NoHo Art District goers, if you've been crossing your fingers for an artist's cafe, you may now uncross them. The former Rain Forest Cafe at 11026 Magnolia Boulevard will soon be transformed into such a spot and dubbed Purple Monkey. more ›

In 1947, along with Louis Armet, architect Eldon Davis formed the firm Armet & Davis. After years of designing some of Los Angeles' most iconic "Googie" style restaurants, the duo became known as the "Frank Lloyd Wright of '50s coffee shops." Davis died Friday at the age of 94. more ›

The mission: Time to find some creamy milk shakes to cool us down on a hot summer day in LA. But where to go? That question was put to Twitter, where multiple responses were received. One came from Nastassia Johnson of the Manila Machine who recommended a visit to The 101 Coffee Shop. So we headed over to check out their fountain menu more ›

“Oh, look at that place,” said a friend of a small coffee shop tucked away behind a Downtown Culver City parking structure. “We should totally go there sometime.” “Yeah riiight,” I replied snarkily. “Who would voluntarily grub at a coffee shop in an alley?” For a moment, I forgot who I was, because the answer clearly was: this Recession Obsessionst. more ›

"Just look at that picture. Look at how that cheese is melting, you know it belongs in your fucking face." That's vegan blogger Quarrygirl for you on her above photo from Chango in Echo Park. The coffeeshop is now offering grilled cheeses with that new vegan cheese that some pizzerias have started to use. Is this a trend that we'll see continue across the city? Is this Daiya vegan cheese so good that chefs are actually willing to put it on their menus? We'll see... more ›

Say you're a guy that likes attractive Vietnamese gals. You also have a passion for caffeine. You've no doubt been frustrated, and said to your friends time after time, "geez, when will Garden Grove get a Vietnamese coffee shop that offers more sex appeal than Starbucks' green aprons?" Time to get happy. Cafe Di Vang 2 is the spot. They're the "Asian Hooters for coffee," according to one of their bikini-wearing tea-pourers. more ›

My first memory of Dutton's is of the one in the valley, hot on those unairconditioned summer afternoons, the faintly sour smell of the paper. It was crowded, a little uncomfortable, and yet it was a place that was full of treasures. A place where a kid could wander -- completely by accident, into the Literature section and discover something magical. more ›

Once upon a time Millie's was the only game in town. Sure, there was the House of Pies and the coffee shop on Sunset that is now some kind of brewpub -- but no one ever went there. Millie's had a strong family vibe. Everyone in the neighborhood considered it home. Most of the servers were local musicians, and everyone knew each other. Then new restaurants started popping up all over town, and when Millie's changed hands around 8 years ago, it was the final nail in the coffin. Millie's fell off the map. more ›

A group of enterprising young researchers in UCLA's graduate Computer Science department have discovered a fun new way of using your iPod playlist: Wi-Fi enabled software sends your music preferences to whatever computer is nearby. Then music tailored to your preferences pumps out of the speakers -- can you imagine walking into a coffee shop, and the Carrie Underwood track playing shuts off, and a Matthew Good album slides into the rotation instead? How awesome! What a great way to go about your day! more ›

If you're looking for something interesting to do this weekend, tomorrow night from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., a group of young women under the name Fetus are organizing the first of a planned monthly event at the INMO Gallery, in Billy's Coffee Shop, at the historic 1920s Rosslyn Hotel building. more ›

Some things just naturally go together. Take, for instance, caffeine and the written word. So the inclusion of coffee shops in libraries makes perfect sense. more ›

The anticipated LA MILL COFFEE boutique opened this morning in Silver Lake on its eponymous boulevard between Sunset and the Reservoir (they close at 6 p.m. tonight and are only serving bar drinks and clovers until then). Eater LA takes in the decor: "Custom-made French wallpaper, faux crocodile, ostrich and sharkskin chairs in dark teal, sky blue and red, black Lucite tables. A dramatic brass chandelier hangs in the main room." Definitely not a place safe for vegans. Actually, the menu isn't either. more ›

Haven't you always wanted to grow your favorite fruit in your own backyard? more ›

For those of us not stuck on the 15 to Vegas, here's what's going on around town tonight: more ›

It's called Hacienda la Esmeralda's Geisha coffee, it's award-winning, it's super rare, and for wholesalers it cost $130 a pound at auction - if you can get it. The newish Intellegencia coffee shop on Sunset (right next to the Silver Lake Conservatory) got some and will brew up cups of coffee tomorrow from those magic beans for whoever would like to experience what the most expensive coffee in the world tastes like. Eater LA... more ›

