08-24-15

AUGUST 24, 2015 I VOL. 44 I #34

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Smokers! Knives! Meat Grinders!

Downtown Chefs Show Off a Few of Their Favorite Things SEE PAGE 11

Paul Lee of Patina with his favorite pairing knife.

photo by Gary Leonard

Talking About Downtown’s Crime Problem : 6 The A+D Museum Comes Home : 18

THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

2 Downtown News

DT

AROUND TOWN

Housing Tower With 305 Units Proposed for Downtown

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et another high-rise is in the works for South Park. Dallas-based Trammell Crow Residential has proposed building a 26-story apartment structure at Ninth and Hill streets. The project, dubbed Alexan South Broadway, would include 305 luxury apartments with 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. Although the project is currently seeking city entitlements, the developer expects to break ground next spring and complete the building in 2018, according to John Readey, a development associate with Trammell Crow’s Los Angeles office. Architecture firm RTKL is handling the designs, and renderings show a modern glass tower with balconies atop a 333-space parking podium. Plans also call for nearly 350 bicycle parking spots. Amenities would include a 12,300-square-foot outdoor deck on the sixth floor with a pool, an indoor gym, a yoga studio and a lounge with a full-size kitchen. The top floor would be a lounge area with conference rooms. No budget has been revealed. News of the project was first reported on the blog DTLA Rising.

Food and Wine Festival Returns to Downtown

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owntown will be the most delicious place in Los Angeles this week, as the

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS fifth annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival lands on Bunker Hill. From Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 27-30, there will be a suite of events, dinners, lunches, parties, cooking demonstrations and more. A who’s who of culinary talent will participate, with chefs including Curtis Stone, Thomas Keller, Nancy Silverton and New York’s Alex Guarnaschelli. The lineup also features a number of Downtown Los Angeles kitchen stalwarts, among them Ray Garcia of Broken Spanish, Angelo Auriana of Factory Kitchen, Pawan Mahendro of Badmaash and Neal Fraser from Redbird. Event highlights include a Friday Night Market on Grand Avenue with 30 chefs and copious booze, and a Saturday night concert on the street featuring The Roots. In addition to the food, there will be offerings from more than 100 wineries and breweries. The event is produced by Coastal Luxury Management. A full schedule and tickets are at lafw.com.

Clifton’s Opening Night Party To Benefit L.A. Conservancy

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owntown has greeted the impending return of Clifton’s Cafeteria with enthusiasm. Now, there’s new information about the debut: The Clifton’s opening night party will benefit preservationist group the Los Angeles Conservancy. The organization last week announced that Andrew Meieran, who has spent four years and about $10 million updating and reimagining the restaurant at 648 S. Broadway, will host a three-hour event on Sept. 21. General admission tickets are $125 and provide hors d’oeuvres, drinks, entertainment, dinner and dessert, and attendees will

August 24, 2015

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pass through the familiar cafeteria line. A limited number of VIP guests (tickets are $250) will get a behind-the-scenes tour with Meieran, including a visit to the third and fourth floors, which will not open until later in the fall. Meieran is a board member and longtime supporter of the Conservancy. “We’re thrilled and incredibly grateful to be part of this historic moment,” said Conservancy President and CEO Linda Dishman. “Clifton’s is a Downtown institution, and its reopening exemplifies how historic buildings can evolve and continue to inspire new generations.” Tickets are at laconservancy.org/cliftons-2015.

August 19, 2015

MOCA Gets ‘storefront’ Space on Grand Avenue

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ormally, seeing art at MOCA means going into the museum. That will change this week. The museum recently announced that a new project dubbed “storefront:” will open on the plaza level of the Grand Avenue campus, and artists and art collectives will inhabit the space. The moniker comes from the storefront studios that artists across Los Angeles employ. Opening Saturday, Aug. 29, is Noah Davis’ Imitation of Wealth, which inContinued on page 10

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4 Downtown News

EDITORIALS

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August 24, 2015

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

The Readers Respond Website Comments on Pershing Square, Crime and More

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egarding the Guest Opinion column “At Pershing Square, a Legacy of Renewal,” by City Councilmember José Huizar, published Aug. 17

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an we try more green and less concrete? Maybe get rid of the ’80 architectural elements. More sitting areas. I think the water fountain should stay... just reimagined. Families are beginning to move back into Downtown, so how about a large playground for children?

—Lindley Rouse, Aug. 18, 11:12 a.m.

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or over 20 years I worked in the area of Pershing Square, at the Biltmore Hotel, where I was a catering manager, and later on at the Bonaventure, Hyatt and Marriott Grande. Since the early 1980s, Pershing Square was a hub for drug addicts, the homeless, mentally ill people, etc., and a dangerous place after sunset. Millions have been spent there, and yet the same subject comes up every 10 years. The city needs to spend money wisely, otherwise we will pour money into a bottomless pit.

—Jorge Ber-Percivale, Aug. 18, 2:03 p.m.

Regarding the news brief “City Atty. Feuer Hosts Downtown Crime Meeting,” published Aug. 17

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t’s no coincidence that soon after Proposition 47 was passed, crime went up. Its authors had the audacity to name this proposition “The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act.” Are you kidding? How is reducing penalties on common crimes going to make neighborhoods and schools safer? Now all of the criminals know that these former felonies are only misdemeanors, so it becomes a waste of the cops’ time to do anything about it. Also, having certain amounts of some drugs has a reduced penalty. Now people are finding out that because there’s really no punishment, the addicts will choose treatment instead of jail time and just end up right back on the street.

Then they go on to commit other crimes that used to be felonies, but are now misdemeanors, and it creates a vicious circle. Seriously folks, repeal Prop 47 for a safer L.A. —John Smith, Aug. 18, 9:48 a.m.

Regarding the article “Parker Center, the L.A. Mall and the Future of the Civic Center,” by Eddie Kim, published Aug. 10

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completely agree that the Civic Center needs to be revitalized as more of a 24/7 neighborhood. As for the County Courthouse and the Hall of Administration, they were badly designed and ugly buildings when they were built (I suspect because they were designed by a committee) and they are even uglier now. They are also unsafe, earthquake damaged and functionally obsolete.

—Brady Westwater, Aug. 18, 1:05 p.m.

Regarding the article “The Central City Crime Report,” by Heidi Kulicke, which includes information on bicycle thefts, published Aug. 10

I

f one travels south on Gladys Street from Third Street in Downtown, you will find large numbers of bikes grouped on both sides of the street, mixed among the homeless tents. It appears as if this is where some of the stolen bicycles end up, possibly waiting to be sold.

—Carrie Bach, Aug. 13, 7:16 a.m.

The Need for a Civic Center Master Plan

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his is a big year for the Civic Center, where parts of the longtime nexus of four levels of government in Los Angeles are being remade. At the same time, several strategically located parcels are stagnating.

It’s a strange situation. In recent years, a new jewel arrived in the form of Grand Park. It has been complemented by a $230 million renovation of the Hall of Justice, which opened last October on Temple Street. The momentum is poised to continue as the $323 million Federal Courthouse at First Street and Broadway takes shape. It will open next fall.

These buzzworthy projects are contrasted by dead zones.

Parker Center, the former home of the Los Angeles Police Department, has sat empty since the LAPD moved into a $440 million headquarters across First Street from City Hall in 2009. A proposed city park at First and Broadway is still only an expanse of dirt (though this is a big improvement over the infamous “graffiti pit” that preceded it). Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Mall continues to frustrate, as the centrally located facility suffers from empty storefronts and an identity complex.

If it sounds like the Civic Center is a set of irregularly shaped puzzle pieces that don’t fit together, that’s precisely the situation.

That is why now is the time for city, county, state and federal leaders to come together, again, and begin work on a comprehensive master plan for the district, one that looks not only at the aforementioned properties, but also the County Hall of Administration, the County Courthouse, the Stanley Mosk Courthouse and the old Federal Courthouse on North Main Street, among others. This will be time-consuming and difficult as it involves parties with different agendas and goals, but it is vital — local officials must view development in the community on a comprehensive rather than a piecemeal basis.

The city and the county should lead the effort because they have the biggest stake in the outcome, but representatives of the state and the federal government must also be involved. All have properties in the tight community between Temple and Third streets, and their plans and access to money could help create a vibrant neighborhood.

