Wilson's "Where To" Guide

Where to Eat: Famous Garlic Noodles and Drunken Crab @ Crustacean Beverly Hills

2012-02-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

The Eats: Euro-Asian cuisine

The Vibes: Upscale

When-to-Go: Highlights of the week include a weekday 4-7p.m. happy hour, live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday dinner

With-Whom-to-Go: Dates, friends, alone…

The $ Factor: Worth every $100 bill you’ll shell out

The 4-1-1: Hidden in the restaurant’s kitchen is yet another kitchen: the AN Family’s Secret Kitchen (pictured above left). It’s here where widely popular dishes like the “AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles” are created. Rumor has it, only the three generation of AN family members and a few hand-picked individuals are allowed in.

I’ll Be Back…: For those Famous Garlic Noodles!

If you’re in Hollywood, go see the Hollywood sign. If you’re in Santa Monica, go to the beach. But if you’re in Beverly Hills? Forget Rodeo Dr.

Go to Crustacean Beverly Hills.

Mostly everyone knows about Crustacean. It’s been seen on reality shows, as one of the premier dining destinations for LA’s socialites. And on any given evening in real life, it’s constantly overflowing with Hollywood powerhouses, the rich and famous… and people like me who love really good (sea)food.

The cuisine is coined Euro-Asian, and it seems like the appetizers – i.e., the Crispy Rice Paper Rolls, the Satays, etc. – have more of an Asian flair to them, while the main entrees – i.e., the Herb Roasted Halibut and the Grilled Rack of Lamb – are more on the traditionally continental side. And of course, there’s a fusion of the two to create completely novel dishes, such as the Hawaiian Ahi Tuna sashimi.

I highly recommend starting off with the Sampler Appetizer (pictured below), which comes with pairs of Coconut Shrimp, Grilled Steak Skewers, Dumplings and Shrimp-filled Wontons. It’s a great way to get a taste of Crustacean’s varied appetizers and it’s also perfect for sharing.

The AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles are a must. They’re one of Crustacean’s most popular dishes and after one bite, you’ll see why. But definitely don’t eat them all on the spot; take some home. Let those bad boys continue to marinate in their flavors in your fridge, heat them up the next day and then eat the rest. I’m telling you – they taste even better than the day before. I don’t know how it’s possible, but it is.

Another absolute to order is the Drunken Crab from the Secret Kitchen (pictured below). You haven’t had crab until you’ve had Crustacean’s crab. It’s seething with buttery flavors and so much meat. Plus it’s easy to enjoy, as you can request to have it shelled and waiters will even do the honors of tying a bib around your neck so that you won’t dirty your super fly outfit.

Yet as amazing as the food is, the ambiance is just as spectacular. It’s subtly refined, with an airy and gorgeous feel to it. I appreciate that there are great views no matter where you sit…at the bar by the entrance and the fish-filled stream embedded into the ground…on the patio watching the bustling activity on Little Santa Monica Blvd…in the main dining room underneath the colorful lanterns and fans…or upstairs on the balcony, watching all of the action below.

In a city where more restaurants close in a year than Nicki Minaj changes her hair color in a week, the fact that Crustacean has confidently claimed the corner of Little Santa Monica Blvd. and Bedford Dr. for the past 15 years, says a lot about the stellar service, décor and fantastic food it has to offer. May it stay another 15 more years with us, because really, I can’t get enough of those noodles and crab.

See you there soon!

For more information: Crustacean Beverly Hills, @CrustaceanBH

Where to Be Merry: The Museum of African-American Art @ Macy’s, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza

2012-02-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

The Merriment: A museum featuring art from emerging and prominent African-American artists and other artists from the African Diaspora

The Vibes: Introspective, historical, artistic, inspiring

Good for: Whenever you’re in the mood to see didactic art, in the form of paintings, mixed media, sketches, film posters and other creative expressions

When-to-Go: Thursday-Sunday, 12pm-5pm (closed Monday-Wednesday)

With-Whom-to-Go: By yourself or whomever happens to be with you at the time

The $ Factor: FREE!

The 4-1-1: See an art piece that you like? Ask a staff member about it, as some art is for sale.

I’ll Be Back…: To hear Dr. Edna Briggs share with us how to research our family histories when she speaks at the “21st Century Griot: Discovering Our Ancestry” program on Sunday, February 26th

Did you know Macy's had a museum?

I didn't.

You gotta walk past the shoes. And past the purses.

Make your way up two flights of escalators to the third floor of Macy’s, then pass the home décor and kitchenware sections, and head towards the mattresses.

That’s where you’ll find the entrance to the Museum of African-American Art (MAAA).

MAAA is a real hidden gem – no – a hidden diamond in the rough. Aside from being situated in a rather obscure part of Macy’s, it's a little frayed around the edges: dim lighting, worn carpet, a somewhat confusing layout that makes you feel like you’re wandering through a maze…

Yet in spite – or perhaps because – of these trivial cosmetic blemishes, the real treasure to be seen at MAAA is the art; the scores of paintings and posters proudly displayed on the walls of two large rooms. Some of the art pieces are rich in bright, vivid colors, showcasing brown-skinned people engaged in everyday activities. Other pieces are more solemn, created in shades of grays, evoking more somber emotions. But regardless of styles, the art boldly and beautifully expresses the diverse tales from the African Diaspora.

In addition to these paintings, the “Travel Through Blackness: The Ron Finley Collection of International Movie Posters, 1920s to 1970s” is an awesome exhibit worth checking out, especially if you’re a film buff or into movie posters. Posters of blockbuster hits, such as Coffy and Carmen Jones (pictured to the right), are intermingled with international films, such as the Argentine La Sangre Negra. They feature the African-American trailblazers and iconic figures who made unforgettable marks in Hollywood: Paul Robeson, Mantan Moreland and Stepin Fetchit, to name a few.

And as gorgeous as the posters are, I’d say their depictions give them a run for their money as well! Some of the short blurbs I read, such as that of Regeneration [“A nere-do-well man, a beautiful girl, and her one-legged body-guard/family servant are the sole survivors – they think – of a ship wreck and make it to a [sic] uninhabited south-seas island.”] made want to immediately watch the movie. Other depictions offered interesting tidbits of information about the filmmakers, the main actors and/or the film itself. Reading them was like getting an impromptu history lesson about the social and cultural settings in which the films were made. Definitely make sure you see this exhibit if you go to the MAAA, but don’t wait too late; the exhibit closes in late April.

The MAAA is a museum worth visiting at least once while you’re in Los Angeles and should certainly remain on your radar. Now would I recommend driving all the way from Carson or Pasadena on any given afternoon to come here? Probably not. But if you’re already planning to be in the area, getting your shop on in Macy’s or in the mall, on your way to the Rave Theaters or to one of the many restaurants around, like Post and Beam or Buffalo Wild Wings, then I say definitely stop by for a quick glance. You can easily spend a few minutes or so in there to soak up the great art and then be on your merry way.

See you there soon!

For more information: http://www.maaala.org, @maaalosangeles

Where to Be Merry: Music @ The GRAMMY Museum

2012-02-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Merriment: Four floors of an in-depth look into the music industry, recording technology and The GRAMMYs

The Vibes: Interactive, hands-on, visually and mentally stimulating

Good for: Anyone who loves, appreciates or is curious about music, recording artists and the recording industry!

When-to-Go: Open 7 days a week, until 7:30pm unless otherwise noted

With-Whom-to-Go: Alone, on a date, with friends, with kids, with fellow music aficionados…also a great museum to take your out-of-town visitors

The $ Factor: Decent (FREE-$12.95); discounts for students, seniors, youth, military and groups

The 4-1-1: I’ve seen discounted tickets on websites and social media apps like FourSquare, so look around first before purchasing tickets – you might be able to find a good deal

I’ll Be Back…: To check out the Trouble in Paradise: Music and Los Angeles, 1945-1975 exhibit, which showcases 30 years of pop music in LA, and will be in the museum from February 22nd until June 3rd

On my first trip to The GRAMMY Museum, I had expected to spend 1 to 2 hours there
while killing some time in downtown Los Angeles.

Well, I ended up staying for 5 hours.

And I don’t think I even saw half of what was in the museum.

And, it looks like I wasn’t alone. I’ve talked with people of varying ages, genders, professions – die hard music fans and those who like a few songs here and there – and they’ve all confessed that their visits unexpectedly lasted for 3, 4, 5 hours at a time.

There’s just something about this place that sucks you in and keeps you there, awestruck to the point where it feels as though time stands still once you're inside.

In the simplest of terms, The GRAMMY Museum is 4 floors that focus on the history of the recording industry and the legendary GRAMMY awards show. It’s a comprehensive, reverential homage to the artistry, the science, the technology and creativity behind music. It justly showcases all genres, from the most obscure to the widely popular hits that most of us can probably sing in our sleep. To give you an example of how diversified the coverage is, there have been temporary exhibits for John Lennon, Bob Marley and Andrea Bocelli, to name a few.

In more complex terms, the museum is one of the most unique and highly specialized museum experiences – dare I say – in the world.

It begins with how you experience it, starting on the 4th floor and then working your way down to the 3rd, 2nd and finally the 1st floor. It continues with the vast array of walls upon walls upon walls of information displayed, and then even how it’s is displayed. There’s not just text to be read or photos to gaze at; there are personal items to ogle over, like Roy Orbison’s infamous black Ray-Ban sunglasses; costumes used during performances by Michael Jackson, Cee-Lo and Rihanna to check out; and there's even lyrics to read – such as those of John Lennon – written on anything from sheet paper to napkins. There are videos to watch; interactive multimedia stations that give a taste of what it’s like to be in a recording studio; and plenty of instruments to tinkle on and to try to play pop songs like Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable.”

Choose to read all of the captions, or to simply sit and watch past GRAMMY Awards performances. Or, spend your entire time at one of my favorite interactive stations, the Crossroads table (pictured to the right), where you can explore and see how 160 different genres are connected to one another. The point is, however you like your museum experience to be – passive, interactive or a little bit of both – you have it here.

I also appreciate that it isn’t solely about The GRAMMYs. The museum does a great job of going so much farther beyond the awards show to truly bring transparency, accessibility and understanding about the entire music-making to the average person.

With all of that said, I’ve been to a lot of museums in my lifetime, and I’d confidently consider The GRAMMY Museum to be one of the best that I’ve ever visited. Of course, it’s a completely different feel than strolling through the Louvre in Paris, or wandering throughout the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, but in its own right, The GRAMMY Museum is a special, unique place. I can’t wait to go back and see everything I haven’t seen yet, which is a lot. Perhaps I’ll see you there soon, too!

For More Information: www.grammymuseum.org, @TheGRAMMYMuseum

Since taking photos is prohibited within the space, I couldn't take any of my own photos to post, so all photos are taken from The GRAMMY museum website.

Where To Be Merry: OVO @ The Santa Monica Pier

2012-02-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Merriment: A Cirque du Soleil production, right on the beach

The Vibes: Lively, colorful, vibrant, delightful, energetic

Good for: The kid in all of us

When-to-Go: Now through Sunday, March 11th

With-Whom-to-Go: Families, dates, friends, little kids...pretty much anyone

The $ Factor: Pricey ($49-$158.50 per ticket); it all depends which of the four sections that you select. Discounts are available for children, students, seniors and military personnel.

The 4-1-1: Parking on the Pier is $8, or if you don’t mind trekking down to the pier, other parking garages and metered street parking are near Ocean Drive.

Perhaps you’ve driven down PCH right where it merges with the 10-Freeway, looked off towards the ocean, saw a massive blue and yellow tent chilling in the parking lot adjacent to the beach and wondered, "what in the world is that thing?"

Well, it’s a Grand Chapiteau (fancy French word for big top) and it’s where Cirque du Soleil’s traveling OVO show takes place for the next month and a half.

The tent helps to give OVO the feel of an old-school circus, along with the jugglers, trapeze artists, contortionists and the works; but ~~fortunately~~, there are no animals involved. Audience seating starts almost immediately where the stage is and wraps around three of the stage's sides, giving great views of the action from almost anywhere in the tent.

Divided into two parts with an intermission in between, OVO is ten acts of energetic movement and swirling colors, interwoven together by a timeless story of love between the genial Lady Bug who’s the star of a close-knit insect community and a vagrant Fly with a giant egg – an OVO – strapped onto his back who unexpectedly wanders into her territory. Under the well-intended yet often misguided advice of the insect village chief Master Flipo, the Fly uses different techniques to woo Miss Lady Bug, while the other insects curiously muse and mull over OVO.

As would be expected with a Cirque du Soleil production, there are minutes stacked upon minutes of hair-raising stunts and daredevil tricks. About half of the acts are solos, such as the turquoise-colored Dragonfly who opens the show with a complex hand-balancing routine. The other half are group performances, like “The Ants” (pictured to the right) who not only throw “kiwis” and “corn” back and forth to one another with their feet, but who also throw one another back and forth with the strength of their feet and legs.

Now I have to say, I did notice a few blunders here and there that I haven't seen in other Cirque productions. For example, one of the Scarabs in the Flying Trapeze Act fell off the platform after he somersaulted in the air (thank goodness for those safety nets!). Granted, this act is the biggest and hardest act of its kind held in a Cirque du Soleil Grand Chapiteau, but in my humble opinion, the handful of minuscule slip-ups brought a sense of humanity and accessibility to the performers. I give mad props to anyone who can spiral several feet down during a live performance and then get back up and do a triple twist in the air like nothing happened a mere two seconds ago. Had it been me, I’d have a nervous breakdown and run backstage.

All in all, I thought OVO was well executed. It’s lighthearted, very vibrant, and in general, just a feel good kind of show. The main bossa nova and samba musical themes have subtle references to hip-hop, salsa and classical notes, and work to beautifully unify the entire show. And the fact that the insects hardly ever speak English and instead use an insect "dialect," exaggerated gestures, expressive motions and emphasized sounds to communicate, adds a delightful element of comedy. Also to my surprise and utter excitement, the performers actively engage with the audience members, walking up and down the aisles and picking out unaware guests from their seats to “help” Fly find love.

Definitely catch a performance of OVO in the next couple of weeks. Hey, perhaps I’ll see you there soon!

