Upon returning home from Europe, my husband and I were hit by jetlag surprisingly hard and it took us a few weeks to get back to functioning at full capacity. This peek into my January therefore is really only a look at the two and a half weeks of the month we were somewhat recovered and out and about during. Jet lag or not, I’m quite pleased with how much fun we managed to cram into a relatively short period of time!
TASTED
Birthday Dinner at Terra Cotta
3760 Wilshire Blvd
My husband and I celebrated my mid-January birthday at a newly opened Koreatown restaurant called Terra Cotta. It was not the restaurant we originally planned on enjoying my birthday dinner at, but thanks to a twist of fate – okay, thanks to the spot I’d picked out for my birthday closing down with zero warning – we had the great fortune of stumbling upon Terra Cotta.
Billed as “global fusion” cuisine at its very best, the new eatery did not disappoint. The gorgeous Art Deco-inspired space has an upscale warehouse-vibe to it (case and point, the above photo of their chandeliers shimmering against exposed beams), an enviable full bar that produces some of the most delicious cocktails I’ve found in LA, an exceptional staff, and a delicious and eclectic menu.
Terra Cotta’s delicious Mandarin and Black Seasame dessert.
Thanks to its Koreatown location, the restaurant doesn’t attract the same pretentious upscale crowd that you’d find if it was located a bit further west. The eatery was positively bustling with creativity and life, to the point that even before our first plate came I looked at my husband and said, “I’ve finally found my perfect LA spot.”
Recommended: Being the planner that I am, I scoured reviews prior to our meal to ensure that we tried their most delicious offerings. I can personally attest to the fact that their oysters are the freshest of the fresh, their Korean Fried Cauliflower is indeed as unique and delicious as reviews indicate, and their Chilean Seabass is absolute perfection. If you’re sticking around for dessert you must taste their Mandarin and Black Sesame dish. It’s an unexpected and delightful mix of sweet and savory. If you’re planning on a cocktail or two, try their Mezcal-based Ginger Rodriguez or their tequila-laced passion fruit-centric Passionate Seoul.
Happy Hour at Trejo’s Cantina
1556 N Cahuenga Blvd
A trip to Trejo’s Cantina was a long time coming. In fact, is was nearly a year in the making! Actor Danny Trejo (if you don’t know who he is, just ask any movie-loving male in your life) opened a vegan taco shop called Trejo’s Tacos in Los Angeles in early 2016 that my husband has been DYING to fan-boy out and go to. However, due to its location, it never made sense for us to stop by.
Fast forward to mid-2016 when we heard that Trejo was planning on opening a similar restaurant in the Hollywood area. How perfect, we thought, it will be right down the street! Little did we know just how dangerously convenient it would end up being.
If you remember one of my first editions of Around LA last year, you might recall me discussing an often overlooked two-block section of Hollywood on North Cahuenga Boulevard that is absolutely packed to the brim with amazing restaurants, bars and shops. Danny Trejo raised the bar and added yet another fabulous attraction; Trejo’s Cantina.
Trejo’s Cantina is making quite the splash in Hollywood.
The outpost is the perfect spot for casual, affordable dining and sporting events alike thanks to a full wall of televisions above the bar. The best part about Trejo’s? Their unique and expansive assortment of beer. They have one of the most eclectic selections of beer on tap that I have ever seen, all of which come from smaller breweries throughout California. As something of a beer connoisseur, I greatly appreciated this feature. After extensive sampling, my personal favorite was a mango Hefeweizen called “Nom Nom” from Barley Forge Brewing Company in Costa Mesa that tasted remarkably like fruit juice. See what I mean about Trejo’s Cantina being dangerously convenient?
Recommended: While the restaurant’s vegan options are delicious, my favorite by far are their carnitas with pineapple tacos. Be sure to add some of Trejo’s special blend of hot sauce on top!
SEEN, HEARD & FREQUENTED
Good Times at Davey Wayne’s
1661 N El Centro Ave
One of my unofficial resolutions this year was to make more time for adventures in Los Angeles with my nearest and dearest. On my birthday weekend, this just so happened to mean meeting up with a friend I hadn’t seen in several months along with her extended group of friends at Good Times at Davey Wayne’s for cocktails, dancing, and catching up.
