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Archive for April, 2011
THE MERCY SEAT BY NEIL LABUTE
Through Apr. 24. The Vs. Theatre Company explores what would happen if you were suddenly faced with the now-or-never chance to leave your spouse for your lover, with no messy strings attached. Michelle Clunie (Queer as Folk) and Johnny Clark star in the L.A. premiere of The Mercy Seat, Neil LaBute’s caustically funny examination of opportunism in the wake of tragedy. This would be a nice end to a sightseeing tour of Los Angeles while you visit. Head on over after Set on Sept. 12, 2001, The Mercy Seat attempts to “examine the ‘ground zero’ of our lives…the painful, simplistic warfare we often wage on the hearts of those we profess to love,” wrote LaBute.
Tickets $20/$12, students/seniors. [Inside] the Ford, Ford Theatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 323.461.3673.
Brewery Artwalk
April 16-17. More than 100 artist studios at the former brewery open their doors. The twice-annual event offers goers the chance to see new works of art, speak with the artists and purchase works at non-commission studio prices. I thought most would like something unique to do, so I recommend you add this on your list of things to do as you tour LA. Dining available at the artwork and their on-site restaurant. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 2100 N Main St., downtown.
“Magnum” Culinary Pop-Up Series at Royal/T
On April 17-19, dynamic duo David Haskell and Chef Joseph Mahon pop up at Royal/T in Culver City for three nights of innovative cuisine and innovative drink pairings. Diners have a choice of a five ($62), seven ($80), or ten-course menu ($118) with optional wine pairings ($45-92). The event pairs Mahon’s French cuisine with Haskell’s sake, Asian beer, and French and Italian wine selections (with a special menu on Tuesday, April 19 in celebration of Haskell’s 35th birthday). Courses will include: Fennel Royale with Sea Urchin, Apple Cloud, and Nori Powder; Braised Baby Octopus with Leek Risotto, Pine Nuts, and Pancetta Vinaigrette; Miso-Cured Hangar Steak with Creamed Spinach, Shitake Mushroom Tempura, Sesame Seeds, and Ponzu Sauce; Yuzu Crème Brûlée with Poached Apricots. This is a great place to try something new while you make your Los Angeles tour plans. Small plates and sake pairings by Mahon and Haskell will also be available at Royal/T’s bar throughout the three-night series.
Royal/T and Magnum are also working in collaboration with the Japan Sake Brewers Association to donate 5% of dinner proceeds and 100% of silent auction (featuring vintage wines, cooking classes and a private dinner by Chef Mahon) proceeds to benefit the devastated sake industry (more than 200 sake breweries were affected by the earthquake and at least 10 were completely wiped out). They have set up a fund where all of the money will go directly into rehabilitation and restoration of all of the affected breweries.
Reservations for the event need to be made by calling the Magnum reservation line at 323.798.4648 or by emailing magnumdh@gmail.com.
Royal/T, 8910 Washington Blvd., Culver City.
Dengue Fever, The Holloys, Jail Weddings
Formed in 2001, Dengue Fever has been one of the most enduring, hype-sustaining acts in the L.A. area since its inception, largely because there’s not another band in the universe that does what they do. Theirs is a timeless, genreless, polyglot sound forged of surf guitar, space rock, Afro rhythms and Cambodian pop. This has to be one of the most original acts out there. Definitely a must see while you tour LA. The sextet is set to release its fifth album the same day as this show, and like its predecessors, Cannibal Courtship is expected to be a swooning, upbeat blend of the exotic and the familiar, tied together by the strange but comely coo of Chhom Nimal, who sings in both English and Khmer. Opening are Echo Park psychedelic pop crew the Holloys and local garage-punk big band Jail Weddings.
Price: $15
A-Won
At its best, Japanese sashimi is something exquisite; delicate ultrafresh nibbles meant to be contemplated as much as they are to be eaten. Korean sushi is something else entirely – it is bar food, seasoned with raw garlic and hot peppers, smeared with bean paste, consumed in great quantities with flowing oceans of soju or beer. Tucked into the rear of a Koreatown mini-mall, A-Won is one of Koreatown’s oldest sushi restaurants, a serene but well-worn place where the high-backed booths are as private as little cabanas. This is a great place to plan a meal for things to do in LA in the upcoming weeks. You can stop on by during an LA tour. Marinated sea cucumber, big portions and the habit of eating sashimi with raw garlic have their fans, but the great Korean contribution to the world’s sushi kitchen may be hwe dup bap, an elaborate raw-fish salad leavened with dried seaweed and hot rice and flavored with chile paste. And at A-Won, a Koreatown institution devoted to the cult of hwe dup bap, the display is formidable: order after order racing out of the kitchen in bowls as big as Valkyrie helmets. Good hwe dup bap – and A-Won’s is very good – is as alive and vivid and evanescent as a wildflower. And don’t miss the al bap, a big bowl of warm rice frosted with half a dozen different kinds of fish eggs.
913 1/2 S. Vermont Ave. L.A., CA 90006 | Mid-Wilshire/ Hancock Park | (213) 389-6764
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 1-11 p.m.
