008-09-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

The majority of my motivation to exercise is linked where my friends and I can dine out afterwards (I go to Runyon if I have a craving for Blu Jam Cafe's deliciously eggy-cheesy-bacony croissant sandwiches, feel like a sunset dinner at Reel Inn? Then, a hike and swim at Point Dume is in order, Din Tai Fung's juicy dumplings way out in Arcadia? Well, there must be a hike somewhere near there...)

This Sunday, I satisfied my craving for Dim Sum by joining Flying Pigeon Bike Shop's organized bike ride down to Chinatown for some chinese-style brunch. The newly opened store is located in Highland Park, an area so far away from my apt in Venice that I had to look up where that is (it's near South Pasadena), but at 9:15am on a traffic-less Sunday morning, it took Chrissy and I only 25 minutes to drive there.

Due to a mention on Daily Candy earlier that week, there were about 16 of us that showed up for the Dim Sum Bike Ride. The crowd was cool; no hardcore bike riders, just mainly Eastsiders interested in getting some fresh air and eating dim sum. Adam, the super-friendly and knowledgeable owner, hooked everyone up with a bike (free of charge, participants only need to pay for the Dim Sum meal.) The Flying Pigeon store is stocked with their namesake 'Flying Pigeon' bikes imported from China. These retro-looking, Cultural Revolution-era designed bikes are the most popular selling bikes in China (80 million sold and counting), and therefore, the biggest selling bikes in the world. They come in black, red, orange, yellow, pink and green. Set up fully loaded, the bikes are equipped with a sturdy bike basket, wheel lock, vertical kick-stand, a robust bell and a cool, battery-less bike light which gets activated by pedal-power. The bikes come with one speed but unlike beach cruisers, have brakes and a more upright posture. Being a 5'4 shorty, the 28" wheels were a teeny big for me, but that's what tippy-toes are for, and it was fine.

After a test-run in the back parking lot, we're on the road!
Avoiding major roads, we cruised along a bike route that took us along the Gold Line train, on a bridge overlooking the L.A. river and down through Chinatown. The easy-moderate bike ride took about half an hour--easy enough not to break a sweat, but long enough to make you feel like you earned the Dim Sum meal.

Flying Pigeon rotates their dim sum destinations weekly. This Sunday, we were headed to Empress Pavilion--one of Chinatown's most popular dim sum spots. They don't take reservations, but another perk of joining this Sunday's Flying Pigeon Bike Posse, is that the bike shop called ahead and made prior arrangements so instead of the typical 45 minute wait, we had a table waiting for us when we arrived. The zero wait is pretty much worth the bike ride alone. Dim Sum is unbelievably cheap and fast; waitstaff come around with carts of steamed buns, vegetables, dumplings, banana-wrapped sticky rice, bbq pork etc and diners can just point and order right then and there. Our gluttonous table pretty much ordered triples of whatever was displayed in front of us. Faves included the steamed bbq pork buns, shrimp har gao dumplings in rice paper, chinese broccoli and egg custard dun tarts. Our bill for twelve of us was just $11 each, including tip.

One long bike ride for the day was enough, so afterwards, we pedaled through Chinatown's art gallery alleyway, down the vendor-filled Olvera Street and into Union Station, where we got a train ticket ($1.25) to ride on the Gold Line back to Flying Pigeon. One of the perks of nobody using the public train system in L.A. is that there's no-one to complain if you can take up a whole carriage and load up a dozen bikes in the aisleway during the ride. The store is one block from the Highland Park stop so it was another 60 second pedal before making it back and returning our bikes.

The Dim Sum bike ride was a really fun way to explore the city by bike and by train (in this city, both are novelties in themselves) and as always, a good excuse to eat yummy food. Although you could replicate this on your own, it was fun biking in a group and less intimidating to be pedaling en masse on the streets next to speeding cars. It was also nice to have bike guides who've already mapped out and tested out the bike route for you, so instead of worrying about getting lost, you can just focus on not falling off your bike in public when making shaky turns.

Flying Pigeon does Dim Sum Bike rides every Sunday at 10am and plans to expand with other bike rides to Little Tokyo and nearby wine shops for some vino-tasting. Check out their website for additional details. No need to BYO bike, just your appetite.
Free! (They don't charge bike rentals, just bring approx $15 for Dim Sum)
Flying Pigeon Bikes: $299

Swingin' Times in Korea Town: Hitting Balls at Aroma Center Golf Range

2008-08-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

I was uncomfortably naked the last time I was in Korea Town, but on a slow Friday night, Ugly Shoe and I decided to head that way to hit some balls at the Aroma Resort driving range in Korea Town. I've been here once before years ago and still remember it well as one of those cool and random, "I'm not in L.A." activities. That's because the driving range is on the forth floor of an unassuming office building--and you whack the golf balls over a parking lot, deep into the net-protected night sky.

Finding easy street parking right outside the building, we headed up to the 3rd floor elevator to the front desk area where we purchased a bucket of balls ($10 for 143 balls, perfect for sharing between two without getting our biceps too tired) and rented some clubs ($2 each.) There were plenty of serious golfers wielding their complete golf set of irons and woods but as a beginner, I was fine with the recommended 7 iron. We headed upstairs to the 4th floor to hit some balls!

We found an empty tee station among the row of elderly Korean and Japanese men seriously swinging away. I haven't gone to many driving ranges, but this spot seemed pretty high-tech. Instead of a literal bucket of balls, we were handed a punch card that you insert into a machine. The machine automatically tees up your golf ball (it emerges from a small hole by your feet--the height of the tee can also be controlled with a pedal by the golfer) after every hit. The machine also keeps a tally of how many balls you have left so there's nothing to cloud your mind except how to whack the balls as far as they will go. Or, in my case, just simply connecting with the ball.

Ugly Shoe was a pro, lining up his tee and hitting the ball way to the end of the 150ft long net in one fluid motion. After a few (well, many) false starts with 360 missed swings and badly-aimed hits leaving the ball to just dribble off the edge and fall into the net below, I finally got the hang and at least hit it somewhere in the 75ft range. Hitting the balls were fun but the surreal surroundings makes this above par (sorry, couldn't resist) over other golf ranges.

As you're lobbing your balls over the car-filled parking lot underneath, all you see is Los Angeles' open city in front of you; tall office buildings and palm trees silhouetted against the hazy-purple night sky--the panoramic view broken only by flying white balls hurtling through the dark night.

Aroma Resort @ Wilshire Center, 3rd Floor
3680 Wilshire Blvd (cnr of Wilshire & Serrano, two blocks E of Western)
Aroma Resort
$10 for 143 golf balls

Royal/T: High Kitsch High Tea

2008-07-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to check out Royal/T ever since I heard about the kitschy-weird cafe in Culver City with food served by Japanese girls in French maid outfits. When an old friend who's never been to L.A. came to visit last week, Royal/T popped up as a perfect venue to show my Kiwi friend an 'Only in L.A.' (and maybe Tokyo) experience. Set a few blocks east from the newly bustling downtown Culver City, the restaurant is easy to miss (despite the pink neon crown insignia and hedge-covered facade.) Upon arrival, we discovered it's actually more of a gallery/experimental space/shop/cafe shared within a spacious loft-style, communal space.

The current--and inaugural--exhibit, Just Love Me, is an exploration of all things cute, or, more accurately, "kawaii". So this means we were dining under paintings of Bambi-eyed animegirls, ceramic statues of cuddly Sanrio-esque aliens and Louis Vutton initialed art prints from famed pop-artist Murakami (who recently had his own exhibit at Moca). For sale were hipster-friendly items such as photobooks of Japanese trendsters in Gothic-Lolita garb, weird plush toys and of course, french maid dressed action heroines.

Like the Tokyo-pop style french maid costumes, the food is a mix of Japanese & French, with a bit of Caifornian thrown in. Lunch items were a mix of sandwiches (my friend Pip ordered the spicy tuna tar tar with avocado on sourdough$9.00), salads (such as yuzu shrimp with asparagus, tomatoes and avocado) rice bowls (I got the Royal/T curry rice with chicken $9.00)) and the Royal/T High Tea with tea, small patries, mini quiche, Kappa Maki, California roll and Spicy Tuna finger sandwiches ($19.50) Pip's sandwich looked good but I didn't love mine. I was expecting curry-flavored rice with chunks of white chicken'n'japanese curry gravy but got a bowl of curry sauce with a chicken drumstick and a side of steamed rice. They had interesting drinks such as watermelon juice, ginger lemonade and a selection of teas.

I don't know what it is about cute costumes, but everything did taste a little better when served by a Japanese maid, or, in our case, we also had a perky brunette sporting fake pigtail extensions. Although more Sanrio/Alice in Wonderland than fantasy-rated, our maids/servers were still a fun novelty, and super friendly, even obliging requests from the couple sitting next to us for a photo-op. I chickened out and covertly took a pic of the maid from behind instead.

Although the food's just okay, I wouldn't be opposed to going back to Royal/T, the gallery and store space is interesting and it's still a more entertaining alternative than Starbucks or Zen Zoo Tea for grabbing a cup of tea.

Royal/T
8910 Washington Blvd, Culver City
310/559-6300
Lunch with a drink: Approx $15

Lovin' High School Girls Who Stay the Same Age As You Get Older at the Drive In: Dazed & Confused Outdoor Screening

2008-07-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I'm on an outdoor screening roll. Less than a month after my Hollywood Forever Cementary experience, I was invited to another screening event which--while not six feet under--was more of an underground affair.

This screening series--which runs every two weeks throughout the summer--is a combo of a drive-in (complete with audio piped in through car speakers and rollerskates'n'mini-skirted carhops) and a sit-in (a nice strip of astroturf is laid out for those who prefer to spread out on cushions and lawn chairs.)

A nondescript, rundown and total fire hazard of a rooftop parking garage served as the 'theater'. Upon the entrance ramp, viewers have the choice of driving up to the theater or parking downstairs if you want to watch sans car. Although I've never been to a drive-in before and was intrigued by commanding carhop service with the mere flash of my Prius' high-beams, we were meeting some friends so opted for the car-less, lawn-chair section instead.

Armed with enough blankets and cushions to recreate a harlem-style living room, we settled in at the front of the 'theater'. The featured film was Dazed and Confused so I was expecting to battle it out for blanket space amongst a legion of hipster stoners but the turnout was surprisingly--and pleasantly--small. There were maybe two dozen cars and about 80 people tops, sprawled along the astroturf in front of the screen.

Similar to the Hollywood Cemetery, doors open 90 mins before the screening starts and food and wine are encouraged, so there's plenty of time to pre-film tailgating. Too hungry for basic brie and crackers, we had picked up a Papa John's pizza along the way and downed our slices with red wine while simultaneously admiring the skyline silhouetted against the setting sun and wondering if the decrepid, adjacent apartment building was a crackhouse (while safe, the neighborhood had a level of sketchiness). For those not prepared with their own BYOPicnicking fare, rollerskating carhops are on hand to serve hotdogs, nachos and other snacks.

Promptly at 9pm, the projector--sitting on top of a vintage '50's Chevy--started whirling and the cult 90's film started. Dazed and Confused is one of those films where I've watched parts of it a million times, but haven't sat down to watch in its entirety in years. Viewing it in its full-screen glory is the ideal way to enjoy D&C's bam-bam-bam succession of quotable dialogue; for best line, it's a toss up between McConaughey's "Say man, you got a joint?...It'd be a lot cooler if you did." and Parker Posie barking "What are you looking at? Wipe that face off your head, bitch!"

Although the parking lot's cramped ramps would normally be a nightmare to navigate out of after the screening, due to the wonderfully small turnout, exiting the theater was a traffic jamless breeze.

There are several more screenings scheduled through September but although it's easily google-able, I did promise my pal who invited me that I wouldn't reveal too much info about the drive-in/sit-in theater if I wrote about it (yes, it's that great of an undiscovered L.A. gem). So sorry, no links to the screening series attached this time!

Taking It To The Grave: Cinespia Summer Screening Series at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

2008-06-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, I got to hang out at Warren Beatty, Goldie Hawn and Julie Christie at the local cemetery. Well, me and about 700 other people. And it was Warren, Goldie, Julie et al, circa 1975 in the Oscar-winning film Shampoo.

Falling under the 'only in L.A.' category, Cinespia hosts outdoor screenings of classic films every weekend throughout the summer at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood's oldest cemetery and perpetual residence to over 100 celebrities, including Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B DeMille, Jayne Mansfield and Johnny & DeeDee Ramone. (Maps to star graves are available for purchase at the cemetery's flower gift shop. Yes, really.)

I’ve been wanting to go to their cemetery screenings for several summers now but just never got around to it. With my friend G in town, it was a good excuse to show an out-of-towner a "less Sunset Strip, and more ‘sunset over the gravestones and mausoleums’" side of Hollywood.

I've heard finding parking and a good spot along the nice grassy knoll (uninhibited by anyone six feet under) to watch the movie can be difficult, but with gates opening at 7:30pm and the film starting at 9pm, we arrived at 8:15pm and still easily found a cemetery parking spot ($5) and a cozy patch of grass amid the sea of fellow movie-goers stretched out on blankets and lawn chairs.
Revolving weekly DJ’s add pre-screening atmosphere with ambient music while the crowd tailgates cemetery style (food and alcohol into the graveyard is allowed and encouraged); neighboring movie-goers stepped up their picnic’ing prowess with atmospheric voltive candles, wicker baskets brimming with baguettes, cheese and grapes, real champagne flutes and we even spied a bottle of white chillin' in a sterling silver wine bucket. G & I held our own and Whole Foods’ed it with style; bleu and brie cheeses, citrus stuffed olives, turkey sandwiches, a cornucopia of mini pastries (mmmm, the baby banana cream pie was the best) and red wine, tasting mighty good out of our disposable paper cups.

Prompty at 9pm, the music stopped and lights on the large white mausoleum wall/movie screen dimmed as the opening credits started.

Shampoo was enjoyable enough but when you’re sitting outside in tanktop-friendly weather at 11pm with your barefeet on the grass, paper cup of red wine in hand and watching a 10ft high Warren Beatty projected on an outdoor screen flanked by palm trees, what’s on the big screen is kinda besides the point.

I highly recommend checking out a film at the cemetery this summer. Cinespia posts their screening line up the week before, and just added music-themed Sunday screenings in addition to the regular Saturday night screenings. Next week’s screenings are Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (Sat) and t.a.m.i. show (Sun), a concert doc filmed in 1964 starring performances by Check Berry, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, James Brown, Rolling Stones and Beach Boys.

Check out the upcoming film schedule at: Cinespia
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6000 Santa Monica Blvd & Gower
Gates open 7:30PM, film starts 9PM
$10 Donation Tickets at the Gate
$5 Cemetery Parking

Main Street's Panini Garden Blooming With Free Wi-Fi

2008-06-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

This is my third day in a row at Panini Garden on Main Street. In fact, I’m writing this blog entry from there now.

The first day, the sun was shining and my stomach was growling, so I was looking for a lunch spot with an outdoor patio within walking distance to my apartment. I considered Urth Caffe on Main, but lately getting a lunchtime table there requires the eagle-eyed table-pouncing much in the same vein as the insanely packed Father’s Office. I couldn’t remember the food at Panini Café from my visit several years ago, but did recall a back garden, so I decided to try that out.

Inside, the long skinny cafe is cute; warm sunlight filtering through the large front window, cottage yellow walls decorated with an assortment of floral paintings and cushion-topped wooden bench running along the wall leading to a shabby-chic back garden with mismatched tables and chairs amid lavender-filled flower pots, white-washed walls, generous shady canopies and an overflowing birdbath.

But what immediately caught my eye was the free wi-fi access sign in the front window. Score! As a frequent coffee shop hopper, finding my first free wi-fi spot on Main Street is a notable milestone. Their 8am-11pm hours were also very writer-friendly. Unless the food was horrible, I knew immediately I would be back.

Turns out I didn’t remember the food from last time because it’s not remarkably memorable. Not necessarily a bad thing; although the menu won't will set off a middle of the night craving for a panini, the food here is all reliably solid and definitely doable for repeat visits.

Their namesake paninis come with a choice of soft (thick toast-like Tramezzino), medium (more baguette-like Al Forno) and crusty (ciabatta-like Rustico) bread, and chicken and turkey paninis are dressed up with things such as goat cheese, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, olive tepanade etc.

The menu also has tasty-sounding salads (Greek, Caprese, Nicoise, Spicy Chicken and more, $8-11 range) and daily soups with vegetarian-based broths. Breakfast junkies will appreciate the egg scrambles (eg. prosciutto, mozzarella and basil, $9.50) and morning sandwiches (eg. black forest ham and swiss on a croissant, crepe or bagel, $8.99) are also served all day.

I opted for the soup du jour and panini combo ($12.95), the mushroom soup was surprisingly really tasty, and the chicken pesto goat cheese panini came hot with a satisfying toasty crunch.

The next day, I came back with my laptop. The interior surroundings of colored brick walls, good lighting and easy-to-tune-out KOST-FM’ish music was very conducive for working away. Without the distraction of interesting people watching (the clientele here is a much blander group than my usual alternative Novel Café peers) nor an LA Weekly stand nearby, I breezed through a writing project in less time than I allotted for. My vegetable soup and croissant cost me $8.

Day 3, and excited to find a place with a good working vibe, I’m back again. In three short days, Panini Garden has become my home away from home. Living in a yard-less apartment, it’s nice to finally have a garden here in my second home.

Panini Garden
2715 Main Street, 310/399-9939
8:00am-11:00pm Everyday

Flake Cereal Restaurant: Breakfast Bar of Champions

2008-06-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

When Flake --a cereal bar (with the best tagline ever by the way..."Flake: Wake & Flake". I love it!)--first opened a few blocks from my street, I thought "Who on earth would be so lazy as to dine out and eat cereal?" Um, apparently--when I woke up this morning with bare cupboards and no desire to hit up Ralphs for sustanance so early in the day--that would be me.

Working up my appetite for bran flakes and toasted grains, I biked the 5 blocks to Flake, where I found a surprisingly high number of fellow lazy breakfasters lounging out at both their sidewalk tables and wooden tables inside. Their chalk blackboard announces all the cereal and topping combinations a la Pinkberry; you can go as basic (Cheerios with fresh strawberries) or whimsical (complex blend of Reeses PB Puffs and Flax Plus Special K topped with shredded coconuts, Pixie sticks and fresh pineapples). For those who love blending different cereals together for the perfect bowl at home (Life and Nutty Nuggets--Ralphs's cheaper version of Grape Nuts) is a winner in my household), Flake a cereal mixologist's wet dream.

Overwhelmed by the choices, I went for simple; Kashi's Go Lean Crunch with fresh blueberries and skim milk. At $3.75, its both a total rip-off in that I could buy an entire box at the supermarket for the same price, and also a real deal, because, where else can you get a generous and delicious bowl of breakfast for under $4? (they're pretty hearty portions, and cereal somehow taste better when someone else prepares it for you).
Since their opening a couple of months ago, their menu has also expanded with pretty yummy sounding breakfast sandwiches and lunchtime wraps. Although I felt compelled to order cereal at a cereal restaurant, I was also lured by their 'Nutty Munkee' ($3.75), a filling english muffin sandwich with peanut butter, bananas and choice of honey, Nutella or preserves.

Sitting in their corner table, munching on cereal and perusing a complimentary copy of the L.A. Times, I was feeling a lot more contentment than I should be for just eating cereal; with the relaxed atmosphere, sunny orange and wood color scheme and large windows looking out to the street attributed to the enjoyable feeling of eating at a hypothetical artsy friend's kitchen nook the next morning after a fun night out with the girls. Or maybe it was the decadent, guilty pleasure feeling of luxuriously dining out for cereal that gave me such breakfast bliss.

Other menu choices that may tickle my fancy another time (yes, I think I'd come back) include their Sambozon Acai bowl with granola and bananas ($6.25), The Fatty (smoked turkey, swiss and avocado on a warm croissant, $6.50) and Poesideon's Wrap (tuna salad with Israeli feta in a sundried tomato wrap, $7.50) Can you tell I'm a sucker for cleverly-named sandwiches?

Overall, I went out for a bowl of cereal this morning, and to borrow a phrase from Tony the Tiger, I would rate my breakfast experience as g-r-r-r-eat.

Flake : 513 Rose Ave, Venice CA
310/396-2333

Hiking Yosemite's Half Dome & Paso Robles Wine-tasting for $160.50!

2008-06-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

Last week, I decided to celebrate/suffer on my birthday by hiking up Half Dome (basically, a mile high hunk of granite rock) in Yosemite National Park. Because I just happily blew about $1000 the week earlier on a last minute trip to Costa Rica (more about that on my next post), Ugly Shoe and I decided to complete our hiking expedition semi-budget style.

Relatively last minute trip entailed little planning, which was fine on the fitness side of things but more difficult when it came to finding accommodations.

Training wise, although I wondered ‘Am I fit enough for a 4750ft elevation, 18 mile roundtrip hike?’ I was still too lazy to actually do any training to ensure I was physically ready--my one overly ambitious training session the Santa Monica stairs almost resulted in voluntary house-arrest since I could barely walk down to the street from my 2nd story apt for the next couple of days.

I started looking for accommodations a month prior to our Yosemite visit and discovered most hotel rooms in the Yosemite area are way overpriced—for example, Comfort Inn, Shilo Inn and Days Inn: typically in the $50-70 range in Anytown, USA were all around $150…and at that price, sold out!!) Most hotels are also booked solid months in advance (Who knew outdoor enthusiasts were so anally on the ball?).

It’s slim-pickin’s if you want to stay inside Yosemite National Park; you’ve got the semi-affordable Yosemite Lodge at the Falls & the historic Wawona Hotel (both $150+ but usually sold out 6 months in advance) the way pricey Four Seasons-nesque Anwahnee Hotel ($350-$1000) and the rustic Curry Village Camp Grounds ($20 per car if tent camping, $85-115 if renting a no-electricity, no-indoor plumbing hut).

Out of what was available, we picked Oakhurst Lodge for our first night; a no-frills motel lodge with a floral chintz bedspread and loud fan but free coffee and a AAA discount ($10 off our accommodations!)

Oakhurst is 16 miles from the Yosemite’s Southern Entrance gate, which translates to about an 1hr 15min drive from motel door to the base of Half Dome on the Valley floor.

Many others chronicle the hike in more detail, (I particularly like this one which gives a hiking timeline), but my three pieces of advice are;
• take the windy John Muir trail on the way up and the stairs-filled Mist trail on the way down (you’ll get soaked, but in a good, refreshing way, and the views of the gushing Nevada waterfall are amazing)
• Pack your lunch, then throw out half of it. You’ll eat way less than you think and enjoy the lighter pack. We shared a packet of beef jerky, two oranges and a Clif bar. Follow the maximum guidelines for water though, we finished our gallon CamelPak easily
• Buy cheapo suede gardening gloves at the 99c store! You’ll need them for the wire cables at the end, chances are there’s a pile of used gloves at the bottom of the cables to choose from, but the 99c investment will guarantee you have a left and right glove and save you from donning an ex-hiker’s sweaty, weather-beaten gloves.

It took us 4 hours to get to the top. I’ll let the pics do the talking regarding the view at the top. Worth it. I loved the patch of snow at the top and enjoyed the most delicious tasting orange ever up there.

