Los Angeles Magazine - September 2022

MAYOR SLAYER INSIDE THE STRANGE SEX SCANDAL THAT NEARLY SANK GARCETTI

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BEST FRENEMIES WILL GAVIN AND KAMALA BE SLUGGING IT OUT IN 2024?

BEVERLY HILLS / COSTA MESA

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S E P T E M B E R 202 2

H E S A I D, SHE SAID

The inside story of the scandal that nearly sank the mayor’s career.

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Mega-rich celebrities, from Kylie Jenner to Taylor Swift, are being roasted for using their private jets like flying Ubers while spewing megatons of carbon into the atmosphere.

Naomi Seligman has been telling anyone who will listen that Eric Garcetti—the man who would otherwise be ambassador to India—has been covering up a culture of “sexual battery” inside City Hall.

L.A. nightlife is back with a vengeance. And so is fashion.

At private clubs, downtown raves, and sceney restaurants all over town, everyone is ditching the denim and dressing to the nines.

BY JA S O N M CG A H A N

P H OTO G R A P H S BY B E AU G R E A LY

One of Hollywood’s most celebrated TV writers, David Milch earned a fistful of Emmys for Deadwood and NYPD Blue.

Now, the 77-year-old former heroin addict has published his memoir—but his memory isn’t what it used to be.

First-Class Heels

BY JA K E F L A N AG I N

The Mayor Slayer

Hollywood Nights

Drama King

BY S H E I L A M CC L E A R 6 L A M AG.C OM

G E T T Y IMAG E S

Features

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DESIGNED T O D E AT H

L.A. artist Gigi Goode (pictured as both the magician and assistant) designed one of 200 trunks in celebration of Louis Vuitton’s bicentennial.

S E P T E M B E R 2022

Buzz The Best of Frenemies

› As Biden’s poll numbers

plummet, Gavin Newsom seems to be quietly plotting a 2024 presidential run, putting him on a direct collision course with his old pal Kamala Harris.

BY PETER KIEFER PAGE 15

Brief

› Can Rick Caruso pick up

enough of the Latino vote to beat Karen Bass? After 120 years, the Rose Bowl Game might actually be over. And the enterprising young Frenchman with an ass just like Arnold’s.

PAGE 20

Foul Ball

› Pickleball is taking L.A.

by storm—and spurring a storm of NIMBYinspired nuisance complaints and lawsuits.

Ask Chris › Is that crazy van covered in

brass objects still around?

Are L.A.’s super-tall palm trees approaching the end of their life span? Why does Muhammad Ali’s Walk of Fame star have the comedy and tragedy masks? Our resident historian answers all your burning questions.

BY CHRIS NICHOLS PAGE 124

Fall Preview

› Sterling K. Brown wants to save your soul; inside the new, half-billion-dollar The Lord of the Rings; Alex Becerra’s sexy assault on the art world; José Andrés is opening three restaurants in a hotel downtown; and an abundance of hotly anticipated movies, concerts, and art shows are coming your way.

PAG E 2 9 8 L A M AG.C OM

ON THE COVER Photographed by Beau Grealy; Fashion Editor Alison Edmond; Producer Richard Villani; Hair Dallin James; Makeup Tatiyana Elias; Models Sedona Legge and Aaron Bernards wearing Gucci; Location The Britely.

C O V E R : D A L L I N J A M E S F O R T H E WA L L G R O U P U S I N G O R I B E . A S S I S TA N T: L A U R E N C L A R K TAT I YA N A E L I A S U S I N G W E . A R E .T M F A N D I P S U M S K I N / A S S I S TA N T: K AT I E G R I G G R E E D S E D O N A A N D A A R O N F O R P H O T O G E N I C S L A . ; G I G I G O O D E : C O U R T E S Y L O U I S V U I T T O N

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Editor’s Note

BY MAER ROSHAN

E V E R Y S T OR Y has two sides,

but, sometimes, you have to look around a bit to see them.

If you’ve been following Eric Garcetti’s political fortunes in the media lately—how he was passed over for a gig in Joe Biden’s cabinet and how his nomination to be ambassador to India is currently hanging by a thread—you’ve certainly been hearing Naomi Seligman’s side. She’s the former communications director who has accused the mayor of turning a blind eye to a culture of “sexual battery” inside City Hall and compared his administration to a 12 L A M A G . C O M

It reads like a political thriller with one hell of a cliffhanger: will Garcetti’s career survive the scandal?

ruthless, Mafia-like enterprise straight out of The Godfather. The Los Angeles Times has run several stories about the scandal, as have New York magazine (“The Mayor Knew,” one headline shrieked) and several other outlets, all of whom hewed to the same unquestioned, unexamined narrative. Few bothered to scratch any deeper into the story to see what’s actually true and what’s less certain.

Writer-at-large Jason McGahan spent several months interviewing scores of sources inside City Hall and out, including Seligman herself, and while his investigation will hardly be the last word, it does raise some impossible-to-overlook questions that the Times and New York and others seem strangely eager to, well, overlook. I can’t tell you why so many of our media brethren seem to have dropped the ball on this story—the facts have been out there for anybody to dig up—but read McGahan’s piece and it’ll be abundantly clear that not everything about this supposed “scandal” is abundantly clear. If nothing else, it reads like a riveting political thriller with a hell of a cliff-hanger: will Garcetti’s career survive the scandal?

But, of course, there are tons of other great reads in this month’s issue, starting with our annual fall preview, produced by a staff of expert Angelenos who will fill you in on just about everything in L.A. that’s worth watching, listening to, reading, or eating this autumn. There’s also a deep-dive appreciation of ’90s cop-show eminence David Milch (who has a new memoir coming out), a piece about how private planes in L.A.— many owned by celebrity climate-change activists—are stinking up the atmosphere with shockingly excessive private-jet travel, and a look ahead at a possible collision in 2024 between two California Democrats who both would like Joe Biden’s job. (Hint: one is our governor; the other, our vice president.) There’s also our annual fall fashion portfolio, a sartorial salute to the city’s rebounding nightlife that no well-dressed Angeleno will want to miss. Enjoy!

Maer Roshan, Editor-in-Chief

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2022-23 Fall/Winter Programs Tickets on sale now

OCT 1 & OCT 2 | OCT 22 & OCT 23 FEB 4 & FEB 5 | FEB 11 & FEB 12

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09.22

The Best of Frenemies AS BIDEN’S POLL NUMBERS PLUMMET, GAVIN NEWSOM SEEMS TO BE QUIETLY PLOTTING A 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN, PUTTING HIM ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH HIS OLD PAL KAMALA HARRIS B Y P E T E R K I E F E R

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

L A M AG . C O M 1 5

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POLITICS

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AV I N N E W S O M and

Kamala Harris have a lot in common. Both are in their fifties (she’s 57; he’s 54). Both cut their political teeth in San Francisco (he as mayor, before moving on to governor of California; she as the city’s district attorney, before moving on to senator and then vice president). Both are carved out of the same political timber—moderate-leaning liberals who often clash with the left wing of their party—and travel in the same political circles, cultivating the same donors and hiring some of the same consultants.

And both, of course, really want to be president of the United States.

If the fates line up just so, one of them may actually have a shot at the Oval Office. But in order to get there, these two old friends and longtime CALIFORNIA allies will have beat each other’s brains PEACHES out in the 2024 presidential primaCalifornia Attorney ries. And if that clash actually ends General Kamala Harris and Lieutenant Governor up happening, one thing’s for sure—it Gavin Newsom with will not be pretty. As one seasoned President Barack political operative gloomily predicts of Obama at San Francisco International Airport a Newsom-Harris face-off, “It would be in 2012. the end of everything.”

Of course, at the moment, the Democrat with the best chance of securing the 2024 nomination is Joe Biden. The last time by tradition and position to be the nominee, and her cura first-term commander in chief was seriously challenged rent office gives her more national limelight than even the for the nomination of his party was in 1980, when the late governor of the largest, richest state in the union. Still, Ted Kennedy launched a primary campaign against Jimmy Harris’s approval numbers among the general public aren’t Carter. On the other hand, Biden, already the oldest servmuch better than her boss’s (39 percent), which should ing president, will be 81 in 2024, and that leave Newsom plenty of room for an offenisn’t even the most troubling number about sive, should he decide to go on one. his future candidacy. The numeral that Would he? Or would he merely hold has a lot of Democrats sweating right now Harris’s coat while she ran? The two have “It’s a solid is 38 percent, Biden’s current approval come close to dueling before, at least political rating, the lowest of any sitting president briefly, back in 2015, when both Newsom friendship— in history, including his twice-impeached, and Harris were eyeing the senate seat not without potentially soon-to-be-indicted predecesleft vacant by Barbara Boxer’s retirement. sor, Donald Trump.

But Newsom ended up deferring to Harris bumps.”

Earlier this month, a New York Times/ that time, setting his sights instead on the Siena College poll found that 64 percent governor’s mansion. “Gavin and Kamala of Democrats would prefer someone other have done a good job of looking out for than Biden to run in 2024. Names like Transportation each other as well as for themselves,” notes Nathan Ballard, Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Governor Gretchen a longtime consultant for Newsom as well as a former colWhitmer, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker are often banleague of Harris dating back to her time at San Francisco’s died about. But another recent poll, this one conducted city attorney’s office. “It’s a solid political friendship—not by the NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ, put Harris as without some bumps in the road—but one that has defithe No. 1 choice of Democratic voters, at 16 percent, with nitely worked.”

Newsom trailing at No. 2, with 9 percent. This early in And yet, if Harris does run and ends up faltering in early the process, that makes sense; as veep, Harris is teed up primaries, there’s every reason to believe Newsom would 1 6 L A M AG . C O M

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POLITICS

OLD FRIENDS ARE THE BEST FRIENDS

herself, generating scores of headlines about how dysjump in to challenge her, evaporating whatever goodwill functional her office has been, with top aides coming and the two have accumulated over the years. Indeed, there are going. And her handling of immigration reform—the issue signs Newsom is already contemplating a run for the Oval; Biden put her in charge of—hasn’t exactly been a in recent weeks, he’s been taking shots at Florida Governor roaring success.

Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who just As for Newsom, well, he was mayor of San Francisco. happen to be the two front-runners in the 2024 race for That fact alone will keep Fox News commentators foaming the Republican nomination, assuming Trump decides not at the mouth for countless news cycles. But there’s also to run or finds it impossible to do so from inside a federal California’s intractable homelessness crisis, its rising crime penitentiary. rates, its population drain, not to mention its overheated As potential political rivals, Harris and Newsom each real estate market and crazy gas prices driving up the have their strengths. She’s a former attorney, while Newsom already ludicrous cost of living in the Golden State. There was a successful businessman before going into politics. were his missteps during the pandemic as well, when he Harris made her name as a tough-as-nails prosecutor who was caught flouting his own mask manput her ruthless cross-examination skills date during a lobbyist’s birthday party at on display in several nationally televised the French Laundry in Yountville, hearings, while Newsom, to overcome his one of the most expensive restaurants dyslexia, spends hours poring over policy “It’s not strange in the nation. Also, did we mention he proposals and white papers to memorize to walk in on him was mayor of San Francisco? every last detail of a budgetary line item. watching old For all their pluses and minuses, “He’s better suited to be governor Clinton speeches. though, both Newsom and Harris have and she’s better suited to be senator,” one other thing in common that would says a Democratic consultant who knows She’s actually make a matchup between them in both well. “She’s better at orchestrating much more of a 2024 especially brutal: They are both and executing set pieces—a moment at a normal person.” ruthlessly skillful political combatants. debate, a hearing with Jeff Sessions or Newsom has proven he can take a Brett Kavanaugh. He’s more into trying to punch, shaking off that French Laundry show off his deft knowledge of the budscandal as well as last year’s recall elecget in a two-hour press conference. He’s tion with approval ratings remaining higher than both more of a political junkie. It’s not strange to walk in on him Biden’s and Harris’s (ranging from 48 percent to 64 perwatching old Clinton speeches. She’s actually much more of cent over the last year). And Harris has proven she’s a normal person. You’d rather cook and eat a meal with her.” capable of coolly shivving anybody who gets in her way, Both, though, also have their share of political vulnerincluding the guy who ultimately picked her as his vice abilities. While Harris’s history as a prosecutor might president. (“That little girl was me.”) be a plus in a general election, it puts her at odds with the If they end up running against each other in 2024, more progressive edge of her party—you know, the wing it may not be the “end of everything,” but it will definitely that two years ago was chanting about defunding the be interesting. police. As vice president, she hasn’t entirely distinguished 1 8 L A M AG . C O M

N E WS O M , H A R R I S : L AC Y AT K I N S / T H E SA N F R A N C I S CO C H R O N I C L E V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; B I D E N : TO M B R E N N E R /G E T T Y I M AG E S ) ; H A R R I S , T H E N E WS O M S : A P P H OTO/ E R I C R I S B E R G

Clockwise, from left: In 2008, Newsom and Harris at a Time magazine breakfast for up-and-coming politicians in Denver; At a 2018 rally, Newsom hugs Harris while his wife, Jennifer Newsom, looks on; President Joe Biden.

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

VO TA R P O R C A RU S O ?

The mayoral candidate is pinning his hopes on winning over Latino voters.

MAYORAL RACE UPDATE: RICK CARUSO’S LATIN QUARTER HE’S TRAILING KAREN BASS, BUT CAN THE GROVE OWNER TURN THE TIDE BY WINNING OVER HISPANICS?

BY JA S O N M C G A H A N

R I C K C A RU S O

didn’t do quite as well as he’d hoped in the Democratic mayoral primary. Despite his $40 million war chest and roster of celebrity supporters (like Gwyneth Paltrow and Snoop Dogg), Karen Bass whomped him by seven points.

So the shopping mall mogul has been looking for other paths to the mayor’s mansion, and one of those roads leads straight into the Latin quarter.

According to a source close to the campaign, Caruso is pouring millions 2 0 L A M AG . C O M

into Latino voter outreach programs, has wrangled an endorsement from comedian George Lopez, and has brought into his fold seasoned political operative Daniel Lopez, a former senior advisor to Latino mayoral candidate Kevin de León, who lost to both Bass and Caruso in the June primary.

It may prove to be a savvy strategy: Latinos make up almost 50 percent of the population of Los Angeles. Caruso already has a good chunk of that vote (34 percent of Latinos voted for him in the primary, with Caruso

finishing well ahead of Bass and De León). In politics, though, more is always better. And the former Republicanrecently-turned-Democrat (like, right before he declared his candidacy) clearly believes his conservative political profile would be a good fit for people who, despite four years of Republicans like Donald Trump demonizing them, have lately been fleeing the Democratic Party. Caruso simply needs to get them to flee in his direction.

As one of his advisers puts it, support from Latinos has become “extraordinarily important to us.”

A ROSE IS A ROSE IS A ROSE (BOWL)

it looks like the new rivalry will be between the growing Midwestern league and the alsogrowing Southeastern Conference, which last year gobbled up Texas and Oklahoma. All of which makes championship games at the Rose Bowl stadium more iffy than a 70-yard field goal.

“While the future is somewhat uncertain, we know we must be flexible and open to changes,” Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association president Amy Wainscott gamely, if rather unconvincingly, offers. “The Rose Bowl game will continue into the future of college football.”

Well, at least the Rose Bowl parade will continue into the future.

It typically draws even more in-person spectators than the game itself, and they spend a lot more money every year ($142

?

Is the Rose Bowl over?

After 120 years and scads of college football championship games, it sure looks that way.

In late June, two of the Pac-12’s biggest teams—UCLA and USC— announced they’d be defecting for their Eastern rivals, the Big Ten, in order to pursue more lucrative TV deals. Other West Coast college teams, like Stanford and UC Berkeley, may make moves to follow them, leaving behind only backbenchers like Washington State and Oregon State. Instead of the classic, time-honored rivalry between the coasts,

G A M E OV E R

With UCLA and USC out of the Pac-12, whither the Rose Bowl?

CO2 EMISSIONS IN TONS PER PERSON PER YEAR IN LOS ANGELES. THE ONCE SMOG-LOCKED CITY TIED WITH HOUSTON AS THE PLACE WITH THE LOWEST CARBON FOOTPRINT AMONG ALL MAJOR CITIES IN THE U.S. ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY BY PARKSLEEPFLY.COM.

Mercier, and Van Cleef & Arpels, among other high-end luxury brands.

Louis Vuitton has also been inquiring about the site, although it recently opened a men’s store on Rodeo Drive and seems to have plenty of space at its disposal at the moment.

Why the sudden interest in 9570 Wilshire? For one thing, it’s a gorgeous structure, last renovated in 2014 by New York architect Steven Harris, who turned the building— which Barneys had been occupying since it opened its Los Angeles outpost in 1994—into the classiest, sleekest, and most modern department store in all of Beverly Hills. For another, it’s a piece of sartorial history, once ground zero for the city’s fashion elite, even if its owners were famously warned not to attempt to crack the West Coast market.

“People in L.A. don’t wear black,” they were told. — M E R L E G I N S B E R G

THE BARNEYS BUILDING—WILL IT RISE AGAIN?

N O I F S, A N D S, O R B U T T S

A cheeky young Frenchman is claiming to be Arnold Schwarzenegger’s secret love child—and is sending ass pics as proof.

C A R U S O : R O B E R T G AU T H I E R / LO S A N G E L E S T I M E S V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; R O S E B OW L : A L B E R TO E . R O D R I G U E Z /G E T T Y I M AG E S ; B U T TS : CO U R T E SY A R N AU D ; B A R N E YS : S H U T T E R STO C K

million versus $68 million). And the parade gets more TV viewers too, with both ABC and NBC simulcasting the event, along with two cable networks, plus Univision (in Spanish) and Sky Link TV (in Mandarin and Cantonese), to name just a few outlets, bringing the total audience to 70 million people. —A N DY L E W I S

DOES MY ASS LOOK BIG (OR AT LEAST LIKE ARNOLD’S)?

Normally, you need a DNA test to prove that you’re the secret love child of a movie star. But an enterprising would-be spawn of Arnold Schwarzenegger in France is offering a different sort of “proof ”: he’s been emailing U.S. media outlets snapshots— including one of his naked rear end alongside a screen grab of Arnold’s bare butt in Terminator 2—claiming the family resemblance is uncanny.

“My story is real, as you can see from my photos,”

writes the guy behind the butt—“Arnaud,” he calls himself—before offering to sell more pictures to those “ready to pay the price.” Not surprisingly, reps for the former governor are denying Arnold is related to Arnaud.

“This story is ridiculous,” says Schwarzenegger’s chief of staff, Daniel Ketchell, after being shown the bare bum shots. “And the guy should do more squats.” — B E N JA M I N SV E T K E Y

14.6

It’s been sitting empty in Beverly Hills for nearly three years—a hulking monument to a dead department store giant— but Barneys on Wilshire Boulevard may soon be stirring back to life. Or at least soonish. And definitely not as Barneys.

Sources tell Los Angeles that several high-profile brands have been eyeing the old Barneys building, including next-door neighbor and onetime rival Saks Fifth Avenue (which purchased the Barneys name and IP for a reported $271 million after Barneys went out of business in 2019).

Reps for Saks wouldn’t comment, but other companies are also said to be interested in possibly moving in, like Richemont, the French powerhouse that owns Cartier, Azzedine Alaïa, Montblanc, JaegerLeCoultre, Baume &

S AC R E D S PAC E

The old Barneys in Beverly Hills.

CAP KICKER

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BUZZ

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SPORTS

NOISE I N T H E HO OD

Pickleball sounds can reach 70 decibels 100 feet from play, the equivalent of freeway traffic traveling at 60 miles per hour.

before the courts are even built,” says a Brentwood resident. “It’s like War of the Roses.”

In tony Montecito, Angelo Mozilo, former CEO of Countrywide Financial, a key player in the 2008 subprime mortgage meltdown, had a meltdown of his own over the pickleball noise emanating from Beanie Babies billionaire Ty Warner’s Montecito Club, which is next door to Mozilo’s mansion. In a complaint, Mozilo, who paid $67.5 million in restitution to the Securities and Exchange Commission for his role in the mortgage crisis, said the noise was causing him anxiety and making it impossible to live peacefully in his house. (“Montecito life can be so hard” and “Somebody needs a wambulance!” were typical Facebook comments.) Ultimately, Warner added noise-damping equipment to the pickleball courts to appease Mozilo.

Pickleball is indeed noisy—eight times the perceived loudness of typical neighborhood background noise, according to multiple research studies. Played on intimate courts, it requires far less exertion than tennis, encouraging players to loudly chat each other up, especially in doubles play, and exult like Braveheart when they PICKLEBALL IS TAKING L.A. BY STORM—AND SPURRING A STORM score. Extremely long volleys are the norm.

OF NIMBY-INSPIRED NUISANCE COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS According to Thomas Shields, founder

BY H E I DI S I E GM U N D C U DA of the popular pickleball website The Dink, “Nine times out of ten, people who complain about the noise have a predisposition to be antiTA RT E D I N T H E mid-’60s as a lark on pickleball. Usually, it’s either tennis players who think Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Bill Bell pickleball isn’t a real sport or the type of person who’s and Joel Pritchard, two badminton-playing prone to posting negative Yelp reviews.” Adds Hannah dads, pickleball has turned into America’s Johns, of the Pro Pickleball Association, which reprefastest-growing sport, with nearly five million sents the sport’s burgeoning professional side, “While active players. Celebrity devotees like Leonardo DiCaprio, we’re aware that opinions may differ, the Larry David, George Clooney, and various pickle-obsessed almost unanimously Kardashians are scheduled to appear in find the pop! of pickleball to be friendly Pickled, a TV special to air later this year on and exciting.”

CBS and Paramount+, hosted by pickleball “It’s like War Sandy Chila, a South Pasadena pro, fanatic Stephen Colbert. of the Roses,” professes, “In my experience, pickleball But it’s not all fun and games. Pushback says a Brentwood noise is distinctive and definitely draws is raging from townies driven to distraction people in, in a good way.” Tell that to by the relentless pop-crack! of pickleresident. the Ridgewood, New Jersey, homeowner ball’s plastic balls connecting with racquets who finally sold her pickleball court– on courts across Southern California. In adjacent home after barricading herself a now infamous lawsuit, an Orange County in the only room where the noise, which she likened to resident claimed the noise from a neighboring pickleball an AK-47 firing, couldn’t penetrate. court caused her “severe mental suffering, frustration, and Shields acknowledges that “this is one of pickleball’s anxiety” to the point that she perceived the din even when greatest hurdles; it’s not a throwaway issue. The comno one was playing. Anti-pickleball sentiment is espeplaints are likely to increase as pickleball continues to cially fierce in high-end neighborhoods unaccustomed to spread like wildfire.” down-market intrusions. “Homeowners are intervening

Foul Ball

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Instead, Beanum embraces the eclectic. A recent staging in Beverly Hills included an antique leather Maralunga sofa designed

by Vico Magistretti for Cassina

in the 1970s. “I show how vintage can be elevated,” she says.

All items included in Beanum’s staging are shoppable, so homebuyers can lock in her look after closing. Fans include Freddy Thomas at luxury real estate powerhouse The Agency.

“Interiors play a very important role in the way a buyer feels,” says Thomas. “Tricia has an uncanny ability to make them have broader appeal, which is critical for a sale.”

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2 4 L A M AG . C O M

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PROMOTION

CELEBRATING

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fter a two-year hiatus, on July 9, Concern Foundation for cancer research made a triumphant return with a live event at the 47th Annual Block Party fundraiser on the Paramount Pictures Studios backlot. The “Back on the Block” comeback themed event honored entrepreneurs, philanthropists & community leaders Janet Crown and Steve Robinson with the Larry Powell Spirit of Concern Award.

Through ticket sales, donations and bids on auction items, Concern Foundation raised just over $2 million for cancer research. The evening featured live entertainment on multiple stages, casino style games, live and silent auctions, and

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over 60 food and beverage vendors including notable classics: Vibrato Grill + Jazz, Hottville Chicken, Fogo de Chao, Little Llama Peruvian Tacos, STK Los Angeles, Bar Hayama, La Boheme, Gyu Kaku, SLAB, Miracle Noodle, Factor’s Famous Deli and Pink’s Famous Hot Dogs just to name a few. Sweets a plenty with Café Dulce, Mamala’s Mandel Bread and Just Jan’s to name a few.

Beverages were provided by Buzz Box, Brewery X, Dulce Vida Tequila, Good Idea, Highland Park, Humboldt Distillery, Josh Cellars, Lyre’s, Milagro Tequila, Nuda Tequila, Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, Suja Juice, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Weaver’s Coffee & Tea.

Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed a variety of engaging activities including Zacuto Group’s live and silent auctions, spa services provided by Beauty Bus Foundation and a variety of musical entertainment including the Tom Nolan Band, D’ City Sound & Events, and the Vibrato Grill Jazz stage featuring the Leah Zeger Quartet.

The Best of LA® on Los Angeles magazine’s street presented the CADILLAC Lounge featuring the new all-electric luxury vehicle, LYRIQ, as well as a selection of well-appointed Escalades.

Throughout the street, attendees danced to DJ music while watching break dancers, LED hula hoopers and stilt walkers bring the street to life.

Sponsor activations included: • Cadillac displays throughout the event • Onefinestay luxury lounge • Grand Canal Shoppes photo booth Product sampling and brand engagement with: • Santa Teresa 1796 Rum • Highland Park • Lyre’s • Josh Cellars • Good Idea Los Angeles magazine capped off the night with a donation of $13,000 to the Concern Foundation. We thank our valued sponsors and partners whose support made this donation possible.