This isn’t the first call to bring everything together. As Los Angeles Downtown News noted in a story this month (and reported thoroughly in real time), the 1997 “10-Minute Diamond” plan proposed concentrating government services of all levels within a 10-minute walk of City Hall, with the goal of using a critical mass of government workers to activate the streets and prompt

investment. This led to some successes, such as the CalTrans building on First Street. Of course, the plan came before the Downtown residential revolution was ignited in the Historic Core in 2000. That changed everything.

The biggest question mark now is Parker Center. An environmental impact report, which took years to complete, offered suggestions ranging from razing and rebuilding to salvaging and repurposing the structure. Eventually the idea of erecting a 27-story office tower on the site took hold, though that is in limbo as preservationists push for the 1955 building by Welton Becket to get Historic-Cultural Monument status.

As progress on Parker Center slowed, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar called for a comprehensive look at the district. That is the right approach, and his office should be part of the master plan team. Fortunately, a mechanism exists from which to springboard — Huizar sits on the Grand Avenue Authority, as does County Supervisor Hilda Solis. Perhaps the committee’s role could be expanded so it considers not just Related Cos.’ mega-project, but also the Civic Center (other members might be added to the panel in this scenario). It’s worth considering.

Parker Center is the first domino, but equally important is the L.A. Mall. This property exemplifies the term “logistical nightmare,” as a 2,000-space underground parking garage poses engineering challenges for any construction project. However, the 100,000 square feet of sub-surface retail space are only about one-third occupied. With the residential base expanding in every direction, there is ample opportunity to serve government workers and Downtown inhabitants.

One thing is for sure: In the next go-round the Mall should be run by private industry, not the City. The more than 40-year-old experiment with the City overseeing the Mall’s shopping and services has not worked optimally, to say the least. It’s too easy for city workers to get pulled from one project or another. The profit motive tends to keep businesses focused.

Regarding the larger challenge, there are more questions than answers at this time: Can the city save money by terminating office leases in other neighborhoods and centralizing workers in the Civic Center? Should residential be part of the neighborhood’s revamp? What about retail, and not just at the L.A. Mall?

There is a lot of potential in the Civic Center. Achieving that potential starts by having various levels of government work together on a new master plan.

August 24, 2015

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

28 Films and TV Shows That Could Be About City Government The Place Where Hollywood and City Hall Come Together

By Jon Regardie lthough City Hall is just a few miles from Hollywood, government and the entertainment industry only rarely intersect.

Even the few films and TV shows that touch on politics rarely involve Los Angeles.

That said, if you only consider the titles, and forget the actual content Hollywood dreams up, then it seems as if dozens of films and TV

A

If “Game of Thrones” was actually about political machinations in City Hall, then Kit Harrington (right) might be perfect for the part of Mayor Eric Garcetti.

THE REGARDIE REPORT shows could be about what happens in city government.

Below are 28 films from this year and TV shows from the 2014-15 season (network, cable and streaming!) that sound like they could be about life inside City Hall, complete with a brief description and a casting suggestion or two.

Trainwreck: A comedy about what happens to the city budget when pension costs rise, onetime accounting tricks are halted and local leaders realize that the structural deficit each year is north of $100 million. Starring Amy Schumer as the mayor!

The Walking Dead: Angelenos testify at a council meeting, but are ignored and feel as if they might as well be speaking to zombies.

Council members play themselves.

Mission: Impossible: After ignoring homelessness for decades, elected officials suddenly realize that, uh oh, L.A. has a problem and they

photo by Gary Leonard

should do something. Featuring Tom Cruise in his toughest role yet.

Scandal: A drama about an L.A. mayor drawn to brunette newsreaders. Hmmm, who could play this part?

Furious 7: A minority of the 15-member council wind up angry after being on the wrong side of a vote. Okay, it couldn’t happen, because in

photo by Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO

the Herb Wesson era the council never publicly disagrees. Starring Amy Schumer again, this time as Wesson.

Survivor: Come election time, only one candidate can be mayor. Featuring the cast of The Expendables.

House of Cards: Watch city government fall to pieces when the next recession hits. With Kevin Spacey as a top budget analyst.

Dope: A regular Angeleno walks into City Hall with a problem, but without hiring a high-paid fixer. Starring Denzel Washington.

Minions: A documentary about how Council President Herb Wesson views the rest of the council.

Shark Tank: Coincidentally, also about a reguContinued on page 24

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6 Downtown News

Downtown Crime Talk Draws Big Crowd

LAPD officials said that one of the key factors in surging Downtown crime rates is an increase in homelessness and drug addiction.

Discussion Hosted by City Attorney Turns to Homelessness, Gets Testy

By Heidi Kulicke he crime spike in Downtown Los Angeles took center stage last week, at a sometimes heated forum at the Central Library.

During a discussion organized by City Attorney Mike Feuer on Wednesday, Aug. 19, Central City residents and other stakeholders talked, and occasionally argued, over local issues, what steps to take to keep the community safe, and homelessness.

About 200 people attended the evening meeting in the library’s Mark Taper Auditorium.

Feuer scheduled it as part of a series of community discussions in the wake of rising crime rates across Los Angeles, where overall crime increased 12% in the first six months of the year, according to the LAPD. Downtown numbers have outpaced the city statistics, with Central Division reporting a 34% rise in overall crime and a 60% surge in violent crime in the fist six months of the year, compared to 2014 figures.

Feuer stressed that community involvement is key to creating a safe environment.

“We can’t just have the government step in and fix everything. It doesn’t work that way,” Feuer said. “We don’t have all the solutions.”

Central Division captains Mike Oreb and Don Graham said that part of the spike comes from a change in the way the LAPD classi-

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fies crimes, with some former misdemeanors now reported as felonies. They also said the release of inmates to Skid Row and a growing population of Downtown residents and businesses has created an environment where more crime takes place.

Oreb said much of the Downtown crime is fueled by drug addiction.

“Narcotics activity has increased and feeds robberies, violent crime, rape and human trafficking,” Oreb said. “We’re not here to address why or how the drugs got here, but the fact is it’s here and we’re doing our best to address it.”

Graham said the key to crime reduction is community resilience, and asked area stakeholders to report any crime they witness.

He also pointed to obvious if sometimes overlooked steps to deter crime, urging people to lock vehicles and doors, and to keep valuables out of cars, or at least out of plain sight.

During a Q&A period the talk turned to issues such as the sale of single cans of beer, veteran support and homelessness. The latter subject led to some vocal outbursts from audience members, with assertions that police and prosecutors have attempted to criminalize, rather than treat, homelessness.

One particular point of contention concerned police seizures of property belonging to homeless individuals. It has also been a sub-

August 24, 2015

photo by Gary Leonard

ject of debate in City Hall. The City Council in June passed a measure allowing police to give homeless people 24 hours notice to move their possessions from city sidewalks or parks, or risk having them seized and held for up to 90 days before being destroyed (the items could be retrieved before then). Garcetti has asked the LAPD to not enforce the ruling until certain issues are ironed out.

That fed into a discussion of affordable housing and the lack of available units. Feuer called for support from state and federal officials.

“Not enough has been done to house the homeless,” Feuer said. “It’s disgraceful to see people in our city with no place to live.”

The affiliated subject of mental illness was also discussed, with some audience members objecting to the incarceration of mentally ill people, who they said need treatment rather than jail time. That has also been a topic for the County Board of Supervisors as they discuss plans to replace Men’s Central Jail in Downtown, and to create treatment centers

for mentally ill individuals.

Oreb and Graham agreed that more outreach efforts are needed to help mentally ill individuals living on the streets.

“You can’t find better supporters of affordable housing and mental health than us,” said Graham, sparking derisive laughter from a few people in the crowd. “Laugh all you want. Our job is to fight crime and support homeless services. The police’s role is not to fight poverty.”

Many in the crowd expressed a willingness to do whatever it takes to make the community safe. South Park resident Maria Fuhrman said that although she views the crime increase as a setback, she is proud to be one of the stakeholders and business owners who put their “heart and soul” into making Downtown the best it can be.

Feuer said he plans to hold more meetings in Downtown in the near future to gather additional community input for creating a safe neighborhood. heidi@downtownnews.com

August 24, 2015

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Downtown News 7

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

8 Downtown News

August 24, 2015

City Looks at DASH Upgrades

The city Department of Transportation is conducting a review of its services, including the DASH program.

The agency is looking to expand routes and service times to meet demand in Downtown.

