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The Many Costumes of Starry Kitchen's Nguyen Tran

By Eddie Lin — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:00:00 GMT

For most of us, Halloween is our annual excuse to become somebody (or something) else for a night. For Nguyen Tran of Starry Kitchen—currently moonlighting at downtown’s Tiara Café—it's just another day at the office. In honor of Halloween, the restaurateur and tofu ball impresario transformed into a few of his many famous alter-egos. As a tasty bonus, Tran also suggests the perfect Starry Kitchen dish to pair with each disguise. Happy Halloween!

The Costume: Banana suit.

The Dish: "Crispy Tofu Balls because we made bananas and balls synonymous with each other, of course!"
The Costume: Commodore Booty McHooter

The Dish: "Osmanthus panna cotta with red wine and poached Asian pears. It is a version of the dessert we served the night I wore the outfit."
The Costume: Lederhosen

The Dish: "House-cured roasted pork belly with XO fried rice—’cause 'buuurrrr' and fried rice NEED to go together (and there's PORK BELLY!!).
The Costume: Abe Lincoln

The Dish: "Claypot striped bass and pancetta. There's nothing like good fish with a good mustache."
The Costume: Mullet Guy and Taun-Taun

The Dish: "Five-spiced apple fritter with honey-bourbon cream sauce. When you're a mullet-wearing Taun-Taun rider on the planet Hoth, sometimes you need some bourbon and tasty fritters to warm yer ass up!"
The Costume: Yoda Vader

The Dish: "Singaporean chili crab, because it would be a lot easier to eat using the Force than your hands."
The Costume: '80s Dude

The Dish: “Double-fried ginger chicken waaaaaaaaangs. Like the ’80s and all the fashion that went with it, fried chicken is a timeless, guilty pleasure!”

Photography by Eddie Lin

Cue the Scary Music, Hollywood Horror Movie Props Are up for Sale

By Shayna Rose Arnold — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Fright film lovers have reason to dust off their old Halloween costumes early this year: memorabilia store Premiere Props in El Segundo will be auctioning off more than 1,000 props—from bloody knives to spooky animatronic busts—on October 13 and 14 to celebrate the holiday. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the items that will be on the auction—or should we say chopping?—block

“Blood”-stained overalls worn by Mike Myers, and his knife from Halloween and Halloween 2.
Expected to go for: $8,000-$10,000
Knives from Friday the 13th.
Expected to go for: $1,000-$2,500 (large), $50 -$800 (small)
This animatronic bust of Arnold Schwarzenegger from Total Recall comes with a remote control.
Expected to go for: $1,200-$2,000
Knives from Ultraviolet.
Expected to go for: Anywhere from $600 (guards’ knives) to $2,000 (hero knife)
A hand-painted silicone and rubber-made alien head from Stargate.
Expected to go for: $800-$1,000
This bust of the Brooke Adams character Elizabeth Driscoll was made for Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Expected to go for: $1,600-$2,200
Scrooged’s Ghost of Christmas Future.
Expected to go for: $800-$1,000
This chest was used as living room furniture in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Expected to go for: $200-$400
A computer from War Games.
This exact prop is likely to sell for upwards of $30,000. A second computer available at the Halloween auction is likely to go for closer to $7,500.

Los Angeles Magazine Food Event 2012 Cadillac Dish of the Year!

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:48:00 GMT

In the end, the worrisome clouds parted over Malibu yesterday just in time for the seventh annual Los Angeles Magazine Food Event. It ended up being a picture-perfect fall day at the Saddlerock Ranch, where the Zebras, Llamas, and about 3,000 hungry (and quite fashionable, we might add) Angelenos nibbled their way around the grassy estate. The afternoon was filled with top-notch wine, incredible cocktails, fun chef demos, and titillating panels—but in the end, it was all about the food. This year, we decided to up the ante with a little healthy competition. A panel of five celebrity judges—Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza, the Intolerable Foodie Joel Stein, wine expert Lou Amdur, Lisa Semler of Malibu Family Wines, and Los Angeles magazine dine editor Lesley Bargar Suter—sampled each of the 40 restaurant’s offerings to pick the Cadillac Dish of the Year. It was no easy job, all of the restaurants brought their A-game, but in the end we had to pick one winner. Who took home the honor? You might be surprised. We sure were! So, without further ado, a slideshow countdown of the top 5. Drumroll please…

