Name: Paul Shrater

Age: 36

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Occupation: Co-Founder, Minimus.biz

Status: Taken

Diva Minds Want to Know…

1. Where do you like to flirt?

At home with my wife. But for single people who want to experience the L.A. “scene,” there are plenty of bars on Sunset Blvd. For the more alternative crowd, there are many bars “east of Cahuenga Blvd.,” and for the more laid-back scene, there are nightlife locations in either places like Santa Monica, or even some in the San Fernando Valley on Ventura Blvd.

2. Where is your favorite table for two?

I like some of the non-obvious hidden gems of the city. For example, while there may be fancier, or more notable, Sunday brunches in town, the Castaway in Burbank one offers a huge variety of food at a great price and with great views. Some of the best Indian food, in my opinion, can be found at a small place in Studio City, Bollywood Cafe. Try the chicken tikka masala And, it is a rite of passage for visitors to L.A. to have a burger from In-N-Out (I have known many people who, on a layover, will duck out of LAX to go to the location around the corner). Ask for the burger “Animal Style”—it isn’t on the menu.

3. Where should we stay when we visit?

I am personally partial to The Langham Huntington in Pasadena. But, for those who want a great beach experience (and some great food as well), try Shutters on the Beach.

4. What qualities do you find irresistible in a woman?

People always talk about “qualities” in another person, but in the end, it really comes down to chemistry and whether you truly connect with someone. And I believe you are either “wired” the same way to connect with someone, or you aren’t, it isn’t something that can change.

5. Where can we find you on a free Sunday afternoon?

Playing some basketball, taking my daughter to the park, or going to the mall (the newest one in town, The Americana, is quite nice.

6. What do you love most about your hometown (besides our arrival)?

There are many different pockets of the city, and its surrounding suburbs, where you can find the type of world you want to be in (the hipster “scene,” suburbia, beach-life, etc.), but you can also then visit any one of those places nearby.

7. What should we bring when we visit? What should we leave with?

Bring some items to pamper yourself with from Minimus.biz, and leave with a sense that have a new fun destination to return to for vacationing—one of the best ways to experience that is to do things that are beyond the normal tourist locales.

8. What do we absolutely have to see while we’re there?

Some say you need to see one of the latest architectural marvels (at a cost of over $1 billion), The Getty Museum. Some say you need to go to the ocean (The Santa Monica Pier is a good place to see the ocean and have something else to do at the same time). A fun evening can be had at the Magic Castle (where the world’s best magicians hang out and perform at their own private club). Some great day trips include Santa Barbara, San Diego, or Catalina Island. I don’t think L.A. really has a lot of “must-see” things. You can really build your own trip to suit your tastes of the types of things you like to do.

9. Any areas of town we should avoid?

I once had a friend say that he wanted to get a hotel in Downtown, so he could walk around and “see L.A.” There really isn’t much to do downtown (except maybe for Olvera Street, the city’s first street), but everything in L.A. is basically a half hour drive from everything else (and that also depends on the time of day and traffic), so plan on spending a lot of time in the car going from place to place.

10. Any local secrets you want to share?

Some of the local famous been-around-forever inexpensive food places are: Pink’s Hot Dogs, The Apple Pan, Johnnies Pastrami, Tito’s Tacos, The Original Tommy’s, Phillipe’s, El Tepeyac, and Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles.