Martini God - Blog

March 4, 2020
A reuben and fries at Shakers hit the spot for lunch today.

March 3, 2020
Back to Casa Bianca for a nice spaghetti carbonara tonight. The salad and tiramisu were good as well.

February 12, 2020
We had lunch at Carrow's today, and I tried the pastrami. It was very nice, almost like a reuben in style.

February 7, 2020
Tonight we indulged in a leisurely supper at Colombo's. We started with Calamari, and confirmed the fact that they've lost a step on this one. Perfect marinara sauce though. I had the Chicken Pesto ravioli, which was quite good, as all their raviolis are. For dessert we had a tiramisu, which I don't recall them having before. It was very nice.

February 1, 2020
Got out to the track today, and won some money. I enjoyed a nice soup at the Frontrunner.

January 22, 2020
For lunch today, we went to Shakers. I ordered something new off of the "Life-Style Offerings" menu, which consists of supposedly lighter, healthier fare. I had the Mediterranean Pita Plate. It was quite good - I gobbled it all up, but the portion was by no means small. I had it with chicken, which at $9.95 was cheaper than most of the sandwiches. The flavors were really just hinting at traditional Mediterranean; this was more geared toward Whitey. That notwithstanding, it was still an excellent lunch.

January 18, 2020
We were hungry, and decided on El Portal in Pasadena for dinner. The place was crowded, so we had to wait a while; but not too long. We were seated in a back room of whose existence we were previously unaware. The pitcher of house margaritas really hit the spot. I got the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, which I always enjoy here. When I've eaten all the goods, I use a spoon to drink the sauce like soup - it's that delicious.

January 14, 2020
First visit of the year to Casa Bianca. We had sausage pizza, salad, and tiramisu.

January 6, 2020
We enjoyed a nice dinner at Taix tonight. We started with a Negroni at the bar, which room was very busy with diners. I chose the Steak Frites au Poivre, and added soup and salad. The soup on Mondays is a tasty Minestrone. I had the Caesar Salad. Those, along with bread and butter pretty much filled me up, so I only ate about half my entree, taking the rest home. My steak was a bit over cooked, but it has such a nice sauce, one really doesn't notice. It was nice to see quite a few younger people here tonight. Hopefully, this place will be able to remain a Los Angeles institution.

December 26, 2019
It had been far too long since we've had the world's best hamburger - a Blue Chip. Wow!

December 19, 2019
We had a pleasant, leisurly dinner at the Smoke House tonight. After cocktail - I had a Greyhound - and Garlic Cheese Toast, we had a cup of Clam Chowder. I went with the excellent Chicken Pot Pie tonight. For dessert, delicious New York style Cheesecake.

December 17, 2019
We went for an early dinner at Casa Bianca, and really savored the Hawaiian Pizza. We got an especially big hunk of tiramisu.

December 16, 2019
Mai Tais, Lentil Soup, and Chopped Steak at Damon's tonight. Always a good deal.

December 15, 2019
We saw A Christmas Carol at the Noise Within tonight - they always do a great job with it. Afterwards, we went over to Panda, and had an excellent meal consisting of Egg Roll, Sweet and Sour Pork, Pork with Pan Fried Noodles, and Cashew Chicken.

December 14, 2019
I enjoyed the Shrimp and Garlic Ravioli at Colombo's tonight. The spumoni cake really hit the spot for dessert.

November 13, 2019
California Chop Steak at Shakers for lunch today. The remodeling is done, and, thankfully, is just a good refreshing.

November 11, 2019
Dinner was a nice Shepherd's Pie along with a Guinness at Griffin's of Kinsale tonight.

November 8, 2019
We had a nice, local dinner at Colombo's tonight. We tried the crab cakes, which had a mustard and balsamic dressing, along with a bit of a salad. These were excellent. I had the Pasta Puttanesca which was quite flavorful, but they went a bit overboard with the anchovy. Still quite nice.

November 3, 2019
For lunch we took a drive out to the TGIFridays in Woodland Hills. I had a bacon, ranch chicken sandwich, which was very good, if a bit messy.

October 23, 2019
I had a nice beef dip for lunch at Damon's today. I had the salad, and 60s diet favorite cottage cheese! It's a nice midday break to go into cool, dark Damon's for lunch.

October 19, 2019
We went to see the Pasadena Symphony at Ambassador Auditorium tonight, and saw a nice concert anchored by Brahms Symphony No. 1. Afterwards, I enjoyed a dish of spaghetti carbonara at Casa Bianca.

October 18, 2019
We had a pleasant dinner at Villa Sombrero tonight. The margarita is always a mood changer! I had a two beef taco combo plate, and it was a good night for doing so, as the meat was especially good tonight.

October 13, 2019
We got back to the Smoke House tonight, where I had perennial favorite Steak Sinatra, which was especially good tonight, as the meat was real tender.

October 11, 2019
I met the guys for dinner at Tommy's Sushi in Tustin. I wasn't too hungry, so a tempura combo appetizer plate did the trick - along with a soft shell crab.

October 10, 2019
Tonight we had dinner at Maximiliano. We tried both the Calimari and the Lumpia for appetizers; both were fried up just right. Next we had Porcini Mushroom Risotto. This was excellent; rich taste, and perfect texture. For an entree I had the Papardelle with Pork Ragu, which was quite satisfying.

October 2, 2019
I thought something simple would hit the spot for lunch today, and the French Dip at Carrow's was a good choice. Because it was Wednesday, it came with a free slice of pie. I got the cherry pie, which I enjoyed later at home.

September 29, 2019
We had dinner at El Portal in Pasadena. I got my favorite Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, which was delicious. We played it smart this time and ordered the pitcher of Margaritas!

September 24, 2019
Well, the Casa Bianca folks are back from their summer vacation, so we had an especially good Hawaiian Pizza tonight. Started with salad; finished with tiramisu.

September 11, 2019
We finally returned to Shakers for lunch today. I really had a hankering for the reuben, and it was as good as ever.

September 7, 2019
We had dinner at Colombo's tonight. They offered a fantastic sounding special of Veal Parmesan, side, and salad, for $19; but everyone else must have thought that sounded good too, and they had run out. I got the lobster ravioli instead, which is always good.

September 5, 2019
A nice dinner was had at our local taco joint, Villa Sombrero. We celebrated with 2 grande margaritas.

August 31, 2019
After a day at the race track - and a great albondigas soup at the Frontrunner - I used my winnings to get the $9.49 steak dinner at the Crest Lounge in Temple City. Now you can't beat that!

August 21, 2019
I enjoyed the Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's for lunch today. Love the hash browns here.

August 16, 2019
We went to Hollywood and had dinner at Miceli's. I had the Fettucine Carbonara, which is always a good, hearty choice.

August 15, 2019
Good lunch at Salsa and Beer in North Hollywood today. I had the #7 combo - beef taco and cheese enchilada. The beef was shredded - and was nice and tender. The selection of salsas was interesting, and tasty.

August 12, 2019
Mai Tais hit the spot at Damon's tonight - as well as the ground steak and creamed corn.

August 6, 2019
We had dinner at Maximiliano tonight. I had the Caccio e Pepe, which was good, but a bit over-seasoned. A tiramisu dessert was excellent.

July 31, 2019
Lunch at Gus's - Chicken Fried Steak!

July 26, 2019
The Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, and a GRANDE margarita really hit the spot at El Portal in Pasadena.

July 21, 2019
Nice dinner on a warm Sunday evening at Il Fornaio. I had the rich Bolognese Gnocchi. We started with the excellent Calamari.

July 10, 2019
It was my first time ever having lunch at Damon's, and was glad I did. I had the Deli Style Pastrami, which was excellent. It came with the usual choice of sides - I had fries. It also came with soup or salad; and I had salad on this hot day. The pastrami was high quality, served on rye bread topped with cole slaw, swiss cheese, and Russian dressing.

June 29, 2019
We had dinner at Colombo's tonight, enjoying the music of Stunt Road. The calamari always hit the spot. I then had a dinner salad, and the bolognese ravioli, which are rich and creamy.

June 19, 2019
Catfish at Gus's for lunch. Substituted greens for the fries. Very good.

May 29, 2019
Another nice lunch at Denny's, with their fine Phillie Cheese Steak. They served thicker fries this time, which are not as good as the thin ones.

May 20, 2019
After returning on the Amtrak from Moorpark, we went to the new Imperial Western Brewing Company in the old Harvey House location at Union Station. We sampled a stout and a weissbier, both of which had nice flavours associated with their genre.

May 8, 2019
Excellent Phillie Cheese at Denny's in Pasadena today. It was, as they say, "loaded".

May 2, 2019
I had the businessman's breakfast at Pat & Lorraine's this morning. This is one of the lightest things on the menu, but still filled me up.

April 29, 2019
A nice Mai Tai Monday dinner at Damon's today. I finished up a chopped steak.

April 27, 2019
We saw the epic Soviet-era movie version of War and Peace at the Egyptian Theatre. The eight hours were well worth it. In the portions of the book it covered, it was quite true to the original. Every cinematic trick in the book was thrown in.

April 17, 2019
I had a Grand Slam Breakfast at Denny's - eggs, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes. I'm happily stuffed.

April 15, 2019
We had breakfast at the Majestic Gardens Hotel in Anaheim. I had the Bacon & Eggs. The extra $2 for the meat yielded a generous four slices of tasty bacon.

April 13, 2019
I enjoyed some spring rolls at the Frontrunner today. They were a bit tortilla-like on this occasion.

March 26, 2019
We had lunch at Gus's BBQ today. I returned to an old favorite, the Chicken Fried Steak, and was glad I did.

March 23, 2019
We enjoyed a concert by the Pasadena Symphony tonight. Mahler's Symphony No. 1 was the featured work, and it was quite a nice performance. Afterwards we went to Casa Bianca, and the joint was jumping. We had the breaded mushrooms, salad, and cheese ravioli - everything good, and enough left over for another meal.

March 6, 2019
I enjoyed a nice combo breakfast (for lunch) at Coco's today. I liked the coffee cake!

March 1, 2019
We had a delightful, margarita fueled, dinner at Villa Sombrero tonight. The Chicken Enchilada was especially tasty.

February 23, 2019
I went over to Colombo's for a few drinks, and picked up some Spaghetti and Meatballs to take home. I had a good time there, and enjoyed the dinner later.

February 22, 2019
I went to Denny's today, for the first time in many years, and had a Grand Slam breakfast. It was a nice amount of food at a fair price - and they had good hash browns.
Later, we caught the musical Ragtime at the Pasadena Playhouse. I must say the quality of the performance was top notch - among the best I've seen. I enjoyed Act I more than Act II, as the story went a little flat.
Afterwards, we went to Casa Bianca and had an excellent Hawaiian pizza.

February 13, 2018
We finally got back to Pat and Lorraine's today. While the prices are a bit high for a diner, you certainly get a lot of food. I had Jose's special: 3 eggs any style, home fries, sausage patties and gravy, and a huge biscuit. It's really enough food for three meals.

February 9, 2019
After a winning day at Santa Anita, we went to the Pot Pie Shoppe in Arcadia for dinner. You don't get stinted on the food here; soup or salad to start, a pot pie, vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy, bread, and a dessert pie. Everything very home style and delicious. January 23, 2019
We had lunch at Coco's today; it was very satisfying. I felt like breakfast, so I got the bacon and eggs, with hash browns, and pancakes. I left full and happy.

January 21, 2019
We had our first trip to Damon's this year. I had a rather healthy meal: cream of carrot soup, and vegetable rigatoni. It was all very good, as were the Mai Tais.

January 19, 2019
Nice lunch at the Frontrunner today. I had a bowl of minestrone which was really nice. The margherita pizza really hit the spot. I also had a bread bowl to fill up on.

January 18, 2019
We went for an early dinner at Casa Binca. We got there before 5:00, but the place was already nearly full. We started with the breaded mushrooms, then we filled up on antipasto. We had enough room left for some Pizza Bianco, and took the rest home.

January 14, 2019
After a business meeting, I went to the Crest Lounge in Temple City for a drink. I finally tried the $9.49 steak dinner, and it's great. You get a "baseball" steak, fried up to order, a salad, and a baked potato. It was all delicious.

December 26, 2018
Got out to Santa Anita for opening day. I didn't do too well; but I got my calendar!

December 23, 2018
We saw the musical A Carol Christmas at the Lonny Chapman Theater today. This fun, modern take on the Dickens classic is full of snappy tunes, and quite enjoyable. Afterwards we had a great meal at Ernie's on Lankersheim. Now that's a Mexican Combo plate!

December 21, 2018
I had a couple drinks with my cousin at the Crest Lounge in Temple City this afternoon. A greyhound and a beer came to $7. I shit you not.

December 19, 2018
Nice dinner at Colombo's tonight. We had the calamari; and I had the portobello mushroom ravioli.

December 12, 2018
I enjoyed the fried catfish at Gus's for lunch today. Instead of fries, I substituted the collard greens. Yum!

December 8, 2018
We met some friends for dinner at Casa Bianchi tonight. Because it was a larger group, we got a large antipasto, which was very enjoyable. We also tried the fried mushroom appetizer. It looked like it would be greasy, but it wasn't; it was crisp and tasty. Among the pizzas we ordered was a Pizza Bianchi. This was a margherita style pizza, and was so good that we plan to add it to our repertoire there.

December 2, 2018
We caught the matinee performance of this years version of A Christmas Carol by A Noise Within. It's always good, and a bit different each year. The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission. Afterward we went to the ever reliable Panda Inn. The Mai Tais were great. We had crispy egg rolls; Honey Walnut Shrimp; Garlic Chicken; and Barbecue Pork Chow Fun. Everything was good. The Chow Fun was the best I've had in years.

November 19, 2018
Nice lunch at Gus's today. I wasn't real hungry, so I got the Jack's Mac & Cheese, which I knew I wouldn't finish, but which reheats well for leftovers.

November 18, 2018
Cafe Bizou is always good for a group dinner. I enjoyed an ice cold martini at the bar, then had the steak au poivre for dinner along with a Caesar salad.

November 14, 2018
Dinner at Villa Sombrero was really good tonight. Not only were the margaritas great, but the food was especially good.

November 1, 2018
I met friends for lunch at Colombo's today. They have a pretty good selection, and the place was well frequented. I got the meatball sandwich, which was quite good. I asked them to go light on the cheese. (I don't know how much cheese they usually use, but some places just pile it on. I want a meatball sandwich, not a mozzarella sandwich). As a side, I chose the pasta salad, which was nice.

October 31, 2018
A French dip really hit the spot at Carrow's for lunch today. The fries here are good too.

October 30, 2018
We found Villa Sombrero unexpectedly closed tonight, so we had to call an audible, and go to Mijares. The margaritas were good, but not quite like the grandes at Villa. On the combo-plate, the enchilada, rice, and beans were all decent. The problem here is the taco. The shell seems almost pre-fab; not much to separate it from taco bell. The place seems to gear towards whitey.

October 27, 2018
We went to the library book sale this morning. Hadn't done that in quite a while. After that, I headed over to Santa Anita, enjoying some Turkey Noodle soup, and Vegetable Spring Rolls.

October 22, 2018
Tonight we ate at the Smoke House where they had a special anniversary menu. The Steak Sinatra, always good, was only $19.46, and included soup or salad. I had the clam chowder.

October 10, 2018
Caccio e Pepe at Maximiliano tonight. Not too bad.

October 6, 2018
We had a really good time at Villa Sombrero tonight. The two Grandes probably helped with that.

October 1, 2018
Today the big steel doors swung open, and I walked out a free man. It was the last day on the job I've had for over six years. Now, on to the next one. Well, soon.

September 30, 2018
We went to the matinee showing of A Night in the Catskills, an old fashioned variety program, at the El Portal Theatre. There were comics, singers, magicians, tap dancers, impersonaters. It was all very fun. I think my favorite act was Pete McLeod, the comic/magician. Afterwards, we ate at Little Toni's, where I had the salami sandwich I'd been thinkig about for weeks.

September 29, 2018
Santa Anita's fall meet! A fun day of drinks at the Frontrunner bar. I had a bowl of delicious Beef Barley soup.

September 19, 2018
We went to Gus's for lunch today, and I tried the Fried Catfish and Chips. I really liked the catfish, which had a nice corn meal batter.

September 17, 2018
A comfort dinner at Damon's tonight.

September 16, 2018
We took in the newish play Native Gardens at the Pasadena Playhouse this afternoon. This was pleasant light comedy, directed by Jason Alexander. Afterwards, we walked over to El Portal, a Yucutan restaurant. I had the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, which were excellent. The grande Cadillac Margarita turned out to be quite strong.

September 14, 2018
Nice dinner at Cafe Beaujolais. Everything was good - Belgium Endive Salad, Steak with Peppercorn Sauce, Creme Brulee - but we did notice some changes. Portions were a bit bigger, and prices went up a little. I thought the old portions were perfect. I got a little stuffed this time. Also, they've sped up the service a little. They still won't rush you, but the new, young wait staff is constantly on the lookout. The changes seem to have driven away some of the older crowd, but there were more young'ns than usual.

September 13, 2018
Success this time meeting friends at Tommy's. I'm off sushi per doctor's orders, so I had a sushi-less combo plate, along with some wine and sake.

September 11, 2018
Went to meet friends at Tommy's Sushi in Tustin, but a couple of us had the wrong date. We'll try again on Thursday. Dinner was good, though.

September 9, 2018
Man of La Mancha was so good last year at the Noise Within Theatre that we went back to see the same production this year! Afterwards, reliably good food and drink at the Panda Inn.

September 5, 2018
We had dinner at Folliero's Pizza tonight. You can't beat the deal on the deluxe. Everything tastes really fresh. Afterwards, we walked up the block and had a cocktail at the Cave - La Cuevita. Happy hour was still in effect, so the whole evening didn't cost too much.

August 29, 2018
Lunch at Blue Chip today. Note: they're closing at 3:30 again. I hope that's a temporary situation.

August 27, 2018
Back for a nice crunchy taco and chicken enchilada at Villa Sombrero. I had two giant margaritas, and was very happy afterward!

August 24, 2018
Nice comfort dinner of the carbonara at Miceli's tonight.

August 8, 2018
Lunch at Gus's today. I tried the Mac & Cheese. It was really rich and good; 3 cheeses, and lots of bacon and goodies. It was enough for a couple of leftover sessions.

August 7, 2018
A summertime comfort dinner at Casa Bianca tonight. Hawaiian Pizza!

August 6, 2018
We had dinner at the 5 Line Tavern in Eagle Rock. I enjoyed a couple refreshing greyhounds. The calamari was more meaty than crispy. The angel hair pasta was good.

July 18, 2018
Lunch at Coco's today. I felt like a patty melt, but didn't see one on the menu. Good thing I looked carefully at the burgers, because the San Francisco Sourdough Burger, is, essentially, a patty melt called by a different name. It was real good.

July 16, 2018
We stayed local, and had dinner at Colombo's tonight. We started with the fried calamari, which might be the best in town. I had a pasta on special - spaghetti with smoked bacon, tomatoes, and capers. This really hit the spot. We had the spumoni ice cream for dessert.

July 13, 2018
We finally got back to Taix tonight. I had the paella, which was excellent. It contained, at the least: clams and mussels in the shell, two types of fish, shrimp, bay scallops, and calamari, over a bed of saffron rice, peas, and peppers. I sampled two desserts - choclate mousse, and a pear tart, both of which I enjoyed.

July 11, 2018
We had refreshing giant margaritas, along with a beef taco/chicken enchilad combo at Villa Sombrero tonight. I'm stuffed and satisfied.

June 25, 2018
Mai Tai Monday at Damon's tonight. Navy Bean Soup, Ground Steak, and Tomato Provencale.

June 24, 2018
Back to Santa Anita today for closing day. Sat at the Frontrunner bar, and had a Cream of Turkey Noodle soup, Corn Dog Bites, and Steamed Dumpling Platter. All good.

June 23, 2018
We went to Santa Anita today to see America's 13th Triple Crown champion, Justify, parade.

June 11, 2018
I took a day of work today, and we had a day downtown. We got off the Red Line at Pershing Square, and then took Angel's Flight up the hill. She had never been on Angel's Flight, and I had gone on it once - about 50 years ago! We then went to the MOCA. Among the more interesting things on display was Jackson Pollock's No. 1. There were a few items that looked more like number two. One piece appeared to be a doo doo on an ottoman. I felt like kind of a farmer for thinking so, but then three sophisticated looking, art lovin', blonde ladies were looking at it, and started to whisper and giggle; so I didn't feel like such a rube. Afterwards we went over to Nick & Stef's, where I had a Hangar Steak, and a bowl of cold, English Pea Soup. Both were delicious. We enjoyed martinis with our lunch.

June 2, 2018
Tonight we went downtown, to the Orpheum Theatre, to see Mickey Dolenz and Mike Nesmith. They were backed by a good band, and played a lot of familar Monkee's material, along with some less heard tunes. They played 33 songs, so we definitely got our money's worth. It was an easy trip down there on the Metro.

May 30, 2018
Nice, cheap lunch today at Coco's.

May 2, 2018
Back to Blue Chip today. We also picked up some nice cookies at the Eagle Rock Italian Bakery.

April 29, 2018
We went to the matinee performance of Godspell at the Glendale Centre Theatre today. It was a nice, enjoyable show, with great early 70s music. Afterwards, we, along with many others in the audience and cast, went over to Damon's for an enjoyable dinner.

April 18, 2018
We had lunch at Gus's BBQ today, and I tried the Rib Sandwich, which was real good; has a nice cole slaw topping. Pretty much as messy as getting ribs though. The fries were nice.

April 16, 2018
Mai Tais and dinner at Damon's today. The lentil soup was excellent. I enjoyed the Tomato Provencale as a side with my ground steak.

April 4, 2018
Especially good Blue Chip combo for lunch today.

April 3, 2018
We were in search of a good taco house after the closing of El Arco Iris, so we went back to Mijares in Pasadena, where we hadn't been for a long time. I remembered the house margarita as being kind of week, but that was not the case today - two made me very happy. I got the number 2 combo, beef taco, cheese enchilada, rice and beans. The taco is just passing - the shell is a bit thin, and the ground beef filling wasn't much past Lawry's. I guess, judging by the vast number of white people here, that this is probably what the clientele wants. The rest of it was decent, nothing special. Still, the atmosphere was nice, and we did enjoy our drinks!

March 29, 2018
We saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Glendale Centre Theatre tonight. We really enjoyed the show, which had quite a large cast moving about the relatively small theatre. We ate at Casa Bianca after the show, where I enjoyed the Spaghetti Carbonara.

March 21, 2018
We had lunch at Coco’s today. The Prime Rib Phillie Melt was an excellent take on the traditional Phillie Cheesesteak, this being served on sourdough bread instead of a roll. We wanted to try their pie, as it’s supposed to be good. We were very impressed with the quality of the Blackberry Pie.

March 19, 2018
A comfort dinner on Mai Tai Monday at Damon’s. I gobbled down the chopped steak. It seems they have a new side: sautéed sugar snap peas; real good. I was inspired to make them at home.

March 18, 2018
Tonight we went to a screening of Black Narcissus at the Egyptian Theatre. The draw was that this was original nitrate film; the theatre was sold out. I wasn’t super impressed by the quality of the print. Anyway, we ate a Miceli’s afterward, where I had the Fettucine Carbonara, which, along with the salad, was especially good.

March 7, 2018
Excellent lunch at Cindy's today. The Shrimp and Grits, very fancified, was so good that I couldn't stop eating it, and gobbled up the whole dish, along with a side of very good cole slaw. The flavors of the shrimp, mushrooms, and tasso ham, all stood out in the grits.

February 7, 2018
We finally tried Foxy's in Glendale for lunch. Parking in the back, off Elk, was convenient. There was a full bar, so I added it to my bar list. I had the Phillie Cheese steak. This included soup or salad, and fries. I started with the cream of spinach and mushroom soup, which was very good. The Phillie sandwich was kind of strange, in that the meat was not in small pieces, but rather in slices; and there was lettuce and tomato! Still, it tasted good.

February 2, 2018
Tonight we saw Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park at the Glendale Centre Theatre. This pleasant 60s comedy made for a fun evening. Afterward we went to Casa Bianca, where she had a small pizza, and I tried the Spaghetti Carbonara, which was quite good.

February 1, 2018
After a trip to the dentist, a nice reward of a Blue Chip Combo.

January 24, 2018
Back to Gus's for lunch - yummy as always.

December 20, 2017
Since finding out the Twohey's was closing down after 75 years, we knew we wanted to go a time or two more. We got out there for lunch today. It was much more crowded than usual for the time we went. I had the Reuben, which was very good. The dressing has a unique tang to it; and the bread is of a consistency that won't tear up the roof of your mouth. The cole slaw, which I had for my side, is classic; perfect. We split a large, bittersweet, hot fudge sundae, and left appropriately stuffed.

December 19, 2017
We had a nice dinner at the Smoke House tonight. We started with martinis in the bar. We got the obligatory half-order of garlic cheese toast to start. I had the Beef Stroganoff, and have plenty left for a future lunch. We finished with the NY style cheesecake.

December 18, 2017
Mai Tais and dinner at Damon's tonight. I had the Tomato Bisque and the Chopped Steak.

December 4, 2017
I took the Metro to work today. I stopped in at the Greyhound for a couple of whiskies on the way home.

November 20, 2017
Excellent dinner at Griffin's of Kinsale. I had the Shepherd's Pie, and a couple of pints of Guinness.

November 19, 2017
Nice day at the Huntington. We saw a Tiffany glass exhibit, and one on the Reformation, which included a few Durur prints.

November 15, 2017
Crispy chicken fried steak at Gus's for lunch. Mmmm.

November 12, 2017
I enjoyed the beef stroganoff at Cafe Bizou in Sherman Oaks tonight. We tried the calamari, which is pretty decent here. Afterwards we had a drink at the Robin Hood.

November 6, 2017
Another Mai Tai Monday at Damons. They had $5 off any cut of prime rib, which includes soup or salad, and one side. I got the cream of mushroom soup, and the cream corn, along with the small cut of prime rib. I really enjoyed it, and still had leftovers.

October 25, 2017
Lunch at Shaker's today. Old fashioned Southern Fried Steak.

October 23, 2017
We had a fun time at Damon's tonight. We sat at one of the small tables in the bar area, and had a couple Mai Tais. By this time we were feeling great. We got a table in the restaurant for dinner. I started with the Beef & Vegetable soup, which was great. Then I had the chopped steak, with a side of creamed corn. The steak, with mushroom sauce is always good. The cream corn seems to be made from scratch, and is a real treat.

October 18, 2017
I joined a friend to watch the Dodger's NLCS game at Clearman's Galley, aka The Boat. They've changed the way you order. You used to go along in line while they cooked your burger, and then pick it up and check out. Now you order at the counter and get a number and they bring it to your table. I had a burger, blue cheese salad, bread, and beer. There are many, many TVs; so you won't miss the game.

October 14, 2017
We took the train to Yang Chow tonight. We had Fried Pork Dumplings, Slippery Shrimp, and Chicken Pan Fried Noodles.

October 11, 2017
Blue Chip for lunch!

October 10, 2017
We finally tried Camilo's in Eagle Rock. I had the Pasta Puttanesca, which was very tasty; a generous portion with lots of sauce. The atmosphere is quite nice, and there is a small parking lot! After dinner we had a drink at Colombo's.

October 9, 2017
Steak Sinatra at the Smoke House tonight. We missed the October anniversary specials by one night - they start on the 10th. Still a good deal.

