L.A. Confidential

timbigworm11-
Thanks for the nice comments and recommendation.  Unfortunately, since I am home, it will have to wait until next trip, but it does sound like a Roadfood kind of place.
 
ScreamingChicken-
Now that was funny!
 
Thanks to everyone else for the kind remarks.

Sunday November 25, 2012
 
This was the one day of the trip in which I forgot to take notes, so some details may be a little sketchy.....
 
We had gotten up early everyday of the trip so far, so this was a good day to start at a slower pace.  We didn't leave the hotel until around 11:00AM and made the short drive to the Hollywood location of Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. 


Parking was a problem, so TTM dropped us off in front while he looked for a spot to ditch the car.  There was a nice crowd waiting outside,

so we put our name on the list and sat down on one of the benches.
 
Have you ever played Spot the Celebrity with your friends?  That is where you are out in a public place, you people watch and try to find ordinary people who look like celebrities.  Anyway, the three of us are bored, nobody saying anything and I see this older African-American man walking (almost limping) up the street to the restaurant.  My first though was, boy that guy sure looks like Garrett Morris of Saturday Night Live fame.  Then it occurred to me where exactly I was and of course, it really was Garrett Morris.  He had breakfast with a young man he obviously had great affection for and we assumed this was his grandson.  In the time we were paying attention, nobody bothered him asking for an autograph, as it should be.
 
After about 20 minutes we got a table, right by an exterior door.  The constant opening and closing or the door was driving me batty, especially since we were alternating from being in a very dark room to have all this sunlight on you.  I know this sounds like quibbling, but it made getting photographs difficult as well as just reading the menu.
 
Mariton prefers dark meat when it comes to fried chicken and there was nothing on the menu which really fit in with what she wanted.  The waitress recommended she get the Sir Michael, which is a 1/4 chicken, smothered in gravy, with grits and a biscuit.  And she would make sure that the chicken was dark meat and the gravy would come on the side.  Here

is a slightly altered Sir Michael.  My dish was the Scoe's, which is a 1/4 chicken, with a pair of homemade waffles. 

Sorry, I have no idea what TTM ordered, but it was probably very similar to my dish.  The waffles are the thin ones and not those big bloated Belgians that you see everywhere.  The chicken was hot, not too greasy and juicy.  I preferred this chicken to what I had previously eaten at Pann's, but Mariton disagreed.  To drink, since this was a Southern style restaurant, I drank some seriously sweet, sweet tea.
 
Clearly, the best part of the meal was the fantastic macaroni and cheese. 

It was just the right amount of cheese, with a perfect custardy texture.  This is one of the mac and cheese greats!
 
Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles
1518 N. Gower Street
Los Angeles, CA 
323-466-7453
 
The reason we didn't try the sweet potato pie at Roscoe's was because we had another dessert place in mind.....      

timbigworm11: Tito's Tacos is my number one favorite place in the city but I've been eating their tacos (without cheese!) for probably 45 years. I have Tito's Tacos at least once or twice a month.
 
I worked a couple of blocks down from Apple Pan and ate there often.  The Hickory Burger is my favorite and I think that handful of Iceburg Lettuce does something for it. The constant raising of price has slowed down my visits.
 
They also have wonderful egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches for those that don't like burgers.
 
As for the banana cream pie....  FABULOUS!  I don't know that anyone makes it better.
 
Did you notice the big mall-ish commercial building abutting Apple Pan?  They tried to force the Apple Pan owners to sell them their land.  Thankfully they refused because the building, counter, "back of the store" and the waiters are all a part of its charm. The waiters are as much a fixture at Apple Pan as are those paper funnel cups.
 
If you ordered coffee with your pie, you would have been given a little container of real cream.  Years ago they actually used those tiny, glass, cream bottles that sadly are now only found in antique stores.
 
I've been to two of the Roscoe's locations and never was there a line or even a wait to get in.  Not the greatest but one of those places you have to try once... or twice.
 
You're really hitting all of my favorite spots and doing a wonderful job of photographing and reporting.
 
Thank you for letting me add my 2¢ worth.

mar52-
You comments are worth a lot more than 2 cents and I am genuinely appreciative of all the insight you have brought to this thread.  Please keep it coming!  Those stories of a place like Apple Pan fighting off the big companies is music to my ears.  There will be another one of those later on in this report.  I am a sucker for the underdog! 

I really enjoyed that branch of Roscoe's when I had lunch there a couple of years ago.  We went early -- deliberately -- and had no problem with a line, but by the time we left, it was out the door.

In N Out is properly ordered from the drive-thru and eaten in your car. The fries are not designed to travel well. The person taking your order asks you if you are going to eat in the car. If you say no, your food comes in a typical paper bag. If you say yes, it comes in a cardboard tray along with a paper placemat to lay on your lap.
 
The Apple Pan banana cream pie used to be my special birthday request every year... And coincidentally, my birthday is next week! Thanks for the reminder.

And, Tito's Tacos, really?? I appreciate the quirk and the experience but I don't understand the love for the food. Those are not real tacos and they don't taste like much. I always think of them as stoner snacks, an opinion supported by the ubiquitous late-night commercials with the earworm jingle that goes, "The only thing better than a Tito's Taco....is two!"

Sunday November 25, 2012 (cont.)
 
Before any trip, I always do research looking into where is the best places for pie in that city.  When TTM saw there was a place named The Pie Hole

on my list, he thought we had to go pay them a visit, even if it was just for the name.  Knowing what good reviews they were getting, I didn't put up much of a fight!  The area of downtown it was in (The Arts District) looked like it is used to be industrial, but was now becoming more of a place for hipsters to live.
 
They had a cute sign outside advertising their pumpkin pie,

but they had better sounding options on the list that needed attention.  One that caught my eye was the maple custard, which I have never had before.  Despite the fact that Vermont Street is nearby, I decided this was just too far away from maple country and went in another direction. 
 
This

is my slice of Mexican Chocolate, another unusual slice of pie I had never seen before.  You know how most chocolate pies are overly sweet and fudgy?  This one tasted of deep, real chocolate flavor without the over the top sweet.  Strangely, it had almost a sandy texture.  Add in a wonderful graham cracker crust and this was a great slice of pie.  TTM went for the apple pie 

and although it was good, it was almost too much apple and not enough pie.  We all really liked The Pie Hole.  The staff was very friendly and the sparse dining room

had a cool, industrial vibe.  I will be back!
 
The Pie Hole
714 Traction Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
213-537-0115
 
So why didn't I do what I normally do and eat two slices of pie?  Because as luck would have it, the restaurant across the street, Wurstkuche,

was a place I recognized from a list previously posted on Roadfood called The 100 Greatest Cult Restaurants in America.  This place is known for their exotic sausages.
 
Ordering here can be a little confusing, so there was a pretty young lady

handing out menus to the people in line and answering any questions.  Here is the menu: 

What you do is pick out one sausage from the list, plus two toppings.  You could also see the various sausages in the case.  

Man, there were so many sausages, with different combinations of toppings I wanted to try, but finally settled on the Filipino Maharlika, with grilled onions and sweet peppers.  There was also an impressive assortment of sodas to choose from, including something called Mr. Q. Cumber. 

I took the safe route with a peach soda,

which was the first time I had seen this brand and flavor.
 
After about ten minutes, my sandwich was delivered and it looked great. 


The pork sausage was very flavorful and a little on the sweet side.  All of the peppers and onions just added to it and you can tell that they use a high quality bakery roll.  They do have some homemade mustards on the counter 

and I did do a little experimenting with it, but this excellent sandwich needed no condiments at all.
 
As a side, I also ordered the klein (small) portion of the double dipped Belgian fries. 

These fries were thick, puffy, crispy and delicious.  You get one dipping sauce to choose from and I took the sundried tomato mayo.  If I had it to do over again, there were better options out there (like Thai peanut or curry ketchup), but these fries needed nothing else.
 
Neither Mariton or TTM ate here since they were so full, so I was on my own.  As good as the food was, I wasn't able to finish everything and it made me a little sad to throw the last few french fries away.  Wurstkuche is another place that I need to revisit!  The only negative about the place is the seating.  This

is their cruel joke of a chair and let's just say it isn't very comfotable for a big guy like me.  Yet, somehow, both the chair and I survived our meeting. 
 
Wurstkuche
800 E. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA
213-687-4444
 
Needing to do some walking, we went to the USC campus, which is very attractive.  We strolled around, hitting the bookstore with me buying the sweatshirt I am currently wearing.  We also paused to take a couple of photos of the Tommy Trojan statue

and TTM couldn't help but give us his best Heisman Trophy pose.     

That's a pretty weak Heisman pose now that I see it. I was most disappointed that they didn't have any Reggie Bush or OJ Simpson memorabilia displayed. It's like they were never even there.

Heisman pose?  It looks more like he's fighting off a purse snatcher.

What would anyone from Wisconsin know about the Heisman pose?
 
(Sorry....couldn't resist.)

Suzy Gruyere:  REALLY!
 
I think we've had this discussion before.  People either love Tito's or they bad mouth it.  Sort of like cilantro.  Tito's isn't trying to copy anyone or any other place.  Others try to mimic Tito's and fail.
 
They serve a type of hard taco that I happen to love and although people love their beef burritos, I'm not a fan.  Give me bean and cheese!  It's California food, not Mexican.
 
Because others don't care for it only means the lines are shorter for me.
 
