Santa Monica Place

Drink This Now: 2011 Dirty and Rowdy Skin and Egg Fermented Semillon

OK, lovers of truly weird wines, have I got a doozy for you. A cloudy, funky, Napa Valley partially skin-fermented 100% Semillon. It was described to me by a woman at a wine store as "a beer drinker's wine." Others have compared it to orange wine. When first opened, it smells intensely of jalapeños ... More >>

A Vanilla Bean Deal At The Gourmandise School Their Vanilla Extract Recipe

If you are a baker or have even the slightest of crème brûlée aspirations, you really need to get over to The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica. They are currently selling 4 ounces of vanilla beans -- about 35 whole pods -- for $6. No, that is not a typo. Nor are these your average anemic groce ... More >>

What Happens When Public Art Falls Apart?

It's been over 20 years since artist Tony DeLap built one of the first public artworks in Santa Monica. The Big Wave, an arching sculpture greeting visitors to the city's gateway on Wilshire Boulevard, had suffered greatly in its first two decades from rust and deterioration. Last year, restoration ... More >>

10 Cheap Restaurants for New Year's Eve

Last week, we listed 11 new restaurants open for New Year's Eve. All will present special menus -- at "special" prices ranging from $46 to $475. Prefer to not break the bank for New Year's? We've selected ten restaurants where you can dine for less than $30 per person (not including drinks) past ... More >>

Google Maps to go Indoors, Cover Macy's in L.A. And Other Malls

If you're a thoroughly modern 'tard who can't take two steps without consulting your smartphone for directions (guilty), then Google has a new update that should help you with the finest details of moving around the world. It'll even assist you with finding a restroom. Unfortunately, the 6.0 update ... More >>

307 Restaurants Participate in dineLA Fall 2011 Restaurant Week

Anne FishbeinSpicy chicken pops at Lukshon.​Ever wanted to try the Lukshon's squid stuffed with fermented ground pork or spaghetti at Scarpetta but can't afford it? dineLA, which returns for 12 days in early October, might be your chance. The restaurant promo returns October 2-7 and 9-14, and ... More >>

Japan's Sake Brewers Want You To Drink Up

True Sake/Sven WiederholtA selection of premium sake from Tohoku at True Sake​Need a reason to feel good about drinking? Japanese sake makers could use your help. Hit hard by the twin natural disasters of earthquake and tsunami, what's really impacting these often small, family-run enterprise ... More >>

Best Truffle Pizza: Enoteca Drago

Christie BishopEnoteca Drago's Pizza Bomba​ L.A. pizza joints are a dime a dozen, dotting the landscape like pieces of pepperoni and sausage. While there are a few clear leaders of the pack, like Pizzeria Mozza and Santa Monica Place's Pizza Antica, if its indulgence, thin crust and black tru ... More >>

Photo Preview: Santa Monica Place Opens Friday

The dozens of shops may not be fully ready to open this week. The rooftop marketplace may not be ready until next year. But the six fine dining restaurants -- Richard Sandoval's La Sandia and Zengo; Ozumo; Pizza Antica; Sonoma Wine Garden, and Xino -- and the food court will be up and running tomorr ... More >>

Meat on a Stick

Shafted!

A Where’s Where of dead meat on a stick

When the Bough Breaks

Elizabeth Lynn Faber was ignored by California's mental-health system -- until she killed her baby

Dog Day Afternoon

Tube steak or not tube steak? That is the question . . .

Sticking It Where The Sun Shines

Santa Monica's gift to the world