Find the best Los Angeles things to do for Feb. 23-26

Edited by Christina Xenos

EVENTS
Mardi Gras Celebration
Feb. 25-26, 28. The Original Farmers Market celebrates Mardi Gras with full regalia. Get in the spirit with traditional New Orleans and Zydeco music, bead-throwing, authentic Cajun food, beer, and much more including the annual Mutti Gras Pet Parade. Farmers Market, 6333 W. 3rd St., L.A., 323.933.9211. farmersmarketla.com

 

 

Academy Awards Viewing Parties
Feb. 26. You don’t need to be invited to the Academy Awards to get in on the action. Head to Oscars viewing parties at THE Blvd Lounge in Beverly Wilshire, Sofitel, Ocean Prime Beverly Hills, The Tuck Room Tavern, The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Paley, Tres by José Andrés and The Church Key.

 

 

Pop-Up Magazine
Feb. 24. The live multimedia magazine, created for a stage, a screen and a live audience returns to LA. The event features stories about the world accompanied by everything from illustrations and film to photography and an original score. Contributors for this show include Kelly McEvers (NPR), Kelley L. Carter (Emmy Award–winning writer) and Jazmine Hughes (New York Times magazine), among others. The night ends gathered around the bar. $32. 7:30. (Photo by Jon Snyder.) The Theatre at Ace Hotel, 933 S Broadway, downtown. popupmagazine.com

 

 

LA Art Book Fair
Feb. 23-26. Browse artists’ books, art catalogs, monographs, periodicals and zines presented by over 300 international presses, booksellers, antiquarians, artists and independent publishers at this artistic-literary event at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. The event is the companion fair to the NY Art Book Fair. 152 North Central Ave., downtown, 213.626.6222. laartbookfair.net

 

 

Late-Night Lichtenstein
Feb. 24. Take the Skirball up on the rare opportunity to see its buzzed-about exhibition—Pop for the People: Roy Lichtenstein in L.A.—at night for free. The show includes more than 70 works by the Pop Art master. You’ll also have the chance to pick up some exhibition swag and take part in curator-led tours of the galleries. 5-10 p.m. (Photo: Wallpaper with Blue Floor Interior, Roy Lichtenstein, Wallpaper with Blue Floor Interior, 1992. © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein / Gemini G.E.L.) 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A., 310.440.4500. skirball.org

 

 

FOOD + DRINK
The Ponte
James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Scott Conant teams up with Stephane Bombet of Bombet Hospitality Group to open the new contemporary Italian restaurant. The French bistro vibe of the former Terrine location is traded for a relaxed romantic ambiance complete with the swoon-worthy back patio. Highlights of the menu include inspired dishes like wood-roasted prawns with Calabrian chili butter and squid ink farro risotto; braised duck agnolotti with foie gras emulsion; Conant’s signature spaghetti pomodoro; and more including a variety of pizzas and larger format entrees like boneless osso buco for two with gnocchi alla romana and bone marrow gremolata. The restaurant’s bar program fronted by head bartender Ryan Wainwright celebrates California citrus and Italian herbs with aperitivo-inspired classics and house drinks, including a negroni flight and Wainwright’s US Bacardi Legacy-winning Playa Fortuna with Bacardi Superior, lime juice, coconut cordial, and tartaric acid. Drinks pair perfectly with the bar menu of dishes like ricotta fritters, Calabrian chicken wings; and their signature dry aged Ponte burger with tallegio cheese, caramelized onions and picked mustard seeds. The restaurant opens with dinner nightly with brunch to arrive March 4. 8265 Beverly Blvd., L.A., 323.746.5130. thepontela.com

 

 

La Tropézienne Bakery
French cuisine meets the City of Angels at the new bakery that channels the Côte d’Azur city Saint-Tropez. The bright and airy locale is the canvas for chef Laurent Cavazza to showcase his selections of pastries, sandwiches, salads and additional baked goods from his home town. Menu signatures include the Tarte Tropézienne, a specialty dessert pastry consisting of a filled brioche; Éclair Tropézien; Salmon Lemon Butter and a variety of specialty pizzas. Mon.-Weds., 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri., 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday it opens at 7 a.m. and stays open 24 hours until Sunday at 9 p.m. 211 S. La Brea Ave. latropeziennebakery.com

 

 

Congee Pop-Up from Mei Lin
Feb. 25. Top Chef Mei Lin pops up in LA with a congee menu. Try dishes like The “OG” with pork sung, onsen egg, fried shallots and garlic, XO sauce and scallions; “Shrimp & Grits;” and Truffled Crab Congee. $10-$16. Cash only. 6 p.m. until the food is gone. 6624 Melrose Ave., L.A.

 

 

MatchaBar
LA continues to see green with the opening of Brooklyn’s original matcha cafe in Silver Lake. Signature drinks include everything from Sparkling Cucumber-Lime Matcha to their Turmeric Ginger Matcha Latte. You can also pick up Gjusta baked goods without having to trek to the Westside. 3534 Sunset Blvd., L.A. matchabarnyc.com

 

 

Little Dom’s Mardi Gras Feast
Feb. 25-28. A New Orleans native, chef Brandon Boudet is bringing the flavors of Mardi Gras to his Los Feliz restaurant Little Dom’s. Dine on favorites like shrimp, andouille and chicken gumbo; roast beef and/or soft shell crab po’boys; bread pudding and more including king cake. 2128 Hillhurst Ave., L.A., 323.661.0055. littledoms.com

 

 

THEATER
Finding Neverland
Through March 12. This popular musical follows playwright J.M. Barrie as he is inspired by four young brothers and their mother to dream up the magical world of Peter Pan. Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323.468.1770. hollywoodpantages.com

 

 

 

Fun Home
Through April 1. This groundbreaking Broadway show and Tony winner for best musical is based on cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s best-selling graphic novel about her childhood. (Photo by Joan Marcus.) Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org

 

 

 

Zoot Suit
Through March 19. Demián Bichir (A Better Life, The Hateful Eight) stars in this much-anticipated revival of Luis Valdez’s landmark 1978 play. (Photo courtesy of Center Theatre Group.) Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org

 

 

 

Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Through March 18. Eugene O’Neill’s semi-autobiographical masterpiece won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1957. Jane Kaczmarek and Alfred Molina star in this powerful portrait of a single day. Gil Cates Theater, Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood, 310.208.5454. geffenplayhouse.com

 

 

 

Plasticity
Through March 13. The multilayered, multimedia theatrical event aims to take audiences on an often comedic tour of the collective unconscious. Ovation Award-winning co-writers Alex Lyras and Robert McCaskill (The Common Air) team with Grammy Award-nominated composer Ken Rich, visual artist Corwin Evans and two-time Emmy Award-winning editor/producer Peter Chakos (The Big Bang Theory) to examine how the brain is able to rewire and heal itself. In it, a comatose man recreates his identity by delving deeply into his memories, while hovering family members and loved ones (all played by Lyras) divide into scheming camps over grave neurological decisions. Hudson Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., 323.960.7787. plasticitytheplay.com

 

 

The Found Dog Ribbon Dance
Through March 12. Professional cuddler Norma’s quest to return a lost dog to its rightful owner leads her to encounter a slew of oddballs, and maybe even discover a second chance at love. The world premiere of the bittersweet romantic comedy is about loneliness, oxytocin and the healing power of Whitney Houston. $30. The Echo Theater Company @ Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., L.A., 310.307.3753. echotheatercompany.com