Fielding & Friends

My good friend is performing in and hosting a stand-up show in West Hollywood tonight which I highly recommend!
UPDATE: This showtime is at 10PM. They changed the time.

Just a little info about the performers: Michael Kosta  is star of Fox Sports "Crowd Goes Wild." He can also be seen regularly performing on late night TV, including The Tonight Show and Chelsea Lately.  Kira Soltanovich  is  a  stand-up with her own Showtime special, who's writing credits include writing for the late great Joan Rivers. Andrew Donnelly is a comedic actor whose credits include Archer and Happy Endings.  Shelagh Ratner  is  a  Moth performer who's also the Winner of the Funniest Female Flappers. The sexy Scout Durwood  is a Moth Story Slam Champion who you've most recently seen on Mindy. And finally the cute and very hilarious Fielding Edlow. Fielding is  a comedic actress, writer, playwright and stand-up, who's film DVR was chosen as an Official Selection at The Palm Springs and LA Shorts Film Festival and who put this whole thing together and does so every month.

IT'S FREE!

Bar Lubitsch, is on Santa Monica Boulevard between Spaulding & Stanley. 323.654.1234. Street parking available, though always check the signs. Show starts at 10pm.

Enjoy!

Inexpensive Dates: Echo Park

*

I love Echo Park. It's the perfect place to go on a date. Whether it's the first date or the 21st, Echo Park's a nice stretch, not expensive, and there's so much to do. It's also nice for walking and certainly appeals to this native New Yorker. There are a lot of stores in which to browse, cafes for eclectic people gazing, and lawn art to admire. There is of course at times a bit of a dark side -- a little pollution, some polluted people -- but I don't know, doesn't bother me. And there's a lot to do. Like a lot.

I have hand-picked a few suggestions to give you a taste of what Echo Park has to offer for when you're taking someone out and would like to have some money left over in your wallet the next morning.

First off: Parking. Unlike the rest of LA where parking is usually SUCH a pain in the ass, Echo Park parking is easy. The main thrust of the action resides in two stretches: the first is between Logan and Rosemont on Sunset and the second is a few blocks on Echo Park Avenue between Scott and Lucretia (though there are stragglers beyond in both directions). You can find a bunch of street parking on Echo Park Ave., around the lake of course, and also west of Rosemont on Sunset. There's also easy metered parking (though some only take coinage). Finally there's a public parking lot behind Sunset between Echo Park Ave. and Logan that's not expensive.

It's at that last location where you'll find The Echo Park Farmer's Market, from 3 to 7pm every Friday.

It's not a huge Farmer's Market but it has a lot of fun stuff, is great for strolling and you'll come across good tastes like the Kombucha from Better Booch, a specialty local Kombucha maker. I happen to think Farmer's Markets are great walking and talking dates, which if you're free on a Friday afternoon, why not? To that end if it is a day date, one of my all-time favorite (and inexpensive) things to do is go on the pedal boats at the newly restored Echo Park Lake.

This place is so much fun and beautiful and goofy. It only costs ten bucks a person (unless you're from the Echo Park zip code and it's Wednesday, then it's $10 for the two of you). Pedaling right up to that fountain is pretty awesome and you'll get wet so don't be too prissy about your outfit. There are ducks on the lake, protected lily pads and cute people like yourselves, wearing their life jackets and risking it all. 

Early in the relationship it's good to find out how you and your potential life partner work as a team in a sea vessel 

It gets busy on the weekends so be prepared to wait, but luckily Square One has set up shop at the boathouse. Most everything costs under 8 bucks and the bacon is delightful. 

Square One at The Boathouse

They have Intelligentsia coffee and for lunch they offer a varied selection of sandwiches and salads. What I like about this place is it has the perfect balance. They've got the healthy Kale Salad but they also have hot dogs. And I'm not going to snub my nose at the frozen banana with milk chocolate and nuts. Nothing wrong with that. ($3.50 and a lot of good memories).

