Anto Arrives, Carnival Really Begins, and Bucket List #'s 8, 9, 10, & 11

The morning after my last day of work, I picked Anto up at the airport. She was the first of a small procession of visitors that would come through before my take off to Australia.

If the rest of the summer seemed like a party, now with no work and friends in town, Carnival had begun.

That afternoon we had planned a picnic to celebrate both G's and my birthdays. (Our birthdays are exactly one month apart, so we often pick a date in between on which to have a combined celebration.) Given Anto's arrival and the fact that I'd finished at my job the day before, a celebration seemed particularly in order.

As I've mentioned in the past, we are big fans of tasting area at Malibu Family WInes. This spot requires no Bucket List, as it is one of our favorite spots in the Los Angeles area. As is our tradition, we brought a picnic and hunkered down with a couple bottles of wine for the afternoon. A rather random hodgepodge of friends from various areas of our lives showed up this afternoon— very few knew each other — but somehow it all resulted in a delightful afternoon.

The next morning, we managed to get ourselves up and out to Elite Restaurant in Monterey park for Dim Sum — Bucket List Item #8. I think Dim Sum is a must do in LA.

You can head downtown to the usual haunts like Empress Pavilion, but the lines are insane and driving a few more minutes on the freeway to Monterey Park or Alhambra will get you better food with a shorter wait time. Jesse is kind of an expert of Dim Sum in LA, as he's always finding the best new places to go, and he turned us on Elite a while back. This place has the most amazing soup dumplings. Well, honestly, I've never had soup dumplings anywhere else, so I don't know how these compare, but I think they're DELICIOUS. They come served in a little cup a little bit of pipping hot broth, and as you bite into the dumpling soup pours out into you mouth. MMMMM! But be careful because they are hot. We had lovely Sunday morning party with Heather and Kevin, Marc made an appearance, and we brought Kate who is going to be our roommate in Sydney.

A lovely morning, but a full tummy and the cumulative effect of the afternoon of wine the day before, kind of knocked me out for rest afternoon. I was pretty useless until it was time for us all to the Mad Men Party Jesse was throwing. Luckily, Anto needed a nap too, so I wasn't being toooooo bad a host.

A lazy afternoon, but we were plenty busy over the next few days. We explored Abbot Kinney, and picked up a few things here and there. I think this could be a very dangerous area for me, as the BoHo chic vibe is exactly the type by which I can be easily tempted. Of course, usually BoHo Chic comes at a premium, but there were a few store here and there with reasonable prices. Anto found many baubles to tempt her on that afternoon. Well, the excuse was that she was purchasing gifts for her mom and sister, but whether the necklaces she chose for them actually made it to them, I do not know.

(This Amazonian Barbie has nothing to do with anything, I just saw her in a store window and thought she was cool.)

We hit up the beach a few times. We just strolled up and down Venice Beach taking in the sights and the very eclectic mix of people. It's totally crazy and colorful. We each even decided to get henna tattoos. Anto got a Tiger and I got a Pheonix. I felt it was appropriately symbolic for my current position, moving from one chapter of life to another.

Of course we ate and drank A LOT. On the Monday night of her visit, G had to work late, so the two of us had a dinner date. We ventured into Hollywood to Loteria Grill, a place I'd been wanting to try forever, and therefor Bucket List Item #9. The family that owns this place has a stand in the Farmers Market at the Grove and they make some awesome mole sauce. A while back they opened up this Hollywood location, which is still casual, but the food is presented in a more upscale way befitting the new sit-down atmosphere. It's loud, bustling joint, with a industrial vibe, that still manages to be warm and inviting. They have some interesting things going on in the drink department. In addition to margaritas and such, they also have Micheladas. I first tried versions of these beer cocktails in Colombia, and where they prepare them with lemon or lime juice and salt. They had a similar version here, so I got one as I think they're extremely refreshing. They also have versions involving hot sauces, but I'll have to try those another day. As per usual, we ordered WAY too much food. We started with chicharron de queso. If you ever make grilled cheese sandwiches or quesdaillas, you'll know that when the cheese spills out onto the grill or pan is sizzles up and often becomes crispy. (If doesn't simply burn, of course.) If you can imagine that same idea, but the cheese is somehow spread out on the grill, almost like a crepe, and once removed the sheet of cheese is folded over and crisps up in the meantime so it manages to stand freely on it's own and served with various sauces. Ultimately, what you're eating is a giant cheese chip, but the presentation is quite beautiful. We also has a jicama salad which is not for the faint of heart -- or palate. It is spicy! I have a pretty high tolerance and my eyes were watering. As main courses we ordered the Chiles Rellenos, which has chiles 2 ways and a serving of the most delicious picadilloon the side, and the Probaditas - a large sampler plater including mini version all 12 taco varieties they offer. I love to nibble and sample, so you know this was right up my alley. The host took a liking to us and brought us a complementary dessert. I think it might be something new they're trying out , as I can't find it on the menu and can't recall the name, but involves ice cream soaked in liquor. Whatever it was it was delish!

