One of the most exciting new spots to hit Hollywood this month is actually not new at all -- Loteria Grill. Chef Jimmy Shaw's Farmer's Market staple, home to some of the best tacos in the city, has expanded out to a new Hollywood location near the Highland complex. And this time around, they're serving alcohol! Until very late at night! (They're open til midnight during the week, and until 3am on the weekends.)... [continue]

The Mae Shi played to an enthusiastic home crowd the other night at Spaceland, their last Los Angeles show before they rocket off across America in support of their fantastic album HLLLYH. The audience was lucky to have drummer & vocalist Brad Breeck in the house (he doesn't usually tour with the band), and the infamous Mae Sheet made a guest appearance. The Mae Shi are legendary for their explosive, interactive live performances; it's almost... [continue]

It's hard to imagine a more un-L.A. cuisine than German food -- it's heavy, it's meaty, it's about as vegetarian-unfriendly as you can get. So how does the Red Lion Tavern in Silver Lake stay so busy? A few reasons, actually: beer. Beer! Also, beer (bier!). The Red Lion has a number of great brews -- pilsners, bocks, weizens, and so much more. These Germans value their beer so much that the interior of... [continue]

Despite the older generation's lingering fear that even stepping outside of your car in Echo Park will somehow get you assaulted or shot or worse (suburban Boomers, I'm looking in your direction!), this increasingly gentrified neighborhood has become a new mecca for intelligent, classy dining. Joining Lot 1 and Masa is Restaurant 15, a hip spot with a cool interior, but also a menu that still seems to be a work in progress. 15's... [continue]

It was a beautiful night at the Los Angeles Zoo; perfect weather and a perfect setting made the LA Zoo's annual "Beastly Ball" an event to remember. Celebrities and guests wandered the grounds of the zoo, feasting on gorgeous dishes prepared by the city's best restaurateurs and interacting with friendly animals like a boa constrictor, an armadillo, and a gray horned owl. Participating restaurants included Yamashiro, Typhoon, Pink's, Malo, El Cholo, Fabiolus Café and many,... [continue]

California Shuttle Bus, a self-proclaimed "upscale" transport connecting Los Angeles and the Bay Area, has announced a new $5 service for those of us who would like to get from LA to SF without the hassle of high gas prices and expensive airfares. The new prices take effect beginning next Monday; the shuttle company is also offering expanded hours and pick-up/drop-off services for certain Westside neighborhoods. From the press release: "We have noticed increasing... [continue]

Stan Winston, legendary Hollywood special-effects wizard, died this weekend at his home at age 62. He succumbed to multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, after a 7-year struggle with the disease. Winston created some of the most memorable creatures in modern cinema, including the Terminators, the "Jurassic Park" dinosaurs, and more recently, the character suit for "Iron Man." Winston accumulated four Academy Awards and ten nominations over the course of his career; his first... [continue]

Photo by Unhindered by Talent via Flickr You can't fight the funk: scientists are just beginning to discover some of the more insidious effects of creeping global warming, which is about to put polar bears on the endangered species list -- and wild Alaskan salmon may be next. Alaskan fisheries, long been overflowing with magnificent salmon supplies, are now threatened with a sticky situation: warmer waters in the northern climes are breeding yucky bacteria... [continue]

You can't seem to get away from the god's-honest truth lately: beef is bad. Not only beef, but chicken, pork, fish -- all you hear nowadays is how "cattle farming uses too much fossil fuels!" "Chickens are being horribly abused in tiny cages!" "We are overfishing the world's oceans!" So what's the responsible meat-eater to do? You could go vegetarian, and it's a respectable choice. But what if you just really love your bacon,... [continue]

The city of Compton will finally have its very own skatepark, a brand-new facility that will open its doors to skateboarders in September. A number of grants went towards building the 12,000 square foot park, which will be located at Wilson Park, 123 N. Rose Ave. The Tony Hawk Foundation contributed over $10,000 and was a major partner in the design of the park, while a gift of $157,00 from the The Roberti-Z’Berg-Harris Grant... [continue]

