l e f t // c o a s t y

Food trucks are a dime a dozen nowadays but Komodo is definitely part of the “golden circle” that is worth the Twitter-chase {along with Nom Nom and Buttermilk}. 

My friend T raved about their truffle fries awhile back so I hopped on over to try them but discovered that their tacos are delicious too. I had the Asian chicken and fish ‘n grapes. I’m not one who usually likes the fruit and meat combination {I think pineapple-pepperoni pizza is disgusting} but this proved me waaay wrong. Chicken and mandarin oranges? Good. Fried fish, slaw, and red grapes? Gooood.

And yes, T was right. The truffle fries are delish. You can’t go wrong with fried potatoes, truffle oil, and flecks of parmesan.

2 tacos, fries, and a soda can will run you about 10 buckeroos.

4 out of 5 belly rubs!

{photos by friends & lovers}

Gorgeous paintings from Kimia Kline…

{images from kimia kline via kate arends}

These week’s tunes…feel free to turn the lights down and pour yourself some wine. Even though it’s 10am.

1. icarus - white hinterland

2. all that we perceive - thievery corporation

3. all i need - air

4. midnight hour - reflection eternal f. estelle

5. all i want is you - miguel f. j. cole

My neighborhood was popping with events this weekend which made for some fun, some awkward, and some silly moments.

L: My friend T always has a smart alec comment, a funny joke, or a hilarious look for any given situation. Interesting things tend to happen when I’m with her. I snapped this right after we finished arguing with a verbally combative fella at the bus stop but before we got kicked off the bus en route to Glow at the pier. We took public transportation to avoid the crazy parking but instead simply got a big ole’ dose of crazy.  //  R: Bella Luna was the best “art installation” we saw at Glow; you stepped into a booth and your face was projected onto the “moon” while you belted out oldies and Top 40 tunes. More entertainment than art if you ask me but I can’t knock it, I was singing pretty loudly along with everyone. 

L: Susan Feniger grilling up some mexican-style corn slathered in chipotle cream. It was YUM. Cool striped pants, by the way.  //  R: At the Abbot Kinney Fest, I paid homage to my dad by trying on these hideous awesome glasses. He has about 5 pairs exactly like these. It’s a good look, no?

L: J and I both got super-sized balsamic fig & mascarpone ice cream sammies from Cool Haus. Hers was sandwiched between snickerdoodles, mine with chocolate chip cookies. Mmm.  //  R: Street fests always make for great people watching - no exception here. I love the crazies.

{photos by friends & lovers}

The festival is always a really good time. Come out this Sunday to meet your neighbors, eat some yummy food, listen to live music, and support local shops.

Happy weekend!

I don’t post much on weddings {any, really} but I do love them. So today’s post is for my friend A who got engaged! I’ve known A since middle school and she’s always been unfussy and a bit of a tomboy so I am so excited to see if she’ll unleash her inner girlie-girl. She is probably the most easy-going bride-to-be and a dream for her event planner.

In the spirit of the happy occasion, I found some lovely wedding inspiration on Once Wed. I should send A the link so she can be wowed too. Congrats to A and S!

You said it well, cute wooden sign.

Simple, sweet details are irresistible!

Brick and white lights strung about…swooneroonie.

{photos from once wed}

Is it Friday yet?!

This week’s dope tunes:

1. amerimaka - thievery corporation

2. liquor store blues - bruno mars f. damien marley

3. flight attendant - josh rouse

4. the reeling - passion pit

5. next best thing - nikki & rich

My friend L invited me to see Phoenix at the Hollywood Bowl over the weekend to which I responded “HECK YEAH.” Can you believe I’ve never been there before? I know - I’m a bad, bad Angeleno. Anyway, I love that you can see the Hollywood sign from wherever you sit and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The stars were sparkly and we seemed so far away from the city.

Phoenix, needless to say, was awesome. They were incredibly humble and Thomas Mars is so soft-spoken that you just want to hug him. He came out into the audience for part of the set and sang to us in French for the encore. He even pulled up a bunch of folks onto the stage to close the show. Seriously, these boys…and Feist made a surprise appearance! What a great show.

Where any of you there too? What did you think?

{middle & bottom photos by friends & lovers}

Art, caramel apples, and good company - that’s all you really need, right?

{photos by friends & lovers}

Morning run with Tubbs. I’m so excited about my new Nikes - this was my first time designing my own kicks with NikeiD and it is so badass. It’s like my feet are freeee. So pimp!

Happy weekend!

{photo by friends & lovers}

Why haven’t I heard about Mendocino Farms until now?

I stopped by last weekend for some lunch after class. The line was out the door and almost overflowed into the parking lot. Lines don’t lie. It moved quickly though, and I made my way to the front and ordered the Cuban-Style Grilled Cheese: roasted pork, honey ham, provolone, house-made pickles, and mustard on perfectly grilled ciabatta. OH, my! It was delicious. Tender, slightly sweet and tart, and oozy cheese. They also have Tim’s kettle chips which are my favorite - the perfect side to any sandwich.

