Oh, you've got to love rumors, especially those that both anger and please people, depending on who you're speaking with. This rumor comes via a report during the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council* meeting last Monday night. During a Land Use Committee report, someone asked what the status was on the old Ventura Club building at Colbath and Ventura (just East of Hazeltine). Originally it was slated as a Walgreens, but after that got scrapped, the......

There is some kind of hellish cold going around that's sent people from all over running to their doctors for a z-pack (to the uninitiated out that that would be pack of Zithromax, the antibiotic du jour these days.) But what if you're trying to stick it out and fight it off with a wing, a prayer and some echinacea? There's always chicken soup (especially if you've got someone to bring you some to you!).......

It's National Cold Cuts Day. That term has always brought to mind those not very fresh, tasteless sandwich fillers served at large functions that you eat because you don't want to eat only macaroni salad. With the beef recall, dashing to your local butcher for some cold cuts sounds less appetizing than ever. However, the term "cold cuts" can include cheese and that's where you can freely celebrate. When I lived in NY, I......

Chipotle is hot for Westwood and UCLA is hot (or just plain cheap) for them As said in Extra, Extra, thanks to our friends at EaterLA, there are free burritos in Westwood tonight: "Those poor students and cheap business people, they love the freebies. A new Chipotle opens on Broxton today, and to commemorate, they're giving away free burritos." One student reader phoned in from the line. "It is sooooo long. This is crazy......

Okay, it won't be even close to this dramatic looking when the food is pulled | Photo veganstraightedge by via Flickr Trader Joes, based here in Southern California in Monrovia, made a big announcement today regarding imported food from China:Garlic, frozen organic spinach and other "single ingredient" food items from mainland China will be phased out by April 1, although products that include ingredients from both China and other sources will remain. The company......

One of my few gripes with Los Angeles is that it's not a 24-hour town. Las Vegas? Gimme, gimme more. New York? Reasonable facsimile. Los Angeles? Not so much. My bio rhythms are royally screwed up. I have no problem staying up until 5am. I also have no problem waking up at 4am. I often say to myself that sleep is for the weak -- until I pass out and wake up 18 hours later,......

Welcome to a two-part review of the year’s best cookbooks. In part one, I’ll list five new books that inspired me in the kitchen in 2007…part 2 will include five rediscoveries that you might want to add to your shelf. Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier A cookbook by a blogger! (with another book in press!) Inspired by a two-year stay in San Francisco, Dusoulier developed the blog......

It's a family tradition: every year on New Year's Day, we toast slices of panettone and drink mimosas. The warm, buttery, alcohol-infused bread is the perfect compliment to a nice, dry champagne and nothing says ring in the new year like a little more liquor (provided you've survived the night before.) Before you complain about how gross panettone is or how it resembles the much-maligned fruit-cake, listen up: don't be fooled into trying it......

New state-set limits on the bacteria found in raw milk products might impact the ability of suppliers to provide consumers with products next month. Officials emphasize that the ban would not ban raw milk and products derived from it, but that the new standards are "necessary for consumer safety," the Daily news reports. The article explains:The new standard, part of AB 1735, takes effect in January, setting a limit of no more than 10 coliforms......

Are you lazy? A terrible cook? Don't care about Christmas? Where are you going to find someplace to eat that's open during the holidays? Chinese food is a great option, of course -- and Gayot lists some other fine dining places that are serving up deals on Christmas Eve. Looking for a last-minute book buy for the chef in your life? The LA Times lists the year's top cookpook picks. JGold celebrates the opening......

Taste-Buzz will fill you with ramen cravings in this post on Asa Ramen in Gardena. Rameniac (noodle porn!) is also on the scene. More and more, it seems like the real culinary finds in this region are in the cities surrounding central L.A. Is Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) a necessary evil for those seeking high-quality, low-impact organic food? Or is the company less interested in ethical consumption and more involved in "creating a retail......

Itching to get out to the latest restaurant or coolest foodie event this weekend? Here's a quick round-up of where to eat this weekend that will have you talking all week. Find out what's going on with LA Mill's soft opening -- this coffee boutique planned for a Silver Lake location has testing out its goods at a clothing store in West Hollywood, but the owners are very tight-lipped about the next steps --......

If you're anything like us and still incorporate large quantities of instant ramen noodles into your diet (is that shameful for a food writer to admit?), this morning's news might cause more than a little worry. We woke to our local news broadcasters discussing yet another American health worry: salt. Apparently Americans consume 50% too much salt in their diet, much of it locked up in processed and canned foods, and the FDA is......

This week five fresh&easy grocery stores er, "neighborhood markets," opened in metro Los Angeles. We visited the Glassell Park store located in a gutted Albertson's on Eagle Rock Blvd (map) for our first impression of UK-based Tesco's (the world's third-largest grocer) attempt to hook finicky West Coast consumers. The array of fresh&easy branded products is impressive. The packaging is minimalist, reminiscent of a Safeway or Walgreen's branded generic. But as you'll see in the slideshow......

We've driven by the Whole-Foods-to-be site for months now. Waiting. Wishing. While we don't shop at Whole Foods all the time (we love you Whole Foods, but your prices on many common items are just short of outrageous) there are a few grocery items we're partial to that we just can't get anywhere else. When we run out of these particular food items, the trek to the really far-away Pasadena or Glendale Whole Foods......

Did you know you can still get tickets for Monday night's Rilo Kiley show at the Santa Monica Civic? Do you know why you can still get tickets for the show? Because it's in Santa Monica. And when the people of Santa Monica aren't trying to destroy old trees and houses, they're looking for things to do Other than see great rock shows. Let's think of things they do on the Westside other than......

It's hard to find a person out there who doesn't like cookies. And it's even harder to find someone who will turn down a free one. So what if I tell you that over the next few days at several Los Angeles-area Whole Foods Markets you can get yourself a free sample of an organic Crummy Brothers Chocolate Chip cookie? I think you just might say "Hell yes!" So what's the deal with Crummy......

They're old, they're gray, they steal carbon from the air, they block the sun, they buckle the sidewalks... and they're so ridiculously green it's almost like they're showing off. They are the 50+ ficus trees who have the nerve to stand in the way of progress near the 3rd Street Promenade. And they've got to go. In order to expand the popular shopping district (once known as the Santa Monica Mall), city officials have......

Top Chef hasn’t suffered from sophomore – okay, junior – slump at all. Bravo’s reality show is turning out to be one of the most consistently entertaining programs on television, thanks to one simple rule that’s all too often overlooked in the reality game: talented people make good television. Unfortunately, not everybody agrees: Regina Schrambling over at the LA Times recently decried the “tentacles” of advertising that have a firm grip on the show’s......

Bills just came in. Rent's due. I made a major and very necessary computer purchase that needs to be paid off right away. My credit cards are tired. I'm poor. There won't be any lavish lunches or fancy foreign cheese purchases from Whole Foods happening for me anytime soon. If I'm not careful, the next few weeks might be Top Ramen City -- what's a budget-minded foodie to do? Luckily, I have two dozen......

All eastbound lanes between Sepulveda and La Cienega boulevards on the 105 Freeway will be closed from 3 AM to midnight this weekend and next for filming. L.A. 11st District City Councilman Bill Rosendahl introduced a resolution today to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. An ideal way to find all the farmers' markets in the L.A. region: LA Farmers' Market Mapplet. Jamie Foxx is shooting for another Oscar with......

It was supposed to be a big deal. The signs have been up for months. Big, fancy Target on Colorado Blvd to open on July 29th. We got word that the "soft launch" of this super-new, super-big, super-special Target would take place this week. What's so special about this three-story Target? An excellent question. So we checked it out during prime evening shopping hours and could not believe that it was empty, empty, empty.......

I like to consider myself a green person. I mean every time I leave the house I ask myself if my destination can be reached without a car, which is why I find myself riding a bicycle/subway/bus often. However I always come across others who are gung-ho about nascent eco-trends (drives a Prius, shops only at Whole Foods), who are so caught up in Green Commercialism that they never stop to evaluate its benefit......

This week ended with the launch of the seventh and final Harry Potter installation. But while the world was consumed with Pottermania, it's important to remember that there were more serious things going on in the world, too - two of them in -Ist cities. Sampaist was shocked when a passenger jet crashed into the center of Sao Paulo, killing at least 200 people. The airplane, an Airbus A320, skidded off the runway at the......

Worthy Sounds is an event company dedicated to bringing people together through music and tonight are hosting an event tonight called "Green Spirits." It is their intention raise awareness about sustainable opportunities and help people get involved. Held at The Gibson Showroom, five diverse music acts will be performing, there is a silent auction and an eco-spa suite sponsored by Jurlique. Net proceeds will benefit Tree People. To RSVP, email: worthysounds@gmail.com. Details: When: Tonight,......

Rarely does anything good come from the keyboard of an anonymous negative commentor. Despite the fact that one could hide from the bushes and snipe at people from the bushes doesn't mean that one should. Likewise, when commentors refuse to put their real name next to their criticism, the validity of the statement should be seriously questioned, as should its motives. Case in point this week comes from the CEO of one of the......

I know, I know, but it’s been a long week, and my original post idea turned out to be closed. Anyway, on with the food! One of my favorite foods is the tomato. Not these anemic orange Franken-tomatoes you see at the market, bred for durability rather than flavor. Even their redder brethren, those red, viney ones still get mushy, and taste is secondary. But now we are in the high season of tomatoes!......

- LA Weekly wins seven awards from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies awards. - Tomorrow is “Community Day” at all California Whole Foods — 5% of the day’s net sales statewide are gonna go toward California coastal Cleanup Day, which happens on Sept. 15, 2007. - Cook like a fireman with the Los Angeles Firefighters Family Cookbook. - Changes are coming to this year's Sunset Junction festival with a new "route." - Big Blue......

- So many horror movies, so little time. Or is it that the 42 horror films this year are not as killer as the past has shown. - Whole Foods anticipated buyout of Wild Oats is not going come and go without a fight. While the two largest organic supermarkets talk, the USDA is considering relaxing some organic food standards. - Grocery Strike Watch: "We've been negotiating for six months," said Rick Icaza, president of......

We like it when our parents come to the Big City to visit. We like our parents generally, but when they decide to fight traffic down the 101 on a Saturday, they do it cause they're coming for something special - and not just the immeasurable pleasure of their darling offspring. A meal someplace like Mozza is the perfect thing to tempt our suburbanite folks away from their golf-course-view-jacuzzied backyard out to the urban......