Los Angeles Magazine - April 2022

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L.A.’S BEST DOCTORS KEEPING UP WITH THE OLIGARCHS

ARE YOU READY FOR CANNABIS CUISINE?

BY ANDY LEWIS

BY H E AT H E R P L AT T

IS OSCAR OVER? Sinking ratings, shrinking stars, controversial new quotas, and a museum that forgot the Jews. Inside the civil war that’s roiling the Academy Awards BY SCOTT JOHNSON

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Eve Babitz: An Intimate History of L.A.’s Literary Wild Child




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A P R I L 202 2

BRAIN POWER

Features 42

Leaving Los Angeles

56

And the Loser Is . . .

An indigo-blue Santa Monican decamps to bright-red Kansas and discovers that not everyone in Trump country is a sexist, build-that-wall, lock-her-up racist. In fact, some of them have become his best friends.

Once, it was the holiest night of the year in Hollywood. But after years of plummeting ratings, shrinking movie stars, and spectacularly dull ceremonies, have the Academy Awards finally run out of steam?

BY S E A N S M I T H

BY S COT T J O H N S O N

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Eve Babitz’s revival was in full swing when she died just days ahead of Joan Didion, her iconic foil. Here, Babitz’s family and friends (plus a foe or two) recall the swaggering prose and lust for life of “L.A.’s Colette.”

A top L.A. neurosurgeon shares how he finesses procedures where the outcome is brutally binary: success or death

All About Eve

BY ST E V E A P P L E F O R D A N D M I C H A E L WA L K E R

Life on the Edge

BY D R . R A H U L JA N D I A L

M I C H A EL B EC K ER /CO U RT E S Y R A H U L JA N D I A L

Neurosurgeon Rahul Jandial uses breathing techniques to calm himself and avoid emotional distractions during surgeries.


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A P R I L 202 2

Buzz Speed City

» America may run on Dunkin’, but it turns out L.A. runs on Adderall. BY JOEL STEIN PAGE 11

The Brief

HOT POT

Gusto Green brings hemp to the L.A. food scene.

» The oligarchs of L.A. are everywhere!; how the Comedy Store is getting the last laugh; will the real gay pride parade please stand up?; The S.W.A.T. actor who ended up behind bars in a Beverly Hills drug bust. PAGE 14

The Odd Couple

» For four decades, Marty and Elayne performed their lounge act at the Dresden Room, slowly becoming as famous as the celebrities who gathered there to hear them. BY JEFF WEISS PAGE 16

Ask Chris

Incoming!

» What was in the space the Grove occupies before the mall was built? Is there a time the public can go to the wholesale produce market? Have any Guinness Book records been set in L.A.? Our resident historian answers all your burning questions. BY CHRIS NICHOLS PAGE 136

» Natalie Portman takes a chance on women’s soccer; rock concerts for every generation; America’s top comics are nobody’s April fools; a new cannabis-forward restaurant downtown; childhood snacks all grown up; and more PAG E 2 1

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04.22

SPEED CITY AMERICA MAY RUN ON DUNKIN’, BUT IT TURNS OUT L.A. RUNS ON ADDERALL BY JOEL STEIN

I L LU S T R AT E D BY C H R I S T O P H E R H U G H E S

L A M AG . C O M 1 1


|

HEAD GAMES

T

H O U G H T H E entertainment industry has

seen challenges—set shutdowns because of COVID, the Writers Guild leaving agencies over packaging, audiences disappearing from theaters—none are as devastating as what it’s facing now: a shortage of Adderall. Scripts will be coming in so late that there could be several years between The Fast and the Furious movies. “All of my patients who go to CVS have trouble getting their Adderall,” says Stephanie Zisook, a psychiatrist in Westwood who treats adults with mood and anxiety disorders. “It’s so weird. I’m not seeing that people are having a hard time getting benzos at CVS.” While we’ve focused on the opioid epidemic, so many people have gotten hooked on Adderall that it’s now nearly all gone. Since September 2019, the FDA has 3 reported that the drugs in Adderall—amphetamine salts—are “currently in shortage” due to “demand increase in the drug.” Before the pandemic, America was already gobbling up 83.1 percent of the global supply. But in December 2020, prescriptions for Adderall skyrocketed. After hovering at around 3 million a month, they climbed to nearly 3.5 million and have stayed there, according to IQVIA, the biggest healthcare data company in the U.S. As it turns out, a huge chunk of those prescriptions are being filled for middle and high school students. “There are parents coming in wanting their kids to get it, especially in West L.A., because they know the other kids are taking it and they don’t want them having an advantage,” says Zisook. “Parents are crazy.” None of that is new. Parents have always been crazy. And kids have been using speed to get better grades for decades. There are New York Times and Time magazine articles from 1937 about college kids using amphetamines to improve their grades. A 1983 episode of Family Ties had Michael J. Fox’s character hopped up for a test. A 1990 episode of Saved by the Bell had Elizabeth Berkley’s character doing the same. But the pandemic made crazy L.A. parents even crazier. “Parents were not used to being with their kids all the time,” says Leslie Lotano-Saba, vice president of pharmacy solutions at the global management consulting firm AArete. “Kids were staying home without a routine. It was easier to call a pediatrician and say, ‘Joey can’t focus on the computer with remote learning. Can you help?’ ” Adderall is prescribed for ADHD, which was once diagnosed only in the prepubescent. Now adults are discovering they have ADHD. Or occasional ADHD. Or work-at-home 1 2 L A M AG . C O M

1 2

ADHD. “If you were normally going to an office in a structured environment and now you’re working from home and have to focus, you’ve got a reason to be taking it,” says Lotano-Saba. And if you’re also dealing with bored kids interrupting your Slack chats and Zoom meetings, you’ve got even more reason to seek a potion to help you focus. Twenty years ago, it was tough to find a job that was both simultaneously boring and focus-demanding. Professional baseball comes to mind. And those guys took so many “greenies” that clubhouses offered two pots of coffee—a regular one marked “unleaded” and a “leaded” one with amphetamines. But today, even some Los Angeles staffers admit to having popped pills to compete: Fashion writer Merle Ginsberg, who was a judge on the first two seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, went to a psychiatrist to treat her depression. He put her on antidepressants but, to her surprise, also suggested throwing in Adderall. “I was shocked at how well it worked,” she says. “As I got older, I noticed my focus was gone. A lot of people in my age group are taking it because we were used to being crazy workaholics and we don’t want to give up on that.” The only reason Ginsberg doesn’t have pills in her medicine cabinet anymore is that it got too expensive. Adderall, especially in this new shortage, is the Domaine du RomanéeConti of prescription medication. Not only do you have to shell out for whatever your insurance doesn’t cover, but you also have to pay for a session with a psychiatrist every three months to get a new prescription. And during COVID, those aren’t easy appointments to book. So Adderall has become a privilege of the L.A. elite.

F R O M TO P : PA R A M O U N T P LU S .CO M ; P E ACO C K .CO M ; A M A ZO N .CO M

BUZZ


C U LT U R E S C O R E S

1. In a 1983 episode of Family Ties, Alex turns to amphetamines to get through exams. 2. Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez discover drugs in Saved by the Bell, 1990. 3. An anti-amphetamine ad from 1969. 4. Stephen Elliott, author of The Adderall Diaries, in 2009. 5. Cynthia Nixon and James Franco star in the 2015 film adaptation of Elliott’s book.

L E F T: M I C H A E L M ACO R / T H E SA N F R A N C I S CO C H R O N I C L E V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; R I G H T: A . F. A R C H I V E / F I L M CO M PA N Y A R R OW F I L M S

4

5

Stephen Elliott, whose memoir, The Adderall Diaries, was Because, remember: at the same time demand is up, turned into a movie. In addition to taking Adderall, he has there’s less out there. Like a Soviet ministry, the Drug snorted and mainlined methamphetamines. Stephen said Enforcement Administration decides how much can be that a little Adderall would indeed help me with this article, sold for the entire country. And the DEA has dropped as it has helped so many people in creative fields. When he its allowed quotas. In 2016, it allowed 50,000 kilograms was teaching writing at Stanford, he was shocked at how to be sold; but for 2022, it has lowered the amount to common it was among students. Those students have now 41,200 kilograms. In October, the DEA issued a notice that grown up to be writers who are taking Adderall—writers said, “The diversion of ADHD medications for the purwho are my competition. poses of recreational abuse or performance enhancement But then Stephen scared me straight. “Adderall is just is common, with approximately 5-10 percent of high school amphetamine. We package it and say it’s Adderall because students and 5-35 percent of college students, dependit has these salts, so it has time release. ing on the study, misusing and diverting If they called it ‘amphetamines,’ we’d stimulants prescribed for ADHD.” I don’t say, ‘It’s a crisis! All the kids are into know how you can be expected to read Adderall, especially amphetamines!’ Instead, doctors are writing like that without Adderall. saying, ‘Give them this special pill, and Then, in June, one of the five global in this shortage, is they’ll do better at school.’ Of course manufacturers stopped making amphetthe Domaine they will—it’s speed,” Stephen said. amine salts. Another is getting out of the du Romanée-Conti “Calling it Adderall and not amphetbusiness once it sells its current supply. amine is mainstreaming it.” And the remaining ingredients might be of prescription He pulled a Jewish mom and said stuck on a container ship in Long Beach, medication. he’d feel responsible if he in any way led waiting for truck drivers. Also, maybe, like to my using Adderall. “It’s a Pandora’s inflation or something. box. Once you give yourself this option, All of which is leading some people it’s hard to take it away,” he said. Stephen still takes Vyvanse, to buy illegal Adderall, which goes by the street name of another ADHD drug. “I’m afraid to stop taking it because I “Adderall.” Sometimes they find dealers on Snapchat, have these massive depressions if I stop. I’m stuck.” where messages disappear. Some wind up with fentanylAs we talked longer, and I got more nervous about the laced Adderall. clock ticking down to my deadline, Stephen appealed to my When I told a psychiatrist that I was late with this article ego. “And to be 50 and be the one person who hasn’t done and was thinking about trying Adderall to help me finish, this—you should hold on to that. It’s awesome,” he said. he said incredulously, “You’ve never done Adderall?!” When I promised him I wouldn’t take it. So if you didn’t like I asked if I should lose my Adderall virginity, the respected this article or are annoyed because it came in long after psychiatrist paused and said, “Off the record? Definitely.” deadline, please blame him. But before I scored some pills, I called my friend L A M AG . C O M 1 3


The Brief N E W S & N O T E S F R O M A L L OV E R

THE OLIGARCHS OF L.A. (THEY’RE EVERYWHERE!) FROM THE SUNSET TOWER TO LACMA’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, RUSSIAN BILLIONS HAVE BEEN POURING INTO THE CITY FOR YEARS BY A N DY L E W IS

WHEN

Governor Gavin Newsom

decided to take the family on a Thanksgiving vacation to Mexico last November, he reportedly rented a $29,000-a-night villa in Cabo San Lucas that came with a chef, butler, chauffeur, fitness instructor, and masseur. Oh, and one other extra that likely wasn’t in the brochure: the privilege of sleeping in a home owned by an oligarch. The house, it turns out, belongs to Oleg Tinkov, a Russian billionaire who recently pleaded guilty in U.S. courts to dodging $248 million in taxes. Newson’s office later 1 4 L A M AG . C O M

denied the story. Still, you don’t have to go all the way to Mexico to find luxe properties and businesses paid for by superrich Russians with at least tangential relationships with Ukraine invader Vladimir Putin—they’re all over L.A. Sunset Tower Hotel, for instance, is at least partly owned by Len Blavatnik, who sank $100 million into the place in 2017. Blavatnik, now a British and U.S. citizen, has claimed he hasn’t talked to Putin since 2000. But he’s known to be an associate of industrialist Oleg Deripaska, who, up until late February, was considered Putin’s close personal friend (until Deripaska

broke with the Kremlin and publicly called for an end to the Ukrainian war). There’s also LACMA board member Dasha Zhukova, ex-wife of Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who owns Britain’s vaunted Chelsea soccer team (and who is now reportedly considering selling it to L.A. publishing magnate Todd Boehly). And Sergey Grishin, who recently sold his Montecito mansion to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for $14.6 million. And Danil Khachaturov, a Russian insurance tycoon and Putin pal who purchased a $35 million mansion in Trousdale in an all-cash transaction in 2020. None of the oligarchs mentioned above, by the way, appear to have been sanctioned by the Biden administration in response to Putin’s Ukrainian invasion. But at least one of

them is hurting anyway: Tinkov, Newsom’s alleged Thanksgiving landlord, has reportedly lost more than $5 billion since the war started, as shares of his company have slumped 90 percent. In fact, according to Forbes, he may not even be a billionaire anymore; it estimates Tinkov’s worth as of early March at a measly $800 million.

HOW THE COMEDY STORE IS GETTNG THE LAST LAUGH JAY L E N O came straight

from the airport when he first arrived in Los Angeles. David Letterman used to babysit the owner’s kids. Jim Carrey once worked there as a doorman. The Comedy Store, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month with a series of special shows headlining comics from the past five decades, is now as much an L.A. landmark as the Hollywood sign, Pink’s Hot Dogs, and Angelyne billboards. But even before 1972, when the

Y U K F E S T Richard Pryor at the Comedy Store.

T H E O L I G A R C H S O F L . A . : G E T T Y I M AG E S , E XC E P T FO R DA N I L K H AC H AT U R OV: A L A M Y STO C K P H OTO ; V I L L A L A DATC H A : LU X E VAC A .CO M ; R I C H A R D P RYO R : E VA N H U R D/CO R B I S V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S

J U S T S AY N Y E T

Top left: Oleg Tinkov’s Villa La Datcha and Gavin Newsom. Bottom left: Oligarchs Danil Khachaturov, Oleg Deripaska, Dasha Zhukova, Tinkov, and Len Blavatnik.


G AY P R I D E PA R A D E : R O N E N T I VO N Y/ N U R P H OTO V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; K AT H E R S E I : I M D B .CO M

THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE PORT OF LONG BEACH HOPES TO RAISE THROUGH A NEW $10 CARGO FEE THAT WILL BE EVENTUALLY SPENT ON PURCHASING ZERO-EMISSION AND LOW-EMISSION TRUCKS

late Sammy Shore—the warm-up comedian for Elvis—acquired the building at Sunset and North Olive Drive, the address was already legendary. In the 1940s, Hollywood Reporter founder Billy Wilkerson turned it into the plush nightclub Ciro’s. In the 1960s, it became Le Disc, a rock-and-roll club where Sonny and Cher once played the main room, and, later, a psychedelic hangout called Spectrum 2000. But it was over the last 50 years, under the Shore family stewardship, that the building had its biggest impact on pop culture, churning out generation after generation of top comic talent. Howie Mandel, Louie Anderson, Arsenio Hall, Sam Kinison, Sandra Bernhard, Bill Hicks, Roseanne Barr—they all paid their dues at the club’s infamous open mic. Some even ended up getting paid, if Shore’s ex, Mitzi, deemed them funny enough. “When my mother was evaluating talent and she passed you, it carried tremendous weight,” recalls Mitzi’s son (and Pauly’s brother), Peter, who’s been running the club since Mitzi died in 2018. “To become a paid regular at the Store is the Mt. Olympus of stand-up.” —CHRIS NICHOLS

WILL THE REAL GAY PRIDE PARADE PLEASE STAND UP? T H I S S U M M E R , after two years of virtual gatherings, the gay pride

parade is finally making an in-person comeback. In fact, it’s multiplying: one parade is scheduled for June 5 on its usual

number of ticket holders rushing the fence after the city declared that the crowd had reached capacity. It seems there’s been

T H E L OV E PA R A D E

A reveler at the 2018 L.A. Pride Parade in West Hollywood, which drew an estimated 150,000.

route through West Hollywood in what’s often referred to as the Rainbow District. The other, organized by the nonprofit Christopher Street West Association —which originated the event in 1970—will take place June 10-12 somewhere in Hollywood, with the route’s location to be announced soon. The story behind the twin parades is a bit convoluted, but it appears to go back to a dispute in 2019 between the City of West Hollywood and CSW, which had been orchestrating paid concerts in the fencedoff area of San Vicente Boulevard near West Hollywood Park. Sources say tickets that year were oversold, resulting in a

bad blood between CSW and WeHo ever since. “There is only one parade scheduled in the city of West Hollywood,” insists a spokesperson for the City of West Hollywood. “We are aware the [CSW] is producing a pride event the following weekend outside of West Hollywood.” Snaps back CSW veep of programs, Gerald Garth, “We’re creating experiences for people of a different geography, for more diversity, for a broader more inclusive experience.” —MERLE GINSBERG

S.W.A.T. ACTOR IN BEV HILLS DRUG BUST A C T O R Kather Sei, 36,

who played a cop on the CBS series S.W. A.T.,

$90M learned the hard way what it’s like to be on the other side of the law when he was arrested in February for allegedly selling fentanyl-laced pills, leading to the death of 37-yearold Beverly Hills hair-care heir Ray Mascolo. Also implicated in the drugtrafficking case is Mirela “Mimi” Todorova, 33, a somewhat mysterious figure who holds U.S., Bulgarian, and Canadian citizenships, reportedly keeps a pet jaguar named Princess, and appears to be the leader of the drug ring. Mascolo, whose parents cofounded Bed Head hair products, was found dead in November in the $3 million Beverly Hills home he shared with a Chihuahua named Versace. Text messages between Mascolo and Sei at work in on untitled project.

Todorova led investigators to Sei, who apparently had been moonlighting from his acting gigs—he has also appeared on episodes of Lucifer— by working as one of Todorova’s delivery men. —M I C H E L E M C P H E E L A M AG . C O M 1 5


BUZZ

|

TRIBUTE

The Odd Couple

FOR FOUR DECADES, MARTY AND ELAYNE PERFORMED THEIR LOUNGE ACT AT THE DRESDEN, SLOWLY BECOMING AS FAMOUS AS THE CELEBRITIES WHO GATHERED THERE TO HEAR THEM BY JEFF WEISS

L

O S A N G E L E S H A S historically been short

Born during the Depression, Marty Roberts split his on rituals. This is partly attributable to the childhood between Brooklyn and the Bronx, acquiring a abundance of transplants who treat the city borscht belt humor reminiscent of Jackie Mason and Henny like an ATM: a place to get cash and leave as Youngman. He became enraptured with drummer Gene quickly as possible. But it’s also a function Krupa and began following him around from gig to gig. of a sunny self-mythology rooted in eternal Paying his dues in unremembered jazz bands, Marty played youth, where old things substituted for the new sustains an society gigs and cut hair to make a living. After a stint in illusion of agelessness—or at least that’s what the developers Florida (“too muggy”), he headed west, where he met Elayne, would have you believe. a teen prodigy who had sung with Count Basie. She was lookBut over the last four decades, the city’s best ritual was ing for a drummer and, as she often quipped with sterling world-renowned. In sickness and in health, five nights a timing, “I found one.” week, the jazz lounge act, Marty and Elayne, was the most Originally billed as the Elayne Roberts Trio, they ripped dependable pairing this side of Magic and Kareem. Marty’s in Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, and Palm Springs. After a stint death in January of cancer deprives L. A. of a cultural landat Michael’s (which eventually became the swing mecca the mark, a swinging epicenter with free admission. Brown Derby before becoming a Chase bank), they arrived at From 9:15 p.m. until 1:15 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday the Dresden in 1981. The place was then a strictly 40-and-up at the Dresden Room in Los Feliz, the crowds witnessed a bar—as Marty said, “Nothing shaking at all.” campy spell cast by a telepathically bonded duo. Marty played Things quickly shook. By 1987, they accomplished their drums and bass. Elayne handled the piano and flute. Each lifelong goal of getting played on jazz radio. With that success, night, they transported you into a glamorous alternative realMarty told Elayne that the achievement made them artists ity where smoking indoors was permitted, the martinis never and “we shouldn’t do songs that make the light go out of our caused a hangover, and the sparkling eyes.” They immediately tossed out half jumpsuit never went out of vogue. their old repertoire to focus on what they I discovered them, like millions of othloved the most. “Showing visitors ers, in the 1996 cult hit Swingers. During Shortly after, a starring role in Tom Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn’s strugPetty’s “Yer So Bad” video made them recthat Los Angeles gling-actor period in then-bohemian L.A., ognizable to MTV audiences. David Lynch had real character the Dresden served as their Algonquin became a fan, thanking them “for bringrequired you to Room. They filmed multiple scenes there, ing jazz standards to a new generation.” including the iconic clip where Marty and They played behind Julia Roberts at the take them to Marty Elayne cover “Stayin’ Alive” with rhineclub when she delivered a spontaneous and Elayne.” stone voodoo. rendition of “Makin’ Whoopee,” as Kiefer The Dresden was the most reliable Sutherland bought a round for the bar. go-to in a place of constant upheaval. Flea regularly popped in to jam. One Favreau and Vaughn’s characters understood that when some night, during “Evil Ways,” a customer started breakdancplace was “dead anyways,” the Dresden remained unfailingly ing and knocked over the mic. Afterward, the Red Hot Chili alive. This was all Marty and Elayne, blending showmanship, Peppers legend said, “When we play that primal stuff, anyCatskills comic timing, improvisation, and passion for the thing can happen.” music itself—which ranged from their own originals to Duke After Swingers posters adorned every dorm in America, Ellington and the Bee Gees, the Doors to Ricky Martin. the bar became standing-room only once more. I moved to Showing visitors that Los Angeles had real character the neighborhood in the mid-aughts; even then, the place was required you to take them to Marty and Elayne. They were flooded with fedora-clad bros looking for “beautiful babies” funny, but never a joke. Even toward the end of their run, if and telling each other that they were “money.” you stayed late enough, you’d invariably hear them catch an But in the last decade, something special happened again. eccentric but funky groove. Vaughn once said about them: With the passing of time, the crowds became manageable. It “Sometimes they’d get lost in it and rock and sweat . . . And was still impossible to get a seat on the weekends, but most then there was other times they played the song almost with weeknights, if you came early or late enough, you could take a twinkle in their eye.” communion through sequined covers of “Puttin’ on the Ritz” 1 6 L A M AG . C O M


S U LTA N S O F S W I N G

World-renowned jazz duo Marty and Elayne at the Dresden Room in 1990. They played five nights a week, starting in 1981 and going until Marty’s death, at 89, in January.

and “The Lady Is a Tramp.” Marty and Elayne helped create a deeper sense of greater community. Celebrities were still frequently spotted (Natalie Portman, Donald Glover, Tessa Thompson), but it never felt Hollywood. There was no better place in the city to slowly destroy your liver. About five years ago, I interviewed them on their 35th anniversary. Marty was all punch lines and charm, a reminder of my late grandfather, another outer borough-bred jazz fanatic with a wry and profane sense of humor. Elayne was saintly and paid me the finest compliment I’ve ever received (“You look like a young Errol Flynn”). What struck me the most was the simplicity of Marty’s wisdom. His secret to life: “You’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing, no matter what it is. The rest is just bullshit.” His secret to marriage: “Like in a jazz band, a happy marriage depends on communication.” His philosophy on art: “To do it right, it has to come from the heart.” Over the last decade, many of our most important modern P H O T O G R A P H BY C L AU D I A K U N I N

rituals have gone dark: The Low End Theory every Wednesday at the Airliner and Funkmosphere every Thursday at the Virgil have both disappeared. The Piano Bar in Hollywood that nurtured Kamasi Washington’s West Coast Get Down is gone. So is the Blue Whale, the locus of the city’s experimental jazz scene, which never reopened after the pandemic. Taix is on its way out too. Too many others are critically endangered. This is a natural function of time, but with the constant increases in rent, it becomes more difficult to operate the independent venues and bars that nurture artists, giving them time to find their audience and hone their craft. That is, if the artists can even afford to live in an L.A. that has become even more inhospitable to the creative lifestyle. During the pandemic, a half-dozen people told me that they most looked forward to seeing Marty and Elayne again after this was all over. With his absence, the city has a deficiency of swing. L A M AG . C O M 1 7


BUZZ

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S U R R E A L E S TAT E

Those ’70s Houses

> The L.A. Conservancy is ramping up aware-

ness of the decade’s architectural significance as Licorice Pizza reboots the era’s avocadogreen splendors. The $19.5 million David Spade recently snagged for his 1978-vintage Trousdale Estates manse is part of a tasty wave of high-profile, high-price ’70s-centric digs hitting the market.

$

8.5M

S TA H L WA R N I N G

Construction on an adjacent lot could endanger the iconic home.

Cliff Hanger L.A.’S MOST FAMOUS CASE STUDY HOUSE COULD BE ON SHAKY GROUND IF A PROPOSED PROJECT PROCEEDS BY JESSICA RITZ

ENCINO H I G H L I G H TS Three connected dodecagon-

shaped structures with sweeping views of the San Fernando Valley? We’re there. The 6,811-square-foot Lewis estate by architect Donald G. Park channels the wide-lapeled esprit of its casino-owning original owners. See you in the conversation pit. P R I C E $8,495,000

designed by architect Pierre Koenig and completed in 1960, is the most recognizable of L.A.’s midcentury Case Study Houses, thanks to photographer Julius Shulman’s iconic nighttime image. Now, Bruce Stahl and Shari Stahl Gronwald, who grew up in the landmark their parents commissioned, are raising alarms over a proposed development downslope from the house that they claim could destablize the hill that supports the dramatically cantilevered structure.

The 5,000-square-foot parcel at the end of Marlay Drive was sold in November with architectural designs for a 3,100-square-foot concreteand-glass house. The Stahl siblings say that the plans include elements in violation of building codes, such as excessively large retaining walls and removing 200 dump trucks’ worth of earth from the hillside. Recently, “technology has enabled much more aggressive hillside development,” L.A. architectural historian Bret Parsons says. “However, not enough time has passed to learn how far we can push that agenda.”

CO N TAC T Mick Partridge, Partridge Hilton & Hyland, 310-278-3311

$

12M

T O PA N G A H I G H L I G H TS Thornton Ladd and John

Kelsey’s masterful 1975 design of the Von Hagen Residence—Vince Vaughn’s digs in True Detective—blends refined modernist impulses with earthy ’70s chic in this fourbedroom, 13-acre compound. P R I C E $11,995,000 CO N TAC T Christina Hildebrand, Crosby Doe

Associates, christina@crosbydoe.com

RED HOT CHILI FLIPPER

> Flea has been inching ever closer to Ellen-and-Portia levels of house trad-

ing—and he’s definitely not giving the properties away. The bassist’s latest listing boasts two architecturally significant houses in the La Crescenta foothills with an asking price of $9.79 million. The first was designed by Richard Neutra for his secretary, Dorothy Serulnic, in 1953. It now stands juxtaposed against the highly unconventional second home, designed by architect Michael Maltzan, that artists Lari Pittman and Roy Dowell completed in 2009. Flea purchased the property from the pair for $4.25 million in 2018 and, with his wife, streetwear designer Melody Ehsani, zhuzhed it up with an addition and new pool area. The couple is headed to a 90210 estate.

$

7.3M

PA S A D E N A H I G H L I G H TS Designed by distinguished

modernist architect A. Quincy Jones and completed in 1973, this 6,554-square-foot beauty overlooking the Rose Bowl is an exuberant example of the glass-and-steelpavilion style that flouished during the decade. Three beds, five baths, total throwback. P R I C E $7,300,000 CO N TAC T Gus Ruelas, the Agency,

gus@theagencyre.com

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TO P L E F T: J U L I U S S H U L M A N , © J. PAU L G E T T Y T R U ST. G E T T Y R E S E A R C H I N ST I T U T E , LO S A N G E L E S ( 2 0 0 4 . R .1 0 ) ; T H O S E ‘ 70 S H O U S E S A N D R E D H OT C H I L I F L I P P E R : F R O M R E A LTO R S ’ W E B S I T E S ; F L E A H E A D S H OT: G E T T Y I M AG E S

T H E S TA H L House,


April 6 through August 8, 2022

Getty Villa Museum

Plaque with a Winged Lion-Griffin (detail), Achaemenid, 500–330 BC. Courtesy of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Text and design © 2022 J. Paul Getty Trust

LA Mag Persia P1.indd 1

PLAN YOUR VISIT

2/18/22 11:27 AM


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04.22

Plus > A rock concert for every decade PAGE 24

> Colin Hanks on Hollywood PAGE 25

> Snacks, revisited PAGE 35

T I M E ’S U P

Actress-activist Portman and L.A. entrepreneurs Kara Nortman and Julie Uhrman decided an L.A. woman’s socceer club was overdue—so they started one.

SPORTS

Pitch Perfect WOMEN’S SOCCER RETURNS TO L.A. WITH A KICK FROM HOLLYWOOD’S FEMALE POWER PLAYERS, LED BY NATALIE PORTMAN BY REBEKAH BRANDES

I L LU S T R AT E D BY C H R I S M O R R I S

SPORTS

L A M AG . C O M 2 1


Incoming

SPORTS

S L O S A N G E L E S jonesing for the return of

professional women’s soccer? Some high-profile and deep-pocketed Hollywood females backing Angel City Football Club, L.A.’s first women’s soccer team in 12 years, are about to find out. Cofounded by actress-activist Natalie Portman with venture capitalist Kara Nortman and tech entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, the club boasts an array of celebrity investors and pledges—besides fielding world-class players—to bring female empowerment to the game. L.A. currently hosts two men’s major league soccer teams but hasn’t had a women’s team since the Los Angeles Sol folded in 2010. Nortman acknowledges the risks involved in reentering the space—“I’d say 95 percent of people tried to talk me out of it”—but credits Instagram with confirming her gut on the venture. “I can look at the followings of [soccer stars] Crystal Dunn and Alex Morgan and see people are really engaged,” she says. Her instincts so far have been born out: Angel City calls the 25,000-seat Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park home and has already sold more than 14,000 tickets for this year’s 22-game season, which starts in May. Premium seating, including $50,000 box seats, sold out in three days. “L.A. deserves the team,” says Uhrman, like Nortman, a lifelong Angeleno. “This is the best sports market in the world. We have the best athletes in women’s soccer in the world.” Nortman and Portman, both soccer geeks, had met earlier to discuss sharing the resources of their respective gender-equality nonprofits, All Raise and the lately beleaguered TimesUp!, of which Portman is a founding member. women’s soccer fans are male. “Watching my son, during Angel City was hatched after Portman texted Nortman the FIFA Women’s World Cup, idolizing Alex Morgan and following her appearance at a Women’s National Soccer Megan Rapinoe as much as Messi—that made all the difLeague event in 2019. At the time, Nortman was advising ference to me,” Portman tweeted. WNSL in the lawsuit it had bought against the U.S. Soccer With Portman on board, Nortman recruited Uhrman, Federation over equal pay for women players. (The suit was founder of gaming console company OUYA and her settled in the WNSL’s favor in February for $24 million.) teammate on a women-in-tech basketball club, as Angel “We should bring a team to L.A. together,” Portman City’s president. Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian signed told Nortman. on to lead fundraising. Women’s soccer icon Mia Hamm The idea had a lot to recommend it commercially. and two-time Olympic medalists and FIFA World Cup Women’s soccer in the U.S. actually generates more revchampions Lauren Cheney Holiday and enue than men’s. Financial statements from Abby Wambach, along with actresses Eva the USSF obtained by the Wall Street Journal Longoria, Jennifer Garner, and Jessica revealed that from 2016 to 2018, women’s “We have the Chastain, are among Angel City’s high-profile games took in $50.8 million while men’s genbest athletes founding investors. erated $49.9 million, even though women Eni Aluko, a 34-year-old World Cup vetplayers were paid substantially less. in women’s eran, joined as sports director in May and The last FIFA Women’s World Cup, held soccer in acknowledges the challenges the club will in 2019 and won by the U.S. women’s national the world.” face. “The status quo is that expansion teams team, drew 14.3 million TV viewers in the U.S., don’t do very well in their first year,” she says. 22 percent more than watched the men’s World “We want to break that.” She anticipates an Cup the year before and the most-watched energetic rivalry with the newly formed San Diego Wave soccer match, men’s or women’s, in the prior five years. Football Club, franchised six months after Angel City. Yet female World Cup winners draw a fraction of the prize Aluko’s acquisitions include World Cup champion money paid to men. In the 2018 World Cup, the winning Christen Press, former Chicago Red Stars defender Julie men’s team, from France, was awarded $38 million; the Ertz, and coach Freya Coombe. The club incentivizes winning women’s team, from Japan, took home $4 million. recruitment by offering one percent of the team’s net profits Finally, according to a 2019 Neilsen report, 54 percent of

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A N G E L C I T Y FO OT B A L L C LU B : CO U R T E SY A N G E L C I T Y FO OT B A L L C LU B

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N OW P L AY I N G

L.A. STRIKERS

Clockwise from top right: Angel City Football Club cofounder Natalie Portman lends her star power and feminist credentials to the team; an ACFC block party; the club’s crest is revealed.

MUSIC

Balls to the Wall

The key to creating a fever-pitch atmosphere during Angel City FC’s inaugural season will be the prematch soundtrack. Here’s our playlist of songs to get the stadium rocking before the team has even kicked a ball

The Go-Gos, “We Got the Beat” What better way to soundtrack the arrival of L.A.’s greatest women’s soccer team than with L.A.’s greatest all-woman band? The Bangles, “Walk Like an Egyptian’’ The city’s mid-’80s Paisley Underground made a global impact, thanks in no small way to this smash, which is still guaranteed to get any crowd of Angelenos grooving. Haim, “Forever” At this point, Haim is essentially Los Angeles’s de facto house band, and this early classic would be an ideal way to bring the prekickoff-energy up.

P L AY L I ST: G E T T Y I M AG E S

The Distillers, “City of Angels” This snarling ode to the dark side of L.A. might seem like an odd selection, but instilling some level of fear in the opposition is a crucial part of soccer psychology.

from ticket sales to players who allow their names and likenesses to be used on social media to drive attendance. “We’re trying to give the players a better, bigger platform than they could possibly get anywhere else,” Uhrman says. Angel City’s founders seldom miss a chance to invoke the activist spirit of the club’s origins. Yes, it has partnered with the likes of DoorDash, Birdies, Sprouts Farmers Market, Nike, and Gatorade, but 10 percent of those and other sponsorship dollars will be donated to charitable programs ranging from providing financial resources for groups it considers marginalized to distributing complimentary sports gear and food to improving playing facilities. Before a single Angel City player has sunk her cleats onto a pitch, the club says, its largesse will have funded 75,000 meals to food-insecure families, 150 elementary-school gardens, and 15,000 sports bras. But, ultimately, Angel City is no selfless nonprofit. “Everything we do is both to drive revenue and have an impact,” Uhrman says. “We’re going to put on a game-day experience unlike anything L.A. has ever seen.” The team is envisioned as only one incarnation of the brand: apps, merchandise, and media deals are in the works, including selling fractionalized pieces of the Angel City crest as NFTs. “Sports are such a joyful way to bring people together,” Portman said at the club’s launch. “This has the power to make tangible change for female athletes.”

Remi Wolf, “Hello Hello Hello” The local breakout star’s 2020 single is a 24-karat earworm that would sound great as the players do their warm-up routines. Farruko, “Pepas” It’s the song that’s been blasted from car stereos across town for the past year, so it’s a safe bet that this Latin banger would create an instant party when pumped through stadium speakers. Saweetie, “Best Friend,” with Doja Cat You can’t help but feel the serious squad energy every time this gets played. Guaranteed to get pulses racing. X, “Wild Thing” The punk legends’ rowdy cover of the Troggs’s classic still sounds like it was made to be heard in an arena. Turn it up, and let her rip. No Doubt, “Just A Girl” What better way to encapsulate the team’s vibe than to play Orange County’s own Gwen Stefani raging about outdated and sexist ideas about what women should and shouldn’t be doing? Black Flag, “Rise Above” This will go down well with the dads, sure, but Black Flag’s antiestablishment screed is the kind of call to arms that will get the fanbase roaring like demons.

L A M AG . C O M 2 3


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MUSIC

M USES

Clockwise from top: Roger McGuinn, Arnel Pineda of Journey, Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, Gregg Gillis of Girl Talk, Kevin Abstract of Brockhampton, Alice Cooper

enough, Riot Grrrl flagship legends Bikini Kill are. And if that’s too punk, don’t get baked and forget 4/20. It’s always a good day when Ice Cube headlines—this time at the Krush Groove concert on 4/30 with hip-hop icons T.I., Method Man and Redman, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and more.

FROM ’60S SURVIVORS TO THE AUGHTS HOTTEST ACTS, APRIL IN L.A. FEATURES A CONCERT FOR NEARLY EVERY DECADE

April 24, Greek Theatre, lagreektheatre.com.

With his frenetic mashup of pop history, Girl Talk dazzled the aughts by splicing together dozens of song fragments at a seizurely pace. Every track is a dizzying range of decades, genres, deep cuts, and megahits. You’ll be playing “What’s that sample?” all night, but you’ll also be dancing your ass off, covered in confetti.

The ’80s

April 18, Regent Theatre, regentdtla.com.

BY A DA M G OL D

R

O C K I S N ’ T dead— it’s

protean. The genre’s shape-shifting prints are all over April, where a thunder of era-spanning acts chase nostalgia or channel the moment— sometimes both.

The ’60s

The list of still-touring ’60s acts is rapidly shrinking, so catching Laurel Canyon legend Roger McGuinn—who launched the Byrds here in 1964 by amping folk with a 12-string Rickenbacker—is a must. April 25, Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts, Pepperdine University, arts.pepperdine.edu.

The ’70s

Alice Cooper’s campy rock-and-

roll revue hasn’t lost the beat. The 74-year-old shock rocker still delivers the voice and gusto of his youth. Expect greasepaint and a cartoon-violence cavalcade of prop swords, guillotines, and hulking Frankenstein monsters. Opening is original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley,

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The ’00s

whose blazing lead guitar ignited the band’s best ’70s staples.

There’s a reason crowds fill arenas year after year for Journey despite the band’s ever-rotating lineup: the heart-swelling power ballads and stadium-rock radio staples sell themselves. Here, en-masse sing-alongs to “Any Way You Want It” and “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” are gently blessed by opener Toto. Meet the soft-rock gold of “Africa” and “Rosanna” all the way. April 5, Crypto.com Arena, cryptoarena.com.

The ’90s

Gen-X introverts haven’t had this many excuses to leave the house since MTV stopped spinning music videos. Indie stalwarts Guided by Voices return for a night of arm-aroundyour-bestie drunken songfests; the Magnetic Fields bring a trove of lo-fi mini masterpieces. If that’s not punk

Now

The 2010s to today are alive and kicking. One-woman hit factory Charli XCX charms with her luscious electro-pop, while the genre-blending Coachella returns after a three-year hiatus. Topped by Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Ye, the festival offers Phoebe Bridgers, Doja Cat, Run the Jewels, Megan Thee Stallion, and the final show (for now) of hip-hop boy band Brockhampton.

(For fans who don’t do ’Chella, Eilish breaks musical molds and radius clauses with a solo three-night stint of bedroom pop, too.) April 3, Charli XCX, Greek Theatre, lagreektheatre.com; April 15 through 17 and April 22 through 24, Coachella, Indio, coachella.com; April 6, 8, and 9, Billie Eilish, the Forum, thelaforum.com.

G E T T Y I M AG E S

Rock of Ages

April 1, Guided by Voices, Teragram Ballroom, teragramballroom.com; April 27, the Magnetic Fields, Theatre at Ace Hotel, acehotel.com; April 29, Bikini Kill, Greek Theatre, lagreektheatre.com; April 30, Ice Cube, Crypto.com Arena, cryptoarena.com.


TV

Mob Scene IN A TWIST, COLIN HANKS PLAYS A NOT-SO-NICE GUY IN THE OFFER, A NEW SERIES ABOUT THE BATTLE TO MAKE THE GODFATHER—THE GREATEST GANGSTER FLICK OF ALL TIME

| Incoming

H A N K Y - PA N K Y

Colin Hanks as Barry Lapidus in The Offer. Lapidus is, according to the actor, “a composite of all the different people who thought making The Godfather was a bad idea.”

