Shocking news indeed... we wanted to celebrate Bastille Day and dine at a French restaurant. Here there are only three and because Dominque's Kitchen was offering their guests a glass of free champagne, we knew it would be jammed since they often are on a non-holiday anyhow.
We do like Crème de la Crepe, but ... crepes for a celebration? So I made reservations at:
Zazou, 1810 S. Catalina Avenue, Redondo Beach 310-540-4884 business@zazourestaurant.com
I needn't have bothered - seating was wide open. No free champagne, no customers?
A pleasant space with the bar running down the room on your right as you enter and dining on your left. The décor is done in desert colors, sage green, adobe, sand, all the better to focus on your food served in dazzling white china on a sparkling white tablecloth with starched and ironed napkins. Very low key sophis.
We ordered drinks - a glass of Rose Bueyes ($12) for me and a G and T ($8) for him. Unusually, we both had individual hors d'oeuvres - escargot ($15) and since Richie loves mussels, a serving of them for him. ($17) My escargot were large, plump with their earthy goodness and served with a slice of buttered and grilled baguette. I really went to Grease City with both.
I rarely order an entre, content to pick and snibble at the apps, but tonight the sky was the limit so I ordered the filet with black pepper sauce ($37) whereas Richie restrained himself and ordered the baked chicken with the same black pepper sauce. ($29) Both were very enjoyable and both went home with us for dinner the next night. They came with garlic mashed potatoes for him and French fries for me. I loved dipping them in leftover spatters of sauce and eating them. Dessert enough.
Richie had a glass of cabernet sauvignon Waterstone and I a glass of prosecco ($10) with our mains.
Our server, Robert del Rieg (name on the ticket) and the co-owner, a very nice lady whose name I can't remember, both visited with us because it (still) wasn't that busy. In conversation, we mentioned in passing that it was an anniversary of sorts for us as we'd met on Bastille Day 35 years ago and married on July 2 33 years ago. Nothing was said, but after I asked for the tab, here they came with their signature bread pudding with two candles glittering away on top!
I was horrified! Snagging a free dessert was as far away from my mind as it could be! The four of us had discussed the tragedy in Nice that very day, bemoaned the fact that it certainly sullied any Bastille Day celebrations. In fact, tears came to my eyes when I asked for the sparkling rose to honor the south of France. We hadn't gone on and on about us. This was completely out of the blue.
But very good. We couldn't eat it all - generous portions there - so they packed it into a container and it, too, went home. The tab was $154.78, I tipped $30 and the final total was $164.59. Expensive, yes. Delicious, yes. Once in a great while for a "great occasion"? Of course!
I could justify halving the bill because via leftovers, we had two dinners at Zazou.
Forget the free dessert, the food is good and we will definitely be going back.
No I didn't forget the hep cats. "Zazou" intrigued me - owner's nickname? Particular region in France? So I looked it up and was then more confused.
During WW2, jazz became popular and led to the formation of what were hep cats or zoot suit-ers here in America. This event in France was laid at the door of one Hector Zazou, a jazz musician who made it popular. But: just one problem - Hector, Baby Cool Cat wasn't born until 1948 and it is unlikely that he was leading a band in his diapers on shaky toddler legs. He died in 2008, aged 60, so we can't write in and ask. Believe what you will ... we'll have to go back because what if it turns out that Zazou IS a nickname for one of the owners? No way to find out but to dine there, no?
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Hitting the Bricks!
Brickworks Roasthouse and Grill, 3212-A Sepulveda (Manhattan Beach Mall) brickroasthouse.com
It has been too long since I've had a new restaurant for you. We (Richie and self) are guilty of an all-to-human laziness - such-and-such restaurant has such-and-such dish and "I feel like (fill in) tonight." This is, of course, good for the resto but not so much for bored diners.
In an effort to ingratiate myself with you once again ...
Brickworks (if I may be so familiar) occupies the old space where LA Foods (a favorite) used to be. It is almost directly across the vast parking lot from Tin Roof Bistro (a perenial favorite.) They've kept the same layout and the colors are still soothing black and greys with burgundy-colored booths.
Despite an interior with all hard surfaces, the better for any noise to bounce back and slap you in the face, it was quiet. It was also 6:30 p.m. and clearly the hip MB crowd doesn't dine until later. Quiet and a happy hour that extends to 7 p.m. are not by any means hardship duty.
We started with an order (4) of deviled eggs ($6.95) - the second time we've seen this - Hop Saint was the first. Both are regulation deviled eggs with a frond of cooked bacon and a scattering of chopped scallions. Quite tasty but a tad on the salty side here and bland there at Hop Saint. I had a dirty gin martini (Tanqueray $12) and Richie a Stella ($7.) As a further possible copy cat move, both restaurants offer a cornbread appetizer. It was a huge martini in the appropriate glass. It was so big and so full that I had to lean forward and take a swig without raising the glass.
