FRED SEGAL, YOU'RE MY FRIEND.

So this past weekend was the Fred Segal annual sale (at the Santa Monica store). I try to go each year and check out what's good. For the most part, the men's wear is usually full of that Hollywood-esque crap, which I cannot stand. I hate shirts and pants with funky embroidery, bling, and other weird things on them; definitely not worth spending money on. But each year I try to at least cop a good pair of jeans and a jacket. Two years ago I scored a pair of Rock & Republics for just under a hundred bucks (back before they embellished their "R" pocket logo), and also went home with a cool army-green jacket/blazer by Sixty.

This year, I rummaged through the sale items and almost came away with three pairs of jeans. But I had to scale back. I loved how this pair of True Religions fit, but the horseshoe was obnoxiously painted on the back-pocket. Annoying. That left me with two pairs of R&Rs. One of which I had to squeeze into a little. I gave up on those figuring that it still wasn't worth having to squeeze in and out of those buggers -- for 50% off. So I stuck with one pair, and was content. I went back the following day with my Godsis and Godbro, and between us we grabbed another two pairs of jeans (the Godbro got a pair of Trues and Sevens), a jacket, and three pairs of shoes (one for my Godsis, and two for their friends' kid).

All in all, FS' annual sale wasn't a complete wash. I got my jeans, and I am a happy camper.

COMME CI... COMME CA...

French food, through the ages, is known to have evolved into one of the world's trendiest (and, in a way, pompous) cuisines. Its reputation as haute cuisine is one that transcends all sides of the foodie spectrum; it is viewed as artful by connoisseurs, and minimalist/insatiable by the less-discerning. No matter what side of the fence you're on, one thing is certain: French cuisine has truly evolved through the generations. Due in part to the various socio-political movements, as well as the collaboration of great French cooks and chefs, the cuisine of France has become an artform; an esteemed contribution to the culture of L'Hexagone.

Los Angeles has, through the years, welcomed French cuisine with open arms often times relishing in the chic meshing of haute cuisine and haute society. Award-winning chef David Myers (Sona, Boule) has a masterpiece in West Hollywood in the form of Comme Ca. Barely a year old, Comme Ca captures that fine marriage between all things trendy and classic with regard to French food, and the ever-moving social landscape of L.A. The brasserie itself is dark and cozy, with three separate dining areas. The colors (grays, whites, and blacks) are drab, but are reminiscent of a 1940s/1950s film noir. The restaurant has a small bar area, perhaps to keep it from having that loungey feel at night, but that doesn't stop visitors from crowding around, sipping on $13-cocktails until their tables are set. At dinnertime, the restaurant is packed, and loud. I'm not sure I even recall music playing in the background. What I do remember was the staccato of different conversations bouncing off the walls of the space. I had read reviews condemning Comme Ca for its louder-than-life "noise," but oddly enough I found much to love about it. It reminded me of being in one of those "power" restaurants that I often frequented back in D.C.

The dinner menu offered all of the usual suspects in French cuisine: fruits de mer, fromage, charcuterie et vin. Plenty of vin, in fact. The hors d'oeuvres menu included tuna nicoise, steak tartare, escargots, moules frites - which I had been craving for days before. The moules frites was our instant choice, and we reveled in the perfectly-cooked mussels and fries.

Main courses included bouillabaisse, sole meuniere, and the ever-French coq au vin. Between my friends and I, an array of dishes graced our table: roasted pork chop (with a Swiss chard gratin), salmon with gnocchi Parisienne, steak frites, and paleron of beef bourguignon - which was divine. I dove into my dish not knowing what to expect. What I experienced was sure bliss; the beef was so tender and flavorful that it melted in my mouth just as decadently as ice cream. My dining company similarly enjoyed their dishes, and we had to think twice about dessert... sort of.

Before dessert we ordered off the restaurant's "9:58" menu --which is sort of like a "happy hour" menu that offers a list of specialty drinks and Comme Ca's lunch-time burger starting at 9:58PM. One of my friends and I decided to partake in the libations, and each came away with a negroni cocktail (made with Campari) and a White Russian - each for $9.58. This paved the way for our final taste of the evening: a brioche pudding & ice cream - a perfect fusion of freshly baked, chocolatey goodness with cool, vanilla ice cream.

The night could've gone on and on, but the experience sent us ready and willing for bed-time... with many sweet dreams sure to linger in our heads. Each dish was well-executed. The place, itself, was a beautiful hybrid of casual chic and classiness. And the experience -- priceless.

Comme Ca is officially one of my favorite things.
---

Comme Ca, 8479 Melrose Avenue (cross street: La Cienega), Los Angeles, CA 90069, 323.782.1104

PLEASE PASS ME MY "MURSE"

I am a "man-bag" man.

I always have been a "man-bag" kind of guy. I think it started back in high school when I decided that I was over the Jansport backpack thing, and I went for the more in-style messenger bag. Ever since, the messenger has sort of become one of my trademarks. And I've had me some messenger bags through the years. My current bag was a birthday gift (or was it Christmas?) from one of my dear, old friends some years ago. It's a now-classic Jack Spade, and it has served me well.

But with the new fall air blowing in, I decided that this would be the year to put Jack to rest, and get a new murse. I went to Century City after work today with one goal in mind: to find the ultimate man-bag.

I totally got side-tracked and tried on a hot Diesel trench coat, which I came super-super close to getting. But with the new coats/jackets that I just got myself last winter, I figured that spending $300+ on a new coat would be a bit too pre-mature. I have too many things on my "to get" list for the season, and I wasn't ready to splurge right then and there. So instead, I walked back to the (man) bag section in Bloomingdale's, and gave one of the bags another look.

Moments later, I was walking out of the store with this:
Say "hello" to my new Tumi T-Tech Adventure Small Flap Body Bag...! I decided to go for a sportier messenger, and I was enamored by all of the pockets and compartments inside.

Out with the old; in with the new! (You gotta love Bloomie's for their $25-off --purchases of $100 or more-- coupons + a gift card that was tucked away for safe-keeping. HA!)