ShopEatSleep

Still looking for something to do (or someplace to eat) this July 4 weekend? I’ll be in the Sacramento area for my best friend’s wedding (woo hoo! maid of honor time!), but here are some options for those of you sticking around in L.A.:

• Rush Street: Visit Chicago via Culver City this Independence Day weekend and partake in food and drink specials. Friday has $5 Jack Daniel’s drinks (from 10:00 p.m. to close); Saturday has specials on all domestic beers and hot dogs, lamb lollipops and spicy glazed ribs (all day!); and Sunday has $6 mojitos (from 9:00 p.m. to close).

• Le Merigot Hotel: In the courtyard of this JW Marriott in Santa Monica you’ll find upscale BBQ food, i.e., organic fingerling potato salad, kobe beef hot dogs, sweet white corn on the cob with ancho chili lime butter, etc., on July 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cost is $35 for adults, $17.50 for kids 12 and under.

• The Resort at Pelican Hill: For a fancy way to celebrate our country’s birth, hit up Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. For $250 (yeah, I know) you can get a round of golf, either breakfast or lunch, and a $25 gift certificate for the resort’s golf shop. Fancy, indeed.

Haven’t figured out what to get Mom for Mother’s Day? If you’re anything like me, you’re probably still scrambling for plans (mostly because my mom is ridiculously hard to please – and she’ll attest to that). Try taking her to some of these  eateries:

• Robata-Ya: Mom eats for free from the Sawtelle yakitori’s combo menu, AND she gets a free drink. Recommended for poor and cheapskate kids.

• Ortolan: Brunch will be extended from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. this Sunday. Treat Mom to the Michelin-rated resto’s scrambled eggs and caviar or lobster spaghetti. Recommended for those with more dough to spend.

• The Resort at Pelican Hill: The newish Newport Beach hotel will offer four dining experiences: one a traditional brunch in the ballroom, and three prix-fixe menus in other areas of the resort, including the Coliseum pool. Recommended for people with hard-to-please moms who live in the O.C. (me!).

From SteveMcN (Flickr).

Here’s a partial list of upcoming Nordstrom Rack stores (full list at Nordstrom’s Web site):

• Los Angeles, CA – Beverly Connection – Opening Date: September 24, 2009

• Pasadena, CA – Hastings Village – Opening Date: October 8, 2009

• San Jose, CA – Westfield Oakridge – Opening Date: October 15, 2009

• Lakewood, CA – Lakewood Center – Opening Date: Fall 2010

Apparently Fashion Island in Newport Beach is getting a regular Nordstrom store (opening date: April 16, 2010), as is Santa Monica Place, whose re-opening date has yet again been pushed back (to Aug. 27, 2010). More on that at RackedLA.

If you’re looking for a good reason to spend the (little) dough you have, check out these fundraising collabs:

• Kaenon Polarized Sunglasses in Newport Beach is hosting Sup for a Pup, a fundraising event for rescue group A Wish for Animals, tomorrow (April 25). There will be a big sample sale from retailers such as SurfTech surfboards, Olukai sandals and Hinano Tahiti clothing, and food from Wahoo’s. Of course, there will also be on-site pet adoptions, and if you take one home, you’ll also take home a gift bag and discounts on future product purchases from the participating retailers. From Thrillist, which also has a great rundown on other sales happening through the weekend.

• During the month of May, Hill Street Cafe in La Canada-Flintridge is donating 3% of its net proceeds to La Canada High School’s football team. Seems like Yelpers like the restaurant’s breakfast.

• If you’ve got a lot of mulah to give to a good cause, check out the 4th Annual Tables of Ten: Dining for a Cause event May 29 co-hosted by the Pacific Design Center and Avenues of Art & Design, the WeHo’s area business improvement district. The $750-per-head or $5,000-per-table fundraiser for Inner City Arts, which provide art classes for, well, inner city kids, will feature food and table-top designs from a bunch of L.A. chefs and designers. Chefs include Mark Peel of Campanile, Neal Fraser of Grace and David LeFevre of Water Grill, and designers include Naida Begeta of Kao Pao Shu, Elad Yifrach of L’Object, and FIDM and Inner City Arts students.