The Grilled Cheese Movement

Perhaps it started with Campanile's Grilled Cheese Night on Thursdays years ago. This high-end restaurant (which would otherwise never serve the likes of grilled cheese in their gourmet menu) even claims to be the first to hype grilled cheese in Los Angeles. It was a hit with celebs like Reese Witherspoon and written up in all the glossies. Soon other restaurants followed, like Bodega Wine Bar in Santa Monica, making a high-end grilled cheese with brie and apples. I liked it, but it wasn't classic enough to bring on childhood nostalgia. I think the cheese needs to be yellow-orange for me to get that warm fuzzy feeling.

Then came the Grilled Cheese Truck which is known to have Twitter stalkers all over Los Angeles and lines around the block. This month, waiters at the OK! Magazine party were passing around mini grilled cheese sandwiches on silver platters.

But now, people are going beyond just grilled cheese. They are offering the whole package. Grub in Hollywood is known for making comfort food chic, and they came up with the After School Special; a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Their buttery sandwich and all-natural soup laced with tarragon made me feel all cuddly.

So far, my very favorite grilled cheese with tomato soup combo (and there are plenty of places to choose from now) is at The Bowery on Sunset in Hollywood. While known for their craft beers and burgers, their crisp and gooey grilled cheese sandwich is pure comfort. And their tomato soup is creamy like a bisque, topped with a piece of toasted baguette smothered in herbed goat cheese. It's enough to make me wish it were raining in our city of eternal sunshine.

The Downtown L.A. Film Festival

The Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival held a gala at The Alexandria Hotel, circa 1906. While beautiful in its stained glass and crown molding glory, the owners try to hide the state of semi-dilapidation with paint jobs. The effect is very Ms. Havisham's mansion from Great Expectations. For this native East-Coaster, it brought back feelings of nostalgia. Rushing in were memories of my college days in Richmond, VA, where we all lived in once-grand homes (some dating back to the Civil War) that were broken into smaller units. It rekindled my longing for great architecture. Half-lit chandeliers, shattered mirrors and all.

The "gala" itself was boring and felt like a fundraiser. Call me a snob, but one doesn't call it a gala with paper plates and cheap Smart and Final desserts cut into 2-inch servings....at a cost. It was filled with hipsters trying to out-weird one another via hair and clothing, and a band that played...well, it wasn't music.

We escaped and wandered around darkened service hallways and opened doors into forbidden and forgotten ballrooms. The beauty of the place was intoxicating, and we had a blast exploring....until chased down and escorted out by security.

Enjoy the photos!

Above: the original Hollywood Babylon crew; Fatty Arbuckle, Rudolph Valentino, Poli Negra, etc.

Fashion's Night Out 2010!

IT'S FASHION WEEK!!!

This may not be New York, (American Apparel does not a Fashion Mecca make) but we can still celebrate here in LaLa Land.

In fact, all around the world people are celebrating fashion, and it was tough to lock down just where to go in Los Angeles. It was parties and gift bags galore! I RSVP'd to Trina Turk's party and it did not disappoint.

The place was adorned with punchy splashes of color that signifies the vintage chic of Trina Turk, and there were generous sales. We sipped refreshing Ice Tropez in flutes, which bubbled like Champagne and was peachy sweet like a Bellini. There were cookies, manicures, music, giveaways and a trolley that rode up and down Third Street to take us to and from The Beverly Center.

It was the perfect way to kick off the weekend!

Told You So...

Last year, I blogged about how we were on the cusp of a Bacon Dessert Movement. Now it has trickled from eclectic cafes to mainstream America. And I mean, like, really mainstream. Wal-Mart mainstream. This was taken at the L.A. County Fair.

Overrated!

P.S.) Can they PLEASE designate a "no stroller" day, so the rest of us can enjoy the fair without being battered, bruised and not apologized to?

To Pee or Not to Pee

Note to people who think they can text and drive: YOU CANNOT. And most likely, you'll end up like this. Los Angeles traffic is miserable enough, but our obligations are of no matter compared to their All Important Text. They're bottlenecking canyons with slow reaction times, leaving giant gaps in the thoroughfare, missing lights and driving well below the speed limit. These days, if you feel a bad driver just might make you cry, you can almost guarantee seeing their face lit by the familiar electronic blue glow.

That glow. It's everywhere. That little bluish square glowing a few yards away from you on the sidewalk as the neighbor walks their dogs. Surrounded by night blooming jasmine and birds of paradise, they choose not to enjoy nature or quality time with man's best friend, but stare into the blue ether with thumbs twitching at the speed of light.

Shopping malls, offices, even in the elevator you see no faces; just bowed heads and busy thumbs. People bump into walls, each other and eye contact be damned. My friend Dawn gets so irate if she sees a hovering blue square lit up in a movie theatre, she'll comment aloud on how hideous they are. It used to bother me too, but then I found out about Run Pee. This site gives recommendations as to when the best time to run to the bathroom would be during the movie, and even fills you in on what you've missed. Now I'm more forgiving when my eyeline is interrupted by a hovering blue light. I take a deep breath and fix my eyes on the screen. Maybe they're checking out Run Pee, 'cause when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Too bad Run Pee isn't partial with their movie listings. I Can Do Bad All By Myself was once on there. If the makers of Run Pee had any heart, they wouldn't tell us when to run and pee. They would just tell us to run.

Los Angeles is a town that takes film seriously, so it's a cute idea, if not a bit gimmicky. Be careful before illuminating the darkness with your electric blue square, though. Dawn might be in the theatre.

The Dark Underbelly of the Comedian

I once dated a stand-up comic and everything they say is true. Not what the comics say themselves, but what people say about dating them. That clown mask hides some serious issues. And if you're really messed up, you have the potential to make every relationship a total drama (and I mean Carmen Electra drama), which naturally supplies a lifetime of material. My level-headed friend Darren is a talented writer for The Soup, and even he says you can't be a great comedy writer without some form of neurosis.

That would explain why there are so many bad sitcoms - the writers are too damned emotionally balanced. That and people are base enough to be tickled by The New Adventures of Old Christine.

If you want to be exposed to comedic genius for free without leaving the house, hit up Picture War. Dueling comedian friends Stirling Gardener and Matt Kaye continue to blog back and forth with the most hideous and shocking images you will come across on the web. Even if they do lift a lot from Awkward Family Photos.