Amy Nicholson

Credit: Amy Nicholson

Best Private-Room Karaoke

Amy Nicholson
Tucked into the second floor of the Little Tokyo Mall, Max is open every day from 1 p.m. to 3 a.m. — make that 4 a.m. on the weekends — and if you wind down before 8 p.m., you can rent a room for the bargain rate of $4 per......
Credit: Amy Nicholson

Best Party Dinner

Amy Nicholson
Have you aged out of Chuck E. Cheese's? If so, join the 21-and-over crowd at their own party restaurant: the raucous, drunken Tokyo Delve's, where sake bombs drop like skee balls and your prizes include embarrassing photos and a hangover. Tokyo Delve's is giddily cornball. No matter how cool your......
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Best Framer

Amy Nicholson
We've all got that one poster — or 12 — waiting patiently to be uncoiled from its tube and mounted with dignity. Just get it done already, by swinging past this small shop at the east end of Sunset Boulevard. Downtown Framing Outlet's owner, Jose Saca, and his son Moises......
Credit: Amy Nicholson

Best Asian Market

Amy Nicholson
Sure, downtown L.A. could use more grocery stores. But it already has the best of the best. Little Tokyo Market Place is prepared for every craving, with a sushi stand, noodle kiosks, ready-to-eat roasted mackerel and kimchi pancakes, not to mention wells of pre-marinated bulgogi. In the mood for salty......
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Best Birthday Party Snacks

Amy Nicholson
Want to blow a dieter's mind? Convince them — correctly — that cotton candy is a sensible dessert: No fat, easy to savor, only 110 calories a stick. Those are the justifications you'll make when you find yourself driving to the deep Eastside suburbs to stock up on California Snack......
Credit: Amy Nicholson

Best Facialist

Amy Nicholson
First, the facts. In just six sessions, facialist Karina Kara cured my skin, an achievement I'd deemed impossible since, oh, the age of 15. Forget fancy Beverly Hills salons. If you really want to fix your face, head to East Hollywood, park in front of Facials by Karina's unassuming fourplex......
Credit: Amy Nicholson

Best Cat Groomer

Amy Nicholson
If you have a cat — especially a long-haired beast — you know that booking a groomer is about as hard as picking your kid's preschool. If they'll actually accept your monster, it's going to be expensive. Which makes Hollywood Pets a godsend. For just $35, your cat can get......
Credit: Kate Rentz

Best Instagrammer

Amy Nicholson
Photographer Kate Rentz's Instagram feed will make you want to put down your phone and grab a sleeping bag. The Los Angeles–based photographer is always outdoors: hiking in the mountains, camping in the forests, twisting through canyons or even just playing Monopoly in the park. Snap a shot of her......
Credit: Amy Nicholson

Best Indie Movie Theater

Amy Nicholson
Here's the best way to go to the New Beverly now that Quentin Tarantino has taken over: Just show up. Every night of the week you're guaranteed to see something great — and, more importantly, something that probably wouldn't have crossed your mind to see but boy, are you glad......
Michael Shannon stars in 99 Homes.; Credit: Photo by Hooman Bahrani

We Play Monopoly With 99 Homes Star Michael Shannon

Amy Nicholson
Michael Shannon isn't a stickler for rules. In his career, he's ignored most of them, especially the mandate that a theater-trained, Oscar-nominated actor should shun the large roles in dumb movies that let him afford the smart ones. (See: Kangaroo Jack, Bad Boys II, Premium Rush, Man of Steel.) Shannon's......