Los Angeles Magazine - May 2022

WAYS L.A. CHANGED THE WORLD P L U S : 3 0 S TA R S W H O G I V E T H E C I T Y I T S S PA R K

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HAMBURGER H E AV E N

The first McDonald’s golden arches were erected in L.A.in 1953.

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From breast implants to Hula-Hoops, fast food to gay rights, here’s how this city has been reshaping the globe for at least six decades

Yes, there’s crime. And the traffic sucks. And the housing crisis is completely out of control. But for 60 years, Angelenos have battled even tougher problems (remember smog?) and always come out on top

E D I T E D BY B E N JA M I N SV E T K E Y

BY B R U C E F E I R ST E I N

60 Ways L.A. Changed the World

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Why We Live Here ON THE COVER Illustrated by Justin Metz

C L A S S I C P I C T U R E L I B R A R Y/A L A M Y S T O C K P H O T O

60 Years of Los Angeles

The Players SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY

»

L.A. isn’t just a city of angels—it’s also a city of extremes. Which is why, in our photo essay, you’ll see a chef who started a culinary revolution, a transformative pop singer, and a zeitgeist-defining author alongside drag queens and reality stars. L.A. wouldn’t be L.A. without every last one of them.

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Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus Roi Choi, Nancy Silverton, Wolfgang Puck Danny Trejo Jamie Masada, Tiffany Haddish Magic Johnson Billie Eilish Melina Abdullah Patrick Soon-Shiong, Kevin Merida Archbishop José Gomez Eric Garcetti, Gil Garcetti Cheech & Chong Snoop Dogg Gustavo Dudamel Michael McCarty The Ladies of Selling Sunset The Compton Cowboys Brian Grazer Dimitri Dimitrov, Gabé Doppelt, Jeff Klein Tyler Henry Jackie Beat & Co. Mr. Brainwash Michael Govan Susanna Hoffs, Rodney Bingenheimer Bret Easton Ellis Angelyne Ben Harper James Corden, Tony Hawk

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THE SURVIVOR

“The problem with beauty,” Joan Collins once famously noted, “is that it’s like being born rich and getting poorer.” And yet, at 88, the charmingly tart British-born actress, who has lived in L.A. since 1980, remains extremely well off in every sense. She’s best known, of course, for her role as Alexis in the ’80s series Dynasty, but her six-decade, 30-film career (everything from A Midwinter’s Tale to Empire of the Ants) has made her so much more than a TV star. At any age, she’s a Hollywood icon.

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PHO T O GR A PH E D BY JONA S MOH R

ST YLED BY RENE HORSCH

JOAN COLLINS

Maer Roshan

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF C R E AT I V E DI R E C T OR

Ada Guerin EXECUTIVE EDITOR EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

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Chris Nichols S T Y L E E DI T OR

Merle Ginsberg E X E C U T I V E E DI T OR , L A M AG.C OM

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HAPPILY

AFTER

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Editor’s Note

BY MAER ROSHAN

S H O U L D E R S W E S TA N D O N

The April 1961 issue was the first titled Los Angeles magazine; we were known as the Southern California Prompter for six months before that.

OV E R T H E last 60 years, there

have been nine editors of Los Angeles—each one of us presiding over a very different sort of magazine in a very different sort of city.

When the legendary Geoff Miller founded the publication in 1961, L.A. was derided by East Coast elites as little more than a scruff y, smoggy colony on the edge of Western civilization (albeit a glamorous one, thanks to Hollywood). But over the decades, as L.A. grew steadily in relevance, Los Angeles grew along with it. As one of the first city magazines in America, it invented many of the genre’s defining tropes—Best Doctors, Where To Eat Now—that became staples at city magazines everywhere.

But Los Angeles has always been more than a city magazine. Over the past 60 years, it’s served as a forum and launching pad for some of the world’s most celebrated journalists, 16 L A M A G . C O M

“My goal is to deliver to readers the inside scoop on the vibrant forces and flamboyant figures who have always been a part of L.A.’s colorful, turbulent backdrop.”

photographers, and artists: Joan Didion, John Updike, Bret Easton Ellis, Eve Babitz, William Goldman, Richard Avedon, Annie Leibowitz, Robert Risko, and many, many more.

My own tenure as editor started in 2019, just a year before L.A. and the rest of the world were shut down by COVID-19. For our more math-inclined subscribers, that explains why the 60th anniversary issue you are holding in your hands is being published on what is, technically, our 61st birthday. Like everyone else, we lost a year, and, soon after, our offices.

But even after six decades, the job of Los Angeles’s editor-in-chief remains pretty consistent. Because even as the city continues to evolve—today, the local headlines are filled with news mostly about crime waves, homelessness, urban flight, and a critical election this fall—the mission of this magazine never really changes. Just like that of my many predecessors, my goal is to deliver to readers the inside scoop on the vibrant forces and flamboyant figures who have always been a part of L.A.’s colorful, turbulent backdrop, whether in 1961 or 2022. It’s a responsibility—and a legacy—that I take very seriously.

Just for this month, though, in honor of our diamond anniversary (plus a year), we’re doing something a little different. In these pages, you’ll find a photographic portfolio filled with the very people—both the high and mighty as well as those with humbler profiles—who give the city its sparkle.

There’s also a look back on the last 60 years by renowned essayist and screenwriter Bruce Feirstein, as well as reminder of how much our not-so-little-anymore town has bequeathed to the rest of the world over the years (Barbie dolls, the internet, and gangsta rap, to name a few of L.A.’s innovations).

To those of you who’ve been reading the magazine from the very beginning, congratulations—it’s your anniversary, too. And to those who may be new to the publication, welcome aboard. We hope you enjoy the next 60 years.

Maer Roshan, Editor-in-Chief

Giannis Antetokounmpo

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L . A.

C H A N G E D THE WO R L D FROM BREAST IMPLANTS TO HULA-HOOPS, FAST FOOD TO GAY RIGHTS, THIS CITY HAS BEEN RESHAPING THE GLOBE FOR AT LEAST SIX DECADES. LET US COUNT THE WAYS E D I T E D BY B E N JA M I N SV E T K E Y I L LU ST R AT E D BY C H R I S M O R R I S

L A M AG . C O M 1 9

AWARDS SEASON

BEACH CRUISERS These bulky bikes with extra-chunky tires— the perfect vehicle for traversing boardwalk

brands, while 17 other states have followed California in making pot legal.

CASUAL WORK WEAR planks—have been a fixture of L.A. beach life since a 21-year-old mechanic named Larry McNeely invented them in his dad’s bike shop in 1976.

The Beach Boys > Liverpool had the Beatles. London had the Stones.

L.A. got the Beach Boys, arguably the most influential American band of the early 1960s. Their sun-kissed vocal harmonies and songs about hot rods and surfboards and girls in bikinis painted a picture of Southern California as a palm-treed paradise. Even the group’s name evoked idyllic youth.

They literally invented California dreamin’.

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BREAST IMPLANTS L.A. isn’t the town with the most breast-implant surgeries per capita—that would be Miami—but we did do more than any other burg to make fake boobs a fashion statement. Halle Berry, Kate Hudson, Gwen Stefani, Jaime Pressly and a bunch of other trendsetters have all reportedly undergone chestal makeovers.

CANNABIS CULTURE One of the first marijuana raids in the U.S. took place in L.A. in 1914, when police swarmed two Sonoratown “dream gardens.” But we’ve come a long way, baby.

Proposition 215 in 1996 made California the first state to legalize the medical use of cannabis; full legalization came in 2016. Since then, a slew of weed-loving celebrities—Snoop Dogg, Seth Rogen, Willie Nelson, even Martha Stewart— have launched cannabis

Long before COVID-19 lockdowns made sweats acceptable business attire, studio execs and other alpha Angelenos—like famously casual David Geffen—were showing up to work dressed for a jog. In Hollywood, and even more so in L.A.’s growing tech sector, nothing signals power more than telling your suit and tie to fuck off.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER Remember smog?

Thanks to this emissions-busting gizmo, not everybody does.

It was developed 50 years ago, in part as a response to California’s tough antipollution laws, which were themselves a reaction to that reddish-brown cloud hanging over L.A. in the 1960s and ’70s. Ever since, California has set its clean-air standards higher than the EPA’s and forced the auto industry to make cleaner vehicles for the whole country.

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For everything, there is a season—a time for Grammys, a time for Emmys, and especially a time for Oscars. But precisely when awards season begins and ends is hard to say, since every year, the cycle seems to start sooner and finish later. Suffice to say, it’s somewhere between New Year’s and Christmas.

And even though the rest of the world may be over awards shows—with ratings sinking to record lows—they remain vital to the L.A. economy, pumping millions of dollars into the city.

CANNABIS SHOP

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BARBIE FOR PRESIDENT? p h o t o g r ap h e d by A M Y B R A M M A L L

instructor, and CEO—Barbie has run for high office eight times since she was invented in 1959 by L.A.-based Mattel cofounder Ruth Handler, who named the oh-so-iconic toy after her daughter, Barbara. Sure, she’s had plenty of detractors—she’s too materialistic, too shallow, too busty, too skinny—but she’s still a cultural force, with 2 million Instagram followers. “People have blamed their problems on Barbie—how much they weigh, that they don’t dress right,” notes no less an authority than Barbara Handler herself. “I can’t deal with that. I mean, it’s just a doll.”

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CELEBRITY CHEFS

ANDERSON AND LEE

CELEBRITY SEX TAPES Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee were first, in 1997, when their naughty vacation video was stolen and ended up for sale on VHS, DVD, and CD-ROM. (Hulu turned the story of that tape into a TV miniseries.)Paris Hilton was next, in 2004, when a tape of her and thenboyfriend Rick Salomon escaped into the wild.

And, of course, in 2007, there was the X-rated home video that launched Kim Kardashian’s career. Hulk Hogan, Tori 2 4 L A M AG . C O M

Spelling, Johnny Carson, even Verne Troyer (aka Mini-Me), all took turns as amateur porn stars. In L.A., everybody gets their 15 minutes of shame.

LAPD’s standard equipment, with L.A. sheriff ’s deputies following suit in 2020. Today, nearly half of all police in the U.S. are camera-ready.

COCHLEAR IMPLANTS

EAMES CHAIR

Dr. William F. House spent 27 years developing this tiny, surgically embedded miracle—a cure, in many cases, for severe deafness—at his lab at the House Ear Institute in Santa Monica.

The first trials, in the early 1960s, were not encouraging, as patients rejected the implant designed to electronically stimulate the auditory nerve. But, by 1984, he’d improved it enough for FDA approval. Today, ten years since his death, House’s invention has helped more than 700,000 people recover their hearing.

COP CAMS Back in 2012, there was just one police department in the entire nation using body cams on their officers—that would be Rialto’s. A year later, the cams became part of the

You can see one on display in the permanent collection of New York’s MoMA—or just flip on any

episode of Frasier. In fact, this leather-and-moldedplywood beauty may be the most iconic piece of modern furniture ever manufactured. And it was invented here in L.A. by midcentury demigods Charles and Ray Eames, who first displayed it in 1956 at their Pacific Palisades home (aka Case Study House No. 8).

Cult Hits > Sorry, Charlie, but the Mansons were hardly L.A.’s first go-around with crazy and sometimes dangerous cults. The self-flagellating Mazdaznan, the free-loving Helios, the wacky Aetherius Society (something about Jesus and aliens)—this town has been a breeding ground for bat-crap crazy since the early 1900s.

And it didn’t end after the grisly Manson murders of 1969; since then, there’s been the Source, the Peoples Temple, Buddhafield . . . and maybe one that rhymes with Schmiontology?

