0007 -- in the neighborhood

as we continue to travel around the states, i've been thinking a lot about the last five years here in the city of lost angeles. so often i'm asked about where to go to dinner, or if there's a good bar in the area. i'm not sure why i'm asked (i am the first to admit that i like spending my evenings working out at home and going for a walk the old victorian homes that i live near). it's taken me a little awhile to put this list together, but i wanted to share some my favorite spots to hit.

i've had the joy of living in a few different parts of la and have had some real adventures here. from the bike scene to working in fashion. from food to art shows and most things in between los angeles has helped me grow up and figured out what is important. when i first moved here i was working for free people, going out to the cha cha most nights, and was eating a lot of vegan. sunday mornings were spent at the hollywood farmers market trying to decide if my menu this week included clover honey or tomatillos. living in east hollywood made for some great spots between silverlake and hollywood proper to visit:

the cha cha - try the bloody mary
green leaves - it's all about the "chicken" drumsticks
hollywood farmer's market - bring you own bags!
ground works - ice coffee forever
griffith observatory - go for a hike, check out the stars, great the day after it rains
stout burger - get the one with the fig jam
the drawing room - pbr in bottles and sunday rock and roll karaoke
alcove bakery - the princess cake and smoked salmon bagel

after moving away from east hollywood and no longer working for free people. i moved down to korea town, worst parking and traffic i've had to deal with, but some really cool drinking spots and so easy to get on the metro which opened up so many possibilities since i didn't have a car for the first seven months that i lived here. although walking around probably wasn't the best idea jordan and i often found ourselves walking the 'hood to see what was up. here were a few of the neat places that we discovered:

hms bounty - cheap and filled with old sailor types, try the onion rings!
r bar - wednesday night karaoke
seongbukdong - the la ribs
soot bull jip - take a group so you can try everything
bohemia - they give you popcorn with your drinks!
beer belly - the duck fat fries
zion market - get your sushi fish for half the price of whole foods

getting out of koreatown took us a lot longer than i thought it would, but i guess that's the joy of cheap rent and lots of room-you don't want to move. when we finally did find a place, we went only five miles west to la brea/west hollywood. our duplex was more like a fun house with slanted floors and curved walls. we move in with one of nearest and dearest friends and learned all about parking the car friday and not moving it again until monday morning. of course that means we had to have lots of places to be able to walk to:

rosewood tavern - great for weeknights
the golden state - some of the best burgers we've had
lacma - they have the stark bar and it's free on weeknights after 3pm
bao dim sum - two words: juicy pork
village idiot - the best english breakfast (and a bottle of prosecco $15 before 1pm)
necromance - if you dig dead things...
salt's cure - the first place we had a pork chop medium rare
agent provocateur - take your significant other, they'll thank you
animal - we've spent a few birthdays and anniversaries here, be warned: it can take weeks for a reservation

getting sick of our moves yet? well hold on for this last one! eight months ago jordan and i moved into our current duplex in angelino heights of echo park. it's easily my favorite of the neighborhoods we've lived in. easy for parking, quiet at night, and the houses are just magnificent! plus it's filled with all kinds of history (they filmed thriller and charmed only a few blocks away)! not only has this been one of the best areas we've lived but also has some of my favorite spots to hit:

hutch vintage - all the big eye art you can find!
4100 bar - like a gypsy's den with better music
the park - $5 burger wednesday and byob
guisados - the taco sampler
little joy - used to be a super dive and now it's just super rad
villany general store - get your lodge camping gear here
xioa - curry pho and a bahn mi
el prado - they spin records and they have great wine
two boots pizza - grab a few slices before seeing a show next door at the echo
origami vinyl - sure it's overpriced, but it's so cute

phew! so there's my list, i know it's a little heavy on the food. i'm assuming that you like to eat as much as i do. we'll be sure to add to it again. hopefully this little list helps you in possibly picking somewhere great to eat or something new to see!

0001-- a welcome of sorts

i've been meaning to get back into blogging, but let's be honest, who has enough hours in the day? apparently these days, i do! although i'm not sure how exactly this sucker will take form, i'm sure it's bound to be a fun process! (and many thanks to Emily for inspiring me to get back into it, thank you doll)

i suppose as a good first start we should begin with breakfast, although one of my least favorite meals of the day it's easily some of my favorite comfort foods, i mean poached eggs and toast with some applewood smoked bacon, yes please! like most LA locals i have my breakfast spots (Village Idiot for a proper english breakfast or Brite Spot for some french toast) and i tend to not stray too far away from them. this weekend was an exception, our wedding cake maker and dear friend Chelsea was in town from Arizona and insisted on showing us to one of her favorite little new spots called Sqirl in east hollywood. right on the corner of Marathon and Virgil lies this tiny little hole in the wall that made one of the most precious breakfasts we've had in a long time. the sign outside says simply "toast and coffee" and that's exactly what we had. their signature dish seems to be burnt toast with homemade ricotta and their housemade preserves which we tried and loved! other breakfasts included a baked egg, or the most amazing roasted potatoes with greens, coarse salt and a mustard sauce. with their constantly changing specialty items and a menu board, i cannot wait to add this place into our regular routine!

^ photo stolen from Chelsea