Month: August 2024

Best and coolest supper clubs to book in L.A. right now

Best and coolest supper clubs to book in L.A. right now

In Los Angeles, dining out can sometimes feel like a spectator sport. But in recent years, supper clubs have been proliferating as a refreshing antidote to the see-and-be-seen restaurant culture. Often discovered through word of mouth, these intimate culinary gatherings shift the focus from spectacle to what truly matters: good vibes, great food and meaningful connections. But what exactly are supper clubs? “Rosalynn became one after my friend mentioned that’s what I was doing — private dining in the chef’s home,” explains Jasper Lynn, creator of Rosalynn Supper Club. “I had never heard of it before but adopted the term.” While more chefs are inviting diners into their homes, supper clubs frequently pop up in unique, non-traditional venues that provide a distinct sense of escape or create a memorable atmosphere, such as the Ecology Center, a working organic farm in San Juan Capistrano. Sana Keefer, founder of Asi Asi Projects, pairs chefs with locations that reflect their food. “Hosting in a residence allows us to find new stories within each place, and that story influences …

Best restaurants in L.A. for a Southern-style brunch

Best restaurants in L.A. for a Southern-style brunch

It’s hard to think of a better way to spend a sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon in L.A. than with Southern-inspired dishes such as fried chicken and waffles, especially when paired with bottomless mimosas. Local chain Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles popularized the combo when it opened its first location in Long Beach in 1975, and all these decades later, L.A. has grown into a bona fide destination for Southern-style brunch. While legacy spots such as Harold & Belle’s hold true to the family recipes that have been beloved by customers for more than 50 years, newcomers are remixing classic dishes with California ingredients and their own personal style. Gritz N Wafflez chef and owner Jurni Rayne hails from the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, and her restaurant menu is a meaningful vehicle for storytelling. “It starts with my great-grandmother Zula Murphy, who we called Mama Zula, and recipes that are passed down from generation to generation that I get to tweak and make modern,” says Rayne, who gives a nod to her great-grandmother’s foundational recipes …

9 new and under-the-radar things to do in Avalon, Catalina Island

9 new and under-the-radar things to do in Avalon, Catalina Island

In the center of Catalina Island is Bishop’s Chapel at El Rancho Escondido. From its coastal perch, the small adobe building is alone with scrub-covered hills that look as if they are rolling into the distant rugged shoreline. The blue sky above is mirrored in a vast stretch of ocean. This could be a scene from rural Spain or Italy, and if it were springtime, the green isle of Ireland. But this is, by technical definition, greater Los Angeles. Those basking in the scenery — including myself — can’t quite believe it. Visiting the recently renovated ranch is one of the many new and under the radar experiences around Avalon, Catalina’s largest town with just over 3,000 people. If you haven’t made a trip in a while, it’s time for a reintroduction. This little getaway across the channel has been attracting visitors for over a century. Longtime Avalon resident and musician Vern Altieri found his place in this community after living in Malibu for 20 years. He explains, ”There’s no traffic light. There’s no traffic. …

Menopause is all the rage, from Hollywood stars to “The Change”

Menopause is all the rage, from Hollywood stars to “The Change”

If you have ovaries and a uterus, and are somewhere in your late 40s or beyond, you will have a body-informed epiphany. It might be barely noticeable. It may stop you in your tracks. You can see when it happens to and for Linda, Bridget Christie’s heroine in “The Change,” because it slaps her upside the head. The wife and mother of two is clearing plates and trash after her 50th birthday party, planned by a husband who enjoys all the attention and didn’t do any work to make it possible. She even had to bake her own cake. As she cleans house, Linda quietly taps a button on her digital watch to time each chore, recording the tally in a journal once it is completed. Then she opens an upper cabinet and is pummeled in the noggin by an avalanche of unmatched Tupperware – someone else’s task left for her to do. But the epiphanic ding! hits her as she’s smoothing a Band-Aid onto her forehead wound, and considers the superhero that decorates it: the Incredible Hulk. The …

A Journey of Resilience: Breaking Chains, Embracing Truth

A Journey of Resilience: Breaking Chains, Embracing Truth

[ Adobe Stock | ergey Nivens ] Mariam Oyiza Aliyu The following piece was written by Mariam Oyiza Aliyu, an ex-Muslim rights activist and survivor of gender-based violence from Kogi State in central Nigeria. Aliyu has focused her humanitarian energies on the most vulnerable in Nigeria: women and children.  I grew up in the quaint town of Okene, nestled between the boundaries of a bustling city and a serene village in Kogi State, Nigeria. Our family was deeply immersed in the Islamic faith, and my father, a renowned sheik, held a prominent position within the community. However, he was an absentee father, leaving my sibling and me to be raised primarily by our extraordinary mother—a woman of unyielding strength and intellect. Despite the constraints imposed by our religious beliefs, my mother remained open-minded and free-spirited. Her activist tendencies, fueled by a burning desire for justice, often led her to question the norms of our community. This audacity, however, came at a price. As our faith was placed under scrutiny, we became targets of harassment and …

A guide to West Adams: Best things to see, eat and do

A guide to West Adams: Best things to see, eat and do

With Victorian mansions and Craftsman bungalows tucked off its boulevard, driving down West Adams can feel like you’re traveling back in time. Many of the core structures were built between the 1880s and 1910s, making the South L.A. neighborhood one of the oldest in the city. But pops of vibrant street art bring you back to the present, like David Flores’ pensive portrait of Bob Marley set against crimson poppies or the mural of a little girl in a backward cap who holds her hand up in a “W” sign, a nod to the West Coast. 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. “It’s both a historic neighborhood and one that is in transition,” said Ryan Wilson, co-founder of West Adams’ private co-working club the Gathering Spot. “There are a lot of things that are emerging.” Founded by wealthy Pasadena industrialists Henry E. Huntington and Hulett C. Merritt, West Adams’ first denizens were of similar economic stature. …

“Why can’t we do that here?”: JD Vance’s “strange” family politics are a reality in Orban’s Hungary

“Why can’t we do that here?”: JD Vance’s “strange” family politics are a reality in Orban’s Hungary

From saying the country was run by “childless cat ladies,” to suggesting women should stay in abusive marriages, to arguing that parents should get more votes than people who don’t have kids, Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s “strange” view of the American family has turned heads and raised eyebrows among voters. “Let’s give votes to all children in this country, but let’s give control over those votes to the parents of those children. When you go to the polls in this country as a parent, you should have more power – you should have more of an ability to speak your voice in our democratic republic – than people who don’t have kids,” Vance said in a 2021 speech. According to Vance, parenthood should equal power, those who have children entitled to more influence over the direction of the country than those who do not. “Let’s face the consequences and the reality: If you don’t have as much of an investment in the future of this country, maybe you shouldn’t get nearly the same voice,” he …

Kids of Immigrants founder Daniel Buezo’s top L.A. Latino businesses

Kids of Immigrants founder Daniel Buezo’s top L.A. Latino businesses

Co-founder and chief executive of the Los Angeles-based clothing brand Kids of Immigrants, Daniel Buezo takes pride in his Honduran heritage. A first-generation American with roots extending from San Pedro Sula on his mom’s side and Comayagua on his dad’s, the entrepreneur was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., before moving to the Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles a decade ago. His company was inspired by living near the always-active street vendors of Macarthur Park, Buezo said, adding that he witnessed the same hustle culture in New York: immigrant families selling whatever they could to make a buck and give their kids a better life. The CEO has always been passionate about fashion and worked retail through high school and college. In 2013, he met Weleh Dennis, who has worked at Louis Vuitton and later became co-founder of Kids of Immigrants. “When he first mentioned the name ‘Kids of Immigrants,’ it just stuck. It was something that was true to who we were,” said Buezo, who grew up rocking brands like Nautica and Polo …

A guide to Compton: The best things to do, see and eat

A guide to Compton: The best things to do, see and eat

In Kendrick Lamar’s star-studded music video for “Not Like Us” — a diss record aimed at Canadian rapper Drake — hundreds of fans are standing around the Pulitzer Prize and Grammy winner near Compton City Hall. 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. As the lively crowd turns up and dances, they rap along to the infectious chorus. “They not like us, they not like us, they not like us.” It’s a strong sentiment that goes far beyond the rap beef or hip-hop in general. Rather, it perfectly highlights the spirit of Compton and its people: Despite characterizations of violence in pop culture portrayals, the residents of Compton shake off those misconceptions and rep their city with pride. “Compton’s always been the future for me,” Lamar said during his unexpected appearance at Compton College’s commencement ceremony in June, about a month before the momentous video shoot. The Compton native has long made the city a focal point …