Places to get a Thanksgiving Meal in Los Angeles

         

My sophomore year of college, I was working in retail during the holidays. Unfortunately, that meant that I could not come home for Thanksgiving because I was going to be working Black Friday. (Home is in Santa Clarita and I went to school at San Jose State University). I did not know how to cook a Thanksgiving meal, nor did I realize that there were restaurants that would be serving a Thanksgiving meal all throughout the bay area. This day was incredibly sad for me because I was alone, had no way of cooking a meal, and didn’t go eat anywhere. If I remember correctly, I ended up eating pizza and watching Netflix alone and my brother called me at 7 pm to tell me he missed me and wished I were at home. I was living in a house with two other girls from my university and we didn’t want to pay for cable, so I didn’t even get to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is my favorite Thanksgiving tradition. (I watch it every year with my mom before the chaos of cooking and baking begins).

SO. All of this to say—I don’t want anyone else to have this kind of experience. IF you go to college in the SFV or any part of Los Angeles and you don’t want to cook—or you just don’t have any plans for Thanksgiving—the RadioSFV team has compiled a list of the best restaurants to get a Thanksgiving meal! 

1. St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. The St. Regis will be celebrating Thanksgiving at two restaurants: Stonehill Tavern and Motif Restaurant.
2. The Langham Huntington in Pasadena. This classic hotel is offering a Thanksgiving brunch buffet with live entertainment and a three-course Thanksgiving dinner, also accompanied by live entertainment.
3. Vue at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point. The Laguna Cliffs Marriott is offering a Champagne Brunch Buffet with an ocean view and live music from 2-5 pm.
4. Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. Shutters is offering a three-course prix fixe menu at One Pico and a three-course turkey dinner at Coast Restaurant.
5. Circa 55 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Circa 55 is serving a brunch buffet as well as a dinner on Thanksgiving Day! The hotel will also be featuring new seasonal cakes and fall-inspired desserts created by the Executive Pastry Chef, Thomas Henzi.
6. Ocean & Vine at Leows Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Ocean & Vine will offer a Champagne Brunch from 11 am – 3 pm, as well as a four-course Thanksgiving maple-roasted turkey dinner, served from 4-8 pm.
7. Akasha Bakery and Restaurant in Culver City. Akasha will be serving a three-course locally produced Thanksgiving Day feast from 1-7.
8. Thanksgiving at the Beach at Gladstones in Pacific Palisades. Gladstones offers a three-course menu of Thanksgiving favorites! The regular menu is also available.
9. Paradise Cove Beach Café in Malibu. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner at this restaurant on the sand in Malibu will be served from 11 am – 9 pm.
10. The Laugh Factory in Hollywood. The Laugh Factory provides a free Thanksgiving dinner and live comedy show every year to comedians, actors, writers, and anyone else who is alone for the holidays including the neighborhood homeless population. First come, first served. The seatings are at 1, 3, 5, and 7 pm.

The prices at all of these restaurants differ and reservations are a must! This is a limited list of restaurants in Los Angeles serving a Thanksgiving meal. You can check online for a more extensive list of places to go for a Thanksgiving brunch, lunch, or dinner. PLAN AHEAD and make your reservations now—either online or over the phone!

Give thanks with a grateful heart and remember, even if you are alone on Thanksgiving or the holidays are tough for you, there is always, always, always, something to be thankful for.

Day of the Dead Celebration

The Day of the Dead is a unique festival that resulted from the 16^th century contact between Mesoamerica and Europe. The holiday owes its origins to both pre-hispanic Aztec philosophy and religion and medieval European ritual practice. The rituals and ceremonies, historically, were mainly focused on the celebration of the dead. These were held under the supernatural instruction of the goddess Mectecacihuatl. Both children and dead ancestors were celebrated and remembered during these rituals.

When the Spaniards arrived in the 16^th century, they brought along with them the Christian holiday of All Saint’s Day, the Roman Catholic holy day celebrating the dead in general, as well as the Christians who were believed to be stuck in purgatory. Spanish priests quickly noted the correlation between the Aztec and Christian celebrations and moved the Aztec holiday from summer to fall to combine the holidays.

The ultimate result of this cultural combination is a modern celebration of ancestors during the first two days of November. The celebration is a melting pot of Christian components and indigenous Native American traditions.

