NOVEMBER 2013
Breeders’ Cup YOUR GUIDE TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP LIFESTYLE
> Fascinators and Fedoras > Celebrity Buzz > History Seen Through Binoculars > Betting 101 PLUS
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
The editors of share the city’s ultimate places to EAT, SHOP, and DO during Breeders’ Cup week
Jockey Mike Smith captivates fans with infectious charisma and unbridled success
MONTBLANC NICOLAS RIEUSSEC CHRONOGR APH AUTOMATIC
A tribute to Nicolas Rieussec, the inventor of the ďŹ rst patented chronograph. , second time zone with day and night Montblanc Manufacture Calibre display. Crafted in the Montblanc Manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland.
NOVEMBER 2013
Breeders’ Cup TABLE OF CON TEN TS
7
PRESENTS
SHOP Your best bets for winning style at the track
10 EAT
The race is on to find the finest meal in L.A.
Breeze
2
Breeders’ Cup stylist and milliner Christine A. Moore tells you what to wear at Santa Anita Park. Plus: this year’s must-do events at the track include a taste of LA’s best restaurants, an intimate infield concert, and a fashionable fascinator and fedora contest
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DO
Make a run to the city’s cultural institutions
SEE AND BE SEEN Celebrity ambassadors and surprising equine enthusiasts you might spot
SMITH ATOP ROYAL DELTA
4
ON TOP OF HIS GAME Why legendary jockey Mike Smith won’t ease up
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CALLING THE ACTION ACTRESS AND SINGER LAURA BELL BUNDY
Announcer Tom Durkin recalls the inaugural 1984 Breeders’ Cup P L U S : How to turn a twodollar bet into millions
BESTIA’S SPAGHETTI MANCINI WITH SEA URCHIN, SQUID INK, AND BOTTARGA
>
COVER: BC/JOHNNY BUZZERIO; FROM LEFT : BC/JOHNNY BUZZERIO; BREEDERS’ CUP; BC/WEASIE GAINES; ANDREA BRICCO
A HEAD START
12
BREEZE
sights & sounds
Plan on experiencing more than just horseracing at Santa Anita Park TASTE OF LA
WHEN: Friday & Saturday November 1 – 2
FASCINATORS & FEDORAS FASHION EVENT > Whether you’re an aspiring fashion model or unabashed exhibitionist, this contest is for you. Presented by Los Angeles magazine and Westfield, participants can show off their finest fascinator, fedora, or other eligible headwear. Finalists will be judged by a panel for the chance to win up to $10,000 in Westfield gift cards. WHEN: Friday & Saturday November 1 – 2
INFIELD FESTIVAL > Get on the inside for this unique party experience within Santa Anita Park’s infield. Enjoy live music and quench your thirst in a delightful beer garden while choosing from 32 infamous Los Angeles food trucks. WHEN: Saturday November 2
> From three-piece bands and charging stations, to L.A. street performers and hat boutiques, Breeders’ Cup is a must-attend event. For more information on how to experience all the sights and sounds, visit BreedersCup.com/LAMagazine 2 | BREEDERS’ CUP NOVEMBER 2013
BREEDERS’ CUP FASHION 2013
A Head Start
WONDERING WHAT TO WEAR TO THE TRACK THIS FALL? Turn to Breeders’ Cup stylist and milliner to the stars Christine A. Moore, whose designs have graced the covers of InStyle and Vanity Fair, and celebrity heads of Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, and Halle Berry.
“With the Breeders’ Cup taking place at
historic Santa Anita Park this year, there is no better place to bring back haberdashery and sophisticated daytime dressing.” For men, that can mean adding an extra touch of class to a simple suit or a nice sport coat and slacks with a striking long or bow tie. A classic knee-length dress is a woman’s best option.
“fascinators” to fresh takes on the popular stingy-brim fedora for men: “A hatted head looks hip from anywhere in the park.” Accent your look with autumn’s jewel
tones, while donning hats in the shades of your favorite contender’s silks. Moore predicts a lot of purple this year, one of the hottest colors on fashion runways this fall and a trademark Breeders’ Cup hue.
