SATURDAY POLITICS: Huizar-Molina Race For Los Angeles CD14 Heats Up

As you may recall, I live in Los Angeles City Council District 14 which is represented by Jose Huizar. Huizar is running for re-election in the March 3, 2015 primary and in this heavily Democratic region, winning that race basically would insure his position on the council until 2019 at least. I say "at least" because there is a movement to move municipal elections that typically happen in odd-numbered years (i.e. not in presidential or gubernatorial election years) and align them with those larger turnout elections. There are arguments both for and against this idea (for: having city and county races in the same year will mean that they will occur in the same time frame when people are thinking about other political races; against: the big money that dominates state and federal races will be used to swamp local concerns in local races).

However, Huizar is facing a strong challenge from Gloria Molina, the outgoing Los Angeles County Supervisor, who has been a political power center on the East Side of Los Angeles for decades, and at age 66 has decided to challenge an incumbent city councilman to get a job she held more than 30 years ago.

With the primary barely more than four months away, the two candidates are jockeying for endorsements and donations. On Thursday, both candidates (in addition to MadProfesssah) attended the endorsement meeting of the East Area Progressive Democrats in Eagle Rock, seeking that new club's endorsement. They were both greeted politely and asked probing questions by the audience, with Huizar getting a little testy when he admitted that the "municipal election schedule realignment" that he supports would end up in increasing the length of his own term in office. Molina announced her opposition to the plan, showing a keen awareness of her audience, because EAPD has come out strongly against the proposed plan to align the city's elections with the state's. In the end, though, neither candidate received the high threshold required for an official endorsement by the club.

Huizar has built a substantial lead in fundraising. In fact, he is approaching the record amount raised by any City Councilman in the history of Los Angeles, according to Downtown News columnist Jon Regardie:

This puts Huizar on a record-breaking path. I pored through the Ethics Commission’s online fundraising information, which has data on every city council election going back 11 years. In that time, the only person to raise more money during the primary was Antonio Villaraigosa, who scooped up $773,000 in 2003 when he beat incumbent Nick Pacheco. Of course, AnVil used that seat as a springboard to the mayor’s office two years later.  

Huizar is $38,000 short of the record, but still has more than four months until voters head to the polls in March. Curious fact: The next highest tally in a council primary was recorded by now-Mayor Eric Garcetti, who raised $683,000 for a win against Gary Slossberg in 2009. No, I don’t know who Gary Slossberg is either.

It's curious tat the two people to have raised more money than Huizar went on to become Mayor. Is that Huizar's ultimate plan? He is only 46-years-old now and the current Mayor will be termed out in 2021. Some people think the only reason Molina is running for City Council is to make a future bid for Mayor of Los Angeles more palatable. Maybe the people who are giving money to Huizar don't want to see that happen?

Anyway, I'm sure there will be twists and turns in this race as the March 3 date gets closer and closer.

Saturday Politics: Lopez Does The Math In AD-51

The official results in my local Assembly District primary election from Tuesday June 4th have been released and Jimmie Gomez placed first with 9,868 votes (37.5%) and my friend (and openly gay Latino activist) Luis Lopez placed second with 6,496 votes (24.7%). Arturo Chavez was close behind with 6,081 votes (23.1%). The new Top 2 primary in California forces only the Top 2 finishers in the June primary election to appear on the November general election, regardless of party and prohibits write-ins. This was a very close, tightly fought all-Democratic primary fight.

This leads to some important mathematical calculations in the general election which are very different from the mathematical considerations which dominated the primary election. In the primary election, the clear goal was to not only maximize your own vote but also to minimize the vote of your most dangerous opponent, which could be achieved by the same activity, or by having votes that do not go to you NOT go to your opponent. In the general election, every vote not for you is a vote for your opponent, it is a zero-sum game.

In AD-51, the candidate endorsed by the "establishment" is Gomez, who received the official nod of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. However, Lopez was born in the district and has been active in the district's politics for decades, serving on commissions and President of a Neighborhood Council that was in the district when it was the 45th Assembly District.

Clearly Hans Johnson, Lopez's campaign manager (and partner) is capable of doing the math, because he and campaign manager Miguel Cordova sees a route to victory in November by coalescing the 62.5% that did not vote for Gomez in the primary into general election support for Lopez. To that end, the recent announcement that Chavez is endorsing Lopez and strongly urging his voters to support him is key:

Our 51st District is my home. Here is where I have grown up, devoted my career in public service, and raised my family. These are very special neighborhoods, sustained by the hard work and aspirations of people who come from different backgrounds but share a love of our community.

Now, at a crucial moment in our city and our state, we need the best possible leadership in Sacramento. I am proud to endorse Luis Lopez to be our assembly member. Luis is a homegrown leader of the highest standards, a unifying and effective advocate from and for our communities, for healthcare, education, good jobs and workforce training, for parks and protection of our environment, for immigrant families and full equality under law.   

