So you know the stereotype of how Brooklyn is to Manhattan? That’s pretty much how the rest of LA is to us Westsiders. I think my perimeter spans from Venice to Malibu, and then out to Westwood. The other day my friend invited me to a club in Los Feliz and while he pretty much lost me at “club” he certainly lost me by Los Feliz. Enjoying dinner downtown or attending one of my mom’s plays in the Hollywood arts districts are major outings. But I WANT to explore all the up-and-coming areas of Los Angeles, even though my brother has definitively told me that I would never be able to live in them. This Saturday we timidly ventured out of the Westside…and we want to go back!
The day started with buckwheat pancakes (recipe to come - yum) and a Skype sesh with the boyfriend who was on an island in Cambodia that only gets power a couple hours a day. He got the pleasure of watching me cook up these beauties!
And then we hopped in the car with our neighbors and went for a hike in Griffith Park, which had absolutely insane 360 views of all of Los Angeles. You can see down into the Valley, all the way across Hollywood and downtown, over into the Westside, and views of the observatory itself. One of our neighbors, Amy, is a art conservationist and actually worked on the Griffith Observatory itself. She taught us some fun facts that it is named after Colonel Griffith, who just called himself “Colonel” (weird) and then tried to kill his wife (…) somehow avoided jail (yeah…) and it wasn’t until after he died that the city of LA felt comfortable using the $$ that he donated to build something. Amy is also an amazing baker, and I can’t wait to share with you all her killer chocolate chip cookie recipe and my go-to rugleach recipe (everyone needs one!) that I learned from her.
Steep hills made easier with neon leggings
Views of Griffith Observatory and beyond
After a sweaty hike we went for lunch in Silverlake, which is where being clad in Lululemon was a major fail and I started to understand what my brother was talking about.
subtitles, please.
I highly recommend checking out Forage if your’e in the area - reminded me a lot of Thyme and Huckleberry!
Edited out of this picture is the disapproving hostess
Mom and I share the kale salad which had feta cheese and breadcrumbs, a fantastic curry-roasted cauliflower with chickpeas, and some grilled salmon. Hello, delicious. Lunch discussion topics included if my nose ring made me legit enough for Silverlake, and the consensus was no.
Big (and expensive) enough for two!
After our meal, we had to do some exploring up and down Sunset Ave and some serious people-watching (my favorite activity!!). There are vegan restaurants galore, really cool niche shops and boutiques, and a wonderful farmer’s market that sells produce, made-to-order food and stalls with local jewelry and vintage clothes.
80 degrees and blue skies for miles
The Autry Museum
We then made our way to the Autry Museum, where Amy’s husband Stephen is a director. He is also a big-time history professor at UCLA, and is an incredible wealth of information. Check out his newly published book The American West, part of the Very Short Introductions Series. You’ll recognize these at a lot of airports! The main impetus for our trip to this area of town was the Annual American Indian Crafts Fair. This may surprise many of you because as most know, I am not a museums person and I actually find walking through museums more exhausting than going on a run. But I tried my best….
The handmade arrows were cool…
But watching them make frybread was way more my style.
On the way home, I fell asleep in the car like a champ as my brave family navigated traffic as we made our way back to the Westside.
Thanks for stopping by! 
I love Forage! And the Silverlake Cheese Shop. Highlights on my last LA visit, which I hope to recreate with you soon! xo
I’d love to host you!! Hope to see you in warmer weather soon!