For more information: OVO, @cirque

Photo credits:

2nd photo: OSA Images

Where to Drink: Tea to Go @ Teavana

2012-01-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Drinks: Herbal/white/green/oolong/black and rooibos teas, cold and hot

The Vibes: Casual and quick

Good for: When you need a naturally refreshing energy booster

The $ Factor: Not too Bad ($2.99, $3.99, $4.99 per cup); Pricing is broken down into three distinct tiers, depending on the type of teas you order

The 4-1-1: Teavana is a specialty tea store that mainly sells loose-leaf teas and tea accessories (teapots, tea canisters, tea mugs, etc.). Looking around the store, it's easy to assume that’s all they have, but there's also a tiny tea bar, where you can order fresh cups of tea to-go. That's where the magic is.

I’ll Be Back…: Forget get coffee breaks; I’ll be back for my afternoon “tea” breaks

They got me with the samples.

I was minding my own business, doing some unnecessary shopping at Westfield Century City when I heard:

“Would you like to try our teas?”

My head immediately jerked to the left, where the sound had originated.

A twenty-something young man with flawless skin was smiling at me. With a dignified grace, he effortlessly balanced a tray of tea samples in his hands.

“Come in. Try some of our teas,” he beamed.

I looked around reluctantly. I was on my lunch break and needed to head back to the office…but…since I’m never one to turn down tea, I took him up on his offer and ventured into Teavana.

Now let me just interject and say this: I’m a die-hard tea fan. I drink gallons of it by the hour. Yet the thing is, most of the time, my cups of tea aren’t that memorable: hot water, a sprinkle of leaves and herbs, perhaps a squirt of honey, if I’m feeling adventurous that day.

But standing in Teavana, sipping the samples of Youthberry White tea and then the White Ayurvedic Chai, and then the Peach Momotaro, and then the Monkey Picked Oolong, I realized that there was something special about these Teavana teas. After each sip, I felt as if my mouth had just lit up with a burst of intense aromas. The flavors from the tea sort of sit and settle into your mouth before the tea goes down smoothly like golden liquid. I guess it should, since Teavana exclusively sells the top 5% loose-leaf teas of the world.

My Teavana tea expert slowly walked me around the store, energetically showing me products, pushing more and more samples towards me, excitedly explaining the health benefits of the different teas I savored. He then proceeded to show me the good stuff: the tea leaves.

The strawberry, blueberry and raspberry mate teas, pictured below, smelled as divinely as they looked. So when you order your tea, make sure to get a few whiffs of the different tea leaves that will be used.

Of course there’s a catch to tea that tastes, smells and looks so divine; it’s expensive. A 16-ounce canister of loose-leaf tea can easily cost up to $100, especially when you start talking about the specialty teas. I suppose depending on how you look at it, maybe the price isn't too bad, considering a 16-ounce canister roughly yields 100 cups of tea.

But most of the time, while it can be hard to walk away without buying a canister or two, I manage to settle on a cup of tea for the afternoon. I always find myself coming back because I appreciate how friendly and chill the Teavana staff is. They’re totally fine if you take a billion samples, and they’re always quick to share the various benefits of all of the teas.

I highly recommend stopping by Teavana the next time you’re in need of a quick energy booster that’s extremely beneficial for your health. It’s perfect on the go, or to savor back at the office or on the road. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though: Teavana can get really addicting. At one point, I was stopping by and drinking a cup a day for months.

Nonetheless, go check it out. Perhaps I’ll see you there soon!

P.S. – If you like your tea on the sweeter side, request to have the special German rock sugar added to your concoction. Made from beet roots, it’s all natural and unprocessed, allegedly making it a healthier alternative to regular white granulated sugar. Before it’s added to your tea, it looks like large crystallized rocks; in your tea, it’s a syrupy consistency that’s not overpowering in taste. Delish!

For more information: Teavana, @Teavana

Where to Eat: Mongolian BBQ at Gobi Mongolian BBQ

2012-01-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

The Eats: Super healthy Mongolian BBQ

Good for: Those moments when you want to stuff your face like a maniac and still know that what you just inhaled is ~~good~~ great for your body

The Vibes: Casual, chill, comfortable, quick

When to Go: Weekday Happy Hour, 5-7pm/

Wednesday & Saturday All-You-Can-Eat/

Thursday All-Day-Happy-Hour

Who to Bring: Casual dates, friends, the fam, kiddies who tend to scarf down ten plates worth of food since they’re growing and whatever

The $ Factor: Affordable ($10-$20), with a lot of discounts thrown in throughout the week

The 4-1-1: Jasmine rice, brown rice and tiger shrimp aren’t at the Mongolian BBQ station, but you can order them from your server

I’ll Be Back…: To try the draft beer floats. And for another Ginger Blossom cocktail. And of course for the food!

I’m not a Mongolian BBQ expert. My experiences have been limited to chain restaurants in mall food courts that dish out greasy, high-cholesterol meals. So when I was invited to check out Gobi Mongolian BBQ & Beer House, I felt somewhat of an obligation to the originators and true lovers of Mongolian BBQ to go. I couldn’t continue to bask in my dark ignorance of what this cuisine could potentially be. It would be like someone who’s only eaten at Panda Express swearing they hate all Chinese food. You gotta go for the real deal, right?

I found Gobi on Sunset Blvd. in a rather adorable establishment in Silver Lake. The slightly small,
one-room dining area had a minimalist yet cozy feel to it. Nondescript wooden tables and chairs towards the right and down the middle. Mongolian BBQ set-up to the left.

The food was similar to the setting: simply displayed and straight-to-the-point. The meats (pork, lamb, chicken, beef and tiger shrimp) are natural and antibiotic-free. The vast selection of veggies (broccoli, spinach, carrots and sooo much more) come directly from a local Farmer’s Market. There are even plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, and the sauces are all made in-house. During a brief stop at our table, co-owner Michael Buch explained his obsession with organic ingredients. He said that eating at tons of cheap Mongolian BBQ places as a kid growing up in LA, he loved the cuisine so much, but he wanted to open a Mongolian BBQ spot that was tasty and healthy.

So here’s how it works: Go to the Mongolian BBQ station and grab a bowl (or 2 or 3 or 4). Pick out the ingredients and sauces that you want mixed together. As tempting as it is to mix 15 items together, sometimes simplicity is better. I was politely informed that picking only 3-5 veggies and meats can go a long way. But, of course, it’s your personal preference. Here was my selection on one trip: veggies, noodles and tiger shrimp.

I handed my bowls over to one of the chefs who cooked it right in front of me.

After about 5-8 minutes, voila, my Mongolian BBQ bowl was ready.

The verdict? I loved how fresh everything tasted, and how many different sauces and flavors there are to try. The pressure to sample everything can be a little overwhelming, especially if you go on an All-You-Can-Eat-Night, but with the right amount of pacing and opting for small portion sizes, I'm convinced it can be done.

I also want to mention that there are other options, aside from the Mongolian BBQ. Not a lot, but a few, including appetizers like the Pan Seared Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna pictured below...

...and desserts like the Homemade Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies with vanilla and espresso gelato smashed between two crunchy cookies (divine!).

No hard liquors, but plenty of sake, soju-based cocktails, wines and beers (bottled and tap)

as you can see from the picture below.

So the next time you’re in the mood for some quick, filling, healthy and affordable Mongolian BBQ,

I say check out Gobi. See you there soon!

For more information: http://www.gobimongolianbbq.com, @GobiSilverLake

And Where Do You “Where To?”: FREE Giveaway/Contest Winner

2012-01-14T22:13:00.000-08:00

Wow. All I can say is WOW.

I received so many great, unique, creative entries for this past giveaway/contest that it was way too hard to decide – I wanted to pick everyone! Since I couldn’t do that, I did eventually pick a winner:

Daniel!!!

“San Miguel. The most distant, uninhabited Channel Island. Peace and quiet. Solitude. 30,000 seals and sea lions. Trusting island foxes that approach you like dogs. Crashing surf. A boat trip past 1000's of dolphins. This is where I want to go and be. To remember life in its raw natural state. To clear my mind of all the business of life and remember ME in my raw natural state. To get in touch with who we are, who we want to be and what our dreams should truly give us!”

This sounds like an absolute paradise. Landing on the island by skiff...only 30 visitors permitted each day... I’ve already packed my tent and picked up my camera. We’re going next weekend, right?

Daniel wins two tickets to see Cirque du Soleil's IRIS in Hollywood. A big thanks for everyone who sent in an entry – they were awesome to read. I haven't been to any of these places yet, so I excitedly added them to my own personal “List of Places to Visit in 2012.” I hope that you do get to venture off to your picks this year, and in fact, I hope that we all get to those “destinations” that we’re dreaming of in 2012 – whether that’s a new restaurant, a new vacay spot or new phase/transition in life.

Check out the other entries below and look out for another contest/giveaway soon – sooner than you might think!

Cheers,
Miss Wilson

Xenia of Los Angeles: “I'm absolutely determined to visit the Hollywood Forever Cemetery this year during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. Though the cemetery is mostly known as a great summer hang-out for its movie screenings, I've heard that it turns into the most incredible array of sights and sounds during this festival. The skeleton costumes are elaborate and outrageous, the tamales and pan de muerto are scrumptious and authentic, and the music and dance performances amongst the tombstones are mesmerizing. And what's more, I love the meaning behind it--it's to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed on. What could be a better setting? Of course I've only heard about it, and have yet to go. 2012 is my year!” I'll be there right with you in the fall!

@_jennalee: “Plan on spending most of my time at the new bottle shop & tasting room in Redondo Beach @selectbeerstore” Beer tasting!!!

@StockMyGalley: “I plan on hanging out more in Downtown Los Angeles! Everyday there is a new rest/bar/lounge opening! Fav spot: @VillainsTavern” I agree - I spend way too much time down there - there's just so many great spots.

Warren: “Entering 2012, I was determined not to make any loosely based resolutions. Losing the same 10 pounds from Thanksgiving and Christmas, or even the same 'Out with the old, In with the NEW' mentality with friends, habits, and decisions. However, since moving to this beautiful city known as Los Angeles, Ca almost a year ago, there is one place that I am certain I have to go before this year is over......and that place......is Angel's Crest. So what is Angel's Crest? Well, Angel's Crest is supposedly this hidden place in Malibu, CA, that has an awesome hiking trail, an a great way to be intertwined with nature and away from the busyness of LA, and it has a waterfall that simply fills up your soul. I have heard sooo many great things about this place and I am destined to go there. It even made me look back on where I have gone in comparison to this, like Runyon Canyon, Griffith Park, and other hiking parks in the city....but for some odd reason, every time I hear the place 'Angel's Crest', I am assured that I will be amazed by its beauty. :-)” If you ever find this place, let me know!

@ernestalfonso: “@WilsonsGuide @Cirque RUSH! =P…. rush rush rush rush!!!!!!!!” See you there in a few weeks :)

Renita: “I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to go to LAKE SHRINE. I have heard it is one of the most peaceful places to go to in LA and it feels like your at Fantasy Island. My friends also say you can mediate there and the ground keepers are also so nice and pleasant. With my crazy schedule I would love some peace and quiet...lol” This sounds beautiful, serene and uplifting.

Nicole of Los Angeles: “I would LOVE to go to the Magic Castle! Part of the mystery is figuring out how to get in. Not only does the venue have breathtaking views of Hollywood, it also hosts a vibe of a bygone era. Who wouldn't want the chance to rediscover the joys of childhood through magic?” When you figure out how to get in, you gotta let me know!

@JusBeinEJ: “@WilsonsGuide @cirque ST. Thomas Baby!!!!” Heeeey - a vacay!

@_Amandalee: “I'd like to hang at Friday nights off the 405 at the Getty! Always great bands and sounds fun! Never been but it's a just for 2012!” I went a few summers ago - it's a blast!

And Where Do You “Where To?”: FREE Giveaway/Contest #4

2012-01-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

Giveaway #4:

TWO TICKETS TO SEE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S

“IRIS: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WORLD OF CINEMA”

Contest Running Friday 1/6/2012-Friday1/13/2012

It’s only right to start the New Year off properly…with another giveaway/contest/drawing/competition!

Last year it was all about restaurant gift certificates, but this time, it’s about seeing one of the hottest shows around town, Cirque du Soleil’s “IRIS” at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

That's why I’m giving away two tickets to see a show to whoever can answer the following question in the most creative way:

We all have our New Year resolutions to lose weight, eat healthy foods, spend more time with family, etc... but where is a hang out destination that you are absolutely determined to visit in 2012? Perhaps it’s your favorite neighborhood bakery you haven’t been to in a while, or it's a completely new restaurant or lounge. Whatever it is – museum, spa, club, etc. – I want to know why you want to visit! Be as descriptive as you’d like, and photos, although optional, are always welcomed.

The person with the BEST 2012 destination (picked by yours truly) wins!

Don’t forget to include your first name and your location. All answers can be submitted in the comment box below, sent to wilsonsguide@gmail.com or tweeted to @WilsonsGuide on Twitter.

Contest starts today and goes until next Friday, January 13th, 11:59pm PST. Winner will be announced on Wilson’s Guide on Saturday, January 14th.

A big THANKS to Cirque du Soleil for donating the tickets! I saw “IRIS” and almost fell out of my seat from all of the thrilling excitement going on throughout the night. To learn more about why this show is definitely a “Wilson’s Guide” pick, read my write-up on it by clicking here.

Good luck!

OFFICIAL RULES:

· This giveaway/contest/drawing/competition is free and open to anyone over 18 years of age.

· Please note: all entries received may be potentially retweeted and/or posted on www.wilsonswheretoguide.com at a later date without further compensation. If an entry is posted and/or retweeted, only the entrant’s first name or Twitter username will be posted in conjunction with the entry.

· Ticket voucher is valid for regular performances on Tuesday-Thursday and expires December 31, 2012. Excludes holiday performances. Reservations must be made 15 days in advance and are final. Please note show schedule subject to change without notice. No substitutions, cash equivalents, or transfers for any part is permitted. Not for resale. Cirque du Soleil and/or the Kodak Theatre is not responsible for replacing lost or stolen tickets and/or vouchers.

· Winner will be given specific instructions on receiving the gift certificate via Twitter and/or email, depending on how the winner submitted his/her entry.

· By accepting the ticket voucher, winner releases Cirque du Soleil, Wilson’s “Where To” Guide and Miss Wilson and all of their respective officers, agents and employees from any responsibility or liability in connection with the awarded ticket voucher. Winner also agrees to release Cirque du Soleil, Wilson’s “Where To” Guide and Miss Wilson of any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from acceptance, use, misuse, possession, or loss of the “IRIS” ticket voucher.

