I can’t think of a better way to introduce kids (and even adults) to different cultures than through food and fun. Which makes the Mitsuwa Marketplace’s Summer Festival this weekend such a cool event.

Dick Van Dyke just keeps going. The legendary singer/comedian/dramatist who’s singularly lovable performances in Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and of course the Dick Van Dyke Show have been burned into a generation’s psyches, is still up-and-at-em at 84.

Live music in LA? Wow, have we got that covered. While LA may not be the “live music capital” that Austin, Texas, claims to be, fact is, these days we have an impressive array of venues ranging from a world-class opera house to all kinds of funky little spots. Pick a Haute 5? Sigh, if I must…

‘Tis the season for food fests, apparently. There are several interesting ones coming up in LA in the next few weeks, and while I can’t endorse every one, the 8th annual Plate by Plate event happening this Saturday, August 14, is one I definitely can.

The under-age stylish set does not want for options in Los Angeles. Our city is full of boutiques catering to newborns, tykes, tweens and teens. Here’s a Haute 5:

In the ranks of major Los Angeles artists, few can deny the primacy of John Baldessari. Since the 1960s, the California native has captivated the art world with an ever-evolving ouvre beginning with some of the first conceptual artworks, and moving into found and appropriated images and juxtapositions that evoke every emotion imaginable. Classicists have mocked, but collectors such as Eli Broad and Stuart and Judy Spence have shown their approval with their checkbooks.

Being a Haute Living blogger has its privileges. Well, you probably knew that already. But I’m feeling that sentiment more than ever as I dive into the third course of a demurely decadent caviar tasting meal at Petrossian, the restaurant connected to the Robertson Boulevard boutique of the famous fish egg family.

Let’s be frank: these days, malls are not necessarily where the most exciting shopping is found. So it’s unusual to get excited about one reopening. Especially Santa Monica Place, which is hard to remember ever being haute.

But the relic at the south end of Third Street Promenade has been radically reimagined as a new, multi-level modchic shopping and social experience, open air and open-minded. Still a manageable size, this is still not a category-killer retail behomoth, but now provides an intriguing selection of mainstream stores and less common boutiques, as well as what may be it’s most appealing aspect, the rooftop Dining Deck

This is Hollywood. When it comes to celebrites, the fact is, they’re simply part of the fabric of our city. I remember my very first day living here, stopping at a traffic light and looking over to see Fabio in the convertible next to me (true!)—and just a few weeks ago, dining at Delphine and seeing Nicholas Cage in the next booth. But the fact is, celebs can be very much like you or me. Though it often surprises people—I’m not sure why—they do all kinds of everyday things, and you’re just as likely to run into Zoe Deschanel at Amoeba Records as you would Marla Sokoloff at Kate Somerville’s day spa. Even the Encino post office has a huge wall of personally inscribed headshots. Then there’s the Coffee Bean. They are always at the Coffee Bean (the one at Sunset and Fairfax). Bottom line, some celebs are obsessed with the latest hot spot, others creatures of habit. Name a Haute 5? Here you go: