Mytheresa and Flamingo Estate Holiday House (BFA.com/Jojo
Where To Get Into Full Swing Of The Holidays
December 1, 2023
Mytheresa and Flamingo Estate have teamed up to open Holiday House, the brands’ new 1,500-square-foot candy-adorned house in Highland Park. The luxurious, immersive and interactive space recreates the Flamingo Estate’s interiors room by room, featuring products available on Mytheresa made entirely out of gingerbread. The space also features a dream fashion closet with a thoughtfully curated selection of fashion and home accessories, shoppable with a QR code, as well as a European-style corner bakery whipping up custom cookies. Holiday cheer is also available, with Avaline – Cameron Diaz’s and Katherine Power’s transparently produced wine brand. All net proceeds from the cookies will go to charity and it's the closest you may ever get to the mysterious Los Angeles landmark.
Holiday cookies at Mytheresa and Flamingo Estate Holiday House ( BFA.com/Jojo Korsh)
LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE takes the stage through Dec. 30 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in celebration of the holiday film's 20th anniversary. The Wallis bartenders are serving up two Love Actually-inspired cocktails before and during each performance. The Love Actually features mezcal, prickly pear, lemon and agave. The “You are Perfect” Mule blends whiskey, spiced apple cider, citrus, and ginger beer.
Lost Cove Holiday Edition is a pop-up Tiki Bar at Palihouse West Hollywood for four nights only on the mezzanine from Tuesday, Dec. 12, through Friday, Dec. 15. This immersive holiday bar will offer tropical tiki cocktails, island-inspired small bites, DJs and live music. Christmas sweaters, aloha shirts, and good cheer are encouraged. It’s 21+, first-come, first-served. No reservation is required.
Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica’s beachside hotel will host its annual Holiday Market on Saturday, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at The Courtyard. This year they will be partnering with Flour Shop, Amirah Kassem’s bakery known for its whimsical desserts like hot cocoa bombs and cake balls. The property also will be adding Flour Shop’s cake balls to their dessert menu as a limited offering throughout December starting on Dec. 9. You also will be able to purchase the delicious desserts to be delivered straight to your home from a QR code on-property.
The Love Actually
Moonlark’s Dinette, the new retro-inspired all-day diner in downtown LA, will unveil their holiday pop-up activation, "Snow in Southtown,” featuring winter cocktails and a festive ambiance inspired by the fictional town from the beloved film, "Year Without a Santa Claus." Now through mid-January, Snow in Southtown will be home to festive, boozy fun on the restaurant’s North side patio like frozen espresso martinis, grasshoppers, spiked eggnog and other holiday-inspired beverages, paired with snacks from Moonlark’s menu of all-day comfort food. You can bundle up in warm blankets by the fireplace on the outdoor patio’s snow globe-inspired wonderland. Tables can be reserved through Resy, with no advance ticket required. Walk-ins are welcome based on availability. The lobby bar also will serve the Snow in Southtown cocktail specials, as needed.
Pastry chef Francois Behuet’s massive chocolate angel wings are back at LA Live. Each year, the Coupe de Monde Pastry World Cup competitor builds giant Chocolate Wings as an ode to the City of Angels, displayed in the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE lobby throughout December. Made from 300-400 pounds of Valrhona chocolate, the wings are constructed one by one over three months using both molding and hand-painting techniques. The massive sculpture is surrounded by chocolate trees and angels, all the ingredients for the perfect holiday photo. This year’s display will be white chocolate and against a skyline background.
Babka Streisand, the Hanukkah ice cream from Genghis Cohen, the Fairfax district’s 40-year-old Chinese-American restaurant, and McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams are now available. The limited-edition ice cream features Streisand’s favorite Brazilian coffee ice cream with fudge swirls and chunks of chocolate hazelnut babka from Cake Monkey Bakery. It’s available by the scoop ($7) when dining at Genghis Cohen or by the pint ($14) with pick-up orders via ChowNow or by placing an order in person/over the phone. It also will be sold by the pint at all McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams shops, while supplies last.
