All stories about "Katherine Spiers"

Everyday on Gridskipper we give you a new map. Some are new, some are fetched from our archive, newly updated. Happy Gridskipping. Los Angeles is, of course, the world capital of movies, but we don't always honor them appropriately with the proper screening venues. LA has just as many soulless megaplexes as any other town. However, if you want the full moviegoing experience, some great old theaters are still around, most of them lovingly restored and upgraded for optimum viewing pleasure. Here are some of the best temples of movie love in LA.

Everyday on Gridskipper we give you a new map. Some are new, some are fetched from our archive, newly updated. Happy Gridskipping.

It’s National Donut Day everybody! So, why not celebrate with a nice jelly-filled/pink-frosting topped/sprinkle-covered one? As fancy as Los Angeles wishes it were, at heart it's trashy frontier town with simple, simple tastes. Hence the proliferation of donut shops -- purveyors of delicious, high-calorie nothingness -- across the city. There's a pretty even mixture of locals, inexpensive chains, colorful independents, and donut "boutiques." Here's our list of favorites from Silver Lake to Beverly Hills.

We recently discussed where to get blitzed in Culver City, so today we will embark upon a discussion of where to line your stomach beforehand. The restaurant scene in Culver City has been getting ever more impressive over the last few years, so yes, there is some attitude present, both among the restaurateurs and the patrons who think they're awesome for "discovering" a restaurant and/or a neighborhood. But the food's good -- in some cases excellent -- so just ignore that and concentrate on your steak. I'm sure a few dear readers with be outraged by the inclusion/exclusion of some place or another, so just leave it in the comments and try not to pop a blood vessel. Happy eating!

There's a wide range of spas in LA, many completely swanky but some of them affordable yet not at all skeevy. We've covered spas located in hotels, as well the best spots to get couples' massages, but this here is just about some of the best day spas in LA, from the celebrity-attracting to the culture-shocky. Add your favorite in the comments.

Some people might have a view of carrot cake that hasn't evolved since the 70s, when the baked "treat" was some sort of gross hippie attempt at a healthy dessert. But luckily for us and our tastebuds, bakers have seen the light and made carrot cake as unhealthy and delicious as any other dessert. LA has a plethora of bakeries that excel at this dense-but-nuanced concoction. Please to enjoy the following list of places that do fine work with take-home carrot cakes, and add your own favorites in the comments. (And happy birthday, Bohan!)

We've all moved to LA to be part of a bustling metropolis, but sometimes you just want to get away. Without actually having to drive for five hours or deal with Middle America (anything east of San Gabriel) or anything crazy like that. The good thing about LA's sprawling urban-ness is that there are pockets of country goodness right here in the County of Angels. Hikes, farmers, antique (not vintage) stores, quiet little hotels...we've got it all. Reveal your own quiet getaways in the comments! (photo)

Ah, there's nothing like a night of debauchery and unmitigated excess, especially when all that excess is in liquid form. Of course, the next morning can be a little painful, but that's where tried-and-true hangover remedies come in handy. From hair of the dog to pure grease, here's where some surefire hangover cures can be found across LA.

When most people think of malls, they think winding two-story structures filled with endless renditions of the Gap and Foot Locker, with a Sbarro or Panda Express here and there, for much-needed breaks when you get lost/abandon the will to live. For LA residents, mall can mean the same thing, but more often we're talking about a mixed-use building or an ethnic enclave or even just a strip mall that houses our favorite bar or restaurant. And it's true what you've heard: LA is full of strip malls, one after the other. But we don't disdain them. We embrace them and love them completely, as they generally hold the best of LA culture. There's about a million malls of various stripes in LA, so add your favorites below. (photo)

A few months ago I was standing in the freezer aisle at Gelson's searching in vain for those teeny tiny little ice cream containers that I know exist. But Gelson's only seems to carry two flavors: stupid vanilla and stupider dulce de leche. And I wondered why Los Angeles, a city with such an international reputation for health consciousness (or obsession) doesn't have reasonably-sized ice cream. And it hit me: we're just a bunch of fat asses here, just like any other red-blooded American city. (photo)

The NY Times' Frank Bruni has finished his coast-to-coast tour of new restaurants and is reporting back with his findings. Excluding New York, which Bruni doesn't include because it's his regular beat, cities with restaurants that rated include Washington DC, New Orleans, San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Boston, Seattle, and Napa, CA. The restaurants are all new (opened at least after January 1, 2006) and, apparently, all delicious. [NY Times]

