Rats in Red ❣️
February 1-14
Once, at a Thanksgiving dinner of family, friends, and holiday strays, I was seated at a table of ten strangers–everyone was new to each other. “Should we all introduce ourselves?” I said with a big smile, breaking the silence. “Why don’t we say our names, where we’re from, and….how about your favorite holiday?” At first, everyone shifted in their seats, grinning/groaning uncomfortably, but then, of course, a connection was made between two Seattleites, Christmas was repeated thrice, etc. Then, my turn came. And when I got to favorite holiday, I answered confidently: “Valentine’s Day”.
“VALENTINE’S DAY?” They all-exclaimed in unison. The room became loud in an instant. I grinned–I was hoping for this. “I think you misunderstood the assignment”, a 70-something woman yelled above the laughter, “it wasn’t ‘the worst holiday’ sweetheart.” “Let me explain, let me explain!” I begged amidst the teasing. Even though I’d said it provocatively, to break the ice, I realized while explaining that... I kind of meant it?
Valentine’s Day is, of course, the most capitalist of the capitalist scams. Couples feel obligated to buy each other shitty chocolate and CVS teddy bears, make impossible reservations to sit body-to-body at your 5th choice restaurant, etc. etc. I’ve only ever had one or two Valentine’s Days with a partner (who didn’t even like it), but growing up, I woke up each year to chocolates and a handwritten card from both my parents, telling me how much they loved me. For the last two years, I’ve spent Valentine’s Day with close friends, dressing up and cooking elaborate dinners (video below from last year, enjoy 💋).
To this rat, Valentine’s Day is about taking a moment to enjoy love in all its special iterations. Try taking on this mindset this year–it works with loving on yourself, too (I told y’all I was going to be more earnest this year, don’t @ me 😒)
Anywho–if you’re still not convinced, there’s more than just events for lovers as we jump into February– let’s get into where you should scurry these next couple weeks: we’ve got parties, a listening show, friendly art classes, and as always, MARKETS.
CAMP (Create Art, Meet People)
2/7 @ 7-9PM (add to cal)
Little Green Art Studio (Highland Park)
$35 for one, $60 for two (tickets here)
I recommend this for people needing a little extra help making new friends. I get it, shit’s challenging–so if you need some practice, visit Little Green Art Studio on the first Wednesday of each month for super accessible art gatherings– think watercolor, drawing, friendship bracelets, and painting rocks–which means it’s low pressure. No one’s expecting you to paint Picasso on that foraged rock, Sue!
Come for the mid art you’ll create and stuff into your desk drawer, stay for the friends you’ll get to add on IG <3
p.s. If it sells out (which it does), grab tickets for the following month!
Friday, 2/9 @ 9PM – 2AM (add to cal)
Catch One (Mid City)
$22 general admission ($33 final release), tickets here
This event combines many of my favorite things. 1. A fire flyer. 2. Catch One–it’s a fun ass venue made for the rats. And 3. HOTPOT! No, not the delicious food, but the queer party series thrown by my pals Jordyn and Esther that features one of the most (racially) diverse crowds I’ve seen in LA. And yeah, I’ll say it: queer femme parties typically have atrocious music!!! At least the big ones in Hollywood/Silverlake/Echo Park etc. HOTPOT is not this–I can guarantee they play incredible music or your money back (see Jordyn and Esther to cash in on that…)
love language: a party dedicated to SZA
2/10 @ 9PM-1AM (add to cal)
The Salt Eaters (Inglewood)
Free w/ RSVP before 10 🐀, $10 after (tickets here)
Excited for this one. Beloved LA Times Features writer and DJ (honorary aristoc-rat tbh) Kailyn Hype is throwing her first party and she’s hitting the scene strong with an vday event dedicated to SZA, featuring @131.295 and @ntsang.mac. Expect the room to be filled w/ some intense/sexy water signs! That start with an “S”!* This would be a bad moment to run into your ex b/c you already KNOW Solana’s about to have these b*tches feeling vengeful.
*Before you @ me and find me hiding in a corner at this here party, yes I hate Scorpios, and yes I’m also obsessed with them! It’s something about the eyes 😒
2/10 @ 7-11PM (add to cal)
Superchief Gallery (South LA)
Free 🐀
Honestly soooo obsessed when a title just says it like it is. Creepy Gals this is your time! Come out of hiding, the world is ready for you 🫂. A new holiday is yours to claim, if only you’ll take it 🫴🏽 💘 This one’s a solo exhibition, and the artist, Creepy Gals Linda, has informed us that the dress code is “the most extravagant Pink and Red looks you can muster 🎀🩸🎀”. I actually demand you look at their IG so you know they fuckin mean it!! And can see how iconic they are… inspo for days…
“Will we be seeing YOU THERE?” Creepy Gals Linda asks on the IG announcement post. “Are you down to CLOWN?”. Ms. Creepy Gals, if there’s anything the rats are down for …anything at all….it’s clownery 🤡🫡.
Lunar New Year with Mayumi Market
2/11 @ 11AM - 5PM (add to cal)
3411 W El Segundo Blvd. (Hawthorne)
Free 🐀
As someone who’s done event planning, I just want to say how insanely impressive the Mayumi market programming is… 33 different shops, 17 food/drink stands, 4 DJs, and a couple tattoo pop-ups to boot. This event is in Hawthorne (basically more inland from Manhattan Beach) which is rare for this newsletter, but we’ve been getting some summer days in January, so just make it a day and head on out to the beach pre/post shopping. You can also go to Top Golf while you’re at it, vibes are weird* but the golfing is fun!
