Tracy’s LA Real Estate

Coming Attractions From the Arroyo Arts Collective

There is so much to do around here! Luckily, many of these shows run for a few weeks, but if you want to attend the openings, you’ll have to pack most of them into Saturday, March 13!
GERARDO HACER: THE MYTH
PE Lofts Gallery, 610 S. Main St. LA 90017
Reception: Thursday, March 11, 2010 from 12:00 noon to 10:00 PM
Presented by The Avenue 50 Studio, with the support of Los Angeles Trade-Tech College (LATTC) at the Downtown Art Walk in the PE Lofts Gallery (corner of 6th and Main Street).
The work of Los Angeles–based sculptor, Gerardo Hacer, consists of monumental structural, metal, origami animals in bold, flat, solid colors. The centerpiece of the show, Gerardo Hacer: The Myth, is a 2-ton fourteen-foot Pegasus entitled, “Education Gives You Wings To Fly” that will be permanently installed at the gateway of the main entrance to Los Angeles Trade-Tech College’s new $250M campus. A former graduate, Gerardo was selected as the face of their multimedia campaign, “Trade As Art”. His works have received coverage from SoCal News, Huell Howser’s “California Gold”, as well as, featured on public transit DASH buses. Contact: Ashley Lund – 310-405-5285

ART AND ARCHITECTURE: MERGING THE CONTEMPORARY AND THE HISTORICAL
Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles 90041
323.226.1617, www.centerartseaglerock.org
Panel Discussion: March 13, 2010, 4-6 pm
Panelists: Gwynne Pugh (Pugh + Scarpa), Isotta Poggi (Getty Research Institute), John O’Brien, Cielo Pessione
Bruno Bondanelli will be making a brief presentation on behalf of Italian Living Umbria at the end of the round table conversation and offering Baci Perugina for all.
FOLLOWED by NELAart Second Saturday Gallery Night 7-10 pm
The March 13, 2010 panel discussion about “Art and Architecture: Merging the contemporary and the historical” is particularly relevant at CFAER, a historically listed 1914 Carnegie Library Building, that was itself transformed into a multicultural community center for arts and culture.

ASSEMBLAGE & COLLAGE
Howeeduzzit Gallery, 821 S. Raymond #27, Alhambra 91803
626.458.8811, www.howeeduzzitgallery.com
February 21st – March 13th, 2010
Closing Reception March 13th, 2:00-5:00 PM
Featured artists: Kathy Carvalles, Ruth DeNicola, Charles Dickson, Jack Fenn, Clare Graham, Frank Gutierrez, Cookie Hanson, Cidne Hart, Heather Hoggan, Jeffrey Kibbe, Dave Lovejoy, Mavis Leahy, Jaime Sabatte, Richard Sculley, Suzanne Siegel, Joseph Sims, Richard Turner, Howard Swerdloff, LaMonte Westmoreland

THE VIRGIN MARY CHAINSMOKING AT THE BEACH AND A COUPLE OTHER REALLY AWFUL THINGS I SAW WHEN I DITCHED SCHOOL THAT DAY
Future Studio Gallery, 5558 N. Figueroa St., LA 90042
futurestudiogallery.com
Opening Saturday March 13, 7 to 10 pm, part of NELAart.com Second Saturday Gallery Night
Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta: Drawings, Piñatas, Videos, Prints, Collages, and Photographs
(Don’t forget to pick up your free Tati artist trading card at the gallery during the opening)
March’s Chicken Boy Trading Card #6, also available Second Saturday. (It’s CB, a guy’s guy, repairing his cycle)
CUENTOS DE HADAS
Avenue 50 Studio, 131 North Avenue 50, Highland Park 90042
323.258.1435, www.avenue50studio.com
Mercedes Gertz and Esau Andrade reinterpret fairy tales with photographs by Elizabeth Beristain
Opening Night Reception: Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 7-10 pm
The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present “Cuentos de Hadas” (Fairy Tales), an exhibition of works by two contemporary Mexican artists. Through a narrative language, Gertz and Andrade portray the female vs. male versions of fairy tales. The exhibit opens with an artists’ reception on Saturday evening, March 13, 2010 from 7 to 10 p.m. and closes on Sunday, April 4, 2010.
Mercedes Gertz. Using humor and sensuality, Gertz’s fairy tale series asks us to consider where women are in the 21st century. Her heroines are unapologetic symbols of female confidence. We sense in them a comfort with the body, with play and decoration. They confidently own the sensual, and relish in being a woman in charge. “These … fairy or folk tales … recur over and over through millennia in the guise of innocent stories telling us time and again that the docile, young body gets the prince, that the girl brave enough to venture into the woods—the space of men–meets her fate at the hands of the big bad wolf. Peter Pan lives forever as a boy, Wendy must grow up–it is her calling, her duty, her essential nature.” — Marlena Doktorczyk-Donohue, Art Critic, Essayist, Poet
Esau Andrade. Following in the footsteps of the Latin American surrealists, Esau Andrade twists reality, creating canvases bursting with color that are pop in nature. He instills a childlike exuberance into his delightful paintings. Andrade comes from a folk art background, as both his mother Guadalupe Valencia and brother Raymundo Andrade are also artists. He is mainly a self-taught painter, although attended La Escuela de Artes Plasticas de la Universidad de Guadalajara. “Unlike the candy colored confections of his more stylized folk art paintings, these other works by Andrade place him firmly in the surrealist tradition shared by many Latin masters. He retains a naiveté and originality with quirky images that are both charming and serious, and also remain indebted to his rich culture for visual symbols that are vivid and intense.” — Kathy Zimmerer, Artscene 11/2004
Elizabeth Beristain. Elizabeth was born in Mexico City. A graduate of the Escuela Activa de Fotografia and staff photographer for “El Reforma,” one of the top national daily newspapers in Mexico, she moved to Los Angeles as a freelance photographer and later became Photography Editor for the cultural publication Latino Weekly Review. A product of her Mexican mother’s artistic sensitivity and her Portuguese father’s decidedly more adventurous side, this subtle mixture of Old and the New World influences are germinal elements of Elizabeth’s artistry. Additionally, in devising the art direction of her own work, a wider range of crucial creative features shine through, from the world of opera, painting, music, and cinema, in a vision where a unique sense of artistry never intrudes with a boundless appreciation of our common humanity. Elizabeth has participated in various collective and solo shows, both in Mexico and Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband, cinematographer Gabriel Beristain ASC, BSC, and their two children Max and Victoria. She is currently at work on her new series, entitled Crowned Nuns.