If it is the outdoors that's up your alley but spending money is not, go for a hike. Nearby Elysian Park is not nearly as overrun as Runyon, has tons of beauty and IT'S FREE!

I come here with my dog all the time and all I can tell you is he's in love with me. It's not that difficult to find either. When you're on Echo Park Ave., just go right at The Chevron onto Morris and you'll take a right up Morris Terrace.

But not everyone wants to work out on their dates. Sometimes just sitting down and eating sugar with a new love is the sweetest way to "break bread." Thankfully one day I happened to stumble into Valerie, a new bakery by lauded LA confectioner Valerie and her husband, Stan. Well... let the confectioning begin...

Valerie has AMAZING petit fours. I mean award winning: Champagne, Ginger, Macha, Lemon and no one is going to suddenly say Valerie is inexpensive but these are! In my humble opinion, all you need is two: one for me, one for you.

That's 8 to 9 bucks for the two of you, in and out. It could be just the sweet bite you need to get you there.

Another dessert idea, if that's your thang, is Pazzo Gelato. I've been going to the one in Silverlake for years. This one's right next to the Citibank on Sunset.

There's almost always Madagascar Vanilla and Almond Fig (yum). And both the gelato and sorbetto are heaven. Pure heaven. Fresh Mint Chip might not sound as exotic as their more elaborate flavors but trust me if they have it, that's real fresh mint in there and it's good for you and your breath. If you want to go dairy-free try the sorbetto. Peach, Toasted Coconut or Rhubarb are to die for. They are many interesting flavors and they have a reputation for the unique (ie.: Fleur de Cactus). And they've got a little Happy Hour deal. From 4 to 5pm every day each scoop is $1.50 with a 2 scoop maximum.

Now both these spots though close by 6pm. So if it's sort of at a later moment you might want to share some sweets with your new sweet...

The Brite Spot

Sugar is served up to 3am at The Brite Spot, Wednesday thru Saturday. (Sunday thru Tuesday it's open until midnight). You can be like a bobby soxer and split a milkshake here for $6 or a Rootbeer Float for $5. And I happen to be of the belief that a diner is a great place to hang out with someone new or not so new. Diners are intimate, they're relaxed, music's playing, and usually some drunk people (maybe you) are sandwiched in a booth nearby for some entertainment value. And if this is a really good date, think about it: A diner's a great place to get your first breakfast.

Speaking of food...

•Xoia

Xoia (pronounced Soya) is a funky, cute place, with great interior design and a delicious Vietnamese menu with a teeny bit of Mexican thrown in. My favorite are the Vietnamese Crepes with Lemongrass Beef. That's $9.25. Also the Crispy Tacos, 3 for $6.75, are delicious and satisfying (I love the Pork/Shrimp). And not for nothin but the Vietnamese Ice Coffee will kick your ass.

•Guisados

I loooooooooooooooooooooove Guisados. This is hands down one of my favorite taquerias in the whole damn city. I don't find it outrageously romantic but the food is so good, who cares? And there's this great outdoor patio with twinkly lights. Try the Tinga de Pollo (stew-y, rich and delicious) and Calabacitas tacos ($2.50 a taco). I must say there are a few downsides. Guisados is at 1261 Sunset Boulevard meaning, it's almost downtown. Therefore if you're where all the action is you'll have to drive to Guisados if you want some tacos. Secondly the parking lot is rather small. If you can, park on the street. Finally, I'm not the only one who knows how good Guisados is. It's kind of famous. So you might be waiting on line for a bit. Oh well! Time to get to know how you both handle waiting.

•Sage

I just went to Sage for the first time recently and I have to say, it's a really great place. The reason I said "I have to say" is I'm not a health nut. I'm ashamed/proud to admit I'm a carnivore or rather an everythingavore. To purposely go to a strictly vegetarian restaurant almost never appeals to me. Therefore "I have to say" I was pleasantly surprised. Sage is lovely and fun. It has a lot of life to it. Even when I didn't go I'd always take notice how many people were in there. It looked pretty hoppin' from the outside. I wondered, do I have to get healthy to step inside? The answer is no. But you can be healthy for the hour you're on your date and not go broke eating fresh, well-prepared vegetarian.

