Month: September 2023

Where to get the best pumpkin spice lattes in Los Angeles

Where to get the best pumpkin spice lattes in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

Call it basic, or call it one of the most brilliant marketing ploys the coffee world has ever seen. Heralding fall with the same gusto as an afternoon of apple picking — which does indeed exist within driving distance of L.A. — the pumpkin spice latte is back, featuring espresso with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and other warming spices often combined in pumpkin pie. Given that the spice blend the latte is based upon is more than two centuries old — and this year, the Starbucks-popularized drink that garnered a pumpkin-rabid fandom turned 20 — it appears the pumpkin spice latte is here to stay. The Starbucks icon reprised its reign Aug. 24 — nearly a week earlier than last year’s return — but independent L.A. coffee shops are currently turning out some of their own, more delicious takes. From Chinatown to Culver City, mom-and-pop cafes are building on the PSL — some even juicing fresh pumpkins, simmering small batches of kabocha squash or hand-grinding spices with a mortar and pestle. To many, the drink has …

The Grand Circle road trip: best hikes, national parks and more

The Grand Circle road trip: best hikes, national parks and more

Published by Sam Flores

This park — “Rocky” in the local lingo — is big enough to hold a substantial chunk of the Continental Divide along with legions of elk and other mountain critters. And with 4.3 million or more visitors arriving most years, Rocky is busy enough in warmer months that rangers have instituted a complex timed-entry reservation system. Timed entry: The goal is to reduce traffic snarls on Trail Ridge Road (which crosses the divide) and the scenery-rich Bear Lake Road Corridor, a 10½-mile route that begins near Estes Park and climbs to Bear Lake, 9,475 feet above sea level. Through Oct. 22, visitors will need a timed-entry reservation (in addition to a basic park entry pass) in order to explore this high country. At the east end of the park, where most visitors enter, is the gateway city of Estes Park. Rangers warn that there’s a lot of construction in progress near the park’s Fall River entrance. Park adventures: Estes Park is full of outdoorsy and traveler-friendly businesses along Highway 36. It’s also home to the …

Historic homes you can tour in L.A.

Historic homes you can tour in L.A.

Published by Sam Flores

You know it is no ordinary house from the moment you step into the low-ceilinged entrance to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Maya-inspired Hollyhock House — the only UNESCO World Heritage site in Los Angeles. That is by design. The house was commissioned in 1918 by oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, who wanted a theatrical home that would serve as a residence and a performing arts complex. Known as the Hollyhock House for its floral motif — Barnsdall’s favorite — the project was Wright’s first major California project and is a mix of Maya, Spanish Revival and Japanese architectural styles. With its sunken living room and monumental fireplace, art glass, unexpected water features and custom furnishings — including a fabulous pendant by Rudolph Schindler in the dining room — the house is endlessly fascinating, even if you are not a fan of Wright. (In 2009, New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff acknowledged Wright’s legacy with some critics: “But to many he is still the vain, megalomaniacal architect, someone who trampled over his clients’ wishes, drained their bank …

What to see, do and eat in Carpinteria

What to see, do and eat in Carpinteria

Published by Sam Flores

We’re going to talk about Carpinteria’s beach, its tar, its weed, its avocados, its tallest pine tree and the herd of alpacas in its hills. But first I should admit that I’m biased. This little beach town between Ventura and Santa Barbara is where my wife and I spent our first two years of married life, strolling the coastal bluffs, biking the back roads, eating enchiladas on Linden Avenue and reading the local weekly’s misdemeanor-filled police blotter. Now we live in Los Angeles, where the police blotter is a different kettle of fish. So every time we find ourselves on the way back from a trip north, we do our best to wedge in a day, or half a day, or even an hour, to reconnect with the town locals know as Carp. Despite its many obvious charms, Mary Frances said the other day that Carpinteria “is not really on everybody’s radar. I like that farmland-meeting-ocean thing too.” After so many quick stops, it was a luxury to spend two September days and nights in …

10 ways to feed your K-pop obsession in L.A., from cupsleeve events to dance parties

10 ways to feed your K-pop obsession in L.A., from cupsleeve events to dance parties

Published by Sam Flores

High-tech photo booths have been around Korea for decades, and they’re now making their way to SoCal. For the uninitiated, these aren’t the cramped vintage booths you’ll find in the corner of your neighborhood dive bar. Taking photos at Life4Cuts — with locations in Koreatown (marked on this map), Buena Park, Rowland Heights and Stanton — is an experience. Enter the storefront (solo or with friends), fix your hair and makeup at the vanity (there are Dyson hairdryers available), choose from an array of headbands, plushie hats, sunglasses and other adorable accessories and props, pick a photo booth (each has a different background) and step inside. Once you’re in the bright and spacious room, select a photo frame (K-pop fans might opt to interact with Treasure or Seventeen, two current options) and start posing. You can use the self-timer or the remote control clicker. The photo prices range from $6 to $10, depending on the size and frame. There’s also a QR code option if you want to share your photos with friends. Mike Seok, …

The 21 best pizza restaurants in L.A.