Food

Beverage

A.O.C

Buzz Box

Bar Hayama

Deutsch Family

1212 Santa Monica

Bé Ù Beyond Meat California Sushi Academy Casablanca Restaurant & Catering Chef Reina Conservatory West Hollywood

Brewery X

Dulce Vida Tequila Good Idea Humboldt Distillery Josh Cellars Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits Milagro Tequila

Dulan’s on Crenshaw

Nuda Tequila

Emporium Thai

Pasquini Espresso Co.

Factor’s Famous Deli Farm Fresh To You Fitchow Fogo de Chao Fresh Brothers Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining H&H Brazilian Steakhouse Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill & Jazz Hotville Chicken La Boheme West Hollywood

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Robeks Juice Santa Teresa 1796 Suja Juice Tequila Cabal LLC Tito’s Handmade Vodka Weaver’s Coffee and Tea

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Maria’s Italian Kitchen

Café Dulce

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Nobu Malibu

DeLuscious Cookies & Milk

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Pink’s Famous Hot Dogs

Gourmandise School

Porta Via

Just Jan’s

Someone’s in the Kitchen STK Los Angeles

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Bertha Mae’s Brownie Co. Brontë Bakes

SLAB

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Dessert

Little Llama Peruvian Tacos Miracle Noodle

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BuzzBar

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Mamala’s Mandel Bread, the Jewish biscotti

The Grill on the Alley

Mychal’s Bakery and Coffee

The Nice Guy

Toffee Twins 15

PHOTO CREDIT: RUSH VARELA, CHAD VILLAFLORES AND BARRY LEVINE

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Opposite page: 1. Los Angeles magazine president and publisher, Shelby J. Russell, presenting a donation check to the Concern Foundation 2. The all new, all electric LYRIQ from Cadillac 3. The night had a great vibe, the block was jumping 4. Josh Cellars was pouring some amazing wines 5. Fun times on the Los Angeles magazine block with costumed stilt walkers 6. Friendly staff shared about onefinestay, a personal service for discerning guests who value exceptional quality homes and experiences in the most desirable destinations.

This page: 7. Concern Foundation’s President Derek Alpert addressing the sold-out crowd 8. Block Party attendees at the main stage presentation and live auction 9. Santa Teresa Rum kept the crowd happy with amazing drinks served by fabulous bartenders 10. Concern Foundation’s Block Party honorees Steve Robinson and Janet Crown with Concern Foundation Board Member Rick Powell 11. Highland Park Whiskey, some of the best in America and Europe being served to lucky attendees 12. Cadillac Escalade shines with impressive style 13. H&H Brazilian Steakhouse serving their signature dishes 14. Guests trying their luck in the casino 15. Good Idea sparkling beverage 16. Lyre’s zero proof non-alcoholic beverages served up with style 17. In true Italian flare, Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas hosted a dazzling photo booth 18. The vibe is always jumping on the block with Los Angeles magazine and The Concern Foundation

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09.22

CO L L AG E E L E M E N TS : G E T T Y I M AG E S A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U R T E SY O F B R A N D S

COMING ATTR ACTIONS For everything there is a season. And this fall is filled with exactly that—everything.

For music lovers, there are concerts by Lady Gaga, Elton John, and Harry Styles, as well as a new doc about Bowie. Movie fans can check out the latest from a trio of great American auteurs— Spielberg, Scorsese, and Cameron—and foodies can head over to the Frank Gehry-designed Concord Hotel, where José Andrés is opening three new eateries.

There’s so much more— the Marías, Rosalía, and Louis Vuitton’s big birthday bash—but to get this autumn started, you’ll need to turn this page already . . .

Look Out!

AN ABUNDANCE OF HOTLY ANTICIPATED MOVIES, ART SHOWS, RESTAURANTS, AND SHOPS ARE OPENING THIS SEASON. THROW ON SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL BEAUTIFUL ’CAUSE WE’RE GOING OUT!

I L LU S T R AT E D BY N E I L JA M I E S O N

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Incoming

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THE FALL TO-DO LIST

YOUR AUTUMNAL CULTURAL AGENDA

BY JOR DA N R I E F E

PA P E R WO R K

› Known primarily as the greatest painter

of the twentieth century, Picasso didn’t only paint. He also sculpted, worked in ceramics, and, throughout his career, paper. A lifelong part of his studio practice, these paper pieces, exhibited in Picasso Cut Papers, range from independent artworks to maquettes for fabricators to work from. Many that have been flattened and stored away in portfolios will blossom in all their three-dimensional glory for the first time in decades.

Hammer Museum, October 2 through December 31.

from looking at his work, but abstract artist Cy Twombly was heavily influenced by the art of ancient Greece and Rome. The new show Cy Twombly: Making Past Present is a conversa-

tion with the classics through his paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture dating from the

L A DY G AG A HITS THE R OA D

mid-twentieth century.

The Getty Center, through October 30.

ROCK OUT

› Lady Gaga: The

Chromatica Ball is the

performer’s seventh concert tour, this one in support of her 2020 record, Chromatica, a throwback to her house music days with hits like “Stupid Love” and

the Grammy-winning “Rain on Me” with Ariana Grande. No word yet on guest stars, but in addition to Grande, the album featured names like Blackpink and Elton John. Dodger Stadium, September 10.

BU I L D A WA L L

› Begun in 1987, “World

Wall: A Vision of the Future Without Fear” is a

portable mural created

by Chicana muralist Judith F. Baca and numerous international collaborators contributing panels from every corner of the planet. The

but now RuPaul’s Drag Race is hitting the road.

R U PAU L A N D A N G E R I A PA R I S VA N M I C H E A L S

message is simple: in order to achieve world peace, we must first be able to envision it. Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, September 10 through February 19, 2023.

TA K E A D R AG

› They’ve been doing it

live in Vegas since 2020,

Strap in for your favorite contestants from the TV series and a mix of original music, lip syncs, dance, and outrageous hilarity choreographed by Drag Race’s Jamal Sims.

Shrine Auditorium, September 16.

S I NG A L O NG

› Alanis Morissette’s

best-selling album, Jagged Little Pill, comes to life as a jukebox musical with a Grammy Award-winning score and two Tonys. The Healy

PAB LO PI CASSO, HEA D OF A G I RL : © 2022 ESTATE OF PABLO PICASSO/ARTISTS RIG HTS SOCI ETY (ARS), NEW YORK; LADY GAGA: GETTY IMAGES FOR L IV E NATION

GO GREEK

› You wouldn’t know it

PICASSO CUT PA P E R S AT T H E HAMMER

E LTO N JOHN: T H E B I TC H I S B AC K

Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer Ravi Coltrane performs a musical tribute to his legendary parents. BroadStage, September 23.

VO T E F O R A L

› Will he run for sena-

tor again or is he just stopping in SoCal for a few chuckles in An

Evening with Al Franken?

It’s the latter, as one-time SNL writer-turnedpolitico-turned-disgraced politico tunes up his laugh lines for his current tour and reintroduction to public life. Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach, September 24.

PAY T R I BU T E

› Fans were shocked last March when Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away at the age of 50.

renowned author of the L.A.-based essay collection The White Album, featuring works by local artists Betye Saar and Ed Ruscha among many others. Hammer Museum, October 11 through January 22, 2023.

T RY O P E R A

› Making its West

Coast premiere, Omar chronicles the journey of Omar Ibn Said, a Muslim scholar who was abducted into slavery in West Africa and sent to South Carolina.

MacArthur Genius Grant and Grammy Awardwinning composer Rhiannon Giddens teams with Michael Abels to conjure a rapturous score employing a mash-up of West African and traditional opera instrumentation. LA Opera, October 22 through November 13.

B R I NG A CA N D L E

› It’s not “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” but

the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”

That’s right, it’s Elton John’s last tour (until the next one), which means you can rest assured he’ll play hits like “Tiny Dancer,” “Crocodile Rock,” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from his 50-year career.

Dodger Stadium, November 17, 19, and 20. operatic brilliance. With Brando at his most commanding, Pacino in a career-defining performance, and the late James Caan, impetuous and deadly, this winner of three Oscars is a classic for many reasons, including Nino Rota’s indelible score. Hear it played live by a symphony orchestra at The Godfather Live. Dolby Theatre, October 29.

RU PAU L, ANGE RI A PARI S VANMICHEALS, ELTON JOHN, MOOKIE B ETTS: GE TTY IMAG ES; OMAR: LEIGH W EBBER LEIGH WEB BER.COM

JA Z Z I T U P

› In Cosmic Music: A

Contemporary Exploration of the Music of John and Alice Coltrane,

Bandmates Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, and Rami Jaffee unite for the

›It’s still a little too early

GET STYLISH

to predict who will be vying in the World Series, but there’s a pretty good bet it will be our boys in blue, leading the National League at press time, versus the execrated Bronx Bombers, who were boasting the best record in baseball. Bet on blue, and buy your tickets early.

October 30 through November 7.

B OW T O J OA N

› For 15 nights, the Kia Forum becomes “Harry’s House,” so named for Harry Styles’s recordbreaking new album. Not only is the pop star invading L.A., but he’ll also take over your screens this season with two new movies, My Policeman and Don’t Worry Darling.

October 23 through November 15.

She Means, curated by

FA M I LY T I M E

›Less than slaphappy,

gangster film that elevated the genre to

rebound from Will Smith’s self-immolation

Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert, along with a

lineup including Miley OMAR Cyrus, Joan Jett, Brian May, Gene Simmons, Pink, LeAnn Rimes, and many others. Kia Forum, September 27.

› With Joan Didion: What critically acclaimed New Yorker writer Hilton Als, comes a look at the

MOOKIE B E T TS

G O B LU E

OMAR

family is your average American brood—mom pops pills while coping with porn-addicted dad.

Son Nick loses direction when his best friend is accused of rape, and daughter Frankie is coming to terms with her sexuality. It all grooves to hits like “You Oughta Know” and “All I Really Want.” Pantages Theatre, September 13 through October 2.

at the Oscars. Noting that at least he got his hearing back, the Grammy and Emmy Awardwinning funnyman has been working the slap into his Ego Death World Tour 2022. Dolby Theatre, November 17 through 20.

›The Godfather is the

ROCK OUT 2

Chris Rock is on the

L A M AG . C O M 3 1

Incoming

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M OV I E S

Soul Man

AFTER DIVING INTO DEEP DRAMA ON THIS IS US, STERLING K. BROWN TAKES ON A LIGHTER ROLE: A PRADA-WEARING PROSPERITY PASTOR ACCUSED OF SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY B Y J U L I A N N G A R E Y

S

T E R L I N G K . B R O W N is always up for a

challenge. Today, he’s trying to drink half his body weight in ounces of water. “I have to pee all the time,” he says, laughing. In his new film, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul., L.A.-based Brown has taken on the challenge of comic leading man. It’s a departure from the serious roles for which he’s most known: his breakthrough, Emmy-winning turn as prosecutor Christopher Darden in The People v.

O.J. Simpson, and his award-winning journey as the tightly wound Randall Pearson on This Is Us. In Honk, a nuanced satire from 31-year-old twins Adamma and Adanne Ebo, Brown plays Lee-Curtis Childs, an over-the-top, Pradawearing prosperity pastor. When his Atlanta megachurch is shuttered after a sex scandal, Childs and his wife (played

by Regina Hall with hilarious restraint) mount the biggest comeback commodified religion has ever seen, including allowing a film crew to record their every desperate move.

What are words you’d use to describe him? > True believer. He’s a vessel for the Holy Spirit. Full of himself. Terrified because those things define him, and when they’re taken away, he is without definition.

You have two little boys, 11 and 7. What aspects of the church are important to you and your wife in terms of wanting that to be part of your kids’ experience? > We both grew up in the 3 2 L A M AG . C O M

Black church. So much of Black culture has been funneled through the church, whether it’s music, the pageantry of the wardrobe, or the Word itself. It is so much a part of Black folks’ journey in this country. But I think the things that we can do without are judgment, homophobia, the idea that any religion has a monopoly on salvation. So for us and our children, we want them to have faith in a higher power, but we also want them to love without limits and never give up critical thought.

Your character in This is Us, Randall Pearson, has a problem with perfectionism. Do you suffer from the same affliction? > Going to a high-performing place like Stanford University, you want to stand out, and you can have this idea that being perfect is something that’s actually

attainable—until you reach a place where it becomes debilitating.

You tackled a lot of mental health issues on This Is Us. Did you feel a responsibility to get a certain message out to the Black community? > I think for communities of color, we have been taught that life is hard, suck it up. As Black folks, you got to work twice as hard to get just as far. At a certain point, it’s like, “Jesus, does everybody have

to carry this shit around?”

So I hope that in watching Randall getting treatment, there is a recognition that there is a better way to navigate this.

What’s the mission of your production company? > I really want to be one of those people that makes opportunities possible for [Black] and other people, to where things don’t seem so exceptional for us to be involved from a creative

B R OW N M I C H A E L KOVAC /G E T T Y I M AG E S FO R A F I

How different is Childs from the pastors you grew up with in St. Louis’s Black churches? > Lee-Curtis is a heightened version of any pastor that I went to church with. But then sometimes he’s pretty congruous with things I’m accustomed to—especially growing up watching prosperity preachers and the sort of equation of blessings with financial gains.

“You can have this idea that being perfect is something that’s actually attainable— until you reach a place where it becomes debilitating.”

HOCUS POCUS 2

FALL MOVIES THE MOST PROMISING OF THE SEASON’S SLATE, FROM AWARDS CONTENDERS TO A RE-ENLIVENED HOCUS POCUS ROMP Pinocchio Tom Hanks is kindly Geppetto, Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy, and British child actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth voices the lying puppet in the live actionplus-animation spectacle set to be released on Disney+.

September 8

H O C U S P O C U S : M AT T K E N N E DY © 2 0 2 2 D I S N E Y E N T E R P R I S E S , I N C .

A L L R I G H TS R E S E RV E D ; M O O N AG E DAY D R E A M : N E O N

Moonage Daydream Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Brett Morgen (Cobain: Montage of Heck) trains his lens on David Bowie in an impressionistic exploration of the rock legend’s life and art. September 16.

standpoint. You have to have a multitude of perspectives in order to tell a multitude of stories. There’s a sort of moniker that I have: to entertain, to educate, to edify, to hopefully make people laugh, to make people think, and then to encourage people to make the world a better place. I think that’s my overall mission in life.

That’s a pretty big mission. > Thank you. Drink your water!

Blonde Marilyn Monroe (Ana de Armas) is the subject of a major NC-17-rated movie: Netflix’s fictionalized biopic adapted from writer Joyce Carol Oates’s novel.

Oates raves that the sexually explicit take on Monroe’s life is “suffused with the dread of horror.”

September 23.

Don’t Worry Darling Mom’s favorite heartthrob, Harry Styles, upgrades to marquee star with Olivia Wilde’s latest awards-buzzy directorial effort.

Florence Pugh plays Styles’s wife, who starts to notice the underlying cracks in her picture-perfect planned community. September 23.

Bros Judd Apatow brings his producer imprimatur to a gay romcom written by Nicholas Stoller and Billy Eichner, who also stars.

September 30.

Hocus Pocus 2 Hocus Pocus lives to see a new All Hallows’ Eve romp revolving around the deliciously evil yet perpetually incompetent Sanderson sister witches.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are back and game for seriously dreadful wig and makeup jobs. Disney+, September 30.

Halloween Ends The saga of purely evil Michael Myers wraps up one more time in the reimagined showdown from writer-director David Gordon Green, with Jamie Lee Curtis returning as the older Laurie Strode. October 14.

The School for Good and Evil Netflix adapts the hit fantasy novel

by Soman Chainani with direction by Bridesmaids’ Paul Feig. Two girls swap fortunes when sent to the institution in question, under the perverse guidance of Laurence Fishburne, Charlize Theron, Michelle Yeoh, and Kerry Washington.

October 21.

Amsterdam Director David O. Russell’s follow-up to 2015’s disappointing Joy is a historical mystery with more A-listers than a Met Gala. Among them: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Rami Malek, and Taylor Swift.

November 4.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Marvel’s culture-shifting blockbuster finally gets a sequel in the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s death. Instead of

recasting the central character, Wakanda Forever puts the spotlight on T’Challa’s former lover, Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), a spy for the fictional African nation. November 11.

The Fabelmans Steven Spielberg veers from his blockbuster roots with his most surprising turn yet: a shaggy drama inspired by his own family. With Michelle Williams as mom, Paul Dano as dad, and Gabriel LaBelle as the movieobsessed future filmmaker himself.

November 11.

The Menu Forager cuisine at an internationally acclaimed restaurant becomes, for the diners, a brutal fight to survive in the high-concept thriller from a Succession director, Mark Mylod.

November 18.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery The original Knives Out was so successful that Netflix scooped up writer-director Rian Johnson’s second book in what’s now a series. Daniel Craig’s amusingly inscrutable Detective Benoit Blanc takes on another case, and everyone from Edward Norton to Janelle Monáe looks suspicious.

— PAU L S C H R O DT L A M AG . C O M 3 3

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MOV I E S

Legends of the Fall AN UNPRECEDENTED FIVE FEATURE FILMS BY OSCAR-WINNING DIRECTORS COULD DOMINATE MOVIE SCREENS THIS AUTUMN

BY STEVE ERICKSON

Maguire as fictionalized versions of, respectively, silent-era slide into collective attention deficit disorder, matinee heartthrob John Gilbert, “It” girl Clara Bow, and the movies could be released anytime and Oscar votmodern world’s first superstar, Charlie Chaplin. On its way ers might still remember them months later. But to finally opening, Babylon has run the gauntlet of COVIDas the stakes grew and Academy Awards translated into box 19, a budget that panicked the industry, and, reportedly, a office revenue, autumn became designated the unofficial half-hour orgy that flirts with an NC-17 rating.

Oscar Season, in which studios open their floodgates to delThe stars of 2009’s Avatar, Sam Worthington and Zoe uge audiences with a year’s worth of good pictures in a matter Saldaña, reunite in Cameron’s sequel, The Way of Water, of weeks. Sometimes a film is enough of a phenomenon to with the filmmaker betting that, after almost a decade and a linger in the memory long after half, everyone hasn’t had enough its original presentation; early of cranky overgrown blue elves. releases Braveheart, Gladiator, And given the success of this Forrest Gump, and The Silence year’s Top Gun sequel after more of the Lambs remained indelible than three decades, who’s to say enough not to be swallowed up Cameron is wrong? by the fog of time. The Godfather Reuniting in Scorsese’s quacame out a whole year before it si-western Killers of the Flower won Best Picture, but that kind Moon, based on a true-life murof proves the point: it was The der on Oklahoma tribal lands Godfather, after all. The last 100 years ago, are Robert De Niro time an Oscar winner defied the and Leonardo DiCaprio. After a autumn strategy was The Hurt teenage DiCaprio stole 1993’s Locker, 14 years ago.

This Boy’s Life from De Niro, While the Academy Awards the older actor made a point of no longer provide a surefire introducing the younger one to bump at the box office and are Scorsese for what became six waning in relevance, studios subsequent collaborations. have only doubled down on Whenever Scorsese isn’ t their fall battle plans. These regarded as America’s greatest next couple of months will bring living filmmaker, Spielberg is. to screens the Clash of Oscar And after spending most of the Directors: five winners—vetearly twenty-first century taking erans Steven Spielberg, Martin on terrorism, slavery, investigaGet ready for the Clash Scorsese, and James Cameron, tive journalism, the Cold War, along with new heavyweights in and presidents both exalted and of Oscar Directors contention Alejandro González disgraced in the likes of Munich, Lincoln, Bridge of Spies, and The Iñárritu and Damien Chazelle.

Post, Spielberg returns with The Iñárritu is a rare back-toFabelmans to the subject of his childhood that dominated back Best Director winner for 2014’s Birdman and 2015’s The Revenant ; and, at 32, Chazelle was the youngest much of his earlier work. The film stars Michelle Williams, recipient ever, for 2016’s La La Land. In Bardo (or False Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, and young Gabriel LaBelle as Chronicle of a Handful of Truths), Iñárritu returns to his someone bearing resemblance to a young Spielberg already homeland of Mexico after more than five pictures shot aspiring to be America’s greatest living filmmaker. in the U.S. or abroad, with Daniel Giménez Cacho (from Postscript to Academy voters: Unlikely as it may be, you Pedro Almodóvar’s Bad Education and last year’s wonderful don’t have to like any of these; word has it The Son and Sarah Memoria) as a journalist investigating Polley’s Women Talking, also scheduled for fall, are pretty his memories or maybe the filmmakgood. Here’s another tip: There are nine or ten other months C H I L D ’S P L AY Steven Spielberg er’s. Chazelle follows La La Land with in a calendar that has included Everything Everywhere All phones home in at Once. Give world-cinema treasure Michelle Yeoh an Babylon , staranother Hollywood story, the autobiographical ring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Tobey Oscar, and Oscars might start mattering again.

The Fabelmans.

3 4 L A M AG . C O M

R I C H F U RY/G E T T Y I M AG E S

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T H E AT E

R

Hedwig’s Last Hurrah

JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL, THE TRAILBLAZING STAR WHO CREATED THE SMASH HIT HEDWIG AND RE-CREATED TIGER KING’S JOE EXOTIC IS BACK WITH A FINAL PERFORMANCE OF HIS ICONIC CHARACTER B Y D AV I D A . K E E P S

J

O H N C A M E R O N Mitchell, the

will celebrate both works in Los Angeles. producer-director-filmmakerIn late August, he will preside over an playwright-screenwriter-actorAmerican Cinematheque Shortbus resinger-podcaster best known as release screening at the Aero Theatre, the Tony Award-winning creator and star and then he’ll reunite with Trask at USC’s of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, prefers cult Bovard Auditorium for the final dates status to conventional stardom. Sure, he of Origin of Love Tour—“a tightly conmay also be familiar to some as a stream structed, loosely performed history of the queen, with two recurring roles as publishmaking of Hedwig,” he says. The show has ing world gays on Girls and toured intermittently for Shrill, as well as his recent four years, and these will be star turn as Tiger King’s its last performances.

Joe Exotic in Joe vs. Carole.

Hedwig and Shortbus are, Yet these roles are what Mitchell says, “the things I allow Mitchell the time and am most proud of in terms of money to spend on his own pushing conversations to new subversive passion projects, places. I am curious to see including musical perforhow things I made so many mance tours and podcasts years ago are useful today.” such as the autobiographiForever outspoken, he cal Anthem: Homunculus. rails against how political EXITS AND ENTRANCES As a writer and perand cultural correctness Mitchell describes Hedwig and the former, Mitchell, 58, has is crushing fiction and art.

Angry Inch as a “nonbinary fable.” earned his queer and indie “People are in fear of being bona fides as a heat-seeking lightning rod canceled, and it’s getting in the way of for transgressive sexual and cultural shifts. things that need to get done, things that This began nearly 30 years ago with his change people’s lives radically.” creation of Hedwig with composer Stephen Hedwig was one such thing; it cracked Trask. Incubated in the 1990s at the dragopen a future in which Mitchell could centric Manhattan rock club Squeezebox, reconsider his career, art, sexuality, and Hedwig became the focal character in a gender. “Hedwig is a nonbinary fable,” rock musical about a young man who’s says its nonbinary author. “Each of us has coerced into gender reassignment surgery male and female energies and, if you don’t that leaves him with the “angry inch.” After express them, it’s like a creature that gets Hedwig’s success on stage and as a 2001 stuck in the wall and dies. It can really film, Mitchell doubled down, writing and stink up the house.” directing Shortbus, the 2006 comedy about After inhabiting the role for so long, New York City’s erotic underground that Mitchell sees Origin of Love Tour as a depicted real on-screen sex. fond farewell. “I will always love Hedwig,” This month, Mitchell, who divides his he says, “but I don’t want to calcify in time between New York and New Orleans, that wig.”

3 6 L A M AG . C O M

NEW STAGINGS THIS FALL, THE THEATER IS DOMINATED

BY CLASSICS The Prom Broadway saves the day when a bunch of rheumy has-beens from the Great White Way sally forth to Edgewater, Indiana, where a student is banned from escorting her girlfriend to the prom.

Nominated for seven Tonys, the show includes original cast members Kalyn West and Courtney Balan. Ahmanson Theatre, through September 11.

The Inheritance Winner of four Tonys, this epic inspired by E. M. Forster’s Howards End examines three generations of gay men living in New York. Geffen Playhouse, September 13 through November 27.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Lily Tomlin divinely embodied the many characters that make up the universe in Jane Wagner’s beloved onewoman play. But now SNL’s Cecily Strong takes her turn as a punkrock rebel, a California socialite, a feminist reactionary, and a homeless woman. Mark Taper Forum, September 21 through October 23.

To Kill a Mockingbird Nominated for nine Tonys, Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel has finally made it to L.A., with Richard Thomas taking over for Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch. Pantages Theatre, October 25 through November 27.

—J O R DA N R I E F E

C E C I LY ST R O N G

P O ST E R : CO U R T E SY O R I G I N S O F LOV E TO U R ; M I TC H E L L : J O E L SAG E T/A F P V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; ST R O N G : G A RY G E R S H O F F/G E T T Y I M AG E S

Incoming

Thu Sep 22 | 8pm REDMAN • MEHLDAU • MCBRIDE • BLADE A MoodSwing Reunion Celebrated tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman introduced his first band with his 1994 album MoodSwing, an astonishing collection by four precociously talented musicians who would rapidly establish themselves as creative beacons. After years of individual triumphs, the original group reunites— with Redman, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Brian Blade.