Your description of Stoner Food describes Jack-in-the Box tacos... also not Mexican food but pretty damn good.
 
Hope you have your banana cream pie.  It's the best!
 
Happy Birthday!
 
By the way...  What happened to Schat's Bakery?  They had a Sunday special and closed forever on Monday.  I was supposed to have lunch there today. 
 
BB:  I've never heard of your pie place.  I've never even heard of Traction Avenue.  Just looked it up and understand why.   I'll have to check it out.  Thanks!
 
So... how did you like our weather?

buffetbuster - I love how you always take two or three weeks of eating and write your reports as if you ate it all in a couple of days. Hilarious. I laugh every time you do it.

JRPfeff-
Thanks!  I think.
 
mar52-
Although the opportunity to wear shorts is appreciated, I am one of those odd people who doesn't like warm weather.  Anything over 75 is too hot for me.  The weather was okay for the first half of the trip, but became an issue in the second half.  I will be talking more about that later in the report.
 
Suzy Gruyere-
If I lived anywhere near Los Angeles, The Apple Pan's banana cream pie would probably be my birthday dessert, too.  And have a great birthday!

BB, once again you are the John Shaft of Roadfood aka the Baddest Mutha in SoCal!).  Keep it comin', man!  
ScreamingChicken, I'll have you know that TTM has never carried a purse in all the times I've met up with him.  He even showed me what he usually has over his shoulder.  It's a European Carry-All, okay?!  ;)

Sunday November 25, 2012 (cont.)
 
This was the day that TTM was going home as he had a 10:45PM redeye flight home.  We also had plans to attend the UCLA basketball game in Westwood and the game didn't start until 7:00PM.  To make things easier, we decided to drop off his car rental early and then I would drive him to LAX after the game.
 
Pauley Pavilion,

home of the UCLA Bruins, is one of the true shrines of college basketball.  The arena is newly renovated and looks great.  These games are normally a sell out, but the holiday break made getting tickets easier, so we were able to buy them at the box office.  While waiting for the doors to open, we admired the statue of John Wooden,

the very successful and recently deceased coach.  Coach Wooden attended the games for many years after he retired and in his memory, they still keep his seat open. 

Our seats were in the upper bowl, but we still had a great view

of the court.  You can see in the last photo all the banners from their national championship teams in basketball, as well as volleyball and gymnastics.
 
In one of the very best renditions of the national anthem I have witnessed, they had two violinists from the music department play the song. 

Beautifully done!  Some photos from the game, on and off the court:








 
Nobody was expecting the game to be close, since UCLA was nationally ranked and their opponent, Cal Poly was lightly regarded.  But, that's why they play the game.  As usual, I like to root for the home team when visiting different arenas and stadiums.  Mariton surprised me by rooting for the team in green (Cal Poly) and even sayingearly on that they were going to win.  I didn't think much of it as UCLA had a comfortable lead at halftime.
 
Part of the halftime entertainment was three lucky fans got a chance to shoot some baskets for prizes.  What they had to do was make a layup, a free throw and a shot from half court in 30 seconds.  The first two contestants, a man and a woman, both made the first two shots, but didn't come close with the half court shot.  The final contestant ( I think his name was Wendell) swished both the first two, which gave him plenty of time for several chances at the half court shot.  But, all he needed was one as he swished that one, too.  The crowd erupted and gave him a standing ovation.  Here he is

watching it on the scoreboard afterwards.  Unfortunately, I can't remember what he won, but it was fun to watch!
 
UCLA could have used Wendell in the second half as Cal Poly kept it close, eventually going on a run and making the final five minutes of the game very exciting.  Tied with just a few seconds left, UCLA committed a really dumb foul, the Cal Poly player made both free throws and the Mustangs hung on to win 70-68.  We had no time to savor the upset as we raced out of the building to get TTM to LAX.
 
Traffic approaching LAX was absolutely brutal.  I felt bad for him as he apologized several times for this, but obviously it was not his fault.  But, this did make me feel very happy that I didn't fly in and out of LAX myself.  The important thing was he made his flight and was back at work the next morning.  A big thank you to The Travelin Man for joining us out here as we really enjoyed his company as always.
 
Driving back to the hotel, we had to stop for food somewhere, but I had no interest in going far out of the way.  So, we decided this would be a good time to hit Pink's Famous Chili Dogs.  We had driven past Pink's early in the trip and of course, there was a long line.  On this night, we practically had the place to ourselves. 


Actually, I wish there had been someone else in line, because that would have given me more time to look over the options, because I was not happy with what was ordered.
 
You can sit in the small indoor dining room,

but Mariton was happy to sit outside in the back patio,

even though it was a little cold out.  First up was the chili dog. 

