The first weekend of 2019 is ideal timing to try something new like dining at a new L.A. culinary hot spot. Check out all of our top Los Angeles weekend event picks for January 3-6.
Edited by William Yelles.
EVENTS
Strike Force Football Tryouts
Jan. 5. The L.A. Rams and Chargers’ rosters are all set for the postseason, but it’s not too late to become a pro football star. The San Diego Strike Force—the newest entry into the 10-team Indoor Football League— will hold tryouts at Pasadena High School. Noon-3 p.m. $85. 2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena. sdstrikeforce.com
Japanese New Year
Jan. 6. Little Tokyo comes alive to welcome the Year of the Boar. At the Japanese American National Museum’s Oshogatsu Family Festival, celebrate with crafts, food, cultural activities and performances. See website for complete schedule. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 100 N. Central Ave., Little Tokyo, 213.625.0414. janm.org
Kotohajime Celebration
Jan. 6. The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s signature Japanese new year Kotohajime celebration features a ritual shooting of the arrow, and traditional and contemporary dance and performances. 1 p.m. $20. 244 S. San Pedro St., Little Tokyo, 213.628.2725. jaccc.org
Chinese Lantern Festival
Through Jan. 6. The Chinese Lantern Festival lights up the night with the glow of more than 1,000 lanterns ranging in size from 12-23 feet tall. This year’s theme, “The Wild,” spotlights five different locations–America, Oceania, Asia, Antarctica and Africa—with lanterns representing wild animals from each region. 5:30-10 p.m. $13-$21. Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, 855.618.8188. chineselanternfestival.com
L.A. Zoo Lights
Through Jan. 6. Take a self-guided stroll through a large area of the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens filled with animal-themed displays, dynamic lights and projections. The nighttime journey includes super-sized snowflakes, a disco ball forest and a herd of animated elephants. 6-10 p.m. See website for ticket prices. 5333 Zoo Drive, Griffith Park, 323.644.4200. lazoolights.org
FOOD + DRINK
Alta Adams
Now Open. Alta Adams, the latest project from Bay Area-based chef Daniel Patterson, recently opened in the historic neighborhood of West Adams. Soul food is the star at his newest venture. But it’s not entirely traditional American soul food; oxtails, spiced plantain chips and pigs’ feet add a welcome West African edge. Patterson’s casual Adams Coffee Shop serving sandwiches and salads is next door. 5359 W. Adams Blvd., L.A., 323.571.4999. altaadams.com
The Green Room
Now Open. Last year, Castaway, Burbank’s fine-dining mainstay, got a revamp, complete with a brand-new design and menu. Now, there’s a new draw at the hilltop restaurant. The Green Room recently opened its secret doors, revealing an intimate cocktail lounge and private patio. The reservations-only spot open Friday and Saturday nights only ushers visitors behind a purple velvet rope into a stylish, midcentury-modern lounge, with windows looking out onto the property’s famous view of the Valley. F-Sa 8-11 p.m. 1250 E. Harvard Road, Burbank, 818.962.4446. tgrburbank.com
Mister O’s
Now Open. The Valley’s dining renaissance has turned Ventura Boulevard into a culinary hot spot. The latest evidence: Mister O’s, a
new restaurant and cocktail lounge from restaurateur Michael Cardenas. Dishes like fried turmeric bread and mackerel are offered for dinner, while brunch brings corn-flour pancakes, chilaquiles and chickpea stew. 11838 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, 818.358.3839. misterosla.com
McConnell’s Winter Flavors
Now Available. Artisanal ice-cream scoop shop McConnell’s kicks off the new year with new winter flavors: blood orange, winter pear crisp and vanilla grapefruit. All McConnell’s flavors are made completely from scratch with seasonal fruits and Central Coast grass-grazed milk and cream. Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway, downtown; 4634 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz; 15209 Palisades Village Lane, Pacific Palisades; 12073 Ventura Place, Studio City. mcconnells.com
Malibu Wines & Beer Gardens’ Food-Truck Event
Jan. 5. Malibu Wines & Beer Gardens (Malibu Wines’ sister tasting room in West Hills) hosts a food-truck extravaganza. Scheduled to participate: Kream Kong Ice Cream, Cousins Maine Lobster, Black Sugar Rib Co., Chomp Chomp, Two Doughs Pizza and Richcheeze. Besides beer and wine, there will be live music to pair with your eats. Noon-9 p.m. Malibu Wines & Beer Garden, 23130 Sherman Way, West Hills. malibuwines.com
ARTS + CULTURE
Pompeii: The Exhibition
Now Open. Pompeii: The Exhibition features more than 150 artifacts and even plaster body casts of some of the volcano’s 16,000 victims, frozen in their final positions. Projections, murals, videos and an immersive, 4D “Eruption Theater” enhance the experience for visitors. See website for hours and ticket prices. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, 800.410.8354 reaganlibrary.gov
Project Blue Boy
Now On View. Rarely is one work of art as inextricably tied to an institution as Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy (circa 1770) is to The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. But over the years, the iconic work has started to show some signs of wear. That’s where conservator Christina O’Connell stepped in. During Project Blue Boy, she’s working on the painting—performing paint stabilization, surface cleaning, varnish renewal and inpainting. Through January, visitors can see the conservation in action. See website for hours and ticket prices. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, 626.405.2100. huntington.org
Mehta’s Brahms
Jan. 3-6. On the first two nights, Zubin Mehta conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance of Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 preceded by Brahms’ towering Violin Concerto, for which Mehta is joined by legendary violinist Pinchas Zukerman. The final two concerts feature Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 and his magnificent Double Concerto. Mehta is joined by legendary violinist Pinchas Zukerman. Th-Sa 8 p.m., Su 2 p.m. See website for ticket prices. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown, 323.850.2000. laphil.com
Come From Away
Through Jan. 6. This moving musical is set in the week following the Sept. 11 attacks and tells the true story of what transpired when 38 planes carrying 7,000 passengers were ordered to land unexpectedly in a small, welcoming town in Newfoundland. See website for show times and ticket prices. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org
STYLE + BEAUTY
260LA Sample Sale
Through Jan. 6. 260LA welcomes designers Marchesa, Joie, Equipment and Current/Elliott to its rotating space of pop-up sample sales. Shop discounts on women’s fashion including apparel and accessories at prices far below retail. Su-M 11 a.m.-5 p.m., W-Sa 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 301 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, 424.278.1257. 260la.com
Photos: LA Zoo Lights by Jamie Pham/GLAZA. San Diego Strike Force courtesy @sdstrikeforce/Instagram. Japanese New Year photo courtesy Japanese American National Museum/Facebook. Kotohajime by Wakana Kimura. Mister O’s by Ryan Tanaka. Project Blue Boy courtesy The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. “Come From Away” by Matthew Murphy. 260LA Sample Sale courtesy @260la/Instagram.
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