The 21 best pizza restaurants in L.A.

Published by Sam Flores

Los Angeles is having a golden pizza moment. As local appetite and talent surged for the globally loved dish over the last decade, it’s now possible to find nearly every regional American variation of pizza in our city: the wide, pliant triangles that define the New York slice; individualist takes on the Neapolitan archetypes; Chicago deep dish; the Detroit-style medium-thick pan pizzas laced with edges of caramelized cheese; crackery bar or tavern pies that show up across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic; and even the recent appearance, at Ozzy’s in Glendale, of a New Haven tomato pie. If in one sense we’re a clearinghouse of styles, L.A. is also the perfect place for chefs to approach pizza as both personal narrative and personal expression. No brittle rules obstruct creativity. Tradition, innovation and nostalgia bake together into beautifully mottled canvases. New, compelling pizza restaurants open with amazing frequency these days. For this guide to 21 favorites I’ve included a couple of places that launched early in 2023 and quickly established their baseline excellence. Most have been around …

A guide to the best Italian sub sandwiches in Los Angeles

A guide to the best Italian sub sandwiches in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

Is there anything finer than a rainbow of cured meat clapped between two halves of a good roll overflowing with vegetables and Italian dressing? The Italian sub is the queen of sandwiches, and there’s no shortage of excellent versions in Los Angeles. Nearly every deli makes an Italian sub, hoagie, grinder (insert your favorite term for this masterpiece here). Los Angeles is heaven for sandwich lovers. From longtime favorites to trendy newcomers, these are the best sandwiches to try right now. For the purposes of this list, I’m narrowing it down to sandwiches that come on some form of roll, rather than sliced bread. This will render some crowd favorites, like the Stepmother from Cosa Buona, ineligible. When I first wrote about the sandwich in 2020, it was served on a ciabatta roll. Now, the meats are piled onto sliced focaccia. It’s still an excellent sandwich, just not on this list. Lorenzo California, home to some of the most excellent Italian sandwiches on the planet, is also not on this list. And that place everyone …

Where to camp on BLM land within driving distance from L.A.

Where to camp on BLM land within driving distance from L.A.

Published by Sam Flores

I’m sure you know the feeling. It’s that moment when the bright lights, breakneck pace and pulsating buzz of life in our sprawling metropolis suddenly catches up to you. You think to yourself, I need to get out of here. The writer Robert Macfarlane perfectly encapsulated the sentiment: “Anyone who lives in a city will know the feeling of having been there too long. The gorge-vision that streets imprint on us, the sense of blockage, the longing for surfaces other than glass, brick, concrete, and tarmac.” When the call for dark skies, repose and silence arises, many of us look for solace in the great outdoors. However, as we search for campgrounds in state and national parks, we’re frequently met with an unwelcome reality: everything within driving distance is completely booked, sometimes for weeks and months on end. We throw our hands in the air, shout out a few choice words and then quietly slip back into the cities hum until it all catches up to us again. I know this had been my experience. …

Want to meet an NFL mascot? This guide can help you see them all

Want to meet an NFL mascot? This guide can help you see them all

Published by Sam Flores

A flipping ram. A streaking cat. Dudes with big heads — and even bigger chins. A walking dolphin. A sky-diving eagle. An elf. There are all kinds of wacky characters in the fraternity of NFL mascots, each with its own personality, quirks and charm. One thing every one of those anthropomorphic animals and fake humans have in common is an undying passion and devotion to the teams they represent. Want to pay them a visit? Here’s a handy guide that can help get you to each of their home stadiums, with some background on each furry friend so you’ll have something to talk about when you meet. (Conversations with team mascots do tend to be a little one-sided.) Four teams — the Chargers, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and New York Jets — do not have mascots, but they are included on the list, so you can check out one of their games as well. Source link