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Spring and Summer nights in Los Angeles are some of the most beautiful around. And there's no better way to spend them by sitting under the stars in the presence of your favorite music act.
Next Wednesday, June 18, Rilo Kiley, along with Lavender Diamond and Benji Hughes, will be hitting the Greek Theatre in Griffith Park for a night of good times. To that end, we're giving away a pair of tickets (you can also buy tix here).
Here's how it works:
- Enter the contest by making a comment on this post (below). Comments must fit the criteria, stated below.
- The criteria of the comment/entry must be about Los Feliz Village since it's the predominate neighborhood for things to do before and after a concert at The Greek. Write down a tip, your favorite restaurant, a historical fact, something about the neighborhood. If you don't know the area well, use the Internet.
- You may only enter once.
- The contest closes at 11:59:59 on Friday, June 13, 2008.
- A winner bill be selected at random to receive a pair of tickets and will be notified via the e-mail connected to their LAist.com login. They must confirm the receipt of the e-mail by 3:00 p.m., Monday, June 16, 2008 or the tickets will be released to another winner.
Good luck!
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Grab a dessert at Alcove. Last time I was there I had a delicious berry angel food cake w/ whipped cream. Yum!
Relive Swingers at the Dresden and watch Marty and Elayne get their jazz on! Who's the big winner???
Grab a late night bite to eat after the show at Fred's 62, a kitchy diner located on Vermont and Russell (one block S of Franklin) Fred is your friend.
Vinoteca Farfalla has a gigantic chalkboard list of wines available by the glass. While you're there, you can order a risotto that's served up from an monster wheel of parmesan.
Sample the delicious "Pizzarosa" pizza at Palermo! And you don't have to order it to try it - they serve slices of it as the complementary bread before you order.
The best bar in Los Feliz (the "Fez" as commonly referred to by locals), is the Drawing Room. Opening at 6am, this dive bar is conveniently located in a strip mall next to the "Laundry Room" (a laundromat, obviously). The drinks are stiff and cheap ($3.75). So grab a drink, play a game of darts, toss in a load of laundry, and cozy up in the maroon leather booths before (and after) venturing up to the Greek.
Shake your moneymaker down to the House of Pies on Franklin and Vermont. Low-key diner feel and open late, it's a perfect post-concert spot.
Glenn Danzig lives there.
Skylight Books is a cool bookstore in the area that you can check out beforehand. They have a neat cat there too (I think?)
I second House of Pies as well. SO GOOD (and right down the hill).
You can't go wrong with pre or post-show hot wings at Ye Rustic Inn. Try the extra hot ones if you dare.
Psychobabble is always a good choice. One of the only cafes that are open late in LA. [Late, of course meaning past 10pm, people!]
And whatever you do, stay away from house of pies...
how about that place called "EAT" right off the 5. BTW what's Jenny doing in the men's room?
The cat at Skylight Books died last year, but it's still an excellent bookstore and KCRW Fringe benefits provider.
The day before the show, find a fantastic outfit at Squaresville. The day of, Grab a book from Skylights and a delicious sammich at Alcove before heading to the Greek. Revel in Rilo Kily then grab a glass of plum wine or sake at En Sushi. Finish the evening with a chai at Psychobabble if so desired.
My favorite place in the area is (there's no place like) HOME on Hillhurst! They have (in my opinion) THE best burger in town (my favorite is the Mushroom Burger). Also recommended are the waffle cut fries (that come with the burger). Nice atmosphere (outdoors) and friendly waiters, too!
Don't go to Figaro, because the service is slow, although have pretty decent happy hour wine pricing.
Or, go to Figaro, because the service is slow and if you are shady, you can apparently run out on your check.
The most hilariously tragic thing happened there, a few weeks ago. I was seated at a table, eating soup and drinking wine, when apparently someone who was seated at one of the fun outside sidewalk tables, ran out on their check. The waiter ran up and down Vermont trying to find him.
The problem at Figaro is that for whatever reason, they can be really slow to bring you your check, giving sketchy hipster men, the chance to run away without paying.
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/52322/los_angeles_ca/figaro.html#profile
mac and cheese balls are the best thing to order at Fred 62. great for late night eats.
After the gig check out a midnight sketchy comedy show at the UCB Theatre on Franklin:
http://losangeles.ucbtheatre.com/
The Wolfgang Puck Restaurant at the Griffith Park Observatory not only has great, decently priced food; but also, a divine view of the City of Angeles.
I need these tickets, so I can get laid.
after the show grab a pizza and good (cheap) house wine at Palermo on Vermont. Or just grab some whiskey at the Drawing Room on Hillhurst.
Ah, Los Feliz . . .
Favorite Restaurant:
House of Pies.
Best New Find:
Swerve Fest @ Barnsdall Park.
