La La Land
After a weekend getaway to Southern California last month you could say we’re just another couple of L.A. devotees. We’re unashamed, Downtown Los Angeles has so much to offer and we know we didn’t even get to explore half of it. Keep scrolling for the OHBI list of places to check out the next time you find yourself in LA LA land!
Our Stay
The Ace Hotel
This hotel has EXCELLENT customer service and their decor vibes are to die for! We’d like to say it has an industrial vibe with a hint of modern style. It’s all about the small details in these rooms, right down to the super cute soap on a rope! We were obsessed with everything. The room came equipped with a fully stocked mini bar, stylish cotton robes from Wings + Horns, as well as a radio with an auxiliary cord (this may seem so frivolous but we’re GALS who like our tunes from am to pm). The Ace Hotel has a rooftop bar and pool just in case you want to go out without getting a Lyft. Going out for a night on the town can be exhausting so we’re not judging.
Eats
What’s a getaway without indulging in some good eats?!
Best Girl
This charming bistro is attached to the Ace Hotel and serves some delish eats and caffeine. You can find Stumptown coffee, house made fries (we would compare them to In-N-Out but thicker cut) and an endless amount of tasty libations. We only wish this spot was named "Best Gal" to fulfill our OHBI slang!
Perch
You can perch right on top of this rooftop bar and enjoy a cocktail while waiting to be seated. You could say we were feeling like Women of Means after looking over the menu...Truffle fries with cheese and steak topped with crab. Need we say more?! Yes?! How about white chocolate bread pudding with bourbon carmel glaze. Are you drooling yet? We also enjoyed a live jazz band as we took in the beautiful downtown views.
Don Francisco’s Coffee Casa Cubana
Don Francisco’s is known for their micro lot, single origin coffee that is roasted daily in the casa. They also serve some of the tastiest Cuban food we’ve ever had. We gave plantains a second chance and fell in love with our side of plantain chips. We didn't stop at the chips...we ordered a DF Breakfast Sandwich made with Spanish linguica, over medium cage free egg, tomato, manchego cheese, and garlic mojo sauce served on a sweet Cuban bun. We washed it down with a Cortadito (double shot espresso cut with equal parts steamed and whole milk)! We’ve never been to Cuba but the decor was making us sing "Havana Ohh NaNaaaa" and dreaming of our next vacay.
Drinks
This category will consist mostly of places we went to get our caffeine fix. Y'all know we like the good stuff!
Verve
We’ve talked about our love for Verve in the past so you know we jumped at the chance to visit a new location. The Spring Street location has greenery decorating the entire outdoor patio and we were swooning. Seriously y'all, this place is plant goals. We ordered the Panama Elida Estate Natural pour over coffee and it was so perfect we didn’t even need milk or sweetener. If you're coffee nerds like us and are interested in the characteristics of this coffee, Verve perfectly describes this roast as a “velvety chocolate ganache accented by vibrant acidity with notes of candied cherries”.
Blue Bottle at the Bradbury
We were finally able to try syphon coffee. It looks like an eighth grade science experiment that might erupt if handled wrong but it was tasty and interesting! We learned how coffee can taste so differently depending on its temperature. Another plus of this spot is the dreamy architecture. This Blue Bottle is inside of an architectural landmark, the Bradbury building! The beauty this building has to offer can be seen in JT’s most recent music video “Say Something” and you’ll see why its a landmark.
The Dankness Dojo
The newest member of the Modern Times Family! We indulged in a hazy IPA that gave us the "living your best life on an island" vibes. We highly recommend ordering yourself the Prisoner in Eden. Modern Times describes this hazy IPA as “a juice-fiesta filled with tropical and stone fruit flavors”. The beer isn’t the only beverage Modern Times offers, you can also snag some of their coffee as well. Island beer vibes and more coffee?! Consider us swooning. Their massive light brite art installation was making our 90's hearts beat fast!
Things to Do
Go See Ellen
The start to our L.A. adventure began with a trip to Warner Bros. Studios to participate in a taping of Ellen. If it’s your first time seeing a taping make sure you eat and hydrate because it’s an all day event that requires a lot of smiling, laughing, and dancing. By the end of the taping our cheeks were actually hurting (who knew you could work those face muscles so hard?! Not us!). Regardless we had a blast because Ellen is a magical human being who is putting all of her positive vibes out into the universe.
Explore Downtown
Instead of spending those dolla dolla bills on Lyft rides we recommend putting on your walking shoes and taking on the town! There are an endless amount of dreamy spots that are in a reasonable walking distance of most hotels. Wherever you might be staying, just do a little bit of research and you'll be exploring on foot in no time! We strutted our way to Grand Park (a city park that is filled with hot pink tables and chairs) Walt Disney Concert Hall, and through enough L.A. streets to keep our devotee status checked!
We hope our little L.A. guide helps you plan your next getaway to Southern California! We can't wait to see where you adventure to next!
xoxo
S&A
