Welcome back to your favorite Southern California, Arts & Entertainment talk show! This episode has the inside scoop on all things clubs, day parties, films, NFTs, music events, venues, restaurants, and more! I also traveled from LA to Oceanside, California for the weekend, so there’s a quick tease about next week’s episode as well.
CLUBS & PARTIES
Hotel Ziggy — 8462 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Hotel Ziggy is a recently renovated boutique hotel on the sunset strip. It’s the only hotel in West Hollywood with a saltwater pool, a pool that also hosts a multitude of day parties and local DJ’s.Their music themed restaurant titled B-Sides is also popular. I arrived at 2pm on Saturday to enjoy a mezcal margarita and a set by Pam Sessions. Not only was she noticeably the best DJ of the day, but she invited me to her event at Catch One the same evening and gave me a +10! I’ll be back at Hotel Ziggy with a swimsuit and a crowd for their next day-party on May 21st.
Catch One — 4067 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Catch One is a bustling, multi-level club with many floors, a backyard, and a secret underground room. I arrived at 10:30pm for Pam Session’s “Sorry For Party Rockin” event and danced my ass off until 2am. Pam even gave me a behind the scenes tour of the venue! It’s a great club for seeing new DJ’s and rappers. Come ready to dance!
MUSIC
Pam Sessions
If you missed Pam at Hotel Ziggy and Catch One, catch her performing at Hard Summer in San Bernardino, California on Friday, July 29th. Other headliners that day include Meg Thee Stallion, Alison Wonderland, and Jai Wolf, and the entire festival runs from July 29th to July 31st.
The Peppermint Club — 8713 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048
The Peppermint Club in West Hollywood is a 60’s inspired music lounge. The sleek and sultry interior and innovative craft cocktails provide the perfect setting for listening to new music. My most recent memory of being there was seeing Taxi The Band play before revisiting on Saturday night for a Breaking Sound showcase. If you’re into live music, check out their events list here and drop by for an easy-listening atmosphere!
FILM & NFTS
In Focus: “Bridge The Gap” at NeueHouse — 6121 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
In focus’s “Bridge The Gap” was an event for Asian Americans that included a screening and reception at NeueHouse in Hollywood. Executive Producer Justin Lee and business partner William Nguyen have been working together to build a Web3 community for Asian creatives. It’s meant to be a platform and a safe space for Asians pursuing a career in creative industries and the “Bridge The Gap” campaign intends to attract a community to attend panels, workshops, and networking events that encourage and support its members. The project launched on May 6th alongside a docuseries of the same name and each episode will illuminate the story and perspective of an Asian creative.
The screening was a blast! I enjoyed flutes of champagne alongside some strangers and friends and the post-screening Q&A already offered relatable, timely perspectives from Asians and their experiences in the industry. If you are an Asian creative, or someone who supports your Asian creative friends, I highly recommend checking out Bridge The Gap!
THINGS TO DO AROUND TOWN
Melrose Trading Post — 7850 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Melrose Trading Post is a classic Los Angeles activity. Every Sunday at Fairfax High School vendors and artisans from around the city come together to put on a diverse marketplace. There’s music, food, furniture, art, and unique and thrifted clothing. It’s an easy daytime activity, but I recommend going with intent so you don’t get overwhelmed by choice! I went looking specifically for clothes to wear to Lightning in a Bottle, and it was a successful excursion. Don’t forget to bring $5 to pay your entrance fee at the door.
RESTUARANTS
Badmaash — 418 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Badmaash is a cool, modern Indian restaurant located in the Fairfax district of West Hollywood. They serve both traditional Indian dishes and trendy Indian-fusion. It’s the perfect restaurant for a mid-night dinner with friends or a last minute date night. As an Indian boy in Los Angeles, it has my stamp of approval!
Roadside Taco — 10628 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Taco Tuesday is a great excuse to try a new Mexican restaurant! I met up with my friend Julie in the valley to try Roadside Taco and it was an excellent impromptu experience. I recommend making a reservation in advance to guarantee a spot inside, but the backyard design and semi self-serve dining experience created a very relaxing way to conclude a Tuesday.
OCEANSIDE
Frankie’s — 406 Pier View Way, Oceanside, CA 92054
Every time I recommend a bar, I always talk about how beautiful the bar is designed, and Frankie’s really is that beautiful. This cocktail bar in Oceanside was the perfect start to my evening – where I conversed with the bar manager Audrey and learned about more recommendations for the rest of my trip here.
Carte Blanche — 339 N Cleveland St, Oceanside, CA 92054
The restaurant has a beautiful interior and ocean views are right around the corner. For this trip, I made it my mission to ask every server if any food on the menu was caught from the ocean shore nearby. Carte Blanche recommended the Black Cod as their fresh catch, and I also ordered the crudo, spring squash and burrata salad, and a margarita. The service was phenomenal, the food was fresh, light, and delicious. Carte Blanche describes themselves as a “French inspired Mexican Bistro with dishes meant to be shared,” but I thoroughly enjoyed dining here solo. It’s also down the street from a house featured in Top Gun, if that’s something you are interested in checking out.
The Cup — 206 Wisconsin Ave, Oceanside, CA 92054
The cup is an adorable coffee shop that is exactly what you’d expect from a small beach town café. Located by both a railroad track and the water, the interior is sunny and bright. It suited my needs perfectly, which was to caffeinate and get a bit of work done.
Chandler’s — 1 Ponto Rd, Carlsbad, CA 92011
Chandler’s in Carlsbad serves farm-to-table California cuisine. Our server José recommended the tacos as it was their fresh catch of the day. We spent 2 hours enjoying the food, the atmosphere, and soaking in the Carlsbad sunset. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I recommend Chandler’s to anyone passing through North County.
