5% Star

On Tuesday after Christmas Betty calls me after work, “what are you doing”? 

 “Getting ready to make some dinner and have a glass of wine.  What are you doing”? 

 “I just signed up and joined Weight Watchers.  Why don’t you come down and join also.  I’ll wait for you.”  What the hell, I figure.

Today is 3 weeks into it and I got (2) 5 # stickers and a 5% star in by log book that confirms that I lost 12 Lbs.  and 5% of my body weight.  

I have this weight watchers thing all figured out.  Just stick to the free foods.  Counting points makes me aware of how much I was eating – of the wrong stuff.  I feel great.  I’m looking better.  I’m using notches on my belt that have never been used.  And I’m not hungry, much.  So below are some Ideas and short stories that have really helped.

After our weigh-in on the sign up night, we went to Great Castle for dinner.  We ordered Wor Wan Ton soup, “Almost Free”.  That is now my new slogan, taken from the beach vendors in Mexico.  Although the hot and spicy eggplant was cooked in lots of oil, it is so rich that it doesn’t take eating a lot to be satisfied.  And we had a light poached fish dish, also “almost free”.    We took most of the food home for future light meals.

Vegetables are free.  So one night I made a pot of soup from a big head of cabbage, carrots, onions and mushrooms.  Basically I cleaned out the fridge of most of the vegetables.  I use a tomato Chicken bouillon and added some salsa (also free) and ended up with a great dinner for basically no points.  It takes a lot of mustard to make it taste good, but mustard is free also. 

I went to lunch with some guys that wanted to go the Woolgrowers Basque restaurant.  This is going to be a challenge, I thought.   I see everyone eating garlic fried chicken, grilled lamb chops, burgers, French dip sandwiches and fries.  I ordered the diet plate with a “petite” filet mignon.  It came with salad and cottage cheese.  So I’m really enjoying the salad with marinated tomatoes.   I resisted the bread and butter.  I know there is oil on the salad but the lettuce and tomatoes are free foods.  Then the “petite” filet mignon came on a plate with cottage cheese and more tomatoes.  It was at least a 10-12 oz. filet.  I cut it in half and covered it in salsa and really devoured half the steak. 

My after-dinner-sweet-tooth is not much problem.  A piece of Sees is only 2 points and satisfies most of the time.  But that is gone now.  For a bigger sweet hunger, I make super cookies:

Using the basic oatmeal cookie recipe, I make oat flour out of rolled oats instead of using white flour.  I Use the brown sugar only and substitute agave sweetener for the white sugar.    I use Yogurt margarine and flax substitute for butter.  Eggs are great.  This makes a nice consistency with the eggs.  Don’t forget the baking soda and double the vanilla.  Add another 2 cups of rolled oats, a cup of raisins, a cup of nuts, a cup of organic coconut, a cup of chocolate chips and anything else that sounds good, like dried cranberries. This makes Super Cookies.  Limit 2 per day, 4-6 points depending on how many points I have left. 

I even went to Hooters with the funny guys from work and instead of having the chicken sandwich, I had the salad with grilled chicken.  The big point buster is the dressing, so I have the vinegrette instead of the blue cheese dressing that I used to love so much.  The little bit of chicken is only about 6 points and the salad is free.  The hot sauce on the table is no points and adds tons of flavor.

For my Noriega Hotel Basque restaurant fix, I go to lunch instead of dinner.  The soup and salad is almost free and I stay away from the fries and blue cheese.  A Regular portion of the entrée is all that I need and a bowl of cabbage soup for dinner keeps my point allocation in check.

I haven’t forgotten about the exercise.  I’ve been on the elliptical trainer or bike riding almost every day.  I love the bike rides on the bike trail west of Allen Rd. and along the Kern River bed and recharge basin.  But it’s too dark or too cold most days.  So for this winter season, it’s a weekend thing.

Anyone want to get a weight watchers group started with Betty and me?   I’m not interested in the meetings with all the strange women. 

Classic Steak houses of the Central Coast / Merry Christmas

Classic Steak Houses of the Central Coast

When Betty and I moved to Arroyo Grande in 1981, I had never even heard of a Tri-Tip roast.  And we enjoyed stopping at the bar-b-que stands along Broadway in Santa Maria for the classic oak wood fired meats, pinquito beans and salsa.  Eventually, we got to the many of the well known steakhouses from Shell Beach to Casmalia.  One of the most famous in the area that was always on top of the local’s list was jocko’s in Nipomo.  Maybe it was that I never got to the east side of Nipomo, or maybe it was that the other great names came to mind first.  However, better late than never, finally, 30 years later, Betty and I made it to the world famous Jocko’s Steak house in Nipomo.

First, let’s review the other Central Coast Classics.  As a young Mud Engineer, recently advanced from Mud Puppy to accomplished Mud Dog, I was transferred to the Santa Maria Valley to service the drilling boom in exploration and development in the area when in 1981.  With oil prices were steady at $20 / bbl,  the 8 gravity heavy oil in Cat Canyon was under heavy development by Getty and Texaco.  And Unocal was drilling wells in the broccoli and artichoke fields, on the oak covered hills in Orcutt and along the beach in Guadalupe.  With an expense account and customers to entertain, I had opportunities to explore the local restaurants.  All these restaurants are great and each one has something I find unique. 

Casmalia is a “town” (or more like a street) southwest of Santa Maria in the rolling hills on the way to Vandenberg AFB.  The town is famous for 2 things, a Class I hazardous waste facility and The Hitching Post Restaurant.  It’s a historical stop for the old stage coach. Since the wine boom in the last 20 years, they opened a 2^nd restaurant in the Solvang area, made famous by the movie “Sideways”.  The Casmalia restaurant is a step back in time.  The oak pit is in the middle of the restaurant.  And they serve a small shrimp cocktail with the dinners.  They also have their own wine label which is quite good an excellent value.  The last time I was there, I had a colleague with me from NY and we met my friend who was working on his filter press at the D.E. plant in Lompoc.  We had a bottle of Le Cuvier with dinner that my friend brought, so it must have been about 2005.  The steaks are great and the wine made the meal most memorable.  http://www.hitchingpost1.com/

The small farming town of Guadalupe is on Highways 1 and 166.  There is a small public beach at the end of 166.  The road is often covered by blowing sand and it’s always been cold when I was there.  And just outside town, in the 80’s, Unocal was operating an oilfield along the beach.   The Far Western Tavern is a combination shit-kicker bar and classic Santa Maria Style steakhouse.  You have to walk through the bar to get to the dining room.  There are always some real characters at the bar that seem to be waiting for the dining room to close for hell-raising to start.  I’ve taken customers there for lunch when visiting the ConocoPhillips Refinery up the road.  And we used to visit when we lived in Santa Maria.  The dining room is classic in a western sort of way.  They specialty is a rib-eye steak and the relish try is a standard for many local steakhouses.   If you go at night, don’t be turned away by the small town of Guadalupe that seems like a barrio these days.  It’s a really fun place to visit.  http://www.farwesterntavern.com/dinner.htm

In 1981 at an ocean view table at F. Mclintock’s in Shell Beach I proposed to the love of my life.  It was summer and we were living in Arroyo Grande.  Betty did not say yes right away, but she took the ring.  And since she was pregnant with my baby, it didn’t take her long to come around with a yes.  McLintock’s is a family chain of Taverns and Steakhouses on the Central Coast from Arroyo Grande (Shell Beach) to Paso Robles.  Each has its own personality.  The view of shell beach is awesome at the Arroyo Grande restaurant. The creek side tables at the San Luis Obispo location are delightful and the bar is full of young folks from the college that make a fun spot for lunch.  http://www.mclintocks.com/

Finally after 30 years, I finally made it to Jocko’s in Nipomo.  It was 11:00 Am and they were serving both breakfast and lunch.  Betty and I both had the steak sandwich.  Apparently, they do not have the oak pit fired up for lunch.  The dinner menu has the grilled steaks available.  The lunch steak is grilled on the flat top.  It is a great steak they claim to be 8 oz, but our steaks were a full 16 oz.  It is served with a simple salad, a bowl of salsa and a bowl of pinquito beans.  The steak is placed on 2 pieces of French garlic toast that soaks up the juices.  The steak was cook perfectly and full of flavor.  It’s a great bargain for $12.00.  I have my eye on the dinner filet mignon for my next visit. 

