Pre-Halloween Party!

Have you seen the movie Hangover? I had not. So, I didn't get his costume immediately. :( He showed us a pic from the movie though and I thought he did a good job.

Sebastian and Jen invited us to their Halloween party. There, we got to hang out with Muffin and Pookie Bear. The furbabies had the most uncanny likeness to stuffed animals. They were so darned cute!

Below left, Muffin sports her best creepy eyes for the party.


Pookie Bear actually had a costume. He was so excited about it, he was jogging in circles!



Actually, I think he looked a little embarrassed...



Sergio and I did wear our costumes too. However, we will be attending Halloween festivities on the actual day so we don't want to spoil the fun by showing you our costumes early!

Sneak preview:

Red Lion (...rrawr...)

Betsy and Justin invited us to a night out at Red Lion with some of Justin's work buddies. They had the most gigantic beer steins! I didn't get beer though -- that's a mini-bubbly bottle I'm holding. Sergio tried to order Laphroaig but the bartender had never heard of it. We discussed Halloween costumes. Oddly, last call was at 1AM. It's been a long time since we've stayed out late enough to hear last call. Maybe that's what it is everywhere. We hung out at their house a bit after. Someone ate a jalapeno on purpose. (There is a video floating around somewhere.) We didn't get home until past 3AM! yowsa!

Indian Summer

Illustration by Nick Dewar

(Yeah, I probably shouldn't have used this image as it's not mine. But it's cool. I credit and link to the artist's website. And it is from the article I cite below. Hopefully no one will mind.)

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It's 11PM and it's 75 degrees. It's hot. A melancholy kind of hot.

See Los Angeles Magazine article that expresses it nearly perfectly.

http://www.lamag.com/article.aspx?id=19810

God I wish I had a swimming pool RIGHT NOW. I don't think I've ever tried it myself, but nighttime swimming seems so...luxe, doesn't it? I mean, when it's so dang warm outside. Maybe we did once in Vegas. Can't be sure.

Since a starlit dip is highly unlikely, maybe we should consider a dark, cool, theater retreat this weekend? What do YOU want to see?

Movies I want to see:

• Zombieland
• Where the Wild Things Are
• Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Will we see them this weekend? Probably not. It is more likely we'll end up at the Academy Theatre is Pasadena. $2 Matinee and $3 Evenings.

• The September Issue
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
• The Hangover
• Inglorious Basterds

I wonder if Sergio will agree to me going to September Issue while he goes to G.I. Joe.

Happy weekend everyone.

Going to the movies with Eva Longoria

Recovery meal last Sunday. Oinkster. Yum.

We had to get right for the evening's event: Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival Opening Night Gala at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre! We got to watch Pedro Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces. It was quite good. A little long I thought, but good. Almodóvar is a good storyteller. And the cinematography is gorgeous. It was a nice event. The director was honored with an award but wasn't present to accept. He called Eva Longoria to accept on his behalf.

Now, we get to tell people we went to the movies with Edward James Olmos, Jimmy Smits, Eva Longoria.... It's a phrase I stole from Anna. "I had breakfast with Dustin Hoffman once." Meaning, she and he happened to be in the same restaurant at the same time. Which, I was present too for that one. :)

He took off his tie after the movie, right before the party.


That's my yellow etro coat! Or, Lily Tomlin's old coat. Really. It was from her wardrobe on HBO's 12 Miles of Bad Road, a victim of the writers strike in 2007-2008. Huh. So I'm the same size as Lily Tomlin. I don't know if that's good or bad. Whatever.

Comment debate

http://laeastside.com/2009/10/silver-lake-is-not-the-eastside-and-consumerism-isn%E2%80%99t-green/

I love it when a debate ensues via comments sections of my favorite blogs. I myself don't ever contribute because, quite frankly, my opinions are rarely well informed enough to defend intelligently. I am much more comfortable as voyeur.

Cog and Spike

Last Saturday, while on our way to Hollywood, we spotted a couple yard sale signs tacked up on York. This essentially equated to detour signs for us. We parked and checked out three yard sales on one block. Sergio scored a pair of safety glasses for $1. Then, we stopped in at Cafe de Leche. I wore new shoes. You can just see the blister preventative measures I took--the blue Jar Jar Binks band-aid above my heel.

Just kitty-corner was a well curated collection of artsy and vintagy items, all for sale. I think four or five artist-types got together to put on the sale. There was a lady selling taxidermy specimens. She had a bat in a display box. It was a bit coolreepy. (Cool and creepy at the same time.)

Sergio got this giant cog thing. Our research tells us it's a smoke pipe/stack register. The thing rotated and regulated air/smoke that was going through the pipe. The patent was registered in the 1800's but the company is still around!