The half rack of ribs with French fries, cole slaw ($20.95) and a side order of onion straws ($4.95) was mine. I never touched the French fries; am a fool for onion straws. Richie ordered and ate all of a Chicken Burgundy (19.95) "It was too ... you saw the two small chicken breasts - flattened, whipped (mashed) potatoes with the Burgundy mushroom sauce with some asparagus - maybe one or two cut up - one or two green beans cut up - it was flavorful, not outstanding.. Quite a bit of potatoes."
I had a glass of Lamarca sparkling prosecco ($8) for a total of $86.98. Thus $8 and $8 is $16, the tip for a grand total of $102.98. And I had the rest of my dinner last night which is three meals altogether.
I liked it and I'd go back. Richie said he would, too - "Didn't get poisoned..." Faint praise.
The half rack of ribs with French fries, cole slaw ($20.95) and a side order of onion straws ($4.95) was mine. I never touched the French fries; am a fool for onion straws. Richie ordered and ate all of a Chicken Burgundy (19.95) "It was too ... you saw the two small chicken breasts - flattened, whipped (mashed) potatoes with the Burgundy mushroom sauce with some asparagus - maybe one or two cut up - one or two green beans cut up - it was flavorful, not outstanding.. Quite a bit of potatoes."
I had a glass of Lamarca sparkling prosecco ($8) for a total of $86.98. Thus $8 and $8 is $16, the tip for a grand total of $102.98. And I had the rest of my dinner last night which is three meals altogether.
I liked it and I'd go back. Richie said he would, too - "Didn't get poisoned..." Faint praise.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Letters To The Editor
A brief introduction to the zaniness that rules Hermosa Beach, a sister city with Redondo and Manhattan Beaches. Some time ago, the city council decided to ban smoking on the HB Pier, the square that leads up to it and all outdoor restaurants thereon. The ocean side of Hermosa Avenue was totally non-smoking. But: if you walked across the street, to the land side (so to speak) of Hermosa Avenue, why you just puff away to your heart's content!
Pretty much clinically insane, no? We're not done yet. The city now wants to ban ALL smoking within the city limits, including smoking within your own residence. This invasion of personal space where none should be irritated me. Hence what follows --
Daily Breeze, 7/29/16 OPINION section
Letters
What's next for Hermosa Beach - a 14-foot wall?
Re "Citywide smoking ban looms" (July 28)
What's next for Hermosa Beach? A 14-foot wall all the way around the city with specific checkpoints for entering?
Anyone caught attempting to bring in a pack of cigarettes will be promptly escorted to the City Hall/library parking lot by armed Smoke Nazis where they will be summarily enrolled in a mandatory stop-smoking class to last no less than eight hours?
These classes would be taught by members of the City Council who voted to end smoking as we know it in Hermosa?
In support of their cause - the nannyization of an entire city - members will not only gladly work gratis, but fight for the opportunity to do so?
It wouldn't surprise me.
Nina Murphy
Redondo Beach
Pretty much clinically insane, no? We're not done yet. The city now wants to ban ALL smoking within the city limits, including smoking within your own residence. This invasion of personal space where none should be irritated me. Hence what follows --
Daily Breeze, 7/29/16 OPINION section
Letters
What's next for Hermosa Beach - a 14-foot wall?
Re "Citywide smoking ban looms" (July 28)
What's next for Hermosa Beach? A 14-foot wall all the way around the city with specific checkpoints for entering?
Anyone caught attempting to bring in a pack of cigarettes will be promptly escorted to the City Hall/library parking lot by armed Smoke Nazis where they will be summarily enrolled in a mandatory stop-smoking class to last no less than eight hours?
These classes would be taught by members of the City Council who voted to end smoking as we know it in Hermosa?
In support of their cause - the nannyization of an entire city - members will not only gladly work gratis, but fight for the opportunity to do so?
It wouldn't surprise me.
Nina Murphy
Redondo Beach
Thursday, July 28, 2016
The Best I Could Do...
The other day I speculated here on where priests and nuns like to vacation, with suggestions of my own. After being silly (in print no less) I did get curious.
So I hiked up the bottom of my big girl bikini, climbed the dive tower called Curiosity, bounced once and plunged into the Pool of Confusion.
I did find a number of sites worrying about the opportunities for a son or daughter who went religious for their family's opportunities to see and visit with them after acceptance. In doing that I ran across horror stories about some of the cloisters/orders - made to eat dirt for not finishing one's dinner, to name only one - which would certainly encourage an endless vacation if it were me. Sister Over-the-Wall would be the name.
I never did get a handle on site-specific sources of vacation joy for the religious, but I did limit it to Catholics. This is what I did find - a B&B in Wisconsin founded by a pair of fleeing religious.
