la, food and the pageant of the masters

Just got back from a wonderful visit to LA with my dear friend, Brendan Eisan.  It was a belated birthday celebration for me and an early birthday celebration for him.  One of our adventures included going to the amazing living art show, The Pageant of the Masters, in Laguna Beach.  Laguna Beach is a artsy beach town 2 hours south of LA--yes the traffic was awful getting down there--but worth it.  Part of the world-renowned annual Festival of the Arts, the festival's highlight is The Pageant of the Masters.  The festival was started after the end of the depression as a means to draw business back to the art colony at Laguna Beach.  The Art Association struck on the idea of a summer art festival, to be held the week following the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics in hopes that visitors would travel south to Laguna Beach before journeying home.  A smash hit at the festival was the Living Pictures show created by artist and vaudevillian Lolita Perine. She dressed local residents in costume and seated them behind a makeshift frame.  In 1935 Roy Ropp, a local construction worker, realtor and amateur artist, expanded Perine’s concept and developed the performance into its present-day format---A ninety-minute stage show of “living pictures” – incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater and professional orchestra complete the amazing performance. 

Food wise, we did well!  We had a delicious dinner in Laguna at Tortilla Republic, with salsa verde chicken enchiladas, pork fajitas and great guacamole. Saturday night, birthday dinner at Pace on Laurel Canyon--cedar grilled salmon and molten chocolate cake.  In LA, Sunday brunch at the Little Next Door, featured a wild mushroom/gruyere omelette and creamy potato gratin with coconut cheesecake to finish. For casual lunch in Sherman Oaks--- 8oz Poke. Build your own poke bowl with a variety of fresh fish, sides, sauces and toppings.  My poke bowl was a ridiculous amount of fresh ahi tuna poke and spicy tuna on baby greens with rice, wonton chips, avocado, cucumber and seaweed salad for $10.95??  I dream of a repeat every day!