Dressing to impress is part of the “West
Coast Derby” experience, which warrants more extravagant fashion attire than Kentucky’s annual horserace: “The two races have a totally different feel. Breeders’ Cup is less southern belle-ish and more refined and tailored.” To stand out from the crowd, start with
your headwear—from women’s widebrimmed structured hats and chic, frilly
Expect to see men in bowties and wom-
en in “hatinators”—bigger fascinators inspired by the Duchess of Cambridge’s recent headwear. “Everything is going to be bolder and
more chic. Stay true to your personality, but go a little out of your comfort zone, because when you get to the track everyone will be on the same scale of boldness.”
F R O M L E F T : B R E E D E R S ’ C U P ( 2 ) ; B C / PAT M C D O N O U G H
> Forget your traditional food court. Rove around Seabiscuit Court and enjoy the finest culinary flavors the city has to offer. Indulge in signature dishes and decadent options from places like Bling Bling Dumpling, Goodie Girl Cupcakes, The Park’s Finest, El Huarache Azteca, Sno Con Amor, Coolhaus, Komodo, and more.
Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) with fiancé and baseball player Cutter Dykstra
see and be seen Actresses Amy Adams (Julie & Julia, Man of Steel) and Sarah Lancaster (Chuck)
“So jealous that @jimrome has a Breeders cup start this weekend. I’m on the sidelines this year. Go Mizdirection! #BC12”
BREEDERS’ CUP
—CELEBRITY CHEF AND RACEHORSE OWNER BOBBY FLAY TWEETING ENCOURAGEMENT LAST YEAR TO SPORTS TV/RADIO HOST JIM ROME
Turf Stars BREEDERS’ CUP HAS A LONG tradition of luring big-time celebrities to the track, especially when hosted in Southern California (see announcer Tom Durkin’s story on page 5). With a bevy of stars from the film, music, and fashion industries, you can expect to see far more glitz and glamour than grit and grime.
“I grew up going to the races with my dad and my love of the sport has only grown.” —ACTRESS ELIZABETH BANKS (30 ROCK, HUNGER GAMES)
Actor Corbin Bleu (High School Musical, One Life to Live) and actress Sasha Clements (Majority Rules!)
Actress Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (The Bold and the Beautiful) hits the purple carpet NOVEMBER 2013 BREEDERS’ CUP | 3
BREEZE
SMITH WITH MIZDIRECTION CELEBRATING $1 MILLION TURF SPRINT VICTORY IN 2012
On Top of His Game With durability, strength, and horsemanship, jockey Mike Smith has crafted a career unlike any other
A
BY BEK AH WR IGHT
Michael Earl Smith was born to race horses. He grew up on a farm in Roswell, New Mexico where equines were a part of everyday life and he spent Sundays at the track watching quarter horse sprints. Yet it was seeing the prestigious Triple Crown races on television that inspired Smith to dream big. “I told my grandmother one day I hoped to ride in those races,” he recalls. Smith began racing at age 11, earned his jockey’s license at 16, and eventually left home to race full time, earning an apprenticeship in Santa Fe. “I just wanted to ride,” he says. “I didn’t know where it was going to take me, but as long as I was on a horse, it really didn’t matter.” Fortunately for Smith, riding has taken him to the pinnacle of his sport. The Hall-ofFame jockey has earned over 5,000 career wins, including a record-breaking 17 Breeders’ Cup titles. Name a major horse racing award—Eclipse, Big Sport of Turfdom, Mike
4 | BREEDERS’ CUP NOVEMBER 2013
Venezia Memorial, and George Woolf— Smith has earned it. So which race stands out the most, like a homestretch finish in slow motion? Smith fondly remembers his first Breeders’ Cup race in 1992—Gulfstream Park’s Mile race in South Florida. “It meant a lot to me,” he says. “It was my first opportunity to ride in a race like that, and it was a win with a horse named Lure.” Smith would win again the following year at Santa Anita. Smith’s confident style, intuition, and ability to perform under pressure are the reasons owners and trainers covet him. He’ll be the favorite in many
Breeders’ Cup races this year, including the Distaff atop Royal Delta. “Mike’s very good at coming out of the gate and is good on or off pace,” says thoroughbred trainer Bob Baffert, who thinks Smith rides with a virtual target on his back. “It’s as if he doesn’t know the pressure’s there.” At 48, Smith has no plans to retire. Indeed, his stringent weight training routine gives him a rock-solid physique yet it’s his internal ambition that keeps him going. “Everything I accomplished—I’d do it all over again,” he says. “Sometimes the second time around is even better because you can appreciate and enjoy it a lot more.” What beats winning a second big race? “The third,” he admits, “or the fourth.”
