Los Angeles: Things To Do And Places To Go

[Hobbs.]

Anybody have any good nightlife recommendations? I live in Pasadena, but I have good friend who doesn't drink and still likes to go out so things on the westside aren't out of the question. Also, I've started to really dig going out in the Silverlake/Echo Park area, but still don't know very many places there.

[Hobbs.]

The Jazz Bakery in Culver City is a great place to see live jazz any night of the week. The tickets seem to run around $25 a person but both of the nights I've been I was very impressed with the skill of the musicians.

jazzbakery.com

[hanster]

Hey guys,
My dad's business partner will be in town this Saturday. He's arriving at 5 PM but leaving at 11 PM (switch flight). My dad told me to take him somewhere nice, and with such a tight schedule I honestly don't know where I can take him (Around the LAX area so he won't be late for his flight). Anyone with any recommendations?

[private joker]

There should be plenty of nice restaurants in Marina del Rey. I don't know any off the top of my head but check Zagat or LA Times for Marina del Rey recommendations.

I've also heard about this steak house on La Tijera (like 5 minutes from the airport), I drive by it a lot but can't remember the name -- it's some '40s old school fancy steakhouse. Supposedly cool.

EDIT: Just remembered it's called The Buggy Whip.

[suzzer99]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey guys,
My dad's business partner will be in town this Saturday. He's arriving at 5 PM but leaving at 11 PM (switch flight). My dad told me to take him somewhere nice, and with such a tight schedule I honestly don't know where I can take him (Around the LAX area so he won't be late for his flight). Anyone with any recommendations?

[/ QUOTE ]



???

Or you could just hang out at the spaceship restaurant at LAX. It's pretty cool. If your Dad's friend likes old school fairly fine dining - try The Proud Bird near the airport. My parents love that place.

Or there are some decent places in Manhattan Beach. The Greek restaurant Petros is one of my favorites.

[Los Feliz Slim]

I've always assumed the Buggy Whip couldn't possibly be good good, I think it's funny good.

My vote for the layover adventure is hanster takes his dad's partner to have a beer and a hotdog and watch the ponies at Hollywood Park. If it were my layover that's what I'd want to do. If you don't want to hang out with the hoi polloi get tickets for the Turf Club.

[suzzer99]

[ QUOTE ]
I've always assumed the Buggy Whip couldn't possibly be good good, I think it's funny good.


[/ QUOTE ]

Same with Proud Bird. Prepare for a lot of heavy sauce and stuff swimming in butter. But like I said, my Mom and stepdad thought it was the best place ever.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
I've always assumed the Buggy Whip couldn't possibly be good good, I think it's funny good.

My vote for the layover adventure is hanster takes his dad's partner to have a beer and a hotdog and watch the ponies at Hollywood Park. If it were my layover that's what I'd want to do. If you don't want to hang out with the hoi polloi get tickets for the Turf Club.

[/ QUOTE ]

The beer and ponies might be OK but forget the hotdog.

A few years back my brother came to visit so my gf and I took him to Hollywood Park on a Friday night in part to show him a crazed poker room and see a free Berlin concert while taking in the dollar beer and hot dogs the adjoining track was using to promote horse racing to our youth.

We went early and only endured the hour wait for the absolutely pathetic hot dogs (keep in mind I say this as someone who is an advocate of mid-priced boxed wine, two buck chuck bottled wine, and low rent, "bang for the buck" living in general) as an excuse to see just how poorly things like this can be done.

Cliff notes was that about four lines of about 25 people each watched a "fast food" crew who on average were my dead grandparents age methodically assemble about one hot dog per line every ten minutes. The lines never shrank or grew much and remained about 25 people long four wide (with the attrition rate matching the hot dog served rate) as we all watched in morbid fascination.

Then again you might enjoy that sort of thing [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

~ Rick

[suzzer99]

Yeah the $1 beer line on Friday night is about as much fun. When it gets close the the counter the line just sort of fans out across the counter, then it's every man woman and child to themselves. Not to mention all the people constantly snaking up to get in the fan part of the line, bypassing the long tail. Pretty much as close as you can get to 3rd world chaos that I've seen in LA.

Another fun experience at Hollywood Park was waiting to cash my ticket, looking down at an adorable 7-year old girl, holding some little stuffed animal. I thought, oh that's nice, this is kind of a family place. Then I looked up at her Mom, who just had this glazed, gone, gambleholic look in her eyes. Like she was only barely aware she was clutching something in her hand that she needed to drag around with her. Then the mom drug the daughter off, and I got really sad.