Clifton's Reopening

Clifton's has reopened after too-many years of renovations! (Click here for my 2009 post.) I avoided the first rush of looky-loos, and finally ventured down before seeing "Dawn of the Dead" at the Million Dollar Theater. Old-school kind of night, indeed.

As you can see from my tray, Clifton's menu has stayed pretty much the same. Well, fruited jello instead of confetti jello, but it is still early in the relaunch. The roasted ham dinner with stuffing and mac and cheese sides was delicious, and the greens with ham was a tasty addition. I will say that it felt more like a buffet with different stations than the traditional cafeteria style of making selections.

The grandest change with the renovation is this huge tree that reaches three floors. Some sections of Clifton's are more bar than restaurant, although people were eating in all the spaces. There are multiple taxidermied species scattered about for good measure, such as a bear, a bison, a lion, and a peacock. Moving forward, the valet parking option out front will definitely take some getting used to.

But, I will be back. Who wants to give the new Clifton's a spin with me?! Fingers crossed my confetti jello is available next time!

Click here for their website.

Mediterranean Delight

I started today's food adventure at the DSW in Pasadena after seeing a cute pair of shoes on their website. I wanted to try them on, since I'm generally between two sizes on the desired BOC brand. Pasadena did not have them in stock, but the Glendale store on Brand Boulevard did. The associate called ahead, and both sizes were waiting for me.

I raced over, and the size winner was clear within seconds. Check show purchase off the list, and it was time for dinner.

Mediterranean Delight started as a convenient choice, being right around the corner from DSW, and it turned into an awesome choice! This is my lamb kabob plate with super tender chunks alternating with grilled veggies. The side salad had lots of tomatoes and cucumbers, and a sprinkling of feta. YUM!!

Click here for Mediterranean Delight's website.

Ventura Piping Competition 2015

I'm back in Ventura for another piping competition, my final attempt at glory for this year. (Click here for last year's post.) This time, I have a craving for some mom-and-pop Mexican food, so I took a drive a few blocks off the Main Street drag to seek some tasty chow. I totally scored on Corrales  Mexican Food on Thompson Avenue. I joined the line and went with the fish tacos plate, plus chips and salsa. It looked like a mess when I opened the takeout box, but I hungrily dove in. The corn tortillas were soooooo gooooood that I ended up eating them covered with the refried beans and salsa, and pushed the fish to the side. WOW! I imagined someone's grandmother hand-patting the tortillas back in the kitchen. I actually was bummed that I couldn't finish them all, and I had to offer the extras to the trash container. Tasty as it was, it probably would not make for a good pre-competition breakfast. Sigh, but nice to know another fabulous Ventura meal.

Click here for Corrales Mexican Food's website.

The competition went fine, thanks for asking. It was about 9,000 degrees, so I can add another weather challenge to my growing list. My reward for toughing it out and doing my best was The Full Monty plate from The Welsh Baker booth. On the left is dark chocolate dipped raspberry welsh cakes (!!) for the sweet, and my fave Scotch egg and Irish cheese for the savory, with a lemonade to wash it all down. YUM!! I will definitely seek them out as I make the competition rounds next season!

Click here for The Welsh Baker's website.

It was fun to catch up with some friends at the festival, and I'm also meeting friends in Newberry Park on my way out of town so I have to put a pep in the step. I'll be back Ventura!!