What should Pasty Minnesotans do in LA? (WEST SIDE EDITION: Part 1)

I thought Paige Appel was rad before she made me this offer....

I may be stepping over the (east side) line here, but when I read What should Pasty Minnesotans do in LA?, I noticed an absence of cooler side locations. (cooler meaning ocean breeze, don't get all up in arms) so I have taken it upon myself to educate all you east siders on the jaunts west of la brea.

But HOLY SHITBALLS do I think she's rad now.

I also think Paige's talents may be underutilized. I mean, sure, Bash, Please and The Cream are all that and more. But shouldn't we be lighting a fire under her ass to do a little more blogging?

Note: I was all ready to post THE WHOLE SHEBANG when blogger broke down in tears, so I've decided to break it into three parts. (I'll thank myself later when I'm driving around the west side scrolling through my own blog on my phone.)

Also, I fear we're too late to be helpful to the actual Pasty Minnesotans at this point, so "Pasty Minnesotan" will stand in for Everyman.

Without further ado, here's Paige on West Hollywood + Beverly Hills:

In my opinion, the west side doesn't go east of the 405, but I have to cover the neighborhoods slighted in the previous posts. I'm breaking it down by location and categories for easy reference in case those Minnesotans can only hit up a few neighborhoods. All of these recs have been tried and loved by me and mine. 

West Hollywood (La Brea to Doheny)

Eat. 

Repeat: Animal. Oxtail Poutine and done. BEST RESTAURANT IN TOWN. 

Comme Ca. Handcrafted cocktails (get the Ramos Gin Fizz at brunch), French bistro fare executed properly, and talk to the affineur (aka the cheese guy).

Tower Bar. Get a cozy booth with a view and order the burger. You will probably see some old Hollywood people having 3 hour dinners kissing each other's ass.

Tinga Buena. Short rib tacos and Arroz con crema. Agua fresca. Dirty Horchata. 

Dan Tana's. Old school italian, great steak, likely to see a few washed up Playboy bunnies. 

Angelini Osteria. Best Italian in the city. Sorry Mozza. 

O! Burger. Fast food made organically and deliciously. Best crinkle fries and veggie burger I've ever had with no hormones and yucky stuff. 

The Bazaar at SLS for cotton candy foie gras comedy that tastes really fucking good. (ex employees from El Bulli)

Roger Room for drinks.

(The Bazaar's Cotton Candy Fois Gras via Wine Stained Cloth)

Others to mention (all exceptional) Lucques, BLD, Terroni, Eva, El Carmen, Eveleigh, Loteria at the Farmer's Market, Golden State. Joan's on 3rd for ham and butter on baguette with cheese and sweets to go. Hugo's for "california" food, meaning vegetarian, vegan and flax seed friendly folk.

TIP: don't let the endless lines at TOAST fool you. OVERRATED, UNDERWHELMING.

Shop.
OK. Quirky, beautiful, vintage and modern design. [Editor's Note: We did our wedding registry here -- can't recommend them highly enough.]

Douglas Fir for men's clothes and shoes. Classic masculine. Also, stop into Esquivel behind Douglas Fir if you have a hankering to drop a mint on a fine pair of handmade shoes.

Noodle Stories. Minimalist high fashion for the ladies.

Opening Ceremony (do I need to say anything?)

Le Labo for the nicest (and hippest) smelling perfume on the planet.

Roseark for the diamond encrusted arrowhead necklace that everyone needs. Or a pair of moccasins.

Plastica for Danish design and cute baby onesies.

Table Art for just that. 

Heath Ceramics for classic earthen and home goods.

Ahead Stereo for the audiophile. 

Du Vin for winos.

Book Soup for bibliophiles.

American Rag for vintage and good shoes.

(Esquivel Shoes)

Do.
Repeat - LACMA

Art galleries - Regen Projects, ACME, Marc Foxx. (and then head south on La Cienega to Culver City to hit up Blum & Poe, Susanne Vielmetter, Cherry & Martin, David Kordansky, Honor Fraser among others on the row)

People watch at Chateau Marmont lobby. 

Visit the MAK center to tour the Schindler House.

Get beaten by eucalyptus branches (platza) at under the radar Russian spa Voda.

See an indie move that is never going to come to Minnesota at Laemmle Theatre.

See an old, new, or camp (awesome) movie at revival house New Beverly Cinema.

See an avant garde, or sometimes ironic film at The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre.

Beverly Hills 
(You may cringe when hearing the 90210 moniker, but there are a few redeeming spots worth a see.)

Eat.

The Fountain Coffee Room for a basement breakfast in the notorious Beverly Hills Hotel.

Bouchon by the one and only Thomas Keller. 

Matsuhisa for Nobu's original sushi restaurant.

Red Medicine for awesome Vietnamese.

Papa Jake's for cheap and good hoagies.

Graffeo for coffee.

Mulberry Street for new york style pizza.

Shop.
Unless you love high-end chains via Rodeo (which I admittedly get sucked into Prada, Margiela and Miu Miu), don't bother.

(Coldwater Canyon Park via Travelin' Local)

Do.
People watch with cocktails on the patio at the Beverly Wilshire.
Picnic in Coldwater Canyon park next to the wading stream under the big oak trees. 

Drive up Coldwater Canyon to Mulholland and hike Franklin Canyon or visit TreePeople. 

Visit the Museum of Television and Radio. 

Museum of Tolerance for a real upper. weeeeeee.

Stay tuned for Parts 2 + 3.

Top Photo by Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin for Vogue Paris August 2011 via I KNOW WHAT YOU WORE LAST SEASON

Dear ESB: I have wedding band issues.

I am getting married in August and have yet to decide on bands. I have a fantastic antique engagement ring that is similar to the one in this photo. I really, really love it - the stone is an heirloom from my fiance's great aunt, and the setting is circa 1915. The "filigree" or whatever its called is a little more geometric than the ring pictured, but I am not tech-savvy enough to attach a photo of my own ring, so, you know, this will have to do. 

Anyway, the problem is that I don't know what kind of wedding band to get.  I have tried on curved bands but they don't work because a) i hate them, and b) they make the ring look lopsided and take away from the cool shape of it. So, I'm at a loss. I really want a band, but they all look so weird with the ring. Is it ok not to have one? Can i get something simple and wear the engagement ring on my right hand? help! 

I also would ideally like my band and my future husband's band to be somewhat similar. Any suggestions there?

Sincerely,
Bandless?

*****

It is okay not to have a wedding band. It's okay to do WHATEVER YOU WANT.

But I love your simple-band-on-the-left-hand, fantastic-antique-on-the-right idea.

Re simple, matching bands: Catbird, Bario-Neal, Bittersweets New York (pictured above), Sarah Perlis and OK all have simple, beautiful bands that you can order in varying widths and weights and colors and finishes.

I happen to like a wide wedding band on a guy, in the same color + finish as his wife's more narrow band. In case you were asking me to get that specific.