11 Things to Do in L.A. in 2011

Alright, I want to try things I haven't done in L.A. before so here is my list:

1. Improv show at UCB-that would be Upright Citizens Brigade. I took classes at Second City last year, and while I LOVED it, I'm thinking of switching over to UCB. Plus, they have some shows I just really want to see.
2. Slimmons exercise class-Have you heard about this? Richard Simmons actually leads the workouts and people I've talked to say they're fabulous and fun! I saw him once in the airport and he was a total drama queen, but only in L.A. can you take class from Richard Simmons.
3. Eat at Formosa Café-I just feel that this is a classic L.A. spot and yet I've never been so I want to try it.
4. Explore Eagle Rock-There are a lot of places in Los Angeles that I've only been to once or twice and could probably learn more about but I've NEVER been to Eagle Rock and I hear it's fun. I already know a restaurant I want to try and I hear the stores are cute.
5. Coffee at 101 Coffee Shop-I can't even count the number of times I've driven by and "Swingers" was filmed here and to me that is an iconic L.A. movie that I treasure so I need to go.
6. Concert at the Greek Theater-I want to go to more concerts and I've never been to the Greek and hear it's a great place to see a show.
7. Rose Bowl Flea Market-It's supposed to be the greatest flea market and I want to haggle for deals on cute apartment stuff!
8. See a midnight showing of “The Room”-if you've never heard of it, google it. It is supposedly the worst movie ever made and the midnight showing of it has become an "only in L.A." thing to do.
9. Finally have dinner at Bazaar at SLS-I feel about 2 years behind but I really, really want to eat there. Jose Andres is a genius and I loved his first restaurant Zatinya in D.C. and really want to experience his molecular gastronomy.
10. Explore downtown-it is the hippest place in L.A. now and I haven't really done much down there. I want to take an afternoon/evening and just explore. This will probably happen on an Art Walk night because I have friends that I know want to go this year.
11. I'm leaving #11 open for now. I'm not quite sure yet what this one should be, but I will definitely decide and do it before the end of the year!

So there's my list. What do you want to try to do in your city this year?

So much to talk about!

Hmm... where to begin? Last week in Minneapolis was great! Tried a great restaurant called 112 Eatery and it was AMAHZING! Plus, they had a fois gras and pork belly salad for $15!!! This is absolutely unheard of in L.A. And I had the best pork I've ever eaten. It came with a cherry wine reduction that was basically having the fall season on a plate!

On Friday I saw "The Social Network" which I died over. I was soo excited to go see this movie and it did not disappoint. I love seeing how companies come together and this is a fascinating tale. I will say I'm not much of a Mark Zuckerberg fan now, but the whole creation of the company was a mess. I promise though I'll say no more. I don't want to ruin it for you.

And today starts Dine L.A. week which is just fabulous for a foodie like me. Most major cities have these throughout the year. Major restaurants in town have prix fixe meals that cost between $24 and $44 so you can try some great restaurants for a much cheaper price. Tonight some coworkers and I are trying a new latin fusion restaurant called Zengo. I should be able to post a review and photos tomorrow. In the coming weeks I'll also be hitting up Gordon Ramsay at The London and possibly Jar.

Whew, that's a lot right there. There's some other things I've been thinking about, but I can write more later. That's it for now!

Oh, and check out Mingle Mondays over at Life of Meg!

Places to Try in L.A. in 2010

I don’t know if I’ve ever really said it, but I love Los Angeles. Though I talk about moving every now and then, I really do love this city and all the craziness it contains. There is always something new to try, somewhere new to go. So with that, I present my list of things I want to try in Los Angeles in 2010:

· The Tar Pit-there has already been so many write-ups on this restaurant and I believe it’s only been open a few weeks!

· Griffith Park Hike-Last year I did Runyon, this year it’s time for Griffith. I should probably start working out so when I do it, it doesn’t kill me.

· Umami Burger-apparently this is the new place to get a hamburger. Hmmm… I might try this one next week. I’ll let you know.

· Lucques-For crying out loud, I’ve lived here five years and still haven’t tried this establishment. It’s time.

· Bazaar at SLS-because who doesn’t want to try a philly cheesesteak made of air?

· Stefan’s at L.A. Farm-so it’s clear I watch “Top Chef”. He might have been a jerk on the show, but his food was always rated highly.

· Bigfoot Lodge-the original one. It just looks like a fun place to have a drink.

· Kogi Truck-I still haven’t been, but I’m dying to try their tacos. Their restaurant is opening down the street from work, so I’m sure I’ll go sometime, but I still want the truck experience.

· Yogaworks-I want to take a real yoga class. Simple enough.

· Golden State Cafe-another new burger place, but they are popular for their sweet potato “fries” and Guiness Floats. I will not be trying the latter, but I have a friend who definitely will.

· Brunch at Bouchon-I’ve had quite the memorable experience at the Vegas location, but have never been for brunch and they are known for brunch! I really am looking forward to this one.

· Explore Downtown-it’s seriously becoming so hip. I really want to go hang out one night and try all the cool bars and look in shops.

Okay, so that’s it for now. I know there are ones I’m forgetting. I’m sure there will be another list. What do you want to try this year?