Rate-A-Restaurant #320: La Brea Bakery

Restaurant: La Brea Bakery

Location: 468 South La Brea Avenue (Mid-City)

Type of restaurant: Bakery/Coffee Shop/American

We stipulated: After picking up Maria from the airport on a Sunday morning, we wanted to celebrate her return with brunch. Driving up La Cienega and then La Brea, we realized we hadn't tried La Brea Bakery in its new location (once the home of Rita Flora).



They stipulated: "When the original La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles opened its doors in 1989, no one knew that the small bakery would spark an artisan bread renaissance and eventually lead to La Brea Bakery breads being sold at the finest grocery stores and restaurants across the country."



What we ordered: WOOD OVEN TURKEY SAUSAGE FRITTATA 12.75 (grilled scallions, shredded potato, white cheddar); EGGS ANY STYLE 11.95 (three eggs served with breakfast potatoes, toast, & applewood smoked bacon); BREAKFAST BREADS 5.50 (a daily selection of fresh breads, toasted & served with jam, honey, butter & cinnamon-sugar); KIDS' PIZZA



High point:  They smartly told us to order the smaller basket of breakfast breads -- combined with the bread that came with our plates, it was more than enough.

Low point: Poor service. Our orders were wrong, so our food came late. We were promised things (like coffee refills) that never came.



Overall impression: We should have kept to the Baked Golden Rule: At a bakery, stick with the baked goods. The breakfast was just OK. For one thing, my frittata was too greasy (I had to remove the cheese).

Will we return: I might stop by to pick up a baked item to go one day. But I don't think we'll be back to the restaurant.

L.A. Ad Town: Esurance Edition

Franklin Avenue reader Andy turns us on to L.A.'s cameo in a recent Esurance commercial (above):

Looks like they 'shoped out some dead giveaways, but I recognized La Brea Ave and 8th at 0:01. I attached a screen shot from the YouTube video, and one from Google Maps.

Thanks Andy! Here are his two examples:


From the ad


Real life

Spot an L.A. Ad Town or L.A. Cameo? Send' em in!

Dinosaurs! "B-Movies and Bad Science" Return to the La Brea Tar Pits

The outdoor movie trend has exploded in recent years, and here's a unique one: For its annual "B-Movies and Bad Science" outdoor movie festival, the Natural History Museum is celebrating the opening of its new Dinosaur Hall by focusing on "dinosaurs and their sci-fi counterparts." (The event itself is actually held at the La Brea Tar Pits, next to the Page Museum.)

This Saturday, that means the campy 1960 feature "Dinosaurs!" More details:

Spend a lighthearted Saturday evening outside, as members of the Natural History Museum Family’s science and history staff explore the “science” behind Hollywood’s weirdest and most implausible B-movies. Prior to each screening, curatorial staff from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) and the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits will introduce the movie, explore a few scientific facts (if any), and show off related Hollywood artifacts and specimens from our collections.

Bring your blanket and picnic, and cozy up to watch a movie under the stars. This is the third season for the series, and the first year all films will be held outdoors at the Page Museum (on the great lawn, adjacent to the Museum in Hancock Park). Each screening begins with a discussion at 8:30 pm, followed by the film at 9:00 pm. Cost is free.

Here's the schedule:

Saturday, July 30
Dinosaurus! (1960)
Before the film, Page Museum Assistant Lab Supervisor Trevor Valle will lead the discussion.

Saturday, August 6
The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
Before the film, head of NHM’s Dinosaur Institute and curator of the Dinosaur Hall, Dr. Luis Chiappe, will lead the discussion.

Saturday, August 20
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
Before the film Dr. John Long, NHM’s VP of Research and Collections, will lead the discussion.

Saturday, August 27
One Million Years B.C. (1966)
Before the film Chief Curator of the Page Museum Dr. John Harris will lead the discussion.

Go to www.tarpits.org or call (323) 934-PAGE for more info.

Rate-A-Restaurant #240: Tinga

Restaurant: Tinga Taqueria

Location: 142 South La Brea Avenue (3rd/Fairfax/La Brea)

Type of restaurant: Tacos



We stipulated: I was meeting up with Just Jenn for lunch, and in charge of picking the place. Can't go wrong with a new taco joint, and I had read some pretty good reviews online. (One blogger even deemed it the best tacos she'd ever had. That seems a bit too thick, but one blogger's "best tacos ever" must still be in the range of "really good tacos," right?)



What we ordered:
TINGA - two tostadas with spicy stewed chicken, crema, shredded lettuce, pickled red onion, $7.50

PECHUGA - lemon brined chicken breast, salsa verde, Potatoes and queso fresco $6.50


High point: The signature Tinga tostada was quite tasty, with the right amount of spice. (Actually, who am I kidding? I'd love more spice. But still good.) The salsa that came with the chips was also solid.

Low point: More chips, please!


Overall impression: Much like Eagle Rock's Cacao eatery, I can approve of a fast casual taco joint expanding the definition of what can go on top of a tortilla. Tasty, and while a tad pricy, not overboard.