· By entering this giveaway, entrants accept and agree to these rules.

Miss Wilson’s Words of Wisdom: Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-30T07:53:00.000-08:00

In these last days of 2011, I’ve stumbled upon countless “Top Lists” being published in magazines, on the internet, on television shows. So, I figured I might as well throw my two cents into the mix as well!

I’ve subsequently drafted the fabulous, amazing Top 11 of 2011 “Where To” List, which highlights what I consider to be some of the best moments in LA’s social/restaurant/nightlife scene from these past 12 months. From one-year anniversary celebrations to lots of FREE cultural activities and plenty of incredible bargain restaurant steals, there was quite a lot to savor and cherish.

Take a trip down this past year’s memory lane and muse over the places you’ve already tried – or just might need to try in the New Year!

#11) Where to Drink: Nirvana: This past spring, the Beverly Hills Indian lounge launched its own version of happy hour, Bliss Hour. Delicious dishes that were normally $25 dropped to $6; potent cocktails that averaged $12 were now $6, and they fortunately didn’t compromise flavor or potency in the price reduction. These discounts paired with Nirvana’s breathtaking Eastern aesthetics – a 700-pound Cambodian bust statue, kama sutra art and an indoor waterfall – made it one of the best places to spend an intimate evening on the Westside.

#10) Where to Be Merry: The Foxxhole Live, hosted by Mark Curry: What do Keyshia Cole, ~~my husband~~ Tyrese, Teedra Moses, Macy Gray and El DeBarge all have in common? Aside from being talented recording artists, they’ve all performed at this poppin’ Monday night R&B jam session held at LA LIVE’s Conga Room. Created by Jamie Foxx and hosted by Mark Curry, Foxxhole is the music industry’s sexy, grown-up version of your high school talent show. Platinum-selling artists step to the stage, right alongside aspiring singers who can blow. Plus there’s the live band The Foxxhole Players and a sleuth of comedians who keep you entertained well into the wee hours of the morning. I found myself heading there quite a few times this year, especially to give my out-of-town guests a little flavor of what LA is really like, aside from the Hollywood sign and the beach.

#9) And Where Do You “Where To?”: Brian McKnight: Around Valentine’s Day, GRAMMY-nominated R&B singer Brian McKnight held a FREE concert at Avalon Hollywood. The brotha went all out for his show, and I do mean all out! He played not one, but two instruments – the piano and guitar – sang with his sons, shared intimate stories explaining his songwriting process, and he even brought a lucky lady onstage to serenade and present with gorgeous red roses. And while it was most certainly a special night, it became even better when I had a chance to do an exclusive interview with him, which you can still read here, if you haven’t already.

#8) Where to Eat: A-Frame: I can’t image life without “Chu-Don’t-Know-Mang” churros. I mean, really, how did I ever survive before discovering them? Culver City’s A-Frame may have opened in 2010, but it celebrated its 1st anniversary this past November, thereby securing it a spot on this list. It’s hard enough launching a new restaurant, let alone successfully making it to the one-year mark. Kudos to this Roy Choi brainchild, where a fusion of Asian and American tastes and aesthetics blend together to make an unforgettable dining – and cocktail-sipping – experience.

#7) Where to Drink: Bar 1886: This is yet another establishment that celebrated its one-year anniversary in November, although technically, you could say it opened in 1886 and stayed closed for a few centuries. After a massive renovation and input from a few celebrity mixologists, Bar 1886 came back with a bang. The Pasadena drinking parlor served tons of artistic old-fashioned cocktails, similar to those kinds of cocktails that have wound up at many bars these past couple of years. But, unlike other places where there might be standing room only – and in my opinion, what makes Bar 1886 a lot more appealing – here it’s a little more subdued and intimate, a littler quieter. The ambiance, the service, the beverages makes the trek here quite worth it, even if you’re as far away as the best side, the Westside.

#6) Where to Be Merry: The Falls: Great vibes, great music, great people, great cocktails. Case closed. I have no idea when this lounge emerged or how long it’s been chillin’ on downtown’s Spring Street, but I am ever so glad I stumbled upon it one breezy April night after frolicking around at the downtown artwalk series. Drop by The Falls for a couple of minutes or make it your Saturday night destination…come in your sandals, or get primped up to party. Who cares? As long as you’re having a good time, nothing else seems to really matter here. It’s a lounge where reasonably priced libations and good music stay in, and all of the B.S. like cover charges stay out – the kind of place where you’ll make new friends and most likely run into a few old ones, too.

#5) Where to Eat: Osaka: A South American favorite finally headed north for the States this past fall! As a huge fan of the Buenos Aires one, I was more than thrilled to find out that Osaka had headed to Hollywood. Aside from the standard Peruvian-Japanese favorites like the “Tiraditos and Ceviche,” and signature Pisco cocktails found at most other Osakas, this LA location introduced a few exclusive highlights of its own: an airy Pisco Garden and a darkly handsome front bar area. It’s interesting to see how rather recently, the city’s seen a surge in the popularity of premium Peruvian cuisine, and I’d confidently say Osaka is a top contender!

#4) Where to Be Merry: Posing Beauty in African-American Culture @ The USC Fisher Museum / Pacific Standard Time @ The CSUN Art Galleries: ::Sigh:: College days may have come and gone, but that didn’t stop me from going to two university campuses this past fall. Both the University of Southern California (USC) and California State University Northridge (CSUN) had art institutions that featured stellar - and FREE - photo exhibits.

The USC Fisher Museum’s “Posing Beauty in African-American Culture” boldly demanded us to examine what has been considered gorgeous/stunning/hot in African-American culture since the 1890s up until today with images taken from Curator Deborah Willis’ POSING BEAUTY: African American Images From the 1890s to the Present book.

In conjunction with the larger Pacific Standard Time series going at 60+ SoCal art institutions, the CSUN Art Galleries launched its “Identity & Affirmation, Post War African-American Photography exhibit,” giving us telling glimpses into the diverse experiences for Black Angelenos during the 1940s-1980s.

But just as those college partying days had to end, unfortunately, both of these photo exhibits closed earlier this month. Hopefully, these universities will have more interesting exhibits in the future!

#3) And Where Do You “Where To?”: Adrienne Maloof: Christmas is one of the best holidays of the year, so when The Abbey decided to celebrate Christmas early at its “6th Annual Christmas in September” Toy Drive, it was most certainly a memorable moment in 2011. The iconic West Hollywood restaurant/lounge went all out with lavish holiday decorations by its roaring fireplace, lots of falling snow, hot Santa Helpers with ripped, washboard abs and complimentary green and red cocktails. Adrienne Maloof, whom I briefly interviewed, graciously hosted the entire affair, stressing the importance of giving toys as donations for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Giving back and putting a smile on the kiddies’ faces… now that’s the real spirit of the season – and of the year!

#2) Where to Be Merry: Annenberg Space for Photography: In 2011, the Space hosted two timely exhibits: “Extreme Exposure,” which featured shots of remote nature landscapes, and “Beauty Culture,” a compelling exhibit on beauty in mainstream culture. This Century City photography center may have only opened a couple of years ago, but it’s proving exhibit after exhibit after exhibit that it is one of the city’s most prominent – and most accessible – places to see amazing photos and to also interact with the top photographers of the day. There are the mind-boggling photos, but then there are also the captivating videos, interactive stations, guest lecturers and special events, all of which are FREE. The Space has truly been an exceptional and needed resource to the SoCal community!

#1) Where to Be Merry: Zumba Classes at InterContinental Los Angeles Century City: The InterContinental took the definition of working out to new heights…literally! For the second summer in a row, the Century City hotel offered its Zumba Classes on its helipad, 18 stories above ground. Classes were small, so you could get personalized attention to making sure you had those Zumba steps completely on point; classes were reasonably priced, at free for hotel guests and $15 for non-hotel guests. But most importantly, classes were fun. I completely forgot I was working out; I was too busy admiring the fabulous view I had of all of Los Angeles!

Sure, the festivities that 2011 brought along might be hard to beat, but I’m sure 2012 will manage to do it somehow.

See you at one of these places soon, and of course, Happy New Year!

Where To Be Merry: Eating, Drinking and Socializing @ The Churchill

2011-12-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

“The lines between inside and out blur,” Brian, an old friend/former colleague/fellow blogger, murmured.

“Yes,” I nodded my head. “You’re absolutely right.”

We casually stood on the second level of The Churchill, intently gazing out towards the bar area on the bottom floor. A petite lady curiously glanced at us as she walked by. A gentleman, who might have been a waiter or a manager, warily watched us after we stood in the same position for more than a mere moment in time.

“But no, no, no,” I impatiently shook my head. “It’s more than that.”

“What else?” Brian prodded.

“It’s…it’s…” I struggled to find the right words that would properly describe what this place was. After a few moments, it struck me:

“It’s like we’re in a loft, in downtown,” I finally spewed out. “It feels as if we’re 18 stories above ground, looking out onto Spring Street...or 7th Ave.”

Brian digested what I had just proposed. Finally, he said: “You’re absolutely right. That’s it. Downtown vibes and blurred distinctions between indoors and outdoors. I like it. There you go.”

Satisfied, we skipped down the stairs lined with tea candles to exit and be on our merry ways after a lovely weekday dinner at this new L.A. gastropub.

The Churchill recently opened in October, and while it may only be blocks away from the Beverly Center, after one step inside, it’s rather quite easy to imagine that you’ve been transported to downtown. It’s the brick walls, the exposed steel beams and the worn industrial windows. It’s the menu of old-fashioned artisan cocktails and the antique knick-knacks, similar to the ones that you’d find in The Varnish or The Edison. Yet while The Churchill has the charm and nostalgic quaintness of downtown establishments, it also proudly boasts the refined amenities that come with a Westside address: ample valet options, cheery, bubbly storefronts and pedestrian-friendly streets, even late at night. I liked it immediately.

But just like how I struggled to figure out what this place reminded me of, I struggled to place it into a specific “where to eat,” or “where to drink” category, since it has such spectacular drinks and unique food options, plus a very vibrant social scene. So I figured “screw it” and threw it under the “where to be merry” description!

Get your drink on at the bustling bar area where bartenders skillfully crafting cocktails like the Clementine, pictured to the right, a sweet blend of triple sec, vodka and other fruity flavors. Chow down in the dining area, on items like one of my favorites, the duck pizza with caramelized onions, fresh parsley and a balsamic drizzle, pictured below…Partake in the whole lounge experience upstairs, where I’ve seen many couples and groups of friends cozily bundled up on a leather bench or in a booth, engrossed in their conversations. And I can’t fail to mention the outdoor dining area, where eating, drinking and lounging seem to harmoniously coincide, amidst a delightful fireplace, potted plants and inviting booths.

OK, so I don’t mean to sound shallow, but between me and you, The Churchill also packs a good-looking group of people as well. If it’s not the waiters whisking food to tables in their dapper attire, it’s the patrons in their crisp button-downs and latest fall boots. Everyone seems to know how to dress, as if that’s an unspoken requirement for entry. The first time I was ever invited here, I mean, as much as my octopus salad and charcuterie spread kept my eyes dancing with joy, I couldn’t help but sneak peaks at the hot waiter who kept the dishes flowing.

In a nutshell, I go to The Churchill for those times when I’m looking for a downtown vibe, but still feel like staying on the Westside. Or those times when I want to catch up for hours with an old-time friend like Brian, in an inviting, comfortable atmosphere, paired with quality cocktails and unique dining options.

So the next time you’re looking for any of these like myself, I highly recommend The Churchill. Perhaps I’ll see you there soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips (So you know “What’s Up” when you go):

- The parking deal: valet is available, or scramble to find limited metered parking on 3rd Street and the surrounding streets.
- Where to sit: Try the outdoor patio at least once. Glass walls connecting the patio to the rest of the gastropub allow you to see the action going on inside, all while soaking in the action happening on the street.
- Open for breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner. Take that, take that!
- Ahhhh, there’s a late night happy hour, too, beginning at 10pm.
- Photo booth. On the 2nd floor. Do it.
- Fun, friendly fact: The Churchill is actually the second establishment for Beau Laughlin and Brett Cranston, the creators behind the West Hollywood popular spot, The Hudson.

For more information:

The Churchill

8384 West 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

323.655.8384

http://www.the-churchill.com

And Where Do You “Where To”: Wines With Toni

2011-12-09T06:01:00.001-08:00

The spirit of the holiday season has demandingly settled upon us!
Lights must be strung on roofs, kids must cheese it up with Santa, creamy eggnog must now be consumed in large quantities…

And of course, there’s the daunting task of buying gifts for family members, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, clients…your boss, your mechanic, your brother’s obnoxious girlfriend and like, 20 other people you don’t really like and/or know, without breaking the bank in the process.

So with the hectic holiday commotion slightly stressing me out, my mind turned to wine – wine to give as a gift, and wine to savor after battling checkout lines packed with savage shoppers.

While back in April I met with Corkbar owner Caleb Wines to discuss popular spring wines, this fall/winter season, I turned to the exceptional wine guru herself, Toni Staton Harris, a Los Angeles based author/writer/blogger who runs a very informative (and fun!) blog, Wines With Toni.

We initially met at the Blogging While Brown Conference this past summer and kept in touch over the following months. In all this time, I’ve appreciate her vast knowledge – and love – for wine, and she has helped me to discover the wines I like most through extensive conversations and friendly trips to Ugo Wine Bar in Culver City.

So if you’re like me – looking to expand your wine knowledge, and wildly curious to know what wines to sip these chilly evenings and which wines to gift – read on, and learn some wise and useful tips from Toni!

Miss Wilson: As an introduction to everyone,
what is your blog all about and how did you get started?

Toni Staton Harris: I have two blogs. My first blog is Wine With Toni, which features recommendations, experiences, destinations about wine all over the world. One of the things that I was just telling you that I’m really excited about is a new feature coming soon by the end of December where I will actually wine style people. That means they give me their name, their email address, answer five questions about things they like in life, and I will actually recommend great wines that I know will be specific to them and their palate. I love Wine With Toni because it really is a shared experience about wine. I don’t profess to know everything about wine because one can’t. There are millions of varieties; there are a 1,001 brands, and the thing about wine is, it’s always a journey. It’s always a discovery and it’s always a shared experience. And that’s what I want to make sure comes across in the blog. It’s not authoritative; it’s more a shared experience because I take recommendations from people.