Sepbember 27, 2017
Lunch at Gus's again - Chicken Fried Steak = always a reliable bet.

Sepbember 24, 2017
We caught a matinee performance of The Drowsy Chaperone at the El Portal Theatre. After a nice afternoon of musical comedy we ate at Little Toni's, where I enjoyed the salami sandwich.

Sepbember 19, 2017
We went back to Villa Sombrero tonight, not having been there for a long time. Since El Arco Iris closed, we need to find a good local place for crunchy tacos. The tacos here are as I remember them - not quite as good as the great taco houses, and the enchilada still less so; but I must say the beans were really good and healthy tasting; and the margarita may live up to the claim of "the best in town". It's certainly big enough!

Sepbember 13, 2017
Patty Melt at Shakers for lunch today. I also had the Vegetable Beef soup, which was delicious.

Sepbember 5, 2017
We enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Cafe Beaujolais tonight. Belguim Endive Salad, Rack of Lamb, and Creme Brulee. Excellent.

August 30, 2017
Another good lunch - and cool settings on a hot day at Gus's Barbecue.

August 29, 2017
Dinner at Griffins of Kinsale tonight. Good pub food - both the Bangers & Mash and the Shepherd's Pie. Nice Guinness to wash it down.

August 27, 2017
We had a nice evening in Hollywood tonight. We had planned to go to Tekila for margaritas, but they, like just about everyone else, were showing the Mayweather fight, and were packed and charging a cover charge. We called an audible, and had our margaritas at Loteria Grill. These were sufficiently strong, but a bit sweet. Then we went to Miceli's for a nice, calm dinner. I had the fettucine carbonara, which was rich and good. The salad was also quite good tonight. The Metro trains were packed all night, probably due to a convergence of the fight, a Dodger game, and the Ram game at the Coliseum.

August 16, 2017
We stopped for lunch at Carrow's in South Pasadena today. They have a nice big parking lot. I had the Pastrami Sandwich and enjoyed it a lot. The fries were nicely done. The Hot Fudge Sunday was kind of strange, with tiny, crumbled nuts(?) rather than just chopped nuts. Still gobbled it.

August 12, 2017
Arlington Million Day at the track paid for itself with some nice wins.

August 10, 2017
Blue Chip's as a reward after the dentist today. I also traded in our barely working remote at the cable company. Man, this new remote is like Christmas!

August 8, 2017
We'd been wanting a Hawaiian Pizza from Casa Bianca for quite some time, and fulfilled that wish tonight. Yum! Had to get in before they went on vacation.

July 28, 2017
Back at Musso's after nearly exactly a year - and had the same thing, but tried the Key Lime pie for dessert. This was quite tart!

July 19, 2017
No suprises for lunch today - just a good chicken fried steak, with sides and a beer at Gus's Barbecue. Can't go wrong with that!

July 16, 2017
Nice dinner at Colombo's tonight. We hadn't been for a while, and quite enjoyed it. Starting off with one of Frank's cocktails put us in the right mood. The calamari was excellent, as usual. I enjoyed the rich beef ravioli. We finished with the spumoni.

July 12, 2017
We took the train to Koreatown for all-you-can-eat Korean Barbecue at the Bulgogi Hut. If you like, and are in the mood for, plenty of meat, this is the place for you. Although there were several kinds of meat, they basically fell into two taste categories: plain and seasoned. I found it a bit too much work, as you have to constantly cook stuff, then keep everything moving in accordance with its level of readiness to eat. Afterwards, we had a couple of cocktails at the H.M.S. Bounty; always a good deal.

June 23, 2017
I got off work at noon today, and, on the way home, stopped at Pecos Bill's in Glendale for a couple sandwiches. I got one each of the shredded beef and shredded pork so that we could both sample half of each type of sandwich. I hadn't been there in probably close to forty years. It's still the same, and it's still really good. The barbecue is not overly sweet. It's just on a cheap hamburger type bun; but that works perfectly for this old fashioned dish. This was a real treat!

June 21, 2017
The California Chop Steak at Shakers really hit the spot for lunch today.

June 19, 2017
We had dinner at the Smokehouse tonight. They still have a prime rib special on Mondays, but it's $19.95 now; and the wine discount - originally 40% off, then 25% - has now dwindled to 20%. I was hungry and ate a whole chicken pot pie.

June 17, 2017
We finally tried Harlowe's French Dip in Pasadena, and it was really good. We started with the Deviled Eggs, which were packed with flavor. I quite enjoyed the Lamb Dip. The bread is nice, and the size is perfect. The fries, and red cabbage slaw were pretty standard fare; though I must say the house made ketchup is quite good. We finised with the bread pudding, which was a rich, enjoyable indulgence.

June 7, 2017
Excellent lunch of chicken fried steak at Gus's today.

May 27, 2017
Tonight we saw Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds show at the Pantages. It was really enjoyable. The first set was mostly Beach Boys hits. After intermission, they did the entire Pet Sounds album, followed by a few rousing encores. Afterward we walked over to Kitchen 24 on Cahuenga. This was quite good. They featured diner style fare with a bit of class. There is also a full bar. I had the fried chiken sandwich - very tasty. The whole evening was an easy train trip for us.

May 24, 2017
Ah - finally a nice Blue Chip for lunch. We'd really been hankering for one.

May 10, 2017
Lunch - a California Chop Steak - at Shaker's today. Excellent!

May 7, 2017
We went to a matinee performance of Man of La Mancha at the Noise Within Theatre today. This was a sharp, excellent production of the classic musical. The audience looked like many had attended performances when this was the surprise hit of 1965....as adults. Anyway, it was very good. Afterward we went a short block over to the Panda for an excellent dinner. I must say that the Panda now overtakes Damon's for the title of Best Mai Tai in Town.

April 26, 2017
We tried Cindy's in Eagle Rock for lunch today. First time we'd been there under the new ownership. I must say it was really good. I had the fried chicken, which was done in a boneless, flattened style. It was very crispy and good, with hints of lemon and hot sauce in the gravy. The black eyed peas were done in a bit of BBQ flavor style. There was also some nice flavor in the creamy cole slaw.

April 22, 2017
Enjoyed a day at the races with lunch at the Frontrunner today. I had Chicken Saffron Fettucine, which was good, but nothing spectacular. I've kind of noticed that the food here is not quite what it used to be. They have a bunch of trendy stuff on the menu - but the clientele is averages about 70 years old. They'd probably be better off serving some nice chops or meat loaf.

April 12, 2017
Excellent lunch at Gus's Barbecue today. I had the usual Chicken Fried Steak. She tried the Fried Chicken, and said it was great. I'd shied away from it because it was boneless; but it was an entire half chicken, de-boned, flattened, and fried up crispy. It looked as good as she said it was, though I didn't try any. I did try some of her collard greens, which were tasty, and traditional.

April 11, 2017
Tonight we went to see the new play, The Originalist at the Pasadena Playhouse. The play centers around the relationship between the late right-wing Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and a liberal, black, lesbian law clerk he hires. It was actually quite entertaining. Afterward we went for pizza at Casa Bianca.

April 8, 2017
A friend had a horse entered in the Santa Anita Derby today, so I went to cheer him on. The horse finished mid-pack, but a good time was had by all. It was quite a thrill for the connections just to be in such a big race, and it was fun for us friends and hangers-on too.

April 6, 2017
We took the train to Koreatown for dinner and drinks at the H.M.S. Bounty. Their Famous Baseball Steak is one of the best deals in town.

March 27, 2017
Met up with a friend at Damon's for dinner and Mai Tai Monday. Everything was good, including the cream of chicken soup. Yum! We were kind of overserved on the Mai Tais.

March 23, 2017
Got in one more trip to El Arco Iris tonight. Sad.

March 15, 2017
We had lunch at Coco's today. This is really close to home, but we had never gone there. I had the Southern Fried Steak. It wasn't as good as Shakers', but was quite decent. The mashed potatoes were good; the vegetables, more steamed, less buttery than at Shakers. The prices are good here, and there is also a "Club 55" menu for seniors.

March 1, 2017
Had to get to El Arco Iris now that we hear it will be closing its doors in less than a month.

February 15, 2017
Back to Shakers for lunch - a nice Southern Fried Steak.

February 14, 2017
We had Valentine's Day dinner at Cafe Bizou in Pasadena. They did not have outrageous jacked-up prices for the holiday. Considering the size of the crowd, service and food were quite good!

February 12, 2017
Got out to Santa Anita today for some racing.

February 10, 2017
We enjoyed the farce Black Comedy at Glendale Centre Theatre. The play ended early enough for us to get over to Damon's for dinner and Mai Tais!

February 9, 2017
We tried Oinkster for the first time in a while. We split a Cheeseburger and a Pastrami Sandwich. I liked the Pastrami a bit better. Both were good, but nothing to rave about. The draft beer was good.

January 31, 2017
Crunchy tacos at El Arco Iris, along with a pitcher of Margaritas.

January 18, 2017
I encored the chicken fried steak lunch at Gus's Barbecua. I'm stuffed.

January 14, 2017
Albondigas soup at the Frontrunner was nice. The Baby Back Rib appetizer plate really hit the spot. I got schneidered at the windows.

January 13, 2017
Tonight we finally got over to Central Park restuarant in Pasadena. We started with the Crab Bisque, which was delicious. The New York steak had a nice char, but was rather run-of-the-mill. The Key Lime pie was a refreshing finish. We also tried the Chocolate Decadence Cake which was rich and satisfying.

January 10, 2017
Got back to Casa Bianca today for a nice Sausage Pizza.

January 4, 2017
California chopped steak and cream of broccoli soup at Shakers today. I'm stuffed.

December 19, 2016
Dinner at the Smokehouse tonight. I got the prime rib special, along with clam chowder. Real good.

December 14, 2016
Very tasty and fresh Blue Chip Combo for lunch today!

December 13, 2016
Lunch at Joe's in Burbank. Phillie Cheese steak washed down by a Martini and a Beer.

December 12, 2016
Mai Tai Monday at Damon's; $4 a pop. Good to see waiter J.C., formerly of Jax, now working here.

December 6, 2016
Tonight we took the train down to L.A. Live to see Adam Sandler's Here Comes the Funny show at the Microsoft Theater. We enjoyed about three hours of good stand up comedy from Sandler, Rob Schneider, Nick Swardson, Tim Meadows, David Spade, Norm Macdonald, and special guest Judd Apatow. We liked the show a great deal, and felt we really got our money's worth. The show was so long that we had to catch the train home without eating downtown. Instead, we stopped at In-n-out on the way home.

November 30, 2016
For lunch today, we went to Twohey's. I had the chicken fried steak, which was traditional and good. It came with mashed potatoes (very "home style") and vegetables. I tried their signature soup, the Curry Clam Chowder - a very tasty variant of the usual thing. For dessert, a wonderful sundae with bittersweet chocolate.

November 20, 2016
Dinner tonight at Cafe Bizou in Sherman Oaks. The place was absolutely packed. After a martini at the bar, we headed to our table, where I had potato leek soup and the short ribs for dinner. For dessert we had a sumptuous flourless chocolate cake. On the way home, we stopped for a beer at the Robin Hood Pub.

November 17, 2016
We went to Tiki No in North Hollywood for a couple happy hour drinks. I had a Chief Lapu Lapu, and an Eastern Sour. Afterwards, we at at Little Toni's. I had the meatball sandwich, which was huge. It has a TON of cheese on it. You pretty much have to eat it with a knife and fork, like an open faced sandwich. We then went to the bar in back - Bartoni's - where we enjoyed a nightcap

November 8, 2016
Shakers for lunch: a patty melt and a hot fudge sundae.

November 7, 2016
Tonight we had a comforting taco dinner with pitcher of margaritas at El Arco Iris.

October 26, 2016
We had lunch at Gus's Barbecue today. I had the Chicken Fried Steak - it was much better than the last time I had it here; crispy, with nice gravy. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes, which are very silky and nice; and a delicious creamed corn. I washed it down with a 23oz. draft beer, only a dollar more than the 16oz. version. It was quite busy despite it being nearly 2:00PM when we got there.

October 21, 2016
Sat in the back room at Casa Bianca for the first time in years. Excellent pepperoni pizza tonight.

October 17, 2016
Back to the Smokehouse before they end the specials. Tonight: Steak Sinatra.

October 12, 2016
I was very hungry for lunch today, so I wolfed down a Southern Fried Steak dinner at Shakers!

October 10, 2016
Very nice pork chop at Maximiliano tonight. The kale was tolerable.

October 6, 2016
Smokehouse is having anniversary specials all month. Tonight I got the Beef Stroganoff. Of course the martinis, garlic bread, and clam chowder are all good. Bottles of wine are seven dollars, so we got three.

September 28, 2016
Blue Chip Combos for lunch. Need I say more?

September 26, 2016
Back to Joe's for lunch. The Phillie Cheese Steak was better this time; the difference being a much fresher roll. I had the cole slaw which seemed like store-bucket fare; nothing special.

September 24, 2016
We had dinner at Grandview Palace in Old Pasadena today. It was very convinient to take the train up from South Pasadena. We enjoyed the old-time Chinese dinner. We tried the Grandview Palace Special Shrimp, which is similar to Yang Chow's Slippery Shrimp. It was good, but not quite as good as Yang Chow's, and, I think, a bit pricier. The Cashew Chicken had a very nice sauce. The Pork Chow Fun was also quite good.

September 20, 2016
I indulged in lunch at the Smokehouse today. I had the wedge, and orderd garlic toast to go. I also had a martini and a beer.

September 19, 2016
We got back to El Arco Iris for a refreshing pitcher of margaritas, and some crunchy tacos tonight.

September 15, 2016
I had the Ruben at Joe's American Bar & Grill today. This was quite good. Relatively, a bit better than the Phillie Cheese Steak I had here a few weeks ago.

September 7, 2016
We had a late, satisfying, lunch at Blue Chip today.

September 5, 2016
Monday night dinner at Il Fornaio tonight. I had the Bigoli alla Padovana off of the Festa Regionale menu for Veneto. Packed with sausage, porcini mushrooms, and tomatoes, this was a hearty dish. We started with the always-good calamari. For dessert, we enjoyed a tiramisu. Everything was quite good.

September 3, 2016
A quick run to Hollywood for dinner at the Pig N Whistle. I had the Penna alla Vodka, always a good bet.

September 2, 2016
I had to run an errand in South Pasadena, and was on my own for dinner, so I stopped into Griffins of Kinsale. I found it to be a nice, friendly, neighborhood pub. I enjoyed a cocktail, then had a couple pints of Guinness to wash down a dinner of Bangers and Mash. Everything was very good.

August 28, 2016
We had lunch/brunch at the Grill today. I tried the Chicken Pot Pie, which is a full pie. It may be the best "fancy" chicken pot pie in town. The filling was very rich. Thc crust is a fine puff pastry, which is nice, but loses points on the authenticity scale to a true, flaky pie crust. The fresh-squeezed, brunch-special-priced greyhouds were a treat.

August 26, 2016
Dinner at the venerable Miceli's tonight. I went with the Fettucine Carbonara, which is a good bet here. The salad was especiall good tonight.

August 24, 2016
Philly Cheese Steak at Joe's American Bar & Grill today. Had all the goods, but bread was a bit stale. Good fries here.

August 17, 2016
We had lunch at Twohey's today, where I enjoyed a Phillie Cheese Steak. This one was right up there. We split a hot fudge sunday with a dark chocolate hot fudge sauce: best in town!

August 3, 2016
I must be on a roll with the closed restaurants! Today we intended to go to Blue Chip; drove in the parking lot - at first glad that there appeared to be plenty of parking, then realizing that the lot was empty - took a look at the door, and saw they were closet till the ninth. We decided to play it safe and go to Shakers, where I got the hamburger. The burger was good, but very messy. We finished with a piece of cheesecake, which, for the first time, came with whipped cream and a cherry. We had MGDs instead of our usual Heinekens because they were on $2.75 special.

August 1, 2016
I got a hankering to go out to lunch, and finally decided to head to Tinhorn Flats in Burbank. I got there, and it was closed for the day. Since I was already out I tried to think of a bar that I could get a bit of food at, and Champs came to mind. I went in, ordered a Budweiser, and took a quick look at the menu. I saw they had a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, so I ordered that. This was one of the better ones I've tried lately. Quite good, and on a roll that, while on the soft side, did stand up for the duration. The fries were done nicely, but a bit too salty. I'll have to keep this place in mind when I want a good Philly, though.

July 29, 2016
Tonight we took the train out to Hollywood and had a great dinner at Musso & Frank's. We started with martinis, of course. Then we split a wedge salad, which, I have to say, might just be the best in town. The difference between this and other good wedges is the quality of the ingredients. The bacon was very nice; and the large chunks of bleu cheese in the dressing were especially good. For an entree, I had the veal scallopini (marsala). I've said before that the atmosphere at Musso's was the thing, with the food not being anything really great; however, this veal I really liked. Served with rice and broccoli, it really hit the spot. I would definitely order again. For dessert, we shared a slice of New York cheesecake.

July 20, 2016
Late lunch at Shakers today. I had a real hankering for the Southern Fried Steak, and it really hit the spot. I gobbled it up. Washed it down with a Heineken.

July 19, 2016
Early dinner at Casa Bianca tonight. A good night for a Hawaiian Pizza. We noticed that the older couple at the next booth had also been seated next to us the other night at Cafe Beaujolais. Such is small town life in the big city.

July 16, 2016
We had a leisurely dinner at Cafe Beaujolais tonight. I had the Belgium Endive salad. I then had the special Pork Chop - a thick oven baked rib chop in a honey citrus sauce with thyme. It was served with brown rice and gratin tomato. Everything was really good - chop was perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented. For dessert we had Creme Brulee.

July 6, 2016
I had the California Chopped Steak with all the fixings at Shakers today.

July 3, 2016
We went out to Tequilas in Van Nuys for dinner tonight. I had a combo. The margarita was huge, but rather weak.

June 14, 2016
Salad and Sausage Pizza at Casa Bianca. As usual we enjoyed a Tiramisu for dessert.

June 8, 2016
Patty Melt for lunch at Shaker's today.

June 6, 2016
Really good dinner at Colombo's tonight. Started with cocktail and Calamari. The Calamari is no-nonsense; crispy and delicious. I the mushroom ravioli in pomodoro sauce, which was light and nice. Dinner salad was fresh and crispy. For dessert, tasty spumoni cake. I saw the parents of a friend from grammar school!

June 2, 2016
The drive was a bitch, but we really enjoyed our dinner at El Arco Iris.

May 25, 2016
A hearty lunch of Southern Fried Steak at Shakers today.

May 23, 2016
We had a nice evening at the Smokehouse. We started in the bar with martinis, served "as they should be, with a sidecar". They changed the Caesar Salad, adding tomatoes, and it was still good. I had the Steak Sinatra, always a treat; and I downed for pieces of garlic toast.

May 11, 2016
A late lunch of a Blue Chip combo really hit the spot today. After that we picked up some goods at the Italian Bakery on the way home.

May 3, 2016
We had a comforting sausage pizza at Casa Bianca tonight.

April 24, 2016
I had a Number 11 at Hamburger Hamlet in Sherman Oaks. It had the same dressings as the original, but the patty is a bit too big. Afterwards I enjoyed a couple pints of Guinness at the Robin Hood.

April 20, 2016
Tonight we went down to the Novo by Microsoft theater (formerly Club Nokia) at LA Live to see Cheech and Chong. Their act is pretty much the same - which means it was quite silly and hilarious. We wanted to eat at the Pantry, but there was a wait, and we had to catch a train; so, instead, we went to the IHOP in Pasadena, where i had a pretty decent, if not super-authentic, Philly cheese steak sandwich.

April 13, 2016
I had a bacon, avocado, and swiss burger at Shakers today, along with a hot fudge sundae. Yum.

April 12, 2016
Enjoyed dinner at El Arco Iris. I thought the beans were better this time, but the enchilada not quite as good as it usually is. The pitcher of margaritas was excellent.

April 9, 2016
I took the train out to Santa Anita again today for Derby Day. I made a bad error today: I played a pick six ticket for $36 and was alive, after five legs, to three horses in the last race. When I then looked at my ticket, I noticed that the three horses I had were not the ones I intended to be - I punched the wrong numbers. Needless to say, one of the numbers I had intended to put on my original ticket won, and paid $515. All I got was three lousy consolation tickets, totaling about $50.

April 7, 2016
We had drinks and dinner at Damon's tonight. We had a good meal, and a good time; then, we were devastated when we heard the news that Jax had closed down. What a nightmare. Where shall we go for a late night meal in the local area? What is the world coming to?

March 30, 2016
Southern Fried Steak for lunch at Shakers. I could have eaten it all, but saved a bit for a future lunch.

March 26, 2016
We took the train out to Santa Anita today. They new Gold Line extension let us off in downtown Arcadia, from where we caught a shuttle to the track. This shuttle let us off right in front of the Clubhouse entrance. It was all very convenient. I enjoyed a nice lunch at the Frontrunner. The shortrib crostini were delicious. I also had a seafood chowder, packed with all the fruits of the sea, and a caesar salad. I broke even on the races. Then, it was very nice, at the end of the day, to hop on the shuttle and train and get transported home without the heartbreak of driving.

March 16, 2016
Full appetite restored this time, I had the Chopped California Steak at Shakers. It has lots of stuff on it; bacon, mushroom, bell pepper, onion rings, and a brown sauce. It was real good. With sides of fries, vegetables, and garlic toast, I got well stuffed.

March 15, 2016
Back to Casa Bianca tonight for a delicious sausage pizza, tasty salad, and creamy tiramisu. We went early, like real farmers.

March 2, 2016
Had a Reuben for lunch at Shakers. I only ate half as I was still a bit wary after having thrown up yesterday for the first time in almost 26 years.

February 25, 2016
Stopped in for a horn at Colombo’s after work today. Ended up running into some friends and downing a few beers too.

February 23, 2016
Nothing like a pitcher of Margaritas at El Arco Iris to take the edge off. Really enjoyed the crunchy taco and cheese enchilada.

February 14, 2016
We made a good choice for Valentine's Day dinner. We got reservations at Il Fornaio in Pasadena. No special menu with jacked-up prices here. They had a full house, but no problem handling it. We ordered a couple items off the Umbrian regional menu. The fennel salad had a lot of stuff in it, and was good, but perhaps could have used a little more acid. The butternut squash ravioli, stuffed with carrots and guinea fowl, and in a tomato cream and pancetta sauce were very rich and tasty; super-good in fact. I can't believe I ate them all! For dessert we had a hazelnut chocolate cake with caramel sea-salt ice cream, which was very good.

February 7, 2016
We took the Amtrak to Simi Valley for a Super Bowl party. That really beat driving.

February 3, 2016
Patty Melt at Shakers today, and a piece of cheesecake for dessert. We bought a zucchini bread to take home.

January 29, 2016
We had an evening downtown tonight, seeing Shatner's World at Club Nokia. We took the Red Line to the 7th Street Metro station, and walked down to L.A. Live. We were lucky to see that the will-call for Club Nokia was set up on a table outside. We enjoyed the show. 84 year old William Shatner was on stage for over 2 hours without an intermission. He told stories from his entire life and career, with a lot of emphasis on his early life in the theatre, but with plenty to enjoy for his loyal Star Trek fans. Afterwards we ate at the Pantry, where I had a Country Fried Steak, which was very good, and rendered a nice amount of leftovers.

January 27, 2016
We had dinner at Csa Bianca tonight - this time we got the 1/2 of a small antipasto and a large pepperoni pizza. Everything was good, as usual. We noted that Wednesday may be the least crowded day there.

January 20, 2016
I gobbled up a Southern Fried Steak lunch, and zucchini bread at Shaker's today.

January 17, 2016
We took the train down to Chinatown to meet friends for drinks at Hop Louie. I had a few Mai Tais, and sampled an egg roll, which was well filled. Afterwards we stopped for a late dinner at Hop Woo. The food was great, but our waiter disappeard, never to return, and I had to go up front to get someone to give me the check!

January 15, 2016
Keeping with our "local favorite" theme this week, we had dinner at Casa Bianca, and capped off the evening with drinks at Colombo's. By the time we were done she was one over the eight.

January 13, 2016
We had the best burger in town tonight - the Blue Chip!

January 11, 2016
We really enjoyed our dinner and margaritas at El Arco Iris tonight.

January 2, 2016
My first trip out to Santa Anita this meeting was fun, but not much luck wagering.

December 25, 2015
Ahh. Hillbilly heroin tonight.

December 19, 2015
Dinner at Casa Bianca tonight. Finally coming around after suffering from the flu for the last few weeks.

November 30, 2015
Nice Clam Chowder and Beef Stroganoff at the Smokehouse tonight.

November 24, 2015
I've been jonesing for some crunchy tacos at El Arco Iris. Finally got em tonight.

November 22, 2015
Recent winds messed up the roof on my outdoor bar. Today, I fixed it.

November 15, 2015
Nice dinner at Cafe Bizou in Sherman Oaks tonight. Afterwards, a couple pints at the Robin Hood.

November 12, 2015
Tonight we had dinner at Il Fornaiao. We started with Calamari - good and tasty. I had the Gnocchi with Rabbit Ragu; this was rich and good. When Rabbit is offered, I usually take it. We closed out the meal with Irish Coffees - always a treat here.

November 11, 2015
We took in the new musical Breaking Through at the Pasadena Playhouse. This story of a young musician trying to navigate the rough waters of the music industry rather lacked book, but was saved by having a lot of good songs. Alison Luff is reasonably good in the lead role. Kacee Clanton as Karina, really can belt out a tune.

Afterwards we ate at Dupars, which is nearby, and always open. The Reuben had a generous portion of meat. The Mai Tai was pretty, but a bit weak.

November 2, 2015
Fine dinner at Colombo's tonight. We started with cocktails and Calamari. We love the crispy calimari here. We got a dinner salad, which was of a good size; then we enjoyed a dish of the Beef Ravioli with Bolognese sauce - a meat lover's delight. For dessert we had a piece of the Lemon Cheesecake. All washed down with a bottle of Zinfandel. A real nice meal.

November 1, 2015
We took the Metrolink down to San Juan Capistrano today, using their $10 weekend day pass. We'd been wanting to try the Ramos House Cafe brunch for a long time. It's a prix fixe menu; for $40 you get a drink, small plate (or second drink), and a large plate. There was a LOT of food. We shared our appetizers. The Basil Cured Salmon Lox was delicious - lots of salmon, with capers, bit's of egg and sprouts, served with generous toast points. The Apple Cinnamon Beignets were fried up super fresh and hot. They were not overly sweet, and were a real treat.
Full from bruch, we walked around, and were disappointed not to find the old holding jail. Apparently it had moved since the last time we had been here. I think it is back of the museum at the Montañez Adobe.
We looked around the antique shop, then went to Swallow's Inn for a drink. If you think the OC is a bit too snooty, this bar is the place for you. No airs put on here.

October 27, 2015
Hawaiian Pizza at Casa Bianca tonight. It was pretty quiet for a change, probably because of the World Series. Pizza was really good.

October 19, 2015
Tonight, we had dinner at the Smokehouse. They're having anniversary specials throughout the month of October, so we thought we'd take advantage. I decided to get something off of the special menu, and tried the Sole Amandine. It was a goodly amount of fish - fairly run-of-the-mill in flavor. I did get a clam chowder, and tried it with the sherry they offer. The flavors do go well together.

