As if it weren't enough that some Angelenos wonder which tamales, other than their Tia Lala's are the best in Los Angeles. La Mascota is it, hands down. There's no question about it-- only La Mascota offers the most savory, saucy meat inside delicious fluffy masa, and it's right in our favorite hood, Boyle Heights.
People still swear by their beloved Juanitos, Indianas, or the very popular Liliana's, like they love their childhood barrios, so I kind of understand- but Trader Joe's tamales? You've got to be kidding me. This is wrong. Who can I write to, to end this blasphemy?
The unfortunate sighting occurred inside a neighborhood Trader Joe's this morning as I anxiously loaded my basket with my last few bottles of champagne and chocolate for Winter Solstice gifts. I did a double-take when I spotted the unfortunate and shameless tamales bag standing there as if it knew it were a fraud. "I am filled with tamales for the unfortunate soul who doesn't know any better, please eat me. I come by the dozen in chicken and pork and I am feeling slightly awkward sitting here in the last Trader Joe's aisle near the soyrizo and chicken-apple sausage." It couldn't even look me in the eye. I pretended not to notice and quickly went on my way, not even moving in to get a closer look. Even though I wanted to laugh, a part of me felt sadness for the unknowing shopper who may have only read about the great Christmas tamal and what they would ultimately miss out on after biting into these morsels of sadness (what could be worse? Blue Corn Maiden tamales at El Cholos? Stop me now!).
Look, my own tamales didn't come out so great a few weeks ago, but there's always your tia or your neighbor or for God's sake, just jump on the Gold Line and buy your tamales EAST of the LA river and not in Trader Joe's. Take this humble advice and your life will be filled with joy and good karma forever and ever, Amen.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Dia de los Muertos
Day of the Dead 2011
Saturday, October 16, 2011
El Centro Del Pueblo
http://www.echoparknow.com/2010/10/13/dia-de-los-muertos-with-el-centro-del-pueblo/
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
http://www.ladayofthedead.com/
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Self Help Graphics & Art
http://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/
Saturday, October 16, 2011
El Centro Del Pueblo
http://www.echoparknow.com/2010/10/13/dia-de-los-muertos-with-el-centro-del-pueblo/
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
http://www.ladayofthedead.com/
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Self Help Graphics & Art
http://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Happy Belated Summer Solstice- fo free!
My fresh fuchsia sunburn now branding my belly and thighs is enough to keep me off the beach for the remainder of this summer--but I will not let this prevent me from 1) finally updating my blog and 2) getting out to soak in more sun and live music. Happy Belated Summer Solstice! All events listed below are free or under $20.
1) Outdoor Cinema. Some people are put off by the notion of outdoor film in the cemetery because the dead might rise like zombies or haunt our space forever and ever if we upset them by making out on their graves while sipping sangria and watching old movies. Fear not. You won't be picnicking on anyone's grave at Cinespia. It actually takes place on the non-grave grassy area at Hollywood Forever, where the living and dead peacefully co-exist and enjoy live music, old film favorites, and personal picnics. BYOB. Of course, if you still can't get over the idea of summer cinema in the cemetery, then definitely check out at least one of the other outdoor flick events below.
Cinespia: Outdoor Cemetery Screenings @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery. BYO picnic. $10
Devil's Night Drive-In: BYO Car or chill out on the astro turf in the heart of Downtown LA. $10-$12
Friday Night Flicks @ Pershing Square: Fear not the remnants of the Pershing Square's less than desirable day piss, loose rock, and tacky concrete plaza. There are some gems in this series- Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mommie "No Wire Hangers" Dearest, American Graffitti, Inception, and Poltergeist are just a few in their lineup. Runs June-October 2011. Free.
Movies on the Plaza @ JACCC: Part of Little Tokyo's Design Week, they'll show My Neighbor Totoro, your favorite overgrown Japanese psychadelic furry friend with music from DubLab Djs. Friday, July 15th @ 8:30pm. Free.
Old Pasadena Film Festival: Boasts the "largest free outdoor film festival in Southern California" that runs July 7-30th. Highlights include Rebel Without a Cause, An Affair to Remember, and my personal favorite, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Each film was handpicked to reflect the a urban environment of Old Pasadena's historic downtown. Very cool. Free.
Outdoor Cinema Food Fest: Summer series featuring live music and roach coaches (aka gourmet food trucks) in Exposition Park. Runs May-September. $10 a head.
Outdoor Films: A Tim Burton Sampler: A short running series of Tim Burton Films that include Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Corpse Bride @ Hancock Park. LACMA is also showing a $5 indoors matinee Tim Burton series called Monster Matinees with classics like The Incredible Shrinking Man and Dracula.
2) Grand Performances @ Cali Plaza in DTLA: It's one of the best and longest running free summer concert series (they're in their 25th year already) in LA. What's even better? This year they're hosting an ongoing dedication to one of my favorite hoods: Boyle Heights. Don't miss La Santa Cecilia, Build An Ark, and legendary Fela Kuti's son- Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. Free.
