LA trip in Photos

Redondo Beach





Huntington Beach







White Sox vs. Dodgers









Downtown LA







Hermosa Beach





Awesome eats at Berlin Currywurst





And Joan's on Third





Things that make me smile...

Photo a Day: Week 25

June 17, 2012 ~ Los Angeles from the Hollywood Hills.



June 18, 2012 ~ Fantastic Truffle Risotto at Circo.



June 19, 2012 ~ Movies at Rave are best with a stop at Yard House. Got beer?



June 20, 2012 ~ The Dirty Heads new album will be the soundtrack this summer.



June 21, 2012 ~ A big ole box of Italian sausage from Chicago. Perfect for grillin'.



June 22, 2012 ~ California is great for a lot of things... Traffic is not one.



June 23, 2012 ~ The fine beer selection at Slaters 50/50. Decisions. Decisions.

Bread and Butter

We stopped in on a busy Sunday morning. While waiting in line to order I couldn't resist a sticky bun, it looked just like those my grandma used to make. I also had to try the jalapeno cheddar bagel. Frank ordered the Waffle Breakfast Sandwich scrambled egg, cheddar, ham, with bechamel sauce. It was the highlight by far. Thankfully, he shared some with me for exchange of some of my bagel. The bagel was very good as well. Great vessel for a sandwich, in fact, I'd like the breakfast sandwich on that rather than the waffle. Another time, perhaps. The sticky bun was a big disappointment. It was a rock. The appearance totally fooled me, this was nothing like grandma would make. Service was spotty, my order was incomplete and I had to make it a point to collect my bagel. I'd return if I was in the area, but I wouldn't take the time to make a special trip.

Photo a day: Week 24

June 10, 2012 ~ We bought a trailer for the RZR. Freedom to come and go as we please.



June 11, 2012 ~ Woke up to hot air balloons out my bathroom window.



June 12, 2012 ~ New Dirty Heads on Spotify. I am loving Cabin by the Sea.



June 13, 2012 ~ Berry delicious.



June 14, 2012 ~ It was a nice surprise to find a Nicky photo on my camera that I had forgotten all about.



June 15, 2012 ~ One more month! All hail the king.



June 16, 2012 ~ "Let me breathe, let me chill for a while..."

Cali Bound

It has been a hellacious week! I am so anxious for the clock to strike four. Not only will the weekend officially start, but we're off to Los Angeles for the weekend. My beloved White Sox are in first place and they have a three game series against the Dodgers that begins tonight. The Dodgers are also in first place. I expect some great baseball. I am also looking forward to checking out a new ballpark. We're staying in Redondo Beach and plan to explore a bit before tomorrow's game. It should be fun!

It doesn't seem right to be heading back to Cali without sharing anything about our last visit to Anaheim. A few weeks back, we took a quick mid-week trip to see the White Sox vs. Angels. We lost the first game, but the second was a winner and it is what ignited our winning streak. We stuffed ourselves silly with Pastrami at Langer's Deli and we made a pitstop at Portillos for Chicago grub. We also hit up JT Schmidt's and a dive bar named Cherry Pit. Good times.

Gordon Ramsay Steak

This restaurant review is way past due. Before Gordon Ramsay Steak opened to the public I was fortunate to receive an invite to a preview dinner. Prior to be seated, we had a drink in the lounge. The cocktail menu seemed extensive, but I am more of beer girl and lucky for me they had a nice selection of beers too.

Shortly, thereafter, we were seated in the dining room on the main floor. Our waiter was kind and eager to answer our questions. He assisted us in choosing wine for our meal a riesling for me and a malbec for him. We started with a yummy variety of breads - the one with pancetta was a real winner - and then moved onto the sliders, which were a big disappointment. We also had yellowtail tuna which was fantastic! I loved the fresh clean flavors.







Next, the main course was presented. The halibut was nicely prepared but failed to leave an impression. I have had better for much less. The New York strip on the other hand was very good. It was nicely seasoned with a beautiful crust. We added on crab and it was terrible. I actually questioned if it was imitation crab. Fortunately, the side of pureed potatoes were positively scrumptious and the crummy crab became a distant memory.







Dessert followed, we were given a treat of chocolate spoons to accompany our french press coffee while we waited for our tea trifle. The spoons were filled with alcohol, it's not something I enjoyed, but I appreciated the playful twist. The coffee was a lovely blend, I did enjoy that very much. The tea trifle, however, was a complete failure. We told our waiter as much as well. The ice cream on the side was very good, but the trifle was dry and bland. Just terrible.





The restaurant is comfortable, the staff was friendly and the meal itself was hit and miss. Our tab was comped, but totaled $300. In no way was our experience worthy of three hundred dollars. At that price point, the entire meal had better be stellar.