By Brianna Chu Students of all ages, background, and experience are moving in and out of the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE)’s fairly new Los Angeles campus from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm most weekdays. There are three shifts of classes: 7:30-11:30 am, 12:00-4:00 pm, and 6:00-10:00 pm, the latter of which is meant for…
By Greg Aragon Desert Hot Springs is yet another oasis in the Palm Springs area. Set atop ancient hot and cold aquifers, the town is known for its abundant resorts and mineral spas, its world-class drinking water, secret celebrity visitors, and as I recently discovered, a few other hidden gems. One of the most fascinating…
By Brianna Chu When you walk into Mignon Chocolate, you don’t just walk into a chocolate store: you walk into a business with a rich, multi-generational, and cosmopolitan history. The Ter Poghossian family business starts with Mignon Chocolate owner Joe Ter Poghossian’s grandfather, Hovsep Ter Poghossian Sr., who opened and operated a bakery in Ukraine…
By Brianna Chu John Bicos shares ownership of Gus’s BBQ with his brother, Chris. He had been coming to Gus’s since he was a kid, as his best friend (and indeed, the best man at his wedding!) was the great-grandson of the eponymous Gus, who started the restaurant with his relatives in 1946. Their family…
By Greg Aragon On the way home from my recent trip to Yosemite National Park and the Evergreen Lodge , I stopped in the city of Bakersfield for some unfinished business. The last time I was there, I visited the Kern County Museum to see the railroad box car that country music legend Merle Haggard…
By Donna Polizzi Keys 2 the Coast set out for a daytrip to explore the best places to go in Buellton, California. Buellton is one of the five distinct areas that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. Solvang, Buellton, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos and Los Alamos, are all a haven for great restaurants, bars, breweries…
By Greg Aragon Spring is a great time to visit Yosemite National Park. Melting snow is causing cascading waterfalls, lakes are serene, wildflowers are blooming and the air is crisp and clean. I recently escaped to Yosemite and had a front-row cabin to all of this natural majesty. My getaway to Yosemite began when I…
By Brianna Chu Owner Pete Gallanis, as you might guess, is not the first owner of Cameron’s Seafood. The eponymous John Cameron was an attorney who, when inspired by his friend Fred Duckett – owner of The Fish Market – opened his own restaurant in 1984. However, Cameron quickly realized that he liked eating at…
Have weekend road trips to Las Vegas become something of a chore? Do they no longer offer the glitz and glamor that you crave? One way to freshen up your weekend breaks to Sin City is to change your accommodations. If you habitually stay on the Strip of Las Vegas Boulevard in the thick of…
By Brianna Chu After a decade of owning Ichima Sushi, owner James Park and his brother opened Oseyo Shabu Shabu in 2014. They transitioned into Oseyo and sold Ichima the next year. Park wanted to run a smaller restaurant so he could spend more time with his kids: so the shift from Ichima, which had…