Unknown Museum | 67

by Mary Clark-Camargo

"What Remains to be Seen" 

(photos taken: November 1, 2015)

I want to give full credit to the artists behind these five pieces of art. These are the ones that mostly caught my attention! I don't know the name of this little art museum but it's by Placita Olvera and it was open for Dia De Los Murtos! Hope you enjoy the stories as much as I did!

by Wendy Viscarra 

"Estrano Tus Carinos"

I regret the fact that I didn't take a good picture of the description! But this was my favorite one out of all! The following is most of the description, some empty spots I couldn't see what it was. BEAUTIFUL is all I can say for this!

"This carriage lamp was inspired by a deceased loved one. It indicates on the...'Estrano tus carinos" translated to 'I miss your loving affection'".

"...on the front of the artwork indicating true love. Even though the heart is broken, the emotions and love are everlasting." 

by Tony Petborisooth 

"Pat's Run"

Heartwarming.

"Pat Tillman was a player on the Arizona State football team and later for the Arizona Cardinals. After the September 11th attack, he quit the NFL and joined the US Army and was killed in Afghanistan. 

Every year, there is a run in his memory to raise money for the Pat Tillman Foundation that is 4.2 miles and ends on the 42 yard line (42-Pat's number at ASU) with shadow races that take places in various cities across the country. As a Sun Devil alum, I picked this run honoring the memory of Pat Tillman."

by Gabriela Zapata 

"A Donde Van Los No Nacidos?
(Where Do The Unborn Go?)"

Heartbreaking.

"Where Do The Unborn Go?

I lost you in the infinite universe...

My sick body could not sustain your frail existence

Did you return to Mother Earth's womb before being born from mine? 

Where is it that the unborn go?

Perhaps the Womb of the Moon?
My heart still weeps for you..."

"A Donde Van Los No Nacidos?

Te perdi en el infinito Universo...

Mi cuerpo enfermo no pudo sustentar tu fragil existencia

Regreasaste al Vientre de la Madre Tierra antes de nacer de el mio?

A donde es que van los no nacidos?

Acaso iran al Vientre de la Luna?

Mi corazon aun te llora..."

by Mika Revell

"OuroBorus"

Fascinating. 

"OuroBorus, from the Greek language, meaning to eat one's tail symbolizes the cycle of rebirth, reincarnation and self-destruction. The figure curls backwards in a state of recreation and eternal return. The gold teeth of the figure symbolize the Chinese gold leaf on the Joss paper, burned in funeral pyres and wealth in the after-life."

DOTD 2015 | 66

(photos taken: October 26, 2015)

I won't get into what Day of the Dead is and the entire story and traditions behind it because I've already blogged about that two months ago. If you want to read that go ahead and click here :) 

Instead I'll only show pictures of the altars I saw this year. It took place at the Music Center and in Grand Park and there were some new additions. Stay tuned for the last one to see the most creative and my favorite one! ENJOY!

As an owl lover, this just made my heart happy. As this generation would say, "this is my aesthetic". 

That mustache! 

"Stop violence against women" 

"If he hits you, he doesn't love you"

"I don't want your compliment, I want your respect"

Altar for deceased pets. Complete with little dog cages, toys, and food bowls. 

Each bell thing had the names and age of cyclists who have died. Helmets to show to important it is to wear a helmet, most accidents being fatal because there had been damage to the head. 

Hit a bit close to me since both my brothers ride bikes, without helmets. 

"With love and respect always" 

Something this world needs to learn!

"Teeth" made from cassette tapes, "eyes and nose" made from CDs. Altar made for musicians.

AND NOW FOR MY FAVORITE/MOST CREATIVE ONE! 

Hint #1: Do you see it?

Hint #2: Any guesses? Look closely!

Hint #3: Do you see it now? 

TADAAAAA!!! This was sooo beautiful and if you saw closely super creative and time consuming! This entire thing was built with recyclable things: forks, spoons, cups, I think straws, even the bride and groom were built from recyclable things! Like can you imagine how much time it took to make this? Not only is it beautiful because hashtag eternal love, but it's such a creative idea! Props to the mastermind behind this!!! 

Pizza Studio + Pazzo Gelato | 65

(photos taken: October 22, 2015)

Does this look appetizing or what? Let me just jump right into it...have you ever heard of a CHICKEN ALFREDO PIZZA!? If you have, then wow I kind of feel like a fool. But if you haven't, YES that exists! Head to Pizza Studio and try it out, I don't think you'll regret it! I can't find it on the menu, but from what I remember, and see, it has chicken obviously, it has grilled onions, bacon bits, and some green stuff and the sauce. The first bite I took, was magical! I don't want people to think I'm exaggerating, I truly enjoyed this pizza and I would definitely order it again! When I bit into it, aside from burning my tongue, it was the right amount of crunchyness and Chicken Alfredo goodness! Yes, I needed gum afterwards because of the onions, but it's definitely worth it!

