9:00pm Bill Moyers Journal PBS/KCET - Scholars Cornel West, Serene Jones and Gary Dorrien examine what America's core ethics and values say about the nation's politics and policy.

Saturday

6:30am Cycling - Tour de France Versus - Stage 1 From Monaco

8:00pm Kings NBC - King Silas sends David on a mission to recover a national treasure; Jack and Katrina's (Leslie Bibb) engagement gets attention.

10:00pm Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular CBS - Neil Diamond performs some of his classic hits with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, conducted by Keith Lockhart

Sunday

5:30am Cycling - Tour de France Versus - Stage 2 From Monaco to Brignoles

Art by Miles Thompson @ La Luz Gallery.

NEIL DIAMOND
And while the MJ exhibit at the Grammy Museum has been getting a lot of play this past week, we don't want to forget another American legend: Neil Diamond. (And yes, I am being totally serious.) The Museum's "I Am, I Said: Selections from the Neil Diamond Collection" features a selection of personal and iconic pieces from Diamond's own archives. On display: costumes from the covers of albums Hot August Night and The Jazz Singer, an early guitar, handwritten lyrics and Diamond's high-school letterman's sweater for....fencing? Who knew?

*Pencil pick of the day

The Smog Cutter’s song book doesn’t appear to have been updated since the addition of “I Want It That Way,” but all your basic country, soul, 70s singer/songwriter and arena rock hits are represented, not to mention a fair number of traditionals (if “When the Saints go Marching In” is more your style). The regulars are a friendly bunch and take their performances seriously, regardless of audience reception or level of talent. Though Katie, the other karaoke DJ, is considerably more agreeable, even the aforementioned Jan is not without her charms. Sure, the last time I signed up for “Jolene” she made me sing “Colors of the Wind” instead and dismissed my gentle protest with her standard “I don’t give shit! You tip me or get the fuck out!” Sure, she’s shifty, loud and prone to sudden fits of violence, but if you’ve got a decent buzz on and are feeling particularly generous, it helps to see her as merely tough, mouthy and gloriously unhinged. Her shrill karaoke performances alone are worth every tip dollar. Her taste leans heavily toward 70s soft rock and her delivery is as impassioned as it is atonal. Go ahead, request Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and if you’re as sentimental/psychologically impaired by long term recreational drug use as I am, then you can bet your heart will swell as much as your eardrums.

For all its volatility, the Smog Cutter can be a welcoming place, provided you keep your wits about you and follow a few simple rules: introduce yourself, abide by the two drink minimum, don’t forget to tip and be respectful, i.e., don’t goad Jan unnecessarily or use her drunken antics as an excuse to launch into a profanity-laden tirade of your own. I guarantee that by the time you’ve been in a few times, bartenders Joanne and Bonnie will not only remember your name and your preferred beverage, they will pour extra heavy and might even kick you down one of their signature flaming shots once in a while. If it should ever come to blows (Jan generally does not mix well with the weekend crowd), step outside for some Marlboro-tinged fresh air and a chat with Mike, the resident doorman/referee. He is an eager conversationalist and one of the kindest people you will ever meet. In a place as unpredictable as this, a little kindness goes a long way.

The Smog Cutter
864 N. Virgil Ave.
Los Angeles, 90029
Karaoke every night except Tuesday, 8pm-close

The Godmother is a sandwich many would walk over their godmothers to eat. It’s genoa salami, mortadella, coppacola, ham, prosciutto, provolone, on a crunchy and fresh Italian roll. Get it with “The Works” -- mayo, mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, Italian Dressing & Mild/Hot peppers -- and you’ve got a serious gastrointestinal commitment. It’s a tasty one that I’ve learned doesn’t do me as right as my eyes (or colleagues) persuasively suggest.

I abandon those Works, pick a single meat, and focus, focus, focus. Something like hamon serrano (pictured, delicious,) chicken cutlet, prosciutto, is right up my alley. Or if I want a light bite, I’ll go for the caprese (fresh mozzarella + basil + tomato = party.) Beware of a Large Sandwich. It's the size of a toddler's leg.

Unfortunately, An Institution

I recently conducted a poll and the result was “everyone” “loves” “Bay Cities.” Good for Bay Cities. Bad for sandwich-eaters who don’t like lines that resemble Studio 54’s Saturday night queue.

The way to enjoy Bay Cities in this wretched economy is to forget about lunch. They can get so crowded that a line of cars forms on Lincoln Boulevard to enter the parking lot. It’s not safety-friendly, and it’s a waste of time. And our time is money -- especially for the 9.5% of the nation who is now unemployed (who should be using that time to find a new gig.) Head here after 3 p.m. but before 7 p.m. (when they close on most nights.)

Bay Cities is like a trip to New York with less Yankee caps and lousy attitudes. But if you feel braving the lunch crowd is for you, beware, you might leave with the attitude of a Yankees fan whose team has just exited the first round of the playoffs.

• Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery 1517 Lincoln Boulevard | Santa Monica 90401| (310) 395-8279

Photo by Caleb Bacon (Twitter) for LAist

Where do you get your Italian subs? Comment Below!

