#Arts District LA

[formeryelpers]

Guzzu Bento-ya, 1102 Lawrence St, Los Angeles (Arts District), CA 90021

These are beautifully put together bento boxes…when you see them, the food looks too pretty to eat. Order at the counter or online (note, the online prices are higher). Choose from deluxe bento boxes (the protein is cooked to order), katsu sandos, stews, salads, donburi rice bowls, coffee, and matcha drinks.

Each bento box comes with a miso cured egg yolk, furikake topped rice, fukujinzuke, shredded cabbage, and a separate box with a scoop of potato salad, sweet potato roasted with sesame seeds, crispy lotus root chip, pomodoro pasta, eggplant pickles, kinpira gobo, and kale salad.

Hambagu bento: hamburg steak made with grass-fed ground beef, served with truffle demi-glace, rice, pickles, and veggies ($18): The hamburg patty was thick and tender. I thought the demi-glace could have been more flavorful but the sliced mushrooms on top were very nice. The shredded cabbage was crunchy. Kale salad with a soy dressing was a bit salty. The pretty tiny scoop of potato salad was adorned with daikon sprouts. The spaghetti was lightly covered in a light tomato sauce. They cut the zucchini cut into a leaf. Lots of rice. Everything looked carefully placed – e.g., the spaghetti was swirled so nicely.

Shio koji marinated Norwegian mackerel grilled over binchotan charcoal, rice, pickles, and veggies. The fish was a good size. Mr. Froyo was impressed. He loves simple, healthy food and he could tell it was made with care. He even ate the white rice though he usually avoids white rice.

The katsu sando was made with hot, juicy pork in a crispy coating. It was overly saucy but very tasty.

The dining room is dark with Japanese anime movie projected on one wall, framed art (love the pictures of bento boxes in Japan), books, and plants. I think they have free wi-fi too.

Guzzu Bento-ya is in scary industrial area with easy parking. A lot of homeless people are living in their RVs in that area. Cash is not accepted.

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[luna-saguaro-photo]

Red light district

📷 @luna-saguaro-photo

[faroukmarduk]

[nearlydark]

Resident 🥃

[davetada]

Pizza box sculpture

Arts Dist, LA, CA

[break-the-4th-wall]

[asilevega]

Silver Stamp, Las Vegas 03/17/24

[nofoetoes]

[rachhoyt]

Rainbow Life: The Las Vegas Arts District 18b

Click here to learn why I wrote, "Maybe it's just because I'm surrounded by rainbows, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm sitting on a pot of gold." #LasVegas #art #writerslife

“If they offer you a bad deal at lease renewal,” I told myself, “something better is coming that will make it worth the effort to move.” My head knew the statement to be true, but my body was exhausted just thinking about the work that relocating would require. I was about to put the finishing touches on a few exciting new things for my business and didn’t want to put my projects on hold, but my…

[rabbitcruiser]

Valentine’s Day 

Love and romance. Candy and flowers. Cards and gifts. Dinner and dancing.

Valentine’s Day comes along with a whole host of plans and accoutrements that are meant to all boil down to one thing: Love. And it all comes in the name of one man, St. Valentine, who was an interesting (and perhaps slightly misunderstood) character in history.

It’s time to learn about and celebrate Valentine’s Day!

History of Valentine’s Day

While some people believe that the history of this day is pretty clear, the reality is that the story behind St. Valentine’s Day is covered in a great deal of mystery. Tradition hails February 14 (and perhaps even the whole month of February!) as a time for love and romance, with both ancient Roman and Christian backgrounds.

But when the life of St. Valentine, the patron saint of this day, is considered, that’s when things tend to get a bit more murky. Some people don’t realize that the Catholic church actually has record of three of its own saints who went by the name of Valentine (or Valentinus) and all three died as martyrs.

Valentine’s Day Timeline

270 AD St. Valentine is martyred

Defying anti-marriage instructions given by Emperor Claudius II in order to build up the army, Valentine secretly supports and marries young couples which eventually leads to him being put to death. His death is said to have taken place on February 14.

496 AD First Valentine’s Day is recognized

Pope Gelasius decides to get rid of the Feast of Lupercalia, a pagan festival of love, and chooses to replace it with a celebration in honor of St. Valentine, who was martyred a couple hundred years prior.

1382 Chaucer’s Poem, Parlement of Foules, is written

This poem contains the first known literature reference connecting romantic love with Valentine’s Day. In the text of the poem, Chaucer writes of birds who would pair off with a mate, but some people refute the idea that it is connected to Valentine’s Day because February is too early and cold for birds to be mating.

1700 Americans begin exchanging Valentines

During this century, the inspiration for romance and love on Valentine’s Day turns into the specific gesture of exchanging notes, poems and love letters which may have been delivered by hand or by the US Postal Service.

2010 Valentine’s Day is released in theaters

This romantic comedy has a star-studded cast with big names like Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper and even Kathy Bates, and tells the story of several different romances between couples that happen all in one day. However, at the box office, the film doesn’t really get the greatest reviews from critics.

Valentine Promotes Marriage

Perhaps the most commonly held tradition around St. Valentine is related to the year 270 AD when Claudius II was the emperor of Rome. Known as “Claudius the Cruel”, the emperor who wanted to build a strong army but was having trouble because of the attachment the men had to their wives and families. His solution? Just ban engagement and marriage, of course!

The story goes that Valentine, a priest in Rome, disagreed with the decree from Claudius and decided to go ahead and perform marriages anyway, allowing young lovers to marry each other in secret. When discovered, Claudius ordered the public beating and beheading of Valentine, which took place on February 14. The church later honored him by naming him as a saint.

This same Valentine is rumored to have become friends with the daughter of his jailer. He is said to have left her a note signed, “From Your Valentine”. This may explain the idea of asking someone “Will You Be My Valentine?”.