I know Pink's gets a bad rap here on Roadfood, but we thought this was a really good chili dog. The chili did not taste like it was homemade, but I still like most chilis.  The bun was pleasantly soft, the onions were fresh and the wiener itself had a nice snap when bitten into.  I could have done without the cheese, but that is no big deal.  I would definitely order this chili dog again.  What I wouldn't do is stand in line for an hour to eat this chili dog.  The other hot dog was less successful.  This was a mushroom swiss dog. 

The mushrooms tasted straight from the can, the swiss was barely noticable and we only ate a few bites before throwing it away.  But, I blame myself and wish I had taken the time to read the menu board a little longer.  To drink, a long time favorite Grape Crush.

We enjoyed our stop at this local legend, but no doubt there are better hot dogs out there in Los Angeles.
 
Pink's Famous Chili Dogs
709 N. LaBrea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
323-931-4223
 
From there, it was straight back to the hotel for the night. 

 So let me get this straight
 
The UCLA game begain @ 7pm
TTM had a red eye flight that evening @ 10:45pm
and was BACK AT WORK the next morning????!!!
 
TTM is so right- our traveling styles could not be more different!

BB
I have to drop back a day or so on your report...Nesbitt's was my drink of choice in the 50's during my soda days...But only Nesbitt's Orange.  I have seen Nesbitts now and then at some of the exotic soda shops we've visited here in the East...but it was a common beverage in the good old days in L A
Keep those photos coming.

Great report so far! I agree 100 percent with your assessment of Pink's.  During my "I gotta do this at least once in my lifetime" stop there a few years ago, I waited a half hour in line.  I thought the chili dog was fine, but I didn't like the pastrami dog or the onion rings I got to go along with it.
 
I did appreciate the fact they they had glass-bottled Crush products! Orange Crush is right up there with Suburban Club Almond Smash, Vernor's Ginger Ale and Old Dominion Root Beer as one of my favorite sodas, and it's the only one that's generally available in more than just one region.

wanderingjew


 So let me get this straight

The UCLA game begain @ 7pm
TTM had a red eye flight that evening @ 10:45pm
and was BACK AT WORK the next morning????!!!

TTM is so right- our traveling styles could not be more different!

That is how I roll. I slept well on the eastbound flight, until the captain announced a 35-minute early arrival at destination. He said it like he was proud of it. Rat bastard cost me 35 extra minutes of sleep.
 
Spare set of work clothes in the car, shower at the gym at work, and in my office on time.  Easy peasy.

What time were you at Pink's? Very odd that there was no line.  I might eat there again if I were passing by and saw no line, but like others have said, it is NOT worth waiting in line for.  One of the most disappointing "famous" restaurants I've ever been to.  

The Travelin Man

wanderingjew


So let me get this straight

The UCLA game begain @ 7pm
TTM had a red eye flight that evening @ 10:45pm
and was BACK AT WORK the next morning????!!!

TTM is so right- our traveling styles could not be more different!

That is how I roll. I slept well on the eastbound flight, until the captain announced a 35-minute early arrival at destination. He said it like he was proud of it. Rat bastard cost me 35 extra minutes of sleep.

Spare set of work clothes in the car, shower at the gym at work, and in my office on time.  Easy peasy.

With me-  either cardiac arrest on the way to the airport and then loss of consciousness sometime between getting off the plane and being at work would have taken place...
 
I just can't travel by the seam of my pants like you do, but as I've told you before I have to give you lots of credit for doing so.

Just curious, but what do you figure, out of all the "seam of pants" traveling, was the worst thing that could have happened?
 
Because, in my mind, the thing I feared the most was that the game would go into overtime, and I would be faced with the decision of staying longer and making a beeline for the airport.

Pigiron-
It would have been around 10:30PM on a cold Sunday night.  First time I had ever seen that there wasn't a line.  This was my second time at Pink's, but I wanted to make sure Mariton got to experience this famous place once.
 
WJ-
While TTM did make it to work on time, he said nothing about being fully functional.  I am proud of the fact that I can sleep just about anywhere at anytime, but still those redeyes wipe me out.  I would have been a zombie the next day at work.  Still, it is a great way to maximize your time in another city.
 
a71678-
Thanks!  Though generally not a soda drinker, I will if I see something special.  And Grape Crush and Vernor's Ginger Ale both qualify as special.  Not familiar with Old Dominion root beer, but I will keepan eye out for it.
 
MayorAl-
I can see why you drank Nesbitt's when you lived here, because that peach soda was good.  And I don't ever remember having peach soda before. 

The Travelin Man


Just curious, but what do you figure, out of all the "seam of pants" traveling, was the worst thing that could have happened?

Because, in my mind, the thing I feared the most was that the game would go into overtime, and I would be faced with the decision of staying longer and making a beeline for the airport.

 
With my luck there would have been a massive traffic jam/accident on the way to the airport, or an incredibly huge line at TSA and I would have missed my flight.  If you'll recall, in Pittsburgh this past june we were only 10 minutes from the airport, I left  a little less than 2 hours before my flight and  got to my gate  just as they were boarding because the TSA  line was unusually long.
 
Unfortunately I can't fall asleep or get a sound night of sleep on red eyes, I would occasionally take them when I lived in Seattle and would be a complete zombie the following day.  I really, really need my "8 hours"
 

Monday November 26, 2012
 
We had been fortunate up to now with the Los Angeles traffic because of the holiday weekend.  Now that people were back to work, we knew the freeways would be jammed.  We decided this would be a good time to leave the city, but we had a couple of things to do first.
 
We checked out of our hotel and made our way to our breakfast destination, John O 'Groats,

on busy West Pico Boulevard.  The inside is a little disjointed because you have a nicer dining area in one room and a counter in another room. 

We were seated by the window in the room with the counter.  The breakfast menu is one of the biggest and best I have seen in a long time.  Among our options was spiced pumpkin pancakes, oreo cookie french toast, crispy bacon and sharp cheddar waffle, salmon hash and eggs, turkey chili omelette, creole eggs, etc. 
 
My girlfriend is hooked on oatmeal the way TTM is with pancakes and she ordered the oatmeal here also. 

Instead of milk and brown sugar automatically coming with it, you have to request it, which is no big deal.  She said that this oatmeal was different than what she normally eats at home and she enjoyed it.  Her dish came with a couple of biscuits,

which we found too hard to eat.  This is surprising, since they brag about the biscuits right on the awning out front of the restaurant.  We prefer our biscuits light and fluffy, but so far Los Angeles has been the land of hard biscuits.  To drink, an excellent cup of Ghiradelli hot chocolate.

 
Because of all the crap I have already eaten on the trip, I thought this might be a good time to get something healthy.  Here is my granola,

which comes with a bowl of yogurt to mix in.  Even with the yogurt, there isn't a lot of flavor here and I regret not taking the waitresses advice and adding some fresh fruit.  Still, this was what I needed at the time and I would order it again.  Now that the healthy food was out of the way, I could concentrate on the wonderful lemon pancakes. 

The pancakes themselves were indeed light and fluffy, with the lemon sauce on top having strong lemon flavor without being too sweet.  And I when the lemon sauce was gone and there were still some pancakes left, I used the blackberry and apricot preserves

on the table.  Fantastic!
 
One of my big pet peeves in dining in restaurants is that they ask you for your drink order as soon as you sit down.  I can't begin to tell you how many times I have ordered say, just an iced tea, only to find out the also have fruit smoothies or Arnold Palmers or something else really interesting.  Here, before they even asked us what we wanted to drink, they told us about their french press coffees and that they offer quite a few fresh squeezed fruit juices.  As soon as they said fresh squeezed apple juice, I was sold. 

This tasted somewhere between regular apple juice and apple cider and you could definitely pick upon the apple peel.  I loved this!  This made me want to come back and try some of the other fruit juices.
 
About the service.....  It wasn't that they were unfriendly, but it just seemed a little off.  It was almost like they were always disappointed in what we ordered.  Maybe they don't like tourists, but Mariton for sure did not like our service.  No big deal.
 
John O' Groat's
10516 W. Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
310-204-0692
 
Mariton loves being near the water and I have never been to the Santa Monica Pier before, so thought this would be a good time to visit.  Since we parked down near the water, we had to go through the north entrance

and then up the stairs to get to the pier.  But, we absolutely had to make the walk up the hill to the main entrance

off of Colorado Avenue, just for the photo opportunity.  They do have a small amusement park and an aquarium here, but the significance of this place to me is as the western end of Rte. 66.  And they have a board

with historical Rte. 66 info in it.  We did sit down and enjoy the view of the water,

watching the sun do its best to break through the clouds. 

We spent probably an hour here as we still had much to do.

Fantastic is right!
 
In the '60s Nesbitt's sold a clear cream soda and a neon green lemon lime that were better than any I've had since.  An orange Nesbitt's is almost generic.
 
I take visitors to Pink's.  I'm not a fan of their over-porky dog.  But, you have to go there at least once. 
 
Mushrooms on a hot dog?  No wonder!
 
Hope you're not near finished with your west coast trip.

mar52-
I am nowhere near done.  There is still almost a full week to go. 

mar52


Hope you're not near finished with your west coast trip.

 
 
Of course not, they haven't gotten to the regional stuff yet!

Aha!  You were posting as I was typing.
 
Glad you made it to John O'Groats.  It "was" one of my weekly meals when I worked on Pico.
 
In those days the room with the counter was the only room and breakfast was the only meal served.  Great breakfasts afforded them the ability to expand.
 
