FOUND: Bday Hats off for Hatfield's

We all put on our respective birthday hats to celebrate my mother's 60th on April27th, 2010: Hatfield's was our destination.

Before calling Hatfield's to delay our resevation two times, we all sat down to watch a mini-docu-music-video her brother "directed" for her birthday. Her idyllic suburban upbringing was just how I pictured it to be! Idyllic!

When we arrived at the restaurant on Melrose, we were seated virtually in the middle of the exposed dining room- and it was no shock that within the first five minutes, my dad ran into a friend, and within ten minutes my two close friends, sat at the table behind us.

I made a couple observations while I took it all in, drinking my Japanese white ale:

1- Intially disliked seeing every other table, finding it distracting. Then loved it for that very reason. Hmmm I'm apparently conflicted.
2- Super monochromatic design: except for red chairs in bar and red pans in kitchen...
3- Service&Seating&Set menu options= top notch

4-Pricey, thank golly Daddy-Warbucks is paying!

As for the rest, go find yourself a sugardaddy on craigslist and ask to meet there-it's almost worth it!

Oh and order one of every dessert.



The lighting =a honeycomb meets something out of your science text book

Note: Red pans in the open kitchen -I like that we can see what the cooks are doing, especially because a couple of them were mighty fine.



The birthday gal!


The birthday ale...

FOUND: apology

Readers: Don't you worry, I maybe crying in this photo... But is merely bc my computer has been feeling under the weather recently and I felt helpless. It is all ok now bc Dr. Brooks is overseeing the operation and I have faith that he will get her up and running again soon.

For now I can only apologize for my absence, mostly due to meg's wedding festivities!

The doctor has requested a hand, I must get to the operating room.


- Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND:Manny @ Musso's

First time at musso and franks. A bit ashamed to share that, considering what an LA institution it is, and the fact I have recommended it for years, as If I were a regular. ( I merely just read an article a couple year ago in Los Angeles magazine)

Anyway, I had a "networking" meeting with a friend, which we decided would be far more effective and festive over a cocktail sitting bar-side. I decided we should walk down from the Hills onto the Main-Street of Hollywood and have a mini-venture. She pitched M&F !

With martinis being their specialty... I thought I would live on the edge a bitsky, and order a vodka gimlet on the rocks- A potential challenge for the proud older bartender who introduced himself as Manny.

Well turns out Manny is quite the institution himself and pulled out "said" Los Angeles magazine to prove it.... I didn't need the article, his cocktail was liquid proof. Manny's shameless self-promotion aside, dude makes a mighty fine drink!

Next time you go, order the gimlet from manny and tell him Lucy sent you, how's that for self-promotion! ZING...

Manhattan and Gimlet meet for the very first time.... love at first sight !



- Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND:Genius Bar

Brooks is my genius while I provide the bar!

Sure beats waiting in line for a "genius" at the mac store....

His house calls are delightful and only cost me a can of corona & a New Belgium IPA- ranger.

Genius.......


- Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND: coffee cakedom

Meg came over for a good 'ole fashion baking sesh. Girl always has something bakin' in the oven. This was an uber historic baked good- as it will be the one she will eat on the morn of her last day as a single woman. A last breakfast if you will....




Swirly cinnamon goodness. Didn't realize coffee cake does not actually have coffee in it. Funny that.


Olive Lucy. NBD.



Every party demands a cheese plate.

Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND: Grill a Cheese

If I wasn't in a wedding this Saturday, this is what I would be doing..... Last year I illegally stuffed ballots to help my friends Joe & Abigail and their Korean Grilled Cheese Sandwich win... all efforts failed.

In my culinary world- melted cheese- is in a food group all its own. Oh and that food group is strategically logically at the bottom of my food pyramid! (justifying mass consumption, of course!)

This year while I will be walking down an aisle, please eat many grilled cheeses on my behalf.

TIP: Bike to the event.... especially after multiple sandwiches and beers, you will want to work those gooey suckers off ya!

