The Standard Downtown cracks me up sometimes. That’s a sign I saw on the way to the rooftop bar –
which I still contend is the best place to read a book early afternoon, while nibbling on an organic salad and sipping a glass of wine.
I also always get the hummus plate there, but I have to say it’s just not the tastiest of hummus plates. We’re talking rather dry pieces of store-bought pita bread with a big blob of what seems like store-bought hummus. The toasty yumminess at Bodega Wine Bar’s much better –
But Bodega’s not on a sunny rooftop….
Last night started with happy hour at Bodega — to which Hannah and I wore the same 
And since I was taking a bottle of Grey Goose to the party (didn’t have time to hunt down a bottle of 
We played a game of scrabble at the end and I discovered two things: 1) My game’s miraculously improved despite the fact I haven’t played in like years, and 2) in each round, it’s a long while before it’s my turn again. 
If your goal’s simply to live a long time, all you have to do is 4 little things: “To get an extra 14 years of life, don’t smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in moderation,” says a UK study, 
Jan: 14
Well, the restaurant’s called 
Luckily, we got there before noon to order Seared Rare Ahi Tuna with Herb Aioli and Wild Arugula on Toasted Multi Grain and Rustic Homemade Falafel on Grilled Flatbread with Hummus, Roasted Pepper and Tomato Spread — which we split. The pics were taken post-splitting, which is why both plates have falafel AND tuna on them.
The one thing I didn’t like: The salad that came with my ahi tuna sandwich was way too heavy, topped with spindly potato chip sticks. Of course, it’s a little odd to complain about a salad being too heavy after voluntarily ordering buckwheat cake and practically licking the plate –
The result — a fun if somewhat confusing party that combined enviro-fundraising and organic booze with handwriting analysis, diet book displays, and bottled water promos. 
After the speech, I got my handwriting analyzed, nibbled on eats from Loteria Grill, and met other partygoers, all with artistic-sounding jobs and interests that leave you vaguely wondering how exactly they manage to make rent –
After 
And I found out you can order a 
Of course the salmon at 
Somewhat oddly — at least to me — it seems Juliano’s shuns a buncha other fruits, even if they can be eaten raw. The menu notes that dishes don’t contain any seedless fruits — or carrots, bananas, dates, pineapple, etc. Why not?
When I take the bus in to USC, I “reward” my eco-friendly behavior by stopping for a drink and salad at the rooftop bar at 
I love that the bar offers an organic green salad — though my advice is to ask for the dressing on the side, because otherwise your greens’ll taste like they’ve been marinated in the stuff. 