Best Los Feliz Memory:
Watching Devotchka while relaxing in the grass.
hit up Squaresville and American Vintage for a Jenny Lewis-worthy outfit, before
munch on a couple cheap tacos at Machos Tacos, before
after: hit up the hollywood gelato company
The Vista Theater @ 4473 Sunset Dr is the best place to watch movies in Los Feliz Village bar none. There's street parking to be had and a cute little coffee shop by the entrance door. We saw "There Will Be Blood" there and the architectural detail inside the theater reminds you that the grand old theaters of Los Angeles are still alive. The best part was that there was so much leg room, you never had to worry about people walking in front of you to get to their seat.
I suppose it's not quite in Los Feliz, but I understand Canele is quite good.
"Los Feliz was home to many early movie studios, including the first Disney studio (now a Gelson's supermarket)" This wiki factoid may be cool enough to warrant me taking a little detour the next time I need some Honey Nut Cheerios.
Go to the Autry National Center and see the Cowboys and Presidents exhibition.
Best place for a pie fight: House of Pies - Parking Lot
Best place to see Hal Sparks sitting at the table next to you: Fred62
Best place to have your band BANNED from ever playing again: The Derby
Best place to buy discounted canvases and other art supplies to redeem your sense of artistic self-worth: Blue Rooster
grab dinner at simply thai (alternatively thai town is just down hollywood blvd!), followed by drinks at Good Luck bar or or the tiny Tiki Ti
The Drawing Room has naked photohunt and a cash only bar. You can and should get crazy.
hey, is it "fee-lez" or "fa-leeze". WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME!?
Hit up the sale rack at Atmosphere and head to Figaro for a happy hour Kir Royale.
Eat at Palermo! They give you free wine while you wait.
mmmm pieeee.....
House of Pies
1869 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
If I win I'll see ya there after the show.
I haven't tried it yet, but my friend who lives in Los Feliz told me that a less-known fact is that the restaurant in the Church of Scientology's "Celebrity Center" is actually open to the public. Ever since then I've been wanting to go in and eat there, if just to see what the inside of that beautiful old building looks like!
Need extra cash to pay for parking and food at the Greek or to the restaurants in the village, then a quick ATM stop at three major banks along Vermont (Citibank, WaMu, and BoA) between Maubert and Prospect before the concert should solve any cash issues.
XLarge for oversize tshirts with generic designs... a guilty pleasure.
Xlarge
1768 North Vermont
Go to Cafe Figaro...all their food is awesome. Share with your friends.
I made a rule with myself that to be truly dateable, a guy has to take me to the Griffith Observatory (best part of Los Feliz)... it's my nerdy idea of acceptable romance.
Los Feliz was home to many early movie studios, including the first Disney studio (now a Gelson's supermarket) and D. W. Griffith's studio.
Los Feliz was home to many early movie studios, including the first Disney studio (now a Gelson's supermarket) and D. W. Griffith's studio; it currently is home to The Prospect Studios (formally known as First National-Warner Brothers and more recently ABC Television Center), at the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Talmadge Street. On Sunset Boulevard was Monogram Pictures (currently KCET public television) where early Charlie Chan movies were filmed, "Hurricane" starring Dorothy Lamour and the camp classic "Johnny Guitar" (the western street from that movie remained until the mid 1980s when KCET razed the set to make way for a much-needed parking structure--but they threw a huge studio-wide party there on its final days). The neighborhood has historically been home to movie stars, musicians, and the Hollywood elite. It boasts some of the best known residential architecture in the city, including two homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Ennis House and the Hollyhock House, and Richard Neutra's Lovell House.
Some of the best garage sales are on and around Los Feliz Blvd!
When a bunch of us go to The Greek we always carpool from the B of A to save cash and make the parking more fun as a group.
I really need to spend more time in Los Feliz at places that aren't The Derby...right now, it's pretty much just an alternate route that I use when I don't want to deal with traffic on the 5 or the 101.
if you're going to trader joe's, park across the street in the gelsons parking lot. it's a lot less crazy than trying to exit onto hyperion with all those cars whizzing by.
also, don’t forget your scarf.
Anyone who's parked at the Greek has lived to regret it. Paying 12 bucks for stacked parking -- meaning you have to sit and wait in your car until everyone in your way shows up so you can leave -- is the worst. Oh, and the traffic jams through the neighborhood south of the Greek suck, too.
Here's what you do instead: Park on N. Commonwealth Ave. just north of Vermont. Then walk up to the end of the residential area, bear left and look for the yellow gate just inside the boundaries of Griffith Park. Walk past the gate and you'll find yourself taking a leisurely, peaceful 15 minute stroll adjacent to the Roosevelt Municipal Golf Course. Eventually you'll emerge about 100 feet south of the theater.
