Q3 Wrap Report: Expensive Habits, Thirsty Thursdays and Nights at the Museum
Putting a wrapper on July - September 2024
Hello!
We are gathered here today to review the Q3 wrap report. Can you see my screen?
If you’re new here, I compile everything I’ve tried in LA + beyond each quarter and *attempt* to structure it into a digestible reading format. Let’s call it organized chaos!
ICYMI - Q2 HERE and Q1 HERE for your download and safekeeping. Let’s get into July - September!
My Two Expensive Weekly Habits
Gjusta and Erewhon. I’m going to each on a weekly basis - in the mornings on my way to work - and spending no less than $15 each time.
Gjusta order: cappuccino & baklava croissant
Erewhon order: some type of smoothie & iced latte
If you reference Q2 report, I mentioned I was “slowly succumbing” to the pressures of Erewhon - and look where we are 3 months later :) but hey! I got the cafe membership - $10/month comes with a monthly free smoothie + 10% back towards your next purchase. A big running theme of entering my 30s has been accepting I’m basic, which leads to my next topic…
Justice for Thirsty Thursdays
Call me ~crazy~ but I enjoy a Thirsty Thursday, oftentimes even more than a weekend night out. There’s a level of “ooooh, we’re being bad” but it never gets too crazy bc we’re in our 30s now and know it’ll just hurt more the next day. I don’t really mind a minor headache on a WFH Friday. My favorite TT’s of Q3 -
Bungalow Night Market with DJ Pee Wee - I’m really giving a specific energy expressing my love for Thirsty Thurs coupled with BUNGALOW but here we are. Thursday block party vibes at Bungs in the parking lot, plus a lil’ Anderson Paak DJ set, come awnnn
Hammer Summer Concert with The Philharmonik, olea, & DJ Monalisa - Hammer didn’t host any KCRW Summer Nights this season but they did throw an epic summer concert of their own! Live music in the pretty courtyard + night at the museum dwelling the galleries (more on that in a bit)
Gianni at Winston House - will always go out on a weeknight for Gianni
The Simplicity of a Steakhouse
Controversial but there are only so many ways to make creamed spinach. You know EXACTLY what you’re getting at a classic steakhouse and I really like that!! I tried Mastro’s for the first time in Q3 and it was exactly what I thought it would be - so good, so buttery, so rich. I love a martini with a side car & some STEAK. The best kind of tummy ache
TTS Travels in Q3
Las Vegas (x2, oy)
Frequent Fliers - The favorites I went back to in Q3
Clark Street - cardamom bun consistently one of my favorite pastries in LA
Clark Street Diner - blueberry pancakes, bacon, and the best damn diner coffee
Petit Grain Boulangerie - more baked goods. Still so grateful to have some of the best pastry just down the street!
Lowboy - any time of day or night. Martini and a smash. Fries. Jell-O shots. Ya!
In-N-Out - I don’t want to compare In-N-Out to your favorite smashburger. Different categories of burg and In-N-Out scratches a very specific itch. Thx!
Editor’s Note: Lol I basically said this in Q2 report too
Bar Nine - I was a Bar Nine frequent flier when I worked in Culver 2015-2017 and haven’t been back much since it’s in such a weird pocket + there are so many other great coffees in CC. But I recently stopped here on the way to a friend’s and can confirm it’s still SO good. Bar Nine is coffee science! RIP the glass jars tho
Health Nut - after 2+ years of driving by the WIP shop in SaMo, Health Nut finally opened on the West side! Highly recommend for a quick salad & sandwich stop, I dream of their tuna sandwich
New Favorites - officially added to my regular rotation
Breadhead (!) - The absolute torture of having an *actually* good food spot finally open on Montana during my Summer of Nothing New - whew. Finally got to try these sandwiches and they are unreal!! Becoming a Friday lunch tradition with me and my pals
Tehran Market - I’ve heard about the weekend kebab plates for years and finally got to try in Q3! So so delicious, relatively healthy, and a great deal $$
Country Kitchen - I know many people that swear by the breakfast burrito here and now I get it. I have converted I’m a believer!
More New (To Me)
Here’s a few more places I got to check out in Q3!
LA Grocery & Cafe - great grab & go lunch spot
Last Good Film Lab - a wonderful lil’ film lab for my photo folks
Rolling Greens opened a new location in Ocean Park! Great for gifts
Paloma - very solid dip & bread situation
Oste - recommend the Roman-style pinsas!
Cold Shoulder - Blue Collar’s sister bar. Love them both so much - some of the best cocktails in LA
Borekas - my favorite thing I tried in Q3!!! Please go try this place yuuum I need to go back again already
Colossus - pastries <33333 you can’t go wrong
San Pedro Fish Market - I love a big plate of mixed seafood & veg!!
Coffee Tomo - made to order red bean cheesy crab-shaped pretzel
Artelice Patisserie - macarons!
Tonchin - soooo good. And not just the ramen! Loved the 3 pepper wings & veggie apps
Birdie G’s - I really really can’t believe I’d never been here before. It is so great!! I went with a friend for snacks & a drink at the bar - need to go back for a full meal to try more things
LA Cha Cha Chà - pleasantly surprised with this one! Get the LA-shaped churros I love a gimmick
Saba Surf - new surf shop meets coffee shop in Mar Vista across from Bluey’s and Chucho. Hello and welcome!
Sauced - Sauced started in Brooklyn and just opened a 6-month residency on the former Ace rooftop DT. It’s pretty perfect!! Natty wine on a rooftop with good tunes & some billiards too
Pacific Seas - Clifton’s is ever-evolving and it’s very confusing, but we stopped here for a drink after Sauced and had a host escort us up to the 4th floor for some tiki drinks + a DJ in a boat. S’fun!
Top LA Happenings
Nights at the Museum
My new favorite type of going out is a night at the museum. There’s something extra sexy about touring a gallery in the evening while you’re wine buzzin’
I recommend following The Broad, The Hammer, LACMA, The Getty and any of your other favorite museums to track their event calendars!
Concerts
Mette & Flo Milli at The Broad
Olivia Rodrigo at Kia Forum
SiR at Palladium
Remi Wolf at Grammy Museum
The Killers - 20 Years of Hot Fuss at Caesar’s Vegas
Gracie Abrams & Role Model at The Greek
Honorable Mentions
KCRW Summer Nights - always, always a good time
Clink Wine Club at Love Hour - always, always a good time
What were your Q3 highlights? Comment on Substack or reply directly to this email with your faves! Dreaming up some type of Fall challenge or prompt for TTS while also enjoying some much needed time on the couch this week… more to come!