Quenelle and North Pole Snow Cream in Burbank

OK, it's 9,000 degrees outside, and ice cream is sounding really good! I've tried two novel Burbank spots in the last few days. Sorry, but I'm going to say it, get it while it's hot!!

Quenelle on Magnolia near Buena Vista was the first stop. Here you see half-scoops of chocolate and blueberry pie - deeeelish!! And, yes, the cup is sitting on my Jeep's console as there is only a kiddie table inside for seating. They had all kinds of great flavors, and I'll look forward to stopping by there again on my way home.

Quenelle does not have a website. Street address is 2214 W. Magnolia, Burbank 91506. Phone is (818) 843-1035.

And, for something completely different, there's North Pole Snow Cream at the Burbank Mall. In some ways, it's like your standard "build your own" ice cream with lots of toppings to select from, except this is snow cream, which is a whippy/shaved blend of ice cream and Hawaiian ice-y. I got seasalt caramel snow cream with mochi and caramel sauce. Just go with me on this; it was taaaaasty! (And, I'll go back again if you need further encouragement!)

You can feel good about your treat as they "donate 2% of their monthly income to Polar animals in need, as well as green and environmentally beneficial causes and organizations," per their website. The cute little blue spoons are even biodegradable!

Click here for North Pole Snow Cream's website.

Labor Day Getaway to the Bay

I'm heading to San Francisco for the Labor Day weekend. My biggest bro is there on business, and we decided to do the Bay area big time, from his base in Hayward. Let the games begin!!

Saturday morning, and we're off to Yosemite, celebrating its 150th anniversary (from the Yosemite Grant). I've been to Yosemite several times, and it has changed since my last visit. They have shuttles now to get you around the Valley, which eliminates a good chunk of the road congestion.

It was great to see my old friends Half Dome,

and El Capitan. My bro and I went off-road hiking through the Valley, strategizing where to cross the creek at the lowest point, to see the monolith up close and personal. We later stopped to watch rock climbers scaling the face!

Click here for Yosemite's website.

Back to dinner in Hayward, we went to the fabulous Hayward Ranch. Deeelish!! These are my lambie chops, spaghetti and steamed veggies. Hayward Ranch dates back to 1948; it is decorated barn-style with random farm implements, old photos, and memorabilia, and the wait staff call you "sweetie."

Click here for Hayward Ranch's website.

Sunday morning, and I'm off to the 149th Pleasanton Highland Games. Yes, these games have been held almost as long as Yosemite has been around! I'm there for just a few hours to watch some piping competition as preparation for my first time competing coming up in October.

Pleasanton has a bit of a Ren Faire reputation, due to its living history zone. This Scots Guards re-enactment of protecting the King was cool to watch. Stay tuned for Scots Guards circa 2014 shortly!

Click here for Pleasanton's website.

I could only stay in Pleasanton for a few hours, because we had tickets to the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose for the evening. The Winchester House, built by an heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune, was under construction for 38 years, starting in 1884. The house is famous for its doors to nowhere, skylights in the floor, Tiffany stained glass windows placed where the sun doesn't hit them, and the number 13 throughout. Apparently, Mrs. Winchester continued building the home to confuse "the spirits" after her husband and young child died.

Click here for Winchester Mystery House's website.

Before leaving San Jose, we had to stop by Psycho Donuts, which is sooooo reminiscent of Voodoo Donuts in Portland. The Canadian Morning Squeal Meal on the left is a buttermilk bar topped with maple icing, bacon bits and chocolate drizzle. On the right is the Headbanger, with gooshy raspberry filling. Fun and tasty!!

Click here for Psycho Donuts' website.

Monday morning, and we're at the front of the boat swinging by Alcatraz before heading first to Angel Island!

We learned that Angel Island was a defensive base during the Civil War to protect the gold found in them thar hills for the Union. This is where some major artillery was placed, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Later, Angel Island served as an Ellis Island west for immigrants coming from Asian countries.

P.S., to stay on this milestone trend, California State Parks are celebrating 150 years. Angel Island is one of those state parks.

