Marston's Restaurant

I know, another pancake face! This Picasso-version is courtesy of Marston's Restaurant in Pasadena, and they were fantastic. These are the 7 Grain Pancakes with the artfully placed banana and strawberry slices (there was a bowl with more fruit cropped out of the shot). Note the thick-cut bacon hovering like a beret overhead. Oh, and I can't forget the hot chocolate with whipped cream to wash it all down. Deeeelish!

Marston's is on Walnut Boulevard, between Fair Oaks and Marengo. If you haven't eaten there, you've probably noticed the lines on weekends. I'm telling you now, it is totally worth the wait. I'm looking forward to my next visit and the French Toast crusted in Corn Flakes. Oooh la la!!

Click here to go to Marston's Web site.

Von Bach at Fremont Centre Theatre

Looking for a wacky horror-esque play? Check out Von Bach at South Pasadena's Fremont Centre Theatre (FTC). As a bonus detail, the FTC building was once a funeral home. Does that motivate you, or what?!

Dr. Von Bach is a Dr. Frankenstein-type character who focuses on bringing the dead back to life. Also like Dr. F, Dr. VB's story has been the fodder for many movies with multiple retellings, including Von Black (featuring a black Von Bach), VB2K (Van Bach 2000), and a luchador version. A new Von Bach version is being filmed, and our play interweaves "clips" from prior films to catch us up on the story. FTC did a fabulous job of fabricating those past flicks, complete with the movie posters on the lobby walls.

The difference this time? Dr. VB is himself reanimated before the film can wrap. Now you've got a ticked-off undead mad scientist with much to say about how he is portrayed! I won't ruin the story, but it is quite amusing and entertaining how it all comes together. Go while you still can!

Click here for FTC's Web site.

Oak Tree Inn

Today, I'm celebrating Chinese New Year. It's now the Year of the Snake, marking a shift towards transformation, steady progress, focus and discipline. I'm also catching up with a friend I haven't seen for awhile and sharing stories about all the changes in our lives. We realized we hadn't really talked in more than six months, as she didn't know about my braces and was totally surprised to hear the details around getting my cat.

We decided to go the Oak Tree Inn, on Fair Oaks in South Pas. We'd each been before with other chums and fondly recalled the string beans. Remember my post on Bamboo's string beans from September 2010? Oak Tree's dish had ground pork for a different twist. And, their Kung Pao Chicken was super-spicy and flavorful. Both were delish! They also end the meal with a fortune cookie dipped in white chocolate. Wow! My fortune: "Your charm is quite irresistible." Perfect springboard for the Year of the Snake!

Oak Tree Inn doesn't have a Web site. Street address is 1315 Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena 91030. Phone (323) 682-2882.

Heirloom Bakery and Cafe

It's one of my Sundays off (yay!!), and I've already scored on some Lusterware dishes and Ginger Cake at the Pasadena City College flea market (see February 2010 post). How to keep the streak going? Heirloom Bakery and Cafe in South Pas, by Buster's and the Mission Gold Line station.

This is their caprese pressed sandwich with oven roasted tomatoes, pesto, mozzarella and arugula on the country bread. Wow, absolutely delicious! I also tried the garbanzo/kidney bean salad, and it was tasty, too. The pastry case had some appealing selections for a try next time. They have a nice outdoor patio for people watching and catching some dappled sunshine. Let's go!

Heirloom doesn't have a Web site. Street address is 807 Meridian Avenue, Suite C, South Pasadena 91030. Phone (626) 441-0042.

The Morrison

I was practicing my pipes today in Griffith Park (I think that's reason #11 I love GP!), and my stomach was rumbling as much as my drones. I remembered that The Morrison (on Los Feliz across from my fave running store A Runner's Circle) had opened, and I took the high road directly there.

The Morrison is all about Scottish food. Well, traditional fare, plus cocktails and 40 craft beers. But, I was definitely there for the chow!

Here you see my Soft Scotch Egg on kale, and Cock-A-Leekie Soup with garlic dumplings. Both were phenomenal! If you've never had a Soft Scotch Egg, it is a soft-boiled egg wrapped in sausage - venison in The Morrison's dish - then breaded and deep fried. DELISH! Other versions have a harder-boiled egg, but the soft-boiled is definitely my way to go. Cock-a-leekie soup - chicken and leeks - is fun to say. And, quite tasty to boot.

The Morrison is a class act, too. Did you notice the white roses and thistle in the vase? Nice touch!

Everything on the menu sounded wonderful, from the salmon trio appies, to the haggis sliders and the bread pudding. I look forward to eating my way through them all! Who wants to take the trip to Scotland with me?!

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

Danny's Venice Beach

I haven't been back to Venice since my March 2010 post. I'm here today to take a walking adventure with Vintage Venice Tours. Wow, did I ever learn about the little town I called home for six years.

I didn't know that there were 16 miles of canals in 1905. They were built by Abbot Kinney both to drain the marshland and to recreate the vibe of Venice, Italy. There were roller coasters and other amusements, swimming pools, dance halls and theaters. It was a wild time!

Most of the canals only lasted through 1929, when the City of Los Angeles decided Venice needed paved roads, and the canals were filled in. The remaining few south of Venice Boulevard still survive if you want to get a taste of what once was. All the other Kinney attractions were closed in 1946 when LA decided the beach needed widening. HUH?!

I also paid little attention to the abundance of murals throughout Venice, most of them painted by Rip Cronk. If you've seen the Jim Morrison mural, that's Cronk's work. I'll never look at Venice the same way!

All this history comes together nicely at Danny's Venice Beach on Windward Avenue (the heart of Kinney's Venice) and Speedway. When you walk in, look up to see the last original gondola dating back to 1904. Then check out all the cool artwork and vintage flyers, posters, photos, postcards and brochures scattered about. As expected, there's a Cronk mural in the back corner, so you get to eat surrounded by Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin and a host of other stars. How many can you identify?!

And, then there's the food. Continuing with the historic theme, I went with the Famous Venice Plunge Sandwich, named after the world's largest indoor saltwater pool and originally located by Danny's spot. French dip with Danny's own potato chips. Delish!!

Check out Vintage Venice's tours and Danny's, as it makes for quite the tag team afternoon.

Click here to go to Danny's Web site.

Click here to go to Vintage Venice Tours' Web site.

Elephant Hut

I busted out for lunch with some coworkers to Elephant Hut on Ventura Boulevard. We were looking for some tasty Thai food, and Elephant Hut lived up to expectations.

This is one of their lunch specials, Hot Basil Leaves, with hot basil, bell pepper, onion, garlic, Thai chili and chicken. Plus rice, and veggie soup and salad to start. All for $10, before tax and tip. I'll make the trek back to the Hut again, soon I hope!

Click hear for Elephant Hut's Web site.