Famine. Riots. Strikes. Inflation. The repercussions of the world food crisis continue to affect the global mood and economy, and unfortunately the situation does not appear to be getting any better. American farmers, most of whom rely on the core crops of wheat, corn, and soy to bring in a living, are fearful of another poor harvest this year. From the NY Times: United States soybean plantings are running 16 percent behind last year.... [continue]

Supermarkets, restaurants, and fast-food chains across the Southland are removing three types of tomatoes from their shelves today, in response to a nationwide salmonella outbreak. Almost 145 infections have been reported since mid-April; the FDA is urging consumers to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes. Cherry, grape, and tomatoes on the vine are still okay to eat. From today's LA Times: The physician who heads the FDA, Andrew C. von... [continue]

Simon's Cafe is a wonderful little gem of a place, located in an awkward intersection just under the 405 freeway at Ventura Boulevard, but this Mediterranean/Moroccan treat is well worth the trip. Stop in tonight to say hi to Simon himself, who is often in the kitchen and serving the guests with speed and politesse. If you enjoy your meal, he's also giving a cooking lesson next Sunday morning on house specialties like feuillettes aux... [continue]

We've already covered the strikes in Europe over rising oil prices; now Rome has become the site of an emergency UN summit on the food crises that are sweeping the globe. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. has become a major target of international criticism over its food policies and interest in corn-based biofuels. From the LA Times: Delegates clashed during the second day of the three-day meeting over how much blame can be assigned to biofuels for... [continue]

Did you hear about the striking Spanish fishermen? Or perhaps the disgruntled French farmers? Maybe the embattled Bulgarian truckers? All of them, and many more workers across Europe who depend on tractors, trucks, boats, and barges to drive commerce, are speaking out against the skyrocketing prices of gas in Europe, which pays about twice as much to fill up a tank than America does. The Spanish and Portuguese fishing industry, the largest in Europe,... [continue]

Now that Gordon Ramsay's new place is up and running, what other hot new dining spots are opening around town? LAist is particularly excited about the Hollywood location of Loteria Grill that is scheduled to open sometime in June. EaterLA has been closely tracking the progress of this favorite taco spot, whose Farmer's Market location has often been named the best taco place in the city. The "gastropub" renaissance has a new Hollywood outpost... [continue]

If you didn't watch last night's Lost season finale (two hours of twisted tropical bliss!), you should really just stop reading right here, cause spoilers are everywhere. If you haven't been watching the past few seasons, well, you're only missing out on the best television show of ALL TIME. While last night's closer didn't quite have the impact of last season's final scene (who can erase from their mind's eye the sodden, bearded spectacle... [continue]

Photo of The Mae Shi on tour by Turquoise Boy via Flickr Win one for the anti-graffiti movement: tagger "Buket" was arrested today: "The 24-year-old man was detained this morning when he showed up to meet his probation officer. He is expected to be booked on multiple charges of felony vandalism, sheriff's officials said." The LAPD is making an effort to curb gang activity at Universal CityWalk, so why can't Universal CityWalk curb its... [continue]

The LA Times is reporting this morning that house prices continue to drop across the country; in Los Angeles alone, home prices have dropped 21.7% and and continue to decline: Nationally, Case-Shiller shows prices falling by 14.4% in the 20 largest Amerian cities, by far the steepest rate of decline in the 20-year history of the index. Actual sales of new homes rose by 3.3% in April, but sales are still down by 42%... [continue]

LA Magazine has already crowned it one of the best things about living in LA. If you've ever tried to drive down Santa Monica Blvd. around Gower on a Saturday night, you'll quickly find out what thousands of Angelenos already know: there's no better way to spend a Saturday night than with a picnic and a bottle of wine in the middle of a cemetery, watching a classic film. In fact, Cinespia's weekly summer... [continue]