Review of Services Could Lead to More Routes in Downtown

By Eddie Kim owntown Los Angeles is the transit heart of the county, the place where the region’s rail lines and major bus services converge.

One of the most important pieces of that puzzle is the city Department of Transportation’s DASH service, intended for short trips within neighborhoods. It offers nine routes in Downtown and around USC, and also services 27 other communities in Los Angeles. Rides are 50 cents.

The city is now reviewing DASH and other LADOT bus systems, including the Commuter Express and the Cityride service for people 65 and older or with disabilities. The impacts may be bigger in Downtown than anywhere else, thanks to the rapidly changing community.

Phil Aker, a transportation planner at LADOT, said the department aims to do a comprehensive review every three to five years.

“We did one in 2010, but at the time we focused on efficiencies, service reductions and fare increases because we were looking at a potential Prop. A shortfall,” said Aker, referring to the halfcent sales tax for transportation projects.

DOT also conducted a DASH-specific study in 2005, using ridership data and demographic information to predict what new routes would be most successful. That resulted in a list of the top 22 potential routes, but the economic downturn meant the agency couldn’t implement them. Instead, it had to reduce Sunday and late-night services, said Executive Officer

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for Transit Service Jim Lefton.

The agency aims to add services this time, Lefton said, and is courting suggestions from communities in addition to using data analysis.

Seven workshops have taken place so far and another round of public meetings will occur in the fall. Information is at ladottransit.com/movingforwardtogether.

DOT hopes to finish the study and present recommendations to the City Council by early 2016. Then it will begin determining what investments to make, the biggest of which would be the purchasing of new buses.

The budget for DASH is about $50 million a year, while the entire DOT budget for transit services is about $100 million, with $40 million coming from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and $60 million from Prop. A tax funds, according to Lefton.

“The budget for our services do not come from the city’s general fund, which is good news,” Lefton said. “It means we have a dedicated funding source.”

Early Ideas The analysis is about halfway complete, according to Aker, meaning the agency has few concrete ideas yet for how it could change DASH in Downtown. One of the most pressing issues, however, is how DASH should integrate with existing and future rail services, especially Metro’s Regional Connector.

The 1.9-mile track will connect the Little Tokyo Gold Line station to the Seventh Street Met-

The

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ro Center with three new stations, streamlining cross-county travel and reducing the need for transfers. The $1.4 billion project is expected to be complete in 2020. It could make some DASH routes or stops redundant, Aker said.

“One thing that occurs to me is that [two DASH routes] run through the Financial District and the Civic Center but they’re basically a block apart. Meanwhile, the Regional Connector will be nearby at two locations on Second Street,” Aker noted. “We have to recognize that Downtown is evolving as a series of neighborhoods. Do we want to carry someone all the way across Downtown if they could be on rail?”

The burst of residential development also means that previously under-activated corridors or stops could become more useful to riders, Lefton added. That includes the Arts District, where Metro has broached ideas for a light rail stop or two near its existing tracks adjacent to the L.A. River. Another option for increased activity is South Park, which doesn’t have enough DASH routes to serve a swell of residents and businesses, said Jessica Lall, executive director of

the South Park Business Improvement District.

“A lot of residents in South Park still have cars and want one or two parking spaces. But what we hear consistently as a reason for that is there’s no easy bus they can hop on to get around,” Lall said. “If DASH had longer hours and more consistent services in our neighborhood, we would really see transit be more desirable for the people that live here.”

DOT has already started upgrading the DASH fleet, converting its propane-powered vehicles to run on compressed natural gas. The agency also received nearly $3 million to purchase four fully electric buses from Chinese vehicle manufacturer BYD, which could debut in Downtown in early 2016, Lefton said.

DOT has also introduced new tech features such as mobile ticketing and real-time arrival info at DASH stops, and bike racks will be affixed to all DASH buses. The agency is experimenting with onboard Wi-Fi on its Commuter Express buses, with the goal of expanding it across all fleets, Lefton added. eddie@downtownnews.com

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10 Downtown News

August 24, 2015

W Hotel Coming to South Park 30-Story Tower to Be Part of Luxe Hotel Replacement Project

By Eddie Kim hinese developer Shenzhen Hazens is taking advantage of Downtown’s growing demand for hotel rooms, with plans to build a 30-story hotel alongside two residential towers at its $700 million mega-project across the street from L.A. Live.

Executives with Shenzhen Hazens announced last week that the 250-room, five-star hotel will be operated by the W Hotel brand, which is part of the Starwood Hotel and Resort group.

“The selection of the W Hotel brand was based on Starwood’s keen understanding of both the Asian and American markets and their ability to deliver on the quality and excitement our customers have come to expect of a Hazens development,” Sonnet Hui, executive project director with Hazens, said in a prepared statement.

Hazens plans to break ground on the hotel in 2017 as part of its first phase, which also includes a 30-story condominium tower. The W Los Angeles Downtown is expected to open in 2019.

The hotel would occupy the northeast corner of 11th and Figueroa streets, with the condominium tower rising to its east. The second phase would demolish the existing Luxe hotel and raise a 42-story condo tower in its place.

Altogether, the project would offer 650 condos along with the 250-room hotel.

Jessica Lall, executive director of the South Park Business Improvement District, said the W brand is a solid fit for a community that is rap-

idly changing. She praised the developer for working with area stakeholders on the effort.

“We are grateful for the thought Hazens Group is taking to ensure they make the right decisions for the community and the city overall,” Lall said in an email. “Recognizing the need for an upscale, trendy hotel that will serve the Convention Center and tourists — we believe this will continue to bolster South Park and Downtown’s image both nationally and internationally.”

More Rooms Needed The W announcement comes as Downtown is seeing a long-desired shift in its tourism scene.

For years, meeting planners often looked to other cities for the biggest events, as they complained that Los Angeles lacked a sufficient number of hotel rooms within walking distance of the Convention Center. The city also faced challenges in the convention complex itself, which was housed in two separate buildings (one more than 40 years old), rather than the contiguous space preferred for major trade shows and gatherings.

Now things are changing. A city panel in June selected the team of HMC Architects and Populous to handle a proposed renovation of the Convention Center. The approximately $350 million project would deliver a new structure that bridges over Pico Boulevard, creating the contiguous space desired by meeting planners.

The lack of hotel rooms is also being addressed. Bud Ovrom, executive director of the Convention Center, noted that city leaders set a goal of having 8,000 hotel rooms within walk-

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ing distance of the Convention Center by 2020.

There are currently 3,172 rooms, he said, with 1,767 rooms under construction, and another 1,130 rooms in the planning pipeline.

The W announcement, he said, adds to the momentum.

“We are beyond thrilled with the announcement of the W Hotel becoming one of our neighbors at the L.A. Convention Center,” Ovrom said. “It is an extremely popular brand and will be a perfect fit for South Park.”

The biggest planned addition to the hotel scene comes from Anschutz Entertainment Group, which intends to build a 755-room tower just north of Olympic Boulevard as an expansion for its existing J.W. Marriott at L.A. Live.

Shanghai-based Greenland Group is building a 350-room hotel at its South Park Metropolis mega-project, and it has announced the operator will be Hotel Indigo.

Plans are also underway for a pair of hotels near the Historic Core and Financial District from

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New York City-based Sydell Group, and another developer, Chetrit Group, is finishing work on two hotels in South Park and near Pershing Square.

The former Case Hotel at 1106 S. Broadway is being turned into a 151-room boutique establishment, the Proper Hotel, by developers Kor Group, Channing Henry and Frank Stork.

Ovrom also noted that, on June 30, the city began a search for an operator of a 1,000-plus room hotel adjacent to the Convention Center. It would serve as the area’s second “headquarters” hotel, along with the Ritz-Carlton/J.W. Marriott at L.A. Live.

“Major brands like Hilton, Hyatt, Omni and other Starwood products have expressed great interest,” Ovrom said.

He expects the search for an operator to play out over the next year as the modernization proposal for the Convention Center moves forward.

Additional reporting by Jon Regardie eddie@downtownnews.com

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by Public Fiction, which formerly was in Highland Park. “storefront: is an opportunity for MOCA to reimagine what it means to be ‘the artist’s museum’ in a city filled with artist-run spaces and initiatives,’ said MOCA Chief Curator Helen Molesworth in a prepared statement.