October 18, 2015
Today we took the Metro downtown to see the "To Live and Dine in L.A." exhibit at the central library. We enjoyed seeing the display of vintage menus from Southland restaurants. There were a few on display that we actually have at home! We look forward to getting the accompanying book, which has a lot more pictures.
After that we walked around the Grand Central Market, as we had never been there, and noted a lot of the restaurants where we might like to eat in future. We didn't want to eat there today because it was just too damn hot.
Then we stopped at Olvera Street, and ate at El Paseo, where we really enjoyed the Mega Margarita. The food was good too!

October 11, 2015
Due to some car trouble, I've had to take the Metro both to and from work a few times recently, and I must say that it is not that bad a ride. I can get the Dash bus a couple blocks from my house, and take it to the Gold Line station for 35¢. Then, Gold Line to Union Station, and transfer to Red Line to North Hollywood for $1.75. From the North Hollywood station, I take the Burbank bus for $1.00 right to my office. I can pay all fares with my Tap Card.

October 10, 2015
I had the Bucatini tonight at Maximiliano; very nice homemade texture. The sauce was mildly spicy.

October 7, 2015
Reprised the Patty Melt at Shakers for lunch. Afterwards, we indulged in a Hot Fudge Sundae. The sundae was HUGE - and the fact they have a Jumbo version in addition to the normal size is amazing.

October 6, 2015
Happy Hour pitchers of margaritas, and traditional combo at El Arco Iris. Yum!

October 3, 2015
Aah. Back out to Santa Anita for the fall meeting. We had a pleasant meal at the Frontrunner. The Caesar Salad is good, with lots of cheese, but only four croutons! I'd like a few more. The soup was Potato Leek, and it was exquisite. The Chicken & Pancetta Flatbread, with a big stack of arugula on top was tasty. For dessert, the Sugar Cookie Cheesecake - a regular NY style cheesecake with a sugar cookie crust - was a nice twist. After a mediocre betting day I made it all back with a big winner in the last race. Good times.

September 29, 2015
We had a fun dinner at lively Casa Bianca tonight.

September 23, 2015
Back to Shaker's for lunch. This time I tried the Patty Melt, which was primo.

September 20, 2015
Dinner at Tequilas in Van Nuys tonight. This Mexican food was not quite as good as some of the others we've had lately, though we still enjoyed it. I will give them props on their Mexican Caesar Salad, which was quite good. After dinner, we went down to the Robin Hood for a few pints.

September 19, 2015
Tonight we caught Jon Jory's adaptation of Voltaire's Candide at the Sacred Fool's Theatre. This was a clever, and quick, 80 minute prodution that we enjoyed. We had dinner at Palermo, where I had the small plate of Gnocchi, with Tony Sauce - very nice.

September 17, 2015
We took the train and had dinner at El Chavo tonight, as we heard it was going to come under new ownership in a couple months, and wanted to try it one more time under the old regime. It was a good solid Taco/Enchilada combo, as always preceded by a nice cup of soup; lentil on this occasion. Afterwards, we had a nightcap at the Good Luck.

September 9, 2015
We had lunch at Shaker's today. I had the Philly Cheese steak, which had the flavors normally associated with the dish, but was served on a soft hamburber bun, which detracted a bit from the whole.

September 5, 2015
Excellent dinner at Cafe Beaujolais this evening - Belgium Endive Salad, Rack of Lamb, and Chocolate Cake. Afterwards, as strong drink at Colombo's.

September 4, 2015
I met her for dinner in Hollywood, at the Pig N Whistle. I started with a beer, then had a wine; for dinner I had the Penne al Vodka, which was tasty and filling. She returned to her film festival, and I went over to Musso and Frank, where I had a Martini, and a couple beers, until she was done with her movies, afer which she joined me, and a had a scotch to finish off the evening before the train trip home.

August 23, 2015
Back to Hollywood tonight. We had drinks at Loew's Hotel bar, then went for dinner at Le Oriental Bistro. We had Beef with Snow Pea, Orange Peel Chicken, and BBQ Pork Lo Mein. Everything was really good. Notably, neither the Chicken nor the Lo Mein were overly sweet, as these dishes can sometimes be.

August 20, 2015
This afternoon, after a trip to the dentist, we ate at Pete's Blue Chip; and, man, was it ever good. You just can't beat a Blue Chip combo.

August 18, 2015
We took the train into Hollywood for dinner tonight. First, we stopped for drinks at the Roosevelt Hotel bar, where we were able to take advantage of happy hour prices, which last until 7:00 on weekdays. Then we walked over to the calming environs of Miceli's, where I tried the Fettuccini Carbonara, which was a hearty treat. We had the Tiramisu for dessert; it was kind of strange here - more of a Tiramisu soup! The flavor was good, but it was a rather odd take on the familiar dish.

August 12, 2015
We had an early dinner at Casa Bianca tonight; enjoying another Hawaiian Pizza.

August 6, 2015
Tonight we had dinner at Maximiliano. By way of an appetizer, we tried the smoked salmon pizza, and this was absolutely delicious. I was surprised how good the baby kale salad was! I had the tagliatelle bolognese for dinner, which had nice, homemade noodles.
After dinner, we headed over to Colombo's for a nightcap. Frank was on duty, so we did not get a short pour.

July 26, 2015
Tonight we saw the new musical Adam & Eve and Steve at the NoHo Arts center. This fun play, written by Chandler Warren, with music by Wayne Moore, had a lot of catchy songs. This was in the small theatre on the side at the venue. After the play, we ate at the Eclectic Cafe, just around the corner. I had the Farfalle Madeira, which I quite enjoyed. We shared a creme brulee for dessert, which was done to a tee.

July 21, 2015
We had dinner at Casa Bianca tonight, and, for the first time in many years, had the Hawaiian Pizza. I now wonder why we’ve not had it for so long. It’s really good. We also had a dinner salad and a piece of tiramisu. Afterwards we went over to Colombo’s for a cocktail.

July 13, 2015
You can't beat the Monday night half price wine at the Smokehouse. We started at the bar, where happy hour was still in effect, and had an excellent martini. For dinner I had the Wedge Salad and the Beef Stroganoff which were both very good. Plenty of Stroganoff to take home too. The cheesecake was an excellent dessert.

July 10, 2015
Tonight we saw Astroboy and the God of Comics at the Sacred Fools Theatre. This play explores the career of Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astroboy, and seminal figure in anime. This show was very cleverly staged. Director Jaime Robledo always puts on an imaginative show.
After the play, we had dinner at Jax, where I greatly enjoyed the Chicken Fried Steak.

July 7, 2015
More margaritas, crunchy tacos and nice enchiladas at El Arco Iris.

June 27, 2015
We had a nice day at the track today. We got a close up view of Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah! Afterwards we had a nice meal at Shaker's, where I had my old time favorite Reuben Sandwich - the best in town.

June 23, 2015
Dinner at El Arco Iris.

June 14, 2015
We went for Sunday dinner at Damon's. We started with a couple Mai Tais and some Garlic Toast at the bar. For dinner, I started with the clam chowder - a solid rendition, moderate in texture. There was a pasta special of Ravioli Puttanesca with Jumbo Shrimp which had a lot of nice flavor, and nice homemade pasta. After dinner, we walked over to Jax and enjoyed a shot of scotch to round off the evening.

June 12, 2015
There's nothing more comforting than a Friday dinner at Casa Bianca. We arrive with the farmers at around 5:00, just in time to beat the rush.

June 1, 2015
We got to the Smokehouse in time for a happy hour drink at the bar, after which we proceded to dinner. After the obligatory piece of cheese bread, I tried the clam chowder. It's quite good, a rather thick version. They offer sherry with it, which I declined; but I think I'll try it next time, as I've never heard of that presentation, and maybe there's something to it. I'd had a hankering for the Steak Sinatra for quite a while, and it did not disappoint. We had cheesecake for dessert - New York style, served with a few (still partially frozen) blueberries.

May 29, 2015
We had an excellent day/evening at the track. Santa Anita has a 4:00 PM first post for the remainder of the meet, and we decided to have dinner on this "twilight Friday". We started with martinis, then had the Spinach Pear Salad, which contained a great many flavors and ingredients beyond the spinach and pears. We then had the Chicken Sopresata flatbread, which we thoroughly enjoyed (and had plenty to take home). To finish we had the Mango Habanero Cheesecake, which we've enjoyed before. I hit a nice pick three that more than paid for the dinner! After the races we went down to Sirona's bar and enjoyed the 80s cover band Neon Nation, as we drank our nightcaps.

May 9, 2015
I took the train out to the west side today to meet a friend for lunch. The ride to Culver City on the Expo Line was nice. After my friend picked me up at the station, the traffic on the streets reminded me of why I take the train. We had lunch at Ala Carte Thai, which was pretty darn good Thai food. After that we had a couple of drinks at Joxer Daly's Irish Pub. If I lived on this side of town, this seems like the kind of place I might like to hang out at.

May 8, 2015
We went to Casa Bianca tonight for a nice neighborhood dinner. I think their Tiramisu might be the best in town.

May 3, 2015
We had dinner at Damon's tonight. The Butternut Squash Ravioli tasted house made, and was really good. I think we had three Mai Tais each.

April 25, 2015
Came away well ahead at the track today while enjoying a nice lunch at the Frontrunner.

April 10, 2015
Had a deliciously cruncy taco, tasty enchilada, and pitcher of margaritas at El Arco Iris today. This place never disappoints.

April 4, 2015
Nice luncheon with a group from high school at the Frontrunner today. Bettingwise, I ended up about break even.

March 20, 2015
Tonight we saw the talented Edwards twins in their show Twintastic at the El Portal in North Hollywood. These guys do some amazing impersonations of many, many celebreties, male and female. Some are better than others, some ho-hum, and some absolutely amazing. It's definitely worth seeing.
After the show we enjoyed a pizza at Little Toni's.

March 7, 2015
Today, I was back at the track. Started with some good wins, but gave it all back to break even. I met up with some friends at the Frontrunner, and enjoyed a few drinks, along with a delicious Albondigas soup.

March 6, 2015
We had a nice dinner at Colombo's tonight. I think the food here has gotten really good. An order of Calamari started things off nicely. Then, we split a wedge salad. This was huge, and delicious. I had the Shrimp and Garlic ravioli, which was very tasty - nice pasta. For dessert, we had a lemon cheesecake. It was a very nice dinner.

February 23, 2015
Tonight we tried a couple new places. We had dinner at the Idle Hour Cafe in North Hollywood. The recently reopened iconic barrel-shaped brew pub was really nice. It was too cold for the patio, but this looks like it would be a great place on a warm summer evening. They were out of some of the selections of draft beer, so I hsd a bottle of Newcastle, which did nicely. I had the Idle Dog to eat, and quite enjoyed it. The fries, which come with the dog, are some of the best in town - lightly spiced, and crisp. Afterwards we went down the street to Tiki No. It had nice tiki decor, and it seemed like they actually clean the place once in a while! The Mai Tai tasted good and fresh. The bar service was efficient and friendly.

February 21, 2015
Nice luncheon at the Frontrunner today. We had the Feta & Hummus appetizer which was really tasty, coming with some of the best pita bread I've ever tasted. The Paella was full of lots of tasty bits. The Cheesecake with Habanero Mango sauce was rich and tasty. We had a good day betting-wise.

February 7, 2015
Back to Santa Anita for a day at the track today. I enjoyed a Corned Beef and Cabbage soup in the Frontrunner. I hit five of six in the pick six today.

February 6, 2015
We saw the Dame Edna show at the Ahmanson. As usual, it was very funny. Barry Humphries, out of character, spoke for a while at the end, thanking the audience. Afterwards, we at at Astro, which, back in the day, I used to go to when it was Conrad's. It still offers a full diner style menu. There was also a smattering of Greek items. The cole slaw was especially good - real old fashioned taste. I had the country fried steak, which was good, though the sauce had an odd look. Everything tasted real homemade. (The fries suffered a bit for this). All in all, it's a good place to go for late night eats.

January 30, 2015
We had an early dinner at El Arco Iris. We both got our favorite combos, which were delicious. The main thing that attracted us here was the pitcher of house margaritas at happy hour prices. What a deal!

January 25, 2015
We had breakfast at the Marmalade Cafe today. I'm stuffed.
Later we went down to Chinatown for dinner at Yang Chow. Enjoyed everything as usual. We then went for drinks at Hop Louie before taking the train home.

January 16, 2015
We returned to Classic Thai, in Eagle Rock, for the first time in quite a while tonight. While it was good, I'd have to say that it's declined a little. The food seemed to be a bit "Americanized". Gone were a lot of the nice, spicy flavors I once associated with the food here. The Chicken with Cashew Nuts was a completely different dish - no hot red pepper, and with just breast meat rather than cut up pieces from the whole chicken. Maybe that's what Whitey wants. The meat in all three dishes was very similar; uniformly sliced, and a bit overcooked. The Sweet and Sour Pork was run of the mill; the Fried Rice with Beef was better, but would have improved a great deal if the beef had been cut into smaller pieces. On the upside, the Egg Roll was excellent - fried to a tasty crisp.

January 8, 2015
Dinner at Casa Bianca tonight. Very nice; not too much of a crowd today.

December 26, 2014
Opening day out at Santa Anita. It was especially crowded today. I didn't do to well from a gambling standpoint. Had a good time nonetheless.

December 19, 2014
Back to one of our favorites, the Smokehouse, for dinner tonight. We arrived while happy hour was in effect, so we started with a drink at the bar. After being seated, we, of course, had some Cheese Toast. We split a Caesar salad - that's always good here. For my entree I got the Beef Stroganoff; I was able to eat half of it, saving the rest for a future meal. For dessert, we shared a very nice piece of New York style Cheesecake.

December 14, 2014
Dinner at Cafe Bizou tonight. The Steak Pomfritte was very nice. The vegetables on the side were quite tasty. I had to be careful not to fill up on the delicious bread. Afterwards we went back to the Robin Hood for a beer.

December 11, 2014
We had dinner at the Robin Hood Pub in Sherman Oaks tonight. I had the Fish and Chips, which allows you to have one or two pieces of fish. I went for one, and it was plenty. It was not quite as crisp as I would have liked, but other than that, filled the bill nicely. I had a few beers to wash everything down.

Novermber 27, 2014
Thanksgiving for two was nice, but sure leaves a lot of leftovers. We'll be having Thanksgiving for another week, I think.

Novermber 12, 2014
We've really been enjoying our local Penny's burgers a lot lately. It's so close to home that the burger is always super fresh and tasty. One order of fries is plenty for two people to split.

November 1, 2014
Another tough betting day at the Breeders' Cup. I probably would have ended up making a profit this weekend if the stewards had ruled differently in the Classic; but such is racing fortune.

October 31, 2014
Today we had grandstand seats at the Breeders' Cup, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form. It was a long, fun day, but lacking in winners.

October 25, 2014
We got a few books at the used book sale at the library this morning; hadn't done that in a while. Unfortunately, they've raised the price of the hardcover books to $2, so we didn't get as many as we usually do.

October 18, 2014
I went to Santa Anita for a few races today. Had a good day betting, ate lunch - chili and a donut - and had a couple cocktails.

October 17, 2014
Right after work we went down to Folliero's Pizza in Highland Park. It's a small place, but we got there early enough to get a table on Friday night. We started with an arugula salad. This was enough for two, and was only a couple bucks more than a small dinner salad. We had the deluxe pizza, which was topped with bell pepper, sausage, fresh mushrooms, and pepperoni. The pizza was really good, and the crust was different enough from other pizza joints to justify us coming back here again when we get the hankering.

After that we went a couple doors down to the Greyhoud for a drink. We liked the atmosphere here, and enjoyed a couple cocktails. We observed the food being served, which looked pretty much like standard pub grub, and decided that we should try a meal at this place soon.

October 10, 2014
We joined some folks for dinner at Maximiliano. The food was pretty good this time; no sign of over-saltedness. The Caesar Salad was especially good in that it had a shitload of croutons. That's what I like. I had the Tagliatelle with a rich, meaty bolognese sauce. The noodles seemed to be house made, as advertised. I tried a bit of the short rib, and that was also very nice; the meat was tender as could be. I do have to say that the place couldn't have looked more like a den of hipsters if they had hired for such at Central Casting.

October 4, 2014
Nice day at the races today. We got a great table at the Frontrunner, on the window, just past the finish line. We finished the day down a little bit, but had a lot of fun. We started with a couple cocktails, and the Charcuterie Board, which, while no longer served on a board, is one of the best we've tried, piled high with tantalizing meats and cheeses. Later, over a bottle of wine we split a lunch of Caesar Salad, and a Short Rib sandwich. Both were excellent. The dessert was called Lemon Meringue Meets Cheesecake, and this was an apt description. The result of that meeting: delicious!

September 29, 2014
Tonight we took the train to meet a friend in Chinatown. We were hankering for some of Yang Chow's famous Slippery Shrimp. So we met there, and had said dish, along with Szechuan Beef and Chicken Fried Rice. Everything was really good. The Szechuan Beef was fried up crispy and served with broccoli. The fried rice standard fare, but tasty. The shrimp really hit the spot. After dinner, we walked up to Hop Louie where we enjoyed a couple Mai-Tais, whipped up by bartender Sean.

September 25, 2014
We stayed close to home and had a nice dinner at El Arco Iris. We got the pitcher of margaritas, which was a good deal. I was worried about the ice melting and watering the drink down too much; but they seem to have worked out any bugs in the serving of this pitcher, and the ice lasted throughout. The two salsas served with the chips - a green tomatillo, and a fresca - were both very nice. We also got an order of guacamole, which was simple and tasty. I went with combo plate - beef taco and cheese enchilada, rice and beans - and everything was satisfying and delicious. We should go back soon.

September 21, 2014
The Palm restaurant is moving from its West Hollywood location. Having never been, and having heard that, at the new Beverly Hills location they would no longer have the famous caricatures on the walls, I figured I'd better check it out before it closes. So we had a couple drinks at the bar today. I had a bowl of lobster bisque off of the main menu; it was nice and rich, but nothing spectacular. From the bar menu - half price during happy hour - I tried the beef sliders and the lobster tempura. The sliders (three) were of good quality meat, and went down very easily. The lobster tempura, which comes with a nice dipping sauce, was my favorite of the items I tried - very tasty. Getting here, and parking was the hard part. City driving is a real nightmare; and I certainly wasn't going to park my jalopy in the valet lot full of late model luxury vehicles, and a Rolls Royce dealership next door.

September 19, 2014
Immediately after getting home from work today, in order to "beat the crowd", we went straight to Casa Bianca for dinner. The place was fairly bustling, but not packed, and we were seated right away. We started with the 1/2 of a small antipasto, which serves two. It was chock full of goodies, and delicious. We ate half of our medium sausage pizza, taking the rest home. The pizza was less overladen with cheese than I remember here; for me this was an improvement. Having saved room for dessert, we shared a piece of tiramisu - very yummy. The place was full of families with children at this hour - but this room can handle a lot of such commotion.

September 18, 2014
I stopped in for breakfast at Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake before work today. I sat at the counter, and had the bacon and two eggs over easy, served with a mess of very traditional hash browns. Not only did I enjoy my breakfast; I also got my first legitimate senior discount!

September 15, 2014
Beef Stroganoff at the Smokehouse tonight. We took advantage of the half price wine special and got a couple bottles of the house cab for twelve bucks a pop too! Of course, we enjoyed some of the famous cheese toast. They now offer a side salad for $3.95 with the pasta dishes, and it rather hit the spot. This place not only has the old-timey atmosphere; the food is actually really good.

September 5, 2014
We had an excellent, leisurly dinner at Cafe Beaujolais tonight. I started with the Belgium Endive salad - changed slightly since the last time I had it, but still the same basic formula with bleu cheese and walnuts. The Rack of Lamb was excellent; four juicy chops with a delicious sauce, accompanied by potatoes and vegetables. For dessert we had the Gateau, a dense, not-overly-sweet chocolate cake accompanied by a copious dollop of whipped cream. I love that they never rush you at this place. There's no overlapping of courses; no bum's rush, even with a crowd of people waiting for tables starting to build up. This is a place to really sit back and savor a meal.

August 29, 2014
I took the train to Hollywood to meet her for dinner at Musso & Frank Grill. It was nice to enjoy this iconic restaurant again. The Caesar Salad is a bit different than it used to be, and if anything, it is even better. All the underlying flavors shone through. I had the Veal Bolognese Bucatini, which was hearty and satisfying. I wish it had been a different pasta shape. I wasn't sure what bucatini were, but it turns out they are what we used to call 'perciatelli'. This is basically a very thick spaghetti with a fine hole in the middle. Therein lies the problem with this pasta, which I identified even as a kid: you can't suck it in. The hole turns the pasta into a bit of a straw; you just get air, but no pasta, when you try to suck the noodle in. We got a piece of cheesecake for dessert. It was old-fashioned, and very good.

August 28, 2014
Had a beer at our off-site work meeting at Story Tavern in Burbank. I had figured that this was the kind of place that wouldn't have Miller Lite, and I was right. They did provide me with an appropriate light pilsner. I sampled a bit of an appetizer which was basically nachos, but with the chips replaced by potato buds.

August 24, 2014
Dinner in Hollywood at Le Oriental Bistro. What a great "hole in the wall" this place is. Chicken Fried Rice, Beef Broccoli, and Sweet and Sour Pork all were exactly as they should be.

August 21, 2014
Finally put a spare on my truck. Now I can drive it. It feels good to be out of credit card debt. I felt like a king walking around with a wad of cash.

August 17, 2014
Nice lunch at the Grill in Hollywood. The French Dip sandwich was rather pedestrian, and the Peanut Cole Slaw didn't measure up to that at the Smokehouse; but the atmosphere here trumps all.

August 16, 2014
Went to Santa Anita for satellite wagering on Del Mar and the Arlington Million today. Had a good day and won a little money. I enjoyed a nice Chicken Tortilla soup for lunch.

August 13, 2014
Our loan closed today. Hallellujah.

August 3, 2014
We tried a couple more hot dogs from Meea's - the Slaw Dog and the Chili Dog. While both, being hot dogs after all, were good, I found the slaw on the Slaw Dog to be a bit too creamy. The Chili Dog was really good: the Fritos were a nice touch, not overdone.

July 20, 2014
Assembled some furniture for my sister today. I get worn out easily, but I managed to complete the project.

July 15, 2014
Despite my weakened condition, I've been doing a shitload of work on the house in order to get a good appraisal for a refinance loan.

July 8, 2014
I returned to work today. There's certainly a lot of catching up to do. I can barely remember what I do there.

June 19, 2014
We ate at Shaker's tonight. We had planned to go see a play tonight (Stoneface, at the Pasadena Playhouse) but it was canceled at the last minute. Thank God Goldstar called us before we left. We decided to go to dinner at Gus's BBQ, but it was too crowded; so we ended up at Shaker's where I really enjoyed a Chicken Fried Steak.

June 16, 2014
I'm finding there is a lot of bureaucracy to deal with when filing a disability claim.

June 9, 2014
I made a really good vegetable fried rice today. If only I could duplicate this.

June 7, 2014
Once again, no Triple Crown this year. It turns out that California Chrome grabbed a quarter, which probably irritated him enough to cause him to lose the race.

June 5, 2014
I'm starting to be able to eat more with no problems. I made roast chicken tonight; it was very tasty, and also produced a lot of schmalz for dipping. We had prepared for this by getting some good bread to dip at the Italian Bakery. I'm feeling better, and have been able to get some jobs done around the house - chiefly painting and painting related.

June 3, 2014
Probably overdid it a bit today. Finally able to eat after weeks of "sick" dinners; then, in hospital, no food; then liquid diet; I made spaghetti and meatballs, and ate too much of it, as it was really, really good. Got a bad bellyache. Need to eat smaller meals, and drink more water.

June 2, 2014
Back at home from the hospital after surgery on May 30. Maybe I can finally get some sleep, which they sure don't let you do in the hospital.

May 23, 2014
Nice to have some delicious sushi from Fish King tonight. I've had to have a lot of "sick" dinners lately. That's when I have to have soup, or broth, or some such, because I am not feeling well, or can't eat a full meal.

May 17, 2014
Chrome does it again in the Preakness! It's time for Triple Crown fever.

May 3, 2014
California Chrome wins the Kentucky Derby. It was a very satisfying race.

April 25, 2014
Had to attend a funeral downtown this morning. The luncheon afterwards was quite good.

April 20, 2014
We had Easter dinner at the home of some friends; it was a nice change of pace. One thing that was the same as last Easter: the booze hunt. Little "airline" bottles of booze are hidden around the yard for this fun, adult version of the traditional Easter Egg Hunt. A good time was had by all!

April 13, 2014
Tonight we had an early dinner at the Green Dragon. We started with the Chicken Won Ton soup; it was excellent. There were lots of tender pieces of chicken, and plenty of tasty won ton, along with a goodly amount of spinach. We also had Chicken Curry, and Vegetable Fried rice. The Chicken Curry was a tasty yellow curry sauce with a plate-load of chicken pieces, and some carrot, potato and onion thrown in. Nothing too fancy, but quite good. The Vegetable Fried Rice was an excellent surprise. The veggies were cut into tiny pieces and spread throughout the tasty rice; a real treat! All this, with plenty of leftovers, for under $30.

April 5, 2014
Exciting to see California Chrome dominate in the Santa Anita Derby. It's on to Kentucky! I didn't really bet much today; just went out to see the big race.

March 19, 2014
Kind of overdoing on the corned beef after St. Paddy's day, but tonight's Reuben sandwiches were really good. Tomorrow: hash.

March 8, 2014
Picked the right horse in the Big 'Cap today as Game On Dude won it in racehorse time. California Chrome was impressive on the front end in the San Felipe.

March 1, 2014
Helped my brother-in-law take 12 giant trash bags of beer cans to the recycler. I still smell like a brewery.

February 16, 2014
Got a giant jar of diatomaceous earth today - to eat! It's supposed bo be good for you.

February 8, 2014
Nice day at the track in spite of no winners. At least good booze drinks were had. Blew a tire on the way home, and had to put the spare on. The tire that blew had a leak for years. I had to put air in every couple of weeks, and there was also a weak bulge on it. I'm almost glad to be rid of it. I don't know when I'll be able to afford a tire to replace it.

January 30, 2014
Our group from work had an "offsite" at El Torito in Burbank, which is where Acapulco used to be. The appetizer selections were decent; the margaritas tasty, but about the strength one expects at happy hour, (i.e., weak).

January 25, 2014
A day at the races and Santa Anita's Clubhouse Luncheon Terrace. I had the cheeseburger, which was quite tasty. I ended up losing a little money, but you really can't beat the pleasure of a lunch at the terrace!

January 20, 2014
Tried some of the leftover Lido sausage pizza, and I have to say this is the best pizza I've gotten from them - a really good medium-crust pie.

January 19, 2014
We had lunch at Lido Pizza in Van Nuys today. I had the salami sandwich - done in the traditional "salad" style.

January 18, 2014
Broke even at the track today.

January 5, 2014
Finally made my first trip out to the races this year.

December 31, 2013
We went to. Jax for New Year's Eve this year. There was no cover charge, so we figured we could save a little money. We had a 9:30 reservation, and they made it clear that we may have to give up our table at 11:30, but we figured we could hang out at the bar until midnight. Anyway, that never materialized, and we had the table for the evening. They seemed to be a little frazzled with the big crowd, and we had to wait quite a while until we were seated; however, we ended up with a good booth in the bar area. There was a special menu in effect, but the prices were not jacked up. I had a stuffed pork chop, which, though a bit dry, was quite good. We started with a hearty lobster bisque - a real New Yearsy dish. We were surprised that in spite of the lack of a cover charge, we were supplied with noisemakers, hats, and party favors. So we saw the new year in in style. The entertainment was the Ralph Mathis Band, which was quite good, and would make big brother Johnny proud.

December 30, 2013
We finally caught the Junipero Serra exhibition at the Huntington today; it was very interesting. There was a lot of nice material on display, including letters, maps, and various artifacts.

December 24, 2013
We were nominated to have the all fish Christmas Eve party this year, and everything went real well. The shrimp cocktail was really good, as were the Clams Casino and Shrimp Canapes.

December 22, 2013
A sad day in L.A., as one of our great institutions closes down forever. Today was the final day of racing at Hollywood Park. The place was packed, causing me to wonder where the hell all these people were when they needed customers here. They didn't do too much to commemorate the day, nor, apparently, did they hire one extra soul to accomodate the large crowd. It took about an hour to get a drink. What a shame that we've lost this great facility.

December 19, 2013
For her birthday dinner, we went to the Smokehouse again, which is always a good choice, especially this time of year, when they are very busy, and all decorated for the holidays. Since the date fell on a Thursday, both the Bacon Wrapped Filet and half-priced wine specials applied; we took advantage. We also arrived in time to get a martini at the bar at happy hour prices! I tried the Shoe String Fries as my side, and found that they are very good here - not exactly "shoestring", but more like McDonald's sized. We enjoyed a slice of very traditional cheescake for dessert.

December 12, 2013
El Conquistador restaurant on Sunset is closing down in a few days, so we finally decided to try it. We're sad we hadn't come here before; this place was right up our alley. The food was good - nothing to write home about, but solid Mexican. There was a very lively bar scene. The margaritas were not weak! It looks like this place was a real treasure for the locals, and I am sure they will miss it.

December 6, 2013
Tonight we enjoyed a real nice dinner at the Red Lion. I had the Schintzel a la Holstein, which has anchovies and an egg on it. It came with good boiled potatoes and the best red cabbage in town. She had the Hungarian Goulash, which came with nice spaetzel. This is one of the real comfortable places to go in this town.

November 29, 2013
We had our own little turkey today after separate Thanksgivings yesterday. My chorizo outside stuffing came out good.

November 16, 2013
It's the final meeting at Hollywood Park, which is scheduled to close after December 22. We got a great box near the finish line and enjoyed a wonderful, albeit not profitable, day of racing. We had a nice meatball soup, and a carved corned beef sandwich. Later, thanks to a promotion, we had a $1 hot dot and $2 beer; then we had a popcorn.. A fine day at the races it was.

November 10, 2013
Well, I rented a rooter today from Home Depot, and successfully cleared the line. Looks like that's the way to go in future.

November 8, 2013
Tonight we ate at the Green Dragon for the first time. This is in the strip mall where the miniature golf course used to be (along with Garbo's Pottery). The place was bigger than I expected, and was still very clean and new. The food was very traditional. We tried the appetizer sampler plate which included won ton, paper wrapped chiken, spare ribs, fried shrimp, and spring roll. Everything was really good. For entrees we had the beef with pan fried noodle, and the kung pao chicken, both of which pleased us. The portions were quite large so there was a lot to take home. They don't have a liquor license here, but we made up for that by going for a couple drinks at Colombo's after dinner.

November 6, 2013
We got a bonus with a couple of volunteer tomato plants that popped up in our pots late in the season. They both appeared to be Sweet 100 variety, and the fruit just turned red in October, and we actually still have a few into November. It's nice to still be able to taste the flavor of real tomato this late in the year, although the small amount makes it just a bit of a tease, while pointing out how insipid the store tomatoes we now have to use are.

November 2, 2013
Just finished two days at Santa Anita Park for the Breeders' Cup. Wisely, I pre-purchased admission, as general admission for Fri/Sat was $10/$25 pre, and $15/$40 at the gate. Plenty of good racing, not too many winners though. After I got home, we went to Blue Chip for combos. They were really good and looked like a work of art.

October 20, 2013
Tonight we had dinner and drinks at the venerable Damon's in Glendale. The Mai Tais here are the best in town. We started with a couple at the bar - and the $5 happy hour price didn't hurt. For dinner, we started with the garlic bread, which is quite traditional, and good. The house salad here is unique - chopped, well dressed, and including a significant amount of celery. I had a special entree - the Linguini and clam sauce. This came with plenty of fresh clams, and house made linguini, and was much better than I anticipated. For a nightcap, we walked over to Jax and listened to some jazz at the bar.

October 19, 2013
I had a quick run to the track today, mostly to pick up a giveaway blanket. I had a winner while there, so the day was pretty much free. I looked around for some of the foods that can't be found in the upper clubhouse anymore. I see that soup is available in the Paddock Room and the Lanai Room. The Lanai Room also had the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, which are often hard to find at the track, even though I know they have them. I had one of those, and enjoyed.

October 10, 2013
Dinner was at Maximiliano tonight. As we were a party of five, I got to sample several appetizers. The bread plate is nice, but should be free rather than $4. The porcini risotto was very rich: if it hadn't been split five ways, it would have been way too much. Most impressive was the Cheese and Charcuterie board, which had a delectable selection of meats cheese and condiments, with the pate being the real standout. I had spaghetti Puttanesca for my entree - hearty, savory fare, perhaps a bit over salted. We all split a slice of rich, chocolate cake for dessert.

October 6, 2013
We had a nice lunch at the Frontrunner today. We've found that we like sitting on the "dance floor". This is usually offered as a lesser alternative, and most people seem to turn it down, and just wait for the possibility of a cancellation opening up for a regular floor table; but we've found it to be pretty nice. People tend to avoid the area, thinking it's for a private party; so you end up with your own betting machines with no lines! We split a couple items, which ended up going very well together. We got the Sweet Salsicca pizza, which, with its wonderful sausage was much like a very upscale version of a regular "corner" pizza. The greek salad was a perfect complement. For dessert we had the Strawberry Angel, which was sweet, sticky and good.

October 4, 2013
Tonight we saw Philip K. Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? at the Sacred Fools Theater. The play explores a dystopian future, and is a bit hard to follow at times, but rewarding nonetheless. Jaime Robledo's directorial skills are amply displayed, as usual.

After the play, we went to Fred 62, where they are working on changing the menu. Some old favorites are gone, so I decided to try something I hadn't had there before: a patty melt. This was good, but nothing too special. The half I took home for leftovers was actually better on the second day. The cole slaw was a bit under dressed tonight. Hopefully, this was a one shot deal, and not part of the new configuration.

September 28, 2013
Well, the fall meet at Santa Anita is underway. I had an enjoyable day at the races. The big deal at the track is the remodeling job they've done. This primarily affected me in the "big" room behind the box seats. This had totally been modernized. Many didn't like it, but I thought it was okay - at least as far as looks go. What bothered me is that they seem to have gotten rid of hot dogs, popcorn, chili bowl, rice bowl, and soup, in favor of salads and noodles. What the hell are they thinking about? I think the Breeders' Cup people have an influence in this; and that this is someone from Kentucky's idea of what people in California like to eat.

September 24, 2013
Tonight we saw Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys starring Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch. Although this was the first preview performance, with these seasoned professionals, we knew this would be a great show. There were plenty of laughs throughout. It was a little bit hard to hear the actors at times, especially when a line was drowned out by laughter. That aside, this looks to be a first rate show.

After the play, we went to Pete's Cafe on Fourth and Main for a late dinner. We ordered off the bar menu. I especially enjoyed the Fried Oyster Spoons - a rich indulgence. We tried and enjoyed all of the Mix and Match Sliders: Beef, Chicken and Lamb. These are a great deal at $2.75 a pop. We also had the Caesar Fries, which I was a bit too full to finish, so we took them home in a box.

September 21, 2013
We had our trip to the Fair today. We took the train again, like last year. It was one of the coolest weather days ever at the fair. We had a hot dog on a stick; looked at the crafts; had a beer; watched a horse show; had a hamburger; did a wine tasting; watched horse racing; had tacos; took our photo booth picture;bought P-Nuttles. A very busy day indeed.

September 5, 2013
Tonight we had dinner at Il Fornaio. We started with calamari, which is of such quality as to feature the fish here more than the breading. I had the veal scallopini which is done with thin slices of artichoke which gives it a nice punch of flavor. After our meal, we went to the bar for one of their exquisite Irish coffees. We should go there more often.

August 30, 2013
I went to pick her up in Hollywood tonight. I had a martini at Musso's, and then walked over to meet her outside the Egyptian. We stopped for a drink at a very loud (DJ) Pig N Whistle, before catching the train out.

August 26, 2013
I met an old friend for dinner, and to watch the ball game, at the Coffee Table Lounge in Eagle Rock. It's a good, friendly neighborhood kind of place. Perfect to catch a game, and have a conversation. I had a hankerig for breakfast fare, and, since they serve it all day, I got the Country Breakfast: two eggs, choice of meat (I had sausage patties), two pancakes, and fruit. This realy hit the spot. The drinks are reasonably priced. I had a glass of wine and a beer.

August 24, 2013
We took the train to Hollywood tonight. First, we stopped in for a couple of margaritas at Tekila. The bar here is open to the street, and quite comfortable; the margaritas, despite good happy hour prices, are not weak! For dinner we walked down to Tinhorn Flats on Highland Ave. This new, second location, of one of Burbanks classic institutions serves up good grub in a nice atmosphere. I had an American Classic hamburger which was just that. There's a full bar, but I had a glass of Zinfandel to wash down the burger. One observation: the place looks too fancy from the outside, and that may intimidate people. It really is just good old Tinhorn Flats, but the digs are so elegant, that one might think that this is a pricey place to be avoided. I think they should tone down the fancy city glass look, and maybe put in some version of the swinging saloon doors that characterize the original location.

August 22, 2013
We enjoyed a French country style dinner at Taix tonight. While they no longer have their August Chicken Special, we still keep up the tradition of going every August. We started in the bar with martinis before being seated. I had the rabbit, which is done with a rich, mustard sauce, with pearl onions and mushrooms. It came with a side of polenta, which was actually quite good. I really enjoyed the rabbit, a treat I haven't indulged in for a while. As always, we got the full dinner with soup and salad. Taix's soups are truly the best in town, and the navy bean tonight didn't disappoint. They give a choice for the salads now, and I got the Caesar, which was very satisfying. The three of us shared a bottle of Malbec with dinner, then got another bottle after retiring back to the bar afterwards.

August 17, 2013
Another good racing day - I came out up $130 in our annual Arlington Million Day outing at the Frontrunner.

In the evening we went to Hollywood and enjoyed a Veal Milanese at Miceli's. It's always good to duck into Miceli's on a day when Hollywood Blvd. is a huge throng. It's very calm in Miceli's. After dinner we walked down to the Roosevelt and had a (rather expensive) drink at the Public Kitchen bar.

August 16, 2013
Hit five of six in the pick six for $538. I needed that money.

August 8, 2013
Picnic and classical music at the Hollywood Bowl tonight. We packed a variety of little sandwiches along with a couple bottles of wine. The program of Beethoven, Richard Strauss, and Brahms was very satisfying. We took the shuttle from the zoo parking lot for $5 (round trip). So, in our three trips to the Bowl this year, we got there in three different ways: Red Line/shuttle from Hollywood & Highland; parking in the Bowl lot ($18); and the zoo shuttle. I would have to say that the Red Line is the way to go. The round trip is only $3 per person; and the relief from driving stress is invaluable.

August 6, 2013
Dinner tonight at the Little Beast in Eagle Rock. The place was very nice inside, and also had a lot of outdoor seating. I had a filet, which came with mushrooms and fried onions, on a bed of spinach, with a bleu cheese sauce. This was real good. The steak was perfectly cooked, and the crispy fried onions were excellent. I didn't think the contrasting, balsamic flavored mushrooms came off quite as well. Most of the sauce served to flavor up the spinach. This place has a very small menu, but several of the entrees looked interesting, most notably the hamburger, which several people ordered and enjoyed.

August 3, 2013
I came up with a new scalloped potato recipe. These are for garlic lovers only. It went well with a pot roast.

July 26, 2013
Nothing like BLTs in the summer with tasty home grown tomatoes!

July 24, 2013
She made Beef Stroganoff in the Crock Pot today, so I whipped up a nice batch of egg noodles to go with. Did I ever note that I can make noodles from scratch quicker than the time it takes for the water to boil? Well, I can.

July 19, 2013
Thankfully, the guy from the gas company was able to get the water heater lit (after another guy had failed on Tuesday, and I had been unsuccessful myself).

July 17, 2013
Tonight we caught a couple of top shelf musical acts at the Hollywood Bowl. Herb Alpert and Lani Hall opened the program with an intimate set of material spanning the decades. The audience, of course, especially loved the medley of Tijuana Brass hits. After intermission, Sergio Mendes took the stage with a somewhat larger ensemble. The band performed old hits, and some newer material - they even had a rapper! Herb and Lani came on stage to join them for a number. Those who left before the last encore missed the Brazilian style dancing girls in full regalia.

We didn't have time to put together a home cooked picnic, but we did enjoy the Eagle Rock Italian Bakery combo sandwiches, marinated mushrooms, and cookies we packed, along with a chicken liver and truffle pate and crackers from Trader Joes. Altogether, a very enjoyable evening.

July 16, 2013
We had an excellent dinner at Colombo's tonight. We started with the Calamari, which was fried to a perfect, delicate crispness. Then, we split a wedge salad. I had seen people order this at the bar, and it always looked good; I was not disappointed. This was a real, old fashioned treat; iceberg lettuce and tomatoes, slathered with bleu cheese dressing, and sprinkled with generous bits of tasty bacon. For an entree, I had the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli in Pomodoro Sauce, which were very tasty. She had the Spaghetti Bolognese which was meaty and rich. We were too stuffed for dessert, but did enjoy a reasonably priced bottle of Maddalena Cabernet.

July 12, 2013
We went to the circus at Staples Center today for the noon show. This is the first time we put a Metro day pass on our Tap cards, and it appears that if you have such a pass, the system uses it first; so, if you just made a short trip, and had a day pass in the hopper, you would end up losing money, unless their system is smart enough to sort it out, which a system easily could be, though I doubt their's is. The show was entertaining as usual, but a bit thin this year. There were fewer performers; more licensed, and less original music. Still, it was fun to see.

We walked up the street to the Pantry and had a nice meal there. The Coleslaw and bread were especially tasty today; I could have filled up on just them. I had a Phillie Cheese Steak sandwich, which was quite good - especially the roll! It came with fries, which they also did a nice job on.

After eating we stopped at Union Station for a drink at Traxx bar. This is what a bar in a train station should be.

July 6, 2013
Spent the day at Hollywood Park today. It's very sad that this place is closing down at the end of the year. People are dumb for not going there. The grandstand is really nice. I had a hot dot, half a carved roast beef sandwich, and a bag of popcorn. I only cashed one ticket.

June 29, 2013
Tonight we saw Modrock at the El Portal Theatre. I had seen mixed reviews of some of the early performances of this new musical, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I figured, that with all the great songs being used, if someone didn't like this, it must either be due to the performance being terrible, or the arrangements of the songs really wrecking them. Fortunately, neither ended up being the case. This was quite enjoyable. The singing and dancing was first rate; and the arrangements really honored the original tunes, with nothing sounding too 'musical-ish'. Yes, there was not much to the book; but you don't really expect the second coming of Shakespeare for a production like this. I noted that since the previews, they had decided to add an intermission, which, with the short length of the play, wasn't really necessary. I guess people really want their snacks. If I were to give any suggestions for improvement it would be this: get the rights to a couple more songs, and add a number or two at the beginning - something really big, and familiar, with a big dance scene - something to really grab the audience's attention early, and set up the plot a little more quickly.

Afterwards, we had a nice sausage pizza, along with a salad, and bottle of wine, at nearby Little Toni's.

June 27, 2013
Stopped at Colombo's for a drink after work; first time in a while.

June 23, 2013
Today we caught a matinee performance of the world premiere of Watson and the Dark Art of Harry Houdini at the Sacred Fools Theatre. Written and directed by Jaime Robledo this sequel to the popular Watson: The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes, is somewhat darker and less expansive as its predecessor. While it often displays Robledo's formidable talent at getting big results out of a small stage, there is a more inward, psychological element to this play. One complaint I heard was that - SPOILER ALERT - the play starts with a murder mystery, and, being a Sherlock Holmes story, there is an expectation that this will be resolved; but it's not, as that's not the point of this play. However, without changing much, the murder mystery can be resolved, as some sort of aside - maybe, in Sacred Fools' fashion, with a Punch and Judy show, or something of that sort; and that would scratch that particular itch.

After the play, we had an early dinner at The Kitchen. I had a delicious Chicken Pot Pie - a bit soupy, but very tasty. It came with a small, tasty salad of young greens. I tasted her Meatloaf and Succotash, and it was so good I decided I'll probably get that next time we go. We shared a delicious Creme Brulee for dessert.

June 16, 2013
We spent an enjoyable afternoon and evening at the Hollywood Bowl yesterday for the Playboy Jazz Festival. We took the train from North Hollywood, connecting with a shuttle bus at Hollywood and Highland. (On the way out, we skip the shuttle, and just make the downhill walk back from the Bowl to the train station). Our picnic menu (accompanied by a couple bottles of wine to wash it down): Smoked Salmon; Liver Pate; crackers; Chicken Almond sandwiches; Deviled Eggs; Taco Popcorn; College Pasta Salad; Artichoke & Tomato Salad; Fried Chicken; Lemon Bread; Snickerdoodles. Needless to say, we were stuffed at the end of the day.

June 5, 2013
Today I heard the sad news that the Empress Pavillion in Chinatown was closing. I loved that huge room.

June 3, 2013
We did our walk of Hollywood Blvd. today to update our page of businesses. Afterwards, we ate at Miceli's, where the salad was excellent, but the pizza a bit gummy and under-sauced.

June 2, 2013
I put a new voltage regulator on the stereo amp/receiver today. It has been going into protect mode constantly; this seems to have eased, but not totally fixed, the problem.

May 26, 2013
We took the train down to Chinatown for an early Sunday dinner at Hop Woo. We got a nice seat right by the window, so we could watch the people go by. The first part of the meal was somewhat disturbed by a particualarly annoying brat at the next table. The food was good; portions copious. We had Sweet and Sour Pork, Kung Pao Chicken, and the House Specialty Chow Mein. The Kung Pao Chicken was especially tasty today. We both filled up quickly, but I think we boxed up enough food for at least two more meals.

May 22, 2013
Tonight we met a friend for drinks at the Tiki Ti. On Wednesday they have Ray's Mistakes for a special $6 price. Sometimes the drinks can get expensive there, and they only take cash; and that stuff's always in short supply. Then, we walked over and had a nice meal at El Chavo. They had an especially tasty soup tonight. After dinner, we retired to the El Chavito side for a drink. There, we saw Josie from Top Chef with a group of her friends.

May 20, 2013
For the last few days we've been enjoying a nice bird show in our yard. We've determined that the birds are red-whiskered bulbuls, a species native to south Asia, but which, due to escaped caged birds, has established itself in Florida, and Los Angeles. These birds have a pleasant song, and love to frolic in our sprinkler.

May 18, 2013
For Preakness day we enjoyed some crab cakes. I decided to live it up, and bought the jumbo lump crab meat; very expensive, but it sure went down easy.

May 16, 2013
We had a very nice dinner, meeting a friend at the Smokehouse tonight. Martinis in the bar; a couple bottles of wine with dinner; cheese toast and Steak Sinatra for dinner. The Steak Sinatra was especially good tonight; lots of meat, and a nice sauce.

May 12, 2013
It was hotter than Hades today.

May 11, 2013
The yard tomatoes are finally starting to come along nicely. Hopefully, we'll get a better crop than last year.

May 5, 2013
We had a very nice Cinco de Mayo dinner. Margaritas, with chips, guacamole and salsa; nachos; Mexican Caesar Salad; shredded beef tacos; and Frijoles Supremos.

May 4, 2013
Kentucky Derby today. I had Revolutionary, who finished third, as my top pick, and Orb, who won, as my third choice. Typical. I had several bets covering many combinations, and hit nothing. We did get tanked on a couple mint juleps. Oh well, better luck at the Preakness.

May 3, 2013
Tonight we saw Robert Kauzlaric's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere at the Sacred Fools Theatre. Although it was somwhat long - clocking in at about three hours - this was good, entertaining fantasy adventure. Protagonist Richard Mayhew's Looking-Glass/Oz-like odyssey in London Below is full of surprises. We caught a performance with several understudies in the main roles; all were well prepared, and did a fine job.

Afterwards, we headed to Fred 62 for some familiar fare. I had the Charles Bukowski - a ham and cheese on rye. Very tasty! They seem to have pared down the menu a bit, and raised prices slightly. I'm pleased to note, however, that they've gone back to real glass wine glasses; a big improvement over the plastic ones they had been using for a while.

April 28, 2013
I put in a hard day of yard work today. It's brush clearance time, and I had put it off until the last weekend before inspections start. I got a lot done. Afterwards, we relaxed with cocktails at the bar, and had some barbecued spare ribs for dinner.

April 25, 2013
Tonight we saw The Innocence of Father Brown at the Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasadena. Patrick Rieger's adaptation of the classic G.K. Chesterton stories made for an entertaining evening. Several mysteries are woven together, to be expertly solved by the investigational and deductive prowess of the title character. Some of the stories were easier to follow than others, but the acting was good throughout. I seem to remember Father Brown as being a somewhat earthier character than portrayed in this production; I'll have to re-read some of the stories to confirm this.

Afterwards, we ate at Shakers, in South Pasadena. I almost drove all the way up to the former Pasadena location; but when we saw that the former Wild Thyme was now Shakers, it dawned on me that the one that had closed down was the Pasadena location; so I made a quick u-turn. I had the Chicken Fried Steak. It might be the best traditional chicken fried steak in town. (I add "traditional" because Jax' rather non-traditional version, made with filet mignon, is in a class by itself). The gravy, with chunks of chicken, was fantastic. It came with mashed potatoes (or rice), mixed vegetables, and garlic toast (or zucchini bread). Everything was really good. We should go to this old reliable, and inexpensive place more often.

April 21, 2013
Closing day at Santa Anita. Always sad to hear Jay Cohen blow Taps before the last race. No betting luck to close out the season. Hopefully, things will improve at Hollywood Park.

April 19, 2013
The office had a happy hour/meeting at Casa Cabo after work this evening. This is the former Chadney's in Burbank - the place where Robert Blake met the wife he was accused of killing. It's pretty much just a regular Mexican restaurant now; the margaritas were fairly strong for happy hour specials.

April 14, 2013
Well, I finished my taxes today, and was pleasantly surprised to find I am getting a refund. If I had suspected that before, I would have filed months ago. Stil, it was a nice relief.

April 13, 2013
We had a nice day at Santa Anita's Clubhouse Luncheon Terrace today. I had the Club Sandwich, which was very standard, but perfectly executed. I tried the fries as a side, and they were just about the best in town! When I saw that they were "steak" cut, I wasn't too excited, because that's not my favorite; but these turned out to be so perfectly done - delicately crisp on the outside, and creamy soft on the inside - that I was won over. I suspect a very special fat was used, perhaps even duck fat, because there was something really good and different about these fries. She had a Lamb Naan, which was full of flavor, along with a pasta salad that made the perfect accompaniment.

April 11, 2013
I finally started my taxes tonight.

April 7, 2013
Not much betting luck, but a good time was had by all at Santa Anita on Derby Day. Good luck to trainer Doug O'Neill and jockey Kevin Krigger as Goldencents "carries the hopes of California all the way to the Kentucky Derby".

April 5, 2013
Tonight we caught A Noise Within's production of Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig's adaptation of George Farquhar's The Beaux Stratagem. Amazingly, this was the West Coast Premier of the play, which was first produced in 1707! Well, they should have done it a lot sooner, because it was a delightful comic entertainment. This was a preview showing, which may have accounted for a few kinks, including some rather tentative swordplay, but I trust this will improve during the run.

For dinner, we went to an old, reliable standby: a Sausage Pizza from Casa Bianca, which was especially good this evening.

March 31, 2013
I made a black bottom pie to take to Easter; it looked and tasted great. I wish I could remember what I did so I could write down a recipe.

March 28, 2013
Good crowd at Colombo's tonight as a stopped for and after-work drink. It is weird now that we're in Daylight Saving Time, to have it be still light outside when I leave the place.

March 25, 2013
We celebrated a new position with dinner at the Smokehouse this evening. You can't beat the Monday specials - half priced wine and cheap prime rib dinner. I actually didn't get the prime rib, but went for Beef Stroganoff instead, as I had a hankering for the dish. It was good.

March 21, 2013
In keeping with the food thrift theme, we got five meals out of our St. Pat's corned beef and cabbage. On the second night we had straight leftovers of meal one; on night three we had reuben sandwiches; on night four we had corned beef hash; and on the fifth night we had Santa Anita style corned beef sandwiches.

March 15, 2013
Ha! We got four meals out of that second, larger chicken. We roasted it with vegetables the first night, and had the same thing for leftovers on night two; after which I was able to scrape enough meat off of the bones to provide for two nights of delicious chicken tacos.

March 10, 2013
They actually had some small chickens available today at the supermarket. I got two: one to freeze, and fry at a future date; the other to barbecue today. It came really good. I haven't had barbecued chicken pieces in a while. The two of us ate the whole thing.

March 9, 2013
Today, on a trip to the bakery, I decided to try Meea's, the new hot dog stand in town. I brought home a couple of hot dogs so we could split them and try two different flavors. I really enjoyed both dogs. The Eagle Rock, which contains pickled papaya, pork rinds, and avocado, was especially spicy and flavorful. The Southland was like a good, local hot-dog-cart, dog - bacon wrapped, with bell peppers and jalapeño. We're definitely going to try more of the hot dogs at Meea's.

March 2, 2013
Big Cap day at Santa Anita. I didn't do too well gambling, but got to witness a record breaking performance by Game On Dude - the biggest margin of victory in the 76 year history of the race. I also enjoyed an especially tasty bowl of Albondigas soup.

February 28, 2013
I met up with some old friends at Tommy's Sushi in Tustin tonight. They are famous for their Poke Bowl, and it did not disappoint. The fried soft-shell crab hand roll was a bit messy to eat, but the spicy scallop roll was delicious.

February 24, 2013
I made a more simple menu for the Oscars this year: Clams Casino; Steak au Poivre; Scalloped Potatoes; Brussels Sprouts; and Bourbon and Coffee Ice Cream. She also made a load of popcorn for nibbling.

February 22, 2013
We saw Steven Sondheim's Company at the Crown City Theatre at St. Matthew's Church in North Hollywood. I liked seeing a "big" musical, with a fairly large cast, on this small, intimate stage. You really get that up-close-and-personal experience; and it's nice to hear a musical done without microphones and amplification. The small setting creates some interesting challenges for director Albert Alarr and choreographer John Todd which, in my opinion, were met rather successfully.

Afterwards, we went around the corner for a deliciously greasy pepperoni pizza at Little Toni's.

February 18, 2013
I got three and a half meals out of a pork tenderloin this weekend. Originally, I used it for a dish from Jacques Pepin's cookbook, wherein I cut some medallions out of the loin. I made my own version, with a different sauce, the next day. On the third day, I bunched the remaining meat into a ball, and roasted it on the barbecue early in the day. For dinner, I sliced the meat thin for sandwiches; there was enough for three sandwiches, so I'm having the extra one tomorrow for lunch!

