Deals in San Fernando

DC Dynamic

Therapists guide clients through corrective exercises and sooth muscles with techniques tailored to individual needs and preferences

Porter Ranch

~~$125~~ $45

View Deal

Barstow, Baker, and Berdoo: Things to Do and Places to Eat Between Las Vegas and L.A.

To the untrained eye, there’s not much in the way of scenery along the 270-mile stretch between Las Vegas and Los Angeles—just distant mountains and vast expanses of desert punctuated by the occasional tumbleweed. The monotonous terrain seems a fitting contrast to what awaits at either destination: the promises of money and stardom. An empty stomach and a taste for curiosity, however, can get the best of anyone during the four-hour drive. Luckily, just off the beaten asphalt of Interstate 15, there’s a smattering of roadside stops that prove anything but boring. Just an hour outside of Las Vegas, Primm is more than meets the eye. The city sits right up against Nevada’s border with California—an imaginary line that felons have long associated with freedom from the law. It happens that Primm is home to the most famous getaway car of all: Bonnie and Clyde’s V8 Ford. Punctured with more than 100 bullets, the battered vehicle sits behind a glass enclosure inside Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino. Nearby rests the torn and bloodied shirt Clyde wore on the morning of his death. More than 70 miles down the road and safely across California’s border, Alien Fresh Jerky restocks stomachs set on empty with 20 flavors of jerky—not to mention stuffed olives, nuts, candy, and various sauces. A few miles south of the exit for Zzyzx, CA, the gourmet jerky stop gets its curious name from owners who founded it after a failed search for Area 51. Standing at an impressive 134 feet and visible from Interstate 15, the world’s largest thermometer sits just down the road from Alien Fresh Jerky. The thermometer’s height honors the highest temperature ever recorded in North America: 134 degrees in nearby Death Valley. The heat and lack of moisture in the desert can help with preservation, which might explain why dinosaurs still roam the earth at Peggy Sue’s Diner and Dinosaur Park. When nobody is looking, the giant metal dinosaur statues that inhabit Peggy Sue’s backyard are said to slip quarters into the giant outdoor jukebox and feed on Peggy Sue’s hearty burgers and sandwiches. Not far down the road from these towering statues, Casa Jimenez hosts some animals of its own. The Mexican restaurant lines its walls and counters with stuffed antelope, zebras, and wolves. Of course, you don’t need to contend with wild beasts to get your fill of tacos and burritos. Just across town from Casa Jimenez, the world’s oldest operating Del Taco has kept its grills hot and its drive-through open since 1964.

On Location: L.A. Restaurants Immortalized in Film

If the film industry resides in Hollywood, the greater city of Los Angeles is its backyard. Filmmakers have taken to exploring this backyard in their movies, and local residents have come to accept that a routine trip to the deli can quickly turn into a cameo in the latest blockbuster. Though tourists have taken to camping outside celebrities’ homes for a glimpse of fame, there’s a less invasive—and far tastier—method of stargazing. Here, we follow the cameras to seven restaurants made famous by their appearances in film. If you’re flying in to LAX, your first stop should be Randy’s Donuts on West Manchester Avenue. No, Randy’s was not named after Randy Newman. It was, however, briefly featured in the music video for the singer’s 1983 paean to his native city, “I Love L.A.”. When the giant donut that sits atop the shop isn’t appearing in action films such as 2012 and Iron Man 2, it acts as a beacon, enticing pilots to visit during long layovers at the nearby airport. Next, take a drive over to Canter’s Deli in the Fairfax District. Though countless celebrities have feasted on Canter’s pastrami sandwiches since 1931, Walter Matthau bears the rare distinction of doing so on camera in Neil Simon’s I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982). Current owner Marc Canter recently penned a book about Guns N’ Roses, whose frequent visits to his deli evince the band’s appetites for things other than destruction. If pastrami and hair metal don’t satisfy your taste for decadence, head to the lavishly appointed Cicada Restaurant downtown. In a memorable scene from Pretty Woman (1990), Julia Roberts flings a snail across the restaurant’s art deco-inspired dining room. Her costar, Richard Gere, would return to the restaurant just a few years later in Final Analysis (1992). Perhaps he was drawn back by the mallechort elevator doors or gold-leafed ceiling—traces left over from the restaurant’s former life as a 1920s haberdashery. Cicada’s transformation seems minor compared to that of J & J Sandwich Shop. The 6th Street delicatessen was stripped of its walk-up sandwich counter and injected with a dose of 1950s noir for L.A. Confidential (1997). Recast as the Nite Owl Coffee Shop, J & J became the scene of a multiple homicide and ground zero for the movie’s pulpy action. Hop on the 101 freeway and exit at Franklin for a post-lunch coffee or milkshake at the appropriately named 101 Coffee Shop. Restaurateur Warner Ebbink carefully designed the shop’s interior—complete with swiveling counter chairs and plush leather booths—to mimic the funky diners of the 1960s. According to the New York Times, Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn frequented the diner back when it was called the Hollywood Hills Coffee Shop. They repaid the hospitality by immortalizing the shop in their hit comedy Swingers (1996). Get back on the 101 and take it out to the San Fernando Valley for the last stop of our tour, which brings us to a nondescript strip mall in Granada Hills. This is the site of Vincenzo’s Pizza, which the filmmakers behind the neo-noir Drive converted into Ron Perlman’s latest criminal lair. Though one of the film’s most violent scenes takes place inside the renamed Nino’s Pizzeria, it’s worth risking your life for a slice of Vincenzo’s New York–style pepperoni.