BY JOR DA N R I E F E

M I L L E R M O B L E Y/ PA R A M O U N T +

S

O M E DAY a magazine

article will be written about Colin Hanks that doesn’t mention in its first sentence that his father is two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks. This will not be that story. But the good news for the 44-yearold actor is that after two decades of toiling in dad’s shadow—playing small roles on the big screen, like Jack Black’s assistant in King Kong, and somewhat bigger roles on the small screen, like parts on Dexter, Fargo, and American Crime Story—he’s finally landed an acting challenge worthy “Nowadays, of his last name. Hanks the film will be starring as powerful movie studio executive industry is Barry Lapidus in The Offer, all very the upcoming Paramount+ For Hanks, who, like corporate.” series about the twisty his father, is usually cast boardroom dramas and harin good-guy roles, the rowing on-set traumas opportunity to play the during the production of the greatest heavy was a welcome change of pace. gangster film—maybe the greatest But he was also keenly aware that the of any kind of film—of all time, The film was re-creating a special era in Godfather. Hollywood, one that predates even “He’s a composite of all the difhis dad’s contribution. ferent people who thought making “We were trying to really repreThe Godfather was a bad idea,” sent the crossroads the film industry Hanks says of his character, a ficwas in at the time,” he says. “We had tional mash-up of a bunch of real-life a scene in the film when Lapidus Gulf + Western execs who oversaw laments the death of the movie indusParamount Studios in the 1970s and try— ‘It used to be about bringing tried to derail Francis Ford Coppola these things in under budget, and we (played by Dan Fogler) from making had all the actors under contract,’ he his masterpiece. “He’s the guy who said. Lapidus represents that part of will deliver the bad news and do it it in contrast to the renegades like with a smile.” Coppola and Brando.”

“Nowadays,” Hanks adds a bit ruefully, “the film industry is all very corporate. Now, everybody feels they know how to make a successful film. Now, I have an eight-yearold who can tell you what’s wrong with movies.” That eight-year-old, Charlotte, is Hanks’s second child with wife Samantha Bryant, a former publicist; 11-year-old Olivia is their older daughter. All four Hankses live in a $2.85 million farmhouse-style abode in Studio City purchased back in 2018. No word yet on whether either offspring intends to go into the family business, but if they do, they will likely spend the first couple of decades toiling in their father’s shadow. Because it’s starting to get pretty big. L A M AG . C O M 2 5


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HAPPENINGS

THE TO-DO LIST YOUR APRIL CULTURAL AGENDA BY JOR DA N R I E F E

LISTEN

› If Coachella is a no-go this year, catch Billie Eilish’s IV-drip dark pop in your

own backyard. Born and raised in Highland Park, our Eastside chanteuse brings her COVID-delayed Happier Than Ever tour to town, featuring songs off her best-selling second album of the same name. Sure, you might have seen the concert film on Disney+, but wouldn’t you rather catch it live? Featuring hits like “Therefore I Am,” “My Future,” and “Your Power,” not to mention the classics “Bury a Friend” and “Bad Guy” off her first album, the show stars Eilish and her brother, cowriter and producer Finneas O’Connell, as well as drummer Andrew Marshall. She promenades the catwalk between them on this all-LED stage with giant spider silhouettes and exotic morphing underwater gardens. Be afraid.

with Matt Damon to star. Rights to the City on Fire trilogy were scooped up by Sony for roughly $6 million. HarperCollins, April 26.

READ

› Best-selling author Don Winslow revisited his boyhood haunts in Rhode Island to write this scintillating crime drama, City on Fire, the first of a trilogy based on Homer’s The Iliad. Winslow is best known for his Cartel trilogy and, more recently, The Force, in development 2 6 L A M AG . C O M

HEAR

› In this world premiere

opera, Pulitzer Prizewinning composer Du Yun presents a one-man show starring renowned baritone Nathan Gunn. In In Our Daughter’s Eyes, Gunn plays a father-tobe who gifts his unborn daughter a journal tracing his life’s journey. Du was named a Guggenheim fellow in 2018, and her

collaboration Sweet Land was a high point for L.A.-based opera company the Industry. REDCAT, April 13 through 17.

SEE

› A fashion giant whose

suicide shocked fans in 2010, Alexander McQueen employed trim Saville Row tailoring and often outlandish runway accoutrements—armadillo shoes, butterflies, and his signature skull scarf favored by celebs. Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse, at LACMA,

contextualizes his

‹ Alexander McQueen

designs with similarly themed artwork in the museum’s permanent collection (mostly). LACMA, April 24 through October 9.

READ

› Best known for her

2011 Pulitzer Prizewinning novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan is back with a companion piece, The Candy House, that examines the cost of our most private experiences made public. When a tech billionaire figures out a way to download and store

CLOCKW ISE FROM TOP: KEVI N MAZUR/GETTY I MAGES FOR LI VE N ATION; AI DAN MONAGHAN/©2021 FOCUS FEATURES , LLC; JOHANNES LAUREN TI US/GETTY TRU ST; ©MU SEU M ASSOCIATE S/LACMA; COU RTESY HARPERCOLLI NS; GETTY IMAG ES

The Forum, April 6, 8, and 9.


MONAGHAN/©2021 FOCUS FEATURES , LLC; JOHANNES LAUREN TI US/GETTY TRU ST; ©MU SEU M ASSOCIATE S/LACMA; COU RTESY HARPERCOLLI NS; GETTY IMAG ES

SOUTHERN STYLE

Eilish, during her Happier Than Ever tour at New Orlean’s Smoothie King Center in February.

and artistic relationships between the three empires through luxury objects, including sculpture, gems and jewelry, religious images, and inscriptions. Getty Villa, April 6 through August 8.

IMBIBE

› After the hardship

of COVID, the L.A. Beer Festival appears like an oasis on the calendar—an outfest for day drinkers. Over 80 breweries, 200 beers, and 15 food trucks should get you started, while the beats, courtesy of the DJs at Power 106, promise to keep the pace. Tickets include samplings, but only the Connoisseur’s ticket will get you into the good bathrooms. Los Angeles Center Studios, April 2.

the cover of Vogue, and stars in movies like Assassination Nation, then Suki Waterhouse must be able to sing, too, right? Yes, and the English “It” girl and model has been doing it at the pace of a single a year since 2016’s Brutally. Her debut album, I Can’t Let Go, includes ten new tracks of sultry pop comprising a romantic confessional via current singles “Moves,” “My Mind,” and “Melrose Meltdown,” widely speculated by fans to be about ex Bradley Cooper. Sub Pop, April 22.

SEE

› Time to go to Hell again,

as Orpheus has done since time immemorial. This descent comes with Cajun flair in Hadestown, a musical retelling of the myth and the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as awards for composer Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin. The touring cast includes Tony winner Levi Kreis as Hermes, filling in for Broadway’s beloved André De Shields, who won a Tony for his performance. Ahmanson Theatre, April 26 through May 29.

READ

› In Finding Me, Emmy-,

Tony-, and Academy Award-winning actor Viola Davis delivers her uplifting origin story, beginning in a rundown Rhode Island apartment. The second youngest of six children, she endured an impoverished childhood but found salvation in the arts, which led not only to fame and fortune, but also a deeper understanding of herself. HarperOne, April 26.

LISTEN

memories, they become files to exchange and share, leading to unintended consequences. Scribner, April 5.

SEE

› In the sixth century

From the Persia exhibit at Getty Villa.

BC, the first Persian Empire spanned from Greece to northern India. Conquered by Alexander the Great, it was flooded with Greek art and influence before the Romans rose to power. The new show, Persia: Ancient

Iran and the Classical World, explores political,

intellectual, religious,

› “Taking Me Back,” the searing first single off Jack White’s new solo album, Fear of the Dawn, is also his first solo Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. If these dozen new blistering songs—a return to his stripped-down roots— only whet your appetite for more, White’s next solo album, Entering Heaven Alive, drops July 22. Play it loud, or catch him live on his Supply Chain Issues tour, May 31 and June 1 at YouTubeTheater. Third Man Records, April 8.

LISTEN

› If she’s good enough for

Robert Pattinson and

PA I N A N D J OY

Alexander Skarsgård and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Northman.

SEE

› Filmmaker Robert Eggers first worked

with Anya Taylor-Joy on the 2015 Sundance hit The Witch, a spooky period piece about a farm overrun by evil spirits. (This was long before her breakout performance in 2020’s The Queen’s Gambit.) His follow-up, The Lighthouse, is an even more atmospheric thriller about a pair of sanity-challenged lighthouse keepers. For his latest, The Northman, Eggers reteams with Taylor-Joy, who plays Olga of the Birch Forest in this epic revenge tale set in tenth-century Iceland. Cowritten with Icelandic poet Sjón, the script is based on the Scandinavian legend that inspired Hamlet, an anagram for protagonist Viking Prince Amleth, played by Alexander Skarsgård. With Nicole Kidman, Björk, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe. April 22. L A M AG . C O M 2 7


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ART

The Wanderer

CUBAN ARTIST ENRIQUE MARTÍNEZ CELAYA HAS FOUND A WIDER AUDIENCE IN LOS ANGELES AND, JUST MAYBE, A CITY TO CALL HOME B Y M I C H A E L S L E N S K E F O R T H E B E T T E R part of his life, the Cuban-born artist Enrique Martínez Celaya has been in transit. At the age of seven, he moved with his parents from Cuba to Madrid only to arrive in Puerto Rico when he was 12. At 17, he was off to Cornell University in Ithaca, and then to UC Berkeley. After that, New York, Venice Beach, South Florida. Ten years ago, he landed in L.A., maybe for good. “Leaving Cuba at seven and moving within all those places, there’s a sense of restlessness and always imagining the reinvention of a home,” says Martínez Celaya, now 57, sipping a diet Coke in the library of a 16,000-square-foot brick building just north of Leimart Park, where he’s been working only since February. “Rather than restlessness, I’m so interested in the present. When something ceases to provide answers or is no longer productive then I feel it’s time to go. Even if I don’t know where I’m going I know I have to leave.” On the wall above the library sofa is a painting of the artist as a boy wearing a life raft, bathed in yellow sun beside a haunting beachscape. Another wall holds a massive canvas of a house floating in a sea of darkness. Though it’s peaceful, the building, once a mail-flier warehouse, has been under construction since the summer, workers carving out skylit cathedrallike spaces uder the buttressed ceilings. There’s a warren of exhibition spaces that are regularly toured by museum groups, curators, and collectors. As a result of living in this age when we’re all “distracted from distraction

by distraction,” to quote T. S. Eliot in the Four Quartets—the epic-poem cycle that informed Martínez Celaya’s most recent body of work, on view at UTA Artist Space—solitude is what he’s been craving. “At the time he wrote the Four Quartets, Eliot was dealing with the dissolution of his marriage, Europe was falling apart between the wars, England was being bombed, and there was a sense of unrest about the whole society. And he was at the height of his powers but he cannot find the words to write with—something that I feel in many ways at this moment,” he says. Martínez Celaya has been living through his own existential crisis since the end of the Obama years. His marriage of nearly two decades came to an end, he got engaged to Aussie

pop singer/model Erica Packer only to have that called off a year later. Despite all that, Martínez Celaya has emerged in this moment with several new exhibitions in Los Angeles: At the Huntington Library, where he’s been a Fellow in the Visual Arts for the past two years, he painted migratory birds on the glass facade of the Scott Galleries to connect with the gardens to which he’s loaned a pair of sculptures; during Frieze, he opened his Eliot-inspired UTA show; and the week after, an 18 year survey called Sea Sky Land: Towards A Map of Everything bowed at USC’s Fisher Museum of Art. The latter brings together paintings and sculptures to investigate the artist’s long-term exploration of memory as it relates to time and space. Though all his work—which has made its way into the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney—is about exile, loss, and redemption, you’ll find no virtue signals or social justice tropes. “If you want to do that you can go into politics,” says Martínez Celaya, who grounded the Huntington show with a life-size, semi-nude photographic selfie awash in flames and a vitrine with sloppily painted, oversized silk roses, with fragments of Eliot’s verse scrawled on the glass. One refrain seemed to sum up his new moment of transition: “The only wisdom we can hope to acquire/Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless.

“When something ceases to provide answers or is no longer productive, then I feel it’s time to go—even if I don’t know where I’m going.” 2 8 L A M AG . C O M


REFUGEE

Martínez Celaya at his new studio north of Leimert Park.

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C O M E DY

Fools’ Gold

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TOP COMICS ON THEIR FAVORITE APRIL FOOLS’ PRANKS BY SEAN FITZ-GERALD

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H O L I K E S being had on April Fools’ Day? Probably no one. But we polled dozens of joke masters to discover their idea of a primo gag— whether pulled, schooled, or still a prank-in-waiting.

1 Howie Mandel

(Howie Mandel Does Stuff)

I told my kids we were going to do an Easter egg hunt on April 1. I got them up really early, gave them each a basket, and sent them in the backyard. After an hour of disappointment, they didn’t find any eggs, and I explained to them, “It’s because we’re Jews.” So it wasn’t only an April Fools’ thing, it was also a teaching moment.

2 DeRay Davis (Snowfall)

I was taking my daughter and nephew to the movies—they were 10 or 11. As I’m driving, people keep looking in our back seat. I say to the kids, “If y’all are back there giving the finger, I swear to God I’m gonna turn the car around.” I pull up to a gas station, go inside, and this sweet, old lady comes in and says, “Sir, are those your kids in the car?” These psychopaths had gaffer’s tape over their mouths, pretending they were being kidnapped. There were no movies that day.

3 Hannah Pilkes (Yearly Departed)

At my neighboring high school on the outskirts of Philly, they released a bunch of opossums on April Fools’ Day. There were 40 or 50, which was a nightmare. Some were lost, and it took forever to find them. People were horrified. I was like, “How is this April Fools’?” You can’t really take that back because the opossums are still there. 3 0 L A M AG . C O M

4 Murray Hill

(Somebody Somewhere)

After a gig at a comedy club on April Fools’, I put my bag over my shoulder and after a few blocks, I realized it was way too heavy. The busboy had put about five pounds of silverware in my bag. I still have the spoons to this day.

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5 Kel Mitchell (Prank Day)

I used to watch a commercial when I was young about a construction worker who put glue on his hard hat, and he put it on one of the pipes on the building and he hung from the building. I was looking at my father’s toolbox one time, just playing around, and I saw Krazy Glue. I was like, “Oh, this is the thing that’s in the commercial!” I took it to school, and I realized you can’t really see that this is glue. It’s clear. So my friend got up in class to throw something away in the garbage, and I stealthily put this glue on his chair. He sits down. It’s time for recess. But he’s stuck. He can’t get up. He’s like for real, for real stuck. They had to saw him out of the seat.

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6 Mohanad Elshieky (I’m Sorry)

My youngest siblings and I have an age difference of 11 years. I managed to convince them that I was actually their father and that we were currently living with their grandparents. I remember saying, “Ever wonder why I’m the one who drives you to school every morning?” My dad then started driving them to school every day to prove he was their father, so I’d say the prank was totally worth it.

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7 Logan Guntzelman

(The Secret Show @ Blind Barber)

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I’m almost afraid to put this in writing because I hope to one day do it, but I think it would be great if someone changed the signs outside of Fred Segal to say “Steven Seagal.” Is there any point to this prank? Not really. Is it something I think about every time I pass Fred Segal? One hundred percent.

8 Karen Chee

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(Late Night with Seth Meyers)

I would love to rerecord a museum audio tour for a fancy place, like MoMA or the Met, and record it so that it’s like 98 percent accurate and normal, and then periodically make repeated mentions about how something in a painting reminds me of an egg bagel.

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9 Anjelah Johnson-Reyes

(The Real Dirty Dancing)

I think it’s so funny when people replace all the photos in someone’s house with photos of a celebrity, like Willem Dafoe. I once saw a prank online where a kid dipped Brussels sprouts in chocolate and wrapped them in the Ferrero Rocher wrappings and tricked their dad into eating them.

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CO U R T E SY O F CO M E D I A N S ; E XC E P T FO R LO G A N G U N TZ E L M A N : CO M E DYC E N T R A L .CO M

10 Nate Bargatze and his father,

Stephen Bargatze

(The Greatest Average American) Stephen: My other son was painting

all the doors in his house, and he had all the doorknobs on the table. They were all identical. So I took one so they would think they were missing it. But then I had a better idea—I went over to Ace Hardware, bought an extra one, brought it back, and set it on the table. When it came time to put everything back together, they got into the biggest fight. They probably got about ten doors in their house. They were marking all the doors with numbers to figure out where this extra doorknob was supposed to go. They had their kids at every door, yelling, “I got mine! I got mine!” They thought, “We’ve got a

door somewhere that doesn’t have a knob on it!” It lasted about three days before I finally broke down and had to tell them. Nate: With pranking, if someone walks into it, you just kinda go with it. I stayed with a friend in a hotel when I first started comedy, and he was like, “Hey, is this lotion? It says ‘conditioner’ on it.” I go, “Yeah, it’s conditioner for your skin.” So he rubs it all over his body. Then we had to leave to go to the show, and he’s like, “Why am I so sticky?”

11 Gil Ozeri

(Human Resources)

A thing I did with Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz was we used to make each other say certain sentences during big pitch meetings. You had to say it completely serious. One of them was you had to say, “It’s like Frasier— for babies.”

12 Lauren Lapkus (The Wrong Missy)

Whenever my aunt would visit from Texas, it was always a surprise to my brother and me. One time we shuffled outside to help my mom unload groceries from the car, and my aunt popped out of the trunk.

13 Ron Funches

(Gettin’ Better with Ron Funches)

My son is on the autism spectrum and had never shown much interest in traditional activities like April Fools’, but last year he played several pranks on me, like putting toothpaste on my houseplants and filling my cereal bowl with water instead of milk. This would have been delightful enough, but he went the extra mile and labeled each prank with a Post-It note to make sure I wouldn’t miss them. I still smile when I walk by my houseplant, thinking of the Post-It that simply read, “Toothpaste April Fools!” To see what these and other comedians had to say in full, visit lamag.com. L A M AG . C O M 3 1


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MIXED MEDIA

Lost in Translation ONE OF HBO MAX’S LONG-GESTATING LAUNCH VEHICLES, TOKYO VICE, OFFERS A RIVETING TOUR OF ITS NAMESAKE’S SHAPE-SHIFTING MORALS AND CULTURE

harassment, and a local ethos H B O M A X ’ S Tokyo as long on shame as the present Vice is the most excitAmerican ethos is absent of it. ing new TV series of a As the series begins, Tokyo still-young year, and life is punctuated by public suithe blue-chip network’s best cides—gangsters falling from the show since Succession. Based sky and disgraced businessmen on the memoir by journalist setting themselves on fire in the Jake Adelstein, it’s the story of street. It’s commonplace surreala young, Jewish Midwesterner ity amid unyielding traditions: who goes to Tokyo to study Japalove hotels offering themed nese literature and becomes the rooms chosen from an electronic first gaijin (non-Asian outsider) menu, the near-naked women hired by the most-read newspaof gentlemen’s clubs dancing to per in the world, Yomiuri Shimadolescent manga images on the bun. Played by West Side Story’s screen behind them. Ansel Elgort, Adelstein finds Along with Elgort, Tokyo himself assigned to the crime Vice features Ken Watanabe as a beat, where he navigates prejuveteran detective who takes the dice and nationalism, customs young reporter under his wing, and taboos, and the transactionRinko Kikuchi as his editor, al nature of so much of Japanese Rachel Keller as a “hostess” on society, including tacitly underthe run, and Tomohisa Yamashistood pacts between the police ta in a breakout role as a trouand underworld yakuza. In the bled gangsta in the making. All opening episode, Adelstein is bring support to the show’s true instructed by his editor in the facstar, Tokyo, which has a lock on tual priorities of a news story, the this year’s Emmy for Best Perforfamiliar who, what, when, and mance by a City. Sprawling and where.“And the ‘why’?” asks the The series’ true star is Tokyo, labyrinthine, with four times as novice reporter, only to be told which deserves an Emmy many people as New York, Tokyo that “why” is relegated to whatever room is left over, which, invarifor Best Performance by a City. is the biggest and most bewildering urban center on earth. Racist ably, is none. stereotypes of Asian orderliness The series’ pilot is directed clash with an anarchic psyche by executive producer Michael amid buildings assigned addresses according not to geograMann, creator of the quintessential ’80s cop drama, Miami phy but chronology and lifelong citizens struggling to orient Vice, before becoming the best American film director of the themselves to ever-evolving reference points. ’90s with The Last of the Mohicans, The Insider, and the neoBy halfway through the series, the young American noir epic Heat. But Tokyo Vice really belongs to playwright J. reporter has answered the who, what, when, and where of T. Rogers, author of Broadway’s Tony-winning Oslo, which Tokyo while the why remains elusive. Even as HBO audiprobably accounts for why this crime series never shortences have been sophisticated enough over recent decades changes subtler material such as Adelstein’s inexhaustible to root for various Sopranos and Roys and Lannisters, the culture shock even after three years in Tokyo, where he’s masmoral compasses found in the rubbish dumps of Jersey and tered the native language if not the native nuances. And in the decadent villas of Tuscany and the smoking rubble of sharp contrast to so many other shows C U LT U R E S H O C K King’s Landing were still readable. Tokyo’s moral compass today, none of the subplots feel superAnsel Elgort stars as isn’t hidden—you could argue the whole city is its own comfluous, including those involving family an American crime journalist struggling to pass—but poised nonetheless at a locus where the yesterday honor, communal alienation, economic apprehend Tokyo’s of a thousand years meets the tomorrow of an unknown desperation in a debtor society, womnorms in playwright J. T. hour, pivoting to a true north of its own. enprofessionals beset by routine sexual Rogers’s new series. 3 2 L A M AG . C O M

E R O S H OAG L A N D/CO U R T E SY WA R N E R M E D I A

BY STEVE ERICKSON


CELEBRATI NG 1OO O YEARS OF SUMMER

CHOOSE 3 OR MORE CONCERTS & SAVE!*

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DIANA ROSS

GUSTAVO DUDAMEL

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ISATA KANNEH-MASON

BOYZ II MEN

JOSHUA BELL

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2/16/22 11:41 AM


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CO M F O R T F O O D

Puttin’ on the Ritz ONLY IN L.A. CAN YOU FIND RESTAURANTS THAT TRANSFORM LOWLY TREATS FROM PIZZA BAGELS TO S’MORES INTO HAUTE CUISINE B Y J O S H UA L U R I E

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NY ’90S KID

craving salty-sweet goodness with a mouth-scalding sting may feel serious nostalgia for Bagel Bites—an afterschool treat whose madcap jingle proclaimed that when pizza’s on a bagel, you can have it anytime. But creators of this Italian-Jewish mash-up knew its savory, rich appeal long before Bagel Bites hit the frozenfood aisle. The pizza bagel likely originated here, in 1974, at the Western Bagel in Woodland Hills. (Yes, Boston, Cleveland, and Miami also claim the pizza bagel, but we’d never side with them.) Today, L.A. offers compelling takes on the pizza bagel that elevate this humble treat (but, crucially, without the burn). A profusion of spots around the city are putting gourmet twists on other beloved basics, from deviled eggs to s’mores to grilled cheese.

P I Z Z A B AG E L S Pizza maven Brad Kent offers pizza bagels off-menu at his new bagel shop and pizzeria. These customizable treats include a choice of crusty, chewy bagels, classic red or vegan vodka sauce, and atypical toppings like house-made sausage and meatballs, roasted wild mushrooms, and pistachio chimichurri. 4751 York Blvd., Highland Park, bagelandslice.com.

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B AG E L + S L I C E : J E F F M I N TO N

B AG E L + S L I C E


AFTER-SCHOOL SPECIAL

Personal pepperoni pizza bagel at Bagel + Slice.

DEVILED EGGS

All Day Baby’s Lien Ta and chef-partner Jonathan Whitener treat blue-crab deviled eggs to cascading dynamite sauce and beguiling black-lime togarashi—a twist on a staple that surged after World War II. ●

3200 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, 323-741-0082, alldaybabyla.com.

S’MORES

At Cake Monkey Bakery, Lisa J. Olin and pastry chef Elizabeth Belkind serve what they call “retro snack treats” that recall 1980s sugar binges. Their campfire classic, inside-out s’mores, star graham-cracker-cookie sandwiches with chocolate ganache and toasted marshmallow peaks. ●

7807 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax District, 323-932-1142, cakemonkey.com.

GRILLED CHEESE

Grilled cheese has arguably been the perfect sandwich since its 1920s commercial boom, and Welders offers a superior crispy-chewy blend: try the Grown-Up for the cheese trio; the Fancy for Havarti; the Dirty for mac and cheese, bacon, and jalapeño; or the pizza-inspired Za.

A L L DAY B A BY: LU C I A T R A N ; CO U R T E SY C A K E M O N K E Y B A K E RY; CO U R T E SY W E L D E R S

a gel likely The piz za b n t the West er originat ed a dland Hills . o o W in l e g Ba

weldersgrilled.com.

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W H E R E TO E AT N OW

New & Notable Cento Pasta Bar W E S T A DA M S

● Avner Levi’s thrill-

ing pasta menu offers surprising appetizers like cauliflower with Castelvetrano olives, Marcona almonds, Cara Cara oranges, and golden raisins, but Levi’s talents extend to hearty entrées like braised short ribs over creamy polenta.

Stirring the Pot

GUSTO GREEN INFUSES HEART AND HEMP INTO L.A.’S FOOD SCENE B Y H E AT H E R P L AT T

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U S T O G R E E N opened down-

town in January to a fair bit of buzz. Its chef, Michael Magliano, had worked under some of the country’s top toques at a succession of A-list eateries from the French Laundry to Craft to Animal on Fairfax, and the plant-forward menu at the expansive new space reflected his eclectic egalitarian cuisine, catering to herbivores and carnivores alike and assiduously avoiding allergens for all. But there was one plant he seemed particularly fond of: a hemp leaf at the top of the menu, served in a crispy, chickpea-flour, gluten-free crust. Though hemp-positive principles took center stage under Magliano, the other food and drinks were the stars. Standouts included his hamachi crudo and stinging-nettle agnolotti. Alongside the substantial list of nonalcoholic cocktails, boozier drinks like the Trampoline, a tropical mix of mezcal, green chartreuse, lime, and pineapple, tasted like the Riviera Maya.

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But even cannabis-inspired eateries aren’t immune to a little bad buzz. A month into opening, Magliano left the venture over creative differences with founder Janet Zuccarini (of Venice hotspot Felix Trattoria fame). Zuccarini says Gusto Green will retain the seeds of the star chef ’s vision but will offer a “broader and more accessible selection of menu items and choices”—a selection less “chef-y,” and more suited to the eatery’s 200seat size. “I wanted to create this restaurant that is focused on health and is plant-forward,” says Zuccarini. “And giving you an option to eat in a way that is like the Mediterranean diet.” Zuccarini will keep the drink menu, plant focus, and the pasture-raised chicken and sustainably raised or wild salmon, as well as expanded offerings from salads to seafood crudo to pizzas made with locally milled, gluten-free grains. The allergen-free menu stays too. “We’re taking care of your health, and you’re not going to know it,” she says. Though Gusto Green is in search of a new chef, the hemp leaf and its ability to raise awareness will stay. Located in the Green Street Building, where 50 of the top cannabis brands coexist, the restaurant donates $1 of every leaf sold to the People’s Pottery Project, which employs formerly incarcerated people in the LGBTQ community. 718 S. Hill St., 323-218-0294, gusto.green.

4921 W. Adams Blvd., centopasta.com.

Angelini Ristorante PAC I F I C PA L I S A D E S

● Chef Gino Angelini

has taken his Italian osteria to the Westside in partnership with Amici Brentwood’s Tancredi Deluca. The Maine lobster salad with pomegranate seeds and citrus dressing and the classic service (branzino filleted tableside, anyone?) recall the Beverly Blvd. location, only now with patio seating and an ocean breeze. 1038 N. Swarthmore Ave., angelinipalisades.com.

Pearl River Deli C H I NAT OW N

● Chef Johnny Lee’s

Cantonese comfort food moves to Chinatown’s Central Plaza, where his famous Hainan chicken rice joins rotating specials like the orange-chicken fried sandwich, nutty sesame dandan noodles, and char siu spare ribs. 935 Mei Ling Way, @prd_la.

A L I Z A J. S O KO LOW

GREEN MIND

Gusto Green’s crispy hemp leaf appetizer won’t get you high, but it will expand your plant awareness.


THE NINTH ANNUAL EVENT HONORS THE CITY’S MOST APPETIZING OPENINGS. THE EVENING BRINGS TOGETHER THE TOP 10 BEST NEW RESTAURANTS TO TOAST THE CHEFS, TASTE SIGNATURE DISHES, SIP ON CREATIVE COCKTAILS, AND MORE.

Thursday, April 14

7 – 9 p.m.

330 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, CA 90071 @halodtla

For details and tickets visit: lamag.com/bestnewrestaurants


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WELLNESS

CLU B M E DS VIBE SHIFT For springtime healing, shamanic healer Michelle Terrah Luz ships a Ritual Box from her store, Terrah Rising. It’s filled with crystals, sage, and crushed selenite to sweep out bad energy and restore balance. $145, terrahrising.com

Social wellness club Remedy Place offers hyperbaric-oxygenchamber sessions, but the sought-after movement classes based on chiropractics and Chinese medicine will correct posture, soothe back pain, and speed injury recovery. Call for prices, 8305 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323-645-7444, remedyplace.com

FRESHEN UP WHETHER YOUR SPRING REJUVENATION DREAM IS A LOW-LIT TREATMENT ROOM AT A LUXE WELLNESS CENTER OR A BUZZY AFTERNOON SPENT CHILLING ON EDIBLES, WE’VE GOT SOME IDEAS TO MAKE SURE YOUR APRIL BLOOMS

S E L F SE RV IC E The best thing about the mani at the Modern Pamper Salon may not be the offchance you’ll soak near a Kardashian: the salon can also detail your car while your polish dries. Manis from $22, carwash from $39, 4850 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, modernpampersalon.com

B Y L I B B Y C A L L O WAY

MACHINE DREAM

$295, 111 N. La Cienega Blvd., Ste. C, Beverly Hills, 310-890-6866, ricaristudios.com

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BUZZ CANDY TA K E Y O U R V I TA M I N S A go-to spot for stars like Owen Wilson, Hydration Room offers vitamin boosters for energy and muscle recovery, but the premium NAD+ IV treatment is said to be a fountain of youth that improves mental clarity, memory, and eyesight. $750, 1007 Montana Ave., Santa Monica 424-272-9453, hydrationroom.com

Founder Nick Pritzker and chef Manuela Sanin whip up luxury cannabisinfused confections that would make James Beard giddy. Hand-delivered from Cloud11 in two- or four-milligram doses. From $90 , findcloud11.com

CO U R T E SY O F B R A N D S

Ricari Studios’ Signature massage—touted as the “Rolls-Royce of lymphatic massage” by some—reduces inflammation and body-sculpts the bloat away.


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PERFUME

M E S S AG E I N A BOTTLE

What’s That Smell? (That’d be L.A.) LOUIS VUITTON ENLISTS ARTIST ALEX ISRAEL TO DESIGN A FRAGRANT HOMAGE TO HOLLYWOOD B Y M E R L E G I N S B E R G

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H AT D O E S Los Angeles

smell like? Depending on the day, night, and part of town, lilacs and jasmine, freshly mowed lawns, exhaust fumes, lemon trees, saltwater, and occasional wafts of cannabis. Sometimes, when you’re lucky, it also smells like money. But to Louis Vuitton, L.A. smells like stars, which is the inspiration behind its latest perfume, a nightime fragrance it’s calling City of Stars. Our guess is LV had some very specific stars in mind,

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namely its stable of celebrity “faces” that includes Emma Stone, Alicia Vikander, and Léa Seydoux, all of whom will presumably be wearing the scent around town this season. LV master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud describes City of Stars as “a citrus quintet—blood orange, lemon, red mandarin, bergamot and lime,” adding somewhat ornately that it also hints at “the shimmering atmosphere of a night in Los Angeles—the setting sun gives way to the city’s lights

and spotlights that traverse the sky.” Back here on Earth, Belletrud was also obviously inspired by the work of L.A. contemporary artist Alex Israel, who worked on the perfume’s elegant packaging. Israel’s no stranger to LV; he first collaborated with the company on its 2019 set of unisex scents featuring Israel’s signature wave motif. In 2020, he produced the imagery for LV’s Golden State fragrance, California Dream. This time, though, he’s creating L.A.-specific packaging for the bottle, box, and special travel case. He’s done something similar before, on a much more intimate scale, producing a limited-edition L.A.-sunset-toned LV handbag in 2019 (one of 300 sold for $11,000 at Sotheby’s). Of course, LV has often turned to artists to produce its packaging; Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, and Jeff Koons have all taken turns. “Those projects shifted my perception of the brand,” Israel has said, “and of the potential for fashion’s relationship to art. Registering those shifts in real time was quite powerful.”

© LO U I S V U I T TO N / Q U E N T I N D E B R I E Y

Artist Alex Israel (above) has designed the packaging for Louis Vuitton’s first L.A.-specific scent (far left); Israel’s 2019 LV handbag was based on one of his iconic wave paintings.


We are so

EXCITED

to welcome you!

CAP UCLA, your home for contemporary performance, returns this spring to Royce Hall and The Theatre at Ace Hotel.

Join us

cap.ucla.edu

TICKETS ON SALE

ROOTS

TOSHI REAGON & BIGLOVELY

JENNIFER KOH & DAVÓNE TINES Everything Rises CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL

GLOBAL MUSIC

ANTHONY DE MARE Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano

DAKHABRAKHA

Thank you to our sponsors:

We are thrilled to welcome you back to in-person events! Your health and safety remain our highest priorities, and we are continually updating our policies, please check cap.ucla.edu/visit for the most up-to-date information.


Dispatches

BY SEAN SMITH

Leaving Los Angeles

AN INDIGO-BLUE SANTA MONICAN DECAMPS TO BRIGHT-RED KANSAS AND DISCOVERS THAT NOT EVERYONE IN TRUMP COUNTRY IS A MOUTH-BREATHING, SEXIST, BUILD-THE-WALL, LOCK-HER-UP, RACIST MORON. IN FACT, SOME OF THEM HAVE BECOME HIS BEST FRIENDS

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M Y H E A RT pumps midnight

blue. Born in Massachusetts and raised in the flannel-clad core of anti-nuke, pro-womyn, organic-only Oregon, I spent my early twenties in the Bay Area, completed my education in Manhattan, and then lived in Santa Monica for more than 15 years. Prius? Check. Obama 2008 bumper sticker? Check. Lululemon yoga mat? Yep. Farmers’ market pilgrimages, Morning Becomes Eclectic playlists, Urth Caffé brunches, weekend hikes in Pacific Palisades? More, please. I L LU S T R AT E D BY JA S O N R A I S H


GRILLING UP MAY 19

BURGERS BOURBON + BEER

Join Los Angeles magazine as we fire up the grill at our annual gourmet burger battle. Enjoy an evening of • Unlimited burger bites • Boutique bourbons • Crowning the Critics’ Choice and People’s Choice Best Burger 2022

For more information visit

lamag.com/bbb *Event details and date subject to change

Photo Credit: Jim Donnelly

Host Partner


PROMOTION

21

APR

LA Family Housing Awards 2022 Thursday, April 21, 2022 Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood

Guests and supporters will enjoy an evening of education, advocacy, and inspiration coming together to lend our voice to the fight for housing as a human right, commemorate what we’ve been through as a community, celebrate what we have achieved, and commit ourselves to ensuring a safe place to call home for all individuals and families in our city. For tickets and more information visit trellis.org/lafhawards2022

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APR

2nd Annual Give Love & Be Loved Benefit Friday, April 22, 6:30 p.m. Playa Studios, Culver City

PRESENT NOW invites you to join us for the 2nd Annual Give Love & Be Loved Benefit at Playa Studios in Culver City on Friday, April 22! The evening will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction, formal dinner and live show co-hosted by TV personality Lisa Breckenridge and host, designer and author Lawrence Zarian. All proceeds from this event will go directly towards PRESENT NOW’s mission of providing children in domestic violence shelters with experiences and gifts that bring them joy, comfort and relief during a time of crisis. Come celebrate PRESENT NOW’s 10 Year Anniversary and the thousands of lives we have impacted over the years.

I blissfully ticked every box in the Westside cliché handbook. And in all my years frolicking around L.A.’s most beatific blue bubble, I never once met an openly Republican Republican or had a conversation with someone who disagreed with me in any fundamental way on political issues. I had found my tribe. Then, in the fall of 2017, I moved to a tiny town astride the tallgrass prairie of cardinal-red Kansas. The why of that decision involved a host of factors. I had just turned 50, had been humping it up the career ladder for 25 years—to the exclusion of all else—and suddenly realized that another rung or two wasn’t going to make me any happier. I didn’t need to have more power or make more money; I needed to live better.

“Nobody will be cheering on Marjorie Taylor Greene in the produce section while you’re grabbing Granny Smiths.”

For tickets and more information visit bit.ly/2022GLBL

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APR

STARS of Santa Lucia Highlands Wednesday, April 27, 7 p.m. Virtual community tasting on Zoom with wine delivered to your address

STARS of Wine gather some of the best for a night of tasting with the winemakers from the regions shaping the industry. Join us in tasting SIX stellar Pinot Noirs from the Santa Lucia Highlands, featuring CRŪ Winery, ROAR Wines, Pisoni Family Vineyards, McIntyre Family Wines, Bernardus Winery, and Wrath. Your choice of a tasting flight kit or six bottles delivered to your door! 100% of auction proceeds benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. For tickets and more information visit winecloudinc.com

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JUN

17th Annual LAWineFest Saturday, June 4, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday, June 5, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Harry Bridges Memorial Park, Long Beach

Sip - Explore - Enjoy! The 17th annual LAWineFest returns to Long Beach. Gather all your friends for a sun-filled day of wine tasting by the LA Harbor. Sip hundreds of California and international wines + craft brews and ciders; enjoy sampling, live music and games; explore lifestyle exhibitors, gourmet foods, and more. For tickets and more information visit lawinefest.com/squadup-tickets

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I had visited this Kansas town a few times because a friend whom I had served with in the Peace Corps lived here. Another Peace Corps pal of ours lived just a few hours away. The town rests on the banks of a wide, tumbling river dotted with centuries-old bur oaks and white-barked sycamores. The downtown main street, with its old brick buildings, wrought-iron streetlights, and faded Coca-Cola mural feels so vintage Americana that it could be a film set. There is one stoplight. One grocery store. One laundromat. And I could buy a nineteenth-century home on about an acre of land for a mortgage lower than a monthly Equinox membership. But, yeah, Kansas. The last time a Democrat won this state in a presidential election was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. And when I moved here, a year after the 2016 election, it was no longer the land of Bob Dole’s gentlemanly, small-government, big-military Republicanism, but the lock-her-up, build-that-wall kind.


