My Restaurant Reviews

This might come as a shock to you, but I'm quite the jet-setter. One day I'm in New York City, the next I'm in Los Angeles. Sometimes all in one day.

During my recent travels, I stopped by a few restaurants that I really enjoyed. I decided to share my reviews of them, in case you ever find yourself in the area and decide to go.

Enjoy!

The Max, Los Angeles

If you love flashy neon colors, retro designs, and all-American food, you seriously need to stop by The Max, which is over in the Pacific Palisades.

The prices are reasonable. The food is simple, but it's good. Burgers. Fries. Milkshakes.

The back story of the place is pretty quirky as well. It was opened by a magician, and sometimes he'll come to each table and perform a silly little trick and crack stupid jokes. But it's all in good fun.

The only downside is if you hit the place up after 2 p.m. it tends to get overcrowded with obnoxious teenagers from the nearby Bayside High School.

The afternoon I was there, a few of them came out of nowhere and randomly held a dance-off, which delayed my food from being served by 23 minutes. I was SO annoyed.

Here is a crappy cell phone pic I took of the scene:

Peach Pit, Beverly Hills

I have a soft spot for old-school diners, so when I stumbled upon the Peach Pit, I couldn't have been more delighted.

Again, you're looking at all-American food, but it's absolutely delicious and hot off the grill. The interior is very retro and there's even a jukebox.

My server, Brandon, was super cute and even flirted with me a little, which made me kind of uneasy later on, because I found out he was in high school (he looked 26).

Here's a crappy cell phone pic of my server and the owner:

Central Perk, New York City

Sometimes, it's just nice to get away from Starbucks. So, when I found myself in Greenwich Village one day, I decided to try out a popular local coffee shop, Central Perk.

Before I even ordered my coffee, I was already impressed. It had such a cozy, yet vibrant atmosphere. The couches were comfy. The coffee mugs were huge. The place was filled with attractive people around my own age.

I was a little taken aback by the sour-faced barista, Gunther, who took my order with undisguised sarcasm.

I was in such a good mood after leaving the place, I even tipped a pretty blonde hippie who was singing about smelly cats in front of the main entrance.

Stay tuned for my next restaurant review post, where I'll detail my visits to Shooters, Krusty Burger, and Bluth's Banana Stand.

Will you visit these places?

What are your favorite restaurants?

Welcome to the Dollhouse

"You think you're hot shit, but really you're just cold diarrhea."

Sometimes I wish more than anything that I could teach a class on pop culture. I feel this desperate need to educate young adults on the books they should read, television shows they should watch, movies they should see, and celebrities they should know about.

Especially when I encounter gob smacking moments, such as discovering that the guy working in the CD department at Best Buy has never heard of Elton John or the teenage follower who confessed on my blog she prefers not to watch movies that were made before 2000.

Today, I'm going to educate you on a film that I truly believe every person should have on their "to watch" list: Welcome to the Dollhouse.

Director Todd Solondz basically shoved his hands into the grimy bloody intestines of the 1990s adolescence experience and made you smell it.

It's the most frustrating as fuck movie to watch, and yet it will tug at your heartstrings for the rest of your life.

The 1995 movie revolves around Dawn Wiener, an ugly duckling suffocating through seventh grade. She is bullied mercilessly by her classmates. Her parents favor her pretty little sister. The guy she's in love with barely knows she exists.

Not only will the plot rip apart your heart, but the film is littered with profanity-laced verbal gems that will have your head reeling.

Even if you aren't an unattractive white middle-class 12-year-old from New Jersey, you know one thing for sure when you're watching this film: You are Dawn Wiener.

It is a film that not only defines a generation, but projects the reality of adolescence.

In other words, you don't have to be a 90's kid to feel like bawling your eyes out when Dawn is denied a slice of chocolate cake at the dinner table.

In honor of Welcome to the Dollhouse, I let the middle school part of me create a little collage:

What do you think?

Have you seen Welcome to the Dollhouse?

Book review: 29

I really tried to get into Fifty Shades of Grey, but it was so boring and terribly written, I couldn't make it past half of it.

So, I needed something to keep me awake during my flight to North Carolina last week. I ended up fishing a cute little beach read out of the bargain bin at my local bookstore.

It is called 29. The author is Adena Halpern.

I didn't have particularly high hopes for the book, because I'm cynical, but after the first few pages, I could tell it was going to be a winner. And by the time I finished the book, a couple hours later, I was pleasantly surprised.

The book embodies history and chick-lit, two of my favorite genres. One of my favorite books of all time is Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella and one of my favorite films is Freaky Friday. This book is very similar to them.

The novel revolves around Ellie, a 75-year-old grandmother who has more in common with her 29-year-old fashion designer granddaughter, Lucy, than anyone else in the world. The senior citizen has many regrets about her life, which was a cookie cutter 1950s American Dream. She wishes that she could have been more independent and glamorous like Lucy, rather than a real-life Donna Reed housewife.