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When Wolfgang Puck opened Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982, he did more than pioneer California cuisine—he created a whole new category of fame: the A-list cook. It wasn’t long before others sautéed their way into the spotlight—Nancy Silverton, Ken Frank, Michael Roberts—sparking a new social hierarchy based on which table you got on what night.

The dishes were beyond pretentious and the portions tiny, but the scene was irresistible. Gingerorange salmon with avocado foam, anyone?

DESIGNER DOGS p h o t o g r ap h e d by RYA N S C H U D E

L A B R A D O O D L E S , Cockapoos,

Schnoodles—the pooches padding around L.A. these days have more complicated pedigrees than the Habsburgs. While SoCal may have made these designer canines popular—at up to $5,000 a pup, not everyone can afford them—they were first created in Australia, by breeder Wally Conron, who has since had second thoughts, calling the crossbreeds “Frankensteins.”

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1958 FENDER STRATOCASTER

FROM LEFT: ANDY WARHOL, BILLY AL BENGSTON, AND DENNIS HOPPER.

FAST FASHION

ELECTRIC GUITAR The first guitars can be traced to Mesopotamia and Renaissance-era Europe, but the electric guitar is L.A. born and bred. In 1931, musician George Beauchamp and engineer Adolph Rickenbacker founded Electro String Instrument Corporation, the birthplace of the “Frying Pan”—precursor to the Les Paul, Stratocaster, and a whole bunch of other axes that rock

Forever 21 opened its first shop in Highland Park in 1984. It eventually grew to 700 stores, with sales peaking at $4.4 billion in 2015. Then there was American Apparel, founded in L.A. in 1989, which let everybody dress like hipsters for less than the cost of a dry-cleaning bill. But just like their industry-transforming clothing, these companies sometimes unravel quickly. Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy in 2019, and American Apparel did the same in 2016.

Fashion Nova is obviously still burning hot; its CEO just purchased “The One” mansion in Bel-Air.

FAST FOOD McDonald’s isn’t the only fast-food franchise to get its start in Southern California.

Au contraire, there’s also Taco Bell, Denny’s, IHOP, In-N-Out, Wienerschnitzel, BaskinRobbins, Hot Dog on a Stick, the Cheesecake Factory, Carl’s Jr., and Jack in the Box. If it can be prepared and devoured in under five minutes, chances are it was invented here.

FERUS GALLERY Andy Warhol had his first big show here in 1962, debuting his Campbell’s soup cans.

Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Larry Bell, Edward Kienholz—the

artists who put stuff on these West Hollywood walls were so glamorous, Dennis Hopper used to photograph them for the gallery’s flyers. Its owner, Walter Hopps, may have been a college dropout, but he transformed L.A. from a cultural desert into one of the art world’s sharpest cutting edges.

FOOD TRUCKS Raul Martinez, founder of King Taco, rolled out the first taco truck in 1974, parking it outside a bar in East L.A. Since then, the city has become a moveable feast, with more than 400 trucks serving up everything from gourmet pizza to Thai brisket sliders.

GANGSTA RAP It may have started in Philly, but it was L.A. artists who made gangsta rap a full-blown musical force. Ice-T’s landmark tracks “6 in the Mornin’” and “Colors” were the first to delve into the hard-core exploits of South Central thugs, while N.W.A— Compton’s Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and DJ Yella—turned their rage-filled lyrics into monster hits.

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New York’s 1969 Stonewall riots are often cited as the catalyst for the gay-rights movement, but the nation’s first major gay-rights rally took place two years before, at Silver Lake’s Black Cat Tavern.

Activists spent weeks secretly organizing a protest after plainclothes officers beat and arrested 16 people at the gay bar’s New Year’s Eve celebration, six of whom were charged with “lewd conduct” (kissing). On February 11, 1967, hundreds of protesters gathered at the corner of Sunset and Hyperion for what was,

at the time, the biggest recorded demonstration for gay rights that had ever occurred in the U.S.

GUMBY The little green guy with the bendable limbs was invented in the early 1950s in a Covina garage by a just-graduated USC film school alum named Art Clokey.

Gumby’s TV debut was on an episode of The Howdy Doody Show, but somebody at NBC obviously had an eye for talent; Gumby got his own show in 1956, and by 1964, virtually every kid in America owned the toy. More than 13 million sold just in its first few years.

GYM RATS Decades before Equinox started handing out eucalyptus-infused hand towels, there was L.A. fitness pioneer Vic Tanny. In the 1940s, he opened the first gym to offer a range of activities from weightlifting to ice skating. (Membership MÖTLEY CRÜE

was $5 a month.) Joe Gold worked at one of Tanny’s places before opening Gold’s Gym in Venice in 1965. That’s where 21-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger pumped iron after he moved to L.A. in 1968. But the health-club craze really took off in the 1970s and ’80s, when franchises like L.A.-based Sports Connection started springing up. Jane Fonda began making her workout tapes around the same time, while Richard Simmons opened his Beverly Hills club, Anatomy Asylum, and became a short-shortwearing fitness legend.

HAIR METAL Back in the 1980s, Saturday nights on the Sunset Strip could get pretty hairy—you could almost smell the Aqua Net in the air. L.A. bands like Mötley Crüe and Twisted Sister not only ruled the club scene, but for awhile, they all but took over MTV, along with Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, and a host of other spectacularly coiffed rockers. Nothing but a good time indeed.

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years later, they introduced a large, plastic ring for kids to swivel their hips in. The Hula-Hoop was a runaway hit, selling 25 million in its first four months of production.

CUSTOM ROADMASTER HOT ROD

“THE INDUSTRY”

Cleopatra may have been first—archaeologists say she wove sheep’s hair into her locks in the first century B.C.—but L.A. has been the world capital of fake hair since the 1970s, when Beverly Hills wigmaker Piny Benzaken started sticking extensions onto Farrah Fawcett’s head.

Today, hair extensions are everywhere, adorning the dos of everyone from Kylie Jenner to Beyoncé to Ariana Grande.

HASHTAG PROTESTS The internet is everywhere, but all the most impactful hashtags somehow seem to come out of L.A. #MeToo, #OscarsSoWhite, #TimesUp, and even #BLM all originated with L.A.-based activists using their social-media chops to post for social justice.

HIMBOS Joey from Friends, Nate from Gossip Girl, Fred from Scooby-Doo— Hollywood dearly loves the strong, stupid type.

The first known use of the word was in 1988, when a cheeky Washington Post reporter noticed her TV filling up with brainless 3 0 L A M AG . C O M

hunks. “Their chest measurements rival Dolly Parton’s. Their brains would embarrass a squid,” she wrote of the L.A. archetype.

HOT FUDGE SUNDAE Take a stroll on the Hollywood Walk of Fame until you find Roger Moore’s star. Look up. See that souvenir shop? That was C. C. Brown’s 116 years ago, the ice cream parlor where the hot fudge sundae was born. Proprietor Clarence Clifton Brown was said to have experimented with several different fudge-sauce recipes before finally reaching his eureka moment.

Maybe his star should be in that pavement.

HOT RODS What started in the 1930s as a teenage fad— racing stripped-down, hopped-up old Fords in the dry lakebeds north of L.A.—ultimately evolved into an automotive art form. Today, the price tags on some of these classics—especially ones built by hot-rod legends like Boyd Coddington and Roy Brizio—can go as high as $700,000. And you thought you paid too much for a used car.

HULA-HOOPS . . .

AND FRISBEES! Let us now bow our heads in awed respect to Arthur “Spud” Melin and his business partner, Richard Knerr, genius founders of the Pasadenabased sporting goods company Wham-O. Originally, the two set up shop in 1948 to sell slingshots to falcon trainers (to fling meat at the birds).

But in 1957, they branched out into toys, starting with the Pluto Platter, soon renamed the Frisbee. Five

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And by that, of course, we mean show business—the one thing for which L.A. is best known. As it happens, entertainment is a pretty small part of the city’s overall economy; only about 8 percent of the population of L.A. County toil in the biz.

Still, L.A.’s film studios and TV networks—and now streamers—bring in billions every year and give the town more cultural clout than just about any other city on earth. For the time being, Hollywood still runs the table when it comes to the dominant global art forms of this century.

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THE KARDASHIANS

The world’s first email was sent in 1969 by professor Leonard Kleinrock from a lab in UCLA’s Boelter Hall. The recipient of the email was a computer hundreds of miles away at the Stanford Research Institute. And its successful transmission was a milestone for humanity, even if it didn’t go entirely as planned.

Kleinrock meant to send a single word message— “LOGIN”—but the system crashed after the first two letters. So that maiden email ended up saying, “LO.”

It’s hard to think of a more successful L.A. export. But aside from the family’s hugely popular reality show—the series that put Calabasas on the map—Kim Kardashian, a woman who earns upward of a million dollars for a single Instagram post, can be credited with creating the influener economy currently ruling our culture. “She was the first entrepreneur who began to sell products purely by using her own body, her own life, and, images of herself,” explains Meredith Jones of Brunel University in London, who teaches “Kimposiums” on the Kardashian phenom.

“She was the first to figure that out. It’s all about selling oneself.”

JUICE BARS The Beverly Hills Juice Club wasn’t in Beverly Hills—it was in WeHo, wedged between two gyms—but when David Otto opened its doors in 1975, he struck oil, setting off a pressed-juice gusher. By 1990, Jamba Juice got in on the act, ultimately opening nearly 800 shops, followed by a bunch of other franchises, like Planet Smoothie and Nekter. Today, there are more than 5,000 juice bars serving mashed-up fruits and veggies in cities across America.

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LASERS These days, you can’t check out at the market or get your eyesight fixed without them. And the very first laser was built in 1960 by a scientist named Theodore Maiman at the Hughes Research Lab in Malibu.

That one wasn’t powerful enough to cut through steel walls—or even a sheet of paper—but, still,

front-page headlines declared the invention of the “death ray.”

LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOWS There was something like late-night talk on New York TV in the 1950s and ’60s—Steve Allen’s and Jack Paar’s versions of The Tonight Show were both taped back east— but it wasn’t until Johnny Carson brought the format to L.A. in 1972 that all the pieces of the modern formula fell in place: the sidekick, the band, the newsy opening monologue. Since then, every host—from Letterman to Meyers—has followed in Carson’s footsteps.

Mickey Mouse > Actually, in the beginning, he was a rabbit named Oswald. But in 1927, Walt Disney’s distributor stole the rights to that character, so Disney doodled some more—turning Oswald into a rodent, putting him in red shorts, and, voilà, Mickey Mouse was born, along with SoCal’s most iconic park and entertainment empire.

MICKEY AND MAGIC JOHNSON

LEFT-COAST RIGHT-WINGERS Matt Drudge, Ben Shapiro, the late Andrew Breitbart . . . at one point or another, they all called SoCal their home. Trump adviser Stephen Miller grew up in Santa Monica.

Steve Bannon lived in L.A. for a time. Richard Nixon was raised in Whittier.

Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger currently resides in Brentwood, while Rupert Murdoch lives in Bel-Air—Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s old haunt—as does son Lachlan, who purchased

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HER HEART and HER HOMELAND VERDI’S EPIC LOVE STORY

CONDUCTED BY JAMES CONLON A lavish new production of Verdi’s Aida comes to the L A Opera stage, featuring gorgeous hieroglyphics by the iconic graffiti artist RETNA. Latonia Moore stars as Aida, an Ethiopian princess torn between her people and her love for the enemy general.

Jealousy, betrayal, and two warring kingdoms clash in one of the world’s most beloved operas.

Photos: Cory Weaver/SFO

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signed the first law in the nation eliminating fault-based divorce, which had been forcing couples to fabricate spousal wrongdoing in order to legally split. It was a huge change, copied by 19 other states, and it resulted in divorce rates more than doubling by the time Reagan was elected president in 1980.