Less common are the other two saints also called Valentine, one who was a bishop in what is now Terni, Italy, and another who was martyred in a Roman province of Africa.

Feast of Lupercalia

It’s possible that even before Valentine, the priest, was martyred on February 14, the Feast of Lupercalia, a pagan feast of love, was celebrated around the same time. One tradition that went along with this festival is that the names of women were put into a box and drawn out by the men that they would be matched up with, letting chance (or fate!) take the lead.

By 496 AD, Pope Gelasius was tired of such pagan celebrations, so he declared that the Feast of Lupercalia would be canceled and, instead, St. Valentine’s Day would be celebrated on February 14. As time passed, this day became one where lovers would exchange poems, cards, notes and flowers, singing songs and performing other romantic gestures.

How to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Celebrating Valentine’s Day comes with all sorts of inherited romantic traditions which can certainly be fun and bring lots of joy! But this is also a great way to get creative with showing people how much they are loved–even if it isn’t a romantic relationship.

Try out some of these ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day:

Make a Card or Gift for Someone

Whether it’s a romantic partner or just a friend, Valentine’s Day is a great day to say “I Love You”. Hand made cards and gifts are especially welcome when it comes to showing someone how much they are cared for. January is a dark and quiet month anyway, so there’s plenty of time to prepare homemade gifts from a hobby like knitting a scarf, braiding a friendship bracelet, embroidering a towel, painting a picture or simply making a card.

Send Roses for Valentine’s Day

With delivery services abounding in almost every town, getting flowers delivered has never been easier! Choose to send red roses that stand for passion; yellow for friendship; pink for sweetness; peach for sincerity or gratefulness; white for purity or loyalty; ivory for perfection; and lavender for a crush (or love at first sight!).

Make Dinner Reservations

It’s likely that a last minute idea for going out to dinner will result in ordering takeout to eat at home, because restaurants are basically always full on Valentine’s Day. But, think ahead (sometimes months ahead, depending on the popularity of the restaurant) and make a reservation for two at a romantic place.

Enjoy a Story About Love

Head over to a local bookstore or library and browse the selection of novels or biographies that might feature stories about love. Or, it might even be interesting to read a biography about the guys named Valentine!

Those who don’t have as much time to read could put on their favorite drama or rom-com movie and see what hijinx the main characters get into. Try out some of these films about love to get started:

Valentine’s Day (2010). Okay, maybe this one is obvious. And perhaps it’s not even a great film, but it would be remiss to leave out this one with an all-star cast including Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Ashton Kutcher.

The Notebook (2004). This quintessential romance by Nicholas Sparks can be read as a novel or watched in the film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

Pride and Prejudice (2005). This delightful take on the Jane Austen’s novel of the same name stars Keira Knightly, Rosamund Pike and Matthew Macfayden.

Think Like a Man (2012). Based on Steve Harvey’s book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, this rom-com features Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart and Meagan Good.

Get Creative for Valentine’s Day

This day doesn’t have to be the same as it’s always been. In fact, it’s a great day to try something new. Go on a mountain hike, visit a museum together, go whitewater rafting or learn how to play chess. Whatever would be fun and can be done in the spirit of love is the perfect activity for this day!

Valentine’s Day FAQs

When is Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day takes place every year on February 14. It started on this day in AD 496 when the pope established the holiday in Rome in honor of the martyred Saint Valentine, who was killed on February 14.

What to do on Valentine’s Day?

This day can be filled with opportunities to show people how much they are loved. Exchange cards, send someone flowers, make breakfast for family members or write a poem.

When was the first Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is not actually a modern holiday, but has been celebrated in the middle of the month of February for more than 1500 years. The first Valentine’s Day was established by Pope Gelasius.

Is Valentine’s Day a global holiday?

Yes! Valentine’s Day is celebrated in various capacities in countries all over the world. From sharing a bottle of wine to giving gifts, from school children in America exchanging Valentines cards to people in Wales exchanging carved wooden spoons, this day is one that shows how people simply love the idea of love.

Who was Saint Valentine?

There is a bit of overlap in the stories as it seems there were at least three martyred saints with the name Valentine. However, the one most notably celebrated was a priest in Rome who defied the emperor’s anti-love commands and married young couples anyway.

Source

[formeryelpers]

Concierge Coffee, 821 Traction Ave, Los Angeles (Arts District), CA 90013

Concierge Coffee, which hails from Berlin, Germany, recently opened their first US location in the Arts District. It’s already very popular – probably due to the location? Also, the entrance is stylish and the interior feels a bit like you’re in Europe.

They roast their own coffee but I didn’t see any coffee beans for sale. The pastries in the case (cake, croissants, muffins, cookies) come from one of my favorite local bakeries, Friends & Family. The drink menu is simple: espresso drinks, chai, matcha latte, hojicha latte, and cold brew. They do not have pour over coffee.

I noticed the barista made each drink with care. Since it’s busy, the wait is going to be longer than usual. The place was packed and the seating did not look comfortable.

Flat white ($5): nice foam art, stronger, not bitter, very good

Blueberry muffin: streusel on top, not too sweet, made with spelt flour, definitely better than average

The interior felt very minimalist and the cups didn’t have a logo or branding. The walls were unadorned. The tables are small and can also serve as stools. The outside courtyard is lovely but doesn’t have much seating.

4.5 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[faroukmarduk]

[nearlydark]

Flamingo bar in the arts district 🦩🪩🌴

[davetada]

At the cinestill meetup

Arts Dist, LA, CA

[thatdonoguy]

The first of two Las Vegas videos I recorded from my Vegas trip a few days ago. This one is of a rather large art piece called Atomic Passage, located in the Art District. Be careful of the shaky hands.