Auntie Em's Kitchen

While hanging out in Eagle Rock for Lovey's service last week, I found Auntie Em's Kitchen. I've heard about Em's from multiple chums, and I was good to finally taste for myself what all the fuss was about.

It was between breakfast and lunch, so I went with the bakery selection. Here you see a delicious sampling of their miniature cupcakes. At top and moving clockwise: chocolate, coconut, Burning Love (chocolate chipotle) for Valentine's Day, carrot, and red velvet. If forced to pick a favorite, it would be Burning Love for the totally unique and kicked-up flavor, but know that they were all fantastic!

I look forward to storming through the food options, too. Luckily, we only need to visit Eagle Rock and not Kansas.

Click here to go to Auntie Em's Web site.

Pat & Lorraine's Coffee Shop

Lovey, my 2002 Jeep Liberty, needs a check-up. Her engine light has been going on and off for a week or so, and I happen to need a smog check for this year's registration. Supporting the Mom and Pop shops, I went to an independent garage in Eagle Rock. To wait out the diagnosis and service, I walked over to Pat & Lorraine's Coffee Shop on Eagle Rock Boulevard, south of Colorado. Talk about an independent joint!

For starters, the interior is delightfully thrift store chic with framed "art" of produce, a velvet-worthy painting of James Dean, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart at Rick's Bar, shelves of dolls in Mexican costumes next to models of classic cars, and pictures of THE Eagle Rock. You may also recognize it from the opening scene of "Reservoir Dogs." There's the U-shaped counter with four seats per side, and a spinning pie chiller in the middle with Jif, Cheesecake Factory boxes, RediWhip, pies, and cinnamon rolls as temptation.

And take a looksie at the menu, a wonderful collection of all your favorite coffee shop options. Once I got my eyes focused, my taste buds kicked in. I went with this Rainbow Burrito, which was stuffed with spinach, bacon, avocado, tomato, eggs and cheese. Yum! The skillet fries with onions and peppers were equally delish.

Properly nourished and swimming in all the feel-good hormones, I wondered back for Lovey. She received a couple of Band-Aids and a clean bill of health. Woohoo!!

Pat & Lorraine's does not have a Web site. Their street address is 4720 Eagle Rock Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90041 and phone (323) 257-7926.

Yujean Kang's

Day 3 - my actual birthday - was action packed! Starting with some Lustreware and bread pudding at Pasadena City College (check out my February 2009 post about the PCC flea market and Cake Lady Bea Kelly), I next went to Macy's for some new Ray-Bans. Woohoo, round one of Happy Birthday, Susan!

Hungry again, I stopped for lunch at Yujean Kang's on Raymond in Pasadena. YUM! Here you see my mu shu pork with spinach and egg crepe in the wafer-thin Chinese pancakes. Thanks to the appies of sweet and sour soup and their tasty Chinese chicken salad (and the bread pudding!), I actually packed up two of the four stuffed "pancakes" for later.

Re-energized, I'm off to the Apple Store to purchase this laptop. Woohoo, Happy Birthday, Susan, round two! And, if you remember my Mac angst from my July post on Sugar Fix, rest assured that I returned to the source for a cupcake to-go to carry with my extras from lunch and new computer. Wow, here's to setting the tone to a wonderful year!

Click here to go to Yujean Kang's Web site.

The Encounter at LAX

Day 2 of birthday weekend, and after my favorite Griffith Park hill run and breakfast with my training chums, I was off to LAX. Not to catch a flight or pick up a friend, but to have an encounter at the Jetsons-esque restaurant.

That cool '60s building in the center of the terminals is the home of a restaurant called The Encounter, which opened in '97. Disney Imagineering was involved in creating the space-y interior, including a full 360 degree view of arrivals and departures.

Here you see my delish dinner with an overview of a few planes. Officially listed as Sesame Crusted Norwegian Salmon on Ginger, Scented Steamed Rice, Crispy Noodles topped with a Trio of Micro Greens and Sweet Citrus Chili Demi Glaze on the menu, the meal was surprisingly modern amid the lava lamps and space-age decor.

