Hand-sewn
Vandell, Sqirl, Firstborn, luxury real estate report, Camp'd Out, The Love Apple, best Valentine's chocolates, MORE
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Here now, three fresh PROMPTS for which we seek your immediate attention:
Where are you ordering your Valentine’s Day flowers?
What’s your go-to spot for jewelry repair?
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BARS • First Round
Intricate elixirs
The Skinny: A mostly walk-in cocktail bar featuring snacks, mains, and desserts in Los Feliz, Vandell first opened in December, and it’s been packed since.
The Vibe: Vandell may be the bar of the moment, but it aspires to timelessness. An olive green exterior catches the golden hour sunlight in a pretty charming way. Inside, the bar shares the room with cognac and brick red leather booths, while a smaller room is outfitted with intimately sized round tables. Throughout, intricately tiled floors dazzle. Music that crosses genres and generations matches the mood. Employees offer warm greetings at the entrance, and service takes off speedily without any sense of rush.
The Drinks: For cocktails, I started with the Green Pepper — tequila, chartreuse, chili, bell pepper, citrus, and salt — slightly foamy, entirely fantastic. My companion opted for the Japanese Pickleback with N/A beer, which came with a sidecar of house-pickled yuzu juice as well as suggestions for how to best enjoy the pairing, like slowly adding small amounts of the citrus as you make your way through your drink. Also, from the Market Fresh category of cocktails, the Blood Orange was a brilliant mix of mezcal, cognac, blood orange, cacao, cassia, orange wine, and lime. Don’t overlook a great demonstration of recipe writing in the bar’s NA Milk Punch, made with pandan, clarified milk, “autumn spices,” and citrus.
The Food: The concise menu doesn’t necessarily stick to one cuisine, with some French classics and dishes flavored with Vadouvan oil and yuzu dressing. A hamachi crudo, with carrot leche de tigre and gorgeous green nasturtium leaves, was exceptional, packing exactly the right amount of heat. Another starter of root vegetables was served on a bed of Roquefort crème fraîche, a combination so good I held onto it for the French fries still to come. The burger, which arrived on an English muffin with “special sauce” and cheddar, was also an instant favorite.
The Verdict: Great cocktails in upmarket environs with a kitchen capable of some interesting surprises (if not great bar food) isn’t exactly a unique proposition right now on the eastside, but Vandell more than meets the moment. Get there soon, and get there early. –Erika Houle
→ Vandell (Los Feliz) • 1966 Hillhurst Ave • Wed-Sun 5p-1a • Reserve.
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Sqirl’s Jess Koslow talks about what to expect at Sqirl Dinner • FOUND favorite Firstborn switching to set prix fixe menu (starting at $68 per) starting Saturday • Atwater Village’s iconic, Twin Peaks-inspired Bigfoot Lodge quietly up for sale • Iconic LA taco joint Tito’s adds quesadillas to menu, only 3rd item added in 70 years • After 12 years in Silver Lake, quirky corner Mexican spot El Condor closing • Can hype ruin a restaurant, and what LA “neighborhood” restaurants are truly part of the neighborhood?
WORK • Thursday Routine
Touching grass
KITTY MEDINA • founder & designer • Camp’d Out
Neighborhood you work in: Pasadena & Downtown
Neighborhood you live in: Pasadena
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
It’s peaceful at the Cabin on Oak this morning, my home and workspace in Pasadena, California. I began the day with a meditation and journaling, with the cats inevitably joining in. My partner Matt and I share a French press and breakfast on the porch, talk through the day ahead, then get to work.
I’m the founder of Camp’d Out, where we curate tailored design-driven tented escapes. In October, we introduced an Adventure Gear collection designed for modern explorers who value timeless style, quality craftsmanship, and pieces that tell a story, drawing inspiration from the Great American Road Trip but with a quirky twist. The first piece is My Grandpa’s Jacket, a cattleman coat inspired by the one my grandfather wore for decades. Each jacket is patterned, cut, and hand-sewn in Los Angeles, made slowly and with intention.
My office space is cozy, especially during the winter months when I always put a couple logs on the fire. I work from a vintage McDowell & Craig desk, and an old Western painting hangs behind it, a quiet nod to my Midwestern roots. Along one wall, a rack hangs the latest production run of our cattleman coats, a reminder of how far we’ve come and where we’re heading.
What’s on the agenda for today?
I’ll head downtown to check in on production and stop by the button shop to source trims for a piece we’re sampling for a spring launch. Lately, I’ve been fully immersed in the exploration of American craft and apparel manufacturing. This process has shaped the heart of the collection, and I’m committed to inspiring more people to see why there’s beauty in a product that lasts.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Matt and I love a date night! Our go-to spot during the week is Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock. Matt grew up going there as a kid so it feels like a second home to us and nothing beats their pizza and pasta. If it’s a warmer evening out, we’ll swing by Capri Club for an Aperol spritz and a Negroni.
