Wednesday, May 30, 2018

REMEMBERING YOUR VACATION: Souvenirs

Tim's latest acquisition is a model of the ship we recently cruised on. 
See some more of his collection in the video below. 

We go on vacation to create memories.  How do you remember vacations?  For us, a variety of ways.  We take pictures and videos, look for restaurants that serve the kind of food we had, and we write about it (as in this blog).

Another way is to bring home a physical souvenir that reminds you of the trip every time you see it.  Sometimes it's practical, such as the hats Tim and I bought in London.  They're great for cold weather and we think of that great British city every time we wear them.



Watch the Video!

Sometimes it's more whimsical.  Just something fun to collect as a reminder of your time away.  In the video above, Tim shows you what he collects...models of iconic structures of the cities he visits.  Click on the play button and Tim will take you on a tour of his little city.

Enjoy!

Darryl

Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Amazing Places - Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Maine


One of the places we referenced in our Maine report is the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.  If you're ever in the southern area of Maine...downeast...be sure to check it out.  Below is an article I wrote for a publication a few years ago.

On a crisp fall day in Southern Maine, we wheel up to the bulletin board of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Tacked to it is a ruled notepad and a pencil on a string. Here, guests are invited to write down what wildlife they’ve seen on their visit. It makes for some fascinating reading and whets the appetite for what’s to come...

“Two squirrels, 4 blue jays, one deer...”
“a hawk, 3 chipmunks, 4 sparrows...”
“3 squirrels and two dead mosquitos...”

We had been in Maine for the past week, in the midst of the peak fall color. So far, the crowds have been very sparse...we had been expecting that the area would be swamped with leaf-peepers. On a brilliantly cool and sunny day, fortified with some delicious local lobster and chowder, we head over to the visitor’s center...just south of Kennebunkport.

Packing up some water and our binoculars, we head out onto the 1 mile trail that leads off into the forest. The trail is hard packed dirt with wooden borders. Today, it is covered with a thin layer of fallen leaves, muffling our sounds so that only those of the surrounding forest are heard. The trail is relatively flat and easily negotiable for any wheelchair. Interpretive stations are sprinkled throughout along with pullouts where the weary can rest.



The first third of the trail winds through shady forest where there are squirrel habitats, creeks, stations interpreting the local plant life. Chipmunks and squirrels abound. Curiously, birds are almost absent as we made our way quietly towards the sea.

The trail opens up onto a coastal marsh with a breathtaking display of color with bright red sugar maples highlighting the yellows of the birch trees with the evergreen pines outlining their brilliance with their contrasting green. The designers of the trail thoughtfully have installed a pullout with a bench, knowing you will want to spend time here absorbing the view.

Shore birds flit around the saw grass at the edge of the marsh. We stop to sip some water, searching the horizon with our binoculars. Surely there must be some wildlife in the refuge today but the biggest mammals we see are the ever-present squirrels.

About 3/4 of a mile out, the trail turns back in, following the line of the tide back into the shady deciduous forest. Soon, we meet up with the original trail and are back in the parking lot adding our entries into the log...

“Many squirrels, 6 chipmunks, 2 blue jays...”

The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge flows through several seaside towns in Southern Maine. The visitor’s center and the mile long wheelchair accessible trail is between Wells and the Kennebunks on Route 9 near Deer Run Road just north of the junction with Highway 1. Signage is very limited, watch carefully for the entrance.

Beside the trail, other accessible features include portable toilets, parking, and a small visitor’s center accessible via a ramp.

-Darryl
Copyright 2000 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH TOWNS: A Photo Essay



It's called highway 49 for a reason...this ribbon of asphalt connect most of the towns that grew up during California's Gold Rush and includes some of the most historic sites in the state.




It's old, dating back over 150 years but Ione, actually, is not a gold mining town. The city made its riches by making the bricks that other Gold Rush towns used to rebuild with after devastating fires. Now, it's fireworks, tourists, and juvenile offenders.  The Castle...a large, imposing building on the hill overlooking town was the old juvenile detention center. A more modern juvenile hall stands next door.




Pretty Sutter Creek has a working gold mine at the edge of town. 




One of the best steakhouses in the Motherlode is was here too...J and D's.




The county seat of Amador County is nearby Jackson. Gorgeous town but really knocked to the mat during the great recession of 2010...saw way too many vacant storefronts while we were there as well as a sad looking for sale banner on the historic National Hotel at the end of the street but a recent visit saw the National back in business and the local economy has really picked back up.




Wine is the new hot commodity in Amador County, just a few miles away from where the big Gold Rush started.  This little miner's cabin holds the tasting room for our favorite California winery, Story Winery.




There's also a great picnic area here overlooking hundreds of acres of vines...some dating back to the Gold Rush days...trailing off down the Consumnes River Canyon.




Perhaps the most famous of Motherlode towns is Angel's Camp, made famous by Mark Twain in his story  The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Like Jackson, it's a pretty quiet place these days but nearby Murphy's draws big crowds on the weekends as bikers and tourist clamor for tastes of wine from this new wine region.




Last is the most historic town on the California gold trail...by far. In fact, I'd wager to say that this is THE most important and historic site in the entire state.  Coloma is where John Sutter had his mill.  Being water powered, the mill run would sometimes clog up.  A couple of sticks of dynamite would clear it up and it'd just take some workmen to make sure the debris was cleared.




Mill foreman, James Marshall, was on that duty on January 24, 1848. As he was walking along the river inspecting for blast debris, he noticed something shiny in the water at this tiny, sandy beach.  It was gold and California would never, ever be the same.




Unfortunately for Marshall and his boss, Sutter, others would profit from the rush they started and they died broke.  Marshall is buried on top of a nearby hill where he had his cabin. This statue on top of his grave points to that spot on the river where he found the gold that forever changed the fortunes of the state.

Darryl
Copyright 2012 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

The Top 10 Charming Downtowns of Los Angeles County




A friend of mine just posted a link to an article about the 10 most charming towns in Southern California.  It's a good list (I only take issue with Temecula which, with it's overcrowding and price gouging tasting rooms, has lost it's charm with me) and it got me thinking...can I come up with a list that's much closer to home?

Let's see what I can do...this will be in alphabetical order.



Belmont Shore - Actually a neighborhood of a very much larger city, this section of 2nd Street in the southwest corner of the county, between Long Beach and Seal Beach, combines the charming walkability of a village and a day at the beach.

Numerous restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops line the street.  We bought our bikes at Jone's Bike Shop near the south end of the strip.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the street at the end (Bayshore Avenue) is closed to traffic during the day, making a pedestrian friendly access to the quiet and friendly beach here on Alamitos Bay.  The big aparment building at the ocean end of Bayshore Avenue is quite popular with singles and gives this part of the beach its locally well-known nickname, 'Horny Corner.'



Claremont - at the eastern edge of the county, this premiere college town is one of our guaranteed good time spots. The village at the heart of the city eschews most of the chains so you get some very unique shopping spots such as the Folk Music Center with it's eclectic selection of musical instruments, the bookstore in the Packing House that serves as a charity for prisoner services, the last outpost of Rhino Records, and even a guy who will custom build a violin for you.

If you're hungry for a great burger, two of the very best are found on the same block. Eureka!, which serves what we consider the best burger in Southern California right now and the Back Abbey.  Pizza lovers will want to try Pizza 'n Such or Union on Yale which are practically next door to each other on Yale Avenue. Aruffo's and Tutti Mangia are great for Italian but save room to go to Bert and Rocky's (also on Yale) for some great housemade ice cream and candy when you're done.

In between, you can catch a movie at the Laemmle Theatre on Indian Hill Boulevard, right next to the Back Abbey (behind the theatre).

Claremont is a stroller's paradise with it's many shady trees, parks, and five college campuses to roam through adjacent to the village. You can easily reach it on public transit, too, as Metrolink has a station here in the heart of the village that's also served by the buses of Foothill Transit.


Photo by BikeSVG

Covina - It's not just a place on 'My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' (actually, that's West Covina, but still...), Covina has a lovely downtown stretching from Badillo and San Bernardino Road halfway between the 10 and 210 freeways.

Pubs, restaurants, the Covina playhouse reside here. Back in the day...before it burned down...the Covina Theater was our place for midnight showings of  'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.'

On the side streets, you can find Claro's, one of the best Italian Delis and markets around, and the City Grill...very good restaurant with an equally good happy hour.

Metrolink stops here and you can easily spend an evening bar-hopping and browsing.



