drinks

Hey,

Last night, a few of us met at Cuba Libre for a drink.  Mojito's and Tapas were the name of the game.  The solids and liquids were all good but nothing special.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this restaurant.  On the one hand, the space is nice and they have a huge bar but the service was terrible and no one was in the place.  It was like hanging out in a ghost town.  

Overall, the food I sampled was okay but not worth the price.  In the future, I think I'm more likely to go to Cuba before I return to Cuba Libre.    

Revolt

d.i.y

Hey,

Last night, Becky and Chiyo threw a 'Do It Yourself' Sushi party.  They set up an amazing spread of rice, fish, veggies and extras.  Each person grabbed a mat and rolled their own.  My efforts did not look the best but they tasted awesome.

I attempted to make a Salmon, Cucumber, Avocado Roll but that ended up being more like a Burrito.  My next roll of Yellow Tail, Spicy Mayo and Krab worked much better.  This was my third time rolling Sushi and I'm still no good at it.

The food was accompanied by Sake, Beer and Van Halen.

Adult parties are like their teenage counterparts, but they feature much better food and a wider selection of booze.  

Long Live Grown Ups 

mercs

Hey,

Yesterday I traded my services as a handyman for a homemade dinner.  In these tough times, it is important to get meals where ever you can find them. Having someone cook for you is like eating out but better cause you get all the best parts without having to do any of the work.

I've got another friend who needs my help.  More free grub.

I wish I could do this everyday.

Broke

carbs

Hey,

Recently, I discovered the Brooklyn Bagel Bakery and I'm happy to report that they are the best bagels in Los Angeles.  We have lived a few blocks from the bakery for months and I just finally bought some.  

These perfect bread circles remind me of the bagels from back home. They offer the standard assortment, but the stand outs must be the Pizza or the Cheese varieties (Jalapeno Cheese is the bees knees). 

Shortly after first contact, Becky started a new job at a coffee house that features Brooklyn's baked goods.  Now, three times a week my apartment is filled to the brim with left over breads. I got stacks on stacks.  Baker's dozens. 

What I'm trying to say is that I eat a lot of bagels.

Cream Cheese 

honor

Hey,

Apparently, it is Girl Scout Cookie season.  Which is my favorite after Fall and Pilot season. One stand just appeared while I was inside a building and when I came out the cookies were all set up. I walked away with a box of Samoas (aka Carmel deLites).  I need more but I don't know where any other stands are.  If anyone sees those girls then call me.

Maybe I should just start hanging around supermarkets looking for little girls.

That sounded really bad.

I just want some Tagalongs and maybe some Thin Mints.

Monster 

if it ain't broke

Hey,

Two weeks ago I had one of the best dinners of my life.  It was on par with the grub I would expect for my pre-electric chair meal.  This was the post ceremony feast at Fix (located in the Bellagio Hotel) in honor of Doug and Georgia's wedding.  

We were offered a choice of Fillet Minion, Roast Chicken or Truffle Butter Penne.  Being the fake vegetarian that I am, went with the pasta.  Each table also was given a delicious collection of family style sides that included  Whipped Potatoes, Garlic Spinach, and Gourmet French Fries. 

There was so much to eat I wished I had the anatomy of a cow so I could have ingested more. The Penne was so rich, each bite felt like $10,000.  By that scale, I consumed around $3.2 million worth.   

I have a bunch more weddings to go to this year and I can't wait to eat them all.

Matrimony 

da bears

Hey,

Food on a road trip is always a crap-shoot but Becky and I were lucky enough to find The Black Bear Diner on our way out of Vegas.  Becky spotted the joint and it looked like a decent place to grab breakfast. We knew we had the right decision by the beautiful art they had outside.

Giant portions at a solid price seems to be the moto of the diner.  I did California Scramble which was massive.  I don't remember what Becky had because I was too busy eating.  If I ever go back to Vegas I'm sure I'll forget to come back.  

The Lesson: Chain-saw sculptures are a great way to advertise.

Growl