Like many West Coast Democrats, I assumed that anyone who voted for Donald Trump was a white, straight, sexist, pro-gun, anti-immigrant, mouth-breathing racist moron. We aren’t entirely wrong about that, I’m sorry to say, but we’re also not entirely right either. The reality of small-town people is more nuanced and surprising than that. After four years here, I’ve had my prejudices challenged more often than I’ve had them confirmed. For starters, I’ve never heard the former president’s name spoken in public. I’ve also never seen a red MAGA hat here, and, until the height of the 2020 election, I’d never seen a Trump yard sign. Even then, those were rare. Politics and religion are considered off-limits in polite conversation. The guy on the barstool next to you isn’t going to launch into a rant against Nancy Pelosi, and no one will be cheering on Marjorie Taylor Greene in the produce section while you’re grabbing Granny Smiths. There are two main reasons for this. First, small towns, no matter their political stripe, rely on comity to function. In L.A., you can blare your horn at some idiot in the Whole Foods parking lot because you’ll never see that person again. Here, you not only know each other, but you’re also going to run into each other again. No one has the luxury of anonymity, so arguments and confrontations, when they do happen, are often resolved in short order. Second, privacy and personal freedom are paramount values. When I moved here, I worried that I’d be inundated by one or more Gladys Kravitz–types, nosing around about everything from my marital status to which church I planned to join. Instead, people gave me my space and waited for me to introduce myself, and they were satisfied with whatever info I chose to share with them. These are people who mind their own business, thank you, and they expect you to do the same. Privacy and personal freedom shape people’s national political views here, I think, far more than any single policy or particular candidate. Over the years, as I’ve tiptoed into conversations about everything from gun control to immigration to the George Floyd murder to climate

JOIN US! 17th Annual LAWineFest

SAT JUNE 4 - 2-6 PM SUN JUNE 5 - 1-5 PM

SIP • EXPLORE • ENJOY rrr

Hundreds of wines, craft brews, lifestyle exhibitors, gourmet foods, live music and more more.. Harry Bridges Memorial Park by the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA

INFO & TIX: www.lawinefest.com

HONORING Fr a n c e s & S t e v e B e r m a n and family T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 1 , 2 0 2 2

PA C I F I C D E S I G N C E N T E R W E S T H O L LY W O O D 6:30PM All funds raised will help LAFH continue the work to end homelessness. Fo r t i c k e t s o r s p o n s o r s h i p , v i s i t : w w w . l a f h a w a r d s . o r g

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one celebrates Christmas and being aware of your own privilege. Being a good neighbor means standing up against injustice directed at someone who may not look like you or speak your language or worship like you. It means volunteering and donating and marching for what you believe in. Here, in this little town on the wide plains, kindness and good citizenship are expressed quietly, person to person. About three months after I moved here, I went to Oregon for a couple of weeks. I got back to town late one night, around 1 a.m., and as I pulled into the gas station, a police car pulled up behind me. The officer jumped out and came over to my window. “Hey, welcome back,” he said. “A package was delivered on your porch a few days ago, and I didn’t want anything to happen to it, so I picked it up and put it in my trunk. Pop the latch and I’ll put it in the back for you.” In hundreds of small ways, people watch out for each other, check in on each other. They don’t have big food drives once a year. They just privately drive food to people who need it. The grocery store hires local young people with mental disabilities as their frontline customer service reps. It’s not part of some organized program. They just do it. On any road in town, if you step into the street, drivers will stop to let you cross, and smile and wave as you do. If your car breaks down, chances are that the next car you see will stop to help.

Even when it comes to politics, people here would rather be kind than right. In early 2020, a woman in her sixties bought the property next to mine, where she lives with her mother and three dogs. As the nation roiled through the COVID pandemic and the election, we’d often chat between our backyards about neutral subjects: gardening, the new flock of finches that had moved into our shared tree, which local handymen could be trusted. We traded recipes and the occasional cookies or piece of pie. I knew, from passing comments she’d made, that we were definitely voting for different people, but we both avoided the topic. A few months ago, on a warm, blue fall day almost exactly a year since the election, we were puttering around our yards, and she suddenly said, “You’re a Democrat, right?” I laughed and asked if it was that obvious. “No,” she said. “But someone told me that last year right before the election.” She had been planning to put a Trump sign in her yard, but when she went to pick it up, whomever was distributing the signs joked that she was going to piss off her neighbor. She left the sign there. “Oh, you shouldn’t have worried about that,” I said. “I know I’m surrounded. I’m the one blue dot on the block.” She shook her head. “Nah,” she said, as she refilled the feeder for our finches. “You’re more important to me than he was.”

I L LU ST R AT E D BY JA S O N R A I S H

change, the one thing that has struck me is how few of these issues actually affect anyone here. Everyone either owns a gun or knows someone who does, and yet there hasn’t been a single murder or accidental gun death the entire time I’ve lived here. No one has died at the hands of police. (Two years ago, a local officer I know had to shoot a charging pit bull during a methhouse raid and still feels bad about it.) We’ve had no fires or floods. Immigrants won’t be streaming into this town anytime this century. No one is homeless. And in a town that is overwhelmingly white and predominantly working-class, the idea of white privilege seems absurd. The issues that the left agonizes over are abstractions here, at best, and have zero impact on the daily lives of the townspeople. What does motivate them, what annoys and insults them and inspired them to vote for a horrible, horrible, horrible president, is the perception that Dems are constantly imposing solutions to urban problems on their rural lives. The way they see it, if California has a problem with gun violence or a racist criminal-justice system, Californians should fix those things. Here, they’ll mind their own business, thank you, and they expect you to do the same. Right-wing media, of course, has weaponized the idea that snotty coastal liberals think flyover conservatives are stupid, but in that regard Fox commentators aren’t wrong, are they? The ugly things I have thought and said out loud about Trump voters over the last four years—hell, things I’ve said about them a few paragraphs ago—would be abhorrent if I said them about a racial or religious group. I’d always told myself that I was inclusive and accepting of others. I was a champion of diversity, after all, happy to wave the flags of every oppressed minority. But the one flag I had never waved was the actual American one. I can only speak to my own experiences in my own town, but from what I’ve seen, there is a heart in the heartland. You won’t see it on cable news or at a Trump rally, but it is here, and, where it matters most, our values are the same. In Los Angeles, being a good citizen means being cognizant and considerate of differences. It means not assuming every-


Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

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THE PLACE TO BE Las Vegas is the perfect destination to experience world-class dining, luxury shopping, high-stakes gaming, and breathtaking performances that will satisfy all your desires. L A M AG . C O M 47


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Upbeat music, poolside cocktails and uninhibited views of Las Vegas Boulevard make Boulevard Pool a standout destination. Located right above The Strip, Boulevard Pool has the best views of the city. The Chelsea Pool is inspired by the surrounding desert landscape. Nestled between the two Cosmopolitan towers, it offers a more relaxed, canyon-like feel. Book a daybed for the next level in luxe. Extending out over the edge of the pool, you can take a break from the heat, anytime, with a single step. Or if you prefer a more private experience, cabanas include a dedicated server, a stocked fridge and other creature comforts.

Swim, eat and vibe at Marquee Dayclub. Anchored in music, the Dayclub features live DJ performances and bottle service from morning to night. Sip on signature cocktails and an exclusive menu of poolside bites. And throughout the summer, Boulevard Pool transforms with something for everyone. On Mondays, you can even see classic and blockbuster films on the oversized marquee screen. Every Thursday, Sunset Cocktail Hour is back. See the lights of Las Vegas come to life with live music, curated margaritas and delicious small bites. On Fridays, rise with the sun and relax into the weekend with a poolside, yin-style yoga class or up your energy with a bodyweight HIIT class, both while witnessing the city come alive.

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TALK YOUR WAY into SOMETHING

JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT of WRONG


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THE FORUM SHOPS DINING COLLECTION by Bekah Wright

Gourmands will tell you, Las Vegas tops the list of destinations for world-class cuisine and mindblowing �lavors. Where to indulge in some the city’s best dining venues – The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace®. Here are a few not to miss. JOE’S SEAFOOD PRIME STEAK & STONE CRAB

A taste of classic Miami by way of The Strip can be had at Joe’s Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab. A true icon, the original Joe’s was launched by Joseph and Jennie Weiss on the front porch of their Miami home back in 1913. Fans have been flocking back for the Florida Stone Crab and Key Lime Pie ever since, leading to locations opening in Chicago, Washington, DC and, yes, Las Vegas. What to order? Start with the Oysters Rockefeller. Follow with the legendary Stone Crabs harvested fresh from the Gulf of Mexico, served chilled with mustard sauce. Pair with a Bone-In, 30-ounce Porterhouse. Leave room for another bite of history – the key lime pie. Not into lime? There are nine pie options to choose from, including the Butterscotch Chiffon, Chocolate Fudge and Havana Dream. 50 L A M AG . C O M

CARMINE'S NYC'S FAMILY STYLE ITALIAN RESTAURANT The first Carmine’s made its debut in Manhattan’s Upper Westside back in 1990. It’s mission: serving up “wow factor.” The Southern Italian cuisine has wowed foodies so much, there are now six locations, including one in The Forum Shops. What to order? Bear in mind, the portions are family-sized. With that in mind, kick off with the Sardinian Lemon Drop cocktail, ideal for sipping alongside the Spicy Scarpariello Wings appetizer marinated in garlic and rosemary, then pan-fried in a Spicy Lemon Butter Herb Sauce with a Gorgonzola Sauce for dipping. Follow with the six-layer lasagna, packed with beef, veal, three cheeses and marinara sauce. From the dessert choices, the Italian cheesecake has been described as “Out of this world delicious!” Wow-factor, indeed.

SUSHI ROKU

The message put forth by Sushi Roku’s menu: go bold. The restaurant does just that with innovative flavors from Japan, Latin America and Europe. Think Ginger Lychee Mojito alongside Lamb Chop Katana’s Robata Skewers and the Gensai signature roll with seared togarashi salmon, kizami wasabi, cucumber and avocado tuna jalapeno. Want to linger over views of The Strip? Order up the Izakaya Feast and let the chefs delight with their favorite dishes. KEEP THE EXPERIENCE ROLLING…

There are plenty more palate-pleasing restaurants to savor at The Forum Shops. To keep on the radar: Water Grill, The Palm Las Vegas, The Cheesecake Factory, Planet Hollywood Restaurant, Trevi Italian Restaurant and Smoked Burgers & BBQ. And soon to join the dining collection is RPM Italian featuring house-made pastas. Bon appetit, Las Vegas! The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace 3500 Las Vegas Boulevard South (702) 893-4800 | ForumShops.com



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Delight the senses with an array of James Beard-awarded dining venues, featuring star-studded celebrity chef restaurants including Wolfgang Puck's CUT, Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse, Buddy Valastro's Buddy V's and Carlo's Bakery, and Lorena Garcia's CHICA, as well as SUSHISAMBA, Smith & Wollensky and The X Pot. Take in the romantic sights of St. Mark’s Square while indulging in Sloan’s Homemade Ice Cream, or stroll along the charming Grand Canal to explore signature boutiques including Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tory Burch, Michel Kors, and Royce’ Chocolates. The Shoppes offers unbeatable experiences for unforgettable memories. Immerse yourself in the virtual world of Sandbox VR, or go on an adventure with Spiegelworld’s riotous romp through the Wild, Wild West as it never was at Atomic Saloon Show. With so much to do in one location, it’s the perfect spot for celebrations, family fun, and weekend getaways — no passport needed.

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VIRGIN HOTELS LAS VEGAS Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture. The resort boasts an award-winning restaurant collection, including the famed Night + Market from Chef Kris Yenbamroong, Nick Mathers’ coastal Italian inspired Kassi Beach House, the legendary Nobu, Chef Todd English’s Olives and more. The resort’s signature speakeasy, The Shag Room is intimate and sexy, with nightly entertainment and curated cocktails. Guests will enjoy the well-appointed chambers and suites across three luxe towers, with patented in-room technology, ergonomic beds, and sweeping views of the Las Vegas Strip. Virgin Hotels

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Las Vegas is home to three unique indoor and outdoor entertainment venues for events of all sizes. Soak up the sun at the sand-bottom pool for all resort guests. Guests 21 and over will enjoy the sights and sounds of the Mediterranean at the luxe Élia Beach Club. Or relax and reset at The Spa, enjoying the one-of-a-kind Roman-style bath and a wide range of services, from massages to facials and beyond. Try your luck inside the Mohegan Sun Casino, a state-of-theart casino inside Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The only question is, where will you go first?

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ARE THE OSCARS OV E R?

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Sinking ratings, shrinking movie stars, boring broadcasts, not to mention battles over its controversial new museum. And now a quota system that threatens to tear the Oscars apart. How the Academy Awards are struggling to get on with the show BY SCOTT JOHNSON ILLUSTRATED BY JUSTIN METZ

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It may sound like a Roland Emmerich sci-fi movie, but it’s actually more frightening. And much more controversial. It’s the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’s latest initiative to make Hollywood more equitable and diverse—more woke—by changing the rules by which films are eligible for Best Picture nominations. Here’s how it works: Starting in 2024, producers will be required to submit a summation of the race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability status of members of their movie’s cast and crew. If a particular movie does not have enough people of color or disabled people or gays or lesbians working on the set—and what is “enough” will be determined by a knotty tangle of byzantine formularies—then that movie will no longer be eligible for an Oscar. Not surprisingly, the plan is not being universally applauded in Hollywood. Critics F R O N T -R OW say it’s invasive, anticreative, opens the door S E AT S Meryl Streep and other to privacy issues, and is spectacularly unfair luminaries at the 90th to actors and crew members, who may want to Academy Awards keep their sexual orientation or health profiles ceremony, where she was up for the to themselves, not to mention to producers 2018 Best Actress At its height in the 1990s, the ceremony was and directors who have enough to worry about award for her portrayal of editor Katharine pulling in as many as 55 million viewers in while shooting a movie than to be saddled with Graham in The Post. the United States. Even into the 2000s, it was the thankless task of tallying up the identity drawing at least 40 million. But by the 2010s, markers of their creative partners. the numbers started falling into the 30 mil“I mean, why aren’t animals in this?” sneers lions and, by that decade’s end, had dropped further, into the one industry insider. “What if the main character is a horse?” 20 millions. The audience for the last pre-pandemic Oscars, Unfortunately, Aperture 2025 isn’t the only Academy iniin February 2020, was 23.6 million, less than half of its onetiative to recently raise eyebrows in Hollywood. In February, time peak. Oscar organizers triggered a civil war in Hollywood over a There’s no shortage of theories to explain why viewers are plan to pretape many of the below-the-line categories—film turning off to the Oscars: The shrinking of movie actors as editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production cultural icons (as TikTok and Instagram stars become the design, the short-film selections—and roll edits of those ascendant media gods); the reluctance of the Academy to awards into the live broadcast. Predictably, many Academy update the ceremony, which has remained substantially members (especially film editors, makeup and hairstylists, unchanged since it was first broadcast in 1953; the growing and production designers) balked at the change, but at least chasm between the esoteric tastes of the Academy’s voting that one was designed to address an actual existential threat members (who this year nominated Drive My Car, a Japato the ceremony: that it’s become so long and boring that huge nese drama about a grieving theater director putting on a swaths of the audience have begun tuning out. production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima) and the preferencLast year, the Oscars drew an all-time low of 9.85 million es of the wider theatergoing public (who likes Spider-Man). viewers—less than what an episode of The Big Bang Theory Whatever the reason, the conclusion is inescapable: The used to get. Granted, the pandemic and the resulting dearth Oscars are tanking. And no matter how well-intentioned of theatrical releases contributed to the decline, but the truth Aperture 2025 may be, the initiative isn’t going to fix that is, Oscar ratings began plummeting long before COVID-19. 5 8 L A M AG . C O M

TO D D WAW RYC H U K /A M PA S V I A Z U M A W I R E /Z U M A P R E S S .CO M

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT APERTURE 2025?


problem. On the contrary, at this rate, by 2025, filmmakers with even the most equitable and diverse sets may not give a damn whether their films are eligible for an Oscar or not because hardly anyone will be watching.

THE ACADEMY —and Hollywood—has faced existential cri-

ses before. Back in the 1950s, when the cathode-ray tube first crackled to life, the industry convinced itself that television would eventually murder the movies. The studios concocted all sorts of wacky gimmicks—CinemaScope and Cinerama, 3-D, even Smell-O-Vision—to keep audiences in theaters and stave off cinema’s seemingly inevitable extinction. As it turned out, TV proved to be a boon to the movies—and especially to the Oscars. Within a few short years of their first televised broadcast, the Academy Awards went from an insular industry dinner party to a giant global advertisement for Hollywood and a unifying cultural event that stitched together the entire planet. True, its numbers never quite reached Super Bowl levels—that show draws 100 million viewers—but the Oscars had much more cultural clout and international appeal. And it became a huge boon to L.A.,

pumping an estimated $130 million a year into the local economy, with spends on everything from catering to carpentry to carpet installation (the red one outside the Dolby costs a whopping $24,700). Decades before the advent of the internet meme, the Oscars were churning out viral moments. When an 82-yearold Charlie Chaplin was given a 12-minute ovation at the 1972 awards, the whole world cheered. When Marlon Brando dispatched a Native American to reject his trophy for The Godfather in 1973, the world scratched its head. When a streaker upstaged the ceremony in 1974, there wasn’t a soul whose heart didn’t go out to a clearly mortified David Niven. Sometimes, when the (movie) stars aligned just right, the Oscars succeeded in advancing social change, pushing the culture in a brighter, more enlightened direction. Sidney Poitier winning Best Actor in 1964—at a time when interracial marriage was still illegal in many states—arguably did as much to mainstream the civil rights movement as any march or lunch-counter protest. Other times, the Oscars stirred up a hornet’s nest, like when, in 1978, Vanessa Redgrave took a swipe at “Zionist hoodlums” while accepting a Best Supporting Actress award for Julia (prompting an annoyed Paddy Chayefsky to quip, “A simple ‘Thank you’ would’ve sufficed”). L A M AG . C O M 5 9


Either way, for one stupendously glamorous, often endless-seeming evening, the awards made Hollywood the undisputed center of attention. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Academy was hatching a vast Oscar-industrial complex, which reached its zenith in the 1990s, with producers like Harvey Weinstein transforming what had been a relatively sleepy awards-season windup into a Hunger Games–like blood sport. Oscar PR campaigns—waged with VHS screeners, lavish studio parties, and gift bags stuffed with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury swag—consumed Hollywood in the months leading up to the ceremony, with the lesser guild shows, like the SAG and DGA awards, as well as the always-sketchy Golden Globes, becoming momentum-building battlegrounds in a new type of marketing trench warfare. There was, at the time, good reason for militarizing the awards race: the so-called Oscar bump. Along with being a splendid decorative fixture to a producer’s fireplace mantel, a Best Picture statuette—or even just a nomination for one— used to spur tens of millions in additional ticket sales. Back in 1993, The Crying Game grossed less than $20 million before getting nominated; it ultimately ended up making more than $60 million (even though it lost to Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven). In 1999, American Beauty added more than $55 million to its total box office after its win, ultimately raking in $130 million. In more recent decades, though, as the Oscar audience has dwindled, that awards bump has flattened. Best Picture winners still manage to scrape together a bit of extra box-office cash—2016’s Moonlight picked up $2.5 million in its postOscar afterglow, while 2017’s The Shape of Water added $2.3 million, 2018’s Green Book, $4.7 million, and 2019’s Parasite, $5.5 million—although it’s nothing like the bounce winners

used to experience. These days, there’s sometimes a streaming bump for some films, but how big it might be is anybody’s guess. Still, it’s hard to imagine that last year’s winner, Nomadland, which grossed just $3.7 million in theaters, set off a huge stampede of new Hulu subscriptions. “There can still be an Oscar bump today, in ancillary money that movies earn from streaming and downloads,” says one well-connected Academy member. “But only for movies that people actually want to see. And the Academy doesn’t seem to be nominating a whole lot of those these days.” And that, when you get down to it, is the real existential crisis facing the Oscars: It’s losing its raison d’être. If winning a trophy no longer means all that much at the box office, then what purpose does the ceremony serve, other than to stroke some of the biggest, most-massaged egos on earth? Even as a TV show, the Academy Awards has been coming up short. ABC reportedly shells out $100 million a year for 6 0 L A M AG . C O M

the rights to broadcast the Oscars. But as the show’s audience falls away, so does the money it generates. The 2020 Oscars reportedly drew $129 million in ad revenue. Some of those dollars get funneled back to the Academy as part of ad-revenue-sharing deals. A sizable chunk goes to ABC’s production costs, which are reportedly between $20 million and $40 million for the night. Do the math, and it sure looks like ABC could be losing money by airing the Oscars—which may well be why the network has reportedly been squeezing the Academy to make the ceremony more audience-friendly, allegedly even threatening to cancel this year’s show unless those below-the-line awards were cut from the live broadcast. None of the above has been lost on the Academy—or at least some of its members. As early as 2009, there were moves to boost viewership, bumping the number of Best Picture nominees from five to up to ten in the hopes that Academy voters might be coaxed to include more mainstream films in the mix.

VA N E S SA R E D G R AV E : B E T T M A N N A R C H I V E ; A L S H A R P TO N : R I N G O C H I U /Z U M A P R E S S .CO M

“THE ACADEMY WAS OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE PUBLIC WHEN IT WAS MOSTLY WHITE, AND IT REMAINED SO WHEN IT BECAME SOMEWHAT LESS WHITE.”


SAC H E E N : H U LTO N A R C H I V E /G E T T Y I M AG E S ; ST R E A K E R : A P P H OTO, F I L E

“They just don’t want to hear from the public. They don’t want to get ideas from the members. They have circled the wagons in this bubble,” says Michael Shamberg, the Oscarnominated producer of Erin Brockovich. He argues that the Academy has been merely shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic and ignoring calls for a much more drastic course correction. “There’s an iceberg up there, and they’re sailing toward the iceberg and the captain isn’t asking anybody for help. It’s a perfect storm of inertia.” That iceberg appears to be getting closer U P STAG E D Clockwise, from top and closer as the ceremony continues to grow left: Vanessa Redgrave, duller and duller every cycle, becoming someafter winning the thing like an infomercial for a product nobody 1978 Best Supporting Actress award for her wants to buy. Last year’s was so excruciating, role in Julia, thanked the comedian Bill Maher cracked that the Acadacademy for refusing “to emy seemed to be saying, “We dare you to be be intimidated by the threats of a small bunch entertained.” of Zionist hoodlums”; The pandemic obviously didn’t help, but Al Sharpton at a 2016 rally protesting the COVID can only be blamed for so much. “The slate of all-white acting pandemic was an excuse—it provided cover,” nominees; in 1973, says Bill Mechanic, a producer and former Sacheen Littlefeather refused an award on member of the Academy’s Board of Governors. behalf of Marlon Brando; In recent years he has become increasingly In 1974, a streaker vocal in his criticism of the Academy, writing surprised David Niven on stage. an open letter in 2018 accusing it of “having failed to move the Oscars into the modern age.” Even those who loyally don ties and gowns to attend the ceremony in person (once the most coveted ticket in Hollywood—the ultimate status symbol in a town built on status symbols) are finding the proceedings increasingly unbearable. “Going to the Academy Awards is like going to the DMV,” complains an industry insider who has attended the Oscars for years. “Everyone’s just hanging in the bar; they just want to drink. There are more seat-savers these days than actual attendees.” Shamberg believes the Oscars desperately need to overhaul the format of the show. He has suggested relaxing the dress code to be more like the Grammys or live-streaming the stars from their limos on the way to the Dolby Theatre or changing the venue altogether. Barring major changes, he offers a similarly bleak assessment. “You have the greatest showmen in the world,” he says, “doing the lamest show.” “I would not be telling you the truth if I said the words ‘Dark Knight’ did not come up,” then-Academy president Sid Ganis admitted to the New York Times while explaining the change. But, alas, expanding the category didn’t work—Academy voters started filling it with ten movies most people had never seen. There was lots of hope in 2014 that expanding the Academy membership—nearly doubling it, in fact, to 9,400 members, with an emphasis on diversity—would pump new blood into the proceedings. That move, of course, came around the same time as the #OscarsSoWhite scandal, when the Academy was skewered for its lack of equity after two years in which not a single Black performer was nominated for Best Actor. But the increase in membership failed to reignite the Oscars, because it turned out lack of diversity wasn’t the Academy’s only problem. The organization was out of touch with the moviegoing public when it was mostly white, and it remained out of touch when it became somewhat less white.

T O B E FA I R , not all the Academy’s problems are self-inflicted. The streaming revolution, the splintering of the audience, the globalization of entertainment—these are challenges not just for the Academy but for Hollywood as a whole. Everywhere you look, the scaffolding that has held the town in place for the last 70 years is crumbling, and awards shows in general seem to be on the shakiest ground. NBC canceled its broadcast of the Golden Globes after the Los Angeles Times revealed last year that not a single member of the group behind it, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, was Black. The scandal sparked a boycott from 100 top PR firms and prompted Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu to distance themselves. Tom Cruise returned three of his awards. Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson issued public rebukes. The most damning lesson from the Globes cancellation? That nobody seemed to care, or even notice, that they were gone. L A M AG . C O M 6 1


6 2 L A M AG . C O M

PA N TAG E S : T H E R E G E N TS O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I FO R N I A , LO S A N G E L E S . L I B R A RY. D E PA R T M E N T O F S P E C I A L CO L L E C T I O N S . LO S A N G E L E S P H OTO G R A P H I C CO L L E C T I O N

Some true believers insist the Oscars will have a different fate—that they’ll ultimately endure the turmoil currently roiling the industry and someday rise again. “They’re the most endangered awards show except for all the rest,” claims Scott Feinberg, who covers the Oscars for the Hollywood Reporter. Still, it’s hard to argue that the Academy is doing much to guarantee its survival. On the contrary, it continues to dare people to be entertained. Take its new $480 million museum in the old May Company Building at Wilshire and Fairfax, which has become something of a flashpoint since it opened in September. The 33,000-square-foot Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was inaugurated with a splashy, star-studded opening that included appearances by Brad Pitt and Queen Latifah and a performance by Lady Gaga. But in what many viewed as a ham-fisted attempt to adhere to new cultural norms, the Academy ended up building something a bit like a shrine to white liberal guilt, devoting big chunks of exhibit space to things like Spike Lee’s movie-poster collection while ignoring the contributions of the Jewish émigrés who invented Hollywood in the 1920s and ’30s. According to a recent article in Rolling Stone, this wasn’t accidental: board members were actively advocating for the contributions of white artists to be excluded or downplayed so that “nonwhite cinema” could be highlighted. “It’s an exercise in making us apologize O U R T OW N for history,” says one industry insider who is Clockwise, from top left: Crowds under clearly no fan of the museum or the Academy. the marquee of the “Instead of something that celebrates movies, Pantages Theatre at the museum goes out of its way to make you program for women filmmakers launched sevthe 26th Academy Awards ceremony in feel bad.” eral years ago. Samuel Goldwyn at MGM, Lew 1954; Sidney Poitier and On the one hand, it’s hard to criticize the Wasserman at Universal—those old moguls’ Diahann Carroll Academy for good faith efforts to address the power to shape what audiences saw on screens arrive in 1965; producers Bill Mechanic and racism and misogyny that are still rampant in was downright monarchical. “But there isn’t Michael Shamberg. the industry. On the other hand, it’s even hardanybody like that now,” Lichter goes on. “So er to imagine film-loving tourists from Middle someone steps into the breach, and if that’s the America waiting in line at the Academy MuseAcademy, so be it.” um for a chance to relish its exhibit on racist movie-makeup Except the Academy is not Lew Wasserman. And the palettes from the 1930s. More to the point, it’s impossible logistical complexities involved in the Aperture initiative to see how any of this helps the Academy deal with the true may well embroil the Academy in some troubling controverthreat—Oscar’s incredibly shrinking audience. Indeed, it sies ahead. Just how much Native American ancestry does a almost seems as if the Academy is willfully ignoring the most Native American actor need to count towards a movie’s quoimminent crisis. tas? Are Jews a marginalized ethnic group? What qualifies The Aperture initiative is, in some ways, more of the same, as a disability? And exactly who on a movie set is going to be only potentially worse. At a particularly polarized moment asking the cast and crew about their ethnic backgrounds and in American political life, it’s one thing for a film museum medical histories, not to mention their sexual orientations? to wade into the culture wars. But for the Academy to use “Instead of making it easier, they want to make it harder,” its Oscar leverage to meddle in the nuts and bolts of current complains one filmmaker. “And it’s hard enough as it is to get movie production—stipulating what percentage of a picture’s movies made. People are just not going to do it.” cast must be Asian or Latino or disabled, even requiring that Also, precisely where and how is the Academy planning on storylines center on underrepresented groups—is quite storing all this information? The data it’s asking for is, at least another. Even if it is intended to “better reflect the diversity of in some cases, sensitive and private and perhaps protected by the moviegoing audience,” the initiative strikes many insidlaw. Who will have access to it? And to what other potential ers as misguided. “Diversity and inclusion is not just a set of uses might this information be put? The Academy won’t progoals in the Academy now,” notes a source close to the Oscars. vide details other than to say an “inclusion staff ” will review “It’s an organic component of what we set out to achieve.” the data and be responsible for safeguarding it. Supporters insist that this sort of top-down interference “Data is a toxic asset,” notes Rory Mir, a grassroots-advois nothing new for the movie business. “Look at the history cacy organizer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an of Hollywood—there has always been some group of people organization devoted to exploring privacy issues. “Any prodictating how films get made,” argues Linda Lichter, an gram that involves collecting data puts the collector at risk attorney who is an ambassador for Reframe, a gender-equity because it can be breached.”


P O I T I E R A N D C A R R O L L : B U D G R AY/ M P T V; S H A M B E R G : KY L E E S P E L E TA / F I L M M AG I C /G E T T Y I M AG E S ; M E C H A N I C : K E VO R K DJA N S E Z I A N /G E T T Y I M AG E S

And Hollywood has been breached before. In 2014, North Korean hackers targeted email servers at Sony Pictures Entertainment. The “Sony hack” revealed confidential salary information about stars and studio executives as well as embarrassing email correspondence about Angelina Jolie. Putting aside the question of why an organization dedicated primarily to the doling out of 13½-inch golden statuettes should be in possession of such a vast trove of intimate data, there is a broader concern. What’s this new layer of interference going to do to the creative process? “It’s meddlesome and intrusive,” says one veteran producer. “I’ll be thinking long and hard before I fill out any paperwork. This is not the Academy’s business.”

to publicly reveal his sexual orientation. But critics contend the new Aperture requirements could force other discretionseeking performers into reluctantly opening up their private lives. Some may fight back. Lawsuits have been mounted on far flimsier grounds. In 2012, the actress Huong Hoang sued IMDb for publishing her age, claiming that the revelation hurt her career ambitions. Hoang ultimately lost the suit, but not before nabbing the support of fellow actors as well as the Screen Actors Guild. Fast forward to 2025, when the first Best Picture nominations adhering to these requirements will be announced. One can easily imagine a grotesque new parlor game in which the audience speculates on how a film passed the

“IT’S FILMMAKING BY AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. IT’S TOTALLY DAFT, AND IT CAN’T BE DONE.” “It’s filmmaking by affirmative action,” adds an Academy member who, like several people interviewed for this story, asked for anonymity out of fear of retaliation and loss of work opportunities. “It’s totally daft, and it can’t be done.” Actually, in less ambitious ways, it’s already being done. Director-producer Ava DuVernay, who helped spearhead the Aperture initiative, maintains her own archive of cast and crew ethnic- and gender-identity information. But at least in her case, she’s not holding anybody’s Oscar dreams hostage to compliance with her data bank. The same can’t be said of the Academy’s plan. It took a major #MeToo accusation to push Kevin Spacey

baroque diversity metrics required to land a nomination— a new and not-so-improved version of Guess Which Star is Gay. Or perhaps Oscar viewers will wonder which great films might have been overlooked simply because, through laziness or accident or resentment, their producers failed to adhere to these standards. Of course, all that presumes there’s still an audience left to play those games. And there are a growing number of folks in Hollywood who are becoming increasingly convinced that won’t be the case. “Is there any going back?” wonders one well-known producer with a sigh. “I don’t think so. I think the Oscars are dead.” L A M AG . C O M 6 3


All About Eve 6 4 L A M AG . C O M


S E X A N D R AG E Babitz and Marcel Duchamp at the Pasadena Art Museum in 1963. The now-famous photo was her revenge on the museum’s married director, with whom she was having an affair.

Eve Babitz’s revival was in full swing when she died just days before the passing of fellow West Coast literary legend Joan Didion. In this Los Angeles exclusive, Babitz’s family and friends recall the swaggering prose and lust for life that defined L.A.’s Colette. BY ST E V E A P P L E F O R D A N D M I C H A E L WA L K E R P H O T O G R A P H BY J U L I A N WA S S E R

L A M AG . C O M 6 5


Mirandi Babitz

S I STE R A N D P SYC H OTH E R A P I ST

Eve set me on fire in my crib when I was a baby.

Joie Davidow

L . A. W E E K LY C O F OU N D E R

When Mirandi was born, Eve was so jealous that she set Mirandi’s crib on fire. Mirandi still has scars on her fingers.

way to destruction. She came from Southeast Texas. She was Cajun French. She had escaped from the Bayou region and had made her way to Hollywood. She got rid of her Southern accent and just became a local. She really loved L.A. And she married my father, Sol, who was a Russian Jew. He was born in New York City and was a violinist. By the time he was 15, he had gotten the Carnegie Hall medal for violin playing. But then his parents moved to California. Eventually, he was in the 20th Century Fox orchestra. So that kept money coming in when he was raising our family. He was very close with Igor Stravinsky. He jammed with Jelly Roll Morton on Central Avenue, so even as a classical violinist, he could play all kinds of violin. The Stravinskys were our godparents, so they were over pretty regularly. The poets Kenneth Rexroth and Kenneth Patchen would be there. It was kind of a salon for really interesting artists and musicians.

Dickie Davis

M A NAGE R O F B U F FA LO S P R I N GF I E L D

The art world flowed through the Babitz’s living room.

Mirandi Babitz

Julian Wasser

Joie Davidow

Eve’s sister, Miriam, Mirandi—whatever she calls herself now—was a very, very nice girl. She was the stable part of Eve. She was a common-sense girl who saved her older sister a million times.

Mirandi Babitz

Mirandi Babitz

I was eight months old, and she was three. I had to have plastic surgery on my hand. She forgave her.

My mother’s name was Mae, and she was an artist. She was obsessed with the beautiful old buildings of Los Angeles that were being torn down. So she was always going around town to draw these great old Victorian houses that were on their 6 6 L A M AG . C O M

P H OTO GR A P H E R

I was a more normal, go-to-school kind of kid. Eve hated school. She started to read very early—F. Scott Fitzgerald, Oscar Wilde. She just went very, very deep pretty fast. She was always reading much more advanced books that were

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Eve Babitz’s love for Los Angeles was pathological. She’d seen other great cities of the world but rarely strayed long from the sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll version of cafe society she invented during her nightly sojourns to the Troubadour and Dan Tana’s in the 1970s. Along the way, she’d been an “It” girl, a visual artist, and a rock photographer but found her most lasting groove as an essential L.A.-centric author and memoirist, exploring the myths and realities of her complicated hometown. In the years before her death at 78 last December, she enjoyed a popular rediscovery—her books back in print and a new generation entranced by her stories of pleasure without apology, many based on her own frenetic life. As her longtime paramour, Paul Ruscha, notes,“God knows we’ll be talking about her until our own deaths.”


wallet, and she was supposed to be in charge of me. She was praying there was going to be a scene in Paris in 1961, but there was no scene. The most fun we could find was at the American Express office, meeting other Americans traveling in Europe. I never went to school the whole time we were there.

Dickie Davis

When I met Eve, she wasn’t a writer yet. She came from the L.A. art scene, deep in it. When we first met, she started dropping all these names of famous modern artists. I didn’t have the slightest idea who any of them were. She was at that point, working in collages, and E V E ’ S H O L LY WO O D that’s when Stephen [Stills] decided that she Clockwise, from top left: should be doing the album cover for the Buffalo Mirandi and Eve Babitz in Springfield’s second album. 2014; Eve with godfather

and family friend composer Igor Stravinsky; the Babitz sisters, with father Sol and mother Mae.

CO U R T E SY M I R A N D I B A B I TZ ; FA M I LY: BY PAU L R U S C H A , CO U R T E SY M I R A N D I B A B I TZ

not necessarily for kids. She also did things no other kid did, like take belly-dancing lessons when she was reading the ‘Arabian Nights.’ She listened to the radio a lot. “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” by Chuck Berry—she had to drag me into her room to listen to that. So I was getting a wonderful education. Eve and I would walk down to Hollywood Boulevard together, go to the movies together, go to the Rexall and get Cokes and french fries. The Hollywood area was kind of a small town. We saw Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell together, putting their prints in the [forecourt of ] Grauman’s Chinese.

Mirandi Babitz

Eve wanted to be where the action was. She was always right at the very cutting edge of whatever was happening and looking for the most interesting people. She got really deep into the art scene. I went with her to many, many art openings, like at Ferus Gallery. She was very serious about it for a number of years. And during this time, she was also moving between her collage work and photography. She was involved with [Atlantic Records cofounder] Ahmet Ertegun. He told her, “Photograph the scene. I know this is the scene, and I know you’re in it. And if somebody is not in it, they’re not going to get any pictures.” That’s why her pictures of, you know, JD Souther and Jackson [Browne] and everybody were happening.

JD Souther

S I N GE R-S O N GW R ITE R

Eve was the first person in L.A. to take my picture. We went to a liquor store and bought a pint of whatever Sinatra was drinking—Wild Turkey or Jim Beam—and went to her little apartment, which was quite near where

“Eve started to read early—Fitzgerald, Wilde. She went very deep pretty fast. She took belly-dancing lessons when she read the ‘Arabian Nights.’” We left L.A. kind of suddenly when she was 18 and I was 15, when our father lost his contract at 20th. Stravinsky wrote a letter of introduction, and dad got a Fulbright to study Bach in Germany. All of a sudden, we’re going to Europe. And I don’t want to leave because I’m just starting Hollywood High, and Evie had just finished and had her first real boyfriend, Brian Hutton—he directed Where Eagles Dare—who was married. That’s where Evie and I really bonded because we wound up living in Paris together while our parents went to Germany to figure out where dad was going to study Bach. Evie could never manage money. So at 15, I was given the

[Charles] Bukowski lived. So she took my picture, then made a big poster of it and gave it to me. I had just moved to Hollywood, and she was the most Hollywood person I’d ever met who wasn’t a movie star. She had some very serious things to say, which she embraced wholeheartedly but were said as if they were in a movie—in the kind of embrace where you have to stick pins in them too.

Mirandi Babitz

Ed [Ruscha] was one of the first guys that she dated in the art world. He was like the most gorgeous thing anybody’d ever seen. He gave her a beautiful drawing that said “Eve.” L A M AG . C O M 6 7


Hunter Drohojowska-Philp A RT C R ITI C

Hunter Drohojowska-Philp

Eve said she did it because she knew she’d be photographed and memorialized and that Walter would always remember her that way. It’s the classic revenge of the mistress. It’s not a feminist statement—she wasn’t declaring her equality with Marcel Duchamp by sitting across from him nude while [they] played chess. It’s all about revenge against Walter for not inviting her to the black-tie opening.

[The artists in the 1960s L.A. art scene] were bonded by their discovery of the fact that these cool people lived in Los Angeles because New York was still the center. One thing about Eve and Ed [Ruscha] and some of those people is how uncritical they were of the fact that they were in Hollywood and how much they were able to realize that Hollywood was an asset, not a liability. You’re also talking about the moment when the line between fine art and popular culture dissolved, and that dissolution happened in Los Angeles in 1963, not in New York. That was the year the Pasadena Art Museum hosted the Marcel Duchamp exhibit. And at the time, Eve was having an affair with Walter Hopps, the curator of the Duchamp show, and his wife, Shirley, may or may not have known about it. This was a torrid affair. She, like many people, was completely besotted with Walter, who was brilliant and charming.

Eve discussed it with the family at the dinner table, whether she should do the Duchamp picture. Dad said, “Well, it’s art. It’s Duchamp. So I guess it’s OK.” And then he said to her, “Take his queen.” A little paternal advice. He was also a chess player, our father. Eve said to Julian, “The only way I’m going to do this is if you let me pick the picture.” And he agreed to that. And she picked a picture where her face is not revealed.

Mirandi Babitz

Julian Wasser

I think Eve met Walter at Barney’s Beanery because there was starting to be a scene there. She really fell hard for him. He was married at the time, but I think that she felt, with Walter, that it could be something really important—a long-term kind of relationship for her. But it wasn’t.

Hunter Drohojowska-Philp

So the Duchamp show is about to open, and all of Eve’s friends are going—Ed’s going, all the L.A. scene are going, and they’re dressing up. And Walter does not invite her because his wife is going to be there with him.

Mirandi Babitz

He didn’t take her to the opening of the wonderful Duchamp exhibit. I wound up going, and she didn’t. She was very mad at him.

Mirandi Babitz

[Time] never ran it. Nobody ran it because of the nudity. But that picture made her. It’s in every museum in the world.