Culver City - Along Culver Boulevard, you'll find another worthy entry to this list. It's very movie centric with a couple of very major movie studios in the neighborhood ('Gone With the Wind,' 'The Wizard of Oz,' and 'Jeopardy' were or are filmed here at the Sony Studios, formerly MGM).

It's not uncommon to see familiar faces about or to see some poor production assistant coming in to a local restaurant to pick up a big order for the crew back at the studio.

At the end of the street is the Culver Hotel, famous for housing the actors playing the Munchkins in 'The Wizard of Oz.' It's a great place to pick up a drink in the bar.

The other end of the neighborhood houses the Sony Studios along with the Henry Fonda Theatre, where live performances are staged.  Great restaurants here include Ford's Filling Station and, our favorite place for Southern fried chicken in Southern California, Honey's Kettle.


Courtesy of Wikimedia
ilpo's soujourn via CC BY 2.0 license

Glendale - A stroll along Brand Boulevard, just south of the 134 Freeway, reveals many iconic spots.  Damon's tiki styled steakhouse, and the Alex Theatre.

Keep walking south and you'll come across the Americana at Brand, a large, outdoor shopping mall where you can ride a trolley from one end to another.

The biggest highlight here, though, is the most crowded.  The long lines at 315 North Brand will tell you you're at one of the very best...and most popular...bakeries in the world.  Porto's draws 'em in with a dazzling and dizzying array of sweet baked goods. They also sell Cuban sandwiches and other light snacks.  Be prepared for a crowd and a wait, though.


Courtesy of Wikimedia
in saphho we trust via CC BY SA 2.0 license

Glendora - Another favorite for film producers, downtown Glendora on Glendora Avenue and Foothill Boulevard by the Civic Center, is a quiter version of a charming downtown district.  There's no movie theater or college to pull in the visitors so you won't get the crowds that sometimes descend on Old Pasadena or Claremont.

Shoppers will like the Kitchen Shoppe, the clock store, boutiques, candy shop, and more.  Diners will like Kara's Korner for Jewish deli-inspired comfort food (their Matzoh ball soup is what I crave when I have a cold), Domenico's for pizza, the Vault for breakfast, and another version of T. Phillips.

Larchmont Village - In the heart of the city, just south of Hollywood, lies this little neighborhood of shops and restaurants. Village Pizza is a great place for hand made pies.

After browsing the shops and having a cup of your favorite coffee, nearby is the Original Farmer's Market, which can host a day of browsing all by itself.



La Verne - Another college town, downtown La Verne covers a mere three blocks between Bonita Avenue and Arrow Highway. The adjacent University of La Verne provides a lot of shady, grassy walking areas, with occasional performances in its theaters and auditoriums. An NCAA Division III school, there is also a full slate of college sports so you can catch a thrilling game.

The fully stocked library invites the public to come in and browse, as to the art galleries on campus.

D Street, the main drag, houses an array of restaurants from budget Asian bowl take out to full-blown sit down gourmet. One of the Inland Empires legendary pizza houses is here, Warehouse Pizza, that has sustained many a college student for over four decades.

Drinkers can also carouse at the handful of bars here and Miss Donuts, on the corner of Bonita and D, is one of the best of its kind.



Monrovia - Our hometown's core has a restored old town section on Myrtle Avenue. About five blocks north of the Monrovia Gold Line light rail station, Old Town Monrovia is several blocks of shops, restaurants, pubs, and a movie theater.

The Krikorian Theatre pulls in the crowds who then dine at a feast of multi-ethnic restaurants on the street. You have Greek, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, French, Vietnamese, British, Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Thai, Mediterranean, and good old American food represented at over two dozen fine restaurants. Our four Friday night rotation restaurants are all here...The Monrovian (solid Greek diner), Rudy's (great Mexican food and bar), T. Phillips (72 tap ale house with decent pub food), and Belasera (fine Italian dining).

Shoppers can browse jewelry stores, the library's used book store, a fishing store, cookie shop, shoes, clothing boutiques, candy shops, and more in a very relaxing and charming setting.

You'll be forgiven if you think you've been here before...being close to L.A., you know Hollywood will come calling and Old Town Monrovia has been used as a set for literally hundreds of movies, tv show, commercials, and music videos.  A few you may have heard of are 'Legally Blonde,' 'Grosse Point Blank,' 'The Goldbergs,' and 'Beethoven.'



