CicLAvia Returns to the 'Heart of LA,' and We're Back Too

It had been a while since we grabbed our bikes and headed to the open streets for one of our favorite Los Angeles events, CicLAvia -- a function both of the pandemic and our busy schedules. But Nathan and I made it out to Chinatown on Saturday, and rode our bikes all the way to Mariachi Plaza and back, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city along the way. 

It's been easy to get a little down on Los Angeles lately. There are a lot of frustrating things about the current state of our city. But being back out with thousands of other Angelenos and enjoying the beautiful day... it brought back some of the passion for LA that had been starting to wane. (Later that evening, we also hit a Lakers preseason game — quite a day in LA!) More shots from our Sunday in downtown:

The "Catfe" Pops Up in Chinatown

While in Chinatown for a gallery show (one of Maria's quilts was on display) on Saturday night, we had to stroll over to Scoops -- it would be a crime not to! But next to Scoops' Chinatown location was another spectacle: The pop-up "Catfe LA" was open for business.

What's the "Catfe"? It's a "cat cafe." Yeah: People eat and drink while petting cats. Apparently, according to the Catfe FAQ, this is viable under L.A. County health codes -- as long as the food prep and the cats are far away from each other. Here's a pricing menu:

Drinks & Snacks - less than $6 each
================================
Cat Visits
30 minutes =$7
1 hour = $10
Unlimited Time = $13
================================
Drink and Cat Combo
30 minutes = $10
1 hour = $13
Unlimited time = $18

You won't be able to bring your own cat to the Catfe -- this is a chance to pet and/or adopt new cats. This weekend's event was more of an effort to raise publicity for the Catfe Kickstarter campaign, underway with the goal of permanently opening the Catfe. Some pics from Saturday night:

Rate-A-Restaurant #319: Chego

Restaurant: Chego

Location: 727 N Broadway Unit 117 (Chinatown)

Type of restaurant: Asian Fusion

We stipulated: We happened to be near Chinatown for dinner, and had a jones for Kogi Taco man Roy Choi's first sit-down, brick and mortar restaurant.



They stipulated: "Taking a short break from the streets to chill and cheer from the sidelines, this happy, humble little LA-in-a-rice bowl restaurant full win and the color orange set out to reinvigorate the rice bowl. Slow roasted prime rib with creamed horseradish? Check. Sticky-sweet slabs of Berkshire pork belly over hot rice and fried egg? Done. A jukebox of feelings and L.A. youth piped in through the speakers? It’s been Chego Man approved."



What we ordered: Kimchi Spam Bowl (w/ butter-fried kimchi, Spam, scrambled eggs and baby bok choy w/ a touch of toasted sesame, $8); Sour Cream Hen House (marinated grilled chicken rice bowl w/ fried egg, Chinese broccoli, sour cream sambal, Thai basil, toasted sesame and red jalapeño, $9); Chubby Pork Belly (kochujang-lacquered Kurobuta rice bowl w/ fried egg, pickled radishes, water spinach, Chinese broccoli, cotija and peanuts, $9); Ooey Gooey Fries (beer-battered, w/ sour cream sambal, monterey jack and cheddar cheese, cotija, chillies, cilantro and pickled garlic, $6)



High point:  I liked the spice to the bowls, and the inventiveness of the various offerings.

Low point: A limited number of seats (mostly outdoor), which means you may be waiting for others to leave. Also: If there was Spam in our Spam bowl, we sure couldn't find it. The meat is chopped a little too thin, perhaps (that, or they forgot to put Spam in our dish).



Overall impression: I liked Chego, but there may be such a thing as too much of a good thing. The bowls are so loaded with a variety of things that it's hard to eat.



Will we return: Perhaps, but I might want to try Roy Choi's new spot in Koreatown instead.

Rate-A-Restaurant #308: Starry Kitchen

Restaurant: Starry Kitchen

Location: at the Grand Star Jazz Club: 943 Sun Mun Way (Chinatown)

Type of restaurant: Asian Fusion/Cafe




We stipulated: We've been trying to go to Starry Kitchen for years, as it moved from location to location -- but alas, it never seemed to be open when we were free to try it. Finally, the time had come this weekend. It was worth the wait.



They stipulated: It started out as an illegal restaurant operating from Nguyen and Thi Tran’s second-floor, and quickly turned into a foodie phenomenon. The Starry Kitchen crew recently moved operations to Chinatown, where they're serving dinner (or "din-dins") out of the Grand Jazz Club (which still maintains a separate bar). Also: Portions are large and served family style. And if you want to try Starry Kitchen's Singaporean Chili Crab (with buttermilk beer beignets!), call them 24 hours in advance to reserve it!



What we ordered: Crispy Tofu Balls (the appetizer that put Starry Kitchen on the map) $6.50; Malaysian Chicken Curry with Okinawan Sweet Potatoes ($14); Braised Sweet Soy Sauce Ginger Pork Belly ($15)



High point:  Rich adobo style sauce with pepitas on the pork belly. And loved the spice on the Malaysian chicken curry, which was courtesy a Indonesian paste. Normally I pour Sriracha sauce all over my food, but this was such a great flavor that I didn't want to mess with it. Trust me, that's high praise coming from me.

Low point: I wish we had thought ahead and reserved the Singaporean chili crab. Next time.




Overall impression: It's everything I hoped Starry Kitchen would be. Even the weird vibe of the Grand Jazz Club lent a indie, DIY vibe to the experience. You come for the food, not for the ambience.



Will we return: There are many more menu items to try, so we will be back!