August 24, 2015

Downtown News 11

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

let’s Do Dinner PHOTOS BY GARY LEONARD

Kitchen essentials 2015 Five Downtown Chefs Talk About Their Favorite Tools and Dinner Dishes

By Eddie Kim and Heidi Kulicke hen you go out to a restaurant and order a meal, you naturally think of the food and the ingredients. What almost everyone fails to consider are the tools the chef and kitchen staff use to prepare your dinner.

W

Every chef has a favorite kitchen instrument that he or she repeatedly reaches for, whether the task at hand is to make an appetizer, entree, side or dessert. Los Angeles Downtown News chatted with five local chefs to find out what they can’t live without. Their answers, and their favorite dinner dishes, are displayed in the following pages.

Brian hoffman

Belcampo Meat Co.

Belcampo Meat Co. uses (and sells) great meat, but it’s how the meat is produced that sets the business apart. The beef comes from a small stock of cattle Belcampo raises at the foot of Mt. Shasta, and workers learn to butcher cuts from the entire animal.

Brian Hoffman, head chef at Belcampo’s Grand Central Market restaurant, says the approach pushes him and his staff to reduce waste and use every part of the animal.

“In a normal restaurant we get spoiled. If you want 9 million New York strips, you can just order them. Here it’s about knowing how to use an entire cow,” he says.

Essential Kitchen Tool: Hoffman and his crew make ground beef and sausages by hand, so it’s no surprise a big metal meat grinder is key to his kitchen. It also allows the restaurant to process and use the tasty meat trimmings that can’t be sold at the butcher counter. “We use it every single day,” Hoffman says.

Essential Dinner Dish: Belcampo offers a special dinner menu on Thursday-Saturday evenings, and Hoffman’s favorite dish is the steak plate, which exemplifies the no-fuss approach to entrees. It features an eight-ounce flatiron steak accompanied by sautéed Mayocoba beans and a romesco sauce made by blending peppers, almonds, garlic and olive oil.

At 317 S. Broadway, (213) 625-0304 or belcampomeatco.com.

Continued on page 15

12 Downtown News

August 24, 2015

LET’S DO DINNER

Eating Up Downtown’s Dining Revolution The Changing Tastes and Cuisines In a Neighborhood Unlike Any Other

By Eddie Kim moved to Los Angeles in 2009, but even before arriving, I spent more than a decade visiting the city. During trips from my home in Hawaii, my favorite part of seeing family here was always going out to dinner.

Sometimes that meant heading to Koreatown for a bubbling pot of fiery pork-neck stew and blood sausage. Other times we wandered into East L.A. in search of barbacoa and birria, or west to the beach communities to slurp down oysters while gazing at the sunset and breathing in the briny air. My family was in the restaurant business, and such culinary exploration always felt like a logical priority.

As I got older and became obsessed with the city’s myriad fine-dining hotspots, it meant dragging my poor parents to expensive meals at restaurants like Providence, the modernist cuisine temple The Bazaar, and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Beverly Hills.

All along, it never crossed my mind that Downtown Los Angeles was a place I should be eating. The irony is I was being driven through Downtown on every visit, as my grandmother lived in a small apartment on Bunker Hill.

Things are far different today. Now, when people ask for restaurant recommendations, the first places I mention are in the Central City.

No, it’s not only because I work for Los Angeles Downtown News.

The fact is, no community in Los Angeles has seen the sort of explosive dining-scene growth in such a short period of time that Downtown has enjoyed. What’s just as remarkable as my recommendations are the responses. Years ago, when I suggested eating here, people raised their eyes and said, “Really, Downtown?” Now, it’s an enthusiastic, “Oh, Downtown!”

Young Minds, New Menus More places today serve dinner in Downtown than ever before. But what really makes the community stand out is that so many menus spring from the minds of young, talented chefs.

One of the most acclaimed is Ari Taymor, the chef-owner of the tiny Broadway restaurant Alma, which opened in 2012. Taymor’s cuisine inspires adjectives like “experimental,” but his cooking simply melds top-flight ingredients with an uncanny sense of flavor and seasonality.

I

Consider his dish of nitrogen-frozen duck liver, carrots, coffee and granola, which I still crave from time to time. Alma remains the only restaurant in Downtown to snag Bon Appétit magazine’s Best New Restaurant in America award (in 2013).

Beyond the idiosyncrasies of Taymor lie a slew of chefs carving out their place in the Downtown scene.

“Top Chef” winner Ilan Hall made a splash when he opened his first restaurant, the Jewish/Scottish hybrid The Gorbals, in 2009 at the foot of the rough-and-tumble Alexandria Hotel.

Although The Gorbals closed last year, Hall has announced that he will open a vegan ramen stall in the coming months in Grand Central Market.

Similarly, Josef Centeno impressed diners with his cooking at the Lazy Ox Canteen, which opened in 2009 in Little Tokyo. He left in 2012 and has had an amazing run. Centeno now helms four Old Bank District staples: Baco Mercat, Bar Ama, Orsa & Winston and Ledlow. The latter has rebounded from an initial flurry of scorn when it replaced the much-loved (and much cheaper) Pete’s.

Husband-and-wife team Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis jump-started a quiet corner of the Arts District when they launched Bestia in late 2012. Nearly two years later it continues to be one of the city’s toughest reservations, which is no surprise considering its handmade pastas and world-class charcuterie program.

The type of restaurants opening in Downtown run the gamut in style, price, and cuisine. Want a high-end meal from the former chef of the West Coast’s most revered fine-dining establishment? Tim Hollingsworth, of The French Laundry, is opening Otium at The Broad museum. Have an urge for affordable Filipino rice bowls served with plastic utensils? Go see Charles Olalia, the former head chef of Patina, at the diminutive Ricebar in the Jewelry District.

Then there’s Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson, New York City chefs who came west with dreams of pumping out perfect falafel. Their minimalist menu awaits in Madcapra at Grand Central Market. The Broadway bazaar is a buzzing food hub for passionate, young entrepre-

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Young Ari Taymor helms Alma, the only Downtown establishment ever to be named Best New Restaurant in America

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photo by Gary Leonard

Josef Centeno won raves when he became chef at Little Tokyo’s Lazy Ox Canteen in 2009. He now runs four Old Bank District restaurants.

photo by Gary Leonard

neurs looking for an opportunity beyond a brick-and-mortar venue. See Micah Wexler, who slings some of L.A.’s best pastrami and smoked fish at his eponymous deli.

Little Tokyo, meanwhile, has a young, ambitious chef-owner in Shawn Pham, whose Simbal debuted this year. After working at L.A. finedining joints such as David Myer’s influential Sona, he traveled through Southeast Asia.

Pham, like many others, displays a strong point of view in his vibrant cooking and laid-

back service style. That he’s brought new wave Asian cuisine to a neighborhood still dominated by traditional Japanese eats serves as a nice symbolic touch.

New Neighborhood In some cases, the new is simply a standout chef who has come Downtown.

Perhaps my favorite 2015 debut in the entire city is Redbird, from chef Neal Fraser and his wife and business partner Amy Knoll Fraser.

Continued on page 14

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LET’S DO DINNER

August 24, 2015

Much of the groundwork for today’s slate of inventive chefs was laid by John Sedlar, who opened the South Park Latin restaurant Rivera in 2009. It closed this year.

Neal and Amy Fraser opened Redbird in the former St. Vibiana’s Cathedral. The space with a retractable roof and Neal’s elegant but unpretentious cooking is one of the most acclaimed new eateries in Los Angeles.

photo by Gary Leonard

photo by Gary Leonard

RestauRants, 12 Few establishments encapsulate what it means to be an “L.A. restaurant” quite like Redbird, where you can pop in for a cocktail and a chicken pot pie or sit down for a lengthy meal with course after course of the elegant but unpretentious cooking that won Fraser so many fans at his old restaurant, Grace.

Similarly, what a coup that Downtown has managed to snag Mark Peel, one of the great California dining luminaries of all time. The chef-owner of La Brea’s Campanile, Peel now can be found whipping up brothy seafood dishes and more at Bombo in Grand Central Market.

All of the excitement of the new makes it easy to forget what came before. Some of the groundwork for the current explosion was laid

by John Sedlar, who opened the Latin-American restaurant Rivera in South Park in 2009.

Sedlar shuttered the restaurant amid slow business in December, and acknowledged that the city had shifted away from the sort of dinner experience he offered. Still, his cooking and ex-

perimentation helped get the modern Downtown dining scene going.

