Luxury Bargains

Through the year of 2009, Patina group has lifted their corkage fees in all restaurants except Patina downtown.  That includes Cafe Pinot, Market Cafe, eat on sunset, Nick & Stef's, and numerous other restaurants.  Bringing your own wine to a top notch dinner makes Patina group a luxury bargain.

Grilled Cheese

Los Angeles has had a long, torrid love affair with comfort foods.  Waves of comfort food trends have raged across the city for years - from mac & cheese to cupcakes to pot roast.  My theory on this is that it's such a professionally and aesthetically demanding place that people fall back on these wonderful childhood foods as a means of comfort.  We love comfort food here, we fetishize it - because we need it.

One of our best beloved comfort foods is grilled cheese, and since April is National Grilled Cheese Month, it's an especially good time to present some of the places around town where you can enjoy the fat, the carbs, and the delightful buttery crunch of a perfect grilled cheese.

Clementine's in Century City

During the month of April, Clementine's will have a special Grilled Cheese Month Menu featuring fancy schmancy items like grilled camembert with mustard greens and mushrooms.

The 7th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational

On April 25th from noon to 6 p.m., grilled cheese freaks will gather in Los Angeles State Historic Park to test their grill skills as they compete in the categories of traditional cheese only sammies, sammies with additional ingredients, and dessert sammies.  Admission is $5.

Campanile on La Brea

Every Thursday, Campanile hosts its venerable Grilled Cheese Night.  Arrive early and be prepared to wait.

Patinette at MOCA

Patinette lets you select your own bread, cheese, sauce, and extras to create your very own customized grilled cheese.

Rush Street in Culver City

This Culver City newcomer offers a $6 lunch special of grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Ivan Kane's Cafe Was in Hollywood

On Mondays, Cafe Was offers brioche grilled cheese with truffle fries for $10.

Please share your own grilled cheese tips and stories in the comments!

Funemployment

Ducklings!  So sorry for my lengthy absence.  I had a very good excuse. Or rather, a very bad good excuse.  As some of you know, right after I landed my part time teaching job, I lost my full time day job.  The economic turndown has hit my line of business especially hard and I've joined the ever expanding ranks of the under/unemployed.  I'm grateful for my remaining teaching job, but one night a week just isn't going to cut it.  So I've been super busy looking for another full time job, with very little success.

When you're unemployed, it goes without saying that Job #1 is finding another job.  You know, drawing on your contacts, pounding the pavement, scouring the internets, sending out the old resume, etc., etc.  But there will reach a point where you will become saturated with this activity.  It's scary and depressing and otherwise generally emotionally taxing to do the job search thing in this climate, especially when people in your particular sector of the industry are being sought after with the same zeal as stale baked goods.  Sometimes you need a little break.  Sometimes you need a little funemployment.

In this new semi-regular feature of The Daily Lalee, I will present you with ideas for recreation and entertainment that cost $10 or less.  First up:

 

The Getty Center

 

The Getty Center is free.  That's right - free.  You don't need to pay for admission, and you can spend all day traipsing around beautiful art, architecture, and gardens with a spectacular sea view.  Parking is $10, but Metro Rapid Line 761 will drop you off right outside the main gate.  You can bring your own lunch and enjoy a thrifty little picnic in any of the Getty's public seating areas.

Thank you, Mr. J. Paul Getty, wherever you are.  Knowing that I get to enjoy your museum for free makes me slightly less resentful of your outlandish economic success.  I am, after all, alive and able to enjoy lovely art, despite my regrettable unemployment (or arguably because of it!).  You, on the other hand, are dead and technically no longer rich.  Neener neener.