E-COMMERCE MERCHANT DESCRIPTIONS FOR WEBSITE
L.A. Theatre Works
Located in Los Angeles and founded in 1984, L.A. Theatre Works (LATW) is a non-profit media arts organization whose mission is to present, preserve and distribute significant classic and contemporary plays through audio recordings. Originally named “Artists in Prison,” the organization used theatre as a tool for creative expression by incarcerated men and women. In 1985, LATW began producing audio recordings of their plays which are available free through streaming on their website, in over 9,000 U.S. libraries and internationally. Their library consists of over 400 plays by classic and notable playwrights recorded by famous film and TV actors. In 2012, LATW began releasing ebooks which allows a user to read the text of a play as they listen to the recording. Live performances of LATW’s “radio theatre” are produced at The James Bridges Theater at UCLA and the company also nationally tours.
Tompkins Square Bar and Grill
Not named for the East Village park in New York City but for the two brothers who own it, Tompkins Square Bar and Grill is a relaxing, comfortable sports bar with above average sports bar food. A huge 80 inch flat screen TV sitting above a fireplace is the centerpiece of the wood paneled room which is surrounded by seven smaller screens. Along one side are comfortable, leather banquettes with a long bar lining the other side offering 16 beers on tap in addition to a full bar. In the middle of the room are several long tables with good views of all the TVs. Tompkins Square’s menu specialties are their burgers which you can either choose off the menu or build your own. Located just north of LAX, the bar services two nearby colleges and the various neighborhoods in the Playa Vista area.
Ayara Thai
Elephants which symbolized fortune in Thailand are a decorative theme in the simple but warm ambiance of Ayara Thai tucked away on a small street near LAX. Simply decorated with dark wooden tables and celadon upholstered chairs, walls of elephants decorate the main dining room as well as the two small back dining areas, perfect for larger or private parties. Known for their fresh, made from scratch ingredients, popular dishes include drunken noodles, various curries, spring rolls and chicken Ka-Pow. Third generation family owned and operated, Ayara is expanding to the building next door and now offers their original sauces for sale online. Parking is available in the lot behind the restaurant or on the street. If you have a hard time finding this hidden gem of a Thai restaurant, just head toward the sound of the Tai Chi classes that are located across the street.
Spectrum Club-Howard Hughes Center
Spectrum Athletic Clubs at the Howard Hughes Center is a three-story gym located in a shopping mall serving the Westchester/Culver City area. The club offers clean, updated equipment in addition to a wide variety of exercise classes. The first floor houses the lobby, a café that serves healthy, delicious food and a large pool that offers aquatic classes. There’s also a Kids Club where members can leave their children while working out. The men and women locker rooms have keyless lockers and provide free, unlimited towel service and toiletries. A vast selection of weight equipment is on the second floor as are the group exercise rooms where there are many choices in classes including yoga, dance, cycling and kickboxing. The third floor has numerous cardio machines outfitted with personal TVs and cable. Free parking is available in the lot but you must park in spaces labeled “Spectrum.”
GROUPON/GAYOT MAGAZINE PARTNERSHIP
GREAT FREE CORKAGE RESTAURANTS IN THE SOUTH BAY
Going out for dinner in today’s economy can be a challenge but one way to keep the check in check is to dine at restaurants that don’t charge a corkage fee. Since alcohol can be one of the most expensive items on a bill, these Beach town places can definitely help you stay on a budget. If you want simple but good Italian food, casual Buona Vita Trattoria on Pier Ave, the main street in Hermosa Beach is a staple in the Hermosa dining scene. Menu items are under $20 and include large portions of various pastas, specialty pizzas, seafood and salads. You can bring your own wine or order off their wine list. Simply decorated to feel like you’re in Italy, there’s a small bar in the entrance area with the larger dining room off to the side. The restaurant is so popular that it can get loud and boisterous so it’s a great place for groups and parties. Metered street parking is available.
