My husband and I are lovers of the grape, so we rarely indulge in hard
alcohol, especially since it’s usually more costly and the bars in Los
Angeles don’t exactly cater to our age range. It’s hard to find a place
with a classy atmosphere that’s not blaring hip-hop and filled with
half-exposed 20-year-olds. How they find the money to buy $12 martinis
all night is a mystery to me.
Dave would be content to never leave our house and watch ESPN all
night, but I work from home and every once in awhile, I need to get
away from my computer and experience the real world. Being a compulsive
planner, I always have a few places I’ve found from my Internet travels
I’d like to indulge in. Enlisting the excitement of a friend, I recently
convinced Dave to take us to the Edison Bar in downtown Los Angeles.
Usually, this would be a wholly unacceptable destination on a
weeknight, but because we could take the subway – which cut our travel
time in half and allowed him to drink – he agreed to the excursion.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Sir Winston's Restaurant
This year on my summer vacation I actually played tourist in my own home town. I've lived in Los Angeles for 20 years – never thought I would be here this long – and have pretty much seen/done everything over the years. Or so I thought. With keyboard at the ready, I searched the Internet for attractions that would appeal to both adults (me and my sister) and our 16-year-old niece, sort of a child, until you have to pay for her.
Since the trip was for her birthday and she loves animals, especially sea creatures, the Aquarium of the Pacific was a must-stop. I had no issue with driving to Long Beach, but the aquarium is not that big and I didn't want to go down and back in the same day, as we'd assuredly end up spending more time in the car than experiencing the wonders of the deep.
I knew the Queen Mary was right across the bay and figured that would be an interesting thing to see, too. (Well at least for the real adults.) There's nothing wrong with learning a little something on your vacation, right?
Hidden Treasures at Tacos Por Favor
Driving on the freeway, looking at the streets and neighborhoods below, I often wonder what fabulous restaurants I'm missing. Tacos Por Favor is one of those places that I had heard about for years, but had always driven by without stopping.
Today I decided to stop.
A cantina-sized Mexican restaurant on the corner of Olympic at 14th Street,Tacos Por Favor sits on the border between the two-Santa Monicas.
It is well-known to the people who work in the auto repair and building supply businesses nearby as well as the students of the upscale private school, Crossroads and the well-heeled who could eat at the upscale Buffalo Club down the block, but prefer Tacos Por Favor's casual atmosphere and lower prices.
The Bazaar
To great acclaim, José Andrés recently opened four restaurants (Rojo,
Blanco, Saam, & Patisserie) and a bar (Bar Centro) on the ground
floor of the SLS Hotel (465 S. La Cienega, Los Angeles, CA 90048;
310/246-5555). Collectively called The Bazaar, the space reflects
Andrés' elegance, playfulness, energy, and love of food.
Serving an eclectic menu, Andrés uses foam and flavor essentials
reflecting his relationship with Ferran Adrià. Serving the best hams
and cheeses cements his connection to the Spanish tapas bars where
working people gather to eat, drink, and talk.
Over several visits to the Bazaar, I enjoyed wildly extravagant treats like his
crispy cones filled with cauliflower cream and topped with American
caviar or the whimsical, delicious sticks of foie gras wrapped in
cotton candy, but the most memorable dish was something extraordinarily
simple: an appetizer of salt crusted potatoes with a cilantro-parsley
dip.
Philippe - The Original
Double-dipped Justice at Philippe's
If you are a criminal defense attorney as I am defending cases in downtown Los Angeles, you will eventually find your way to the tangled skein of ceiling fans, neon soft drink signs, and sawdust floors of a restaurant called “Philippe - The Original The Home of the French dip sandwich Since 1918" in nearby Chinatown. This restaurant and the sandwiches contained within played a central role in defending my first felony trial which took place in 1987.
In that case, my client was twenty years old and stood no more than 5' 4" weighing 110 lbs. It wouldn’t have hurt him to eat a sandwich himself. He had just been released from prison after serving time for burglary. He was told by his parole officer to obey all laws, don’t possess a gun, and stay away from gang members. He did very well in following those directions for the next 24 hours.
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