The second one is called Checkin’ Up and Checkin’ in with Toni Staton Harris and this is my hot topics blog where I share my opinions and I talk about your opinions about a number of hot topics that affect our lives daily. I talk about anything and everything here. I talk about film, TV, food wine…anything that tickles my fancy. I check up on you, find out what’s going on with you, and I check in with you, to tell you what’s going on with me. That’s actually a very new blog that just started a month ago.

I said I have two blogs...I actually have two and half, because the third one I write with a blog partner is called Girl TD. That is a lifestyle, fashion, relationship blog where we focus on issues that arise from the television show The Game. Like tomorrow we have a post coming out that I’m doing called: “Divorce. Who Gets the Friends?” Everybody talks about the kids, everybody talks about the house, the dog, but who gets the friends? People don’t often realize that friendships and relationships outside of the marriage are deeply affected by divorce as well. So that’s the stuff I like to talk about.

Miss Wilson: Nice! So now, let’s talk wine…

Toni Staton Harris: [Laughing] Let’s talk wine!

Miss Wilson: How do you have all of this knowledge about it?
Toni Staton Harris: A lot of informal study, a lot of tasting, a lot of reading the bottle. I have this saying: read what you see. Reading the bottle will teach you so much about the wine – the temperature it’s supposed to be served at, what foods it pairs well with, what notes are incorporated into it.

I do a lot of exploring, but I think the biggest reason why I retain a lot of information is because I’m open to the possibilities. I don’t believe that I know everything about wine. I believe that wine comes with infinite possibilities. I listen. I talk. I have my own opinions and sometimes they change, sometimes they don’t. I recognize that it is a journey and it’s a process. I’ve been dealing with wine and figuring out what I like for at least 15 years now. It’s about exploring, tasting and opening your mind to the possibilities of what it’s all about, and knowing what you like.

Miss Wilson: I know in our previous conversations you mentioned that you can get a good bottle of wine for under $25. How does that work? How is that possible?
Toni Staton Harris: That’s a wonderful question. First of all, my median range for pricing is $10. If I pay $20 for a bottle of wine, it’s because I absolutely love it.

Wine doesn’t have to be expensive. As we all know, wine is very subjective. It’s all about your palate – what you like, what you like to taste. So price doesn’t denote quality. Just because something is a high-priced wine doesn’t mean that it is a quality wine. Or, it doesn’t mean that you’ll like it. Price is not the determinant for a great glass of wine. A great glass of wine is what’s good to you.

There was a time when wine was considered of the snobs’ drink or inaccessible, because people didn’t really understand it. But now, you can try wines by the bottle, by the gallon, by the box – whatever – and find out what you actually like by giving yourself clues. What you like in life, you’ll like in wine. You like honey in life? You’ll probably like a nice honey-based, vanilla-based, strong note chardonnay. If you like spice, you’ll like perhaps a shiraz, an Australian shiraz.

So because wine is so competitive, it’s very easy to find great wine for $10 a pop or under. It’s just a matter of going into your wine bars, going into your wine stores like Total Wine and BevMo and places like that. They have thousands of brands, thousands of wines. Once you figure out your grape, go for it.

Miss Wilson: Even if there’s not necessarily a price tag on good wine and it depends on your palate, is there a wine that you would say is popular for this season, for the fall?
Toni Staton Harris: I like to drink red wines in the winter and white wines in the summer. I like a full-bodied, heavy-bodied red wine with a little spice, a little earthiness.

Seasonal wines, especially in the fall, tend to be your Australian reds, your pinot noirs, your cabernet sauvignons, your shirazes, your syrahs. They make for great holiday gifts. They make for great sipping wine.

My go-to pinot noir is always Edna Valley, which is in San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo is taking names and kicking butt. Willamette Valley in Oregon is also taking names and kicking butt. And California needs to watch out for not only Willamette Valley in Oregon, but we need to watch out for Washington State, because they’re doing pinot noirs, they’re doing your cabs. They’re really coming after the Sonoma Valley market. Washington State does a cab called 14 Hands that’ll make you kick somebody and I take no responsibility for them kicking back.

So spicy, bolder reds, flavorful reds. And there is a big difference between flavor and some basic elements like sugar. I just did a post on Wine With Toni, Sweet vs. Fruit Forward. A lot of novices as well as connoisseurs don’t really understand the difference between sweet and fruit forward.

Miss Wilson: So what is the difference?
Toni Staton Harris: Great question. Sweet is when the residual sugar of a wine is the star of the show. That’s the first thing you taste. It’s the main thing you taste, and the flavor is secondary or even tertiary to the actual wine. Meaning, white zinfandel is always going to be sweet, because white zinfandel is not actually a grape; it’s made up of residual sugar, residual grape pieces as well as added sugar, food coloring and water. That’s your white zinfandel. Your moscato is going to be sweet because you’re taking the ripened grape and you’re extracting sugar. Some winemakers are even adding sugar, not so much for the sweetness, but for the alcohol content, to raise it.

And we know sweet. Sweet is lemonade. Sweet is sweet tea. But a fruit-forward wine doesn’t necessarily have to be sweet. It just means that the fruit is the star of the show. You taste the burst of flavors. You taste the burst of grape or you taste the notes, like currant, blackberry, cherry. That’s more prominent in your mouth than the sugar.

It can be difficult to distinguish, and a not so pleasant way to determine if you’re drinking a fruit forward wine or a sweet wine is when you’re drinking the wine, close your nose and sip. If you taste sugar, you know you’re drinking a sweet wine. If you don’t necessarily taste sugar while you’re holding your nose but you taste something other than sugar, you’re probably drinking a fruit forward wine. It’s the same as the difference between cocoa and milk chocolate. Cocoa tastes like cocoa; milk chocolate tastes like sugar.

Miss Wilson: Would you say that there’s one wine that’s a classic wine – one that’s always and maybe always will be – a wine to appreciate?
Toni Staton Harris: That changes. Again, wine is so subjective that it really is about what you like. Very popular ten years ago, straight up, was your merlot and chardonnay. In the whites, chardonnay still remains the most popular wine consumed. However, the sauvignon blancs are steadily catching the chardonnays because people are starting to say, well just because I like white doesn’t mean I like only oaky. Maybe I don’t want oaky. Maybe I want more vanilla. Maybe I want more fruit. However, where merlot was your most popular – merlot and cab used to fight each other for popularity – pinot noir is taking over.

Now personally for me, I’m still a merlot girl. I just love it. So it really is about your personal taste. Pinot noir is definitely a safe bet and a contender up against merlot and cabernet. The thing about pinot noir is that it can be so complex, and people are often afraid of that wine. And that’s the one thing that my blog does. It demystifies all of that. I give you permission to explore and exchange information and not feel bad, guilty, or unknowledgeable about something that you’re tasting. I really do give you the permission to free yourself from the snobbishness and the mystery of wine, because it’s so accessible, and it should be.

But I would definitely say pinot noir and your sauvignon blancs and your chenin blancs, also known in South Africa as Steen, are really moving ahead in the white category.

Miss Wilson: You mentioned that wine is subjective several times, so I want to go back to something else you were talking about: wine as a holiday gift. Can wine make as a good holiday gift and if so, is there a safe one to choose, such as red or white?
Toni Staton Harris: If you know the person really well, it’s always great to go with the family of their favorite. You know Toni’s favorite pinot noir is Edna Valley, so I’m going to try maybe giving her a bottle of pinot noir from New Zealand…ecause I know she likes pinot noir and I want to gift her this wine, I’m going to give her something different.

But when you don’t know the person, don’t get caught up in anything. Give whatever you want them to have. Because the beauty of gifting wine is that you’ll either give the person something they like or something they don’t know. Even if it’s not their particular cup of tea, they’re having a little get-together, they can present that wine and pour it. So gifting wine is easy, but it’s also great because you are free to give whatever.

And that’s when price does make a consideration. For example, my birthday was in November and my girlfriend called me up. She said, “I want to give you that wine you were talking about that you wanted so badly.” And I said, “No, I’m not going to tell you what it is.” She said, “Why not? I want to buy it.” And I said, “Because it’s a $100 bottle of wine and it’s not worth it.” I’m not going to say the name, because you know, I don’t want to disparage somebody else’s taste. But to pay $100 for a bottle of wine for me is not really worth it, unless you are in a position that $100 is $10. Now somebody else may feel differently and great, good for you. You can afford to spend $300 for a bottle of wine during dinner? How about it. But that just doesn’t work for me.

But the beauty of gifting is first of all, it’s rare that the actual price of the wine is on the bottle, so you can buy a nice bottle of wine and you don’t have to have gone over $20. And it could be worth much more, in terms of taste.

Miss Wilson: Is there anything you want to add? I think we covered so much.
Toni Staton Harris: I would like to add a few simple tips:

Buy through the label.

Don’t be fooled by the fancy labels, the fancy names. If you’re not sure, pick up the bottle and read the back. If that doesn’t give you what you want to know, ask a clerk. Ask a winemaker. Ask somebody in the store.

Ask somebody for a recommendation: hey, have you tried…or what do you like?

Be open to the possibilities – the journey – and ask questions. Don’t be embarrassed by any questions that you ask, because nobody – even your master sommeliers – know everything about wine. They just don’t. We just can’t. We absolutely can’t. It’s so big, it’s so vast.

Miss Wilson: And like you said, it is very subjective. A sommelier might have spent years and years studying wine, but at the end of the day, it is what your mouth says.
Toni Staton Harris: Exactly, it’s what you like. So buy through the label. Don’t be intimidated by the label, the terms, or anything like that. Remember at the end of the day, like you just said, a good glass of wine is what’s good to you. And that’s about it.

Miss Wilson: That’s good – thank you!
Toni Staton Harris: You’re welcome!

For more information on Toni, visit her website www.winewithtoni.com

or follow her on Twitter at @winewithtoni!

This interview has been condensed and edited.

And Where Do You “Where To?”: FREE Giveaway/Contest #3- WINNER

2011-12-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who submitted their favorite LA winter destinations over this past week! It was sooo much fun reading where everyone huddles up during this "terribly cold" Southern California winter!!

Although it was a super tough, tough decision, a winner for the $50 gift certificate to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza’s X Bar has been selected:

@PDiesl:

"Love, love, love The Grove for the holidays. A ginormous Christmas tree, holiday music and it snows in the P.M. Fun for all!"

I agree! Aside from having the usual shops and restaurants and such, The Grove really goes all out for the holiday season and works hard to make it feel like a genuine glitzy LA Christmas. It's a great destination to entertain and impress out-of-town guests, hyper little kids and quite honestly yourself too, if you want to get in the Christmas spirit as you buy gifts for the fam or take a leisurely stroll while window-shopping. Fun for all ages, and for all pocketbook sizes.

Here are some of the other spectacular entries that were submitted as well:

May of Sherman Oaks: "My response is the W Hotel in Westwood. They have an ice skating rink, warmed cabanas with tv and spiked hot cocoa!"

@therealMattyMC: "Fav winter hangout is in Redondo Bch: HT Grill. Amazing outdoor patio w/huge firepit to sit around, meet locals, drink&smores!"

@StockMyGalley: "my fav winter hangout is Wood & Vine ... super cozy, great indoor fireplace & outdoor firepit to snuggle up to & tasty food!"

@MadeWomanMag: "But I'ma homebody in the winter...is my couch a valid entry??"

Also, a big THANK YOU to X Bar for donating the $50 gift certificate!

And Where Do You “Where To?”: FREE Giveaway/Contest #3

2011-11-25T10:08:00.001-08:00

Giveaway #3:

$50 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO X BAR (AT THE HYATT REGENCY CENTURY PLAZA)

Contest Running from Thursday 11/25/2011-Thursday12/01/2011

I’m feeling so warm and fuzzy from all of the tryptophan in the turkey I ate yesterday, so in the spirit of the thanksgiving season, I’m doing another giveaway/contest/drawing/competition/whatever-you-want-to-call-it and offering a $50 gift certificate to X Bar to one lucky person!

So who is the lucky person?

It’s easy – whoever has the best answer to the following question:

In your opinion, which Los Angeles hang out destination has the best ambiance for the winter?
Perhaps it’s because of a roaring fireplace, a cozy bar area or a warm, toasty main dining room.
Whatever it is and wherever it is, be as descriptive as you’d like, including the place and why it’s a winner (photos, although optional, are always welcomed).

Be sure to include your first name and your location.

All answers can be submitted in the comment box below,

sent to wilsonsguide@gmail.com or tweeted to @WilsonsGuide.

The person with the BEST most innovative, unique winter destination (picked by yours truly) will win! Contest starts today and will go until next Thursday, December 1st, at 11:59pm PST.
Winner will be announced on Friday, December 2nd.

A big THANKS to the X Bar for donating the certificate!

Love that place – it’s definitely a destination of where to eat, drink and be merry!

Cheers,
Miss Wilson

OFFICIAL RULES:
· This giveaway/contest/drawing is free and open to anyone over 18 years of age.

· Please note: all entries received may be potentially retweeted and/or posted on www.wilsonswheretoguide.com at a later date without further compensation. If an entry is posted and/or retweeted, only the entrant’s first name or Twitter username will be posted in conjunction with the entry.

· One winner will receive a certificate, entitling him/her to a $50 credit to X Bar at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Certificate is valid anytime. Winner will be given specific instructions on receiving the gift certificate via Twitter and/or email, depending on how the winner submitted his/her entry.

· By accepting the certificate, winner releases X Bar, Wilson’s “Where To” Guide and Miss Wilson and all of their respective officers, agents, and employees from any responsibility or liability in connection with the awarded gift certificate. Winner also agrees to release X Bar, Wilson’s “Where To” Guide and Miss Wilson of any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from acceptance, use, misuse, possession, or loss of the gift certificate.

· By entering this giveaway, entrants accept and agree to these rules.

And Where Do You “Where To?”: 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Edition

2011-11-24T06:50:00.001-08:00

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:

I am not ashamed to admit that even I don’t know every single amazing place to eat, drink and be merry here in the city.

That’s why for the 2nd year in a row, I’m doing my Wilson’s Guide “Thanksgiving Edition,” where I’ve asked my fellow bloggers, writers, creative minds and movers-and-shakers in the LA area to share where they “where to” – to let us know those the places that they’re thankful for and just simply can’t live without. These are people I’ve met over the past year (like The Minty) or that have started new ventures since last year (like Marque of That’s Rude Comedy).

So sit back, enjoy, read, eat tons of turkey today, and then check out one of these highly recommended destinations. Perhaps I’ll see you at one soon!

Room 050 Graphic/Web Designer Ernest Alfonso (pctsays: “My favorite bar/lounge is Rush Street in Culver City. I have been going there for three years and that place simply treats me like a king. From the security, servers to my favorite bartender Steve, Rush is my personal favorite place that I am thankful for! The drinks are always strong and the food is pretty good. The Rush burger is my favorite burger served at any restaurant. During the week its great to lounge and watch whatever featured sports game is on and on the weekends it gets crackin’, all the good looking people come out and party!”

Jennie of The Happy Hour Tour declares: “I am thankful for Bodega Wine Bar, the most comfortable bar in LA to enjoy a glass of fresh wine. It's a place that proves that you don’t need to be fancy, have a reservation, or be on a list to have a nice glass of wine. It's just a fun place to have a good time whether on a date or catching up with friends or chatting with the amazing staff, who I've become friends with outside of the bar. It's become my Cheers and I am thankful for that.”

That’s Rude Comedy says: “We're thankful for Koffea Coffee shop in Koreatown. Creative drinks, nice couches and round tables, speedy wireless; all that good shxt that helps our meetings run smooth.”

Actress Madia Hill says: “I’m super grateful for SHIKI SUSHI and their lunch special! $7.95 gets you two different rolls, Miso soup and salad. Its located in Studio City.”

The Minty says: “The place where I find myself over and over again is Drago Centro. I first started going when my office was across the street. If I wasn't there for lunch, I was there for happy hour. If I wasn't there for happy hour, I was there for dinner. But let me explain- ‘happy hour’ isn't just limited to a few hours every night. The bar menu is available all day, all night! You can try $5 cocktails, $4 pizzas and a number of assorted bites. It's the same high quality the lunch or dinner menus from the genius of Chef Celestino Drago and his right hand Chef de Cuisine, Chef Ian Gresik. If you want to find The Minty, find her at Drago Centro.”

Photographer Jeremy says: “I am thankful for the beauty of Los Angeles. I like to be merry on my favorite hidden hiking location; Canyon Fire Rd. in the hills of Topanga Canyon State Park. The peak of the trail overlooks a fantastic view of Santa Monica, Hollywood, Downtown LA and even as far south as Catalina Island on a clear day. Bring your hiking shoes and be prepared for a climb! Roundtrip for the view described above is around 8 miles, but oh so worth it. :)”

Looking for more ideas? Check out last year’s Wilson's Guide Thanksgiving post!

Happy Thanksgiving!

And Where Do You “Where To?”: GRAMMY-nominated Saxophonist Mike Phillips

2011-11-18T07:56:00.001-08:00

Mike Phillips.

If the name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, perhaps the artists he’s collaborated and performed with do: Brian McKnight, Mariah Carey, Notorious B.I.G., The Floacist, Babyface, and the list goes on…

Mike Phillips is one of the smoothest jazz saxophonist out there, lending his musical prowess to the songs we love, like Jill Scott’s “The Way (Live)” and touring with legends like Stevie Wonder.

And of course, he’s assuredly proved that he can pull his weight on his own; he’s put out three successful CDs in the past nine years and he’s exclusively played for high-profile icons such as President Bill Clinton, megastar Oprah and South African President Nelson Mandela.

This past summer I had a chance to interview him before his incredible performance at Arts Brookfield’s 4th Annual “Summer on the Plaza” concert series in July.

I was stoked for several reasons:

Number one, I was excited to finally meet him. Back in my good ole college days, I interned at his record label, Hidden Beach Recordings, where his face would stare back at me from the countless CDs that I’d file away in the storage closet or send out in press packets.

Number two, I was delighted to have another opportunity to hear him perform…this time for me, legitimately. Again, when I was a mischievous college kid, a few friends and I snuck into the NAACP Awards after-party. It took some time for us to strategize that we’d run through the kitchen and slickly sneak in through the black curtains, so that by the time we found our way inside the packed affair, Phillips was just ending his onstage solo.

And number three, I was curious to hear about what he had in store for the future. After releasing his third CD MP3 last year, would he be touring? Doing more shows? Headed back to the studio for yet another project?

From a surprising stellar performance to learning about his exciting new ventures, I got to hear, watch and learn more about Phillips. So let me stop rambling on and let you get to the good stuff. Here’s what he had to say – read on!

Miss Wilson: How would you describe your music?
Mike Phillips: I would describe the music as a fast-forward into where the future could be with the respect and infrastructure of where we are now, which is hip-hop, but also with the infrastructure of the past – of Dizzy [Gillespie], Ornette Coleman, Farrell Sanders, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington.

I consider myself a hybrid because as much as I am into hip-hop, I’m into the history of jazz and even the infrastructure of everything and how it started. It was us getting our behinds whipped in slavery, which started the whole movement of the Negro spiritual. You had two options to go: God is gonna make a way, or I’m tired of getting whipped, which was the gospel or the blues [respectively]. With that in mind, I’m just not playing just to play – I’m a musician that’s sensitive to the reasons why the music exists, the history and digging into it to be effective.

Miss Wilson: You’re going to be performing today, so how do you usually prepare for a performance? Do you have any special rituals that you do?
Mike Phillips: No. The only thing that I would do is when I’m sound-checking, I’m feeling the spirit of where the musicians are, what their skill set is and how they’re feeling. And then when you combine that with the crowd and what’s happening, you come up with a set list. I don’t have a planned set at all.

Miss Wilson: Is that challenging?
Mike Phillips: It’s challenging when you have musicians that can’t follow you. But these guys? I’m cool.

Miss Wilson: How do crowds affect your performances, if at all?

Mike Phillips: It’s like a 180. They give it to you, then it comes back. They give it back to you.

And then also, you can’t be somewhat affected by them because some people absorb the music differently. You have people that, they absorb the music, but they don’t get caught up in the kinetic energy of the appreciation of it, so that could be a misread. You could have somebody sitting down like [he stops talking, crosses his arms across his body and simply stares straight ahead for a moment before resuming talking] and just because they’re not going like that [now he vigorously waves his hands above his head], they’re still enjoying the music immensely. That’s one of the things I’ve come to understand – that people absorb the music very differently from others.

Miss Wilson: What about any memorable performances – who has been a favorite artist to perform with?
Mike Phillips: I would say it’s between Stevie [Wonder] and Prince. Those are my most memorable artists. Obviously because of who they are, but also because of how intense their music is. They challenge you, even in their songs.

Miss Wilson: You performed their songs?
Mike Phillips: I performed with them onstage. I toured with both. So you’re entrenched in history. When they talk, you listen. When they play, you understand. And there’s a quote that says: you can only be a great chief if one day you’re a great Indian under a great chief. So, there’s no way around it. You have to learn when you’re with them.

Miss Wilson: What’s a lesson from both of them that you’ve taken with you?
Mike Phillips: Stevie, I’d say one of the lessons I learned from him is being prepared. He hears everything. You’re not gonna come unprepared or think that you’re gift is going to be a crutch to you not knowing what you’re supposed to be doing.

Prince, is be sensitive to how the music feels. What you feel is everything. It’s a constant absorption; what’s happening, what he feels. With Prince there’s a lot of emotional lessons that you learn with playing and being connected.

Miss Wilson: So what do you usually do after a performance? Do you chill, or do you go out?
Mike Phillips: I chill out. Some people say that I’m an introvert, but I’m really not. After I’m finished, I feel that my gift is – I’m done. Some people have different purposes in life. I think after I give my all on the stage, it’s like, what else can I do? I re-up and I get replenished before the next moment that I have to create that’s God-given.

Miss Wilson: Where is your favorite city to perform in, if you have one?
Mike Phillips: New York, because of the life. The life there – you can wake up at 2’o’clock in the morning and find somewhere. Music, life and art is [sic] constant there for some reason that I don’t understand. It’s constant. So as an artist, running to Brooklyn and seeing the countless amount of art galleries, or running to Manhattan and seeing them jamming at three ‘o’ clock, four ‘o’ clock, or going to Café Wha? and they’re getting it in until like four, five. It’s pretty amazing.

Miss Wilson: And you’re from New York, so how does the whole nightlife scene compare to Los Angeles’ nightlife scene?
Mike Phillips: Los Angeles…it’s a different culture in the presentation of how things are. It’s top-notch. If the club is sexy in Los Angeles, it really is sexy. New York sexy can be a little gritty. But they’re two different levels of what the expectations are. People move around in New York. It’s very busy. They’re very adamant. LA is laid back. New York, they’re very adamant, and they don’t really care. And then that shows in the grittiness of what you do in New York.

It’s two different attitudes. Both are very good. Because to get over in life, you’re gonna have to have some balls. You’re gonna have to be able to man up. But then there are times that you just gotta chill out – it ain’t even that serious – and that’s what LA is. So as a New Yorker, when it’s LA time, it takes the edge off of me. It’s like, look, I’m in the sun, it’s breezy, it’s 86 degrees, what else can you ask for?

Miss Wilson: Do you have a favorite place to hang out in LA, whether that’s a restaurant or even outdoors?
Mike Phillips: Venice. And if it’s an eating spot, The Cheesecake Factory.

Miss Wilson: Are you hanging anywhere specifically this weekend since you’re here?
Mike Phillips: Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll hang out in my hotel lobby. The JW Marriott is pretty banging. I ain’t gonna lie to you.

Miss Wilson: Have you been to the rooftop pool?

Mike Phillips: It’s nuts.

Miss Wilson: I agree. And are there any upcoming projects that we should know about, such as the Michael Jackson Immortal Tour or your newest CD?
Mike Phillips: MP3 came out last year and it debuted at #1 on the iTunes chart. So that’s out and my time now will be just about the Immortal Tour, getting it up and running. I’m really, really curious to see how this is going to go, because they are really putting together a show.

Miss Wilson: Can you give us a sneak peak?
Mike Phillips: I can’t do that, but all I can say is it’s one of the most ambitious shows that Cirque [de Soleil] has put together so far, and with that in mind, the anticipation is building, and it’s gonna be crazy. It’s gonna be nuts.

Miss Wilson: And it’ll be in LA?
Mike Phillips: Right.

Miss Wilson: Well thank you so much for your time. I’m excited to see that, and also the show tonight.
Mike Phillips: Thank you.

For more information visit

The Mike Phillips Website

The Mike Phillips Twitter

Also, check out a the video clips from his performance!
One features a candid revelation about working with Prince, and another features one of his solo performances.

*Photos Courtesy of Tulani Watkins

Where to Drink: Bar 1886 @ The Raymond

2011-11-13T11:11:00.001-08:00

Bars. Bars. Bars.

There’s no shortage of them in this town.

Sports bars, dive bars, neighborhood bars where everyone knows your name.

Then there’s also a special type of bar; the drinking parlor. The Raymond Restaurant’s Bar 1886 falls into this category, worth a visit when you’re in the mood to sip and savor finely crafted artisan cocktails within a rugged, historic setting.

Set amongst the sleepy foothills of South Pasadena, Bar 1886 occupies the former caretaker’s cottage of the old Raymond Hotel, originally opened in 1886 and once the popular hangout destination for the elite and celebrities like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

A tragic history filled with infuriated fires and Great Depression woes caused the grand hotel to close decades ago, but fortunately for us, The Raymond Restaurant and Bar 1886 which opened a year ago after a massive renovation, remain. We can still venture down the windy driveway that leads to the forest green cottage, open its unmarked door, meander through the quiet restaurant and enter the door plainly marked “est. 1886.”

What you’ll find is an area that’s earthy and vintage – cozily intimate yet airy. The lines between outdoors and indoors politely blur, especially once dusk starts to settle in. The main room, which fits about 22 seated, pays tribute to its past origins with an Industrial Revolution era decor, complete with an intricately detailed tin ceiling, Edison bulb light fixtures, dark wallpaper, wooden accents and amber-hued candle holders placed on tables. Opposite of a well-lit bar is a wall with expansive windows that open out onto the outdoor patio, which is canopied by an ancient wisteria tree.

Now I’m not superstitious per se, but I’ve heard a few rumors here and there about paranormal activity going on at the bar…locked windows (in the picture to the left) that mysteriously creak open at the same exact time every single night. So if you're sitting at a table and the window behind you randomly pops open, don't be alarmed - just remember what I told you.

Whether or not spirits are roaming around, the spirits and libations behind the bar are worth a try. They incorporate many ingredients that would have been widely popular within the late 19th century – lots of classic gins, homemade syrups, fruits and herbal spices.

The cocktail menu doesn’t simply list drinks and their respective ingredients either; instead, it includes each cocktail’s background story and original inventor. The cocktails hail from famed bartenders around the country and from various decades. Bartenders, chefs and friends of the establishment have all helped to the cocktail program as interesting and diverse as it is.

Similar to how Nike designer Tinker Hatfield makes each Air Jordan sneaker look like a work of art rather than just another typical athletic shoe, the talented Bar 1886 team makes each cocktail look like a mini-masterpiece, rather than just some alcohol and ice swirling around in a glass.

Several, like the Malted Mule pictured below, are like an installation art piece; slowly pour the ginger ale over the homemade gingersnap ice cream, which subsequently runs into the Lemon Hart 151, rum and barley malt syrup concoction.

Others, like the Bitter Bee pictured below are like a beautiful collage of colors. Less potent than the Malted Mule, this blend of vodka, honey, mint and bitters is like sipping a minty lemonade on a sweltering summer’s day.

And yet, still others such as the flight of three Vintage Caprices pictured below are meant to be tasted, pondered upon and discussed. This flight examines the natural progression of wood on a cocktail, presenting the same mixture of gin, orange bitters, dry vermouth and Benedictine after sitting in a sherry-rinsed oak barrel at three distinct phases: when the mixture is not aged in the barrel, when it’s been in the barrel for four months and when it’s been in the barrel for eight months. Compare and contrast the subtle differences between each phase.

So the next time you’re looking for a genuine drinking experience – more than a mere vodka and cranberry – I highly recommend Pasadena’s Bar 1886. The cocktails are truly incomparable, and the ambiance is quite enjoyable. Perhaps I’ll see you there on the patio soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips:

- Bar 1886 has an interesting selection of appetizers and snacks, including many American standards, like the Griddled Cheese Sandwich, unique cultural variations, such as Poppadums, and even original inventions, like the Grilled Flat Bread with sweet potato, sweet corn and bacon, pictured below.

- The Raymond Hotel and the City of Pasadena simultaneously observe their 125th anniversary this year, just as Bar 1886 celebrates its one-year anniversary this month. Partake in celebratory festivities with artisan cocktails, beers, boutique wines, hors d’oeuvres samplings, small plates and desserts at a proper affair this upcoming Thursday, November 17th, 6:30-10pm. For more information, click here.

- Bar 1886 might remind you of another Wilson’s Guide favorite, The Varnish, and there’s a good reason why. Both of these bars are located in historical LA establishments and feature artisan cocktail menus directed by the widely popular cocktail experts Marcos Tello and Aidan Demarest.

For more information

Bar 1886

at The Raymond Restaurant

1250 South Fair Oaks Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91105

626.441.3136

http://www.theraymond.com

Where to Eat: Lunch and Dinner @ A-Frame

2011-11-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

A-Frame to me, represents a fusion of not just Asian and American foods, but of new trends and traditions, of old and new, of excitement and low-key vibes.

One step into the restaurant, and you’ll understand precisely what I’m talking about. Housed in a former IHOP, A-Frame didn’t simply tear everything down to start afresh. Instead, it kept the space and even the signature slanted IHOP roof and transformed them into something completely different: an organic, earthy space with modern fixtures, lots of large windows to let in natural sunlight and lots of walls paneled with striking blond wood.

And that’s just the inside.

The outdoor patio is rather ruggedly chic, with tables hidden amongst shrubs and a long table that sits underneath these colorful, indescribable, larger-than-life light shades.

Wherever you end up, inside or out, be prepared to feast not just with the folks you walked in with, but also with everyone else who decided to dine at A-Frame that day. Communal tables are the norm here, and as much as dining at the same table with strangers might seem slightly intimate, after the tenth time you’ve unconsciously bumped shoulders with the guy who keeps inadvertently kicking your leg, you start to feel a connection with everyone, as if you actually know them.

But let’s move on to the good stuff: A-Frame’s food.

As much as I honestly don’t understand many parts of the menu (I have nooo idea what a “century” egg is compared to a regular egg in my favorite entree, the Cracklin Beer Can Chicken), I thoroughly enjoy reading the titles and descriptions, like the “Chu-Don’t-Know-Mang” churros, chocolate milk and ice cream combo dessert (pictured below) and the “Thick Ass Ice Cream Sandwiches.” I mean, I haven’t been to many restaurants where I can freely curse at my server when ordering without getting back a few sideways stares, if not some jabs.

But as fun as it is to muse over the menu, there’s even more fun once the food appears. Presentation reigns king at A-Frame, so even before digging in, there’s much to admire. Vibrantly colorful entrees and appetizers are set on distinct, one-of-a-kind plates and bowls. Menu options cater to many tastes and appetite sizes as well. For example, if you’re watching the calories, there are entrees such as the Baja Fish Tacos pictured below.

Or, if you’re like me and say to hell with all of the calorie-counting madness, then there are many fabulous goodies: the widely popular Cracklin Beer Can Chicken pictured below, the Knuckle Sandwich with oxtails, the monstrous Double Cheeseburger with a fried egg, and the list goes on and on.

A-Frame’s dishes are similar to its ambiance; they’re meant to be shared, so order a few different entrees and don’t be bashful when it comes to reaching for one of your friend’s Kitchen Fries (pictured below). The food is also meant to be eaten with fingers, not forks...albeit, should you not want to mess up that fresh new manicure, bright yellow buckets of utensils are strategically placed on all of the tables.

As much as the food intrigues me, I can't fail to mention A-Frame’s cocktail program. In my personal opinion, bartenders manage to find that delicate balance between just the right amount of alcohol and the right amount of flavorful ingredients. Each little libation has its own personality, arriving in its own special cup, with its own special style. I’m fond of the Mai Tai (pictured below), which is strong, and of the Ramos Fizz, which is light, sweet and…well…fizzy.

It’s hard to believe that yesterday officially marked this restaurant’s one-year anniversary, because there’s something about A-Frame that makes it feel so settled into the neighborhood, as though it’s possessively claimed that lot of land right there on Washington Blvd. for ages. But I guess that’s just another one of those inexplicable quirks that makes A-Frame so unique and refreshingly fascinating.

So the next time you’re looking for a fun “off the beaten path” dining experience and really, really good food, I say you head over to A-Frame. See you there soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips (So you know “What’s Up” When You Go):

- Weekend lunches and dinners, weekday dinners.

- Sorry, no reservations here.

- I’ve never tried it, but I would imagine that it could be a bit of a challenge to hold a large dinner here due to the communal table set-up. Instead, I’d recommend A-Frame for a date spot (I’ve seen many couples here) or for a group of four to six people.

- Fun fact: A-Frame is the brainchild of celeb chef Roy Choi. If you don’t know his name, you probably know his truck: he started the Kogi Truck, which in turn, started the whole fanatical LA food truck movement.

- I must give shoutouts when shoutouts are due: fellow blogger The Minty first introduced me to A-Frame when she suggested we go here for dinner this past spring. I’ve been hooked (clearly) ever since!

For more information:

A-Frame

12565 Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90066

310.398.7700

http://aframela.com

Where to Be Merry: Pacific Standard Time @ The Art & Design Center, California State University, Northridge (CSUN) (Part 2 of 2)

2011-10-31T08:01:00.000-07:00

There’s a cultural phenomenon sweeping over the city. It’s a celebratory wave of the arts and more specifically, an appreciation of Southern California’s 1945-1980 art scenes. For the first time ever, more than 60 museums, art spaces, exhibitions and similar institutions are simultaneously showcasing artistic works by local artists and/or works that distinctly capture postwar life out here in the west. The mediums might vary from films, installations, sculptures, paintings, drawings and more, but the objective remains the same: to reveal what life was like in California throughout these four decades. Launched as a Getty initiative, it’s Pacific Standard Time, taking place now until April 2012.

I had my first Pacific Standard Time experience last Thursday, when I joined the Black Journalists Association of Southern California (BJASC) at CSUN’s Art & Design Center for an exclusive preview of the Identity & Affirmation, Post War African-American Photography exhibit, which officially opened to the public on Sunday, October 23rd. During the private reception that evening, about a dozen of us comprehensively discussed the exhibit’s photographs taken by 12 photographers and photojournalists with curator R. Kent Kirkton. We even received a welcomed surprise visit from one of the exhibitor’s photographers Willie Middlebrook (pictured below), who explained his "Selections from the Series, Watts Revisited Beyond the First Look" (1980).

And of course, we eagerly looked at the 125 images on display.

Now between you and me, when I first entered the gallery, I thought to myself: “Hold on, this is it?” Just imagine walking into a nondescript, square room, bare, with nothing but framed photographs fastened to white walls. No eye-catching props or grand architectural statements – just black-and-white photos and walls, surrounded by a black floor and a black ceiling.

But first impressions can be deceiving.

Once I started to actually examine the photos, I found myself spellbound by the scenes that unraveled before me. Here were instances – little flickers in time – of the varied African-American experiences within Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. Some photos were funny, others solemn. Some had subjects confidently beaming towards the camera, others revealed only outlined silhouettes. Yet each photo had its own unique story, demanding us to stand still and watch, and wait for what it was going to tell us.

Some photos offered insight into what it must’ve been like to be a Black Angeleno in this era. There’s the bustling Dunbar Hotel in the 1940s…carefree schoolchildren from diverse backgrounds contently clinging to one other and laughing in the 1950s, as seen in Harry Adams' "Elementary school playground" (1958), pictured below…glimpses of poverty, struggle and stubborn hope in the 1970s, years after the notorious Watts riots.

From working class mechanics to the first Black Rose Parade Queen, from Calvin Hicks' "Venice Beach" (1978) pictured below to Hollywood, it’s interesting to see how the social and physical landscapes have – and really haven’t – changed throughout the decades.

Other photos proudly proved that numerous prominent African-American figures did indeed visit Los Angeles quite often. Jack Davis' "Mahalia Jackson performing at the Los Angeles Coliseum"(1960) shown below highlights the gospel singer putting on what appeared to be a spellbinding concert right in our very own Coliseum.

Learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in my youth, I had always read about him working in the South or on the East Coast. But lo and behold, several photos such as Harry Adams' "Dr. Martin Luther Kings, Jr." (1963) seen below prove that King advocated for equal rights in Los Angeles, basking in our sunny weather and protesting on our downtown streets, just as he would have in Alabama and Georgia.

And even more intriguing, other photos slyly shared private, vulnerable moments with our esteemed, iconic African-American figures, all with Los Angeles as the backdrop. In Charles Williams’ "Johnson Bath House" (1965), Dorothy Dandridge stands on a scale, enwrapped in nothing more than a mere towel, seemingly shocked by the scale’s readings. A young Muhammad Ali compassionately gazes at a young boy whom he holds; Duke Ellington, Nat “King” Cole, Marie Ellington, Jimmie Hamilton and Harry Carney share a laugh while sitting in the Shrine Auditorium.

It was fun to go through the gallery’s rooms and to recognize faces and places, yet to see them cast in a different time era and setting. I felt like I learned so much in the couple of hours that I spent there. So if you’re interested in photography or historical Los Angeles – if you grew up in the city or want to know what it was like when you weren’t here, I highly recommend paying this photography exhibit a visit. But don’t wait too long – these photos will only be on display until December. See you there soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips (So You Know "What's Up" When You Go):

- Admission is Free!

- Running Date: October 23, 2011 – December 10, 2011

- Art & Design Center hours: Monday-Saturday, 12-4 p.m., except on Thursday, 12-8 p.m. Closed on Sunday.

- CSUN is massive. This exhibit is in The Art & Design Center’s Art Gallery, which is on the north side of the campus. Enter the campus from Halsted St. and park in Student Lot E6 (a Day Parking Pass is $6). Walk west on N. University Dr., and the Art Gallery will be to your right. On this CSUN map, you’ll see Student Lot E6 in the top middle section and the Art Gallery immediately to the left of it.

- It’s not all on the walls! A small television in one of the rooms, pictured below, has rotating photographs from churches and religious events, and a room towards the entrance has a slideshow of about 200 additional images.

- Interesting Fact: CSUN’s Institute for Arts and Media holds 850,000 images from African-American photographers and photojournalists, making it one of the nation’s largest collections.

- So much art, so little time! With more than 60 Pacific Standard Time participants, where do you even start? Answer: on the PST website: http://www.pacificstandardtime.org. Not only is there a list of all exhibitions, but site tools help you find which exhibitions you might like and even makes recommendations on other exhibitions that might interest you, based on what you’ve already checked out. There’s even a section where you can save your preferences.

For more information:

Identity & Affirmation, Post War African-American Photography

California State University, Northridge

18111 Nordoff Street

Northridge, CA 91330

818.677.2156

http://www.pacificstandardtime.org

Where to Be Merry: Posing Beauty in African American Culture @ The USC Fisher Museum of Art, University of Southern California (USC) (Part 1 of 2)

2011-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Posing Beauty in African American Culture photography exhibit features select images from Curator Deborah Willis’ book POSING BEAUTY: African American Images From the 1890s to the Present.

The exhibit has been at the USC Fisher Museum of Art since September, and I’ve seriously been meaning to get there from the time it first opened!

I finally had the opportunity to visit it one recent Saturday. While en route, I mentioned to a longtime friend that I’d be going. Coolly, she replied that she had gone and wasn’t too impressed. She said that she hadn’t understood why the photos had been featured, saying that looking at the images was like flipping through a long lost family photo album – granted, a family photo album with a few famous kin folks. As we wrapped up our conversation, she hypothesized that I’d spend no more than 20 minutes at the museum and then bounce.

My excitement that had been building for over a month slightly waned, but I trudged forward. I was determined to see this exhibit.

As I approached the museum, my curiosity returned at full force. A larger-than-life rendition of Carrie Mae Weems’ “I Looked and Looked to See What so Terrified You” (2006) majestically adorned the museum's main doors. Talk about a statement! It looked so intriguing that I wanted to rush right in to see more.

I entered, pleasantly surprised to see the tiny museum bustling with many visitors: groups of friends, of international tourists, of college students, of families with children, and a few solo wanderers.

Now here’s where it gets a little tricky.

Although prior to my visit I had read that the exhibit examined “the contested ways in which African and African American beauty have been represented in historical and contemporary contexts through a diverse range of media including photography, film, video, fashion, advertising, and other forms of popular culture such as music and the Internet” and had also read several articles covering the exhibit, after spending a few minutes in two out of the three main rooms, I could relate to my friend’s point.

I had expected to see photos of glamorous or blatantly beautiful people. Instead, what stared back at me were photos of ordinary characters: a group of prom attendees in 2006, a couple from the 1990s, a man in a suit from the 1980s. True, there were several photos of icons like Michael Jackson and James Brown, and it was interesting to see the King of Pop solemnly sitting in a chair and the Godfather of Soul on bended knees, crooning on a stage. But did they look beautiful?

As if my doubtful question had somehow seeped out of my head and into the air, a random visitor approached me and announced that a museum assistant would give an impromptu tour since by now, many large groups had left and the museum was placidly quiet.

On the tour, the assistant stressed that the exhibit’s objective isn’t to explicitly define beauty; instead, it’s to examine how beauty has been reflected in the African-American experience, from a historical context and also from varied, diverse perspectives. She shared the back-stories, significances and subjects in some of the photographs. She also explained how each room covered one of the selected themes derived from Willis’ POSED Beauty book.

After the tour concluded, I had a better understanding of what Willis was attempting to portray through the exhibit. In a sense, I valued the photos even more – I respected them – I got them. Perhaps I wouldn't jump to say that the three young ladies pictured below in Bayeté Ross Smith’s "Prom Night- Here Comes the Girls. Pomp & Circumstance: First Time to be Adults Series” (2006) were the most gorgeous ladies I'd ever seen, but I could understand how their expressed perception of beauty had the right to be considered as a valid reflection of African-American beauty...

as much as Anthony Barboza’s photograph of "Toukie Smith" (1980), the strikingly stunning and first African-American model to have a mannequin designed in her likeness, pictured below, had that same right.

