CARazy Times


It's the final countdown. When the clock strikes 6 p.m. a 10 mile section of the 405 freeway will be closed for construction for 53 hours. 


Block parties, festivals, museums and yes, even bars are cashing in on the Carmageddon madness. Despite popular opinion, it IS possible to enjoy the city without ever going near the 405 - or even getting in a car for that matter. The Carmageddon Survival Guide ensures no one is left behind during these trying times.

"Oh Hermoine, you little vixen..."

You Have A Baby. In A Theater. 


Moms with infants rejoice! Several Pacific Theaters throughout L.A. offer "Monday Morning Mommy Movies" - or MMMM as it's known among the inner circle. 


At 11 a.m. every Monday, parents can enjoy "grown-up" flicks with their babies sleeping soundly beside them. Take heart knowing you'll be among sympathetic others when your little angel decides to melt down during the highly anticipated kissing scene between Hermoine and Ron in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 

The Return of GenArt


GenArt - the arts and entertainment organization that showcases emerging fashion designers, filmmakers, musicians and visual artists - is back after taking a hiatus in L.A. for a few years.  


Those who sign up now will receive a 50 percent membership discount. Just enter code "MEMBER50" at checkout to redeem. 

Half-Caff, Extra Froth, Hold the Neurotoxin


As I reached for the milk container at the Starbucks at the far end of LAX's Terminal 1, there it was: 

According to the warning, and the Prop 65 website, coffee contains acrylamide (a chemical known to cause cancer). It is classified as a neurotoxin, and per a report by the U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA), "several laboratory animal studies have shown that acrylamide causes a variety of tumors in rats and mice."


According to a lawsuit filed by the Committee for Education and Research on Toxics (CERT), a single 12 oz. cup of coffee “contains anywhere from four to 100 times the No Significant Risk Level for acrylamide established by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.”

Apparently, coffee has always contained this chemical.  The Prop 65 warning itself says that acrylamide is not a chemical added to coffee or any products, but rather created during the roasting of beans. This apparently is the case for coffee we make at home too.* 

Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals.

There was something slightly less-delicious about my coffee that morning. But it was an early flight, so I I drank it - armed with a renewed sense of skepticism. Everything can kill us. Even Starbucks.

*Source: http://www.lovelifewitheo.com/?p=2436

I Know What you Meme


Epic. 


I'll stop talking now. 

Signed. Sealed. Delivered. 



Just in time for summer, a dangerous new addition to the Manhattan Beach dining scene. 


Enter Manhattan Beach (M.B.) Post. Think of it as Simmzy's older, slightly more sophisticated brother. 


Occupying what was formerly the space of the lackluster Memphis restaurant and "hotspot," Towne, M.B. Post is a new "social house" that draws inspiration from the history of the building, an old post office. The design is open, welcoming. Faded Americana stencils adorn the cement walls - an homage to an era gone by, when people actually mailed letters. Unfinished, mismatched wood adds a cool, informal touch to the bar area. If it's possible to be casual, yet refined, M.B. Post nails it.


The service staff is knowledgeable, and dare I say, sweet. We detected zero attitude, and everyone from the bartender, the busboys and even the chef, David LeFevre, (formerly of downtown's Water Grill), were warm, helpful and accommodating.


Finally, the FOOD.  The menu is beyond inspired with creative dishes like steamed mussels in green curry, steamed Thai Snapper, Vietnamese Caramel Pork Jowl with green papaya salad, lime and ¡Albóndigas! with garnet yam puree, shishitos, maple-miso glaze. The drink menu includes craft cocktails with fresh ingredients like rosemary and muddled raspberries, an extensive wine list (Fiddlehead Sauvignon Blanc!); and a nice selection of beers, including some hard-to-find IPAs.


M.B. Post has upped the ante. For out-of-towners, it's the first restaurant worth making the long trek to the South Bay for and, for the locals FINALLY a great go-to restaurant besides Simmzy's. 
  
"This new Manhattan Beach American bistro from a Water Grill vet rocks an upscale barn vibe thanks to exposed rafters and bleached-wood common tables." - Thrillist 


M.B. Post
1140 Manhattan Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266-5332(310) 545-5405 ‎

Avoid the 405


On July 16 and 17 the 405 freeway will be closed for 53 hours. 
That's right, as part of the 1-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project, one of the most congested highways in the world will close to allow for upgrades on a 10-mile stretch between Interstate 10 and Highway 101.

The Project will add a 10-mile HOV lane and improve supporting infrastructure such as ramps, bridges and sound walls on the San Diego Fwy. (I-405); while widening lanes from the Santa Monica Fwy. (I-10) to the Ventura Fwy. (US-101).

Angelenos are urged to plan ahead and/or get out of dodge in preparation for the closure.


"... the point is there's gridlock on the 405 at virtually any time of the day, but particularly during the rush hour. And, if you think it's bad now, let me just make something absolutely clear. On July 16 and 17, it will be an absolute nightmare and that's why we're asking the public to plan ahead, to avoid the area, to not go on the 405, or anywhere close, during that period of time." 


- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

Taste of L.A. 

   

Tickets are now on sale for the Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine’s THE TASTE, the unprecedented, citywide event taking place over Labor Day weekend. This wine and food festival includes nine signature events to be held throughout Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Downtown L.A.  Many of the culinary world’s biggest stars will host the gastronomic affairs including renowned chefs Roy Choi, Duff Goldman and Ray Garcia, along with previously announced chefs including Giada De Laurentiis, Scott Conant, Art Smith, Ludo Lefebvre, Michael Voltaggio, Claire Robinson, Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos. For more information and tickets, visit www.latimes.com/THETASTE, Facebook.com/LATimesEvents or follow the festival on Twitter: @LATimesEvents.

Rockefeller Grand Opening

Just what the South Bay needs - another GASTROPUB. Seriously, there can never be enough. 
 
The newest, Rockefeller, will host its grand opening tomorrow night. Located on the newly refurbished Pier Ave. Check out happy hour from 5-6:30 p.m. nightly.

The space is great (can you say retractable ceiling?) but - as with most new restaurants - they're still working out the kinks. The dressings are a little too creamy, the seasonings are a little too bland, their bread a little to dry. But their ingredients are fresh and there's definite potential for improvement. Here's hoping they can step up their game and start ROCKin' Pier Ave.


The Rockefeller
418-422 Pier Ave
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
http://www.eatrockefeller.com/

Can I Get a W-What?!??


For the latest in tasteful back tattoos and Ed Hardy couture, look no further than the W Hollywood. Weekend pool parties feature scantily clad servers and the loudest, eardrum rattling techno this side of Sepulveda. Good times.

Me Gusta Cali


Get ready for summer! 


Check out this free download (or live stream) for a great mix of Latin-inspired tunes. 


Me gusta la música. 

Open Mouth, Insert Hiking Boot


Backcountry's PR blunder and subsequent mea culpa makes me love them even more... Completely appropriate follow-up and a great example of leadership and accountability. 

Fine Wine in Manhattan Beach


The Vintage Shoppe, formerly located in Playa Vista, has moved to Manhattan Beach. Adjacent to Tin Roof Bistro in the Manhattan Village Mall, enjoy a nice selection of vintages from small wineries around the world.  Ten dollars gets you a wine tasting. They pour almost every day.


Grand opening event on April 29 still has tickets available. Go here to purchase yours. 


The Vintage Shoppe
3500 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Suite 140
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 546-WINE(9463)
Email: info@bigwino.com
  

'Lucky' Brings Benefit Shopping Event from New York to Los Angeles


Last week, shopping magazine Lucky hosted its first annual Lucky Shops L.A., the West Coast’s first incarnation of the shopping event that started in New York. Now in its eighth year, Lucky Shops offered an edited selection of apparel and accessories at discount prices at Siren Studios.... read more.

We Have Arrived


La-La Land. It's not just a destination, it's a definition. 


