07-27-15

THE 27TH ANNUAL BEST OF DOWNTOWN ISSUE MORE THAN 150 OF DOWNTOWN’S BEST ARE REVEALED SEE PAGES 9 – 32

JULY 27, 2015 I VOL. 44 I #30

2 Downtown News

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AROUND TOWN

A Nicer Pico Station

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he Pico Station for the Blue and Expo light rail lines plays a big role in South Park, especially during events at L.A. Live and the Convention Center. The station has now received some improvements as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Blue Line Upgrades project, which is a comprehensive $1.2 billion renovation of stations, tracks and rail cars.

Most notably, Metro installed a second large steel-and-glass canopy to accompany the existing one, giving riders additional shelter from the heat and rain. The project also added improved lighting, new tiling, fresh paint and camera/video upgrades. The station, which opened in 1990, last saw upgrades in late 2011, when Metro installed some safety measures. South Park stakeholders have called on Metro to look at a full expansion of the station to fit the growing community.

Metro Looks at Angels Flight

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he continued closure of Angels Flight recently prompted some community stakeholders to create a petition asking Mayor Eric Garcetti to help get the funicular running. Garcetti apparently got the message from nearly 1,800 signees, as he filed a motion asking Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Phil Washington for ideas on how to solve the problem. The Metro board of directors passed the motion on Thursday, July 23, giving Washington 60 days to report back. It remains unclear how

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS Metro could expedite the return of the funicular, which is operated by the nonprofit Angels Flight Railway Foundation. It closed in September 2013 after a derailment, and a consequent review by federal regulators found a number of mechanical problems and human errors, most notoriously the use of a tree branch to override a start/stop safety button. The California Public Utilities Commission, based on a recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board, has said it will not allow Angels Flight to run until an evacuation walkway is built adjacent to the tracks. The walkway could cost millions of dollars, according to AFRF President Hal Bastian.

July 27, 2015

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Broadway Altercation Sparks LAPD Investigation

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he Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation into a confrontation between officers and an armed man in the Historic Core. Christopher Adam Zareck, 43, allegedly got into a physical altercation with a business improvement district security officer near Broadway and Third Street on July 17.

LAPD received a call at about 7 a.m., and more than a dozen officers responded, closing part of Broadway in the process. “We were told that he was swinging this metal pipe at pedestrians and a BID security officer,” said LAPD Commander Andrew Smith. Officers used three shots from a beanbag shotgun and a taser to subdue Zareck, according to Smith. Video of the incident released by the Los Angeles Community Action Network shows about 10 officers surrounding Zareck, who is in a wheelchair, before the shots ring out and police rush him. Zareck was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weap-

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on and was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to the LAPD. A use-offorce investigation for the officers involved is expected to last six to eight months, Smith said.

River Fundraiser In the Arts District

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ou can’t yet kayak the Los Angeles River in Downtown, but this week you can help facilitate those treks. On Saturday, Aug. 1, Art Share L.A. (801 E. Fourth Pl.) will host a fundraiser for L.A. River Expeditions, which offers kayaking

July 22, 2015

tours. The event includes a screening of the documentary Rock the Boat, which highlights a 52mile expedition down the waterway, as well as a silent auction and pottery sale. Proceeds will be used to offer homeless children and at-risk youth groups free kayaking tours, said Jed Schipper, the program development associate for the organization. The night also includes a panel discussion on the river with Thea Mercouffer, director of Rock the Boat, and L.A. River Expeditions director George Wolfe. The event is free, but donations of $10 are requested. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the documentary starts at 7. More information is at artsharela.org.

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EDITORIALS

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July 27, 2015

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

The Readers Talk Back Website Comments About Street Vending and More

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egarding the article “Debate Over Street Vending Heats Up,” by Eddie Kim, published June 8, and the editorial “Sidewalk Vending: More Questions Than Answers,” published June 15

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ill the vendors be allowed to move the homeless out of the way to set up shop? Will there be any regulation requiring vendors to clean the area they set up at of all human or other waste products?

Will the vendors be allowed to pour out old hot dogsteamed water in the gutters? If I step out of a shop door and poke my eye on a vendor’s umbrella directly in front of the store, can I sue the store, or the vendor, or the city, or do I just get a poke in the eye?

There is a place for these carts here and there, but not as many as are currently around. There should be none anywhere around a residence, and any carts remotely near a regular store should face equal tax, regulatory, health, etc. scrutiny. Call me what you will, these carts and trucks are a sign of a society in decline and it’s my opinion that they contribute significantly to the downward spiral.

—Danny Jacot, June 9, 7:55 p.m.

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ow about street vendors need to first obtain permission from the taxpaying businesses, property owners and residents that abut the sidewalk where they want to set up shop?

—Virginia, June 15, 9:59 p.m.

Regarding the article “Metro, Arts District Stakeholders at Odds Over Project,” by Eddie Kim, published June 1, and the editorial “In Metro-Arts District Dispute, Everyone Will Lose Something,” about a proposed MTA maintenance facility near the coming Sixth Street Viaduct replacement, published June 8

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live about a block from here. A park would be nice, but I’d give my eyeteeth for a Red Line stop that didn’t require me taking the bus through Skid Row or walking a mile to the Gold Line stop. If the maintenance facility is the price of getting stops in the Arts District, it’s a bargain. It is regrettable that Metro still speaks of the stops in conditional, “in the future” terms.

—Jamie Hardt, June 2, 10:10 a.m.

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he ground floor of the Metro building should include retail elements facing the bridge to the south and Santa Fe Avenue to the west. Maybe these could include a cafe with patio seating, a bike sharing station, gallery spaces, etc. The key is to activate the space next to the bridge. Preserve sight lines between Santa Fe and the new plaza under the bridge with lots of glass along both the western and southern edges of the building. Also, design the site to be fully integrated with an inevitable future Red Line station. It is important for the city and Metro to get this right, or else the Arts District might get stuck with something very, very bad.

—L.A. State of Mind, June 10, 10:50 a.m.

Support the Special Olympics Athletes, And Celebrate Downtown, Too

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his is a very big year for Downtown Los Angeles. National media attention has been lavished on the community thanks to the residential, nightlife and restaurant renaissance. The neighborhood is only becoming more active, as two billion-dollar projects from Chinese companies are under construction in South Park, and a third billion-dollar project, the replacement for the Wilshire Grand Hotel, is rising in the Financial District.

In September, a huge burst of attention will come Downtown’s way when Eli Broad’s $140 million Grand Avenue art museum debuts. While it is not on the same scale, Downtowners will rejoice on Nov. 4, when a 42,000-square-foot Whole Foods opens in developer Carmel Partners’ 700-aparment project Eighth and Grand.

All of the above is wonderful. However, the entirety of it, even The Broad, is secondary to the attention Downtown is enjoying right now. That is because the Central City is the epicenter of the biggest sports event to hit Los Angeles in 31 years: the Special Olympics World Games.

The Games were scheduled to open on Saturday, July 25 (after Los Angeles Downtown News went to press), with a massive ceremony at the Coliseum in Exposition Park. The competitions and festivities will continue through Sunday, Aug. 2.

Having the World Games here is a coup for Los Angeles. They have been not been in the United States since 1999, and this gives the city, and Downtown, an unprecedented opportunity to show off to the 177 countries that have sent athletes. More than 2,000 members of the press from around the globe have descended on the city, and most if not all of them will spend at least some time in Downtown (where the Convention Center serves as the media headquarters). Everything that happens here in the next week has the potential to help sell the community to the rest of the planet.

The Games are a massive undertaking, and the staff that has spent years preparing them deserves credit. Approximately 7,000 athletes are here, along with 3,000 coaches. An estimated 30,000 volunteers have been corralled and are assisting the competitors and the fans. About 500,000 people will be spectators at the 27 venues.

The athletes are fanning out across Los Angeles, but nowhere is the concentration of events greater than in Downtown and its immediate environs. The Convention Center is home to six events,

including familiar Olympic sports such as powerlifting, and more unique options, among them roller skating and bocce. At the nearby Lucky Strike Lanes at L.A. Live, the low-lit hipster vibe has been temporarily illuminated, as the athletes are using the venue for the bowling competition.

There are many opportunities for Downtown workers and residents this week, as well as numerous ways in which the visitors will experience all the community has to offer. Much of this will happen organically — although the athletes are residing at USC and UCLA, many of the spectators and media members will take in Downtown’s resurgent nightlife and dining scene. Those who venture through the center of town later in the week may come across the free concerts and film screenings at Pershing Square or Cal Plaza.

There is another way that Downtowners can step up: by going out to cheer on the athletes.

This is easy. Although many people remain unaware, every sports event in the Special Olympics is free to watch. No advance tickets are required and seating is unassigned. All you have to do is walk through the door.

Starting Monday, action is happening every day, nearly all day, at the Convention Center, Lucky Strike and down at USC. Basketball takes place in the Galen Center, and track and field is at Loker Stadium and Cromwell Field. Swimming events are at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.

While everyone has plenty of demands on their time, we urge all who can carve a few hours out of their schedule to show up and support the athletes. Although the Games lack familiar Olympics names like Michael Phelps or Shaun White, every person competing this week has worked hard to overcome his or her intellectual disability and to travel either across the country or around the world to make it here. They deserve all of the cheers and support that Angelenos can give.

This has the potential to be a great week for Los Angeles, and particularly for Downtown, and the simple acts of helping out or cheering may create a memory that an athlete from Germany, Cambodia, Venezuela or any of the other 174 countries remembers for the rest of his or her life. We have the good fortune to be in the spotlight this week. With the eyes of the world upon us, it’s time to show our support.

July 27, 2015

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Big Plans Presented For Broadway Trade Center

The Broadway Trade Center is undergoing a massive overhaul, adding multiple restaurants and a hotel, among other changes. The anticipated opening is fall 2017.

Project Would Have Restaurants, Office Space, a Hotel, A Rooftop Pool and More

By Heidi Kulicke he renovation of the Broadway Trade Center is one of the biggest projects in Downtown Los Angeles, a transformation of a 1.1 million-square-foot edifice that dates to 1906. Now, some new details on what to expect have been revealed.

Project representatives last week briefed the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee on the development. The proposal calls for a complex with a variety of new bar, restaurant and retail options, as well as creative office space, a hotel, a private club, a rooftop park with a pool and more.

Waterbridge Capital, a New York-based real estate development and investment group helmed by Joel Schreiber, acquired the former Hamburger (and later May Company) Department Store at Eighth Street and Broadway last year for about $130 million, according to a February report in the Los Angeles Times.

Schreiber would not reveal the cost of the renovation to Downtown News.

Schreiber said the company views the Central City as a market with huge potential.

“We see Downtown Los Angeles as the next developing major area in the U.S., the only major city still underdeveloped,” Schreiber said.

“We care deeply for Downtown L.A. and the building, and are very cautious as to which ten-

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ants we choose to work with.”

After buying the building, Waterbridge opened a Los Angeles office and created a subsidiary called Broadbridge, which is now listed as the owner of the Broadway Trade Center.

Shay Yadin, a consultant with Broadbridge, told the DLANC committee that the project is expected to open in 24-30 months. The retail and restaurant component is anticipated to create 1,500 jobs, according to documents presented to DLANC. The current eight-story building will have 15 levels when construction is done, said Elizabeth Peterson, a project consultant who spoke at the DLANC meeting. That will come via the addition of four intermediate, mezzanine-style floors, and three rooftop levels, Peterson said.

Crews are currently restoring the façade, columns and archway of the building, Peterson added. The original marquees will also be restored.

Plans call for the first floor to hold Earth Market, a food and retail hub with 20 small food vendors and four full-size restaurants. A mezzanine overlooking the market would have have four bars.

The market is a twist on Grand Central Market and would feature gourmet, organic and natural products from around the world, Yadin said.

“We’re taking cues from Chelsea Market in New York and Italy’s markets by adding a retail component to Earth Market,” Yadin told the

rendering courtesy of Broadbridge

DLANC committee.

Robert Cohen, president of RKF, which is handling the project’s retail leasing, said the aim is to secure three anchor tenants, each occupying 15,000-30,000 square feet of space on the ground floor. Potential occupants include fashion businesses, as well as high-end home furnishings, consumer electronics and other luxury retailers, he said. An upscale department store is also a possibility.

An office component would be on floors three and four. Phillip Sample, senior vice president of CBRE, which has the listing, said it will be creative office space, and will be ready for tenants in 1218 months. He said talks are ongoing with several “high-end, big creative tech companies,” and that up to 3,000 people could work there.

Yadin cautioned the DLANC committee that they are still early in the process.

“We’re having a lot of discussions with many tenants, but have not struck any deals yet,” he said. “It’s important for us to curate very carefully who we take in. We’re creating an environment, not just a building.”

The fifth and sixth floors would include a bar, restaurant, private club and spa. The seventh floor provides access to a 42,000-square-foot rooftop and there would be a park space open to the public, with one restaurant and two bars.

Plans call for having movie screenings, concerts and other entertainment there, Peterson said.

There would also be an Olympic-sized swimming pool on the roof.

“The spirit of the building is to have it very community-centered,” Peterson said.

Also envisioned is a 153-room hotel. Although it would be on the upper floors of the building, its entrance, lobby and bar would be on the ground level facing Broadway.

Plans call for a mechanized parking facility with lifts that can hold 450-600 cars, according to Peterson. It would be built in the basement and would stack vehicles Plans are still being finalized, and could change as retail and office tenants are secured, Yadin said. Cohen said the hope is to have retail leases signed by the fourth quarter of this year. heidi@downtownnews.com

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July 27, 2015

As Crime Surges, Downtowners Worry Central Division Boosts Foot Patrols, Bulks Up Narcotics Team

By Heidi Kulicke he crime statistics released this month by the Los Angeles Police Department were sobering, particularly in Downtown Los Angeles, where all manner of law-breaking shot up. Now area stakeholders have a big question for the brass at Central Division, which covers Downtown: How will they respond?

The city recorded a 12.7% increase for Part 1 crimes, which detail the most serious offenses, among them homicide, robbery and aggravated assault, and a 20.6% increase in violent crime in the first six months of the year, compared to the same period in 2014, according to the LAPD. The numbers were higher in Central Division. Through July 18, Part 1 crimes increased by approximately 34% from the same period last year. Additionally, Central has seen a 60% increase in violent crime.

Specific categories in Central Division saw skyrocketing increases. Aggravated assaults rose 77%, with 461 reported so far this year compared to 260 at this time in 2014. Robberies spiked 51%, from 255 last year to 385 this year. Rapes rose 22%, from 50 to 61.

There were six homicides in Central Division through July 18, one more than at this time last year.

The trend in Central Division was not limited to violent crime. Property crime, which includes car theft, personal theft and burglary, surged 25% higher. Burglaries jumped from 114 last year to 182 this year, an increase of 60%.

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The numbers have sparked concern across the community. Although she stressed the need to consider the local figures within the context of crime citywide, Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and the Central City Association, called the numbers for Downtown “alarming.”

Her take was echoed by Patti Berman, president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. She said she hears complaints on a daily basis from residents and doesn’t know what to tell them.

“I’m hearing much more than I did a year ago about quality of life issues involving assaults and property crime. Everyone is feeling the pressure,” Berman said. “People are becoming very unhappy. Some are becoming frightened and some are leaving.”

109+47= Trouble Capt. Mike Oreb, who oversees Central Division, said a combination of factors have contributed to the rise in crime, among them a change in how some crimes are classified, as well as mental health issues and prison reform laws.

An LAPD-wide shift in crime reporting to meet FBI guidelines meant that some former misdemeanors, such as battery and brandishing a weapon, have been reclassified as aggravated assaults, leading to part of the spike.

Oreb also attributed some of the problem to the effects of a pair of state measures. AB 109, passed in 2011, shifted responsibility for some

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Central Division Capt. Mike Oreb is trying to respond to a crime surge in Downtown. There has been a 77% spike in aggravated assaults in Central Division over the same period a year ago, though LAPD officials say a change in how crimes are classified is partly responsible.

les Homeless Services Authority.

Oreb said sidewalk tents are often used to buy and sell drugs, and to store drugs and weapons. He said Central Division officers try to connect homeless individuals with the services they need, but the sheer numbers and the requirements of the job make helping everyone a difficult task.

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Schatz acknowledged the challenges that have been created.

“We know the police are committed to dealing with [the increased crime rate], but frankly, a lot of their efforts are hampered by the prison reform legislation,” Schatz said.

Blair Besten, executive director of the Historic Core Business Improvement District, said she regularly sees blatant drug dealing on the sidewalk, when it used to be more discreet.

“People want to give addiction some kind of leniency, but with it comes crime to feed the addiction,” Besten said. “That’s when the community gets involved, because it affects the entire community.”

Responding to Homelessness According to Oreb, “a good portion” of thefts and aggravated assaults are fueled by drug addiction. He added that they commonly involve homeless individuals in and beyond Skid Row. Homelessness rose in the city by 12% over the past two years, and the number of encampments has soared by 85% in that time period, according to a recent count from the Los Ange-

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July 27, 2015 up with the right programs to divert them before their actions become criminal,” Oreb said. “When that fails, law enforcement is forced to step in.”

Oreb said Central Division officers are seeking help with homelessness from government agencies, including the county Department of Mental Health.

It is also bulking up the narcotics team and borrowing LAPD officers from other divisions on a temporary basis, “at least through the summer,” Oreb said.

Additionally, Central is increasing its foot beat program in busy areas to accommodate Downtown’s increased resident, business and nightlife pedestrian traffic, Oreb said. The deployment so far has focused on Chinatown and the Historic Core, with seven more officers assigned to the latter neighborhood at night.

“We’re always looking for ways to do our job better,” Oreb said. “We’ll keep focusing on the things we know we can correct, and look to others for their expertise.”

Besten said the increased presence of officers on foot has already made a difference in the Historic Core. She said crimes of opportunity are less likely to occur when a police officer is nearby.

Oreb encourages Downtown stakeholders to attend one of the many Neighborhood Watch meetings where they can ask officers questions and discuss safety concerns. He also asks that the public continue to report any questionable activity to the police. heidi@downtownnews.com

Downtown News 7

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

City Pushes Sidewalk Access Developers Must Keep Space for Pedestrians Amid Construction

By Eddie Kim evelopment is surging in Downtown Los Angeles, and while many people are applauding the residential boost that will activate the streets, the crush of construction has had a side-effect that is frustrating numerous workers and residents: a rise in the number of closed or obstructed sidewalks, particularly in South Park and the Financial District.

Some stakeholders have been inconvenienced by the need to cross multiple streets to find a path around the shuttered stretches of walkway.

Others, however, are taking a riskier approach — they are stepping into the street and walking close to the curb, while cars whiz past them.

Last summer, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar introduced a motion calling for the Department of City Planning to review sidewalk access requirements at construction sites.

