I was down in LA for a conference this weekend. First time I’ve been back since the plandemic. I haven’t had a Tommy’s Double Chili Cheese since 2018 so off I went on my way back to LAX.
Double Chili Cheese, extra onions and with mayo
It tastes the same, it makes the same mess and your fingers still smell like chili afterwards. Yum.
Always open. They take credit cards now!
This is a real bubble in the time space continuum. For real. Here, time has ceased its inevitable march toward the future and things are as they were three decades prior. How did we eat two of these at a time back then? Especially after midnight??
The original shack at Beverly and Rampart. There is no other.
I was in DC for a few days last month, playing tourist and freezing my butt off (it was REALLY cold). The last time I was in DC was in January 2001 and some things have changed. The area around Ben’s back then was a bit rough. Not anymore. It’s been gentrified along with much of DC. Thankfully, Ben’s hasn’t changed.
Same as it ever was.
As befitting a place with the words “chili bowl” in the name, Ben’s makes pretty much everything with chili on it. Chili burgers, chili fries, chili hot dogs/half smokes. If they ever made a salad, I’d expect it with chili on top as a dressing. I wouldn’t eat it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a Ben’s salad did have chili.
I took a friend there for her first visit and we ordered a lot “to share”.
Chili fries to shareChili Con Carneto shareA Chili Half Smoke (one for each of us)The griddle at the front where all that half smoke and porky goodness comes from
What you need to watch out for is everything with chili (for sharing) disappearing when you walk over to get beverages and your companion is sitting there with a sheepish look on her face. Your chili is NOT safe!! Lesson learned: eat chili first, worry about beverages later.
On a recent “suicide run” to LA (despite my vow a few years back not to do them ever again), I had a three hour brunch at FIG in Santa Monica.
But first, what exactly is a “suicide run”? A “suicide run” is when you drive to LA from SF when the return is 3 days or less. Having not done these in a few years, I was amazed to find that the Tejon Ranch near Grapevine had been developed and even has an In & Out, thus bringing the amount of restaurants on the 5 to two! Exciting if you’re a fan of driving. And I&O. Despite the suicide run character of this road trip, I’ve not taken the MX5 out for a proper shakedown cruise. I took the MX5 there on the 5 and back on the 101 and learned that Kumho Ecsta tires are noisy and new struts are in order. But never mind the logistics of driving…
So I met up with a friend and she drove me to FIG at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica. It’s basically American cuisine in nice surroundings. This was the first time there for both of us. It was a fun brunch; I think I spent more time laughing and chatting than eating. It took me two hours to eat a grilled cheese sandwich and another hour to have a couple of drinks in the Southern California sunshine with wonderful company.
I need more meals like this. Signage is excellent; you definitely know where you are. Sea salt. Looks good and tastes good too. When you’re seated, they serve you arugula butter with warm mini baguettes. This is how a 2 hour grilled gueyre cheese sandwich looks like The aftermath, a half finished pasta-less lasagna, fries and the second half of a grilled cheese. And someone’s pair of Ray-Ban aviators…
Great service and validated parking at the Fairmont Hotel. Worth a visit then a stroll afterwards. FIG
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401-1106
(310) 576-7777
http://www.figsantamonica.com
Mmmmmacaroni salad! Conversation over Ping! for iPhone…
Pally: “Hey, when are you coming down to LA? I’ve got some friends I’d like you to meet…”
Me: “As soon as I get some time, I’ll swing down for a few days. Think the weather will behave?”
