#259: Zimmer Children's Museum

You know the Chuck E. Cheese jingle Where a kid an be a kid? Well if the Zimmer Museum had a jingle, it would go Where a kid can be an adult. This hidden museum located on Wilshire is the perfect place for your tot to practice his or her hand at being a chef, an emergency medical technician, a pilot, an actor, a musician, or a construction worker. It's like a miniature world where the kids run the show!

Kids can also enjoy playing in a ball pit, a place to explore water, and my baby's favorite--a VIB area. VIB stands for "Very Important Baby" and it's a small padded area where babies and their caregivers can play with soft blocks and other toys. All we were missing was bottle service.

Most of the kids at the museum were in the 3 to 5 year range, but my 11 month old loved it as well. We were there till they closed, and as an extra incentive to get everyone out on time, they give balloons to the kids as they leave.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children. Babies less than one year old are free. FYI: When you enter, you have to go through a metal detector and put your bags through an x-ray. That's because the Zimmer Museum is a Jewish museum and is located in a building that houses the Jewish Federation of Greater L.A., so they take extra precautions (They do the same at the Museum of Tolerance (#209)).

The Zimmer Museum also offers classes. Click on the link below to find out more!

The Zimmer Children's Museum

#249: Christmas at The Grove

Of all the malls in L.A., The Grove just might be the most Christmas-y. The "snow" that falls in the evening, the towering Christmas tree with more ornaments than visible greenery, pictures with Santa in his workshop, and a sleigh that soars high above the fountains are all sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

Santa's in here!

The Grove reminds me of Disneyland; everything looks perfect and there's not a speck of litter in sight.  And like Disneyland, it gets very crowded on the weekends. 

This time I came on a weekday morning and had a much more relaxing experience.  Have you ever been to Disneyland right when it opened? That's what it felt like! Except replace Mickey Mouse with Mario Lopez. Yes, Mr. Dimples was there filming an episode of Extra. I snapped this photo of him looking at free swag one of his guests gave him:

Speaking of t.v. shows, remember that episode of Modern Family where they take a doll into the "Doll Emergency Clinic" to get fixed and Alex sees one that looks just like her? I thought that was just something on t.v., but it turns out there is such a place at The Grove! It's American Girl, and in addition to a doll emergency room, they've also got a doll hair salon, a historic doll museum, a dining room where girls can eat with their dolls, and a doll photography studio. You can also buy clothes, accessories, musical instruments and even dogs for your custom designed doll. It's pretty crazy.

For the walking disinclined, The Grove has a free trolley. This was a hit with the youngsters.

And for your sweet tooth, there's a Sprinkles cupcakes stand:

And a Dylan's Candy Bar:

Have you been to The Grove during the holidays? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

The Grove

#246: The Wall Project

Did you know that the largest stretch of the Berlin Wall that exists outside of Berlin is right here in Los Angeles?  The Wall Project was erected at 5900 Wilshire Blvd right across the street from LACMA to honor the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's comprised of ten wall segments which span almost 40 feet in length. Well known and emerging artists painted the front and back of the wall, which is free to view.

The back of the Wall

The Wall Project is brought to us by the Wende Museum, a museum dedicated to preserving cultural artifacts and personal histories of Cold War-era Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. 

Plaque on the front of the Wall

Plaque on the back of the Wall

The backdrop to the Wall Project is this looming building which conveniently blocked the sun:

Ah, shade.

On the weekend, food trucks were parked in front, making the lawn the perfect place for a picnic. We threw a blanket down and alternated between gazing at the Wall and making ourselves dizzy staring up at the skyscraper.

If you plan on visiting the Wall Project, be sure to also check out The Levitated Mass (#245) which is located at LACMA (#184). Yay for free art on Miracle Mile!

Have you been to The Wall Project? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

The Wall Project

#245: The Levitated Mass

Oh, my, god. Becky, look at that rock. It's so big. 

I like big rocks and I cannot lie. Some rich folks pay millions of dollars for a rock the size of a marble. I say, why not get the most bang for your buck?

LACMA got the most show for the dough by securing the Levitated Mass, a 10 million dollar, 340 ton granite boulder, which sits upon a 456-foot-long slot. The rock comes from a quarry in Riverside County and is free for the public to view during museum hours.

Brad asked me yesterday "Are you going to blog about The Stupid Rock?" He's not the only one who thinks the rock is ridiculous. The Levitated Mass has its share of critics who roll their eyes at the exorbitant price tag. Why should a rock cost so much?

Well much of the cost went toward moving the thing. The rock's journey took 11 days, during which it went through 4 counties and 22 cities. Trees were cut down, cars towed, power lines lifted and traffic lights turned just to make room for the monolith. The plastic wrapped rock drew large crowds during its trip, and reached its final resting place at 4:35 am to a crowd of over 1,000 people. Sort of reminds you of the space shuttle Endeavor's ride through L.A., right? 