MUSICAL THEATRE
Just a few more dates are left for the musical Fellowship, a musical parody of The Fellowship of the Ring directed by Joel McCrary. It plays tonight at 8 pm at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank, and runs through July 12. This is a Broadway-style sendup of Tolkein’s characters, includes 12 original songs, and an “over-the-top opening number with barefooted tap-dancing Hobbits, to an elf-on-human 80's power ballad with a live guitar solo performed by the rightful heir of Gondor.”

*Pencil pick of the day

JS: A family friend of mine owns this building. We knew this space was going to become available. We really liked this location a lot. We started brainstorming what would work best in the neighborhood. Jason has a lot of friends who live here. We asked them what they thought would work on this neighborhood. Something of good quality and also good value. Everything we serve is $10 or less with really fresh, quality ingredients.

What do you like about the Fairfax neighborhood?

JS: There are two things we like about it. We like the traditional Jewish roots here. It's a place our grandparents used to come visit and where our friends live now. We like that duality.

JB: Frequently you have areas in any city that are really touristy and others that are really insidery. This area is very historic and significant and wears its history on its sleeve. It's also very modern and culturally relevant. So if you go to the Grove and the Farmer's Market, Angelenos shop next to tourists from Ohio. I don't think you have that same phenomenon if for example you go to Hollywood and Highland. Fairfax felt like that great way to welcome people to California and make them feel at home here, as well as making a place that really fit in with the vibe of the area. We had to play a lot with that in the decor and ambiance. How do we make something that feels both at home and really new? We tried to do it on a shoe-stringy budget. We tried to fit in with the area. Seeing Animal come in was really great. This street really feels like a city. I live in Koreatown now, and it's one of the thing I like about living in the city.

Do you have a favorite Korean BBQ?

JB: I like Parks at 955 S. Vermont. Parks is the only restaurant, aside from this one, that I know the address for. I like Cham Sut Gol on the corner of 4th Avenue and Olympic. Those two are pretty solid. And Soot Bull Jeep on 8th Street.

Can you talk a little bit about developing the menu with Samir Mohajer?

JB: The menu was sort of developed twice. The first time with Samir, because we were two knuckleheads who didn't know how to run a restaurant. First we met with Samir for ideas, but a lot of the menu changed and developed when we started working with Rene. He deserves a lot of credit too. A lot of the menu items came with Rene Lopez. He runs the kitchen now. (Jason points out Rene in the kitchen.) Like the BLT. We had this really great bacon from the Farmer's Market and thought, "what do we do with it?" It's one the burger, but we wanted to do something to feature it. He suggested doing something really simple like a BLTA. He is responsible for that and the lamb burger and for the fish 'n' chips. James played basketball with Samir. He was so warm and open. At the time he was leaving a restaurant to open a restaurant very similar to ours. We worked with him for about six weeks while he showed us the ropes, taught us how to operate a kitchen.

There was a Jonathan Gold article where he talked about The Golden State and referred to amateur restaurants. How did you feel about that?

JB: I think it is great. The attitude that he came in with was the attitude we would love everyone to come in with. There isn't a lot of showmanship here. We possess a certain amount of knowledge, but our menu is more curatorial. It's created out of love. Fundamentally I think our job is to get really good ingredients and not screw them up.

Talk a little bit about how you chose the meat for the burgers and Let's Be Frank Hot Dogs.

JB: Every aspect of the menu was chosen by James and myself. We would sit down and try things with Rene or Samir. For the burgers we tried about five or six different blends of beef.

JS: With the beef and the hot dogs, they already they already had that recognition. Our families shopped at those places. I had Let's Be Frank hot dogs at my wedding. Those were things that were close to us before we opened this place. We wanted to share that familiarity and that family feeling from those vendors and products with our customers.

JB: We said that from the beginning. We are doing less of running a restaurant than we are running a talent show and trying to host these people and showcase the food. I guess we are producers.

How did you approach Tai Kim from Scoops and convince him to let you sell Scoop Ice Cream at The Golden State?

JS: We asked him, "If we open a place, can we sell Scoops? He said, "Sure." I don't think he ever thought that 10 months later he'd be standing here. Many other people have asked to sell Scoops.

JB: We were already really good friends with Tai. The funny part is until about eight months into construction, Tai had agreed to do it from day one , but one day he walked in to see the place and said, "Ok, you guys are actually doing this."

JS: We just started out as Scoops customers. We would go there all the time. We became friends with him. We know people approach him often.

JB: During construction I didn't have another job. So I would roll, over to Tai's and help him scoop three days a week there. A guy came in here last week and asked me, "Weren't you just scooping at Scoops? How did you get the money to open a restaurant?"

Does Tai choose the flavors or do you?

JB: It is collaborative, especially when we have really new beers. We have worked at the Craft Beer Fest together. Usually Tai rolls by with whatever he wants. He created a Sour Cherry Dill ice cream to pair with our Ommegang Rouge.  The cherries were marinated in brandy and he added a little bit of dill. He also did a Jim Beam nutmeg ice cream for a beer float, too.

Explain the beer float phenomenon to people who can't imagine beer and ice cream in the same glass.

JB: We definitely are not the first people to do the beer float thing. I am confident in saying we are the first ones to have Old Rasputin and Scoops. Actually, when we were doing it at the house and we were futzing around with it, we started with a carbonated beer, but it really comes into its own when we use a nitrogenated beer. It has a very silky mouth feel to it.

JS: It already has that natural creamier texture.

You focus on local foods for the menu. Are all the beers local?

JS: Right now seven out of the eight draft beers are local. We want to offer the best and when we can source it out of California we are going to do it.

JB: The cod for the fish n chip is not caught off of the Santa Monica Pier. It's line caught wild Icelandic cod. It couldn't be further from California if we tried, but it is really good.

So local with a few exceptions.

JS: The cod is beer battered with local beer.

JB: California produces a lot of great beer, but James and I like a particular kind of beer called Saison and it is not produced frequently in California. So we did put a Saison Dupont on the menu. We have had some local Saisons. Sometime we have to go elsewhere to get it.

How did you decide on counter service for ordering instead of having waiters come to the table?

JB: When I am taking orders at the counter I have had several people comment. "Hey, you really know a lot about this place." I say, "I am the owner." People are surprised to see us taking orders and wiping down tables. It's made it really efficient. When we designed the place we wanted to make sure every table is visible from the central vantage point at the cash register. We want to be able to see everyone, to see if they need anything. So I take order, fill drinks, and act like a waiter for the tables. It is counter service, but we take care of bringing the food and the personal interaction. That's the part I like the most. I love to recommend what beer will go best with the meal.

You have become pretty popular with some people in the restaurant business. We have seen Joan McNamara from Joan's on Third here and hear that Nancy Silverton is a fan. Where do the two of you eat when you have time off?

JB: I go to El Torino and Jitlada. El Torino is on Olympic and Hoover at the edge of Koreatown.

And Jitlada is a Jonathan Gold favorite. How how about you James?

JS; I eat Cup of Noodles and Top Ramen at home or I will save up money and go eat sushi.

Where is your favorite sushi place?

JS: I can't tell you. I don't want anyone else to know. I save up enough money to eat at that one sushi place about every three months.

How long have you both lived in Los Angeles?

JB: My whole life. I grew up in Beverly Hills and went to college up north at UC Berkeley. James went to UC Santa Barbara. We went to high school together at Crossroads. Now I live in Koreaown.

JS: I live in Carthay Circle.

Favorite unique place to visit in LA?

JB: I remember loving the Griffith Observatory when I was a kid. I want to get back there to see the renovation. I haven't had time. It looks so gorgeous from down here.

JS:  I remember loving going to place I called Camel Park. There was a sandbox with statues of camels in it. It was near Aaron Spelling's house in Westwood. That's probably not the real name- just what I called it when I was a kid.

JB; When I was a kid I spent a lot of time at the Farmer's Market with my grandma. We went there every week.

JS: And I always loved going to Rite Aid for ice cream.

And now you serve Scoops. This space use to be Nova Express.

JB: It was an intergalactic coffeehouse with cosmic pizza. It had an eight foot drop ceiling. It was exclusively lit by black light. We ripped up the floors, added a bathroom, expanded the kitchen, added gas- it was all electric. We couldn't afford an architect or a general contractor. That was really an adventure. We couldn't afford an expediter, the person you pay ten grand to push your alcohol permits through. So we had to go before the zoning boards and the city council and to the zoning administration. We put on suits and ties.

So I guess now putting on a Golden State shirt and serving beer is pretty cush.

JB: Yes we've been wearing our Golden Shirts every day for a while now.

Who designed the t-shirts?

JS: A guy named Lando Ettrick.

JB: We wanted kind of a Saul Bass look.

JS: I used to work in advertising and I use to work with him. He lived downstairs. Jason and I went out to dinner one night and told him about what we were thinking. A sort of Saul Bass font meets Doris Day/Rock Hudson Calligraphy.

What has surprised you the most about owning a restaurant?

JB: We thought, "Let's create a place that we would like and our friends would go to." Friends are coming in and friends of friends. My mom comes in and says, "It is nice to see faces in here that I don't recognize." I said to her, "Well, it is a restaurant." People always talk about how hard it is to run a restaurant. I was prepared for it. I am not saying it's not hard, but I think about what makes me feel tired and beleaguered and run down and it is certainly not running this place. What I hated was building a restaurant. The construction, dealing with the city, permits, the nightmarish bureaucracy, and the departments that don't agree with each other. I was surprised that that was the horrifying part.

JS: I guess I was surprised that people actually come here. They come back. They seem to like it. I don't know if we expected to open our doors and have the kind of response we have had so far. Jason and I both feel really lucky to have this clientele base that we really like. People are appreciative. People seem to be happy. It's refreshing and it's nice to see.

Head over to The Golden State to see the shirts, eat the food, and meet Jason and James. They are located at 426 North Fairfax Avenue across from Canter's Deli. They are open noon -10p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.