Year: 2018

The Pierre Hotel’s Grand Ballroom from “Trainwreck”

I know I am in the minority when I say that I don’t think Amy Schumer is funny. And it’s not for lack of trying on my part. I first learned of the comedian when she appeared on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of The Bachelorette and found her schtick to be a bit annoying. Despite that, I have since seen all of her movies, including 2015’s Trainwreck, 2017’s Snatched and 2018’s I Feel Pretty. The latter is the only one I remotely liked, though I thought it could have been so much better – and a little shorter. I guess I just don’t get Amy’s humor. I was still thrilled to learn while touring The Pierre’s Cotillion Ballroom during my April 2016 trip to NYC, that the hotel’s Grand Ballroom was utilized in a prominent scene in Trainwreck, and ran right over to the space to snap some pics. Since returning home, I’ve come across a couple of the venue’s other onscreen cameos and figured it was high time I blog about it.

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I covered The Pierre’s history in my recent post on the Cotillion Ballroom, but figured a brief recap is in order here. The extravagant hotel was designed by the Schultze & Weaver architecture firm in 1930 for restaurateur Charles Pierre. The opulent property has defined luxury lodging in New York ever since. Known for its lavish décor and large public spaces, The Pierre is one of the city’s most popular event venues, thanks in large part to its Grand Ballroom.

Per The Pierre’s official website, the 86-by-86-foot space is the “largest pillarless ballroom amongst all five-star properties in NYC and offers uninhibited views.” The 7,500-square-foot venue also boasts 20-foot ceilings and a 1,500-person capacity. In 2005, the hotel underwent a four-year, $100-million renovation, during which The Grand Ballroom was overhauled by interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud. The result of her efforts is a sprawling room with a bowed ceiling, richly-colored draperies, gilded mirrors, and sparkling chandeliers hung from chains designed to resemble bows, which I was completely enamored with.

Even the stairs and hallway leading to The Grand Ballroom are stunning.

I mean, check out that ceiling!

In Trainwreck, Amy (Amy Schumer) attends an awards luncheon in The Grand Ballroom in which her new boyfriend, Dr. Aaron Conners (Bill Hader), is honored.

During Aaron’s acceptance speech, Amy takes a work call and winds up having to leave the venue – a huge no-no. Did she not learn anything from Mr. Big in Sex and the City’s “The Chicken Dance” episode?

The hallway leading to The Grand Ballroom is featured in the scene, as well.

As is the hotel’s Regency Room . . .

. . . which we also got to check out during our April 2016 tour.

The Grand Ballroom is also the spot where Ramona Singer and friends (well, all friends except for Kelly Killoren Bensimon) attend a fundraiser in the Season 4 episode of The Real Housewives of New York City titled “March Madness,” which aired in 2011.

In the Season 2 episode of Jessica Jones titled “AKA Start at the Beginning,” which aired earlier this year, Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) and Griffin Sinclair (Hal Ozsan) are shown walking down the steps leading to The Grand Ballroom after attending a literacy fundraiser.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The Pierre is located at 2 East 61st Street on New York’s Upper East Side. You can visit the hotel’s official website here. The Grand Ballroom can be found at the rear of the property, east of the Rotunda, on the 2nd floor.

August 8, 2018
The “Portal” Light Installation

Today’s locale can be filed in the hidden-gem-that-is-not-a-filming-location category, much like the Barthman Sidewalk Clock in New York. (Well, it’s not really a filming location, but more on that in a bit.) This one is located in Los Angeles, though, and is a definite must-see under-the-radar spot. Looking back, I can’t remember how I first learned about Portal, the unique light installation tucked away in Little Tokyo’s Weller Court shopping center, but as soon as I did I was transfixed. I pored over images of the site, practically drooling, and immediately added it to the tip top of my To-Stalk List. But when I ventured out there a few weeks later, I was shocked at what a hard time I had locating the art piece. Walking around Weller Court, I could not seem to find it anywhere and no one I asked (even two local cops patrolling the area) had any clue as to what I was talking about (though the cops were intrigued and asked me to report back to them if I ever did track the thing down as they wanted to see it themselves). The lack of awareness on the subject was surprising considering Portal’s current popularity on Instagram. I finally managed to pinpoint the installation after about thirty minutes of searching and figured a blog post was in order so that my fellow stalkers don’t have to suffer the same confusion I did.

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Portal is the work of visual artist Akiko Yamashita, who was commissioned by the owner of Weller Court in 2014 to jazz up a lackluster exterior hallway leading to the shopping center’s elevator and rear entrance/exit that fronts East 2nd Street.

Her vision, which consists of 7,000 colorful light pixels that bounce and dance around the small corridor, was completed the following year.

To create the piece, Yamashita embedded individually addressable LED strips into the floor, sides, and ceiling of the 271.5-foot passageway.

Illumination continually moves throughout the strips, shining different colors along the way, resulting in a virtual light show.

Though the installation runs 24 hours a day, it operates intermittently, which is why I had a hard time finding it.

As you can see below, the passageway doesn’t look like much when Portal isn’t running.

But when the lights go on, it is pretty darn spectacular.

And it becomes even more so at night, as you can see in these images.

The “show” reminds me a bit of the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland, though it is not set to music.

As I mentioned, Portal has become an Instagram favorite, popping up all over the grid of countless feeds. The installation also won A’Design Award & Competition’s Silver Award in the Lighting Products and Lighting Projects Design category for 2017-2018.

If you find yourself in downtown L.A. looking for something to do, I highly recommend stopping by Weller Court to catch a glimpse of Portal. To save you the headache of pinpointing it, here is a breakdown of its exact location. The easiest method of reaching the installation is via the 200 block of East 2nd Street, as the passageway serves as the shopping center’s rear entrance. Portal is located just beyond the staircase pictured below.

Portal can also be reached from the inside of Weller Court shopping center, which is located at 123 Astronaut Ellison S Onizuka Street. The entrance to the marketplace is pictured below.

The installation is situated directly across from the main entrance through the doorway with the red awning that is denoted with a pink arrow in the photo below.

And in the interest of being thorough, here’s a close-up image of that doorway, which serves as Portal’s entrance.

Thanks to fellow stalker Walter, I learned that Weller Court makes an appearance at the beginning of the Season 3 episode of Highway to Heaven titled “All That Glitters” as the spot where Charley Trapola (John Pleshette) hocks fake gold necklaces.

The hallway that now houses Portal is very briefly visible in the scene.

At the beginning of the 2008 action flick Hancock, John Hancock (Will Smith) is seen sleeping on a bench situated just outside of Weller Court, in front of the Bank of the West outpost at 123 Astronaut Ellison S Onizuka Street, Suite 101.

In the Google Street View image below, the pink box denotes where the bench was placed in the scene.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Portal is located in the hallway leading to the elevator on the southern side of Weller Court shopping center at 123 Astronaut Ellison S Onizuka Street in Little Tokyo. The corridor also serves as Weller Court’s East 2nd Street entrance, which can be found on the 200 block of East 2nd Street, in between South Los Angeles and San Pedro Streets. Kinokuniya, one of my favorite area book/gift stores, is located on Weller Court’s second level directly above Marukai Market. And Demitasse Cafe, one of my fave L.A. coffee shops, is just down the block at 135 South San Pedro Street, as is Kyoto Gardens from Her, which can be found on the third floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles Downtown at 120 South Los Angeles Street.

August 6, 2018
The Great Wall Chinese Restaurant from “I Love You, Man”

In Pretty Woman, Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) states that very few people surprise him. I could say the same about filming locations. One that did recently surprise me, though, was The Great Wall Chinese Restaurant in Reseda. For years I had been under the impression that the engagement party scene from the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man had been shot at Hop Louie. But when I sat down to write my post about the landmark Chinatown eatery back in March, I realized that, despite a misleading establishing shot pictured at the beginning of the segment, the restaurant’s interior most certainly did not match what was shown onscreen. What the wha? I got to Googling and eventually discovered that filming had actually taken place at The Great Wall. What’s more, the eatery’s official website noted several other productions lensed on the premises! So it, of course, went straight to the top of my To-Stalk List and the Grim Cheaper and I headed out there for lunch a few weeks later.

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The Great Wall Chinese Restaurant is one of those rarest of Los Angeles anomalies – an eatery that has been around for multiple decades.

Originally established in 1984, the Mandarin/Szechwan restaurant is a neighborhood landmark.

The site’s rather drab exterior (excluding those fabulous red doors pictured above) belies little of the grandiosity of its interior.

Featuring Mandarin décor . . .

. . . and a striking gilded ceiling, the place is absolutely stunning!

I mean, look at that chandelier!

The restaurant is also much larger than its exterior would have you believe and consists of three areas – a massive main dining room;

a rear banquet room;

and a bar area situated near the entrance.

The eatery is extremely old school – in the best way possible.

The GC and I both commented on the fact that we hadn’t seen a Chinese restaurant like it in ages.

The place even has a Lazy Susan and serves hot tea via ceramic teapots upon entering! Talk about bringing me back to my childhood!

Per LoopNet, The Great Wall, which appears to be for sale, raked in $38,350 in filming income last year alone! And it is not very hard to see why. The restaurant is just begging to be photographed! Somehow, it even manages to come across more beautifully in pictures than it does in real life. As such, location managers flock to it.

Though an establishing shot of Hop Louie was shown at the beginning of I Love You, Man’s engagement party scene and the restaurant was even referred to by that name in the segment . . .

. . . all actual filming took place at The Great Wall.

Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) and Zooey Rice’s (Rashida Jones) friends and family first gather in the bar area in the scene . . .

. . . and then head to the rear banquet room for dinner.

The interior of The Great Wall also pops up a few times as the inside of the Golden Wonton Restaurant & Orphanage in the 2007 comedy Norbit.

That same year, the restaurant appeared in Lucky You as the spot where Huck Cheever (Eric Bana) takes Billie Offer (Drew Barrymore) for a celebratory dinner.

Though the place isn’t referred to by name and is supposedly located in Las Vegas in the flick, “The Great Wall Restaurant” is visible on the menu Huck is holding in the scene.

At the end of the 2011 drama Drive, Driver (Ryan Gosling) meets with Bernie Rose (an unrecognizable Albert Brooks) at The Great Wall.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The Great Wall Chinese Restaurant, from I Love You, Man, is located at 18331 Sherman Way in Reseda. You can visit the eatery’s official website here.

August 3, 2018
7th Street/Metro Center Station from “Cruel Intentions”

We all have those movie scenes – the ones so dramatic, so full of romance or even so disturbing (like this, for example) that, for better or worse, they remain ingrained in our memories. Two of my favorites happen to be from the same film and, oddly, it’s a film I don’t even like – 1999’s Cruel Intentions. The first, as mentioned in my recent post on the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion, is the scene in which Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon) implores Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) to take himself less seriously by making adorably silly faces. The other is the escalator scene. Ladies, you know what I’m talking about, amirite? For those who haven’t seen it (and if not, I urge you to check it out ASAP), here’s a rundown – after a major argument, Sebastian shows up at what is supposedly Penn Station in New York to surprise Annette. As she heads up an escalator upon debarking her train and sees him waiting for her at the top, she says “I’m impressed,” to which he responds, “Well, I’m in love.” Hearts of teenage girls everywhere broke wide open for Phillipe while watching the scene – mine included. So when I recently learned via The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations that the 7th Street/Metro Center Station in downtown L.A. portrayed Penn Station in the bit, I just about fell over from excitement and immediately added the site to my To-Stalk List. I made it out to the station a few weeks later and was thrilled to see the place looking virtually frozen in time from its onscreen stint almost twenty years ago.