Now the department has issued new guidelines that require developers to “maintain adequate and safe pedestrian protection” by providing clear walkways.

Under the guidelines, which went into effect in June, developers must leave or create walkways and, in some cases, use barriers to keep pedestrians away from cars. They also must provide cover when there is a threat of falling objects. Walkway closures will only be allowed when no other option is feasible, according to the guidelines.

“We can do a much better job of making sure pedestrian access is prioritized and maintained,”

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Huizar said in an email. “If everybody knows that’s the goal from the outset, we’ll have better results and that’s what this new policy does.”

The policy will affect all new projects that require environmental review, which covers basically every development in Downtown, said Charles Rausch, an associate zoning administrator for the Department of City Planning. The walkway access requirement is being baked into the environmental review and permitting process as a “standard mitigation measure,” he said. The regulations will be enforced through regular monitoring reports and by complaints with the city Department of Building and Safety, Rausch added.

“I’ve been doing this for 37 years, and until 10 years ago, blocked sidewalks weren’t really a problem. But all of a sudden construction fences were going up in the public right of way,” Rausch said. “Personally, I’ve seen too many people in, for instance, Little Tokyo walking around construction sites in the street.

Someone’s going to get killed.”

Maintaining sidewalk access throughout Downtown is important, not only for safety reasons, but because walkability is a key factor in the Central City’s appeal, said Tom Warren, chief operating officer for developer Holland Partner Group’s Southern California projects.

The company is one of the most active developers in Downtown Los Angeles, with four projects either under construction or in the planning pipeline. Holland Partner makes efforts to keep walkways opened, but Warren acknowledged that it can be difficult when there is little room between an under-construction project and the public right-of-way.

“Construction in an urban environment is challenging in all cases because of the surrounding uses, and that’s often the case in Downtown L.A.,” Warren said. “The only way to construct buildings is to utilize some adjacent land, and the logistics of keeping a sidewalk open are sometimes impossible. The [city Department of Transportation] can be resistant to closing traffic lanes to create a new walkway, too.”

Despite those concerns, developers will need to find a way to make the new rules work, or risk delaying construction. eddie@downtownnews.com A glut of construction sites in Downtown has led to a number of closed sidewalks. The city has unveiled new rules requiring developers to maintain walkway access for public convenience and safety. photo by Gary Leonard

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8 Downtown News

July 27, 2015

This Week’s special olympics schedule Bowling at L.A. Live, Roller Skating at the Convention Center And the Rest of the Downtown World Games Lineup

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he Special Olympics World Games was scheduled to kick off over the weekend (after Los Angeles Downtown News went to press), and this week the region will be filled with competitions, festivals and other happenings.

Athletes are competing in 25 sports, with the heaviest concentration in and around Downtown Los Angeles. Admission to all the competitions is free. The Games close on Sunday, Aug. 2.

Here is the schedule for events in Downtown.

Monday, July 27 Bocce, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-noon, 1-5:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

Badminton, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-4 p.m.

Powerlifting, Convention Center (Halls E & F), 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Table Tennis, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-noon and 2-6 p.m.

Bowling, Lucky Strike Lanes at L.A. Live, 9-11:30 a.m., noon-2:30 p.m. and 3-5:30 p.m.

Basketball, Galen Center, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-5 p.m.

Athletics (think track and field), USC Loker Stadium/Cromwell Field, 9 a.m.noon and 1-5:30 p.m.

Roller Skating, Convention Center (South Hall), 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-4 p.m.

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Aquatics, USC Uytengsu Aquatics Center, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-7 p.m.

Handball, Convention Center (South Hall), 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Festival, Various Entertainment, USC Alumni Park, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Tuesday, July 28 Bocce, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Powerlifting, Convention Center (Halls E & F), 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Bowling, Lucky Strike Lanes at L.A. Live, 9-11:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m., 2:30-5 p.m. and 5:15-7:45 p.m.

Basketball, Galen Center, 9 a.m.-8:15 p.m.

Athletics, USC Loker Stadium/Cromwell Field, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5:30 p.m.

Aquatics, USC Uytengsu Aquatics Center, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-7 p.m.

Handball, Convention Center (South Hall), 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Roller Skating, Convention Center (South Hall), 10:30 a.m.-noon and 1:303:30 p.m.

Table Tennis, Convention Center (South Hall), 2-6 p.m.

Festival, Africa Day, USC Alumni Park, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

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Powerlifting, Convention Center (Halls E & F), 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Table Tennis, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-noon and 2-6 p.m.

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Bowling, Lucky Strike Lanes at L.A. Live, 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.

Basketball, Galen Center, 9 a.m.-8:15 p.m.

Athletics, USC Loker Stadium/Cromwell Field, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m.

Roller Skating, Convention Center (South Hall), 9:30-11:30 a.m., 1-2:30 p.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Aquatics, USC Uytengsu Aquatics Center, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-7 p.m.

Handball, Convention Center (South Hall), 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Festival, Various Entertainment, USC Alumni Park, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Thursday, July 30 Bocce, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Badminton, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Powerlifting, Convention Center (Halls E & F), 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Table Tennis, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-noon and 2-6 p.m.

Bowling, Lucky Strike Lanes at L.A. Live, 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.

Basketball, Galen Center, 9 a.m.-8:15 p.m.

Athletics, USC Loker Stadium/Cromwell Field, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m.

Aquatics, USC Uytengsu Aquatics Center, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-7 p.m.

Handball, Convention Center (South Hall), 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Roller Skating, Convention Center (South Hall), 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.

Festival, Asia Pacific Day, USC Alumni Park, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Continued on page 40

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Downtown News 9

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Behold the Best Honoring the Winners of the 27th Annual Best of Downtown Issue

W

Downtown News 11

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

henever city elections roll around, there’s a familiar lament: After the polls close, local leaders complain about the paltry turnout.

With the 27th annual Best of Downtown issue, nothing could be further from the truth. We gave control of the prizes to Los Angeles Downtown News readers, and they came out in record numbers. During three weeks in May, 3,888 people signed up and cast ballots at votebestof.com. Some voted in all 150 categories, others in just a few.

We saw a wide variety of winners. Familiar restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and businesses chalked up a repeat win, among them The Original Pantry Café (Best Breakfast Spot), the Rooftop Bar at the Standard Downtown (Best Hotel Bar) and the Last Bookstore (Best Bookstore). Clearly longtime patrons wanted their favorites to be recognized.

We also saw a number of firsttime champs, including a handful of businesses that opened in the past

year. Obviously the proprietors of Little Jewel of New Orleans (Best Cajun Favorite), The Regent’s Rock N’ Roll Flea Market (Best Flea Market) and other businesses know how to wage a social media campaign and get their fans to vote.

We have a new twist this year. In some instances, we’ve given two prizes in a category, and in addition to recognizing a Downtown outpost of a chain store, restaurant or business, we are also honoring the Downtown independent establishment that got the next highest vote total. Those winners are denoted by a DTLA next to their name.

We also have 24 winners chosen by the Downtown News editorial staff. These are wide-ranging, everything from the Best Fast Causal restaurant to the Best Summer Entertainment Trend to the Best Political Fizzle.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote, and congratulations to all our winners. If you don’t agree with some of the selections, that’s fine, too. Come back in 2016 and cast your vote. We’ll be here.

Winning Is Easy Downtown News Readers Earn Prizes Just by Voting Online

C

an you get rich fiddling around on the Internet? Probably not, but as a batch of Los Angeles Downtown News readers have learned, you can earn some sweet prizes for having a few favorites and then scrolling and clicking.

As part of the 27th annual Best of Downtown issue, we offered readers who filled out a Best of Downtown ballot a chance to be entered into a contest. The competition turned out to be pretty stiff, as 3,888 people went online during a three-week period in May and cast ballots in some or all of the 150 categories.

Those who filled out 30 or more categories had the option to be entered into a contest. The winners were chosen in a random drawing

by Downtown News staff.

Our grand prize winner is Elizabeth Klinkhammer.

She gets a two-night stay at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel, dinner for two at Noé, $200 cash, dinner for two at Morton’s The Steakhouse, and a Los Angeles Conservancy walking tour. Yes, all of that is for her. Hopefully you’re her friend.

Klinkhammer is not the only one to benefit. Linda Grant Scott has won an iPad Mini, and we are giving $100 in cash to Danielle Radford, Vivian Zavala and Laurie McCracken.

Los Angeles Downtown News reader Elizabeth Klinkhammer won a huge prize package, including a two-night hotel stay at the Omni and dinner for two at Morton’s, just for voting for the Best of Downtown. photo courtesy Elizabeth Klinkhammer

While those are the biggest prizes, they’re not the only ones. A $100 Patina Restaurant Group gift card is going to David Rochman, while Maricela Vargas and Michael Cowan each won a $50 gift card to Morton’s The Steakhouse. Additionally, Engelberto Delgado will receive a $25 gift card to Cabbage Patch.

Another $20 gift card, this one to CPK, goes to Josie Caldera-Hernandez.

Congratulations to all our winners, and thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. For those individuals who entered but did not get a prize, please try again next year. Once again, we’ll prove that wasting time on the web can yield some handsome rewards.

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July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best Entertainment BEST LARGE MUSIC VENUE Walt Disney Concert Hall

Regal Cinemas L.A. Live

BEST: FREE EVENT SERIES Pershing Square Summer Concert Series photo by Gary Leonard

DT LA designates a Downtown favorite independent business.

the Downtown Independent’s screen. Tack on frequent Q&A’s, weekly stand-up comedy and beer on tap and you’ve got a righteous cinematic experience.

111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com For nearly 12 years, the Frank Gehry-designed home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic has hosted thousands of audience members at a time in a range of classical programs, with the occasional pop or rock act thrown in. Be sure to say hi to Hurricane Mama (that’s the big organ that looks like a box of French fries).

BEST MUSEUM

California Science Center

700 Exposition Blvd., (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org Between the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the recent groundbreaking Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, the California Science Center has raised the bar for Los Angeles museums. With an ever-present IMAX theater and promises of expansion, the future is as bright as the present in Exposition Park.

1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or staplescenter.com

BEST SMALL MUSIC VENUE Conga Room

RUNNER-UP: Grammy Museum

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org

craze. The proof is in the pudding as Edison retains its fame and prestige amongst a spate of competitors.

BEST NIGHTCLUB The Edison

108 W. Second St., (213) 613-0000 or edisondowntown.com The subterranean speakeasy has long channeled the aesthetic of Prohibition within the spirited dimensions of the recent craft cocktail

RUNNER-UP: Conga Room

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-0162 or congaroom.com

BEST FREE EVENT SERIES Pershing Square Summer Concert Series

er, Cid e , r ee gn g B mpa n i erv Cha w S and o N ine W

RUNNER-UP: California Science Center IMAX 700 Exposition Blvd., (213) 744-7400 or californiasciencecenter.org/imax

RUNNER-UP: Staples Center

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-0162 or congaroom.com On any given night, world class Latin musicians or vinyl-addled DJs promise to invigorate a dance floor already well-versed in the kinetic choreography of samba, salsa, cumbia, Latin jazz, Latin pop and the occasional bout of nudisco.

1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or regmovies.com Stadium seating, copious 3D screenings and $8 ticket Tuesdays have long made Regal Cinemas Downtown’s preeminent place to catch a newly released flick.

20 1 5

DOWNTOWN READERS CHOICE CRÊPES

Serving full meals with savory 100% organic buckwheat crepes and dessert crepes

532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare Since the 1800s, myriad forms of entertainment have had their heyday in Pershing Square. This summer genre-rich Wednesday lunch time concerts, salsa dance evenings every Thursday and big name concerts on Saturday nights are all part of the free entertainment in Pershing Square. Highlights this year include Poncho Sanchez, America and an all-cougar classic rock cover band.

RUNNER-UP: Grand Performances at California Plaza 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org

BEST FILM SERIES L.A. Film Fest

866-FILMFEST or lafilmfest.com With weighty prominence, the L.A. Film Fest selection group holds great sway over the fate of independent films hoping to get a distribution deal. The bar is high and the results are strong every year the festival packs L.A. Live and accompanying theaters with the next best things in cinema.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Film Festival dffla.com

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BEST FILM VENUE DT LA

Downtown Independent

251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com Keep your eyes peeled and there’s a good chance that the indie darling who swept last year’s festivals or the gruesome doc you just can’t wait to stream on Netflix will appear on

RUNNER-UP: Museum of Contemporary Art

250 S. Grand Ave. (213) 626-6222 or moca.org

BEST DOWNTOWN TOURS Los Angeles Conservancy

523 W. Sixth St., (213) 623-2489 or laconservancy.org With a breadth of knowledge from historical architecture to neighborhood lore, the L.A. Conservancy hosts weekly walking jaunts through a Los Angeles rich in legacy.

RUNNER-UP: Walt Disney Concert Hall Tours (213) 972-4399 or musiccenter.org

BEST PERFORMING ARTS VENUE Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org The original performance arts space in the crown jewel of Downtown venues, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion has been packing audiences in since 1964. Regal decor, brilliant programming and world class stage production make the venue versatile and welcoming.

RUNNER-UP: Ahmanson Theatre

135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org

BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION L.A. Live

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-5483 or lalive.com Like moths to a flame, visitors to Los Angeles are drawn to L.A. Live’s retinue of restaurants, its wide courtyard brimming with public events, the promise of sports glory at the adjacent Staples Center and a variety of live venues pulsing with the music of this day and age’s most popular entertainers.

RUNNER-UP: Grand Central Market

317 S. Broadway, (213) 624-2378 or grandcentralmarket.com

BEST FAMILY ATTRACTION California Science Center

700 Exposition Blvd., (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org Continued on page 14

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Downtown News 13

14 Downtown News

Within the confines of Exposition Park, families are rapidly discovering that the pursuit of science is an entertaining way to convince kids that book-learnin’ is fun. Find out how simple machines work, how an ecosystem functions or how to increase your chances at getting a berth on the International Space Station.

RUNNER-UP (TIE): Grand Park

Between Grand and Spring, Temple and First, (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org

Olvera Street

125 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 485-6855 or calleolvera.com

Best Restaurants

BEST DOWNTOWN EVENT Downtown Art Walk

Spring and Main between Second and Ninth streets or downtownartwalk.org.

The second Thursday of every month finds the streets of the Historic Core packed to the gills with gallery-goers, vendors, Hare Krishnas, whistle-wetters, police and all-around merry passersby as the Downtown Art Walk continues its mission of spotlighting art in an ever-growing neighborhood.

Best Meals......................................Page14 Best Cuisines..................................Page14 Best Dishes.....................................Page17 Best Restaurant Miscellany.........Page18

Best Meals

RUNNER-UP: Grand Performances at California Plaza

DT LA designates a Downtown favorite independent business.

350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org

BEST BUSINESS LUNCH DT LA

photo by Gary Leonard

BEST: MUSEUM I Family attraction California Science Center

Engine Co. No. 28

644 S. Figueroa, (213) 624-6996 or engineco.com In 1912, Engine Company No. 28 was built to house firefighters who served a booming Downtown. More than a century later, the space is catering to a newly booming Downtown with a variety of traditional American dishes done in savory style.

Morton’s The Steakhouse

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com The Morton’s name is synonymous with the prestige of a fine cut of red meat. Impress your colleagues with a finely honed knowledge of the menu and the adroit professionalism with which you consume your T-bone.

RUNNER-UP: Water Grill

544 S. Grand Ave., (213) 891-0900 or watergrill.com

BEST FINE DINING Pacific Dining Car

1310 W. Sixth St., (213) 483-6000 or pacificdiningcar.com Though the Dining Car is a stationary affair, the finest meals available in Downtown Los Angeles keep rolling all through the night. Pop on in for a special meal or on a whim. It doesn’t matter. You will be satiated.

RUNNER-UP: Morton’s The Steakhouse

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com

BEST BREAKFAST SPOT The Original Pantry Café

877 S. Figueroa St., (213) 972-9279 or pantrycafe.com Once the sourdough French toast and ham steak hits your tummy, you’ll know that the line was worth the wait and the trip to the ATM to indulge the L.A. classic’s cash-only policy was but a mere speedbump on the road to fulfillment.

RUNNER-UP: Eggslut

317 S. Broadway or eggslut.com

BEST BRUNCH Bottega Louie

700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com Is brunch too early for macarons? No. Why not tack a few on top of your eggs benedict, lobster hash or lasagna? Live decadently.

RUNNER-UP: Perch

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com

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BEST: DIM SUM Golden Dragon photo by Gary Leonard

Entertainment, 12

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Mendocino Farms

300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-1114; 444 S. Flower St., (213) 627-3262; 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 430-9040 or mendocinofarms.com

How many sandwich places do we need? How’s a place gonna make a buck when they give away generous samples of all their sides? Who wants expensive soda? Well, guess what? You were wrong, haters! Mendocino Farms is laughing all the way to the bank (on their way to the farm to source out another delectable sandwich, no doubt).

RUNNER-UP: Tender Greens

505 W. Sixth St., (213) 873-1890 or tendergreens.com

BEST DINNER DT LA

Bestia

2121 E. Seventh Place, (213) 514-5724 or bestiala.com From the persimmon salad antipasti to the burrata pizza to the ricotta dumplings and 37-ounce pork tomahawk chop, the Bestia dinner menu promises to titillate, delight, and invigorate before completely eviscerating your opinion of other restaurants.

Morton’s The Steakhouse

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com Prime beef and seafood are the twin pillars upon which you must rest the well-earned faith in Morton’s that keeps you from filling up on dinner rolls.

RUNNER-UP: The Palm

1100 S. Flower St., (213) 763-4600 or thepalm.com

Best Cuisines DT LA designates a Downtown favorite independent business.

BEST AMERICAN Nickel Diner

524 S. Main St., (213) 623-8301 or nickeldiner.com From flapjacks at breakfast to burgers at lunch and spaghetti and meatballs during dinner, the Nickel Diner serves a smattering of American foods that range from the prohibitively heavy to the lithe and stomach gracing.

RUNNER-UP: Engine Co. No. 28

644 S. Flower St., (213) 624-6996 or engineco.com

July 27, 2015

Downtown News 15

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

RUNNER-UP: Empress Pavilion

HEAD-TO-HEAD: BEST CREPES Crepes Sans Frontieres

BEST ASIAN FUSION Wokcano

988 N. Hill St. #201, (213) 617-9898 or empresspavilionchinatown.com photo by Gary Leonard

800 W. Seventh St., (213) 623-2288 or wokcanorestaurant.com.

Like an American trade agreement, the food at Wokcano is trans-Pacific. From Korea to Japan and beyond, the flavors of Asia fuse in one restaurant.

RUNNER-UP: Chaya Downtown

525 S. Flower St., (213) 236-9577 or thechaya.com/downtown-la

The Pie Hole

BEST CAjUN FAvORITE

Little Jewel of New Orleans

207 Ord St., (213) 620-0461or littlejewel.la Beyond the superlative po-boys, mini burgers and other sandwiches that make dining at Little Jewel such an immense joy, regular clients will tell you the unspoken standout feature of the Big Easy joint is an Instagram account that advertises daily specials with ever-saucy panache.

2121 E. Seventh Place, (213) 514-5724 or bestiala.com The nice thing about gauging a farm to table experience is that one can typically taste the difference between fresh food and longwaylaid product. Bestia is a prime example that the proof is in the pudding.

505 W. Sixth St., (213) 873-1890 or tendergreens.com

714 Traction Ave., (213) 537-0115 or thepieholela.com At the Pie Hole in the Arts District, you can cram down savory and sweet pies that rival your grandmother’s finest baked goods. All within the cosy confines of Downtown’s everchanging street-art canvas.

413 S. Main St., (213) 617-9100 or bigmanbakes.com

Bestia

RUNNER-UP: Tender Greens

BEST BAKERY/DESSERTS

RUNNER-UP: Big Man Bakes

BEST FARM TO TABlE

BEST FRENCH Church & State

RUNNER-UP: Little Easy

216 W. Fifth St., (213) 628-3113 or littleeasybar.com

BEST CHINESE Yang Chow

819 N. Broadway, (213) 625-0811 yangchow.com Behold, Yang Chow’s fabled slippery shrimp is a culinary mantle upon which the finest hopes of cross-cultural dialogue between China and the United States achieve consensus. It is a seafood dish so revered, folks travel from miles around to consume it ravenously.

1850 Industrial St., (213) 405-1434 or churchandstatebistro.com The Arts District is a long way away from the Left Bank. Still, Church & State gives the finest dose of France it can with canard, foie de Volaille and escargot.

RUNNER-UP: Peking Tavern

806 S. Spring St., (213) 988-8308 or tooguapo.com/Peking_Tavern

RUNNER-UP: Perch

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com

BEST DIM SUM Golden Dragon

960 N. Broadway, (213) 626-2039 or goldendragonlosangeles.com When the mood strikes and nothing will satisfy your lust for Cantonese dumplings, Golden Dragon promises you a world-class dim sum experience served from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

BEST FROZEN DESSERT DT LA

Gelateria Uli

541 S. Spring St. #104, (213) 900-4717 or gelateriuli.com Gaze upon a case filled with flavorful wonders, sample fruity sorbettos and lucid gelatos, fill your stomach with a delightful scoop (or Continued on page 16

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July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

restaurants, 15

slabs of meat and the high-backed chairs that ensure privacy.

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST: REVOLVING SUSHI BAR Frying Fish

five) of frozen enlightenment and leave happy.

Leave happier with a pint.

photo by Gary Leonard

Yogurtland

Morton’s The Steakhouse

130 S. Central Ave., (213) 687-0733 or yogurt-land.com Democracy is all about choice. Thus, any frozen dessert joint where one is free to choose flavors, quanity and toppings is thoroughly American. Act accordingly.

RUNNER-UP: Pinkberry

RUNNER-UP: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-9911 or flemingssteakhouse.com

322-A E. Second St., (213) 621-7645 or pinkberry.com

BEST SUSHI

BEST GASTROPUB

Sugarfish

Library Bar

600 W. Seventh St., (213) 627-3000 or sugarfishsushi.com Saying nothing of this restaurant’s hand-rolling little brother over on Main Street, Sugarfish is the gold standard of traditional rolls in Downtown.

630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-0053 or librarybarla.com Lest the intellectual connotation of a library throw you off the scent of this long-running exercise in fine beer and cocktails with hearty food, let’s explain it this way: Library Bar is like a reading room but instead of information, you get to feast on sensual overindulgence. Sound good?

RUNNER-UP: Sushi Gen

422 E. Second St., (213) 617-0552 or sushigenla.com

BEST JAPANESE

RUNNER-UP: Sixth St. Tavern

630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-1900 or sixthstreettavern.com

BEST INDIAN Badmaash

108 W. Second St., (213) 221-7466 or badmaashla.com It translates roughly to “badass,” which is apropos because the owners wreak culinary havok in ways that your stomach might describe as “punk,” “rad” and “more” if it could speak.

RUNNER-UP: Gill’s Cuisine of India

838 S. Grand Ave., (213) 623-1050 or gillsindian.com

BEST ITALIAN Bestia

2121 E. Seventh Place, (213) 514-5724 or bestiala.com A smattering of pizza, pasta and antipasti that changes with the season and flatly rejects any modifications you may presume you’re entitled to. This is not the Olive Garden. This is the sort of thing you remember positively as you slip gently into a food coma to dream of Tuscany.

RUNNER-UP: Cucina Rustica

Shabu Shabu House

127 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, (213) 680-3890 or shabushabuhouse.menutoeat.com The beef will be thinly shaved and boiled in water. The beer is affordable. Some would say too affordable. The noodles are extra, but you will not mind.

the sampler and a month-long obsession with each and every taco on the menu, there remains nothing more than to zealously observe the special of the day menu and indulge in those fine, if rare, pleasures.

RUNNER-UP: El Cholo

1037 S. Flower St., (213) 746-7750 or elcholo.com

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN

RUNNER-UP: Octopus Restaurant

California Kabob Kitchen

729 W. Seventh St., (213) 402-1500 or octopusrestaurant.com

141 W. Eleventh St., (213) 747-9500 or ckkabob.com California Kabob Kitchen’s stated purpose is “to be a ray of joy and happiness.” With a menu full of fresh Persian and Mediterranean items, we’d say they’re well on their way.

BEST KOREAN

Korean BBQ House

323 E. First St., (213) 680-1826 or koreanbbqhouse.com Korean BBQ in Little Tokyo is less an exercise in nationalistic pride and more an opportunity to spend time huddled around a grill, cooking endless meat with your friends. There are few finer places to do so.

RUNNER-UP: Manna Korean BBQ

RUNNER-UP: Shekarchi

914 S. Hill St., (213) 892-8535 or shekarchirestaurant.com

BEST MEDITERRANEAN Mediterranean City Grill

BEST LATIN/MEXICAN

609 S. Spring St., (213) 489-9555 or medcitygrill.com Though the scenery on Spring Street may often resemble the austerity of Greece, the kebabs inside harken back to a tasty acropolis of culinary antiquity.

541 S. Spring St., (213) 627-7656 or guisados.co For those who have already burned through

RUNNER-UP: Papa Cristos

333 S. Alameda St., (213) 617-0306 or mannabbq.com

Guisados

888 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 988-8880 or cucinarusticala.com

We offer a Wide variety of Hong Kong Style dim Sum

5

Served 7 dayS/week from 8am-3pm

dIM SUM SPeCIaLS

Mon-Fri (except holidays) at $1.99 per order!

just a few favorite dishes

DICED BEEF STEAK FRENCH STYLE I HOUSE SPECIAL FRIED RICE CHICKEN WITH ORANGE SAUCE I HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP GOLDEN DRAGON CHOP SUEY I TANGERINE BEEF

Full Bar • Party Trays • Banquet/Meeting Room Live Seafood • Free Parking w/Validation

Golden draGon restaurant Chinatown | 960 north Broadway | 213-626-2039

DOWNTOWN

Frying Fish

120 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, (213) 680-0567 Like the fantastic day dream of a gluttinous, bath-loving child, Frying Fish places customers around a water course where tiny boats of prepared sushi circulate within grasp so that precious cargo may be transferred to eager mouths.

BEST THAI Sticky Rice

317 S. Broadway #C-4-5, (213) 621-2865 or eatstickyrice.com A city can never be truly great until it has reliable take-out Thai food. Sticky Rice, thank you.

You make us better.

RUNNER-UP: Soi 7

518 W. Seventh St., (213) 537-0333 or soi7la.com

BEST VEGAN/VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY (TIE) Blossom

2771 W. Pico Blvd., (323) 737-2970 or papacristos.com

BEST SEAFOOD

Homegirl Cafe

544 S. Grand Ave., (213-891-0900 or watergrill.com In this day and age of advertising hyperbole, it is truly refreshing to discover a restaurant that makes good on the promise of its name.

Should you fiend for the bounty of the Pacific, look no further than the glory of Grand Avenue’s Water Grill.

RUNNER-UP: Zinc Cafe

READERS CHOICE DIM SUM

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST REVOLVING SUSHI BAR

426 S. Main St., (213) 623-1973 or blossomrestaurant.com Though known for its pho, Blossom is more than happy to accommodate your politicized eating habits and their consideration for animals of all stripes.

Water Grill

Thank You For Voting Us Best Dim Sum!

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com Located within walking distance of the offices along Figueroa Street and within stumbling distance of the bars on Seventh Street is a local installment of a chain famous for beef.

RUNNER-UP: Fisherman’s Outlet

529 S. Central Ave., (213) 627-7231 or fishermansoutlet.net

130 W. Bruno St., (213) 617-0380 or homegirlcafe.org Sandwiches, pasta and Mexican food alike offer up alternatives to traditional meat dishes courtesy of this socially conscious experiment in food service.

580 Mateo St., (323) 825-5381 or zinccafe.com

BEST VIETNAMESE Blossom

BEST STEAKHOUSE

426 S. Main St., (213) 623-1973 or blossomrestaurant.com With locations in Chinatown and the Historic Core, it’s easy to get on board with this newly seven-day-a-week pho and rice operation.

1310 W. Sixth St., (213) 483-6000 or pacificdiningcar.com Steak around the clock is the calling card of the Pacific Dining Car. Power players have been coming here for decades, thanks to the thick

RUNNER-UP: Pho 87

DT LA

Pacific Dining Car

1019 N. Broadway, (323) 227-0758

July 27, 2015

BEST MAC N’ CHEESE

BEST BURGER

Nickel Diner

Umami

852 S. Broadway, (213) 413-8626, 738 E. Third St., (323) 263-8626 or umami.com For those who dabble in the fifth taste, a truffle aioli burger served with sweet potato fries is a gift from heaven.

RUNNER-UP: The Counter

524 S. Main St., (213) 623-8301 or nickeldiner.com Rare is it that cheese, pasta, breadcrumbs and roasted tomatoes come together into something as gloriously beautiful and habit forming as Nickel Diner’s “Smac and Cheese.”

BEST: ASIAN FUSION Wokcano photo by Gary Leonard

Best Dishes

RUNNER-UP: Engine Co. No. 28

644 S. Figueroa St., (213) 624-6996 or engineco.com

725 W. Seventh St., (213) 228-7800 or thecounterburger.com

BEST Restaurant PIZZA Bottega Louie

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST CREPES

Crepes Sans Frontieres

541 S. Spring St., (213) 623-3606 or crepessansfrontieres.com The keystone to the Spring Arcade paved a road for its neighbors by offering up a bevy of sweet and savory crepes that have done wonders to feed the neighborhood and combat a decade worth of Francophobia. To whoever continues to steal their plants: It’s a crepe, not a freedom pita, ok?

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST CUPCAKES Sprinkles

Downtown News 17

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 228-2100 or sprinkles.com The originators of the cupcake ATM have set up shop in FIGat7th. From the buildings overlooking their plaza, ordinarily flinty execs and self-disciplined crossfit bros alike stare hawkeyed out of corporate offices, hoping, nay, praying, that red velvet is still in stock.

700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com Should the entrees, sandwiches and pasta options not suit your fancy, eight varieties of oven-baked pizza promise to deliver grana parmesan and a variety of other mouthwatering toppings to your ever-so-patient stomach.

RUNNER-UP: Pitfire Pizza Company

108 W. Second St., (213) 808-1200 or pitfirepizza.com

BEST PIZZA (TIE) Garage Pizza

100 ½ W. Seventh St., (213) 622-3390 or garagepizzala.com A honed-down menu promises late-night partygoers a carb-heavy remedy to an evening well spent.

Two Boots Pizza

828 S. Broadway, (213) 623-2100 or twoboots.com Bizarre pizzas topped with strange and wondrous food items and named after celebrities

ranging from Charlie Parker to Seinfield’s Newman will seem unorthodox only until the moment they are consumed. Then they will be seen for what they are: genius.

RUNNER-UP: Pizzanista

2019 E. Seventh St., (213) 627-1430 or pizzanista.com

BEST RAMEN SPOT Daikokuya

Sweet, merciful pork broth filled with noodles and a poached egg is not a layman’s dish. It takes years of apprenticeship and strict adherence to time-honored tradition to craft these ingredients into something Angelenos will queue up for. And queue up they do.

RUNNER-UP: Mr. Ramen

341 ½ E. First St., (213) 626-4252 Continued on page 18

327 E. First St., (213) 626-1680 or dkramen.com

THE

IS PROUD TO BE VOTED

BEST WOMENSWEAR BOUTIQUE IN THE LA DOWNTOWN NEWS 2015 “BEST OF DOWNTOWN” ISSUE

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Thank you, donors. Your generous support provides the wonderful merchandise that fills our store.

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18 Downtown News

BEST SANDWICH/WRAP

BEST: Bargain Lunch DeaL i Downtown cLassic Philippe The Original

300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-1114; 444 S. Flower St., (213) 627-3262; 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 430-9040 or mendocinofarms.com A plethora of breads anchor farm-fresh meat, carefully selected vegetables, lovingly prepared sauces and cheese after gracious cheese in a menu full of stunners from the sandwich king of Downtown Los Angeles.

877 S. Figueroa St., (213) 972-9279 or pantrycafe.com

BEST RESTAURANT AMBIANCE Perch

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com It is apropos that the finest restaurant ambiance in Downtown should go to the restaurant that allows diners to gaze down at the street below. Elevation lends perspective and perspective is king.

1001 N. Alameda St., (213) 628-3781 or philippes.com

Best Restaurant Miscellany DT LA designates a Downtown favorite independent business.

RUNNER-UP: Bottega Louie

BEST NEW RESTAURANT Guisados

700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com

541 S. Spring St., #101 (213) 627-7656 or guisados.co The Boyle Heights taco spot has rapidly earned a place in the hearts of Downtowners. Not only do they serve their espresso-laced horchata late into the night, but so too does their lively habanero sauce routinely make overeager hipsters cry. Thanks guys.

ed reflector vest has knocked on your door with a bowl of chili at 3 a.m. Perhaps you’ve craved a panini on Thanksgiving and found but one place obliging enough to deliver. Thank you L.A. Café.

RUNNER-UP: Tender Greens

RUNNER-UP: Wokcano

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE Zinc Café & Market

580 Mateo St., (323) 825-5381 or zinccafe.com Over on Mateo Street, the gold standard for customer service used to mean getting your car window smashed with a smile. Nowadays consummate attention to food quality, meal delivery time and pleasantries of ambience mean Zinc has turned Mateo toward civilization once and for all.

800 W. Seventh St., (213)623-2288 or wokcanorestaurant.com

BEST FAST SERVICE (TIE) Mendocino Farms

1100 S. Flower St., (213) 763-4600 or thepalm.com

300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-1114; 444 S. Flower St., (213) 627-3262; 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 430-9040 or mendocinofarms.com Long gone are the days of a simple, upstart sandwich restaurant on Bunker Hill. Nowadays “Mendo” is a citywide affair with farm-to-table tendrils grasping into Orange County and beyond. The growth hasn’t gotten to their heads, though. You can still get a sandwich in record time, and the food is as tasy as the menu is diverse.

BEST RESTAURANT DELIVERY

Guisados

RUNNER-UP: The Palm

L.A. Cafe

639 S. Spring St., (213) 612-3000 or thelacafe.com Perhaps you’ve seen their spry fleet of yellow Smart Cars cruising the streets of Downtown.

Perhaps a friendly man with a French fry-scent-

541 S. Spring St., #101 (213) 627-7656 or guisados.co It takes a well-oiled, symbiotic machine to kick out the amount of mini-taco samplers these gifted taco-touting tastemakers deliver in an average lunch rush.

PRIME STEAKS. LEGENDARY SERVICE. Fine Wine • Private Dining • Exceptional Menu

20 1 5

DOWNTOWN READERS CHOICE

STEAKHOUSE • BUSINESS LUNCH • DINNER

1001 N. Alameda St., (213) 628-3781 or philippes.com Philippe’s has been serving food at one location or another since 1908. LADWP didn’t start dispensing electricity until 1917. Keep this in mind next time you have a French dip.

RUNNER-UP: The Original Pantry Cafe

RUNNER-UP: Philippe The Original

505 W. Sixth St., (213) 873-1890 or tendergreens.com

Philippe The Original photo by Gary Leonard

Mendocino Farms

BEST DOWNTOWN CLASSIC

Downtown | 735 South Figueroa St Los Angeles, CA 90017 | 213-553- 4566 mortons.com/losangeles

BEST RESTAURANT DECOR RUNNER-UP: Wurstküche

800 E. Third St., (213) 687-4444 or wurstkuche.com

BEST BARgAIN LUNCH DEAL Philippe The Original

1001 N. Alameda St., (213) 628-3781 or philippes.com We’d like to welcome the Alameda Street co-inventors of the French Dip to the credit card-accepting future. Now you too can swipe that plastic for a turkey dip and a coke before nestling atop sawdust floors for a bit of atavistic cuisine.

RUNNER-UP: Guisados

541 S. Spring St., #101 (213) 627-7656 or guisados.co

BEST DOg-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Urth Caffé

Faith & Flower

705 W. Ninth St., (213) 239-0642 or faithandflowerla.com High ceilings and a bar space that narrows into back corridors and smaller rooms styled with chic aesthetics make Faith & Flower’s space as much of a treat as its food.

RUNNER-UP: Cicada

617 S. Olive St., (213) 488-9488 or cicadarestaurant.com

MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT Pacific Dining Car

1310 W. Sixth St., (213) 483-6000 or pacificdiningcar.com Fine ambiance, a good wine selection, succulent red meat options and the unquestioned safety provided by the nearby LAPD Rampart Division mean you can spend some quality time with your amor at a beloved Los Angeles institution.

451 S. Hewitt St., (213)797-4534 or urthcaffe.com If you’re going to treat yourself to a Sunday morning Spanish latte, you might as well indulge your pooch’s cramped paws on a tour of the scenic Arts District.

RUNNER-UP: Café Pinot

RUNNER-UP: Panini Cafe

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com Whether you’re in the mood for sun-drenched, mid-afternoon surf-and-turf skewers with a cock-

600 W. Ninth St., (213) 489-4200 or mypaninicafe.com

700 W. Fifth St., (213) 239-6500 or cafepinot.com

BEST OUTDOOR DININg Perch

BEST: sanDwich/wraP i Figat7th eatery i Lunch sPot Fast serVice Mendocino Farms photo by Gary Leonard

restaurants, 17

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

July 27, 2015

Downtown News 19

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

photo by Gary Leonard

BEST: breakfast spot hangover remedy spot The Original Pantry Café

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

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20 1 5

Grand Tower

tail or two or a full-blown evening of faint stargazing with a bit of bouillabaisse, Perch has you covered. Not literally. Metaphorically.

