Pet owners have no limits lately

The pet industry is still booming in the face of the recession. Some pet owners are going to unheard of measures to ensure that their animals are healthy, well-fed, and in some extreme cases, comfortable while traveling. From the outlandish to the exotic to the practical, here's a look at what's new in the domestic animal kingdom:

Puppy Luxe : The super-rich may be pawning last season's designer wardrobe and selling off a vacation home or two, but with some still treating their pets like spoiled children, apparently there remains a market for pampered pet services. Nestled in the heart of Hollywood, D Pet Hotels provides high-end dog boarding; the extensive list of in-house amenities, which reads like that of a five-star resort, includes luxury suites with king- and queen-sized beds and flat screen TVs, the chic D Boutique, a full-service spa, a chauffeured car service, and a photo set with professional "furtographers" ready to capture Bailey's best headshot. (What, no mini-bar?) While D Pet Hotels serves as an extravagant home-away-from-home for dogs lucky enough to still have one, a new pet-only airline service recently launched for those who think their critters deserve better than the cargo hold. With its maiden voyage scheduled for July 14^th, Pet Airways will soon offer first class service to dogs and cats traveling between five cities (Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Chicago and Denver), with fares starting at $149 each way. The only humans allowed on Pet Airways flights are the pilots and flight attendants who provide food, comfort and assistance for up to 50 "pawsengers" per flight. With most consumers eschewing luxury purchases for themselves these days, it will be interesting to see if passionate pet owners are willing and able to splurge on such services for their furry pals.

Home Cooking : Mirroring the increasing caution taken by consumers about processed foods these days, more devoted pet owners are finding peace of mind in spending a couple of hours a week making their animals healthy meals that wouldn't necessarily be out of place at their own dinner tables. While cooking for one's pet can be more time-consuming and expensive than tossing a bag of kibble into a shopping cart, owners are likely to save money in the long run, as their healthier pets will likely require fewer (and less expensive) visits to the vet. However, cooking up healthy, balanced meals for cats and dogs is no easy feat, and it's suggested that pet parents do their homework before getting into the kitchen.

-from trendcentral

The lunch cart revolution continues to go gourmet

For decades the food truck has been the blue collar bastion of greasy deep-fried fare. Now it's time to get excited about the lunch cart's recent gourmet makeover. Popularized on the coasts, foodie trucks, such as LA's now-famous Kogi, have found the perfect moment to compete with restaurants. The combination of highly mobile social networking technologies, which allow them to communicate their locations and dishes with real-time ease, and savvy citizens looking to save a little cash on lunch has lurched foodie trucks into the limelight. Here are some new trucks that we wish would park outside our office!

Border Grill Taco Truck : While they are newcomers on the truckin' scene, the owners of this taco truck, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, have been prominent players in the Los Angeles culinary world for some time now: They are co-owners of Border Grill, a sustainable restaurant which has been spicing up Santa Monica's taste buds since the '80s. The taco truck, which so far has been popping up around downtown Los Angeles, offers budget versions of the restaurant's fancier fare, including $2 tacos and $5 quesadillas, as well as other treats such as brownies and pomegranate lemonade.

Click here to follow Border Grill Taco Truck's Twitter feed.

La Cense Beef Burger Truck : Slated to start serving up mouth-watering burgers to hungry Midtown Manhattan workers sometime next week, LCB Burger Truck will only serve beef sourced from 100% grass-fed cattle. The brainchild of the sustainable Montana ranch where the beef is raised, the six-ounce burgers will be cooked to patrons' specifications, topped with specialized condiments such as caramelized onions, and accompanied by potato chips.

Click here to follow LCB Burger Truck's Twitter feed.

Marination Mobile : Not all foodie trucks start with a chef looking to spread the delicious lunch love: Seattle's Marination Mobile was created by entrepreneurs Kamala Saxton and Roz Edison, who, despite not having restaurant industry pedigrees, were proud of their homemade marinades. Combining Hawaiian, Mexican and Korean cuisines, this lunch-haven-on-wheels serves up everything from kalbi tacos and kalua pork sliders to kimchi quesadillas and SPAM masubi. Vegetarians will be tempted by the marinated tofu tacos and heaping bowls of kimchi fried rice. Most items ring in under $5, leaving not only your stomach happy, but your wallet too.

Click here to follow Marination Mobile's Twitter feed.

