Sundae in the Park

Stockton Kabob and Gyro House is a downtown lunchtime gem, and the line at noon reflects that. They have juicy and tender kabobs cooked to order, tangy hummus, and lightly dressed, ordinary but pleasing Mediterranean salads. The chicken kabobs are worth eating - I got the chicken and ground beef kabob combos 2 days in a row! My coworkers liked their shwarma, Mediterranean plates, and baklava and were surprised but pleased that I wanted to go back on day 2 (apparently I'm picky? ). It's a tiny, deli-like space, fast-casual table service, with welcoming staff and water and takeout materials already laid out for your convenience in the corner. Thanh Thanh Sandwiches is a random, tiny, strip-mall spot with CHEAP and more than decent food. The full-size banh mi hover around $3 (most are $2.75) and the fried spring rolls are $0.50 a piece (which I loved, because you could then customize the size of your order). That's their focus, though they do have some bun bowls and smoothies. I got the roast and bbq pork sandwiches - fair portion of meat, crusty/soft (as appropriate) bread, and the balance of the pickles and other veggies/herbs was good. The roast pork by itself was bland. The spring rolls ( I got chicken, but I think you can get pork and shrimp) are ordinary but nice when fried fresh (they also have them on a steam table, but will make them fresh if you need more than they have or presumably if you ask nicely). This was a perfect takeout (they only have 1 table), eat-in-the-hotel-alone meal. I got way too much food and only spent $10, including tip!

Kind of random, but want to put it out there that the LACMA (LA County Museum of Art), Autry National Center (3-in-1 Museum of the American West, Southwest Museum of the American Indian, and Institute for the Study of the American West), and the Skirball Cultural Center (Jewish heritage) are all part of Bank of America's Museums on Us promotion. So, if you're carrying any BOA cards, flash them and basic entry to these spots are all free on the first full weekend of the month. I particularly love the LACMA, which is right next door to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum (indoor museum is not free, but worth a look; outdoor exhibits are free and accessible). Even if you don't go indoors at the LACMA, the grounds include the Big Rock, the modern sculpture garden, the lamplights, the outdoor Rodin sculptures, the yellow spaghetti (Jesíºs Rafael Soto's Penetrable), and the view of the Hollywood sign (up the escalator from the main outdoor courtyard, across from Ray's). Plus there is a big chunk of the Berlin wall across the street and usually a line of food trucks camping out there as well. And there are free concerts indoors and outdoors many weekends of the year. I think I'm saying you should definitely hit the LACMA if you are interested in any of these things! I take all my out-of-town guests there (the grounds between the museum and Tar Pits are great for running around with kids while pretending to soak in culture) and we've always had a great time. Oh, and if you were planning to visit it anyway, the Grove and the Farmer's Market are only a few miles away, so pair well with going to the LACMA.

I thought about hitting up Carousel again when I was in town last month but was alone so decided to try more of the Middle Eastern bounty instead (a lonely feast didn't sound that appealing or smart). Raffi's Place definitely has an air of the glamorous side of Tehrangeles, despite not being in that part of town. There is both indoor and outdoor seating - the outdoor section is in their own interior courtyard, so has the open air (with heated lamps if necessary) feel without the downsides of being curbside. I got the kashk o'bademjan and the soltani kabobs, and both were excellent, very similar to what I'd expect at Attari. Tart and creamy eggplant (didn't like the onion topping as much, though), juicy and well-seasoned kabobs, and fluffy rice. The bread, a thin, floppy lavash,served with cold butter in foil packets, is correct but I don't care for that style. The portions are large and the service is deft. I saw lots of business diners and Middle Eastern-looking folks on dates or having family dinner. It's a nice, casually upscale-feeling space (more from the clientele than the decor, which isn't particularly notable except at night when the courtyard lights are on. Rather, I think, it's the atmosphere of the place). Naturally, there is valet parking, but street and lot parking is also available nearby (which is very appealing after almost always having to park illegally to get my Attari fix!). I had enough for a big dinner and a full lunch the next day, which was great cold. I know they do takeout through their own to-go window, but I'd be inclined to say the strengths here are eating in, preferably in the courtyard at night. Would definitely go back.

Terminal A (United terminal) at Sacramento is dead as of 7 PM on a weekday (Wednesday, don't know if that's special). All but one of the restaurants inside security were closed (Freshii saved me - they have perfectly adequate-good fresh and crunchy rice/noodle bowls and wraps and burritos - I had the satay noodle bowl and there were lots of chicken, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots with a kicky sauce over a healthy helping of rice noodles) and most of the stores as well. Ghost town!!! SMF I should have trusted and just waited until I got to the United terminal at San Francisco around 9:45 PM (even though my Freshii bowl @ SMF was quite good). EVERYTHING was open, and I really like eating at the Soup Company. Fung Lum, the chinese place that has been there forever is now closed and will be replaced by an outpost of Koi Palace. I am pleased but wary - we'll have to see you they do. Also, the Ghirardelli store is gone and a new full-service See's is back open (not in the old location near security, this one is right by the food court). I'm excited about that, because my apology-for-leaving-you-home-alone gift for my family had been (while the original See's was there) a personalized mix of the caramels and butter creams. SFO And finally, a few restaurants (didn't note which ones) were still open when I got to LA at 11:30 PM! Lessons in civilization LAX

Davis The Dumpling House lives up to its name and is worth a visit if you're in the mood for homemade dumplings, dumplings, dumplings. Got the pan-fried pork dumplings, steamed pork and chive, and deep-fried chicken. Besides the differences from the cooking styles, the insides tasted distinctly different as well. The skins are just thick enough to be pleasantly chewy and we liked all three fillings (and believe we got them each with the correct preparation - more strongly flavored fillings = less need for oil). It's simple, no-frills, fare, but you'll stuff yourself silly and enjoy it. They also have a few vegetable and rice bowls dishes, and, oddly enough, fish and chips (it's co-located with another restaurant, but we didn't try any of these except for a dish of green beans, opting for maximum dumpling consumption (but needing some leavening. The beans were good but the dumplings are what you go for). Service is basic but perfectly adequate and prices are reasonable. I'd go here all the time if I lived close by!

Oooh, yes, TJ's has cauliflower and for a decent price to boot. Thanks!

I'm with sandynva and prefer savory things, so would you say that this recipe falls on the savory or sweeter side dish continuum? If it is sweetish, what would you think about cutting or eliminating the sugar from the recipe? Do you think that would still work?

The once-ignored cauliflower is now as popular as J-Law "” and it's $7.99 a head This explains a lot about the cauliflower selection/price lately - even out here in CA I always grab a bag of the florets while in Costco. I think it ends up being $2ish/lb? Turns out to be a relative bargain.

Oxnard Carnitas El Rey is the real deal - all they serve are carnitas and some basic fixings for soft tacos made with said carnitas. It's fairly new, a small place, with one steam table worth of food that is constantly refreshed. One tray has the meat of the carnitas and the other has the bits - skin, fat, etc. They will chop you some meat and ask if you'd like a mix of the two (get that!). They sell the carnitas in tacos, with the meat piled on soft, fresh, house-made corn tortillas, or by the pound. They also sell the tortillas by the dozen (or half dozen). They have a little salsa bar with the red and green salsas (and also sell these to go), and sell their pico de gallo by the pint. My only quibble - I didn't get any of the crispy bits - other than that, these were some of the most flavorful and juicy carnitas I've ever had (and I've been trying carnitas everywhere since I moved to SoCal). They also have beans and rice but I didn't try those. Salsas are a tad bit spicy, but not overly hot unless you get all the jalapenos in one bite. Friendly service with limited but adequate English for ordering, and cash only. You can eat in or take out with equal ease. I hear it can get crowded on the weekends, and deservedly so.

"Paratha burritos!" Make up a frozen paratha (we get them at Ranch 99 here, so local in DC perhaps the Super H or the Great Wall?) in a pan, and then add to the center in amounts to your satisfaction: curried ground beef garlic-lemon yogurt sauce cucumbers tomatoes sriracha sauce cilantro Then roll and eat. We got the idea from a food truck we like (Steamy Bun) and now make these all the time. Sounds odd (it's sort of like having a Jamaican beef patty with some salad rolled in it) but it really works for us.

I like all vegetables done this way but perhaps you'd like carrots roasted with a bunch of salt, pepper, oil, and curry powder? Sweetish but plenty savory. We have these all the time.