#5: Lamb chorizo tostada from Bizarra Capital (photography by Elina Shatkin)
#4: Santa Barbara spot prawn with grilled citron, salsa verde tarragon granita, and avocado from the Royce (photography by Elina Shatkin)
#3: Wagyu tartare on toast and an asparagus skewer from Mo-Chica/Picca (photography by Elina Shatkin)
#3 continued: Picca's asparagus skewer close-up (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)
#2: Chile relleno, smoked trout salad bruschetta, and salted caramel custard from Black Market Liquor Bar (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)
#2 continued: The chile relleno at Black Market Liquor Bar (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)
#2 continued: Trout bruschetta at Black Market Liquor Bar (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)
#1: And the winner of the Cadillac Dish of the Year is... the Hart and the Hunter! The Melrose Avenue restaurant, which began as the pop-up Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, is brand spanking new and was the last to join our stellar lineup, so we were doubly impressed with their ambitious showing. The newbies brought three dishes (only two of which we managed to document—those biscuits went fast). Part 1 was this shaved brussels sprout salad with bacon sherry vinagrette and aged Hook cheddar. (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)
#1 continued: Part 2 of the onslaught from the Hart and the Hunter was yes, another trout salad on toast. This one sported pickled onions, capers, and a perfect hard-boiled egg. Part 3, which so far has gone undocumented (again, it was simply too delicious) was a warm biscuit with honey butter as well as pimento cheese made with Hook Two-Year cheddar. Well done. (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)
Our hearty congrats to the winners, chef-owners Kris Tominaga, Brian Dunsmoor, and team! (No bonus points were awarded for beard thickness and overall lumberjack appeal, we promise.) Till next year, folks! (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)

Just the Right 'Light'

By Greg Boss — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:14:00 GMT

Urban Light, artist Chris Burden’s collection of 202 cast-iron street lamps that welcomes visitors to Los Angeles County Museum of art, is his most iconic work. It’s also one of the city’s most photographed sites. We scoured the Internet (and even the personal albums of a few Los Angeles magazine staffers) to find these, the 32 coolest-looking, best-lit, and most moving images of the solar-powered landmark. Take a look:

Photograph courtesy chiquibaylon.net

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/simple.joys

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/Thomas Hawk

Photograph courtesy wildbell.com

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/madisontdurrett

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/Ghost Particle

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/anhelar

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/roseeoh

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/cydesol

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/mr_bearded_one

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/mar033

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/fmg2001

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/ACCD Digital Collections Lab

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/passionforpast

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/amberugarte

Photograph courtesy instagram.com/derricktakase

Photograph courtesy nickandallison.com

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/Thomas Hawk

Photograph courtesy jasoninhollywood.blogspot.com

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/orngejuglr

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/Thomas Hawk

Photograph courtesy kristoner.wordpress.com

Photograph courtesy marinachetner.com

Photograph courtesy lacma.org

Photograph courtesy kaysaaywhaaat.tumblr.com

Photograph courtesy thiscece.tumblr.com

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/Ken Shelton

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/Kevitivity

Photograph courtesy flickr.com/true2self

Photograph by Nancy Miller

Fast But Not So Furious: Angelenos Take Downtown By Bike at CicLavia

By Virginia Isaad — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:46:00 GMT

It was a sea of traffic--but not the usual kind--as pedestrians, skaters, and cyclists took to the streets for the fifth CicLAvia festival, which closed over nine miles of L.A. roads to drivers for five hours Sunday. The event stretched from Chinatown to Expo Park, allowing an estimated 100,000 participants to roam the pavement freely. In addition to spinning and people-watching, cyclists and visitors enjoyed the newly opened Grand Park, took a self-guided architecture and design tour, ate at food trucks, and spotted The Moveable Feast, a fancy picnic on wheels.

