LA Magazine Party

Last night I attended Los Angeles Magazine's March Issue launch party and it was the perfect example  of a chic West Hollywood rooftop party.  The people were great, the food was great (mini hamburger sliders and Sprinkles Cupcakes?  Heaven!)  And the atmosphere was one of positivity and optimism.  LA has never quite found it's footing when it comes to designer fashion, but we seem to be hitting our stride, and LA Mag's March issue is just one example of how the city is beginning to find it's way.   

The LA Lifestyle

It's expensive to live in this city.  And I love living here, but there are days when I long to live in a city where the rent isn't so high and you get more bang for your buck.  

The boy and I decided to put off our move for a little while longer.  It's the responsible thing to do, but I must admit, I feel a bit disappointed.  

I often get ahead of myself and start planning sooner than I should.  We love our current place and are in no hurry to move, but I've been itching for a fresh start, a new change of pace, and a change of scenery.  

It's amazing how impatient I can be.  

For now though, we're staying in Beverly Hills.  A very nice place to live, I know.  And I'm taking the opportunity to do some Spring Sprucing.  It's actually the perfect time to streamline, get rid of things we don't need, do a bit of rearranging and getting ready for the day we do move.  

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

This weekend, the boy and I embarked on an apartment hunt.  And it was...Challenging.  I guess in a lot of ways we were confronted with many of LA's issues.  You see, there are so many different areas in this city and while, they all have lots of perks, they also have many set backs.  

We looked at a couple places in Venice, literally right near the beach.  But they were all overpriced, sort of scary and there was no parking to be found anywhere.  Plus then our car overheated and we had to get towed back to Beverly Hills.  

Then we looked at a few places near Franklin Village and, while there were some cool spots, I didn't feel particularly at home in any of them.  I am still looking at a couple of places in Beverly Hills over the next couple days, so hopefully that will lend a bit of perspective to the mix, but the whole adventure brought a few things into perspective.

Firstly, it made me realize just how nuanced this city is.  Also how spread out it is and how lovely it is.  It also reminded me just how lucky the boy and I have been with our apartments.  The places we've found and the deals we've snagged...It's all pretty amazing.  I realized how comfortable I am in Beverly Hills and I also realized how spoiled I've become.  I realized that I have been really fortunate to feel safe in my neighborhood, like super safe, but I also came to realize that I have gotten perhaps a bit too safe and unwilling to try new things.  

The boy and I have some thinking and decision making to do this week and I don't think it's going to be easy.  But at the same time, I'm excited about the possibility of a fresh start....We'll just have to wait and see.... 

Our car getting towed from Venice

National Ballet of Canada's Alice in Wonderland

I simply cannot wait for this Friday, as I am attending the US premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's Alice in Wonderland ballet with the National Ballet of Canada.  A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of interviewing one of the soloists at the National Ballet of Canada, Chelsy Meiss, and we talked about her own impression of the production.  

After speaking with her and viewing a few of the video clips online, I feel truly excited to see this brand new story ballet.  I've always been a fan of Wheeldon's choreography and composer Joby Talbot's work as well.   It seems like it's sure to be an enjoyable and impressive performance.

You can read the full interview here on DIY Dancer, and be on the lookout for my follow up review next week too!  Until then, check out this video clip about the production when it premiered on the Royal Ballet.  Enjoy! 

TV Teas and Walton's Reunions

There have been a few goings on around here lately that highlight one of Los Angeles' most lucrative industries - Television.  And while I suppose there's no question that the television medium is changing significantly, with Netflix and online sharing, from my perspective it's still going strong...And some shows from the past are still resonating with audiences, which is pretty remarkable.  

Firstly, the day before the Emmy's the boy and I attended BAFTA LA's TV Tea Party.  A star-studded annual event, this year's tea was held on the rooftop of the London hotel in West Hollywood.  The view was lovely and the guest list impressive, with the likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman himself bi***es!) in attendance.  It would have been perfect if not for the blazing sun and killer heat, but that's LA for you, even in September! Here are a few little snaps from the day...And later in the evening after quite a few glasses of champagne....

