stink.sack

Dear readers,

I try not to use this as a forum for some of my more explosive thoughts. I try to make this a place of serene reflection. But today I had an experience that was so insulting and outrageous that I just can't contain myself. I must speak out against the wrongs that are being perpetrated against the people of Los Angeles.

Michael Voltaggio of Top Chef "fame" will soon be opening a restarant very close to my home called ink. (the period is not a typo, it's actually part of the stupid name), and in preparation for that he's opened an establishment around the corner called ink.sack. I have so many complaints that I have a hard time knowing where to begin, they are all flooding into my mind.

First of all, I've been trying to go there since it opened, but the hours are not posted so I had to look for a pattern and I determined that it is only open for lunch on Monday through Saturday. Closed on Sundays, and on holidays. That's stupid business move #1. Then again, maybe I shouldn't criticize the limited hours of operation seeing how the line is so long on Saturdays that I would have to eat before I went defeating the purpose of my whole trip. Nevertheless, I've walked by several times and pressed my face against the glass to read the menu, and my mouth has literally watered. So today I made time at lunch to go over there.....Oh cruel world, why are you so filled with disappointment?

The first thing you see when walking up to the tiny storefront is a sign outside on the sidewalk that says "line forms here". Not even hand written, no pleasantry at all, and it's literally next to a velvet rope. Already I'm put off. No one being in the line though, I took the liberty of walking directly to the cash register. There's just a guy standing at a counter with a cash register like the corner liqueur store, which didn't bother me until I realized my main complaint so read on. I look up to see the menu and just see this guy staring at me, no hello or thank you for coming, just the blank stare, and then I step to the side to see the menu. People must do this all day and yet this guy still doesn't think to move to the side so a customer can read the menu. There's maybe 15 to 20 items on the whole menu and in all honesty each one is fascinating in its own way. So I ask Mr. better-door-than-a-window what his favorite is, and he says something but I can't hear him. That's when I realize that I can't hear or think anything because about 18" from my head there's an iPod dock on a shelf blasting music loud enough for the staff in back to hear. This guy must be made of saliva if he doesn't realize that no one can hear him because his voice is drowned out by the music coming from a source literally an arm's reach from him.

Wishing now that I lived in a different neighborhood so I would never have known about this place, and resisting the temptation to turn the f-ing music down myself, I lean in and ask him to repeat. Annoyed with me he says "turkey melt, and blah-ma-flama-blah." Only turkey melt was comprehensible, so that's what I ordered with a side of the crab cake potato chips. He rings me up at $9.79. That's nearly $10 for a sandwich and a bag of chips - no drink. OK fine, but it's gourmet so I can't say that I'm surprised.

I move to another part of the room and wait for my order. There are counters around the tiny room and two high pub style tables outside, but no low tables (the ADA would have something to say about that, so I'll leave it to them) and no stools, and NOT ONE SINGLE PLACE TO SIT ANYWHERE. I watch as orders placed after mine are picked up. I watch as a man is handed a very wet cucumber salad in a zip lock back and there are no forks anywhere and the staff offer no advice on how to eat it. Then finally my name is called. I'm handed my sack by another person who is afflicted with a disease that prohibits her from smiling or speaking. As I turn to walk away from the counter I notice that my sack is surprisingly light and so I open it and pull out the sandwich and this is when the most shocking, insulting slap in the face occurs. The sandwich is about the size of a Twinky.

Here's the deal people....I can handle not having a place to sit. I handle the unfriendly staff (who btw didn't mention that one is expected to eat more than one sandwich). I can even handle paying $10 to $20 for lunch with a side and a drink. And if the food is worth it, I'll even wait in line. What I can't take is all of that at once. A $10 meal should come with a beverage. A $15 meal should come with utensils and a place to site. A $20 meal should come with a server. No doubt the chef would argue that I'm getting better quality food, and I am willing to admit that the food is excellent, but it is done a disservice when the overall experience is almost torture. Not providing a friendly greeting or a place to sit down is like saying "You must suffer if you want to enjoy my tiny over priced food."

Michael Voltaggio I hate your sandwich shop. I will be telling everyone in the neighborhood that I hate it. And I will tell all my friends that I had better service and value at Subway. When your main restaurant opens I will go there once, but my expectations will be EXTREMELY low.

Alright, I'm sorry for my outburst. Now back to more to more positive content.

