On Friday we pack up in Joshua Tree and make our way to LA. The Airbnb is small but good
For dinner we have booked Gwen, Curtis Stone’s meat based restaurant. It’s the first steak I’ve had in a long time and it’s amazing. The most memorable part is choosing a knife for the meal from a case presented to us just before the food comes out
On Saturday we tour around the neighbourhood we’re staying in, Silver Lake. It’s kinda he hipster/cool part of town, we’re out early and there’s no one about. We get coffee, then some vintage stores, Brite Spot diner for pancakes, and some more vintage stores. There are two markets that we visit. The mood of the whole place is warm and inviting.
In the afternoon we walk up to Griffith Observatory for the view of sprawling LA. While we’re there we watch a movie about the universe projected into a dome, as recommended by one of Anna’s workmates.
On the walk back home we stop at an Italian place for dinner and note the cinema nearby, the Los Feliz Theatre.
Sunday marks the first constraint we placed on the entire holiday, the second Sunday of the month, in LA. We set off to the Rose Bowl for the monthly markets.
The entire grounds of the Rose Bowl are filled with stalls, mostly vendors of vintage or second-hand goods. Thousands and thousands of things. Over a number of hours we make a valiant attempt to see everything. It’s overwhelming, but fun. As the weather turns from overcast to drizzle to rain the task races away from us.
Carrying a few new (to us) clothes we head back to the Los Feliz Theatre, the new Wes Anderson is showing in half an hour.
From there we head back into Silver Lake. I had been in two minds about getting a denim jacket at a thrift store yesterday and we hadn’t seen a better one, so back we go! After buying it, we happen to be half an hour’s walk from a dinner place that opens in half an hour, total no brainer. The place has come up on suggested eats lists so we walk to see how busy it is.
When we arrive, there are a couple of free tables and we’re seated straight away at a rickety table on the sloping sidewalk. Within 15 minutes people are being given hour-plus wait times.
The place is called Mh Zh, and if it’s not sounding hipster enough, the menus are written out daily on brown paper bags. Half the dishes are indecipherable and need the waitstaff to explain.
The meal is very tasty new-Israeli and cheap for how good it is
Nearby is a bar called The Thirsty Crow which feels dive-y as we walk in. There’s a guy on a guitar trashing out some tunes and joking with the crowd (who seem to be mostly his mates and his mum, it’s Mother’s Day). We settle in with a couple of whiskeys and end up chatting to the guitarist, Princess Frank. LA is feeling very cool right now
On Monday we’re planning to meet Big Soph, who happens to be holidaying in LA at the same time as us(!). We’ll get to Venice Beach for sunset to see her.
First stop is to Westlake for a pastrami sandwich at Langer’s Deli. Getting off the metro there’s an instant picture of the homeless problem in the city and we’re reasonable hounded on the short walk to the deli. I didn’t feel unsafe but felt more conscious of the people around us than in other places. Worth is though., Langer’s was awesome!
If I had regular access to this pastrami, it would be absolute end of me. It was peppery and fragrant with dill and caraway and other spices. And it truly melted apart as we chewed. Wow
From there we caught the metro into the Grand Central Market to continue the food experience. A few places caught our attention, but the original China Cafe won our patronage. We ordered the house won tons, they were excellent, but watching the frantic lunch hour rush was even more impressive
We walk around the city a bit, visiting The Last Book Shop, which is pretty cool and then the library and the modern art gallery
Then it’s back to the station for a longer train ride out to Venice Beach.
It’s nice to see the sea again after weeks in the desert. It is so so much more touristy than anywhere we’ve been so far. Out along the pier is a gift shop that normally I would totally ignore, but we’ve been buying fridge magnets throughout the holiday, and there are some particularly funny ones here
The walk from Venice to is pleasant and full of American caricatures: the muscly bros, street performers, yoga-tights-fast-walkers, electric scooters and (only one!) bikini rollerblader.
The closer to Santa Monica we get the more street vendors there are, it’s a bit much.
We meet Sophie at a rooftop bar, where she’s setup with some of her friends. It’s a funny, happy coincidence that she’s in town and we drink wines and watch the sun set over the hills. How cool is that?
We grab dinner and crash at home. It’s our last night in LA.
On Tuesday we pick up our fun rental car. In classic tourist style we’re getting a convertible mustang. Ours is yellow!
Last night we decided to meet Sophie and her friends in Malibu on our way up the coast.
Top down, yellow mustang, sun shining. It’s comically good fun.
We sit on the beach in Malibu for an hour or so and watch the surfers and paddle boarders. The coast always feels rejuvenating.
Hugs all around and we’re off to our next stop: The Madonna Inn