My own push for the legislature formally ends today. But the vision, vigor, and spirit of my effort carry on in the campaign of Luis Lopez. Together we stand, and together we go forward. I urge all of my supporters to devote their energy and financial support, their heart and soul and voice to his campaign. Working as one, we will ensure that Luis Lopez wins November 6th and is our next Assemblymember.

Of course, it's easier said than done to make sure that all of Chavez's support actually does turn out and vote for Lopez. Even if they did, that would only constitute 47.8% of the primary vote. So, then the question is, where are Richard Frieberg's voters going to go?

If Lopez does win in November, he could be part of the largest LGBT Legislative Caucus in history, with potentially NINE openly LGBT members of the California Assembly and Senate.

California and Maryland both currently have eight openly LGBT state legislators. While this is Christine Kehoe’s last year in the California State Senate due to term limits, the election of Susan Eggman (State Assembly, District 13) and Luis Lopez (State Assembly, District 51) in November would make California’s LGBT Caucus the largest ever. 

Also victorious in their California state legislative primaries last night were incumbents Tom Ammiano (State Assembly, District 17), Toni Atkins (State Assembly, District 78), Richard Gordon (State Assembly, District 24),Ricardo Lara (State Senate, District 33), Mark Leno (State Senate, District 11), John A. Pérez (State Assembly, District 53), and Cathleen Galgiani (pictured), who is currently in the State Assembly and running for State Senate, District 5.

One openly LGBT candidate who will not be joining the California Assembly is Torie Osborn, who placed a very close third in a hotly contested and controversial race in the 50th Assembly District which split the gay male and lesbian communities down the middle. The gay men were in general supporting straight ally  Assemblymember Betsy Butler (and Equality California  board member) while the lesbians were working for openly lesbian Osborn. The 51st assmebly district includes much of  "Boystown" (a.k.a. West Hollywood) as well as the People's Republic of Santa Monica ("Home of the Homeless!") as well as parts of Bel Air. There were four main candidates and " Let's do the results ended up with barely 1,000 votes separating the 1st finisher from the 4th finisher (Butler: 15,362; Mayor of Santa Monica Richard Bloom: 15,087; Osborn: 14,458; Republican Brady Torgan: 14,340). In fact, they are still counting the cotes, but it is unlikely that the Top 2 finishers will change. Note that the turnout in the 50th was almost twice what it was in the 51st. Openly gay Speaker of the Assembly John Perez poured money into this race to get Butler re-elected. She had decided to move into this district instead of staying in the district where her previous residence was (in the former AD-53, before redistricting) but that new district has far more Republicans than the new AD-50. Even, so, Butler may have a tough campaign ahead of her to overcome Bloom in November.

FOOD REVIEW: Brownstone Pizza (Eagle Rock)

MadProfessah discovered Brownstone Pizza (2108 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock, CA 90041. (323) 257-4992) a few months ago and have visited a few times but thought I would finally get serious about writing up a review. Brownstone Pizza is a fantastic neighborhood pizza joint. It is probably not the best pizza in Los Angeles, but it is definitely better than the horrendously over-hyped Casa Bianca Pizza which inexplicably gets declared repeatedly as "the best pizza in Los Angeles"! and is not even the best pizza in EAGLE ROCK!

Actually, Brownstone Pizza may not be the best pizza in Los Angeles either but it is pretty damned good. I have eaten at Brownstone on several occasions in the last several months, and ordered food to take-out. The pizza is excellent, especially if you like thin crusts with tangy sauce and fresh toppings. Their non-pizza items are worth mentioning as well, with meatballs the size of your fist in your choice of sauce [HINT: don't choose "butter"] added to your pasta of choice. The interior is small, but clean and more inviting than most New York City pizza joints, although it is curious there are not one but two flat screen TV's in a space smaller than a typical living room.

However, you don't need to make the schlep to Brownstone's for the ambiance, you're there for the pizza, and of some faux foodie friend of yours told you that Eagle Rock had the best pizza in town and you are daunted by the (inexplicable!) 45 minute wait to get into That Other Pizza Place saunter on down Colorado Boulevard to Brownstone's--you won't regret it.

Name: Brownstone Pizza. Location: 2108 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90041. Contact: 323-257-4992.

AMBIANCE: B+.
SERVICE: B+.
VALUE: A-.
FOOD: A.

OVERALL: A-.

REVIEW: The York (Highland Park, CA)

Pan-seared tilapia, Swiss chard, lentils with bacon ($15)

Cheddar burger, spicy harissa aioli, pickled onions, rocket, fries ($13)
Grilled salmon salad, peppercress, arugula, pignoli, citrus vinaigrette ($14)
Pulled pork Cuban sandwich, mustard aioli, gruyere, ham, pickle, slaw ($12)

The York on York Boulevard in Highland Park is a hip new bar and restaurant ("gastropub") which has been getting good reviews since it opened last year. Mad Professah stopped by the spot twice in the same week and was able to get a good sampling of the food and ambiance.

Specifically, I ordered the cheddar burger and fries while the Other Half ordered the tilapia. The fries are outstanding, with the burger cooked exactly right and placed on a very fresh bun with excellent trimmings. The tilapia was also quite good, with the slightly sour flavor of the chard and lentils forming an interesting counterpoint to the delicate but sweet fish. The food is surprisingly good for "bar food." I didn't personally taste the grilled salmon salad but I have reports that it was tasty. On my second visit to The York I ordered the pulled pork cuban sandwich, which is not bad, but I would prefer any of the cuban sandwiches at Porto's Bakery and Cafe (which also cost one-third the price).

The two different nights I went to the York I was impressed with the ambiance of the place. It has beautiful 20-foot ceilings with exposed rafters and very stylish lighting which provides just the right amount of ambient lighting. In addition, the music was interesting and not too loud. The clientele was an unusual (for Highland Park) mix of Eastside hipsters, college students and others.

OVERALL: B+/A-.

FOOD: A.
VALUE: B+.
SERVICE: B.
AMBIANCE: A-.

Congratulations to Larkin's Joint!

Apparently Larkin's restaurant in Eagle Rock, serving high-end southern cuisine, has finally officially opened; the Los Angeles Times' main food critic S. Irene Virbila reviewed the joint (relatively favorably) in Thursday's paper. Mad Professah reviewed it over three months ago.
From the Times:

ACROSS from the Eagle Rock Baptist Church, a new soul food restaurant has
opened in a sweet little 1911 bungalow with a wraparound porch. Partners Larkin
Mackey, the chef; Joshua McBride, who runs the front of the house; and sous-chef
Rick Rowan have been working overtime for months to make it all happen, after
long delays. But it's here, and none too soon.

Finally, something that's not Italian or tapas or sushi. Larkin's revels in
Southern cooking with a contemporary spin. The copy on the restaurant's website
goes a bit over the top, hailing Larkin's debut as "a new era in soul food." But
you have to love the partners' enthusiasm.

The fact is, Larkin's cuisine really is something different. That's because
Mackey, who can trace roots back to New Orleans, grew up in Southern California
— a vegetarian. And he weaves the Mexican spices and California accents of his
youth through his tribute to all things Southern.

[...]

For those always on the lookout for a good fried chicken, I can say that
Mackey makes a mean one — cooked the way it should be, in a heavy cast-iron
skillet to give it the requisite crunch. It comes with red garlic mashed
potatoes and a little gravy. Jambalaya is nice and spicy. There's corn-battered
and fried catfish too. Southerners, though, may find the fish somewhat lacking
in that tasty funk they expect from catfish. It could be any fish at all under
that batter. And the smothered pork chop comes not only without the bone, it's
enclosed in a pasty gravy. Back to the drafting board on that one.

Most main courses come with sides, but you can order extra, or different
too, including "Aunt Carolyn's potato salad," the creamy old-fashioned kind,
both sweet and spicy, or skillet-sauteed collard greens with tomatoes, hot
pepper and garlic. Sweets include sweet potato pie — how could you not? — as
well as banana pudding, strawberry red velvet shortcake, fruit cobblers and
whatever else strikes the cook's fancy.

I agree the pan-fried chicken is excellent and Larkin's is worth checking out for that alone!

REVIEW: Larkin's Restaurant (Eagle Rock)

The Los Angeles Times had another article claiming that Eagle Rock is the new Silver Lake last November. One sign of this is the opening of Larkin's (1496 Colorado Blvd., (323) 254-0934), a high-end soul food restaurant by an interracial, gay couple this Friday April 13th. Using old family recipes, Larkin's will offer fried chicken, mac 'n' cheese, smothered pork chops, along with cobblers.

The other half and Mad Professah were able to get into a weekend tasting event at Larkin's a few weeks ago and sampled some of these specialties while the owners waited for permits from the city which delayed the opening by a few months.

Here are some pictures of our visit to Larkin's in Eagle Rock

The house salad, with braised sweet pralines.	The infamous three cheese mac 'n' cheese
Pan fried chicken with mashed potatoes.	Fried catfish with tartar sauce and greens.

The food was excellent, especially the fried chicken and the greens. The salad was particularly tasty. The "famous" mac 'n' cheese has a non-traditionally viscuous texture which I didn't appreciate, although it is impressively cheesy. The desserts were quite delicious, especially the cobbler. The decor is tasteful and the atmosphere is quite pleasant. I intend to become a repeat customer of Larkin's very soon.

GRADE: A-.