And the Annex Presents:
A PRAYER FOR JUAREZ, A CURSE ON THE KILLERS
March 13 through April 4, 2010
Opening Night Reception: Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 7-10 pm
Alfonso Aceves, Ismael de Anda, Antonio Escalante, Judithe Hernandez, Cindy Suriyani, vincentmayakovsky

DECKED OUT – ART ON RECYCLED SKATE DECKS
Cactus Gallery, 4534 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 90041
323-256-6117, http://www.eclecticcactus.com
w/ Featured Artist Michael Pukac plus group show
March 13th – April 7th 2010, Gallery Hours: Weds-Sun 12-6pm
Opening Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 7-10pm
Group Show Artists: Amanda Sage, Motion One, Hans Haveron, L. Croskey, John Park, Spectr, Tommii Lim, Stix and Jones, Yuki Miyazaki, Nick Wildermuth, Ted Von Heiland, Anna Chung, Shahid Brown, Patrick Haemmerlein, Max Neutra, Jacob E. Roanhaus, Jose Carabes, Elle Seven, Liz Brizzi, Jonathan Bueno, Kelly Thompson, Carlos Ramsey, Dicapria, Mikolaj Wyszynski, Walt Hall, Art Martinez, Douglas Alvarez, Julie B., Delphia, Mike Russek, Amy Bernays, Krystle Smith, Alfie Numeric, and more.
Beats by Mr. Numberwonderful
Curated by The Imaginary Light Bulb Factory
10% of proceeds will go to Greenizm: a 501.3c rehabilitating neglected urban landscape into green skate parks in LA County while promoting the arts to skate culture.
More info: ArtSlant Event Page – http://www.artslant.com/la/events/show/92985-decked-out,
Facebook Event Page – http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=301594547342&ref=ts

MICK & FRIENDS: A COLLECTION OF ROCK & ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY
drkrm/gallery, 2121 San Fernando Road Suite 3, Los Angele 90065
323.223.6867, drkrmgallery@gmail.com
March 13th- April 3rd, 2010, Tue-Sat 11-5 Sun 1-4
Opening Reception Saturday March 13th 7-10pm
drkrm/gallery announces it first show of 2010, a group show retrospective of fine art Rock & Roll photographs. Featuring Ethan Russell’s 1968 portrait of John and Yoko, Cecil Beaton’s portraits of Mick Jagger on the set of the film Performance and Travis Shinn’s recent photographs of Morrissey and Marilyn Manson. The Exhibition will run though April 3rd. There will be an opening reception Saturday March 12 from 7-10 pm with several of the artists in attendance.
Also featured are images of Bob Marley from the 1980’s by Neville Garrick, Paul Zone’s photos of KISS playing a small Queens NY club in 1973 and a 1969 Grateful Dead concert in San Francisco photographed by Ryan Herz plus many more.
The Land of Odd Gallery, 4690 Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles 90041
March 13, 2010 – March 27, 2010
Opening Reception: March 13, 2010 from 6pm to 12am
Come to The Land of Odd Gallery’s 5×7″ Group Show, opening on the evening of March 13, 2010 from 6pm to 12am. We will also be continuing our $100 and Under Art Show so if you missed getting to see it, now is your chance to come by and check it out. This event will be held in conjunction with the NELA 2nd Saturday art walk. As always refreshments will be served and the event is FREE!
We are proud to have the following artists participating in the 5×7″ show: Chito Arellano, Christie Bastet, Jeff Bertrand, Julie Bossinger, Deryke Cardenaz, Jennifer Cuellar, Brad Davis, Jolly de Guzman, Diane Harrelson, Chuck Hodi, Edith Ben Horin, Jinx, Bruce Kaplan, Patrick Quinn, Pablo Ramos, Monica Roache, Annalise Sullivan, Jason Sullivan, Melissa Sullivan, and Christopher Umana. Most of these works have been created especially for this event and have never been exhibited before, so come by and show your support.
We will also be continuing our $100 and Under Art Show, featuring the artwork of; Douglas Alvarez, Christie Bastet, Edith Ben-Horin, Charles Bennett, Terri Berman, Jeff Bertrand, Deborah Blanco-Flores, Chris Bonno, Heidi K. Born, Deryke Cardenaz, Bryan Collins, Emma Cooper, Josh Cooper, Creep Creepersin, David Daniel, Brett Gilbert, Jolly de Guzman, Brad Davis, William Reynolds Green, Joe B. Hall, Benjamin Harmon, Santiago Heredia, Nicholas Hernandez, John Hicks, Chuck Hodi, K. Howell, Chris Isner, Jinx, Bruce Kaplan, Amelia Lewis, Cynthia Llanes, Vivian Nguyen, Sean Madden, Demi Pietchell, Patrick Quinn, Pablo Ramos, Monica Roache, Glenda Rolle, Lisa Rosso, Therese Solone, Evil Paul Springer, Melissa Sullivan, Jason Sullivan, and Ckay Walker.
Mention the phrase — “The greatest FREE print on Earth” — and you may choose a FREE 5×7″ linoleum print. You might want to mention it to someone who works at the gallery. Otherwise people will just think you are weird.

MOSTLY SCULPTURE SHOW
Sea and Space Explorations, 4744 York Boulevard, Los Angeles 90042
March 13-28, 2010, Gallery Hours Friday/Saturday 1-6 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm
Opening Saturday March 13, 7-10 pm
This is a show of work that centers on material exploration. The six artists’ works are unified by their emphasis on process and innovation. Each artist engages in a pas-de-deux with specific materials in a poetry of making. In the tradition of Schwitters, Tuttle, Franz West, Kippenberger, and Genzkin, this work is strongly formal and has to do with specific methods of making. Encompassing materials from draped fabric to dyed carrara marble to sheetrock to newspaper to fireproof canvas to human stand-ins and fake flowers, the show is made up of work that is sculptural and mostly sculpture.
Artists: Kathryn Andrews, Alice Clements, Heather Cook, Patrick Hill, Alice Konitz, Brett Lund