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Chicken breast, breaded and deep fried and tossed in hot wing sauce makes a favorite sandwich for me.  They are hard to find so I usually order them when I see it on a menu.  Generally, they have tons of flavor and are a nice break from a burger. 

Denny’s

When taking customers to lunch in Lost Hills (I-5 and Hwy 46), there are not too many options.  There is a truck stop diner and fast food junk.  And then there is the Denny’s.  And my customers are frequent diners at the Lost Hills Denny’s.  They get greeting and hugs from the waitresses.  And they are on a first name basis with them.  Occasionally, I join them for lunch and I almost always have the Buffalo Chicken Melt sandwich.  It’s on a fresh roll and very moist and juicy with buffalo sauce.  It comes with lettuce & tomato and melted cheese.  I usually get a salad with blue cheese dressing instead of the fries, fooling myself that is it a lower fat, lower calorie option.  And Denny’s also serves a dish of ranch dressing with the sandwich, making it a flavor bomb.

Rocket Shop Café

http://www.rocketshopcafe.com/page1.php

At Bakersfield Municipal Airport, there is a very cool diner.  I went to the Rocket Shop Café for the first time on a business lunch while in the south Union Ave. area.  South Union Ave is not a destination place to eat except for a few exceptions like Great Castle Chinese.  The Rocket Shop Café is also good enough to be a destination restaurant.  There are lots of airplane, jet and flying stuff inside and TV’s with news and sports.  The run way is just outside in view of the dining room. 

I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich that offered a nice portion of quality chicken and a soft fresh roll.  The fries looked good, but I had a side salad.  The burgers looked great and they had some great specials like homemade chicken pot pie. 

Hooter’s

I’ve only been to Hooter’s once “in Bakersfield”.  Some customers wanted to go there for lunch.  They are quite a bit younger than me and seemed rather deprived, like they don’t see too many young girls in skimpy tight cloths.  The girls are nice and mostly very cute.   I had their Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and a side salad.  It was a large boneless chicken breast.  It seemed hand cut because it was an irregular shape and thicker in some spots, like it came from a real chicken.  The chicken and the sauce were good, but the sandwich was on a dry bun with a green tomato slice and wilted lettuce on the side.  It is definitely not the dripping gooey goodness of the Denny’s buffalo chicken melt.  “Melt” seems to be an added benefit to the sandwich.  My companions at Hooter’s finished their lunches without comment and didn’t want to leave.  They keep getting refills of soda and water and lamented how they can’t have beer during lunch at work. 

Since I’m older and remember the good ol’ days, I offer stories about how my customers used to have 4 drinks each day for lunch at places like the Buttonwillow Lumber Yard, Buck’s Steak House in Maricopa and The White Elephant in Taft.  All are gone now and are fading memories of the old timers like me that tell the same stories of the good ol’ days to anyone that will listen.  I can’t believe I’m one of “those guys” now. 

I was at the Original Buck’s Steakhouse in Maricopa when I first came to Bakersfield in 1981.  It was January and my fellow mud engineer that I was working with on a well at Coles Levee took me there after work one morning about 9:00 AM.  I remember the silver dollars in the bar and that we had turkey nuts and beer for breakfast.  That was February and the landmark restaurant bar burnt down in February 1981.  I was working in Rock Springs, Wyoming in February that year and when I got back to Bakersfield, Bucks was gone.  It was rebuilt and thriving for about 10 years after that.  Read some history:

http://www.bakersfield.com/entertainment/local/x746311530/This-is-one-life-that-was-truly-lived

Garman’s Pub

http://garmanspub.com/about-2/

Downtown Santa Paula is a mish mash of shops, stores and the Union Oil Company Oil museum. It can’t really decide if it’s going to be a trendy artsie-fartsi rebirth of an old-west downtown, or a Mexicano barrio shopping district where you go for cheap party favors, pan dulce and Mexican cuts of meat.  So, it’s really both for now it seems.  And in the middle of downtown Santa Paula, there is a very cool Irish Pub called Garman’s Pub.  It’s an old brick building with lots of seating, a pool table and bar.  I have customers in Santa Paula and the lunch options are limited, unless you know all the hidden gems like the restaurant at the Santa Paula Airport. 

