El Lay. Home to all things uniquely American. While this is certainly not at the top of my list of U.S cities, I certainly had a great time here catching up with family and friends. I was here on a design trip meeting with some fashion brands, this perspective was a new way to see L.A. for me. In September of 2016, I made another visit and was a bit more prepared going into my trip with some freedom to finally check out the neighborhoods I’ve hoped to experience on a deeper level.

EXPERIENCE

This trip to L.A. was great. I was there for work and had a chance to work with some favorite fashion brands. As part of my time there we took a trip to Fashion Island Mall in Orange County. While here we had a great lunch down by the water. I did not get too touristy this time around, but have on previous visits. If it is your first visit, be sure to hit the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Hollywood Boulevard  it’s fun. The Getty Museum really is amazing, both the property and the collection are worth taking the time to see. The La Brea Tar Pits are a very cool thing I’d also be sure not to miss. If you have youngsters along, the amusement parks and Disney attractions, are of course wonderful. 

Inspiring shopping was a highlight of my most recent trip (September 2016) given the objectives of my work. In the anywhere arts district check out Poketo, Iko Iko Space and NONNA. In Venice stroll the hip and funky street of Abbott Kinney for a great afternoon of interesting boutiques. Highlights here include the Tortise General Store for fantastic ceramics, Le Labo and the other General Store on Lincoln Boulevard. In the East Side I’d make a point to hit the Mowhawk General Store, Passanger and Cactus Store. 

STAY

On this most recent trip I had the luxury of staying at the SLS Beverly Hills. This place is incredible! Designed and decorated by Philippe Starck, this place is a masterpiece. The rooms are amazing and I had just a fantastic experience. The dining options in the hotel are incredible, we really loved the chemistry cocktails at The Bazaar, by chef Jose Andres.

On my most recent visit to Los Angeles (September 2016) I stayed in two hotels at different points in my visit. I started at the Ace Hotel Downtown. While DTLA is not the ideal place to spend your time while in the city, this execution of the Ace is somewhat unique because of the music venue coupled with the hotel. This hotel is stylish and has a very popular rooftop pool and bar. Their lobby stays true to the Ace format with Stumptown coffee served at their coffee bar and lobby restaurant. From here I moved to Beverly Hills to stay at the Kimpton Palomar. This hotel was decent, though I cannot call out much as special other than the complimentary happy hour at five each day. The other hotels I’d love to stay at next time are the L.A. Standard and the LINE Hotel. The rooms look beautiful and I have heard great things about the Break Room 86 Club inside of it. 

EAT

There is no end to amazing food options in L.A. I certainly don’t feel qualified to list spots since this stay was short and the food scene is constantly changing in town. On my first visit I enjoyed sushi in Santa Monica and often ate in the SLS Hotel.

On this September 2016 trip, I got a ton of great recommendations on where to eat and drink by neighborhood. My trip started with a stop near the airport at Sausal in El Seguno. This place had fantastic Mexican food and was very welcoming for a bit larger group. Though I didn’t make all these stops personally, I will pass along the highlight list from friends since I’d love to hit these spots on a future visit. In the DTLA Arts District I really enjoyed the Ace lobby restaurant and was also told to check out Tony’s Saloon, Bread Lounge, Perch and Black Top Coffee.

I really enjoyed eating in the Venice and Santa Monica area. Salt Air was my favorite ambiance, they had beautiful seafood to match the experience. It looks like a Lemonade is also going in, which I really enjoyed at the airport of all places for wonderful high end salads and sandwiches. Other great places to check out in this region are Superba Food + Bread, Gjelina and The Tasting Kitchen. I have also heard good things about The Bungalow, Gjusta and of course the L.A. establishment of my favorite Chicago establishment: Intelligensia. I didn’t have quite enough time to make it to the East Side / Silver Lake Echo Park Area, but I heard great things about Stella, Forage, El Condor, Black Cat, Cliff’s Edge and Short Stop (for drinks and dancing). One evening I met my cousin for a great ceviche and margarita at Tortilla Republic, this place felt very L.A. to me and had a dark and loung-y ambiance on a trendy street. The other neighborhood I need to hit next visit with a focus on eating is K-town. My Koreatown hit list includes POT, Commissary, Document Coffee and in general hunting Korean BBQ almost anywhere. While staying in Beverly Hills I enjoyed Da Pasquale for pizza. Also enjoyed happy hour in Sherman Oaks at The Sherman with an old friend while in town. Best meal of the trip however, was District by Hannah An, hands down best Vietnamese I’ve had in a long time. Happy eating in L.A. folks.