Literally just down the street right on the corner of Pier and Hermosa Ave is Zane’s, located one block from the beach. Guests are served complimentary warm focaccia bread with a trio of sauces. In addition to American and Italian dishes, they also offer steaks and seafood with cioppino as their signature dish. Each party can bring one bottle of wine with no corkage fee or Zane’s offers a full bar. Although modern in its look and decor, Zane’s still has homey feel with an upbeat vibe. There is metered parking available or you can park in a nearby lot.
If you want to get away from the bustle of Hermosa Beach, a few miles down the road in Torrance in a residential neighborhood off of busy Hawthorne Blvd. is Aristo Café. There is no corkage fee so you can bring your own wine to this quaint, family owned restaurant serving up fresh, homemade and delicious Mediterranean food. Simply decorated with yellow walls and cafeteria style furniture, the restaurant is known for their kabobs, baklava and complementary hummus served with warm pita bread. Open for lunch and dinner, Aristo is popular with families especially on the weekends. Parking is always available on the street or in their small lot.
GREAT OUTSIDE PATIOS FOR COCKTAILS IN SANTA MONICA
When you want to relax outdoors while sipping a cocktail, there are several places in the Santa Monica area where amazing views mixed with delicious drinks can provide a great backdrop for getting together with friends. The Fairmont Miramar hotel in Santa Monica is literally across the street from the beach and offers a lovely, tranquil outside patio which is a part of their Lobby Lounge. You can order appetizers and specialty drinks while relaxing outside listening to the peaceful cascade of the waterfall into the koi pond. Sun umbrellas and tasteful wicker furniture make the patio area comfortable while lush landscaping provides semi-privacy so the patio is also ideal for special events. Valet parking is available as is street metered parking.
Just south of the Fairmont, atop the Santa Monica Place shopping mall is the Sonoma Wine Garden, an upscale wine bar and restaurant with a lovely, casual patio surrounded by ocean and city views. Known for their huge selection of wines with a menu that emphasizes wine tasting and food pairings, Sonoma Wine Garden’s outdoor patio called the Ocean Deck is reminiscent of a fancy rooftop garden. Furnished with comfortable patio furniture, sun umbrellas, heat lamps and a large fire pit, the outdoor patio is a popular gathering place for locals and tourists alike in addition to being pet friendly. Parking is available in the mall’s parking lot.
Just down the street on Ocean Ave with a great backdrop of Santa Monica Pier, the Pacific Ocean and the beach is the patio at The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel which not only provides a great view but also offers a great happy hour. From 5 to 7pm on Mondays to Fridays for $6.60 per plate, Loews offers a selection of various appetizers in addition to a special happy hour drink menu. A popular destination to watch the sunset, you can either sit poolside, next to the outside fire pits or near the bar for happy hour. During the summer on Thursdays, music from the twilight concerts on the pier can be heard. With the beach at your feet, the Loews is one of the most relaxing places to enjoy a cocktail no matter what time of year. You get 3 hours of free valet parking when you purchase food or drinks.
HEALTHY RESTAURANTS IN CULVER CITY
Culver City has become a culinary destination due to the recent crop of healthy restaurants that the area now offers. On the busy corner of Washington and Culver Blvds in the heart of downtown Culver City is Akasha featuring organic handcrafted ingredients from small family farms and fair trade companies. Their commitment to sustainability is reflected in the restaurant’s décor of restored steel, wood, concrete and brick. Rustic wood tones coupled with a seventies modern look provide a comfortable atmosphere to enjoy the vegetarian and carnivore menu. The Café offers locally roasted coffee and specialty teas as well as well as homemade baked items. At the bar, you can sip artisan wines, organic premium spirits as well as fresh juice cocktails.
Across the street at LYFE (Love Your Food Everyday), the vegetable garden in front of the entrance gives you a hint as to what you’ll experience inside. Founded by former McDonald’s executives, LYFE’s menu is committed to sustainable, natural ingredients enhanced by fresh herbs to fuel and satisfy the body. All their dishes are less than 600 calories and their menu offers vegan and gluten free choices as well as meat. Patio style furnishings in wood, tan and burnt orange tones resonate throughout the interior as well as in their outside heated seating area. Once you order at the counter, you’re given a location sensor so your server can find you when your food is ready. LYFE is family-friendly and the free wi-fi is perfect for anyone who wants a working meal.
