Happy Wednesday, CurationsLA Family! This Friday marks the first day of summer, and it is going to be your best summer yet. On our end, the platform continues to grow with new tech that will help power more original content, expanded city guides, and more ways to explore Los Angeles.

I’ll see you all on Tuesday! Wyatt

The Infatuation’s EEEEEATSCON LA is back June 28th and 29th at The Barker Hangar with a curated lineup of standout local spots and national favorites, including one time collabs like Quarter Sheets and Bridgetown Roti’s oxtail pizza and Wake & Late with Sqirl’s bagels and frozen espresso. General admission covers live music, performances, and a food themed game show, with every dollar spent on site matched by Chase’s Love Local initiative to support small businesses impacted by recent wildfires.

Foodie Week returns Friday and runs through June 29th at Westfield Century City, offering deals from 27 restaurants including Eataly, Shake Shack, Del Frisco’s, and Ramen Nagi. Guests can enjoy curated prix fixe menus, free desserts, limited edition drinks, and exclusive app promotions. Highlights include $5 hand rolls at HRB Experience, $10 matcha sets at Cha Cha Matcha, and a free shake with $10 purchase at Shake Shack using code ‘FOODIE.’

Thongg Ake, a vibrant new Thai restaurant, has opened its doors in Santa Monica, serving up authentic flavors with a modern twist. Led by Chef Supaporn Pat Thongthai, the menu features bold dishes like khao soi and spicy larb, crafted with fresh, local ingredients. Nestled on Main Street, its cozy yet stylish ambiance invites diners to savor Thailand’s culinary warmth. Open daily, Thongg Ake is already drawing crowds eager for its soulful curries and zesty salads. Reservations are recommended for this intimate gem.

San (Mountain) BBQ has fired up its grills at a new location on S. Western Avenue, bringing authentic Korean barbecue to the heart of Los Angeles’ vibrant Koreatown. Housed on the third floor of Koreatown Plaza, this reimagined spot, formerly known as Mountain Noodles, offers smoky, savory dishes like galbi and bulgogi, perfect for group dining. The restaurant’s lively atmosphere and traditional banchan sides make it a must-visit for locals and visitors alike. Open daily, San BBQ is ready to serve up sizzling plates in a bustling neighborhood hub.

WeVINO, a stylish woman-owned restaurant and wine lounge, has opened on Via Colinas in Westlake Village, serving modern Italian cuisine and curated wine tastings. Founded by Diana Brigitt and Liliya Bezinover, it features a 5,000-bottle cellar and dishes like caviar pasta and truffle salmon carpaccio. The upscale yet relaxed vibe is perfect for date nights or group gatherings.

TONIGHT: Saddle up for a free Cowboy Poetry Night at Eastwood L.A. in Koreatown tonight from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at 611 S Western Ave, featuring a poetry workshop, open mic, and live Western musical performances by Zane York, Manny Mendez, Amir Beardsley, and Wyatt Harmon. Guests can craft poems on vintage 1940s-50s typewriters, share them during the open mic from 7:30pm, and enjoy a spirited evening of cowboy storytelling and Americana tunes, hosted by Cowboy Poetry L.A.

TOMORROW: Join the Venice Art Crawl tomorrow from 6:00pm - 10:00pm for a vibrant celebration of local talent and community along Venice Blvd near Beyond Baroque, SPARC, Pacific Resident Theatre, and the Walk Streets east of Abbot Kinney. This colorful event transforms Venice into a creative showcase, featuring inspiring artists, performers, DJs, and hidden gems.

SUNDAY: Join Greenway Arts and the Mid City West Neighborhood Council for the 4th Annual Juneteenth Celebration at the Melrose Trading Post this Sunday in the Melrose Arts District. Celebrate Black arts, wellness, and history with performances by the Brian Collier Band, Majur De Veaux, Kovey Coles, and the African Dance Company, plus poetry, storytelling, and a Juneteenth history talk by Professor Meryah A. Fisher. Enjoy workshops like waist bead making, lotion crafting with Nena’s Organics, a Stillness Tea Ceremony, a Hair-etage Museum pop-up, yoga, and a Caribbean craft lounge. Hosted by comedian Sampson McCormick, with live painting by Devin Wesley and a children’s story time, this vibrant event highlights Black artists and vendors.

JUNE 29TH - AUGUST 9TH: Moises Ortiz’s Intersections opens June 29th at Solo, the artist-run gallery in San Pedro. Blending Cubism, Futurism, and post-graffiti energy, Ortiz’s abstract works pulse with emotional depth and geometric rhythm, inviting viewers into a space of contemplation and form. The show runs through August 9th with an opening reception June 29th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. Solo is located on W 7th Street, open Wednesday through Friday noon to 5:00pm. or by appointment.