Others, meanwhile, are still going strong. Tara Thomas’s Traxx in Union Station took a chefdriven approach before many others. Traxx, which opened in the late ’90s, won’t be showing up on any “Hottest Restaurants ” lists anytime soon, but Thomas’ ability to keep things lively and intriguing deserves more credit.

Elsewhere in Downtown, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken took a chance in the Financial District with the Latin-American restaurant Ciudad in 1998; the chef-owners opened it the year before Staples Center debuted. In 2010 they transitioned it to the more Mexican-leaning Border Grill, which still draws a crowd every day. Another longtime success story is Water Grill, the grand dame of Downtown seafood. It opened in 1991 and underwent a renovation in 2011 to make it brighter and sleeker, but the virtuosic fish cookery remains intact.

Then there’s Church & State, a neighborhood bistro with excellent French cooking that opened in 2008. Owner Yassmin Sarmadi gambled on a desolate block, buoyed only by the

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An early player in the now hot Arts District was Church & State. The French bistro continues to be a favorite in part because of its stellar chef, Tony Esnault.

photo by Gary Leonard

promise of new residents in the converted lofts upstairs and nearby. Church & State has since attracted people from around the city, including top cooking talent in former chef Walter Manzke (now running Republique and Petty Cash) and current chef Tony Esnault, a man who could pretty much helm any fine-dining joint in L.A., but has decided instead to try and perfect coq au vin in a casual setting.

Like Esnault, Manzke must like the Arts District a lot — he’s opening a second Petty Cash in the neighborhood soon.

On the other end of Downtown sits Patina.

The establishment from restaurateur Nick Valenti and chef Joachim Splichal, who head the Patina Restaurant Group, is a culinary landmark at the foot of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It has pumped out not just some of the city’s most refined dishes, but also some of its best chefs, including Esnault and Olalia (Paul Lee currently runs the kitchen). The group’s numerous restaurants, including Cafe Pinot and Nick + Stef’s (currently undergoing renovations), may not snag headlines anymore, but diners keep coming.

Maybe the toughest thing about the Downtown dining revolution is that we’re losing restaurants all the time, too. Sometimes new ventures flame out; this is an industry, after all, in which most eateries don’t last a year. Other times, neighborhood staples like Pete’s disappear and are replaced by a shiny, more expensive eatery. Then there are those displaced by urban trends — Bryan Ng’s brilliant Spice Table in Little Tokyo was felled by the construction of the Regional Connector.

More than anything, I hope Downtown becomes a place to find and eat anything and everything, from four-star meals to the best cheap bacon-wrapped hot dogs. I remember one night last year when, after a stellar and pricey dinner at the Arts District’s now-closed Fifty Seven, I spotted a taquero on the sidewalk carving al pastor onto small tortillas.

I sat on the littered curb, chewing a pair of $1 tacos, watching traffic blow by from the Seventh Street Bridge. I couldn’t have asked for two better dinners. eddie@downtownnews.com

Downtown News 15

LET’S DO DINNER

KITCHEN TOOLS, 11

PAUL LEE

Patina

Paul Lee has worked in some of the country’s best kitchens, but his culinary career began at the bottom — as a dishwasher. The Taiwan-born, Orange County-raised Lee wasn’t sure whether he should cook full-time. But as his first chef told him, “If you can clean dishes, you can work in a kitchen.”

He has gone on to cook at a string of acclaimed restaurants, including Los Angeles’ L’Orangerie and Las Vegas outposts of the Joel Robuchon Restaurant and Le Cirque, before taking over at Patina in the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Essential Kitchen Tool: While the Patina kitchen is stuffed with high-tech equipment, Lee sees the humble paring knife as his key tool. The chef uses a 2.5-inch blade to do everything from peel asparagus to break down big cuts of meat.

It also comes in handy for intricate garnishes, as with small vegetables whittled into tiny footballs and mushrooms with a fluted pattern cut in the caps. As a young cook, Lee practiced the techniques while watching TV, with a bag of vegetables at his side. Using a paring knife comes down to practice, he says.

“The smaller the knife, the harder it is to use, but it’s so versatile,” he adds.

Essential Dinner Dish: Diners who indulge in the chef’s tasting menu are likely to discover one of Lee’s favorites: a small course of lush scrambled eggs accented by diced bacon and hunks of uni, otherwise known as sea urchin. It’s all coated by a creamy champagne sabayon sauce and served in an eggshell with the top neatly trimmed off.

“It takes basic ingredients and makes it memorable,” Lee says.

At 141 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-3331 or patinarestaurant.com.

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August 24, 2015

LET’S DO DINNER

Shawn Pham

Simbal

Shawn Pham recently spent four years living in Vietnam and traveling throughout Asia. The experience was key to devising the menu at his new Little Tokyo restaurant Simbal.

The restaurant brings together flavors from a number of Asian cultures with the technique Pham honed during his time at David Myer’s Sona, Beverly Hills’ cutting-edge Bazaar, and Craft, among other establishments. The stints taught Pham the discipline of highlevel cooking and trained his palate.

Essential Kitchen Tool: Pham relies on a heavy mortar and pestle, which is common in Asian kitchens.

Pounding herbs and aromatics like garlic brings out a different flavor than chopping or pureeing them in a food processor, Pham notes.

“The cooks made a ginger sauce once, and it wasn’t right. They had used a knife,” Pham recalls. “I told them to remake it with the mortar and pestle. It made all the difference.”

Essential Dinner Dish: Steak tartare, or finely chopped raw beef with seasonings, is common in L.A., but Pham puts a Southeast Asian spin on his version by flavoring it like Thai beef larb, which is usually cooked. He mixes his beef with lime juice, soy sauce, chili powder, rice powder and other seasonings, and serves it with a pillowy flatbread commonly found in Vietnam.

“I didn’t want to serve it with toast, like everyone does,” he says.

At 319 E. Second St. Suite 202, (213) 626-0244 or simbalrestaurant.com.

Bret Thompson

Pez Cantina

Count Bret Thompson as one of the many Downtown chefs to hone his skills in a kitchen of the Patina Restaurant Group. Thompson served as executive chef of the company’s flagship Patina. He also co-founded the Milk Ice Cream Parlor in Hollywood.

Thompson opened Pez Cantina on Bunker Hill with his wife Lucy in January, and indeed, he credits his marriage into a Mexican family with helping inspire him to launch Pez (his travels to the Baja fishing village Loreto also played a role). Pez specializes in sustainable, Coastal Mexican seafood.

Essential Kitchen Tool: Thompson relies heavily on his mandoline slicer to make slicing vegetables and other foods a cinch. The tool allows for adjustable widths from paper thin to thick, depending on what the dish requires.

Essential Dinner Dish: The molcajete is a bubbling, steaming stew served in a lava rock preheated in a 500-degree oven. A smoky tomato chili broth is filled to the brim with homemade chorizo, carnitas, shrimp and sliced steak. Grilled scallions, cilantro, menonita cheese and nopales (cactus leaves) top off the dish, which is served with homemade corn tortillas.

“It’s pretty unique. You don’t see it in a lot of restaurants,” Thompson says. “The little touches bring it to a new height.”

At 401 S. Grand Ave., (213) 258-2280 or pezcantina.com.

August 24, 2015

Downtown News 17

LET’S DO DINNER

Marcus ChristianaBeniger

Little Jewel of New Orleans Suddenly, Cajun food is hot in Downtown Los Angeles, with three establishments dedicated to the cuisine of the Crescent City. At the top of the list is Little Jewel of New Orleans, a Chinatown deli and market opened a year ago by chef Marcus Christiana-Beniger and his wife, Eunah Kang.

Christiana-Beniger, a New Orleans native, attended culinary school in Los Angeles, but he never lost his love for Creole cooking. Little Jewel is known for its po’boy and muffuletta sandwiches, and makes them with fresh bread shipped from the Leidenheimer Bakery in New Orleans.

“One of my greatest joys is to see little Chinese kids eating muffulettas or having one of my chefs whip up a shrimp etouffee that would have my grandmother asking for seconds,” Christiana-Beniger says.

Essential Kitchen Tool: Little Jewel inherited a two-ton, seven-foot-tall meat smoker from the property’s former tenant, the Chinese restaurant Hoy King. The smoker is used for the sausages, tasso (cured pork shoulder ham), chicken, venison and other meats that Christiana-Beniger prepares.

