California Dolphin

KOH SAMUI, Thailand —  Mike White, the creator of the HBO series “The White Lotus,” was in Thailand searching for the perfect place to film the show’s third season. His journey had led him to the island of Koh Samui and into the open-air lobby of the Four Seasons Resort, overlooking lush mountains, glimmering ocean and $9,000-a-night villas. The hotel‘s general manager, Jasjit Singh Assi, was ready with his pitch. But it didn’t take much to persuade White. Most of the third season of “The White Lotus” was filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, a 43-acre luxury beach resort that expects bookings to surge after the episodes air next year. (Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui) “He was quiet for a bit,” Assi recalled. “Then he says, ‘All right, this is it.’ It was as if he fell in love with it.” Nearly two years later, the entire country is preparing to reap the benefits when the new season is released next year. Set at a fictional resort called the White Lotus, the murder-mystery dramedy has garnered acclaim for its satirical portrayal of wealthy tourists

Want to eat at all the best restaurants in L.A.? Start here (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times; Ron De Angelis / For The Times) Dec. 3, 2024 9:06 PM PT For 12 years, The Times has released an annual guide to the 101 most remarkable restaurants in Los Angeles. The ranked list provides a snapshot of the the most vital places in our city’s dining scene, from newcomers to stalwarts and every cuisine you can imagine at a variety of price points. Restaurant critic Bill Addison and columnist Jenn Harris co-authored this year’s list. They spent months zigzagging the region with the goal of creating a guide that tells the most compelling and complete story of what it means to dine in L.A. right now. As part of this tradition, Addison and Harris selected five local favorites to induct into the Hall of Fame, a growing list that transcends ranking and celebrates the institutions that define eating in L.A. The pair also spotlight seven of their favorite spots to grab a drink around town, from Middle Eastern coffee to a Hollywood haunt serving

After a Southern California store was targeted by a shoplifter, the owner decided to feature the thief as the star of his latest clothing collection. On Dec. 28, 2023, surveillance cameras captured the male shoplifter entering Vardagen, located on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, in broad daylight. He quickly snatches a sweatshirt and another item from a display rack near the store’s entrance before calmly walking away. Jared Ingold, the shop’s owner, decided to use the crime to his advantage by creating a new clothing collection called “Wanted,” featuring a caricature of the suspect front and center. “Being a small business owner, we have the theme of entrepreneurship kind of woven throughout the brand, and so it’s just ups and downs and things you deal with,” Ingold said. Since opening seven years ago, Ingold said his shop has been constantly targeted by shoplifters and smash-and-grab robbers.  The male suspect is seen stealing a hoodie off a display rack at a clothing boutique in Venice, California on Dec. 28, 2023. (Vardagen) A t-shirt from Vardagen’s new “Wanted” collection featuring a caricature of a male shoplifting suspect

A pedestrian died after being hit by a car Tuesday night in Santa Maria. It happened just after 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Orchard Street and Broadway. Police say officers arrived to find the pedestrian down in the southbound lanes of Broadway. He was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Police say the driver remained at the scene and was cooperative. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact Officer Medrano at (805) 928-3781, extension 1139.

People’s Self-Help Housing officially started accepting applications for its affordable housing self-build project in San Miguel on Monday, Dec. 2. Applications close on Dec. 16, at 5 p.m. The organization already has over 40 family applications. The 14-home project is located off of N Street at the south end of 11th Street. It’s estimated to take 18 months to complete the build. Each house is estimated to cost $500,000. Each single-story home will have 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a two-car garage. Applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements. Once confirmed that families have met those requirements, a lottery draft will take place and families will be notified starting Dec. 23. We have an in-house housing specialist who will go through all the applications and see who qualifies or who does it for the program, and then we’ll, shortly thereafter, we’ll have a computerized lottery that will select for the 14 homes,” explained Jimmy Summer, People’s Self-Help Housing Director of Home Ownership. The organization has helped build more than 1,200 homes since the 1970s throughout the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Monterey

Mack Attack. The Return of the Mack. The Mack Strikes Back. Every nickname fit Sebastian Mack on Tuesday night, when the UCLA guard came off the bench to spark his team every time it needed a lift in its first-ever Big Ten Conference game. It wasn’t just Mack’s usual array of drives toward the basket that helped the Bruins hold off Washington for a 69-58 victory at Pauley Pavilion. The sophomore also was a steadying force with his rebounding and defense. He finished with 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal as the Bruins (7-1) won their sixth consecutive game heading into a road showdown against unbeaten Oregon on Sunday. “It’s really just, you know, just seeing what we need,” Mack said of how he impacts a game. “If that means steals, rebounding or anything.” Mack’s three-pointer with 4 minutes 13 seconds left lifted UCLA to an 11-point lead, energizing the liveliest home crowd of the season. The volume rose again when Mack fed teammate Dylan Andrews for another three-pointer that extended the advantage back to double figures with a little more than