I can't stop looking at the picture. I think I might need to get myself this for the weekend, or sooner! 

Okay moving on. Prior to this amazing discovery, we had gone to Pazzo Gelato! This was my first time trying gelato, I was always curious to see the what was the big fuss! You can have a little sample of the different flavors. None of the other flavors were appealing to me because they were mostly chocolate, until I saw this pretty color. Blood Orange. I immediately asked for a sample of it. I ended up getting that one because it's a bit sour but it has that sweet aftertaste! Milton got an iced coffee, I tried it and it was good! 

Is gelato worth the hype? Honestly, not for me. Would I get it again, maybe for happy hour. It's not extremely good that I MUST try again like the pizza! I mean it was delicious and the color was nice along with the cup. But I didn't really feel the difference between this and Yogurtland...but nonetheless once again, I did enjoy it. 

It was a great combination, trying out different things this day! Head to Figat7th to the food court and get yourself some Chicken Alfredo pizza and gelato for dessert if you'd like! 

Lavazza | 64

(photos taken: October 16, 2015)

LAVAZZA! The coffee here is amazinnng! This is how amazing it is: I haven't had a cup of coffee from this place because I feel I'll be anxious afterwards. 

I came across this coffee shop because I always walk pass it when I go downtown. I saw it since it was barely being constructed and I thought it would be a bar. It looked really nice though! And once I saw they were finishing it up, I knew I had to check that place out! 

So it is a bar place, sort of. During the day it's open for both drinks, coffee, and as a lunch spot. But at night it's next to The Teragram Ballroom (a showroom) so it's more like a bar at night. However, I think it's only opened to those who go to watch the show because their main entrance is closed.

I believe it was a latte that I've ordered from there. For my preference I had to add a bit of sugar, but besides that it's really good! And I was prepared to pay like $5 for that cup of coffee, came to $3, so it's reasonable! I haven't tried the food from there but from what I've seen, and smelled, it looks really delicious! I thought Lavazza was just the name of the place, until I saw it in another restaurant and it said, "now serving Lavazza coffee", apparently it's an Italian coffee company.

Interesting to think about, the band Eagles of Death Metal performed in this spot before they were in Paris during the attacks. I didn't know this, Milton had told me about it and it was kind of crazy to think about. 

Although I haven't tried much from this place, I like it because it's really chill. It's dim lighting inside, they have candles on the tables (new addition), and the bathroom is so legit! I may or may not have had a photo shoot there! They are also opening another coffee place or something soon. So I'll stay tuned for that! 

Location:  1234 W. 7th St. 90017

Farmer's Market | 63

(photo taken: September 17, 2015)

Farmer's Market! I had never been to one which is kind of lame. Living in Los Angeles there's always one within a few blocks away, but I never really went to one and looked through, I'd just pass by. This one is held on FIGat7th every Thursday. And even weird that we're always downtown, especially Target, and we always smelled fresh bread but we never stopped by. If you take away the bad effects I had, that experience was pretty cool!

We went to vlog but we didn't even get to it. I felt a bit uncomfortable because it's not so big and there were people who would stare at us when we tried doing vlogging. So we didn't vlog that. They have big bags of kettle corn which I bet tastes great because the smell is phenomenal! *props for using a different word to describe food!* Milton wanted some but it was too much for him and I'm not allowed to eat because of my braces. Which I know a lot of people who have/had braces yet they still eat everything. I'm not those type of people. I'm in the last months of it and I don't want to ruin my teeth or anything, so I'll just wait till the day I can eat kettle corn with no worries! 

They have fruit, a little pricey if you ask me. We got a sample of strawberries and they were pretty big and really good! I took a few more pictures but I accidentally deleted them and this one was the only one that survived. They sell flowers, nuts/almonds, a lot of fruit, Homeboys bakery, even tamales! I guess certain stands are not always there because when we went there was a stand for coffee and for natural juices, haven't seen those anymore. 

We immediately walked over to the coffee stand. I'm not sure, I think it was Arabic coffee, but one of the most finest/richest coffee beans picked from I don't know how many feet of altitude and stuff. I acted interested but really I just wanted some coffee! We both got an iced coffee and they had creamer on the side along with liquid sugar which I found pretty cool! I really liked the coffee, but the effects weren't good! I don't know if it was the coffee or the juice...

Next to the coffee stand was a juice stand. It was all about natural juices and how it's good for your body and all this stuff. We had some samples which were really tasteful! I decided to buy a juice because why not? It was a citrus juice with grapefruit, I think orange, I'm not sure what it consisted of. But the result was a nice pink orangeish color. We left happy, I was sure I was going to be there again next week for another juice. 

