Day 30: mini-mall nirvana

 

To counter the big box, corporate football-field largeness of Costco, across the street there is a mini-mall on Washington Bl. just West of Walgrove that has three excellent (and cheap!) restaurants.  The first is one I frequent - Tamara's Tamales.  Tamara started making tamales as a young girl. Her grandmother and other church ladies made tamales every Saturday to sell after Sunday mass. "I loved the process, the ladies and the environment, the sales, and mostly learning how to make them properly and well." And well she does.  With everything from chicken mole tamales, Nacatamal, Spinach mushroom to dessert tamales like pumpkin and cinnamon.  Get a dozen or so to go, put them in the fridge or the freezer and you won't have to deal with the grocery store for at least a few days and everyone in your house will love you.


The Thai place, Celadon is good - I have tried their pad thai to go, but noticed the restaurant is actually really cute and inviting.  The third place my friend Kate told me about today is Fresh in the Box.  It's fresh, organic Japanese food, and I was excited to get a lunch special to go.  The food is fresh, and it does come in a box.  She's not lying. (She is the woman pictured - maybe the owner - not sure.  She waited on me today.)  The prices are great - rolls range from 4.25 to 6.75.  Full salads are 5.95, half salads are 3.25.  There are unusual categories on the menu: Healthy-mate box, calorie-mate box, Party-mate box.  On the front of the menu it says "Home of brown rice sushi, organic salads, natural raised chicken and pork, low calorie brown rice oil.
They offer catering and delivery.  
13354 Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90066 

Day 29: Beach

Whenever I'm feeling like this is a tough place to live, all I have to do is take a bike ride or walk on the beach to remember, oh yeah, this is why I live here.  Since I moved here 20 years ago I have never lived farther than 2 miles from the beach.  Today, my sister Lisa and I headed down the stairs at Montana and Ocean, across the foot bridge and over to where they have just dug up the restroom and torn it down.  Lisa said they can replace it with the money she's contributed for all the parking and jay-walking tickets over the years.  It was a gorgeous, clear morning after all the rain last night.  We crossed over the bike path, and started running to the pier.  We had to stop at a little outlet that the rain created, so we turned around and ran as far as Back on the Beach cafe at the Annenberg.  We watched a lone surfer catch a wave and ride it in.  We decided to keep going, so we walked to Will Rogers beach, and crossed under PCH through the tunnel.  We walked up through Santa Monica Canyon, up the famous workout stairs, down Adelaide, up onto Ocean Ave all the way back to our car.  Great way to start out the week.

Day 28: 99c store

This place may not be unique to L.A., they have locations in California, Nevada, Arizona and one or two other states, but I'm blogging about it because it's a block from my house, and I do love a bargain.  That being said, I am also trying to live more green, so there are many items in this store I truly cannot endorse.  The tupperware I've bought in there I ended up using for beads, because it just didn't smell as food-friendly as the better known brands.  I won't buy a piece of shit can opener that is going to break after one usage and end up in a landfill.  However, if I'm organizing a school function and I need cheap little doo-dads, paper goods, cocktail napkins, that kind of thing, it is handy to be able to walk over there.  You have to embrace the tackiness of it all - the ultra-bright flourescent lights, the utter lack of merchandising involved in the display.  You have to be OK with encountering a man on line who may have just gone off his meds and is mumbling and ranting about cheap shit from China (this happened to me the last time I was in there).  If you can get past that and find some useful stuff (juice, snacks, mouthwash, cheap stocking stuffers, party favors) remember to bring your own bags - they charge you for every plastic bag you use - that's kind of green, I guess...  If I happen to be over by Target in Culver City I will stop into the 99c store there.  It's about 5 times larger than the one by my house....which means you will find five times the great finds - it also means you will find 5 times the crap, so shop discerningly!  As my English teacher, Charles Aschmann used to say, when discussing essays that went on and on pointlessly, "five pounds of garbage smells worse than one."