Happily, divorce rates have since dipped downward, hitting a 50-year low in 2020.

. . . AND PALIMONY

NICOTINE PATCH Ironically, the UCLA researcher who invented the nicotine patch in 1984, Dr. Murray E. Jarvik, had never been a smoker. But he got interested in the habit while observing his wife’s difficulty quitting.

When he couldn’t get permission from UCLA to test his transdermal patch on volunteers, he and his assistants tested it on themselves. “We put the tobacco on our skin and waited to see what would happen,” Jarvik once recalled. “Our heart rates increased, adrenaline began pumping, all the things that happen to smokers.”

Famed L.A. celebrity divorce attorney Marvin Mitchelson invented the concept when, in 1977, he represented Michelle Triola Marvin in her lawsuit against actor Lee Marvin. Triola and Marvin were never technically married, but she took his name anyway, and Mitchelson argued that after six years with Marvin, his client deserved some sort of compensation ($1.8 million, to be exact).

The California Supreme Court agreed, establishing the legal principle of “palimony,” even though an appeals court later blocked Triola from collecting any money.

TRIOLA AND MARVIN

PORN STARS L.A. didn’t invent dirty movies, but we definitely hatched the porn star. In the 1970s and ’80s, the San Fernando Valley was the red-hot center of the hard-core video business, complete with its own casting agencies, trade press, and, ultimately, star system. Ginger Lynn, Nina Hartley, Ashlyn Gere, Jenna Jameson—each name is another note in the saucy samba of pornstar history. Even today, despite the internet blowing up the industry, aspiring adult actresses still flock to this city.

“If you want to make it big in porn,” says Adult Video News Hall of Famer Angela White, “you need to be in L.A.”

RANCH HOUSES In the 1950s, these unpretentious, affordable, single-story homes with shingled roofs, Dutch doors, and rustic front porches, started popping up from San Fernando to Westchester. Designed for L.A.’s booming postwar population, they ended up spreading coast to coast, all but solving the national housing crisis, at least for a time.

REHABBING IN STYLE L.A. never made getting sober easy, but it sure did make it more glamorous. Former first lady Betty Ford started the trend in 1982 with the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage. But upscale retreats like Passages Malibu, Cliffside, Milestones, and others turned rehab into a Four Seasons–like experience.

Such pampering, though, comes at L.A. prices; some facilities charge upward of $80,000 a month.

RIGHT ON RED Woody Allen once said that being allowed to turn right on red was the only cultural advantage of living in L.A. He was wrong, of course—there’s also the “California Stop,” rolling to a near-halt at stop signs.

But RTOR, first adopted in California in 1947, is no longer just the privilege of Angelenos: today, hanging a Ralph at a red light is legal in all 50 states.

NO-FAULT DIVORCE

ROCKET SHIPS

You can thank Ronald Reagan for this one. In 1969, the Hollywood actor-turned-governor

Houston may have had a problem, but L.A. sure didn’t. In fact, for much of the twentieth

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the famous Beverly Hillbillies mansion in 2019 for a reported $150 million. (Buddy Ebsen, by the way, was also a lifelong Republican).

And that’s just scratching the surface. According to California GOP chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson, L.A. is crawling with right-wingers.

“There’s cancel culture in Hollywood,” she says, “so we have secret groups like Friends of Abe.”

WEDDINGS & EVENTS

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century, the aerospace industry was rocket fuel for this city’s economy.

From Hughes Aircraft to Northrop Grumman, from McDonnell Douglas to JPL, L.A. was the launchpad for the space age. “Every decade, there’s something,” notes Morteza Gharib, director of Graduate Aerospace Laboratories at JPL, where NASA’s Deep Space Network and Mars Science Laboratory are headquartered. “We started the hypersonic era here in the mid-’60s.

Right now, it’s all about Space X and where commercial space is forging a new direction.” Wherever that direction might lead, it blasted off from L.A.

THE SHIRLEY TEMPLE It may have been created at the Brown Derby.

Or maybe Chasen’s.

History is unclear. But at one point in the 1930s, a bartender in L.A. mixed ginger ale with a splash of grenadine, put a cherry on top, and named it after Hollywood’s most famous child actor. Everybody under drinking age loved 3 6 L A M AG . C O M

the concoction, with one notable exception.

“All over the world, I am served that [drink],” Temple told NPR in 1986.

“I hate them. Too sweet.”

THE SUPER BOWL Back in 1967, the L.A. Coliseum was host to the world’s first Super Bowl—the Packers vs. the Chiefs—although for the first few years, it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship.

Then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle hated the word “super” because it had been a slang putdown back at Compton High School. But he picked the Coliseum because it was simply the largest stadium in the U.S., seating 95,000.

SUPERMARKETS Grocery stores have been around forever.

Ditto butcher shops and bakeries. But it wasn’t until 1928, when a new Ralphs opened at the corner of Wilshire and Hauser, that the modernday supermarket brought everything from produce to cupcakes together

through movies about a bunch of beach-crazy kids with names like Gidget and Moondoggie.

By 2020, the sport those three princes brought to SoCal a century ago was an event at the Tokyo Olympics.

SURFING IN THE USA

Farmers and soldiers have been driving oversized four-wheel-drive vehicles for decades— even the Russians manufactured one in the 1950s. But the modern, urban SUV craze didn’t really kick off until the 1990s, around the time Schwarzenegger started wheeling around town in his Humvee. Other luxury models soon started popping up in L.A., like the boxy Mercedes G500.

Before long, everybody wanted that high-seat feeling, as SUVs took over the auto market everywhere in the country. They now

The first surfers in the United States were a trio of Hawaiian princes who, in 1885, while on break from studying at the military academy in San Mateo, carved boards out of redwood trees. Some 20 years later, another Hawaiian transplant, George Freeth, brought the pastime to Venice Beach, while still another, Duke Kahanamoku, took it to Santa Monica. By the 1950s, surf culture had spread from Malibu to San Diego, with Hollywood spreading it even further

SUVS

Telecopters > The first televised car chase was on January 3, 1992—two years before a certain white Bronco captured the whole world’s attention—when a KCOP weather helicopter stumbled upon a police pursuit on the 5 freeway. The channel’s news director preempted a rerun of Matlock to run a live feed of the chase, and the ratings were bonkers. Ever since, “telecopters” have been interrupting regularly scheduled programming in L.A. on a regular basis.

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under one roof. That innovation helped a decentralized city continue to expand geographically, with a Ralphs or Vons anchoring each new neighborhood. And, of course, it didn’t stop at the borders of L.A.—there are now more than 60,000 supermarkets across the U.S.

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out of scooter planks in the ’50s by SoCal surfers looking for something to do when the waves were less than gnarly. But in the early 1960s, two Angelenos—Larry Stevenson and Bill Richards—opened the first skateboard shops, in Santa Monica and North Hollywood.

By 1965, Life was publishing photos of John Lennon riding one, and a $2 billion industry was up and running.

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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

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Since Disneyland opened in 1955, it has spawned 12 other parks, including Florida’s Disney World and France’s Disneyland Paris, as well as scores of imitators, like Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Florida, the Westernthemed Silver Dollar City in Missouri, and even Dolly Parton’s Dollywood in Tennessee.

outsell sedans, accounting for 45 percent of all vehicle sales.

TESLAS Yes, we know, Elon Musk built his first electric cars up north in San Carlos. But he opened his first Tesla dealership, in 2008, right here on Santa Monica Boulevard by the 405. According to Tesla lore, the owner of the building at the time was reluctant to lease the space to the upstart company, so Musk had to make a personal plea himself. Eventually, a deal was struck when Musk agreed to sell the owner a signature 100 Roadster painted in the custom color of his choice. (He picked lightning green.)

THEME PARKS We’re not talking about amusement parks—there have been roller-coasters and Ferris wheels all over the world for more than 100 years. But theme parks—where all the rides and attractions are focused on a central concept, like, say, a talking mouse in red shorts—is very much a SoCal thing.

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The quintessential Southern California shoe was created by a guy from

Vidal Sassoon > He made Hollywood look fabulous, and in turn, Hollywood made him a star— the most famous hairstylist of the ’60s and ’70s.

He’s the guy who gave Mia Farrow her pixie cut for Rosemary’s Baby (which enraged her then-boyfriend, Frank Sinatra) and snipped the tresses of Goldie Hawn, Helen Mirren—even Michael Caine. How many other hairdressers ended up on the cover of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s album?

Boston. Paul Van Doren launched Vans after moving to Anaheim in 1966, and his checkerboard slip-ons were an instant hit with skateboarders.

He sold the company to VF Corporation in 2004, which grew the brand into a $4 billion colossus.

“I didn’t know a thing about retail,” Doren, who died in 2021, once admitted. “The first person gave me a $5 bill—a pair of shoes was $2.49. But I didn’t have any money in the cash register, so I gave her the shoes.”

YOGA IN AMERICA Hollywood started doing the downward dog in the 1940s—long before the rest of the country—when a Latvian woman named Eugenie Peterson taught yoga to the likes of Greta Garbo, Eva Gabor, and Yul Brynner. By the 1980s, studios like YogaWorks (where Kareem AbdulJabbar used to unfurl an extra-long mat) and Ana Forrest’s studio (where Lisa Bonet, Dana Delany, and sometimes Governor Jerry Brown once twisted themselves into pretzels) began popping up on Montana Avenue, turning Santa Monica into a yoga mecca. Today, yoga studios stretch across the

country, with 36 million Americans spending $11 billion on classes and equipment, not to mention nag champa.

Z CHANNEL Before HBO became a thing, there was Z Channel, one of the first pay-cable networks in the country. This pioneering movie service shaped the cinematic sensibilities of scores of future filmmakers growing up in SoCal in the ’70s (like Alexander Payne and Quentin Tarantino) and even influenced the Oscars. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1975 best picture nom for The Conversation is often credited to Z Chanel for screening it for 100,000 subscribers, many of whom were Academy members. But Z Channel didn’t have a Hollywood ending.

Lawsuits by the studios killed it in 1987, and a year later, its beloved programming director, Jerry Harvey, murdered his wife and turned his gun— reportedly a gift from Sam Peckinpah—on himself.

Contributors: Soren Baker, Michael Callahan, Sean Fitz-Gerald, Merle Ginsberg, Alan Hess, Linda Immediato, Andy Lewis, Zoie Matthew, Sheila McClear, Chris Nichols, Hunter Philip, and Jordan Riefe.

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AUGUST 2022 A NEW ANNUAL MAGAZINE GUIDE TO EXPLORING THE BEST OF LOS ANGELES Los Angeles magazine’s new Let’s Go LA guide is your handbook to exploring our city’s world-class attractions, hidden gems, delicious dining options, family-friendly experiences and more.

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WHY WE LIVE HERE Yes, there’s crime. And the traffic sucks. And the housing crisis is completely out of control. But for 60 years, Angelenos have battled even tougher problems (remember smog?) and always come out on top

BY BRUCE FE I RST E I N

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60 BISON ARCHIVES

Y E A R S AG O, when this magazine published its first issue,

the tallest building in Los Angeles was our 28-story City Hall.

There was no Beverly Center, no Grove, no Dolby Theatre, no L.A. Convention Center, no Disney Concert Hall, no Crypto. com Arena, and no office towers in Century City. The first office building on the former 20th Century Fox back lot wouldn’t open for another year—and that 13-story building would be torn down in 2015 as part of the area’s redevelopment of the Century City mall. Even the iconic Capitol Records Building in Hollywood—the reverentially nicknamed “House That Nat Built”—was only six years old.