Gordon Getty Concert: Metropolitan Opera Artists
There are few things that can beat a great museum, complete with dinner in the restaurant and a concert to complement one of the exhibitions. And even fewer that can beat the Getty for content and atmosphere, and a concert featuring some reigning operatic stars. This weekend’s Gordon Getty Concert: Metropolitan Opera Artists features electrifying bass-baritone Terry Cook, who’s known for his incredible voice and equally captivating performance style. A natural actor, Cook has become inextricably linked with the title role in Porgy and Bess, but he’s equally impressive in anything he undertakes, and has wowed the crowds in more than 20 Met productions, including Il Trovatore, La Traviata, La Gioconda and La Clemenza di Tito. Come by after a informational LA tour, it’ll tell you all about the Getty Center. Soprano Monica Yunus, whose multi-ethnic heritage is listed as “Bangladeshi Russian American,” and whose offstage credits include the founding of Sing for Hope, an organization benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina and other humanitarian causes, started out in the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus when she was no bigger than an eighth note, went on to win major recognition in her teens, and today is one of the Met’s most successful young sopranos. Cook and Yunus are joined by Met principal clarinetist Anthony McGill (pictured)and pianist Caroline Stoessinger in a program of songs and arias by Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Richard Strauss
Getty Center
Price: $20, $15 students & seniors
Sat., April 16, 7:30pm
Dine with Chef Philip Dubose at Asia de Cuba
Angelinos, and those visiting our city, expect nothing less than the best Los Angeles things to do, and when it comes to Los Angeles dining, we not only want to eat food that makes our taste buds explode with ecstasy, but sometimes we want to learn all the chefs secrets as well. Luckily you have your chance on April 12, at Asia de Cuba at the Mondrian Hotel with executive chef Philip Dubose.
At this rare and wonderful event, mingle in the chic modern dining room and gaze out over LA basin, glass of bubbly in hand, just as the sun is setting. Take your place at the table (grab a seat facing the window) where, just to the side of it, the affable Dubose joins you with his culinary team to demonstrate the night’s menu.
Everything at Asia de Cuba has to have elements of Latino and Asian regions. When we were there during their January event, Dubose demonstrated making the classic ADC Tuna Pica, Ropa Viega en Salade (consisting of a slow roasted duck leg, napa cabbage, daikon radish sprouts, plum & soy dressing), sauteed Turbot in Tarragon Mushroom broth, and crowned the night by serving a dessert platter that would make any sweet tooth envious. Throughout the night he throws in his tricks like: use gyoza wrappers for ravioli, instead of spending the evening mixing actual pasta dough.
On Tuesday Dubose prepares and teaches you how to create seasonal dishes and ADC classics such as the Havanna Roll, Char Sui Short Rips and Whole Branzino. After the preparation, dine on a three-course prix-fixe (consisting of the dishes you learned to prepare), paired with wine. $95/pp. Reservations required. Asia de Cuba, Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel, 8440 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323.848.6000.
Bike Night
Tonight’s Bike Night at the Hammer means you have an excuse to finally jam “Bike,” the last song off Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and not feel so ironic or self-conscious about it. Hosted by artist Lisa Anne Auerbach, it features screenings of BMX classic Rad (1986) and a series of bike-related short films (possibly that one with the kids in the monkey masks learning about bike safety, which infected your nightmares), free vegan snacks, drinks of various varieties, bicycle portraits and balloon racing (which may or may not be the same thing as submarine racing). I’d advise to head on by for another addition to your Los Angeles tour plans, it’ll be an interesting classic type of fun. The only thing that could make this evening perfect is if Nicole Kidman showed up in her beautiful naturally curly heady-dready BMX Bandits hairdo and rode bikes with you and you saved her from crashing her roachmobile on Wilshire.
Thu., April 14, 7:00pm
Hammer Museum
Price: Free
Blue Plate Oysterette – Santa Monica
Blue Plate Oysterette
1355 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica CA 90401
(310) 576-3474
Blue Plate Oysterette will easily become your favorite neighborhood sea-foodie restaurant. Perched high up above the ocean in Santa Monica on Ocean Drive, the restaurant has outdoor seating where you see nothing but blue skies and even bluer water. The menu features seafood classics, and a friendly wait staff who love to make recommendations on their fresh catch of the day, the best raw oysters, and a perfect beer or glass of rose to go with your meal. Sea food has quickly reached my very slim palette. I’d advise to come by on a Friday night after an LA tour when the locals come to hang out. There always in good company. A fun crowd to mingle with if you get the right table.
Menu Must-Haves: Raw Bar Combo (a fresh mix of ocean-fresh oysters and clams on the half shell, crisp prawns, and ceviche on a platter); Oysters Rockefeller (an oldie but an oh-so goodie); Lobster Mac and Cheese (complete with truffle oil and fresh herbs).
Il Sole Reopens
Il Sole, the beloved WeHo eatery known for its intimate atmosphere and Italian menu, has reopened with a stylish new design and inviting vibe. Owners Arnold Stiefel and Andy Hewitt partnered with entrepreneur Brent Bolthouse to give one of L.A.’s enduring restaurants a chic new atmosphere. The new look has a classic feel with candlelit tables, tufted banquettes and black-and-white hexagon tile accents, and the ornate pressed tin ceiling and modern light fixtures lend an elegant touch. Heading here soon after finishing up a sightseeing tour in Los Angeles.The vintage bar at the center of the restaurant as well as the intimate Wine Room make for inviting places to unwind. To complement the changes at Il Sole, chef Issac Rivera has fine-tuned the menu, focusing on regional favorites of Italy such as Maine Lobster ravioli in butter sauce and imported Dover sole in a lemon sauce.
8741 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 310.657.1182