Author: Rodeo Realty Media Team

One great part about summer and holidays like Memorial Day is it being the best time of the year for BBQ. If you’re like the rest of LA with little to no time to pop open the grill, then check out the tasty eats below!

Bludso’s Bar & Que

Location: 609 N. La Brea Ave., CA 90036

Fourth-generation pit-master, Kevin Bludso, brought his Texas roots to Compton, California to provide us with a barbecue experience that doesn’t happen just anywhere. Standing in the typically long lines are more than worth the wait as many TV personalities continue to host barbecue pop-ups on their backlots. You can expect a finger-licking good meal that will leave you feeling full and satisfied.

Maple Block Meat Co

Location: 3973 Sepulveda Blvd. Culver City, CA 90230

This neighborhood restaurant draws you in with the smoky aroma from the wood-smoked meats guests can pair with handmade beverages. Although their sides can be hit or miss, Maple Block Meat Company prides themselves on their expertise smoking the meat.

Woody’s BBQ

Location: 475 S. Market St., Inglewood, CA 90301

Woody’s BBQ is known for catering large events and providing take-out for customers in the heart of Inglewood. Some of their popular dishes include rib tips, beef and pork ribs and beef links. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu!

Wood Ranch

Location: 189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036

16-award winning restaurant, Wood Ranch, caters to barbecue lovers that expect nothing but the best!  Their smoky wood flavor in the chicken, pork and brisket is something that makes their food stand out. Following your meal, you can walk around The Grove and enjoy the outdoor mall.

Lucille’s BBQ

Location: 6000 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90230

Lucille’s BBQ has some of the best ribs, tri-tips, barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes and greens in Los Angeles. Known for their unique sauces and flavors, this restaurant caters to parties both small and large to provide a satisfactory experience.

Phillip’s Bar-B-Que

Location: 2619 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016

Phillip’s is famous for their peppery-style pork ribs and hot barbecue sauce for more than 20 years. Due to high demand, it’s wise to place an order rather than wait in the typical long line to receive your meal.

Barrel & Ashes

Location: 11801 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604

Barrel & Ashes is heavily influenced by Texas-style recipes and sauces and is carried out in their food. Even though you can’t go wrong on ordering anything on their menu, this restaurant’s most alluring meat is the pork short ribs.

Horse Thief BBQ

Location: 324 S. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90013

This Texas-style vendor provides an experience that feels more ‘Austin than downtown LA.’ Although they started out being known for their sides, Horse Thief has expanded and veered towards more traditional foods which increased their business.

Robert Earl’s BBQ

Location: 703 E. Artesia Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90805

Robert Earl and his wife prepare some of the most delicious barbecue at their restaurant in North Long Beach. The vegetarian sides included in nearly all meals compliment the barbecue that’s ‘so good make u slap mama.’

While the weather this week has been less than sunny. the events taking place are sure to brighten your day. Don’t let a little overcast keep you inside this weekend! Venture out our fellow angeleno’s with this weeks round-up of fun things to do happening in and around LA!

Friday, May 17

Lang Lang & Beethoven

Location: Walt Disney Concert Hall

This Performance Dudamel leads Haydn’s masterful 101st Symphony. Superstar Lang Lang joins in for Beethoven’s second-written, but first-published, concerto, a delightful, bracing statement to Vienna that he had arrived.

Click here for more info.

Pop-Up Magazine

Location: Theatre at Ace Hotel

Pop-Up Magazine is a live magazine—a night of new, true stories about the fascinating world around us. Each issue is different from the last, with photography, film, radio, and original music mixed together and performed live onstage by a cast of talented people. Past contributors include bestselling authors like Michael Pollan, Alice Walker, Susan Orlean, and award-winning documentary filmmakers like Ava DuVernay, Alex Gibney, Barry Jenkins among other notable guest.

Click here for more info.

AfterDark 2019

Location: Long Beach Museum of Art

Raise a glass with us at AfterDark – the Museum’s Summer Exhibition Celebration with live music, food and drinks! VIP & Museum Member opening, 5 – 7 pm is FREE. Non Museum Members welcome 7 – 10 pm with $20 admission. This year’s annual event celebrates the opening of Voyeur, a large-scale retrospective of the work of American painter Patrick Angus (1953 – 1992). The expansive exhibition of paintings and works on paper allows intimate insights into the development of Angus’s body of work, revealing a window to his personal life and the New York City gay scene.

Click here for more info.

Saturday, May 18

Long Beach Pride Festival

Location:Marina Green Park

Beverly Hills artSHOW

Location: Beverly Gardens Park

The Spring artSHOW will take place on May 18 & 19, 2019.   The free show features art by over 245 artists from around the nation who showcase their work in painting, sculpture, watercolor, photography, mixed media, ceramics, jewelry, drawing and printmaking.

Click here for more info.

12th Annual HomeWalk 5k Family Run/Walk

Location: Grand Park, DTLA

Join United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Rams, City Council members, advocates and your fellow Angelenos in walking together to support neighbors experiencing homelessness. HomeWalk has mobilized more than 100,000 participants, raised $8.6 million to end homelessness, and transformed the lives of over 19,000 individuals with the stability of a home.

Click here for more info.

Sunday, May 19

ARTsea 2019-Marina Del Rey’s Party on the Beach

Location: Marina Del Rey

After its successful debut in 2017 in LA’s Marina—the region’s premier watersports and boating destination—ARTsea, Marina Del Rey’s Party on the Beach, will return to “Mother’s” Beach in Marina del Rey for two days. Admission is FREE! ARTsea highlights include: Curated art galleries featuring local artists, Participatory art workshops and interactive activities, Large-scale art installations, A marketplace with local artisan-made craft items, food trucks as well as a Beer & Wine garden and All-day musical entertainment.