The Day of the Dead activities are relatively consistent across Mexico. On the first day, families hold a picnic, or so to speak, at the graveside. The day enables different groups of people to exchange stories of their loved ones and celebrate the role that those ancestors played in peoples’ lives.

The Day of the Dead altars are built during Dia de los Muertos to honor the lives of those who have passed. Creating these altars is one of the most important traditions during Day of the Dead. On top of the altar, offerings are laid out for the dead—known as ofrenda in Spanish. These are items that the spirits will enjoy will enjoy when they come back to earth to visit their living families and friends. The ofrenda consists of things the dead person enjoyed while s/he was alive. The altar is usually arranged on a table top that is used exclusively for the altar. Altars have at least two tiers, sometimes more. The table or crates are draped with cloth and often contains an arch made of marigolds erected over the top of the altar.

The Day of the Dead, ironically, is a celebration of life. This day provides a hands-on opportunity of learning about Mexico’s cultural heritage.

A fun way to celebrate this day is to watch the movie Book of Life or attend one of the many events in the San Fernando Valley/Greater Los Angeles area!

The Unusual and Atypical of Los Angeles Octobers!

The past two weeks, we have been checking out the cliché spots and events to hit throughout the month of October. Los Angeles isn’t a city that is home to the beautiful fall-foliage we all long for. Instead, Los Angeles is home to the unusual and atypical—and in that, we find that Los Angeles and it’s surrounding areas host unusual events we aren’t conditioned to check out during the month of October. But thankfully, the unusual, the new, and the exciting are tangibly at our fingertips in the hustle and bustle of city life in LA. For the remainder of this month, I encourage you to check out the varied collection of events going on in Los Angeles and it’s surrounding areas!

1. On Halloween, check out the Black & White Ball & Dracula at the Ace Hotel. This 21+ event will host a “swanky soiree” at the Theatre at Ace Hotel, a screening of the 1931 version of Dracula, a live score from Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet, and a costumed dance party. Expect DJs, themed rooms, bars, and some tricks & treats! 
   
   
   
2. Various dates throughout October and ending on November 2^nd, check out Shakespeare in the Shed at Angel City Brewery. The performance this month will be a live production of Romeo & Juliet. The event is free and open to the public!  
   
3. To continue in the realm of literature, check out Drama After Dark: A Night of the Macabre with Poe and Gorey at the Huntington Library on October 24^th! Some of the most haunting stories of Edgar Allen Poe and Edward Gorey will be enacted by the actors of the Guild of St. George! Arrive early to grab some free cookies and hot cider! Dress warmly and prepare to walk amongst the chilling words of the two masters of macabre.  
   
4. Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Saturday, October 24^th! Arrive before 4 pm for optimum parking! General admission is $20 per person! Children 8 years and under, and Seniors 65+ have free admission until 4 pm! With food vendors, a costume contest, arts and crafts, and hundreds of ritual Aztec dancers in full costume, the theme of the Shamanic Visions of the Huichol comes to life! To be a part of this Day of the Dead celebration, grab your tickets online or at the door! 
   
5. The Rise of the Jack O’ Lanterns! One of the most unique events taking place in Los Angeles and San Diego, the Rise of the Jack O’ Lanters is home to more than 5,000 hand-carved illuminated jack o’ lanterns. The combination of jack o’lanterns amounts to larger-than-life safari animals and other favorites, including TV and movie stars! This experience is for people of all ages and supports dozens of talented artists! Locations in LA: Descanso Gardens and Santa Anita Park. 
   

(All photos are taken from each event’s website! Be sure to check out their websites for more information!)

Sinister Halloween Haunts

Last week, we featured all of the fun and less-scary October festivities, but for all of you terror-lovers out there, here’s a list of places to go to get your fill!

1. The Los Angeles Haunted Hay Ride at Griffith Park! This year’s theme at the LA Haunted Hayride is the Boogeyman. They idea is that no matter the culture, there is always a Boogeyman waiting for you to close your eyes and get to sleep. The ride is a 25 minute terrifying experience where you will come “FACE TO JAWS” with the Boogeyman! Try this disturbing darkness if you think you can handle it! Check out their website for tickets! 
   
   
   
   
2. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Hollywood. This live event offers a haunting collaboration of the most authentic scares from some of the biggest horror films and TV shows! This year, the movie-quality mazes feature The Walking Dead, Insidious, Halloween, Crimson Peak, and This is the End. The terror tram will be featuring The Purge, and the scare zones will offer you something terrifying at every corner! What makes this event so real is the fact that your favorite scary movies are brought to life! Tickets are available online for purchase and sell out quickly! 
   