Carl Gottlieb

S C R E E N W R ITE R A N D M E M B E R O F I M P R OV GR OU P TH E C O M M IT TE E

I met Eve when I came down from San Francisco with the Committee in ’66. She was part of the L.A. scene and then we were part of the L.A. scene, so our paths would cross. With the advent of psychedelics and the San Francisco sound and the West Coast rock-and-roll scene, for the first time in America’s cultural history, trends were starting in L.A. and moving east instead of the other way around. So when I got here, it was a very vibrant scene, and there was a great sense of community.

“In this culture, where we are now so uptight, there is something extremely attractive about Eve Babitz.” Hunter Drohojowska-Philip

She had this huge resentment over that. So she staged what happened next with Julian Wasser at the Pasadena museum.

Julian Wasser

I had an assignment from Time to photograph Duchamp. [Eve] was just there for tits and ass—that was it. He was into chess, and he did Nude Descending a Staircase. So you get a nude, chess, a girl with giant tits. Why not?

Mirandi Babitz

Julian was very much on the scene. That picture was his idea. He took photos of me and was trying to get my clothes off. He was always doing that. That tells you something.

6 8 L A M AG . C O M

Dickie Davis

It was a scene pretty much centered around the Troubadour. The Troubadour on Monday nights (it was actually a friend of mine and I that started it­) was an open-mic night. The Byrds and the Buffalo Springfield and God knows how many rock groups formed up out of that venue.

Carl Gottlieb

You didn’t have to see the show. You’d just hang out at the Troubadour bar and, sooner or later during the evening, somebody you knew would come in, and you’d hang out and have drinks and go outside and smoke a joint. There used to be train tracks that ran right down the center of Santa Monica Boulevard. And the street car ran all the way out to Santa Monica.


Mirandi Babitz

It was an amazing scene. It was just blooming. And meeting Jim Morrison . . . I actually met his old lady, Pam [Courson], first. She and I went to school together at LACC [Los Angeles City College]. Two months before I met her, she had fallen in love with Jim. The Doors were forming. As soon as anybody saw him onstage, like I did at the London Fog, you knew he had to be onstage. I was raving about how adorable he was. Eve went to see him, and she couldn’t believe it. So then she had to have him. She invited him to go with her to something that our father was performing at, and they went home together. (I made his leather pants. He wore them half to death. They were very fine French cowhide. I had a shop on the Sunset Strip called Mirandi.) I know he was really attached to Eve. So when he announced he was going to Paris toward the end of his life, she tried to talk him out of it because she hated Paris when we’d been there.

Dickie Davis

The Eagles and Jackson Browne and JD Souther and Linda Rondstadt—that was sort of the high-water mark of life at the Troubadour bar. Eve photographed the Eagles in the park behind the Troubadour. We used to go to Dan Tana’s and they would be there with her.

Ronee Blakley S I N GE R-S O N GW R ITE R

Hunter Drohojowska-Philp

Eve created her own cafe society in Los Angeles at Ports and at Musso and Frank’s. And she always slightly carried that within her and that ability to have a good conversation, to have a witness, to have a good line, which is a talent unto itself. She was sort of the Colette of Los Angeles. She very much identified with that idea of being in a cafe society, where you have lovers and you live a luxurious life and your lovers pay for everything and you write great novels and you’re part of the avant-garde.

Ronee Blakley

She had a monstrous, huge affair with Paul Ruscha. He was the love of her life as far as I knew.

Paul Ruscha

P H OTO GR A P H E R A N D A RTI ST

[My brother] Ed’s wife, Danna, took me to [L.A. thrift store] Jack’s Catch All, and while we were there, she was talking to some girl. She introduced me—“This is Eve Babitz”—and I said, “Oh, nice to meet you.” I thought Eve kind of looked me up and down. And then Danna and I left. She said, “I think she likes you.” And I said, “Why? We barely even spoke.” And she said, “Well, she wants to have us over for dinner.” And so I said, “That’s great.” So I went to her place and ended up staying with her. And then we were off and on with one another for the next 30-plus years.

Eve and I would go out together Mirandi Babitz LIT GIRL to Tana’s or the Troubadour. And Eve didn’t start writing until she Babitz in her prime in the ’70s, when she was a late-night fixture at the Troubadour and writing in then there was a period when was about 27. The first piece that she the mornings “like Hemingway and Mozart.” she worked at Ports. Ports was a got published was for Rolling Stone, restaurant on Santa Monica and Joan Didion helped her out. Boulevard, right across the street from Goldwyn studios. Jock and Michaela [Livingston] Paul Ruscha owned it and ran it. It was a place to be—a happening She and Joan Didion were close for a while. place—and Eve was [an unofficial] hostess there. She was like the [older] daughter that Joan and John never had. CO U R T E SY M I R A N D I B A B I TZ

Mirandi Babitz

I never was at Ports every single night like Eve. I remember hanging around there with Quintana [Dunne] when she was doing her homework. Joan [Didion] or John [Gregory Dunne] were there, and they knew she’d be OK to sit in the booth and do her homework. I had a couple of birthday parties there.

Mirandi Babitz

Evie had just given Joan the piece she wrote called “The Sheik.” [Joan said] “I’m going to talk to Rolling Stone.” That was a really huge breakthrough. It’s about three years later that she gets her first book published, which is Eve’s Hollywood. L A M AG . C O M 6 9


Erica Spellman Silverman L ITE R A RY AGE N T

I said to her, “You have to write. You have to keep writing.” And she said, “Oh, I’m not really a writer. I want to be an artist.” And I said, “Well, you are a writer. Whether you want to be one or not, you’re a writer.”

Mirandi Babitz

She was now at Knopf. So she’s getting very high regard for her writing—to be able to work with a really great editor. That was a really good period, when she writes Slow Days, Fast Company and Sex and Rage.

Erica Spellman Silverman

I said to Eve, “You have to write a novel.” And she said, “I can’t write a novel. What am I gonna write a novel about?” I said, “I don’t know. I don’t care. You just have to write a novel. Write a novel about not wanting to write a novel.” So that led to a year of me calling Eve every Monday morning at 10 o’clock, New B E T T E R DAYS York time—7 o’clock her time—saying, “Get This page: Babitz with artist up and write.” We would laugh about it, but Paul Ruscha shortly before she did it. her 1997 accident. “Paul was

Ronee Blakley

going to dances with her, she’d gotten sober, her hair was bright blond.” Opposite: Babitz in 1967.

She wrote in the mornings like Hemingway and Mozart. I have no idea how she could pull that out, but she did. She had a big social life and would stay out late. And these were the days before anybody got sober, and there were big parties and big times. I would see her in the nighttime, and I would say, “How can that girl get up and write?”

Colman Andrews

One afternoon, Eve called me sounding mildly despairing to say that she’d just finished her new book but didn’t know whether or not it really was a book and would I come over and read it. There were two signs on her door: “Don’t knock if you haven’t called—Really” and “I used to be a piece of ass but now I’m an artist.” She handed me her manuscript and a bottle of Mumm’s Cordon Rouge and said, “Sit there and don’t bother me until you’re finished.” The manuscript was Sex and Rage, which she told me she’d written in response to pleas from her agent that she produce a regular novel with regular characters and plot development instead of just a collection of stories. I read and drank for about an hour and a half, then put the manuscript down and told her what I thought: That it was, well, a collection of stories. I added that she shouldn’t write novels if she didn’t want to since she was so good at what she did write. “Huh,” she said. “OK, you can go now.” She called one day to tell me she’d sold it to Knopf. It was published as a novel and has been considered a novel (her only one) ever since—which shows how much I know.

Michael Elias

T V A N D F I L M W R ITE R

Nathanael West, Fitzgerald, William Goldman, all these people who were outsiders came to Hollywood and wrote about it. She was here. She could tell you what it was really 7 0 L A M AG . C O M

like to go to Hollywood fucking High. And nobody did that. In a funny way, I don’t even think Joan Didion did.

Hunter Drohojowska-Philp

Eve was a social satirist in the best way. I do think what separates her from Didion is that she never has a judgmental quality to her work. I really feel that she’s closer to Christopher Isherwood and The Berlin Stories and his way of writing, where he says, “I am a camera”—where he is literally reporting on what he is seeing in all of its absurdity. And L.A. in the ’70s was nothing if not absurd. She really did catch that in her writing.

Erica Spellman Silverman

Eve was writing about the ’60s and ’70s in L.A. That was a very different time. Sixties and ’70s L.A. seems like Oz for people nowadays. Women can’t imagine what that life was like, and the whole idea of being politically correct or even #MeToo . . . Eve was not that person. Eve owned her sexuality. She never thought of anybody taking advantage of her. She did what she wanted; she got what she wanted.

Ronee Blakley

I never was a part of that sex thing—I still don’t have the ability to be as frank as Eve was. So I can’t tell you everything we did. I don’t have the nerve.

CO U R T E SY O F PAU L R U S C H A .

AUTH O R A N D F O R M E R E D ITO R-I N-C H I E F O F S A V E UR


was more. She had been brought up to expect more. She was witty and wise and articulate, a second-generation Hollywood artiste. The creative community was smaller and more insular in those days, and Eve was a very important part of it. She was aware that her chest would get her into places that her brain wouldn’t. And that was one of the truths of that era. But once she was there, you’d look past the breasts to the brain and the artistic sensibility and to the language that she was using. She was an intellectual trapped in a voluptuary’s body. And that’s a very attractive mix. So despite the cliches and having Little Annie Fanny’s body, she had Gloria Steinem’s brain.

Hunter Drohojowska-Philp

She was like the perfect combination of Jayne Mansfield and Jane Austen.

JD Souther

She was the first woman that I ever saw smoking a cigarillo. And she looked perfectly natural doing it.

Bret Easton Ellis

Paul Ruscha

We were all always so free with one another because I slept with a lot of different people and so did Eve—but probably not nearly as many people of her own sex. Maybe two or three different women.

Bret Easton Ellis N OV E L I ST

There was that famous Earl McGrath quote: “In every young man’s life there is an Eve Babitz. It’s usually Eve Babitz.”

Ronee Blakley

She had that incredible figure. I think it took me a while to realize she was beautiful—it was her mind that was interesting.

She was, in her own way, her own kind of feminist. She was never anyone’s victim. She went after guys. She was very unapologetically sexual, to the point where she wrote to Joseph Heller and said, “I’m a big fan of yours, I’m a stacked 18-year-old blonde going to Hell. Would you like to meet?” The list of her paramours is quite stunning. I mean, it’s Warren Zevon and Harrison Ford, Steve Martin . . .

Mirandi Babitz

Steve Martin was performing at the Troubadour. Evie just absolutely knew he was great, and Steve didn’t. He was trying to figure out what he should look like. Every time we’d see him on stage, his hair was a different color. Evie took him home one day. She had a book of Lartigue, the French photographer, and it had all these very elegant-looking men in white suits parading around on the beaches of Normandy in the early 1900s. And she said, “Steve, this is you. This is how you need to look. You’re very handsome.” They had an affair that went on

L AU R I E P E P P E R /CO U R T E SY M I R A N D I B A B I TZ

“Eve was an intellectual trapped in a voluptuary’s body. So despite having Little Annie Fanny’s body, she had Gloria Steinem’s brain.” Carl Gottlieb

You’ve got to remember, it was a different era. It was before woke. It was before any widespread acceptance of women as cocreative forces. They were always chicks. But Eve was more than that. There were chicks, groupies, people who you could depend on for casual sex. There was kind of a bachelor’s golden age after the pill and before women’s lib, when women’s highest function was to make tea and roll joints and give good head. Everybody was happy with those roles, except for Eve, who knew there

and off for a very long time. They were both very funny people who were also very serious. They read a lot of the same stuff—Eve was always passing books to him and vice versa.

Julian Wasser

Eve was the kind of girl who, she’d find some guy and he was married or living with a girl. She would screw his brains out, and he’d say, “Oh my God, what a girl,” (CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 3 3 )

L A M AG . C O M 7 1


A top L.A. neurosurgeon shares how he finesses procedures where the outcome is brutally binary: success or death

Life on the Edge

H

E CAME TO ME,

this nineteen-year- old with a time bomb in his head. Scheduled as the seventh patient in my Friday clinic, he brought notes from the two neurosurgeons who had already seen him. An

artery in his brain was dangerously malformed and at risk of exploding due to an aneurysm, a spot where the blood vessel is stretched thin and, like a balloon, in danger of bursting. With each heartbeat, a pressure wave rippled out from his heart and risked tearing the artery. With each heartbeat, he was gripped with fear.

7 2 L A M AG . C O M

BY DR . RAHUL JANDIAL ILLUSTRATED BY ROBERT CARTER


L A M AG . C O M 7 3


HEAD GAME

Dr. Rahul Jandial, MD, PhD, is a brain surgeon and neuroscientist at City of Hope Medical Center. “Good hands aren’t enough; you need nerve.”

7 4 L A M AG . C O M

I

N T H E L O C K E R R O O M , I change into fresh scrubs alongside people with two-year technical degrees, college degrees, medical degrees, and people who have never been to university. When I was a medical student, the tattoo on my right forearm often led me to be confused for a member of the turnover crew—the caretakers who mop up the blood from the floors and machines before the instruments for the next case can be brought into the operating theater. I never minded as long I could get my chance center stage to help the patients having surgery. Before entering the operating theater, across a thick red line, you have to don a hairnet and then wash your hands and forearms. The patient is on a ventilator. The final step in the presurgery ritual is the timeout; all hospitals in the U.S. must do this before we can start making the incision.

MICHAEL BECKER

His name was Richard. If the vessel ruptured, his heart would send a pulsing cascade of blood into the skull, irritating the surface of the brain and damaging its cells. At the same time, the part of his brain the artery was supposed to supply with oxygen-rich blood would be starved. A rupture carries a 40 percent chance of death, so no surprise that he was terrified. The good news is that surgery for these cases usually goes smoothly. I explained to Richard that the risk of leaving the aneurysm untreated was higher than the risk of surgery: both could cause devastating brain injury to his language function or death. This is heavy news at any age but unimaginably intense for someone just beginning their adult life. Richard chose to have me perform the surgery in June, giving him the summer to recuperate. The operation he needed is established in surgical lore for being technically challenging; most neurosurgeons won’t even take it on. It has the most extreme range of outcomes: on one end, the patient is cured; on the other, the patient dies. When I perform any surgery, not only the difficult cases, I stick to a ritual. Eliminating extraneous variables allows me to focus. The ritual has been refined over the years to give me the best chance to excel. During the surgery, I’ll be standing and leaning in awkward positions throughout the day, so the night before, I go to the gym. No hard lifting, just light work before I go into battle the next day. The patients arrive at 5 a.m., well before sunrise, for a 7:30 surgery. The nurses come in at around 6:45 to get the room set up. Surgeons and anesthesiologists turn up at 7:00. I park in my usual spot; it’s not reserved for me, but, at that hour, it’s rarely taken. I walk to the area where my patients usually wait, Station 6. (On the day of Richard’s surgery, he was checked in, changed into a hospital gown that ties at the back, and had an IV put in one arm.) It must be unnerving for patients to see so many strangers before that big moment, a surgery that could well determine how their lives from that point play out. I like to think that the sight of others who have signed up for something crazy—to be cut open—reassures them that they are in a safe space, despite it being stuffed to the brim with tools that would look horrific in any other context.


The timeout is run by a nurse, and we all have to stand still for ten seconds while the patient’s name is read out, along with the terms of consent and the name of the planned operation. Then the anesthesiologist, surgeon, and surgical nurse must all say, “Agree.” It’s like the safety check when you sit in the emergency aisle on an airplane. Only when everyone has uttered their audible consent can surgery begin. For this operation on Richard, in particular, everything had to be done in a rhythm; unnecessary urgency leads to mistakes. I shaved his head and doused it with an orange sterilizing liquid called Betadine. A technician placed electrodes on his head to monitor brain waves—another safety net. The anesthesiologist had ample blood in the room. Now it was my turn. The clock read 8:15. The aneurysm was in the middle cerebral artery, a deep and vital vessel that divides into dozens of offshoots as it moves toward the top of the brain’s canopy. To find the middle cerebral artery, I had to separate the frontal lobe from the temporal lobe by opening the Sylvian fissure that holds them together. This treacherous valley was my planned pathway to the target artery. I parted the iridescent membranes and slid between the brain lobes, ensuring no violation to the brain tissue. The clock now read 9:15. The wall of the aneurysmal dome was thin enough for the whorls of blood flowing with each heartbeat to be visible. My own heart beat fast, but my elevated heart rate wasn’t a sign of anxiety or panic. I was calm. My focus was unfettered. Being cool under pressure doesn’t mean your body hasn’t responded to the situation, that you’re somehow immune to the circumstances. I knew the stakes. Having a fast heart rate is part of the exhilaration in a situation like this. The key and critical maneuver is to place a small, springloaded titanium clip at the base of the aneurysm. All this happens so deep inside the skull that only one person—the surgeon— can work. With the titanium clip at the tip of my eight-inch forceps, I was now ready to squeeze it into position with my trigger finger and thumb and deliver it to the target. The clip prevents blood from flowing into the aneurysm, eliminating the risk of it bursting. Until it was in place, the aneurysm posed a threat to the patient. I moved slowly, gently releasing the jaws of the clip around the base of the bulge ballooning from the blood vessel. The clip was almost closed around the base when the aneurysm exploded. The artery violently sprayed blood from the tear. Torrential bleeding welled out of the patient’s skull. The clock read 9:45. No simulated crash landing can fully prepare you. No imagining of a crisis can truly ready you. It’s not just about knowing what the maneuvers are; the hardest part is being

steady enough to pull them off. The gushing blood obscured what I could see. The low-blood-pressure alert caught the anesthesiologist’s attention. I looked at her and said, “Give blood.” While other organs can last for hours without blood, the brain needs to be irrigated so desperately even minutes of drought wilt its tissue, causing a stroke. When we’re under pressure and our actions have real consequences, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. In 1979, during the partial core meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, operators were disoriented by all the alarms. Facing the threat of catastrophe, they didn’t know which alarms were the most pressing and which could be ignored. There is a name for this: alarm overload. More alarms are received than can be addressed. Under pressure to perform, our brains, too, can become overwhelmed by a surfeit of signals. To respond quickly and effectively in a crisis, we need a way to bring order to the external alarms, to find focus by ignoring emotional distractors. Evolution has supplied us with a way to do just that. For a long time, the basal ganglia were thought to be associated solely with the control of movement. Now, this paired cluster of neurons in the emotional brain has been shown to be involved in sensory control as well as something that has been dubbed “active interference.” Instead of shining a spotlight on what is important, our brains actively filter out what is deemed unimportant. When you are being inundated with stimuli, the basal ganglia filter what should be let through. Devoting too much attention to the irrelevant would exhaust your fuel supply because the brain is such an energy glutton. It makes up only 2 percent of body weight but demands 20 percent of your energy. Neural efficiency matters. Oddly, neural activity is lower in experts, whether it’s professional rifle shooters or memory champions. They don’t dial up the focus, they dial down the distraction and stress. This neural efficiency is the real talent of experts under pressure. The ability to be vigilant is not an achievement—it is built in. The ability to ignore, however, must be cultivated. I’d never seen a ruptured aneurysm, but I knew what I could do. Right now, I needed to place several clamps to rebuild the torn wall of the artery. But each time I tried, I failed. Six attempts at various maneuvers got me nowhere. The clock read 10:45. I persisted but failed again and again. The clock now read 11:50. The patient had received 15 pints, and the empty blood bags lay on the floor. At this point, all his own blood had escaped, replaced by that of strangers. In over two hours, I’d made no progress. My mind was definitely full—too full— almost seeping out of my skull with the weight of what was upon me. Opening the dam was the only way to repair the

I’D NEVER SEEN A RUPTURED ANEURYSM BUT KNEW WHAT I COULD DO. I PERSISTED BUT FAILED AGAIN AND AGAIN.

L A M AG . C O M 7 5


dam. But let the deluge run too long, and the blood volume would drop to a point where the heart failed. So between my attempts to repair the torn artery, I’d pause. Then the anesthesiologist would try to replenish the blood volume, which we call “tanking up,” before I tried once again to complete the necessary maneuver. In those gaps of time when the anesthesiologist was tanking up the patient after every failed effort, my own brain struggled to keep surging adrenaline in its place. I could feel those chemicals being released from my reptilian brain, signaling danger, activating rapid breathing, redirecting blood flow. Panic was creeping in at the edges and needed to be held at bay. This internal conflict— thought versus emotion—was running through me, and I had to find the balance that would let me perform the operation effectively. Most surgeons don’t go into surgery where the stakes are extremely high. Most surgeries aren’t lifethreatening. This one was about to be. These maneuvers can be performed only a few times before your window closes and there is the possibility you will be facing the thing that strikes terror in surgeons—intraoperative death, the patient going cold on the operating table. What would I say to his family? Who could I call to help? But I knew these were false passages. These distracting thoughts were competing with and exhausting my attention. Remember: focus is not about heightened attention, it’s about better suppression of distraction. The prefrontal cortex, where this is all processed, would be overwhelmed with inputs if we weren’t able to filter out distractions. But that filter easily becomes porous when emotion is added to the mix. When the patient was being given another transfusion, I had a few minutes, a small window, before I had to get back to repairing the dam under high flow. My forceps held a piece of dense cloth—a patty— to prevent the brisk egress of blood from a critical vessel ten inches deep in Richard’s skull. With the bleeding temporarily stemmed, and while more blood was being squeezed in, I used the time to steady my breathing. In situations like this, I don’t breathe more deeply, I breathe more slowly. Three seconds in; three seconds out. No sudden inhalation of panic, and no quick dumping of air with mouth agape. I find it’s easier to pace my breathing by inhaling and exhaling through my nose. With this measured breathing, I am taking advantage of human physiology. Meditative breathing can moderate the electrical activity in our brain. This has been proven by research done on patients with epilepsy. Electrodes were surgically inserted under the skull and onto the surface of the brain in order to locate the epicenter of the seizures. In the hospital for a period of time, a group of patients participated in various thinking experiments, one of which

was meditative breathing. Direct intracranial measurements demonstrated that breathing patterns, by changing the electricity in the brain, can steer it toward anxiety or toward calm. Meditative breathing keeps us from slipping into an adaptive state—hyperventilation—that served us well in the distant past when we had to run from immediate threat. Danger and breathing are intimately linked. When we sense looming danger, the brain sends signals and readies the lungs and diaphragm. When you flee from a threat, your muscles go into a higher gear, and the muscle cells churn out metabolic waste, the most critical of which is a gas—carbon dioxide. We hyperventilate when we’re facing danger in order to speed up the gas exchange in our lungs. But if your muscles are not pumping but your brain is still sending signals to breathe faster, you are blowing off too much carbon dioxide, and this can leave an inadequate amount in your blood. This creates a problem of its own, especially if you’re in the middle of surgery with a young man’s life at stake. Hyperventilation exacerbates fright and leaves you jittery, twitchy, off your game just when you need to be focused. That’s why controlling your breathing is step one of crisis management. Learning to control your breathing is the most powerful weapon you have to strengthen your emotional regulation and, in turn, improve your performance. It’s better not to wait for the moment of crisis to turn to this safety valve. When it’s a daily habit, it’s easier to deploy it effectively when you need it. Early in my training, I noticed that experienced surgeons used a strip of tape to seal their surgical mask to the bridge of their nose. They also put one on either cheek, just below the eyes. In brain surgery, you wear surgical loupes—glasses with jewelers lenses that give three times magnification—and the tape prevents these lenses from fogging up, especially when, under pressure to perform, your breathing becomes fast and heavy. I used to do this too, but now I don’t. When my field of view fogs from my breath, that tells me I’m doing something wrong, and so I control my breath, its rate and its depth. Get that cadence right or performance will suffer, as will the patient. Standing over Richard, my breathing again under control, my thinking cleared, I was down to my last option, my final maneuver. I asked the anesthesiologist to administer adenosine, a drug that would temporarily stop Richard’s heart from beating, flatlining him but also creating a zerobloodflow state so that I could see the base of the spewing arterial bubble where the clip needed to be applied. On the monitor to my left, a readout from the electrodes on Richard’s scalp showed his dancing brain waves. On the monitor to my right, the reading of the EKG electrodes on

I WAS DOWN TO MY LAST OPTION: ADENOSINE, A DRUG THAT WOULD TEMPORARILY STOP RICHARD’S HEART FROM BEATING.

7 6 L A M AG . C O M


UNDER PRESSURE

“Remember, focus is not about heightened attention; it’s about better suppression of distraction,” says Dr. Jandial, shown here after a procedure.

CO U R T E SY D R . R A H U L JA N D I A L

his chest indicated his heart rhythm. That moment when Richard’s heart was no longer beating but his brain was not yet starved of blood was the loneliest place I’d ever been. But it gave me one shot, one clear view, to repair the aneurysm. I prepared and placed three clips in a quick sequence to reconstitute the vessel wall. I watched as the blood surged back through the vessel. Fortunately, it held. The heart was chemically restarted, and Richard’s brain waves never stopped dancing. The clock read 12:50.

S

O M E S U R G E R I E S pose incredible technical challenges, putting the skills of even the best surgeon to the ultimate test. Other times, unprecedented and unforeseen crises arise, rearing up like aliens, throwing up a level of complexity that you won’t find in any textbook and that you wouldn’t see again if you performed the surgery a thousand more times. These rare cases require crisis management in the way Houdini performed crisis management, locked in a straitjacket and dumped in a tank of water. The clock is ticking, and the surgeon needs to act with clarity, precision, and skill. All the while, the stakes could not be higher. In such situations, it is vital to hold back the creeping edges of panic that will erode your ability to make the most effective decisions and to deploy the most effective tactics.

After surgery, Richard was kept asleep on machines in the ICU to give his brain time to heal; there is inevitably swelling after such invasive surgery. When I gradually woke him after a week, he was fine, both physically and mentally, and grateful that he was all there. He took a few months off to regain his full strength and then went back to college. These days, patients with the deadliest diseases seek me out. I’m grateful for this; it’s how I make a difference to the world, using my skills to change lives in a way that others won’t or can’t. It may seem strange, but I don’t dread the moments like the ones during Richard’s surgery. They’re where I give my best. They’re when I’m at my best. True performance is always performance under pressure, when the result really matters. Good hands are not enough—you need nerve. For me, flow in surgery has an element of rapture. Only high stakes can give you this unique and rare experience. This is followed immediately by relief, when a dangerous maneuver has been successfully completed, and then a calm that can be experienced only after the eruption of all the ammunition, all the brain chemicals—a deep calm, a euphoria of sorts. Excerpted from Life on a Knife’s Edge by Dr. Rahul Jandial. Copyright 2021 by Dr. Rahul Jandial. Used by permission of Penguin Life, an imprint of Penguin Books. L A M AG . C O M 7 7


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CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES 4650 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90027 (888) 631-2452 CHLA.org

Profile With more than 660,000 patient visits each year, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles cares for more kids than any other facility in the L.A. metropolitan area. CHLA’s nationally recognized medical experts provide more than 350 specialty programs and services to create hope and build healthier futures for children. A Top Hospital Designed Just for Kids Every aspect of our hospital is designed to care for children. This means that devices and supplies are all just the right size for every kid, and every step of the way includes family members and loved ones in a child’s care and recovery. From blood pressure cuffs and diapers for the smallest preemies to our special brand of family-centered care, CHLA is specifically engineered for infants, children, and adolescents. 80 L A M AG . C O M

Innovations and Breakthroughs CHLA is an academic medical center that has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of USC since 1932. The hospital is also home to The Saban Research Institute, which performs basic, translational, and clinical research and ranks among the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the nation for prestigious National Institutes of Health funding.

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City of Hope physicians work diligently with other members of a patient’s medical team to create a sophisticated, coordinated, multidisciplinary treatment approach in order to provide optimal treatment for each patient’s particular case.

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Profile Founded in 1913, City of Hope is one of only 52 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S., making it a national leader in advancing cancer research and treatment protocols. City of Hope has been ranked among the nation’s “Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report for over a decade.

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Innovations and Breakthroughs City of Hope is a world leader in cancer research, treatment and prevention. Numerous breakthrough cancer drugs, including Herceptin, Erbitux, Rituxan and Avastin, are based on technology pioneered by City of Hope, and 1 out of 4 City of Hope patients have access to nearly 1,000 innovative clinical trials. A pioneer in bone marrow and stem cell transplants, City of Hope has one of the largest and most successful programs of its kind, attracting patients from around the world. City of Hope is also at the forefront of a powerful form of immunotherapy known as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. Using this approach, immune cells are taken from a person’s bloodstream, then reintroduced into the patient’s system, where they get to work destroying targeted tumor cells.

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City of Hope holds over 450 patent portfolios and submits nearly 50 applications yearly to the Food and Drug Administration for new therapies. The institution was awarded the highest level of accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer for its excellence, “Three-Year With Commendation,” and the nursing program achieved Magnet® recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.


We’ve made Hope a science. We conduct nearly 1,000 clinical trials annually, are working on more than 130 investigational new therapies and provide leading-edge cancer care at more than 35 locations across Southern California. Because you shouldn’t Find a location at CityofHope.org/NearYou James Simpson, City of Hope Researcher

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Profile We are Keck Medicine of USC, where we go further every day for our patients. Sparked by our patients’ potential, we provide world-class health care at Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, and more than 80 outpatient locations throughout Southern California.

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84 L A M AG . C O M

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T:8" S:7.625"

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UCLA HEALTH (800) UCLA-MD1 (800) 825-2631 uclahealth.org

Profile For more than 60 years, UCLA Health has provided the best in health care and the latest in medical technology to the people of Los Angeles and throughout the world. Our four hospitals on two Southern California campuses include Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center; UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital; and Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA. In addition, we offer an array of primary and specialty services at more than 200 clinics throughout Southern California.

Innovations and Breakthroughs UCLA Health has long been a leader in innovative health care delivery. Early research at UCLA was integral to the development of imaging systems such as CT scans and PET scans. UCLA faculty developed the tissuematching test that makes organ transplants possible, as well as a breakthrough treatment for brain aneurysms. Our scientists have developed new, life-saving targeted treatments for cancers such as breast cancer and melanoma, as well as the first FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapy. The leading-edge research 86 L A M AG . C O M

on our campus has been awarded the top prizes in medicine, including the Nobel Prize and the National Medal of Science.

Honors and Accomplishments • UCLA Health ranks #1 in Los Angeles, #1 in California, and #3 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s survey of “America’s Best Hospitals.” • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center have received the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition, the highest honor for excellence in nursing.


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U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals


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HUNTINGTON HOSPITAL

2 0 2 2 F I N E S T H O S P I TA L S O F LOS ANGELES

100 West California Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 397-5000 huntingtonhospital.org

Profile A 619-bed nonprofit hospital that’s nationally ranked for quality and safety, Huntington Hospital in Pasadena—an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai Health System—has provided compassionate, world-class care for 130 years. Huntington offers leading diagnostic, primary, maternity, cancer, cardiology, and surgical care, among many other trusted health care services.

Honors and Accomplishments As a leader in nursing care, Huntington Hospital is one of only 9 percent of hospitals nationwide to have achieved Magnet designation, the gold standard in nursing.

We were named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and Coronary Intervention by Healthgrades. Huntington Hospital is home to the largest emergency department and only level-II trauma center in the San Gabriel Valley—providing access to lifesaving emergency and trauma care 24/7. Our Family Birth Center and level-III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) give babies the safest start to life. We were named a Best Hospital for Maternity and recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit: huntingtonhospital.org/awards.

At Huntington, good health starts with top doctors. Get patient-centered care from our Huntington-affiliated primary care physicians and specialists. We make it easy to find the trusted care you need to stay healthy.

HuntingtonHospital.org/Health


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L.A. FEATURED

PHYSICIANS PROFILING THE “BEST OF THE BEST” IN THE LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY

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DIANA CHAVKIN, MD, FACOG HRC Fertility

Dr. Diana Chavkin is a double board certified reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) specialist who is committed to helping people build families. Having struggled with her own infertility, Dr. Chavkin knows the value of a compassionate, transparent, and effective medical team. She specializes in diminished ovarian reserve; unexplained, tubal, and malefactor infertility; PCOS; egg/embryo freezing; and recurrent pregnancy loss. She works with cancer patients, singles, same-sex couples, and those seeking third-party reproduction. Dr. Chavkin offers a compassionate approach that is holistic and individualized to each patient. She is an outspoken advocate who has developed worldrenowned fertility programs in New York and Los Angeles and has empowered thousands of individuals through fertility treatment and fertility preservation. A highly experienced hysteroscopic surgeon, she also treats uterine septa, polyps, and fibroids. Board Certifications Reproductive endocrinology and infertility obstetrics and gynecology Education • Undergraduate: Barnard College, Columbia University • Medical School: New York University School of Medicine • Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania • Fellowship: Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Awards Top Doctors Los Angeles (Los Angeles magazine), Southern California Super Doctors (Los Angeles Times), Southern California Rising Stars, Phi Beta Kappa Magna Cum Laude

HRC Fertility 11500 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite 504 West Los Angeles, CA 90064 313.481.0881 TeamChavkin@havingbabies.com havingbabies.com 9 0 L A M AG . C O M


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JACQUELINE HO, MD, FACOG HRC Fertility

After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley with a bachelor of arts in molecular and cell biology, Dr. Jacqueline Ho, went on to the University of California at Irvine School of Medicine, where she earned her doctor of medicine. She completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California at San Francisco. She also completed a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the Keck School of Medicine, where she served as a clinical instructor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Board Certifications Reproductive endocrinology and infertility obstetrics and gynecology Education • Undergraduate: University of California, Berkeley • Graduate School: University of Southern California • Medical School: University of California, Irvine • Residency: Obstetrics and gynecology, University of California, San Francisco • Fellowship: Reproductive endocrinology and infertility, University of Southern California Awards • American Society for Reproductive Medicine – Mental Health Professional Group Prize Paper – “Factors affecting family building in cancer survivors” • Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Excellence In-Training Research Award – “Oocyte cryopreservation is as effective as embryo cryopreservation in achieving live births” • Pacific Coast Reproductive Society In-Training Scholarship Award • North American Menopause Society Medical Resident In-Training Award • UC Irvine Chapter Junior Alpha Omega Alpha • Association of Pathology Chairs Honor Society member • UC Irvine Basic Science Certificate of Excellence • Department of Molecular and Cell Biology honors program • California Alumni Association Scholarship in Leadership

HRC Fertility 55 South Lake Avenue, 9th Floor Pasadena 626.440.9161 hoivf@havingbabies.com havingbabies.com L A M AG . C O M 91


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BRADFORD KOLB,

MD, FACOG, MBA HRC Fertility

Dr. Bradford Kolb specializes in the care of complex fertility problems at HRC Fertility Pasadena and is internationally known for his expertise in reproductive matters. He is one of the largest providers of egg donation and surrogacy services in the United States, with patients traveling from around the world to HRC Fertility Pasadena to see him. His practice is known for helping to develop and implement cutting-edge technologies in the genetic screening of embryos, the development of new laboratory technologies, and the development of highly efficient treatment. In addition to his high success rates, patients are also impressed with his warm bedside manner, compassion, and dedication. Dr. Kolb is committed to the reproductive rights for all intended parents and is actively engaged in improving access to care and affordability of fertility care. He is also leading one of the most advanced efforts to bring artificial intelligence and machine learning to reproductive medicine to discover a new generation of advances in fertility medicine. Education University of California, Irvine (undergraduate and medical school), Northwestern University (residency), University of Southern California (fellowship), and UCLA Anderson School of Management (business) Board Certifications Reproductive endocrinology and infertility, obstetrics and gynecology Awards Southern California Super Doctors, Los Angeles Times; Los Angeles magazine Super Doctors; Top Doc, Inland Empire Magazine; Top Doc, Los Angeles magazine; Pasadena magazine Top Doctors Award; Resolve – Excellence Award, Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology National Teaching Award

HRC Fertility 55 South Lake Avenue, 9th Floor Pasadena 626.440.9161 GriseldaM@havingbabies.com havingbabies.com 92 L A M AG . C O M


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MOLLY QUINN, MD, FACOG HRC Fertility

Dr. Molly Quinn received her medical degree from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and did her specialty and subspecialty training at University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Her research interests include optimizing pregnancy outcomes subsequent to assisted reproduction, the role of the reproductive laboratory in improving in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes, and the long-term safety of IVF and related treatments. Board Certifications • Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology • Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI), Chair Resident and Medical Student Education Committee • American Society for Reproductive Medicine, member Education • Undergraduate: Stanford University • Medical School: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles • Internship/residency: Obstetrics and gynecology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco • Fellowship: Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Training, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, University of California San Francisco • Advanced training: Clinical Research (ATCR) Certificate Program, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, University of California San Francisco; Clinical Research/ Reproductive Scientist Training Program (CREST) ASRM/NICHD/DUKE Awards • 2021 – Top Doctors, Los Angeles magazine • 2020, 2021 – Super Doctors Southern California Rising Star • 2019 – Obstetrics and Gynecology: Top 10% Peer Reviewer • 2017 – Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Prize Paper • 2017 – University of California San Francisco Medical Student Teaching Award • 2017 – Pacific Coast Reproductive Society In-Training Travel Grant

HRC Fertility 55 South Lake Avenue, 9th Floor Pasadena 626.440.9161 quinnivf@havingbabies.com havingbabies.com L A M AG . C O M 93


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DAVID TOURGEMAN, MD, FACOG HRC Fertility

Dr. David Tourgeman graduated medical school from the University of Southern California in 1994. He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology in 1998 and his fellowship in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in 2001 at the USC, Los Angeles County Women’s and Children’s Hospital. After his fellowship, Dr. Tourgeman stayed at USC as faculty and became an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. After teaching for four years, Dr. Tourgeman began working with HRC Fertility (then Huntington Reproductive Center) in 2005. Dr. Tourgeman currently sees patients in HRC’s Encino and West Los Angeles offices. Board Certifications Reproductive endocrinology and infertility obstetrics and gynecology Education • Undergraduate: University of California, Santa Barbara • Medical School: University of Southern California • Residency: Obstetrics and gynecology University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Women’s & Children’s Hospital • Fellowship: Reproductive endocrinology and infertility, University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Women’s & Children’s Hospital Awards • Wyeth-Ayest Award of the Pacific Coast Reproductive SocietyEMD Serono In-Training Award for the Pacific Coast Reproductive SocietyOrtho- Mcneil Poster Award Obstetrical and Gynecological Assembly of Southern California • EMD Serono In-Training Award for the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society • Fellow Award, co-author Pacific Coast Reproductive Society HRC Fertility 15503 Ventura Boulevard, suite 200 Encino, CA 91436 818.788.7288

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11500 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite 504 West Los Angeles, CA 90064 313.481.0881 TeamTourgeman@havingbabies.com havingbabies.com


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JOHN G. WILCOX, MD, FACOG

HRC Fertility

Dr. John Wilcox has been part of HRC family since 1996 and became a partner in 1988. He maintains a large clinical practice in Pasadena and is recognized for his meticulous approach and the high pregnancy rates that are achieved with his treatment protocols, experienced team of nurses and embryologists, and partnerships with patients for successful outcomes. Dr. Wilcox has received numerous awards including the IAHCP Leading Physicians of the World Award, Top Docs Los Angeles, America’s Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists awards, and resident teaching and research awards including Searle Pharmaceutical Outstanding Teacher Award and Ortho Pharmaceutical Uwe Goebelsmann M.D. Memorial Resident Research Award. Additionally, Dr. Wilcox has consulted for numerous companies including Ferring Pharmaceutical, Merck, and Columbia Laboratories. Education University of California, San Diego (undergraduate); University of Southern California, Los Angeles (medical school); obstetrics and gynecology University of Southern California Los Angeles County Women’s & Children’s Hospital (residency); reproductive endocrinology and infertility University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Women’s and Children’s Hospital (fellowship) Board Certifications Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital Affiliations Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Huntington Hospital Medical Center, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center Awards America’s Top Obstetrician and Gynecologists Award, IAHCP Leading Physicians of the World Award, Los Angeles magazine Top Doctors Award, Pasadena magazine Top Doctors Award, Ortho Pharmaceutical Uwe Goebelsmann M.D. Memorial Resident Research Award, Soarle Pharmaceutical Outstanding Teacher Award

HRC Fertility 55 South Lake Avenue, 9th Floor Pasadena 626.440.9161 wilcoxivf@havingbabies.com havingbabies.com L A M AG . C O M 95


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WOUND INSTITUTE OF AMERICA AND UNDER PRESSURE HYPERBARICS DR. SOM PLASTIC SURGERY Wound Care and Reconstructive Surgery • • • • • • • •

Diabetic foot ulcers Venous leg wounds Arterial ulcers Pressure sores Charcot foot deformity Trauma wounds Lacerations and skin tears Skin grafting/flaps

• • • •

Radiation injuries Hidradenitis Pilonidal cysts Hand and wrist injuries

Cancer Resection and Reconstruction • Skin cancer • Breast cancer • Colorectal cancer

Wound Institute of America and Under Pressure Hyperbarics were founded by Dr. Som Kohanzadeh and Dr. David A. Pougatsch, two internationally recognized wound care and reconstructive surgeons, with the purpose of providing advanced wound care in the Greater Los Angeles area. We use advanced biological tissues, expert surgical techniques, along with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), to heal the most difficult wounds from head to toe in the most efficient manner using cutting-edge medical advancements.

