WHERE: The East Side
WHEN: Friday
1. Coffee at Intelligentsia. My boyfriend and I live in Eagle Rock, on the east side of LA. We love that we're pretty much equidistant between Silver Lake and Pasadena, but still get to enjoy the uniqueness and "rough around the edges"ness of Eagle Rock. It's a nice mix. We are both actors and if the day is not filled with jobs or auditions, we like to take our time getting coffee (for the boy) and tea (for me) at Intelligentsia in Pasadena. Nicest/best dressed staff you'll ever meet! Their space on Colorado is gorgeous, so we'll grab a seat at one of the beautiful wooden tables and read, or set up shop by the huge windows towards the front and people-watch. They also serve delicious muffins from Cake Monkey- the banana wheat germ is my favorite (it's amazing, I swear!)
2. Bikram Yoga. In the afternoon, I'd head to a Bikram Yoga class. It's a brutal 90 minutes of heat and sweat and self-discipline but no other form of exercise has done for me what Bikram has. I go to the Bikram Yoga Silverlake studio in Atwater Village, where every single teacher is lovely and a joy to take class from. They all have such a warm, inviting, not-at-all-intimidating vibe there. I try and make Ashley's class whenever I can...I always leave feeling a little stronger than when I came in.
3. Read on the Porch. After yoga, I'd come home and sit in the rocking chair on our front porch and read for at least an hour. We're perched up on a hill, so late afternoon/early evening provides a peaceful time to take in the breathtaking, unobstructed view. It's such an interesting combination of nature and city life- mountains, highways, brightly colored houses nestled in hillsides. Our neighbors across the street are about the sweetest family you could imagine, so getting a wave or two from them is always a nice plus, too.
4. Dinner at Blair's. Dinner would be at Blair's in Silver Lake. My absolute favorite. My boyfriend and I go there for any occasion we can think of, from our 2 year anniversary to just a boring midweek evening in desperate need of a pick-me-up. The restaurant is cozy and candlelit, with a waitstaff that is consistently polite and attentive. I pretty much always order the truffle mac and cheese, the kale salad, and the salmon. Then if my boyfriend just happens to get the french fries with jalapeno ketchup well, then...of course I help him out. It's a large portion, you guys. I do it for love.
5. Drinks at The Black Boar. After dinner, we'd head back to Eagle Rock for drinks with friends at The Black Boar. This is our new favorite spot! It's got a really great lodgey feel to it- a fireplace, stone walls, wooden beams overhead. It's a perfect place to have one too many beers and laugh late into the night with a big group of friends.
