Highways vs. Freeways

Back East, no one says freeway. Out West, no one says highway. The Highway vs. Freeway debate continues to be a passionate yet pointless point of contention. And everyone's defense is boring; "Our way is better because it's...ours?"

...So what is the difference between highways and freeways? According to Dictionary.com:

Highway - a main road, esp. one between towns or cities

Freeway - an express highway with no intersections, usually having traffic routed on and off by means of a cloverleaf.

...But guess what the synonym for highway is? Freeway. And a synonym for freeway? Thaaaat's right. Both coasts are right, both coasts are wrong and everyone needs to find something more substantial to trump the other coast. Serious issues, such as Twizzlers vs. Red Vines. 

Seriously?

Niland, CA

I'm a sucker for a long line

Who doesn't think these people are in on something?

I always thought that Pink's Hot Dogs never needed to advertise, since the line stretching down the block seemed an advertisement enough. It worked on me. Stood in line for eons to get the Ozzy hot dog and it wasn't bad. Just meh. But I am a sucker for a long line, and 800 Degrees Pizza in Westwood lured me in. It had a build-your-own pizza walk-through, like Subway. Except these people are serious. The cheese is burrata, there's truffle oil and one orders their salads for pleasure, not out of guilt. Check them out.

Arugula + truffle = heaven

 

forget cheap mozzarella - these guys use slick mounds of  burrata

view from my table below

You go, Spago

dining with the ladies of NBC Phoenix

As you may or may not know, it is very difficult to impress Gradylicious, Queen of the Desert.  But we have been to Wolfgang Puck's new and reninvented Spago, and we approve. 

No more needs to be said, since Spago's changes has been written of here, here, here and - well you get it. You go, Spago.

As if Prius drivers weren't annoying and self-righteous enough...

Golden Girls Live!

the cast, with Metro PR's Tess Finkle

What better way to spend Valentine's Day than with the Golden Girls? After all, that show had the best opening song in the history of TV, and when this drag show opens, the audience sings along. Golden Girls Live is a raucous live show. Trivia and prizes abound, and for some reason Sofia passes out slices of cheesecake to the audience. Dorothy's character is impeccable and it all takes place at Oil Can Harry's. Can there be a better name for a bar?

 

Oil Can Harry's - best name ever

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

When a "Best of" restaurant kind of isn't

Bon Appetit magazine named Baco Mercat one of the "Hot 10" best new restaurants of 2012.  It was a "Best New Restaurant" in LA Weekly, covered in Esquire and made the cover of Angeleno. Not going would be like making some sort of statement, like the people who don't join Facebook. 

Book a table before 6:30 if you want to eat this year!

Baco Mercat was good. But it was also a lesson to me; a lesson I'd already learned in film. I used to think that if a movie was good enough to be nominated for an Oscar, it must be life-changing. But after years of cramming in the nominees' films during awards season, I realized that was false. Sometimes films are nominated because they happened to be the non-comedies that sucked the least. They were all good, just like Baco Mercat was good. But the earth did not rumble beneath me after my first bite, and I'd have to concede that expectations can ruin a perfectly good meal.

Hammered metal plateware classes up the joint

I also have to remember that this is Josef Centeno, the chef that every critic in Los Angeles goes gaga over. He opened The Lazy Oz Canteen to mucho fanfare, but I left disappointed. Critics are going to love whatever Centeno does, just like film critics will always love Spielberg, even if he made that Indiana Jones Crystal Skull film thingie in 2008. Oh, you missed that one?

Julie and Dayna, hotties who make me wish my hair were yellow

I wish Ricardo Zarate could get the credit that Centeno receives. Their menus are so similar, but the Picca Peru chef's food just tastes better. That's what should matter the most. Baco is worth the trip, but it's more of a People's Choice Award than Oscar-worthy.

having fun with friends even if I am a brunette

southern fried chicken and a biscuit - what could be better?

oxtail sandwich