I want to go back until I’ve tried everything on their menu. The Kurobata Pork Belly Banh Mi and the Pearl Street Italian Deli are next on my list. Bay Cities, watch yo back!

{photos by friends & lovers}

I broke my Christie Martin necklace for the third time last night. Well, correction - Tubby broke it. He was trying to lick my face when his paw got stuck and ripped the chain off my neck. Oh, Tubbs.

Off to the jeweler’s to get it fixed - I should have earned my frequently-clumsy-VIP discount by now.

But anyway, I saw these over on Elephantine this morning and they are so sweet and simple - the perfect combination when it comes to necklaces. So the silver lining to my broken necklace? An excuse to shop for a new one!

{photos from elephantine}

The caption should read:

“What are you eating?”

“Nothing, you can’t have any.”

{painting by sophia arnold via all the mountains}

I took a drawing class with Lisa Adams last semester so my classmate G and I went all the way yonder to Pomona over the weekend to check out her opening at Pedersen Projects. I could hardly believe there is such a great little art scene in Pomona. Who knew that existed out there? Little galleries lined the streets and people were hanging out all night long.

I brought my grown-up shoes out of retirement and put on some lipstick to mark the occasion but it was novel for about 15 minutes. Then I was ready to kick-off the heels and get into flip flops. My feet are useless.

There were these giant wooden blocks with cut-outs at Andi Campognone Projects that we had fun with {you can’t see it in the photo but I’m squatting in a milk bottle}.

Loved these Kirk Pedersen paintings. Gorgeous colors. I was also strangely obsessed with the green doorknob at Bunny Gunner.

{photos by friends & lovers}

Lovely styling from Lizzie Fortunato…

I’m usually a plain jane when it comes to jewelry {I’m too lazy to put on and take them off each morning and night} but these chunky pieces from Lizzie Fortunato are so pretty for special occasions.

Happy Friday!

{images from lizzie fortunato}

I only wear heels for special occasions, when forced to, and if it they truly make or break an outfit. But I realized that most of my flats are sandals…I need some closed-toe flats to protect my little pigs!

These ballet flats from Luna are sweet and look so soft…

{photos from luna shoes uk via elephantine}

Continuing with our Labor Day adventure, we headed up to Santa Ynez for some wine-tasting. I’ve been to Napa once or twice before so I thought it would be similar. To my pleasant surprise, the wineries here were smaller, more intimate, and more casual than the tasting rooms in Napa.

We stopped by three vineyards: Gainey, Sunstone, and Kalyra. Gainey was my favorite - the grounds were so lush and gorgeous. Ever the cutie-pie, my friend L packed a picnic: salami, different kinds of cheese, Panzanella, and homemade jam!

Sunstone was also so pretty, with a great front courtyard where you could lounge around in the sun. Kalyra {where parts of Sideways was shot} was not at all like your typical winery. The tasting bar was bright, open, and more Baja Cantina-esque with tiki hut decorations and colorful Tibetan prayer flags strung about.

We headed back to LA and made it just in time for a low-key dinner at Cafe Habana. Ahh, perfect Sunday.

{photos by friends & lovers}

My friend L’s little brother N made her these amazing mixtapes that I just had to co-op for our listening pleasure. It’s a great mish-mash of genres and perfect for a mid-day break. Some of my picks off the mix:

1. artistiya - amadou & mariam

2. tighten up - the black keys

3. home - edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros

4. the concubine - beirut

5. heart of glass - nouvelle vague

Hello, readers! Did you all have a nice weekend?

I slept for 10 hours last night, if that’s any indication of how tired I am. It’s kind of like when you need a vacation after your vacation because you crammed anything and everything to see-eat-do into your itinerary. Well, at least I do that.

On Friday we set out on our adventure at sea, complete with sailor accessories. We drove down to the marina and all piled into a cute, little powerboat. I haven’t been on a boat in awhile but it’s amazing how far removed you feel from the city bustle just by going a few miles out into the ocean.

While we were pulling back into the harbor, we were singing the Little Mermaid at the top of our lungs when a coastal guard started flagging us down. Was he telling us to shut up or stop speeding?! It was, quite simply, the best. part. of. the. ride.

More snapshots from the weekend to come…

{photos by friends & lovers and daily junk la}

What are you doing for long weekend? Summer is coming to an end..ack!

I’m signing off early today so I can pack up and make a munchie run to the market. I’m heading out later for a little adventure out at sea - a boat, snacks, good company, the sunset…it should be fun. I’m also headed to Santa Barbara over the weekend for some wine-tasting. I’m not a big vino drinker but it will be gorgeous up there. Adventure awaits!

Hope you all have something fun planned too. Some suggested listening for your long weekend:

1. bird song intro - florence & the machine

2. come around - tahiti 80

3. dreams - fleetwood mac

4. moth’s wings - passion pit

5. patience - damien marley f. nas

{photo from flickr}