The Bistro- Off topic and fun posts!

[KenzSailing]

2 hours ago, drib said:

 

It was a Lithuanian Torte, which I gifted to a lawyer friend. (See what I did there?) I heard it was good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah sounds yummy, and I probably went to high school with the kids of the family that owned the bakery.  True story:  when I was a kid my parents would take me to an Omaha restaurant called Bohemian Cafe.  Breaded veal cutlets (with breading as thick as your little finger), potato dumplings smothered in gravy...it wasn't subtle, but it was satisfying.  They just closed up shop about 6 months ago.  That is a good run.  

 

Also, I'm relieved your reply wasn't Omaha Steaks.  Their mediocre offerings besmirch my hometown's name.

[KenzSailing]

Since we have some SoCalers on this thread:

 

If current plans hold, in about 13 months we will be boarding the beautiful Crystal Serenity in the city that is home to the angels. (Note: not the Angels, they're in Anaheim.)

 

(And yes, we're actually talking San Pedro or Long Beach, let's move on.)

 

Anyway, we'll probably come in a few nights early.  It's a long way out, life is full of uncertainty, but I'm looking for restaurant recommendations.  If anyone has experience with the two joints I'm going to name I'd love to hear it, but open-ended recommendations are welcome.

 

Two joints:

 

Pasjolie (in Santa Monica)

Vespertine (gulp, yeah we like molecular, but this place seems daunting)

 

Thoughts appreciated.

 

PS: way back in the day I went to the F1 of Long Beach.  It was real F1: Mario Andretti piloting one of those beautiful black and gold John Player Special missiles.  Good fun.  

[KenzSailing]

Looks lovely.  I didn't mean to imply we'd be staying in the SP/LB area.  We'll stay far more central (whatever that means in the vastness of LA.)

 

Must give Shutters a look though. 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is another from my 2009 Galapagos cruise on MS Evolution.  It was taken on July 25.

 

 

Roy

[ctjon]

New Yorker's aren't picky they just know what tastes best.   I remember there was a Pizza place in LA that advertised that they imported water from NYC so their pizza dough was great tasting.😀

[KenzSailing]

I forgot to mention: my preferred brand of Russian dressing is Ken's Steak House.  I am not making this up.

[Roland4]

12 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

 

Fascinating.  Pizza dough is serious stuff.  I am both inspired and envious.

 

Yep, Ooni is a major player in outdoor pizza ovens.  I am seriously considering a competitor, but that is way over the horizon.  Time will tell (ha!)

 

Mayo and chili sauce will definitely suffice for Russian dressing.  I've actually made my own mayo, but that's another one of those things where the fast lane is "eh, just buy a jar of Duke's."

It's really not necessary to use a pizza oven. We put the round pizza stone in the oven when we turn it on to heat up. The pizza is assembled on a sheet of parchment paper on a flat cookie sheet, which then doubles as the pizza paddle to slide it onto the smoking hot pizza stone. Perfect thin crust pizza every time. And yes my Better Half makes her own pizza dough!

[SusieQft]

On 7/10/2021 at 10:34 PM, RLMSLL said:

I was a freshman at Caltech the first year they admitted women as undergrads.

...

Our favorite burger place was Tommy’s.  The preferred plan was to visit the original location on Rampart at 2:00 or 3:00 AM and have a chili cheeseburger - single for me, double for the guys.  If Rampart was too far, there was one in Eagle Rock.  (These days there is one on Hill in Pasadena, so it is an easy walk from campus.)

 

Our favorite sandwich shop was Stottlemeyer’s on Colorado. All the sandwiches were named after famous people, and they were the most innovative and the best tasting sandwiches I have ever had.

I was in the same class at Caltech with RMLSLL.  Small world, but not a coincidence since I have to thank her for Crystalizing me, or at least for setting me on the right path to have Crystal work its magic.

 

I agree with her assessment of Tommy's and Stottlemeyer's, two of our favorite places to eat when we were in college.  A number of years ago, my husband and I ate at Stottlemeyer's again, and although it was still there it was sadly nothing like it had been when we were in college.

 

We did eat at a Magic Pan several times, which at the time was really a special treat.  It was at a distance from Pasadena, I think in Hollywood.  I was aware of the Hamburger Hamlet on Lake (well south of Bullocks IIRC), but for some reason I never ate there.

[RLMSLL]

8 minutes ago, SusieQft said:

We did eat at a Magic Pan several times, which at the time was really a special treat.  It was at a distance from Pasadena, I think in Hollywood.  I was aware of the Hamburger Hamlet on Lake (well south of Bullocks IIRC), but for some reason I never ate there.

I always enjoyed the Magic Pan.  There was one in the mall in Arcadia, which I visited several times.

 

[rafinmd]

After today a but one of my remainingJuly sunrises will be taken on the actual day.  Today's is a sunset and was taken July 25, 2007 while on my 2007 upper Amazon cruise on La Amatista.

 

 

Roy

[RLMSLL]

15 hours ago, drib said:

 

Yes, that was the crepe restaurant I drew a blank on above. Now I can sleep at night - although I'm still working on the restaurant in a church. (Maybe I conflated that with the Old Spaghetti Factory, which was often in nice old buildings.) Still searching for that - like searching for Bobby Fischer, who was also a Pasadena landmark, albeit a deranged one, but in the 80s, I think.

I found this beautiful mcm-image while looking for something else:
 

As long as you went farther east, I think there was a Kaplans Deli in the Arcadia Mall - nothing special, but okay after a day at the races. Or visiting the Arboretum was very nice.

