Soboroff Typewriter Collection at Paley Center for Media

Back in the day, before laptops and tablets and the like, we used typewriters to capture and format our words. (I won't get into your words-per-minute being a bragging right back in high school, as well as a factor in determining early job opportunities.)

The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills has a cool exhibition of typewriters owned by famous people. The Steve Soboroff Typewriter Collection features 28 machines, some simple and others beautiful, but all historic. Here you see the typewriter Orson Welles used to write "Citizen Kane." Other machines on display belonged to Julie Andrews, Andy Rooney, Truman Capote, John Lennon, Ernest Hemingway, Rudolph Valentino, Joe DiMaggio and Tom Hanks. The weirdest one had to be Unibomber Ted Kaczynski--at least what remained of his typewriter--as he used some of the metal parts in a bomb.

Yes, I'll stick with my MacBook Pro, but I do like seeing the oldies but goodies that started it all.

Click here for the Paley Center's website.

Peddler's Creamery

I'm a plus-one for KCRW's Riot LA comedy showcase at the Regent Theater downtown. Arriving a bit early, my chum and I walked around Main Street, marveling over how much it has changed--in a very good way.

We stumbled upon Peddler's Creamery, just south of the Theater. Peddler as in bicycle, not any old-timey door-to-door salesman. Yes, this ice cream is foot-cranked with the churn attached to the bicycle chain in some fancy engineery way. Cool, huh?!

And the flavors are way cool, too. This is my dark chocolate orange on the bottom, and honey lavender on top. Deelish!! We missed the peddling action, as he was scheduled during the comedy show. Trust me, these peddling ice cream makers are on to something, and they may be laughing all the way to the bank!

Click here for Peddler's Creamery's website.

Homegirl/Homeboy revisited

I can't believe it's been more than five years since my post on Homegirl Cafe and Homeboy Bakery! I've been back, and I've bought the bakery's bread at the Autry's farmers' market, but it's time to share again the goodness coming out of this place. 

For starters, I had a glass of the spectacular Angela's Potion: lemonade with spinach and mint. I know!! Plus chips and salsa. Then a sampler of the tacos: pork carnitas with apple-tomatillo slaw and cilantro; carne asada with peanut/chipotle sauce, shaved lettuce, radishes and cilantro; and salmon with jalapeño pesto, pico de gallo and cilantro. Three amazing flavor combinations for $10! It's a tie between the carnitas and the salmon for best-of-show, but they were all delicious!

Since I was sampling anyway, I got a to-do box of the cookies by the pound. I'm not sure what all of these are, but the linzer and the chocolate-covered macaroon were especially tasty!

Once again, if you don't know the Homeboy story, it was started in 1992 after the LA riots. "Jobs not jail" is noted on the t-shirts and signage inside the building. They are doing amazing work, and the food is just one aspect of that. Make an effort to support this cause!

Click here to learn more about Homeboy Industries.

The Kitchen

What better way to celebrate Pasadena Cheeseburger Week than roadtripping to Oxnard for a fix?  (And who knew the cheeseburger was invented/created/first served up in Pasadena?) In any event, from January 11 to 16, bunches of Pasadena restaurants are offering special cheeseburger deals (that I won't be trying this round for my burger of the month).

This is the Kitchen Burger, with sirloin beef burger with bacon, bleu cheese, spicy BBQ sauce and an onion ring. Are you grabbing your keys now to make the drive? Yummers!! The fries were also crispy and tasty. Hats off to the security guard who directed my chum and me to The Kitchen's doors!

For you Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives fans, Guy Fieri raved about the lamb burger. Feel free to give it a try, too. And, if you sample any of the Pasadena burgers, let me know. February, and another burger, is just around the corner!

Note that if you're going to Oxnard for the antique malls and shops, they aren't there any longer. Check out the outlets or go to Santa Barbara for that bargain fix.

Click here for The Kitchen's website.

Click here to learn more about Pasadena Cheeseburger Week.

Dog Haus

I'm back to Lake Hollywood Reservoir for another loop with one of my besties. Afterward, we needed some food, and Dog Haus in Burbank near the Warner Brothers studio was the perfect spot. You really can't miss it. It's the place with the line wrapped around the side on West Olive.

And I know why! They have some awesome hot dogs! This is my Old Town Dog: smoked bacon-wrapped dog, caramelized onions, roasted jalapeños, chipotle mayo and cotija cheese on three King's Hawaiian rolls, with perfect tater tots on the side and a yummy Boylan's root beer. Wow!!

I think it's a hoot that they play up the "wurst" factor, like "The Absolute Wurst" on the neon sign, and "Prepare for the Wurst" out in the parking lot. Although Dog Haus is a franchise, I'm cool with supporting it. They have hot dogs, sausages and burgers, with vegetarian options, and it was great fun examining other guests' orders and finding out what they were having. There are several others I want to try, so who's with me?

Click here to go to their website.

Mission Inn's Festival of Lights

Feeling bah humbug with Christmas right around the corner? Make the drive to downtown Riverside for the Mission Inn's Festival of Lights, and I guarantee you'll get the Christmas spirit!

The Mission Inn is a historic hotel, and it takes up a full city block. The current evolution dates back to 1931, and it has a history of Presidential stays starting with Teddy Roosevelt in 1903. The Inn's balconies, roofs, trees, and fences - virtually every surface - are covered with brilliant lights; their website says four MILLION lights!

While all this wonderment is going on, the City of Riverside has coordinated an outdoor ice skating rink, reindeer, Cinderella carriage rides (the line was sooooo long, but I'll know for next year!), artisans selling their creations, and vendors offering hot chocolate and mini donuts (deeelish!!).

This looks like a new holiday tradition. Who wants to join me?!

Click here for the Mission Inn's website.

Bangkok Palace

After Bob Baker's Nutcracker show, my chum and I walked a few blocks north to Bangkok Palace for some lunch and to verbalize the awesomeness of what we just experienced.

And this is the next round of astonishment: my standard Thai benchmark spicy mint chicken taken up a few notches. Wow, I might go out on a limb and say this is the best yet! Mouth-on-fire chiles definitely spiced  up the minty-deliciousness. Yummy, plate was licked clean with both happy brain and tummy!!

Click here for Bangkok Palace's website.