Yours Truly,
Jeremy

Gordon Ramsay at The London

I went to Gordon Ramsay at The London last night with some friends for dinner. It wasn't my first time there, but I thought I would tell you all about it since it's fresh in my mind. The interior is heavily decorated. It fits the theme of the hotel, but feels a little over the top. I actually liked it the first time I went for its novelty, but I tired of it quickly. There is too much polished brass, and the whole place is going to feel dated in about five minutes. I also noticed last night that they blocked an amazing city view by loading up the window sills with fake plants and decorative lamps with old lady lamp shades. They also kept a phony pitched ceiling that is obviously a hold over from the old Belage which gives a lot of the sapces a heavy feeling.

I have to say I like the service here. It's all business. The staff wear grey suits and have imprecable posture. They are very into their timing. Some of our party were about 20 minutes late and the hostess asked me about three times when they would be arriving. There was also a birthday in our party and at the end of the meal a waiter brought over a dish with a single scoop of sorbet with a candle in it. He set it down and said "I'm not going to sing." Frankly, I like some cold distance between me and the staff, but I could see it being VERY off putting to most other people.

I will give the place this.....the food is fabulous! Absoltely delicious. There is a small standard menu and then a tasting menu. The tasing menu is the way to go. You get three courses for about $65, and five courses for about $85. So why not go with the five courses, right? Here's what I had:

Fois Gras with French Toast, carmelized cherries and vanilla ice cream. It sounds bazarre but this was great; it had that sweet and savory thing going on.
Chilled Shrimp and Melon Gazpacho with Green Beans, and Avocado. Interestingly enough this was not a soup. It was more like a salad. It was very light and refreshing after the previous course.
Châteaubriand with Red Onion Marmalade, Mushrooms, and Potato Purée. See picture below. Honestly, I ordered my meat cooked medium, and it was well done. Other than that it was great.
Cheese plate. I'm not a big cheese person, so I couldn't tell you what kind of cheese it was.
Mango soufflet with a cream sauce, ice cream, and slices of mango. The mango flavour was not as prevelant as I had hoped, it was a little bland. That could have also have been because my pallet was tainted from the heavier dishes. There's a picture below of this as well.

All in all I would say try it out. I've liked it better with a table for two rather than a big group. The bar is a cool place to hang out too. They have a happy hour, but it's from 5 to7pm which doesn't give you much time to leave work and be able to spend some quality time, but at least at they give you a discount on parking.

The Spotlight Room

On Saturday night some friends invited me to join them at The Spotlight Room in Hollywood because on Monday it would be CLOSING FOR GOOD! Of course I joined them for the send off, it's practically a historic landmark. Spotlight opened in 1963 and was the first gay bar in Los Angeles. At the time it served as a venue for young hustlers to meet their benefactors, but also as a meeting place for people down on their luck and down in the dumps. All the reviews online poke fun at the neglected decor, but speak warmly about the friendly attitudes, and cheap drinks. (It's the exact opposite review that I would give most of the bars that have opened since my generation came of age.) Dig deeper and you will find many recounts by patrons who came to The Spotlight in the 60's, 70's, and 80's having recently moved to LA, needing a helping hand, and actually finding it there.


The best description that I found of The Spotlight Room was in a comment posted on losanjealous.com about a trip there in 2006 (I've edited it for length): "Anyone that’s been dragged into one of these Cahuenga Corridor bars with 3 letter names (you know who I mean XES and LAX…!) only to find uninspired pole dancing... and wilmer valderamma running amok…anyone who’s ordered a beer and a well vodka and tonic and had the barkeep tell you, you owe him $26.00... will be happy to know there’s a bar where the drinks are still ridiculously cheap, the jukebox is bizarre and the entire place is friendly. When you step outside to have a smoke, you can watch all the nonsense going on in Lohanville…  Backup dancers, Johnny Hollywoods and it-girls still clomp up and down the street going to the hot club du jour while you smoke with fellow Spotlight patrons who will lean against the wall and watch the spectacle with you. At the end of the night, you’ll have change from your $20, offers to go to church, someone’s myspace page addy and a new understanding of why they have to lock the women’s room here. Completely fun and enlightening!"


I myself frequented The Spotlight Room in 2001 to 2003 when I took several courses at the satellite campus that my college had around the corner. I can vouch for the cheap drinks, dreary decor, and warm welcome that every other review mentions. One early evening on a Wednesday I walked over there with my friend John and we were greeted by a transsexual who offered us each a bowl of chili. Low and behold, Wednesday is chili night at The Spotlight room! The chili was by no means gourmet, but the gesture was deeply sincere. 