The reason Mariton thought the oatmeal was different was because it was.  John O'Groat's serves Irish Oatmeal which is a whole groat (a coincidence?) oatmeal.  If you ever opened a can of Irish Oatmeal you'd think you were looking at hand picked bird food.
It was always what I ordered with sliced bananas, brown sugar and half and half.  Now they give you milk which isn't as good.  A side of a smoked pork chop sometimes made it in to my order.
 
The owners of John O'Groat's used to own a wonderful restaurant on Westwood Boulevard called Bit O' Scotland.  It was home of the best fish and chips in the area and maybe anywhere.
 
It was great to see the owners reinvent themselves.
 
 

Can't wait for more!
 
I forgot to mention Santa Monica Pier.  Where did you park?  I haven't been there in years due to the parking situation. 
 
Did you go down to the boardwalk south of the pier?  There lies the first ever Hot Dog on a Stick...
 
Yes it's a chain, but it's the very first location.
 
WJ:  Regional?  Los Angeles has regional food? 
 

 
  

Cliff, Reading your Trip Report, I was reminiscing with Margaret about the last time we were in LA.  It was pre-navigation devices.  Remember the days when you had to buy road maps in advance of a trip?
 
We did Disney, LA, Beverly Hills, Catalina Island, Etc., but my maps were not very good.  Once we hit Beverly Hills, I bought a map to the stars homes.  It was the best darn map I ever saw!
 
The kids still bust me about getting lost in East LA, and not being able to find someone who spoke English for directions. 

mar52-
I looked back at the photo of the menu which mentions that it is called Irish oatmeal, but I still forgot to mention it.  Thanks for the reminder.
 
We parked beside the pier on the right side by the water.  $6.00.  In Pittsburgh that would be a ripoff, but out there I could live with it.  Unfortunately, we walked no further than on the pier.  First hot dog on a stick would have been cool!

Joe-
I understand completely.  When Cousin Johnny and I spent a week in the area in 2004, that was also pre-GPS and we were doing it with maps.  Trying to find Philippe's late at night and dealing with the maps was extremely stressful.  How did we survive before technology? 

buffetbuster


They do have a small amusement park and an aquarium here, but the significance of this place to me is as the western end of Rte. 66.  And they have a board

with historical Rte. 66 info in it.

For those who may not know, Bob Waldmire was the son of Ed Waldmire, Jr., founder of Cozy Dog in Springfield, IL.

 
Buffetbuster -
 
Wow!  Great trip report!   With a few exceptions, so far it looks like we went to many of the same places.  Looking forward to the rest.
 
 
Glenn
 
 

Glenn1234-
We really did hit many of the same places.  I noticed that right away when you posted your list on page one of this thread.  Hopefully, this brings back some good memories of your trip last year.
 
ScreamingChicken-
Thanks for that info.  I had no idea!

buffetbuster


Glenn1234-
We really did hit many of the same places.  I noticed that right away when you posted your list on page one of this thread.  Hopefully, this brings back some good memories of your trip last year.

 
It's bringing back great memories!  Not only the food places, but the tourist sights as well.  Like you, we also tried to go to Griffith Observatory on the crowded day after Thanksgiving, and we hit Santa Monica Pier that same weekend, as well.  I envy your UCLA game experience.   I wish Janet and I made it to a UCLA game.  We went to the Getty museum on the Saturday night that weekend, and it was worth it,  ....  but a UCLA game would have been icing on the cake.  
 
 
Glenn
 
 

EDIT: Looks like I was working on this post at the same time HowlingChicken was making a similar post.
 

buffetbuster

...but the significance of this place to me is as the western end of Rte. 66.  And they have a board

with historical Rte. 66 info in it.

bb,
Not sure if you know it, but this memorial has dual significance to Roadfooders.  First, of course, is the Route 66 angle, but then there's also the man honored on the board.  Besides being the country's premier Route 66 artist, Bob Waldmire's dad is Ed Waldmire, the inventor and founder of the Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield, Illinois.  You cam learn more about Bob and see his art at several sites:
 
http://www.bobwaldmire.com/
https://www.google.com/se...p;biw=1285&bih=805
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kONNVg3Wlo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPn10G7pEZk
 
I never got to meet Bob, but I own a bunch of his populist artwork.  Bob's art is magnificently detailed, focused on Route 66 landmarks, history and natural wonders.  Whether it's in black & white or color, Bob's work is a delight and just plain darn fun to look at.  I'm also well acquainted with his brother Buz, who ran the Cozy Dog for many years following their Dad's death.
 
Thanks for the report so far.  Looking forward to the rest.
 
Buddy
 
 

Y'know something. I don't miss living in SoCal at all...but I do get a little homesick when I read reports like this one, filled with the immense variety of the culture and food in that area.
it is hard to describe the SoCal Life-style to anyone who has not lived there...but it is unique, and I enjoy reading of your adventures ! Thanks so much for sharing.  Now let's head for Farmer Boys for some fried squash spears and Onion Rings.