The night after the hike, we stayed at Narrow Gauge Inn, a grandmama B&B located in the picturesque-sounding town of Fish Camp (2 miles from the Southern gate entrance). This was my birthday splurge accommodations and the fresh fruit-filled complimentary breakfast buffet and laser-beam intensity of the shower’s water pressure blasting off a 10hr hike’s worth of dirt and sticky sunscreen was so worth the extra $$.

The next morning, we cut across to the coast to Paso Robles—home to 200+ wineries--for some morning birthday drinking. It was a cheap birthday celebration; the majority of the wineries offer complimentary tastings.

We arbitrarily picked the winery pitstops based on convenience (most are off the main drag of the 46 highway), pretty looking grounds and if we liked the name of the winery. Our favorites were Vina Robles and Eberle Estates (where we bought a bottle of Muscat and where ex-Top Chef contestant, Tre Wilcox is going to host a dinner in the Eberle wine cellar in July). The steady stream tiny nips of alcohol perfectly balanced being non-tipsy enough to drive while relaxing our hike-tired muscles, saving them from achey pains on the drive home.

A big hike to commemorate that my legs still have it after 30 years and a pleasant wine-induced buzz on my 31st made this trip an awesome and affordable b’day getaway.

Oakhurst Lodge : $88 per person
Narrow Gauge Inn: $156 per person
Gas: 2 tanks in my Prius, $40
Yosemite National Park Pass: $20
Beef jerky, Clif bars and other roadtrip/hiking essentials: $15
Gardening Gloves: 99 c each
Wine-tasting: free!
Total: $320.98 for two, $160.49 per person

More visitor's info for Yosemite & Half Dome

Cook Like Julia Childs for $4.22; Making JC's Potato & Leek Soup

2008-05-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Because I just finished the book Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously which chronicles blogger/home cook Julie Powell's attempt to cook every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (AND because my sad kitchen only has cereal but no milk, peanut butter but no bread and a handful of potatoes), I decided to make Julia Child's potato and leek soup, or, as she calls it "Potage Parmentier", which makes it sound tres more sophisticated.

It's the first recipe that Julie attempts to cook in the book and hers turned out wonderfully--and the recipe only calls for 5 ingredients and 3 steps--so I figure it'd be an easy first recipe for a soup-making novice such as myself. Author Julie only writes about the general method in her book so I followed recipezaar.com for exact measurements of ingredients (I cut down on the butter and salt by a third since JC is known to be a heavy-handed with the butter and it was fine.)

1) Wash and cut leeks and potatoes and throw in a pot with water and salt for 45 mins (no stirring even needed!)

You're supposed to use russet potatoes but I had my random colorful spuds from Trader Joe's laying around, and I'm kinda interested to see if my soup will have an indigo-ish hue from my purple potatoes.

2) Mash potatoes with a food mill (whatever that is), or a fork (what I did, which leaves courser bits of potato pieces that the food mill but I think the lumps gave the soup some character)

3) Stir in butter and serve

Although it's not the prettiest looking soup (and would probably be a more appetizing creamy color if I used normal potatoes), it's almost inconceivably tasty and hearty considering it's just water, salt, potatoes, leeks and a tab of butter! And what other dish could you make with just those ingredients? Two helpings later, I'm still quite impressed with myself.

I had to get buy two stalks of leeks ($2.23), my existing potatoes cost me $1.99 and I had salt, butter and water on hand so my 8 servings of soup cost me a total of $4.22. Enough for a couple of bowls plus leftovers!

Dog-A-Thon: Walking For The Underdog

2008-05-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

As a pet-less dog-lover, I get my fix of puppy love and doggie-activities through my friend's dogs; whether it's attending an awesome, un-ironic puppy b'day party, being dragged up Runyon by the leash while hiking with my friend and her four-legged pal or helping her 'park' her pooch at the 'doggie valet' at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market (yes, really. right next to the 'bike valet' on Main Street.)

Tobie at his 6th birthday party.

Dibo being dropped off at the dog valet.

Although not ready for the responsibility--or to pick up the poop--of a dog of my own, I'm happy to be poser dog owner this coming Sunday, May 18th at the 'Walking For the Underdog' 2K Walk. I'm borrowing my friend, C.S.'s Shih Tzu's (ex-birthday boy Tobey and ex-rescue survivor, McGuyver) and, together with her sister, joining other pet owners and their beloved pups walk the La Brea Tar Pits to raise money for a variety of rescue foundations (including cutely-named, pun-heavy organizations, Bark Avenue and Diamonds in the Ruff as well as Lhasa Happy Homes...which is where my borrowed McGuyver I'm walking with is from).

If you're interested in walking, it's not too late to register (you can either raise money and awareness by having your friends sponsor you, or just donate the $25 participant fee). Although I'm borrowing a pup for the event, dog-less participants are also welcome...and you may even leave with a new best friend; dog adoption booths will be set up from 10am-5pm. There's also live music, vendors selling pet-friendly goodies and something which the official website intriguingly states as 'dog-related entertainment'.

Photo from last year's event; perhaps the 'dog-related entertainment' they were referring to?

Walk for the Underdog is a great excuse for dog-owners to take Rover out for a walk and maybe meet new doggie pals, for non-dog owning pet lovers to be surrounded by cute parading pups and for wannabe dog owners to adopt a new four-legged friend while directly supporting local shelters and homeless dogs (according to the Walk for the Underdog organization, very sadly, 600 dogs are put down in L.A. shelters every week due to over-population, but every $75 saves a dog's life).

If I haven't convinced you to lend a helping paw, maybe Alanis Morrisette will. Check out this 15 second video narrated by her giving more detailed info on the event. I'll post pics of the event next week.

Walking For the Underdog
10AM-5PM, Sunday May 18th
La Brea Tar Pits 5801 Wilshire Blvd. LA, 90036
Registration begins at 9:30AM, Walk starts at 11AM
$25 to participate in the walk, free to check out the event
Street Parking or lot parking on Curson Avenue, between Wilshire and 6th Street. ($7 for all-day parking)

Like A Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan's American Journey Exhibit at the Skirball

2008-04-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Ugly Shoe Boy and I journeyed through Bob Dylan's American Journey at the Skirball Cultural Center the other night. The exhibit had been on our to-go list since its opening in early February, but with the recent discovery of the Skirball's Thursday Special (open late until 9pm and free admission & parking all day!), there really was no excuse not to check it out.

The Skirball Center (off the 405 just South of the 101) is the 4th pit stop for the exhibit hosted by the Experience Music Project, after making its way through the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, New York City and Minneapolis. Speaking just as a casual fan (I like the songs Bob Dylan's famous for but he lost me a little during his Soy Bomb/incohorent mumbling/singing phase) I found the exhibit comprehensive and interesting. While maybe not unveiling any new revelations about the man, the exhibit threw in enough surprises (young Robert Zimmerman's hand-written poetry from a high-school english assignment, a cheeky letter to Joan Baez's mother signed by Joan but penned by Dylan) and gems (never-released recording of Dylan's first concert performed at Carnegie Chapter Hall, journalists' scribblings documenting Bob's infamous electric guitar debut at Newport Festival; "on at 9:25", "wearing a black leather coat", "electric") to impress hard-core fans looking to find more traces of the person behind the persona.

The exhibit is organized chronologically, focusing on the Poet Man's formative years between 1956-1966 and showcases influencing events in Dylan's life and his country/folk/rock/ blues/gospel phases alongside corresponding memorabilia; highlights from the collection of 150+ artifacts include a Martin guitar inscribed by childhood hero Woody Guthrie, side-by-side headshots of Guthrie and early Dylan replicating the same stance into the camera, rare posters from his Greenwich Village concerts with Joan Baez, signed album covers with quirky comments and song lyrics, candid moments caught on camera and drafts of lyrics to 'Blowin' In the Wind' and 'Mr Tamborine Man'.

For those all about the music, there are private listening and & viewing stations cued with tracks from his first 7 albums and looping in hours of documentary, interview and performance footage. And, while I found this a bit too much audience participation, if your American Journey of Bob Dylan isn't complete until you've sung a mile in his shoes, there is an interactive section where you can live out your rock star fantasies remixing Dylan ditties, playing drums along with Dylan tunes or even singing along with Bob.
Thankfully, headphones are provided so the rest of the museum-going audience is spared hearing your duet of 'Like A Rolling Stone'.

Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966 exhibit runs through June 8, 2008
For more info, check out: Skirball Cultural Center
$10 General Admission
Tues-Fri: 12pm-5pm
Sat-Sun: 10am-5pm
Thursdays: Extended hours 12pm-9pm, free!

Sally Sells Seychelles By The Sea Shore - Seychelles Warehouse Sale!

2008-04-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

Try saying that 5 times. Or better yet, just buy 5 pairs of new shoes.

You'll have to excuse the liberal use of the exclamation points but I just got back from the warehouse sale--with 10,000 pairs of Seychelles and BC Footwear Shoes to choose from!! Shoes for $30! Boots for $50! Cheap enough to revamp your entire shoe wardrobe for under $200!--and am still experiencing post-shoe-purchasing euphoria!! Especially because I'm already a big fan of Seychelles Shoes!! In fact, it's been over a year of non-blogging laziness but the warehouse sale (and one of my new years resolutions made 4 months ago) has compelled me to start writing about my sunny days a la mode again.

The two day warehouse sale started at 10am. I arrived at the warehouse at 10:22am to see two women already leaving the building with 12 shoeboxes each. Although alarmed that meant there were 24 less pairs of shoes to choose from, I also took that as a good sign that the selection mustn't be half bad.

After a 10 minute wait (and about 25 people in front of me), I was in. And Seychelles heaven it was! Row upon row of their signature suede roundtoe pumps, platform Mary Janes, funky knee-high boots and leather flats greeted me, each glowing with a "buy me for only $30!" allure. Kitschy style names such as "Don't Waste My Time" (leather Mary Janes with a triangular 3" heel) and "One Night Only" (ankle boots with buckle detailing) only adds to the appeal.

Not much one for pushy claustophoby crowds nor bloody catfights over the last gotta-have 7 1/2 heel, I'm not a frequent warehouse or sample sale goin' gal so I have no idea if this was typical but I was impressed with:

A) The orderly classification of all the shoes (no digging into bottomless bins here).

Each row was highly organized with all of the available sizes in their respective shoeboxes stacked underneath each sample shoe. Differing colors were arranged by columns. Each style of shoe was where it was supposed to be and inside each shoebox was the right size, style, color and one left and right shoe. For those who say "But duh! That's simple!"...have you ever gone to a Shoe Pavillion or DSW? Disorderly. Nightmare.

B) The grand selection of styles and sizes.

Not just an excuse to get rid of last winter's stock, the warehouse sale included styles which are currently on the Seychelles website and at Urban Outfitters for triple the price. Sizes weren't just reserved for the tiny and the behemoth...amongst the size 5-12's, there were just as many sizes in between. I am a size 7 1/2 or 8 and I found my size for every shoe I tried on.

C) The other Seychelle Warehouse shoppers.

Although everyone had a steely 'woman with a mission' focus in the eyes, this was the most civilized group of warehouse shoppers I've come across. No squabbling over who grabbed the shoebox first, no fighting for the two mirrors in the entire warehouse. Instead, we all patiently waited our turn to scour through the shoeboxes or for a glimpse in the mirror, unwanted shoes were returned back at their proper place as opposed to the nearest pile of shoes, females gave each other unsolicited "ooh, those look cute" and "there's more shoes on sale for only $10 over there" comments. many called their friends to describe and buy shoes for them over the phone, and I even asked a random stranger to try on a pair of flats to see how they looked with jeans, which she happily complied even though she was carrying 5 shoeboxes in her hands and was a size 10. It was as if this best warehouse sale ever also brought out everyone's best behavior.

The pay line goes fast and they accept cash or credit card. I left with 5 pairs of shoes--for a mere $150, that's $30 each with tax included!--and a new dilemma of which new pair to wear first (hhhmm my purple "Happily Ever After" faux croc heels or my shimmery "Starter Husband" ballet flats?")

The two day warehouse sale goes on until 5pm today and starts up again tomorrow from 10am-4pm. Those looking to build on their Imelda Marcos-inspired footwear collection should there early to avoid the lines and before everything gets bought out. On average, most shoppers walked out with about 6-8 pairs of shoes each. For more info on the warehouse sale, check out Daily Candy's weekend guide

3 Square Meals: 3 Square Cafe + Bakery

2007-02-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

I am always on the looking for a good bakery to add to my list of favorite pastry-purchasing spots around town.

(My incomplete but constantly growing list includes Massimo's Delectables in Culver City (buttery italian cookies and amazing inside-out apple cake), Amandine Patissiere (fluffy pain au chocolate and homemade blueberry cheescake on Wilshire/Bundy), Susina Bakery (glossy fruit tarts and triple berry cake in spot where Sugar Plum Bakery used to be), Los Feliz's Alcove Cafe & Bakery (gargantuan slices of banana cream pies and triple layer chocolate cakes), Le Pain Quotidien (dense belgium brownies...mmm), even Whole Food's bakery section with mini lemon tarts and just-baked buttery croissants...but I digress)

With the discovery of 3 Square Cafe + Bakery along Abbot Kinney, my favorite street in LA just got better. The side-by-side cafe/bakey double-spot is the newest offering from Hans Rockwagner. I've been eyeing the spot for weeks waiting for it to open. Currently, only the bakery side is open, the cafe side (which will be serving more substantial breakfast, lunch and dinner is due to open in a couple of weeks). I haven't visited his other spot, R Bakery in Mar Vista (read fer food's blog for more info), but I hear his newest bakery shares R Bakery's same sandwich menu and tasty, oversized baked goodies.

Located in a modern, loft-like building, 3 Square is minimalistic (look for either the 3 small colored squares painted on the glass door, or in the mornings, the line of pastry-enthusiasts milling about with their fresh-baked raspberry white-chocolate scones and Europe-imported Meinl coffee.)

Inside, a long glass counter tempts with its array of fruity muffins, savory scones, chocolate-covered cookies, lemon bars and fruit tarts. I am normally a sucker for anything sweet and was eyeing this powdered sugar dusted pastry overflowing with juicy raspberry's but since I'm equally enamored with anything with cheese as a main ingredient, I was also leaning toward the poppy-seed/cheddar pretzel twist (which are available at the Rockwagner stall at the Santa Monica farmer's market) and the cheddar/bacon scone. I ended up going with the scone ($3) and unfortunately scarfed down the entire hunk of cheesy/bacony goodness before I could take a photo of it for this blog.

A chalkboard lists lunchtime options and breakfast specials. For future reference, I noted both the black forest ham, swiss and caramelize onion paninis and brie and caramelized pears on fig bread (both $7.50) as two tasty choices for next time.

The long skinny spot doesn't have too much seating, there are a couple of tables and a long wooden counter to eat at, but it's not conducive to long girly chatting over lattes and strawberry-creme tarts, like Jin Patisserie across the road.

Nevermind, I was craving the cheesy bacon scone so much, I made a special detour on my morning drive to pick one up on my way to work. The to-go experience is probably the way to go for the bakery. Neither the bakery nor street parking was super packed at 8:45am so the breakfast pickup was quick and easy--and definitely something that can incorporated as part of my morning commute routine.

3 Square Cafe + Bakery
1211 Abbot Kinney Blvd
310/399-6504
Daily Candy's Profile

Massimo's Delectables
13222 W. Washington Blvd
310/823-8381

Susina Bakery
7122 Beverly Blvd/La Brea
323/934-7900

Amandine Patissiere
12225 Wilshire Blvd
310/979-3211

Le Pain Quotidien

Winstons: Some Score Free Drinks at the Bar, We Score Free Sex Toys

2007-01-29T21:21:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, Cira and I grabbed dinner at the new WeHo restaurant Sur--good food (our seafood-mango salad was laden with meaty chunks of lobster and crab and the seared scallop appetizer over crispy potato cakes was tasty), flamboyant décor (covered patio with all-white, Liberace-approved furnishings and chandeliers), and even more flamboyant clientele (we sat next to a table of seven…which included five diners and a chair with two Pekinese sitting on their own tufted pillow). Afterwards, we headed towards WeHo to check out Winston's, the newly opened bar from the same owners behind lowkey hangout, The Dime.

Located in the epicenter of the seedy-yet-safe stretch of Santa Monica Blvd, Winstons—which is right next to TomKat Theater and directly across from the Pleasure Chest—is a stylish, dimly-lit lounge drawing in the same laidback scenester crowd as The Dime. Exposed brick walls, dark leather banquettes lining the walls and a doorman low on attitude add a NYC-cool vibe.

We grab drinks at the bar and courtesy of one of the owners--who’s friends with Cira--we scored a primo corner booth perfect for surveying the scene. We were soon joined by one of the owners and their friends. Under the blur of vodka-tonics, conversation somehow lead to ownership of sex toys—specifically, my lack of ownership of said toys and how our new-found friends were going to rectify that situation before the end of the night.

Any sketchiness associated with leaving the bar and heading over to the Pleasure Chest with semi-strangers who wanted to buy us vibrators was over-ridden by the sheer awesome randomness of it that there was no way we could decline the offer.

We crossed the road to find the Pleasure Chest closed (they really should rethink staying open until 2am on weekends now that both Winstons and the equally trendy Bar Lubitsch down the block have opened…they’d make a killing on drunken sex toy buying.) Before the closed store could be a buzzkill, someone remembered there was another porn store down the block. Not as classy as our first sex store pit-stop—and definitely a touch more gay… could there be any more geometry-defying anal twist plugs for sale?—nevertheless, the store had all the basics we needed.

Since I was a newbie, I was advised to pick up The Rabbit ($46.99), a non-intimidating, girly-pink vibrator with pretty, rotating pearls and stimulating rabbit ears which is apparently, a must-have for any respectable vibrator collection. Since this was a low-rent sex shop, it wasn’t the original Rabbit from Japan, but The Jack Rabbit (equivalent to a generic Ralphs’ brand of the same thing).

Cira picked out the Pocket Rocket (also $46.99) for portable, on-the-go pleasure that could be carried around in your jeans pocket. In addition to our big purchases, our generous, pleasure-spreading friends also bought us a vibrating dick-ring each ($6.99) and the store owner threw in a complimentary sample of gross, strawberry-flavored lube.

Despite the fact that they bought us vibrators, our friends for the night were actually very pleasant and very non-skeevy. By now, after our post-midnight shopping, it was last call and time to head home. We thanked them and bid them a surprisingly non-awkward adieu before walking past the crowd filing out of Winstons towards our car with our purchases safely inside unmarked, black plastic bags.

Sur
606 N. Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood
310/289-2824
Winston's
7746 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
323/654-0105
Bar Lubitsch
7702 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
323/654-1234
Pleasure Chest
7733 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
323/650-1022
Nameless Gayish Porn Shop: I don’t know what it’s called but it’s one block West of Winstons on the same side of Santa Monica Blvd.

No Glove, No Love: Dress Up Against AIDS: Condom Couture

2007-01-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit of a blogger-slacker as well as "doer-of-cheap-and-interesting-things" slacker for most of December.

However, new year, new fun and wallet friendly concerts and events, restaurants & bars, trips and freebies to discover in 2007.

Starting with the free, safe-sex advocating "Dress Up Against AIDS: Condom Couture by Adriana Bertini" exhibit at UCLA's Fowler Museum. This free exhibit mixes fashion with safe-fornicating to remind you to be prepared if you're gettin' some.

The exhibit opened December 1st and runs through March 11th. I recently stopped by the exhibit to check out. The art installation includes a bunch of sexy evening gowns, flirty hoop skirts and tops and demure suits which are artistic works of art in itself, but on closer inspection, are also fashioned entirely from rejected condoms which failed quality control tests. The beautifully vibrant, ornate and imaginative outfits could all have come straight out of a Project Runway challenge.

Definitely worth checking out. Bring a date (and a condom for later) and let the frisky fabric of the outfits plant ideas into his or her head.

UCLA Fowler Museum
December 1, 2006-March 11, 2007
UCLA campus, Westwood
310/825-4361

Tipsy Roadtripping: Wine-Tasting in Solvang For Only $75.25!

2006-11-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

I recently acquired a fulltime job. So, naturally, the first I thing I did after celebrating the return of a regular weekly paycheck--and mourning the end of my immensely enjoyable 15 month ride of my non 9-6pm freelance writing lifestyle--was look into a quick pre-"start of work" vacation.

With limited time to plan and limited resources (unfortunately, I still have to work for two weeks first before getting paid), I decided on a quickie wine-tasting roadtrip to Solvang. This was also my first roadtrip with Ugly Shoe Boy so hopefully any potentially awkward 'first roadtrip together' moments would be softened--or forgotten--under the tipsy haze of a trip dedicated to the consumption of alcohol...because, let's face it, isn't 'wine-tasting' just a sophisticated and more acceptable form of day drinking? (For those who missed reading about my first encounter with him, Ugly Shoe Boy is not ugly, but in fact quite hot...hot enough to distract me into buying a pair of ugly running shoes--and consequently, go out on dates--with him.)

Solvang is an almost creepily quaint Disneyland-esque Danish town filled with tudor architecture, fudge shops, Danish pastry bakeries, wine-tasting rooms and a Best Western adorned with a giant windmill facade, as seen in the movie Sideways. Solvang's helpful official website, www.solvangusa.com lists a bunch of hotels, including Wine Valley Inn, which had rooms for $120 but let me book their manager's special for $62 which I found on Expedia.com directly with them instead; making the Dutch-style Inn cheaper than even the chain motels in the area (Vagabond Inn and Best Western are in the $80's range). Plus, they include free breakfast and about $30 worth of free wine-tasting coupons when you check in! Score! Our 'clock tower' suite with a queen was really spacious and came with a cozy wood-burning fireplace. (Each room is different with different amenities and sizes so make sure to ask for exactly what you want; our room was #216.)

Although there's not too much to do in Solvang except wine taste, eat Danish pastries to absorb some of the alcohol and then wine taste some more, so you feel better about doing another activity which doesn't involve consuming vino, it's worth it to wake up a little earlier to check out the nearby Nojoqui waterfalls (about a picturesque 10 minute drive along Alisal Rd and then an easy 10 minute stroll to get to the falls.)

There are 12 tasting rooms within Solvang's 4 block radius town ($5-7.50 per tasting). Our game-plan was to hit up the ones we had coupons for free tastings first.

Our first one, Royal Oaks on Copenhagen Drive, was so-so, but they had a fun strawberry/cotton-candy tasting Rose and our wine pourer had great recommendations for which other tasting rooms to hit and also her preferred wineries in nearby Santa Ynez (Rideau for it's historic tasting room and English gardens, Galney Vineyards for their in-depth winery tour, Buttonwood for Sauvignon Blanc and Sunstone for its 'Under the Tuscan Sun' gardens and setting.)

We got side-tracked by our original free-only drinking tour when we came across the Olive House, a wine & olive tasting spot. It was $7.50 to sample both but you're allowed to share one tasting between two. The wines, which included a selection of Pinot, Merlot and Syrahs, were good but our palettes were clearly more fine-tuned for olive tasting; ("Ooh, this pepperjack cheese stuffed olive has some kick and I like how that almond-stuffed olives give a good unexpected crunch". "I thought the blue-cheese stuffed one would be my favorite but the garlic-stuffed spicy cajun was way tastier don't you think?" ). Despite the stingy, light-handed pours, the wine-tasting stop was well worth it just for the olives.

