Street Grub @ 1st Annual LA Street Food Fest

To satisfy my street food addiction I headed out to the LA Street Food Fest this past Saturday hoping to get a taste of those popular food trucks I haven't been able to hunt down yet. As soon as I took a left out my 110 fwy exit, I arrived at what looked to be the early release of the Apple ipad... a line so long, it took me several blocks to find its end!

Although I didn't wait to get in, I saw how crowds who didn't take advantage of the $10 presale or $30 VIP stood out in the hot sun, inhaling the aromas of their favorite street treats.

While inside, I had to quickly cope with the reality that I would probably only get to hit up one or two trucks for the following reasons:
1. The lines where ridiculously long, one to order, one to get your food
2. I didn't come in a group to split up like others did
3. I don't have the guts to cut people in line

Maybe next year I'll have a better strategy.



-Jessica Perez

Still no NYE Plans? No Worries..... 5 Spots to Ring in the New Year in Downtown LA

If you’re like me, you’re ready for the New Year. You planned out your night down to the tee; have your party outfit dry-cleaned, ticket in hand, and reservations made…You can already hear the echo of Auld Lang Syne!

Or, maybe…

You have no idea where you’ll be ringing in 2010! You waited ‘till the last minute, and now everything went up in price. You wanna party but really don’t want to resort to your back up: your friend’s annual NYE Bash where people drink too much, puke, and pass out all over each other.

Lucky for you I have some Downtown LA party suggestions listed from “pricey but worth it” to “free but always a party”

* Space Odyssey
http://www.wix.com/tomiknv/pandora
1201 w 5th St
Downtown LA, 90017
Pandora and Dolce Group present Twenty Ten at Los Angeles Center Studios
18,000 square floor soundstage, OPEN BAR
Live concert by Shiny Toy Guns, Kimberly Cole, DJ Sour Milk
Admission $125 pre-sale, $175 at the door, VIP available, 9-2am

* Giant Hotel
http://www.giantclub.com/gianthotel/
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites
404 S. Figueroa St
Downtown LA, 90071
2 luxury ballrooms and a poolside plaza deck
Artists: Above and Beyond, Christopher Lawrence, Cosmic Gate, Kristina Sky
Miguel Migs, Marques Wyatt, Boris M.D. Ryan Sage, Dj Col Whip Serafin
Admission starting at $85, VIP available, 8-4am

* Broadway Bar
http://www.thebroadwaybar.net
830 Broadway
Downtown LA, 90014
Art deco- style bar in the Historic Theatre District.
Music from DJ HM
$5 after 10pm

* Cole’s
http://colesfrenchdip.com/index.html
118 E. 6th St
Downtown LA, 90014
Famous for their French Dip.
Darren Revell will be spinning tunes.
No cover

* Tony’s Saloon
213-622-5523
2017 E. 7th St.
Downtown LA, 90021
Bring 5 friends and you get a free champagne bottle.
Casual Dress
No Cover


- Jessica Perez

Ice in the Park

- Rene Vela

The Sights and Sounds of Downtown

-Rachel Sulprizio

Some Like It Fresh

Although tents were reduced for the holidays, locals and out-of-towners still make their way to Downtown LA's Farmers Market at Pershing Square.




The full Pershing Square Farmers Market will reopen January 2010
Regular schedule:
Wednesdays 11am-2pm
532 S. Olive Street
Los Angeles, 90071

For more listings of farmers markets in Los Angeles click on
http://www.rawinspiration.org

Jessica Perez

Powerplayer and Rush Foundation

A Voice for Kings

Biltmore Hotel

Live at LA Live

I visited LA Live to see what people were doing out on a Sunday night. Check out what the newcomers and the regulars are saying about the center of the Entertainment District.

Copy paste the link below and click on the Version #2 egg


http://aviary.com/artists/jp90033/creations/la_downtowner#versions


Jessica Perez

sounds of the GRAMMY MUSEUM

Take a quick walk with me through the Grammy Museum in downtown's LA Live. If it sounds good to you, check out the website at www.grammymuseum.org.

Rachel Sulprizio

grammy museum.egg on Aviary.

A voice fit for a King

Bob Miller, announcer for the LA Kings, has lots to say about talking.

-Rene Vela

The Voice of the LA Kings.egg on Aviary.

New Regal Theater Premiers with Michael Jackson's This Is It

The Regal Theater at LA Live opened on Wednesday Oct. 28 with the premier of Michael Jackson's This Is It. For the first week that's the only movie that was showing. I went for the 4:10 showing of MJ's This Is It, which shows MJ's last few months rehearsing. It’s kind of boring for those who aren’t huge fans, but for those who are, it’s more than worth it to go watch it. It’s like having a backstage pass to watch your favorite performer do his thing.