F R O M L E F T : B C / B E N VA N H O O K ; B C / T O D D B U C H A N A N
AS THE SON OF A JOCKEY, ONE COULD SAY
A
betting 101
Across the Board 1
EVEN IF YOU LOOK LIKE a high roller with your Prada shoes and Louis Vuitton bag, you still need
to study the proper lingo before placing a bet—maybe then you’ll end up like a South Dakota man who nailed six Breeders’ Cup races in 2003 to turn an $8 bet into $2.6 million. If only.
4
STATE WHICH RACETRACK YOU ARE BETTING (“SANTA ANITA”) INSIDER TIP: This is less obvious when off-track betting 2
STATE THE TYPE OF WAGER YOU WISH TO MAKE (“EXACTA BOX”) INSIDER TIP:
Familiarize yourself with the most common bets
STATE THE RACE NUMBER (“12”) INSIDER TIP:
Don’t confuse with the horse number
5
3
STATE THE NUMBER OF THE HORSE OR HORSES IN THE WAGER (“7 AND 8”)
STATE THE AMOUNT OF YOUR WAGER (“$10”) INSIDER TIP: Bring your Thomas Jefferson bills as minimum bet is often $2
INSIDER TIP:
Don’t use the horse name, no matter how fun it is to say
WIN Your horse must finish first to collect PLACE Your horse must finish first or second to collect SHOW Your horse must finish first, second or third to collect EXACTA You play two horses. They must come in first and second in EXACT order EXACTA BOX You play two horses. They must come in first and second in EITHER order TRIFECTA You play three horses. They must come in first, second, and third in EXACT order
TRIFECTA BOX You play three horses. They must finish first, second, and third in any order to collect. Since this has multiple wagers in combination, it is a $1 minimum wager at most tracks SUPERFECTA You play four horses. They must come in first, second, third, and fourth in EXACT order SUPERFECTA BOX You play four horses. They must finish first, second, third, and fourth in ANY order
Calling the Action From Hollywood celebrities to U.S. presidents, horseallergic announcer Tom Durkin has been with Breeders’ Cup from the beginning B Y B E K A H W R I G H T
A BARBARA LIVINGSTON
AS FIRSTS GO, NOVEMBER 10, 1984 HAD
several in store for those at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Park racetrack. The inaugural Breeders’ Cup was underway and the stakes had never been higher for horse racing—all seven races were garnering a million dollars or more. On the track, a collection of greats convened including jockeys Bill Shoemaker, Eddie Delahoussaye, and Pat Day, and horses Princess Rooney, Eillo, and Outstandingly. It was also a big day for the event’s announcer Tom Durkin. “At the time I wasn’t really well-known as a race caller, so it was a bit of a surprise,” says Durkin, who began shouting Thoroughbreds’ names at county fairs in Wisconsin. Determined to be in top form prior to the race, he immersed himself in horseracing while following a strict diet and exercise regime starting on Labor Day through Breeders’ Cup Day. Durkin would make this
a personal tradition for the next 23 years that he called the event. After a four-hour television broadcast and a historic call—“And the champion is crowned, and it’s Chief’s Crown!”—Durkin had one thought in mind: “You need a beer brother— badly”. Making a beeline to the bar, Durkin asked a security guard if he’d mind watching his race notes and binoculars.“Sure, but where my man goes, I gotta go,” the guard replied, pointing over his shoulder. Durkin spotted the man’s charge—Gerald R. Ford. “I started looking around the room and there’s Frank Sinatra, Merv Griffin, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor,” he recalls. “Marje Everett, the owner of Hollywood Park, knew how to paper a room. The celebrity draw she could deliver was one of the reasons the Breeders’ Cup landed in California.”