The Oxford-English dictionary has included a much-needed descriptor to the slang phrase used in reference to our fair city. 


la-la land n. can refer either to Los Angeles (in which case its etymology is influenced by the common initialism for that city), or to a state of being out of touch with reality—and sometimes to both simultaneously.


Funny and pretty right on.  While there are a few of us who live in L.A. who "get it" - we're educated,  we work hard, we have morals, we support public radio - there are many who, well, who aren't and who don't.


I get as fed up as the next guy when it comes to the "disconnect from reality" exhibited by those who inhabit this town - mostly transplants from other cities. It's one of the few places where stupidity is not only excused, it's practically expected. Add to that, the unabashed sense of entitlement and the most exalted importance on physical beauty anywhere I've ever been. It really is maddening. Don't get me started on the traffic, lack of public transportation... and the taxes...


All that aside, I confess, I LOVE it here. There's a reason so many people flock to SoCal. The quality of life is amazing. Where else can you ski in the morning, surf in the afternoon? We have easy access to some of the most natural beauty and breathtaking scenery in the world. Believe it or not, once you weed out the bad eggs, some of the people are pretty cool (and inspiring!) too. Whatever kind of food, music, movie or cultural experience you desire - you can find it here.  Did I mention the weather....? The. Weather.


It really does make it all worth it. 


"We should build a wall around California to keep the close minded out." - Timothy Leary, American psychologist and writer

Dog Days of Travel 


In my frequent jaunts up and down California's coast, I meet a variety of characters. Today's pick of the litter: Pablo, a 12 lb. chihuahua-pug (pughuahua?) pound puppy rescued from a South Central shelter.

Fly safe, Pablo!

Check out these GREAT organizations, to rescue a little mutt of your own!

Shelter Stroll Smooch Pooch Dog Rescue L.A. Animal Services Petfinder

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Next Big One? 


The earthquake that hit Japan last week was upgraded yesterday from a 8.9 to a 9.0, a difference in amplitude of about 1.4 percent.


When plotting three of the world's most recent  major earthquakes, a patten emerges. In very basic terms, the Pacific Plate is shifting. Three of the four faults on the plate have experienced major temblors in the last year. Chile in the Southeast (Feb. 2010), New Zealand in the Southwest (Feb. 2011), Japan in the Northwest (March 2011). Is North America's Pacific Northwest next? 


It is here that the most dangerous fault in the U.S. lies:  Cascadia. The fault  stretches from the northern part of California, north along the coast of Oregon and Washington, and into Canadian waters. In fact, 300 years ago, a 9.0 earthquake that originated here set off a tsunami that wreaked havoc all the way across the Pacific Ocean, smashing the shores of Japan. 


According to experts, the Pacific Northwest is "long overdue" for a major quake. "With the region experiencing 41 quakes 8.0 magnitude or above over the past 10,000 years, geologists say it's a question of when - not if - the next one hits..."

Don't Sweat It. Or do. 
  
Equinox is offering a free three-day trial for a limited time. To sign up, go here. 


Rest assured, word on the street is the clubs in L.A. are nothing like those in New York. (It was years ago. They "needed the money"...)

Snowpacalypse!

While Southern California has been blasted with sub-40 degree temperatures and unexpected deluges, the area mountains have been reaping the benefits of frequent precipitation. 

It's been an incredible season at Mammoth and June Mountains in California's Eastern Sierra. With a 19 ft. base and 18 new inches in the past 24 hours, it appears there's no end in sight to the near-perfect conditions and a season that will most certainly last well into the summer, once again.

Powder days are the norm, not the exception in 2010/2011. Here's a montage, collected from the past couple of months. Enjoy the "greatest snow on earth."

For those of you unlucky enough NOT to have a season pass, go here to complete a survey by TOMORROW evening and you'll receive a voucher for a $39 lift ticket. 

The Kids Are Alright


Hot on the heels of L.A. being named the rudest city in America, comes a fresh new concept: teaching kids how to be polite at an early age. Check out a new blog created by L.A. mom Lora - on the off-chance your little monsters need a refresher. 


You. Can. Never. Start. Too. Soon.