In 1962, the Santa Monica Freeway barely extended west of Hoover Street in downtown L.A.; it would not reach La Cienega Boulevard until 1964 and Santa Monica itself until 1966. At Los Angeles International Airport, the infamous U-shaped roadway outside the terminals was only one level, serving both departures and arrivals, and the space-age Theme Building, which still serves as the visual shorthand for LAX, had been built just a year before.

At the time, the aerospace industry was still one of the biggest employers in Los Angeles. Flying high on the space program, the Cold War, Caltech, the Rand Corporation, and the full complement of airplane manufacturers who helped America win World War II, the city was alternately boosted as the Detroit of the jet age, and/or the West Coast epicenter of the military-industrial complex.

On April 10th, 1962, the Dodgers played their first game in the newly built Dodger Stadium, whose construction erased three (then so-called) “Mexican” neighborhoods from Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers lost the opening game to the Cincinnati Reds by a score of six to three. In November of that year, the governor, Edmund G. Brown, announced that California had passed New York to become America’s most populous state.

It was estimated that domestic migration alone was adding close to 1,000 new California residents every day.

And, finally, it’s worth noting that, in the 1960 census breakdown of L.A.’s population by race and ethnicity, there were separate categories for white and Black residents, but no category at all for Hispanic or Spanish speakers. And our Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese residents were all lumped together as “Asian or Pacific Islander.”

Clearly, we are not the same city we were 60 years ago. Still, I can’t help but point out some ironic similarities: In both 1962 and 2022, West Side Story was nominated for multiple

L A M AG . C O M 4 3

Oscars at the Academy Awards. While we’re still grappling with COVID-19 vaccinations for schoolchildren in 2022, back then, there were citywide “Sabin Sundays” for students to receive Dr. Albert Sabin’s newly approved sugar-cube vaccines for the polio epidemic. And where the world held its breath in October 1962 in fear of Nikita Khrushchev starting a nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, well, now we’ve got Putin and Ukraine.

Mark Twain was right: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”

Once Upon a Time in L.A. One thing you can say about the last 60 years in this city—it hasn’t been boring. From the Watts riots to the O. J. Bronco chase, L.A. always keeps you interested.

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Instagram, and Snapchat. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is set to open next door to the L.A. Coliseum in 2023, not all that far from our new, burgeoning Arts District. And at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax Avenue—atop the purple D Line subway station scheduled to open in 2024 and just down the block from the new LACMA galleries that will soon be bridging their way across Wilshire—it’s possible to envision what may one day be L.A.’s next big tourist attraction, where you’ll be able to experience all the facets of our city’s

APRIL 10, 1962 Dodger Stadium opens, and 52,000 fans watch their team lose to the Cincinnati Reds.

AUG. 11, 1965 The Watts riots begin.

NOV. 28, 1966 The Los Angeles Zoo debuts.

It’s actually the city’s third public zoo; the first opened in Griffith Park in 1885 and closed three months before the new one opened.

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national media—or the broadcast punditocracy—talk about L.A., they tend to portray the city as a lawless, red-carpeted dystopia, headed down a 12-lane highway to hell. On the one hand, that’s a different approach from the usual “Let’s see what vapid trends the lunatics in L.A. are up to,” which typically involves a high-speed car chase or someone who’s established a cult worshipping rocks in a hot tub in Topanga Canyon. But on the other hand, let’s just cop to it and get this over with quickly: Yes, the traffic is miserable, crime is up, the homeless situation is an indictment of our culture, the school system has been accused of failing our children, and that’s before you get to the fires, the drought, and the lack of affordable housing.

I’m not dismissing or downplaying any of this—it’s all urgent. But you know what? Every major American city is beset by one or more of these problems today, and, in that regard, we’re not that special.

And yet with each passing day, there’s progress on the four major rail projects in Los Angeles—like the Compton to LAX line or the subway tunneling under Wilshire—that will one day change the nature of transportation in L.A. With each passing day, there’s progress on the new LAX itself, which will finally drag our namesake airport into the twenty-first century in time for the 2028 Olympics.

With each passing day, the streaming revolution continues to remake Hollywood and Culver City with new office buildings, new soundstages, new hotels, restaurants, and housing.

In Inglewood, the SoFi Stadium and Super Bowl–winning Rams have introduced a new playbook to the neighborhood.

In Venice and Playa del Rey, the military-industrial complex has been supplanted by the social media–industrial complex, with the influencers and podcasters of YouTube,

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A L L T O O O F T E N these days, when the

T R U E W E ST Preceding page: The Hollywood sign in mid-construction, 1923.

Right: LAX Theme Buildling, 1961.

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culture in a few short blocks: Hollywood at the Academy Museum, car culture at the Petersen Automotive Museum, the L.A. art world at LACMA, and, finally, at the reimagined La Brea Tar Pits, the woolly mammoths who got here before the rest of us.

Many years ago, in his famous essay “Here is New York,” E. B. White wrote, “No one should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky.” If there’s a Southern California corollary, I would proffer this: No one should live

JUNE 5, 1968 Sirhan Sirhan shoots Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel.

AUG. 8, 1969 Charles Manson’s cult murders actress Sharon Tate and four others at the home she shared with director Roman Polanski in Benedict Canyon.

in Los Angeles unless he or she is willing to be optimistic.

All of which is why, with each and every passing day, in neighborhood community meetings and Zoom conference calls, L.A. residents are gearing up for the next election, where the imperative is to vote in a new mayor who’ll find a humane way to deal with crime, who has the skill set to house the unhoused for less than $850,000 per unit, and who can provide leadership that won’t confuse empty platitudes with real progress and achievement.

FEB. 9, 1971 The Sylmar earthquake hits at a magnitude of 6.5.

MAY 7, 1972 The Lakers win their first NBA championship, beating the New York Knicks.

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The road to progress is long. It twists and turns and dives and doubles back on itself like Mulholland Drive. It’s also slow. Too slow. But you can’t thrive here without having the faith that, sooner or later, we’ll make the imaginary Los Angeles—where justice and progress prevail—the real one.

M A N Y Y E A R S AG O, when I first moved here, I thought the

entertainment business was the center of the Los Angeles universe. I had no sense of the fashion, jewelry, or manufacturing industries; I had no idea of the number of people employed in academia, medicine, law, construction, engineering, or just building cars. (Your locally grown Tesla is assembled in a factory that once turned out cars for GM and Toyota.)

It took time, marriage, children, and home ownership to change the way I thought about the city—along with, perhaps, spending too much time during the pandemic at the Home Depot near MacArthur Park and at the Los Feliz Costco. But there is one night, early on in my years here, that still stays with me. I was having dinner with a group of friends—and a famous-for-that-moment writer-director—at a long-since-closed nightclub called Helena’s near downtown.

Hearing that I drove a Jeep Wrangler, the writer-director decided to make me the evening’s object of ridicule.

“A Jeep?” he demanded. “What kind of jackass needs a Jeep in L.A.? What are you planning to do? Go big-game hunting on the savannah in Bel-Air?” Hearing this, I was flummoxed. I admired the man. The best half-hearted retort I could muster was something to the effect of, “Have you driven on the roads in the Hollywood Hills lately? You need an off-road vehicle.”

Pathetic? Yes. But when I got home later that night, in a moment of clarity that the French call l’esprit de l’escalier— “the wit of the staircase”—I realized exactly what I should have replied: “Why do I drive a Jeep? Because I like it.” For me, that simple four-word sentiment has been the key to life in L.A. ever since.

Los Angeles is a city where you are free to pursue your career, your quirks, your hobbies, and your pastimes without snark or judgment or ridicule. Why do you surf? Because I like it. Why do you hike in the mountains or run through the

4 6 L A M AG . C O M

JULY 24, 1984 After losing its bid to host the Olympics in 1948, 1952, 1956, 1976, and 1980, L.A. is finally cut a break when Iran, the first-pick 1984 host, collapses in revolution.

AUG. 31, 1985 Richard Ramirez, “The Night Stalker,” is arrested after slaying 13 and terrorizing L.A. for a year.

APRIL 29, 1992 The Rodney King riots begin.

JUNE 9, 1993 Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss is arrested; scores of studio executives panic as the whereabouts of her little black book remain unknown.

1 9 8 0 : H U G H P E T E R SWA L D/S I PA U SA /A P I M AG E S ; 1 9 8 5 : B E T T M A N N /G E T T Y I M AG E S ; 1 9 92 : A P P H OTO/J O H N G A P S I I I

DEC., 1980 The Ivy opens, becoming an industry hot spot.

hills or do tae kwon do, Pilates, or yoga, or play mah-jongg or go ballroom dancing? Because I like it. Why are you obsessed with the Lakers, the Clippers, swap meets, food trucks, the L.A. Philharmonic, and turning wrenches on lowriders?

Because I like it. Why do you paint? Why do you garden? Why do you play in a rock band? Why do you join a book club, why do you study cooking, why do you dress as if you’re in the Tour de France and ride in bicycle packs through Santa Monica on Sunday mornings? Why do you pump iron on Venice Beach?

Because I like it. Why do you DJ? Why do you write screenplays? Why do you write songs and poetry? Why do you buy vinyl records at a small record shop in Manchester? Why do hundreds of men play in amateur soccer leagues every night

M U S I C C E N T E R : 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 )

No one should live in L.A. unless he or she is willing to be optimistic.

1 9 9 4 : DAV I D B U TOW/G E T T Y I M AG E S ; 2 0 2 2 : LU I S S I N CO/ LO S A N G E L E S T I M E S /G E T T Y I M AG E S

D I S N E Y: T H E SAC R A M E N TO B E E / R A N DY P E N C H /Z U M A P R E S S ; T H E G R OV E : CO U R T E SY C A R U S O ; C I N E R A M A : B I S O N A R C H I V E S

LAND OF DREAMS Clockwise from bottom left: The Music Center, 1966; Disney Hall, 2003; the Grove, 2002; the Cinerama Dome, 1963.

across the city? Why do amateur astronomers lug their precious telescopes up to the lawn at Griffith Park once a month and encourage young kids to look at the stars? Why do you go to church? Why do you donate to charities? Why do you volunteer your time? Because I like it.

As you look across America these days, it’s impossible to miss the darkness descending on states like Florida, with its “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and Texas, with restrictive women’s reproductive rights legislation. When Disney planned to relocate a creative unit to Orlando, the Wall Street Journal quoted a senior Disney executive arguing against it, saying, “The company can’t ‘create terrific content’ without staffers ‘feeling supported and safe when you come to work.’ ” To which

JAN. 17, 1994 The Northridge quake kills 57, injures 9,000, and does more than $20 billion in damage.

JUNE 17, 1994 An estimated 95 million people watch O. J. Simpson in a white Bronco as he leads police on a two-hour chase after the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.

we say, Come home. At our very best, twenty-first-century Los Angeles will always strive to be a citadel of tolerance, a shining beacon of hope and optimism.

After 60 years of chronicling the ups and downs of life in Los Angeles, this magazine remains as positive about the future as it was on day one. Why? Picture, if you will, the perfect summer sunset in the City of Angels—that breathtaking, almost spiritual moment when the sunlight bathes you in gold and the scattering of thin clouds so high in the sky turn pink and orange against the deep blue heavens. And now ask yourself, Why are you here? Why do you care so much and remain so invested and hopeful about the future of our city?

Why? Because we like it.

APRIL 12, 2021 The Cinerama Dome, a Hollywood landmark since it opened in 1963, closes it doors indefinitely due to COVID.

FEB. 13, 2022 The Los Angeles Rams win their first Super Bowl (second, if you count the one they picked up for St. Louis in 2020, which nobody in L.A. does).

