The Best Strawberries in the World

31 May 2013 13 Comments

by scolgin in Food, Markets & Stores Tags: , , , , , , , ,

You know a product is good when it costs at least twice as much as the competition, and yet people are lining up to purchase it. That is the case with strawberries from Harry’s Berries.

Harry's Berries strawberries with fresh cream

Harry’s Berries strawberries with fresh cream

I’ll often pass by Harry’s when I’m at the Farmer’s Market, heading instead for the less expensive berries. And while in peak season there may be the odd berry here or there that tastes as good as Harry’s, you’re taking your chances. Then I wonder why I don’t buy the best berries every time — they’re certainly worth the extra $5 to $10 dollars per three pack. And I regularly — and happily — drop $10 on four ounces of sea urchin that are practically gone before I even open the package. More

Old School

24 May 2013 7 Comments

by scolgin in Eating Out, Food, Humor Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Many years ago, I’d reconnected with a high school friend, Tracy — whether it was on Facebook or not, I can’t recall — and we decided to meet for a drink. She suggested Monty’s.

In the Monty's dining room

In the Monty’s dining room

Monty’s is an old school steak and chop house. It still has the same sign in the same groovy Mad Men font from the 1960s. It used to have several locations, and now it’s down to two — one in Westwood, and one in Woodland Hills, where I had arranged to meet up with Tracy. More

Lunch in Little Tokyo

21 May 2013 20 Comments

by scolgin in Eating Out, Food, Humor Tags: , , , , , , , ,

When I was a lad, one of my favorite parts of L.A. to visit was Little Tokyo. I loved traveling downtown with my mom, walking around Japanese Village Plaza, grabbing an imagawayaki at the Mitsura Café, strolling through Japanese gardens at the New Otani Hotel or the Japanese/American Cultural Center, maybe popping into the warehouse-y MOCA Temporary Contemporary Museum.

Totoros of every size at the New Tokyo Lifestyle gift shop in Japanese Village Plaza

Totoros of every size at the New Tokyo Lifestyle gift shop in Japanese Village Plaza

It’s a love I’ve passed along to my own children. So when, on a Mother’s Day, we’re trying to decide where to go on an adventure and for lunch, it is not a surprise to hear Flynn suggest: “Let’s go to Little Tokyo!” More

Hippies in Paradise

17 May 2013 35 Comments

by scolgin in Food, Humor, Observations Tags: , , , , , , , ,

As my artist pal Daniel used to say, affecting his best Southern cop twang, “We got a hippy problem.”

Topanga Canyon was ground zero for hippies in the 1960s, and it never quite shed the mantle. Back then, the Manson family was camped out in their psychedelic bus down at the Rodeo Grounds, Neil Young was couch surfing and Gram Parsons and Bernie Leadon twanged out new songs while Jim Morrison “let it roll, baby, roll” up at The Corral roadhouse (yes, that roadhouse).

Hippies having fun

Hippies having fun

Today, the canyon much like Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco is more of a destination attraction for young hippies, the way affluent yoga students travel to Mysore, India, to pretend they like being ogled by old gurus. You see them walking barefoot and braless along the boulevard, guitars slung over the shoulders, sipping their chai teas and smiling a lot. Sometimes they even still hitchhike and carry signs like “Make love, not war.” More

Post #300

14 May 2013 9 Comments

by scolgin in Food, Humor, Observations Tags: , , , , , , , ,

IMG_3462

“How’s the blog going?” a friend asked somewhere around post #170 or so.

Great, I replied. My audience is growing. People seem to really like the blog.

“What’s your end game?” the friend asked. More

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries