Despite the fact that he is by far the most well-known and successful avant-garde film maker in the United States, David Lynch is rather notorious for sidestepping questions about any deeper meaning—or even the very basic logic—of his films. For example, Lynch described his last release, Inland Empire, as "a mystery about a woman in trouble,” which is far beyond an understatement, considering that the film arguably out-convoluted Mulholland Drive. This very pared-down synopsis, not to mention to the lack of director commentaries on his DVD releases, should tell you what kind of responses to expect from Lynch when faced with any common query—What’s in the box? What’s with the rabbits? What happened to Agent Cooper? Details should not be expected. more ›

Everyone needs a place that restores their faith. Not only in a religious sense -- a place that restores one's faith in humanity, in rightness and balance. A place that makes the unseen become momentarily visible. Some people find their place in church, nature, or fellowship. And some people's faith is restored when they stand in the presence of great art. There is something truly special when the place itself is art -- the art that grows from one pair of hands crafting a vision. Places like the Watt's Towers and Nitt Witt Ridge, where one person has painstakingly made their home a shrine, shard by broken shard. more ›

I swear to God I did not pose someone in a creepy frock in front of the truck. They were standing there when I got there. Goths eat ice cream too, you know. Especially when summoned by the music of the dark overlord | photo by Elise Thompson for LAist more ›

Saturday night La Luz de Jesus hosted the the book signing for The Velvet Hammer Burlesque Book, in conjunction with opening reception for the group exhibition of photographs from the book. The beautifully bound and printed coffee table book was worth every penny of the 60 dollar price tag, as you will see in some of the featured artwork after the jump. Beautiful women and elegant men turned out in droves to appreciate the majesty of feminine form, in its various shapes and sizes. more ›

Remember the good old days, when you would just end up at a random artspace downtown sometime after midnight? People would be walking around wearing bowler hats and bunny suits while loud noise/music/artistic expression screeched out from the next room. So you would wander into the next room and find someone bellydancing or putting on a burlesque show. And you would think to yourself, "Oh my God! Who are these people? How did I get here? and how am I getting home?" A few hours later, you would find yourself in some Little Tokyo hole-in-the-wall drunkenly slurping up noodles. 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 ›

I discovered this street art on 8th, just west of Grand in downtown LA last week. more ›

Why not surprise your Valentine with a homemade treat this year? more ›

We always encourage you to press that little recommend button at the bottom right hand corner of every post if you enjoyed it. For one, it tells us what you want more of here at LAist. So here's this week's three most recommended and commented posts, as recommended and talked up by you: more ›

dineLA Restaurant Week kicked off in style yesterday at Neal Fraser's Grace on Beverly Boulevard. Neal Fraser is the only Angeleno ever to have won Iron Chef, against none other than Cat Cora. more ›

In Louisiana, red beans and rice are traditionally served on Mondays. Monday was wash day, and once all of the ingredients were thrown in, you could ignore the beans all day while you tended to the laundry. I am obsessed with red beans and rice. The only version I've eaten that beat my own recipe was made by Mike Anderson's in New Orleans. more ›

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This winter, Seven Grand in downtown LA is offering three specialty winter drinks: The Dublin Flip, Hot Toddy and Irish Coffee. more ›

The King's Head is arguably home to the best fish and chips in Los Angeles. Sadly, the fish and chips get so much attention that the clam chowder is not given its rightful due. Let me make up for that now. The King's Head Pub in Santa Monica serves the chowder of the gods. All other chowders should bow down before it. Other chowders dare not speak its name. more ›

I have always had something against mulled wine. Besides it having the viscousity of blood, I just imagine Will Farrell and Rachel Dratch's "Lovers" characters from SNL drinking hot mulled wine to wash down the juices of their roasted goat meat. more ›

People are always there for you in the midst of crisis. But eventually they have to get back to their own lives, and on to the next crisis. Unfortunately, that is when you really need someone. more ›

Dupar's is known for its delicious pies, so it naturally follows that they would have a kick-ass chicken pot pie. Really, its only competition in town is Musso and Frank's, and I still think Dupar's has them beat. more ›

In addition to your usual Irish Coffee, O'Brien's in Santa Monica serves five other fun alcoholic coffee drinks. The Nutty Irishman, made with Frangelico, was beckoning (why are nutty Irishmen in bars always beckoning? Must be my red hair. And their beer goggles). more ›

There is a common misconception that we don't have seasons in Los Angeles. We know when the seasons are changing. There are two distinct events that herald the coming winter: the Christmas displays replace the Halloween merchandise, and the lunch trucks start selling champurrado. more ›

Every once in awhile something is so surprisingly good that you never forget the first time you tried it. more ›

A feeling of familiarity always comes over me when I escape from the cold and the rain into the warmth and comfort of the Tam O'Shanter. Maybe it's because I grew up in Scottish pubs. Maybe it's because my mother's house is decorated exactly like the interior of the Tam O' Shanter, as is my brother's house, as is my own den (I have managed to contain all of the Scottishness in one room of the house by sheer willpower). Oh, sorry, am I babbling? Have I mentioned how strong the drinks are? more ›

The weather outside is frightful, but here inside Nate 'n Al it's toasty and warm. The waitress treats you like she's your mom, chiding you if you don't eat enough soup. Nothing takes the chill off like a big, hot bowl of Mish Mash soup (pronounced by most people as "mish mosh"). Matzoh ball soup is usually considered to be the ultimate comfort food, but in this soup you get the best of everything - a big, fluffy, perfectly cooked matzoh ball, a soft Kreplach dumpling with a bland filling that yields easily to the bite, plus kasha, rice and barley. Mish Mosh was made for those winter days when you are under the weather. Nothing too spicy, nothing too challenging, and the soft carbohydrates require hardly any chewing. After all, we wouldn't want you to strain yourself, would we? Now eat! more ›

It was a great year of new books, re-discovered books, and books we meant to get to last year but didn't. The end of the year is nearly here and before we look forward, we'll take a look back. LAist Editors share their favorite book they read this year: more ›

As a send off to photographer, Ann Summa's Los Angelesshow, bands/performers from the bad old days of early L.A. punk played in the gallery. Dude, it was both awesome and bitchin. more ›

The Mods and Rockers invite all Beatles fans, Anglophiles and latent mods and rockers to attend A Holiday Rave-up: A Very British Sixties Christmas! tomorrow night. more ›

It seems like everyone just instinctively knows how to make JELL-O shots. Only recently did I discover that this fine art is not in everyone's repertoire. With the holidays coming up, it might be time to brush up on College Drinking 101. more ›

Here's the mix: Download or listen to the mix above which contains the songs and their related articles below: - Spoon "Infinite Pet" for show review by Staci Goodner - No Age "Everybody's Down" for a story/show review by Joshua Pressman - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings "Tell Me" for a CD review by tomdog - MIA "Galang" for a show review by Joey Maloney - Cake "War Pigs" cuz they play on 11/30 at... more ›

This is Hendrix's original grave in the humble family plot before his memorial was built. It seems a little sad and neglected in this picture, but this Seattle cemetary is actually lush with grass. The only reason for the dirt is because the constant stream of visitors created a well-worn path that didn't allow the grass to grow. On November 26, 2002 Hendrix's body was exhumed and reburied under a much more fitting marble dome memorial in another section of the same cemetary, Greenwood Memorial Park. If you are in the area and would like to pay your respects, you can find the location at findagrave.com. more ›

I am thankful that my family happens to include people who I would rather spend this day with than anyone else. I know today they will make me laugh, stuff me with food and touch my heart. For the opportunity to befriend everyone here at LAist, including (and especially) the readers For moonlight on the Seine For art museums For white narcissus For See's chocolates For the Pacific ocean For the smell of Crayons... more ›

Last night I was casually checking out what various travel websites had to say about the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Most of the summaries in Frommers sounded like this: Silver Lake, a residential neighborhood just north of Downtown and adjacent to Los Feliz (home to the Los Angeles Zoo and Griffith Park), just to the west, has arty areas with unique cafes, theaters, graffiti, and art galleries -- all in equally plentiful proportions. The... more ›