Great, Fun report as always. Those are great looking banana cream pies. Looking forward to the rest of the trip. Thanks.

It has been a blast reading your report and reliving preroadfood   trips to a favorite city. I stayed practically across the street from Phillipe's. I was with my second wife staying at a hotel in Chinatown. We were at the American Psychological Association Convention. And I met Sam's  birth mother mother for the first time. My wife and I ate at Phillipe's daily. i felt as if I were in a Chandler of Hammet novel; people reading the racing form, placing bets in phone booths, counter people who stepped out of film noir flicks and a damned good sandwich to boot. The train station reminded me of old movies and tv shows and was quite a place for memories. Olvera Street's charms were also close by and my wife made me get here a fresh squeezed orange juice daily. Meeting Sam's birth mother was haunting and unforgettable and Phillipe's was part of that memory. Thanks for help in resurrecting that memorable few days

OMG, that sausage sandwich looks soooooo good!  Almost like you never left Pittsburgh.
 

 
 

I was hoping to be further along on the report. Sorry! The rest of it will have to wait until I get back from my weekend trip.

Oh, it figures,
 
You leave us hanging just as it starts getting really good-
 
Remember...what happens in .....stays in ......

Cliff, you also had me at pie clock.  It looks like you had a wonderful time, even with the highs and lows.  I kind of agree with you about In-N-Out--it's still better than pretty much any chain burger with the possible exception of Five Guys.  And that's why it's a beautiful country--don't we have room for both? 
 
I also do not understand why Steve showing knee on Sunset Boulevard did not bring an immediate and screeching halt to both the entertainment-military complex and downtown traffic.

Buffetbuster- Awesome report!  Just got done reading through the rest of it.  Im glad to see you made it to Apple Pan too.  My favorite burger in LA.  The same friend who introduced me to the Apple Pan, introduced me to Titos Tacos many many years ago.  (His dad grew up a few blocks over from Apple Pan and he was an LA cop so he knew all the good food spots).  If you ever come down to San Diego, let me know...I have some good "non hipster" spots for you to try out ;-).  I hope you go on vacation again soon so I can read some more of your reports!   Have a good one and thanks for keeping me entertained!  

Nancypalooza


Cliff, you also had me at pie clock.  It looks like you had a wonderful time, even with the highs and lows.  I kind of agree with you about In-N-Out--it's still better than pretty much any chain burger with the possible exception of Five Guys.  And that's why it's a beautiful country--don't we have room for both? 

I also do not understand why Steve showing knee on Sunset Boulevard did not bring an immediate and screeching halt to both the entertainment-military complex and downtown traffic.

Nancy, I could not agree more. In-N-Out Burger is the best of the rest in the same category of Fast food burger restaurants. In-N-Out burger serves real 100% ice cream in their shakes, made to order 100% pure beef hamburgers, real American cheese, fresh baked rolls, Hand cut hand made real french fries. GGGEEZZZZZ, I think they do a great job..........I'll be in AZ and California, I'm looking forward to a dbl dbl animal style, homemade fries, Root beer float............not bad for a fast food joint.......................pnwc 
  
  Animal Style = burger of your choice with hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, a mustard cooked beef patty; add pickle, extra spread with grilled onions

With Texas finally getting In-N-Out in the Dallas area and Five Guys in Longview, Tx. I would have to say I prefer Five Guys. I'm glad In-N-Out wasnt a total failure BB. I hate for any meal to be a dissapointment. Thanks Again, looking forward to more.   

Okay, I am back from my weekend in Las Vegas and I am going to pick up where it was left off.  Just wanted to thank everyone for all the nice comments.  They are much appreciated!
 
And it was great to hear from Nancypalooza.  Why TTM wasn't discovered is a mystery to me.  He would be perfect for infomercials, at least.

Monday November 26, 2012 (cont.)
 
It was a short drive down the coast to the small community of Playa del Rey and G's Juice. 

This is a place that was found and reviewed by wanderingjew.  As you can see by the photo, G's Juice only takes up half of the business.  The other half is a Mexican place called Senor G's. 
 
We originally only had plans to grab a couple of smoothies.  The menu board

is large and there many different combinations of fruits to choose from.  To help you determine which of the six available sizes you want, the have empty cups

to use as examples, which I liked.  We also got a laugh out of the signs telling you where to order, where to pay and where to pick up your beverages, 
 
considering how small the place is. 
 
First up was our fruit smoothie. 

Called Playa del Rey, it is a wonderful combination of three of my favorite fruits, watermelon, mango and cantelope.  I watched the young man make it with real fruit and that makes all the difference.  Mariton and I both agreed that cantaloupe was the dominant flavor.  This was an excellent smoothie!  Next was the fresh fruit juice combination of orange, mango and pineapple. 