Sat Oct 1 | 8pm Aida Cuevas 45th Anniversary - Yo Creo Que Es Tiempo Thu Oct 13 | 8pm Malpaso Dance Company with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble Sat Oct 22 | 8pm Luis Enrique + C4 Trio with special guest Nella Sat Oct 29 | 8pm Soweto Gospel Choir HOPE—It’s Been a Long Time Coming

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T V S H OW S

Ring of Truth

Y O U K N O W I T ’ S B I G —$465 million big— “You have a faction of society that wants to mainand that’s just for the first season, making tain a sense of tradition and connection to their Elven Amazon’s new heavyweight contender, The roots,” explains Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who plays Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the most Queen Regent Míriel of Númenor. “Then you have another expensive TV series ever produced. Fans will be relieved segment of society that is interested in moving forward— to hear the studio has spared no expense in tearing down the old to build the new bringing J. R. R. Tolkien’s universe to life in its place. You see those two ideas come with a story that spans every corner of the to clash.”

“There’s incense map, from the delicately carved heights Sound familiar? No, the new show is not of Lindon (the mountaintop Elven kinga metaphor for the polarization afflicting burning in the dom) to the majestic city of Númenor, the the U.S. And while many suggest Hitler’s air, the sound author’s own take on the Atlantis myth. rise was the basis for The Lord of the Rings, of lapping water Derived from the appendices of Tolkien’s Tolkien was not interested in commenting on the docks.

Lord of the Rings, the new show is a sprawlon current events in his work. ing saga set thousands of years before the “The thing that attracted me and the It feels like time of Bilbo Baggins. After a costly and showrunners . . . was the timeless and unia real place.” devastating war, the dark army of Orcs has versal qualities of the story, which someone been subdued and the evil lord Sauron is could transpose onto modern issues,” in hiding. While most believe the worst is observes Wayne Yip, co-executive producer behind them, one young Elven warrior, Galadriel (Morfydd and director of a few episodes.

Clark), vows to avenge her brother’s death at the hands of Producers spent lavishly on sets by production designers the Orcs, taking up his sword to hunt and kill those who Ramsey Avery and Rick Heinrichs, a frequent Tim Burton remain. Many think her mad, wasting good men on treachcollaborator. Their vision of Númenor is a city built by erous expeditions tracking an enemy that doesn’t exist. hand, with tall structures, streets, and public squares.

3 8 L A M AG . C O M

LOT R : T H E R I N G S O F P OW E R CO U R T E SY P R I M E V I D E O

THE ONLY REASON TO GAMBLE HALF A BILLION DOLLARS ON A TV SHOW IS BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT EVERYONE WILL WANT TO LIVE THIS FANTASY B Y J O R D A N R I E F E

New TV Shows

Returning TV Shows Cobra Kai ● Gen Zers and nostalgists

Monarch ● Susan Sarandon pivots

TO BI NG E I NG!

to TV by playing Dottie Roman, queen of country music and matriarch of the Roman musical dynasty, which is insistent on keeping its legacy alive and well. With Anna Friel, Trace Adkins, and Beth Ditto rounding out the Fox drama. September 11.

alike dig the Karate Kid spinoff, as Netflix’s hit roundhouse kicks its way into season five. Next-generation fighter Robby (Tanner Buchanan) and dad (William Zabka) head to Mexico in search of Robby’s rival, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), who’s looking for his own father, while Daniel (Ralph Macchio) contends with the titular dojo taking over the San Fernando Valley karate scene. September 9.

M O N A R C H : FOX © 2 0 2 2 FOX M E D I A L LC . ; H A N D M A I D ’ S : H U LU ; M I D N I G H T : N E T F L I X ; Q UA N T U M : S E R G U E I B AC H L A KOV/ N B C

Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor toasts his elves.

“My first memory of walking through the Númenor set was with Wayne,” recalls Addai-Robinson. “It hadn’t been dressed, and there were no people in it. And it still had this feeling of a palace with cobblestone walkways and little alleyways. There’s incense burning in the air, the sound of lapping water on the docks. It feels like a real place.”

While the show employs a wide range of visual effects, showrunners Patrick McKay and John D. Payne wanted to do as much in-camera as they could rather than have actors respond to a green screen. “It really helps and transports you when you see what feels like a very real place. It’s a testament to all of the craftspeople and laborers and those who built an entire city,” exclaims Addai-Robinson, who underwent stunt training for her role.

Most of the team grew up on Peter Jackson’s blockbuster film series, and for a while, it seemed like the maestro himself might participate in the new show, providing notes during the script phase. But in the end, he did not contribute, although the show’s CGI work was managed by his special effects house, and many of the film crew had worked on all of Jackson’s Tolkien adaptations.

While common tattoos united the core cast of Jackson’s first three Tolkien films, this time around there was no such ritual for Addai-Robinson. But while shooting in relatively COVID-free New Zealand, the cast bonded in ways that were impossible during the pandemic back home.

“I went from lockdown in L.A. to almost full normalcy,” sighs Addai-Robinson. “We really relished those opportunities when we had them. It felt like a special time in a special place with a special group of people.”

The Handmaid’s Tale

The Midnight Club ● The Haunting of Hill House showrunner Mike Flanagan has added undeniable polish to Netflix’s horror offerings. His latest series for the streamer, adapted from the Christopher Pike YA novel, follows young, terminally ill hospice patients who tell each other scary stories at night, with genuinely creepy real-life reverberations. October 7.

Tulsa King ● Sylvester Stallone is mov-

ing to Oklahoma in his first regular TV performance.

The splashy new series from Yellowstone writer Taylor Sheridan centers on Dwight Manfredi, who relocates to flyover country after a 25-year prison sentence, where he builds a whole new team of criminal badasses. November 13.

● With chillingly renewed relevance post-Roe v. Wade, Hulu’s take on Margaret Atwood’s story about a dystopian society that controls women’s bodies increasingly resembles a thriller. In season five, June (Elisabeth Moss) flees Gilead’s grip, but the consequences of killing Commander Waterford catch up to her. September 14.

Quantum Leap ● NBC reboots the old ’90s

sci-fi series, hoping for another hit. This version stars Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Seong, who—30 years after Scott Bakula’s Dr. Sam Beckett last stepped into the time-traveling Quantum Leap accelerator— makes his own unapproved leap into the past. September 19.

— PAU L S C H R O DT L A M AG . C O M 3 9

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THE A R T SCEN E

Alex in Wonderland

ALEX BECERRA’S BOLDLY SENSUAL THEMES HAVE SHAKEN UP L.A.’S STODGY ART SCENE. NOW A DEBUT SHOW MAY MAKE HIM A STAR

BY MICHAEL SLENSKE

O N A B R E E Z Y February evening in 2022, a who’s who of local and international curators, collectors, and artists crammed into a tiny gallery called One Trick Pony in Little Ethiopia, iPhones recording every skronk of the saxophone played by the bombastic, bearded L.A. artist Alex Becerra. Dressed in a ten-gallon hat and an oversize trench, the 33-year-old bleated improvisational notes while shuffling around a foam sculpture of a 1977 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL called Garage Fanfare, adorned with acid-hued Plexiglas windows covering oil paintings of rims or kitschy landscapes, sculptural self-portraits, and empty beer bottles.

“It’s the main brain of the studio,” says Becerra of the sculpture during a late July visit to his Inglewood studio where he’s preparing for his September 24 solo debut with VSF. Becerra’s densely layered, maximalist oil paintings and drawings of

himself, his family, his jazz icons, and his sexual fantasies have earned him magazine covers and solo shows from Chicago to Berlin. But this slimegreen gesamtwerk offers perhaps the most complete window into his shape-shifting oeuvre and the wide berth of his inspirations, from German expressionist painting and lowrider culture to his upbringing in the farming town of Piru, California.

As such, his art includes ceramic versions of Mexican folk masks and Dadaesque performances wearing a “Taco Belt,” distributing the streetfood staple to unwitting gallerygoers.

“I think the car will contextualize where I’m coming from,” says

FUN HOUSE

Becerra in his Inglewood studio.

Above, Garage Fanfare.

Becerra over a lunch at the Jon & Vinny’s on Slauson, where we run into his partner, Helen Johannesen, the founder of Helen’s Wines, who is the subject of a tender new painting, Skyy’s Mom, in which she’s breastfeeding their toddler. Whether he’s expressing the personal, political, or parodic in all his work, Becerra is trying to achieve the “feeling you get from music where you don’t necessarily need an explanation.”

To accomplish that in this exhibition, he will reprise the Garage Fanfare performance at the opening in the outdoor sculpture garden. Inside the galleries he’s inviting visitors to play albums from a curated selection—think free jazz compilations from Grupo Los Yoyi or Eddie Palmieri—that inspired several of his new paintings. While some feature vanitas skulls and album-cover tableaux, or folk icons from his upbringing, many are filled with hypnotic renderings of scantily clad women inspired by the ads for sex workers in L. A. Xpress, who are playing instruments while also holding over-the-shoulder gazes that put them in the seat of power.

There are somber counterpoints to these, like a painting of a woman whose body is comprised of a dozen or more shades of blue. She holds a bass and stares over her shoulder, an Amazon commanding attention against an ultramarine background.

At a moment when the art market is catering to weak abstraction and easy figuration, Becerra seems intent on muddying the waters between the two modes of painting. Perhaps it’s why he focuses on the concept of opacity—of literally being able to see through multiple layers of paint to understand a more complex reality—which seems fitting in this head-spinning moment of human history.

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY GA B R I E L B E C E R R A

G A R AG E FA N FA R E CO U R T E SY O N E T R I C K P O N Y

Incoming

Incoming

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BOOKS

NEW BOOKS

King of Joy

FOR HIS 65TH NOVEL, AMERICA’S FAVORITE HORROR WRITER TAKES A BREAK FROM THE MACABRE TO TELL A STORY THAT WON’T HAVE ANYBODY HIDING UNDER THE COVERS B Y J O R D A N R I E F E

noises, perhaps the secret to a place mysteriously named the Other.

An excerpt provided earlier this year to Entertainment Weekly describes Charlie’s perilous journey down a spiral stone staircase to a tunnel deep underground, rumored to be home to bats the size of turkey buzzards. After a mile or so, the cave-like path gives way to cobblestones and a bright light.

Emerging from the darkness, Charlie says, “I looked to the far horizon and saw the skyline of a great city. Daylight reflected hazily from its highest towers, as if they were made of glass. Green glass. I had read The Wizard of Oz and seen the movie, and I knew an Emerald City when I saw one.”

It’s not the first time King has stepped outside the horror genre, as he did with titles like The Dark Tower and his suspense novels written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. But it’s the second time he’s done so this year—his first release of 2022 was Gwendy’s Final Task, the last in a series cowritten with author Richard Chizmar about a senator from King’s home state of Maine, set in the year 2026 aboard the space station.

With Fairy Tale, the prolific author set out to write something that would bring him joy during the pandemic. The first image that sprang to mind was a deserted city, statues and gargoyles smashed on the pavement.

Then he saw a sprawling palace with glass towers that pierced the clouds.

That’s when he began work on his 65th novel, likely to be another among his more than 30 best-sellers.

LESSONS FROM

popular novelist of our time, Stephen King is in his comfort zone telling tales of dark mystery populated with children.

In his latest, teen protagonist Charlie Reade inherits the keys to a parallel world where a battle rages between good and evil. An average kid mourning a deceased mother, with a father drowning his grief in booze, he finds everything changes when he meets a dog named Radar and his owner, Mr. Bowditch, who lives in a house at the top of the hill.

In their backyard, a shed emits strange

LOCKDOWN

King pondered a desolate city when he started to write during the pandemic but changed his mind.

4 2 L A M AG . C O M

Simon & Schuster, September 6.

It Starts with Us: A Novel In 2016, best-selling author Colleen Hoover told us where the finish line was with It Ends with Us. Now, find out where it begins with It Starts with Us. When newly divorced Lily is reunited with Atlas Corrigan, passions flare, but the past could be prologue. October 18.

The Atlas Paradox The long-awaited sequel to Olivie Blake’s 2020 New York Times best-seller, The Atlas Six, is almost here, chronicling the magicians of the Society of Alexandrians, a secret alliance with power to change the world. October 25.

Livid: A Scarpetta Novel In the latest of Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling series, literature’s favorite medical examiner, Kay Scarpetta, returns as a witness in a sensational murder trial in the midst of which a new murder occurs. The victim? The judge’s sister.

October 25.—J. R .

K I N G : F R A N ÇO I S S E C H E T/ L E E M AG E /CO R B I S V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S

M

AY B E T H E m o s t

PHOTO CREDIT: KIERNAN MICHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY AND DEVIN BURKO

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MUSIC

Bringing It Home AFTER A LONG, TROUBLESOME SUMMER, L.A.’S GRAMMYNOMINATED POP STARS THE MARÍAS ARE MAKING A TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO THE GREEK B Y S E A N F I T Z - G E R A L D

M A R Í A Z A R D O YA I S R E A DY

to come back to L.A. On the road since January, the Marías frontwoman has toured endlessly, on the way battling bronchitis, E. coli, norovirus, and COVID-19. “It is very tiring, mentally and physically,” she says when reached by phone. “Being put back into the ailments and exposed to so many people, it does take a toll.”

But the Marías are determined to make up for an almost two-year stage absence. Finishing their marathon trip strong includes an important October 1 stop at the Greek Theatre.

A homecoming at the Greek is fitting because the Marías owe their success to L.A. And by many metrics, they’re having their biggest year yet. Zardoya and the group’s second face—the producer and multi-instrumentalist Josh Conway—spent the beginning of their lockdown writing and producing their debut album, CINEMA, in their Hollywood Hills apartment. When the world began to reopen, they and their bandmates finally had a chance to perform those songs live. Then, suddenly, the Marías found themselves on the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and at Coachella, collaborating with Bad Bunny on the hit “Otro Atardecer” and earning a Grammy nom.

How they reached these heights L.A. WOMAN

THE FALL PLAYLIST FALL BRINGS A BOUNTY OF MOUTHWATERING NEW ALBUMS AND LIVE SHOWS THAT WILL HAVE MUSIC FANS FEASTING UNTIL THANKSGIVING. HERE’S OUR PLAYLIST TO GET YOU IN THE MOOD

KENDRICK LAMAR

Kendrick Lamar, “N95” Compton’s prodigal son returns to 4 4 L A M AG . C O M

the area to play four successive nights at Crypto.com Arena beginning September 14, and as this year’s intensely personal fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, showed, he has

plenty to say.

Bring your therapist because he’ll be going deep.

Noah Cyrus, “Mr. Percocet” Everyone knows Noah Cyrus has her family’s musical reputation to uphold, but few

know that she’s been doing it for a while already. After a string of singles, collabs, and EPs, her full-length debut album, The Hardest Part, drops September 16 and contains this tender slice of Americana.

Bad Bunny, “Moscow Mule” The Puerto Rican’s mission to bring reggaeton to the world continued in BAD BUNNY

earnest with this year’s hugely successful Un Verano Sin Ti, and his not-so-modestly titled World’s Hottest Tour arrives for two nights at SoFi Stadium on September 30 and October 1.

New Order, “Bizarre Love Triangle” The Manchester electronic pop legends have got hits to spare, but you know this will be the one that burns the house down when they co-headline the Hollywood Bowl with the Pet Shop Boys on October 7 and 8.

Rosalía, “Saoko” You’d be hardpressed to find a more vibrant and

T H E M A R Í A S : A S H L E Y S E RY N ; K E N D R I C K L A M A R , R O SA L Í A : G E T T Y I M AG E S

María Zardoya with bandmates (from left) Jesse Perlman, Josh Conway, and Edward James.

MAGICAL MYSTE RY

The Marías during a live performance this year.

Inset: a poster for their October 1 show.

T H E M A R Í A S P E R FO R M A N C E : YO U T U B E ; P O ST E R : I N STAG R A M .CO M / T H E M A R I A S ; B A D B U N N Y: F I L M M AG I C ; R I N A SAWAYA M A : D I R T Y H I T.CO.U K

intersection of all those is cinematic itself. After driving here influences—a blend from Snellville, Georgia, in 2016, of heartfelt bilingual the Puerto Rico-born Zardoya had lyrics and luscious a Hollywood-level meet-cute with sounds that makes you feel like you’re the L.A.-bred Conway at the Kibitz living inside a mindRoom, the venue expanding love story. attached to Canter’s “It’s music that can deli. She was playing “Making music make you authentian acoustic set; he cally feel good,” says was running sound. that is dreamy Ricky Reed, the A&R A year into their is a political act and label owner who romance and creative right now. We’re signed the Marías partnership, they in a time where to Nice Life in 2019. made the songs that It was the funky lulbecame their EP everybody wants laby “Clueless” that Superclean, a twoto escape.” won him over. He volume soundscape first heard the song, that thrummed with which showcases the trippy magic of a Conway’s ear for production and daydream and captivated the indusZardoya’s soft vocals, in September try—even if it was hard to categorize.

2018. Their work hit hard then, While Zardoya grew up on reggaeton, but today it holds new resonance. pop, and Pedro Almodóvar, Conway “Making music that is dreamy is a devoured rock, funk, and psychepolitical act right now,” Reed says. delia. So their alt-pop exists at the

musically varied album released in 2022 than Rosalía’s superb Motomami, and watching the Spanish phenom in full flight at the YouTube Theater on October 7 and 8 is guaranteed to deliver a thrill.

The 1975, “Part of the Band” Last year, the 1975’s frontman, Matt Healy, teased some brand-new

ROSALÍA

songs during an acoustic set at the Greek Theatre, opening for Phoebe Bridgers.

On October 14, the world will get to hear what L.A. heard first. The

1975’s long-awaited fifth album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, features this single.

Lizzo, “About Damn Time” Having scored the feel-good hit of the summer with this anthem of positivity, the delightful diva promises a mix of pop concert, queer club night, and motivational speaking event at

the Kia Forum on November 18 and 19.

Post Malone, “Wrapped Around Your Finger” Posty’s latest collection, Twelve Carat Toothache, finds him deeper in his feelings than ever before. But with such an arsenal of hits, you can rest assured that his four-show L.A. run through midNovember will leave you with a fresh smile.

RINA S AWAYA M A

“We’re in a time where everybody wants to escape.” Collaborator Luna Li agrees. “I find María’s voice to be comforting, and the whole sonic landscape feels really welcoming,” she says of CINEMA, an album that became a pandemic balm for her.

The Marías’ supporters say the succor translates live. It’s hard for Reed to forget the spell the band cast at Marty’s on Newport, when he first saw them perform in October 2018—how two of the women in the audience began singing Zardoya’s every word and mimicking her every move. “This was more than just a fan thing,” says Reed. It was “a spiritual connection.”

This is because the Marías’ sets are immersive, per collaborator Sven Gamsky (aka Still Woozy), who saw the band play this year at Coachella.

“You don’t question what’s going on because everything is so seamless.

You’re in the illusion.”

Whether it’s an album or a show at the Greek, there’s intention behind what the Marías do. Zardoya says the band has a singular mission: to transport you out of this reality and into theirs.

“From day one,” adds Conway, “we’ve wanted the Marías’ shows to feel like an experience—to feel like more than just a band playing some songs that they wrote.”

Rina Sawayama, “This Hell” This countrytinged dance-floor burner is undoubtedly the best thing that Londoner Rina Sawayama has released so far, and her upcoming

second album, Hold the Girl, will doubtless see her rise to become one of the world’s premier pop stars.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” Karen O has reunited with her band for Cool It Down—the trio’s first album in a mind-boggling nine years. This track is proof that they haven’t lost their dark magic.

L A M AG . C O M 4 5

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WH E R E

TO E AT

New & Notable Dono

S A N TA M O N I C A

● At chef Brendan Collins’s new ode to the Iberian Peninsula, large plates of seafood paella and lamb shank tagine are best paired with gin and tonics by bar director Gabriella Mlynarcyk.

2460 Wilshire Blvd., donorestaurant.com.

A RESERVATION AT SAFFY’S, A SIMPLE MIDDLE-EASTERN RESTAURANT FROM THE OWNERS OF BESTIA AND BAVEL, IS LIKE AN INVITATION TO DINNER AT THEIR PLACE

I

B Y H E AT H E R P L AT T

F Y O U ’ R E lucky enough

to snag a reservation at Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis’s new Middle-Eastern restaurant, the host will likely call you on the phone to confirm. This is a foreshadowing of what’s to come: the kind of warm, welcoming service one can only hope for from a night out.

Saffy’s is set back from the street on a quiet corner in East Hollywood. Arrive early and have a cocktail like the Sour—a bright orange tangy mix of mezcal, pineapple, carrot, passionfruit, lime, and habanero—at a sidewalk table, and listen to the hosts kindly greeting every guest.

Inside, the space is as vibrant as the cocktail. Chef Menashe stands in front of the wood-burning oven overseeing the shawarma and lamb, pork, and chicken kebabs. For those familiar with Bestia or Bavel, this particular image of him with his back to diners and face to fire is iconic, and one wonders how he has managed to successfully clone himself yet again. But Menashe seems most comfortable at Saffy’s.

“We just wanted to bring the guests into FA M I LY - S T Y L E Saffy’s is named after our home,” he says.

Menashe and Gergis’s Menashe admits eight-year-old that six months into daughter, Saffron.

4 6 L A M AG . C O M

opening Bavel in 2018, he began dreaming of a falafel stand. “I had the craving to cook meats on skewers.”

Two years later, the couple found the perfect location. “Three or four weeks into the pandemic, we signed a lease, thinking that the pandemic was going to end, and it never did.”

Ultimately, Saffy’s is a full-service restaurant where diners pile into yellow banquettes to share beautiful plates of hummus dusted with smoked paprika, Lebanese pine nuts, green zhoug, and challah that the chef has recently perfected.

“The challah was something that I baked probably 100 times before I said, ‘OK, this is the recipe.’ ” The meat-centric menu is rounded out with masterly sides like green falafel with tahini served atop puddles of beet zhoug and sprinkled with dill.

Keeping with the theme of simplicity, Gergis’s pastry menu is short and, well, sweet. “A fancy dessert is beautiful,” she says, “but what you really want at the end of the day is a strawberry shortcake.”

“I think food is what brings everyone together,” adds Menashe. “And this food is cooked to make people happy.”

4845 Fountain Ave., East Hollywood, saffysla.com.

P H O T O G R A P H BY J O S E P H W E AV E R

D OW N T OW N

● The first L.A. outpost

of Miami’s Mandolin Aegean Bistro, this coastal Mediterraneanstyle eatery, with its sprawling garden space, is a lovely place to eat Turkish- and Greekinfluenced dishes like zucchini-squash blossom flatbreads with pistachio tahini.

1000 S. Santa Fe Ave., mandolinmiami.com.

Mother Tongue

W E S T H O L LY WO O D

● This eatery inside a fitness club uses healthy ingredients to create international comfort food. It’s all cooked

by Michael Mina with immense flavor.

960 N. La Brea Ave., hellomothertongue.com.

D O N O : WO N H O F R A N K L E E

Promised Land

Mandolin Taverna

RO E © F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc.

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T

My Dinner with Andrés AFTER TRADING IN HIS PAELLA PANS FOR BORSCHT BOWLS IN UKRAINE, CHEF JOSÉ ANDRÉS IS OPENING THREE NEW RESTAURANTS IN DOWNTOWN’S CONRAD HOTEL B Y J O E L S T E I N

J

O S É A N D R É S is finally, after all his world traveling, on vacation. He’s smoking a cigar in the Spanish beach town of Zahara de los Atunes, doing his version of relaxing, which, judging from the activity going on in the background of our Zoom call, involves about 7,000 friends. But in a few days, the 53-year-old restaurateur—whose bushy white beard makes him look like an Ernest Hemingway impersonator—will be slipping into one of his signature multipocketed fishing vests (phone, money, batteries, GPS system, cigars) and heading to Ukraine. Unless a natural disaster or another war or a plague of locusts strikes first, in which case, he’ll take his movable feast of a field kitchen there instead.

Andrés, though, has gone way beyond Hemingway’s famous volunteer mission as Red Cross ambulance driver during World War I. Through his World Central Kitchen, he’s providing emergency food assistance to the whole planet. Haiti, Puerto Rico, Beirut, Uganda, Nicaragua, cruise ships quarantined in port when COVID-19 first hit—if it showed up on a CNN ticker, chances are he went there. Using smartphone-era technology to summon local food trucks, restaurant workers, and volunteers, he’s built the Uber of food aid, delivering more than 70 million meals since 2010. Which explains why he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, honored with a painting in the National Portrait Gallery, and recently had Ron Howard following him around for a documentary film called We Feed People (currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu).

At the same time, the Spanish-born chef, who became an American citizen in 2013, is also expanding his empire of nearly three dozen restaurants. On the day we Zoomed in July, he was opening an outpost of his Eastern Mediterranean eatery, Zaytinya, in the new Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan. He’s also about to open a restaurant in the new hotel in the Old Post Office building in Washington D.C., the former site of the Trump International Hotel, where, 4 8 L A M AG . C O M

ON THE ROAD

Andrés takes a selfie with First Lady Jill Biden and Queen Letizia of Spain during a June visit to a refugee center in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain. Inset: Andrés’s new restaurant, Agua Viva, inside the Conrad Hotel.

in 2015, Andrés had originally planned to open a D.C. restaurant but pulled out when Trump started his anti-immigrant rants on the campaign trail.