Click here for more info.

12th Annual Russian Arts and Culture Festival

Location: Plummer Park, West Hollywood

The Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest

Location: Paramount Ranch

It’s a GO for the Topanga Banjo*Fiddle Contest and Folk Music Festival! On the Main Stage, this year, is Angel City Bluegrass Band, Sausage Grinder, Hot October (Bluegrass) and Evie Ladin. The vent will feature: Contests on 4 stages, Food trucks galore, Workshops, Hand-made craft booths, Exhibit booths, Children’s’ activities, Folk, Square and Flat-foot dancing.

Click here for more info.

Spring Flowers bring May showers and also sometimes unwanted guest. With so many choices for how to rid your house of unexpected visitors, why not go the natural route? Read our list of Natural Home Remedies for Pest control and keep your house pest free this season.

Think about all the factors that can interfere with a good night’s sleep — from work stress and family responsibilities to unexpected challenges, such as illnesses. It’s no wonder that quality sleep is sometimes elusive.

While you might not be able to control the factors that interfere with your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple tips.

1. Stick to a sleep schedule

Set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours. Most people don’t need more than eight hours in bed to achieve this goal. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Try to limit the difference in your sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends to no more than one hour. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle. If you don’t fall asleep within about 20 minutes, leave your bedroom and do something relaxing. Read or listen to soothing music. Go back to bed when you’re tired. Repeat as needed.

2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink

Don’t go to bed hungry or stuffed. In particular, avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. Your discomfort might keep you up. Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine take hours to wear off and can wreak havoc on quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

3. Create a restful environment

Create a room that’s ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light might make it more challenging to fall asleep. Avoid prolonged use of light-emitting screens just before bedtime. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs. Doing calming activities before bedtime, such as taking a bath or using relaxation techniques, might promote better sleep.

4. Limit daytime naps

Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you choose to nap, limit yourself to up to 30 minutes and avoid doing so late in the day. If you work nights, however, you might need to nap late in the day before work to help make up your sleep debt.

5. Include physical activity in your daily routine

Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. Avoid being active too close to bedtime, however. Spending time outside every day might be helpful, too.

6. Manage worries

Try to resolve your worries or concerns before bedtime. Jot down what’s on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow. Stress management might help. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Meditation also can ease anxiety.

7. Increase Bright Light Exposure During The Day

Your body has a natural time-keeping clock known as your circadian rhythm. It affects your brain, body and hormones, helping you stay awake and telling your body when it’s time to sleep. Natural sunlight or bright light during the day helps keep your circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as nighttime sleep quality and duration. While most research is in people with severe sleep issues, daily light exposure will most likely help you even if you experience average sleep. Try getting daily sunlight exposure or — if this is not practical — invest in an artificial bright-light device or bulbs.

8. Reduce Blue Light Exposure in the Evening

Exposure to light during the day is beneficial, but nighttime light exposure has the opposite effect. Again, this is due to its impact on your circadian rhythm, tricking your brain into thinking it is still daytime. This reduces hormones like melatonin, which help you relax and get deep sleep. Blue light — which electronic devices like smartphones and computers emit in large amounts — is the worst in this regard.

9. Optimize Your Bedroom Environment

Many people believe that the bedroom environment and its setup are key factors in getting a good night’s sleep. These factors include temperature, noise, external lights and furniture arrangement. Numerous studies point out that external noise, often from traffic, can cause poor sleep and long-term health issues. To optimize your bedroom environment, try to minimize external noise, light and artificial lights from devices like alarm clocks. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, relaxing, clean and enjoyable place.

10. Exercise Regularly — But Not Before Bed

Exercise is one of the best science-backed ways to improve your sleep and health. It can enhance all aspects of sleep and has been used to reduce symptoms of insomnia. One study in older adults determined that exercise nearly halved the amount of time it took to fall asleep and provided 41 more minutes of sleep at night. Although daily exercise is key for a good night’s sleep, performing it too late in the day may cause sleep problems. This is due to the stimulatory effect of exercise, which increases alertness and hormones like epinephrine and adrenaline. However, some studies show no detrimental effects, so it clearly depends on the individual.

Sip into something new this weekend. With so many wineries and wine tasting lounges in LA, you De-cant say no to our list of choices. From Zinfandel to Pinot Noir and everything in between spend some time Out and About at LA’s best wineries.

Malibu Wine Safari’s

Location: Malibu, CA

At the top of the list and an obvious given is LA’s favorite wine stop. What makes Malibu Wine Safari’s so special is all in the name. Enjoy your glass of choice while touring through their vineyards and encounter safari animals along the way.

For more information click here.

REV Winery

Location: Covina, CA

One of the first to take on the trend of urban wineries is the Covina located REV Winery. REV takes the wine-making process another step further by producing wine that is non-sulfited, vegan and gluten free from organic grapes. Each bottle has a unique history and original artwork.

For more information click here.

Firestone Vineyard

Location: Los Olivos, CA

Located in beautiful Santa Barbara, Firestone is more than your average state winery, holding concert events and even offering a cellar club membership and property rental for private events. This along with an amazing history of quality and fantastic wine makes Firestone the day-trip perfect choice.

For more information click here.

San Antonio Winery

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Situated in DTLA, San Antonio Winery offers three tastings as a perfect intro to new flavors or forgotten favorites in their urban setting. They also have a restaurant with a menu designed around their wine selection. along with public and private events.

For more information click here.

Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room

Location: Ojai, CA

Located in downtown Ojai, this winery is one of only four in the town but well worth the visit. Enjoy their Five Wine Flight as their wine expert guides you through the notes of your Syrah or chardonnay. A welcoming staff and reasonably priced wine makes this an ideal stop for wine enthusiasts.

For more information click here.