255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777

RUNNER-UP: Urth Caffé

451 S. Hewitt St., (213)797-4534 or urthcaffe.com

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST Dining HuB

Grand Central Market

317 S. Broadway, (213) 624-2378 or grandcentralmarket.com If the weekly influx of non-Downtowners queing up for anything ranging from fresh oysters to falafel is any indication, the winner of this category was a foregone conclusion.

READERS CHOICE BUILT-FROM-THE-GROUND-UP RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants

BEST FigAT7TH EATEry

DOWNTOWN Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove,Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

Mendocino Farms

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 430-9040 or mendocinofarms.com At any lunch time, you can see the long line of hungry office workers flocking to Mendocino Farms for the sandwiches. They will wait, because they know they will get a sample while they do so, and once their meal arrives, they will be happy.

Promenade Towers 123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777

RUNNER-UP: City Tavern

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Spa / BBQ Grills ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 239-5654 or citytaverndtla.com

BEST grAnD CEnTrAl MArkET EATEry Eggslut

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Beauty Salon

317 S. Broadway, eggslut.com Anytime a restaurateur can craft a simple egg sandwich that makes surly, hungover Angelenos cue up like Soviets craving toilet paper, you know you’ve got something potent on your hands.

RUNNER-UP: Tacos Tumbras a Tomas

museum Tower 225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500

317 S. Broadway, (213) 620-1071

BEST DOWnTOWn ViEW Perch

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com Whether you yearn to look at happy families ice skating in Pershing Square during the holidays, desperately crave to spot the migrating Vaux’s Swifts as they spiral into their roost in the Chester Williams Building, fetishize the ever-changing color scheme atop U.S. Bank Tower or have a thing for the San Gabriel Mountains, Perch’s view is a panorama of epic proportions.

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

RUNNER-UP: L.A. Prime

Bottega Louie

700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com Though the laughs may be temporarily interrupted by reasonably priced California-style Italian food, the warm atmosphere and broad seating arrangement will gladly lend themselves to your mealtime reunion.

Continued on page 20

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 612-4743 or thebonaventure.com

BEST PlACE TO BrEAk BrEAD WiTH FriEnDS

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies

TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

www.TowersApartmentsLA.com MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING

RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM

20 Downtown News

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best Drinking

RUNNER-UP: Katsuya

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 747-9797or katsuyarestaurant.com/lalive

RUNNER-UP: Border Grill

445 S. Figueroa St., (213) 486-5171 or bordergrill.com

BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT

BEST L.A. LIVE RESTAURANT

927 S. Broadway, (213) 235-9660 or lachapter.com It’s a “brasserie,” which is code for a relaxed French restaurant, not a brass foundry. Enjoy the food. Don’t think too much.

Yard House

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-9273 or yardhouse.com Ben Franklin once said that “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

While we’re not sure what the Founding Father would think of L.A. Live, it’s a safe bet that the dozens of draft beers on tap here would tickle his sensibility.

DT LA designates a Downtown favorite independent business.

LA Chapter — Ace Hotel

BEST COFFEE Urth Caffé

451 S. Hewitt St., (213) 797-4534 or urthcaffe.com This Arts District bean haunt guarantees its varieties of coffee and tea are certified organic, which is a nice, socially responsible way to enjoy your Spanish latte (which you will presumably sweeten with fair trade sugar).

RUNNER-UP: Ford’s Filling Station — J.W. Marriott 900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-8630 or lalive.com

RUNNER-UP: Tierra Mia Coffee

BEST: dining hub Grand Central Market photo by Gary Leonard

653 S. Spring St., (213) 895-6000 or tierramiacoffee.com

BEST JUICE

Pressed Juicery

860 S. Los Angeles St., (855) 755-8423 or pressedjuicery.com In the heart of the Fashion District, a cabal of fruit-fond juicers conspires to energize, refresh and saturate your day with organic goodness.

No need to feel cleanse-guilty here, as they’re all on the liquid diet too. Double ginger!

RUNNER-UP: Press Brothers Juicery

ing the foresight to put on the Lakers, the Dodgers, the Clippers, the Kings, the Galaxy, the Sparks, UCLA, USC, MMA, etc.

317 S. Broadway, (213) 389-3645 or pressbrothersjuicery.com

RUNNER-UP: Big Wangs

BEST WINE BAR BottleRock

S W O H S E FRE K E E W S I TH

.

Downtown L.A

350 S. Gra California Plaza

BEST: lounge bar nightclub The Edison photo by Gary Leonard

restaurants, 19

nd Ave 90071

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Friday, July 31 @ 8pm MARE IMBRIUM (SEA OF RAIN) A kinetic spectacle suspending time and space.

Saturday, Aug 1 @ 8pm ROCKY DAWUNI | BLITZ THE AMBASSADOR Ghanaian artists mixing sounds of reggae and hip-hop.

Sunday, Aug 2 @ 7pm GORDON GOODWIN’S BIG PHAT BAND Hard-swinging compositions from Grammy-award winner Gordon Goodwin.

For the entire summer line-up, visit

GRANDPERFORMANCES.ORG

1050 S. Flower St., Suite 167, (213) 747-1100 or bottlerockla.com South Park’s long-beloved cork pullers stand strong with a robust list of everything from malbecs to muscatos. Though you may stump these stem-twirlers from time to time, you can bet the competent staff behind the bar will put you on the scent of a mighty fine grape.

801 S. Grand Ave. #175, (213) 629-2449 or bigwangs.com

BEST LOUNGE BAR The Edison

RUNNER-UP: The Must

108 W. Second St., (213) 613-0000 or edisondowntown.com Your eyes will tell you that you’re in an industrial boiler room. Your ears will guess you’re withing striking distance of a qualified DJ with a low-key sensibility. Your liver will shout with increasing fervor, “more, more, more!”

BEST SPORTS VIEWING BAR

RUNNER-UP: Library Bar

117 Winston St., (213) 628-2000 or themust.com

Casey’s Irish Pub

630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-0053 or librarybarla.com

613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or caseysirishpub.com Veteran bartenders pour shots and man the tap as you stare up eagerly at a line of televisions flicking with your sporting event of choice. Order some potato wedges or shepherd’s pie and thank the owners for hav-

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD DIVE BAR La Cita

336 S. Hill St., (213) 687-7111 or lacitabar.com Whether you crave the anonymity of a dim, Christmas-light illuminated dance floor puls-

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DOWNTOWN READERS CHOICE MOVING/STORAGE COMPANY

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LosAngelesSelfStorage.net

July 27, 2015

Downtown News 21

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best Shopping photo by Gary Leonard

BEST: COFFEE I dOg FrIEndly rEstaurant Urth Caffé

DT LA designates a Downtown favorite independent business.

BEST FARMERS MARKET Grand Farmers Market

350 S. Grand Ave., Wednesday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., rawinspiration.org The bounty of Southern California’s vaunted agriculture invades the steely confines of Bunker Hill each and every hump day with options ranging from pre-made specialty food items to plain old, nutritious produce.

RUNNER-UP: FIGat7th Farmers Market

FIGat7th Plaza Level, Thursday 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., rawinspiration.org

BEST BICYCLE SHOP DTLA Bikes

425 S. Broadway, (213) 533-8000 or dtlabikes.com Whether you’re tuning up your fixie or trying to lay your hands on an adorable tandem bike to show off your straight-from-Tinder significant Continued on page 22

ing with ranchera music or prefer the nonchalant sophistication of a rough-hewn patio inundated with cigarette smoke, La Cita proves time and time again that the neighborhood dive bar may be the most soothing way to spend an afternoon. Or an early morning, for that matter.

evening rush hour — it doesn’t matter, for the L.A. Café will gladly serve you a panini, fries or chili at any hour. Should you be stumbling home from the club or waking up extra early to hop a flight, the Spring Street favorite welcomes you with open arms and a somewhat greasy spoon.

RUNNER-UP: Cole’s

RUNNER-UP: The Original Pantry Café

BEST RESTAURANT HAPPY HOUR

BEST BEER (DRAFT/TAP) SELECTION

118 E. Sixth St., (213) 622-4090 or colesfrenchdip.com

Perch

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com Though their “Aperitif Hour” advocates no apparent state of emotional well-being, the twohour window of food specials from 4-6 p.m. every Monday through Friday features a steady lineup of delicious and inexpensive options from charcuterie to mini hot dogs.

RUNNER-UP: Wokcano

800 W. Seventh St., (213) 623-2288 or wokcanorestaurant.com

BEST BAR HAPPY HOUR Seven Grand

515 W. Seventh St., second floor, (213) 614-0736 or sevengrandbars.com You, too, can indulge in the feeling of an oldmoney club with all its fine libations and without the expensive dues/lingering societal guilt.

Five dollar classic cocktails and $4 beer options are yours for the taking each day until 8 p.m.

RUNNER-UP: La Cita

336 S. Hill St., (213) 687-7111 or lacitabar.com

BEST HOTEL BAR

Standard Rooftop Bar — Standard Downtown

550 S. Flower St., (213) 892-8080 or standardhotels.com Between the ever-chic poolside haunt and its adjacent biergarten, you’ll find ample opportunities to cop a buzz, see and be seen and bask in the skyline of Downtown’s ever-growing Financial District.

RUNNER-UP: Upstairs Bar — Ace Hotel

929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com

BEST LATE NIGHT SPOT L.A. Café

639 S. Spring St., (213) 612-3000 or thelacafe.com Late night, mid-morning, a few minutes past

photo by Gary Leonard

BEST: WOMEn’s WEar BOutIQuE FIDM Scholarship Store

877 S. Figueroa St., (213) 972-9279 or pantrycafe.com

DT LA

Angel City Brewery

216 Alameda St., (213) 622-1261 or angelcitybrewery.com Not that drinking locally brewed craft beer with your buddies is taxing or anything, but the good folks at your neighborhood brewery had the good taste to commission local artists to design a cornhole set-up. Drink. Throw. Repeat.

Celebrating our 107th year!

Yard House

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-9273 or yardhouse.com Somewhere between a sports bar and brew pub is L.A. Live’s iteration of the Yard House chain. Though years of breakage and feeble underage attempts to pilfer a beer or two means you can’t order an actual yard of beer and ID checks will be stringent, you can bet that one of the scores of rotating taps will suit your fancy.

HOME OF THE FRENCH DIP

RUNNER-UP: Wurstküche

800 E. Third St., (213) 687-4444 or wurstkuche.com

BEST HANGOVER REMEDY SPOT (TIE) The Original Pantry Café

877 S. Figueroa St., (213) 972-9279 or pantrycafe.com Figueroa Street’s longstanding, 24/7 testament to the city’s lust for a culinary heritage is written in eggs, toast, bacon and more bacon.

The line can get hefty around breakfast on the weekends. Be sure to pack a little hair of the dog and some cheap sunglasses.

Eggslut

317 S. Broadway or eggslut.com Should you choose to wait in a snaking line for Downtown’s most lauded egg sandwich while reeking of Jameson’s, that’s your business and that’s A-OK with us. In fact, tack on a biscuit — those carbs may just save you.

RUNNER-UP: Nickel Diner

524 S. Main St., (213) 623-8301 or nickeldiner.com

Downtown News Readers Voted Us...

1001 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 213.628.3781 www.philippes.com Open 6am to 10pm Daily Plenty of Free Parking!

20 1 5

DOWNTOWN READERS CHOICE

BARGAIN LUNCH DEAL • DOWNTOWN CLASSIC

22 Downtown News

other, Broadway’s bike boys are a convenient and critically skilled set of cycling minds from which answers will echo back.

BEST: PET SUPPLIES/BOUTIQUE I PET GrOOmInG Pussy & Pooch photo by Gary Leonard

shopping, 21

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

RUNNER-UP: Just Ride L.A.

1626 S. Hill St., (213) 745-6783 or justridela.com

to blow a stogie inside quite like being within eye shot of LAPD headquarters. Burn one down on a slow evening or pocket a Cohiba to ostentatiously ash later as you exit the nearby Edison nightclub.

RUNNER-UP: Broadway Smoke Shop 624 S. Broadway, (213) 622-2825

BEST PET SUPPLIES/BOUTIQUE

BEST VAPE SHOP

564 S. Main St., (213) 438-0900 or pussyandpooch.com We could go on about the variety of cute pet accessories and high-quality food products, but the proof of Pussy and Pooch’s neighborhood renown is best exemplified by most dogs’ unwillingness to pass the place on a walk without going in.

1301 S. Main St. #121, (213) 748-8273 or downtownvape.com Just because you’re enjoying a vape from this Financial District haunt doesn’t mean you can smoke indoors, but it does mean you can get way healthier practice on blowing that perfect smoke ring.

Pussy & Pooch

Downtown Vape

RUNNER-UP: Pet Project LA

RUNNER-UP: Good Vapor DTLA

548 S. Spring St., (213) 688-7752 or petprojectla.com

BEST ART, CRAFT & DESIGN STORE (TIE) Raw Materials

436 S. Main St., (800) 729-7060 or rawmaterialsla.com From printing services to canvas and paint supplies, Raw Materials is chock full of the goods every artist needs. Except talent. Bring your own talent or get some at this store’s weekly Friday night still-life drawing class at Grand Central Market.

133 E. Third St., (213) 265-7665 or goodvapordtla.com Beyond traditional art supplies, you’ll find party decorating items, crafting tools and the delightfully adjacent smells of the Flower District.

ish items at Angelo: Home toe a line between reclaimed industrialism and plush polychromatic comfort.

RUNNER-UP: FIDM Scholarship Store

Ashley Furniture

BEST STORE FOR THE HOME DT LA

Moskatels

733 San Julian St., (213) 689-4590

1810 S. Broadway, (213) 745-2980 or ashleyfurniturehomestore.com Perched just south of the 10 Freeway is Downtown’s greatest repository of couches, love seats, ottomans, davenports, mattresses, recliners, dining room tables, kitchen tables, coffee tables and garden variety chairs of all stripes — all at this chain’s guaranteed lowest price.

919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 623-5821 or fidmscholarshipfoundation.org

Angelo: Home

847 S. Broadway, (213) 488-9347 or angelohome.com From shabby chic to urban bohemian, the styl-

RUNNER-UP: Dearden’s

BEST: STOrE FOr THE HOmE Angelo: Home photo by Gary Leonard

700 S. Main St., (213) 362-9600 or deardens.com

BEST BOOKSTORE The Last Bookstore

453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com As if the vast ground floor and labryinthine dollar section with its grotesquely well-stocked surplus of new and used books weren’t enough, the Last Bookstore just added a superlative art and rare book section to remind competitors not to bother.

RUNNER-UP: The Library Store

630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7550 or lfla.org/store

BEST CIGAR/SMOKE SHOP

2nd Street Cigar Lounge and Gallery

International House of Music

339 S. Broadway, (213) 628-9161 or ihomi.com Get your pancakes elsewhere, for this International House focuses on the diplomacy of live music with sound systems, instruments and the various and sundry items that make being a musician awesome.

RUNNER-UP: Caveman Vintage

650 N. Spring St., (213) 625-9999 or caveman-vintage.com

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST CANDy SHOP

Raquel’s Candy and Confections

1238 E. Olympic Blvd., (855) 625-6315 or pinatadistrict.com Copious high fives are due to the intrepid business owner who first thought to get this URL. Nothing bodes better for a standout, high-volume candy store than also selling those jaunty tissue-paper targets folks love to stuff with sweets and then batter into submission.

BEST JEWELRy MART

St. Vincent Jewelry Center

650 S. Hill St., (213) 629-2124 or svjc.com It was a close race in the battle for the Jewelry District, but in the end the votes tallied in favor of St. Vincent Jewelry Center. Let’s face it: With spacious facilities and an adjacent courtyard stuffed to the gills with kabob and falafel, this was an easy choice.

RUNNER-UP: California Jewelry Mart 607 S. Hill St., (213) 627-2831

BEST: BICYCLE SHOP DTLA Bikes photo by Gary Leonard

Authentic New Orleans Style Grocery and Delicatessen

124 W. Second St., (213) 452-4416 or 2ndstreetcigars.com Nothing flaunts a cigar shop’s permitted ability

BEST MUSIC SHOP

SERVING: Po’boys • Beignets • Muffulettas • Café Au Lait • Jambalaya And harder to find items from Louisiana

Also Inside: Vintage Candy and Soda Pop Shop!

207 Ord St. in Historic Chinatown Sun - Thur: 8am to 9pm, Fri - Sat: 8am to 10pm 213-620-0461 • Easily located off the B-Dash

July 27, 2015

The Rock N’ Roll Flea Market

448 S. Main St., (323) 284-5727 or theregenttheater.com From the ubiquitous Morrissey T-shirt to the ever-rare Hambly black light poster, a world of ephemera and rock and roll collectibles unfolds each month on the expanse of The Regent’s floor.

RUNNER-UP: Arts District Co-Op

453 Colyton St., (213) 621-2888 or adcoopla.com

Best CONsIGNMeNt & VINtaGe stOre Tiffany Auction House

236 W. 18th St. or (213) 746-1373 Predominantly furniture-oriented, Tiffany Auction House has long been a hidden gem of Downtown. The great likelihood that the item you’re pining after will be available at a devilishly low price draws many first time Tiffanygoers into years of upbidding euphoria.

RUNNER-UP: Popkiller Second

343 E. Second St., (213) 625-1372 or popkiller.us

Best street FasHION BOUtIQUe DT LA

Popkiller Second

343 E. Second St., (213) 625-1372 or popkiller.us Cheeky shirts dressed up like vinyl records line the walls like so many wearable portals into pop culture. Popkiller Second duds signify the wearer as a hip and in-the-know, streetwise Downtowner.

American Apparel

363 E. Second St., (213) 617-7222 or americanapparel.net You may know them for their massive factory on Alameda or perhaps their retail store on Second Street or maybe from the T-shirt you’re wearing right now. This Los Angeles garment company has long been the gold standard for casual wear.

RUNNER-UP: Blends

725 S. Los Angeles St., (213) 626-6607 or blendsus.com

HeaD-tO-HeaD Best MeNsWear — sUIts Roger Stuart Clothes

729 S. Los Angeles St. or (213) 627-9661 The suit masters on Los Angeles Street have long been your best bet for a fancy suit, a three-piece affair or perhaps just a casual ascot to mix things up during your little bouts of nighttime couples fiction. Their attention to detail and robust stock makes rivaling Roger Stuart a fool’s errand.

Best MeNsWear BOUtIQUe The Well

1006 S. Olive St., (213) 550-4448 or thewell.la We hate to pigeonhole The Well as menswear only, for the retail/event space on South Olive features an enviable retinue of fashion-forward items for all genders.