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7th Street/Metro Center Station is located beneath Figueroa Tower on the corner of South Figueroa and West 7th Streets in downtown’s Financial District.

Completed in 1988, the 24-story structure, originally known as Home Savings Tower, mixes Chateauesque and post-modern styles.

The station’s entrance can be found at the building’s southwest corner, beneath a gorgeous mural titled “City Above.”

Painted by Terry Schoonhoven in 1991, the imagery of the colorful piece appears to change drastically as riders journey up the escalators to the street or down to the subway.

The depot itself, the first subway station to open in Los Angeles since the city shut down subterranean transportation in 1955, debuted in February 1991 to much fanfare. The site’s lower level, which was behind schedule, opened two years later.

Very little of the terminal can actually be seen in Cruel Intentions. Thankfully, an elevator is visible behind Sebastian at one point which helped me pinpoint the exact spot where filming took place.

In the iconic scene, Annette and Sebastian reunite on the station’s first level mezzanine, at the set of escalators that abut the elevator just past the turnstiles near the 7th & Figueroa Street entrance. That area is pictured below.

The escalator that Annette rides up in the segment actually moves downward in real life, so it was a bit hard to get a matching shot of her POV. The image below is the closest I got.

Despite the directional switch, thanks to the fact that the camera pans down in the scene, stepping onto that escalator made me feel like I was actually living out the movie. I swear I could almost make out “Colorblind” playing in the background.

The segment also features a blurred view of the station’s ceramic tile art installation titled The Movies: Fantasies and The Movies: Spectacles, hand-painted by Joyce Kozloff, as Annette and Sebastian inevitably kiss. Sigh!

Amazingly, the escalator bit wasn’t an original element of the Cruel Intentions storyline. Per a script I found online dated February 10th, 1998 (which is about four months before filming began), the train station scene initially lacked dialogue and simply consisted of Annette disembarking from a train at Grand Central Station to find Sebastian standing in the busy concourse waiting for her. She runs to him and they kiss. End scene. I would love to know what motivated the change. Did the director take one look at 7th Street/Metro Center Station’s escalator layout and become inspired? Being that locations typically serve as my inspiration, I’d like to think that was the case.

Cruel Intentions is not the only production to have made use of 7th Street/Metro Center Station. Lt. Sam Cole (Tom Sizemore) ventures out of the depot at the end of the Season 1 episode of Robbery Homicide Division titled “Hellbound Train,” which aired in 2003.

In the 2004 thriller Collateral, Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Max (Jamie Foxx) run into the station and onto a train in an attempt to escape from Vincent (Tom Cruise).

That same year, the site appeared in two episodes of 24. It is at 7th Street/Metro Center Station that Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and his team set up a stakeout to catch Arthur Rabens (Salvator Xuereb) in Season 3’s “11:00 A.M. – 12: 00 P.M.” . . .

. . . and “12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.”

The entrance to the station also appears in the Season 6 episode of 24 titled “7:00 A.M. – 8 A.M,” which aired in 2007 . . .

. . . though interiors were shot about 15 miles away at North Hollywood Station located at 5391 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood.

Both the subway’s Figueroa and 7th Street entrance . . .

. . . as well as its other entrance at West 7th and South Flower Street make brief appearances in the 2009 family comedy Hotel for Dogs.

Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) investigate the death of a subway maintenance worker at the station in the Season 3 episode of Castle titled “Murder Most Fowl,” which aired in 2010.

The depot and its 7th & Flower entrance also pop up in Castle’s Season 7 episode titled “Kill Switch,” which aired in 2014.

Taylor Swift dances at 7th Street/Metro Center Station (barefoot, no less!) in her 2018 music video for “Delicate,” which you can watch here.

The station’s 7th & Flower entrance masks as the entrance to New York’s Chamber Street Station in the Season 1 episode of For the People titled “Rahowa,” which aired in March of this year.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: 7th Street/Metro Center Station, aka Penn Station from Cruel Intentions, can be reached from the bottom level of the Home Savings Tower, which is located at 660 South Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. The escalator that appeared in the movie is situated just beyond the turnstiles at that entrance, in front of the elevator. Be advised, you will need to purchase a TAP card and buy a fare to access the area featured in the scene.

August 1, 2018
The House from Ben Affleck’s “Men’s Journal” Photo Shoot

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times – I hate incorrect filming location information! I recently encountered some erroneous reporting which led me to stalk a site that, come to find out, does not actually have any movie or television connections (at least, none that I could dig up). Hmph! Because the property has played host to a couple of celebrity photo shoots, though, and is an absolutely stunning example of 1960s architecture, I figured it was still worthy of a blog post. So here goes. Back in June, a fellow stalker named Manon emailed me a link to a house featured in an online film locations database asking me to identify it. When I read in the description that the pad had not only appeared in the original 1960 Ocean’s 11 movie, but a James Bond flick from the same era, I just about hyperventilated. Images of the place showing the property in all of its retro glory, with decorative wood screens, bright orange front doors and a rock-walled fireplace, only served to further my intrigue. So I immediately set about tracking it down.

