LA Mischief

Although they’ve had a soft opening for a few weeks now, the official grand opening of Stone Brewing Company is happening tomorrow, October 18th.  Their new location in Pasadena marks the brewery’s first presence in Los Angeles.  It’s also only one of three stores outside of their main location in San Diego.

Their tasting room has 20 different beers on tap…that’s 20 different varieties of their OWN beer.  They serve pours by 4, 8, and 16oz, or you can go and get yourself a growler.  There’s an outdoor patio area that’s dog friendly, so bring your pup along. It’s also right near a metro stop so you don’t need to worry about driving. 

The event is happening from 7pm-9pm tomorrow, but if you miss it they are open regularly Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

More info here

Have you been to the C.I.A yet?  Not the government agency or the cooking school.  I’m talking about the California Institute of the Abnormalarts…and it’s weird.  Like, “mummified human corpse dressed up like a clown” weird.  I’m serious! The atmosphere of the entire bar is an ode to the freak show  They actually screen old black and white movies of 1930’s carnivals and have disfigured animal parts and other oddities scattered throughout.

The proprietor of this fine establishment, Carl Crewe, wrote a book entitled “Freakshow: Los Angeles.”  This Thursday, September 6th is the book release party at the C.I.A.  It starts at 8pm and there is a $5 cover.  However, there is a promise of clowns, magicians, puppeteers, and freaks.  If you ever wanted to try something new, this would be it. 

The actual website itself is really weird and hard to get information from, so check out yelp for location information.

When you drive past this place in Silverlake you’ll notice a giant sign with the word “GOOD.”  The sign’s pretty accurate. Good Microbrew and Grill is your typical bar/restaurant, but they have some pretty great deals. 

Wednesday is their “Mystery Beer” night starting at 6pm.  For the super reasonable price of $3 you get a plastic cup of beer.  After you finish drinking, you flip the cup over to find a number at the bottom.  They have a list posted of 10 or so beers with a corresponding number that lets you figure out what you just had.  It seems like a cheap and fun way to try some beers you might have otherwise passed up.  And $3 for a craft brew is pretty amazing.

Saturdays and Sundays from 9am-3pm is their brunch menu.  Besides your regular breakfast foods, they offer bottomless mimosas for $8.95.  I’ve actually taken advantage of this deal and I couldn’t even tell you how many I had because they were constantly being refilled, even before I finished.  Definitely worth checking it out and surprisingly not very crowded. 

They also have a bingo night on Thursday if you’re ever in a mood to let your inner granny out (which I always am).

Get all the info here.

Time for some childhood nostalgia with Pinewood Derby Racing at The Bigfoot Lodge. The last Tuesday of every month is a challenge of speed and style between pinewood derby racers.  People create their own cars (and get pretty creative with their designs) and bring them into the Bigfoot Lodge for a chance at glory.  Several prizes are given out besides the obvious ones for speed, including “coolest car” and “shittiest car.  They sell race kits for $5 at the bar, but even if you aren’t in a building mood, you can still enjoy the special of $5 Jameson shots all night long. 

The bar itself has a lumberjack/log cabin theme complete with bartenders in boy scout uniforms and animatronic animals.  Some of their specialty drinks include The Girl Scout Cookie, which tastes like a Thin Mint and The Toasted Marshmallow which is a drink topped with a marshmallow that is literally set on fire (the best way to eat a marshmallow). Location and more info here.

Cinespia is one of the benchmarks to see if you’re a true Los Angelean.  Throughout the summer everyone comes out to see movies screened in the Hollywood Forever Cemetary at night.  People arrive by the hundreds, set up a small picnics, and watch their favorite movies under and among the stars.

Well their even this Saturday looks ridiculously amazing. First of all, they are screening Wet Hot American Summer, one of my favorite comedies.  Secondly, this is a Cinespia sleepover! Summer camp themed movies will be screening all night.  At midnight they’ll be playing Sleepaway Camp, followed by  Little Darlings, Meatballs, Friday the 13th.  In between the movies there will be a DJ spinning, a photo booth, and camp related activities. It’s basically a giant cemetery party with some awesome flicks.  So bring a pillow and a sleeping bag and go camp out!  For $10 this is a seriously unforgettable experience. 

