Escape to LA for Christmas
Christmas in Los Angeles was epic this year! 2019 was the last time my family and I were in LA because of the lockdown. Finally we got the escape to LA we needed. I missed my friends and family so much ! We arrived on Christmas Day just in time to celebrate the holiday with my best friend Ann . She got us an INCREDIBLE Christmas dinner from Erwon
I had to include the link so you could see how bougie this supermarket is. It’s been voted the most expensive market in the USA (DUH) and I’m astounded that I still set foot in there ! You’ve been warned so if you’re in LA and want to get gouged BUT eat some amazing food (their gourmet deli is beyond) then check it out. What’s a trip to LA without being gouged !! Speaking of ….
Eats and Treats
We discovered a few NEW amazing places to eat so here’s what’s up!!
We were staying in Echo Park so every morning we’d take a short walk to Laveta and their Horchata Latte was my go to every morning . They have a delicious breakfast/lunch menu ranging from Kimchi fried rice with fried chicken to breakfast burgers. We had coffee here everyday for two weeks and it was so good! I also like Trejo’s Donuts.
They’re a bit kitschy and awfully sweet but splurge once in awhile! Tsubaki was a cozy Japanese dinner spot we stumbled upon while on our night walk. The portions were small but delicious and the service was friendly and good. Next door the same owners have another Japanese spot OTOTO also a Sake bar. It had a long line the entire time we were there on a Tuesday night but it moved fast and from what we could see the plates looked delicious!
The Dresden an LA institution was just ok . It’s more of a spot to have a cocktail then stroll the area around Vermont Ave. My husband and I being the Cinephile’s we are decided to go after watching Swingers. Nostalgia pure and simple. We ended the night at a fun bar called Tramp Stamp Granny’s This place is a cool piano bar located in the Cahuenga Corner. Only 1 block away from Hollywood blvd. You can see the Hollywood Stars – Walk of Fame after you have the Mattress Actress Cocktail! That one was our fave…
We love In and Out burger but this trip decided to see how two other burger spots compared. The first was Burger She Wrote and then Hiho
Burger she wrote wasn’t up to par for us. The smash burger patty was too thin, underseasoned, dry, and the fries were overcooked. HiHo was a hell yes ! Definitely worth it and get it spicy. They put the Jalapenos in the meat so you get this spicy juicy yumminess in every bite. yes ,yes, yes!
Of course no trip to LA is complete without tacos! DTLA across from Santee Alley and a few blocks from the flower mart you’ll find Sonoratown The Chivichanga was heaven and I did a Vegan version of The Lorenza . Their horchata is made with coconut milk which is really light and has that subtle coconut sweetness. This area is great for shopping and you can get everything from make-up to electronics. Worth mentioning is Trejo’s Tacos. We like the Grove location on Beverly blvd. and 3 rd in the farmers market . Great shopping (hello Nordstrom!) and it’s an outside mall beautifully decorated year round.
Walking in LA
Only a Nobody walks in LA!! It’s kinda true though. Living in Europe people are accustomed to walking a few km or miles everyday. We have some walkable neighborhoods here like ;
- Griffith Park- Ok it’s not a Neighborhood per se but it is a nice park and a bit of an escape from the eating and shopping. The observatory at the top is free to explore and there’s a great hike to The Hollywood sign if you’re feeling extra motivated.
- Echo Park Lake- This is such a great area to stay in and explore. There’s a paved path around the lake for walking or running . You can take a swan boat ride (they light up at night so cute!!) or walk amongst the geese .It’s really lush and beautiful with lots of different plants and flowers. Being near Downtown LA makes it close to another one of my favorite walkable neighborhoods;
- Little Tokyo – This has long been my favorite part of LA. The best Ramen has a few locations across LA but this one in DTLA is the OG . This is one of my picks for the best sushi You’ll find some great Japanese shops that sell useful Japanese household items and rare unique Japanese clothing and make-up brands all in Little Tokyo.
- Venice Beach- In all it’s wacky glory the people watching alone is worth the trip ! You don’t go for the shopping that would be Santa Monica at 3rd street promenade it’s east of the Santa Monica Pier which is beautiful at sunset.
Stuff to see and do
My husband’s a huge basketball fan so we saw The LA Lakers for the second time in January against the Memphis Grizzlies. Basketball just has this electric energy to it that makes it so fun to watch and be a part of
It had been many years since I’d visited Joshua Tree National Park and it was a fun day trip for the two of us . We left LA around 11 am and stopped in Cabazon to see those Dinosaurs I love so much! They were wearing their CUTE Santa Suits !! If you’ve never been to Cabazon check out my post here . Such a fun pitstop if you happen to be in SoCal . I just saw on their site that they have their Valentines suits on and I’m screaming!! Joshua Tree from LA will take you about 2-3 hours depending on traffic and weather conditions. Longer if you do the Cabazon / In & out burger pitstop. There’s great hiking in Joshua tree , incredible views and the trees themselves are just fascinating to me. We were there early January and it was very windy and cold. I didn’t do as much hiking as I wanted because the wind was too much for me . We captured the beautiful sunset and then drove the entire park before heading back to LA.
Off to Work at X3
It was a magical two weeks being back in LA. I was so happy to spend the holiday in Cali since northern Italy has been so cold… I was longing for my family and friends . The familiar streets where I shopped , ate delicious food and knew so well. Italy is home but there’s something about LA that will always pull me back … I had a week to myself before doing my first XBIZ -X3 industry – fan show . My first appearance in Los Angeles after maybe 10 years! I was really looking forward to it and enjoying LA some more ! XO Tera
