Hey blogging.la community! Wanted to quickly introduce myself… in blogging.la’s wonderful decision to add on a slew of new bloggers, I somehow made it through the hurdles and have been warmly welcomed into the community. So who is this newbie blogger you ask? Well, even if you didn’t I’m still going to tell you. I’m a native Los Angelino, such a rarity it seems, who had a normal childhood growing up in the suburbs of West Hollywood, traipsed to New York for a quick jaunt, and then missing the warm So-Cali sun returned back to the homeland. Like all good LA children, I’ve made my nest in the “Industry” but fashion myself as a foodie & blogger on the side. If your taste buds teeter on the side of adventure, you’d probably enjoy my collection of deliciously baffling cupcakes on my blog, Cake & Heels. When I’m not baking, reading scripts or planning massive beer pong tournaments, I’ve decided that I’m dedicating that remaining 5% of free time on my pie chart of life to writing HERE, on blogging.la. So seriously, THANKS for having me and hopefully this is the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship!

Grilled Cheese Invitational

So let’s get down to the oh-so-gooey and cheesy heart of this post… preferably layered between slices of freshly baked bread. It’s that time of the year, the 2nd 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational! This Saturday, April 23rd, Los Angeles Center Studios plays host to what has grown into a massive annual tradition. Over 300 amateur & professional competitors battle for grilled cheese glory in 4 different categories: Love, American Style || The Missionary Position || The Kama Sutra || The Honey Pot. And the best part? YOU can be the judge.

In addition to the usual crowd of foodies, fans and cheese heads, you can expect some fierce competition out of the likes of Top Chef Masters: Eric Greenspan from The Foundry, Food & Wine’s Best New Chef of 2011: Ricardo Zarate from Mo-Chica and the soon to be hit Picca, the amazing Walter Manzke formerly of Bastide, Church & State and currently at Le Saint Amour, Eric Samaniego from my Sunday night favorite Comme Ca, Micah Fields who loves to please at the Standard Downtown and Nyesha Arrington from the gorgeous Cache on Main Street. Plus the fabulous Alie & Georgia of McNuggetini Cocktail Fame will be on hand mixing up magical libations during the event!

The 2nd 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational
Saturday April 23rd || 11AM – 6PM
Los Angeles Center Studios
1201 West Fifth Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
$12 Online, $15 at the Door, $17 Judging Pass
www.grilledcheeseinvitational.com

The Once and Futile King (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

When news broke that Major League Baseball was assuming day-to-day control of the Los Angeles Dodgers, most of the internet reacted with a sense of “about damn time.”

Local politicians? Well, they’re just flabbergasted. Blindsided by something that none of them ever saw coming during the reign of The McCourts. How could this be? Why is this happening to our beloved boys in blue? We have never had any reason to believe something like this would happen, aside from The Divorce, Manny, gang shenanigans, fan beatings, IRS investigations, and endless seasons of The Great NL West Race to .500. We’re stunned. STUNNED!!!

Perhaps the most ridiculous statement to come out of City Hall yet belongs to Wendy Greuel:

As a lifelong Angeleno and a Dodgers fan, I would hope there would be stability so the Dodgers can focus on winning the World Series.

Follow the game much, Wendy?

Yes kids, it’s that day again. April 20th. The day cannabis imbibers all over the world celebrate the new ‘Cannabis Culture’ that is sweeping through our nation.

From it’s humble beginnings back in the 70′s, the date of April 20th has grown into a world wide holiday to celebrate all that’s good about Cannabis. It’s reputed that 420 was the time and secret code that a group of high school stoners in Pt. Reyes, CA used to plan meet-ups to search of a secret cache of marijuana growing on the coast. They never found it, but now, all over the world cannabis lovers use the day and number to celebrate their love for the miraculous qualities of their beloved Marijuana.

Here in Los Angeles, a number of dispensaries are celebrating with heavy discounts on products, free food and lots of samples.
In Hollywood, one of the biggest and best collectives in town, ‘Kushmart’ on Selma, just past Cahuenga, is having a huge raffle all day and the prize is a 5 oz of several of their top shelf meds. Wow! Can’t beat that for gratitude and support of their patients! They are also giving lots of meds out at 50% off. If you check them out, don’t miss the Ganja Goddess Brownies and Gingerbread. They are seriously the bomb. Not to be missed and famous for their healing strength and amazing yummy taste!
Starbudz on Lankershim in Noho, is another collective that has great meds and is offering specials for 420. Go in and ask about their 420 specials and Angela will hook you up.

Anyway, if you’re a medical marijuana patient, you can find deals galore just about anywhere in Los Angeles today. Luckily, we live in one of the most patient friendly cities in the world!

