Archive: Sep 2013

The Culver Hotel is located right in the heart of Culver City, and may best be known as the hotel that the many Munchkins called home during the filming of The Wizard of Oz at MGM Studios in 1938.  Munchkins aside, the hotel is a fun place to meet friends for Happy Hour or a…

If you are looking for something fun and inexpensive to do on a Sunday morning, head on over to the Melrose Trading Post.  The Fairfax High School parking lot at the corner of Melrose and Fairfax Avenue becomes a giant flea market every Sunday, rain or shine, from 9am to 5pm.  For 15 years, the…

I just spent a glorious week on the Southern Oregon Coast in the little town of Bandon, population 3,000. The purpose of the visit was to celebrate my mom’s birthday, attend her Red Hat luncheon, and also to join my parents on their annual salmon fishing trip led by a seasoned Fishing Guide. Before I…

For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to go shopping at The Citadel Outlets, Los Angeles’ only outlet center.  But for some reason or another, I just never got out there.  Then the Travel and Tourism Marketing Association (TTMA) announced their August luncheon to be held in the VIP Lounge of The Citadel…

I first discovered Loteria Grill at The Farmer’s Market at Third & Fairfax about ten years ago.  I usually get their chilaquiles or a taco plate and always one of their fruity aguas frescas.  Recently Matt and I were out scouting for a new restaurant to add to our already fabulous tour line-up and we…

Matt and I both like the movie Serendipity starring Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack.  Neither of us have been to restaurant in New York, which is well known for their Frozen Hot Chocolate.  Tonight we realized, who needs New York?   We had ChocoVivo’s version of Serendipity, just a few miles from home.  Patricia Tsai, the…

This week my best bite was actually a sip.  A very delicious, healthy, welcome sip on a very hot September day.  I recently read about Café MangoSix, which is a Korean-based chain offering a variety of drinks, desserts, salads and sandwiches.  Their first US location is in Los Angeles on West 3rd Street near the…

One of the pleasures and privileges of my job as an entertainment journalist is to get to meet all the big stars in showbiz. I’ve noticed that what unites them is a love of what they do… Take, for example,  Petula Clark who I interviewed the other day. She’s been singing hits like Downtown for…

The only thing is, Fabio wasn’t there.  We did learn that he makes an appearance once a month and guests are known to call and book a table on the date he is scheduled to be at the Osteria.  And that’s no surprise.  Voted the “Fan Favorite” on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 5, Fabio Viviani…

Matt and I spent the Sunday of the Labor Day weekend visiting good friends who just relocated to Carpinteria, which is adjacent to Santa Barbara.  To cool off on that warm September evening, they took us to McConnell’s Ice Cream in downtown Santa Barbara where there were a good 20 people in line ahead of…