I had not previously visited Davey Wayne’s at night, though not for lack of trying. When I had friends from Seattle in town two years ago I tried to take them there, knowing that it would be a really unique experience for them. Sadly, we didn’t get to the establishment early enough to avoid an hour long line and ultimately decided that no place, regardless of how awesome it is, is worth waiting in line that long for at this stage of our lives.
Determined not to make the same mistake twice, my husband and I got to Good Times at Davey Wayne’s before 10:00 PM this time and were greeted by a slightly less daunting wait. The wait was well worth it because upon entering we were greeted by the chillest crowd I’ve ever encountered in LA. Everyone inside the old school garage/basement/backyard speakeasy of sorts was friendly, open to getting to know one another and dancing to funk with zero inhibitions.
The interior of Good Times at Davey Wayne’s.
Good Times at Davey Wayne’s is the perfect spot for a weekend night out because it truly offers something for everyone. The positively groovy environment serves strong drinks, provides ample room for dancing, chatting, and cozying up, and even sells BBQ out back!
Tip: If you have a large enough group I highly recommend getting a table. They aren’t outrageously expensive when split between people and will give you the ability to skip to the front of the ever-growing line out front.
Shopping with Lola on Melrose Ave
This account of a seemingly uneventful Saturday is being included solely so I can regale you all with a recap of Lola’s BEST DAY EVER. In the midst of two straight weeks of rain, Los Angeles was graced with a sunny and warm-ish Saturday, on which Lola had a vet appointment scheduled. Her post-vet routine as of late has included a celebratory trip to Shake Shack, the infamous burger chain, for a “Poochini” off of their canine menu.
She gets unbelievably excited to go to the Shake Shack on Santa Monica Boulevard with my husband and I, and was particularly ecstatic to make the trip after being cooped up inside due to rain. On this particular Saturday however, Shake Shack was sadly out of the dog bones that they use that make up half of the Poochini and were thus unable to give one to Lola. Her poor little face FELL when she realized that we were eating our delicious Shake Shack favorites without her. She was clearly heartbroken and we felt so bad for her that as soon as we were done, we started driving towards the next closest Shake Shack in Hollywood for a consolation Poochini.
While en route to Hollywood we drove down Melrose Avenue. Melrose was particularly lively that day so we found street parking, unloaded Lola, and began leisurely strolling down the street. Our first stop was at an adorable pet store called Orange Bone where Lola picked out a toy, a doggie donut, and some treats. (She isn’t spoiled or anything…) With a renewed swagger in her step, we continued wandering around the area, popping in and out of shops.
Lola doing some serious posing in front of a mural on Melrose.
Though I wasn’t looking at the ground for potential Puggle hazards, Lola was and she sure found one. In the midst of prancing down Melrose, she discovered an entire uneaten cheeseburger laying on the sidewalk. Wasting no time at all, she scooped it up into her mouth and continued frolicking down the street, wagging her tale like a maniac.
A crowd quickly gathered around her and began cheering her on as I yanked the cheeseburger from her mouth not once, not twice, but three separate times. As soon as I managed to pull one piece from her grasp, she would find another piece to replace it with. Onlookers began chanting, “You go dog, get that burger! Eat it!”, all the while they booed at me. This was of course hilarious to all of them, my husband was in fact in tears because he was laughing so hard, exhilarating to Lola, and infuriating to me as I repeatedly got covered in gross American cheese mixed with dog saliva while getting booed. We just can’t take that scoundrel anywhere.
AND A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA
We Booked an August Trip to London!
Every time my husband and I return home from Europe, we immediately, without fail, book another trip overseas. Coming back to reality a few weeks ago after spending New Year’s in London was no different.
With our hypothetical end of 2017 trip to Barcelona feeling unbearably far away, I began tracking flight prices to various locations, re-budgeting our finances, and started getting really creative with trip planning options. While Copenhagen was in the lead for our unexpected mid-year trip to Europe, we ultimately found an unbelievably great flight deal to London that was too good to pass up. I am therefore ecstatic to report that we are planning on returning to London at the end of August for a few bonus days in one of our favorite cities.
It is still too early for me to request the three days off from work that I’ll need for the trip, but I’m optimistic I’ll be able to take them and that we will be back leisurely sipping craft cocktails, eating gourmet meals and enjoying (a much sunnier) London in no time at all!
What adventures has 2017 brought into your lives? Do you have any exciting plans for the upcoming month?