LA

Blog: Where Do I Even Begin?...

If you’re a weekly reader of my blogs you may have read last week that I had a previous topic in mind when I went into that particular blog that didn’t end up happening simply because I felt called to go in a different direction, which is where we ended up. Side note; if you’re a weekly reader of mine, from the bottom of my heart thank you! I was hesitant to start blogging for the reason that it is often times baring your soul for strangers on the internet. Come to think of it, I actually think it may be easier to be open with strangers than to open yourself up to those closest to you. All of this is to say I hope you’ll come to this blog with as much love, kindness, & support as you have in the past. If you’re new to this whole carnival, welcome, I’m glad you’re here. Onto the topic at hand.

Something I desperately struggle with as an artist, creative, entrepreneur, business owner, etc. is starting. They say you have to start to succeed, which naturally is true, but I often find myself standing at the precipice of inception unable to budge. You see I immediately run into the feeling of overwhelm. I know all of the things I need to be doing but I’m struck with immobility because of the overwhelm of it all. It’s not like I don’t know how to be an organized person or how to prioritize or make lists, it’s just that I get an instant state of panic & can’t begin to even fathom the steps moving forward.

I know I’m not alone in this either, I’ve done a little bit of surveying over the last few weeks in this exact field of study. I wish so badly that it weren’t the case, I wish I could find myself presented with a challenge or a list of things that would lead me to success & not immediately go into mental gridlock but I can’t for the life of me find a way around. I say all of this not for your pity but more as a way of sharing my struggles in hopes they resonate with you. I also almost wonder if I’m in part begging for help especially where the music industry is concerned. I feel I’m often presented with a ‘do thing & you’ll get that’ but I feel no one addresses the ‘how.’

I think the reason for all the vagueness is that a lot of people don’t know themselves, they stumbled upon success or happened to have friends or family in high places & that’s equally, if not more frustrating. A part of me wants to stand atop the BMI or SESAC building & scream “WTF DO I DO?!” but I know that wouldn’t solve anything & would simply make me look like a loon. I guess I’m just feeling lost in a sea of people who know exactly what they want & how to get it. I feel drowned in complete uncertainty.

Again, all of this is meant to find common ground with you as a reader, if this doesn’t resonate with you specifically, I’m sorry. I also wanted anyone out there feeling this way to know that they’re not alone, that you are seen & heard & felt. You are deserving of success just as I am but sometimes the path ahead feels less like a road & more like an endlessly winding labyrinth. I am writing this not only to remind myself to have patience & persistence but to also remind you to do the same. They say good things come to those who wait, but I think that’s a bit of BS. I think good things come to those who claim them because they know they’re meant to happen. So claim your good things & don’t worry about the mess in between. Even Theseus relied on little more than a ball of thread to escape his own maze. Don’t get too overwhelmed by the massive walls around you or the things standing in your way, take it one inch of thread at a time.

Recommendation Blog: Los Angeles

Much like my precious recommendation blogs I’ve included only Restaurants, Bars, & Theaters that I’ve been to. I can’t very well recommend something in good conscious that I, myself, haven’t tried.

Also, if you want to skip the area specific sections my “Quick Picks” are at the bottom!

LA PROPER: (Restaurants With Multiple Locations Around LA)

  • In-N-Out Burger: The west coast chain everybody raves about! I recommend going in with some knowledge of the secret menu! Double Double served Animal & Protein Style is my go to! Animal Style Fries are also a solid choice!

  • Lemonade: One of my favorite west coast chains, Lemonade is the healthy version of cafeteria style dining. Pick any number of options you like, but don’t skip on a Lemonade & a Giant Macaron! They have pretty solid Spicy Tuna Poke as well!

  • Salt & Straw: Started in Portland, OR then overtook California! Salt & Straw features its normal handful of Ice Cream but also does a series of “prompt” flavors that change every month!

  • Sugarfish: An LA sushi chain, it’s worth a bit of a splurge. Grab the Chef’s “I Trust You” & enjoy the Sushi journey!

  • Urth Cafe: Incredible Food, Incredible Coffee! This Persian inspired Coffee Shop is a great place to hang or have a mid day meal! There is one in the Southwest Terminal of LAX as well!

Beverly Hills:

  • Catch: Upscale Seafood, overlooks the divid between West Hollywood & Beverly Hills. Get a reservation, walk ins are few & far between.

  • Gracias Madre: Vegan Mexican that doesn’t suffer from a lack of meat & cheese. Get the Cauliflower Nachos for sure as well as the Jackfruit Tacos!

  • Zinque: Very trendy, the Tuna Tartine is incredible! Great drinks & atmosphere though!

Big Bear:

  • Local Tropicali: Excellent Poke Bowls, perfectly brewed Cold Brew, & other incredible Hawaiian inspired Bowls. Not to be missed in Big Bear! Staff is beyond friendly & helpful as well! Try the secret menu item the Krakatoa!

