This past weekend, the LA Greekfest wrapped up with Salsa Night at St. Sophia Cathedral. As always, the atmosphere was fun, but the food left a lot to be desired. If you missed last weeks festivities and still want to attend a Greekfest this year, the Pasadena Greekfest is this weekend.

The Hellenic Festival at  St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church runs September 18 – 20 and has a jam-packed schedule of shows, tours and exhibitions.  Admission is $3 and children 12 and under are free. Street parking is available. Despite being at a smaller church, the Pasadena Greekfest seems much bigger, perhaps because there’s a lot more particapatory activities than there are shopping booths. For what it’s worth, the bonus of the Pasadena Greekfest is that the food is cheaper and definitely better than at the LA Greekfest.

You can see more of my photos of the LA Greekfest on my flickr page.

Does this happen anywhere else? Besides Costco, that is. I’ve lived here for almost 3 years and I’m still astounded to see these long lines for gas everyday. This am/pm is on the corner of Eastern Ave. and Huntington Dr. It’s a busy intersection and the station’s 3 egress channels are always blocked with parked cars waiting their turn.

The exit onto Eastern Ave. (not seen in the photo) is the worse. If you get gas at the channel parallel to Eastern Ave., chances are you’ll be stuck there for a long time because of cars blocking you both the exit there and the first egress on Huntington.

LA County Fair

It’s that time of year again. The 2009 LA County Fair took advantage of the Labor Day weekend to open its doors. Opening Day is always exciting because you get to see everything so fresh. The fair will run until October 4th, so you have plenty of time to pick the best day to visit.

The Fair is offering $1 admission Sept. 5 – 7 between 10am and 1pm.  That means, tomorrow is your last chance to take advantage of this deal. Throughout the park, there are other cost-saving deals for the Labor Day Weekend, such as $1 fountain drinks between 1pm and 4pm and $1 carnival rides between 4pm and 7pm.

This year, we spent a lot less time eating and drinking and more time walking the fairgrounds. I’ve only missed 3 years since 1984, and used to go up to 3 times a week in college. This was the first time I had realized that there is an NHRA museum and a train museum run by the LA chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society on site. Be sure to check them out. The NHRA museum has  $1 entrance and with so much to look at, including the original Batmobile from the 1966 Batman TV show, it’s well worth it.

Also, worth catching is the Jursassic Planet exhibit (I have video in my Flickr photos linked below). It’s educational and just plain cool watching the dinosaurs move. If you have young ones, they may want to stay outside the hall. My three year old did not enjoy being in there and most little kids did a lot of screaming. As always, the new baby animals are a treat as are all the wonderful insects and reptiles on display in three different sections of the fairgrounds this year. The Home & Garden theme this year is Gateway to Africa and even I have to admit to being impressed. This is the first year in a long, long time that the theme was unified and tight, from the greenhouse all the way to the top of the hill.

So, wear some comfy shoes, get some sunscreen and have fun at the Fair. If you want to live vicariously for the moment, you can visit my flickr set.

LA Country Fair
1101 W. McKinley Ave.,
Pomona, CA 91768

The beauty we get to witness created from destruction. There’s been so much smoke in the sky, that I’ve stopped looking up. Thanks to Shayera for giving me the nudge.

Moon on September 1, 2009

You can see a couple of other photos here.

Photo by Anika Malone

Several days ago, while driving around Montecito Heights looking for vantage points to take photos of the Station fire, I came across this whimsical sign at a curve in the road. It’s cute, to be sure, but now I’m curious about how it came to be.  And I kind of want one.

LACMAs Latin Sounds music series is winding down, with next week being the last concert of the season. This past Saturday, we were engaged by the wonderfully sad vocals of Esther Segovia. She sang tangos and waltzes popular in Argentina. The perfect music for a lazy Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. Angelenos of all colors and ages danced to some of the most famous tangoes in the warm setting sun.

If you still haven’t made it to LACMA for the Latin Sounds series, you must pack up a picnic and plan to spend next Saturday on the lawn listening to Johnny Polanco y Su Conjunto Amistad.

Tonight’s free concert at California Plaza features local Perla Batalla and Barcelona-based Buika. Both women offer much to the world of Spanish music in general and Latin Jazz in particular.

Perla Batalla is known for her soulful brand of Spanish music. Raised by a father who owned a Spanish music store Batalla was once a back up singer for Leonard Cohen. Her self-named debut album was releasd in 1993.

Concha Buika’s smoky voice and funk infusion with jazz make her a must see. Buika has traveled the world singing, including a stint at the the Luxor as a Tina Turner impersonator. Her debut album, Buika, was released in 2005 and since then Buika has proven that she can bring her own style to many music genres.

For more information about the Grand Performances Summer Series at California plaza, you can call 213.687.2159 visit their website.

Delicious lunch

In the midst of antique shops on Lankershim Blvd. is a  soul food restaurant I had only learned of on Monday. Mike Fabio’s photos were more than enough to convince me to drive to North Hollywood for some soul food I didn’t make myself.  Miss Peaches Southern Cuisine was well worth the trek from the eastside.

I am not a fan of Roscoe’s. I think the food is pretty bad; on par with Aunt Kizzy’s Front Porch. My preferred method of eating what I consider home-cooking is to make it myself or wait until I can visit family to get it done right. Soul food restaurants in LA just always seem to be lacking something for my palate. So, to say that I was delighted to bite into the chicken that’s perfectly seasoned and not greasy would be an understatement. I actually picked it up to eat it with my hands. I don’t do that in public. The macaroni & cheese was good and didn’t leave a lump in my belly. Note that my kids also ate the mac ‘n’ cheese and they are ridiculously picky when it comes to baked mac. But what surprised me the most were the greens. I’m used to greasy and old tasting greens being served. These were fresh and slightly sweet. Restaurant owner & chef, Connell Moss, said it was because he doesn’t use meat in them.

I have never found the appeal of the chicken & waffle combination. I like them both, but separately. Knowing how unpredictable my kids are when it comes to what they eat, I ordered the combo for them to share. Surprisingly, they both ate both items. It wasn’t until the end ofthe meal, when I snagged a piece of waffle off their plate did I understand. Simply put, Miss Peaches makes some damn delectable waffles. I would be hard pressed to come up with a restaurant in Los Angeles that makes waffles as good.

It looks like I need to had back over to North Hollywood for work. The idea of not going back hasn’t even cross my mind.

Miss Peaches Southern Cuisine
5643 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, Ca 91601

Mon – Thurs 12:00 noon – 9:00pm
Fri 12:00 noon – 9:00pm
Sat 2:00pm – 9:00pm
Closed on Sunday

Tel: (818) 760-4924
Fax: (818) 760-4925

We Accept All Major Credit Cards

We do not have a liquor license.
Please BYOL. Never any corkage fees.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Juneteeth is upon us once again. There are two major events this weekend on opposite sides of LA County.

From the east, the 20th Annual Pomona Valley Juneteeth Family Jazz Festival is being held at Ganesha Park in Pomona.

Artists Line-up includes Wayne Linsey (Keys), Sekou Bunch and The Next Level (Bassist), Marcus Coleman (Keys), Ron Powell & the IGABA Drum Ensemble (Percussions), Dr. James Benson & The Gow Dow Experience, and Special Guest Harold Land, Jr. This year’s music direction embraces the legacy of jazz as a part of Black Music Month and the ongoing efforts to educate the public about the significance of the Junetenth National Freedom Day, celebrated all across the country. Founder and Executive Director of Juneteenth America, Inc., John H. Thompson, Sr. comments, “As President of The National Association of Juneteenth Jazz Presenters (NAJJP), its a pleasure to present one of many featured jazz festivals around the country, that are a part of the Celebrate Juneteenth Jazz, African American jazz legacy preservation initiative during Black Music Month.”

There will also be an $5 Green Workshop and the crowd-pleasing Black Porsche Club will display their classic collection. Admission is also free as is the shuttle bus running between the Park & Ride and the park. Read the rest of this entry →

The Latin Sounds Music Series at the LA County Museum of Art is underway. The free music event is held every Saturday between 5 and 7pm, May thru September.

