Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Really REALLY Overdue For An Update

Ok, I've obviously got to do a better job updating this thing. My only excuse is that I've been working a ton of hours lately so my free time has had to be spent running errands and occasionally getting out and seeing something cool. Since its been so long and there is so much to cover, I'm just going to break this down by category.

Food:

I'm still in love with Trader Joes for groceries, but even the run-of-the-mill grocery stores out here have produce sections that look like Fresh Market. Its great. I've become an expert on cutting and preparing mangoes. Did you know that mangoes are the most popular fruit in the world, being consumed 3 times as often as bananas and 10 times as often as apples? Now you do.

There is a little taco stand up the road from my apartment named "La Playita" that is ridiculously good/cheap. Its become a weekend staple of mine. Other than La Playita, I've avoided going to the same place more than twice since there are so many options. The notable meals have been pizza from Bravo on main street, a burger with plantains from Bossa Nova, Chinese delivery from Wokano, movie theater popcorn from the Arclight in Hollywood, the taco platter from Pink Taco, and some sushi place I went to and can't remember the name of. Lets just say it made Nama taste like leather from a hobo's shoe.

I've still got to try the burger from Fathers Office and another burger joint called "The Counter". They really take burgers seriously here. I've yet to have a bad one.

Bars:

Drinking in LA is expensive so I haven't done a whole lot of exploring. There is a great bar in Hollywood on Sunset called Coach & Horses. Its a small little cash-only bar, but it has a great jukebox and the pours are generous. I also enjoyed my visit to "The Waffle" further up on Sunset. Its a breakfast 24/7 diner that serves booze. Guinness and a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich makes a really good combo.

Back closer to home in Santa Monica, I was a little underwhelmed with Finn McCools. It was more of an irish-themed bar than an actual irish bar. I did enjoy the more upscale Bodega Bar. It reminded me a bit of Koi when they have a good crowd.

Hands down my favorite bar so far has been the back patio of this Polish place (Warszawa). Its one of those places I could have walked by 100 times without seeing. Big open patio with heaters. Think the beer garden at the Goose with a tiki theme a giant projection screen showing movies or sports. Good stuff.

Other Stuff:

The first people that come to visit me will be taken to see Point Break: Live. This is hands down my favorite thing in LA so far. I'm not even going to try to describe it in words. Its worth it for any fan of the movie.

I've made some plans on Friday to go to the Upright Citizens Brigade theater to see a dramatic reading of "The Hills". Something tells me its either going to be hysterical or really boring. There won't be any in-between. I'm also hoping in the near future to go see Garfunkel and Oates play, as well as The Dan Band.

Beyond shows, I've enjoyed hitting the bikepath in Santa Monica and going down to the pier. There are an infinite number of things going on to watch and its a great way to get out and relax on a Saturday.

I've also joined a legit kick ball league. While its not Sloshball, flip cup is used in place of a coin flip and the games always end with a trip to a new bar for drink specials. Play begins in a few weeks so I'll have to update on how that goes. It could be a bust but a lot of people recommended the league to me and said its fun.

Work:

I'm still at BET working on a pilot. I'll know in the next couple weeks, hopefully, whether it gets picked up for a series. So keep you fingers crossed because the more I work, the more likely I can squeeze in non-holiday visits to K-Town.

And speaking of visits... my sister is about 2 weeks away from giving birth so I plan on being back in Nashville for a few days and will be swinging up to Knoxville to say hi. Be ready.