FOUND: Street on Highland Avenue

The place is called Street. I wondered why it wasn't named Avenue, as it is not located on a street, but an avenue.

Very confusing indeed.

* The image on the wall might give one the impression of fast service, however it was anything but...

Frederico Suave Rheinstein generously invited the ladies out to lunch with him at Street and Meg, Ali, and I jumped on the occasion to chat and chew with the gentlest of men in Hancock Park. We shared travel stories while eating unusual dishes. I loved hearing about Fred's journey into India and all he experienced when he left his hotel and explored the STREETS....

I ordered the Kaya Toast (meh), which was a poached egg drizzled w/ soya sauce and served with coconut toasts and a standard Thai Steak salad. All together, what blew me out of the park was not my lunch, but the appetizer which was some fried dumpling-gy0zo situation filled with yams. Though if you put Frying and a Potato into any equation, it usually comes out on top in my eyes.

FOUND: FOOD, INC

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MY MOM (a friend of the Director/Writer):

FOOD INC, a fantastic academy award nominated documentary is on KCET tonight at 9pm...Watch it or set your tivos!

You heard what the woman said.... Do it! I just set mine.

FOUND: final fire in da place

No more can I lure people back to my place with the promise of hot toddies and a warm hearth...
Tonight polished off the final scraps of tinder. A true sign that winter is officially over in my home.
Oh fireplace, oh fireplace, we milked it for all it was worth. Next fall I'm gonna up the delivery to a 1/4 cord, a month.

Let's be real, if it rains tomorrow, I don't doubt my car will find itself parked in front of my parents house, ready for my quick getaway with arms embracing a bundle of "free local" firewood.

Gots to keep it local and seasonal, no?


- Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND: Summer of Color

Ok, So I am seriously bummed I won't be able to attend this, but love spreading the word, as I think it will be a fantastic event.... especially if you want to participate in beautifying the beach.

***SUMMER OF COLOR- largest public art project in the US, on our very own LA lifeguard towers***

WHO: you... obvi

WHAT: Paint the rails of the lifeguard towers... Ten people assigned to each tower

WHEN: This Sunday- April 25th, 8am-12pm

WHERE: 31 mile coast from zuma to PV, and in btwn, if you have a preference you can state it

HOW: All supplies provided!!!

SIGN UP TODAY - http://www.portraitsofhope.org/ and join in!

**I will be at Meg's Jazz Brunch hosted by the Rheinsteins... and will be toasting your community service, while likely nursing my post-wedding hangover with a champagne.** Send me photos if you do it, I will post them to my blog!!!

FOUND: THE Beach Club Mai-tai

Saturday was my once a month mandatory beach session at the dirty thirties.

Each session includes the following:
1- bike ride down to Venice
2-catch up on my weekly csmonitor reading
3- interupt reading for a monster nap
4- walk along beach, count dolphins (2)
5- meet Sarah at the beach club for a maitai. (or three)


... It was so lovely our beachfront was combed and not a footprint in sight. It resembled a zen rock garden.









Best Mai tai on the westside....


Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND:Hansens cupcakes

Back during the era when I lived in little Ethiopia, I use to frequent the hansens cake shop around the corner on a weekly basis. Yes weekly. I would essentially pretend I was in the market for a specialty cake, you know ranging from Easter to bday to bachelorette to show wrap parties...on my heavier days I even played the baby cake card.

My goal: grab as many free wrapped cake samples as possible and bolt before they brought out a catalogue and order form. Sneaky, no? A hungry girl has got to do something to satisfy sweet toothage.

Well it didnt take too long before they caught onto my tricks and started offering a small selection of cupcakes- my favorites were the Obama cupcakes I bought on election day, not counting the handful of McCain cupcakes that I purchased, merely for the satisfaction of tossing out.

Anyway, back to the here and now!! Hansens now has a storefront that sells redic $1 cupcakes.... That puts all $3+ cupcakes to shame in LA.

Oh Fairfax, I hate your constant gridlock traffic. Thanks for making pulling over a lot sweeter....

