It’s been a long and cold winter here in Southern California. It’s mid-July and it wasn’t until last week that the sun thankfully decided to come out. So friends decided to come over and we biked to Santa Monica for food & dranks. It seemed like all of LA was at the beach. Seriously, I don’t think Ive ever seen this many people physically on the sand at once. It kinda reminded me of those vintage black & white pics where the entire beach is covered with coat & top hat wearing beach goers. On the way back we caught a bit of the Venice Beach portion of the Summer Fix LA Competition sponsored by LA Brakeless. The wifey just got a brand new cruiser and now wants a bright, multi-colored Fixie… grrreat, we don’t even have enough room for all the bikes we currently own.

I had a chance to visit the Magic Castle again this past Monday for drinks, dinner, magic, a performance with Ed Alonzo (we even had a drink with him after the show). For those who aren’t familiar with the Magic Castle here a quick description from their own website:

“The Magic Castle is the world’s most famous club for magicians and magic enthusiasts and home to The Academy of Magical Arts, Inc.

The Magic Castle is the showplace for some of the greatest magicians from around the globe. We also take great pride in showcasing the magnificent building that houses the Magic Castle. Built in 1908, this storied mansion has watched Hollywood grow and change for almost 100 years while never losing its original charm.” (courtesy of http://www.magiccastle.com/)
… and for HIMYM fans, NPH is a board member (we didn’t see him though)

Entrance is by invitation only from a member and luckily we have a friend who frequents. You can spend hours in the mansion exploring rooms finding magicians performing their specialty of magic. There are a few bars throughout the mansion making this a Disneyland Haunted Mansion for Adults. The performers are top notch, and can trick you even though you aren’t blinking or even holding the prop yourself!

Ed Alonzo (Max from Saved by the Bell) is headlining for the next couple of weeks at the Castle. He just finished traveling the world with Britney Spears creating illusions for her 2009 “The Circus Starring: Britney Spears” tour and usually spends his December in LA performing. It’s a great show that has as much comedy as magic.

I know I said it’s invitation only, but if you stay at the Magic Castle Hotel (http://www.magiccastlehotel.com/), you can have access to the Magic Castle. It’s a fun night with friends and a date, so check out the website for info, book a room, have dinner, drinks and watch the shows. It’s definitely different but it’s an old Los Angeles tradition that’s worth experiencing.
Check Yelp, no one has a bad thing to say about the Castle or Hotel. Enjoy.

While biking one Sunday afternoon back in October, I couldn’t miss the huge circus tents of Cirque du Soleil next to the Santa Monica Pier.

(sorry for the iPhone quality picture)

In recent years, Cirque du Soleil has used the Forum in Inglewood but has chose to return to Santa Monica for their 25th birthday. Apparently, Santa Monica was Cirque’s first US tour destination over 20 years ago and anyone who has been to Vegas can attest to the brand’s success. Last night I finally had an opportunity to watch this fantastic production of theatre, music, acrobatics and comedy. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but I highly recommend you see Kooza. Honestly, I haven’t been to the “circus” since I was a kid in the Ringling Bros. days of the 1980’s and 90’s (as I’m sure most of you haven’t either), so I didn’t know what to expect. There is a definite European-esque feel and it seems very traditional; not over the top like a Vegas production. Don’t be mistaken, the show is very exciting and the comedy is geared towards adults and not children. No tigers nor dirt bikes in steel balls, but the acrobatic performances are amazing and can stand on their own merit. My personal favorite is the Wheel of Death which has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The music is Indian inspired and the band & singers add beautiful musicality to the show. In a world where we expect $100+million Vegas productions, this is a refreshing production; especially since you can catch it locally.

The show is coming to Irvine in January and San Diego in February so get your tickets! (Look out for 40% deals that might come in the mail or emails passed around, but don’t let that prevent you from missing out on a good seat position) Schedule dinner and make a date night out of it. If you can make an LA show this month, I recommend eating and/or drinks at The Lobster with it’s view of the Ocean and Cirque tents (*see below). I suggest buying tickets for seats as close to the middle as possible because there are towers that might impede your view on the sides. It’s a pretty intimate setting, so it’s not necessary to spend the money to sit in front. I actually think sitting mid-distance affords the best perspective of the performances. Cheers!

For tickets, show times and info visit the official site:
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/kooza/default.aspx

(Image courtesy of CirqueduSoleil.com)

… and The Lobster restaurant in Santa Monica is a must visit. It is located at the entrance of the Santa Monica Pier so obviously has the best of view of the Pier and ocean. The food is tasty. There is a great oyster selection but try the Fanny Bay Oysters from British Columbia (personally I love any oyster from the Canadian Pacific). The truffle Parmesan fries and tomato crab soup were good. The Seared Day Boat Sea Scallops were cooked perfectly and the accompanying shrimp bisque sauce with home fries and lobster chunks complimented it well. The Seared Rare Pacific Yellowfin Tuna was good and I’m a fan of Hearts of Palm & shrimp salads so they had me at hello. Our server and staff was attentive & friendly so it topped off the experience. I’m disappointed I never visited earlier but am excited to return soon.

http://www.thelobster.com

The night before our trip to Japan we headed over to Katsuya Brentwood for some “Japanese” food. We wanted to celebrate B3LOE’s birthday with the girls since they didn’t join us for golf. Katsuya isn’t intended to be an authentic Japanese restaurant, so obviously there are a ton of other places in the city for better sushi. Katsuya is a place you go to impress someone: a date, a client, an out-of-towner. The experience begins before you enter, as a murdered-out Porsche or Gallardo will most likely be parked in front. As with any SBE establishment, the interior is spectacular. Designed by Philippe Starck, it’s sophisticated & elegant. You leave wishing your own living room looked like this.

There are so many places in LA that are expensive for the sake of being expensive and make no apologies for the bad food; Katsuya is not one of them. There might be a miss thrown in with the hits, but overall the food is very good. Watch what you order because yes this place is expensive, but there are a lot of small plate options that are borderline cheap ($3-7) considering the establishment. The drinks are really expensive (“that’s how they get ya”) so don’t go crazy. Oh, and don’t come with a large group or you’ll all be wondering how the hell the bill got so big. Don’t be scurred, the experience is very worth it. You are trying to close the deal right?

Make it look like you know what you are doing and order a couple Italian Proseccos, skip edamame, and start with the Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño & Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice before you even open the menu. The albacore sushi is good & salmon skin hand roll is big, but skip the normal sushi and go straight for any of the Katsuya Signatures. I’ve tried half of the Signatures and they have all been very good. The Robata selections are also really good, so order a couple. You have to try the Teba Chicken Wings though, I love chicken wings and would say these are some of the best chicken wings I’ve ever had; better than Furaibo on Sawtelle. The Miso Cod is off the charts. It’s no joke when the menu states “unparalleled flavor”. You might be tempted to order, but I don’t think the Special Katsuya Roll nor Kobe Filet with Foie Gras are worth the money.

Is Katsuya pretentious? Not really. The staff does an excellent job of making you feel welcome. Even if they are carrying food, they move aside and smile as you walk by; try that at Geisha House. As with any place in LA, don’t go on a Friday or Saturday night if you want the best experience; even Coffee Bean can throw attitude during peak hours.

The morning fog in Long Beach cleared up nicely as we played a round of golf for B3LOE’s Birthday.

Under normal circumstances, 8:30am IS too early to start drinking

Damn beach

Jay’s almost hole in one

If work wasn’t so crazy for B3LOE & I wasn’t going to Japan, it would be another obligatory birthday Vegas run