Sunny L.'s Profile

The repair guy did a great job and very quickly - I took in a pair of boots for resoling and re-heeling (you know, whatever it's called when you wear out your heels and you need new tips installed).  He did both, and also polished/waterproofed my boots, in time for me to pick them up 4 hours later.  He also waited around for me for more than an hour after closing time.  AND his prices were very reasonable - on the low end of what other stores quoted me.  Nice guy.  

Bottom line - I will probably still take my fancy shoes to Arturo's Shoe Fixx, but for solid everyday work I think I've found my new cobbler in Mike's Shoe Repair.

Copa d'Oro is probably my favorite bar in LA.  Vincenzo is a brilliant mixologist.  You can tell that he and his bartenders really care about carefully crafting a well-balanced drink.  Do yourself a favor and order off the market fresh menu.  You could give crazy orders like, "I'm feeling like a gin drink with red bell peppers and grapes," and the bartender will conceive of some sort of crazy-delicious concoction.   For this reason, I recommend sitting at the bar - it's so fun to watch them come up with drinks on the fly.  And Joe's Pizza (divine caprese/margherita slice) is just a few doors down - what's not to love?

Janna helped me get my groove back.

No, really.  I walked in all winter-blues-y.  Blah.  A little sniffly and sick.  My roots had grown out and I had let my hair get too long and scraggly.

After my haircut and color, I walked out with a spring in my step, the bright, Disney-esque Beverly Hills Christmas light displays glinting off my shiny, sweet, newly-shorn bob.  

I could even swear that my hacking cough is gone.

Game on, girls.

R Bar is a fantastic neighborhood dive bar.  

Their fabulous "John Daly" cocktail, made with sweet tea vodka and lemonade, is a dead ringer for that perfect blend of sweet tea and lemonade more commonly known as an Arnold Palmer, and is, as a result, extremely deadly in its total deliciousness.  Monday nights feature mixologist Naomi's creative offerings with such creations as a coconut mojito (delicious and refreshing; made with fresh coconut milk) and the "Prop 8" (so spicy with jalapenos that it gave me a tummy ache).

Monday nights also feature the excellent vocal and piano stylings of Aaron Barnhart (the next Gavin DeGraw, I swear).  Wednesday night is (or at least used to be; check the Myspace page to be sure) karaoke night!

The ambiance is excellent.  Dive bar-speakeasy feel, but clean.  I especially appreciate that it does not have the stinky-feet smell that seems to permeate most dive bars (Backstage in Culver City and Liquid Kitty on Pico, I'm looking at you!).  Drinks are well-priced, and they usually seem to have drink specials of some sort going on.

Be forewarned that the lack of any English signage out front may make it slightly difficult to find when you go the first time.  R Bar is usually dominated by hipsters, but I do see the occasional fellow Asian face as well.

Also, make sure to befriend the gregarious, delightful, and laid-back doorman named Shaun.

(Finally, last but not least, R Bar holds a particularly exalted position in my heart because it's located across the street from my favorite taco truck in LA - Tacos Sinaloa.  Tacos Sinaloa has some of the best al pastor around - after they slice the pork off the spit, they then GRILL THE MEAT so that it has little crunchy caramelized bits!  Swoon.)

I grew up at this ice skating rink.  Good times.  My after-school skating adventures were usually either preceded by or followed with chili cheese fries and milkshakes at Ruby's next door.   Ah, to be young and carefree once again...when the only worry was whether you looked cool or dorky in your wet, grimy rented skates, and whether the big bad eighth graders in their hockey skates would whiz by and spray you with ice as they skidded to a stop.

Also, Michelle Kwan used to train here!  A little slice of celebrity right here in good ol' PV.

The first time I went to the Association, it was a crowded, scene-y weekend night and I kind of wanted to flee immediately.  Fun, but a claustrophobe's nightmare.  

The second time I went, it was early on a Friday night, and there was only a smattering of people at the bar.  The amiable, mustachioed bartender chatted with me and my friend as he made us our deathly strong and incredibly smooth old-fashioned drinks, and told us endlessly fascinating stories about the history of cocktails and spirits.  

(I should also mention that I'm so ditzy that by the second time I went to the Association, I had forgotten the name of the place and totally thought I was in the Varnish, which, to be fair, I had never gone to.  Oopsie.)  

Loved the Association, and would totally go back on a weeknight to avoid the crowds.

For some reason that eludes me, my friends always want to go to the Village Idiot, but honestly, it's not my first choice of bars in the area.  I just don't really like the setup - it's usually crowded, hard to find seating, and loud as can be.  Once, I also ordered the mussels with bread mops - buttery and flavorful, but way too salty.  Drinks are fine.

I love Dr. Cohenmehr and his staff!  This is no quickie Costco exam.  Dr. Cohenmehr is friendly, patient, and attentive.  Also, he has cool high-tech gadgets for examining eyes.  I also appreciate that he has a very holistic view of medical care - he tries to stay away from chemicals and medication whenever possible.

I've eaten at LPQ twice.  The first time, I got some sort of mediocre sandwich (they always seem to sound and look better than they taste).  The second time, I ordered an egg salad sandwich with teeny little French pickles.  I ordered it to go and ate it in my office.  Once again, the presentation was pretty, but the flavor of the egg salad was just ok - it had an herbally flavor (I couldn't pinpoint the herb - dill, maybe?) that was a little off-putting.  

About halfway through the first piece, I chomped down on a hard plastic tab that had been mixed in with the egg salad.  Yummy!

I called the manager and she agreed to refund me.  I then proceeded to scrape the egg salad off the bread and just ate two mini slices of bread.  And then spent the afternoon hungry.

Sad.  After two mediocre experiences, I probably won't be back.  Which is too bad, because the pastries and bread looked yummy.

Every time I go to Surfas, I have to set aside three times as much time as I think I will need.  "Oh, I just need a frosting tip," I say to myself.  "How long could it really take?"  One hour later, bleary-eyed and clutching a box full of goodies, with my wallet significantly lighter, I exit Surfas.  

There's just so much good stuff here to tempt food lovers.  Tons of fun baking ingredients, beautiful heavy aluminum baking pans, neato professional-grade ingredients, cute and functional little gadgets.  This is truly cooking heaven.