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I just got back from Los Angeles the other day and I had the best time! It was my second visit out to California, and I always feel such a connection over there. I remember being in third grade and I checked out 10 books from the library about California and made a PowerPoint presentation to show my parents about why we had to go. Junior year of high school I finally had my chance to go, and I had a blast. When Starkid, a theatre group who make the funniest shows and post them on YouTube (check them out) announced they were doing their 10 year anniversary show in LA, I knew I had to go back.
I just get such good vibes from the city, and there are so many awesome places that I have discovered that I want to share on here. I am in no way an expert, but this past trip I tried out so. many. restaurants. I literally didn’t stop eating the whole time I was there. There’s just something about the food in California, it is so fresh and delicious. I compiled all of the places I went, the shops I tried out and the activities I did so you guys have some recommendations that are tried and true! Some of these are classic LA places, but others I just came across while I was wandering. Anyone want to plan a trip? I cannot wait to go back!
Food & Drink
aka my fav things to do when I’m on vacation
One of my favorite spots in LA, they have the best menu with so many delicious options. I always get either a salad or their salmon scramble, which comes with a side salad and the most amazing bread. They have a couple of locations I think. It is such a great lunch spot. The mint iced tea was awesome.
Yes, everyone goes here. Yes, the coffee, iced tea (especially the rose and peach ones) and matcha is amazing. Yes, you should go.
My new favorite place in LA!! They offer amazing mexican food, drinks (the Horchata was to die for) and desserts, the churro donuts looked amazing. It just opened two months ago and offers a full plant based menu, aka everything is vegan. But fear not! It does not taste like vegan food AT ALL. Believe me, I would tell you if it was just delicious vegan food, this is actually delicious food. Period. Get the nachos with carne asada, I truly had to double check with them that the “meat” was vegan, tasted like the most delicious beef I have ever had. It is also all female run (#TheFutureIsFemale) and Daniella Monet, who I follow on Instagram and love, is an investor there. It’s also on Melrose so I walked from Glossier all the way down and it made the perfect afternoon.
Also one of my fav LA spots (I mean all of these are my favs but this is in my top 3). They have a simple menu consisting of rolls, sashimi and edamame. Their fish is the freshest fish I have ever tasted. Usually when I go to different sushi places I can’t really tell a difference, unless it’s like super bad sushi. But with this place, you can really tell how high quality their ingredients are. The seaweed is crispy and fresh and the seafood melts in your mouth, amazing. I also love that they don’t do any of the fancy rolls, they just do the fish or veggies in a roll. Get the salmon roll and the crab roll, both are insane.
I came here last time I was in Santa Monica too, and that’s how you know if it is a good place. Their tacos are amazing, and they have the option to get them in a lettuce wrap which is so refreshing. They also have a bunch of homemade salsa’s that you can try with chips that are AMAZING. I’m not normally a salsa fan, but I could literally drink the one I tried.
Such a fun little breakfast place that has actually been around for 80 years! I got the huevos rancheros and they were delicious. It had a great vibe, with an outdoor courtyard with lights and vines growing over it that made for a perfect quiet breakfast spot.
I think this is tied with Sugar Taco as being my favorite place in Cali, because it really is the freshest food I have ever tasted. They have a great menu filled with vegetarian and vegan options, but even their meat dishes are light and so fresh. There is just something about fruit and veggies in California, they are so crisp and delicious. I love their juices and their salads, I tried the cauliflower polenta with tofu which melted in my mouth. They also have so many seasonal dishes that change every month when new foods are in season. So so so good. It’s also in a mall and in a super cute walkable area in SM, what more could you want?!
There are two locations of this delicious breakfast place, and one of them was only a 10ish minute walk from the hotel. The most delicious acai bowls and smoothies I have ever had. Full of fruit and superfoods, and you can tell how crazy fresh everything is. They also do not skimp, I barely got through half my bowl when I went there. Great place if you find yourself near one!
Hotels / Areas
This is where I stayed for the first part of my trip, because Starkid was performing there and that’s why I travelled out there (yes I’m a nerd). I loved it! Although I did have an issue with the air conditioning in the room, I loved the vibe of the hotel. It was super industrial and cozy, with a record player in all the rooms with a selection of the coolest records ever. I stayed in the Loft room one night (a bigger room with a bathtub) and they also had a guitar in that room! Great restaurant downstairs, a cool rooftop pool (although on the smaller side, but no one else was ever up there whenever I was), and located in a super cool area in Downtown. It’s right next to a showroom/ shop with a bunch of Australian fast fashion brands, and right next to the fashion district that hosts frequent sample sales, so you’ll be able to do some great shopping as well!
