Adventures of a Storyteller: california

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Beverly Hills Adventures

This past April, I once again returned to California for a film festival. The festival was taking place in Beverly Hills. During free time, I focused on adventures in and around the area.

I was fortunate enough to stay at the Montage Hotel. The hotel was beautiful, and the service was amazing.

A complimentary champagne from the hotel

When they learned I was a finalist in the film festival, they left me a special surprise!

One of the first stops I made was the Paley Center for Media, the location for the film festival. The Paley houses a permanent collection of over 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. They also have theaters for screenings.

The front of the Paley Center for Media

The lobby of the Paley Center for Media

I decided to explore some of the "hidden" spots in Beverly Hills. These are excursions/ restaurants that most tourists don't know much about.

My first stop was at 10 Pound Bar. They are an exclusive whiskey bar and have some of the rarest whiskies.

This is one of their cocktails. So delicious!

One of their whiskies. If you look closely at the ice cube, you can see that their logo has been lasered in the ice.

Another stop on my agenda was Edelweiss Chocolates.

Edelweiss inspired Lucille Ball's Job Switching Episode

Look at all the chocolates!

The decision was hard, but I loved the chocolates I took home with me.

Following Edelweiss, I went to Nic's. A great restaurant, it is known for its hand-crafted cocktails and the vodbox. The vodbox is a walk-in freezer where guests wear fake fur coats and sample unique and rare vodkas. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to experience the vodbox, but I am determined to try it the next time I go to California. I did enjoy their hand-crafted cocktails. So good!

From Russia with Love: Vodka, Fresh Strawberries, and a Champagne Float. I'm determined to figure out how to make this.

Next up on the hidden gems list was the Beverly Hills Brownie Company. Specializing only in brownies, they have just about any combination of brownie you can think of.

The store front

So many brownies!!! I couldn't get them all in the picture.

My choices: Normal, extra nuts, and smores.

I had time to visit one more on the list, so I went to Vosges Haut-Chocolate. They have unique chocolate blends such as dark chocolate with Sri Lankan curry.

Store front of Vosges

This mushroom is made out of chocolate.

This is considered one of the customer favorites. Milk Chocolate with Hickory Smoked Bacon. Personally, I'm not a fan; but it's definitely worth a try if you like salty chocolates.

I had one free day so I rented a car to visit two excursions outside of Beverly Hills. I decided to go to the California Science Center again because they were having an exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Scrolls have great historical, religious, and linguistic significance. They include the second oldest known surviving manuscripts. Unfortunately, they don't allow pictures; but the exhibit runs through September. If you're in the area, then I would recommend seeing it.

The second excursion was the La Brea Tar Pits. Natural tar has seeped from this area for tens of thousands of years. Many animal bones have been preserved in the tar. They are still searching the pits for more unique finds. It smells like burning asphalt, however it was fascinating to see this natural phenomenon.

These statues are located in the same park as the tar pits.

The Tar Pits

Methane gas bubbling at the surface.

The rest of my time was spent watching the many amazing films at the festival. I always love coming back to California. There's always something new to explore!

Other Fun Foods I enjoyed:

Black Cod from Scarpetta's

The staff at Scarpetta heard I was a finalist in the film festival and gave me this delicious dessert.

Arctic Char with Zucchini and Wild Rice Griddle Cake from Chateau Marmont.

La Mervetty is a French Patisserie in Beverly Hills. Their speciality is Le Merveilleux. They are light and taste amazing!!!

~A.E. Keener

Interested in my adventures? Click on the links below to learn more:

~Website for Hidden Gems in Beverly Hills: http://lovebeverlyhills.com/itineraries/view/hidden-gems-of-beverly-hills

~Montage Hotel: http://www.montagehotels.com/beverlyhills/

~Paley Center for Media: http://www.paleycenter.org

~10 Pound Bar: http://www.montagehotels.com/beverlyhills/dining/10-pound/

~Edelweiss Chocolates: http://www.edelweisschocolates.com

~Nic's Beverly Hills: http://nicsbeverlyhills.com

~Beverly Hills Brownie Company: http://beverlyhillsbrownie.com

~Vosges Haut-Chocolate: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com

~California Science Museum Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit: http://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/dead-sea-scrolls-the-exhibition

~La Brea Tar Pits: http://www.tarpits.org/la-brea-tar-pits

~Scarpetta: http://www.montagehotels.com/beverlyhills/dining/scarpetta/

~Chateau Marmont: http://www.chateaumarmont.com/therestaurant.php

~La Mervetty: http://www.lemervetty.com

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Update of the Past Few Months Part 2

If you've visited my A.E. Keener Facebook page recently, you may have seen a post about this picture.

This award was the reason for my second visit in April to California. I was invited to the Beverly Hills Film Festival because my screenplay, Patchwork, was selected as a finalist for BHFF's screenplay contest. The Film Festival lasts five days and is filled with features, shorts, animations, and documentaries. The week ends with a black tie gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel where the awards are presented to the winners.

The films were shown at the TCL Chinese Theaters which is the more modern version of the Grauman's Chinese Theater located nearby.

The Marquis display for the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Like the old movie theaters, the TCL Chinese theaters have red curtains over their screens. They rise before the movie is shown.

With the curtains up.

It was fun to see different features, documentaries, shorts, and animations from all over the world. Plus, watching these films in the heart of Hollywood made it even more special.

I stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel which is on Hollywood Blvd and right across from the Chinese Theater.

The Ceiling in the Roosevelt Hotel

One of the main areas.

During breaks between movies, I would explore the boulevard which was busy and filled with exciting things to do.

The El Capitan Theatre: Hollywood's First Home of Spoken Drama and Walt Disney Studio's Premiere Theatre.

The Egyptian Theatre: Home of the first movie premiere.

I love the Egyptian design.

A car decorated in tiny cars.

The Dolby Theatre

Disney Ghirardelli

A view of the Hollywood Sign.

And of course, the infamous Chinese Theatre.

I didn't have as much time to explore other areas of the city; but I did have a couple of hours one day for an excursion to the California Science Center.

My main reason for going was to see the Endeavour. I wrote in a previous blog about watching the spaceship's last flight. It now resides at the California Science Museum. Naturally, I had to see the spaceship up close and personal.

The Endeavour.

A slightly closer shot.

A view of the famous tiles.

Some Fun Facts about the Endeavour:

~During reentry, the nose and leading edge of the wings are hotter than any other part of the shuttle.

~A single tile could cost as much as $2,000 to make.

~ The black coating seen on the tiles under the orbiter helped the tiles shed heat. The white tiles and blankets on the orbiter's topside helped to reflect solar radiation when the shuttle was in orbit, which helped the Endeavour to keep cool.

I still can't believe that the Endeavour has been in space. Being this close to a piece of history, I was filled with awe.

The California Science Center also has several other exhibits. I was limited on time so I was only able to visit one other exhibit, The Kelp Forest Restoration in the Ecosystems area.

Kelp Forests are important ecosystems located off California's coast. They are home to a diverse wildlife.

At the California Science Center, they are growing kelp forests to help educate on their importance.

Swimming through the Underwater Forest

Another Shot of fish swimming

In the Jellyfish tank, the movements were so beautiful that I had to take pictures.

Who knew jellyfish were so graceful?

Another fun excursion provided by the Beverly Hills Film Festival was a party at one of L.A.'s night clubs: the OHM Nightclub. If you know me, I'm kind of grumpy if it's past 10 and I'm not within a few feet of my bed. However, OHM had several key factors that helped influence me to go:

There were books...

Typewriters...

And steampunk decor... Of course, I had to go.

Along with these excursions, I also was able to enjoy some wonderful food and drinks from several great restaurants. A couple of my favorites were:

Black Cod from The Public Kitchen and Bar

A cosmo inspired specialty drink made with market fresh ingredients from the Library Bar.

Halibut from Il Cielo.

And Il Cielo's Panna Cotta was just so pretty.

And of course, an old fashioned Coke Float from Disney Ghirardelli's.

On my last night, I attended the Beverly Hill Film Festival's Award Ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel. In true Hollywood fashion, the ceremony was a black tie affair with red carpet and photo opportunities.

After a full course dinner, the awards were presented; and I received 2nd Runner Up for Best Screenplay. I still can't believe that it actually happened.

Naturally, there was only one way to celebrate: