Billy's Deli & Cafe

I was heading east on the 134, passing through Glendale, and it was supper time. Hmm, I knew there had to be something tasty nearby, and I thought of Billy's Deli & Cafe over by the Galleria. That was the start of my can't-go-wrong dinner decision.

Mind you, it was supper time, and I was torn between the liver and onions versus the pigs in a blanket. The unflappable waitress even said "good luck deciding between those two" and give me a few minutes to ponder.

Obviously from my picture, I went with the piggies and blankies. Their version - buttermilk pancakes wrapping sausage links - was delish! The scrambled eggs served as a nice way to cut the syrup, and the pickle slices and lemonade provided just the right tang to balance the sweetness.

I wisely ignored the black and white cookies placed near the cash register, knowing I'd pass through this way again. Note that the cookies are about the size of a 45 RPM record so they're hard to ignore. And, if you don't know what a 45 is, ask someone around 45 years old! Maybe next time, I'll just come for the black and white and save my decision-making skills for more pressing matters, like can I recall all of the words to "the ink is black, the page is white," one of my early Three Dog Night 45s? Maybe, after the cookie, I can!

Click here to go to Billy's Web site.

The Market Grill

So, I continue with the monster theme. Today, it's The Angry Beast at The Market Grill, a tiny surprise east of Old Town Monrovia. Here's the setup: you have to go through the liquor store, cash only, then there are just 14 seats in the place. Yes, it's kind of sketchy but totally worth the seek and find!

This monster sandwich is made of roast beef, swiss cheese, grilled onions, roasted green chiles, fresh spinach and horseradish mayo on grilled rye. And, that's not your typical scary potato salad sidled up to the Beast; it's a minted lemon potato salad and is a delight all its own! (See, I can manage my it's and its!)

Take a look at their menu. I saw most of the dishes that day (remember, there are only 14 seats so you'll get to know your neighbors), and everything looked and smelled amazing! I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing, but they didn't have their specialty chocolate chip and bacon cookies that day. You know I'll be roarin' back to The Market Grill very soon!

Click here for The Market Grill's Web site.

Monster Thai

I drive by their sign each day going to work, sometimes zipping along at top speed, but usually poking along, giving me time to ponder. On the 101 heading west, just past the Coldwater Canyon exit, the sign screams Monster Thai. I was intrigued and had to step into the mash!

The scariest thing about Monster Thai is deciding how spicy you want to go. Here you see my Beef Salad, with the yummy spicy lime dressing. I went with medium heat, and it was totally manageable. I picked up more of the minty/cilantroy flavors dancing around the grilled beef, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. Fiendishly good!! Next time, I'm cranking that Monster up a few notches. Who's up for the frightfest?!

Click here to go to Monster Thai's Web site.

Home Lands at The Autry

I've been meaning to see this exhibit at The Autry since the spring. Now that it's about to close, I finally made it to Home Lands: How Women Made the West. It's an interesting exhibit focused on three areas: northern New Mexico, near the Rocky Mountains, and Puget Sound, and how women turned "western spaces into home spaces by adapting it."

What I really liked about this exhibit was the wonderfully creative staging and backgrounds for the story and the artifacts. Here you can see the corn husk covered wall behind the grinding stone and storage vessels. The display base reminded me of geological strata that you see there. Also in this section, there was a message written in yellow and blue corn kernels (who else has been to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota?), and a burlap wall pinched and tweaked to replicate mountains or fault lines.

In the Puget Sound area, salmon was a main focus. One wall was covered with circular mirrors representing salmon skin, behind a fishing photo and framed marketing ephemera.

For the Rocky Mountains, a station wagon was sliced in half, with a flyer under the windshield wiper that explained how cars aimed at women allowed families to spread out to the suburbs.

You only have until August 22 to see for yourself!

Click here to go to The Autry's Web site.

Wizard of Bras

OK, ladies, maybe you're able to buy your bras off the rack. Lucky you! I need a little more - how to I say it? - heft to my bras. The Wizard of Bras in Monrovia more than accommodates my challenges.

I've been a curvy girl my whole life; even at lower weights, I've always had hips and boobs. The Wizard of Bras totally changed how I select bras. The ladies at the Wiz measure and fit you to the right size, as opposed to my attempts to wedge into what size I thought I was. Many times, my cups truly spilleth over! And, once I figured out my true size, it is simple to get the right one. Some studies say that 80% or more of women wear the wrong size bra. That's crazy! Join the 20% true-fitters with one trip to the Wiz.

Now, who's off to see the Wizard?!

Click here to go to the Wizard of Bra's Web site.

Umami Burger

Remember my reference to fancy-schmancy burgers in my Bob's Big Boy post? Here's a perfect example of a burger you won't find on a diner menu.

This burger from Umami was fabulous! It is the Spanish Burger: fresh ground lamb, saffron aioli, roasted red pepper hash, rioja sauce and baby wild arugula. Behind, spot the sweet potato fries and the triple-cooked (!) hand cut fries. Last September, I posted about the Belgian frites at Oinkster, which are double cooked. Triple cooked fries = extra fancy-schmancy!

Umami is a Japanese term for the fifth taste, another taste in addition to sweet, salty, sour and bitter. I'm not even sure what that means. I do know that this burger tasted good, and that's good enough for me.

Click here to go to Umami's Web site.

Carmine's

I am filing this Carmine's post under Making Lemonade. See, I had more laundry than could possibly be accomplished in a timely manner with my limited washer/dryer setup. What's a girl to do but go to the laundromat? This is where the lemonade comes in.

There are two laundromats within a mile or so of my South Pasadena apartment; both happen to be near tasty restaurants. The plan was to throw in some wash, grab my food, and be back in time for the dryer. One laundromat is by Señor Fish, home of the incredible potato tacos that I wrote about in March. The other is by Carmine's, an awesomely decadent Italian restaurant that I walk or run by several times each week. It even smells good from the outside! I hadn't eaten at Carmine's since I was carb-loading for the March, 2009 Pasadena Marathon. Based on this photo, I think it's clear my lemonade this time was made by Carmine's.

This dish is their Gumbi House Special. That's the wait staff's writing on the bag, not mine. What is Gumbi, you ask? It's rigatoni sauteed with marinara, romano, light butter, melted mozzarella, diced homemade meatballs and mushrooms. Yummm!! Now you know why it's so special!

As you've probably guessed if you're a regular here at Cruise Director Los Angeles, I can pack away a lot of food, but this ended up being dinner for four nights. And, the minestrone soup that came with the Gumbi was practically a meal by itself.

So, laundry mission was accomplished with happy taste buds to boot. Now here's my challenge to you: tell me about the last time you made lemonade!

Click here to go to Carmine's Web site.