Elise Thompson

I think I have found it. I have found The One. True, I have not eaten at every soul food restaurant in LA (yet), but if I had to pick the one to settle down with, Mama's House would be it. Hidden away in an old-fashioned strip mall on Crenshaw Boulevard, Mama's House has been quietly gaining fans for the last seven years. The room is comfortable, filled with family photos and bric-a-brac. It...

Being Scottish means you are part of a great and noble heritage. Here in America, it is also a little like being a Trekkie. We gather in large masses wearing strange clothes while participating in strange rituals. I grew up in the center of it all. My family went to every Highland Games. I took Highland dance classes. My brothers played bagpipes and drums and competed in caber tossing competitions. But as far as...

Hersheys announced Thursday that it will stop production of Ice Breakers Pacs in response to complaints by law enforcement that the nickel-sized bags resemble drug packets. Associated Press writer Peter Jackson reports on Hershey CEO David West's announcement: "Some community and law-enforcement leaders have expressed concern" about the shape of pouch and the Xylitol sweetener inside, and about the possibility of the mints being mistaken for illegal substances, West said. "We are sensitive to these...

the parody video Tom Cruise WANTS you to see! on FunnyOrDie.com Jerry O'Connell is hilarious in this sendup of Tom Cruise's recently unearthed Scientology video. I like the insane laughter the best. O'Connell really has that down. He must kill at cocktail parties. Hahahaa!!! Hahahaa!!! Hahahaa!!! Hahahaa!!!...

Mayor Villaraigosa serves the city / Photo by Elise Thompson dineLA Restaurant Week kicked off in style yesterday at Neal Fraser's Grace on Beverly Boulevard. Neal Fraser is the only Angeleno ever to have won Iron Chef, against none other than Cat Cora. The Two Hot Tamales, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, were the belles of the ball. I just had a moment to chat with them regarding a funny story they had...

I never liked the word "cougar" to refer to sexy middle-aged women because it has such a predatory connotation. But because of its usefulness, I have let go of my distaste and accepted it. Now Retirement Living TV has a new show called Another Chance for Romance that hooks up sexy seniors. It made me realize that we need a new word for sexy seniors. We already have the name "silver fox" for gentlemen...

Dooh Dah Parade. Many thanks to reader and LAist Featured Photos contributor Movie Lover for contributing these fantastic photos of yesterday's Doo Dah Parade. The normal-looking man nursing a hangover in the middle of all this lunacy is Tom Coston, who's become Doo Dah's P.T. Barnum since his nonprofit arts organization, The Light Bringer Project, bought the parade 12 years ago from founder and legendary Pasadena barfly Peter Apanel for $2. " ... It's...

We have all heard quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech. Few people have had the opportunity to hear the speech in its entirety. Delivered at the 1963 March on Washington, this speech helped to establish King as a national figure and proponent of ending social injustice through civil disobedience and nonviolence. The following year, in 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize. It is worth taking the time...

Red Beans and Rice from The Gumbo Pot/ Photo by Elise Thompson In Louisiana, red beans and rice are traditionally served on Mondays. Monday was wash day, and once all of the ingredients were thrown in, you could ignore the beans all day while you tended to the laundry. I am obsessed with red beans and rice. The only version I've eaten that beat my own recipe was made by Mike Anderson's in New Orleans....

I love Watt's photo of sunrise over this mast. The lines look like spiderwebs. It started me thinking about masts and general sailing terminology. People make jokes about the mizzen mast on Talk Like a Pirate Day. It is the most poetic-sounding mast. These are the actual names for the masts:Fore-mast - the first mast, or the mast fore of the main-mast. Main-mast - the tallest mast, usually located near the centre of the...