Lawry's Carvery @ LA Live

Lawry's Carvery at LA Live opened late December 2008.


After waiting our turn, you place your order of meat.. and it's cut right in front of you, as well you are served your choice of sides, then you take the plate to your table.


SeanYoda opted for the Prime Rib plate w/2 sides (his choice was the horseradish mashed potatoes & asparagus). approx $20


Meeko opted for the "Beef brisket w/ BBQ sauce" and 2 sides.. baked mac n cheese and asparagus. The baked mac n cheese was made from penne pasta and pretty good! approx $15

Once we sat down, a server came to our table and took our drink orders. He was very attentive and even offered me a refill to go which was a nice touch. Also offered extra aujus and bbq sauce if we wanted for our meat.

The menu also offered sandwiches and salads, but the plates were really good, and satisfying.

The total came to $43 (not including tip).

Sean filled out the customer comment card and one of the things we wondered is why they didn't have something between "good" and "wow!" As it was, I think Sean checked the empty space between the two. It was very good but I couldn't honestly go "WOW!" I haven't done that since we had meat-focused dinner at the Emeril's Tchoup Chop at the Royal Pacific Hotel Orlando several years back. Now that was WOW! (meat candy!)


I would definitely go back to the Lawry's Carvery. "Very Good" is very doable, and if I happen to be in South Park (which isn't too often these days) I would take a side trip there and try one of the sandwiches or the really good sides.

Nickel Diner Now Serving DINNER!

As one may have already read from NewDowntown (yahoo group), BlogDowntown or other blogs, the Nickel opened for it's first official Dinner hours tonight, the 23rd. Before the Nickel experimented with dinner hours on the monthly art walk nights.



Nickel Diner opens for dinner from Tues through Saturday from 6-11pm.


Checking in at The Nickel shortly after 6pm, there were already a couple tables seated for dinner. Apon sitting, ordering a couple glasses of water and perusing the menu.. we saw that there are many items one will see on the regular lunch menu. However, a list of dinner entrees are now offered including: a double stuffed chicken, a salmon dish, catfish dish, flatiron steak with arugula & tomato salad, and a couple veggie leaning options.

Lunch regulars will see they have the pulled pork sandwich, the Nickel Burger, and Lowrider among many other favorites. (Smac and Cheese anyone??). Knowing I could get one of my favorite lunch items.. during lunch, I made sure to try one of the new dinner options.


"Eat Your Vegetables" hashed bacon Brussel sprouts with green beans, sauteed spinach, and roasted parsnips and carrots over a bed of buttermilk mashed potatoes. OMG! This was sooo incredibly delicious.

The hashed bacon brought a gently salted savoriness to the Brussel sprouts. The parsnips & carrots worked well together.. the parsnips providing a meaty texture and the carrots a sweetness. I was happy with the green beans and the spinach. Perfect!



SeanYoda ate with me of course (he's been wishing The Nickel opened for dinner only slightly more than myself, and probably was more vocal about it though). He chose the beef stew. I tried his and having been slices of beef with vegetables on buttermilk mashed potatoes, it reminded me ever so slightly of Shepherd's Pie (which Sean says 'no it's beef stew!!') so yeah, it's got a hearty thickness that I imagine would be very filling and hearty.

Ok.. getting over the "It's stew!" "It's Shepherd's Pie" argument.. let's move on to everyone's favorite.. dessert! Yes, we had dessert.

Tonight's options included the Red Velvet cake, tres leche cake, tapioca pudding, cheesecake, lemon pie (with the entire lemon!), and the salt peanut cake.


"Salt Peanut Cake" chocolate cake layered with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting & potato chips. YES! Potato Chips.. omg crunchy sweet, salty, chocolatey.. **Please note the above photo is 1/2 a slice (we split the serving down the middle).

With a Diet Coke & Cherry Soda, the entire dinner came to about $34 (not including tip).

