NEWS AND NOTES

NEWS NOTES

DOWNTOWN DELIGHT

Conrad Los Angeles delivers a one-of-a-kind culture- and wellness-infused experience for out-of-towners and locals alike.

In July, the Conrad Los Angeles made its debut as the rst California property from Conrad Hotels & Resorts, anchored within the new Frank Gehry–designed The Grand LA complex.

The hotel’s 305 suites by Tara Bernerd & Partners evoke a midcentury modernist home, featuring a mix of wideplanked pale-oak oors and natural linen walls. For a splurge, book the “Grand Avenue” that’s designed to feel like your own private apartment—the 1,633-square-foot luxe suite sits high atop the 24th oor, offering sweeping city views.

There’s no shortage of onsite culinary options, which include two signature restaurants from Michelin-starred chef José Andrés: San Laurel and Agua Viva. For the ultimate pampering and restorative retreat, embrace a slower pace at Conrad Spa Los Angeles, a 7,000-square-foot space complete with seven treatment rooms, a curated wellness bar featuring body care and recovery products, an enlightenment lounge, infrared sauna, Gharieni Welnamis wavetable, and private recovery cabins. Explore the spa’s menu through a variety of hyper-personalized, ayurvedic, and innovative treatments paired with cult-beauty lines like Angela Caglia, Codage, and Augustinus Bader. Rooms from $750; hilton.com —SARA SMOLA

OUT OF THE BOX

› Monrovia-based home renovation brand Semihandmade is behind some of the most popular kitchens and spaces online—just ask tastemakers Athena Calderone, Justina Blakeney, and Sarah Sherman Samuel. For those seeking a faster way to renovate their kitchen, Semihandmade launched a new sister brand, Boxi, that offers fully assembled cabinets built in the U.S. and available to order online. Boxi’s curated selection of eight door styles ranges from the classic white Shaker to the on-trend light wood slab, with a “quick ship” program that gets the most popular styles to customers in just one to two weeks. boxibysemihandmade.com

—SARA SMOLA

GOLDEN GIRLS

› The coveted Gold Award is the highest achievement earned by a Girl Scout, requiring at least 80 hours of planning and implementation on a challenging project that is innovative and impactful. This summer, over 200 young women were honored at the 2022 Gold Award Ceremony by the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Projects tackled topics like literacy, homelessness, discrimination, environmental issues, mental health, and food insecurity. Several scouts partnered with local organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club, Los Angeles Zoo, Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley, and South Pasadena Unified School District to create a lasting impact on the community for generations to come. girlscoutsla.org —S.S.

ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

› Unplug from your tech and connect with nature this fall as global long-distance hiking series Highlander launches in the U.S. for the first time in Big Bear Lake, September 27–October 2. The inaugural event offers three different formats for novice to advanced hikers: a 60-mile, five-day journey; 30-mile, three-day journey; and 15-mile weekend adventure. Participants will navigate and conquer physical and mental obstacles throughout the trail, leaving them with a feeling of accomplishment and a new outlook on life. $299–$549; highlanderadventure.com —S.S.

INSIDE OUT

› Summer may be coming to an end but we’re not quite ready to move the party indoors. Los Angeles showroom L’Atelier Paris Haute Design (leatelierparis. com) specializes in made-tomeasure, professional-grade ranges and kitchens designed for both indoors and out. We tapped L’Atelier’s co-founder and creative director, Maria Moraes, to share her advice on how to make the most of your outdoor space all year long.

Any must-haves for outdoor entertaining?

MM: We always look at having an outdoor kitchen designed and confi gured in a way that brings happiness year-round. Additionally, a custom bar area for creating your favorite cocktails is a must!

What are the benefi ts of having an outdoor kitchen?

MM: Having an outdoor kitchen allows you to live outdoors fully, as you are not having to continuously make laps inside to gather things needed for outdoor entertaining. A L’Atelier Paris kitchen helps bring outdoor living to the next level all year long. Entertaining outdoors is not just for the daytime and summer months—I love entertaining outside in the evening, as well as in the fall and spring. Light a fi re and enjoy.

Tips for planning an outdoor entertaining area?

