I’m headed out west to Los Angeles this afternoon. Looking forward to seeing lots of friends, eating good Mexican food and doing some ACL reconnaissance. If you have any tips or suggestions, new stores, brands or things to check out please leave them in the comments below.
if you’re going to be in the los feliz area (mexico city), head down to hollywood blvd. to visit Jonathan Kanarek’s Jake Vintage.
have fun in l.a. don’t forget to put on your wayfarers. It hasn’t been the same since Le Dome closed down.
freddy vandecasteele
bespoke shirtmaker. thomas mason fabrics. prices around 200. 818-789-2813
south willard
http://www.southwillard.com/
carroll and co
http://www.carrollandco.com
band of outsiders is based in LA.
so is the label fremont.
Not shopping related, but if you’re looking for places to grab a drink I highly recommend The Edison in downtown LA. It’s housed in the old Con Ed building (hence the name) and has a throw-back vibe to it. The cabaret night they have on Wednesdays is definitely worth it. Besides, where else can you get absinthe these days? Also, Winston’s very cool, energetic crowd with very little pretense.
You might want to check out Echo Park/Silverlake for an overdose of hipster pretense.
By the way, Los Feliz isn’t in any way Mexico City. For that you need to go south onto Wilshire near Macarthur Park.
Pit,
We’re talking about Mexico City the restaurant in Los Feliz…
Grab some lunch/brunch at Bloom Cafe. Really great, fresh food and friendly service in what seems like a pretty random spot in the middle of Los Angeles.
http://bloomcafe.com/
i’m sure oyu know about this, but Stronghold is a super rad men’s store in LA. it’s inspired by the gold rush era (ex. filson bags, lots of jeans) and they have a bottle of whisky for you to drink and club chairs to relax in whenever you’re there.
Michael – It didn’t seem like John was referencing the restaurant in his post.
other than the usual suspects
food:
hungry cat – great drink menu too
http://www.thehungrycat.com/
lou- wine bar hard to find. it’s in a strip mall (but in La all good things are hidden in strip malls)
http://www.louonvine.com/
Jar- upscale modern meets old school
http://www.thejar.com/
Shopping
3rd Street
Douglas Fir http://www.jargol.com/stores/douglas-fir/
South Willard http://www.southwillard.com/south-willard/store/
OK -http://okstore.la/
Venice Beach
Abbot Kinney
Eat-
Jin Patisserie http://www.jinpatisserie.com/
Shop
Tortoise http://www.tortoiselife.com/
Warakuu
http://www.warakuusa.com/INFO_StoreLocator.htm
Apple Pan on Pico and Pie ‘n’ Burger in Pasadena. Both deliver a classic L.A. burger–the best sort–in a classic post-war, pre-Beatles setting. Slight edge to the Apple Pan on ambiance, with Pie ‘n’ Burger taking the gold for food. But just barely.
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-applepan16may16,0,210563.story
http://www.laweekly.com/eat+drink/dining/pie-n-burger/6454/
Anything brewed by Russian River or Alesmith (especially the IPAs). Not available in New York; on tap at Father’s Office.
Hanks’s for a dive bar.
http://www.lataco.com/taco/hanks-bar-american-grill-los-angeles
Also recommend visiting the Gamble House, the pinnacle of American Arts and Crafts architecture–not to mention home of Dr. Emmett Brown (of “Back to the Future” fame).
http://www.gamblehouse.org/
I suggest the mole or verdes chilaquiles from Loteria Grill at the Farmer’s Market on 3rd and Fairfax before checking out the shops on 3rd.
Alegria on Sunset in Silverlake has many fans but if you prefer more “grasa” in your Mexican checkout: http://tacohunt.blogspot.com/
http://www.lataco.com/tag/tacos
Buen provecho!
Get out… get out while you can
+1 to Father’s Office.
Apple Pan is good but a little overrated. Get there early or expect a long wait during peak times.
If in the Pasadena area, try The Dining Room at the Langham Hotel. Used to be the Ritz Carlton before Langham acquired. The Dining Room is the only hotel restaurant with a Michelin star. Reservations are easy but wear a jacket. After the meal wander the grounds or go to the hotel bar for live music.
Loteria for Mexican at the Farmer’s Market, 3rd + Fairfax. From there you can walk to South Willard/Douglas Fir/OK/Scout etc. In Silver Lake try Square One for breakfast, the best in LA. Also in Silver Lake, Cafe Stella for French, Intelligentsia + Lamill for coffee, Scoops for Ice Cream and the Silver Lake Cheese Shop which has a killer selection and super cool and knowledgeable staff. For wine K+L in Hollywood and Silver Lake Wine on Glendale Blvd. For Vietnamese in Silver Lake, Vietsoy Cafe, Vietnoodle cafe and Gingergrass. Have fun!
Without a doubt, In-N-Out.