MIRROR TO A WORLD
José Vera Fine Art & Antiques, 2012 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles 90041
323.258.5050, www.joseveragallery.com
Gallery Hours: Wed.-Sun. 11am-6pm
Opening Reception on Saturday, March 13th, from 6 – 9
José Vera Fine Art & Antiques invites you to join us for our upcoming exhibit, featuring the work of Irene Carranza in her solo show “Mirror To A World”. We are pleased to showcase her work from March 3 – April 11, 2010, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, March 13th, from 6 – 9 pm, in conjunction with the NELA ArtWalk. Please join us for wine, appetizers and a meet-and-greet with the artist herself.
Artist Statement: On the surface, Carranza’s work is about women; that is the subject matter. At a deeper level, however, the works are about issues that women face, and they pay tribute to the resilient female spirit. Some of the images explore challenges of identity that we confront as women as we attempt to reconcile modern life with traditional Latino culture. Thus the art can be viewed as affirmations of strength and celebrations of a complex yet incredibly diverse presence as female human beings. She also explores themes of beauty, nature, solitude, death and rebirth. Feminism is expressed in many forms-virgins, mothers, mermaids, maidens, field workers, musicians and prostitutes, reflecting on the tender aspects of mankind. Carranza prefers to work with organic and richly layered oil pastels, using mineral spirits to blend, achieving painterly results. She also works with acrylic and oil paints, and occasionally some printmaking, such as aquatints, etchings and collographs. The artist’s recent explorations of color are done with acrylic paintings on black-gessoed surfaces of canvas and wood, and oil pastels and oil bars on black museum board. She considers these pieces as transformations of darkness into light, or darkness and lightvying with one another. This fascination may come from early childhood memories of the Mexican paintings on black velvet she saw everywhere during visits across the border. It may also stem from her immersion in Catholicism growing up in religious schools and a deeply religious home, where the concepts of good vs. evil and light coming out of darkness were pervasive.

HOW OLD DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO BE AN ARTIST?
The Judson Studios Gallery, 200 So. Avenue 66, Los Angeles 90042
Saturday,March 13th , 6:00PM~9:00PM
Students of ROOM 13, an international network of student-operated art studios will show work at The Judson Studios Gallery as part of NELA Art Night. Three ROOM 13 studios, including James Foshay Learning Center in South Los Angeles, Eliot Middle School in Altadena, and Marjorie Street in South Bay, will showcase paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media, assemblage, muralart and animation at this collaborative art installation. The Judson Studios, an internationally known stained glass maker run by five generations of family members, was also the first home to the USC School of Fine Arts until 1920.
Room13 originated in Caol, Scotland in1994 and has grown into an international network of student-designed and operated creative studios. It now provides learning and business enterprise skills to students in Scotland, Britain, Nepal, India and South Africa, and is currently expanding to Mexico, Turkey, China and Austria. The director of theTate Galleries has called Room 13 “the most important model for artistic teaching in school that we have in the UK.”
In 2008, Light Bringer Project, a nonprofit arts provider, engaged with the program’s international trustees and decided to take advantage of this opportunity for our own public school children. Partnering with Project Design Studio, the organization launched the first ROOM 13 in America at James Foshay Learning Center in South Los Angeles. They proceeded to found ROOM 13 at Eliot Middle School in Altadena. The third, an dmost recent model, ROOM 13 at Marjorie Street, was formed early this year in the South Bay vicinity. Like its peers, each creative studio operates as a physical space flourishing within a public school or community setting and is solely managed by the students.ROOM 13 is dedicated to provingthe worth of the individual with with the support and mentorship of schoolstaff and community members. Facilitated by an artist-in-residence, also from the community, students work in teams, as partners or alone, determining the scope and content of their own creative projects. ROOM 13 artists also learn self-reliance by designing a business model that will sustain their own studio operation. TBWAChiatDay advertising has also provided support of the ROOM 13 network through the contributed help of its creative professionals.
Proceeds from the sale of artworks will benefit ROOM 13 studios.

Have you heard about the 3/50 Project? It started in 2009 when a woman in Minneapolis wrote a blog post asking people to think of three “mom and pop” businesses they didn’t want to see disappear, then to commit $50 of their monthly spending to those or others like them. She called her idea the 3/50 Project, and you can find out more about it at www.the350project.net. You can also become a fan and a member in Facebook.

In honor of the shop local movement, I ventured out into Eagle Rock and assembled some places where you can shop for your Valentine gifts this year and keep your hard-earned money in our town!
I found a number of unique and inexpensive gifts made by local artists at Cactus Gallery. This independent gallery sells wonderful jewelry, paintings, crafts, and you will find something for everyone here.
There are several shops along Eagle Rock Blvd just below Colorado that have unique treasures that may have been gently used before: Twerp’s or Owl Talk for clothing. The Sniveling Sibling for furniture. Read Books for books. You can even go in there and sell them some books to help finance your shopping trip!

Solve your two left feet issues at Ballroom Blitz with some dance lessons. 

Toro’s Pottery has wonderful ceramics, practical or artistic and usually both. For something truly different, Bughouse has great prints and furniture with their particularly insightful and often humorous slant on the world. Around the corner a few blocks down on Colorado Blvd, Jose Vera Fine Art & Antiques offers exceptional and unusual ideas for art, furniture, design.

For a great Valentine’s bouquet, check out Eufloria, nestled between Trader Joe’s and Cacao Delicatessen.
You must go to Pollen and experience the romance of the senses there. Botanical chocolate, jade bracelets, scented soy candles, stunning floral arrangements, chocolate-scented orchids—I want it all!

Camille’s Lady is such a cool place for stylish gift items for the woman in your life. Check out the website or go to the store quickly before that fabulous one-of-a-kind item is sold!

How about a great gift basket from Heather’s Store? You can go in there or call her. She’ll put together a great gift for you. Hurry, I’m sure she’s busy! And stop in right next door at Daybreak Health Foods for some healthy snacks, vitamins or gifts as well.

We have so many great cafes and restaurants here you’ll have to look at my Restaurant Guide for the list. http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ATgtVF9dWpLbZG13a3N4a18yMDdmY3JiaDRocQ&hl=en. If you have any trouble accessing the guide here, I’m posting an updated copy on my blog in the next day or so. I’m happy to email or snailmail you a copy, also. Just ask.

And then there is Colorado Wine Company for all your wine needs. Plus, they’ve teamed up with Auntie Em’s for a pick up your Valentine dinner with fabulous wine pairings. Wow. I’ll be working all Sunday and too tired to go out. I want this one for sure! Are you reading this, sweetheart? From their website:
Anyway, here’s how it works — read the menu, choose your dinner, call Auntie Em’s (323-660-0681) or email to reserve your food, then pick up your food @ Auntie Em’s on the 14th and swing by Colorado Wine Company for your wines. Dinner $28/person, menu and wine prices on the web at www.cowineco.com.