MM: Start with luxurious fi nishes and colorways that will transform and last through each se ason. L’Atelier Paris is all about iconic design that withstands time through design and luxury. —S.S

Pasadena Page Turner

› L.A. native Mimi Slawo ’s newly released book, Oldest Los Angeles, delves into the city’s ethnically diverse culture dating back to the 18th century. Slawo pulls from her experience as a veteran travel journalist, crafting an engaging and informative narrative that’s chock-full of insider stories and fun facts. The book highlights the city’s oldest neighborhoods, buildings, and businesses, including several familiar picks, such as Vroman’s Bookstore, Fair Oaks Pharmacy, and Rose Bowl Stadium. $21; reedypress.com —S.S.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

› Located in the heart of Downtown Pasadena, Playhouse Village serves as the crossroads of rich culture, thriving commerce, and a tight-knit community that is home to over 45 restaurants, bars, and co ee shops. Recently, the Playhouse Village Foundation formed as a charitable 501(c)3 nonprofi t that will raise funds and attract sponsorships to revitalize public spaces and streetscapes within Playhouse Village for all to enjoy. playhousevillagefoundation.

org —S.S.

MASTRO’S OCEAN CLUB PINE AND CRANE

QUICK BITES

Make your reservations now for some of these new spots with great patios, entertainment, and fan-favorite foods. BY CAROLE DIXON

Let Them Eat Steak

After a two-year closure, The Royce steakhouse at The Langham is open with new chef de cuisine Jorge Delgado. Expect returning favorites along with avors from Morocco, Japan, Thailand, and the Mediterranean, plus grass-fed and Wagyu cuts of meat from Australia and Tasmania that can be topped with bone-marrow chimichurri and Tabasco béarnaise.

Continuing that theme, Mastro’s Ocean Club recently opened a sprawling 14,000-squarefoot space that includes private rooms, patios, and a piano lounge just steps from L.A. Live. Popular staples include seafood towers, 16 different cuts of USDA Prime steak, lobster mashed potatoes, butter pound cake, signature martinis, and a wine list with 1,100 varietals.

The George is a proper new American restaurant in Pasadena on East Washington Blvd. that harkens back to the Golden Age of ne dining and elegant libations. This is the perfect perch for a three-olive martini and a shrimp cocktail or wedge salad, but the restaurant also hosts a weekly Sunday jazz brunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring herb-crusted steak and eggs with frites.

Music for Your Ears—and Palate

Chess Park Lounge in Glendale, formerly Chess Park Tavern pre-pandemic, has reopened for live music with dinner and drinks seven nights a week. Fanny’s Restaurant at the Academy Museum has added the “Hello, Gorgeous” live music series by KCRW’s Jason Bentley. The Aster members’ club, Cabaret

Room, and hotel in Hollywood has welcomed Lemon Grove by celebrity chef Marcel Vigneron for dinner and weekend brunch. The “clean” farmers market menu features squash blossom pizza and ve-spiced French toast. A few blocks away in the Vinyl District, Lincoln Carson’s French-forward Mes Amis is nally open at the Thompson hotel featuring duck pâté en croûte with black truf e, fruits de mer, steak au poivre, and chocolate souf e, which can all be enjoyed in a lush brasserie setting by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio. Nearby, chef Brandon Kida has ipped his former Go Go Bird spot (now in Culver City) in Columbia Square into the swanky Gunsmoke with a garden patio. Standouts on GUNSMOKE the Nikkei meets SoCal menu include tuna tartare and ham, fried quail, and mushrooms served in an escargot dish swimming in garlic and butter with French bread.

On the Move

Acclaimed Hong Kong chef Tony Ho has expanded from Altadena to Chef Tony Dim Sum in Old Pasadena, while Ramen Nagi from Tokyo (and Century City) by chef Satoshi Ikuta has opened in Arcadia at West eld Santa Anita. Bestia alumnus Lord Maynard Llera, who started a pandemic pop-up out of the family home in Arcadia serving Filipino crispy pork belly, noodles, and bowls, has opened brick-and-mortar spot Kuya Lord on Melrose near Western. Vivian Ku’s beloved Taiwanese café from Silver Lake, Pine and Crane, has expanded to DTLA with a modern, museum-quality café and patio.