Time Out Los Angeles news

Aside from giving thanks and celebrating our veterans, in November our nation participates in a centuries-old tradition. Through our votes in a variety of forums, each of us—as we’re finding out—can make a difference in our lives and our history. So, in theater this month, we’re celebrating what a single individual can do. In these five solo (or mostly solo) shows, a character, enacted by a widely respected performer, changes himself or herself for the better, or changes the planet. That’s why we’re betting these five shows, listed in order of closing date, are worth your theatergoing time and money this month. The Bitter GameWallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Nov 14–17 “Keep your head up. Keep your eyes forward. Keep your ego down.” That’s advice from the mother of young Jamel Smith, who witnesses a violent act in his inner-city Philadelphia neighborhood and must learn how to interact with the police there. Playwright-actor Keith A. Wallace plays both characters and more as he brings his 55-minute, utterly compelling solo show to the outdoor terrace at the Wallis. The early word suggests that Wallace specifically crafts each show to bring in issues of the day. Deborah Stein co-created, Malika Oyetimein directs. A note from the Wallis: “Wear warm attire and comfortable shoes, expect strong language.” ASL performance November 17. 9390 N Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills (310-746-4000). Wed–Sat at 7:30pm; $40. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas CarolGil Cates Theater

Celebrating Halloween on a Wednesday may seem like kind of a bummer, but that didn’t stop thousands of revelers from flooding the streets of West Hollywood for the city’s biggest Halloween party: the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. The annual street fest’s absolutely outlandish costumes never disappoint, and this year was certainly no exception.  The costumes this year were about what you’d expect—that is to say, an eclectic mix of outfits where sexy clergy members and unsexy presidents mix and mingle with wholesome Disney characters and Deadpool as Bob Ross. Oh, and Pennywise. Lots and lots of Pennywise (truly the Bane or Joker costume of our current costume era). Check out the photos below of our favorite costumes from this year’s West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. All photographs by Gil Riego.                                                                    

Before you start freaking out over your bank account hit from Thanksgiving and holiday travel plans, let us step in and save you a few bucks with these free things to do in November. You’ll find a free film fest, a Downtown museum celebration, some major gallery shows and more—these are the best ways to make the most of your month without breaking into your wallet. Through Jan 6“Calder: Nonspace”; Hauser & Wirth Los AngelesFind yourself transported to another realm—at least, if Alexander Calder’s monochromatic abstract sculptures are working as intended—in this Hauser & Wirth survey of 30 of the artist’s “nonspace” pieces. Through Nov 2Day of the Dead at El Pueblo; Olvera StreetPeruse altars in the plaza of El Pueblo at this Day of the Dead celebration, with face painting in the evening. Through Jan 6“Julian Rosefeldt: Manifesto”; Hauser & Wirth Los AngelesSee this collaboration between artist and director Julian Rosefeldt and actor Cate Blanchett, who reads famous artists’ manifestos in this 13-channel video installation. Nov 2–11AxS Festival; Various locationsCelebrate the intersection of art and science during this Pasadena-wide fest of talks, gallery shows and installations. Nov 2–4Old Pasadena Day of the Dead; Old PasadenaWalk among a mix of traditional and contemporary altars outside of businesses across Old Pasadena at this three-day Day of the Dead celebration. Nov 2Self Help Graphics & Art Día de los Muertos Celebration; Self Help Graphics & ArtCelebrate the Da

L.A.’s no slouch when it comes to slurping ramen. Just ask any of the city’s best noodle shops, from Little Tokyo all the way to the Westside and beyond, who can keep Angelenos waiting for up to a couple hours just to order a bowl. But when it comes to tsukemen, the dipping-style ramen, one player stands above the rest: Tsujita, the Japanese noodle juggernaut, is a high watermark. For those of us not slurping along Sawtelle, thankfully, that watermark is headed east. Tsujita’s growing empire of tsukemen, traditional ramen and even sushi restaurants is almost entirely stationed on the Westside, with the exception the The Tsujita, an outpost in Glendale’s Americana at Brand. That changes next week when Tsujita Noodle Production opens up shop along Fairfax Avenue near the Grove, and to celebrate, they’re giving out 400 bowls of ramen. The newest location’s menu will feature a greatest hits of sorts, dotted with signature dishes and classics from other members in its restaurant family. When the spot launches next Friday, November 9, look for the char siu tsukemen from Tsujita LA, the ANNEX ramen from Tsujita LA Annex, the hearty helping of dan dan noodles (“Down Town Style”) from Killer Noodle and the chicken ramen from The Tsujita, among others.  To snag a free bowl of ramen, simply show up early. Tsujita Noodle Production is giving out ramen to the first 200 guests on Friday, November 9, and again on Saturday, November 10, starting at 11am on both days. Tsujita Noodle Pro

