What We're Talking About This Week

 

San Francisco's food scene has been getting better and better recently, but with sky high rents, some of the most inventive meals are served in pop ups around the city.  Here's a list of some of the best options over the next few weeks.

 

LA is having a bit of a renaissance architecturally right now, and this article breaks down some of the best new buildings in the city.

If, like us, you have dreamed many times of spending the night in Versailles, the opening of a 20 room hotel in the French Palace by 2020 is extremely exciting.  We'll start saving now...

Last night, Universal Studios finally opened the doors to the long awaited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Within the Potter themed park, you can go through Diagon Alley, drink butter beer, and ride the Hogwarts Express. Learn more and buy tickets here.

Italian Getaway: Mirror Houses

We are obsessed with these modern vacation cottages in South Tyrol, near the Dolomites. Northern Italy has been our vacation list for some time now, and this would be the perfect stopping point. There are two units, both single bedroom, but there is a sofa couch option, for a maximum of four guests. There is a pool if the weather is warm, and yoga classes are offered, if there's interest. The hosts have even put together a PDF city guide for Bolzano and the surrounding area.

Giovanni Caccamo and Deborah Lurato filmed a very dramatic music video there as well, which kind of makes us want to go in the winter instead...

For more information, visit their website here.

What We're Talking About This Week

Northern California has never been known for its bagels, but San Francisco's Wise Son's Jewish Delicatessen has made a big investment to change that. 

Santa Barbara Wine Country keeps getting better, and the whole country is taking notice.  We love this guide to the best of what's on offer for a weekend getaway.

Since David Bowie passed away early last month, there have been many beautiful tributes to him, but the one from this week's BRIT Awards is among the best.  Performed by Lorde and Bowie's own band, it was, in the word's of Bowie's son Duncan Jones 'Just... beautiful. Thank you.'

This is an election year unlike any other - with an unusual group of candidates, many divisive issues, and a seat on the Supreme Court at stake.  But it's also a significant year due to the changing demographics in the US, namely the rise of the single woman.  This article is a great long read about the hard earned power of the unmarried American woman.

On Sunday, we'll be watching the Oscars and keeping track of our best guesses on this ballot.  Look for our favorite gowns on Monday morning!

What We're Talking About This Week

It's nice to have a break after the excitement of the holidays, but as January comes to a close we are thinking about our next vacation.  This guide to some of the prettiest road trip destinations in California is a great jumping off point...

The next big TV event is this Tuesday night's The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story.  This post breaks down all the major players in the trial, for those who are too young to remember or in need of a refresh.

The temperature is going to drop in San Francisco this weekeend as El Nino ushers in another storm...  It's the perfect time to check out one of these six different mac & cheese dishes. 

 Tomorrow is the SoCal Museums Free-For-All-Day.  Check out their site for all of the locations that are participating, but this is a great way to check out many of LA's museums for free, or at a discounted ticket price.

What We're Talking About This Week - City Guide Edition

So much is always changing in both of our cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and in the surrounding areas.  We love keeping up to date with the latest restaurants, sights, shops, and exhibits, so we are always looking for the next great city guide to inspire us... These are some of our favorites recent ones:

A Foodie Guide to Napa & Sonoma

San Francisco Cocktail Guide


Paso Robles Wine Country Guide

Brad Goreski's Guide to LA

A music-inspired guide to Joshua Tree

What We're Talking About This Week

Few things in life are better than ice cream, and we look forward to sampling all the varieties LA has to offer using this handy Los Angeles Times list as our guide.

With the weather turning toward the colder seasons, we love the thought of relaxing in one of these warm hot springs on our next vacation.

It's almost October, and Oktoberfest by the Bay is happening a few days early.  Be sure to get tickets in advance for beer, German food, and plenty of polka music in San Francisco. 

As true California girls, recycling has always been part of our day to day.  But with new plastics and packaging, plus changing policies, sometimes it's hard to know what we can't and can't put in the bin.  This printable list lays it all out for you.

This Sunday is Venice's annual Abbot Kinney Festival.  We love this street fair for the music, shopping, food, and easy beach access!

What We're Talking About This Week

The San Francisco food scene has been blowing up lately, but the most in the know group of the best dining spots are the chefs.  This list of their ten favorite local restaurants is a great reference.

Los Angeles is a great place for a staycation, especially on a long weekend.  There are plenty of things going on, from the fair to theater to live music, over the next few days to keep Angelenos in town...

If you're up in NorCal for the weekend, Goop just released their updated guides to the Bay Area.  We like this one for the Napa Valley.

Also in NorCal is the Sausalito Arts Festival.  This annual event features the promised arts, along with lots of food and several bands.

LA hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984, and they are bidding on it a third time for 2024.

What We're Talking About This Week

A Gjusta Feast

Bon Appétit just announced their top 10 new restaurants for the year, and California is very well represented, with Al's Place and Rintaro in San Francisco at #1 and #8 respectively on the list, and LA's Gjusta and Petit Trois taking the second and third slots. 

Al's Place's Pickled Fries

 If you aren't lucky enough to live in California, Bon Appétit also shares some of their favorite recipes from the top ten restaurants, which you can check out here.

It's definitely all about food this week in San Francisco, with Eat Drink SF happening over the weekend.  The foodie festival heads to Los Angeles next weekend.

In the meantime, LA is hosting FYF Fest, a music festival featuring Kanye, Morrissey, Bloc Party, FKA Twigs, Dinosaur Jr., and Belle & Sebastian. 

 Summer and all of its wonderful trips are coming to an end.  We love this list of 12 Things You Should Do Every Time You Travel.  A few reminders never hurt anybody.

What We're Talking About This Week

After its sad farewell in April, San Francisco's favorite site, The Bold Italic, has returned under new management.  We can't wait to see what the new editors have in store.

Victoria Beckham is one of our Style Icons, and is also an inspiration as an entrepreneur.  Since leaving her pop career behind, she has built an incredible fashion label and defied critics to become a serious designer.  We love this list of her best quotes about her career achievements.

The Gamble House in Pasadena is one of our favorite places to visit in LA, and we wish we were able to join this weekend's Upstairs-Downstairs tour... Sadly, it's sold out, but this architectural gem is worth checking out anytime.

Much has been made recently about San Francisco's increasingly high rents, with correspondingly high dinners, parking, and cocktails.  But there are still plenty of cheap (or free!) things to do in the city, all for less than the price of a hotel gin & tonic, as this list attests.

 

We love a NorCal - SoCal crossover, for obvious reasons, and there are two big ones happening this week:  Both Tartine Bakery and Philz Coffee, San Francisco standbys, have found Los Angeles locations.  We hope LA will send some great spots up north in appreciation...  Lemonade?  Huckleberry?  Handsome Coffee revival?