About a mile west of downtown Culver located in a shopping plaza is Sage where the only thing on the menu that is not vegan is the honey. Sage bills itself as a safe place with plenty of choices for people with food allergies, where people can eat healthy and enjoy doing it. They use the farm to table model and source their ingredients from local organic farmers. The entrance to the restaurant is through the “beer garden,” an outside seating area with wood picnic tables and red chairs evoking a farm country feel. Inside, metal and wood décor enhances the dining room with its centerpieces of 2 long tables flanked by smaller tables on the side. You can also eat at the bar that serves almost 20 beers on tap. For dessert, Sage offers its own specialty vegan, raw ice cream, KindKreme. Parking is plentiful in the lot or on the street.
GREAT SEAFOOD IN THE BEACH CITIES
When you want fresh, delicious seafood, it makes sense to get it right from the source and head to the beach towns where you can experience seafood in various atmospheres and venues. For upscale dining, head to Manhattan Beach to Fishing with Dynamite (FwD) located a block from the beach. FwD has a casual, rustic dining room decorated in white with brown touches and marine themed art. The restaurant is intimate with a cocktail and raw bar set amongst tightly packed tables. The small plate menu’s specialty is raw oysters in addition to different kinds of chilled seafoods served with various sauces. FwD also offers seafood classics like crab cakes and clam chowder in addition to more nouveau cuisine dishes such as pork belly and grilled octopus. The restaurant is the brainchild of chef David LeFevre who made his mark at the seminal L.A. seafood restaurant, The Water Grill.
South of Manhattan Beach in Redondo Beach is the Bluewater Grill which has locations in other beach cities such as Newport Beach and Catalina Island. Their Redondo Beach restaurant has great ambiance since its located right on the pier with a spectacular view of the docked boats and harbor, perfect for either a casual night out or a romantic special event. Their extensive lunch and dinner menu specializes in charbroiled seafood, homemade chowders, a raw oyster bar and clams on the half shell. They also have up to 20 varieties of fresh fish daily. Bluewater Grill also offers non-seafood dishes like pasta and salads. In addition, they are one of the rare seafood restaurants to offer a happy hour at their bar which includes seafood and meat items. Another way Bluewater Grill is special is that there is no corkage fee on the first two bottles of wine you bring; on the third bottle the fee is $10.
For a more casual, dig in and get your hands dirty seafood experience head over to Quality Seafood on the boardwalk in Redondo Beach. More of a seafood market than a restaurant, customers buy fresh raw seafood and get it cooked however way they prefer, steamed, fried or broiled. You can eat your meal at the outdoor picnic tables with a small view of the harbor and pier or take it to go. Quality Seafood offers a wide variety of seafood from raw oysters, live stone or blue crabs, dungeness crabs, sea urchin, clams, lobster or ready-to-eat seafood. They also have a small draft beer selection. Seafood doesn’t get any fresher than eating it here!
By Vicky Choy – published February 18, 2016
Located across from Golden Gate Park and next to the UCSF Parnassus campus, the Inner Sunset neighborhood, with its epicenter at 9th Avenue and Irving Street, has become one of the Sunset District’s most popular hotspots. This neighborhood – incidentally also the birthplace of Craig’s List, once located in a small office near the corner of 9th Avenue and Judah – offers it all when it comes to dining, shopping, or imbibing your favorite beverage. Here are our picks of the best spots to check out in this happening San Francisco district.
Arizmendi Bakery
Arizmendi Bakery is a worker-owned and run cooperative specializing in delicious pastries, artisan breads, and gourmet pizzas. On the weekends, long lines form early to take advantage of the large variety of scones, muffins, focaccia, specialty breads, and daily specials that are freshly baked every couple of hours. Everything here is tasty, even the gluten-free products, and the bakery is famous for its holiday specialties such as Chinese New Year cookies or Mardi Gras King cake. Limited seating is available inside and outside on the sidewalk parklet. Even if you’re not hungry, it’s worth walking by Arizmendi just to get a whiff of the wonderful smells that constantly fill the air.
Crossroads Trading Co.
If you’re in the mood to shop for bargains, stop in at the Inner Sunset location of Crossroads Trading Co., a popular chain of consignment men’s and women’s clothing. You can find designer items at discounted prices, and since the selections are different at every store, shopping at Crossroads is like antiquing – almost everything is one of a kind. You can also sell your clothing here while you shop. Each store buys seasonal items so it’s best to check their website to see what each location is buying before you bring your stuff in.
Urban Bazaar
If you need a unique, cool gift and want to feel good about consumerism, shop at Urban Bazaar, which sells fair-trade and handmade local and international gift items. They have a large selection of interesting and unusual gifts ranging from have artwork, cards, baby clothes, SF collectibles, jewelry, and artisan home items. The store also periodically hosts crafting workshops to bring the community together and when the store is open, everyone is invited to grab some coffee and relax in their backyard garden.
Blackthorn
If you are in the mood for a drink or want to watch sports, Blackthorn is the place to go, especially since their happy hour starts at noon! For entertainment, there are multiple TVs broadcasting all types of sports, two pool tables, arcade games, and the bar hosts weekly trivia contests. Drinks are very reasonable and although there is a limited bar menu, the bar offers to-go menus for local food spots that you can order from and bring to Blackthorn. If you want to get away for a quiet chat or get some air, there’s an open patio in the back.
San Francisco Women Artists Gallery
To see some art, stop in to the San Francisco Women Artists (SFWA) Gallery for paintings, photography, ceramics, sculpture, and jewelry created by member artists. Founded in 1887, SFWA is a nonprofit arts organization that supports, promotes, and exhibits the works of talented Bay Area artists. Despite the name, both men and women are invited to join, and the works on display are also available for sale. Since it’s a volunteer-run organization, the person who is selling you a piece may also be the artist who created it!
Hing Wang Bakery
A hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant popular for its take-out buffet, Hing Wang does not offer gourmet dim sum, but it is good enough to fulfill a craving. Down the hill from UCSF Parnassus, you can sit in the restaurant and eat, though don’t expect a lot of ambiance. In addition to an assortment of dim sum and bakery items, you can order inexpensive typical Chinese rice combo plates and entrees like broccoli and beef, chow mein, and sweet and sour pork. The ladies who work here are very nice and fill your to-go order to the rim.
Loving Hut
Loving Hut makes for an interesting change for herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores alike if you are looking for a healthy and nutritious meal. This all-vegan restaurant serves a menu of mostly Asian dishes, offering environmentally-conscious cuisine. The slogan of this spartan vegan restaurant is “Be Vegan, Make Peace” and is based on a movement founded by a Vietnamese spiritual leader whose mission is to provide people with affordable vegan meals. With gluten-free options, Loving Hut has an extensive enough menu so everyone can find something they will like.
Inner Fog
A place for both beer and wine fans, Inner Fog has the ambiance of an upscale wine bar but is casual enough for a group to relax and enjoy some drinks. They have a fairly large list of craft beers on tap and in cans, enough to satisfy any beer drinker, along with an interesting wine list. The place also offers a small food menu featuring typical vegetarian and meat dishes to pair with your drinks. A great place to relax and enjoy some conversation, make it a point to stop in for their happy hour when selected wines are only $6 and beers are just $3.
Cybelle’s Front Room Pizza
If you crave pizza, Italian food, or need to carb load, Cybelle’s Front Room Pizza is an Inner Sunset institution that has served generations of locals. With large portions, reasonable prices, and a friendly staff, Cybelle’s is not only family-friendly but also a popular place for local pizza delivery. Specializing in New York-style pizza, Cybelle’s now even offers a thin crust gluten-free pizza. In addition to good food, it’s also a great place to catch a game in their bar area, which is decorated like someone’s comfortable home parlor.
This article can be found online at: The Culture Trip
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