Tony, or by his Flickr sobriquet manmadepants, submitted this amazing photo to our Featured Photos Pool. In his own words...I swear on my life this is 100% real. I was walking down the street looking for stuff to photograph and this guy is just sitting outside a coffee shop with this 80 year old woman and he is taking these little sofa things out of a bag. Then he opens another compartment in the... more ›

Protest over national vs. regional chains, the never-ending debate over the place of cars and bicycles in our metropolises, professional sports scandals, remembering a solemn day, and being issued a search warrant - it all happened across our sites this week! more ›

Did you read the now-notorious article in the LA Times about food writing, anonymity, and the role of bloggers? LA Foodblogging has an excellent response here, and Variety's food blog shares two simple rules for online reviews. What’s on the menu for the Jewish holidays? The LAT suggests braised veal, leek fritters, and cilantro-tomato soup, while the NY Times is answering questions about Rosh Hashana meals via its food message boards. When the LA... more ›

Tucked into one of the ubiquitous strip mall enclave of business on Hollywood Boulevard in Thai Town, Sapp's Coffee Shop is barely noticeable (and not to mention not terribly attractive as a lead photo--my apologies). I first got a peek at the tiny no-frills joint earlier this year, when one of my favorite (and adventuresome) foodies, Anthony Bourdain, stopped by with a local food blogger to try their authentic Thai Boat Noodles. This dish... more ›

No, this is not "Go Metro" to a Hollywood venue, only for the concert to get out after Red Line service ends, leaving you to the streets and cabs. This is go Metro to Union Station's Old Ticket Room for a free CANON concert next month on September 8th at 8 p.m.. The catch, your entrance is your metro pass, metro rail ticket or proof of Metrolink fare. Seemingly geared towards transit optional green... more ›

1. Anything’s possible. One date told me his roommate met her boyfriend by playing against him on Xbox online. And if you're into online dating, at least speed-dating doesn't require that awkward meeting at the coffee shop where you're trying to figure out who your date is, only to discover his/her pic on match.com is from at least a decade ago. more ›

Brrrrrrrrr... did you enjoy cuddling under your blankets last night during that blast of cold weather? Don't forget that it snowed in Los Angeles less than a year ago (and will SCV be so lucky?). Maybe this is Los Angeles' way of saying hello to Beckham with a little frosty cold treat. We're enjoying it. After all, some of us are transplants. Besides the top stories that you probably already know by now, A.M.... more ›

A bistro is a café that serves simple meals in a relaxed setting, the kind of place you can go where you don’t have to worry about meeting anyone’s expectations for relative fame or fashionable dress. My favorite places in L.A. this year generally fit this definition. 1. Pazzo Gelato (my review) Many of my friends look at the dessert menu before they even consider a main course, so let’s start there. After lunch... more ›

While the Du-par's in the Farmer's Market at Fairfax & Third, which has been shuttered for I can't remember how long, is finally set to re-open on December 26 at 6:00 A.M, it's time to say farewell to venerable coffee shop Highland Grounds, which after today will temporarily shut down to undergo a makeover and rechristening. The space that was once a gay bar known as Greg's Blue Dot and then Highland Grounds for 17 years will reopen on January 10, 2007 as The Dive. The ownership will remain the same, but the new venture will become a bar/nightclub type joint in the evening while remaining a coffee shop during the day. Located on Highland just north of Melrose, Highland Grounds was a truly rare species, a neighborhood coffee shop with an unpretentious vibe, a steadfast local clientele and most importantly, a surprisingly diverse and delicious menu.
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Bookblogger Laila Lalami of MoorishGirl will be reading from her new book, tonight at 7:30 pm at Beyond Baroque in Venice. Lalami, although currently a SoCal expat, lived in Los Angeles for many years. She wrote this on her blog about coming back for a Duttons' reading yesterday: more ›

Four years. more ›

What's the buzz at the water cooler these days? Of course the water cooler was beaten to death (no pun intended) with the happenings of PopeGate 2005, and then we seemed to quickly burn through the "hot at the moment" rumors of Dave Chappelle going mental, checking into a hospital, fleeing to Mars, take your pick. more ›

What can LAist say about the trendiest, most-ego centric, annoying, crowded, attitude-y coffee shop in all of Los Angeles? more ›

Back from the Holidays, LAist brings you yet another look at people and coffee and buzz-like activity (we're going into our fifth month, people) as it relates to Los Angeles. This week, LAist took a trip to the hip and happening and happy and horror-filled location that is Hollywood -- more specifically, Sunset Boulevard where there's more billboards per capita than in any other place in town. more ›