Back on the boat, and we're at The Rock. This is a  drill-out to show the thickness of the glass! They offered a really cool audio tour, with sound effects like closing cell doors, foot steps, and fights. Walking into the solitary confinement space was especially chilling!

I was surprised by the "Indians Welcome" graffiti, until I learned about the 1969 occupation by Native Americans to turn the abandoned federal prison and island into a cultural center. I think it's cool that the graffiti was preserved, and the story is still told.

Click here for Alcatraz's website.

Click here for Angel Island's website.

Tuesday morning, and I'm at SFO on the way back to reality. I heard chanters coming from another gate and raced over. It was the Scots Guards performing "Amazing Grace" for the blond lady. What a bittersweet send-off for me!

Sitar Indian Cuisine

Today I saw "The Hundred-Foot Journey" with one of my besties, and we were starving afterward! The movie is about an Indian family opening a restaurant directly across from a very proper French dining room. The film is full of images of luscious food, and I was literally salivating throughout many of the scenes.

Luckily, right down Colorado (we were at the Pasadena Arclight), we found Sitar Indian Cuisine. The lunch buffet was still available, and we took full advantage of it! Here you see my initial round. All items were fresh, hot and delicious; the fish pakora was a first for me. The chutneys - mango and mint - were sooo flavorful! The gulag jaamun dessert balls were the perfect finish to a great meal.

I recommend you take the journey to Sitar's soon!

Click here for their website.

Poke-Poke

I'm in Venice at the boardwalk with my New Hampshire niece. We're looking for some food after strolling the canals. She is vegan, so that means no-go on my usual Jody Maroni sausage, slice of pizza or Sidewalk Cafe burger. We passed by Poke-Poke (situated across from Muscle Beach on the boardwalk) and saw the line. I thought yum after checking out the menu, and she spotted some good salad-y options. Perfect solution for our different food needs, and the other folks in line were raving about the dishes.

This is the Spicy Tuna Poke with kale served Hawaiian style, which means no rice. It was sooo fresh and delicious! This is the medium-sized deli take-out container, and it was plenty for my grumbling tummy. It takes a bit of time for them to make your custom order, so have your patience ready. It is totally worth it!

Click here for Poke-Poke's website.

Click here for my last post on Venice.

Hill Street Cafe

This, my friends, is a Breakfast Chili Bowl, the perfect solution when you can't decide between breakfast and lunch. It is served up daily at Hill Street Cafe in Burbank.

Let me break it down: O'Brien potatoes serve as the foundation, next we find scrambled eggs, and finally some really good chili and shredded cheese. Do I have to tell you how tasty this combination was?! And, if you are keeping track, I totally cleaned my plate!!

Click here for their website.

Buster Keaton films at UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara is showing a delightful series of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd silent films. Why not drive up and see one?!

After learning more about Keaton in Stoneface (click here for post), his "One Week" and "The Navigator" films seemed like the perfect choices for the roadtrip. They were shown on the lawn of the Santa Barbara courthouse, on a huge screen and accompanied with live piano playing. What fun, and it is free!!

If you don't know the stories, "One Week" is the wacky short where he builds a house for his new bride, and "The Navigator" has him stowing away on a runaway ship. He battles cannibals and swordfish in the hilarious adventure. Keep in mind he is doing his own stunts in both films while you are cracking up.

As a sidebar, the people watching was priceless! Just go - you will be entertained.

Click here for more details on the series.

Mandoline Grill

This month's fries came very early from Mandoline Grill's food truck. But, wow, the memory will last a long time!

On the left, imagine the deliciousness of my five-spice fries with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, garlic and cloves with Sriracha aioli dipping sauce; on the right are my equally amazing Vietnamese nachos with corn chips smothered with grilled pork, scallions, jalapeños, mint, cilantro and more Sriracha aioli. I didn't want to brush my teeth after to hold on the those flavors!!

My recommendation is to stalk them. Various colleagues had the tacos, the sandwich and the noodles. Mandolin Grill has a pretty active schedule, so seek them out. You will not regret it!

Click here for their website.