More locally—in downtown Los Angeles—he’s opening three restaurants in the Conrad Hotel, part of the massive new Frank Gehry-designed complex on Grand Avenue across from Walt Disney Concert Hall. Two of them—San Laurel and Agua Viva—are already serving, and the most anticipated, Bazaar Meat, will be opening later this year. It’s the steakhouse version of Andrés’s West Hollywood spot, the beloved Bazaar, one of the few restaurants ever to earn four stars from the Los Angeles Times.

The original Bazaar, in the SLS hotel on La Cienega Boulevard, was closed down during the pandemic in 2020, after the hotel was sold.

A N D R É S : S PA N I S H R OYA L H O U S E H O L D V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; AQ UA V I VA : CO U R T E SY CO N R A D LO S A N G E L E S

“I never left. I only took a little nap,” Andrés says of his two-year absence from the city.

He was eager not just to return to L.A., but also to get back to running all the food and beverage services in a hotel. “For me, hotels are very important.

Because the hotel is the closest thing I have to feeding a small city. A hotel is an amazing ecosystem of multiple places where you have to take care of people,” he says. “The complexity of a hotel is my way of learning how to feed the world.”

I saw what he meant while I was sitting on the terrace of the tenth-floor Agua Viva, looking down on City Hall as the sun set, eating creamy crab croquettes and tender strip loin with chimichurri. It was undeniably good, but it wasn’t noticeably a José Andrés meal—no cotton-candy-covered foie gras or spherified olives that explode in your mouth or any of the other molecular-gastronomy delights that first made Andrés famous. Yet it was oddly perfect.

The other diners—an attractive European couple to

“The complexity of a hotel is my way of learning how to feed the world.”

my left, a hipster Latin American group that came straight from the hotel pool— couldn’t have been better fed. It was as if Andrés was more concerned with giving people what they wanted than making them notice him.

“It’s not any different, putting a fancy place in a luxury hotel designed by Frank Gehry, than feeding Ukraine, where we opened kosher kitchens in Romania to feed the Jewish population,” says the man who, not long ago, repurposed his paella pans into bowls for borscht. “My dream,” he goes on, gesticulating so wildly that at one point he drops his phone, “is to feed a small town, maybe a city, maybe a country. I was always very interested in feeding the few, but I realized that that same intent could give me the power to feed the many.”

L A M AG . C O M 4 9

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Trunk Show

TO RING IN ITS FOUNDER’S 200TH BIRTHDAY, LOUIS VUITTON INVITED 200 ARTISTS AND VISIONARIES TO PUT THEIR OWN TWIST ON THE COMPANY’S TRADEMARK TRUNKS. THEIR QUIRKY CREATIONS ARE NOW ON EXHIBIT AT (WHERE ELSE?) RODEO DRIVE

BY MERLE GINSBERG AND JULIUS MILLER

200 artists and visionaries to put their mark on the trunks that launched a fashion empire.

200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries: The Exhibition opened last month in Vuitton’s giant new outpost on Rodeo Drive. The trunks will be auctioned off for charity when the exhibit is done. Here are a few from local notables that caught our eye.

WHEN LOUIS

Vuitton opened his travel goods shop on Rue Neuve-des-Capucines in Paris 150 years ago, he couldn’t have imagined that his chic baggage business would become an international luxury monolith, with his iconic initials stamped on clothes, shoes, bags, and even booze. Monsieur Vuitton would have turned 200 this year, so in celebration of his birthday, the company asked

LEGO Meets Logo

● Louis Vuitton and LEGO? What could be more playful? Piece by piece, brick by brick,

LEGO built a shrine to LV’s birthday: a “cake,” comprised of 31,700 bricks (or are they bites?), that highlights Vuitton’s face and name. Let’s hope it’s glued together.

5 2 L A M AG . C O M

CO U R T E SY LO U I S V U I T TO N

468 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, us.louisvuitton.com, through September 6.

Machine Dreams

● Industrial designer Willo Perron took the most metallic components of his L.A.-based studio and merged them into an engineering feat with the essence of Brutalist buildings. The many pieces that went into Perron’s trunk reflect futuristic machinery, always a part of his work: “Will the trunk of the future walk itself to its destination? Will it open up and unpack and then repack itself?” Perron wonders.

Carry On (and On and On)

● The world champion yo-yo thrower, Gentry Stein, claims the yo-yo is the world’s second oldest toy (the first being marbles), invented to inspire joy and whimsy for both players and observers. “In my collaboration with the Louis 200 project, I wanted to touch on all aspects of how a yo-yo can serve its purpose to bring joy,” says Stein, who designed his trunk as a carrying case for his own prized collection.

Hot Rod

● Be Good Studios, comprised

of some of the best local creative designers, artists, filmmakers, photographers, and producers, chose to reflect LV’s travel aesthetic and sense of adventure—particularly L.A. travel: car culture, freeways, freedom of movement (though not at rush hour). The iconic LV also made them think of L.A. icons: Disneyland, Venice Beach, the Hollywood Sign, and the best-looking cars this side of the Indy 500. Hence its title: the Lowrider Trunk.

L A M AG . C O M 5 3

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T H E AV EN

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What’s in Store

RETAIL IS NOW AS MUCH A SOURCE OF THERAPY AS IT IS ABOUT GETTING THE ITEMS YOU WANT. HERE, SOME NEW SHOPS TO LIFT YOUR MOOD AND GET YOUR AUTUMN ON

BY MERLE GINSBERG

Farm Rio Venice

> Every print-loving L.A. girl’s been

By Far

> The groovy Bulgarian brand of shoes and bags opened this summer with a dinner soirée for the well-heeled, some of whom were tricked out in By Far’s kitten heels and leather and suede bags from the brand’s luxe collection. Great shapes in great fabrics and distinct colors— these things are favorites of “It” girls Hadid and Bieber. 8408 Melrose Pl., West Hollywood, byfar.com.

Dorothy, you’re not in the Bijan boutique anymore. 420 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, louisvuitton.com.

wearing this hot Brazilian brand for years—with dancing bananas, giant palm fronds, oversized pineapples, and frilly florals strewn over cotton dresses, bathing suits, and even down jackets. Now, its first L.A. store has landed. With eye-popping brights and shapes, no wonder the Rio original calls itself “the happy brand.”

1326 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, farmrio.com.

> The all-skate, all-the-time brand for board-happy guys is the most authentic brand of skater sweats, shorts, socks, T-shirts, caps, and beanies one could rock on a fast-moving skateboard around town. 509 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, sapasistore. myshopify.com.

Louis Vuitton Men

Savas

by William Darrell in the windows. Purple-and-green-striped sweaters. A grand, curved staircase with blue-leather handrails.

The late Virgil Abloh’s last collection. A football constructed in LV turquoise Epi leather.

LV’s eighth U.S. men’s store is as much museum as store. No,

her Nashville-based men’s leather goods to the Hollywood Media District. The lounge-salon-atelier will feature one-of-a-kind pieces made from the finest hides in the world, in the form of buttery soft jackets, boots, shoes, and small leather goods favored

by Jack White and Jason Isbell. Savas also offers made-to-measure and bespoke services. 8500 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, ateliersavas.com.

> Kinetic sea-creature sculptures

Sapasi

> Savannah Yarborough is bringing

TOWARD

5 4 L A M AG . C O M

> The brainchild of Ana Kannan, a USC graduate in economics who discovered a hole in the L.A. market, Toward is a luxury store selling only upscale responsible brands. Its staff has been trained in sustainability, so they can help you find beautiful things that are total conversation pieces and still take their place in the environmental conversation.

8443 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, towardstore.com.

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

Toward

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Book your stay at Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage. The property has been honored as an esteemed Forbes award-winning resort for three consecutive years. From its Forbes Four-Star hotel, Forbes Four-Star steakhouse, and Forbes Five-Star Sunstone Spa, it’s no wonder Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage has become synonymous with excellence.

Find your lucky streak at Agua Caliente Casinos. With over 155,000 square feet of the hottest and newest games, it’s a player’s favorite.

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Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs

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56 L A M AG . C O M

Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage

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Welcome to Freedom, where the boundless energy and beauty of the Santa Ynez Valley meets the excitement of lively gaming and luxurious resort amenities. Enjoy the easy drive up the coast to Santa Barbara wine country, where you’ll discover lush, rolling hills and a kaleidoscope of bright colors. At the heart of this oasis, a truly extraordinary destination awaits: Chumash Casino Resort.

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The moment you walk through our doors, you feel it. The vibe. The people. It’s just different. There’s a sense of freedom that encourages you to simply relax and enjoy yourself.

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Maybe you’re simply looking to relax and eat delicious food. Make an appointment for rejuvenation at The Spa, boasting wonderful massage therapies and skin treatments. And round out your day with a reservation at Willows to experience our four-diamond restaurant for steaks, seafood, and an amazing wine list.

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MORONGO CASINO RESORT & SPA Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Southern California’s favorite casino, is less than 90 minutes from wherever you are. Morongo has once again elevated the gaming, culinary, and entertainment experience in Southern California with our expansion and new dining experiences.

Marvel at over 4,000 of the hottest, newest, and loosest slot machines, along with dozens of your favorite table games! Morongo welcomes guests with 310 deluxe rooms, spectacular suites, and exclusive casitas, all newly renovated and updated.

The Oasis Pool, complete with a lazy river, sandy beach, private cabanas, and two heated spa tubs on different levels, is among the best hotel pools in Southern California. It is the perfect place to relax and soak up the sun before indulging in a luxurious treatment at Sage Spa and Salon.

The Marketplace by beloved celebrity chef and Top Chef fan favorite Fabio Viviani is now open!

For one price, you get to try a world of flavors with seven unique stations, including barbecue, seafood, Italian, prime rib, and more!

It’s a foodie’s paradise. Journey into this all-you-can-eat culinary experience and taste dishes inspired by flavors found all over the world. With each menu consisting of fresh and in-season ingredients, every visit will be a unique experience.

In addition, at the entrance to the marketplace is Pescato, Morongo’s new oyster and seafood bar. Pescato is all about quality first. Everything at Pescato is line-caught, fresh, and of course, undeniably delicious.

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Morongo! Good times!

Morongo Casino Resort & Spa 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon (888) 252-4499 | Morongocasinoresort.com 6 0 L A M AG . C O M

MORONGO HOME TO FABIO VIVIANI

Environment

BY JA K E F L A NAG I N

PLANE SHAME

Jenner, with daughter Stormy, aboard her now-notorious $73 million private jet.

MEGA-RICH CELEBRITIES FROM K YLIE JENNER TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND ELON MUSK ARE BEING ROASTED FOR SPEWING MEGATONS OF AIR POLLUTION AND TREATING THEIR PRIVATE JETS LIKE FLYING UBERS

62 L A M AG.C OM

cosmetics mogul, America’s inf luencer in chief. Now add “alleged climate criminal” to the list. The new designation comes hot on the heels of a public-relations crisis for the multimillionaire and youngest adult member of the KardashianJenner clan that is spreading to other celebrities of staggering wealth amid a surge in private-jet ownership. ¶ As with many dustups involving the first family of Calabasas, it all began with an ill-advised social-media post. “You wanna take mine or yours?”

Jenner teased in the caption of a photograph published to her Instagram feed on July 15 depicting the

I N S TA G R A M . C O M / K Y L I E J E N N E R

FirstClass Heels

K Y L I E J E N N E R : Reality-television star,

PROMOTION

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Exhibition “LIFE CYCLES: A Bamboo Exploration with Tanabe Chikuunsai IV” July 28, 2022 - January 15, 2023 Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Saturday – Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Japan House Los Angeles Renowned Japanese bamboo artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV constructed a 70-feet long immersive installation using 15,000 bamboo strips – the longest work to date. Visitors can engage with the dramatic soaring bamboo art form, viewing it from multiple angles as it twists and winds across the gallery at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles. Free admission.

For more information visit JapanHouseLA.com

Opening Night Gala - John Williams Celebration Tuesday, September 27, 7 p.m.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, DTLA Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Phil in a festive night at Walt Disney Concert Hall with his close friend—and one of the most celebrated American composers. laphil.com/events/ performances/1775/2022-09-27/ gala-john-williams-celebration

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STARS of German Riesling

OCT

Wednesday, September 21, 7 p.m.

Virtual community tasting on Zoom with wine delivered to your address

STARS of Wine is educational entertainment involving the STAR wineries and winemakers; in this German Mosel episode, we gather the best names and deep dive on the wines and the regional subtleties. Your choice of a tasting flight kit or VIP bottle kit delivered to your door! 100% of auction proceeds benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Los Angeles magazine’s The Food Event

For tickets and more information visit STARSofWine.com

Celebrate L.A.’s foodie scene at Los Angeles magazine’s annual epicurean extravaganza, The Food Event 2022.

Soak in the beauty of Hummingbird Nest Ranch in the Santa Susana mountains while indulging in tastings from a hand-picked collection of the best L.A. restaurants. The day will include live cooking demonstrations by renowned chefs presented by Mountain Valley Spring Water, an exciting Silent Disco courtesy of Celebrity Cruises and a host of tastings and special experiences brought to you by such sponsors as Maker’s Mark, The House of Suntory, Santa Teresa 1796, Lyre’s, Wyllow and Cannabus. Must be 21+ to attend.

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DaVinci International Film Festival September 24 – 25 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Grove, AMC Theatres, Los Angeles

DaVinci International Film Festival in partnership with AMC Theaters presents its 5th Edition Vitruvian Awards September 24-25th at The Grove in Los Angeles. The premier boutique LA film festival celebrates independent cinema from around the world with in-competition programming, panels, and prestigious awards.

For tickets and more visit davincifilmfestival.com

Sunday, October 23, 2 to 5 p.m.

Hummingbird Nest Ranch, Simi Valley

Tickets on sale now: lamag.com/ thefoodevent2022

Photo credit: Los Angeles Philharmonic

UPCOMING EVENTS & PROMOTIONS SPONSORED BY LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE

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could have been driven in 40 minutes at a fraction of the emissions. Socialmedia users excoriated the Kylie Cosmetics founder, worth about $600 million, for her “absolute disregard for the planet,” deeming her a “fulltime climate criminal.” (Big sister Kim Kardashian’s 23-minute jaunt from San Diego to Camarillo earlier this summer in her Gulfstream jet produced about three tons of carbon dioxide emissions.)

The backlash over Jenner’s microflight was still climbing when the U.K. sustainability marketing firm Yard released research that ranked the top private-jet polluters. According to Yard’s data, Taylor Swift is the world champion carbon emitter, thanks to heavy travel on her Dassault Falcon 900 jet. (She sold a second jet, a

Kylie Jenner’s 17-minute flight from Van Nuys to Camarillo pumped one ton of carbon dioxide into the air. smaller Falcon 50 purchased in 2012, earlier this year, according to TMZ.) Yard estimates that Swift produced more than 8,293 tons from 170 flights this year alone. And she’s not even on tour. (In a statement, a representative for Swift said that the singer’s jet is often loaned out and “to attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect.”)

Also on Yard’s Top 10 were Tesla CEO Elon Musk, rappers Jay-Z and Drake, Mark Wahlberg, Steven Spiel-

CRASS LANDING

Reaction to Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott’s jetand-bling flexing nearly broke the internet.

berg, boxer Floyd Mayweather, and country-music star Blake Shelton, all of whom used private jets to travel distances under one hour by air in June and July.

At least twice in the last year, Wahlberg’s jet has flown the roughly 40-minute route from Van Nuys to Las Vegas, and vice versa, releasing about four tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That’s roughly the same level of emissions produced by the average individual in a full year. Wahlberg raised hackles in Ireland after taking a 23-minute private flight from Dublin to nearby Shannon to play golf at the renowned Adare Manor course.

Drake has come under fire for an 18-minute private-jet flight in June, from Hamilton, Ontario, to Toronto— a 38-mile journey. The trip produced about five times the emissions of Jenner’s 17-minute July hop, or roughly four tons of carbon dioxide.

Some of these trips can be attributed to flying the planes to maintenance facilities or nearby airports for repositioning for longer flights. “This is just them moving planes to whatever airport they are being stored at,” Drake wrote on Instagram in response to the outcry over his intra-Ontario flights.

“Nobody takes that flight.”

Of course, regardless of whether a five-foot-six, 25-year-old cosmetics entrepreneur or a six-foot-tall Canadian child-actor-turned-rapper was present on these “logistical” flights,

J E T S : I N S TA G R A M . C O M / K Y L I E J E N N E R ; F L I G H T PAT H : T W I T T E R . C O M / C E L E B J E T S

star wrapped in an embrace with her partner, hip-hop artist Travis Scott.

In the photo, the couple was flanked by a pair of private jets—her $72 million Bombardier 6500 Global and his $72 million Embraer ERJ-190— gleaming in the high-summer San Fernando Valley sun.

Outrage reverberated instantly across social media. The post was criticized not only for its obvious insensitivity to the woes plaguing Americans facing ballooning costs at the gas pump and airline counter but also because private jets, by producing greater amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide per passenger, are decidedly bad for the environment.

According to Transport & Environment, a Brussels-based European NGO, private jets pollute five to 14 times more than commercial flights per passenger, and 50 times more than high-speed rail. While private-jet travel accounts for a fraction of international and domestic flights annually, that fraction is growing. Compared with pre-pandemic levels, commercial airline traffic remains down 23 percent, but chartered and private aviation is up 25 percent.

The furor over Jenner’s post had scarcely subsided when an unusual flight plan surfaced—and made everything so much worse.

According to @CelebJets, an automated Twitter account that tracks flights of celebrity-owned private aircraft based on transponder data and tail-fin markings, the day of Jenner’s defiantly braggadocious post, she was purportedly fresh off a flight that lasted just 17 minutes—from Van Nuys Airport to the Ventura County town of Camarillo. It is estimated that trip pumped about one ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and

T WIT T ER .CO M /COW B OY I N WO O DS 13

the emissions produced would be roughly equivalent.

Perhaps wary of the reputational liabilities of flying private, some celebrities have started to cover their tracks.

Kardashian’s Gulfstream G650ER, custom built from scratch with a cabin by star interior designers Waldo Fernandez and Tommy Clements at an estimated cost of $150 million, is registered to Noel Air LLC. According to Jalopnik, Swift’s Falcon 900, tail number N898TS—thought to reference her birth year (1989), the number of No. 1 singles she’d had when she bought the jet (8), and her initials (TS)—is registered to SATA, LLC, which shares the same address as Swift’s 13 Management company in Nashville.

Hollywood studios have likewise taken to using shell companies to conceal the existence of their business jets.

“Disney has several top-of-the-line Gulfstreams registered under Earth Star, Inc.,” says @Celebjets’s Jack Sweeney, a sophomore at the University of Central Florida, who founded the website and designed its tracking algorithm. Netflix obscures the ownership

of its King Air turboprops by registering them with a large trust company, although a few pilots have spoiled the ruse by listing the streamer as their employer on LinkedIn. “I think it’s important for people to know that celebrities are doing this, to see the environmental impact,” says Sweeney, who rocketed to internet stardom earlier this year when he turned down $5,000 from Elon Musk to stop tracking Musk’s flights.

According to Sweeney, Musk blocked him on Twitter after balking at Sweeney’s counteroffer of $50,000. The Tesla CEO’s trips remain well documented on the @ElonJet Twitter account, devoted solely to tracking Musk’s private-jet movements.

Musk, who, according to Fortune, is scheduled to take delivery of a stateof-the-art, $80 million Gulfstream G700 next year after laying off ten percent of Tesla’s workforce, has come under scrutiny, less so for the brevity of his trips—although some have been reported to be as short as ten minutes—and more for their frequency.

Between July 21 and July 27, Musk’s

F LY G I R L

Social media erupted with memes after Taylor Swift’s heavy private jet use was reported.

current Gulfstream traveled from Long Beach to Brownsville, Texas; Brownsville to Austin, Texas; Austin to San Jose; and San Jose back to Austin.

(Tesla is headquartered in Austin as of December of last year but retains a sizable footprint in Silicon Valley.) Over the course of that week, Musk’s jet burned tens of thousands of gallons of jet fuel. The argument for Musk’s frequent private travel is that, given Tesla’s disparate centers of operations, he is often needed in two and sometimes

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three places at once. Whether the ondemand business genius of one man is worth the damage to the environment it incurs is another question.

Actors, athletes, tech moguls, and influencers aren’t the only ones indulging in the toxic convenience of private air travel. Even billionaires who make a public show of donating some portion of their fortunes to fighting climate change have a blind spot when it comes to flying private. Bill Gates, author of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, has gone on record describing his regular private-jet usage as a “guilty pleasure.” Gates’s personal air force includes two Gulfstream G650s and two Bombardier Challenger 350s.

Ultimately, status is likely the chief impetus for owning an environmentthrashing, nine-figure private jet (or two), especially in Los Angeles, where true wealth can be hard to discern.

These days, with the median price of a home in L.A. cresting $657 per square foot, even the legitimately moneyed struggle to showcase their wealth with real estate. But while the traditional signifiers of affluence have deteriorated as inflation presses its foot to the accelerator, one constant remains: private air travel is the height, literally and figuratively, of luxury.

Which could explain the advent of the private-jet selfie, which the Kardashian-Jenners have refined to performance art. Family members’ feeds are riddled with shots of the sisters lounging in plush recliners, gazing wistfully out round windows at the pink clouds below, which in turn inspires private-jet envy among the lower castes. Twitter user @MaisonMelissa revealed a company located in downtown L.A. that, for $64 an hour, rents a replica of a private jet interior for photo shoots. “I just found out L.A. [Instagram] girlies are using studio sets that look like private jets for their Instagram pics,” she wrote.

Influencers subsequently flocked to the warehouse to pose in whitepleather recliners, bright studio lights shining through portholes to give the impression of midflight splendor.

If such aspirations can exist so widely and uncritically in the face of a 24-hour, headline-dominating climate crisis, the real question becomes: what will it take for the message to sink in?

Because doing it for the ’gram, as the kids say, might just cook us alive.

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Desire for the evening to continue leads to The Beaudry Room for a nightcap. Grab a seat at the fluted timber bar with its petrolblue pyrolave volcanic lava countertop. A drink that sums up the romance of the day: Mezcal Last Word. The mix of El Silencio mezcal, maraschino, Green Chartreuse, and lime is, after all, divine.

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THE LODGE AT TORREY PINES Celebrating 20 Years of Luxury on the California Coast

Perched upon the dramatic coastline of La Jolla with a stunning backdrop of rugged Torrey pine-covered cliffs, the sparkling Pacific and soul-stirring sunsets, The Lodge at Torrey Pines is one of Southern California’s most distinguished resorts. Situated on six and one-half acres adjacent to the 18th green of the famed Torrey Pines Golf Course, The Lodge received a AAA Five Diamond rating

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The pinnacle of panache, the Platinum Premier Package features a four-night stay in the luxurious, approximately 2,500 square-foot Blacker or Gamble Suite overlooking the La Jolla coast (both include a Presidential parlor, full kitchen, two fireplaces, private balconies or patio); any combination of up to six rounds of golf on the Torrey Pines Golf Course or up to six spa treatments at the award-winning Spa at Torrey Pines; daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two at The Lodge’s signature restaurant, A.R. Valentien, or The Grill at Torrey Pines; and a special welcome amenity. Guests can book this incomparable package by calling (858) 453-4420.

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Situated on five expansive acres on the bluff north of the Santa Monica pier overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Fairmont Miramar sits on what was originally the private estate of the founder of Santa Monica, dating back to 1875. The historic hotel property, now in its 101st year, is one of America’s most celebrated and iconic hotel destinations due to its sprawling gardens, luxurious poolside accommodations, spectacular ocean views, prime destination, and the fresh sea air. As the only beachside hotel with bungalows, the Fairmont Miramar continues to provide guests, celebrities, politicians, and notable figures a relaxing and luxurious environment in its suite of outlets including the recently renovated Lobby Lounge & Library, as well as FIG restaurant, and Soko.

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Eric Garcetti’s former communications director Naomi Seligman has been telling anyone who will listen—including the U.S. Senate—that the man who would be ambassador to India oversaw a culture of “sexual battery” at City Hall.

Does her story hold up? Or is Garcetti the one being victimized?

MAYOR SLAYER

The

I

BY JASON MCGAHAN

T B E G A N, as do so many love stories gone awry, with a kiss.

It was April 2016, and Naomi Seligman, the mayor’s communications director, was hosting a celebratory gathering in her office on the third floor of City Hall. The day before, her boss, Eric Garcetti, had delivered his third State of the City address at a manufacturing plant in Harbor City, a speech that had been considered a blowout success, at least among the mayor’s comms staff. And now nine of Seligman’s coworkers were taking a victory lap and patting each other on the back.

But then, according to Seligman’s version of events, Rick Jacobs, one of the mayor’s top advisors, burst into the room, and the mood shifted dramatically.

“Rick grabbed me,” Seligman, 49, says, “pinned my arms, and kissed me on the mouth for a long time in front of my staff. Then he let me go, said ‘Congratulations, everyone,’ and rushed out of the office.”

Seligman says she was so stunned by what she describes as an act of “sexual battery” that she immediately reported the extended embrace to Garcetti’s chief of staff, Ana Guerrero, whom at the time she considered a close friend and confidante. “She just looked at me with a stony-eyed glare,” Seligman recalls of Guerrero’s response. “She just rolled her eyes and said, ‘You know, there is nothing we can do about it.’ ” It is, of course, important to believe all women whenever they claim to be the victim of sexual assault. But in order to believe Seligman’s account, one would need to disbelieve several other women present at that gathering, all of whom have entirely different recollections of what transpired, none of which include Jacobs kissing Seligman. “Our comms staff is a collection of some of the wokest folks in the building; not just in the mayor’s office, but in all of City Hall,” one of them says. “There’s a zero percent chance there would be sexual harassment in the open against our boss and no one reported it.”

