Elise Thompson

There is a bakery on Glenoaks called Paradise Pastry and Cafe. It is a land of wonder, with a hot deli, cold deli. meat market, and import shop. If you need foie gras, sweetbreads, back bacon or yoghurt soda, this is the place to go. In the Armenian bakery, where you can get nazook still warm from the oven and a huge assortment of French pastries.

This year's Academy Awards will take place on March 7th. But the real fun happens after the awards, when the stars let loose at the Governor's Ball. 1,500 guests, including both award winners and nominees, will finally be able to stop dieting and start drinking recklessly. LAist was there to preview the feast prepared by Wolfgang Puck and his pastry chef of wonder, Sherry Yard. Moet & Chandon was also on hand to show off the official Oscar cocktail.

The Governors Ball is the annual soiree that takes place at Hollywood and Highland directly after the Academy Awards. The theme this year brings back old Hollywood elegance, particularly the late 30s and early 40s "Streamline Moderne" style. Cheryl Cecchetto, who has produced the Governors Ball for the last 21 years, teamed up with Jeffrey Kurland to bring the glamour and magic to life. From the glittering tables to the beaded fiber optic lighting to the purple, orange, silver and copper color palette, the room brings the curves of Dorothy Draper and the artistry of Paul Williams to life.

Whether it be a toaster, live mums like you would give your mum or some cheap leopard-print undies, Valentine's day gifts are rife with snares for the unwary shopper. To help you avoid some of the pitfalls, we have devised this handy guide, which is more of a list of don'ts. Don't. Don't. Don't.

In case you haven't heard, this weekend is Super Bowl Sunday. If you are looking for big crowds, big drink specials and even bigger TVs, check out our picks for a few parties around town. Call Rush Street in Culver City to make reservations for Sunday and you are guaranteed a comfortable seat to watch the game and order up their gigantic burgers. The restaurant/bar is comprised of two stories with two bars and two patio decks...

Have you ever wished "The Vagina Monologues" was a musical? Do you wish "Glee" was comprised solely of left-wing feminists? Then have we got the show for you! Written by Katie Goodman (author of "Improvisation of the Spirit") and & Soren Kisiel, Broad Comedy is a show chock-full of political and social satire set to a bouncy beat.

One thing you may have noticed about LAist is that we take our mac and cheese very seriously. Luckily, so do the good folks over at Citizen Smith. The trippy junk store-chic hotspot that has inhabited the Cahuenga corridor for four years is known more for its nightlife, but they definitely take their food seriously.

Everything I really need to know I learned at Rush Street. 1.Share everything. The servings here are so generous and the food is so tempting-looking, it is impossible for friends to keep their fingers out of your fries. Luckily, you have a mess of fries and can afford to lose a few. After all, Rush Street generously invited LAist to sample their dineLA menu, so share and share alike.

A photographer can get jaded pretty fast on the red carpet. Hour after hour, a steady stream of beautiful people smile and pose while you elbow big hairy guys under the hot sun. Soon, any time you travel and meet people who ask, "You live in Los Angeles? Do you see a lot of movie stars?" you kind of want to punch them in the face. But just kind of. I am an anomoly amongst...

Wednesday night LAist accepted a dinner invitation to test out the dineLA menu. The first thing we noticed were the vegetarian options, assuming the risotto is cooked without chicken broth. The menu seems basic upon first glance, but the high quality of the ingredients and careful execution made the simplest-sounding dishes exquisite.