The 22 Coolest Small Businesses In Los Angeles
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Badmaash
What it is: An "Indian gastropub" in downtown LA.
Why it's cool: Badmaash serves traditional Indian cuisine in a casual environment with a healthy dose of "DTLA (Downtown LA) swag." At any old gastropub you'd find a burger and fries, but at Badmaash there are Indian-inspired dishes like an outrageous lamb burger and chicken tikka poutine.
Badmaash is also home to the ghost chili vindaloo, a curry made with one of the hottest chili peppers on the Scoville scale.
BeachMint
What it is: A social commerce site that gives you style recommendations from celebs.
Why it's cool: Located in movie star central, BeachMint is a social commerce site for the next generation. It's composed of six different factions—jewelry, style, beauty, shoes, home, and intimates—which, when subscribed to, provide you with personalized product recommendations from celebrities in the business.
You can also share your style with other users, and get free shipping when you shop your recommendations.
The Best Fish Taco in Ensenada
What it is: A comedy show/taco stand.
Why it's cool: When the owner of this taco stand named it the Best Fish Taco in Ensenada, he wasn't trying to be arrogant. He was just being honest.
Joseph Cordova's objective was to sell the most fantastic fish taco in Ensenada—and he does—but the stand is also the site of frequent comedy nights, which have showcased talented comedians like Patton Oswalt, Demitri Martin, and Chelsea Peretti. The best part is that the show costs only as much as your fish taco.
Brightwell Men's Shop
What it is: Old-fashioned gifts for the "21st Century dandy."
Why it's cool: Some of the items sold at Brightwell are made by young local artists and crafters, and some come from other parts of California, Canada, France, Japan, and the U.K.
Here you'll find grooming products, men's jewelry, barware, and even custom neckties, all made for the modern-day gentleman. Those new to the art of gentlemanliness can pick up one of their guides to manly etiquette and skills before they go.
DogVacay
What it is: A website that connects pet owners with dog sitters.
Why it's cool: Finding a reliable and affordable dog sitter for when you're going on vacation can be a challenge, but you can book a vetted sitter through DogVacay and rest assured that your best friend is in a comfy home where he still gets lots of tummy rubs and doesn't have to change up his routine.
The site started in L.A., but now has dog sitters signed up all around the country.
Echo Park Time Travel Mart
What it is: A time travel supply store.
Why it's cool: The Echo Park Time Travel Mart is fully stocked with anything you'll need to survive the past or future. That means canned mammoth chunks, barbarian repellent, and enough anti-cloning fluid to last you a lifetime.
These seem like things no one would ever need, but it's all in fun, and quite popular—there's even a second location, the Mar Vista Time Travel Mart.
The store is a fundraising front for writer Dave Eggers' nonprofit organization 826 National, a writing and tutoring center for kids.
The Edison
What it is: A Gothic bar in an old power plant.
Why it's cool: With dark, steam punk-style decor reminiscent of an old steam engine, a cargo ship, and a mad scientist's laboratory all in one, The Edison has a unique design. In fact, the building used to be L.A.'s first private power plant, according to L.A. resident and Least Likely to Leave LA blogger Paige Catanese.
The Edison is now divided into many different and unique rooms, like the Tesla Lounge and the Ember Parlour. As for the dress code, "innovative, sophisticated, and cultured attire is required."
Egg Slut
Follow them on Twitter for locations
What it is: A breakfast-centric food truck.
Why it's cool: The provocative name is one part of what makes this food truck awesome; the other part is eggs. As the name implies, everything on the menu at Egg Slut is deliciously made with eggs.
From the simple bacon-wrapped eggs to the Egg Slut mac and cheese to the pancake tacos, Egg Slut proves that everything is better with eggs—and that it's okay to go a little nuts about it.
Farmer's Daughter Hotel
What it is: A down home country hotel in Hollywood.
Why it's cool: Get ready for a country-style stay in the City of Angels. The Farmer's Daughter Hotel comes complete with rocking chairs and gingham wallpaper.
The rooms are, for the most part, humble and homey, but the hotel also advertises a room for "seductive rendezvous" called the No-Tell Room. It's their most extravagant, with a copper-encased mirror on the ceiling, a full wet bar, and ample mood lighting.
Grill 'Em All
What it is: A heavy metal burger joint.
Why it's cool: Grill 'Em All used to be a food truck until they put down roots in the L.A. suburb of Alhambra. Today they still give each of their burgers kickass rock-n-roll names and even more kickass, delicious toppings.
These are the guys that make it okay to put fried chicken on a burger and sandwich it between two waffle buns. They make it hardcore to order a burger with duck confit, truffle herb goat cheese, and cranberry gastrique.