The course

More than 100,000 participants rode or walked through downtown
Four-legged Friends

Some cyclists brought their pets
Tyke on Wheels

2-year-old rider Fei Hwang came from Santa Monica
Traffic Management

Officers were on hand throughout the nine-mile trajectory
Riding to the Beat

Local bands rallied the cyclists
Biking Bovine

The event attracted many a costumed rider
Bad Bunny

Identifying himself as "Bad Bunny," this L.A. native hesitated just a moment before joining the crowd
A Moveable Feast

Daniel Busby's art bike offers fine dining on wheels
Riding High

Custom wheels pass through Chinatown
Family Fun

Heidi, Macy, and Kraemer of Encino took a break near Grand Park
Park and Rest

Many riders ventured to the newly opened park to enjoy music and food truck fare
Grand Fun

Orchid Velasquez, Aaron Kuehn, and Bucky Kuehn of Silverlake enjoyed Auntie's Fry Bread in Grand Park

Deep Fry Face-Off: County Fair vs. L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:43:00 GMT

Last weekend saw two landmark food events: 1) The final weekend of the L.A. County Fair and 2) the third-annual L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade charity food fest. One had live goat milking demos and a knitting pavilion; the other saw celebrity chefs like Jonathan Waxman co-mingling wih the cast of HBO’s Girls. What both festivities had in common? An abundance of fried stuff. Yes, where last year we saw an plethora of seafood crudo at fancy food fests, this year we’re seeing giant portions of fried clams, chicken legs, beef cheeks, squash blossoms, and more. Take that, LDL!

We were lucky (and gross) enough to hit both happenings, and it was a toss up as to which clogged our arteries with crunchy, grease-soaked deliciousness more. Take a look and you be the judge.

Fair: Chicken Charlie's deep-fried cereal. Here, Fruitty Pebbles, of course.
Fair: An impressive sampling of Chicken Charlie's offerings. At center, fried frogs legs with, er, fries.
Fair: The original, the deep-fried twinkie. After all these years, still the best of the bunch.
Fair: And then there were fried oreos—with sprinkles, of course!
Alex's Lemonade: Fried beef cheek and sweetbreads croquette from San Fran's Lark and Licorous
Alex's Lemonade: Fried (and a little fuzzy, sorry—it was hot) chicken oysters served in oyster shells (get it?) from Michael Voltaggio at Ink.
Alex's Lemonade: Behold! The fried chicken leg from Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo at Animal. There was no way to eat this beast gracefully while standing up at a food fest, but we could have cared less. The heirloom carrot "macho" sauce only sweetened the deal. Bold move, dudes.
Alex's Lemonade: Incredible fried Ipswich clam sandwich on brioche from Michael Cimarusti's upcoming Connie & Ted's. The spicy slaw made it.

Movie Stars and McCarthy Salads: The Beverly Hills Hotel Turns 100

By Shayna Rose Arnold — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:28:00 GMT

Opened by Hollywood hotelier Margaret Anderson in 1912, the Beverly Hills Hotel brought wealth, glamour, and real estate cachet to what was then an area with six homes and fields of lima beans. Robert S. Anderson, Margaret’s great-grandson and author of The Beverly Hills Hotel: The First 100 Years, shares photos and stories from the local legend’s past as it celebrates its centennial.

This 1912 photo shows the hotel before the bungalows were added. According to Anderson, an acre of land near the hotel was reserved so that families visiting for a season could plant crops during their stay.
Anderson’s grandfather gave this vintage car to his wife, who often drove it to the hotel. To Anderson’s knowledge, his grandparents were the first couple to marry at the hotel, which they did in 1914.
This early promotional poster refers to the hotel as the city’s “one and only.” “My grandmother had it in her contract that no other hotel could be built in Beverly Hills without her consent.” Fifteen years after the Beverly Hills Hotel opened, construction began on the Beverly Wilshire.
This photograph, part of a postcard collection issued by Anderson, shows the west side of the hotel’s driveway. “You can date the image by the palm trees,” he says. “They are the same ones that were planted in 1911.”
A Sailor-Made Man, the 1921 silent starring Harold Lloyd, is one of the few films shot on location at the hotel. “Lloyd was a big supporter of the city of Beverly Hills,” says Anderson. “His mother donated the fountain that sits at the intersection of Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards. It cost $16,000.”
Hernando Courtright, who ran the hotel in the 1930s and ’40s, is responsible for the hotel’s pink facade and striped awnings. “It’s like painting the Golden Gate Bridge,” says Anderson about maintaining the hotel’s exterior. “You get to one end and have to start over.”
Marlene Dietrich was the first woman to wear pants inside the Polo Lounge, in 1939. The dress code dictated against it, but “you don’t tell this woman she can’t come in,” says Anderson. She was photographed in the restaurant in 1937.
“My great-grandmother’s motto was always ‘Guests are entitled to the best of everything regardless of cost.’” That meant guests could receive telephone calls by the hotel pool. “People would have themselves paged when they weren’t by the pool, just to bring their name to the attention of people who were,” says Anderson.
The hotel’s iconic sign (the famous font is trademarked) was installed in the 1950s and designed by architect Paul Williams, who also designed the curving feature of the Polo Lounge. “When I see it, I think ‘home,’ ” says Anderson.
Actress Audrey Hepburn was photographed at the hotel while attending a ball there in 1954.
Marilyn Monroe visited the hotel a lot—and “with a lot of different guests,” says Anderson. “Everybody knew about her and Joe DiMaggio. She would drink and have lunch in the Polo Lounge, but she’d hide out in her room, too.”
Actress Rita Hayworth lived in the neighborhood, and Anderson grew up playing with her daughter. “Rita would come to the hotel often for dinner,” he says. “She was always very gracious.”
Actress Faye Dunaway, a frequent hotel guest, was photographed by the pool the morning after she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1977.

