guide (428)

Top Organic Restaurants in Los Angeles

04/02/2013

Leslee Komaiko

Los Angeles loves its organics: organic baby clothing, organic sheets, and most of all, organic food. Lots of restaurants dabble in organics, but some of them stand out for their efforts. Whatever your reason for choosing organic—fewer unwanted chemicals in your system, an opposition to GMOs, sensitivity to the environment—these restaurants will hook you up with some tasty organic grub and in some cases, something delicious and organic in your glass as well. Organic gimlet anyone?

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Unforgettable Los Angeles Hotel Wedding Venues

03/28/2013

Esther Tseng

When you’re planning your wedding, you'll want nothing but the best, not only for your ceremony and reception, but in accommodations for your guests coming from near and far. Fortunately, there are hotels throughout Los Angeles that are ready to host your momentous occasion, from a historic, 1925 Spanish construction hotel in bustling Downtown to a posh hotel designed by Philippe Starck near Beverly Hills. Here are some of the top hotels in Los Angeles that are sure to make your wedding a day that you and all your loved ones will remember.

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Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites

Los Angeles Hotels Go Green with Eco-Friendly Features

03/20/2013

Discover Los Angeles

Los Angeles is often associated with red carpets, but the city is increasingly embracing green, with sustainable practices implemented in every region, from cultural attractions to restaurants and public transportation. Hotels throughout L.A. are leaders in green design, earning Green Seal™ and LEED Certification with energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems, water-saving fixtures and recycling programs. Enjoy your Los Angeles vacation and go green by staying at a Green Seal™ certified hotel. Hotels that earn the Green Seal™ are leaders in sustainability and have completed a certification process and on-site audit. Following are Los Angeles hotels that have been certified by Green Seal in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles Green Lodging Program (see below) as well as other eco-friendly hotels in the L.A. County area.

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Fanfare Fountains at San Pedro Gateway

Discover San Pedro and the Los Angeles Waterfront

03/20/2013

Discover Los Angeles

Located on the southern end of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, San Pedro is one of the most historic and picturesque regions in Los Angeles. San Pedro is a unique blend of small-town charm, superb cultural attractions, eclectic shopping, America’s Port® and a world class cruise center.

The 1st Thursday Art Walk in downtown San Pedro features open galleries and a variety of food and entertainment options, beginning at 5 p.m. Art galleries, shops and restaurants are open until 9 p.m. Most of the participants are located on 4th St. to 7th St., and from Pacific Ave. to Palos Verdes St.

One of the best ways to discover the waterfront is by riding one of San Pedro's propane-powered trolleys, a free service that operates Thursday through Sunday. To download the trolley schedule, click here.

Read our guide to San Pedro and begin your exploration of this hidden gem coastal destination.

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Beef stew egg noodles at Kim Kee Noodle House

The Best Southeast Asian Noodles in Los Angeles County

03/15/2013

Dylan Ho

In cultures around the world, noodles are an integral part of everyday life, from waiting two hours outside of a ramen stall in Japan to the instant form that’s become a rite of passage for college undergrads. Noodles offer therapy for those feeling under the weather or homesick, or to begin the healing process after a night of overindulgence. Whatever the case, for millions of people hardly a day goes by without noodles at some point.

Los Angeles and its surrounding areas offer a lot of heavy noodling, and for aficionados there’s even more enjoyment to be found with noodles than Chinese dumplings. During the late 1970s, the Vietnam War caused an influx of Asian immigration into the United States. The people of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) sought refuge here and they brought the one thing that kept them alive for generations: noodles. A key influence on the noodle dishes from these countries are the Southeast Chinese from the province of Chiu Chow (pronunciation in Cantonese), Chao Zhou (pronunciation in Mandarin), Trieu Chau (pronunciation in Vietnamese) and Teo Chew (pronunciation in Thai/Cambodian).

Historically, the Chiu Chow Chinese are some of the smartest, fastest-moving, hardest-working merchants and sojourners of the Chinese diaspora. Their footprints can be tracked in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan (Fujian), Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and even the Philippines. Essentially, they are everywhere, and so is their food. When you walk into a restaurant that offers 3-4 different languages on the menu, you're most likely in a Chiu Chow establishment. It will usually be Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian and sometimes Thai.

The following round-up of some of the best noodles in Los Angeles County focuses on dishes from Southeast Asia's "Golden Triangle" and Southeast China (Chao Zhou/Fujian/Hainan provinces).

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TAG-Approved Hotels in Los Angeles

03/15/2013

Frontiers LA

By Mike Ciriaco

"I think businesses ought to treat their customers right. Even their gay customers," said Sean Penn's titular character in the film Milk. In the never-ending battle for LGBT rights, economic equality is synonymous with social equality, and in a capitalistic society, every purchase is like casting a ballot. Gay consumers make a political statement anytime they decide which airline to fly, on which fast food to chow down and which hotels to patronize.

This necessity for queer-friendly accommodations inspired San Francisco-based Community Marketing, Inc to create the TAG Approved Program. Founded in 1997, the TAG recognizes “LGBT-welcoming” hotels, resorts and B&Bs that meet acceptance standards by adding them to a directory—a cost-effective way to reach gay and lesbian consumers throughout North America. Although a boon to gay travelers, TAG's primary motivation was to benefit 'out' hotel employees.

Seek out the following TAG-approved hotels, located in these Los Angeles regions: Downtown, Hollywood, West Hollywood, LAX, Westside, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, San Fernando Valley and Pasadena.

Find out more about the TAG Approved Program and view a map of TAG-approved hotels after the jump.

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Downlow Burger at Love & Salt

Top Must-Try Burgers in Los Angeles

03/14/2013

Joshua Lurie

Angelenos believe in burgers. There’s no doubt. L.A. County houses hundreds of burger outlets and we’ve been savvy enough to produce a regional chain that still has street cred, In-N-Out. L.A.’s also got a crop of classics that deserve national burger recognition, including timeless Bill’s Hamburgers, The Apple Pan and Pie ‘n Burger, and contemporary Father’s Office. Discover 11 of our other favorite burgers in Los Angeles.

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The Best Restaurants in Hollywood

03/14/2013

Tara de Lis

Like all great actors, Hollywood is constantly reinventing itself. At various times, it’s been known as the home of pioneering movie studios, the first Academy Awards ceremony, an Art Deco treasure trove, a punk rock stomping ground, a tourist T-shirt mecca, and an epicenter of nightlife. These restaurants, from as far back as 1919 to more recent openings, have helped to establish Hollywood as one of the hottest dining and drinking destinations in the city.

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