Category Archives: Reviews

Lincoln Heights Bars

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Marcellino’s Cafe
323.221.5444
2119 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Has anyone been to Marcellino’s Cafe on North Broadway? All my years of living in Lincoln Heights, I’ve never dared to step foot in the place. I heard it’s a cop bar and they tend to be a bit territorial about their hangout spots. Another deterrent, they probably only serve Budweiser and other crappy bears.
A bunch of us from the local “Drinkin Heights” group once tried The Office on North Broadway but it was obvious we weren’t their desired crowd. The drink prices were astronomical, on purpose, just for us. We did get a kick out of the signs in the bathroom that warned in bilingual handwritten scrawl “No drug dealing in the restroom.” Even Bob’s Aguila Negra on Daly had more ambiance, although their advertisement of a “plush cellar” was totally misleading.
Le Blanc’s is another place I’ve been meaning to try. I’ve only been there during the day because it’s impossible to find a spot at night, it’s always packed. The draw must be “Las Chicas de Le Blanc’s”, they seem to be popular around these parts.
What is your favorite watering hole in Lincoln Heights?

Yelp guide to Nightlife in Lincoln Heights. (hate to link to Yelp but whatever)

Japanese Chicken Tacos

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I don’t know how many times I’ve passed by this spot either walking or on the bus and saying to myself, “self, you gotta go try that Japanese Taco place in Little Tokyo. And pick up some manga from the anime shop down the street. You know, the one with the 4 ft tall Zaku from Mobile Suit Gundam. Char’s Red Comet. Yeah that one.” I was in the hood this past Saturday night because I went to go see my friends band play. The lead singer was a former Power Ranger. Like I’m gonna pass that up.

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Eagle Rock Brewery Open For Business!

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In charming Glassell Park! I’m just going to get this naming business out of the way and agree that its an unfortunate name for the brewery, considering its location. The owners have a reason for the name, but its kinda weak. And they say they thought about changing it, but it would have been too much red tape. That’s fair enough. But still, this should be a warning to all you would be re-namers of places: the people of Los Angeles are not so keen on such a casual re-purposing of geographical names. Seriously, take that into consideration. If I were from Glassell Park I think I’d put up a storm of protest, and with good reason. But I’m going to leave that business to others as I have enough tasks on my plate. At least it’s not as moronic as fools from Echo Park trying to claim that’s the Eastside.

Out of the way.

We found the place using math skills, cuz 3056 Roswell is on a non-descript street, and doesn’t even have a number. Not that I could tell. This be the brewery and tap room.

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2nd Annual Anarchist Bookfair: Some Pics

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It’s a bit late, and other people have covered it but here’s a few pics I took of the recent LA Anarchist Bookfair at beautiful Barnsdall Park. Yes, when we’re not burning and looting, we do take some time to catch up on the latest theories and practices to be found in print, its ammo to fuel the anger. Haz click para la rabia!

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Brooklyn Music Center, Boyle Heights

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My good friend asked me to share her words about the Brooklyn Music Center, the new music space operated by Ollin’s front man, Scott Rodarte.

Brooklyn Avenue Roots, Alive and Rockin’
By Victoria Kraus

A new community music school will open its doors this January along Cesar Chavez Avenue (formerly Brooklyn Avenue) by East Los rockin’ roller, Scott Rodarte of local Chicano punk-rock band Ollín.

Brooklyn Music Center

The Brooklyn Music Center (BMC) will function primarily as a school offering children and adults alike in the community affordable group and private lessons on a variety of instruments. The space will also be equipped and available to bands for rehearsals and recording.

“Our vision is to help generate art in the neighborhood so folks don’t have to go outside of the community to create or be enriched, musically,” Rodarte says of his music center.

The Brooklyn Music Center was previously the Brooklyn Medical Clinic. The space, still reminiscent of its history with its vintage architecture and glass blocks along the storefront entrance, was a shared medical and optometry clinic owned and operated by Doctors Freidman and Kaplan. Scott and his brother, Randy, also of Ollín, used to work at the clinic while in high school, where they made pairs of glasses among doing other administrative duties.

Rodarte remembers the variety of commerce that used to thrive on Brooklyn Avenue such as the Brooklyn Theatre directly across the street from his music school, Phillips Music a few doors down, and Kens, a sporting goods store. “You know, all the mom and pop stores that were around before the corporate entities like Guitar Center, AMC Theatres and Big 5 took hold of society,” Rodarte reminisces.

