La La Land

This weekend was spent primarily with family, since the reason why I went down to L.A. in the first place was for a wedding. But I did get a chance to fit in a few fun things like the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), pigging out on barbecue at the Roadhouse Grill, satisfying my craving for Vietnamese Pho in Orange County, and hanging out at the W and Disneyland Hotels.

Quick Tips:

It's easy to feel lost in L.A. with so many different suburbs and counties that comprise the area. I would recommend having a good friend who's from the area to take you around, or else find a good driving map. Save some days for visiting the beautiful beaches: my favorites are Santa Monica, Venice, and Newport Beach. Also, if you're a lover of Pho like I am, make sure to visit Little Saigon.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you want to get from beach to beach and help contribute to gridlock and smog in L.A. fashion, you definitely need a car or else know a friend who has one. Cars and traffic are a part of L.A. living (even though Californians are known to be sort of environmentally conscious), so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Lately, the chain of W Hotels as the hip new Westin offspring has created a buzz in a few major cities like New York, Seattle, Atlanta, and San Francisco. This is not your mom''s Westin hotel. But certainly, it''s tame enough that your mom would want to stay here and feel comfortable.

I have to say, this was one of the nicest hotels I''ve ever stayed at. It was unique and elegant, yet very accommodating and comfortable. Down comforters, down featherbed, nice bath ammenities, and bath robes!

The most striking thing about the W in L.A. is that you feel like you''re in L.A. when you make your way into this hotel. The building is fairly unassuming (ivy covering a 70''s-ish style structure), yet the men in black t-shirts and headsets ready to valet your car will be a sign that this place will have the trendy factor. I''m not really into this scene, but I noticed that you don''t have to succumb to it if you don''t want to (I noticed a number of families in the lobby).

As you head up the stairs to the entrance, there is water running down the stairs resembling a waterfall. Very nice. The lobby is amazing. Maybe it was the time of day, but the afternoon sun streamed through onto the art deco furnishings and made the place so pretty, like something out of an old movie. At night the lobby and bar area turns into a club. But we retreated to our room at night with a few friends in tow and took advantage of our spacious sitting area to spend quality time with old friends. Much better than what the pounding noise had to offer. But I must admit that I was curious enough to want to see what was going on. Maybe next time...

And of course, there is a nice pool with a dining area that is supposed to be good. Next time as well. In the middle of the pool and visible from the rooms is the word WET written on the bottom it. Funny. I like a place that doesn''t take itself too seriously.

Check AAA for discounts on this hotel like we did.

Don't you just love places where you can drink out of mason jars and throw your peanut shells onto the ground? This is not the only reason why I like the Roadhouse Grill, but it's part of this laid-back atmosphere that makes it a nice place to dine. The place has delicious grilled and barbecued meats and the fixin's that will make you crave more. Their specialty is the baby back ribs. I had the prime rib which was tasty, but I found myself drooling over other people's plates that had the ribs. I had a taste of the pork chops and they're amazing as well. I recommend getting the baked whole sweet potato side which was smothered in melted butter and brown sugar like a baked potato. Soooo good. Wear expandable pants.

If you like modern art or just looking for a nice way to spend the afternoon, the MOCA is worth a trip. When we went, we saw an exhibition my Gabriel Orozco, whose work involved a wide range of art media like photography, industrial elements, sculpture, video, and drawing. I'm not really an expert on modern art, but it was interesting to see how he used everyday elements and ideas and translated them into something new. They also had a black-and-white photography installment, as well as an enormous architecture exhibit housed in the Pacific Design Center.

The shuttle bus takes you to this building (about 5 minutes away). The Design Center is a huge industrial warehouse space (1.2 million square feet to give you a visual) and was perfect for this exhibit on the history of architecture with models and drawings of designs. I only wished that I had more time.

I love Pho because it's cheap and it's tasty. I would definitely recommend a trip to Little Saigon in Westminster if you're in the L.A. area. Here, you'll find the largest Vietnamese population living in one area in the United States. Why they all settled in Orange County? I'm not so sure, but when you visit Little Saigon, you'll get some of the tastiest Pho around.

Pho is a simple rice noodle soup that comes with various meat ingredients, basil and bean sprouts. You'll feel like a pig eating from these oversized bowls (generally you can choose from a Large or Extra Large on the menu), but the rice noodles are light enough that you'll feel okay after a short while. I also like the imperial rolls as an appetizer, a deep fried pork and cellophane noodle egg roll but made with rice wrapper instead. I also like getting the Vietnamese ice coffee, a slow-drip espresso coffee that you have to wait for before you can drink it. It comes with a slow-drip contraption suspended over a glass of condensed milk. When it's fully dripped, you pour this espresso in the glass of ice they provide for you. It's delicious and will keep you awake for hours.

Check out the main mall areas in Little Saigon to shop for jewelry, Asian food and goods, and other baked goods. Try the tapioca desserts or the coconut drinks with various sweet beans placed at the bottom.