After a screening of the frightening (and somewhat hilarious) Paranormal Activity
my pals and I wanted to grab a drink and maybe some chow. Three of us,
on separate occasions, by different people, had Baby Blues BBQ
recommended to us.
This is a place with a great vibe and some pretty delicious BBQ. We all
chatted and laughed over a few beers, some sloppy ribs and crumbly
delicious cornbread.
I opted for The Deuce, which is a platter
consisting of 1/2 a rack of Memphis style ribs, 5 of their BBQ shrimp
(which were recommended to our table by some random cook who came out
for no reason other than to tell us we should order the shrimp - they
were delicious), cornbread and my choice of two from an extensive list
of "fixins". It reads like a who's who of barbeque: collard greens,
potato salad, baked beans, mac 'n' cheese, okra - fried and sauteed,
mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, pork 'n' beans, etc. I opted for cole
slaw and fried okra. At $22.95 this wasn't such a bad deal.
Bread. I love it, especially when it’s well made. But I freely admit that I try to avoid it. I’m of a certain age and weight when the dangers of too much free carb styling can take a toll. But how hard is that to do now? It’s really hard with all the neighborhood bakeries opening all over town. Yesterday I checked out 
Living in Southern California, we enjoy rich ethnic diversity. Those of
us who explore culture through cuisine are very happy about that.
Located in West Los Angeles, Yabu, which has a devoted following and is a
good example of a neighborhood Japanese restaurant. Because Yabu has a
much larger, sister restaurant in West Hollywood, when you call to make a
reservation, you will be asked to confirm that you want to eat at the
Pico restaurant.
Though I've lived in Los Angeles for two decades, I still don't consider myself an Angeleno. Mostly because we rarely do anything that's considered interesting or hip in this vast and ever-changing metropolis. We have our own wine cellar – well it will be someday, but right now it's an office with cases of wine stacked in it – and a kick-ass Rock Band set-up, so we're pretty much self-entertained. It's hard to pay for drinks when you have so much waiting for you at home. However, every once in awhile I feel the need to explore our horizons and wander out into the City. The Man goes along with "the plan" because he has no real choice in the matter. Putting up a fuss just wastes energy in a fight you aren't going to win. Lately, our excursions have centered around vintage Hollywood venues, which are regaining their popularity due to an "old is cool" mentality sweeping the city. We're not only old-fashioned, we like our drinks that way too, so the new classic cocktail culture is giving us a reason to step out once again. Being a fan of Hollywood history, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that there are many old school, infamous places I've never been to like Musso & Franks, The Polo Lounge, Chateau Marmont and Spago. Didn't have any money when I moved here. Still find it hard to spend $12 on a martini. There is however, one place I can now cross off the list: Yamashiro.