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Tags: Cupcakes / Food Travel / Los Angeles / Food Trucks / Los Angeles Travel / Los Angeles Restaurants / → All Tags

Prepare For A Sugar Rush, LA; Magnolia Cupcakes Is On Its Way

Non-New Yorkers might be familiar with Magnolia Bakery because of a certain SNL Digital Short, where Andy Samberg claimed to love their cupcakes "like McAdams loves Gosling," not to mention that some scenes in Sex and The City took place just outside. Their baked goods are famous local lore, with lines of buttercream enthusiasts consistently snaking out the front door, even in the blistering cold of winter, even if personally we think they are a little dry to be so famous.

Los Angeles is no stranger to the maniacal cupcake trend; bakeries like Crumbs Bake Shop and Sprinkles (and now, the distinct, chocolate-hued Sprinkles truck) have been feeding the city's sugar-starved masses for years now, and while they've earned solid reps of their own, Magnolia has a certain unshakeable appeal. Well, sweets fiends rejoice, because on a recent stroll down West Third Street, we came across a sign announcing that the New York institution is fast on its way to the Left Coast.

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Tags: Celeb Travel / The Hills / 2008 Candidates Travel / Heidi Montag / John McCain / Meghan McCain / → All Tags

Hiatus Travel: "The Hills"-GOP Crossover Inches Closer to Scary Reality

When Heidi Montag announced she supported presidential candidate John McCain, entertainment junkies wrote it off as the results of the same brain-deadening virus that caused her to break up with her best friend for Spencer Pratt. The only thing scarier than a Montag endorsement, though, is the campaign's seeming embrace of the words of this reality star.

Heidi, currently making a go of it as an event planner and pop singer, recently had lunch at LA's exclusive restaurant The Ivy with the senator's daughter, Meghan McCain.

The Columbia grad put her political site, McCainBlogette.com, on hold for July, but is she really strategizing with the co-star of the most insidious tabloid campaign of our time? And given that "The Hills" returns in August, could McCain become Montag's new on-screen bestie?

Related Stories:
· 2008 Candidates Travel: Is McCain Insane? [Jaunted]
· Heidi Montag Takes Her "Hills," Spencer To Bacara Resort [HC]
· John McCain Comments on Heidi Montag Endorsement [The Hollywood Gossip]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Amazing Photoshop job: Wildbluffmedia.com]

Tags: Shopping / Shopping-in-SoCal / Beverly Center / → All Tags

Shopping in SoCal: The Beverly Center

The Beverly Center ain't pretty on the outside. In fact, it's quite garish but it sure is pretty on the inside. This shopping center is a must-stop in Los Angeles partly because it's hard to miss and partly because of what it has to offer.

The center recently underwent some renovations adding more designer stores as well as trendy budget stores like H&M and a hip lounge/restaurant called The Wave on the bottom floor near the central escalators.

Sure, there's still a bunch of cheesy stores (Guess anyone?) and a few eccentric ones like Traffic but as a whole, we could definitely spend hours wandering in this mall. Oh wait, we have done that.

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Tags: Celeb Travel / Celeb News / Britney Spears / Restaurants / → All Tags

Britney Spears Steps Out in Los Angeles

Britney Spears took a break from partying with Paris Hilton, to head out on a date with South African-born producer Jonathan "JR" Rotem this week.

The two apparently hit up the movies in LA (and saw "The Holiday") and then went for lunch at The 3rd Stop, where they most likely downed beer and wings, as this "casual pub" offers an "oversized bar menu" with mac 'n' cheese and burgers - just up Brit's alley.

The unfortunate part? Brit was all over her new man at lunch, where she "sat on Rotem's lap and the duo kissed and cuddled at a corner table." It takes a lot to make us lose our appetite for mac 'n' cheese, but picturing that just about did the trick.

[Photo: Dlisted]

Related Stories:
· Spears Steps Out With New Man [SF Gate: Dish!]

Tags: Jessica Simpson / Celeb Travel / Four Seasons / → All Tags

Jessica Simpson and PR Boyfriend Set Up Shop at the Four Seasons

Did Jessica Simpson and John Mayer rekindle their burnt out flame this week at the Four Seasons in LA? TMZ reports that both Mayer and Simpson were hanging out there Monday night. Jess showed up and chatted with her producer friend Romeo Antonio at the bar.

According to TMZ, John got a little jealous and wandered over to stake his claim on Jessica when Antonio headed for the men's room. Minutes later the former lovebirds disappeared to the elevator upstairs, not to be seen again. Wonder if they checked out one of the hotel's suites, complete with in shower flat screen television.

Related Stories:
· Jessica and John's Secret Tryst? [TMZ]
· Four Seasons Beverly Hills reviews [TripAdvisor]

Tags: Restaurants / Los Angeles Restaurant Reviews / → All Tags

Restaurant Review: The Ivy From a Normal Person's Perspective

The Ivy is a famed Los Angeles restaurant located on Robertson Boulevard. Back in the day it was famous for the famous people who ate there. While that still holds true today, it's also famous for hosting tabloid-fodder like Lindsay, Paris and Nicole who eat there before dropping $10,000 at the next-door boutique stores on sparkled sweatpants and t-shirts with gossipy sayings like "You can have him." and "Skinny Bitch."

Nevertheless, real people eat there too. At night, the place is a mixture of locals, industry folk and a few tourists, especially honeymooner couples stopping in LA on their way to Hawaii.The waiters are always dressed in a pink shirt, white pants and floral printed tie. You better get used to florals because this place is done up in French country chic and that means lots of floral prints--from the curtains to the little pillows they stuff behind your backs.

The service is impeccable even if the maitre 'd is a little snooty and the menu has a range of everything from salads to pizzas to pastas to big meat and seafood entrees. But always listen to the specials because while the menu is pretty unoriginal the specials are pretty thrilling. The drinks here are also pretty good as the Ivy has a bunch of their very own concoctions. Although, the mojito we asked for came to us with about 90 percent rum and 10 percent mojito.

If you can, ask to sit on the outside patio simply because it's always nicer dining al fresco but also you can get a good glimpse of any stray paparrazzi stalking celebs from across the street.

INSIDER TIP: The restaurant has amazing chicken enchiladas. They aren't on the menu but are always tacked onto the specials. A waiter explained that it was because the "mexican dish looked out of place on the original menu." So essentially it's a not-so-special special that is special because it tastes so darn good.

[Photo: Jleighb]

Related Stories:
· The Ivy [CitySearch Los Angeles]
· The Ivy Reviews [TripAdvisor]