MAC Cosmetic

Now Open: Mac Cosmetics Westwood Village

Westwood Village is excited to welcome MAC Cosmetics! The new store is a perfect fit for our little Village. The popular beauty brand takes great pride in producing the finest quality prestige makeup. MAC believes in social responsibility, with initiatives such as VIVA GLAM and the MAC AIDS Fund.

In 1994, as HIV and AIDS continued to spread across the globe, MAC made HIV/AIDS organizations the beneficiaries of the company’s charitable focus and the MAC AIDS Fund was created. To date, the VIVA GLAM campaign has raised over $450 million for the fight against HIV/AIDS, with spokespeople such as Lady Gaga, Pamela Anderson and Nicki Minaj. SOURCE

MAC has many programs that help you save money! The Back to MAC program lets you return your used MAC products. By returning six [6] MAC primary packaging containers to a MAC counter or MAC Cosmetics online, you’ll receive a free MAC lipstick of your choice. FIND OUT MORE

Another program is MAC Select. MAC Select is a prestigious members-only program for the makeup-obsessed. The more you purchase, the more covetable privileges you earn and the higher you climb three elite tiers.

Visit them at 1035 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

Where to Watch UCLA Football in Westwood Village

Are you ready for some football? If you don't already have a seat booked on your favorite couch, you should consider coming to Westwood Village to eat, drink, and watch UCLA Bruins games all season long.  

While there are plenty of bars and restaurants that will have their TVs on and airing the game, a few Westwood Village-area places have specials to add some cheer to the day. Here are some great suggestions:

Barbacoa Mexican Grill

1030 Glendon Ave.

Westwood Village, CA 90024

(310) 362-6155

Barbacoa is showing all of the UCLA games during happy hour! Watch the game while eating $5 burritos and other specials, because you deserve to eat well! 

Barney's Beanery

1037 Broxton Ave.

Westwood Village, CA 90024

(310) 443-7777

This famous Los Angeles restaurant/bar boasts an amazing 60 HGTV's for your viewing pleasure. Along with the funky, fun, sporty vibe they have daily drink and food specials perfect for sitting back to enjoy watching all of the UCLA Bruin Football games. 

O'Hara's
1000 Gayley Ave
Westwood Village, CA 90024
(310) 208-1942

Not far from the UCLA campus in Westwood, this bar is the ultimate Bruins fan spot. The bar changed its name from Maloney’s years ago, but the change hasn’t taken in some circles, so it’s common to hear it referred to as both. With flat-screen TVs positioned strategically around the bar, O’Hara’s offers many vantage points from which to watch the game with a Bruin-friendly crowd.

Sepi's Subs Sports Beers
10968 Le Conte Ave
Westwood Village, CA 90024
(310) 208-7171

Sepi's was established back in 1969, and is the oldest restaurant/bar in Westwood Village. They considered THE Bruin bar and only one that pays homage to the UCLA Bruins and Westwood Village. Walking into Sepi’s is like walking down memory lane and experiencing the old memories of Westwood Village. They have the Pac12 network, NFL Sunday Ticket, and major sports channels! Large HD flat screen TVs strategically placed throughout the bar, so you will always be able to catch your favorite sports the action! Offering happy hours every day, with great food and beer specials from 4-7pm and a late night happy hour from 7-11pm, daily. Also offer BRUIN football and basketball $1 PBR beer specials. During BRUIN Football & Basketball games!

Tanzy Westwood
10840 Wilshire Blvd
Westwood Village, CA 90024
(310) 307-7004

“Watch Football Win Big” at Tanzy Westwood all season long. Snack on $0.50 wings, $2 draft beers during all NFL games. All guests 21 and over will have a chance enter the Game Day drawings on Thursday night, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night and Monday night games during halftime. Guest will choose from one of four envelopes to win prizes like $50 or $25 gift cards, free entrees or movie passes and a weekly drawing for a $100 Gift Card every Tuesday. At the end of the season, one of our 17 weekly winners will have a chance to win $100,000!

The Glendon Bar & Kitchen
1071 Glendon Ave
Westwood Village, CA 90024
(310) 208-2023

Guests at the bar can catch the game on a couple of flat screen TVs. Double nightly happy hours (at 4:00PM-7:00PM and 10:00PM-12:00AM) cater to the after work crowd, daters, and late night. Signature cocktails incorporate The Glendon style, comfortable and chic, with a few old fashioned highballs thrown in for good measure. And, to create a hint of the amorous, wine sold by the glass is listed by first date, second date, or third date. If you're looking for a classy spot to watch football, this is the place to go.

Free For All: Hammer Museum Goes Free For Good

Art aficionados rejoice! The Westwood art institution, Hammer Museum, has eliminated the admission fee and now is entirely FREE to the public! Through large, generous donations from longtime benefactors Erika Glazer and Brenda Potter, will fund free admission to the museum for four years, by which time the Hammer board hopes to have a plan for permanent free admission. 

The Hammer joins the Getty Museum and the Fowler Museum at UCLA in offering free admission to visitors at all times.

For all the Hammer happenings, including its amazing free-for-good roster of public programs, check out their site.

FREE FOR LA. FREE FOR YOU. FREE FOR GOOD.

Where To Watch The Super Bowl in Westwood Village

Are you ready for some football? This weekend is the BIG game: the Super Bowl. If you don't already have a seat booked on your favorite couch, you should consider coming to Westwood Village to eat, drink, and see the Seahawks play the Broncos for the Championship.

While there are plenty of bars and restaurants that will have their TVs on and airing the game, a few Westwood Village-area places have specials to add some cheer to the day. Here are some great suggestions:

Palomino: This vibrant "Urban Italian" restaurant has already geared up for the Big Game this weekend with their 12th Man cocktail available right now. With some of the best all-day happy hour deals in the Village, Palomino will have four TV's tuned to the game and plenty of seats to sit back and cheer for your team. Also, on the menu: Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos themed cocktails. 

10877 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 150; 310-208-1960

Napa Valley Grille: Enjoy a first-class experience for Sunday's game with Napa Valley Grille's daily happy hour drinks and delicacies. The fancy, reasonably priced, happy hour items will have you cheering! Happy hour is everyday from 3pm to 7pm and late night at 9pm to midnight is offered at the bar and outside patio. 

1100 Glendon Ave., Suite 100; 310-824-3322

O'Hara's:  O'Hara's is a UCLA neighborhood sports bar that hosts daily drink specials, including Monday Movie Night, Tuesday $2 pint night, Wednesday trivia night and Sunday Funday beer Pong tournaments. This weekend, they are serving up $3 AMFs for Seahawks fans and the $3 Orange Crushes for Broncos fans! O'Hara's also serves pub-style food, such as burgers and fries priced between $8-14, and appetizers and bar snacks that cost between $4-$8. 

1000 Gayley Ave., 90024; 310-208-1942

Barney's Beanery:  If you are looking for a great Super Bowl experience, you can't go wrong at Barney's Beanery. This famous Los Angeles restaurant/bar boasts an amazing 60 HGTV's for your viewing pleasure. Along with the funky, fun, sporty vibe they have, Sunday Brunch and bottomless Mimosas and weekend promo shot specials are the perfect way to get your game day started. 

1037 Broxton Ave., 90024; 310-443-7777

Bel Air Camera Super-Store

Bel Air Camera Superstore is a family run business in Westwood Village. In operation since 1957, their building is widely known for the oversized camera and a jumbo roll of Kodak film on the building's facade. Bel Air Camera is located on the corner of Kinross and Gayley in the heart of Westwood Village. Bel Air Camera lives up to it's Superstore name. The 20,000 square foot business offers a wide variety of products, services and special events to peak the interest of photography newbies and avid professional alike. The store boasts rental and repair departments, a gallery and classroom space, and an extremely knowledgeable and friendly sales staff. Frames and albums, professional and consumer camcorders, lighting, tripods, audio for video equipment, consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, point and shoot cameras, storage devices, memory cards, photo bags and cases, printers, media, color management and a large, ever-changing selection of used cameras, lenses and video gear are just some of the things you will find in the store.