We recently tried Betsy in Altadena and instantly fell in love. The space is cozy and aesthetically beautiful. We loved sitting at the bar soaking in the heat from the wood-burning stove and are still dreaming about the burrata. We also love grabbing a bar seat at Columbo’s. In my opinion, they have the best dirty martinis around. Other favorites: MIYA in Altadena, Woon in Pasadena, Bess in Sierra Madre, and Joy in Highland Park
How about a little leisure or culture?
Adam’s Pack Station. Park at Adam’s Pack station and hike one of the trails and loop back at the pack station for a cold bev and some donkey chin scratches.
Any weekend getaways?
Buckhorn Campground in Angeles National Forest. It’s less than an hour from the city, but it feels like a true escape. It also happens to be where Matt and I met while camping eight years ago, so it will always be one of the most special places.
What was your last great vacation?
Santa Fe, New Mexico. My picks:
Stay: El Rey Court. I love a hotel room with a wood-burning kiva fireplace.
Drink: La Reina Hotel Bar.
Shop / Explore: Santa Fe Vintage, curated vintage by appointment only and truly the best vintage shop I’ve ever been to. The Stith Collection, a hat maker’s shop down a little alley. Ask for Percy! DINEH for beautiful, handcrafted Navajo jewelry. I met the owner Samantha at Inspiration LA, and it was so special getting to visit her shop in Santa Fe.
Day Trip: Taos, a high-desert gem filled with galleries, historic adobe buildings, and views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Stay for a cozy organic dinner at The Love Apple, worth the drive.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Ludlow for beautifully curated vintage and handmade clothing. I became friends with the curator and designer, Madison, after shopping her line year after year at Pickwick Vintage Market in DTLA.
Sunday Morning Hair. I always recommend Courtney at Sunday Morning Hair especially for curly-headed folks. She completely transformed my curls and I also love that her salon is low-tox.
WORK & PLAY LINKS: SoCal home values dropped again in December • Downtown’s graffiti towers up for sale after bankruptcy deal • Anduril set to build Long Beach campus • LA28 announces additional stadiums for Olympic hosting • Italian workhorse grape Trebbiano ready for star turn • How to bring the luxury hotel bedroom home • You should keep a ‘brag book’ at work • Quiet Fridays are gaining steam.
REAL ESTATE • Market Reports
Little boxes
The ultra-luxury real estate market saw broad and substantial growth in 2025, with 2261 properties trading hands above $10M — a 30% increase over last year, per the Compass year-end Ultra-Luxury report. The top 10 markets accounted for 71% of all sales, with Greater Los Angeles in the second slot, Orange County in 5th, and San Diego in 10th.
The full top 10:
Manhattan NY • 398 sales (30%)
Greater Los Angeles CA • 292 (54% YoY)
Palm Beach County FL • 193 (46%)
Miami-Dade FL • 173 (14%)
Orange County CA • 121 (13%)
Silicon Valley & Peninsula CA • 98 (1%)
The Hamptons NY • 93 (83%)
Southwest Florida FL • 85 (18%)
Aspen CO • 58 (41%)
San Diego CA • 66 (18%)
Among markets with at least 10 transactions, San Francisco was the 10th-fastest growing with 24 sales (+50% YoY), Carmel, Pebble Beach & the Monterey Peninsula was the 13th fastest-growing with 13 sales (+44%), and Santa Barbara & Montecito was 16th with 50 sales (+32%).
Some other emerging markets: Boston notched 20 $10M+ sales, almost 3x last year’s number. Marin County (CA) also almost tripled up with 17 sales, Greenwich (CT) notched 38 sales (124%) Jackson Hole tallied 33 sales (120%), Aspen 82 (41%), Greater Seattle 26 (53%), Lake Tahoe, Incline & Reno 34 (34%), and Scottsdale & Phoenix 13 (+30%).
CULTURE & LEISURE • In Season
KCRW presents Say She She • The Belasco (Downtown) • Thu @ 7p • GA, $44 per
Silversun Pickups • The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (Hollywood) • Fri @ 8:30p • GA SRO $319 per ($290 lowest avail)
Golden State Warriors at LA Lakers • Crypto.com Arena (Downtown) • Sat @ 5:30p • Premier 4, Row 7 $670 per ($311 lowest avail)
GETAWAYS LINKS: Halfway through winter, heat is melting the California snowpack… as snow drought across west reaches record levels • Why BUR has gotten the FAA’s attention • Kauai getting free Starlink wifi in places phones don’t work • Capitol One lounge access changes take effect this week… Amex says Centurion Lounge access rules will change in July.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Valentine’s Day, chocolates
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.
Dandelion Chocolate (above), Bay Area-based chocolatier, single-origin bars and bonbons, plus new chocolate-dipped Japanese-style strawberries
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