Plans for tonight kind of fell together at the last minute.
My childhood friend and I decided against the LACMA (free after 5pm) because of the protests happening near the Israeli consulate (I can't even begin to talk about that), and opted instead for a bit of boutique browsing on Melrose. We went into one with some fashion-forward, well-priced-for-the-quality clothes. I wasn't planning to get anything, but asked where they sourced their stuff--she told me California Mart, one of the largest fashion wholesale centers in the US. It's in Downtown LA and has sample sales open to the public once a month. My mom and I used to shop there years and years ago.
We also visited Susina, a decent bakery (but doesn't hold a candle to SF's Tartine), for a sticky bun.
The one thing I really miss about LA is, as ya'll know, the abundance of authentic, and amazingly cheap, ethnic food. Tonight we went to Sanamluang Cafe in Thai Town (Hollywood Blvd. x Western Ave.). I forgot how much tasty goodness can be had for $6.50. We ordered:
- Tom kha gai: A huge bowl of the sour-ish Thai soup, much like tom yum, except with coconut milk. Flavored with lemongrass, galanga and cilantro, and chock-full of tender morsels of chicken and straw mushrooms.
- Pad kee mow: Probably my favorite type of Thai noodle. Flat rice noodles with tomatoes, onions, and your choice of ground meat (we chose beef).
- Stir-fried eggplant, vegetarian style with tofu.
There was a ton of food left over, enough for another 2 people probably, and the whole thing cost like $22 including tax. After that we headed to The Hungry Cat for drinks with some other friends. I had a very delicious oatmeal stout from the Craftsman Brewing Co. and chocolate bread pudding.
Oh, and we scored some free parking on Sunset Blvd. just a block away from the Hungry Cat!
