Click It. BEAT picks of the week - Manhattan Beach edition.

It's no secret we're big fans of Kiehl's here at the BEAT, so to celebrate last night's opening of Kiehl's Manhattan Beach, here's a roundup of MB favorites ...

The Kettle - for a classic American breakfast or late night milkshakes. Don't miss their Honey Bran muffins!

Sloopy's - for post-beach burgers, and/or fresh fruit smoothies.

Mama D's - solid neighborhood Italian. BYOB.

The Beehive - a cute local boutique that stocks quality brands like            J Brand, Splendid, and JET. Great for browsing and for gifts! Their vintage-style candy selection is a fun touch.

Allison by the Beach - a great stop for pretty and unique jewelry.

Magpie - a well-named pretty home goods shop.

Kiehl's - to stock up on Coriander body wash, and Creme de Corps.

The Coffee Bean, Peet's, or Starbucks (all on Manhattan Beach Boulevard) to get a hot bevvy and a treat to-go for an evening stroll up the boardwalk.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: hlgz.org

Click It. BEAT picks of the week.

Kiehl's new scent, Fig Leaf & Sage, from their just-released Aromatic Blends line

Iced Coffee

Woody Harrelson's semi-autobiographical play, Bullet for Adolph

The Louis Vuitton and Yayoi Kusama Collection

" ... is James Bond" exhibit at LACMA

Ageless advice from Kelly Wearstler (as told to Harpers's Bazaar)

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: kiehls.com

Eat Out. Bouchon Bakery Beverly Hills.

I've never had better brioche than from Bouchon Bakery (these rolls from Bon Appétit are a close second).

Beverly Hills is lucky to be the newest location (joining Yountville, Calif., Las Vegas, and New York City) of Thomas Keller's flawless bakery chain.

Bouchon Bakery also makes a great latte to go with your baked goods. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, I highly recommend going for the tuna Niçoise sandwich, on ciabatta, with Bibb lettuce.

Opens tomorrow. 235 North Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. Info: bouchonbakery.com, (310) 271-9910

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Stefanie Keenan / Los Angeles Times

the monthly BEAT: Silver Lake. Broome Street General Store.

A fantastic new addition came to Silver Lake this summer--the Broome Street General Store. They serve New York's Gimme! Coffee, and make a mean scone too.

From Rifle Paper Co. cards to Morris Kitchen ginger syrup, this is the best west coast place for great east coast goods!

2912 Rowena Avenue in Silver Lake, (323) 570-0405, facebook.com/broomestgeneral

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Broome Street General Store via facebook

Drink It. Ritual Roasters coffee.

After being for the most part a drip coffee drinker throughout all my coffee-drinking years (twelve and counting), this summer I've gotten into using a French press. And my most recent bag of beans from San Francisco's Ritual Roasters couldn't be tastier.

The flavor description words bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate made my choice of the Monte Rey Pradera from El Salvador an easy one, and there's also the all-important "Roasted On" date stamp. Even though I bought my coffee north of the border, at Montreal's fantastic Cafe Myriade, the coffee had been roasted just days before my purchase.

I enjoy a steamy Grande cup of Starbucks' Pike Place roast as much as the next girl (ok, maybe a little more), but at a time when there's so much exploring to be done in the world of coffee (different brewing methods, beans, roasting styles), why not?

Info: ritualroasters.com, bodum.com for French presses

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

The Monthly BEAT: Venice. Coffee shops.

I found out just how seriously Intelligentsia takes coffee when I wrote an Archetype piece for Los Angeles Magazine on Intelligentsia (Silver Lake) barista Rachelle Tews.

One of the Chicago-based company's west coast locations is on the very cool Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, an area that's home to plenty of good beans.

Intelligentsia's Venice Coffeebar is worth checking out for the impressive modern industrial space alone, but you'll surely want to grab an espresso drink, and maybe a pastry, while there.

Other notable Venice-area coffee spots:

Abbot's Habit - a very neighborhood-y sort of hippie-style cafe that serves great coffee. An early morning favorite of mine during my LMU (Birkenstock-wearing) days.

Rose Cafe - reliable coffee, delicious fresh food, and a cute gift shop.

Urth Caffé - you cannot go wrong at Urth. Coffee, tea, breakfast, salad, soup, panini, chocolate cake, it's all spot-on. Technically this is in Santa Monica, not Venice, but it is on Main Street, which is just around the corner from Abbot Kinney.

Bring a newspaper to Venice this weekend and stop by one of these places for a relaxing morning and a stroll down Abbot Kinney and/or Main Street!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: LA Weekly

Eat Out. Donuts in Los Angeles.

Sometimes you just have to have a donut.

Randy's Donuts is a Los Angeles landmark, with the giant donut atop the tiny building being more famous than the treats themselves. Although Randy does make a delicious coconut donut, as well as nice jelly donuts.

Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts at the Original Farmers Market is the go-to donut shop for mid-city Angelinos. Their soft donuts are delicious, but the dense fried cakey ones can be a bit too hard and not sweet enough. I do however love their packaging.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts are relatively new to Los Angeles. They--like some bagel shops--have a fantastic "hot" sign that illuminates the window when fresh donuts are being made. Even for non-donut fans, having a hot glazed Krispy Kreme is an incredible experience. Some Krispy Kremes serve Coffee Bean coffee, which is an added bonus. Avoid the locations that don't actually make the donuts in-house, like Santa Monica. The Burbank location is what I'd recommend--they even have a drive-through.

If you're a Dunkin' Donuts fan, you are out of luck in L.A., although Target and supermarkets do sell Dunkin' coffee now--you'll just have to find your own cream and sugar.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: conventionvendor.com

Eat Out. Grub.

A great low-key Hollywood brunch place is Grub. I hadn't even heard of it before googling for breakfast in L.A. on Sunday morning from the road after option #1 was too busy. We arrived around 11:00 a.m., and while it was quite busy, there was an outside table available so we were able to sit right down. A bowl of mixed dry cereal quickly followed.

I ordered a small orange juice and Hank had an iced coffee with milk (one downfall--no espresso machine at Grub). We both had egg (mine scrambled + his fried) and cheese sandwiches, which they make on croissants. So simple and delicious.

Grub is located at 911 Seward Street in Hollywood. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Info: grub-la.com, (323) 461-3663

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Drink It. Sightglass Coffee.

Sometimes morning coffee at home is the simplest, most satisfying, and overall best way to start the week.

I recently bought a bag of classic Central American beans from San Francisco's Sightglass Coffee. It was roasted just days before it arrived in my mailbox, and the few cups I've enjoyed so far have been nothing short of delicious. I like to heat some milk in a ceramic mug first, then fill it up with steaming freshly brewed coffee.

Other favorites for home brewing:

Dean & Deluca French Roast

Stumptown Coffee Roasters French Roast (their Hair Bender blend in a limited edition jar may be my next Stumptown purchase though)

illy Dark Roast

next up:

something from Blue Bottle Coffee Co. (either the Giant Steps blend, Guatemala - Zemoch, or Mexico - Chiapas)

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Check It. Gwyneth Paltrow's L.A.

Love her or hate her, Gwyneth Paltrow is without a doubt a Hollywood success story. The Oscar winner spent her early years in Los Angeles, and still knows her way around this town.

A few recommendations from GP, via her website GOOP:

Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows (I love the Fountain Coffee Room)

The London West Hollywood (the pomegranate lemonade is delicious - especially rooftop/poolside!)

La Scala (famous for their chopped salad)

Mozza (you really can't go wrong at the Osteria or the Pizzeria - Butterscotch Budino, yum.)

Chinois on Main (known for their catfish, and crispy spinach. delicious curry too.)