Then this past weekend, the boy and I attended the Walton's 40th Anniversary event with my parents.  It's kind of amazing to think that a television show can be on the air for 40 years straight and still be garnering praise and new fans.  But indeed the Walton's has done just that.  My dad was one of the presenters of the event, as my grandfather was a regular writer on the show, and even wrote the very first episode.  It was nice to see people my grandfather worked with over the years and hear how incredibly important he was to so many of them.  I was very proud!  Here are just a couple snaps of the event taken with my iphone...My parents on the red carpet and some of my grandfather's scripts....

The boy and I don't actually have cable in our little flat, we are dedicated netflixers and youtube masters!  But that's not to say we don't have certain tv shows we love to watch (Portlandia, Breaking Bad, Switched at Birth and QI to name a few.)  

What shows are you excited about seeing this season?     

Lummis House - A Slice of LA History

Los Angeles is notorious for tearing down its buildings and pretty much ignoring its history.  So many sections of LA have been lost to our seeming obsession with modernization.  Even some of the most important building in film history have been lost to progress in this city...And none of it was even that old!

However, there are still a few architectural gems and relevant places preserved for the Los Angeles sight seer and local history enthusiast - One being the house of Charles Lummis, known as El Alisal.

Regarded as the first "literary salon" of the west, Charles Lummis was a well known writer and patron of the arts.  He had been the editor of a little publication called the Los Angeles Times.  He entertained musicians, philosophers, actors, writers and even presidents at his Mexican-styled home, renown for it's cement floors and perfect party-set-up.  He was passionate about preserving the Missions of California and had a real passion for life in this corner of the west!  

Here are a few photos of a recent visit the boy and I made to the house, which is now a museum open to the public!  If you're ever in the area I highly recommend a visit! 

Burger Quest: Oinkster

The boy and I visited this Eagle Rock establishment on the 1st day of the year with Matt and Emily.  They had been before, and when we mentioned we were going they were more than happy to join us as they were already fans of this popular burger joint.

The joint itself has a certain charm about it.  It's the perfect blend of classic burger shack and modern hipster hangout.  Packed to the brim with happy burger eaters, we found ourselves eating out on the front patio.  It had a nice atmosphere, if not for being just slightly too sunny for my pasty white skin.  

The burger itself was delicious, but extremely simple.  Nothing in particular makes the burger stand out, except maybe that it was classically tasty.  The flavor, size of the meat and bun, the degree of sauciness-- It played it very safe, which made for a very good burger, but not a life changer.  Though, it did have a tad too much lettuce.  Let's be honest, lettuce is the last thing you want over powering your burger.  All in all, I'm not sure that it's worth the trek to Eagle Rock just on it's own, but if you're near that side of town and want a yummy burger you can count on, by all means, make your way over to Oinkster.

I think the score really sums it up:

Meatiness: 4

Succulentiousness: 3

Bun: 2

Flavor: 4

Stay-together-ness: 3

Joint: 4

Burger Quest: Comme Ca (by the boy)

Search for top LA burger lists on the web and pretty much everyone mentions Comme Ca, the flashy but surprisingly bland brasserie on Melrose on the edge of West Hollywood.  Lots of celebs go there and you tend to read about it the next week in Hollywood Reporter.  At some point, the New York Times referred to Comme Ca's signature burger as 'perfection' and lots of people have quoted that article since. I'm here today to tell you that it's burger nonsense.

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I work within a stone's throw of Comme Ca, so I decided to get the burger for takeout. Make no mistake about the takeout issue: I popped down, collected the burger when it came out the kitchen, walked to my office, which took one minute, and ate it immediately. I practically ate in, so no fancy french chef can tell me that the burger was spoiled by being taken out and that I need to try it in-house.

