September 2007
106 posts
Bar Marmont Goes Gastropub →
They’ve got a new chef, and the old in-house management is back.
Washington Post on Downtown Gentrification →
“There is a life cycle to cool, a kind of evolution: From poor to edgy and arty, to funky to established.”Not a whole lot new here; via LAO.
Indie Rock Question of the Day
VH1’s The Pick-up Artist: First sign of the apocalypse, or second sign of the apocalypse?
NY Times: 'Blade Runner' Slide Show →
Some nice frames from the newly restored version of BR and one of its major influences. While we’re on the subject of Blade Runner, here’s my take on whether Deckard is a [SPOILER alert] you-know-what.
MK12's 'History of America' →
(Via CP) Online now, and it’s some crazy shit. MK12, if you haven’t had the pleasure, is an amazing motion-graphics studio. Remember Ultralove Ninja?
Indie Rock Bartender: The Americano →
I like blood orange for the garnish.
From the Archives: Hedi Slimane Profile in TNY →
Hedi is quite a character and a hell of a designer. He’s also one of those types—so popular these days—that seems to have his hands in everything. He takes photos, discovers bands, designs furniture and dabbles in architecture. You could say he’s diversified.
I’m primarily a fan of his clothes, but I can also appreciate that he carries his aesthetic throughout his whole life....
Layer Tennis Starts Today →
Photoshop tennis is back in a big way.
Fish-taco Follow-up →
First covered this back in July; guess the word is getting out, and the word is good.
Ruhlman and Bourdain Announce 'Golden Clog' Awards →
Celebrating “the best and the worst of the year in food.” Can’t wait. (Via CP)
Histogram Steganography →
Very clever—an image hidden in a histogram; via DF.
City Beat: Dozing in the Slow Lane →
The first installment in a series on how to get LA moving.
Photos of Writers' Rooms →
I always enjoy seeing people’s workspaces. Some common themes here: clutter, books, maps and globes, office chairs, old-looking computers. Also popular is the two-filing-cabinets-and-a-slab-of-wood desk. (Via CP)
Overheard In My Office: Beard-off Edition
Coworker walking down the hall: Nice beard.
Both beard-off contestants: (in unison) Thanks!
Radar: When to Draw the (White) Line →
Lines, rather.
Met Has New Hall for Modern Photography →
From the big names to the avant-garde.
Throttle Jockey on the Electrobike Pi →
Susan Carpenter take the Pi electric bike for a spin.
“It’s a traditional pedal pusher, a motor-driven bike and an art piece.”It’s also $7500 and sold only at Design Within Reach. Very bourgeois, but I still want one.
LA's Old-school Photo Booths →
They’re always fun.
Centeno Ankling Opus?* →
Just over a week ago, word broke that Opus would be shelving the tasting menu and overhauling the regular menu. Now Eater LA says that chef Josef Centeno will be leaving Opus to open a new, smaller restaurant in Silver Lake that will show of his tasting menu.
I wish Centeno the best of luck with his new venture, but it will be a drag to see him leave Opus. Let’s just hope that another...
Franklin Ave Checks Out Virgin America →
Cheap flights, decent amenities, mood lighting. LA, SF, NY. Sounds good to me.
Chasing the Green Fairy →
Absinthe’s reputation for causing madness and inspiration is perhaps a bit undeserved, but it can be a fun ritual. I didn’t realize you could get good stuff in the United States.
Best Nickname for Skinny Pants
“Drainpipes”
Screenshelves for the Projector Enthusiast →
A clever solution. From books to big-screen Halo 3 in a snap.
'Swindle' on LA Taco Trucks →
Via LA Taco, picking up the slack in the wake of Bandini’s recent silence. Anyway, from the article:
“Almost every Angeleno I ask has a favorite taco truck and a reason why it’s the best.”Very true; my vote goes to El Matador.
Orchid Hotel Blooms Downtown →
A new boutique hotel is open Downtown, sort of a scaled-down Standard; looks pretty nice. Via Curbed.