The fact that the oldest gay bar in LA can close with so little circumstance says something about how far things have come in terms of gay people being accepted into society at large. Or maybe it just says that with the advent of the internet closeted gay men can seek out sex on the down low from home instead of skulking around in seedy bars. Rumor has it that the building the bar is in was bought by a developer who will be turning it into a boutique hotel, which was inevitable for that location; the whole area is being wrestled out of its blighted old glory filth. As with any change, I'm resistant and clinging to things past, but at the same time trying to keep an open mind and be optimistic. I'm sorry to see such an old establishment drift off into the night, but I suppose without change our lives would be dull. On Saturday I raised a Pabst Blue Ribbon to an old drinking buddy and said my farewells. If you are as nostalgic as I am, you might want to drop by today and do the same.

Arrow Swim Club

Check out this post on a new hot spot in Philadelphia. This is the Arrow Swim Club. It's 21 and over, and has a number of recreational amenities as well and food and beverage service. SL Design did a great job with it. 

For your late summer afternoon enjoyment, here are some pictures of my balcony. This is one of the first areas of my house that I "decorated". I really wanted it as a retreat. Apartment living feels so much less claustrophobic when you have a little outdoor space of your own. I should be out there today reading a book instead of inside avoiding house work.

Yes, I put a vintage chandelier outdoors. I live dangerously.

Even Jake wants to be outside today. 

Plants. All succulents. Mostly grown from cuttings. 

Succulents are really easy to maintain, and there's a huge variety of them.

Long overdue....

Those of you who know me know that last year I remodeled the bathroom in my place. Last month the final piece - the shower door - came in. Here are some pictures of the results....

And here are the before pictures in case you're REALLY curious....



Zombie Proof House

Thursdays are so boring. I think Thursday might be my least favorite day of the week. I guess boredom is what has me looking up things like this.

Shop Stop - Thrift Edition

Thanks to the girls from Fabulous On A Budget for posting this very informative YouTube video on how to succeed in thrift store shopping. I knew a few of these laws of the land before, but never put them into such a comprehensive document. They also brought up some points I never considered before, like buttering up the staff. Anyway, take a look, and then see some of my recent thrift store finds below. These are soldiers that I left on the battlefield, but were memorable enough to be photographed.

Tiki style coffee table. Note the metal lined wells in the lower shelf. Planters?

I imagine these came from a law office or a back room poker club.

Teak chair. This is just a smart timeless piece of design.

Sorry if this picture gives you vertigo, this thing was actually sitting on its side. Those are orange and brown stripes PAINTED onto gold velvet. Brilliant!

Tape Deck - Sunset Junction

Hey guys! Here's the bands that I'm going to see at Sunset Junction this weekend! I'm so excited, I can't wait to see everyone there, and eat junk food, and drink beer in the sun, and ride the rides.....What's that?....Sorry, say again?...No, it can't be canceled....< Google search>...WHAT??? 

So I'm open this weekend if anyone wants to hang. Here's the bands that I WOULD HAVE seen had they not been CANCELED....

KD Lang

The Butthole Surfers

The Vandells, and other ladies of Motown

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Tapes n' Tapes

He's My Brother She's My Sister

Seriously though..... This probably means that the non-profit group (Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance) who has put on Sunset Junction for 30 years will go broke and we will never see it again. "Thanks" City of LA. But it's not the city's fault. It's really the fault of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council who complained about last year's packed crowd, and the fences that had to be put up, ironically, to keep the surrounding neighborhood clean. My question to them: Do you even know what neighborhood you live in? I would expect this from Beverly Hills, but not Silver Lake. I'll say it here first: Silver Lake, congratulations, you've done it. You are now gentrified. You suck.

Click here to see where some of the bands have rescheduled their performances.

Shop Stop - Marukai

Here are some cool finds that I saw at Marukai in Gardena last weekend. These can only be found at the Gardena location because it's the one with a home department. I know it sounds far, but it's right off the 110.

Black lacquer chair with three legs

Sheer curtain panel with LED Christmas lights sewn in

White globe hanging light with silk flowers shade

Table top lantern with decorative twigs

Ceramic from with huge eyes

Tape Deck

Sorry it took me so long to give you all a recap of the bands that I saw at Sunset Strip Music Festival and what I thought of them. I really should have gotten to it sooner. What can I say? I was stressing over Sunset Junction being canceled this weekend. In any case, here they are..... I linked some of them to their MySpace pages. I know it's very 2005, but its the easiest place to listen to music for free.

