March 2009 – FrogBlog | Translating Los Angeles

The Rose Is The Thorn

It took us nearly half a year after Desert Rose on Hillhurst opened to set foot in the place. Why? Well, how can one keep a straight face eating at a restaurant adorned with the tackiest 15 ft. glass rose ever in front? So, as I said, it took roughly six month before we decided that we might have seen that oddity often enough to get used to it and not burst out laughing just at the mere sight.

Now comes the surprise: The place is nice. The service is charming. The wine list is interesting. The food is good. One might even say, the food borders on being excellent. I am quite game to go back and investigate some more whether I can uphold that last impression.

Baked Brie

Tabbouleh Salad

Linguine with Sirloin

Plus, they have an extensive variety of whiskeys; maybe one day they’ll print out a list for the servers to read from, so that customers do no have to toddle up to the bar to check out the goodies themselves.

The biggest plus however is – no, they do not light up that rose thing out in front. At least not glaringly so. So I managed to keep a straight face and did not burst out laughing at the only thorn at the Desert Rose.

The First Day Of Spring

Perfect temperatures.

Beautiful light.

Balmy wind.

An amazing flower arrangement.

Not For The Faint Of Heart

There is nothing one cannot buy in Los Angeles. Well, maybe not quite – as far as I know “Rouladennadeln” are not available, but maybe they are, I just haven’t found that secret little store yet where they are on offer. But apart from that, everything is on sale in Los Angeles.

Let’s leave aside the more … hmmm… exotic merchandise and concentrate on groceries. I know a lot of people who have the same goal as I have – getting the best deals while having fun at the same time. So there are the supermarkets from regular to upscale. Nice, but not that much fun. Then there are the tiny stores, always interesting, but with a limited variety of goods. Farmer’s Markets – more like an alternative to a county fair. Now, who buys groceries at a county fair? But sometimes they do have petting zoos, so that is nice.

And then there is the Super King (2716 N San Fernando Rd).

The Super King is big on wonderful fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meats, spices, wines and spirits, huge varieties of all things Middle Eastern, an even larger variety of things one does not know what it is / can’t find out what it is / finds out what it is and wishes one hadn’t. All at amazingly low prices. I mean, Amazingly! Low! The store is like the US equivalent of a bazaar in Istanbul – big, big fun.

Of course a store like this has lots of lovers of all things good and inexpensive. Which means, crowds. Which means, always waiting to get a spot on the parking lot. Which means, long lines at the deli counter. Which means, shopping cart gridlock. Which means, all the things the average shopper dislikes one encounters here.

So, I would not suggest this store for the faint of heart. Those who prefer dainty trips through Gelson’s might feel a bit out of place. But lovers of perfect merchandise, with a sense for the adventurous and new will not find a better place to shop.

Congratulations!

Finally it came to pass: Griffith Park has been designated a historic monument.

For all of us who love the park this is a wonderful day.

Another Survivor

Very high up on my list of magnificent buildings in Los Angeles one can find Bullocks on Wilshire, one of the first Art Deco structures built in the United States. Just by studying some of the details one realizes what a true piece of art this building was and is.

With changing times and economies, the story of Bullocks became quite varied and in the end the building seemed to be poised for destruction. It had been damaged, looted of most of its fixtures and severely neglected. And then – in came the Southwestern Law School to acquire the property in 1994. The SWLAW needed space. It also had deep respect for the landmark treasures of Los Angeles and restored the building to its former glory, while remodeling it very carefully to suit academic needs.

The final wonderful and amusing irony is this: When Bullocks on Wilshire was built, this plaque was placed in the wall:

Somehow the motto “To Build A Business That Will Never Know Completion” did really come true – even if not quite in the sense the original builders had intended.