Teddy's, the subdued oasis tucked privately away from the trash-filled yet glittering street that is Hollywood Boulevard, captured my heart quite some time ago. Our longstanding love affair began when I turned the ripe old age of 21. Some may scoff at my presumed naiveté, as I am now only a marginally riper and older 22, but in Hollywood, a yearlong love affair constitutes quite a track record.

I fell for Teddy's ambiance first. Burnt-orange candlelight seeped through the darkness. The beat came next: the jams Frankie and Sam pump up are just loud enough. And I felt pretty slick when I bared my infamous black-light-visible-only admittance stamp to the doorman upon re-entry after a mad dash through The Roosevelt's lobby to the ladies' room. But these delights are just pieces in the puzzle that, once complete, reads, "Teddy's es numero uno en mi corazon."

What truly makes Teddy's lovable is the atmosphere... More >> ..

When invited by my buddy Ted to dinner at a bakery, I was skeptical. I'm not one to enjoy pizza for breakfast or eggs for dinner, unless the pizza is Gordon Ramsay's £100 pie at Maze in Grosvenor Square or the eggs come in the form of Norma's Thousand-dollar Omelet at Le Parker Meridien. But I digress.

Swarming with a mixture of hipsters, cougars, gays, and an actress from Heroes (which will hopefully be cancelled by NBC before I can be tortured with bad writing for too much longer), Mani's clientele bespeaks its location at the intersection of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Hancock Park.

Disclaimer: At Mani's, you pay 25 percent more for any menu item than you would at most places. But Mani's is committed to using organic products, so you get what you pay for. Mani's Mango Avocado Salad offers a great example. Combining my favorite sweet fruit with my favorite luscious fruit (which I actually consider a vegetable), it's described on the menu as follows: "Take a tropical vacation on your lunch break with slices of fresh mango, avocado, red onions, and chopped tomatoes on fresh mixed greens... More >> ..

Tom Colicchio has finally completed a project that was two years in the making. After clearing a year's worth of alternate Tuesday nights, Colicchio debuted his tasting menu back in October. The open kitchen, which is next to his restaurant Craft, only seats thirty-two. The tasting menu, called Tom: Tuesday Dinner, offers seasonal ingredients and platings hand-crafted by Colicchio himself; Colicchio has pledged his presence at every single seating. To guarantee a seat, reservations must be made six months in advance, parties must number either two or four, and parties cannot total more than four people.

All the food offered at these tasting dinners comes from local markets. Colicchio believes that "foods that grow together, go together," and the nine-course tasting menu may change at the last minute depending on market availability. Dishes such as "Hudson Valley Rabbit with Black Truffle, Bacon, and Chestnuts" and "Sweetbreads with Marinated Grapes" demonstrate the synergy between seasonal ingredients and Colicchio's skill... More >> ..

Native New Yorkers avoid them and tourists are drawn to them; the lighted billboards in Times Square are famous. While many billboards have garnered attention for their controversial content, the one sponsored by Ricoh Americas Corporation is famous for a reason that everyone can agree is a positive one: their $3 million advertising surface is powered by wind and solar power. The billboard can store enough backup power to light up when conditions are less than optimal (i.e., gloomy or still) for up to four days.

The billboard is situated across from the most popular place in the world to be on New Year's Eve: 1 Times Square, where the ball drops. Its sixteen turbines can generate energy at wind levels of just five miles an hour, and it also boasts 64 solar panels. While lease numbers have not yet been released, use of the billboard is projected to come in at around $200,000 a month, with a three-month lease required to leverage the advertising power of the famous corner... More >> ..

When Scottish author J.M. Barrie penned Peter Pan in 1904, young audiences were enchanted by the elaborate fantasy world filled with free-spirited youth and time-hating pirates. They still are. But as most mortals do grow up, these interpretations melt with age, and rational old-timers instead see Peter Pan as a naïve child who never matured and adapted to reality. No wonder Michael Jackson chose Barrie's psychologically numb protagonist to inspire his infamous Neverland Ranch, where tykes came to live out their youthful fantasies-or those of Jackson.

 

Nestled among Santa Barbara's vineyards, the Neverland Ranch served as a complex playground, complete with theme park rides and endless corners in which children could lose themselves in play. Despite the property's questionable owner-an '80s pop sensation whose crotch-grabbing won him his fame-parents still allowed Tinkerbell to whisk their children off to this twisted universe... More >> ..

Like TLC, JFK, and WMD, BBQ is one of the great mysteries of the acronym world. No one really knows what it means. The common assumption is that it means either "dirty" or "delicious" (or both) in some long lost, Deep South dialect. I first learned of the art of BBQ during a short tryst with Kathy Bates (back in her sexy "Fried Green Tomatoes" days). She won me over with her intense stares from across a crowded restaurant, her chin dripping with tempting BBQ sauce (prior to this I was unaware as to what the reddish-brown liquid was, and I was intrigued by someone who put chocolate on a brisket, or who ordered brisket in general).

Of course, it got gross quickly, as sex with the heavier set usually does (except for Camryn Manheim, of course... she gets me every time with those sexy, form fitting, lawyerly pantsuits). However, I did take something from the experience: I now use BBQ sauce in all my plus-sized sexual endeavors (apparently as they get older the craving switches from cake to BBQ).

While many people are paring down their Christmases because of the worldwide recession, it's business as usual in the Takashimaya Department Store in Tokyo, Japan. The first floor of the department store is known for its extensive luxury food selection. Packaged in decorative boxes, these items are meant to be given as gifts.

But Takashimaya recently revealed the centerpiece of their Christmas 2008 gift collection: a chicken stuffed with truffles and foie gras. The price tag on this holiday entrée? $859.

These are no ordinary Perdue chickens. The aristocratic birds will be flown in from Landes, France, to be stuffed with a mixture of black truffles, white sausage, foie gras, and chestnuts. One chicken is said to serve six to eight people. Only twelve will be available this year, and only one has been reserved for Christmas Eve so far, but the spokesperson from Takashimaya is optimistic that the rest will sell, pointing out that it's still early in the holiday season... More >> ..

There's nothing better than starting your day with a warm stack of pancakes, short or tall, fresh off the griddle and slathered in butter and syrup. Actually, pancakes are pretty fabulous at any hour of the day.

Located atop L.A.'s famed Sunset Tower Hotel, The Terrace serves its own perfect pancake. This decadent version, however, is savory, in contrast to the traditional sweet breakfast-hour treat. Crispy yet light, The Terrace's lobster-stuffed potato pancakes are a luxurious take on a classic: large chunks of lobster nestle inside a potato pancake pocket. Drizzled with a marvelous black truffle sauce, the pancakes melt in your mouth as you enjoy a symphony of perfectly balanced flavors on your palate.

It may be a challenge, but take your time enjoying this dish: the crisp and creamy potatoes, smooth lobster, and sharp but not overpowering truffle sauce deserve the attention.

La Prairie has taken the world's rarest element-platinum-and transformed it into a facial cream fit for a goddess. La Prairie's Cellular Cream Platinum Rare is composed of platinum suspended in a water-based solution. When the cream is spread, the platinum molecules rapidly transfer electrons onto your skin, neutralizing free radicals and forming a protective barrier. They also create a Climate Activated Moisture Matrix, which gives moisture to the parts of your face that need it while adjusting to the humidity and air temperature of your environment.
Cellular Cream Platinum Rare also smoothes away wrinkles and encourages natural skin repair. Its unusual ingredients, which include the semiprecious stones malachite and hematite, testify to the innovative research and dedication that went into this cream, which is the most luxurious-and purportedly the most effective-cream available on the market today.
A number of celebrities have been praising these little jars of luxury, including Rose McGowan, Nicolette Sheridan, Brooke Shields, and Angie Harmon... More >> ..

