UNDERRATED / OVERRATED

FRESH IN THE BOX

This Culver City organic sushi joint (13354 Washington Blvd.) offers friendly service, tasty sushi (with the option of brown rice) and a reasonable price. Everything Zen? Mm-hm!

‘ALL THE SAD YOUNG LITERARY MEN’

If you can get past the title, Keith Gessen’s novel is a witty musing on failure and youthful entitlement. Then again, we are Gessen’s precise target audience.

WHAM-O TRACBALL

It’s sort of a cross between an egg toss and jai alai, with people winging a textured plastic ball back and forth, catching it in scooped plastic rackets lined with two ridged “tracks.” A perfect, low-impact day at the park.

TACOS ARIZAS

With the neighborhood taco truck facing an uncertain future, it’s time to celebrate one of the best (Echo Park, corner of Sunset and Logan). At $1.25 a pop, their carnitas, chicken and carne asada tacos are perfect for soaking up excess booze after a late night at the nearby Echo.

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‘POLITBURO’ APARTMENTS

The Canvas L.A. complex at 1st and Beaudry and the Belmont Station Apartments on 2nd and Lucas are redefining L.A. brutalist architecture. Who wants to pay $3 per square foot to live in an outlet mall?

GASTROPUBS

Burgers and beer were never intended as gourmet fare, but somehow labeling a bar as a “gastropub” gives it license to hawk $13 cheeseburgers (the York, 5018 York Blvd.). Get down and dirty pub grub at a regular old bar such as Ye Rustic Inn (1831 N. Hillhurst), where the mouth-watering Myrtle burger clocks in at under $8.

GRAFFITI

Yeah, we get it. You want to use cryptic scrawl to announce your presence to an indifferent society. Just keep it off my mailbox, pal!

DEFENDING THE STANLEY CUP

Not since the Red Wings did it in ‘96-’97 and ‘97-’98 has any team raised Lord Stanley’s cup in consecutive seasons. So it’s not surprising that the Ducks couldn’t pull it off this year. But out in the first round? Lame.