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Best drive-by bite
One of the best things to eat in the whole city can be had without leaving your car. Langer's pastrami is cut by hand, the better to show off its beautiful texture and warm, beefy flavor. Piled high on lightly toasted rye, this is the definitive pastrami sandwich. Don't bother to look for a parking place. Instead, phone in your order. They'll ask for the make and color of your car. When you pull up in front, someone will run out in a jiffy with your splendid sandwich.
Langer's: 704 S. Alvarado St., Los Angeles. (213) 483-8050.
— S. Irene Virbila
Best place to crash
In the market for an Aston Martin? Isn't everyone? Let's make a visit to the over-the-top showroom that Galpin Motors dubbed Club Aston Martin. Accessible via private elevator, it's outfitted like a bachelor pad that 007 (or Austin Powers) could love, with a big-screen TV and a 100-gigabyte music archive. Let them know you're coming and they'll have your martini ready. Shaken, not stirred.
Galpin Club Aston Martin: 15500 Roscoe Blvd., Van Nuys. (818) 922-3644
— Mimi Avins
Best cure for road rage
Designed using maps and GPS measurements, "True Crime: Streets of L.A." lets you explore the city's streets, complete with Staples Center, Hollywood and Vine, and downtown's skyline — in a video game. Driving from Santa Monica to Koreatown takes as long as it would in the real world. Except in "True Crime," red lights, pedestrians and other cars are mere bumps in the road. Just fly by 'em with the hammer down and get there in record time.
True Crime: Streets of L.A.: Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox. Rating: Mature. New or used, $10 to $49.99.
— Pete Metzger
Best speed reading
Specialty bookstores are a dying breed, which makes a visit to Autobooks/Aerobooks all the more wonderful. More than 7,000 books, 300 magazines, DVDs, VHS tapes and at least 1,800 die-cast car models fill every square inch of floor space — except where the Offy-powered Midget race car, straight off the old Gilmore Stadium track, is parked. Where else can you pick up a repair manual to a Hillman Imp, writing pens that look like shock absorbers, a five-speed chrome toilet plunger or rare books on the history of SoCal racing?
Autobooks/Aerobooks: 3524 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. (818) 845-0707.
— Thomas Curwen
Best place for a pedicure with your lube job
When you stop at the dealer for your scheduled oil change, why not multi-task and get a mani-pedi? You can even enjoy a latte while they're buffing those nails: Fletcher Jones Mercedes in Newport Beach has both an in-house Starbucks and its own nail salon. The dealership used to have a putting green out back, where customers would while away the hours while their cars were being serviced. But the grassy playground went away when personal grooming and a caffeine fix proved more powerful draws than a place to practice a golf swing.
One of the best things to eat in the whole city can be had without leaving your car. Langer's pastrami is cut by hand, the better to show off its beautiful texture and warm, beefy flavor. Piled high on lightly toasted rye, this is the definitive pastrami sandwich. Don't bother to look for a parking place. Instead, phone in your order. They'll ask for the make and color of your car. When you pull up in front, someone will run out in a jiffy with your splendid sandwich.
Langer's: 704 S. Alvarado St., Los Angeles. (213) 483-8050.
— S. Irene Virbila
Best place to crash
In the market for an Aston Martin? Isn't everyone? Let's make a visit to the over-the-top showroom that Galpin Motors dubbed Club Aston Martin. Accessible via private elevator, it's outfitted like a bachelor pad that 007 (or Austin Powers) could love, with a big-screen TV and a 100-gigabyte music archive. Let them know you're coming and they'll have your martini ready. Shaken, not stirred.
Galpin Club Aston Martin: 15500 Roscoe Blvd., Van Nuys. (818) 922-3644
— Mimi Avins
Best cure for road rage
Designed using maps and GPS measurements, "True Crime: Streets of L.A." lets you explore the city's streets, complete with Staples Center, Hollywood and Vine, and downtown's skyline — in a video game. Driving from Santa Monica to Koreatown takes as long as it would in the real world. Except in "True Crime," red lights, pedestrians and other cars are mere bumps in the road. Just fly by 'em with the hammer down and get there in record time.
True Crime: Streets of L.A.: Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox. Rating: Mature. New or used, $10 to $49.99.
— Pete Metzger
Best speed reading
Specialty bookstores are a dying breed, which makes a visit to Autobooks/Aerobooks all the more wonderful. More than 7,000 books, 300 magazines, DVDs, VHS tapes and at least 1,800 die-cast car models fill every square inch of floor space — except where the Offy-powered Midget race car, straight off the old Gilmore Stadium track, is parked. Where else can you pick up a repair manual to a Hillman Imp, writing pens that look like shock absorbers, a five-speed chrome toilet plunger or rare books on the history of SoCal racing?
Autobooks/Aerobooks: 3524 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. (818) 845-0707.
— Thomas Curwen
Best place for a pedicure with your lube job
When you stop at the dealer for your scheduled oil change, why not multi-task and get a mani-pedi? You can even enjoy a latte while they're buffing those nails: Fletcher Jones Mercedes in Newport Beach has both an in-house Starbucks and its own nail salon. The dealership used to have a putting green out back, where customers would while away the hours while their cars were being serviced. But the grassy playground went away when personal grooming and a caffeine fix proved more powerful draws than a place to practice a golf swing.
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