Tickets are available here. I know it says that there will be tickets at the door, but they lie.  Those always sell out, so definitely buy yours ahead of time.  Parking is also a pain in the butt.  I’ve never bought the parking passes, but I have driven around the block for 30 minutes looking for spot, so it may be worth it.  Any other info you need should be here. 

If books hold a special place in your heart, then take a trip downtown to The Last Bookstore.  It’s a huge warehouse of reading material as far as the eye can see. At first I though it was comprised of only the ground floor, which is filled with bookshelves, a cafe, and stage area where they host readings and open mic nights (calendar is here if you are interested)

However, in the back corner is a staircase to a second story and that is where the magic happens.  Everything you can find on the second floor is one dollar.  Anything!  There is no rhyme or reason to the second floor.  The books aren’t organized in any way, the shelving is scattered in interesting patterns, and everywhere you go there is some installation piece involving book sculptures, steam punk artwork, or just something endearingly random. The whole space keeps worming it’s way from back further and further. Just when you think you’ve reached the end of it, there’s a little more.  You can get lost for hours up there and not even see half the books they have to offer.

Parking is a bitch, as with everything downtown, but the hassle is definitely worth the visit.  Just look how cool this place is. Directions are here.

Over 60 new and “up-and-coming” Los Angeles artists are featured in the first biennial event, “Made in L.A.”  Their work is scattered throughout several locations and can be seen at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, LA><ART in Culver City, and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery in Los Feliz. They also have a schedule of musical and performing art going on.

I visited the work shown at the Hammer Museum.  The pieces were scattered amongst the year-round exhibits. There were only a few to see, so I would wait until there is a performance to visit the museum to get your money’s worth. 

A visit to the Hammer Muesum is $10 (free with a student ID or Wells Fargo Debit/Credit Card).  All the other locations for Made in L.A. are free. More information on locations and hours can be found here.

Made in L.A. is on view now until September 2nd.

I really don’t know how to describe this hidden gem in downtown Culver City. This museum is a mish-mash of random pieces of sculpture, videos, artwork, and antiques.  There doesn’t seem to be a common thread to any of the exhibits or even a flow to how to walk around the museum.  However, the randomness works for this place; everything on display is engrossing.  Some examples of what you can see include portraits of dogs from Russia’s early space program, collections of broken dice, micro-sculptures inside the eyes of needles, a room illustrating superstitions of the past century, and collections from Los Angeles mobile home and trailer parks. 

The best part of the museum is the Tula Tea Room, upstairs.  Free tea, water, and cookies are available.  There is also a beautiful courtyard with filled with plants, fountains, and birds.

The Museum has odd hours.  It’s only open Thursday 2pm-8pm and Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 12:00pm-6:00pm.  A visit to the museum feels like you’ve stepped out of Los Angeles for a short period of time.  Definitely worth the $5 suggested donation.

More info here

James Franco teamed up with MOCA to bring you the “Rebel” exhibit currently showing at 941 Highland.  Rebel runs until June 23rd and it’s worth checking out.  Some of Franco’s work is pretty amateurish, but it’s free and visually interesting so it’s definitely  worth a visit.

Rebel focuses on James Dean and the film “Rebel Without a Cause.” Almost every piece involves James Franco in some way. He transforms the open space into a deconstructed Hollywood/Chateau Marmont.  You can walk through different rooms which feature sculpture, painting, photography, video and other media.

You can visit Tuesday through Sunday from 11am-5pm.  More info available here

LA has some great farmer’s markets, but the Yamashiro Farmer’s Market is one that I highly suggest you check out.  Hidden in the Hollywood Hills, Yamashiro boasts some amazing views of Los Angeles.  The selection is pretty standard in terms of produce, prepared food, goods, etc, but it’s definitely worth a trip to the taco tent.  There are some fancy taco selections and a free pickle bar (included pickled mango, and various pickled veggies). 

The Farmer’s Market is open every Thursday now through September 27th from 5pm-9pm. What’s amazing is there is free valet parking off of La Brea near Hollywood Blvd. and a free shuttle service that takes you up the hill.

Yamashiro Restuarant is right above the Farmer’s Market if you are in the mood for a high-class Japanese restaurant.  You can also visit the outdoor Pagoda Bar during Farmer’s Market Hours. 

For any additional information, check it out here