3. Dark Harbor at The Queen Mary in Long Beach! The Dark Harbor is a unique haunted experience in Southern California. The fear is that old, abandoned ships are home to ghosts, evil spirits, and people sadly lost at sea. This is proven to be true aboard the haunted Queen Mary. To take part in the six sinister mazes and be face to face with the monsters that raise hell on the Queen Mary, order tickets online and experience the torture the Dark Harbor has to offer. 
   
4. Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita. Fright Fest is home to a plethora of scare-zones. From Twisted Colossus to Vault 666 to terrifying mazes, there is something for everyone. The dead have risen and nightmares come to life at Fright Fest. Check online for the list of events and things-to-do at Fright Fest. Get your tickets online or at the theme park! 
   
5. Knott’s Scary Farm at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park. Knott’s Scary Farm differs from other theme-park horror nights because the themes of the experiences are unique. Three scare zones, called Ghost Town Streets, Carnevil, and Fiesta De Los Muertos gives you the option to choose what type of scare you want. The live shows that Knott’s puts on send chills up your spine as we are introduced to the creepy world of an asylum. The themed mazes are also a way to choose the degree of scare and the theme of your scare! Check online for tickets and take a peek at the experiences Knott’s Scary Farm holds. 
   

I don’t recommend any of these places for young children or people who are easily scared. But for the thrill chasers, all of these places hold something unique, scary, scream-worthy, bone-chilling, and sinister for you to get into the Halloween spirit!

Kid-Friendly Halloween Fun!

Kid-Friendly Halloween Fun

            Halloween is right around the corner and for years, it’s been a holiday that I’ve dreaded. Unfortunately, Halloween can be a little too scary for the youngsters (or a scaredy-cat like me!). If you are a bit too terrified of the normal Halloween festivities and need a place to go to celebrate Halloween without the witches, ghouls, and vampires, OR you have young children who aren’t keen on the Halloween terror, take a loot at our pumpkin-filled fun alternatives!

1. Head over to a pumpkin patch! Pumpkin patches are notorious for serving delicious pumpkin pie and picking out a pumpkin to take home is always such a treat! My favorite pumpkin patches this year are: the Tapia Brothers Farm Pumpkin Patch in Encino; Tina’s Pumpkin Patch in Sherman Oaks; and Forneris Farms Pumpkin Patch & Harvest Festival in Mission Hills. 
   
   
   
   
   
2. Check out the incredibly fun Harvest and Pumpkin Festivals! There are some great locations to join in on the fun! The Calabasas Pumpkin Festival is October 17^th and 18^th. This festival has delicious pumpkin pies, pumpkin carving, music, a foodcourt, and of course—a pumpkin patch! The Underwood Family Farm Harvest Festival in Moorpark is another super fun kid-friendly festival to check out! This festival is from October 3-31^st and is home to the Tomato Launcher and an Animal Center! Children will love the themed weekends of the festival and the activities that go along with it! This weekend is the Farm Country Weekend and the farm will be hosting a Giant Pumpkin Contest! 
   
3. Another less-frightening Halloween affair to check out are the Farmers Markets! The Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles will be hosting a Fall Festival October 17^th and 18^th! You can also check out the Santa Monica Farmers Market for more pumpkin fun every Wednesday leading up to Halloween! 
   
4. For the Disney lovers out there—check out Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland select nights from October 7^th-31^st. This includes costume dress-up, trick-or-treating through Main Street, a Haunted Ceremony, and Halloween-themed Character Greetings! Tickets are tough to get because they sell out quickly, but it’s definitely worth a shot! 
   
5. Animal Lovers: Check out Boo @ the Zoo at the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park! Choose your own adventure and get up-close with the “super-natural” powers of animals and how they adapt at night and use their senses to guide them! Touch scaly and crawly creatures at the Animals and You stations. Create black bat and spider-themed crafts on Saturdays and Sundays in October. And, my personal favorite event, watch the animals tasting their own delicious pumpkin treats! 
   

Children and scaredy-cats alike can finally enjoy Halloween for what it is—a pumpkin filled wonderland! Check out any of these places and enjoy what October in the SFV has to offer! Happy Halloween! Check back next week for a blog filled with terror and fright!