Month: December 2023

Dog-friendly restaurants, coffee shops and galleries in L.A.

Dog-friendly restaurants, coffee shops and galleries in L.A.

Published by Sam Flores

“Your dog is welcome to come in!” The barista had been watching me tie Ernie, my 12-year-old Boston terrier mix, to the front railing outside of L.A.’s Sightglass Coffee. In his younger days, Ernie would have accompanied me inside without a second thought. He has a knack for making intense eye contact that, combined with an energetic tail wag, makes people instantly fall in love. A survival instinct that flatters the human ego. But he’s gotten cranky in his old age and now has a tendency to snap at other dogs, so if he does come out into the real world, he stays outside. Plus I was just running in to grab some coffee beans. But before I could explain all this, the barista added, “We’re very dog-friendly here. And he’s so handsome!” I turned around and, sure enough, Ernie was staring at us through the glass doors, psychically burrowing his way into the barista’s loving heart. And looking around the cavernous coffee shop, she wasn’t wrong. There were dogs of all sizes and breeds …

A guide to Culver City, Calif.: What to do, see, eat

A guide to Culver City, Calif.: What to do, see, eat

Published by Sam Flores

In 1917, Harry Culver incorporated an area roughly midway between downtown L.A. and the ocean and gave it a slogan: “All roads lead to Culver City.” That’s true, assuming the roads you’re referring to are the 405, the 90 or Venice Boulevard. Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now. In many ways, Culver City does feel like L.A.’s point of intersection — and not just in a geographic sense. Considering Culver City’s distance from actual Hollywood, there’s a lot of Hollywood history in this town. “Gone With the Wind,” “Citizen Kane” and “The Wizard of Oz” were filmed here. Now that the writers’ and actors’ strikes are over, the studios are buzzing again. “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” tape at Sony Pictures Studios. The future of Hollywood is in Culver City too: TikTok HQ is up the street from the Westfield mall. Apple and Amazon Studios have taken up residence in recent years, agitating some longtime residents …

14 of the best hotel bars in Los Angeles for visitors and locals alike

14 of the best hotel bars in Los Angeles for visitors and locals alike

Published by Sam Flores

The 1970s are alive and well at the Garland, a sprawling hotel and events property celebrating 50 years in North Hollywood. The hotel is named for its original owner, Beverly Garland, star of “My Three Sons” (and later, “7th Heaven”). Today it’s still owned by her son, James Crank, and his husband, Scott Elliott. Under this second generation of ownership the property has flourished, home to 7 acres of grounds, gardens, a charming pool deck and multiple dining options, all conveniently located near Universal Studios. Kitschy but classy, the hotel lets guests chill and drink poolside next to an enormous outdoor fireplace. The lobby bar displays a tiki influence, with spiked snow cones (like the boozy Chi Chi with vodka and coconut) as well as a drink named for the hotel itself, the Garland 1972, a mega-Mai Tai with Plantation rum, aperol, lime and a swizzle stick emblazoned with the phrase “Keep the Good Times Going!” The hotel’s restaurant, the Front Yard, also has a bustling bar, dripping in late midcentury modalities, from Bob Dylan …

Where to find the best tamales in Los Angeles

Where to find the best tamales in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

There are certain signs that herald the arrival of the holiday season here in Los Angeles. The twinkling lights strung along our trafficked boulevards. The fake snow machines that delight children as they wait in line for mall Santa. The neighborhood vendors whose bell carts ring rhythmically as they stroll our streets and shout their top-selling item, “Tamales! Tamales!” Wave down a vendor and you’ll find their tamales are as varied as the wrapped presents beneath a Christmas tree. The masa-based staple traces its origins to Mesoamerica and has countless iterations — around 500 types of tamales are credited to Mexico alone, plus bite-size chuchitos from Guatemala, sweet corn-filled ducunus from Belize, a Salvadoran variety that mixes masa with refried beans and many more. We’re lucky to find nearly all of them here in Southern California, plus inventive options spearheaded by a new generation of chefs who are reclaiming the tamal as a canvas for creativity. Just as prevalent as traditional tamales, these reimagined versions tout local produce and often play on the multicultural backgrounds …

Best food halls to try in Los Angeles

Best food halls to try in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

The bustle of hungry visitors, the clang of woks, the hiss of sizzling meats and the aromas of baked goods, chiles and freshly brewed coffee — these are some of the sensory experiences at L.A.’s thriving food halls. Bringing a global selection of cuisines under one roof, these open-format markets have reemerged in recent years, with several openings across Southern California. For a century, food halls have nourished Los Angeles as gathering spaces and served as launchpads for some of our most exciting dining establishments. For the record: 8:58 a.m. Jan. 16, 2024A previous version of this guide reported Maxwell Chicken Rice and Bellyful K-Food as vendors at the Northridge Eats food hall. In fact, both vendors are now closed and the food hall is currently undergoing construction. The article has been updated to reflect this correction. Grand Central Market, the city’s first and largest food market, opened its doors in 1917 in the heart of downtown. The Original Farmers Market, located at 3rd and Fairfax, followed suit in 1934. What was once a place …

Trendy new neighborhood markets to visit in Los Angeles

Trendy new neighborhood markets to visit in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

When I want to escape the horrors of the world, I spend an afternoon browsing the highly curated selection of snacks, wine and pantry goods at one of a growing number of superettes around town. You know, the mini markets that tout tinned fish, artisanal sweets, chile crisp and tea towels? My eyes play ping pong from one product to the next, with no shortage of things to ogle. Stuff and more stuff. Most of it is edible. I want it all. There’s usually a case with prepared food that I can pick up for later. And if I’m lucky, a freezer stocked with even more items. They’re small markets but also cafes, with selections of their own branded goods. Each has a specific aesthetic and its own vibe. These shops are aspirational. They tell me that my life could be polished, sane and significantly better if I could just buy one of everything in here. I’ve watched as a handful of superettes opened in just the last few months, with the new Cookbook market …

Where to order the best drinks in Los Angeles

Where to order the best drinks in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

Jack Benchakul has made every drink since he and his cousin Ttaya Tuparangsi moved into the space on the ground floor of Chinatown’s Far East Plaza in 2015. A biochemist turned pastry chef turned coffee pro, Benchakul is also a barista’s barista, the kind of maestro to whom other coffee professionals come to study his moves. I’ve found no better place to drink a pour-over in Los Angeles, and that’s saying something given the city’s astonishing breadth of options. He favors a Nordic style of coffee roasting — lighter, more expressive of the bean’s terroir than its roasted flavors, notes of berries or citrus or stone fruit or spices, sometimes combined, as you can discern in elegantly made wine and carefully crafted loose-leaf tea. Come on Monday, Endorffeine’s calmest day, when Benchakul breaks out rarer varieties served as espresso drinks. Show more Show less Source link

A guide to San Pedro, Calif.: What to do, see and eat

A guide to San Pedro, Calif.: What to do, see and eat

Published by Sam Flores

Underneath a freeway overpass in San Pedro, where the rumble of cars and semi trucks echoes from above, there is a hidden skate park. It’s both gritty and mesmerizing, made by a jumble of volunteer hands that have poured concrete, scooped out rain from the storms and artfully assembled every shiny tile of the decorative mosaics that cover the walls of this DIY playground. Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now. Gabriel Solis, a 59-year-old retired mason, has come to skate on an early Wednesday morning while his rescue dog watches. He hops off his board to take in the scene. “I’m an artist and this is my canvas,” he says. In a way, this underground refuge — the Channel Street Skatepark — feels like a symbol for San Pedro, a city where creativity and community seem to emerge in the most unexpected spaces. Solis, who’s lived there for 20 years, describes the neighborhood with words like …

Our “Golden Bachelor” reality check: It’s not the first time a lapse in vetting led to juicier TV

Our “Golden Bachelor” reality check: It’s not the first time a lapse in vetting led to juicier TV

Published by Sam Flores

Color me shocked. Gerry Turner, the 72-year-old star of “The Golden Bachelor,” a grown man who intentionally agreed to star in one of the most popular reality TV franchises . . . was not entirely honest about his past? Do you mean to tell me that, contrary to his claim that he hadn’t dated in 45 years, he actually did? Are you saying that the producers might have stretched the truth when it came to characterizing his career history? My stars. We may never believe in TV-manufactured romance again. Sarcasm aside, it’s kind of incredible that “The Bachelor” franchise is being yanked back into this same doghouse for another mild imbroglio, this time courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. This is a brand and a genre that is constantly scrutinized for social media screw-ups, closet-dwelling skeletons and general behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Both “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” have generated their share of past headlines making people question the level of vetting they apply to their pool of potential matches for a season’s star. “The Golden Bachelor” is …