L A M AG . C O M 4 7

L.A IS A CITY OF ANGELS BUT ALSO CHARACTERS WHO GIVE OUR TOWN ITS SINGULAR BRIO. WHICH IS WHY ON THESE PAGES YOU’LL SEE A MICHELINSTARRED CHEF, A TRANSFORMATIVE POP SINGER AND LEGENDARY ATHLETE ALONGSIDE DRAG QUEENS, REALITY STARS AND—HOW COULD WE NOT?—ANGELYNE. BECAUSE L.A. WOULDN’T BE L.A. WITHOUT EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM 4 8 L A M AG . C O M

THE P

T H E O U T- O F - TOW N E R S

L A R RY DAV I D AND J U L I A LOUIS-DREYFUS Writer-Producer • Actress

p h o t o g r ap h e d by M A RT I N S C H O E L L E R a t M A L I B U B E AC H

DAV I D A N D LO U I S - D R E Y F U S are New Yorkers by birth but found their stride on Seinfeld, filmed in Studio City. They met in the ’80s on Saturday Night Live—she a popular cast member, he a writer failing to get his sketches on air. After Seinfeld’s massive success, David played a version of himself—rich, self-absorbed, neurotic— on Curb Your Enthusiasm. With 11 Emmys, Louis-Dreyfus proved herself a TV comedian in the tradition of Lucille Ball, and she found a defining role playing a bumbling U.S. vice president on Veep. Like much of their work together and apart, there was no hugging, no learning—pretty, pretty, pretty good. — ST E V E A P P L E FO R D

PLAYERS

EDITED BY

MICHAEL WALKER

Choi, Silverton, and Puck.

THE CHEFS

R OY C H O I , N A N CY S I LV E R T O N , Masters of Kogi, Mozza, and Spago

AND

WO L F G A N G P U C K

LO S A N G E L E S became America’s best food city for a lot of reasons; three of them are Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton, and Roy Choi.

The Austrian-born Puck left Ma Maison to conjure his take on California cuisine (pizza topped with caviar and smoked salmon) at the original Spago, opened in 1982 on the Sunset Strip, and at the restaurant’s current flagship in Beverly Hills. His fame now approaches that of the celebrities he feeds annually at the Academy Awards’ Governors Ball. An obsessive master of breads, Valley native Silverton cofounded, with Puck-alum and then-husband Mark Peel, the landmark Campanile and its adjacent La Brea Bakery in 1989; today, she presides over the acclaimed Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria in Hancock Park and spends half the year in central Italy, absorbing tastes and techniques. Choi was born in Seoul and grew up in Anaheim working at his parents’ Korean restaurant. After training at the Culinary Institute of America and becoming chef at the Beverly Hilton, he launched his revolutionary Kogi gourmet food trucks in 2008, delivering a startling cross-cultural menu of bulgogi tacos and kimchi quesadillas to the streets. — S . A .

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DA N Y T R E J O : G R O O M I N G BY A L I C A R B A JA L

p h o t o g r ap h e d by A RT S T R E I B E R a t D U - PA R’ S AT T H E O R I G I NA L FA R M E R S M A R K E T

T H E O P E R ATO R

DA N N Y T R E J O Actor, Restaurateur

p h o t o g r ap h e d by S H AYA N A S G H A R N I A at T RE JO’S C OF F E E & D ONU TS

A R R E ST E D FO R the first time at

ten, Trejo was a hardened juvie bouncing around California gladiator academies before fetching up at San Quentin with a string of priors, a heroin habit, and a bad attitude. When released in 1969, he’d kicked junk and found God. A stint as a drug counselor led to his first movie role—an extra in 1985’s Runaway Train. From there, he meandered through movie and television projects, achieving stardom with memorable turns in Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse, as the wheelman in Michael Mann’s crime epic Heat, and as the duplicitous cartel mule Tortuga in Breaking Bad. His L.A-based Trejo’s Tacos and Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts are the latest manifestations of his methodical ambition. As his Breaking Bad character informs the DEA: “Tortuga means turtle, and that’s me. I take my time, but I always win.” — M I C H A E L WA L K E R

L A M AG . C O M 5 1

JA M I E M A S A DA

AND

T I F FA N Y H A D D I S H

Founder, Laugh Factory • Comedian, Actress

p h o t o g r ap h e d by J E F F V E S PA a t T H E L AU G H FAC T O RY

JA M I E M A SA DA arrived in L.A. from Iran at 14 with a mouthful of English, even less money. After

his attempt at stand-up comedy failed to produce many laughs or dollars, the resourceful émigré scraped together funding and founded the Laugh Factory in 1979 at the wrong end of the Sunset Strip. Masada’s insistence on paying the comedians appearing on his stage earned him the undying gratitude of future superstars like David Letterman and Jay Leno. Today, Masada’s eye for talent is as keen as ever. He discovered Haddish at his charity comedy camp for disadvantaged teens when she was 15 and mentored the future Grammy winner. “This man laid the foundation for my career,” Haddish says. “He gave me the greatest gift in the world: he cared.” — M .W.

5 2 L A M AG . C O M

T I F FA N Y H A D D I S H : ST Y L I N G BY K R I ST I N A TAY LO R H A I R BY R AY C H R I STO P H E R ; M A K E U P BY S I R J O H N ; M AG I C J O H N S O N / R E D U X

THE COMIC RELIEF

T H E AT H L E T E

M AG I C JOHNSON

Lakers Legend, Survivor p h o t o g r ap h e d by B E N B A K E R

I N G A M E 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, rookie Earvin “Magic” Johnson started at center and played all five positions, leading the “Showtime” Lakers to a stunning victory and the first of his five championships. He abruptly retired in 1991 after contracting HIV but became the face of the fight against the virus. Later, his Magic Johnson Enterprises brought theaters and Starbucks outlets to Black neighborhoods. Today, Johnson has ownership stakes in the Dodgers and the WNBA’s Sparks, and continues to be a model of enlightened entrepreneurship. —J O N R E G A R D I E

L A M AG . C O M 5 3

T H E P RO D I GY

BILLIE EILISH Singer, Phenomenon

p h o t o g r ap h e d by M A S O N P O O L E a t T H E H O L LY WO O D B OW L

B I L L I E E I L I S H Pirate Baird O’Connell

I M AG E CO U R T E SY D I S N E Y/ M A S O N P O O L E

is a 20-year-old punk fairy who could only have been conceived in L.A. The home-schooled daughter of actors and musicians, Eilish and her creative partner, brother Finneas, recorded her Grammy-wining, multiplatinum debut at the O’Connell residence in Highland Park. Her whisper-fragile vocals, with Finneas’s production and co-songwriting, earned them the Best Original Song Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards. Eilish, who has been open about her battle with depression and addiction to porn, had the courage to write lyrics about both. Everything she does, wears, sings, and says is news. — H E I D I S I E G M U N D C U DA

5 4 L A M AG . C O M

L A M AG . C O M 5 5

T H E ACT I V I ST

MELINA ABDULLAH Cofounder, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles

p h o t o g r ap h e d by M AT T S AY L E S a t S T . E L M O V I L L AG E

T H E C A L STAT E L . A . professor

attended her first protest as a child, and she still believes in the power of students to fire up a movement.

Abdullah cofounded Black Lives Matter Los Angeles with dozens of her Pan-African Studies students.

She continues to embrace without apology defunding the police and voices skepticism that Karen Bass is the ideal mayoral candidate for progressives. The mother of three and self-described radical organizer calls for universal ethnic studies. “Black studies saved my life,” she says. —S.A.

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THE NEWSMEN

PAT R I C K S O O N - S H I O N G A N D K E V I N M E R I DA Owner • Executive Editor, L.A. Times

p h o t o g r ap h e d by A RT S T R E I B E R a t T H E L . A . T I M E S O F F I C E S

T H E L . A T I M E S , hobbled by staff cuts and a rapacious owner, was reeling

when Soon-Shiong and his wife, Michele Chan, bought the paper (along with the San Diego Tribune) in 2018 for $500 million. The South African–born pharmaceutical magnate hired Merida, a beloved Washington Post veteran, who was also in the running for the top job at that paper. It was reported last year that Soon-Shiong, deep in development of a COVID vaccine, was considering selling the Times, which he denied. In any event, the newsroom, under Merida’s guidance, has rallied with tough stories and renewed purpose. —M.W.

L A M AG . C O M 5 7

T H E S P I R I T UA L I ST

ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ GOMEZ

Los Angeles Archdiocese p h o t o g r ap h e d by C O R I NA M A R I E a t T H E C AT H E D R A L O F O U R L A DY O F T H E A N G E L S

T H E C AT H E D R A L of Our Lady

of the Angels in downtown L.A. was built to stand for 500 years and carry the work of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles deep into this millennium. “We have mass right now in 42 languages,” says Archbishop José Gomez, who was appointed in 2011. “We try to be attentive to the fact that this is a big city and people from all over the world are here. I think the influence of the church has been very important for Los Angeles.” The $163 million cathedral marks its 20th anniversary this year and represents Catholics across Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. With walls festooned with artist John Nava’s tapestries depicting a multicultural procession of 136 saints and religious figures, the cathedral, like the archbishop, seeks to fulfill the words inscribed on its cornerstone: “A house of prayer for all peoples.” — S . A .

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T H E DY N A ST Y

ERIC

AND

GIL GARCETTI

L.A. Mayor • Former District Attorney

p h o t o g r ap h e d by A RT S T R E I B E R a t C I T Y H A L L

O U R L AT E LY embattled mayor is better known, but his father, Gil, was first to stitch their surname into the civic fabric of Los Angeles. The career prosecutor was elected L.A. County district attorney in 1992 and is chiefly remembered for being in charge when the office lost the O. J. Simpson murder trial. In 2001, Eric won a seat on the City Council, and became L.A.’s 42nd mayor in 2013. While in office he steered L.A. through COVID but never finessed the intractable homelessness crisis (his ambassadorship to India was in doubt at press time). But the mayor’s true legacy, including landing the 2028 Summer Olympics and promoting mass transit, won’t be felt for years. —J. R .

L A M AG . C O M 5 9

THE TRAILBLAZERS

CHEECH & CHONG Comics, Actors, Proto-Stoners

p h o t o g r ap h e d by C O R I NA M A R I E a t W I L L R O G E R S S TAT E B E AC H

L . A .’ S H E A DY 1960s drug culture informed one landmark comedy experiment: the James Joyce-quoting Firesign Theatre. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong mainstreamed the concept in the early ’70s with sidesplitting stoner routines, some set on the streets of East L.A., that surfaced racial tensions, shredded peace-and-love pieties (a mainstay of fellow Angeleno Frank Zappa), and even nodded to Abbott and Costello in “Dave’s Not Here,” a red-eyed homage to “Who’s on First?” Hit comedy albums brought their act to the masses—“Sister Mary Elephant,” the only spoken-word recording to reach the Top 40—as did their 1978 film, Up in Smoke, which grossed $104 million worldwide. Marin launched a solo career with the Springsteenparodying “Born in East L.A.” His extensive art collection is the centerpiece of Riverside Art Museum’s Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, opening in June.— M .W.

G R O O M I N G FO R C H E E C H & C H O N G BY K E L LY G O L D SAC K FO R E XC LU S I V E A R T I STS

L A M AG . C O M 6 1

THE RAPPER

SNOOP DOGG

Hip-Hop OG, Entrepreneur p h o t o g r ap h e d by J O E P U G L I E S E a t T H E B E AC H

W H E N C A LV I N B R OA D U S debuted on Dr. Dre’s Chronic in 1992, the entire world of rap shifted, fueled by gin and juice and blunt-laden L.A. house parties. At the time, there was a turf war between East Coast and West Coast rappers. The East Coast gave us battle cries by Public Enemy; the West Coast, the gangsta rap of N.W.A and Ice T. Then along came Snoop. Everything changed. The fact that he was so dang likable made it difficult for the haters, which is why he has weathered every rap shitstorm. Unlike Tupac and Biggie, Snoop lives on, shining like a star with Dre at the Super Bowl. Drop it like it’s hot, Snoop. — H . S .C .