“I was present on that day,” adds Garcetti’s chief speechwriter, Becca MacLaren, “and, categorically, did not witness any such act.”

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P H O T O G R A P H BY S T E P H A N I E NO R I T Z

BOMBSHELL

Naomi Seligman.

Insets, from top: Mayor Eric Garcetti; former Garcetti advisor Rick Jacobs.

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1

AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN

1. Pre-lawsuit, Rick Jacobs was at a Dodgers game with the mayor and an entourage of dignitaries when they bumped into Matthew Garza, who was working security. 2. Ana Guerrero. 3. Senator Alex Padilla introduces Garcetti before a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing for his nomination to be Ambassador to India in December 2021.

A kiss is just a kiss, as Louis Armstrong once sang, but this particular lip-lock, if it really happened, all but blew up City Hall.

Guerrero is equally emphatic, denying that Seligman ever came to her with a complaint about Jacobs kissing Seligman on the mouth, much less that she would brush off such a charge if it had actually been made. “I barely have the words to describe how infuriating a lie like that is,” she says. “It’s just preposterous.”

Whomever one believes about what happened—or didn’t happen—in Seligman’s office on that day, the moment marked the beginning of one of the fiercest and most befuddling feuds ever to roil City Hall. It’s a raging battle royale that involves not just 64-year-old Jacobs (who, by the way, is gay) but also a Fox News–loving police officer named Matthew Garza (who would later also accuse Jacobs of sexual harassment); the Los Angeles Times (which, for unknown reasons, killed a story about the veracity of Seligman’s charges against Jacobs); the U.S. Senate (which would weigh in on the whole sensational

lays down some ground rules. If this story ends up containing any factual inaccuracies, she will sue the magazine. If her credibility is questioned in any way, she’ll sue the magazine. If this story ends up blaming or shaming the victim (in Seligman’s view, that’d be her), she’ll sue the magazine.

Strangely enough, though, when she finally settles into a 90-minute phone chat, she couldn’t seem nicer, at least for a time. Talking to Seligman is a bit like conversational roulette. One minute, she’s sweet as sugar; the next, cold as ice.

But she’s always rigidly on point—a savvy and highly trained communications expert with nearly 30 years in the biz.

She grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts—the daughter of a contract lawyer and a marketing director— and attended the University of Massachusetts. One of her first jobs out of college was working in the communications office for Montana senator Max Baucus, followed by a string of other D.C. jobs. In the late 2000s, she spent a few years as director of communications for D.C.-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the watchdog group that pursued Louisiana senator David Vitter after prostitute Wendy Ellis came forward claiming he’d been a three-times-a-week customer. It was during this last gig that Seligman first encountered Jacobs, here in L.A., at a lunch at Chateau Marmont.

They were introduced by London-born journalist Andrew Gumbel, Seligman’s then-boyfriend—now her husband—who at the time was a correspondent for The Guardian and the LGBTQ magazine The Advocate.

(Gumbel has also occasionally written for this magazine.) Gumbel and Jacobs had been longtime acquaintances, first meeting back in 2003 when Gumbel was covering Howard Dean’s presidential campaign, on which Jacobs served as California chairman. At that Chateau lunch, the posh Brit, a former pupil at Oxford, pushed Jacobs to find a job for Seligman in L.A. Jacobs didn’t come through, but Seligman ended up moving to L.A. anyway. In 2009, she took a job at the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog and later opened the West Coast office for FitzGibbon Media, a left-leaning PR powerhouse that was shuttered after its founder, Trevor FitzGibbon, was implicated in his own sexual harassment scandal. She and Gumbel married in 2010 and soon purchased a home in Santa Monica where they still live today.

About five years later, however, Jacobs finally did find Seligman a job. He was now a senior advisor to Garcetti,

“I didn’t trust Naomi Seligman,” testified one staffer in the mayor’s office. “I found her to be a very abusive boss. She berated me regularly and was unkind toward other women in the office.” affair in its own way); and, above all else, Garcetti, whom Seligman is now accusing of running a Mafia-like administration that punishes whistleblowers like herself while protecting alleged abusers like Jacobs.

To be clear, Garcetti is not being accused of any sort of sexual misconduct. Yet because of Seligman, he finds himself in the crosshairs of a #MeToo scandal that may very well scuttle his political future. It has already killed his chances for a spot in Joe Biden’s cabinet and now threatens to sink his senate confirmation as Biden’s next ambassador to India.

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P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : G A R C E T T I : LO S A N G E L E S T I M E S V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; JACO B S : G E T T Y I M AG E S ; T H I S PAG E : R I C K JACO B S

B E F O R E N AO M I S E L I G M A N sits for an interview, she

PA D I L L A , G A R C E T T I : LO S A N G E L E S T I M E S V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ; G U E R R E R O : RYA N O R A N G E

who’d been elected mayor in 2013, and when Yusef Robb left as Garcetti’s comms director in 2015, Jacobs lobbied for Seligman to be Robb’s replacement. After she got the gig, Gumbel emailed Jacobs, “I wanted to . . . thank you for thinking of Naomi for the comms job and for being so supportive of her candidacy so many years after that delightful lunch we had together at Chateau Marmont . . . One pleasant side effect is that you and I will be seeing each other more than every few years. I very much look forward to it.”

At first, it was very pleasant indeed—at least for Seligman and Jacobs, if not necessarily the rest of the mayor’s staff. “Both Rick and Naomi had this snarky attitude that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way,” remembers Poonam Narewatt, who worked as an aide in the mayor’s office around that time. “But Rick hired her, and they had a good relationship in the beginning. In a lot of ways, their personalities were similar.”

Exactly what went wrong between them isn’t entirely clear. There was no single dramatic flashpoint that wrecked their work relationship, although there were some obvious bumps. In November 2015, for instance, the mayor’s office issued a written endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president, which was followed up an hour later with a puzzling retraction: “Today’s statement on Hillary Clinton was sent in error.” That error, it turned out, was that Seligman had released the endorsement prematurely and on a city email server, which violated ethics protocols against using government property to conduct political business. “Naomi sat in Rick’s office all day, crying because she had made a big mistake,” says Narewatt. “I’m not sure if Rick yelled, but their relationship deteriorated quickly after that.”

According to sources, as Seligman’s alliance with Jacobs began to fray, she started shifting her attention to a different power point in the mayor’s office—Chief of Staff Ana Guerrero. The two women 2 gradually became close friends and started regularly going out for drinks and dinners together. But that relationship would eventually fizzle as well.

In fact, Seligman’s knack for making office enemies seems to be rivaled only by Jacobs’s. “I didn’t trust Naomi Seligman,” Anna Bahr, another former staffer (who until recently served as a spokesperson for Karen Bass’s mayoral campaign), later testified under oath. “I found her to be a very abusive boss . . . [She] frequently criticized my physical appearance. She berated me regularly [and] was very unkind toward other women in the office.”

3 “Patently untrue,” Seligman says in response to those accusations. “I did not criticize [Bahr’s] appearance. I have a long history of working with women and mentoring women.”

To some staffers, the war between Seligman and Jacobs over the alleged 2016 kiss was a bit like two scorpions circling each other in a bottle. Except those who were in the room where the kiss supposedly happened seem to be entirely siding with the older, male, gay scorpion. “Jacobs

wasn’t a popular figure around here—let’s put those cards on the table,” says yet another person at the event. “There is zero advantage for anyone here to be defending Rick Jacobs. [But] absolutely, positively, [there was] no incident where Rick came in and made out with Naomi to the horror of her entire staff and walked out leaving her humiliated. I don’t know why she made it up.”

There are some who do believe Seligman’s account. One is Jamie Court, her old boss at the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog. But then, he wasn’t anywhere near City Hall when the kiss allegedly occurred. “There’s no way you can be in the presence of Rick Jacobs for any amount of time and not see him doing something abusive like that,” Court says. “[Seligman] is 100 percent right. What she’s doing is courageous and correct.” Another is Rebecca Ninburg, an L.A. city fire commissioner who was appointed by Garcetti, but who also was not present for the alleged kiss. “I care about Naomi, and Naomi is not a liar,” she says. Nimburg also testified that Seligman told her about the incident shortly after it occurred, though she was notably hazy about the date.

Ask Seligman why not one of the nine people who were actually there that day has come forward to corroborate her version of events, and her voice turns icy. “There is enormous pressure to have loyalty in that office,” she says.

She claims that her former coworkers are lying in order to please their bosses, even though several have moved on to other jobs or left politics entirely. “By ‘loyalty,’ I mean it in sort of the Godfather sense,” Seligman says. “What I mean is that it’s a very vindictive administration. You either toed the line or you were out; there was no middle ground. The staff that worked with me that are still indebted to Mayor Garcetti are falling in line with the administration’s story.”

to wish you the very best, to enjoy the new calm and a great new year.” To which Seligman replied, “Thank you, Rick. I appreciate the note very much. L’Shana Tova.”

M E A N W H I L E , A N OT H E R #MeToo-adjacent scandal

was brewing in City Hall, this one also revolving around Rick Jacobs. Garcetti’s longtime friend and advisor—they too met during Howard Dean’s 2003 campaign for president—has cut a flamboyant figure in California politics for decades. Jacobs grew up in Tennessee, worked for a time at Occidental Petroleum, then shifted to political advocacy, creating the Courage Campaign, the plucky gay rights group that helped overturn Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage. But he’s been just as well known for extravagant fundraising soirées at his home in the Hollywood Hills, with guest lists filled with liberal luminaries and activists like Arianna Huffington; Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher of The Nation; and Jeremy Mill Bernard, the Obamas’ White House social secretary.

It was not unheard of for Jacobs to get drunk or overly effusive at these parties, but most people were willing to overlook that. After all, he could be a formidable ally.

And in 2013, he grew even closer with Garcetti and his wife, Amy, when he marshaled deep-pocketed Hollywood activists and celebrities to support Garcetti’s mayoral run, raising $2 million for the campaign. Nobody was surprised at his appointment as a top aide when Garcetti took office.

Many of his former City Hall colleagues remember him as a voluble, competitive, and occasionally short-tempered workaholic who sometimes seemed socially and culturally out of step with his much younger colleagues. “He could certainly be a dick,” said one frequent antagonist. “But I don’t think anyone saw him as this scary predator.”

But in July 2020, LAPD officer Matthew Garza, 46, who had served on Garcetti’s security detail from 2013 to 2019, filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging a pattern of sexual harassment on the job. By the time of Garza’s lawsuit, Jacobs had long left City Hall to start a new nonprofit, Accelerator for America, that pioneered innovative solutions to metropolitan problems.

But he remained a close advisor to Garcetti, who had signed on as the project’s cofounder.

Among Garza’s accusations: that Jacobs repeatedly lobbed lewd comments at him and frequently engaged in unsolicited neck massages and hugs. “He’s a sick pervert,” Garza testified about Jacobs. “He’s trying to get, maybe, a cheap thrill off of hugging somebody who’s young and strong and who he thinks is somewhat attractive.” For his part, Jacobs says he might have T H AT C R A Z Y H A N D J I V E

Jacobs’s provocative gesture landed him in the L.A. Times and Garcetti in hot water. Neither the city lobbyist beside Jacobs nor the mayor were aware of the gesture at the time the photo—now a court exhibit—was taken.

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T W I T T E R .CO M / L AT I M E S

And yet it must be noted that for months after the alleged kiss, Seligman and Jacobs continued to work and socialize together. In June 2016, Jacobs even agreed to host a party at his Hollywood home to celebrate the publication of Seligman’s husband’s new book, Down for the Count: Dirty Elections and the Rotten History of Democracy in America. Seligman, Gumbel, Jacobs, and his then-partner exchanged numerous playful emails about the planning of the event. (“You have enough tables, linens, stemware, etc?”

Gumbel wrote in one.) And there was little evidence of friction at the party itself, where 60 guests enjoyed guacamole and chips in Jacobs’s backyard while Gumbel’s daughter hawked copies of the book in the driveway.

According to Seligman, however, the party got off to a rocky start. She and her husband were among the first to arrive, and Jacobs greeted them by kissing Gumbel on the lips—“for some time,” according to a horrified Seligman— before casually strolling back into his house. “He’s a predator,” she said while being interviewed on the Lunch with Stormy podcast. “He’s gay. He’s an equal-opportunity abuser. He kissed me and, then weeks later, kissed my husband in front of me. And my husband had known him for over a dozen years and said that, in all that time, he’d never done that. But what Rick did was, he kissed my husband, then he looked over at me like, ‘I can do anything in front of you. Even kiss your husband. I have power over you.’ ” (Gumbel declined to comment for this story.)

Neither Seligman nor her husband took any action after that kiss—they simply attended the book party—but a little less than a year later, in September 2017, Seligman resigned from her job as Garcetti’s communications director, supposedly to spend more time with her family and build her own communications business. The mayor’s office threw her a send-off party—lavish by City Hall standards—at a Mexican restaurant called Señor Fish. The mayor was among the many VIPs in attendance. Jacobs, however, did not make an appearance.

But Jacobs did send Seligman a genial text message. “Is today your last day at the office?” he wrote. “I just wanted

hugged but never harassed Garza, and he dismisses the harassment charges as “pure fiction.” Asked under oath if he found Garza attractive, Jacobs didn’t miss a beat. “Not particularly!” he replied.

Far more politically damaging, though, Garza also alleged that Garcetti knew about the harassment but turned a blind eye toward his longtime advisor’s misbehavior. Garza’s pit bull lawyer, Greg Smith, the go-to attorney for the L.A. Police Protective League, even floated a theory for why Garcetti might be ignoring Jacobs’s transgressions: Smith speculated in filed legal papers that Garcetti was secretly gay or bisexual—as if that somehow might explain a tolerance to sexual harassment. At one point, Smith even included questions to Garcetti about his sexuality in the deposition sent to the mayor, although those questions were later withdrawn after Deputy City Attorney Doug Lyon angrily pointed out how homophobic Smith’s theory was.

“What I was doing was investigating every possible aspect of the case,” Smith says.

“We were thinking perhaps there might have been some relevance to that. And I don’t think that gay men have greater tolerance for that type of thing than straight people.”

In any case, as lawyers for both sides began investigating and taking statements, Garza found a surprising ally: Naomi Seligman, who, on the day the Los Angeles Times reported Garza’s lawsuit, started phoning up ex-coworkers to solicit testimony against Jacobs. In subsequent weeks, only one offered an account of anything like sexual harassment: Henry Casas, an amateur bodybuilder and one-time community relations officer in the mayor’s office, recounted how Jacobs had once squeezed his bicep and commented on how strong it was. Suzi Emmerling, who succeeded Seligman as the mayor’s communications director—and who remains to this day a close ally of Seligman’s—helpfully turned over dozens of text messages she’d collected in which staffers and friends of the mayor and first lady complained about Jacobs’s behavior. One was from Anna Bahr, in which she claimed that Jacobs had “groped” her fiancé. But, again, it was hardly a smoking gun.

The announcement of Garza’s lawsuit, however, did flush out one or two people who actually did like Jacobs, particularly other cops on the mayor’s security detail. “If you speak with any officer, we all had the same view of Mr. Jacobs,” says retired LAPD sergeant Shawna Green. “He did his job, treated us with respect, and vice versa.” So far, not one of Garza’s fellow officers has come forward to corroborate Garza’s harassment complaints against Jacobs.

In much of the media coverage of the accusation, Garza’s version is widely accepted as fact, as is his allegation that Garcetti covered up for his advisor. The L. A. Times published a slew of stories—often relying on Seligman as a source—to suggest that Garcetti had perjured himself when he told investigators he didn’t know about Jacobs’s alleged harassment. New York magazine ran a 3,600-word piece by Alissa Walker, titled simply “The Mayor Knew.” But whether

the mayor did know is apparently a subject of debate, even among Garza’s lawyers. “This is something that bothers me from the beginning,” says a source close to Garza’s legal team. “It could very well be that he didn’t know at all.”

Smith, who led the charge against Garcetti, now declines to comment on the mayor’s knowledge, declaring the question irrelevant. “We don’t need to prove that the mayor knew,” he says. “We just have to prove that he should have known or somebody in a high position knew.” That person, he suggests, may well be Guerrero.

But while the media seemed more than eager to buy Garza’s story, there were reasons for doubt—not the least of which was a 319-page confidential report assembled by powerhouse Sacramento-based attorney Leslie Ellis of Ellis Investigations law firm, which, in September 2020, had

The former chief counsel to the mayor was allegedly dry-humped by Jacobs in a senate elevator during a trip to D.C. until the mayor told Jacobs to “cut it out.” been contracted by the city to launch an independent investigation of Garza’s accusations. Ellis, whose firm specializes in complex workplace cases, interviewed 28 witnesses, including Garza, Jacobs, Garcetti, and his wife. She concluded that, based on a “preponderance of the evidence,” Garza’s allegations against Jacobs were without basis in fact. According to Ellis, no harassment had occurred, and therefore there had been no cover-up.

Seligman, though, who had rebuffed an interview request from Ellis and predictably slammed the findings of the Ellis report, remained undaunted. She volunteered her own testimony against Jacobs to Garza’s attorneys. Among other things, she described a dinner during which Jacobs allegedly pantomimed oral sex with a piece of arugula. She also took part in unilaterally—and erroneously—outing some of her former coworkers as “survivors” of sexual battery at Jacobs’s hands.

For instance, Seligman described an incident in which Julie Ciardullo, former chief counsel to the mayor, was allegedly dry-humped by Jacobs in a senate elevator during a trip to Washington until the mayor told Jacobs to “cut it out.” Seligman wasn’t there but claims that she heard about the incident when Ciardullo came to her and complained.

In her own testimony, though, Ciardullo only allowed that Jacobs may have brushed up against her bag in the elevator. She described the incident as a joke initiated by Jacobs about how narrowly Garcetti and his entourage fit into the tight quarters of the old-fashioned lift but denied that any dry-humping had taken place.

Seligman also turned over a text she had received from her former deputy Alex Comisar, who wrote, “Got hit on by Rick again.” Asked about the message by Garza’s attorney, Comisar insisted that he had no memory of writing it. “I am denying . . . that I ever felt uncomfortable, that I ever felt harassed, and ever intended to complain about that or to come forward about that.”

L A M AG . C O M 8 5

“I had no idea that text existed,” said Comisar in a subsequent interview with Los Angeles. “When I heard Naomi put it on the record in her deposition, I was devastated to be brought into this whole episode about alleged victimhood against my will.”

Then, rather stunningly, Seligman also turned on her old boss, Garcetti, who, until that moment, she had remained close with, attending social events together, winning $11,000 in contracts from the officeholder fund he controlled, and regularly texting him. “Thank you for being who you are. Sending you love and strength,” she messaged him on May 31, 2020.

Seligman’s explanation for her obsequious texts?

“You never leave the Garcetti family,” she says, somberly.

“Like The Godfather, there was this culture of omertà. I felt terrified!”

Now, though, less than a year later, in June 2021, she was obviously much less terrified. Indeed, she was taking direct aim at the mayor and his staff, declaring in her deposition in the Garza case that they “knew, discussed, and did nothing about the harassment and abuse that took place for years.”

S E L I G M A N A N D G A R Z A were the strangest of all possible bedfellows. She has long fancied herself a socialjustice warrior who, after leaving City Hall, grew ever more passionate about the progressive cause. Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing in 2018 seemed to be especially triggering. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s harrowing testimony about nearly being raped by Kavanaugh in high school inspired Seligman to revisit a similar incident from her own past. As a high school senior, Seligman had become inebriated at a party and engaged in sexual activity with a college boy, which she now, nearly 30 years later, characterized as rape. She tracked down the boy, who went on to teach at a college in Kentucky, and filed a Title IX complaint against the school, attempting to get him fired, then talked about the incident during an emotional appearance on CNN with Anderson Cooper. So far, her alleged

that he’d sue the city over the mayor’s poorly worded, much-quoted comments about the police being “killers.”

Garza was also angry at the Catholic Church; a month after he filed the harassment suit, he filed another claiming he’d been abused by a priest at the St. Benedict Catholic elementary school in Montebello when he was ten years old.

At the time he filed those suits, Garza was on a prolonged leave of absence from his police job—he had back problems and a daughter with a disability—an absence that was extended many months by the pandemic. Investigators suggested that he was also dealing with financial problems.

According to associates, he spent much of that time holed up in his home drinking beer and watching Fox News. But he’s back on duty now, at the Metro Division, while he waits for his million-dollar case against the city to go to trial.

Though Garza is not suing Jacobs personally, his lawsuit has had its desired effect. Jacobs was effectively excommunicated from the mayor’s inner circle in October 2020, shortly after the Twitter personality Yashar Ali posted a piece alleging that Garza wasn’t the only alleged victim of Jacobs’s harassment. The story referenced an anonymous former aide who claimed to have been “forcibly kissed” by Jacobs. Ali also went on to write about his own uncomfortable experiences of being kissed by Jacobs while attending social functions at Jacobs’s house. Ali’s story blew up Garcetti and Jacobs’s long friendship overnight. In short order, Jacobs was forced out of his job at Accelerator for America, and several of his biggest consulting clients fired him soon after. “He went from a political powerhouse to a pariah in just a few days,” says one colleague.

Seligman next turned her attention to Garcetti, traveling to D.C. and enlisting the help of GOP senator Chuck Grassley to probe into the allegations surrounding the mayor’s alleged part in covering up Jacobs’s alleged bad behavior. Seligman finding an ally in Grassley is a rich bit of irony, as the senator was one of Kavanaugh’s most passionate defenders. Despite the contrary findings of the Ellis report, the Republican senator’s team of investigators—the same group that looked into Kavanaugh’s past—found the mayor “likely knew or should have known” about the aide’s alleged sexual misconduct during the years they worked together in City Hall. The five Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee were more than willing to accept those findings.

The White House, meanwhile, responded by denouncing the Grassley report as a partisan “hit job,” pointing out that “many of the claims have already been conclusively debunked by more serious independent reports.”

Still, the accusation was enough to kill Garcetti’s chances for a spot in President Biden’s cabinet. And it may well be enough to sink Garcetti’s long-stalled hopes to become the next ambassador to India, at least if Seligman and her legal representation at D.C.-based Whistleblower Aid have anything to say about it. “We’re looking at this case from a national security and resilient democracy perspective,” says Libby Liu, CEO of the nonprofit legal assistance organization, which helps cover the legal, travel,

“You never leave the Garcetti family,” Seligman says. “Like The Godfather, there was this culture of omertà. I felt terrified!” attacker hasn’t been fired, but Seligman has continued to press on. She turned the entire ordeal into a 2021 TEDx talk titled “Why We Need to Know #HowToMeToo.” Garza, on the other hand, couldn’t be less woke.

Although he declined to talk to Los Angeles, associates describe him as embittered and furious with Garcetti for cutting the police budget by $150 million after the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020 sparked the “defund the police” movement. One fellow officer, Dennis O’Sullivan, claimed in an interview with the city’s independent investigator that Garza had called him and angrily denounced Garcetti’s pivot to Black Lives Matter, swearing 8 6 L A M AG . C O M

T H E G RA SSL E Y K NOL L

After the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations voted to advance Garcetti’s nomination last January, Seligman’s cause was taken up by Chuck Grassley, the crusty Republican who led the campaign to defend Brett Kavanaugh at his own contentious hearings.

G E T T Y I M AG E S

and PR expenses of people it represents. “India is such a geopolitically important country, and one with rampant sexual abuse and crime and terrible gender relations. It’s very important from a policy position not to put an ambassador there that can’t represent our values.”

I T ’ S I M P O RTA N T T O remember that history is filled with whistleblowers who were discredited by the powers that be as liars or crazy or disgruntled but who ultimately proved to be completely honest, totally sane speakers of truth. The name Martha Mitchell comes to mind.

Seligman may well turn out to be another Mitchell. It is, after all, not entirely impossible that all nine of the people who were in her office on that fateful day in April 2016 are dissembling Garcetti loyalists covering up for the mayor and Jacobs. It’s not impossible that the kiss really did happen exactly as Seligman says it did.

What’s a little unusual this time around, though, is that the powers that be are having an oddly difficult time discrediting this particular whistleblower in the press, despite what appears to be ample ammunition. Indeed, the media seems all too willing to take Seligman’s charges at face value, never mind the truckloads of potentially contrary evidence. In its waning days, the Garcetti administration all but served up Seligman—and Garza, for that matter— on a platter to the L.A. Times. Sources say that seven of the people attending the City Hall gathering in April 2016 talked to a Times reporter in February, each one of them disputing Seligman’s account of the kiss. But after devoting three weeks to the story—an eternity in newsroom time— the piece was spiked for reasons nobody outside of the Times may ever know.

“I never got a satisfactory answer as to why they didn’t do the story,” says Comisar, who was Garcetti’s director of communications back then. “I think, at the end of the day, they were afraid to do a story that would suggest a sexual harassment accuser might not be telling the truth.”

Meanwhile, as Garza awaits his day in court, Seligman continues to press her case against Jacobs and Garcetti, energetically continuing her campaign to scuttle the

mayor’s future in politics. She’s flown to Washington, D.C., meeting with senate staffers (including Grassley’s), and warning them about her old boss. After Garcetti testified before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in December, claiming he had no knowledge of sexual harassment in his office, Seligman posted that he had committed “felony perjury.”