BMC might stir some friendly rivalry with Boyle Heights’ acclaimed Neighborhood Music School but friendly would be is as far is gets. Rodarte has more of a rocker’s intention with the music program he plans to build. Rodarte and fellow musicians from his band along with friends will be teaching everything from percussion to electric guitar, maybe even the washboard.

Remodeling of the Brooklyn Music Center is scheduled to complete in early January.

2515 E. Cesar Chavez Ave.  (at Fickett) 90033

bmc90033@yahoo.com

L.A. Gang Tour ~ Empowerment through story

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“We started these problems and it’s going to take us to fix them.” Alfred Lomas of L.A. Gang Tours

Due to some technical difficulties with technology, I’m writing this post through my iPhone, so be patient of minor flaws. More than usual anyway. Thanks to Wendy Carrillo, I was able to attend the L.A. Gang Tour media presentation today to get a better feel for it, which is starting next week. For most of the day I’ve been chewing on the fat of the tour over all and what I want to write and say about it and what is being questioned back and forth. Is this ok? Is it poor people watching? Does the tour suck? Etc.

Before I get into any of that, I wanna share where I’m coming from. I’m an adoptive son of Boyle Heights, but like a promiscuous lover, I’ve been around. A lot of the spots that are in the tour, I spent time there as a kid. Looking out the window crossing Alameda into South Central and Compton took me back to days of future past when I saw those same sights in the back seat of my parents car. I was back in the hood after being gone for so long.

All those memories came back in a rush and I was all smiles. I know what’s up here. I know the tour guide knows his stuff and he’s not selling any bullshit to sensationalize it. This allowed me the opportunity to really listen to what he’s saying. What he wants to accomplish with the tour, what the future may bring and how this is the first step in more monumental actions. Everyone is hung up with the safari/fish bowl aspect of the tour and not listening to his hopes, ideals, vision and most importantly his motivation, which he does through Jesus and the Dream Center. If you want details about how this happened, read DJ’s post or the Times article.

“It’s never about strategies or building funds. It’s always about the people. It’s always about the lives that are being touched. It’s about the individuals who are willing to stand up in these communities.” Lomas

The way I see it, this tour is no different than this very blog that is a tool, a device that allows us to tell our own stories the way we see fit from our individual perspectives. To empower ourselves through our stories, using them and sharing them with others. Fostering ideas and dialogue amongst ourselves, rather than letting others tell our stories in ways that don’t even come close to how it really is. This is what I see this tour doing. They’re former bangers and they know how fucked up the system is, but not only that, they decided to take action.

They want to create sustainability within their own city, not relying on outside help. Creating jobs for kids and most importantly a path to end the cycles that keep snatching others into the La Vida Loca. This is the conclusion I made half way through the tour when we stopped at a church to hear a pastor describe the challenges presented to our communities. The changes in people and him personally learning Spanish and adapting his parish to help folks from the Latino/a community. To bring them in rather than exclude them.

If you wanna know what the tour is about, go and find out for yourself. Because I was part of the media preview, some of the things I saw and heard were catered for media. The tour will be unique to itself. You can call it fucked up and a safari all you want, but that’s not what this tour is about. And if you’re nesio, then fuck off. This tour is about people sharing their stories, history and personal narrative to create positive change in their communities because it takes our own to fix our own.

LA Eastside in Review 2009

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I hereby declare 2009 year of the Eastside!

It was in this past year that there was finally some awareness on both sides of the river that the name the Eastside had been misappropriated by a confused bunch of folks. Thanks to the Los Angeles Times article on the Eastside, the “This is Not the Eastside” stickers pasted by unknown propagandists all over Silver Lake, and to the efforts of Eastside artists, writers, bloggers and the countless others who have publicly reclaimed and reaffirmed Eastside culture and geography, I finally felt like we have turned a corner. Many battles were won and those who ignorantly used the Eastside to refer to those neighborhoods west of the river were put in check.

As promised, here’s a look back at some of the more popular posts of 2009. I used the number of comments as a way to gage popular posts only because this blog doesn’t have the software to definitively check for hits and links. There were so many great posts written this past year that didn’t get a huge amount of comments but were excellent and thought provoking nonetheless. I encourage readers to go back through the archives and check some of the posts you might have missed.

