i spy hawaiian eye

listen to the sounds of the islands tonight/early tomorrow on hawaiian eye on kcsn 88.5 fm or on the web. franklin avenue's mike schneider hosts two hours of a range of hawaiian-style music--classic to contemporary--every thursday night/friday morning from midnight to two a.m.

tallulah approves!

adventures in bahn mi

guamish kids on the continent make their mark in the blogosphere once again with adventures in bahn mi. special combo does her special stuff in san francisco--watch for it!

smitten with kitten!

©2004 RTL/de Holland Media Groep S.A.

just met nigella lawson. she wasn't unhappy to see us, but seemed in a rush to leave the booksigning (we weren't late, but it was not in the least bit crowded). she's much smaller than i imagined, in many ways, but not in any horrible way.

my cousin is smote with her buxom, toothsome beauty.

bowling at lucky strike

i used to bowl at the hollywood lanes, before it was demo'd a couple of years ago. i take that back--i used to drink killer screwdrivers and eat french fries while waiting for a lane to open up during league nights, and occasionally find myself with a bowling ball attached to my hand at the hollywood lanes.

it's surprising to me how popular bowling is in los angeles, but how few bowling alleys there actually are. the closest "real" bowling alley to me is in mar vista, which is in a part of west la that has not really changed all that much since the sixties--growth and expansion, sure, but in terms of architecture and attitude it's still a 'sixties so cal 'burb. not a bad thing by any means. if i had a family in los angeles, i'd seriously consider living in this 'hood. but bowling is serious here, and every night is league night--forget about getting a lane after 6pm.

so where is a casual bowler to go. the hollywood and highland complex--which is almost completely useless to most people as a badly designed tourist trap--surprisingly houses the only bowling alley left in hollywood, lucky strike. it's not so much a bowling alley as a restaurant, bar, and lounge featuring a bowling alley. if you are coming here strictly to bowl, you'll probably find the lanes excessively dark but fairly decent (bring your own ball, the ones provided are oddly sized), with new equipment, and virtually no lag time. however, it will also be one of the most expensive games you'll ever bowl (two games for 3 people set us back $42), but no one comes here just to bowl. actually, maybe the tourists next to us did. they were a little shell-shocked lookin'.



as far as bars and lounges go, it's pretty nice. warm woods, low slung comfy sofas and lounges in muted tones, with old advertisement and movie posters scattered throughout. the 12-lane bowling alley, which is in full view of the restaurant and bar, is decorated with old signs and ornaments scavenged from hollywood lanes (which you might remember from the big lebowski), video screens with various video installations and contemporary art flashing overhead, and lanes with names of old hollywood legends--sinatra, gable, hayworth, and chaplin, to name a few. i think the low tables between the sofas in the alley are made from wood from the lanes of hollywood lanes.



you can eat as you bowl, and although they provide copious napkins, it might be better to provide a basket of moist towelettes. the food is actually quite good. it is supervised by a well-known local catering company, along came mary, and the menu revolves around an assortment of easy-to-eat party fare/finger food. we had a platter of chicken appetizers which included grilled skewers of dark meat marinated in hoisin sauce and served with a peanut coconut dip, boneless buffalo bites with bleu cheese, and chicken tenderloins lightly fried with a mustard dip. the chicken was moist and flavourful, and frankly, after the food came, we sort of lost interest in bowling. we also ordered a basket of french fries which were thin, greaseless, piping hot, and only marginally eclipsed by an amazing bowl of warm fresh potato chips topped by crumbled bleu cheese that melted with the heat of the chips. aaaaaah. soooo good. definitely try this one at home. it was a little crazy because in order to keep our hands clean for the game, we had to eat them with forks, but that only made them more tempting. next time we'd like to try the crab cakes, the bite-sized mac and cheese balls, and something called tomato and cheese s'mores (i'm guessing mini-grilled cheese sandwiches). they have some tempting looking salads, too, but i don't think they'd be easy to eat whilst rolling a ball.