RUNNER-UP: Apolis

806 E. Third St., (855) 894-1554 or apolisglobal.com

Best GIFt & statIONerY stOre The Library Store

630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7550 or lfla.org/store We’d like to shake the Library Store buyer’s hand. Items ranging from the solidly literary to the cute and kitschy forever draw customers. In fact, the wise among us have already begun our annual pilgrimage to the Library Store to suss

out early holiday gifts. If you want books, bags, jewelry, magic tricks or more, they’ve got it.

RUNNER-UP: MOCA

250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1710 or mocastore.org

Best WOMeN’s Wear BOUtIQUe FIDM Scholarship Store

919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 623-5821 or thefidmmuseumstore.org No, the FIDM Scholarship Store doesn’t sell scholarships to FIDM. Instead, sales of the fashionable clothing items benefit scholarships to FIDM. Get it? Retail begets education and style in a perfect trinity.

RUNNER-UP: Skingraft

758 S. Spring St., (213) 626-2662 or skingraftdesigns.com

Best Services DT LA designates a Downtown favorite independent business.

Best resIDeNtIal real estate aGeNt Christiano Sampaio

1020 S. Hope St., (888) 505-6387 or loftway.com Since 2007, Christiano Sampaio’s Loftway real estate agency has helped present and future

Downtowners find a nook of their own. Sampaio sets himself apart with a variety of listings and an emphasis on imparting the practicalities of first-time home ownership.

RUNNER-UP: Jessica Robertson & Agnes Ferreyra Lifestylesla.com

Continued on page 24

BEST: CHURCH/SYNAGOGUE/PLACE OF WORSHIP Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels photo by Gary Leonard

Best Flea Market

Downtown News 23

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best retaIl stOre (larGe) City Target

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 330-4543 or target.com Below street level at FIGat7th is a large retail operation that serves all of your needs, from fresh food to clothing and consumer electronics. Best of all, this all happens without forcing you to journey to Culver City or the strange wilds of Pasadena.

RUNNER-UP: Macy’s

750 W. Seventh St., (213) 628-9311 or macys.com

Best retaIl stOre (MeDIUM) H&M

735 S. Figueroa St., (855) 466-7467 or hm.com H&M is more than happy to facilitate your business casual needs or costume your dignified night out on the town. Blazers, skirts, shoes, bathing suits, underwear — yeah, they got it.

RUNNER-UP: Urban Outfitters

810 S. Broadway, (213) 627-7469 or urbanoutfitters.com

Best aUtO Dealer — NeW Cars Toyota Downtown L.A.

1600 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8301 or toyotaofdowntownla.com The rumbling of traffic on the 10/110 interchange above will fill your heart with envy as the stylish bodies, comfortable interiors, princely MPGs and family-conscious safety ratings of these new Toyotas begin to compute in your mind as the splendid bargains they are.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown L.A. Mercedes Benz

1801 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8951 or mbzla.com

Best aUtO Dealer — UseD Cars Toyota Downtown L.A.

1600 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8301 or toyotaofdowntownla.com If that new car smell makes you a touch queasy, the fine folks at Toyota of Downtown will gladly help find you a certified used car to motor off the lot onto adjacent Venice Boulevard, where passing passengers on Metro’s Expo Line will stare at you wistfully.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown L.A. Auto Group 1801 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8951 or dtlamotors.com

20 1 5

DOWNTOWN READERS CHOICE SEAFOOD

WaterGrill.com

Downtown’s Best Seafood21 Years and Running...

Thank You L.A.!

544 S. Grand Ave, Downtown L.A.

213.891.0900

24 Downtown News

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

services, 23

Athletic Club includes access to a bar and restaurant as well as reasonably priced and comfortable hotel rooms.

BEST: BARBER SHOP Bolt Barbers

BEST FLORIST

photo by Gary Leonard

Downtown Flowers

505 S. Flower St., Level B, (213) 488-2028 or downtown-flowers.net No matter what the occasion, Downtown Flowers has a suitable arrangement to fit any budget. Strong professional acumen and a variety of fresh blooms means the Flower Street florists can help guide you to the perfect bouquet.

Equinox

444 S. Flower St., (213) 330-3999 or equinox.com Centrally located at Fifth and Flower streets, Equinox offers all of the equipment and tailored personal attention you could possibly want in the quest to become a skinny minnie or a rough and tumble approximation of a mixed martial arts brute.

RUNNER-UP: California Floral Company

RUNNER-UP: LA Fitness

BEST DAY SPA

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST DANCE STUDIO

220 E. First St., (213) 613-0020 or californiafloralco.com

Yolanda Aguilar Institute and Spa

735 S. Figueroa St., #100, (213) 687-6683 or yabeauty.com Whether exfoliation is in order or your deep tissue yearneth for the kneading release of strong hands, the Yolanda Aguilar Beauty Institute’s holistic approach to treating the body and mind is always available at FIGat7th.

Ritz-Carlton Spa

900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 743-8800 or ritzcarlton.com The hustle and bustle of a job in Downtown isn’t exactly the epitome of relaxation, but deep amidst the Ritz-Carlton you’ll find one of L.A.’s most replenishing day spas. From manicures and pedicures to spirit-pampering, allinclusive treatments, the luxury spa at the Ritz is a solid bet.

RUNNER-UP: Oasis City Spa (O Hotel)

819 S. Flower St., (213) 784-8194 or oasiscityspa.com

BEST HAIR SALON Neihule

607 S. Olive St., (213) 623-4383 or neihule.com Behind the bobs, bangs and blonde highlights that have defined the style of the Downtown rennaisance is Neihule. Word of mouth and an enduring prestige is testament to the wonderworking skill of these most capable practicitioners of the follicular arts.

RUNNER-UP: Salon Pure

111 E. Sixth St., (213) 624-7873 or salonpurela.com

BEST NAIL SALON Neihule

512 W. Seventh St., (213) 627-5300 or neihule.com As if their claim to hair-styling dominance

iDance Academy

weren’t enough, the people at Neihule are proud to pedicure at their Bottega Louie-adjacent nail salon on Seventh Street, where cuticles are demystified and the nail bed is sacred.

RUNNER-UP: Zen Dental

RUNNER-UP: Hope Spa & Nails

Downtown Chiropractic

501 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 623-5908 or hopespanails.com

BEST BARBER SHOP Bolt Barbers

460 S. Spring St., (213) 232-4715 or boltbarbers.com The shearing squad at Bolt Barbers is responsible for a good percentage of the stylish sideshave haircuts and superlative fades that catch your eye outside whatever pour-over coffee shop you call home. Stop by, drop your shoes off with Mr. Happy Feet, have a root beer, peruse a gun-oriented magazine and bask in contemporary masculinity.

BEST YOGA STUDIO

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

DT LA

BEST DENTIST OR DENTAL OFFICE Downtown Dental

255 S. Grand Ave. #204, (213) 620-5777 or downtowndentalla.com Dr. Mungcal is a veritable deity of Downtown dentistry. Whether your needs are purely cosmetic or hedge on the boundary of preventative peridontics, the Bunker Hill dental clinic offers comprehensive care and a porcelain reputation.

New Patient Offer (for a limited time)

Complete Exam • All Necessary X-Rays Personal Consultation • Professional Cleaning* $99 I Regularly: $276 I You Save $177 *Unless certain dental conditions exist.

20 1 5

DOWNTOWN READERS CHOICE DENTIST OR DENTAL OFFICE

Peace Yoga Gallery

903 S. Main St., (213) 500-5007 or peaceyogagallery.com At the confluence of Main and Spring streets, you’ll find a unique yoga studio built on the highest ambitions of transcendence through physical discipline and a practical approach to holistic diets and a healthy mentality. Downward dog time y’all.

800 W. First St., Suite 301, (213) 617-1052 or dtlachiropractic.com Whether your aggressive boot camp class pushed you too far or nights of sleeping in a rough, sound-dampening nest of pillows has left a permanent crick in your neck, the physiologically in-tune personnel at Downtown Chiropractic are primed to give you an adjustment or two.

Bikram Yoga Downtown LA

701 W. First St., (213) 626-9642 or bikramyogadowntownla.com The pursuit of body-conscious exercise reaches new heights in a heated room for studious types who also subscribe to the notion that profuse sweating is a fantastic way to cleanse body and soul.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Live Chiropractic

714 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 1001, (213) 744-1099 or downtownlivechiropractic.com

DT LA

550 S. Flower St., (213) 439-3058 or rudysbarbershop.com

255 South Grand Ave., #204, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Call us now! 213-634-2960

110 E. Ninth St., #B225, (213) 623-1129 or zendental.com

BEST GYM/WORKOUT FACILITY

RUNNER-UP: Rudy’s Barber Shop

Healthy Teeth & Gums For Life!

111 W. Seventh St., (323) 393-3875 or idanceacademy.com High atop the SB Main building you’ll find iDance Academy. Whether you’d like to attend class in person or learn over Skype, you can try salsa, hip-hop or much more.

Los Angeles Athletic Club

RUNNER-UP: Yoga Circle

431 W. Seventh St., (213) 625-2211 or laac.com Beyond stellar facilities, historical flair and onsite parking, membership at the Los Angeles

400 S. Main St., (213) 620-1040 or yogacircledowntown.com

BEST DRY CLEANERS

BEST: GYM/WORKOUT FACILITY Los Angeles Athletic Club

Sloan’s Dry Cleaners

photo by Gary Leonard

DT LA

700 S. Flower St., (213) 624-3933 or lafitness.com

300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-1622; 330 S. Hope St., (213) 620-0205; and 601 S. Figueroa St., (213) 627-5123 When you stop to think about the hundreds of gallons of coffee Downtown goes through each week and our nasty habit of playing on our phones while we should be paying attention to our surroundings, stains are bound to happen.

The folks at Sloan’s will gladly help undo the damage you’ve done to your wardrobe.

RUNNER-UP: Tokyo Cleaners

426 E. Second St., (213) 628-2474

BEST COMPUTER REPAIR SHOP Spring Street Mac

600 S. Spring St., (213) 943-3304 or springstreetmac.com The Steve Jobs acolytes on the ground floor of SB Tower have earned their reputation as the best bet to help you negotiate that cracked phone screen, mussed-up logic board and allaround lack of suitable Apple accessories.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Los Angeles Computer Repair

1150 S. Olive St., Suite 1200, (213) 985-2786 or downtownlosangelescomputerrepair.com Continued on page 26

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Downtown News 25

26 Downtown News

BEST OPTOMETRIST Dr. Garry Regier

700 S. Flower St., (213) 623-5196 or drgarryregier.com Dr. Regier is a patient man. He is a lens through which those with fuzzy vision come to see the finest bits of humanity in clarity once again.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown L.A. Optometric Vision Center 623 W. Sixth St., (213) 629-4691 or downtownlavisioncenter.com

BEST HOSPITAL

Good Samaritan Hospital

1225 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 977-2121 or goodsam.org On the road of life, it often takes Good Samaritan to heal the wounds that afflict us. Filled with comprehensive facilities, knowledgeable doctors and nurses and a can-heal attitude, Good Samaritan Hospital is the place to go when you have to go somewhere you’d prefer not to go.

RUNNER-UP: St. Vincent Medical Center

2131 W. Third St., (213) 484-7111 or stvincent.dochs.org

BEST CHURCH/SYNAGOGUE/ PLACE OF WORSHIP

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

555 W. Temple St., (213) 680-5200 or olacathedral.org Architect Rafael Moneo’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels has emerged as a Downtown destination, visited by worshippers, tourists and, once a year, about 1,000 Downtowners and their pets as part of the Dog Day Afternoon event.

RUNNER-UP: Hillsong L.A.

1050 S. Hill St., hillsong.com/la

BEST AUTO DEALER — SERVICE DEPARTMENT Toyota of Downtown L.A.

1600 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8301 or toyotaofdowntownla.com Those seeking reliable new and used Toyotas as well as a comprehensive maintenance department need look no further than Toyota of Downtown L.A.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown L.A. Motors Mercedes Benz 1801 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8951 or mbzla.com

BEST SHOE REPAIR Shoe Wiz

514 W. Sixth St. or (213) 688-9699 You get sole-power with this long-celebrated high master of the shoe repair arts. Whether your wingtips needs a little love or you’re going full hipster with some hobnails on your Wolverine boots, Shoe Wiz is the place to start.

BEST: HOSPITAL Good Samaritan Hospital photo courtesy of Good Samaritan Hospital

services, 24

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

RUNNER-UP: Mr. Shoe Man

350 S. Grand Ave. or (213) 628-8777

BEST TRAVEL AGENCY AAA Travel

2601 S. Figueroa St., (213) 741-3111 or calif.aaa.com From discount tickets to local attractions to allencompassing road maps, AAA is a king among travel locations. What makes it divine? There’s a member’s-only California DMV location inside.

Shh.

RUNNER-UP: Liberty Travel

888 W. Sixth St., (213) 688-2150 or libertytravel.com

BEST HOTEL Ritz-Carlton

900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 743-8800 or ritzcarlton.com A rooftop pool, panoramic views, Wolfgang Puck cuisine, stellar service and an industryleading brand name find the 123 Ritz-Carlton rooms a cut above all other competitors.

RUNNER-UP: Biltmore Hotel

ing stock and an ever-advancing march toward the Pacific Ocean make our region’s mass transit railways an increasingly relevant and reliable option.

RUNNER-UP: DASH

100 S. Main St., (213) 808-2273 or ladottransit.com

506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1011 or millenniumhotels.com

BEST AUTO BODY/AUTO REPAIR Downtown L.A. Motors

1801 S. Figueroa St. or dtlamotors.com Fender benders happen. It’s all in how you handle them. For the same reason it’s inadvisable to flip out on another motorist, busted car owners are advised to think carefully and make the wise choice to putter into Downtown L.A. Motors.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Auto Repair & Body Shop

BEST PRE-SCHOOL La Petite Academy

750 N. Alameda St., (213) 626-0019 or lapetite.com/7204 Conveniently situated in the shadow of Union Station, La Petite Academy is the Los Angeles incarnation of a nationwide collection of schools geared toward preparing the supple minds of our nation’s youth for a comprehensive education and a bright future.

RUNNER-UP: Hope Street Friends

330 S. Hope St., (213) 787-2006 or brighthorizons.com/hopestreetfriends

1023 E. Olympic Blvd. or (213) 622-8579

BEST DAYCARE

BEST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

750 N. Alameda St., (213) 626-0019 or lapetite.com/7204 Let us state for the record that the finest preschool in Downtown Los Angeles isn’t from France, but the name instead refers to its stellar record of educating and socializing young minds of children with working parents. Hence La Petite.

Metro Subway/Light Rail

(323) GO METRO or metro.net Whether you’re trying to make moves on Long Beach or go kick it with the homies in East L.A., Metro’s got you covered. Improvements to roll-

La Petite Academy

RUNNER-UP: Hope Street Friends

330 S. Hope St., (213) 787-2006 or brighthorizons.com/hopestreetfriends

20 1 5

DOWNTOWN READERS CHOICE ART, CRAFT & DESIGN STORE

BEST PET DAYCARE/BOARDING/ PET SITTING Go Dog LA

1728 Maple Ave., (213) 748-4364 or godogla.com Downtown has spoken and the word on the street is that man’s best friend prefers the 9,000 square feet of play space just south of the 10 Freeway. Few enjoy spending time apart from their furry counterpart, but the free-range pup space promises to keep your dog yipping happily in your absence.

RUNNER-UP: Uptown Pup

819 Mateo St., (213) 935-8171 or uptownpupinc.com

BEST PET WALKING Downtown Pet Lovers

123 S. Figueroa St., (213) 290-4686 or downtownladogwalker.com Whether your pooch is pouty and persnickity or all too willing to don rubber booties and saunter out to the curb for a quick piddle, Downtown Pet Lovers has got your dog covered in the hours you spend away from home every day.

RUNNER-UP: Walka-Walka

(206) 459-3077 or walkawalka.com

BEST PET TRAINING Uptown Pup

819 Mateo St., (213) 935-8171 or uptownpupinc.com Not all canines are destined for a regal moment in the spotlight and a chance at Best in Show, but that doesn’t mean your mutt can’t benefit from a little bit of socialization skills and basic manners. All this and more (including what appears to be a Billy Joel reference) from Downtown’s prefered pet-training group.

RUNNER-UP: Roxy’s Doggy Daycare

611 S. Central Ave. (213) 239-0309 or roxysdoggydaycare.com

BEST PET GROOMING Pussy & Pooch

564 S. Main St., (213) 438-0900 or pussyandpooch.com Cheeky chic Historic Core pet product purveyors Pussy & Pooch have long been ahead of the grooming game. Their status as top dog is now confirmed.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Doggie U Wash 744 S. Hill St., (213) 623-8100

BEST VETERINARIAN DTLAvets

333 S. Spring St., (213) 613-1537 or dtlavets.com What was Downtown missing in its dog-filled renaissance? A place to take said dogs when they got sick or needed shots. Spring Street’s DTLAvets handle that service now, and they’ll take care of cats and other critters, too.

July 27, 2015

Best Miscellany designates a Downtown favorite independent business.

DT LA

BEST new business Tender Greens

505 W. Sixth St., (213) 873-1890 or tendergreens.com Like a culinary avalanche, Tender Greens has swept through the Financial District with an onslaught of ingenious salads and sandwiches.

Lunch will never be the same.

Downtown News 27

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

RUNNER-UP (TIE): Bradbury Building

304 S. Broadway or (213) 626-1893

Central Library

BEST-LOOKING BUILDING

630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7000 or lapl.org

Walt Disney Concert Hall

111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com We would like to extend a laurel and hearty handshake to architect Frank Gehry. The delicious metallic curvature of Disney Hall’s exterior has issued forth its siren song, beckoning all to Bunker Hill, including all those car companies that want their vehicle in front of the shiny building.

photo courtesy of Millennium Biltmore

MOST: ROMANTIC HOTEL • Best: private event venue Millennium Biltmore

BEST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY (TIE) Brookfield

601 S. Figueroa St. #2200, (213) 330-8020 or brookfieldofficeproperties.com It’s hard to walk through the Financial District or Bunker Hill and not find yourself facing a building owned by these champs of office realty. From the Bank of America Plaza to the Gas Company Tower, Wells Fargo Center and Figueroa at Wilshire and beyond, Brookfield is the big name in Downtown property.

Downtown Properties Holdings LLC

teams are just the tip of the iceberg for the newly reconstituted organization tasked with keeping the Arts District’s momentum going full steam.

RUNNER-UP: Historic Core BID

453 S. Spring St., Suite 1116, (213) 239-8336 or hdlabid.com

MOST BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC THEATER Orpheum Theatre

842 S. Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com Not only is the 1926 theater a testament to the possibilities of renovation, its yearly run of concerts, film screenings and other events is a paragon of what classic theaters can become when owners utilize them properly.