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Cosmetic Procedures

• • • • • •

Breast augmentation and lift Face/neck lift Mommy makeover Tummy tuck Brazilian butt lift Liposuction and body contouring • Fat grafting • Nonsurgical rejuvenation

250 N. Robertson Blvd. Suite 106 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310.919.4179 woundinstitute.com underpressure.com drsom.com


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Our Team Som Kohanzadeh, MD, is a double-board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and general surgeon specializing in reconstructive and aesthetic procedures throughout the body. He has devoted himself to the treatment of cancer and reconstructive surgery, with a particular focus on breast. Dr. Som completed his training in general surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and his fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a native of Southern California and is proud to combine the art of plastic surgery with modern advancements of science and technology. Additionally, Dr. Som and his team provide full cosmetic services including nonsurgical treatments such as IV and stem cell therapy to more extensive mommy makeovers, along with body contouring and Brazilian butt lifts.

David A. Pougatsch, DPM is board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine with an added qualification in wound care and amputation prevention. He completed his podiatric surgical residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a fellowship in advanced wound care, limb salvage, and foot and ankle reconstructive surgery at Western University of Health Sciences. Dr. Pougatsch is a foremost expert in treating wounds due to diabetes, venous disease (leg swelling), arterial disease (lack of circulation), and traumatic and pressure injuries, as well as complex foot and ankle reconstructive surgery. Originally from Los Angeles, “Dr. P” is proud to take care of the Southern California community and beyond by healing complex wounds in a difficult patient population.

Nicole Garrett, CHT has a background in commercial diving and dive medicine. As a former diver medic, Nicole is a certified hyperbaric technician (CHT) who started her career operating UC San Diego’s hyperbaric chambers, treating everything from crush injuries and decompression illness to diabetic wounds and effects of radiation for cancer treatments. She then went on to participate in the large traumatic brain injury study for the US Department of Defense. Over her career she has assisted in opening several hundred hospital-based hyperbaric facilities across the country, along with the installation and maintenance of their hyperbaric chambers. Nicole teaches the Underwater and Hyperbaric Medical Society’s board certified training course for the physicians and staff and is highly regarded in her field and frequently called upon for consulting at centers across the county and worldwide.

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CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICAL GROUP OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Cardiovascular Medical Group (CVMG) of Southern California provides comprehensive care to patients in a state-of-the-art facility where all testing can be accomplished in one location in a personalized and friendly environment. The 11 physicians and allied health providers have broad subspeciality experience with training from top institutions, including Harvard, MIT, UCSF, Stanford, Columbia, Mayo Clinic, UCLA, USC, Emory, and others. Patients experience cutting-edge technologies such as augmented-intelligencepowered cardiac computed tomography, positron emission tomographic nuclear cardiology tests, advanced echocardiograms, vascular imaging, and state-of-the-art informatics with home biometrics transmitted directly to the patient’s chart and smartphone. CVMG physicians provide hospital care and advanced invasive treatments at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center—one of the top hospitals in the nation for cardiology and heart surgery—or coordinate care through affiliate relationships throughout the region or country to achieve the best results. The affiliated nonprofit research arm—the Cardiovascular Research Foundation of Southern California—offers the most advanced new treatments and technologies, including pioneering imaging equipment and a national demonstration and teaching 9 8 L A M AG . C O M

center. The foundation has many milestones, including being among the first to use gene-silencing drugs to prevent and treat heart disease; first to design roboticsbased technology in invasive cardiac electrophysiology; first personal and portable electrocardiogram device; first to demonstrate resolution of coronary plaque with cardiac CT; superior cardiac stents; and many new treatments and approaches to heart disease. All these emerging advances are available to patients of CVMG. • Ronald P. Karlsberg, MD, FACC, FAHA, FSCCT, FACP | Cardiology, Concierge Medicine (2022 Los Angeles Magazine Top Doctor) • Satinder J.S. Bhatia, MD, FACC, FCCP | Cardiology, Internal Medicine (Top Doctor 2022, California Super Doctor 2022) • Eli S. Gang, MD, FACC, FAHA, FHRS | Cardiology, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology

• Carlos Quesada, MD, MPH, FACC, FSCAI, RPVI | Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Concierge Medicine (upon request) • Robert M. Rose, MD, FACC | Cardiology, Internal Medicine • Bruce A. Samuels, MD, FACC | Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, Coronary Physiology Research • Madan Sharma, MD, FACC | Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology (California Super Doctor 2022) • Charles D. Swerdlow, MD, FACC, FAHA, FHRS | Cardiology, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology

To book your appointment, call 310.278.3400 or email at appointment@cvmg.com

• Phillip Levine, MD, FACC, FAHA, FRCP(C) | Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Hospital Consultation • Allan S. Lew, MD, MPH, FACC | Cardiology • William J. Mandel, MD, FACC, FAHA, FHRS | Cardiology, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology

414 North Camden Drive, Suite 1100 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310.278.3400 Office Hours: 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (M-F)


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ANNA GUANCHE, MD

Dermatology

Dr. Anna Guanche is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon specializing in cosmetic procedures that have minimal downtime and excellent results. In practice for 17 years and founder of Bella Skin Institute in Calabasas, she cares for all types of skin conditions, with a special emphasis in the areas of cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery. She teaches and mentors residents and medical students. She was a member of the dermatology teaching staff at UCLA Medical Center for 13 years. Dr. Guanche is a perfectionist who strives to listen and understand the patient’s specific goals and concerns, and provide them with positive results. Dr. Guanche has performed more than 40,000 injectable procedures. She can literally sculpt a face with her needle, using injectables. Dr. Guanche and her Derm Dream Team approach their work with absolute joy and enthusiasm. Follow Dr. Guanche @annaguanchemd on Instagram to view her portfolio of procedures.

Bella Skin Institute 23622 Calabasas Road, Suite 339 Calabasas, CA 91302 9675 Brighton Way, Suite 410 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 ph 818.225.0117 fx 818.225.0127 bellaskininstitute.com

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JEFFREY KRONSON, MD, FACS Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

Dr. Jeffrey Kronson is a board-certified vascular and endovascular surgeon with 22 years of professional experience. He received his vascular training at Rush University Medical Center, endovascular training at Stanford Medical Center, and completed his general surgery residency at Keck USC Medical Center. Based out of Arcadia, Dr. Kronson provides a full range of vascular and endovascular solutions for patients, including treatment of carotid disease, aneurysms, chronic limb ischemia, dialysis access, and chronic venous insufficiency. Dr. Kronson’s primary focus is on the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency and its complications, most commonly varicose veins and lymphedema, using laser and chemical modalities. He has performed over 7,000 vein ablation procedures and takes 10 0 L A M AG . C O M

great pride in helping people live their lives with less pain, less self-consciousness, and more confidence. Patients frequently comment how Dr. Kronson’s interventions have “changed their life.” They particularly appreciate Dr. Kronson’s professionalism and kind bedside manner, from educating patients about their medical condition to working together in setting treatment plans. His dedicated staff goes above and beyond to create a warm family atmosphere. Dr. Kronson’s impeccable results, patient satisfaction, and pursuit of honest, compassionate care have garnered attention by industry leaders in the world of chronic venous insufficiency treatment. His practice has been selected as a training center, educating doctors on techniques to achieve the highest levels of excellence.

Dr. Kronson is originally from Winnipeg, Canada. He and his wife reside near Pasadena with their three children. He is a die-hard hockey and baseball fan and enjoys supporting his family in all their interests and endeavors.

We strive to obtain the best possible outcomes for our patients, treating each and every one of them like a member of our own family. 301 West Huntington Drive, Suite 519 Arcadia, CA 91007 Office 626.254.2287 Fax 626.254.2289 drkronson@jeffkronsonmd.com jeffkronsonmd.com


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Left to Right: Jeffrey Jeng, MD, MPH; Nicholas Fuller, MD; Daniel Loder, MD; Chad Heng, MD

INTERVENTIONAL PAIN DOCTORS Interventional Pain Doctors was founded with the goal of providing expert diagnosis, comprehensive pain relief, and restoration of function to people struggling with pain and injuries. Our doctors provide the highest-quality sports, orthopedic, spine and regenerative medicine treatments. We utilize cutting-edge technology and have expertise across diverse pain conditions and treatment modalities. Daniel Loder, MD

Dr. Daniel Loder is a double board-certified spine and orthopedic pain specialist. He has dedicated his medical career to improving the health and lives of others. He is a personable, expert diagnostician focused on having his patients return to the activities they love using nonsurgical and cutting-edge therapies. A thorough evaluation of each patient's unique symptoms and conditions leads him to the most successful and comprehensive treatment plan. He treats sports injuries, accidents, and pain associated with everyday life.

Nicholas Fuller, MD

Dr. Nicholas Fuller is a double board-certified spine and orthopedic pain specialist. He specializes in diagnosing pain and helping patients manage their pain. He has been practicing medicine since 1995. His goal for every patient is to improve his or her level of function and quality of life with an intelligent plan. Dr. Fuller’s training and level of experience makes him one of the most qualified physicians in America. He is a Master Instructor in the Spine Intervention Society.

Jeffrey Jeng, MD, MPH

Dr. Jeffrey Jeng is a double board-certified spine and orthopedic pain specialist focused on helping patients regain function and return to the activities they love. He specializes in the latest innovative techniques for nonsurgical spine and orthopedics, regenerative medicine (PRP), and IV infusions as part of his approach to comprehensive pain management. Dr. Jeng believes in a multimodal, multidisciplinary approach to the unique pain presentation of each individual.

Chad Heng, MD

Dr. Chad Heng is a double board-certified spine and orthopedic pain specialist dedicated to treating pain and restoring function for his patients. Dr. Heng’s clinical efforts are directed at the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic spinal pain and musculoskeletal injuries. He specializes in the latest minimally invasive, nonsurgical techniques including injections, ablations, regenerative medicine and spinal cord and nerve stimulation.

Medical offices are located in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Westlake Village, and La Cañada Flintridge. Book your appointment at ipaindocs.com, call 310.448.3459, or email info@ipaindocs.com. L A M AG . C O M 10 1


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HAROUT KHANJIAN, OD Optometry

It should be no surprise by now, year after year, to see Dr. Harout Khanjian be featured among L.A.'s finest docs. As the founder of California Eye Center, Dr. Khanjian is considered one of Los Angeles's leading physicians in the field of eye care. He and his team are dedicated to quality eye care using the latest techniques, technology and research-based approach while treating every patient who walks through the door like family. Dr. Khanjian's state-of-the-art, newly renovated clinics located in Van Nuys and Glendale are the most exceptional and innovative eye care centers serving patients throughout Southern California and beyond. Since 2014, Dr. Khanjian has served as an adjunct clinical preceptor for Western University, College of Optometry, and has been awarded “Excellence in Teaching” 2014 through 2019. He has authored numerous publications in various fields, particularly glaucoma, and presented at multiple national conferences. He is constantly sought out for his expertise and wide ranging knowledge in even the most complex cases, and serves as a consultant for notable ophthalmic pharmaceutical companies. Patients continually travel from across the world to seek his medical care and problem-solving advice prior to making any vision related decisions. Since 2008, Dr. Khanjian has hosted his own weekly live television program on the USArmenia Worldwide Television Network, maintaining and growing his large following in the community. This live program focuses on educating and enriching the community about various eye conditions, diseases and disorders and their links with the human body. Through his outreach, Dr. Khanjian provides a valuable community service to educate the public on the importance of ongoing vision care. You can catch him live every Monday 7 to 7:30 p.m. on the USATV television network. Giving back to the community is one of California Eye Center’s founding principles. For over a decade, Dr. Khanjian has shown unwavering, selfless dedication to the community by providing compassionate, pro bono services and by partnering with charities geared toward uplifting poverty-stricken orphans and families in the most destitute areas of the world. Dr. Khanjian has proudly been featured in Pasadena's Top Docs for 2018 and 2019, an honor that is particularly special because he has called Pasadena home for over 35 years.

California Eye Center Optometry

Dr. Khanjian enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, international travel, and teaching.

1030 South Glendale Avenue, Suite 401, Glendale, CA 91205 747.800.2020 | caleyecenter.com

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14624 Sherman Way, Suite 204, Van Nuys, CA 91405 818.780.2020


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BRENT MOELLEKEN, MD, FACS

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Just developed and perfected, Dr. Moelleken now offers the LBAM, a breast augmentation technique using his trademarked LiveFill. Fundamentally different from fat injection or transfer, the LBAM is for subtle augmentation of the breasts in women not wishing to have synthetic breast implants. The LBAM joins many of Dr. Moelleken’s other innovations like Live Fill, Ultrashort Incision Cheek Lift, the 360 Face Lift, the Hybrid Tummy Tuck, and numerous other trademarked procedures for obtaining a more natural appearance … without the classic signs of surgery. For those patients wishing to have minimally invasive procedures, Cloud Med Spa Beverly Hills is a minimally invasive extension of his surgical practice. In Cloud Med Beverly Hills, Dr. Moelleken’s team has created a unique, comfortable, and serene environment for patients. A variety of non-surgical solutions include state of the art lasers and radio frequency-based technologies, Platelet rich Plasma (PRP) for face and hair loss, along with an extensive offer on treatments for skin rejuvenation, body contouring and skin resurfacing. Dr. Moelleken’s work has been published in numerous medical journals and has been presented nationally and internationally. He is also very active in charity work through his own About Face Surgical Foundation, as well as in other foundations that serve veterans and the LGBTQ community. Dr. Moelleken has offices in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara. He trained at Harvard, Yale, UCSF, and UCLA, where he is an associate clinical professor of surgery in the Division of Plastic Surgery. When not working in his private practice or teaching UCLA Plastic Surgery residents, you can find Dr. Moelleken cycling in the mountains or spending time with his wife, kids, and their three dogs.

Brent R. W. Moelleken, MD, FACS 120 South Spalding Drive, Suite 110 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310.273.1001 drbrent.com @drbrentmoelleken L A M AG . C O M 103


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ISABELLE SOH, MD, MPH Primary Care

Dr Isabelle Soh is one of the leading primary care physicians in Beverly Hills and the greater Los Angeles area. Since finishing her residency through the UC Davis Family Medicine Network in 2015, Dr. Soh has been practicing at Cedars Sinai—one of the top hospitals and health systems in the United States. She is one of the Tier 1 Leads of the Primary Care Department, which is the equivalent of chief of the department. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Dr. Soh is fondly known as a modern-day Doogie Howser. She was accelerated two years during primary school and graduated high school with numerous accolades, including getting first place/highest score in biology and being awarded a prize from the Australian government for being among the top students in the country. She then went straight to medical school at the tender age of 16 and completed a six-year undergraduate program at the prestigious University of New South Wales. Dr. Soh combines her keen intellect with a deep love and care for her patients. She strives to make a true connection and establish an ongoing therapeutic relationship focused on helping each and every patient achieve the best health that they can. She also makes herself readily available via online patient messaging and telehealth visits to meet patients where they are, and improve access and convenience. She teaches internal medicine residents outpatient medicine and is a Clinical Assistant Professor. Her focus is on women’s health, how to leverage telemedicine, and also how to prepare to practice after residency. She weaves in pearls about operations, billing, and working with different health plans into her clinical teaching. Dr. Soh has a passion for public health, health policy, and improving the health care system, which led to her completing a Masters of Public Health at UCLA in 2020. Her excellent performance resulted in Dr. Soh’s induction into Upsilon Phi Delta honor society, which is the national academic honor society for health care administration. She is a young and upcoming leader and is very actively involved in health care operations and committees and is also on the Board of Directors for Cedars Sinai Medical Group. 104 L A M AG . C O M

Cedars Sinai Medical Group 8767 Wilshire Boulevard, Floor 3 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310.248.7077 sohmd.com


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SUHAS TULI, MD

Cornea, Cataract & Refractive Surgery

Dr. Suhas Tuli is a board certified ophthalmologist fellowship trained in corneal and refractive surgery. She specializes in LASIK surgery, small incision no-stitch cataract surgery with advanced technology intraocular lenses, astigmatism management, and corneal transplant surgery including Descemets Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK). Dr. Tuli performs all types of ocular surface reconstruction, including pterygium excisions, and performs full thickness corneal transplants such as PKP. She is experienced in medical and surgical Glaucoma treatment, and performs interventional Glaucoma surgeries including Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) and Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS). Dr. Tuli has extensive experience diagnosing and treating infectious and inflammatory conditions of the cornea, conjunctiva and sclera, as well as managing posterior vitreous detachment and other retinal diseases. Dr. Tuli completed a fellowship in corneal and refractive surgery at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Following her ophthalmology residency, she completed a second fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at the Doheny Eye Institute at the University of Southern California. Dr. Tuli has served as the Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Providence St Joseph, and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. She enjoys speaking at ophthalmology conferences, and has published extensively in peer-reviewed ophthalmology journals. In her spare time, she likes to dance, and enjoys gardening and cooking with her husband and daughter.

Tuli Eye Care Center 2601 West Alameda Avenue, Suite 206 Burbank, CA 91505 818.845.2015 TuliEye.com L A M AG . C O M 105


SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

AKASH BAJAJ, MD, MPH Interventional Pain Management and Regenerative Medicine Dr. Bajaj completed his undergraduate studies at UCSD, graduating summa cum laude, and is a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key Honor societies. He then went on to simultaneously earn his M.D. and a master’s degree in public health (MPH) from New York Medical College. He was also a first responder for the 9/11 attacks in New York City. After this experience, he served a residency in anesthesiology at UCLA Medical Center. While at UCLA, he pioneered the development of audio and visual distractions during O.R. anesthesia as a novel adjunct to administering anesthesia, and alleviating acute painful states. Choosing then to sub-specialize in pain medicine, he completed an Interventional Pain Medicine fellowship at the prestigious University of California San Francisco (UCSF), selected as one of only five fellows. He has almost two decades of experience and continues to stay on top of the most cutting-edge techniques available. He has a strong focus in regenerative medicine of spine and orthopedic injuries. This includes techniques involving PRP (platelet rich plasma) and stem cells. He is a recognized leader in his field, and his lectures have been heard and seen nationally on CBS Radio, The Doctors, ABC7 news in Los Angeles, UCLA, and UCSF, among others. Dr. Bajaj is triple board certified in anesthesia, pain management and anti-aging medicine. This unique and extremely rare combination of education and experience contributes to his excellent outcomes and results that matter. Remedy Pain Solutions 13160 Mindanao Way, Suite 300 Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

1200 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 202 Manhattan Beach, Ca 90266

310.482.6906 info@remedypainsolutions.com Thinkrps.com

BRIAN MEKELBURG, MD Dermatology Since starting his dermatology practice over 30 years ago, Dr. Brian Mekelburg has risen to the top of his specialty. A board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles, he is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and completed a residency in internal medicine at UCLA-Harbor General Hospital prior to his residency in dermatology at the UCLA-Wadsworth VA combined program. Having trained at institutions with strong academic and surgical programs, Dr. Mekelburg is comfortable in the exam room with both complex and routine cases, as well as the surgery suite with cancer and cosmetics. He has a strong aesthetic sense and is a master in the use of Botox, Dysport and fillers. His practice is comprehensive in the field of medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. He has created a strong ancillary staff, who are adept at individualizing patient care. He was an assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA’s Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, for 14 years. He also served as a clinical chief of dermatology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center for four years. He remains on staff as a consultant at Cedar Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Mekelburg is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Though he does have a long list of celebrity patients, he regards all of his patients as stars. Cedars-Sinai Medical Towers 8631 West 3rd Street, Suite 1035E Los Angeles, CA 90048 310.659.9075 toplosangelesdermatologist.com

10 6 L A M AG . C O M


SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

GRANT D. SHIFFLETT, MD Spinal Surgery Dr. Grant Shifflett is a board-certified, fellowship trained spinal surgeon specializing in minimally invasive and microscopic surgery. Dr. Shifflett is known as a national leader in cervical and lumbar artificial disc replacement and has treated patients from 32 states and seven countries. Dr. Shifflett has trained at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world including the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, Rush University in Chicago, and Keio University in Tokyo. He has published numerous articles and has authored two textbook chapters on minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Shifflett has received multiple research grants and his work has been presented throughout the United States and internationally in six countries. His clinical expertise has earned him coveted positions teaching fellow surgeons how to perform artificial disc replacements and other minimally invasive spine surgeries. An avid golfer and sports enthusiast, Dr. Shifflett has a keen interest in return to sport. He has served as a team physician for the Association of Volleyball Professionals and for the Celebrity Ryder Cup in Monaco. In his free time, Dr. Shifflett enjoys trying to get his wife and two young daughters to play golf with him. “I strive to make surgical decisions and employ surgical techniques that get people back to doing the things they are passionate about.”

DISC Sports and Spine Center 4551 Glencoe Avenue, Suite 145, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 3501 Jamboree Road, Suite 1250, Newport Beach, CA 92660 310.574.0400 | shifflettspine.com

STEPHANIE TRAN, MD Family Medicine, HIV, Gender Affirming Care Dr. Stephanie Tran is a dual board certified family medicine and HIV physician practicing in Beverly Hills. She is renowned for her expertise in LGBTQIA + and gender-affirming care with the Cedars Sinai Transgender Surgery and Health Program. She is a modern day alchemist providing cutting-edge treatments and stateof-the-art innovations to treat chronic disease with an integrative approach. A highly influential author and clinician, she is a trailblazer with a dynamic approach to hormonal therapeutics. Patients praise her affable rapport, compassion, and knowledge base. She offers a signature lifestyle medicine experience unparalleled in primary care. She holds numerous accolades for inclusive care, including The Standing Ovation Award for Commitment to Quality Care and Service. She is currently one of the most sought out doctors by top physicians, captains of industry, HNW, and celebrities alike.

8767 Wilshire Boulevard, Floor 2 Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Follow me on Instagram @drstephanietran

PHOTO CREDIT: ANDREW DARKO

Cedars Sinai Medical Group

8820 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310.423.4945 stephanietranmd.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

AMIR VOKSHOOR, MD, FAANS Neurosurgery Dr. Amir Vokshoor is a board certified neurosurgeon specializing in minimalistic spine surgery. With over 20 years of dedicated experience, he continues to champion the latest techniques in surgical robotics and mastery of artificial disc replacements, in cervical and lumbar areas. Using a combination of microsurgical expertise and empathetic care, Dr. Vokshoor advocates for a comprehensive and integrative approach to personalized recovery for patients. He is the founder of Institute of Neuro Innovation, a nonprofit organization uniting research, technology, and education in order to optimize brain health and expedite neurological recovery. "The personalized approach from our staff along with surgical precision deployed in the care and recovery of each patient is the hallmark of our practice. To see a patient heal from a nerve or cord injury is my highest reward as a physician." - Amir Vokshoor M.D.

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Saint John's Cancer Institute Spine Surgery Chief, Providence Saint John's Health Center

Pacific Spine Institute / Neurosurgical Spine Group

2811 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 850, Santa Monica, CA, 90403 2001 Santa Monica Boulevard, 760W, Santa Monica, CA 90404 7320 Woodlake Avenue, Suite 215, West Hills, CA 91307 800.899.0101 drvokshoor.com | inifoundation.org | neurovella.com | nsg-la.com

“ Everything was always very tidy. Then my family noticed how disorganized I had become.” —Theresa, living with Alzheimer’s

When something feels different, it could be Alzheimer’s. Now is the time to talk. Visit

alz.org/ourstories to learn more

108 L A M AG . C O M


From left: Yao Wang, MD, David B. Samimi, MD, Steven C. Dresner, MD, Michael A. Burnstine, MD, Christopher C. Lo, MD

yesthetica is the largest oculofacial surgery practice in Southern California whose practice is devoted to eyelid and facial surgery. Patients benefit from results that are natural in appearance, safe for the eyes, and provide a refreshed look. The world class Eyesthetica doctors have not only been chosen to train doctors in the art of oculoplastic surgery but are the first choice for doctors personally undergoing eyelid surgery. “We are honored to receive this recognition from LA Magazine,” said Dr. Michael A. Burnstine, Eyesthetica co-founder and partner. “Prior to surgery, each patient receives a personalized treatment plan tailored to their individual goals, taking into consideration the patient’s unique anatomy, gender, and ethnicity to achieve their desired result.”

PTOSIS

DOUBLE EYELIDS

KEY FACTS INCLUDE: • 70 years of combined experience in cosmetic and complex reconstructive surgery • The Eyesthetica doctors revise other surgeons’ complications • The oculofacial surgery training programs at Eyesthetica and USC are coveted “The entire Eyesthetica team is devoted to exceeding our patients’ expectations. Total patient satisfaction is our top priority,” said partner Dr. David B. Samimi. Our friendly, multilingual staff will make you feel at home at any of our conveniently located offices. More importantly, when you walk into Eyesthetica, you can rest easy knowing that your eyes and face are in the best possible hands.

For more healing stories please scan:

For more information, please visit their website at www.eyesthetica.com or call the office at 213-234-1000. Service available in English / 中文/ 한국어 / Español / Հայերեն / русский.

Encino 5363 Balboa Blvd. Suite 246 Encino, CA 91316

Irvine 4980 Barranca Pkwy. Suite 190 Irvine, CA 92604

Pasadena 625 S Fair Oaks Ave. Suite 265 Pasadena, CA 91105

Santa Monica 2121 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 301 Santa Monica, CA 90403

Torrance 3400 Lomita Blvd. Suite 401 Torrance, CA 90505

Valencia 28212 Kelly Johnson Pkwy. Suite 239 Santa Clarita, CA 91355


HUNTINGTON ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE Pasadena’s Most Advanced Orthopedic & Spine Institute Regenerative Medicine & Plastic Surgery

S P E C I A LT I E S

Hand Elbow & Shoulder Foot & Ankle, Sports Spine Surgery Scoliosis Fracture Care L to R:

Vahe Panossian, MD; Thomas Ackerson, MD; George Tang, MD; Alice Yoon, PA

L to R:

Mort Rizvi, MD; Mark J. Jo, MD; Walter Burnham, MD

Pain Management Arthritis Physical Therapy MRI

Todd Borenstein, MD

Bradley Curtis Johnson, MD

HuntingtonOrthopedics.com HUNTINGTON ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE 39 CONGRESS STREET, PASADENA, CA 91105 626-795-0282

HUNTINGTON ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE (SOUTH) 837 S FAIR OAKS AVE., PASADENA, CA 91105 626-795-0284


2022

L.A.’S TOP DOCTORS

J E N N A G A N G /G A L L E RY STO C K

I

n these times of pandemic insecurity, with mask-on/mask-off confusion and potential new viral variants lurking behind every cough and sneeze, choosing the right doctor matters more than ever. Uncle Cletus, the one with two priors, may swear by his proctologist, but is that really the best way to probe? You can try your luck via social-media crowdsourcing and gamble with your health. Or you can take the word of doctors who’ve nominated their peers. That’s what Los Angeles did—or rather,

we relied on Professional Research Services, a company that surveyed practicing physicians throughout Los Angeles County for their recommendations. Nominees were then vetted through the California Medical Board to ensure they’re licensed and in good standing. Names were also run by the Department of Consumer Affairs for complaints. Those with a clean bill of health made our annual Top Doctors list. Sorry, Uncle Cletus, your doc did not make the cut.

SEE LIST PAGE 112


TOP DOCS 2022

ADDICTION MEDICINE Itai Danovitch Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-2600 Keith Heinzerling Pacific Neuroscience Institute Santa Monica 310-582-7640 Matthew A. Torrington Matthew A. Torrington, M.D. Culver City 310-425-2472

ADOLESCENT MEDICINE Martin M. Anderson UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867

Melinda Braskett Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2501 Manish Butte UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867 Reyneiro Castro Huntington Asthma & Allergy Center Pasadena 626-793-6680 Joseph Church Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2501 Jonathan Corren Jonathan Corren M.D. and Associates West L.A. 310-312-5050 LanAnh Do Allergy Asthma Care Center Inc. Sawtelle 310-393-1550

Johanna Olson-Kennedy Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2153 Michele Roland Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2153 Diane Tanaka Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2153

ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY Saraleen Benouni Allergy Asthma Care Center Inc. Sawtelle 310-393-1550 Varaz Bozoghlanian Allergy Asthma Care Center Inc. Sawtelle 310-393-1550 112 L A M A G . C O M

Marion Johnson Downtown West Allergy and Asthma Westlake 213-300-2102 Rita Kachru UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-481-4646 Alan Khadavi Allergy and Asthma Care of Los Angeles Beverly Hills 310-282-8822 Marc J. Meth Century City Allergy Century City 310-438-5411 Stuart Y. Min Min Allergy & Asthma Center Alhambra 626-346-7653

ANESTHESIOLOGY

BREAST SURGERY

Dimiter Arnaudov Keck School of Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Elizabeth Arena Surgery Group L.A. Beverly Grove 310-289-1518

Andrew J. Costandi Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2262

Shahbaz Farnad Miracle Mile Medical Group Mid Wilshire 323-433-7744 Christian A. Koch Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-5000

Asif Rafi Allergy, Asthma, & Sinus Institute Sawtelle 424-256-2984 Danica J. Schulte Southern California Allergy Encino 818-990-9155

Edna Ma 90210 Surgery Medical Center Beverly Hills 310-651-2050

Joseph Shapiro Allergy and Asthma Institute Studio City 818-769-5998

David Mahjoubi Ketamine Healing Clinic of Los Angeles Westwood 424-278-4241

Interventional Pain Management and Regenerative Medicine

Lee Sheinkopf Allergy Asthma Care Center Inc. Sawtelle 310-393-1550

Rebecca Margolis Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-5591

REMEDY PAIN SOLUTIONS 13160 Mindanao Way, Ste. 300, Marina Del Rey 310-482-6906 Thinkrps.com

Caroline Chen Spagnola Kaiser Permanente Gardena 833-574-2273

Jonathan D. Maskin Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-5000

Raffi Tachdjian Raffi Tachdjian, M.D. Inc. Santa Monica 310-998-0060

Marla Matar Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2262

Flora A. Vardanian AllergyDox Burbank 818-561-4533

Puja Roy Beverly Hills Rhinoplasty Center: Deepak Dugar, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-276-1703

Robert Eitches Tower Allergy Beverly Grove 310-657-4600

AKASH BAJAJ, MD, MPH

Kevin Farnam Adult & Children Allergy Asthma Center Pasadena 626-793-2246 Ronald Ferdman Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2501 Maria I. Garcia-Lloret UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867 Brian K. Greenberg The Pediatric Group of Southern California Agoura Hills 818-735-5555

Karl von Tiehl Bowtie Allergy Specialists San Marino 626-460-6038 Cindy Xi Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Michelle Yasharpour Dr. Michelle Yasharpour Beverly Hills 424-625-4824

Jennifer Baker UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2144

Andres Falabella Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-5012

Yuan-Feng (Carl) Lo Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2262

Marvin Belzer Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2153 Claudia Borzutzky Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2153

Sherwin R. Hariri Beverly Hills Allergy Beverly Hills 424-322-9712

Gary Scott Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2262 Michael J. Sullivan City of Hope Duarte 626-256-4673 Ava Chomee Yoon Kaiser Permanente Bellflower 833-574-2273

Stephen F. Sener USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Boyle Heights 323-865-9910 Jeannie Shen UCLA Health Pasadena 626-356-3167 Lesley Taylor City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Alicia M. Terando Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

MICHAEL A. BURNSTINE, MD Oculofacial Plastic and Orbital Surgeon EYESTHETICA • Pasadena • Valencia 213-234-1000 contactus@ eyesthetica.com Eyesthetica.com

Alice P. Chung Cedars-Sinai West Hollywood 310-423-9331 Catherine M. Dang Cedars-Sinai West Hollywood 310-423-9331 Kristi Funk Pink Lotus Breast Center Beverly Hills 888-800-7522 Dennis R. Holmes Dennis R. Holmes, M.D., F.A.C.S. Westlake 800-203-5515 Veronica C. Jones City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Laura Kruper City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Amy M. Kusske UCLA Health Santa Monica 424-259-8791 Maria E. Nelson Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE Amy Polverini City of Hope South Pasadena 844-444-4673 Katharine Schulz-Costello City of Hope South Pasadena 844-444-4673

Carlie Thompson UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2144

CARDIAC SURGERY Abbas Ardehali UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-8232 Craig J. Baker Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Reshma M. Biniwale UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-7667 Robbin G. Cohen Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Fardad Esmailian Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-3851 Fernando Fleischman Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Cynthia Herrington Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4148 Danny Ramzy Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-3851 Richard J. Shemin UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-8232 Vaughn A. Starnes Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4148 Alfredo Trento Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-3851

CARDIOLOGY Arnold S. Baas UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-8816 Arash Bereliani Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology & Preventive Medicine Beverly Hills 310-550-8000 Michael Broukhim Pacific Heart Institute Santa Monica 310-829-7678 Eric Buch UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-2235 Steven Burstein PIH Health Westlake 213-977-0419 Kirk Y. Chang Kirk Y. Chang, M.D. Inc. Beverly Grove 310-659-4026 Nikhil Daga Foothill Cardiology Medical Group Inc. Pasadena 626-793-4139 Azhil (Alex) Durairaj Foothill Cardiology Medical Group, Inc. Pasadena 626-793-4139 Yaron Elad Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-248-8245 Shervin Eshaghian Beverly Hills Cardiology Century City 310-858-6500 David Filsoof Beverly Hills Cardiovascular Beverly Grove 310-424-5750 Antreas Hindoyan Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Hsin Yi Grace Huang Hsin Yi Grace Huang, M.D. Arcadia 626-576-1800 Sam Kalioundji Kal Heart Cardiovascular Specialists Northridge 818-477-2337 Ronald P. Karlsberg Cardiovascular Medical Group of Southern California Beverly Hills 310-278-3400


Ilan Kedan Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3496

Karol E. Watson UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-8811

Raj Khandwalla Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3496

Eric H. Yang UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9011

Michelle M. Kittleson Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-8300

Payam R. Yashar Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-556-2020

Ray V. Matthews Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Andreas Mauer Southern California Heart Specialists Pasadena 626-793-1227 Guy S. Mayeda PIH Health Westlake 213-977-0419 John McKenzie Heartbeat Cardiovascular Medical Group Glendale 818-243-9600 Ali Nsair UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9011 Leigh C. Reardon UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9011 R. Fernando Roth Foothill Cardiology Medical Group Inc. Pasadena 626-793-4139 Jay N. Schapira Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-659-2030 Michael D. Share Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-248-8245 Amir Solhpour Glendale Heart Institute Glendale 818-242-4191 Rigved V. Tadwalkar Providence - Pacific Heart Institute Santa Monica 310-829-7678 Mark K. Urman COR Medical Group Inc. Beverly Grove 310-659-0715 Cory A. Waldman Cory A. Waldman, M.D. Beverly Hills 424-239-1499

Kristal B.Y. Young Southern California Heart Specialists Pasadena 626-793-1227 Raymond Zimmer Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3496

COLON AND RECTAL SURGERY Moshe Barnajian Surgery Group L.A. Beverly Grove 310-861-7493 Liza M. Capiendo Los Angeles Colon & Rectal Surgical Associates Beverly Hills 310-627-2349 Kyle Graham Cologne Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Marjun Duldulao Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Babak (Bobby) Eghbalieh Southern California Multi-Specialty Center Sherman Oaks 818-900-6480 Eiman Firoozmand Los Angeles Colon & Rectal Surgical Associates Beverly Hills 310-627-2349 Phillip R. Fleshner Cedars-Sinai West Hollywood 310-289-9224 Wesley R. Heartfield PIH Health Westlake 213-977-0294 Christine Hsieh Keck Medicine of USC Pasadena (800) USC-CARE Andreas M. Kaiser City of Hope Duarte 626-256-4673

Howard S. Kaufman Huntington Colorectal Surgeons Pasadena 626-397-5896

Daryl Banta Huntington Pulmonary Medical Group Pasadena 626-486-0181

Kevork Kazanjian UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7788

Brooke Chandrasoma Huntington Pulmonary Medical Group Pasadena 626-486-0181

Mary Kwaan UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-4080 Lily Lau Lai City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Sang W. Lee Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE

Ching-Fei Chang Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Sucha Kim PIH Health Westlake 213-977-4979

Kurt A. Melstrom City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Beth A. Moore California Colorectal Surgeons Beverly Hills 310-854-3580 Zuri A. Murrell Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-854-3580 Yosef Nasseri Surgery Group L.A. Beverly Grove 310-861-7493 Joongho Shin Keck Medicine of USC La Cañada Flintridge (800) USC-CARE Robert Yavrouian Surgical Multispecialties Medical Group Boyle Heights 323-264-2633 Karen Zaghiyan Karen Zaghiyan, M.D. West Hollywood 310-289-9224

CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE AND PULMONARY DISEASE Joanne Bando UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111

Tisha S. Wang UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-8061

DERMATOLOGY Rachel Abuav Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3300 Ohara Aivaz Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3300 Haleh Bakshandeh Haleh Bakshandeh, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-274-7623

Anne Y. Lin UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7788 David Magner David Magner, M.D., F.A.C.S. Beverly Hills 310-421-4292

C. Andrew Schroeder C. Andrew Schroeder, M.D., F.C.C.P. Beverly Hills 310-734-4594

R. Sonia Batra Batra Dermatology Santa Monica 310-829-9099 DIANA CHAVKIN, MD, FACOG Reproductive Endocrinology/ Infertility HRC FERTILITY 11500 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. 504 West Los Angeles 313-481-0881 TeamChavkin@ havingbabies.com havingbabies.com

Michael S. Levine Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-8299 Dan I. Naim The Beverly Hills Lung and Sleep Institute Beverly Hills 310-691-1138 Ashkan Naraghi The Beverly Hills Lung and Sleep Institute Beverly Hills 310-691-1138 David G. Ng Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-424-5480

Daniel Behroozan Dermatology Institute of Southern California Santa Monica 310-904-0615 Neda Black Comprehensive Dermatology Center of Pasadena Pasadena 626-793-7790 Joanna Chan California Skin Institute Arcadia 626-446-8809 Lisa Chipps Moy Fincher Chipps Beverly Hills 310-274-5372 Melvin Chiu Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Shanthi Colaço Shanthi M.D. Rancho Park 323-421-4747

Scott S. Oh UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-8061

Ashley B. Crew Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Ayman Saad Huntington Pulmonary Medical Group Pasadena 626-486-0181

Janice L. DaVolio Huntington Dermatology Medical Group Inc. Pasadena 626-449-9992

Curtis C. Sather Optum Specialty Care Pasadena 626-304-4400

David Denenholz Pasadena Premier Dermatology Pasadena 626-449-4207

Nada M Elbuluk Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Binh T. Ngo Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Nima Gharavi Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3300

Jasmine O. Obioha Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3300

Pedram Ghasr Castle Dermatology Institute Tarzana 818-344-3378 Alan W. Heller Heller Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery Long Beach 562-498-2459 Misha M. Heller Heller Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery Long Beach 562-498-2459 Jenny C. Hu Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE Alex Khadavi Dermatology & Laser Medical Center of Encino & Thousand Oaks Encino 818-528-2500 Christine Choi Kim Heather J. Roberts, M.D., A Medical Corporation Sawtelle 310-477-4727

David Peng Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Susan M. Rabizadeh Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3300 David Rahimi Forever Young Inc. Beverly Grove 323-653-7700 Heather J. Roberts Heather J. Roberts, M.D., A Medical Corporation Sawtelle 310-477-4727 Parrish Sadeghi Pure Dermatology and Skin Surgery Center Santa Monica 310-954-9501 Adriana N. Schmidt Santa Monica Dermatology Group Santa Monica 310-829-4484

Leonard H. Kim LKMD Dermatology Century City 310-289-0009 Peter L. Kopelson The Kopelson Clinic Beverly Hills 310-271-7400 Tanya Kormeili Derm & Rejuvenation Institute Santa Monica 310-526-8301 Minnelly Luu Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4191

STEVEN C. DRESNER, MD Oculofacial Plastic and Orbital Surgeon EYESTHETICA • Santa Monica 213-234-1000 contactus@ eyesthetica.com Eyesthetica.com

Paul J. McAndrews Dr. Paul McAndrews, M.D. Pasadena 626-405-1155

Karen Sherwood Children’s Hospital Los Angeles La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-6726

Brian P. Mekelburg Brian P. Mekelburg, M.D., F.A.A.D. Beverly Grove 310-659-9075

Soheil Simzar Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Care Santa Clarita 661-254-3686

Badri Modi City of Hope Duarte 626-256-4673

Teresa Soriano UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-6911 L A M A G . C O M 11 3


TOP DOCS 2022

Stefani R. Takahashi Keck Medicine of USC La Cañada Flintridge (800) USC-CARE Allison K. Truong Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3300 Yen Tun Wang Metropolis Dermatology Downtown L.A. 213-319-3339 Scott D. Worswick Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE

DEVELOPMENTAL BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS Irene Koolwijk UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867

Keith E. Blackwell UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6688

Martin L. Hopp Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-657-7704

Henry H. Chen Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1220

Kevin Hur Keck Medicine of USC Arcadia (800) USC-CARE

Dinesh K. Chhetri UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6688 Alen N. Cohen Southern California Sinus Institute West Hills 818-888-7878 Marc Cohen Marc Cohen, M.D. Tarzana 818-609-0600 Karan Dhir Dr. Dhir Facial Plastic Surgery Beverly Hills 310-579-2051 Debra Don Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2145 Elisabeth D. Ference Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE

Larry Yin Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2110

EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT Elliot Abemayor UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6688 Behrad Brad Aynehchi Westside Head & Neck Culver City 310-742-8447 Anca Barbu Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1220 Steven A. Battaglia Huntington Ear Nose Throat Head & Neck Specialists Pasadena 626-796-6164 11 4 L A M A G . C O M

Michael Johns III Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE Robert S. Kang City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Niels C. Kokot Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Daniel Injung Kwon Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Matthew Lee Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1220 Gene C. Liu Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1220

Josh Mandelberg Griesbach, Batra and Mandelberg Sawtelle 310-996-8990 Douglas Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-3327

Akira Ishiyama UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6688

Ellie Maghami City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 JACQUELINE HO, MD, FACOG Reproductive Endocrinology/ Infertility HRC FERTILITY 55 S. Lake Ave., 9th Floor, Pasadena 626-440-9161 hoivf@ havingbabies.com havingbabies.com

Jon Mallen-St. Clair Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1220 Alexander Markarian Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Thomas J. Gernon City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Omid B. Mehdizadeh Pacific Neuroscience Institute Brentwood 310-477-5558

Gabriel Gomez Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2145

Roxana Moayer Keck Medicine of USC Beverly Hills (800) USC-CARE

Reena Gupta Center for Vocal Health Beverly Hills 310-736-4272

Ali R. Namazie SoCal ENT Encino 818-986-5500

Allen Ho Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1220

Ronen Nazarian Osborne Head & Neck Institute Beverly Grove 310-657-0123

Karla O’Dell Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE

Arthur Wu Beverly Hills Sinus Institute Beverly Grove 310-423-1220

David A. Tashman USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Glendale 323-226-6667

John S. Oghalai Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE

Mani H. Zadeh Los Angeles Sinus Institute Century City 888-361-2173

Sam S. Torbati Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-8780

Benjamin Rafii Beach Cities ENTS Torrance 310-540-2111 Alexis Korostoff Rieber Huntington Ear Nose Throat Head & Neck Specialists Pasadena 626-796-6164 Vanessa S. Rothholtz Pacific Coast Ear, Nose & Throat Beverly Hills 310-926-1573 Nina L. Shapiro UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6688 Jahangir Sharifi L.A. Sinus & Allergy Specialists Boyle Heights 323-226-0022 Nima Shemirani EOS Rejuvenation Beverly Hills 310-896-4205 Uttam K. Sinha Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE Maie A. St. John UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6688 Jeffrey D. Suh UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6688 Mark S. Swanson Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE Ben Talei Beverly Hills Center for Plastic & Laser Surgery Beverly Hills 310-288-0641 Dorothy Wang Westside Head & Neck Culver City 310-361-5439 Bozena B. Wrobel Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE

David M. Ulick Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-5111 Veronica Vasquez-Montez Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

STEPHANIE TRAN, MD Family medicine CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL GROUP 8767 Wilshire Blvd., Fl 2, Beverly Hills 8820 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills 310-423-4945 stephanietranmd.com IG @drstephanietran

Soroush Zaghi The Breathe Institute Westwood 313-579-9710 ext. 0 Richard Zoumalan Richard Zoumalan, M.D., F.A.C.S. Beverly Hills 310-278-1900

EMERGENCY MEDICINE Christine Cho Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2109 Carl R. Chudnofsky USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Boyle Heights 323-226-6675 Frank C. Day UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2111 Brandon L. Lew Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-5111 Lynne B. McCullough UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2111 Ameer Mody Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2109 Sanjeev K. Seth Providence St. John’s Health Center Santa Monica 310-829-5511

ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES, AND METABOLISM Shadi Abdelnour Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3228 David E. Aftergood Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-659-8824 Trevor E. Angell Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Braden G. Barnett Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE Michael A. Bush Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-652-3870 John David Carmichael Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Jennifer I. Chang Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena 626-397-8323 Dianne S. Cheung UCLA Health Torrance 310-542-6333 Pejman Cohan Pacific Neuroscience Institute Santa Monica 310-582-7640 Matthew J. Freeby UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-828-1050 Mitchell Geffner Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4606

Jordan Geller Geller Endocrinology Century City 310-277-1812 Neil J. Goldberg Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3228 Michael D. Harris Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3330 Anthony P. Heaney UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-828-1050 Sarah S. Kim UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-828-1050 Reza Nazemi Reza Nazemi, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-652-4743 Caroline T. Nguyen Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE Anne L. Peters Keck Medicine of USC Beverly Hills 800-872-2273 Wendy L. Sacks Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-3870 Yang Shen Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena 626-397-8323 Peter A. Singer Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Stephanie Smooke Praw UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-7922 Mahtab Sohrevardi Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena 626-397-8323 Conrad J. Tseng Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-652-3000 Hussein Naji Yassine Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

FAMILY MEDICINE Maya S. Benitez Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey 424-315-2458


Megan E. Chen Santa Monica Family Physicians Santa Monica 310-829-8908 Lawrence D. Dardick UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-656-1702

Rebecca Young Live Well Family Medicine Center of Naples Long Beach 562-434-7777

FOOT AND ANKLE SURGERY

David B. Thordarson Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-9778 Mark A. Weissman Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-6017

Jamie A. Elson Westside Internal Medicine Santa Monica 310-264-0765

Bob Baravarian University Foot & Ankle Institute Santa Monica 424-238-1042

Syamak Yamini Syamak Yamini, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S. Westwood 818-659-6594

Lichuan Fang UCLA Health Woodland Hills 818-610-0292

Timothy P. Charlton Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-9998

GASTROENTEROLOGY

Katherine Gibson Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Jason A. Hove UCLA Health Redondo Beach 310-937-8555 Carolyn L. Kaloostian Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Bernard J. Katz UCLA Health Pacific Palisades 310-459-2363 Nupur Kumar Kumar Medical PC Westlake 213-977-0187 Laura Mosqueda Keck Medicine of USC Pasadena (800) USC-CARE Jehni S. Robinson Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Colleen Marie Ryan Cedars-Sinai Culver City 310-248-7120 Manali Shendrikar Santa Monica Family Physicians Santa Monica 310-829-8948 Nicole Shweiri Optum Long Beach 562-420-1338 Denise K. Sur UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-4700 Stephanie Tran Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-423-4945

Braden Criswell Rissler Orthopaedic Group Pasadena 626-797-2002 Alexis E. Dixon Alexis E. Dixon, M.D. Marina del Rey 310-437-7922 Thomas G. Harris Congress Orthopaedic Associates Pasadena 626-795-8051 Brian K. Hong Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Kenneth S. Jung Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Westchester 310-665-7200 David Pougatsch Wound Institute of America Beverly Hills 310-919-4179 Jonathan R. Saluta Los Angeles Orthopaedic Center Westlake 213-482-2992 Nelson F. Soohoo UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-1234 David J. Soomekh Foot & Ankle Specialty Group Beverly Hills 310-651-2366 Eric Wan Tan Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE Benjamin Tehrani Kings Point Foot & Ankle Specialists Historic SouthCentral 323-843-3668

Benjamin Basseri Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-652-4472

Trilokesh Kidambi City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Jeffrey R. Lewis Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-8200 James L. Lin City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Glenn Littenberg inSite Digestive Health Care Pasadena 626-449-9920 Marc D. Makhani L.A. Digestive Health and Wellness Beverly Grove 310-657-5244

Ihab Beblawi inSite Digestive Health Care Pasadena 626-793-7114 Peyton P. Berookim Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California Beverly Hills 310-271-1122 James L. Buxbaum Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Derek Cheng Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-8200 Kalman Edelman inSite Digestive Health Care Pasadena 626-793-7114 Marc A. Edelstein Beverly Hills Gastroenterology Beverly Hills 310-659-1300 Pedram Enayati Gastroenterology Associates of Beverly Hills Beverly Grove 310-858-2224 Terri Getzug UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6279 Kevin Ghassemi UCLA Health Westwood 310-208-5400 Wendy Ho UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6279 Gregory E. Idos City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Ara Sahakian Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Jenny S. Sauk UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6279 Edward J. Share Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-652-4472 Gobind N. Sharma Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-8200 Omid A. Shaye Gastroenterology Associates of Beverly Hills Beverly Grove 310-858-2224 Sarah Sheibani Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

RONALD KARLSBERG, MD Cardiovascular and Preventive Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Imaging, Concierge Medicine CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICAL GROUP

414 N. Camden Dr., Ste. 1100, Beverly Hills 310-278-3400 cvmg.com

Shahab Mehdizadeh Beverly Hills Digestive Care Beverly Hills 310-246-4100 Richard E. Nickowitz inSite Digestive Health Care Pasadena 626-793-7114 Ari Nowain Center for GI Health: Ari Nowain, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-657-4444 Vikas K. Pabby UCLA Health North Hollywood 818-843-9038 David M. Padua Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-8200 Jonathan S. Pourmorady Jonathan S Pourmorady, M.D. Beverly Grove 310-507-9937 Peter M. Rosenberg inSite Digestive Health Care Pasadena 626-793-7114

Waleed W. Shindy inSite Digestive Health Care Pasadena 626-449-9920 Sassan Soltani inSite Digestive Health Care Pasadena 626-793-7114 Theodore N. Stein Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-8200 Carey B. Strom Tower Digestive Health Medical Group Beverly Grove 310-550-0400 Leo Treyzon Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-652-4472 David P. Yamini David P. Yamini, M.D. Santa Monica 310-285-3005 Julie Yang inSite Digestive Health Care Pasadena 626-793-7114

GENERAL SURGERY Brendan J. Carroll Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-854-0151

Adrian B. Dobrowolsky Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Timothy Donahue UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7788 Asok Doraiswamy L.A. - Surgical Arcadia 626-600-2094 Erik P. Dutson UCLA Health Valencia 661-219-2643 Babak (Bobby) Eghbalieh Southern California Multi-Specialty Center Sherman Oaks 818-900-6480 David E. Fermelia Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-248-6663 Wesley R. Heartfield PIH Health Westlake 213-977-0294 Oscar J. Hines UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7788 Darryl T. Hiyama UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7788 Neel R. Joshi Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-0289

Daniel R. Marcus Daniel Marcus, M.D. Marina del Rey 310-305-1813 Vahe Melkonyan Adventist Health Sherman Oaks 626-449-9922 Laleh Melstrom City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Brent Moelleken Brent Moelleken, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-919-1060 I. Benjamin Paz City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Wes J. Powell Wes J. Powell, M.D. Inc. Pasadena 626-449-0694 Hector C. Ramos Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Kamran Samakar Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE Daniel Shouhed Danny Shouhed, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-890-5834 Nojan Toomari Toomari Surgery Encino 818-570-1845

Faisal Khan Surgical Multispecialties Medical Group Boyle Heights 323-264-2633 Sepehr Lalezari Lalezari Surgical Westlake 213-545-1656 Troy M. LaMar Troy M. LaMar, M.D. Inc. Arcadia 626-445-0600 Aaron Lewis City of Hope South Pasadena 877-998-7546

David C. Chen UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-4080

John C. Lipham Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Jason Cohen Surgery Group L.A. Beverly Grove 310-861-7493

David J. Lourié David J. Lourié, M.D. Pasadena 626-793-7955

Som Kohanzadeh, MD, FACS, FACCWS Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery WOUND INSTITUTE OF AMERICA 250 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 106, Beverly Hills 310-975-9017 doctorsom@gmail. com drsom.com

Shirin Towfigh Beverly Hills Hernia Center Beverly Hills 310-358-5020 Gregory K. Tsushima Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-0289 L A M A G . C O M 115


TOP DOCS 2022

GENETICS Ora K. Gordon Providence - Roy & Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center Burbank 818-748-4748 Deborah Krakow UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Timothy J. Maarup Kaiser Permanente Downey 833-574-2273 Julian A. Martinez UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7700 Linda Randolph Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2178

Allison M. Mays Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3511

Paul S. Lin Dr. Paul Lin, M.D. Pasadena 626-867-6700

Laura Mosqueda Keck Medicine of USC Pasadena (800) USC-CARE

Wei-Chien Michael Lin City of Hope Mission Hills 818-660-4700

David B. Reuben UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-8272 Sonja L. Rosen Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3511 Elizabeth J. Whiteman Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3511

GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY Joshua G. Cohen UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Thanh H. Dellinger City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Pedro A. Sanchez Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-9914 Derek A. Wong UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867

GERIATRIC MEDICINE Erin A. Cook UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-4371 Arman Hekmati Innovative Medical Associates, Inc. Beverly Hills 310-281-4999 Carolyn L. Kaloostian Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Brandon K. Koretz UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-8272 116 L A M A G . C O M

Ramin Mirhashemi GYN L.A. Torrance 310-375-8446 Huyen Q. Pham Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Bobbie J. Rimel Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1126 Lorna RodriguezRodriguez City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Lynda D. Roman Keck Medicine of USC Pasadena (800) USC-CARE Ritu Salani UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274

Bianca E. Russell UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867 Sulagna C. Saitta UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867

Sanaz Memarzadeh UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274

BRADFORD KOLB, MD, FACOG, MBA Reproductive Endocrinology/ Infertility HRC FERTILITY 55 S. Lake Ave., 9th Floor, Pasadena 626-440-9161 GriseldaM@ havingbabies.com havingbabies.com

Ernest S. Han City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Beth Karlan UCLA Health Beverly Hills 310-794-3639 Stephen J. Lee City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Scott E. Lentz Kaiser Permanente East Hollywood 833-574-2273 Andrew J. Li Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5246

Eijean Wu Gyn Oncology Specialists East Hollywood 323-473-5499 Annie A. Yessaian Keck Medicine of USC Pasadena (800) USC-CARE Mae Zakhour UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274

HAND SURGERY Kodi K. Azari UCLA Health Westwood 310-319-1234 Prosper Benhaim UCLA Health Westwood 310-319-1234 Annette Billings Los Angeles Orthopaedic Center Westlake 213-482-2992 Vanessa Gabrovsky Cuéllar Vanessa Gabrovsky Cuéllar, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-256-4363

Ryan J. DellaMaggiora Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5900 Matthew J. Enna Golden State Bone & Joint Clinic Beverly Hills 310-858-3880 Douglas M. Freedman Douglas M. Freedman, M.D. Santa Monica 310-828-2042

Eugene Y. Tsai Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5900

HEMATOLOGY Steven H. Applebaum UCLA Health Pasadena 626-396-2999

Stuart H. Kuschner Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5900 Rachel E. Lefebvre Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE Nina Lightdale-Miric Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2142 Erin Meisel Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2141 M. Ramin Modabber Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Santa Monica 310-829-2663 Luke Thomas Nicholson Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Mort Rizvi Huntington Orthopedics Pasadena 626-795-0282 Steven S. Shin Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Beverly Grove 310-423-4566 Milan Stevanovic Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Alan C. Sull Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Santa Monica 310-829-2663

Kevin S. Scher Cedars-Sinai - Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group Beverly Hills 310-888-8680 Lasika C. Seneviratne USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Westlake 213-977-1214

Alidad Ghiassi Ghiassi Hand Surgery Brentwood 310-824-1262 David A. Kulber Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5900

Michael H. Rosove UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-4955

JEFFREY KRONSON, MD, FACS Vascular & Endovascular Surgery KRONSON MEDICAL CORPORATION (KMC) 301 W. Huntington Dr., Ste. 519, Arcadia 626-254-2287 (o) 626-254-2289 (f) jeffkronsonmd.com

Noam Z. Drazin Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3343 Shahrooz Eshaghian Cedars-Sinai Century City 310-229-3555 David M. Hoffman Cedars-Sinai - Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group Beverly Hills 310-888-8680 Howard A. Liebman Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Philomena F. McAndrew Cedars-Sinai - Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group Beverly Hills 310-888-8680 Mark V. McNamara Keck Medicine of USC Pasadena (800) USC-CARE Casey L. O’Connell Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Caroline Piatek Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Boyle Heights 800-872-2273

Marina Vaysburd Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3297 Christina Haeyoung Yeon City of Hope South Pasadena 877-998-7546

HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE MEDICINE Gitanjli Arora Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2109 Ilanit Brook Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-3854

HOSPITAL MEDICINE Michael Lazarus UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111

INFECTIOUS DISEASE Emily Blodget Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Benjamin E. Bluen Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-358-2300 Margrit E. Carlson UCLA Health Pico-Robertson 310-557-2273 Annabelle M. De St. Maurice UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867 Randy B. Feldman Comprehensive Care ID Medical Group Beverly Grove 310-855-1960 Cyril R. Gaultier Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-358-2300 Melvin Khaw Cedars-Sinai Encino 818-990-1067

Sorin Buga City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Alexander Kim Southern California Infectious Disease Westlake 213-461-0059

Christine Glaser City of Hope Duarte 626-256-4673

Jason B. Kirk Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-855-1960

Daniel M. Karlin UCLA Health Westwood 424-259-7009

Raphael J. Landovitz UCLA Health Pico-Robertson 310-557-2273

Marwa Wagih Kilani Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills 818-365-8051

David G. Man Huntington Hospital - Infectious Disease Consultants Pasadena 626-793-6133

Debra Lotstein Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-7142

Eric Milefchik Torrance Memorial Torrance 310-784-6954

Peter G. Phung UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6909 Sunita Puri Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Neha D. Nanda Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Paul H. Nieberg Paul H. Nieberg, M.D. Pasadena 626-304-0782


Joseph Nussbaum Southern California Infectious Disease Westlake 213-461-0059 Howard E. Pitchon Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-657-3719 Suman M. Radhakrishna Southern California Infectious Disease Westlake 213-461-0059 Kimberly A. Shriner Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-993-1990 Isabelle Y. Soh Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-7077 Richard T. Sokolov Jr. Richard T. Sokolov, M.D. Mid Wilshire 310-358-5530 Christopher N. Tymchuk UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-481-4242 Daniel Z. Uslan UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-7663 Tara Vijayan UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-7663 Darren Wong Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Rachel Zabner Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-358-2300 Phillip C. Zakowski Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-358-2300

INTERNAL MEDICINE Ehsan Ali Beverly Hills Primary Doctor Beverly Hills 310-504-3977 Wafaa Alrashid Wafaa Alrashid, M.D. Pasadena 626-449-4438

Stephanie K. Bui UCLA Health Brentwood 310-208-7777

David M. Kayne Cedars-Sinai Encino 818-990-1067

Eva Poon Eva Poon, M.D. Pasadena 626-508-3388

Patrick Y. Yao UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-8000

Julia A. Cassetta Keck Medicine of USC La Cañada Flintridge (800) USC-CARE

Joshua Khalili UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-207-0117

Rubencio Quintana Dr. Rubencio Quintana, M.D., F.A.C.P. Beverly Hills 310-659-5500

Jennifer Y. Yeung UCLA Health Brentwood 310-208-7777

Aaron Chiang Aaron Chiang, M.D. Century City 310-620-1888 Annapoorna R. Chirra UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-9830 Eric J. Curcio UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-315-8900 David T. Dang David T. Dang, M.D. Inc. Pasadena 626-344-0640

Kenneth S. Kleinman Kenneth S. Kleinman, M.D. Tarzana 818-300-0081 David Lalezari Dr. David Lalezari, M.D. Mid Wilshire 323-938-9999 John T. Liu John Liu, M.D. Westlake 213-481-9828

John Enayati Century Wellness Center Century City 310-551-1711 Jeremy Fine Dr. Jeremy Fine, M.D. Century City 310-556-8898 Samuel I. Fink Samuel I. Fink, M.D. Inc. Tarzana 818-609-0700 Christopher R. Fitzgerald Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-248-7188 Alan Frischer Frischer Medical Group Downey 562-806-0874 Peter C. Galier Premier Health Partners of Santa Monica Santa Monica 310-395-7471 Mark Ghalili Regenerative Medicine L.A. West Hollywood 310-295-9403 Bianca Grigorian Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena 626-792-3141

John B. Andrews Cedars-Sinai Santa Monica 310-385-6008

Arek A. Jibilian Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Benjamin J. Ansell UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-4881

David Y. Kawashiri Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3466

David Ramin David Ramin, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-276-7575 Jon C. Rasak Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-2977 Daniel L. Rowady Dr. Daniel L. Rowady Pasadena 626-345-6880 Joshua D. Sapkin Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE Daniel J. Stone Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3526

CHARLOTTA LA VIA, MD Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery LA VIA PLASTIC SURGERY 2001 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 1180-W Santa Monica 310-829-5550 charlottalavia.com

Dorothy H. Lowe Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-659-7000 Sasan Massachi Sasan Massachi, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-553-3013 Sharon E. Orrange Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center University Park (800) USC-CARE Adrian G. Ostrzega Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-6031 Joseph J. Pachorek Joseph J. Pachorek, M.D. Pasadena 626-795-4223 James E. Pacino Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Eric Sue The Sue Medical Group Century City 310-556-1800 Ronald Sue The Sue Medical Group Century City 310-556-2244 Ara Thomassian Cedars-Sinai - Valley Internal Medicine and Nephrology North Hollywood 818-487-0040 Claire T Tilem Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena 626-792-3141 Jeff Toll Jeff Toll, M.D. Century City 310-504-1231 Mabel Vasquez Keck Medicine of USC Downtown L.A. (800) USC-CARE Carrie L. Ward Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Neil S. Wenger UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6232 Shadi Yaghoubian Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-402-0548

MATERNAL AND FETAL MEDICINE Yalda Afshar UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Paola Aghajanian Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-9999 Clifford J. Bochner Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-657-3601 Tania F. Esakoff Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-9999 Michael Fassett Kaiser Permanente Mid City 833-574-2273 Esther Friedrich Kaiser Permanente East Hollywood 833-574-2273 Kimberly D. Gregory Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-9999 Rachel Gutkin Pacific Perinatal Center Torrance 310-944-9094 Christina Han UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-899-7500 Carla Janzen UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Deborah Krakow UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Lydia K. Lee UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Richard H. Lee Keck Medicine of USC Burbank (800) USC-CARE Aisling M. Murphy UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-899-7500 Tina A. Nguyen UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274

Joseph G. Ouzounian Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE Lawrence David Platt Center for Fetal Medicine & Women’s Ultrasound Carthay Circle 323-857-1952 Steve Rad Los Angeles Fetal & Maternal Care Center Beverly Grove 888-614-7668 Rashmi R. Rao UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Esther Schmuel Comprehensive Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center Tarzana 818-345-2455 Neil S. Silverman Center for Fetal Medicine & Women’s Ultrasound Carthay Circle 323-857-1952 Khalil Tabsh Maternal & Fetal Medicine Center of Southern California Inc. Santa Monica 310-829-8664 John Williams Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-9999

Philippe Friedlich Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-5939 Maria Rosario Timbol Maun Kaiser Permanente Mid City 833-574-2273 Jamie W. Powers Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-3826 Aaron J. Reitman Kaiser Permanente East Hollywood 833-574-2273

NEPHROLOGY Behnoud Beroukhim Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-8661 Wendy W. Cheng Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-657-9841 Stuart Friedman Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-8661 Larry Froch Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-8661 Earl M. Gordon Pacific Medical and Nephrology Santa Monica 310-453-4599

NEONATAL AND PERINATAL MEDICINE Bimal P. Agrawal Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-3826 Kara L. Calkins UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2111 Rachel Chapman Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-5939

CHRISTOPHER C. LO, MD Oculofacial Plastic and Orbital Surgeon EYESTHETICA • Santa Monica • Pasadena • Torrance • Irvine 213-234-1000 contactus@ eyesthetica.com Eyesthetica.com

Hannaise C. Cruz Kaiser Permanente Mid City 833-574-2273

Huma S. Hasnain UCLA Health Torrance 310-542-6333

Stephanie Dekom Kaiser Permanente Mid City 833-574-2273

Reza Khorsan UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-8277

Sherin U. Devaskar UCLA Health Westwood 310-481-7545

Kenneth S. Kleinman Kenneth S. Kleinman, M.D. Tarzana 818-300-0081 L A M A G . C O M 117


TOP DOCS 2022

Ravi Sharad Lakdawala Tower Nephrology Medical Group Beverly Hills 310-652-9162 Luani Lee Premier Nephrology Medical Group Downtown L.A. 213-748-1414 Michael S. Linsey Huntington Hospital - Pasadena Nephrology Pasadena 626-577-1675 Ilian O. Marquez Arroyo Nephrology Associates Pasadena 626-794-7075 David N. Matsumura Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-8661

Danny Benmoshe Danny Benmoshe, M.D. Sawtelle 310-688-8800 Jeff M. Bronstein UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-1195 William G. Buxton Pacific Neuroscience Institute Santa Monica 310-582-7641 Marisa Chang Neurological Associates - The Interventional Group Santa Monica 310-829-5968 Frances Elaine Chow Keck Medicine of USC La Cañada Flintridge (800) USC-CARE William Chow Dr. William Chow Neurology Beverly Grove 310-659-4986 Helena Chang Chui Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Anjay Rastogi UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5225 Leon Rovner Premier Nephrology Medical Group Downtown L.A. 213-748-1414 Samy Sharobeem Samy Sharobeem, M.D. Inc. Beverly Hills 310-203-0222 Ashok Sunderraj Arroyo Nephrology Associates Pasadena 626-794-7075

NEUROLOGY Peter-Brian Andersson Neurology Consulting Inc. Tarzana 818-287-8018 118 L A M A G . C O M

Geoffrey P. Colby UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5111

Arun Ramachandran Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-385-6016

Aaron Cutler Inland Neurosurgery Institute Pomona 909-450-0369

Jeffrey L. Saver UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111

Lisa Anne Feldman City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Colin Stokol Colin Stokol, M.D. Beverly Grove 310-855-5999

Igor Fineman Raymond Neurosurgery and Spine Pasadena 626-535-0552

Steven N. Sykes Cedars-Sinai Santa Monica 424-314-7810 Nicholas R. Szumski Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-385-6016 Ravi Vakani Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey 424-314-6080 Shilpa Wali Kaiser Permanente Panorama City 833-574-2273

NEUROSURGERY

Ann E. Moore Huntington Hospital - Pasadena Nephrology Pasadena 626-577-1675 Mitra K. Nadim Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Artin Minaeian Axon Neurology Glendale 818-265-2245

Sean Armin Brain and Spine Center of Southern CA Valley Village 424-276-6253

DANIEL LODER, MD Spine and Orthopedic Pain Specialists INTERVENTIONAL PAIN DOCTORS 8436 W. 3rd St., Ste. 800, Los Angeles 310-448-3459 office.loder@ ipaindocs.com ipaindocs.com

Lisa G. Cook The Los Angeles Headache Center Century City 310-277-9534 Ilan J. Danan Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Westchester 310-665-7200 Jonathan Eskenazi Neurological Institute of Los Angeles Beverly Grove 310-933-4590 James C. Ha Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-385-6016

Behnam Badie City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Garni Barkhoudarian Pacific Neuroscience Institute Santa Monica 310-582-7450 Marvin Bergsneider UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5111 Keith L. Black Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-7900

Steven L. Giannotta Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Nestor R. Gonzalez Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-0783 Langston T. Holly UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-3475 Patrick C. Hsieh Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Daniel F. Kelly Pacific Neuroscience Institute Santa Monica 310-582-7450 Deven Khosla Achieve Brain & Spine Santa Monica 310-710-1919 Won Kim UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5111 Todd Lanman Lanman Spinal Neurosurgery Beverly Hills 310-385-7766 Linda M. Liau UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5111

Mike Y. Chen City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

John C. Liu Keck Medicine of USC Beverly Hills (800) USC-CARE

Thomas C. Chen Keck Medicine of USC La Cañada Flintridge (800) USC-CARE

William J. Mack Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Ray M. Chu Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-248-6693

Luke Macyszyn UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-3475

Jasvinder S. Nangiana Providence Medical Institute - Mission Hills Mission Hills 818-361-0917 Moksha Ranasinghe Southern California Brain & Spine Surgery Montebello 213-369-4583

Johannes Czernin UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111

Valerie P. Myers Huntington OBGYN Pasadena 626-449-6223

Hossein Jadvar Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Erica D. Oberman UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274

Heidi R. Wassef Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

BRIAN P. MEKELBURG, MD Dermatology BRIAN P. MEKELBURG, MD 8631 W. 3rd St., Ste. 1035E Los Angeles 310-659-9075 toplosangelesdermatologist.com

Ian B. Ross Ian B. Ross, M.D. Pasadena 626-793-8194 Walavan Sivakumar Pacific Neuroscience Institute Torrance 424-212-5361 Amir Vokshoor Amir Vokshoor, M.D. Santa Monica 800-899-0101 Anthony C. Wang UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5111 Gabriel Zada Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

NUCLEAR MEDICINE Shahram Bonyadlou Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Patrick M. Colletti Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Peter Stephen Conti Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights 323-442-3858

Laila A. Al-Marayati Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE Shamsah Amersi Shamsah Amersi, M.D. Santa Monica 310-264-5600 Peyman Banooni Peyman Banooni, M.D. Beverly Hills 424-281-7790 Rebecca Brown Rodeo Drive Women’s Health Center Beverly Hills 310-432-6640 Mark A. Dwight PIH Health Physicians Westlake 213-977-4190 Della J. Fong Fair Oaks Women’s Health Pasadena 626-304-2626 Jennifer J. Israel Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE David Seil Kim Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-385-3380 James A. Macer Huntington OBGYN Pasadena 626-449-6223 Erin Meschter Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1224 Evelyn N. Mitchell Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights 323-409-3416 Michael S. Mitri Fair Oaks Women’s Health Pasadena 626-304-2626

Alyssa M. Quimby Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1224 Jeannine Rahimian UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Ramneek Rana UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-899-7500 Radhika D. Rible UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Valentina M. Rodriguez UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Taaly Silberstein Taaly Silberstein, M.D Tarzana 818-996-3200 Deepjot K. Singh Deepjot K. Singh, M.D. Torrance 310-373-7900 Karyn M. Solky Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-967-4324 Aparna Sridhar UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Frances Y. Teng The Alessandro OBGYN Pasadena 626-440-9190 Timothy Tsui Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-6600 Sara Beth Twogood Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1224 Hadar Waldman Hadar Waldman, M.D. Westwood 310-556-1427 Sarah K. Yamaguchi DTLA Gynecology Westlake 213-476-1600 Mya R. Zapata UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274


OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE Glen John Apramian St. George’s Medical Clinic Pasadena 626-440-0097

ONCOLOGY Steven H. Applebaum UCLA Health Pasadena 626-396-2999 Ani Balmanoukian Cedars-Sinai - The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute Sawtelle 310-582-7900

Syma Iqbal Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Irene Morae Kang Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Daniel Kim City of Hope South Pasadena 877-998-7546 Heinz-Josef Lenz Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Vincent Chung City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Min Janice Lu Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Alexandra Drakaki UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-829-5471

Aashini K. Master UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-998-4747

Noam Z. Drazin Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3343 Anthony B. El-Khoueiry Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Shahrooz Eshaghian Cedars-Sinai Century City 310-229-3555 Marwan G. Fakih City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 John A. Glaspy UCLA Health Porter Ranch 818-271-2500 Jason Ho Metropolitan Hematology Oncology Medical Group Inc. Westlake 213-877-6252 David M. Hoffman Cedars-Sinai - Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group Beverly Hills 310-888-8680 Sara A. Hurvitz UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-998-4747 Gino Kim In Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Philomena F. McAndrew Cedars-Sinai - Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group Beverly Hills 310-888-8680 Mark V. McNamara Keck Medicine of USC Pasadena (800) USC-CARE Youram Nassir Cancer Care Institute Mid Wilshire 323-930-2324 Jorge J. Nieva Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Niki Patel City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Lawrence D. Piro Cedars-Sinai - The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute Sawtelle 310-582-7900 David I. Quinn Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Kevin S. Scher Cedars-Sinai - Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group Beverly Hills 310-888-8680

Lasika C. Seneviratne USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Westlake 213-977-1214

David S. Boyer Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group Westlake 213-483-8810

Ravi M. Shankar PIH Health Whittier 562-789-5480

Michael A. Burnstine Eyesthetic, Inc. Pasadena 626-662-7661

Dennis J. Slamon UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-998-4747 Marina Vaysburd Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3297 Henry Wang Keck Medicine of USC Arcadia (800) USC-CARE

Candy K. Chan Milestones Retina Eye Care South Pasadena 626-507-5655 Jessica R. Chang Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

David Aizuss Ophthalmology Associates of the Valley Encino 747-227-7412

Kerry Assil Assil Eye Institute of Los Angeles Beverly Hills 310-651-2300 Gavin G. Bahadur UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-829-0160 John D. Bartlett UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5000 Sahar Bedrood Acuity Eye Group & Retina Institute Pasadena Pasadena 626-269-5348 Jesse Berry Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Benjamin B. Bert UCLA Health Pasadena 626-817-4747 Mark Borchert Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2347 Brian Boxer Wachler Boxer Wachler Vision Institute Beverly Hills 310-860-1900

Uday Devgan Devgan Eye Surgery Sawtelle 800-337-1969 Justin Dredge Colvard-Kandavel Eye Center Encino 818-906-2929 Steven C. Dresner Eyesthetica Inc. Santa Monica 310-362-2289 Calvin T. Eng Garfield Medical Center Monterey Park 626-289-8260 Kimberly K. Gokoffski Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

OPHTHALMOLOGY

Tarek Alasil Acuity Eye Group & Retina Institute - Los Angeles Westlake 213-413-7301

Luke Deitz Wright Center Beverly Grove 310-652-6420

BRENT MOELLEKEN, MD, FACS Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery BRENT R. W. MOELLEKEN, MD, FACS

120 S. Spalding Dr., Ste. 110, Beverly Hills 310-273-1001 drbrent.com

Tom S. Chang Acuity Eye Group & Retina Institute Arcadia Arcadia 626-574-0009 Brian Chen Acuity Eye Group & Retina Institute Lincoln Heights Lincoln Heights 323-221-6186 Vikas Chopra UCLA Health Arcadia 626-254-9010 D. Michael Colvard Colvard-Kandavel Eye Center Encino 818-906-2929 Michael J. Davis Acuity Eye Group & Retina Institute Downey Downey 562-862-6200 Pouya N. Dayani Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group Westlake 213-483-8810

Kweku Grant-Acquah Acuity Eye Group & Retina Institute Westchester Westchester 310-673-2020 Melinda Hakim Dr. Melinda Hakim Beverly Hills 310-657-3030 J. Martin Heur Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Jeffrey Huang Diamond Vision Institute Alhambra 626-799-2075 Jennifer S. Huang Southland Eye Surgeons Monterey Park 626-289-8260 Renu V. Jivrajka M/S Surgery Center LLC Whittier 562-690-8097 Arbi Khemichian Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-796-5325 Monica Ralli Khitri UCLA Health Pasadena 626-817-4747 Mark Kramar Ophthalmology Associates of the Valley Encino 747-227-7412

Howard R. Krauss Pacific Neuroscience Institute Santa Monica 310-582-7640 Maziar Lalezary Doctor Retina Beverly Hills 310-571-5026 Linda A. Lam Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Marcos Lemor Marcos Lemor, M.D. East L.A. 323-262-3333 Christopher C. Lo Eyesthetica Inc. Downtown L.A. 213-770-6304 Kenneth L. Lu UCLA Health Arcadia 626-254-9010 Jonathan I. Macy Macy Eye Center Beverly Grove 310-861-3764 Michael P. Miller Michael P. Miller, M.D. Pasadena 626-585-8700 Audrey Mok Eye Treatment Center Long Beach 562-988-8668

Srinivas R. Sadda UCLA Health Arcadia 626-254-9010 Alfredo A. Sadun UCLA Health Pasadena 626-817-4747 David B. Samimi Eyesthetica Inc. Encino 213-318-3037 Irene F. Sasaki Eye Treatment Center Long Beach 562-988-8668 Aaron Savar Eyes by Savar Beverly Hills 310-276-9800 Neda Shamie Maloney-Shamie Vision Institute Westwood 310-882-6365 Avneet K. Sodhi Gaur Assil Eye Institute of Los Angeles Beverly Hills 310-651-2300 Alice Song Dr. Song Vision Pasadena 626-844-9393 Julia Song Dr. Song Vision Pasadena 626-844-9393

Andrew A. Moshfeghi Keck Medicine of USC- USC Roski Eye Institute Pasadena (800) USC-CARE Annie Nguyen Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights 323-442-6335 Vicky C. Pai Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-796-5325 Vivek Ravindra Patel Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE David Richardson David Richardson, M.D. San Marino 626-289-7856 Daniel B. Rootman UCLA Health Pasadena 626-817-4747

NEAL K. PATEL, DPM, DABPM Podiatric Medicine, Wound Care and Amputation Prevention WOUND INSTITUTE OF AMERICA 250 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 106, Beverly Hills 310-919-4179 npatel@ woundinstitute.com woundinstitute.com

Abraham E. Soroudi Soroudi Vision Lasik & Eye Centers West L.A. 310-474-2010 Brian C. Toy Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Irena Tsui UCLA Health Arcadia 626-254-9010 L A M A G . C O M 119


TOP DOCS 2022

Daniel C. Allison Daniel C. Allison, M.D., F.A.C.S. Beverly Grove 310-600-7176

Raymond J. Hah Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE

Alen A. Nourian Dr. Alen A. Nourian, M.D. Encino 805-416-1777

Gabriel Barnard California Pain Medicine Center Santa Monica 310-264-7246

Arash Lavian Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Santa Monica 310-829-2663

Lindsay Andras Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2142

Michael G. Hannon Hannon Orthopedics Beverly Hills 310-362-3099

Daniel A. Oakes Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Beny Charchian The Joint and Spine Institute Beverly Hills 310-274-1500

Daniel Loder Beverly Hills Pain Management Beverly Grove 310-860-3049

Suhas Tuli Tuli Eye Care Center Burbank 818-845-2015

Nicholas M. Bernthal UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-1234

Reid Wainess Acuity Eye Group & Retina Institute Arcadia Arcadia 626-574-0009

Richard Bowen UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-1234

Peter Ho Win Win Retina Arcadia 626-447-7008 Benjamin Y. Xu Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Michael C. Yang Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3450 Steven J. Yoon Specialty Eye Care Glendale 818-265-7777 Sandy X. Zhang-Nunes Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