I had the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and homemade potato chips for lunch.  The chicken was breaded in a hot and spicy coating and fried and served on a cibata roll.  It had a nice serving of lettuce and tomato but no buffalo wing sauce.  My companion had the ½ Lb. jalapeno cheddar burger.  I think that was spicier than my sandwich.  Garman’s would be a great stop for lunch when driving through the Hwy 126 corridor.  It’s on the main street that parallels 126.  The reviews on line are great. 

Over-all, I have to say my favorite Buffalo Chicken Sandwich is at Denny’s.  I’m sorry, it’s true.  Denny’s wins.  And they are everywhere. 

Clam Chowder Wars

Clam Chowder Wars

I have had several occasions to have clam chowder along the California coast over the last couple weeks.  Clam Chowder always tastes better when it’s made at the ocean.  Not that the clams are necessarily local.  But I think the restaurants that are at the beach and making seafood have the best recipes. Maybe the clam chowder just tastes better when you are at the beach or waterfront.

For example, 2 of my favorite seafood restaurants along the California coast are King’s Fish House and Enterprise Fish Company.  I first found King’s Fish house in renovated downtown Long Beach on Pine Street and Broadway while making call at the refineries in the early 1990’s (God that sounds so long ago).  And Enterprise Fish Company at the train station on State Street in Santa Barbara has been around for years.  These restaurants have a great bar atmosphere and great fresh seafood.  They are both pleasant place to go alone when out of town traveling.  And they both have expanded their restaurants to other areas.  Kings Fish House has 12 restaurants in Arizona, Nevada and California.  They have a great recipe for success with the fun bar, great fresh oysters from Washington state and great side dishes with the fish.  The Mac and cheese is especially tasty.  http://www.kingsfishhouse.com/locations.html

Enterprise Fish Co. is my restaurant of choice when I’m in Santa Barbara.  And they have a restaurant in Santa Monica also.  The wood fired grill and kitchen in the middle of the dining room provides a great atmosphere.  And in Santa Barbara, the college students that work there add a lot of enthusiasm.  http://www.enterprisefishco.com/

The New England clam chowder at both of these restaurants is top of the line and the sourdough bread makes it a meal in itself.

Anyone reading this blog has probably been to the Splash Café in Pismo beach.  The clam chowder at Splash is as great as it getw.  But the Splash offers a seafood topping for an extra $1.  It’s a spoon of crab meat and shrimp that puts it over the top.  And they have the toasted bread bowl that is unique compared the other restaurants. 

Betty and I went to pick up the fall shipment of wine at Le Cuvier in Paso Robles recently.  If I haven’t told you already, Le Cuvier is the best wine that I know of – at any price.  Although there are some great equals, like Ramey in Sonoma, Paoletti in Calistoga, Napa.  And Chateau Margene in Creston is producing some sought after Cab.  The Le Cuvier Wine is amazing.  As part of my normal shipment, I tasted the non-vintage Chardonnay.  It’s non-vintage because it’s from 2005 and 2006 vintages.  The wine has been aging in neutral oak for an average of 5 ½ years.  And the Reds only shipment has a 4 year barrel aged Sangiovaise that is wonderfully mellow and has big fruit like a cab.  We picked up wine for ourselves and 3 other members.  Betty calls me a wine mule.

As I was saying, on our way to Le Cuvier, we stopped for lunch at the Splash Café in San Luis Obispo.  It was our first visit to this location.  I like it because the line is not long, there is more seating and the bakery has some great pastries.  Betty ordered the clam chowder bread bowl and I ordered a pint of chowder.  Betty’s bread bowl is enough sourdough for both of us.  I also ordered fried oysters a la cart.  I don’t need the fries.  We both ordered the seafood topping that adds a nice portion of seafood to the chowder.  We got a table outside, but we were in the sun that was really bright.  It was a very enjoyable meal in spite of the 7 year old kid throwing a tantrum in the parking lot in front of us.  The little boy may have been autistic so I have compassion for him.  The Dad is either a saint or a tool.  He had control and this little boy was upset about something that caused him to scream and run around like a banchee.  A young woman walked by me and said, “I see you have your own entertainment”.  I said sarcastically “yeah, it’s great.  I think I’ll schedule a vasectomy tomorrow”.  (I didn’t really say that, but I wanted to)

http://www.splashcafe.com/

Recently, I visited Long Beach on business and ate lunch at a seafood place that I have seen but never stopped at, Beth 55 fish market and deli.  It’s at a sport fishing dock at pier C on Pico Ave.  The chowder is equally as good as the other greats and the fish is grilled fresh and generous portions are served.  The atmosphere is not so great.  The seating is outside overlooking the boats and industrial harbor and some of the tables were still wet after the morning wash down.  But it is a less costly option for great seafood and chowder when Kings Fish House downtown is not convenient.  http://www.berth55fishmarket.com/