818 W. Seventh St., Suite 410, (213) 213-8600 or downtown-properties.com The Douglas, Bradbury, Rowan and El Dorado all figure into Downtown Properties’ assets in Downtown Los Angeles. That’s a pretty strong bill of goods for a company also invested in San Francisco and New York.

RUNNER-UP (TIE): Los Angeles Theatre

RUNNER-UP: CBRE

BEST DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FIRM

400 S. Hope St., (213) 613-3333 or cbre.com

BEST BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT Arts District Los Angeles

627 S. Central Ave., (213) 327-0979 or artsdistrictla.org The blue-shirted safety ambassadors and clean

615 S. Broadway, (213) 629-2939 or losangelestheatre.com

The Theatre at Ace Hotel

929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com

DT LA

DTLA Real Estate

453 S. Spring St. #818, (213) 304-4727 or dtlarealestate.com On the opposite side of the spectrum, broker Donegan McCuaig’s boutique commercial real estate firm keeps its ears to the streets.

Continued on page 28

28 Downtown News

CBRE

400 S. Hope St., (213) 613-3333 or cbre.com With 111 years in the real estate game, CBRE monitors its industry-leading holdings from the company’s Downtown headquarters. Keep up the good work.

RUNNER-UP: Cushman & Wakefield

601 S. Figueroa St. #4700, (213) 627-4700 or cushmanwakefield.com

BEST LAW FIRM

Latham & Watkins, LLP

355 S. Grand Ave., (213) 485-1234 or lw.com High atop the KPMG tower, Latham and Watkins is in its eighth decade of providing legal services to businesses of all stripes.

RUNNER-UP: O’Melveny & Myers, LLP

400 S. Hope St., (213) 430-6000 or omm.com/losangeles

BEST MOVING/STORAGE COMPANY Los Angeles Self Storage

1000 W. Sixth St., (213) 927-1822 or downtownlosangelesselfstorage.com Whether you’ve been priced out of your loft or are eager to explore the world beyond the 10 Freeway, Los Angeles Self Storage has an affordable range of spaces that will make stowing your stuff a breeze.

RUNNER-UP: StorQuest Self Storage

3707 S. Hill St., (213) 596-4854 or storquest.com

BEST ARCHITECTURE/DESIGN FIRM Gensler

500 S. Figueroa St., (213) 327-3600 or gensler.com With 46 offices worldwide and a reputation as one of the world’s finest architectural firms, you would almost have to be suspicious if the Gensler offices on Figueroa weren’t so stunning.

RUNNER-UP: Arquitectonica

818 W. Seventh St. #800, (213) 895-7800 or arquitectonica.com

BEST BANK (TIE) Wells Fargo

Multiple locations, (800) 869-3557 or wellsfargo.com Whether you need a few bucks before hit-

ting Grand Central Market or a stack to make dubious decisions with at the Standard on a Saturday, the plethora of Wells Fargo locations makes spending (and hopefully depositing) money a joy. They also have a museum.

coolest: hotel Ace Hotel photo by Gary Leonard

miscellany, 27

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Chase

Multiple locations, (877) 242-7372 or chase.com The blue glow tells you your carefully accrued funds are nearby and having a good time hanging out with all the other dollar bills. From Figueroa Street to Little Tokyo, Chase is always a solid bet.

RUNNER-UP: Bank of America

333 S. Hope St., (213) 613-9579 or bankofamerica.com

BEST CREDIT UNION

L.A. Financial Credit Union

716 W. First St., (800) 894-1200 or lafinancial.org For those uncertain as to the difference, a credit union is typically a smaller affair with higher interest on depostited funds and lower interest rates on loans than competitive banks. L.A. Finanical does well by this characterization.

RUNNER-UP: California Bear Credit Union

RUNNER-UP: Workplace Hollywood

have taste or some knowledge of what you are talking about.

BEST INVESTMENT/ STOCK BROKERAGE FIRM (TIE)

MOST ROMANTIC HOTEL

RUNNER-UP: J.W. Marriott

300 S. Spring St., (800) 954-2327 or calbearcu.org

450 S. Bixel St. or (213) 250-9921

Millennium Biltmore

Morgan Stanley

506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1011 or millenniumhotels.com “History is sexy,” my egghead college professor was fond of saying. While he gave us no evidence to support his claims, the fact remains that the Beaux Arts hotel on Pershing Square has been an aphrodisiac since 1923.

444 S. Flower St., (213) 486-8811 or morganstanley.com In case you missed the opportunity to pour your cash into a bargain barrel, post-real estate bubble condo, Morgan Stanley can help assure your funds are drawing dividends.

Merrill Lynch

350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 627-7900 or ml.com Take their bull logo as a sign that Merrill Lynch intends to act bullishly on your behalf.

COOLEST HOTEL

RUNNER-UP: Morton’s The Steakhouse

929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com From top to bottom, a swinging brasserie and extremely well-booked theater give way to swanky rooms and a stunner of a view atop a rooftop bar that also features an adjacent and ironic “Jesus Saves” sign. Aces high, baby.

BEST EMPLOYMENT AGENCY Apple One

725 S. Figueroa St., (213) 892-0234 or appleone.com Apple One would like to believe that each and every one of us has an ideal career that is attainable. They’d be more than happy to help get you on the road to professional status!

RUNNER-UP: Standard Downtown

550 S. Flower St., (213) 892-8080 or standardhotels.com

BEST: wedding spot Vibiana

BEST WEDDING SPOT Vibiana photo by Gary Leonard

San Antonio Winery & Maddalena Restaurant

RUNNER-UP: Ritz-Carlton

Ace Hotel

333 S. Grand Ave., (213) 253-6600 or wellsfargo.com

BEST RESTAURANT MEETING SPACE

737 S. Lamar St., (323) 223-1401 or sanantoniowinery.com The spacious interior, traditional Italian food and, did we mention, wine available here lend a sort of familial feel sure to spark the big brains in your meeting.

900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 743-8800 or ritzcarlton.com

RUNNER-UP: Wells Fargo

900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-8600 or marriott.com

735 S. Figueroa St. #207, (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com

BEST ADAPTIVE REUSE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING Eastern Columbia Building

849 S. Broadway, (213) 627-9346 or easterncolumbialofts.com Like an Art Deco screwdriver holding down the corner of Ninth and Broadway, the Eastern Columbia stacks comfortable residences above block-making retail. If you’ve spent less than three months in Downtown, feel free to impress your Santa Monica friends by passing on the rumor that Johnny Depp lives here.

214 S. Main St., (213) 626-1507 or vibianala.com Though the Los Angeles Municipal Courts have to be feeling a bit neglected here, this one-time Catholic Cathedral dates back to 1876. Not only is the building exquisite, but so too are the adjoining grounds.

RUNNER-UP: Gas Company Lofts

RUNNER-UP: Walt Disney Concert Hall

255 S. Grand Ave., (213) 229-9777 or towersapartmentsla.com Within eye shot of California Plaza, MOCA, the Colburn School, the Walt Disney Concert Hall and that hot dog stand that sometimes pops up at lunch time on Grand Avenue just above Fourth, the Grand Tower promises a laundry list of amenities with sweet, invaluable proximity.

111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com

BEST PRIVATE EVENT VENUE Millennium Biltmore

506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1011 or millenniumhotels.com From business functions to sweet matrimony, the Millennium Biltmore is well equipped with food service and a stunning interior that will help convince your guests that you do indeed

810 S. Flower St., (213) 955-5700 or gascompanylofts.com

BEST BUILT-FROM-THE-GROUNDUP RESIDENTIAL BUILDING Grand Tower

RUNNER-UP: WaterMarke Tower

705 W. Ninth St., (213) 550-5060 or watermarkela.com

July 27, 2015

Downtown News 29

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best of Downtown Staff Picks

Photos by Gary Leonard

From a Battery of Food Picks to the Best Political Fizzle to the Best Boom Period, These Are 24 of Our Favorite Things BEST NEW RESTAURANT Redbird

news of a hot young chef, concept or brand. Amid all the action stands Bill Chait, the restaurateur behind some of Los Angeles’ most hyped and (more importantly) delicious eateries. He has a track record of teaming with inventive chefs and letting them do their thing, starting in Downtown when he worked with John Rivera Sedlar to open the modern Latin restaurant Rivera in South Park in 2008. Since then, Chait has spearheaded the arrivals of Bestia, Redbird, Mo-Chica, its replacement B.S. Taqueria and Broken Spanish (in the old Rivera space). On the horizon are Petty Cash and Otium, with Chait partnering with big-name chefs Walter Manzke and Tim Hollingsworth. Being prolific is not the same thing as being successful, but so far Chait is scoring on both counts.—Eddie Kim

BEST DOWNTOWN DESTRUCTION Battlefield: Hardline

Predictably, Redbird’s opening this year came cloaked in hype, as it represented the return of longtime L.A. chef Neal Fraser to a flagship fine-dining kitchen. In short, he and wife/business partner Amy Knoll Fraser have hit a home run. Redbird touts a beautiful dining room, complete with a retractable roof, and an alluring menu that uses regional flavors from around the country to deliver punchy dishes that taste refined but unfussy. Don’t miss Fraser’s large-format entrees for sharing, such as the epic Veal Fraser, a 24-ounce free-range veal chop cooked over a wood fire and paired with a rich sauce of Burgundy wine, veal stock, snails and veal cheek meat. At 114 E. Second St., (213) 788-1191 or redbird.la.—Eddie Kim

BEST BURGER Plan Check

There is no shortage of excellent burgers in Downtown Los Angeles, but Plan Check’s devotion to perfecting the all-American cheeseburger is on another level. The beef for the patty is ground fresh multiple times each day, but the restaurant goes beyond that, making its own American-style cheese (infused with Japanese dashi for depth), dehydrated ketchup “leather” (for maximum flavor without a drippy mess), chicken-fat roasted onions, pickles, and a soft bun with crunchy panko flakes for texture. Sounds elaborate? Don’t worry. When you take a bite, it all melds together into the platonic ideal of a simple, perfect burger. Yes, even Plato would like this burger. At 1111 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 403-1616 or plancheck.com.—Eddie Kim

BEST BRUNCH The Must

Nothing says the weekend quite like brunch on a warm Sunday morning, and few places do brunch as well as The Must. First, there are the drink specials, including the $20 bottomless sparkling wine with fruit sorbet (which, as the eatery suggests, is better than a “boring mimosa”). Then there’s the menu, which hits all the breakfast and comfort-food bases, just with strong ingredients and chef-y technique. The butter-laced biscuits, house-smoked salmon and “Cholo fried rice” with carnitas are all standouts. Combine that with an airy dining room and patio and a laid-back vibe, and you’ve got a true brunch hotspot. BTW: The Must also does brunch on Fridays and Saturdays. At 117 Winston St., (213) 628-2000 or themust.com—Eddie Kim

BEST SMALL TREATS Big Man Bakes’ Mini Cupcakes

Someone once said that it takes a tough man to make a tender chicken. In Downtown, it takes a big man to make an irresistible small treat. Chip Brown, who stands six-feet, five-inches tall, opened Big Man Bakes in 2009, and the crowds come for expected options such as chocolate, carrot and red velvet cupcakes, but also for original creations such as the Claudine’s Chocolate Mint, a chocolate cupcake with Peppermint Patties baked inside and flavored by a touch of Bailey’s Irish Cream, and topped with vanilla buttercream and a Peppermint Patty. The

regular-sized cupcakes could be a meal unto themselves, but the mini versions are the perfect afternoon (or evening or morning) bite-sized snack. Please, try to stop after one. At 413 S. Main St., (213) 617-9100 or bigmanbakes.com.—Jon Regardie

Massive shootouts between cops and criminals and high-rises crumbling to the ground are some of the last things Downtowners want to see, but it’s pretty darn cool when the destruction happens in a video game where no one really gets hurt. Battlefield: Hardline, created by Visceral Games in conjunction with DICE and published by Electronic Arts, came out in the spring and offers the most accurate replication of modern Downtown in any video game ever, with major streets and buildings rendered with realistic proportions. Add in some epic chase sequences, machine guns and a massive crane falling into KPMG Tower and you’ve got all the ingredients to gleefully wreck Downtown over, and over, and over again.—Eddie Kim

BEST FAST CASUAL KazuNori

BEST POLITICAL FIZZLE The Huizar-Molina Race

The term “fast casual” usually brings to mind franchise joints like Chipotle or 800 Degrees. Those are all well and good for those who prefer them, but no Downtown eatery epitomizes speedy deliciousness quite like the Old Bank District’s KazuNori. The hand rolls come flying from the chefs’ fingers once you sit down and order at the large rectangular wooden bar (there’s also a small patio). You’re expected to eat immediately, while the rice is warm and the seaweed (or nori) crisp. The simple ingredients, such as the silky toro (tuna belly) and blue crab, are top-notch.

Just don’t ask for a California roll — it’s not on the minimalist menu for a reason. At 421 S. Main St., (213) 493-6956 or kazunorisushi.com.—Eddie Kim

BEST ASIAN Kinjiro

Little Tokyo has always had a number of Japanese izakayas specializing in drinks and small plates, but Kinjiro in Honda Plaza takes a tried-and-true formula and gives it some impressive refinement. See its take on the popular chicken karaage: Instead of just frying up chunks of bird, the kitchen rolls the meat into a neat cylinder with a juicy interior and crisp skin on the outside.

The food may be simple at first glance, but the attention to technique and balanced flavors makes Kinjiro a true destination. At 424 E. Second St., (213) 229-8200 or kinjiro-la.com.—Eddie Kim

BEST NEW DINING DESTINATION Chinatown

OK, Chinatown isn’t a new food zone. The community was the region’s hub for Chinese cuisine before a migration of residents and workers eastward made the San Gabriel Valley the culinary destination of choice. Even today Chinatown still boasts numerous popular Chinese restaurants. That said, in recent years Chinatown has received a major infusion of cooking talent, much of it different than what came in the past. Roy Choi kicked things off with Chego!, and he has been followed by Cajun joint Little Jewel of New Orleans, Ramen Champ, Lobsta Shack, the casual Pok Pok Phat Thai and the upcoming Pok Pok, and a soon-toopen food hall at the Jia Apartments. It looks like Chinatown is becoming a food destination once again.—Eddie Kim

BEST RESTAURANT BRAIN Bill Chait

Downtown is a culinary hotspot, and every week seems to bring

When termed-out County Supervisor Gloria Molina announced last September that she would try to wrest the 14th District City Council seat from incumbent José Huizar, local political watchers were captivated. Huizar had been damaged by an extramarital affair, and Molina’s decades in local government theoretically gave her access to mountains of money. Yet just as the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout disappointed, so did this meeting of two political power punchers. Huizar ran a virtually flawless race, and the $1.6 million that came his way in campaign donations, matching funds and independent expenditures dwarfed the $315,000 that Molina had. Huizar also scheduled a bevy of attention-generating project openings and big events near election time, including Downtown’s Night on Broadway celebration. His campaign team effectively engaged Downtowners on social media, while Molina alienated the community by speaking out against density at a local debate. When the polls closed in March, it wasn’t even close — Huizar grabbed 66% of the vote, and Molina got just 24%.—Jon Regardie

BEST GOVERNMENTAL WAKE-UP Response to the Homelessness Crisis

For decades, most politicians ignored Skid Row. Yet when homelessness started spreading citywide, the elected class could no longer pretend it was just Downtown’s problem. City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana’s April report that the city spends about $100 million annually on homelessness, the vast majority on law enforcement, was one spur, and the May report from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority that homelessness had risen by 12% in two years, with an 85% spike in encampments, was the big shock to the system. Finally, local leaders are building on the work begun by former Councilwoman Jan Perry, and the more recent efforts of current Downtown Councilman José Huizar. For the first time in eons the city and county are working together on the issue, and the Council has formed a new homelessness committee. Will this begin to solve the crisis?

Wait and see.—Jon Regardie

BEST WAY TO SPEND AN HOUR Escape Room L.A.

For years John Hennessy blew minds with his Race/L.A. scavenger hunts that crisscrossed the city. His Escape Room L.A., which opened last year, takes the opposite approach, sequestering Continued on page 30

30 Downtown News

staff picks, 29

lessons and DJ nights at the Music Center on Fridays.—Jon Regardie

BEST NIGHTLIFE TREND Arrival of the Gay Bars

up to 12 people in a locked room in the Fashion District, and giving them an hour to solve puzzles, figure out clues, find a key and get free. Room 1, The Detective, has a 1940s film noir theme, with stolen jewels and a missing private eye. Room 2, The Cavern, figuratively brings you hundreds of feet below Downtown, where you are confronted by ancient mysteries. Escaping either room in the allotted period requires brain power and some serious teamwork, whether you’re playing with friends or strangers. As the clock ticks, the time will fly. At 120 E. Eighth St., (213) 689-3229 or escaperoomla.com.—Jon Regardie

BEST BOOM PERIOD The One in the Next Six Months

Nothing against the Downtown boom of the last five years, but it’s the coming six months that have us really excited. In a short period, five spectacular projects will open, and this doesn’t even include housing complexes. The attention grabber will be The Broad, the $140 million contemporary art museum that debuts on Grand Avenue on Sept. 20. Downtowners may applaud even louder on Nov. 4, when a 42,000-square-foot Whole Foods opens in the Eighth and Grand complex. By the end of the year, the movie-going and drinking experience will both expand at once, thanks to the debut of a nine-screen Alamo Drafthouse in The Bloc.

The action starts before that, as on Aug. 20 the A+D Architecture and Design Museum, which was launched in Downtown in 2001 but has lately been on Wilshire Boulevard near LACMA, gets its own building in the Arts District. Last but not least is the 34-acre Los Angeles State Historic Park, which is getting a $20 million expansion. The park adjacent to Chinatown will open by early next year with new landscaping, a pedestrian bridge, a two-acre wetlands area, a tree-flanked promenade and more.—Jon Regardie

BEST SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT TREND Everything Is Free

You know that phrase, “You get what you pay for”? Well, it’s been blown to smithereens this summer in Downtown. The Central City is replete with free entertainment, and you can do something almost every day or night without opening your wallet. Longtime stalwarts such as Grand Performances and Pershing Square have their gratis, al fresco programs of music, movies and more. They are now joined by Grand Park, which has a batch of dance and communityoriented gatherings, the Chinatown Summer Nights programs, and a battery of free events at the FIGat7th shopping center and L.A. Live (where the recent “Family Day” was packed).

Wait, we didn’t even mention the Aloud readings at the Central Library and the free dance

July 27, 2015

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Although Downtown’s gay community has grown exponentially over the last 15 years, those who wanted to drink or dance at night frequently had to head to a club in Silver Lake or West Hollywood. No more. The Central City is in the midst of a gay nightlife resurgence, as last month Precinct became Downtown’s first new gay bar in decades.