Ironically, Durkin didn’t commune with the other stars that day—the equines. “I’m allergic to horses, don’t go near them,” he admits. “I love them, but only through a pair of 15-power binoculars.” The main voice of Breeders’ Cup from inception through 2005, Durkin has also called each Triple Crown race to complete a lifelong dream. “When I was growing up in Chicago, I went to the track for the first time and heard the announcer,” he says. “Ever since, I’d always wanted to be that guy.” Mission accomplished. NOVEMBER NOVEMBER2013 2013BREEDERS’ BREEDERS CUP CUP || 55
Citizen of Hope II’M MA
Two of my best friends, knocked down by cancer. The doctor’s recommendation? Enjoy the time they had left. But they wouldn’t listen. Instead, they went to City of Hope, and because of its groundbreaking discoveries, today they’re cancer free. Now, that’s a comeback story everyone can get behind.
City of Hope is the primary non-profit beneficiary of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup World Championships Kiefer Sutherland ©2013 City of Hope.
CITYOFHOPE.ORG/citizen
BREEDERS CUP
I SHOP
Shop NEED A DAPPER FEDORA OR DRESSY SHOES THAT MATCH YOUR FASCINATOR? CHECK OUT OUR BEST BETS FOR WINNING STYLE AT THE TRACK
LISA ROMEREIN
Ten Over Six
> IF YOU DON’T HAVE the time to figure out the “latest thing,” Ten Over Six does it for you. Seasonal trends in women’s and men’s wear and accessories are reduced to key pieces. Sample the work of emerging and established designers—Pamela Love, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Wren—without being inundated by choices, which can happen at places like the 10,000-square-foot Opening Ceremony or Satine, where more repetitive, off-the-runway picks dominate. > 8425 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood (323) 330-9355
DF FEET > LIMITED-EDITION SNEAKERS definitely have their purpose, boys. But so do shoes befitting men. DF Feet is the tiny spin-off of Jon Noble’s Douglas Fir menswear store across the street. The clubby digs feature a smartly edited collection of loafers, wing tips, desert boots, and unfussy sneakers that meld grown-up foot candy with a dash of playfulness. Standouts include a small but mighty selection of local cobbler George Esquivel’s loafers and construction boots, low-top leather lace-ups by Fratelli Rossetti,
> FOR MORE FASHION AND STYLE INSPIRATION, GO TO LAMAG.COM/LASTYLE
AN ARRAY OF FOOTWEAR OPTIONS AT CONFEDERACY
and Navajo-print slip-ons from the Japanese brand Sunny Sports. > 8304 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, 323-651-5014
Confederacy
> MOST CLOTHING SHOPS carry accessories and the odd fragrance, making “lifestyle shop” a slippery term. With Confederacy, there’s no doubt: It can outfit your closet with Proenza Schouler bandage dresses, your vide-poche with Tom Ford sunglasses, your bathroom with Baxter shave potions, your living room with Modern Alchemy candles, and your office with TeNeues books. Some may have smirked at the first retailer in Los Feliz to offer valet parking, but bringing Westside amenities to the Eastside takes guts; other shops in the area that attempted to showcase designers on the level of Phi and Michael Bastian have failed or moved. Confederacy has a vision for edgy yet wearable goods and the space—5,000 square feet—in which to execute it. The brick walls feature rotating art that has included Julian Schnabel sketches. The dressing rooms look like oversize phone booths and in fact have phones for calling a clerk. No lifestyle store is complete without extracurricular activity, and here that means events like the West Coast debut party for the Duckie Brown for Florsheim collection. > 4661 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz, 323-913-3040, shopconfederacy.com NOVEMBER 2013 BREEDERS’ CUP | 7
BREEDERS’ CUP
I SHOP
ELYSE WALKER SHOES AT GREGORY’S
