Bay Cities Italian Deli and Bakery

I'm due for a beach getaway, my style. That means I purchase a Star, an Enquirer, and some food and settle in my beach chair under an umbrella with my tootsies wiggling in the sand and just chill out. You may remember my post from several years ago when Reel Inn topped off a similar beach day. Click here for that adventure. 

Today, I'm off to Zuma Beach after a stop at Bay Cities Italian Deli and Bakery for my sandwich fix. Oh my gosh, believe the accolades, peeps!! This is the Little Dom Lorenzo with parma proscuitto, water mozzarella, basil, roasted tomatoes, olive oil and pepper on the six-inch baguette. Wow!! I also selected blood orange bubbly water (in a cool message-in-a-bottle type of container - maybe next time!) and cucumber-tomato salad. Deeelish!! It's a fun mix of deli and grocery store, so spend some time wandering the aisles while there.

Belly is full, and I can just take this in!

Click here for Bay Cities' website.

Topanga Days/County Fair

I've wanted to check out the hippie-trippy Memorial Day scene at Topanga Days for quite some time. And you guessed it, today's the day. In case you don't know, Topanga Days is a fundraiser for the Topanga Community Club. It's basically a music festival with a pie-eating contest thrown in for good fun. Let it all hang out!!

Here you see local faves Venice rocking the crowd with an hour-plus of non-stop jams. From Prince to Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones, everyone was up dancing, singing and taking the "Magic Carpet Ride" around the party grounds. Too much fun! Watch out, as I would definitely stalk them again.

After the pie-eating contest, it was time for The English Beat and ska bouncing/dancing! More lost lyrics flooded my brain with "Tenderness" and "Save It For Later" to just name a few of the hits brought back to life.

And, yes, the audience was as diverse as these two bands. Tie-dye next to American flags, next to Ren Faire wear, next to leather jackets. People watching was half the fun! These are just a few of the characters in attendance. The gentleman in the tie-dye t-shirt above won the pie-eating contest for those of you keeping track. Mark your calendars for next year's Topanga Days. I guarantee it'll be worth the drive!

Click here for their website.

Another Broken Egg Cafe

It is the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, and I have the day off. Woohoo!! After some duo-piping in Griffith Park, my chum and I are off to breakfast. Normally, we would go to Billy's in Glendale, but we were both in the mood for something different. Another Broken Egg Cafe in Burbank was the perfect solution!

From my selections, you can tell I went with the Southern route: biscuits and sausage gravy plus blackberry grits. YUM!! Plates were almost licked clean! I just discovered grits in New Orleans, and I'm not sure why I've missed out on them for the majority of my adult life. I guess I'm making up for lost time! It was fun looking at the plates of other diners. Everything looked delicious!! ABE's staff was also very cool in letting us chit-chat at the table for almost two hours on the busy morning. Her husband is having serious health problems, and I let her vent. I'll remember that next time when I'm impatiently waiting for a table to become available.

Click here for Another Broken Egg Cafe's website.

The Dish Thai Fusion Cuisine

OK, so I know I may be sounding like a broken record, but I think The Dish is the best Thai food ever, at least for this week.

I spotted The Dish on my daily drive back-and-forth on Moorpark. Today was the day to give it a try. What makes them the best? How about a sample of the cream cheese wontons "for the wait" while my food was being prepared to go? The bar has been raised, all other Thai food places!

For starters (shown in the take-out box), I went with the 911 Salad. Wow!! Crunchy cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and lettuce with the grilled beef, all generously drizzled with their special spicy lime dressing. It made for a delicious adventure!

This is the Chicken Buddha Basil, with sautéed fresh green chili, garlic, and Thai basil. It was amazing! The aluminum foil wrap does not make for the best photo staging, but I'll assure you it was the best ever!!

I should note that I didn't mind the wait even before the wontons were delivered. The Dish was so serene, with two water features making the space extra calming.

The Dish is relatively new, and they don't yet have a website. Street address is 11717 Moorpark Street (at Fulton) in Studio City, Phone is 818-423-2188.