We took full advantage of the tasting rooms opening right at 10am so were already quite tipsy at 10:45am. Our last stop before lunch was Presidio Winery, which ended up being our favorite tasting room; there were snacks and our wine-pourer had a way with words to describe the wines to the non-wine savvy ("yes, so many layers in this wine, it's a party in your mouth! It's a party in your mouth!") and was informative with what food each wine should be paired with. Both Ugly Shoe Boy and I liked their slightly sweet white wine, Gewurztraminer--which really was a party in your mouth. ($12)

We stumbled into the Solvang Restaurant to sample their hyped-up Aebleskivers (Danish versions of beignets covered with raspberry jam) and wait out our growing tipsyness so we could drive to the nearby wineries. The Abelskivers were ok and a good deal at $2.50, but I was expecting more of a crispy coating and doughy beigney consistency inside than its soft, bready texture.

Back on the road and taking our own mini-Sideways tour, our first stop was the Fess Parker Winery. We were still too buzzed to taste any wine so just checked out the pretty picnic grounds and stately looking wine-tasting room filled with bottles and Daniel Boone/Davy Crockett paraphenalia.

Next up was the Firestone Winery, which felt very commercial and impersonal. Our pourer was on auto-pilot with his recited info that really wasn't that informative at all "2002 Syrah: aged 14 months in French and American oak barrels" and would walk off between each pouring to repeat the same info to other wine-tasters before returning to ask if we wanted to purchase the bottle. Maybe the Firestone wines are also more fullbodied, which I'm not a big fan of, but their slightly harsh-tasting wines were also my least favorite of the trip. For the $10 tasting fee, we also got a Firestone souvenir glass and complimentary wine-tasting at the winery next door.

Solvang is perfect if you're looking for a quick and affordable LA getaway on the fly. We planned it only a few days advance, spent minimal $$, had plenty of time to stop off to walk around and eat at Santa Barbara's downtown State Street and UCSB's Isla Vista on our way back to LA and we were pleasantly drunk for about 80% of the trip--all for less than $100!

And, I didn't even get a hangover on my first day of work the next day.
Do the math:
Wine Valley Inn for two: $68 inc. tax
Wine-tasting for two: $17.50
Royal Oaks, Presidio ($0), Olive House ($7.50), Firestone ($10)
Solvang Restaurant: Abelskivers & lunch $15
Dinner at Joe's Cafe in S.B.: $35
Burritos at Freebirds in Isla Vista: $15
Total: $75.25 each

Santee Alley: Designer Knockoff Shopping Spree

2006-11-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Chaya and I made the pilgrammage to downtown LA's discount shopping mecca; Santee Alley--literally an alleyway crammed with shops pandering super-cheap knockoff designer handbags, Melrose Ave-esque apparel and cute & surprisingly comfy $20 shoes. Personally, I find the scene too hectic to hit up more than twice a year but late fall is a good time to go since they have great bargain boots (my tan faux ultra-suede knee high moccasins purchase ($25) from last year are still getting compliments, ditto my $40 Melie Bianco velvet heart hobo knockoff) and you also need to allow about a month's lag time between the current season's fashions hitting mainstream stores and the cheaper versions showing up at Santee Alley.
(Previous Purchases)

Located in the Fashion District with hectic parking and even more hectic crowded streets, the slightly seedy Santee Alley isn't for the casual shopper--but the bargains are worth braving the questionably legal shopping experience and the even more questionable parking options. There are plenty of area lots available for a flat rate of $6-8; all are sketchy looking but, for what it's worth, so far, each time I've returned from my shopping excursions to find my car fully intact and not stolen, which is all you can really ask for.

It definitely helps to go with an agenda so you don't get sidetracked along the alleyway's more random bargains ($1 CD's & DVD's, pet turtles, luggage sets). Today, mine was shoes and Chaya's was jeans and boots.

On our first stop, Chaya found some knee-high chocolate brown suede mocassins ($30) while I picked up a pair of wedges for $20 and authentic Converse sneakers for $25, half the regular retail price.

We then went next door and a vendor immediately came over and started mumbling "True Religions? Sevens? $55". We had entered a designer denim haven! The key is not to question if the jeans are fakes (or stolen) but just bask in the glow of finding greatly discounted designer denims. They didn't have any in my size (I guess the box of 27"'s didn't fall of the truck that morning) but Chaya scored a pair of rockin' Rock & Republics for $55. The only downside is that they don't have dressing rooms, but if the store next door has a changing room so you can try them on and come back for an exchange if it's not the right size. For those who couldn't care less about Citizens of Humanity vs. Antiks, they also have a plethora of no-name booty-enhancing jeans for only $10.

Buoyed by our morning bargains, we bypassed some of the outdoor clothing stalls and went into the alley's more expensive "real stores" (as in, they have dressing rooms, don't bargain and take credit card); more expensive still means $20 jersey dresses, $12 yoga pants, $5 red pleather belts and $11 tops.

After hour 5 of our shopping day, we entered a shoe store so we could pretend to try on shoes for an excuse to sit and rest. After "trying on" a pair of red suede flats for 45 mins, we were asked if we were going to buy them "otherwise no-one else wil lwant to try on a pair of shoes you've worn for such a long time". I figured $20 was a pretty good deal for a pair of whimsical new red shoes and an nearly an hour of rest-time in their store.

Although handbags are Santee Alley's main draw, this time we left empty handbag handed. However, we did have fun bargaining down a Chloe replica for $30 and sifting through the vendor's "catalog" of inventory: a binder with pages of photos of celebs carrying prized designer bags ripped out of In Touch and Star Magazine.

I got a full days exercise (walking from store to store for 6hrs) and shopping bags full of non-cheaplooking purchases (3 pairs of shoes, a top and belt) for less than $80.

Some tips before you go:
Bring Cash!
Spanish-speaking skills helps during the bargaining process.
Ladies: Wear flip flops, a tank/tube top and a skirt so you can try on stuff over your clothes since dressing rooms are rare.
The second jean store on the right handside is the one that carries the designer denims; the brand jeans may be hidden in boxes behind the cheaper no-name brands so make sure to ask for them.
Pleather replica bags shouldn't cost much more than $30, and designer fakes with real leather no more than $70.
If you need a mid-shopping snack, the fruit cart by the scary-sounding 'Alley Hotdogs' actually has healthy and hygenic-looking fresh fruit cups $2 and granola parfaits for only $2.50

Santee Alley
Alleyway between Olympic and 11th, Downtown L.A.

Bergamot Station: With 30 Galleries All Aboard With Free Admission

2006-10-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Carrie and I decided to go for an artsy lunchtime excursion last week and stopped by Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. The art gallery complex (a defunct trolley station which ran from the late 1800's-1953) boasts a smorgesboard of 30+ galleries featuring modern art installations, photography, sculptures, sketches and paintings as well as jewelry, fine-art paper and a charity boutique filled with designer and vintage clothing.

The good thing about Bergamot is that you don't really need to know what specific exhibit is going on because, with 30 options, chances are, you'll run into something pretty interesting. Highlights from our recent visit included cardboard furniture from various artists including Frank Gehry (Bobbie Greenfield Gallery) and the 2nd Annual L.A. WEekly Biennial exhibit of top selections from L.A. area art schools (Track 16 Gallery & Minispace) and the Flow exhibit of artwork painted on limited edition surfboards (Frank Picutres/Off Main Gallery).

Getting arty worked up an appetite and we lunched outside at the Bergamot Cafe. Featuring your basic cafe fare (soups, salads and sandwiches), we both ordered the 'Bundle Of Joy' half sandwich/half salad combo ($7.39). My greek salad and roast beef & avocado sandwich wasn't amazing but wasn't bad either. You can probably find other better eateries nearby but for its on-premises convenience (and selection of fun boutique sodas...I had the Bundaberg Ginger Brew $1.79) the cafe is totally doable.

Getting there is easy, there's plenty of free parking and free admission where you can just wander from adjacent gallery to adjacent gallery until you're all arted out. Closed Mondays and Sundays, but it's definitely an interesting weekday excursion you could fit during your lunch hour or Saturdays for a more leisurely arty walkabout.

Bergamot Station
Bergamot Cafe
2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica
310/586.6488
Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Tuesday - Friday)
11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Saturday)

Crazy Fish Sushi: Crazy Good Prices

2006-10-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

After my sushi-licious splurge-fest at Katsuya last week, I needed to downgrade my sushi spending for my next outing so Chaya's suggestion of Crazy Fish the other night was perfect. Known for generous, fresh, creative--and totally affordable-- sushi, Crazy Fish has sporadically been a favorite spot of mine since college but for some reason I alternate between spurts of Crazy Fish obsession and spurts of forgetting about it. I haven't eaten here in over a year so I'm glad Chaya reminded me of it.

It's located on the corner of Olympic Blvd and Doheny, but if you come after 7pm, just look for the small crowd outside (they don't take reservations so expect a little bit of a wait.) Inside the corridor-shaped spot is Beverly Hill's version of hole-in-the-wall (pastel painted walls with stencilled fish, formica tables, bright lighting). They have some hot udon and tempura dishes but it's all about the sushi rolls here; there are over 20 creative--if not authentic--rolls to choose from (in addition to more traditional spicy tuna and spider rolls etc, there's also the Oy Vey! sashimi platter with salmon and red onions and the smoked salmon and cream cheese Jewish Roll.)

Chaya ordered a spicy tuna roll with avocado and cucumbers while I got a modified Kinta Roll (I switched spicy tuna with spicy yellowtail with no mayo, which is then wrapped in tempura-fried seaweed and drizzled with eel sauce). They were big, messy and totally delicious. There were other rolls that piqued our interest (Sno-Cone Roll: albacore-scallion wrapped in cucumber, Crazy Fish with yellowtail, salmon, tuna and asparagus, shrimp tempura roll topped with tuna) but with about 12 gigantic pieces with the diameter of a sliced tennis ball per order, we were too full to order more after our one roll each.

Our total bill was $17 for two heaping rolls and a pot of green tea; leaving both our tummies and our wallets satisfied. My ten bucks was doubly well-spent when I realized that my Kinta Roll cost less than the $10 bottle of Voss water we were charged at Katsuya.

Crazy Fish
9105 W Olympic Blvd, Beverly Hills,
310/550-8547

Calling All Fishermen: Gladstone's Free Lobster Dinner Deal

2006-10-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you have some talent with lobster nets, head over to Gladstones this month. During the month of October (which is apparently Spiny Lobster Season), anyone who brings their own live lobster catch to the Malibu restaurant, the chef will have it cooked and served with two sides, sourdough bread and a cup of their tasty clam chowder--entirely gratis!

Yes, BYOL (bring your own lobster) and get a free lobster dinner with all the trimmings. The deal ends at the end of this month so you have 20 more days to catch your very own live crustacean. Call Gladstones for more info: 310/454-3474

Gladstones
1700 Pacific Coast Highway, (cross street Sunset Blvd), Malibu

"Two Turntables and a Microphone" in Downtown LA: L.A. Weekly's Detour Music Festival

2006-10-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last night Chrissy and I attended LA Weekly's 1st Annual Detour Music Festival in downtown L.A. Headliners Beck, Queens of the Stone Age and Basement Jaxx were accompanied by 15 other Myspace-favorite acts including OH! NO! OH! MY!, Blonde Redhead, !!!, The Like, Of Montreal and DJ sets by Kid Millionaire, VHS or Beta and Shepard Fairey (Complete lineup here).

I'm a fan of the musical medley you get from multi-billing festival lineups, but recent outings to Coachella, Weenie Roast, Acoustic Christmas etc have become a labyrith of stringent security don'ts, mainstream sponsorship booths, overpriced beer gardens and way too many people. Maybe because this was the first annual concert with a smaller turnout or the lineup just attracted a more mellow crowd, but everything about Detour (from easy & close-by $5 parking, short &/or no lines, friendly security peeps who let you stand on street signs and the like to get a better view) was relaxed and about the music-- just what good concerts are supposed to be like.

Saran Wrap Car and Glowing Seahorse Art Installations

Yes, there's still the lineup of booths, but alongside the questionably religious act of recruiting concert-goers--the Kabbalah Center; with a sign on their booth offering a free red Kabbalah string "just for signing up now!"--there were also non-run-of-the-mill booths hawking cool, non-concert related clothing such as $10 Indian silk dresses and skate/street label Royal Cheapskates as well as a booth highlighting the pro-tree planting charity, TreePeople (which received a portion of the proceeds from the concert.) You could also feed yourself between sets without spending the equivalent of a concert ticket (which was a very reasonable $35); affordable food stall choices included $3 pad thai, $4 fried artichoke hearts and $2 for delicious custard puffs from Beard Papa.

The festival started at 2pm, but we didn't get there until 7pm; just in time to catch Basement Jaxx's frenetically-happy set, eat a Beard Papa Cream Puff and find a good spot for Beck. His 1hr set was a condensed version of his show at the Wiltern which I saw a couple months ago (complete with the puppets, dancing bears and dinner party set up), but with loud and clear acoustics, a grand entrance with Loser transitioning into back-to-back songs covering his entire discography, new songs from his new album, The Information, a long encore and a 'Snakes on a Tour Bus' short featuring his puppet alter-egos, I thought this show was tighter and more energetic than his Wiltern show.

Although we were only a couple blocks from Skid Row, with two outdoor stages flanking City Hall, another DJ stage inside an old church, art installations displayed outside the courtyard of the CalTrans Building and the Downtown LA skyline providing a twinkling backdrop to the concert venue, it was really cool to be able to enjoy a picturesque and bustling Downtown during night-time.

Chi-town: Eating, Drinking and More Eating Highlights

2006-10-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

I recently took a long weekend mini-vacation to Chicago with my friend Melissa a couple weekends ago. I've visited Chicago a few times for work in the past but have never had the chance to explore the city.

Neither of us did much research on Chi-town before our trip and I wished I had asked around more for suggestions beforehand. So, next time you're headed to Chicago, here are a few Chicagoan highlights which we stumbled upon while we were there. (We stayed in downtown Chicago by the Loop but mainly went out in Wicker Park.)

SHARING A CAB FROM MIDWAY WITH A STRANGER: Opposed to the rushed and rude LAX taxi stand guys, the Midway Taxi guys are friendly, fast and will do their best to help you save money on the fare; if you want, they will pair together single travelers traveling into the city together for a cheaper fare so make sure to ask. ($22 for a ride into the city alone, $14 if you share with a stranger). It's about 5 bucks more from O'Hare, but you can also share there too.

DOWNTOWN CHICAGO LUNCH: We stayed at the House of Blues Hotel,(pretty pricey but cheaper on www.hotels.com, garish (in a good way), tripping-on-acid style decor, ultra-friendly service and patient concierge desk which we hounded for suggestions before every time we stepped out of the hotel). Both concierge's we talked to suggested lunch at Rockit Bar & Grill , an upscale brewery a couple blocks from the hotel. Their roasted butternut squash soup studded with pomegranate seeds and truffle oil($4) and Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad($12)were so good that we decided to return for lunch the next day rather than try something else new; a big deal considering I'm typically all about exploring as many new spots as possible. Their brown sugar-dusted sweet potato fries and cheesy mac and cheese ($5 each)also helped persuade us.

WICKER PARK/BUCKTOWN (off the blue line on the L): I was told by several people that Wicker Park/Bucktown area is the artsy/edgy, Chicago-style version of L.A.'s Silverlake/Los Feliz. It's hard to equate artsy/edgy with sports bar-laden part of town but given Chicago is a sports bar-laden city in general, it was definitely the spot we found with the most bars, restaurants and boutiques that we liked, including;

Bongo Room: Chocolately goodness for breakfast. We couldn't decide between the chocolate-banana pancakes or the lemon pancakes with fresh raspberry coulis so we ordered one of each and shared. The veggie croissant breakfast sandwich we shared would have been better toasted but it's all about the pancakes here anyway. (Total bill $21) The wait is supposedly horrendous during the weekends but we got a eat immediately on a Monday morning. Check out blogger RachelleB's site for pics of the decadent-looking pancakes.*There's another location in downtown Chicago by the South end of Grant Park too.
Bravo Tapas & Lounge: We hit up one of the more shi-shi'ish spots in Wicker Park area for our last night. Generous tapas helpings of seafood salad, eggplant drizzled with Moroccan honey, seared scallops over mashed sweet potato and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, potato frittata and spicy papatas bravas were pretty good, if not amazing, yet ended up being a little pricey ($70 for two) but that also included our pineapple mojito and Rose Cava and a flamenco show.
Danny's Tavern IN BUCKTOWN: After a few misses (Celebrity: We were lured by the fun-looking neon $$$ signs outside. The sleek, try-hard loungey atmosphere was broken by the NFL game playing over the bar. And the crowd of suits hovering under it cheering. Cans: as in 'beer cans', yeah....a little too "frat-boy sports bar" for our liking and Lakeview Broadcasting Company it sounded like it had potential based on this citysearch review: but being located in Boystown, it was a little more gay and less coed as we would have liked), we finally found this fun Wicker Park bar housed in a cute little wooden house-looking exterior located on the corner of Damen & Dickens. The crowd was cool and the danceable tunes even better(soul/funk,salsa-tinged rock, reggaetone medleys and then more soul/funk); making a night of dancing at Danny's one of the highlights of our trip.
Rodan: Yes, named after Godzilla's monster nemisis. Our skater-punk waiter at Rockit recommended this Wicker Park spot. This diner-looking lounge had a three-piece band playing in the back area but was pretty chill where we were sitting by the counter bar. It wasn't super-mingley but had interesting people-watching (a hetero-guy wearing an arm scarf, a couple sightings of both sexes rocking the folded bandanna look)and fun drinks (I got a fruity vodka martini with boba balls).

Millenium Park: Gorgeous way to spend our last sunny afternoon in Chicago; a fanciful Frank Lloyd Wright metallic sculptured outdoor ampitheater, picturesque, side-by-side background lake and skyscraper views and snowglobe-like mirrored jellybean which reflected it all.

AIRPORT FOOD: Facing the equally disheartening prospects of skipping dinner on my 4 1/2hr flight home or worse, dining out of a Nabisco Snack Box, I hit up the food court at Midway. Lo and behold, saving airport travelers from crappy food was a Midway outpost of the famed Harry Caray's steakhouse. And, unlike McDonalds where LAX Big Macs cost more than one a mile away from the airport, the prices weren't jacked up either. It was crowded like a sports bar but I got seated right away. My gigantic chopped salad with chicken, pancetta, avocado, gorgonzola cheese and mixed greens in sweet herb vinaigrette ($10.95) was so delicious, I stayed and ate the entire heaping plate even though they had started boarding.

Brentwood Katsuya Sushi: Brentwood Chic with Brentwood Prices

2006-10-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Satisfying a rare mood to splurge--as well as our frequent mood for enjoying spicy tuna topped crispy rice cakes--Jess and I decided to try the recently opened Katsuya restaurant in Brentwood last night. Although famed sushi chef Katsuya Uechi's other two namesake Katsu-ya restaurants in the Valley have more of a stripmall, hole-in-the-wall ambience, by teaming up with designer guru Phillipe Starck for his latest Westside addition, the slick and stylish restaurant has more in common with the sceney spots such as Koi, Geisha House and Hyde where the chef's also lended his menu. Unfortunately, this new spot also has inherited the same slighty inflated prices as sceney spots such as Koi, Geisha House and Hyde.

The decor is quite stunning; outside, flaming torches mark the dining spot on the corner of San Vicente and Montana. Inside, sleek touches include white walls hung with glossy photos of shiny Geisha-red lips and heavy kohl'ed eyes, white leather sofas, 3 streamlined sushi and robata bars and a rock'n'roll-edged backroom with multiple silver-mounted mirrors and low cushy seating.

We didn't have reservations but were seated right away at the robata bar. Our waitress handed us an overwelming menu (in addition to four pages of cold, warm and hot dishes, the menu also includes a full selection of sushi and robata choices) but also helpfully highlights Katsuya's five most popular picks; seared albacore with crispy-fried onions ($16), yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno ($18), crab hand rolls ($12), rock shrimp tempura ($14), and the famed spicy tuna crispy rice cakes ($12). We took her recommendation on the last three--which all warranted their high recommendations; the hefty fresh crab rolls were wrapped in soft, black sesame-dotted soy paper, I don't normally like fried dishes but the delicated-fried rock shrimp were light and ungreasy and the only complaint about the spicy tuna crispy rice cakes is that there isn't enough of them (4 per serving).

Although the popular scallops with kiwi, udon seafood boullabaise and Katsuya roll also sounded good, we went with the grilled chicken meatball ($5) and steak-wrapped asparagus ($6) robata skewers since we were seated at the robata grill. The dessert of the day (purple potato mousse with brown sugar) didn't appeal so we went with the flourless chocolate cake a la mode, which was ok but not amazing.

The accompanying cocktails we sampled included the spicy-sweet Burning Mandarin (Mandarin vodka, citrus juices and Serrano chilies in a sugar-rimmed martini glass), Watermelon-Cucumber Mojito and White Grape Martini (all $11). Oh, and if you want water with your meal (free water that is), asking for "flat" won't suffice, make sure to specify "tap" or you'll end up unwittingly shelling out $10 for a bottle of Voss water.

Last night was a tasty dining experience, but with a $130 bill for two, you get the feeling that you're paying for the scene as much as for the food. Not to mention, also for some overpriced "flat" water.

**for more sushi pics, check out
www.lataco.com

Katsuya
1777 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood
310.207.8744

(Almost) Homemade Pizza & Banana Cake for about the same as a Domino's 3-for-$15 Special

2006-10-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

In the need of a creatively thrifty yet activity-laden dinner date, I decided to plan a (sort of) homemade pizza-making party shindig last night. It only takes 45 minutes of shopping/prep time and about 15 bucks for your chance to explore your inner-pizza topping artistry.

Although you can use this simple pizza dough recipe, given my (lack of) culinary skills, I figured it was a safer bet to just buy my dough from a local pizza joint. I picked up a ball of dough at Paisano's in Hermosa Beach; most chain pizza places don't sell ready-made dough but many mum'n'pop stores are cool with it. I bought a couple balls of dough ($2 per ball; each yielding two medium pizzas) and also picked up Paisano's pizza sauce ($2.50)--like I said, I was almost making my homemade pizza from home. Perhaps sensing I needed help, the friendly folks at Paisano's even took me behind the counter for a quick lesson in pizza-dough shaping ( lift the dough from one end and gently pinch and rotate between your thumbs in a circular motion). $10 at the supermarket covered the toppings; bacon, pineapple, green pepper, red onion, pepperoni, olives and mozzarella.
Before
After
If you have pre-made dough--and aren't concerned with a perfectly round-shaped pizza--it is super fast and easy. We were able to shape our dough and load it with toppings during the Bears/Seahawks halftime with plenty of time to spare. Meanwhile, to satisfy our appetizer munchies, and immature sense of humor, we also rolled boobie-shaped dough balls. At 350F; it's about 12 mins for the boob balls (roll them around in olive oil and then sprinkle with oregano-type herbs) and 20 mins for the pizza.
A Pair of Herbed Boobie Dough Balls

Taking advantage of my rare Susie Homemaker mood--as well as my bunch of overly ripe bananas--I also decided to make banana cake from scratch for dessert. I perused www.allrecipes.com and picked the recipe with the most positive comments, simple ingredients and basic instructions (this one has only 3 steps). Cutting the sugar by half and shaving off some of the butter, the recipe yielded a super-moist, not overly-sweet and heaps banana-ry banana cake; tasty enough to earn requests for 2nd and 3rd helpings. Even if, like me, you're not a 'cookin'in'the'kitchen type of person, with this basic homemade pizza and banana cake combo, you can totally fake it for a night.