Day 27: Gilbert's El Indio

OK It's been at least two weeks since I've blogged about cheap chicken.  Of all my favorite cheap L.A. gems, Gilbert's would have to be the leader of the pack.  When we were in our twenties, dating, Gilbert's was Mark's and my favorite go-to joint for margaritas and burritos.  Now that we're married with two kids, we moved a block away from Gilbert's, and it is still our go-to place for margaritas and burritos.  Nothing has changed - the waiters, the decor, the iced tea out of a jelly jar, the cash only policy, and the kick-ass margaritas are all exactly the same as they were.  The food is still great, and still pretty cheap.  There is a home-made feeling to everything about this place, from the consistently perfect guacamole to the cheesy Mexican tchotchkes hung on every inch of wall space.  The wait staff has always been no-nonsense, but at the same time very gracious.  They are men of few words, but they always greet us with a smile.  It's really nice to walk into a place where you recognize the staff and they all nod a friendly hello.

Lots of good Gilbert's memories, one that stands out is a birthday celebration we had for Mark on March 22nd when I was 8 months pregnant.  In the parking lot everyone took Mark's basketball and stuffed it under their shirts simulating my largeness - the pictures were pretty awesome.  A week later I was ordered to bed, and two weeks after that Aidan was born.  Now Aidan's order is Arnold Palmer, chicken taquitos, side of rice.  Beckett's order is Sprite and chicken enchiladas with the works.  Tonight we were exhausted and it was unanimous what we all wanted - Gilbert's.  When you live in New York, mazoh ball soup is comfort food.  In L.A. it's a burrito, guacamole, rice and a margarita.  Nothing could be finer.  That's a picture of the Indian, El Indio, who proudly stands out in front of the entrance.

Day 26: Latkes

Sold jewelry all day and then celebrated Chanukah with our friends, the Pillars.  The kids watched Stand By Me outside in their sleeping bags while we noshed on latkes, homemade apple sauce, dessert, dessert wine.  The kids came inside and played dreidel and it was like Vegas - they were hording piles of gelt and the game was very animated.  On the way home Beckett reminded me we should keep up our tradition of spending a night driving around checking out all the holiday lights in different neighborhoods.  Beverly Hills has some pretty crazy lawns full of lights.  That will be a more exciting night for the blog.  Good night all.

Day 25: Walt Disney Concert Hall

No, I did not go to a cool concert, but while downtown today I popped over to visit Nnogo at her office on 1st Street.  The last time I really hung out in this neighborhood was a year and a half ago on jury duty.  Nnogo usually has much cuter footwear, but today wore her post-op comfy black surgical mule/slippers and was a trooper to hobble on over with me a few doors down to the Walt Disney Concert Hall cafe.  This, sadly, was the first time I have been inside this gorgeous, amazing structure.  Far and away my favorite building in all of Los Angeles.  The Frank Gehry design is sleek, sexy and modern.  But it's modernism is a complete departure from anything that was thought of as modern before.  It's more futuristic, and manages at the same time to be soft, and beautiful.


Inside the casual cafe, Nnogo and I caught up over lunch.  We sat right underneath a t.v. screen that, inexplicably, was showing I Love Lucy.  I had a great cup of vegan pumpkin soup (yum) a salad and a few slices of fresh bread.  I showed her some of the pieces I picked up from the metalsmith I work with on Grand.  I wondered why we hadn't met up here before, it's only five minutes from the jewelry district.  I walked Nnogo back to her office and headed home, just in time to get to avoid the nasty rush hour.

Day 24: Hills of Malibu

Every year I get invited to this posh holiday sale in Malibu and I am usually too busy in peak jewelry season, so I never go.  This year I decided to bring my friend Carmen and check it out.  Carmen drove, so I got to watch the surfers and the waves.  I saw three dolphins.  When we got to the sale Carmen thought we were at a country club, but I assured her it is a private home, complete with stables, a basketball court and pool.  We were hoping for a lavish catered affair, but when we got there all the sandwiches were gone and all that was left were mini cupcakes.  Carmen bought lots of gifts, a scarf and a robe.  I bought a t-shirt and enjoyed window shopping.  There were cashmere throws, diamonds, chunky sweaters, picture frames.  The most entertaining element by far was the people.  Camille Grammar was holding court.  I overheard her talking to someone, telling her side of the story about the behind the scenes of the big feud between Kyle and Camille on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  She was standing so close to the candles I was afraid she was going to melt.  I also saw Dorothy Lucey, host of a morning talk show.  On the way home Carmen and I stopped at an awesome deli in the Cross Creek shopping center.  In the car ride on the way home we scarfed down sandwiches and salads and headed back to our world.