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Fortunately, finding this particular locale was a snap thanks to a street sign reading “Devlin Drive” that was visible in one of the images featured online. I simply headed to Google Street View, inputted “Devlin Drive, Los Angeles,” and began scanning through the various houses located there. I came across the right pad at 1344 Devlin Drive in Hollywood Hills West mere minutes later, promptly added the address to my To-Stalk List and visited it while in L.A. shortly thereafter, without doing any further research on the subject.

It was not until I sat down to start penning this post that I discovered the home was not actually featured in Ocean’s 11 – or James Bond.

Though the place would undeniably fit perfectly into either flick, I scanned through the original Ocean’s 11 TWICE and did not see it anywhere.

I also scanned through every 1960s James Bond flick that did any filming in California (as it turns out there aren’t many) and did not see the house pop up at all, so I believe that information is also incorrect.

I am still glad to have seen the striking pad in person nonetheless. Originally built in 1960 by Bray Architects, the gorgeous mid-century-style residence boasts 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,500 square feet of living space, a natural rock double fireplace, floor to ceiling glass windows, 0.37 acres of land, a terrace, and a garden.

Some of the interior is visible through the massive front windows and I was practically drooling upon seeing it.

The home is such a relic, I half-expected Don Draper to come waltzing into view casually sipping a martini.

Considering its authentic retro aesthetic, I am fairly certain the pad has appeared in a production or two at some point, but, surprisingly, I could not find any cinematic ties to the place in all of my research.

It has been the site of a few photo shoots, though. Ben Affleck posed at the house for the cover of the December 2017 issue of Men’s Journal magazine. The caps below come from some behind-the-scenes videos shot the day of the shoot which you can watch here and here.

Laura Dern was also photographed there for the May 2018 issue of Rhapsody magazine.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Manon for asking me to find this location.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The house from Ben Affleck’s photo shoot for the December 2017 issue of Men’s Journal magazine is located at 1344 Devlin Drive in Hollywood Hills West.

July 30, 2018
The Lewis Estate from “American Woman”

The internet has been going crazy as of late over images of Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood filming on location in L.A. The period piece, which stars Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Luke Perry (OMG!) and chronicles the murder of Sharon Tate, is set in 1960s Tinseltown. As Tarantino said at CinemaCon in April, “Street by street, block by block, we’ll transform Los Angeles into the Hollywood of 1969.” And transform it, he has. The director has brought countless lost city landmarks back to life in their original locations. I so wish I was there to witness it all! Another recent production that has also been resurrecting retro L.A. is American Woman, which debuted on the Paramount Network in early June. Set in 1975, the series is loosely based upon the life of Kathleen Richards, mom of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, who serves as co-executive producer. Though I find the show to be a bit blah, the costumes and music are downright intriguing and the locations have me practically foaming at the mouth, especially the mid-century modern pad that serves as the home of lead character Bonnie Nolan (Alicia Silverstone) and her two daughters, Becca (Makenna James) and Jessica (Lia McHugh). So I, of course, set out to pinpoint it.

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Said to be in Bel Air on the series, one look at the retro-fabulous property told me it was more likely located in Encino.

Thanks to the unique configuration of the residence, which consists of two adjacent rotundas, it was a snap to find. I simply inputted “mid-century modern,” “house,” “Encino,” and “circular” into Google and the first response kicked back was a 2011 article about a pad for sale at 17862 Via Vallarta in Lake Encino complete with listing photos showing the very same spot I was searching for! I ran out to stalk it shortly thereafter.

Known as the Lewis Estate in real life, the 1972 residence was commissioned by Joby and Helen Lewis, proprietors of Lake Tahoe’s Cal-Vada Lodge, as well as several Los Angeles nightclubs.

The unique property, designed by Benton/Park/Candreva Architects, is formed by two dodecagons (aka 12-sided structures) connected via a glass pavilion.

The sprawling 4-bedroom, 4-bath, 5,377-square-foot estate boasts a 3-car garage, a sunken living room, Rosewood detailing, brass sunburst front doors, maid’s quarters, a fireplace, a fire pit, a pool, a spa, and 1.33 acres of land. Amazingly, very little of the home has been altered since it was built 45-plus years ago.

After Joby passed away in 1998, Helen continued to live at the residence. Upon her death in July 2011, the property was put on the market for $2,900,000. It eventually sold that November for $1,887,500 to husband-and-wife art auctioneers/architecture buffs Peter and Shannon Loughrey who have resolved to keep much of the place’s original detailing intact. Peter is definitely a man after my own heart. As a Ventura Boulevard article about the house states, “When Peter Loughrey first moved to California he was so enamored by the modernist homes he’d pass while driving through Brentwood and Bel Air that he’d often stop, ring the doorbell and ask the owner for a tour. ‘A little old lady would answer and I’d say “Is this a Neutra house?”’ recalls Peter, referring to pioneering Austrian-American architect Richard Neutra. ‘She’d say “Yes! How did you know?” Then she’d let me in, make me a sandwich and show me around.’” Oh Peter, you and I could so hang!

The Lewis Estate’s original detailing is no doubt what led to its use on American Woman. The residence is featured regularly on the series in establishing shots of the Nolan family home, as well as in some on-location scenes.

The residence’s actual interior, which you can see photos of here and here, appeared in the show’s first two episodes, “Liberation” (pictured below) and “Changes and the New Normal.”

Beginning with episode 4, titled “The Cost of Living,” the production began utilizing a set for interiors of the Nolan home. That set is pictured below.

The property’s real-life pool and backyard area have been featured several times on the series, as well.

