Downtown Los Angeles

There was so much going on last weekend with my son that I have to break up my blog posts. So in Jeff’s neighborhood, this is what was going on. Friday night, after a lovely limo ride from Costa Mesa, Jeff, Mickey and I went to Laurel Point for dinner. It is on Ventura Boulevard walking distance from Jeff’s apartment. It was a warm night, so we sat on their covered patio.

This was probably our most relaxing time as the weekend had just begun. Dinner was very tasty. As appetizers, we shared a half dozen Oysters, Spicy Tuna Roll and Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Good so far, huh?

Jeff ordered clam chowder and the Caesar salad with crispy chicken for his entree. Mickey and I broke the sharing rule and both had the John Dory. It was pan seared with pressed lemon butter and served with market vegetables. We broke another rule and did not order dessert.

FYI – It’s Lobster Mondays at Laurel Point.. You get a 1-1/2 pound lobster for $39. I can’t remember the last time I had lobster.

Then lunch in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday at the totally renovated Hotel Figueroa. It was originally built in 1926 as a YWCA. It is Spanish Colonial and located 7 minutes from Staples Center. There are 3 bars and 2 restaurants (Breva and Veranda) conceived by a James Beard award nominee.

We were a little early for lunch at Breva so we had cocktails in the cozy lobby. Cocktail waitress was not having her best day, but our waiter at lunch was very friendly and on the ball. Lunch entrees were very good but we must have been really hungry. I have no photos. The table settings were beautiful – fine china with delicate flower designs. The dessert was worth a photo though just to show off the plate on which it was served.

The Other Thing – So many restaurants, so little time. It’s such fun to be a foodie. I’m no expert on anything food related but I know what I like. Dining (not just eating) is one of my favorite things to do. There are a lot of people out there who only eat to live. I think they are missing something.

Located at 453 South Spring in downtown Los Angeles, this place is like a city of books!! Two floors are filled with thousands and thousands of books of every genre invented by man. Old and battered books, new best sellers, CDs, DVDs, record albums, scientific journals, wizardry, fantasy, science fiction and futurama – all under one very large roof. This is where all the vintage books go to be adopted or die a quiet death. If you can’t find what you are looking for here, maybe it does not exist.

There is no rhyme or reason to the stacks. There is a tunnel of books, a pile that is crooked, some defy gravity in their attempt to look interesting. It was such fun wandering around – and of course taking lots of photos. It would be easy to spend all day here.

I must mention the 7 book clubs that meet there every month. The names are intriguing. True Crime Tuesdays, The Afrofuturism Book Club, Poetry in the Labyrinth, LA Lit Fic, Feminist Book Club, The Thing in the Labyrinth, and Victorian Literary Parlour. Their marketing postcard reads “Book-Inclusive, with Snacks/Bevs & Professional Moderators”. Wouldn’t you like to be the fly on the wall during one of these meetings.

The Other Thing – The place was packed with people of all shapes, sizes, ages and degrees of enthusiasm — and this interesting elderly man who was very much into the fantasy section….

This, That, and The Other Thing

Tag

City Doings

The Last Bookstore