Paisano's

www.allrecipes.com

Not Sharing Tapas @ Vinoteca Brazilian Tapas Wine Bar

2006-10-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't dined in Los Feliz for a while but after enduring a particularly taxing 2hr cross-town commute from Santa Monica to Silverlake during rush hour, Melissa and I were too hungry to drive any further without eating first. Based on a friend's suggestion, we headed to Vinoteca Farfalla in Los Feliz--a Brazilian tapas and wine bar offshoot from Farfalla Trattoria next door which mixes Italian charcuterie platters with South American dishes from other next door neighbor Tropicalia. Although it's probably pretty known and popular on the Eastside, it's unpretentious and intimate enough to still feel like a secret neighbor spot for the rest of us.

Hungry from the daytrip-length drive, we skipped the intimate cocktail tables (not enough room to fit our anticipated large orders) and sat at the bar. The corridor-shaped bar's exposed brick, wood bar counter and chocolate-colored walls felt instantly cozy. With close to 50 by-the-glass wines (almost all priced $12 or less), and many more options by the bottle, Vinoteca's winelist is impresssive. Melissa ordered a glass of Prosecco while I picked the Primitivo Muga off the blackboard purely based on the name (there's a tapa's spot on Abbot Kinney called Primitivo that I really like), luckily, it also happened to one of the bartender's recommendations.

Although the plates are made for sharing, with Melissa being vegetarian and me not able to turn down Brazilian-style meat--and us both starving since the long drive delayed dinner plans--we each ordered appetizers as well as our own individual mains even though the entrees were listed as "for two to share". My white fish and shrimp ceviche in cilantro-lime and corn chips in a super-sized martini glass was a little on the salty side, but strangely addictive enough that I still ate three-quarters of it. Melissa's Insalatina Brasiliana, a heaping appetizer of baby greens, avocado and hearts of palm was so filling, she never made it to her veggie combo main. She had her entire veggie combo entree with black beans, rice, polenta, grilled veggies and plantains boxed up to go.

I, on the other hand, had no problem eating for two and was able to also dig into my Braziribs entree; the braised, boneless shortribs coated in peppery spices came in a mini-skillet over pan-fried polenta and was topped with a wonderfully doughy cheesy-bread ball.

Although stuffed, we could have been swayed if there was a standout dessert, but the ho-hum selection (creme brulee, chocolate cake, tiramisu) didn't leave a sweet enough impression. We decided to skip dessert and order the banana-chocolate bread pudding with caramel-whiskey sauce on the side (as good as it sounds and only $5 for a heaping wedge) from The Kettle by my apt instead (sustenance after our post-dinner drive home from Los Feliz to the South Bay, we figured).

Vinoteca is definitely a good spot for a casually sophisticated dinner, and judging by the clientele, an ideal date spot (everyone besides the two women next to us were a couple). The bill came out to $78 including three glasses of wine; which--bearing in mind we ordered double the food we should have for just the two of us--translates to a pretty affordable dinner for four.

Vinoteca Farfalla
1968 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz

Passing Gas: Find Cheap Gas Near Where You Live

2006-09-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Just what is says: Find Cheap Gas Near Where You Live.

Although gas has finally hit the $2-something mark for the first time in months, it's always nice to find a good cheap gas deal. My friend passed along this site to me, and in the interests of spreading the cheap(er) gas love, I'm passing it along to you.

http://gaspricealert.com

It's pretty self-explanatory, just sign up (you don't get spam for signing up) and receive a daily email with the most updated gas prices around your area, or for the casual gas-price browser who doesn't want extra daily emails, there's http://www.losangelesgasprices.com/

With the pennies saved, you don't need to feel guilty using excess energy by driving with both your AC on and your windows down. ahh, such a guilty pleasure.

More Free Wi-Fi'ing from My Laptop-Lovin' L.A. Travels

2006-09-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

My current obsession--surpassing even my love for chocolate souffles and my many repeated listenings Carli Bruni's "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" album from 3yrs ago (check it, it's good)--is finding free internet access around town for me and my traveling laptop. As a freelance writer, I like to think of my home office as HQ and these various coffee shops as my multiple satellite offices. Besides, who wants to drive home just to check email?

Although I am still a regular at several of these free wi-fi offering coffee shops which I highlighted in an earlier blog (esp. Venice Grind, which has fixed their Mac connection problems and Coral Tree Cafe--more for their food--although, be warned, they turn off their web access during peak lunch hours between 11am-3pm), I've slowly added several more to my rotation in my laptop travels around L.A.

My most recent discovery (and where I am writing this free wi-fi roundup right now, pic. above) is the snazzed up Santa Monica Library's BOOKMARK CAFE. I actually was there to check out some books when I noticed a smattering of laptop-users typing in the sun at the outdoor courtyard cafe. (The library's cafe also has a couple of indoor tables for those who need access to a power outlet.) In addition to fancy sandwiches, salads and wraps (eg. I ordered a tasty grilled turkey wrap with sundried tomato, artichokes and provolone) which hover around $7.50, the cafe also has ice-cream and smoothies. Underground parking is $1/hr. The revamped library also has one hour free internet computers upstairs, one of the best selections of new and random books in the L.A. public library system and a high-tech key-card for borrowers to self check out books with one easy swipe.

Another on the Westside is ROSE CAFE on Rose and Main, the actual cafe doesn't have internet access but if you sit in the coffee shop portion of the bakery and cafe by the in-store boutique, you can risk docking off a few good karma points and pick up the free wi-fi from Radha Govinda Hare Krishna temple across the road. Since Rose Cafe is technically a restaurant, they have good (poached salmon florentine, thai noodle salad, pesto chicken sandwiches, cakes!), but slightly pricier brunch and lunch options (salads/sandwiches/hot meals around $8+). The cafe closes at 5pm so you'll have to move on elsewhere if you're working overtime hours.

When I'm in the Hollywood area, my hands-down favorite is GROUNDWORK COFFEE on Cahuenga and Sunset. The spot is home home to plentiful table and bench seating, corner windows facing Amoeba and the Arclight for quality people-watching work breaks, strong tea and coffee drink selection, friendly and honest servers that'll tell you they personally think the chocolate chip tofu muffin is gross and exchangeable if I also find it gross (I actually didn't mind it) and at least 5 other mac users furiously typing at any given time so you don't feel like you're the only one milking an ice blended mocha for 3hrs for their free wi-fi. Parking is the only drawback, but if you're doing 2hr stints, Sunset metered parking is doable, otherwise some random spots on DeLongpre and Wilcox before you enter permit parking land.

KUNG PAO KITTY a couple blocks up on Hollywood & Wilcox also has free wi-fi but the one time I brought my laptop in for an emailing session over seasame chicken, it felt odd to be working away in a chinese takeout spot.

If you're on the Eastside and need a quick email check on-the-go, the parking lot of the Gower Gulch strip mall (Sunset & Gower) is also good for a quick log-on in your car. I haven't figured out where the free intenet comes from since I parked right in front of the Starbucks and they make their patron's pay through AT&T wireless.

Here are a few others that offer free wi-fi. Personally, for some reason, I haven't been able to get into the productive mindset at these spots (I've had to leave most of these spots after logging in a couple hours of surfing the web and zero hours of productive work ) but they might work for others so here they are: VELOCITY CAFE (Venice), TANNER'S COFFEE (Playa del Rey), STROH'S GOURMET DELI (Venice), RUMOR MILL CAFE (Culver City), Ciao Coffee & Tea Company (Sherman Oaks).

BOOKMARK CAFE @ Santa Monica Library
601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, 310/587-2665

ROSE CAFE
220 Rose Ave, Venice, 310/399.0711

GROUNDWORK COFFEE
1501 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 323/871-0107

KUNG PAO KITTY
6445 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 323/465-0110

8 Mile West L.A. Style: MC Battle at 33Third

2006-09-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've apparently been driving past a piece of Detroit many times along Pico Blvd without realizing it. Last Saturday night, I accepted Chaya’s invite to check out a “DJ-off” that her friend was hosting. Because it sounded like a refreshing change from a typical bar-hopping night--but mainly because we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into--we decided to hit up 33Third (the venue) on Pico & La Brea to check out the event.

I was imagining some grungy lounge filled with breakdance-capable clubgoers set up with two rival DJ’s alternating between scratching their vinyls on their turntables and then crossing their arms and daring his challenger with a "top that!" cock of an eyebrow.

Maybe we should have read the flyer properly, 33Thirdwas a vinyl store (with a great selection of bargain records by the way) not a bar, so besides the bottles of whiskey being questionably passed around and chugged by the crowd, there was no alcohol. And it wasn’t a DJ-Off but an amateur MC Battle, a la 8 Mile, which is essentially contestants insulting each other to a rap beat.

The crowd was initially intimating enough for us to consider bolting, and we definitely stood out (about 5 other girls total and none were dressed in heels and cleavagey tops like Chaya, Nikki and I, as opposed to the popular sideways cap and wifebeater look going on that night) but the guy manning the door was surprisingly friendly (“are you girls entering the contest tonight? We need more female MC contestants” without any trace of the deserved sarcasm in that question.)

Chaya’s friend/owner of the store pulled us up to the VIP area by the judges so we got a prime viewing spot of the mouthy battle. The Eminem for the night was actually a female. Lady DJ endured multiple harsh personal insults from her fellow male contestants—“I’m going to buy you a glass of milk/watch you drink it and watch your breasts grow” was a memorable line courtesy of DJ Shoe”—only to unleash a tirade of clever put-downs with double the ferocity. We didn’t stay till the end to see if she got crowned but she was the judges clear favorite when we left our brush with 8 Mile and headed to the Dime for some chill, post-MC Battle vodka tonics.

33Third
5111 West Pico Blvd., 3 blocks W of La Brea
310/694.3460

Museum-Hopping for $0: LACMA & MOCA's Free Museum Hours

2006-09-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

I like the idea of going to museums. But honestly, I can only take my cultural excursions in small doses (1 1/2hrs tops). And although I'm all for supporting the arts, if I'm only going to be there for less than two hours and my schedule permits it, why not nurture my artistic side at no extra cost by visiting the museum during their freebie hours?

My whirlwind brush with zero-cost culture included trips to both the MOCA and LACMA within one week. An out of town guest wanted to check out downtown MOCA's Rauschenberg: Combines exhibit (which just ended on Sept. 4th). The MOCA keeps kinda weird hours (closed Tues. and Wed.) but if you head there on Thursday nights, it's free after 5pm (and open til 8pm). The downside is parking; street parking is next to impossible so the museum recommends parking at the Walt Disney Concert Hall parking garage on Lower Grand Ave ($8 for 3hrs with vaildation) but if you're willing to walk a block, there's a no-hassle lot on the corner of 2nd/Olive for $6 flat.

To the untrained eye (mine), Rauschenberg: Combine's exhibit was all about, uh, combining as much stuff onto the canvas as possible. His collages with pants, taxidermied bald eagles and pieces of wire glued onto large canvases and all slicked thick with oil paints wasn't really my thing but the MOCA's permanent collection including pieces by Jackson Pollack (below), Roy Lichtenstein and whoever convinced the artsy types that blank canvases were high-brow (also below) are worth checking out on their own regardless of the headlining temporary exhibit going on at the time.

A few days later, I visited the LACMA on Labor Day (which is free after 5pm every day). We skipped the David Hockney portraits exhibit (which has a separate un-free admission fee) and headed to LACMA's permanent collection. The Ahmanson Building houses classical art (Rembrandt, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin) as well as ancient Egyptian tomb artifacts, hundreds-old European vases and the like.

The Modern and Contemporary Art building contains colorful works by Picasso, Pollack, Ruscha, DuChamp and Magritte--as well as a beautiful 3rd story balcony view of the sunset over the Hollywood hills.

However, the highlight was the Consider This... Exhibit in the LACMA West building (yes, it's technically LACMA's 'children's museum' but the highly interactive, highly thought-provoking exhibit was highly entertaining for all ages). Designed by artist Barbara Kruger (famous for her artistic slogans juxtaposed against provocative images) the exhibit--which runs through January '07--includes pithy quotes lining the walls ('Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy'-Henry Mencken, 'How Much Easier is Self-Sacrifice than Self-Realization!'-Eric Hoffer) and installations with sharpies inviting visitors to become part of the exhibit by adding their mark on certain art pieces or adding to the wall of anwers to questions such as "what is important to you right now?".

With easy street parking and convenient, late-night free hours, it's definitely worth popping into LACMA after work hours to check out the exhibits or even just to enjoy the peaceful dusky sunset views from the museum balcony.

MOCA
free Thursdays after 5pm
LACMA
free everyday after 5pm
Natural History Museum
free first Tuesdays of the month
GETTY CENTER
always free

For those who have more specialized artistic interests, the following niche museums are participating in National Museum Day on September 30th, offering free admission all day:
California Science Center, Craft and Folk Museum, Museum of Neon Art and last but certainly not the least, The Bunny Museum.

coco noche: Getting buzzed off chocolate and wine

2006-09-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

I like wine bars (Bodega deCordova), they're even better when you add tapas (La Tasca). but when you throw in gourmet chocolates and caramel wine pairings, now you're talking.

coco noche's decadent-sounding sign caught my eye even before this new chocolate, wine and tapas bar in downtown Manhattan Beach opened. coco noche. chocolate nights. Chocolate at night time with alcohol. I'm in.

Chrissy and I made a visit to this perfect-sounding spot last night. The intimate little choco-wine bar is unpretentious (warm and simple cream and wood decor, friendly accommodating servers, a touch too-bright lighting) with unpretentious prices (you can eat and drink well for easily under $30)

The menu lists the chocolate and desserts first, with the tapas on the following page. As ladies who have often planned our entree and appetizer choices around dessert ("we could get the pomegranate-glazed lamb but is that going to be pomegranate overload since we're for sure ordering their yummy sounding pomegranate and creme anglais parfait?"), we liked how this place thinks.

Although we both wanted to follow the menu and skip straight to the sweet stuff, we ordered a couple dinner items first. The tapas are not of the spanish kind but have more of a korean &/or cafe flavor. Sounds odd but works, especially since several of the chocolates are flavored with an Asian influence. We shared the basil chicken salad (with a refreshing cucumber and mint yogurt rather than mayo) on a toasted croissant with an Asian side salad ($9) and the specialty bul-gogi korean seasoned beef lettuce wraps with sticky rice ($12). Both were good, but really, it's all about the chocolate here.

The chocolate morsels are courtesy of exotic chocolatier, Vosges Haute Chocolate. They have two sets of tasting flights with 3 chocolates and 3 wines. With choices such as RED FIRE: dark chocolate spiced with chipotle chili peppers and Ceylon cinnamon, BLACK PEARL: chocolate flecked with ginger, wasabi and black sesame and GOJI BERRY: Tibetan sweet berries and pink Himalayan salt embedded chocolate, we had trouble trying to figure out which set of three we wanted. Our accommodating waiter helped ease the decision-making pain by giving us a couple of samples and letting us mix and match whichever three chocolates and wines we wanted. You can also get desserts by the piece and those ordering their alcohol a la carte will find an extensive selection of affordable (most $9 or under) by-the-glass options as well as specialty beers including the delicious raspberry Frambois beer.

We picked the first, sweeter, flight of wines (Ravenswood Zinfandel, Riesling and cream Sherry) over the heartier Coppola Pinot Noir, Santa Rosa Merlot and Banfi dessert wine and picked the Red Fire (the spicy chocolate was our favorite), Black Pearl and Barcelona (hickory-smoked almonds with fleur del sey gray sea salt). They also had chocolate caramels infused with flavors such as orange and ginger but since sticky caramels are a no-no for my still slightly ailing wisdom teeth, we also ordered their so-airily-light-it-must-be-zero-calories Key Lime torte with white and milk chocolate instead.

Only open for seven days so far, coco noche's menu, decor and specials are still evolving but they are working with a sweet concept; getting patrons buzzed off both sugar and drinks--two things I love, so me, my ID and my sweet tooth are looking forward to future, chocolate-coated drunken nights.

coco noche
1140 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach
310.545.4925
www.coconoche.com

Jamoca Almond Fudge for my Luke Wilson-esque Jawline: Wise Wisdom Teeth Relief

2006-08-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

The best $1.69 I've spent this week. Well, the only $1.69 I've spent this week.

Me and my freakishly puffy, Luke Wilson-esque jawline have been under self-imposed house arrest since my wisdom teeth extraction on Monday.

Going a little stir-crazy in my 450 sq ft apt, I finally found a reason important enough for my first public outing all week--Baskin Robbins.

Braving imagined scenarios of the general public shielding their children's eyes, looking away aghast or staring in spite of themselves at my monstrous, gravity-defying swollen cheeks which have temporarily rendered me with no chin, I donned on a hopefully cheek-hiding hat and headed straight for the store to order an ice-cold, soothing Baskin Robbin's kiddie cup--no cone since I can't bite crunchy objects yet. The ice-cream melted in my mouth like sweet, pain-numbing liquid-vicadin for my inner-cheeks...mmm. Despite the fact that I picked a flavor with hard nuts that I have to spit out (Jamoca Almond Fudge), ordering the delicious blend of fudge and 'jamoca' was definitely the wisest thing I've done since losing some of my wisdom earlier this week.

Debut of Adventure Sundays: Santa Anita Hike & Din Tai Fung Dumplings

2006-08-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

When Chaya and Chrissy asked if I was in for Adventure Sunday, even without knowing what that entailed, I was in. How could I turn down something called Adventure Sunday?

Their proposed activities to make Sunday more Adventurous started off with a hike in the Arcadia's Santa Anita Canyons followed by "the best dumplings in L.A.". An unorthodox pairing but Chrissy has talked up these dumplings for a while and if hiking beforehand is a good excuse to drive to far-away Arcadia to enjoy the dumplings, so be it.

According to Chrissy's Wild L.A. hiking book, the Santa Anita Loop is listed as one of L.A.'s top hikes to take out-of-towners --and why should tourists be the only ones exploring the best of LA? The hike also earned 5 stars and many positive comments on the same website where I found our Malibu hiking & dirty pond swimming adventure a month ago.

Never really going east of Los Feliz for spots like Home, Alcove and Good Luck Bar, driving to Arcadia via the 405, 10, 110, and 210 freeways seemed like a mini-adventure in itself.

We exited the 210 off Santa Anita Ave and headed up the windy mountain to Chantry Flats. There aren't any "yes keep going, you ARE supposed to drive up the mountain for a ways" signs so just as you're wondering if you've gone too far up the mountain, yes, keep going, you ARE supposed to drive up the mountain for a ways. You'll soon see a parking lot with a small Chantry Flats sign on your right.

The map we got from the general store gave us three hiking options, a nice 4 mile roundtrip hike to some waterfalls and back, a 5 mile waterfall-less but still picturesque loop with 12 river crossings and old cabins or an ambitious 9 mile loop which encompassed the waterfall plus more. We opted for the waterfall hike with the option to continue on with the 9 mile loop if Chaya, Chrissy, Rachel and myself all suddenly had a personality change and became psycho-obsessed hikers.

Immediately, the woodsy--and thankfully shaded--surroundings make this mountain hike very different from the typical dry, hot and unshaded L.A. canyon hikes (a la Runyon). The fun rock-hopping creek crossings and changing terrain past the time quickly and we made it to the waterfall in 45 mins.

In a delusional, "we're so outdoorsy!" moment, we decided to forge ahead with the 9 mile loop. Multiple uphill turns and twists lead us through deeply shaded woody areas, up along narrow (and apparently poison oak-lined trails) mountain ridges with beautiful views of next door neighbor mountain ranges, back down towards wood-shaded creeks and abandoned cabins from the early 1900's and more uphill hiking until we got to Spruce Campground.

According to our poorly scaled map, we had maybe 1 (or just as easily 5) uphill miles to go before the half way point. With our growingly loud growling tummies, we decided to turn back. We trudged back quickly, fueled by the thought of dumplings. Towards the end, we ran into a park ranger who said when we turned back we were only 1/2 a mile away from Sturdevant Camp (the halfway point) which has an amazing view overlooking all the mountains. Darn. Oh well, next time. Besides, by turning back early, we were still 1/2 a mile closer to dinner so we didn't regret our decision. The last .6 miles is pure 60 degree incline agony. Dumplings, dumplings, dumplings...each..step..closer..to..eating...dumplings.

We shot down the mountain back onto 210, 2 exits later (Baldwin Ave) we were at the famed Din Tai Fung Dumpling House. This Taipei-based restaurant--who has a team of dumpling-masters in the glass-encased kitchen handmaking fresh dumplings to order--is known for their exceptional dumpling wrapper consistency, best compared as that perfect, al dente bite of fresh, homemade pasta. The ever-present line is intimidating but goes fast (the line in the photo is the equivalent of 20 minutes), and faster still if you can't wait and have to go next door for a fruit smoothie made with real fruit (my peach icy was good but Chrissy's ice blended cantalope juice was better. 2 for the price of one! $3.75!)

Ordering the majority of the menu, we dug into 6 trays of 10 dumplings each between the 4 of us. Oh, plus shrimp noodle soup and two sauteed plates of broccoli and spinach. Between the chicken, fish, vege (cabbage, shiitake mushroom and silver noodles) and their signature juicy pork, the house specialty dumplings were my favorite. A tender pork and leek meatball swimming in its own broth, encased in an individual yielding pasta parcel. While there is a trick to eating these without dripping away the yummy juice, (directions are on the chopstick wrapper), my preferred way was dip it into the ginger/vinegar sauce and plop the whole dumpling in my mouth. We finished off with dessert dumplings--sweet red beans inside the steamed, mochi-like wrapper. (For more dumpling descriptions and pics, check out Hungry Hedonist's detailed review.)

Yeah, we may have gorged on an unnecessary share of dumplings, but they were small, surprisingly light and quite delish--not to mention twice as tasty when you know you've already pre worked them off on a hard 8 mile hike. This was definitely a strong debut for our proposed monthly Adventure Sundays.

Big Santa Anita Loop: $5 for parking pass
Din Fan tang Dumpling House: $60 for way too much food for 4 people (which, granted we did finished)
1108 S. Baldwin Ave. Cross street: W. Duarte Rd, Arcadia. 626.574-7068
Boba Tea and Juice place next door: $3.75 for two real fruit smoothies
Adventure Sunday: $23 per person!

Free Al Fresco Cinema Nights

2006-08-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

With summer's blockbuster duds in full season (Miami Vice, World Trade Center) and no upcoming movies enticing me to the theater anytime soon (although I have hopes for The Science of Sleep and The Last Kiss hopefully?), I've decided to get my movie fix outside of the local multiplex--literally "outside" the local cineplex.

L.A.'s warm summer nights are perfect for al fresco movie watChing and these three outdoor cinema series around town make a nice alternative with actual good movies, free admission and even a BYO option (even if you have to sneak it in). The Hollywood Forever Cemetery asks for a $10 donation but the other two cost $14 less per person than the $14 ArcLight movie ticket (and that's before popcorn and a slurpee!) Yup, they're free!

