Christmas

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Sherlock's Last Case

No new reviews this week, but these will return at the same time next week, as the new theater season gets underway. See below for complete listings of shows to see this week.In this week's stage feature, we asked our stable of critics what they most dread and anticipate when being assigned a s ... More >>

New Year's Eve Solved: Jeff Goldblum Jazz Ensemble to Perform at Crustacean

Are you a jazz fan who hasn't made New Year's Eve plans yet? Have you bought yourself a Christmas present yet? Have you bought us a Christmas present yet? If any of those apply, we've got a delicious suggestion. The very talented and magically charming Jeff Goldblum and his jazz ensemble will be pla ... More >>

5 Dance Events to See in L.A. This Week Including Christmas Eve at the Music Center

See also: *5 Artsy Things to Do in L.A. This Week *5 Best Comedy Shows to See in L.A. This Week *Our Latest Theater Reviews *Our Calendar Section, Listing More Great Things to Do in L.A. This week's dance highlights include a quintet of L.A. dance companies coming to the Music Center on Christm ... More >>

As Dec. 21 End Of World Nears, Men Regret Not Having More Sex (Really)

One in five Americans are concerned that the world will come to an end on Friday. Please, world, take this 20 percent with you when you leave. But seriously, a Harris Interactive poll commissioned by California online data-storage company Backblaze finds that Americans are indeed idiots:

Temple Adat Elohim Feeds Hundreds in Community on Christmas Day

When things seem impossibly dark and sad, it's nice to be reminded that there is still good in the world. As we noted already, there are ways in Los Angeles to help feed the hungry. One example takes place Christmas day, when, for the 18th year in a row, Temple Adat Elohim will be serving several hu ... More >>

The Nerdiest Holiday Display in Los Angeles

See also: *5 Artsy Things to Do in L.A. This Week *Our Calendar Section, Listing More Great Things to Do in L.A. Nothing says happy holidays to a nerd like a shelf full of vintage action figures in Santa caps. That's the sight that greets customers outside Curry House in West Los Angeles, drawing ... More >>

Anything Goes

Little Bummer Boy

Five Artsy Things to Do This Week, Including Ceiling Fan Sculptures

This week, a painter takes on the weirdness of Bakersfield, an artist sends pictures made to last billions of years into orbit and an artist's biographer talks about why her subject is still being censored two decades after his death. 5. Whited-out activism The prints from Juan Capistran's new sho ... More >>

A Fish Called Wando: Wando Fish BBQ Restaurant, Koreatown's Free Fruit Restaurant

After dining at enough restaurants in Koreatown, you begin to expect the unexpected. A menu with six distinct types of intestine? Right on. Yogurt-flavored soju served in a hollowed-out pineapple? Order another round. But after a rather brilliant lunch at Wando Fish BBQ Restaurant, shoehorned into ... More >>

Machinima's Co-Op Life, a Web Series that Parodies Video Games

Amy LachatMike Monreal shoots some Gauntlet demons on the Christmas episode of Co-Op Life​ It sucks when your Christmas party is invaded by Gauntlet demons. You have to don your warrior gear, get your party guests cross-bows, and try not to shoot the food. Luckily, roommates Jake Hames and ... More >>

Eat This Now: Romanesco Cauliflower

A. ScattergoodRomanesco cauliflower​Among the many cool things you can find right now at local farmers markets is cauliflower, not only the traditional pale orbs and the very pretty purple and orange variations, but Romanesco cauliflower. A number of Romanescos in formation, like these on Alex ... More >>

5 Holiday Desserts and Where to Get 'Em

Flickr/chocswirlCroquembouche​Holiday desserts get a bad rap with memories of cloyingly sweet, leaden bricks of Christmas past. Escape your fruit cake funk and end the year with these five sweets: croquembouche, panetonne, sufganiyot, stollen and the beautifully elaborate Buche de Noel. Sure, ... More >>

10 Holiday Take-Out Menus: Where To Go for Great Food To-Go

Huckleberry CafeOld Fashioned Coffee Cake at Huckleberry Cafe​Holiday dinners are stressful enough. Ditch dinner reservations and hours in the kitchen for a ready-made holiday dinner. Step 1: pick your menu. Step 2: place you order. Step 3: pick up order. Step 4: Eat. There'll be ample time fo ... More >>

Jacques Torres Hot Chocolate Pop-Up

Guzzle & NoshJacques Torres at The Chelsea Market in NYC.​On a recent trip to New York, we popped into the Chelsea Market where we were blown away by the hot chocolate at Jacques Torres. Superlatives like "rich" and "decadent" don't begin to do it justice. In addition to milk and the highest o ... More >>

Music Picks: The Descendents, Stones Throw 15th Anniversary Show,, Princess Pangolin, Brian Setzer

Also, Guns N' Roses, Weingart, Stevie Wonder's House Full of Toys, and others

A Tubular Christmas Story

'Ever Green' at Monte Vista Projects: Holiday/Christmas Trees For Rent, Norse Seals and a Disco Ball

Trees for rent​A free tree for the holidays... wha-what!?!? And it's art? One of those bad boys would normally set you back at least $50, for a small one. And then they die (well, really they're already dying the moment they're cut down for your yuletide pleasure -- it's kind of sick when you ... More >>

The Cookbook Christmas Tree: Inglewood Public Library, Blue Bird Circle Cookbook The Joy of Cooking as Ornament

Inglewood Public LibraryChristmas tree​Everyone gets into the Yuletide spirit differently. In the case of Bri Webber, a library assistant at the Inglewood Public Library, her version of decorating for the holidays did not involve jingle bells, shiny ornaments or boughs of holly. Instead she ... More >>