Fellow stalker Lisa informed me that the Lewis Estate also appears extensively as the home of Ken (Brían F. O’Byrne) and Grace Karn (Michaela McManus) during the first season of the television series Aquarius, which aired in 2015.

The Lewis Estate briefly pops up in the pilot episode of Snowfall, which aired in 2017, as the residence of Robert Volpe (Taylor Kowalski).

And the house party at the end of 2019’s Booksmart takes place there, as well.

Eagle-eyed fellow stalkers likely noticed the blue and white filming notification attached to the residence’s front lamp in my photos.

That notification was for Elle King’s “Shame” music video, which you can watch here.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The American Woman house is located at 17862 Via Vallarta in the Lake Encino neighborhood of Encino.

July 27, 2018
The Trails Café from “The Catch”

Today’s locale required a ridiculous amount of stalking – of myself. A few months back, while scanning through a television show making screen captures for a post, I spotted what I thought was the side of The Trails Café, one of my favorite L.A. eateries. A quick look at Google Street View’s imagery of the restaurant confirmed my hunch. Distracted by the piece I was writing, I failed to jot down the information, though, and promptly forgot about it. Flash forward to last weekend when the Grim Cheaper and I found ourselves hungry during a stalking trip to Griffith Park. I suggested we pop by The Trails and, while enjoying our scrumptious egg salad sandwich, was reminded of the place’s onscreen appearance. The only trouble was I could not for the life of me recall what show I had seen it in. Figuring it would come to me eventually, I snapped photos of The Trails and added it to my To-Blog List. Days later, though, I was still at a loss. The only remedy I could think of was a deep dive through my browser history. That dive turned out to be far deeper than I had envisioned. With the GC as my guide, I pulled up my search history, inputted “Trails Café” and quickly discerned that I made the discovery of the restaurant’s cameo on January 9th. As I backtracked through all of the other queries I performed on that date, I felt like I was entering A Beautiful Mind territory. I don’t normally consider myself as having ADD tendencies, but my online habits are evidence to the contrary. At no time that day did I have less than ten windows open – often on multiple browsers. Using the disjointed information to pinpoint what show The Trails had appeared in proved extremely time consuming (and a bit unnerving), but I eventually hit pay dirt – the eatery was featured in the pilot episode of The Catch, which I had discovered while making screen captures for my post on Emerson College Los Angeles. Phew!

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The Trails Café was founded by Grammy-winning music producer Mickey Petralia and television executive Frank Lentz in June 2005. The venture might seem an unusual one for two people with backgrounds so widely removed from the culinary world, but as Petralia told L.A. Weekly in a 2010 interview, “When I first started putting this place together, I code-named it ‘Operation Exit Strategy.’ The record industry had started to change, and I was pretty certain it was never going to get back to where it was. It’s hard to sustain a house and two kids on music alone now.”

Situated just steps from the idyllic Ferndell Nature Center, another one of my favorite L.A. spots, the structure that now houses The Trails was originally a city-owned concession stand that served mediocre burgers. By the time that Petralia and Lentz got their hands on the place, it had long been sitting vacant and boarded up and had grown run-down.

The duo spent about nine months cleaning up the property and transforming it into a charmingly rustic eatery, all of which was done during off time from their day jobs.

While the menu was originally helmed by musician Aaron Sperske, at some point pastry chef Jenny Park came on board as a co-owner and the mastermind behind The Trails’ delectable offerings including pastries, sandwiches and salads, all of which are made from scratch each day on the premises.

The tiny café (it measures less than 400 square feet!) quickly became an area staple, with hungry patrons flocking there like bees to honey. Most days you’ll find the colorful picnic tables packed and throngs of people waiting at the order window.

It is not hard to see why The Trails is so beloved. Not only is the fare amazing, but the setting is absolutely idyllic. Sitting there, you half expect woodland fairies to come flying by, sprinkling pixie dust in their wake.

The restaurant is also something of a celebrity hot spot. Such stars as Amanda Seyfried, Flea, Minka Kelly, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jayma Mays, Drew Barrymore, Alia Shawkat, and Paul Adelstein have all popped by for a bite to eat. Mandy Moore even did a photo shoot at The Trails for How You Glow.

Considering its celebrity clientele and gorgeous aesthetic, it is no surprise that the eatery wound up onscreen.

In the pilot episode of The Catch, private investigator Alice Vaughan (Mireille Enos) discovers that her fiancé, Christopher Hall (Peter Krause), is a fraud who has made off with her entire life savings. Her team decides to try to ensnare him, but, as her employee Danny Yoon (Jay Hayden) laments, “This guy was good – like really good. His entire web presence is gone. No archived search items, no photos. I don’t even know how to start investigating.” Alice assures him that she has photographs of Christopher, but when she heads to her computer to bring them up she realizes that his face is obscured or turned away from the camera in every single one. Two of the pictures she scans through in the scene were taken at The Trails Café. The restaurant’s appearance is fleeting at best in the segment, which is perhaps why I had such a hard time recalling it.

Alice and Christopher are sitting on the café’s southern side in the images, in the area pictured below.

The Trails Café was also featured in the Season 14 episode of Visiting . . . with Huell Howser titled “Ferndell,” which aired in 2006.

In the episode, which you can watch here, we are given a glimpse of what the eatery looked like when Petralia and Lentz first took it over in 2004. The industrial shack is quite a stark contrast to the whimsical café that exists now.

Thanks to fellow stalker Justin, I learned that The Trails also appears as The Tummy Pleaser concession stand in the Season 1 episode of Salute Your Shorts titled “Cheeseburgers in Paradise,” which aired in 1991.

Quite an extensive scene was shot there affording us a fabulous look at the property in its original state.

