Elise Thompson

Joe Peep's Pizza in North Hollywood (OK, Valley Village), is a neighborhood institution, whatever the neighborhood. It is also a mystery. Who exactly is Joe Peeps? The logo shows "Kilroy was here". Well, the secret is there isn't exactly a Joe Peeps. But there is an owner who started working in a local bakery in his early teens. There he perfected the art of the pizza crust. Although the joint takes on a New York vibe, the owner says, "You don't have to be in New York to make a perfect crust."

With beloved eateries like Casa Bianca Pizzaria and Oinkster, Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock is quickly becoming "home to all things delicious." One restaurant at East LA Meets Napa had served wild boar tacos -- and I had missed it. So it was like instant karma when I met a friend for lunch at CaCao in Eagle Rock. What was that on the menu? Wild boar! This was the place. Colorado Boulevard scores again.

It’s easy to find Chef Marilyn’s Soul Food. Just head south off the 10 at Crenshaw and look for the line that stretches out the door from 10:30am to 9pm. It’s easy to be tempted away by the smoke from Phillips Bar-B-Que, but Chef Marilyn’s has a line for a reason. Advertising “99-cents and up”, the tiny cafeteria-style eatery sells food a la carte (or a la Chinese buffet). The prices range from 99 cents...

Goldbug in Old Town Pasadena is the store for those of us who once caught spiders in jars and spent Saturday afternoons in the Museum of Natural History. Owner Stacey Coleman describes the small, family-owned store as "A contemporary cabinet of curiosity." The neo-Victorian shop looks back to a time when people had a stronger connection to nature. It marries the artistic beauty of nature with the natural sciences. People are immediately drawn to the...

Other than South LA, the San Fernando Valley seems to have the most barbeque joints in the Los Angeles area. Today we're going to pit one place's ribs against the other. Mind you, we are not looking for the best ribs in the Valley. I wouldn't back either of these up as the best. First, Ribs USA. They don't claim any state affiliation, with menu items from Tennessee, New Orleans and beyond. Ribs USA for...

Come down to Glendale and break a world record! Today the city is celebrating its 17th Annual “Cruise Night” in conjunction with K-EARTH 101 from 5:30pm-10:30pm on Brand Blvd. Chubby Checker will be performing live, and the city's goal is to break the world's record for the most people dancing The Twist. The current record is 1,691 which was set in April 2004. Glendale should have no problem topping that, since Cruise Night has been...

Union Station is always a beautiful venue. With the cool summer breezes and fading sunlight the three large courtyards filled with music and sounds of celebration last Friday, making for an outstanding event. The amazing feast at the annual benefit for AltaMed was accompanied by wines from Latino-owned or operated Napa Wineries. This year three select vineyards from Baja, the Adobe Guadalupe, L.A. Cetto Vineyard and J.C. Bravo also represented.

Last Friday evening the three courtyards of Union Station exploded with a bounty of exciting tastes, both familiar and exotic. As usual, we sought out Chef John Rivera Sedlar first. He had gone wild with his tortillas florales, taking them to the bring of intensity by pressing capers and olives into the tortillas and slathering them with a cumin yogurt dressing. Are we to expect a Middle Eastern and Latin fusion restaurant next?

Tired of the same old margarita and nachos? Friday night go upscale and raise a glass of California's best wines to toast Mexico's Bicentennial. We're talking wineries the likes of V. Sattui Winery, Maldonado, and Beringer. Union Station will be the location of Altamed's 5th annual East LA Meets Napa Valley Benefit. In addition, this year's event will present some of Baja California’s best wineries from the Valle de Guadalupe region like L.A. Cetto Vineyard and J.C. Bravo

60-year-old former Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten goes up for her 19th parole hearing today. According to the Associated Press, two new precedents may give Van Houten her best chance yet at release. She has a new lawyer, Brandie Devall, who told The Associated Press she will refer to rulings by the California Supreme Court in 2008 and 2009 affecting standards for parole. Most significant is the case of Sandra Lawrence, a convicted murderer...