Results tagged “studiocity”

       

Pinot Bistro on Ventura Boulevard has seen may chefs come and go, some of them spectacular and some of them so-so. Previous chefs include such notable names as Octavio Becerra, Miki Zivkovic and of course, Joachim Spichal himself. Even Suzanne Goin has worked in the kitchen. We were excited to see what the latest chef, Hugo Veltman, has been cooking up and jumped at the invitation to try their dineLA menu.

Thousands across Los Angeles are without power today, according to the L.A. Department of Water and Power. Some 20,000 customers in the greater South Los Angeles area are affected. In portions of Studio City and North Hollywood, about 1,100 customers are without power. Outages have always been reported in East Los Angeles, Mid City, and Woodland Hills. The department has increased the amount of crews working on power restoration.

       

The new Studio Oaks Park, officially a wide median along Ventura Boulevard with a walking path that straddles the border of Sherman Oaks and Studio City, is practically finished. The meandering walking path is open to the public, except for one block that was flooded out by a trunkline break on Coldwater Canyon, and all that needs to be done to complete the project is some landscaping, which has become an issue between neighbors.

Considering the recent flooding in Studio City, a fire truck consumed into a Valley Village street and various other floods throughout the city--Melrose Ave., South LA, Exposition Ave.--Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said today that in order to repair the city's older infrastructure within the 7,200 miles of piping, they will ask the City Council to increase water rates, according to the LA Times.

Despite progress on a broken water main that flooded a part of Studio City, officials do not know when the busy canyon route will re-open. "At this time, it is not possible to estimate when street repair work will be complete and Coldwater Canyon Avenue will be reopened," a statement read from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

         

It's not LADWP's job to be a special effects studio. First a flood, 3 to 4 feet high in some spots sweeping away a handful of cars, last Saturday night in Studio City and this morning a fire truck stuck half way into the ground in neighboring Valley Village (the firefighters escaped safely).

After opening a second location in Hollywood last year, Loteria Grill is readying a new one in Studio City, according to a land use committee agenda (.pdf) with the Studio City Neighborhood Council. This Wednesday, the group will discuss and possibly make a motion in regards to the restaurant's application for a full line alcoholic beverage license. Loteria, which has a space on the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Blvd., is also planning to obtain a permit to allow for live entertainment between 11 a.m. and 2 a.m.

The rupture of a nearly 100-year-old, 62-inch city water trunkline Saturday night left the area around Coldwater Canyon and Ventura Boulevard paralyzed, flooding the streets, damaging some cars, homes and businesses with water, sometimes up to three to four feet. This morning, a handful of restoration vans sat outside businesses and street closures remain in effect.

    

Late last night a 64-inch water main burst in Studio City at Ventura Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon, according to the LA Times. The water flooded into area businesses and homes, and was 3-4' high in places, according to an LAFD email alert.

       

After 16 years as a raw and vegan chef, producing meals in containers found in places like Whole Foods, catering and traveling, Chef Rawsheed launched his very own storefront last May. Ultra vegan bloggers tried it out early and gave their thumbs up. It left Quarrygirl dying to go back and Foodeater is glad the Valley is "no longer the dreaded no-mans land that it used to be" because SunPower does raw food the way it's supposed to be done.

Talk about a great lunch. A few recent trips to il Tramezzino in Studio City proved this place to one of the city's king of sandwiches. A favorite so far is the Brie Cheese with sun dried tomato, grilled eggplant and basil garlic sauce ($10.95). Keeping to a vegetarian theme, Veg. Special #1 has goat cheese, arugula, grilled eggplant, roasted peppers, marinated eggplant and roma tomato ($10.95) and is equally as tasty.

LA Creek Freek blogger Joe Linton leads us to a nice river vision in Studio City called the L.A. River Natural Park, which would go between Whitsett Avenue and Coldwater Canyon. Described as "a forward-thinking concept design for the last remaining unprotected open space along 22 miles of the L.A. River in the San Fernando Valley," the project could include walking and bicycle paths, a native habitat, a play area and tennis courts, which already exist as part of the former recreational space, now threatened by condo development.

Around 20 Rolling 60s gang members were arrested early this morning during a birthday party at Platinum Live on Ventura Boulevard, which was rented for the event. "They're one of the larger gangs in South Los Angeles," said LAPD Sgt. Dan Horan. "They're well established. There was a gang injunction against them in the neighborhood that they claim. That area around there is Slauson and Crenshaw in South Los Angeles. They are large in number and notorious in their activity."

       

The Counter, known for letting customers customize their own burgers anyway they want, finally made its arrival yesterday in Studio City (Ventura Blvd. near Laurel Canyon). The long-awaited restaurant adds to the commercial district's gamut of quality eateries to choose from, including the nearby Artisan Cheese Gallery, Arb Pizza, Vegan Plate and Laurel Tavern.

