L.A.’s got its groove back! Here are our picks for an exciting September.
Imari’s sashimi boxes are always made with the freshest ingredients. PHOTO BY DYLAN JENI
PERFECT BITES Building on the pandemic’s pickup and delivery momentum, bento boxes have emerged as a hot-ticket item. Two new spots, Imari and n/soto, have put the perfectly curated and packaged Japanese meals on a pedestal. Located in Brentwood, most of Imari’s sashimi boxes are made with seafood flown in directly from Japan—ensuring only the freshest bites. “We’re thrilled for our guests to experience the bento boxes, as well as the full menu and an exquisite omakase dining experiences to come,” shares owner Philip Camino. In Mid-City, the n/naka team has opened n/soto, a takeout-only bento box restaurant with hopes to someday open for dine-in. The izakaya bento boxes—which at press time contain butter dashi-poached snow crab claw, chawanmushi and more—tease the tastes and textures of what can be expected someday on-site. For now, a bento box will do quite well. imari-la.com; n-soto.com
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED Well Traveled, a new invite-only, membership-based travel app, has taken the headache out of planning your text trip. “We’ve built a social platform designed to foster connection so travelers can find reviews they can trust from members they relate to,” says CEO and co-founder Samantha Patil of the virtual travel agency that assists with booking rooms, dining reservations and planning a variety of activities. “We’ve also simplified the review process, making it easy for members to contribute and share their favorite spots with the community.” Sign us up! welltraveledclub.com
CEO and co-founder Samantha Patil PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
Well Traveled’s user-friendly site PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
SPA SCENTS The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Los Angeles and L.A.-based craft candlemaker LAIT have collaborated on a customized experience that keeps the Zen going beyond the spa treatment. Established by LAIT founder Jennifer Rhee and The Ritz-Carlton spa director Tyneese Thompson, there are three treatments from which to choose. Unwinding from Stress includes a custom scent-enhanced massage and paraffin treatment for feet; Focus on Breathwork incorporates intentional breathing with a light pressure massage and a peppermint foot scrub; and Fresh Start Manicure-Pedicure uses rosemary, mint, citrus and more to enhance the standard mani-pedi. And that’s not all: Post-treatment, LAIT candles are delivered to guests’ homes. Talk about pure bliss! shoplait.com; ritzcarlton.com/losangeles
Sig Ward PHOTO: COURTESY OF LAIT CANDLES
MODERN HEIRLOOMS L.A.-based fine jewelry designer Sig Ward channeled her love of nature, art and organic design into Manifest, her new capsule collection inspired by the law of attraction. Drawing from her childhood in Tel Aviv, the designer takes style cues from the ocean, handselecting precious and semiprecious stones like opal, aquamarine, tanzanite and chrysoprase, all set in 14K and 18K yellow gold. Th e horseshoe magnet-shaped talismans (rings, necklaces and earrings) are a good reminder to stay aligned—aft er all, we attract the energy we put out. sigwardjewelry.com
14K yellow gold necklace with pink opal, emerald trillion PHOTO: BY LAUREN PRESSEY
Pink sapphire baguettes PHOTO: COURTESY OF SIG WARD JEWELRY
PORTRAIT MODE For the first time, Hauser & Wirth is welcoming dynamic Brooklyn-based artist Lorna Simpson to its Arts District gallery. Titled Everrrything (Sept. 14 to Jan. 9), the show builds on Simpson’s Ice series, featuring a range of powerful new abstracted figurative works, including indoor and outdoor sculptures, paintings and collages—adorned with imagery from Ebony and Jet magazines, longtime sources of inspiration for Simpson—that deal with themes of destruction and creation, past and present, and more. hauserwirth.com
Lorna Simpson, “Everything (detail)” (collage and pastel on handmade paper) PHOTO: “EVERYTHING (DETAIL)” BY LORNA SIMPSON PHOTO BY JAMES WANG
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