Look of the Week: Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson wowed us at the Ann Taylor 2010 Fall Preview in New York City at the Ace Hotel. She was seen shmoozing with Christina Hendricks. The sweater and jewelery are Ann Taylor, the shorts Top Shop, and the shoes Louboutain. Bilson's look is simple yet edgy. We love it!

Read More...

Condensed View...

Spring has Sprung: Our fav outfits and trends thus far

With the weather nicer in the wake of Spring, there are some hot new trends already showing up on the most stylish celebrities.  Here are some of our favorite looks and trends for spring:  Shirt dresses with belts, flowing tanks and skirts, silk tops, the color nude, slouchy and cuffed trousers, and platform sandals.

From the Top Left:  Vanessa Hudgens shows off her cool boho style in a floppy had, shirt dress with belt, a pair of sandals and an oversize tote.
Taylor Swift looks cozy but chic in her layer flowing tank and skirt with skinny belt.
Brooklyn Decker matches her pink silk tank with a sparkly mini skirt and peep-toe boots. It's a great casual and dressy combination.
Kate Bosworth looks perfect for spring in her nude Calvin Klein dress with a pop of color in those red shoes.
Victoria Beckham wears a boyfriend blazer with pushed up sleeves, and a pair of boyfriend trousers. Add her aviator glasses and platform pumps and she looks perfect for Spring!
Miranda Kerr accessorizes so beautifully with her ensemble. That gorgeous oversize blue bag with nude platform sandals go perfectly with her mini skirt and shirt combo

Read More...

Condensed View...

LA Bar Scene: The Surly Goat

Like all bars and clubs in LA, one goes out and another goes in.  The space, formerly 'Seven,' as of this month is now 'The Surly Goat.'  And after multiple trips to this beer specializing bar, I think it is here to stay.  The bar has 27 great beers on tap that will rotate different selections plus 100 bottles, all for very reasonable prices.  For those intimidated by the large list- they also have a Beer 101 chalk board with a glossary of beer terms to help you make your selection. 

With its modern twist on the traditional pub, complete with stuffed animal heads, the Surly Goat has a very urban cool vibe.  The two level bar is spacious with a patio. And although there is no kitchen, a danger-dog vendor sits on the patio grilling up bacon wrapped hot dogs.

Know Before you Go: There is a parking lot next door to the bar ($6) Street parking can be difficult to find especially on weekends.
Patrons are welcome to bring in take out (Baby Blues BBQ is next door) and eat on the patio outside.

The Surly Goat

7929 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 650-4628 

Read More...

Condensed View...

Look of the Week: Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston looked glowing at the premiere of her new movie, "The Bounty Hunter" starring her and Gerard Butler.  Her drapey nude gown was Donna Karan and she accessorized with fitting gold Fred Leighton bangles. The color of her gown goes so well with her skin tone as well as her nude sandals and clutch.  She looks positively relaxed and gorgeous!

Read More...

Condensed View...

The Playmix Group

The Culturistas have been longtime friends and fans of the Playmix Group! These Los Angeles based boys put together a podcast once a month comprised of their top musical pics. Taylor, Tyler, and Jeremy each bring their own flavor to the mixes which tend to be of the electronic and indie rock genres. With a variety of music and introduction to several up and coming artists, the Playmix Group keeps the Culturistas in musical check.

Playmix Fifteen: Moving In Reverse

1. The Ruby Suns – Cranberry
2. Baby Monster – She Comes Alive
3. The Radio Dept. – Heaven’s On Fire
4. Cold Cave – Life Magazine
5. Cults – Go Outside
6. Summer Camp – Ghost Train
7. Broken Social Scene – World Sick
8. MGMT – Congratulations
9. RJD2 – Walk With Me
10. Portugal. The Man – The Pusher’s Party
11. Groove Armada – I Won’t Kneel
12. Jaguar Love – Polaroids And Red Wine
13. Kavinsky – Nightcall
14. Gorillaz – Some Kind Of Nature (featuring Lou Reed)
15. Active Child – She Was A Vision
16. Bot’Ox – Blue Steel
17. Massive Attack – Atlas Air

To expand your musical horizons please be sure to subscribe to
THE PLAYMIX GROUP and get their monthly podcasts!

