Lindsay William-Ross

Voltaggio, Top Chef style The Dining Room is the fine dining restaurant located within the The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa. Not only are they a great "special occasion" dinner destination, but they can boast something pretty unique: A one-star rating from the coveted Michelin Guide (it's the only hotel-run restaurant in Los Angeles with one). Now the restaurant is prepping for their new Chef de Cuisine's menu, which will debut on July 31st....

Photo by balmes via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr The posh St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point is in foreclosure--its lender seized ownership today. Looks like Sony is winning the rights race for the final footage of Michael Jackson's last concert tour rehearsals. The Autry Center announced today that they are having to cancel this summer's annual Pow-Wow, scheduled for July 31-Aug. 2 due to the event's cost. Apartment Therapy takes a...

In a move perhaps aimed to articulate her triumph over great adversity, de-throned Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has just signed a book deal to tell "her side of the story," with "conservative book house Regnery Publishing," KTLA is reporting. Prejean will discuss "what happened behind the scenes at the pageant and why she answered the question posed to her by Perez Hilton the way she did," and hopefully give insight to her subsequent firing by The Donald in the tome, to be titled Still Standing.

An early morning fire sent a medical marijuana dispensary in Westchester up in smoke today. The clinic, the Westchester Collective, was located "on the second floor of a two-story commercial building," at 8936 Sepulveda Blvd., according to cbs2.com. "It took 69 firefighters an hour to extinguish the blaze," that caused property damage but no injuries, and did not spread to nearby structures. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze...

Photo by Molly Matalon Gothamist found out that "heroin-addicted hobos from around the country" are camping out in trendy Williamsburg. One deli owner complained to a local newspaper, "They could take a nice hot bath. One kid comes in and the whole store will be smelling for hours."Torontoist considered the ramifications of Tim Hortons—the coffee and donut chain synonymous with Canadiana—arriving in New York City.Bostonist exposed Yelp's geographic confusion while pondering the history of...

GoBar samples (Lindsay William-Ross/LAist) Tender Greens recently launched a line of house-made energy bars and they sent some our way for a little taste test. Since the eatery is focused on providing patrons with sustainable eats served in an eco-friendly and fast-casual environment, creating whole-food bars that people can grab on the go is a pretty natural move for them. The GoBars were created by TG's Chef Fermin Arias, and have an ingredient base...

A tip for those who struggle with small talk: Open with "Ohmigod it's too hot these days!" and the conversation will flow from there. We are, indeed, in a heat wave, and we can expect "several more days of torrid temperatures," along with "an excessive heat warning," from the National Weather Service, according to the Daily Breeze. Today we can add humidity to the high temps, causing a heat index that is a veritable...

Photo by Christi Nielsenvia the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr A 30-year-old-woman and her 5-year-old child were found dead this morning in Garvanza in what appears to be a murder-suicide. Two people flying in an experimental single-engine jet registered to an Encino owner were killed in an accident today in Santa Clarita. The brush fire in Castaic is now reported as fully contained; it burned a total of 55 acres. The Governor announced...

The Fix Burger in Silver Lake is enjoying their first summer in business, after opening last fall to mostly rave reviews. They've got all sorts of specialty burgers on the menu, and can serve you up a patty made of beef, buffalo, turkey, or even ostrich. Yelpers hoot about their garlic or sweet potato fries, as well as their shakes, and just how well-cooked the burgers are--no matter what the meat. LAist Featured Photos...

Photo by bdjsb7 via Flickr Open since 2000, Hollywood Boulevard's music venue The Knitting Factory announced yesterday that they will not renew their lease for the site, which ends on October 31st of this year, reports the LA Times music blog Pop & Hiss. The all-ages venue has had trouble with permits in recent years, which is partly what is prompting company CEO Morgan Margolis to opt to pack up and leave the location...

Don't mess with genius, people. Photo by kelwal☮ via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr For many of us on the West Coast, we take our In-N-Out seriously. We know we love it, we know how to order off the (not-so-secret?) secret menu, we know our own favorite order. You don't have to have a reservation, or be a celeb to get the best of the best from them (although not too long...

Photo by Jon Haynes Photography via Flickr Several Los Angeles County Superior Court employees get to take today off without pay as part of a furlough plan that begins this week and is slated to run for the next year as part of a cost-cutting measure, according to abc7.com. The third Wednesday of the month will now find dozens of courtrooms in the system at a standstill, with the hopes of staving off "permanent...