> FOR THOSE SHOPPERS whose fashion map rarely leads off Robertson or Rodeo, Pacific Palisades remains a mystery. That should change. Inside Elyse Walker, an overflowing, 4,000-square-foot boutique, the owner seeks out quality staples (Splendid tees) as well as the credit-card-draining spectacular (Azzedine Alaïa is coming soon). While some shops simply pick up an entire fashion line, Walker has a keen eye, often choosing just two or three pieces from such houses as Miu Miu, Moschino, and Y & Kei and providing ample floor space for many looks and labels. Customers can sense the thought put into every shoe, skirt, and bag—like the latest from Bottega Veneta, here in a striking navy instead of the basic black most retailers stock. > 15306 Antioch St., Pacific Palisades, 310-230-8882, elysewalker.com
DEAN
Gregory’s > GREGORY’S HAS ITS OWN store on Robertson Boulevard with a broad assortment of handcrafted shoes, but at Gregory’s Fred Segal Melrose, 90 percent of the footwear requires Italian passports. Here you’ll find Prada, Versace, and Valentino as well as exclusive-to-Gregory’s limited editions from Le Silla and Gianmarco Lorenzi. Sales peeps share the scoop on anything you try on, be they platform wedges so sharp they could slice a tomato or gold-spiked metal booties. You have to act fast—styles sell out quickly (did you miss out on those suede Monica Corte wedge sneakers?). And if you’re worried about jumping the shark, the staff will keep you current: “Just sent those to [insert celebrity name here].” > 8100 Melrose Ave., L.A., 323-655-9500, mygregorys.com
BARON’S NO BASEBALL CAP POLICY
> A BAG BUILT FOR everyday needs to be practical enough to carry all the essentials— laptop, keys, phone, extra cash for tipping the valet—yet still set him or her apart at board meetings. Dean, the leather accessories store at Silver Lake’s Sunset Junction, puts an edgy spin on the typical shoulder bag with its handcrafted briefcases and messenger totes as well as weekenders in office-appropriate black and chocolate brown. Recycling fanatics will appreciate the wallets and checkbooks fashioned from old leather jackets. For an added dash of personality, consider the roomy, conical duffle that screams “I’m going places”— whether it’s across an ocean or up the corporate ladder. > 3918 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, 323-665-2766, dean-accessories.myshopify.com
LEATHER ACCESSORIES AT RTH
RTH > REDOLENT OF CEDAR, the woodpaneled RTH evokes a tiny cabin in an ever-green forest. It’s stocked with leather and Native American-motif barrettes, brooches, kilt pins, earrings, bracelets, belts, wallets, and handbags. Owner Rene Holguin grew up in El Paso, where he apprenticed with his bootmaker father, and he’s been a fashion director at J. Crew as well as a VP at Levi’s and Lucky Brand. With his team he makes the goods the old-fashioned way—by hand—in the studio out back. > 537 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-289-7911, rthshop.com
Baron Hats > WANT POPEYE DOYLE’S 100 percent fur felt porkpie from The French Connection, or the battered cowboy chapeau Clint sported in A Fistful of Dollars? Head to Baron Hats where its film-inspired high-quality models are on sale to the public. And talk about an icebreaker: “Why, yes, this is the hat Robert Duvall wore in Apocalypse Now.” If a Tinseltown topper is too showy for your head, Baron’s also stocks premium straw boaters and velour fedoras for women and men. > 1619 West Burbank Blvd., Burbank, 818-563-3025, baronhats.com
8 | BREEDERS’ CUP NOVEMBER 2013
C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : H A C O B ; D A M O N C A S A R E Z ; B A R O N H AT S
< BEST DRESSY
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2013 BREEDERS’ CUP
L A COLLECTION ÉQUESTRE TH E EQU ESTR IAN COLLECTION S H O P O U R D I G I TA L F L AG S H I P AT W W W. L A L I Q U E .CO M LALIQUE BOUTIQUE
LALIQUE BOUTIQUE
LALIQUE BOUTIQUE
LALIQUE INTERIORS
609 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10022
238 N. RODEO DRIVE AT 2 RODEO DRIVE
9700 COLLINS AVENUE UNIT 103
133 FIFTH AVENUE 2ND FLOOR
212.355.6550
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210 310.271.7892
BAL HARBOUR, FL 33154
NEW YORK, NY 10003 212.355.6550
LALIQUE INTERIORS 222 MERCHANDISE MART PLAZA SUITE 6-129 CHICAGO, IL 60654 312.867.1787
BREEDERS’ CUP
I EAT CAREFULLY SELECTED CHEESE PLATE FLAVORS AT PROVIDENCE
>
PROVIDENCE