Cafe Luxxe on Montana Avenue (where she says "the lattes are not to be missed")

Intelligentsia Coffee in Silver Lake

Paltrow has a cookbook due out in April, which her pal/culinary travel companion Mario Batali (Babbo, Mozza, The Spotted Pig, Eataly NYC, etc.) wrote the foreword for.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: babble.com

Do It. Ice skating.

Now that we've got this short break from the rain, get out there and enjoy this chilly holiday! Here's a look back at my post from last year on L.A.'s ice skating rinks.

And to warm up afterward, might I suggest a coffee or some spiked hot chocolate?

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Pershing Square

Etc. Road trip essentials.

Going on a road trip can be a lot of fun if you're well-prepared. Aside from the obvious (a clean windshield and a full tank of gas), I've compiled a list of road trip essentials in anticipation of my trip down south tomorrow. Los Angeles is a great starting off point for drive-able getaways--Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco ...

Jack Nicholson had it right (of course he did) in As Good as It Gets when his character Melvin Udall has a bunch of different CDs made for their famous road trip in the convertible Saab. Music is key for a fun journey. This should be step one, as some research may be needed--mood, amount of songs you'll need to get you there and back, and subject (ex. The Mamas & the Papas if you're headed to San Francisco).

Map it out the day before. There's nothing worse than having all bags packed, front door open, and realizing you have no directions. This is even a good idea if you have a GPS, especially if you're going somewhere new. Using both Mapquest and Google Maps is fail-safe, to proof them against each other and check for any possible confusing parts or errors.

Choosing a good and clean stop along the way is best done before the trip begins--otherwise you may end up eating oatmeal for lunch in a Chinese-American diner where most of your fellow customers are surviving by oxygen tanks.

If the start time is early, coffee is a must. Either brew some of your favorite kind at home and thermos it, or make a pit stop at a reliable local place in the direction you're headed before the big trip really begins (for the Palm Springs to L.A. journey, Koffi is a great).

Bottles of water, granola bars, tissues, hand sanitizer (for post-gas pumping) are all great to have handy in the car, along with a fully charged cell phone of course.

Buckle up & enjoy the ride!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Texaco / Jasperdo on flickr

Drink It. Intelligentsia Pasadena [Guest Post].

Three years and one summer after breaking bean in Silver Lake and Venice, Intelligentsia, the couture coffee clubhouse hailing from Chicago, flew into Old Town Pasadena on its famous brewshtick with a shoulder-bumping grand opening party earlier this month.

The 73-seat lofty-aired space, with alley and sidewalk entrance, houses communal tables, church pews, wide open street side windows and electric blue walls perfect for a quick java fix or a sit-down lunch with small plates served up via chef Matthew Poley of Heirloom LA. The double bar is manned with primly trimmed and ‘stached baristas who’ll soon be slinging a different kind of brew in addition to the house blend: Los Feliz's Covell Bar GM Matthew Kaner will offer up a selection of wines and beers for the tap happy. Nummy pastries a la Bottega Louie and Cake Monkey Bakery are served daily, in addition to talks of Poley filtering in grilled cheese nights and a whole pig roast.

Beyond the bustling G.O. party (which had a line wrapped around the back alley), it’s been a quiet stream of laptop laden studs, modelesque espresso sippers, a woman dictating a script to the mysterious caller and the occasional hipster in for a routine inspection. All in all, just your average cuppa joes.

*A sweet treat must-try: Chocolate Locket Cookies Chocolate sable cookies (courtesy of Cake Monkey Bakery) are filled with house made caramel and sprinkled with Fleur de Sel. Life changing.

-- Nairi Najarian

Photo credit: Intelligentsia

Check It. Anthropologie latte bowls.

I've had my eye on these for awhile, and finally ordered a set yesterday. I'm so looking forward to getting them! Anthropologie's latte bowls are not only really adorable, they're also highly versatile. Using them for ice cream, cereal, and snacks came to mind even before lattes. I think they'll also be really helpful to put chopped ingredients in while cooking, to keep things organized (like on cooking shows!).