Essential Dinner Dish: There are about 30 po’boy sandwiches on the menu, highlighted by the cochon de lait, featuring slow-cooked, suckling pig that’s softer than pulled pork. The meat is smoked over pecan wood to create a deep, sweet flavor. Other variations are the fried soft shell crab po’boy and the fried oyster po’boy with melted Gruyere cheese.

At 207 Ord St., (213) 620-0461 or littlejewel.la.

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

DT

August 24, 2015 photos by Gary Leonard

18 Downtown News

CALENDAR

A+D Museum Executive Director Tibbie Dunbar outside the facility’s new home in the Arts District. The museum was founded in Downtown in 2001, but spent the last five years on Wilshire Boulevard.

The debut exhibit is titled Shelter: Rethinking How We Live in Los Angeles. In it, six architecture firms examine different forms of housing in Los Angeles, including along the Los Angeles River, and on Wilshire Boulevard.

For A+D MuseuM, It’s HoMe sweet sHelter Facility Dedicated to Architecture and Design Returns to Downtown After 13 Years

By Heidi Kulicke he idea of looking for shelter is a familiar theme to the team behind the A+D Architecture and Design Museum. That’s because, in the last 14 years, the institution has had six homes spread across Los Angeles.

The museum opened in Downtown in 2001, but only stayed for two years. Since 2010, it had been based on Wilshire Boulevard near LACMA. Last week, the A+D debuted in a new home, a converted 8,000-square-foot brick building a block from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in the Arts District.

Fittingly, it commemorated the move with an exhibit dubbed Shelter: Rethinking How We Live in Los Angeles.

An opening reception took place Thursday, Aug. 20, at 900 E. Fourth St. Regular museum hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and weekends from noon-6 p.m.

Tibbie Dunbar, executive director of A+D, thought the Wilshire Boulevard spot would be a home base for years to come. However, the construction of a new station for the upcoming Metro Purple Line forced yet another relocation. The deal Downtown is for two years.

Dunbar is happy to be back where the A+D started.

“We looked at the various options, and Downtown has always been a place we felt

T

was very compelling and a really exciting place with all of the development, history and culture,” Dunbar said.

A River Runs Near It The A+D Museum began life on the ground floor of the Bradbury Building. It was a passion project for Downtown developer Ira Yellin, a noted architecture aficionado.

Yellin passed away in 2002, and the museum began its itinerant lifestyle a year later. Dunbar came aboard in 2004.

The Downtown housing boom and the surge of new residents to the area prompted Dunbar and museum curators Danielle Rago and Sam Lubell to springboard off the theme of shelter for the first show in the new home. Rago and Lubell recruited six local architecture firms and asked them to offer creative answers to urban housing challenges, taking into account increased density, a shortage of buildable land, a lack of affordability and environmental concerns. They were also asked to consider growing diversity and new transit offerings.

The results include single and multi-family proposals from Bureau Spectacular, LA Mas, Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects, MAD Architects, Platform for Architecture and Research (PAR) and wHY. All are based in Los Angeles.

“The exhibit is a new take on housing, so we wanted to do something fresh and unexpect-

ed,” Lubell said. “We chose a group of new and established firms that had the capability to produce new housing solutions that have never been seen before.”

Three firms were asked to create proposals along the Los Angeles River, which has sudden resonance given the news that the city is working with architect Frank Gehry on potential plans for the 51-mile waterway. The other three firms created proposals for the Wilshire Corridor, the site of Metro’s Purple Line extension and the former home of A+D. The firms use large-scale models, drawings, images and videos to showcase how new forms of shelter can address the changing needs of a dense, urban community. Some firms chose to focus on a central idea, and included themes such as affordable housing, green space and water conservation. The exhibits are presented together in a large, open space, amid exposed brick walls and concrete floors.

Mid-city firm Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects created a proposal for housing along the L.A. River. The goal was not to beautify the river, said founder and principal Lorcan O’Herlihy, but to use the water and find a way to reclaim, purify and distribute it to residences.

“When there is rain, the majority of it goes into the ground, and very little is captured,” O’Herlihy said. “We’re exploring new ways to

tap into that water.”

On display are models and drawings of the shelters that would utilize groundwater near the river. One option is a sponge-like house that soaks up the water, and another type of house that stores groundwater in a special reserve tank.

PAR, based in MacArthur Park, created a proposal for the Wilshire Corridor that features a new type of high-rise tower with “courtyard housing,” said Jennifer Marmon, a partner with the firm. Instead of a typical rectangular structure, the levels are uneven with those above and below, creating platforms that allow for a variety of green space options on one, two, three or all four sides of the individual dwelling.

PAR’s display features a wall of renderings and diagrams of the structure and four pedestals, with individual units as study models.

“Typical residential towers rarely provide living environments with individuality or access to nature,” Marmon said. “Our proposal acts against this by presenting a new, contemporary model.”

Dunbar expects to see familiar faces from the old A+D location at the museum, along with new visitors, including Downtown residents and students at SCI-Arc. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for students and free for museum members and children under 12.

“Our goal is to bring this to the public and get them all as excited about architecture and design as we are,” Dunbar said.

The A+D team also hopes that Shelter will inspire new thinking about residential architecture and introduce new ideas to the people who have the power to implement them, Rago said.

Shelter runs through Nov. 6 at the A+D Architecture and Design Museum, 900 E. Fourth St., (213) 346-9734 or aplusd.org. heidi@downtownnews.com

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Samurai and Swords in Little Tokyo Play ‘Burai’ Examines a Distant Culture, Complete With Fight Scenes

By Heidi Kulicke isei Week ended last week, with a closing, outdoor, communal street dance on Sunday. However, the celebration of Japanese culture continues in Little Tokyo this week, though in a different form — this one has swords.

The samurai play Burai: Standing All Alone, runs for three performances on Friday-Sunday, Aug. 28-30. Set in 19th century Japan, it follows the warrior Sadatora (played by Masa Kanome), who struggles to maintain his identity while being forced to carry out the ruthless orders of Lord Shigemori.

Sadatora endures a series of battles against the ruling class. Amid the action, the two-hour (plus an intermission) show delves into themes of family honor and revenge. Naoki Fujiyama, the play’s writer, director and producer, noted that “burai” translates to “standing all alone,” something he thinks many people in the audience will understand, even if they have never picked up a sword.

“Even though the play takes place in Japan, it has a universal message,” Fujiyama said.

Burai will be staged at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center’s Aratani Theatre on Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. It marks the second run for the production, which premiered in May 2014 in West Los Angeles.

The play is sponsored by the JACCC and the Lit-

N

tle Tokyo Business Association. Ellen Endo, president of the latter organization, said she reached out to Fujiyama about staging Burai in Little Tokyo, feeling it would resonate strongly in the Japanese American community. That offer, and the JACCC’s 880-seat theater, prompted Fujiyama to reassemble his international cast and crew.

“The samurai culture is an aspect of Japanese history that we as Japanese Americans look back on nostalgically and don’t fully understand,” Endo said. “The play helps us to understand the philosophy behind the samurai movement.”

Months of Practice The Aratani Theatre opened in 1983, and presents a variety of musical and theatrical performances and other events. In the past year, the theater has been upgraded with a new video projector and screen, as well as a state-ofthe-art Bose sound system, said Leslie Ito, president of the JACCC. Even though the play takes place in the 1840s, Ito said the values and story are relevant to modern audiences. Then there are the fight scenes.

While the actors use wooden rather than metal swords in the effort to reduce the risk of injury, Ito said the action is intense.

“What’s exciting is it’s live and you see it for yourself on stage,” Ito said. “The actors are incredibly talented and they’ve been training at our theater for months. It’s a whole new experience.”

The actors learned their swordplay skills

The samurai warriorthemed play Burai: Standing All Alone features numerous sword fights. It runs Friday-Sunday, Aug. 28-30, at the Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo.

photo courtesy Little Tokyo Business Association

from Keiya Tabuchi, one of Japan’s leading film and TV stunt choreographers. They began practicing about six months ago with Tabuchi, who flew in from Japan, Fujiyama said.

Tabuchi isn’t the only Japanese crew member. The costumes come from Sueko Oshimoto, founder of the Japanese brand Kimono SK. The women in the play wear an assortment of colorful, authentic kimonos designed by Oshimoto.