> EVEN MORE THAN ELEGANT, this restaurant is real. The waiters are dressed in updated grill-room smocks, the walls are the color of wet sand, and co-owner and maître d’ Donato Poto can be seen rushing across the dining room with a live octopus on a plate. Michael Cimarusti’s cooking extracts every nuance possible from the sea. Spot prawns arrive freshly broiled, their flavor heightened by toasted rosemary; a smidge of jalapeno-soy gelée drapes the kanpachi, lending a piquant contrst. The restaurant’s desserts mirror the adroitness of Cimarusti’s cooking. > 5955 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, 323-460-4170 or providencela.com
THE RACE IS ON TO FIND THE FINEST MEAL L.A. HAS TO OFFER, FROM WHIMSICAL TAPAS IN BEVERLY HILLS TO HAUTE FRENCH BY AN AMERICAN MASTER 10 | BREEDERS’ CUP NOVEMBER 2013
Bestia
> BEFORE OPENING AS BESTIA, this arts district looker was home to the Test Kitchen pop-up series, where host Ori Menashe, formerly of Angelini Osteria, welcomed chefs from across the city. Now it’s his turn to be in charge. House-made charcuterie is a focal point, and the assorted plate—headlined by the superb coppa di testa—is mandatory. Pizzas are beyond fine, but they distract from transcendent pastas like the ricotta cavatelli with pork sausage, a dish that singlehandedly redeems the use of black truffles. Menashe’s wife, Genevieve Gergis, crafts such inspired desserts as chestnut-flour doughnuts with coffee gelato. Leave the beverage selection to rising-star wine steward Maxwell Leer. > 2121 7th Pl., Hollywood, 213-514-5724 or bestiala.com
> FOR THE LATEST IN FOOD AND DRINK, GO TO LAMAG.COM/LAFOOD
FROM LEFT : ANDREA BRICCO; LISA ROMEREIN
Eat
BESTIA’S ORI MENASHE FOCUSES ON AUTHENTICITY ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF DOWNTOWN
EAT I BREEDERS’ CUP
THE ROJO ROOM’S TAPAS COUNTER, ONE OF THREE AT BAZAAR
The Bazaar
> NIGHTLIFE COMPANY SBE has partnered with Spanish celebrity chef José Andrés. The avant-garde design by Philippe Starck divides the space into two arenas—Blanca and Rojo— but you can order from either menu regardless of where you sit. Blanca serves molecular gastronomy-influenced “modern tapas.” Ottoman carrot fritters with pistachio sauce are plump marvels, but the tortilla de patatas “new way” is reduced to foam in a glass. The menu of standards at Rojo is exquisite. The ensaladilla rusa boasts an airy mayonnaise that is able to support potato cubes, peas, and oil-packed tuna belly. For dessert we recommend the flan, the smoothness of the custard juxtaposed with the bite of caramel. > SLS Hotel, 465 S. La Cienaga Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-246-5555 or thebazaar.com
MÉLISSE
C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : G I N A S A B AT E L L A ; L I S A R O M E R E I N ( 2 )
> JOSIAH CITRIN’S RESTAURANT has a grande maison quality. On entering, one is enveloped in an atmosphere of pin-striped suits and premier cru. Citrin’s cooking is delightfully frank—this is not a place where the essence of an essence will be spooned with a ceremonial hush. Crisped Parmesan croquettes bob in the earthy artichoke soup. Beef three ways highlights the gradations between cuts of meat, anchored by a sauce in which mustard is folded into a celery puree. A passion fruit soufflé with coconut sorbet and lemongrass-pistachio milk caps off a lyrical meal. The wine list is stupendous and accessible, including varietals with a little age that are poured liberally by the glass. Mélisse aims for the highest levels, without a trace of conceit. > 1104 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 310-395-0881 or melisse.com
THE OYSTER BAR AT BOUCHON
BOUCHON > THOMAS KELLER’S Beverly Hills outpost sits across from the Montage hotel, but its brasserie look is so achieved that you are practically beamed to Paris. Keller, known for his precision, seems liberated by the brasserie style. A velvety boudin blanc would all but melt into the pommes aligot if it weren’t for the pickled Medjool dates. Steak frites and poulet roti are everything you’d ever want them to be, and maybe a little bit more. The pastry kitchen is a marvel. > 235 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-271-9910 or bouchonbistro.com
Hatfield’s