I got two old printing blocks (P and n or u) and an old iron wall mount receipt spike. The patent date says Nov 1872. Businesses like hotels used to keep these on the wall by the front desk and keep receipt stacks on them. I think some places, like diners, still use receipt spikes to this day. Not sure what we're going to do with these things. But we think they're pretty cool.

Jeana Sohn has the bag...

Remember this?

Well, Jeana Sohn has one now. Look how stylish she is! I want a cape too!

If I saw that cape at a thrift shop/flea market, I would have definitely picked it up. But, I would have invariably been with Sergio and he would invariably have told me to put it down. Because he probably thinks capes are weird, old-fashioned, or combination thereof. Hurumph. Dang it. Next time, I'm just going to go with my instincts. There are so many pieces I sort-a regret not picking up -- particularly the thrift items. Hmm...I wonder. An experiment has sprung in my mind. I'll let you know what/how it goes if I go through with it. Oh fun!

P.S. It's raining right now. Like, a lot. Rain is kind of an event here in L.A. Even Conan noticed.

A Dance-off and Dancing Windows...all in one night!

Last Friday, we were lucky to enjoy an evening at a Staple Center suite. It was a pre-season Clippers game. They played the Portland Trailblazers. Hmm...I'm embarrassed. I honestly don't remember who won. Oh wait, I remember now. The Clippers won. (erm..Go team!) I do remember well though how rockin' the middle-school all girl basketball teams were who played a quick game at half-time. They really hustled and we were impressed.

After the game, we wandered around L.A. Live. We had never been. It's like Universal City walk but newer. There was a variety of restaurants, bars, a bowling alley and lots of kids hanging out. We even witnessed an impromptu dance off!


I should have gotten closer. Sorry!

A promotional wall for Michael Jackson's This is It movie was covered with touching tributes. It was amazing to read all the proclamations of love for this man and his talent. We also got a great view of the fun dancing windows of the Met Lofts while strolling around. It's supposed to be interactive. It did seem like it was synched up to the music being broadcast at L.A. Live.

Browne Molyneux

http://laeastside.com/2009/10/sexismonline/#more-9302

Delivery Post from Israel!

My Galit Barak earrings arrived today! But my camera battery died so no pics yet. Sorry. Trust me, they're beautiful!! And, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the gold mesh creates a little nest for the stone, covering the inside. I originally thought the mesh merely encircled the edge and it worried me that the stone might pop out.

Also, NELA artwalk this Saturday. Big plans to visit the York, peruse all the galleries in walking distance and chow down at a taco truck (or two).

The Water Grill, a seafood restaurant

Last night, I took Sergio out for a fancy pants dinner at the Water Grill. (Sergio wore jeans not fancy pants. But hey, it was his birthday. He got to wear whatever he wanted!)

Yelpers seem to love this place. But I really wouldn't have made the reservation if it wasn't part of the current DineLA Restaurant promotion.

We both selected from the DineLA menu but had a few extras added. First off, we each had a cocktail. Sergio ordered the Gin Fizz and I tried to order the LA River Martini I read about. But apparently it's no longer served. I was directed to a similar martini. I don't remember the name but it was dirty with jalapeno olives, and smoke salt rimmed the glass. It was a really interesting drink that I recommend to any martini lover. The smoke salt made the entire thing so...smokey flavored. Like a campfire. I liked it a lot but traded Sergio because the gin fizz was too sweet for his taste. And he really liked the Smokey Martini. Since it was his night, I happily made the swap. Still, the Gin Fizz was nice. Fizzy and sweet.

We each were served a roll from our choice of three bread types. We chose olive. It was served very warm and was nice. Then, the chef sent out a couple of tasters on the house! I really don't know what they were called. The waiter who was explaining the dish went on for a very long time -- there were so many different ingredients. It had fish (raw) and citrus. And other stuff. I can't remember. It was so, so, so good. The flavor was layered and complex. Each note distinct yet blended well in the bite. Perfect.

Next up, was the 1/2 dozen oyster sampler. We ordered oysters last year for Sergio's birthday and these were much better. Not that they were bad last year -- they weren't bad at all. Very tasty. But these were VERY, VERY, VERY extremely fresh and delicious. Served with 3 types of sauce but I only used the vinegar with onion vinegrette. Our favorites were the Kumamoto (Crassostrea Sikamea), Puget Sound, Washington and Raspberry Point Oyster, Prince Edward Island, Canada. At least, I hope that's what they were. The guy clearing the table told us not the waiter. He seemed quite sure.

Then, came the prix fixe three courses from the DineLA menu. The portions seemed like normal sized portions, which we were glad. I've heard some restaurants will size their DineLA menu items down. We also ordered a half bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. It's an award winning wine list so there was lots to choose from. The wine went well with our dishes.

First Course
Sergio: Big Eye Tuna Sashimi - Yuzu, Red Radish, Asian Pear and Shiso. Verdict: The sashimi was fresh (which is all it ever needs to be) and the sauces were interesting and tasty.
Mine: White Chowder with Manila Clams - Weiser Farm Potatoes, Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon. Verdict: Maybe the best clam chowder I've ever had? possibly?