At the end of the day, it’s like this exhibit takes all of these diverse images that are reflections of the styles that have been popular in mainstream American culture and also Black subculture – from 1898 until present day – and puts them in one place, space and time for us to explore. We can ponder on what and who have been considered “beautiful,” and how this concept of “beauty” has morphed and transformed throughout the years.

After a little more than an hour – not twenty minutes – I walked out, satisfied. I had finally visited, and even seen something I hadn’t before. So whether it’s ten minutes or two hours, I say take a look for sure...and be sure to go on a tour as well. See you there soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips (So You Know "What's Up" When You Go):

- Admission is FREE.

- The exhibit is up until December 3, 2011.

- USC Fisher Museum of Art hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12-5 p.m. and Saturday, 12-4 p.m. Closed on Sunday and Monday.

- I highly, highly recommend taking a tour of the exhibit. If you show up, one of the assistants at the front desk can conduct a brief tour, or you can give Vanessa a call at 213.740.4561 to arrange one in advance. You can call her Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

- Watch Lauren Woods’ short film clip, “The twenty of June, pt1” (2006), found in the “Constructing a Pose” room.

- The museum is located off of Exposition Blvd., right behind the gates that enclose the USC campus. Here’s a map.

- For parking on the USC campus, enter Entrance 1 off of Exposition Blvd. You can buy an $8 day parking pass, or you can test your luck to see if you can find an open parking meter. Unfortunately, at the meters, there is a one-hour parking limit and there aren’t that many metered spaces. If you do find one, it’ll cost you $2 per hour.

- Make the most of it! Directly across the street from the Fisher Museum is Exposition Park, a historical and cultural Los Angeles landmark. It has a lot to explore, with more museums, an expansive rose garden and the Los Angeles Coliseum.

For more information:

USC Fisher Museum of Art

823 Exposition Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90089

213.740.4561

http://fisher.usc.edu/exhibitions/posing_beauty_in_african_american_culture.html

Where to Eat: The Meat 101 Series @ Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse

2011-10-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

A long, long time ago, I had a colleague who was a vegetarian. He was obsessed with recruiting everyone over to the “green” side, emailing us articles with gruesome details about the meat industry and studies proving the benefits of going vegetarian.

Eventually, his propaganda wore me down, and I became a vegan for about a month. But about three weeks into it, visions of baby back ribs and chili cheese fries and turkey burgers began to infiltrate my dreams. One day I threw in the towel. I surrendered to these apparitions and crept back to the meatier side…but not without a concession:

I’d resume eating everything, except for beef (it’s a long, uninteresting story on why it was beef... If you really want to know the details, hit me up).

And while I haven’t touched it in four years, that doesn’t mean I can’t ogle over a sexy slab of beef when I see it…or at least understand that many Angelenos – and you blog readers – might enjoy a juicy cut of red meat every now and then.

That’s why when I heard that the award-winning Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse in downtown Los Angeles was introducing a new Fall class series entitled “Meat 101” on selected Thursdays, I immediately signed myself up for a sneak peak of what the series was all about at a media preview last week.

In an intimate group of around twelve other writers, bloggers and journalists, I headed to the private back area in Nick & Stef’s for the class, led by Executive Chef Megan Logan and General Manager Patrick Kirchen. Taking turns, Logan and Kirchen intellectually explored the nuances of steaks, so as to provide us with a general understanding and appreciation of steaks. In our “class” that Thursday night, we specifically talked about the differences between dry-aged and wet-aged New York and rib eye cuts. We sampled wines from France and Napa Valley throughout the presentation, and then towards end, the stars of the night were brought out for us to taste: four thick slices of dry-aged New York, dry-aged rib eye, wet-aged New York and wet-aged rib eye cuts (pictured below).

Since I wasn’t even slightly tempted to try so much as a bite, I relied on my acquaintance, journalist Yolanda Evans, to give me the skinny on the tastings:

She used phrases like "filled with loads of flavor" to describe the dry-aged New York cut; proclaimed that she could actually “taste and see the juices” from the “tender, not tough” wet-aged New York; she could also “taste the seasoning” on the dry-aged rib eye cut; and she thoroughly enjoyed the "juicy, tender and smooth" wet-aged rib eye.

So it seems like as anyone would expect from a top-notch steakhouse, the steaks were good. And even though I was content with my very fabulous Grilled Baby Romaine Salad and the side dishes of creamed spinach and potato gratin, I still enjoyed learning more about the dry-aging and wet-aging processes.

As I left downtown that evening, I had an epiphany: just like with wineries, I think that steakhouses can be misunderstood and stereotyped as stuffy, inaccessible, rigid. But just as many diversified wine tasting rooms have emerged to bring the love of wines to us “common folks,” Nick & Stef’s Meat 101 classes bring a level of accessibility into the world of steakhouses to anyone who's curious to learn more. You don’t have to know a thing about what’s on your plate, yet after the 30-minute class, you’ll walk out with an abundance of useful information, from how to figure out more of what you like or don’t like to more about the origins of the beef that comes to your table.

So you might not catch me in Nick & Stef's bringing a fork full of rib eye to my mouth, but you’ll most certainly find me back there, especially since there’s also a 3-9:30pm weekday happy hour…which is for another “Where To” adventure. See you there soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips:

- Meat 101 officially starts today, October 20th and takes place every Thursday from 7:30-8:30pm, until December 1st. There’s a total of four classes: “Which Rib-eye to Buy?” (10/20/2011); “New York, New York...and New York!” (11/3/2011); “A Well Aged Steak” (11/17/2011); and “U.S. vs. the World” (12/1/2011).

- Each class is $35, which includes the class admission, samples of the featured steak cuts of the evening and pairings of scotches, whiskeys or wines. Since the classes only offer small portions of cuts, you might want to grab dinner afterwards. If you do, definitely order the Grilled Baby Romaine Salad (pictured below). It comes with slightly charred lettuce and cauliflower, butternut squash, fiscallini cheddar, grapes and is topped with golden raisins, sunflower seeds and a balsamic-grape vinaigrette. It was divine!

- For all you dry-age steak fans out there, Kirchen told me that Nick & Stef’s is the only steakhouse with a dry-aging room on display on its premises where anyone can take a peak at the meats hanging in the climate-controlled room. Make sure you check it out – it was pretty impressive.

- Nick & Stef's meats only hail from corn-fed cows from Nebraska...not from Japan, Argentina or anywhere else in the States.

- Street parking is scarce, but after 5pm, you can park in the Wells Fargo Garage for up to 3 hours without charge.

For more information:

Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse

330 S. Hope St.

Los Angeles, CA 90071

213.680.0330

http://www.patinagroup.com/nickstef

Where to Eat: Peruvian-Japanese Cuisine @ Osaka

2011-10-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt a connection to a restaurant (or bar or lounge or club) simply for all of the amazing times you had there?

When I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, my friends and I (pictured above) would constantly frequent this fabulous restaurant Osaka. We had started going because it had amazing dishes and cocktails. Yet what comes to mind now, is not any specific wine or appetizer; it’s only the memories; the feelings of drunken pleasure that would wash over us after a couple of hours of sitting in Osaka’s upstairs dining room, our stomachs filled with really good food and our minds inspired from our boisterous conversations.

So when I recently found out that this Peruvian-Japanese restaurant had arrived in Los Angeles after several years in the making, my heart leaped for joy. I’ll admit that it leaped more so from all of the fond college recollections that suddenly washed over me, but I eagerly attended a media dinner this past week at the restaurant with the hopes to find out if I could see myself making some new memories at this Hollywood location.

Once I finally found Osaka after driving up and down Hollywood Blvd. a few times (the entrance is set further back from the street in an all black building, with “Osaka” spelled out in black letters lit by a neon red glow), I did a double take. I sort of stopped in my tracks and then paused to take it all in.

To my left and right, water cascaded down two rock walls, surging into a small pond where several large smooth stones jutted out to form a pathway leading to Osaka’s entrance. Talk about a grand statement. And that was just the entrance. From there I walked into the front bar area, which was dark and refreshingly cool, with tea candles impishly twinkling amidst shadows. It reminded me of a cave, and I immediately made a mental note to grab drinks there with a hot, hot date in the future.

I wandered into the Pisco Garden (pictured below), an airy section that deceivingly seems to be outdoors, although it’s actually all enclosed. The garden felt like a place that would stimulate hearty conversation and good laughs, with its red accents and Japanese elms, scattered amongst tan wooden fixtures.

I eventually settled down into the main dining area, doused in warm, earthy tones. With its minimal sleek design and straight lines embedded its design, this room reminded me the most of the Buenos Aires Osaka.

In the main dining area, about two dozen of us experienced quite a few items off the menu through a four-course tasting: Osaka’s legendary ceviche and tiraditos, a few sushi rolls, appetizers, a handful of miniature entrees and dessert. Out of all of the courses, I was most impressed with the “Tiraditos and Ceviche” (pictured below) and the appetizers. With their own unique personalities and visually engaging presentations, they were fun (yes fun) to eat, beckoning us to examine them, talk about them, touch them.

The tiraditos, which is the Peruvian version of Japanese sashimi, included thin slices of raw fish topped with tangy spices and sauces. In the Halibut Nikkei Tiradito, the Halibut literally melted in my mouth and the spices didn’t overpower the flavor of the fish. The Tuna Nitai Tiradito had this amazing coconut milk sauce and Osaka’s special secret Chinese seven spices. Smack in the middle of our tiraditos was the Aji Amarillo Ceviche (pictured above, in the middle), which wasn’t your typical blend of raw fish, citrus juices and onions; there were these crunchy Peruvian corn nuts and crispy wontons, adding an unexpected yet pleasant texture.

I had a blast with the bite-sized samples of Osaka’s appetizers (pictured above). The Evil Scallops came doused in a secret sweet sauce, pompously resting in an oyster shell (if you order the regular small plate, there are six of them, with a flame in the middle of the plate.) They’re considered “evil” because they’re more on the fiery side, but if you’re used to spicy foods like me, they’re nothing that you can’t handle. I was a little too excited to try the Crab Causita, a twist on the traditional “Causa” Peruvian coastal dish, which has a potato and aji amarillo base, and a seafood topping. In Osaka’s case, the seafood was this delicious stone crab meat mixed with avocado and rocoto cream. The Tori Anticucho, or skewers of tender grilled chicken with ginger and a Japanese cream cheese sauce, was substantially filling, and the Kanitan, is similar to a square wonton filled with crab meat.

The two miniature entrées I tried were the Pulpo Panka Miso and the Shiromi Wrap, pictured above left to right, respectively (because I don’t eat beef, I didn’t take a bite out of the Truffle Kobe Skirt Steak that was also offered). A rich, flavorful miso paste that reminded me of tangy BBQ sauce covered the octopus in the Pulpo Panka Miso dish. A fellow writer Han, who has eaten octopus frequently, felt that Osaka had prepared the octopus more like meat than seafood. It was my first time eating octopus, so I had no idea what was going on, but I thought the Pulpo tasted quite lovely. The Shiromi Wrap came in a small bowl and reminded me of a hearty stew, with Halibut and a few asparagus stalks encased in banana leaves.

The TNT roll and Carpassion Salmon Sushi that I ate didn’t blow me away. But the way one of the servers ranted and raved about the Spicy Crunchy roll with quinoa-crusted shrimp and the Terimaki roll with salmon, lime and teriyaki sauce, I’m down to give Osaka’s sushi another shot one of these days for sure.

My night ended with Banana Spring Rolls accompanied by a fabulous ice cream made right on the premises.

I left Osaka pleasantly content. I liked the food and I loved the ambiance. It felt like a sophisticatedly urbane hideaway to have the perfect introduction to Peruvian-Japanese cuisine. It’s a classy place – for business, for pleasure – for cocktails, for dinner – as a destination for the evening, or as a precursor to an adventurous night in Hollywood.Would I go there again – and as much as I went to the Buenos Aires location? I can confidently say that I would. I mean, I’ve seriously already started recommending it to a ton of people in the past 50 hours since I’ve left it.

And there you have it. May we all make pleasant memories at the Los Angeles Osaka. See you there soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips (So you know “What’s Up” When You Go):

- Forget about gin and vodka; go for pisco! Pisco is the Peruvian version of brandy, and there’s a whole list of cocktails made with it. There’s also a wide variety of sake, wines and other drinks to choose.

- The insider’s tip: There’s a secret menu. Although one of the servers teasingly insisted that the ingredients of the delicious oyster sauce in the "Evil Scallop" appetizer was confidential information, she did offer that you can also order Parmesan scallops, which are not listed on the regular menu. She recommended ordering half of the original scallops and half of the Parmesan scallops.

- I have to give big props to the servers. They were incredible. They knew so much about each dish and were so friendly.

- Fun fact: Although the Osaka restaurant group hails from South America, Hollywood’s Osaka owner Adolfo Suaya isn’t new to the Los Angeles restaurant scene at all. He’s opened a ton of restaurants, including Gaucho Grill, Sushi Roku, Dolce and the former BoHo, to name a few.

For more information:

Osaka

6327 Hollywood Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90028

323.785.0360

http://www.osaka.com.pe

Where to be Merry: Cirque du Soleil’s Iris @ Kodak Theatre

2011-10-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I was invited to attend Cirque du Soleil’s IRIS: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WORLD OF CINEMA at the Kodak Theatre. Now I’ve seen a few Cirque du Soleil performances on DVDs, but IRIS (pronounced eeeeee-REES) was my first live show. It’s one thing to see the edited version of acrobats flying in the air while you’re sitting in the comforts of your own living room. But when you’re in a theater watching five men instantaneously create a human tower by balancing on one another’s shoulders, and then watching them wait for the right moment to launch the top person into a somersault, how can you not hold your breath and tensely clasp your armrests? It’s a lot of suspense, and I’m not embarrassed to admit that I shrieked from fright and surprise – on multiple occasions.

IRIS audaciously pushes the envelope with 12 artistically complex scenes that highlight some of cinema’s most notable milestones. For about two hours, 72 performers daringly test limits: the limits of gravity, of their own bodies’ and their colleagues’ flexibility, of the strength of the ropes from which they nonchalantly dangle from with one hand, scores of feet in the air. I guarantee that even the most skeptical of spectators will shake their heads in disbelief, wondering, did they really just do that?!