the music can be a little too loud, a little too awful, and the crowd a little more rowdy, but we had such a good time that only one of us minded that our scores were sort of pitiful. we arrived early in the evening, so it was only half-full, but i'm sure the place gets packed on weekends and late nights. still, i think we'll be back.

bob's coffee and doughnuts

okay, i have to admit, my favourite la-area doughnuts are not in the farmers market, but at stan's in westwood. stan has a peanut butter cup filled doughnut that is one of the most disgustingly fantastic things i've ever tasted. the peanut butter and fresh banana one is good too. definitely a guilty pleasure. it's a good thing i'm never in westwood or i'd be in big trouble.



i do like bob's in the farmers market though. i've been going there since i was a kid first visiting los angeles, and later in college, i'd still pop on in, even though my school was much closer to the roadside attraction famous randy's (note: if you drive by randy's at 2 or 3 am, the doughnuts are just out of the fryer fat and really taste like krispy kremes). i like bob's because it hasn't changed much during the years, the doughnuts are mostly the raised fluffy types--airy but greaseless, not too sweet but tasty--and the ladies who work there are lovely. i usually get their version of a beignet (ben-yáy), which isn't particularly authentic, just a fluffy diamond shaped doughnut covered in powdered sugar, but i also love their kitty doughnuts for the kids. simple and charming.



bob's coffee and doughnuts
farmers market, stall 450
323.933.8929

krispy kreme

i'm not a fan of krispy kreme doughnuts--i think they are too sweet, and the words 'fatcake' and 'cakefat' always come to mind--but i was in burbank the other day at the crazy big box-store mecca, the empire center, which has a drive-through panda express (who gets sweet and sour chicken from a drive-up window??) and a krispy kreme shop. i was curious about the holiday-only pumpkin spice cake doughnut, and anyway, i like the chairs in the dining area.



the pumpkin spice cake doughnut is a chunk of fried cake which is subtley spiced, stupendously sweet as it's covered in that ubiquitous sugar glaze, but as it's not served warm, it's sort of like crunchy sweet lard. bleah. if these came unglazed, i'd probably like them more, but as they are, i'd leave them to the real krispy kreme fans.

krispy kreme
1521 north victory place
burbank 91504
818.955.9015

gelato van alert!

help! i was driving east on olympic, and stopped at crescent heights, when a "bene bene gelato" ice cream van drove past. !! it looked just like my neighbourhood truck only new, white with orange-yellow stripes, with a youngish driver wearing a yellow and white polo shirt that matched the truck. if i wasn't in the center lane, i would have followed it. does anyone know what this is and where it goes? is it just a prop for a movie? as much as i love my local ice cream van, i'd like to see this in my neighbourhood as well.

hirozen, mon amour

the restaurant i miss the most when i'm not in la is hirozen gourmet, my favourite japanese restaurant. tucked in an unassuming strip mall on beverly and orlando, it is between a store that only sells lightbulbs and a budget barber. i love it so much i cannot even talk about it. it's good. trust me.

this is my routine: i take a seat at one of the ten seats at the tiny sushi bar, if possible. if not, then one of the ten tiny, white-linened tables. make my greetings, salutations to the waitresses, busboys, chef. politely refuse any libations besides water. what would i like? sushi, please. omakase, i say. chef's selection. a troubled look always enters chef's eyes. anything? he always exclaims. anything is always confirmed. slowly he nods. hush now. he's thinking.



tonight it comes in a rush: toro, aoyagi, kampachi, sayori, hamachi with shiso and sea salt--fatty tuna belly, clam, young yellowtail, needlefish, young yellowtail with perilla leaves, lemon juice and sea salt (no soy sauce for this, please).



suzuki, iwashi, shiro maguro, scottish salmon. grilled sea bass with fresh jalapeño salt, sardine, white tuna, and a special of the day: salmon flown in just that morning.



next, not for the timid: aji, or horse mackerel, marinated in vinegar, and fresh oyster. it taste like the sea, which sometimes isn't a good thing, but in this case i was hooked.



finally, unagi and shiitake mushroom with jalapeño salt. both substantial, juicy and naturally sweet, the eel broiled to perfection, the mushroom fresh and clean.

there should have been more--he was surprised by the decision to stop--but there was a time constraint. *sigh*. next time, i won't rush the master.

there are other--amazing--items on the menu. i've had fois gras with banana, grilled ostrich, conch, and more standard fare, and everything has been exceptional. the food is always so good, the staff is so nice, and something odd invariably happens that makes my meals at hirozen seem more like adventures--andy dick staring at my cousin for half an hour while he ate; a woman sitting next to me trying everything i did and hating everything; chef contemplating giving me something created from his lunch (a ham and cheese hoagie); chef rummaging through the deep-freezer, scraping off the ice from a mysterious package, and then serving it (it was good).

hirozen, like india's grill, is also in charge of another restaurant's menu. they oversee the sushi menu at the hot celebreteria white lotus in hollywood. i imagine it's good. i wouldn't know. that's alright. i'll stick to the tried and true.

hirozen gourmet
8385 beverly blvd
los angeles 90048
323.653.0470

movie time

arclight cinemas plaza

there was a time in the late nineties to early noughties when you could see a movie at a better theater in the 'burbs than in los angeles proper; developers and cinema owners were building better, bigger, state-of-the-art facilities in areas with more land, outlets, and malls in riverside and orange counties, while the older theaters in the city languished--unloved, grumbled at for their tiny seats, bad sightlines, even worse sound, and crap popcorn. even though los angeles was (is?) the entertainment capital of the world, its theaters were not up to par.

that was then, this is now. in the past couple years, many of the older theaters have closed (witness the death of westwood), have been refurbished, or new ones have been constructed. pacific theatres has led the pack of new theaters, my absolute favourite one being arclight cinemas on sunset blvd., followed by the theaters at the grove and in culver city.

arclight, while impressively stylish, remains true to its concept of substance over style. it has all the sound and vision hoo-has necessary, of course, and the focus is on showing films the way the filmmakers intend for their movies to be seen: the 14 theaters in the main facility follow the black box formula, with assigned stadium seating for unobstructed views. seats that are 3 inches wider than standard seats and there is 6 inches more legroom. the cinerama dome, a geodesic domed theater with a 32x86 foot curved screen which was built in 1963, has been completely refurbished, but still retains all the period details that make it unique.

there is a café on the premises with decent food, and an attentive staff that gets your meal out before your movie starts. there is also a fully stocked bar, which comes in handy and is great for people watching. the full bar is also a prominent feature in the theater's special 21+ screenings, which means no one under the age of 21 is allowed in, so you can enjoy cocktails during the show. mmm. of course, there is a concession stand, but not like most others. arclight touts that it has the best popcorn in los angeles, which i first scoffed at, but later scoffed down because it's true. it's so so very good. light, fluffy, warm, and drenched (if you want) in real butter. they also make their own caramel corn every morning, which will probably be the freshest caramel corn you'll ever have. instead of hot dogs they've got grilled chicken sausages with mustard or pesto--i know, i know, it's overkill but i hear they are really good.

anyway, what i love the most about arclight is that it is very clean. it's the cleanest theater i've ever been in. two years old and it looks brand new. even the bathrooms are fabulous. and they scarily match my bathrooms back in guam.



of course, there are downsides. first, the price of a movie there: prices range from $7 for children at matinees to $14 for adults at evening shows. interestingly--i believe as a way to discouraging bringing them--infant admission price is the same as adult price. second: the assigned seating can go completely out-of-whack when the theatres are full and someone decides to move because you're late or because he's annoying, or, oh just because. and third: the crowds at night and on weekends are mind-boggling. you are definitely best off on weekdays and matinees. still hasn't stopped me.