How to Split the Bill* →
(Via Eater) Some advice from NYT restaurant critic Frank Bruni. The gist of it: If you’re going out to eat with a largish group, be prepared to split the bill evenly and pay a bit over what you order. If you order something particularly expensive, don’t be an asshole—offer to pay more. And don’t make the non-drinkers pay for alcohol.
*Update: More in a follow-up.
Checking Up on Villaraigosa's Million Trees →
“More than two years into his term, Villaraigosa is roughly one-tenth of the way toward his tree-planting goal. Of the roughly 110,000 he lists as planted, more than half—51%—were given away to the public.”I didn’t know this:In the effort to plant 1 million trees, the city is staging giveaways where citizens can take saplings home to plant. That sounds nice,but is it...
Pros and Cons of Having a Broken Foot
Pro: Clean pairs of socks last twice as long Con: Absolutely everything else
NYT: Red Wines Under Ten Bucks →
Some reds for the indie-rock budget; note the lovely slide show.
Anthony Bourdain's Overrated Menu →
Tony takes on some pointless dining trends. From the latest issue of Radar; via Apron, Napkin.
“Helvetica essentially takes any word or phrase and pressure-washes it into...”
– Douglas Copeland in the NYT
Mixed Reactions to Park(ing) Day LA →
Dozens of people—many of them artists and activists involved in issues ranging from affordable housing to creating urban farmland—temporarily set up “parks” in scores of parking spaces from Long Beach to Westwood and beyond.I’m a big supporter of more green space in LA, and this event has certainly garnered some media attention, which is great.
Of course, it seems the project...
Where to Drink on Sunday Afternoon →
Well, the best place to drink on Sunday afternoon is probably at a friend’s backyard BBQ, but if that’s not happening, here are a few options. See also: first call.
Fall Fashion: Hitchcock Ladies →
“Every woman should be able to scream like a teakettle and run in high heels.”For the ladies: an article in the times about drawing inspiration from Hitchcock movies. Works for me.
LAJ Reviews El Jalapeño →
No one does a review quite like Losanjealous Ryan.
Careful With Eggs Benny at BLD (or Anywhere) →
Bourdain warns against Hollandaise in Kitchen Confidential. I don’t have the book in front of me right now, but here he is on CNN:
“Hollandaise is extremely friendly environment for bacteria. It’s one of the first things they teach you in cooking school. It’s rich with egg and proteins and—raw egg, I might add, or just lightly cooked. And it has to be held in order to be...
Gridskipper: Eating in Echo park →
Gotta try this Patra burger…
“A proud L.A. tradition is the 6 a.m. first call, where gaffers, off-call doctors...”
– An article in the LA Times about getting that morning fix
Audio: TNY's Dana Goodyear on Kim Hastreiter and... →
Goodyear writes the New Yorker’s “Postcards from LA” blog. Here she discusses Kim Hastreiter, one of the creators of Paper magazine. Hastreiter is one of those people who surrounds herself not only with interesting art and objects, but also with interesting people—artists, trendsetters, gentrifiers. I guess she’s like Warhol in that way.
Goodyear also discusses Los...
Downtown News Development Report →
An overview of the 157 projects underway downtown right now.
Julius Shulman in Metropolis Mag →
(Via Curbed) When it comes to modernist LA architecture, photographer Julius Shulman is simply the man. He’s got a new three-volume set coming out soon from Taschen. Interestingly enough, Mr. Taschen lives in the famous Chemosphere building in the Hollywood Hills. Has Shulman shot it? Of course he has.
Gridskipper LA's Late-night Dining →
Indie Rock Bakery vouches for 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, and has been meaning to get to number 2.
Habit 825 House by Lorcan O'Herlihy →
A nice pile of bricks next to another nice pile of bricks.
NYT Dropping the Pay Wall →
Good show. The article mentions that the WSJ may follow suit.
