The LA Book Show and more
We drove downtown to the Geffen Contemporary for the LA Book Show. The building is fantastic. Big, open and reminiscent of an old factory that has been ripped down to its bones.
The show is overwhelming. Lots of booths from galleries (Gaggosian is below) and magazines. Books, prints, bags and a slew of art projects to buy. The audience is right out of Los Angeles casting.
Of course mega-food trucks outside the event.
The neighborhood is Little Tokyo. After we did the show we walked through the streets and the multiple malls. This neighborhood butts up against Skid Row where the homeless have erected tents to live in on the streets. It is sad and sketchy at the same time. CA proposed spending about $2b towards this problem the past week. Let’s hope something good comes out of that.
We made our way over to Orochon Ramen located in Weller Court, a shopping mall of restaurants. We split two things. Miso based ramen with pork and spice level 3. There are 6 levels of fire. It was really good
And we split the shumai (pork dumplings). I am set on taking David Chang’s dumpling drive at one point throughout LA.
The Murakai Market is in this mall. There is another one near where we live too. This one is great. Noodles.
Sauces
Miso pastes and of course much more.
Then we drove over to the Rob Pruitt Flea Market. We loved this. A flea market full of funky art and activities too.
This table has serious kitsch.
Ceramics at another.
Not sure what they had here but the poster over their table was hilarious.
There was also plenty of used clothing and bric a brac. A very funky LA Etsy feel.
Of course there were two food stops outside. One was for snow cones and the other for tacos. We went for one taco.
Pulled pork, spicy salsa on a corn tortilla. Simple and good.
Then came the drive back to the west side where the freeway was like a parking lot until it isn’t. Traffic never ceases to amaze me.
Great day in LA. I wish this particular neighborhood wasn’t so far from our neighborhood.