Lindsay William-Ross

Photo by neonspecs via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr It's time for the grande dame of Los Angeles' golden era cafeterias to get her facelift. Clifton's Cafeteria in Downtown will close up two days a week during the summer as part of new owner Andrew Meieran's renovation that will turn the beloved "Brookside" joint into a contemporary nightlife destination that will not shed its own history in its reincarnation. The restaurant will...

The image of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin used by Fox News In the media, the rule is every story has a picture. So when covering the latest Sarah Palin news about the likelihood the Hockey Mom with a creative take on U.S. history will run for President in 2012, Fox News flubbed big time and put up a photo of Palin's best impersonator, SNL alum and 30 Rock star Tina Fey. Oops! As...

The Los Angeles Police Department will be conducting a Sobriety/Driver’s License checkpoint tonight as part of their ongoing campaign to remove dangerous drivers from the roads and educate the public on safety risks of driving under the influence. The checkpoint will be held from 8 p.m. tonight to 2 a.m. Saturday, June 4 at Roscoe Boulevard and Haskell Avenue in North Hills. At the checkpoint they will be looking for proper licensing and signs...

Photo by djjewelz via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr As you may have heard, today is National Doughnut Day. No matter how you spell it, today doughnut (or donut) lovers can give props to the glazed, cream-filled, or sprinkle-topped objects of affection. Mmmm, doughnuts! It seems America's love of doughnuts, at least today, is superseded only by America's love of writing stories online about National Doughnut Day, from all avenues of approach....

Photo by Atwater Village Newbie via LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Deputy Mayor for Transportation Jaime de la Vega has his work cut out for him. Today Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa named de la Vega as his nominee for the Department of Transportation, according to CBS2. His first task: Help City Controller Wendy Greuel complete a full on audit of the seriously effed up department. What's made the LADOT so messy? Well, in recent...

In City Hall today (Screenshot) "This is the beginning of Gay Heritage month in the great city of Los Angeles. It's an historic first," bellowed Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl this morning in City Hall. "We have arrived in this city and we see ourselves with basic human and civil rights as our challenge we still have not met on a national level." Added Rosendahl, the first openly-gay man elected to L.A. City...

Giovanni Ramirez is shown in this undated photograph obtained by The Associated Press. (AP Photo) The prime suspect in the Bryan Stow beating case, Giovanni Ramirez, is expected to make an appearance in court today, but not directly for the Stow case. Ramirez, who remain is Los Angeles Police Department custody, is due to show up briefly today for a parole hearing. The prosecution is planning to ask the judge to order Ramirez remain...

Photo by uitdragerij via Flickr While we have reason to celebrate our A-list local bookstores, this week brings sad news for two SoCal independent book retailers who have announced they're closing up shop. First to close their doors will be Village Books in Pacific Palisades, who end a 14-year run June 30th. Owner Katie O'Laughlin published a piece in yesterday's Palisadian-Post with the news that after a decade of financial struggle, "recent changes in...

The ink is barely dry on the lease for Kitchen 24's new West Hollywood location, but the Spacecraft Group are eager to get the word out about the popular diner-style 'round the clock eatery's westward expansion. Designers promise a space at 8575 Santa Monica Boulevard (formerly Primo Bistro) that is similar to the Cahuenga Boulevard original in Hollywood, but "with a slight twist."

Photo by Adrian Miles © via Flickr A teenager having a driving lesson with her dad last night got herself closer to a felony than her license after a crash that left three people injured. The girl was driving with her father in the front seat and another teenage girl in the backseat when she plowed "through a gate, into a parking lot [and] hitting three pedestrians and destroying a taco stand," according to...

Photo by Travel Salem via Flickr Today the California Senate voted in favor of a bill designed to protect teens from using tanning beds. A 24-to-9 vote in the 40-member house was in favor of passing SB 746, which would replace the current law that allows teens aged 14-17 to use tanning beds with the permission of a parent or guardian. "[T]he principle behind the bill is that the use of indoor tanning beds...

Attendees at last year's Summer Tasting Event picnic and play on the Rose Bowl field (Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist) At the root of the Food Truck craze is the centuries old global tradition of street food, which will be celebrated Angeleno-style for the second consecutive year on Saturday July 16th at the LA Street Food Fest Summer Tasting Event. Once again, the LA Street Food Fest will take to the Rose Bowl, giving guests...