From the Editor
Four days into 2014, I lost my mom, Ruthe Powell Melton. She was 83. Born in Hollywood, she was my role model, joke supplier, shoulder to cry on, and closest friend. She was also the coolest L.A. woman I knew. Her passing has made me aware of how much she taught me about living, and how those lessons take shape in this magazine. I wanted to share her pearls of wisdom. Let’s call them “Mom’s Commandments”… Read
Features:
It’s Time for a Road Trip
Edited by Matthew Segal
No matter which way you point the car, there’s a journey waiting to happen. We take you up the coast, through the desert, into the ancient, and on to the new
Downfall
By Celeste Fremon
While Sheriff Lee Baca embraced lofty ideals, he let his number two, Paul Tanaka, call the shots. The toxic mess that resulted was something right out of a cable series
WEB EXTRA: Celeste Fremon talks with her editor, Matt Segal, about the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and an assignment that was a year in the making
The Custom Treatment
Edited by Ann Herold
When it comes to home decor, these L.A. artisans are masters of one-of-a-kind furnishings and floors, wall coverings and metalwork
(Buzz)
CityThink
How L.A. is preparing for catastrophes; memories of Oscar night at the Music Center; novelist David Grand pens a love letter to 19th-century L.A.; signs of a city’s downward spiral
Ask Chris
Chris Nichols follows up on a story most fowl
L.A. Story
Actor Michael Peña talks about Silver Lake gentrification and ride-alongs with the LAPD
The Seen
Kari Mozena shares her dream seating chart at the Academy Awards Governors Ball
How L.A. Works
Tracing the world’s most famous footsteps
(Shop)
Spring Fashion 2014
On the runways ladylike lilac took the lead, white oxfords made magic, and metallics got brighter; accessories are abloom; Prada taps an L.A. street artist; denim goes wide
Affair to Remember
Talk about contrast: The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan channel their onscreen romance, dressed in the season’s Easter shades and timeless silhouettes
WEB EXTRA: Behind the scenes of our Spring fashion shoot
(Eat)
Small Bites
Micah Wexler’s new deli at Grand Central Market turns back the clock; Joel Stein discourses on the real joy of cookbooks. Plus: Alex Reznik brings a taste of Brooklyn to L.A. at Ditmas Kitchen & Cocktail, and new restaurants Chianina Steakhouse, Lucky Duck, and Meizhou Dongpo
WEB EXTRA: What else is happening at Grand Central Market?
The Dine Review
Patric Kuh praises the inventive Latin cooking at Corazón y Miel and Taco María
WEB EXTRA:A photo tour of Corazón y Miel
Dining Out
139 of the city’s best restaurants, from Petros to Picca
(Do)
Culture Files
Pentatonix sings with one voice; Ozomatli hits the old neighborhoods for its eighth album plus: Literary critic David Kipen on what he’s reading
Best of LA
Get toned at these high-end spinning studios
Street Smart
Burbank’s Magnolia Park offers retro delights
The Guide
30 things to do in March, from lowbrow art shows to St. Patty’s Day shindigs
(Columns)
Open City
By Anne Taylor Fleming
Mickey Kantor has some harsh things to say about L.A., but they come from a deep affection for his adopted city
Film
By Steve Erickson
Whatever happened to likable lead characters? Plus: Who should really win at the Oscars
Invisible L.A.
By Ben Ehrenreich
Unearthing the story of the Chinese laborers who helped build the region’s railroads
Well-Being
By Andrea Richards
When you master non-violent parenting, there are no “bad” feelings, only “big” ones