 As I wrote this article, more and more shop local ideas came to me. Highland Park has a growing and vibrant shopping scene along both York and Figueroa streets. How about an updated article on therapeutic massage providers? This is a huge subject as there are many really talented and gifted healing massage therapists in our area. Of course, in the interest of investigative reporting, I’ll have to visit them all so I can be sure everyone is of the quality I can vouch for…Your ideas are welcome, too!

All these shops are in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, 90041.
Ballroom Blitz, 4878 Eagle Rock Blvd, 323-258-0029. www.ballroomblitz.org
Bughouse, 5046 Eagle Rock Blvd, 323-640-0234, www.bughouse.com
Cactus Gallery, 4534 Eagle Rock Blvd, 323-256-6117. www.eclecticcactus.com
Colorado Wine Company, 2114 Colorado Blvd, 323-478-1985. www.cowineco.com                                                                      
Daybreak Health Food, 1565 #a Colorado Blvd,323-258-3881.                                                                                                   Eufloria, 1576 Colorado Blvd, 323-257-5997.
Heather’s Store, 1565 B Colorado Blvd, 323-550-1625. www.heathersstore.com
Jose Vera Fine Art and Antiques, 2012 Colorado Blvd,323.258.5050. www.joseveragallery.com
Lady. 4974 Eagle Rock Blvd, 90041, 323-254-6500. www.ladyeaglerock.com
Owl Talk, 5060-B Eagle Rock Bl. Los Angeles 323-258-2465. www.owltalk.com
Pollen Botanical Design. 1583 Colorado Blvd. 323-550-1555. www.pollenstudio.com
Read Books, 4972 Eagle Rock Blvd, 323-259-9068. www.readbookseaglerock.com
The Sniveling Sibling, 5028 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Toro’s Pottery, 4962 Eagle Rock Blvd. 323-344-8330. www.torospottery.com
Twerp’s, 5060 Eagle Rock Blvd, 323-256-7608

This is the first microbrewery licensed in Los Angeles in 60 years! I had heard, maybe a year ago, that there was possibly an Eagle Rock Brewery planning to open in our corner of Los Angeles, but never knew exactly where it was or when it was really going to open. Eagle Rock Talk mentioned it a few months back, but nothing more. Maybe if I were truly a beer aficionado I would have tracked it down sooner, but I finally took action when some friends of ours told us that the opening was imminent a couple of weeks ago. The first public pouring of their brew happened at the Verdugo Bar in mid-December. 

So far, their licensing only allows them to sell beer in their onsite tasting area by reservation, so we made ours and adventured off to the industrial warehouse area between San Fernando Road and Irving Middle School. The tasting room has very clean, contemporary lines, high ceilings, a wall filled with shelves containing the Eagle Rock Brewery product line which includes glasses and T-shirts, and several other blank white walls perfect for hosting an art exhibit. A long bench along one end is filled with comfy brightly-colored pillows and there are tables and chairs to accommodate several parties of folks. Eagle Rock Brewery President Jeremy, or his father, Vice President Steve, are happy to give a guided tour of the facility. 

They are now brewing three different beers, each one highlighting one of the three main ingredients of beer. The Solidarity Black Mild accentuates the malt, the Manifesto is the whit type featuring the grain, and Revolution highlights the yeast. The names imply the idea of beer for the people by the people (my interpretation). Steve chatted with us about his hope that people would come to the public tasting room to have a beer, maybe bring in some food and share in some good conversation. We’ve done that a couple of times now, and are looking forward to many more fun times there.

I perused their website, www.EagleRockBrewery.com,  and found a very interesting history of what it takes to open a business in the City of Los Angeles these days. These folks had conceived the plan and begun the business legal structure back in 2006, spent the next couple of years really refining and researching and writing and deciding they seriously wanted to commit to their business plan. They rented their warehouse space back in June, 2008, and it took them over a year to navigate and successfully complete the process of permits and approvals from the City of Los Angeles! And if you read their blog or talk to them in person, you can tell that these are intelligent, knowledgeable people who had the sense to hire good professional help to expedite the process. 

Anyway, that’s water under the bridge and now Eagle Rock Brewery is open and suddenly in an online controversy over why it’s located in Glassell Park and calling itself Eagle Rock Brewery. There’s a good answer for that, so go to their website and find out. And then, get over it and make your reservation to go have some yummy artisanal brew. They plan more varieties of beers soon.  

By the way, when you go there, you won’t see a sign on the building. You can park on the street or in the parking spaces in front of the building if there’s room.

Eagle Rock Brewery

3056 Roswell Street

Los Angeles, 90065

Call: (323) 257-7866 or email: Ting@eaglerockbrewery.com for reservations.

With the LATimes.com “Foodie Nirvana” article clutched in our hands, we boarded at the Highland Park station on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for our adventure in Eastside dining. It was a crystal clear, warm, stunning autumn day that reminds us Midwestern transplants just why we live here in Los Angeles.

The Gold Line ran exactly as advertised and we stayed in our same seats all the way to the end of the line, the Atlantic stop. All along the way there were Metro staff in their orange and white vests loaded with smiles, maps, brochures and coupons to give us.
Backtracking to the East LA Civic Center stop, we launched off to the intriguing Moles La Tia, which was tantalizingly described as having the widest selection of traditional and experimental moles in town. Mole sauce comes from Mexico and dates back to the Aztecs. It contains ground spices and chiles, and historically also has chocolate. But we were starving, and after we discovered that the restaurant was almost a mile from the station, we hopped back on the train and went on to Tamales Lilianas, located just a couple of blocks from the Indiana stop. 

This is a popular place—the line ran out the door. It was worth the short wait, though. The chile verde and pork tamales had a fluffy, soft masa filled with mild green chiles and lots of shredded pork. The menu has a great variety of dishes, but everyone we asked said the tamales and the posole were the ones to order. We did, and were not disappointed. Everyone we encountered was friendly and warm towards us, from fellow customers to the wait staff.

Restored and fortified, we went on to the spacious Mariachi Plaza, where we tracked down the Primera Taza Coffee House for a Fair Trade latte. This tiny coffee house is located within steps of three of the recommended restaurants: La Serenata de Garibaldi, La Placita del D.F., and Birrieria Jalisco. I imagine that a bit later in the day with the Mariachi bands playing and people out enjoying Saturday night, this is quite a lively scene. But we were off to see all that we could see before sundown. 

