Sunset Boulevard is buzzing with the arrival of the fourth annual Sunset Strip Music Festival, which starts today and runs through Saturday.

Glorified rock bars—Viper Room, the Roxy, Whisky A Go-Go and the Key Club—have handpicked their lineups, which include Buckcherry and local legends Semi Precious Weapons and Lady Sinatra. And headlining the festival is the glam metal band that got its start on the Strip, Motley Crue.

“We have been very fortunate to grow this festival organically year by year,” said Nic Adler, head organizer and Roxy Theatre owner. “Bigger bands, bigger stages, more food trucks, more activations, and oh, a little 360 roller coaster drum kit played upside down by Tommy Lee himself.”

The three-day fest kicks off with an awards ceremony at the House of Blues. Motley Crue, celebrating its 30th anniversary, will receive the annual Elmer Valentine Award (past recipients include Ozzy Osbourne, Slash and Lou Adler) at the invite-only red carpet event. The city has designated Aug. 18 “Motley Crue Day.”

“So many of us native Angelenos consider Motley Crue to be our ‘home boys,’ ” West Hollywood Mayor John Duran said in a city press release. “It will be an honor to recognize the ‘Saints of Los Angeles’ in our hometown and thank them for the incredible contribution they made to hard rock, glam and Southern California music.”

Food trucks will be rolling through town, serving up delicious eats. Restaurants and bars along the iconic 1.6-mile stretch of Sunset will be dishing out specials, and beer gardens will serve ice cold refreshments in a relaxing open-air setting.

Thursday’s lineup sees The Veronicas at The Viper Room, Nico Vega at the Roxy Theatre and The Faceless at the Whisky A Go-Go, with Motion City Soundtrack at the House of Blues and indie rock band Dredg at the Key Club on Friday.

“We aren’t sure what to expect,” Dredg vocalist Gavin Hayes told Patch earlier this month. ”Honestly, I am not a huge fan of festivals, but being able to expose your music to new listeners is a definite perk.”

The Strip shuts down Saturday to host an all-day street festival of outdoor performances and indoor bar shows, featuring more than 70 bands—Motley Crue, Bush, Public Enemy, Matt & Kim, Cobra Starship, She Wants Revenge, Black Veil Brides, Voxhaul Broadcast, and more.

“As in years past, we have a sampling of LA’s best new artists like Sabrosa Purr, Voxhaul Broadcast, Jordan Cook and 50 more great bands that make up the local scene here,” Adler said. “It’s all about experiencing one of the most storied streets in the world in a way you can only do once a year.”

Sunset Boulevard will be closed between San Vicente Boulevard and Doheny Drive starting at 4 a.m. on Saturday, and will re-open by 7 a.m. on Sunday. SSMF organizers are encouraging residents to utilize other westbound-eastbound streets, including Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose Avenue or Beverly Boulevard over the weekend.

Tickets are $250 for the three-day VIP, $55 for Street Fest only, and $120 for VIP Street Fest. Individual bar shows tickets range from $15 to $35 depending on the show. See website for set times and participating venues.

http://westhollywood.patch.com/articles/sunset-strip-amped-up-for-fourth-annual-street-fest

By Joel Sinensky | West Hollywood Patch

Keep on Trucking is a new feature that profiles the best food trucks that pass through West Hollywood and other Los Angeles communities. If you have a suggestion of your favorite truck, send it our way!

Grilled cheese is one of those rare foods that pretty much nobody dislikes. Even when stacked up against other hall-of-fame crowd pleasers, it still seems to be the safest bet.

Cheesy Mac and Rib This truck's signature cheesy mac and rib is a combo of both melted cheddar cheese and thick globs of macaroni provides several layers of cheese flavor. Credit Grilled Cheese Truck

What makes the Grilled Cheese Truck such a brilliant and buzzy addition to the rich LA food truck tapestry is not, however, their commitment to the classic grilled cheese (which they do offer, and do very well), but rather their willingness to push the boundaries and deliver inventive and adventurous concoctions. For this truck, the grilled cheese is not a be-all end-all, but rather a blank slate, a springboard for delicious experimentation.

The truck made its name with their signature cheesy mac and rib, and it is easy to see why. This sandwich steps outside the mold just enough to warrant attention. But its flavor profile is still rooted in that rich, gooey cheesiness we all know and love. The combo of both melted cheddar cheese and thick globs of macaroni provides several layers of cheese flavor, and the melt’s other accessories—sweet caramelized onions, barbecued pork—are merely there to support and enhance the intense cheesy goodness.

The brie melt sounds like it would be more refined, but in fact, it is just as over-the-top, with an oozing richness that comes from a very substantial portion of brie. They pair the brie with fig paste—a classic combination, and the earthy sweetness of the figs plays beautifully against the nutty pungency of the brie. There are almonds too, mostly there to provide crunch.

The truck’s moniker is “chef-driven grilled cheese,” and that really comes into focus with the specials. Changing almost daily, the special melts often incorporate seasonal ingredients and more unconventional preparations.

The special on my last visit was fontina cheese with red-wine braised short rib, sauteed crimini mushrooms, and arugula—a great French-inspired flavor combination. The arugula was a particularly smart touch as the sharp bitterness provides a wonderful contrast with the meaty, unctuous short ribs.

They also have several dessert options on display. The s’more melt—a combination of marshmallow cream, nutella and crumbled graham crackers on sweet brioche—may sound like the most gluttonous sandwich of the night, but in fact, its ingredient assembly shows a good deal of restraint. If the nutella was globbed onto the bread with the same reckless abandon as the brie or the macaroni and cheese on my other melts, it would be far too rich.

And why not try it with bacon? Recommended by many a truck worker, the saltiness of the bacon enhances the sweetness of the other ingredients. The magic of a salty/sweet desert combo should be evident to anyone who has ever eaten a chocolate covered pretzel.

There are side dishes as well, including tator tots, mac and cheese, and, on special, a vibrant tomato gazpacho. Their homemade pickles, a side order coming in at only 50 cents, is a must. The pickles, more sweet than sour, are fresh, bright and very aromatic. They are a great combination with the rich melts.

The service at the Grilled Cheese Truck is also worth noting—a perfect mixture of gregariousness and razor-sharp efficiency. Their next stop is Melrose Avenue between Ogden and Stanley for Melrose Nightfrom 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Grilled Cheese Truck changes its locations every week. To find out when it’s coming near you, either follow the truck on Twitter (@grlldcheesetruk) or check out the weekly calendar on their website.

http://westhollywood.patch.com/articles/grilled-cheese-truck-revives-the-gooey-classic#photo-7265001

West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president Genevieve Morrill reports that “food trucks are illegally encroaching on city property and parking in front of [WeHo] businesses, many of [which] are food and beverage establishments.

The E mail explains that “these trucks are not authorized to park on city property or at any of our parking meters.

Apparently the City of West Hollywood’s code compliance division is watching closely “to ensure that [the food trucks] abide by City codes and do not impede your business.”

Should anyone witness a food truck parked at a meter or on city property, please call 323-848-6516 (code compliance) and leave a message as to the location the truck is parked.

http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=6219