Music Picks: Andrea Bocelli, Carina Round, A Hero A Fake

Also, Norma Jean, Jonathan Richman, Jay-Z and Kanye West and others

Ho, Ho, Hoes? Garfunkel and Oates Have Our Number

Garfunkel and Oates​See also: Garfunkel & Oates Write Song about Greatest "Lost" Mystery: "Why Isn't There More Fucking On This Island?" Comedy-folk duo Garfunkel and Oates -- aka Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci -- have blossing TV and film careers. But for the past three years they've been pe ... More >>

Santa Cruz Marijuana Dispensary Trades Joints for Canned Food

Flickr user istorijaThe equivalent of a lot of marijuana​Remember "toys for guns?" Well how about "joints for food?" The Associated Press reports that a medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Cruz County, CA has found a unique way to rake in canned food donations for the holidays -- by giving a ... More >>

Meat Nativity Scene: Celebrate Jesus with Sausage

Greg ChowMeat nativity scene.​It took two 25-lb. turkeys, two maple-glazed hams, 15 lbs. of potatoes, 6 pints of gravy and plenty more food for Donna Simpson to consume a 30,000 calorie Christmas meal, but the New Jersey mom should have started with this meat nativity scene as an amuse-bouche. ... More >>

Music Picks: Repeater, Project Blowed 16th Anniversary, Infected Mushroom

Also, Riot Grrl Christmas Carnival, Captain Ahab and others

Top 10 International Holiday Baked Goods

K. RobbinsBerolina's lussekatter​ Though we love red and green frosted sugar cookies as much as your average Christmas-crazed six year-old, given our fair city's bounty of ethnic eats, it would be a shame to let our holiday dessert dining become, well, too cookie-cutter. For a trip around th ... More >>

Top 5 Songs That Will Sabotage Your Office Holiday Party

5 Songs That Will Sabotage Your Office Holiday Party

Winter in Latin America Festival

Rock Picks: DJ Spinna, Bodega Girls, Andre Nickatina, Elevated Suspects

Also, Hilary Hahn, People Under the Stairs, KROQ Almost Acoustic Xmas and others

Creep Show, Peep Show

Heavy Metal Parking Lot, photography at Hotel de Ville Eyewear and the Paul Smith anniversary party, plus saying goodbye to some of our fave haunts

Too Cute To Eat: Piglet Suckled By Dog

My Last BiteFor the love of bacon!​He was the runt of the litter. Slated for the Christmas dinner table. Rejected by the butcher for being too small. Unloved and unwanted. Then the family dog, Diana, stepped in. She began nursing the Iberian piglet and made him part of her litter. Now, he's t ... More >>

Airport Police Union TSA Pronouncement

​The organization representing Los Angeles airport police says the attempted attack on an airliner over Detroit Christmas day highlights the need for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to get a new permanent leader. Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Off ... More >>

Security Tightens At LAX As Feds Assess Threat In The Wake Of Detroit Plane Bombing Attempt

​After we put shampoo in little bottles, took off our shoes before check-in and endured long lines at airports in the wake of 9/11, Americans have to be asking if it has all been for naught. After all, a Nigerian who had recently been in the terrorist-rich nation of Yemen allegedly got on boar ... More >>

A Rubicon Family Christmas

I WILL BE IN MAMMOTH — WHAT ABOUT YOU? IN TOWN? OH

THE REAL MEANING OF "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE"

DOUBLE YOUR KWANZA

Brick's Picks: Saxes Roasting on an Open Fire

I'LL BE HOMO FOR CHRISTMAS

Zombie Walk Saturday Night: Evening Stroll With the Undead in Pasadena

​If you're looking for something weird to do this Saturday night, how about walking with the undead? Anthony Dalbis, who runs SoCal Zombie Walk, has organized another one, in Pasadena this time. It's holiday themed. Costume possibilities include: zombie elves, zombie reindeer, zombie Christmas ... More >>

Warm Up To Meltdown

Full of Craft

Bob Dylan's 'Little Drummer Boy' Arrives, and It's a Beautiful Thing

Malibu singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's new video is a glorious, honest, heartfelt vision, and the accompanying song -- the best Christmas song, as far as we're concerned -- is beautiful. Honestly, when word leaked that Malibu's finest was releasing a holiday album, we scratched our head, rolled our ey ... More >>

WALKING IN A MANILA WONDERLAND

AWAY IN A TUBA

Prevent Bagel Related Injuries: Make Your Own Kitchen Guillotine

www.guillotine.dk/a real guillotine​Who knew bagels were so dangerous? The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Bagel Related Injuries (that's BRI to you) are extremely common, so common that inventors are busy, as we speak, trying to invent a new bagel slicer. Last year, according t ... More >>

Repeal Day Skating Party, Courtesy of The Edison

The Edison​Just because we don't live in New Hampshire doesn't mean we don't get to go ice skating, thanks to Pershing Square's downtown ice skating rink. And this Saturday, The Edison makes sure that you'll have fun doing it, as they'll be serving hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts and Christma ... More >>

New Bob Dylan Video is a Merry Christ-mess!

Our favorite Malibu resident, Bob Dylan, has just released a new video for his contribution to the Xmas carol tradition, "Must Be Santa." The song, from his charity holiday album Christmas in the Heart, goes all klezmer on the Christian holiday, perhaps to remind us that, after all, all these belie ... More >>

JUST WHERE ARE THE WILD THINGS? ALHAMBRA!

Lula Washington Dance Theater: Kwanzaa Celebration Concert

Dive In

The Drinkin’s Fine