Speaking of very nice, there was the Huntington Hotel (the Huntington-Sheraton in our day). And, of course, also Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino. I'm particularly pleased that the area can always lay claim to this guy:
 

That's actually my photo, from 2009 - I just cropped it to make it look nice. I don't own many photos from the 70s, but I did scrounge up some scans of photos from an early (90s) Doo Dah Parade:

 

 

Ahhh,  the good old days, when the Little Ol’ Lady from Pasadena had her choice of Bullocks, I. Magnin, Robinsons, Buffums, the May Company, and the Broadway.  Now Macy’s has bought out everyone and there is no more choice or competition.  Snifff!  ☹️
 

The Huntington Sheraton has been rebuilt to current seismic codes and is now the lovely Langham.  The junior suites on the club floor have great views of the gardens, and my friends stay there on their annual visit to LA.

 

IMHO the best thing to do in the greater LA area is to visit the Huntington Library and Gardens.  My perfect day (after an overnight at the Langham) is to spend the the morning in the Huntington gardens in the cool part of the day.  The new Chinese Garden is one of the largest in the world outside of China, and if you haven’t been to the Huntington in recent years it is well worth a return.  Next meander through the Japanese Garden, and don’t miss the bonsai exhibit in the upper levels.  Wander through the Rose Garden and then have tea in the lovely tea room.  In the afternoon when temperatures are higher visit the library and the three art museums.  There is so much variety at the Huntington!  There is something for everyone.

https://www.huntington.org/visit

 

It always surprises me that so many people head straight to Beverly Hills for their pre-Crystal cruise stay.  Yes, there are fine hotels, restaurants, and high end shopping there, but they don’t really set LA apart from what one could find elsewhere.  I would rather have an experience that is unique to LA.

 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2018 Grand Alaska/Panama journey.  On July 15 I was on VIA

Rail's Canadian approaching Saskatoon:

 

 

Roy

[May B]

On 7/13/2021 at 12:27 AM, drib said:

 

Oh no, May B, it wasn't Hidden Valley. I just like that video.

 

Thousand Island is sometimes a little barfy-looking. (I bet you're sorry you asked now.) Russian dressing is much more orange-y, almost red. ... I think the pleasantly orange dressing I've been using is Wish Bone.

 

The choice of sauerkraut is probably more critical, but I'm not planning on shopping until Friday, so I'll see what they have. The rye bread is pretty important too. (My mother and I used to fight over who got the heel of the rye bread, so you can see, this is serious business for me.) It might not be too late to order the bread from that Omaha NE bakery, though - the crust looks great in the photo.

Hmmmm, so you led me astray! I thought (obviously mistakenly) that the video was there to help me guess it, lol.

 

I really love how you find great sources for the best yummy stuff, and that delivery is available. 

[May B]

On 7/13/2021 at 9:14 AM, ctjon said:

New Yorker's aren't picky they just know what tastes best.   I remember there was a Pizza place in LA that advertised that they imported water from NYC so their pizza dough was great tasting.😀

I’ve heard that here in Tampa, too. I guess it’s a popular marketing strategy!

 

We like Lombardo’s in NYC. Or is it Lombardi’s?

[liv2dream]

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise really is today's this time.  It is from the Crystal Serenity Panoflex camera, somewhere in the Bahamas.

 

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

OK.  That's it.

 

Enough is enough.

 

Last time there was no corned beef.  Today:

 

THEY WERE OUT OF BRATWURST!

 

There is obviously a processed meat conspiracy afoot.  How do I know?  Easy, no one's talking about it online.  This can only mean they've been silenced by the processed meat conspirators (PMCs.)

 

But I'm on to them.

 

They just better keep their hands off my kielbasa.

 

[BWIVince]

11 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

OK.  That's it.

 

Enough is enough.

 

Last time there was no corned beef.  Today:

 

THEY WERE OUT OF BRATWURST!

 

There is obviously a processed meat conspiracy afoot.  How do I know?  Easy, no one's talking about it online.  This can only mean they've been silenced by the processed meat conspirators (PMCs.)

 

But I'm on to them.

 

They just better keep their hands off my kielbasa.

 

 

I blame Big Broccoli.  No one thinks they're a powerful force in food marketing and distribution, but that's just how insidious and effective they are.

 

Vince

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from a 2005 multimodal (Air, rail, bus, and small ship) to the Canadian North and the great lakes.  On July 17 I was on the Canadian from Edmonton to Winnipeg and the rising sun reflected against the side of the train in Saskatoon.

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

For today I have another sunrise from the Crystal Serenity Panaflex camera.  It was taken this morning as the ship prepared for the inaugural cruise ship docking in Bimini.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2008 Rovos DarEsSalaam to Cape Town journey.  On July 19 we crossed the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls:

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2018 Grand Alaska-Panama cruise starting with Alaska on Volendam, land, and Westerdam and continuing on Crystal Symphony through the Panama Canal to New York.  On July 20 I toured the Tracy Arm Fjord from the Volendam:

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2010 Blount Atlantic Maritimes cruise.  On July 21 we visited Yarmouth Nova Scotia.

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

I have a sunset today, not a sunrise.  It's from my 2007 upper Amazon cruise, taken shortly after boarding La Amatista in Iquitos 14 years ago today.

 

 

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

My July 23 sunrise taken this date on my 2009 Galapagos cruise:

 

Roy