I tend to gravitate towards films like this. Poetically paced, emotionally unnerving, raw and politically charged films that sometimes deal with realities I luckily never encountered in my own life. In this case, war, unrest, and a terror that has always been greater to me than any horror film Hollywood could conceive of. Human emotion run wild and an unstoppable quiet anger that destroys whatever is in its way. Continue reading
Comme Ca in West Hollywood launched their version of a happy hour two months ago with the rotating Hourglass Menu of outrageous well thought out French treats and $5-$8 beer and wine to accompany their already existent dinner menu. To celebrate they invited some of LA’s foodies to join them in sampling some bites and sips. Full disclosure, I totally bailed on my current vegan reign and went all out on the pulled pork sliders with pickled shallots and arugula and the irresistible mini quail egg croque monsieur (pictured). I have decided that once or twice a month I get to indulge the persistent foodie inside and ignore healthy eating habits. As long as the universe is going to withhold Paris* from me for the time being I will fully indulge in croques and fois gras when the opportunity arises. Life is short so I am fully down for the occasional indulgent meal and highly recommend it. The drinks were phenomenal as well. There was one called The East that isn’t on the menu but you can ask for it by name. It’s made up of gin, mint, lime and cucumber. Happy Hour is 5-7pm nightly, seven days a week. 8479 Melrose Avenue, 323.782.1104
*As of this morning I am going to Paris in December but I stand firm in my position to indulge.
Today is going to be a foodie day. A friend of mine suggested a while ago that I occasionally share some of my recipes here which I thought was funny but I have been obsessed with this salad I threw together a few months ago. It’s super simple, takes five minutes to prepare and it’s what I live off of at lunchtime lately. The measurements are estimates, as anyone that has ever seen me cook knows I don’t measure anything, so take the ones below with a grain of salt (no pun intended).
LA Indian Summer Salad
1 large cup each of Chopped fresh Spinach, Diced Tomatoes + Persian Cucumbers
1 can Chick Peas
1/2 cup Diced Fresh Cilantro
1/2 cup Diced Roasted Red Pepper
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup Diced Fresh Avocado
Salt to taste
Equal parts Olive Oil and Rice or Balsamic Vinegar, whichever you prefer
Occasionally when the mood strikes I’ll throw some diced bread & butter pickles into the mix…
Granted going from $14,000 to $5,600 is not really a sale for most people but lets be honest, there are still plenty of people who can buy that coat so at a third of the original price it’s actually quite a bargain (though if you beat it out of me, I would say I could have made that coat in high school with my thrift store acumen and punk rock know how…) But that doesn’t change the fact that the coat is gorgeous and obsession worthy. Balmain always inspires… It’s on sale at www.luisaviaroma.com
There seems to be an automotive theme going on this week which I am loving. Last night at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood Range Rover had a cocktail reception to celebrate the LA launch of the Range Rover Evoque, their new midsize sport SUV which goes on sale next summer in 2011. The car is gorgeous as was the crowd which is expected since they invited rockers Ok Go to co-host the event. Organizers make note, in order to guarantee a hot young crowd it is best to invite young musicians and their friends to wander around in their natural state, which presumably will be in the smoking section. Cecconi’s is still serving their amazing Pumpkin Margarita by the way…
I tried to find some artsy Lotus related photo to add to this post but who am I kidding? The Baldwin Brothers AND a Lotus? It’s like someone crawled into the deepest crevice of my soul and exposed my favorite fantasy. How is it possible that after all these years they are all still this hot? Anyway… The point is Lotus celebrated the US launch of several things last Friday night at a private residence in the hills of Bel Air. Cars (the Esprit, Elan, Elite, Elise and Eterne), clothing (a private label product line featuring three separate clothing collections: Lotus Heritage, Lotus Originals and Lotus Performance) and the new Lotus Magazine. The inaugural issue features Kate Moss on the cover and lifestyle-driven content including a Great British Icons feature and a retrospective of Lotus “Moments,” such as the role of the brand in James Bond 007 movies. It also boasts one of my old friends Markus Ebner as an Editor, which was a nice surprise. Yes, in between cocktails and listening to my favorite girl Taryn Manning spin, I read the masthead like any good media junkie would. The photo above was taken by another one of my favorite LA talents, Donato Sardella. Great night.
If you’re in NYC this week try to catch the tail end of the Claire Denis retrospective showing through Thursday November 18th at the IFC Center. The brilliant 62-year old French filmmaker was there in person last week at the screening of her first feature Chocolat from 1988. She also has a new film, “White Material,” starring Isabel Huppert and opening this Friday in select cities that just screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. I love proper indie films that make you think.
I finally had a good listen to Charlotte Gainsbourg‘s first solo album that was released earlier this year. It’s been on my list for months and a couple of weeks ago I was stuck in Studio City killing time in between appointments when I stumbled on a really great record store called FreakBeat that’s been open in Sherman Oaks for the last seven years. It’s very old school indie, they sell new and used CDs, books and rare vinyl and I was excited to find a copy of Charlotte’s album hidden away there. I’ve been listening to it non stop since and it’s fantastic. The album was produced by Beck and pretty much hits the mark on every track. Impressive work all around. But not surprising as the girl comes from legendary lineage and is an artist in every respect. I also found Underworld‘s new addictive album as well as Massive Attack and some perfect holiday gifts for friends.
One of my favorite bands The White Stripes just released a 2010 Merchandise Collection which includes a record player, headphones and a bonus seven inch Christmas record. Did someone say gift wish list? WOW. Obsessed.
Billy Reid was named the 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Winner tonight, taking home the $300,000 prize along with a bronze statue made by artist Rachel Feinstein, whose work I love. Eddie Borgo and Prabal Gurung were named runners-up, each collecting $100,000 and trophies in the shape of bronze eggs also created by Rachel. Reid’s designs are classical and bespoke but with a great downtown vibe. I love the way he dresses guys, especially if there are suspenders involved. His collections remind me of the way we used to dress in high school and college, this sort of effortless combination of used (vintage) and new clothes, whatever worked and looked great for the moment without trying too hard. Sexy librarian chic.