6 2 L A M AG . C O M

T H E C O N D U CTO R

GU STAVO DUDAM EL Conductor, L.A. Philharmonic p h o t o g r ap h e d by S L AVA M O G U T I N a t WA LT D I S N E Y C O N C E RT H A L L

W E A R E I N a city that’s been blessed with

brilliant conductors: Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, André Previn, Otto Klemperer, John Williams. But to watch the L.A. Phil’s current master, Gustavo Dudamel—of the moppy curls and passionate manner—perform Beethoven, Dvořák, Wagner, Mahler, Gershwin, Ravel, and the many new pieces he commissions from South American composers, is to watch a genius at work. That you’re as likely to run into him at an In-NOut as at one of the two beautiful venues he calls home—the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall—gives him an everyman appeal that transcends classical music cliques. Once on the podium, he conducts the acclaimed 103-year-orchestra with his entire being, seeming to levitate briefly before landing lightly on his feet. Sheer joy. —H.S.C.

L A M AG . C O M 6 3

T H E R E STAU R AT E U R S

M I C H A E L M C CA R T Y Founder, Michael’s Santa Monica

p h o t o g r ap h e d by DA N B U S TA a t M I C H A E L’ S

M I C H A E L M CC A R T Y was a 25-year-old, Armaniwearing chef when he opened his eponymous restaurant on Third Street, joined ten years later by a Manhattan outpost. Michael’s Santa Monica served as the springboard for an uncanny number of L.A. celebrity chefs—Jonathan Waxman, Mark Peel, Nancy Silverton, Roy Yamaguchi, Sang Yoon, Ken Frank, and Brooke Williamson all got their start in the chaotic kitchen. Meanwhile, their boss reimagined American fine dining with his California twist on French nouvelle cuisine served in a setting where waiters wore Ralph Lauren instead of tuxedos and modern art hung gallery-style on the pure white walls. “Michael’s is either an overrated piece of history or nothing short of the birthplace of modern American cuisine,” says McCarty’s son, Chas, who has comanaged the restaurant with his father since 2015. We’d tend toward the latter. — M .W.

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McCarty and his son, Chas, at Michael’s Santa Monica.

T H E B RO K E R S

THE LADIES Reality-Star Realtors

OF

SELLING SUNSET

From left: Selling Sunset’s Mary Fitzgerald, Emma Hernan, Chrishell Stause, and Chelsea Lazkani.

p h o t o g r ap h e d by M I C H E L L E G R O S K O P F i n T H E H O L LY WO O D H I L L S

T H E N E T F L I X docusoap Selling Sunset is the latest corner of L.A. gloss—in this case, conspicuous

real estate consumption and its enablers (think: Million Dollar Listing)—to be repurposed as reality-TV porn. Set around the mostly female sales force of L.A.’s Oppenheim Group (led by twins Jason and Brett Oppenheim), Selling Sunset only occasionally focuses on moving zillion-dollar properties with epic views; instead, series creator Adam DiVello (Laguna Beach, The Hills) chronicles a parade of parties, mean girls, boy toys, weddings, divorce, and heartbreak. The season five ensemble includes mainstays Mary Fitzgerald, Heather Rae El Moussa, Emma Hernan, Chrishell Stause (divorced and now dating one of the twins), and a newcomer, British-Nigerian realtor Chelsea Lazkani. — S . A .

L A M AG . C O M 6 5

6 6 L A M AG . C O M

From left: Compton Cowboys Randall Hook, Carlton Hook, Layton Charles Bereal, Anthony Harris, and Roy Keenan Malik Abercrombia.

T H E LO N G R I D E R S

T H E C O M P T O N C OW B OYS Positive Posse

p h o t o g r ap h e d by R I C A R D O N E L S O N a t T H E I R S TA B L E i n C O M P T O N

T H E CO M P TO N COW B OYS ride with the banner “Streets raised us. Horses saved us.”

In a city still best known for gangsta rap, these cowboys are lifelong friends who came together on horseback with a mission: to counter racial stereotypes and escape gang violence. The group evolved from the Compton Junior Posse, an equestrian program founded in 1988 in the city’s semirural Richland Farms neighborhood to offer an alternative to gang culture and recognize the Black cowboys who helped open the West after the Civil War. With the hashtag #BlackEquestriansMatter, the Compton Cowboys also advocate for breaking into the mostly white rodeo circuit. Word is apparently getting around: one young female member had a cameo on horseback in Beyonce’s performance of “Be Alive” at the 2022 Academy Awards. — S . A .

T H E S H OW M A N

BRIAN GRAZER Producer, Author, Philanthropist

p h o t o g r ap h e d by J E F F V E S PA at HIS HOME

I N A P E R I PAT E T I C career spanning four decades, Grazer, with director Ron Howard, has produced movies and television shows nominated for 43 Academy Awards and 138 Emmys.

He’s also penned a New York Times best-seller and become one of L.A.’s most dedicated and hands-on philanthropists. Grazer prefers to give to causes he can personally apprehend; having raised an autistic son, he experienced the paucity of available treatments and facilities. “I produced A Beautiful Mind because I saw people all over yelling at garbage cans, screaming at walls,” he says. “I’m not rich enough to give to vague causes.

I like to keep it local.” — M .W.

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From left: Dimitri Dimitrov, Gabé Doppelt, and Jeff Klein at the Tower Bar.

T H E S M A RT S E T

D I M I T R I D I M I T R OV, G A B É D O P P E LT, Gatekeepers of San Vicente Bungalows, Tower Bar

AND

JEFF KLEIN

p h o t o g r ap h e d by A DA M A M E N G UA L a t T OW E R B A R

W H E N S U N S E T TOW E R H OT E L owner Jeff Klein opened San Vicente Bungalows in 2018, he took with him the legendary Dimitri

Dimitrov, the Tower Bar’s maître d’ and man about town. Dimitrov’s replacement, Gabé Doppelt, had no restaurant experience, but she did have a suitably glamorous backstory—as former editor of Mademoiselle and lieutenant for Condé Nast legends Tina Brown and Anna Wintour. For the past four years, as Dimitrov charmed the ultra-A-list crowd at the private Bungalows, Doppelt finessed the egos of the Tower Bar’s still-star-studded clientele. She compares the air-kiss blandishments of the job to be “like fluffing in porn, darling.

Except not.” — M E R L E G I N S B E R G

L A M AG . C O M 6 9

T H E P SYC H I C

T Y L E R H E N RY Medium to the Stars

p h o t o g r ap h e d by C O DY C L O U D a t H O L LY WO O D F O R E V E R C E M E T E RY

A R R I V I N G I N L.A. by train from rural Central California, the young psychic had no

dreams of finding fame as the star of Hollywood Medium. “I had this unique ability,” he says, “[but] I was gay; I was very different from my surroundings. L.A. was a bit of a reprieve from all of that.” Henry was 19 when the E! series began, and across four seasons, he performed over 200 celebrity readings, from Kardashians to kickboxers. The hardest to read? “Comedians.” In his new series, Netflix’s Life After Death with Tyler Henry, he focuses on readings for average folks. “Everybody has questions,” he says. — S . A .

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T Y L E R H E N RY: G R O O M I N G BY T H E A I ST E N E S FO R E XC LU S I V E A R T I STS

From left: Cake Moss, Billy L’Amour, Jackie Beat, Roxy Wood, and Marta BeatChu.

T H E ROYA L S

JAC K I E B E AT

AND

HER COURT

All Hail the Drag Queens of WeHo

p h o t o g r ap h e d by R I C A R D O N E L S O N a t H A M B U R G E R M A RY ’ S

LO S A N G E L E S excels at elevating unlikely pairings into cultural touchstones: Bogart and Bacall, fried chicken and waffles. So it’s hardly surprising that the combo platter at Hamburger Mary’s—superlative burgers and gregarious drag queens—continues to thrive at the corner of Sweetzer and Santa Monica in West Hollywood.

Regulars will probably recognize the flame-haired Jackie Beat, seen tucking into a Mary’s speciality (below) while her court expresses appropriate hauteur. In a career spanning 25 years and millions of YouTube views, Jackie has channeled the likes of Gaga, Madonna, and Cher while delivering lacerating parodies of their hits. (“Small children will probably be frightened,” the New York Times characterized one of her live shows.) But what do you expect from a queen who declares herself “the world’s biggest bitch”? — M .W.

L A M AG . C O M 7 1

T H E A E ST H E T E

M R . B R A I N WA S H Street Artist

p h o t o g r ap h e d by C O R I NA M A R I E a t M R . B R A I N WA S H M U S E U M ( fo r m e rly t h e Pa ley C e nt e r )

T H E C A R E E R of French-born, L.A.-based

Thierry Guetta, aka Mr. Brainwash, traces the gilded path forged by Bansky, his fellow guerilla artist and aesthetic mentor: establish street cred with a freewheeling style heavy on cultural appropriation, and the galleries will follow. Many of Guetta’s signature works are built around anodyne memes—“Follow your dreams,” “Love is the answer”—juxtaposed with frantic collages attended by random pop-cultural totems like Mickey and Minnie Mouse. (His cover for the August 2020 issue of this magazine remains one of our most celebrated.) Guetta’s rise from the streets is chronicled in Bansky’s 2010 documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. “Banksy captured me becoming an artist; in the end, I became his biggest work of art.” — M .W.

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T H E C U R ATO R

M I C H A E L G OVA N

Director, L.A. County Museum of Art

G E T T Y I M AG E S

p h o t o g r ap h e d by S T E FA N I E K E E NA N a t L AC M A

A F T E R G OVA N took over LACMA in 2006, two epic, Instagram-friendly installations defined the new regime: Chris Burden’s Urban Light, comprising 202 vintage L.A. streetlamps; and Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass, a 340-ton granite boulder balanced above a concrete trench. But Govan’s most ambitious endeavor is his most controversial: the shocking (for many) razing of four museum buildings to make way for architect Peter Zumthor’s $750 million boomerang-shaped structure spanning Wilshire Boulevard. Critics charge that it offers 33 percent less gallery space than the original buildings. Reactions split the art world and caused the exit of one major donor, the Ahmanson Foundation. For now, Govan maintains support from LACMA’s board as he remakes the museum in his image. — S . A .

L A M AG . C O M 7 3

T H E P O P STA R A N D T H E M E N TO R

SUSANNA HOFFS

AND

Bangles Cofounder • KROQ DJ/Legend

RODNEY BINGENHEIMER

p h o t o g r ap h e d by J E A N E E N L U N D a t T H E R E C O R D PA R L O R

I N T H E 2003 documentary Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Bingenheimer—a diminutive misfit from Mountain View, California—is depicted as a near-Zelig, turning up in Sonny and Cher’s entourage and auditioning for the Monkees before becoming a pivotal figure in L.A.’s glam- and punk-rock scenes. He championed David Bowie to a skeptical local demimonde and put X, the Go-Go’s, the Runaways, and many other Hollywood rockers on the map via his radio show, “Rodney on the ROQ.” How influential was Bingenheimer? In 1981, Susanna Hoffs, then 18, hand-delivered her unknown band’s first single to him. He gave it airplay, a contract with IRS Records followed, and in 1985 the Bangles scored a triple platinum album and the worldwide smash “Manic Monday,” written by Prince. Today, Bingenheimer moves among us, past his star on the Walk of Fame, in a replica of the cobalt ’67 GTO he piloted through his days and nights on the Sunset Strip. — M .W.

