Central and East LA have always been home to Shawna Dawson, an LA native who founded Sauce LA, the Artisanal LA fair and the LA Street Food Fest. Headquartered in Old Pasadena, Sauce LA oversees marketing for many of the city’s best restaurants, including Bestia, Republique and Petty Cash Taqueria. The firm also plans two major culinary events throughout the year: Artisanal LA in spring and fall (April 26-27 and October 11-12) and the Street Food Fest on June 28.
Christina Kharbertyan is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. With her varied experience in marketing and public relations, retail and fashion, book publishing and design, and local journalism, Christina has a unique and thorough perspective on the media, communications and publishing industries.
Articles by Christina Kharbertyan
LA’s Best Oyster Bars on the Eastside
Diners can sip and slurp their way to culinary felicity at these east side oyster bars and restaurants.
Festival of Books Brings Good Reads to USC
Jorge Luis Borges once said, “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” Taking a page from Borges himself, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, with its poetry readings and thousands of books for sale, is a worldly utopia for bibliophiles. The festival will be held from April 12-13 at…
LA, Her Way: Fashion Designer Trina Turk
Since she launched her own fashion line in 1995, Trina Turk has grown her company into an iconic brand of California-inspired women’s clothing.
Tony Yanow Champions LA Craft Beer
Tired of the 270 rainy days per year of his hometown Vancouver, Tony Yanow and his wife packed their bags and headed to sunny Los Angeles in the late 1990s, but it wasn’t until 4.5 years ago that Yanow took the plunge and opened up Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank, a pub specializing in craft beer and sausages.
Still Trending: Cupcake Bakeries in Beverly Hills
When Joan’s on Third opened on the west side of 3rd Street in 1995, that part of town didn’t have much going for it. Since then, the area between The Grove and Cedars-Sinai hospital has grown into a hub of gourmet restaurants and laid-back cafes, boutiques, art galleries—and cupcake bakeries. In fact, there are so many cupcake bakeries lining this street a cupcake crawl can be organized to sample all of them.
LA Chef: Vernon Cardenas of State Social House
Certified Sake sommelier, lover of French and Italian cuisine and former executive chef of BOA Steakhouse, Chef Vernon Cardenas has more than two decades of experience in in the restaurant industry and it shows in the dishes he creates as executive chef of State Social House. Chef Vernon was born in San Diego, spent his…
LA, Her Way: Jesse Draper of the Valley Girl Show
Combining her love of business with her gift of gab, actress Jesse Draper started the Valley Girl Show in 2009. In the beginning, the Silicon Valley native filmed her talk show during six-month breaks from The Naked Brothers Band on Nickelodeon, but she now dedicates herself full-time to interviewing guests on the Valley Girl Show and corresponding regularly on the Katie Couric Show.
LA’s Haunted Places and Urban Legends
There is no shortage of rumors of haunted places and urban legends in LA. Ghost stories abound, from oil tycoon landmarks to more recent tragedies.
LA’s Best Fireside Dining
Sometimes it’s hard not to be homebody during LA’s cooler months—even if we’re not hitting the subzero temperatures most of the U.S. experiences during winter. Fortunately, several LA restaurants offer fireside dining in a warm and cozy environment indoors and outdoors.
