In true fat-boy fashion I am working on a top ten burger list. The Counter is definitely in the top five. It is a concept restaurant that focuses on one thing: really good hamburgers! When you’re seated they don’t give you a menu, they give you a checklist-style order form where you can choose from dozens of toppings to build a true meal on the bun. If you are ever on the west side, stop by The Counter.

The Counter
2901 Ocean Park Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310.399.8311

“…that’s all relationships are. they aint that complicated. it’s just f***in’ and eatin…if you dont like f***in’ somebody, and you dont like eatin’ wit’em, y’all dont need to be together.” -Never Scared, 2004

Now, I don’t know how qualified Chris Rock was to dispense relationship advice at that time, but at least he kept things simple (b/c lord knows relationships can be TOO too complicated).

If you’re feeling the side effects of love (or work, or traffic, etc.), consider a hefty dose of laughter to make you forget (if only for a moment) that everything sucks, and go check out Chris Rock’s “No Apologies Tour” that hits the Gibson Amphitheatre stage starting tomorrow (April 23).

Two decades into a very successful career and the already legendary comedian is still talking lots (and lots….hey, we’re living in dire times!) of sh*t. Unlike this post, he is (still) very much uncensored. (Ahh, Chris, it’s good to know that a hit TV show, an Oscar-hosting gig, a trip to “Madagascar” and numerous appearances on “Oprah” haven’t taken the Jack out of your coke).

There are many reasons to love the Rock, and this 1996 classic is a reminder that if keeping it real goes wrong, then you must not have had Chris tell it:

Chris Rock: No Apologies Tour
4.23-4.26 | 8:15pm
$45.60-$75.50
Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal CityWalk

With the weather warming up, everyone needs a place to go to be Cool. This weekend will be full of that Cool-ness we are all looking for. The True School Crew is back in Hollywood to host and party with the Elevated Fam, and to kick things off we’ll be at Nacional Thursday for License to Ill Pt 2.

Friday is the weekly classic Blow Fridays at Sugar. Saturday we bring an extra helping of Cool to you, elevated in the Los Angeles skyline on the Roof Top Pool & Lounge of The Standard Hotel. Whether you hop in the pool or post at the bar, Cool will be in full effect. As if all that isn’t enough, Saturday night we will host our second installment of the House Party at Basque, and Sunday we close out the packed weekend at Entrée celebrating the Birthdays of Devrin Anderson and David Banner.

The Mantra, the motto, the slogan, the theme…whichever way you choose to view “Hustle Hard, Eat Well, Live Elevated,” it is our offering not only to our readers, but to everybody we encounter. You may have seen it pop up in a few of the post, but now I think it’s time that is we provide a detailed explanation. Besides sounding really cool, we put some deep thought into these few words:

Hustle Hard means to do just that: work hard in all that you do, and success will always be a by-product of your hustle. Some may feel the word “Hustle” is played or worn out, but there is no better word to describe pure hard work. Now matter how many rap songs use the word, it will still hold the same weight. Hustle is a state of mind. As much as it is about working hard, it is about working smart. Each opportunity that is put in front of you is a gift. Your thanks for that gift is hustle.

Eat Well (pause), does not just mean to eat 5 fruits and veggies a day, or to hit up the place on Beverly Blvd with the good pancakes. Of course we encourage you to literally eat well, or we wouldn’t suggest so many spots with good eats, but in our mantra “eat well” is a reference to money. If you’re “eatin” that means you’re getting money. And as true wealth is our goal, you know it is achieved when you can have the best food on your table and the best people around it.

Live Elevated. How does one do that? Living up to your potential is living elevated. Strive to be, have, see, and experience the best there is in this world and the next. For the those who are temporarily “elevated”–or impaired–don’t even worry about it. Just stick to the script and follow along with us. We will map it out for you. Living elevated is something that is a constant struggle. You must constantly expect the best for yourself, as well as your surroundings and activities. Life is too short to be complacent and accept sub-par quality in any aspect of life. We strive to assist you in this way of life by provided you with elevated experiences and destinations.

Now that we are clear, there is 75% of the year left for you to “Hustle Hard, Eat Well, Live Elevated” in ‘08.

While the rest of the work world chooses Friday as their favorite day of the week, I have to say that mine is Sunday. The fact that I can catch a few NBA games is just the icing on the cake. Entrée Sundays at Opera/Crimson is something serious. The conjoined clubs Opera & Crimson make each experience unique, and whether using each venue separately–or together for larger events–the Entrée adventure is something to talk about. Add in music by Gomez Warren IV and you’re in for a night like none other. Special guests like Chris Robinson, DeRay, Esthero, Kenny Burns, ?uest Love, and Kanye West have helped to make Entrée one of Hollywood’s most exclusive and exciting weekly events. The JL crew will be “Just Loungin” this Friday at the new Orchid Hotel. Check that out and then head over to Sugar for Blow.

In places like New York you can walk down the street, get a hot dog off a cart and be satisfied. LA, on the other hand, is different; most people are not going to buy any food product off the street. Under drunken influence one may buy a Curb Dog in front of the club around 2:15am, but that’s about as far as it goes. If you take a short drive down La Brea on any given day you can see people lined up in front of a small white building, this phenomenon is called PINKs.  Since 1939 Pinks has served Hollywood, and as the hype has grown, you can be sure to wait on line for at least an hour. With a fully loaded menu with all types of food named after different Hollywood icons and events, there is something for everyone. But you will never see me eating a foot long hot dog, my signature meal is the Chili Cheese Chicken Burrito. Two fresh chicken breast, chili and extra cheese, make this burrito something special. Add chili cheese fries and two classic flavored sodas like Bubble Up or Grape Crush and you have a truly elevated meal.

Pinks
709 N La Brea
Hollywood, Ca

The electricity was out in my office building today. I waited for a bit, but when my manicure was over, I decided to shoot over to Melrose to get fresh. Rent is due soon though, so I couldn’t get too fresh. Just a new black fitted from Crooks & Castles to crown the champ. The 8021 Melrose Ave location, the brand’s flagship store, is modestly cool. Tony Montana-esque Black marble tile, dark wood and concrete provide the backdrop for an assortment of screen printed tees, fancifully embellished hoodies, and fitted hats. In the display case you will find vintage sunglasses, red crocodile wallets, ill gold rope chains, and a Warhol inspired 357 magnum. The brand name considered, I wasn’t suprised by the loaded revolver as much as I was by the music playing in the background. The voice of the smooth operator herself, Sade, floated across the high ceilings at 8121. Gangsta! When I was ready to purchase my fitted I walked over to the display counter where one would expect to see a cash register. Instead, Chris (the marketing director for Crooks) disappeared with my hat and in his place out walked a beautiful woman holding a silver tray. I dropped my Platinum Bank of America debit card (sorry no black card yet) on the tray and she brought it to him. A minute later Chris walked out, shook my hand and handed me my bag. I think their retail experience is a brilliant extension of their brand. Go and see for yourself why “You can’t stop the Crooks.”

Crooks & Castles
8121 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, 90046

Someone who’s taste I trust when it comes to luxury, posh living, and general popping off, said that I should check out the Edison downtown. This place is perfect for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t really like going to the club; the pretentiousness, loud music, and counterfeit top shelf liquor (I’ve heard) aren’t my thing. The Edison is worlds away from that. It has the perfect combination of charm and decadence, with its copper gilded walls and and gorgeous antique pendant lamps. I like this place because it has history. It is actually LA’s first private power plant reclaimed as a novel, if not unique, watering hole for civilian and entertainment professionals alike. The crowd is grown up and diverse (although a little pale for me). With ample seating and softly lit nooks, The Edison is a perfect place to end a long work day with with friends, and a good place to post up with a pretty mouthed dame (or two). Go to enjoy drinks and conversation with your people. Be adventurous: try out one of their signature drinks. I recommend “The Hemingway,” a little champagne and absinthe concoction that will help you shed the stresses of the day.

Though Spring officially started a few weeks ago, our fair Southern Cali weather has flip-flopped between “it never raining” © (Toni, Tone, Tony) and being unexpectedly hot. As I anticipate warm days a head, I am happy that I am not one of those guys who has to wear a suit everyday. With Five Four’s Spring delivery hitting stores, it looks like there is a lot in store for this favored season. Not too hot, not to cold, Spring allows for fresh t-shirts or button-ups and jeans. Five Four has done just that, and with a small preview of their contributions for the season on their blog, you are able to get a glimpse before you hit the mall. If your local retailer is slacking, Five Four’s Online Store is up and running.

The phrase March Madness was coined for the annual NCAA Basketball Tournament, but as we know during this time of year madness stems from a number of sources: preparing taxes, spring cleaning and closing out the 1^st quarter of the year, to name a few. Since music has the universal ability to aid us in daily life dealings, the necessity for fresh mixtapes is never higher. Though far from the literal sense of the mix tapes we all use to prepare back in the day, we now download, copy and trade mixtapes with ease.

One of the hottest mixtapes on the street right now is from the rapper you love to hate, 50 Cent. Say what you want about his music being watered down, but you must admit that 50 is a funny dude. His new mixtape, Elephant In The Sand, is dedicated to Fat Joe, as a mockery his new album Elephant in the Room. If you visit ThisIs50.com you will notice that the whole website has been transformed just for this occassion. After a review, the mixtape is fairly hot, and not really focused on dissing Fat Joe. You should definitely check it out. A few other mixtapes have dropped this month that are worth listening to. Tanya Morgan–a rap trio–has released “Tanya Morgan is a Rap Group” with DJ Soul and the good folks over at Okayplayer. Talib Kweli paired up with mixtape mastermind Mick Boogie to drop the “MCEO Mixtape”. With fresh tapes dropping almost daily, and plenty of past mixtapes to search for, you can keep your self pretty occupied. Hey, you might even fall in love with hip hop again.

After becoming completely burnt out on the Hollywood scene, my girls and I decided it was time for a change.  We wanted something ‘low key,’ so we decided to try The Custom Hotel…no traffic, no lines, free parking and no cover. The Custom is a hip, reasonably priced boutique hotel in Westchester that opened in Fall 2007. The hotel is located just minutes from LAX, leaving its guests close to Marina del Rey, Manhattan Beach, Venice, Santa Monica and Malibu.  Hopscotch Bar & Grill is the hotel’s heated outdoor patio with a flyyyy stadium sundeck, poolside cabanas, fire pits and DJ lounge.  The layout of the outdoor lounge is so modern and chic that you won’t believe the spot hasn’t blown up like the Standard yet.  This well-kept secret is definitely going to be the place to be this summer, so make sure you come prepared to take a dip–you won’t want to miss out!
The Custom Hotel
8639 Lincoln Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90045
310.645.0400

I don’t know if it’s because it’s available on every corner in LA, but I could seriously eat Mexican food every day…and probably do, in some form. So this makes me an authority on quality Mexican food (in my mind at least). Nonetheless, when my two girls and I came from getting massages at Chiang Mai a few weeks back, we decided to stop in at La Cantina Taqueria to grab some food. I ordered the Dos Tacos de Pollo–two chicken tacos, for those of you who failed Spanish 1 in high school–and was pleasantly surprised by the crispy goodness that came before me (soft tacos are also available, FYI). From the chips and salsa to the beans and rice, everything was on point.

I also recommend the fish tacos, enchiladas, La Cantina Fajitas, and any of their wide array of alcoholic beverages. Disclaimer: La Cantina–which is owned by the same company that owns Element Nightclub–isn’t necessarily the most authentic Mexican food you’ll come across, so if you’re looking for “hole-in-the-wall,” go to Lucy’s. But if you want to awaken your taste buds and enjoy some drinks with friends, La Cantina will not disappoint.

The taqueria is also open late for your convenience. Call or visit their website for more details.

La Cantina Taqueria
6541 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.871.1363