The sets of six come in matching or assorted colors. I think the set pictured above is a fun, pretty mix, but if you're not a fan of the mix-and-match style, there's ivory, red, lime, grass (a dark green), and coral to choose from. And four options of assorted color combos. Something for everyone, really.

Now all I need is an espresso machine!

Set of six latte bowls, $30.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.anthropologie.com

Etc. Free Coffee Bean today.

-- the BEAT

Photo credit: coffeebean.com

Eat Out. Half-Off Frappuccinos at Starbucks.

I have never been one of those Starbucks customers who orders that Venti half white mocha, half cafe vanilla, extra ice, with 2 extra shots and 3/4 foam blah blah blah, mostly for the fact that I don't even know what half of that means. It's coffee, for goodness sakes!

But maybe I'll test out the customizing waters this week as Starbucks introduces its new "Create Your Own Frappuccino" campaign. And while I was under the impression that you could always create anything you want at the chain, it's apparently being encouraged now (complete with a weird and totally useless attempt at social networking). But what should encourage you to make up your own frappuccino creation? How about half-off fraps every day until the 16th from 3pm-5pm?

Yes, now you can get your crazy triple pump, extra whip and caramel drizzle concoction for half-off during Starbucks' week-long "happy hour." See you there! I'll be the one perfectly content with my grande mocha.

-- Chau Tu

Eat Out. Coffee shop roundup.

Los Angeles has many worthy options when you're looking to grab a coffee out. From large chains like Starbucks, to smaller ones like The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and even smaller ones like Urth Caffe, sometimes it's hard to make a decision of who to give your hard-earned coffee money to.

If you need coffee immediately, Starbucks is probably the best bet no matter what side of town you're on. Sometimes it seems ridiculous how many there are, but it's also rather comforting. With a chain, you're likely to have consistency, so you know you're going to get the same quality product, and hopefully a clean accessible bathroom no matter which location you end up in. I think their soy latte ranks highest, thanks to the vanilla soy milk they use which gives it just the right sweetness.

While the Coffee Bean does a beautiful latte and a great Americano, it's their specialty drinks that make them stand out as what I'm going to call the more popular Los Angeles chain coffee shop. Ice Blendeds, Tea Lattes (Chai, English Breakfast, you name it), and a wider variety of iced tea flavors than most coffee shops gets the CB some points. They also toast a mean bagel, and the Sunset and Fairfax location has really easy free parking. It also seems to be a celebrity favorite (Perez Hilton used to work out of the West Hollywood location to celeb-spot), Demi Moore is pictured above exiting a Coffee Bean with a large hot drink.

Urth Caffe uses only organic coffees and teas, and they recently opened a location downtown Los Angeles. Their original spot (still open and always bustling) is on Melrose just west of La Cienega. Urth Caffe puts a lot of care into the way they make drinks, often decorating the top of the foam of a latte with a leaf or heart, etc. What's great about Urth Caffe is they have delicious food as well--salads, soups, sandwiches, even lasagna! Their cookies and baked goods are notable as well. If you have a little more time on your hands, and maybe even want to sit down with your latte, try Urth Caffe.

Since I live on the east side now, I need to mention these three: Intelligentsia, Alcove, and Lamill. I'm sure there are more I'm missing, but here's a quick roundup of the Silver Lake/Los Feliz favorites--Intelligentsia can have a very long line, but they do make their drinks with great care, and individually brew drip coffees (you can chose which beans you'd like for your cup). Their cups are very cute, and the beans are locally roasted. Alcove, like Urth Caffe, has a full menu of good food, and it's a beautiful atmosphere to sit a while. Lamill was voted to have the best iced coffee last year by Los Angeles Magazine, and now they serve alcohol too.

Most baristas at all of these places are more than happy to explain their drinks and what--based on your inclinations--may most enjoy.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.denimblog.com

Eat Out. Caffe Latte.

Maybe you've seen this place. You've probably driven by it--on Wilshire's Miracle Mile--a hundred times and never thought twice. Let me tell you, it's worth a try.