I cannot say enough good things about The Trails Café. There’s a reason I included the place in My Guide to L.A. – Coffee post. It is definitely one of the best spots in the city to grab a latte and enjoy a shaded respite.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The Trails Café, from the pilot episode of The Catch, is located at 2333 Fern Dell Drive in Griffith Park. The entrance to Ferndell Nature Center, my favorite L.A. walking trail, can be found just south of the restaurant at the intersection of Fern Dell and Black Oak Drives.

July 23, 2018
The Griffin from “NCIS”

Today’s location comes with a caveat. Last Saturday evening while in L.A. for a brief visit, I headed to The Griffin, an Atwater Village bar I had been dying to stalk ever since seeing it in an episode of NCIS almost three years ago. The place did not disappoint and I started writing this post pretty much immediately upon returning home. Unfortunately, later that night the watering hole came under fire due to an unfortunate set of circumstances that began when an extremist hate group held an impromptu gathering on the premises. When word of the meet-up got out, some neighborhood activists popped by to protest. A fight ensued, police were called and both parties were forced to leave. Thankfully, no one was hurt during the melee. The Griffin’s reputation was, though. The establishment, which did not endorse or host the meet-up, bore the brunt of the blame from locals, concerned citizens and many media outlets for even allowing the group to enter in the first place. Now I wasn’t there, but from everything I’ve read, it seems the tavern was unexpectedly ambushed and the staff was guilty of little other than being completely ill-equipped to handle the situation. The Griffin’s owners have since issued an apology and even hosted a neighborhood fundraising event a few days later, but many are still angry. While I considered holding off on publishing this post due to the backlash, I thought better of it. In no way do I believe that the bar owners or staff condone any sort of hatred or support those who do. My experience there had the opposite feeling. The employees that I spoke with could not have been more kind or accommodating, even though I was annoyingly running around snapping copious photographs and asking countless questions about the place’s filming history. Of the watering hole, LA Weekly says, “The Griffin, dimly lit and always welcoming, is magical any night of the week.” I couldn’t agree more – so I’m hitting ‘publish.’

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While watching the Season 13 episode of NCIS titled “Sister City (Part 1)” back in January 2016, I became transfixed with Tusovat’sya, the 4-star Russian restaurant supposedly located on the 700 block of K Street in Washington, D.C. where Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) tracked down Russian Counselor Anton Pavlenko (Lev Gorn). The cavernous space’s brick arched ceilings practically had me drooling.

While set in D.C., NCIS is shot in L.A., so I knew the eatery had to be somewhere close by. Thankfully, the hunt to find it was easier than Gibbs and DiNozzo’s hunt for Pavlenko. Feeling lucky, I inputted “Los Angeles,” “restaurant,” “cavernous,” and “brick” into Google and one of the first results kicked back was this Thrillist blurb about The Griffin which states, “Decked with arched brick ceilings, Gothic-style chandeliers, and red vinyl booths, The Griffin is like a medieval dungeon in Atwater Village. The cavernous lair is anchored by a stone platform with two fireplaces and a large bar.” The description alone had me convinced me it was the spot I was looking for and once I pulled up images, there was no denying The Griffin had portrayed Tusovat’sya.

I was shocked at the discovery because not only had I long been aware of The Griffin thanks to its use in establishing shots of the bar where Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) works on New Girl, but I had stalked and blogged about the place for Los Angeles magazine back in 2014. Since only the outside of the lounge appeared on the Fox series, I had never ventured inside, though, so I was completely unaware of its unique aesthetic (captured so beautifully on NCIS) . . .

. . . none of which is belied by its pretty, but rather non-descript exterior.

I promptly added The Griffin to my Re-Stalk List, but was not able to make it back out there until this past weekend. Let me tell you, though, it was worth the wait!

The Griffin was originally established in September 2007 at the site of the former La Strada Mexican eatery. While I had assumed that the vaulted, sepulchral space was a historic relic of some sort, possibly an erstwhile bank or wine cellar, our friendly bartender informed us that the extraordinary chamber was actually a build-out commissioned by owners Aaron Chepenik and Jonathan Hensleigh after La Strada vacated the premises.

The duo’s creation is nothing short of majestic.

While researching this post, I was shocked to learn that the design is an almost exact replica of Chepenik and Hensleigh’s inaugural bar venture, also named The Griffin, at 511 Fremont Street in Las Vegas, which opened in January 2007. You can check out some images of it here.

Considering the cinematic feel of both places, it should come as no surprise that Hensleigh’s background is in the movie industry – the successful screenwriter has penned everything from Jumanji to Armageddon to Die Hard with a Vengeance).

With its circular fireplaces, arched ceilings, faux stonework, hanging lanterns, and diamond muntin windows, The Griffin looks like something straight out of a movie – or perhaps a ride at Disneyland.

In a 2008 Los Angeles Times article, Travis Woods lyrically describes the bar as such, “Stepping inside is like drifting into a 16th-century Spanish cathedral — arched stone supports crisscross along the cavernous vaulted ceiling, while two fireplaces hold court at opposite ends of the main lounge, each surrounded by the twin parentheses of semicircular red leather couches and the ellipses of several matching knee-high stools.”

He also states, “A clever, surprisingly cozy environment, it could have easily slipped from ambience to Ambien; instead, it’s classy dungeon-chic without the torture of ridiculous lines, list-wielding bouncers and too-cool L.A. detachment,” which is exactly what we experienced. The Griffin lacks that ultra-hip, holier-than-thou, pretentious vibe that plagues so many area bars. The place may look high-maintenance, but it’s about as laid-back as can be.

The Griffin’s dramatic design has landed it a couple of other onscreen appearances in addition to NCIS.