In addition, 19 of the 22 cast members are from Japan. However, the play is presented in English.

Endo noted that it can be tricky to create a work that is authentic amid a rapidly diversifying culture. She thinks Burai will resonate with younger Japanese Americans, and cautioned against

losing the individual aspects of one’s heritage.

“You want to know every aspect of who you are, and that’s why this play is important to me and others who have been here a few generations,” said Endo.

Burai isn’t the only opportunity to examine that culture this week. The nearby Japanese American National Museum (100 N. Central Ave.) is currently staging the exhibit Jidai: Timeless Works of Samurai Art. The show, which features weaponry and armor of the samurai era, with artifacts dating back to 1185, runs through Aug. 30 Burai: Standing All Alone runs Friday-Sunday, Aug. 28-30, at the JACCC, 244 S. San Pedro St., (213) 628-2725 or jaccc.org. Tickets are $25-$35. heidi@downtownnews.com

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August 24, 2015

DT The Don'T Miss LisT

CALENDAR LISTINGS EVENTS

Electro Punk, Latin Jazz and a Lot of Beer Flow Through Downtown This Week

1

By Dan Johnson | calendar@downtownnews.com

FRIDay, auGuST 28 Dance Downtown Music Center Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org.

7 p.m.: Samba is the order of the day as the bi-weekly dance class and public choreography frenzy returns. Per usual, the event is free and all are encouraged to shake their rumps.

Dark Nights L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (866) 548-3452 or lalive.com.

6 p.m.: With no games at Staples Center or concerts at the L.A. Live venues, Microsoft Plaza becomes host to artists, vendors, fire dancers, live bands, body painters, tarot card readers and more.

SaTuRDay, auGuST 29 Ben Chasny at Last Bookstore Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.

7 p.m.: After Six Organs of Admittance’s gig at the Bootleg, the band’s guitarist Ben Chasny shows off bits from his book How To Party With Long Dead Occult Philosophers, Math and Your Guitar.

Craft Beer Crawl Various venues, 213nightlife.com 2 p.m.: A long day of pedestrian-friendly drinking begins.

Seven bars from 213 Nightlife will serve more than 100 craft brews from 45 brewers.

Lemonade Stand Maguire Gardens, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

11 a.m.: Guests are encouraged to participate in an interactive experiment collecting self portraits drawn on lemons. Yes, this information is correct and we are indeed sober.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or

Composer John Cage famously consulted the I Ching once to learn his destiny. “Continue doing what you’re doing. Spread joy and revolution,” came the answer. On Saturday, Aug. 29, Six Organs of Admittance guitarist Ben Chasny finds himself heir to Cage’s obscure methodology as the indie figure strolls into the Last Bookstore to read from his latest offering, The Hexadic System. The text delves into the occult, irrational and non-linear in an attempt to spice up the dull, formulaic guitar compositions that blight music today. Will he be successful? No one can tell. The free event kicks off at 7 p.m. At 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com. be disapused moths will on Friday, nf co lly ua et rp hts event lots and pe Glare-blinded pi t that the title of the Dark Nig down its uberg ou pointed to find mean L.A. Live will be turnin hts” means no t Nig no k ar es “D do , d, 28 Aug. . Instea en re sc o de vi that evening ry bright, multi-sto other happenings are booked re will be or ua games, concerts arenas, so instead Microsoft Sq rot card ta , d body painters rk theaters an at the South Pa ors, fire dancers, live bands, trades from 6 p.m. tive vend host to artists, others who will ply their crea te-summer merriy la r an fo m l d al an htc readers gigantic, free ca s will be offering food deals. a s ’ It t.” gh ni e until “lat arby restaurant ) 548-3452 ment, and the ne At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (866 or lalive.com.

2

When Cesar Chavez founded the United Farm Workers union, his partner in the effort was Dolores Huerta. Downtown’s La Plaza de Cultura Y Artes is celebrating Huerta’s 85th birthday with a summer of Latin jazz shows. Coming up Thursday, Aug. 27, is Changui Majadera, who will bring to the attraction near Olvera Street the sounds of Guantanamo, Cuba.

From 6-8 p.m., the fusion of Caribbean rhythms with African and Iberian influences comes into full focus. Attendees can bring lawn chairs, blankets and their dance moves. At 501 N. Spring St., (888) 488-8038 or lapca.org.

4

5

photo by Susana Capra / Capra Photography, courtesy of L.A. Live

ThuRSDay, auGuST 28 L.A. Food and Wine Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill, lafw.org.

The opening night of a huge celebration of food and fine wine features a cooking demonstration with Curtis Stone, a night market on Grand Avenue with goods from more than 30 chefs, and much more. There are also day and evening L.A. Food and Wine happenings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A brief primer on 21st century music culture: When you see a curiously vowel-less performer name like MSTRKRFT, who play The Regent on Friday, Aug. 28, you just pronounce it as if all the vowels were present. Say it with us: Mastercraft. The Toronto-based electronica duo made a name for themselves kicking out upbeat remixes of popular artists under the extremely generous, self-created genre electro-punk. While we’re unsure what credentials the pair have to back that up, we do know the massively popular act will be drawing a robust crowd to the 400 block of Main Street. Get ready Blossom. At the Regent, 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com.

ThRee

ThuRSDay, auGuST 27 Jonathan Gold and Laura Gabbart at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:30 p.m.: The Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic talks with Laura Gabbert, the director of the recent documentary about him. The event is full, but sometimes there are no-shows at the door.

photo courtesy of Ben Chasny

Free Latin Jazz Concert Series 501 N. Main St., (888) 488-8083 or lapca.org Join PacFed and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes as they pay tribute to activist and labor leader Dolores Huerta’s 85th birthday during Summer of 85 Years, a free summer concert series every second and fourth Thursday through September. Celebrate with us as we continue the series with a concert featuring Changüí Majadera, a Los Angeles-based band founded by tres player Gabriel Garcia on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m.

Samurai Play in Little Tokyo 244 S. San Pedro St. or jaccc.org The Little Tokyo Business Association and Burai Productions present Burai: Standing All Alone, a play about Samurai warriors performed at the Aratani Theater at JACCC. Performance dates are Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at jaccc.org.

photo courtesy of MSTRKRFT

SPONSORED LISTINGS

The 213 Group’s sixth annual LA Craft Beer Crawl deserves to be broken down by the numbers: For five hours on Saturday, Aug. 29, drinkers can traverse seven bars where 45 brewers offer samples of 100 craft brews. While the list of bars remains a mystery, we’ve deduced from careful study of the 213 Group roster that the event will likely center around the Historic Core and Financial District where Cole’s, Las Perlas, Broadway Bar, Golden Gopher and Seven Grand form the nucleus of an inebriation empire. At (213) 817-5321 or 213nightlife.com.

Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.

August 24, 2015

Downtown News 21

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

bluewhalemusic.com.

Aug. 24: Larry Fuller Trio.

Aug. 25: Beat Music: The Los Angeles Improvisations.

Aug. 26: Steven Loza.

Aug. 27: Josh Nelson Quartet.

Aug. 28-29: Bennie Maupin 75th Birthday Celebration. If we’ve said it once we’ve said it a thousand times: please, no presents.

Aug. 30: Elliot Deutsch Big Band.

Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

Aug. 27, 8:30 p.m.: Omar Velasco pools a lifetime of influences into his debut.

Aug. 28, 8:30 p.m.: Anatomical indie from Six Organs of Admittance.

Aug. 29, 8:30 p.m.: Allie X admonishes audiences to “begin their own xploration.” Not before you call 811 to confirm you’re not digging in and around a gas line!

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

Aug. 30: RT n the 44s harken back to an America of yesteryear, a time when bootleg whiskey flowed like water and rampant gun violence scoured the national character. Did we say yesteryear? We meant 2015.

Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

Aug. 28: OOKAY. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

Aug. 25, 8 p.m.: Jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater pops in with Irvin Mayfield and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble.

Aug. 28, 8 p.m.: We’re benefitting autism research tonight with Audible Impact, an event featuring none less than Sarah Silverman, Reggie Watts and Carly Rae Jepsen.

La Plaza 501 N. Main St., (888) 488-8038 or lapca.org.

Aug. 27, 6-8 p.m.: Sample the rich sounds of Cuba with Changui Majadera.

Microsoft Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or microsofttheeatre.com.

