Q1 Wrap Report: Good Eats, Revisiting Classics, LA Institutions and Loooong Walks
Recapping the highlights of 2024 in LA thus far
Hellooooo!
As Q1 comes to a close, I wanted to share some highlights from this year thus far. Here’s a list of stuff I enjoyed in LA over the past three months, semi-organized semi-chaos woo!
Q1 Highlights
Top (New To Me) Coffees
Maru Espresso Bar (Beverly Hills location)
Top Experiences
Haas Brothers exhibit at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery - truly, any rotating exhibit at Jeffrey Deitch. It’s free! Hit Sightglass or Tartine after for eats/coffee
Concerts as a form of “going out” - As my friends and I enter 30s, nights of hitting the bars are getting replaced with other experiences such as concerts. And I’m okay with it! All the shows I’ve been to so far this year have been incredible, I’m excited to keep the momentum! Griff at the El Rey, Two Friends at Forum, Ryan Beatty at Wiltern, and LANY at Forum just this past weekend!
Wandering inside very nice & fancy LA hotels - I am keen on seeing inside every fancy hotel in LA ASAP. So far this year I’ve wandered into Maybourne Beverly Hills - the home of Maru’s BH location, Fairmont Miramar (there’s basically a whole city in here, did you know?) & Palihotel Santa Monica (loving the gothic style inside and the courtyard transports you to a Tuscan villa)
Top (New To Me) Bars & Restaurants
Pinyon Ojai - and I already need to go back for tomato pie. Philly represent <3
Juliet - this one really caught me by surprise!! French food can be so forgettable. Juliet not only serves incredible dishes & cocktails, they bring the most beautiful aesthetics too! Stunning restaurant
Barra Santos - very much exceeded my expectations despite the hype, and will forever be dreaming about the tuna
Uchi - wrote about this one in an earlier TTS but I’m thrilled this one was a hit! Spendy but the trade - high quality sushi
All’Antico Vinaio - 20+ sandwiches to choose from, and they’re all the size of your face
Etra - cute for a GNO! Loved the cozy vibes
The Goldfish - this bar is doing it right. I only briefly stopped in after a friend’s bday and need to go back!
Revisiting My Favorites (And Not Feeling Guilty About It)
As someone who works in the food & hospitality industry + provides recommendations to others, I can often feel like I’m “wasting” meals, drinks, coffees etc if I’m going to a place I’ve already been to before. Why get the same latte at the same coffee shop when I could try one of the 50 other coffee shops on my list? I know, it’s an absurd and unrealistic way to think. Soooo I’ve really tried to break that and just enjoy the places I love, over and over again. I also think this is a result of aging (almost 31, YIKES!) and gravitating towards what’s comfortable. I am embracing my basic tendencies and straying away from always doing something interesting & photo-worthy heh!!
My repeated favorites so far this year:
Iced cappuccinos from Primo Passo, Goodboybob, and 10 Speed Coffee
Goop Kitchen Chinese chicken salad
Porto’s pastries ALWAYS hit
Layla Bagels seasonal pre-jam (though Courage will always have my heart and I miss living 500 feet away from it terribly)
Heavy Handed smashburger when I need to eat my feelings
Pistachio croissant from Gjusta
LA Classics
I am slowly making my way to all of the institutions of LA! A couple of these were simply a refresh because it had been so many years - but I’m excited to hit more delis, steakhouses, walk up windows, etc in Q2!
Musso & Frank - we sat at Charlie Chaplin’s table, drank martinis, spilled tomato sauce and pasta bits all over the table. Wonderful!
Rose Bowl Flea Market - this is always a commitment but also always worth it!! It’s really such a sight to see and I always find something to bring home
Canter’s Deli - Matzo ball soup when you’re sick is simply unmatched. And latkes
Cecconi’s - sue me for considering this an institution. Whatever, I loved it! Martinis are excellent
Becoming a Westsider Again
I moved back to the West side of Los Angeles last summer - a move motivated by desperately missing the beach (I’m Florida born, California raised after all) and also craving a shorter commute to work.
It’s an absolute treat to live walking distance from the beach. I try to get to the beach every day in some capacity, whether I’m walking, running or driving past it. People spend their annual vacation budgets to come to the city I live in - that’s nuts! Must take advantage.
Palisades Park has become my main walking destination - because I couldn’t have said it better myself, Wikipedia says Palisades Park is a 26.4-acre park in Santa Monica, California. The park is located along a 1.6-mile section of Ocean Avenue on top of an uplifted unconsolidated sedimentary coastal Quaternary terrace with exposed bluffs, offering views of both the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains. So in plain English… it’s an epic, sprawling park overlooking the beach. It’s a beautiful walk and I simply MUST take a picture of some type of beach view every time I’m there. I’m starting to see signs of superbloom too so I’m stoked for that to develop in the coming weeks!
What were your Q1 highlights? Reply to this email or comment on Substack to share your top picks! Xoxo, till next week - see you on TikTok
Ticket to Sarahdise Event Digest - Week of 3/25
Every week, I’m sharing events you should be checking out in LA. Here’s this week’s download!
Lucky Nick’s Pizza popping up at Ono Mercado this Saturday 3/30!
Architecture chats at Neutra VDL this Sunday 3/31
Tea & boba class at Fatty Mart - giving advance notice on this one so you can plan accordingly and reserve your spot! 4/16 and 4/23