As I mentioned earlier, the outside of the bar popped up regularly during Seasons 2-7 of New Girl in establishing shots of the watering hole where the gang hung out. (In Season 1, a different exterior was utilized.)

As I also mentioned earlier, only the outside of The Griffin appeared on New Girl. Interior filming took place elsewhere – first at The Prince restaurant located at 3198 West 7th Street in Koreatown and then on a set re-creation of The Prince built on a soundstage at 20th Century Fox Studios in Culver City.

The Griffin also pops up in the Season 2 episode of Love titled “Friends Night Out,” which aired in 2017, as the spot where Gus Cruikshank (Paul Rust) and his buddies hang out and discuss the television series Friends.

The exterior of The Griffin also appears briefly in the episode.

And it is at The Griffin that Henrietta Wilson (Aisha Hinds) and Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) grab drinks in the Season 1 episode of 9-1-1 titled “Point of Origin,” which aired in 2018.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The Griffin, from the “Sister City (Part 1)” episode of NCIS, is located at 3000 Los Feliz Boulevard in Atwater Village. The Tam O’Shanter, from the “Dream On” episode of Glee, can be found right next door at 2980 Los Feliz Boulevard.

July 20, 2018
Via Quadronno from “Sex and the City”

Nothing makes me miss New York more than photographs of croissants. That’s a weird sentiment, I know – especially considering I don’t even really like croissants. But during one of my first trips to the Big Apple, I dragged my family to Upper East Side café Via Quadronno for breakfast after coming across a brief mention of the place and its fabulous cappuccinos in Real City: New York City (Real City Guides). Though I opted for a liquid meal consisting of a creamy iced latte (which was absolute perfection) that morning, my mom ordered a croissant and, upon biting in and proclaiming it was one of the best she’d ever had, implored me to taste it. I indulged her and was shocked at the outcome – the flaky pastry was one of the most delectable treats I’d ever sampled. I promptly ordered one for myself and then proceeded to head right back to Via Quadronno the following morning and every morning the rest of our trip – and every subsequent trip, as well, including my 2016 visit to the Big Apple with the Grim Cheaper. I cannot get enough of the place! So even though I briefly blogged about the charming eatery way back in 2008, I figured it was most-definitely worthy of a redux.

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Via Quadronno was originally founded by Italian native Paolo Della Puppa in 1999. A music publisher by trade, Puppa relocated to NYC in 1983, but continued to run his Italian-based company, Anyway Music, from afar. After about a decade abroad, he found himself falling victim to poor conversion rates and in need of a new vocation. So he turned to fellow Italian expat Hans Pauli, owner of the popular Sant Ambroeus café chain and former proprietor of the popular Milan paninoteca Bar Quadronno, which, thanks to chef/baker Giuseppe Tusi, became known for revolutionizing the panini.

Paolo trained under Hans at Sant Ambroeus for several years before the two eventually partnered up to establish Via Quadronno, which opened its doors on September 9th, 1999. Giuseppe was, of course, on hand to teach the staff his magical version of panini-making.

It did not take long for the cozy, intimate spot (the seating capacity is only 40!) to become a neighborhood icon with locals, tourists and celebrities alike all popping in for freshly baked goods, steaming cappuccinos, and those famous paninis. Just a few of the stars known to frequent the eatery include Katie Holmes (along with Suri Cruise), Aviva Drescher, Christine Baranski, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Martha Stewart, Dylan Lauren, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Rutherford, Jerry Seinfeld, Sean Connery, Madonna, Robin Williams, Scarlett Johansson, Alex Rodriguez, Tom Hanks, and Matt Dillon.

It is not very hard to see why Via Quadronno has become such a local favorite. Not only is the dining room one of the most adorable in New York with tiny wooden tables and chairs, cheerful murals, and Italian posters dotting the walls, but the restaurant’s offerings are out of this world! It is no surprise that the place has won countless “best of” awards over the years. Heck, Martha Stewart even headed there when she wanted to learn how to make the perfect cappuccino.

Via Quadronno is also a filming location – from two of my favorite shows, no less!

In the Season 1 episode of Sex and the City titled “Models and Mortals,” Skipper Johnston (Ben Weber) forces Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) to call Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon) while standing outside of the restaurant to find out if he still has a chance with her.

At the time the episode was shot in 1998, the Via Quadronno space housed a sweets shop named La Maison Du Chocolat, which opened on the premises in 1990. Despite the change in tenancy, the site is still recognizable from its onscreen stint. I find it incredible that Reinstein|Ross Goldsmiths, the fine jewelry store situated next door to the café whose signage was visible in Sex and the City, is still alive and well and operating in the same location twenty years after the fact!

Via Quadronno also popped up on Gossip Girl. In the Season 2 episode titled “Remains of the J,” which aired in 2009, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) heads to the café to pick up breakfast for Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford), whom she has just secretly started dating again, and narrowly misses running into Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively).

The Season 10 episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee titled “Kate McKinnon: A Brain in a Jar,” which hit Netflix earlier this month, was filmed at Via Quadronno’s other location at 1228 Madison Avenue in NYC’s Carnegie Hill neighborhood (which Yelpers are reporting is now closed).

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Via Quadronno, from the “Models and Mortals” episode of Sex and the City, is located at 25 East 73rd Street on New York’s Upper East Side. You can visit the eatery’s official website here. The Via Quadronno outpost from the “Kate McKinnon: A Brain in a Jar” episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee can be found at 1228 Madison Avenue in NYC’s Carnegie Hill neighborhood, though per Yelp that location is now closed.