You should already be planning to vote, but if it takes a little extra incentive to get you to the polls, have we got news for you: Every year, restaurants, bars and shops across L.A. offer discounts and free items when you flash that “I VOTED” sticker. On November 6, 2018, that’s no exception, and a little civic pride this year can net you cheap cocktails, free wine, one-cent beers and so much more—although we all know there’s nothing sweeter than the taste of democracy. 1933 Group’s $1 cocktails One of the city’s largest bar groups is going all-out across town, so whether you’re a vodka or a whiskey fan, you’ll find something near you when you provide proof that you voted. Culver City’s Oldfield’s Liquor Room, West L.A.’s Bigfoot Lodge West, West Hollywood’s Harlowe and HLP’s Highland Park Bowl will all be offering $1 old-fashioneds, while Hollywood’s Sassafras, North Hollywood’s Idle Hour, Silver Lake’s Thirsty Crow, Highland Park’s La Cuevita and Atwater’s Bigfoot Lodge will all sling $1 Moscow mules made with house ginger beer. The number of drinks you can purchase is unlimited, but the deal only runs from 5 to 7pm or until the bars run out. Fair warning.    1933 Group’s old-fashioned Photograph: Courtesy 1933 Group/Jakob N. Layman   The Abbey’s $5 shot and free viewing party Looking for a spot to sip while the results roll in? West Hollywood institution and bastion of liberal lifestyle The Abbey has you perfectly covered with the $5 Blue Wave shot special, w

Before the madness of the holiday season starts, take a minute for yourself—and maybe a minute (or 90) for bottomless mimosas, porchetta-and-egg sandwiches and some time to lounge in a rooftop greenhouse, cold brew in one hand and a pastry in the other. Here are five new brunches to check out this month, relaxation (probably) included. Bacari W. 3rd Not only does the newest Bacari sport one of the best new patios in L.A., but it also has a solid brunch menu. There’s the requisite Bacari cicchetti, or plates meant for sharing, and you can expect the Mediterranean-inspired offerings to include shakshouka with bell peppers and sous vide egg; smoked salmon with capers, pickled red onions, cucumber, a dill-garlic crème fraîche and fresh-baked pita; and goat cheese polenta with lamb ragu and a fried egg. What goes with brunch better than a patio? Bottomless drinks, obviously, and you can find unlimited mimosas, sangria and bellinis for $25, running until you tap out or the clock reaches 90 minutes. Sat, Sun 10:30am–3pm Easy’s The Beverly Center’s newcomer is like a child’s dream come to life: Jeremy Fall’s insane, decadent creations run the sweet-savory gamut, with options like massive burgers, gloopy grilled cheese sandwiches, and funnel cake topped with Thrifty ice cream. The brunch menu is no exception, offering up dishes such as the Tower of Cinnamon Toast (topped with cinnamon sugar and red velvet icing, no less); rotating flavors of “Not” Pockets, an allusion to, you gue

Just when you thought we were starting to move past Instagram-friendly funhouses, here comes 29Rooms again, back for another year of whimsical, colorful selfie opportunities. 29Rooms will take over the Reef in Downtown L.A. from December 5 to 9. True to its name, the limited-time attraction from Refinery 29 features 29 spaces that’ve been created in collaboration with brands, artists, non-profit groups, brands, actors and—did we mention brands? Yes, 29Rooms isn’t shy about its sponsorships, but we found some more low-key, legitimately wonderful installations in last year’s inaugural West Coast edition. The touring installation—which was first shown off in New York last month—is set to include a choir-led sing-along, palm reading, creative classes, a sound bath, an ASMR tunnel and more. Timed tickets are already on sale. A general admission ticket, which gives you three hours to explore the pop-up, costs $39.99. For $69.99, you can splurge on a “Party After Dark” ticket, which includes two drink tickets and access to a later, less busy time slot. Tickets moved pretty quickly last year, and while there’s no indication yet that additional dates will be added this year, we should point out that the 2017 debut expanded to a second weekend after the initial ticket offering. In the meantime, check out our video and photos from last year’s event: Photograph: Michael Juliano    Photograph: Michael Juliano   Photograph: Michael Juliano   Photogr

