Los Angeles

To be honest I wasn't sure what I was going to think of LA. I had heard that it was smoggy, the driving was bad, it was stinky hot and it was sort of a big tourist trap full of plastic fantastic people. But I do have a few friends who live there, either full of part time, and we had our baseball tickets so off we went.

We had a rough time when we first got there with Dollar Rent A Car, a story I won't go into here. By the time we headed to the accommodations (for the second time that day) we just wanted to eat. On our first trip to the apartment we had passed a place called Tommy's which looked like an average burger joint; the prime selling feature was the large amount of parking and the fact that it was around the corner from our apartment. We decided to pull in and take our chances and we ended up with a winner. Tristan said it was literally the best burger he had ever had. We were actually at the original Tommy's, though they now have a few locations. The original burger is one with chili on top (I opted out), and looks like a heart attack on a plate but it really hit the spot.

After we got settled and had a little rest we headed up to the Griffith Park Observatory. The park and the telescope were really great to visit at night, and we took in the city views. Following that we went to a place that our friend Kris had recommended El Conquistador. The menu was standard Mexican fare but the margaritas were the real star. The atmosphere is also worth the visit.

Another stand out in the fast food arena was Pinks Hot Dogs. We were warned there would be line ups, but we went mid week and at an odd time (around 3pm) so we really didn't have to wait very long. And boy was it worth it. Tristan had the Today Show Dog which featured 2 hot dogs, chili, guac and other assorted toppings, I had the Emeril Lagasse featuring a few spicy items. They have a patio out back where you can eat in the shade, these are not walk and eat dogs.

We had dinner out with friends two nights in the city. The first was with my friend from high school Phil, who works in Pasadena. He recommended a place in Silverlake called The Red Lion Tavern. A solid German tavern the menu featured large portions of authentic fare and a great beer list. The night we were there a man was playing the keyboard and his first song was "I love LA" by Randy Newman. Big points.

On our final day in LA we had two stand out meals. We drove out to Santa Monica and walked along the sand all the way to Venice Beach to take in the scenery. Venice is a trip and while there are tons of small cafes on the board walk one just off the main strip caught my eye, a place called Larry's. The patio was nice, and with a sophisticated menu and quirky cocktails it was a great place to relax. The photo of the pizza seen at the end of the entry is from Larry's

We drove back into the city that night to meet our friend Micheal for dinner. He had made reservations at The Little Door restaurant. The restaurant is noted for being one of the most romantic in the city and for good reason. The primary ceiling in the restaurant is a living one made of incredibly dense vines. Totally beautiful. The food was excellent - but the price point is pretty high. We had been pretty good in LA so we were ok with a bit of splurge.

And that was pretty much LA from a food standpoint, a few things we found helpful:

• Had Dollar Rent a Car not screwed up we would have had a GPS (they had run out even though I had reserved one) - I cannot stress how much this would have come in handy. To avoid massive roaming on our smart phones we had to use the wireless at the apartment, Google Map our day and then write it all out by hand before leaving for the day.
• If you take in a Dodger Game don't bother with the All You Can Eat - those Dodger Dogs are terrible. Also bring your passport if you want to buy beer and look younger than 60, they don't accept any other out of country ID.
• It sounds cheesy but the Star Tour of Homes we did was actually pretty fun. Particularly because then we could both look around without being worried about directions. We did this one and got the kids price, see if you can negotiate for it. Our tour went through more than just the homes and included Rodeo Drive.
• Our only really "celebrity sighting" was at The Grove shopping mall in the food court. We were eating at a Cajun restaurant and this guy, was sitting next to us. But every time I read People or US they always have photos of celebs shopping at The Grove, probably a good bet for some kind of sighting.

San Francisco

Homer and I took a 10 day trip to California and I wanted to share some of the good (and not so good) stuff we ate while we were there and some travel tips. First up was San Francisco!

Pictured first is the window display at Swan Oyster Depot. We were lucky enough to be staying around the corner from this place at an AirBnb Apartment. AirBnb has gotten some bad press lately but we had a great experience. Swan is only open for lunch and there is usually a line but it is totally worth the wait. You can also just buy fresh seafood for take away, but half the fun is sitting at the counter engaging with the staff. We shared some oysters and I had the shrimp cocktail while Homer opted for the clam chowder.

Swan is located on Polk Street which is a sort of up and coming street in Nob Hill. It has some fun restaurants and bars.

One of the places that I knew I had to go to in San Francisco was the Zuni Cafe. We made reservations prior to arriving in town, and I would recommend making one if you want to eat there.

Zuni is known for its Roast Chicken for two, and so of course we ordered it. I can honestly say that it was probably one of the best meals I have ever had. The chicken is on a bed of mustard greens and bread salad. The service at Zuni is also top notch, our waiter was great.

One place that we found while we were in San Francisco was the Magnolia Brewpub. We ended up there for a late lunch after walking through Golden Gate Park. It was totally jammed and mostly with hipsters but the food was really great as was the large selection of brews. That is a picture of Tristan's Duck Crepinette above. Considering the amount and quality of the food the price point is excellent.

Tristan had wanted to try Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers so we ended up there for lunch on the day we were exploring around Union Street. The burgers were pretty decent and the menu has something for everyone.

One place we tried but that didn't live up to the hype was Foreign Cinema. I had read some good things and certainly the patio is gorgeous but the food was so so. I would try their Lazlo Bar next door before shelling out the dough to eat here.

A final food related tip is to have an Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe, a San Francisco institution. The man making them has been doing so for several years and it was fascinating to watch him work.

A couple of tips and things we found helpful:

• We bought a Muni Passport at the airport and used it everyday. While not good for travel on the BART it does work on every city bus, streetcar and cable car line. The fact that it works on the cable car line alone is worth it as a ride each way on one of those things is $6.


• San Francisco was quite cold compared to stinky hot Toronto. If you are going, pack things you can layer, footless tights were my life saver. If you go to a baseball game make sure to pack a heavy jacket, I was frozen by the end.


• The Ferry Building is a great place to get supplies and dine when visiting Fisherman's Wharf, it is a bit of a walk (or just hope on the streetcar) but really the best option in that neck of the woods. Do NOT eat at any of the crap restaurants in the Pier under any circumstance.


• We stayed in Nob/Russian Hill and found it very central to explore all of San Francisco. The neighbourhood is safe and has lots of great places to dine and shop. While I don't metion it above, the Nob Hill Grille was the first meal we ate in San Francisco and if I lived there this would be a great neighbourhood joint.

Next up LA!