08-24-09 by Los Angeles Downtown News

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS

9-13

A parking king gets jail time, and other happenings Around Town.

New lease allows American Apparel to stay Downtown for 10 more years.

W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M

August 24, 2009

Volume 38, Number 34

INSIDE

Let’s Do Lunch

Banking on the Ritz Downtown Hotels Prepare for The 1,001-Room Ritz/Marriott at L.A. Live by Richard Guzmán

Daytime Emmys come Downtown.

Urban Scrawl on the Council’s recess.

Big clothing sales hit Downtown.

city editor

or years, Downtown advocates and those in the travel and tourism business have been eagerly awaiting a Convention Center headquarters hotel, believing such a facility would allow the city to compete in the lucrative convention market. Now the wait is almost over: Developer Anschutz Entertainment Group is putting the finishing touches on a 54-story, 1,001-room hotel at L.A. Live. It is set to open in less than six months. The striking $900 million edifice will be one of Downtown’s most visible new attractions. Yet it also poses a unique dilemma for other area hotels. The question is whether it will be crushing competition, a savior for the indus-

try, or both at the same time. The hotel industry Downtown has been stormy lately. Amid the recession, occupancy rates this year for some of the major area hotels are down between 12% and 30%. Still, on the surface at least, area hoteliers say they do not expect to fight for customers with the Convention Center headquarters hotel — which is actually two hotels: an 878-room JW Marriott and a 123-room Ritz-Carlton, with 224 additional Ritz Carlton-condominiums on the upper floors of the building. Instead, they are welcoming the new project with open arms, believing it will be a magnet for gatherings whose needs far exceed the rooms the Ritz/Marriott can provide. Some see Hotels, page 7

photo by Gary Leonard

Like most Downtown hotel mangers, Mike Czarcinski of the Westin Bonaventure welcomes the Convention Center hotel, believing that while it creates competition, it also allows the city to attract conventions it would otherwise miss out on.

Targeting Taggers

Bidding for Governor

New Police Unit Focuses on Downtown Graffiti

Former eBay Head Meg Whitman Makes Her Three-Pronged Pitch to Downtown by Jon Regardie executive editor

he appearance of gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce last week begs two questions: 1) Does California need to be run like a business in order to dig itself out from

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The Regardie Report

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Adrian Lopez (left) and Raul Riojas comprise the Central Division’s graffiti task force. The officers, who usually work in street clothes, concentrate on going after graffiti vandals in Downtown. by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

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raffiti is one of the oldest, most ubiquitous forms of urban blight, but until William Bratton came to town seven years ago with an emphasis on stopping small quality-of-life crimes, it was not high on the Los Angeles Police Department’s priority list. Still, tagging has proliferated in parts of Downtown. Now, that could change. In June, Central Area Capt. Blake Chow green-lit a task force that has two full-time officers working solely on identifying and building cases against prolific Downtown

graffiti vandals. “With the way we’ve traditionally tackled this problem, it’s very hard to catch someone and when there have been arrests, it’s been almost a slap on the wrist because most were juveniles,” Chow said. In the past, officers have focused on monitoring tagging hot spots in hopes of catching vandals in the act. Central’s graffiti task force will take that tack sometimes. But the thrust of the efforts will be investigating prolific taggers and then using department resources and coordinating with other agencies to link see Graffiti, page 14

the economic avalanche that has buried Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the legislature, and all the little people up and down the state? and 2) If the answer is yes, could you run it like Whitman’s former company, eBay, and return to financial health by having residents bid against each other for services? For example, would BigTiminBigBear need to bid $96.01 for one night in a cabin at Yosemite in order to beat out Ozwaldo64, who topped out at $95? Whitman, who in a decade of running eBay made almost enough money to hire Sam Zell as her personal assistant (considering the Tribune Co. travails he may actually need the gig), didn’t answer the second question at the Chamber luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 19. But speaking to the City West crowd, she suggested that a few li’l things that work in business might make sense when it comes to running the state. “We do not have a revenue problem,” Whitman stated in her hourlong talk, which included a not-tootaxing (no pun intended, though she did take the requisite no-new-taxes stance) question and answer session. “We have a spending problem of

photo by Gary Leonard

Ex-eBay chief Meg Whitman brought her gubernatorial campaign to Downtown last week, speaking at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce as part of the Chamber’s California Candidates series.

epic proportions.” Whitman, who appears to be the leading candidate to get the Republican nod for governor, never mentioned that some of the problems facing the state surfaced under the existing Republican governor. Instead, in an address filled with a mix of humor, personal “warmth” and displeasure with the status quo, she poked at a series of vexing problems. And wouldn’t ya know it, she see Whitman, page 15

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2 Downtown News

August 24, 2009

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AROUNDTOWN Gold Line Extension Targets Mid-October Opening

Putsch Comes to Shove at Communist Bookstore

ibros Revolución, the independent bookstore dedicated to Communist literature and a fixture in Downtown for more than 20 years, received an eviction notice last week. Although store representatives put out an “urgent call for support,” they were negotiating with their landlord to stay as of press time. The store at 312 W. Eighth St., in the Broadway Trade Center building, owes $8,100 in back rent and received a three-day eviction notice on Monday, Aug. 17, said Nicole Lee, a member of the collective of volunteers that manages and staffs the store. In the email to customers and supporters sent out Tuesday, the collective urged readers to contact the store’s landlord, requesting that he lower the $2,600 monthly rent. Lee said the store is behind on rent because business is down. On Wednesday, the rhetoric appeared to be cooling, with stakeholders on both sides saying they were working on a system of payments that would allow Libros to stay in its Downtown home. “They have been promising to pay for the past four or five months,” said landlord Shahram Afshani. “We’ve bent over backwards to try and accommodate them, but I think we’re going to work with them.” An email update on Thursday from the store said they had secured more than $2,000 in donations, but need to raise another $2,000 by Aug. 31.

he Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, once expected to open in September, will now debut in mid-October at the earliest, Metro spokesman Marc Littman said last week. The agency is slated to begin “stress tests” at the end of August, during which all aspects of the equipment and infrastructure is tested. The next and final step is pre-revenue testing, a five-week period when the trains run exactly as they will once the line opens — the only missing piece will be the riders. The $899 million project includes a new station in Little Tokyo at Second and Alameda Streets, and will connect Downtown with East Los Angeles. “We haven’t set a date,” Littman said. “But theoretically, the earliest would be mid-October.”

Parking Titan Gets Jail Time, Fine ohrab Sahab, the owner of Downtown-based Prestige Parking, was sentenced to approximately 17 months in prison and 10 years probation last week for tax fraud. The sentencing on Thursday, Aug. 20, followed his Aug. 4 conviction on 295 criminal counts for pocketing an estimated $400,000 in taxes owed to the city. He will also have to pay an approximately $75,000 fine, said Richard Kraft, supervising attorney of the City Attorney’s Special Trials Unit. “We’re pleased that the court imposed a significant amount of time,” said Kraft. “We believe that substantial jail time is warranted for financial crimes of this magnitude.” Roger Jon Diamond, an attorney for Sahab, said his client will appeal the ruling. Sahab could have received a stiffer sentence from Superior Court Judge Edmund Clarke, as he was facing up to 150 years in prison. However, his troubles are not over. Prestige, which owns 29 parking lots in Los Angeles, is listed as the top debtor on the city’s slate of tax scofflaws, and according to the Office of Finance owes $65.1 million in parking occupancy tax (the extra 10% charged in parking lots that is supposed to go to the city). A separate civil action is being pursued by the city to recoup the additional unpaid taxes.

Updated Plans for Japanese Village Plaza

he owners of Japanese Village Plaza will release new renderings in the next two weeks detailing the final phase of renovations planned for the Little Tokyo outdoor mall. Marvin Lotz, president of JVP owner American Commercial Equities, said the firm is securing permits for the remaining series of upgrades. Changes include renovating the decorative fire tower at the mall’s First Street entrance, new walkways and landscaping, and replacing Continued on next page

Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was one of the thousands of attendees and participants during the inaugural Lakers 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament at L.A. Live on Aug. 14-16.

he inaugural Lakers 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament brought thousands of players young and old to the streets of Downtown Aug. 14-16. Team Global Compuserve, based in Spokane, Wash., captured the 6-foot and under elite division title, while the 6-foot and over bracket was won by Team Advantage of Los Angeles. David Vik, Advantage’s six-foot 11inch center, made a last minute free throw to help his team win 20-19. The tournament drew 483 teams in total, who played in youth, adult and wheelchair divisions on half courts that lined Chick Hearn Court and the L.A. Live event deck behind the Nokia Theatre. Actors and entertainers including Wood Harris, from HBO’s “The Wire,” and funnyman David Arquette competed in a sometimes heated celebrity tournament. Saturday’s highlights included a basketball clinic led by former Laker A.C. Green and a tribute to outgoing Lakers coach Kurt Rambis. A few teams represented Downtown, including the Skid Row Streetballers, who won three games and lost two. Representatives from Anschutz Entertainment Group, the developer of L.A. Live, said they will bring back the event next year.

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Downtown News 3

Orpheum to Host Daytime Emmys Awards Show Formerly at Kodak Theater Turns to Downtown by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

on’t be surprised if you see Whoopi Goldberg walking down Broadway, holding hands with the Cookie Monster on Sunday: Both are among the stars expected to be in town for the 36th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, to be held at the Orpheum Theatre. The Aug. 30 event is somewhat of a coup for the Orpheum, which is taking over from the Kodak Theatre. The Hollywood venue has hosted the show since 2006 (before that it was held in New York City), but that marriage effectively ended with Cirque Du Soleil’s recent takeover of the Kodak, said Paul Pillitteri, chief administrative officer of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which puts on the show. Leading into this year, the academy was also rebuffed by CBS and ABC, the two networks that have usually aired the show. “Both of them declined the show this year,” said Pillitteri. In need of an alternative plan, the Academy hooked up with a third-party producer that had done prior events at the Orpheum, which led to the Downtown Los Angeles location, Pillitteri said. The event will begin at 5 p.m. so that the CW network can air it at 8 p.m. on the East Coast (it will be tape delayed for West Coast audiences, which will see it at 8 p.m. PST). The Orpheum opened in 1926. In 2001, it underwent a $3.5 million renovation from owner Steve Needleman, and has since hosted a regular slate of award shows, concerts, filming and other events. Needleman hopes this high-profile broadcast will be a new marriage for the venue. “For me it was probably one of the biggest and more exciting events that we’ve had at the Orpheum and it’s something I really worked hard to get,” Needleman said. The show, to be hosted by actress and entertainer Vanessa Williams, honors everything from soap operas to cooking shows to children’s programming and talk show hosts. Though the show at 842 S. Broadway is not open to the public, it is expected to have an economic benefit for Downtown Continued from previous page some storefronts, he said. The landlord also plans to remove a wall that encloses the center at First Street and Central Avenue. “We’re going in and opening that whole corner up,” said Lotz. “You’ll enter from Central so that will be a prime corner now.” ACE began the renovation process shortly after purchasing the property in 2007. Downtown-based Rothenberg Sawasy Architects is designing the upgrade.

