If you ever leave work early on a friday, go here.

Really. If you ever get to leave work at 4pm on a Friday - or any day, you need to do this.
Drive all the way out to the PCH. Yes, I know it's far, traffic's already bad, blah blah blah. Just do it.
Go to where Sunset meets the PCH, look for this sign:

...and pull into the Gladstone's parking lot. Walk your little feet up to the hostess stand and get a table by the window (or if you're outside, near the railing). Now sit back, relax and enjoy the best post-work evening of your life. Fine, maybe you'll disagree. But in terms of places you can drive to in LA that actually give you the utopic beach life we all dream of, Gladstone's is it.
To be realistic, you should probably make a reservation. But that's why the leaving work early thing is key. I can't imagine what the crowds are like late on Friday, or during the day Saturday or Sunday. And I'm sure your chances of a window seat are slim. So just figure out a way to make it happen.
My first sunset at Gladstone's was for a rehearsal dinner for a wedding. I was a bridesmaid in a wedding that...well...it was a little trying...to say the least. But the rehearsal dinner was fantastic - the best part!! We were in the Movie Room, a room for private parties in the back of the restaurant. Two sides were all glass for perfect ocean views. It also has a private door and staircase going straight down to the beach. Totally spectacular! For all the stress and shenanigans that had gone on, I felt like a different person when I sat down for that dinner. The food was amazing too - I'm not a big seafood person (anyone who knows me also knows that's the understatement of the year), but all of the cooked sea creatures looked fantastic and my steak was delicioso. The service was truly excellent too - which is always a challenge when dealing with large parties. I know most people probably go to Gladstone's within a month of moving out here. Well, it took me seven years to get there, but I can't wait to go back!

Not so much for the vegetarians

About a month ago I went wine tasting with 2 fabulous fellows up in the Sideways region - Los Olivos / Buellton / Solvang. After hitting up 4 or 5 wineries, putting something non-liquid in our bellies seemed like a good idea. We had the official Sideways wine region map, which also included some of the restaurants in the movie. We really wanted to try the Hitching Post II in Buellton. Unfortunately it was 3pm and the HP II doesn't open until 4pm on Sundays. Next door to the HP II was the carnivorous wonderland called AJ Spurs. Here's the thing, animal protection rights people, don't even bother walking in the door to AJ Spurs. The pioneer/log cabin/hunting thing they've got going on in the decor outside doesn't hold a candle to the actual weapons and dead stuffed animals (not the cuddly ones - the ones that were formerly actual animals) inside. When you're seated - and they know you're actually going to order some food, they bring you the free appetizer. Not bread and butter, not some fresh veggies - a crock of beef stew for the whole table. That's when we knew this place meant business when it came to eating.
As soon as you open the menu, it's confirmed that this isn't a spot for a light afternoon snack before supper. Everything on the menu is an entree. The only salad option is a Chicken Caesar. I mean, the ONLY one. If you're a vegetarian, you're ordering sides - and all of them will be in oil, butter, salt or some combination thereof. Everything else is carnivore entree city.
As their menu so eloquently puts it, here's what you get when you order a meal:
"All dinners include: A.J.'s hearty vaquero soup, salsa, tequila beans, rice pilaf, garden salad, A.J. spuds, sourdough garlic bread, an old-fashioned root beer float or after dinner liquer. (Tortillas on request only)"
So you're eating, people. Serious eating. A freaking root beer float as part of your meal?!? Genius.
Now, I'll be honest, my stomach wasn't totally prepared for the task and I felt not-so-great in the car on the way back. But I'm pretty sure the wine tastings - probably adding up to a whole bottle in my tummy - weren't the best stomach coater pre-feast at Mr. Spurs.
So when you're up in the area and ready for a Meal with a capital M, go AJ Spurs and go all the way.
And say hi to the stuff polar bear for me. I named him Winston.

Where are we, anyway?

It's been a while, my apologies.
However, I'm back with a whole slew of new spots...
Starting with an new spot discovered during an adventurous girls' night out.

After some spectacular star-gazing at a house with futuristic telescopes in La Canada, we set off to find a place called Airliner for a cd release party/concert of a band I'd never heard before. Usually these kinds of outings can mean disaster - either getting hopelessly lost (yes, it's still possible in the age of mapquest) or listening to 30 seconds of a musical debaucle and packing it in for home. But the Saturday night gods were on our side last night. As we drove down the 2 over to the 5 exiting and merging all over the place, we found ourselves in front of the spot - the Airliner. My pilot and I looked at each other when we got off the freeway and both wondered where the hell we were in Los Angeles. Local signage didn't help - all the non-government signs were in Spanish and none had a neighborhood in the name. Later research (this morning) says we were in Lincoln Heights, apparently. Anyway, once inside, it didn't matter what part of town we were in because the Airliner was packed with all sorts of fun folk. The easiest to spot were the all-girl Kiss cover band, but the rest of the crowd was great too. Even the drunkiest boys couldn't spoil the evening. The bands that played were great and the half outside-half inside venue meant we could maintian a perfect temperature. Not too sweaty not too shivery. Aside from the ladies bathroom being a bit of a disaster and the usual "what does a girl have to do to get the bartender down at this end?" wait for a beer, it was neat-o.