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Look at how different other cultures are! In Hong Kong, singer and movie star Edison Chen stupidly brought his computer into a store to be fixed, at which point all the thousands of naughty pictures he took of himself bumpin' uglies with Hong Kong lady stars were leaked to the public. And said public is titillated, but also highly, highly outraged. Police have arrested some civilians for possessing/distributing (via camerphone) the pictures, and Chen has had to announce he'll put his career on ice "indefinitely." [LA Times]

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What's widely known as the Flower Market in downtown LA is actually two huge warehouses full of blooms from around the world. The Southern California Flower Market and the Los Angeles Flower Market are rivals, and they're about to get even more competition with the opening of a third market this month, which makes LA one of the biggest flower centers in the world. And best of all, retail customers are more than welcome. Just pay your $2 to get in: the wholesale rates for bouquets makes up for the entry fee many times over. [LA Times]

While just about everyone in the US and Europe bows down dutifully at the altar of Michelin restaurant rankings, Tokyo doesn't want their stinking stars. The world-famous critics showed up at Tokyo's doorstep ready to eat, judge and reward, but a few chefs and restauranteurs have decided against accepting their usually sought-after stars. Point for: they say the inaugural Tokyo edition is just a publicity stunt. Point against: they say only Japanese people understand Japanese food. [Via]

Beijing officials have been talking a big game lately about cleaning up their not-so-fair city in preparation for the Olympics. But as any recent visitor can tell you, the air quality there isn't going to improve based on six months of recycling education alone. Still, there are certain measures the city can take to spruce up the place a little; make it more welcoming to visitors. And grading the janitorial efforts of city employees with a hotel-like star system is sort of an easy way of communicating said efforts to visitors. Below, discover the glorious results of Beijing's most dedicated efforts.

A Los Angeles legend will be shutting its doors shortly: Dutton's Brentwood Bookstore has announced it will close in April. What was once a LA-area collection of indie bookstores will be no longer, and it's a sad day for book-lovers and -nerds. Get on over there while you still can.

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Heavens! I don't know if National Geographic is having a bit of fun with us or is just endlessly pure of mind, but they've given a rather noticeable headline to one of their photo galleries: "Angkor's Ancient Enormity Uncovered." I am reminded somehow of Hugh Hefner. For what it's worth, the photos are lovely, just not what my demented mind was expecting. [Nat'l Geographic]

Brooklyn has a lot of fabulous elements: restaurants, cheaper rents, interesting people who are only occasionally douchebags. But the borough does not have wine. Don't be fooled by labels; Brooklyn Wine is totes made with California grapes. [via]

American Airlines has a bit of a PR pickle on their hands. A woman on one of their flights died after being denied treatment en route from Port-au-Prince to New York. A flight attendant twice told her there were no oxygen tanks on board, and then produced a broken one after "other passengers aboard Flight 896 became agitated over the situation." The pilot agreed to divert to Miami to get her off the plane...but sadly, the woman died before that happened. And it gets weirder: the flight continued on to New York with the woman's body on the floor of the first-class section. And weirder still, I'm mostly shocked they bothered first class with this. [LA Times]

Oh, LA Times, always concentrating on the important things. In their photo gallery of Oscar arrivals, they make a special point to tell us that Jessica Alba is pregnant. Thanks, guys. Good to know she's not just a fattie. Also, go Marion Cotillard! [via]

Food trends come and go, but red velvet is forever. Or so I choose to believe, anyway. I'm usually pretty anti-cake, but I think Jesus and Lucifer came together to create this wondrous, evil concoction and spread it across the land and into LA, where it ruins carefully structured meal plans left and right. Of course, people get all crazy about where to find the best version (it's almost as bad as pizza!) , but most neighborhoods have one or two solid offerings. Here's my humble list of crowd-pleasers; add your own in the comments or tips.

Just in case there are any people who read this site and yet, mysteriously, still party in Hollywood -- here's a collection of awesome bars east of the LA river, an area that's always been cool but has only recently been reclaimed as such. By hipsters, yes, but as much as this sort of thing chagrins some of my colleagues, I kind of like it. I think hipsters are funny, and they spread alcohol throughout the land, so the resurgent hipness of these bars is OK by me. Add your favorites in the comments or tips.

La Brea is one of LA's great shopping streets, filled with clothes and home furnishings of every stripe. Taking out the home stuff and concentrating solely on clothes edits the list down considerably into a handy beginner's guide to spending wads of cash. Go forth and empty your pockets with this pared-down selection of some of La Brea Avenue's best fashion options (Brad not included, but there are lots of other hot guys about).