A Vagabond Weekend in Los Angeles

After two weeks in LA, I actually managed to explore LA proper…kind of…but seeing as LA is a urban sprawl, what is proper? What is downtown? Where do the suburbs start? Where do they end? These are the real questions in life.

Thursday
Tito’s Tacos! Guacamole, salsa, enchiladas, tamales, burritos, chips! Enough said! (oh yeah…never did eat a taco…)

Friday
Note to self: Don’t sync your phone to your computer that’s still on EST time, your phone will change times, and you will wake up at 7am EST for your 7am Pacific Time meeting. Yes people, that’s 4am in the morning. No wonder no one else was on the call! After the false start, I managed to re-wake up on time and make the meeting. Then it was off to Circa 55 (retro décor fitting for 1955) in the Hilton for LA’s Restaurant Week. The apps were simple, but had some clean, complementary tastes. Nice mozzarella, good ham, miniscule pieces of artichoke heart (slightly tasteless, sorry Circa). My goat cheese and sundried tomato ravioli weirdly fell apart, the pasta being too dry. The cream sauce was choking and the sautéed mushrooms were decent. The panna cotta was tasty if a bit too sweet, and although cute, the dried fruit and nut tart was just plain odd.

For dinner, I met up with Sai and her fiancé Azan, and we headed to Culver City for Korean food at Gi____. DELICIOUS! Ventilation was built into the bbq grill! Lots of kimchi, pickled cucumbers, salad, veggies! Scrumptiously seasoned beef and chicken. And lots of it. YUUUM! And the most un-cumin-y cumin pear bread pudding. Ehh?
Saturday
I drove in LA. Yes I, Kiyomi Laura Hayashida drove in LA. Scary thought huh? Actually I’m a great driver, although all too slow and cautious for Amy’s LA standards. I can’t help it. I don’t like the idea of driving through the city streets at 50mph, fifteen miles over the speed limit. No thank you.

Where did this driving take me? Well to the Annenberg Space for Photography, which as a cool albeit small photographic journalism exhibit. What was the most amazing experience though was the parking garage. I couldn’t find where I was supposed to park, so I parked a few LOOONG blocks away and then walk (unheard of!) to the building. I couldn’t figure out how to get to it, since I was on the side street, so I went into the parking garage (that’s where I was supposed to park) and tried to find my way up. It was eerie. Desolate, unmanned cars, dark corners, garage noises. This structure was immense. I got completely lost in the story after story of parking garage. I wish I had busted out my camera to document my experience. After actually making it up to the photo space and then amazingly finding my way back to Amy in a very roundabout, lost way, I picked up Amy, and we took off to 3rd Street promenade. Who knew that California’s sales tax is almost 10%?? I didn’t. Sorry, CA, I’m going to spend my money in NY!

Dinner was at a Peruvian Chinese place that serves horchata! The fried calamari, shrimp, fish platter with sautéed purple onions and lemon was amazing, and the chicken, veggie, fries dish wasn’t half bad. Better than most of what I ate in Peru (sorry Peru). But then again Peru had the most amazing street meet and potato on a stick and 15 cent tamales! How can you go wrong with that.

Sunday
OOPS! We woke up around noon and caught a bus to the Getty Center, which is perch up on a hill, overlooking LA. Currently on exhibit is Irving Penn’s Small Trades, Penn who incidentally passed away a few weeks ago. These photos were all about capturing the characters of these Parisian, Londoner, New Yorker workers. Clothes define a man, but a man is a man dressed or undressed.

Dinner with my cousin at Hide (that is Hee-De (long e, short e, not hide and seek)). We sat at the sushi bar and had our own personal chef for the meal. I discovered the wonders of Uni, creamy, buttery, melt in your mouth uni. Think salmon and avocado in one!!! The giant clam was pretty damn good too.

I have to say, I forgot how good the food is in California. Especially the Mexican and Japanese and Asian food. Damn. So good.

A Vagabond Weekend in the Bay Area

Two weekends ago, I flew up to the Motherland--El Cerrito, CA. Okay okay, I flew into SFO and crashed with my friend Maya in North Beach (the vagabond thing to do), and then headed to the East Bay to see my family.

Thursday
After a quick hour flight, I landed in SFO, caught a cab with a crazy driver, and found my way to Beach Blanket Babylon Ave (aka Green Street). After sipping on an Italian soda at The Cigar Bar & Grill, which incidently didn't seem to have cigars. The pizza smelled good, but I was saving my stomach for dinner with Maya.

Mistake. I guess we didn't think it through when we decided to go for Mexican food in North Beach, but it was nasty. Naaasty, and not in the good (?) way. On the plus side, on the way to the 'restaurant', we passed Al's Attire, the amazingly awesome place where I got my black and cream striped coat. And NOW THEY MAKE SHOES!!! After taking the long way back to Maya's apartment, through the shadowed streets on North Beach, we popped in a movie, and I passed out in a matter of minutes.

Friday
Waking up early to head to the SF Office, I realized that I left my suit and linen and silk skirt in the HOTEL CLOSET! OOPS! But a croissant aux amandes at La Boulange perked me right up for my 1.3 mile walk. Lunch at Cafe Madeleine (watery cesar salad), more work, and then I headed to the Sunset with my parents and Maya in tow for Eritrean/Ethiopian food at the New Eritrea Restaurant & Bar. The food was not on par with the Ethiopean restos in DC, but it did the job. Then off the El Cerrito.

Saturday
Waking up early for work definitely has rubbed off on my weekend. I woke up before 9 (on a Saturday!). I drove (on the Freeway! which was congested and sloooow going) to Emeryville to check out an exhibit of local artists. A berry shake with an old friend in Berkeley, and then over the bridge again to play poker in SF.

I WON $14!! Not bad for a $10 pot =D I love poker. Sigh I friendly poker games, burgers, potato chips, fun!

Sunday
Slow day, a big Chinese Sunday dinner. MMM


The Cigar Bar & Grill
850 Montgomery Street
(at Gold St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 398-0850
http://www.yelp.com/biz_redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cigarbarandgrill.com&src_bizid=8rwcx4ZwW_tEj4onnXnEiw&cachebuster=1255495540

Al’s Attire
1314 Grant Ave
(between Green St & Vallejo St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 693-9900
http://www.yelp.com/biz_redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alsattire.com&src_bizid=BTX6qIRXyT1JVym6t-v_pw&cachebuster=1255496004

Café Madeline
300 California St
(between Battery St & Sansome St)
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 362-3332
http://www.yelp.com/biz_redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cafemadeleinesf.com&src_bizid=SOZuFpNqQTD5XprPD5XeVw&cachebuster=1255496222

New Eritrea Restaurant & Bar
907 Irving St
(between 10th Ave & 11th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 681-1288
http://www.neweritrearestaurant.blogspot./com