Los Angeles Hit List – THE ROLLING STORM

HIT LIST

LOS ANGELES

HIT LIST

LOS ANGELES

LAST UPDATE / June 20, 2016

Los Angeles is bursting with food from a multitude of ethnic enclaves, overflowing with excellent watering holes and a hub for world class art. It doesn't stop there either. I grow to love this city more and more each time I visit. There is something for everyone to love in this sprawling metropolis ...

TOP OF THE LIST

House wonton soup at China Cafe | Los Angeles, California

Johnny Ramone, Hollywood Forever Cemetery | Los Angeles, California

Jumbo's Clown Room | Los Angeles, California

View from Griffith Observatory | Los Angeles, California

LA84 Foundation/John C. Argue Swim Stadium | Los Angeles, California

Jade Noodles from Sapp Coffee Shop | Los Angeles, California

Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House | Los Angeles, California

Lake Hollywood Park | Los Angeles, California

The Last Bookstore | Los Angeles, California

View from Los Angeles City Hall Observation Deck | Los Angeles, California

1
Wonton Soup
House Wonton Soup at China Cafe
This bowl is packed with pork wontons, barbecue pork, shrimp, chicken, hard boiled egg, cabbage and scallions in a light broth. Do not forget to be liberal with the hot sauce available on the counter or to check out the other vendors at Grand Central Market.

2
Dead Legends
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Started my day off with a morning walk through Hollywood Forever Cemetery. I went to pay my respects to a few legends that lie buried there including Johnny Ramone and Vampira.

3
Pole Dancing Dive
Jumbo's Clown Room
A joint where stripping meets burlesque in the very best way possible. Make sure to tip, not act like an asshole and do not take photos.

4
Deco & Vistas
Griffith Observatory
A deco beauty perched on a hill in the Los Feliz neighborhood. Admission is free and so are the sweeping views which include the Hollywood sign, downtown, Hollywood and the Pacific Ocean.

5
Olympic Swim
LA84 Foundation/John C. Argue Swim Stadium
LA84 Foundation/John C. Argue Swim Stadium was originally constructed for the 1932 Summer Olympics. It went under a nice renovation some years back but kept all of the cool deco work on it's facade. Made for a great swim.

6
Thai Food
Jade Noodles from Sapp Coffee Shop
I had two great dishes here. A spicy papaya salad and the Jade Noodles loaded with BBQ pork, duck, shredded crab, peanuts, chili flakes all on a bed of Chinese broccoli.

7
Mayan Revival Architecture
Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House
The inspiration for the name and design stemmed from the Hollyhock flower. You can see references to it everywhere. You can also see Wright's genius fusion of earth, water, fire and air elements throughout the house.

8
Park Life
Lake Hollywood Park
Huge grass field with a close-up view of the Hollywood sign. Grab a tan and your pup since the park is dog-friendly.

9
Bookstore
The Last Bookstore
This place is huge and I though it a little spooky. Especially if you wander through the color coded book labyrinth on the upper level. The art on display throughout seemed to lean towards the darker side too.

10
City Views
Los Angeles City Hall Observation Deck
Take in the Art Deco construction and the 360 degree view of Downtown and the surrounding sprawl from the 27th floor.

FOUR DELICIOUS MEXICAN BITES

I ate a lot of Mexican food growing up and for that reason it feels like the ultimate soul food. So when in LA I would have been remiss to miss at least a sampling of the Mexican bites the city had to offer. Here, just a few of my favorites ...

Ceviche tostada at Mariscos Jalisco | Los Angeles, California

Chile Relleno burrito at La Azteca Taqueria | Los Angeles, California

Carne asada tacos from Tire Shop Taqueria | Los Angeles, California

Chorizo cachetada at Mexicali | Los Angeles, California

11
Seafood
Mariscos Jalisco Truck
This Mexican food truck serving seafood is known for it's shrimp tacos. They were good but I was more taken with the seafood ceviche tostada. It was well dressed, tasty and crunchy.

12
Chile Relleno Burrito
La Azteca Tortilleria
They make their own fresh tortillas everyday on site. They also make a chile relleno burrito that is rich and delicious. The cheese cannot be contained and the refried beans are a nice creamy bind for the whole thing.

13
Tacos
Tire Shop Taqueria
This was my second visit and I am looking forward to the third. Tire Shop Taqueria in South Central is serving up freshly made tortillas, juicy carne asada and a delicious avocado salsa. The chorizo and sopes are also really nice.

14
Chorizo Tostada
Mexicali Taco
A delicious tostada with chorizo, melted Mexican cheese, topped with aioli chipotle sauce is being served at Mexicali Taco.

GAY BARS, TIKIS & DIVES

Los Angeles has one of the most unique bar scenes given the spectrum of themes and styles. The drinking landscape seemed to be especially potent on my last visit as was the whiskey that seemed to be ever present.

The New Jalisco Bar | Los Angeles, California

Mai Tais at Tiki Ti | Los Angels, California

Clifton's Cafeteria | Los Angeles, California

15
Downtown Gay Bar
The New Jalisco Bar
Cowboys and drag queens are the mix and it could not be more perfect. Found myself there on a Friday night during one performer's revue of the Liza and Selena oeuvre.

16
Tiki Cocktails
Tiki Ti
It's a tiny little place swimming in Tiki and Hawaiian charm with an extensive (and delicious) list of tiki cocktails.

17
Classic Dive
Frolic Room
A cool dive that has been around for over eighty years on Hollywood Boulevard. It is no fuss and has a great jukebox and sound system. Yes.

18
Swinging Lounge
Top Floor of Clifton's Cafeteria
While I didn't dine, I did drink in the top floor lounge while Marquis and The Rhythm howlers played the swing. It was all a little creepy in the best way.

19
Go Go Gay Bar
Fubar
Every Thursday at Fubar they throw a party called BFD or Big Fat Dick. There are go go boys on boxes in neon or mesh briefs and general calls for entry into the BFD competition are placed over the sound system.

DUMPLINGS & WONTONS

The San Gabriel Valley is getting a lot of praise for it's range of Chinese cuisine options. I explored alone but try to bring some homies so you can share plates. I only made it to a few restaurants because I was so full. I had three great dishes in SGV and another in Silverlake.

Sheng Jian Bao at Kang Kang Food Court | Los Angeles, California

Spicy wontons at Chengdu Taste | Los Angeles, California

Pan fried pork dumplings at Luscious Dumplings | Los Angeles, California

Spicy Shrimp Wontons from Pine & Crane | Los Angeles, California

20
Sheng Jian Bao
Kang Kang Food Court
Caution: These sheng jian bao squirt something major on bite. The skins have a slight crunch and are very juicy on the inside.

21
Wontons in Chili Oil
Chengdu Taste
There are lots of tasty things on this sichuan menu. Standouts were the green beans with minced pork and the wontons in chili oil.

22
Fried Pork Dumplings
Luscious Dumplings
This eatery's dumplings were probably my favorite. The pan fried pork dumplings had a sweet glaze to them and the pork inside was delicious.

23
Wontons in Chili Oil
Pine & Crane
The wontons at Pine & Crane are good and will save you the trek out to San Gabriel Valley for your fix.

MUSEUMS

LA is home to world class museums including the recent addition The Broad. I got to catch the dueling retrospectives of Mapplethorpe's work at LACMA and The Getty on my last visit.