I admit, I kind of like the rock. I'd like to think that when archaeologists uncover it thousands of years from now, it will be a source of confusion and heated debate. Was it our false idol? A paperweight for giants? A cairn that points the way to the 99 cent store? The speculations are endless.



All in all, I think it's worth your while to check out this thing... That way, you can decide for yourself if it's a Mass-terpiece or not (you like what I did there? wordplay!).  Thank you to Experiencing L.A. for inspiring me to check out The Mass! 

Oh, one more thing-- if you like the Levitated Mass, you might also enjoy the Noguchi Sculpture Garden (#183). They sort of have the same aesthetic, to my untrained eye.

Have you been to the Levitated Mass? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

The Levitated Mass at LACMA

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#243: The Original Farmers Market

What are these? Tacos for ants? Well whether you're a hungry ant or an indecisive human, you'll drool over Loteria Grill's 12 piece mini taco sampler. Each mini taco is loaded with a different topping, such as cactus salad, chicken in mole sauce, and mushrooms with epazote.

Loteria Grill has restaurants all over the city, but there's no better place to enjoy your bite sized taco platter than at their stand at the Original Farmers Market.  

The Farmers Market is located at The Grove on the corner of 3rd and Fairfax. Just how original is this Farmers Market? It was created in 1934! Old school.

Unlike other farmers markets, this one is open everyday and has permanent shops which sell sushi, crepes, sausages, nuts, pastries, toffee, ice cream, and much more.

When you're finished with your tacos, ride the free trolley around the rest of The Grove and get your shop on!

The Original Farmers Market

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#184: LACMA

You can easily spend a whole day at LACMA, which holds the title of the largest art museum in the western United States. Last weekend we headed over to this twenty acre stretch of Wilshire to take a peek into the twisted, demented world of Tim Burton. LACMA is currently hosting an exhibit featuring over 700 of Burton's drawings, films, props and costumes, many never-before-seen by the public. The exhibit just opened a couple of weeks ago and lasts until October 31.

Tim Burton grew up in Burbank and studied at CalArts. He worked as an animator for Disney Studios before striking off to pursue his own creative ventures. With its power trio of Tim Burton, Danny Elfman and Johnny Depp, Edward Scissorhands still remains my favorite Tim Burton film, but there are so many other great films of his:The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Batman, Big Fish, Beetle Juice... The list goes on.

Fair warning: this just might be the hottest ticket this summer, as we soon realized when we saw the long line to enter. After waiting in line for half an hour, we were herded inside only to be stuck in a traffic jam of people. Elbow-to-elbow, we uncomfortably shuffled from piece to piece.

from daydreampilot

Brad got upset at how LACMA seemed to oversell the event, and whispered "Don't blog about this!" and "I'm gonna write an angry letter when I get home!" In ten minutes, however, the crowd thinned and he quickly changed his mind. I think it helped that we came right before closing time. Highlights included Edward Scissorhand's costume, the heads from Batman's costumes, storyboards for Stain Boy, and concept art showcasing Burton's wickedly bizarre sense of humor. We spent a good hour wandering around the exhibit.

pic from missrosen

Tickets can be purchased at the box office ($20) or online ($22) and includes entry to all the other exhibits at LACMA. Entry times are every hour. If you are going on a weekend, I suggest buying tickets for the last show time (either 6 or 7 pm) like we did. Show up about 15-30 minutes after the entry time so that you can be the last ones to enter and are not stuck doing the line-shuffle.

Have you been to LACMA and the Tim Burton Exhibit? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

LACMA

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#104: The Groundlings

Photo from daily bruin

Phil Hartman, Kathy Griffin, and Cheryl Hines are just some of the many notable alumni of The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy troupe based here in L.A.. This is where Paul Reubens first showcased his Pee-wee Herman character, and where cast members and writers of SNL, Reno 911 and MADtv tested their comedic wings.

Looking at all of the pictures of notable alumni on the walls of the lobby, I was in awe of the talent that performed on that small stage. There was also an article on the wall that was interesting. It was about the rules of improv---"always confirm what your fellow actors say, never negate anything" was a good one. Another one--"never play a child... they don't know a lot and thus the person playing the adult has a heavier burden."

The show we saw was "Hold Me Closer Tiny Groundling" which featured a number of hilarious skits and improv scenes. What set this evening apart from the Upright Citizens Brigade show (#103) was the live band that added to the scenes (especially the finale improvised musical scene) and filled in the dead space between skits. The comedians were top notch and you could tell they really gave every performance their all. Check it out--the show is Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets are $18, but you might be able to get them on Goldstar for a discount.

The Groundlings

#81: Ludo Bites

As promised in #80: Oh No You Didn't Desserts! , here is a whole post dedicated to one of the most creative and dare I say shocking meals I have ever enjoyed. Now let me start by saying that Chef Ludo Lefebvre is not only one of the new breed of tattooed "rock star" chefs in the kitchen, he is also a nomadic culinary mad scientist. Yes, nomadic. Surprisingly, Chef Ludo doesn't have his own restaurant. Instead, he takes over restaurants guerilla style with little warning. His last take over was at the Breadbar in Mid-City West, and foodies converged on this little space like little hungry piggies. Speaking of piggies, did you see Chef Ludo freaking out over his pigs ear quesadillas on Top Chef Masters? How can you not instantly like the guy after that performance?

Ok, onto the food. We ordered:

Pork Belly, Asian Marinade, Mustard Ice Cream, Frisee, Vadouvan: My favorite dish of the night. The pork belly was melt in your mouth, and the mustard ice cream on top of the frisee was surprisingly refreshing after all that fatty pork.

Fried Chicken in Duck Fat, Fingerling Potato, Tapenade, Red Bell Pepper Ketchup: Tasted like good fried chicken. Not my favorite dish, but the red bell pepper ketchup was a nice addition.

Black Croque-Monsieur, Ham, Foie Gras, Cherry, Amaretto: I loved the presentation of this dish--ham sandwiched between two slabs of soot black toast with cherry sauce underneath. The toast isn't burnt--it's dyed with squid ink! It was like a piece of art and was so sinfully rich.

Vanilla Panna Cotta, Caramel, Caviar: Tiny. I mean, the size of a half dollar. The mix of salty, sweet and creamy always works. Great (tiny) dish.

Chocolate Cup Cake, Chantilly, Foie Gras, Candied Bacon-Almonds, Maple Syrup: I'm a sucker for chocolate paired with bacon. Geez louise, this was a CRAZY dessert. The candied bacon-almonds sprinkled on top were chewy, like toffee. The bacon added a wonderful smokey aftertaste to the dessert.

Oh, and did I mention the complimentary bread with lavender honey butter? I never knew butter could be so addictive!

Chef Ludo Lefebvre

#79: Holiday Shopping at West 3rd Street Design Shops

New Stone Age

If you're a design junkie like I am, West 3rd street in Mid City West is your playground. My favorite stores are:

New Stone Age: Stepping into New Stone Age feels like you just walked into a science lab. From moth drawn mugs to porcelain phrenology busts, the collection is refined modern gothic at its best.

Plastica: Everything plastic, from rubber boots to lawn mats to planters!

OK Store: A designer's must-see. OK Store is the kind of store that you want everything inside of it--jewelry, ceramics and books are their specialties.

OK Store

#36: A+D Museum

I went to the A+D Museum on museum row, only to find out that they were closed and moving to a new location a block away the following week (6032 Wilshire, to be exact). No problem; LACMA and the tar pits across the street were plenty to keep me busy.

Fast forward a week, and find me scratching my head at the new location wondering where this so called "museum" was.. All I saw was a small room. "A+D Gallery" would have been a more appropriate title. Once I got over the initial surprise, however, I was actually quite thrilled by what I found in this tiny space.

The exhibit that was running at the time was called "Upcycling". It was art work made out of recycled material. The pieces on display included a Spock made out of spools of thread, a chair made out of stuffed pandas, and a paper cut-out hanging that was just breathtaking.

The best part is that this "museum" is free. I'd advise to come on a Sunday (it's open 1-5 pm), check this place out, and then walk down Wilshire to the Craft and Folk Art museum, which is also free on Sundays. Museum row is a great place to get your weekly culture fix all condensed in one block!

A+D Museum

#25: La Brea Tar Pits

It's tar. In a pit. With the Jungle Book elephants in it.

Right across the street from the Craft and Folk Art Museum (see #24) lies the hottest tar pit this side of the Rockies. It's hot. Literally.

I didn't bother with the adjoining Page museum (next time!), but the park itself was hardly crowded and made for a nice weekend stroll in the sun. After you're finished, stroll on over to one of the many other museums along this stretch of Wilshire (it's called "Museum Row", after all!).

La Brea Tar Pits

#24: Craft and Folk Art Museum

I admit, at first I was skeptical about the Craft and Folk Art museum...When I hear "craft" and "folk", I imagine tie dye, hemp jackets and dream catchers. I was almost gonna leave after checking out their world-market gift shop, but then spotted the "free admission on Sundays" sign. FREE? I'm there!

"There" turned out to be two rooms on the second and third floor; this museum is tiny. The second floor room held colorful and vibrant art work by Mithila women in India. The third floor was the clincher, though; I was immediately intrigued by the dioramas and art work up there---they that had such an eerily dark quality to them. This is craft/folk art? I love it! Don't miss the "asylum theater". Goosebumps.

You are in luck because from now until the end of the year, this place is FREE on Sundays. Otherwise, you'll have to pay $5, or $3 if you're a student/teacher/veteran. It's worth checking out!

P.S. This weekend only, many museums around L.A. are having free admission. Check it out! http://www.museumsla.org/news.asp

Mithila Art from Indian women

Craft And Folk Art Museum