L.A. Looks

Posted by Erin, Staff Writer

As a teenager I associated Los Angeles with shiny sports cars, Luke Perry (plus the rest of the 90210 gang), and a brand of hair gel. Over the years, I've found much less superficial things to love -- namely the sunny weather, access to unspoiled natural beauty, and fresh produce. (And by fresh I mean, straight from a tree: I have the luxury of plucking blood oranges from my friend's yard to create fresh-squeezed mimosas.) Possibly the best thing is that with each return trip I discover something new to like. On a recent restorative weekend visit (courtesy of accumulated airline miles), I found two places to add to the list of L.A.-musts.

Musso & Frank's, the oldest eatery in Hollywood

Opened in 1919, the Musso & Frank Grill is the oldest restaurant in Hollywood and has seen its share of famous patrons including Charlie Chaplin, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner. But after eating there I came to the conclusion that they all enjoyed the stiff martinis, rather than the food, which is on par with the average suburban diner but priced exorbitantly higher. Or possibly they appreciated the old-Hollywood decor as much as I did. I fell in love with the dark wood-paneled walls that rise up to meet frescoed-looking wallpaper, all subtly lit by wall sconces and mission-style false skylights. The lighting is so low and sultry, that it's hard not to assume that you look like Ava Gardner through a Vaseline-smeared lens. Plus the waiters wear very sharp red jackets with shiny gold chains and buttons. Even if you don't want to eat here, I highly recommend sidling up to the bar just to take in the ambiance.

A view of the bar

The Museum of Jurassic Technology

How does one even begin to explain the Museum of Jurassic Technology? It's part museum and part funhouse, a place where science meets art, with a healthy does of humor. The museum deals in peculiarities such as the intricately carved pit of a fruit, dice made from failed materials, and an ode to the trailer parks of America. I was often left dumbfounded, like when viewing the micromosaics of Henry Dalton through the lens of a microscope. The nature scenes he depicts are constructed from butterfly wings and appear to be a mere dot on a micro slide!

Dalton's basket of flowers composed of butterfly wings

The floral stereoradiographs of Alfred G. Richards are housed in a dark hallway and you have to don a pair of stereoscopic glasses before entering so that all of his beautiful flower photographs become 3-D like holograms and seem to take up the entire hallway -- it's magical.

A calla lily stereoradiograph by Alfred G. Richards

To heighten the bizarre atmosphere the museum serves complimentary cookies and tea on the upper floor, in a room that resembles a funeral parlor. It's such a special, bewildering experience that it's now my first recommendation to anyone visiting L.A.

 

Comments

[lisaann]

you should have told me you were going to LA! i would have given you a huge list of things to eat, see, etc. next time! xo

[lillie]

yes! the museum of jurassic technology (fondly referred to as MJT) is such a sweet, if strange, experience. definitely worth checking out.

[Design for Mankind]

A gift for you, Sarah, for inspiring us all daily:
http://designformankind.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-time.html

[K]

You must share these "average suburban diner" you go to, I have yet to find one that serves sand dabs or griddle cakes in LA or anywhere else. Next time you eat there, you should ask one of their servers that have been working at M&F their entire lives what is good... it's a big menu and they do have good food.

[Ann]

That museum is in my neighborhood and quite honestly it gives me a tiny bit of the heebie jeebies when I visit.

[Patia]

That museum sounds completely amazing. I've bookmarked it for my next trip to L.A. Thanks!