Well by the time I got home I felt super anxious. I couldn't really catch my breath, I felt a bit light headed, the same feelings I get when I drink certain coffee. I kept feeling bad and it wouldn't get better. Since I was home alone, I decided to leave the house to get some fresh air, and took a water bottle with me. I started feeling just a little bit better, so I decided to head downstairs, where there's witnesses in case I pass out! I really don't know what it was. I can't really blame one or the other because I'm not sure what it was. If the coffee was really that great and strong, then there's a chance that took a toll on me. The juice was so "natural" that it wasn't pasteurized. I didn't see it till I was home and I searched it up. Apparently juices are pasteurized by being heated to a high temperature to kill harmful bacteria. These juices that aren't pasteurized (2%) still have that bacteria that can make people sick...and it said some cases have Salmonella. Was it the juice? Was it the coffee? Who knows, all I know is that I felt really bad and had to down water to calm down and feel just a bit better. I also couldn't keep my food down, but I don't know if that was for the same thing. Moral of the story: I won't buy any of these juices again!

But nonetheless, I think farmer's markets are fun although they can be pricey. I honestly just go for the good smells and samples!   

Tribal Cafe | 62

(photo taken: September 13, 2015)

Tribal Cafe! Ohh God just thinking about this place makes me hungry...although I just ate!

The first time I ever came here was for Halloween 2014. Milton and his cousin's band performed along with other people. I'm not always good with trying new food, especially after 6pm (sensitive stomach)! Although I've only tried two of their sandwiches and coffee, I'm sure everything there is good!

It's located near the corner of Union and Temple. (Actual address: 1651 W. Temple St. 90026) It's a pretty small place but the food is amazing! I like how they're creative with the names of their sandwiches. Once you check out the menu and decided on what you want to eat, you grab a piece of paper and write down your order. The items on the menu is a letter followed by a number, example Q7. You write that down along with anything else you'd like and that's how you order your food. It might take a while, but once you bite into it, it's definitely worth it!

The first time I went there I ordered (G1) Global Warming, a ranch chicken Monterrey. It comes with herb chicken breast, sundried tomato pesto, parmesan cheese, topped with mixed greens, cucumber, tomato and ranch dressing! And let me tell you, these sandwiches are quite a good size! And they're also pretty packed! Being the first time and such a picky eater, it was a great sandwich! The second time I believe I ordered (G7) The Warming Ocean, a turkey avocado sandwich. It comes with pepper turkey, avocado, marinated red onions, balsamic vinaigrette, tribal sauce, swiss, lettuce and tomato (picture above). Also an amazing sandwich! As for the coffee, I can't find the menu, but I once ordered like a vanilla frappucino and I've also tried the iced coffee, both great and didn't give me that jittery anxious feeling! 

They have vegetarian and vegan sandwiches as well, along with paninis, wraps, salads, brunch and breakfast ohh and green juices too! Fun sandwich names include: Got Fossil Fuel, Malibu Mudslide, Obama Te Ama, The Lost Amazon and Heat Wave! Like most posts and reviews, I recommend trying this place out, you can call beforehand to order your food and then pick it up. Click here to head to their website and check out more information! Also a good spot for Open Mic! It's a must to try these sandwiches! 

Caffe Primo | 61

(photo taken: September 11, 2015)

Let me tell you a fascinating story about a delicious smoothie that if you have braces, there's a chance it'll get stuck in there. But besides that, it's really good and I'm now craving one!

Being in downtown all the time, I always saw this place (Caffe Primo) but I didn't dare to go inside because I felt slightly intimidated. We finally decided to go check it out, and I want to go back again! I've gone about 2 or 3 times maybe, but I always get a smoothie, never actual food or a pastry. I was just checking the website to get the names of the smoothies I've bought and I just realized something. Being hispanic you know that "primo" means cousin. I knew it didn't mean "cousin caffe", so I was curious. Just now I learned that..."The definition of 'Primo' means 'Best in Class' delivering what customers truly want". My second thought was that it meant number one in caffe charts, which is pretty close to the real meaning. 

Confirmation, I've only been there twice. The two smoothies I've tried: Acai Berry and Get Skinny. Their smoothies are between $5-$6, I don't know if the price changes depending on the location (both these smoothies were $5 something). This one is on Flower, but I know they're making one on Figueroa, in front of the Convention Center. If you've seen the new apartments or condos they made, it's by there. The Acai Berry consists of apple juice, acai, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. The only reason I said it might get stuck between your teeth is because of the little seeds from the fruits. But it tastes really good, has a kick of sourness but it's not too much. The Get Skinny smoothie consists of orange juice, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, goji berries, banana and yogurt. Has some of the same ingredients as the Acai Berry, but it has more taste. 

Now that I look at their menu, there's sooo many food choices and they all sound so good! Click here to view the menu, remember this is for the DTLA location, it might vary depending location. If you try it let me know what you ordered and how you liked it! Also, make sure to stop by happy hour because they have some good stuff!