Studio Oaks Park, named that way because it stretches between the two Los Angeles city neighborhoods, will start to become a reality next week when construction crews enter Phase 1 of the project.

This house is so big, it has its own website. Too bad they claim it's in Beverly Hills when in reality, it's in Los Angeles's 5th District... but we digress with zip code minutia. This more-than-9,000-square-foot home has nine bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a six car garage, four bars and six fire places.

There's a tiny restaurant row between Laurel Canyon and Carpenter in Studio City. From Laurel Tavern to Arb Pizza and Vegan Plate to LaLa's Argentine Grill, among many others, there is plenty to choose from. But there's nothing like dining on the sidewalk next to a busy seven lane artery (that includes parking lanes)--nothing like it because it's not a very satisfying experience.

With this latest heat wave, everyone is looking for ways to cool off. Studio City's Gelato Bar on Tujunga is one of our favorite summer spots. The flavors not only change according to the season, but by the day, so sometimes you have to take what you can get. Luckily there is always something exciting on the menu.

Parking at the popular Wilacre Park (see LAist's photo essay) in Studio City used to $3, but no one parked in the pay lot because street parking on Fryman Canyon was a free-for-all. That didn't help the residents who had to fight the crowded side streets abut an empty parking lot.

A 21-year-old man was killed in a gang shooting last night and another man was shot in a botched drug deal at a grocery store early this morning.

       

Matt Compton, co-owner of Arb Pizza answers the phone. Someone wants to know if his pizza is true new york pizza. "I'll tell you what," he exclaims. "If you don't like it, come back here, throw on the floor and I'll make you new one."

     

Last fall, Will Shamlian of 4100 Bar/The Chalet/Library Bar fame, opened the Laurel Tavern--a contemporary American pub as he calls it--in place of his previous popular bar, The Sapphire. As much as it was sad to see the popular (and extremely dark) Valley bar go, the new space is much more cozy and useful than ever before.

Thursday marked the end of a 63-year-long road for Studio City's Sportsmen's Lodge. There was a much tears as beer flowing this New Year's Eve, as the Valley's longtime gathering place ushered in a gloomy 2009. The event drew more than 1,000 people, and, according to the Daily News "a 12-piece orchestra serenaded the crowd, which included former employees and restaurant regulars."

A twenty-something man was shot and killed outside a hillside home off Coldwater Canyon Blvd. early this morning in Studio City, the LA Times is reporting. A New Year's Eve party at a large rented house on the 3900 block of Avenida de Sol was winding down as the shooting occurred around 4 a.m.

1 in every 9 homeless people in the United States live in Los Angeles County, and just this past year, 393 of them died. The Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness (LACEHH), along with other advocacy and service organizations, are holding candlelight vigils to memorialize those who died, and thousands across the country are doing the same, for the National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day. In Santa Monica, a vigil is planned for 4:00 p.m. at the 3rd Street Promenade, just south of Arizona Avenue. And in Studio City, a vigil at the same time will be held at Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevard. At both events,which will last one hour and a half, the names of the 393 dead will be read aloud, followed by the word "Presente" which means "here" or "present" in Spanish. Candles will be provided.

Times are not getting easier for Ed McMahon. First his Studio City home faced foreclosure in June which led to this photo from the set of a rap video for FreeCreditReport.com, a financial Web site owned by credit bureau Experian (the video will come out in October). Now he is being sued over an alleged loan from Merv Griffin's company.

blogdowntown is all over the parks in their hood making a special page dedicated to the event. Our favorite is the bike rack in a parking space, something that is not a stranger to the streets of Portland. Over at Curbed LA, a reader is disappointed in the Valley. Apparently, the Studio City and NoHo Arts District parks were no where to be found and one in the Northeast Valley was "was little more than a tent set up in the street with a few big tables." We're lucky the Sherman Oaks one was there as said. Phew!

Sleazeballs are still using that shtick of telling women that they could be models and if they take photos with him, he's got the connections to get them with the right industry people. Last week, the LAPD arrested Miguel Angel Barrera, 44, of Chino Hills, for doing just that and taking it one step further by sexually assaulting the women during the photo shoots. From an LAPD notice:

            

Vitello's in Studio City has been a Valley classic for years, serving up simple but extremely tasty Italian food. Despite some of its popular culture references (notably the Robert Blake murder case and when the image of Jesus was found in some Manicotti), the restaurant is a neighborhood icon and consistently a community partner.

If you've been following the Ed McMahon foreclosure story (the latest is that Donald Trump is helping out), the mainstream media has been saying that his now $4.6 million home is located in Beverly Hills. Even our our local paper, the LA Times continues to say Beverly Hills when talking up the TV icon's home.