I knew Melrose had good shopping, but I didn’t know just how good until I went myself. They have a couple of stores that you will all recognize (Nordstrom, Rebag, Glossier, Urban), but they also had a lot of boutique type clothing, jewelry, accessories and home decor shops as well. I walked starting around Glossier and Alfed’s Tea all the way to Sugar Taco and spent like 2 hours popping in and out of stores. I also ran into the Instagram famous pink wall, which was hysterical to see everyone in line to get a photo. There literally were a group of girls complaining that their outfits weren’t good enough for the pink wall. Hysterical. You’ll also see the most amazing succulents you will ever see in your life. I was dying the whole time I almost stole like 50 of them until I remembered I can’t keep them alive. Great place to wander around if you are looking to kill some time!
The Grove
The Grove is like an outdoor shopping mall, with the typical stores you would think, like Sephora, Banana Republic, Nordstrom and J Crew. What I loved about it was that they had a little grassy area where they had performances and little food vendors where you can get dessert and snacks while you sit and relax. They also have a huge food area called the Farmers Market with tons of food stalls and vendors, so you definitely won’t go hungry. They also have a Laduree here, and if you know me, you know that Laduree is my favorite place on the planet, so I was definitely a happy Gabi here.
Shopping
Literally the BEST jewlery store, all the pieces are priced wholesale, so it is half the price that is on their tag. All the Kardashians go there as well as so many other celebrities, just check out their Instagram to see all the amazing pieces and people they work with. They have gold, white gold, silver diamonds, literally everything you can be looking for. They also can work with you on custom pieces if you are looking for something specific, and they also ship to you if you don’t live there (super dangerous for me, I already have photos of what I want to buy next). I got 14k gold hoop huggie earrings with real diamonds for $50 each! Really worth the trip to Beverly Hills and it is right next to Urth Cafe so you can get a great salad after.
If you are a fan of music, you HAVE TO GO HERE. I hadn’t heard about it, but all of the records that were in the hotel room were from here and were all $1. It is a huge warehouse, and is the largest independent record store in the world. It is split up by music genre and they have cds, records, dvds, t shirts, posters, pins, patches, literally everything surrounding entertainment and music. They also have so many used and clearance items, I bought 8 records and they were all $1 or $2. Some weren’t even opened yet. You could spend hours here and it is down the street from an In N Out. Can you tell I plan everything I do around food?
I love going to the Buffalo in the city, but this location had the coolest finds. If you don’t know, Buffalo is a super trendy thrift and vintage store with clothes, shoes, jewelry and accessories. They frequently have items with the tags still on and you will sometimes even find a designer piece for a steal of a price. Keep your eye out for a red “sale” stamp on the ticket, that means its 50% off! I ended up buying a black denim romper that still had the tag on it from Nasty Gal, and is still sold online for $50 when I got it for $17. Great people working there as well! Even better than the 27th st NYC location.
Rodeo Drive
I put this very last because I do think it is very over hyped. It is nice to go see once, but unless you genuinely want to make some big purchases, I think Melrose and West Hollywood have some better shopping streets. It is also super crowded, so not a very chill place to be!
Activities
Jen and Ziggy’s Air Bnb Hollywood Sign Hike
Ok, this is my FAVORITE thing I did while I was there. While looking for Air bnbs to stay at before I booked my hotel room, Jen’s hike came up in my recommended. I booked it and I am SO HAPPY I DID. There was a group of 15 of us and we all met at her home in the Hollywood hills. We hiked all the way up to the sign alongside her adorable dog Ziggy, while she told us the coolest stories and history about the sign and the area. I don’t like guided tours or history at all, but this was the most enjoyable thing. Not to mention she takes the most amazing photos of everyone up there (scroll through at the bottom of this post) and the group of people she attracts are always so sweet. I was laughing and similing at all the stories she was telling and hearing about everyone else on the hike. She knew her way forwards and backwards, so it all felt super safe the whole time, and we go to see the sunset while we were hiking which was beautiful. We also saw the front, top, side and back of the sign, so we literally got to see it all. PLEASE go take her hike if you are in LA and follow her on Instagram. She’s amazing!
xoxo Gabriela
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