That album looks good on you

Music has long inspired the creation and sales of products in every category from electronics to clothes. The emergence of boutique music-oriented fashion brands, such as Lyric Culture and i/denti/tee, allows consumers to literally wear their favorite song lyrics on their sleeves. And even iconic maestros have leveraged their own musical masterpieces to generate interest in less commercial passion projects - as Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse recently did on behalf of their haunting David Lynch collaboration, Dark Night of the Soul. While such novel tactics may utilize music to help sell more consumer products, the inverse equation rarely holds true, with such doing little to improve upon methods of digital music distribution. (After all, did any of those faddish USB-drive distributed albums really spark album sales?) However, despite the sad state of music sales, a new distribution method, The Music Tee, has industry insiders excited as of late.

The Music Tee is a savvy collaboration between indie fashion label LnA (best known for their simple white tees) and music arbiter Invisible DJ (best known for curating in-store playlists for SoCal staples like Ron Herman and Juicy Couture). Featuring original album art on the front of a tee and a playlist on the back, the shirt also boasts a URL code-embedded hangtag that allows the wearer to download the album. It's doubtful that the advent of the Music Tee distribution model will stop anyone from renewing their RapidShare Pro account, but it could ultimately drive some people to pay for music once again - and may reinvigorate the concept of the complete album in this age of disposable singles. The shirt has even sparked new controversy in the music industry as to whether sales will count towards Nielsen Soundscan figures: Nielsen reps have said they have no intention of counting the sales, but the record labels behind each shirt can reportedly impart sales figures to Nielsen upon receiving them from Invisible DJ. (No finite conclusion to the matter has been reached as of press time.)

The inaugural Tee, dubbed the "mix tape" shirt, features an eclectic mix of tracks from the likes of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Alice Russell, Theresa Andersson, WAZ, and more. The first artist-specific shirt - The Mos Def Music Tee, featuring Mos Def's forthcoming album The Ecstatic - drops on July 7^th. A Downtown Records collection of Tees featuring Miike Snow, Santigold, and Cold War Kids is also in the works, along with an extended line of "mix tape" shirts to be sold exclusively at upscale fashionista emporium Shopbop. Should The Music Tee concept take off, it will not only give artists some much needed sales, but, in this age where most music consumers never even see liner notes, it will also reinvigorate the art of the album cover. While it's certainly nice to hang an LP on your wall, being able to wear it may be even cooler.

Foodie trends

Haute Dogs : For a long time now encased meats have been the great equalizer - a democratic way to enjoy summer festivities - but now the hot dog is taking the place of hamburger as the Americana foodie obsession du jour. Hot Doug's in Chicago has been ahead of the foodie flock on this trend (which makes sense given Chicago's long-standing romance with overflowing franks) and has developed a cult following, to the point of devoted customers willingly waiting in line outside in the rain for their gourmet dogs. On any given day, exotic options range from Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage to Rattlesnake Meat Hot Dog. Now, restaurants in cities across the country are following suit, serving up their own unique variations of the American classic. Cafe Rouge in Berkeley, CA hand makes their hot dogs in-house with Berkshire pork, and Miami-based Franktitude decks out their dogs with unusual toppings like guacamole, wasabi, and sunflower seeds.

Designer Ice: Ice is one of those things that you may never give a second thought, except perhaps when you run out in the middle of a party. But soon, you may be following the lead of trendsetting mixologists who are getting down to the details when it comes to ice. According to aficionados, the way ice is shaped affects the taste, temperature and texture of cocktails. BarChef in Toronto takes an 18^th century approach, hand-chipping jagged shards from a huge slab on the countertop, while The Violet Hour in Chicago also chips ice from a block, changing the shape depending on the drink. For, say, a Scotch on the rocks, the barback will chisel a ball-shaped ice formation - the round shape melts more slowly than cubed ice, meaning it won't dilute your expensive Scotch.

DIY Foodie Catering: Young people, often somehow connected to the music or craft scenes, are increasingly stepping into the kitchen and creating exploratory foods for noise concerts, art shows, friends' parties, and in some cases, are even being hired for events. In LA, two members of the psych-rock band Pocahaunted moonlight as Crops and Rawbers, an all raw, experimental catering company that primarily supplies warehouse parties with vegan delights. We expect to see more DIY catering side projects popping up in the art and music scenes, as trendsetters increasingly obsesses over what kinds of food they are putting in their bodies, even in the midst of partying the night away.

-From trendcentral

Websites to make your mouth water

Gourmet Journeys: French champagne house G.H. Mumm cleverly launched this virtual culinary trip around the world at a time when consumers with increasingly globalized palates are more inclined to prepare meals at home due to decreasing travel budgets. The vibrant site features a cookbook's worth of exotic specialties and menu items from a handful of internationally renowned culinary cities, including St. Petersburg, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Seville. In addition to downloadable recipes, dining, and entertainment tips, each menu comes with suggested champagne pairings care of Didier Mariotti, G.H. Mumm's cellar master. This website is a gem of a resource for gourmet-on-a-budget foodie affairs - or for a virtual getaway to the South of France, soundtrack included.

Veggie Trader: And for those who'd rather stick to locally grown fruits, herbs, and veggies, this produce swapping site allows fledgling farmers to buy, sell, or trade homegrown produce with likeminded crop cultivators. The grassroots-style system allows members looking for local produce in their area to anonymously enter a zip code to see what's available - they can also post for specific produce to see if any of their neighbors can fulfill their requests - at which time, individual parties can negotiate an acceptable barter, trade, or point of sale. 

-From trendcentral

Seen on the streets fashion

Boater Hats: With all the straw boater hats hittin' the streets, you may be confused in thinking there's a barbershop quartet renaissance happening. While you probably won't hear the fashionable flocks harmonizing on the fly, they are swapping out last year's floppy hats for this more prim and proper alternative that complements the Picnic at Hanging Rock-inspired looks seen in Lula magazine.

Round Specs: Wayfarers don't seem to be going away anytime soon, but those in the know are abandoning the New Wave look in favor of small circular shades. Whether Lennon-style granny wire-rims, as seen sported lately by trendsetter Mary-Kate Olsen, or '80s prep tortoiseshell like this awesomely affordable pair by Fred Flare, circular glasses are sure to be the next big eyewear trend you'll soon tire of seeing.

Cut-Outs: Microscopic cut-offs aren't the only article of clothing showing some skin this season. Peek-a-boo cut-outs not seen since In Living Color was on the air are exposing midriffs, torsos, shoulders, and backs. As exemplified by the vintage spandex dresses found up on eBay or in hipster socialite line Sophomore's current collection of soft cotton cut-out dresses, the look certainly isn't for the body-conscious, but for those who can flaunt it, the built-in "A/C vents" are perfect for sweaty summer days.

-from trendcentral

Twitter chase to hottest dining spots

Perfect?  The Ultimate in dining?

LOS ANGELES, California-- Finding one of the newest hot spots for dining in Los Angeles may require Twittering and a GPS, because the locations of the Kogi trucks are always changing.

Those mouth-watering tacos are a fusion of Korean and Mexican food and are served from two company trucks that have drawn a devoted following over six months. Word from those satisfied mouths and the social network Twitter has people lining up at the trucks for up to two hours.

Two Kogi trucks, named Verde and Roja, roam the streets of the Los Angeles area from noon until about 2 a.m. Kogi co-founder Caroline Shin-Manguera sometimes has a hard time wrapping her head around their success.

"It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. We make our people wait in line for two hours, and we make them wait in the rain, and we don't give them chairs to sit on, we don't take reservations, we're late half the time, but we must be doing something right."

Choi trained at the Culinary Institute of America and cooked at places like Le Bernardin in New York and Trader Vics in Los Angeles before jumping into the taco truck business.

The company launched in November 2008 with one truck and basically had no customers, so the owners ate the tacos themselves. Today, they have more than 25,500 followers on Twitter, and they can't even estimate how many people they feed a day.

Choi says the goal is to "serve the best possible food for the cheapest price, and just try to get rid of everything you have, and you made everything fresh that day."

Dining from the trucks late at night can be a community or family affair.  "There's sometimes 600-1,000 people in the street. Sometimes they wait for us even before we get there. Sometimes late at night, even midnight, they bring their 2-year-old, 3-year-old, 4-year-old kids and they wait in line," notes Choi.

Clouet was pleased with her first Kogi experience and says it's "something to do. Ya know, to spend an hour of your life in line and mingle with people. You've never seen these people before, but they're here for the same reason."

Locations can change at the last minute, so diners better have a phone or BlackBerry with them so they're not standing in some parking lot by themselves waiting for nothing.

"I look at our food as graffiti, ya know, so like some people look at graffiti as a beautiful thing, some people think that it's a menace to society, ya know. I think it's the same thing with Kogi. Some people embrace us, enjoy our food, invite us into their places and their parking lots; some people look at us as a menace."

One song was commissioned by a customer who is wild about Kogi.

-from CNN.com