Assemblyman Hosts Little Tokyo Town Hall

tate Assemblyman John Pérez will hold a community meeting in Little Tokyo on Thursday, Aug. 27, to update stakeholders on state issues related to the area. Pérez, who represents the 46th Assembly District, will brief attendees on topics including his current legislative initiatives, the state budget, education, air quality and transportation, according to an announcement from his office. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, at 244 S. San Pedro St., in the Garden Room. For more information or to RSVP contact Evelyn at the LTSC at (213) 473-1690.

They Like to Lunch

ow often do Downtown residents and workers eat lunch at Downtown restaurants? It’s a mix, according to a new poll conducted by Los Angeles Downtown News. In a two-week online survey at ladowntownnews.com, more than one-third of the respondents said they have lunch out more than three times per week (10% said five or more times a week, and 24% said three or four days a week). Another 19% said they dine out one or two times a week, while 29% do so just once or twice a month. Eighteen percent said they never go out for lunch. This week, Downtown News asks which of four figures you would most like to have lunch with. The choices are Plácido Domingo, Kobe Bryant, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa or Phil Anschutz. Voting continues through Aug. 28. To vote, visit downtownnews.com, scroll down and look on the left side of the page.

that extends beyond the Orpheum, Needleman said. California Market Center is the site of the official afterparty, and bars such as Broadway Bar and The Edison are hosting after-parties of their own; the Westin Bonaventure is holding the Daytime Emmy Creative Arts awards on Saturday, Aug. 29 (the show honors behind-the-scenes talent, from writers to makeup artists); and the Standard Hotel is the event’s official hotel. “These are things that traditionally would have gone on in Beverly Hills or Hollywood afterwards, so for me that’s exciting for Downtown,” Needleman said. “It’s being shared.” Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

Orpheum Theatre owner Steve Needleman is bringing the 36th annual Daytime Emmy Awards to Downtown on Sunday, Aug. 30.

4 Downtown News

August 24, 17, 2009

DowntownNews.com

EDITORIALS Make New Downtown Elementary Schools a Priority

espite the woes faced by developers amid the economic crisis, when it comes to the residential market, Downtown Los Angeles is in an advantageous position. Since 2000, thousands of housing units have come online in the community, and although some of the buildings originally planned as condominiums are opening instead as rentals, they are still filling with new stakeholders. Despite this, and despite the dozens of new restaurants, nightclubs, stores and other service businesses that cater to the growing community, something crucial is missing: elementary schools. In particular, the type and quality of elementary schools that will appeal to the growing sector of residents who, when given the opportunity to live anywhere, have made the choice to come Downtown. The importance of addressing this issue, and opening schools in places where the new swath of parents are comfortable sending their children, cannot be overstated. If quality schools do not materialize, some families may leave Downtown, the same way that families have fled communities across the country when they felt the elementary education choices were insufficient. Last week, an article in Los Angeles Downtown News addressed the dearth of elementary education choices. It is a subject that has been discussed for more than a decade, though only now, as the new wave of residents has children approaching school age, and other parents with children consider Downtown living, is it coming to the forefront.

Downtowners currently have a very small choice of elementary school options. There are public schools in Chinatown, City West and Skid Row, and a Para Los Ninos charter school is also near Skid Row. Yet when some important factors come into play — among them location, test scores and reputation — it becomes a question as to whether these choices will be acceptable to many of the inhabitants who live in South Park, the Historic Core or other neighborhoods. We recognize that this raises a prickly subject for both parents and observers. Some parents may decide that one of the existing choices is sufficient, but we anticipate that most will want other options, including schools run by an organization that is not the Los Angeles Unified School District. Even if the existing options sufficed in terms of academics and location, they do not satisfy an area with the potential to see a huge increase in elementary school age children in the coming years. A demographics study released by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District this year noted that about 6% of Downtown inhabitants have a child under 6, and that another 13% plan to start families in a few years. Between those and other people who will move into Downtown, there will be a need for more schools. In recent years the DCBID had worked to recruit a private school to Downtown. However, the recession dealt that effort a blow — officials said schools are focused on keeping up enrollment, which trumps the concept of opening a new school

Be Careful Who You Count Out

f you look around Downtown Los Angeles, it is easy to find big businesses and major players whose stars have fallen. That’s not surprising — people and companies lose status, market share and fortunes whenever the economy tumbles. With that said, we think anyone would be foolish to count out Maguire Properties and Meruelo Maddux Properties. Yes, both Downtown-based companies have been hammered and their stock prices have tumbled, but their respective leaders give them a shot at making the type of turnaround others cannot. Maguire Properties, founded by Robert F. Maguire, III, and today run by well-respected community leader Nelson Rising, seemed to hit its darkest hour this month, when the company announced it would stop making payments on seven buildings, including a Downtown trophy space, 550 S. Hope St. The idea of losing buildings is almost unimaginable

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

for a firm whose founder shaped the Downtown skyline. Meruelo Maddux, helmed by the often-controversial Richard Meruelo, is in worse shape as it continues to dangle in Chapter 11 bankruptcy (though it did secure a major lease last week). Although Meruelo owns more land in Downtown than anyone else, his trophy property, a residential high-rise at Ninth and Flower streets, has suffered many delays and is still not open. Neither company will easily reclaim its former status — if that is even possible. And Rising and Meruelo certainly have different business strategies and reputations in the community — the former is a popular figure with a long record of leadership in the local and national business sectors, and although the latter has ties to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, his business woes have produced little sympathy and he has not

in an emerging neighborhood. That is why the effort of school creation and recruitment needs more attention and resources. The Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council has an education committee looking into the matter, and that’s a good start, but the community can use the expertise of elected officials and business leaders. The latter could prove especially important, in particular by tapping those experienced at making deals and who know how to find land or existing buildings that could become a school. Addressing the Downtown elementary education gap makes all the sense in the world. Sure, some people are willing to live in the Central City and drive their child to a school of their choice, but others, in particular those who rely (or intend to depend) on public schools, will leave a neighborhood rather than deal with institutions they are not confident about. Although many Downtown families are likely exploring magnet or charter options, it is doubtful that every one will get their first choice. That could lead to parents being forced to make the decision of whether to stay or go. Downtown has taken some momentous strides in the past decade, and all the housing complexes, parks, entertainment options, etc. have made it a far more vibrant and welcoming community than it was. But to be a place where families will consider living long term, the area needs new, quality elementary schools. The school year that is about to begin gives limited choices. The options need to expand. pursued the calling of community leadership. Yet, both share a type of acumen and market forethought that set them apart from others in the business world. Each is tenacious in his own way, and each is used to winning. It is possible that either or both of the companies are simply in too big a hole from which to recover. That’s what some observers believe. We’re not sure how things will turn out, but we know better than to count out Rising and Meruelo at this stage of the game.

How to reach us Main office: (213) 481-1448 MAIL your Letter Letters to the Editor • L.A. Downtown News 1264 W. First Street • Los Angeles, CA 90026 Email your Letter realpeople@downtownnews.com FAX your Letter (213) 250-4617 Read Us on the Web DowntownNews.com

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writErs: Anna Scott, Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: David Friedman, Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jeff Favre, Michael X. Ferraro, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins ProductioN AssistANt / EvENt coordiNAtor: Claudia Hernandez PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Vandervort AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Robert Dutcher, Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway, Tam Nguyen, Kelley Smith circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla 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. It is also distributed to the extended urban communities of Glendale, Hollywood, Wilshire Center, Los Feliz, Silver Lake & Larchmont Village.

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A Tale of Two Warehouse Sales Barneys and Brooks Brothers Events Draw Bargain Hunters by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

hen it comes to steeply discounted Manolos, designer suits and accessories, Downtown Los Angeles was the place to be last week. Then again, when it comes to traditional dress shirts and suits appropriate for meeting with a bank CEO, Downtown was also the place to be. In a coincidental twist, Downtown last week hosted two giant warehouse sales. After 15 years in Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar, Barneys New York’s twice yearly Los Angeles warehouse sale relocated to the Los Angeles Convention Center, a move that allowed the event to nearly double in physical size and inventory. The 11-day sale closed Aug. 23. Meanwhile Brooks Brothers, a favorite for mostly men’s business wears, hosted its own “warehouse sale,” though the six-day event took place inside the Financial District store. It ended Aug. 22. The Barneys sale is an annual ritual for Los Angeles fashionistas: Price tags aren’t always easy to swallow for the budget conscious, unless buyers consider the markdowns. A straw men’s fedora by Rod Keenan New York, for example, was $359 last Monday afternoon. It normally retails for $600. The Barneys gear may not be cheap, conceded Rosina Martinez, who works Downtown and hit the sale during a late lunch hour with two colleagues. But the value, she said, is unbeatable. “You’re not going to get this price for these designers anywhere but here,” said Martinez, whose shopping bag held a pair of bright yellow patent leather Christian Louboutin heels. She snagged them for $220, a fraction of the $735 store price. Theoretically, there were more deals to be had at the Barneys sale than at the previous Santa Monica installments, since there was more inventory to choose from. “The Convention Center affords us about 35-45% more floor space, as well as inventory,” said Lynn Williams, who manages the Los Angeles sale. “The hangar was roughly 40,000 square feet, and here, we’re using 65,000 square feet.”

Williams said the move to Downtown was motivated by a few factors, not the least of which was the extra space. The Convention Center, she said, also provided more of a destination type spot, where customers could use the restaurants at L.A. Live. The move also exposed the brand and event to new customers, hopefully without alienating the Barneys Westside faithful, Williams said. “The overall goal is to keep our Westside customer and offer them new amenities, but also bring in new customers,” she said. “Our hope is just to grow our customer base, but not to compromise anything with our existing customers.” Last week, shoppers were rifling through racks, but the storied images of customers tugging at the same pair of jeans or bag wasn’t to be found. Nor were there men and women undressing in the aisles to try clothes on, a staple of the Santa Monica era, where there were no dressing rooms. The Convention Center was sizeable enough to include fitting areas, though they were basically just pipe-and-drape set ups off to the side of the main floor. Bigger Crowds Items in the sale were discounted beyond the initial markdown all week, so the best deals might have come during the sale’s last two days. “We say our seasoned warehouse customers shop early for best selection and late for best savings, so they usually do come multiple times,” Williams said. The Downtown event saw a rise in attendance. The typical opening day crowd of 4,000 in Santa Monica was boosted to about 5,000 people in the Central City. Crowds continued to be larger on a daily basis than in previous years, said Williams. Among them was a young professional man, who declined to be identified as he was playing hooky from work. But he didn’t hesitate to revel in the purchase of tan suede shoes by Paul Smith. “I got them for $200, down from, like, $490,” he said. “I

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After 15 years in Santa Monica, the Barneys New York Warehouse Sale moved to Downtown Los Angeles. The 11-day event at the L.A. Convention Center closed Aug. 23.

can’t wait to wear them.” Though the selection was specific to one brand, the mood was similar a few blocks north in the Brooks Brothers store at 604 S. Figueroa St. Like the Barneys event, the sale featured overstock goods from other Brooks Brothers stores around the country, said store manager Max Pierce. “It is stuff that didn’t sell,” Pierce said. “The company had an excess of product and wanted to close it out at advantageous prices: As we have everything made for us, these are things we could clear out at a good price.” Items included suits, some originally $2,400, marked down as low as $599. Some sport coats were $199, down from $348-$528. “You’ve got Barneys down the street, which is very contemporary, with designer labels and couture,” Pierce said. “We are kind of the meat and potatoes, going home to visit your grandmother at Christmas and have some of her apple pie.” Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

6 Downtown News

August 24, 2009

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August 24, 2009

Downtown News 7

DowntownNews.com ber of rooms in Downtown to attract larger conventions, we now have that, and we’re seeing that more of the larger groups are thinking of coming down here,” Czarcinski said. Getting ready for the Convention Center hotel is about more than marketing, however. The Westin Bonaventure is conducting a $35 million renovation that is refurbishing 700 guest rooms and the lobby. It will be completed early in 2010. The Omni will also undergo some renovations early next year, with an approximately three month, $12 million project. That will upgrade the guest rooms and the public and meeting spaces. Shahriari said the biggest impact of the Convention Center hotel will likely be seen once it is up and running and further contributes to the renaissance of Downtown. “The opening of a quality product like the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton will ultimately help improve the perception of Downtown Los Angeles,” he said. “I’m pretty excited about the opening.” For the 896-room Wilshire Grand, the upcoming hotel also

Hotels Continued from page 1

photo by Gary Leonard

Anschutz Entertainment Group will open the Convention Center hotel Feb. 15. The $900 million establishment will hold 1,001 rooms.

are even spending millions of dollars to make their properties more attractive. “We would be naïve to say there’s not going to be a bit of competition, but it’s also a great thing for the area,” said Mike Czarcinski, managing director for the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, which with its 1,354 rooms will still be the largest hotel in the city. “Whenever you add 1,000 rooms into a marketplace it brings jobs and excitement. It helps all of us as an industry in the Downtown area.” First Impact AEG broke ground on the hotel in June 2007. The company has long called the project the linchpin of the $2.5 billion L.A. Live complex. An opening has been set for Feb. 15. “We think that the hotel is going to help Downtown in terms of being able to offer additional quality hotel rooms that we can then use to go out and try to attract additional business that didn’t think of Downtown before from a convention perspective,” said Javier Cano, general manager of the Convention Center hotel. Officials with L.A. Inc., the city’s convention and visitors’ bureau, said the hotel’s impact on the local convention scene was felt quickly. Within 18 months of the groundbreaking, tourism officials had booked 53 conventions and saw an 800% increase in room nights over 2005. The momentum has continued. Mark Liberman, president and CEO of L.A. Inc., said the city recently booked the Water Environment Federation for a 2011 convention, which will create 32,000 room nights; a craft and hobby convention which will come to Los Angeles in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020, bringing 23,000 room nights a year; and the E3 convention, which last year brought approximately 60,000 people from the video game industry, will come back in 2010 and 2011. In all, L.A. Inc. reported that there are 20 citywide conventions on the books for 2010, 22 in 2011 and 20 for 2012. In 2005, by contrast, there were 13. “We wouldn’t have been able to attract the bookings without L.A. Live and the new hotel,” Liberman said. “We have the ability now to book larger conventions that we hadn’t been able to entice to come before.” Sales Pitch It is not surprising that Liberman is using the Convention Center hotel as a sales pitch for Downtown. What may seem unusual to people outside the industry is that other area hoteliers are also using the new building as a marketing tool. “Obviously hotels are in competition with each other, but there’s a feeling that they as a hotel community have to stay together and everybody will get their fair share of new business,” Liberman said. It’s not just an empty slogan. In June, officials from L.A. Inc., the Convention Center, the new hotel and some other Downtown hotels traveled to Washington, D.C. to try to drum up business by meeting with representatives from national associations. In a series of one-on-one meetings, they sought to persuade the planners that Downtown could handle their business. Czarcinski of the Westin Bonaventure participated in the Washington trip. So did David Shahriari, general manager of the 453-room Omni Los Angeles Hotel. “Whereas in the past we didn’t have a large enough num-

meant stepping up a $22 million renovation to open in time for the new structure and some 2010 conventions (though officials with the hotel’s owner, Korean Air, have announced a plan to raze the building and replace it with a new megaproject, with construction starting possibly as soon as 2011). “We were going to do it over two years, but the new hotel is opening up next year, so we doubled up renovation efforts while occupancy was down,” said Marc Loge, spokesman for the Wilshire Grand. The renovations are now scheduled for completion in September. The sentiment is echoed by Leslie Guettler, marketing manager for the 683-room Millennium Biltmore Hotel. She said the Convention Center hotel is less competition and more of a partner when it comes to attracting business. “We are excited to see them come Downtown,” she said. “It’s something that’s going to raise the profile of this business, enable us to handle larger groups, so overall I would say it’s a really positive thing for all of us.” Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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8 Downtown News

August 24, 2009

DowntownNews.com

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American Apparel to Stay Downtown Clothing Maker Inks 10-Year Deal With Landlord Meruelo Maddux by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

he Downtown-based garment maker American Apparel has reached a 10-year agreement with landlord Meruelo Maddux Properties to stay in its 800,000-square-foot, Industrial District headquarters, according to American Apparel financial filings. Although American Apparel’s lease expired in December 2008, it has continued to occupy the pink factory building at Seventh and Alameda streets. The extension comes more than four months after Meruelo Maddux, Downtown’s largest landlord, entered bankruptcy. “We have signed a new lease with American Apparel and are happy to see them recommit to our site as their longterm headquarters and manufacturing home,” said Richard Meruelo, chairman and CEO of Meruelo Maddux in an emailed statement. Prior to reaching the deal, American Apparel, which em-

ploys about 5,000 workers at the 747 Warehouse St. factory, was mulling a move. The company considered an old Boeing plant in Long Beach, among other potential new homes, said broker Mike Meraz, owner of Magnum Properties, who negotiated the new lease. “There were other considerations, other buildings to look at, but Meruelo stepped up,” Meraz said. American Apparel represents Mereulo Maddux’s largest tenant, both in terms of the size of its space and the value of its former lease. American Apparel CEO Dov Charney said the lease was agreed to this month, but declined to comment further on the deal. It’s unclear whether the new lease has been approved in bankruptcy court. Meruelo declined to comment on that issue. In addition to housing almost all business operations, the factory has also served as a massive billboard for the company to promote itself and its progressive, often immigration-oriented political messages. American Apparel can also

After considering moving elsewhere, American Apparel has agreed to a deal that will keep it in its current home through 2019.

now safely cling to its various mottos touting its “Made in Downtown L.A.” cache. The building’s sprawling parking lot is also known as the site of festive blowout warehouse sales that draw thousands of young buyers looking for discounted t-shirts, leggings, shortshorts and underwear. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com

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Let’s Do Lunch

42 Great

Downtown Lunches

From Burgers to Sandwiches to Tacos and Beyond, Options for the Mid-Day Meal Runneth Over

Downtown News 9

DowntownNews.com

t is estimated that about 400,000 people come into Downtown Los Angeles every day for work. All of them, as well as those who already live and work here, have something in common: They all need someplace to eat lunch. Fortunately, Downtown has a wealth of options. Restaurants serve up American, Italian, Mexican, French, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and numerous other cuisines. One can grab a to-go bite for a couple bucks, or visit an upscale establishment and drop a few hundred during a meal that takes hours. In short, there is no shortage of options. While a good lunch is in the eye of the beholder (the be-eater? Is there such a thing?), one thing almost everyone likes is a good lunch tip. Hence, the following list, in which Los Angeles Downtown News editorial staffers offer a collection of 42 places they go and the meals they like. If you’ve got other options, please chime in on downtownnews.com.

Bottega Louie

Bianco Pizza, $15 Cooked in an 800-degree wood-fired oven, the pizzas at Bottega Louie have a firm crust that flakes open to reveal pillowy dough. Among a list of other tasty pies, the Bianco stands out. There’s no tomato sauce, just cheese — ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan — some garlic and olive oil, all covered in a light blanket of peppery arugula. The cheesy pizza at this new Financial District favorite is Italian comfort food, but the arugula cleanses the palate as you eat. At 700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

Pete’s Café & Bar

Spinach and Pear Salad, $11 While this sounds like a light bite, the full-size version of this dish is actually a hearty lunch. A mound of baby spinach cradles strips of Bartlett pears, dried cherries, candied walnuts and Maytag blue cheese. The ingredients, topped with a basil balsamic vinaigrette, offer

an enticing blend of chewy and crunchy, savory and sweet. If you crave something more substantial, add chicken for $5 or poached salmon for $8. But be warned: It’s hard to visit Pete’s without trying the popular blue cheese fries. Then again, pairing those with the salad might send you into fermented dairy overload. At 400 S. Main St., (213) 6171000 or petescafe.com.—Anna Scott

Saritas

Pupusas, $2 Good Salvadoran food is hard to find in Downtown. But at Grand Central Market it’s an easy find. Just look for the menu on the wall with the picture of El Salvador. (If you need help, it’s a little country that kind of looks like a kidney.) This is Saritas, where you can order the national treasure, a pupusa. It’s a thick tortilla stuffed with either beans, pork, cheese or any combination of the three. Make sure to combine it with the curtido, a pickled salad, and drown it in the house salsa — it’s not spicy, but adds a bit of a kick to the meal. Order at least two, since one is unlikely to fill you up. At Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway, (213) 626-6320.—Richard Guzmán

Mendocino Farms

Wine Country Steak and Brie Sandwich, $9.25 Put “wine country” in the title of a meal and you risk being labeled the most pretentious

restaurateur in Downtown. But darnit all to Napa if Mendocino Farms’ standout sandwich doesn’t deliver. With the carved steak, French brie, caramelized onions, horseradish crema and sauteed mushrooms, this is more like fine dining between bread than it is just another sandwich. Speaking of bread, it comes on a ciabatta and it’s grilled, producing a warmness that’ll make you want to take a happy nap after you wipe your face. The sandwich tricksters at Mendo have been wowing Downtown for years, and this is the best of what they do. At 300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-1114 or mendocinofarms. com.—Jon Regardie continued on next page

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August 24, 2009

10 Downtown News

August 24, 2009

Let’s Do Lunch

Lunches Continued from page 9

Tierra Café

Fajita Burrito, $5.95 This tiny vegetarian kiosk, inside the food court of the high-rise at 818 Wilshire Blvd., churns out healthy, meat-free salads, entrees and sandwiches. The most popular item, the fajita burrito, is stuffed with a combination of fajita-style vegetables, soy chicken or beef, soy cheese, black beans and guacamole. No need to order a side, as the dish comes with pico de gallo, extra guacamole and a generous serving of tortilla chips. But don’t forget a beverage here. Choices include a long list of organic coffees and teas, fresh juices and “tonics” from the Elixir beverage line. At 818 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 629-1402.—Anna Scott

Sushi Gen

Sashimi Plate, $15 IHOP may have pioneered the slogan “Come Hungry. Leave Happy,” but if you prefer sashimi to chocolate chip pancakes, then this Honda Plaza establishment is not to be missed. Order the sashimi plate and you get a couple appetizers, but don’t fill up on the miso soup. For once the plate arrives, you’ll be shocked at the assemblage of toro, salmon, octopus, tuna and so on. It’s all fresh, and you and your table mates will wonder how Sushi Gen can deliver this much high-quality fish at such a low price point. You may have to wait to get a table and the staff may be occasionally indifferent, but it’s worth it. At 422 E. Second St., (213) 617-0552.—Jon Regardie

Kufte Kebab Plate With “Tan” Yogurt Drink, $10 The smell of grilled meats greets you inside Sultan, where proprietors and cooks banter in Arabic and Armenian. The kufte (ground, spiced beef, rolled and grilled on a stick) kebab plate comes with two kebabs on a bed of rice, with raw onions, hummus, cucumber slaw and a warm, fluffy disc of pita bread. Wash it down with a bottle of tan, a traditional yogurt drink also known as ayran. It tastes great and soothes a full stomach. At 311 W. Sixth St., (213) 236-0604 or sultanchicken.com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

The Original Texas Barbecue King

Pork Loin Sandwich, $6 It’s hard to question royalty, but you’ll find no reason to disagree with the Barbecue King when it comes to lunch. Originally located near Dodger Stadium, the barbecue joint moved to the Financial District last year. There are all manner of ribs and chicken dishes, but at lunch, try the boneless pork loin sandwich. The barbecue sauce is slightly spicy; it buries the pork and drips out of the bread, creating a wonderfully juicy and hearty meal. The pork is smoky and tender. At 525 W. Seventh St., (213) 627-7555 or texasbbqking.com.—Richard Guzmán

Famima

Turkey Pesto Wrap, $5.89 When you’re in a rush, or even if you’re not, Famima, the Japanese convenience store with six Downtown locations, offers fresh sushi, sandwiches and microwavable meals such as ricotta tortellini and chicken korma. Then there’s the steamed sticky buns stuffed with

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pork or beef. But the turkey pesto wrap — slices of turkey wrapped in a pesto flour tortilla, with cranberries, lettuce, tomato and pesto aioli — is a reliable, fresh and simple crowd pleaser. Bring some chocolate Pocky sticks back to the office and win popularity points. At 700 Wilshire Blvd., 727 W. Seventh St., 525 W. Sixth St., 800 S. Figueroa St., 350 S. Grand Ave. and 505 S. Flower St. (B-level), famima-usa.com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

a recession special. The baguettes are baked fresh daily, then popped in the oven upon order so they’re nice and toasty. At 314 Ord St., (213) 617-7094.—Ryan Vaillancourt

Spitz

Classic Döner, $6.47 The Little Tokyo restaurant specializes in the döner kebab, which is a sandwich stuffed with roasted meats such as lamb, beef or chicken. The meat is shaved into thin strips, but is packed in large amounts, creating a thick sandwich. The Classic Döner is the way to go. It includes a half-lamb and half-beef combo and is served with a chili sauce that is just tangy enough to notice, but won’t overwhelm the flavor of the meats. A combo boosts the price but can include the addicting sweet potato fries. At 371 E. Second St., (213) 613-0101 or eatatspitz.com.—Richard Guzmán

Palm Restaurant

Business Lunch Menu, $22.95 The Palm is known for power lunches and pre-Staples event. But this year, they’ve been offering some awesome specials (e.g. a fourpound lobster for two, with sides, for about $90). The restaurant outdoes itself at lunch, with a three-courser that starts with a salad, moves into an entree (options include tenderloin filets or fresh fish of the day) with a side mix of cottage fries and fried onions, and culminates with a choice of dessert (pick the Key Lime pie). At some places lunch specials are meant to get rid of the chef’s over-ordering. Here, it’s a way to have a meal, perhaps do a deal, and feel like you haven’t missed any of the Palm’s well-deserved reputation. At 1100 S. Flower St., (213) 763-4600.—Jon Regardie

photo by Gary Leonard

The Sultan

Bánh Mì My Dung

Pork Bahn Mi Sandwich, $2 French colonialism in Vietnam was a regrettable historical chapter, but it resulted in at least one cultural exchange worth keeping: the Bahn Mi sandwich, comprised of Vietnamese-style pickled vegetables, cilantro and seasoned meats, tucked in a crusty baguette. This hole-in-the-wall Chinatown shop sells tasty bahn mis for $2. Talk about

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August 24, 2009

Pitfire Pizza Company

Pitfire Fennel Sausage Pizza, $9.95 There is much to like about Pitfire, from the fresh ingredients to the airy, friendly atmosphere to the people watching. It’s hard to go wrong with the individual sized pizzas, but the Pitfire Fennel Sausage version is the standout. It straddles the line between not enough cheese and gooey, and the crust is firm with a slight crisp. In addition to the unexpected kick of the fennel tweaking the sausage, you also get the interplay of the red onions and a bit of fontina cheese. Grab a pie, grab a table, eat and enjoy. At 108 W. Second St., (213) 808-1200 or pitfirepizza.com.—Jon Regardie

Colori Kitchen

410 Boyd Street

Grilled Rare Ahi Niçoise Salad, $16 This upscale version of the standard Niçoise salad eschews canned tuna for the real thing. Tender, lightly grilled chunks continued on next page

Spaghetti Carbonara, $12 Chef Luigi Barducci Contessi cranks out hot plates (he actually warms the plates in the broiler before adding the food) of authentic Italian dishes quickly, which makes Colori a go-to lunch spot. House favorites include the tagliatelle Bolognese and the orechiette with Italian sausage. The food here is simple but elegant, so go for a classic like spaghetti carbonara, a nest of pasta lightly bathed in egg, cream, butter and bacon. At 429 W. Eighth St., (213) 622-5950 or colorikitchen.wordpress.com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

Novel Café

Grilled Pork Chops, $6.50 Don’t let the name fool you — Uncle John’s serves more than just ham and eggs. The tiny diner on the southern edge of the Financial District is an odd combination of a 1950s hole in the wall and a Chinese restaurant, serving everything from steak and eggs to chicken chow mein. Stick with the grilled pork chops. They’re tender, really juicy, and although they are a bit on the thin side, surprisingly filling. Hope you like counter service, because if you come here, this is where you’re sitting. At 433 W. Eighth St., (213) 623-3555.—Richard Guzmán

photo by Gary Leonard

Uncle John’s Ham and Eggs

Downtown News 11

Let’s Do Lunch

“market fresh”

at lakeview bistro restaurant

Prosciutto Melt Sandwich, $6.25 Earlier this year, the Novel Café replaced longtime Arts District favorite Groundwork. The new owners have since given the place and the menu a slight spruce-up, though the friendly, community-based vibe remains. Also still part of the show are the prosciutto melt sandwiches in a glass case next to the cash register. Offered in olive bread and sourdough varieties, they’re tricked out with pesto and sundried tomato. The key is the good-quality prosciutto, and the staff has the cooking down to the point that you get some nice char marks without burning the thing. If you’re in the mood to bounce off the wall, wash it down with a bottle of Jolt! cola. At 811 S. Traction Ave., (213) 621-2240.—Jon Regardie

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Vista Hermosa Natural Park

Brown Bag Meal (Try Salami) Sometimes, as we all know, the best meal comes not from a restaurant, but from your own kitchen. When it’s my kitchen, I like to pop some salami and provolone cheese on rye bread, dab it with mustard, add lettuce and tomato, and then take the princely assemblage to Vista Hermosa Natural Park in City West. The 10.5-acre facility has picnic benches at the top, and during lunch they are usually empty. This means a peaceful meal with a nice view of the shimmering Downtown highrises. It’s enough of an escape to get me through the rest of the day. At 100 N. Toluca St., lamountains.com.—Jon Regardie

five freshly prepared home-style soups fresh market salads sandwiches, chilled or panini style soup and salad selections, $10.50 add a sandwich for $3.00

D-Town Burger Bar

The #1 Combo, $7.37 When it comes to burgers, D-Town keeps it classic and delicious. The 1950s-inspired restaurant is up front about what it does best, and that’s reflected in the simple menu, just burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. For lunch, keep it real with the #1 combo, the cheeseburger, fries and a soda. The burger comes on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, cheese and onion. The patty isn’t thick, so it’s easy to get it all in your mouth, but it is juicy, especially if you order it rare or medium rare. The fries are also good, since they throw in a few sweet potato fries with the regular ones. At 216 W. Sixth St., (213) 228-0022.—Richard Guzmán

TiGeorge’s Haitian Chicken

Quarter Chicken With Rice, Beans and Slaw, $8.50 When you enter TiGeorge’s Haitian Chicken for lunch, you’re likely to encounter two things: A smiling Georges Laguerre, the proprietor, and about a dozen whole chickens caramelizing on a mechanical spit above a crackling fire of avocado wood. The quarter chickens come with a small salad, spicy coleslaw and a heaping portion of rice and beans still moist with rich chicken stock and accented with bay leaves, cloves and other spices. Haiti tastes good. At 309 N. Glendale Blvd., (213) 944-1515 or tigeorgeschicken. com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

Lunch Bento Box, $9.95 Downtown’s only vegan Japanese restaurant, tucked away on the third floor of the Little Tokyo Shopping Center, offers several dine-in weekday lunch specials. One of the best deals is the bento box, a filling meal for one or a light lunch for two. It includes two entrees, a vegetable and salad, and is served with brown rice and the soup of the day. Entree options include creative dishes like pumpkin croquettes, spicy tofu and okra cakes. To top off your lunch, don’t miss the ice cream sandwiches (try the green tea ice cream on chocolate cookies), which you can take out. At 333 S. Alameda St., third floor, (213) 617-0305 or theshojin.com.—Anna Scott

Shojin

404 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA • 213.624.1000 • www.thebonaventure.com

12 Downtown News

August 24, 2009

Let’s Do Lunch

Spring Street Smokehouse

Spicy Pulled Pork With Baked Beans, $9.50 (for one-third pound) Is it possible to go wrong with pulled pork? Not really. But it’s possible to do it better, and they do at Spring Street Smokehouse. Here, your tender chunks and strands of pork come swimming in spicy barbecue sauce. Every table has its own bag of white bread slices, so, for added fun, make your own sandwiches or just sop up the juice with bread. Try piling pork and beans on one slice, then fold and devour. Then repeat. At 640 N. Spring St., (213) 626-0535 or sssmokehouse. com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

East Side Market Italian Deli

#14 Mortadella and Cheese Sandwich, $6.90 It bills itself as one of the last remaining true Italian delis in the city, and Downtowners should consider themselves lucky East Side is still around. It’s a hangout for locals and gets packed at lunch, so do yourself a favor and arrive a few minutes before noon. Then do yourself another favor and order the #14 special, the mortadella and cheese sandwich. It’s a football sized offering with tons of mortadella, your choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles on a French roll. Top it off with a drink and a bag of spicy pork rinds and you’ll be a regular too. At 1013 Alpine St., (213) 250-2464 or esmdeli.com.—Richard Guzmán

Nickel Diner

Chicken Salad Sandwich, $8.75 Sure, a chicken salad sandwich is a pretty standard lunch order — but not the way the Nickel makes it. The Historic Core restaurant’s version, a far cry from the gloppy

ey-chipotle vinaigrette. It’s enough for two meals, especially if you begin your lunch with the can’t-miss Argentine empanadas. The appetizer includes one savory pastry pocket stuffed with a mushroom filling and one packed with spinach, pine nuts, raisins and manchego. At 445 S. Figueroa St., (213) 4865171 or ciudad-la.com.—Anna Scott photo by Gary Leonard

Continued from page 11 of ahi blend perfectly with crunchy string beans and slices of tomato, hard-boiled egg and potato. Served over mixed organic greens with a tangy vinegar-based dressing, the salad is delicate but satisfying. Other dependable choices here include the blackened catfish and New York steak sandwiches, which come with fries and an unusual but refreshing cucumber salad. At 410 Boyd St., (213) 6172491.—Anna Scott

ous teams adorn the walls, but the Chinese menu replaces the wings and chips with beef, chicken and lo mein. The best dish in the house is the BBQ pork lo mein. It’s made with a tender pork that falls apart in your mouth. The noodles are neither greasy nor salty. At 136 S. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo, (213) 625-2228.—Richard Guzmán

photo by Gary Leonard

Lunches

deli creation, is served on wheat bread and is flecked with candied pecans, apples, pesto and pickled onions. The sandwich comes with coleslaw or a side salad. Fries or onion rings cost an extra $1 but are worth it. Since you’re already swapping out the healthy side dish, you might as well try one of the Nickel’s incredible desserts. I recommend the homemade Ding Dong. At 524 S. Main St., (213) 623-8301 or 5cdiner.com.—Anna Scott

Philippe, The Original

Lamb Dip, $6.75 Philippe’s may be 101 years old, but the French dip sandwiches continue to win converts every day. Traditionalists opt for the beef and tell the carving ladies to double dip it in the au jus, but the lamb pumps things up a notch. Sliced thick, the roasted meat settles comfortably into the French roll, oozing a little juice that makes the whole shebang softer. It doesn’t look huge, but it is filling. Of course, part of the Philippe’s experience is, well, the experience. Enjoy the sometimes long lines, the sawdust on the floors and the communal tables. At 1001 N. Alameda St., (213) 6283781 or philippes.com.—Jon Regardie

Green Bamboo

BBQ Pork Lo Mein, $7.95 A Chinese sports bar is an unusual find, even in culturally rich Los Angeles. Throw in some great Chinese bar food and it’s a delightfully rare treasure, but that’s exactly what you’ll get at Little Tokyo’s Green Bamboo. As with any sports bar, posters and banners touting vari-

Weeneez

Chicago Weenee, $5.54 For Downtown hot dog lovers, it doesn’t get much better than Weeneez. The Historic Core spot takes its dogs seriously and offer numerous combinations. While they are known for the home-cooked chili on the chili weenee dog, the best choice at lunch is the Chicago Weenee. It’s served with relish, tomatoes, mustard, onions and peppers. Watch out for the peppers though — they may seem tame for the first few bites, but the heat can add up. So please, order a beverage. At 500 S. Spring St., (213) 817-6002 or weeneez. com.—Richard Guzmán

Ciudad

Chopped Salad With Cuban Fried Chicken, $14.75 This dish is probably the closest that salad can get to comfort food. The huge bowl of greens comes tossed with lightly seasoned, breaded chicken, avocado, tomato, calypso beans, cuzco corn, blue cheese and addictive crispy plantain chips, all covered in a hon-

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Downtown News 13

Let’s Do Lunch you want a combination donburi plate at Wakasaya in Little Tokyo — the restaurant offers more than a dozen sashimi choices that are served over a bed of rice. In fact, the hefty menu filled with scores of pictures can be overwhelming. But one of the best combos is the salmon, tuna and salmon roe plate (fish egg). The salmon is one of the freshest and meatiest cuts they serve, the tuna is rich and filling, while the salmon roe adds a salty and sweet accent that perfectly complements the dish. At 104 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, (213) 621-2121.—Richard Guzmán

Village Kitchen

Rivera

Pastrami Sandwich, $7.50 Every city has its legendary pastrami joints. In Los Angeles, there are Langers, Canters and Nate’n Al, among others. But in the Downtown area, look no further for your cured brisket than the Village Kitchen in City West. They eschew heaping piles of meat for a more manageable amount of pastrami, augmented by a crunchy layer of slaw and housemade Thousand Island dressing. As a bonus, the rye bread is griddled, so the sammie comes golden and warm to the touch. At 1667 Beverly Blvd., (213) 235-1487.—Ryan Vaillancourt

Braised Kurobuta Pork Short Ribs, $18 At Rivera in South Park, deciding what to order is not easy. Although chef John Rivera Sedlar has many acclaimed dishes, the braised kurobuta pork short ribs stand out. It’s the pork equivalent of Kobe beef, and it is dark and rich, more reminiscent of carnitas than traditional pork ribs. The dish is meaty and a bit greasy, which is a good thing, since it adds an authentic Mexican street-food flavor to a Japanese meat. Don’t bother with the utensils — these are best eaten by hand. At 1050 S. Flower St., (213) 749-1460 or riverarestaurant.com.—Richard Guzmán

Casa Cocina Y Cantina

Homegirl Café

Pollo Asado Burrito de Ensalada, $6.95 A chicken-salad wrap might not sound like much of a lunch, but that will change once you try it Casa-style. The lunch process at this California Plaza Mexican restaurant goes like this: pick a “vehicle” (i.e. tacos, burrito, salad) and a filling, order, eat. A winning choice is the citrus-marinated grilled chicken breast, salsa roja, cilantro and cabbage. Order it burrito de Ensalada-style and it arrives wrapped in a house-made flour tortilla with organic greens, fresh corn, black beans, tomatoes, tortilla strips and onion, all tossed in a citrusagave vinaigrette or a chipotle Caesar dressing. At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2249 or casadowntown.com.—Anna Scott photo by Gary Leonard

Tofu Chorizo Tacos With Crema Fresca, $2.45 If you think that forgoing meat means never tasting spicy Mexican chorizo “sausage,” think again. Homegirl Café whips up a mean veggie version of the dish, made from tofu and topped with a fresh cream that perfectly balances the spice, served up in soft tacos. Wash down the tasty treats (three for $6.50) with a refreshing glass of Angela’s Green Potion, lemonade blended with spinach and mint, for $2.75. Add a bowl of roasted pineapple-studded guacamole with chips to your order and you will leave full and happy. At 130 W. Bruno St., (323) 526-1254 ext. 301 or homeboy-industries.org.—Anna Scott

Hop Louie

Mongolian Beef, $6.25 It may be known as a cool, dark, dive bar, but the Chinatown destination also has a good restaurant upstairs — it’s a nice place to get filling Chinese dishes at very low prices. For lunch try the Mongolian Beef. It’s a large portion, so keep that in mind while deciding on side items like rice or spring rolls. The meat is tender and the sauce has just the right amount of sweetness to make the vegetables pop. At 950 Mei Ling Way, (213) 628-4244.—Richard Guzmán

Danke Wurstküche. At 800 E. Third St., (213) 687-4444 or wurstkucherestaurant. com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

Ralphs

To-Go Sushi Supermarket sushi can be a dicey bet. But at the South Park Ralphs, which boasts its own on-site sushi chef, it’s a reliable choice. For just under $7 in most cases, you can pick up freshly made, ready-to-go California, spicy tuna, salmon or vegetarian rolls, among other choices. Non-sushi items sold alongside the various rolls include fish and rice bowls and seaweed salad. It’s not quite Little Tokyo, but for a quick no-fuss Japanese lunch, it is more than adequate. At 645 W. Ninth St., (213) 452-0840 or ralphs.com.—Anna Scott

Las Morelianas

‘Mixed’ Carnitas Taco, $2.15 You’ve had carnitas tacos, those fall-apart tender, long-cooked shreds of pork shoulder meat, tucked in a corn tortilla and drizzled with lime. But the Michoacan-style “mixed” carnitas at Las Morelianas at Grand Central Market is a different animal. Actually, it’s the same animal — pig — just more of it. Along with the shoulder, you get morsels of pork skin, ear, trompa (that’s snout), heart, liver, stomach and more. The combination is, somehow, succulence defined. At Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway, (213) 7250848.—Ryan Vaillancourt

dish that ends up with a very tender meat. The flavor is a little smoky and can be a bit on the salty side, but should be OK for most taste buds. At 401 E. Second St., (213) 346-9930 or eatatalohacafe.com.—Richard Guzmán

Library Bar

Library Burger and Roasted Marrow Bones, $16 This is a lunch perfect for when you miss the usual lunch hour, because Library Bar opens at 3 p.m. The house burger comes with grilled onions, sweet pickles, white cheddar, arugula and mustard on brioche. It gets better: Avid carnivores should pair it with the roasted marrow bones. These cylinders of beef essence are served with toasted ciabatta slices, horseradish, shallots and parsley. You’ll be mooing back to the office, if you make it back at all. At 630 W. Sixth St., Suite 116A, (213) 614-0053 or librarybarla.com.—Ryan Vaillancourt photo by Gary Leonard

thing twice. At the Corn Maiden tamale kiosk, one tamale (choices include grilled chicken, spinach-artichoke and black bean-mozzarella) plus rice, beans and salsa run just $5.50. Another gem is the Daniel’s Choice stand, where chef Jeroen Ashton sells vegan versions of American comfort foods like chicken salad sandwiches and individual lasagnas for less than $10. Your taste buds won’t know the difference and your body will thank you. Bring locally grown fruit, cookies or homemade candy back to the office and everyone else will thank you. At 200 N. Spring St., downtownfarmersmarket.org.—Anna Scott

Aloha Café

Kalua Pork, $7.25 If you want to make your lunch hour as close to an island getaway as possible, bring some sandals, slip on a Hawaiian shirt and head over to Aloha Café in Little Tokyo. It may be lacking the beach, sand and ocean, but the food is straight out of paradise. The Kalua pork is the best choice. It’s a slow-cooked

