Posts Tagged ‘Restaurants’
The Pilates Bodyshop In Silver Lake
I’ve been going to The Pilates Bodyshop for a little over a month now and I am totally hooked. I’ve always wanted to take lessons, but Pilates seemed a bit intimidating–all those leather straps and torture device-looking machines. But I had a feeling The Pilates Bodyshop was the place to try it out. They have a well-organized website where you can schedule appointments online, which is a must for me! And after my first lesson, I was hooked. Totally befuddled, but hooked. Pilates challenges my mind and body while stretching out muscles that are overworked from running. (I always knew my hamstrings were tight, but now I know exactly how tight.) The teachers at The Bodyshop are a major reason I’ve had such a great experience–they’re extremely patient and positive, and the studio is well run and organized. I just can’t say enough good things!
Owner and teacher Kerri Campbell sat down with Take Sunset to answer some questions about Pilates, how she decided to open a studio in Silver Lake, and where she goes once she takes off the “black unitard”. Plus, don’t miss a special Pilates Bodyshop discount just for Take Sunset readers!
Take Sunset: How did you get started in Pilates?
Kerri Campbell: I first experienced mat Pilates on a bare linoleum floor in college. The class was made up of professional dancers and me, the lone writing student who couldn’t touch her toes. It was more then a little disheartening, but I loved the work. During my junior year I was hit by a car and had multiple injuries to rehab, so I sought out a teacher who could train me one-on-one. After three or four lessons, I was moving better then I had since my accident.
TS: How did you start teaching Pilates?
Kerri: When I moved to Los Angeles, I couldn’t find a teacher with the depth of knowledge I was seeking, so I enrolled in my first teaching program with the goal of teaching myself. But after my student teaching was complete, I realized I wanted to pursue Pilates as a career.
TS: For the uninitiated, can you give us some Pilates basics?
Kerri: Pilates is close to a hundred years old and is based on the work and teachings of Joseph H. Pilates. It’s a movement practice where you use your mind to move your body, thereby creating deep and meaningful changes. Pilates can be done on both specially designed equipment and without, as in Pilates Mat. As Fletcher would say, “Movement is like life. You get out of it what you put into it.”
TS: Speaking of which, at The Pilates Bodyshop, you teach Fletcher Pilates. What makes this style of Pilates unique?
Kerri: Fletcher Pilates® is a trademarked lineage of Pilates that was created by our teacher Ron Fletcher who brought Pilates to LA in 1972. It not only encompasses the original Pilates repertoire, but also has many innovations and additional elements, such as Fletcher Towelwork™, Fletcher Floorwork™, Fletcher Barrework™, and Percussive breath. We look at Pilates as a movement practice, an art, and a science. This isn’t just “working out” or trying to beat the body down–we’re trying to teach the body to move better and thereby look better.
TS: Who can benefit from Pilates?
Kerri: Anyone who has an interest in exploring their body’s full potential. This work is open to all–the young, the old, the hip, the injured, those in great shape, and those with no shape. It’s our job to help you develop a practice that works for you.
TS: I love your attitude. I can speak to the fact that you create a very welcoming and laid-back atmosphere while also being very serious about Pilates. Can you talk about why you wanted to open your own studio?
Kerri: I wanted to be instrumental in creating a positive and open space for people to explore this work. Having worked for some great business people–and some not so ethical people–in the past, I wanted to take all I had learned and try something a little out of the ordinary. My first studio is in Atwater Village inside The Paddock Riding Club and is a private studio for riders. Once we had a few more teachers complete the Pilates Program of Study, I wanted to expand so we could offer this work to a wider group of people. The goal was to have a large, fully equipped studio where we taught as a team and all of the teachers had the same education, so our clients had a seamless experience and progress with each lesson.
TS: What makes The Pilates Bodyshop different from other Pilates studios in the area?
Broome Street General Store In Silver Lake
If you’re not careful, you could cruise right by Broome Street General Store in Silver Lake, but that would be a major mistake. This sweet little bungalow on Rowena (the former home of Freight and Zanzabelle) just opened at the beginning of the month and it’s drawing the neighborhood crowd to it’s 30-seat patio and store for a cup of coffee, treats, housewares, and more. It’s easily walkable from the Reservoir path and the surrounding neighborhood, making it the perfect spot to pick up a meal to-go or to unwind on the patio.
Owned by Peter Graham and Sophie Esteban, Broome Street General Store is a throwback to general stores of old, but offering the most sought after staples of modern day, like New York’s Gimme! Coffee, gourmet pantry items from Morris Kitchen, kitchenwares, sundries, and even furnishings, jewelry, and vintage finds.