How this will all end up is anyone’s guess. The White House says the president remains committed to Garcetti’s nomination and is convinced the mayor did nothing wrong. But is the Biden administration prepared to spend its shrinking political capital to get him over the finish line? Many observers were expecting the matter to be resolved before the Senate recess in August. “Biden feels very loyal to Eric, but he wants this finished, one way or another,” said a source close to the White House. “No one wants to see the guy twisting in the wind like that.”

Seligman is also continuing to marshal her considerable skills as a media savant to remake her own public image, presenting herself as a crusading warrior fighting for women who, like her, have suffered sexual violence. “I think just helping women to understand having sex that you really didn’t want to have but you felt you couldn’t say no to is trauma,” she recently opined while appearing on Lunch with Stormy. “I just want to make sure that we validate that experience as trauma. That is trauma. That is being violated. I just want to say that out loud so people don’t feel like they have to minimize that experience.”

And what of Jacobs, the man at the center of this still-gathering storm? After leaving City Hall in October 2020, he all but disappeared. There were no more appearances at political events. No more boozy book parties at his Hollywood home. Friends whispered that he lost 30 pounds. Others hinted that he was suicidal.

But earlier this spring, Jacobs began to cautiously reemerge. He’s reportedly been popping up at gatherings across town, trying to find life after Garcetti, which is not an easy thing to do in Los Angeles. He’s even been spotted flying back and forth to Washington D.C., for what purpose he alone knows.

In fact, it was on one such flight that Jacobs found himself in a tight squeeze even more uncomfortable than in that senate elevator where he allegedly dry-humped Ciardullo’s handbag. By some bizarre coincidence, Jacobs found himself seated just across the aisle from none other than Eric Garcetti. For a few awkward moments, they pretended to ignore each other, fiddling with their tray tables and staring straight ahead.

Finally, just before takeoff, one of them broke the ice.

For a few minutes, they traded banal pleasantries. Then the plane took off, and they resumed ignoring each other. They haven’t exchanged another word since.

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HOLLYW OOD After a few fallow seasons, L. A. nightlife is back with a vengeance. At private Hollywood clubs, downtown raves, Beverly Hills benefits, and sceney restaurants all over town, everyone is ditching the denim and dressing to the nines. So bring on the glitter, the glamour, the Technicolor hues, the leather and the lace.

Time to make up for all those lost nights!

STYLING BY

ALISON EDMOND

PHOTOGRAPHED BY

B E AU G R E A LY

PRODUCER

RICHARD VILLANI

STYLE EDITOR

MERLE GINSBERG

LOCATION 8 8 L A M AG . C O M

T H E B R I T E LY

NIGHTS

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From left: Aaro n

R MCQUEEN; Monica in SPOR TMAX; Tyler in Becca in OSCA SACAI; R DE LA RENT A; Sedona and London in DO LCE & GABBAN A.

in ALEXANDE

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FA S H I O N A S S I STA N T: M A R G R I T JACO B S E N ; H A I R : DA L L I N JA M E S AT T H E WA L L G R O U P ; M A K E U P : TAT I YA N A E L I A S AT 3 P LU S M A N AG E M E N T; M O D E L S : A A R O N B E R N A R D S , LO N D O N H U D S O N , S E D O N A L E G G E , T Y L E R W I L S O N AT P H OTO/G E N I C S , B E CC A TO N N E R AT L A M O D E L S , M O N I C A A H A N O N U AT I M G M O D E L S ; LO C AT I O N : T H E B R I T E LY

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FA S H I O N A S S I STA N T: M A R G R I T JACO B S E N ; H A I R : DA L L I N JA M E S AT T H E WA L L G R O U P ; M A K E U P : TAT I YA N A E L I A S AT 3 P LU S M A N AG E M E N T; M O D E L S : A A R O N B E R N A R D S , LO N D O N H U D S O N , S E D O N A L E G G E , T Y L E R W I L S O N AT P H OTO/G E N I C S , B E CC A TO N N E R AT L A M O D E L S , M O N I C A A H A N O N U AT I M G M O D E L S ; LO C AT I O N : T H E B R I T E LY

This page, from left: London in LIBERTINE; Sedona and Tyler in BALMAIN. Opposite, from left: Aaron in DIOR; Sedona and Tyler in PRADA.

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Clockwise from left: Sedona in RICK OWENS; Becca in GIORGIO ARMANI; London in LOUIS VUITTON; Tyler in GIORGIO ARMANI; Aaron (in foreground) in OFFICINE GÉNÉRALE; Monica in LOUIS VUITTON.

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From left, in elevator reflection: Aaron in BOTTEGA VENETA; Becca in MICHAEL KORS; Monica in BOTTEGA VENETA. L A M AG . C O M 9 5

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FOR STORES AND FULL CREDITS, SEE THE SHOPPING DIRECTORY ON PAGE 123.

This page, from left: Tyler in PRADA; Aaron in DIOR; Monica and London in MIU MIU. Opposite: Sedona in RICK OWENS.

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L A M AG . C O M 9 7

DRAMA ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S MOST CELEBRATED TV WRITERS AND PRODUCERS, DAVID MILCH EARNED A FISTFUL OF EMMYS FOR SHOWS LIKE DEADWOOD AND NYPD BLUE .

NOW, THE 77-YEAR-OLD FORMER HEROIN ADDICT IS PUBLISHING HIS MEMOIR—BUT HIS MEMORY ISN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE

KING

BY SHEILA MCCLEAR

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ILLUSTRATED BY ROBERT CARTER

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David Milch has produced prolifically and influenced immeasurably the landscape of television. He wrote his first episodes in the last days of pre-cable network television, then cocreated NYPD Blue, gathering Emmys along the way.

He based the acclaimed HBO series Deadwood on the actual residents of an 1870s mining camp, prefiguring the current rage for neo-westerns like Yellowstone by nearly two decades. (Milch is nothing if not nimble: he had originally set the series in Nero’s Rome; when HBO informed him it already had a Roman show in development, he simply pivoted to the Old West.)

Throughout his career, Milch’s dialogue has been grounded in realism that takes on an otherworldly quality when spoken by his now-indelible characters: Deadwood’s Al Swearengen, spouting profanity-laced Shakespearean soliloquies to the whores and gamblers at his brothel; NYPD Blue’s Detective Andy Sipowicz, struggling with sobriety and cynicism in equal measure. Milch wrote dialogue that had never been heard on TV—unsparing and sometimes cruel, but with an undercurrent of compassion and redemption—and it shone like new money. His relentless rewriting is legend, seeking always, with a musician’s ear for precision, to get the rhythms right. (He dictated rewrites of entire episodes while lying on his side.)

Now, at 77, Milch has published the memoir Life’s Work, an unflinching assessment of himself as an artist and a man. Having grappled for much of his life with bipolar disorder and multiple addictions, Milch starts the memoir by acknowledging that he has Alzheimer’s.

“I’m losing my faculties,” he writes on the book’s first page.

“Things seem a continuous taking away.”

For a writer audacious enough to convince HBO that there would be an audience for a metaphysical contemplation of surfing (there wasn’t—Milch’s 2007 series John from Cincinnati was cancelled after one season), the irony of writing a memoir in the midst of losing one’s memory must have resonated. But as ever, Milch adapted. He didn’t write the memoir entirely alone, he explains. As his condition worsened, it became a collaborative process, a “past recollection of mine being shared with me now by my family who are helping me compile this book,” he writes.

Milch’s early life was marked by overcoming appalling events and extreme dysfunction. He grew up Jewish in

Buffalo; his father, a surgeon, was a drinker and gambler who took young David to the track. (He would later kill himself in front of Milch’s brother and mother.) While attending Yale, Milch continued a relationship with heroin begun during his senior year of high school (“I wasn’t shooting. I was snorting,” he clarifies), but otherwise thrived.

He joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity; one of his brothers was George W. Bush (“I liked him”). Literary scholar R. W. B. Lewis passed along his writing to Robert Penn Warren, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and poet.

Warren gave Milch an indoctrination into American literature—Faulkner, Melville, Twain, Poe, Hawthorne—that would deeply influence his TV writing. (Milch unfailingly refers to his mentor as “Mr. Warren.”)

Warren finessed Milch’s admittance to the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he managed to receive an MFA in 1970 despite a detour to Mexico to manufacture LSD. (“There were a lot of guns. Several people expired . . . I didn’t kill anyone, but I might as well have.”) A draft-dodging stint at Yale Law School ended after Milch was arrested for shooting out a police cruiser’s lights with a shotgun. Warren spirited Milch back to Yale in 1971 as a lecturer in English literature. After nine years, Milch later recalled, “My nowwife and I wanted to get married and have a family and I wasn’t making any dough teaching and, of course, what I was making I was using to buy drugs.”

And then Hollywood called, in the person of Milch’s undergraduate roommate Jeff Lewis, who had been writing for a buzzy cop show called Hill Street Blues. Milch flew to L.A., met cocreator Steven Bochco, and wrote his first episode, “Trial by Fury.” Right out of the gate, he won awards—an Emmy, a Writers Guild Award, even a Humanitas Prize, for exploring “the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way.” In a portent of things to come, Milch used the $15,000 prize to buy a racehorse.

Hill Street wrapped in 1987, and, after sampling rehab, Milch, with Bochco, created NYPD Blue—a smart, literate cop drama that first aired in 1993. Milch’s idiosyncratic work ethic quickly manifested itself once shooting began. It was pointless memorizing lines, recalls Dennis Franz, who won four Emmys portraying Detective Sipowicz, because Milch’s scripts were always in flux. There would be a final run-through but the writer would swoop in and demand sweeping changes—“getting Milched,” as the practice was known. (Milch suffered a heart attack on the set while arguing with Franz’s costar, David Caruso, over changes in a script.) The process was “extremely stressful, difficult, satisfying, and rewarding,” Franz says. “As an actor, I loved trying to decipher what he was talking about.”

“ I ’ M LOS I N G M Y FAC U LT I ES , ” M I LC H W RI T ES . “ T H I N G S SEEM A CONTINUOUS TA K I N G AWAY . ”

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1. 4. ©HBO/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION; 2. PHOTOSHOT/EVERETT COLLECTION; 3. PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE; 5. 20TH CENTURY FOX LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/EVERETT COLLECTION

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O R M O R E T H A N 40 years,

C RI M E PAYS

1. Milch on the set of Deadwood with actor Titus Welliver. 2. Milch and the late producer Steven Bochco with Sharon Lawrence of NYPD Blue, the landmark series Milch and Bochco cocreated. 3. Milch’s memoir. 4. Bruce Greenwood and Rebecca De Mornay starred in Milch’s short-lived series John from Cincinnatti. 5. Dennis Franz (left) and Jimmy Smits on NYPD Blue.

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Mark Tinker worked with Milch as an executive producer and director on NYPD Blue and Deadwood. “You really learned how to produce a show, with all of the hurdles that Dave put in your way,” Tinker says. “But the most important thing I learned from Dave was compassion and a deeper understanding of the human condition—the difference between us all, but also the sameness.”

For every impingement on people’s time, there was a weekly raffle of Milch’s own money to soothe their irritation. “He came on the set with a bagful of hundreds of dollar bills,” Franz marvels, some of it winnings from Santa Anita racetrack, where Milch was steadily perfecting his gambling addiction. He left $100 tips on $5 coffee tabs, but with genuine empathy behind the largesse. He could spot an AA member in need across a smoky room; he paid for lessons for any waiter who wanted to be an actor. “He was very helpful to a lot of people,” says Tinker.

Milch especially enjoyed giving actors second chances.

He offered Ed O’Neill—then near the end of his run as Al Bundy in Married . . . With Children—the lead role on Big Apple, his 2001 CBS cop drama. O’Neill, who was not sure he would be hired again after 10 years on Married . . . With Children, took the job and soon landed another long-running hit with Modern Family. “I’ve always said that I owed him a tremendous debt,” says O’Neill. “He gave me the best stuff I ever had in front of the camera.”

While supporting close friends and complete strangers, Milch himself suffered from crippling anxiety and a “tendency to become suicidally depressed when not working.”

While heroin helped him “organize and structure a day,” his gambling—he claims to have bet $1 million in a single day—was ruinous. Over a ten-year period, Milch pissed away $23 million on horse racing and sports betting, (CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 2 3 )

L A M AG . C O M 1 0 1

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hether you are a parent looking for quality K-12 options, a rising high school senior navigating college applications, or a working professional considering an advanced degree to accelerate your career, options abound! The Los Angeles County is home to a wide range of K-12 private school options, plus renowned private colleges and universities. With choices that range from small, intimate campuses with specialized curriculums to sprawling institutions with world-class reputations, you’re sure to find your perfect pick.

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The average tuition cost of private schools in Los Angeles County is $14.8K

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52% of private schools in Los Angeles County are religiously affiliated (most are Roman Catholic and Christian)

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According to Niche.com, the number one rated private high school for the 2022 school year in Los Angeles County is Harvard Westlake School

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There are 13 private colleges within the Los Angeles city limits and 43 private colleges within a 50-mile radius, including nationally ranked institutions like USC, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount L A M AG . C O M 103

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AGBU Manogian/Demirdjian 6844 Oakdale Avenue, Canoga Park (818) 883-2428 agbumds.org

Carousel 7899 La Tijera Boulevard, Los Angeles (310) 645-9222 carouselschool.com

Harvard-Westlake School 700 North Faring Road, Los Angeles (818) 980-6692 Hw.com

ASA Silver Lake 2772 Rowena Avenue, Los Angeles (323) 666-6706 appliedscholastics.org

Carson Christian School 21828 South Avalon Boulevard, Carson (310) 609-2300 carsonchristian.com

Highland Hall Waldorf School 17100 Superior Street, Northridge (818) 349-1394 highlandhall.org

Academy of the Two Hearts 406 33rd Place, Hermosa Beach (310) 748-9870 academyoftwohearts.org

Center for Learning Unlimited 2785 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite G, Torrance (310) 997-1900 cflu.org

Hillcrest Christian 17531 Rinaldi Street, Granada Hills (818) 368-7071 heritage-schools.org

Adat Y’shua Academy 23676 Blythe Street, West Hills (818) 222-0200

Chadwick 26800 South Academy Drive, Palos Verdes Peninsula (310) 377-1543 chadwickschool.org

Hope Chapel Academy 2420 Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach (310) 374-4673 hopechapel.org

Alex Pilibos Armenian 1615 North Alexandria Avenue, Los Angeles (323) 668-2661 Armenian Mesrobian 8420 Beverly Road, Pico Rivera (562) 699-2057 mesrobian.org Bais Chaya Mushka Chabad 9051 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles (310) 859-8840 bcmla.org Bay Shore School 228 Corona Avenue, Long Beach (631) 968-1100 bayshoreschools.org Berean Fellowship Christian School 38050 30th East Street, Palmdale (661) 272-9980 bereanav.org Brentwood School 100 South Barrington Place, Los Angeles (310) 476-9633 bwscampus.com Bridgeport 13130 Burbank Boulevard, Sherman Oaks (818) 781-0360 thehelpgroup.org The Buckley School 3900 Stansbury Avenue, Sherman Oaks (818) 783-1610 buckley.org Calvary Baptist Church and Schools 2990 Damien Avenue, La Verne (909) 593-5346 calvarybaptist-laverne Calvary Chapel Christian 12808 Woodruff Avenue, Downey (562) 803-6556 cccsdowney.org Calvary Chapel Christian Academy 931 South Maple Avenue, Montebello (323) 724-8464 thearkmontebello.com Campbell Hall 4533 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, North Hollywood (818) 980-7280 campbellhall.org Canyon View School 762 West Cypress Street, San Dimas (909) 599-1227 mckinleycc.org 104 L a m ag . c o m

City of Knowledge 3285 North Garey Avenue, Pomona (909) 392-0251 cityofknowledge.com

International School of Los Angeles 1105 W Riverside, Burbank (818) 994-2961 internationalschool.la

Crane Academy of Excellence 23119 Vose Street, West Hills (818) 716-7220

Keystone Academy 8615 East Florence, Suite 207, Downey (562) 862-7134 keystoneacademyschool.com

Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences 1714 21st Street, Santa Monica (310) 829-7391 xrds.org

Lancaster Baptist School 4020 East Lancaster Boulevard, Lancaster (661) 946-4668 lancasterbaptistschool.org

Da Vinci Design 12501 Isis Avenue, Hawthorne (310) 725-5800 davincischools.org

Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles 3261 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles (310) 836-3464 lyceeLA.org

Delphi Academy of Los Angeles 11341 Brainard Avenue, Lake View Terrace (818) 583-1070 delphila.org

Lighthouse Baptist Academy 2600 North White Avenue, La Verne (909) 596-0060 lbclaverne.com

Desert Christian Schools 44662 15th Street, Lancaster (661) 948-5071 desertchristian.com

The Lighthouse Church 1220 20th Street, Santa Monica (310) 829-2767 lighthousechurch.com

Echo Horizon School 3430 McManus Avenue, Culver City (310) 838-2442 echohorizon.org

Logsdon, Inc. 7600 East Graves Avenue, Rosemead (626) 572-8424

The Episcopal School 6325 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles (323) 462-3752 es-la.com Faith Baptist 7644 Farralone Avenue, Canoga Park (818) 340-6131 myfbs.org Faith Christian Academy 6100 Florence Avenue, Bell Gardens (562) 806-7540 First Lutheran School 1300 East Colorado Street, Glendale (818) 507-9591 first-lutheran-church.com Flintridge Preparatory School 4543 Crown Avenue, La Canada Flintridge (818) 790-1178 flintridgeprep.org Golden Day Schools 4508 Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles (323) 296-6280

Los Angeles Master Chorale Education Program 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles (213) 972-3110 lamasterchorale.org Los Encinos School 17100 Ventura Boulevard, Encino (818) 990-1006 losencinosschool.org Loyola High School 1901 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles (213) 381-5121 loyolahs.edu Los Angeles Adventist Academy 846 East El Segundo Boulevard, Los Angeles (323) 743-8818 laadventistacademy.com Marymount High School 10643 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles (310) 472-1205 mhs-la.org/page Marlborough School 250 South Rossmore Avenue, Los Angeles (323) 935-1147 marlborough.org

PAVING THE WAY FOR WORLD-CHANGERS Academic Excellence Since 1920 vanguard. edu Orange County, CA • Online

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION New Harvest Christian 11364 East Imperial Highway, Norwalk (562) 929-6034 newharvestnorwalk.church

Village Christian Schools 8930 Village Avenue, Sun Valley (818) 767-8382 villagechristian.org

Harvey Mudd College (Claremont Colleges) 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont (909) 621-8011 Hmc.edu

New Open World Academy 3201 West Eighth Street, Los Angeles (213) 480-3700 now-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com

Village Glen 13130 Burbank Boulevard, Sherman Oaks (818) 781-0360 villageglen.org

New Roads School 3131 Olympic Boulevard, Santa Monica (310) 828-5582 newroads.org

Village Glen, Westside 4160 Grandview Boulevard, Los Angeles (310) 751-1101 thehelpgroup.org/school/village-glen-school

Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion 3077 University Avenue, Los Angeles (213) 749-3424 huc.edu

Nishiyamato Academy 2458 Lomita Boulevard, Lomita (310) 325-7040 nacus.org Notre Dame Girls Academy 2851 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles (310) 839-5289 academy.ndasla.org Notre Dame High School 13645 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks (818) 933-3600 ndhs.org Oakwood School 11600 Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood (818) 732-3000 oakwoodschool.org Pacific Baptist 3332 Magnolia Avenue, Long Beach (562) 426-5214 pacificbaptistschool.com Pilgrim School 540 South Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles (213) 385-7351 pilgrim-school.org Rancho Dominguez Preparatory 4110 Santa Fe Avenue, Long Beach (310) 847-6400 rdps-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com San Fernando Valley Professional 6215 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, North Hollywood (818) 985-9485 Seton, Inc. 44751 North Date Avenue, Lancaster (661) 948-8881 setonhome.org Shalhevet School 910 South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles (323) 930-9333 shalhevet.org Sierra Canyon School 11052 Independence Avenue | 20801 Rinaldi Street, Los Angeles (818) 882-8121 sierracanyonschool.org South Bay Faith Academy 101 South Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach (310) 379-8242 homeschool-life.com

Vistamar School 737 Hawaii Street, El Segundo (310) 643-7377 vistamarschool.org The Webb Schools 1175 West Baseline Road, Claremont (909) 482-5214 webb.org West Hollywood College Preparatory School 1317 North Crescent Heights Boulevard, West Hollywood (323) 822-7999 westhollywoodschool.com West Valley Christian School 22450 Sherman Way, West Hills (818) 884-4710 westvalleychristianschool.com Wildwood School 12201 Washington Place, Los Angeles (310) 397-3134 wildwood.org

Private Colleges and Universities Los Angeles County Academy for Jewish Religion California 574 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles (213) 884-4133 ajrca.edu American Film Institute Conservatory 2021 North Western Avenue, Los Angeles (323) 856-7600 afi.com Antioch University 400 Corporate Pointe, Culver City (310) 578-1080 antioch.edu Azusa Pacific University 901 East Alosta Avenue, Azusa (626) 969-3434 Apu.edu Biola University 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada (562) 903-6000 biola.edu California Institute of the Arts 24700 McBean Pkwy, Valencia (661) 255-1050 calarts.edu

Life Pacific College 1100 West Covina Boulevard, San Dimas (909) 599-5433 lifepacific.edu Loyola Marymount University 1 Loyola Marymount University Drive, Los Angeles (310) 338-2700 Lmu.edu Marymount California University 30800 Palos Verdes Drive East, Rancho Palos Verdes marymountcalifornia.edu Mount Saint Mary’s University 12001 Chalon Road, Los Angeles (310) 954-4000 msmu.edu Occidental College 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles (323) 259-2500 Oxy.edu Otis College of Art & Design 9045 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles (310) 665-6800 Otis.edu Pepperdine University 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu (310) 506-4000 Pepperdine.edu Southern California Institute of Architecture 960 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles (213) 613-2200 sciarc.edu Southern California University of Health Sciences 16200 Amber Valley Drive, Whittier (562) 947-8755 scuhs.edu Touro College Los Angeles 1317 North Crescent Heights Boulevard, West Hollywood tcla.touro.edu University of La Verne 1950 3rd Street, La Verne (909) 593-3511 Laverne.edu University of Southern California Los Angeles (213) 740-2311 Usc.edu

California State Polytechnic Univ., Pomona 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona (909) 869-7659 cpp.edu

Vanguard University 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa (714) 556-3610 vanguard.edu

Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School 15500 Stephen South Wise Drive, Los Angeles (310) 476-8561 wisela.org

Claremont McKenna College 888 North Columbia Avenue, Claremont (909) 621-8000 Cmc.edu

Whittier College 13406 E, Philadelphia Street, Whittier (562) 907-4200 whittier.edu

Sunland Christian School 13216 Leach Street, Sylmar (818) 523-6791 home-schooling.org

Columbia College Hollywood 18618 West Oxnard Street, Tarzana (818) 345-8414 Columbiacollege.edu

Woodbury University 7500 North Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank (818) 767-0888 woodbury.edu

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ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL 3430 McManus Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232 (310) 838-2442 | echohorizon.org Open House: Thursday, October 13, 2022 At Echo Horizon, we believe that elementary school is a place of discovery and exploration, free from unhealthy pressure. Our school provides a warm and supportive environment that allows students the freedom to explore, question, and imagine. We believe in educating students with a dynamic curriculum that combines the "best of both worlds": the strongest traditional practices with research-based and evidence-tested innovation, preparing our scholars for matriculation to the best independent middle and high schools in Los Angeles. With a commitment to inclusion and diversity rooted in the Echo Center, 15 percent of our students are deaf or hard of hearing. They learn and play alongside their hearing peers using technology such as hearing aids and cochlear implants. This unique educational model benefits all students to develop empathy, an appreciation of difference, and a lived understanding of diverse experiences.

THE STATS

Visit echohorizon.org/visit to schedule a tour!

Year Founded: 1983 Grades Served: Pre-K–6 Current Enrollment Number: 180 Student-Faculty Ratio: Pre-K 8:1; K 10:1; Grades 1–6 12:1 Graduation Rate: 100% Uniforms Required: No Tuition: 2022-2023 Pre-K $28,324; K–6 $35,970

Top Awards/Recognitions: 2022 California Student Media Festival Award Winner: Elementary Aesthetic Non-Fiction; 2022 California Student Media Festival Award Winner: Artificial Intelligence; 2022 MOEMS Highest Individual Score (Top 10%) Accreditations: California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

THE HELP GROUP SCHOOLS Sherman Oaks, Valley Glen, Van Nuys, and Culver City (877) 943-5747 | thehelpgroup.org Open House: Schedule an appointment at admissions@thehelpgroup.org At the heart of The Help Group’s efforts is the commitment to helping young people with autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, ADHD, developmental delays, abuse, and emotional challenges fulfill their potential to lead positive, productive, and rewarding lives. The Help Group also provides affirming support to all LGBTQ+ children, young adults, and their families, including those with social and learning differences.

The Help Group’s 14 specialized day schools offer preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, and transition programs, and are certified by the California State Department of Education. The schools, located on four campuses in the Los Angeles area, provide prescriptive teaching, small classes, individualized curriculum, and enrichment activities to maximize learning, social skills development, and emotional well-being. Help Group students are grouped according to their needs and peer level in a supportive environment, and are also provided with school experiences, such as athletics, prom, and more.