The 8,500-square-foot cop-themed joint on the second floor of a building at Third Street and Broadway bills itself as a rock and roll gay bar. However, it is not alone. Redline, a smaller venue with a relaxed, lounge vibe, began serving this month at 131 E. Sixth St. on the ground floor of the Santa Fe Lofts. But wait, there’s more: Soon to come is Mattachine, which will be on Seventh Street. Not to be overlooked is the New Jalisco, a longstanding dive on Main Street.—Jon Regardie

BEST REAL-ESTATE TREND Rise of the High-Rises

The seeds of today’s Downtown development boom came with a slew of seven-story residential buildings — it was understandable, as those were the easiest to finance as the recession eased. Now those squat complexes are filled with tenants, lenders are less freaked out and high-rises are sprouting everywhere. South Park is seeing the most action, with a trio of mega-projects near L.A. Live — if they and a couple other developments all come to fruition, the community would see a whopping 10 new towers. Elsewhere, Onni Group just opened its 33-story Level short-term corporate housing project, Holland Partner Group is building a 28-story tower in the Financial District and Trumark Urban is erecting its 25-story Ten50. Plans are also in the pipeline for highrises in the Historic Core, including on Broadway. Downtown is literally looking up.—Eddie Kim

BEST REAL-ESTATE FIGHT The Bar 107 Fracas

The Downtown revival has been good for a number of new businesses, and difficult for some older tenants being forced out. No one has made a fuss quite like Vee Delgadillo, the co-owner of Bar 107, a 10-year-old Old Bank District dive. Delgadillo is refusing to vacate the space, despite the termination of the bar’s lease. The rebellion came with public (as in, on Facebook) cries for the need to fight gentrification and $15 cocktails, but it seems that Delgadillo and co-owner Brian Traynam are actually navigating a war of broken obligations with landlord representative Victor Vasquez. Bar 107 may ultimately close, but the battle is intriguing to watch.—Eddie Kim

BEST COMEBACK Return of the ‘Ed Ruscha Monument’

In 2006, work crews unceremoniously and illegally whitewashed the 70-foot-tall “Ed Ruscha Monument” mural at 1031 S. Hill St. Artist Kent Twitchell would pursue a legal claim and eventually win a $1.1 million settlement, but the damage was done. Now, a new version is coming back. In June, Twitchell announced that a 30-foot tall mural of the prominent California artist will be placed on a wall of the American Hotel in the Arts District. It is courtesy of a deal between Twitchell, building owner Mark Verge and local arts supporters. Twitchell will use an updated image for the project at 303 S. Hewitt

St. This pleasant reversal of fortune is expected to be complete by the end of the year.—Jon Regardie

BEST FEMALE MOVEMENT Rise of the Girl Scouts

Quick, how many Girl Scout troops does Downtown have? The safe bet is zero or one. The actual answer is four. Yes, girl power is alive and kicking in the Central City, thanks to some longtime players and a group of committed parents/troop leaders who have decided that the community’s young ladies should have the same opportunities available in other neighborhoods. The Nisei Temple troop in Little Tokyo has been around for 30 years, and has now been joined by three others. The girls enjoy urban hikes, participate in community service, learn skills such as how to use a pocketknife and, of course, sell cookies. In the process, they add a bit of life to the Central City, and by bringing families together, they help create community. We’ll take one box of Thin Mints, please.—Jon Regardie

BEST BATTLES L.A. Fight Club

Downtown’s boxing past was resurrected in March, when former champ Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions launched L.A. Fight Club. The monthly card in The Belasco is a bit of an odd duck — it showcases up-and-coming fighters, many in the Golden Boy stable, but the vibe is more nightclub than boxing hall. There’s a booming sound system, an MC who between matches tosses swag into the crowd, and even a few scantily clad waitresses in the VIP area.

Some bouts are one-sided affairs where the opponent might as well be a sacrificial lamb, but when the matchmakers get it right, Downtowners are treated to some propulsive pugilism from a few fighters who, if all goes right, will one day end up on pay per view. At 1050 S. Hill St. or goldenboypromotions.com.—Jon Regardie

BEST BUST State Crackdown on Pill Sales at the Fifth and Broadway Rite Aid

Downtowners have long complained about the proliferation of illegal prescription pill sales outside of the Rite Aid at Fifth and Broadway.

It turns out, there were questionable practices inside the drugstore as well. In March 2014, Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris filed a 41-page complaint against the store and its then-pharmacist, Anne Chung. A lengthy investigation revealed numerous incidents of apparently lax dispensing of prescription drugs such as hydrocodone, better known as the painkiller Vicodin, and anti-anxiety medication such as Xanax and Ativan, from 2009-2012. In one instance, a patient filled prescriptions for 2,045 hydrocodone pills in a 13-month period. In January, the Historic Core business was put on probation for five years. Chung surrendered

her license in December after it was suspended for 90 days.—Jon Regardie

BEST PREVENTABLE DEATHS Lives Saved From Creating Protected Sidewalks During Construction

The burst of construction in Downtown has meant a number sidewalk closures. That means inconvenience for pedestrians who have to zigzag their way around shuttered blocks. The problem is that many people just opt to walk in the roadway, inches from speeding vehicles, rather than go to the other side of the street again and again. A new policy from the Department of City Planning and the office of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar now requires developers to keep sidewalks clear or create a temporary protected walkway on new projects. It’s a smart decision that will help prevent a bad accident — or worse — as Downtown continues to grow.—Eddie Kim

BEST FUTURE RIDE A Downtown Bike-Share Plan

A Los Angeles bike-sharing program has been a long time coming, with the city fumbling the effort for years while systems took hold in other locales around the globe. The concept of renting bikes from public kiosks finally gained momentum when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched an effort to create a countywide bike share system. An operator, Bicycle Transit Systems, was selected in June, and the timeline calls for a pilot Downtown system to launch next spring, with 65 stations and almost 1,100 bikes (it would expand to other communities later). All eyes will be on the Central City as L.A. begins its big bike experiment.—Eddie Kim

BEST FINAL FAILURE Starry Kitchen’s #SaveOurBalls Campaign

Most dying restaurants go out with a whimper. Starry Kitchen went out, predictably, with a bang. It’s already part of L.A. dining lore: The illegal apartment restaurant that got big, got shut down by the Health Department, opened at Bunker Hill, closed, popped up at another Downtown restaurant, closed again, and popped up at a Chinatown bar. Exhausted from working out of someone else’s kitchen and short on investors, husbandand-wife team Nguyen and Thi Tran (the latter also the chef ) made a last-ditch effort to crowdfund $500,000 for a permanent restaurant on Kickstarter. Their #SaveOurBalls campaign (they were known for their crispy tofu balls) fell short, and the Trans said goodbye to Starry Kitchen with an epic party, complete with Nguyen going nuts in his banana suit.

Will Starry Kitchen re-emerge? Nguyen seems to hint at it in a number of cheery blog posts at starrykitchen.com, #funemployment be damned.—Eddie Kim

July 27, 2015

Downtown News 31

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July 27, 2015

A Message from the Downtown LA Auto Group:

Thank You, Downtown LA!

DOWNTOWN LA MOTORS 1801 S. Figueroa St. 888-319-8762 mbzla.com

PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 1900 S. Figueroa St. 888-685-5426 porschedowntownla.com

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TOYOTA OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 1600 S. Figueroa St. 800-399-6132 toyotaofdowntownla.com

We’re proud of our brand, Toyota of Downtown, to be named Best Auto Dealer for New and Used Cars and Best Service Department. Additionally, we are proud as a group to be named Best Auto Body and Repair. We have been providing vehicles to Downtowners since 1921 when Felix Chevrolet was located at 11th and Grand. You don’t have to leave downtown and travel to the suburbs for sales and service. We take care of you right here on Figueroa Street.

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We have eight brands in one company and can handle all your automotive needs. Call me on a direct line, 213 743-5519, and tell me what you are looking for. We’ll find the car that’s right for you.

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FELIX CHEVROLET 3330 S. Figueroa St. 888-304-7039 felixchevrolet.com

July 27, 2015

Downtown News 33

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DT

CALENDAR

A Different KinD of Love in A time of WAr

By Heidi Kulicke etting a film or play in World War II, amid the backdrop of Nazi Germany, the concentration camps and the Holocaust, has become familiar. A just-opened work at the Mark Taper Forum, however, manages to put a different spin on the setting.

Bent, which debuted on Sunday, July 26, follows the love story of two gay Jewish men who struggle to survive the war. The Downtown Los Angeles run, which continues through Aug. 23, is the first major revival since the Martin Shermanpenned play premiered on Broadway in 1979.

The timing couldn’t be better for a revival, considering the recent Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage, said director Moises Kaufman. Still, there is more work to be done, as discrimination extends far and wide, he added.

“We are having a great euphoria in the national discourse right now,” said Kaufman, whose directing credits at the Taper include Rajiv Joseph’s lauded Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo and 33 Variations, starring Jane Fonda. “But things can change quickly. We must always continue to be keenly aware of social justice issues.”

In the two-and-a-half hour (including an intermission) play, Patrick Heusinger plays Max, a promiscuous gay man in 1930s Berlin. As the story unfolds, Max is forced to reconcile his sexuality after being arrested for being Jewish by the Gestapo, and taken to the Dachau concentration camp. In the effort to survive, he denies his homosexuality to the guards.

Later, Max falls in love with another prisoner, Horst, played by Charlie Hofheimer. He must decide, given the circumstances, whether to be true to himself.

The role challenged Heusinger, in part because of the way he looked. At the time of the audition, he had just finished filming an action movie and was very muscular. The part called for an actor to play a gaunt, emaciated concen-

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tration camp victim during the second half of the play.

“I wanted to play the role so badly, and I told Moises I knew as far as aesthetics go, I looked silly,” said Heusinger, who currently appears in Bravo’s “Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce” and will be in the upcoming Hulu series “Casual.”

“I promised him if I got the role, I would lose weight to fit the part.”

Heusinger later learned that was exactly what Kaufman wanted to hear. The six-foot tall actor has lived up to his word, losing 35 pounds for the play, and is now down to 170.

Max is the central figure in Bent, and appears in every scene. Heusinger said it is daunting not only being the lead, but also because of the storyline and the psychological journey. The play has elements of violence, murder and rape.

“I know it’s not real, but when you’re studying and watching video and actual footage from concentration camps and interviews of rape victims in a short period of time, it’s an intense amount of footage from real-life people in your face,” Heusinger said.

As Heusinger immersed himself in the role and studied what the victims endured, he gained a new perspective, and came to realize that he would not have been ready for the part even two years ago. Playing Max, he said, helped him grow not only as an actor, but as a human being.

The role put an extra bit of weight on his shoulders: He said one of his greatest hopes is that survivors of the camps (and their families) feel like his portrayal of their experience is accurate and respectful.

“I don’t even want to attempt to go through the horror they went through or claim it from them,” Heusinger said. “Otherwise I’d go crazy.”

Although the play is a love story and a drama, Sherman has included a few lighthearted moments. The story is also relatable to individuals who have faced their own struggle of iden-

photo by Craig Schwartz

Taper Revival of ‘Bent’ Tackles the Story Of Two Gay Men in Nazi Germany

Horst (left, played by Charlie Hofheimer) and Max (Patrick Heusinger) are prisoners in the Dachau concentration camp who fall in love in Bent. The revival of Martin Sherman’s play is at the Mark Taper Forum through Aug. 23.

tity acceptance, Kaufman believes.

Mostly though, Bent is a reflection on how individuals deal with adversity, Kaufman said.

He pointed out that Max, just like people who lived through the war, needed to make personal decisions under difficult circumstances where there was no perfect response. Whether they could remain true to themselves was only one issue they had to wrestle with.

Heusinger’s hope is that for every challenge Max faces, audience members will con-

sider what they would have done in the same situation.

“I hope they ask themselves, ‘Would I be able to be as strong as he was?’” Heusinger said.

“When everything is at risk, would I step up to the plate and be true to myself?”

It’s never easy to answer.

Bent runs Tuesdays-Sundays through Aug. 23 at the Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org. heidi@downtownnews.com

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34 Downtown News

At REDCAT, Small Names Get a Big Stage

Maria Gillespie and Nguyễn Nguyên perform in “Bloom,” which blends contemporary dance and multimedia to explore themes of distance and how we create the sensation of home. It is one of three openingweek pieces in REDCAT’s annual New Original Works program.

Venue’s Three-Week New Original Works Festival Returns

By Eddie Kim hen REDCAT opened in 2003, Executive Director Mark Murphy knew the theater in the back of Walt Disney Concert Hall had to not just present cuttingedge artists, but help develop them, too.

“It seemed essential that we find a way to let local artists use REDCAT as a laboratory, to see what they can do, and what the venue can do,” Murphy said.

In 2004, Murphy and the REDCAT team launched a search for artists to take part in the inaugural New Original Works Festival.

Eleven years later, the program is the centerpiece of the venue’s summer slate. NOW arrives on Thursday, July 30, with nine performances spread over three weeks, ending on Aug. 15.

Each week offers three works, all about 20-40 minutes long, in a single evening. Tickets are $20 a night, and a festival pass is $40.

As in past years, NOW’s programming ranges from dance to spoken-word to music-oriented pieces, though many artists blend multiple disciplines, and some add a dose of multimedia.

Several pieces are completely new or have not been seen in their current iteration.

“There’s a lack of infrastructure to develop new works, especially in the dance and contemporary theater community,” Murphy said. “The only option has been to rent a small theater somewhere and hope enough people show up so that you can pay off the credit card debt. We want artists

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to come here without worrying about money.”

This weekend’s slate offers two dance-focused performances and a work that combines singing with movement and music.

One of the former is Maria Gillespie and Nguyễn Nguyên’s “Bloom,” which touches on ideas of home and utilizes layers of projections from artist and astrophysicist Fabio Altenbach.

Gillespie and Nguyễn met in 2003 and have collaborated ever since, despite long distances sometimes keeping them apart. Their travels and separation helped inspire “Bloom,” Nguyên noted.

“There was a lot of communication through G-chat and Skype,” Nguyên said. “Then we would move into these intense rehearsal periods with our bodies working together very closely. It’s looking at a connection between the digital realm and a very physical process.”

“In/Expiration,” from dancers Sheetal Gandhi and Ulka Mohanty and musician Mark Gutierrez, melds classical Indian dance with contemporary movement to discuss the metaphor of “breath,” especially related to violence against people of color. The 2014 killing of Eric Garner in an altercation with New York City police officers serves as a key inspiration, Gandhi said. One portion of the performance uses an 11-count rhythm as a motif — it represents the number of times Garner, while being restrained, told police, “I can’t breathe.”

Also on the opening-week lineup is “Crying,” from vocalist and composer Zac Pennington,

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composer Jherek Bischoff and choreographer Steven Reker. It portrays pop personalities in four archetypes — the idol, androgyne, messiah and martyr — through four songs with accompaniment from a string quartet.

Future highlights include Swedish choreographer Stina Ahlberg in week two and the selfdescribed “feminist art-rock power-ballad soulpop project” Cassandra in the final installment.

Being selected for NOW comes with a number of benefits, participants say. Gandhi noted it offers not just artistic freedom, but enough space and tech to pull off big ideas.

“REDCAT is one of the only places in L.A. where you can present work at a real high quality. Just having the right tech and lavalier mics that don’t pop and speakers that don’t blow out and lights that don’t go dark is great,” she said. “That’s a world people who self-produce know very well.”

Since its inception, NOW has gained local and national attention, Murphy said. That has

led to more interest than ever before, and he noted that he and REDCAT Programs Manager Edgar Miramonte selected this year’s nine works out of about 150 applications. While REDCAT has discussed expanding the festival by a week or two, resources and funding pose a challenge. Between a National Endowment for the Arts grant and ticket sales, the budget for NOW comes to about $40,000, according to Murphy.

For the few artists selected by REDCAT, NOW serves as a potential launching point; a number of performances have blossomed into fulllength works for a larger stage or even national tours, Murphy said. For audiences, it’s a chance to see risk-taking art, and perhaps a future star being born.

New Original Works Festival is July 30-Aug. 15 at REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org. eddie@downtownnews.com

FIGat7th Downtown Festival Fridays 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 955-7150 or artsbrookfield.com Arts Brookfield presents a free live music festival every Friday night now through Aug. 28 at the FIGat7th shopping center plaza. This Friday, July 31, is SOULECTION: Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals with Andre Power. Food and drinks starting at 4 p.m. with music starting at 8 p.m.

Friday Night Flicks at Pershing Square 523 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or pershing.square@ lacity.org Pershing Square’s free summer movie series will feature the film Pompeii on Friday, July 31, at dusk. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and a picnic if desired. Well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome.

Dames ‘N Games Sports Bar & Grill: MMA Girl Cage Fighting 2319 E. Washington Blvd., (323) 589-2220 or damesngames.net Spearmint Rhino’s Dames ’N Games Sports Bar & Grill will host an MMA Girl Cage Fighting event on Aug. 3. The event is part of an ongoing summer tournament through Aug. 17.

The girls will compete for $3,000 in cash and prizes.

Straight outta Kansas comes the Grammy-winning pianist Gordon Goodwin (shown here), who deals in genre-dabbling compositions ranging from blues to jazz standards. On Sunday, Aug. 2, those skills will be on display as Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band hits the stage at the California Plaza Watercourt for a 7 p.m. show. The event, part of the Grand Performances series, is part of a stacked weekend. Friday brings Mare Imbrium, a performance by artist Hirokazu Kosaka and butoh master Oguri, while Saturday boasts a double bill of Rocky Dawuni and Brooklyn rapper Blitz the Ambassador (both shows are at 8 p.m.). All Grand Performances events are free, but wise concertgoers will arrive early to snag a seat or two. At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org.

WEDNESDay, JuLy 29 Is Healthy Living Only for the Rich?

MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave. or zocalopublicsquare.org.

7:30 p.m.: Zocalo Public Square has assembled a crack team of public health, policy and diet experts to answer a question that more people are asking.

Langston Hughes: 12 Moods for Jazz at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: The Harlem Renaissance converges with DTLA as the legacy of Langston Hughes gets the jazz treatment from Janai Brugger, Victoria Kirsch, Taura Stinson and David Young in an unusual Central Library offering.

SaTuRDay, auGuST 1 Celebration of Dance Club Nokia, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

7:30 p.m.: Dizzy Feet’s annual gala features altruism stacked with dance performances and ever-so-accommodating celebrities.

SuNDay, auGuST 2 The Rock N’ Roll Flea Market The Regent, 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com.