February 14, 2013
We had Valentine's Day dinner at Taix tonight. They pretty much offered a selection from their regular menu, with jacked-up prices; but it was still a better deal than most places in town. They kept the regular rotation soup-of-the-day, which was Navy Bean. I was already almost full after I indulged in a couple bowls of soup along with a Caesar Salad. Since all the entrees were the same price on this night, I went with a filet with gorgonzola, sauteed porcini mushrooms, and bordelaise sauce - very rich and tasty. There was an accompaniment of scalloped potatoes and green beans. We had the Creme Brulee for dessert, and were very pleased.

February 10, 2013
Props to Cake Boss Buddy Valastro. I made the stuffed peppers from his cookbook, and they were excellent!

February 8, 2013
Tonight we saw Brendan Hunt's new play Absolutely Filthy at the Sacred Fools Theatre. The play features familar charatcters from the Peanuts comic strip as adults, and centers on the homeless Pigpen. (The original working title was "Pigpen at Thirty"). Set at the funeral of Charlie Brown, the play is full of pleasingly referential, and often raunchy humor throughout, but also has many poignant, touching moments.

Afterwards, I tried the Phillie's Cheesesteak sandwich at Fred 62. Though the meat was a bit dry, and the peppers not quite as cooked as I would have liked, it still was a satisfying sandwich; and the coleslaw was superb tonight.

February 5, 2013
Tonight I made, as an appetizer, a version of my Oysters Kirkpatrick, using bottled oysters from the store, cooking them in ramekins, and serving with a piece of toast. It took a little longer to cook than when done on the half shell; it tasted very good.

February 2, 2013
Strub day at the track. I had another successful outing, hitting the Players' Pick Five today. There were two odds-on favorites in the sequence, but it still paid $226. I also enjoyed a jambalaya shrimp and sausage rice bowl - excellent eats.

January 30, 2013
This evening we saw Noel Cowards Fallen Angels at the Pasadena Playhouse. We got a really good deal on Goldstar Events - Orchestra row F for $19! This was a preview performance, but everything seemed quite polished. This is a "girl" comedy, almost a 1920s foreshadowing of Ab Fab. This is a very lighthearted play - a nice evening's entertainment, filled with witty dialog, and physical comedy.

After the play we went to Conrad's, a coffee shop with bar straight out of the 70s. I had a Reuben sandwich and fries, both good. I sampled some of the Split Pea soup, which was thick and tasty. You get a goodly amount of food here at a cheap price. It's nice to find a new place that is open late even on a Wednesday night.

January 27, 2013
We had a hearty breakfast this morning at the Marmalade Cafe in Sherman Oaks. The three eggs over easy, ham, potatoes, toast, and a cup of strong coffee really hit the spot.

January 26, 2013
I had a good day at the track today. A nice winner based on the track bias allowed me to bankroll some bigger bets later, whereupon I hit a couple of nice back-wheeled exactas.

January 24, 2013
Another patron at Colombo's shared my opinion that they need to go back to serving the extra amount of a martini in a sidecar, as the current method of giving you the rest of the shaker leads to the drink turning into water.

January 21, 2013
I'm off work today for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and inauguration day. We had a nice meal of barbecued spare ribs, collard greens, black beans, hush puppy patties, and strawberry ice cream!.

January 19, 2013
I went out to Santa Anita for a few races today, without much luck until the end when a nice winner made up for most of my previous losses. I had an excellent minestrone soup, as well as a donut and a tub of popcorn.

January 12, 2013
Our oven has been out of commission since before Christmas, and today I fixed it. We determined that it was probably a faulty igniter. After using the global resources of the World Wide Web, we were able to find the part for about $15. (The range of prices for the part was anywhere from $15 to about $75, with a 'list' price of over $100). It took me all of about an hour to remove the old part and replace it with the fresh one. Luckily, I have a lot of tools which seem like they may never find a use, but often end up coming in handy. In this case, the key tool was a small socket wrench set with a flexible extender; it was exactly what I needed to get the job done. Now the oven works like a charm, and we're "cookin' with gas"! If I had had to hire a repairman, it would probably have cost almost as much as a new oven. It really does pay to do it yourself.

January 5, 2013
After a day of few winners at Santa Anita, we had dinner at El Arco Iris, a local Mexican joint. We had a couple tasty house margaritas, and I really enjoyed my Chicken a la Ranchera, a quarter chicken served on the bone and slathered with onions, bell peppers and jalapeños. I must note that the rice and beans here, while essentially the same as the standard fare at any number of Mexican restaurants, are especially good and fresh tasting.

January 3, 2013
After a cocktail at Colombo's I came home to a nice crockpot lamb stew with white beans that she had made. It was pretty much an Indian cassoulet! Very nice.

January 1, 2013
Creatures of habit that we are, it was Colombo's again for New Year's Eve - this time in the back dining room - and Tamales again today. We made only Chicken Tomatillo this year. I also made up a dish of black eyed peas and collard greens.

December 30, 2012
Back to the track today. Had a few winners, but fell short of even. Had a nice Split Pea and Ham soup, and some cocktails.

December 28, 2012
First trip out to Santa Anita. I broke even betting, and had a nice meal at the Frontrunner - the Lamb Osso Buco, with Yukon Gold Potatoes, and Dried Apricot Gremelata.

December 25, 2012
Received some new books for Christmas: Fonzio's Letters to Friends; Attaleiates History; Schubert Symphonies 1 & 2 (score); and Piano works of Satie (score).

December 22, 2012
Tonight we saw One November Yankee starring Loretta Swit and Harry Hamlin, at the Noho Arts Center. This world premier play by Joshua Ravetch was very good - one of those New York-ish pieces that seems like it's prepping for Off-Broadway. The actors did a great job playing three sets of siblings whose fates intersect. One fast-paced rant from Swit was so tightly executed that one is amazed she recently celebrated her 75th birthday!

After the theater, a nice sausage pie at Little Toni's was enjoyed by all.

December 20, 2012
Stopped at Colombo's where they were out of Maker's Mark! So I had a Knob Creek, which was fine, but a little bit sweet in my opinion.

December 19, 2012
We had dinner at one of our favorites: The Smokehouse, in Toluca Lake. You can't really beat this place for the combination of old fashioned restaurant ambience, quality of food, and reasonableness of price. We arrived before our reservation time and had martinis at the bar, where we caught happy hour pricing. They serve the martinis here as they should be served, in a small glass, with a sidecar. For dinner, aside from the requisite cheese bread, I started with clam chowder, which I don't think I've ever tried here; it was real good. I then had the Beef Stroganoff, which is always a treat. I had enough left over for a couple lunches!

December 16, 2012
I made bicsuits this morning without a recipe - and with a change: I used yogurt. They came out really good; like store.

December 13, 2012
A quick horn at Colombo's after work tonight.

December 11, 2012
Dinner and drinks tonight at El Chavo, (and the El Chavito bar). Especially notable was the corn soup we got with our meal - very tasty! The happy hour priced margaritas were a boon too.

December 7, 2012
Tonight we saw A Noise Within's production of A Christmas Carol. They put on a good show, as they generally do. The staging was different than other versions I've seen, with a narrator supplementing the action. Overall, it was lighthearted and fanciful - a perfect play for the holidays.

We ate afterward at Slater's 50/50 in Old Pasadena. Hamburgers, with PLENTY of meat, are the focus of this recently opened restaurant, which features a full bar, with an emphasis on beer. There are a variety of specialty burgers here, as well as the option of designing your own. I went with what is probably the closest thing to a "normal" burger here, the Old Timey. It was juicy, greasy, and delicious. I got the 1/3 pound version, which is the minimum; their burgers are also available in 2/3- and full-pound size; and that's AFTER cooking. Thankfully, the meat is quite good quality - otherwise they'd be in trouble, since there is so much of it. We also tried their Vampire Dip appetizer, which was very good - a cheesy, gooey, and rich belly buster if there ever was one.

December 5, 2012
I took the day off today so we could spend a nice afternoon at the Huntington, the impetus being a program of ancient Christmas music sung by the Vox Feminae ensemble. Some years ago, they had a similar program, but it had been discontinued. It's always nice to see and hear the music in the setting of the main art gallery, along with the spectacle of a beautifully decorated tree.

We arrived early so we could view two Civil War related exhibits which are set to close soon. The first, A Strange and Fearful Interest: Death, Mourning, and Memory in the American Civil War consisted of over 200 photographs, all dealing in some way with the spectre of death, which was ever present in the Civil War.

The other exhibit, A Just Cause: Voices of the American Civil War was a collection of letters and papers, from figures on both sides of the war, explaining their views and rationale for their actions during these times. There were very interesting items from the hands of such figures as Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Judah P. Benjamin, and Frederick Douglass.

After seeing the exhibits, and hearing the music, we strolled the gardens for a while, then went to the Tea Room for a tasty, filling meal of scones, tea sandwiches, cheeses, and other delights.

December 1, 2012
This evening we saw The Coarse Acting Show at the Sacred Fools Theatre. I highly recommend this for an evening of humorous entertainment. The parodies of both the acting troupe and the various genres of plays are quite amusing; though the parody of Beckettesque absurdism seemed not much different from any play I've ever seen in that style.

Later, we had dinner at Fred 62, where I tried the Charles Bukowski, a simple and delicious ham and cheese melt. This, with a side of cole slaw, was just the right amount of food.

November 25, 2012
Nice meal at Cafe Bizou in Sherman Oaks tonight, followed by a couple pints at the Robin Hood.

November 22, 2012
For the first time in several years we are not hosting Thanksgiving. It is very relaxing to not be so busy at this time of year.

November 21, 2012
Stopped in at Colombo's for a pre-holiday drink.

November 16, 2012
Tonight we saw J.B. Priestley's Dangerous Corner at the Crown City Theatre at St. Matthew's Church in North Hollywood. This play combined mystery, fantasy and psychological drama in a very pleasing way. The talented cast had to perform before a much too sparse house, with the eight on stage appearing before about twelve in the seats. The play is at the end of it's run; hopefully it was more frequented earlier, as it was well worth seeing.

We were really jonesing for a Little Toni's pizza, so that's what we got after the play. (It's right around the corner). We had pepperoni. Something new here: they slice the medium pizza in six slices, so we ended up eating about two thirds of the pizza rather than half. If I remember, I'll ask for it in eighths next time.

November 13, 2012
I finished two books recently. The Wannsee Conference and the Final Solution by Mark Roseman was a quite interesting piece of history, and a look into the evil that was the Third Reich. Pushkin's Eugene Onegin was a delightful piece of literature that I should have read a long time ago.

November 10, 2012
A very comforting dinner tonight: pot roast. I also made a nice savory gravy to go with it.

November 7, 2012
Tonight we met a friend for dinner at Foo Chow in Chinatown. This is a real traditional Chinese food joint. We had the one of the dinner specials, which included, for three people, Won Ton Soup; Fried Shrimp; Egg Roll; Pork Fried Rice; Shrimp Chow Mein; Sweet and Sour Pork; and Kung Pao Chicken. The highlights were the soup, which had two large, meaty, and tasty won ton in each bolw; the Fried Shrimp - very tasty; and the Sweet and Sour Pork, which had a nice, slightly crisp texture.

After dinner, we went to Hop Louie for drinks. Bartender Sean was in top form. An unsuspecting young lady didn't know quite what to make of his gruff demeanor, and probably would have created some sort of scene had she not been told by her companion to just go with the flow.

November 6, 2012
Obama reelected today; thank God. What a load of crap the Fox News viewers were served for the last few weeks. They really thought they were going to win big. Maybe they'll realize they're being fed a huge serving of bullshit.

November 3, 2012
Finally got on the board at the Breeders' Cup today. Had enough left to give it a big shot on Ron the Greek in the Classic, but he ended up finishing fourth. It was a fun and exhausting couple of days.

November 2, 2012
I got Schneidered at the Breeders' Cup today. My only luck was bad. I picked, as my top choice, one of the longest shot winners of the day, and failed to bet it to win. That's the kind of day it was.

After the races I went home, and we then went out for dinner at Kabuki in Pasadena. We got the Love Boat, which had about three meals each worth of food. The soup, mussels, and beef ribs were especially good. We were stuffed.

November 1, 2012
Whiskey at Colombo's after work to celebrate an early start to the weekend. Friday and Saturday, it's off to the track for Breeders' Cup.

October 28, 2012
This afternoon we saw a matinee performance of Seminar, starring Jeff Goldblum, at the Ahmanson. The play had the feeling of a Woody Allen piece - the story centered on writers, seemed very New York-ish, and had a lot of sophistcated wit. The trains were running late, so we really had to haul ass to make curtain.

After the play we stopped in Chinatown for an early dinner at Yang Chow. The place was packed in the mid-afternoon! We thoroughly enjoyed the Kung Pao Chicken, Beef with Mushrooms and Bamboo Shoots, and, of course, the world famous Slippery Shrimp.

October 27, 2012
We went to the Library book sale this morning. We used to go all the time, but hadn't been in probably a couple years. They've raised the price of hardcover books to $2. I did get a couple of books; one was by Stalin!

October 26, 2012
Tonight we saw Cymbeline at A Noise Within. It was very well done, and easy to follow. (I did study up a bit beforhand, which always helps with Shakespeare). A Noise Within's new building is quite the Taj Mahal. Not so much for any beauty - it's rather stark and modern - but just for the impressive size and obvious indication of an infusion of capital. For years this company was located on the third floor of an old storage warehouse, with all the amenities, or lack thereof, one might expect from such a location. Now they have an absolutely pristine building, with a glut of space. Another indication of their now ample endowment is the programs: whereas they used to have what amounted to a glorified flyer, now they pass out a full color booklet, on very, very heavy, and undoubtedly expensive stock, with scarcely an advertisement to sully the pages! Luckily, being well heeled hasn't seemed to cloud their artistic vision; and, if their good fortune is well managed, it could be an all around boon.

We took the Metro Gold Line to the performance, and, after the show, caught the 11:00 train back, and stopped in Pasadena for dinner at Mi Piace. This has been a popular spot for many years, but I had only gone there for drinks, and that was a long time ago. While the wine list didn't include anything cheaper than the $34 I paid for a bottle of Chianti - it turned out to be of good quality, so the price didn't just reflect mark up on shitty wine. We had the Calamari, which was good, but nothing special. It was served with a rather Asian tasting sauce, which was fine; but I'd have liked to have a marinara too. I had the Farfalle con Salmone, which was pretty good. The prices for most of the food items were very reasonable.

October 20, 2012
We had a very nice day at the track today. While pretty much breaking even on the betting aspect, we enjoyed a great meal at the Clubhouse Luncheon Terrace. This is a very comfortable place to enjoy the races; very old school. I had a Reuben, which was first-rate, with top-quality meat. The side of Coleslaw was near perfect. We enjoyed a bottle of Malbec with our lunch.

October 19, 2012
I got a whiskey from Frank at Colombo's - always a good way to start the weekend.

October 18, 2012
Tonight we saw A Kind of Love Story at the Sacred Fools Theatre. This fairly conventional - for Sacred Fools, at least - romantic comedy was very funny, with great acting throughout. Rick Steadman as the quintessential cad boyfriend Max, was a standout. The final act was a bit of a routine rounding out; but, on the whole, this was a very enjoyable evening of theatre.

After the play, we got a bite to eat at Fred 62.

October 17, 2012
Popped into Arnie Morton's at lunch for a martini. Nice, classy bar; expensive drink.

October 12, 2012
Tonight we ate at Maximiliano, in Highland Park. This popular restaurant is only a few blocks from our house, but this is the first time we've tried it. After making reservations on line, I was a bit put off by getting a call from them a couple hours before to confirm. Come on, have some faith in your own reservation system, and the people that use it! Anyway, we got to the place and found the service very efficient, and the food excellent. We started with salads. The Caesar salad was no-nonsense, simple and flavorful; the Market Salad was a tasty mixture of flavors and textures. I had the Chicken Ravioli, which was really tasty and rich. The portions here aren't overly huge, and that's a good thing - the prices aren't overly huge either. We had a lemon tart for dessert which tasted pure and homemade. We'll definitely go back.

October 11, 2012
Stopped by Colombo's on the way home for a quick horn, which really hit the spot.

October 6, 2012
Spent the day at Santa Anita, without much racing Luck. I tried some Potato Leek Soup, which really hit the spot. After the races, there was a concert at Sirona's featuring Steel Pulse. We got a good spot at the bar, right behind the band.

October 5, 2012
Tonight we went to see How Obama Got His Groove Back at the Fremont Centre Theatre. I enjoyed this political spoof quite a bit. Philip Wilburn shines as Mitt Romney, and, in one scene a hilariousl Donald Trump, with perfect silly wig. Brent Pope is a wonderfully absurd Kim Jong-Un. Co-writer (with Nicholas Zill), director and Obama portrayer Derek Reid inserted some timely jokes related to the recent debate.

After the play, we enjoyed a sausage pizza at Casa Bianca.

September 28, 2012
Today was a much better day at the track. I had plenty of good picks throughout the card.

September 28, 2012
I went to Santa Anita for opening day of the fall meeting. It was a bad handicapping day for me; a real bloodbath. Hopefully, better luck tomorrow.

September 23, 2012
We took the train to the L.A. County Fair today. We had to get going quite early to catch the Gold Line to Union Station, where we connected to the Metrolink 9:00AM train to the Fair. The trip was quick and pleasant. We arrived at the front gate at just about opening time. It figured to be one of the hottest Fair days ever, so we planned a fairly light schedule of activities. We started, of course, with the traditional Hot Dog On a Stick. Then we went to the Museum, where there was a display on the history of the fair. In the citrus display, the placard mentioned William Saunders, who brought the first naval oranges to America; he is my wife's great-great-great-grandfather. We then went into the big Building 4, where we failed to find a legitimate Sham-wow. We sat down for an entertainment, which turned out to be a local children's revue. We took a look at the tablescaping, and other displays under the grandstand. Then, we got some eats. We really enjoyed a carne asada soft taco. Then we had an egg roll and chow mein from the Thai place. We made our way over to the Home & Garden Pavilion for a wine tasting: Planet Bordeaux - Food Friendly and Pocket Friendly. It was an interesting and informative class. We enjoyed the little selection of foods and cheeses that came with the wine tasting. Next, we went to the racetrack, where we watched several races. I had a couple winners, but gave it all back when my selection tossed his rider in the feature race. We took our customary photo booth shots, then made our way back to the Food building to use our free wine sample coupons, and to buy a big jug of P-Nuttles. We had hoped to get some kind of dessert or ice cream treat, but were running out of time to catch the tram back to the train stop. The train home arrived right on time, at 7:15PM; we were at Union Station by 8:00PM, and home by 8:30PM. It was a long, fun, and exhausting day.

September 21, 2012
They did a real good job with the Space Shuttle Endeavor flyover tour. It seems that people all over the Southland were able to see it. I watched from a freeway overpass; the streets and rooftops of buildings were packed with people out to watch.

After work, I stopped in at Colombo's for a quick beer.

September 16, 2012
I got the cold that almost everybody at the office has. I've already passed it on to her.

September 14, 2012
A roast chicken she made the other day gave us four meals. We had the original meal; same thing left over the second day; chicken tacos on day three; and chicken sandwiches for lunch today. You can't beat that. Even at regular price it's a good deal. Sometimes, on sale, you can get a chicken for $2-3. When you do that, and stretch it for several meals, think of how cheaply you can eat, and eat well!

September 9, 2012
It looks like it's going to be one of those very hot Septembers, where the heat just goes on and on. I guess things haven't been so bad the last few years. We were hoping for a cool-down to go to the fair.

September 5, 2012
We had a wonderful dinner at Cafe Beaujolais. They had Lyonnaise Salad and Lentil Soup as special starters tonight, and we tried both. I've written before about how good the salad is. The soup was simple and tasty, with a real pure, homemade flavor. I had the rack of lamb; excellent as usual with its tasty mustard sauce, and accompaniment of potato and vegetables. The Creme Brulee was just the right touch for dessert.

Afterwards, we went to Colombo's where I had a strong horn of bourbon.

August 31, 2012
I finally got one of those bacon-wrapped hot dogs from a street vendor on Hollywood Blvd. This was especially tasty, with a mess of onions and peppers. Turning to the sublime, I stopped in at Musso & Frank for a martini; it was exquisite, as usual. After washing that down with a beer, I walked over to the Pig & Whistle, where I had another beer, while waiting for her to emerge from the Egyptian theatre. After she joined me, I had a neat scotch as a nightcap.

August 29, 2012
After work today, I stopped in at Colombo's for a couple beers. It was really hot outside, so the beers hit the spot. I ran into several Eagle Rock people about my age who knew a lot of people that I know.

August 26, 2012
Another micro-vacation in Hollywood today. We started with a salty dog at the Public Kitchen bar. Then we ate at Loterìa Grill, where we enjoyed a margarita, along with an order of guacamole and chips. The guacamole here is excellent. There is a big selection of soft tacos - I tried a Papa con Chorizo, which was more papa than chorizo, but very good. These tacos are tiny; if you were hungry you could gobble a bunch of them. The rice and beans, however, were very filling; so I got by on just the one taco. Next time, I'll probably just order some tacos ala carte. For a nightcap we went to the venerable dive bar, the Powerhouse, on Highland Ave., which is not as dingy inside as it appears it might be from the outside. I had a bourbon while listening to a loud, drunk woman at the end of the bar.

August 23, 2012
Another run to Hollywood after work today. This time we walked down to Tekila, and had a couple happy hour house margaritas. These were not weak, thankfully. The agave nectar gives them a somewhat unusual flavor. Then, we had dinner at Le Oriental Bistro, which is always good - a real gem in the heart of Hollywood. We had a nightcap at Loews Hotel before catching the train.

August 18, 2012
Arlington Million Day, which means a trip to Santa Anita's Frontrunner for satellite wagering. It was one of those days where my picks were good, but my playing of them sucked. Well, that's horseracing.

On the way home we stopped at Moffett's Chicken Pie Shoppe for one of their massive and tasty meals.

August 17, 2012
We took the train to Hollywood in order to test out our new TAP cards. Thankfully, the TAP cards were much easier to use than their website was. I have to agree with a commenter who said that this had to be one of the worst designed websites on the planet.

In any case, it was a nice trip. We had a cocktail at the Public Kitchen bar in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel lobby. We ate dinner at Miceli's, where she had the Chicken Lasagna, which looked extremely rich; I had the Veal Piccanti, which was delicious, with its white wine sauce, mushrooms and zucchini. The veal comes with the traditional side of spaghetti.

We closed out the night with drinks at the Loews Hotel bar, now Cafe Fama, which has not undergone any upgrade since the switch in ownership, but did have a good crowd for live music.

August 15, 2012
We made our traditional August visit to Taix for their Anniversary Chicken Dinner special, which was reinstated this year after lapsing last year. You no longer get both soup and salad, and the dessert was eliminated a few years ago; but it's still a good deal at $8.95. It was heartening to see the place much more crowded this year. It being a Wednesday, we had the Yellow Split Pea soup, which was thick and delicious. The chicken itself, served with rice and green beans, was especially juicy and tender. Before dinner, we caught the tail end of happy hour at the bar, enjoying a very dry $5 martini. We closed out the evening with a trip back at the bar for a nightcap - in my case a Maker's Mark on the rocks.

August 9, 2012
I had a hankering for a Whiskey Sour this evening. I hadn't had one in years. They came out really good; not overly sweet at all.

August 3, 2012
We finally caught the much acclaimend Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton at the Sacred Fools Theatre. This was a thoroughly enjoyable production. French Stewart truly brought Keaton to life, and director Jaime Robledo's brilliant touch was in evidence throughout. Though there are plenty of laughs, I would call the play more of a drama than a comedy.

After the play, we headed to Palermo for a late supper. I had the Veal Milanese, which was delicious. You get a ton of food here. They always serve a free piece of Pizza Rose. The dinner came with a salad, and a generous side of spaghetti. The entree itself had two ample cutlets. I think I ended up bringing more home than I ate; and that's not a bad thing, as now I have delicious leftovers to anticipate.

August 2, 2012
After a trip to the dentist, we rewarded ourselves with a couple cocktails at Colombo's. I had Greyhounds, as a change of pace; I really enjoyed them. We were quite tanked. After that, we went over to Pete's Blue Chip for a Blue Chip Combo. We had the presence of mind to get a root beer as our drink, which really added that old-fashioned burger stand taste experience.

July 28, 2012
It occurs to me that the Olympics has been pretty boring since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

July 22, 2012
Seems it takes all weekend to recover from the work grind. Nice barbecued hamburgers today.

July 15, 2012
We went to the Smokehouse for the Monday night specials. They have a prime rib dinner with two sides for $15.95; they also feature half-priced bottles of wine. I had the Peanut Coleslaw, and Onion Rings as my sides. The coleslaw was excellent, as usual. The onion rings were nothing special, but good, in that they were big, crisp, and not greasy. We started with martinis, and, of course, they serve some of the best in town here. Having the balance of the drink served in a sidecar is always a welcome touch.

July 14, 2012
Excellent news! Metro has announced that the trains will run until 2:00AM on Friday and Saturday. Finally, a change that benefits the people. I'm looking forward to our first late night trip.

July 12, 2012
Today we went to Staples Center for the Circus. Ringling Brothers Dragon show was entertaining as usual, though perhaps not up to the level of some of their best shows. Ringmaster Iverson had a very good voice, but there seemed to be fewer songs in this edition. The hair hanging girls, flying trapeze, and globe of steel were all quite good.

Afterwards we went up to Olvera Street for a late lunch at La Golondrina. The giant Cadillac Margarita really hit the spot. I had a traditional combo of beef taco and cheese enchilada, and it was quite good. The rice and beans were attractively presented. I was full, but not stuffed to sickness.

On the way back, we stopped at Traxx Bar in Union Station for a cocktail. The fact it was cloudy, with even a bit of rain, made for a nice Summer's day in the city.

July 7, 2012
I made it out to Hollywood Park for Gold Cup Day. I hit a very chalky early pick five that paid only $65, but it was on a 6 dollar ticket. Not much else in the way of racing luck It was nice to be doing something other than going to the job.

July 4, 2012
We had barbecued beef ribs, which I cooked for over three hours. They were falling-off-the-bone tender. We also went traditional with a creamy potato salad, and an equally creamy cole slaw. For dessert, I made a blueberry pie; very yummy. Once the neighborhood started to explode with its fireworks, we went up on the roof and enjoyed the show.

June 29, 2012
Dinner at Colombo's tonight. After a Martini, I had the Portobello Ravioli with Pomodoro Sauce, which was very tasty. She tried the Beef Ravioli, also quite good. For an appetizer, the table shared a couple orders of Calamari, which was crispy and tasty. The Maddalena Cabernet was much better than its cheapest-on-the-menu price. We enjoyed the sounds of Stunt Road.

June 27, 2012
I'm here at the office. It's not the worst job in the world, but it is a bit of a grind. It is hard to adjust to "regular people" hours after two years at home. It alternates here between spurts of activity, and stretches of boredom. During those stretches, I long to go out and do a real life activity, like drink.

June 23, 2012
A Saturday after a week of work seems very short and inadequate. I spent most of the day catching up with neglected chores.

June 18, 2012
Well, I'm up early to start on a new job: an assignment from Accountemps as Participations Analyst for the Warner Music Group. At least I get to go in at 11:00 today, making the first day a little easier.

June 15, 2012
I had a martini at Colombo's this afternoon. They didn't serve the extra amout as they usually do, in a sidecar, but left it in the shaker instead. This led to the second half of the drink being mostly water.

June 12, 2012
I took the train downtown for a job interview this morning. It's a quick, pleasant trip compared to driving, even though I had to stand all the way to Union Station.

June 8, 2012
News just came down that I'll Have Another is going to be scratched from the Belmont Stakes. What a bummer. The triple crown drought continues for another year.

Later, out for some "networking". I hit Johnny's, where they had $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon; then the York, where a whiskey set me back eight bucks; finally, to Colombo's, for a couple Guinness Stouts. They've vastly improved the bathroom situation at the York.

June 4, 2012
I made some good chicken nuggets and french fries tonight with the other half of the chicken breast with which I had made Chinese chicken salad last night.

May 31, 2012
Just completed a day plus of jury duty. I was on a panel, but not selected. At least I made $15.

May 25, 2012
We saw Molière's The Bungler at A Noise Within's new Pasadena theater. Richard Wilbur's verse translation captured the comic wit at the heart of this play. Understudy Rafael Goldstein delivered an inspired performance in the role of Mascarille. This was our first visit to the new facility. The building is stark, and not particularly attractive; however, the theatre itself is spacious and comfortable, without a bad seat in the house.

Afterwards we headed to the friendly confines of Jax, to enjoy the music of Mike Gurley and the Nightcaps.

May 23, 2012
Another Indication We're Headed for Trouble

I think the big mess that seems to be evolving around the Facebook IPO is an indication that there is more fucked up stuff to come very soon. The reason I think this is because this huge cluster fuck happened with what EVERYONE knew was going to be perhaps the most publicly watched market transaction in history. All the major players involved are the supposed geniuses running and moving this economy; and this is what they came up with while the whole goddamn world is watching - a big giant mess. This, combined with the Jamie Dimon $2B loss thing of a couple weeks ago, indicates to me that there's plenty of incompetence and malfeasance present at the highest levels of the system. Here's the problem with the economy: there are no jobs, because we don't do or make anything; everybody is just trying to scam everybody else.

May 19, 2012
I'll Have Another wins the Preakness Stakes. It's on to New York, for a shot at the first triple crown in 34 years!

May 16, 2012
Sewer's backed up. I ran the snake, but no go. The rooter is on the way. Damn.

May 11, 2012
I got several tomato plants planted today. The yard finally looks nice.

May 9, 2012
She saw Billy Elliot at the Pantages, and I went along and had drinks in Hollywood while she was at the play. I visited the bar at the Roosevelt Hotel's Public Kitchen, where I had a Maker's Mark on the rocks. I took the metro back to the Living Room Lounge at the W Hotel, and had the same drink there. It was $4 cheaper at the W. Trying not to bust the budget, I went across the street to the Frolic Room, where I had a bourbon and soda for under $5. When the play got out, she joined me, and had a screwdriver, while I had a Guinness. We ate at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, where we both enjoyed a Big Boy Combo and a Coke.

May 5, 2012
Relaxed at home and watched the Kentucky Derby. Although I had I'll Have Another in my exacta box, I went against second place finisher Bodemeister, so failed to cash a ticket. The race turned out to reflect well on California racing.

May 4, 2012
Spent the last couple weeks in massive house cleaning preparing for my brother-in-law's 50th birthday party today. This, perforce, was a soiree - most of our family parties now starting much earlier - and went off well, with 27 people in attendance.

April 28, 2012
Nothing more satisfying than a roast chicken, with potatoes, turnips, and brussels sprouts cooked in the fat, and bread to dip afterward.

April 22, 2012
Well, we bid goodbye to a successful and profitable Santa Anita Winter Meet.

April 21, 2012
Closing weekend at Santa Anita. I got off to a good start with some nice wins today. Tomorrow I plan to go back for closing day.

April 19, 2012
I regrouted the bathroom sink area today; it looks real good.

Tired from the grouting work, we ordered take out from Panang. They're always friendly and reliable, if a bit more expensive than average Asian take out. We had the Cashew Nut Chicken, Kung Pao Beef, and Sweet and Sour Pork. Everything was good, as usual; and there was plenty left over for tomorrow.

April 18, 2012
Well, I got the bar in the yard up and running today after it had been out of commission for a good while to to a thrashing taken in bad weather. The design is basically unchanged, but I was able to streamline it a bit, and to add a couple of structural improvements.

April 13, 2012
Tonight we had dinner and drinks at the H.M.S. Bounty in Koreatown. We started with a martini, which was served in the small glass that we prefer. I had a cup of clam chowder to start - very nice. As an entree I had the famous Baseball Steak, a cut of top sirloin with a thing brown sauce, accompanied by mashed potatoes and vegetables - this day, zucchini and bell pepper. All was quite good. Afterwards we retired to the lively bar for a whiskey.

April 7, 2012
Derby day L.A. at Santa Anita today was very successful. I hit the pick six again - this time for a total payout of over $3,500! Just in time for taxes.

April 6, 2012
We caught Lee Blessing's Cobb at the Lonny Chapman Theater. This is a tightly scripted, well acted, psychological sketch of baseball hall of famer Ty Cobb. Three actors play different facets and ages of Cobb, while a fourth plays Oscar Charleston, the "Black Cobb". This short, intense play is a real tour de force.

Afterwards, the friendly confines of Little Toni's provided the setting for an excellent cracker-crusted sausage pizza.

March 31, 2012
Tonight we saw the new play The Magic Bullet Theory at the Sacred Fools Theatre. This tragi-comic farce deals, as the title suggests, with the assassination of President Kennedy. It weaves its own unlikely version of the event with many of the familiar names and types we've come to associate with this story over the course of the last half century. Written by Terry Tocantins and Alex Zola, and directed by J.J. Mayes this play ventures successfully into the risky territory of making a comedic entertainment out of a national tragedy. There are some delightful musical numbers, choreography, and even some pantomime; the large cast pulls it all off with aplomb. Running time is about an hour and three quarters; there is no intermission.

After the play, we went to Palermo. There, we enjoyed a delicious salami and cheese sandwich, salad, and some spagetti and meatballs. The big portions insured plenty of leftovers for tomorrow. We washed the meal down with a reasonably priced bottle of Ecco Domani Chianti.

March 30, 2012
I spent a nice Friday afternoon at the track; won some money; had a strong martini at the Frontrunner; and had a couple two dollar beers.

March 25, 2012
Today we had an early lunch at Clearman's Galley - The Boat - in San Gabriel. We really just wanted to get some food in our bellies before visiting the Buccaneer Lounge in Sierra Madre for the Wistaria Festival. We probably had two of the first burgers of the day, and they were really fresh and tasty coming hot off the grill. Just make sure you get plenty of napkins here, as the chili on the burgers is really messy. The combination of said chili with thousand island dressing is what gives Clearman's burgers their special taste. When we left, the rain which had been forecast still hadn't started. We made our way up to Sierra Madre for the festival, which had been rained out in 2011. We got out of the car, and it was still dry. After walking about one block, the rain started; it came down pretty steadily. Snotty Scotty and the Hankies played about three songs, then had to throw in the towel. We made our way down to the Buccaneer Lounge and had a horn. $7.50 for a bourbon on the rocks and a screwdriver! Those are some of the best prices in town.

March 24, 2012
Out to Santa Anita today to enjoy some races, drink a couple cocktails, and bet some of my pick 6 winnings.

March 22, 2012
I hit the pick six today. My $12 ticket paid over $2,700. Thank you HorseRaceAce.com!

March 21, 2012
I made the rest of the corned beef and cabbage meal - now sans meat - into a nice soup.

March 20, 2012
A funeral today, with a reception lunch at the Smokehouse. In a classy move, it was not a buffet, but a full order-what-you-want lunch. I had a martini, of course; then, a caesar salad and Steak Sinatra, along with a glass of cabernet.

Afterwards, we went up the block to Sardo's, where I hadn't been in over a year. Since last being there, Bill Heffron, Richard Moore, Joe Walker, and Randall had died.

March 17, 2012
Corned beef and cabbage at home. We indulged in a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, since it was on sale, and it had been many years since we'd had any. It was a nice dessert treat.

March 16, 2012
Just on a whim, bought Farmer John ham steaks and a can of pineapple slices; made with some brown sugar, dried mustard, and ground cloves; had with eggs, and some hash browns made from canned potatoes. It was a real white people kind of dinner.

March 15, 2012
A nice cocktail at Colombo's today.

March 12, 2012
Yesterday, they had tri-tip on sale, so I got one and barbecued it; very juicy and good. Today, of course, I made the leftover portion of it into tacos de carne asada.

March 3, 2012
Lots of drinks at Santa Anita on Big Cap day. Not so much luck on the track, though I did hit 5 of 6 the other day, and have come tantalizingly close recently. She and I both were out of the Showvivor 2 contest on the first day, which was yesterday.

March 2, 2012
Large Friday afternoon crowd at Colombo's. A horn of Makers and a couple beers hit the spot. I really need to clean the remaining tree debris out of the yard.

February 26, 2012
Our Academy Awards dinner menu: Crab cakes; braised short ribs; brussels sprouts, with applewood bacon bits; Italian herbed scalloped potatose; chocolate sundaes. Everything came out real good.

February 24, 2012
This evening we enjoyed a performance of Richard III at the Sacred Fools Theatre. The acting was excellent, the direction crisp. There was never a dull moment. Though the play ran three hours, it did not drag at all. Gregory Sims did a great job as the evil, cagey tyrant.

Fred 62 was our late night dining destination. Having had a bit too big of a lunch (chopped clams on toast), I didn't feel up to my usual Wimpy burger, so I opted for a BLT, with cole slaw on the side. While I enjoyed the BLT, which uses good quality applewood bacon, and plenty of it, this was not the hit with me that it may be for others. For some reason, it seemed that there was not that wonderful, tasty quality that a homemade BLT has. It may have been slightly under-dressed, the bacon wasn't salty enough. Also, the typically taste-free tomato acted more as a place holder. Still, I gobbled it up, along with the good, creamy cole slaw. She had the Thai Cobb Salad, and pronounced it to be "one of the best goddamn salads" she'd ever had.

February 22, 2012
We attended the Belgian Beer Festival at Lucky Baldwin's in Old Pasadena. We had seats at the bar, and enjoyed the flavors of some hearty, high-alcohol brews. I had a half-order of Fish and Chips to soak up some of the beer. For the record, the beers I tried were Maredsous 8, Brune 8%; N'ice Chouffe, Belgian Dark 10%; and Leffe, Brune 6.5%. She had the Koningshoeven/La Trappe, Quad 10%; and Affligem Noel, Belgian Strong Dark 9%.

February 19, 2012
We decided to have a nice lunch at the Santa Anita's Frontrunner restaurant. Although our betting day was decidedly lousy, lunch was delicious. The main dining area was completely booked, but we were offered a seat on the dance floor, which was fine. Obviously, someone coming to this restaurant for the first time would probably want a regular table, so as not to miss out on the spectacular views; but we just wanted a nice meal, and were fine with the interior seating. We sipped our first cocktail while enjoying some items from the bread basket - bread sticks; an Armenian style cracker-bread; and some nice herb rolls. The Sicilian Basil Chicken Pizza was very good. Featuring roasted garlic, tomato, capicola, mozzarella, pesto and perfectly juicy pieces of chicken, this was a rich, satisfying delight. The Cheeseburger was first rate. It was, I would say, a classy coffee shop style burger. Char-broiled and served simply with lettuce, tomato and onion, and choice of cheddar or swiss cheese. This comes with Santa Anita's famous Saratoga Chips (you can substitue cole slaw, if you're in a healthier frame of mind). The chips differ from those served at other areas of the park in that they are sprinkled with a tasty spice mix. We were too full for dessert after this excellent, satisfying luncheon.

February 9, 2012
We took the train to Hollywood to see Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney get his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They had Vine St. closed on the block where the Capital Records building is, so we were able to get pretty close. We had to stand for almost two hours, but it ended up being worth it.

Afterwards we strolled down the Boulevard, and ended up having a late lunch at the Pig N Whistle. Nice, dark, and cool, this was a good choice on a hot day, after standing in the sun for so long. I had a couple martinis, which were fine, but came with no fruit or offer therefor. (These kids today!) They offer a menu of simple entree's, sandwiches, and salads, with fairly modest pricing - especially for Hollywood. I had a Caesar Salad, which was lightly dressed and came with not only the requisite crunchy croutons, but also chewy, tasty slices of sundried tomato; a nice touch.

After that, we stopped in at the Roosevelt Hotel bar for drink before catching the train home. A Makers rocks did the trick there.

February 4, 2012
Strub Day at the track. I was up and down all day, ending up just a bit under water. Enjoyed half a corned beef sandwich at the track. Later, I had a beef pot pie at Moffett's.

February 3, 2012
Tonight we saw the play Art at the Pasadena Playhouse. This comedy-drama by Yasmina Reza, starring Roger Bart, Michael O'Keefe, and Bradley Whitford, and directed by David Lee, explores the nature of art, and of friendship, in an entertaining, and intermission-free ninety minutes. We were up in the balcony, but there's not a bad seat in this beautiful old theater.

February 2, 2012
Nursed a couple drinks at Colombo's this afternoon; picked up Tommy's burgers on the way home. I needed the comfort food and drink after having been eliminated from Santa Anita's Showvivor contest as one of the last ten out of over 5,800 entrants. Damn, that was close.

January 29, 2012
Today we had brunch at the Marmalade Cafe in Sherman Oaks. This place is very popular, and, in the past, we have occasionaly had a short to medium wait for a table on a busy Sunday morning; today was another thing altogether. One entire section of the restaurant was reserved for a private party. This, combined with an unusually large crowd, and with several tables enjoying an especially leisurely and lingering meal, led to an extremely long wait of about 45 minutes, which was about the estimate we were given. Once seated, service proceeded smoothly. I had the Cross Creek Breakfast, which consists of two eggs, any style; choice of breakfast meat; and two buttermilk pancakes. It was quite a filling plate, and everything was good, if a bit mundane. I chose the bacon as a meat, and it was very tasty. The buttermilk pancakes (you can substitute Blueberry for a small extra charge) were good; nothing extraordinary, except, perhaps, for the large size. The two pancakes were the equivalent of about five or six at home. There is a full bar here, but I opted for black coffee. In previous trips they had been less than diligent in keeping my coffee refilled, but I had no problem on that score this time. There was enough food that I did not need to eat again for the rest of the day.

January 28, 2012
I pulled the rest of the tomatoes out of the pots yesterday. That crop really lasted a long time. Some of the basil is still producing usable leaves, in January! It would be cool if it lasts until the Spring crop comes in.

January 22, 2012
I made Italian Herbed Scalloped Potatoes for the third time in the last week or so, trying to make sure I get the recipe just right. They came out really good the first time, not quite as crisp the next time, nice and crispy again the third time. I think I've got it figured out.

January 18, 2012
The Shitstorm Cometh?

A friend sent me an article about increasing homelessness, saying that "a shitstorm was coming". That got me thinking about an article my wife referenced today, and I sent him this response:

She saw a news item today, saying something to the effect that the average age of a car in California is the highest ever, at 10.4 years, or something like that. This is not shocking, given the shittiness of the economy; it is a bit surprising, however, from one standpoint: TV, movies, and the news all make it seem like everybody, with the exception of Martinigod and his friends, gets a new car every year, or two at the longest. Hours, and hours, and hours are spent each year talking about new car sales; yet, in my world, hardly anyone gets a new car. The 10.4 figure seems to conform about right with the experience of people I've known in the real world over the course of my life.

I hate the media, and Hollywood, and TV, and the news, and the powers that be, and all those who make it seem like everyone in America - because they have money to invest - is rich, and has a new car, and actually cares about things like investments, and retirement funds. It's all bullshit. In the real world, only a small percentage of people have any of those things; and the media, and Hollywood, and TV, and the news, and the powers that be don't EVER talk about those people, i.e. the vast majority of people in the country. Maybe, if said shitstorm does come, something will change for the good.

January 14, 2012
Made it back out to the track today; good pours from Pawel and Nola. No luck with the ponies.

After the races we stopped for a beer at the Crest Lounge in Temple City, a place with real local character.

January 9, 2012
I'm finally making some headway with the cleanup of the downed tree debris in the back yard. Considering that the wind storm was November 30, I guess this could be called measured progress.

January 4, 2012
We lost our beloved dog Chase today after a short illness. He was a great joy for us for many years; we will miss him very much.

January 1, 2012
I cooked some traditional New Year's dishes today. I made two types of tamales - Chicken Tomatillo, and Chorizo Potato. I also made Hoppin John, and, just for good luck, a small side of collard greens.

December 31, 2011
New Year's Eve at Colombo's again. We enjoyed a nice dinner, starting with Martinis and a Shrimp Cocktail. I had a Salad with Bleu Cheese dressing; New York Strip Steak topped with fried onion crisps; Baked Potato. We split a Spumoni Cake for dessert. It was a nice way to ring in the New Year.

December 26, 2011
Opening day at Santa Anita Park! I normally skip this to recover from Christmas, but this year, having no hosting duties, I indulged. They got over 45,000 people, the most since 1994. Predictably, they didn't have enough help with the concessions, as it took 45 minutes to get a beer. I only cashed one ticket all day.

December 22, 2011
We saw The Christmas Present, a dark British Comedy by Guy Picot at the Sacred Fools Theatre. This was a nice, little play, about two lonely people - a prostitute and her client - and how they spend a Christmas. The juxtaposition of the real events, with a parallel fantasy, lend interest to the plot.

Late dinner was at Fred 62. I tried the Chill-Lee Burger, rather than my usual Wimpy. I didn't think the addition of Chili - more of a thin chili sauce, actually - did much to improve upon the Wimpy. It did make it a very messy eat, which is a negative. Although the chili was billed as "Tommy's style", it was more like Clearman's Galley's sauce in consistency, while having a mild barbecue taste. It really didn't have enough of its own distinct flavor to justify ordering it over the Wimpy.

December 21, 2011
My analysis of The Twelve Days of Christmas

Over the twelve days of Christmas, according to the song, you would receive a total of 364 gifts; 184 of these are birds; 40 are inanimate objects (golden rings); and, dividing equally among the sexes those occupations where sex is not specified (pipers and drummers)93 women and 47 men. I know there are some who claim that the iterations of the gifts only count once, that the donee only receives, e.g., one partridge in a pear tree, not twelve; but I think the logic of the lyrics speaks for itself.

December 19, 2011
Dinner at the Smokehouse in Burbank was enjoyable as always. We both got the Monday Prime Rib Special, which comes with two sides. I went with the Peanut Cole Slaw and Mashed Potatoes. An additional special on Mondays is half price wine - a bottle of the house cabernet was only $11. With all the savings we were able to afford a dessert - a delicious piece of cheesecake with a strawberry sauce. After dinner we had a cocktail at the bar. If I had one complaint, it would be that the service was a bit too fast. We got our entrees when we were barely a third of the way through our martinis! They weren't giving us the bum's rush in any way. It's not like there was a late crowd expected after us; and everyone else was being served in the same manner.

December 16, 2011
Nice dinner at the Great Greek, in Sherman Oaks. I had the Athenian Chicken, a pounded breast, stuffed with spinach and feta. It was delicious. Afterward, we had drinks at the Robin Hood.

December 15, 2011
The weatherman screwed me over. I went to Colombo's for a drink, taking her car, which, because of ineffective windshield wipers, we don't use when it rains. There was no call for rain in the forecast. After leaving the house, it started to sprinkle; about half way there, it got very dark, with lightning and thunder; by the time I arrived it was raining steadily; soon, it became a downpour. What qualification is there to be a weatherman?

December 12, 2011
We had dinner at El Chavo on Sunset. They have good, reliable, standard-issue Mexican food. I had the biggest standby of all, a taco & enchilada combo dinner. A nice touch here is that you get a soup with the combo plates. We arrived in time for happy hour at the adjacent El Chavito bar, and took advantage of the $4 margaritas. After dinner we had a nightcap at the bar which is on the restaurant side.

December 10, 2011
I finished Fahrenheit 451 today; quite liked it.

This evening we went to the Sacred Fools Theatre to see Crumble: Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake which is, after a fashion, a Christmas play. This dark comedy involves a mother and daughter, and aunt, all of whom seem to be a bit off in one way or another. The play was good for a number of laughs, especially when the daughter played with her dolls.

We at at Palermo, in Los Feliz, after the show. I note that the pepperoni pizza seems to have more of the signature meat than most of the other pies we've tried around town; quite good. The wine list has some very reasonable prices.

December 9, 2011
Gave the trucks battery cables a test by a trip to Colombo's and the store; it started every time. It looks like they've shined up the floors at Colombo's.

December 3, 2011
We saw Crown City Theatre's production of John Patrick Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea at St. Matthew's Church in North Hollywood. This drama about a couple of dysfunctional Bronx barflies who, perhaps, find some solace in each other's arms, was very well done. Kudos to the actors, Juliet Landau and Matthew J. Williamson, for pulling off an intense performance in this intimate theatre.

After the play, we went to Jax in Glendale for a late supper. I had the Beef Stroganoff, which is always good. She tried the Chicken Sandwich, which was delightfully tasty, and rich with cheese and a mushroom sauce.

December 2, 2011
We had the most ferocious winds here on the night of the 30th/1st. Our power was out for 36 hours. There are trees, and pieces of trees, down everywhere. There's a lot of clean up for me to do in the yard.

November 29, 2011
I just finished reading William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, which is considered an American classic. I didn't particularly like it. It came across as, perhaps, a great study in style, but not especially satisfying as a "read". I can see that this novel might be great fodder for discussion in a classroom or a book club - mainly because it is so difficult to follow what the hell is going on. It takes something away from a story if I am required to study it in order to understand it. I get that great art is generally, by definition, complex, and sometimes difficult. I think it must also please in some way; and I don't think this book measures up in that respect.

November 26, 2011
Is There Some Kind of Critical Mass for Ice?

Okay. Why is it you can make a cocktail, drink it; and by the time you are ready for a second, you have to replace some, or all, of the ice in the shaker, that used for the first drink having melted; yet, even here in hot, old Southern California, the ice sitting outside in a half-open ice chest is still going strong two days after the holiday party? In fact, there are enough ice cubes left in that chest to stir or shake up about a hundred drinks.

November 25, 2011
Our Thanksgiving preparation efforts having resulted in a fine meal and party, we are now in the process of eating leftovers, and cleaning up. The stuffing this year may have been the best ever. I followed a method from Beard on Birds, using the basic recipe, with the addition of sausage. I altered the seasonings slightly, as I was nearly out of dried marjoram, and I used a bit less butter, moistening, instead, with a bit of sherry. November 18, 2011
We saw the new musical comedy Don't Hug Me, I'm Pregnant at the Secret Rose Theatre. The comic writing in the banter between musical numbers was quite good. The cast did not wear mics, which may have detracted from some of the effect of the music. In order to keep the mix right, the accompaniment was kept at a fairly low volume. I think some of the songs would have had a bit better effect if the music were louder. The songs themselves were the typical eclectic mix often found in musicals, and some were quite good.

Afterwards, we went to Little Toni's where we split a Salami Sandwich, small Pepperoni Pizza, and Green Salad.

November 14, 2011
Amazingly, I was able to pick about five or six ripe tomatoes today, and I used them in a fresh sauce for spaghetti. There's possibly a few more that may ripen before the winter comes.

November 12, 2011
Managed to tag five out of six in the pick six at Hollypark today.

November 11, 2011
Gloomy weather today provided an excuse to stop in for a bourbon at Colombo's.

November 6, 2011
Nice meat sauce today, from James Beard's American Cookery. There was a wild hail storm this evening. I could scoop up handfuls of ice afterward.

November 5, 2011
Almost got skunked on the Breeders' Cup, but made it all back, and more, on the Classic, wherein I back-wheeled Game On Dude.

November 2, 2011
We had a very nice dinner at Cafe Beaujolais. They made a special Lyonnaise salad tonight, and it was fantastic; a perfectly poached egg over curly endive, with a luscious vinaigrette and crisp pieces of bacon. I then had the rack of lamb, which was tender, juicy, and accompanied by a very nice mustard sauce, with au gratin potatoes, tomato and asparagus. We saved room for a delicious creme brulee for dessert.

October 30, 2011
Caught a matinee show, Gilmore Rizzo's That's Amore! - An American Italian Song Book at the Noho Arts Center. In this nostalgic, musical autobiography, Rizzo brings his excellent vocal and acting skills to bear.

Later, we had a fine dinner at the Federal Bar. We started with a couple cocktails, as it was still happy hour. I had an Old Fashioned, and a Sidecar. Both were on the sweet end; she had the same comment about her Margarita. We attributed this to the fact that this place has a pretty young clientele; and the kiddies apparently still need a lot of sugar. It seems that anyone with a gray head is shuffled to the back room here; we must have looked young today, as we were seated right up by a front window. We switched to wine with our dinner, and were somewhat surprised to find that we were charged full price for these, even though we were still within the time designated for happy hour. I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken - a breast steak with a tasty, nicely spiced breading. This was served over a sweet potato mash and accompanied by some delicious collard greens. Everything was really good. She had the Federal Burger, and really enjoyed it. We had an Apple Crumble for dessert - delicious, but like the cocktails, a bit sweeter than necessary.

October 29, 2011
Met some friends out at the track today for Cal Cup day. Cashed a nice winner in the first, then it was all downhill.

October 28, 2011
We saw The Group Rep's production of Agatha Christie's classic And Then There Were None at the Lonny Chapman Theatre. The ensemble performed well over all, though there was some inconsistency with the accents.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a sausage pizza and salad at nearby Little Toni's.

October 26, 2011
Caught up on a little reading the last few days. I read Call of the Wild and The Darling Buds of May; enjoyed both very much.

With the weather turning a bit cooler, getting into autumn, I made a nice roast pork shoulder last night; really a stew with the pan vegetables and chicken stock. I used potatoes, turnips, brussels sprouts, apples, some onion, and herbs from the yard.

October 22, 2011
A quick trip to the race track, mostly to pick up a couple of stadium blankets which were a giveaway today.

October 21, 2011
We caught the new musical Carnevil at the Sacred Fools Theater tonight. This "Gothic Horror Rock Musical" by Joe Fria and Michael Teoli, and directed by Janet Roston, was quite a good entertainment. Other reviews had hinted at a lack of book; but though some kinks may need some working out, the overall flow of the story seemed well above standard. The eclectic score was satisfying on all counts.

Speaking of satisfying, we dined later at Fred 62, where I enjoyed the always pleasing Wimpy burger, along with french fries and cole slaw. As I've said before, the Wimpy has the best "feel" in one's hands of any burger in town. We were sufficiently thirsty to be unbothered by the plastic abominations that serve for wine glasses here.

October 18, 2011
We had an evening in Hollywood for the American premier of Ernst Lubitsch's 1922 film The Loves of Pharaoh. (A better translation of the German would be "Pharaoh's Wife"). The occasion being the 89th anniversary of the Egyptian Theatre, there was a pre-screening reception, with cake, snacks, wine, and pretty event girls. The movie itself was over-the-top melodrama, but the live 16-piece orchestral accompaniment, with the original score for the film conducted by Robert Israel, made for a good evening of entertinment. There were even chocolates given to the attendees on the way out.

Afterwards, we crossed the Boulevard for a late dinner at Musso & Frank Grill. I had the Sand Dabs, which are delicious here. I also had a side of french green beans and mushrooms. We were seated in the old room, which is great for its old Hollywood charm and ambience.

October 16, 2011
We used a Groupon for the first time, getting sausage dinners at the Red Lion Tavern. It seemed that most of the diners there also had a Groupon, which kind led to a day of frazzlement for the one waitress on duty, who also doubled as bartender. Finally, when the dinner shift started at 6:00 some more staff arrived. I had Weisswurst, a tasty veal and pork sausage. It came with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The deal also included a pint of beer, and dessert. I had a Spaten Oktoberfest beer; and we tried two desserts, berry pudding, and walnut nusscake. We finished off the evening with a couple cocktails.

October 14, 2011
Went to Colombo's today and had a couple Guinness in lieu of a cocktail, my stomach being a little unsettled. The beer helped smooth things right out.

October 10, 2011
Back to the track for Monday racing. No luck at all today. She came along, though, and turned a small profit.

October 8, 2011
Full day of racing at Santa Anita. Only a couple of winners, but one was a good exacta on a back-wheel for $185.

October 5, 2011
She made some vegetable soup, which had a real homemade, Italian grandma style taste. I got the idea that an elegant leftover could be produced by creaming the soup with an emersion blender. I'm not sure which version I liked better; both were delicious.

October 3, 2011
I used some leftover pot roast to make really nice open face sandwiches.

October 1, 2011
Another trip to the track today, with similar results. Then, it was off to the Eagle Rock Music Festival, which has grown to be a huge event. We seem to have to park further away every year. We did manage to get into the relatively new Vietnamese restaurant, Halong Bay. The decor was very inviting - and we noted that they did have beer and wine - even sporting a little bar! We didn't want to be carrying boxes, so we only tried a couple items. The Bo Lac Chao was very nice pieces of slightly sweet and spicy filet mignon. The Com Chien was a fried rice with chicken (shrimp was also available), egg, cashews and raisins. Both dishes were good, the beef especially so. Next time, we should like to try some of the spring roll or egg roll appetizers they feature. We saw them at another table, and they looked really good.

September 30, 2011
Opening day of the Santa Anita Autumn Meeting. Finally! Had a nice time breaking even (slightly ahead actually). I fell far behind, but fought all the way back.

September 29, 2011
I had to ask the dog, "How come you're so smart?" this morning. He had already eaten his breakfast, and was in the living room while I was making some toast and coffee for myself. At some point, he usually gets up, and comes into the kitchen to beg for some of my toast. Noting that he hadn't gotten up to bother me yet, I began to wonder, as I prepared the toast, what his cue was for coming into the kitchen. I had already buttered and jellied the toast - but no movement yet on his part. So I took note of my every action. Now, the last thing I do before I eat is pour my coffee; and when I pour my coffee, I always put an ice cube in the coffee to cool it off a bit so I don't burn my tongue. I don't let the ice cube melt all the way. When it is about 3/4 melted I take a teaspoon and fish out the rest of the ice and throw it in the sink. Then I crack open the dishwasher, and drop the spoon into the utensil basket, whereupon it makes a clink. At the moment of the clink, the dog knew it was time to get up and come to the kitchen to beg for toast and jelly!

Cheeseburgers on the barbecue grill pan were really good. You get the doubly bad health combo of having all the smoke from the barbecue, yet the burger is still fried, and so retains more fat.

September 28, 2011
I made a nice Fettucine Alfredo with homemade noodles on the spur of the moment.

September 24, 2011
We saw James Sherman's Beau Jest at the Glendale Centre Theatre tonight. This was the final performance of this very funny comedy about a Jewish woman's machinations to keep her traditionally-minded parents from knowing about her gentile boyfriend.

We crossed the alley to Jax for a late dinner. I had the Beef Stroganoff, served over linguini noodles, and very rich.

September 23, 2011
Stopped in to Colombo's for a couple beers this afternoon. There's nothing like spending an idle hour in the local bar.

September 19, 2011
I think that Disney, in spite of the tight hold they have on the "fantasy" and "imagination" market, is actually easy entertainment for those with a lack of imagination. When you go to Disneyland, you realize that it is pretty much a giant puppet show, wherein the puppets are very elaborate, and, to a child, just about real. On the other hand, a show like the Bob Baker Marionettes has old fashioned puppets, with the puppeteers right there in front of you at the controls. It requires use of the imagination; pretending. I think a child is better off, occasionally, given a stick to play with, and use his imagination, rather than a technologically brilliant toy that requires no imagination at all, and in fact may stunt the ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

September 15, 2011
We had our day at the Los Angeles County Fair today, and, needless to say, much food was consumed. We started with the traditional Hot Dog on a Stick, which, along with some lemonade, always hits the spot. After enjoying the Great American Wild West Show, we shared an Indian Taco at the Indian Fry Bread stand. This was really more of a tostada than a taco, but, piled high with chili, lettuce, cheese and salsa, it was very good.

Next, we enjoyed a couple cocktails while watching a few horse races. Then, we went to the Thai stand and got a couple of Fair Specials, one with Chicken, one beef. The plate also inluded Fried Rice, Pad Thai, and an Egg Roll. I must say that everything was quite good, and that the Egg Roll was not just good for fair food, but was one of the best I've had!

We cooled off a bit, looking at some collections on display at the Millard Sheets Gallery. Then, we attended the wine seminar, sampling seven wines of Argentina, along with some cheeses, and an empenada.

Although we were stuffed, we managed to share a Chocolate Dipped New York Cheesecake at the Old Tyme Ice Cream stand. Yum! We stopped under the grandstand to see the Tablescaping, and took our annual Photo Booth shots. We also bought some P-Nuttles, and a large bag of Kettle Corn to take home, along with our somewhat heavier selves.

September 12, 2011
The margherita pizza I made reminds me that the summertime bounty of fresh tomatoes and basil will soon be coming to an end. We haven't canned as much this year, but I think the crop is no smaller than last year; we've just been having fresh tomatoes almost every day. For lunches, at various times, I've had tomato quesadillas; tomato, pickle and onion sandwiches; cialdedd; and cherry tomatoes.

September 8, 2011
I made some nice pork chops and fried potatoes on the barbecue grill pan.

September 5, 2011
We had dinner at Villa Sorriso tonight. The place has expanded to take over all of the property that was once a gas station, then a courtyard surrounded by various businesses. The pricing seems to have come down a bit since the last time we had been there. The Caesar Salad was quite nice, though it seems they used to have a more idiosyncratic version, which I really liked. I had the Rigatoni with Sausage and Green Pepper. It wasn't stated whether they made their own sausage, but I must say it was very good, with a delicate herbal flavor. There was plenty enough pasta to take home for a second meal. The creme brulee we shared for dessert was excellent.

Afterwards we stopped at the Black Boar, where I sipped a whiskey to end the evening.

September 4, 2011
For some reason, I felt like chicken fried pork chops, even though I've never made them before. They were good.

September 3, 2011
I find that adding some diced zucchini to a fresh tomato sauce mellows it to a nice degree.

August 30, 2011
Visited Musso & Frank Grill for the best martini in town; truly a Mecca for martinigod.com. Finances dictated going down the street to Le Oriental Bistro for dinner. This is a real Hollywood gem. The unimpressive storefront gives no clue of the great, reasonably priced food inside. The house wine is probably the best you'll get from a hole-in-the-wall Chinese joint. The Orange Peel Beef, Honey Chicken, and Chicken with Pan Fried Noodles were all super tasty. We closed out the evening with another trip to the Roosevelt for a nightcap.

August 26, 2011
Stopped in to Colombo's for a few refreshing beers.

August 21, 2011
Back to Hollywood for dinner at Boho, which occupies the spot in the Hollywood & Highland Center which previously housed Vert and uWink. This gastro pub, with its decor consisting of an abundance of wood, plants, and junk, has a much more comfortable homey atmosphere than the previous occupants. I got the Fish and Chips, which might be better described as the Leviathan and Chips; one of my two pieces was absolutely the hugest I'd ever seen for this dish. The fish was quite tasty. I'm not sure why the accompanying chips were called Belgian fries, as opposed to French. I liked their consistency and size, but found them to have been a bit too much on the salty side.

After dinner we walked over to the Roosevelt Hotel, and had a drink at the Public Kitchen and Bar, while relaxing on a nice leather sofa in the lobby area. In a scene reminiscent of Hotel days past, the house dick rousted a couple who were asleep, spooning on one of the couches.

August 17, 2011
We went for our annual visit to Taix for their August anniversary special of an $8.95 full chicken dinner, but it turned out that they have abandoned the special this year. I was prepared with a backup selection - the Truite poêlée aux amandes. This was very rich and flavorful. It came with Haricot Verts, and what seemed to be a creamy wheat polenta. Of course, I enjoyed the soup of the day, which was a thin, delicate Split Yellow Pea. The Caesar Salad was also quite good. After dinner I had a whiskey at the lively bar.

August 14, 2011
"Breakfast for dinner" tonight. Bacon and eggs; homemade hash browns; toast; and home made cinnamon rolls.

August 13, 2011
Went to the Frontrunner for our annual pilgramage to satellite wagering on the Arlington Million. I had a couple good winners on the Del Mar card, which allowed me to end up ahead for the day. I had a couple bourbon and sodas, and contemplated the fact that there are far worse ways to spend a summertime Saturday afternoon.

I picked up Big Macs at McDonald's on the way home, and, I must say that if you haven't had one in over a year, they taste pretty damn good. I say screw the anti-McDonald's snobs.

August 10, 2011
We walked up and down Hollywood Blvd., doing some work for Hollywood Go Book. I guess the Euro must be doing well, since the entire street seemed to be full of visitors therefrom; and there were a lot of people, this being the very height of the tourist season. At any rate, that's good for the local businesses. We noted a few closings, but also several new openings.

After our work was done, we had an early dinner at Miceli's. After the bustle of the boulevard, it was very calming to be in such a comfortable spot. I had the Veal Marsala, along with some Coppola Rosso. For some reason, the spaghettini with marinara sauce, which comes as a side with the veal, was especially tasty.

Before catching the train home, we went to the bar at the Renaissance Hotel for a nightcap. I found it an oddity that the house gin that she had in her gin & tonic was actually more expensive than the Maker's Mark I called for my drink. Hmmm.

August 8, 2011
I notice that she's put pepperoncini on the shopping list - but she doesn't search too thoroughly, so I'd better go look in the refrigerator to make sure we are actually out of them. I've failed to double check such things in the past; and that's how we ended up with three jars of gherkins.

August 4, 2011
The Dow Jones dropped over 500 points today. Good thing I'm already broke.

We're very pleased with the Boos Block cutting board we just got. Our old cutting board finally gave up the ghost, splitting down the middle after eleven years of service.

August 2, 2011
Nice horn at Colombo's this afternoon.

August 1, 2011
I made a fresh tomato-basil sauce today, and served it over some scratch linguini noodles; it tasted good.

July 27, 2011
Now that the summer tomato crop is coming in full force, it's great to have cialdedd several times a week. Cialdedd (pronounced chahl-DADE) is a traditional Mediterranean tomato and onion salad. If you add bread pieces, it would be similar to a panzanella. I've seen recipes from Apulia that call for potatoes. I make it like I remember my mother doing: a simple oil and vinegar dressing, with a few herbs and spices.

July 24, 2011
How come the Italian Bakery can sell me a loaf of fresh, delicious bread for $1.59, and make enough money in their operations to be able to own and breed racehorses, but corporate brand bread from the store, which is far less tasty, and is filled with chemicals, goes for $4 to $5?

July 22, 2011
A bracing whiskey at Colombo's, and a couple cold beers to wash it down. The place was really packed for a Friday afternoon.

July 20, 2011
We took the train down to Staples Center for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This years show was called Fully Charged, and was quite good. The show ran longer - almost 2 1/2 hours - than most of the recent circuses we've attended, but it seemed to go by quickly. After all, they have to keep the attention of a whole lot of children. Disappointingly, there was no flying trapeze act this year. However, the "human fuse", shot, blazing, from a crossbow, was a welcome new attraction.

We had some trouble finding a convenient late night spot to eat on a Wednesday, so we ended up at In-N-Out, which went down very smoothly.

July 16, 2011
We saw the Monkees at the Greek Theatre tonight. Although Davy's voice was a bit off during the early part of the set, it was an enjoyable evening. All the familiar hits were performed, but there was also a good deal of material that is much less frequently played on the radio.

Afterwards, we went to Jax - the Chicken Fried Steak was as tasty as ever.

Note that this was the so-called Carmageddon day. Traffic was an absolute dream, with the exception of leaving the Greek Theatre, which always causes trouble on Los Feliz. Count me in the camp that thinks that all the media hype about Carmageddon was a good thing, successfully achieving the effect of keeping a lot of people off the road.

July 15, 2011
A Real Lemon

I just had a glass of lemonade with lunch. It was name-brand, store-bought lemonade, from a carton which was left at our house by party guests. The box proudly proclaims, "Made With Real Lemons". Now, what the hell else would lemonade be made out of? Are people so inured to corporate sloganism, that more lemonade is actually sold by having this on the box, or less would sell if it were omitted? The funny thing is, they didn't even use fresh lemon juice. A glance at the ingredients shows "lemon juice from concentrate" to be the third ingredient, after water, and sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Another pet peeve is when food labels are changed to proclaim something which is glaringly obvious, but has recently become a trend, fad, or in-the-news health concern. Like a bag of chips saying "No Cholesterol!", or a package of beef boasting "High-Protein, Low-Carb!". Who knew that "dog bites man" was good marketing?

July 11, 2011
Oh, man! I spent a good part of the day on my back, under the bathroom sink, installing a new faucet fixture. I was ultimately successful. I guess the good news is that I saved the approximately $3,000 it would have cost me if I had called Mike Diamond Plumbing, or one of the other members of the cartel, like George Brazil, Adee, etc.

July 7, 2011
Spent a nice Thursday afternoon at Hollywood Park. I had four out of six on the pick six, but not much else going. We ate in the Clubhouse Restaurant, which was quite pleasant. I had a Reuben and fries, and spent the rest of the day stuffed.

July 3, 2011
After indulging a bit too much last night, I made some steak and eggs for breakfast. Nothing will fix you up, and get rid of those morning cobwebs like a nice egg and meat breakfast!

July 1, 2011
I had a spear of one of the dill pickles I made recently; it was very good, and much more crisp than they usually come.

June 30, 2011
A Bridge Too Far?

Come on, people. This is too fucking much. While the infrastructure in this country is in bad need of repair, wouldn't part of the point of rebuilding it be to create some jobs here, and not make the damn thing in China? Why aren't more people talking about this? They're building a replacement section of the BAY FUCKING BRIDGE in China. What the hell has happened to this country? I just hope the Bay Bridge lasts longer than my made-in-China percolater, which gave up the ghost after exactly one year.

China, which calls itself a communist country, is actually a key element of global capitalism. If workers really ran things in China, they would rise up against their fascist overlords, and reap the true value of their labor; and if they were getting that true value, there would be room for other labor markets to flourish.

However, because of the rapid growth there, workers are satisfied with the relative improvements they are currently experiencing; so action on their part is not likely, even if they had no political repression to fear.

The only solution that can work in the short to medium term, is to protect certain domestic industries. If done in a prudent manner, this could revitalize manufacturing, and get the U.S. out of its current stagno-depression.

June 27, 2011
So I'm sitting here, in my library, reading something on the computer, and a peregrine falcon lands on the railing directly out my window, and stares in at me. Then he hops on the ground and walks toward the next room. I go over there to get a better look, as there is no screen of any sort on the dining room's window. There he is, just inches away. After a minute he flew back up to the rail, then to the roof of the house next door; then he took off.

June 25, 2011
The more things change...

I guess things don't change much. I read this in Aurelio Lippo Brandolini's, Republics and Kingdoms Compared which was written around 1490. It looks back to ancient Greece as the source of this wisdom, and points forward to today, where it certainly still applies:

"Laws are like spider webs which catch smaller animals, but are broken up and trampled on by larger - for the rich, without any valid reason escape the bonds of the law; the poor, however, lacking money and popularity, are caught up in the law's web, and subject to its severity and punishment. Indeed, the small crimes of the poor are judged as great offenses, and meet with the harshest punishments; the great crimes of the rich are named virtues, and usually entail praise and glory.

A certain pirate, captured by Alexander the Great and sentenced to death for plundering is purported to have said to the king that because he himself plundered a little, in a small ship, he was called a pirate and sentenced to death; but that Alexander, who laid waste to every bit of land and sea, and attacked everyone with his great army and navy, was called a legitimate leader and general, and deemed to be worthy of great rewards."

June 22, 2011
A new 14' extension tree trimmer really came in handy yesterday in my ongoing yard cleanup. However, if it's not one thing, it's another. The main sewer is backing up. I bought a new 50' drain auger, and have been trying to clear the clog myself, with questionable results. We'll have to see how it goes tomorrow.

June 19, 2011
Nice Juneteenth meal today. Deviled eggs; cole slaw; red beans and rice; fried chicken; corn oysters; and apple brown Betty.

June 17, 2011
I've been doing yard work like crazy. I feel like a goddamn lumberjack. At least we'll have plenty of firewood.

I got stung by a bee today. First time that's happened in about 47 years. I don't think it was a complete sting. I had taken my flannel shirt off outside, and set it on a bench. When I was going to go back inside, I picked up the shirt and felt a sharp pain in my finger. I thought there was a splinter or thorn in the shirt; but when I threw it down I realized I had grabbed a bee. It didn't leave the stinger, so I think I just got a pinch. It hurt though.

June 16, 2011
Martini at Colombo's this afternoon. I should have asked for an extra glass; the drink that remained in the shaker got rather watered down.

June 15, 2011
We sampled the first tomato from the garden - a Sweet 100 cherry tomato. We laughed at how ridiculous the difference in flavor is compared to the store tomatoes we've been eating for months. It's stupid!

June 11, 2011
Finally cashed a ticket in the Triple Crown series. Brilliant Speed was my main pick in the Belmont Stakes - he finished third - but, due to the wet weather, I added a "mud" pick at the last minute, and Ruler on Ice did turn out to be a mudder, and paid $51.50.

I chopped down the dead tree in the front yard, by way of Fire Department Mandated brush clearance; but I still have a long way to go.

June 7, 2011
Was the Soviet Union Good for the U.S.?

The Soviet Union may not have been so good for the Soviet Union, but its existence was a great boon for the United States. America may not realize it, but she misses the Soviet Union - and not just to make the Olympics not suck. The spectre of international Communism served to keep the forces of Capital in check, which allowed workers in the U.S. to flourish to such a degree that the middle of Twentieth Century is already looked back upon as the golden age of the Great American Middle Class.

During the Great Depression, thanks to the, at least, perceived threat of competition from the Soviet Union, American government was forced to respond in some way with concessions to Labor, lest the alternative of revolution start to seem too attractive. Protections for Labor and a highly progressive income tax structure combined to make life better for the vast majority of Americans. After the war, this system was fully free to function, and years of the greatest general prosperity we have ever known ensued. The country was working! Economic fairness eventually fostered the social change of the civil rights and women's rights movement.

Think of the achievements of this country at that time - the Interstate Highway system; the moon landing; the successful reduction in poverty rates, etc. - and contrast those achievements with the current state of affairs, where there is not even the will or wherewithal to as much as repair the crumbling infrastructure, and it becomes readily apparent how far we have fallen.

Without the counterbalance of the Soviet Union, Capital has increasingly run roughshod over the interests of Labor in this country. Statistics show that the concentration of wealth at the top is higher than at any time since the 1920s. This trend has accelerated in recent years, and it seems that we, like the poet, find ourselves in a dark forest, having lost our way.

June 5, 2011
I put up four jars of dill pickles today. These were with store bought cucumbers; it'll be a while before ours come in, if they do.

The fire department is on my ass about brush clearance. Looks like some heavy yardwork ahead.

May 30, 2011
Oh no. I'm out of dry vermouth! A trip to the store is definitely in order.

May 28, 2011
We attended the one man show Paul Rodriguez: Just for the Record at the El Portal Theatre. This autobiographical journey was funny and entertaining. The show was quite long, coming in at around two and a half hours, but it never became dull. Considering that this was the second show - there was a 5:00 matinee - the performance was quite a feat of stamina.

We were very hungry after the long show, so we went down the street to Little Toni's for a salad and a garlic and mushroom pizza, which, along with a bottle of Chianti, really hit the spot.

May 26, 2011
I've been working on some maintenance in the yard, part of the project being a refurbishment of the backyard bar. I got rid of the rotting old bamboo roof, replacing it with a fresh roll. After completion, we enjoyed margaritas at the cleaned up bar.

May 23, 2011
We went to the zoo for the first time in several years. They've added the term "botanical gardens" to the title, which seems appropriate, as the plant growth there is much more diverse and dense than when the zoo was new. Reggie the alligator holds court in his pond, which is near the entrance. The entire center of the zoo is now the elephant enclosure. We saw Billy the elephant, but, the enclosure being so big, it was not at a very close distance. The chimps were going nut-case, playing and screaming. There are many eateries and snack bars located around the zoo, featuring hamburgers, sandwiches, Mexican food, salads, and a variety of sugar and salt snacks. Beer and wine are available at several of the stands.

The food prices being typically high at such an entertainment venue, we held out, and made the short jaunt to the coffee shop located in the clubhouse of the Wilson and Harding golf courses. This place caters to hungry golfers, ready for some nourishment after a day on the course, but it's a nice place to get lunch even if you never intend to pick up a club. I was quite hungry, so I ordered the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, which came loaded with an ample portion of extremely tender and succulent meat, accompanied by melted jack cheese, onions, bell pepper, lettuce and tomato. The bun was of run-of-the-mill quality, but, overall, the sandwich was so good that it didn't really matter. I had a choice of fries or cole slaw and chose the latter, which, I must say, is one of the prettiest in town, and no small portion at that; it was tasty too! I also sampled some of the fries, which were thin, crisp and delicious. For the icing on the cake: they have a full bar here. Now that's my kind of coffee shop!
On a side note, this beautiful clubhouse facility was built in 1937 by the Works Progress Administration, giving the lie to those who say that the government can't do things better than the private sector.

May 21, 2011
No luck in the Preakness Stakes; I suck at betting the triple crown races. I did make Black Eyed Susans, the official drink of the Preakness; and that helped ease the pain a little. In keeping with the Maryland theme, we had crab cakes for dinner, which were quite good.

May 14, 2011
We saw Justin Tanner's Voice Lessons, with Laurie Metcalf, French Stewart, and Maile Flanagan, at the Sacred Fools Theatre. The one act play only lasted about an hour, but it was an hour of well written, superbly acted, madcap comedy, with plenty of laughs throughout.

Afterwards, we had dinner at Simply Thai, on Hillhurst Ave. I really liked the decor of this place - kind of urban starkness, combined with exotic South Asian. The food was all presented in an aethetically pleasing manner. The Spring Rolls, which we selected for an appetizer, were sliced in half lengthwise, and served with a nice honey-sweet dipping sauce. The Signature Pad Thai noodles, which came with shrimp and chicken were yummy, thick and gooey. The chicken pieces were a bit overcooked, but I enjoyed the dish nonetheless. The same problem affected the Wok Chicken - the sauce and flavors were all very good, but the chicken pieces a bit too done. The Spicy Fried Rice was very good. In this case the pieces of beef - you are given the choice of beef or shrimp - were tender and succulent. By way of dessert, we were given a creme brulee, which was one of the best I've ever had.

May 13, 2011
I got several more plants into the ground. I think the garden is good to go.

I picked up a couple new cocktail glasses. The only ones I could afford were the "Z-stem" variety, which I don't really like. However, these do seem pretty sturdy, so maybe we won't bust them as soon as we otherwise would.

May 7, 2011
No winning tickets for me in today's Kentuky Derby. I eliminated any horse who only had decent preps on synthetic tracks, or turf, for that matter. The winner, Animal Kingdom, fell into that category. You have to take a stand somewhere, and I went against synth; it didn't work, but that's horseracing.

May 6, 2011
I was glad to see that The Little Fokkers was not about the kids, as the title might imply. It was not as bad as many of the reviews indicated. At least there were a few laughs.

May 3, 2011
We saw Jason Alexander and Gina Hecht in Neil Simon's The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the El Portal Theatre. This dark comedy, featuring the travails of a middle aged couple in recession plagued 1971, has much relevance in our current depressed economy. Mr. Alexander is perfect in the role of an already neurotic Mel Edison suffering a nervous breakdown after losing his job. Laughs were plentiful throughout the entire show; the whole thing played like a very good sitcom episode from the days when sitcoms were actually good.

Afterwards, we had planned to eat at the Federal Bar, right across the street, if they were still serving dinner. As it was, only the late night bar menu was available; so we decided just to get a cocktail there, and eat elsewhere. I had a martini, with the house gin. The bartender asked me where I was on the "dryness" scale, which I thought was a nice touch. The drink was crisp, clean and fairly cheap. I really like the dark, wooden decor of this place, and plan to try dinner there soon.

Instituting Plan B, we went down the street to Little Toni's for salad and a sausage pizza. It's nice to have reliable places you can count on for a lat night meal.

April 28, 2011
A couple horns of bourbon at Colombo's really hit the spot this afternoon.

April 24, 2011
Got the first plants into the garden today: several tomatoes, a zucchini, a replacement for the rosemary bush that died. Also got a marigold for a pot on the side - something nice to see out the dining room window.

The other day, walking to the mail box, I spotted three good chairs on the next block; so I brought them home. Over the years I've found many good chairs on the street. In fact, I'm sitting in one right now. We've never actually bought a chair. All our chairs are either hand-me-downs, found on the street, or built by me.

April 18, 2011
Today I picked the rest of the radishes; cleaned the radishes and the greens; and started busting sod for planting our next crop of vegetables.

April 17, 2011
Today was closing day of the Santa Anita meet; I only went (before the racing actually began) to collect my final prize of the year - this time, appropriately enough, a stainless steel martini shaker. Do you detect a theme to the choice of prizes?

April 16, 2011
Another day at the track - final weekend of the meeting. Another new beer mug was brought home as a prize.

April 15, 2011
Well, they were giving away free box seats, and selling hot dogs and beer for $2 at the track today, so we had to take advantage. We did not win; then again we didn't bet much. A new beer mug was brought home as a prize.

I made some homemade noodles to go with leftover swiss steak today, and am rather proud of the fact that I can whip up a batch of scratch noodles in less time than it takes to boil the water into which they will be thrown.

April 10, 2011
We took the train down to Chinatown for drinks at Hop Louie. The girls drank Mai Tais; I stuck with Old Grand-dad. This dark bar is a great spot for a late Sunday afternoon - they open at 4PM. We were curious about one of the appetizers, Crab Rangoon, which was only $3.75 for an order of ten. We asked what kind of crab it was, and were told that there was no crab - it's just the name. The dish is a fried wonton wrapper, stuffed with a bit of cream cheese; it supposedly has a vague resemblence to a crab, hence the name. It's quite addicting when you're drinking at the bar, so we had two orders.

Afterwards we walked down to Hop Woo to grab some dinner. They now take credit cards, and serve beer and wine - a boon on both counts. We ordered three dishes: Sweet and Sour Pork; Beef Chow Mein; Chicken Fried Rice. All came in huge portions, and were quite good. We had plenty to take home. The only complaint we had was that the place was too brightly lit.