*You know when you can’t prove something is racist but you just like…… know 🤨 That’s Top Golf :)
2/14 (Time TBA) (add to cal)
Grandmaster Records (Hollywood)
Tickets TBA
Sharing this one because you all deserve to be gorgeous and masochistic and sit in a room full of strangers, eyes closed, swaying to D’Angelo’s Feel Like Making Love if you want to! It’s your holiday! The Record Club’s past vinyl listening parties events have included Prince’s 1999, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Rosalia’s Saoko, and Outkast’s Aquemini. Very solid curation, very iconic lineup. You can read more here if you need convincing or you can take my word for it and sign-up for the mailing list to be the first to know when tickets drop.
It’s people like Alex Menache who remind me why I love this section of the newsletter. There really are rats out here fully ratting!!! Which means showing up and out for their community in a myriad of ways, prioritizing connection while enjoying life and making it aaaaaall look easy.
I met Menache (as everyone calls her I think)(I call her this)(I hope that’s okay Alex 😩) at a Silverlake Backgammon Club event at Spirit House, a small speakeasy of sorts wedged between El Prado and Sticky Rice in Echo Park. If you know me, you know my aversion to games–it’s really board games, likely because my extended family generally plays in ways that come inches from cutting our already thin ties!! But it was a date, so I wanted to be chill and flexible. Game night it is.
We walked into Spirit House and ran directly into Menache–turns out my date knew her, and we learned that she had actually co-organized the event with SBC founder, Paris. We didn’t have a board, so Menache graciously loaned us hers to play with for the night, and even let us hold onto it when she left. I know a generous community gatherer when I meet one, but looking at Menache’s IG also told me that I was also in the presence of a serial gatherer, working with SBC, Biite Club, Summit , LA3c Music and Food Festival, and more. How does she do it all? As someone with the same pursuit, I had to know. Maybe she’s born with it.. maybe it’s Menache 💋
As someone with their hands in so many different places, how would you describe LA’s greater food/culinary community? Where do you hope it goes directionally?
Ah, it's the best. It’s so creative, playful, diverse and has a really authentic spirit of collaboration. I’m amazed by how much work people put in simply to share something they love with others. Overall, I’d love to see food culture move towards the wholesome, simple, raw, messy, human touch. More focused on the actual experience than the hype or the photos. More homey experiences to frequent often over that one res you miraculously score across the city.
You describe yourself as a culinary curator on IG, but you’re also a partner of Silverlake Backgammon Club (great vibes, but no food). How would you describe the connection between your roles in the community, both via food and through SBC?
More play, more belonging, more wholesome experiences— that’s the underlying goal. Food is just one outlet (my primary outlet) but there are so many ways to get there, of course. Whether it’s creating experiences for Biite Club, Summit, or any of the monthly events I host personally, they’re all a playground for creativity, deepening connections, learning about different cultures and traditions. The biggest reward is hosting one of those gatherings where everyone’s like “whoa, what just happened…”
How’d you get involved with Silverlake Backgammon Club, and who’s it for?
The story started with a serendipitous encounter with the founder Paris at the Silverlake dog park (none of us own dogs) who was starting the Silverlake Backgammon Club while I’d just had my first event as the Eastside Backgammon Club. We decided to co-host the next one and our first official event together was at Club Tee Gee with Persian Pop-up, Homa LA [featured in RatPlay!]. That event made it so clear that people are craving more play and simple ways to connect and get out of their heads. It was also a ploy to teach all my friends so I had more people to play with... and it worked. The club is for anyone and everyone who’s kind and curious about BG. This year we're taking it to senior living homes!
3 culinary destinations you want to highlight? The rats prefer a hole in the wall…
Grouping these into "not your everyday supermarket"- H Mart, Northgate, Fish King, Super King. Take this as a sign to explore cuisine specific markets / grocery stores outside of your usual rotation. Always pays off.
I’m currently working on a dinner with Campo e Carbon - if a live-fire Valle de Guadalupe style restaurant was placed in a backyard in SGV. LA is so many things. Definitely worth the trip .
Not a hole in the wall by any means but I just gotta give a shoutout to the back bar at Dunsmoor. I live up the street and drop in alone or with neighborhood friends. It’s so cozy and they’ve got backgammon boards.
Favorite communities/clubs in LA?
Silverlake Backgammon Club and Biite Club, of course ;) The LA Breakfast Club, hands down. The Garibaldina Society - the oldest Italian society in America. Asi Asi Supper Club. Tea at Shiloh - a (late night) tea house. USAL - working on a shabbat dinner with them on 2/16, look out
How many hours do you sleep? Based on the number of things you do, your answer is not allowed to be greater than 5 hours/night.
Believe it or not I’m actually in the 7-8 hour range on average, just checked my sleep cycle app. If a late night happens organically I’m all in to ride the wave but otherwise I prioritize a full night's sleep.
To find Menache and further interrogate her on how to live a full and thriving social life while getting appropriate amounts of rest, find her on IG, or if you prefer IRL, hit up any Silverlake Backgammon or Biite Club events! Tell her the rats sent you 🐀
Some gorg rat content from you all this week, the one below is so beautiful… As always, send em through to @ratplayla to be featured 👀
That’s it for now! I’ll leave you with two things:
One: we’re wrapping up the community fundraiser–we raised over $10,000 for Cafe Tropical, El Cochinito, and Bolita workers! Truly a testament to how much they mean to so many people, and to how powerful it is when a community shows up for each other. Any last minute donations can be made here! Thanks y’all for your help 🫂
Two: I never share my own thoughts about the events I actually attended, but trust that I’m slinkin’ around. Here’s my hand at last week’s Chicken Caesar wrap pop-up by @maxsyummy. It was insanely delicious and ruined all future caesar wraps.
It was a one-day event, but the rats have reported that Max is plotting a part two!! Watch this space.
Go play,
CK