Ha, guess I really like this place. Part of it is that I'm generally working when I'm near one of their locations so am grateful for reliably good food while onsite that I can also take home (from the inevitable over-ordering), and the other part is that they have such a great selection of snacky and lunchtime treats.They are a good ordinary bakery - breads, cookies, etc., but really shine at the Latin treats - potato balls, croquettes, chorizo pie (drier and kind of crumbly), and guava pastries. I really like the tamales and plantain chips, but don't care for the empanadas as much. I almost always get a hot ham and cheese and/or a chocolate croissant. I don't actually like the dulce de leche cookies all that much (too sandy for my taste), but everyone else I know loves them, so I usually grab a box of those or the raspberry kiss cookies. My husband love the elephant ears and scones. I used to get the pan con lechon or ropa vieja sandwiches, both of which are very good, but lately I've just been ordering the smaller items so I have more room to graze. I don't love the parking situations or waits. I've now been to all three locations and I think parking for the Burbank location is the worst (a couple dedicated lots, but quite small - Downey and Glendale have larger lots and the surrounding areas seem to be easier for finding street parking). It's fairly telling that they have valet parking service during busy periods (which includes pretty much every time I've every been) at Downey and Burbank. The lines are long, which isn't ideal, especially for grabbing a quick lunch, but the staff are always hustling to fill orders - it's the sheer volume of customers that creates the line. The staff are brisk but extremely well trained - they take your long order for everything all at once and then create your boxes of hot snack, pastries, cold desserts, and other items from memory, then go over the order with you when ringing you out. I typically get about a dozen unique items and have never gotten an incorrect order. It helps to know what you want once your turn comes - there are paper menus of bakery and hot items available that you can study while in line and the sandwiches are listed on the menu boards on the wall. I'm pretty sure you can get everything (sandwiches, patries, etc.) from both main lines (there is one dedicated to the "Cafe" portion and the other in the bakery) but the cake line is dedicated, so don't think you can cheat the line there. While the Yelp rating might seem absurd when compared to The French Laundry, they are very, very good at what they set out to do - hence the continuing crowds and the growth of their empire.

Thanks Sheldman! I've heard so many good things about Rooster and Pig and we would have gone there except we ODed my poor husband on Asian food over Chinese Xmas. Next time!

Per the recs we got last time, we tried Firestone Grill's tri-tip sandwiches while stopping in SLO for a bite. Wow, that place is busy and they move mountains of meat!! Granted we were there on a Saturday at the start of lunchtime but it was pretty crazy by 11:45 AM. It's a fast-casual joint, with emphasis on both. You order at the booth and should immediately move over to the counter to wait for your number to be called. When they are on, they will call it FAST (I swear, the tri-tip guy must just keep slicing meat all shift, assuming that someone will order whatever he cuts), which is nice because the line outside builds up down the street. The whole time we were there, they kept calling numbers out over and over to summon folks hunting for a seat back and get their food. The sandwich is piled high with tender, tasty beef, the bun is toasted and buttered, and one sandwich is enough for two people to split if you want to try anything else (we also got a small salad, which is served in a large, pho-sized bowl, and ended up taking a whole sandwich with us). Now, while it was a good sandwich, I actually like the others I've tried in SLO better, because the BBQ sauce, which is perfectly fine, doesn't hold a candle for me to the sandwiches served with jus. Since I'm not comparing them back-to-back, I can't speak to how the meat quantity or quality compares among them, but I'd probably say that McLintock's was my favorite. Still, if you prefer BBQ sauce on your tri-tip, this is probably your place, and you'll want to get extra sauce (they only use a dab)! The patio seating outside is particularly nice - you can watch the crowds waiting in line while you enjoy your meal, knowing that the line moves fast enough that you don't have to feel too guilty . The ribs and burgers that the people around us were getting looked good, but the onions rings looked GREAT - thickly battered, golden-brown, and folks biting in with an audible crunch. Our southwest salad was nice enough (and the vegetables felt rather essential as a counterbalance for the meat) but people clearly come here for the comfort food.

We wanted a family-friendly place open in the middle of the day with good food. La Perlita was well-Yelped and Tripadvisor-ed, so we gave it a try when coming out of the desert. It was mostly fine, with unremarkable rice, beans, tacos, and cheese quesadilla (kiddo food), and a few bright spots. We didn't care for the cheesy sauce on the shrimp (diablo? Perlita? not mine so unsure) but the shrimp themselves were fine. My BIL really liked his burrito with beef tongue (availability of tongue was one of the reasons we picked it in the first place) and my barbacoa stew was actually terrific - big, shreddable chunks of both pork and beef in a dark, meaty broth - and the chips and salsa were good as well. I hear that the chiles rellenos are the house specialty but we didn't have any takers. It's clean and bright, out of the way but not a hole-in-the-wall, with friendly service (such! friendly service for our loud, window-licking kiddos. Bless.).

I've been to DTF a few more times, always getting the XLB and sometimes getting the rice cakes or a veg dish (doesn't really matter, the XLB are the star). I've heard about the epic waits but had always been lucky with the wait (Arcadia Baldwin location) by going at slightly off times, never having to wait more than a few minutes. We were headed out to Joshua Tree on Monday after the Xmas weekend, and thought we could stop in for a bite along the way. No such luck, even with a 11:30 AM arrival. I guess it was a "weekend" day for most people, because the wait was already partway down the plaza. We didn't even bother to find out about the length of the wait and instead grabbed some items from JJ Bakery (it's in the same plaza). 10 minutes later when we got out , the line at DTF was even longer. I think XLB makes people crazy!