After the show they sometimes open that road up to cars. If you're good, you can hitch a ride back to Commonwealth in the back of a pickup. Fun!
I'm not sure if people have already brought this up but you can never go wrong spending a night at the Dresden!!
Grab a bite to eat after at Fred 62 on Vermont. They are open 24 hours and have pretty descent food.
Check out Little Doms on Hillhurst. It's a great intimate atmosphere to grab a bite to eat, and definitely one of the better Italian restaurants on the east side.
Definitely check out my new favorite cheapo place for grub on Hillhurst: "The Best Fish Taco in Ensenada". Great food. Simply made. Tastily eaten.
Well, I'd go get a drink at the Good Luck Bar and then head to Fred's for a bite afterwards.
I love Jenny Lewis and love her even more that she was the bratty grandkid in "LIFE with LUCY" (Lucille Ball's final sitcom and only flop)
I suggest a quick round at the 9 hole before the show...and definitely drinks at the Drawing Room after...
Go to Mexico City for dinner.
Actually, Glenn Danzig doesn't live in Los Feliz any more. Slash does, though, I think.
Anyway, do go to the Dresden Room and realize how money you are.
Tangier is pretty swanky. They have a backroom venue (stage?) that seats about 30 people tops; I saw Mia Doi Todd perform there a few years ago.
Franklin between Hilhurst and Vermont is not a bad place to have a seizure. Was walking there a few weeks ago and came upon an off-duty EMT (with wife and baby) helping a man who had a seizure and fell head first into a parked car. Was lucky to have someone around who knew how to help and call for assistance without going through cell phone 911.
Mako on Vermont is good japanese and cheap! yum.
Sushi at Niko Niko on Vermont is tasty and won't break the bank!
Check out the Brown Derbie for some live music (as featured in Swingers)
Thanks for all the bar/eating options, and I love the parking tips - here's mine.
The best way to park AT the venue and give the finger to stacked parking is on TWO wheels. Grab your old motor scooter, motorcycle or bicycle (if you have the calves), throw a friend a helmet and park for FREE right at the entrance!
I need these tickets so I can convince a cutie to wrap her arms around me as we motor up the hill.
Before heading to a show, stop by Lost Souls Cafe for some white tip jasmine green tea to give yourself a boost of energy to last throughout the night. :D!
the gas station on los feliz near the 5 has the cheapest cigs around. $3.40 for a pack of camels!
You can't beat the pies at the aptly names House of Pies.
My recommendation: a glass of wine at the Dresden on Vermont!
Buy a neighborhood t-shirt at Y Que Trading Post on Vermont
June 18th:
1. Go to the Griffith Park bat caves and watch the animals (+stoners). Accompany the stoners if so desired.
2. Breakfast: Get a pie @ House of Pies.
3. Take that pie on a walk.
4. Go to the Museum of the American West.
5. Lunch: Go to Bamboo House.
6. Buy some shit! @ Keep. New shoes..
7. Go golfing at the local golf course.
8. Take a nap on the 5th hole.
9. Run up the hill (forget parking!!!).
10. RILO KILEYYYYYY!!!
11. Late Dinner: Back down to Tangier for some drinks, din-din + reflection
LA Mill has awesome french fries.
1. check out my photo hunt high score at the drawing room
2. weep.
3. head to fred62 for incredible french fries and the possibility of seeing a pirate. check out hostess who looks like jenny lewis.
I echo someone's earlier comment about Vinoteca Farfalla -- great wine list, friendly staff, and and overall great vibe.
Though technically in Atwater Village, I suggest grabbing drinks and extending the evening at the Bigfoot Lodge on Los Feliz. Though it might be considered kitschy with the hunting lodge decor, I think it works here. Always a great time, but sometimes the music gets pumped way too loud. (But, after a gig at the Greek, it'll probably sound just right!)
Go to Louise's. They have a shuttle that runs to the Greek. Then you don't have to deal with parking up there & getting out after the concert.
http://www.louises.com/greek.html
Fred 62 soba and cheese balls...
Park down in the neighborhood around Commonwealth area or over near Hillhurst, walk over to Vermont, do some shopping for some awesome tshirts at Y'que (nobody's mentioned this!? NOBODY?? If you're lucky, the guys will offer you up a free shot of tequila ;), then for dinner, hit up Mako for some cheap-ass japanese food/sushi (right between the skylight books and the movie theatre- blink and you'll miss it!)- so so yummy!!
Then walk up the hill to enjoy the show. Afterwards, if you're hungry, then hit up house of pies (or if you're an uber hipster, maybe freds across the street- whichever scene you're into!) ;)
@neekoman
its a trap. dontcha eva go to the restaurant in the scientology building even if the food is said to be good!!! even if its free!!!
No Fatburger love here?
Make sweet, sweet love with Jenny Lewis.