Burbank:

  • Bob’s Big Boy: You know it from the GIANT MAN ON THEIR ROOF. A Diner that boasts a pretty solid Burger & the like! The Antique Cars in the lot are a nice touch too!

  • Mama Hong’s: My favorite Pho place in America! Just really solid all around & inexpensive! I get the Filet Mignon Pho with Sliced Steak & Brisket added!

  • Priscilla’s Coffee: Get the House Specialty Latte. It’s incredible!

Chinatown:

  • Chego!: Korean Rice Bowls. Inexpensive but still amazing! Usually enough food to last two meals! I like the Pork Belly & the Fries!

Downtown:

  • Pitchoun: Cute little French Bakery tucked right in downtown LA. Their Pastries & Desserts are where they shine but their Sandwiches & Tartines are not to be ignored either!

The Grove:

  • Dominique Ansel Bakery: The inventor of the Cronut, Dom Ansel offers a variety of incredible Desserts & a Cronut of the Month! In addition to sugary confections they also have a restaurant!

  • Nonna’s Empanadas: Amazing Empanadas of all varieties! Sweet, Savory, you name it! The Guava/Cream Cheese is mind-blowingly good!

Hollywood:

  • Beauty & Essex: Contemporary American a little higher up on the price scale. Famous for their Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Bites as well as their Croque Madame Mac & Cheese & their Dessert Ferris Wheel. Bring friends & share plates!

  • Black Rabbit Rose: A Magic Themed Cocktail Bar with Live Music! Grammy Winning Pianist plays with his band there every Tuesday evening & Thursdays are Jazz nights!

  • Dirty Laundry: A dark, dingy bar that’s strangely still upscale! Alcoholic Frozen Drinks abound! Occasionally have Live Music.

  • Fat Sal’s: Exactly how it sounds. Massive amounts of food for cheap. Bomb Sandwiches & Milkshakes, just don’t go on a diet.

  • Frog Frozen Yogurt Bar: My favorite Frozen Yogurt in LA, always have fun flavors & are open late. They deliver as well!

  • Good Times at Davey Wayne’s: One of my favorite bars in LA. Davey Wayne’s is a fun 70s Themed Bar with a lot of charm. Their “Backyard” offers Yard Games, Hammocks, Fresh Grilled Tacos, & Alcoholic Snow Cones!

  • Hotel Cafe: Amazing, historic venue. You never know who will pop in here! Often have two shows going at once, so check online before you go!

  • Javista: A subsidiary of Urth Cafe. The same high quality Coffee & Food, but I think a little cheaper!

  • Jones: An LA staple. Jones is a late night Italian Restaurant that has been around forever. A good place for Celebrity sightings as well.

  • Lost Property: Inconspicuous as they come. A little bar tucked under a skyscraper. A great hang spot!

  • Mama’s Shelter: Part Boutique Hotel, Part Bar, Part Restaurant! The Shelter is a cool retro Hollywood styled Hang! There’s always something fun going down there! Amazing view of Hollywood from their Rooftop Bar!

  • No Vacancy: Another one of my favorite Bars in LA. No Vacancy is a Prohibition Style Speakeasy. Entering the bar is a little like being at Disneyland. I won’t spoil the fun but inside are Prohibition Era Drinks, A Live Jazz Band, & A Burlesque Show!

  • Roscoe’s: The O.G. LA Chicken & Waffles place! Open late & they you can also get it delivered!

  • Rubies + Diamonds: Salted Coconut Cold Brew, Medium Sweet. That’s all you need to know. You’re Welcome.

  • The Rusty Mullet: Beer Pong. Darts. Drinks served in a Sand Pail. What’s not to love? Rednecked Themed, but this bar is a total blast!

  • Stout Burger: So Cal Burger Chain. Go during Happy Hour, their burgers are half priced! Stout also boasts an extensive Draft List that’s always rotating!

  • The Study: Used to be “Hemingway’s,” The Study’s drinks are all literature themed! Often have Live Music there as well!

  • Velvet Margarita: Late Night Mexican Food! Make them bring back the Weekend Fish Stew, it was life changing.

Inglewood

  • Kanpai: THE. BEST. SUSHI. Hands down. End of story. Owner goes & picks out fresh fish every morning!

La Brea:

  • Bluestone Lane: Aussie Coffee shop! Get you a Milo Mocha & a Square of Poundcake (Frozen) & sit back & enjoy the chill atmosphere!

  • Tartine: A West Coast chain but there’s definitely a reason behind their fame! Incredible baked goods, don’t skip the Morning Bun or another form of Croissant, they’re to die for!

  • Three Borders Brunch: A must stop & I cannot stress that enough. El Salvidorian meets Mexican meets American food! It’s INCREDIBLE. So good it made me cry & the owners are always there cooking up a storm!