Girls on a date at Sage

I had the Soul Bowl. It was downright delicious. Tons of stuff in there: Kale, quinoa, roasted sweet potato, crunchy okra that I loved... Super filling, too. I could've split this with someone and made it a meal - though let me tell you, try to suggest that on the first date and you might come across as a little cheap. Speaking of moola, it didn't break the bank at $12.95 for my meal (this was lunch). Dinner prices are $14 for most entrees and around 8 bucks for most apps. And it's a bring your own wine spot. Give it a go. If you really need meat, just know you can always hit an In and Out on the ride home.

Still lunch or dinner (or breakfast for that matter) might be too big of a commitment for you. Many people meet for a cup of coffee - just to see if they want to take it further. If you're going to do that, I strongly suggest you at least have a good cup of coffee or go to an interesting place. That way if you're not into your date, you're happy you drank the coffee or discovered a new hang-out. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge Tierra Mia fan (on Alvarado, north Sunset) but I'd also like to suggest Fix. 

The outdoor patio at Fix in Echo Park

This is such a cool cafe. I had an ice coffee there and loved it. It wasn't hot coffee with ice dropped into it but cold coffee. For the record, that's the way they should do it. Otherwise it gets soupy and thin and gives you a stomach ache. Hokay. Fix is way up there on Echo Park Avenue. My suggestion is to park where a little more stuff is going on, like around Flounce, Chango and Valerie, and actually walk up the avenue to get some fresh air on your way to caffeinate together as a couple for the very first time. On the way, there's some pretty awesome houses with such fantastic lawn art, you'll be impressed:

Lawn Art provides interesting Landscape Chat

Another coffee place but one that has more than the eats and the java, is Stories. It keeps you right where everything is happening on Sunset and offers an insight into your paramour's reading taste - which could be good to know. 

The coffee's not the point here. Stories has a great outdoor patio and browsing at books and sneaking glances above Che Guevera postcards is cinematically sexy. Plus there's a parking lot in the back.

Stories patio. They have little events here, too.

Of course if you've done the walking, you're caffeinated, you ate... how about checking out some good stores?

Origami Vinyl

Think about perusing the records at Origami Vinyl or the trinkets, clothing and art at Vlad. Actually the latter currently has some art up on the wall by my friend Jason Hadley that is very cool. I also recommend popping into some thrift and vintage clothing stores. Try something on. Even if it doesn't look good, the on/off motion implies there is a willingness on your part to be naked. Two places that come to mind immediately are Sunday's Best Thrift Store and Flounce. Sunday's Best is at 1547 Sunset Blvd. and it's one of the nicest thrift stores in LA: Small, attentive customer service and it's well-organized. But I have a very big soft spot for Flounce Vintage on Echo Park Ave. They have beautiful and very feminine clothing circa 30's, 40's on up.

Slipping into something more comfortable at Flounce in Echo Park

Nothing like putting on a swanky little Bette Davis number or a floppy Carly Simon hat to get your mojo moving.

But all this could sound like work to you. Or just not up your alley. Maybe you want to relax, release the tension, get rid of your nerves while lying down. Amen to that. For a little serious R & R I highly recommend Echo Foot Lounge.

It looks like nothing from the outside but inside you will NOT be disappointed. 

The lobby at Echo Foot Lounge

Echo Foot Lounge is a cerebral, mellow space with an incredibly helpful staff who just want to reflexologize you into feeling happy. In a communal room, you will get a very lovely rub-down at a cost that is pretty much unheard of.  A custom 1 hour full foot and body massage is 30 DOLLARS! They also have a 30 minute massage for 20 bucks but I'm like, we're just warming up at minute 29. You do stay clothed so you might want to wear something that can be manipulated for the masseuse. The evening I visited, I went from anxious to noodle-ish and I think it made it so I was good company for the rest of the night. Because it was good for me. Which leads me to say even if you're not on a date, come here anyway. Treat yourself! You will feel fantastic afterward.

As for shaking that new and relaxed and improved body, how about going to hear some music? Everyone knows The Echo is a fine place to catch a show. Admission is free every Monday night in January and frankly most of the other nights won't cost you financial agita either. Just check out their calendar for what's coming up. Tickets are usually under $20 unless a big name is headlining (ie.: Lucinda Williams in February is $24-34 a pop).

Though if a more intimate atmosphere is more your speed, I found what I think is one of the most wonderful speakeasys in all of LA while researching this post. 

1642 is at 1642 Temple, right near a Tamale place and not near anything else. I mean it. It's not like you're at The Echo Foot Lounge and are going to stroll over here afterwards. You're going to have to drive.

That being said, it's worth it. Step inside and it's like the outside no longer exists. It's such a warmly lit atmosphere, they have such lovely little tables, and with candles lit on each. I also like the fact there is an insanely friendly and ingratiating bartender. For their more raucous evenings, they have an awesome open jam the first Thursday of every month, lead by Triple Chicken Foot. It's for old-timey music lovers and anyone can bring their fiddle and bow if they want to join in. Also on Thursdays, from 6-8pm, you get a tamale with your beer or wine as part of their Happy Hour. But honestly any night here is romantic and fun and in the best way 1642 reminds me of the most romantic haunts in NYC.

That about sums it up. I hope wherever you go, whatever you do, you find the love you're looking for very soon. These posts are so nothing stands in the way of you're finding that love. Even in LA.

Sexy is the attitude of Echo Park (art from Stories Books & Cafe)

When you go:

Echo Park Farmer's Market Every Friday, rain or shine, from 3 to 7, on Logan, just south of Sunset.
Echo Park Pedal Boats is at 751 Echo Park Ave. **
Square One at the Boat House is at 751 Echo Park Ave. Kitchen's open every day 8-3p. Coffee & pastries until 5pm. 213.481.8495.
Elysian Park is off of Morris Terrace.
Valerie is at 1665 Echo Park Ave. Open Wednesday thru Saturday, 8 to 6. Sundays 9 to 5. 213.250.9365.
Pazzo Gelato is at 1910 W. Sunset Blvd. 213.353.9263. Open until 6.
The Brite Spot Diner is at 1918 Sunset Blvd. 213.484.9800.
Xoia is located at 1801 W. Sunset Blvd.  213.413.3232.
Guisados is at 1261 W. Sunset Blvd. 213.250.7600. Mon thru Thursday, 10:30  to 9. Fridays and Saturdays it's open until 10pm. Sundays it closes at 5.
Sage is located at 1700 W. Sunset Blvd. Check website for hours.
Tierra Mia is at 1202 N. Alvarado. It's open daily from 6:30am to 10pm.
Fix is at 2100 Echo Park Ave. Monday thru Friday, 7 to 7. Saturdays & Sundays 8 to 7. 323.284.8962. They offer a full menu.
Stories Books & Cafe 1716 W. Sunset Blvd. 213.413.3733. Check site for special events.
Origami Vinyl is at 1816 W. Sunset Blvd. 213.413.3030. It's open 7 days a week, Sunday thru Thursday, noon til 9, Fridays and Saturdays it's open until 10pm.
Vlad the Retailer is at 2153 W. Sunset Blvd.
Sunday's Best Thrift Apparel is at 1547 W. Sunset Blvd. 213.986.5695.
Flounce Vintage is at 1555 Echo Park Ave. 213.481.1975. (p.s. I love that phone number).
Echo Foot Lounge is at 2148 W. Sunset Blvd. 323.452.FOOT (3668). Open Monday thru Friday, 12-8pm. Saturdays & Sundays, 10 to 9:30pm.
The Echo and Echoplex is at 1822 W. Sunset Blvd. 213.413.8200. Entrance to The Echoplex is at 1154 Glendale Boulevard (through the alley). For updates follow them @theechola
1642 is at 1642 W. Temple. Can't walk there from these other places -- or rather I wouldn't recommend it. 213.989.6826.

Enjoy!

* First picture is from 1642 Bar.
**Echo Park is in the 90026 zip code

The Corner Door - Dine LA Style

Last night I had such a good dinner. At such a good deal. DineLA, which runs in the summer from July 15th thru July 26th, gives us an opportunity to try a whole bunch of restaurants at a discounted rate. Good restaurants. So last night, a few friends and I met in Culver City at a place called The Corner Door on Washington Boulevard, but away from all the hullabaloo.

I LOVED the interior of this restaurant. It was so chic and mellow. And I know - it looks empty. But I was there very early as my friends and I had a class to get to afterwards. I mean like blueplate early - 5:45. Trust me, I'm okay to get some place early and be all old-person-ish when good food is involved.

My friends were all running a tad late. I on the other hand was (as I always am) on the dot if not a few minutes before. So while waiting, I sucked down this amazing mocktail they made for me.

A delicious Mojito Mocktail

I would have had twenty but it was 8 bucks, so I just stayed with this little guy. So freakin good though! Fresh mint, that tangy twangy taste -- this baby kicked ass.

When my friends arrived we could all choose two items from the DINELA MENU for $25 per person (plus 1 dessert choice) so we speedily made some tough choices. Some of my pictures really weren't good. Therefore, I'll have to describe the majority of our plates.

Oh, and by the way, while waiting for the food to arrive, we got an appetizer of FABULOUS crispy chick peas and almonds off the Happy Hour menu. It's a dish I highly recommend. I think it was unfair of me to ask my friends and I to split this one three ways because I think I ate the whole thing.

Anyway, for entrees we started with a salmon crudo which in truth was a tad bland and maybe the only perfectly-fine-but-nothing-to-write-home-about part of the meal. Next were brussel sprouts, both roasted and fried, mixed with feta. They were lush, succulent, rich and outrageously addictive. In came a golden brown grilled cheese made with pecorino, wasabi arugula and peaches -- the peaches were lovely and totally strange - in a good way. Their version of Burrata came pretty dressed up with lemon, warmed cherries, peas, and hints of tarragon. It was comfort food but light. Perfect for a summer night.

Burrata at The Corner Door

We had a bowl of meatballs - it was generous (as were all the portion sizes), mellow and tasty. You can see I'm not fully endorsing it. It's not because they weren't good. It's because I think I was having a mild food blackout at the time. I had sort of passed my limit and thought the meal was done. What I didn't realize is I wasn't doing the math. We had ordered one more thing.

Now if I was a skinny model-type, I wouldn't have even cared when they brought the last entree because I would've known I was just done and I couldn't have another bite. Not me! I'm so thin and exhausted from eating. So sorry.

Perfectly cooked steak at The Corner Door**

I'm not a skinny model-type. And suddenly in front of me was a thing of beauty. It was a perfectly cooked and seasoned grilled flank steak. That powdery stuff you see on the board? That's Toasted Pastrami Spice. What? Right. I don't know what the hell that is. I will tell you it's yummy; A flavorful dust you can coat your steak with, which I did. And even though it tasted good it wasn't necessary because the steak was so wonderful without it. And that stuff that looks like yellow Hershey kisses on the side? Corn Puree - MWAH. Loved that sweet, corn taste with the asparagus and the steak. Honestly, I would go back to this restaurant for that dish alone.

The desserts? A blur. I got a homemade coffee ice cream. It tasted good but not creamy enough. Still the flavor-- that hit the spot. I mean I felt grounds in there. Might sound unappetizing perhaps but if you're a coffee lover it also might sound great, authentic, real. One friend got the dish they called Milk & Cookies. That was a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies - again they were very generous with the amount -- and condensed milk ice cream, which was far creamier than mine. And kind of luscious. The last dessert - that was the fancy dancy foodie dessert. Check out this attractively plated situation below:

This is called Chocolate Paloma. What a lucky girl Paloma is. Dark chocolate, Tequila Sorbet (that white stuff around it is flaky sea salt, because you gotta have salt with Tequila, right?) and fizzy grapefruit. I wasn't able to try that. I was too busy unbuttoning my pants.

A lot of these dishes are on the regular MENU. And I also want to mention I loved the servers at Corner Door. They were really on it and professional. And something else. By the time us blue hairs left, the place was hoppin. It wasn't nearly like when I arrived:

But you can see just how pretty and warm the place is. So if you're in Culver City and have a hankering for some steak and pastrami dust, swing by. It's worth it.

Dine LA is just through July 26th. Go to their website to find restaurants participating in this summer's Restaurant Week: DINELA WEBSITE. If you can eat dinner early, your chances of getting into the more hoighty toighty places are better.

The Corner Door is located at 12477 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90066.  It's open Sundays through Wednesdays, 5pm - 12am. Thursdays through Saturdays, 5pm - 2am. And Happy Hour is every day from 5-7pm. On Sundays they have a special Burger Night where you can get their weekly burger, fries & beer for 15 bucks. Metered parking is available on Washington. There's also plenty of side-street parking.

ENJOY!

**For DineLA, the steak has a supplemental charge of $9.

Franklin Village, UCB and That Necklace

This past Saturday night I hung out in a little strip I rarely find myself in anymore but I'd kind of like that to change. Officially it's called Franklin Village but when I lived in Beachwood Canyon, I would just say, "I'm gonna hang out on Franklin." It's sort of an alcohol-infused block where back in the day (a day which lasted several years) I did a lot of damage. My favorite watering hole to do damage in was...

How many nights did I close it down? No one was counting. Thank God.

What I liked was there was this long-ass wooden bar, the bartenders were always friendly but too busy to be too friendly, sometimes a starlet would show up for a 1/2 hour and cause a stir and the food? Okay, I guess. I think I liked the French Onion Soup for real. But you really did just go there to drink and spill out onto the sidewalk, eventually. And the French people who ran the place always seemed a little short-tempered which made them entertaining to me. One of them would always snap at one of the other ones and if you were lucky, they'd snap at each other in French. And there was this guy there named Mr. Franklin and I didn't know he didn't work for the place. I thought they paid him to play the piano (and hear me sing). It turns out if any money was placed in his hands, it was probably to make him go away. I wish they had given me some. Though I'm not sure you could've stopped me if I already got to the place where I wanted to sing in public.

Dear Public, I'm so SO sorry.  Love, Cynthia

These people are far more civilized than I ever appeared when I made an appearance at La Poubelle

So it's a drink-y bar and frankly, a drink-y area. Therefore need I mention designated drivers? I think I do. If you're going to hang out in this stretch of land, and you are the sober driver, GOOD FOR YOU. Let me give you a little tip: do NOT park at Gelson's. There are signs EVERYWHERE about not parking at Gelson's and they will tow your car (it's happened to the best of us. Ahem). So here's the deal, you can find street parking if you're tenacious. If you're not, spend the 5 bucks or whatever it is to park with the nice men from Poubelle. It's worth it. And no matter what, DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE. In fact DON'T DRINK AND WALK.  Here is a list for LA taxis. Stick one of these numbers in your phone:

TAXI.  

Poubelle isn't the only bar on the strip. There's the famous Birds - a lot of locals have been going there for years. There's also the not-so-new-anymore-kid-on-the-block, Franklin & Company, where I found these celebratory young gentelemen..



I loved these guys. I was in line for an 8 o'clock show at UCB and these boys were already well on their way, God bless 'em. It's one of those pics you could see for a movie like "Diner" isn't it?

Dear Entourage, What have you done? Love, Cynthia

I haven't eaten at Franklin & Co. but am curious. It's a gastro pub with that sort of pub faire I wish I didn't like so much. You say duck-fat fries- I say, Yeah, okay. I'm not wearing a bikini this summer anyway. And I think blue cheese used in tator tots is an important choice. Truffle in anything is fine but in Mac & Cheese sounds thoughtful and loving. (I've not eaten that much today so this is particularly excruciating). If you like to drink - and I think it might be a requirement here - they have several drafts on tap and something that stood out: Thursday night is Bourbon & Burger Flight Night where you get 3 sliders to be paired with 3 bourbons. Rick Blaine would be proud.

