Drinks on the Water

Pictures from the San Diego portion of family vacation coming tomorrow!

Exposition Park Rose Garden

When I brought my parents to the Rose Garden, I thought it would be appropriate to wear an outfit that was as bright as the flowers we were coming to see.

UO sweater, Lulu's skirt (I saw it on Atlantic Pacific and couldn't resist getting it for myself!), Kenneth Cole flats (similar here), VonZipper aviators.

Bradbury Building

The Bradbury Building is one of my favorite hidden gems of downtown LA. The building looks really nondescript from the outside, and it doesn't sit on one of the pretties corners. So you would never expect to find this beautiful interior of brown bricks, wrought-iron railings, and skylight that spans the length of the building. You might recognize the interior because it has been used in many movies and shows. I think it is most known for being in Blade Runner, but my favorite thing shot here is Pushing Daisies. (R.I.P. Pushing Daisies, I still miss you!) I always take guests here because they are always stunned to see the interior architecture. I think my parents definitely were impressed. I know my dad enjoyed the Charlie Chaplin statue!

Bradbury Building
304 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013
The building is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Flashback

It's been awhile since I've posted a flashback. For another project I'm working on, I've been looking at old pictures, and I just found this joyful one of my little brother and our old dog Maggie. Ryan is too cute with his big smile and missing front teeth, hugging our beloved golden retriever!

Scoops Ice Cream

I like to think of myself as a somewhat adventurous eater. Sometimes that quality works to my disadvantage (like the time I tried a giant raw clam), but sometimes I am rewarded with a new and delicious experience. The ice cream at Scoops is an example of when being adventurous has been rewarding. Their flavors are about as unique as I've ever seen but always tasty. Even though my parents are not big dessert eaters, I brought them here, and they really enjoyed the experience. Thus far, I've tried blueberry basil, Thai iced tea, and lavender honey. All were fantastic, although lavender honey was definitely my favorite. Everyone raves about the brown bread, which I have yet to try. So I guess I'll have to go back so I can give you a review!

712 N Heliotrope Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90029
There are two locations, but rumor is that this one between K-town and Los Feliz has more flavors.

Getty Villa in the Summer

Here I am again posting about something I've already posted about. I'm not trying to be boring! I just couldn't resist because I've never been to the Getty Villa in the summer, so my previous pictures were from the early spring when a lot of things weren't even close to blooming. I went back this August when my parents were in town, and it was almost like seeing entirely different gardens since so many different plants were in bloom. My favorites were the herb and grape covered pergolas and the lily pads that appeared to be tie-dye.

Reading on the Weekends

What did you do this weekend? I went to brunch at a new-ish restaurant in West Hollywood with the boyfriend and dim sum out in the San Gabriel valley with school friends. Both were delicious! I also did a bit of reading, although I wish I'd done more! I'm working through several magazines left over from the summer before I'll let myself start on the September issues that I've accumulated (Vogue, Elle, and W). Plus I get the New York Times every Sunday, which is a weeks worth of reading in and of itself. I used to feel nerdy about staying home and reading, but then I read this fabulous article about Virginie Mouzat, the fashion editor for the French paper Le Figaro. She is chic in every sense of the word, and you know what she does on the weekend? Stay in and read. So I guess I was more chic than I thought!

PS: How ironic is this tv-come-bookshelf? I spotted it on Tales of Endearment.

Church and State Revisited

My parents were in town the other week for a west coast vacation, and I got a chance to take them to some of my favorite places in Los Angeles and to visit some new places with them. (Having guests in town is the perfect excuse to be a tourist in your own city.) First up was dinner at Church and State. I know I've posted about this restaurant before, but this time I got better pictures since it was light out. In addition, we got to try a few new dishes which were all great, and I wanted to share them. I started with a French 75 (which might have replaced Campari and soda as my favorite summer cocktail) and then had frogs legs. This was a first for me! They were just like little chicken wings, very tasty. We got the goat cheese-lavender-honey app again, and my mom went for the escargot that I had previously as well. Dinner included steak, bouillabaisse, and endive salad for me. There was not a drop left on anyone's plates. It was a traditional but overall fantastic meal!

Colori Kitchen

Pictures 1 and 4/5 via Yelp. Pictures 2 and 3 by me.
Excuse the long review. I love this restaurant, so it is easy for me to wax on. If you don't feel like reading it all, I will summarize: 1) delicious 2) BYO 3) a little off the beaten path but worth finding for reason 1 & 2.

Colori Kitchen is one of those true neighborhood restaurants. Almost no one who lives outside of the 5 block radius surrounding the restaurant goes. It's understandable why. It's on a very transitional corner, although there are several other businesses (D-Town Burger and Golden Gopher) next door keeping the area relatively safe. In addition, the front of the restaurant is so tiny that you're almost guaranteed to miss it if you are driving by. But all of this doesn't mean the restaurant is empty. The two times I've been (a week night and a weekend), the dining room has been bustling by 8 p.m. This is also understandable. First, Colori Kitchen is a very very rare restaurant in L.A. because it's BYO without a corkage fee (as long as you stick to 1 bottle/2 people). Second, the food is simple but bursting with flavor. I have gone for pasta dishes both times I've been, and both were some of the best pasta I've ever had. A perennial favorite is the pumpkin ravioli. It is so so good. And now that fall is coming, it is a must get. Pictured above is what I ordered this past visit: spinach gnocchi. As you can see, it's not gnocchi in a spinach sauce; they actually made the pasta out of spinach. I loved the texture, much lighter than potato gnocchi. My boyfriend got the cioppino, which he loved too. Well this review has already gone on way too long. Sorry! I hope I didn't bore you.

Rittenhouse Square - My Last Philly Post

I've been back in LA for 3 weeks now, and finally I am getting to the end of my Philadelphia posts. It's been nice reminiscing about the summer, but I'm excited to talk about what I've been up to in LA since I've been back. (Fun stuff like traveling, shopping, and dining out in new-to-me neighborhoods!) But before I move on, here is a few photos from one of the most famous places and one of the nicest neighborhoods in Philly, Rittenhouse Square. Also the restaurant in the last picture next to the square - Parc - is one of my favorite Stephen Starr restaurants. It's made to look like a French cafe left over from the time of Hemingway and Stein. Some people think it's too gimmicky, but I (a sucker for all things French) think it's perfect. I would highly recommend drinks there on a warm fall evening if you have the chance.