Best of LA: 2015
“No Name” Club
432 N Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90036
(323) 651-1583
If you’ve spooned buttery corn risotto while watching Jackson Browne coo sweet nothings or popped salty beads of salmon roe between your molars in time with Twin Shadow’s synthesized drums, then you’ve been to the club that goes by “No Name.”
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Eat, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Eat, Music Venues
Andy’s Orchard
1615 Half Road, Morgan Hill, CA, 95037
Friends of farmer Andy Mariani liken him to a mad scientist
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Eat, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Eat
Ballona Freshwater Marsh
Jefferson Blvd. at Lincoln Blvd, Playa del Rey, CA, 90293
310-306-5994
Bring an early-morning repast and binoculars, grab a bench facing the Ballona Freshwater Marsh, and voilà: avian TV
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do, Parks & Beaches
Belcampo
Grand Central Market, Los Angeles, CA, 90013
(213) 625-0304
For the record, the café and butcher shop was making bone broth before it was trendy—“when it was still just on vinyl,” jokes head butcher Jered Standing
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Eat, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Eat
Belly & Snout
974 S. Western Ave, Koreatown, CA, 90006
323-643-4170
Named for the pig parts that make up its signature dish, Koreatown’s Belly & Snout is not for the meat-shy
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Eat, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Eat
Big Kid Collectable Toy Mall & Retro Store
14109 Burbank Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91401
818-785-9208
Expect happy murmurs from the adults as they stroll the aisles of the Big Kid Collectable Toy Mall & Retro Store
Neighborhood: Sherman Oaks
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Shop, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Shop, Toy Stores, Vintage & Resale Shops
Boa Steakhouse on Sunset
9200 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90069
310-278-2050
We appreciate a nice patio as much as the next Angeleno, and the one at Boa’s new flagship ranks among the area’s loveliest
Neighborhood: Los Angeles, West Hollywood
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Eat, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Eat, Restaurants, Steakhouse
Bootie LA
Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90007
Instead of a velvet rope or dress code, there’s a come-as-you-are ethos—perfect for those more concerned with letting loose than being seen
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do, Dance Clubs
Calypso St. Barth
Brentwood Country Mart, Brentwood, CA, 90402
310-434-9601
The outfits at Calypso St. Barth should come with an invite to a Malibu soiree and an umbrella cocktail
Neighborhood: Brentwood
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Shop, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Shop
Case Study House No. 22
1635 Woods Dr., Hollywood, CA, 90069
208-429-1058
Set high in the Hollywood Hills, the midcentury-modern Case Study House No. 22, aka the Stahl House, offers a better-than-Runyon view of the city
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do, Museums
Cheesemongers of Sherman Oaks
14517 Ventura Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91403
(818) 849-5523
Come for the choice curds and the conversation
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Eat, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Eat
Circle X Theatre Co.
3269 Casitas Ave, Atwater Village, CA, 90039
323-644-1929
Try not to miss anything by Circle X Theatre Co., which recently arrived at the Atwater Village Theatre complex after two decades of bouncing around town
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do, Live Theatre
Cove Paddle Fitness
23823 Malibu Road, Malibu, CA, 90265
310-429-2058
A choppy ocean can be intimidating, but Tyler Lennon of Malibu-based Cove Paddle Fitness instills confidence with a combination of unwavering attention and skillful teaching
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do, Fitness & Instruction, Sports & Recreation Instruction
Coyotes Book Group
1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz, CA, 90027
323-660-1175
Bibliophiles will geek out over Coyotes Book Group, which meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at Skylight Books in Los Feliz
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do, Community Organizations
CURE Salon & Spa
8358 W. Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA, 90069
310-623-9000
The private, minimalist micro-hamams would soothe any Istanbulite: a half hour on a travertine bed surrounded by billowing vapor, followed by a cool dip under rain showers
Category: Beauty and Spas, Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do
Dal Rae
9023 Washington Blvd, Pico Rivera, CA, 90660
562-949-2444
A truly authentic prime rib dinner requires a time machine to transport you to the 1950s, but your Prius will do if you point it toward Pico Rivera, where the legendary Dal Rae has been serving the Rat Pack-approved indulgence for more than 50 years
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Eat, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Eat, Restaurants
Dear Diary: Mortified Live
Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90007
Dear Diary: Mortified live is the coolest touring storytelling show in L.A. Performers share embarrassing childhood relics—journals, art, song lyrics—in front of a live audience
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do, Live Theatre
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge, CA, 91011
818-949-4200
Descanso Gardens allows tykes to safely explore the natural world—lily ponds, acres of roses, and lush camellia groves—and learn something about it, too
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2015: Do, Best of LA: 2015, Best of LA: Do, Parks & Beaches