If you visit Venice and are very observant, you might notice a subtle difference. Things might seem a bit more opened up. You may see more sky. If so, that’s not likely a result of breathing in the pot smoke on Venice Beach. Rather, it may be because Venice homeowners have finally taken action in their long-running battle to restrict recreational vehicles from permanently camping on their streets.  Specifically, in recent months, some Venice streets, such as 3rd Avenue pictured here, now have signs posted which prohibit vehicles over 7 feet high or over 22 feet long from parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

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OK…I am a fan of the Creme Brulee Torte from PF Chang’s and Cheesecake factory, not that I frequent either all that often.  It is a cheesecakey filling covered with oozy caramelly brulee topping.  Costco has it this week direct from the bakery for $13.89. Such a deal as the whole thing at the chain will run you $35.  The Restaurant Dessert Company will be at Costco Azusa until this Saturday.  Worth the short detour off of the 210 at Irwindale Ave here in the SGV.  MAP HERE.

Radiation Alert! Want to get a heads up on the radiation fall-out hitting LA right this minute? Check this out!  It’s a live streaming radiation monitor set up in West LA so you can see what’s going on at any time of the day or night.

There’s even a chat set up, so you can get answers to all your burning questions.

These guys also get bonus points cuz the device glows in the dark!

Air Force One returns to LAX Thursday afternoon.

As I’ve previously mentioned, it’s pretty exciting when Air Force One is at LAX. It is, after all, probably the most recognizable 747 in the country, if not the world. In addition to being exciting to see, it can also be a tremendous pain in the ass. If Air Force One is here, that means the President is, too. And that likely means especially bad traffic on L.A.’s streets.

If you’re a fan of plane spotting, I’m here to give you the hot tip. Pick your spot on the lawn next to In-N-Out on Sepulveda on Thursday afternoon. If all goes according to schedule, Air Force One will cross directly in front of you as it comes in to land at 2:45pm. I always recommend getting there at least 30-60 minutes early, as this flight sometimes runs ahead of schedule.

If you’re not a fan of plane spotting (or heavy traffic,) I’m here to give you the hot tip. Stay the hell away from West L.A. on Thursday afternoon! President Obama arrives in mid-afternoon and will be heading to Sony Studios in Culver City to appear at a fundraiser for his reelection campaign. The Secret Service has worked closely with LAPD and LADOT to mitigate the traffic caused by the presidential motorcade, but seriously, how much can they do? Traffic in that area is typically bad anyway. Add the President to the mix, and things could get ugly.

President Obama will spend the night in southern California, then depart on Friday morning. Scheduled departure is 8:55am, if you plane spotters would like to see AFO in flight again. Remember to set up at the opposite end of the airport, as departing flights head out over the ocean.

Hey, Easter is coming! And we all know what that means: FUZZY BUNNIES. If you are excited about the impending onslaught of cuteness, here are some ways that you can treat yourself to a hopping (oh, admit it, the bad puns, you love them!) bunny-themed Easter weekend!

1. Forget the lions and tigers and bears, the LA Zoo is hosting Big Bunny’s Spring Fling, Friday through Sunday, with bunny face painting, bunny ear making, and lots of real live bunnies. But most important of all, their website says there will be FREE PEEPS. Oh, happy day! (April 22, 23, and 24 at the LA Zoo. More info available here.)

2. At Olvera Street, you can bring your pets for the annual Blessing of the Animals, which is a charming tradition that moves even my largely agnostic heart. And while this isn’t bunny-specific, I imagine there will be some bunnies in attendance, or, if photos from past events are any indication, at least some puppies in bunny clothing. (Saturday, April 23, 12pm-5pm, El Pueblo Historical Monument, 125 Paseo de la Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012. More info available here.)

(More bunny rabbit fun after the jump!)

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He *un*died for your sins...

For those of us who aren’t necessarily sold on the idea that the King of the Jews rose from the dead in fulfillment of scripture one Sunday morning a couple thousand years ago, this upcoming weekend is little more than a nice time to celebrate Spring. When I was back in the Midwest this was really something meaningful, as the cold, snowy, wet season often seemed to last nearly half the year. Hell, most years it was probably something more like three and a half or maybe four months, but something about that kind of cold also seems to slow down time a little bit. Easter, then, was really a time for some rejoicing. With the bizarre weather patterns we’ve been experiencing this year in LA, unfortunately Easter may just be about little more than the resurrection of a crucified hippie.

But thankfully for us, we have something the son of God didn’t have: vehicles that periodically bring some of your favorite food selections to your neighborhood for easy access. (And no, all of my posts are not going to be about food trucks; I just happen to be excited about any opportunity to check them out in my ‘hood.) To that end, this Saturday there will be a small gathering of food trucks in North Hollywood, at The Other Door bar, complete with “kid-friendly games, coloring contests, a special DJ and prizes! Of course, lots of Easter libations that are big-kid friendly too!”

