Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles
I was told once that Cinco de Mayo was just an excuse for a party, that the real celebration takes place on Mexican Independence Day, September 16. But it’s true Cinco de Mayo has become a popular day to eat, drink and celebrate the arrival of the Fifth of May. And really, here in Los Angeles, we…
Read More »Eataly Los Angeles
After months, really years, of hungry anticipation, Eataly Los Angeles opened their doors in early November. The location? The Westfield Century City Mall, which is a massive indoor/outdoor shopping center that just completed their own gorgeous renovation. Eataly Los Angeles, the also massive Italian marketplace, offers almost 70,000 square feet of Italian goodness and towers over a big…
Read More »Grand Central Market celebrating 100 years in Los Angeles
It was wonderful to watch as Grand Central Market celebrated 100 years in business in Los Angeles. I have loved GCM from the first time I walked along the sawdust-strewn floors back in 2001 when I moved to Los Angeles. I loved the whole atmosphere because not only were there a variety of food stalls to…
Read More »The Proud Bird Food Hall and Event Center
The Proud Bird Food Hall and Event Center has undergone a facelift from The Proud Bird I was first introduced to many years ago while attending a corporate holiday banquet. When an announcement was made that The Proud Bird was closing its doors, Matt and I paid a visit for an Early Bird dinner and to reminisce the space…
Read More »Celebrating Italian Heritage Month with pizza
October is Italian Heritage Month which might explain why this foodie tour guide has been eating so much pizza this month! The origin of the word pizza is not clear, but it is Italian for pie. Various cultures and people ate forms of flatbreads with toppings including the ancient Egyptians, Israelites, Greeks and Romans. The pizza pie we’re all familiar…
Read More »The 101 Coffee Shop in Hollywood
The 101 Coffee Shop in Hollywood is located on Franklin Avenue and is connected to The Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills Hotel. Previously known as The Hollywood Hills Coffee Shop, The 101 Coffee Shop first came on my radar when I heard about their Waffle Brownie Sundae. Could such a thing exist? Yes it does, and I…
Read More »My Staycation in L.A.
blog • The Best Bite I Ate This Week
Having had no summer vacation this year I decided to play tourist in my own city and take a “staycation” instead. And what fun it was. There’s a reason Los Angeles is known as the entertainment capital of the world – there’s so much fun stuff to do. The first thing that comes to mind,…
Read More »Celebrating Seven Years as a Hollywood Tour Company
The month of August marks 7 years that TOURific Escapes has been operating as a Hollywood tour company. We never envisioned back in 2010 that we would make it this far. We have a lot of people to thank for our success but before we do that, let’s take a walk down Memory Lane and see how TOURific Escapes was born. HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
Read More »Waiting in line at Howlin’ Ray’s Hot Chicken
I finally made it to Howlin’ Ray’s to wait in line for their Nashville-style Hot Chicken! Howlin’ Ray’s has been in ALL the foodie news for the past year or so and it was only a matter of time before I got to the Howlin’ Ray’s brick and mortar location in Downtown LA, Chinatown to be exact. It…
Read More »Porto’s Bakery & Cafe new location in Orange County
I have long been a fan of Porto’s Bakery & Cafe and have visited their Glendale location on many occasions for their reasonably priced but more importantly delicious Cuban food and pastries. With additional locations in Burbank and Downey, I heard that they had expanded to yet another new location, this time down in Orange County. The largest Porto’s Bakery & Cafe can…
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