10 a.m.: Translating music into eminently buyable commodiContinued on next page

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photo by Rex Bullington

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A procession of skimpily clad dancers and muscle-bound grapplers will burst into the Mayan Theatre on Thursday, July 30, for yet another installment of Lucha VaVoom. The theme this month is Pirates. For all intents and purposes, this speaks little to the actual show, which will again encompass bizarre sights of bravery, exhibitionism and dedicated tequila consumption as the masked luchadors, burlesque curiosities and irreverent mic-men pack the venue. Get on your game, friends, for this incarnation of Lucha VaVoom is a one-night only affair. At 1038 S. Hill St., (213) 746-4287 or luchavavoom.com.

The aliens, bodysnatchers, mindcontrolled masses and their sinister cabal of megalomaniacal overlords assemble at HNYPT Gallery on Saturday, Aug. 1. No, this is not the antichemtrail meeting you’ve seen fliers for (that’s Sunday in Pershing Square). We’re talking about Invasion,, a photo series reimagining and conjuring the imagery of classic sci-fi in newly lucid forms. Dark shadows and insidious plots against humanity loom large in photographer Patrick McPheron’s series. The onslaught is a one-night affair with drinks aplenty and wall-to-wall spooky vibes. At 212 W. 12th St. or theinvasionseries.com.

Mere blocks from Skid Row and one of America’s largest public mental health crises, the Arts District’s Loft Ensemble is at the end of spinning another tale of insanity. This is the last week to catch a theatrical version of Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. McMurphy the loony contrarian takes on plastic automaton Nurse Ratched in an allegorical battle for the soul of mankind set in the halls of a drab, joyless institution. The show goes up at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, and 7 p.m. on Sunday. At 929 E. Second St., (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.org.

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ThuRSDay, JuLy 30 Lucha VaVoom Mayan, 1038 S. Hill St., (213) 746-4287 or clubmayan.com.

7 p.m.: Instead of trying to reconcile the conceptual disparity between burlesque dancing and Mexican masked wrestling, why don’t you just stop and try to enjoy yourself.

Steve Aoki at the Last Bookstore Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.

6 p.m.: Tonight’s book signing with DJ Steve Aoki will feature considerably lower decibels than his last public foray into Downtown. The bigger questions: Will he bring cake? If so, will he throw that cake?

FRIDay, JuLy 31 Dance Downtown Music Center Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

7 p.m.: The sounds of Bollywood will fill the air as dancers, casual interlopers and the occasional intoxicated onlooker enjoy a free DJ and complimentary dance instruction.

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By Dan Johnson | calendar@downtownnews.com

Eschewing the brittle economics and façade-like image of mainstream music, Lydia Lunch has made a career out of doing what she pleases. Origins steeped in New York’s No Wave movement and partnerships with individuals including Jim “Foetus” Thirlwell and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon lend heft to Lunch’s smattering of offlabel music releases, fiction and even a little self-empowerment lecturing. On Friday, July 31, the veteran of the recording racket drops into the Teragram Ballroom to legitimize the venue’s street cred and pack a night full of whatever gems she sees fit to play. What will the show be like? Your guess is as good as ours. At 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com.

photo by Krista Kennell/Corbis

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Continued from previous page ties since 2014!

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

July 27: Braxton Cook Quartet.

July 28: Tim Conley Quintet.

July 29: John Snow’s Good-Bye LA. July 30: Jeff Babko and Friends.

July 31: Josh Johnson Quintet.

Aug. 1: Taylor Eigsti Solo.

Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

July 28, 9 p.m.: Teeny Tiny Tuesdays brings stand-up from Bryan Callen, John Caparulo and more.

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

July 27: Skip Spiros and His Ten Piece Jazz Band will definitely not be fitting on the corner stage.

July 28: The Gabe Rosen Trio features three of the finest troubadours to have traced the well-trod musical traditions of Skidrokyo.

July 30: Smoke ’em if you got ’em with The Dank.

July 31: The Sheriffs of Schroedingham promise copious harmonica.

Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

July 31: Aly & Fila.

Aug. 1: Jeremy Olander and Christian Smith.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

July 27, 8 p.m.: Grammy-winning violinist Mark O’Conner’s compositions “Appalachia Waltz” and “Appalachian Journey” come without a requisite warning that natives to the mountainous region often pronounce the curious word with a soft-A because a hard-A sounds like some Yankee carpetbagging.

July 29, 8 July 29, 8 p.m.: Artist Tori Kelly will be dropping her new EP in an evening sponsored by Amoeba Records. Remember when people bought records?

Grand Performances California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org.

July 31, 8 p.m.: Japanese performance artist Hirokazu Kosaka teams with butoh artist Oguri for Mare Imbrium, or “sea of rain.” Of course, they’re more than a week too late to make good on the name.

Aug. 1, 8 p.m.: In case you missed Ghana reggae master Rocky Dawuni at The Regent earlier this year, he’ll be on hand to offer up a bit of his dub. It’s free this time.

Aug. 2, 7 p.m.: Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, a barrel full of fun.

Mayan 1038 S. Hill St., (213) 746-4287 or clubmayan.com.

Aug. 2, 6 p.m.: The Story So Far is a NorCal rock band. Tech!

Microsoft Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or microsofttheeatre.com.

Aug. 2, 8 p.m.: Aretha Franklin. Not familiar? She’s like Taylor Swift but with legitimacy and talent.

Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

July 28, 12 p.m.: Stone and Soul are a Motown cover band.

July 30, 8:30 p.m.: For those not fluent in the “Espanol,” tonight’s band Salsa Caliente translates roughly to “hot salsa.”

Aug. 1, 8:30 p.m.: Shelby Lynne has a Grammy to show for her fortuitous career in contemporary Country Western.

Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com.

July 27: Acoustic Punk.

July 28: The She’s.

July 29: Imaginary Persons and Trip Tides.

July 30: Margate, Sic Waiting and D-Cent Jerks.

The Regent 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com.

July 28, 8 p.m.: Say Anything is a band, not an invitation.

July 31, 8 p.m.: Synth pop from Moullinex.

Aug. 1, 8 p.m.: The future is now as The Sound of Tomorrow takes over.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

July 27: Brandino and Friends prove that the more we get together, the happier we are.

July 28: With the disappearance of Spring Street’s “Mars Attacks” street preacher, The Makers are now the longest-tenured musicians in Downtown Los Angeles. Prepare to be prosthelytized by their improvised jazz.

July 29: Straight from the Fashion District: Style Suit.

Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or staplescenter.com.

Aug. 1-2: KCon is a mind-blowing conglomeration of Korean pop artists.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

July 30: Sacred Destinies, Kay Odyssey, Whales Whailing and Emily Lacy.

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Ace Hotel 919 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com/ losangeles/theatre 7 p.m.: Talk about kicking it old school. The Ace and Exhibits Development Group from St. Paul, Minn. join forces to show the 1916 silent film Sherlock Holmes starring William Gillette.

Doors open at 6 p.m.

Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

July 26 and 28, 7 and 9 p.m., July 29, 3:45 p.m.: It seems like everyone has been talking about Dope, which uses geeks and ’90s L.A. hip-hop culture as its base.

July 31, 9 p.m.: Gino Gaetano and Devin Dilmore’s Wristwatch deals with a uniquely powered time piece and the four hapless bystanders who fall under its influence.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Galapagos 3D. If it was good enough to blow Charles Darwin’s mind, it’s probably good enough for you!

Forces of Nature promises a panoply of nature’s worst destruction.

Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bent Music Center Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

July 29-Aug. 1, 8 p.m., Aug. 2, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Get another view of Nazi Germany in Martin Sherman’s Bent. The play, which premiered on Broadway in 1979, tells the story of two gay men who were persecuted in 1930s Germany. This is the show’s first major revival in 36 years. See story p. 33. Through Aug. 23.

Bob Baker’s Musical World Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Aug. 1-2, 2:30 p.m.: Puppets playing music. How is this different than, say, any band you hear on modern rock radio? Bob Baker’s puppets are non-sentient creatures, that’s how!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Loft Ensemble, 929 E. Second St., (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.org.

Aug. 1, 8 p.m. and Aug. 2, 7 p.m.: McMurphy and Nurse Ratched take up residence in the Arts District as Ken Kesey’s timeless tale of insanity hits the stage. The show closes Aug. 2.

Sleepaway Camp Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

July 28, 9 p.m.: Every Tuesday this irreverent stand-up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.

CLASSICAL MUSIC Friday, July 31 KYCC 14th Annual Benefit Concert Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

12 a.m.: We encourage concertgoers to double check the unlikely start time. Then again, the Koreatown Youth and Community Center could have chosen midnight as an appropriate if cryptic metaphor for the countless at-risk kids they help each year.

Saturday, August 1 The 70th Anniversary of Celebrating the Victory of the World War II Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

Regent China Inn Authentic Chinese Cuisine in Chinatown

✤ Live Lobster and Crab ✤ Delivery, Minimum Order $15 ✤ Lunch Special $4.95 – Mon.-Fri. 11-5, Sat.-Sun. 11-3 ✤ Party Tray Available 739-747 N. Main St. Los Angeles, 90012 213.680.3333 Regentchinainn.com FREE PARKING

7:30 p.m.: Get ready for a concert that presumably has 80 orchestra members, a 300-person choir and a general glee that WWII is in fact over.

Sunday, August 2 California Philharmonic: Phantom and Les Miz Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

2 p.m.: Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables both contribute heavily to this symphonic program from the Cal Phil and its head honcho Victor Vener.

MUSEUMS Museum of Contemporary Art, Grand Avenue 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2766 or moca.org.

Continued on next page

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FILM

July 31, Sunset: Those who attended the California Science Center’s exhibit last year will certainly have important commentary to add to tonight’s screening of Pompeii.

Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies.

Paper Towns (1:40, 4:30, 7:20 and 10:20 p.m.); Pixels (1:20, 4:10, 7:10 and 10:10 p.m.); Pixels 3D (12:10, 2:50, 5:40, 8:30 and 11:30 p.m.); Southpaw (1:50, 5, 8 and 11 p.m.); The Vatican Tapes (12:40, 3, 5:20, 7:40 and 10:30 p.m.); Ant-Man (12:50, 3:50, 6:50 and 9:50 p.m.); Ant-Man 3D (1:30, 4:40, 7:30 and 10:40 p.m.); Trainwreck (1:25, 4:50, 8:10 and 11:10 p.m.); Minions (11:30 a.m., 1, 3:40, 6:20 and 9 p.m.); Minions 3D (1:55, 4:20, 7 and 9:40 p.m.); Terminator Genisys (12:20, 3:20, 6:10 and 9:10 p.m.); Inside Out (1:10 and 4 p.m.); Jurassic World (12:30, 3:30, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.).

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Dim Sum

Lunch and Dinner • An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices • Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance • Live Lobster Tank

700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Free Parking Next to Restaurant Tel: 213.617.2323

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July 31: TraPsPs, Bela Lugosi, Tongues and Raul.

Aug. 1: Appendixes and Dunes.

Aug. 2: Big Sis, Dustin & The Explosions, Bunny The Girl and Alex Nevins.

Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com.

July 28, 8 p.m.: Brazilian maestro Rodrigo Amarante.

July 31, 8 p.m.: Lydia Lunch will be taking no guff.

Aug. 1, 8 p.m.: Local music enthusiasts Allah-Lahs haunt yet another venue.

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July 27, 2015

hryn Maese eff Favre, Greg Fischer

n 38 Downtown News Yumi Kanegawa

sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

s Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the wn Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

Continued from previous page Through Aug. 16: Inspired by the setting and lyrics of Kendrick Lamar’s opus Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City, Khalil Joseph: Double Conscience explores Los Angeles with a dual screen narrative.

Through July 27: Sturtevant: Double Trouble chronicles an artist who finds origins and source material in the work of her contemporaries.

Ongoing: Installed chronologically, this selection of some of the most significant works from the museum’s permanent collection introduces major art movements of the 20th century, including abstract expressionism and pop art.

Permanent: Nancy Rubins’ cheekily and comprehensively

titled “Chas’ Stainless Steel, Mark Thompson’s Airplane Parts, About 1000 Pounds of Stainless Steel Wire, Gagosian’s Beverly Hills Space, at MOCA (2001-2002)” is a monumental sculpture made out of parts of an airplane.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763–3466 or nhm.org.

Through September 2015: Grandes Maestros highlights art from 22 Latin American countries and illuminates a larger cultural relationship between old world and new.

Ongoing: “Age of Mammals” tells an epic evolutionary story

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris

GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie

sENior writEr: Eddie Kim

stAFF writEr: Heidi Kulicke

coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese

coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer Art dirEctor: Brian Allison

AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway

AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens, Ben Zachariah sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon

distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles

distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

twitter: DowntownNews ©2015 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

CROSSWORD Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie sENior writEr: Eddie Kim stAFF writEr: Heidi Kulicke coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt

facebook: L.A. Downtown News

clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens, Ben Zachariah sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez

twitter: DowntownNews

circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

Laris Eastin

gardie

ke hryn Maese eff Favre, Greg Fischer

n Yumi Kanegawa

that spans 65 million years. But its theme can be distilled into just six words: Continents move. Climates change. Mammals evolve.

Ongoing: From sleepy Spanish outpost to American metropolis, the ideas, resources and people that helped to fashion our dear city come into clear focus in Becoming Los Angeles.

Ongoing: The spectacular Humboldt fin whale specimen, “Finwhale Passage,” features the 63-foot-long specimen, which weighs more than 7,000 pounds and has been re-articulated to create a more realistic impression of the living animal. An intriguing sound installation and interactive visitor components will accompany the display, which is one of the best and most complete large-whale articulations in the world.

©2015 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens, Ben Zachariah sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

s Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the wn Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

July 27, 2015 Ongoing: The “Dino Lab” is a working paleontological lab, wherein museum preparators will work on a several dinosaur and other fossil creature skeletons for future display at the museum.

For a true behind-the-scenes experience, come witness the exciting dinosaur preparation process in the Level 2 Dino Lab. Sneak a peek at real fossils and see the NHM staff working on the day-today details. Everything you see in the lab is real.

Wells Fargo History Museum 333 S. Grand Ave., (213) 253-7166 or wellsfargohistory.com.

Ongoing: Take in an Old West exhibit including a faux 19thcentury Wells Fargo office, a real-life Concord stagecoach that once traversed windy southern Kentucky roads and a gold nugget weighing in at a shocking two pounds.

MORE LISTINGS Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews. com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

2 YOUR EVENT INFO

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT

4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com

Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.

July 27, 2015

DT

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor RENT All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

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Refurbished Vintage Furniture in DTLA www.etsy.com/shop/ LoftCurtainGallery.

fictitioUs BUsiness name Fictitious Business name statement FiLe No. 2015158818 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: TheTACoGUYCATeRiNG.CoM, 1552 e. 32nd street, Apt. 2, Los Angeles, CA 90011 are hereby registered

by the following registrant(s): Armando solis, 1552 e. 32nd street, Apt. 2, Los Angeles, CA 90011. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk, and by isaura Correa, Deputy, on June 15, 2015.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 07/13, 07/20, 07/27, and 08/03/2015.

health & FitneSS

spotlight on

healthy living what sets your business apart from other health & fitness businesses?

On Monday, Aug. 10, 2015, Los Angeles Downtown News will publish the third of four Healthy Living Quarterlies.

S pa c e & e d i t o r i a l d e a d l i n e : J U l Y 2 9 , 2 0 1 5 pUbliSheS: aUGUSt 10, 2015

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■ This special section will reach the decision-makers of businesses large and small.

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July 27, 2015

Special OlympicS, 8

Music, Movies & Dancing

DON’T MISS DOWNTOWN LA’S EVENTS THIS SUMMER

Friday, July 31 Bocce, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Badminton, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Powerlifting, Convention Center (Halls E & F), 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-7 p.m.

Table Tennis, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-noon, 2-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

Basketball, Galen Center, 9 a.m.-8:15 p.m.

Athletics, USC Loker Stadium/Cromwell Field, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5:30 p.m.

Aquatics, USC Uytengsu Aquatics Center, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-7 p.m.

Handball, Convention Center (South Hall), 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Bowling, Lucky Strike Lanes at L.A. Live, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.

Festival, Various Entertainment, USC Alumni Park, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Saturday, aug. 1 Bocce, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Badminton, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Handball, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Powerlifting, Convention Center (Halls E & F), 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-7 p.m.

Table Tennis, Convention Center (South Hall), 9 a.m.-noon and 2-6 p.m.

Basketball, Galen Center, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Athletics, USC Loker Stadium/Cromwell Field, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3:30 p.m.

Aquatics, USC Uytengsu Aquatics Center, 9:30 a.m.-1:20 p.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Festival, North America Day, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sunday, aug. 2 Festival, Various Entertainment, USC Alumni Park, 10 a.m.-noon Closing Ceremony, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 6-11 p.m.

the Special Olympics Super Bowl Downtown’s Lucky Strike Lanes Becomes a Venue for Athletes

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO

DOWNTOWN LA’s

Concerts l Outdoor Films l Events

DowntownLA.com/Summer Where to PARK

Where to PRE-GAME

l

l

What to BRING

Where to AFTER PARTY

Plus HOTEL DEALS!

downtown_la DowntownLA.com downtown_la

Brought to you by: Downtown Center Business Improvement District

By Eddie Kim ucky Strike markets itself not as a run-of-the-mill bowling alley, but a hip, sleek lounge with a full bar, bumping music and even a dress code in the evening. Was it that modern edge that lured Special Olympics World Games organizers to the venue?

Not quite, according to Lucky Strike Director of Sales Jennifer Itagaki.

“The organizers did bring the glitz and vibe of Lucky Strike up, but it was more about the bowlers’ inability to see in there,” Itagaki said with a big laugh.

That issue has been addressed with the installation of new lights, one of many tweaks the L.A. Live venue tackled. Lucky Strike closed to the public on July 22 to prepare for the Special Olympics World Games’ bowling competition. That action started Sunday, July 26, and continues through Friday.

Lucky Strike has 18 lanes and all the equipment, such as a professional lane-oiling machine, needed to make the facility appropriate for competitive bowling. A little improvisation has come into play, too: The bar area and a number of billiards tables have been transformed into a temporary office space and tables for catered food, respectively.

“We were initially hesitant at first about the partnership because we’re not a big bowling alley with a ton of space,” Itagaki said. “But we’re showing people that we can think outside of the box and make anything happen.”

Even the venue’s furniture has been moved. Now there are bleachers to accommodate the 500 spectators, volunteers and athletes that are expected to fill Lucky Strike every day of the competition, Itagaki said.

Lucky Strike hopes to show off its unique setting to attendees during the Games, and will keep the kitchen open. Marketing the bowling competition has required some subtlety, Itagaki said — while they want the public to come, they don’t want anyone to be turned away because of a full house, she noted.

It all adds up to a learning experience for the Lucky Strike team.

“We’re all waiting for that first day of competition,” Itagaki said a few days before the Games began. “After that first day, it’ll be a time to say, ‘OK, what will we do now?’ We either got it or we don’t.” eddie@downtownnews.com

L