Fighting Hunger & Having Fun at LA Food Bank

Stories 12 Aug 2013
As someone who makes a living by eating, writing and talking about food, it's almost unimaginable that so many people go hungry every day. Not only around the world, but right here in my own backyard. In fact, one in six people in Los Angeles County is at risk for hunger. It's a humbling and sobering reminder to never take food for granted. With that in mind, I joined Valerie Bertinelli + LA's top chefs and foodies for a day of volunteering at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in Downtown LA.
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Fab Fit Fun VIP Box

Stories 11 Aug 2013
Summer, summer, summertime ... time to sit back and unwind. Wait, what? The summer is almost over and I feel like I haven't had much time to do either! Even so, I was happy to receive the FabFitFun VIP Box that brought a little bit of sunshine to my doorstep when it arrived.
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Out & About: Rose Avenue

Top Lists 6 Aug 2013
They say to stop and smell the roses. Well, I say stop and shop along Rose Avenue. This once sketchy stretch in Venice between 5th and 7th Avenues has really come along with the recent influx of restaurants and shops. In fact, it's already kind of blown up with a full-on residential and retail complex. Yep, the area has cleaned up nicely with nary a lingering waft of Venice grit. Welcome to the neighborhood...
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Glee Summer Camp

Stories 4 Aug 2013
"Mar Yvette is the only person I know who can turn a bum leg into a dance move" - lovezzz the Tony McEwing!!! Never mind that I had an injured leg ... I was determined to join the kids at Glee Summer Camp for some dancing and singing and acting (a fool).
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Celebrity Cruise Pop-Up Truck, El Corazon & The Fab Four

Stories 3 Aug 2013
Shake it up, baby! Twist and shout! I became a Beatle for a day with The Fab Four and after having them on the show, I can honestly tell you these guys are AWESOME!!! You can see them on Saturday, August 3 at the OC Fair Pacific Amphitheatre. You'll also want to check out the new Celebrity Cruises pop-up food & spa truck and El Corazon, my hot new pick that will transport you to Cabo without ever leaving OC.
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marpop liquid nitro

Smokin’ Good Times at Tastemade

Stories 1 Aug 2013
Tastemade Studios is a new startup in Santa Monica that hopes to unite foodies through their YouTube channel and cool new app that lets YOU become your own food host. It's sort of like Vine and Instagram video only better -- instead of six seconds, you get one minute and you can choose from a host of filters, fonts and background music to rave about your fave donut spot, cocktail, whatever.
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HANGING WITH ADHD’S CAST OF CHARACTERS

FOX ADHD: Crazy-Ass Cartoons

Stories 29 Jul 2013
Dinosaur cops, screwy ducks and other naughty characters abound at Fox’s new Animation Domination High-Def studios in Hollywood. I recently stopped by to go behind the scenes and it was cool to see that unlike most of the network’s other animated shows like “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons,” none of the work is shipped overseas — everything is created in house from start to finish.
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Nguyen Tran of Starry Kitchen

What Food is Better Than Sex?

Top Lists 24 Jul 2013
Foodgasm, oral gratification, gastrophoria. Call it what you want. The bottom line is that every now and again, you bite into something so delicious, so incredibly multisensory, it convinces you it’s better than sex. White truffles? (Wolfgang Puck seems to think so.) Bacon? (Take it from an Iron Chef.) Pancakes? (Who knew!) I asked some top chefs and restaurateurs to describe which foods really hit the spot.
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Dolphin & Whale Safari in Dana Point

Dolphin & Whale Safari in Dana Point

Stories 23 Jul 2013
Did you know that Southern California has more blue whales and dolphins than anywhere else in the world??? I had no idea until I joined Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari today in Dana Point. This year-round adventure is where you can get up close with these incredible creatures of the sea and see them in their NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
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Barks, Bubbles, Brews, Korean BBQ, Peter Tork

Barks, Bubbles, Brews, Korean BBQ, Peter Tork

Stories 23 Jul 2013
There are so many fun things to do this weekend!!! A few of my top picks: The "Barks, Bubbles & Brews" event on Sunday at Angel City Brewery in DTLA - you can take your own woof (or adopt one from Much Love Animal Rescue) and give him/her a bath, then chill out with a craft brew and delicious food from Son Of A Bun food truck!
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LA Cultural Festival

LA Cultural Festival

Stories 23 Jul 2013
It's National Caribbean-American Heritage Month and it's time to celebrate Carnival...Caribbean style! To kick off the festivities, I was at Sattdown Jamaican Grill in Studio City with island cuisine, live music from Success Steel Drums, costumed dancers and a Caribbean workout from DailyBurn fitness instructor and dancer Keaira LaShae. I'll be one of the grand marshals at the big Hollywood Carnival parade on Saturday, June 22, so be sure to come by and say hello, mon!
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Riva Bella restaurant over on Doheny & Sunset in WeHo

Riva Bella is TENTACLEY DELICIOUS!

Stories 23 Jul 2013
So I finally made it to Riva Bella restaurant over on Doheny & Sunset in WeHo. This pricey al fresco palace opened in January and I've been reading/hearing great things about it ever since, so I was excited to try it out. The space is totally gorg with its sprawling indoor-outdoor patio, retractable roof and wine cave that doubles as the buffet room during weekend brunch.
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Martial Arts Paddle Boarding and Parasailing

Martial Arts Paddle Boarding and Parasailing

Stories 23 Jul 2013
It was a lot of fun at the 22nd Annual Santa Monica Festival at Clover Park today. I ran into some familiar faces, met new people and had the opportunity to be a judge in the farmers' market food competition. Oh, and I got the most fab ring from Le Fashion Truck & ate the most DELICIOUS turkey hot dog of my life from the Let's Be Frank Dogs food truck. It was totally worth waiting in that long line!
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DJ Eddie One, Teen Party Expo, Santa Monica Festival, Boogaloo Assassins

DJ Eddie One, Teen Party Expo, Santa Monica Festival, Boogaloo Assassins

Stories 23 Jul 2013
I had DJ Eddie One (The Heavy Hitters) on the Weekend Roundup today & he brought the party - the Teen Party Expo, that is. It's going on at the Queen Mary during Father's Day Weekend with everything you need for prom, quinceanera, cotillion, sweet 16 & beyond. PLUS, if you're looking for something FUN & FREE this Saturday, stop by the 22nd Annual Santa Monica Festival at Clover Park this Saturday - I'll be one of the food judges so come say HI! Even better, the fabulous BOOGALOO ASSASSINS will be performing on stage at 5pm! Special thanks to April's Cakes for the surprise belated birthday cake - the celebrations continue!
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ROBATA BAR in Santa Monica

ROBATA BAR in Santa Monica

Stories 23 Jul 2013
It's not a hot new restaurant (it's been around for 5 years), but Robata Bar in Santa Monica is totally worth checking out. It's right next to its sister restaurant Sushi Roku on Ocean, so the location is great. But the food is even better. We got sushi (the crab hand roll is among my fave anywhere), but the star of the show is the robata (Japanese grilling). Right behind the sushi bar is the charcoal grill where stick-like coals (straight from Japan) are heated to 1000+ degrees.
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Burger Lounge, Ice Cream Lab, Ozomatli

Burger Lounge, Ice Cream Lab, Ozomatli

Stories 23 Jul 2013
It's National Burger Month, so of course I invited Burger Lounge for a cookout with their 100% grass-fed burgers, organic quinoa burgers and other tasty eats. I also had Ice Cream Lab from Beverly Hills come by to show us their liquid nitrogen frozen treats!! (SOOO GOOD!) And the cherry on top of all this?? A live performance by three-time Grammy winners Ozomatli!! They sang "Paleta," a song from their new album coming this fall. You can see them FREE this Sunday at the TASTE of Hawthorne!!!
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Spectrum Athletic Clubs, Big Mista BBQ, Augie's Side Effect

Spectrum Athletic Clubs, Big Mista BBQ, Augie’s Side Effect

Stories 23 Jul 2013
It's Mother's Day Weekend so why not take Mom out to chow down like a mutha at the West Coast BBQ Classic @ the Queen Mary? It's going on Saturday afternoon and there will be tons of stuff going on including all manner of BBQ from 60 different pitmasters from around the country, a kids zone, pie and watermelon eating contests, music and adult games including one called CORNHOLE. Yes, it's true. There's also the workout event at all 12 Spectrum Athletic Club locations this weekend where you & Mom can sweat it out while raising money for a very good cause. For a $25 donation, you can take any class and 100% of the proceeds go to ALS research. Happy Mother's Day!!!
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Fox Gives, Cinco de Mayo, Los Angeles Mission

Fox Gives, Cinco de Mayo, Los Angeles Mission

Stories 23 Jul 2013
With all the fires and serious news this week, I was particularly grateful to be out and about for something very positive today. I joined FOX Gives (our network's philanthropic organization of staff volunteers) to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the LA Mission with a special fiesta featuring Mariachi Bella and delicious meals served to more than 500 women, men and children in need. Thanks, FoxGives by Twentieth Century Fox!!! And thanks to the Los Angeles Mission for the absolutely extraordinary work they do for so many people EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR!
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