Plus, there are prepared foods from Heirloom LA, Valerie Confections, and Cake Monkey, including salted caramel croissants, blueberry vanilla bean handpies, cheddar bacon scones, and lunch/dinner options like seared steak sandwiches, roasted veggie sandwiches, and roasted carrot salads, just to name a few. More food options are coming this summer, including Fried Chicken Fridays starting in July.
Gimme! Coffee is proving to be a major draw at Broome St. General Store. The New York-based company is known for their high-quality beans, artisan roasting, and dedication to sustainability. In NY, they have a half dozen shops, but Broome St. General Store is the only spot in California where you’ll find these beans. And from what we hear, New Yorkers marooned in LA are thrilled to finally find their beloved cup of Joe (and bag of beans) here on the West Coast.
Broome Street General Store
2912 Rowena Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Monday – Saturday: 8am-8pm, Sunday: 9am-6pm
(Image Source: eatingla, fashionintel)
The Bar at Cliff’s
Cliff’s Edge Restaurant in Silver Lake has long been known as a romantic dinner date or brunch spot, thanks to the outdoor terraces and views. But there has never been much of a reason to head inside the dining room–until now. The interior has been completely transformed into the new Bar at Cliff’s by owners Dana Hollister and Keith Greco.
The walls are now lined with reclaimed 1950′s scaffolding boards, sandblasted to a soft warm pale gray. The dropped ceilings have been removed to reveal the rustic wooden trusses of the structure. There are Moroccan tiles on the face of the bar with vintage mirrors, and a revolving collection of antique art displayed throughout the room. Over the bar hangs 1920′s Moroccan style chandeliers that were salvaged from one of Hollywood’s other legendary clubs, The Opium Den.
Former Seven Grand and Villains mix-master Dave Whitton is behind the bar’s offerings, a selection of classic cocktails with a twist, like muddled cucumber Margaritas and Cosmos with Cabernet and lavender bitters.
Accompanying Whitton’s creations are chef Hugues Quintard’s menu of bar-friendly small plates, like crostini, smoked trout rillette, moules frites, french fries with gorgonzola and duck foie gras parfait. The kitchen is open from 6pm to 10pm. The bar stays open until 1am, Tuesday through Thursday and 2am, Friday and Saturday.
Bar at Cliff’s
3626 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 666-6116
1307 N Avenue 54 In Highland Park
1307 North Avenue 54
Los Angeles, CA 90042
3 BR, 2 BA
$439,000
This new listing from Better Shelter is a newly constructed modern cottage, located in the heart of Highland Park, just steps from York corridor’s shopping and restaurants. It’s cool to see what the Better Shelter folks created from a blank canvas!
The charming 1,132 square foot home is all about the details, with beautiful hardwood floors, open living/dining space, stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings, and vintage chandeliers. Eco-friendly features include drought-tolerant landscaping, low-flow dual flush toilets, tankless hot water heating, and energy-efficient appliances.
99 Essential LA Restaurants
Have you checked out Jonathan Gold’s 99 Essential Restaurants from his column A Movable Beast in L.A. Weekly?
The mantra of Local, Seasonal, Sustainable, Organic has become so persistent in Los Angeles, and the crush of chefs at the farmers market is so pervasive, that the menus at some restaurants seem almost identical to one another at certain times of the year, and completely different from their own menus in spring. Heraclitus once wrote that it is impossible to step in the same river twice. In Los Angeles, it can be nearly impossible to eat in the same restaurant twice.
This is, I believe, what the economists call creative destruction. And it is not impossible here to experience extremes — restaurants that are born and die in a single evening; restaurants in suburbs so distant that they may as well be theoretical; restaurants so hard to get into that they may not actually exist outside of blogs.
Los Angeles is where the modern restaurant was born, the good, the bad and the ugly of it, and we’re too far gone to stop now.
How many of the “99 Essential Restaurants” have you been to? Personally, I’m happy to see Forage, The Hungry Cat, Jar, La Mill, and Little Dom‘s on the list. Also, the printable version is a handy reference.
Photo by Anne Fishbein
Food+Lab In Silver Lake
Rob is always saying that he wishes there were more places in Silver Lake to grab a good sandwich, and I’ve been hoping a place similar to M Café or Joan’s on Third would open over here. This week we both got our wish when Food+Lab open on West Sunset. It has lots of great sandwich offerings plus salads, breakfast options, coffee, and more.
Food+Lab was started by the mother and son duo Esther and Nino Linsmayer. They started out catering photo shoots, events, and private parties for notoriously demanding celebrity clients like Naomi Campbell, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Annie Liebovitz, and more. They soon moved on to open their original Food+Lab location at Santa Monica Blvd., then opened a second, smaller spot at the Pacific Design Center, and now have a third Silver Lake location. With all their cafe and catering offerings, Esther and Nino use organic, nitrate, and hormone free ingredients, as well as environmentally friendly materials.
The Food+Lab Silver Lake location offers the same menu that is available in West Hollywood. A full dinner menu is also in the works, as well as a partnership with DeLuscious for cookies and Cake Monkey for desserts.
Currently, Food+Lab offers many tempting sandwiches selections, like the Cuban Style Pork Loin with Gruyere and Ham on Ciabatta for $9.00 or the Roasted Veggie with French Goat Cheese and Dried Tomato & Basil Pesto on 5 Grain Bread for $8.50. Salad options range from Crispy Prosciutto & Fig Salad with Halloumi, Candied Pecans & Balsamic on Arugula for $13.00 to Roasted Veggies with French Goat Cheese & Tomato on Mixed Greens for $11.00. Breakfast options include organic egg dishes on the weekends, like a Smoked Salmon & Crème Fraiche Omlette for $11.50 and breakfast sandwiches served everyday, like the Nutella & Mascarpone Sugar Brioche, as well as other pastries and coffee. Food+Lab also carries gourmet meats, deserts, juices, salad dressing, pesto, and candy for retail. Plus, it’s dog friendly. Welcome to the neighborhood, Food+Lab!
Food+Lab
Hours: Open daily from 9 am – 8 pm
3206 West Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 661-2666
Interview With Celebrity Stylist Denis De Souza
I recently interviewed celebrity hairstylist Denis De Souza over on Hair On The Brain. Denis is the hair color whiz behind Rachel Bilson’s gorgeous brunette locks. He can be found expertly painting on high and lowlights at Andy LeCompte Salon in West Hollywood. Denis was kind enough to answer some Take Sunset questions about his transition from native Brazil to Los Angeles, his favorite LA hot spots, and more. Check it out!
Take Sunset: How do you like living in LA?
De Souza: I’ve lived in big cities like Sao Paulo in Brazil, London, and now LA. I’ve been in LA for 10 years now, and I think it is fantastic! Not only do we have the best weather, but in a two hours, we have the desert, the beach, the mountains, the snow… We are really blessed.
Take Sunset: Since moving to LA, where have you lived?
De Souza: When I first moved here, I lived in Hancock Park. Now I live in Beverly Hills, but right on the border of West Hollywood.
Take Sunset: How do you like that area?
De Souza: I’m in a very quiet and safe area, but it’s just blocks away from all the shops, cafes, and restaurants on Robertson. And even better, I’m only a few blocks away from Andy LeCompte Salon where I work. It’s convenient and quiet. I love it! At the moment I rent there, but I’m hoping I can buy something next year.
Take Sunset: Do you gravitate toward a particular interior design style?
De Souza: Because I rent at the moment, I haven’t really gone all the way with a design that I like. I pick things I like and enjoy having at my apartment, but when I get my own place, I will trick it out just the way I want it to be! I love Kelly Wearstler, and I’d like to have a Hollywood Regency style mixed with a more contemporary look and simple lines.
Take Sunset: I love Kelly Wearstler! I miss Top Design. What’s your favorite LA restaurant?
De Souza: There are a few restaurants I love in LA, and that I go to often with friends, clients, or even on a date, like Cecconi’s, Sur, The Little Door, Mozza, and The Soho House, which I love!
Take Sunset: What are your favorite places in LA to shop for clothes?
De Souza: For clothes I like Opening Ceremony, Church, Maxfield…
Take Sunset: Where do you go for housewares?
De Souza: I like to browse at Cassina and all the design shops between Robertson and Beverly to get inspiration for when I’m ready to decorate my new home.
Thanks for answering all my questions, Denis! For more information on Denis De Souza, visit his website at denisdesouza.com. Or go see him in person at:
Andy LeCompte Salon
616 N Almont Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 273-4100
Interview With Kelly Lamb
A while back I wrote about artist/designer Kelly Lamb’s beautiful geo-birdhouses, planters, and terrariums. Kelly has also designed interiors for Malo restaurant in Silver Lake, the Echo nightclub in Echo Park, and she’s designed and produced artist’s campaigns with corporations like Salvatore Ferragamo and Coke. And she also renovates old homes. After reading up on Kelly, I just had to bug her for an interview. And, awesomely, she complied.
Take Sunset: I heard that you renovated a 100 year old home in upstate New York before relocating to California. What was that experience like?
Kelly Lamb: Yes, I renovated a big house built in 1906 in upstate New York. It was a crazy undertaking. As with something that old, you never really know what you are going to get when you dig in. The thing I really enjoyed about it was seeing the different layers of transition the house had taken over time. Each previous owner had marked the property with their tastes and personality. It was a trip to peel away the different layers and try to imagine what was going on in the home at a particular time. All the layers gave the house a crazy personality. There was a disco in the basement from the 70s, and there was beautiful stonework from the turn of the century. It was really fun and interesting for me to take into consideration all the things the house had been and add to the legacy of the home’s architecture and design.
Take Sunset: Have you renovated any homes here in Los Angeles?
Kelly Lamb: I just finished doing a house in LA that was built in the same year as the one in upstate NY. The process was very similar to what happened in NY, but the history was obviously more California based, and the weather had not taken as big of a toll on the structure itself as it did to the upstate NY property.
Take Sunset: How did you get involved in doing commercial interiors for restaurants and clubs like Malo and Echo? It seems like the creative process would be very different than working on individual art pieces.
Kelly Lamb: When I moved to LA, I got involved doing interiors for commercial venues. One thing led to another and I was asked to do the interiors for part of the Echo nightclub, which led me to doing Malo and so on. Yes, the process is very different than doing an individual art piece because ultimately it is a collaboration with the owners of the venue, where as art is a solo venture. I also look at doing interior design as collaboration with the audience or the “customer,” as I take into consideration how the final product is going to be used and perceived by the public. When I was making art, these ideas were not really as much a part of my practice. Read more…
Barbrix In Silver Lake
I’ll admit it; sometimes I complain about eastside restaurants. But never about Barbrix. Since it opened in spring of 2009, Barbrix has been a favorite of Silver Lake residents and beyond. The simple, Mediterranean-inspired menu seems to be exactly what I’m always in the mood for. And Los Angeles Magazine recently named Barbrix one of the city’s ten “best new restaurants”.
Barbrix serves small plates, so you can taste many different things over the course of one meal. Some of my favorites are the pan seared sea scallops; the spring farro salad; the roasted cauliflower salad with chickpeas, green beans & charmoula dressing; and the deviled eggs (love these). The wine selection is stellar and reasonably priced for a bottle or a glass.
The ambiance at Barbrix is fantastic too. It’s a great place to go for a date or to relax and people watch. Just remember to make reservations if you go on a weekend.
Barbrix Restaurant and Wine Bar
2442 Hyperion Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 662-2442
Photo Source: Barbrix
LAMILL Coffee Boutique
LAMILL Coffee Boutique in Silver Lake has the potential to ruin you for life. You know those people that take a tentative sip of restaurant coffee, grimace, and wax poetic about the importance of the correct beans? Or Syphon brew vs. French press? After a few trips to LAMILL, you could become one of those people.
And while you can expect to pay a bit more at LAMILL than you would at other coffee shops, the product is just so much better that you really won’t care. On a regular day, I brew a mini pot in my craptastic Mr. Coffee. But I’m dreaming of curling up on a teal green alligator chair underneath the crystal chandelier at LAMILL while a cute waiter or waitress drips a fancy cup right at my table.
LAMILL’s Organic Iced Coffee was named Best Iced Coffee by L.A. Magazine in 2009 and is house-made by 16-hour cold water extract. (See? Life-ruiner.) Their other coffee options are Bali Coffee, with notes of maraschino cherries, vanilla and key lime, Ethiopia Coffee, with sweet floral perfume and lemon zest notes, and Rwanda Coffee, with notes of spice and cocoa, as well as daily offerings, and teas. And if you need something other than a caffeine fix, you’re in luck. LAMILL serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, and now alcohol as well. Whenever I’m there early in the day, it seems every table has the House-Made Brioche Doughnut Holes with a Side of Madagascar Vanilla Cream. They have a pretty substantial menu too, with items like Chilled Pea Soup, Kimchi Flank Steak Salad, House-Cured Tasmanian Sea Trout, egg dishes, sandwiches, and more.
I’ve read some reviews of LAMILL that claim their service is rude, but I’ve had nothing but nice service, even while asking a million coffee novice questions. There is also prime sidewalk seating, which is a great hangout for the dogs of Silver Lake.
LAMILL Coffee Boutique
1636 Silver Lake Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 663-4441
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Copyright 2009-2012 Take Sunset. Designed by Curt Ziegler.
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