Sierra Madre - One of the few cities in the county (maybe the only one?) that does not have a streetlight within the city limits.  It's getting a little trendier and more popular over the years...bike clubs use it as a destination for their weekend rides and the 'Only Place in Town' diner is no longer compliant with truth in advertising in it's name.

The second outpost of the wildly popular Luck Baldwins pub is here as is some great ethnic restaurants ranging from Italian, Spanich, and Greek to French, Argentinian, and Belgian.

Sierra Madre Playhouse puts on some very entertaining live theater in the middle of town and the only lodging is a converted jail cell that is now a bed and breakfast.

Darryl
Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Monday, May 7, 2018

Paso Robles, California - Part 3

After a couple of days spent exploring the trails, the vineyard, wines, and entertainment of Paso Robles, our final day has us hitting the road.


Watch the Video!


The Pacific Ocean is only 25 miles west via highway 46. Many interesting sights await at the coast. Upon hitting highway 1…a major destination in itself…a left turn takes you south to the classic beach towns of Cayucos and Morro Bay, and the tiny town of Harmony.  Turn right to the quaint village of Cambria and Hearst Castle perched high upon a local mountain.



We go beyond both of these northern landmarks to the beach at Piedras Blancas.

Four miles beyond Mr. Hearst’s estate, this stretch of rocky sand is home to a colony of formerly endangered elephant seals.  Now protected against molestation, the seals have made a nice comeback and live in a few colonies along the coast.



Large, fat, and lazy, the elephant seals seem to be content to lie on their bellies, flipping sand occasionally on their backs as a sort of natural sunscreen.  Now and again, a couple will flare up…barking at each other, butting heads, maybe even biting…but as soon as it starts, the animals seem to lose the strength to continue and flop back down on the sand, content to rest until another flash of energy enters into their blubber lined bodies.



The human spectators gather in the parking lot and along the top of the sand. A fence keeps the two species separated, allowing plenty of opportunities to spectate.





In the water, a few seals joust with each other bashing heads, barking loudly, and occasionally biting each other while the waves crash against them.

The animals are much bigger than the harbor seals of Morro Bay or the sea lions crowding around the local wharves, very similar looking to the manatees of the east coast.



Fat squirrels and aggressive sea birds fight for scraps of food from the visitors.  A seagull takes a nip at a squirrel and flies off with an inch of the rodent’s tail while the squirrel takes cover under a car.



As we return, we make a short stop in Cambria to shop and have a snack.


Back in Paso Robles, we take a little time to relax at the hotel and go for a swim.  Across the street from our base of operations, the Best Western Black Oak Inn, is the local fairgrounds.

Many of our fellow hotel guests are driving big pickup trucks, wearing Wranglers and cowboy boots, and walk with a swagger.  They’re competitor in a regional team roping competition going on across the street.



Letty and I, curious about this, walk over to the main gate of the fair and walk in.  There is nobody around, no signs, no ticket booths…not a soul in sight. We walk tentatively to the north end of the fairgrounds, waiting for the inevitable security guard demanding to know what we’re doing here, but nothing.  Nobody. Not a single luxury.



Eventually we hear a buzzer, follow the sound to a large shed, and find some activity.  We wander inside and find the team roping competition going full force.


It’s like going to one event in a rodeo. Team roping consists of a team of two riders on horseback. A calf is released who tries to run away. One rider attempts to lasso the horns while their partner tries to throw a loop around the hind legs. A special cap is worn by the calf to prevent injury and the animal is released as soon as it is caught.

Teams compete for the best time with penalties assessed for sloppy roping. If either team member misses, no time is given.

It’s fun and exciting for a little while.  After watching the same activity time and time again for 45 minutes, it gets a little old so we take our leave, heading back to the gate where we entered.

Again, it’s back into the deserted grounds. We get to the gate…and it’s locked. We walk to the administration building. It’s locked and so is the gate next to it. Again and again, we walk along the perimeter fence. Every gate is locked. We can find no one.

At the end of the fairgrounds, there is one last gate. It is also locked but has a gap.  Letty can fit through but not the bigger dimensions of my body.

Uh oh…


(You can see our fairground adventure in the video above)

We walk waaay back to the other end of the fairgrounds where the roping is going on. The lady who seems to be in charge doesn’t know where we should go except to try to go out where the trucks go in.

It’s quite a walk, but we find the access road and eventually find our way out and then walk about another mile to get back to our hotel.