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Eastside 101: Basic Restaurants

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Even though I’m going to review this restaurant you see above, this post is about all the little family owned restaurants, just like this one, that make up the bulk of eateries on the Eastside. They’re not necessarily spectacular. They might take a long time to get on yelp. The signage on the place is usually improvised, or if they’re lucky, ALZAized. Nobody visits for the decor nor for that bullshit “ambience” that makes foodies feel special. These simple restaurants are just places that provide food. Stuff to eat when yer hungry. They give us our nourishment and I think that qualifies as worthy of mention.

In my quest to map out the current state of Huevos Rancheros I end up eating at lots of these places. Very rarely do I hate the food. Usually, at the very least, I get a decent meal for around $5, give or take a few bucks. I might not review it, but still, I appreciate the fact that they cooked something for me to eat. When we focus only on the consumption aspect of food, we forget that cooking for others is serious work. It’s labor intensive and tiring. Yet the eater just wants to plop down some cash and expects a fabulous meal. I guess if you have cash to burn then that’s arguably a reasonable expectation. But for the working poor of the Eastside a plate of food is a plate of food, its just a bonus if its delicious! To some places I’ll not be rushing back, but if I’m no longer hungry and can continue with my daily pendejadas, then that’s good enough. And sometimes, these chance encounters with a new hot plate can be very pleasurable.

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Calavera Fashion Show & Walking Altars 2009

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Okay, so I know I’m kinda late with this post. I mean, we already got a post up about Tropico de Nopal’s Calavera Fashion Show but seriously, what’s a full-time working gal who just came back from two fabulous weeks in Mexico supposed to do? Stay up late to edit photos and try and figure out which artist did which creation? Yeah, I guess so…(sigh).

Anyways, I’m not sure who the target audience for this fashion show is supposed to be. I don’t think it’s me, so I will refrain (or at least try to) from commenting too much on what I saw that night. I mostly went to support friends and to stand for hours in uncomfortable shoes and endure the constant leaning and pushing of a young girl behind me (who I hope was drunk because there was no other good reason for her getting all up in my personal space the way she did) but I digress…On to the fashion show!

By the way, my camera was being totally uncooperative that night.  It’s a cheap little thing not well equipped for nighttime photography so pardon the blurriness. Or just consider the fuzzy photos my artistic touch.  It won’t be the last time you stretch your notions of artistic good taste in this post!

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El Verde returns

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Get ready boys and girls for a thrilling episode of El Verde! Meet mild mannered Arturo Sanchez, born as an alien from the not so far away world of Mexico and raised in the good old U.S. of A.  All Arturo ever wanted was to live an ordinary life, but after a freak elote accident, Arturo became…El Verde!!! Join us as we go back, way back, to see how it all began. This November, TeAda Productions will present EL VERDE ORIGINS. Watch as Arturo becomes the superhero who fights for truth, justice, and the Mexican-American way! Then watch him as he battles the evil La Quinceaera with her ultimate plot to destroy the world.  Yes, EL VERDE is the live superhero show that’s fun for the whole family. If you’ve never been to an EL VERDE show before, be sure not to miss this one. EL VERDE ORIGINS is supported in part by a cultural grant from the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE !!!

Miles Memorial Playhouse
1130 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios

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~ Pics from last year ~

It’s that time of the year again where everything that is evil is fun again. That also means that Universal Studios Hollywood is ready to scare the crap outta you with their horror nights. There’s nothing like some pig faced, seven foot goliath scaring the crap out of you with a chain saw buzzing over his head. Yes, Halloween is the most wonderful time of the year. I know this has nothing to do with the Eastside, but stay with me on this one.

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Last year the scaremazes based on the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm St and Texas Chain Saw Massacre movies gave everyone a good scare. We can all use a good scare or a good laugh from watching people get scare. For this year, the movies Saw, Halloween, My Bloody Valentine, Shaun of the Dead and Child’s Play. They’re also including some lives shows based on the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure. Not only that but you’ll be able to go on all the regular rides at night with special twist to them and walk around the Halloween’ed out back lot while riding the terror tram. This will all be ongoing every weekend starting this Friday until Halloween. Event dates are: October 2-3, 9-11, 15-18, 23-25, 28-31. It starts off at 7:00 p.m.; closing hours vary by night throughout the event. You can also get discounted tickets by going to goldstar. Man I love that site :-) If anything else, it’s a great date night because chances are your date will get freaked out and run into your arms. Strangers will also be running into your arms too. trust me on this.