Post script: hansens also has an assortment of mini cupcakes for $.50, I'm hoping MILK gets wind of that! I hate paying $.75 for their red velvet poppers.







Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND: Coachella..ella. ella.. Eh- Eh-Eh

So I am not blogging from Coachella.. or anywhere close.

Am I upset about that you ask?... I

think that goes without saying.

I did not drown in my sorrows, but instead gathered some friends together last night for some Kegs&Eggs (Cyn-thanks for your keg-me-down) where I could play my beloved annual "Off-to-Coachella mix".

Listen, all is not lost. I had a lovely party last night where fellow bitter non-coachella folk could come gather together and sing their gratitude....

1- For not having to wait in a 3 hour line

2- For not having to endure 90+ degree heat

3-For not having to pay over $7 for a beer, as my keg= free

4-For not having to deal with obnoxious teeny-bopper-hipsters donning their bright neon & plastic

Honestly I do declare that I am saddened that I am missing out this year, but my frown is turned upside-down when I think of:

* Linus

*The beach bike path

*my coachella mix-ed to perfection

*and the ideal temperature of 70 degrees

Coachella... you will just have to wait another year to see my new mustache and dance moves !

FOUND: Chatroulette, the movie

Really found the below movie entertaining... I have to admit, it is much more entertaining for the people who have actually Chatrouletted. Hint Hint.

http://vimeo.com/9669721

FOUND: Spring Sprung

Many of you have been busy working away in your offices and haven't yet had the chance to notice that Spring has Sprung....

I would happily like to inform you that with the arrival of Spring,

NOW would be the official time that you can do the following:

proudly zip up your zipper

grab your bike... (I have an extra if you need one. )

bike to your neighbor's garage and paint a black dot.

Buy a Six-Pack of Sparks and pop it into your pannier

And take it out to share with the entire family! There is so much to celebrate, it's SPRING!

*These photos were courtesy of last spring

FOUND: Go GO, Rocket Video

I am going to make this post brief, as it is raining, and rain makes me justify my laziness.

Thank God for Rocket Video.

It truly is a fantastic institution that I hope will continue to be supported by the arts/entertainment community.... who lives in mid-LA.

All you Netflix-sters in the hood, I know who you are.... I know where you live... Come on...

Rocket Video needs your support.

Honestly, their staff is most helpful and offers that personal touch to your selection process, should you be indecisive like me or just want advice on what movie to see on a day when it is raining outside and you are lazy.

FOUND:max's for joe's

Joe Boo had his boo-day at Max's, a karaoke bar in a mall in little tokyo.... The perfect BYOBirthday local if you ask me! (as honda-ya is one of my dinner spots in the mall, should you have interest in some tasty pre-singing eats, FYI)

I brought Brooks as my present... Who later karaoke-saved-my-ass when he stepped in as Nate-dogg for the song Regulate.

The song selection was most excellent ( i.e. family matters theme song!!!) and the Kal Penn spotting* at 1am was more than most excellent, it was the lit candle to joe's birthday cake of a night.

*so tempted was I to inquire about his recent decision to step away from his role in the Obama administration and return back to acting...




BROOOKS!!!
- Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND: buffalo burgers and beer

Cynthia stepped up to the house-party-plate and knocked it out of the park...

Nothing more to say other than the following:


Keg of heineken. Please Note: not natty light


Emma. Professional kegstander.


Handmade Buffalo burgers, made with love.



LA reunion. Marlborough gals... Loyola guys... you get the gist


An Almost Broken diving board


Likely posted with typos from my iPhone

FOUND:la art walk

Streets lined with gastro trucks, throngs of la youth gabbing and hipsterizing, open and filled galleries, fire escape drum sessions, gorbals, mezze, and baby faces in the architecture....

I know my dad will be jealous that I attended without him.... therefore I will happily and willingly attend with him next month! Making a mandatory reservation at The Gorbals and a post-meal ghost hunt in the Alexandria Hotel.......

The building was creep-tastic and I am dying to explore again, soon.

- Likely posted with typos from my iPhone