Santa Monica

John Zawahri Might Have Been Twisted, But He Was No "Extremist"

It didn't take long for nutosphere to pontificate about the possible motives of alleged Santa Monica rampage shooter John Zawahri. His family is from the Middle East, therefore he must have been an extremist -- a domestic terrorist with roots in a Western-hating world. Not so:

10 Best Crab Cakes in Los Angeles

Recipes for delicate cakes of minced and bound seafood are as old as, well, maritime cooking. The crab version we mostly eat today -- crab, mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, eggs, seasoning and some onion, gathered up and pan-fried or broiled -- is a colonial American recipe that hasn't changed much since it ... More >>

Milo and Olive: 99 Essential Restaurants 2013

Francisco Leon-Urbalexo Charged In Bizarre Hate Crime Near Third Street Promenade

Santa Monica cops say a man wanted in a strange, random hate crime near Third Street Promenade has been charged in connection with the attack. Francisco Leon-Urbalexo, 39, was tracked down via DNA evidence left behind during the bizarre stabbing last summer, cops say, and will now face allegations ... More >>

5 Dance Shows to See in L.A. This Week, Including Two Troupes Dancing by a Fireside

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 shows include dancing by a fireside. 5. Two Nights of Dance at Santa Monica's Coziest Thea ... More >>

From The Los Angeles Public Library Menu Collection: A Birthday Celebration at The Deauville Beach Club in Santa Monica, 1939

Exploring the LAPL menu collection is an ongoing project in which we'll take a close look at the menus owned by the Los Angeles Public Library. Read about the project here. In the 1920's, the Santa Monica beachfront looked very different than it does today. For one, there were multiple piers in the ... More >>

Contrary To Popular Belief, Los Angeles Has A Dense, Urban Center

It's a little painful to hear out-of-towners say L.A. has no center. Sure, we're part of a sprawling urban region, Southern California, that's bigger in both geography and population than many countries. And yes, SoCal is an collection of cities. Some -- San Diego, Santa Ana, Long Beach -- are thei ... More >>

The Best Clubs in L.A., 2012

Our Best Of issue just hit stands! We found our fairy tale, and now we present it to you: 435 of the most fabulous things in all of Los Angeles. From the city's most amazing restaurants to its tawdriest dive bars, from its edgiest art exhibits to the top spots for live music, we've got it all covere ... More >>

Airport Body Scanners Might Actually Make Security Worse, Says RAND Report

Some Republicans believe Big Government can do no good. In this case, they're probably correct: A new study by Santa Monica's own RAND Corporation finds that the addition of some extra hoops through which we must jump at LAX and other national airports only makes security ... worse. Yep. You read ... More >>

L.A. Mobile Arts Festival Showcases iPhone and iPad Art, With Not Even One Shot of a Yelped Dinner

For anyone who wants to augment his or her iPhone photos, there's an app for everything -- except mounting them in a gallery. Daria Polichetti and Nathaniel Park, co-founders of the artists' community and sharing platform iPhoneArt.com, decided to take up that task. The pair collected the iPhone-c ... More >>

Fighting for Territory in the Booming Stand-Up Paddle Business

As a kid growing up in Malibu, Christian Shubin eschewed the surf industry and all it stood for: commodifying something pure, selling it to the masses and giving everyone a little "slice of paradise.""It's part of the selfishness of surfing," he says. "You want to be the only good surfer, or th ... More >>

The Wednesday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

You can't replace the feeling of lounging on the couch with a scrunched-up newspaper. But with the web, at least you don't need to worry about getting ink on your hands and bagel. Here's a roundup of some food-related stories from our country's newspapers this week. Lucky for us, it's mostly free. F ... More >>

Food News Roundup: Superfood for Babies, the Politics of Olive Oil Low-Cal Cocktails

Bon Appetit: 10 creative recipes that use BBQ sauce. Good Food: One way to get your baby to eat broccoli, quinoa and zucchini. Food GPS: Top-selling chocolate from Los Angeles chocolatiers. Finer Things L.A.: Cheers to the weekend: hitting up happy hour at Mercado in Santa Monica.

What Fantasy Production Would L.A. Artistic Directors Put On If They Had Unlimited Money?

L.A. Riots: 5 Most Disturbing Videos on YouTube

While we were talking to LA Weekly photographer Ted Soqui about his coverage of the L.A. Riots, he mentioned that he'd only recently realized how much riot footage was up on YouTube. "I didn't get to see much live TV coverage because I was either shooting or processing; I was in a bubble with my ph ... More >>

Bouillabaisse: Meant for the Poor, Now for the Rich

Anne Fishbeinthe invisible restaurant critic​Dear Mr. Gold: It's that time of year, cold and dark early, which means there is nothing more inviting than that wave of heat and spice when you enter a great Italian trattoria. I'm hunting for the best bouillabaisse in town, in a joint that is as u ... More >>

It's Official: Smoking Marijuana is Safer Than Puffing on Cigarettes

The anti-smoking Nazis have taken control of the greater Los Angeles area, prohibiting your bad habit even in many outdoor dining areas. Often cited are the ridiculous stats claiming that 53,800 people die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke. (Coughs: bullshit). Perhaps, then, there is a s ... More >>

Theater Anecdotes, Anyone? Also, New reviews of Stations, Santasia and Camp Sunday

Rich Sofranko"Stations"​Boom Kat Dance Theatre's production of Stations at Santa Monica's Miles Memorial Playhouse landed this week's stage Pick; ​also recommended are the Whitefire Theatre's Santasia in Sherman Oaks, and the Groundlings' Camp Sunday. See all the reviews after the jump.Call for ... More >>

Westside Subway Extension Feud

Did Metro rig a Century City fault study to move the Purple Line?

If Bon Appétit's New BA Kitchen Isn't Exactly A Test Kitchen, What Is It?

Patrick McMullanQuestlove's Fried Chicken At the BA Kitchen Launch Party​Bon Appétit magazine announced this week the opening of "BA Kitchen" in New York City. The space is "a modern cooking and entertaining space," according to a press release, located across from the Frank Gehry café in th ... More >>

Jacaranda Plays Henryk Górecki at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica: Classical Music That Doesn't Care About Convention

The Lyris Quartet performs Gorecki with Jacaranda Saturday and Sunday​ It happened during a pledge drive in 1992. After encouraging her listeners to grab a glass of wine, light some candles and just relax, KCRW host Ruth Seymour played a recently released recording of the then-obscure composer ... More >>

Beverly Hills School District Wants Metro to Prove Why Westside Subway Needs to go Under B.H. High School: So Far Metro is Mum

​Foes of a proposed Westside Subway extension route that would tunnel under Beverly Hills High School are calling on Metro this week to show them the data that proves it should head that way instead of along Santa Monica Boulevard, as had been originally intended. Those foes comprise the lead ... More >>

Risk and Retna Secretly Paint a Santa Monica House for Heal the Bay

Shannon CottrellHeal the Bay House in progress​ In 2008, a deco-style fortress built in the '50s and originally belonging to a prominent family in Santa Monica fell into foreclosure in the middle of an extensive renovation. Until three months ago it stood vacant, an eerie house on a bluff with ... More >>

More Fun at The Misfit: $12 Bottomless Mimosas

Dan CoxYour mimosa awaits at The Misfit​ Like any great metropolis, L.A. is full of differing perspectives. First, there are the die-hard Angelenos for whom Los Angeles is the greatest city in America. Then there are those East Coast transplants who mope around town looking like refugees from ... More >>

Lobbyist John Ek

Gross Video of Mistreated Farm Animals For Lunchtime in Santa Monica Tomorrow

farmtofridgetour.comFree the pigs.​Animal rights nuts or provocateurs who will make you think before you eat? You decide. Either way, you might want to avoid having lunch at Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica tomorrow. Because the save-the-piggies brigade will be in full effect there Thu ... More >>

'Real Housewives' Lesson of the Day: How to go 'Oklahoma on Your Ass,' L.A.-Style

BravoTaylor will take you to Oklahoma, and not in a limo.​On the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion show last week (we watch when we're not reading the Economist or pondering the latest WeeklyLeak), the cast reflected on the meaning of going "Oklahoma on your ass." The phrase stems from ... More >>

Google Moves Into Hip, Gehry-Designed Pad at 340 Main Street in Venice Beach (PHOTOS)

wvs.topleftpixel.com​Welcome to Venice, Google! Your 6,000 new employees will be pleased to hear that Lindsay Lohan's new four-bedroom is located a convenient four-minute drive south [Voila! Driving directions! Have we told you lately that we love you, Goo-Goo?] and the weird sushi/hamburger/b ... More >>

Pinot Days 2011: Wine And Mushroom Bisque Sips At Barker Hangar

J. GarbeePinot Days 2010​Tasting through West Coast Pinot Noirs from nearly 100 producers typically requires a long drive up the I-5. But this Saturday, January 15th, you can taste through the offerings of 90 producers at Pinot Days, the second coming of the event at Santa Monica's Barker Han ... More >>

DealPop Offers Savings on Restaurants, Bars

Flickr/clevercupcakesDealPop is offering some sweet deals. ​ A new website, DealPop Los Angeles, will feature daily deals offering savings of up to 70 percent off at restaurants, bars and other businesses in the L.A. area. The site kicks off September 8 with deals from Seventeenth Street Café ... More >>

Meatless Mondays are Live at Locanda del Lago

DineLALocanda del Lago at Third Street Promenade​ Santa Monica perennial Locanda del Lago, dutifully spotlighting the cuisine of Northern Italy's Lombardy region for regulars and Third Street Promenade walk-ins alike since 1991, cannot be faulted for overlooking a trend. Lago is the first res ... More >>

A Recipe From the Chef: Evan Funke's Yellowtail Crudo With Kumquats

A. ScattergoodEvan Funke's yellowtail crudo with kumquats​ Evan Funke, executive chef at Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen in Santa Monica and the subject of this week's chef interview, spends a lot of time at the Santa Monica farmers market. It is, after all, not too far down the st ... More >>

Cruisin' for a Boozin'

10 L.A. bars worth diving into

Whale FAIL: Sushi Restaurant Targeted By Demonstrators

​Animal rights demonstrators plan to gather outside Santa Monica restaurant The Hump to decry is alleged serving of endangered whale meat. Its corporate owner and sushi chef were charged Wednesday with allegedly serving the illicit fare. Pennywise frontman Zoli Teglas, along with Sea Shepherd ... More >>

View From the Top: Santa Monica Place & Rooftop Market to Open This Fall

Since the closing of the original Santa Monica Place in 2008, passers-by near the south end of Third Street Promenade have been wondering at the dark and mysterious tarp-covered space. The first week of August, the tarp will be lifted to reveal a newly constructed Santa Monica Place featuring a roof ... More >>

Beverly Hills In 'Bidding War' With Santa Monica Over Broad Museum

The Broad FoundationEli and Edythe Broad.​While we told you recently that Santa Monica was reported to be close to wrapping up a deal to have Eli Broad's much anticipated museum open in the beach-side city, Beverly Hills is saying not fast: The Beverly Hills City Council is considering buying ... More >>

Stage Raw: Getting Intimate With Michael Kearns

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on Rachel Rosenthal at 83MICHAEL KEARNS GETS INTIMATE​L.A. Weekly's 2007 "Queen of the Angels" Michael Kearns performs his solo performance piece, Intimacies, at the drkrm Gallery and Performance Space in Eagle Rock, 2121 San Fernando ... More >>

Loews Santa Monica Celebrates California Wine Month with Half Price Bottles

Loews Santa MonicaNot a bad place to drink half priced wines.​Like drinking wine by the beach? How about when the bottles are half price? September is California Wine Month, and to celebrate, the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is offering "Uncorked for Half Price." All month, guests eating at ... More >>

What's New in the 714: OC Openings, Anniversaries, Disney Food Fest and a Hot-Dog-On-a-Stick Digression -- Should Guys Really Wear the Sexy, Multicolored Uniforms? And Does Hot Dog Batter Work as A Facial Mask?

Matador snap Anyone who's done serious eating in and around Orange County's South Coast Plaza knows that the well-heeled mall's food offerings go way beyond your basic Hot Dog on a Stick. (PS: Anyone who thinks that only the ladies can wear the iconic rainbow-brite outfits, check out Frank Furter ... More >>

Stage Raw: L.A. Marathons

THIS WEEK'S COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSAlso at your fingertips, the latest NEW THEATER REVIEWS, and our REPORT of Monday night's 30th annual L.A. Weekly Awards.Rosalind Productions' staging of Shaw's Misalliance continues at the Odyssey. Photo by Christopher MoscatielloCheck back here Monday afte ... More >>

Morning Sixpack: A News Roundup

From Yellow Cab to Green? Santa Monica's angst now extends to worrying whether it has too many polluting taxis, driven by impolite cabbies. A freeze is in the works. L.A. TimesBill Commemorating the Other Holocaust Once more Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Glendale) will introduce a bill to commemorate t ... More >>

Dance Pick: Synapse Dance Theater at the Broad Stage

SMC troupe takes the first dance at the new venue

Go Fourth and Boomify!

What to do in Los Angeles this week

Italian L.a.

The 20 Best

Skid Row

Greek Love

Charles L. Mee’s Agamemnon, and Sarah Ruhl’s Demeter in the City

The Spirit Survives

Is TV Dead?

Webcasting tries to go prime time

Pleasure Pits on Parade

A romp through L.A.'s rock, blues and country clubs

1981 Timeline