LOS ANGELES – While most visitors to LA flock to the renowned Getty Museum, they often forget about the city’s first major museum dedicated solely to art:  the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Granted, LACMA may not be housed in a beautiful, mountain-perched Richard Meier-designed building (like the Getty) and can’t boast an unrivaled collection of [...]

      LOS ANGELES – Downtown is one of the few parts of LA where you can find classical architecture – from beaux-arts and art deco to revival – mixed in with a range of starchitectual wows.  As far as LA goes, Downtown truly represents a treasure trove of architectural gems, reflecting not only the area’s rich history but [...]

    LOS ANGELES – While I’m not a fan of all those must-see tourist sights in Los Angeles, there is one place  (okay, make that two, if you include Disneyland) that I’ve always been fond of and have continued to go to regularly over the years:  the Original Farmers Market (aka Farmers) at 3rd and Fairfax. Like most people, [...]

By MONICA BYERS LOS ANGELES – I was first introduced to Tommy’s by my ex-husband on the weekend we became engaged (don’t ask).  I must admit that, on that first visit, I didn’t get the appeal.   The restaurant was populated with all sorts of miscreants, and I wasn’t sure the food was worth the weirdness.  The whole thing was a [...]

    LOS ANGELES – According to the dictionary, a foodie is “a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food; a gourmet.” Let me state upfront that this is not me.  I am not a foodie.  Yes, I do enjoy eating out, have done countless boring (and quickly forgotten) business dinners at this or that fancy restaurant, [...]