3) The Levitt Pavilion Summer Series: There's two- the one in Pasadena and the other in MacArthur Park. Both are free but the only difference is maybe leave the shoes on in MacArthur Park. It's never fun stepping on dirty needles. Free.
Levitt Pavilion Pasadena: Runs June-August 2011 @ Memorial Park. Free.
Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park: June-September 2011 @ Macarthur Park. Personal highlights: Mia Doi Todd, Breakestra, Orgone, Dublab Presents (Daedelus), and La Santa Cecilia. Free.
4) Blues, Jazz, Latin, and Wine: Chill out with some wine and appreciate legendary jazz and latin performers in all their glory.
16th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival: This used to be the heart of the jazz scene in historic Los Angeles and is now host to Central Avenue's annual two-day festival. Runs July 30-31. Don't miss the Pan Afrikan's tribute to the late Horace Tapscott and Pete Escovedo. Free.
Jazz @ LACMA: Fridays, July-August. Free.
Latin @ LACMA: Saturdays, July-August featuring Bobby Matos, Ricardo Lemvo, and more. Free.
Jazz on the Lawn Concert Series in Santa Monica: Sundays @ SM City Hall lawn. Free.
Sizzling Summer Nights @ The Autry: Living legends play son, charanga, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Dance with other booty shaking salseros and feast at the taco bar with an abundance of margaritas. Runs Thursdays, June-September. $10 for non-members.
Wine and Jazz @ Hollywood & Highland: Their series gets better every year. Take the Red Line and save yourself the trouble of parking! Every Tuesday, June-August 2011.
5) Pershing Square Summer Series 2011: Are you in your 30s and 40s? Do you ever wonder what happened to A Flock of Seagulls, The English Beat, The Untouchables, or 10,000 Maniacs? Look no further-- seems like Pershing Square is where you can go to fully digest just how much time has passed since your high school daze. Saturdays, July-August. Spaceland is also hosting Spaceland Under the Stars Thursday lineups with fresh mix of indie music @ Pershing Square. If I were you, I would bike it or take the MTA to avoid pricey parking. Free.
6) Saturdays Off the 405-Getty Summer Concert Series: Good luck making it to any of these nights @ The Getty. Traffic is always a bitch and you may or may not make it in. If you do decide to brave the 405n monster, expect to pay $10 to park your car. They advertise some pretty groovy bands and "no outside alcohol." Whatever that means. Kind of free.
7) Street Fairs:
Eagle Rock Music Festival: I much prefer this to the long-running and overrated Sunset Junction. And it's still free! August date TBA. Free.
Sunset Junction: August 27-28th in Echo Parque. $15 a head.
Los Feliz Village Street Fair: Sunday, July 24th in Los Feliz. Free.
8) Little Tokyo Design Week: A four-day festival focusing on "sustainability and creative urban lifestyle," this is an exciting J-town first. Think four whole days of bar crawl chaos, live music, art exhibits, food trucks, and "Future City Dialogues." Check their website for the schedule. Free.
9) KCRW Summer Nights: Fabulous KCRW DJs will spin across the city at various venues including , Also I Like to Rock (@ The Hammer), Grand Performances (Cali Plaza), Little Tokyo Design Week, and Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series. Free.
10) Summer Obon Festivals: Last, but certainly not least, there is one really, really good reason to go out and mingle in Los Angeles. Japanese Obons. My favorite one always falls on the same day as the Lotus Festival in Echo Park, but I just can't miss out on dynamic Taiko, delicious Japanese/Hawaiian food, and the whole community vibe of Obon. Check Nichi Bei for full listings of LA Obon festivals. Free-but take cash to get plants, second-hand junk you don't really need, and an ice cold one with some dangos. Yum.
1) Outdoor Cinema. Some people are put off by the notion of outdoor film in the cemetery because the dead might rise like zombies or haunt our space forever and ever if we upset them by making out on their graves while sipping sangria and watching old movies. Fear not. You won't be picnicking on anyone's grave at Cinespia. It actually takes place on the non-grave grassy area at Hollywood Forever, where the living and dead peacefully co-exist and enjoy live music, old film favorites, and personal picnics. BYOB. Of course, if you still can't get over the idea of summer cinema in the cemetery, then definitely check out at least one of the other outdoor flick events below. Cinespia: Outdoor Cemetery Screenings @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery. BYO picnic. $10
Devil's Night Drive-In: BYO Car or chill out on the astro turf in the heart of Downtown LA. $10-$12
Friday Night Flicks @ Pershing Square: Fear not the remnants of the Pershing Square's less than desirable day piss, loose rock, and tacky concrete plaza. There are some gems in this series- Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mommie "No Wire Hangers" Dearest, American Graffitti, Inception, and Poltergeist are just a few in their lineup. Runs June-October 2011. Free.
Movies on the Plaza @ JACCC: Part of Little Tokyo's Design Week, they'll show My Neighbor Totoro, your favorite overgrown Japanese psychadelic furry friend with music from DubLab Djs. Friday, July 15th @ 8:30pm. Free.
Old Pasadena Film Festival: Boasts the "largest free outdoor film festival in Southern California" that runs July 7-30th. Highlights include Rebel Without a Cause, An Affair to Remember, and my personal favorite, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Each film was handpicked to reflect the a urban environment of Old Pasadena's historic downtown. Very cool. Free.
Outdoor Cinema Food Fest: Summer series featuring live music and roach coaches (aka gourmet food trucks) in Exposition Park. Runs May-September. $10 a head.
Outdoor Films: A Tim Burton Sampler: A short running series of Tim Burton Films that include Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Corpse Bride @ Hancock Park. LACMA is also showing a $5 indoors matinee Tim Burton series called Monster Matinees with classics like The Incredible Shrinking Man and Dracula.
2) Grand Performances @ Cali Plaza in DTLA: It's one of the best and longest running free summer concert series (they're in their 25th year already) in LA. What's even better? This year they're hosting an ongoing dedication to one of my favorite hoods: Boyle Heights. Don't miss La Santa Cecilia, Build An Ark, and legendary Fela Kuti's son- Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. Free.
3) The Levitt Pavilion Summer Series: There's two- the one in Pasadena and the other in MacArthur Park. Both are free but the only difference is maybe leave the shoes on in MacArthur Park. It's never fun stepping on dirty needles. Free.
Levitt Pavilion Pasadena: Runs June-August 2011 @ Memorial Park. Free.
Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park: June-September 2011 @ Macarthur Park. Personal highlights: Mia Doi Todd, Breakestra, Orgone, Dublab Presents (Daedelus), and La Santa Cecilia. Free.
4) Blues, Jazz, Latin, and Wine: Chill out with some wine and appreciate legendary jazz and latin performers in all their glory.
16th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival: This used to be the heart of the jazz scene in historic Los Angeles and is now host to Central Avenue's annual two-day festival. Runs July 30-31. Don't miss the Pan Afrikan's tribute to the late Horace Tapscott and Pete Escovedo. Free.
Jazz @ LACMA: Fridays, July-August. Free.
Latin @ LACMA: Saturdays, July-August featuring Bobby Matos, Ricardo Lemvo, and more. Free.
Jazz on the Lawn Concert Series in Santa Monica: Sundays @ SM City Hall lawn. Free.
Sizzling Summer Nights @ The Autry: Living legends play son, charanga, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Dance with other booty shaking salseros and feast at the taco bar with an abundance of margaritas. Runs Thursdays, June-September. $10 for non-members.
Wine and Jazz @ Hollywood & Highland: Their series gets better every year. Take the Red Line and save yourself the trouble of parking! Every Tuesday, June-August 2011.
5) Pershing Square Summer Series 2011: Are you in your 30s and 40s? Do you ever wonder what happened to A Flock of Seagulls, The English Beat, The Untouchables, or 10,000 Maniacs? Look no further-- seems like Pershing Square is where you can go to fully digest just how much time has passed since your high school daze. Saturdays, July-August. Spaceland is also hosting Spaceland Under the Stars Thursday lineups with fresh mix of indie music @ Pershing Square. If I were you, I would bike it or take the MTA to avoid pricey parking. Free.
6) Saturdays Off the 405-Getty Summer Concert Series: Good luck making it to any of these nights @ The Getty. Traffic is always a bitch and you may or may not make it in. If you do decide to brave the 405n monster, expect to pay $10 to park your car. They advertise some pretty groovy bands and "no outside alcohol." Whatever that means. Kind of free.
7) Street Fairs:
Eagle Rock Music Festival: I much prefer this to the long-running and overrated Sunset Junction. And it's still free! August date TBA. Free.
Sunset Junction: August 27-28th in Echo Parque. $15 a head.
Los Feliz Village Street Fair: Sunday, July 24th in Los Feliz. Free.
8) Little Tokyo Design Week: A four-day festival focusing on "sustainability and creative urban lifestyle," this is an exciting J-town first. Think four whole days of bar crawl chaos, live music, art exhibits, food trucks, and "Future City Dialogues." Check their website for the schedule. Free.
9) KCRW Summer Nights: Fabulous KCRW DJs will spin across the city at various venues including , Also I Like to Rock (@ The Hammer), Grand Performances (Cali Plaza), Little Tokyo Design Week, and Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series. Free.
10) Summer Obon Festivals: Last, but certainly not least, there is one really, really good reason to go out and mingle in Los Angeles. Japanese Obons. My favorite one always falls on the same day as the Lotus Festival in Echo Park, but I just can't miss out on dynamic Taiko, delicious Japanese/Hawaiian food, and the whole community vibe of Obon. Check Nichi Bei for full listings of LA Obon festivals. Free-but take cash to get plants, second-hand junk you don't really need, and an ice cold one with some dangos. Yum.
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