Aug. 30, 6 p.m.: As if to mock those of us who yearn for the days when MTV played actual music videos, tonight is the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.

Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com.

Aug. 24: Rubber.

Aug. 25: Floozy Tuesday.

Aug. 27: In Fuzz We Trust Records Night.

Aug. 28: New Jack City, The Hard R and more.

Aug. 29: The Little Richards, The Magnificent and Schitzophonics.

Aug. 30: The Andersons.

The Regent 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com.

Aug. 24, 8 p.m.: We assume the gruesome intonations of The Summer Slaughter Tour are mostly metaphorical. Otherwise tonight’s show with Born of Osiris might get really interesting.

Aug. 28, 8 p.m.: For all those Exchange kids habitually getting lost on Main Street, tonight’s MSTRKRFT show will be a fortunate and serendipitous event.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

Aug. 24: Shoshona Bush, no relation to Bush 43 or 41, for that matter.

Aug. 25: The Makers, however, are descended from the finest bloodlines and wealthiest families that control the world’s tastes and gold reserves as the scions of the improvisational jazz illuminati will.

Aug. 26: Prepare yourself for funk fusion with the Vibrometers.

Aug. 27: Mean tunes from the Fran Banish Band.

Shrine Auditorium 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., (213) 748-5116 or shrineauditorium.com.

Aug. 29: Lest you be deceived by the plethora of spandex clad youth on hand to see the likes of A-Trak and Action Bronson at the Fool’s Gold Day Off, let’s just confirm that not all pants that glitter are gold.

Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or staplescenter.com.

Aug. 24-26: Taylor Swift. Do what you will.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

Aug. 27: Homeshake, Sheer Agony and Gal Pals.

Aug. 30: Half Goon, Media Jeweler, Ted Byrnes/Alicia Byer Duo and Man and the Smells.

Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com.

Aug. 29, 8 p.m.: At least Nick Waterhouse cops to the constant process of borrowing that defines contemporary Western music.

FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

Aug. 24-27: The Iron Ministry deals with Chinese railroads. Date night!

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Continued on next page

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coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer Art dirEctor: Brian Allison

22 Downtown News AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa

circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

August 24, 2015

©2015 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

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One copy per person.

Continued from previous page Galapagos 3D. If it was good enough to blow Charles Darwin’s mind, it’s probably good enough for you!

Forces of Nature promises a panoply of nature’s worst destruction.

Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/ movies.

Through Aug. 27: American Ultra (11:50 a.m., 2:30, 5:20, 8:10 and 11 p.m.); Hitman: Agent 47 (11:20 a.m., 12, 2, 2:40, 4:30,

5:10, 7, 7:50, 9:30 and 10:50 p.m.); Sinister 2 (11:40 a.m., 12:20, 2:10, 2:50, 4:50, 5:30, 7:30, 8:20, 10:10 and 11:05 p.m.); The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1:10, 4, 6:50 and 9:40 p.m.); Straight Outta Compton (11:30 a.m., 12:10, 12:50, 1:30, 3, 3:40, 4:20, 5, 6:30, 7:10, 7:50, 8:30, 10, 10:40 and 11:30 p.m.); Fantastic Four (12:30 and 3:20 p.m.); The Gift (12:40 p.m.); Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (12:15, 1, 3:30, 4:10, 6:40, 7:20, 9:50 and 10:30 p.m.).

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bob Baker’s Musical World Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-

9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Aug. 29-30, 2:30 p.m.: Puppets playing music. How is this different than, say, any band you hear on modern rock radio? Bob Baker’s puppets are non-sentient creatures, that’s how!

MORE LISTINGS Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews. com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

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Dim Sum

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CROSSWORD

GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie

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stAFF writEr: Heidi Kulicke

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clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway

AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens

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S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

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S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa

ne Holloway enda Stevens

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie sENior writEr: Eddie Kim stAFF writEr: Heidi Kulicke coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa

©2015 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

©2015 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com

Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie sENior writEr: Eddie Kim stAFF writEr: Heidi Kulicke coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer

scher

2 YOUR EVENT INFO

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT

August 24, 2015

DT

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor RENT All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

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Superior court of california, north central DiStrict orDer to ShoW cauSe for chanGe of naMe No. ES018972 Petitioner (name of each) Shannon Lee, 1299 E. Green St., #111, Pasadena, CA 91106, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Shannon Loweta Lee Proposed name: Reyna Nicole Loweta Lee THE CoURT oRDERS that all

persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

Notice of Hearing Date: 09/09/2015 Time: 8:30AM Dept.: D

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The address of the court is 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206. A copy of this order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in LA DoWNToWN NEWS, 1264 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 of general circulation, printed in this county.

Prepared by: Sherri R. Carter, Executive Office/Clerk.

Superior Court North Central District 600 East Broadway Glendale, CA 91206 Date: July 09, 2015 Hon. Mary Thornton House Judge of the Superior Court Pub. 08/17, 08/24, 08/31, and 09/07/2015.

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24 Downtown News

August 24, 2015

FILMS, 5 lar Angeleno who walks into City Hall with a problem, but without hiring a high-paid fixer. Denzel redux!

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It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency Call Now Fo is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one r bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room Move-In Spec with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and ial slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses s ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.

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255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

E at xci t G

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On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants

Promenade Towers 123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Spa / BBQ Grills ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Beauty Salon

museum Tower 225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

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Tomorrowland: 971 years after the problem arose, city officials still try to get a handle on the proliferation of electronic billboards. With Tilda Swinton as a lobbyist representing the billboard industry.

Big Brother: Life on the streets changes when all LAPD officers are wearing body cameras. But ha! The public is never allowed to see what the cameras recorded. Tom Hanks plays a crusading lawyer.

Fifty Shades of Grey: Two score and 10 linguistics experts come together each week to try to make sense of the gobbledygook uttered at a council meeting. Benicio del Toro is the lead gibberish speaker.

Undateable: Insert your own joke here.

Unfriended: A drama about Councilman Bernard Parks in his last two years on the job when he refused to play the political reindeer games. Featuring Will Smith as Parks.

The Following: Series about the Angelenos who labor groups load onto buses to show up at campaign and political rallies and cheer as if cheering is going out of style. With Kevin Bacon as the local labor leader.

Taken 3: Angelenos elect councilman to office for third time, but only because he ran unopposed. Comeback role for Antonio Banderas.

Empire: Another documentary about Wesson and his leadership.

Hot Pursuit: Local leaders wrangle over who should be the next LAUSD superintendent. Title tweaked to Tepid Pursuit when mayor’s office sits this fight out, too. With Meryl Streep as the educator who still believes in the power of the system, and Bill Hader as the Instagram-loving mayor.

Game of Thrones: Who’s eyeing the mayor’s seat if Garcetti gets another gig? What seat is Garcetti eyeing? Starring Kit Harrington from the actual “Game of Thrones” as the mayor.

Monkey Kingdom: Coincidentally, also about all those eyeing the mayor’s seat if Garcetti gets another gig. In unique spin, all roles played by the Barbary apes who live on the Rock of Gibraltar.

Grimm: Comedy in which people tell jokes and try to make Police Chief Charlie Beck smile. All jokesters fail. Beck played by his twin brother Tom Selleck.

Insidious Chapter 3: Angelenos brace themselves as DWP readies campaign in favor of another rate increase. Featuring Amy Poehler as head of the DWP. iZombie: Absurd comedy about Valley councilman who wakes up to realize he has turned into a zombie. His production level instantly soars 37%. Starring Zach Galifianakis.

Ex Machina: Thriller in which Councilman Paul Krekorian is revealed to be an automaton. Krekorian played by actual robot.

Secrets and Lies: Procedural in which qualified candidates for office are urged not to run against favored insider and instead get high-paying job on a little-known panel, allowing machine candidate to run “unopposed.” City Hall mastermind played by Susan Sarandon.

Vacation: Three wacky politicians (Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Mike Feuer) decide to leave work early on a Friday and go camping alongside the Los Angeles River. Things go horribly awry when they end up dehydrated and attacked by old shopping carts.

Transparent: City Controller Ron Galperin (Chris Hemsworth from Thor) tries to make government more accountable to Angelenos by dumping loads of public spending documents online. Questionable if anyone watches, even with Hemsworth/ Galperin taking off his shirt for no apparent reason. regardie@downtownnews.com