Nextdoor Post Compares Sign Erection to Jesus' Crucifixion

Gotta love Nextdoor. This guy's argument sure escalated fast.

Rate-A-Restaurant #378: Tam O'Shanter (Atwater Village)

Restaurant: Tam O'Shanter

Location: 2980 Los Feliz Boulevard (Atwater Village)

Type of restaurant: Scottish/American pub

We stipulated: For my birthday, I wanted to try something special -- and after more than a decade of passing by the Tam O'Shanter (near our house!) via car, bike and foot, it was time to finally step inside. (I know, for shame, that it took us this long.)

They stipulated: A member of the Lawry's family of restaurants, "Delighting diners for over 90 years, the Tam O'Shanter is Los Angeles' oldest restaurant operated by the same family in the same location. Enjoy good cheer, warm hospitality and exceptional food in a cozy old world atmosphere. If you have some Scottish ancestry, you might even find your family tartan among the extensive collection decorating the walls!"

What we ordered: Maria: pan roasted filet mignon ($37); Mike: pan seared Scottish salmon (parsnip puree, tuscan kale, pomegranate seeds, and toasted walnuts, $31); Blogger Kid 1: kids' size prime rib; Blogger Kid 2: kids' chicken; dessert: C.C. Brown's hot fudge sundae (prepared tableside with double rainbow vanilla bean ice cream, toasted almonds, whipped cream & C.C. Brown's Hot Fudge, $8)

High point:  Great spot for a birthday, there's something extra special in the history of the Tam O'Shanter. But the food is surprisingly (for a place like this) good too. And the kids liked it, which is the biggest barometer of them all.

Low point:  Those prices are a bit high. If you want to go more casual, eat in the bar.

Overall impression: A great spot for special occasions or to bring friends and family visiting from out of town.

Will we return: We already have! Brought my parents here on a Saturday night, where live music added to the atmosphere.

FREE L.A.: Atwater Village Christmas Tree Lighting is Tonight

Looking to get into the holiday spirit, especially after yesterday's horrific news? Join residents and members of the Atwater Village community tonight as they light the Christmas Tree on Glendale Blvd.

From the press release:

The event kicks off with street caroling at 4.30pm at Union Bank at 3355 Glendale Blvd. A troupe of a capella singers decked out in full Victorian Dickens-style costume will head west on Glendale Blvd to Kaldi Coffee Shop, then cross over and finish at 5.30pm at the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot at 3250 Glendale Blvd. Special guests include Santa Claus, Elsa & Olaf, plus performers who all have an Atwater connection including Catherine Dent (The Shield) and Phil Donlon (emcee along with Camilla Cleese), comedian “Captain” Katie Robinson, DJs Shakaboom and The Flashdance.

Our very special guest is John Paul DeJoria, founder of Patron Tequila and Paul Mitchell, who will share his memories of growing up in Atwater Village with his single mother, in and out of foster homes and gangs. For the past 4 years JP has sponsored the Garden Program at Atwater Ave Elementary and will return to the campus for the first time in 60 years! This year’s Tree Lighting Festival is also a Block Party which will include music, dancing, comedy, a Santa Photo Booth, Spinning Wheel giveaways, free Hot Chocolate, free Gingerbread-making and, of course, the lighting of the majestic 85 foot tall Redwood tree in the center of Glendale Blvd.

See you there!

Scary Clowns! Spongebob! Tiny Gnomes! Scenes from this Year's Atwater Village Trick-or-Treats on the BOOlevard

It's the kiddie version of West Hollywood's massive Halloween festival. But in this case, it's in Atwater Village, and the goal is simple: To grab as much candy from businesses up and down the sidewalk as possible. The annual Atwater Village Trick-or-Treat on the BOOlevard attracted massive crowds of tykes and their parents on Thursday as a bit of a dry run for tonight's official tricks and treats. And some of the costumes were pretty amazing. Here are a few highlights:


Spongebob Squarepants


Vitruvius, from "The Lego Movie"


CLOWNS ARE SCARY


Even Mini Obama stopped by.


Star Wars: Atwater


Yeah, this guy is the stuff of nightmares.


That's one pooped gnome.


The Flash gets some goodies.


One business, the new Great Escape Club, created a haunted house for kids.


Some of the neighborhood Atwater Village businesses went all out in handing candy.

FREE L.A.: Trick or Treat on the Boo-levard in Atwater Village TONIGHT

One of our favorite Halloween events happens TONIGHT: Grab the kids, shove 'em in their costumes and do some early trick-or-treats tonight on Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village! The street will be packed with kids hitting up various businesses for candy. It's a great way to get some practice in for the main event tomorrow! Oh, and candy.

When: Thursday October 30th from 4:30-6:00pm
Where: Glendale Blvd in Atwater Village
What: Trick or Treating for the whole family brought to you by the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council

Rate-A-Restaurant #323: Thank You For Coming (Atwater Village)

Restaurant: Thank You For Coming



Location: 3416 Glendale Blvd. (Atwater Village)

Type of restaurant: Pop-up dinner



We stipulated: We bike by Thank You For Coming all the time, and have been intrigued by the unique space and concept; finally, on a Sunday afternoon in spring, we were free to check it out.



They stipulated: "Thank You For Coming is a collectively-run restaurant that is home to an artist-in-residence program. Artists are invited to utilize our restaurant for public engagement and creative experimentation. They make and present work over the course of the year, exploring food and its associated sensory experiences. In collaboration with our residents, artists, guest chefs, community partners, and friends, we offer shared meals, events, performances, educational workshops, and other public programs."