And further south at San Clemente, the fisherman’s Restaurant is at the San Clemente Pier.  The view can’t be beat.  The Clam Chowder is tops also.  But they charge $3.25 for the hot bread, but I guess that is the going rate for overlooking the San Clemente beach.  I’ve eaten here many times over the years and recommend it for a great meal and some of the best atmosphere there is.  http://www.thefishermansrestaurant.com/

So, who has the best clam chowder?  Is it fair to say that it’s all equally great once I add the tobacco sauce?  All the above chowders use potatoes sparingly, which is good.  King’s Fish house offers a Cajun garlic sauce that is superior to the tobacco sauce I normally use.  And for the view, Fisherman’s at San Clemente is the best.  But the overall winner considering the clam chowder alone has got to be the Splash café with the seafood topping and a side of fried oysters and some of Betty’s toasted bread bowl.  I could do without the screaming kid though. 

I survived the killer Kern - La Costa Mariscos

I survived the Killer Kern- La Costa Mariscos

Almost every weekend during this summer I read reports of people drowning in the Kern River.  In fact, the death toll for this summer stands at 15 souls.  I have been tubing down the Kern River almost every summer for 25 years.  And in the back of my mind is always the sign posted at the entrance to the Kern River Canyon that advises people to stay out of the River.  The sign is updated with the total # of people that have lost their lives in this river.  The total is 257 + 15 this year = 272 people.   Tubing activities are done downstream of the canyon so I don’t see the sign too often. 

My first experience on the Kern River was about 1985.  Since my babies were little, Betty took out extra life insurance on me when she learned that I was going to take kayak lessons in the river.  The first lessons were in the pool at Rio Bravo Resort and the lake at the golf course.  Learning how to roll the kayak is a key maneuver that should be mastered.  It’s one thing to roll the kayak around in the pool, and another thing to roll it in the turbulent river.  Shortly after launching the kayak in the river with my instructors, the current and waves flipped me upside down.  Holding my breath and concentrating on the roll maneuver and not making it, just to go back upside down without a breath was frightening.  Panic strikes.  Instinct kicks in.  Bail out by pulling the bladder that keeps the water out.  I finally got a breath, just to find myself washing down the turbulent river over rocks and logs, the kayak going one way, the paddle going another way.   And my instructors helping to gather the equipment and meeting me at a calm eddy to try again.  “Let’s practice that roll maneuver again, here where it’s calm”.  After multiple near drowning and frustration, I thought, “this sucks”.  Then I saw some people sitting in inner tubes, floating down the river, relaxing, laughing and drinking beer.  Now this is what I’m talking about.  That was my last kayak lesson. 

I have enjoyed each time I went inner tubing down the river.  I have taken friends, my brother and Dad, friends from work and customers.  We launch at the parking lot on Rancheria Road.  We drop one car at the Lake Ming camp ground or at Hart Park.  Yesterday, being a Holiday weekend, it was really crowded on the River.   The guy I was with had never done this before.  At the launch site, 2 large parties of young adults were gathering.  When my friend had a hard time getting in his tube and started being drawn into the willows, I thought, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.  I helped him get out to the middle of the river while giving some last minute instructions that I should have gone over with him before we were headed for the rapids. 

“You need to get your arms deeper in the water so you can get some power in your stroke”  “Paddle harder”  “Stay away from the willows”  “Not that way, paddle out here”  “\See all the white water and turbulence ahead?  Those are bid boulders.  If you get flipped, just hold on to your tube.  Forget about everything else.”  The speed of the current really picked up as we approached the rapids. The water is churning and the paddling is almost worthless at this point.  Either you positioned yourself well or you didn’t.  “Try not to go over the boulders”, I shouted and the noise of the rapids is really loud and the current is taking us in different directions.  “Paddle harder”.  “Follow me”.  “Hold on”.  “Here we go”. 

The exhilaration increases and the excitement turns to fear and doubt as I go over the submerged boulders and the 3’ high waves and turbulence.   I come out of it still on my inner tube but on a rapid pace that carries me downstream and away from my friend who just flipped over and is fighting for his life.  He has one arm over the inner tube and one hand holding his flop flop.  The other flip flop is floating away.  His hat is gone, consumed by the torrent.  “Just hold on” I shout.  “I’ll get the other shoe”. 

There is a look on one’s face after coming out of these rapids on an inner tube.  It’s one of excitement and a shit eating grin when you get through intact on the tube.  Or, it’s fear and dread when you pop up to the surface and you realize how much power the river has and how little control you actually have and how you could have just drowned. 

I back paddle as hard as I can until he catches up to me.  “WOW, wasn’t that a blast.  You made it”.  Here’s you other shoe.  Your hat is gone.  But you’re lucky you still have your glasses.  I’ve lost shoes, hats, glasses, beer and cigars back there.  My friend must have been thinking of the mountain bike ride I took him on in the Sierras last month.  He said to me, “How do you survive?”  I laughed.

“That’s the worst of rapids”, I explain.  “It’s really relaxing from here on out, except for one other place.”  The rest of the float trip was great.  And the second set of rapids was no problem.  We got out at the Lake Ming camp ground an hour later and had a couple of beers. 

After retrieving my car at the launch site parking lot, we stopped in downtown Bakersfield and had dinner at La Costa Mariscos Mexican Restaurant. La Costa has been a family favorite since it opened about 20 years ago.  The owner was a waitress at El Torito on California before she opened La Costa.  I don’t see her there any more, I think she’s retired.  It’s a great Bakersfield success story.  They specialize in Mexican seafood and other classic Mexican dishes.  The food is great.  The salsa is fresh made and chunky.  My friend and I both ordered the Campechana, Mexican seafood cocktail.  I used to drive to Ensenada to get campechana like this.  It has shrimp, octopus and scallops in a great tomato juice sauce.  My favorite dish at La Costa is the seafood that is cooked in a red chile, butter and garlic sauce (Al Ajillo).  It has shrimp, fish, scallops and octopus in it.  The margaritas are made with an agave wine.  So if I plan ahead, I bring a flask of tequila to add to it. 

La Luz Del Dia.

“You can’t lose with La Luz”

It was 1960 and the family was out on the occasional Sunday dinner at Olvera Street in downtown L.A.  Three rascally little boys ages 7, 5 and 4 are kneeling down on the stairs looking through the railings at the kitchen activity below.  The red tile floors and hand painted tile murals on the walls told of a different culture still unknown but somehow familiar.  The ladies below in colorful aprons are grinding masa and slapping the little balls of the dough into thick chewy tortillas in silent toil.  The hot stove is cooking the flat cakes until they bubble up, then being turned by the bare hands just in time before being added to the ever disappearing stack.  The rhythm of the ladies slapping the tortillas by hand could be heard from outside.  It’s hypnotizing to the boys as they watched from above, almost forgetting how hungry they were.  I was the 5 year old.  Jeff was seven and Derek was a year and a half younger than me.

Dad always ordered for all of us from the sparse menu at the front of the line.  It was a good thing as Mom didn’t know the difference between carnitas and nopales and couldn’t speak Spanish anyway.  Dad spoke Spanish when he ordered and to the waiter that carried the trays of food to the table that Mom had found in the small dining room.  When the table was set with dinner, we raced down the stairs to eat.  We watched Dad as he tore the tortillas in half and filled them with the fresh chopped carnitas, refried beans and salsa.  We copied him like we did at Sunday morning breakfast when he mixed hot sauce with his poached eggs.  And when he used chop sticks at the Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.

 The rice at La Luz was like our grandmother made, moist and fluffy with just the right amount of tomato sauce.  A spoon full of guacamole completed the Carnitas plate.  And Dad always ordered a variety of dishes like picadillo (beef stew with red chile), tamales and chicharon tacos.  After dinner we walked through the stalls on Olvera Street selling thrilling delights that were irresistible to little boys.  We would look and dream as such frivolous delights were unattainable.  If we were lucky and pestered Dad enough, we might get an Astro pop, the hard candy multi-colored pop shaped like a slender cone.  Twirling it just right and resisting biting it would result in a sharp point that was a great threat to each other. 

