Five Days in LA

[akirlu]

Hal and I will be visiting in LA and Orange County this weekend and through next Wednesday. I mean to eat Quite A Lot of Peruvian meals while I have the chance, and we'll try to get to one or both of the Getty museums while we're there, and I'll want to make a pilgrimage to Sterling Graphics, but what else should I be doing? Not Disney, not this trip, and Mt. Wilson will depend on atmospheric conditions but maybe the Gamble House and a general toodle around Pasadena. Still, I'm open to suggestions -- anything new and not to be missed in the way of fabulousness? Old favorites I haven't thought of? What should I do in LA?

Comments

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

Gamble House sounds like a good idea, and the Huntington Library if you haven't been there (or are in a garden-at-this-season mood). Maybe (if you like the cuisine) check out Ethiopian restaurants in the Fairfax district (or Jewish/Delis). (And I'd appreciate Reviews of Peruvian restaurants in the LArea -- my net-research skills aren't up to locating any (except the place in Claremont that is owned by a Peruvian, but seems to be mostly Anglo-French in the food department).)

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yes, Huntington Library and gardens are an old favorite and always worth a bit of a wander. Thanks for reminding me.

Does Orange County count as LArea by your lights? I know (or knew) several Peruvian places in the vicinity of Costa Mesa / Irvine / Tustin, and would be happy to write them up, post trip. I can practically taste that chicken saltado now...

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

Fifty-plus years ago, Irvine (&cet.) was Way Out In The Sticks. Then it became Part of The Local Area. Now, going there is a Major Expedition again. (All this is purely subjective, of course.) But -- like San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and San Diego -- it seems a likely target for a two- or three-day mini-vacation, spending a night or two at a /P/a/l/a/t/i/a/l/ /L/u/x/u/r/y/ /H/o/t/e/l/ cheap motel and Seeing The Sights.

Although, frankly, the last time I was deep into Orange County most of the area seemed to consist of generic built-within-the-last-15-years "architecture" (and yes, that kind of construction calls for quotes) that I find neither interesting nor pleasing to the eye.

But a write-up of Peruvian restaurants there would be enjoyable to read, and I'm reasonably likely to put it to use. Especially if you delve into the cuisine, about which I know almost nothing (except that it can turn uncommon varieties of potatoes -- of which there are estimated to be about 15,000 -- into Tasty Vegetables). (To my regret, neither of the two Peruvian restaurants at which I've eaten had Guinea Pig available.)

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

You kind of have to know where to look in order to find bits of Orange County that have not been utterly overrun with The Beige. The old part of City of Orange is pretty cool, for instance, and Watson's Drug is an old drug store that still has a soda fountain and serves breakfast, lunch, and maybe dinner. They do some truly excellent pie a-la-mode. The older parts of Santa Ana and Anaheim also have cool interesting bits. And Laguna Beach is artsy-craftsy about the waist and knees. But I Know What You Mean. And in fact one of my favorite places for Peruvian food back in the day was in a strip mall food court in Irvine. Totally unimpressive from the outside. Basically, OC "style" tends to defeat ordinary restaurant-finding cues and you start having to rely primarily on personal recommendations.

[greenshadows.livejournal.com]

I second the Huntington - library and garden both. Wow. :)

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

It is pretty wow, isn't it? It was an old favorite haunt of mine, back in the day, especially the cactus garden.

[auntysocial.livejournal.com]

Another vote for the HUntington Library.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm wondering why I didn't think of that one myself. Possibly because I did use to take it too much for granted, being right close to home and all.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Notes to self:

Watson's Drug in Orange for pie.
Johnny Reb's in Tustin for roadhouse food, esp. fried chicken.
Seal Beach for beach walk, and/or dog beach in Huntington Beach.
UC Irvine?
Laguna Beach just 'cause, maybe for breakfast one day.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

You should come to Manassas, we have three Peruvian restaurants. You have to at least read Spanish to order, though! I'd be willing to give one of those up to get a good Vietnamese restaurant. Or even a Pho shop.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

You should come to Seattle. Even just the U District is completely overrun with Vietnamese and Pho restaurants. And teriyaki. Teriyaki is the national dish of Seattle.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmm. I'd like to come to Seattle, but money would have to fall from the sky.