Elise Thompson

You may not be able to share lunch by the water in George Clooney's villa, but you can get a taste of Lake Como right here in Santa Monica. Its location on the 3rd Street Promenade may make some people think the restaurant is a tourist trap, but once ensconced in the tasteful high-ceilinged, white tablecloth restaurant it becomes clear this is not some cheesy chain. Locanda del Lago is a special occasion restaurant, but...

l to r: Chairry, Mr. Window, Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens), Globey, Flowers. Photo by Ed Krieger/Used with permission It's a good time to live in Los Angeles. Only Angelenos have the rare opportunity to see a new adaptation of "The Pee-wee Herman Show" at Club Nokia through February 7th. The show, adapted for this series by Reubens, Bill Steinkeller and John Paragon, is a mish-mash of bits and characters from Pee-wee Herman's stage, film...

It's always exciting to see the new products introduced at NAMM, from complex audio interfaces down to cowbells. This year some of the showcased items were Yamaha's Rock Tour Series drum kits, Vater's Bamboo Splashsticks, and Paiste's Alex Van Halen signature model 24" Big Ride Cymbals. Monster presented several audiophile model headphones including Dr. Dre's Beats as well as Miles Davis Tribute earbuds for jazz afficionados.

Last week NAMM took over Anaheim, bringing its endless expanse of music equipment, some serious weirdness, and attracting some of the best musicians in the biz. Big hitters this year included Yoko Ono, Steve Vai, Rancid, Bootsy Collins and Shela E.

NAMM (National Assocoiation of Music Merchants) holds an annual convention in Los Angeles. For a few years it was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, but soon moved back to its home at The Anaheim Convention Center. There are over 1500 exhibitors, who are there launching new products, hosting signings, and organizing jam sessions. The thing about NAMM is that it is not open to the public--not for any price. It is industry only....

I have a confession to make. I LOVE plastic food. It's one of my favorite reasons for wandering around Little Tokyo. I found out from one restaurant that they have their plastic food custom-made to look exactly like their real food, which amazes me. I had always thought they just ordered "Udon #2" from a catalog. Imagine my surprise at finding a perfect plastic rendering of a sub sandwich at the Subway shop. Just...

When Rebel Yell came out with their bacon bourbon we knew exciting things were going to happen. The bacon old fashioned was created by Kevin Tidwell, bartender at Little Dom’s.

Kaya Toast at Susan Feniger's Street (and later at Jitlada by special request Thanks Jonathan Gold and Sinosoul) Yes, I am saying bites rather than meals, because most of the fantastic food I have eaten this year has been at foodie events. A few may be sips, not bites, but hey--who's making the rules? Speaking of rules you may wonder what my criteria was. Essentially, if I remembered something without having to think very...

DJ Bonebrake (X), Jack Skelly (Lawndale) and Dark Bob have created this fantastic new year's video to usher in 2010! It seems to be the year when everyone spontaneously regrows their hair. This happy, Beatle-esque video employs 80's graphics because the the 80's were superfun! Jack promises, " this song...would be perfect for all music and laughter-loving Angelenos!!!"...

For those of you partying at home to avoid the crowds, expense, and scary drivers, there is no reason why you can't enjoy elegant and delicious cocktails. These are mostly holiday punches, but don't be afraid to get that shaker out. Even the weird-sounding ingredients are available at any store. We tested out the new X-rated Fusion liquor, a passionfruit-flavored vodka, and it was delicious. Although almost everyone who saw the pink bottle asked,...