Welcome back to TheStyleWright. J After much swooning over the [Culver Hotel in my last post], it is time to show you guys my complete LA Travel Guide: Where to Eat, Where to Stay, and Where to Visit. Keep reading for some travel envy inspiration and photographable places to visit if you plan on going to LA!
Those who know me well, know that I LOVE to eat, so letās start with the yummy must-go-toās in LA.
If youāre down for some delicious American comfort food, I highly recommend Plan Check. They have four different locations across LA, but it seems like the superb quality is consistent amongst all branches. I was with my friend, Mary of @LayersOfChicBlog, and our new LA photographer, Brandon of @BrandonLimPhoto.
As soon as we saw the menu, our jaws dropped. To start, we ordered the Dynamite Crab Dip and Stuffed Mushroom, and then got the Plan Chefās Favorite Burger and Southern Fry Burger for the main course. The Crab Dip was probably one of the most amazing crab dips Iāve ever had in my life, so that went away quickly. When my burger came out (Chefās Favorite Burger), I was crying inside with joy because of how delicious the burger was and how it melted my heart. Inside the burger was cheese and bacon two ways, their signature Ketchup Leather (that is homemade and doesnāt make the bread soggy), a sunny fried egg, and hot sauce. It to die for, so I literally died and then came back from Heaven to eat the rest of our meal.
Last, but not least, came one of the most delicious desserts. Even though we all were super full and our stomachs looked like we were pregnant, the waitress insisted that we try the Cruller Donuts. And boy, was the EXTRA stomach pain worth it!! The donut tasted like a twisted churro and it was beautifully placed with butter pecan ice cream and whipped cream. Died again and went to heavenā¦then, came back because I had to drive. Overall, Plan Check is a great restaurant with chill and down-to-earth vibes.
Now, I know they have this restaurant in the city and all over the world, but the Gyu-Kaku in LA is like way better than New York Cityās. Gyu-Kaku originally opened in West Los Angeles, and it is actually run by completely different owners than the NYC location, so the tastes and recipes are different.
My friends and I went to the one in Beverly Hills and as soon as we walked into the door, it smelled like Japanese BBQ Heaaa-ven. If you donāt know what that smells likeā¦imagine sweet, marinated meats in Miso and Tare Sweet Soy Marinade getting cooked fresh atop charcoal grills. You can make a reservation on OpenTable or right through their website, so itās super easy to book online for a table with your friends. They also have SakĆ© and other alcohol to enjoy with your meal. My recommendations are to get the Premium All You Can Eat, and order the Short Rib, Spicy Pork, and Pork Belly. Oh, and donāt forget the garlic noodles ā scrumptious!
Calling all sweet tooths for the amazing handmade ice cream at Salt & Straw!Ā I actually couldnāt make it to try this handmade ice cream myself since I had to catch my flight back, but literally everyone in LA that I had met on my trip had such good things to say about this place. To Lucky Charms-flavored ice cream to Sweet Corn & Waffle Cones, this place is surely one not to miss. When I passed by to take this photo, the line outside this shop wrapped around an entire block in the middle of a weekday! Theyāre so popular that they even have a Seasonal Pints Club where they can ship ice cream right to your door every month! Next time Iām in LA, Iām going to make sure I come back to this place and try out their ice creamā¦or maybe 3 different flavors. š
Known for its Instagram-able pink walls and delicious pretty drinks, Alfredās Tea Room is a must-visit. Thereās even a cute staircase to the side of one if its entrances where a lot of bloggers take photos. Literally, I have never seen so many bloggers in one place. As soon as we walked in, everyone had a professional camera with them or had a photographer who followed them around JUST to take nice photos in this cafĆ©. Plus, the Pink Drink with boba (made with organic strawberries, pomegranate, beetroot, vanilla and almond milk) and Rose Croissant are actually really good! And trust me because Iām a diehard foodie.
If you want a beautiful hotel with the perfect vintage vibes, look no further than the Culver Hotel. As covered in my [last blog post], I go into detail about how the aesthetics are described as āclassic meets contemporary and vintage style reimagined.ā It seriously is a stunning sight and aside from the jaw-dropping decor, the customer service is equally exquisite. On top of all that, there is live music every night, and you can enjoy meals at the restaurant and have drinks at their cocktail lounge and bar. I would definitely come back here again when I visit LA. Every corner in every room in this hotel is Instagram-able. Read more about the hotel in my last blog post HERE.