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Ropa Vieja, $11 Their motto is “que rico chico,” which means “It’s good man,” and the food at Cuba Central lives up to the slogan, in particular the ropa vieja (it means “old clothes,” though it doesn’t taste like it). It’s a Caribbean favorite made with sauteed, shredded beef cooked in tomato sauce with onions. You also get a choice of black beans, white or yellow rice or sweet plantains — the latter two items are the best. The rice is a more filling side, but the plantains add a sweet accent to an already great meal. At 114 S. Central Ave., (213) 687-3193 or cubacentral-la.com.—Richard Guzmán

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14 Downtown News

Graffiti Continued from page 1 a suspect with his or her “tag,” or moniker. Then, they will execute a search warrant in hopes of finding incriminating evidence. Linking a suspect to multiple tags across Downtown and beyond, as opposed to catching someone in the act, said Chow, could result in stiffer penalties for vandals. “I think a lot of these kids are under the impression they can just go and spray on somebody’s building and get away with it and we’re here to say no,” Chow said. “We’re going to gather intelligence and serve search warrants and show up at your house at 7 a.m. and hand walk the case to the D.A.” Spilt Spilk The task force served its first search warrant on Aug. 6

August 24, 2009

DowntownNews.com at 7 a.m. They traveled to West Covina to the home of a 20-year-old man suspected of spraying the tag “Spilk” across Downtown and causing thousands of dollars in damages. The man, whose name was not disclosed, was not home, but officers later that day searched another location and found spray cans, photos of the suspect and his tag in his so-called “pride book,” along with other graffiti paraphernalia, said Lt. John McMann, who oversees the task force. Officers last week were still compiling their case against the man — who has not been caught — likely for multiple charges of felony vandalism, said Adrian Lopez, one of the two officers on the task force. His partner is Raul Riojas. Lopez said he connected the suspect with his tag by combing prior police and court records. The man has been arrested nine times for vandalism, and related records include references to the “Spilk” tag. “Hopefully if you can arrest and prosecute them, they’ll change their lifestyle,” Lopez said.

Arresting and prosecuting the “Spilk” suspect could help bring down more than just one tagger, McMann said. “The way it works is, we get one and it opens up a network of one of the larger tagging crews,” McMann said. “You hit one, you start focusing on it and we’re going to open up a network and we’re going to start hitting these folks hard that cause the blight in the area.” Surveying the Damage To some, graffiti is an urban art form and the calling card of a decades-old American subculture worthy of museum and art gallery exhibitions. To others, it’s a declaration of gang turf, though in Downtown, police say that only a small percentage of graffiti is gang-related. To many area workers and residents, it’s just ugly blight. To the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, it’s one big, expensive headache. “It creates a fear factor for people when they start to see lots of graffiti that hasn’t been attended to,” said Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the DCBID. “It gives the feeling of lawlessness when these crimes aren’t attended to, especially in an urban environment.” The BID’s boundaries stretch roughly from First Street to Olympic Boulevard and from the 110 Freeway to parts of Main and Hill streets. In that area, crews have removed 1,316 instances of graffiti this year, said Ken Nakano, the

‘I think a lot of these kids are under the impression they can just go and spray on somebody’s building and get away with it and we’re here to say no.’

—LAPD Capt. Blake Chow

DCBID’s director of operations. He noted that the figure applies not just to spray paint but also markers and stickers. Another 95 instances of high-rise graffiti had to be referred to the city, since the DCBID removes tags only on the ground level. “The cost in manpower alone to remove this graffiti is estimated at approximately $33,315,” Nakano said in an email. Paint, chemicals and materials needed to remove the graffiti have tacked on about another $5,000, Nakano said. In 2007, at the Downtown Breakfast Club’s Roses and Lemon Awards breakfast, the group took aim at the California Department of Transportation for lackluster cleanup of freeway graffiti. “We have more than $17 billion in combined investment in Downtown and look at how we greet visitors,” said Hal Bastian of the Breakfast Club (he also works full-time for the DCBID) at the 2007 event while showing slides of freeway and landmark signs peppered with spray paint. While the event made Caltrans an easy target, Schatz admits that at the time she and others underestimated the complexity of cleaning up freeway graffiti. “It’s far more complicated than people realize,” Schatz said. “You have to close the freeway down, get guys up there, and it’s dangerous. So Caltrans was supportive of the community trying to address the issue but they were already having resource issues at the time.” Chow hopes that the task force will lead to fewer instances of graffiti, which will also reduce the burden on agencies charged with cleaning it up. In addition to connecting the dots between the tags on the street and the suspects, the officers are taking aim at stores in Downtown that may be selling graffiti paraphernalia to minors (state law prohibits the sale of spray paint to people under 18). Chow said he is looking into computer software tailored to tracking graffiti. Certain programs can identify tags in pictures and match them with others in a database, he said. That part of the plan is still at least months away, and would require funds to be approved by the City Council, he said. “The bigger vision is the more agencies that use graffiti tracking systems, the more intelligence will be gathered and shared,” Chow said. “So if you have a tagger working in two counties, you could go to wherever he’s active.” Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

August 24, 2009

Downtown News 15

DowntownNews.com

Whitman Continued from page 1 offered solutions, even if the solutions turned out to be more ideas than specifics. Meg’s Trident Whitman’s conversational manner masked her carefully tailored speech. Starting with the sell-yourself school of candidacy, she gave her bio: Long Island born, college at Princeton and Harvard, headed west for her neurosurgeon husband’s residency and landed at eBay in 1998 when it had only 30 employees and $4 million in revenue; there are now 15,000 workers and $8 billion in annual revenue, her campaign literature points out prominently, and if that impresses you, well then, that’s the point. (The pamphlets neglect to detail her personal take, even though a 2008 Forbes article put her net worth at $1.3 billion. Who doesn’t love stock options?) She hit her beats, drawing laughs with a good-natured line about her husband wanting to go to California to get away from Whitman’s mom, then touching a somber chord by describing how the widow of a former mentor called to say that the late executive would have been proud of her career advancement. She displayed her Republican bona fides by describing working on the campaigns of first Mitt Romney and then John McCain, and at the Chamber last Wednesday at least, “McCain” wasn’t a bad word. She noted that her time at eBay gave her a “tremendous appreciation for small business,” yet she also learned that “government could get in the way.” All of which set the groundwork for the Meg Whitman Trident, and though she didn’t use the word that brings to mind Neptune (the undersea god, not the planet), that’s essentially what her stump speech boiled down to: She said she is focused on three matters, and while other issues are important, they need to take a back seat to revive California. Job creation and retention were her first point, followed by the need to cut government spending. The third prong was improving K-12 public education, and if I had a quarter for every time she stated that California ranks 48th out of the 50 states when it comes to this matter, then by the end of the session I’d have had probably six or eight of them, enough for a fun afternoon of Pac Man (BTW, a Pac Man machine was available last Thursday morning on eBay, with a high bid of $131.50). She got a bit more specific, though she didn’t lay out a plan or numbers in terms of making the turnaround. In regards to

the first matter she said that Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Texas are pilfering the California workforce — “We’re bleeding jobs” — and on the latter she expressed admiration for a plan she said was employed by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, in which he graded every school in the state from A to F, and in this room at least last Wednesday, “Bush” wasn’t a bad word. Whitman noted that ex-Gov. Pete Wilson chairs her campaign, and proudly proclaimed that she outclassed every other Republican in the first period of fundraising ($6.8 million did the trick). When asked if she’d support a Constitutional Convention to look at the wacky state document that is longer than the constitutions of 48 other states (bizarrely, only Alabama’s is longer), said, “Conceptually, I think it is a very interesting idea.” It may in fact be an interesting idea, but when a candidate calls something an “interesting idea,” it is code for “Embrace this? I’d rather go on eBay and buy/win a migraine headache delivered by a batch of killer bees swarming in the shape of John McCain.” I checked. “A migraine headache delivphoto by Gary Leonard ered by a batch of killer bees swarming in Whitman laid out a three-pronged plan and dropped a ton of clichés and simple the shape of John McCain” was not for sale slogans, among them, “You are only as good as the people who work for you” and “We there last Thursday. can build a new California.” Cliché Time At the Chamber, it was unclear whether the crowd of approximately 140 local business leaders was least two “devil’s in the details,” which I think is one more looking at the next governor of California. Whitman appears devil than anyone needs. Two other comments stood out. When asked about educato be well-positioned in the Republican race against Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner (who’s also got a Silicon Valley tion and lobbying, Whitman’s response swung to labor, and fortune to tap) and former Congressman Tom Campbell. she said, “We’re going to have to convince the unions to take The bigger question is whether she could eclipse Attorney a different approach,” which as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa General Jerry Brown, who most observers expect will thump just learned in his I’m-against-early-retirement/Now-I’m-forSan Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on the Democratic side. early-retirement battles, is about as easy as asking an ornery Whatever happens next, one thing is clear: Whitman may grizzly bear to please give up its honey pot (there were 356 be new to running for office, but she can toss out clichés honey pots for sale on eBay last Thursday, the first three refand simple, digestible slogans like a veteran. Her speech erencing Whitman the — sorry, Winnie the Pooh). Then, there was a display of the trait that probably helped had about as many of them as eBay has those annoying snipers who sneak in with 2 seconds to go to outbid you by her guide eBay. “You have to have a spine of steel,” she said. “The next gov$1 on the Eames chair you’ve been eyeing. “I refuse to let California fail,” she said at one point, and later remarked, ernor of California has to know exactly what she believes.” An eBay search for “spine of steel” yielded no results. “You are only as good as the people who work for you.” Then came, “We can build a new California,” followed by Maybe Whitman got the last one. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com. “I will need each and every one of your help.” There were at

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16 Downtown News

August 24, 2009

DowntownNews.com

WHAT’S IN STORE

Flea A New Downtown Shop Has Old School Travel Kits, Disco Ball Skirts and a Lobster… Thingy by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

aryn Hofberg, the owner of Flea, a new flea-market inspired shop on Sixth Street, knows a thing or two about collecting vintage goods. “It’s a disease,” she says, without a hint of playfulness. “You know for some people, it can be bad.” Might Hofberg be infected? “Well, sort of,” she admits. Much of Flea’s inventory, which includes racks of men’s and women’s vintage clothes, Italian handbags, Mid-Century Modern furniture, home accessories and knickknacks, used to be in Hofberg’s personal storage. A longtime vendor at the Rose Bowl flea market, Hofberg recently moved Downtown from the Westside, intent on setting up a permanent shop. As part of a new series highlighting local retail, Los Angeles Downtown News takes a look at what’s in store.