Scenes from CicLAvia's Return to the Heart of Los Angeles

We never get tired of CicLAvia, the day that miles of L.A. roads are shut down to cars and turned over to bicyclists and pedestrians. For this Sunday's edition of CicLAvia, organizers returned to the heart of downtown, with spokes to Chinatown, Mariachi Plaza, Pico/Central and MacArthur Park. Food trucks, bands, activities, bike repair, retail booths and more were there at every stop. And at the center of it all, in Grand Park, everything from a kids' play area to an Italian food festival greeted participants.



More than 100,000 people took part in October's event, according to organizers, who hope to eventually turn CicLAvia into a monthly event. (Too much of a good thing?) A few pics from this time:


Zumba marathon in Boyle Heights at Mariachi Plaza


The dancing Stop sign at City Hall


Concert stage in Chinatown


Coca-Cola bottling building at Central and Pico


Game area at Grand Park

Rate-A-Restaurant #283: Master Chef

(Flickr pic by Thomas Hawk.)

Restaurant: Master Chef

Location: 937 N. Hill Street (Chinatown)

Type of restaurant: Chinese



We stipulated: After attending an event at the Chinatown gallery district on Chung King road, it was late -- but we were hungry.



They stipulated: "Master Chef Restaurant is a Chinese restaurant that specializes in Cantonese cuisine and offers seafood specialties. We produce fresh, high-quality food at affordable prices. We aim to provide friendly service to our customers. We receive weekly shipments of live seafood and we maintain appropriate levels of food inventory to ensure that our food is always fresh. Our menu offers a large variety of healthy choices as well as vegetarian options, catering to a wide range of individuals and families of all ages with an appreciation for fresh, high-quality Chinese food. We are open until late every day and offer a special late night menu to our customers after 10 p.m."



What we ordered: Sliced Chicken with String Beans, $9.95. Szechwan Style Eggplant, $8.95.


High point: The fact that Master Chef is open so late is great, especially the discounted late night menu. (We got there a bit too early for that -- the late night menu starts at 9:30 p.m.) Also, the eggplant was nice, although had a bit to much of a sauce to it.

Low point: It's not you, it's us. Or is it? Despite a name like "Master Chef" and a promise to do upscale cooking, this restaurant stil acts like any Chinese spot -- massive menu and lack of ambience.





Overall impression: Despite the name, "Master Chef" has nothing to do with the Gordon Ramsay TV show. The food is reasonably priced and decent, just not great. But you could probably do worse in Chinatown.

Chance we'll go back: Unlikely but not impossible.

Retro Friday: Los Angeles in the 1920s

It's how Los Angeles of "The Artist" really looked. Here's a promotional silent film, apparently produced by Ford, about Los Angeles in the 1920s. Check out the old Plaza Church, the (long gone) old Chinatown, a busting Broadway, "Central Park" (now Pershing Square) and a lot more.



And above, another silent film, this one of Hollywood in the 1920s. At around 2:30 in is a collection of old theaters, including the late, lamented Cathay Circle Theatre.

"How to Destroy LA"

From his "No One Gets Out Here Alive" show, artist William Powhida's "How to Destroy LA" (2009, graphite, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, 18 x 15 inches). Spotted during our recent visit to Chinatown Design Night (photo taken in three parts):

Celebrating Design at Chinatown's Chung King Alley

Chinatown's Chung King Alley has transformed in recent years as a new generation of galleries moved in alongside the old-school antique shops and restaurants. We took the Gold Line to Chinatown on Saturday to check out the 2nd Annual Chinatown Design Night, part of the Los Angeles Design Festival.

Among the highlights that we saw, as noted by the LA Design Festival website:

Coagula Curatorial - Cartoonist Jim Caron will be hosting a book signing for his latest work “I AM NOT A TYPO.”

Fifth Floor - C-town’s resident purveyor of accoutrements for the modern life will be showcasing a new collection of letterpress and screen prints by LA artists Charlie Carroll, David Lomeli, and Leslie Ross-Robertson.

Flock Shop – Featuring the appropriately-named new collection The End is Only the Beginning, with the work of 13 participating artists from around the world.

Strangeways Academy – This collaborative graphic design studio will be opening its doors to show Sound Codes, a new collection of work by Amy Fortunato and Lee Noble.

Preen – If you missed this creative brood on the de LaB design-n-dim-sum ride, this is open house and another opportunity to check out their outstanding interior design and architecture studio.

Osceola Refetoff - Pop into this photography studio to check out a new interactive light sculpture by Leif Maginnis called ArtStrobe.

Some highlights from our night in Chinatown:


The new Exhale Unlimited gallery opens with a mission: Everything at this Saturday's exhibition came from artists who are either homeless or disabled.


At the Exhale gallery: Reps from the Waterbar LA brand of flavored waters -- among them, Apple Pie water and PB&J water -- showed off their product.


Dancers from "Versa Style" perform outside the Exhale Unlimited gallery.


The scene at Fifth Floor Gallery


Two letterpressed works by Leslie Ross-Robertson: "Pan Pacific" and "Casestudy View"


Two screenprints by David Lomeli: "Hip" and "I Love L.A."


While most of the storefronts on Chung King Road are now art galleries, Fong's (which imports Chinese artwork) remains.


The Happy Lion gallery


L.A. graffiti crew West Coasts Artists, which began back in 1985, has never had a full-fledged art exhibit -- until now. We checked out the show on Saturday during the design show; read more about it here.


"Good Times" at the West Coasts Artists show.


More art!


"Forgive me for being a hypocrite."


"America, the Greatest Nation on Earth"


"Father, Mother, Sister, Brother."


"How to Destroy LA."


Blogger Toddler 2.0 enjoys "Private Property."


"If Only You Were Better."


Performance art!


The three-prong claw!