The next night, when G was available, we hit up Han Yang, which is Bucket List Item #10, and G's and my favorite place for Korean BBQ. Sadly, we didn't get any pictures of this, but just know it's a delicious feast of meat. I think we usually order brisket and marinated rib meat, but the menu does take a bit of deciphering so I'm never completely sure. G has the order more memorized. WIth Korean BBQ, the meat is brought out to table raw and it's cooked on a very hot skillet/plate/grill at the center of your table. They also bring out a large array of small dishes to accompany all the meat — my favorite is the pot of boiled scrambled eggs. It's a very simple dish, but I think a broth with green onion is added, and the result is sooo tasty. I find it kind of funny, but it seems that they don't trust non-Koreans to turn the meat for themselves. Whenever the waitstaff sees us so much as picking up the tongs to flip over the meat, they rush right over to do it for us. They don't flinch when the rest of their Korean patrons take this liberty. However, the quality is great and when you factor in the amount of food they serve you and all the sides they bring you, it's an astounding value for the price. (About $60 gets you a feast big enough to feed 3 to 5 people, maybe even 6.)

Anto is lover of cocktails. She's a student of the art of mixology and well on her way to becoming a connoisseur. She even mixed up a few Raspberry Rose Mojitos poolside as we hung out Alyson and some of her friends and all basked in our lack of employment. (I may feel different about this once I return from Australia and find myself jobless, but I'll enjoy it in the meantime.) Given this appreciation for the art of mixing, I HAD to take her to a couple of my favorite cocktail spots around town. First up, was The Bazaar by Jose Andre, Bucket List Item #11. There menu mixes traditional tapas and more avant garde creations employing molecular gastronomy techniques (although they don't particularly like this term we were told.) I had wanted to come here for ages, and finally got the chance when G's mom brought us here for dinner to celebrate my birthday, so I actually got two doses of this item. We had an glorious feast here that night, and among the most notable items are some of the cocktails. There is a margarita that is topped with salt foam that flavors the cocktail perfectly and mojito that begins with a cloud of flavorless cotton candy in your glass and dissolves into your drink as the rest is poured into you glass. The show stopper, however, is the Nitro Caipirinha —- which does not appear on the menu in the main restaurant area. A waitress arrives with a large cart and blends a traditional caipirinha, but then she begins to pour in the liquid nitrogen which engulfs the cart in plumes of icy smoke. She blends and blends, and the result is velvety smooth frozen cocktail, that isn't at all watered down by ice. When I saw this, I knew I'd have to bring Anto. She opted for a more classic cocktail — honestly, I can't recall which one, but it involved passion fruit and ginger — and I ordered up the caipirinha show. We each paired our cocktails with a caviar canape

On Anto's final night in town, we had our second cocktail excursion, at where else, The Edison. The storng, classic cocktails were right up her alley, and of course the ambiance wasn't too shabby either. She loved it too.

Before, we headed to cocktails though, we caught Spamalot. The Ahmanson Theatre has a great deal in which you can get tickets to their shows for $20 through their Hot Tix program. Of course, the seats are far up in the highest balcony section, but honestly, we had a great view of the stage. Anto and I used to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail constantly when we were in high school in Venezuela. We'd recite the lines from memory, like proper nerds. When I found out she was coming to town, I knew I had to see it with her. Jo came to the theatre as well, although she called it a night before we went for drinks. The show was all kinds of ridiculously stupid fun, boasting such poignant lyrics as, “this is the song that goes like this.” It was everything we'd hoped for.

We finally went home and called it a night, but not before she mixed up one more cocktail — a Cranberry Balalaika — and toasted to fabulous trip full of fun and memories!

A Five Year Chapter Closes

Three weeks ago I left the job that I'd been at for 5 years for the last time.
I thought I would be excited, but my feelings were much more conflicted than I had expected. The night before, after I got home from the wine tasting, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned, read, and wound up watching the sun rise on the final day of a major chapter of my life.

I have very mixed feeling about my time there – maybe I should have left earlier, maybe not. Maybe this was the exact time to leave. After all, had I left earlier and moved on to something else, I might not now have the freedom to go on this Adventure with G.

Either way, the day had now arrived and for better or worse, whatever other conflicted thoughts and emotions I might have, I met a lot of people I love there.

They are what I take with me.

A final lunch at one my favorite little sandwich and salad joints, Panini.




J.P. and I would have Balance Ball Wars to see who could stay on the longest.




He has mastered the ball a little more than I, now being able to simulataneously strike a sexy pose without breaking a sweat. Now he just needs to work out how to do his famous hair flip from this position.



Kate of course -- we survived the trenches of production together. Tracy helped us out a lot during the filming of our last movie. Sadly, Richard and few others who were invaluable weren't around for pics that day.

Certainly, a few people are missing because they weren't around that afternoon, but here are some the important player from the last five years:






Of course, by now you know Ms. Jo. She came on earlier this year, but we've had a lot of great memories in a short amount of time.



SB was taken away to another office a few months ago, so she wasn't there for my last day, although I did see her later that evening. We bicker like sisters constantly and rarely agree on anything other than our love of food. This is a picture from the day we tracked down the Top Chef tour bus.



And of course 'Lil Amy. She's a pint size pixie, but has a personality that hits you like a ray of sunshine.



It turns out that 5 years fit into on laundry hamper.
So as they say, that's all folks.

I'm ready for the next chapter to begin!

Bucket List #7: Silverlake Wines + Let's Be Frank = A Night of Retro Treats

The night before my last day at my job, we rounded up the troops to go to Silverlake Wine. It's an adorable little wine shop in Silverlake near the neighborhood where G and I lived for the first 6 years of our time in LA. The wine shop has tastings several times a week that are quite inexpensive and the staff is very nice and knowledgeable. The vibe is relaxed and low-key.

On Thursdays, in addition to their tastings, Let's Be Frank Hot Dogs parks their truck outside so that you can break from the wine tasting and snag a dog outside. These are particularly good sausages. One of the owners was once the meat forager for Chez Panisse and they focus on using locally raised, grass-fed meat without nitrates and hormones. YAY for a clear conscience, but honestly my favorite part is the Devil Sauce. This is their signature spicy relish that tons of flavor in addition to heat. On this particular evening I poured this delicious concoction on top of the the already spicy “Hot” Dog. Tasty indeed, but I forgot to get a drink, so there was nothing to put out the small fire going on in my mouth until I got back inside for more wine.

I think a good time was had by all. I mean, how could it not be a good time after a few glasses of wine? On the menu this evening were flights of Viognier (one of my favorite white varietals) and Pinot. Johanna's Beau and I got into a bit of a battle of the Know-it-all's, but all in good fun nothing a couple of flights could not cure. (I had pictures of the wines consumed this evening, but somehow these have mysteriously disappeared. *sigh* There were a couple there I really wanted to remember.) I think the wine also succeeded in opening our appetites – not that this is any great feat – because several of us could not resist trying the adorably retro Cake Monkey cakes lined up near the cash register on our way out. Think Hostess cakes done right. My peanut butter, marshmallow, and chocolate Cakewich was delish!

(Apparently, it was REALLY good, b/c I have a crazed look here.)

Before we called it a night, Marc insisted that we had to head over to the Cha Cha Lounge next door to make use of their photo booth. By now, almost everyone else had called it a night, but J.P. and Kate battled on with us. The décor in this festive bar is eclectic to say the least, and there is certainly a lot to amuse the eye.

They have one of the craziest vending machines you're likely to see 'round these parts. It sells everything from t-shirts, to tampons, to condoms, to the snacks you were probably looking for. The object of our expedition, however, was on the wall perpendicular to the vending machine. Let me tell you, fitting four people in one photo booth takes some skill. We went through several attempts, and no matter how we tried, J.P. seemed to consistently get cut out of the picture. Our final attempt took the form of a photo relay race in which we each dived into the booth in turn, posed, and rushed out to allow the next person in with enough time to pose themselves. Getting our pics, was whole other ordeal. That machine took it's sweet-ass time!

For a while we thought the machine wasn't working and that we weren't going to get the pics we'd worked so hard for. . .

. . . but our patience was eventually rewarded!

Ultimately, I think we created a masterpiece in photo booth art.


Note: All pics for this evening (with the obvious exception of the photo booth strips) are courtesy of Mr. Marc.

LA Bucket List #6: The Magic Castle

So, would you want to go to the Magic Castle?”

“Are you kidding??? I've only wanted to go for years!!!”

“Oh, really? Ok, I'll set it up then.”


Just like that, Marc arranged to make a long time wish come true.

(Marc, the evening's Maestro.)

