Happy New Years from Taipei!

LA’s restaurant week has arrived.  Two weeks of restaurant specials, actually, from Oct 4-9 and Oct 11-16.  Book your reservations now!
I’m going to eat at Kendall’s Brasserie in Downtown and Craft in Century City.  Hopefully eating at Grace Restaurant or BLT Steak, as well.  If only I didn’t have class three nights a week, I [...]

It used to be that when I thought of Soap Box Derbies, I think of a boy and his pops building something out of scrap metal and discarded bicycle tires in their garage.  Then I watched Cool Runnings and the idea of making a push car totally caught me for a few weeks.  Well, this [...]

If you don’t know this man, first you should watch the video below.  You might not want to eat hot dogs for a while though.

In the video, he had set the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating record at 66 dogs in 12 minutes, but this past July 4th, he broke his own record which is [...]

Please stop banging those Taiko drums…
When you’re nursing a Sunday morning “headache”, it’s definitely not the most welcome sound outside your window.  This, however, only reminded me that Little Tokyo’s annual Japanese-American celebration, Nisei Week, has snuck up on me.
For those that missed it over the weekend, there was a two-hour parade through Little Tokyo [...]

But you already knew that probably.  She’ll be playing the role of Sarah Brown in this weekend’s production of Guys and Dolls at the Hollywood Bowl (July 31 – August 2).  One of my favorite musicals since the spring of ‘99 when my high school decided to make it our spring production, I have a [...]

Is your partner not a vampire?  Does trying garlic ice cream sound like a good idea to you?  When you cook, do you go through a whole string of garlic in a week?
If you answered yes to any of the above, then this weekend is your mecca.  Starting today, the 31st annual Gilroy Garlic Festival [...]

Lakers win the championship!  Time to celebrate!
Despite all of the negativity swirling around the parade in our city during a time of economic recession, I believe it’s important for us to have a parade.  Your team wins the championship, you throw a parade.  It’s just what every city does.  It also does much to bring [...]

Here it is again, for the 15th year!  Welcome into town the Los Angeles Film Festival.  Time to head out to Westwood and enjoy some flicks, music, and shmoozing.
WHAT IS THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL? (taken from their website)
Now in its fifteenth year, the Los Angeles Film Festival is widely recognized as a world-class event, [...]

Tomorrow afternoon (Sunday 5/31) at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, there will be a food event called the GOURMET FIVE YEAR OLD PARTY.  It’s a gathering of over a dozen of LA’s hot and chic dinner spots as they offer up samples of their cuisine.
Guests include the restaurants owned by the Dolce Group (Geisha House, [...]