Next stop, Pico/Aliso, and Purgatory Pizza was right across the street from the station. Let me just say that the pizza by the slice was tasty with a nice, thin crust–but Carmela’s ice cream, made on the premises, was life-changing. We tried strawberry sorbet, cranberry-orange with thyme ice cream and cardamom ice cream. Wow. You have to go. The flavors are based on what’s available from local farmer’s markets, so every day is a surprise. The flavors are clean, intense, and even a standard like the strawberry sorbet was a fresh experience here.

These fall days end so soon! The light was slanting down and we were up for one last stop. It had to be Union Station, the centerpiece of public transportation in Los Angeles, of course. The 30-foot-high Christmas tree just inside the main entrance was fully decorated—the first holiday tree I’ve seen this year! A celebratory drink at Traxx bar and we were ready for the short trip back to Highland Park.

We were impressed by so many things on our little tour: the clean and attractive stations each one unique, the friendly Gold Line staff—in fact, the friendly people we met everywhere. The food was great, the adventure was a lot of fun. And we barely scratched the surface of the wealth of food and sightseeing to be accessed just a short walk from each station stop.

Or, why would anyone get up at 4 am to go stand in line in the cold?

Answer: Beats the heck out of me! I’m a child of the 60’s. I truly thought that Black Friday was all about not buying anything the day after Thanksgiving to protest the commercialism of the holidays. I’ve been co-opted!

How did this new Black Friday shopping extravaganza happen to me? I read a Fry’s Electronics ad and it had a netbook that looked perfect for my husband for about $75 less than I had seen anywhere else. Is a possible $75 savings enough to do this?

The short story is “No.”

But I don’t know if that’s really true. I really did get up at 4 am, I left home in time to get a little lost and still arrive at Fry’s in Burbank at 5 am, where I was able to park in the furthest corner of the packed parking lot. The lost part included driving past all those big stores at the Empire Center along Victory there like Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, The Great Indoors. Most of them had huge lines and parking lots full of cars! I’m telling you! At 5 am! Who knew?
The Fry’s staff was like an army. They were lined up about 20 feet apart all around the huge building, because the line to get in went that far. Along the way, there were empty soda bottles, cans, a to-go plate of pancakes, candy wrappers, even blankets. Then, once inside, you had to line up in the department where you wanted to buy your particular hot item, like the netbook. There were hundreds and hundreds of shoppers and in some spots it looked like one staff for every 5 shoppers. I got within about 20 people of the cage where they were handing out the boxes of laptops before they totally sold out of what I was after. Sigh. You would never know there was a recession on, there were shoppers with full carts of TVs, computers, printers everywhere.

But I learned some things chatting with some of my fellow would-be shoppers. I’m afraid this will expose to you just how not a shopper I am, but so be it. One guy had driven down from Mohave to stand in line at the Old Navy store beginning at 1 am. He tired of that, but did a little online shopping at Best Buy at 3 am when a cheap netbook came up for sale. He snagged one of those, just before they sold out at 3:30 am. Then he found out that the first 70 people in line at Old Navy had gotten free Xbox somethings, and he wished he had stayed there. So why was he at Fry’s at 6 am? His girlfriend had expressed an interest in having a netbook, too, and he wasn’t about to pay more than $200 for one. I think this was true love. At 6 am.

The announcement over the store-wide system was “The checkout line begins at aisle 78.” So forget about just shopping for some little things that might be an acceptable deal. I left. I was home before 7 am, empty-handed, but inspired. Gee, maybe I could go online and find some Black Friday deals. Long story short, I bought Christmas presents for almost all my family today for at least a “free shipping” discount. Plus, I was so inspired and in the shopping mode that I actually did buy something for almost everyone on my list. Thank you, Black Friday, I’m practically done with Christmas shopping! Now I can spend my time getting into the spiritual side of the holidays.

The 17th annual Arroyo Arts Collective Recovery Discovery Tour takes place this coming Sunday, November 22,

2009. This is a unique event—a self-driving tour that takes place all over northeast Los Angeles and features the work of over 100 artists. To find out more or to buy tickets online, go to www.ArroyoArtsCollective.org or buy tickets in person for $10 each at Galco’s Old World Grocery, 5702 York Boulevard, Highland Park. Tickets at the door are $15, still quite a deal. This year, they are giving $10 “Arroyo Bucks” coupons with each ticket when you check in, good towards an art purchase that day of $100 or more. You get $20 if you can prove that you arrived via Metro. The start for the Tour is the Charles Lummis Home at 200 E. Avenue 43, Highland Park, at 9:30 am. There will be shuttles driving the route all day, or you can drive yourself.

What I love about this tour is the chance to meet working artists in their studios and see a part of the community that you never get to see otherwise. As a tourist driving through, say, the top of Avenue 53 off Montezuma, would you ever think there were probably a dozen artists living within a few blocks of each other? Or along Marmion Way at the base of Mt. Washington? Plan to spend the whole day if you can, and you still won’t see everything. This is a rare glimpse of a vibrant community of creative souls, many of whom have lived in these communities all their lives. This is the real LA.

The Gold Line Eastside Extension opens this Sunday, November 15. For all the official details, check out: http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/eastside/default.htm. One nice feature is that you can ride the entire Gold Line from Sierra Madre Villa to East Los Angeles without having to change trains, even at Union Station.
The LA Times had an informative article detailing eateries along the 8 stops which go from Little Tokyo to East LA—from sushi to tortas, as they say. Here’s the link to the full story: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-goldline11b-2009nov11,0,4084038.story. Did you know there’s a place called Purgatory Pizza http://theguide.latimes.com/restaurants/purgatory-pizza-venue near the 1St Street bridge at the Pico Alisa stop? They include vegan pizzas with toppings like goat cheese with pesto, or non-veg like Black Forest ham.  See their website at www.eatatpurgatorypizza.com.

Plus, they serve ice cream by Carmela, who makes amazing sounding flavors culled from farmers market seasonal ingredients like lavender and honey, basil and lemon. I can’t wait to check it out. 
My first thought when I looked at the Little Tokyo/Arts District stop location was “how far to the Edison?” Well, folks, if you are stout of heart, you can walk about 3 blocks from the stop to The Edison http://www.edisondowntown.com/main.htm. If you haven’t been to this very fabulous upbeat and unique venue, you have to check it out. It’s in the city’s original private power plant at 108 W. 2nd St, 90012. They have kept much of the original electrical equipment plus made an exotic art deco lounge with interesting events like every Wednesday night’s Incandescence: The Dark Side of Light.
Here’s the route to walk from the Little Tokyo Gold Line stop: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=S+Alameda+St+%26+E+1st+St,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90012&daddr=108+W+2nd+St,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90012&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&dirflg=w&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=35.547176,78.837891&ie=UTF8&z=17.