The Real Animal: Hofberg, who says she used to be “quite the animal activist,” is opposed to fur coats, and insists customers not expect to find any real furs among the store’s vintage wears. That said, she has a hand-woven, black cotton coat with a mink collar, and another similar one, also with real mink. Both are $150. “After these two, that’s it,” Hofberg said. Buy Pajamas, Help the Homeless: Part of what drew Hofberg to Downtown is the sense of community she detected after visiting a friend in the Eastern Columbia Building. Her hope to cater to “all the community” led photo by Gary Leonard

The Bestseller: Since opening in June, Hofberg’s most popular item has been a “popup” Modern stool for $35. The chrome-fin-

ished, rotating chair has a molded seat and one supporting post in the middle, and a height that is ideal for the bars and kitchen islands common in Downtown lofts, Hofberg said. Like most of Flea’s furniture, the stools come from Formdecor, a Los Angeles company that rents items to events and film productions. Other pieces come from flea markets, eBay and Hofberg’s collection. The stools sold out, but more are on the way, she said.

A faux ivory bathroom set sells for $100.

photo by Gary Leonard

In June Caryn Hofberg opened Flea, a store for vintage clothes and furniture that is inspired by her days as a vendor at Los Angeles flea markets.

her to include children’s clothes, like a set of vintage, purple rayon Chinese pajamas ($40) that would fit a kindergartener. “There’s a lot of kids being born Downtown,” she said. Hofberg also plans to donate 10% of her proceeds every month to a different Downtown charity that helps the homeless. In June, it was the job training organization Chrysalis. Trip Through Time: If you’re planning a trip to a previous decade, or just outfitting a bathroom with some period accessories, Flea has some travel kits from the 1930s-’50s. A $100 “French ivory” (or faux ivory) set includes a button-hook (the tool, which assists in buttoning old shoes and garments, was common during the Victorian era), a small crochet needle, various nail files and even an old tool for squashing pimples. The set rolls into a convenient clutch package, but Hofberg recommends laying it out as a display item or even hanging one from a wall. “They’re not very practical, but they’re beautiful and make great gifts,” she said. Party Like It’s 1980: Flea has a few racks of vintage clothes. Although there is a small collection of men’s items, including old cowboystyle collared shirts, most of the fashions are for women. Among the 1970s dresses and sweaters, there’s a solid 1980s selection as well,

including a leopard print wrap-around skirt with red rayon lining and a black, sequined mini-skirt by Judy Knapp that, when worn by someone on a dance floor, could be its own gyrating disco ball. It goes for $30, and you probably won’t be able to talk Hofberg down. She does negotiate, but there’s more wiggle room with more expensive items and when customers buy more than one piece. “A lot of the things I feel are already a good price,” she said. Then again, few prices seem set in stone: Barely anything in the store has a price tag. Kitschy Crustacean: Fashions and furniture make up the bulk of the store’s offerings, but Flea is also stocked with random home accessories, from old framed crafts that use dried flowers to paint a picture to 1970s-era pitchers and glass sets. But few items catch the eye quite like a heavy, metal lobster table piece: Its oversized claws could be a double ashtray or compartments for finger foods. While Hofberg knows furniture is a good seller, she’s not yet sure what else will appeal to her Downtown clientele, which explains the diversity of items, she said. “I’m still trying to feel out the community and see what they like.” Flea is on the ground floor of the SB Lofts at 548 S. Spring St., (213) 621-2122.

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Downtown News 17

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CALENDAR

Making the Museum Rounds by Anna Scott staff writer

s August winds down, it seems like entertainment options in and around Downtown Los Angeles also dwindle, with the major summer festivals over and the plethora of free warm weather cultural attractions coming to a close. But the lull between the summer and fall seasons can be the perfect time to explore some of the area’s museums, which feature enticing exhibits year-round. Here, Los Angeles Downtown News rounds up six exhibitions you may have missed.

photo courtesy of MOCA

Museum of Contemporary Art: Take advantage of the opportunity to see works from great artists in various mediums all in one place at the MOCA exhibit Collecting History: Highlighting Recent Acquisitions, on display through Oct 19. As the title suggests, the show features recent additions to the museum’s permanent collection of more than 6,000 artworks, with a focus on art donated or purchased in the past five years. Recent

Acquisitions includes creations by conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner, L.A.-based multimedia artist Jennifer Bornstein and the influential German installation artist Cosima von Bonin, among many others. The show is partly a lead-in to MOCA’s largest long-term installation of permanent collection works ever, Collection: MOCA’s First 30 Years, opening this fall, said a museum official. That show, which will feature 500 pieces, opens Nov. 15 and runs through May 2010. At 250 S. Grand Ave. (213) 626-6222 or moca.org. California African American Museum: This Exposition Park museum’s unconventional exhibit Inside My Head: Intuitive Artists of African Descent includes paintings, sculptures and other works by 32 contemporary artists. What sets the show apart from typical museum fare, and makes the work all the more impressive, is that none of the artists are formally trained. Instead, they have all developed their crafts intuitively, and part of the exhibit’s goal is to celebrate the pure creative impulse. The works range from a sculpture of a woman’s torso to portraits to abstract pieces like a monstrous-looking mask. Inside My Head is on display through Oct. 25. At 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.

image courtesy of the California African American Museum

Use What’s Left of Summer to Check Out Downtown Exhibits

California Science Center: It’s easy to define who we are in terms of emotions, likes and dislikes. But the exhibit Identity: An Exhibit of You invites visitors to take a more analytical look at who we are by exploring the science behind our thoughts and features. Through hands-on, interactive displays museum goers can see themselves from an entirely different perspective: Spin the “skin tone color wheel” to see how your skin color matches with that of people from all over the world. Explore the science of emotions with an animated computer display that shows how seratonin and other brain chemicals affect the way different people handle stressful situations. In perhaps the scariest part of the exhibit, you can age an image of your face over time to see the effects of UV exposure, smoking and eating habits. Identity runs through Sept. 7. At 700 Exposition Park Dr., (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org. Japanese American National Museum: Mike Shinoda, best known as the MC, keyboardist and guitarist for the Grammywinning alterna-rap-rock band Linkin Park, first showed off his fine art chops at JANM in the 2008 exhibit Glorious Excess (Born). The collection of paintings and digital works explored society’s obsessions with celebrity culture, consumerism and excess. Shinoda addresses similar themes with different imagery in his new JANM exhibit, Glorious Excess (Dies), which opens Saturday, Aug 29, and will remain on display through Oct 4. photo courtesy of Berliner Studio/BEImages

“Empathy Displacement #7” by Mike Kelley is one of the pieces on display in the Museum of Contemporary Art exhibit Collecting History: Highlighting Recent Acquisitions. It showcases artwork that the museum has purchased or been given in the past five years.

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The exhibition Inside My Head: Intuitive Artists of African Descent features works by 32 artists, none of whom have formal training. Shown here is “Pilando Arroz” by Aydee Rodriguez.

Shinoda holds an illustration degree from the Art Center College of Design, and his works blend traditional fine art techniques with bright, pop-art images of death, money and sex. Shinoda will be on hand to sign autographs at the exhibit’s free opening reception Saturday from 8-10 p.m. A new, limited-edition book of works from the Glorious Excess series will also be available at the opening. Proceeds from art sales at the JANM show will be donated to an Art Center scholarship in Shinoda’s name. At 369 E. First St., (213) 6250414 or janm.org. Chinese American Museum: Take a walk on the lighter side at CAM’s National Art Competition Exhibition, featuring paintings and drawings by more than 50 elementary and high school students. The pieces in the show represent winning entries and honorable mentions from national art competitions hosted by the museum and the Chinese American Citizens Alliance in 2007 and 2009. The work is based on the themes “Growing Up Chinese American” and “Democracy and Diversity.” Artwork on display includes images of family gatherings, cultural celebrations and several tributes to President Barack Obama, among other subjects. At 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org. Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum & Galleries: There is just one week left to catch FIDM’s fourth annual The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design. The exhibit, on display through Sept. 6, features more than 100 costumes from more than a dozen television shows. Trust us, this is not something you can experience by gawking at mannequins in your local department store. Outfits in the exhibit include jawdropping period costumes from the HBO miniseries “John Adams” and the Showtime series “The Tudors,” outrageously expensive and trendy ensembles sported by the privileged teenagers of “Gossip Girl” and spot-on recreations of Chanel pieces created for the Lifetime mini-series Coco Chanel. The sparkly, gaudy costumes of the reality TV competition “Dancing With the Stars” are another fun highlight. At 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 623-5821 or fidm.edu. Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

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Kings for Three Days It’s Hockey in August, as Puck Nuts Can Get Up Close and Personal With Their Ice Heroes by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

os Angeles is, by and large, a basketball town. No professional sports team energizes the city like the Lakers. And if any other franchise plays second fiddle, it’s the Dodgers. But this weekend, it’s another team — the Los Angeles Kings — that will throw a three-day “Hockey Fest” at L.A. Live, in hopes of energizing its fan base and perhaps welcoming new puck heads. On the heels of the Lakers 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament that transformed L.A. Live into a hoops bonanza from Aug. 14-16, L.A. Kings Hockey Fest will feature a street hockey tournament, panels and Q&As with Kings players and legends and interactive hockey exhibitions (Los Angeles Downtown News is a sponsor of the event). Never mind that this is palm tree-strewn Los Angeles, in August, a time when ice hockey is the last thing on most people’s minds. “We wanted to create an event in the summer time where the Kings could be front and center in the marketplace,” said Chris McGowan, the Kings’ chief marketing officer. “Hockey fans are such diehard fans and they’re looking for opportunities to talk hockey and interact with players all year and there’s a couple months of downtime.” The Kings’ preseason begins Sept. 15, and the 2009/2010 regular season opens Oct. 3, when they host the Phoenix Coyotes. But the diehard fans will have a chance to get their hockey fill well beforehand. The event, the first of its kind for the Kings, opens Friday, Aug. 28, with a “fan fest” pep rally in the Nokia Theatre. The entire Kings roster is expected to be on hand for an introduction, McGowan said. They’ll be flanked by the Kings’ “Ice Girls,” and team alumni including Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer (the legendary Triple Crown Line that dominated the NHL in the early 1980s, but never reached the Stanley Cup finals). Capping it off will be a performance

by Eddie Kowalczyk, the front man of the rock band Live. If Friday night is supposed to get people excited about hockey, the following two days offer chances to witness live street hockey and talk to the players and legends. Hockey Fest features seven panel discussions, most moderated by event host and ESPN anchor John Buccigross. The first panel, called the Kids Press Conference, is sort of a young sports fan’s dream: Current Kings Anze Kopitar, Matt Greene and Wayne Simmonds will take questions about hockey and, well, anything, from the gathered youth. “We thought that would be a great way to start things off,” McGowan said. The kids press conference highlights what Jim Fox, a former Kings player and the current television color analyst for the team, expects will be the main draw of the weekend: fan access. “When it comes to interaction with the fans, over the years in professional sports, there’s been more and more of a gap,” said Fox, who will also sit on an “NHL Experts” panel on Saturday at noon. “I think this is a way in which people can walk and mingle and talk hockey with the players and management. There will be some areas of Hockey Fest that involve autographs, but this is more of a, ‘Hey, how ya doin’?’ type thing.” For fans frustrated by the team’s forgettable performance over the past few years (the Kings haven’t made the playoffs since the 2001/02 season), there is a chance to reach the Kings’ top brass. On Sunday at 10 a.m., General Manager Dean Lombardi, Assistant General Manager Ron Hextall and Coach Terry Murray will field fan questions about team operations. At noon, Bob Miller, the team’s play-by-play announcer, will give a sort of one-man show. “He’s just an absolute legend, a great personality and to our fans, he embodies the Kings,” McGowan said. “He’s just going to be telling stories about the one of a kind experiences he’s had watching and calling L.A. Kings hockey over 36 years.” During Hockey Fest the L.A. Live event deck, a 35,000-square-foot lot behind the Nokia Theatre, will be

photo by Gary Leonard

Kings star Anze Kopitar is one of the players who will be on hand at Hockey Fest. The Aug. 28-30 event at L.A. Live aims to get fans excited about the upcoming season.