The Chateau Chantal, near Traverse City, MI was founded by Robert, 12 years a Diocesan priest who left the order in 1972 to go into construction (okay to laugh here; I did) and Nadine, a Felician Sister who entered the order in 1950 and taught Home Ec for 22 years before vamoosing in 1972. They met or had met; the literature didn't say, and married in 1974. Together they built the European-style B&B and winery that exist today. Photos show a lovely sprawling building out in the country and the amenities offered are varied - soaking pools, wine-themed dinners (having gotten a taste for wine at communion?,) winery and field tours and so forth. Bucolic amusements for raging alcoholics?
Rooms are $165 - $250
Suites are $195 - $315
Executive apartment is $415 - $600 and is "family suitable - full kitchen, two bedrooms" and so forth.
In the event you feel like vacationing with a priest, but not like a priest. And what they do and where they go other than perhaps the family home? is unknown to this writer.
So I hiked up the bottom of my big girl bikini, climbed the dive tower called Curiosity, bounced once and plunged into the Pool of Confusion.
I did find a number of sites worrying about the opportunities for a son or daughter who went religious for their family's opportunities to see and visit with them after acceptance. In doing that I ran across horror stories about some of the cloisters/orders - made to eat dirt for not finishing one's dinner, to name only one - which would certainly encourage an endless vacation if it were me. Sister Over-the-Wall would be the name.
I never did get a handle on site-specific sources of vacation joy for the religious, but I did limit it to Catholics. This is what I did find - a B&B in Wisconsin founded by a pair of fleeing religious.
The Chateau Chantal, near Traverse City, MI was founded by Robert, 12 years a Diocesan priest who left the order in 1972 to go into construction (okay to laugh here; I did) and Nadine, a Felician Sister who entered the order in 1950 and taught Home Ec for 22 years before vamoosing in 1972. They met or had met; the literature didn't say, and married in 1974. Together they built the European-style B&B and winery that exist today. Photos show a lovely sprawling building out in the country and the amenities offered are varied - soaking pools, wine-themed dinners (having gotten a taste for wine at communion?,) winery and field tours and so forth. Bucolic amusements for raging alcoholics?
Rooms are $165 - $250
Suites are $195 - $315
Executive apartment is $415 - $600 and is "family suitable - full kitchen, two bedrooms" and so forth.
In the event you feel like vacationing with a priest, but not like a priest. And what they do and where they go other than perhaps the family home? is unknown to this writer.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Others on Being Targets
I wrote Michelle, who is at her vacation home in a little town not far from Quimper, France, and said, "Don't go to church" since the church outside of Rouens is not that far from her location.
She wrote back, "ISIS is everywhere now! I think it's the beginning of civil war ... always watching in the front, back, left and right if there is any Arabic..."
And Richie was uncharacteristically angry at the IS news this morning. He said, "They shouldn't call them 'ISIS' - they should call them stupid!"
And I said, "No, they're not, unfortunately - they are planners and executers of those plans."
He said, still angry, "Well they should refer to them as 'animals' 'cause that's what they are!" and no one could really argue with that.
She wrote back, "ISIS is everywhere now! I think it's the beginning of civil war ... always watching in the front, back, left and right if there is any Arabic..."
And Richie was uncharacteristically angry at the IS news this morning. He said, "They shouldn't call them 'ISIS' - they should call them stupid!"
And I said, "No, they're not, unfortunately - they are planners and executers of those plans."
He said, still angry, "Well they should refer to them as 'animals' 'cause that's what they are!" and no one could really argue with that.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Avoiding Soft Targets
It's a phrase that by now, sadly, we are accustomed to hearing. From a gay disco in Florida to today's latest horror - a Catholic church south of Rouen France. The 84 year old priest had retired age 75, but was still willing to fill in when the resident priest, such as the day of the attack, was on vacation.
We will explore priest and nun vacation sites in another column. I'd like to think they all go to clothing optional sites and get totally toasted on a daily basis on the drink of the country being visited. Worth a look, don't you think?
Meanwhile. Terrorists seem to have been taught early on - "Don't attack a bank - go for a place that either has no security whatsoever or very little."
And thus we need to be alert at:
County Fairs, Carnivals - rent-a-cops who may be more interested in scoring a lemonade on a hot day than noticing anyone wearing a rather bulky-looking raincoat on a triple-digit day.
Summer festivals - and I am thinking that a sniper in one of the office buildings along Pier Avenue would have a great vantage point looking down at the masses of people at the bottom of the hill at the Pier Plaza.
The big, well-advertised bars - I don't think you need to fear being potted at your local watering hole. Not enough of you to make it interesting or productive.
Sporting events - barring NHRA or NASCAR events. Having covered them it wouldn't surprise me to learn that at least a third of the spectators are armed. This includes the women. They struck me as that type.
