Canele Started Serving Brunch This Weekend

AND OUR NEIGHBOR Miles really liked it. Can Canele ever miss? Stop by 3219 Glendale Blvd., or visit the restaurant's spiffy web site.

It's Time for a Chardonnay Intervention

THOUGH MRS. NEWBIE and I have already stopped by for tastings on more than one occasion, the real, official, not-cold, grand opening of 55 Degrees Wine is tomorrow, Sunday March 16, 3111 Glendale Blvd., next to Starbucks in Atwater Village. May we recommend one of their weekly-changing wine flights? It's called Chardonnay Intervention ($11): Corte Manzago Bianco di Custoza (2005 Veneto) Coffele Soave Glassico "Aizari" (2004 Veneto) Fontanbianca Arneis (2006 Langhe)

The Unhappiest Hobo

The Unhappiest Hobo, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

LITTER. SPIT. FLIP PEOPLE OFF. All in a day's lack of work for this friendly fellow. He must have been on a union-mandated break from his cardboard sign operation in the Glendale Blvd. median at Glenhurst/Glenfeliz, where all the cars U-turn to cross the Hyperion bridge. Sorry my soul-stealing camera displeased you, mister! Hopefully you were able earn it back with those tax-free cash donations from guilt-driven Silver Lakers.

LA Foodies Still Heart Canele

THE COMPLETE RECIPE in tomorrow's edition of the LA Times: "At Canele in Atwater Village (3219 Glendale Blvd.), chef Corina Weibel serves a perfectly-seared snapper fillet ... It recently caught the attention of staff writer Amy Scattergood."

Northeast LA Wakes Up, Realizes We Have a Gang Problem

Warning Signs along the LA River, by Atwater Village Newbie

A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL Sunday. A community meeting Monday. Another confab with government officials tonight. The northeast LA neighborhoods of Atwater Village, Cypress Park and Glassell Park are waking up to more than our fair share of gang shootings lately. By one account, LAPD's northeast division has seen 12 gang-related shootings, more than any other division, so far in 2008. Greater Cypress Park NC Health & Safety Committee Tuesday, Feb. 26, 7:00pm Aragon Ave Elementary School 1118 Aragon Ave., L.A., CA 90065 Feb. 26: Shattered sense of security [LA Times] Feb. 23: Glassell Park gang shooting incident yesterday [LA City Council President Eric Garcetti] Feb. 23: A Gang's Staying Power [LA Times] Feb. 22: Gang mayhem cripples big area [LA Times]

Are LA Parking Meters Still Free for the Toyota Prius?

I READ THIS about hybrid vehicles in LADOT's parking section, but I can't tell if it's still the case: "While the City Attorney is drafting the new ordinance, the City will continue the current program of allowing four hybrid vehicles (Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Prius, and the Ford Escape Hybrid) to park for free at City parking meters without being required to have a Clean Air Vehicle Decal." Oh, what to do without the LA City Nerd to answer these questions.

Shooter Emperils Late-Night Taco Lovers

A = Taco Stand; B = Shooting

NOT COOL, MURDERER. Our "off the hook" neighborhood taco stand is around the corner from where you shot Steve Garcia last Friday morning. How are we supposed to feel safe procuring $1 tacos al pastor in the middle of the night, if you're running around doing stupid shit like that? Knock it off. And turn yourself in. Thanks. Atwater Village Shooting [LA Times Homicide Report] Atwater Village Experiences Its First Homicide for 2008 [Friends of Atwater Village]

The Newbie Endorsement: 55 Degrees Wine

IF YOU FIND WITHIN Los Angeles city limits a better Italian varietal and French bubbly wine shop and basement tasting room (with a wine locker kept at, you guessed it, 55 degrees) - co-founded by an Iranian expatriate who currently lives in Hawaii - buy it! Unless you just bought it. In which case, welcome to the neighborhood. 55 Degrees [Thrillist] "You can pop into for nightly-changing, sommelier's choice wine flights" 55 Degrees [Iron City Ex-Pat] "Go down a flight of steps and you'll find this gorgeous, exposed brick and wrought-iron tasting area. It's kind of like learning about wine, whilst on break from a 19th century British factory." The Dish: 55 Degrees [Eater LA] "Expect lots of color coding, take-away info cards and other 'idiot proofing' measures for wine shopping." 55 Degrees in Atwater Village [Miles Think] "The staff is incredibly nice, the owners outgoing and the look and feel of the place is quite inviting." Wine Store and Tastings in Atwater [Eater LA] "In addition to what owner Ali Biglar says will be a rotating selection of some 2000 Italians, he's planning a nice selection of Spanish bottles, 500 rotating small-production sparkling wines and eventually beer, cheese and condiments." On opening day this weekend, the staff urged Mrs. Newbie and I to stop by at least 4 nights a week to take advantage of the changing wine flights. (Wouldn't want to miss one!) And when they sold us $85 worth of Italian reds, they also sold us a story that one of them has been bottled for 1,000 years and was once reviewed by Leonardo da Vinci. By the last drop, we didn't really care if it was true. (55 Degrees Wine, 3111 Glendale Blvd., next to one of the Starbucks stores in Atwater Village; store 11:00am to 10:00pm, tasting room 6:00-10:00pm)

She's a Rocker, She's a Knitter

SHE DRUMS, she sings, she plays keyboards. She also runs our neighborhood's own Little Knittery. And today she talks with LAist.

Glendale Target Needs to Stop Asking for Receipts

Former Robinsons-May, now a Target, originally uploaded by Tortuga One.

COSTCO CAN ASK FOR for your receipt on the way out the door because Costco is a membership retailer. As a Costco member, you agree to the paper pat-down. The Target store in Glendale Galleria, on the other hand, is not a membership store. Anyone can shop there. But Target still posts guards to check receipts at the exits. How it went down today: Rent-a-cop: "May I see your receipt, sir?" Me: "I don't have to show it." Rent-a-cop, pointing to my 35-pound tub of cat litter: "If it's not in a bag, I need to see your receipt." Me: "This isn't a membership-based retailer." Rent-a-cop, figuring no one's stealing a 35-pound tub of cat litter: "OK, you can go." There's no reason to put up with it, fellow Target shoppers. A New Mexico Walmart ceased its receipt-checking practice when one of their customers complained. And, truthfully, I don't think the Glendale guard's heart was in it. Maybe he knows deep down that no one has to comply.

Free Wine? 55 Degrees Opens Feb. 16

IN A RETAIL STRIP that seems to enjoy drawing out the welcome wagon (remember Starbucks' 9-month-old coming-soon banner?) we finally get to taste Atwater Village's new wine shop: Complimentary tasting 55 Degrees Wine 3111 Glendale Blvd. Feb 16., 11:00am to 11:00pm Thanks to Miles and the FAV for the sip. I mean, tip.