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It's a sloppy mess of a burger - drowned in mayonnaise and coleslaw, the medium-rare colossal patty dripping with juices, the brioche bun struggling to hold it all together. I don't mind a sloppy good burger, but this was just all the wrong flavors. It left a meaty boulder in my stomach that didn't sit well the rest of the day. Burgers like these are fine for hangovers, but not for a pleasant, sober burger experience. The meat, supposedly the choicest beef in the land, is salty and dour.

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Like everything else at Comme Ca, this burger is fantastically overrated, drab and another poor representation of frenchy-american food in Los Angeles. Don't bother with the restaurant or the burger, which costs a whopping $18. It would be fine for $5.

Meatiness 5

Succulentiousness 5
Bun 3

Flavor 2

Stay Togetherness 2

Joint 3

Let's Put on a Show!

I blame Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.  I'm convinced those "Barn Musicals" of theirs are the true catalyst behind my recent desire to create a dance company of my own.  My parents gave me the box set of Mickey and Judy films for my birthday and I have been singing along ever since!  But, as cheesy as it sounds, I was also inspired to get out there and do some show bizz'n of my own.

And so I figured I'd just dive right in to the goal of starting my own dance company.  Well, not exactly a company....A Dance Production Collective of sorts....Maybe I should explain.

The concept of this troupe would be that it's totally collaborative, totally open for different styles, different ages and different performance mediums and it would be completely freelance.  Rehearsals would be on an "as needed" basis.  We have a gig, and so we practice.  Show's over, then so are the rehearsals....until the next gig. 

And by "gig" I really should say shoot.  That's right.  This company is going to be all about capturing dance on film.  So in a sense, I want to start a film troupe that specializes in filming dance.  I'm hopeful that our films can find their audience in the online world, but I am open for seeing where else we can possibly make our mark.  I want to find new ways to communicate and showcase dance, but without losing site of the content and the audience.  I want to make dance films the entertain and make viewers feel happy - films that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their predisposition to dance.   

A big reason why I want to do this is just for the sake of offering something to my fellow dancers that hopefully is more appealing than our usual fare.  Every company I have worked with has been somewhat frustrating in that it is either far too demanding of all my time or far too lax.  It's always an annoying distance for me to drive to, or it's far too modern for my taste.  I want to create something that has some balance.  Something for the working woman, the full-time mom, and the aspiring student all at once.  Something that is secondary to everything else, but doesn't lack in value.  Something that is intended to be a fun, creative outlet, but something that is also well organized, with a plan, a purpose and pizazz. 

And so I'm starting the process.  I'm still in the early stages.  Still just thinking it out and throwing ideas around.  But I'm excited to see how it develops!  If you're a dancer in the LA area that may like to take part, send me an email or a tweet and let me know!  Also I am open to any suggestions from you, my lovely readers! 

Burger Quest - 25 Degrees

Kicking off the new year right, the boy and I went to 25 Degrees - a burger and wine bar within the famous Roosevelt Hotel in the heart of Hollywood.

The atmosphere was really cool in this tiny restaurant.  Everything red and black, dark and retro - like an old noir film.  On one tv screen they were playing an old Busby Berkeley musical and they have black chandeliers hanging over blood red leather booths.  Really stunning. 

The boy and I sat at the counter, which was fun despite the fact that I thought the stools were kinda uncomfortable (they were too high and I kept sliding off!)   We got 2 of their burgers and shared them both, the #1 and the #2, plus sweet potato fries and onion rings.  It was a real feast to say the least.  I would go back just for the onion rings honestly, they were damn good! 

The burgers themselves were also very good.  Interesting and unusual for sure.  They definitely fall under the more Gourmet Burger category and with ingredients like caramelized onions, relibato Gorgonzola, bacon, burrata and pesto I think its safe to classify them that way.  But despite their fancy flavors, the integrity of the large meat patty and general burger essence wasn't overpowered and I think that's really amazing.  They were a bit messy, but overall I thought both burgers were really delicious.  If you ever find yourself caught in the tourism trap of Hollywood and Highland, take solace in a burger and a beer from 25 Degrees.  I'd say it's up there with the LA burger bests.  