With our escape , we call it a day and in the morning high tail it back home…Tim’s camp called.  He’s sick and they need us to come pick him up right away.

Paso Robles now just a quickly fading memory in our rear view mirror as we speed to the San Bernardino Mountains, we say goodbye and face up to getting our son better.

The epilogue? Tim is sick but not real bad. We have a couple of frazzled days of caregiving getting him back up to health but he’s fine and we can all look back at it with a smile now.

-Darryl
Copyright 2011
Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Sunday, May 6, 2018

THE COCKTAIL HOUR - Paso Robles Wine Tasting



This week, we take the Cocktail Hour out on the road again. This time it's to Paso Robles to taste some of the fine wines of this area.


Watch the Video!


We start off at Castoro Cellars...home of "Dam Fine Wine" (Castoro means beaver in Italian)...and try their late harvest zinfandel port along with some truffles.




Other stops included Eagle Crest Winery and Tobin James...but the star of the show with great wines at super low prices is a rather mundane local location.  All is revealed in the video above.

Cheers!


Darryl

Friday, May 4, 2018

Paso Robles, California - Part 2


Previously, we went hiking along the Salinas River in Part 1. Today, we'll find out just what makes Paso so famous...

Paso Robles is known for wine, so today we’ll concentrate our efforts towards that. First, it’s time for breakfast.

Watch the Video!

Yesterday we had great pancakes at Springside Café, today, it’s chilaquiles, chorizo, and eggs at Joe’s Place. Formerly a Mexican restaurant called Lolo’s, now it’s a greasy spoon diner with a surly chef and a wisecracking waitress…at least that’s what the description on the menu says.  We never got to meet the cook and had a friendly server.

The food was great, now it’s time to work it off.  Letty goes for an early morning run through downtown while I go for a walk.


It’s nice to see a town in the morning by foot. You see so much more than you do just driving by. These two pit bulls kept a close eye on me as I walked by the store they were guarding.


I also walked around the fairgrounds and the Pioneer Museum.

Time to taste some wine.  We picked up some coupons from the front desk of our hotel, the Best Western Black Oak, and hit the road.

First, we went to the west side of town to a castle on the side of the road. This is Eagle Crest Winery in a custom built castle on top of a hill. (Ed - this is now the Rabble Winery)


It even has a moat.


I had seen a banner back at the fairgrounds for this winery where the fine print said they were selling mixed cases for $100.  If the wine’s good, that’s a bargain.  Other wineries in town had some cases on sale for $75 or $80 but just on certain varieties.


In the tasting room, I asked the server what the conditions were for the price.  Just pick any wine from the list, make up a case (12 bottles) any way you like…mix or match…and it’s $100.  Even for the $30 wines.

We tasted, we liked very much, we bought a case.  Nice winery, great wines, and good staff.


Just down the road, we visit Castoro Cellars.  Here we also taste some nice wines, but a bit overpriced.  Many of the same wines are on sale at the local Albertson’s for $7.


They do have some nice chocolate truffles, so we get a bottle of late harvest zinfandel port to have a little dessert picnic overlooking the vineyard.



Heading over to the east side of town, we go along the Union Road wine trail to Maloy O’Neill winery.  Here we taste some average red wines going for $26 and up.  Nice place, but just too expensive.


Our last stop was the Tobin James Winery at the eastern end of Union Road.  Decent wines, just a bit expensive but with a little impatient attitude at the tasting counter.

Summing up our quick tour, we liked Eagle Crest best, Castoro, and the east side wineries a little less.

If you'd like to see more of our wine tasting adventure, watch the video from this week's Cocktail Hour, below.


Watch the Paso Robles Wine Tasting video!

After a swim and nap break back at the hotel, we head over the city park in downtown.


It’s Friday, so we’re in time for the first concert in the park for the summer season. Tonight, local band Rhythm Method is playing in the gazebo while ribs, wine, and beer are sold off to the side.  Many other attendees bring their own picnics and drinks.


I go across the street to the Goodwill, buy a cheap picnic blanket, get some wine, beer, and food, and we settle in for the show.  Very nice and relaxing way to end the day.

Stay tuned for part three.