Here’s The Rub: Fabulous & Affordable Massages In LA

Let’s face it, living in Los Angeles is a breeze: idyllic weather, pretty people, and regular celeb sightings to name a few of the perks. However, there is one annoying downside -Traffic! I don’t know about you, but the traffic situation in LA has gone from bad to worse. I find myself constantly frazzled about getting places on time and strategizing the best routes to get me places on time with minimal stress. So my antidote to this constant stress and the frenetic pace of life in LA is treating myself to regular massages. Although I adore a good rub, massages can get a little spendy, right? Well, there is no need to sacrifice pampering and relaxation if you are on a budget, so I’ve taken some time to scout some of the best areas and locations in Los Angeles for top notch, ‘get those nasty knots out’ massage places for a fraction of the price of their chi-chi counterparts. Sound good? Here are some of my favorite areas: The San Fernando Valley is super easy to navigate and find parking, so I am rather partial to this area. The Valley (as it is more commonly know as) has a plethora of Asian Foot Massage joints along Ventura Blvd. that offer high quality, relaxing one hour massages in a cushy chair, fully clothed for about $20-$35 including tip! You get to soak your feet, have your kinks worked out and they spend most of the time on your feet (my fave part). The best of the bunch is Happy Feet in Encino because it’s clean, well laid out and it has a waterfall in the middle, which makes it feel like a relaxing Asian spa. Korea Town (located in the Mid-Wilshire district of LA) is filled with great affordable spas where you can get amazing skilled shiatsu massages (a pressure point massage) for about $50/hour. I can honestly say that I have had some of the best massages ever in Korea town. As an added bonus, you can use the saunas, hot tubs and steam rooms and add a Korean scrub to your massage (can you say hello baby fresh skin!) and for typically under $100 including tip. My hands down fave is Olympic Spa intimate, authentic, women only and top notch services. I leave blissful and transformed every time I visit. Thai Town (located on the outskirts of Hollywood) is known for delicious authentic Thai food restaurants and amazing healing Thai massages. Thai Massage is typically performed on the floor, wearing loose fitting clothing for 1 ½ hours (for about $65) and combines Ayeurvedic medicine, Hatha yoga like stretching and Chinese acupressure. I had the most profound Thai massage experience with a Thai Massage Master at Thai Sabai in Thai Town It was intense, relaxing and tremendously therapeutic, I loved it!

Deals in San Fernando

DC Dynamic

Up to 66% Off Corrective Exercise and Massage

Beauty & Spa Deals

Health & Fitness Deals

Things To Do Deals

Automotive Deals

Local Service Deals

Select Local Merchants

San Fernando Scene

Barstow, Baker, and Berdoo: Things to Do and Places to Eat Between Las Vegas and L.A.

On Location: L.A. Restaurants Immortalized in Film

Here’s The Rub: Fabulous & Affordable Massages In LA

Popular Categories in San Fernando

Deals in Nearby Places

Get the Daily Deal for:

Deals in San Fernando

Related Reads