July 18, 2018
TomTom from “Vanderpump Rules”

The Instagram world was set on fire (well, my Instagram world, at least) Wednesday night when the cast of Vanderpump Rules, along with other Bravolebrities and reality TV stars, began posting photos of the DailyMail.com & DailyMailTV Summer Party which took place at TomTom, the highly anticipated new bar venture by husband and wife restauranteurs Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd and their protégés/employees/junior partners Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz. The soirée served as a soft opening for the West Hollywood watering hole (per several sources the official opening won’t take place for three weeks) and I could not have been more excited to see the completed space, which VP fans witnessed the progress of throughout the show’s most recent season. I actually popped by TomTom in mid-May with my friends Kim and Katie, who were in town visiting from Kentucky. Though the site was just a construction zone at the time, it was an absolute thrill to see in person – especially because we wound up running into the entire Vanderpump/Todd family while there and were given a sneak peak at the place’s interior!

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The opening of TomTom has been a project years in the making. Ken first leased the WeHo space that now houses the bar way back in 2015 – without Lisa’s knowledge or consent. At the time, the site was home to an adult boutique named Chi Chi LaRue’s. The couple subsequently rented the place out short term to Showtime Clothing while deciding what they ultimately wanted to do with it. Per various building reports, it seems an eatery named Pinky’s Restaurant was originally going to be established there, but that plan was scrapped in 2016 as the idea for TomTom began to take shape.

There seems to be some confusion regarding the square footage of the TomTom space floating around online. In 2013, a comparable summary report noted the 1935 structure as consisting of 3,360 square feet, but a leasing brochure from 2017 listed it at 1,508. Either way, the property’s useable space has grown considerably since Lisa and Ken acquired it thanks to the addition of an upstairs kitchen area, as well as a large elevated back patio that overlooks West Hollywood Park.

When Vanderpump and Todd took over the site, it was incredibly non-descript – basically just four walls and a ceiling, as you can see here. What it has been transformed into is nothing short of spectacular. I cannot wait to head out there to experience the finished product in person. I was elated to see it all boarded up with black plywood back in May, though, being that it popped up countless times throughout Vanderpump Rules’ sixth season in the same state.

Audiences were actually given their first glimpse of the TomTom space on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, not Vanderpump Rules. In the Season 6 episode titled “Busted BBQ,” which aired in 2016, Ken brings Lisa to tour the site, which he has just leased out. The unique wares and décor of then occupant Chi Chi LaRue’s make transforming the space into a restaurant a bit hard for Lisa to envision. As she approaches the front doors, she says, “I don’t think I want to go in there. There are things in the window that make my eyes water. I’ve got my dark glasses on to protect myself.”

While Ken thinks the site is the perfect prospect for their next culinary venture, Lisa is more interested in some mini whips she finds on the shelves that she wants to bring home to her pet ponies.

The TomTom space does not appear on Vanderpump Rules until the December 2017 Season 6 premiere titled “Masquerade,” in which Sandoval and Schwartz tour the now vacant and gutted site with Lisa and Ken.

Sandoval really dresses the part for the occasion, but, come on, like anyone believes that tape measure is actually going to be used! Nice try, Sandoval.

During their tour, Sandoval gets quite the tongue lashing from Lisa over his negativity, arrogance, and unwanted advice on the venture. As she sarcastically pans, “What were we thinking? Doing 33 restaurants without Tom Sandoval. How the f*ck did we do it?”

The TomTom space is featured in numerous additional episodes throughout the season, including “It’s Not About the Pasta” in which the two Toms attempt to invest some sweat equity in the restaurant. (If only they can figure out how to put on their dust masks!)

It also appears in “Karma’s a Bitch,” in which Sandoval calls Lisa from Vegas to discuss hosting a “progress party” at the site for all of his friends . . .

. . . and “Reiki Breaky Heart,” in which Tom and Tom discuss the upcoming progress party . . .

. . . and Sandoval gets down on one knee, presents Schwartz with a rose gold and diamond “TT” lapel pin, and officially asks him to be his partner in the restaurant, which elicits this speech from Schwartz, “Katie’s my wife in life, but in business Tom is my wife and I’m ready to make that commitment and I hope we have beautiful business babies together.” Those two are so ridiculous, I swear.

The bar site gets its most screen time in the Season 6 finale titled “Welcome to TomTom,” in which the highly anticipated “progress party” takes place.

The space was still very much a work-in-progress at the time. It is truly amazing how far it has come.

As I mentioned above, while we were stalking TomTom, we had the pleasure of running into Ken. He could not have been more gracious and kind and not only posed for a photo with us, but opened up the front door so that we could take a peek inside the bar. Though it was still under construction, its beauty was apparent. As we were glimpsing the interior, a car pulled up out front and Ken informed us that Lisa was inside, but that she was not in the best of spirits as her brother had passed away just days before. We had not been aware of that fact prior to Ken telling us, otherwise we most certainly would not have approached him, let alone ask for a picture. When Lisa walked up, with Pandora in tow, we offered our condolences and she could not have been nicer and even talked with us for a bit before heading inside TomTom. As we ventured away from the bar, excitedly chatting about our good fortune of getting to see the inside of the space and meeting Ken and Lisa, who should walk by but their son, Max! Talk about crazy timing. (And no, we did not approach him, considering the circumstances.)

In another only-in-L.A. moment, minutes after this all took place, our group headed over to the Starbucks across the street (natch) and were floored to run into Jared Haibon from The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise! It was definitely a stellar day for celebrity sightings!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: TomTom, from Vanderpump Rules, is located at 8932 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. The bar is not open to the public yet, but per several sources is set to open in about three weeks.

July 13, 2018