Topanga Canyon is known for it’s laid-back, cowboy/hippy vibe. Even though it’s not far from LA, it’s a world apart. For the first weekend of 2014, we headed to Topanga State Park on a 6.6 mile hike with a visit to the iconic Eagle Rock. After hiking, we were in search of something tasty for […]
Paper or Plastik for Breakfast
It is often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Personally, I’d add “only if it includes good coffee.” Good coffee and a great place to enjoy it is like a little island of tranquility–a respite from the world. Living in LA there are plenty of options for third-wave coffee, but many […]
Salt’s Cure
Salt’s Cure is a small restaurant in West Hollywood that sources all their food from California. I first heard about it from my mom in San Francisco (thanks, Mom!) who saw a review and suggested it might be right up our alley. As with most things in life, Mom was right. We stopped in for brunch […]
Golden Road Brewing
There are few things as satisfying as a well-earned meal, washed down with a tasty craft beer. And believe me, we earned it. We had just hiked the Beaudry Motorway Loop in the nearby Verdugo Mountains, and were looking forward to visiting Golden Road Brewing again. Our first visit was a year ago, when our […]
The Original Pantry Cafe
Established in 1924, The Original Pantry has spent eight decades providing its customers with bigger-than-one-person-should-eat portions of traditional, artery-clogging American food. The restaurant started with five employees in a building at 9th and Figueroa St. It consisted of one room — a 15-stool counter, a grill and a hot plate. It wasn’t long before patrons […]
The Berlin Wall – In Los Angeles
On November 9, 1989, the wall came down in Berlin. On November 8, 2009 it went back up again — in Los Angeles. The Wall Project originally commemorated the 20th anniversary of the day the Berlin Wall came down. Today, these ten segments of the Berlin Wall make up the largest section of the wall […]
In Search of Fall Color in Southern California
Even though the temperature in Southern California was teetering around 90 degrees here in LA, it is officially fall. Many don’t realize that there are places where you can go to see real, honest-to-goodness fall color right here in SoCal. This past weekend, we ventured up near Big Bear to the southernmost aspen grove in […]
Jazz at LACMA
It’s Friday night. The work week has ended. The weekend has officially begun. I can’t think of a better way to kick things off than getting together with friends for food, wine and live jazz at the LA County Museum of Art — LACMA. The Jazz at LACMA program has been going strong for over […]
Lemonade on Larchmont
Lemonade is a fast-growing chain of restaurants described as “fast casual.” The food is generally very tasty, and served cafeteria style. It’s also very well-suited to grab-and-go for dinner at home, as you can select your sides and mains in portions of 1 through 4. Joan and I have been to the Larchmont location a […]
Hangar 24 Brewery in Redlands
Hangar 24 is a craft brewery in Redlands, California. It’s a bit of a drive, but if you’re coming down the 38 from hiking near San Gorgonio (as we were last Saturday) Hangar 24 is well worth a visit. We hadn’t been there before, so we started out with their tasting flight. For $8, we […]