The Magic Castle sits in the Hollywood Hills, just at the base of the same hill as Yamashiro. It actually looks like a castle, and it's a very exclusive club. No one can go in unless they're a member or invited by a member. Sadly, G and I don't know many magicians, at least not well enough to wrangle an invitation, so for years the Magic Castle has sat there taunting me as a bastion of mystery. As it turns out, Marc does have a friend on the inside, and with a proverbial wave of his wand and the pronouncement of the magic words, “Open Sesame,” we were in.

And it was awesome. The moment you step inside you feel like you're at Hogwarts – and I've always wished I could go to Hogwarts. There are tricks around every corner, from the divining owl that answers your deepest questions, to Irma, the ghost who plays the piano and takes requests. Just try and stump her. There are theaters all over the place, with shows big and small, going on all over the place. Marc's friend, Matt, who got us into the castle, arranged for us to catch the act of a very talented card magician. It was nearly a private showing for our group, we all gathered around the table as he made cards disappear and reappear.

Sadly, I kind of cursed of myself at the start of the evening. As we stood around conversing outside while we waited for G to arrive, I made a comment about how my tolerance has been up lately. Of course, the two drinks I had once we got inside hit me pretty quickly and I got quite sleepy for a while. I kind of zoned out during the second show we saw that evening. Luckily, I bounced back.

With the exception of the brief spacey period, it was a fabulous evening. Matt was an amazing host. He works there and clearly has a deep love for the place and magic in general. He knows all the ins and outs of the joint and is very knowledgeable about its history. He guided us through the rooms telling us stories of the magicians who'd been there, about the family who built the house, and about Houdini and the seances his wife held to try to and communicate with him after his death.

The bars in the castle are great as well. The cocktails are classic and well done, and you might guess quite strong. By the end of the evening we were mingling about. In fact Amy cast her own spell and got the numbers of several magicians. A wonderful time was had by all.

Truly, a magical evening. Thanks Marc!

(Not a bad looking crowd, I must say. All pics this evening are courtesy of Ms. Heather . . . We're technically not supposed to takes pics on the inside. On the one hand, I don't think any of these reveal any secrets, on the other, if it's a problem . . . it was all her ;-) )

LA Bucket List #5: Yamashiro

G and I have been going to Yamashiro for years. It is one of our favorite places to go on special occasions because of it's romantic Asian inspired decor and old Hollywood glamour. Above all, because it's nestled into the Hollywood Hills it has hands-down the most gorgeous view of the City of Angels of any restaurant I have been to yet. While it's wonderful to come here and go all out with a fabulous dinner, but it is also possible to come enjoy the view with cocktails and appetizers in their bar. Actually, you now have the choice of two bars - one inside and one outside.

Sometime ago I heard that they'd started a movie night series. On Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. the restaurant screens classic comedies on the back wall of the center courtyard, just beyond their beautiful Japanese Garden. Slated for the evening I went with the Culture Clubbers was Airplane – which I was excited to see again since it had been years. We had a lovely table almost directly in front of the screen, with the one unfortunate flaw of also being directly in line with a tree in the garden perfectly set to bisect our view. It turned out not to be a big deal, since predictably, we didn't really pay any attention at all to the movie and chatted, ate, and drank right through it. Oops.

After a couple of cocktails and much food was consumed, we took the traditional walk around the garden that wraps around the restaurant to take in the full effect of their view. G ended up having to work late, and this is the point when I missed him most. This is usually the most romantic part of the evening. The garden path is narrow but any point it is fairly well hidden from the general view. Between the lovely garden and the fantastic skyline, one can't help but sneak a clandestine kiss or too. No G on this night though, but since Kevin couldn't make it out either, Heather and I took the romantic walk together instead. No worries boys, there was no smooching this time.

Meanwhile, the fantastic Japanese pagoda inspired Marc to do an impromptu photo shoot of Johanna, whose outfit this particular evening coordinated perfectly with the color scheme.

I may have also had a photo shoot with Marc earlier in the evening.

We capped things off with a final drink at the outside bar. (Well, actually, I had water since I was shortly going to have to drive down the very winding road down the hill from the restaurant, but let's pretend I was holding some fabulous cocktail.) This bar is a newer addition to the restaurant's many beautiful spaces, and is set up as a lounge with a more modern aesthetic. This bar overlooks the pool area.

I had always wondered if this pool was ever still used, or if it was completely shut up now, a mere relic of the days when Yamashiro was still a private residence. Our bartender let us in on the tip that they now open up the pool on Sunday's and hold open BBQ's.

Ah ha! . . . a reason to come back once I return from OZ!

As if I needed one.