Tag: los angeles

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Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Central LA

Picky writers can’t just go to any coffee shop. We need good working spaces with comfy chairs and tables. We need decent wifi and electric outlets for our laptops. We (or at least I) need good reading light. And we like to be able to hang for a few hours without feeling like we’re overstaying our welcome.

Which is to say — I’m really putting together this best coffee shops list for me.

I often find myself stuck in a part of town I don’t know very well — usually before or after some event — because I don’t want to drive home until after rush hour ends. Now (or more accurately, soon, when I finish this 5-part guide covering most L.A. neighborhoods), whatever area of Los Angeles I happen to be in, I know where I can stop to read or get some writing done while I wait for traffic to clear.

Earlier:
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Westside
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: The Valley
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Northeast LA
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West Hollywood: The Assembly. 634 N. Robertson Blvd.

This is a coffee shop for the minimalist writer. The clean aesthetic calms and clears the mind! Add in the little vases of succulents and the cute outside courtyard area, and The Assembly wins the award for the most photogenic cafe in the L.A. area.

A small decaf soy latte will cost you $6.50, served in a pretty ceramic cup. There are also juices and snacks for sale; the wifi and ambiance are free —

Hollywood: Insomnia. 7286 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles.

I have a real soft spot for this coffee shop because I spent so much time here in my teens and twenties, when I lived near the area. Insomnia’s pretty old school: well-worn but comfy sunken couches, cash only policy, a late midnight close time, stale day old pastries cocooned in saran wrap sold for a buck. It may also be the last coffee shop in L.A. with no website —

This place has some serious regulars, who one and all seem to be eavesdropping on conversations to add to their screenplays — even more so than most L.A. coffee shops! It has somewhat terrible reviews on Yelp due to the Korean owner who can come across as curt and impatient — but she’s always been nice to me….

Third Street: Verve Coffee Roasters

Like its downtown location, this Verve spot is a joint venture with Juice Served Here, my favorite juice shop to write in. It’s a bright, spacious place with both super-healthy raw superfood snacks and sugar-and-gluten-packed pastries.

I recommend the $8 juice flight for both variety and hydration while you write —

Larchmont: Larchmont Bungalow. 107 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles.

This popular coffee shop-restaurant is great for getting some writing done before a reading at Chevalier’s down the street. I think they’re best known for Red & Blue velvet pancakes but I got the gluten free quinoa ones — tasty but very heavy!

This is a big place with lots of indoor and outdoor seating where you can stay for hours, eating more and more things.

Koreatown: Document Coffee Bar. 3850 Wilshire Blvd. #107, Los Angeles.

Get a hojicha soy latte here! Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea with a lovely nutty taste — and this cute little cafe in Koreatown is the place that introduced me to it.

This is a smallish but cheerful place with a well-populated communal table in the middle where millenials sit staring into their laptops with headphones on while completely ignoring the people on either side of them. It can be a good setting for serious writing!

Downtown LA: Cognoscenti Coffee. 1118 San Julian St., Los Angeles.

I discovered this place because I needed to caffeinate right before a Soulcycle ride next door. This spacious cafe felt like a quiet, ideal spot for writing.

The cafe also doubles as a little shop of locally made goods, with soaps, candles and other little desirables. And yes, the soy latte got me through my workout!

Los Feliz: Bru. 1866 N. Vermont. Ave., Los Angeles.

Bru has the benefit of being right down the street from Skylight Books — so you can get a little writing done here before rewarding yourself by buying some books. The place has a simple aesthetic, friendly baristas, and good wifi.

Earlier:
* Juice Served Here: Best juice shop for writers in Los Angeles
* 11 best bookstores in Los Angeles for writers

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#90X90LA: Summer heats up with daily lit events

Lit lovers in Los Angeles are going to be busy this summer, because a season-long series is set to bring the city 90 literary and cultural events in 90 days.

Yes, an event a day for 90 days, starting July 5! Called #90X90LA, this series is put together by local indie press Writ Large Press and friends.

This is actually the second summer Writ Large has done this. The press organized its first 90 in 90 series back in 2014. For 2017, #90X90LA returns “with more focused goals and vision in a crucial time of change in our neighborhoods and in the world at large,” according to the event website.

Events will happen mostly in downtown LA, Little Tokyo, and South Central — with sattelite events planned across the country. And all are invited!

It all kicks off with an opening reception Wednesday, July 5 at 8 pm at Cielo Galleries/Studios. Attendees are invited to bring things to share — food, drinks, reads — and there will be music.

Events will happen nightly after that. There’s a zine workshop and a community design jam and even something called Digging on Sade!

You can still propose events, or volunteer to help out. Can’t donate time but want to contribute? Support #90X90LA on Patreon.

#90X90LA. July 5 to Oct. 1, 2017. Los Angeles.

Image via #90X90LA

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5 trendy spots for healthy meals on the go in Los Angeles

Don’t have time to nori-wrap your tempeh bulgogi or to slice-n-bake sweet potato toasts for your paleo tartine? Indulge your love of health fads and fusion food alike at these healthy to-go spots this spring.
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Kye’s. Santa Monica: 1518 Montana Ave.

This sunny spot is the home of the Kyerito — which is basically a leaf or nori-wrapped breadless burrito. A special slip wrap keeps the warm stuff from touching the wrap part, so nothing gets soggy.

I loved the Tempeh Bulgogi Kyerito — a Korean-fusion deal with gochujang, kimchi, tempeh, rice, plus veggies and herbs, all wrapped in romaine. Most of the ingredients are local and organic too.

Kye’s also offers salads and soups — plus vaguely healthy sounding desserts like vegan black bean brownie and kabocha pie I hope to try one day —

Honey Hi. Echo Park: 1620 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

If you’re headed to an event at Stories or 826 LA in Echo Park, stop in at this organic and local, no refined sugar or gluten spot for a bite to eat. I recommend the breakfast bowl, made with sweet potato hash, pastured turmeric poached egg, Niman Ranch uncured bacon, greens, avocado, herbs, sumac, and smoked paprika.

The place also has sourdough tartines, sandwiches, juices and smoothies, and all the currently trendy health craze drinks: bone broth, reishi hot chocolate, bulletproof coffee, and more.

Erewhon: Three locations: Venice, mid-city, and Calabasas.

Once, I zoned out while driving west on Venice to a reading at Beyond Baroque, overshot it, spotted Erewhon, stopped in to eat a paleo tartine — and forgot about the reading. The sweet potato, greens, bacon and egg combo was delicious!

I got a green juice in a reusable glass bottle and a kelp salad too and ate everything in the sunny patio by this health-conscious grocery store and deli. The day was warm and the food was perfect.

The downside: Lunch cost me $30. Also, I missed the reading —

Sweetgreen. 8 locations around the city.

This popular salad-and-bowls chain’s been expanding like crazy across the country. Back in February, I had a Pesto Portobello bowl in Santa Monica — then flew to Washington DC for the AWP Conference and had another one. It’s a tasty warm dish: quinoa, arugula, roasted chicken, portobello, corn, chickpeas, and spicy broccoli tossed in pesto vinaigrette.

Sweetgreen takes local and seasonal seriously. At each location, a chalkboard lets you know where exactly the ingredients for your meal came from.

That does mean that some dishes will come and go with the seasons — so get them while you can! This OMG Omega bowl is a perennial though, and one of my favorites: arugula, baby spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, avocado, roasted steelhead and nori furikake, tossed in miso sesame ginger dressing.

Frozen Fruit Co. Santa Monica: 729 Montana Avenue, Suite 2.

Okay — Soft serve ice cream perhaps doesn’t qualify as a healthy lunch on its own. But the tasty stuff at this place makes for a healthier dessert option! Frozen Fruit’s ice creams are basically just frozen and blended fruit — no dairy, gluten, or white sugar — with a few other clean ingredients.

And the concoctions are surprisingly creamy and tasty! The chocolate flavor — made with coconut milk and cacao — is my favorite. The place offers a bunch of toppings, from carob chips to the more delicious real chocolate chips, though I didn’t try those. Just the ice cream was enough.

Earlier:
* Best place for oysters after shopping at Alias Books: Plan Check
* Melrose Station: Best speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase

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Pen Center USA: Bookish cocktails and literary community

How to enjoy your favorite book as a cocktail: Go to a PEN Center USA party at The Edison!

At the Member Mixer last week, book lovers drank In Cold Blood (a black Manhattan), The Sound and the Fury (mezcal margarita), and The Age of Innocence (gin, prosecco, and elderflower) — while supporting a literary nonprofit.

I actually gave my drink tickets away — Hope you enjoyed your cocktails, Laura and Julia! — and had a fun time! Here I am with Libby Flores, PEN’s director of literary programs.

J Ryan Stradl (Kitchens of the Great Midwest), Susan Orlean (The Orchid Thief; below), and Julia Fierro (The Gypsy Moth Summer) all gave lovely toasts to get drinkers to become members of PEN.

PEN Center USA is a literary and human rights organization, committed to “cultivating and expanding a diverse and engaged literary community in the western United States.” It does everything from provide fellowships to emerging writers to give out literary awards to organize dozens of local readings to publish a literary journal. Oh, and Pen also “advocates for imprisoned, censored, and persecuted writers throughout the world.”

Plus, PEN throws fun parties! Members at the mixer got to display their books. Cake Time was in good company. There were more books; I just couldn’t get them all in one shot —

Memberships start at $15 and come with a lot of perks, from a free tote to party invites to drink tickets to scholarships and writing workshop discounts. Can’t afford to join right now? PEN’s book club is free — and also comes with book-themed cocktails — though you’ll need to pay for your own drinks —

More:
* 5 ways to give back to literary nonprofits in Los Angeles
* The Edison Book Club
* 12 Literary journals for Los Angeles writers

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Cake Time on the East Coast (and one reading in LA!)

The West Coast tour happened in April, but the East Coast mini Cake Time tour is still coming up!

But first, I have one reading in Los Angels before flying east. I’ll be one of the guest readers at Lauren Eggert-Crowe’s Bitches of the Drought Chapbook Release Party. It’s free, it’ll be fun, and all sales of chapbooks will go to support progressive causes:

Bitches of the Drought Chapbook Release Party
Monday, June 5, 2017, 8 pm
Stories Books and Cafe, 1716 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles

Then I’ll be in Brooklyn, New York — where I’ll get to read with fellow Red Hen Press authors Ellen Meeropol and Amy Hassinger:

An Evening with Red Hen Press
(Facebook event page)
Thu, June 8, 2017, 7:30 pm
Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton St., Brooklyn

Then I’ll be visiting Philadelphia for the first time, to read with poet Celeste Gainey:

Siel Ju reads with Celeste Gainey
(There will be cake!)
Sunday, June 11, 2017, 2 pm
Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Ln, Philadelphia

I’d love to see you there!

I’ll also be in Toronto mid-June visiting my writer friend Marilyn Duarte and doing tourist things and am planning a small meetup and reading. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll send an invite —

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Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Northeast LA

Picky writers can’t just go to any coffee shop. We need good working spaces with comfy chairs and tables. We need decent wifi and electric outlets for our laptops. We (or at least I) need good reading light. And we like to be able to hang for a few hours without feeling like we’re overstaying our welcome.

Which is to say — I’m really putting together this best coffee shops list for me.

I often find myself stuck in a part of town I don’t know very well — usually before or after some event — because I don’t want to drive home until after rush hour ends. Now (or more accurately, soon, when I finish this 5-part guide covering most L.A. neighborhoods), whatever area of Los Angeles I happen to be in, I know where I can stop to read or get some writing done while I wait for traffic to clear.

Earlier:
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Central LA
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Westside
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: The Valley
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Silver Lake: Dinosaur Coffee. 4334 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

Need freedom from free wifi? This no-free-wifi spot will force you to work on your novel instead of senselessly surfing the internet. Dinosaur’s a spacious, inviting, and well lit place with nice wood paneling and little decorative plants. There’s Fourbarrel coffee, creatively-named blended coffee drinks, and some good teas.

Echo Park: Stories Books & Cafe. 1716 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles.

This is my favorite coffee shop on the list — because it’s also a bookstore, and carries my book, Cake Time! Plus it’s a cozy place to work over coffee, Juice Served Here drinks, or beer or wine — take your pick. There’s a decent small menu of simple eats as well as a gluten-free and vegan pastry selection. Plus, the outdoor patio with communal tables is a perfect place to read on sunny days — or take in a performance or reading on some evenings. Here’s a photo of me with the other readers at a Kaya Press reading from a couple years back —

Zoe Ruiz, Doug Manuel, Siel Ju, Lisa Locascio, Brandon Som at the Crevasse in Los Angeles reading with Kaya Press at Stories Books and Cafe
From left to right: Zoe Ruiz, Doug Manuel, Siel Ju, Lisa Locascio, Brandon Som at the Crevasse in Los Angeles reading with Kaya Press at Stories Books and Cafe. Photo by Diana Arterian

Earlier: 11 best bookstores in Los Angeles for writers

Eagle Rock: Found Coffee. 1355 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles.

This sunny, welcoming spot’s great for writing, reading, and meeting up with other writers. Found focuses on local coffee roasters, so it’s a nice place to discover the caffeinated companies near you! Thanks Janice Lee (read her book Daughter, reviewed here and pictured below!) for introducing me to this spot!

Glassel Park: Habitat Coffee Shop. 3708 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.

This spacious cafe offers something for everyone: gigantic sandwiches ranging from roasted pork to vegan seitan bahn mi, soba noodle salads, all manner of gluten free energy bars, and cold pressed juices.

The wifi is fast and the seating plentiful and soy lattes come with Rorschach test-esque art because apparently it’s tougher to do latte art with soy milk —

Highland Park: Kindness & Mischief. 5537 N Figueroa St., Los Angeles.

This cozy spot has pretty macha lattes, lovely natural wood tables with decorative blue glass, and fun specialty concoctions like The Kindness: milk, sweetened coconut condensed milk, cinnamon, and espresso.

There are two downsides to this cafe, however: no wifi and a super early 5 pm close time! The upside? Kindness & Mischief is just down the block from Book Show!

More: Top 11 coffee shops for writers in Portland