transformed into an interactive hockey party. Kings staff will teach attendees how to rip a slap shot and handle the stick. The event is also bringing in 17 NHL trophies from the Hockey Hall of Fame. Vendors will hawk Kings wears and players will sign autographs. The event costs $60 for a three-day pass ($45 for season ticket holders), which also comes with an upper level ticket to any October home game. Single day passes are $37 for Friday and $27 for Saturday or Sunday. “This isn’t a big money maker for us,” McGowan said. “It’s more just creating an opportunity to build our fan base, build our brand and create that access and interaction, which we have found that season ticket holders and big time fans really want.” Tickets and information at (888) 546-4752 or lakings.com/hockeyfest. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 19

DowntownNews.com

THE ‘DON’T MISS’ LIST ›› Funk, Bees, Wedding Planning and Films

SPONSORED LISTINGS LA Kings Hockey Fest ’09 L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., lakings.com/ hockeyfest. Aug. 28-30: This three-day interactive celebration of the L.A. Kings kicks off with a special acoustic performance with Eddie Kowalczyk of the band Live. Highlights include autograph sessions with Kings players, the re-unification of the legendary Triple Crown Line, and 17 NHL trophies and memorabilia on display. Threeday all-event passes cost $60 and include an upper level ticket to any October home game.

ONE

by AnnA Scott, StAff writer

et ready to get funky on Saturday, Aug. 29, at L.A. Live’s Club Nokia. George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic will perform at 8:30 p.m. Clinton and his band have been churning out a groundbreaking mix of soul, rock and funk for four decades. The show will help rev up audiences for Clinton’s forthcoming first studio album in 10 years, to be released by his own label, The C Kunspyruhzy. Get pumped by revisiting old hits like “One Nation Under a Groove,” “Flashlight,” “Give Up the Funk” and “Atomic Dog.” Bow wow wow yippie-yo-yippie-yay. 800 W. Olympic Blvd. For tickets contact Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or visit clubnokia.com.

Friday, august 28 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org. Noon: Convinced that the current decline in bee numbers is the result of their ‘enslavement’ to industrial processes, Kirk Anderson and Amy Seidenwurm will discuss the pleasures of beekeeping and ways to encourage the native feral bee population. saturday, august 29 Esotouric’s The Lowdown on Downtown Tour Meet at Philippe the Original, 1001 N. Alameda St., (323) 223-2767 or esotouric.com. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: The urban history tour company Esotouric presents “The Lowdown on Downtown: The Secret History of Los Angeles,” hosted by Downtown Art Walk Director Richard Schave.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ 2nd Street Jazz 366 E. Second St., (213) 680-0047, 2ndstjazz.com or myspace.com/2ndstreetlivejazz. Tuesdays: Jazz jam session. Music usually starts at 9 or 10 p.m. 626 Reserve 626 S. Spring St., (213) 627-9800 or 626reserve.com. Tuesdays, 6 p.m.: Live music with Goh Kurosawa. Thursdays, 6 p.m.: More live sounds, this time with Jessie Torrez. Blue Velvet 750 S. Garland Ave., (213) 239-0061. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 p.m.: Live music and DJs. Café Metropol 923 E. Third St., (213) 613-1537 or cafemetropol.com. Aug. 28, 8-10 p.m.: Triosence, featuring Sara Gazarek. Aug. 29, 8-10 p.m.: Vocalist Kalil Wilson. Chop Suey Café 347 E. First St., (213) 617-9990 or chopsueycafe.com. Thursdays, 7:30-9:30 p.m.: Live jazz on the patio of the restored landmark. Cicada Cicada Restaurant, 617 S. Olive St., (213) 488-9488 or cicadarestaurant.com. Thursdays, 8-11 p.m.: The velvet-voiced Max Vontaine recreates the sounds and styles of rat packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. His smoking jackets and tunes are vintage; his bawdy repartee is less so. Keep a close eye on the unlit cigarette. Sundays, 6-11 p.m.: The restaurant is transformed into a vintage, old Hollywood-style dance club every Sunday. Come out to appreciate the big band, swank costumes, dinner and cocktails. Visit cicadaclub.com. Club Nokia Corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., clubnokia.com. Aug. 29, 8:30 p.m.: The godfather of funk. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. Aug. 30, 8:30 p.m.: The Nebraska elctro-pop outfit The Faint with Moving Units and Autoerotique. Conga Room L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic, (213) 749-0445 or congaroom.com. Aug. 25, 8 p.m.: Dave Stewart comes to funk it up with his Rock Fabulous Orchestra. Aug. 26, 8 p.m.: Chicano rockers Quetzal, with guest Cava. Aug. 27: Salsa singer and bandleader Tony Vega. Aug. 29: L.A. salsa outfit Son Mayor. Grammy Museum L.A. Live, corner of Olympic Blvd and Figueroa St., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. Aug. 27, 8 p.m.: Museum Executive Director Robert Santelli will interview Grammy-winning trumpet player and composer Terence Blanchard, who will discuss his new CD, “Choices,” his musical influences,

Continued on page 20

two

photo courtesy of Goldenvoice

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photo courtesy of Pink Could Events

EVENTS

LISTINGS

››

August 24, 2009

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hen it comes to bikes, if you can name it — from bike jousting to bike polo — chances are the Bicycle Film Festival has screened it. The ninth annual festival, an onscreen celebration of bicycles in all forms and styles that takes place in 39 cities worldwide, kicks off in L.A. this Wednesday and comes to the Downtown Independent Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29. Friday night’s program includes Where Are You Go, a documentary about the 7,000-mile Tour d’Afrique, the world’s longest bicycle race and expedition, at 7:30 p.m., and a collection of short films at 9:30. The Independent hosts four screenings Saturday, with the first starting at 3:30 and the last beginning at 9:30. That lineup brings more shorts plus two features, including the documentary Fat Bald Men, which despite the name is one of the most respected DIY bicycle companies around. The festival takes over other L.A. venues from Aug. 26-30. 251 S. Main St., bicyclefilmfestival.com. Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

azing at the frigid landscape of Antarctica is one way to beat the summer heat. Take a long lunch and try it Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Jules Verne Pocket Theatre at the 7+Fig mall. The nonprofit Jules Verne Adventures, which promotes environmental conservation through documentaries and events, holds weekly Thursday afternoon screenings, and this week’s selection is the 85-minute documentary Mawson: Life and Death in Antarctica. The movie chronicles Australian adventurer Tim Jarvis as he retraces the perilous Douglas Mawson Antarctic expedition of 1912. 735 S. Figueroa St., julesverne.org.

photo courtesy of the Bicycle Film Festival

20 Downtown News

August 24, 2009

DowntownNews.com

We Got Games

Listings Continued from page 19

Dodgers Cool, Sparks Heat Up And Fight Night Returns Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com. And just like that, the Dodgers’ grasp on the NL West is not so firm. No reason to panic — the Blue Crew is still in a good spot, but they’ve cooled in the past few weeks. As of press time, the team was 8-11 in August, and even the temporarily invincible pitcher Clayton Kershaw was having trouble getting deep in games. But there’s good news. This week, the Dodgers hit the road to face the Colorado Rockies (Aug. 25-27), one of the team’s favorite slump busters in recent years. Then they’re in Cincinnati (Aug. 28-30).

THE ANSWER

TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

photo by Gary Leonard

Lisa Leslie (#9) and the L.A. Sparks are making a late-season playoff run.

Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 929-1300 or wnba.com/sparks. Aug. 25, 7 p.m.; Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m.; Aug. 30, 6:30 p.m.: Last week, finally, fans got a glimpse of the Sparks team they expected this year: Just when it seemed the team would sulk into the end of the season and miss the playoffs, they rattled off three straight wins including a 78-63 romp over the Minnesota Lynx in which the back-from-injury Lisa Leslie dropped 28 points. Looks like Leslie, who will retire after this season, isn’t ready to go down quietly. This week they host the Chicago Sky, the Phoenix Mercury and the Connecticut Sun. Fight Night Club Nokia, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or staplescenter.com. Aug. 27, 6:30 p.m.: Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and AEG are partnering to present Fight Night Club, a monthly boxing series at Club Nokia at L.A. Live. It’s an intimate venue, perfect for getting up close to the pugilists. At the top of the card are Abner Mares and Dave Rodela, who will compete in separate bouts against to-be-announced contenders. Ding! —Ryan Vaillancourt

his film composing and educational work. After the interview, Blanchard will take questions from the audience and perform a few songs. J Restaurant and Lounge 1119 S. Olive St., (213) 746-7746 or jloungela.com. Tuesdays: Live acoustic performances in the lounge. Wednesdays: Salsa in the City features complimentary salsa lessons at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m., a batch of live musicians takes over for a jam session. Pete’s Café and Bar 400 N. Main St., (213) 618-1759 or petescafe.com. Tuesdays, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.: Pablo Calogero and Fabiano Nacimento play Brazilian jazz. Redwood Bar & Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com. Aug. 26, 10 p.m.: Paging Beto is a blues band comprised of members from local iconic groups such as The Blasters, Social Distortion and Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs. Aug. 28, 10 p.m.: The Honkey Tonk Angels, a trio of honky tonkin’ ladies. Aug. 29, 10 p.m.: The hard-touring L.A. rock quartet Shurman, with Welldiggers Banquet and Tony Gilkyson. Aug. 30, noon: Brunch Americana with the Vaquetones, Brian Jay and the Last Call Boys and Dave Gleason and the Golden Cadillacs.

See Complete Listings on the Web at downtownnews.com/calendar.

2 your EvEnt info Easy ways to submit

4 wEb: www.DowntownNews.com 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.

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Contact Cartifact for the full-color, every-building version of this map and others. Available as a poster and in print, web, and mobile media.

700 S. Flower St, Ste. 1940 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.327.0200 maps�cartifact.com

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22 Downtown News

August 24, 2009

DowntownNews.com

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