Summer in Southern California went out with a bang… over the Columbus Day weekend. With the triple-digit temperatures behind us (fingers crossed), the fall mini-Modernism weekend has launched the beginning of the season and it is again time to return to the desert of Palm Springs, where Angelenos have been weekending for the last century. At one time, it was gambling that drew the Hollywood … Continue reading Tips for a Palm Springs Foodie Weekender
The afternoon waxes slowly into dusk as the moon drifts low in the sky and the smell of a wood fire wafts through the crisp, autumn air. Couples in Polo shirts and khaki shorts indulge in wine over leisurely games of bocce ball on a central courtyard lawn here at Bernardus Lodge & Spa in the heart of beautiful Carmel Valley. These nearly 30 lush … Continue reading Carmel: Days of Wine and Bocce Ball at Bernardus Lodge
The drive up Highway 1, from San Luis Obispo to Carmel, is the reason the automobile was invented (not true by any stretch of the imagination, but sounds nicer than “is a pretty drive”). Oh, you can take the 101, but you better take some NoDoz while you’re at it and splash yourself with some cold water every few miles (you know, from the dashboard … Continue reading It’s Time for Carmel-by-the-Sea at The Cypress Inn
A glimpse. That’s what burlesque queen Lili St. Cyr offered in the form of fleshly desire to audiences, what author Leslie Zemeckis is offering in the form of a biography of the famed striptease to readers and what I’m offering in the form of this advanced report to you. Zemeckis, an award-winning documentarian and actress (and wife of filmmaker Robert Zemeckis), recently celebrated the launch of her new biography, “Goddess … Continue reading Zemeckis Gives Peek at Striptease Lili St. Cyr
Fads, by definition, come and go. And with the aid of today’s media technology connecting every corner of the world simultaneously, never in history have these trends sprung into existence and died out as rapidly as right now, like stars shooting across the night sky on a journey into oblivion. Meanwhile, genuinely artistic style remains steadfast all the while, the North Star by which to … Continue reading Palm Springs is Back (and Always) in Fashion
Cleopatra adorns the walls, her clearly ecstatic nude body whetting patron’s appetites at the well-stocked bar. The images, an art collection remaining from the previous incarnation of the establishment, harken back not only to an ancient past but to a more recent era when in the wake of Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tut’s tomb, Art Deco incarnated the world’s love affair of Egyptology. And … Continue reading Elmaleh Stars at Hollywood’s Cleo at the Redbury
The intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights on the eastern end of the Strip, is steeped in local history. It was here, more than 60 years ago, that Googie architecture, with its Southern California-esque ethic, took its name in honor of a John Lautner-designed coffee shop. The aesthetic, extant but endangered, is in so many ways the antithesis of the Gothic cathedral, and yet, … Continue reading Divine Dining at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails
A marching band, a horse, a seven-foot-tall blended ice drink mascot and a lot of caffeinated early-risers: It must be Sept. 29. Oh, Sept. 29, for the uninitiated, happens to be National Coffee Day. And no one celebrates the bean-centric holiday quite like Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. National Coffee Day is to coffee-drinkers what St. Patrick’s Day is to drinky-drinkers. One difference between the … Continue reading Spilling the Beans About National Coffee Day
This is a story about really good Mexican food but it’s also about lawyers, parking and music. Intrigued? So was I. Why else would I be in the Valley on a sweltering September evening? If you’ve spent any amount of time on Ventura Boulevard, you’re familiar with the former Spazio location. Ring a bell? The joint with the rotunda on the second and top floor … Continue reading Añejo: The Valley Just Got Hotter
Summer-friendly cocktails are imbibed over friendly introductions and casual conversations when an iron triangle is rung, calling guests to sup. The bearded man behind the percussion and the Long Beach eatery’s monthly supper series is James Republic‘s executive chef, David MacLennan, a rising star in the farm-to-table movement. The Dinner Bell Supper Series has been attracting not only locals, but has drawn Angelenos south for a … Continue reading Dinner Bell Series Strikes the Right Note
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