CINESPIA @ HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY: Every Saturday night during the summer.
This has been on my to-do list for a couple summers but for some reason, I've never got around to it (maybe it's the rumored long lines or the hard-to-organize-for-a-Saturday-night activity). Playing everything from Pyscho (last weekend) to Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure (July sometime) and The Warriors (September 2nd), the films are a mix of cult classics and grandious movies fitting to watch under the stars. And above them too. (Many of the stars you're watching on screen are also buried there; Rudolph Valentino, John Huston,Jayne Mansfield to name a few.) This weekend is the John Wayne classic, The Searchers. Movies start at 8:30pm with gates open at 7pm for pre-flick wine and cheese picnicking and DJ-tunes. Since I haven't been there, check out Metrobogging LA's experience for a first-hand account and tips.

www.cinespia.org

SANTA MONICA 'DRIVE IN' AT THE BEACH: Every Tuesday night during August and September at the SM Pier.
The weekly summertime series isn’t your typical drive-in—leave your car at the lot and cozy up on the sand with a beach lounger instead. Noteworthy remaining films on the calendar—“Rocky” (August 22nd), “Anchorman” (September 5th), the 1927 Fritz Lang classic, “Metropolis” (September 12th), scored by a live orchestra and the closing film, "An Inconvenient Truth" on September 26th. Screenings start at sundown (around 8PM) but come early to catch the sunset and a prime sandy spot. Admission is free (although tickets are required), but gain karma points by donating to the Arts Fighting Cancer charity. Proceeds from beach chair rentals and tasty concessions (caramel corn, funnel cake) also support the cause.

www.smff.com
Pick up free tickets at any Santa Monica Visitor Center: 1920 Main Street, 1400 Ocean Ave, Kiosk at 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica

SAN GENNARO PRESENTS CINEMA AL FRESCO: Every Friday night during Month of August at Hancock Park @ the La Brea Tar Pits.
This one I found accidently while randomly looking up italian restaurants "just because" (me? obsessed with food? shocker). Doors open at the 6pm for live italian music with screenings starting at sundown around 8pm. We've already missed two great films, 'Cinema Paradiso" and "Il Postino", but the remaining two films are "Pinnochio"" (August 18th) and "The Italian Job" (the original one with Michael Caine) on August 25th. Italian-themed picnic dinners are available for purchase or you could come with some mozarella breadsticks and chianti for a make-your-own italia noche.

www.sangennarofoundation.org/cinema.html

Another Reason to Move to Venice: Nikki Local 72's 'Venice Residents 25% Discount Night'

2006-08-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

Despite the last time I visited Nikki Local 72 in Venice, when the casual beach lounge turned into Friday night at The Avalon at the strike of 11pm, I decided to give the place another chance; one reason was because it was only 7pm, so I figured we had 4 cheese-free hours to enjoy the otherwise fun spot, but mainly it was because the tasty bar food I had last time was as memorably good as the stilleto-heeled table-dancing party-goers were bad.

We just missed happy hour which ended at 7pm, but I found another reason to move to Venice Beach--Wednesday nights is 'Venetian Night' where proof of a Venice residence warrants you 25% off your food. As luck would have it, I was with Jess, a Venice-dwelling resident, so our dining pleasure automatically improved by 25% right there. (another great Venice spot on Abbot Kinney, The Otheroom, is also very Venice-centric; simply flash your Venice ID and skip past all the non-Venetian bar-goers waiting in line everytime)

We settled on the shrimp ceviche (which also has scallops, calamari and whitefish), nacho platter and buffalo wings, our bartender--who didn't know what kind of food experts he was dealing with--highly recommended the ceviche, which is made to order, but suggested 3 plates was a lot of food so we should pick one of the two. We politely dismissed his suggestion and decided to order all three. Again, he urged us to start off with two and order a third if we needed it. Humoring him, we just ordered the ceviche and the buffalo wings.

The generously-portioned ceviche came in an oversized martini glass, with the dressing possessing a perfectly lemony-lime kick. Yum! A definite must-order for future visits.

The buffalo wings had that good sticky-sauced yet crunchy fried coating consistency. The wings weren't too spicy but they also weren't too greasy or fatty either. Besides, it's all about the bleu cheese dressing. Creamy with small chunks of bleu cheese, the way I like it. After our wings, I also ate all the celery and carrots just so I could dip into more of the bleu cheese.

We took a break to comment on how we could still easily polish off a plate of cheesy, beany nachos when we spied our waitress walk by with a cast-iron skillet filled with a single, giant chocolate chip cookie, and we decided maybe it was a good idea we didn't order the nachos. the 'Half Baked' is a warmed-up, deep-dish, 7", half-baked giant chocolate chip cookie topped with two scoops of vanilla icecream and chocolate sauce people!

We were done and out of there by 10pm so I can't say for sure if the place still gets cheesy-bad late in the night, although the flyer we saw for 'Lingerie PJ Party, this Sunday Night' posted on their pillar makes me suspect yes.

Nikki's Local 72
72 Market St, Venice
Wednesday Nights: 'Venetian Nights' 25% off with proof of Venice residence.
Appetizers and dessert: $7 each without a Venice discount, $15.75 total with a Venice discount!
Several fun and fruity martini's: $9

4-Course Lunching in Culver City: Wilson Restaurant

2006-08-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

I finally had lunch at Wilson, the highly anticipated Culver City cafe/bar by Chef Mikey Wilson (Pinot Bistro, 5 Dudley) and partners Stefano DeLorenzo & Antonio Mure (Valentino and their own Westside Italian gems Piccolo and La Botte). The fresh and modern decor--lime, orange and white color scheme, white pillar lighting hanging from lofty ceilings, wraparound, floor-to-ceiling windows--matched both the mod vibe of the Museum of Design and Archetecture building which the eatery is housed and the colorful menu of farm-to-table fresh, organic-leaning ingredients.

Serving casual 'global cuisine comfort food', creative dishes included rabbit sloppy joes, chicken enchilada lasagne with pico del gallo and pulled pork with african spices. We ordered the intriguing-sounding B.L.E.T (Applewood-smoked bacon, butter lettuce, avocado, tomato and bbq eel) sandwich and had the chef surprise us with the rest.

The B.L.E.T. was a complementary mix of differing textures and strong flavors, but with so many other interesting-sounding items on the menu, I didn't love it enough to automatically want to order it over trying other new dishes on my next visit.

The escargot special was my favorite dish--drizzled with pesto and walnut-asiago type dressing instead of the standard buttersauce, the sauces were flavorful without overpowering the meaty taste of the plump snails.

We were also served the 'market vegetable lunch plate' (which changes dependent on the Farmer's Market's current freshest offerings). It was tasty pea puree topped with a delicious sweet corn polenta and wilted arugula. The dish was extra pleasurable because the dish probably wouldn't be normally something I'd order on a menu, and it translated way better via tastebuds than verbal description.

Just when we couldn't eat any more, out came the chocolate-cherry truffle cake--dense layers of fresh-sliced cherries, fudgy chocolate truffle and chocolate cake.

To appease longtime fans, Wilson also showcases several faves from his previous 5 Dudley restaurant (baby field greens with proscuitto, goat cheese and eggplant, cilantro-pesto crusted jidori chicken with wasabi mashed potatoes) as well as several of Chef Mure's pasta dishes from his Piccolo restaurant (I was secretly hoping we'd also get the potato and fig tortellini in parmesan fondue which I first tried at Piccolo. Pillowy packages of homemade pasta filled with starchy potato and sweet fig--so good that Jess and I are planning a dinner at Piccolo next week to get our fix).

With super-fresh ingredients and homegrown herbs and spices picked from their back patio garden (where diners can also sit outside), the vibrant dishes are as richly flavorful as they are visually appetizing. I never got the pleasure of dining at 5 Dudley but did enjoy the sophisticated menu at Manhattan Beach's Avenue (who's menu was created by Wilson) and am a huge fan of both Piccolo and La Botte so Wilson definitely has the pedigree. Between Beacon, Ford's Filling Station, Tender Greens gourmet takeout and now Wilson, Culver City is finally coming into its own as a dining destination.

Wilson
8631 E. Washington Blvd, Culver City
310/287-2093
Lunch & Dinner: Most dishes are under $20

Piccolo
5 Dudley Ave, Venice
310/314-3222
Favorite Dishes:Seared scallops in truffle fondue, homemade black ink pasta with lobster, calamari, clams and scallops in a roasted tomato sauce, red beet stuffed ravioli with poppy seeds, brown butter and Parmigiano cheese.

La Botte
620 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
310/576-3072
Favorite Dishes: sea urchin & sea bass carpaccio, duck proscuitto with gorgonzola dressing, yellow corn zuppa with organic chicken, red beet tagliolini with homemade quail sausage and the creamiest, airiest panna cotta coated with a thick caramel topping

Midweek Malibu Solitude for $4:El Matador Beach

2006-08-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jess and I donned on our bikinis and headed up PCH to El Matador Beach.

She had a day off and I logged in my 2 hours of work earlier indulging in a decadent 4-course lunch at Wilson, a restaurant I'm profiling for a magazine, but it still felt like we were playing hooky for a day knowing most everyone else was Dilbert'ing it in an office while we drove towards the beach for a spur of the moment, pre-sunset laze-about in the sand.

Just north of Point Dume, the semi-secluded El Matador does get its share of beachcombers during the weekend but is nothing like Zuma, Malibu Lagoon or any other more high-profile Malibu beach and it's relatively isolated during the work week, (we spied less than 10 people total and nobody in the water). High cliffs and a series of craggy mini-coves adds to the faraway, "I can't believe it's only 20 minutes away from Santa Monica" vibe.

Bring a magazine
camera (beautiful photo-worthy scenery)
optional bathing suit (most beach-goers are covered but the further down the coves you go, the more bathing-optional peeps you see)
and $4 (parking is self-paying and looks like it's rarely checked so it's tempting to just skip filling out and depositing money into the envelope, but the threat of bad karma convinced us to slip in the $4).

El Matador Beach
32100 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu
Look out for the tiny sign about 5 minutes after the Point Dume turn-off

Celebrating Doggie Style: Tobie's Birthday Puppy Party

2006-08-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

It's kinda sad that the turnout for Tobie's (a puppy) birthday party was far superior than any b'day shin-dig I've ever organized for myself. On Saturday, a couple dozen of Tobie's (the b'day dog) and Cira's (the b'day dog's owner) closest human friends and dog acquaintances gathered at Cira's apt. to celebrate Tobe's 6th/42nd birthday.

To get into the canine spirit, we headed to Party City earlier that day to load up on dog-adorned decor (a wall mural, banners and hanging mobile depicting frolicking puppies, a regal-looking tinsel crown for Prince Tobie, doggy bags--get it?!--and a rainbow crepe-paper disco ball thingy too festive to pass up.

By the time I arrived bearing organic chicken'n'liver flavored dog cookies (Happy Birthday Tobie! please share with your puppy roomate Guyb), the puppy party was already in full force. Many pooch-lovin' party goers were already well on their way to being fully tanked thanks to Tracey's 100% proof plus Sangria and beer (humans), and pig ears and raw hide galore (the menagerie of Shi Tzu's, Malteses and Weiner dogs).

Tobie & Guyb

The rest of the pups

Although the bulldog-themed wall calendar came a close second, I'd say the giant pig's snout puppy treat was won for best/worst birthday present.

Tasty seven layer dip, super-potent sangria, interesting conversation about satanic sadist current events, "bawls", a couple of ill-placed deuces and pee pees (Nugget!) and pig snout snacks--Tobie's celebration into his 42nd dog year was nothin' but high class all the way.

Action-Packed Sunday Part 3: Flaming Lips & Thievery Corporation @ the Hollywood Bowl

2006-07-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

After eating and drinking for a couple hours, I left Chaya and headed to Meriam's to meet up for another couple hours of eating and drinking at the Hollywood Bowl (oh, and also to see the Flaming Lips/Thievery Corporation concert.)

The traffic and parking along the Bowl entrance on Highland is as stab-in-the-eye painful as the Hollywood Bowl summer concert series is enjoyable--luckily Meriam conveniently lives walking distance to the Hollywood & Highland shuttle pick up (Actually, in the parking lot on Orange St., a block W of Highland)

We got in line around 6:30pm for the 7pm concert. We arrived $3 and a 5 minute bus ride later. We got to our $13 dollar seats (Section T, middle area; high up but a great view and great deal) and proceeded to unpack our Trader Joe picnic goodies.
We polished off two bottles of Yellowtail Label wine (really good for it's $4.99 price), cheese and crackers, cherries and chocolate covered pretzels as we listened to the eclectic worldish, dub, electronica, triphop, bossa nova sounds of Thievery Corporation, and, since the Flaming Lips were shooting footage for their DVD and went all out, we also ate and drank while watching as the lead singer of the Flaming Lips sing inside a big plastic bubble being rolled over the audience, bopping our heads along to FL faves as 'Do You Realize?', 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots' and 'The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song', hitting giant balloons released into the crowd, marveling at the pychedelic prettiness of the fluttering canoned confetti and waving our glowsticks like we didn't care.
Flaming Lips singer Wayne Coyne singing in his bubble

Flaming Lips on Stage with their Dancing Santas

Flaming Lips/Thievery Corporation Tix: $13 (no Ticketmaster charges if bought at the Hollywood Bowl box office)
$3 roundtrip bus shuttle
$10 wine and snacks
Total for a picnic and concert at the Bowl: $26

Action-Packed Sunday Part 2: Gluttony at Gladstones in Malibu

2006-07-27T01:56:00.000-07:00

After our 5 mile hike and 15 minute swim--practically a marathon--Chaya and I were ready for lunch. We decided to stop at the closest restaurant on PCH. We ended up veto'ing Duke's (an hour wait for not that appetizing lunch buffet), Moonshadows (the 2pm red velvet rope wasn't the scene were looking for), Reel Inn (although we love it, and I hear they may be closing soon if they don't get enough petition signers) and ended up at Gladstones.

After being informed of the hour wait, we walked inside and immediately found seats at the bar. Negating any positive effects of our earlier hike, we ordered sweet, high-school appropriate frozen drinks (Pina Colada and Mudslides), oyster shooters (Gladstone's Original: Oysters topped with Bloody Mary Mix, vodka and olives) and ate about a pound of salted peanuts (this Malibu spot is down-home enough to allow patrons to throw shells onto the floor!) while we waited for our gigantic bowls of salad (El Paso Shrimp Salad with mango, avocado and jicama for Chaya, Seafood Cobb with smoked salmon, oysters, crab meat and shrimp for me).
Sitting at the bar has it's perks. Our awesome bartender threw in a cosmo shot and the most magnificent, glistening bowl of sweet, fresh strawberries topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. I was expecting Gladstones to be touristy, cheesy and overpriced--and in some ways it was--but it's a fun enough atmosphere with strong enough drinks and generous enough portions to more than make up for it. We were very glad to have our post-hike lunch at Gladstones.
Gladstones
Drinks, shooters, unlimited peanuts and lunch: $30 each

Action-Packed Sunday Part 1: Malibu Creek & Century Lake Hike

2006-07-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

After spending a lethargic Saturday (hottest day ever recorded in LA) melting in my apartment, I mustered up enough energy on Sunday for quite the action-packed day--action-packed enough to warrant splitting my day into three separate entries. Here is part 1:

On Sunday, the day after the hottest day recorded in L.A., Chaya and I decided to go hiking. In an attempt to stave off the heat, I googled "shady hikes in Los Angeles"and clicked on the first entry.

The adjectives "shaded", "picturesque lake" and "easy hike" caught our eye and we picked the "Malibu Creek, Rock Pool & Century Lake hike". Although directions given are via the 101, prefering to spend no time in the Valley, we took PCH instead and turned inland at Malibu Creek Rd (at Pepperdine). Six miles of curvy, Central Cali'esque rolling hills later, we turned left into the Malibu Creek State Park entrance (parking is $8 for the day).

One of the nice things about this hike is that you don't need to wait to you've hiked to the end to enjoy the payoff scenery. The view is amazing from the get go. We crossed a creek and entered what looked like Montana. We forgot our map of course so just followed the sporadic hiking signs (2.1 miles to Century Lake) and the tried to stay on the path that looked the most hiked upon. We walked through shady foresty patches, prairie looking land, wide dirt walkways shaded by giant umbrella-like trees and even rusted out tv set jeeps (the tv series MASH was filmed here), but no lake.

We circled back and wondered "is THIS it?!" every time we came upon a puddle-sized body of water. None of the hikers we asked had seen the lake, so seeing the piles of rocks along what used to look like riverbeds, we assumed the lake had evaporated in the intense LA heat wave we were having (over 100 degrees!). Then just before arriving back to the parking lot, we found a sign, "Century Lake".
Perfectly still, the mirror-like lake was bordered by lilypads and reeds. It was hot. The water didn't look particularly inviting (murky) but like I said, it was hot. We reasoned the overhanging branch with a rope tied to it meant the rope was made for swinging into the lake, and therefore the lake was safe for swimming, even though we couldn't see too far beneath the greenish hue of the water.
After an exhausting 15 minute round of "you go in first", "no, you go in first" and a 60 second leech test (Chaya reasoned if we dangled our feet in the water for a minute and no leeches attached to us, then the lake was leech-free), I bravely slipped into the water, careful to tread water so as not to touch the imagined sludgy bottom. Chaya decided on the "swinging off the rope entrance", but halfway thru decided not to let go and unsuccessfully attempted to bicycle her legs to manouever the rope back on dry land. After the initial feeling of slight disgust for swimming in questionably dirty water which we couldn't see through, we got over it even frolicked for a while in the water until Chaya felt a Lake Ness Monster brush against her leg and we jetted out screaming. (It turned out to be algae stuck on her leg)

The next day Chaya told me her coworker has been hiking that spot for ages and has never seen anyone swim in the water before. Curious, I called the State Park Ranger and asked if you can swim in Century Lake.

"Absolutely not!" she replied
"Oh?! Why? Are there harmful weird diseases if you swim in the lake or something?" I ask, in my most ' this is a hypothetical question, of course!' tone.
"Well, it's not the cleanest of water. People sometimes fish there but nobody swims." she replied, masterfully sidestepping my 'harmful, weird diseases' question.

Hmm, so far, no weird rashes and despite the semi-opaque quality of the water, the refreshing post-hike swim was worth it on a 95 degree day.

Malibu Creek State Park-Century Lake
$8 Parking Entrance Fee
http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/MalibuCreek_4472.asp

$42.31 for a Full Tank of Gas and a Gas Pump Hose

2006-07-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

While my hubcap story is hard to follow up, I may have surpassed that incident and reached a new level of car-retardedness this morning.

It was a routine gas station stop (at the sketchy sounding USA Gas on the corner of Barrington and San Vicente in Brentwood...."only" $3.27 per gallon by the way, which is sadly considered a good deal in today's high gas price world); I swipe my credit card, fill up the pump, smear my windshield with the dirty squigee, and continue on my way, when Kuh-RUMP!!

"No, not another hubcap-loosening pothole!!" I think. A quick look back shows the gas station grounds to be pothole-less. I figure another car must have made the noise and pull out onto the road. I drive along Barrington Ave in Brentwood for about two blocks when this motorcyclist wildly gestures towards me. I roll down my window and he tells me that I forgot to replace the pump back in the gas pump before leaving the gas station.

Mildly embarrassed, I thank him as I imagine the hose still laying on the ground of the gas station. I start rolling up my window while pondering if I should turn around to replace the hose back into the pump. He repeats "No, I said 'you left the pump in your car before leaving!'"

I pull over to find the pump still attached to the gas tank of my car and about 5 feet of hose trailing along on the ground; I didn't gun out of the gas station but had somehow ripped the ENTIRE hose from the main pump. . I wish I had my camera to capture the absurd visual of what I had just done. With as much dignity as I could muster, I unattach the pump from my car, close my gas cap and start gathering the hose to scoop it up into my trunk.

Fearing I was about to swipe the hose in a hose swipe'n'run, (seriously, what the hell am I going to do with half a gas pump?) the bike-riding good samaritan goes on to say "I witnessed the whole thing and followed you as you drove off, the owner wants me to tell you that he isn't mad at you but he just wants his hose back" and actually follows me back to the gas station to make sure I return the hose.

Already red with embarrassment as I cradle the remains of the gas pump in my arms and apologetically offer the torn remains back to the gas station owner. I notice the reproach in his eyes and a second layer of fiery blush hit my cheeks as I realize I've been mistaken as a sneaky attempted gas pump stealer.

Annual Ideal Summer Beach Day: BBQ'ing and Surfing @ San Onofre

2006-07-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

We had our annual Ideal Summer Beach Day at San Onofre this past weekend. It's our typical 12hr day of surfing, bbq'ing, surfing, napping, bbq'ing, surfing and repeat at the San O State Beach just south of San Clemente. This is our 4th summer San Onofre outing, so we should have had it down, but without our usual access to our various friends' pick-up truck, grill or sun umbrellas, we had to get all our essentials from scratch this time.

Luckily, it's pretty easy--and cheap--to get everything you need for a full-on beach day. Besides an initial sun umbrella shortage panic, pre-beach shopping went without a hitch--6 Targets, Kmart, Sport Mart and Big 5 were all out, they've apparently moved on to fall stock...who knew trying to buy summer stuff in the middle of summer was considered way too slacker-late?

BEACH STAPLES:
Sun Umbrellas: $9.99 each at Savon OR go big like we did with the 10x10 beach canopy, also at Savon: $20
Grill: $15 @ Target
(Awesome Target also has a $15 dollar Boche Ball set which suckered me in)
Charcoal: $5 for Natural Wood Chips at Trader Joes, but in retrospect, I'd go the for the lighter fluid doused charcoal which although unhealthier, will actually light up so you can actually bbq)

While we trek down to San O every summer for its warm, slow-rollin' Hawaii-like waves to make us feel like better surfers, a huge part of our annual beach day is the food. Kristy (maker of juicy homemade turkey burgers, refreshing bean salad, bbq roasted corn and yams) is usually the resident San O chef but since she was driving down from San Francisco, the culinary duties were nervously passed down to me.

Stocking up at Trader Joes, Ralphs and Vons, our cooler was filled with homemade feta/sundried tomato/olive stuffed turkey burgers, seasame buns, condiments, fresh lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes to garnish the burger, corn & sweet potatoes for roasting, chilled watermelon, strawberries and grapes, pita chips with artichoke-parmesan dip, Kristy's three bean, daikon and tomato salad, marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers for s'mores and thermosed mexican hot chocolate (which all worked out to be roughly only $15 per person). Yes, did I mention a huge part of our annual beach day is the food?

We started the day late so didn't get there until 11:45am (and the actual beach till 1pm--tip: get there early, the policy is one car leaving, one car entry which is fine if you arrive like we normally do at 9am, but be prepared for an hour wait if you arrive anytime after). The permanent thatch umbrellas and bonfire pits were already taken but we quickly set up our beachside camp along the strip of sand about 20 steps from the water's edge. Motivated by hitting the surf (Kristy and I) and hitting the magazines while laying in the sun (Chaya and Chrissy), we contructed our beach canopy in 10 minutes. With dusty cliffs blocking the view of the freeway and a mellow beach vibe full of old-timers riding 15ft longboards with their grandchildren, bonfiring families and friends and warm, gidget-friendly waves, San Onofre feels like a throwback to a '60's era Annette Funicello Disney Movie type beach.

We lazed away our beachy afternoon in the water, snacking on our bbq eats (I must brag my turkey burgers were surprisingly really good) and lolling about in the warm sun and stayed for the 8:30pm sunset before ending our Ideal Summer Beach Day until next year.

San Onofre State Beach
Basic Info: http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers/foghorn/ca_beach3.htm
Surf Info: http://www.surfline.com/travel/surfmaps/surfspot.cfm?id=556
Cost: $10 Entrance Fee, Gas from LA, elaborate bbq spread, cooler, sun-umbrella's etc=$35 per person.

Tressed for the Runway: Pubic Hair Fashion Show

2006-07-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, an event will come up that's just too intriguing to pass up. And even better, when you go with all your high-expectations, the night actually holds up and exceeds set expecations. Last night's under-the-radar body art fashion show was one such event.

Artist Stefan Monzon's fashion show-style human exhibit IT'S WHAT'S ON THE OUTSIDE THAT COUNTS promised to be all about pubic hair coiffeurs. Yep, that's right. A high-style couture-conscious runway show with models sans designer duds 'dressed' down below. Complete with hair extensions and embellishments, and 'set' for the runway with holding sprays and gels. Definitely too good to miss.

The event was held at California Market Center in downtown L.A.'s fashion district (site of other more heavily-clothed runway shows during Fashion Week). This being a show where the audience would probably liked to be slightly liquored up, the smart organizers had an open bar with wine/beer/appetizers for 45mins prior to the show, giving plenty of time for the mish-mash of artsy peeps, hipster dudes and dudettes and a very, well, surprisingly normal crowd to get their drink on.

And the show...to strut-friendly DJ beats, one by one, the nude yet very 'decorated' models walked the catwalk with the 'down below decor' getting more elaborate with each outing. These weren't some fancy stencilled Brazilian wax-type grooming job, but artistic, full-fledged 3D hair sculptings, that:
SMOKED (model #1, a sassy Rosario Dawson lookalike with matching gold nipple rings and a smattering of sexy tattoos strutted out with a multi-colored dyed hairpiece embedded with a smoldering incense stick)
INVOLVED PUPPETRY (a Medusa-esque model came out with coiled-hair snakes slithering from her netheregions and underarms, with the help of attached strings which she manipuated down the runway)
FEATURED A PIRATE (MAYBE) (a straw-like figure holding a sword that may or may not have been a pirate attached to the frontal area of a brunette)
AND ENDED WITH LITERAL FANFARE (the last model's 4ft peacock feathers fanned in and out like an accordian as she spun down the catwalk in all her teal-green glory)

Other notable 'pieces' included a blonde with a blue trident and matching thunderbolt tattoo and a leggy, double-blonde wigged model with mermaid-like hair down to her waist...and also hair down to her knees.

After the pube-spectacle, we contemplated the Downtown Standard and Golden Golpher bars nearby, but hunger got the best of us and my date for the night and I ended up grabbing sushi (post-pubes sushi...refraining from any jokes of poor taste here) and pie on the way home instead.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the show, no cameras were permitted so I don't have any accompanying photos.

Feeling Happy in Venice: Chaya Venice Happy Hour

2006-07-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

I really like Chaya Venice's menu during their regular hours, and have been wanting to check out their 5-7pm sushi happy hour menu--when both their prices and wait for a table are significantly reduced--for a while.

A couple weeks ago, after working up an appetite biking around the Venice canals, my friend Andrew suggested to bike north to Chaya Venice. While not stuffy, the restaurant and bar--located on the Venice/S.M. border of Main Street & Navy--is definitely more Santa Monica stylie than Venice boho, but happy hour inherently has a level of casualness about it and we felt totally comfortable bursting into the restaurant at 6:55pm dressed in our casual hoodies and shorts. We got lucky with two seats at the sushi bar with 4 more happy hour minutes to take advantage of.

The happy hour menu is concise (a dozen roll and appetizer options) and super-cheap (nothing is over $4). We ordered spicy tuna tartar, edamame, albacore sashimi salad, chef's special roll (salmon and asparagus inside-out roll, which was ok but would have been better if it was raw salmon instead of baked) and Andrew recommended the potato leek miso soup. I wouldn't have normally picked out the soup from the menu, but it ended up being my surprise favorite. Filled with chunky starchy japanese potatoes and leeks, the flavorful soup was both hearty and refreshing. And the spicy tuna tartar was also tasty enough (enough kick, not too mayonaise-y) to warrant another order.

(Both dishes are way more appetizing-looking than how I captured them with my poor camera skills)

Our entire meal plus a bottle of hot sake ($12) cost $36 inc. tip for the both of us (...that's maybe the cost of one appetizer and one main during regular hours.) Happy Hour indeed! The only complaint is that it could be an even happier hour if Chaya Venice also included drink specials to go along with the discounted sushi.

Cheap high quality sushi--needless to say, I'm hooked. My only problem is finding other non-office minded friends to enjoy happy hour with at a time when you'd still normally be just leaving work....enter my felllow freelancer friend, Carrie. Although we've each managed to fit in a multi-week overseas vacation with some extra carefree weeks at home to spare, we still fear that constant tick of the office clock lifestyle looming closer, so our current plan is to take advantage of early happy hours while we still can.

We each got a raspberry mojito ($9) while we waited for a seat. We got pretty much the same as what I ordered with Andrew, minus the chef special and plus the spicy tuna rolls and I also introduced her to the potato-leek soup (which also pleasantly surprised her).

While there aren't happy hour dessert specials, their Banana, Banana, Banana ($9) is worth ordering regardless. Consisting of three different forms of sweet banana (chocolate-dipped frozen banana sitting on homemade banana ice-cream with fresh berries on top of a warmed banana tart), the dessert really is three times the pleasure without crossing over to banana overload.

This time, our non-HH additions (raspberry-mojito's and triple banana sensation) added happiness to our happy hour at a still very reasonable $60. Mmm, so much good eatin' to be had before 7pm!

Chaya Venice
110 Navy St, Venice
310/396-1179
Happy Hour: Everyday 5-7PM
www.thechaya.com

Independence Day S'mores: 4th of July Bonfire'n'Fireworks at Dockweiler Beach

2006-07-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

4th of July really is all about BBQ's, beachtime and fireworks right? Having s'more's around a bonfire doesn't hurt either.

Beach-bunny buds, El and Jess and myself were highly prepped for our bonfire'n'fireworks plans at Dockweiler Beach by LAX. Armed with our backpacks full of marshmallow's, graham crackers, skewers and a thermos of cranberry-vodka, we skated our way north from Manhattan Beach boardwalk at sunset to meet our friends who had already secured a prime firework-viewing fire-pit spot at the beach.

Ahh, toasting marshmallows by the glow of a blazing beach fire while watching fireworks--even forgetting the all-important chocolate for the s'mores didn't put a damper to our night. Well, not too much of a damper for us dessert-perfectionists.

(To busy watching them to take good firework pics)

As the fireworks and supply of cranberry-vodka ended at 10PM, we came to the sobering realization that we had no way to get home. The unlit path was too dark for us not to eat it on our wheeled transportation (skates, blades and skateboard) on the way back, so we walked. And walked. And consoled ourselves that all this unexpected exercise (or 'death mile' as Jess called it) more than negated the multiple s'mores we had inhaled earlier. Oh, then we walked some more.

50 minutes, 2 miles, and 3 pairs of tired and dirty flip-flopped feet later, we finally made it to the northern edge of Manhattan Beach. We spotted a cab and blissfully watched the 30 more blocks of walking we didn't have to do go by as we rode back to my apt.

Ah, the end of a lovely beachy, bonfirey 4th of July. Well, not quite. We bust out the forgot chocolate along with the other ingreidents and fire up my gas stove so we could finish off the night properly with proper chocolately s'mores. mmmm....

Marshmallows: $3.35
Skewers: $1.99
Cadbury Roasted Almond chocolate (a little thick but tastier than Hershey's and the nuts add a twist): $1.68
Honey Graham Crackers: $2.98
Cab Ride Home: $6

Ah, lovely beachy, bonfirey night for $16 even.

Beck...& Bugolgi: Finding Post-Concert Eats Near the Wiltern

2006-06-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Chrissy and I went to see Beck at the historic Wiltern on Wednesday night. Several weeks ago, I had logged on ticketmaster at exactly 4.00pm with multiple windows open desperately trying to score precious pre-sale tickets before they sold out. After 7 carpel tunnel-syndrome inducing minutes of hitting the 'best available' button over and over again, I got through and got the tix.

That was the easy part.

The hard part was now that I'd acquired the tix for the 8pm show, where, oh where to have dinner walking distance to middle-of-nowhere Wiltern along Mid-Wilshire?

Sure, there's Denny's next door. Ha! Never! (yes, I freely admit to being an anti-Denny's snob) and on the other spectrum, the operatically snazzy Opus attached to the Wiltern (but really, which Wiltern concert-goers want to pep up for a concert with dignified, white-tableclothed, 4-star eats beforehand?) Being thisclose to Korea Town, we decided we should take advantage of some kim-chee'd delights. There are scores of potentially really yummy Korean restaurants nearby, however, to unintiated K-Towners such as myself and Chrissy, who knew if 'Young Dong' or 'Bok Duk Bong Bakery' (restaurants that came up on citysearch.com with no additional helpful descriptions) were good choices or not?

Our hemming-and-hawing resulted in us switching to post-concert dinner plans instead me and me having to buy a white peach at the Ralphs next door (which I snuck in for a healthy concert snack) before rushing into the concert. Late-night dinners usually isn't a prob since many K-Town spots are open 24hrs or at least until 2am. We decided on BCD Tofu House, a proven spot post-clubbing spot we've tested before at 2am, a couple blocks away. In addition to their bbq'ed meat dishes, they have this tasty tofu, veggie and meat filled spicy kim-chee soup so hot you're given a raw egg to drop in (which cooks in a second).

Alas, for some reason it was closed, we wandered into a random spot called Speedy Zone, a random tented late-night spot about 5 blocks W of the Wiltern, north side. (Clean and good food but hole-in-a-wall enough that I can't find any more exact info listed on google, yellowpages or 411 on it). Each table came with a 'cook-it-yourself' bbq grill. We ordered the bugolgi (grilled garlic beef) we asked if the waitress could cook it for us, then felt immediately guilty at our laziness while watching her grill our meat for us. One order of the heaping plate of raw beef accompanied with a bowl of rice and the usual sidedish suspects (glass noodles, pickled cabbage, seaweed, friend tofu) was more than enough for the both of us. $17 for everything.

The remains of our 1am dinner. (I had my camera to take pic's of the delicious-looking food but we were too busy eating and forgot until we were done.)

BCD Tofu House (with their great tofu side dishes, tender beef and hot kimchee soup) would still be my top pic for my next Wiltern outing. but Speedy Zone was good, and while not amazing, still a solid choice over the corner Dennys for pre or post-concert noshing.

Oh, and Beck? His awesomeness doesn't need a concert review, I've seen him 3 times and he always puts on amazing live performances; Beck's show involved elaborate mini-Beck dancing puppets, bear costumes, a honky-tonk version of Travolta/Newton-John hit, "All That I Want' with Cia and two encores covering everything from 'Loser' to 'Lost Cause' to Guero's 'Girl'...in other words, a perfect combo of crowd-pleasing favorites, melancholy acoustic solos and dance-happy new tunes.

Thanks again for the Beck concert birthday present Chrissy!

Sandy Downdogging: Aaron Reed's Sunset Beach Yoga Class

2006-06-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

I have been in quite the vacation mode for the last month...first literally, for just over 2 weeks adventuring among Mayan ruins and Caribbean waters (Belize and Guatemala) at the beginning of the month, and then spending the last 2 weeks accomplishing the mellow mindset of a prolonged, post-vacation high--but not accomplishing much else (ahem, hence the one month blog break)

Anyway, today I did my part to cling onto that after-vacation buzz by taking a free sunset beach yoga class. I found the flyer after my flow yoga class with music (more Jack Johnson and Sade, less New Agey gong & sitar music) at exhale spa earlier in the week (Monday's activity to simulate a vacation mindset).

The idea of downdogging while watching the sunset sounded lovely. So did the $0 cost. (Vacationing more than working has its price)

View While Downdog'ing

Kristy and I arrived to the yoga 'studio' at the patch of sand where Rose Ave meets the ocean in Venice at 7:30pm. Taking advantage of the beachy elements, instructor Aaron Reed had our 30 person group of beachside yoga'ers start with light stretching on our beach towels, folowed by back and forth pacing along the water's edge while inhaling and exhaling to the rhythm of the waves' ebb and flow, practicing basic poses such as pigeon and triangle pose while utilizing the incline of the sand to help aid our postures and picking up sand and dribbling it between our fingertips while performing sun salutations.

At the mercy of Mother Nature, a few of us got our legs wet when caught out in downdog pose by a big, fast-moving wave and the class ended prematurely just before 8:30pm when the fading last light disappeared after sundown.

Although you can choose to cool down with a night ocean swim, since we didn't exactly work up a sweat during the class--it's more a scenic mental break with body movements for an hour than a tough workout session--Kristy and I skipped out on the post-yoga skinny-dipping session and grabbed dinner instead (Musha--yummy Japanese pub-style food on Santa Monica & 5th).

The beachy environment was a beautiful way to enjoy yoga, and the class definitely gave me enough of a mental holiday to stretch out my waning vacation high for one more day.

You too can enjoy practicing sun salutations to the actual sun while watching it sink into the Pacific! There are two more classes this summer for Aaron's 5th annual Beach Yoga summer series.

Thursday, June 29th, 7:30pm-last light
Wednesday, July 19th, 7:30pm-last light

Just show up at the water's edge at the intersection of Rose Ave and the Pacific Ocean in Venice. No yoga mats necessary, bring a beach towel to sit on so sand doesn't go in uncomfy places as you stretch, a hoodie to counteract the chilly beach breeze and an optional bathing suit underneath your regular yoga outfit--prepare or go bare.

For more info, you can contact www.exhalespa.com

Help Please! I Need '30 Things To Do Before I'm 30'

2006-05-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

I know only about 2 of you (woo-hoo LK & CK!) regularly skim through sunny days a la mode, but I need your input. Lots of input. Yes, even from you, "random web-surfer who accidently landed on my page while googling for 'korean ladies in black underwear spa treatments'" person. (I know, it's really weird that my blog shows up first on google ahead of lots of asian porn for that particular search, and if that's what you were expecting, I'm sorry to disappoint).

Anyway, it's my 29th birthday in about three weeks. I'm not feeling anxiously old despite being only 365 + 21 or so days away from the big three-oh.

Especially as I feel in the last year or so that I've definitely regressed to acting more like a 22yr old than when I actually was 22yrs old; I like to think I'm finally mature enough to handle having dyed blue-tipped hair, a disregard for the 9-6 corporate world, a schedule of bar-hopping on multiple 'school nights' and finding nothing wrong with ordering Papa John's two large pizza specials all to myself and eating slices of hawaiian pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner all week to prolong going on a grocery run.

However, 30 is still considered a milestone of sorts. A milestone that should be marked by a yearlong pre-partying celebration of doing things I want to do.

Inspired by my friend Meriam, already a 29'er--who has 4 more months to accomplish her list--I want to make a '30 Things To Do Before I'm 30' List.

Now, these 30 things are supposed to be a LESS 'Open an IRA Because What Irresponsible 30yr Old Wouldn't Have Done That' and MORE 'Good Excuse To Buy Hot Red Stiletto's Because It's On My List Of Things To Do' (one of Meriam's 30 things to cross off) type of list.

I don't know if it's because I'm faced with so many possibilities--or that I live a pretty hedonistic (yet tame) life...the things I find hedonistically fun just happen to be pretty mild...already full of travel, food, the beach and memories of sky-diving, sleeping over in a french castle, spending a day at MJ's Neverland Ranch and other dubious 'once in a lifetime' things--but I'm finding it surprisingly hard to come up with 'things'.

So far, I only have 7 things on my list.

So, from the practical (go out and buy 3 new outfits so I'll be ever ready for a last-minute interview, cocktail party--and most importantly--a hot date), mundane (get a group of friends to go to a cemetery screening this summer), random (successfully convince a friend to visit South Dakota with me to check out Mt. Rushmore and the state's annual mashed potato wrestling contest!), ambitious (run from Manhattan Pier to Hermosa Pier and back again within 45 mins) and very ambitious (host a dinner party for friends with actual edible food that I cooked), any suggestions are WELCOME, WANTED, NEEDED!

So, if you have a moment, and a random idea, please leave me a comment and let me know! '7 Things To Do Before I'm 30' just doesn't sound as catchy. THANK YOU!

Social Hollywood: Lights! Camera! Eat!

2006-05-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the pleasure of dining at the new Social Hollywood. Like my Geisha House entry, there really isn’t anything budg. about this new restaurant, bar and private club but, also like Geisha House, it was another dining experience that was well worth the moolah spent. (Well, last night I was lucky enough to attend a dinner for press so in this case, it was well worth the theoretical moolah spent).

Occupying the former space of the Hollywood Athletic Club, the downstairs bar and restaurant have been given a sophisticated Moroccan makeover—including exposing the original, 1920’s fresco ceilings, carved wooden doors refinished as dining tables, seating accented with mosaic tiles and knotted rugs, all imported from Morocco.

The dark, very adult bar to the right of the lobby—filled with deep leather chaises, 15ft long draping red curtains, hanging Moroccan glass lanterns and etched glass walls—makes me want acquire a secret lovah (or any lovah for that matter, but I’m going on a tangent) just so I can plan multiple clandestine rendez-vous in this sexy lounge.

They have golden aged, la-di-da champagne cocktails and mint juleps but I opted for the juicy Lycheewood martini followed by a pomegranate-vodka with a floating edible orchid. Lychee. Pomegranate. Floating Edible Flower. I totally got sold just by those fun-sounding words but the cocktails lived up to their enticing ingredients and were very drinkable, too drinkable….I was nearly done with both before we moved over to the dining room for dinner.

I was lucky enough to be able to invite three guests and armed with my fellow foodie friends Chrissy, Chaya and Jess, I was confident we’d pretty much explore everything on the menu.

Appetizers included the often overplayed (but not in this case) crab cakes—this ubiquitous starter stood out for its meaty density and accompanying ‘gazpacho shooter’, a shot glass of refreshing tomato/cilantro-lime infused water—beet salad (ok, but not outstanding), fancy foie gras with ‘peanut brittle’ and tasty seared scallops over ‘rabo encendido’ (oxtail stew) which sounded like an odd combo but ended up being our table’s favorite.

Portions are small (I got two scallops) but not in a bad way—they were perfectly sized so we could each order an appetizer, entrée and dessert (oh, and a side of mac and manchego cheese) to share without feeling (too) gluttonous…although we did notice the waitstaff discreetly switched out our normal-sized plates for smaller ones so all our dishes we ordered could fit on the table.

Our entrée picks included the Loup de Mer filled with fennel-leek ‘fondue’ wrapped in grape leaves, wild salmon tagine with artichokes, sunchokes and truffles, short rib tagine with Oaxacan Mole, almond-crusted pumpkin and cous-cous, and pomegranate-glazed lamb rack over creamy polenta.

Both the salmon and loup de mer were cooked just right (not overcooked at all) and flavorful without overwhelming the fish. But the meats are where its at; the lamb was super tender and was well complemented by the polenta and although all of us skipped over the short ribs on the menu and only ordered it based on the high recommendation of our waiter/skipper, Chris, the able-to-pull-apart-with-a-fork tender short ribs was another unanimous favorite. The ribs were rich and super-flavorful without being too heavy.

Since our waiter did a dead-on job with the appetizer and entrée recommendations, we had him help pick out our desserts; we settled on the Social Chocolate, a complex and dense devils food cake dessert baked with banana and nuts, a weightless almond panna cotta capped with a sliver of chocolate, baked Alaskan Pie and another pomegranate appearance, this time a Parfait with fizzy pomegranate ‘essence’ layered with crème anglais.

The food presentation was beautiful (I had my camera but was too caught up with eating to remember taking pictures) and unlike some other shi-shi spots, the quality of the food equaled the visuals.

That’s not to say there wasn’t some of the shi-shi pretensiousness present; half the menu required an international cookbook glossary—the aforementioned almond-crusted pumpkin was referred to as a ‘Calabaza’ on the menu, and thank god we didn’t want the lobster bisque en croute with Jerez and lobster knuckles or I would have had to second-guessed myself whether I should know if lobsters have knuckles before asking the waiter, or if ‘knuckles’ is just ‘fancy’ for ‘chunks of lobster meat’. We were also assigned a ‘captain’ for the night—dressed in a very Fantasy Island white jacket—which I presume whose job was to oversee our waiter and busboy and entertain us with his Fantasy Island get-up. He did a good job keeping things shipshape as our personable waiter was very knowledgeable and accurate with his recommended picks. The pricey menu would also typically set you back over $60 per person for a 3-course meal before drinks.

Upstairs is restricted to members-only but we got a little tour of the upstairs private screening room, sleek, retro-styled game room with playing card tables, plasma screens for playstation playing as well as the original 1920’s billiards table once cued up by the likes of former screen legends Errol Flynn and Rudolph Valentino and adjacent (and appropriately named) avocado-green Green Room and lush, velvety Velvet Room available for private parties.

Our night at Social Hollywood was like experiencing an idealized version of retro Hollywood with the classy sophistication and glamour of that time but with a young and unstuffy vibe. Just like the Social is making a return visit to Old Hollywood glam, we’d definitely be down for making a return visit to the Social.

Social Hollywood
6525 Sunset Blvd
323/462-5222

Finding (Milkshake) Heaven at Lucky Devils

2006-05-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I dropped by the new upscale late night diner, Lucky Devils to meet with the Lucky Devil himself--Lucky Vanous (for those who don't remember Lucky and his abs got their initial 15 minutes in those 90's Diet Coke commercials as the hot construction worker all the office ladies were drooling over).

I sat down with him with the initial plan to ask him a few questions for a profile I'm writing on his newly opened Hollywood Blvd spot but instead, ended up sampling several of his microbrews....and then tipsily sampling Lucky Devil's entire selection of homemade desserts with him (like 8 different sweet treats)...so, in this case, the devil really did make me do it.

The casual eatery serves up upscale classic American fare in an unpretentious, modern diner setting (ignore the cheesy Lucky Devils cartoon logo outside and enter into a minimalist interior with walnut counters and mod'ish white seating).

Although it's also open for lunch and dinner, the 3am closing time, alcohol-absorbing comfort food and convenient locale (stumbling distance to a bunch of clubs along Las Palmas and the Cahuenga corridor) makes Lucky Devil's a heaven-sent pit-stop to hit up after last call.

Although a tad pricey for post-clubbing grubbing--their signature bleu cheese Kobe burger is $16--hungry hipsters chowing down on the gourmet comfort food don’t seem to mind. The sinful, carb-heavy comfort food is gussied up with deluxe, organic-leaning ingredients so you can feel better about loading up on a 2:30am burger run.

There's also fancy-schmancy grilled cheese sandwiches with artisan cheddar, slow-cooked chili cheese fries and organic Cobb salad (which are more affordably priced, all between $5-10, and to be fair, you really should be splitting the substantial Kobe burger at that time of the night, which would make it a more reasonable $8).And if you come before last call, they've got a bunch of microbrews and organic wines to pick from.

Desserts are courtesy of former AOC pastry chef, Karla Lomeli--I tried everything, including Meyer lemon cupcakes, Kentucky buttermilk cake with cream cheese frosting, organic apple crumble and steamed chocolate cake with vanilla-cinnamon 'goo'--and they all taste as good as they look.

But if you only have $5 left in your pocket, forget spending it on fries ($4.95) or splitting the Kobe burger between three of you ($5.33 each)...or even saving it for drunken cab fare afterwards for that matter. Spend it on their amazing Toasted Pecan frozen custard shake with Madagascar-vanilla flecked frozen custard ($4.95)

Perfectly thick, not overly sweet, flavorfully pecan'y, mildly custardy and subtlely vanilla'y. If you blew your cab fare on my recommendation, I stand by it. The frozen custard shake is worth the walk.

Lucky whipped me up a shake on Monday night and I made a return visit with a girlfriend on Thursday night just to suck down more of that sublime-tasting shake. And I can't wait to party along Las Palmas just so we can end the night with a Toasted Pecan flavored nightcap afterwards. It's that good

Lucky Devils
6613 Hollywood Blvd
323.465.8259

Bikram Yoga: Sweating for $20

2006-05-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

After a long weekend in the desert (coachella festival), on a whim, I decided to drop in a bikram yoga class to detox a little. I didn't know much about Bikram--I've taken regular yoga and had heard it's similar, just hotter (the room is set to 110 degrees)--the thought of sweatily stretching in a steamy room with other sweaty stretchers didn't sound totally awesome but I was curious enough to try it once.

A drop-in class is $15 but the Bikram Yoga/Manhattan Beach Studio is currently offering a $20 special for first-timers. For only $5 more, students get to free classes for 10 consecutive days.

Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 poses. The first pose is really just deep breathing with your hands clasped under your chin....by my 3rd deep breath, sweat is already dripping down my nose. And all I can think is "crap, i shouldn't have signed up for the $20 deal".

Even seemingly simple poses (stretching from side to side with your arms above your head, curled up in a ball on the ground) create gushes of sweat and my towel, tank top and shorts are drenched 10 minutes into the class. The guy next to me is wearing swimtrunks that are dripping like he just stepped out of a pool so I don't feel so self-conscious about my droplets of sweat rolling down my glistening arms.

The 90 minutes goes by pretty fast; a sweaty blur of pretzel-like poses and agonizing 'savasana's (laying down relaxed pose) --agonziing because I struggle to not close my eyes and pass out in the relaxing pose. Near the end, I start feeling a little light-headed and sit down for a quick break.

Afterwards, I approach the yoga instructor "is it normal to feel--"
"dizzy and nauseous? absolutely. You'll get used to it and it'll go away"

Hhhmm, I'm not sure if I want to pursue something that is supposed to make me feel sick but later that night, I felt really energetic and peppy and since I signed up for the 10 day sessions...why not get used to feeling dizzy for 10 more days?

Taking advantage of the special, I've gone 4 times this week; it's strangely cathartic and relaxing despite the intense work out and I don't even mind the lightheadedness that much.

I'm only half way through the 10 day session but have already noticed that my 'tight jeans' aren't so tight anymore---I don't know if it's the 1/2 gallon of water-weight I've been losing every day or the fact that you have to work out on an empty stomach (or you'll feel even more nauseous) has forced me to stop my all day grazing at least a few hours before the class.

The only downside is--with all my sweaty work out clothes and towels--I've also had to do laundry 4 times this week.

To find out more about the $20 deal, call 310:802-0225 or log onto http://www.mbeachyoga.com/
3618 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach

Vacationing in a Hammock in West L.A.

2006-04-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

The genesis of our vacation started over drinks (naturally), when Noah innocently mentioned he was a whizz in the kitchen and would be happy to whip up a meal for us at some point in time. Not one to turn down an offer for a well-cooked meal--no matter how vague of an offer--I pounced with questions (demands) "Really? When? Do you make everything from scratch? What do you want to make for us? How about this weekend?"
"Sure, I just need a theme"
After pondering a Hubcap Themed Night (in honor of my tire woes...see below), we decided the novelty of eating round-shaped items might wear off somewhere between the homemade mini-pizza appetizers and donut desserts. Then, inspiration hit; I announced I wanted to feel like I was on vacation, a vacation that involved a hammock.

"Vacation in a Hammock" dinner party was born!

Luckily coming up with a theme was the only contribution expected out of me...I wasn't even asked to bring chips and Trader Joe's artichoke-parmesan dip (my go-to staple when expected to bring a somewhat 'fancy' party snack) to the tropical-inclined soiree.

Chef Noah, took care of everything... yay, guests weren't even expected to politely offer the obligatory "um, do you need me to help wash the veggies?" type menial cooking tasks, instead, he threw together a couple of mojitos (with homemade peppermint tea brewed syrup and fresh sprigs of mint) and ushered us to chitchat in the living room while he cooked away...only taking a short break to fondle the boob of our life-sized hula girl.Chef Noah's hammock-inspired menu included shrimp & mango skewers, steak with homemade chimchurri sauce (which I could have drank, it was so good) and fried plaintains.mm-mmm! Tobie Sims waits impatiently for scraps to fall onto the floor and into his mouth but alas, the food was too tasty so there are no scraps left on our plates for our hungry hula dog. Aahh, delish food and a dinner party with leis and a coconut monkey centerpiece for ambience--we pretty much captured the essence of vacationing in a hammock.

With our bellies full, we wondered out loud why we didn't go all out and hang a bunch of hammocks in Cira's living room to pass out on.

I don't know how much the food was (thank you again Noah) but it's good to know that you need less than $20 to recreate the ambience of Vacationing In A Hammock at home (Party City rocks):
Leis: 99c each
Life-sized Hula Girl with moveable joints: $4.95
Coconut Monkey: $6.95

Saints & Sinners & Local 72/Pussycat Beach Lounge: Denying Drinks at 'Sybil'esque Bars

2006-04-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

For our monthly ‘catch up over drinks’ night last Friday, Carrie and I wanted a)BUDGET (her 5hr after-work drink-a-thon in Studio City the night before ended with an $80 cab ride back to Venice—damn the far off Valley!) and b)RELATIVELY MELLOW (my 5hr after-work stint up to Santa Barbara for a concert and back the night before ended with only 4hrs sleep so I could get to work on time in the Valley the next day—damn the far off Valley!)

We found two split-personalitied bars that (sort of) fit our criteria. We also inadvertently found a third underlaying theme to the night, c)A NIGHT OF TRYING TO DENY FREE DRINKS

We started at Saints & Sinners in Culver City. The kitschy ‘heaven’n’hell’ themed bar is pretty slick for the nondescript, no-man’s-land strip along Venice Blvd but also has a little bit of the Eastside Silverlake grit to balance it out. It was only 7:30pm but the bar was already pretty happening with a random mix of locals, party-hardy happy hour dudes and stylishly grungy Venice crowd. Perhaps the layout is an indication of how well the bar knows it’s crowd; save for the tiny, silvery-white, semi-private back room (Heaven), the Hell’ish area of the bar—with it’s brimstone-evoking indoor firepit and curvy, black vinyl seating—takes up the main lounge area, and is appropriately filled with the more rowdy hell-raisin’ patrons.

Happy Hour was still going on ($1 off drinks) but I had recently profiled the bar for thetipjar.com and awesome owner/bartender Chip took care of our first round...even better! He does a good pour—filling glasses with plenty more of the sinful stuff than the tonic. Drinks are reasonably-priced; vodka tonics around $6, signature drinks around $9…you pay a couple more dollars for their witty names (Evil Dewars, Holy Water, Hellfire). The bar takes drinking way too seriously to serve food but they do carry a few take-out menus. We were handed a Thai Express menu--not in the mood to mix green curry with vodka, we regretfully declined partaking in another free round to appease our growling bellies.

Saints and Sinners is Sybil in a good way: kitschy yet edgy, casual yet sexy, mellow yet loud, neighborhoody yet trendy, a scene without being sceney.

Next up, Carrie suggested the new bar Nick’s Local 72 Market (you can detect the Sybil-ness of the bar even by the mouthful of a name it has). It’s located right near the beach in Venice in the former space of the Globe. They’ve revamped the space and knocked down some walls to add video murals of palm trees whispering in the wind and other beachy vibes yet has kept Globe’s industrial feel with lofty ceilings, exposed beams and minimalist clean lines. Above the bar area, 3 huge flat screens were airing a baseball game. With the clashing sportsbar/casual beach bar/trendy Hollywood’ish club elements going on simultaneously—it’s hard to tell what exactly Nick’s Local 72 Market wants to be.

But we were too hungry to be concerned with the confused aesthetics of the bar. We grabbed a window seat and immediately ooh’ed and aah’ed over the tasty and cheap food menu. We decided to share waffle fries with a trio of sauces (the bleu cheese suckered us in but the spicy ketchup was also good), spicy buffalo wings (again, the yummy bleu cheese sauce) and a refreshing seafood ceviche with a really good lime dressing. Each item was only $7 or under.

Totally focused on our conversation and rotation of fries/wings/ceviche, we were totally caught off guard when our waitress hesitantly comes over to us offering a bucket of champagne and strawberries “uh, this guy over there wanted to buy you a drink…” Silence as Carrie and I both weighed out in our minds if the free champagne was worth having to talk to a sketchy, cheesy dude. “um…thanks we guess….is he weird?”. Her raised eyebrow and slight shrug indicated that yes, he was. But she assured us that he was as harmless as he was weird. That was good enough for us! Besides Carrie was done with her white wine and my strawberry lemonade vodka concoction was too sweet so we needed new drinks anyway. We endured a 2 minute weird but harmless conversation with the weird but harmless dude before he shuffled away (without either of our phone numbers if anyone's wondering!)

When the manager came over to uncork out bottle, he mentioned that the newly opened lounge (April 1st) was originally going to be called Pussycat Beach but they ended up with 72 Market (the address), added the Local (presumably to keep some street cred with the Venice peeps) and then also Nick’s (coincidently Nick is the name of the main investor).

We proceeded to people-watch as the crowd got less Local 72 and more Pussycat Beach as the night wore on; it’s the only place in Venice I’ve been too with stilettos with short shorts combos, stilettos with booby halter dresses and stilettos and sequiny tube tops. It was amazing enough just seeing stilettos instead of flipflops but at the stroke of 11pm, we had somehow transported ourselves from mellow sportsbar/beachy bar/mellow Hollywoody lounge to Avalon on a Saturday night.

Simulated lapdancing (halter dress & stiletto girl) and drugged-out, trance-dancing (hippy’ish curly head guy) were both happening within 5 ft of our table.

Somehow though, the fantastically ridiculous Sybil’ness of it all—confused atmosphere, confusing name and cheesy yet entertaining clientele such as hoochie mamas in laidback Venice and clientele who actually send buckets of champagne and strawberries—all came together and it worked. Maybe just for that night, but we had a great time. And for the drinks that we did pay for, along with the food, our total bill was only $40.

When you add the extra 2hrs of people-watching entertainment, we definitely got a bargain, if not entirely mellow, night for only for $20 each!

Saints & Sinners: 10899 Venice Blvd. 310.842.8066 www.SaintsandSinnerslounge.net
Nick’s Local 72 Market: 72 Market St, Venice

Valley Girl Part 2: Cutting the Cheese in Studio City

2006-04-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

In addition to being the strip mall mecca of sublime sushi, Ventura Blvd has also satisfied another of my food loves.

Unlike other areas of life where there’s good cheesy (John Hughes flicks, 80’s song sensations Careless Whisper & 99 Luft Balloons), bad cheesy (pick up lines, men driving yellow ferrari’s) and beyond redemption cheesy (The Hoff's music video) when it comes to actual cheese, all cheese is good cheese.

Look out for Artisan Cheese Gallery’s cute little yellow storefront on the corner of Laurel Canyon & Ventura. Inside, the cheese emporium showcases a staggering selection of over 300 revolving artisan cheese options. Here, when you ask for goat cheese, is it cranberry chevre, bleu cheese chevre, chevre with peppercorns, raw goat cheese, Italian, French, Spain or Indiana plain goat cheese, paprika chevre or applewood smoked log chevre? You get the idea.

Much like a classy wine store, the staff can also help guide wannabe cheese connoisseurs with samples to broaden their cheese horizons. Just tell them what you like, and they’ll offer up samples of likeminded cheeses to complement your taste.

Although it must be noted that expertise doesn't come cheaply. The prices are unmarked so I don’t know if it’s indicative of prices across the board, but while you can get a chunk of the lovely, buttery St. Andre triple-cream brie, at $25/lb, you can also get a slice-of-pie sized wedge of it at Trader Joe’s for about $4.50.

Their cheese sandwiches however are a bargain. Hearty-sized grilled panini’s on substantial pain de mie Breadbar bread, choices include roast beef with red onion jam, mixed greens and 3 blue cheese spread, grilled red pepper, artichokes, olive tapanade and asiago on kalamata bread, and applewood smoked bacon, sage, roasted gala apples and Ballard Farm cheddar (they’re big enough to eat half for lunch and save half for later, but the applewood bacon sandwich was so good, I downed the entire first half while still driving back to eat at my desk).

All for $8.95! But that’s not all! It also comes with a choice of small organic salad or hot & sweet pickles and a raspberry chocolate truffle. A three-course take-out lunch for less than $10!

See? Everything cheese-related=good.

"Is that a keg in your pants? 'Cause I'd love to tap that ass"

Cheesy everything else=not so much.

The Artisan Cheese Gallery
12023 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
Phone: 818-505-0207

PSA: Check Your FlyAway Hubcap is Really Yours; or Pothole Warning to Drivers along Glendale Blvd & Bellevue

2006-04-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night, I was driving home from Silverlake after drinks (Cha Cha Lounge--$1.50 happy hour Pabst!), more drinks (Silverlake Wine Shop winetasting night-$12 for 3 generous half-glasses of syrah) and dinner (Gingergrass; a semi-authentic, hipster-filled Vietnamese spot with a big selection of summer rolls) and driving along Glendale Blvd towards the 101 onramp when BOOM! phiissshhhhh...fuh-lump, fuh-lump, fuh-lump.

I flew over a giant pothole! Giant, as in I could have laid down in it with my futon.

It was 11pm and I was thisclose to the freeway and my bed, that I was tempted to carry on driving but thought I should inspect the damage before driving 80 mph for 30 more miles.

Darn. My front right tire was a sorry saggy puddle, the metal rim of my wheel was bent up and my hubcap had bounced off. I thudded to the nearest gas station and attempted to pump air into my tire in vain. The air was whizzing out of the hole as fast as I was filling the tire.

Changing my tire was the last thing I wanted to do at 11pm in a semi-sketchy area of town so yes, I actually fished around my car to find an old plastic shopping bag and bits of paper to try and 'plug' up the hole. Stuffing my wheel with rubbish from my back seat didn't work (surprise) so I decided to make a house-call to my brother who's apt. is only a few blocks away. I remembered to backtrack along Glendale Blvd. so I could pick up my missing hubcap along the way.

Back at my brother's apt, I changed my tire, and by that, I mean, I diligently held the flashlight for my brother's roommate and friend while they changed my tire (thanks heaps Matt and Tony!!). The stubborn lug nuts sealed tightly with grease took a while to loosen and the ghetto handcrank-style jack that came with my car also posed problems so it probably took a good hour to put on the spare.

Finally! Just after midnight, Matt tightened the last screw and I ceremoniously took out my flyaway hubcab to pop it back in....when Matt goes "um, there's a Toyota logo on your hubcap..."

I own a VW Beetle.

How did I get the wrong hubcap? I picked up the first (and only) hubcap I saw during my drive-by. How was I to suspect there'd be a bevy of hubcap casulties along Glendale Blvd?

I woke up early the next morning to drive by the same two block stretch along Glendale Blvd between Bellevue & Temple when A-Ha! I found my lone hubcap near a sewer grate about 10 ft from the pothole. blocking morning rush-hour traffic, I pull my car to the side and run out to fetch a...Alfa Romeo hubcap?!

If you are an Alfa Romeo or Toyota owner who accidently picked up a VW hubcap when looking for yours, please email me to arrange a hubcap exchange! (I was so flustered by the abundance of hubcaps, that I forgot to take them out of my car and back onto the Glendale curb for the rightful owners to pick them up--and for that, I apologize.)

Until then, I'll be the one driving around in a ghetto-fab looking VW Beetle with an exposed, slow-leaking right front tire.

Valley Girl Part 1:...like, totally awesome Sushi!

2006-04-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Maybe it’s the sweltering heat, abundant strip malls, being over the hill, or the general bad rep of being home to all three, but I’ve never been a fan of The Valley. It just seems so far to drive…only to end up in the Valley.

Before last month, I’ve never had a reason to explore the joys of Studio City's Ventura Blvd before, however, in the past 6wks—since I started a freelance office gig at the Universal Studio lot—I’ve begrudgingly become a “valley girl” (but only from 9am-6pm).

At first I resisted participating in anything Valley-related—even bringing my own lunch to eat at my desk instead of leaving the lot—but after going stir-crazy at my desk, I’ve slowly ventured on Ventura…and have been pleasantly surprised.
Most of my Valley pleasure really has to do with food, because a) all my 818 area code exploring is limited to lunchtime hours and b) well, isn’t everything got to do with food?
Just the sheer sushi joint per square block ratio is impressive, doubly so when the majority are also above par and all really reasonable.

My first sushi outing was at Katsu-ya Sushi, the granddaddy of sublime strip mall sushi joints. Yum crispy-rice cakes topped with jalapeno spicy tuna, which has since been replicated at a pricier cost at more shi-shi spots including Geisha House, Koi and Yi to name a few. We also had their crab soy-paper handrolls, spicy albacore sashimi with crispy onions and artistic cucumber-wrapped, spicy tuna & avocado plate. The only miss was the ‘peanut brittle’ looking plate of fried almond-crusted scallops, which looked way cooler than they tasted. Although it’s usually celeb-central here, my visit was more filled with industry execs and studio publicists. Well worth dealing with the schmoozy atmosphere from surrounding tables to enjoy the yum, yum, yum sushi.

Also got to check out Teru Sushi a block away. My temporary coworkers are apparently hardcore regulars and plates of colorful rolls started arriving at our table without us even needing to order. From the flurry of dishes, memorable rolls included the Crunch Roll (shrimp tempura & avocado topped with eel sauce & crispy tempura pieces), something named the No-Name roll with avocado & eel sauce again, Soft Shell Soy Hand Rolls, Tiger’s Eye (salmon-stuffed squid) and the BSC (Baked Scallops over California Roll). Half the rolls are under $6 while specialty rolls hover between $10-14. The fresh fish tasted great but I also remember the delicious-tasting rice had that perfect hint of sweet rice-wine vinegar flavor and sticky ‘al dente’ bite.

With the proximity to so many great sushi spots, I became a sushi-junkie within two weeks of working at Universal. While Katsu-ya & Teru are reasonable, they’re still too pricey to feed my near-daily sushi fix. Enter Sushi Dan Rockin’ Sushi. Yes, starting with the name, Sushi Dan many things going against it (hard to trust a sushi joint that isn’t just rocking, but rockin’). I'd give it addition points off for being in a strip mall but I've come to realize everything in the Valley is in a strip mall, however, Sushi Dan’s façade is also a blah-colored, cinderblock block of a building.

Based on my friend Alissa’s recommendation, we met there for lunch. While rather low-rent, Sushi Dan is also good enough for C-list celebs (Andrew Keegan walked in right behind me and B-Lister Ron Livingston was at a table). Their lunch special has since made me a takeout regular. For $9.99, you get miso soup, 5 generous pieces of sushi (not cheapy tamago or krab meat either, but thick slices of tuna, albacore, shrimp, snapper & salmon) and a choice from their vast list of funky, ‘rockin’-style rolls. We got the Hot Nights roll (shrimp tempura topped with avocado, masago and eel sauce) and the Danny II Roll (spicy tuna in tempura seaweed and ponzu sauce). A week later, I went there again with Chaya and tried the tobiko-topped spicy tuna roll and salmon/mango rolls. There are heaps more tasty-sounding concoctions but I dream about my Hot Nights too much to stray and try too many others.

There are at least 8 other sushi spots within a couple block radius of those three places. I have two more weeks before my freelance gig is up to try them out as well before denouncing my valley girl status again.

Spa Week: Indulge for Both Charity and Softer Skin.

2006-04-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

Seems like every day has been claimed as dedicated to a specific cause; National Breat Cancer Awareness Month (October) I'm down with, National Frozen Food Month (March) not so much.

April alone is celebrating National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, National Facial Protection Month, Sports Eye Safety Month, Foot Health Awareness Month and I kid you not, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Awareness Month amongst other dedicated causes.

Luckily, you can take a week off from thinking about how 'regular' you are for 30 days straight: Allure Magazine has come to the rescue by hosting the upcoming Spa Week--although, you can celebrate both IBS Month and Spa Week with a discounted Body Flow Detox Treatment at Beverly Hill's Vida Emanuel European Day Spa.

During the week-long pursuit of pampering that is Spa Week (running April 17-23), over 200 top-notch spas across the country--and 37 in L.A.--are offering their signature services at a major discount for only $50.

Top picks in L.A. include a 50 minute, custom cabana massage at Sunset Blvd.’s Argyle Spa, Jurlique’s hour-long, anti-aging Facial in Beverly Hills and the Valley’s Spa Loft offering delicious services such as Pumpkin & Mango Hot Rocks pedicure and Chocolate & Espresso Exfoliating Body Treatments.

The discounted treatments go towards supporting Cancer & Careers--a non-profit helping women with cancer--so for those on the fence about Botox can convince themselves to paralyse your face for wrinkle-free skin in the name of a noble cause!

Check out www.spaweek.org and book early to take advantage of the body bargains galore.

Cha Cha Cha-Ching!: Cheapo Happy Hour Tapas & Sangria

2006-03-29T15:24:00.000-08:00

I really wish LA was a public transportation type of city, I’m discovering so many great happy hour specials that I could put to much better use if I knew I could hop on a speedy subway to get there and then just stay sober enough to stumble into another one to get home.

Instead, the we have to deal with several L.A.-centric Happy Hour Obstacles just for the chance to enjoy that $2 pitcher special:
a) first, being so spread out, just finding a central location between your group of Happy Hour’ing peeps is hard enough
b) ‘rushing’ at 3mph through rush hour traffic in an attempt to arrive in time for happy hour
c) finding parking during the same peak hour traffic
and d) even when finally enjoying happy hour, resisting that third dollar-off drink with your name on it so you can still safely drive home.

LA Happy Hour: sometimes not-so-happy.

With my current freelance gig way in the Valley and Zach working late’ish at his new law office in West Hollywood (his own newly opened Schorr law firm!...I'm so proud), we both made it to WeHo’s Cha Cha Cha at 6:48pm with 12 precious happy hour minutes to spare.

Inside, the colorful, Caribbean-flavored décor—tiki-hut looking bar, warm colored walls, sea-shell lights, cigar box murals—creates a festive backdrop for an inviting happy hour pit-stop probably more appropriate for sipping cerveza’s than for a serious sitdown meal.

While the adjoining restaurant was sprinkled with diners here and there, the bar side of the spot filled up quickly with fellow early imbibers.
Cha Cha Cha is already easy enough on the wallet after the 7pm happy hour cut off time, but the Caribbean restaurant & bar probably boasts one of the better happy hour deals in its area.

