All stories about "Los Angeles"

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.

  Comments

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.

  Comments

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

Courtesy of Gridskipper sister site Eater LA, here's the very latest and greatest in the world of Los Angeles eating and drinking:

1) Mallibu Pier Club: Just as the name states, this little number is at the foot of the Malibu Pier, just off the street, with perfect views of Surfrider Beach to the right, millionaires' homes to the left, nothing but horizon and waves directly out front...Original photos, tile murals, nice wookwork inside. Beachy snacks like caesar salad "fondue," grilled chicken sandwich with prosciutto, truffle chips, martinis, wines, beer are on the menu.

  Comments

When we wrote about downtown's Trifecta we were like "sure they're douchebags but at least they're douchebags running a sports bar in downtown LA." And then when we wrote about the Grand Sports Bar we were like "they kind of suck but at least they're running a sports bars in downtown LA." And then both of them went out of business. And then the Flower Sports Bar went out of business. And now downtown is more or less bereft of watering holes servicing both man's need for alcoholic nourishment and his need to drunkenly declare that he's about to fight that out-of-town sports fan over there. Luckily downtown still has a few bars and restaurants where you can catch the occasional game. If you show up at just the right time. If they happen to be open that day. If they haven't closed early. If you're lucky. Fuck. (photo)

  Comments

Fred Segal Green, Los Angeles. (photo: L.A. Times)

Boston
• Orinoco: South End Venezuelan restaurant opens a new location in Brookline Village.

Chicago
• Angels & Mariachis: A two-story taqueria and "rock cantina" opened on Monday in the East Village.
• Veerasway: New restaurant in the Warehouse District offers Indian small plates by chef Angela Lee.
• Zed 451: New River North restaurant served global fare made with seasonal market products.

  Comments

Here are some ways to celebrate May in LA: buying a fresh set of skimpy clothes for what promises to be another long, hot summer; investing in a UV lamp (for the June gloom) and a window air conditioner (for those days when the gloom burns off and you think you're going to fry to a perfect golden-brown finish just sitting next to a window); getting a head start on a summer fling or six. Or you could check out our guide to May events in the city of angels. Nothing will be as fun as actually cashing your economic stimulus check, but we've got some good ideas as to how you can spend it.

  Comments

Hollywood is a tough town. Your typical night out involves waiting in lines, bribing self-important bouncers and dodging paparazzi, which means you'll wake up the next morning, or mid-afternoon, famished. We've already discussed some of the best places to get your morning-ish food in West Hollywood, but should your plans (or one night stand) find you a little farther east, it does help to arm yourself with lots of options.

  Comments

Hotel Chatter thinks that Brooklyn's Hotel Jolie is a less promising place to stay now that they've sold out the side of their building to a Grand Theft Auto IV ad (other minuses: the hotel is next to an abandoned gas station and the website includes a Manhattan beauty shot that still has the World Trade Center). But back to the ad. . . . is it really that much of a turn-off? Maybe it's just the type of ad rather than the ad itself. For comparative purposes, a lingerie-filled example from an LA hotel after the jump. Better, worse, or the same?

  Comments

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!

  Comments

There is only one criterion by which to judge a hot fudge sundae: the ratio of fudge to ice cream. To be truly satisfying, a proper sundae must be swimming in thick molten fudge, insuring that every last bite of ice cream is bathed in bittersweet goodness. Sadly, this standard is rarely met in the commercial world; most hot fudge sundaes are a mockery of the original vision. And trendy restaurants are the worst offenders. Most present you with an overpriced bowl of unexceptional vanilla ice cream accompanied by a thimbleful of watery chocolate sauce on the side. Further irritations include a brownie or cookie to distract you from the non-existence of the fudge. Fortunately for LA sundae lovers, there are some ice cream parlors in Los Angeles who refuse to compromise, instead serving concoctions of the highest caliber:

  Comments

Rebar, Chicago.

Boston
• Leokadia: A new South End shop carries exclusive shoe collections, jewelry and accessories.
• Scampo: Local culinary star Lydia Shire opens a fine-dining Italian restaurant inside the Liberty Hotel.

  Comments

Despite the name, the LA blog Abandoned Couches doesn't limit itself quite that much -- its beat also includes abandoned chairs, with everything labeled by the nearest intersection. Weird and strangely moving. (photo; via raincoaster)

  Comments

Today I'm kicking it in the LBC. That's right, Long Beach -- home to the Queen Mary, Snoop Dogg, and (more recently) my lovely parents. I like Long Beach. It's a sleepier Los Angeles, with loads of great restaurants and the cute little canal-lined area called Naples where supposedly all of the cool kids hang out. My problem with Long Beach, though, is that it's so far from where most of my LA-based friends live, a setup aggravated by the fact that I don't have a driver's license. Every trip west, I'm faced with the same dilemma: revert back to age 15 and ask my father to drive me to my friend's house, or brave the LA Metro. This time, I took the train.

  Comments