I'm probably more though at the point where a used bookstore is what appeals to me. Therefore may I recommend Counterpoint Records & Books. They have a lot of really obscure stuff, records, bios about stars, pretty much all the classics and the books I sold them when I was moving. If you buy a cookbook about Southern cooking or any number of self-help books that focus on being the best you you can be so others will see it without you trying too hard, let's just say, You're welcome.

From Counterpoint Records & Books

Also if you can, pop into the gift & newspaper shop The Daily Planet. It's at the far end of this little strip, right on the corner of Tamarind. It always smells super nice and they have a ton of great little tchotchkes, books, magazines and papers for sale on the corner.

I feel like wrapping paper is in. But in all fairness, The Daily Planet always sold the good stuff.

Though on this particular night I wasn't there for food, drink or wrapping paper. I was there for comedy at The UCB (The Upright Citizens Brigade). Truth be told, I don't go to see that much comedy in Los Angeles these days but my friend Jessica is a huge fan. She and her husband, Joe, won't spend dough to hear live music or go to a fancy dinner but they will go to great lengths to laugh it up like they just don't care.





This is Jessica. I told her to make a super-serious face and in a snap, she looked as if she was gazing over a field of wheat. 

She also happens to be a jewelry designer which is NOT why I'm friends with her but I could understand someone making that choice. Because her jewelry is AWESOME!

Me glamming out with Jessica's necklace from Cast & Combed.

That's The Adder Necklace. I think it's stunning. I'm not friends with her because she has gorgeous necklaces. She also has gorgeous rings.

So Jessica and Joe, like I said, are all about the comedy. They go to Largo, they go see stand-up, and they go to UCB where they are particular fans of Asscat:

That's not a photo from the show. Actually I don't even know if it's cool for me to post that. Go to 99Covers.com so I feel better.  Thank you. Here's UCB's sign:

See why the 99Covers.com one was a little better?

Okay, so Asscat is an improv show. Let me tell you something, I'm all about going to see great stand-ups. The last time I saw a show was probably Eddie Pepitone. And if you're in town and he's in town, do yourself a favor and see him. BA-RILLIANT. But improv? Not really my bag. I'm so afraid of being uncomfortable and not in a good way. But Jessica told me it would be good. Therefore with a skeptical eye, my comedy snobbery at close hand and my admiration for her jewelry, I went for it it.

Dude, improv is so freakin hard! I don't know how these people pulled off the show they did. It was funny. GENUINELY FUNNY. And impressive. Genuine laughs not mercy laughs. Maybe my favorite piece in the show had to do with Lauren Lapkus being a really disgusting baby in the womb but I can't say what happened because it's not fair to her and it's really blue. Like Louis C.K. cringe-worthy-blue. Fantastic.

From what I understand, they always have very talented people. The night I was there, the group included the girl who grossed me out in a good way,  Lauren Lapkus - (Lauren, if you're reading this, I am now the biggest, most devoutest fan of yours but I will not stalk you) Jonah Ray (a sweet guy who has a fear of centipedes. He has many credits but you might recognize him from the Bing ads), and Zach Woods (The Office) who is so fast on his feet-- the guy's kind of amazing. It was fun to just laugh and hang out and seriously, it was all so CHEAP! I don't mean how I felt afterwards. I mean it was 10 bucks. Worth it.

Other people have been going forever and this is a popular show. So if you're gonna go assss, get tix ahead of time. For that information, CLICK HERE:

UCB TICKET INFORMATION

And if you get tix but want good seats, get there between 7 and 7:30. Line up with the rest of the peeps on sidewalk.

That's my friend Claire with the red hair. Hi Claire!

Doors open around 8 pm.