That initial chat was over a month ago. Despite my best laid plans (which involved driving my MX5 down the coast and visiting friends along the way), I’ve not been able to make the drive to LA. I’ve been just plain busy! Since I returned to SF from Japan, the weather has been cold and rainy and issues have come up with the money pit that required me to go “out there” to fix things. I don’t like being flaky (cuz I absolutely LOATHE it when people are flaky with me) so when I found a SFO-LAX same day turn flight on UA for US$100, I went for it. I figure it’s been a long time since I’ve been to LA strictly to putter. Longer still since I had a french dip sandwich from the place that invented the yummy thing. And since I was arriving around lunch time, I figured that this was a sign. Nah, THIS is a sign! Phillipe’s is an 91 year old Los Angeles institution; basically a deli that makes short orders (and sells cuppa coffees for 9 cents) and french dipped sandwiches with your choice of meat. It doesn’t sound like much. A sandwich (with your choice of meat and cheese) dipped whole into au jus. But like alchemy, the ingredients themselves aren’t that fantastical; combine everything and it’s wonderous!! There’s also hot spicy mustard at all the tables for that added kick. Bam.
I arrived at the restaurant just after 1300 and parked in the free parking lot. A very fast 6 minutes later, I was ordering a French Dip Beef with swiss cheese, macaroni salad, homemade custard and a Diet Coke (burp). $12 or so for the entire thing; if I nixed the custard, it would have been under $10. Ah, what a healthy lunch!
Oh yeah, the whole reason why I came down to LA? I’ll have to cover that next time. I did have the fastest sashimi dinner ever and got from Little Tokyo to LAX in 29 minutes during the evening commute. So I accomplished something else besides satisfying my french dip craving… Three Los Angeles icons: free parking, Phillipe’s and an LAPD radio car Phillipe the Original
1001 N. Alameda St
Los Angeles CA 90012
+1-213-628-3781
http://www.phillipes.com
Much has been written about San Francisco’s notorious “air conditioning”, also known as the marine layer, or simply “fog”. This was taken 10 minutes ago! That’s fog out there! And cold too…
Once you escape the City and County, summer is still alive and well. This is from Skyline Blvd (CA-35) above Woodside. It was clear in the daytime, awesome at dusk and is still clear and starry now. From earlier today, when I took the long way back to The City.
I made a brief visit to the North Beach Festival last Sunday. Washington Square all crowded
The North Beach Festival is one of the mainstays of San Francisco summer fair season where Washington Square and part of Grant Avenue is taken over by musicians, food, art and product vendors. The same vendors who are also at the Chestnut Street, Castro and Fillmore Street fairs, in case you missed them there. The North Beach Festival is different. Unlike the Chestnut Street Fair, you’re not confined to a corral if you wish to indulge in an adult beverage. Of course, maybe it was logistically impossible because of the density of the crowd. Problem is that when you have a crowd like this, this is what happens to your AT&T signal. Notice the upper left corner of my iPhone? It says “searching”. And that’s all.
Of course, it’s not all smug and maturity. It’s an opportunity for local merchants (who are hurting due to the City’s policies) to attract customers too. Why visit this place? Because of its creative advertising!
Over the Caribbean, that’s either a C-130 or a strange bird
First you fly over the Caribbean, then you fly over San Juan and the rest of the island until you finally land. Nice and warm out there!
Interesting radio car…looks like a taxi at first glance.
There’s a hotel and casino inside the Airport. Perfect for early morning departures.
That’s not me; I took the photo
Since we were here for a Mileage Run cos it’s the end of the year, we hung out at the airport for a few hours and took the same plane back. 7250 EQM plus 100% 1K bonus for $230. Not bad!
I was in NYC for a few days to experience Xmas. I saw some traditional wrapping…
I know some girls who would like this entire building under their tree!
And speaking of trees…
The big Xmas tree at Rockefeller Center, devoid of tourists!!
The weather there was incredibly cold. First night was 17 degrees, second night was 27 and the third day was 62. SIXTY TWO!
After two cold rainy days, it’s sunny. And WARM?!?
On one of the cold days, I made it to the City Bakery for a much needed cuppa cocoa with a iceberg-like (sized) marshmallow. Yum! Yes, it’s really that big! City Bakery 3 W 18th Street NY NY 10011 http://www.thecitybakery.com
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