the golden era of the silver screen

diversion.

my new favourite diversion is the flickr group, guess where LA. g'wan over to see if you can figure out where each photo was taken.

R.E.M. at the hollywood bowl 29 may 08

i was told that the sound was terrible for most of their set. i was in the garden boxes, and it was actually quite good--not particularly loud, which should have tipped me off. that, along with the "louder" taunts.

slideshow of this and the two berkeley shows (31 may and 01 june).

basquing in bakersfield: lunch at wool growers.

i have always had a bit of affection for bakersfield, ever since a long ago trip down the 99 in the wee hours of the morning, with my only company being the radio. i turned to the left of the dial, hoping to at least find a little merle haggard in the mix, only to find the local college radio station dj, doing some sort of animated recitation over heaven help us all, starship's "nothing's gonna stop us now." wtf? he was as bored as i was, and reading out the entire script of "mannequin" as a monologue. it was the sort of absurdity that made perfect sense at 1am in the central valley, in the dark of night. that, combined with "bakersfield, p.d." and buck owens makes me think there's something subversive going on...and i like it.

however, i hadn't actually been in the town since i was a wee one, so when dave and bekki suggested lunch there, i was a little surprised, but totally game. unfortunately, we wanted to go to on a sunday, and it seems that the restaurant they had in mind was closed, so we had to wait for another day. turns out, we had to wait for another year before the opportunity arose. luckily, in that time, i managed to catch huell howser's trip to bakersfield on tv, and reconnect with an old friend (more on him in later posts) who had moved up there. so finally, bekki and i managed to take that 2 hour-trip northward one saturday.

so, why lunch in bakersfield? there is a small but significant basque population in the area; many came to california in search of gold, but it was sheep herding that brought even more immigrants after WW2. the basque region lies in the mountainous territory between france and spain, and is reknowned not just for the fuzzy livestock but for its cuisine, which relies on fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques to accentuate the natural flavours of the food. the basque restaurants in bakersfield don't really specialize in regional dishes, but do apply the basic principles of their cooking to american ingredients, served in generous portions. i'm sold!

it was my fault that we missed out of eating at noriega's--huell's choice--but there is a single seating for lunch where everyone is served family-style at communal tables, and we were never going to make it. however, bekki already had a back up in mind: wool growers restaurant. despite the fact that we arrived somewhat late, the parking lot was full; both the dining area and bar were packed (not for nothing is the word 'cocktails' so prominent on the sign). we were seated in the homey, floral wallpaper bedecked dining room with tables and booths filled with families. although the menu features standard a la carte items, family style meals are available, with a different entrée every day. we opted for the latter, which came with what's known locally as "the set-up": vegetable soup, slow-cooked pink beans, a simple but fresh tomato salsa, crusty bread with cold pats of butter, a crisp iceberg lettuce salad with tomatoes, red onions and green peppers dressed in a light vinaigrette.

there is a little procedure involved: the beans are spooned into the bottom of a soup bowl, followed by a ladle of the soup, then topped with the salsa. the salad follows, and then an array of dishes--a beautifully slow braised oxtail stew with root vegetables, a haystack of french fries unabashedly deep-fried in beef fat, and perfectly roasted lamb, adorned with a deep, rich gravy.

all the food was simple but fresh and prepared well. the portions were more than generous, but if somehow you weren't sated, they will bring second helpings of any of the items. also included in the family meal was coffee, tea, or a bottomless bottle of the house wine, which is a young, fruity, medium-bodied red, served ice cold, and is somehow the perfect foil for the large meal. you could, however, indulge in basque cocktail known as picon punch, a potent combination of a bitter aperitif and brandy. it reminds me of one of my favourite (if completely manly mannish) cocktails, a manhattan, but with a nice citrusy edge. be warned: it is a large and powerful cocktail--it's called a punch for a reason.

and what price does one pay for such abundance? the family style lunch is priced at $10.50 per person. satisfaction comes cheap around here.

*

i really like the atmosphere of this place, but i'm not sure if it's just down to the restaurant itself. the day we drove up was one of an all-too-rare rainstorm, through the somewhat daunting tejon pass. however, i was with great company all throughout, and the grey sky that threatened to be ominous cleared just enough for the sun to peek out when we arrived into town. driving through the quiet streets to the restaurant was at first surprising (where was everyone?) but it was cheering once we got to wool growers--ha! it looked like everyone was here, taking the time to enjoy a good meal with family and friends.

the further away from the city i get, the more i feel the tethers come free. i enjoy discovering places new to me, no matter how mundane they seem from your car window as you speed along the highway to somewhere else. there are always hidden gems to be found, no matter how rough.


wool growers
620 east nineteenth street
bakersfield, ca 93305.
661.327.9584.


google mapped!

drive by: dolce isola.

just a mini-report from my cousin, ed, regarding dolce isola, the ivy-offshoot that is in a very, very unlikely location--about half a block away from hamilton high school on robertson. but, fabulously, across the street from the v. cool midnight records (and barbershop):