The prices for adult tickets are $11 and snacks are a little higher as well, but not very different from other places. A large popcorn, a soda and a slushi were about $18. Parking is $5 if you get it validated when you buy your ticket. So if you plan on going there on a date, be prepared to spend at least 50 bucks.

The theater is really nice inside and out... from when you get in line to when you're sitting in a row of steep seats in a room that seats hundreds. The fact that it’s brand new and expensive really shows. The outside has big lights that spell out regal 14 and on each floor there are big windows all around the outside which allow people to see all the lights from the buildings outside.

The inside has a lot of space and beautiful purple crystal fixtures hanging from the ceiling. The service was pretty good. Everyone, at least the people we spoke with, was nice and actually tried to help (telling us to get our ticket validated, guiding us to the right floor/room…). They sell snacks on each level (I believe there are 3), which makes it more convenient for the movie goers. They also show the number of calories for each snack on the menu, which is something I’ve never seen before. It’s an interesting idea, but if I would have actually read how many calories I was about to consume, I wouldn’t have gotten anything.

The parking wasn't out of control, but when we left it was about 6-6:30 and there were way more cars than when we got there. There was a long line waiting to get in the parking structure and we had to go behind the parking structure in order to get out of there. What time you go really makes a difference.
The seats were comfortable, the building was nicer than any other theater I've been to and the traffic wasn't bad at the time we went. There was really nothing bad about it and I'll be seeing more movies there.



Amara Velador

Wurstkuche

800 E 3rd St
213 687 4444



At the urging of my Swiss mother I ended up at Wurstkuche which translated, means "sausage kitchen" in German. It is located in the depths of downtown tucked deep in an area that a few years ago many wouldn't have dared to enter, but on this day we happily waltzed into this part of town with wonder and excitement. Its so hip, so "New Yorkish". I went in pretty much without any preconceived notions. The exterior has that old farmhouse feel. The cool barn like doors lead you into a small little non descript area where you place your order. It all seemed pretty simple until you look a bit closer
Rattlesnake and Rabbit with jalapeno Sausage? Yeah, you read correctly, in addition to the standard bratwurst and kielbasa they also serve an array of "Exotics" Including Buffalo, Alligator and Duck sausages.
Once we placed our order, we headed back down a long dark hallway to the dining area which was incredibly cool. If you don't consider yourself a cool person, being here just makes you feel cool. I had the bratwurst topped with caramelized onions and spicy peppers, it was very hearty and flavorful. We shared the fries that came with your choice of two dips they were great(a bit rich and I felt the need to drink water, but still yummy).
They have a bar that serves 24 different beers on tap as well as a variety of other beers from around the world. The most popular being the German Franziskaner. They also serve Duvel Green which is a more rare Belgian beer.
I enjoyed my lunch here and left feeling pretty cool. Word has it the evenings are even cooler.



Yvonne Maisonette Cohen

Street Chow...Do you dare?

Sure Downtown LA’s full of innovative, classy restaurants with modern menus and posh décor, but in case you didn't know it, it’s also home to some of the tastiest, cheapest and fastest treats out there…and I’m not talking fast food. These delicacies include fresh fruit salads, churros, corn on the cob, and the famous bacon wrapped hot dogs all coming from entrepreneurs we call street vendors.

Walking through the streets that house the very crowded Fashion District, I came across a number of street vendors yelling out whatever chow they had for sale. Although many may find street food to be an unsanitary and unhealthy choice for a meal, I, like many others, couldn’t help myself.

As soon as I took a whiff of the bacon cooking and veggies grilling, I knew I found my first course: the bacon wrapped hot dog.

Although the combination of a white bun, pork wiener wrapped in bacon, and a grilled medley of onion and bell peppers was not on my diet plan, I had found my new guilty pleasure. In addition to the grilled medley stacked on top, today I added ketchup, mustard, and a side of grilled jalapeno for nibbling. Additional ingredients include mayonnaise, relish, and guacamole. The service was fast, every bite was delicious and all for $3, or two for $5.

For dessert I walked to the corner of Maple and 11th where I came across a man selling churros. He did not have a licensed cart like my hot dog vendor did so I was taking more of a risk with this one, but I do love me some churros! The bag of 3 small churros was $1. They were sweet smothered in cinnamon and sugar, but a bit cold and stale—the down side to buying off a man with no cart to keep them warm in.