When the weather cooperates, it’s perfect for an early evening  picnic listening to music from Spanish-influenced corners of the world.

Tonight’s performer is Louie Cruz Beltran. Beltran is an adept percussionist with a sounds based on Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms. His shows are great fun and always get people on their feet.

You may want to contact the music department, (323) 857-6115, before you arrive to make sure if the recent rain will move the event to from the Dorothy Collins Brown Amphitheater to the courtyard of the museum.

Beginning today, in the City of Los Angeles, you are now only allowed to use your sprinklers to water your yard on Mondays and Thursdays, before 9am or after 4pm.  This new attempt, Phase III, to conserve water was announced by Mayor Villaraigosa earlier this spring.  The plan is to reduce household usage on the Tier I level by 15%. If your water bill has moved up to Tier II, you will see an increase fee on your utility bill.

Earlier announcements on water conservation prohibited watering on rainy days, watering between the hours of 9am and 4pm and hosing down sidewalks. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any enforcement of what was called Phase I. Local homeowners and shopkeepers I spoke to violating the rules were not aware of them.  Both the City and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power expect other citizens to alert them of ongoing water abuse.

Whether your water usage is reported or not, the goal is to reduce water usage in the home. There are penalties involved if your water usage does not fall below a certain level. You can find out more by read LADWP FAQ on water usage (PDF). 

For more information about these rules, visit the LADWP website. To learn more about water conservation, there is the Be Water Wise site.  And to report water waste, you can call the LADWP at (800) DIAL-DWP or email at waterconservationteam@ladwp.com.

On Sherman Way in North Hollywood

Driving down Sherman Way, I glanced at these signs painted on the side of the building. It didn’t register until I saw the different addresses. There has to be a story here. In my head, it’s something as dramatic as the cake shops on Fairfax. I’d be upset to find out if the reality is more banal.

It’s not unusual to see the Stars & Stripes hanging from poles on someone’s house, but since moving to El Sereno, this house has captivated me.

The photo is somewhat dark, but yes you can see the small scale Statue of Liberty on the porch. There is also a flag banner on the other side of the door. In front of the house, cut off from this photo is a 25′ flag pole. You can see that in the wider view here.

One of these days, I’m going to have a chat with the residents to find out where they got that Statue of Liberty.

Last night, FriendFeed user Live4Soccer posted a photo of carne asada fries. After wiping the drool from my face, I realized that I hadn’t had carne asada fries in probably 7 years. Today, I had a goal to rectify that problem. For lunch today, we hopped in the car and drive over to Chano’s in Lincoln Heights. Now, I’m not generally impressed by Chano’s food overall, but they’re close to us.

I ordered my carne asada fries with no substitutions just to see what came on it. It was carne asada, guacamole, refried beans, tomatoes and grated cheese. I’m used to having it with pico de gallo, lettuce, sour cream and no beans. Since I was starving, I dug in eagerly. Very tasty, despite the beans, but defintely needed more spice, lettuce and sour cream. I got the last two items on the side and mama was happy, though I could have also used more cheese. The order was $6.75, but I could only eat about half of it before I was stuffed.

Now my mission is to remember which place in Echo Park had it with the crinkle fries because that was memorable.

Chano’s
3309 N Mission Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90031
(323) 276-7981

This weekend, is the unofficial kickoff into to Spring and Summer, what with Coachella, LACMAs Friday Night Jazz Series last night and the Brewery’s Artwalk.
Today many Angelenos will braved the crowds and tricky parking situation to visit the live/work spaces at The Brewery.

Scuplture, paintings, graphic design, fashion and new media including TV and audio are showcased throughout. I suggest getting there earlier in the day as parking isn’t such a headache and it’s been my experience over the last 7 years that they usually run out of food around 2pm. Besides…you’ll also have the elbow room to actually view the pieces.

There’s an afterparty which starts at 6pm, goes to 2am. 620 Moulton Ave. #215, LA, CA 90031.