Archive for the ‘pets’Category

Loews Hollywood classes it up with renovated hotel

After nearly two years of renovations, the Loews Hollywood Hotel is now sleek and modern. And with the unveiling of its new H2 lobby bar, the hotel is now a legitimate place to relax with a drink away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood Boulevard, and even the Hollywood & Highland complex located right next door.

Loews purchased the former Renaissance property back in 2012, and it’s a good thing it did. I remember the old hotel, with lots of primary colors (green and orange stands out in my mind) splashed across its walls and carpets. It was not what one might consider posh.

The new version is much improved. I had the opportunity to stay overnight in one of its renovated rooms, which offer lots of space with an average of 400 square feet each. You get free wifi in your room and throughout the hotel (score!), and Loews properties are pet-friendly (double score!).

King room at Loews

King room at Loews

Sofa area

Sofa area

Bathroom

Bathroom

View from my room overlooking Hollywood & Highland

View from my room overlooking Hollywood & Highland and the pool

The H2 lobby bar just opened last week, so its food and beverage menus are still being worked out, but until then, if you tell the bartender what kind of spirit you like, he’ll make you something that will surely please. I got a nicely crafted New York sour, complete with a pretty red wine float.

New York sour

New York sour

I also sampled some dishes that are currently being considered for the bar menu. The pastrami sandwich on doughnut buns was a big hit, and I was pleased to find that the doughnuts were not frosted (because that would be, like, ew).

Pastrami doughnut sandwiches

Pastrami doughnut sandwiches

The lobster pups (mini lobster corn dogs) were some of my favorites, too. It’s fried. It’s lobster. How can you not like this?

Lobster pups

Lobster pups

As part of our tour, I was able to visit the hotel’s helipad and take in the view with a glass of champagne. Ah, the Hollywood life. Word has it that the Loews Hollywood is planning on offering special experiences on that helipad in the future. So if you’re looking for a way to pop the question or celebrate some other notable milestone, the hotel’s helipad might be just what you’re looking for.

Overlooking Highland Avenue from the helipad

Overlooking Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue from the helipad

Note: The visit to the lobby bar and the overnight stay were complimentary.

10

03 2014

Bits and pieces: Artisanal L.A., Barkley Pet Hotel, The Food Event

Bakelab goodies. From Bakelab.

Artisanal L.A.: This weekend-long shopping, tasting and educational event comes from those who brought you the L.A. Street Food Fest and Unique L.A., so you know it’ll be fun. Artisanal L.A. will showcase the city’s finest local, sustainable and handmade edibles, including treats from Bakelab, Cake Monkey Bakery, Bonadea Drinks, Scoops and The Oaks Gourmet, among many others. For $10 (advance purchase; $15 at the door), you’ll get unlimited entry for two days to enjoy all this plus local craft beer and spirits tastings, a one-of-a-kind tote bag for the first 1,000 attendees, arts and crafts workshops, speakers and chef demonstrations, giveaways, Pitchfork’s Mud Baron giving out seedlings, and gift wrap hosted by Uncouth Gourmands benefiting the LA Regional Food Bank. Partial proceeds will benefit Los Angeles Unified School District’s Edible School Gardens.

The Cooper Building
860 S. Los Angeles St., 11th Floor Penthouse
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Oct. 23 and Oct. 24
11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Barkley Pet Hotel & Day Spa: Billed as the Ritz-Carlton of pet hotels, The Barkley is opening up this weekend in Westlake. While there are other shi-shi pet hotels, including D Pet Hotels, what makes this place unique is its inclusion of birds and exotics in its description of “pets.” Now you can house your dog, cat, bird and snake all at the same place! There are overnight accommodations, grooming and spa services, day camp, obedience training, and pick-up and delivery service. The full-service day spa services include baths, body massages, mud-masks and “pawdicures.” Prices start at $45 per night. Not too shabby, huh? If you’d like to check it out, there will be sneak preview tours this weekend with entertainment, auctions, raffles and food with all proceeds benefiting local pet charities. Advance tickets are free with registration.

The Barkley Pet Hotel & Day Spa
31166 Via Colinas
Westlake Village, CA 91362

Preview tours Oct. 23 and Oct. 24
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Grand opening Oct. 25

The Food Event: Los Angeles magazine’s annual event will also be celebrating the magazine’s 50th anniversary and its November “Mexican Food Lovers Guide” issue. The day will feature chefs, culinary experts and sommeliers with lots of unlimited food, wine and other treats, including the Top Chef Masters panel in the Conversation Lounge. Some of the luminaries scheduled to appear are Susan Feniger of Street and Border Grill, Mark Gold of Eva Restaurant, Laurent Quenioux of Bistro LQ, Ian Blackburn of LearnAboutWine and more. On top of all that is the location of the event, Saddlerock Ranch in the Malibu hills, home to Semler and Saddlerock wines. Nice!

Saddlerock Ranch
31727 Mulholland Highway
Malibu, CA 90265

Oct. 24
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
$95 in advance (for $5 more get a one-year subscription to Los Angeles magazine, too); $110 at the door

20

10 2010

How could an event called PAWStronomical not be good?

What NOT to do: Feed your dog beer (or put a samurai hat on him)

I’ve been remiss in posting about pet-related items and events, so I wanted to make sure I posted about this educational event (that will also have vendors!). If you want to learn about your pet’s health and what to do to help your pet in case of an emergency, then you should check out PAWStronomical, an annual pet health fair organized by the Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter. You’ll learn pet CPR, how to help a chocking animal and how to perform a head-to-tail checkup. And there will be raffle prizes, including gift certificates for animal massages and Disneyland tickets.

Here are the details:

April 17, 2010
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Woodbury University Auditorium
7500 Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91510
Tickets: $15 advance/$20 at door (children under 12: $5 advance/$10 at door)
Raffle tickets: $1 for one ticket; $5 for six; $10 for 12.

26

03 2010

Oh weekend, how I’ve missed thee

4040111047_159afa5540_mWeekends just don’t come around quickly enough. To celebrate the coming of this weekend, here are some events to consider:

Friday: Harveys, purveyors of fancy seat belt hand bags, is continuing its search for the most arty of designs to feature in its Melrose Avenue store and to feature on one of its bags. From 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., stop by the store to help narrow the entries down from 10 to three. Hot dogs, party punch and raffles will sustain you through what promises to be an arduous voting process.

Saturday: D.O.G. pet boutique on La Cienega in West Hollywood is hosting a custom jewelry event for your furry friends. Bring you four-legged friend to the Bling Your Bitch event (not the best name, I know) between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to check out the myriad charms, crystals and pearls available to create your own doggie jewelry, which can be coordinated to some you make for yourself, too. Prices start at $12 for the Gems4Paws-designed bling. Oh, and there’s champagne!

Sunday: The 23rd Annual Great Chefs of Los Angeles is themed “Go Green, Go Organic” and will feature more than 30 L.A.-area chefs and their food, including the Dragos, Benjamin Ford, Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, Neal Fraser and Akasha Richmond. Enjoy all the food and alcohol you can handle from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at CBS Studio Center in Studio City. There will also be auctions to benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. Tickets are $150, but you can get them for $75 through Goldstar.

And if you haven’t had enough, stop by Stinkers Truck Stop‘s one-year anniversary party. The oh-so-ironic Silver Lake bar will be having drink specials, a DJ and swag giveaways from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Because you need to close out the weekend right.

05

11 2009

Haute couture + pugs

What could “haute couture + pugs” equal? Valentino, of course. “Valentino: The Last Emperor” came out in March, but the DVD release is scheduled for Sept. 8. For whatever reason (laziness?), I’ve put off seeing this documentary. But how could I not see it when the man has five pugs that he takes every where with him? I mean, pugs are so high fashion. Check out this clip:

What I want to know is how Valentino deals with all that dog hair…

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25

08 2009

Where to stay with Felix or Fido on your next trip

Hotel Palomar's pet amenities. Courtesy of Hotel Palomar.

Hotel Palomar's pet amenities. Courtesy of Hotel Palomar.

  • Hotel Palomar: This Kimpton-owned property allows all types of pets no matter what the species or size, within reason of course. I mean, where would they put a horse? For most of us, this means bringing your dog along, and like any good pet friendly hotel, the concierge will arrange for a staff member to walk your dog and even to pet sit. And in addition to the in-room amenities — treats, a bed, even doggie “beer” (chicken or beef-flavored broth), you can get your special four-legged friend a massage or an acupuncture treatment. How’s that for pampering?

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05

08 2009

Pet product review: Dogswell Veggie Life dog treats

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Dogswell, the pet food company that started out six years ago with dried meat (jerky) products, now has a full product line of dry and wet food, biscuits, and wraps and veggies. Dubbed Veggie Life, the treats are made from fruits or vegetables wrapped in chicken jerky. I had picked up a couple of samples at the America’s Family Pet Expo back in April, but I had forgotten about them. Since the expiration date read 1/21/2011 (scary, right?), I figured it was safe to feed them to my dogs in a taste test.

As I’ve said before, I have two pugs. Now, pugs are not the most discerning when it comes to food. They will pretty much eat anything that you give them (except mine won’t eat lettuce). So this post is more about how I perceived the food than how my dogs did because they just gobbled it up.

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29

07 2009

Pet product review: Bamboo’s dog body brush with shampoo applicator

dogbrushshampooI’ve been using Bamboo’s dog body brush lately when bathing my dogs, and I have to say that the pugs love it. With its large rubber-like bristles, the brush must be like a massage for them because they get his peaceful look on their faces when I rub it over their backs. The brush also has a pocket stuffed with a small plastic bottle that you’re supposed to fill with shampoo, and the top opens with one click for relatively easy one-handed application.

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07

07 2009

Malibu pugs

This is the first post by filmmaker (and my boyfriend!) Rory Delaney. This video was shot and edited by him.

If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for cheap excursions in LA. And since I’m a beach guy and a dog guy, a combo of the two packs the perfect punch. Unfortunately, LA city officials couldn’t agree less and forbade dogs from Santa Monica Beach all the way down to Redondo. (If you have a rebellious streak and press your luck, know that if you and your pooch get busted it’s punishable by a $600 fine). And while there are official dog beaches in Long Beach and Huntington Beach — Maya and I used to frequent Huntington’s Bark Beach when we lived in Anaheim once upon a time — the last thing I want to spend my free time doing is battling Orange County traffic with two revved-up pugs on my lap kicking my bladder repeatedly.

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25

06 2009

America’s Family Pet Expo with Tyson the Skateboarding Bulldog

Here’s a short video of my trip to America’s Family Pet Expo. I know it was back in April, but I thought you all might want to see some of Tyson the Skateboarding Bulldog do his thing. I’ll have some good posts stemming from this trip to Costa Mesa in the future, so stay tuned.

Special thanks to Man Bites Dog Films for putting this video together for me!

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22

06 2009