Best of LA: 2016
Adult Arts & Crafts Night
5814 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90036
(323) 937-4230
Take it back to summer camp— only better, because there’s wine
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Do, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Do
All-You-Can-Eat Buffet
465 S. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048
(310) 246-5551
Let go of any misgivings you have about buffets: the steaming vats, grisly carving stations, hepatitis C. TRES BY JOSÉ ANDRÉS at SLS Beverly Hills pulls off a $42 brunch spread without a lick of ick. Andrés’s approach might best be called minimalist. Quail eggs accompany sliced-on-demand Russ & Daughters smoked salmon. Crab claws are […]
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Eat, Best of LA: Eat
Artisan Flea Market
1010 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA
310-900-9987
Classic-rock posters, woven baskets, crocheted dinosaurs, and geometric planters are just a few of the wares that beckon at ARTISTS & FLEAS. The Brooklyn-born market specializes in vintage pieces and artisanal goods from L.A.’s up-and-coming craft talents. The no-admission, no-attitude gathering is staged Saturdays at the corner of Traction Avenue and 3rd Street downtown and, […]
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Shop, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Shop, Shopping
Baby Gifts
10580 1/2 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90064
310) 559-2665
A basket filled with, say, Dr. Seuss tales from CHILDREN’S BOOK WORLD will stand out among the flood of pastel onesies and booties at any party. The savvy staff create custom packages and pride themselves on choosing classic yet surprising titles (I Took the Moon for a Walk instead of the ubiquitous Goodnight Moon). Baskets […]
Category: Baby, Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Shop, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Shop, Books and Magazines
Barbacoa
5850 S Eastern Ave, Commerce, CA, 90040
(323) 725-1429
Masters of Mexican barbecue, or barbacoa, know that the best meat is roasted in an underground pit. But try telling that to the health department. Former engineer Paco Perez, chef-owner of AQUI ES TEXCOCO in Commerce, invented an oven that mimics subterranean cooking. The result is succulent lamb barbecue flavored with century plant and avocado […]
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Eat, Best of LA: Eat
Biannual Clothing Sales
451 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA, 90048
(310) 652-1120
Pro shoppers know to wait for the final 70 percent price slash, when Proenza Schouler handbags and Kenzo embroidered lace pants can be had for a song
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Shop, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Shop
Birding Supplies
4337 Woodman Ave, Sherman Oaks
(818) 995-0022
The emphasis at Wild Wings is to bring the birds to you, though the owners also lead periodic walks to avian-rich locales in Los Angeles County. The Sherman Oaks operation stocks backyard feeders and birdhouses that encompass a wide range of species, from woodpeckers to bluebirds to owls. The seed mixes are blended specifically with […]
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Shop, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Shop, Outdoor Furnishings, Outdoor Recreation
Blondie
7807 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90036
(323) 932-1142
Lately we’ve seen renewed interest in the brownie’s nutty, cocoa-free cousin. Connie & Ted’s dessert menu has a knee-weakening version à la mode, but CAKE MONKEY BAKERY gets our top vote. Its dense, pecan-studded square is as salty as it is sweet and crowned with a layer of toffee.
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Eat, Best of LA: Eat
Body Jewelry
7274 Melrose Ave, Hollywood,, CA, 90046
(323) 954-0408
From tiny black diamond studs to thick gold rings, BODY ELECTRIC TATTOO offers an array of jewelry for clients of chief piercing artist Brian Keith Thompson. Patrons here include Beyoncé and Rihanna, who are in good company with the body jewelry from heavyweights like Industrial Strength and Body Vision.
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Shop, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Shop, Jewelry
Breakfast Sandwich
143 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90036
(323) 939-0151
Ooey-Gooey flavor-bomb egg sandwiches are la mode, but at the Sycamore Kitchen, Quinn and Karen Hatfield have come up with a stacked morning meal that’s as approachable as it is craveable. For their SCRAMBLED EGG AND CHORIZO SANDWICH, fluffy eggs, melted Swiss cheese, house-made chorizo, and roasted onions unite in one supersavory bite after another. […]
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Eat, Best of LA: Eat
Brewery Tour
5410 W San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA, 90039
(844) 452-2337
GOLDEN ROAD BREWING in Atwater Village has been a leader in L.A.’s craft beer movement since its debut in 2011, and you can explore the premises free of charge every Friday through Sunday (tours start at 1:30, 2:30, and 4). The guided 45-minute outing typically begins in a climate- controlled storeroom that holds barrels of […]
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Do, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Do
Brunch Cocktail
1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Moinca, CA, 90401
(424) 744-8008
Pulp from tomato juice, then mixing the clarified liquid with gin infused with shiso and black pepper. Horseradish oil provides the finishing pop
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Eat, Best of LA: Eat
Budget Birthday Cake
4542 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90066
(310) 915-2078
On Saturdays A slow-moving line of families dressed for through a small Westside storefront. The wait is worth it, as the strawberry shortcake at ANGEL MAID BAKERY is so fluffy, so lushly enrobed in semi-sweet whipped cream and chock-full of ripe strawberry nuggets, it’ll convert any member of the butter-cream-or-bust crowd. A seven-inch round cake, […]
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Eat, Best of LA: Eat
Canine Collars
12336 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA, 91604
(818) 505-8411
Dog owners resemble their breeds of choice, or so the adage goes
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Shop, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Shop, Shopping
Car Wash Waiting Room
10854 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90024
(310) 474-6551
Turns having the car cleaned into a pleasant chore
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Shop, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Shop, Gifts, Shopping
Casino That Feels Like Vegas
1000 W Redondo Beach Blvd, Gardena, CA, 90247
(310) 719-9800
The Larry Flynt-backed card house balances kitsch (replicas of Gustav Klimt paintings, fool’s gold Buddha statues) with a satisfying Vegas vibe and offers blackjack, Texas Hold ’Em, and pai gow tables
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Do, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Do
Cocktail Presentation
3612 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA, 90005
(213) 263-2709
During the omakase cocktail experience at Koreatown’s WALKER INN, bartenders don’t merely mix and serve; they educate and pamper. Menus, which have such rotating themes as “Wet Hot American Summer,” include refreshments garnished with “fog” or packaged in juice boxes. Instagram isn’t going to cut it—you’ll want to Snapchat the entire story.
Category: Best of LA, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Eat, Best of LA: Eat
Concert Rehearsal You Can Crash
2301 Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90068
(323) 850-2000
Don’t let an anemic bank account stop you from experiencing the L.A. Phil in its second most natural habitat
Category: Arts & Entertainment, Best of LA, Best of LA 2016: Do, Best of LA: 2016, Best of LA: Do