THE STATS

The Help Group Schools include Bridgeport School, Bridgeport Vocational Center, North Hills Prep, Sunrise School, Summit View School, STEM3 Academy, Village Glen School, Westview School of Arts, and Young Learners.

Year Founded: 1975 Grades Served: Pre-K – 12+ (up to age 22) Student-Faculty Ratio: 7:1 minimum Tuition: Private and public funding accepted College Prep and AP Classes Offered: Yes

Accreditations: Certified by the California State Department of Education; WASC (North Hills Prep, STEM3 Academy, Summit View School, Village Glen School, Westview School of the Arts)

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LOS ANGELES 1105 West Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91506 (818) 994-2961 | internationalschool.la Open House: 2022-23 open house events TBA. Virtual admissions events available.

The International School of Los Angeles is an independent, international, highquality school that offers both a French immersion track from preschool through 12th grade and a separate international high school track that prepares students for the International Baccalaureate® Diploma Programme in grades 11–12.

We promise our students a future full of possibilities and opportunities that come from being outstanding bilingual critical thinkers who have access to two of the most rigorous academic credentials in the world. With a preschool–12th grade education delivered in an intimate, nurturing, and diverse environment, our students become caring global citizens prepared to thrive in a changing world.

THE STATS

Since 1978, the school has been instilling the love of learning in all its students in multiple Los Angeles area campuses (Burbank, Los Feliz, Pasadena, and West Valley). With over 65 nationalities and 40 spoken languages represented, students study and live in a diverse global community every day.

Year Founded: 1978 Grades Served: Preschool–12th grade Current Enrollment Number: 1,040 Student-Faculty Ratio: 12:1 Graduation Rate: 100% Uniforms Required: No Tuition: $19,895–$25,725

Top Awards/Recognitions: 72% of students received acceptances from Top 100 Global universities (U.S. News & World Report) (Class of 2021) Accreditations: French Ministry of Education, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), International Baccalaureate® (IB). Member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the National Honor Society (NHS).

LE LYCÉE FRANÇAIS DE LOS ANGELES 3261 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034 (310) 836-3464 | lyceela.org Open House: October 20, November 15, 2022; January 10, February 16, 2023 Le Lycée (pronounced lee-say) offers a challenging international education that emphasizes collaboration, research, respect, compassion, and leadership.

A blend of the sciences and arts, LyceeLA’s dual curricula (International and French section programs) provide each student with the ability to learn, think, and make decisions based on a sound foundation of logic, knowledge, and character. Academics are balanced with art, drama, music, and sports, as well as strong core human values. LyceeLA students become engaged, vibrant, and productive global citizens. We Teach the World.

THE STATS

NO NEED TO SPEAK FRENCH TO ENROLL.

Year Founded: 1964 Grades Served: preschool to 12th grade Current Enrollment Number: 760 Student-Faculty Ratio: 7:1 Graduation Rate: 100% Uniforms Required: Yes Tuition: $23,000-$34,900

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Top Awards/Recognitions: Offers College Board AP Capstone Certificate and Diploma, and over 21 Advanced Placement courses. Six age-appropriate campuses in West Los Angeles and Pacific Palisades. Affiliated with Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, the contemporary performance space showcasing eclectic plays, concerts, dance shows, and films.

Accreditations: WASC, French Ministry of Education, NAIS, AEFE

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LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE EDUCATION PROGRAM 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90012 (213) 972-3110 | lamasterchorale.org Open House: Check website for event dates Committed to community engagement and fostering music education in schools, the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s education programs include Voices Within residencies that encourage students to write and perform their own songs and an expansive Oratorio Project for high school students.

THE STATS

The Chorale also presents the annual High School Choir Festival, which brings teenagers from around the Southland to perform in Walt Disney Concert Hall. In May 2019, the High School Choir Festival celebrated 30 years as one of the longest-running and wide-reaching arts education programs in Southern California.

Year Founded: 1989 Grades Served: K–12 Current Enrollment Number: 1,300 Student-Faculty Ratio: n/a Graduation Rate: n/a (although every year 500 students complete our High School Choir Festival workshop)

Since 2017, the Chorale has shared the magic of choral music with the Los Angeles community through Big Sing, its annual sing-along event.

Schools may visit lamasterchorale.org to learn how to participate in our programs. Those interested in supporting the Chorale’s education and community efforts can visit lamasterchorale.org/ support.

Uniforms Required: No Tuition: n/a Top Awards/Recognitions: Students are taught by singers and coaches under the auspices of the choir the Los Angeles Times calls “the finest-by-far major chorus in America.”

LOS ENCINOS SCHOOL 17100 Ventura Boulevard, Encino, CA 91316 (818) 990-1006 | losencinosschool.org Open House: November 1, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. and November 30, 2022, at 7 p.m.

THE STATS

Located in the heart of Encino on Ventura Boulevard, this much-beloved K-6 elementary school was founded in 1980 and offers rich academics integrated with a comprehensive arts, humanities, technology, science, and P.E. curricula. Community engagement and addressing the larger world are critical components of the program. Los Encinos School prides itself on shaping learners who love to learn, can problem-solve, and are first and foremost good people. They have weekly tours, virtual coffees, and two in-person open houses in November 2022. RSVP online at losencinosschool.org/see.

Year Founded: 1980 Grades Served: K-6 Current Enrollment Number: 172 Student-Faculty Ratio: 7:1

Graduation Rate: 100% Uniforms Required: No uniform (dress code in place) Tuition: $33,500 Accreditations: NAIS, CAIS, WASC

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OAKWOOD SCHOOL 11600 Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601 (818) 732-3000 | oakwoodschool.org Open House: RSVP for an open house at oakwoodschool.org/admission/visiting-oakwood Oakwood School’s K-12 program is rooted in relational pedagogy, where students are partners in teaching and learning. Children experience an education rich in the arts, sciences, and humanities while challenging their creative, intellectual, and athletic capacities. Oakwood is a learning community that fosters independence of thought, intellectual integrity, sensitivity to the needs of others, and prepares students for participation in a democratic society.

THE STATS

Oakwood School celebrates diversity, values community, and develops depth of character in an environment where students are encouraged to share their ideas and individual voices. With an abundant selection of enrichment courses and opportunities for community engagement, the school is especially proud of its S.T.E.A.M., Experiential Learning, and flourishing athletics programs.

Year Founded: 1951 Grades Served: K–12 Zip codes represented: 74 Graduation & College Admission Rate: 100%

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Top Awards/Recognitions: Horizon Educational Hydrogen Grand Prix World Champions; Academy Award for Best Short Documentary: Period. End of Sentence; Nationally - Ranked Debate Team; 4 CIF-SS Championships since 2018 According to Niche, Oakwood School is ranked: #3 2022 Best Private K-12 Schools in the Los Angeles Area; #8 of 179 Best Private K-12 Schools in California; #3 Best High School for the Arts in California

SIERRA CANYON SCHOOL 11052 Independence Avenue | 20801 Rinaldi Street Chatsworth, CA 91311 (818) 882-8121 | sierracanyonschool.org Open House: Lower Campus, grades Pre-K–6: Saturday, November 5, 10:00 a.m.

Upper Campus, grades 7–12: Saturday, October 29, 9:00 a.m.

THE STATS

Sierra Canyon School is a complete pre-kindergarten through grade 12 experience that fully equips students to rethink the familiar and embrace the unknown. It is a place where ingenious teachers, intrepid students, and forward-thinking leaders work together to shape an education on the adventurous edge. Teachers create meaningful, hands-on learning experiences in the classroom, on the stage, on the playing field and court, and on life-changing journeys. Graduates are primed to excel at the finest colleges and universities, forge purposeful careers, and employ their unshakable optimism to improve the wider world. At Sierra Canyon School, our students gain unstoppable momentum to learn and explore, propelling them toward a lifetime of self-directed success.

Year Founded: 1978 Grades Served: Pre-K–12 Current Enrollment Number: 1,150 Student-Faculty Ratio: 8:1 Lower Campus; 9:1 Upper Campus Graduation Rate: 100% Uniforms Required: Lower Campus (Pre-K–6) Yes; Upper Campus (7–12) Dress Code Only

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Tuition: $20,000 to $40,770 Top Awards/Recognitions: According to Niche, Sierra Canyon School is ranked: #5 of 76 Best Private K-12 Schools in L.A. Area #8 of 273 Most Diverse Private High Schools in L.A. Area Accreditations: NAIS, CAIS, Western Association of Schools and Colleges

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

VISTAMAR SCHOOL 737 Hawaii Street, El Segundo, CA 90245 (310) 643-7377 | vistamarschool.org Open House: September 10, October 22, December 10 Vistamar is a college-preparatory school providing a better way to do high school. Vistamar builds independent thinkers with diverse viewpoints who are better prepared for college and beyond. With a 6:1 student-teacher ratio and an average class size of 14, Vistamar’s exceptional teachers interact closely with individual students to provide strong support as students navigate the rigorous, academically challenging curriculum.

Vistamar’s curriculum combines best practices of American independent schools with methods drawn from top educational systems around the world. The school attracts students who are driven to learn because the school cultivates critical thinking and independence. The colleges and universities graduates attend reflect the selectivity and variety expected from one of L.A.’s finest independent schools.

THE STATS

Vistamar’s values of equity and inclusion have profoundly shaped the multicultural curriculum, vibrant student co-curricular life, lively family engagement, and educational programming. Students learn more in an environment where preconceived notions are continuously challenged by fellow students and faculty who come from different backgrounds.

Year Founded: 2005 Grades Served: 9-12 Current Enrollment Number: 260 Student-Faculty Ratio: 6:1 Graduation Rate: 100%

Uniforms Required: No Tuition: $43,510

Accreditations: California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Member of NAIS.

THE WEBB SCHOOLS 1175 West Baseline Road, Claremont, CA 91711 (909) 482-5214 | webb.org Fall events: Prospective Parent Information Night, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, September 20, 2022 Discover Webb Day, 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, November 13, 2022 Your Future, Unbounded When you join The Webb Schools, you join a dynamic, 24/7 learning community. Founded in 1922, Webb is a boarding and day high school that fosters independence and feeds the smart, curious, independent mind.

Students live the Webb mission daily by thinking boldly, mindfully and creatively. Our singular curriculum, in conjunction with a supportive community, provides the optimal environment for students to thrive.

Webb features a nationally accredited science museum, an unparalleled humanities program, college-level academics in all fields, cuttingedge digital media arts, a popular theater program and engaging athletics. Our 150-acre campus sits in the beautiful Claremont hills, allowing Webb to tap into Southern California’s vast cultural, collegiate and environmental resources.

At Webb, you will find a spirit of innovation, leadership and unbounded thinking.

THE STATS

Discover your path to a future without limits. Visit Webb, take a tour, meet our community and explore all the opportunities available.

Year Founded: 1922 Grades Served: 9–12 Current Enrollment Number: 404 Student-Faculty Ratio: 6:1 Graduation Rate: 100% Uniforms Required: Yes

College Admittance Rate: 100% Top Awards/Recognitions: The only California independent high school to receive a pledge of $100 million from a single donor.

Accreditations: Western Association of Schools and Colleges; California Association of Independent Schools

L A M AG . C O M 1 1 1

THE HOT LIST

Carabinero prawns at Chi Spacca PAGE 114

A CO N S TA N T LY U P DAT ED R O U N D U P O F L . A .’ S M OS T E S S EN T I A L E AT ER I E S

SEPT

WEST ❂ Birdie G’s SANTA MONICA

» American $$

James Beard Award–nominated chef Jeremy Fox gets personal with a sunny spot named after his young daughter. The high-low menu is full of playful riffs on comfort food, from mixed summer cucumbers 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.

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 with Nueske’s bacon that shouldn’t be overlooked. 23359 Pacific Coast Hwy., 424-644-0131, or broadstreetoyster.com.

Beer and wine.

❂ Cassia

SANTA MONICA » Southeast Asian $$$ Bryant Ng mines his Chinese Singaporean heritage, honors wife Kim’s Vietnamese background, and works in the wood-grilling technique he honed at Mozza at this grand Southeast Asian brasserie.

Hunker down at a table on the patio—or treat yourself to some great takeout—to devour turmericmarinated ocean trout or chickpea curry with scallion clay-oven bread. Wherever and however you enjoy Ng’s cooking, you won’t be disappointed.

1314 7th St., 310-393-6699, or cassiala.com. Full bar.

✤❂ Cobi’s

SANTA MONICA » Southeast Asian $$$ Coming here is like visiting a perfectly art-directed beach house where everything—from the colors on the walls to the curries on the plate—just pops.

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 112 L A M A G . C O M

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

chiles 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 beef ragù 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 are still good times and great food to be had at this former Sinatra hang stylishly revamped by Josiah Citrin and Hans Röckenwagner. Steak-house classics—crab Louie, oysters Rockefeller, thick prime steaks—pay homage to the lounge’s Rat Pack past and can be enjoyed on a sunny new patio or to go.

11208 Culver Blvd., 310-881-9288, or dearjohnsbar.com.

Full bar.

❂ Etta

CULVER CITY » Italian $$$ With a sprawling patio, concise 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 liquor topped with macaroon. 8801 Washington Blvd., ettarestaurant.com, or @ettarestaurant. Full bar.

techniques of East and West. The menu features contemporary mash-ups, like a version of poutine smothered in chicken tikka, charred tandoori chicken, and braised lamb. If tradition’s your thing, you’ll be comforted by what they call Good Ol’ Saag Paneer. 108 W. 2nd St., 213-221-7466, badmaashla.com.

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

California brightness. A starter of Ibérico ham, anchovies, and olives is called “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, or properhotel.com/downtownla. Full bar.

❂ Felix VENICE » Italian $$$

✤❂ Caboco

ARTS DISTRICT » French/Indian $$$$ “The main plan for this restaurant was to transport people,” says Max Boonthanakit of the new Arts District bistro he opened with Michelinstarred chef Lijo George. “Bistro” may be an understatement, given the restaurant’s stunning minimalist interior and exquisitely prepared dishes, but Camphor is, at its core, a French bistro where plump oysters are served in a bath of amaretto mignonette and the beef tartare comes with a side of tempura-fried herbs.

Boonthanakit and George aim to bring something completely new to L.A.—that is, something distinctively not L.A. Camphor’s access to the spices from George’s southern Indian homeland makes it a standout. 923 E. 3rd St., Ste. 109, camphor.la.

Full bar.

ARTS DISTRICT

» Brazilian $$

At Evan Funke’s clubby, floral-patterned trattoria, the rigorous dedication to tradition makes for superb focaccia and pastas. The tonnarelli cacio e pepe—strands 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 bacon, tomato, and Pecorino Romano sings brilliantly alongside Italian country wines. 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd., 424387-8622, or felixla.com. Full bar.

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.

✤ Matū

✤❂ Caldo Verde ARTS DISTRICT » Portuguese $$$

BEVERLY HILLS

» 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, $85 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.

❂ 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 do 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.

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-andtumble food that Goin loves—dishes in which she deftly balances salt, fat, and bold flavors with

C H E F FAV O R I T E S

M IC H E L E RU BI N I

L’ANTICA PIZZERIA DA MICHELE

SANTA MONICA

C H I S PA C C A : A N N E F I S H B E I N ; R U B I N I : S O L O M O N H U R

❂ 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 China. 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

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 interior bar, La Barra, offers up unique mezcal cocktails. 812 E. 3rd St., chachacha.la. Full bar.

❂ Girl & the Goat ARTS DISTRICT » Eclectic $$$

❂ Kodō

Vitello Tonnato

ANGELINI OSTERIA

DOWNTOWN

❂ Cha Cha Chá ARTS DISTRICT » Mexican $$

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 a yuzu-kosho 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.

❂ 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 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 pan-roasted sea bass with lobster velouté.

2732 Main St., 424-330-0020, or pasjoli.com. Full bar.

❂ Camphor

A friend recommended the vitello tonnato, and I’m obsessed. It’s such a wonderful combination of flavors. $30, 7313 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, angelinibeverly.com.

Oyster Mushroom Kebab BAVEL

Bavel has a wonderful Mediterranean feeling, full of light, and it’s so spacious yet cozy. We fell in love

with this dish—a really exciting mix of textures and flavors. $23, 500 Mateo St., downtown, baveldtla.com.

Fiori di Zucca MOTHER WOLF

This is one of my favorite dishes from Mother Wolf. It’s perfectly fried and seasoned. I was hit with a childhood memory of sitting with my mother when she used to fry her own. $25, 1545 Wilcox Ave., Hollywood, motherwolfla.com.

— H E AT H E R P L AT T

DOWNTOWN » Japanese $$$ Everything about the look of this new izakaya-style restaurant in the Kensho Rykn hotel is serene.

But don’t be fooled by the restaurant’s visual tranquility. The energy of Kodō, which translates to “heartbeat,” is intentionally boisterous because the chef, Yoya Takahashi, wanted to stay true to what a Kyoto-style izakaya would be—a fun place with an upbeat vibe and traditional Japanese bar fare.

So the food comes out fast and without pretense.

A Caesar salad of Little Gem lettuce is blanketed with bonito flakes. The off-menu toro is served with a tangy cilantro sauce, minced tomato, and cucumber, and has the kind of fatty, melt-in-yourmouth quality you can’t forget (and don’t want to).

710 S. Santa Fe Ave., downtown, 213-302-8010, kodo.la.

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 L A M A G . C O M 11 3

skillet-fried chicken is pure pleasure, enhanced by a bourbon drink the bar tints with cacao spiced bitters and Luxardo cherries. Finish the night by taking on a toasted angel food strawberry shortcake.

5359 W. Adams Blvd., 323-571-4999, or altaadams.com.

Full bar.

❂ A.O.C.

BEVERLY GROVE

» California $$$

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.

Chi Spacca

HANCOCK PARK » Italian $$$$ The best Northern Italian steak restaurant in the city, Chi Spacca serves a bistecca alla Fiorentina so tender that it would make a vegan blush. In this meat-eater’s paradise, the cuisine comes courtesy of 2014 James Beard Award-winning chef Nancy Silverton, owner of Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, and Mozza2Go. And if red meat’s not your thing, try the chicken or octopus. But if it is, take some of the cured meats home—you’ll thank us.

6610 Melrose Ave., 323-297-1133 , chispacca.com. Full bar.

Fanny’s

» French $$$ Even with a glass wall opening onto exhibits, architect Renzo Piano succeeded in creating an eatery at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures that feels quite cinematic. While by day, Fanny’s is a café that serves salads and sandwiches to museumgoers, by night, it’s a glam, modern vision of an old-school Hollywood hangout. Captains in suits push carts of gooey, French, washed-rind cow’s milk cheeses and carve thick, bloody slices of côte de boeuf tableside. But there are also plenty of modern touches. Instead of a live band, Fanny’s has a different DJ spinning records every night.

Chef Raphael Francois (Le Cirque, Tesse) sends out perfect twists on a Caesar salad and plays around with menu items that are more 2022 than old Hollywood, like hamachi crudo on a bed of sweet pickled grapes and jicama with brown butter and cilantro. 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire, fannysla.com. Full Bar.

MID-WILSHIRE

✤ Bicyclette

» French $$$ Walter and Margarita Manzke’s delightful, delicious follow-up to République brings a bit of Paris to Pico. The menu is stocked with exactingly executed bistro standards: onion soup with oozy cheese, hearty short rib bourguignon, and a luxurious bouillabaisse. Margarita’s baguettes and beautiful desserts are as great as ever. Resisting Bicyclette’s charms is futile. 9575 W. Pico Blvd. or bicyclettela.com. Full bar.

PICO-ROBERTSON

Brandoni Pepperoni FAIRFAX DISTRICT » Pizza $$

Sungold tomatoes, smoked pork shoulder—in exciting combinations. A curry-Dijonnaise dressing renders a side salad surprisingly memorable. 7257 Beverly Blvd., 323-306-4968, or brandoni-pepperoni.com. Wine to go.

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,

❂ Gigi’s

HOLLYWOOD MEDIA DISTRICT » French $$$

With its sceney Sycamore Avenue location and gorgeous, illustration-lined interiors, Gigi’s could easily succeed with subpar fare. But chef Matt Bollinger’s bistro classics—like curry mussels, steak tartare, and roasted chicken—are done quite well, if priced rather high. The wine list from beverage director Kristin Olszewski, an Osteria Mozza alum, is surprisingly interesting, with various natural and biodynamic options on offer. 904 N. Sycamore Ave., gigis.la, or @gigis_la. Full bar.

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

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 mostly European-inspired menu is rooted in both classic technique and freespirited cooking. A sobrassada panino with white American cheese and a drizzle of honey is thin, crispy, sweet, savory, creamy, and spicy: an extremely pleasing little bite. Lumache pasta with vodka sauce 212236A01 gets an unexpected and delightful kick from ’nduja.

7617 W. Sunset Blvd. or horsesla.com. Full bar.

Your Window to Success.

From private offices and meeting rooms to virtual offices, we’ve got you covered with over 60 locations in California.

1.877.697.8483 www.premierworkspaces.com/la

11 4 L A M A G . C O M

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Hotville Chicken

BALDWIN HILLS CRENSHAW

» Fried chicken $

With her hot chicken joint, Kim Prince is doing her family’s legacy justice—she’s the niece of André Prince Jeffries, owner of Nashville legend Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, where hot fried chicken is said to have originated. Prince adds spice at every step in the cooking process to produce a complex, layered flavor. Sides, like mac and cheese, are also winners. 4070 Marlton Ave., 323-792-4835, or hotvillechicken.com. No alcohol.

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 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.

FAIRFAX DISTRICT

Luv2Eat Thai Bistro HOLLYWOOD » Thai $$

Vibrant flavors and spices abound at this stripmall 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 Want It? with spicy sausage, gorgonzola crema, green onion, and celery—are the clear stars, but it’s a big mistake not to explore the entire menu. It’s filled with delicious delights, from cacio e pepe risotto to a sea bass served with an ever-changing assortment of banchan. 7315 Melrose Ave., 323-917-5100, ronanla.com, or @ronan_la. Full bar.

❂ Son of a Gun BEVERLY GROVE » Seafood $$

Florida-raised chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo deliver a certain brand of sun-drenched seashore nostalgia. Dropping into the nautically themed dining room for chilled peel-and-eat shrimp and a hurricane feels as effortless as dipping your toes in the sand. There are buttery lobster rolls and fried-chicken sandwiches alongside artfully plated crudos. 8370 W. 3rd St., 323-782-9033, or sonofagunrestaurant.com. Full bar.

❂ Soulmate

» Mediterranean $$$ It’s lovely outside, and there’s a stunning new WeHo spot with a patio that can hold 75 attractive people, plus hours that go to midnight on Friday and 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 ✤❂ Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery PASADENA » Eclectic $$

This low-key charmer—the work of two alums of acclaimed San Francisco Italian joint Flour + Water—deftly mixes midwestern hospitality and

European technique. The casual lunch is all about cheese and charcuterie boards and sandwiches.

At dinner, excellent pastas, smartly prepared proteins, thoughtfully selected wines, and great cocktails join the party on the spacious patio.

40 W. Green St., 626-389-3839, agnesla.com, or @agnes_pasadena. Full bar.

❂ All Day Baby SILVER LAKE » Eclectic $$

NATALE E T H A I

C U I S I N E

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 hoki fish 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.

❂ Eszett

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. 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.

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

“Readers Choice Award” - LA Times

“Best of The West Side” - The Argonaut

Venice: 10101 Venice Blvd. | (310) 202-7003 Full Bar | Sushi Bar

Beverly Hills: 998 S. Robertson Blvd. | (310) 855-9380 Full Bar | Valet Parking

Dine In | Delivery | Take Out | Order Online

nataleethai.com

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❂ Jin Cook GLENDALE » Korean $

K-Town has the highest concentration of Korean food in the U.S., but it doesn’t get all the hits.

Jin Cook works wonders with “authentic Korean soul food” in Glendale. This homey restaurant brings sparkle to dishes like spicy pork. Thinly sliced meat arrives sizzling in a stone bowl and then gets crusty and caramelized and reaches hyperdrive when showered with shredded mozzarella, which magically melds with the spicy meat and enables cheese pulls galore. 310 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, jincooks.com . Beer.

✤ 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-pea-flower noodles and a sauce powered by innards and roe.

771 N. Virgil Ave. or @kinkan_la. Sake.

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

Some of the best Texas barbecue is actually in L.A. Andrew and Michelle Muñoz’s brisket and beef

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L A M A G . C O M 115

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 beef and pork verde sausage. 2118 N. Broadway, mooscraftbarbecue.com, or @mooscraftbarbecue.

Beer and wine.

with friends on nice summer nights. Orange zest enlivens jamón ibérico crudités, while miso butter takes grilled oysters to new heights. 37 S. El Molino Ave., 626-808-4976, sasobistro.com, or @sasobistro.

Full bar.

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., sunsetsushila.com, or @sunsetsushi. Beer and sake to go.

❂ Sōgo Roll Bar LOS FELIZ » Sushi $$

❂ U Street Pizza PASADENA » Pizza $$

Northern Thai Food Club EAST HOLLYWOOD » Thai $

Sōgo 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 garlicginger ponzu and crispy onions. 4634 Hollywood Blvd., 323-741-0088, sogorollbar.com, or @sogorollbar.

Beer and sake.