-Darryl
Copyright 2011 – Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Adventures Close to Home: The Rotation


It's been about three years since we've updated our Friday night rotation...a couple of things have changed since then. Bellasera is no longer on our rotation and, since I retired and have more time, we go to the gym earlier and are no longer wedded to Monrovia on Friday nights. The updated story is below.

Tim goes to a local gym a couple of times a week for therapeutic exercise where a personal trainer puts him through his paces to keep his strength and flexibility up.

Since we generally have to be there, too, Letty and I also have a regular gym membership so we work out while Tim gets his therapy.


The gym is located in the downtown area of Monrovia, California where there are several good restaurants withing walking distance. After our Friday night workout, we go out to eat before returning home.




Friday is also the night Monrovia hosts its long-running Friday night Family Festival where the street is closed and the community comes out to mingle. Since we come earlier now, we no longer stay for the festival. It's nice but being here every...single...Friday...night  wears on you after awhile. 


Over the years, we've worked out a regular schedule of restaurants we go to for our after workout dinner. Right now, we're going to three restaurants regularly that we've found to be generally reliable.  It's a different restaurant each Friday night, we call this our Friday Rotation, but sometimes since it's early, we'll leave Monrovia and go out somewhere else like the food trucks at our local microbreweries or even take the Gold Line into Pasadena to get dinner there.


Still, we do eat pretty regularly here in Monrovia. The three of the restaurants are on the corner of Myrtle and Colorado Boulevard. 


Going clockwise...


T. Phillips Ale House sits on the southwest corner of Myrtle and Colorado. The main draw here? 72 taps of ice cold beer.  The food is not bad, some entrees better than others.  


When they first opened here (this was the third location after La Verne - now closed - and Glendora), prices were a bit precious. A few items, such as their excellent chicken pot pie and prime rib sandwich, were not too bad but other dinner entrees were pretty expensive.


T. Phillips got the message and has introduced a plethora of lower priced items such as deli sandwiches, black and bleu tacos, and some great happy hour apps like wings and nachos.




Happy hour is 3-6, Monday through Friday, where it's two dollars off beers and several apps are five dollars. 


If we stick to the happy hour menu, we get out for less than $40. If not, it's more like $60. T. Phillips is also a regular customer of Living Social so I can count on buying at least four vouchers during the year that will take another $10-15 or so off of the bill.



Next up is a Monrovia landmark. It's even named after the city.  Here for 39 years is the Monrovian, owned by the beautiful and Greek Sia Soris.  Yes, it's basically a Greek diner in its bones but Sia has made the atmosphere welcoming and comfortable. She's constantly trying to upgrade the menu...which also raises the prices occasionally...and, while they do everything competently, some items are truly outstanding. If you know what to order.


I have yet to find a better chicken fried steak anywhere. Available in either the breakfast version or dinner version, this tasty, gravy covered, tenderized steak is heavenly.


Tim just loves their beefeater sandwich and Letty goes back and forth between the salmon and the dinner salads.


Friday night prime rib special is pretty special and also comes with dessert thrown in.


Our last dinner bill was $41, including tip.


Rudy Castrellon is a true legend here in Monrovia.  Coming here as an immigrant as a teenager, he started as a dishwasher at a local Acapulco restaurant. Saving up, he eventually opened up a small lunch counter on the corner.


With good food came more success and, as his neighbor businesses folded, Rudy expanded into their former spaces into the 200 seat restaurant and cantina that has made him a millionaire several times over.


Oh yeah, Rudy also became a citizen and is very active in city commissions and setting business policy in this city.




There was even a documentary made about him called 'Rutilio,' but I like to say I gave him his big break when I got him to star in our video, 'Southern California's Top Three Margaritas.'





Rudy is a good friend now. Come in here a few times and you will also be able to say that. Rudy makes it a point to visit with every customer in his place before they leave.

Of course, we  have to start off with one of the top three margaritas around. Beyond that, I'm a big fan of their tripas tacos (cow intestines, only served Friday nights), one of the best cheap rib eye steak dinners you'll find in the area, chile rellenos, and enchiladas.


Letty likes the lengua (tongue) and cocido (soup). Tim thrives on their cheese enchiladas and bean 'n cheese burritos.

Total bill will be around $40, $50 or so with margaritas.

Just like any other team, we've had vacancies and promotions on our rotation...the late and greatly lamented Frank and Joe's, the local Thai restaurant that went downhill, the Pho place where the service got too bad...but this group of four are our current dependables.

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved