I went to a great live music event at the beautiful FIVE on the Hill
FIVE on the Hill is a restaurant in Universal City, attached to the Hilton Hotel. It's physically separate from the hotel itself, but is a Hilton restaurant. It looks out over beautiful mountains facing West, and is entirely outdoors, making for a beautiful evening. I attended a Sofar Sounds music concert hosted at the restaurant, and was able to order drinks and appetizers off an abbreviated menu during the show. I had some nice white wine and some classic IPAs, along with some garlic truffle fries that were out of this world. The restaurant itself is really well decorated, with an elevated, chic, beach-y vibe. The service was great as well.
Read full storyI finally got to go to the famous Comedy Store in West Hollywood!
I'm a huge fan of comedy, and have been so sad that I haven't gotten to see all the great comedy in LA due to COVID-19. Now that things are opening up - I get to experience it! The Comedy Store is historic and classic for live stand-up comedy. It's been around since the 80s and has gotten huge names coming through. They have tons of comics who are up and coming, and those that have huge careers in the industry. No matter what show you're seeing, it's guaranteed to be funny.
Read full storyIf you're looking for charming and delicious, look no further than Papa Lennon's
Papa Lennon's in Ojai is a great lunch spot. They have a huge array of pizzas that they make in-house, and also an extensive list of salads. The restaurant itself is modest - you walk in and order at the counter off a large menu on the wall. The indoors area has 10 or so basic tables, which reminds me of a crepe house or something similar. No frills. However, outside they have a charming courtyard with large wooden picnic tables and some casual four-tops. Bottom line here - the atmosphere and decor won't blow you away. BUT - the food is yummy. I opted for a salad and regret my decision! It was just ok - but the pizza was great. Come here for an afternoon hang and a tea!
Read full storyStumbled into an absolutely charming home goods and garden store
If you've seen my other posts, you know that I love taking weekend getaway trips to Ojai. It's only an hour away, and is such a darling town. One of my favorite stores downtown is Fig Curated Living. Imagine your dream gifts and decor store... and that's Fig. They have tons of beautiful home goods like candles, wall plaques, pillows, and blankets, and then tons of goods for children like toys and books. Then add in the cool entryway that looks like a hallway to heaven, filled wth plants and decor for the garden. This is a really great place to get gifts for upcoming occasions, since they have so many great gifts like cheese boards, luxurious throws, and photo frames. The most special part is definitely that entry though - so beautiful!
Read full storyLady Byrd Cafe is a worthwhile destination for lunch in Echo Park
You may have heard about Lady Byrd Cafe, seen it on Instagram, or even read about it in LA magazines. It's a destination spot for lunch because of it's unique and special layout. It's placed in the middle of a neighborhood, without any other stores surrounding it. Their main garden area actually has individual tables in these plastic homes that make you feel secluded and private! Outside of the greenhouse patio area, is another huge section of outdoor dining without the greenhouse structures. The tables are equally as charming and the decor throughout the restaurant is chic and vibrant. I got a salad that I wasn't too impressed with, but the burger looked amazing. Come here when you want a leisurely and happy brunch spot!
Read full storyThe perfect place for your health food grocery shopping and a weekly wheatgrass shot!
Glowing Juices is a one-stop shop for your health food needs. It triples as a juice bar, a vegan restaurant, and a market. You can order juices here and they also have a full food menu full of really delicious vegan options for breakfast and lunch. Think oatmeal bowls, smoothies, sandwiches, and salads. And then there's the market! I found some really unique products that I haven't seen in an everyday Whole Foods or even Erewhon, so it was really unique. I liked the vibe indoors too, and appreciated that they had plenty of outdoor sidewalk seating for hanging out and enjoying the neighborhood.
Read full storyI found another natural wine bar and am so excited to come back!
Tilda is a natural wine bar and restaurant in Echo Park. I was so excited to happen upon this shop, since I love natural wine and wine bars! They had a huge selection of great wine bottles from around the world, all really unique and cool. The wine shop itself is tiny, but it's connected to a larger space that opens up at 5pm and serves Spanish dishes and snacks. They weren't seating people inside yet when I was there, so folks were sitting on the cute sidewalk tables enjoying their wine and snacks. The service was really great and the servers really knew what they were talking about.
Read full storyI found a unique art bookstore in Echo Park
Des Pair bookstore in Victor Heights was a pleasant surprise. Although I didn't receive a warm welcome upon my arrival, and when asked about the store, the customer service gal didn't provide much information, I still enjoyed my visit. The owner curates most art and film books, so most of the inventory revolved around those topics. They also had a rotating selection of new arrivals from East Coast authors, as the owners of the bookstore lived in New York when they started up the shop. Their first store is in New York, so keep an eye out for it if you travel East this summer.
Read full storyShout and About is my new favorite home goods store!
Shout and About is a multi-functional store in Echo Park in East LA. It's nestled in an adorable section of Echo Park called Victor Heights, and is surrounded by other great stores. The shop has a great selection of high-quality greeting cards, along with art, home decor, jewelry, plants, and gifts for children. I was tempted by all of the necklaces and earrings, and wanted to get candles galore for my apartment. This shop isn't the cheapest, so I held myself back. It was really fun to look around and dream though. I definitely want to come back and peruse next time I'm in the neighborhood.
Read full storyI discovered my new favorite natural wine bar in Venice
I'm a big fan of natural or biodynamic wine, and haven't been able to find that many wine bars with a good natural selection. Which is why I was so excited to go to Chez Tex in Venice! All of their wine is natural/biodynamic, and they also have a great food menu making it a perfect place for dinner or happy hour outings. They have options of red, white, rose, skin contact, and sparkling. I like their orange/skin contact wine, and also their chilled red option. They have some beer on the menu too if you're not a big fan of natural wine.