You're probably safe on a golf course. Much too tedious for a sniper to sit in a tree and wait patiently to pick off golfers two by two or four by four. Bring sandwiches and a 6-pack or three, the horseshoes or bocce game, the hell with golf, and enjoy a day in peace and freedom.
We will explore priest and nun vacation sites in another column. I'd like to think they all go to clothing optional sites and get totally toasted on a daily basis on the drink of the country being visited. Worth a look, don't you think?
Meanwhile. Terrorists seem to have been taught early on - "Don't attack a bank - go for a place that either has no security whatsoever or very little."
And thus we need to be alert at:
County Fairs, Carnivals - rent-a-cops who may be more interested in scoring a lemonade on a hot day than noticing anyone wearing a rather bulky-looking raincoat on a triple-digit day.
Summer festivals - and I am thinking that a sniper in one of the office buildings along Pier Avenue would have a great vantage point looking down at the masses of people at the bottom of the hill at the Pier Plaza.
The big, well-advertised bars - I don't think you need to fear being potted at your local watering hole. Not enough of you to make it interesting or productive.
Sporting events - barring NHRA or NASCAR events. Having covered them it wouldn't surprise me to learn that at least a third of the spectators are armed. This includes the women. They struck me as that type.
You're probably safe on a golf course. Much too tedious for a sniper to sit in a tree and wait patiently to pick off golfers two by two or four by four. Bring sandwiches and a 6-pack or three, the horseshoes or bocce game, the hell with golf, and enjoy a day in peace and freedom.
Monday, July 25, 2016
A Double-Edged Sword
An article on the front page of the Sunday Daily Breeze rather surprised me as I considered it an ad-disguised-as-news. It seems that a 5.11 Tactical shop has opened in Carson to provide law enforcement and military members additional protection out in the field by way of armored vests, nasty-looking knives (all pointy and sharp looking) as well as exotica - a battering ram to symbolically open the doors of this newest location. The writer compared this act to breaking a bottle over the prow of a ship to christen it. Yes, well ...
In the interest of Reporting All to you, I visited the Web site. I took particular notice of what 5.11 (a climbing code, not a police one) offers as bullet proof vests with optional ceramic plates said to be for weight training. What? While dodging bullets?
Am sure that the manufacturers know exactly what they're doing but I didn't think it was very practical to have the armor end about 4 in. from the base of the nipple. Not a lot of help if the wearer is gut-shot.
However: the newest versions come with a "quick grab drag handle" for "the fast recovery of downed personnel." This vest is marked "$209.
Unbidden, I visualized these scenarios - Father's Day when the wife and three or four little kids hand Daddy a bulky package and gather anxiously around him as he eagerly starts to unwrap it. "Oh, honey! Kids!" he cries as he realizes it is a bullet-proof or "plate carrying" vest, "You shouldn't have!" "Nonsense," smiles the wife, serenely, "We all want Daddy around for a long, long time, don't we kids?" Wild roars of agreement swell around the happy, hugging group. Dad brushes a tear from his eyes.
Meanwhile, far across town on the wrong side of things, a young man is down in the furnished basement of his parents' house. He is busily looking in boxes and consulting a hand-scrawled list on a yellow legal pad. Absent-mindedly he ticks off the items, only to interrupt himself suddenly by slapping his forehead with a hand. "Damn! I forgot the bullet-proof vest!" throws down the clipboard and scurries out the basement door. I
In the interest of Reporting All to you, I visited the Web site. I took particular notice of what 5.11 (a climbing code, not a police one) offers as bullet proof vests with optional ceramic plates said to be for weight training. What? While dodging bullets?
Am sure that the manufacturers know exactly what they're doing but I didn't think it was very practical to have the armor end about 4 in. from the base of the nipple. Not a lot of help if the wearer is gut-shot.
However: the newest versions come with a "quick grab drag handle" for "the fast recovery of downed personnel." This vest is marked "$209.
Unbidden, I visualized these scenarios - Father's Day when the wife and three or four little kids hand Daddy a bulky package and gather anxiously around him as he eagerly starts to unwrap it. "Oh, honey! Kids!" he cries as he realizes it is a bullet-proof or "plate carrying" vest, "You shouldn't have!" "Nonsense," smiles the wife, serenely, "We all want Daddy around for a long, long time, don't we kids?" Wild roars of agreement swell around the happy, hugging group. Dad brushes a tear from his eyes.
Meanwhile, far across town on the wrong side of things, a young man is down in the furnished basement of his parents' house. He is busily looking in boxes and consulting a hand-scrawled list on a yellow legal pad. Absent-mindedly he ticks off the items, only to interrupt himself suddenly by slapping his forehead with a hand. "Damn! I forgot the bullet-proof vest!" throws down the clipboard and scurries out the basement door. I
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