Hotel Crush: a vehement, furious, downright pathological appreciation for hotel design and culture
Any excuse to sip bubbly will do, so it was Grammy weekend on which we leaned for a pleasant drenching of champagne and dessert. The setting was Primary Wave at SLS, a hotel that nearly verges on a lifestyle for a brigade of patrons who rely on staples like cotton candy foie gras and liquid nitrogen-chilled cocktails. It was a quick tour through and we were sated…until next year’s crop of novelty stirs our cravings.
Party Lobby and Patio Dessert Table:
The Kitchen:
Paella and Dessert:
There’s something delicious and irresistible about a new champagne. The best ones are tart and dense with bubbles that pop on your tongue, with just the slightest linger of sweetness. Which is why when we tried the Moët & Chandon Imperial 2002 (in adorable mini bottles) we were hooked. The setting was awards season Hollywood and the party was a modern day Gatsby indulgence – towering vases of white flowers, dramatic chandeliers, bites of crabcakes and foie gras, shrimp and lamb. But it was the champagne bubbles buzzing on our tongue that stood out as sensational, and for that we are ever wiser.
Our heart beats fast, fast, and faster for the glittering displays at Bendel’s. The jaded will say that only diamonds will do, but our taste runs extravagantly broad and smothers anything shiny and highly refractive. Thus our meeting with the Holiday jewelry collection was swift and furious. We love the Buckle Up baby bangle and matching ring, as well as the Holiday Stone Cluster bracelet and the Locked Up Bracelet. But this being the season of giving, we left the store with just two pieces – one for us, and one for our lovely friend M.
The Henri Bendle Buckle Up Baby Bangle and Ring:
The Henri Bendel Holiday Stone Cluster Bracelet and Locked Up Bracelet:
It goes without saying by this point that we’ve tried a good 50% of the Bliss product line, from the disturbingly lush Blood Orange & White Pepper body scrub to the glossy, moisturizing Youth As We Know It cream. But two products have powered us through November, assisted by the requisite water and oxygen.
Bliss Problem Salved 20-in-1 Wonder Balm: There is nothing glamorous about a chapped, runny nose, save the minty tingle after applying this amazing balm. Meant for everywhere except the lips, this nose chapstick (and prescription vitamin D supplements) invigorated our pale, vampiric physiology and snapped us out of a seasonal cold without the red-nosed, bloodshot, party-hangover-like aftermath.
Bliss Fabulips Lip Balm: Is it possible to go through a tube of lip balm in two weeks? Yes, it is. Or at least, we’re 3/4 of the way through it and we’re just shy a half-week. This is possibly the most addictive, enslaving product Bliss has released to date. The buttery, faintly coconut-scented texture glides effortlessly across the lips, resting protectively between you and the elements attacking you (ie the harsh, 60-degree weather). We would say that this product is not for the sensory-addicted, but it totally is for the sensory-addicted, and we’ve just ordered another three tubes to carry us through, you know, January.
There is something smoldering about the downtown of Los Angeles. It’s vacant at first sight, with uplit buildings and quiet streets. It looks like it was built for a population three times its size. But it’s raucous with history, and spread beautifully thin. Loft parties, basement speakeasies, and rooftops frosted with city lights. And something new that we’d like to share.
In the heart of Pershing Square, a beat shy of the Biltmore, is a gorgeous building from the early 20th that is home to Perch, a sprawling French bistro on the top two levels. Summer was as far from our memory as a dip in the Parker Palm Springs pool, but we toasted a warm fall evening on the patio with a bottle (or two) of bubbly. We ordered a post-concert supper of Beef Bourgignon Deconstruit and an apple tart (dessert is a mandatory component of HotelCrush).
But mostly we fell for the view:
The Beef Bourgignon Deconstruit and Apple Tart:
