La Lady
I honestly thought the top contenders for my next hometown would be NY or LA, but the contenders multiply with every stop along the journey. With that said, I’m always going to be drawn to cities of dreams, and you really can’t beat Hollyweird. I was only in town for a few hours this year, just long enough to get a $500 parking ticket (that I’m contesting) and to share an epic meal with a dear friend. I’ve put together some favorite things from past visits, because there is so much to love about Los Angeles.
LA is good for your mind, body and soul- but I’ll start with your stomach.
I ball on a budget for the most part, but I always earmark some funds for pricey piece of edible art on the road. I don’t mind spending if it is a true experience that I’ve been wanting to try for ages or will think about for years to come. LA is full of beautifully bougie spots, but there are some pretty cheap landmarks for your list too.
If you want a more accessible LA institution, you are going to need to check out Pink’s. What is more humble than a hot dog? How about one that offers hundreds of variations named for their famous fans? People line up for hours for some seriously tricked out street meat. I went once, the line wasn’t very long, and the dog was good. It’s not something I feel the need to do again, but the experience was really fun.
I ordered catering from Lemonade for a showcase once, and it’s been on my itinerary for every subsequent visit. It’s a healthy cafeteria style spot offering salads, sandwiches, poke, protein bowls, and the most insane varieties of lemonade, obviously. I can’t recommend the 3 side combo enough. I like to revisit favorites and discover new treasures when I return to a hallowed haunt. Their sugar snap pea salad, pineapple chicken with green beans, and rotating seasonal offerings are my go to order, and I’m always hoping I can talk my companion into sharing the decadent truffle mac and cheese with me too. In a pinch, I’ll grab Lemonade at LAX on my way out of town, but it’s not even in the same realm as the other locations. So try to visit a standalone storefront if you are craving something light and lovely.
Philippe’s is a 100 year old LA institution, proclaiming themselves to be the home of the original french dip. You can get a single dip, double dip, or dry with a cup of au jus. The horseradish mustard is otherworldly. The pickles are on point. The menu is vast and you’ll definitely want reinforcements so you can sample more. It’s walking distance to the iconic Union Station, and very close to Dodger’s stadium, so it will be a sea of people pre-gaming Dodger dogs if you go on game day.
Doughnuts do absolutely nothing for me. An apple cider donut on a Fall Fun Day adventure is tempting, but otherwise I seem to have no problem passing... except Sidecar Donuts. These are legitimately life changing. I could go on and on about the inventive flavors of their superb sweets, but I just have four words for you: Basil Eggs Benedict Donut. Who knew you could put a poached egg and prosciutto in a donut?! That’s it, you don’t really need to know more than that. Just get there and find space in your face.
Moving back into the $$ categories.
I cannot even approach southern California without craving Sugarfish Sushi. There are a several LA locations, and I think I’ve been to almost all of them at this point. I’m a big fan of the “Trust Me,” a $30 coursed extravaganza of oceanic magic. This is a no tip establishment, so it’s a great way to get quality fish for a fair price. If you really want to do it up, I recommend adding their signature sweet shrimp or a lobster hand roll. If I only get one meal in LA, this is it, and that’s exactly what I did last week.
Musso & Frank is so quintessentially Hollywood, it is insane. You’ve seen it in Lethal Weapon, Ocean’s 11, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and in practically every episode of The Kominsky Method. It’s been a Los Angeles institution for over a hundred years for very good reason. The history that just oozes out of the building is unparalleled. The menu is so old school you can land things you never find anymore like Welsh Rarebit, which you should order with a martini and pretend you are negotiating deal points on a talkie.
People Magazine is a longtime guilty pleasure of mine. I swear half of the paparazzi photos I remember seeing in doctors office waiting rooms growing up were of celebs at The Ivy on Robertson. I was thrilled to discover The Ivy at the Shore location steps from the Santa Monica Pier. The cocktails are consistently my favorite in the country, the food is divine, and you have pretty decent odds on a celebrity sighting.
The Beverly Hills Hotel is the crown jewel of bougie boutique hotels. It’s so old school Hollywood Glamour and it makes my heart so happy. I will do everything in my power to get my hands on a soufflé from the Polo Lounge. On one trip to LA it took me 4 separate visits to get one through a comedy of errors; but I persisted and it was perfection.
Some things to keep in mind:
The valet at this hotel is exorbitant, but there is street parking on Crescent Dr. and it’s an easy stroll through the grounds and past the Ferraris and Lambos under the iconic striped awning.
They only serve souffles in the evening, don’t bother trying at lunch.
The flavors change weekly. You can request a half and half of two different flavors, and that’s totally the way to go.
The Christmas flavors are my favorite, and the hotel looks AMAZING in its festive finery. So if you check their holiday 12 Days of Souffles Menu and see an apple cider soufflé day, don’t delay.
I know this sounds high maintenance for an undercooked cake, but trust me. It is SO worth it. I never understood the appeal of them before these, and they blow all others out of the water. It’s just enough time to enjoy a cocktail and the piano player if you are inside, or the gorgeous garden under twinkle lights with epic people watching if you are on the patio. It will haunt my dreams the rest of my lifeIf you go during the day
The pool cafe is delightful too. The Hotel California is a refreshing watermelon cooler and their truffle fries are as excellent as the details of each poolside cabana.
The Beverly Hills Hotel is an experience. Even if you just want the feast for your eyes, I personally think the wallpaper alone is worth a visit.
There’s no shortage of famous and fabulous hotels in LA. I think I should also flag the Chateau Marmont, because if walls could talk, these would speak a mile a minute. The Riot House was an integral moment in Almost Famous and in Rock and Roll history, and everyone should do their best Penny Lane airline announcement impression in the hall. The Sunset Marquis is a magical musical masterpiece, you’d never believe the list of albums recorded in the basement there. The Ambassador Hotel has been torn down, but it was featured heavily in Pretty Woman, True Lies, and That Thing You Do. The art deco tower and lovely park remains, but you’ll have to side step quite a few unhoused folks to get there these days.
If you want to treat your ears, LA is home to some of the most famous venues in the world.
Most comics test their material at iconic spots like The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, The Improv, and The Groundlings have produced some of the best known funny friends around.
The Viper Room, The Roxy, The Mint, and The Wiltern are some of the most famous music venues in world.
My bucket list venues were The Troubadour, Hollywood Bowl , The Greek, and The Staples Center, and I’m proud to say I took care of business with some old favorites. I saw Richard Marx play the Troubadour, it was both our first times in the room, and it was glorious. I saw my very first Garth Brooks concert at The Staples Center after scoring a last minute invitation from a friend. I guess it’s now the Crypto Arena… but it will always be The Staples Center to me. I got to bring a plaque for Dolly Parton and sit beside Hollywood royalty at the Hollywood Bowl, and it was the time of m y life. I got to plan events for a couple of artists at The Greek, and I was delighted after dozens of viewings of the ridiculous movie. They are treasured memories for a music fan like me. If you can find your way into any of those rooms, you won’t regret it, but there is nothing like seeing an icon in an iconic venue.
It’s still on my bucket list to catch a performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, but I’ve walked around the Frank Gehry masterpiece a couple of times. The venue itself is a visual feast, I cant even begin to imagine the magic inside the mouse house..
Speaking of feasts for the eyes and ears- the shopping in Los Angeles is far more robust than the bleach blonde beach bunnies. Fred Segal and Paul Smith are some of the more iconic LA institutions, but I want to just direct deposit my paychecks to The Last Book Store. Where else will you find book tunnels, bank vaults full of first editions, Hugh Hefner’s record collection, art galleries, and tarot card readers under one expansive roof? I spent all day there, seriously, all day. You should also wander around the corner to the Bradbury Building, an architectural gem downtown.
I was raised a latchkey kid, and film and tv were my most steadfast babysitters. One of my favorite sightseeing activities is hunting down filming locations. My favorite spot is Greystone Mansion. It was Chilton in Gilmore Girls, but it’s been in The Big Lebowski, Richie Rich, The Bodyguard, Ghost Busters 2, Meat Loaf’s “I Would Do Anything For Love” video, and about a hundred other productions. Even if you’ve never seen it on screen, the grounds are spectacular and worth the time. It’s pretty tough to get eyeballs on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air house, I wouldn’t even bother trying, but you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the Golden Girls house. A quick jaunt to the 20th Century Fox Studios will not only show you Nakatomi Plaza, but you also saw it in Speed and Airheads.
The absolute best places for location looking are the studios. The Universal Studio involves an entire theme park, but the Warner Bros tour is my personal favorite. Where else would you find a dedicated parking spot for the town gazebo? It’s especially enchanting at Christmas time when they redress the Gilmore Girls sets and the Friends sets come to life. You can get sorted into your Hogwarts House and check out the super hero swag. The Sony Studio tour is home to a sweet petite little movie museum, the Seinfeld Set, the Breaking Bad RV, and Talladega Nights Nascar. The Paramount Studio tour is a much shorter flight to see where Moses parted the Dead Sea, and George tossed the marble rye, and Forest Gump pontificated on a park bench. I’ve visited all on business, and have paid for repeat visits for several. They are all informative and fun, but if I had to pick just one, I’d keep going back to the WB tour. I’ve been there a half dozen times and it never gets old.
There are so many LA Landmarks, it’s probably easier to find locations that HAVEN’T made a cameo in something. I keep a running list of things I’d like to go see for myself, and I try to discover new ones on every visit. Some of my favorites are: The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Santa Monica Pier, The Hollywood Sign, Union Station, the Witch House, and any Entourage fan will have to make a stop at Urth Caffe.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s work was pretty prolific in Southern California. You can visit his studio, the Anderton Court shops on Rodeo Drive, and a handful of handsome houses. I’d have to suggest the Sowden House, site of the infamous Black Dahlia murder, and The Novarro House with the copper accents of the prettiest patina.
You know that museums make my soul sing, and LA is home to more than it’s fair share. I still haven’t made it into LACMA or The Broad, but The Getty is a stunning complex of galleries and gardens. Pasadena offers up the Norton Simon and and Hungtington Gardens & Library, but in between you’ll find the Heritage Square Museum. Home to the most lovely collection of relocated Victorian mansions, and the most compact collection of pretty painted ladies in all the land.
If you ever find yourself in the LA area around Halloween, it is imperative that you find your way over to 11740 Crescenda Street. This is the Halloween wonderland dreams are made of. I’ve had friends attend the annual halloween party and say it will completely blow your mind. If a $27M house is hosting, I can only imagine what is happening inside because it is beyond bonkers outside.
I’ve shared feasts for the eyes, ears, heart, and stomach. LA really does have something for everyone. Whether you’re star gazing at Griffith Park or Nobu, cruising Mullholland Drive, going for a run in Runyon Canyon, hanging out on Hollywood Blvd, being bougie in the celeb hotspots, making the most of a day in Malibu, or feeding your face in one of the iconic restaurants, LA is lovely. Hopefully you’ll want to be an LA Lady, if not a seamstress for the band.