Ham doesn't seem to last very long in our house when it is pre-cut into slices and can be snacked on straight from the fridge. We just learned that cold ham slices/chunks make great salty road trip food (fits easily in a small cold bag). Also, as said above, it goes great in fried rice and freezes well to be eaten later. I threw a bunch into a batch of lentil soup and it mostly negated the health value but was easily the tastiest batch I've ever made (usually it is a vegetarian soup). You could bake it into buns like they do in Chinese bakeries, if you are bored of regular sandwiches.

After a quick visit this Christmas, I'm reminded to tell people that there is NO FOOD available in the park! My family ("...there has to be a cafeteria or something somewhere in there.") was a bit annoyed at the outset that I kept harping about bringing everything we would want to eat/drink (though you can fill up with water at a couple BUT NOT ALL of the visitor centers), and to be prepared to stay in the main part of the park all day long once we entered ("...we'll just drive to 29 Palms and grab some food for lunch"), but were quite happy once we were there and they understood. It takes a while to drive through the park, even just the upper loop (29 Palms to Joshua Tree), so planning to drive out for a meal and come back in is really, really inefficient. So plan ahead and enjoy! Even if you don't plan to rock-climb formally (there are tons of local outfits that will take you out for a few hours), if you like rock-scrambling, this is the park for you! The rock piles and cliffs by the Indian Cove area are phenomenal for scrambling and easy climbs (look carefully at just about every pile/face and you'll see a climber or a whole climbing class) and extremely accessible (it's only a 5-minute drive in, compared with entering the main portion of the park, so this is a part of the park you could visit briefly to climb/play/walk the nature trail and grab food somewhere on highway 62. Also, there is no pay station to enter this portion of the park.). Hidden Valley inside the park has a nice, flat, 1-mile loop that contains many tall rock piles and walls particularly begging to be climbed.

Will post more later on our SF trip but just wanted folks to know that Coqueta is closed for a facelift through Jan. 7 (2016, just a few days), in case anyone is coming into town this week and was planning to eat there. We walked by today and they were already deep into refurbishment and the work only started this morning!

Hi All, We have a new LA forum! I'm helping out with hosting this new space, so I want to invite and encourage everyone with dining (or whatever! We're also looking for other thoughts/impressions/suggestions about the LA metro area in general) experiences or questions to post! This master thread is still the best place to write your trip round-up posts, but if you have specific things to say about particular spots/areas, please feel free to post in the more specialized threads Don has created or start one of your own. Cheers to the new year and happy posting ~Christine

The gas carrot! Yep, very important, especially when you are rushing back to the airport. NO!!! I will have to remember this just in case!

For mint and chocolate lovers, I have to recommend the Tollhouse mint and dark chocolate chips (haven't seen a similar product from anyone else, don't mean to be a shill, I'm sure anything similar would work just as well, etc.). I grabbed them in the store on a whim and used them in place of the white chips in their white chip chocolate cookies (I believe the same recipe is right on the bag). On man, these are a huge hit and feel very Christmas-y (yes, the mint chips are green). Can't stop eating them!!!

Yes to all! I love this site so much I've hung on for years from the other coast!

Last Wednesday the 9th.

Yep. We got one of the simply dressed lettuce salads, which was appearing on all the tables around us. It's a giant pile of the fluffiest, prettiest lettuce you'll ever see (ha, the receipt lists the dish as "lettuces"), with each leaf slicked down with the exact right amount of a cheery meyer lemon vinaigrette, and almost smothered in deeply flavored Parmesan curls. Every speck was gone in minutes (we shared everything). The side of kim chee-d, deep-fried brussel sprouts was also excellent. The pasta with nettle pesto and pine nuts and the pizza (some kind of smoked pig on it, plus caramelized onions) were very good, but the vegetables were definitely the star of the table. Thanks for the recommendation! We also swung by the Oxbow Public market to pick up some cream puffs at Ca'Momi Enoteca which remain, IMHO, the best ever. (They call them Italian beignets.) They sell them by the pound so for us it worked out to be about a dollar a piece. Pffffttttt, a trifle for what you get! I tried all the non-fruit flavors and my favorites were the hazelnut and coffee. The market location only sells pizza and sweets now (plus wine, of course). The full menu is available at the new location down the street from the market (walking distance, apparently). That is probably a good thing, since I had been on the fence whether to order the gnudi I had last time as my first dessert course ;-)