As Halloween parties went off across town, L.A.’s liveliest celebration of the dead once again took over Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The annual L.A. Day of the Dead festival brought out thousands of elaborately costumed attendees to the cemetery grounds, which were transformed into a marigold-covered, music-and-dance–filled Day of the Dead celebration. Sugar skulls and calacas covered the colorful altars and ofrendas to the deceased, while Aztec dancers, local bands, face painters and artisans all offered their own take on the Mexican holiday. For its 19th annual edition, the festival theme was Coatlicue “Mother of Gods,” which honored the Aztec goddess and mother of the moon, sun and stars. Stone statues and snake motifs abounded throughout the cemetery, as did altars dedicated to female empowerment and equal rights. The event’s politics were less fiery than last year, but also, thankfully, the somewhat over-the-top marketing presence was stepped back compared to the previous edition (we’re willing to forgive the most overt instance, a Spotify sponsorship of a marigold bridge dedicated to the late Jenni Rivera, for how stunningly beautiful it was). It was also the first Day of the Dead since the release of Coco, and altar decorators weren’t shy to slip some of that film’s iconography into their creations. Check out our photos below of beautiful altars, elaborately adorned outfits and one adorable alebrije to see why L.A. Day of the Dead continues to be one of our favorite

You know that giant plastic jug you’ve got hanging around? The one full of spare change? Well you can skip the Coinstar, because this weekend, there’s a new place to cash in all those quarters and it’s far more fun than the front of your local supermarket. Otium chef and French Laundry alumnus Tim Hollingsworth just flipped on the lights and power cords at his new restaurant, bar and arcade-heavy hangout spot, Free Play, which perches on the second floor of Exposition Park’s new food hall, the Fields LA. It’s probably the college bar you wish you had—if you’re at USC, lucky you—but Free Play is also attached to the LAFC Banc of California stadium and just next to the Coliseum, making it a solid spot for pre- or post-game drinks, a serious double cheeseburger or a round of Galaga. Photograph: Courtesy Free Play/Sierra Prescott When you’re not hitting up the change machines for tokens stamped with Hollingsworth’s profile—no, the games aren’t actually free at Free Play—and you’re not tackling high scores on Ms. Pac-Man, Street Fighter Alpha and Star Trek pinball, you’ll most likely find your way to one of the 200-or-so seats for a view of the game via flat-screen and some classic comfort food. The menu, which is also overseen by chef de cuisine Lynne Tolentino, is packed with standard bar bites and snacks—Frito pie, fried pickles, deviled eggs, buttery hush puppies, bags of roasted nuts, fried chicken wings, tri-tip nachos and giant pretzels—with a burger and a few sand

David Chang’s first Momofuku Noodle Bar opened in New York’s East Village in 2004. It was an instant hit, its backless chairs packed with “foodies”—then still a relatively fresh slang word—and chefs alike, who came to slurp noodles and broth from massive bowls late into the night. Indie rock piped in from the chef-owner’s iPod, lines stretched around the block and travelers crossed the country and even continents to sample Chang’s otherworldly good Tokyo-style ramen hit with Korean-American influence. The restaurant expanded to a larger location, netted a four-star review from Time Out New York as well as countless national accolades, and, perhaps most importantly of all, would lay the groundwork for Chang’s now-global restaurant empire. And while both Toronto and Sydney received their own Noodle Bars—and L.A. finally received Chang’s first California restaurant, Majordomo—we’ve been waiting a long time for our own location. That all changes in 2019. View this post on Instagram A post shared by momofuku (@momolongplay) on Aug 2, 2018 at 1:50pm PDT As reported by Eater, Chang will slide a Momofuku Noodle Bar into West Hollywood sometime next year. "This will be our first Noodle Bar on the West Coast," a Momofuku representative told Time Out L.A. "The restaurant will be informed by the DNA of Noodle Bar in New York but uniquely built for Los Angeles." Whether Noodle Bar NYC’s fried chicken and caviar options will mak