For Angelenos, these gifts will be like unwrapping a secret handshake.<\/p>\n
Even the most unimpressed old-timers will have to appreciate your P-Town baseball cap (and by P-Town, we do not mean anywhere on Cape Cod). Your diner mug from a 40-year-old Arcadia gem (where “coffee shop” still means a place for hash browns and runny eggs, not caffeinated ice cream). Your mice on toast Christmas tree ornament. Wait, your what?<\/p>\n
If you know, you know.<\/p>\n
So give an L.A.-flavored gift this year that will elicit gratitude, of course, and also that knowing nod. Just don\u2019t get barbecue sauce on the Handy Market T-shirt before you wrap it.<\/p>\n
Altadena Hardware T-shirts and hats ($30)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Altadena Hardware, which was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, s selling small batches of T-shirts and hats.<\/p>\n
(<\/p>\n
Courtesy Altadena Hardware<\/p>\n
)<\/p>\n
One of the underrated joys of living in Altadena was having a neighborhood hardware store that felt like a community hub. <\/p>\n
\n Altadena Hardware on Mariposa Street<\/a> The store, sadly, was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, but co-owner Jimmy Orlandini, who\u2019s from Altadena, says the plan is to come back. <\/p>\n In the meantime, you can help support the family-owned business by picking up Altadena Hardware T-shirts and hats. They\u2019re being printed in small batches and sold only at two locations \u2014 in El Sereno and Santa Clarita. On the back of the sage-colored shirts is an image of the store with the San Gabriels as a backdrop \u2014 a poignant reminder of what once was and could be again. <\/p>\n \u2014 Josie Huang, Weekend Edition host and reporter\u00a0<\/p>\n Not available in Altadena<\/p>\n Newland Hardware\u00a0 Newhall Hardware\u00a0 Handy Market barbecue (price varies) and shirts ($16)<\/p>\n Come for the barbecue, leave with the barbecue and a great T-shirt.<\/p>\n With barbecue smoke filling the air and a line that snakes along the sidewalk, Handy Market is the go-to spot for your weekend meat needs. <\/p>\n The 55-year old supermarket is a bit like Burbank itself \u2014- quaint, quiet in the middle of big, busy L.A. County, staying true to its small-town feel despite the onslaught of big box stores and chain supermarkets. The place is a staple for quality meat and produce, as well as everyday grocery things. <\/p>\n It\u2019s also a star in its own right as a filming location for movies and TV shows, including He’s Just Not That Into You and Twin Peaks: The Return. <\/p>\n But it\u2019s perhaps best known for its weekly Saturday barbecue. Pick up a \u2014 Jenn Baughman, director of programming\u00a0<\/p>\n Where to find the ‘cue and the shirts<\/p>\n Handy Market Museum of Jurassic Technology tchochkes ($25 to $29.50)<\/p>\n One-of-a-kind museum? Curio collection? Absorbing way to spend an afternoon? All the above. <\/p>\n It’s exactly what it looks like, isn’t it?<\/p>\n (<\/p>\n Courtesy of the Museum of Jurassic Technology<\/p>\n )<\/p>\n The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City neither teaches you about paleontology nor computing; instead a seemingly endless series of cozy Victorian-like chambers invites you to dive into fascinating arcane collections of ephemera, like the ethereal handicraft of X-ray flower art or the ineffable beauty of Islamic geometry. <\/p>\n A medieval cure for bedwetting (eat two dead mice on toast) juxtaposes with a line of microscopes revealing exquisite abstract images. <\/p>\n The second floor opens up to a covered outside courtyard where tea is served in glasses and soothing melodies are played on obscure musical instruments. The blink-and-you\u2019ll-miss-it location on a nondescript block of Venice Boulevard only adds to its IYKYK insider status. <\/p>\n Stop by the gift shop for the \u2014 Suzanne Levy, Explore LA senior editor\u00a0<\/p>\n Where to procure mice on toast<\/p>\n
\n was where you went when you needed that one random screw for an old appliance or sandpaper to rescue a yard-sale find \u2014 and ended up falling into conversation with a neighbor. No question was too dumb or out-there for the friendly staff. (I can attest!) <\/p>\n
4938 Huntington Drive, Los Angeles
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday<\/p>\n
23736 Lyons Ave., Santa Clarita
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n Handy Market branded T-shirt<\/a>
\n for that cool cat in your life who knows what’s good. <\/p>\n
2514 Magnolia Blvd. #22, Burbank
Hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Online:
\n handymarketburbank.com<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n mice on toast Christmas tree ornament<\/a>
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\n Courtyard Miniature Matchbox Kit<\/a>
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\n Deprong Mori Laser Crystal Cube<\/a>
\n .<\/p>\n