 

 Be sane and safe—if you drink, walk and go public transit! Be green, be more carbon neutral! And it’s our responsibility as good citizens to participate in what our great city has to offer, don’t you agree? We can improve our economy by having more fun, I say.

It’s Lilia’s Chilean Pebre. According to Wikipedia, “Pebre is a Chilean condiment made of coriander (cilantro), chopped onion, olive oil, garlic and ground or pureed spicy aji peppers. Pebre is most commonly spooned on meat, usually from a barbecue.”
Lilia makes the Pebre right there in front of you with her Cuisinart food processor. Wearing plastic gloves, with her fresh washed cilantro, parsley, and scallions in the tubs in front of her, Lilia can barely keep up with the demand for her tasty sauce .

Her co-worker hands out generous samples spread on slices of French bread, and you have to buy a jar once you taste it. It tastes fresh, green, garlicky, a little spicy but not too much. Lilia says it’s good with potatoes or with chicken. My imagination went to a nice chicken or beef stew laced with the sauce. Or maybe just ladled over a grilled steak or fried eggs. It was great with the bread, and I read that Chileans eat it mostly just like that, as a spread on bread. For $6.00, you get a pint jar of Pebre with a list of the ingredients and a chicken recipe, if you wish. Yum. The Eagle Rock and Roll Farmer’s Market is a certified farmer’s market you can check out at www.pdmarkets.com, but just go to the Eagle Rock Plaza on Sundays from 9 am to 2 pm.

Eagle Rock, Northeast Los Angeles, and occasional forays into Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena

This is my personal, subjective, and sporadically updated guide to local food and drink establishments located mostly in the Northeast Los Angeles area, branching out to Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, San Gabriel. Asterisks indicate that one of us on my team has been there, tasted the food, and likes it. Call the restaurant for current hours. Several of the Highland Park entries were taken from a brochure made by Amy Inouye at Future Studio, 5558 N. Figueroa St, 90042. FutureStudio@sbcglobal.net www.chickenboy.com

Antojitos Guerrero 5623 York Blvd. 323.254.6118

Salvadorean & Mexican, 4-taco special

La Abeja 3700 N. Figueroa St. 323.221.0474

Mural by Leo Limon, the artist who has painted the cat faces in the LA River for 35 years!

El Arco Iris 5684 York Blvd 323.254.3401

www.Elarcoiris.com Popular with locals, good authentic Mexican food.

*Armon’s 5056 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.1440

Good solid American breakfast and lunch, also some Chinese fare. Nice neighborhood atmosphere, friendly waitresses, good daily lunch specials.

*Auntie Em’s 4616 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.255.0800

www.AuntieEmskitchen.com. Great breakfast and lunch, cookies, soups, indoor and outdoor seating, also excellent catering. New! Home delivery options. Vegetarian friendly but they also have good pulled pork sandwiches. Next door is their gourmet cheese shop. Occasional Market Dinners with wine suggestions you can buy from Colorado Wine Company—sign up for their email newsletter and catch the next Dinner, it’s fantastic!

*Bistro de la Gare 921 Meridian Ave. South Pas. 626.799.8828

www.bistrodelagare.com. Really charming, great French bistro food, wine bar, located right by the Gold Line.

*The Black Boar (formerly the Chalet) 1630 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.258.8800

This is one cool bar, no food served at all. English pub-like interior with great jukebox, good martinis, good selection of beers on tap and bottled, friendly staff.

*The Blue Hen 1743 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.5654

www.eatatbluehen.com. Vietnamese food, lunch and dinner. This restaurant supports local farms and sustainable farming practices, and it is good food, too.

*Brownstone Pizza 2108 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.4992

Good New York style pizza and you can also buy it by the slice! They’ll deliver if you’re local.

*The Bucket 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.5654

Known for Basque-style hamburgers. Longtime Oxy hangout.

*Bulgarini Gelato 749 E. Altadena Dr, Altadena 626.791.6174

http://www.bulgarinigelato.com/. Voted best gelato by LA Weekly, a great write-up by Jonathan Gold, and I have to say I had some of the best peach sorbet in my life there. It’s the real deal, though I would rather be in Rome than Altadena sometimes, just sometimes.

Cacao Mexicatessen 1576 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock 323-478-2791

www.cacaodeli.com. Email: cacaodeli@att.net. Smell the made-on-premises tortillas as you enter the doorway and get ready to be transported to Mexico. Specializing in mole, but there is a variety of styles and flavors from all over the country. Take-out, eat-in, and catering.

*Café Beaujolais 1712 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.255.5111

Classic French bistro food, wine & beer. Extremely good.

*Café Culture 1359 N. Altadena Blvd. Pasadena 626.398.8654

Coffee house with good baked goods.

Café de Leche 5000 York Blvd. Highland Park 323-551-6828

www.cafedeleche.net. Remember how the Renaissance of Eagle Rock began with Swork’s Coffee? Here is a great new coffee place in Highland Park, though I’d have to say the tide began to turn here with Marty’s and the York Pub.

*Camilo’s Café & Catering 2128 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.2644

California bistro serving tasty breakfast, lunch, dinner. Also afternoon tea by reservation and excellent catering. Live music on Thursday evenings. Atmosphere is lovely, great for any occasion.

*The Capri 4604 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.3225

Good solid traditional Italian food, large portions, old-style Italian restaurant atmosphere.

*Casa Bianca 1650 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.9617

“The Best Pizza in Southern California.” It is good! Try to beat the rush, but they have chairs outside so you can just visit with your friends while you wait. Takeout is a good choice.

La Casa Princesa 4257 York Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.474.6860

Good coffee, food, free wi-fi, free music, what more could you ask for? Add friendly service and a large space and easy parking. Check it out!

El Chile 4017 N. Figueroa St. 323.221.5555

The only arepas (baked or fried cornmeal cake of traditional Colombian cuisine) on Figueroa, covered patio dining.

*Cinnamon Vegetarian 5511 Figueroa St. Highland Park 323.982.9480

www.CinnamonVegetarian.com. An international but mostly Southwest/South American menu, all meat-free. Very tasty food, a nice, clean, comfortable space, friendly service.

*Classic Thai 1708 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.0530

Charming atmosphere with outdoor seating, moderate prices, good Thai food.

*The Coffee Gallery 2029 N. Lake Ave. Altadena 626.398.7917

www.coffeegallery.com. Neighborhood coffee house with entertainment in the back room venue. Get on their email list, they have incredible talent performing, especially old folkies, acoustic guitarists and songwriters.

*The Coffee Table 1958 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.255.2200

www.coffeetablebistro.com. Sister to the one in Silverlake. Great space, good food, coffee and now beer and wine. Sensitive restoration of the historic building and old photos of Eagle Rock add to the ambience.

*Colombo’s 1833 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.254.9138

Prime rib, steak, seafood, pasta. Piano music every evening, dimmed lighting, full bar with the strongest drinks around, interesting paintings, old neighborhood feel. Now with some outdoor seating as well.

*The Colorado Wine Co. 2114 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.478.1985

www.cowineco.com. Neighborhood wine bar with tastings Friday evenings and Sunday afternoon. Buy a glass or a case. Sign up for the email list for John’s literary musings on the art and comedy of wine as well as details of the next tasting or art opening there. Twitter @CoWineCo.

*Dave’s Chillin’ & Grillin’ 2152 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.490.0988

www.daveschillin.com. Dave is passionate about his sandwiches and he has every reason to be. Fresh, tasty, a bargain—the Eagle Rock business model between two halves of a fresh roll.

*Elvira’s 1757 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.3216

Homemade Mexican food with lots of vegetarian options, prepared and served with love. Pepe Serna paintings decorate the walls.

Ernie Jr’s Taco House 2803 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.1298

One of the oldest restaurants around serving old-style American Mexican food. I have to mention that they put mayonnaise in their tostada dressing.

*La Estrella #3 6103 N. Figueroa Highland Park 323.982.0179

Colorful house, corner location, great tacos. Served open with shredded carnitas, limes and very inexpensive. Voted one of the top 25 Mexican restaurants in LA in 2004.

*Fatty’s 1627 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.254.8804

www.fattyscafe.com. Gourmet vegetarian food, excellent wine list, good beer. Some very amazing and delicious desserts as well. Open for dinnertime only, but you can just have dessert or a glass of wine if you like.

Felipe 6101 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.256.9784

Formerly Villa Sombrero, Felipe, the original property owner, has taken over and has done a reprise of some of his original dishes from the time it had more upscale Latin cuisine like lobster, grilled steak, chicken mole. They now have a liquor license.

*Firefly Bistro 1009 El Centro Ave. South Pas. 626.441.2443

www.eatatfirefly.com Exceptional New Orleans style cuisine, the signature dish is pecan-crusted catfish, oh yes. The occasional 5-course wine dinner is to die for.

*Folliero’s 5566 N Figueroa St, Highland Park 323.254.0505

www.Follieros.com Established in 1968, Tony Folliero still makes his own pizza dough every morning, though daughter Titina now runs the restaurant. Friendly staff, great thin-crust pizza, other yummy Italian dishes you will love as much as do the generations of Highland Parkers who still go there. Cash only! But beer and wine are served. Really reasonable prices.

*La Fuente 2256 W. Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.344.3796

Reliably good, satisfying Mexican food, recently reopened after a remodel. Full bar.

5530 Monte Vista St. Highland Park 323.258.6109

La Fuente #6 5552 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park 323.257.3564

One door south of Future Studio

El Huarache Azeca 5225 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.478.9572

A hotspot for locals and visiting foodies.

*Jamba Juice 5053 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.349.0670

One of the many signs that Eagle Rock has arrived. Healthy, quick juiced drinks. This is in a building that was not torn down by the Walgreen’s next door.

*Johnny’s Bar 5006 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.551-6959

Evilly good martinis. No food. Eat at the nearby York Pub or Marty’s and stop in here as part of your Highland Park Pub crawl.

*Larkin’s Joint 1496 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.254.0934

www.larkinsjoint.com. Contemporary California soul food in a juke joint atmosphere. Come here when you have no dietary restrictions, because this is good old fried catfish & greens, sweet potato pie, BBQ’d tri-tip kind of fare.

*Lemongrass 1952 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.258.8050

Simple, good Vietnamese food with beer and wine served. Featured dishes include banh mi (sandwiches), pho (soup), spring rolls. Inexpensive, fresh, delicious food. Sit outside and enjoy life in the heart of Eagle Rock.

Little Cave 5922 N. Figueroa St. 323.255.6871

Formerly Sir Richard’s biker bar and Hofbrau, now painted black inside and quite a hangout for local hipsters.

Mariscos Estilo D.F. Truck 4702 N. Figueroa St. at Sycamore Grove Park Highland Park

Blue truck, seafood tostadas, eat in park. Made to order.

*Marty’s 5137 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.256.2400

The gentrification of Highland Park began here. Yummy bar food like Kobe beef burgers. Bouncers dressed in black, valet parking. Yes!

El Metate 5305 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park 323.478.8383

Homemade tortillas, cart often in front after dark with huge sizzling fresh meat spit

*Mia Sushi 4741 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.2562

www.mia-sushi.com. Eagle Rock’s first sushi restaurant. Great food, decor, valet parking. For you no raw fish die-hards, there is a selection of cooked non-fish Japanese-style items that is very good as well.

* Minx Restaurant & Lounge 300 Harvey Drive, Glendale 818.242.9191

www.minx-la.com. Fine dining and cocktail lounge located on the border of Eagle Rock. Superb Sunday brunch, eat inside or out, enjoy music, great cocktails. They also cater. *August update: customer service has slipped here.

My Taco 6300 York Blvd 323.256.2698

Potato tacos, carne asada fries.

*Oinkster 2005 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.3892

www.theoinkster.com. “Slow fast food” is their motto. It’s really good and it’s really, really slow—the service, that is. House cured pastrami, slow roasted pork and chicken, fresh good food.

*Panang 1801 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.344.3796

If you’re feeling like you might be coming down with a cold, go have a nice big bowl of Thai noodles, a tall frosty beer and be happy.

*Polka 4112 Verdugo Road Glassell Park 323.255.7887

www.polkacatering.com. Jonathan Gold says, “Polka, a sweet Polish restaurant near where Eagle Rock fades into Glendale, is that rarity in Los Angeles, an authentic, home-style Eastern European restaurant of the kind so common in Cleveland and Chicago…”

*Pat & Lorraine’s 4720 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.7926

Local breakfast and lunch joint—it closes at 2:30 pm!

El Pescador 5230 N. Figueroa St. Highland Park 323.255.8164

Popular for after church brunching

*Petit Beaujolais 1651 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.255.5133

Great coffee, fresh croissants, very tasty breakfast and lunch, a perfect place to sit outside on a balmy day and just be in the heart of Eagle Rock.