I’m pretty game about trying new food, and I’m no stranger to street goodies, but if you’re worried about disease and sanitation, I advise you to buy off of licensed food handlers only. In most cases they are required a total of four permits, which should be posted on their carts or trucks. These vendors are tested, regulated and inspected by several health and safety parties. To sample for yourself, you can visit hundreds of street vendor-friendly areas in LA, but you can bet the Downtown Fashion District will have a variety seven days a week. Eat at your own risk!

For a map of the Fashion District click on link
http://local.yahoo.com/info-20463238-la-fashion-district-los-angeles


Jessica Perez

A Subway Adventure

“It’s easy,” that’s the motto from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority about riding the metro. You simply hang up your car keys and hop on one of the five metro rail lines or 200 bus lines and you’re on your way. Smooth sailing!

I decided to take them up on their offer. For the record, I am strictly a car person and feel naked and vulnerable without my wheels. Today, however, I decided to take a metro adventure. I have ridden on the subway before but only on one line and never advanced to the next level…”THE TRANSFER.”



So, this past Saturday afternoon, I picked a destination…Chinatown…and announced to my “good sport” husband that we had a date.

According to the website, wwwmetro.net, our trip involved taking the Red Line from Universal City to Union Station and then “transferring” to the Gold Line for one stop to Chinatown Station. A piece of cake...so we headed, in our car, to the Universal City Station and parked our gas guzzler.

First step, buying the ticket. Immediately, we entered a state of mass confusion. Should we get the one-way tickets or the all-day passes? What about transfers? As we stood at the ticket vending machine making these life and death decisions, a line began forming. Feeling the pressure, we chose one-way tickets for $1.25 each and added 30 cents to each ticket for a transfer. Wrong!!!



We should have chosen the all day passes for $5.00 because on their website it plainly states, “NOTE: Ticket is NOT valid for transfer to other ones: another ticket must be purchased when changing lines.” Not knowing this, we merrily and confidently headed on our way.

Surprisingly, the metro was empty


even though their website boasts that they have an average of 94,370 riders on the Red Line on Saturdays. Regardless, I felt lucky because we immediately found seats together and even an extra one for our weery feet. Oops! As we found out mid-trip by the pre-recorded male announcer, putting your feet on the chairs is prohibited. Oh well, ignorance is bliss!

We settled in for our short journey and occasionally stared up at the “Go Metro” map saying things to each other like, “6 more stops, 1 more stop.” After about 20 minutes, it was time to get off and make “the big transfer” to the Gold Line.

Honestly, I am a directional degenerate. I have problems finding my car in parking lots and always go the wrong direction out of an elevator. But my husband seems to have a GPS system installed in his brain and at this moment, I was glad I dragged him along because changing metro lines at Union Station is not a simply task. You have to go upstairs and then find your lucky line.

In our case, we asked a metro worker who pointed us in the right direction. We still had to find the right area and trust me, even after following their signs, we felt lost.

But, we made it safe, secure and in one piece.


After my latest metro adventure, I feel like an expert. If I had to do it again, I think I could even manage it alone. Only time will tell!

RACHEL SULPRIZIO

Lights, camera… fashion!

This month Downtown LA was home to several LA Fashion Week events. Dozen of fashionistas got to present their Spring 2010 collections in over 70 shows in either Downtown Los Angeles or Hollywood.

Events in Downtown started on Oct. 12 with Downtown LA Fashion Week at the MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary and LA Fashion on Broadway at the Los Angeles Theatre. October 20 marked the official last day of LA Fashion Week, which included hundreds of showrooms and trade shows of LA’s Market Week in the Downtown Fashion District.

LA Fashion Week, which is more like fashion month, continues to hold its last events in downtown through Oct. 20 and will be in Hollywood Oct. 28-31, with a stop in Beverly Hills on Oct. 22 for the Walk of Style. Along with runway shows (some events open to the public), benefits, performances and parties will be held across the LA area. For more information go to http://www.fashionweekla.com/

Jessica Perez

LA Fashion Week- Ximena Valero Spring 2010 Collection

So after witnessing the craze and magic of LA Fashion Week three years ago, I was happy to be attending one of this year’s events and do it all over again…in Downtown LA!

As soon as I arrived at the historic Los Angeles Theatre on Broadway last Wednesday, I noticed the usual mix of people at fashion events: LA trendsetters, models, photographers and media. I was there for the Ximena Valero Show, a young Mexican-born designer who has clothed celebrities such as Jessica Alba and Alicia Keyes

As soon as I stepped in, I was greeted by the designer’s staff, issued my press pass and led to a downstairs show before the main event. About 45 minutes later I was brought to my front row seat to await Valero’s show. Just as the music started two dancers came out onto the runway moving intricately in the designer’s show pieces, setting me up for a collection full of comfortable, flexible and versatile pieces.