La Luz Del Dia has not change much over the years.  Some of the staff has retired and the owner passed the restaurant down to his son.  They added a dining room and outdoor seating years ago.  And occasionally, the prices would go up.  By the time I was 21, I noticed that they served beer.  It was a unique place to take a girl and for $20 I could tell in one date if a girl was worth seeing again.  The hand shaping of the tortillas has given way to a press, but they are just a thick and chewy as ever.  Of course Betty loved it as did Dana and Lia.  So it has remained a family favorite for 50 years.  Where else to meet with friends and family on my 55^th birthday celebration, but La Luz Del Dia in Olvera Street? 

Thanks to all who rode the train, paid $9 to park or drove all the way from San Jose to wish me a happy birthday.  I am deeply touched.

Lamb dip Throw Down

Lamb Dip Throw Down

French dip sandwiches are common in a lot of restaurants, especially for lunch.  They are especially popular at Bakersfield’s Basque restaurants.  For me the only dip at a Basque restaurant is a lamb dip.  I’ve been eating them for years and I have come up with a favorite.  I think.  For now.

The typical Basque lamb dip comes with aus jus, a salad and fries.

The Pyrenees Cafe has a good lamb dip, but I don’t like the salad or the salsa.  The salad has funky stuff in it like cucumbers.  It’s more like a vegetable medley than a salad.  And I like veggies and cucumbers in my salad, but not at Basque.   

Narducci's Cafe is like a Basque restaurant turned biker bar.  They have a nice lunch menu but lamb dips are not always available.  You might have to have a hamburger instead, which is also great.  The bartender was a cutie though and made up for any other deficiencies in the place.

I had a lamb dip at Wool Growers Restaurant last week.  I really like the salad with the side of marinated tomatoes and peppers. It’s a Woolgrower’s standard.  The sandwich however was only mediocre.  The lamb was sliced thin and was dried out in spots.  How does that happen?  The table next to me was having filet mignon for lunch.  That looked really good.  What am I doing eating a lamb dip?

Once in a while I’ll get to Noriega Restaurant & Hotel and I’ll miss the seating at noon or not want the big spread they always have.  It’s nice to sit at the bar or a table in the bar for lunch.  They’ll serve certain items like a burger or dip.  There isi no menu.  The bar tender will tell you the 3 or 4 things you can order.  They are all good.  I like Noriega Hotel.  I usually order a side of blue cheese with my lamb dip.  They serve it with a small salad with oil and vinegar and fries.  It’s always fresh and hot.  You can’t go wrong at Noriega’s.

I used to have a customer that liked to go to Chalet Basque Restaurant.  Their lamb dip is good and pretty much standard.  I don’t know why I don’t go there anymore.

I had lunch at Benji's French Basque Restaurant yesterday.  They are open on Monday when Noriega is closed.  The salad that comes with the dip is in a family style bowl with shredded carrots and a nice creamy oil and vinegar dressing mixed in.  It’s a unique dressing at Benji’s.  I think it’s the same dressing they use on the pickled tongue. And when the bowl was empty, they asked if we wanted more salad.  Again, I ordered a side of blue cheese.  It goes so well with the salad and there is enough for the sandwich also.  The lamb was sliced a bit thicker than Woolgrowers and it was more tender and moist.  The French roll was really soft and fresh.  I think this is my favorite lamb dip in town.

Each place has something unique and different in what they serve or in the atmosphere.  Sometime one place will be closed so I go to another one.  I recommend that you get to know them all and see if you can come up with a favorite.

 

For a really unique French dip you have to go the original Philippe's on Ord and Almeda in downtown L.A.  They slice the lamb right off the roasted leg to order.  And they dip the roll in the aus jus.  I order mine double dipped so they dip both halves.  And I order it with blue cheese.  It is a real classic.  And there is lots of free parking. You will not get fries and you will not get a Basque salad, but the lamb is superb.  Warning, go easy on the French mustard.  It will knock your socks off.