Abbot Kinney First Fridays

Abbott Kinney is a famous street in Venice. To be totally accurate Abbot Kinney was a developer and conservationist who designed Venice (in LA).  But now there is a street names after him.  The street is filled with galleries, shops, restaurants, and of course a great area for events.  One of the events is the Abbott Kinney First Fridays which is Venice's version of an Art Walk. Since I've had so much success with Art Walks around the city in the past I thought this would be no different.

We arrived a little before 6 (the event is from 6-10) and had some trouble finding parking.  Anyone that knows anything about Venice knows parking is always a hassle.  When there is an event going on, it's even more of a pain.  It took about 20 min to find a place maybe 5 blocks away from the main street which wasn't too bad.  When we arrived on the boulevard it wasn't as busy as I expected it to be.  The shops we went into were fairly empty and most of the people out were giving their attention to the food trucks.  We walked down the street and into a few galleries.  One gallery curator was particularly helpful telling us that the Art Walk use to be more lively, but it ended up turning into a bunch of drunken kids walking the streets, the cops were called, so the galleries stopped attracting people that would actually appreciate art.  They also stopped serving alcohol and the even went more away from an art walk. Now the food trucks have taken over and the street just becomes a food truck fair.  It sounded like some of the galleries and boutiques prefer not to have the event because it doesn't improve their business as it is intended to.

If you happen to be in Venice on the first Friday of the month, you might as well try to stop by, you may find some deals.  Otherwise, I wouldn't rush out for First Fridays.  It's not all that fun.

The Hungry Cat Raw Bar

The Hungry Cat was a hard bar to find.  It's address states it's on Vine street in Hollywood but there is no signage or indication that the bar exists from the street.  We had to get out of the car and look for it.  It is tucked into a pedestrian alley way that is between the old Borders and the Bed Bath and Beyond on the corner.  On top of that, there are 6 ft hedges that hide the restaurant.  I felt like I'd solved a mystery trying to find the place so I was ready for a cocktail, which is what I had come for!

Before we get to the drinks, the restaurant has incredible seafood and a raw bar.  We actually sat at the raw bar and saw the chef''s prepping the nights specials right in front of us.  It was really cool.  But we came for the drinks.  The cocktail menu isn't big.  they have 8 on the menu and a daily special.  The special that day was the Rumble so that's what Liz got.  I went for the Tigerlilly which has green tea-infused vodka, lemon, honey, tonic, blood orange.  The drinks are a bit pricey, mine was $13 but I figured having one wouldn't hurt my wallet too much.  After we ordered they brought oyster crackers (probably in anticipation of us ordering seafood), and the waiter briefly explained the menu, pointing out the small plates and the entrees.  Liz actually was swayed to get food so she ordered the cheese plate which had 5 cheeses, honeycomb, and almonds on it for $20.  Our drinks came and they looked quite festive.

My drink was bitter, I anticipated the blood orange would add sweetness however it was more like grapefruit juice.  Liz's drink was great however I don't remember what was actually in it since it was the special.  

 

The atmosphere was laid-back.  The restaurant was not crowded; it was still early in the evening.  The cheese platter was really good and more than enough to share.  The best part of the experience came when we got the bill.  The drinks were half off due to happy hour.  We were not told of happy hour so I was not expecting this at all.  At this price, the drinks are more than worth it. 

If you find yourself in Hollywood during happy hour sniff out The Hungry Cat.  You'll enjoy the cocktails and if you're hungry I'm sure the food is more than worth it as well :)

Venice Beach Boardwalk

If you've truly never been to Southern California before Venice Beach is a must.  It will probably fulfill a boatload of stereotypes you have about the area (depending on where you're from).  Stereotypes or not, it is a hands down fun place to to stroll and people watch.

Venice has always been known as a hangout for the creative and the artistic. In the 1950s and 60s, Venice became a center for the Beat generation. There was an explosion of poetry and art. Major participants included Stuart Perkoff, John Thomas, Frank T. Rios, Tony Scibella, Lawrence Lipton, John Haag, Saul White, Robert Farrington and Philomene Long.  Today, Venice is a vibrant area of Southern California and it continues a tradition of progressive social change involving prominent Westsiders.

Venice Beach has an awesome beach with great breakwater and is an acclaimed local surf spot.  There is a boardwalk that runs parallel to the beach, Muscle Beach, handball courts, paddle tennis courts, Skate Dancing plaza, numerous beach volleyball courts, bike trail and businesses and residences that have their addresses on Ocean Front Walk. The basketball courts in Venice are renowned across the country for their high level of street ball and numerous NBA players were developed or recruited from these courts.

