FEBRUARY 23RD, 2024

FRIDAY’S VIBES

👋 HAPPY FRIDAY, CUTIE

• 🔢 NEW AREA CODE: 738. That will be the new area code available in November for those in Beverly Hills, DTLA, Inglewood, Montebello, Pasadena, West Hollywood, Glendale, Hawthorne, and other communities throughout Los Angeles. The new 738 area code overlays the 213/323 area codes. The move was announced by the California Public Utilities Commission in March of 2023. Those that already have established 213/323 area code phone numbers will keep their existing lines. The new 738 area code only reflects new lines of service.

• 🚧 PORTIONS OF PCH REOPEN: Construction crews reopened both of the southbound lanes and one northbound lane from Latigo Canyon Road to Corral Canyon Road after a mudslide shut down all lanes on Wednesday in Malibu. The one northbound lane that is still closed will likely reopen in a couple of days according to Caltrans ℹ️

• 🤔 YA’ LYING, KID! There are two intentional lies in today’s newsletter from here on out. Can you spot them? I’ll be honest at the very end of today’s newsletter.

⚡️THE HOV LANE

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• Created by James Beard award-winning chef Marco Canora

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• No preservatives, concentrates, or short cuts.

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EATS

😋 HEADLINES

• 🍟 WCDONALD’S: A new anime experience is coming to McDonald’s, ‘WcDonald’s.’ The experience is based off of an anime-manga cartoon from the 80s. The WcDonald’s experience will include digital manga, anime shorts, a West Hollywood dining experience, and even a new special hot sauce made by the McDonald’s Team. Those McDonald’s fans can experience it all from March 9th - March 10th on Santa Monica Blvd. Reservations for this event must be made on OpenTable, with reservations starting this upcoming Wednesday, February 28th. CuratedLA will remind you about this special reservation opportunity. Those wanting to explore more of the WcDonald’s World can check out the special website curated for the event.

• 🍕PIZZA-MAKING CLASSES: L’antica Pizzeria da Michele is offering new interactive pizza-making classes ($130 per person). The experience is all hands-on and will teach patrons the art behind making an Italian pizza. The workshop will be led by a trained pizzaiolo who will teach those participants how to knead and toss a perfect pizza over this two-hour class. Tickets are available for Sunday, March 3rd and Sunday, March 17th.

• 🍗 REAL-LIFE HOT ONES: Howlin’ Ray’s is a Nashville-style hot chicken eatery with a location in both Pasadena + Chinatown. Much like the popular streaming show Hot Ones, Howlin’ Ray’s requires for patrons to sign a waiver when trying their hottest flavor, the Howlin’ level. Howlin Ray’s has seen lines around the block recently at both locations thanks in-part to their delicious flavors + the recent Sydney Sweeney episode that aired on Hot Ones | 💻️ View Menu | 📸 @howlinrays

• 🌿 BEYOND MEAT: El Segundo’s Beyond Meat is launching a new and healthier version of their burger which will hit nationwide grocery stores this spring. The new burger will use avocado oil, cutting its saturated fat by 60% to two grams. Beyond also slashed the sodium in the plant-based meat by 20%. Some ingredients in the new burger were also slashed out, but red lentil and faba bean protein were added to the new recipe.

🚀 OPENINGS

• 🥘 BEVERLY HILLS: Chubby Curry recently opened in Beverly Hills. The eat preserves the taste of homemade Japanese curry, incorporating premium wagyu beef, a Japanese Wagyu Burger, beef tongue curry, and other specialties. Chubby Curry also offers fried katsus made with top-quality meat and udon dishes. 🖥️ View Online Menu | 📸 @chubbycurryla

• 🍣 WILSHIRE: Budonoki opened in the Wilshire area. Budonoki offers drinks snacks, sushi, ice-cold beer, and cocktails in a unique ambiance. The restaurant first started as a pop-up and now has a permanent home on North Virgil Avenue. | View Website | 📸 @budonokila