Enter: the Ximena Valero Spring 2010 collection.

A number of solid-colored jumpsuits in various lengths made their way down the catwalk and I was quickly intrigued. Sexy, exposed backs were a signature and a favorite as they were greeted with applause by the audience. Short flirty dresses were a treat but the draping and movement of the long gowns were much more to look at. Jersey fabrics, jeweled-tone numbers and twisted strapping that could be worn in different ways were all popular. The collection was sexy, feminine and simple with a touch of intricacy in the twisted, introverted details on the shoulders, neck and torso.

To view designs from Ximena Valero visit http://www.ximenavalero.com/

Jessica Perez

Ahoy the Redwood

It was Sunday afternoon and I wanted to head to the world famous Phillippe’s for a mouth-watering French dip sandwich. But because life is unpredictable and my husband was driving, I ended up a few blocks away at the Redwood Bar and Grill. To my pleasant surprise, the nautically themed bar had a lot to offer…great food, great tunes, and a rockabilly crowd of all ages and sizes.
My husband dined on the popular fish and chips, which are by the way…real potato chips…not Ruffle-like…but honest-to-gosh thick sliced potato chips.

I had a chicken pesto panini with sweet potato fries which for the most part, was tasty and satisfying.

But, the real star at our table was the mac and cheese…hands-down, the best mac and cheese I’ve ever placed in my mouth. It’s actually a side dish but because it’s a hearty portion, it could also serve as a meal.

The menu is simple but creative with standard pub classics like burgers and grilled cheese and lighter fare like a Chinese Chicken Salad. On Sundays, they offer an abbreviated brunch menu. It’s nothing exciting, though, so I suggest choosing from the regular grub.

For an added bonus, they have live music, which on this particular Sunday was country. If you’re eating and don’t care about watching the band, the best place to sit is at one of the large, cushy booths near the door. This way you can hear both the music and yourself talk.


Overall, a great experience…definitely worth the detour!

Rachel Sulprizio

Redwood Bar and Grill
316 W. 2nd St.
Downtown LA, CA 90012
(213) 680-2600

LA Fashion Week Skingraft and Louis Verdad

Downtown Los Angeles Fashion week spring 2010 collections.

I attended the Skingraft and Louis Franco Verdad Fashion shows last week. They each wowed the crowd in two very different ways. Skingraft used Amelia Earhart as inspiration with funky hues and futuristic designs. My favorite was the fitted thin leather jackets that I found to be funky yet elegant. The show opened with a unique dance routine performed by about 5 dancers. Feathers, blacks and greys ruled the runway. A bird on the head of a model drew “ahhhs” from the crowd. The show in itself reminded me of Gotham city, in a good way. All summed up, it was a fun, funky, futuristic show.
Louis Verdad’s show was Whimsical, fun and flirty. This year he went with cream colors, contrasting last season’s collection featuring a black inspiration. The mocha complexion of all the models made the spring collection stand out. The jump suits and intricate details on the backs of the dresses were splendid and enticing.
Just as impressive was the crowd. From funky to chic you were sure to be inspired or mortified. Either way it made for good people watching.

Yvonne Maisonette Cohen

There's no place like CASA

Los Angeles, CA -Don't let the name fool you - CASA isn't just homey.

The first thing I noticed when I decided to eat at this Mexican restaurant was the doors, made out of thick wood. The entrance resembled a castle, much less a house.

We arrived a little after ten, Saturday night. It turns out that the kitchen was closing early that night. My friend, being a tad bit upset, asked for the "manager's card" - next thing you know, we were sitting down at a table.

The dinner started off with chips and three kinds of salsa. The chips tasted fresh, possibly homemade. The salsas were a little on the weak side.

The menu items had delicious titles: Tacos de Pollo Negro (Black Chicken Tacos), Enchiladas con Langosta y Camarones (Enchiladas with Lobster and Shrimp). I normally order steak tacos at a Mexican restaurant, but this time I went with something different: Tacos de Camarones Diablo (Devil Shrimp Tacos).

The food was excellent. They served the tacos in a three prong taco holder. And, they were pretty generous with the shrimp. All three tacos were packed to taco capacity. The food tasted and looked great.

Our table was snuggled in a corner, giving us plenty of privacy. The tree like decorations were very unique - making the inside feel like the outside.

I enjoyed dinner at CASA. It was a little overpriced, but worth it. I would definitely recommend sitting outside. It really is a true "downtown" experience to be eating surrounded by large office buildings.

CASA is located at 320 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA.

Rene Vela