OPTOMETRY Gloria B. Chiu Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Kambiz Silani Beverly Hills Optometry Beverly Hills 310-659-2020 Lernik Torossian Keck Medicine of USC - USC Roski Eye Institute Boyle Heights 323-442-6335 Kosol Vipapan Eye Place Optometry Pasadena 626-792-9979

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY Sonu Ahluwalia Sonu Ahluwalia, M.D., F.A.C.S. Century City 310-430-1310 12 0 L A M A G . C O M

Keith R. Brookenthal The Adolescent & Children’s Orthopedic Surgeon Encino 818-789-9449 Walter Burnham Huntington Orthopedics Pasadena 626-795-0282 Alexander Christ Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

George F. (Rick) Hatch Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Nathanael D. Heckmann Nathanael D. Heckmann, M.D. Boyle Heights 323-442-8018

Christos D. Photopoulos Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Westchester 310-665-7200

Kevork N. Hindoyan Congress Orthopaedic Associates Pasadena 626-795-8051

Jonathan R. Saluta Los Angeles Orthopaedic Center Westlake 213-482-2992

Mark J. Jo Huntington Orthopedics Pasadena 626-795-0282 Bradley Curtis Johnson Huntington Orthopedics Pasadena 626-795-0282 Kristofer J. Jones Kristofer J. Jones, M.D. Torrance 310-319-1234

David A. Pougatsch, DPM, FACCWS Podiatric Medicine, Wound Care and Amputation Prevention WOUND INSTITUTE OF AMERICA 250 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 106, Beverly Hills 310-919-4179 dp@woundinstitute. com woundinstitute.com

Alexis E. Dixon Alexis E. Dixon, M.D. Marina del Rey 310-437-7922 J. Dominic Femino City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Jonathan Frank Jonathan Frank, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-247-0466 David B. Golden Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3326 Rachel Goldstein Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2142

Vahe Panossian Huntington Orthopedics Pasadena 626-795-0282

Robert Kay Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2142 Sanjay Khurana L.A. Spine and Orthopedic Institute Marina del Rey 310-437-7925 Sang Do Kim SK Spine Beverly Grove 310-248-8511 Robert C. Klapper Cedars-Sinai West Hollywood 310-659-6889 Jay R. Lieberman Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Rojeh Melikian Rojeh Melikian, M.D. Sawtelle 310-426-8206 Luke Thomas Nicholson Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Marc A. Samson Los Angeles Orthopaedic Center Westlake 213-482-2992

Edward K. Pang Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-248-7358 Sanjog S. Pangarkar Kaiser Permanente Panorama City 833-574-2273 MOLLY QUINN, MD, FACOG Reproductive Endocrinology/ Infertility HRC FERTILITY 55 S. Lake Ave., 9th Floor, Pasadena 626-440-9161 quinnivf@ havingbabies.com havingbabies.com

Grant D. Shifflett Grant D. Shifflett, M.D. Marina del Rey 949-216-0480

Andrew J. Costandi Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2262

Tae Shin Los Angeles Orthopaedic Center Westlake 213-482-2992

Ilan J. Danan Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Westchester 310-665-7200

David L. Skaggs Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-6665

Joseph Enayati Beverly Hills Advanced Pain & Spine Pico-Robertson 310-651-6937

Carlos A. Uquillas Shriners for Children Medical Center Pasadena 626-389-9300 Suketu B. Vaishnav Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-6026 Alexander E. Weber Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Andrew B. Weiss Andrew B. Weiss, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-652-1800 Erik N. Zeegen UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-1234

PAIN MEDICINE Akash Bajaj Remedy Pain Solutions Marina del Rey 310-482-6906

Shahbaz Farnad Miracle Mile Medical Group Mid Wilshire 323-433-7744 Hilary J. Fausett Hilary J. Fausett, M.D. Pasadena 626-440-5900 Nicholas S. Fuller Interventional Pain Doctors Beverly Hills 310-854-0283 Evish Kamrava The Spine Institute Center for Spinal Restoration Santa Monica 310-828-7757 Eugene Kim Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-7686 Faisal Lalani Pain & Healing Institute Beverly Hills 310-856-9488

Ajay Patel Ajay Patel, M.D. Downey 562-869-3585 Shawn Roofian Integrated Pain Management Beverly Hills 310-926-4922 Nadiv Y. Samimi Pain & Healing Institute Beverly Hills 310-856-9488 Joseph C. Tu Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3530 Payam Vahedifar Nuvo Spine and Sports Institute & Ortho Regenerative Center Encino 818-986-0200

PATHOLOGY Manju Aron Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Bonnie L. Balzer Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-6623 Sarah M. Dry UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111 Bruce Pawel Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4756 Nick Shillingford Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-5778

William Dean Wallace Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Larry Wang Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2426 Linan Wang Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-8616 Mikako Warren Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2069 Shengmei Zhou Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-6189

PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY Joseph Ahdoot Pacific Pediatric Cardiology Medical Group Inc. Pasadena 626-796-9259 Juan C. Alejos UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-7667 Sarah Badran Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4635 Lennis Burke Pacific Pediatric Cardiology Medical Group Inc. Pasadena 626-796-9259 Timothy W. Casarez Pediatric Cardiology Medical Associates of Southern California Encino 818-784-6269 Elizabeth R. De Oliveira Pacific Pediatric Cardiology Medical Group Inc. Pasadena 626-796-9259 Jon Detterich Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461

Wonwoo Shon Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-6623

David A. Ferry Pediatric Cardiology Medical Associates of Southern California Encino 818-784-6269

Harry V. Vinters UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2631

Ruchira Garg Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1153


Georgios A. Hartas Children’s Heart Clinic Glendale 818-839-7101 Brandy Hattendorf Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461 Allison Hill Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461 Paul K. Kantor Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461 Grace Kung Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461 Daniel S. Levi UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-7667

Evan M. Zahn Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1153

Ronald W. Cotliar UCLA Health Santa Monica 424-259-8570

PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE

Meagan Hughes Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4191

Fernando Beltramo Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2262 Elizabeth Bragg Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-5591 Yonca Bulut UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111 Sylvia Del Castillo Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2557

Sonia Kamath Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4191 Minnelly Luu Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4191

Gilberto Bultron Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Gregory S. Perens UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-7667

Clement Cheung Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4606

Jay Pruetz Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461

Andranik Madikians UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2631

Leigh C. Reardon UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9011

John W. Marcum Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2557

Mark S. Sklansky UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-7667 Jennifer Su Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461 Jacqueline Szmuszkovicz Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461 Pierre Wong Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461 John Wood Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-5470

Christopher Newth Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2557 Jose Pineda Soto Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2557 Patrick Ross Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2262

PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY Carol Cheng UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-917-3376

Ron J. Bahar Ron J. Bahar, M.D. Encino 818-905-6600

PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY

Robinder Khemani Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2557

Barry Markovitz Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2557

PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY

Vrinda Bhardwaj Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2181

Juliana Austin Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4606

Gary M. Satou UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-7667

Bahareh M. Schweiger Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-7779

Karen Sherwood Children’s Hospital Los Angeles La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-6726

Myke D. Federman UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111

Jondavid Menteer Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2461

Jennifer Raymond Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4606

Harvey K. Chiu UCLA Health Calabasas 818-592-2320 Lynda K. Fisher Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4606 Mitchell Geffner Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4606 David Geller Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Santa Monica 310-820-8608 Suparna Jain Tenth Street Pediatric Medical Group Santa Monica 310-458-1714 Steven D. Mittelman UCLA Health Calabasas 818-592-2320

Rohit Kohli Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2181

David Freyer Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Jeffrey Bender Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2509

Hillel Naon Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2181

Thomas C. Hofstra Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Annabelle De St. Maurice UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867

Roy Nattiv Children’s Gastroenterology MCSG Torrance 562-933-6730

Julie Jaffray Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Paul A. Krogstad UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111

Shreena Patel Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2181 Shervin Rabizadeh Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-7100 Elaheh Vahabnezhad UCLA Health Santa Monica 424-259-8570 Robert S. Venick UCLA Health Los Angeles 310-825-0867

DAVID B. SAMIMI, MD Oculofacial Plastic and Orbital Surgeon EYESTHETICA • Santa Monica • Encino 213-234-1000 contactus@ eyesthetica.com Eyesthetica.com

Brynie Slome Collins Brynie Slome Collins, M.D. Encino 818-905-6600 Harry Cynamon Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2181 Susan Pacini Edelstein Beverly Hills Gastroenterology Beverly Hills 310-659-1300

Ardath Yamaga Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2181 George Yanni Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2181

Rima Jubran Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Kanokporn Mongkolrattanothai Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2509

Fataneh Majlessipour Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-4423

Michael Neely Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2509

Ashley Margol Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Pia Pannaraj Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2509

Leo Mascarenhas Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Mark B. Salzman Kaiser Permanente Mid City 323-857-2000

Theodore B. Moore UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111 Michael Pulsipher Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

David A. Ziring Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-7100

Nathan J. Robison Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY

Rachana Shah Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Thomas Coates Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624 Tom Davidson Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Pablito Nagpala Memorial Care Long Beach 562-595-0166

Tanaz Farzan Danialifar Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Santa Monica 310-820-8608

Christopher C. Denton Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624

Cedric Ng Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena 626-397-8323

Rula Harb Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2181

Noah C. Federman UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5225

Saranya Veluswamy Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4624 Alan S. Wayne Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2121

PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE Grace M. Aldrovandi UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111

Nava Yeganeh UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9111

PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY Carl Grushkin Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2102

GRANT SHIFFLETT, MD Spinal Surgery DISC SPORTS AND SPINE CENTER 4551 Glencoe Ave., Ste. 145, Marina Del Rey 3501 Jamboree Rd., Ste. 1250 Newport Beach 310-574-0400 shifflettspine.com

Kevin V. Lemley Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2102 Gary Lerner Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2102 L A M A G . C O M 121


TOP DOCS 2022

Rachel Lestz Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2102 Dechu P. Puliyanda Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-4747

PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY Nicole H. Cobo Memorial Care Adult & Child Neurology Medical Associates Long Beach 562-490-3580 Jay Desai Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2471

PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGERY Peter A. Chiarelli Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2169 Eisha Anne Christian Kaiser Permanente East Hollywood 833-574-2273 Jason Chu Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2169 Moise Danielpour Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-8061 Susan Durham Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2169 Aria Fallah UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5111 Mark Krieger Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2169

Eugenia Ho Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2471 Quyen Luc Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2471 Wendy Mitchell Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2471 Arthur Partikian Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2471 Leigh Maria Ramos-Platt Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2471 Tena Rosser Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2471 Kiarash Sadrieh Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2471 Yana J. Tavyev Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-7779 12 2 L A M A G . C O M

Julienne Jacobson Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-3500 Bradley Peterson Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-660-2450 Scott Sweet Scott Sweet, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-247-1517

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY Manvi Bansal Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2387 Lara Bishay Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2287 Roberta Kato Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2287 Thomas Keens Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2287 Iris Perez Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2287

ISABELLE SOH, MD, MPH Primary Care CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL GROUP 8767 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor Beverly Hills 310-248-7077 sohmd.com

Anthony C. Wang UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5111

Mindy Ross UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867 Muhammad M. Saeed Kaiser Permanente East Hollywood 833-574-2273 Sally Ward Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2287

PEDIATRICS PEDIATRIC PSYCHIATRY Katrine J. Enrile Claremont University Student Health Services - Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services Claremont 909-621-8202 Robert Holloway Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Beverly Grove 310-403-7878

Monica Asnani Miracle Mile Pediatrics Beverly Grove 323-484-2245 Eyal Ben-Isaac Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2122 Adrian E. Castro Huntington Health Physicians Descanso Pediatrics La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-5583

Kristin B. Chapman Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena Pediatrics Pasadena 626-449-7350 Yee-Jean Chou Huntington Health Physicians Descanso Pediatrics La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-5583 Diala Faddoul Huntington Health Physicians Descanso Pediatrics La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-5538 Kirsten J. Gardner Huntington Health Physicians Descanso Pediatrics La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-5583 Sandra S. Gildersleeve Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena Pediatrics Pasadena 626-449-7350 Inessa Grinberg Beverly Hills Pediatrics Beverly Hills 310-854-0770 Jayme E. Heath UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-829-9935 Nareen Hindoyan Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena Pediatrics Pasadena 626-449-7350 Candice C. Ho UCLA Health Mar Vista 310-231-9150 Carlos F. Lerner UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-0867 Fasha Liley Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-669-2110 Karen S. Lin UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-829-9935 June C. Liu UCLA Health Mar Vista 310-231-9150

Gregory S. Lizer Huntington Health Physicians Descanso Pediatrics La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-5583 Stephanie Mackanic Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena Pediatrics Pasadena 626-449-7350

Hand, Elbow & Shoulder, Foot & Ankle, Sports, Spine Surgery, Scoliosis, Fracture Care, Pain Management, Addiction Medicine, Arthritis, Physical Therapy, MRI HUNTINGTON ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE

39 Congress St. Pasadena 626.795.0282

HUNTINGTON ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTE (SOUTH)

837 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena 626-795-0284 huntingtonorthopedics. com

Shakeh A. Mazmanian Huntington Health Physicians Descanso Pediatrics La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-5583 Mary Ellen McCormick Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena Pediatrics Pasadena 626-449-7350 Young Nam-Choi UCLA Health Mar Vista 310-231-9150 Petra (Micky) Obradovic Lakeside Community Healthcare Burbank 818-557-7278 Pamela J. Phillips Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3345 John G. Rodarte Huntington Health Physicians Descanso Pediatrics La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-5583 Ann B. Sahakian Huntington Health Physicians Descanso Pediatrics La Cañada Flintridge 818-790-5583

Sarah Salamon Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena Pediatrics Pasadena 626-449-7350 Michelle Thompson Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2122 Rungsima Vayupakparnonde Lakeside Community Healthcare Burbank 818-557-7278 Stephanie J. Whang Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena Pediatrics Pasadena 626-449-7350 Angela Zurabyan Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena Pediatrics Pasadena 626-449-7350

PEDIATRIC SLEEP MEDICINE Alfonso J. Padilla UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-449-0939 Iris Perez Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2287 Sally Ward Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2287

PEDIATRIC SURGERY Dean Anselmo Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-5193 David Bliss Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2276 Steve C. Chen Beverly Hills Pediatric Surgery Beverly Hills 310-598-7738 Daniel A. Deugarte UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-2429

Christopher Gayer Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-4974 Tracy Grikscheit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-5901 Howard Chung-Hao Jen UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-2429 Eugene S. Kim Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-8332 Steven L Lee UCLA Health Torrance 310-373-4303 Nam X. Nguyen Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-7662 Shant Shekherdimian UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-2429 Cathy Shin Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2322 James E. Stein Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 626-795-7177 Veronica F. Sullins UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-2429 Ashley Walther Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-8412 Kasper Wang Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2338

PEDIATRIC UROLOGY Andy Chang Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2247 Roger De Filippo Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2247


Andrew L. Freedman Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-4700

Steven Sampson The Orthohealing Center West L.A. 310-453-5404

Daniel Gould Marina Plastic Surgery Marina del Rey 310-307-3629

Sheila S. Nazarian Nazarian Plastic Surgery Beverly Hills 310-773-3039

Amir Tahernia Amir Tahernia, M.D., F.A.C.S. Beverly Hills 310-614-9701

Paul Kokorowski Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2247

Kavitha Swaminathan Cedars-Sinai Century City 310-423-6400 Mauro Zappaterra Dr. Mauro Zappaterra Pasadena 626-403-6200

Michael K. Newman Michael K. Newman, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-859-0010

Mark C. Tan City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Steven E. Lerman UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7700

Jeffrey Hammoudeh Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2154 Lisa L. Jewell South Bay Plastic Surgeons Torrance 310-784-0644

Jay S. Orringer Jay S. Orringer, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-273-1663

Jeff Jumaily Dr. Jeff Jumaily Mid Wilshire 310-285-0929

Martin O’Toole Pasadena Cosmetic Surgery Pasadena 626-671-1756

Jennifer S. Singer UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7700 Scott Sparks Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2247 Evalynn Vasquez Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2247

PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION Danielle Aufiero The Orthohealing Center West L.A. 310-453-5404 Beny Charchian The Joint and Spine Institute Beverly Hills 310-274-1500 David S. Cheng Keck Medicine of USC La Cañada Flintridge (800) USC-CARE Marc Darrow Darrow Stem Cell Institute Brentwood 310-231-7000 Jae H. Jung UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-3475 Ryan H. Kotton Kotton, M.D. Beverly Grove 310-935-4065 Norman A. Linder California Hand Surgery & Orthopedic Specialist Medical Clinical Inc. Beverly Hills 310-657-2202 Edward K. Pang Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-248-7358 Adam H Saby UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-6771

PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY James S. Andersen City of Hope Duarte 626-256-4673

A.J. Khalil A.J. Khalil, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-385-8601

Regina Y. Baker Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Kelly Killeen Cassileth Plastic Surgery & Skin Care Beverly Hills 310-299-8242

Whitney A. Burrell South Bay Plastic Surgeons Torrance 310-784-0644

Betty Kim Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-6090

Joseph N. Carey Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Som Kohanzadeh Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-289-1518

Jeffrey C. Chang City of Hope Duarte 626-256-4673

David A. Kulber Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5900

Michael W. Chu Kaiser Permanente Mid City 833-574-2273

Charlotta La Via La Via Plastic Surgery Santa Monica 310-829-5550

Andrew L. Da Lio UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5510 Karan Dhir Dr. Dhir Facial Plastic Surgery Beverly Hills 310-579-2051 Deepak Raj Dugar Beverly Hills Rhinoplasty Center: Deepak Dugar, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-276-1703 Jaco H. Festekjian UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5510 Joubin Gabbay Gabbay Plastic Surgery Beverly Hills 310-388-9383 Samuel Golpanian Dr. Samuel Golpanian, M.D. Beverly Hills 424-383-8111

Andre Panossian Andre Panossian, M.D. Pasadena 626-765-6885

Justine C. Lee UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-5510 Lily Lee Lily Lee, M.D. Pasadena 626-817-0818 Wai-Yee Li City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Christopher C. Lo Eyesthetica Inc. Downtown L.A. 213-770-6304 William Magee Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2154 Bernard L. Markowitz Bernard L. Markowitz, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-205-5557

STEPHANIE TRAN, MD Transgender Health CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL GROUP 8767 Wilshire Blvd., Fl 2, Beverly Hills 8820 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills 310-423-4945 stephanietranmd.com IG @drstephanietran

Ketan M. Patel Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Jason Roostaeian UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-8827 Jeffrey Rosenberg Jeffrey Rosenberg, M.D., F.A.C.S. Westlake 213-977-0257 David B. Samimi Eyesthetica Inc. Encino 213-318-3037 Nima Shemirani EOS Rejuvenation Beverly Hills 310-896-4205 Leslie H. Stevens The Lasky Clinic Beverly Hills 424-738-0767

Christopher Tiner Christopher Tiner, M.D. Pasadena 626-657-2010 Mark Urata Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2154 Andrew Vardanian UCLA Health Burbank 310-825-5510

Pegah Samouhi Tower Podiatry The Foot & Ankle Surgical Institute West Hollywood 310-423-6637 Alan M. Singer UCLA Health Westlake Village 805-494-6920 David J. Soomekh Foot & Ankle Specialty Group Beverly Hills 310-651-2366 Jonathan Tavakoli Home Foot Care Inc. Valley Village 818-452-9902

Dev Wali Dev Wali, M.D. Claremont 909-624-4440

Benjamin Tehrani Kings Point Foot & Ankle Specialists Historic SouthCentral 323-843-3668

Caroline Yao Line Plastic Surgery Center Koreatown 213-383-3322

Mark A. Weissman Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-6017

Hootan Zandifar Derm & Rejuvenation Institute Santa Monica 310-526-8301

Tamer B. Younan Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-6017

Christopher Zoumalan Christopher Zoumalan, M.D., F.A.C.S. Beverly Hills 310-620-1286

PODIATRY Bob Baravarian University Foot & Ankle Institute Santa Monica 424-238-1042 Claire E. Futenma Claire E. Futenma, D.P.M. Pasadena 626-788-6651 Arash R. Hassid SoCal Foot & Ankle Doctors Santa Monica 424-273-4243 Jason Khadavi TRU Foot and Ankle Encino 424-377-0441 Neal Patel Wound Institute of America Beverly Hills 310-919-4179 David Pougatsch Wound Institute of America Beverly Hills 310-919-4179

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE Mike Carragher Carragher Method, Dr. Mike Carragher Beverly Grove 323-874-9355 Mark Ghalili Regenerative Medicine L.A. West Hollywood 310-295-9403 Gary London Gary London, M.D. West Hollywood 310-270-4500 Jill Stocker Dr. Jill E. Stocker, D.O., P.C. Beverly Grove 310-729-2767

PSYCHIATRY Michael J. Gitlin UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9989 John Jimenez More Ways Than One Eagle Rock 323-999-7599 Aaron Kaufman UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9989

Catherine Scott More Ways Than One Eagle Rock 323-999-7599 Steven Siegel Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

RADIATION ONCOLOGY Arya Amini City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Leslie Ballas Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Albert J. Chang UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9775 Eric Chang Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Helen Chen City of Hope South Pasadena 877-998-7546 Robert K. Chin UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9775 Ari (Arash) Gabayan Beverly Hills Cancer Center Beverly Hills 877-320-5131 Adam Arebi Garsa Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Scott Glaser City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 John V. Hegde UCLA Health Santa Monica 424-259-8777 Jennifer C. Ho Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Mitchell R. Kamrava Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-1858 Tania B. Kaprealian UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9775 Amar U. Kishan UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9775 L A M A G . C O M 12 3


TOP DOCS 2022

Susan A. McCloskey UCLA Health Santa Monica 424-259-8777 Amin J. Mirhadi Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5212 Ann C. Raldow UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9775 Sagus Sampath City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Michael L. Steinberg UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-9775 Kenneth Wong Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2417

Vinay A. Duddalwar Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Navid Eghbalieh Southern California Multi-Specialty Center Sherman Oaks 818-900-6480 John L. Go Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Fariba Goodarzian Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2411 Rachael E. Gordon Mink Radiologic Imaging Beverly Hills 310-358-2100 Cheryl H. Hoffman UCLA Health Manhattan Beach 310-802-0200 Paul E. Kim Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Jason Ye Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Stella K. Yoo Keck Medicine of USC East Hollywood (800) USC-CARE Zachary S. Zumsteg Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-2523

Saro Manoukian City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Pareen A. Mehta Cedars-Sinai - The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute Sawtelle 310-582-7900 Marvin Nelson Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-660-2450 Suzanne L. Palmer Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Vishal N. Patel Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Anandh Rajamohan Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Noriko Salamon UCLA Health Westwood 310-301-6800 Benita Tamrazi Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2411

SUHAS TULI, MD Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery

TULI EYE CARE CENTER 2601 W. Alameda Ave., Ste. 206, Burbank 818-845-2015 TuliEye.com

RADIOLOGY Jay Acharya Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Kevin G. King Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Omid Bendavid RadNet Imaging Centers Beverly Hills 310-385-7747

Linda Hovanessian Larsen Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

William D. Boswell City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Sandy C. Lee Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Phillip M. Cheng Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Leah M. Lin Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

12 4 L A M A G . C O M

C. Jason Liu Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Juan P. Villablanca UCLA Health Westwood 310-481-7545 Anil Wadhwani Renaissance Imaging Medical Associates Northridge 818-435-1400 Alison G. Wilcox Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY / INFERTILITY Alin L. Akopians Southern California Reproductive Center Beverly Hills 310-736-2079 Zain A. Al-Safi UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Carolyn Alexander Southern California Reproductive Center Beverly Hills 310-736-2079

Gayane Ambartsumyan Reproductive Partners Medical Group Inc. Redondo Beach 310-318-3010 Kelly Baek California Fertility Partners Sawtelle 310-828-4008

Thomas J. Kim RMA Southern California Sawtelle 424-293-8841 Bradford A. Kolb HRC Fertility Pasadena 877-577-5070

Marsha Baker Kaiser Permanente East Hollywood 833-574-2273 Aykut Bayrak L.A. IVF Clinic Century City 310-286-2800 Kristin Bendikson Keck Medicine of USC Westlake (800) USC-CARE Kathleen M. Brennan UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Meredith Brower Kindbody Santa Monica 323-410-1291 Wendy Y. Chang Southern California Reproductive Center Beverly Hills 310-736-2079 Diana Chavkin HRC Fertility Sawtelle 866-472-4483 Karine Chung California Fertility Partners Sawtelle 310-828-4008 Hal C. Danzer Southern California Reproductive Center Beverly Hills 310-736-2079 Catherine DeUgarte CMD Fertility Westwood 310-873-1800 Shahin Ghadir Southern California Reproductive Center Beverly Hills 310-736-2079

Mousa Shamonki Fertility & Surgical Associates of California Santa Monica 310-453-8500

Benjamin Kretzmann Center for Rheumatology Beverly Grove 310-659-7878

Mark W. Surrey Southern California Reproductive Center Beverly Hills 310-736-2079

Katherine Marzan Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2119

John G. Wilcox HRC Fertility Pasadena 877-577-5070

Gopika D. Miller Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3357

RHEUMATOLOGY AMIR VOKSHOOR, MD, FAANS Neurosurgery PACIFIC SPINE INSTITUTE

2811 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 850, Santa Monica NEUROSURGICAL SPINE GROUP

7320 Woodlake Ave., Ste. 215, West Hills 800-899-0101 drvokshoor.com neurovella.com

Lindsay L. Kroener UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7274 Matthew Macer Macer Fertility Center Rolling Hills Estates 310-853-6216

Daniel G. Arkfeld Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Thanda Aung UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2448 Shirin Bagheri Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3298 Susan A. Baker Susan A. Baker, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-274-7770 Dahlia T. Carr Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-659-5905

Richard Marrs California Fertility Partners Sawtelle 310-828-4008

Stratos Christianakis Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Sam Najmabadi Center for Reproductive Health & Gynecology Beverly Hills 424-369-7761

Soha Dolatabadi Soha Dolatabadi, M.D. Westlake 213-266-8200

Richard J. Paulson Keck Medicine of USC Westlake (800) USC-CARE Molly Quinn HRC Fertility Pasadena 626-440-9161 Guy Ringler California Fertility Partners Sawtelle 310-828-4008

Jacqueline Ho Keck Medicine of USC Westlake (800) USC-CARE

Ingrid Rodi Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles Westwood 310-586-3455

Andy Huang Reproductive Partners Medical Group Inc. Redondo Beach 310-318-3010

Gregory F. Rosen Reproductive Partners Medical Group Inc. Redondo Beach 310-318-3010

Glenn R. Ehresmann Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Jennifer M. Grossman UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2448 Arash A. Horizon Center for Rheumatology Beverly Grove 310-659-7878

Anne V. Quismorio Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena 626-397-8323 Daphne ScaramangasPlumley Attune Health Beverly Hills 310-652-0010 Shuntaro Shinada Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Lillian Szydlo Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-3298 Mihaela Taylor UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2448 Swamy R. Venuturupalli Attune Health Beverly Hills 310-652-0010 Elizabeth R. Volkmann UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2448 Daniel J. Wallace Attune Health Beverly Hills 310-652-0920 Darice Yang Huntington Health Physicians Pasadena 626-397-8323

SLEEP MEDICINE

Dmitry Karayev Center For Rheumatology Beverly Grove 310-659-7878

Roy Artal Wolfe, Wachtel, Artal, M.D.s Beverly Grove 310-657-3792

Tanaz A. Kermani UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-582-6350

Alon Y. Avidan UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-1195

Jennifer King UCLA Health Westwood 310-825-2448

Ravi S. Aysola UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-449-0939


Kevin G. Chan City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Raj Dasgupta Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Joshua C. Scott Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Tarzana 424-314-7784

Anthony W. Kim Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Vincent Grbach Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Carlos A. Uquillas Shriners for Children Medical Center Pasadena 626-389-9300

Jae Y. Kim City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Amanda Chao-Yu Chi Kaiser Permanente Mid City 833-574-2273

Eric J. Kezirian Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Curtis VandenBerg Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2142

Jay M. Lee UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-9099

Seth A. Cohen City of Hope Glendora 844-444-4673

Dan I. Naim Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-691-1138

Daniel V. Vigil UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-4700

Daniel S. Oh Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Sia Daneshmand Keck Medicine of USC Beverly Hills (800) USC-CARE

Daniel Norman Santa Monica Sleep Disorders Center Brentwood 424-309-1372

Alexander E. Weber Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Dan J. Raz City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Premal Desai Tower Urology Beverly Grove 310-854-9898

Ashish Patel Huntington Pulmonary Medical Group Pasadena 626-486-0181

Tracy Zaslow Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2142

Arun Ramachandran Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-385-6016

SPORTS MEDICINE Bianca Edison Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2142 Neal S. Elattrache Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute Westchester 310-665-7151 Seth C. Gamradt Gamradt Orthopaedics Boyle Heights 323-442-5739 Joshua Goldman UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-319-4700 Kristofer J. Jones Kristofer J. Jones, M.D. Torrance 310-319-1234 Ryan Kelln Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2142 Byron Patterson Primary Care Sports Medicine Tarzana 818-501-7276 Marc A. Samson Los Angeles Orthopaedic Center Westlake 213-482-2992

THORACIC SURGERY Scott M. Atay Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Robert B. Cameron UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-9099 Michael Yuechia Chang Kaiser Permanente East Hollywood 833-574-2273 Robbin G. Cohen Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Elizabeth Ashleigh David Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Loretta Erhunmwunsee City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Clark B. Fuller Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-434-2640 Ali Gheissari Advanced Cardiothoracic Surgery Medical Group Westlake 213-483-1055 Taryne A. Imai Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-2640

Harmik J. Soukiasian Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-2640 Jane Yanagawa UCLA Health Westwood 310-267-9099

TRANSGENDER HEALTH Maurice M. Garcia Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 800-CEDARS-1 Johanna Olson-Kennedy Children’s Hospital Los Angeles East Hollywood 323-361-2153 Stephanie Tran Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-423-4945 Carl A. Violano Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-423-4366 Amy K. Weimer UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-315-8900

UROLOGY Jennifer T. Anger Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-2992 Monish Aron Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Daniel I. Brison Providence Facey Medical Group Porter Ranch 818-403-2470

Andrew J. Hung Keck Medicine of USC Pasadena (800) USC-CARE David Y. Josephson Tower Urology Beverly Grove 310-854-9898 Eric L. Kau Keck Medicine of USC Arcadia (800) USC-CARE

Reproductive Endocrinology/ Infertility HRC FERTILITY 55 S. Lake Ave., 9th Floor, Pasadena 626-440-9161 wilcoxivf@ havingbabies.com havingbabies.com

Leo R. Doumanian Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Kamyar Y. Ebrahimi Star Urology Glendale 818-246-3300 Karyn S. Eilber Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-2992 Gerhard J. Fuchs Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Inderbir S. Gill Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE David A. Ginsberg Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Justin Houman Tower Urology Beverly Grove 310-854-9898

Roger W. Satterthwaite City of Hope Pasadena 844-444-4673

VASCULAR / INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

Ramin Khalili Huntington Urology Specialists Pasadena 626-544-0300

Gary R. Duckwiler UCLA Health Westwood 310-481-7545

Dennis H. Kim Dennis H. Kim, M.D. Beverly Hills 310-278-1594

Navid Eghbalieh Southern California Multi-Specialty Center Sherman Oaks 818-900-6480

Howard H. Kim Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-385-2992

JOHN G. WILCOX, MD, FACOG

Larissa V. Rodriguez Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Hyung L. Kim Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-4700 John Kowalczyk Urology Group of Southern California Westlake 213-977-1176 Evgeniy Kreydin Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE Clayton S. Lau City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673 Mark S. Litwin UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7700 Sameer Malhotra Advanced Urology Medical Offices Westchester 310-670-9119 Jesse N. Mills UCLA Health Santa Monica 310-794-7700

Sammy Eghbalieh Southern California Multi-Specialty Center Sherman Oaks 818-900-6480 Terrence J. Fitzgibbons FItzgibbons Vein Center Westlake 213-482-8346 Hugh A. Gelabert UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6294 Bruce L. Gewertz Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5884

Marc L. Friedman Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 800-CEDARS-1

NavYash Gupta Cedars-Sinai Beverly Hills 310-423-7040

Antoinette S. Gomes UCLA Health Westwood 310-481-7545

Sugku M. Han Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Jonathan Kessler City of Hope Duarte 800-826-4673

Jeffrey Kronson Jeffrey Kronson, M.D., F.A.C.S. Arcadia 626-254-2287

Edward W. Lee UCLA Health Westwood 310-481-7545

Rameen Moridzadeh Vascular Surgery Associates Beverly Grove 310-652-8132

Justin McWilliams UCLA Health Westwood 310-481-7545 John M. Moriarty UCLA Health Westwood 310-481-7545 Dipak Ranparia Los Angeles Vascular Center Inglewood 310-674-9300

Christopher S. Ng Tower Urology Beverly Grove 310-854-9898

Stuart T. Schroff Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE

Mayank Patel Skyline Urology Tarzana 818-776-0660

Babak Yaghmai Huntington Hospital Pasadena 626-397-5139

Jacob Rajfer UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7700

VASCULAR SURGERY

Robert E. Reiter UCLA Health Westwood 310-794-7700

Ali Azizzadeh Cedars-Sinai Beverly Grove 310-423-5400

Ryan Abdul-Haqq Vascular Surgery Associates Beverly Grove 310-652-8132

Christian Ochoa Keck Medicine of USC Glendale (800) USC-CARE David A. Rigberg UCLA Health Westwood 310-206-6294 Vincent L. Rowe Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE Allan Tulloch Vascular Surgery Associates Beverly Grove 310-652-8132 Willis Wagner Vascular Surgery Associates Beverly Grove 310-652-8132 Fred A. Weaver Keck Medicine of USC Boyle Heights (800) USC-CARE L A M A G . C O M 12 5


THE HOT LIST L.A. MAGAZINE

» American $$

James Beard Award–nominated chef Jeremy Fox gets personal with a sunny spot dedicated to comfort food and named after his young daughter. The high-low menu is full of playful riffs on comfort food, from a decadent stuffed latke called the Goldbar to a matzo ball soup with carrot miso to a next-level relish tray. Don’t miss the jiggly Rose Petal pie for dessert. 2421 Michigan Ave., 310-310-3616, or birdiegsla.com. Full bar.

❂ Broad Street Oyster Co. MALIBU » Seafood $$

If ever there was a car picnic scene, it’s at this openair spot overlooking Malibu Lagoon State Beach (and across from a SoulCycle, if we’re being honest). You can grab a great lobster roll (topped with uni or caviar if you’re feeling extra fancy), towers of raw seafood, great clam chowder, and a burger sprinkled with shio kombu (dried kelp) that shouldn’t be overlooked. 23359 Pacific Coast Hwy., 424-644-0131, or broadstreetoyster.com. Beer and wine.

❂ Cassia

SANTA MONICA » Southeast Asian $$$ Bryant Ng mines his Chinese Singaporean heritage, honors wife Kim’s Vietnamese background, and works in the wood-grilling technique he honed at Mozza at this grand Southeast Asian brasserie. Hunker down at a table on the patio—or treat yourself to some great takeout—to devour turmericmarinated ocean trout or chickpea curry with scallion clay-oven bread. Wherever and however you enjoy Ng’s cooking, you won’t be disappointed. 1314 7th St., 310-393-6699, or cassiala.com. Full bar.

✤❂ Cobi’s

SANTA MONICA » Southeast Asian $$$ Coming here is like visiting a perfectly art-directed beach house where everything—from the colors on the walls to the curries on the plate—just pops. 12 6 L A M A G . C O M

T R A C Y

THE BREAKDOWN WEST

EAST

Includes Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Century City, Culver City, Malibu, Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Palms, Santa Monica, Venice, West L.A., Westwood

Includes Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, East L.A., Echo Park, Glendale, Los Feliz, Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley, Silver Lake

DOWNTOWN Includes Arts District, Bunker Hill, Chinatown, Historic Core, Little Tokyo, South Park

T H E VA L L E Y Includes Agoura Hills, Burbank, Calabasas, Encino, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Van Nuys

CENTRAL

SOUTH

Includes Beverly Grove, East Hollywood, Fairfax District, Hancock Park, Hollywood, Koreatown, West Hollywood

Includes Bell, Compton, Gardena, Hermosa Beach, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Watts

✤ 2022 Best New Restaurant Winner ❂ Has Outdoor Seating $ $$ $$$ $$$$

2022

M O O R E

I N E X P E N S I V E (Meals under $10) M O D E R A T E (Mostly under $20) E X P E N S I V E (Mostly under $30) V E R Y E X P E N S I V E ($30 and above)

Price classifications are approximate and based on the cost of a typical main course that serves one. For restaurants primarily offering multicourse family meals, the cost per person of such a meal is used.

Restaurant hours are changing frequently. Check websites or social media accounts for the most current information.

Grab a date, grab your friends, and get to the party. Don’t miss the beautifully ferocious Devil Chicken curry, amped up by both fresh and dried bird’s eye chiles along with ghost peppers and accompanied by a saucer of habanero vinegar that magically cuts the heat and enhances it at the same time. 2104 Main St., cobis.la, or @cobis.la. Beer and wine.

❂ Crudo e Nudo SANTA MONICA » Seafood $$

Brian Bornemann, the 31-year-old former executive chef at Michael’s Santa Monica, has gone his own way. He and his girlfriend, Leena Culhane, have launched a sustainable neighborhood joint that’s by turns a coffee shop, a seafood market, and a casual restaurant where you can nibble impeccably prepared crudo, tuna tartare toasts, and vegan Caesar salads on the patio while sipping a thoughtfully selected natural wine. Though the project began as a pandemic pop-up, it’s now an exciting brick-andmortar spot from one of the city’s most promising young toques. 2724 Main St., crudoenudo.com, or @crudo_e_nudo. Beer and wine.

❂ Dear John’s CULVER CITY » Steak House $$$

There’s still good times and great food to be had at this former Sinatra hang stylishly revamped by Josiah Citrin and Hans Röckenwagner. Steakhouse classics—crab Louie, oysters Rockefeller, thick prime steaks—pay homage to the lounge’s Rat Pack past and can be enjoyed on a sunny new patio or to go. 11208 Culver Blvd., 310-881-9288, or dearjohnsbar.com. Full bar.

❂ Etta

CULVER CITY » Italian $$$ With a sprawling patio, lengthy menu, and various party tricks (the restaurant calls them “moments”), Etta is primed for good times. You can go big and order a $120 short rib “picnic” with various accoutrements for the table or opt to have wine poured into your mouth from a large jug while a server snaps Polaroids. But you can also just pop in for a pizza or excellent pasta at the bar. For

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The Brothers Sushi


dessert, there are shots of tequila and coffee topped with rainbow-sprinkled shortbread cookies. 8801 Washington Blvd., ettarestaurant.com, or @ettarestaurant. Full bar.

temperature of medium rare. The result is meat that’s tender, luscious, and strikingly beefy. 239 S. Beverly Dr., matusteak.com. Full Bar.

❂ Felix VENICE » Italian $$$

BEVERLY HILLS » Mexican $$$ Joshua Gil is cooking exciting, contemporary Mexican fare with market-driven ingredients and serving them on a stunning patio. Dishes are imaginative but not overly contrived—salmonskin chicharrón with fermented garlic aioli; a divine slow-cooked Heritage Farms pork shoulder served with a black-lime gastrique, celtuce, and hearty, richly flavorful frijoles charros cooked with a pig’s head. The latter is available as part of Mírame’s to-go family meal, which includes house-made tortillas; a memorable riff on Caesar salad with pork chicharrón, roasted vegetables and goat cheese; chocolate flan; and an adorable little bottle of margaritas. At just $105 for two people, it’s an amazingly affordable way to sample Gil’s cooking. 419 N. Canon Dr., 310-230-5035, mirame.la, or @mirame.la. Full bar.

At Evan Funke’s clubby, floral-patterned trattoria, the rigorous dedication to tradition makes for superb focaccia and pastas. The rigatoni cacio e pepe—tubes of pasta adorned only with Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper—nods to Roman shepherds who used the spice to keep warm, while the rigatoni all’Amatriciana with cured pork cheek sings brilliantly alongside Italian country wines. 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd., 424-3878622, or felixla.com. Full bar.

✤ Matū

» Steak $$$ Prolific restaurateur Jerry Greenberg (Sugarfish, Nozawa Bar, KazuNori, Uovo, HiHo Cheeseburger) and his partners are convinced that they serve the world’s best beef, prepared in the most optimal way. After trying their fivecourse, $78 Wagyu dinner featuring sustainably raised, 100 percent grass-fed beef from First Light Farms in New Zealand, you might see things their way. Magnificently marbled steaks are cooked to “warm red,” which is the color of rare and the

BEVERLY HILLS

C H E F FAV O R I T E S

ANGIE LE E HOTEL JUNE

❂ Mírame

NATALE E T H A I

C U I S I N E

❂ Ospi VENICE » Italian $$$

Jackson Kalb’s sprawling new Italian joint brings bustle and outdoor tables to a corner on an otherwise quiet stretch. Pastas, including a spicy rigatoni alla vodka and raschiatelli with a pork rib ragù, are sublime, and most travel remarkably well if you’re looking to takeout, which is the only option for lunch. Roman-style pizzas boast a uniquely crispy, cracker-thin crust; to get the full crunch, have a slice as you drive your takeout home. 2025 Pacific Ave., 424-443-5007, ospivenice.com, or @ospiveni. Full bar.

❂ Pasjoli

SANTA MONICA

» French $$$$

Dave Beran’s à la carte spot bucks the trends and eschews bistro clichés in favor of old-fashioned thrills—an elaborate pressed duck prepared just as Escoffier would have and served with potatoes au gratin dauphinois—and modern French fare. The showy duck must be reserved in advance as only a limited number of birds are available each night. But there are plenty of other exciting dishes on the menu, such as the chicken liver in brioche and a complex lobster, mussel, and clam bisque with shaved fennel and tarragon. 2732 Main St., 424-330-0020, or pasjoli.com. Full bar.

“The Best of Culver City” 9 Years in a Row - Culver City News

“Readers Choice Award” - LA Times

“Best of The West Side” - The Argonaut

Venice: 10101 Venice Blvd. | (310) 202-7003 Full Bar | Sushi Bar

Beverly Hills: 998 S. Robertson Blvd. | (310) 855-9380 Full Bar | Valet Parking

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❂ Sant’olina BEVERLY HILLS » Mediterranean $$$

Sul Lung Tang HAN BAT

This long-boiled, rich Korean broth made from ox bones and brisket is served unseasoned, but you can add sea salt, pepper, green onions, and a gochugaru paste. It comes with rice and kimchi—add the kimchi liquid, too. $16.50, 4163 W. 5th St., Koreatown, 213-383-9499.

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake RÉPUBLIQUE

This decadent dark-chocolate

cake, with oozy caramel ribbons throughout, always satisfies that chocolate craving. $8, 624 S. La Brea Ave., republiquela.com.

Guava & Cheese Strudel PORTO’S

For a cheese and sweets lover, this pastry with cream cheese filling and guava jam is the perfect combination of sweet and savory. $12 a dozen, multiple locations, portosbakery.com.

The buzzy h.wood Group has taken over the rooftop at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to launch this breezy pop-up that’s likely to become a permanent fixture. Tables with views are topped with blue-and-white linens, and the menu is full of crowd-pleasing dishes: babka french toast for brunch, harissa-cured salmon, a lamb burger for dinner, or various Middle Eastern dips for any time of day. The culinary team includes h.wood’s Michael Teich and David Johns, along with Burt Bakman of the beloved barbecue joint Slab. 9876 Wilshire Blvd., 310-285-1260, santolinabh.com, or @santolinabh. Full bar.

DOWNTOWN ❂ Angry Egret Dinette CHINATOWN » Sandwiches $$

Wes Avila has left Guerrilla Tacos and is focusing on torta-esque sandwiches at this heartfelt new venture. Standouts include the Saguaro with tempura-fried squash blossoms, heirloom tomato, market greens, ricotta cheese, and salsa macha. It’s hearty and decadent but also wonderfully nuanced. There’s ample outdoor seating, but sandwiches with fried ingredients miraculously manage to remain crispy and travel well. 970 N. Broadway, Ste. 114, 213-278-0987, aedinette.com, or @angryegretdinette.

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✤❂ Caboco

ARTS DISTRICT

» Brazilian $$

Rodrigo Oliveira and fellow chef/partner Victor Vasconcellos are here to show Los Angeles that there’s a lot more to Brazilian food than churrascarias, so they’re serving habit-forming fried tapioca cubes and a vegan stew (moqueca de caju) headlined by cashew fruit that’s startlingly complex. Wash it all down with refreshing caipirinhas—the bar makes no less than five different kinds. 1850 Industrial St., 213-405-1434, cabocola.com, or @caboco.la. Full bar.

✤❂ Caldo Verde ARTS DISTRICT » Portuguese $$$

Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne have opened a Portuguese cousin to their beloved Spanish-infused A.O.C. The restaurant loads up its namesake seafood stew with a generous amount of local rock crab, grilled linguica, mussels, kale, and potato. It’s a tremendous example of the rough-and-tumble food that Goin loves—dishes in which she deftly balances salt, fat, and bold flavors with California brightness. A starter of Iberico ham, anchovies, and olives is called “a small plate of salty favorites” because Goin understands that you visit restaurants to be jolted and enjoy food that’s a bit more intense than what you typically eat at home. 1100 S. Broadway, 213-806-1023, properhotel.com/ downtownla, or @caldoverde_dtlap. Full bar.

❂ Cha Cha Chá ARTS DISTRICT » Mexican $$

The huge, lively, plant-filled rooftop and some mezcal would be enough for a good night out at this Mexico City import, but chef Alejandro Guzmán, an alum of Le Comptoir, has packed his menu with quiet thrills. Carnitas get taken up a level by an orange reduction that comes at the end of the long cooking process. For dessert, the carrot flan is a small revelation, a surprising,

exciting riff on carrot cake. The newly opened interior bar, La Barra, offers up unique mezcal cocktails. 812 E. 3rd St., 213-548-8487, or chachacha.la. Full bar.

❂ De La Nonna ARTS DISTRICT» Italian $$

This former pop-up is a destination for delicious, crunchy, rectangular pizzas alone, but the sprawling patio also offers welcoming service along with a substantial selection of natural wines. The white pizza with Japanese sweet potato, fennel, pesto, and mozzarella is a must. 710 E. 4th Pl., 213-221-1268, delanonna.com.

❂ Girl & the Goat ARTS DISTRICT » Eclectic $$$

At long last, Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard has brought her hit Chicago restaurant to a light, airy space and pretty patio in downtown L.A. with seating for 200. The lengthy menu is full of international intrigue and the unexpected flavor combinations Izard is known for. Roasted beets mingle with blackberries and a yuzukosho vinaigrette. A salmon poke features chili crunch, avocado, and strawberry. Goat makes an appearance in both a liver mousse starter and a hearty curry main. 555-3 Mateo St., 213-799-4628, girlandthegoat.com, or @girlandthegoatla. Full bar.

❂ Yangban Society ARTS DISTRICT » KOREAN-JEWISH DELI $$

Katianna and John Hong, who helmed the Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa, present a 5,000-square-foot deli where their culinary prowess shines with a menu of Korean flavors, California ingredients, and New York City-deli style. Think spicy smoked-trout schmear and egg salad, beef back rib “kalbi,” kimchi-and-pork belly soup, and broiled sea bream with chili daikon paste. 712 S. Santa Fe Ave., 213-866-1987, yangbanla.com.

CENTRAL ❂ Alta Adams WEST ADAMS » California Soul Food $$

Riffing on his grandmother’s recipes, Watts native Keith Corbin loads up his gumbo with market veggies and enlivens his collard greens with a smoked oil. Soul food in this city is too often associated with Styrofoam containers, but this verdant patio, is a lovely place to linger. Hot sauce splashed onto skillet-fried chicken is pure pleasure, enhanced by a bourbon drink the bar tints with roasted peanuts and huckleberries. Finish the night by taking on a heroic wedge of coconut cake. 5359 W. Adams Blvd., 323-571-4999, or altaadams.com. Full bar.

❂ A.O.C.

BEVERLY GROVE » California $$$ Unforced and driven by culinary excellence, A.O.C. is anchored by a courtyard with soft sunlight and laurel trees. Caroline Styne’s wine list doesn’t shy away from the ecology of vineyards, while Suzanne Goin’s cooking has become indispensable. Carefully constructed salads showcase vegetables at their best, and the roasted chicken with panzanella is both an homage to San Francisco’s Zuni Café and a classic in and of itself. 8700 W. 3rd St., 310-859-9859, or aocwinebar.com. Full bar. Also at 11648 San Vicente Blvd., 310-806-6464, Brentwood.

✤ Bicyclette

» French $$$ Walter and Margarita Manzke’s delightful, delicious follow-up to République brings a bit of Paris to Pico Boulevard. The menu is stocked with exactingly executed bistro standards: onion soup with oozy cheese, hearty short rib bourguignon, and a luxurious bouillabaisse. Margarita’s textbook baguettes and beautiful desserts are as great as ever. Resisting Bicyclette’s charms is futile. 9575 W. Pico Blvd., bicyclettela.com. Full bar. PICO-ROBERTSON

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Brandoni Pepperoni

WEST HOLLYWOOD » Pizza $$

Six nights a week, Brandon Gray turns out some of L.A.’s most exciting pizzas. Gray, a veteran of Navy kitchens and top local restaurants like Providence, brings boundless imagination to his pies. They’re topped with premium ingredients—Jidori chicken, Sungold tomatoes, Spanish octopus—in exciting combinations. A curry-Dijonnaise dressing renders a side salad surprisingly memorable. 5881 Saturn St., 323-306-4968, or brandoni-pepperoni.com. Wine to go.

❂ Gigi’s

HOLLYWOOD MEDIA DISTRICT

» French $$$

With its sceney Sycamore Avenue location and gorgeous, illustration-lined interiors, Gigi’s could easily succeed with subpar fare. But chef Matt Bollinger’s bistro classics—like curry mussels, steak tartare, and roasted chicken—are done quite well, if priced rather high. The wine list from beverage director Kristin Olszewski, an Osteria Mozza alum, is surprisingly interesting, with various natural and biodynamic options on offer. 904. N. Sycamore Ave., gigis.la, or @gigis_la. Full bar.

❂ Hanchic KOREATOWN » Korean $$

✤ Horses

HOLLYWOOD » Eclectic $$$ Versatile power-couple chefs Liz Johnson (who earned extensive national acclaim at Freedman’s) and Will Aghajanian (formerly the chef de cuisine at Vespertine) have created a lively California bistro that feels both old-school and of the moment. Located in the red-boothed space that was home to Ye Coach & Horses, the restaurant exudes vintage Hollywood glamour. The mostly European-inspired menu is rooted in both classic technique and freespirited cooking. A sobrassada panino with white American cheese and a drizzle of honey is thin, crispy, sweet, savory, creamy, and spicy: an extremely pleasing little bite. Lumache pasta with vodka sauce gets an unexpected and delightful kick from ’nduja. 7617 W. Sunset Blvd., horsesla.com, or @horsesonsunset. Full bar.

Lalibela

This new K-town spot infuses Korean dishes with Italian elements to create uniquely craveable dishes. Tagliatelle is tossed with kimchi and pork. A decadent spin on mac ’n’ cheese features both Korean rice cakes and elbow pasta coated in tangy Mornay sauce that’s been infused with fermented soybean paste. 2500 W. 8th St., Ste. 103, hanchic.co, or @hanchic.la.

Harold & Belle’s JEFFERSON PARK » Southern Creole $$

Belle’s is as close to the Dirty Coast as you’ll come on the West Coast. The crawfish étouffée in spicy gravy will have you humming zydeco, while the bourbon bread pudding will leave you with a Sazerac-worthy buzz. 2920 W. Jefferson Blvd., 323-735-9023, or haroldandbelles.com. Full bar.

» Ethiopian $-$$

The strip of Fairfax known as Little Ethiopia has long been dominated by the same handful of restaurants. Chef-owner Tenagne Belachew worked in a few of them before opening her own sophisticated haven, which invites with the swirling aromas of berbere and burning sage. Stretchy disks of injera—the sour, teff-flour pancake that doubles as a utensil for scooping up food by hand—arrive piled with uniquely pungent delights. There are wots, or stews, made with chicken or spiced legumes or lamb sautéed in a creamy sauce. 1025 S. Fairfax Ave., 323-965-1025, or lalibelala.com. Beer and wine.

Photo by Brigitte Lacombe

For Creole-style food—a mélange of French, African, and Native American flavors—Harold &

FAIRFAX DISTRICT

Luv2Eat Thai Bistro HOLLYWOOD » Thai $$

Vibrant flavors and spices abound at this strip-mall favorite from two Phuket natives. The crab curry, with a whole crustacean swimming in a creamy pool of deliciousness, is not to be missed (it travels surprisingly well), but the expansive menu is full of winners, from the massaman curry to the Thai fried chicken with sticky rice and sweet pepper sauce. 6660 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-498-5835, luv2eatthai.com, or @luv2eat.thaibistro.

❂ Ronan

FAIRFAX DISTRICT » Cal-Italian $$ At Daniel and Caitlin Cutler’s chic pizzeria, the pies—especially the How ‘Nduja Like It? with spicy sausage, gorgonzola crema, green onion, and celery—are the clear stars, but it’s a big mistake not to explore the entire menu. It’s filled with delicious delights, from cacio e pepe risotto to a sea bass served with an ever-changing assortment of banchan. 7315 Melrose Ave., 323-917-5100, ronanla.com, or @ronan_la. Full bar.

❂ Son of a Gun BEVERLY GROVE » Seafood $$

Florida-raised chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo deliver a certain brand of sun-drenched seashore nostalgia. Dropping into the nautically themed dining room for chilled peel-and-eat shrimp and a hurricane feels as effortless as dipping your toes in the sand. There are buttery lobster rolls and fried-chicken sandwiches alongside artfully plated crudos. 8370 W. 3rd St., 323-782-9033, or sonofagunrestaurant.com. Full bar.

❂ Soulmate

» Mediterranean $$$ It’s lovely outside, and there’s a stunning new WeHo spot with a patio that can hold 75 attractive people, plus hours that go to midnight on Friday and

WEST HOLLYWOOD

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Saturdays. Starters include various jamones and spicy paella bites. Further down the menu, there’s lot of seafood options, from wood-fired octopus with charred romesco to salmon crudo. 631 N. Robertson Blvd., 310-734-7764, soulmateweho.com, or @soulmateweho. Full bar.

❂ Bar Restaurant SILVER LAKE » French $$$

EAST ✤❂ Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery PASADENA » Eclectic $$

This low-key charmer—the work of two alums of acclaimed San Francisco Italian joint Flour + Water—deftly mixes midwestern hospitality and European technique. The casual lunch is all about cheese and charcuterie boards and sandwiches. At dinner, excellent pastas, smartly prepared proteins, thoughtfully selected wines, and great cocktails join the party on the spacious patio. 40 W. Green St., 626-389-3839, agnesla.com, or @agnes_pasadena. Full bar.

❂ All Day Baby SILVER LAKE » Eclectic $$

Jonathan Whitener’s Here’s Looking At You is, sadly, closed, but his thrilling cooking continues on a bustling Eastside corner. Whether you opt for smoked spare ribs, a hot catfish sandwich, or a breakfast sandwich on pastry chef Thessa Diadem’s sublime biscuits, it’s all great. 3200 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-741-0082, alldaybabyla.com, or @alldaybabyla.

❂ Bacetti Trattoria ECHO PARK » Italian $$

Chef Douglas Rankin, who worked under Ludo Lefebvre for years, struck out on his own with this charming “neo bistro” in the old Malo space in Sunset Junction. The menu features playful Gallicish fare, like curly fries and plump mussels Dijon atop milk toast; classic cocktails; and plenty of funky wines available by the glass. A large parking-lot seating area has huge plants, twinkling lights, and good vibes. Somehow it manages to feel both festive and safe. 4326 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-347-5557. Full bar.

Daybird

» Fried Chicken $ This long-anticipated casual chicken concept from Top Chef winner and Nightshade toque Mei Lin is finally open, and it was worth the wait. Lin separates her hot poultry sandwich from the flock of others in the city, thanks to uniquely crispy fried chicken that’s dusted with a memorable, Sichuanpeppercorn- heavy spice blend. A spicy slaw and habanero ranch dipping sauce add to the fun. 240 N. Virgil Ave., Ste. 5, daybirdla.com, or @daybirdla.

WESTLAKE

❂ Eszett

Chef Joel Stovall (Orsa & Winston) uses California produce in his ode-to-Rome menu at his upscale stunner adjacent to sister wine bar, Tilda. Try the

The face of wine education and events.

❂ Found Oyster EAST HOLLYWOOD » Seafood $$$

elegantly thin arugula-and-speck pizza; sunchokes tossed in dates, sunflower seeds, and za’atar; and al dente rigatoni all’amatriciana with guanciale. 1509 Echo Park Ave., 213-995-6090, bacetti-la.com.

SILVER LAKE » Eclectic $$ This stylish, cozy wine bar brings warm hospitality to the strip-mall space formerly occupied by Trois Familia. Chef Spencer Bezaire’s menu deftly brings in flavors from around the globe without feeling overly contrived. Chicken wings are accompanied by salsa macha, grilled Broccolini is dusted with furikake. Don’t miss the big fries. 3510 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-522-6323, or eszettla.com. Beer and wine.

This tiny oyster bar was a pre-pandemic favorite, and chef Ari Kolender’s seafood dishes still thrill when taken to go or enjoyed on the restaurant’s “boat deck.” The scallop tostada with yuzu kosho and basil is a mustorder, and a bisque sauce takes the basic lobster roll to new heights. Interesting, affordable wines add to the fun. 4880 Fountain Ave., 323-486-7920, foundoyster.com, or @foundoyster. Beer and wine.

❂ Hippo

HIGHLAND PARK » Cal-Italian $$ Hidden in a wood-trussed dining room behind Triple Beam Pizza, this Cal-Ital restaurant from Mozza vet Matt Molina balances casual and refined. Snappy wax beans are sluiced with vinaigrette for a picnic-worthy salad. Great pastas and juicy grilled chicken thighs deliver the unfussy pleasure found at the best neighborhood spots. Eclectic regular specials like haute corn dogs add to the fun. 5916 ½ N. Figueroa St., 323-545-3536, or hipporestaurant.com. Full bar.

✤ KinKan

» Japanese-Thai $$$$ Nan Yimcharoen became an underground sensation during the pandemic, selling jewel box–like chirashi sushi over Instagram. Now she’s got a brick-and-mortar spot serving a Japanese-Thai tasting menu with exquisite courses like slices of bluefin tuna larb gorgeously assembled in the shape of a rose, and a resplendent crab curry with blue butterfly-pea-flower noodles and a sauce powered by innards and roe. 771 N. Virgil Ave., @kinkan_la. Sake. VIRGIL VILLAGE

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✤❂ Moo’s Craft Barbecue LINCOLN HEIGHTS » Barbecue $

Some of the best Texas barbecue is actually in L.A. Andrew and Michelle Muñoz’s brisket and beef ribs are meaty bliss that would be taken seriously in Austin. But Moo’s is very much a vital L.A. spot; the Muñozes weave in their Mexican-Angeleno roots with dishes like a cheese-and-poblano-filled pork verde sausage. 2118 N. Broadway, mooscraftbarbecue.com, @mooscraftbarbecue. Beer and wine.

Northern Thai Food Club EAST HOLLYWOOD » Thai $

Offering specialty dishes unique to northern Thailand, this family-run favorite doesn’t skimp on flavor, spice, or authenticity. Tasty takeout meals include the khao soi gai (curry egg noodle with chicken), laab moo kua (minced pork), tam kha noon (jackfruit salad), and pla salid tod (fried gourami fish). For those unfamiliar with the region’s distinct cuisine, the illustrious sticky rice is still a reliable bet. Need incentive? Everything on the menu is less than $10. 5301 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-4747212, or amphainorthernthaifood.com.

❂ Playita

» Mexican $ The team behind the beloved local chainlet Guisados has taken over an old seafood taco stand on a busy Eastside stretch. The results, as you might expect, are delicious and delightful. Playita has a fresh, beachy blue-and-white aesthetic and a tight menu of well-done ceviches, seafood cocktails, and fish tacos. 3143 W. Sunset Blvd., playitamariscos.com, or @playitamariscos.

SILVER LAKE

✤❂ Saso PASADENA

» Spanish $$$

The arrival of this splashy new spot suggests that the good times might soon be here again. It shares

a charming, sprawling courtyard with the Pasadena Playhouse, and the seafood-heavy menu from chef Dominique Crisp, who previously worked at L&E Oyster Bar, begs for reuniting with friends on nice summer nights. Orange zest enlivens jamon iberico crudite, while miso butter takes grilled oysters to new heights. 37 S. El Molino Ave., 626-808-4976, sasobistro.com, or @sasobistro. Full bar.

❂ Spoon & Pork SILVER LAKE » Filipino $$

creamy vodka sauce is an easy win. Vegetable dishes, notably a Japanese eggplant with Calabrian chili agrodolce, are more than afterthoughts. Note that while the vodka pepperoni pie travels well, the clam pie is best enjoyed in-house. 33 E. Union St., 626-605-0430, ustreetpizza.com, or @ustreetpizza.

THE VALLEY ❂ Black Market Liquor Bar STUDIO CITY » New American $$

The go-to for Filipino comfort food offers a variety of dishes, all featuring one shared ingredient: deliciousness. Spoon & Pork puts an innovative spin on some Filipino favorites—just try its adobo pork belly, pork belly banh mi, or lechón kawali. The dishes, which can be ordered at the counter to enjoy on the patio or for takeout and delivery, elegantly mix decadence with some authentic soul. 3131 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-922-6061, spoonandpork.com, or @spoonandporkla. Beer and wine.

Some nights it seems as if half the Valley is here, enjoying the colorful patio. Top Chef graduate Antonia Lofaso’s Italian chops are visible in the buxom ricotta gnudi with brown butter and pistachios. The deep-fried fluffernutter sandwich is a reminder that food, like life, should not be taken too seriously. 11915 Ventura Blvd., 818-446-2533, or blackmarketliquorbar.com. Full bar.

❂ Sunset Sushi SILVER LAKE » Japanese $$$

❂ The Brothers Sushi WOODLAND HILLS » Sushi $$$

With omakase boxes priced from $30 to $85, this new sushi place in the old Ma’am Sir space strikes the sweet spot between affordable and indulgent and is another exciting addition to the Eastside’s growing number of quality sushi options. It’s a sister spot to Highland Park’s Ichijiku, but with a more luxe vibe and a larger menu, tailor-made for takeout. 4330 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-741-8371, sunsetsushila.com, or @sunsetsushi. Beer and sake to go.

❂ U Street Pizza PASADENA » Pizza $$

There was a moment in the spring when U Street’s vodka pepperoni pie was a shining star of Instagram, and rightfully so. The why-haven’t-Ihad-this-before combination of pepperoni and

This hidden gem, reinvigorated when chef Mark Okuda took the helm in 2018, is worth traveling for. The excellent omakase is available in the restaurant, on the patio or to go. You can also order à la carte or get non-sushi items like soy-glazed grilled chicken. 21418 Ventura Blvd., 818-456-4509, thebrotherssushi.com, or @thebrotherssushila. Beer, sake, and wine.

Hank’s

» Bagels $ The L.A. bagel revolution continues at this stylish spot in the Valley that serves up carefully constructed sandwiches. Tomato, aioli, and mapleglazed bacon elevate a simple bacon, egg, and cheese, while a classic salmon-and-lox construction

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L A M A G.C O M 131


has thoughtful touches like salted cucumbers and pickled onions. Grab a tub of Hank’s “angry” spread—a spicy, slightly sweet concoction—to have in your fridge. 4315 Riverside Dr., 818-588-3693, hanksbagels.com, or @hanksbagels. Also at 13545 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

Tel Aviv Authentic Chef Kitchen ENCINO » Middle Eastern $

Deeply comforting Israeli beef stews and merguez come with a colorful and tasty array of salads showcasing produce like red cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and pumpkin. The spicy sauces that come on the side work well with anyand everything. 17630 Ventura Blvd., 747-444-7001, or telavivkoshergrill.com.

SOUTH ❂ Ali’i Fish Company EL SEGUNDO » Seafood $$

This small, unassuming spot shames all of the glossy poke purveyors popping up around town to serve mediocre versions of the Hawaiian dish. Glistening cubes of tuna, flown in fresh from the islands daily, remind you how great poke can be. The smoked-ahi dip with house-made potato chips is not to be missed. Perfect for picking up a beach picnic. 409 E. Grand Ave., 310-616-3484, or aliifishco.com.

❂ Fishing With Dynamite MANHATTAN BEACH » Seafood $$$

A premium raw bar near the beach shouldn’t be unusual, but it is. The same goes for velvety clam chowder. Here, it achieves smoky richness—you can thank the Nueske’s bacon for that—without any of the floury glop. 1148 Manhattan Ave., 310-8936299, or eatfwd.com. Full bar.

Hotville

BALDWIN HILLS/CRENSHAW » Fried chicken $ With her hot chicken joint, Kim Prince is doing her family’s legacy justice—she’s the niece of André Prince Jeffries, owner of Nashville legend Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, where hot fried chicken is said to have originated. Prince adds spice at every step in the cooking process to produce a complex, layered flavor. Sides, like mac and cheese, are also winners. 4070 Marlton Ave., 323-792-4835, or hotvillechicken.com. No alcohol.

❂ Little Coyote LONG BEACH » Pizza $

That most amazing slice of pizza you had that one very drunken, late night in your early twenties in New York lives on . . . in Long Beach. The crust, made with dough cold-fermented for 48 to 72 hours, is carby perfection: tangy, crispy, thin but with a healthy puff. The concise menu doesn’t offer any revelations about what should be atop pizza, but instead perfects the usual suspects. 2118 E. 4th St., 562-434-2009; littlecoyotelbc.com, or @littlecoyotelbc. Also at 3500 Los Coyotes Diagonal, 562-352-1555.

❂ Tamales Elena Y Antojitos BELL GARDENS » Afro-Mexican $

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This small spot, with counter service, a drivethrough window, and a patio purports to be the only Afro-Mexican restaurant in the area. It focuses on a distinct cuisine from a part of Guerrero to which former slaves fled. Pozoles are rich and slightly thick, and the memorable pork tamales with red sauce are wrapped in fire-tinged banana leaves that impart a hint of smoke. 8101 Garfield Ave., 562-0674-3043, ordertamaleselenayantojitos.com, or @tamaleselenayantojitos. WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS. PLEASE EMAIL US AT LETTERS@LAMAG.COM

132 L A M A G.C O M


All About Eve

S E X A N D R AG E Babitz and Marcel Duchamp at the Pasadena Art Museum in 1963. The nowfamous photo was her revenge on the museum’s married director, with whom she was having an affair.

Eve Babitz’s revival was in full swing when she died just days before the passing of fellow West Coast literary legend Joan Didion. In this Los Angeles exclusive, Babitz’s family and friends recall the swaggering prose and lust for life that defined L.A.’s Colette. BY ST E V E A P P L E F O R D A N D M I C H A E L WA L K E R P H O T O G R A P H BY J U L I A N WA S S E R

6 4 L A M AG . C O M

L A M AG . C O M 6 5

All About Eve CO N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 7 1

and he’d leave his wife or girlfriend. And then Eve would leave. She was a home-wrecker.

Michael Elias

I had this girlfriend who was living with me, and she dumped me. She just announced, “It’s over.” And Eve and I were in my house because we wrote a couple of screenplays together. And this woman and Eve and I all had civilized coffee. She was an artist, so Eve started questioning her: “Who do you know?” And then this woman would say, “Oh, I know Ed Moses.” And Eve just said, “Oh, I slept with him. Who else do you know?” And she would mention another one. And Eve would say, “Yeah, I had an affair with him.” And by the time they had exhausted the male art world of L.A., this woman was trembling and practically in tears. Eve did it all for me. “That’ll take care of her,” she said.

Bret Easton Ellis

Right now, in this culture where we are so unbelievably uptight, there is something about Eve Babitz that is extremely attractive. There is a freedom; there is something uninhibited. She said and did what she wanted. I think a lot of people don’t feel that way now, but they feel an attraction toward that kind of spirit. And it is certainly there throughout her books.

Ajay Sahgal

R E STAU R ATE U R A N D N OV E L I ST

I grew up in L.A. I went to Buckley School with Bret [Easton Ellis] in the Valley. We had a teacher at Buckley who would feed us books that he knew we would be interested in. We kind of had this fetish for Joan Didion but really responded a lot better to Eve. I know that Eve was, in

retrospect, the sort of warmer, more approachable writer. Joan Didion was very icy and precise, and Eve was the opposite of those things.

Mirandi Babitz

the maid said, “Si.” And so I started speaking Spanish with her, and she gave me Mirandi’s phone number. And I called Mirandi, who was at the hospital with Eve.

Pleasant Gehman

I think Eve was often frustrated with her book sales because things were never selling as well as we hoped that they would. She always had to keep the magazine career going, you know, just to support herself.

We would talk on the phone every so often. I heard that she was driving and smoking, and her skirt caught on fire.

Terry McDonell

Michael Elias

F O R M E R E D ITO R-I N-C H I E F O F ES QUI R E A N D SM A RT

I’m from California, and it seemed like I knew about Eve from the very beginning, when [Eve’s Hollywood] came out. I was just crazy in love with her because of the way she wrote. And she wasn’t getting much attention. Some years later, when I was able to raise the money to start Smart, I found her and convinced her to write a column, “Love and Science,” in which she would dissect whatever she wanted. And she was perfect—hilarious on every level. What was very profound to me was that there was a subtext of sadness in many of the stories she told, not necessarily about herself, but some of the people. When I moved to Esquire, I sort of dragged her along. And it was at Esquire that she did the famous playing-chess-naked piece. I ran into Graydon Carter when he was doing Spy, and he said, “God, Eve Babitz, how the fuck did that happen?” I said, “I tracked her down.” And he said, “Yeah? She should be with me.” Maybe she should have been.

Paul Ruscha

I was going to meet Eve to have dinner at [her mother] Mae’s house. On this particular Sunday in April of 1997, there was a new housekeeper who was with her, because Mae had Alzheimer’s. I said, “Where’s Eve?” and she smiled and pointed, and I thought she meant across the street. And I said, “OK, I’ll just sit here and watch TV with you, and we’ll wait for Eve.” And she smiled. And then about 30 minutes later, I said, “Eve’s still gone. Maybe I should go get her,” and she said, “Yeah, she’s in the hospital.” And I said, “What?” And then

J OU R NA L I ST

I drove down to L.A. County General Hospital, and she was just wrapped from waist to toes in this bed. Oh, it was awful.

Paul Ruscha

I remember thinking when I got there that she looked beautiful, but she was all wrapped up like a mummy from her neck down. But she was also in a strange state of peace. And mostly Eve was edgy.

Mirandi Babitz

She was in the ICU for six weeks. In the ICU, they wake you up every 25 seconds to do something to you, so you never sleep. She experienced ICU psychosis and was miserable. And she was six weeks in the recovery hospital, so, altogether, three months in the hospital. It really took it out of her. She was not prepared for how major the injury was. She’d always just bounced back from anything. She’d gotten sober in AA. Her hair was bright blond, she’s 55, and then . . . nothing. It was very, very hard. What she always wrote about was what was happening in her life. That was just kind of crushing.

Joie Davidow

There was a party at the Chateau Marmont around the pool, and a lot of artists contributed works for it. Eve was there in her sweats, barely able to stand up, but she was holding court.

Paul Ruscha

There was kind of a call to arms for friends of hers to help pay for her recovery. I know that Harrison Ford gave her $100,000. When Eve found out that he’d given her that much money, she said, “Golly, I only fucked him twice.” L A M AG . C O M 1 3 3


Michael Elias

I was part of the committee to raise money for her. A friend of mine, Larry Feldman, was the guy who sued Michael Jackson and won. He was a personal-injury lawyer, and he took the case and he got her a lot of money, and that’s what really made her life secure after that.

Larry Feldman AT TO R N E Y

This accident where she caught on fire from a cigarette in a Volkswagen was just horrible. It wasn’t an easy case because she’s the one that lit the cigarette, and this [skirt] went up and she was just horribly burned. I don’t think anybody reasonably expects their skirt to be like an incendiary bomb, but that’s what it was. So the material that the skirt was made of was flammable, with no warning about how flammable it was. She bought it at a thrift store. We were successful in discovering who we thought made it. We filed a lawsuit based on that, and they settled.

Paul Ruscha

She came to my house at one point when she was able to walk again. She said, “OK, it’s time that you saw this. I want you to look at my body because this is the way it looks now.” And this was after all of her surgeries and everything. And I said, “OK.” So she took her clothes off, and she said, “Ta-da! Well, what do you think?” I ended up being deposed when she sued that dressmaker. And when I was deposed, one of the things asked was why are we doing this? And part of it was that it was difficult for me to want to touch her because of her burns and that her body was scary. So we didn’t have much to do with one another that way after that.

Erica Spellman Silverman

Eve and I did several books together, and then the business changed. Everyone realized we were not going to be in our twenties forever. The business really became a business. It probably always was, but we were too young to notice. And the days of just kind of hanging out saying, 1 3 4 L A M AG . C O M

“Isn’t this all fabulous?” went away for us. Eve and I split in terms of our work—I left the agency business­— but always stayed in touch. When I came back to agenting in 2009, one of my colleagues came into my office and said, “Do you realize that a lot of young women writers have taken up Eve Babitz, and people are fascinated by her?” I got in touch with Eve and said, “I’d like to get permission from you to get the rights back to all your books and see if I can get them republished.” And she said, “Great, go ahead.” I was able to get the rights to everything except two books that Simon & Schuster published. That was in 2010. In 2014, Lili Anolik wrote that piece in Vanity Fair, which was a huge boost for the books.

Lili Anolik J OU R NA L I ST

I’d pitched an Eve Babitz profile all over town, and nobody had ever heard of her. Then [Vanity Fair editor] Graydon Carter told me I could do the piece. By then, I’d been chasing Eve for years. Finally, Eve got curious. She called Paul Ruscha and told him to tell me that I could take her to lunch. The reaction to the piece was thrilling. All of a sudden, people were flat-out obsessed with Eve.

Elizabeth Cantillon TV AND FILM PRODUCER

Eve was always going to be rediscovered. She was just too great to go into obscurity. When I shared [her books] with the young people in my office, they were like, “Where has this been all my life? This is like an instruction manual for being a young woman in Los Angeles. Like how to live a bold, adventurous, but optimistic and free, life.”

Terry McDonell

It’s rooted completely in feminism. Plus, men loved when she made fun of them because she might turn around and write, “Now all I want to do is iron his towels—in high heels and a chemise.”

Ajay Sahgal

I gave her work to my daughter, who’s 21, and she just immediately locked into it. She loved it. It certainly speaks to people still.

Mirandi Babitz

[After Eve’s recovery], we’d talk as long as she was able to almost every day. She got an annuity after her skirt caught on fire, so she had a little bit of money, and I tried to help her figure out how to make it in Hollywood on that. As the years have gone on, sometimes she’d be OK, and then she’d be like deep in psychosis: she’s gotten on a train in her muumuu with her credit card heading for Dallas because the grid is going to break down here. She absolutely refused to have anything to do with doctors, so that made it hard. Finally, a year ago, she got diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. It’s a very strange form of Huntington’s because it comes very late—most people die of it by the time they’re 40. But once she got on medication, she was herself completely, which was kind of great this last year. But her bones were deteriorating. About five weeks before she died, she fell and broke her left arm. I walked her into Cedars, and they did their best, did a surgery, but it didn’t work. And then she got sepsis and lung failure, and she passed away.

Michael Elias

I was in Vroman’s [Bookstore] after she died and overheard a clerk saying to a customer, “I’m sorry, we’re all out of Joan Didion and Eve Babitz.”

Paul Ruscha

God knows we’ll be talking about her until our own deaths.

Ethlie Ann Vare

Eve Babitz introduced Frank Zappa to Salvador Dalí. I introduced Kathy Valentine to David Lee Roth. I was never going to be Eve Babitz. It didn’t matter how many musicians I fucked or how much cocaine I did. I would never be that beautiful, and I would never write that fearlessly. Her sentences split trees. She scared powerful people, and it kept her work from getting the recognition it deserved in its time. I think if she had it to do over again, she would have been less ferocious. I think if I had it to do over again, I would be more like Eve Babitz. Additional interviews by Heidi Siegmund Cuda.


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Q

EMAIL YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ABOUT L.A. TO ASKCHRIS@LAMAG.COM

What was on the land that’s now the Grove before the mall was built?

CHRIS’S PICK

Secret Garden

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DIGGING L.A.

A:

The Gilmore family moved its cattle herd to that land 150 years ago. When it drilled for water and found oil, the business plan shifted. The last well was at the northern edge of the Grove’s parking structure. Mayoral candidate Rick Caruso leased the 17 acres when it was mostly open parking and a plant farm for Mordigan’s Nursery and opened the Grove 20 years ago. He replaced a midcentury Gilmore Bank with auditorium #14 of the AMC Theatre. A Michael Kors store is where the market’s laundry once stood, and the projection booth of the Gilmore Drive-In was about where the Apple store is today. In there, the screen fits in your pocket. Q: Is there a time the public can go to the wholesale produce market? A: Yes, but it’s long before you wake up. Carlos Franco of Elias Produce arrives at the corner of 7th and Central before L.A.’s bars close and starts putting out new shipments at 3 a.m. “Our specialty is berries. We have a white strawberry that tastes like 1 3 6 L A M AG . C O M

pineapple,” he says, touting the more unusual produce. “There’s star fruit, yellow watermelons, and pink pineapples.” Hundreds of vendors have served restaurants, chefs, and bargain shoppers since the market opened in 1918 with a big party that included Mary Pickford, Japanese sports, and a “fat man’s race.” They might

bring that one back on Sundays when the site becomes Smorgasburg, an open-air food court filled with decadent, sweet treats. Q: Have any Guinness World records been set in L.A.? A: The records for fastest skateboarder (53.45 mph), longest flea jump (13 inches), and most Twinkies consumed

in one minute (16) were all set in our city of superlatives. Angelenos Sharon Stone, Ozzy Osbourne, and Vin Scully set records for longest scream, longest career as a sports broadcaster, and most expensive kiss (you figure out who’s who). Records fall as quickly as they are set. Your columnist was part of a dancing kickline on Hollywood Blvd. in the ’90s and a participant in the world’s biggest pie fight in honor of the Three Stooges at Movieland Wax Museum in 1989, but our record was broken by British Laurel & Hardy fans in 2016.

G I L M O R E P H OTO G R A P H E D BY J I M H E I M A N N , R I G H T: CO U R T E SY R I Z ZO L I ; P U B L I C AT I O N M O C KU P S : G E T T Y I M AG E S

The projection room of the Gilmore Drive-In was situated where the Apple store is now.

Ganna Walska retired from show business and, at 55, brought her costumes, jewels, and Fabergé egg to Montecito, she and her 33-yearold yoga-instructor husband bought a 37-acre estate where they could explore their spirituality and raise llamas. After their divorce (her sixth), she spent the next few decades creating a wildly theatrical garden. Lotusland, a new coffee table book from Rizzoli, showcases some of the 35,000 plant specimens, dramatically laid out amid gems and minerals and giant clamshells. The rarer specimens were collected on expeditions Walska dispatched from her Italianate mansion, which has been open for tours since 1993. This vision of paradise will live on my coffee table and has inspired me to find shells for my tiny personal pandemic garden.

VOLUME 67, NUMBER 4. LOS ANGELES (ISSN 1522-9149) is published monthly by Los Angeles Magazine, LLC. Principal office: 10100 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and additional mailing offices. The one-year domestic subscription price is $14.95. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LOS ANGELES, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials, which must be accompanied by return postage. SUBSCRIBERS: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Copyright © 2022 Los Angeles Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Best of L.A.® is a registered trademark of Los Angeles Magazine, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. SUBSCRIBER SERVICE 866-660-6247. GST #R133004424. PRINTED IN THE USA.

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