Prominent residents of Venice include actresses Julia Roberts, Kate Beckinsale, and Anjelica Huston, Nicolas Cage, and many more. Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting career began after becoming a regular bodybuilder at Venice's famous Gold's Gym, whose present facility claims to be "The Mecca of Bodybuilding." Restaurateur Wolfgang Puck has owned and operated noted eateries in the area since the 1990s.

We went on a weekday afternoon and it was fairly quite.  The boardwalk wasn't too crowded but there was still plenty of peddlers to to entertain us. If you want a crowd go on the weekend during the summer.  You are sure to see a great show!

AIDS/Lifecycle Bike Ride

Imagine riding your bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles, all for a good cause!  That's exactly what AIDS/LifeCycle is. I actually found out about this ride a few months after I first moved to California.  I lived in Pasadena and heard a lot of riders met at the Rose Bowl for Saturday morning rides.  Since I didn't know anyone who rode here I went down to meet up with a group and it just happened to be a training group for the AIDS/LifeCycle ride.  I rode with them that day and a few times as a guest.  It didn't take long for them to convince me to sign up.  I did the ride in the summer of 2009 and it is still to this day one of the top things I've done in California.

A little more about the ride itself...AIDS/LifeCycle is a charity event to raise money for HIV/AIDS services and raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Participants which include riders, roadies, and staff raise money through out the year. The tour includes up to 2,500 riders and 500 roadies or support crew participants. In the first week of June over 7 days, the riders cycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles with the support of the roadies and staff. For seven days, ALC passes through communities in California as a memorial to those who have died of AIDS and as an event to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Each day of riding can range from 40-100+ miles. At the end of each day of riding, cyclists arrive in a camp to eat, shower, and rest before riding out again the next morning. The riding route is about 545 miles in total.

The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among participants, their donors, and the general public. The ride is done because the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center agencies need funding to provide the critical services and education needed to meet the growing needs of the community.  

 

For me, the ride was fun, rewarding, challenging, and at times daunting. If you don't know anyone, it's easy to make friends.  Everyone is happy, supportive, and there to have a good time.  It's a great way to see California, especially scenic HWY 1.  My favorite portion of the ride was riding from Ventura to LA going through Malibu along the coast.  It was an experience that I will always remember. I hope to come back to California to do it again one day.

In the meantime, anyone can get involved, as a rider,  roadie, or just through donations.  The ride kicked off this morning in SF and will be rolling into LA next Saturday.  Check out the website to see how you can help and be apart of a great cause!

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles

Chicken and Waffles you say?  That doesn't sound good.  Well, you haven't had Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles...together.  So yummy.  And it's not just the food, it's the experience.

The Chicken and Waffles combination was brought from Harlem to LA in the 1970's by Herb Hudson. The restaurant became popular among Motown artist and, spread through word of mouth, it became a legend.  The Los Angeles Times refers to Roscoe's as "such an L.A. institution that people don't even question the strange combo anymore." It is known for the signature Chicken and Waffles but they offer so much delicious soul food that it's a great home away from home for food.  When I go I always get the greens and mac and cheese in addition to the signature.

Now, I must admit, I've never been to the restaurant before midnight, it's usually a late night visit but that's what makes it so great.  (Side note, I have had their take out during the day and it's just as good.) On this particular weekend I went at around midnight and it was as packed as ever. There was about an hour wait so we went into the lounge where they had a jazz band (The Long Beach location has a jazz lounge as well.)  When we were seated we knew exactly what we wanted,  I usually get the #1: SCOE'S 1/4 Chik prepared southern style, 2 waffles but since we were sharing we went with the #3 which subs the 1/4 chicken for 1/2.  We also got a side of greens and mac and cheese.  More than enough food to satisfy our appetite that night.  The food takes around 10-15 minutes to come out and about that long to devour it all!  As usual it was good.

As I said, the thing that makes Roscoe's so special is the late night atmosphere, everyone is happy, hungry, and quite loud.  I think just about anyone could walk into the restaurant at night and they would be accepted and have a good time.  The staff is nice and somewhat tolerant of the late night shenanigans.  There is security just in case but I've never seen anything get out of hand.

Roscoe's is popular with a lot of celebrities most notably Snoop Dogg and Larry King.  It's also been mentioned in countless movies and songs. If you're in LA, you definitely need to try the chicken and waffles.  Even if you've had this combination before, their recipe will impress you!