Also very good, but we would have preferred more mango and pineapple flavor as it tasted mostly like regular orange juice.  While we were sitting there, Mariton kept reading the menu and was intrigued by the wheatgrass.  Once the guy at the counter told her it was good for antioxidants, she got herself a small one. 

She did ask if I wanted to try it and I regret saying no, but she seemed to enjoy it.
 
While we were drinking our beverages, the waiter from Senor G's wanted to know if we were interested in ordering some food. Hey, it couldn't hurt looking at the menu.  He soon brought us over some marvelous homemade chips and salsa. 

The salsa was chunky and mildy hot.  We decided on a couple of tacos.  Mariton loved the carne asada taco,

topped with cilantro, lettuce, cheese and onion.  The beef was moist and tender and she ate most of it.  That was okay, because that left the fish taco,

made with grilled tilapia, for me.   I particularly liked the tomatillo guacamole sauce.
 
Nice find WJ!  We really liked this place(s).
 
G's Juice
343 Culver Boulevard
Playa del Rey, CA
310-822-7733
 
We thought this would be a good time to leave the city, so we got on the highway and headed north.      

You know I've been holding my breath all weekend
Finally the regional stuff ! 

I have never considered juice bars as regional.  I know that Michael Stern mentioned it as being such but I don't get it.
 
A few of the smaller Mexican places serve jugos, but they're closing faster than they're opening.  I guess the food they're serving is just as regional as the juice.
 
Now taquitos...

mar52


I have never considered juice bars as regional.  I know that Michael Stern mentioned it as being such but I don't get it.

A few of the smaller Mexican places serve jugos, but they're closing faster than they're opening.  I guess the food they're serving is just as regional as the juice.

Now taquitos...

 
You may not consider it regional but other current and ex-Angeleno's do....I know,  I work with them...I hope you don't take offense  Mar, but I don't consider you the typical Angeleno- (probably more old school NY'er  than anything)
Is the Mexican food really regional  (including Taquitos) if its served in Texas, Arizona and New mexico too? 
 
Remember, "Orange Julius and Jamba Juice both got their start in the LA area.

Dale, this is one I don't think we'll ever agree on but that's what makes things great... we don't have to agree.
 
My thoughts being Los Angeles born and raised.  And...  No offense taken.  (New York???)
 
Orange Julius and Jamba Juice are chains so I never considered them. 
 
I think the blender smoothies began with the advent of the Vita-Mix which is at every fair all over the country.  Then smoothies were available at health food stores.
 
I'd admit to this being regional but it's sadly now gone:  Not known by many was the juice bar at our Third and Fairfax, Farmer's Market.  They didn't blend drinks, they just mixed them...  Carrot coconut or pomegranate coconut being my favorites.  I miss that place.
 
Taquitos served at Olvera Street's Cielito Lindo can be found nowhere else.  They're one of a kind.  Not even the other places in Olvera Street duplicate them.
 
Back on topic...

mar52


Dale, this is one I don't think we'll ever agree on but that's what makes things great... we don't have to agree.

My thoughts being Los Angeles born and raised.  And...  No offense taken.  (New York???)

Orange Julius and Jamba Juice are chains so I never considered them. 

I think the blender smoothies began with the advent of the Vita-Mix which is at every fair all over the country.  Then smoothies were available at health food stores.

I'd admit to this being regional but it's sadly now gone:  Not known by many was the juice bar at our Third and Fairfax, Farmer's Market.  They didn't blend drinks, they just mixed them...  Carrot coconut or pomegranate coconut being my favorites.  I miss that place.

Taquitos served at Olvera Street's Cielito Lindo can be found nowhere else.  They're one of a kind.  Not even the other places in Olvera Street duplicate them.

Back on topic...

 
 
Not quite yet... Mar
 
 
apparently Serious Eats thinks so
 
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/06/los-angeles-10-best-smoothies.html
 
Using your rational, Buffalo Wings can be found all over the country too.
 
I have to disagree with you about Taquitos, I found them all over in Arizona and Texas, they even have them here in Rhode Island too.... 
 

I'm interested in the link you posted but it puts me back on Roadfood. 

mar52


I'm interested in the link you posted but it puts me back on Roadfood. 

 
oops, sorry - take 2
 
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/06/los-angeles-10-best-smoothies.html

Seems to me that Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque and El Paso have juice bars.  They're in small Mexican restaurants.
 
 
 
 

mar52


Seems to me that Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque and El Paso have juice bars.  They're in small Mexican restaurants.

 
True, at least for Phoenix and Tucson,  although I saw more "standalones" in Southern California, however I lived in Albuquerque and visited many times over the years and never saw any. Horchata, yes, smoothies, no.