Spotlight :: LA Food & Fun

[trip style = urban + sun ]

LA gets a bad rap. Sure, the traffic and pollution aren’t great, but the sunshine and beaches are pretty fantastic. Plus, LA is more than Hollywood; there are fabulous restaurants, rich culture and shopping galore. This week we’ll focus on food and fun. Next week, shop & stay.

Food

Coffee
Intelligentsia Silver Lake location: 3922 W Sunset Blvd,Los Angeles, CA 90029 Venice location: 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
*The best coffee in LA – and the best looking coffee shops (in both design and customers). Don’t be discouraged by the line!

Sushi
Sushi Katsu-ya Original location: 11680 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 *Incredible sushi in a strip mall in Studio City? YES! Order off the specials board. You MUST order the crispy sesame tuna and spicy tuna on crispy rice. Worth. The. Wait.

Casual Chic
Gjelina Location: 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
*This might be my favourite street in all of LA, and this might be my favourite restaurant on that street. Great thin-crust pizza, people watching (sit at the communal table), brunch and bloody beer.

Frozen Yogurt
Pinkberry Various locations
*It’s an LA institution, only a few years in the making. I like the original flavour with fruit topping, but you can choose your own – that’s the beauty of it!

Café
Joan’s on Third Location: 8350 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048
*Eat in or take out, this adorable café has baked goods, deli items, sandwiches and specials, plus a gourmet market. Don’t miss out on the caramel-covered marshmallows – they’re to die for!

Bakery
Mani's Bakery 519 South Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
*Healthy, chocolate-stuffed heart cookies. Enough said. The cafe only uses natural and alternative sweetners.

Cupcakes
Sprinkles Various locations
*Great selection with flavours like banana, red velvet (vegan or gltuten free options), peanut butter chocolate, chai latte or good ol’ vanilla. Check the cupcake calendar online to see if your favourite flavour’s in that day.

Indian
Bollywood Cafe Original location: 11101 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 Second location: 737 Cahuenga Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
*The vegetarian samosas, complimentary papadums and courteous service keep us coming back.

Italian
Il Pastaio Location: 400 N.Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
*Not only is the location fabulous, but so is the people watching. Start with the appetizer platter.

Fun

Griffith Park 2800 East Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
*Stunning city views. Stroll around the observatory and hike the trails. It will feel like you’ve left the city!

The Getty Center 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049
*Another spot for city views, but this one comes with world-class art, architecture and a groovy tram. Admission is free, but parking is $15, except on Saturdays when it’s free. Beautiful way to spend a beautiful day.

Hollywood Bowl 2301 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood, CA 9006
*Home of the LA Philharmonic and seasonal concerts. Box seating down low and bleacher seating up high. Come early and bring a picnic – it’s BYOW(ine)! Oh and don’t park in the overpriced parking at the Bowl – it’s stacked and takes forever to get out.

Venice Canals Between Ocean Ave & Pacific Ave / S Venice Blvd & 28th Ave
*Stroll along the lemon tree-lined canals and peek into people’s modern homes or kitschy bungalows you just WISH were yours.

Scenic Drives
1/ Drive up the PCH to Malibu, take off your shoes and dig your toes in the sand.
2/ Drive along the Sunset Strip at night for a whole different kind of scenery.

Post by Heather, pop-culture-ista and writer of heatherlovesit.blogspot.com

Finding Glitter in the Gulch :: Vegas Baby

[trip style = sun] The sprawling desert destination whose blinding lights and tall towers pop up out of nowhere is more than just glitter. Past the sequins, slots and smut is a fun, ever-changing entertainment mecca designed to sizzle your senses. On that note, there's a reason most vacation packages are 3-nights.

Tangoing with Lady Luck Complete with year-round sun, ravishing restaurants, sultry shows and mega malls, Vegas is the king of re-invention offering something for everyone. Go at the right time of year (see more below) and vegas can be fun, and dare I say: relaxing. I'm not a gambler, but between last-min getaways and girls trips, I've tangoed with lady luck a few times. Yep, I've pulled the occasional slot and wound my way through the never ending lines of nightclub goers (passing a stressed-out Steve Wynn enroute---man behind The Mirage, The Bellagio, The Wynn and others).  Some would argue that's Vegas at its best.  I disagree.

The Glitter in the Gulch When - it can get cold in late fall & early winter, so wait until spring if you're looking to soak up the sun - avoid US holidays, particularly Memorial and Labour Day long weekends - to find the best deals, rooms, easy access to shows and restaurants, go mid-week or sunday-wednesday - unless you want to roast like a marshmallow, avoid the summer - in other words, visit in spring or early fall and avoid long weekends! Stay - contrary to what it might seem, vegas is massive, so decide if you want to stay on or off the strip - each hotel tends to draw a different crowd, so choose which crowd you want to hang with, for example: mandalay bay: young and sporty, bellagio & wynn: high-rollers and their entourages, excalibur: deal seekers less concerned with aesthetics, caesar's palace: those who want to be in the centre of it all Do - any cirque de soleil show (get tix in advance, or chance it with half-price tix at fashion show mall) - shop forum shops at caesar's or fashion show mall (across from wynn) - sit by the pool - golf - spa more than 3 days in sin city... - visit the hoover dam - hike in the red rock canyon Eat - tao restaurant is lively (to say the least), has amazing service and to-die-for japanese-inspired food - fiamma at the MGM is a triple-threat: pasta, 400+ wine list, modern design (recognized by Wine Spectator in 2009) - Botero at Encore takes the steakhouse concept to a whole new level offering chill-laxed, pool-side dining

Spotlight :: Scottsdale AZ

[trip style = urban]

When we flew into Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) the announcements proclaimed "voted friendliest airport in the USA." I would take that one step further and say that everyone I met in Scottsdale was very chipper and friendly. Maybe it's the 300+ days of sun they get year-round.  Jealous much?

Whether your interest is: shopping, golfing, hiking, art, walking and/or restaurant-ing, Scottsdale is an ideal destination for a winter, spring or fall visit. See more information about where to stay, where to eat and what to do in this past friday's post.

Pictures of Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Desert

Room at 3Palms

Room at Fairmont Scottsdale

Bar at La Hacienda (The Fairmont Scottsdale's Newest Restaurant)

Happy Hour Margarita + Appies at La Hacienda

Stone Rose Lounge

Fairmont Scottsdale Pool

Taliesin West

Taliesen West Breezeway

Scottsdale AZ :: High/Low

[trip style = high/low]

One trip. Two experiences. How to do Scottsdale high, low or BOTH! (Pics coming Monday)

Low

• Stay
  • 3 Palms.  A refurbished motel with a modern flair.  In high season we paid $84 usd/night for a deluxe king room.  With contemporary design throughout, a fitness room, pool, nice restaurant and grocery store across the street, how can you go wrong?
• Eat
  • Buy snacks and/or breakfasts and lunches at a grocery store
  • Share plates at restaurants offering huge portions like Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's, California Pizza Kitchen (all in Scottsdale)
  • Splurge
    • Eat at The Avalon, a funky new restaurant at the 3 Palms.
    • Eat at La Hacienda, the Fairmont Scottsdale's newest addition, offering happy hour pricing from 5 - 7pm. $4 margaritas and appies...which I tested, and are good!  We went in thinking we'd have drinks and appies, then move onto dinner, and got too full with the appies!
• Shop
  • Norstrom's Rack is located in North Scottsdale
  • Other outlets stores near Scottsdale can be found in Tempe (Arizona Mills featuring Neiman Marcus Last Call and Off Sacks) and Anthem (Outlets at Anthem featuring Nike, Banana, J. Crew)
• Do (see below)

High

• Stay
  • Fairmont Scottsdale.  The lobby doesn't do this hotel justice.  Sun-drenched by day and lantern-laden by night, the hotel sparkles and sprawls over the rocky red landscape.  Sitting beside the TPC golf course, this Fairmont Scottsdale could keep you busy all day long with its multiple pools, spa, restaurants/bars and a dedicated Golf Concierge.
• Eat
  • Well, the Fairmont has successfully offered enough varied eating/drinking options to make me want to stay on-site.  With eating and drinking choices to fit every age and budget, there's Hacienda, serving excellent mexi food, Bourbon Steak House, I think this one's offering is obvious:) and to top it all off, sit beside an open fire or order a bevvie from the lounge-inspired, desert-modern Stone Rose.
• Shop
  • Fashion Square is a shopping mecca.  You could walk 10,000 steps just going from one part of the mall to the other. Featuring stores like Barney's, Burberry, Macy's, Nordstrom, etc...
  • Kierland Commons.  An exquisite outdoor shopping experience with a over 14 restaurants and coffee shops.
• Do:
  • Golf is definitely Arizona's activity du jour offering too many courses to count.
  • Hike in and around Scottsdale.
  • Tour Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home/studio/architectural lab: Taliesin West.  Tours daily 9-4 September - May.

Hints

• Most 3 or 3.5 stars tend to offer free parking
• If you have a hybird you can park at the Fairmont for free

Hello BC :: 2010 Olympics 12 Days Away

An invitation to come visit BC for the Olympics and beyond. Featuring British Columbians Michael J. Fox, Ryan Reynolds, Erick McCormack, Kim Cattrall, Steve Nash and Sarah McLachlan.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics are only 12 days away, and I couldn't' be more excited.  Whether you're watching on TV or in person, the rush of cheering for your home country as the athletes walk into the Opening Ceremonies is a joyful and unifying experience.

Here's why I'm excited for the upcoming 2010 Olympics

• it is being held in Vancouver, Canada--my home city
• this is likely the only time I will ever get to experience the olympics in my home city, so I got a few tickets to cheer Canada on
• there are so many  free, large-scale events happening all over the city
• vancouver is morphing from the 3rd largest city in Canada to likes of a highly decorated european metropolis

Stay tuned for more Olympic Updates in future posts.  I will try to post Opening Ceremony Pics to this blog and twitter (@tripstyler) as well as additional updates throughout.

Amazing Time-Lapsed HD View of Vancouver