"The Ivy Bakery" is good, we got a baguette and chocolate croissant, very yummy. Really good looking menu; white chocolate lemon cake, fresh pumpkin cheesecake, marjolaine cake (4 layers of hazelnut and almond meringue filled with vanilla, chocolate and praline butter cream with ground roasted hazelnuts and almonds on the side). Weird ass location though, full of Hamilton students literally asking "What can I get for a buck?" Reply: "I guess I can make you some cinnamon toast"

i love it already.

dolce isola
2869 s robertson blvd (x-streets cattaraugus + hargis)
la 90034.
310.776.7070

weekend lunch in san pedro.

sunny weekends in los angeles are wonderful, but sometimes the heat can be a little more than one can take. one of my favourite weekend day escape is lunch on the waterfront in san pedro, at the ports o'call village, near the cruise ship terminal. as far as waterfronts go, the area isn't the most glamorous, but it's far from being rough and tumble. it is rustic, charming, and easygoing, despite its proximity to the shipping docks.

during the week, the plaza of restaurants on the north end of the village is pretty sleepy, catering to few locals and day fishermen; however, the weekends see it filled with families, packed onto the outdoor decks, enjoying a meal amongst roaming mariachi bands, bewildered tourists on their way to day cruises, and hungry seagulls. the ocean breezes and convivial atmosphere make the crowds bearable; waiting for a table to free up can take time. there are several restaurants to choose from--the majority of them serve inexpensive fresh seafood, cooked in a number of ways: steamed, grilled, and fried making up the majority of the dishes, but with a good variety; a few of the restaurants even have little markets where you can pick out your fish of choice, before sending it off to be cooked.

walk around to get an idea of what you want--everyone's tables seem to hold something tasty and delicious. one of the most popular items is a family-sized portion of fajitas, made with shrimp still in the shell or filleted fish (or a combination of both); the seafood is cooked on a large grill with onions, garlic, green peppers, and potatoes. the fajitas are heaped up onto a plastic school lunch tray, garnished with cut fresh lemons, a container of salsa, and served with a choice of either flour tortillas or large loaves of garlic bread. depending on your party's appetite, this can either serve a family of six, or three very hungry people. along with some beer or mexican sodas, this could be enough to fill you up for the rest of the day, but there are so many other dishes you could try instead, or heck, along side it.

i recently tried the restaurant called alaska seafood, which offers not only the standard grilled and fried items, but also a number of asian/korean-style dishes including hot and spicy soups, tempura, and even galbi and bulgogi. the sopa de siete mares--seven seafood soup--has a clear, spicy broth, accented with tomatoes, cilantro and cucumbers, and of course, the eponymous ingredients: squid, octopus, crab, mussels, and several types of firm fleshed fish. the soup was very good, due to the fresh seafood that makes up the stock along with what was added in; only the octopus seemed ever so slightly overcooked, mainly because the soup arrived scalding hot, and by the time it was cool enough to eat, the tentacles had been cooking for awhile. everything else was tender, with very clean flavours. alaska also does what they call oyster tempura, but is really breaded in panko bread crumbs and deep-fried. the oysters are freshly shucked though, quite large but still sweet and tender. i don't recall if they are served with a sauce, but they didn't really need it. they too have the ubiquitous fajitas, either just with shrimp, or a combination of seafood. their fajitas differ in that they are somewhat wet from an unknown strangely pinkish sauce and the addition of fresh tomatoes. i can't really say i care for their version, but they probably have the best cooked seafood in their fajitas; most of the other versions around the pier that i've tried tend to have overcooked their fish and/or prawns. unfortunately for alaska, the seasoning is a little off on theirs; it lacks the nice, piquant spiciness of its dryer counterparts. still, there are so many other items on the menu, you could give their version a pass.

i think my current favourite restaurant of the lot is the one my friends dave and bekki turned me on to, the crusty crab (isn't that a character on "the simpsons"?). it has an extensive fish market, with large iced vats of whole, gargantuan fish, shellfish, and a long refrigerated case of various filleted items. you pick out your seafood of choice, pay for it, then bring it to a grilling or frying station outside, where it will be cooked accordingly. i have yet to try anything deep-fried as i am addicted to the crazy delicious citrus and herb marinade that is used by the grilling guys. it's light, spicy, and zesty, complementing the vast slabs o' flaky, fresh fish grilled to perfection.

it does take a chunk of time before your fish will be ready, depending on its size and the crowds--45 minutes seems to be the minimum. so what do you do in the meantime? drink more beer, eat a little ceviche, and those fajitas make an excellent, albeit substantial starter. or, watch the boats out in the bay, count the thousands of shipping containers across the way, and enjoy your day.

alaska seafood
ports o'call, berth 79
1112 nagoya way
san pedro 90731
310.547.1961.

crusty crab
ports o'call, berth 79
1146 nagoya way
san pedro 90731
310.519.9058.

google mapped!

technorati tagged: restaurant san pedro los angeles seafood