And they sometimes give away free tickets to Iron Maiden concerts. Rock on.
The Know Where Bar
What it is: A 1930s Streamline Moderne-style bar.
Why it's cool: Ben Adams named The Know Where after a bar his grandfather owned in the 1960s in Chicago. Adams serves an impressive selection of craft beer and wine in a warm, dark environment that makes a great date spot. To complete the '30s theme, vinyl music plays in the background while you settle into a comfy nook.
The bar only opened in late August, but it's already gotten a great reception.
Labobatory (Boba 7)
What it is: A speakeasy boba (bubble tea) bar.
Why it's cool: Boba 7, also known as Labobatory, is tucked away in the back of a Thai restaurant called Soi 7, and calls itself "the world's first speakeasy boba bar." Their specialty? Alcoholic bubble tea drinks that come mixed with Heineken, Bailey's, tequila, or rum in different combinations. They also make a really mean Sriracha bloody Mary.
Light My Fire
What it is: A specialty hot sauce store.
Why it's cool: Spice aficionados flock to Light My Fire for their fix of heat. The store boasts the largest selection of spicy products in the greater Los Angeles area. Choose from more than 1,000 different sauces, mustards, marinades, pepper jellies, spices, and other condiments. Not for the faint of heart or stomach.
Lost and Found
What it is: A complex of five kitschy stores in one.
Why it's cool: Lost and Found actually consists of five different, smaller storefronts for each of its specialties (men, women, children, home, and gift/gallery). It's THE place to find artisanal clothing, beautiful toys, and little knick-knacks for your bookshelves.
Mystery Trip LA
What it is: A surprise adventure tour party planning service.
Why it's cool: Mystery Trip is a service that plans unique outings for you and as many friends as they can accommodate in the Mystery Trip school bus.
Each itinerary is customized for each group based on what they're looking to celebrate. A children's birthday party might involve a scavenger hunt with stops at a magic show and ice rink, for example. The tours vary but they generally last about 8 hours and consist of 3 to 4 stops around the city, as well as a meal.
Pacific Dining Car
What it is: An upscale restaurant in an old 1920s train car.
Why it's cool: The PDC serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea from the inside of an old 1920s train car permanently fixed in downtown Los Angeles.
The interior is lavishly decorated the way train cars were back in the '20s, and the menu is equally elegant. The PDC is also open 24/7, so you can dine any time.
Pure Fix Cycles
713 North Victory Boulevard, Burbank
What it is: Unusual fixed gear bikes.
Why it's cool: Pure Fix's aim is to manufacture more efficient, sustainable, and cool-looking fixed gear bicycles than any other company. Their men's, women's, and children's bikes come in dozens of color combinations, and they sell the requisite accessories to complete the hipster bike look.
One of the coolest bikes they offer is the Zulu, a bike that glows from wheels to frame after exposure to the sun. If you're not ready for an all-glowing bike, you can buy just the wheels or frame separately.
Rising Sun Jeans Company
What it is: A company that makes unique custom-made jeans.
Why it's cool: Rising Sun is like the new Levi Strauss—their modern jeans are composed of all quality, hand-cut fabrics and sewn by a person on a sewing machine. There's no factory, no conveyer belt assembly line, no robots, and all products are made in America.
They do, however, maintain a certain back-in-the-old-days appeal (many of their sewing machines date back to the 1920s), and they believe in crafting clothing that will last. While they do custom jeans in-house, they also make and sell jeans in standard store sizes.
The Redbury
What it is: A boutique, apartment-esque hotel.
Why it's cool: The Redbury is an apartment-style hotel that offers all the "creature comforts" you would ever want in a home away from home. That includes an in-flat washer and dryer unit, an eclectic collection of unpretentious art on the walls, and a plethora of cushy throw pillows.
The hotel is also home to gourmet restaurants and an elegant cocktail lounge called The Library, where L.A.-based celebs often go to drink.
Wacko Soap Plant
What it is: An odd art gallery and art retail space.
Why it's cool: Since 1971 Wacko Soap Plant has been selling an eclectic mix of items, including original ceramics, punk rock toys, Japanese robots, tin wind-up toys, and outrageous leather outfits. Even the shop's exterior, decorated with strange yet beautiful murals, is unique. And yes, they do sell soap.
Wurstküche
What it is: An exotic bratwurst restaurant and bar.
Why it's cool: Hipsters flock to this eatery which is, literally, a sausagefest. Wurstküche does hot dogs and sausages right, and they specialize in their exotic varieties, which include crocodile, rattlesnake, and pheasant. Don't forget to order a side of Belgian fries drizzled with a white truffle oil glaze—it's to die for.
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