i should also mention the bridge. touted as "cinema de lux", it has all the bells and whistles, and is a gorgeously designed theater with a seventies space-age loungey feel that could possibly be my favourite in terms of architectural aesthetics. however, it is in a useless mall tucked inside an industrial parkway, tucked off the 405 freeway and on a dead side of westchester. the people who work there have no use for its aesthetic value, and obviously hate working there. the café is nice, but again, the staff don't care about you or your movie so don't expect getting your food in time. the movies shown are suburban family fare, and on weekends the place is overrun with rugrats and cliquish teen throngs, all who could care less about the "de lux". also, the last time i went there the tickets for the directors' hall (leather seats, digital prints, assigned seating) were $11 for a matinee, there was vomit all over one of the elevators, and no water for sale to drink, nor any water to keep the public toilets open. bleah. probably never again.

november spawned a monster

as i type, a high speed chase involving a late model minivan and a woman suspect is winding down. that's her in the photos, and that's the minivan riding on its rims--every time she hits the brakes a shower of sparks light up.

so far this november: at least one shooting/stabbing every day, 6 high speed car chases (today's and yesterday's involving women), 2 hostage situations, 1 suv crashed into a house, 1 attempted kidnapping, 1 possible kidnapping, 1 definite kidnapping, and goodness knows what else we don't know about. all news is breaking news.

dang. it's never this crazy every day. maybe it has something to do with the weather.

i don't really believe that.

india's grill

chicken korma

there are two food things i miss the most when i'm in guam--one specific restaurant in la, and one cuisine overall. i'll get to the former shortly, but the latter is definitely indian food. there's an indian restaurant on island, but all its predecessors have left me flat, so i'm reluctant to try it.

surprisingly, i've also found most indian restaurants in los angeles lacking. that's not to say that there aren't good ones about, but there's usually one or two factors that prevent me from making regular pilgrimages--price, parking, location, and consistency of service and quality are the regular offenders. india's grill on san vicente blvd. near the beverly center/beverly connection on the west hollywood/beverly hills border would probably lose out on the location factor; even though it's quite close to me, it sits in a mini-mall on a one way street that bisects several major intersections at a precarious angle--the only way for me to get to it is to drive several miles out of my way to catch the one way street properly, or circle around several large residential blocks to find the right street that will take me to the correct street (i neglected to mention that the one way street also has a parallel service street that can potentially mess you up as well). harumph. luckily for it the food is so good, it's worth the extra effort.

the interior of the restaurant is clean and minimalist--i think. the lighting is so low, it's hard to make out the details. in any case, i usually end up doing take away, as it's almost always packed. on the rare occasion i do sit in, the staff is helpful and accommodating, and dishes arrive quickly.

i'm not an expert on indian cuisine, so i can't tell you what region the food is based on. i can tell you that they use very fresh ingredients, the spices are always clean, and potent. the meats and veg are never overcooked or dried out, the rices and breads are fluffy and flavourful, and you can always taste the individual elements of the dish, even as they blend together perfectly. they give generous portions, and will adjust spiciness according to your preference. i have to say india's grill will turn up the heat factor more than most restaurants will, which can be a big plus for many. everything i've tried from the menu has been excellent--the vindaloo, korma, and makhi are exceptional. you can mix or match sauces with a variety of meats, seafood, and vegetables--even tofu (yes, this is la we're talking about).

i was surprised to find out that the owners of india's grill also own the hipster hangout electric lotus in los feliz, which is heavy on atmosphere, but i find that the food, while good, isn't up to india's grill standards. eh. i guess it's something for the kids.

india's grill
428 s. san vicente blvd
los angeles 90048
310.659.3903

a badder biscuit

a completely unhealthy revision of the whipping cream biscuit. i added 2 cups of finely shredded aged white cheddar to the batter. the quick cooking time meant that the cheese completely dissipated but left lovely bubbly pockets or air along with the flaky layers for an ironically superlight biscuit.

butternut squash pizza

last night's dinner: pizza, made with buffalo milk mozzarella, roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, with sea salt, white pepper, fennel seeds, and lots of olive oil.