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T H E AU T H O R

BRET EASTON ELLIS Novelist, Provocateur

p h o t o g r ap h e d by J E A N E E N L U N D a t H I S H O M E i n W E H O

R O D N E Y B I N G E N H E I M E R : G R O O M I N G BY T H E A I ST E N E S FO R E XC LU S I V E A R T I STS

P R I N C E O F the literary Brat Packers, Didion-channeling darling of L.A.’s Buckley School, Ellis hit the lit scene like a hurricane in 1985 with Less Than Zero. Depicting wan preppies watching snuff films and having joyless sex, the novel was a nadir-testing version of L.A. noir. (The Bangles scored a hit with their cover of “Hazy Shade of Winter” in the film version.) Today, Ellis is a prickly defender of free speech on his hit podcast and in his 2019 essay collection, White.

He remains one of L.A.’s leading literary figures while his Brat Pack contemporaries fade away. The Shards, his ninth book, drops in January. — M .W.

L A M AG . C O M 7 5

T H E P O ST E R G I R L

A N G E LY N E Famous for Fame

p h o t o g r ap h e d by B E N D U G G A N a t H E R H O M E i n W E S T H O L LY WO O D

A N G E LY N E ’ S I CO N O G R A P H I C bona fides are so

L.A.-specific, she remains unimaginable anywhere else. The former Ronia Tamar Goldberg simply has no equivalent; there is no “New York Angelyne” nor could there ever be one. Her trademark billboards, which have blanketed L.A. since the ’80s and depict her in skimpy lingerie accompanied only by her name, grew out of a promotion for the first of four punkish albums she recorded as a singer. The albums are long gone, but the persona she built promoting them still thrives: Angelyne, a TV series based on her life, starring Emmy Rossum in the title role, premieres this month on Peacock. Part “It” girl, part contrived enigma, Angelyne has actually always been a Warhol-esque sendup of Hollywood celebrity, like fellow L.A. street-culture creation Dennis Woodruff exorting producers to “make my movie!” Traversing town in her pink Corvette, with ANGLYNE vanity tags, she exists both in and out of character. When spotted in the produce aisle of, say, the West Hollywood Gelson’s, she exudes the oblivion of just another harried shopper, albeit one dressed in a hot-pink bustier. People don’t stare— this is L.A., after all. But they can’t look away. — M .W.

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L A M AG . C O M 7 7

THE JOURNEYMAN

BEN HARPER p h o t o g r ap h e d by C O R I NA M A R I E a t T H E T R O U B A D O U R

W H E N T H E G R A M M Y-W I N N I N G Harper first appeared at the Troubadour in 1994, club owner Doug Weston told him, “We’re going to be seeing a lot of you.” The gig was an important step in Harper’s career, just as the club has been for generations of artists. “This is my favorite venue of this size in the world,” Harper says. “It’s the sound, the intimacy, the history.” In the ’60s, the Troubadour was the birthplace of Buffalo Springfield. Richard Pryor recorded his first comedy album there in 1968. Elton John made his star-making U.S. debut at the club during six wild, keyboard-pounding nights in 1970. The L.A. singer-songwriter genre that Harper would later reinterpret was spanked into life at the Troubadour. The club was the first stop for future Eagle Don Henley when he hit town in 1970. “Linda Ronstadt was standing there in a little Daisy Duke dress, barefoot,” he later recalled.

“I thought, ‘I’ve made it. I’m in heaven.’” — M .W.

7 8 L A M AG . C O M

( P H OTO BY T E R E N C E PAT R I C K /C B S V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S )

Singer-Songwriter

T O N Y H AW K

AND

JA M E S C O R D E N

Skateboard Champion • Actor, Comedian, Late-Night TV Host p h o t o g r ap h e d by T E R E N C E PAT R I C K o n t h e C B S B AC K L O T

S O H OW D I D an extreme skateboarder and a British actor and comedian find their way to outsize success? Both were unlikely candidates. Corden spent most of his twenties and early thirties couch-surfing in Studio City and scrounging for gigs before he landed The Late Late Show, his wildly popular late-night perch at CBS. (He was so paranoid the show would be canceled, he didn’t buy furniture for two years.) Hawk went bankrupt a few times before becoming a millionaire skater-mogul. “He’s still trying to skateboard?” asked a friend of Hawk’s wife in the ’90s. “Are you fucking kidding me? Grow up. Get a job.” Both men are accustomed to working without a net, the oft-injured Hawk quite literally so. But they are illustrations of two golden rules for anyone who wants to make it here: be nice to everyone on your way up the ladder, and never, ever look down. — M .W.

L A M AG . C O M 7 9

FOLLOW US ANYWHERE

@LosAngelesmag @lamag @LAmag

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Summer

TRAVEL Summer is Here!

The weather is serene and beautiful, and if you don’t have travel plans ready to go, here are a few Southern California destinations to inspire

R E S O RTS WO R L D L AS V E G AS

that perfect summertime getaway.

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Nirvana by Way of Mexico:

CONRAD PUNTA DE MITA

by Bekah Wright

Seeking respite can be difficult in everyday life. Perhaps that’s why vacations were created…

A getaway that promises peace, rejuvenation and bliss – Conrad Punta de Mita in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit. What this haven holds in store: a two-mile stretch of secluded beach, three dreamy swimming pools, luxuriant spa treatments, and enticing flavors.

A Suite of One’s Own With its the oceanfront setting, Conrad Punta de Mita makes the most of sea views in its 324 rooms and suites. A reflection of the tropical surrounds can be found through the resort’s modern design and coastal décor.

Sheer luxury can be had in accommodations like the Grand Oceanfront Suite with its 2,525-square feet of space for relaxing. The suite’s main space comes replete with a kitchen, dining and living areas, plus adjoining bathroom. A king-size bed awaits for sweet slumbering in the bedroom. The en suite bathroom calls for soaking in the bathtub, or showering on the outside patio under the sun.

The best spot to grab some Vitamin D—in the private patio’s plunge pool.

A Sensory Feast Transporting taste buds to the Riviera Nayarit are Conrad Punta de Mita’s seven dining venues, lounges and bars. Set amongst mangroves by the beach is the resort’s signature venue, Codex. A menu item that speaks to its setting: Jaiba de Concha Suave, soft-shell crab with flavors of ancho chili, black garlic, citrus jocoque. In the mood for something straight from the grill?

Mezquite serves Bone-In Short Rib, Half Rock Cornish Game Hen and local shrimp fresh from the fire.

Luscious libations go hand-in-hand with tropical destinations and Tuki, a “modern-day temple for inventive cocktails,” delivers just that. As imbibing in Mescal is a must while in Mexico, order up the Huichol with Holbosh Espadin Mezcal.

Achieving Zen Ziplining, horseback riding, fishing and jungle trekking may equal Zen to some Conrad Punta de Mita visitors. Others seek serenity at the Conrad Spa, where treatments like the 90-minute Hïtïarica Awakening Massage draw upon ancient techniques from the Huichol culture. The idea follow-up: walking along the beach to feel the salt-tinged breeze and be serenaded by the ocean waves. As for the promise of peace, rejuvenation and bliss? It’s a promise well-kept by Conrad Punta de Mita.

Carretera Punta de Mita Sayulita Km 2, Litibu, Nayarit, 63734, Mexico 844-298-4300 conradhotels.com/puntademita 82 L A M AG . C O M

R O O M

T O

E X P L O R E

Feel the freedom of miles of uninterrupted palm fringed sandy beaches with vast Pacific Ocean views on Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit. conradhotels.com/puntademita

S T A Y C O N R A D

I N S P I R E D H O T E L S

&

R E S O R T S

Bora Bora | Chicago | Fort Lauderdale | Indianapolis | Las Vegas at Resorts World New York Downtown | New York Midtown | Punta de Mita, Mexico | Tulum, Mexico | Washington, D.C.

C O M I N G

S O O N

Los Angeles | Nashville | Orlando

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HALEKULANI HOTEL

LAX: TRANSFORMING THE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

84 L A M AG . C O M

As Los Angeles prepares to welcome the world in the coming years with global events culminating in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is in the midst of a $15 billion capital improvement program that is modernizing terminals and improving how passengers access one of the busiest airports in the world. From state-of-the-art technology and facilities to more efficient ways to access the airport, a reimagined LAX is on the horizon.

The first element of the landside improvements—the LAX Economy Parking facility—made its public debut in October 2021, bringing online a state-of-the-art smart parking structure with approximately 4,300 new parking spaces and a brandnew reservation system. Passengers can now pre-book parking ahead of time at Parking.FlyLAX.com and save up to 60% off the drive-up rate, while taking away the stress of having to find a parking spot when arriving at the airport.

At the centerpiece of this modernization is the $5.5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), which includes an Automated People Mover (APM) train system, Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility, new areas for parking and pick-up/drop-off, and the long-awaited connection to regional transportation. The APM system features six stations total—three inside the Central Terminal and three outside—all along a 2.25mile elevated guideway. Once operational, passengers will have time-guaranteed access to LAX’s Central Terminal Area in 10 minutes or less, creating a streamlined airport arrival and departure experience.

And, as LAX transforms into a world-class airport, it is ensuring that Angelenos have a seat at the table by implementing workforce development and inclusivity initiatives. From a 30 percent local hire requirement during design and construction phases to providing contracting opportunities for local, small businesses, LAX is ensuring the community has a hand in building a better LAX.

flylax.com/transforminglax

@flyLAXairport

Transforming the Travel Experience.

From hi-tech modernized terminals with biometric gates for faster boarding, to smart parking and a people mover train, exciting changes are arriving daily. World-class is here.

flyLAX.com/transformingLAX

Learn More.

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HALEKULANI HOTEL

The Perfect Day at

RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS Resorts World Las Vegas offers an unforgettable pool experience with the highest standards in comfort, fun, and amenities. Five luxurious pools are located throughout the space, and tropical palm trees complete the upscale resort scenery. Invite friends and play at one of our giant outdoor games and enjoy specialty cocktails and food items poolside from Agave Bar and Grill. Lounge about in a reserved cabana, or elevate your experience at the exclusive infinity pool. Kids can enjoy the family pool with fun water features. No matter the occasion, Resorts World Las Vegas pools effortlessly blend style and fun with a splash of elegance.

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3000 South Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas, NV 89109 800-445-8667 rwlasvegas.com

3 0 0 0 S LAS V EG AS B LV D LAS V EG AS , NV 8 9 1 0 9 RWLASV EG AS .CO M

SPA

&

W E L L N E SS

SAN CTUARY

THE HOT LIST

Lobster Thermidor at Dal Rae in 2009

L.A. MAGAZINE

O U R M O N T H LY R U N D OW N O F L . A .’ S M OS T E S S EN T I A L R E S TAU R A N T S

MAY

WEST ❂ Birdie G’s SANTA MONICA

PAGE 93

» 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 turmeric-marinated 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 88 L A M AG.C OM

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 $ $$ $$$ $$$$

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.

2022

on the walls to the curries on the plate—just pops.

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.

❂ Colapasta

» Italian $ It’s equally pleasant to grab and go or eat at this quiet, affordable spot that features fresh pastas topped with farmers’ market fare. The colorful, poppy-seed-sprinkled beet ravioli is delicate and delicious, while the gramigna with pesto and ricotta is hearty and satisfying. 1241 5th St., 310-310-8336, or colapasta.com. Beer and wine.

SANTA MONICA

❂ 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.

PHOTOGR A PH BY LISA ROM ER EIN

❂ 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 dessert, there are shots of tequila and coffee topped with rainbowsprinkled shortbread cookies. 8801 Washington Blvd., ettarestaurant.com, or @ettarestaurant. Full bar.

