Her name is Reason and she is not quite 10 years old. In fact, if you ask her, she'll tell you she is 9-and-a-half, which bodes well for her ability to keep a close tab on important numbers. But that is not why I asked her to fill out my NCAA brackets this year. Each and every year, we are subject to endless debate about who will win, who should win and who who has no chance. This year, I decided to forgo usual strategy that included years of picks based on advice from so-called experts and go with someone whose lack of college basketball wisdom rivals only her fondness for recess. more ›

President Obama (he's in SoCal today and tomorrow) is a known hoops fan. Taking five minutes out of his busy schedule, he offers his Presidential take on how college basketball's annual horserace may start and finish. Sorry Bruins and Trojans, he's not too kind on the Pac-10. more ›

Before I go on record with my picks for today’s games, let me just get this off my chest. more ›

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 poulet, vegetarian couscous, and Moroccan beef kefta. First, enjoy an appetizer of houmous, baba ganoush, or the "spicy cigars" -- tightly rolled puff pastries filled with a ground beef mixture. more ›

We've been hitting DineLA's Restaurant Week pretty hard over here at LAist, but I just wanted to make a few quick observations about my great experience at Simon LA last night. We arrived about half an hour early for our reservation, but the hostess seated us promptly, in a friendly and welcoming way. Our waitress got our drink orders in quickly, and our appetizers came out within minutes of placing our order. This place is ready for Restaurant Week. I saw quite a few other tables with the prix-fixe menu -- Simon LA has been getting some good marks on the boards for its great R-Week experience. more ›