It's probably one of the least heard of tickets, especially given to a bicyclist. But a ticket for signaling and then not turning was apparently handed out to one Critical Mass rider in Santa Monica on Friday night. Fellow rider to the cyclist and a photographer Alex Thompson said it was "biased enforcement." Santa Monica Critical Mass and Santa Monica Police have a history of meeting up every first Friday of the month. Hundreds of... [continue]

American Wine and Food Festival's Red Hot party at the Red Seven restaurant in the Design Center was too rocking for just one post. Usually as an event hits its last hour, things start to wind down, but this party was just getting revved up. Hors d' Ouvres were passed with the same regularity, fresh steaks were thrown on the grill, and even cigars made a quick turn around the patio. The event, which was... [continue]

For awhile now, one lane of Selma Avenue near Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. has been closed. Starting today, the whole block between Vine and Argyle has been shut down for a gas line relocation in preparation of Whole Foods, which is expected to open in early 2009. But for now, Selma Ave. (including sidewalks) will be closed for at least 60 days, but possibly longer. One block away at Selma and Morningside Court, Sustainable... [continue]

Photos by Kevin Weis/LAist Fans of Bravo's highly successful reality program "Top Chef" were in for quite the treat last Thursday evening, when two contestants from previous seasons, CJ and Antonia, participated in a friendly cook-off at The Grove. The event was sponsored by the Sherry Council of America, and featured sherry tastings and gourmet bites from a few of The Grove's top restaurants. The evening began with demonstrations from chefs representing The Whisper Lounge,... [continue]

Photo at Wedding Park in West Hollywood (more photos here) by Tom Andrews/LAist Big media is coming out against Proposition 8, the November ballot initiative that seeks to eliminate same-sex marriage in California. Last week Google said no to the proposition followed by the New York Times on Sunday. Google, who does not take a position on issues outside their field, "especially not social issues," co-founder Sergey Brin wrote on the company blog, "it... [continue]

It's not every morning that we have clear skies. And depending on where you live, today might not be so different. But hey, it's Friday. Take a deep breath and enjoy these wonderful sunrise photos from the past found on Flickr. If you have some of your own, submit them to our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr and check out our past two sunrise posts.... [continue]

"kitty & doggy - moscow cats theatre" Photo by Huro Kitty via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Dogs and cats, you're just delaying the inevitable, please come out from under the sofa. The lawful deadline in LA to be spayed or neutered is October 1st. Rival gang members got in a brawl in a Costa Mesa courtroom yesterday when one group overheard the other group talk about a previous fight. The 18... [continue]

Terried Sake House falls into the hole-in-the-wall category. It's a great little Japanese Izakaya on Santa Monica close to Federal. An Izakaya, of course, is a restaurant that serves beer and sake and also the food that goes with it. The place is small and a bit dingy, but the food more than makes up for it. It's also fairly inexpensive for an Izakaya, so we got to order a ton of stuff. Alright, less... [continue]

Los Angeles annual average temperatures from 1878 to 2008 "The bottom line is that we're definitely going to be living in a warmer Southern California," said Bill Patzert, a NASA Jet Propulsion Lab climatologist and oceanographer who co-authored a study that examined Los Angeles' daily temperature data for a hundred year period. What they found was that "the number of extreme heat days (above 90 degrees Fahrenheit in downtown LA) has increased sharply over... [continue]

Loteria Grill at the Original Farmers Market has long been one of the city's most popular Mexican outposts (we reviewed it back in April just for kicks), so it's nice to see chef Jimmy Shaw take up residence in an attractive space on Hollywood Boulevard. The new restaurant's menu is more extensive than the original's, but there are still plenty of your old favorites to choose from. LAist's editor Zach Behrens has given the... [continue]

No, We're not talking about the proposed 700 Billion Dollar giveaway/complete abbrogation of checks and balances that Henry Paulson is trying to mad-dog out of congress this week*. We're referring to the latest diseased rumblings from the filth merchants who call themselves Studio Executives. In this case, much like a frat boy found date-raping someone, who then reacts to the horrified shrieks by asking "want a piece?", Universal has announced that some hackneyed reprobates... [continue]

I'll be honest with you - Prior to seeing them live, I couldn't muster up enough emotion to form an opinion about Vampire Weekend. I didn't have anything against them, but they were firmly in the won't-turn-it-off-if-it-comes-on-the-radio/wouldn't-make-fun-if-they-were-on-a-friend's-iPod category - likable, definitely; terrible, definitely not, but I found them unremarkable, inoffensive and competently un-mind blowing. After seeing them perform at the Wiltern last thursday, I can report that my opinion was somewhat misguided. No, I... [continue]

There's an awesome free event (yes, FREE! for those who RSVP) going down at The Grove at Farmers Market this Thursday, Sept 25th at 7pm. Top Chef contestants Chris "CJ" Jacobsen and Antonia Lofaso (who is also executive chef at WeHo hot spot Foxtail) are scheduled to appear, thanks to Los Angeles Magazine and the Sherry Council of America. CJ and Antonia will be facing off against each other in a "friendly" cooking competition,... [continue]

With glass pipes billowing pot smoke as they're passed around, and a room full of rowdy anxious stoners, and weed-comedy-lovers, Cheech and Chong delivered the goods at the Roxy in West Hollywood last Wednesday with a MySpace Secret Stand Up show. But they are also on tour. They started with the bit now made famous as the first scene in their film Up in Smoke, and then proceeded to unravel two hours of all their... [continue]

There will invariably be those tending to Vampire Weekend tonight because they missed out last night. If you find yourself in that position, then we strongly advise you to ditch the idea altogether. Why? Well, Brooklyn's best (Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson) will be headlining the Echo after what is presumed to have been a rollicking time at the Vermont House last night. But the best bang for your buck tonight is over at the El Rey, where you can count on a thorough ear bashing with LA locals HEALTH and Oxford's own Foals. ... [continue]

Tucked in a mini mall on La Cienega just South of Santa Monica Blvd., LAist found the best best slice of pizza in LA at Vito's Pizza. Thin crust, zesty sauce, and the perfect amount of cheese add up to a big slice of heaven. Other pies are topped with amazing meatballs, pesto, or wild mushrooms. Great food, friendly service, and the casual surroundings keep their loyal customers coming back. The pizzas come in... [continue]

Maynard Keenan, frontman for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifier, loves the grape – especially the wine it produces. He’s taken his interest a step further by growing, harvesting and making his own wine. He's owner/part owner of a few vineyards in Arizona (Caduceus Cellars/Merkin Vineyards and Arizona Stronghold Vineyard), and this afternoon from 4:30-7:30 pm, he’ll be making an appearance at Whole Foods in Pasadena (465 S. Arroyo Pkway at Bellevue) to sign... [continue]

Here's a big win for fans of classic sandwiches: a tip just came down the wire that Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet, one of the two restaurants in L.A. that claims responsibility for inventing the famed French Dip sandwich (the other being Phillipe's), will be reopening sometime in late October or early November. Downtown nightlife impresario Cedd Moses, of 213 Downtown, acquired Cole's in 2007 and has been renovating the space back to the glory... [continue]

The bloggers who helped bring the taco truck ban in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles to national headlines have done some sleuthing with a particular commenter's IP address (it's like a digital fingerprint) who left comments bashing the cause to save the savory street food. When they compared the address left on their website to the address listed on Wikipedia page edits about the County, it was the same. What they found was that someone... [continue]

It's not every morning that we have clear skies. And depending where you live, today might not be so different. But it's Friday. Relax. Take a deep breath and enjoy these wonderful sunrise photos from the past, some of them from our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr.... [continue]