❂ Playita

❂ Spoon & Pork SILVER LAKE » Filipino $$

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.

SILVER LAKE

» 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.

✤❂ Saso

PASADENA » Spanish $$$ The arrival of this splashy new spot suggests that the good times might soon be here again.

It shares a charming, sprawling courtyard with the Pasadena Playhouse, and the seafood-heavy menu from chef Dominique Crisp, who previously worked at L&E Oyster Bar, begs for reuniting

There was a moment in the spring when U Street’s vodka pepperoni pie was a shining star of Instagram, and rightfully so. The why-haven’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 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 lechon kawali.

The dishes, which can be ordered at the counter to enjoy on the patio or for takeout and delivery, elegantly mix decadence with some authentic soul.

3131 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-922-6061, spoonandpork.com, or @spoonandporkla. Beer and wine.

Some nights it seems as if half the Valley is here, enjoying the colorful patio. Top Chef graduate Antonia Lofaso’s Italian chops are visible in the buxom ricotta gnudi with brown butter and pistachios. The deep-fried fluffernutter sandwich is a reminder that food, like life, should not be taken too seriously. 11915 Ventura Blvd., 818-446-2533, or blackmarketliquorbar.com. Full bar.

❂ Sunset Sushi SILVER LAKE » Japanese $$$

❂ The Brothers Sushi WOODLAND HILLS » Sushi $$$

With omakase boxes priced from $30 to $85, this new sushi place in the old Ma’am Sir space strikes the sweet spot between affordable and indulgent and is another exciting addition to the Eastside’s

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

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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 maple-glazed bacon elevate a simple bacon, egg, and cheese, while a classic salmon-and-lox construction 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 W. Riverside Dr., 818-588-3693, hanksbagels.com, or @hanksbagels. Also at 13545 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

BURBANK

KCET ORIGINAL

Tel Aviv Authentic Kitchen ENCINO » Middle Eastern $

Deeply comforting Israeli skewers, kabobs, and merguez come with a colorful and tasty array of salads showcasing produce like red cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and pumpkin.

The spicy sauces on the side work well with anyand everything. 17630 Ventura Blvd., 818-774-9400, or telavivkoshergrill.com.

SOUTH ❂ Ali’i Fish Company EL SEGUNDO » Seafood $$

This small, unassuming spot shames all of the glossy poke purveyors popping up around town to serve mediocre versions of the Hawaiian dish.

Glistening cubes of tuna, flown in fresh from the islands daily, remind you how great poke can be.

The smoked-ahi dip with house-made potato chips is not to be missed. Perfect for picking up a beach picnic. 409 E. Grand Ave., 310-616-3484, or aliifishco.com.

❂ Fishing With Dynamite MANHATTAN BEACH » Seafood $$$

A premium raw bar near the beach shouldn’t be unusual, but it is. The same goes for velvety clam chowder. Here, it achieves smoky richness—you can thank the Nueske’s bacon for that—without any of the floury glop. 1148 Manhattan Ave., 310-8936299, or eatfwd.com. Full bar.

❂ 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.

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❂ Tamales Elena Y Antojitos BELL GARDENS » Afro-Mexican $

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Pozoles are rich and slightly thick, and the memorable pork tamales with red sauce are wrapped in fire-tinged banana leaves that impart a hint of smoke. 8101 Garfield Ave., 562-674-3043, ordertamaleselenayantojitos.com, or @tamaleselenayantojitos.

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

2022

THE ANNUAL LIST OF TOP WOMEN ATTORNEYS

SUPERLAWYERS.COM

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SELECTION PROCESS Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process.*

OUR PATENTED SELECTION PROCESS

The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. We limit the lawyer ratings to those who can be hired and retained by the public, i.e., lawyers in private practice and Legal Aid attorneys.

NOMINATIONS Diverse list of the top attorneys nominated by their own peers

The Super Lawyers selection process involves the steps outlined in the graphic (at right).

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH Evaluated by third-party research across 12 key categories

LEARN MORE SuperLawyers.com/SelectionProcess

PEER EVALUATION

QUESTIONS? SL-Research@thomsonreuters.com

Reviewed by a highly credentialed Blue Ribbon Panel of attorneys

visit SuperLawyers.com Search for an attorney by practice area and location, and read features on attorneys selected to our lists.

FINAL SELECTION

2.5%

of attorneys selected to Rising Stars

DISCLAIMER: The hiring of an attorney is an important decision that should not be based solely upon the advertising or listings in this magazine. Super Lawyers does not certify or designate an attorney as a specialist, is not a title conferred on individual lawyers, and is not intended to communicate that lawyers selected will achieve better results upon the advertising or listings in the magazine.

5%

of attorneys selected to Super Lawyers

*U.S. Pat. No. 8,412,564

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOP WOMEN 2022

SORTED ALPHABETICALLY

Selected to Super Lawyers

BETI BERGMAN

PENINSULA LAW, A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION

3220 Sepulveda Boulevard Suite 203 Torrance, CA 90505 Tel: 310-694-8703 Fax: 866-449-6181 bbergman@peninsula.law www.peninsula.law

Selected to Super Lawyers

Selected to Super Lawyers

SHARON A. BRYAN

ANNA DARBINIAN

LAW OFFICE OF SHARON A. BRYAN

IMMIGRATION LAW FIRM 0' "4)&340/ ,-&*/ª DARBINIAN

21515 Hawthorne Boulevard Suite 490 Torrance, CA 90503 Tel: 310-540-8855 Fax: 310-316-1307 sharon@mbsllp.com www.mbsllp.com

8JMTIJSF #PVMFWBSE Suite 711 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Tel: 310-247-6070 Fax: 310-278-8454 ad@asherson.net www.asherson.net

ESTATE & TRUST LITIGATION ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE

FAMILY LAW

IMMIGRATION

Beti Bergman is the founder and principal of Peninsula Law, an elite, boutique firm specializing in probate, trusts, estates, and conservatorships. Bergman, a former civil litigator and former deputy city attorney for the City of Los Angeles, created Peninsula Law with a laser focus on probate law and built Peninsula Law into a probate powerhouse. Peninsula Law represents fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and families in litigation, planning, and settling estates. Peninsula Law embraces resolution of conflict and goes to trial when necessary. Peninsula Law’s philosophy is to treat clients with judgment, courtesy, and diligence, and to build winning cases based on exceptional strategy, analysis, and persuasion. Bergman also mediates and JT BWBJMBCMF WJB ;PPN GPS EJTQVUF SFTPMVUJPOªDPOGFSFODFT

4IBSPO #SZBO JT SBUFE CZ 4VQFS -BXZFST BT B 5PQ ª8PNFOµT honoree in Southern California, and by Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent in legal ability and ethical standards. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist by State of California Board of Legal Specialization; USC Gould School of Law; UCLA professional designation in Personal Financial Planning; instructor at California State Bar, and judge pro tem in LA Superior Court. Served as past president Association of Certified Family Law Specialists; editor ACFLS Newsletter; past president 4PVUI #BZ 8PNFO -BXZFST UISFF ZFBST 4UBUF #BS 'BNJMZ -BX Executive Committee; editor of Family Law News; president 2021-2022, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, of 4P$BM $IBQUFS BOE *OUFSOBUJPOBM "DBEFNZ PG 'BNJMZª-BXZFST

.T ª "OOB %BSCJOJBO IBT CFFO DFSUJGJFE BT B TQFDJBMJTU JO Immigration Law by the State Bar of California and has been TFMFDUFE GPS JODMVTJPO PO UIF ª 4PVUIFSO $BMJGPSOJB Super Lawyers lists, affirming her extensive knowledge and experience. As managing partner of the Immigration Law Firm PG "TIFSTPO ,MFJOª %BSCJOJBO TIF IBT TVDDFTTGVMMZ EFGFOEFE her clients in numerous federal and state courts. She practices all aspects of immigration law, including removal defense. She has represented asylees, detainees, employees, employers, and entertainers, among many others. She resolutely believes that no case–no matter how challenging or complex–is impossible, personifying Napoleon’s famous dictum, “Impossibility is a word GPVOE POMZ JO UIF EJDUJPOBSZ PGªGPPMT ³

SUPER LAWYERS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA / TOP WOMEN 2022

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOP WOMEN 2022 Selected to Super Lawyers

GAIL A. GLICK

SORTED ALPHABETICALLY Selected to Super Lawyers

Selected to Super Lawyers

KAREN L. GOLDSTEIN

ESTHER HOPKINS

8JMTIJSF #PVMFWBSE Suite 2040 Los Angeles, CA 90025 Tel: 310-625-7577 gail@gailglick.com www.gailglick.com

1645 North Vine Street Suite 306 Los Angeles, CA 90028 Tel: 888-445-6313 Fax: 323-467-7229 kgoldstein@klgcriminaldefense.com www.klgcriminaldefense.com

2393 Townsgate Road Suite 201 8FTUMBLF 7JMMBHF $" Tel: 818-206-8711 Fax: 818-2068789 ehopkins@hopkinslawgroup.com www.hopkinslawgroup.com

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

CRIMINAL DEFENSE CRIMINAL DEFENSE: WHITE COLLAR

ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE

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Esther Hopkins, founder and principal of the Law Offices of Esther Hopkins, P.C., provides personalized legal counsel to individuals and families in the areas of estate planning, business planning, business succession planning, probate and trust administration, and special needs planning. She is particularly adept at handling the planning and administration challenges unique to high-net-worth individuals and families, complex estates, and business successions. Esther takes a great deal of personal and professional satisfaction from helping families protect the assets they have worked so hard to achieve, and XPSLJOH UP QSFWFOU UIF UZQFT PG JOGJHIUJOH PWFS ²XIP HFUT XIBU³ that can destroy family relationships for a lifetime. Esther earned IFS +VSJT %PDUPS GSPN -PZPMB -BX 4DIPPM -PTª"OHFMFT

("*- " (-*$, .&%*"5*0/ª EMPLOYMENT LAW, INC.

Selected to Super Lawyers

DENA A. KLEEMAN ,-&&."/ª ,3&.&/ '".*-: LAWYERS

LAW OFFICES OF KAREN L. GOLDSTEIN

Selected to Super Lawyers

THERESA J. MACELLARO

LAW OFFICES OF ESTHER HOPKINS, P.C.

Selected to Super Lawyers

ALICE CHEN SMITH YOKA | SMITH, LLP

THE MACELLARO FIRM, P.C. 1748 Preuss Road Los Angeles, CA 90035 Tel: 310-399-8585 Fax: 310-399-8686 tmacellaro@macellarolaw.com www.MacellaroLaw.com

445 South Figueroa Street 38th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90071 Tel: 213-427-2300 Fax: 213-427-2330 asmith@yokasmith.com www.yokasmith.com

FAMILY LAW

BUSINESS LITIGATION ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE

CIVIL LITIGATION: DEFENSE PERSONAL INJURY GENERAL: DEFENSE PERSONAL INJURY PRODUCTS: DEFENSE

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Alice Chen Smith is the Managing Partner of Yoka | Smith, LLP, recognized by 6 4 /FXTª ° #FTU -BXZFST as a Best Law Firm for product liability and personal injury litigation defense in Los Angeles. Her primary focus is litigating products liability, catastrophic personal injury and business matters for clients such as manufacturers of tires, automobiles, industrial and heavy equipment, fitness clubs, restaurants, and prominent retailers. She practices throughout the State of California in trial BOE BQQFMMBUF DPVSUT 4IF XBT OBNFE POF PG UIF ª8PNFO of Influence: Attorneys by the Los Angeles Business Journal, has been on the Super Lawyers lists since 2012, is a member of ABOTA since 2019, and serves on the Board for ASCDC BOEª"#5-

499 North Canon Drive Suite 200 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Tel: 310-247-0727 Fax: 310-887-7012 dak@kleemanlaw.com www.kleemanlaw.com

Selected to Super Lawyers

PAM TEREN

TEREN LAW, P.C.

225 Avenue I Suite 203 Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Tel: 310-543-2300 Fax: 310-543-2303 pam@terenlawgroup.com www.terenlawgroup.com

EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION: PLAINTIFF

.T ª 5FSFO CFHBO IFS DBSFFS XPSLJOH GPS FNQMPZFST EFGFOEJOH employees’ claims and then used her defense experience to help employees maximize their claims by anticipating defenses and BWPJEJOH EFGFOTF USBQT .T ª5FSFO QSPTFDVUFT FNQMPZFFTµ DMBJNT including sexual harassment, sex/race/age/disability and all other forms of illegal discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowers, XBHF WJPMBUJPOT BOE $PWJE SFMBUFE DMBJNT .T ª 5FSFO FOKPZT a perfect record in defeating defense dismissal motions and BO FYDFMMFOU USJBM SFDPSE .T ª 5FSFOµT FYQFSJFODF FEVDBUJPO communication skills, and aggressive representation empower IFS DMJFOUT UP BDIJFWF FYDFMMFOU SFTVMUT PO UIFJSªDBTFT

S-4

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Shopping Directory Drama King

B E AU G R E A LY

CO N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 1 0 1

according to a 2015 lawsuit filed by his wife, Rita Stern Milch, against his business managers. Also, they were $17 million in debt. This, despite Milch having earned an estimated $100 million from Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, and Deadwood. The matter was settled out of court, but the couple had to sell the Brentwood house where they raised their three children and move to a rental in Santa Monica.

“I think there were some tremendous psychological issues that weighed on Dave,” says Tinker about Milch’s self-sabotage. “I think his brain probably worked a little bit too hard, and he couldn’t deal with it.”

Milch would be in thrall to drugs until his early fifties. He’s been off heroin and painkillers since 1999, and horse racing since 2002. In 2019, he moved into the memory-care unit of an assisted living facility. Eventually, his wife began picking him up in the morning hours—his most productive—and taking him to the guest house at their home, where he would work on the memoir and a Johnny Carson biopic script for HBO. Milch’s friends and associates observe that if his overindulgence in drugs was a compulsion, then writing is a drive. “He took it really, really seriously,” says Carolyn Strauss, HBO’s executive for Deadwood. “He’s a person of great appetites, and he had a great appetite for writing.”

In Without a Net, a documentary about Milch’s chaotic last weeks on NYPD Blue, Milch reflected: “I think it’s too facile to say that [work] is an addiction—if you’re referencing to my addiction to heroin to say that it’s the same thing. Because an addiction to a drug is a way to not feel anything.

And the work that I’ve tried to do is a way for sharing feelings.”

COVER: On Sedona: GUCCI gown and gloves prices upon request, at gucci.com. Tights, stylist’s own.

RETROUVAI necklace and rings, prices upon request, at retrouvai.com. ESTABLISHED necklace and earrings, prices upon request, at establishedjewelry.com.

On Aaron: GUCCI suit, shirt, and ribbon tie, prices upon request, at gucci.com. ETIQ ring, $465, at etiqdesign.com. Other rings, model’s own. PAGES 88-89: On Aaron: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN coat, sweater, and pants, prices upon request, at alexandermcqueen.com. Necklace, from $350, at shopdorsey.com. ETIQ ring, $465, at etiqdesign.com.

On Monica: SPORTMAX dress, price upon request, at us.sportmax.com. JIMMY CHOO boots, $1,450, at us.jimmychoo.com. BALMAIN clutch (on table), $1,495, at us.balmain.com. ELSIE FRIEDA earrings (one worn as ear cuff), $115, at elsiefrieda.com. Ear huggies: model’s own. MEME rings, prices upon request, at meme.london. NICOLE ROSE rings, prices upon request, at nicolerosejewelry.com. On Tyler: SACAI sweater, cardigan, and pants, prices upon request, at sacai.jp. Jewelry: model’s own. On Becca: OSCAR DE LA RENTA skirt, $2,990, and bralette, price upon request, at oscardelarenta.com. STUART WEITZMAN pumps, $495, at stuartweitzman.com.

GUCCI clutch, price upon request, at gucci.com.

MEME earrings, $149, at meme.london. CELESTE STARRE ring, $153, at celestestarre.com. MICHAEL M ring, $3,120, at michaelmcollection.com. On Sedona: DOLCE & GABBANA tee with attached bra, skirt, armlets, and leggings, prices upon request, at us.dolcegabbana.com. ESTABLISHED necklace and ring, prices upon request, at establishedjewelry.com. RETROUVAI rings, prices upon request, at retrouvai.com. On London: DOLCE & GABBANA suit and shoes, prices upon request, at us.dolcegabbana.com. ETIQ ring, $440, at etiqdesign.com. NICKHO REY earring, $325, at nickhorey.com. Belt: stylist’s own. Necklaces: model’s own. PAGE 90: On Aaron: DIOR cape jacket, shirt, sweatpants, and shoes, prices upon request, at dior.com. ETIQ ring, $465, at etiqdesign.com. On Sedona: PRADA tank top, skirt, and shoes, prices upon request, and handbag, $3,050, at prada.com. CHAINED BY SEDONA bra, $295, at chainedbysedona.com. ESTABLISHED necklace, earrings, and ring, prices upon request, at establishedjewelry.com.

RETROUVAI rings, prices upon request, at retrouvai.com. On Tyler: PRADA jumpsuit and boots, price upon request, at prada.com. Jewelry: model’s own. PAGE 91: On London: I LOVE LIBERTINE jacket and pants, prices upon request, at ilovelibertine.com. JIMMY CHOO shoes, $750, at us.jimmychoo.com. ETIQ ring, $440, at etiqdesign.com. NICKHO REY earring, $325, at nickhorey.com. On Sedona: BALMAIN tunic with attached vest, leggings, and boot pants, prices upon request, at us.balmain.com. On Tyler: BALMAIN tee and pants, prices upon request, at us.balmain.com. JIMMY CHOO boots, $750, at us.jimmychoo.com. Necklaces, from $395, at shopdorsey.com. PAGE 92: On Monica (in blackand-white photo at center): LAFAYETTE 148 coat, price upon request, at lafayette148ny.com. JONATHAN SIMKHAI dress, price upon request, at jonathansimkhai.com. BALMAIN sandals, price upon request, at us.balmain.com. PAGE 93: On Becca (in color photo below top left): DIOR top, $2,200, skirt, $4,500, and jacket, price upon request, at dior.com. On Sedona (in color photo at center): GUCCI gown, jacket and gloves prices upon request, at gucci.com.

Tights, stylist’s own. RETROUVAI necklace and rings, prices upon request, at retrouvai.com. ESTABLISHED necklace and earrings, prices upon request, at establishedjewelry.com. On London (in color photo at center): GUCCI suit, shirt, brooch, bow tie, and boots, prices upon request, at gucci.com. ETIQ ring, price upon request, at etiqdesign.com.

NICKHO REY earring, price upon request, at nickhorey.com. Necklaces and bracelets: models own’s. On Becca (in color photo at top right): FENDI jacket, price upon request, at fendi.com. ELSA PERETTI bracelets, $20,000 to $32,000, at tiffany.com. On Tyler (in color photo above bottom right): BALMAIN tee, pants, and bag, prices upon request, at us.balmain.com. LAPIMA sunglasses, price upon request, at us.lapima.com. JIMMY CHOO boots, $750, at us.jimmychoo.com. Necklaces, from $395, at shopdorsey.com. PAGE 94: On Sedona: RICK OWENS dress and jacket, prices upon request, at rickowens.eu. CHAINED BY SEDONA choker, price upon request, at chainedbysedona.com.

ESTABLISHED earrings, price upon request, at establishedjewelry.com. On Becca: GIORGIO ARMANI jacket, tee, and pants, prices upon request, at armani.com. STUART WEITZMAN pumps, price upon request, at stuartweitzman.com.

MEME earrings, $149, at meme.london. CELESTE STARRE ring, $153, at celestestarre.com. MICHAEL M ring, $3,120, at michaelmcollection.com. On London: LOUIS VUITTON jacket with brooch, shirt, and tie, prices upon request, and jeans, $2,080, at us.louisvuitton.com. ETIQ ring, $440, at etiqdesign.com. Necklaces and bracelets: model’s own. On Tyler: GIORGIO ARMANI suit and shirt, prices upon request, at armani.com. Necklaces, from $395, at shopdorsey.com. On Aaron (in foreground): OFFICINE GÉNÉRALE coat, tee, and pants, prices upon request, at officinegenerale.com/en.

Necklace, from $350, at shopdorsey.com. ETIQ ring, $465, at etiqdesign.com. On Monica: LOUIS VUITTON dress, tunic, and boots, prices upon request, at us.louisvuitton.com. ELSIE FRIEDA earrings (one worn as ear cuff), $115, at elsiefrieda.com. Ear huggies: model’s own. MEME rings, prices upon request, at meme.london. NICOLE ROSE rings, prices upon request, at nicolerosejewelry.com. PAGE 95: On Aaron: BOTTEGA VENETA coat and pants, prices upon request, at bottegaveneta.com. On Becca: MICHAEL KORS dress and jacket, prices upon request, at michaelkors.com.

MEME earrings, $149, at meme.london. CELESTE STARRE ring, $153, at celestestarre.com. MICHAEL M ring, $3,120, at michaelmcollection.com. On Monica: BOTTEGA VENETA trench coat, tank top, boots, and bucket bag, prices upon request, at bottegaveneta.com. Ear huggies: model’s own. PAGE 96: On Tyler: PRADA jumpsuit and boots, prices upon request, at prada.com. Jewelry: model’s own. On Aaron: DIOR cape jacket, shirt, and sweatpants, prices upon request, at dior.com. ETIQ ring, $465, at etiqdesign.com. On Monica: MIU MIU dress, lingerie, jacket, and boots, prices upon request, at miumiu.com. Ear huggies: model’s own. MEME rings, prices upon request, at meme.london. NICOLE ROSE rings, prices upon request, at nicolerosejewelry.com. On London: MIU MIU sweater, pants, and belts, prices upon request, at miumiu.com. ETIQ ring, $440, at etiqdesign.com. NICKHO REY earring, $325, at nickhorey.com.

Necklaces and bracelets: model’s own. PAGE 97: On Sedona: RICK OWENS dress, jacket, and boots, prices upon request, at rickowens.eu. CHAINED BY SEDONA choker, price upon request, at chainedbysedona.com. ESTABLISHED necklace, earrings and ring, prices upon request, at establishedjewelry.com.

L A M AG . C O M 1 2 3

Q

EMAIL YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ABOUT L.A. TO ASKCHRIS@LAMAG.COM

I used to spot this crazy van covered in bronze objects. Is it still around?

CHRIS’S PICK

Old West Coasters A BOOK ABOUT DRINKING ACCESSORIES ● Little scraps

JUNK ON HIS TRUNK

A:

In L.A., art cars can spring up when you least expect them. You’re cruising along and, boom!, the Ford Pinto next to you is covered in discoball mirrors. Most are created by self-taught “cartists” like Burbank’s Ernie Steingold, who spent decades riveting coins, toys, and five tons of brass bric-a-brac to his 1976 GMC van. The late vacuum-cleaner repairman’s car, “California Fantasy Van,” is currently at Art Car World, a museum in Douglas, Arizona, with other examples of the renowned art form, like the “Rocket Bike” and “Oh My God!”—a rainbow-colored VW Bug dripping with grapes and daisies that’s a favorite at Burning Man. Q: Are L.A.’s super-tall palm trees approaching the end of their life span?

A: Mexican fan palms from the Victorian era are still swaying over the Coliseum, the Arboretum, and Orthopaedic hospital. Some experts put their life span at around 500 years in the wild, so imagine them 1 2 4 L A M AG . C O M

sticking around into the era of Jean-Luc Picard. Old age and extreme height aren’t easy for these colossal grasses.

“The water isn’t able to get sucked up,” says urban forester Ken Pfalzgraf, who manages the century-old crop in Beverly Hills. “They just dry up.” At 120 feet, the crowns are beyond the range of pruning equipment,

and there’s a risk of falling fronds.

“I have to remove and replace them.

It’s all about safety,” Pfalzgraf says.

Q: Why does Muhammad Ali’s Walk of Fame star feature the comedy and tragedy masks?

A: There’s an episode of 30 Rock where one of the characters hopes to

win a Tony Award for “living theatrically in normal life.”

That’s all I could think of when Hall of Fame producer Ana Martinez told me that her colorful predecessor, Johnny Grant, suggested the “live performance” category when the boxing champ was awarded one of the walk’s only sports stars, in 2002.

“He considered Ali to be walking theatre,” Martinez says. Rather than theatrical producers, comedians, magicians, and a doo-wop band have the same masks on their stars.

ST E I N G O L D : CO U R T E SY T R AC Y B O U V I E R ; B A R K E E P S : CO U R T E SY A N G E L C I T Y P R E S S

Steingold and his brass van in 1995.

of paper, too delicate to survive more than one drink, live on in the book Bar Keeps: A Collection of California’s Best Cocktail Napkins, out this month.

Universal Studios production designer Patrick Quinn shares his bounty of midcentury cocktail napkins, the rarest of paper ephemera, which scream with bold graphics and colorful characters culled from a lost universe of eating and drinking spots (though a few survivors, including Musso & Frank’s, the Tam O’Shanter, and the Derby, have recently celebrated their centennials).

Matchbooks, menus, and swizzle sticks— sometimes stained and creased from a fun night out— add to the picture of what a table might have looked like when your grandparents were out and about.

VOLUME 67, NUMBER 9. LOS ANGELES (ISSN 1522-9149) is published monthly by Los Angeles Magazine, LLC. Principal office: 10100 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and additional mailing offices. The one-year domestic subscription price is $14.95. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LOS ANGELES, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials, which must be accompanied by return postage. SUBSCRIBERS: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

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