Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine

It was lunchtime in Glendale and I just couldn't decide what it would be. So, I logged on to the ever-trusty Roadfood.com site for some recommendations. Atop the list was Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine, and off I went.

Here you see why Elena's was listed even though there are gazillions (maybe I overestimate, but not by much!) Greek and kabob places in Glendale; one happens to be kitty-cornered to Elena's spot on Glendale and Acacia Avenues. You start with the pickled cabbage salad and warm pita with garlic spread, then move on to the lemony lentil soup, while saving room for lamb shish kabob with rice, grilled tomato and green pepper. YUMMY!!

The decor is on the cheezy side, which you know I love. It is like a closed-in patio with columns and ancient Greek-style paintings on the wall, except with some really vivid colors. Street parking only, so you may have to walk a block or two during the busy hours.

Click here to go to Elena's Web site.

Click here to go to Roadfood's Web site.

Stinking Rose

I'm taking full responsibility for the gloriously garlicy scent wafting throughout Los Angeles today. Well, me and the delicious offerings at the Stinking Rose.

Here you see - I really wish you could smell! - their 40 Clove Roasted Chicken, served with garlicy mashed potatoes and a good number of those cloves. What you don't see is the warm garlic rolls, and the garlic relish with parsley and olive oil to dip the rolls in while waiting for your food. I was certainly safe from vampires, and my antioxidant count was off the chart, after cleaning this plate!

The space itself is a hoot. Some of the tables are surrounded by canvas tents; perhaps Stinking Rose is an oasis in the desert we call Los Angeles. There are stars painted on the ceiling with little hot air balloon models floating about. Naturally, there are murals with bulbs of garlic taking on human features, too. Be sure to take a looksie around when you go.

Alas, this time I did not get the crème de la crème of the Stinking Rose: the garlic ice cream. It's just what you're imagining it would be: creamy vanilla ice cream surrounding cloves of garlic. Although it won't replace my Fosselman's black licorice and pumpkin blend (see October 2009 post) on my ice cream fave list, the garlic ice cream is definitely worth a try. Hey, what's a little more garlic at that point?!

Click here to go to the Stinking Rose's Web site.

Good Girl Dinette

This vegetarian pot pie from Good Girl Dinette in Highland Park is an excellent example of patience in action. Yes, from me!

How so? Check back to February of 2010 and the Du-Par's post, when I talked about winning Dalai Lama tickets during the Craig Ferguson taping with Peter Sagal. My friend who joined me for the Dalai Lama event talked about the Good Girl Dinette then, specifically their vegetarian pho. I checked their Web site, and the vegetarian pot pie looked like the clear winner when I could go.

Flash forward 18 months, and I was due for a catch-up with that same friend. It had to be the GGD! Dang, this pot pie was sooo good: zucchini, potato and carrot in a yellow curry, with the most delicious biscuity crust! The fresh spring rolls as a starter were also amazing!

GGD also has meat dishes - the slow roasted pork baguette looked especially tasty - and I was tempted to ask the neighboring diners for a few of their fries. Alas, I've already had my fries for this month. Ah, patience applied once again...

Click here to go to Good Girl's Web site.

Pie 'n Burger

I know it is called Pie 'n Burger, but I went with the hashbrowns and burger today.

As I've shared, I'm dietarily budgeted for one burger and one order of fries per month. Since I already had my tasty batch of fries for September, they were not an option today. Hashbrowns were the compromise, but delish in their own right.

The burger was phenomenal, an excellent choice for the one-a-month club! Old school with no fancy-schmancy toppings. Just the classics: lettuce, pickles and Thousand Island on a toasted bun. Wow! Classic is an apt descriptor for P'nB: wraparound wood-grained counter with 21 stools and four or five tables in the back. If you order a soda, they make it the old-fashioned way by adding the carbonated liquid to the cola syrup. The waitresses appeared to know everyone, and most of the customers seemed to be regulars. As you can see, the diner-style plates have seen lots of love!

As for the pie, I couldn't rationalize it this time. The slices I saw were enough to trigger an insulin pump. P'nB is known for their ollallieberry pie, but I had a big ol' piece of the rare-berry pie at Linn's in Cambria (see February post), so I was still good for 2011.

And, I've faced this struggle before - burger with hashbrowns OR burger with pie - as the trifecta is virtually impossible if you go alone. P'nB has been around since 1963, and I'm confident they'll be there the next time I need some pie.

Click here to go to Pie 'n Burger's Web site.

Getty Villa

Embarrassingly, I had not been to the reopened Getty Villa. How could I consider myself a museum person?! Sure, I was there back in the day, but it has been now more than five years since the renovations were completed. It was time to get my Villa on!

For some back story, the Getty Villa used to be THE Getty Museum. Then the huge Getty Center on Sepulveda opened in 1997, and the Villa was closed for renovations. The Villa's collections focus on Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities, while the Center's galleries contain a much wider range of artwork, including one of my faves, van Gogh's Irises.

First off, the Villa's grounds are stunning, with multiple pools, fountains, trees and flowers. One of my event planning friends was staging a dream wedding in her mind, considering the bride's entrance, where the guests would stand, and the bouquet toss. Statuary and more architectural details were spotted at every bat of the eye. Two others asked how employees got any work done with this vista each day. And just try to count the varieties of marble throughout the campus. So, of all the visuals I could have shared, why this one?

In the Myth and Mythology room, I found this statue of Orpheus. Per the label copy, "Orpheus, the son of Apollo (god of prophecy and music) and a Muse, was considered the most skilled singer in antiquity. Another adventure is alluded to here: Sailing with Jason and the Argonauts, Orpheus encounters the Sirens, mythical bird-women whose seductive singing lured sailors to their deaths. Orpheus rescued his companions with a song so beautiful that the Sirens despaired and threw themselves into the sea."

So it was the Jason and the Argonauts/Ray Harryhausen connection - at a place of such incredible beauty - that inspired this post. Maybe one day I'll mature, but don't count on it!

Click here to go to the Getty's Web site.