SOCIAL » Los Angeles

So this is where Chris Brown has been

JOE — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:57:10 +0000

After everything that happened to dude, I figured Chris Brown would go underground and re-connect with the streets. Apparently its the streets of LA with local Tyga of Young Money (see my previous post with Tyga). The video was released yesterday so this is right out the oven. Chris Brown is rapping this time and homie is actually really good. It’s a damn good party song and sooo LA! I hope I hear this in the clubs, but I doubt it will get airplay. Regardless if the mainstream will ever accept him again, I’m on the look out of more hot sht from C Breezy.

Video Provided by DatPiff.com

On a final note, that Bed Rock song is still going hard and it’s basically May.

LA Street Truck Food Fest

JOE — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:01:41 +0000

This food truck phenomenon is getting huge and now there are a lot more players than just Kogi. Komodo was good, I didn’t even try to wait in the Grilled Cheese Truck line, and the Buttermilk truck was surprisingly good. My personal favorite was the Japanese style hot dogs from Dogzilla: gourmet sausages, furikake, bacon, guacamole, onions, and Japanese mayo on Hawaiian sweet rolls. I mean c’mon you had me at bacon & furikake! Unfortunately, they don’t have a truck yet and just pop up at events & festivals. When they do come out of hiding, do NOT miss out and make it a point to try their food!

Follow them on Twitter and be a Fan on Facebook, so you can catch them whenever they do pop up next
http://twitter.com/dogzillahotdogs
DogZilla’s FaceBook Fanpage

Ed Alonzo at the Magic Castle in Hollywood

JOE — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:19:23 +0000

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.

The highlight of the Los Angeles Auto Show: Lexus LF-A

JOE — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:56:13 +0000

The Lexus LF-A, Toyota’s $400k supercar, is beautiful… period. I’ve seen a bunch of pictures on the internet and none if them did this thing justice. It is very impressive when you finally see it in person. Hopefully video captures it better. It is arguably the star of the LA show; though you can hear people complain its $400k sticker is way overpriced. It may be expensive, but at a limited production run of 500 units in two years, it will be rare and its value may hold. Don’t believe? Twin Turbo Supra’s from the 90’s go for $100k+

Authentic LA non-authentic Japanese food

JOE — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:22:35 +0000

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.