We spoke with the store's founder's daughter, Suzanne Herskovic, about the ups and downs of their business. "It has been a challenge for us. Photography is an ever changing industry," she said.

Yet Bel Air Camera has made strong strides to stay competitive. The store offers some of the lowest prices in the area and will even meet or beat any competitor's prices. They also sell most of their products online. "Bel Air Camera is known around the world. I've run into our customers all over the world, just this year, I ran into people in Amsterdam and Paris. We have very loyal customers and are the go-to place for tourists," said Suzanne. While new customers enter the store daily, continued excellent service to established customers keeps them coming back throughout the years. "We are now seeing multi-generations of families coming into the store." Celebrities like Elvis, Marlin Brando, and Steven Spielberg have also been seen shopping at Bel Air Camera. 

Photographers of all levels can benefit from Bel Air Camera’s free classes. Add to this the store’s custom photo gift department and film processing services provided by their in-house lab, and you truly have a one-stop shop for all of your photographic needs. Visit their website for deals, and even take a Google map virtual tour!

Stan Berman, The King of Donuts

Stan’s Donuts is one of the true gems of Westwood Village. Donuts from this famous old school shop have delighted visited for decades. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Stan Berman himself to get his perspective of Westwood Village and to hear some of the shop’s long history. Stan’s Donuts is one of the oldest businesses in the Village, a fact of which Stan is very proud. “I came here to visit my friend who owned it in December of 1963, and I haven’t left yet,” says Stan.

Stan’s Donuts has many characteristics that make it unique. One asset is its convenient location and long hours, according to Berman. “We are a different style donut shop,” he says. “We actually do half of our business in the afternoon because of the area we’re in. We get a lot of action from the [UCLA] campus and the local business community. While most donut shops do all their business before 3 o’clock in the afternoon.”

Another distinguishing factor would be the quality and diversity of the donuts sold at Stan’s. The store’s specialties include its lines of Baker’s Cheese donuts and Peanut Butter donuts. The latter, in particular, has an interesting history behind its ever-changing name. About 45 years ago, Berman said that a customer came in requesting a peanut butter donut and helped him discover how to make it using fresh peanut butter sealed inside the donut like a “peanut butter pocket” to retain the flavor and keep the peanut butter texture. Originally called the "Reese's Peanut Butter Pocket,"it is now known as "The Huell," after the late TV personality Huell Howser, of the travel show, "California's Gold."

“Huell featured the Peanut Butter donut on his show and people still talk about it,” Berman says. “Everybody who ever saw his show in California knows about the Peanut Butter donut. It’s one of our best sellers.”

Also popular are the donuts with apples and raisins, as “we make a lot of donuts with apples and raisins because I love apples and raisins,” according to Berman. In fact, his favorite donut is the Raisin Buttermilk bar. He says that every customer’s request is important to him, which was apparent while sitting with him at the counter. He knows the name of each of his regular customers and has a personal story to share about every one of them. These kinds of interactions are very rare nowadays, especially in Los Angeles, which could explain why Stan's has been able to stand the test of time. On any given day, Stan’s attracts customers from all walks of life, ranging from first-timers from out of state to long-time friends who grew up visiting the local donut shop.

While Berman has a great team and staff, he says that he still comes in the shop almost every morning to do one of his favorite things — make the donut icing. Being physically involved at the store is both enjoyable and necessary, according to Berman.

For Berman, “Stan’s Donuts” truly means more than selling donuts — it’s about connecting with customers and making everyone feel like a part of his family. 

“You would think [we’re known for] the donuts, but it’s more than the donuts,” Berman says. “It's the feeling that every one of the customers means the world to me.”

Don't live near Stan's Donuts? They ship donuts anywhere in the country overnight! All you have to do is go onto their website, www.StansDoughnuts.com, click "Order Donuts Now," fill out the short order form and the next day you'll be munching on some of the best donuts around. 

Roll Into The New Year With Westwood Sushi Rolls

The sushi in Westwood Village is a lot like the people who live there – a little eclectic, sometimes quirky, usually creative, and almost always a little non-traditional. While the Village is not known for its haute-Japanese cuisine, there are lots of restaurants in Westwood that are putting their own special Westwood Village twists on the timeless Japanese favorite. So, if you are a huge sushi fan, someone who isn’t sure about raw fish, but likes to go out for sushi with friends, an adventurous gourmand, or just someone who just plain loves to eat, you’ll definitely want to check out each of these Westwood themed rolls below.

Westwood Roll and Bruin Roll from Yamato

First on our list, Yamato is one of the most exciting sushi restaurants in the village. It is widely known for the life-size Darth Maul statue that greets you upon entry. But, it is also popular for its delicious food options. It’s located on the corner of Kinross and Westwood Blvd, and you’ll find two Westwood themed specialty rolls on the menu: the Westwood Roll, made with cooked lobster, asparagus, avocado, and cucumber and the Bruin Roll, made with spicy tuna, cream cheese and mango on the inside and covered with the house special ponzu sauce.

Yamato - 1099 Westwood Blvd, Westwood 90024

Bruin Roll & UCLA Roll from Ami Japanese Restaurant 

On Broxton Ave, in the Village you’ll find one of the city’s best Japanese joints. One of the best things on the menu at Ami is the Bruin roll – a combo of exciting flavors and creative ingredients. This popular tempura roll combines asparagus, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna on the inside and out, seared albacore, crispy onions, with a kick of sliced jalapenos on the outside with ponzu, spicy mayo, eel sauce and sriacha- phew! Spicy food lovers will delight in this strange roll – since it mostly tastes like taking a bite of all your favorite kinds of sushi and spicy flavors all in one kickin' roll. Another Westwood roll is the UCLA roll. This delicious baked roll has a California roll on the inside and baked salmon, spicy tuna, and smelt egg on the outside. Both of these rolls are a must when visiting the Village for a sushi dinner.

Ami - 1051 Broxton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Westwood Roll, Gayley & Weyburn Roll from Tomodachi Sushi

Tomodachi Sushi located off the main drag of Westwood Blvd., boasts an impressive amount of not 1 but 4 Westwood themed rolls to choose from: the Westwood, Gayley, Weyburn and UCLA rolls. These creative sushi rolls will have you coming back for more. The Westwood includes spicy albacore and shrimp tempura on the inside and spicy albacore, popcorn shrimp and ozaki crab on the outside. Secondly, we have the Gayley roll, which is crab meat, shrimp tempura and cucumber on the inside and avocado on the outside, also available in spicy tuna. Then we have the Weyburn roll - soft shell crab, crab meat, cucumber on the inside and avocado on the outside. Lastly, is the UCLA, which is similar to the Weyburn but contains eel instead of crab. All and all, the selection at Tomoadachi Sushi is a yummy mix of unique and classic spins on the sushi roll.

Tomodachi Sushi - 10975 Weyburn Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024

What's your favorite Westwood Village restaurant? Tell us about it in the comment section!

dineLA Restaurant Week

Get ready to "eat your heart out," Westwood Village because the dineLA restaurant week is returning to Los Angeles January 20 to 31st. 

This year, five Westwood Village restaurants are offering specially priced selections of three-course lunches from $15, $20 or $25 and dinners from $25, $35 or $45 at some of LA's and Westwood Village's best restaurants that will satisfy both your stomach and your wallet.

Check out participating restaurants and reserve your table now by visiting dineLA Restaurant Week.

Participating Westwood Village Restaurants:

Donna Sophia Trattoria Pizzeria

NINETHIRTY at the W Los Angeles Westwood

Palomino Restaurant & Bar

Tanino Ristorante

TLT Food - Westwood

What restaurants are you going to try during dineLA? Let us know!