• ☕️ KOREATOWN: A cute little cafe opened up in the fall in Koreatown, Liu’s Cafe. The cafe has become widely popular and is trending among LA Foodies. Liu’s Cafe offers a curated selection of Chinese comfort dishes, in-house baked pastries, and unique blends of iced and hot teas. The menu itself draws inspiration from food travels across Taiwan, Shanghai, and Hong Kong featuring dishes like chiayi chicken rice, braised pork belly rice, beef curry with coconut cream, and modern Chinese American sandwiches. The drink menu offers jasmine passionfruit, iced tea, and other specialty tea drinks. Liu’s Cafe is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00am to 3:00pm and might be just a perfect spot for this last weekend in February. | 🖥️ Website | 📸 @liuscafe

• 🍷 ARTS DISTRICT: Le Champ is a relaxed neighborhood wine bar and garden located within the Arts District. Le Champ offers accessible bottle selections, French fare, natural wines, and one of the city’s best outdoor patio spots. The menu includes snackable bites like cheeses, charcuteries, raw oysters, burgers, and changing plats du jour with entrees. This comfort of an eat provides an environment that is laid-back, akin to an Arts District living room. It’s also a perfect date spot for drinkers and non-drinkers alike. | 🖥️ View Website | 📸 @lechamp_la

• 🐠 DTLA: Joyce is a modern coastal restaurant located on S. Grand Ave. Joyce brings a reimagined southern cuisine to the heart of DTLA, offering a menu that includes dishes like fried shrimp sandwiches, crab baked with Gryère, beignets, spicy chicken sandwiches, and a unique take on Carolina Gold rice with seafood. It’s neat ambiance provides a calm and whimsical feel, with powder-blue walls, cozy banquettes, woven dining chairs, and wicker chandeliers that help curate a genteel vibe. | 🖥️ View Website | 📸 @joyce_dtla

• 🐚 WEST HOLLYWOOD: Ladyhawk is a modern Eastern Mediterranean restaurant located on N La Peer Drive in West Hollywood. Ladyhawk offers a contemporary take on the Mediterranean cuisine, featuring shareable plates, spice-forward cocktails, local LA wines, freshly-baked breads, mezze plates, rotisseries offerings, and wood-fired meats. Ladyhawk has colorful and Cali-cool inspired vibes, providing a great spot for friends to get together for a celebratory sit-down dinner. 🖥️ View Online Menu | 📸 @ladyhawkweho

• 🍰 CULVER CITY: Fat + Flour is a bakery and cafe located on W. Washington. The bakery was founded by prominent LA baker Nicole Rucker and initially started as a stall at the Grand Central Market. Fat + Flour offers a variety of baked goods, savory dishes, coffee, and indoor seating for up to fifty hungry curators. The menu includes items like banana cream pies, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, savory scones, Big Macs, granola, salads and panini made with focaccia. Fat + Flour also features a retail area with condiments, baking tools, coffee beans, and seasonal items like Christmas ornaments. The bakery is open daily from 9:00am to 3:00pm. | View Online Menu | 📸 @fatandflourla

• 🥧 VENICE: The popular pizza eat House of Pies was expected to open their second location at the intersections of Venice + Lincoln Blvds in November 2022 but got delayed. The development of this Venice location has now started back up with a new timeframe for a September grand opening | 🖥️ View Website | 📸 @houseofpies

🧭 GUIDES

• 🌮 LOS ANGELES TIMES: In LA, Tacos Are Soul Food. Here Are Nine Spots That Prove It.

• 📻️ KCRW: The Best Places To Sip Afternoon Tea in LA.

• 🇲🇽 L.A. TACO: The Thirteen Best Tacos in Downtown Los Angeles

• 😋 FAVORITE NEW RESTAURANTS: Recommend some of your favorite new openings for a future CuratedLA Guide.

EVENTS

🔮 TRENDING FUTURES

• 💃 7:00pm: Feist: Multitudes Finale Tour

  • The Belasco

• 🕊️ 7:00pm: Magic City Hippies: Winter Tour

  • The Bellwether

• 🎸 7:00pm: Ty Segall with White Fence

  • The Wiltern

• 🎤 7:00pm: F*$! This Month

  • UCB Theatre

• 🥪 7:30pm: Grilled Cheese and Wine Pairing

  • Andrew’s Cheese Shop

• 🎤 7:45pm: Friday Night All Stars ft: Dane Cook, Finesse Mitchell, Kira Soltanovich, Dom Irrera, Malik S, Geoff Keith

  • The Laugh Factory

• 🎸 8:00pm: KRS-One, Mad Lion

  • The Venice West

• 🎤 8:00pm: Tonight at The Improv: ft. Arsenio Hall, Demetri Martin, Ron Funches, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Brian Monarch, Justine Marino, and very special guests!

  • Hollywood Improv

• 🎤 8:00pm: Best of The Store: Pauly Shore, Lara Beitz, Chris Spencer + more!

  • The Comedy Store: The Main Room

• 🤠 8:00pm: Enjoy With Cowgirl Clue

  • Fox Theater

• 🎸 8:00pm: Jessica Audiffred’s Mad House

  • Hollywood Palladium

• 🎤 9:00pm: Drunk Theatre LA | The Wildest Improv Comedy Show

  • Santa Monica Playhouse

• 🧑‍🎤 10:00pm: Ain’t It Fun: Paramore + Pop Punk Party

  • The Virgil

*Please bookmark Event Masters for more events released later tonight and throughout the weekend. A new event form will be implemented so we can all easily add events.

🧭 GUIDES

• 🌕️ NBC4: Here’s How And When To See The Snow Moon in LA This Weekend.

• 📆 WE LIKE L.A.: Things To Do This Weekend in Los Angeles: Today, February 23rd thru Sunday February 25th.

• 🎉 LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE: What’s On in L.A. This Weekend: KRS-One, Night Dive, Ice Age Encounters.

• 💃 THE LA GIRL: How To Spend A Day in DTLA: Everything To Do From Morning To Night.

• 📆 LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS: Things To Do In The San Fernando Valley, LA Area: February 22nd - February 29th.

➡️ Event Masters ⬅️ 
 🔖 Bookmark Event Masters for Daily Events
Our newsletter runs 6:00am MWF, events daily

ACTIVITIES

• 👩 REGARDING HER: March is Women’s History Month. And the folks over at RE: Her, a national nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the growth of women entrepreneurs and leaders in both food + beverage, are celebrating all month long with plenty of local events to surfeit over.

• 🥳 GREENS FESTIVAL: The City of Santa Monica is celebrating Black History Month with the Greens Festival tomorrow. The 9th Annual Black History Greens Festival takes place from 10:00am - 2:00pm with this year’s theme of ‘Acknowledging the Past, Living in the Present, Building for the Future.’ The festival will pay tribute to Lloyd Allen, a local entrepreneur and civil rights leader who recently turned 103. Allen was the first Black member of the Recreation and Parks Commission and also became Santa Monica’s first Black millionaire. The festival will feature greens cooking demos with local LA chefs and a wide-variety of activities including book readings, giveaways, dance performances, vendors + wellness information.

COMMUNITY

• ⛈️ RAIN TOTALS: Lechusa Patrol received the most amount of rainfall for the past seven days for Los Angeles County with 8.5 inches of rain. DTLA received an average of two inches with nearby areas receiving an average of 2.5 inches of rain. Our county coastlines received, on average, three inches.

• 🛏️ CITY + COUNTY SHELTERS: The City and County of Los Angeles have activated the Augmented Winter Shelter Program (AWSP) to provide additional housing options for individuals experiencing homelessness during harsh weather conditions. The program offers interim housing, such as motel vouchers, to protect people from extreme cold and wet weather, aiming to prevent conditions like hypothermia and pneumonia. The shelters operate twenty-four hours a day and are available in various Service Planning Areas (SPA) across the county.

• 🏡 BURBANK: The City of Burbank will receive honors as the recipient of the 2024 Impact Award by Home Again Los Angeles. This recognition highlights the city’s commitment to supporting local families that are facing homelessness.

• ❤️ VALENTINES DAY CARDS: I would like to thank those Curators that curated a Valentines Day Card for the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. The hospital posted a recap of the campaign on Instagram and it honestly brought a smile to my face.

• 📰 LOCAL OUTLETS WITH MEANING: Los Angeles is a melting pot of beautiful people with various backgrounds, beliefs, orientations and creative talents. Here are some hyper-local sources that represent our diversity:

  • 🇯🇵 RAFU SHIMPO: Rafu Shimpo is the longest-running Japanese American daily newspaper in the United States. The outlet was founded in 1903 by three-Japanese immigrants, students at the time from USC. They are proud to serve the Japanese American community from their office in Little Tokyo.

  • 🇲🇽 LA OPINIÓN: La Opinión has a 95-year history and reaches over twenty million readers in both a print and fashion form. This Spanish language newspaper tailors to our region’s growing Hispanic population.

  • 💪🏿 LA SENTINEL: LA Sentinel was established in 1933 and is considered the outlet of record for LA’s African American community. It is also considered one of the largest and most influential American newspapers in the Western United States, reporting on major events and interviews with influential local Los Angeles leaders.

  • 🏳️‍🌈 LOS ANGELES BLADE: The Los Angeles Blade is considered Southern California’s source for all things Community of Pride. In addition to covering Los Angeles Pride, the Los Angeles Blade covers national + world news, politics, arts, and provide commentary on newsworthy items.

  • 🤔 ANYTHING ELSE? Did I miss any outlets? If so, please reply to this email letting me know! 🫶 

• 🏳️‍🌈 WEST HOLLYWOOD: The City of West Hollywood is inviting the community to a strategic planning open house for items that pertain to WeHo’s 40 Strategic Plan. The event takes place on March 2nd from 11:00am - 2:00pm at Kings Road Park. Residents of West Hollywood are welcome to stop by any time during the four-hour event.

• 🐶 PASADENA: The City of Pasadena will start to cite those pet lovers that do not have their dogs or cats on a leash. There are exceptions: Alice’s Dog Park in Viña Veja Park and Playhouse Dog Park which are both designated as off-leash areas for dogs.

• 🧑‍🌾 TOPANGA FARMERS MARKET: The Topanga Farmers Market is open today and takes place every Friday from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the Topanga Community Center. There are roughly 45-vendors that show up and sell local goods to patrons. For those wishing to become a vendor, here are the requirements and fees.

DEVELOPMENT

• 🌳 BEVERLY HILLS: The City of Beverly Hills has installed it's first ‘green street.’ The green street initiative covers a three-block median featuring native plants and biowales to reduce water consumption and pollution. The project features a storm drain that will diver water from both rain and excess irrigation into the median on Burton Way.

• 🎭️ CELEBRITIES ACQUIRE VILLAGE THEATER: Steven Spielberg, Bradley Cooper, Christopher Nola, J.J. Abrams, Judd Apatow, Jay Roach, Seth Rogan and others, have acquired the historic Village Theater in Westwood. The 93-year-old theater will be preserved and transformed into a cultural landmark dedicated to the movie-going experience. The new owners, led by director Jason Reitman, plan to showcase both first-run and classic films on the theater's screens, as well as display props, wardrobe, and film prints from their personal collections.

• 🏗️ BEVERLY HILLS: The D Line (formerly Purple Line) subway extension is making significant progress, with Section 1 set to open in 2025, connecting Wilshire/Western to La Cienega. Due to this construction, along with the D Line Subway extension, detours are currently being implemented:
   

  • Wilshire Blvd: Now: Wilshire will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Highland + La Brea Avenues until at least the end of February. Left turns will be restricted.
    
    Additionally, full closure of South Cañon Drive from Wilshire Blvd is in-place through April 1st. South Beverly Drive will be reduced to one-lane in each direction at Wilshire Blvd. Wilshire will also be reduced to one lane in each direction between El Camino and Crescent Drives.
    
    For four consecutive weekends, starting Friday March 1st, Wilshire Blvd will be closed to traffic between between Western Avenue and Manhattan Place from 9:00pm Friday through 6:00am Monday.
    
    In June, Wilshire Blvd will be reduced to two lanes in both directions at La Jolla Avenue. Left turns from eastbound Wilshire Blvd. La Jolla Avenue will be restricted. 

BUSINESS

• 🚀 DISNEY ACCELERATOR: The Walt Disney Company announced the tenth year of the Disney Accelerator Program and its 2024 participant companies on Wednesday. Of the ten companies announced, Disney picked three AI companies for music mixing: ElevenLabs for text-to-speech, AudioShake for music mixing, and Promethean AI for prototype design. |💲NYSE:DIS

• 💰️ BEVERLY HILLS: Beverly Hills Luxury Apartment Complex sells for $28m. The apartment complex is located on Wilshire blvd. near the edge of The Los Angeles Country Club. The building houses eighteen apartments in total. Plans are unknown at this time for the future of the building.

• 🎵 LIVE NATION EARNINGS: Live Nation Entertainment posted their fourth quarter earnings reports. Highlights include a 36% increase in revenue, up to $22.7bn, 46% increase in operating income → $1.07bn, operating cash flow of nearly $1.4bn, and a free cash flow of over $1.1bn. If you are like me, then you too are also wondering how much money was earned from Taylor Swift. 📍 HQ: Beverly Hills | 💲 NYSE: LYV

ENTERTAINMENT

🎬️ HEADLINES

• 🤝 TALLEST MAN, SHORTEST WOMAN: The world’s tallest man, Sultan Kösen of Türkiye and the world’s shortest woman, Jyoti Amge of India, met this week in Los Angeles for a secret Guinness World Records project. The two first met in 2013 when they appeared alongside each other for a Guinness World Record TV show in China. The media surrounding Kösen’s height makes everyone look tiny, let alone Amge.

• 👴 MY OLD ASS: As previously covered, My Old Ass, a comedy starring Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Maddie Ziegler, and others, has officially been acquired by MGM Studios for $15m after premiering in Sundance recently. MGM will have a limited rollout in theaters on August 2nd with streaming options available shortly thereafter.

• 🎈 SNOOP DOGG: Snoop Dogg's launched an animated series for kids on YouTube, Doggyland. The launch happened last year and has a new lineup of content. The series includes elements that help children with breathing techniques and managing stress. The show features kids songs and nursery rhymes that can contribute to a calming and enjoyable environment for children.

• 🎞️ GLENDALE SUBMISSIONS: The Glendale International Film Festival is accepting film and screenplay submissions for its tenth anniversary edition. Filmmakers and screenwriters are invited to submit projects on the FilmFreeway platform with an application deadline of July 12th.

• 🎥 MALIA [OBAMA] ANN: The oldest of Barack and Michelle Obama’s daughter, Malia, recently made a debut at Sundance. Malia, who wishes to be professionally known as Malia Ann in favor of her middle name, premiered her short film, ‘The Heart.’ The Heart follows a lonely man grieving the death of his mother after an argument about groceries, and an odd request in his mother’s will. Ann was credited as both Director and Screenwriter for the film.

• ⭐️ JAMES HONG: Actor James Hong celebrated his 95th birthday yesterday by being honored with adding his hands and footprints in-front of the TCL Chinese Theatre. Hong has a career that expands over seven decades with over 600 credits to his name. The actor is most recently known for his voiceover roles in all of the Kung Fu Panda films which includes the upcoming Kung Fu Panda 4 that premieres March 8th.

• 📺️ HBO + YOUTUBE: HBO is hitting the pause button on publishing content the next day on YouTube. Fans of hit TV shows like Last Week Tonight With John Oliver will have to wait four days before they can watch official HBO content on YouTube.

• 👧 MOANA 2: Disney has decided to go counter-cultural on the modern tradition of streaming new premieres with Moana 2. Thanks to user group feedback, Disney is pushing Moana 2 straight to theaters this Thanksgiving with the opportunity to stream the sequel on Disney+ at a later date.

• 📀 DISNEY MOVIE CLUB: Disney announced the closure of Disney Movie Club. The club was an offering of exclusive and discounted Blu-ray + DVD titles. Disney will now outsource all physical disks to Sony.

• 🏈 ELI MANNING: Eli Manning’s popular comedic character Chad Powers will come to life on Hulu. The new series stars Glen Powell as Russ Holliday, a struggling college quarterback whose bad behaviors have forced him to go incognito and try his talents with a Southern football team. Video of Eli Manning as Chad Powers walking onto Penn State in 2022:

🪩 JUST FUN

• 🔠 WORDLE: Today’s Wordle from the New York Times.

• 🍿NETFLIX: New Netflix shows and movies in March to stream, via TV Guide.

🏆️ AWARDS

• 🎞️ WRITERS GUILD AWARDS: Nominations for the 76th Writers Guild Awards were announced on Wednesday. The awards ceremony honors the best writing in film, television, and radio from this past year of 2023. Some of this year’s nominees include Star Trek: Picard, Air, Barbie, The Holdovers, May December, and Past Lives. This year’s Writers Guild of America Awards will take place on April 14th after being delayed because of the Hollywood strikes.

• 👱‍♂️ JIMMY KIMMEL: Jimmy Kimmel is preparing for the Oscars and contemplating the end of his talk show. As he gears up to host the upcoming 96th Oscars, Kimmel has hinted that his current contract, which expires in 2025, may be his last. Despite expressing fatigue and a desire to retire, Kimmel acknowledges the uncertainty of his future plans, mentioning his various hobbies like cooking and drawing.

SPORTS

📰 HEADLINES

• 🏒 LA KINGS: The Kings completely froze (I’m trying NHL copywriting, folks) yesterday, falling to the Nashville Predators 4-1 at Crypto Arena. Colton Sissons led the Predators with a goal and two assists, while Juuse Saros made twenty-seven saves for Nashville. Other goal scorers for the Predators included Jeremy Lauzon, Mark Jankowski, and Yakov Trenin. Kevin Fiala scored the lone goal for the Kings. The Kings will host our neighbors in that of the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday at 7:30pm. | 📦️ Predators Box Score | ⏪️ vs. Predators Recap | ⏩️ Anaheim Ducks Preview

• 🏀 LAKERS: The Lakers fell to the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco last night, 128-110. Stephen Curry led Golden State with thirty-two points while Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell led the Lakers with twenty-seven and eighteen points. The Lakers are back home tonight and will face the San Antonio Spurs at 7:30pm local. | 📦️ Warriors Box Score | ⏪️ Lakers at Golden State Recap | ⏩️ San Antonio Preview

• 🪽CLIPPERS: The Clippers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night, 129-107, in Oklahoma. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored thirty-one points for the Thunder, while Kawhi Leonard scored twenty points with Norman Powell adding nineteen points for the Clippers. The Clippers currently stand at 36-18 on the season. The Clippers travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies tonight. | 📦️ Thunders Box Score | ⏪️ Clippers at Thunder Recap | ⏩️ Memphis Grizzlies Preview

• 🏈 SEAN MCVAY: Rams Head Coach Sean McVay was added to the NFL’s Competition Committee yesterday. The Competition Committee reviews all competitive aspects of the game, including playing rules, roster regulations, technology, game-day operations, and player protection.

🏡 COMMUNITY

• 🎾 ANTELOPE VALLEY: The Antelope Valley is hosting their first annual pickleball tournament at The Antelope Valley Family YMCA. The tournament will serve all ages in the AV community and support benefits those families that need the YMCA for youth programs, seniors who need to stay active and healthy, and members who need assistance to access the YMCA’s programs and services. The tournament is upcoming, taking place on Saturday, March 2nd + Sunday, March 3rd. Registration information can be found here.

PLANS FOR WKND?

HAVE A GREAT WKND, LA!

🙈 HONESTY SPOILERS

Could you spot the two lies? Scroll up to see if you got both and scroll down if you think you got them…

1️⃣ FIRST LIE:

The City of Pasadena is not citing pet owners who have their cats off of a leash.

2️⃣ SECOND LIE:

Culver City’s Fat + Flour does not serve Big Macs (that I know of), and I indicated that they did.

Those were the two intentional lies for today. Anything else has been unintentionally overlooked or is considered misinformation from whatever presidential candidate that you hate the most.