We usually reserve "dollar dollar bill" references for catchy lyrics to iTunes' top songs, but the public's attention to Benjamins has gone political. Waves of shock rippled through media outlets when news surfaced that Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain had squandered hundreds of thousands of dollars on dainty business suits by top designers. Barack Obama and John McCain both called out to the common man-Joe the Plumber and the like-and painted dramatic pictures of health care costs that sometimes differed by a margin of a thousand bucks. Even Oprah joined the election numbers game, revealing that she had selected her inaugural dress well in advance for an undisclosed amount that could presumably jumpstart Wall Street again.
Money has been a focus in this year's unprecedented election (except, of course, when it came to Michelle Obama's unfortunately disposable J. Crew outfit). By the time Americans rocked the vote on November 4, the presidential election had cost over a billion dollars... More >> ..

Everyone knows Mischa Barton was a sexy rexy, but I have to say I love her even more as a plus-sized, gloriously gluttonous beauty. It's got me buying more Vaseline and Kleenex than the time Posh Spice gained three pounds.

In an attempt to get that perfectly frumpy figure, I've been finding ways to fatten up my daily activities. Of course, I started by asking Eva Longoria her secret (Mexicans are a fountain of knowledge on how to get corpulent in a hurry). She suggested lots of fondue desserts and tons of cheese, so I now only eat meals from Taco Bell. It's been working out great, especially since my maid has agreed to unwrap all the food for me, as well as hand-feed it to me (I refuse to touch anything made outside of America; as Father used to say, "If it's not made in America and it's not Scotch, it's Communist and disease-ridden).

Sick of the cold weather? Longing for some sun? Check out the Desert Island Hammock-it's your quick and ridiculously easy solution to a craving for paradise.
The package includes two six-foot-plus artificial palm trees with coconuts; a triple-woven polyester double hammock; and, of course, two misters, to simulate a refreshing ocean spray. The hammock and trees are built to take on all types of weather, and for you true islanders, there's also an option to add artificial turf that resembles sand.
If you need a quick release from the concrete jungle that is Manhattan, try putting one of these on your roof-sweet surrender will be just an elevator or staircase away.

When I stepped onto my LAX-to-JFK Virgin America flight, I couldn't help but notice the dim fluorescent lighting and funky beats blasting from the speakers. I felt like I was in an exclusive L.A. nightclub.

And then I saw Paris Hilton.

As is standard protocol when seeing any celebrity with as much notoriety as Paris, I sent out a mass text message to my fifty closest friends: "Paris Hilton is on my flight. I hope she can fight off terrorists with the skills she learned on The Simple Life." The responses ranged from "Give her a hug for me" (from a mutual friend) to "Coincidence: I'm watching her sex video as we speak!"

While flipping through my personal touch screen on the seat in front of me, I felt compelled to suggest to my grandmother that she fly Virgin America so she can play mahjong in-flight-just one of the many distractions offered by this most unique airline... More >> ..

Like our buddy Nick (see below), Meg Ryan has put her house on the market. Her asking price? A whopping $19,500,000. The 6,877-square-foot house sits on 0.73 acres in Bel Air, California, and has just recently been publicly listed. The house boasts six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, a two-story living room, and a screening room (for those times when you just want to cuddle up on the couch and watch Sleepless in Seattle). If you step outside the house, you can admire the guesthouse, pool, and unbelievable 180-degree views of the city.
Ryan bought the house in 2000 for a measly $8 million, and is now trying to sell it for significantly more than twice her purchase price. Interested in the overpriced listing are none other than soccer sensation David Beckham and his wife Victoria (a.k.a. Posh Spice). Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have also taken a liking to the property, and are known around L.A. as notorious house hunters. It looks like Meg won't have too much trouble lifting this particular weight off her shoulders...

Drinking alone is just not what it used to be. I used to come home after a long day of relative sobriety (I limit myself to just three Valiums when it's light out), sip casually on eight to ten drinks, and amuse myself with that game show with the "whammies," or the local news, or some other program that encouraged me to laugh at the misfortunes of others.

Now all I can find are ads and programs telling me about the necessity of voting, which is troublesome not only because it requires visiting locations I vowed to never set foot in (like public schools), but confusing as well, because we all know that Fox News chooses the president. Luckily, there's always a solution to life's most complicated problems: more drinking.