Cinespia - Movie in Hollywod Forever Cemetery

Cinespia is probably one of the best kept secrets (or not so secret) events in Los Angeles.  It is...a movie, at night, in a cemetery.  Not just any cemetery, Hollywood Forever Cemetery.  I say it's not so secret because it's been featured in everything from LA Magazine to the NY Times and Wall Street Journal.  All of the press and it still has a neighborhood feel.

It's the 10th season of this wonderful summer event and it seems to get better with time.  I'm not quite sure how it got started but it's definitely grown in popularity.  We went this past Sunday and ran into a couple that has been coming every year since it started.  They said that night was the largest crowd they've ever seen by far.  It could have been that it was the Sunday before Memorial Day or because Young Frankenstein was playing but it was packed.  We arrived an hour before the gates were supposed to open and there were already ~200 people there.  They roped off rows for people to wait in on the grass so groups were picnicking and drinking wine while waiting.  We were in the last row of grass, everyone behind us had to wait on the sidewalk so we were lucky. We put our blankets down, popped open a bottle of wine and started snacking.  It was a fairly warm day and the sun was just beginning to set.  It was great to spend time people watching and enjoying the night.  We bought tickets online ahead of time so we were guaranteed a spot for the movie.  Apparently the ticketing use to be donation based at the gate but now it is recommended buying online where the only option is $10 (still cheaper than the movie theater.) 

Around 7:00, when the gates were supposed to open, people started standing up.  They started letting people in slowly but surely.  It took about 45 min for us to actually get through the gate.  We walked down the main path of the cemetery to find a very crowded grassy section with people sitting, facing the mausoleum.  It looked like people had been there for quite awhile with tables set up and candles lit.  We walked through sites to find a little area near the back of the main section but right in the center.  We put down our blankets and set up our camp.  We only had blankets so it was easy.  We continued to eat and drink while the DJ played music.  As it got darker it got much colder.  Around 8:30 the movie started.

The picture and sound was great on the movie.  We had to reposition ourselves quite often because it's hard sitting on the ground for so long.  I even ended up laying down and falling asleep for a bit towards the end.  When the movie finished it was pretty cold by that point.  Everyone headed out, in the dark following the person in front of them.

If you go (which you should!) here are some tips!
1) Get there early
2) Bring low sitting chairs
3) Bring warm blankets, it gets cold at night
4) Make a fancy picnic, some people had awesome looking meals, I was a bit jealous
5) Bring a flashlight, in case you need to go to the bathroom when it's dark
6) Don't pay for parking, park in the neighborhood and walk
7) Even better...ride your bike if you're close enough
8) Buy your tickets online, it will guarantee you a spot if you get there late

Movies are typically on Saturday nights, check the website for movies and start times.

Starling Diner

The Starling Diner is right around the corner from me, literally in my back yard and I had no idea it was there.  The diner blends into the neighborhood so well that you can pass it and not even realize it's a restaurant.  That was the creators intention.  Not that they didn't want to be recognized but they wanted to blend in and be apart of the neighborhood. Settled in the quaint Long Beach neighborhood of Belmont Heights the Starling Diner is a great fit.

We decided to go on a Saturday morning around 10am.  The restaurant was packed inside and out but the waitlist wasn't long. We waited outside for about 10 minutes and had the opportunity to look at everyone plates.  It all looked delicious. I really needed some good food and coffee because we threw a party the night before and were still recovering :)

Inside, the decor of the diner is warm and homey in a good way.  We sat down and immediately was brought water and much needed coffee.  After glancing over the short menu we ordered their signature Broiled San Francisco Stuffed French Toast and the Apple Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scramble, and would share both.  Everything on the menu sounded good but we were happy with our selection.

When the food came it looked better than I could have imagined.  I started with the scramble and Grete started with the French Toast.  The eggs were savory, flavorful, and filling.  All of the ingredients tasted fresh and cooked to perfection. For the french toast we choose the seasonal cherries for our topping.  It was almost like desert.  Stuffed with creamy Mascarpone and crème fraiche every bite was amazing.  Splitting both plates  really made the meal because it was like we had dessert after a entree.  On top of all the good food, the bill was about $23 including our coffee's.  Amazing food at an amazing price, you just can't beat it.  By the time we left there was quite a long wait, around 30 minutes.  I'm glad we got there when we did.

I really wish I would have known there was this amazing diner so close to me.  This is a place that I say go out of your way for, everyone should try to get here. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.