On the other hand, if you want to stay in a place thatās more boutique with a āclassic mid-century charmā, Hotel Beverly Terrace is the place to be. The rooms are small, but beautifully decorated, and thereās a gorgeous garden courtyard outside your door. Mary and I took some fashionable shots in the courtyard that turned out to be quite nice. We didnāt get a chance to visit the Roof Terrace, but apparently, you can see a breathtaking view of the Hollywood Hills from there. If you have a car, (which I hope you do, because you need one in LA), you will be super close to Rodeo Drive which has tons of shopping and great designer stores. Overall, Iād come back to stay here again for the irresistible quaint vibes.
Shop My Beverly Terrace Look HERE
Do I even need to explain why you need to come here? Magical atmospheres, cuddly friends, and mystical rides. Done. Even though we arrived there at 5:30PM due to me waking up late and stopping by In Nā Out to eat and take a ridiculous amount of photos with our Toyota carā¦we managed to hope on one ride (Space Mountain). Then, we visited the Disney Store for an hour, which I honestly thought was the best part because I got to add to my Tsum Tsum collection. Anyways, I strongly recommend going to Disneyland because itās the original Disney and the only other one in the U.S. is in Florida.
Mary and I Playing with Mickey Ears
Snow White & The 7 Dwarves
Eeyore Bobblehead and Minnie Tsum Tsum
Cotton Candy in Front of Casle
LACMA ā Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Want some gorgeous and artsy photos? Visit LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, to take some fabulous architectural photos. With over 1.5 million visitors every year, itās no surprise that the famous columns have popped all over tons of bloggersā Instagrams. Mary and I went there smack middle in the day on the weekend, and it was probably the worst time to be there. There were kids running around in between the columns and tons of tourists posing inside ā it was nearly impossible to take a clean shot of the two of us. Nonetheless, because we both are full-time bloggers and both have ridiculous āphoto-patienceā (meaning we can take hundreds of photos and ignore the weariness just to get one good shot), we were able to land some great ones. We didnāt have a chance to explore the rest of the museum because I was running on 3 hours of sleep and was being a cranky old lady AND Mary had to run to catch her flight. However, after talking to some local bloggers, there are TONS of photo opps in the museum alone to make your feed look GAWGEOUS.
Taken from their website:Ā āJust minutes from Venice Beach, Abbot Kinney Boulevard is a mile long strip of the latest fashion, art, and food.ā When my LA friends suggested to walk down Abbot Kinney, I was so thrilled to have a chill moment by myself. Not that I donāt love Mary, but us two were running around doing all blogger things like taking photographs of the brands we were working with, and we were so exhausted by Day 5. I landed a collab with Beverly Terrace and Culver Hotel, she landed one with Toyota, and we both had collabs with restaurants and dessert places that we needed to cover. Now, all that was over and I could finally begin to purely enjoy my time.
When Mary left for her flight home, I had two days left to enjoy non-work things, and they were the best two days of my entire trip. I was finally able to relax and enjoy LA for the short time I had left, and visiting Abbot Kinney was the start of it.
I strolled down Abbot Kinney and it had the most interesting mix of people ranging from tourists to true hipsters (that are much more hipster than Brooklyn ones) to funny-looking mixed dogs. There were a lot of beautiful walls that were spray-painted and painted by local artists that Iāve seen a lot of Instagram-ers love, including the famous Angel Wings. Even Tomās Shoes, known for their charitable shoes, had a coffee shop location and courtyard! That was really interesting. Everything on Abbot Kinney was so cute and the best part was that it was walkable so I could take my time and enjoy each step.
Santa Monica Boardwalk (At Sunset)
My last destination was Santa Monica Beach at sunset. Right around 5:30PM, I drove to the Santa Monica Boardwalk to catch the sun set over the ocean. It was way too cold and windy to actually sit down on the sand and enjoy the weather, but I took a stride down the Boardwalk and man, was it beautiful! The Boardwalk seemed fun as there was a Carnival there for many families and their kids to enjoy. Even though I was in a huge crowd, I managed to snap some beautiful shots of the beach and palm trees. Visiting Santa Monica at sunset was a perfect ending to my first memorable LA trip.
So, even though the driving in LA was a pain in my butt, (traffic was horrendous and everything is so far apart from each other), I would still come back another time to enjoy more of what LA has to offer.
Ā Hope you enjoyed my Travel Guide to LA!
Ā Photography: Kasey Ma and Brandon Lim Photo
Culver Hotel Look 1:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=ā3089050ā³]
Culver Hotel Look 2:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=ā3089049ā³]
Beverly Terrace Look:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=ā3089065ā³]
Disneyland Look:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=ā3089047ā³]
LACMA Look:
[show_shopthepost_widget id=ā3089048ā³]
LA Travel Guide: Where To Eat, Stay, andĀ Visit LA Travel Guide Hey guys! Welcome back to TheStyleWright. J After much swooning over the [