Larchmont Village:

  • Cafe Gratitude: A very pleasant Vegan Cafe! Sandwiches, Pasta, Etc, all bangin!

  • Go Get Em Tiger: Hella cool Coffee Shop! Awesome Lattes with an awesome crew!

Las Feliz:

  • Alcove Cafe & Bakery: A bit pretentious but I’ve never had anything bad there! Very broad menu ranging from Eggs Benedict to Salads to Sandwiches!

  • Ample Hills Creamery: This NYC Based Creamery is incredible. Their flavors are inventive while still being within the realm of classic taste!

Malibu:

  • Malibu Seafood: Fresh Seafood! Don't know what to get? Get the sampler! The Sandwiches are also pretty great!

  • Nobu: Probably one of the most famous LA restaurants, Nobu is High End, & I mean High End Sushi!

Melrose:

  • Blu Jam Cafe: One of my go-to stops in LA. Blu Jam is famous for their Crispy French Toast! It’s bangin’! I recommend getting the Tropical Variant of the French Toast with the Vanilla Creme Sauce! The Churro French Toast is incredible too as is their Breakfast Quesadilla!

  • Market Provisions: The best Yogurt & Granola I’ve ever had! May seem like a little thing but it’s incredible as is their Dungeness Crab Croque Madame!

  • Taste on Melrose: Get the White Truffle Lobster Mac & Cheese. End of story!

  • Wolf: An interesting place to Brunch, the Golden Eggs are one of their specialties as are their Crispy Potatoes!

North Hollywood:

  • Aroma Cafe: Very large menu with a lot of variety to it. Never had anything bad there! Huge pastry selection as well. Quant & Cute. A fun morning meeting place!

  • El Tajano: Tuesday night Two-For-One Margaritas & Tacos! Go with friends & play some Yard Games!

Silverlake:

  • DeSano Pizza: The Nashville Pizza Gods go west! Get the Diavola & the San Genarro!

  • Las Globos Theater: Awesome Hip Hop Club! Go discover the next big thing in Hip-Hop!

  • Silverlake Ramen: A must stop. My favorite Ramen in the States! Get the Blaze (Spicy Tankatsu) with Pork Belly, Extra Egg, & Black Garlic Oil. You’ll thank me later!

  • Sqirl: A Fun little Healthy Breakfast/Lunch spot! The Sorrell Bowls are great as is the fresh Brioche with Ricotta Rainbow Style!

  • The Thirsty Crow: If Silverlake Ramen has a line, wait it out here! The cocktails are all amazing!

Studio City:

  • La Loggia: Upscale Italian. Amazing fresh baked bread & pasta. Get a bottle of Baby Blue while you’re there as well!

  • Voodoo Doughnuts: The Portland Doughnut Giant goes south! This one is located at Universal CityWalk & unlike its siblings, isn't open 24/7. They are also lacking the more “risqué” doughnuts i.e. The Cock & Balls & the Blunt. Still worth it for a Portland Cream, Memphis Mafia, & Maple Bacon Bar!

West Hollywood:

  • Barnie’s Beanery: A good Celebrity spotting location! Been at the same location forever. I recommend their chili sampler!

  • Flaming Saddles: A gay bar with the best dance floor in town, no matter what your sexuality is, they cater to it!

  • Motherlode: Cheap, STROOOONG Drinks! Start your night out here to save some cash & get the bang for your buck!

  • Night & Market: My favorite Thai spot in LA since Pok Pok pulled out. Very similar to Pok Pok in design & taste! Go potluck with some friends & try a few things!

  • Pump: Vanderpump’s WeHo Bar. Drinks are a little pricy but they’re very tasty & very strong!

Quick Picks:

  • Bakery: Dominique Ansel

  • Breakfast: Blu Jam Cafe

  • Brunch: Blu Jam Cafe (Traditional) Wolf (Upscale) Market Provisions OR Sqirl (Interesting)

  • Burger: Stout (Specialty) In-N-Out (Normal)

  • Coffee: Diamond + Rubies

  • Contemporary American: Beauty & Essex

  • Donuts: Voodoo Doughnuts

  • Empanadas: Nonna’s Empanadas

  • Frozen Yogurt: Frog

  • Healthy: Lemonade

  • Ice Cream: Salt + Straw OR Ample Hills

  • Italian Jones (Normal) La Loggia (Upscale)

  • Korean: Chego!

  • Late Night: Jones

  • Mexican: Three Borders Brunch

  • Pho: Mama Hong’s

  • Pizza: DeSano

  • Ramen: Silverlake Ramen

  • Special Occasion: Beauty & Essex

  • Sushi: Kanpai

  • Thai: Night & Market

  • Vegan/Vegetarian: Gracias Madre