So, on her birthday, Ellie wishes she could be 29 just for one day. Of course, her wish comes true.

The elegant and beautiful grandmother wakes up the next morning to discover she is the sexy, vibrant bombshell she used to be five decades before.

She takes advantage of her new found youth and embarks on a day filled with adventures.

There is a lot of fashion. There are a lot of hot guys. There is friendship.

But the book is more than just delicious cotton candy fluff. It critically analyzes the female bonds which tie families together. It really makes you see the importance of family and friendships. It also makes you see the necessity of being true to yourself in order to fully reach happiness.

It's that deep.

I was touched by this book. It's not going to win a Pulitzer any time soon. That's not the point. But it's definitely not worthy of the bargain big I rescued it from.

You should check it out!

I Think We're Alone Now

I'm sorry for disappearing off the face of the planet for the past week.

I've been swamped with work, plus my best friend Jonny is in town, so I've been spending most of my free time with him.

In between attending city council meetings, writing stories, and sipping cocktails with my bestie, I managed to sneak in a short, very entertaining documentary, which was suggested to me by my blog friend, Jillian.

This jaw-dropping documentary, I Think We're Alone Now, focuses on two crazy ass men who are in love with Tiffany.

Yes, Tiffany. The teen pop princess from the late 1980s.

Even though her star has faded in the music world, the suffocating, mind-whirling love these men share for her hasn't waned a bit since 1988.

There is Jeff, a 57-year-old autistic man who has been charged with stalking Tiffany numerous times. He's shown up at every single concert and appearance she has given in the past 24 years. He has been arrested for trespassing at her home and also for brandishing a sword near the pop star.

The other crazy ass stalker is Kelly, a intersexual (hermaphrodite) who is practically homeless, but holds on to his passion for Tiffany like a light in the dark. The walls of his dilapidated apartment are adorned with Tiffany photos and song lyrics.

I think what creeps me out the most is that both of these grown men genuinely believe Tiffany has a special connection with them.

Jeff says, despite the numerous restraining orders the singer has put on him, he is Tiffany's closest and dearest friend. He said they share a bond no one else in the world will ever have. He said Tiffany calls him up at night, just to tell him that she considers him the most important person in her life.

Kelly, on the other hand, is madly in love with Tiffany. When the aging pop star got married a few years ago, Kelly's world came crashing down. Kelly can't even talk about Tiffany's husband without shaking in fury. The stalker believes his destiny is to be with Tiffany romantically one day. Kelly is frustrated nobody else can see it.

Both men have met Tiffany. And while she was nothing but super sweet with them, you could tell Tiffany was completely freaked out. She's known Jeff her entire adult life (the guy has stalked her since she was 16 for god's sake). Meeting Kelly for the first time, after a concert, was clearly a strange moment for the middle-aged mom.

Despite their obvious psychoticness, the documentary shows a vulnerable, and almost innocent side to these men. They're both so eerily interesting and their lives are so much more than obsessed fans.

I highly recommend this documentary.

My Dinosaur Childhood

When I was a kid, one of my favorite television shows was Dinosaurs.

My parents and I used to watch it every Sunday evening. I always looked forward to it. My impression of the baby character was so uncanny, it made me the most popular girl in my second-grade class. All my friends would beg me to contort my face and screech, "I'm the baby, gotta love me!"

Well, the other night, after fondly recollecting happy childhood memories, I went on youtube to refamiliarize myself with the show.

And after watching ten minutes of an episode, only one thought raced through my mind:

WHAT THE FUCK WAS I THINKING?!?!

The show is awful. It is creepy. It is wrong on so, so many levels. I can't even comprehend how it got passed by network executives.

How did my parents let me watch it?! What is wrong with them?! It makes me question their parenting skills.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, because you were fortunate enough to be born after 1990, here is the premise:

A family of average American dinosaurs, the Sinclairs, live together in a charming little bungalow. There is a mom, dad, teenage brother, teenage sister, baby, and grandma. They are blue-collar. The dad is lazy and watches too much television. The baby only gets pleasure in making everyone else miserable, bonking the father on the head with a frying pan, and shoving his face with food. The grandmother is a bitch. The kids are too cool for school. The mom is frustratingly naive.

For a family show, it took on some pretty eye-opening topics, such as sexual harassment, homosexuality, religion, racism, masturbation, and drug abuse, to name a few.

If I remember correctly, and um, this is a spoiler alert, the last episode pretty much results with the family's demise as the ice age kills everybody off.

Seriously. The entire cast dies.

Here are some memorable Baby Sinclair scenes:

...have you said "wtf" yet??

What do you think? Did you ever watch Dinosaurs growing up?

Teen Witch (gotta love the 80s)

I grew up wishing I had gone to high school during the 1980s. The decade seemed like a magical place for a teenage girl. Especially the late 80s. It was a Debbie Gibson world, filled with hot pink nail polish, fluffy crimped hair wrapped around pastel blue scrunchies, and cute boys hanging out at the mall.

Everything I love about the late 1980s can be found in one horribly cheesy, absolutely ridiculous movie: Teen Witch.



It is so bad. So, so bad. And yet I can't get enough.

Teen Witch, which came out in theaters in 1989, revolves around a teenage girl, Louise, who, despite being a geeky straight-A student, leads a pretty charmed life. She has a best friend who adores her. She is attractive. She lives in a big two-story house with her equally dorky, yet loving parents.



But how can life be perfect when the captain of your high school's football team doesn't even know you exist?!

Clearly, this was the end of the world for teenage girls during the 1980s. Louise, played by Robyn Lively, is madly in love with Brad, who is a dead-ringer for a 27-year-old Tom Cruise. But, unfortunately, sexy Brad is dating a bitchy blonde cheerleader with a better perm.



Luckily, Louise accidentally discovers she's a witch. The next logical step, of course, is for Louise to use her magic to make herself the most popular girl in school.



Will Brad fall in love with her now?!? I'm not going to leave any spoilers here. You'll just have to find out for yourself.



Despite its delicious cliches and adorably predictable plot, this movie has some cringe-worthy moments.

There is rapping. Horrible 1980s rapping. Warning: This might be the most uncomfortable video you will ever encounter on my blog.



There is a horny midget.



There is an excruciatingly random musical number, entitled "I Like Boys" sung by perky cheerleaders wearing leotards in a girls locker room.



Well, you get the picture.

Viewing this movie is like stuffing a bagful of Skittles into your mouth.

Anyway, imagine my shock when I discovered that the main character, Louise, was actually played by Blake Lively's older sister! Huh.



The two actresses are actually super close, despite the 15-year difference.

How cool is that?

Jackie O's crazy relatives

Last night, I saw an amazing documentary.



Grey Gardens is a startling and mesmerizing peak into the lives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's aunt, Big Edie, and her first cousin, Little Edie.



The documentary, from 1975, reveals the mother and daughter lived in complete squalor in a filthy old mansion. They ate canned food in a garbage-covered room, while cats peed on the bed. They cackled over meaningless jokes. They sang songs nobody remembered. They fought over petty nonsense.



What makes this raw footage even more shocking is that these two women were once beautiful and dazzling society ladies.

Big Edie, who was the sister to Jackie O's father, married a prominent, wealthy lawyer.



Her only daughter, Little Edie, was born in 1917.



Big Edie was desperate to become a famous jazz singer and despite being a high society wife, she longed to have a Bohemian artistic lifestyle. Her inappropriate behavior and jazz lounge gigs humiliated her husband, who eventually left her, taking all his money with him.



On a whim, Big Edie took her daughter out of boarding school, forcing the child to attend musicals and movies with her every single day. After two years, Big Edie was forced to put her daughter back in school.



Little Edie grew up into the most gorgeous female in her family. Even her younger cousin (the future First Lady) would never even compare.



In the 1940s, Little Edie became a fashion model, but the career was shot down when her furious and embarrassed father found out.



She flirted and dated dozens of the most handsome and wealthiest bachelors in the world. Even John F. Kennedy's older brother fell madly in love with her after one night, begging for her hand in marriage after seeing her briefly at a dance.



But Little Edie brushed them all away, because she was holding out for someone spectacular. She just wasn't sure who yet.



In her late 20s, she moved to New York City to pursue her dream of being a star. She also secretly wanted to find that magical Mr. Right she had been dreaming about since girlhood.



By 1952, she had found neither yet. Her mother, Big Edie, called her, insisting she return to their East Hampton home, Grey Gardens, and keep her company. Immediately. She didn't want to be alone, and didn't think it was a good idea for Little Edie to pursue her dreams in the Big Apple anymore.



With her tail between her legs, Little Edie moved back into her childhood home and quickly sunk into madness. A skin condition caused her to lose all her hair, becoming bald and eyebrowless. She had to wear turbans every day. She spent years taking care of her mother, bitterly agonizing about "what might have been" if she had stayed in New York City, or married one of her wealthy girlhood suitors.



She wallowed most of her adult life in complete regret. She blamed her mother for it too.

As the years went by, they became poorer and poorer. They had to sell furniture, piece by piece, to survive in their decaying mansion.



And there they were, in 1975, two faded beauties lost in their own disappointments and swallowing their "what ifs." Big Edie spent hours listening to her old jazz records, wishing she had made it as a singing sensation during the 1930s. Little Edie longingly gazed at photographs of herself when she was a 20-something knockout and could stop traffic with her looks.



No money. No friends. No future.

But not forgotten.

Decades after the documentary was released, it inspired a musical about the mother and daughter in 2006, plus a television drama starring Drew Barrymore (playing Little Edie) last year.

Two spreads in Vogue have been dedicated to Little Edie's style, and in 2007, Marc Jacobs created the Little Edie bag for his collection.