I'm back and leaner than ever since my start at Burn Fitness or what I like to call the home of the FatBurn “system of guaranteed weight loss.” Yup! That's right, guaranteed. I can honestly say that I've lost 30 pounds and I have successfully kept this weight off. Now, any good doctor will tell you that those who are most... Read more →

Dear New Shrink, My son is currently a sophomore in college and although he is not sure about his career plans, he believes he has talked a lot about working in business. Given the amount of loans he has to take out to fund his education, I want to make sure that he is successful in securing a job after graduation. We have heard conflicting... Read more →

A fan of this column wrote to me after reading about our $300 lunch at El Cellar, suggesting that I forget writing about expensive places and focus on good food for good value. But eating out isn't just about the food; the experience is also important. At this moment we are in Menaggio, Italy, on the west side of Lake Como. Across the lake... Read more →

The über popular restaurant Wurstküche has made its way to the Westside. The “purveyor of exotic grilled sausages,” which has enjoyed great success at its Downtown L.A. location has opened its doors at a second stop on Lincoln Boulevard in Venice. With no shortage of hype, long lines, or savory delectables,... Read more →

Of all the things we think we know about William Shakespeare, most of them are guesses, or assumptions, or just plain made up. In actual fact, even though the writings of many of his contemporaries have survived through time, there is not a single piece of paper ever discovered that was written in Shakespeare's own hand. Not a play. Not a... Read more →

Dear New Shrink, I have two brothers. The oldest is 40 years old, gay and married. He asked my mom, her husband and me to join them in Palm Springs for two nights. He paid for my room and I stayed in the same hotel that he did. My parents stayed elsewhere. I did not enjoy the trip because he was controlling and strange. The first day he... Read more →

It’s not only in Santa Monica that you find first-rate restaurants that have survived the various changes in food styles over many years. While playing golf near Girona, Spain, we heard of a restaurant — El Celler de Can Roca — reputed to be among the top three restaurants in the world (check out www.theworlds50best.com... Read more →

For as long as I can remember the corner of Arizona Avenue and Second Street was home to The Lighthouse Seafood Buffet. For me, all you can eat seafood lost its luster somewhere between a bad experience at the Tropicana buffet table, and the documentary “The Cove.” For many Santa Monicans, organic, hormone-free, and... Read more →

BERGAMOT STATION — Pacific Standard Time has arrived. This unprecedented collaboration, initiated by the Getty Foundation, brings together more than 60 cultural institutions from across Southern California for six months beginning in October to tell the story of the birth of the Los Angeles art scene. “Never before have so... Read more →

With the increasing popularity in preventative health care, we are beginning to see an emerging, roaring lion in the fitness and wellness industry. We are seeing a mainstream shift in the way in which people train. For so long, we have been dominated by the bodybuilders and the body-split training modalities, that we have forgotten how to... Read more →

It is certainly a nice compliment to get invited to the grand opening of a new Hollywood hot spot. Either that, or an e-mail went out to me as well as 100,000 other people. Either which way, with my ego fed, it was time to venture out to the heart of Hollywood to fill my stomach for the launching of the newest Asian fusion eatery —... Read more →

I am interrupting my series on old-time restaurants in Santa Monica because of a very different experience I had the other day. My wife and I were staying with friends in a small town near Montpellier, France. They offered to take us, along with another couple, to visit a medieval town nearby. I offered to buy lunch for everyone. We toured... Read more →

Dear New Shrink, I grew up around alcoholics and for a long time told myself that I would never be like my family. I am not anything like them yet, but I now find myself worried that it will all catch up with me. It’s almost like a dark cloud following me. For some reason, I started to worry when my father died from his alcoholism about... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — It’s something that no parent is ever prepared for. Sarretta McDonough thought that her 3-year-old daughter Lauren just had a cold, but she wasn’t getting over it, and her symptoms seemed a little strange. Her eyes were puffy, and her stomach seemed distended. McDonough took Lauren to the family doctor, not... Read more →

In the 1950s and ‘60s, fine dining in Los Angeles was centered in Hollywood. There was Chasen’s, La Rue, Scandia, Ma Maison (if you were lucky enough to have the unlisted telephone number) and a few other fine restaurants, usually in the French mode. Little by little tastes changed. A Thai restaurant opened in Culver City and my... Read more →