Photographs courtesy The Beverly Hills Hotel

Step Inside "The Dream Factory"

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:20:00 GMT

The Warner Bros. studio lot. Photograph by Dan Winters
Dan Winters and his digital technician. Photograph by Niles White
Dan Winters gets an aerial view of the lot. Photograph by Niles White
Glenn Chivens, Dan Winters' first assistant, grabs dinner on the roof. Photograph by Niles White
Photograph by Dan Winters
Inside the prop house. Photograph by Dan Winters
Dan Winters in the prop house. Photograph by Niles White
Lighting equipment on the set of Mike & Molly. Photograph by Dan Winters
Dan Winters shoots inside “the vault.” Photograph by Niles White
This King Kong tin is one of the studio’s oldest cans of film. Photograph by Dan Winters
Photograph by Dan Winters
Dan Winters and his digital technician. Photograph by Niles White
A title card hand-painted in gouache. Photograph by Dan Winters

Watch Warner Brothers Mastering vice president Ned Price and Dan Winters look for color frames on a light table at Motion Picture Imaging

Video by Amy Feitelberg

Parks and Wreck

By Chris Nichols — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:19:00 GMT

ANTELOPE VALLEY INDIAN MUSEUM  
Built: 1928.  Bet you didn’t know: The original builder hid a workshop in the tower designed to look like a Bavarian chalet. It is reached through a panel in the ceiling.  Amount needed to stay open another year: $7,800.  Status: The family of former owner Grace Oliver donated $425,000 in 2009, which might help the museum stay afloat.
SANTA SUSANA PASS STATE HISTORIC PARK  
Built: 1822. Bet you didn’t know: The park includes a path that became a stagecoach route into L.A. It’s also the site of the former home of the Manson Family, Spahn Ranch, which became part of the park in 1984.  Amount needed to stay open another year: $21,000.  Status: Pending grant money might allow the park to remain open.
LOS ENCINOS STATE HISTORIC PARK
 Built: 1849.  Bet you didn’t know: The park grounds include a fully functional blacksmith’s shop.  Amount needed to stay open another year: $150,000.  Status:An anonymous donor has pledged the total amount. The park will remain open until further notice.
PIO PICO STATE HISTORIC PARK  
Built: 1853.  Bet you didn’t know: The grave of Pio Pico was relocated from downtown Los Angeles to a tomb near his rancho in 1921.  Amount needed to stay open another year: $80,000.  Status: Supporters have raised $40,000—which may spare the park for six more months.

ALSO: Read more about these potential park closures in L.A.

Five Masses Worth Levitating (to Your Mouth)

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 19:49:00 GMT

Over the weekend, the 340-ton boulder that crawled its way from Riverside County was finally installed at LACMA to create the awe-inspiring (and awe-inspiringly expensive) work of art known as "Levitated Mass". Ray’s & Stark Bar commemorated the occasion with a drink known as the “Rocktail” (get it?) with Oro Pisco Acholado,lemon juice, house-made Chamomile syrup, Miracle Mile Castillan bitters, egg white, and local bee pollen ($12). But should you wish to celebrate the big rock with something something a bit more, er, substantial, here are five of L.A.'s most deliciously massive foods that, while not 340 tons, may have you feeling that way.

Manny's Special burrito at El Tepeyac — the tortilla-wrapped, yellow cheese-covered monstrosity is the size of a football. Heck, maybe bigger.
Cower before Hawkins House of Burgers' almighty Hawkin's Special, a $16, five-pound behemoth with three burger patties, two buns, pastrami, bacon, cheese, and we're pretty sure there's a hotdog on there too—but that would just be too crazy, right?
The Griddle Cafe's buttermilk pancakes could double as manhole covers. Ordering anything more than a shortstack would have us worried.
The Giant Sicilian pizza at Big Mama's & Papa's is a 54-inch by 54-inch square pie that can feed about 200 folks (or maybe you for a week). It'll set you back between $249 and $289 depending on toppings. Finding a table big enough to hold it will cost you more like $2,000.
Three scoops of ice cream + three toppings of your choice + a banana = the Fosselman's banana split. It's also dessert for four. (Or just you. We won't judge.)

Redirected: Slideshows

The Many Costumes of Starry Kitchen's Nguyen Tran

The Costume: Banana suit.

The Dish: "Crispy Tofu Balls because we made bananas and balls synonymous with each other, of course!"

The Costume: Commodore Booty McHooter

The Dish: "Osmanthus panna cotta with red wine and poached Asian pears. It is a version of the dessert we served the night I wore the outfit."

The Costume: Lederhosen

The Dish: "House-cured roasted pork belly with XO fried rice—’cause 'buuurrrr' and fried rice NEED to go together (and there's PORK BELLY!!).

The Costume: Abe Lincoln

The Dish: "Claypot striped bass and pancetta. There's nothing like good fish with a good mustache."

The Costume: Mullet Guy and Taun-Taun

The Dish: "Five-spiced apple fritter with honey-bourbon cream sauce. When you're a mullet-wearing Taun-Taun rider on the planet Hoth, sometimes you need some bourbon and tasty fritters to warm yer ass up!"

The Costume: Yoda Vader

The Dish: "Singaporean chili crab, because it would be a lot easier to eat using the Force than your hands."

The Costume: '80s Dude

The Dish: “Double-fried ginger chicken waaaaaaaaangs. Like the ’80s and all the fashion that went with it, fried chicken is a timeless, guilty pleasure!”

Cue the Scary Music, Hollywood Horror Movie Props Are up for Sale

Los Angeles Magazine Food Event 2012 Cadillac Dish of the Year!

#5: Lamb chorizo tostada from Bizarra Capital (photography by Elina Shatkin)

#4: Santa Barbara spot prawn with grilled citron, salsa verde tarragon granita, and avocado from the Royce (photography by Elina Shatkin)

#3: Wagyu tartare on toast and an asparagus skewer from Mo-Chica/Picca (photography by Elina Shatkin)

#3 continued: Picca's asparagus skewer close-up (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)

#2: Chile relleno, smoked trout salad bruschetta, and salted caramel custard from Black Market Liquor Bar (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)

#2 continued: The chile relleno at Black Market Liquor Bar (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)

#2 continued: Trout bruschetta at Black Market Liquor Bar (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)

Our hearty congrats to the winners, chef-owners Kris Tominaga, Brian Dunsmoor, and team! (No bonus points were awarded for beard thickness and overall lumberjack appeal, we promise.) Till next year, folks! (Jennifer Fujikawa Photography)

Just the Right 'Light'

Fast But Not So Furious: Angelenos Take Downtown By Bike at CicLavia

The course

Four-legged Friends

Tyke on Wheels

Traffic Management

Riding to the Beat

Biking Bovine

Bad Bunny

A Moveable Feast

Riding High

Family Fun

Park and Rest

Grand Fun

Deep Fry Face-Off: County Fair vs. L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade

Fair: Chicken Charlie's deep-fried cereal. Here, Fruitty Pebbles, of course.

Fair: An impressive sampling of Chicken Charlie's offerings. At center, fried frogs legs with, er, fries.

Fair: The original, the deep-fried twinkie. After all these years, still the best of the bunch.

Fair: And then there were fried oreos—with sprinkles, of course!