Since the days of TSA, I don't go to the airport unless I have to. It used to be fun, but not any more. Once in my teens, my Mom and I went to the airport in Louisville hours before my Dad's return from Toronto. Standiford Field was deemed an international airport, and I thought it would be cool to go watch people from other parts of the world. Mom was game, or at least humored me. Cut to the chase - international meant Canada - and we were sorely disappointed by the non-exotic people passing through. I learned my lesson then, and I probably won't make another trip to the Encounter just for the heck of it. However, I am excited to cross it off the list!

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

Apple Pan

After the awesome TMZ tour, I needed some food. The Apple Pan was the solution.

The Apple Pan is the tiny little restaurant on Pico across from the Westside Pavilion and next to Guitar Center. Opened in 1947, it inspired the Johnny Rockets burger restaurants. Does this spread look familiar?! When I worked in Century City, the Apple Pan was a regular stop, but I haven't been in 10 or more years. Glad to report it's the same as it ever was.

You are greeted at the Apple Pan by a screen door, and the down-home continues from there. Inside is a counter with maybe 24 stools. Old-school registers (it is cash only) anchor the counter corners. The sole decoration is tartan wallpaper on the back wall. I love that you get the paper cone cup with the metal holder to keep the soda cold. Fries arrive almost simultaneous to placing the order, and the Steakburger with the ketchupy-relishy spread was delish! Once again (read the Pie 'n Burger post from last September), there was no room for pie. Sigh, because I remember how good that pie was. Dang, next time...

Click here to go to the Apple Pan's Web site.

TMZ Hollywood Tour

It's my birthday weekend (yes, 29 again!), and I'm working through my LA bucket list. First up, the TMZ Hollywood Tour. As you probably know, the whole Hollywood/celebrity scene is a big yawn at minimum, an annoyance without doubt. Multiple times I've steered out-of-towners away from Hollywood, primarily because I didn't want to deal with it. Now I have a reason to go back!

I love TMZ, and this tour was a blast! Our guide Van was a hoot, and he kept us laughing the whole time. How it works: the driver tools around Hollywood/Bel Air/Beverly Hills while Van is chatting us up and playing relevant TMZ video spots. Outside The Ivy, we see spots of celebs at the Ivy. By the Hollywood police station, we see mugshots of celebs and hear the offenses as covered by TMZ. At Kings Road, actors Wood and Steve Harris are spotted, and they board our bus for photo ops. Note that Van was filming this the whole time and feeding it back to Harvey and the crew back in the studio. Did anyone see it on the show?!

Click here to go to TMZ's Web site.

Wolfe Burgers

I'm finally bouncing back from whatever germs ailed me through the holidays. Bonus - nothing has tasted good or appealed to me for almost three weeks, which means the sugarplums danced in my head only and stayed off my hips.

And what better way to get back in the groove than the once-monthly burger and fries rations?! And since I'm doing it, I'm going with the Ultimate Burger, courtesy of the howlin' good folks at Wolfe Burgers on Lake in Pasadena.

I first heard about Wolfe Burgers about 10 years ago, from my cubicle neighbor at the Natch. He and I sat in a former exhibit gallery, just the two of us sitting next to each other in the huge closed-down Exotic Mammal Hall, with taxidermied specimens still in the diorama cases. Fun! I'm sure he would have been content to work quietly on his scientific illustrations and keep to himself, but, no, I forced him to chat. Food was always a good topic, and Wolfe Burgers was a frequent mention.

Flash forward, and the Ultimate Burger was quite spectacular: bleu cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato (I quickly removed the raw onion due to heartburn concerns) on a 1/3 lb. burger. Let me tell you, the cheese kept melting and surrounded the bacon and burger in each delicious bite. The fries were quite good, too, and I am totally content with this month's selection.

Woo hoo! Who wants to make the recommendation for February's burger and/or fries?!

Click here to go to Wolfe Burgers' Web site.