Chance we'll go back: I don't see many opportunities to do so, particularly once my office moves. But I would like to try everything on the menu... so it's quite possible.

Charlie Cox, the La Brea Tar Pits' Unofficial Street Entertainer

We've written before about Charlie Cox, the street musician who participated in Franklin Avenue's 2003 Birthday Race around Los Angeles.

Charlie's still a regular presence outside the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, where he entertains via banjo and other folk instruments. It's a comforting presence -- the first thing I do whenever I pass by the Tar Pits is strain my eyes to see if Charlie's there. (Believe it or not, he's been there since 1975!)

Recently while walking through the Tar Pits, we watched as a group embarked on an impromptu round of square dancing as Charlie played:









It was quite a sight. Check out Charlie's Myspace page here. And read Blogging.la's 2007 profile of Charlie here.

Wednesday Poll: Where Do the Westside and the "Fake Eastside" Meet?

Yes, yes, we all know the true Los Angeles "Eastside" is East of the Los Angeles River. I bring that up first, because the whole "Eastside" thing is the source of countless debates (as most recently noted by the L.A. Times here).

Despite the truth, many Angelenos lay claim to the mythical "Eastside" that makes up Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Hollywood and even Hancock Park (which, yes, again is amusing when you know your L.A. history -- and realize that Hancock Park was originally considered a far West hike from L.A.). So it brings up a good question... where does this modern-day "Eastside" begin?

I've always considered Highland the boundary, mostly because it continues right up into the Cahuenga Pass, making for a nice little dividing line. But most articles on the "Eastside" debate seem to put it at La Brea or Fairfax.

What do you think? Where does the "Fake Eastside" begin? Take the poll below.



(Pic via LA Eastside.)

La Brea's Car-Eating Trench

(Flickr pic by Daryl Furr.)

Car-eating trench on La Brea? Franklin Avenue reader Gerry emails:

For a week or so the city has been digging on La Brea, and today they removed the large metal plates and unveiled their masterpiece: a car-destroying trench. I drive a compact Toyota and I thought my car was being turned into rubble. Maybe someone else drove down La Brea and also almost had their car compacted? Let the city know what a great job they did!

Have any of you encountered the La Brea Trench?

Rate-A-Restaurant #193: Massimo's Mudspot

Restaurant: Massimo's Mudspot

Location: 759 S La Brea Ave. (Mid-Wilshire)

Type of restaurant: Coffee



We stipulated: Meeting with my friend Joe for a quick coffee and hang... Mudspot seemed like the good place to do it: Close to work, on the drive home, and a good spot on a rainy, dark evening.



What we ordered: I got a large coffee -- $2.95.

High point: Massimo's Mudspot may be new, but it's got a comfortable, lived-in vibe that makes it feel like the coffeehouse has been there for years. Its laid-back vibe also couples nicely with all the people taking advantage of free wi-fi to create a large cast of regulars (so it seems). Also, they have Galaga -- the coolest 80s vidgame around (sorry, Ms. Pac-Man).

Low point: $2.95 for a large coffee? And for a large coffee that was just servicable? Definitely on the pricey side.



Overall impression: Mudspot definitely fills the void in that neighborhood for a hip coffeehouse to hang your hat. The drinks are still a work in progress.

Chance we'll go back: Mudspot won't be a regular gathering spot -- it's not quite close enough to the office to make that happen -- but it will be a possibility if I need to meet someone at a coffeehouse before or after work.

For a complete list of our more than 190 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Too Bad There's No Way to Tap The Tar Pits

My office is one block over from the La Brea Tar Pits, famed for the oozing black stuff that occasionally pops up beyond the confines of the actual pit. With so much tar oozing through the walls of our parking garage, the building management even put up wall coverings to hide the black drippings.

It's all lying there on the cement, sticky black tar. Quite a shame it can't be scooped up to fuel my car.

Insult to Injury on La Brea's Tree Kill Lane

It's not bad enough that the lush trees on La Brea were chopped down earlier this year (leaving nothing but ugly stumps up and down the street), but now, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts building -- which had previously been covered by the trees -- has painted its La Brea campus a puke-y burnt orange.



Too... much... orange. Why was that necessary?

Granted, I'm still getting used to the stark brightness of that part of La Brea (not to mention those naked stumps) in the wake of last October's tree massacare.



Here's a reminder of what went down. As you can see, behind the trees, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts building was a deep olive color. Not sure that's much better (what's with these Crayola 64 box colors?), but it's still not as out of place as that burnt orange.

When a Tree Falls on La Brea, It Does Make a Sound

Strange happenings on La Brea this past Saturday afternoon, as zealous workers were taking a chainsaw to quite a few trees up and down the east side of the street.

Were the trees diseased? Blocking someone's view? Mistakingly chopped down?



The massive project caused a surface steet traffic jam, as La Brea was reduced to just one lane at a point.



That's a lot of wood.



Anyone with firm details on why these trees were cut down, let us know!