Canter's Deli Celebrates Its 60th Birthday; Cheap Food Abounds

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Local Los Angeles dining institution Canter’s Deli celebrated its 60th Birthday today, and in honor of this milestone age, the owners scaled back prices to 1948 levels. Specifically, that meant lucky diners could get a corned beef sandwich, pickle, side of potato salad, and ruggelach for a meager $.60. That’s right. Sixty cents. Never one to turn down such cheap food (especially from an establishment whose sandwiches can be shockingly pricey), I happily sauntered down to the Fairfax district to partake in some discount eats and Los Angeles history.
I kind of expected a long line, but much to my surprise, there were only about twenty or people queued up, pining for entry into the vaunted delicatessen. Even better, it turned out all these people were in the to-go line. I moseyed on up to the front, spoke to the host, and promptly nabbed at seat at the counter, all in a blink of an eye. Near free food and speedy service? Sounds like the perfect way to spend the afternoon.
A few pics of the experience after the jump.

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ADVENTURES IN FOLKSY AUTUMNAL ACTIVITIES: Bloggers of the Corn Edition

Forneris Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch

If this blog seemed particularly quiet on Friday, it’s because I spent half that day getting in touch with my inner farmer. That’s right, in a shocking departure from my usual urban adventures, I headed north to the San Fernando Valley and visited Forneris Farms, a random outpost in Mission Hills, CA that’s home to a pumpkin patch, a market, and most importantly, a corn maze. The experience was aggressively wholesome, and even better, there was not a single child in sight. Actually, there was one kid, but she was cute and relegated to the safe environs of an inflatable bouncy pumpkin.
The motivation for this trip actually stemmed from a strange mixture of childhood yearnings, pop culture wish fulfillment, and general boredom. You see, ever since I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed with mazes. I always dreamed of going to a hedge maze, and while I’ve been to some, they’ve always tended to be quaint things that are less about a challenge and more about good gardening. In recent years, my friend Meeshie and I have tried in vain to go to various corn mazes, but scheduling tended to always get in the way. The one time we did manage to get ourselves over to a maze, we were shocked to find that it didn’t even exist. We were confronted with nothing but an empty field. It was horrifying.
Recently, news popped up of a David Archuleta corn maze in Utah. It seemed like the perfect opportunity. I could fulfill my corn maze fantasies, indulge in some kitschy pop culture, and get a beautiful road trip out of it to boot. Unfortunately, I had no one to go with me. The only person who was interested in such an adventure was Jash, and since he actually has a real life job, he couldn’t just traipse up north at the drop of a hat. Sadly, this perfect union of American Idol and corn would not be happening, but I still had the maize on the mind. After doing some research, I discovered that we had a corn maze right here in the Los Angeles area. I called up my friend Sawgee and convinced him to join me as I finally embarked on my very first corn maze experience.
Photos of this adventure, including our disorienting journey through the corn maze, after the jump…

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PROJECT RUNWAY PHOTOCAP: One Designer's Left At The Altar

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With Yom Kippur finished and my stomach full of food again, I now return to blogging with none other than a Project Runway photocap. Wednesday’s penultimate episode was quite good, and I must say, when it came down to who was going home, I really didn’t know who’d get the ax. Thankfully, the one I wanted out (besides Kenley) was sent packing; so I can now proceed to Bryant Park with nothing but excitement and anticipation. Before we get there though, let’s take a look back at Wednesday’s show.

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New Starbucks Lids Are The Worst Ever

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Over the past several months, Starbucks Coffee has been revamping its stores and practices, and among the many changes customers have seen, one of the most peevish has to be the new plastic lids used for cold beverages. At first glance, they look like all the other standard lids, but upon further inspection, these plastic disks prove to be nothing more than stubborn coffee cock-blocks. That’s right, the plastic tops do little but impede thirsty drinkers on their quest for caffeinated goodness. They are horrendous, awful, and quite possibly forged in the depths of hell. I hate them, and I’ve decided to start a crusade to get Starbucks to shift manufacturers so that we the people can enjoy our iced lattes and frappucinos with ease once again.
A detailed, step-by-step photographic case against the lids after the jump…

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REAL HOUSEWIVES PHOTOCAP: Welcome to the ATL

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Bravo kicked off its third iteration of the Real Housewives franchise with the premiere of The Real Housewives of Atlanta last night, and it did not disappoint. Despite a frenetic first half which betrayed the show’s signature laid-back tone and pace, the episode eventually settled into its groove and provided a wonderful showdown between breakout star Nene and her rival, Shereé. The flagrant foul: Nene’s name wasn’t on Shereé’s birthday party list. Sure enough, Nene threw a fit worthy of fellow housewife Ramona from New York City, but whereas Ramona would have appeared psycho, Nene came off as awesome. At least for now.
Photocap after the jump.

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ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Rosh Hashanah Edition

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As my Big Brother posts decline in frequency, an inversely proportionate amount of cooking entries seem to be popping up on my blog. Such is the case with this latest adventure in domesticity in which I endeavored to cook an entire Rosh Hashanah meal all by myself. Why did I take on this mammoth feat? Well, it was Rosh Hashanah this past week, and I am Jewish; so immediately, there’s that whole religious thing. But mostly, I was bored and in the mood for kugel, which for the uninformed is like a noodle pudding thing. Of course, what’s the point of making kugel if you’re not gonna have matzoh ball soup too? And so the whole thing snowballed from there. I invited over my usual gaggle of friends, anointed the evening “New Year, Jew Year,” and let the rollicking good times ensue.
Photos of the culinary journey after the jump…

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UPDATE: I Did Not Realize This Was Alessandra Ambrosio's Dog

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So apparently I may have just started a feud with supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio. Turns out she’s the owner of that green dog I posted about earlier.
I still contend that Buddha is one of the stupidest-looking dogs I’ve ever seen in my life, even if he is/was owned by a supermodel. And let’s get one thing straight: he’s certainly no ANDREW. However, if Alessandra promises to make sure Buddha is never subject to such ridiculous hues again, I’m willing to forgive and forget.
And again, since I’m not a total bastard, if you find this Shamrock Shake of a dog, call 310 396-4400 or 877-PET-TOTO.

Stupid Dog Feared Stolen!!!

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I just received an urgent, automated call here at home. Apparently one of my neighbors has a missing dog, and even worse, the owner suspects that he’s been stolen! That’s right, the inappropriately named Buddha has been plucked out of West Hollywood, disappearing into the ether like a fleeting, spectral vision. I have to admit that this is the first time I’ve ever received an automated call about a missing pet, and being ever curious, I went onto the website findtoto.com where I was told I could find more information. Of course, a part of me feared this might just be some lame (yet effective) marketing strategy for Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but no, the website was legit. I looked up the missing pooch, and lo and behold, there was Buddha — looking pretty much as dumb as a dog can be made to look.
Buddha’s picture after the jump.

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TOP DESIGN PHOTOCAP: See Ya Later, Triathlon-Losing Decorator!

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I continue to be bored; so I continue to do photocaps today. This one comes from last night’s Top Design, which featured a “design triathlon,” an event surprisingly engaging considering how silly it sounded. Designers needed to redo a chair, set a table, and dress a set for a photoshoot. Flustered eye-rolling ensued.
I personally was happy to see the designers do some solo work, but at the end of the day, the real caché of this episode was Kelly Wurstler, who dazzled all with her rambunctious costumes and gravity-defying hair. I guess pompadours are back. Either that, or she’s gearing up for some ill-advised Shear Genius crossover.
Photocap after the jump…

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