As specified on the Nom Nom Truck’s site, here are the details:

SATURDAY, APRIL 23rd
12:00PM – 3:00PM
10437 Burbank Blvd,
North Hollywood CA 91601

As an aside, while I’m really stoked to see that one of my very favorites the Frysmith truck will be there, I’m slightly irritated by the existence of the Phydough truck. This is probably only because I saw the word “dough” in the name and got my hopes up that it might be a dessert truck of some type. But no, it’s a food truck for dogs. (Yes, I can be a little slow on the uptake; “Phydough” ~ “Fido” – whatever, I knew that.) Seriously – more space for pet food means less space for people food, am I right? Does your dog even care that its snack came off a truck?? </rant>

Rock Out with your Cock Out

Welcome to the Jungle. You’ll find all sorts of Animals here.

Saw this guy near the Public Library on Madison Street and Santa Monica. Actually, that’s the lawn there that he’s strutting on.

Granted, it’s not Hollywood and Vine, but we’re still smack dab in the middle of the city. Vermont and Santa Monica Boulevard are a couple of blocks away. This is Gawd Damn Silver Lake Adjacent and what not. This is in no way rural or even suburbs.

But we got chickens.

Maybe it’s a Hipster Rooster; “Flying’s way too mainstream.” “I strut, you probably haven’t heard of it.” “I was into Free Range organic way before it was popular.”

More pictures of Uncensored Cock on the Street after the Jump:

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Apparently, Chateau Marmont would like to keep its hallowed grounds Twitter-free out of respect, I assume, for the privacy of their guests who often do insane things.  Jenn Hoffman found out the hard way: she was having a perfectly normal dinner, “there’s a few different celebrities there, no big deal.”  (Aside: That is your LA moment, right there.).  She catches Rachel Hunter engaging in all sorts of crazy, tweets about it, and then, when trying to make another reservation recently, discovers she’s been banned for tweeting about the incident.

Whether there’s an unsaid rule against tweeting and whatnot, I don’t know, because I’ve never been to the Chateau – my LA moments involve being stuck in traffic – but what say you?  How do you even enforce a rule like that?  If celebrities and marginally famous people and not-famous people can’t have a Twitter-free moment at the Chateau, where will they go?  Shouldn’t people over the age of 10 try to act not-crazy in public places anyway, because Twitter or not, they will be judged and ridiculed and that’s really the price you pay for acting like so in front of others?  So many ethical questions.

Epoxy and fiberglass time for Rick's Art Bear.

My little corner of LA had “Samson the Hot Tub Bear” visiting us for a few years back in the mid-90′s.  Even the national news picked up on this bear.  Most saw him as an endearing critter and rather than kill him for being a pest he was captured and set off to a zoo to live off his remaining years.

To celebrate the legacy of Samson and the coming 125th Birthday of Monrovia (which some of us affectionately refer to as the Art City) there will be Art Bears.  There will be about a dozen of these bears in various styles produced by Monrovia artists.  These bears are sponsored by the locals as well.  These bears will be placed about Old Town Monrovia after the big birthday celebration parade in May.

This particular bear is being done by local artist Rick Kess who also happens to work for Disney in their visual arts department.  This bear so far is just getting some additional decoration on him prior to painting.  The next step is to sand him and down and prep for painting over next weekend. Read the rest of this entry →

There are two reasons (at least) why you should arrive at Nha Trang early. The first is because there are only 15 or 16 chairs scattered in various permutations around six or seven tables, so the early bird snags a seat. The second is because Nha Trang makes one pot of bún bò Huế a day, so when the ladle hits the bottom of the pot, you’re SOL. Better luck tomorrow.

Bún bò Huế is what some consider the “other” phở, although this is a bit like characterizing Facebook as the other Myspace: they’re sort of the same, except they’re not at all.

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I took my camera out on my adventures yesterday and grabbed a few snaps around Silver Lake and Venice. I moved to San Francisco right after the Venice Skatepark opened so I never got to go hang out. I snuck out and took some time to check it out yesterday. It’s pretty damn nice but man was it hectic. Like watching a crazy tennis match on acid. I was amazed at the little kids ripping it up. They’re going to be amazing if they stick with it. The head scratcher of the day though was when 2 cop trucks pulled up with 2 more cops on ATV’s as backup just to remove a little kid who was riding a scooter in the park. The biggest downside of the park were are all the people smoking pot and stinking up the joint. It was really overpowering at times and no matter where you moved you got a snootful. The raging sunburn I got is no fun either. Remember, just because it’s cloudy you can get fried. I forgot that lesson. Ouch. Enjoy.

clue basket...click to embiggen

Popped into the city for lunch with a friend at Astro…new menu, cheaper prices but still good stuff.  Outside while we were there someone zip tied on a pink basket on the paper racks.  A quick peak inside at the contents we figured out it was a scavenger hunt with a bunch of tickets that said “#5 ND” which we took to be the next clue for a destination in the hunt.  Anyone have an idea what “ND” might be aside from North Dakota?