#project la

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Usually my ‘Project LA’ column is my popping up once a month to talk about how different things are in Tinseltown to my native England, but this month I want to introduce you to the gem of the Venice Beach neighbourhood, and in my mind everything that is awesome about Los Angeles all on one street. Abbot Kinney Boulevard has the best food, the best independent shops and the best vibe in the entire city, and within a few blocks distance from Venice Boardwalk which you have seen on every television show about Los Angeles, ever and the beautiful Venice Canals, if you are looking for a chilled out and relaxed holiday, this is the area you need to be staying in, forget Santa Monica, West Hollywood or Beverly Hills. TOMS Flagship Store & Cafe The TOMS Flagship store is probably the most awesome place on earth. Yes you can buy TOMS there, but they also have a cafe and newsstand and and lovely outdoor deck and garden with WiFi so you can sit and work out in the sun with all the cool kids while you sip on an oh-so-stereotypical of LA fresh pressed raw juice. Gjleina Gjieina (don’t worry, native Angelenos don’t know how to spell or pronounce it either) is where you want to go for any meal of the day if you are looking for something a bit more upmarket, and totally delicious. There are three different vibes you can get from this place; the indoor seating is in a dark industrial style space making you feel like you are somewhere hip and modern, but the outside patio with its marble tables and old metal chairs makes you feel like you are chilling out somewhere in the Mediterranean  The third option is the takeaway front next door where you can get one of their delicious stone baked pizzas in a takeaway box and sit in the next door alley where they have helpfully provided crates for seating. Firefly Firefly is like a gift shop with a little bit of everything. There is a section of great lifestyle books, cookbooks from around the world and books on California here. You can buy Moleskine notebooks, locally handmade jewellery and unique vases and candle holders. You can buy clean and beautiful smelling soaps, and clothes and lingerie in that laid back California beach style so typical of the area. The Tasting Kitchen The Tasting Kitchen is Sunday morning brunch, and Sunday morning brunch is The Tasting Kitchen. I can’t really think of words suitable to describe this popular spot with an oh-so-awesome interio  so I will just list the food you can see in the photo above, and I think you’ll get the general idea. We have a giant slab of sweet French Toast with a hole containing a perfectly poached egg in the middle, topped with two slices of perfectly crispy bacon and lots os syrup. In the martini glass we have a ‘Petite Mary’ celery martini with a citrus salt rim. Sunday morning bliss. Axe Soup for brunch. I thought I’d go out there and just say it. When I first walked into Axe and saw the local slightly more polished hippie crowd tucking into big and delicious looking bowls of vegetable soup at brunch I thought they had just started early, until I looked at the menu. I was tempted, very tempted. And it really was delicious as it looks and smells. Visit Axe, and you will think soup is a suitable brunch food from that moment onwards. Urbanic Paper Boutique In general, I think Los Angeles, California has much better stationary than London will ever have; Paperchase will never be enough for me ever again. At the end of Abbot Kinney you have to stop in at the Urbanic Paper Boutique to stock up on pretty and unique note and birthday cards. And fun stripy paper straws, and wrapping paper printed with illustrated street maps of London and Paris. Local 1205 While you can get really good food, deli meats and French bread (I usually pick up a stick when I am passing) at Local 1205, the main and only thing I tell people about when I wax lyrical about the place is the fact it is the main place in Los Angeles I know where to get delicious fresh pressed juice in a mason jar. Pressed juice is as much an LA thing as terrible traffic jams and palm trees, but everything, I mean everything, tastes better in a mason jar. Trim Okay, so I know most people don’t go on holiday to get their hair cut, so this is more of a pick for Angeleno’s reading this post. Since I moved out to the West Coast I have tried several different hair salons but my all time favourite has been Trim. It has a really great chilled back vibe, they use delicious smelling Bumble and bumble. and Moroccanoil products, and you will leave with that whole Venice beach like vibe instilled into both you and your locks. Will Leather Goods Will Leather Goods is a pretty recent addition to the boulevard, and while it has some fantastic high quality classic leather goods like belts, wallets, messenger bags etc. (their business cards are even embossed onto fantastically thin pieces of leather), what you really want to be going there for are their seasonal collection tote bags. They come in at about $95 each, are perfect for the city and the beach, and I will be getting one the moment I make up my mind which one I actually want!   These are some of my favourite shops and restaurants on the boulevard, but honestly every single shop there is worth visiting and I know there is still so much more for me to discover in the food department. They also regularly have special events and food truck rotations, so it is always worth checking out their website for what is happing in the art and street food world at the time you are visiting. Project LA – A (mostly foodies) guide to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Los Angeles’ most awesome street is a post from The High Tea Cast Blogzine Content on this feed may not be used or reproduced without permission. © Sam Sparrow & Lea Rice Find us on Twitter | Facebook | Hello Cotton | Bloglovin' http://dlvr.it/3HXT7F