Read More...

Condensed View...

Recipe of the Week: Lowfat Spinach & Artichoke Dip

In the spirit of St. Patrick's day, we are sharing a festively green recipe with you all! The weather is heating up and with that comes barbecues and weekend gatherings. This lowfat spinach & artichoke dip is supremely delicious and especially friendly to those who are health conscious.


INGREDIENTS:
* 300 g frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (1 package)
* 2 cups nonfat sour cream (1 package)
* 250 g low-fat cream cheese (1 package)
* 1 cup lowfat mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 398 ml artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (1 can, in brine)
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon fresh black pepper (or colored)
* 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon onion powder (optional)
* 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (optional)


DIRECTIONS:
* Drain any liquid that may be sitting on top of the sour cream.
* Mix everything together well.
* Bake it at 350 degrees, stirring once or twice, until heated through
(probably 40 minutes).
* If lazy, hungry, or just plain impatient, use the microwave (takes only a few minutes). This mix freezes well. There is no need to bake before freezing. You may want to freeze this recipe in four 2-cup containers (i. e. large plastic sour cream tubs)
* Serve with tortilla chips or pita.

This recipe makes approximately eight servings and will go fast. Just be careful, someone might end up licking the bowl. Bon Appetit!

Read More...

Condensed View...

Look of the Week: Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth looked beautiful in this flowing nude Elie Saab gown this past week at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi.  Love her sparkling bracelet but otherwise minimal jewelry and her pulled back braids.  Gorgeous! She also wowed us with her cool layered look at the airport!

Gwyneth gets bonus points this week for showing us her stylish casual look as well as her gorgeous dressy look! We love her combo here of black lace up boots, skinny trousers, black leather jacket scarf and black jacket. Her airport style shows its possible to look chic and be comfortable on a long flight!

Read More...

Condensed View...

Restaurant Profile: Fred 62

Fred62 is a 24/7 365 days a week retro-kitsch diner in Los Feliz.  The decor is very 1950's, with its old-fashioned counter, it's ice cream fountain and even it's car seat like booths.  And if you haven't been here for some late night grub or some delicious comfort food, you are missing out!

They have all the typical breakfast staples: Eggs, French Toast, Pancakes, Waffles and even Matzo Brie. Plus they have delectable lunch and dinner options like Grilled Cheese, Hamburgers, and other Sandwiches.  And the beer battered onion rings are to die for!  The menu is so large, there is something for everyone. Fortunately or unfortunately, you would be hard pressed to find a healthy option on this menu.  And that's really not the point of Fred62.

Know before you go:  Parking can be tricky, look for neighborhood street spots.  The wait isn't usually long unless you decide to go at 2 am on a Friday or Saturday night.

Fred62

1850 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Read More...

Condensed View...

From Runway to Reality: How Oscar Dresses Measured Up

Actresses tend to wear the most extravagant gowns to the Oscars.  And the 2010 Oscars is no different, where many of the gowns came straight off the Paris Couture shows this year.  Here is the Culturistas rundown of which gowns worked and which didn't.

Zoe Saldana and her stylist took a very literal approach with this Givenchy couture gown. Zoe even wears the shoes pictured on the runway model.  She gets bonus points for styling her hair in an updo with much softer makeup than the runway show,  letting the gown speak for itself.  Zoe says on her gown, “It’s yards and yards of fabric. It’s the dress that the moment my stylist and I saw it we immediately fell in love with it. It fits everything I’ve been through leading up to tonight and my whole experience in Avatar. It embodies everything that I’ve been through. It’s big and it’s colourful and shimmery. That’s exactly what Avatar did.”

Jennifer Lopez wore the Armani Prive couture gown to the 2010 Oscars.  While the color is nice ethereal color and her and her stylist made some changes in the bodice of the gown to be more flattering, it just doesn't work.  The problem with so much added volume is that it adds volume to your shape as well.