Main Course
Sergio: Alaskan Halibut - Sautéed and Basted, with Lavender, Meyer lemon, and Madagascar Vanilla Bean Oil. Verdict: Wow. Perfectly cooked. The lemon and vanilla flavors were delicate. Just a tiny, tiny whiff of lavender aroma.
Mine: South Pacific Ridgeback Swordfish - Grilled, with Heirloom Squash and Brown Butter Balsamic Vinaigrette. Verdict: Very good. And also perfectly cooked! A lot of places overcook swordfish, but not Water Grill. A lot more substantial tasting than the halibut. It definitely felt like I was eating an autumnal dish.

Dessert
Sergio: Fromage Blanc Cheesecake - Ginger Poached Pears, Raspberries, Guava and Graham Cracker Streusel. Verdict: I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake. BUT, this was absolutely divine. I was a bit disappointed Sergio didn't have a chocolate based dessert to choose from, but we didn't even miss it!
Mine: Carrot Cake - Passion Fruit Cream, Candied Walnuts and Coconut Cream Cheese Ice Cream. Verdict: Nice. There were actual carrot shavings in the cake.

When the dessert dishes were cleared and we were sipping on the last of our wine, the waiter brought out a plate of petit fours, on the house again! We didn't care for the jelly-like middle one. But the other two were good. One was a minature mocha macaron that to us, was shaped like a little hamburger.

And then, we were done. Very full and very happy. I'm not going to lie -- it was expensive. But worth every penny. Looking around, we saw many other guests who were ordering off the regular menu, drinking cocktails AND whole bottles of wine. Despite us ordering from the DineLA menu, we were treated with the same great service.

The service was impeccable. IMPECCABLE. All the wait staff was attentive without being overbearing. The waiter asked us if it was our first time there and then why it took so long for us to try the restaurant. I half exclaimed, "because it's expensive!" I quickly added, "for us" in case he thought it wasn't. He smiled and didn't seem put off at all by my explanation. Early on, right after our cocktail orders, Sergio got up to head to the facilities and two waitstaff people pointed him in the right direction without having to be asked. While he was gone, the waiter popped in to confirm it was Sergio's birthday, the spelling of his name and double-checked to make sure it was ok to put happy 39th on the plate. The two taster dishes they gave us made the night just that much more special. I took pictures all night of EVERY dish and they didn't care. When I got up to visit the facilities, every staff person who happened to be crossing my path stopped and waited for me to pass, smiled and said excuse me, before they continued. And they said thank you and good night when we left.



After dinner, we strolled back up to our street parking spot in front of the Water Court on Bunker Hill. Tom Tom gave us a wrong turn for some reason. I didn't realize we were three long blocks from the restaurant until we had parked, put four dollars in the meter and called the restaurant. It ended up working out perfectly though. On the way back, we took a detour through the Biltmore hotel and admired the architecture inside. The moon is currently waning but still big and bright. So we hung out at the Water Court a bit and checked out the fountains before heading home.



So. Malibu Seafood is definitely more our speed in terms of price. But this? This was wondeful. During dinner, Sergio asked, "If we were rich, would you want to come here all the time?"

Um. Yes, please.

10/6/2009

He's smart, sweet, creative, loving, handsome and wonderful. And he's mine.


Buon compleanno mio caro.

Well, hello there Autumn.

Autumn is here. In LA. I know, this wonderful season is a little further along in other parts of the country, but that's how it is. We woke to crisp and clear sky, puffy white clouds and the teensiest nip in the air. I wore a long sleeved shirt AND a jacket. I considered a light scarf. If that doesn't mean fall, I don't know what does.

Last night, we had our very first sit-down family dinner in our house. It was in honor of the Harvest Moon festival. It was so nice and perfect to see our family enjoying a meal around our dining room in our house. (It still thrills me to type that: "our house.") Chi spent 4 hours smoking up some tri-tip and it was A-MAZ-ING. I made pesto mashed potatoes, sauteed zucchini and squash, and a no bake graham cracker eclair dessert, served with chocolate and strawberry ice cream.




Besty joined us for dessert and bubbly. ( Justin was in LB for a music fest thing. Again, way too many events happened on Saturday!) I really wish I got a picture of her. She was rockin' a new blonder 'do and a faux-leather biker-chic jacket. She looked awesome. Actually, B+J were the ones who gave us the basil as a housewarming gift with which I made the pesto.

I took this tonight, not last night. I missed the rising moon last night because I was busy cooking. Still it was big and bright. I know it's way blurry. I really am not good at holding still. The camera doesn't have the lens to do the scene justice anyway. Maybe time for a new camera?


(Photo up top is from our front door. Yep, blurry. It's way better in person.)