And while there are obvious nods to the filmmaking process, by no means do you have to be a movie buff in order to appreciate IRIS. Yes, the show pays tribute to many aspects of the Hollywood industry, from the early black-and-white classics, the film noir genre and nostalgic gangster movies (pictured below), to cartoons and the evolution of computer graphics and special effects. But there are also acts than anyone can appreciate for – simply put – their indisputable beauty.

Take for example, one of my favorite scenes of the evening. It’s a simplistically serene moment, with a lone man sweeping the floor and an ethereal trapeze artist suspended on a swing above him. As a melancholy melody from the tinkling of a piano fills the air, your eyes rhythmically go side to side, left and right, watching her sway back and forth, her hair gently blowing past her. It’s a gorgeously executed routine, and you can’t help but to be enchanted, anticipating, anxiously for her next move.

And as captivating as the performers’ dances and ensembles are, I’d also say that the music is just as entrancing. The score, composed by the film composer superstar Danny Elfman, discreetly – almost subconsciously – heightens what you see onstage. The mix of live string instruments and track compositions that interweave the Carmen theme song are hauntingly exhilarating and poetic.

I could seriously go on and on, but I’ll sum it all up by saying that through the use of multiple art forms and candid audience interactions, IRIS creates a truly euphoric experience. Coyly toying with your emotions and expectations, the performers twist and bend and extend themselves in unimaginable ways, creating literal bodies of art, frozen in brief seconds of time.So if you’re looking to be thoroughly entertained, perhaps by a splendid story of how the camera has managed to weave itself into our lives for more than a century, I recommend catching a glimpse of IRIS.

See you there soon!

Miss Wilson's Tips (So you know "what's up" when you go):

- After the performance, I snagged a few interesting details from a Q&A with a few performers, the Artistic Director and the Company Manager. Here they are:

o IRIS is one of the only productions where Cirque du Soleil used a pre-existing building, the Kodak Theatre; the company usually builds its own entire edifices to house its showso IRIS production costs are around $100 million
o From concept to opening night took roughly three years in the making

o There are 200 costumes, which arose from 1,000 sketches

- The action isn’t just on the stage; it’s all around you, on the sides of the stage and in the air. Since the Kodak Theatre is somewhat intimate, sitting in the Mezzanine section near the balcony gets you close enough to the stage to see all minute details, and also everything that takes place overhead.

- IRIS will be in Hollywood for the next ten years!

- Another Cirque du Soleil classic will make Los Angeles its home soon; OVO comes to Santa Monica in January 2012. And, if you’re not in the LA area, not to fret – Cirque du Soleil is worldwide: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/welcome.aspx

- Kodak Theatre does not give parking validations; go to the Visitor’s Center on the first floor by the Mac Store (closest to Hollywood Blvd.) to get validation.

For more information:

IRIS: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WORLD OF CINEMA

Cirque du Soleil

Kodak Theatre

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90028

323.308.6300

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/iris/default.aspx

Where to Drink: Saturday – Actually, Everyday – Happy Hours @ Spring Street Bar

2011-09-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, on one ordinarily humdrum Saturday afternoon, I found myself in a painstakingly nerve-racking predicament:

With a couple of hours to kill in downtown before heading to an engagement at 6 p.m., I wanted to find a weekend happy hour that was already in full effect. I didn’t think I was asking too much. I merely wanted some place clean and classy (i.e., no shabby dive bars), with decent deals, and with its doors wide open at 5 p.m.

Should be easy enough, right?

After scouring through page after page on Yelp for what felt like an eternity, I finally found one bar/restaurant that met my requirements and had a happy hour commencing at 5 p.m. We had jovially skipped over to the establishment only to find it dark, desolate and curtains shut. Talk about false advertisement and big disappointments.

So I went with the next option on the list: Spring Street Bar.

I had seen the bar packed on Downtown Artwalk Thursdays and on weekend nights, but I would merely glance in its direction and head somewhere else. But boy, am I glad that I entered Spring Street Bar that one Saturday afternoon. What I found was a serenely subdued ambiance, with pairs of people at the bar or at communal tables, engaged in hushed conversations. It was unpretentiously chill, and, the interior was clean, classic and minimalist. Just what I was looking for!

The bar also had another something I was looking for: good happy hour deals. From 5pm until 8pm, there were $6 house wines, $5 well spirits and $4 selected drafts. But most importantly, the cocktails were on point. Our bartender made some amazing mixtures with a lot of wholesome natural fruits and interesting ingredients.

Now I will admit that the food menu, with its lack of varied options, made me extremely apprehensive at first. There seemed to only be a selection of basic pretzel sandwiches and a handful of appetizers. But I guess if you can make one thing right, you don’t need to have a lot of other options. The little pretzel sandwiches and the prosciutto with pears and a balsamic viniagarette appetizer we ordered (pictured above to the left) were amazing. Everything was so fresh and so filling. It perfectly complemented our cocktails and was certainly more than enough to hold over my appetite for the remainder of the night.

So all in all, I really enjoyed my experience at Spring Street Bar. Great vibes, great drinks and great food. I couldn’t ask for more from a happy hour, especially on the weekend. Kudos to Spring Street Bar for implementing a Saturday happy hour – and one on all days, for that matter. See you there one day soon!

Miss Wilson’s Tips
- Spring Street Bar is neighbors to another Wilson’s Guide favorite, The Falls.
- Spring Street Bar has 26 beers on tap.
- FYI, this review is solely based on my Saturday happy hour experience. Bars have many vibes, depending on the time of day, day of the week, etc. I am sure going on a Monday evening is every different than going on a Saturday night. Just want to point that out.

For more information:
Spring Street Bar
626-B S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213.622.5859

And Where Do You “Where To?”: Adrienne Maloof of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

2011-09-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited to attend The Abbey’s 6th Annual “Christmas in September,” benefiting Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, this past Monday, September 19th.

The merry night was filled with lavish Christmas decorations (complete with falling snow), Santa’s naughty helpers prancing around in suspenders and undergarments, and most importantly, plenty of much needed donations of toys for the hospital’s little patients.

Another highlight of the evening for me was speaking with the lovely event hostess, Adrienne Maloof from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Throughout the run of the show, she’s most certainly a powerhouse of a woman, effortlessly balancing motherhood with running a lucrative family empire, all while attempting to squash the petty cat fights that unfold between her cast mates.

Yet when I sat down to chat with her, I quickly realized that what we had seen was the mere tip of the iceberg. Here was someone who had so many varied undertakings - like serving as a judge for the 2011 Miss Universe Pageant and launching her own shoe line - but also proactively getting involved with noteworthy philanthropic causes, such as approaching the owners of The Abbey and specifically asking to host “Christmas in September” benefit.

Read on to find out precisely why she got involved with this event and of course, where she “Where To’s” in LA!

Miss Wilson: Why did you decide to get involved and host tonight – what was it about this event?

Adrienne Maloof: Well first of all, I have three little boys and I love children. But Children’s Hospital does so much for not only very sick and ill children, but also for foster care children. I admire what they do. They go the extra mile. Their doctors are some of the best in the world, so I appreciate what they’ve done.

Miss Wilson: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills started recently. Can you give a sneak peak of what to expect?

Adrienne Maloof: I think overall you can obviously expect something very tragic and we all know about that. But I think overall you’ll see six girls who come together and try to find solutions. You know this was filmed six months ago. But I think what makes our franchise so special is that we’re more about that we do have issues, but we find in the end how to be uplifting to each other. That’s what I think separates us from maybe the other franchises.

Miss Wilson: My website is all about where to eat, drink and be merry in Los Angeles. Do you have a favorite spot that you just love to go to?

Adrienne Maloof: I love Dan Tana’s because I love Italian food. And I actually come to The Abbey. The Abbey has amazing food, so I have to say it’s one of my favorites. I don’t get to go out too much anymore because I’m traveling so much, working on my shoe line (It’s Adrienne Maloof by Charles Jourdan – you can find it on the website)...Busy, but happy to be busy!

A big thanks to Adrienne for the interview - Dan Tana's looks amazing - I'm adding that on my list of places to check out!

Also, below are a few more photos from the event, taken by Photographer Jeremy Lee. Find him at: @GermyinSoCal, http://www.GermyinSoCal.com and at http://www.jeremyleePhoto.com!

The food...

The very merry guests...

Overall, quite a decadently fun event!

And Where Do You "Where To?": DJ Ceazs

2011-09-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Someone spectacular came up with the ingenious notion that smothering chili on hot dogs makes for the most delicious snack food ever…just like another person realized that putting 26-inch rims on cars makes for a head-turning statement.

And Los Angeles native DJ Ceazs shrewdly recognized that spinning jazz on turntables makes for a perfectly smooth mix of music to listen to anytime, especially on gorgeous, Cali days, sitting outdoors, enjoying the sites of the city.

Of course I’ve listened to jazz mixtapes and heard live DJ sets before, but I had never heard a jazz mix session on the 1s and 2s…until I saw DJ Ceazs spin this past summer. This being a first for me, I was curious to learn how he got into playing jazz and to find out where he goes to get inspiration for his work. So I set up an interview with him.

While initially when I sat down to talk with him, I was mostly interested in his musical side, what became evident almost right away was that there were so many depths and layers to him. Read on to find out more about DJ Ceazs, what he dabbles in when he’s not being a DJ and some great underground destinations to check out for the best in music in Los Angeles. Perhaps I’ll see you at one soon!

Miss Wilson: How long have you been a DJ?

Ceazs: I like to say all my life because my brother always had the equipment around and I was always a little kid messing with the turntable. So I feel music was always a part of me. It was like a third arm. It was another extension of what I do.

Miss Wilson: You did a jazz set tonight. Is that the genre of music that you typically spin?

Ceazs: I do jazz. I come from a hip-hop foundation, but through hip-hop is how I learned jazz, salsa and all of the rest of the music. And I definitely do a lot of obscure music, a lot of rare music. I like digging into a lot of weird stuff…children’s records…pretty much everything [laughs].

Miss Wilson: And you did a special tribute to Fonce Mizell tonight?

Ceazs: Exactly. He was an amazing arranger, producer, composer, artist. He was a big arranger for Blue Note Records and he recently passed away earlier this month. I thank those guys a lot because through them, I’ve been able to express myself through music and learn a lot, you know what I mean? He will definitely be missed, definitely.

Miss Wilson: What is one song that you’ve noticed that’s been hot this summer? That when you play it, the crowds go wild?

Ceazs: Well see, I’m kind of old-school. I don’t really stay in touch with what’s new. I’m more into the classic stuff, you know, the John Coltrane, the Miles Davis, stuff like that.

I’ve worked also with a lot of hip-hop producers because I was a record dealer. That’s how I got into more DJ-ing, because people know me from my archive of music. I collect a lot of music. I literally go broke sometimes just buying music! But that’s how I’ve been able to connect with a lot of artists like Kanye West and Madlib. I’ve been able to sell records to those guys because they were into the big sampling movement. That’s how I got known, like “Ceazs got the records.”

But I’m more into the old stuff. I do like the new music, but I definitely try to stay to the foundation of everything.

Miss Wilson: So is there one song that you like to play personally – that you play all the time?

Ceazs: I have to play all the time? It would probably have to be a song…wow…I listen to tons of music. I listen to music everyday, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Well right now, maybe…what can I say?...Aw man, that’s a tough one, you got me on that one [laughs].

Miss Wilson: What about top two songs?

Ceazs: Top three? Ok, I’d say right now, maybe Sun Ra “Space is the Place.” He was an eccentric jazz musician. Very brilliant and genius. I definitely got that on shuffle at home. Recently, I’m working with Phil Upchurch, listening to a lot of his music. He was a guitar player for Michael Jackson, Curtis Mayfield, so I listen to a lot of his stuff too right now.

Miss Wilson: And I noticed that you use actual records when spinning. Do you ever use Macs or computers?

Ceazs: Actually, again, I kind of stick to the foundation. Most of my friends, they carry their Serato. They do all the music from the laptop. But I grew up where you had to carry your crate of records, haul them down and get the backache, but I just like sticking to the essence. Yes, the computer thing is fine. It’s much easier, but I’m just more old-fashioned. I like the vinyl. That’s definitely my pick of choice.

Miss Wilson: How do you prepare for a DJ set?

Ceazs: Like I said, I listen to a lot of music. I buy records all the time, so I’m always looking for new stuff, listening to music. I don’t have an iPod. I’ve had iPods, but right now, I don’t have one. I have iTunes and stuff like that, but I don’t have an iPod. But I still listen to a lot of music. I don’t know if that makes sense, that’s what I do.

Miss Wilson: It does! And since my blog is about where to go out in LA, do you have any favorite spots?

Ceazs: As far as what?

Miss Wilson: It could be anything: your favorite restaurant, your favorite lounge. If there was one place where you would recommend.

Ceazs: I hang out a lot at the JW Marriott. Me and another friend, she’s a promoter, so we used to have a lot of the rooftop parties down there.

Miss Wilson: The Honey Collective?

Ceazs: Yeah, you know, Shelley [Oto] and all of them. I was kind of working with them when they were doing that. But now currently, I have my own rooftop now, so I’m doing my own parties. I do promotions, too. I do a lot of stuff, not just music. I do art. I manage artists, visual artists. I manage musicians. I’m like a sound consultant. We’re working on a fashion show, pretty much a little bit of everything. But I do a lot of events throughout LA.

Miss Wilson: As a DJ, what places do you recommend to listen to good DJs?

Ceazs: There’s this place in Silverlake called The Fuzz. It’s a very eclectic spot. World-renowned DJs come and they play all the weird stuff, records that cost from $1 to like $1,000. Rare music, a lot of eccentric music. It’s a little run down spot, but all the latest producers come. It’s definitely a nice spot to kind of get out and listen to new DJs. A lot of up-and-coming DJs walk in all the time and have events there.

Miss Wilson: Do you have a specific place where you spin regularly?

There’s a record shop in Torrance called Record Recycler. It’s one of the biggest record shops I’d say west of the Mississippi. That’s where I live. That’s kind of my second home away from home. I’m boring [laughs].

Miss Wilson: And where can people find more information about you?

Ceazs: I’m on Twitter: @Ceazs1 and I have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ceazs. That’s where you can reach me at.

Miss Wilson: And what about the name Ceazs? How did you come up with that?

Ceazs: That’s my real name! My real name is Cesar, and so you hear “Ceazs.” I just shortened it and put my own twist on it [laughs].

As always, a BIG shout out to Tulani for the amazing photos she took! Follow her work at @MS2LANY!