Month: July 2024

Best hotels near the Hollywood Bowl and Universal Studios

Best hotels near the Hollywood Bowl and Universal Studios

Published by Sam Flores

From Universal Studios: 1.4 miles From Hollywood Bowl: 3.8 miles Now let us travel to the San Fernando Valley, circa 1972. That’s when veteran TV and movie actress Beverly Garland (who played Fred MacMurray’s wife on “My Three Sons” in the early ‘70s) teamed with her husband, Fillmore Crank, to open this hotel on a spacious seven-acre plot near Universal Studios. (And because this is L.A., the former owner was Gene Autry.) Garland and her husband are gone now, but the hotel has remained in the family, shedding a former affiliation with Holiday Inn. Nowadays it’s a more upscale space, leaning hard into its ‘70s roots (you’ll see a lot of orange) and very much family-focused. Roaming the property, you’ll find a swimming pool (about 20 by 40 feet) neighbored by the hotel’s emblematic outdoor fireplace. The property has about 270 guest rooms, which begin at about 250 square feet. Near the pool, there’s a courtyard full of games like Foosball, Jenga and cornhole, a lobby bar, a well-curated shop full of souvenirs and housewares …

6 Best Pregnancy-Safe Shampoos to Use While Expecting

6 Best Pregnancy-Safe Shampoos to Use While Expecting

Published by Sam Flores

Pregnancy may bring about a streak of good hair days for some— courtesy of hormones making hair stronger, longer and less likely to shed — that doesn’t mean you have to stick with the status quo ahead of your due date. Dr. Camila K. Janniger, a board-certified dermatologist in Wallington, NJ, says hair and scalp concerns are common during this time. It’s possible to develop seborrheic dermatitis, for instance — a condition where the scalp is flaky and dry — as well as dandruff, or for an existing case to worsen. Since not all medicated options can be used during pregnancy, it can be difficult to find a pregnancy-safe shampoo. Moreover, some people might want to avoid certain controversial ingredients, like phthalates (found in fragrances) and parabens (common preservatives) during this time. That said, it’s critical to remember that there’s no firm evidence of any harm to your baby coming from these ingredients. “I’ve never counseled a pregnant woman to change any over-the-counter shampoo based on pregnancy — so I feel comfortable saying if you …

Leaving the Oppression

Leaving the Oppression

Published by Sam Flores

Matt Cravatta Jana (an alias) is a twenty-eight-year-old Iraqi ex-Muslim. Like nearly every girl in Iraq, Jana was raised as a Muslim, specifically a Shia. She was forced to adhere to its strictures, teachings, and basic rules—as well as its unwritten ones. Jana followed these beliefs and rules but eventually found her faith waning. She sought to understand what she was taught to believe without question. Muslim children and teens who question their religion receive swift punishment. Islam and the Qur’an are not to be questioned. Jana suffered unprintable horrors as a child, including sexual abuse and regular vicious assaults. As Jana grew up and became a young woman, she continued to be on the receiving end of various beatings from family members. She was even stabbed by her brother. She boldly pushed forward and began to express her doubts. She began to question the Qur’an. “Some things were just not reasonable,” she told Secular Rescue. “I kept telling myself that I can’t have doubts.”  Gender-based inequalities associated with social and religious norms began to …

“The Bear” confronts Carmy’s nightmare: A boss who believes in creating excellence through pain

“The Bear” confronts Carmy’s nightmare: A boss who believes in creating excellence through pain

Published by Sam Flores

Joel McHale’s living nightmare of a New York chef turns up for the first time in the second episode of “The Bear,” malevolently hovering inches from the hero’s right shoulder. Horrific doesn’t begin to sum up the man’s management skills properly – he is concentrated nuclear fallout in human form. A plague of acid vomit. Moments after he strides into the scene, firing a line cook for messing up a sauce, the celebrated culinary master sets to barking random numbers into Carmen Berzatto’s (Jeremy Allen White) ear to throw off his system. Then come the toxic whispers. “I get it – you have a short man’s complex. . . . Is why you have the tattoos and your cool little scars and you go out and take your smoke breaks? It’s fun, isn’t it? But here’s the thing: you’re terrible at this. You’re no good at it.” Charring his star employee with curses, he berates him for his supposed slowness and orders him to repeat, “Chef, I’m so tough.” “You are not tough,” the man …

Where to find the best Caribbean restaurants in Los Angeles

Where to find the best Caribbean restaurants in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

Throughout the week, Doris “Estelita” Gabriel visits local markets, collecting ingredients for the Belizean Garifuna menu she serves out of her South Los Angeles home every other Saturday. Before moving to L.A. from Belize in 2015, Gabriel used to set up shop on the side of a major road in her hometown of Punta Gorda. Now that she operates Smith’s Kitchen out of her home, the chef relies on word of mouth. Thankfully, customers are quick to share their praise for Gabriel’s traditionally prepared dishes, including tamales, curry chicken and cassava pudding. Los Angeles may lack dedicated enclaves for its Caribbean communities, but the influence from countries that border the Caribbean Sea — island nations such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Haiti, as well as Central and South American countries including Belize, Panama, Guyana and Suriname — has been felt for decades and is gaining wider recognition. In many instances, Caribbean cuisines are at the vanguard of Southern California’s multicultural kitchen. L.A. is home to the only Guyanese pastry …

Best restaurants for outdoor patio dining in L.A. this summer

Best restaurants for outdoor patio dining in L.A. this summer

Published by Sam Flores

A certain magic sweeps over Los Angeles during the summer. With the days long, sunny and warm, we’re beckoned to bask outside, whether that’s on a sandy shore, a hilly park or by meandering through our local farmers markets. For a few months, our usually brisk evenings turn balmy and breezy. Restaurant patios serve as scenic gathering spots with string lights, flickering tea candles and abundant greenery. Menus shift to showcase seasonal stone fruits, buttery corn on the cob and a rainbow of tomato varieties. Alfresco dining emerged as a necessity during the pandemic, and many of the sidewalk and parking lot patios that debuted during that time are now permanent fixtures. As new restaurants open around the city, some are betting hard on our trademark sunshine by being entirely outdoors. You can sip on global wines paired with Spanish tapas as you watch the sunset over the Arts District from a backyard bistro or duck away from a bustling Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake into a cozy covered nook serving home-style Persian cuisine. In …