It's getting to be just about time to plant tomatoes, and the rest of the summer crop, in the yard. I've got a mess of greens to harvest first in order to clear some room.

April 8, 2011
Taxes done. Paying them is another matter.

April 2, 2011
Saw Samuel Beckett's Endgame at the Sacred Fools Theatre. It was interesting in its stark absurdity; elements of humor, mixed with a general hopelessness. A superb job by the four actors, all of whom have to grind it out physically, in one way or another, for ninety minutes in this one act play.

March 25, 2011
With all the radishes growing in the yard, I decided to try the greens. They're really good! They are quick cooking, like spinach; slightly bitter. I mixed them with some beans, and didn't even notice the bitterness.

March 19, 2011
Another off day at the track. At this rate, I'll have to get a job.

March 17, 2011
Since I had a bit of Irish Whiskey around the house for St. Paddy's day, I invented a couple of new cocktails. The Irishtini is a gin martini with a bit of Irish Whiskey replacing the vermouth; serve with a twist of lemon. The Brian Boru is to Irish Whiskey what a Manhattan is to bourbon, and a Rob Roy to scotch. We stayed home and entertained today - no reason to be out on amateur day.

March 12, 2011
At Santa Anita today, I politely returned some of Thursday's winnings. That's just how I roll.

March 11, 2011
We saw The Blank Theatre Company's presentation of Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock at the Stella Adler Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. The pro-union message of this 1937 musical was especially topical now, with the goings on in Wisconsin. While the music has a nodding tip of the hat to 30s pop styles, the genre is more modern and dissonant at times. The structural and musical leitmotif prostitution carries throughout. The timely, pro-worker message was well received by the packed house. The direction was crisp, and there was plenty of humor sprinkled over course of the play, which was presented without intermission.

Afterwards, we walked over to Miceli's, just a couple blocks down the road. The comfortable confines of Miceli's always make it a place worth going. The dinner salad here is excellent; two of us split the large. The pepperoni and onion pizza was a bit bland, but still went down well - the crusty, medium thick dough tastes remarkably "fresh".

As usual, we took the Metro over to Hollywood; it's really the only way to go.

March 10, 2011
Freebie tickets, parking and program at the track, and $320 of winnings make for a very pleasant day.

March 6, 2011
We saw Miss Jane Fonda in 33 Variations at the Ahmanson; very good. We had won tickets from KNX radio. Afterwards we went to Palermo in Los Feliz. This is a real old fashioned, decked out, Italian place. They are famous for their Pizza Rosa, a sample of which was given as an appetizer. It's super cheesy, and cloyingly good. The salad was a bit boring in its make-up - lacking pepperoncini, for one thing - but the dressing, served in a squezze bottle, was excellent. I also used the dressing on the delcious Salami & Cheese Sandwich, which is packed with the traditional lettuce and tomatoes. The sausage pizza was quite good, and as is common with medium crust pizzas, was even better reheated the next day. The wine was reasonably priced. There is a little bar counter here, so Palermo qualified as the 400th bar or restaurant/bar, in the greater Los Angeles area, at which I've had an alcoholic drink.

March 5, 2011
Big Cap day at the track. It was up and down most of the day, ended up losing a little.

February 27, 2011
Here's the menu for our Acadamy Awards dinner: Margaritas; Crab Cakes; Pepper Spencer Steak with Cream Sauce; Fried Potatoes; Peas; Alamos Malbec; Bittersweet Hot Fudge Sundae. I would say that all came off successfully.

February 23, 2011
We went to Lucky Baldwin's in Old Pasadena for the Belgian Beer Festival. The beer, of course, was very, tasty - but you can really end up spending a lot of money at $8-9 a pop. Even with pub fare, dinner ends up costing quite a bit. I had the Steak and Mushroom Pie, which has a giant puff (and I mean PUFF) pastry on top. It came with the traditional "chips" and peas. It was very hearty and good. I shudder to think of how many calories I consumed when combined with the rich dark beers.

February 21, 2011
Good day at the track. Struggled for a while, then ended up with solid wins at the end. The clam chowder, and corned beef sandiwch were great. Topped off the day with a Blue Chip Combo. It doesn't get much better than that.

February 19, 2011
Up and down, struggling day at the track; finally ending about $26 dollars to the good. Picked up a $1.95 round steak on the way home, and made Chicken Fried Steak.

February 18, 2011
We finally finised off the holiday tamales. Since they keep very well in the freezer, we should always keep some on hand. It beats chemicalized store frozen goodies.

February 16, 2011
Made an Amaretto Cream Sauce, which went over quite well. I thought it was a bit sweet, but I can make adjustments.

February 14, 2011
Made Oysters Rockefeller from James Beard's recipe; it looked like the original from Antoine's. I don't know if the real thing has such an aromatic quality.

February 13, 2011
We went to see Tom Wells' Me, As A Penguin at the Lost Studio. It was billed as a comedy, but really was more of a drama with comedic elements. The acting, complete with British accents, was quite good.

Dinner afterwards, at The Kitchen, on Fountain Avenue, was excellent. The Caesar Salad had a nice, lighter version of the dressing; the addition of pimiento was a nice touch. The Grilled Pork Chops were perfectly done, and came with a nice applesauce. These were accompanied by a sweet, tasty succotash, home style garlic mashed potatoes, and crispy goat cheese latkes. Saving room for dessert was a wise idea, because the Bread Pudding with currants and walnuts and topped with whipped cream is the best in town.

Next, we went over to the nearby Good Luck bar for a couple drinks. There happened to be a poetry reading going on, and it seemed sort of like we stepped into a scene in a movie wherein a poetry reading was being parodied.

February 9, 2011
Fortieth anniversary of the Sylmar earthquake! I remember it well. The Super Bowl having been played, holiday season is officially over. Now it's time to lose the extra pounds put on since Halloween. This is tougher than it sounds, as it requires cutting back on hard liquor.

So they've finally gotten around to the resurfacing of our street, which was supposed to happen in December. Since parking will be restricted, Yesterday, when we got the notice, I took the opportunity to clear brush from the driveway, so I could park both cars there. In doing so, I must have thrown a clipping and had it hit the gas meter ever so slightly. Later, when I went to cook dinner, there was no gas. I must have tripped the earthquake shutoff valve. I called the gas company, and they said a man could come out, but that if the earthquake valve had been tripped, I would have to pay for fixing it. I made the appointment anyway, but thanks to the global resources of the World Wide Web I was able to figure out where the reset screw on the valve was, and to fix it myself. I cancelled the appointment. However, my work was not done. The water heater pilot needed to be relit; so I did that this morning, in the process performing a much needed cleaning of the broom closet which provides access to the cellar wherein resides the water heater.

February 1, 2011
We saw The King's Speech at the Laemmle in Pasadena today. We had a mild upset - albeit a $2 financial break - when we were given, without asking, or being asked, the Senior Discount! I guess that is the opposite feeling to being carded. The movie was very good. I wonder if Wallis Simpson really did transform Balmoral Castle into something resembling a speakeasy.

Our percolater is going the way of all flesh; we've only had it one year; it appears to be a thermostat problem. Boy, the things they make these days are pieces of shit.

February 4, 2011
Came up with the best beer batter yet for fish and chips. It's will probably be good for onion rings as well.

January 29, 2011
I had a nice time at the track today; but, apparently, many of those who attended the food truck festival in the infield did not. It was a logistical nightmare. I can't believe the idiots who run things today. I could have been in charge of producing the whole thing, and done a much better job. Anyway, I built a big deficit, but made almost all of it back on the last couple of races.

January 27, 2011
We won free tickets to see Traces at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre. We picked up the tickets on the way, at the office of Footlights, which was very hard to find behind its unmarked door in a small office suite. We were a little early, so after getting off the train we went straight to the Frolic Room for a drink. I note that the well "bourbon" is Jack Daniels. Then, we walked the two blocks down Vine St. to the Theatre, which is quite old, and has a very small lobby. The show was basically a circus acrobatic act with the addition of music and snippets of something resembling a story. The troupe is normally six men and one woman, but one of the male performers was missing from the show, which may have deprived us of seeing some cool features. The most impressive thing about the entire show was the stamina of the actors, with the show running 90 minutes straight, without an intermission.

After the show, we walked back up to Hollywood & Vine and had a late dinner at Dillon's Irish Pub. Not wanting to get awash in beer, I had a glass of Cabernet which was quite ample. I had the Shepherd's Pie to eat. It was not quite traditional, but very good nonetheless. The filling was spiced in such a way, and the potatoes on top so covered with cheddar cheese, that it tasted pretty much like a nice bowl of lamb chili. It was very hearty, but the portion was not so big as to be over filling. It came with a choice of roll, or garlic bread, of which I picked the latter.

January 26, 2011
I know a lot of people hate the Olive Garden. While it's not a great favorite, I like it just fine for chain Italian. Here's the problem I have with the Olive Garden. Everything has a big block of cheese on, or in, it. I like cheese, but it doesn't like me, especially late in the day; lunch is not as much of a problem. I always end up getting the Capellini Pomodoro or the Shrimp Primavera because they aren't swimming in massive quantities of cheese. Anyway, I had the Shrimp Primavera last night, and it was pretty tasty.

On the way home, we stopped for a horn at Colombo's. I had an Old Grand-dad, which was filled to the brim.

January 23, 2011
Well, I've finally attended the Roller Derby. We went to see the Los Angeles Derby Dolls at the Doll Factory in Historic Filipinotown. This was a "family" day - the night shows are restricted to ages 21 and over - and we were unaware that this meant that there would be no alcohol served. We had an enjoyable time nonetheless, sitting in the stands which constitute the V.I.P. section.

Afterwards we had dinner at the H.M.S. Bounty, in the Gaylord Hotel on Wilshire Blvd. This is an old place that feels like hit probably hasn't changed much in years. The prices are quite low. I started with a martini. I ordered the famous Baseball Steak, which comes with rich mashed potatoes, and the vegetable of the day, which, in my experience, has always been broccoli. The broccoli was, in fact, so tasty that I knew it had to have been well coated with salt and butter. In other words: not exactly a health plate. Ditto the potatoes. The meat, an ample piece of sirloin, with a bit of pan sauce, was right good.

January 22, 2011
Had a great day at the track; pushed my winning margin this year way up. For lunch I had the Rice Bowl with Tri Tip and Onion, which was really delicious. The meat was exquisitely tender.

January 20, 2011
With the pizza I made tonight, I've sadly used the last of the tomato sauce base which was frozen from our summer crop. I still have one jar of the ketchup I canned.

January 19, 2011
We enjoyed The Public Theater's revival of the musical Hair at the Pantages Theatre. What was innovative and shocking in 1967 could come across as dated and irrelevent in 2011, but the great music and the enthusiasm of the young cast carry the day. I'm not so sure that younger people who do not happen to be either well-versed in history, or are affcionados of the music of the 60s, will "get" this play. The audience did seem to consist mostly of people over 40! Still, I was pleased to see that there were no major alterations in what would have been an ill advised attempt to avoid anachronisms. As some have complained, there's not much in the way of book to this production; but, no matter - it's all about the songs.

After the play we stopped for a drink at the Frolic Room, which was rapidly filling with people who were leaving the theatre, many of whom appeared to not have been on their first drink. They pour a medium sized horn here for $6. We had to limit it to one drink in order to catch the next train.

Back in North Hollywood, we went to Little Toni's for a late dinner. Since I was planning to make pizza the next day, I decided to get something else. I went for the Salami Submarine Sandwich, which filled my expectations completely. As a kid, I ate a lot of salami sandwiches, becoming somewhat of an expert on the subject, but I no longer indulge very often. For old time's sake I decided to try one tonight, and it brought much pleasure.

January 17, 2011
It was such a nice day, I just had to fire up the barbecue. Von's had back ribs on sale, so I made a rack, rubbed with my rib rub, and cooked slowly over indirect heat. I put together an impromptu barbecue sauce, which I brush on just in the last five minutes of grilling, saving most for dipping. We enjoyed this with collard greens and blackeyed peas, and johnny cakes, the latter from The African-American Heritage Cookbook.

January 16, 2011
I had an up and down day at the track - finally coughing up the last of my profit position on the last two races; but only a small loss.

Picked up a Blue Chip and Fries on the way home. Man, that burger never gets old.

January 15, 2011
We had breakfast at Marmalade Cafe. I stuck to basics this time, getting the Three Ranch Egg breakfast with bacon as my choice of meat. This also comes with their own version of fried potatoes, and a choice of breads. I must say there was a healthy serving of bacon, which was sliced quite thickly. It was slightly less crips than ideal, and not as flavorful as Farmer John's, but still pretty good. Worthy of note: if you want to turn your breakfast into a brunch, with the addition of alcoholic beverages - that was James Beard's formulation for the difference between the two - the Marmalade Cafe features a full bar.

Speaking of alcoholic beverages, we stopped, on the way home, for a cocktail at Colombo's. There were several people enjoying lunch at the bar. The sandwiches and burgers we saw looked very good - even while viewed in our state of fullness.

January 9, 2011
Back at the races for another profitable day. My first hot dog of the meet went down real smooth. I was jonesing for a doughnut for most of the afternoon, but I held out.

January 7, 2011
Still powering through holiday goodies. I think we still have some Cajun Nut Mix, a couple of cheeses, some See's candy, cashew brittle, and a couple boxes of snacks from an Italian gift basket. So far, holiday weight gain is only about 4-6 pounds - much less than last year. I think being around the house makes me do more physical labor.

January 6, 2011
Nice, leisurely day spent at Santa Anita's Frontrunner Restaurant. We cashed some decent tickets, but fell short of a big score; still, came home a winner. Everything was really good at the restaurant. They provide a large basket of bread. There were four different kinds, all of which were good: an herb roll; a plain dinner roll; flatbread; and breadsticks. The Grilled Chicken and Shrimp Pasta Pomodoro was enough food for two meals. Three jumbo shrimp, three tastily grilled asparagus spears, and a large portion of tender, juicy chicken breast top the ample plate of pasta. The sauce is light, with a slight lemony tang most noticeable on the chicken. The Grilled Turkey Ciabatta sandwich has a large cut of meat, slices of applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, and citrus mayonnaise. This is served with a side of their famous Saratoga Chips. The wine list here has grown over the years, and now there are selections for every budget, both by the glass and bottle. We had a bottle of the 2007 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel; a good choice at $27. For dessert, the Tropical Fruit Tart was really delicious. The shape is flatter and wider than the traditional cup shape one usually associates with the tart. After dinner, I had a Maker's Mark on the rocks to sip during the last few races.

January 1, 2011
Did New Year's Eve at Colombo's again. They seemed to have their reservation system in tighter order this year. We got a good table, and had a fine evening. It always amazes me when people who bother to go out on New Year's Eve go home before midnight. I see this every year. I mean, you're out, it's 11:45, and you can't hold out for another fifteen lousy minutes?
Today, Hoppin John and Tamales.

December 30, 2010
My first trip out to the track for this meeting. It was a fun and profitable day.

December 26, 2010
Lots of cooking this year. For Christmas Eve I was asked to bring my variation on Oysters Rockefeller/Kirkpatrick. Over the years, I've become quite adept at shucking oysters, a task which used to fall to my father.
For Christmas we featured an international array of dishes, including: Potstickers, Pilmeni, Tamales, Swedish Meatballs, and Kolacky.

Santa Anita opens today. The long wait is over.

December 19, 2010
One of the treats of the holiday season is dinner at the Tam O' Shanter Inn. It was a rainy night - which is perfect for this venue during the seaon. A fire roars inside, the rooms are fully decked with holiday trim, and carolers stroll through the labyrinthine maze of rooms singing requests from the diners. If this doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, nothing will. I got the English Goose dinner, served with stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans. This year the goose was especially moist and delicious. I had a bourbon at the bar after dinner.

December 17, 2010
We saw a really good musical - A Chicago Christmas Carol - presented by the Crown City Theatre Company on a small stage in St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in North Hollywood. It was a good left wing adaptation of the story, set in early 1900s Chicago, with Scrooge the proprietor of a meat packing company. The quality of the singing and acting at some of these small plays in L.A. is quite amazing.
Afterward we went to nearby Little Toni's for a pizza. They're open late, so it's perfect for after theater dining; and the food always hits the spot.

December 16, 2010
The Smokehouse offers reduced price Bacon Wrapped Filet, with two sides, and half price bottles of wine on Thursdays; so we took advantage. Although they have some of the best martinis in town, with two bottles of decent wine for the price of a couple drinks, we decided to forgo them. I guess the bad economy has some saving graces.

December 13, 2010
Today we had a fine lunch at the Valley Inn in Sherman Oaks. I have eaten and drunk at the bar many times - I said hi to Frank, the bartender, on the way in - but this was my first time in the dinning room. What a great place! How can you argue with quiet elegance, great food, able service, and - at least as regards the lunch menu - very reasonable prices? We enjoyed one of Frank's crisp, dry martinis with our excellent meal. On the way home we popped in for a quick one at Colombo's.

December 12, 2010
Dinner at Clearman's North Woods Inn tonight. What a huge plate of food! I didn't think it would be too good, but it exceeded my expectations. Afterwards, we went to the Colorado Bar in Pasadena. I had always wanted to add this to my list, and, in doing so, made it bar number 399 in the greater Los Angeles area. The Canadian Club on the rocks I had for my first drink tasted a bit adulterated, or weak; so I had an Old Grand-dad for the next one, and that hit the spot.

December 11, 2010
We saw Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit at A Noise Within. Very enjoyable - as was dinner afterward at Jax, which, thank God, is once again open late, a bit of good news in time for the holidays. I had the Beef Stroganoff, served over linguini. The beef was very tender, and the whole thing was quite tasty. They were out of the Llama Malbec we usually order, so we tried the Rivarey Tempranillo, which was very nice, at $29.

December 10, 2010
What the hell is wrong with this world? Target has closed their garden centers, and no longer sells Christmas trees! I have been going there for years, because the trees are cheap, of good quality, and, most importantly, there is no tree boy to harass you. What a bloody nightmare. I need a drink.

Got said drink at Colombo's - a couple stiff bourbons. Things seem better now.

December 7, 2010
We celebrated Repeal Day (on the 5th) with a Chambord-tini; kind of nice for a change of pace. Last night it was back to a good dry martini with olive.

We had excellent hamburgers. I ground the meat, using a combination of round and chuck; atypically, I seasoned the meat quite well, with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried onion, dry mustard, dashes of Tobasco and Tapatio, and plenty of worcestershire sauce. The result was very tasty.

November 29, 2010
Still recovering and eating leftovers after the big Thanksgiving holiday. I think we had about 15 guests, and all went off in good order. The house is clean; the yard looks nice; there is plenty of ready to eat food - some of the benefits of having a party. Today I made split pea soup with the ham bone. I gave the turkey carcass away this year. It's been bitterly cold, and we still have no heat. Hopefully that situation will be remedied soon, as there is a man coming on Wednesday.

I hit the pick six at Hollywood Park on 11-21 for about $240 on a $2 ticket.

November 17, 2010
I made 28 cups of chicken stock starting yesterday and finishing today. Homemade stock makes everything it's used in taste so much better.

November 16, 2010
We met a friend at the Smokehouse in Burbank last night for their Monday dinner special: Prime Rib with two sides for $14.95, and half price bottles of wine! The Kenwood Cabernet was regularly just $24; so at $12 a pop with the half price deal, we had three bottles.

Afterwards, we went to Sardo's - my first trip there at night. It was very strange to see the place full of young people. There was quite a big crowd for a Monday. Let's just say, to put it delicately, that there were no budding stars participating in the Karaoke this evening.

November 15, 2010
The leftover pork loin strip roast from last night made a great cold sandwich this afternoon. I also opened a jar of dill pickles, which I had put up in August; they were real good, and especially crispy for not yet having been refrigerated. The jar contained both cucumbers and some zucchini. The latter were less crispy, having a darker, more complex flavor, and a softer texture.

November 13, 2010
I completed the clothes rack yesterday, and it fits like a glove around the bathtub in the upstairs bathroom. It's amazing how many tools it took to do this relatively small project. The list, not necessarily complete: pocket knife, pliers, two saws, hand drill, electric drill, four screwdrivers, wrench, try-square, level, hammer, awl, chisel, ruler, tape measure. Good thing I had all those things handy.

We saw Lucid by Proxy's production of Steven Sondheim's Into the Woods last night, with Mr. Anthony Geary in the dual role of Narrator/Mysterious Man. The venue was quite interesting. The Big Art Labs - SMASHLAB is a warehouse downtown, in a very industrial area, with UPS trucks and freight trains rolling by. Amenities were few. Seating was on the kind of folding metal chair found in grammar school auditoriums and church halls. There did not seem to be any heating; and it was a very cold night. Those in the know came prepared with mufflers, blankets and butt pads. The play was three hours long. I guess, in a way, these aspects of the experience were more akin to the conditions found when attending a football game than that of going to the theatre. Despite all that, I quite enjoyed the production. Most enjoyable was the sparkling, Plautine wit of James Lapine's book. The singing talents of the large cast were given ample display in the many numbers that make up this score.

After the play, we headed to Casa Bianca, one of the few places nearby where we could reliably depend on getting a meal that late. We had a medium Sausage Pizza, which was real comfort food after the chill of the theater. We didn't want to be the last ones in the place, so we only ordered a half liter carafe of Chianti. It didn't matter. The room cleared out, and we ended up closing the restaurant down, as we have somehow managed to do on numerous occasions. They claim to be open until 1:00AM on Friday night, but the lights were out shortly after midnight. We followed behind the previous couple by only a few seconds, so we didn't get any dirty looks.

November 11, 2010
I went to Colombo's for a couple drinks this afternoon; the place was pretty empty. Carmen was tending bar, and seemed a bit frazzled as she couldn't find Vic's phone number which she needed to discuss some minor emergency. I had a Maker's Mark on the rock - a very healthy horn, filled to the brim. Frank, the able but surly weekend bartender, arrived, and started to put things in order for his upcoming shift, muttering to himself all the while.

November 9, 2010
I ended up breaking even in the Breeders' Cup. I was in a position to be completely hedged, both emotionally, vis-a-vis Zenyatta, and financially, for the last race. I put myself in a position where about the worst I could do was break even, and the best was to come out about $700 ahead.

We went to the theatre last night to see a play our friend was in, Happily Whatever After, at the Next Stage Theatre in Hollywood. It was actually quite good. Afterwards we went to the Cat & Fiddle, which had not changed a bit since the last time we were there, years ago.

My fire building technique seems to have suffered in the off-season. I'm having trouble keeping it going today; and the dog is cold.


November 5, 2010
Had a good winner with Eldaafer at 10-1 in the Breeders' Cup Marathon. At least that will give me some money to bet in the rest of the races.

November 3, 2010
We went out to TGIFriday's in Woodland Hills for a nice lunch yesterday, as it was the fifteenth anniversary of the day we first met there on a blind date. It's a long haul to get there, but we took Victory Blvd. all the way across the Valley from the 170, and that went pretty smoothly. The economy must be hurting this chain, because it was pretty sparsely occupied - and it is a big room. I ordered a Heineken - which is what we drank on the night we met - and Janet had a Long Island Iced Tea. It struck me that we were the only ones in the restaurant, other than those who were sitting at the bar, who were drinking alcoholic beverages. What the hell has happened to this world? At least, when we went to Sardo's later, there was no lack of imbibing there.

October 31, 2010
I should note that the orange frosting, which went on the Iced Orange Cookies (Taste of Home) we made to bring to Laurie's Halloween party, would make a perfect frosting for a cake doughnut. The flavor, of course, could be varied, or even just plain sugar, but the consistency seemed perfect.

The truck is fixed; it was just the oil filter, and only cost us $30.

October 27, 2010
Vixen's Happy Hour Page featured The Arsenal, in West L.A., where they were having a return to 1950s' prices special. This made me think about how badly we need more trains in this city. West L.A. is damn hard to get to from Northeast L.A., especially for drinks. Nightlife around here would be much enhanced by the addition of new rail lines, as well as making the current ones run later hours. At least ground has been broken on the Gold Line Foothill Extension The Arcadia stop will be a brisk walk from the track.

The truck is on the fritz. I think the oil filter disintegrated. What do people who don't have a truck do when they need to pick up some lumber?

October 23, 2010
We went to the used book sale at the library this morning. It seemed much more packed this year than in the last several. The annoying part was all the dealers, especially those with their little scanners, that fill up and ruin such events. These people are real assholes.

We watched To Kill a Mockingbird tonight, and the experience was somewhat tainted by the failure of the DVD which jammed and skipped on a couple of occasions. What crap! Another failure on the technology front was the music stations on the cable. We finally resorted to vinyl, a proven system that works. They've really sold us a bill of goods!

October 21, 2010
A fresh tomato spaghetti sauce which I made from some of the last yard tomatoes on Tuesday has come in handy for a couple more meals. Last night it reprised on Chicken Parmesan, and this afternoon I used a bit on some Cheese Panini, which made a nice hot lunch on a cold day.

Posters on DU identified one of the faces at the recent gala that I was having trouble with: Peter Marshall of Hollywood Squares.

October 20, 2010
Well, Footlights Facebook page published 56 pictures from Saturday night's gala; however, many are of people we recognize, but can not put a name to. I wish they would tag the damn pictures. We did recognize Sally Kellerman, Fred Willard and a few others when we were there. Rip Taylor and Elliot Gould were in the pictures, but I didn't see them there. I did see Dick Van Patten there, but wasn't sure it was him until I saw the posted picture, as I couldn't see the bandage on top of his head, which I always notice when I see him at the track.

October 15, 2010
We won tickets to see Sort of a Love Story, a new play starring Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna, at the El Portal Theatre. Since this is billed as a "red carpet, gala event", it will mark the second of such that we will have attended in the last few weeks, having gone to the Debbie Reynolds gala in September. Tonight, Camelot, at the Glendale Centre Theatre.

October 12, 2010
It occurs to me that I have been using the same razor since Nixon was president. If everybody got new stuff as seldom as I do, the economy would really be in the tank.

Watching The Best Years of Our Lives, it strikes me that the nightlife in Boone City is top notch.

October 8, 2010
The string of outdoor lights on the Tuscan patio is starting to lose its effectiveness as a clothesline. A load of heavy towels is almost dragging on the ground right now. I guess I'll have to come up with a new scheme for the hanging of the laundry - which reminds me that I have to build a clothes hanging rack to fit in the upstairs bathroom. I've come up with the general design, and now have to finalize it. We're out of closet space, and I have a lot of clothes draped over a chair in the living room, the sight of which is becoming somewhat unpleasant.

The Roast Chicken of the night before last came back yesterday as Arroz con Pollo, and there was enough left over for lunch today. A whole chicken - and this was a rather small one - goes a long way for two people. This chicken, though small, had a large cavity; so I made a stuffing, which was very tasty, even using olive oil instead of butter to sautee the onions.

For dessert, last night, we had a slice of fruitcake from Christmas 2008; it's better than ever.

October 7, 2010
Although autumn progresses, and the ripe tomatoes are rapidly starting to disappear, there are still plenty of them remaining in the garden. I don't know if it was the mild summer, but this year we certainly got our best crop of tomatoes ever. One of the many dishes that tomatoes inspire is the BLT; I was asked to make one for lunch today. Though always good, a BLT is absolutely exquisite when prepared with fresh garden tomatoes. While store tomatoes are generally just a reddish, watery place holder, with little actual flavor, the home grown variety serve to remind one of why people actually liked to eat these things in the first place. The sandwiches were delicious.