Top-Tens, Top-Fives, TopFAVs of the LaLa Ladies will have you sampling only the best of the best of what you might crave, want or need to experience in this vast city of dreams and aspirations.
In 2012 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California was deemed the coolest block in America. During my almost 8 years in LA, Abbot Kinney has turned into a mecca of the hottest boutiques where one can find unique high end products that are not mass produced. Many of these cool one-of-a-kind American finds often come to LA from NY or come to life right here … Continue reading Patties and Pies at Three Square Cafe
Founded in the 1880s as a temperance colony, Lompoc was originally conceived as a booze-free utopia. (Note: this is not to be confused with a free-booze utopia, which, I’m sorry to say, is not a real thing). William Hollister, a wealthy rancher who was once considered the state’s largest producer of wool was interested in cheap labor and clean sobriety. Today, wages are still low … Continue reading Escape LA: Lompoc, a Santa Barbara city
It’s amazing sometimes how simple the best things can be. We get so overwhelmed with choices and options these days that we forget or miss out on the good stuff. Personally I get paralyzed by indecision sometimes in doing the daily task of choosing a place to eat. Being in LA, I, like most people around here, tend to be very health conscious. When I say … Continue reading Mainland Poke – Casual Healthy Dining
Every once in a while, a food writer comes across a restaurant concept that seems to have all of the intangibles necessary to be a mega-hit. It is a glimpse into the future. I won’t be the least bit surprised if in a few years, there are fast-casual poké chains in every neighborhood in L.A. and expanding across the country. And, to some degree, those … Continue reading From Hawaii with Love
“This is not ‘Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.” — Walter Sobchack, The Big Lebowski There used to be rules to bowling, anyway: cigarette smoke, fluorescent lighting, off-brand beers, country music jukeboxes, pederasts and women named “Flo.” Times have changed. Well, not really. But at Bowlero in Mar Vista, they really have. Bowlero is the newest concept in bowling. And while it’s been a … Continue reading High Rollers in Mar Vista
The newly opened French brasserie Terrine with a pig painted on its white facade lets you know you have found the restaurant on Beverly Blvd. This restaurant with its unassuming exterior has been my go-to brunch spot to dine solo for many reasons. 1) No one bothers me at the bar and I can read in peace. 2) The coffee is perfect. 3) When I … Continue reading Dine and Swine at Terrine
After enjoying an incredible food and wine pairing at Petrossian West Hollywood just a stone’s throw from my pad, it was time to explore the much anticipated Caviar 301 Menu. This actual caviar tasting menu leads guests through a tasting of some of Petrossian’s most expensive caviar along with an caviar infused seven course meal (with two expensive cocktails of your choice included). We are … Continue reading Caviar Dreams at Petrossian
I’ve been in LA almost 8 years and every year I have heard the Coachella banter many months before this two weekend desert music festival actually happens, and every year my intrigue grows. Each year I have been told that I will hate it…. camping, drugs, desert dust, heat, no bathrooms, and so on. After years of love hate tales floating around me, I actually … Continue reading What I wish someone told me before going to Coachella
Last week, Michelin-starred Executive Chef Ho Chee Boon unveiled a whopping 13 new dishes at Hakkasan Beverly Hills, marking the most significant menu transformation since its September 2013 launch. The chic Cantonese restaurant, like most Beverly Hills residents, recently underwent a facelift and now has a more chic, up-to-date look about it. Truth be told, the bar got a lounge implant — a handful of … Continue reading Hakkasan Spices it up with 13 New Dishes
How cool would it be to own dishware featuring the iconic landmarks in your particular L.A. neighborhood? Here’s the scoop… On Wednesday, local fast-casual chain Lemonade, founded in 2008 by chef Alan Jackson, unveiled colorful new dishware designed by L.A.-based designer Ilan Dei. It was Dei who created the warm, friendly and individualized look of the restaurants. “Los Angeles is so diverse and each neighborhood … Continue reading L.A. Neighborhoods Featured on Designer Dishware from Lemonade
lalascoop.com 