3-Bites Friyay: Hollywood Edition
A very star-studded week in Los Angeles
Interrupting our regularly scheduled Buenos Aires content because I’m not currently in Buenos Aires. So for the next few weeks, we’re pivoting to do some more travel logging moments. And right now I’m in LA doing very LA things: eating tacos, enjoying the magic of winter beach days, sitting in traffic, and, oh yeah, attending the Oscars (!). Very casual, I know.
So if you’re here for Argentina recs, no need to unsubscribe just yet, I’ll be back soon.
Anyway, here’s what’s been on my plate this week…
The Oscars 2025!
Sunday night, my phone started blowing up with texts: “Did I just see you at the Oscars?!” People sent me screenshots from the live broadcast. Yup, there I was. That’s me sitting in a formal dress and jewels with a full face of camera-ready make up, in the middle of all the action (well, in the background shots).
You know those weird dreams where everything feels both familiar and completely unreal? Where nothing makes sense, yet somehow, it all does? Last Sunday I had one of those surreal *real life* fever dreams that I’m still not entirely convinced actually happened… except I have the receipts to prove it.
Phil Feed Somebody (Me) Honduran Food!
Whenever I’m in LA, I try to meet up with Phil Rosenthal. We first met when he was filming Somebody Feed Phil in Buenos Aires, I helped with production and ended up on the show. Then, when he was filming in San Francisco, he invited me to be on the show again. Since then, we’ve made a habit of catching up over delicious food whenever we’re in the same city, and lucky for me, our schedules lined up right before he leaves on his European tour.
Phil has a regular lunch crew that eats their way through LA, so I tagged along. Because if there’s anyone to follow to a meal, it’s him.
We went to Pollo K-Tracho, a Honduran spot in West Adams, and my first time eating at a Honduran restaurant. The last time I had Honduran food was in 2003, but under very different circumstances. I was 17, volunteering with Amigos de las Américas, and spent eight weeks in a rural town in Intibucá. I slept on a cot above a chicken coop, with no electricity or running water, and every day, we ate thick corn tortillas with refried beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
That experience was more than just my introduction to Latin America. It was the first time my world cracked open, making me realize how much was out there to see, learn, and eat. And that I wanted more of it. Living in that remote village at such an impressionable age shifted something in me. It gave me the travel bug (and, not to mention, a gnarly stomach parasite) and opened my eyes to the different ways people live. In more ways than I could have imagined at the time, it set me on the path that led to the life I have now.
Eating at Pollo K-Tracho brought back many of those Honduran memories, though the food tasted different than I remembered. We ordered baleadas, chicken with green plantains, pastelitos, enchiladas, nacatamales, and fried sweet plantains. Very good food, and even better company.
In other exciting Phil news: Somebody Feed Phil Season 8 premieres this summer. He’s also gearing up to open Max & Helen’s, a neighborhood Jewish diner named after his parents, in collaboration with Nancy Silverton. I got a sneak peek of the space, and it’s going to be very cool, I can’t wait to try it next time I’m in town.
The Academy Museum!
Have you been to the Academy Museum? If you love movies, it’s a must. It’s more than just a museum. It’s a deep dive into film history, packed with legendary props, costumes, interactive exhibits, and a behind-the-scenes look at how movies come to life.
One of my favorite exhibits is “Color in Motion,” which breaks down how filmmakers use color to shape a movie’s mood, emotion, and storytelling. It’s super interactive, you can step into a space that shifts colors around you and see firsthand how different palettes completely change the feel of a scene. There’s also a section where you can experiment with lighting and color grading, which makes you realize how much of what we feel watching a movie is because of color. And of course, there are iconic film artifacts, like the Mean Girls Burn Book (yes, the actual one), a Wonka bar, and Dorothy’s ruby slippers.
I went to the museum on Hair & Makeup day, where Oscar nominees showcased their work in a panel. It was incredible to see the Substance prosthetics up close, along with designs from Wicked. Sebastian Stan also spoke about his role in A Different Man, which was a highlight of the event.
What made it the most special was seeing my lifelong best friend, who also happens to be the museum’s Director & President, introduce the panel. A very proud moment, to say the least.
If you're in LA and even remotely into movies, the Academy Museum is a must-visit.
You do know that the original sign read HOLLYWOODLAND and was to do with a then a local real estate venture.
Funny that icons morph on from almost nothings in the USA.
You deserve an Oscar for getting into the Oscars!