Charlize Theron wore a Dior couture gown to this years Oscars.  Positives: Nice color change (there wasn't that much color on the red carpet) and it was probably right to take off the bow (though Charlize could have rocked it). Also nice soft hair and make-up.  Negatives: Taking off the beading made the bodice stand out way to much which just brought too much attention to the chest.  All in all this dress did not work for us.

Sarah Jessica Parker rocked this flowing Chanel Couture gown at the Oscars. Though the silhouette isn't that flattering, she pulls it off well.  The color of the beading looks like its been changed to a more silver based instead of a gunmetal which really makes the look softer for real life.  She also accessorized well which made for a great translation onto the red carpet.

Rachel McAdams was one of our best dressed this year on the Oscars red carpet. She wore this gorgeous flowing Elie Saab gown.  And it translated so well onto the red carpet that we think it looks even better in real life!  Her soft up-do and beautiful earrings help make this look spot on.

Check out our BEST and WORST dressed at the 2010 Oscars.

Read More...

Condensed View...

The Culturistas 2010 Oscar Disses

While many celebrities looked remarkably put together, others did not fare so well. These are the Culturistas worst dressed picks from the 2010 Oscars!

Charlize Theron in Christian Dior


Mariah Carey in Valentino


Molly Ringwald in Todd Thomas


Nicole Ritchie in Reem Acra


Jennifer Lopez in Armani Prive

Some risks should be taken on the red carpet. Others, should not.

Read More...

Condensed View...

The Culturistas 2010 Oscar Picks

There was no shortage of stunning couture on the red carpet at the 2010 Oscars. These are the Culturistas five favorites!

Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab Haute Couture


Demi Moore in Versace


Elizabeth Banks in Versace


Queen Latifah in Badgley Mischka Couture


Miley Cyrus in Jenny Peckham

We think these women looked absoultely stuning and carried themselves with elegance and grace while showing off some extreme couture!

Read More...

Condensed View...

Look of the Week: Jessica Alba

Amongst all the Oscar craziness this week, Jessica Alba attended Global Green USA’s Pre-Oscar Party at Avalon this past week in Los Angeles.  She wore a gorgeous nude silk embroidered dress with a black bow belt by Viktor & Rolf, a snake skin clutch, spike bracelets by Joomi Lim and strappy heels by Casade.  Love her effortless look!

Read More...

Condensed View...

Trend Watch: Platform wedges and heels

One of this seasons huge shoe trends are platform wedges and heels!  The chunkier the better. Check out some of our favs this season from Steve Madden, Burberry, Michael Kors and Fendi above.  Pair this seasons chunky shoes with feminine spring frocks, cropped pants or even with a romper.

Read More...

Condensed View...

Restaurant Profile: Wurstküche in Downtown LA

Wurstküche, meaning sausage kitchen in German, resides deep in downtown Los Angeles.  Seeing tons of people waiting in line for their already famous sausages, in a somewhat desolate area of downtown, only adds to its appeal.  If you are picturing a cheesy German brewery, like I did, you couldn't be more wrong.

Ambiance: After you wait in line to order your food, you walk through a hall into a giant loft space to claim your seats.  Unfortunately this is the tricky part. Although the space is large,  there are tons of people there too!  However while you wait for a table and your food you can enjoy the full bar inside (with tons of beers on tap!) and a DJ playing music.

The food: With delicious, yet safe choices like Sun Dried Tomato & Mozzarella - smoked chicken & turkey, or SantaFe Jack Cheese & Jalapeño Peppers - smoked turkey. They also have the exotic sausages like Rattlesnake & Rabbit with Jalapeño Peppers or Alligator & Pork, Smoked Andouille Sausage.  So try something daring or play it safe. They even have vegetarian options!  Get your sausage with an order of fries and make sure you try the whole grain mustard sitting at the table.

Wurstküche

800 E. 3rd St

LA, CA 90013

213-687-4444

Hours: Sunday 12pm-Midnight

Mon-Sat 11am- Midnight

Read More...

Condensed View...