In search of good things for the soul -- and the soles

This singer-songwriter won a Grammy in 2003 for best R&B; song for Erykah Badu’s “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop).” He takes us first to the heartwarming haunts of Inglewood where he can get some comfort food and then onto some fab places to get tattoos and shoes.

A matter of taste

There are several great places to eat in the Valley; the first that comes to mind is Katsuya in Studio City. Some of my favorite things are the crispy rice and spicy tuna sushi, the seared spicy albacore sashimi with crispy onions, and for dessert, the chocolate cake with mint ice cream. And of course at any Japanese restaurant I would always order Sapporo or sake to drink. Another good restaurant is Senor Fred’s in Sherman Oaks. I like the Mexican-flavored fish there. The Robalo, which is sea bass with black bean and mango salsa, is especially good, followed with a red wine. For breakfast, I’d most likely go to the Serving Spoon in Inglewood. Most of the time I eat egg whites in the morning, but when I go there I eat the whole eggs with turkey bacon and grits. The grits are worth the trip alone.

Finding funky sounds

If I want to go out to a club to hear some music, my first instinct would be to head to Santa Monica and hang out at the Temple Bar. I like the ethnic flavor of all the performers who play there. You never know what type of music it will be, but you can feel certain that it will always be good. I also like that it isn’t an industry place. The Troubadour in West Hollywood is another good venue to see someone. My choices for best acts in the L.A. area would be Marc Bronson, a DJ who spins R&B; soul, and Garth Trinidad, who is widely known for his terrific radio show on KCRW called “Chocolate City.” He also spins funky, soulful grooves.

Shoe fetish

I have a huge tennis shoe collection at home, so naturally one of my favorite things to do in L.A. is shop. The Conveyer stall at Fred Segal in Santa Monica has the best shoes by far. Another stop on my shoe hunt is the Slauson swap meet on Sundays in Inglewood. I’d say the most difficult to find shoes have been ones in different shades of green, and I always have hope of finding those hard-to-find colors at either place. For CD shopping, my one-stop-shop is Amoeba Records in Hollywood. They have posters and a variety of music memorabilia. Their staff is super friendly and always willing to suggest new music ideas to you, based on what you like already.

Get it in ink

I am also into tattoos. My friend Danny is a tat artist at Tattoo Mania on Sunset Boulevard, he has done seven in all for me including a cross on my chest, a portrait of Jimi Hendrix on one arm and a bunch of flames on the other arm with four faces, each face being a tribute to my three brothers and one sister who have passed away. A tattoo isn’t just art, it can be a symbol of remembrance.

-- Karla S. Blume