*Santa Maria Barbecue 626.963.3935

All you can eat barbecues, parties, events. Simple fare and really tasty. Tri-tip top sirloin, chicken, beef ribs, beans, hot dogs or hamburgers, and that’s about it. They only cater. www.santamariagrill.com.

*Scoops 712 N. Heliotrope Dr. Los Angeles 323.906.2649

Gelato, vegan ice cream & sorbet. You can have a taste of whatever they have available that day. Wild tastes like Jack Daniels & Cream, Blackberries and mango. Worth the drive out of Eagle Rock!

*Senor Fish 4803 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.7167

Great fish tacos and other Mexican food. Good outdoor seating.

Spring Street Smokehouse 640 N. Spring St, LA 90012 213.626.0535

www.sssmokehouse.com The LA BBQ Guy is the Truck, and you can follow him on Twitter. They’ve been parking in front of the 7-11 at Highland View Ave on Colorado Blvd, giving away free samples of bbq. Of course you go back and buy some, it’s good!

*Spitz 2505 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.5600

Home of the Doner Kebab: lean meat, chilies, tzatziki, tomatoes & cucumbers in grilled focaccia, sweet potato fries. Good fast food plus gelato! Two Oxy grads went to Europe, loved it, and brought it back to Eagle Rock.

*The Spot 2032 Lincoln Ave. Pasadena 626.296.3184

(Formerly Vintage Café)

www.thespotpasadena.com. Now a catering business only, and really good.

Starbucks 4430 York Blvd, Eagle Rock 323-340-8059

www.Starbucks.com. Practically in Highland Park, this Starbucks has a drive through.

*Stoney Point 1450 W. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena 626.449.9715

www.stoneypointrestaurant.com. Italian-style cuisine, great atmosphere.

*Swork 2160 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.258.5600

www.swork.com. Good coffee, Free—note, Free wireless internet, kid-friendly hangout, a great community hangout, the first of the “cool factor” beginning of Eagle Rock’s commercial core.

*The Taco Spot 2005 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.4727

www.taco-spot.com. Really tasty, fresh Mexican food. Reasonably priced, good service, very convenient.

Tacos El Michoacoano 5933 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.258.0794

Authentic excellent Michoacan made from scratch

*Tommy’s Burgers 1717 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.982.1746

Some people in my family love Tommy’s. If you want a heart attack on a bun, you can start here.

Verdugo Bar 3408 Verdugo Rd. Glassell Park 90065 323-257-3408

www.VerdugoBar.com. Open 8 pm-2 am. A large selection of custom beers including Crown City Brewery. Art Deco interior. Look for the small “Cocktails” sign or you’ll miss it.

*York Pub 5018 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.255.9675

www.theyorkonyork.com. Another of the new bars along York Blvd, part of the renaissance of Highland Park and the birth of the cool. Lots of good beers, good food, good times, and now even open for brunch on the weekends. Even beer from the Craftsman Brewery in Pasadena is served, a major treat.

*Zankou Chicken 1415 E. Colorado Blvd. Glendale 818.244.1937

Some of the best fast food in the world. Garlic sauce, hummus, pita bread, rotisserie chicken, shwarma, it’s actually addictive.

FREE DELIVERY (most with a minimum order)

*Elvira’s 1757 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.257.3216

Italiano’s 6500 N. Figueroa Highland Park 323.255.6155

Also at 5101 York Blvd. Highland Park 323.255.0016

*Sicha Siam 4403 Eagle Rock Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.344.8285

Some of the best Thai food around, and they bring it to you!

*Thai Spirit 2617 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock 323.256.1644

*Two Guys from Italy 405 N. Verdugo Rd. Glendale 323.254.0404

Do you have restaurants you’d like to see included on this list? Do you have any real estate needs? Call Tracy King, Realtor, Coldwell Banker, at 626-844-2256 or email at Tracy@TracyKing.com. Check out my website at www.TracyKing.com. Please comment on my blog at www.TracysLARealEstate.com.

I love cemeteries, and the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is in my top 4 along with Pere Lechaise (Paris), Forest Lawn (both Hollywood and Glendale), and Mountain View (Altadena). The story of Hollywood Forever is a great one in itself, but you can read about that elsewhere ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Forever_Cemetery) . You may not agree with what Tyler Cassity and his family and friends have done with the cemetery business, but I think several of his accomplishments and innovations have been laudably noteworthy. Did you know that the television show 6 Feet Under was based on the Cassity family and their business? Tyler Cassity served as a consultant on the show. But the most important accomplishment in my opinion is that he rescued an amazing historic resource from decay and obscurity and has restored it to its former glory. Hollywood Forever is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Innovations in the funeral business have included the videography of lives that can now be preserved on the website, virtual memorial services so friends and family from all over the world can attend, and a new technology that inscribes photos on the tombstones of the dear departed.
As a way to fund the huge cost of the restoration of the 62-acre park, Hollywood Forever hosted Cinespia, John Wyatt’s screenings of movies on a mausoleum wall on summer nights. Thousands of people have attended over the last few years, bringing blankets, picnics and drinks to enjoy outdoor entertainment in a fabulous, but slightly creepy, venue. The last screening of this season was the appropriately spooky Rosemary’s Baby.
I heard about the dawn Bon Iver cemetery concert on public radio KCRW and immediately went online to buy tickets. This was no simple concert to welcome the sunrise, like a traditional Easter service, no. The gates opened at midnight and concertgoers were welcome to bring sleeping bags, blankets, snacks and drinks and spend the night. Included were two sets of recorded music with playlists created by the leader of Bon Iver, Justin Vernon. There were screenings of Bottle Rocket and the documentary Planet Earth. Free coffee and pastries were served to the crowd. Then came our favorite part, the blessing of the audience and stage by Buddhist monks. In the dark came flickers of light as candles were lit onstage and then the most haunting deep bass chants from the monks swept across the crowd. Finally, as the sky lightened and the mist began to clear, Bon Iver came on and gave a stirring performance. The crowd was enthusiastic and made this final performance of their two-year tour everything the band could have dreamed of, I’m sure.
This was a sold-out event at $25 a ticket and we guessed 2,000 people showed up, but somewhere I saw that 1200 was capacity. I had never heard of Bon Iver, I went because the idea of spending the night at the cemetery and greeting the dawn there appealed to me. But imagine the possibilities of future events—a concert of Buddhist chants, or New Age composers like Philip Glass or Brian Eno, or Tuvan throat singers. The mind opens at the possibilities…