Hot weather and poor air quality will persist across Southern California through midweek due to high pressure, with temperatures reaching 87 degrees in Downtown LA on Monday and a heat advisory in effect through Tuesday evening for parts of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Inland regions, especially the IE, are under an air quality alert, and only slight cooling is expected before a more comfortable weekend arrives with near-average temperatures.

A34, a 468-unit mixed-use complex on W. Avenue 34 in Lincoln Heights by The Max Collaborative and The Pinyon Group, is opening near Heritage Square Station, offering 16,000 square feet of retail and 311 parking spaces. Designed by KFA Architecture with a modern-industrial aesthetic, it includes 66 very low-income and 192 moderate-income apartments, utilizing Transit Oriented Communities incentives. Market-rate units, ranging from 535 to 1,163 square feet, have rents starting at $2,293 up to $6,175 monthly. The first two buildings are now open, with the remaining buildings set to open this summer.

A five story mixed use development has been approved for Riverside Drive in Valley Village, replacing a commercial building at the corner of Riverside and Whitsett with 219 apartments, 2,162 square feet of ground floor retail, and a 254 space underground parking garage. Designed by JZA Architecture, the project features a white stucco façade, rounded glass balconies, and arched walkways at street level. Twenty five units are set aside for very low income residents and eight for moderate income households, qualifying the development for added height and density incentives.

Announced this week at Cannes Lions, FOX is investing in Whalar’s Lighthouse, a network of real world creator campuses designed to support digital storytellers with studio space, career development, and IP incubation. First launched in Venice earlier this year, Lighthouse has quickly become a model for post-YouTube Space innovation. The FOX deal signals a push into creator-led franchises, with plans for a new initiative focused on cultural IP alongside a growing slate of digital voices. A second Lighthouse is set to open in Brooklyn in Q4 of this year.

Netflix House, the company’s first-ever permanent immersive fan destinations, will debut in late 2025 at King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia and Galleria Dallas, with a third location planned for the Las Vegas Strip in 2027. Announced this week at Cannes Lions, each 100,000 square foot space will feature interactive experiences based on hit series like Squid Game, Wednesday, ONE PIECE, and Stranger Things, plus themed food at NETFLIX BITES, VR gaming, mini-golf, and rotating merch drops. Early access is now open.

The Academy will honor Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, and Wynn Thomas at the 2025 Governors Awards on November 16th at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood. Allen, Cruise, and Thomas will receive Honorary Oscars for their groundbreaking work across choreography, acting, and production design, while Parton will be presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her global charitable efforts. The event, now in its 16th year, celebrates lifetime achievement and humanitarian impact in the motion picture industry.

Streaming now makes up 45% of all TV viewing in the US, officially surpassing cable and broadcast combined for the first time since Nielsen launched its monthly The Gauge report in 2021. That’s a 71% jump in just four years, while cable has dropped to 24% and broadcast to 20%. YouTube still holds the top spot, but Netflix has grown its share by 27% thanks in part to its NFL Christmas games. The rise of free ad supported services like Pluto Tubi and Roku Channel is also reshaping where audiences go. For creators, the message is clear—more eyes are shifting away from traditional channels faster than expected and streaming platforms, especially FAST, now matter more than ever.

An exclusive behind-the-scenes first look at EDDINGTON with stars Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, and writer-director Ari Aster. In theaters July 18th. Watch the first look above or via YouTube.

Will Smith’s tiebreaking two-run homer in a 12-pitch at-bat and Andy Pages’ 4-for-4 night, including two homers, powered the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 8-6 victory over the San Diego Padres in a fiery Tuesday game marked by three hit-by-pitches, warnings to both benches, and the ejection of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Tonight, the rivalry continues as Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (3-2, 3.50 ERA) faces Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan, who makes his first MLB start since 2023 following Tommy John surgery recovery. Expect another intense battle at 8:10pm.

Kyle Hendricks and three relievers combined for a four-hit shutout, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-0 win over the struggling New York Yankees on Tuesday night, marking the Yankees’ third consecutive shutout and fifth straight loss. Taylor Ward’s two-run single fueled the Angels’ offense, while the Yankees went 0 for 10 with runners on and haven’t scored in 29 innings. Tonight, the Angels look to extend their dominance in New York as RHP Jack Kochanowicz (3-8, 5.53 ERA) faces Yankees LHP Ryan Yarbrough (3-1, 3.96 ERA) at 7:05pm ET, promising another test for the offensively challenged Yankees.

U.S. Paralympics Cycling has named its sixteen-athlete roster for the 2025 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, with Southern California represented by Samantha Bosco of Claremont and Josue Barron of Los Angeles. Bosco, a reigning Paralympic champion, returns after a gold and silver showing in Belgium this spring, while Barron makes his world championships debut after earning his first international medal in Maniago. The team, which includes veterans and rising talents from across the country, heads to Ronse, Belgium from August 28th to 31st for the first major world competition in the lead-up to the LA28 Paralympic Games.