On weekdays, they're open early, and make a nice latte (as they should), so it can serve as a good alternative to Starbucks if you want to change it up. Breakfast and lunch are what Caffe Latte is known for. So far, I've just had their lunch, they make tons of great salads, including one with spinach and sliced chicken breast. As it's located on Wilshire just east of Condé Nast's L.A. offices, the unassuming strip mall cafe got on the radar of The New York Observer (for being a Vogue favorite).

If you're looking for a satisfying break from the surrounding fare (Trimana and Wahoo's), step in to Caffe Latte, sit down at a table and order an iced tea. Soon you'll be served with a little plate of irresistible warm mini poppy seed muffins, and as you read the menu you'll have trouble deciding what to get--the sign of a place you'll go back to.

Caffe Latte is located at 6254 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: notfortourists

Eat Out. Black & Black at LaMill [Thirsty Thursdays!].

Coffee and alcohol. Two such wonderful vices, and yet they unfortunately only rarely ever get paired with one another. This, however, has changed, thanks to LaMill.

The hip coffee and fine grub spot in Silver Lake just recently received its beer, wine and sake license, which is definitely a sign of good things to come. Among some fancier and foreign choices, LaMill has also concocted a few specials: the Tea Champagne and the Black & Black. The former, as obvious, mixes bubbly with pomegranate tea; the latter pairs stout with the beloved LaMill coffee.

It was definitely a beer night, so my date and I only sampled the Black & Black. For having only ordered two beverages, the service took a while, but our waiter finally showed up with a pint in one hand and a bottle in the other. The pint was already half-filled with the dark liquid of the aromatic coffee, and the server then made the elaborate display of pouring the Old Rasputin Imperial Russian stout in (and I guess since there was no resulting foam, it was impressive).

And black and black it was indeed. Maybe it was the darkness of the liquid that made it seem misleading, but it was strange to sip the drink and have it not be full or dense, in the way beer can taste at times. It wasn't ice cold, either, and I'm not too sure if that was a good or bad thing. But overall, the mixture presented an intriguing, rich and complex flavor with bitter--but not unpleasant--aftertastes. It's definitely a drink to experience slowly and appreciated over time. I tried the stout on its own (since only half was used in the drink), and it had coffee undertones that really seem to make it a great drink on its own too.

Worth a try? Probably, for the curious. But you can probably just opt for the Rasputin by itself too.

LaMill is located at 1636 Silver Lake Blvd. in Silver Lake.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: theBEAT

Eat Out. Intelligentsia.

Overheard on a busy Saturday afternoon, in line at Intelligentsia Silverlake:
Boy 1: "So what's the big deal about this Intelligentsia place anyway? Why is everyone so crazy about it?"
Girl: "Oh, you'll see."
Boy 2: "Yeah, it's basically like crack."

That's one way to put it. The popular coffeehouse opened here just a mere three years ago, but quickly became a hip mainstay, later expanding to Venice on the Westside, and in the near future--the north in Pasadena.

So what's the big deal, right? I wouldn't quite liken it to an addictive substance, but the coffee here is excellent. The baristas here certainly know their coffee and tea, and are willing to spew off a billion different adjectives for any chosen variety. I tend to opt for the mocha or the cappuccino, simply because I can't resist the creaminess of their froths. They're also never too sweet (the mocha obviously being made from real chocolate) and are pretty decently priced, in terms of artisan coffee. And this time, I splurged ($2.75) on an irresistible caramel shortbread cookie with chocolate filling...do I even need to say it was worth it? Because it totally was. Leslie got the chai, pictured at top above.

The Sunset Junction was especially buzzing this afternoon, and Intelligentsia was no exception. It can be difficult at times to find a seat, but the outside seating space is still strangely nice and cozy, perfect for a day out catching up with friends. And who wants to go to Starbucks again, right? Pretend you're a coffee connoisseur and impress your friends with your hip taste--maybe you'll even get a little addicted.

Intelligentsia in Silverlake is located at 3922 W. Sunset Blvd.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: theBEAT