Man, the whole night just made me miss that neighborhood. And in the summertime, hanging out on Franklin, going to see comedy, eating a late dinner outside while looking across the street at The Church of Scientology's Celebrity Center wondering what Tom Cruise is thinking at this point in his career and private life, is really to me the quintessential way to spend a Saturday evening in Los Angeles.

Church of Scientology's Celebrity Center

Dear Tom, if you're lonely, sad and aren't sure what to do with yourself right now, buy me this necklace. Love, Cynthia

ENJOY!

The Adder Necklace, designed by Jessica for Cast & Combed, $209. Only available by pre-order.
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Wurstkuche & The Pie Hole

Oh my God I love sausage. I lived in Chicago for 2 minutes of my life and I don't remember eating any of it. That cannot be true. Either which way, Wurtzkuche is one of the best places for sausage in Los Angeles and the two most recent times I went, I went with girls from Chicago and they were VERY happy. So I think it's now incontrovertible truth. Wurtzkuche is legit.

You hear people say it constantly, "Downtown's fun now," "I love downtown," "Downtown has changed." It's a little annoying. But it's one of those things that is true but you have to understand that LA's downtown is different than other downtowns. Unlike New York or another more walk-y city, you gotta be organized if you're going to downtown LA. You gotta either pay a little attention to where you're going via the car or map out your walking from the metro stop. Because driving around all the one way streets in LA can be irritating. And it's not the sort of city, in my humble opine, you want to get lost. Because while it may be different these days it still can be a little slummy, dicey and depressing if you take a wrong turn.

So know that even though Wurtzkuche's address is 800 East 3rd, it's also on Traction. I think the nearest Metro stop is Little Tokyo. Or you can take your bike and leave it at this cool bike stand:

eye candy is everywhere.

In my most recent visit, I had just come from Skid Row. Yeah, I got some buds there. Also know this - some people downtown can look a little scary. But the truth is, they're far less interested in you than you are scared of them. Moving on. Here's an idea of how funky and good it feels to just be on the Wurtzkuche street:

We went for an early dinner and so there was literally no wait. But if you're going at night-night like someone who doesn't have blue hair, you may have to wait on a line that looks too long and not worth it. Trust me. It's worth it. And the line moves fast. Most likely you'll be waiting for a half hour. So just plan for it. In fact, go across the street and get some delicious coffee to sip on line from the unbelievably sweet people at Pie Hole...

The Pie Hole

FYI about The Pie Hole, great t-shirts, hoodies and a few pretty yummy desserts. Personally I just order the coffee because I have to watch my figure. I'm joking. I don't care at all. Back to the snausages.

Mmmmm Snausages

They got your crocodile, they got your rabbit, they got your duck which comes with bacon. But dude, I'm old-school. When I go sausages, I go Brat.

And some award winning fries. I gave them that award.

My friend who's gluten-free ordered the lamb sausage which is by the way delicious but the server found out she's gluten-free and let her know the lamb is prepared with some form of gluten, so she went all duck & bacon. So yeah, good people work there. People who don't want you to leave bloated.

You order at the counter and then you go into this big room which is fun. Long tables where you're side by side with whomever and then there are little tables off to the side if you don't want to shmooze with whomever. They do have vegetarian options- I tried one once and wasn't a fan but I'm not the best judge of veggie cuisine. Like a kid I met that day said to me, "I'm a meat lover." Actually he said, "liver" but I think that's his accent.

There's lots of beer (24 types) if you like that sort of thing. But I tend to go for the free water and if I'm going all out, I'll get some Reed's Ginger Beer. In fact, they've got a pretty vast nice non-alcoholic selection, in case you're a non-alcoholic:

Anti-Alcohol

Pro-Alcohol (and ahem, that's what it might look like if you drink too much)

I'm telling you, go for the Belgian Fries alone -- which did I mention can come Truffleized? Or just the condiments. I mean this place is NOT kidding around:

There's also outdoor seating if you still smoke those delicious cigarettes. Wurtzkuche is open from 11-Midnight. 2 AM for the bar. 800 East 3rd, LA, CA 90013. Street parking is available. And wear your elastic pants.