Alex's Lemonade: Fried beef cheek and sweetbreads croquette from San Fran's Lark and Licorous

Alex's Lemonade: Fried (and a little fuzzy, sorry—it was hot) chicken oysters served in oyster shells (get it?) from Michael Voltaggio at Ink.

Alex's Lemonade: Behold! The fried chicken leg from Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo at Animal. There was no way to eat this beast gracefully while standing up at a food fest, but we could have cared less. The heirloom carrot "macho" sauce only sweetened the deal. Bold move, dudes.

Alex's Lemonade: Incredible fried Ipswich clam sandwich on brioche from Michael Cimarusti's upcoming Connie & Ted's. The spicy slaw made it.

Movie Stars and McCarthy Salads: The Beverly Hills Hotel Turns 100

This 1912 photo shows the hotel before the bungalows were added. According to Anderson, an acre of land near the hotel was reserved so that families visiting for a season could plant crops during their stay.

Anderson’s grandfather gave this vintage car to his wife, who often drove it to the hotel. To Anderson’s knowledge, his grandparents were the first couple to marry at the hotel, which they did in 1914.

This early promotional poster refers to the hotel as the city’s “one and only.” “My grandmother had it in her contract that no other hotel could be built in Beverly Hills without her consent.” Fifteen years after the Beverly Hills Hotel opened, construction began on the Beverly Wilshire.

This photograph, part of a postcard collection issued by Anderson, shows the west side of the hotel’s driveway. “You can date the image by the palm trees,” he says. “They are the same ones that were planted in 1911.”

Hernando Courtright, who ran the hotel in the 1930s and ’40s, is responsible for the hotel’s pink facade and striped awnings. “It’s like painting the Golden Gate Bridge,” says Anderson about maintaining the hotel’s exterior. “You get to one end and have to start over.”

Marlene Dietrich was the first woman to wear pants inside the Polo Lounge, in 1939. The dress code dictated against it, but “you don’t tell this woman she can’t come in,” says Anderson. She was photographed in the restaurant in 1937.

The hotel’s iconic sign (the famous font is trademarked) was installed in the 1950s and designed by architect Paul Williams, who also designed the curving feature of the Polo Lounge. “When I see it, I think ‘home,’ ” says Anderson.

Actress Audrey Hepburn was photographed at the hotel while attending a ball there in 1954.

Marilyn Monroe visited the hotel a lot—and “with a lot of different guests,” says Anderson. “Everybody knew about her and Joe DiMaggio. She would drink and have lunch in the Polo Lounge, but she’d hide out in her room, too.”

Actress Rita Hayworth lived in the neighborhood, and Anderson grew up playing with her daughter. “Rita would come to the hotel often for dinner,” he says. “She was always very gracious.”

Actress Faye Dunaway, a frequent hotel guest, was photographed by the pool the morning after she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1977.

Step Inside "The Dream Factory"

The Warner Bros. studio lot. Photograph by Dan Winters

Dan Winters and his digital technician. Photograph by Niles White

Dan Winters gets an aerial view of the lot. Photograph by Niles White

Glenn Chivens, Dan Winters' first assistant, grabs dinner on the roof. Photograph by Niles White

Photograph by Dan Winters

Inside the prop house. Photograph by Dan Winters

Dan Winters in the prop house. Photograph by Niles White

Lighting equipment on the set of Mike & Molly. Photograph by Dan Winters

Dan Winters shoots inside “the vault.” Photograph by Niles White

This King Kong tin is one of the studio’s oldest cans of film. Photograph by Dan Winters

Photograph by Dan Winters

Dan Winters and his digital technician. Photograph by Niles White

A title card hand-painted in gouache. Photograph by Dan Winters

Watch Warner Brothers Mastering vice president Ned Price and Dan Winters look for color frames on a light table at Motion Picture Imaging

Parks and Wreck

Five Masses Worth Levitating (to Your Mouth)

Manny's Special burrito at El Tepeyac — the tortilla-wrapped, yellow cheese-covered monstrosity is the size of a football. Heck, maybe bigger.

Cower before Hawkins House of Burgers' almighty Hawkin's Special, a $16, five-pound behemoth with three burger patties, two buns, pastrami, bacon, cheese, and we're pretty sure there's a hotdog on there too—but that would just be too crazy, right?