> WITH AN EARTH-TONE PALETTE, a waitstaff that treads lightly, and discreet background music, this is a restaurant that celebrates fine dining’s formalism without indulging in overbearing formality. For Quinn Hatfield it’s about the microtones. The gradations in flavors, textures, and accents provide the torque of his understated cooking. The buttery brioche of the croque madame offers a yielding contrast to the payload of sashimi. Gingerbread streusel sends seared foie gras into the outer limits of richness before a broth of lentils draws matters back. Karen’s desserts deliver fundamental pleasures. Sugar-dusted beignets with a glass of tawny Madeira in a room where you can hear yourself talk is enough to make a classicist of anyone. > 6703 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, 323-935-2977 or hatfieldsrestaurant.com < BEET-CURED JAPANESE FLUKE WITH BUCKWHEAT CRISPS
NOVEMBER 2013 BREEDERS’ CUP | 11
LACMA
BREEDERS’ CUP
I DO
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
LACMA
> LOCATED ON A STRETCH of Wilshire Boulevard known as the Miracle Mile for its cluster of museums that are all within walking distance, LACMA stands out from the inside and outside. Before perusing the galleries where you can bathe yourself in James Turrell’s light installations or admire the recently opened Arts of Africa gallery, grab an iconic snapshot in front of the Urban Lights installation and take a walk under Levitated Mass, the museum’s 340-ton boulder. Enjoy the free Friday evening jazz series, which happens in the lovely atrium area, and stop by Ray’s & Stark Bar for a custom cocktail made with farm-fresh bounty. > 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Miracle Mile. 323-857-6000, www.lacma.org.
Do
WHETHER IT’S THE 6,125 PIPES OF DISNEY HALL’S ORGAN OR THE SPECTACULAR VIEW FROM THE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY, THE CITY HAS IT ALL
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL > FRANK GEHRY’S TWISTING silver flame, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this autumn, has become an integral part of the downtown skyline. It’s the perfect spot to catch Gustavo Dudamel leading the top-notch L.A. Philharmonic or perhaps a more modern performer. Known for its stunning acoustics and excellent sight lines, the venue also plays home to modern performers like sultry songstress Fiona Apple and chamber pop maestro Antony and the Johnstons. > 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown. 323-850-2000, www.laphil.com 12 | BREEDERS’ CUP NOVEMBER 2013
The Getty Center
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
> FOUNDED BY OIL BARON J. Paul Getty,
> L.A. IS KNOWN FOR its celebrities, but
L.A.’s preeminent museum on a hill is stocked with everything from relics of the Middle Ages to photographs of the modern era. Admission is free, so when you’re not exploring the galleries, wander the spacious grounds for a knockout view of the Pacific Ocean or stroll through the manicured 134,000-square foot Central Garden, with its connecting, maze-like circles of exquisitely manicured greenery. > 1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood. 310-440-7300, www.getty.edu
Griffith Observatory lets you check out another kind of star. Six exhibit halls, a planetarium that screens shows daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., a large solar telescope projecting images of the sun, and murals that date to the 1930s should satisfy stargazers. The building itself sits like a beacon on a hill amid the 4,310-acre Griffith Park, which boasts dozens of hiking trails that encourage you to explore the massive expanse of green. > 2800 E. Observatory Ave., Los Angeles. 213-473-0800, www.griffithobs.org.
> FOR THE LATEST IN CULTURE, GO TO LAMAG.COM/LACULTURE
C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : F E D E R I C O Z I G N A N I ; L A C M A ; W. P. W O O D S T O C K / L . A . P U B L I C L I B R A R Y
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
Wo
NOV 1 & 2 SANTA ANITA PARK GET THE OFFICIAL BREEDERS’ CUP ARTWORK ONLINE OR PURCHASE AT THE EVENT AND HAVE ARTIST JOHN MAT TOS SIGN YOUR PRINT. VISIT BREEDERSCUP.COM/ART FOR DETAILS.
re eed ders’’ Cu Cha ampio ons
NOV 1 & 2 SANTA ANITA PARK
BREEDERSCUP.COM/L AMAGA ZINE