We ordered up $2 sangrias and pro-active Zach also got a $2 house cabernet for girlfriend Tara who was arriving post-happy hour. Feeling snacky, we perused the ‘happy tapas’ menu and to our delight, discovered we could order one of every item on the menu for less than $20 total!

Drunk with (purchasing) power—the sangria’s hadn’t hit yet—we were tempted to spend all of our pocket change just so we could say ‘one of everything on the menu’ but refrained with just the jerk chicken pizza ($5), calamari ($3) and chips and salsa ($1).

The pizza was good with thick strips of white meat chicken and unsoggy crust doused in spicy jerk sauce and the calamari was ungreasy and not barfood’ish at all.
We stayed until 9:30pm with another round or two between the three of us. By the time we got up to leave, we'd only spent $22 total (and three happy hours) at Cha Cha Cha.

Memoirs of a Geisha House

2006-03-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

There is nothing budgety about this entry (does the tip to park in the covered parking just north of the restaurant instead of valeting to save you a couple bucks count?) but our night at Geisha House was just so damn good that I just wanted to write about it.

When B was in town last time in February, Les and I gave him our deluxe-on-a-dime LA experience; In & Out outings, a by donation yoga class at Brian Kest’s Power Yoga, lots of Manhattan & Venice beach time and the previously blogged Bodega de Cordova wine bar. Although no amount of good time was sacrificed by our thrifty hosting skills, I felt I owed him at least one outing to a hyped-up Hollywood hotspot during his stay this time around.

I’ve been Geisha House several times before and reckon it’s one of the handful of ballyhoo’ed Hollywood spots whose food & scene live up to all the ballyhoo’ing.

Inside, the luscious Tokyo-pop décor—a curved photo-mural of the Tokyo skyline, padded kimono-print walls, a red, triple-decker center tower of stacked fireplaces warming up the dining area—made for a fun and visually stimulating backdrop for our sushi-eating.

With a menu made for sharing, our party of four ordered a bunch of hot and cold plates and sushi to split. We started off our dinner clinking our uni-shooter glasses, toasting to “yummy dinners”; the slippery-smooth texture and briny taste of the sea urchin mixed well with the sweet and peppery vinegar concoction. The double order of spicy tuna-topped crispy rice cakes satiated my current obsession them (the best—and original—are from The Valley’s Sushi Katsu-ya restaurant). We also filled up with spicy-fried calamari, crispy wontons with tuna sashimi, fuji apple and unagi sauce, Chesakpeake Bay soft-shell roll, ‘911’ jalapeno-topped spicy tuna roll and albacore garlic roll with tobiko. The Mongolian lamb chops weren’t as good as I recalled—a tad overcooked—but the filet mignon steak with seasame dipping sauce was way tastier and tender than I remembered so we evened out.

Although stuffed, it wasn’t really an option not to get dessert. The soufflé-like molten chocolate cake was rich without being too sweet and although Jess picked the velvety-smooth coconut crème brulee, I think I ate most of it.

The place ended up being pretty busy for a rainy Monday night, but we decided to skip Geisha’s bar area and call it a night after dinner. Including a bottle of sake and a cocktail, our night set us back $70 each but our happy night of great food with new and old friends was totally worth it.

Air Conditioned:Where Downing Happy Hour Wine Specials Is A Breeze

2006-03-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

The other night, I grabbed a drink at Air Conditioned, the refreshingly unpretentious wine bar along the no-man’s-land strip of Pico just west of the 10 underpass. From the outside—with a windowless facade and dingy, neon 'Air Conditioned' sign lit next a 99 cent store—you could easily mistake the nightspot for an actual store selling air-cooling units.

Inside though, the interior’s 60’s mod touches done in gentleman's club dark leathers gave the bar an understated divey-yet-swanky look more often found in bars further east (The Bar, Daddy’s etc) . I dug the leather-padded walls, dark-wood, wine wall behind the bar and row of highbacked, red leather bar stools.

I got there five minutes early and with the help of the knowledgeable bartender, I was taste-testing glasses of spicy, Argentinian Malbec, Aussie Syrah and Sonoma Zinfandel from their international boutique wine list before my friend, C.K. even showed up.

Either by the glass (approx $9-15) or bottle ($20-$40's range), the wines are neither overpriced nor a bargain. However, with Air Conditioned's generous happy hour deals ($2 off each glass and a whopping 25% off bottles!) the clear option was to share a bottle. In addition to price-slashed wines, you can also order discounted beers and half-priced soju martinis. Happy hour starts at 5pm and considerately lasts for 3hrs until 8pm—giving you plenty of time to take advantage of the marked-down drinks several times over).

Not fussy about our choice, we opted to stick with the Sonoma Zinfandel that our bartender suggested...which also happened to be one of the more expensive picks...but far from wallet-busting at the $32 happy hour price. We stuck to the complimentary rice-cracker snacks, but a $12 cheese plate for two is also available for nibbling.

A couple other groups drifted in and out but C.K. & I outlasted everyone. At one point, we were the only two in the bar—granted, it was a Tuesday night but I'm not sure if it's because the spot's still relatively undiscovered or if it speaks more to us being midweek lushes. Although the bar is located along a block which gives no real reason to stop and explore (unless you're looking for 99 cent bargains or shopping at Trader Joe's across the road), I was still surprised at why more locals haven't laid claim to the stylish spot.

Chit-chatting with Cole (our bartender who became first-name basis with us due to lack of anyone else he could talk to), we were told the 7-month new bar gets crowded in the weekends and they're set to open a second, bigger location in Venice.

Air-Conditioned is a cool little spot with a highly recommended happy hour. We didn’t spy enough people to comment on the type of bar-goers frequenting the spot, but I could see this being added to the ‘Brig, Other Room, Beechwood, Arsenal’ night-life circuit by the Venice set as word gets out.

Air Conditioned
2819 Pico Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310. 829.3700
http://www.airconditionedlounge.com

Weekly Open Bar

2006-03-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

it's been while--I've been spending my time and money on not-so-$$-conscious activities such as snowboarding in mammoth and tahoe and lavish dinners at the hollywood hideaway Cafe des Artistes(grab a table in the lush back garden, forget the fancy foie gras appetizer and go for the 5 cheese mac'n'cheese), Grace(check out Wednesday's Donut Shoppe Night featuring pastry chef Elizabeth Belkin's assortment of designer doughnut creations), and Sushi Katsu-ya (just like Koi...if Koi was in the valley, in a strip mall and half the price. the spicy tuna topped crispy rice cakes are worth enduring the 101 traffic).

However, I was compelled to take a break from my February spend-a-thon when I stumbled upon www.la.myopenbar.com--a wonderful link for those with a high alcohol tolerance and low cash flow. As a fellow appreciator of cocktails--in particular, free cocktails--my friend Jessie enlightened me about this site which lists open bar events going on around town for the week.

This selfless site is your guide to cash-free, (possibly watered-down) vodka tonics and red wine. The benefits don't end there, since the free booze usually comes in conjunction with some art/store/bar/music opening, the site even supplies you with an artistic activity to attend. You have a good chance to discover a new artist or venue but even if they suck, the price of a free drink is merely looking at bad art while you sip it down. Not a bad deal.

Check out listings for LA this week at Open Bar and start your free booze- hopping with the 5hr open bar at the Thinkspace Gallery event this Friday.

Non LA'ers in the Big Apple can check out www.myopenbar.com for NY listings.

Have Laptop, Will Travel: Round-up of Free Wi-Fi Coffee Shops

2006-02-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

As a freelance writer, working from home has its benefits (working in PJ's, 3pm work breaks for a yoga class) but I've noticed on more than one occasion, I've answered my phone late in the afternoon still with my sleepy morning voice.

Only then do I realize I haven't spoken to anyone that day, let alone left my apt.

Luckily, in this portable laptop/wi-fi world, I can drop in on one of my multiple 'offices' (coffee shops) offering free wi-fi when I feel deprived of social interaction...even if it's just so I can say "vanilla soy latte please" to the coffee guy.

After hours of loitering and nursing coffees for 2hrs at a time, here are my faves around town...

VENICE GRIND-Their awesome retro neon COFFEE sign suckered me in. I was further taken by their mod-ish decor and minty herbal tea. And the relatively undiscovered spot definitely hit the top of my mental list of favorite coffee shops after discovering the outdoor garden area, free hidden parking in the rear and iPod selection playing reggae and indie....until I tried to log on to write this blog. Apparently technical glitches make wi-fi spotty for PCs and damn near impossible for Macs. As a Mac-owner, not good news--but the kindly owners swear they are working on the situation so once internet is a go, Venice Grind will be back on my to-go list.
12224 Venice Boulevard, Mar Vista. (310)397-2227

JAVA MAN-Think anti-Starbucks. Beachy bungalow in Hermosa Beach has unpretentious atmosphere and laidback staff that won't make you feel the guilt for lingering for hours. Shabby-chic chairs and tables are more endearingly shabby than chic and filled with the flip-flop crowd. The have strong java drinks to help you stay up until the midnight closing time. If you wanna eat, their soups are as good as they are cheap ($2.50 for a cup).
157 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach. (310) 379-7209

INFUZION CAFE- Relaxed with plenty of privacy for marathon wi-fi sessions, even if the hard wooden chairs aren't conducive for long hauls. They've also got boba drinks galore and French-style pastries for snacking on. Juice up your laptop before coming, there's only one power outlet.
1149 3rd St, Santa Monica. http://www.infuzioncafe.com

DIEDRICHS-Low on atmosphere or available seating but this coffee chain gets props for offering free wi-fi when its fellow mega-chain counterparts (Starbucks, Coffee Bean to name a few) charge the equivalent of a couple grande frappuchinos to go online.
732 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica. (310) 656-7838

CORAL TREE CAFE-more restaurant-style cafe than coffee shop, this comfy, country-chic cafe serves organic salads and sandwiches that rival Urth café and a pastry selection that exceeds it. Plenty of seating both indoor and out with multiple power plugs makes the spot laptop friendly, however there's a limit on the tables during the lunch rush. Kinda pricey coffees sort of negate the free wi-fi but they're organic so you can feel good about spending the money. Limited street parking options so you'll have to pray nicely to the parking gods or give up and go with the $2.50 valet parking in the rear.
11645 San Vicente Blvd. Brentwood. (310)442-3503 http://www.coraltreecafe.net/

PYSCHOBABBLE-Screenwriter central. The lounge-friendly coffeehouse is as comfy as your own living room but comes with artsy & tattooed types and screenwriters to people-watch and eavesdrop about the latest screenplay idea or indie band discovered on myspace. Free internet with purchase so order a panini or yummy apple pie from their chalkboard menu, settle into their saggy, college-style upholstered sofas and log on. For those whose inspiration strikes at unorthodox hours, they're open 7am-2am every day. Check out your daily horoscope taped to the cash register.
1866 N. Vermont Ave, Los Feliz. (323)664-7500 http://www.psychobabblecafe.com

Sonic Scenery @ The Natural History Museum: BYO iPod

2006-01-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

Looking for a hot date with your iPod? This Friday is the opening night of Sonic Scenery: Music for Collections exhibit hosted by the Natural History Museum.

Sonic Scenery is part of the museum's 'First Fridays' series; this monthly event dedicates the first Friday of every month to highlight a different component of their collection.

Adding an aural dimension to the museum's visuals, the Natural History Museum has gathered an eclectic group of musicians to compose songs inspired by their permanent collection. The museum hopes adding an interactive element allows patrons to discover a new layer of relevance within the permanent collection--which sounds kinda cool in a Holden Caufield sorta way (the permanent exhibit is still exactly the same yet, at the same time, different).

Sonic Scenery invites museum-goers to download the list of songs off iTunes (Sonic Scenery album) to their iPod, don on headphones and walk through the Cenozoic era (or, once upon a time 65 million years ago) to Ozomatli's hard-hittin' Latin-punk, check out Ancient Latin American stone sculptures with Sun Ra Arkestra's jazzy song playing in your ear and revisit American history from 1865 to 1914 to the beat of Autolux's moody tunes.

And, of course, what visit to the NHM is complete without checking out taxidermied animals? (This time, to the musical animal sounds from the Matmos band)

If you're one of the few remaining iPodless folks like me, the museum has $3 headphones you can rent. Afterwards, plug into museum headphones to hear 'silent DJ sets' or drop in on the panel discussion of the Future of Sound in Space...or, get lured by the drinks at the museum's bar.

Even if you're not a big museum fan, the idea of drinking cocktails and listening to music in a Natural History Museum after hours is cool enough to erase bad memories of museum class field trips as a kid.

General admission is usually $9 but this Friday's (February 3rd) Sonic Scenery opening night is free. You only pay the headset rental or the cost of the iTunes download which you'd probably want to purchase for your iTunes library regardless given the playlist.

http://www.nhm.org/firstfridays/sonic_opening.html

Century Sports Club Korean Spa: No Clothing, No Modesty Allowed

2006-01-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, Leslie and Miuk introduced me to the wonders of the cheap, no-frills/no-nonsense Korean bath-house spa experience; initially, the spa's privacy-shunning policies probably tensed me up more, but by the end, I felt just as relaxed as I do after any spa visit AND I left with the fresh-looking, slippery-smooth skin of an 8 year old.

We headed to Korea Town's Century Sports Club & Day Spa on Olympic and Crenshaw. The $15 admission includes the use of the sauna, jacuzzis and steam room but Leslie and I also opted for traditional basic body scrubs ($30) and Hourig, my fellow non Korean Spa initiated friend, chose the scrub/massage combo ($70 with admission fee waived so essentially $55).

Slipping into our thin rayon robes, we walked out of the locker room into the women's spa area. Leslie forewarned me Korean style spas ain't no Burke William's cucumber-water, fuzzy slippers and robe niceties type of place--think more YMCA with spa services. However, I still assumed sea salt scrubs and a private room would figure into my body scrub treatment.

I opened the door to a rude, nude awakening. All the spa's facilities were all in one large room; everywhere, nonchalant, naked women (both Korean and non-Asian) taking showers in the stall-less shower area, slipping into large jacuzzi and tea detox pools, sweating it out in sauna and spa rooms and hanging out, chatting sans robe in the resting chairs...and to the right of me--along an assembly-line style row of massage tables each 2ft apart--more naked ladies being scrubbed and massaged by Korean masseuses in black bras and underwear (the whole scene may inadvertently sound way hotter than it was).

I'm not heaps prudish but the idea of sauntering around the room from amenity to amenity buck naked--like everyone else was except myself, Miuk and Hourig (nude Les was fully in her element)--took some getting used to.

I awkwardly tried to disrobe and sink into the Jacuzzi in one smooth and speedy motion. Clutching our robes around us, we hopped into the sauna room and minty steam room before heading back into the jacuzzi while waiting for our treatments. In Korean culture, going spa'ing with your friends is more of a social activity than a Zen indulgence, much like catching up over lunch.... except we were gossiping about boys and shoe sales in a giant jacuzzi. And naked.

My number got called to enter the treatment-side of the room. My bra'n'undie clad spa lady spoke little English but got the point across "UP! On table! No towel!" Once on the massage table, she started polishing away my back and legs with a pair of stimulatingly-scratchy mitts. Although more invigorating than calming, the firm, circular movements and intermittent floods of warm water poured over my body soon soothed me into a sleepy lull.

Suddenly, SLAP! Was I just butt-slapped? The slight sting on my left butt cheek confirmed that, yes; I was indeed just butt-slapped by my spa lady. "FRONT, turn FRONT!" Facing upwards and fully uncovered while being scrubbed pretty much everywhere (including the boob and nether region-adjacent areas) was a little weirder but I was too fascinated with the sight of my dead skin being exfoliated off like pieces of dirt to spend time feeling shy. Ooohh, I was getting so much smoother and cleaner with every slough!

A quick face rub and dreamy shampoo/scalp massage completed the 1/2hr treatment before I was sent away to shower off. By then, I was over it and decided 'when in Rome...’ I walked over to the shower stalls sans robe in all my smooth skinned glory.

Although not as tranquil in the traditional spa sense, my overall Korean spa experience still left me totally relaxed and my fresh-scrubbed skin feeling super-smooth. It was also a fun and social alternative for a girls' night out.

Century Sports Club & Day Spa,
4120 W. Olympic Blvd., 323-954-1020.
www.centurydayspa.com

**If you feel like flexing your newly buffed body afterwards, there's also an indoor driving range in the same building for some post-spa golfing.

Hello Operator, Free 411 Please

2006-01-23T11:06:00.000-08:00

Remember the days when finding out a phone number didn't cost an arm and a leg? (Albeit, cheap arm and leg body parts at $1.49 per 411 call). Well, let me rewind back time my friends.

A friend of mine recently turned me on to 1800 FREE-411 and believing it's a citizen's basic right to inquire about phone numbers for free, I am spreading the word.

Yup, 1800 FREE-411 works like the real thing....and just the like the real thing, if you prefer to request your desired number from a human being rather than Lady Robot Voice; just mumble nonsensical words after you hear "City and State please", and the computerized operator will get frustrated and transfer you to an actual person.

So, 411 away and buy yourself a cup of coffee with the money saved. (For Starbucks or Coffee Bean, you'll have to inquire about a handful of numbers before you earn that vanilla soy latte though.)

1800 FREE-411

Mo' Pho! Thai Lai Vietnamese Restaurant

2006-01-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

(yes, i know it's pronounced 'fher' no 'fo'...)

My friend Tracey was visiting from out of town recently and part of my outta-towner's culinary tour included Thai Lai, a South Bay Vietnamese joint on the corner of Rosecrans Ave and Prairie.

Inside: Fluorescent lighting. Check. Beige linoleum floor and varnished Formica tables. Check and check. Yup, it’s a hole-in-the-wall. However, the bright and clean interior and amiable wait staff makes the place more inviting than your average no-frills spot. Besides, the crowded tables indicate the diners are willing to trade mood-lighting for solid homestyle Vietnamese cooking (despite its misleading name, there is no thai green curry or tom kha kai soup in sight.)

Although the menu is in Vietnamese, no worries if you don’t know the Vietnamese lingo; the menu’s numbered items and photos of their most popular plates allow you to confidently point and nod—and actually know what you ordered.
Although my usual is their flavorful rice noodle 'bun' bowl filled with charbroiled pork, crispy-fresh vegetables and mint leaves, it was cold outside and we needed warming up. We ordered the #68 house special pho ($6.00); an aromatic, slow-simmered beef broth with rice noodles and green onions brimming with every type of beef under the sun (including slivers of steak, brisket, flank, beef balls and tripe). It’s traditionally breakfast fare but luckily for those who can't stomach such a hearty meat-laden meal before your morning coffee, it’s served all day.

We also split Thai Lai’s signature spring rolls. These plump, translucent rice-paper goi coun rolls ($2.50 for 2) are bursting with shrimp, bbq-basted pork, green onion and mint leaves peaking through the paper-thin wrapping. It comes with a peanut dipping sauce but both the hoison and fish sauce on the condiment table are also good. The crispy, golden-fried version, cha gio egg rolls ($4.50 for 5), come wrapped in lettuce cups and one bite will dispel any oil-soaked memories of the soggy, greasy spring rolls you get in Chinese takeout combo meals.

They don't have traditional desserts so you can get your sugar high from their exotic sweet drinks. Thai Lai's forty different candy-colored Vietnamese beverages are tastier than they sound—and at around $2.00, are well priced for experimenting if you’ve ever wondered what a salted plum soda or red bean jellygrass drink tastes like.

We left stuffed and only $22 lighter for the both of us. The dishes at this family-run eatery are as authentic as they are generous—so look past the non-descript, white stucco exterior and unglamorous Hawthorne locale to enjoy some of the best Vietnamese spring rolls outside of Buena Park’s Little Saigon.

Thai Lai Restaurant
14221 Prairie Ave, Hawthorne
(310) 973-0819

Bodega DeCordova: For a Night of Wine-Soaked Conversation and Sublime-Tasting Olives

2006-01-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

With friends in town and in the mood for a chill night where we could actually converse over drinks, we headed to the newly opened Bodega DeCordova wine bar last night.

This sliver of a bar is located along the easy-to-miss, nondescript Fairfax block just south of The Grove. We entered through the fairy-lit door into an unpretentious, tavern-like bar scattered with dark wooden wine caskets doubling as tables and warm-colored walls adorned with vintage bullfighting posters and images of cobblestone Spanish streets and bodegas.

A scroll of butcher paper behind the bar listed their small but varied list of exclusively Spanish wines. As a wine non-connoisseur who is often swayed by the design of a label or a catchy name (I was bummed they were out of their Wrongo Dongo Jumilla wine), the bartender patiently doled out samples of almost all their wines as he explained their flavors so we could choose a bottle actually based on taste. Thoughtful handbag hooks under the bar allowed both hands free to sample the selection.

Our group chatted as we toured Spain via our bottles of red wine...from Northern Spain's reliably good Rioja to the south's full-bodied Casa Castillo Monastrell Jumilla and fruity Enate Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot. With the mellow crowd (groups of casually-dressed locals were scattered throughout the bar but finding seating was easy for a weekend night) and talk-friendly noise-level, our boozy-conversation flowed as easily as our 4 bottles of wine.

While Bodega DeCordova's tapas menu is more for snacking than dining, the cheese plate of manchego cheeses, figs and bread and the plate of intensely flavorful Seville olives were perfect nibbling companions for our wine. The anchovy-spiced olives were sublime; our group only took breaks from polishing off the deep dish of olives to rhapsodize about how unbelievably tasty they were.

Bodega DeCordova is cash only...but thankfully you don't need a lot of it. Whether by the glass (starting at $5) or the bottle (hovering around $20), the prices are extremely reasonable. Our 4 bottles of wine, a cheese plate and the world's best-tasting olives only added up to $102 for our party of five. Our chill, Euro-style night of wine-soaked conversation only came out to $25 per person including tip.

The (lack of) parking is a bit of a deterrent but you can park at the nearby Farmer's Market lot or find residential street parking and walk the extra block. This semi-undiscovered neighborhood spot is ideal for "getting-to-know-you-while-I-show-how-casually-sophisticated-I-am" first dates, girls' night out catch-up sessions or for enjoying a glass of good wine in a bar setting without paying typical bar prices.

www.bodegadecordova.com

The Price of Ugly Shoes

2006-01-10T09:21:00.001-08:00

I don't know if this qualifies as a bargain but yesterday I stooped to a new level in my 'lovelife'. I bought a pair of ugly shoes I don't even like because the guy was hot.

In an effort to prolong conversation, I tried on 5 pairs of trainers from him and when I ran out of sneakers to try on, I simply bought a pair, buying me another minute to chat with him at the cash register.

Where is the bargain in this story? The New Balances were 25% off! (so I only spent $67 instead of $90 to flirt with a boy for 10 minutes!) $6.70 per minute to enjoy (attempted) witty repartee while shyly checking him out as he threaded the shoelaces for me. Bonus: the store's closing down so I have no chance of returning these clunkers. I guess it'll give me motivation to run fast in them so no-one can see how unstylishly white & chunky they are.

To be fair, I DO need running shoes and they ARE ultra-comfortable so the NB's are perfectly fine if i don't care about looks at all...which clearly I do given I just bought ugly shoes to score some time with a good-looking guy.