A Match Made in Delicatessen Heaven

By Katie Barreira

This Valentine’s day, I’d like to celebrate the union of two New York icons, pastrami and smoked salmon.

When I lived in the East Village, bagels and lox from the appetizing institution Russ & Daughters became a Sunday ritual. Providing everything you’d eat with a bagel to finicky New Yorkers since 1914, no one shows lox more love than Russ.

Among the catalog of cured fish, I found myself particularly smitten with the Pastrami-Cured Salmon, which Russ describes as “salmon smoked to perfection and then covered in a special pastrami rub of 14 different herbs and spices.”

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Grab ‘n’ Go Picnic

By Andrew Hunter

Living in LA, like any place, has its pros and cons. Yes, there’s congested traffic, the infamous smog, and the risk of getting caught between paparazzi and one of their famous subjects…sounds silly, I know, but it can be quite hectic and even rough and tumble in the middle of LA’s game of celebrity cat and mouse.

But LA also has iconic places perfect for family fun, which by our definition includes picnics. Our two favorites are Chavez Ravine and the Hollywood Bowl. The only thing our boys like as much as watching their beloved Dodgers play in “The Ravine” is going to “The Bowl.” It’s nestled at the base of a rock walled canyon in the Hollywood Hills with the Hollywood sign perched off in the distance.

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