What we ordered: Sweet & spicy tofu tacos ($7); lentil stew ($7); rice porridge ($6); bulgar salad ora greens ($4)




High point:  Thank You for Coming was very kid friendly (there was room for them to draw and add to pre-existing drawings). The tofu tacos were surprisingly good.




Overall impression: We happened to visit Thank You for Coming in between chef residencies, and were eating mostly leftovers of food that had been used for other creations. So, we didn't get the full Thank You For Coming experience. But it's a great idea, and I love that every visit offers up something different.




Will we return: We will definitely be back -- probably on our bikes -- to get a more extensive experience..

The Glendale/Atwater Village Oil Spill: What Will Be The Lasting Effects?

Watching with concern from afar that massive oil spill at the Glendale/Atwater Village border (hoping Golden Road is OK!) and wondering about the long-term effects of this mess. My friend Damon Nagami wrote an informative post on Switchboard, the Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Blog about what may transpire:

Although this spill appears to have happened in a largely industrial area, hundreds of homes in the community of Glendale can be found less than a thousand feet to the east, and the Glendale Narrows section of the Los Angeles River lies a couple thousand feet to the west. The potential health impacts to residents from exposure to crude oil are serious. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, my colleague Dr. Gina Solomon blogged about residents in onshore areas closest to the spill experiencing headaches, dizziness, nausea, eye irritation, and respiratory problems. And later that year, as OnEarth Magazine’s early coverage showed in harrowing detail, the massive Kalamazoo River pipeline disaster struck, exposing numerous communities in Michigan to similar symptoms as a million-plus gallons of heavy Canadian tar sands oil erupted into the waterway. In some ways, it's an apt comparison: the pipeline that spilled here today is owned by Plains All American and likely carried heavy California crude from Bakersfield. While that stuff is not quite as nasty as the tar sands spilled in Michigan, they are very similar in nature.

Oil-related impacts to the LA River would be devastating as well. The spectacular seven-mile Glendale Narrows stretch of the river has a soft bottom and lush vegetation, providing habitat for wildlife including shorebirds such as herons, egrets, and kingfishers, as well as riverside paths for walkers, joggers, bicyclists, birdwatchers, and nature lovers from all over Los Angeles. Exposure to toxins from crude oil can take a lethal toll on river life, as well as cause genetic damage, liver disease, cancer and harm to animals’ reproductive and immune systems.

And here's Damon discussing the spill with KNBC-TV:

Restaurant News: Atwater Crossing Back Open, Under New Management

Just days after celebrating my birthday at Atwater Village's ATX by Kitchen 12000, the restaurant suddenly closed. And it's not the first kitchen casualty there; when we reviewed the space last year, it was Atwater Crossing.

It's a fantastic space, and perfect for young parents. Mom and dad get a great meal and drink, while the kids can run around and watch trains speed by from the safety of being on the other side of the fence. And yet, restaurants keep failing there.

Hopefully the new owners have cracked the code. The Atwater Crossing restaurant space is back open, and now known as The Crossing. I met the new owner yesterday, and he happened to live across the street from the space and reopened it as a labor of love. He has restaurant experience and says he knows what works for the space: Families, events and simplicity. And yes, the pizza's still there, along with a new Texas BBQ menu. We'll be visiting The Crossing soon and will give a full report.

A Lion Roaming Around Atwater Village?

Is Spike TV's new TV series Urban Tarzan for real? This clip of a lion roaming the Los Angeles River in Atwater Village is pretty suspect. We bike around here all the time... and wouldn't this have been on the news? The fake LAPD officers (that's some bad acting), the convenient trailer located nearby, the fact that they didn't shoot the tranquilizer gun... c'mon.



But hey, I guess it's all in fun. Watch below.

SPIKE
The King Of The Jungle Vs. URBANTARZAN
www.spike.com

Rate-A-Restaurant #291: Bon Vivant

Restaurant: Bon Vivant



Location: 3155 Glendale Blvd. (Atwater Village)

Type of restaurant: American, Cafe



We stipulated: Maria and I wanted to grab lunch nearby, but not hit one of our usual spots. It was time to try out Bon Vivant, which just opened last summer.



They stipulated: Bon Vivant serves both made-to-order entrees and various items in the deli case, which can be sold by individual servings for dining in.



What we ordered: Maria -- Grilled portabella mushroom burger with manchego cheese, duck egg and french fries ($13); Mike -- Jamaican spiced BBQ beef with sliced mangoes, papaya, orange wedges, fresh cilantro and a Spicy Greek Yogurt Aioli (half $8); kale salad $6



High point: Sauces for the fries include a Sriracha aioli sauce. Also like the deli case selection, and the homemade desserts look delicious.

Low point: The dishes themselves fell short. My Jamaican BBQ beef was way too fatty, and I wound up having to eat everything but it. Maria's mushroom burger strangely lacked flavor.



Overall impression: Bon Vivant has faced some growing pains, including a delay in getting its liquor license (some alcohol is now served). But it's a lively, big space and has great ambitions, so we'll be rooting for them to continue to iron out the kinks. We've since visited for breakfast, and had a much better experience.



Chance we'll go back: We may eventually try it again. But I'm afraid Bon Vivant hasn't yet made it to our regular Atwater Village rotation.

Here's Where Your Brick Phone, Gameboy and Walkman Go To Die

Wow, remember these things? It seems so long, long ago. (In the case of that typewriter, it was indeed long, long ago.) Someone at Sunday's Atwater Village Farmers Market was collecting E-Waste, and some of the finds ought to be museum pieces.