Venice, I think I like you

My boyfriend lives in Venice, a block from the beach.
I really, really hated Venice a couple of years ago.
Dirty, crowded and overrated would have been my top 3 adjectives for Venice. The bf loves it though. Can't imagine living anywhere else in LA. And I just didn't get it. Is it because I'm a girl and need more aesthetically pleasing scenery? Or because I'm a girl and I'm afraid of the crazies and the crooks?

Two years later, I have good days and bad days in my relationship with Venice Beach.

During the summer, it's a lot of bad days. Parking is a bi*ch. It's filled with crazies - both of the performing and accosting/ranting type. It's dirty - on the boardwalk and sometimes on the beach too. There are very bad smells. Although, to be fair, no worse than the odor outside my old hollywood apartment which was right near the dog park...on rainy days, P to the U. And it feels a billion times more crowded than Manhattan Beach or Zuma or any beach not directly adjacent to LA, which doesn't make for a very relaxing afternoon by the ocean. And my bf's apartment has been broken into...but only once.

However now, during the winter, I feel much better over there. We can play paddle tennis, go to Benice or the Sidewalk Cafe for brunch, and just cruise the boardwalk...without fighting crowds of tourists and mentally unstable Venitians. Just the occasional hip hop artist. It's a treat to see GoldMan and SpeedoMan making their daily rounds. Nikki's and James Beach are great for evening drinks. And the Robin's Nest is a cute, hip convenience store right next to the boardwalk. Plus, where else can you buy bikinis, sunglasses, bongs, original artwork, hats, tshirts, psychic readings - all with a view of the Pacific Ocean?

I'm excited about my maturing relationship with Venice. I think we've come to an understanding. As long as I'm never expected to live down there full time, I think we'll be quite happy together.

These kicks were made for walking...

If you're anything like me, you've kind of gotten used to stores with a huge multi-brand selection and terrible service. That works for most things - espcially when you already know what you want - because you just pick the store with the lowest prices.

But, like buying a car, or deciding on a television, I finally realized that I need more information when it comes to getting new athletic shoes. And I don't mean for, like, walking around at work, I mean shoes that will be used for actual sport and fitness. I've been taking long walks in the morning before work and noticed that my shins were starting to smart. Then for the first time in five years, I jogged on Friday. My back and hips hurt by that evening. It was time for some new gear.

After 2 years of listening to my boyfriend gush about his NBs - which he wears all day everyday - I did it right and went over to the New Balance store in Santa Monica. The girl helping me was no older than 25 (at the most) but she knew more about shoes than any Best Buy employee anywhere knows about anything. I know that isn't really saying much, but she was really super. She asked me lots of questions - what would I be using them for: walking, running, weight training, etc., how often, and what problems I was currently having. She measured my foot, which hadn't been done FOREVER. Apparently, I'm a 7.5-8, not an 8-8.5, like I always thought. Then she brought out 4 possible pairs that were all suitable. Over the course of an hour, we slowly whittled it down. Along the way, she took in my feedback, and told me the body mechanics of why some shoes felt better or worse. She also showed me a new (and super cool) way to lace my shoes which keeps my heel in place without cutting off the circulation. It sounds dumb, but it was the icing on the cake. And now, for the first time since I was 10, I have a pair of running/walking/training shoes that feel absolutely 100% perfect.

*Editor's note: Until the age of 10, my mom took us to Keane's Children's Shoes, where they would always measure us, help us put our shoes on, feel our toes in the shoes, have us walk around, and remeasure us. They also had a talking parrot. When you're a kid, you will go anywhere if you get to see a talking parrot.

So, do your body a favor, get some kicks that fit your feet. Join team NB!
And below, my fresh new sneaks:

Van Nuys is full of surprises.

Most of the time, these are the words that pop into my mind when someone mentions Van Nuys: car lots, warehouses, stoneyards (I chose the marble for my kitchen there) and porn.

The San Fernando Valley is known for being the porn-production capital of the world but I'm pretty sure Van Nuys is the king of the capital. Anyway, a lot of Van Nuys is extremely industrial and commercial and not someplace you go to hang out. So, it's shocking for me to write that the best 2 hours of my year (this includes all of 2006 and 2007 so far) happened today on a cul-de-sac in the middle of a miscellaneous warehouse business park deep in the heart of Van Nuys.

A very generous stranger (now, friend) invited me to visit the set of my all time favorite television show today. In the VN. The wonderful, gorgeous, celebrity-studded, movie-magical VN.

So go into the valley, kids, and explore Van Nuys. You never know what you might find.


Thanks Dave!

Food glorious food!

Love love love the Doughboys.
I have never had a bad meal there. I think it may be the most reliable delicious food in Los Angeles. They have the most amazing salads and sandwiches (including homemade bread, of course), not to mention delicious breakfast options if you're an early riser. My 2 guiltiest pleasures: the soup and salad combo with French Onion Soup (a meal in itself!) and the salad with the olive tapenade OR the amazing After School Special, which is a ginormous bowl of creamy tomato soup and the cheesiest grilled cheese ever. The latter is a heart clogger, but damn worth it. Actually, the onion soup is probably a heart attack too, but I like to the think that the salad balances it out.
Sometimes there's a wait and they don't take reservations, but it is soo worth it. Check it out for dinner during the week or an off time for brunch on the weekends (like before 10 or after 2) if you don't want to wait more than 15 minutes. It's on 3rd, just west of Crescent Heights. Sitting outside is a great place to watch foot traffic! And don't forget to check out their homemade deserts in the case inside or take home one of their delicious fresh breads.
I Heart Doughboys!