just another day in la

©2004 AP

yesterday on the way to the hospital, there was a roadblock/detour: a man took a pregnant clerk hostage at the mexican consulate just a few blocks away from st. vincent. uh, okay. later, on the way back, there was another roadblock/detour: a car caught on fire, and was ablaze in the middle of sixth street. children, just dismissed from the nearby elementary school, stood around the scene, as if it was a bonfire, and ate ice cream from the van parked in front of the school, or roasted corn from the vendor next to him. mmmmm. toasty!

the molotov cocktail hour

cyrano, señor amor, and i will be hosting the the molotov cocktail hour tonight from 11pm to midnight on kxlu, 88.9 FM. webcast is available for anyone not within the greater los angeles area. hope you join us, live from the mahi-mahi room!

frutti di bosco

more from rococo. frutti di bosco: white chocolate with dried blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackcurrant. as close to berries in cream as you are going to get without a bowl.

love: under construction

hollywood farmers' market

you know you're in hollywood if there's a giant scientology sign somewhere

los angeles is blessed by a multitude of farmers' markets throughout the city, on almost every day of the week: monday in hollywood, tuesday in culver city, wednesday in santa monica and adams district, thursday in mid-city, west hollywood and chinatown, and saturdays and sundays in almost every part of the city.



my current favourite one is the sunday hollywood market on selma and ivar, just steps away from a popular stretch of hollywood boulevard. i like it because i'm up and about fairly early on sunday mornings, it's in between my church and the 101 coffee shop, there's tons of parking available, and it has everything i'm looking for, without being overwhelming. i can breeze through it with lots of gawping and admiring, but still be out of there by lunchtime.



the market is mostly produce, but there's also stalls selling meats and seafood, plants and pastries, beauty products (the lady who taught brad pitt how to make soap for "the fight club" is here) and incense, amongst other specialized items. there's also many food stalls--everything from a made-to-order omelette bar to salvadoreño pupuseria. everything looks and smells wonderful, it can tempt you despite how large your breakfast just was.





last week's booty included squash blossoms, gorgeous dahlias, fresh mint for tea, grapes, and other fruits.



we'll see what next week's market will yield....

breakfast at the 101 coffee shop

sundays start off the same: too late on sunday morning sleep time (2 am if i'm lucky), too early in the morning wake up call ("hello? HELLO?!"), sunday mass at st. victor's, then breakfast at the 101 coffee shop in hollywood.



the coffee shop is probably best known for the giant sign in the parking lot, "last cappuccino before the 101", referring to the freeway that runs right by (its predecessor in the space was also featured prominently in swingers).

there's no particular reason why we go there, except for that it's roughly on the same longitude as the church, and while it's just a coffee shop, its menu drops subtle hints at the fact that the chef, brandon boudet, once was an executive chef at a local hotel. it has decent food at decent prices, competent and unobtrusive waiters, a comfortable setting, and a very odd jukebox. it's a great place for us because we want breakfast proper, not brunch--no socializing, no alcohol, no lingering over coffee. givvus food, givvus appropriate section of paper--no chit chat!--and we're set.



we typically order the same things: cajun-spiced pan fried trout, and the smoked salmon scramble made from eggs scrambled with a lot of smoke salmon, and topped with sour cream and roe.



both are served with toast and hash browns, which are more like grilled mashed potato cakes, but no less tasty. the food is clean, fresh, not greasy, and in generous proportions. other notable items on the breakfast menu are the "no huevos" ranchero, which features "soyrizo"--a vegetarian chorizo (it's good!), tofu, fresh salsa, and guacamole; silver dollar pancakes, a massive breakfast burrito, and the egg white scramble with grilled chicken, tomatoes, and basil.

while breakfast is no nonsense, the lunch menu is varied, and probably a little more interesting to the foodies. hm. i'll have to report back on that later.



soundtrack: "sunday papers" by joe jackson, "sunday morning" by the velvet underground.


101 coffee shop
6145 franklin ave
los angeles 90028
323.467.1175

ice cream man

i love the dinky dinky tiny ice cream van that passes by my window every day. even the constant drone of "music box dancer" that announces its arrival does not dampen my mood when it comes by.

soundtrack: "ice cream man" by jonathan richman, "justified and ancient" by the klf.