❂ Felix VENICE » Italian $$$

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., 424-387-8622, 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 five-course, $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 temperature of medium rare. The result is meat that’s tender, luscious, and strikingly beefy. 239 S. Beverly Dr., matusteak.com. Full Bar.

BEVERLY HILLS

M I C H A EL JAC K S O N & M A D O N N A : RO N G A L EL L A / RO N G A L EL L A CO L L EC TI O N V IA G E T T Y I M AG E S; T H E IV Y: ZU M A P R E S S .CO M

❂ Mírame

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.

Full bar.

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.

❂ Sant’olina BEVERLY HILLS » Mediterranean $$$

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, harissacured 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.

Badmaash

HISTORIC CORE » Indian $$ This Indian gastropub concept comes from the father-and-sons team of Pawan, Nakul, and Arjun Mahendro, who are all well versed in the culinary techniques of East and West. The menu features contemporary mash-ups, like a version of poutine smothered in chicken tikka, tandoori chicken wings, and a spicy lamb burger. If tradition’s your thing, you’ll be comforted by spice-stewed

chickpeas, potato and pea samosas, and what they call Good Ol’ Saag Paneer. 108 W. 2nd St., 213-2217466, badmaashla.com, or @badmaashla. Beer and wine.

Also at 418 N. Fairfax Ave., 213-281-5185, Fairfax District.

✤❂ 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., 213548-8487, or chachacha.la. Full bar.

❂ Gamboge

LINCOLN HEIGHTS » Cambodian $ The Cambodian sandwiches known as numpang, which are somewhat similar to Vietnamese banh

❂ 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

» 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

SANTA MONICA

THE SCENE

The Ivy’s patio has been a celebrity hub since opening in 1980. Exhibit A: Madonna and Michael Jackson spotted at the Ivy in 1991.

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M AT C H B O O K S : C H R I S N I C H O L S C O L L E C T I O N

› OLD FLAM ES

The symbolism of matchbooks has always exceeded their function. Adventure, romance, mystery—all manage to be evoked alongside a warning to close the cover before striking. Theirs has been a conflicted existence. Restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels offered them as forget-me-nots. Customers used them to discreetly slip phone numbers. Today, you can no longer smoke at Dal Rae, the Dresden Room, Taix, or any of the other L.A. establishments that have survived here through the decades. And some of the beloved landmarks represented above, like Nikola’s, Parasol, and Pacific Dining Car, have themselves flamed out. Their matchbooks live on, however, as mementos of a city that’s perpetually in flux. They remind us of an era when the glow of a match in cupped hands held a world of exciting possibilities.

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PHO T O GR A PH BY L A R RY U N DE R H I L L

mi, are the speciality at this charming new deli.

Crusty bolillo bread is a vessel for proteins like lemongrass-marinated pork shoulder or grilled trumpet mushrooms, along with condiments like Maggi mayo, chili jam, and carrot-andpapaya slaw. The menu is full of delights beyond sandwiches, including rice bowls; a great shredded chicken salad with cabbage, peanuts, and a citrus-and-fish-sauce dressing; and a memorable braised-sardines-and-tomato dish. Order food to go, or enjoy it on the sunny, succulent-dotted back patio. 1822 N. Broadway, 323-576-2073, gambogela.com. Beer and wine.

❂ 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.

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

NATALE E T H A I

C U I S I N E

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., 323-3064968, or brandoni-pepperoni.com. Wine to go.

❂ Gigi’s

HOLLYWOOD MEDIA DISTRICT

“The Best of Culver City” 9 Years in a Row

» 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 $$

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.

- 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

Dine In | Delivery | Take Out | Order Online

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L A M A G . C O M 91

For Creole-style food—a mélange of French, African, and Native American flavors—Harold & 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.

✤ 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 Europeaninspired menu is rooted in both classic technique and free-spirited 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.

Full bar.

Lalibela

» 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

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Harold & Belle’s JEFFERSON PARK » Southern Creole $$

OLD HAUNT

Below: The late Manny Felix, a waiter at Musso & Frank Grill, the oldest restaurant in Hollywood (opened 1919).

Top: Paulette Goddard with Charlie Chaplin in 1933.

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.

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 $$

H O T D AT E

Since 1951, Dal Rae has offered classic menu items long abandoned by its culinary peers.

“The most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical.”

– THE NEW YORK TIMES

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 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.

WEST HOLLYWOOD

EAST 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 $$

LISA ROMEREIN

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.

❂ Bar Restaurant SILVER LAKE » French $$$

BROAD STAGE DEBUT

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✤❂ Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery PASADENA » Eclectic $$

Chef Douglas Rankin, who worked under Ludo Lefebvre for years, struck out on his own with this L A M AG.C OM 93

KEVIN PUTS’ SONG CYCLE BASED ON THE LOVE LETTERS OF GEORGIA O’KEEFFE

charming “neo bistro” in the old Malo space in Sunset Junction. The menu features playful Gallic-ish 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, Sichuan-peppercorn- 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

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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.

❂ Found Oyster EAST HOLLYWOOD » Seafood $$$

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 must-order, 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

VIRGIL VILLAGE » 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-peaflower noodles and a sauce powered by innards and roe. 771 N. Virgil Ave., or @kinkan_la. Sake.

✤❂ Moo’s Craft Barbecue LINCOLN HEIGHTS » Barbecue $

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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, or @mooscraftbarbecue. Beer and wine.

PROMOTION

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Join The Bloc for two unique workout classes that are sure to make you sweat! At FitspoLA guests will enjoy fitness pop-ups featuring food & beverage product sampling, training accessories, exercise equipment, and the latest trends from top fitness and health brands. #FitspoLA

JUN Photo by Jeff Drongowski

For tickets and more information visit theblocla.com/event/fitspola-3

03

MAY

STARS of Spain Wednesday, May 18, 7 p.m.

Virtual community tasting on Zoom with wine delivered to your address

Enjoy SIX champion wines from Spain with the experts as we taste live on Zoom. You are not just watching, you are a participating! We deliver the tasting flight kit or six bottle tasting kit to your door! 100% of auction proceeds benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

For tickets and more information visit STARSofwine.com

19

MAY

Shine Bright Thursday, May 19, 5:30 p.m.

Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles

Dine, dance and celebrate LA’s BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program. Get your tickets to LA’s most inspiring evening honoring Chris Dusseault, Christine Simmons & Vanessa Diaz Lark. You will overlook the city skyline under the stars with influential philanthropists while enjoying amazing entertainment, and providing enrichment activities for students from under-resourced neighborhoods.

For tickets and more information visit lasbest.org/gala2022

19

MAY

Para Los Niños 2022 Annual Benefit Thursday, May 19, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Jonathan Beach Club, Santa Monica

17th Annual LA WineFest 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 is back in Long Beach. Gather your friends for a fun & sun filled day of wine tasting by the LA Harbor. Check out hundreds of California and international wines + craft brews; enjoy live music and games; explore lifestyle exhibitors, gourmet foods, and more.

For tickets and more information visit lawinefest.com/squadup-tickets

18

JUN

On Thursday, May 19th PLN will honor the commitment of long-time supporter and PLN Board member Cindy Winebaum and her husband Jake, PLN Vice President of Early Education Dr. Angela Capone, and Los Angeles County of Education Executive Director Keesha Woods, for their partnership and dedication to helping children access the opportunities to succeed.

For tickets and more information visit paralosninos.org/2022annualbenefit

26

MAY

Pop-Up Magazine’s Spring 2022 Issue Thursday, May 26, 7:30 p.m.

The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles

Pop-Up Magazine is the acclaimed live magazine show, featuring original, unforgettable true stories, art, music, and performance from the world’s great and emerging storytellers, accompanied by animation, film, photography, and an original score performed by Magik*Magik Orchestra. Imagine a comedy show, play, concert, podcast, and film—all wrapped into one night.

For tickets and more information visit popupmagazine.com

RIDE: Dance to End Hunger Saturday, June 18, 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

City Market Social House, Los Angeles RIDE: DANCE TO END HUNGER features a spectacular dance show headlined by “Dancing with the Stars” dancers Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach plus other celebrities. The event honors renowned LA chef Mary Sue Milliken and benefits NO KID HUNGRY, the nonprofit working to end childhood hunger.

For tickets and more information visit ridevents.org

Northern Thai Food Club EAST HOLLYWOOD » Thai $

YOUNG CREATORS PROJECT

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., 323-474-7212, or amphainorthernthaifood.com.

❂ Playita

KCRW IS CALLING ALL YOUNG CREATORS

» 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

ARTISTS MAY IS YOUR MONTH!

✤❂ 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 seafoodheavy 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.

SHOW US WHAT YOU’VE GOT, LA. KCRW.COM/YOUNGCREATORS

❂ Sōgo Roll Bar LOS FELIZ » Sushi $$

JOIN US! 17th Annual LAWineFest

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

So¯go is hardly the only concept in town devoted to rolls, but it has mastered the form. Rice is cooked with the same careful consideration and seasoning that sushi master Kiminobu Saito uses at the high-end Sushi Note, and it manages to maintain a great temperature and texture, even when being delivered. Fish is not just fresh but also flavorful, each type thoughtfully paired with ideal accompaniments, from a tangy yuzu-pepper sauce that makes salmon sing to brandy-soaked albacore with garlic-ginger ponzu and crispy onions.

4634 Hollywood Blvd., 323-741-0088, sogorollbar.com, or @sogorollbar. Beer and sake.

❂ Spoon & Pork SILVER LAKE » Filipino $$

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

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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.

❂ Sunset Sushi SILVER LAKE » Japanese $$$

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

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of Instagram, and rightfully so. The why-haven’tI-had-this-before combination of pepperoni and 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 Brothers Sushi WOODLAND HILLS » Sushi $$$

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

BURBANK GAME ROOM

Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas, once a hunting lodge, a Pony Express stop, and maybe even a bordello, has been feeding Angelenos for over a century.

PROMOTION

Los Angeles magazine’s Burgers Bourbon + Beer Thursday, May 19, 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

The Bloc, Downtown LA Los Angeles magazine fires up the grill at our annual Burgers Bourbon + Beer event, a gourmet burger battle with sips to spare.

Throughout the evening taste, judge, and vote to crown the People’s Choice Best Burger for 2022. Enjoy sips of boutique bourbons, brews, live music, and experiences by Maker’s Mark, The Mountain Valley Spring Water, Uncle Nearest and more.

For tickets and more information visit lamag.com/bbb

Emotions at Play

June 4 - September 11 Discovery Cube presents Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out, the first interactive exhibit based on the award-winning Disney and Pixar film. The exhibit provides hands-on activities and interactive digital experiences to help kids explore some of the ways we express our emotions while recognizing the emotions in others, too. discoverycube.org

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BURGERS BOURBON + BEER

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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.

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.

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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.

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ART & DESIGN

❂ 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.

Paintings for beautiful interiors John Mark Lucas johnmarklucas.com

Hotville

» 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.

BALDWIN HILLS CRENSHAW

❂ 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 $

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. 81801 Garfield Ave., 562-0674-3043, ordertamaleselenayantojitos.com, or @tamaleselenayantojitos.

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T OW E R O F P OW E R

> Architect Louis Naidorf designed the Capitol Records Building while at Welton Becket & Associates in 1955, when he was just 24 years old. “It was a very strange project,” he says now, “a small office building at maximum height, 13 stories at the time. They wanted equal-sized offices because people were very territorial; nobody wanted a better space than another. [Capitol Records cofounder] Glenn Wallichs thought it looked like a stack of records; he had a huckster brother in the record business and thought it was a cheap advertising stunt.

Maybe if he ran the House of Pancakes, he’d think it looked like a stack of pancakes.”

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