Meatiness:  4
Succulentiousness: 3
Bun:  2
Flavor:   4
Stay Together-ness:  4
Joint :  4

* Sorry for the grainy pics, but it was seriously so dark in there, this was the best I could do!

Burger Quest: Bob's Big Boy

This isn't the one we visited, but I adore this picture!

One of the highlights of our ongoing Burger Quest (to find the best burgers in Los Angeles) was having an excuse to go to Bob's Big Boy. The Burbank location of the burger chain is one of the most notorious for numerous reasons.  It's the oldest - having been built in 1949, the Beatles ate there during their California tour in 1965, and it was the site of our rehearsal dinner before our wedding.  Aren't we romantic?

Clearly, the joint has major personality and therefore scores maximum points in that category, but what about the burgers? 

The Big Boy is the signature burger and the name pretty much tells all!  It has two meat patty's, lettuce, and cheese, with a special sauce that is simply heavenly!  We of course ordered ours without the cheese as per the rules of the quest, but I think this was the first double decker burger we've tasted and it made quite the impression on me.  It is a BIG burger.  But tasty as hell, with a real distinct, relish-like flavor that is unlike any other burger we've tasted so far.  The bun was good too, but not fluffy enough for my liking.

Overall, the Big Boy ranks very high, in taste, in charm and in Mascot!  Here are the scores:

Meatiness: 4

Succulentiousness: 4

Bun: 2

Flavor: 4

Stay-together-ness: 3

Joint: 5

Britannia Recap

We had the most lovely time at the Britannia Awards the other night!  I can't go into too much detail on the matter, or post any pictures of the actual event, but suffice to say, my dress was a hit and I felt incredibly glamorous!  

The boy looked pretty snazzy too-- I love seeing him in a tux!  I feel incredibly fortunate that we got the opportunity to attend again this year.  Sometimes it's easy for me to get complacent about our LA lifestyle, but evenings out like this help me to realize that we are extremely lucky to be living this Hollywood life! 

The Wonder Years on Netflix!!!

It's a big victory for Netflix, and after everything they've done lately, I'd say they really needed a victory.  What am I talking about you may ask?  I'm talking about The Wonder Years, now available for your streaming pleasure on netflix watch instantly.  All 6 glorious, adolescent-heartache-filled seasons chalk full of Kevin Arnold, Winnie Cooper and Paul Pfeiffer are now available to view anytime! 

The only thing that doesn't seem to be the same as the old tv episodes is the opening credits song "A Little help from my Friends," sung by Joe Cocker.   They clearly weren't able to obtain the rights to the original version so they've replaced it with a less appealing recording, but nevertheless, its still thrilling to me that I can watch every episode of my favorite show in perfect clarity on my computer anytime I want.  It's Wonderful!  

And in celebration of the Wonder Years' new availability, here are some pictures from a recent trip the boy and I made over to the location of Kevin Arnold's house on the show.  I was elated at the site of the actual location...I just didn't want to make too much of a fuss and bother the current owners, so I tried to stay cool.  Not sure I was all that successful!  ;)  

the boy found this jacket at Playclothes Thrift store

My favorite Wonder Years episodes (so we can watch together) are:

1.  Season 2 Episode 5: Just Between Me and You and Kirk and Paul and Carla and Becky
2.  Season 4 Episode 20: The Accident
3.  Season 3 Episode 9: Math Class Squared
4.  Season 3 Episode 11: Don't You Know Anything About Women?
5.  Season 5 Episode 18: Lunch Stories
6.  Season 6 Episode 17: Eclipse
7.  Season 4 Episode 6: Little Debbie
8.  Season 4 Episode 9: A Very Cutlip Christmas