Unless you live under a rock (and, if you do, hey, we don't judge) you probably know that Friday, April 29th is the big Royal Wedding, in which Britain's Prince William will marry longtime love, the lovely commoner Catherine "Kate" Middleton in a massive Westminster Abbey ceremony. The crowds of looky-loos and media outlets have been camped in London for days now, and the countdown is on to the nuptials. The world will be watching from afar, too, including here in Los Angeles. While the middle-of-the-night broadcasts are excellent DVR fodder for the less devoted, if you want to watch the wedding with friends and strangers, here are some places around town hosting viewing events. more ›

Celebrate your love of planet earth and caffeine dependency* today with a free cup of brewed coffee or tea, hot or iced, from participating Starbucks. The catch: You gotta bring your own receptacle in which to catch the liquid. Okay, they aren't throwing it at you, they're pouring it into your reusable mug or tumbler, which you are bringing into a Starbucks to collect your freebie. more ›

The poor "Tea Leaf" gets no respect! Forced to try to drum up awareness of his plight outside a Santa Monica Boulevard Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf location, this hard-working, but under-appreciated, other half of the national beverage chain's drink offerings, resorts to some good old fashioned brawling when his Ice Blended rival steals his sign. more ›

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." more ›

Silver Lake's Pazzo Gelato is promoting its newly expanded hours (they used to open at 11 a.m.) with 2-for-1 coffee and tea items from 7-11 a.m. While you're there, sample the homemade treats -- it's never too early for gelato. Pazzo Gelato / Sunset & Hyperion / 90026 | photo by e-ta-i via flickr. more ›

Afternoon tea is a delightful tradition that has morphed into its own stateside genesis of elegance and indulgence, complete with lots of food and, of course, tea. Here in Los Angeles there are many places to go for tea service that cover all aspects of the spectrum, from the casual to the hip. LAist Featured Photos contributor kristi.nicole recently enjoyed an afternoon of tea and treats at Venice's Jin Patisserie and gave us this brief sip of a rundown:

We all ordered the "Afternoon Tea" which includes Egg finger sandwiches, savories, homemade scones, butter cake, praline & Chef’s selection of mini sweet pastries and tea of your choosing. The scones are pretty amazing and the pastries are excellent every time. For tea I'd suggest the Earl Grey or the white teas.

Alain Giraud is a charismatic guy. He is the picture of a merry chef, walking through his restaurant in his whites, with a warm smile, raking his fingers through a pristine silver hairdo that only a Frenchman can pull off. And even when he whispered (politely) to me, “Madame, please don’t take pictures of the restaurant”, I could not help but smile and say, alright then. He is just that, how do you say… geniale. more ›

6 p.m. // The Hammer Museum // 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles // (310) 443-7000 // $5 more ›

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Bettina Korek and her For Your Art crew did it again -- another fantastic art opening slammed with people. Actually, they have been sizzlin' hot all weekend with the first LA Art Weekend (with more events today), which has highlighted some of the city's newest gallery spaces including last night's opening of Royal/T, the nation's first Japanese "Maid Cafe," and the pop up Storefront for Architecture and Art on Friday. Royal/T is a shop, an art space and a cafe all in one. Tea service will begin sometime soon, but in the meantime, enjoy the photos below. more ›

LA Mill finally (soft-)opened its "boutique" in Silver Lake last Friday and we were lucky to get there in time to sample the goods -- for free. The space is impressive but the environment -- almost pretentiously over the top. But let's discuss the coffee: 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 ›

The sweetened, spiced tea drink we know as chai originated as a hot drink in India. Traditionally it’s a combination of looseleaf black tea, spices, sweetener, and hot milk. The chai latté has become a recognized staple in restaurants and hipster cafés throughout the western world these days, served hot or iced. There are many ways to make a chai latté, and the ubiquity of readymade pre-sweetened mixes makes a chai composed of unprocessed ingredients a rare treat. more ›

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