Read full storyI had the most unique experience honey tasting in Ojai!
Ojai is a small town just an hour away from LA. There are tons of cute shops and boutiques in the downtown area, and one of my favorite spots was Heavenly Honey Company. A very sweet older woman works the store and provided me with my first-ever honey tasting! I got to choose 6 different varieties of their honey to try, and they ranged from vanilla to blackberry. They were all so good! The store itself was really well curated, with tons of different kinds of honey and even teas that they made from their honey production. The tasting was very affordable at the cost of $3. Definitely a fun and unique thing to do on your next weekend trip!
Read full storyI get all my flowers from Hudson Grace in Brentwood
One of my favorite florists is in the Brentwood Country Mart village shopping center. It's called Hudson Grace and is really cute and high-end. The flowers to fall on the pricey side, compared to what you might get at Whole Foods or something similar, but you're paying for the quality. It's a really nice place to have a bouquet put together for a special occasion, or to gift someone with flowers or plants. It's owned by the same woman who works the stall, so you can chat with her and see how knowledgable she is about her products. I love the inside shop because it's so well organized!
Read full storyFarmshop is Erewhon meets Sur La Table...
Farmshop is a fantastic grocery store/restaurant/coffee bar/liquor store/home goods store all wrapped up in one! It's located at the Brentwood Country Mart and feels very posh inside. They have a cold case just like you'd see at a grocery store, with fun items like chicken salad and kale salad. Then there's the coffee bar, serving up your classics along with pastries. In the back of the store they have a big selection of wine and spirits and all the accessories you'd need for cocktail mixing. And all the walls are adorned with cook books, kitchen items and utensils, fancy pantry items like salts and seasonings, and some decor items as well. You could spend upwards of an hour in here just perusing around!
Read full storyWelcome to your chocolate dreams and fantasies...
Edelweiss Chocolates in the Brentwood Country Mart is the location of your chocolate dreams come true! I've never seen such a beautiful chocolate shop. They had rows and rows of treats, and also a ton of pre-arranged candy and chocolate boxes that would be great for gifts or for parties. The women working there knew the product really well and helped me select some yummy chocolates. My favorite was the salted caramel and peanut butter chocolates. It's located in the courtyard area of the Country Mart so you can do some shopping or grab lunch and then get your dessert here!
Read full storyAbercrombie & Fitch totally surprised me with their styles, inventory, and service!
I used to go to Abercrombie & Fitch to shop all the time when I was in middle school, but thought that they hadn't caught up with the current trends and styles since then... Well I was wrong! I happened to go into a store recently at the Westfield Mall in Century City, and loved everything they had! I got a really soft and cute tye-dye sweatshirt celebrating their Pride Collection for LGBTQ folks, and also got some sandals and jean shorts. Their shorts are great because they have different styles for women with bigger hips and thighs, so they don't ride up. The sandals were perfect and exactly what I was looking for in style, but wore them once and they were uncomfortable and poorly made. Happy to report they took them back as a return and refunded me! I'll definitely come back to shop here more in the future now that I know they have cute clothes!
Read full storyI went to my first rooftop bar/restaurant in LA and it did not disappoint!
LA Cha Cha Cha is a Mexican restaurant in the Arts District of downtown LA. They have a modern, chic indoor space with a bar and a sprawling outdoor rooftop space. The decor was really fun and lively and they have a wrap around bar outside. The menu wasn't too big which is great because it doesn't overwhelm you. I got a chicken taco and steak taco, which were served on yummy, soft homemade tortillas. The steak was really chewy so they took it back no questions asked, and replaced it with another delicious chicken taco for me. I really appreciated their service.
Read full storyI really enjoyed my brunch at Nectarine Grove in Encinitas
Encinitas is a cute little surf town just 30 minutes from Orange County. I wanted to find a brunch place that was healthy but also delicious - Nectarine Grove was my spot. They have a huge menu of both breakfast and lunch items with paleo, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, etc., options. It's really health conscious and good for you. They have some savory items like pancakes and french toast, or a classic farmers market scramble. I shared the breakfast tacos and a turkey sandwich with a friend and both were great.
Read full storyThe Arts District Brewing Company in Downtown LA was great
I went to a concert in the Arts District in Downtown LA and had some time to kill beforehand. I love the vibe of breweries and was happy to have found the Arts District Brewing Company within walking distance from me. It's a huge space, with a large, high-ceiling indoor space and a big tented outdoor space too. The indoors has tons of beer garden tables, tvs, a long bar with a ton of house beer options to select from, and a whole arcade area with fun games. They also serve food like specialty hot dogs and burgers.
Read full storyPalisades Park is the perfect place for a sunset walk
I always love visiting Palisades Park in Santa Monica. It stretches for 1.6 miles along Ocean Ave, and the whole stretch is charming. A lot of people go there to job, walk, picnic, or even work out. When you walk you'll see many people lounging with friends and family and a bottle of wine on the grass. I like to go and walk while the sun is setting or sit in the pretty rose garden which is in full bloom now. It's also dog friendly and you'll see tons of dogs happily walking around with their owners. There's also some picnic tables at the North end, bathrooms in the middle, and a staircase connecting you to a bridge to the beach. Parking can be tough along Ocean Ave, but you can always find a spot in the neighborhoods there.
Read full storyI didn't realize that the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market extended into the village!
I always thought that the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market was only on one street, but this last time that I went I realized that it also extended into the village shopping area down the main street. They had tons of vendors set up selling your typical farmers market items and products, and some cool artisanal vendors selling clothing, jewelry, and home decor. This is a great farmers market to go to because you're surrounded by the beautiful and quaint town of the Pacific Palisades, and you can do some shopping before or after your visit. This happens every Sunday from 8am-1pm.
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