A Little Bit of History in LA

Standing in front of the El Capitan Theater

People always laugh when I tell them I went to a historic spot in LA. "Every thing's new there, how can there be anything with any history to it?" NOT TRUE!

My Grandma Grace grew up in LA and I loved hearing about her childhood in in California, very different from mine growing up in the Midwestern metropolis of Cleveland, Ohio. It was glamorous to me, because, well it was LA! There were movie stars and glitz. When I told her I was heading west for a visit again I tried to draw out more specifics from her youth but at 89, I've got to get her talking about the right thing to trigger her memory. She's spoken a lot about when she worked at the El Capitan Theatre as an usher, so you can imagine my joy when low and behold, on the way to the Hollywood Bowl, there is was! The theatre debuted in 1926 and was "Hollywood's First Home of Spoken Drama" then saw its birth as a movie house in 1941 with the world premiere of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane", and was reborn as the Hollywood Paramount in 1942. In the early 90s the theatre was purchased by Disney and restored to its former glory as a venue for live theater.

Also making its debut in the 40s (April, 1947) was The Apple Pan - a burger joint that served up some quality pie topped with ice cream. The tradition is still going strong and the place looked like it hadn't changed much in the over half a century they've been in operation. You find a place sitting at the counter, order one of the two burgers or sandwiches, enjoy, get some pie and pay cash (yes, they've got the old school cash registers to boot). GREAT place!

So many options, what will Jonno choose?!

Who can forget Pink's Hot Dogs? Opened in 1939 this 71 year old establishment draws lines no matter what time of day it is! As a hot dog fein (it's true I have the "I Heart Hot Dog" t-shirt to prove it) this was a MUST visit on the LA trip this time. It's a good thing the line was long (this was after my visit to the Hollywood Bowl with Jonno and an evening feasting on gourmet cheese and Crumbs cupcakes - we were starving for something more substantial) because it gives customers enough time to decide from the slew of delectable hot dog items (a bacon burrito dog anyone?) I opted with the traditional cheese dog, and while it's not a Vienna Beef Chicago dog, it hit the spot.

Look at that tasty dog!

I really did a lot of GREAT eating on this trip to LA. I finally checked out Urth Cafe (LOVE), went back to Jack N Jills for brunch (great rice bowls - a breakfast fave for me!), enjoyed gourmet food and drinks at the chic Gold Class Cinemas, and of course snuck in many a trip to yogurt fave Pinkberry. Lots of fun eating and as always a fun-filled few days in La La Land!

Reeling in the Big Fish on Long Island

Girls Weekend 2011- Long Island

It is always a joy to get together with my BFs from high school for our annual girls weekend. I know we will always have a great time laughing, drinking and of course eating very well. This year four of us headed to Greenport, Long Island for a few days of pure relaxation.

Enjoying local lobster and corn at Claudio's

The scenery in this small coastal town is picture perfect. Their are sailboats docked on the Long Island Sound, and the small town is filled with independent restaurants from the Coronette Diner (a longtime community staple serving pancakes, eggs and other breakfast favorites) to the higher end Claudio's (the restaurant serves lobster and other local seafood with beautiful water views).

A truly successful fishing expedition!

I don't think I've ever been fishing before (I don't do particularly well on boats), but I had this romanticized view of the experience - being out on the open water in the sun, relaxing and seeing the beautiful scenery. After finally getting my sea legs I learned that fishing on our boat was not such a relaxing experience...it was hard work! We reeled in some heavy fish and among them had 8 trophy worthy stripped sea bass. It was an amazing experience which included a dip in the L.I. Sound and a delectable fish taco dinner at Kate's Dad's place complete with s'mores.

Enjoying sitting on the patio of Bedell drinking wine

The next day we dressed up and ventured to the Hamptons. There are a multitude of wineries along the way and it was tough to decide which ones were worth visiting. Bedell Winery had been recommended and was definitely worth the visit with a VIP wine tasting overlooking the vineyards. This Food Girl enjoyed herself a little too much with the hefty pours and was probably made the visit that much more memorable for the group. Nick and Tony's in South Hampton was rumored to be the place for celebrity sittings and it did not disappoint; after our delicious pasta meal our server let us know that Broadway legend Nathan Lane was sitting inside the restaurant in the window just behind our table.

It was a truly relaxing weekend...can't wait for next year!