School of Rock
It's kids planing in a band, so I can't say anything bad. The kids were actually really impressive. They were all right on point, and the singers - all the ones I caught were girls - had very mature voices for their age and size. But I do have to say it seems like about half are into the attention and not the music, and the other half are into the music, but would rather not be on stage. Click here to them cover Gwen Stephani. That's little Ava Cohen singing lead, she is definitely my fav.

Cobra Starship
They are best known for their club hit Good Girls Go Bad but I would argue that they are better than their reputation. Their performance was neat and clean. Very sharp just like their looks and their vocals. They had the best commentary between songs too.

She Wants Revenge
They were alright. Their best days are behind them for sure. The lead singer was a little too strung out, he even started into the wrong song at one point and his basest had to stop him and correct him.

Jordan Cook
I had some free time between bands scheduled in to see if I could stumble upon someone new, and I did. The very talented, and Canadian, Jordan Cook. The best part of his performance was watching him sing and play guitar, then play drums and guitar simultaneuously, then play harmonica and guitar at the same time, then go back to singing and guitar, all in one song, all without skipping a beat. Literally.

Deluka
British punk band with a female lead singer. Good, but not totally memorable. Better on their recordings than they are live.

Matt & Kim
By far my number one with a bullet favorite of the day. This is now the band whose album is on repeat in my car. It's just the two of them, and it's like watching a pair of A.D.D. class clowns putting all that energy toward banging on the band equipment. They had more energy, synergy, and charisma than every other band I saw put together. Highlights were Kim showing a weird tattoo, and a thousand blue balloons being thrown into the air on the count of four. I am buying up all their music on iTunes, and memorizing all their songs, and at next year's festival I'll be in the front row singing along to all their lyrics.

Bush
This is when everyone else showed up at the festival so I was way in the back for this one, but from what I could here Gavin was great, sounded just line in high school. Looked for Gwen, but couldn't find her.

Public Enemy
These guys had like 25 people on the stage, it was really impressive. Master P has great stage presence, and Falava Fav wore a big clock around his neck - the crowd really went wild for him. For being in their 40's (I'm guessing), they moved really well, like they were still in their 20's. Great job, I would see them again for sure.

All in all, this was an awesome festival. I can't believe I saw all these bands in one day, and they really were all very good. I'm still sad about Junction being canceled this weekend, but I think I'll survive on the musical sustenance that I had from this day.

What I would do with $2 million....

Another significant piece of architecture on the market.....Read the history here. See more pictures, and more about the listing here.

Tape Deck

Check out the first single from the yet unreleased Feist album; Metals.....

This is promising. I love her. Love her music. Can't wait to hear more.

Line Up

Bands I'm planning on seeing at this weekend's Sunset Strip Music Festival....

PUBLIC ENEMY
EAST STAGE
7:00 – 8:15 p.m

BUSH
WEST STAGE
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

MATT & KIM
EAST STAGE
5:10 – 6:00 p.m.
 I just found out about this band, and I think they are awsome! http://www.myspace.com/mattandkim

SHE WANTS REVENGE
WEST STAGE
3:10 – 3:50 p.m.

COBRA STARSHIP
EAST STAGE
2:30 – 3:10 p.m.
This is a newer band. You might know their club hit I Make Good Girls Go Bad. The rest of their music is not as douchy. http://www.myspace.com/cobrastarship

School Of Rock – Hollywood
Whisky A Go-Go
2:35 – 2:55 p.m.
This is an extra special treat. The kids from the School of Rock music school in North Hollywood will be performing. http://www.schoolofrock.com/. I don't usually get all gaga over kids, but look at this cute YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb4eh2YNEs4. The volume levels are off, but that might just be the video. Those boys on guitar carry a melody better than most "grown-up" bands I've seen. And that little girl has a career ahead of her.

I hope I see some of you there.

A library that really is for the people.....

I recently had the privilege of taking a tour of the 92% complete West Hollywood Library. I'd like to tell you all how cool this place is going to be….. To call it a library is actually very limiting, that's only one part of the program. Other areas include a new city council chamber that doubles as a performance space, a coffee shop, a small book store, community meeting rooms, a job center, tennis courts, and a huge garage for neighborhood parking. It’s really more of a community center with something for everyone.

Don’t get me wrong, the library is incredible all on its own; shelf space will go from 30,000 volumes to over 150,000. Public computers will go from 5 to 47. Specialized areas will include a teen center, a computer center, a room dedicated to West Hollywood heritage, and a very special children's reading room. Weho's library is technically run by Los Angeles County, and they will be moving almost all of their gay and lesbian related material to the new library, possibly making it the biggest LGBT library in the world.

But the architecture is the real star of the show…..Take a look at this very detailed virtual tour.....

The firm Johnson Favaro designed a LEED silver certified back drop for all of the functions that I already mentioned. The exterior of the building is a clean white box which conceals playful organic motifs constructed out of precious materials, like carrera marble and environmentally conscious ones, like bamboo. The design incorporates public art by the likes of graffiti artist Banksy.

The building is also thoughtfully connected to the community. One level of garage extends under the adjacent park making it more flat and usable while also allowing the main floor of the library to open directly onto the park. A grand staircase entrance takes you up to the library, and is part of an axis relating to the PDC plaza across the street. And the scale and street frontage brings architecture up off the street for a more urban flavor. West Hollywood is raising the bar for libraries and community buildings across the country. 

Shop Stop (web edition); Skitsch

Check out this great website......skitsch.it....It’s a design collective based in Italy. They goods designed by Italian and European designers. Mostly focused on the home. All very original. They have stores around the world. In the US they are sold through Design Within Reach (or as I like to call it Design Just Out of Reach). But it looks like the DWR offering is limited. But you can purchase directly from their website as well. I posted pics of a couple of my favorites from the site. The chair is stackable, and is made from plywood and tube steel, and sells for €260. The lamp is an LED articulating desk lamp and sells for €195. OK, so it's not a steal, but I get the sense that they are selling quality goods.

Tape Deck

I wish I had blogged about this earlier because this is an album that I downloaded on the day it was released and by bringing it up now I sound like I'm getting on a band wagon that's already left the station because Adele is everywhere...... But.....I am loving her new album, 21. It's all about breaking up and being broken hearted. There's nothing more cathartic than wallowing in misery. Love Song (cover of The Cure's song) is probably the most melancholy song on the album; it's also deep and heartfelt and nostalgic. If nothing else you should all download Rollin In The Deep, it's probably the coolest song that's come out in the last year.

Commune Design

I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite interior design firms. They go by Commune.

Interior designers are often criticized for being over indulgent, filling their clients homes with too many objects, over decorating, and making projects about their own egos and not their clients' comfort and self expression. This is a firm that defies the stereotypes. Commune takes a totally new approach to interior design. Each of their projects feels current, and old at the same time. And they somehow manage to infuse each one with their own identity as well as their clients'. They use a mix of modern and vintage elements, but keep it practical and comfortable. The look is always stylish, but never trendy.

To the right are pictures of their work, including a Los Angeles residence which was recently published, and the best place to stay in Palm Springs - The Ace Hotel. See more of their work at communedesign.com.

Trend Watch

Here's an interesting trend; ombrè! An ombrè is a visual effect that is characterized by a shading or graduation of color. We're seeing it in clothing at the moment, as well as in hair styles. The clothes, while sometimes not flattering to the figure, are beautiful. It’s sort of a tie dye reference without looking hippy-ish. The effect can be achieved in different ways but the most common is by carefully dying fabrics more heavily in one area and graduating toward lighter dying in others. Typically the fade goes from top to bottom, but it could also go side to side, or in stripes and other patterns. It can be as subtle or rapid as the designer chooses.

I haven’t tried it myself, but it seems as though the look is easy to create for hair. If you already dye your hair, you simply let it grow out. If you don't dye your hair, there are tips online to help you get the look. I can't decide how I feel about the hair look. At best it has that carefree confident feeling of a natural beauty. At worst it looks like you're letting yourself go. Be careful with this one.

The clothes can be seen just about anywhere. Seriously, you can go to Alexander McQueen or Target (See the McQueen sport coat to the right).

The look is entering the interior design world as well (See the side table below from J. Robert Scott). Look for ombrè fabrics on upholstered goods and draperies, and ombrè paint jobs too.

In case you're not sure what to get me for Easter......

I'd like to drop a not-so-subtle hint here. I just discovered the most amazing light fixtures. Look closely. These puppies are made from recycled bicycle parts. The unique beauties are made by Mexican American artist Carolina Fontoura Alzaga.

Alzaga obviously took inspiration from traditional French crystal chandeliers for the design, but fused them with...well....trash, or used bike parts. She sees the juxtaposition as a sort of bourgeois meets every-man collaboration. Putting utilitarian objects on display, and bringing the privileged to an ordinary level. But most of all she is bringing awareness to bicycle culture, and the importance of moving about with our own two wheels. In fact, part of the proceeds go to bicycling organizations in Mexico City.

You can purchase the chandeliers on Alzaga's website. They start at $750, and top out at $4200, which is reasonable considering all of the workmanship that they appear to require.