Babka Streisand (Courtesy Genghis Cohen)
The Original Farmers Market will kick off the season with Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree on Sunday, Dec. 3 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Highlights include a live reindeer photo opportunity, youth performances by Grand Arts High School holiday carolers, a dog adoption hosted by Love & Leashes, a churro pop-up at El Granjero Cantina, and a Santa Hat decorating craft activity for little ones. The Salvation Army will host a gift-wrapping pop-up, toy drive and food drive. Anyone who donates to the Salvation Army’s food or toy drive will receive a full-size chocolate candy bar from Dylan’s Candy Bar.
Starting at 3 p.m., there will be live musical and variety entertainment throughout the day with performances by vintage-inspired bands, playing classics from the ‘50s and ‘60s with vocalists The MoonRaysand the rock ‘n’ roll band Crown City Bombers, as well as juggling elf Mickey O.
For the second consecutive year, Standing Room at Death & Co will transform into its festive pop-up in partnership with Beam Suntory, a retro holiday party takeover through Saturday, Dec. 30. The cozy, sublevel space will feature festive lighting, vintage décor, and a specialty cocktail and food menu. Highlights include vintage eggnog with Knob Creek 100 Bourbon, Courvoisier VSOP, Overproof Jamaican rum, whole egg, cream, and sugar, as well as snacks like fried chicken, tater tots with optional caviar add-on, and seasonal cream puffs. Death & Co also will host weekly rotating charity efforts, including a coat drive, canned food drive, Toys 4 Tots, and more.
Beam Suntory holiday cheer (Courtesy Death & Co.)
Westfield Century City has started a new tradition alongside Starward Australian Whisky, with the debut of Blitzen's Bar, a festive holiday pop-up oasis overlooking the Holiday Village in The Atrium through Tuesday, Dec. 26. Get cozy in a cabana and sip handcrafted cocktails and watch live performances from the Holiday Village cast. The menu will feature whisky cocktails like Dasher’s Smash, Blitzen’s Spritz, Cupid’s Tonic and Comet’s Cold Brew Old Fashioned.
Running through Saturday, Dec. 30, Tam O’Shanter will have holiday carolers strolling the restaurant nightly to bring holiday cheer. The Atwater Village landmark will be open for dining on Christmas Day from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and will offer a limited menu inclusive of a holiday roasted turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, traditional stuffing, sauteed market vegetables, candied cranberries and turkey gravy, with the option to add a slice of prime rib. Family feasts for pickup with options to feed up to 12 people also will be available including a quarter prime rib, half or full, all with a green salad with Tam O’Shanter vinaigrette, creamed corn, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, gravy, au jus, whipped cream and straight horseradish, sourdough bread, and Yorkshire pudding batter with cooking instructions. Brisket feasts also are available, which feed 6-8 people and include all of the fixings. To order a holiday feast, visit lawrysonline.com/tam-o-shanter/.
Shade Hotel, Redondo Beach, will host its annual Christmas tree lighting on Friday, Dec. 15 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be a visit from Santa, Christmas carolers and s’mores by the fire pits. Mention “Shade Christmas” at the hotel’s Sea Level Restaurant & Lounge to receive a complimentary plate of holiday cookies. The event is free to the public; make dinner reservations on Resy.
Topanga Socialat Westfield Topanga will host various holiday activations for its new Eat, Drink, & Be Merry holiday series, which will include paint & sips, ornament decorating, and succulent workshops:
Holiday cookies at Mytheresa and Flamingo Estate Holiday House ( BFA.com/Jojo Korsh)
The Love Actually
Babka Streisand (Courtesy Genghis Cohen)
Beam Suntory holiday cheer (Courtesy Death & Co.)
Holiday chocolate display wings (Courtesy JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE)