Local high school students involved in LAUSD culinary programs recently took part in the annual Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C- CAP) event, and a few managed to chop the competition and receive scholarships to culinary schools and colleges. more ›

If you've ever dazzled your dining companions with your uncanny ability to make short work of a big steaming bowl of ramen, you might want to put your money where your mouth is and set your self a-slurpin' at an upcoming contest. more ›

Americans, we know you would do just about anything to show your support of one of the nation's finest men: George Clooney. And if you've ever wanted to get an up-close look at the Great Bachelor's Los Angeles pad, now is the time. You can win your way into his home for a special party he's throwing. more ›

In-N-Out makes burgers beloved by many, but they also have a rep for making sure no one else makes a burger like them--or at least calls it by the same name. Famously protective of their menu and aesthetics, the SoCal chain has asked a nearly 40-year-old Manhattan Beach eatery to take the burger they're calling a Double Double off their menu. more ›

The people have spoken, and the votes have been tallied: The pair of rescued mountain lion cubs being cared for at a Paso Robles animal facility could soon get names chosen by locals. more ›

The Humane Society of the U.S.'s fashion design contest Cool vs. Cruel challenges students of The Art Institutes to reinterpret a "furry" runway look by crafting an improved, animal-friendly version. This year's competition culls from inhumane designs by Fendi, Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Oscar de la Renta. more ›

There is simply no better place to be than at the beach this Saturday, October 29. ZJ Boarding House is hosting its third annual Halloween surf contest, Haunted Heats. L.A.'s most adventurous surfers will toss their wetsuits aside (or cover them up) and arrive outfitted in their Halloween best. more ›

Gothamist is interested in adding more long-form non-fiction features to our websites. Last month, we premiered the results of our first call for features, "Confessions of a 'Rape Cop' Juror", on our New York site. We are happy with the results: Sales have been good, the feature and writer were covered on numerous blogs and newspapers (even on TV), and we learned a lot about how to publish e-books. more ›

Gothamist is interested in adding more long-form non-fiction features to our websites. Last month, we premiered the results of our first call for features, "Confessions of a 'Rape Cop' Juror", on our New York site. We are happy with the results: Sales have been good, the feature and writer were covered on numerous blogs and newspapers (even on TV), and we learned a lot about how to publish e-books. more ›

Who took home the Hurley Pro bacon strips? Reigning world champ Kelly Slater won, celebrating his 48th world tour victory plus a not too shabby reward of $455k. "All was right in the surf world," according to ESPN. more ›

Angeleno cocktailians, start your engines. The five finalists of the 2nd Annual L.A.’s Best Bartender Competition have been announced. Now, we knew last week that Joseph Brooke of Next Door Lounge won as People’s Choice and therefore automatically earned a spot as a finalist. But who are the other four he’ll be going up against in the final showdown? more ›

The world's best surfers are ripping it up at San Onofre State Beach - Lower Trestles, one of the world's most famous surf breaks. The Hurley Pro surf competition commenced on Sunday and continues through Saturday. Winner takes the world title. more ›

According to his BeerNews bio, 24-year-old Andrew Bell of Los Angeles considers himself "a beer enthusiast/geek first and a [home]brewer second." Of course, those two things aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Bell can add one more accomplishment to his beer resume: His brew won a homebrew competition, and soon his "Zeal Island Pale Ale" will be on taps in local bars. more ›

Local music legends The Beach Boys are proving you can evolve oldies with some social media tricks. The band is crowdsourcing content for two videos for two of their songs, "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains" ahead of the November 1 release of "The Smile Sessions." more ›

As if Topless Day isn't enough for Venice Beach this Sunday, the bohemian shoreline will host the fifth annual Supergirl Jam. Two female-centric events, both boasting the spirit of feminism and girl power, will take over the land. However, only one group will bare all. We're fairly certain the athletes will remain fully clothed. more ›

Not that we have any particular interest in this topic, but CBS is holding a contest for L.A.'s most valuable blogger. According to their website, the battle is on for the title in six different areas of coverage. more ›

Barflies, boozehounds, and all-around cocktailing know-it-alls, Table 20's 2nd Annual L.A.'s Best Bartender Contest is open for nominations, and you can win, too, just for naming your favorite guy or gal behind the stick. more ›

Cutest baby, favorite chef, best cover band, leader of the biggest nation in the free world: Forget all those opportunities to rock the vote, and have your say in the AIA Barbie® Dream House™ Design Competition. The AIA and its panel of jurors have selected five finalists out of the nearly 30 submissions, and the ultimate choice is up to you. more ›

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra wants to take you on an exciting musical journey, where the listener can travel back in time to 1787 Prague and the debut of Mozart's Symphony No. 38 in D major, and then to the genre-bending realm of the work of Derek Bermel's Mar de Setembro (“September Sea”), and we are giving away 2 pairs of tickets to the Saturday, May 14th performance. more ›

Do you search your iTunes library for a certain song when you're feeling glum? Does singing along while you're driving, or cleaning the house make you feel better? The connection between music and the mind is the inspiration for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's "Westside Connections" series. We're giving away a pair of tickets to the March 3, 2011 performance at the Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. more ›

Lonely Planet is once again poking the bear of bi-coastal rivalry for the purposes of a poll. The travel guide gurus initially courted controversy in January by starting an SF vs NYC match up, and while SFist noted that "comparing San Francisco to New York City is like comparing chocolate to peanut butter (or something like that)," the silliness of the battle didn't stop the city from clicking, commenting and competing bravely. Verdict: NYC had their tushies handed to them on a cable car. more ›

British singer-songwriter David Gray is kicking off his "Lost and Found" tour next month, and he'll be making a stop at Royce Hall on March 8th, 2011. We are giving away a pair of tickets to see Gray at Royce Hall to one reader who enters our contest. more ›

Eat a jar of Nutella, don't slip into a diabetic coma, win. Today at noon, Orange County's famed food truck Crepes Bonaparte is holding a Nutella eating contest. The winner will receive FREE crepes from the truck for a month. It's $5 to enter (and the fee includes a crepe!) with all proceeds benefiting the OC United Way. The event will take place at Sycamore and Civic Center Drive in Santa Ana. May the fork be with you. more ›