The Groundlings

Posted in Explore, Fun by C.

Location: 7307 Melrose Avenue, Mid-City

If you ever need a good laugh (and who doesn’t these days), you can’t go wrong with a night at The Groundlings! The Groundlings is the uber famous improv and sketch comedy theater on Melrose that holds some of the most funny, pee in your pants (T.M.I.?) moments you’ll ever experience. Some of our greatest comedy talent got their start as a Groundling and gone on to grace the stages of Saturday Night Live and the silver screen.

{Close-up: Hall of fame.}

My first date with my now boyfriend was here (he did good!) and for our recent 2 year anniversary we decided to relive that laughter filled night. As luck would have it our anniversary, on a Thursday, is also the night of the hot ticket weekly Cooking With Gas performance, a fully improvised show based entirely on audience suggestion. Even better, these Thursday night performances are accompanied by a special guest host each week and we were blessed with a night of comedy with my new BFF and Groundling alum, Kristen Wiig! Okay, so technically we’ve never actually met, but after Bridesmaids it somehow just feels like we could be really good girlfriends, seriously! And P.S. I’m not a crazed, obsessed, celebrity stalking whore or anything.

Uh em! Back on topic!

Like all cool places where you would actually want to document it rather solidly, there was no photography in the theater space, but I snagged some random pictures outside and in the lobby to share.

{Interior: Hall of fame wall.}

{Outside.}

{Ticket window.}

Stop reading, get online, and buy a ticket to one of the funniest nights of your life and let me know how it went! Good times!

{Tickets.}

24Sep2012

Blu Jam Cafe

Posted in Food, Treats by C.

Location: 7371 Melrose Avenue, Mid-City

Blu Jam is an awesome place for breakfast if you have some time on a leisurely Saturday to wait up to an hour for a table during their busiest time, but I was in a rush on my way to the office and decided to perk up my Monday morning not too long ago with a quick stop here for the best latte fix on Melrose! I don’t know what it is that they do differently to their caffeinated beverages, but I suspect is has something to do with that blender behind the counter. It’s the last place the mixture of espresso beans, milk, and vanilla powder meet before the perfect shade of tan hits my not so eco-friendly plastic cup. Rich in taste, creamy, and cool. $4.50 well spent. And while not much cheaper in theory, a superior alternative to those who are currently pissed upset with Starbucks for screwing over disappointing their Gold Rewards members last week by removing soy milk and syrup on the house to its most loyal caffeine addicts. Here’s to supporting local small businesses and sticking it to “the man.” 🙂

(Shhh – don’t tell “The Bucks” but Blu Jam’s coffee is better anyway).

T’was a happy dance on a Monday. Well, as happy as you can be for a Monday morning (strike 1); sitting in traffic (strike 2); contemplating what you want to do for the weekend, but realize you still have 5 days to go (strike 3).

Have a great week and may it be full of caffeine!

7Aug2012

Urth Caffé on a Saturday

Posted in Brunch, Food by C.

Location: 8565 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood

I’m one of those people who doesn’t mind being alone. Don’t get me wrong, I can be quite the social butterfly when I want to be, but I do like my own company where I can just be. I frequent movies by myself, love to window shop solo so that I can go at my own pace without feeling like I’m dragging anyone around, and sometimes I’ll even take a book and sit at a restaurant.

Over the weekend, I took advantage of a little stag time and headed over to Urth Caffé in West Hollywood. I grabbed (or rather fought) for a seat outside to enjoy the gorgeous day and ordered myself a delicious and well-presented Spinach & Mushroom Quiche (proof below).

Major Pro: You pay before your meal is served. No ~~fighting/terse~~ conversations over who spent more or threw $15 on the table when they clearly don’t understand the concept of tax and tip in addition to the cost of the meal when the check comes. (Ugh. These people are so annoying by the way). Also, they serve their own organic coffee for all you pesticide conscious nuts out there!

Major Con: This place can get crowded and beware that the venue isn’t very large so the tables are pretty close together. I can almost tell you the entire conversation of two aspiring actresses sitting next to me, and trust me it was as cliché as it can get. So keep this in mind if you’re into a more private dining experience and don’t want to whisper over your lunch. As such, I’d strongly advise against meeting an ex here to have that deep closure conversation to your relationship.

Overall, definitely a great place to come solo to grab lunch or a latte; or to meet up with a friend in a casual, yet trendy atmosphere. The Hollyood Tour bus even drives by with tourists snapping pictures of you while you’re mid-chew, making all who sit there a bit more confident in their choice of eatery.

6Aug2012

“Flea-ing” It on Melrose

Posted in Explore, Fashion, Fun by C.

Location: 7850 Melrose Avenue

Deets: 9:00am-5:00pm every Sunday, free parking, $2.00 admission

Typically, anything with the word flea in it is usually a turn-off avoided at all costs on my part. Unless it involves a day in the warm sunshine, sipping a fresh squeezed lemonade (with a hint of mint) as you peruse the Melrose Trading Post; one of LA’s most popular flea markets. I spent hours this past Sunday strolling aisles of vintage jewelry, handmade artwork, furniture, handbags, shoes, and clothes galore! Let’s be honest there was some junk too, but I’ve come to love the saying, “another man’s trash is another man’s treasure” since moving into my own apartment a few months ago and needing to fully furnish it. Not looking for anything in particular and flying solo turned out to be best recipe for truly savoring this first experience. It’s like the universe knew exactly what I needed and boy, did I SCORE: a little something for my new place, a little something for my jewelry box, and a little something for my accessories collection. Check it out!