The Nickel has been doing fantastic since day one, and if our dinner was any sampling of what will come from the future dinner service schedule, all is well at 5th & Main. There's no question I'll be coming back for dinner again.. and again.. and.. well, you get the idea!


The Nickel Diner
524 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Open:
Breakfast/ Lunch: Tues through Sunday 730-330pm
Dinner (currently): Tues through Saturday 6pm-11pm

Dinner @ Blossom Vietnamese Restaurant

When the weather starts to turn, there's nothing better than a hot, steamy bowl of Pho. When it's not that cold or wet (although it did rain intermittently today) my other favorite is to get the cold vermicelli with eggrolls. Luckily Blossom is only a short walk away in the Old Bank District at the corner of Main Street & Winston (between 4th & 5th Streets). I want to say I eat here at least once a month.

So, never mind that SeanYoda brought me an order home a couple nights back.. I was still craving the noodles. Ever one to humor me (and maybe he was craving some noodles too?) we went over and had some dinner.

Blossom had been closed the last couple weeks of the holidays (December) for renovations. Re-opening the Monday after new year's, we got over there and the food is just as yummy as before.. but now they have some small architectural changes..


the main noticeable difference is the back wall with door.. I honestly don't recall what it looked like before (honestly don't pay attention to that sort of thing as I'm too busy eating!). However, it's nice, either way.

I ordered some green tea and SeanYoda had the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. His coffee looked dark and rich, and after stirring the condensed milk (which was at the bottom of the cup) it still looked rather rich and creamy. The iced green tea was very cool & refreshing.


SeanYoda's "Shaking Beef" which is described as "wok tossed filet mignon, sauteed onions served with rice, salt, pepper & side of salad vinaigrette" $10

Sean's meal looked super yummy (my photo doesn't do it justice) I *almost* wanted to swap dinners but didn't.. The "Shaking Beef" is one of Sean's favorite meals at Blossom, so maybe it's good I didn't try to snag it from him. ;P

As for me..


This is my favorite meal.. cold vermicelli rice noodles w/ eggrolls. $7

Very filling and as you might see is cold vermicelli rice noodles served on a bed of lettuce, basil, sprouts, cucumber, and a side of fish sauce (it's called fish sauce but it doesn't fish in it). Also there are chopped nuts.. it's not mentioned on the menu but you can see it there on the dish. VERY good & I love ordering it..

Very happy and satisfied with our meal. The total for the dishes and drinks came to about $25 not including tip.

Blossom Restaurant
426 South Main Street
(Main St & Winston)
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213)623-1973

**they also do take out!!!! so if you want to take your Pho home.. (and I think you can call your order ahead too, as Eureka Poz would do when he lived in the OBD)**

Change Has Come!!

CHANGE HAS COME!!

Happy Inauguration Day!!

Breaking Some Resolutions (and breaking a sweat)

Is it 9am/12noon Eastern yet?? soon...

I am aware of my Resolutions for this year, and already have done my share of breaking them. I have attempted to keep weighing in, and I also gave a couple days trial on the wii fit (yoga training). I've found I am a bit too heavy for many of the poses, and the cat sharpened his claws on the exercise mat before I got to do more than the breathing exercises.

I haven't lost any weight though.. not enough walking or getting out to be social..


Although I did attend the closing of Qathryn Brehm's show at ArtShare last Friday.. I practiced with the new camera (Nikon D60) and I realized I have a lot of work to do before I learn this camera. Qatheryn is very kind to use one of my shots as her Facebook icon, though. How cool is that? =)


Sunday the 18th I showed up for the LA Bike Meander.. there were 6 of us, and we rode all the way to the Atwater Village bike bridge and back.. I was so sore it took me a good chunk of Monday to recover.. (who's kidding? I'm still sore!)




Mapped out on Google coming from 4th & Main to the Toy Factory Lofts on Industrial (via 2nd & Main to 6th & Alameda) is about 1.8miles. Then we rode through Lincoln Hts. to the LA River Bike Path.. and then back. Depending on where you start that was about 20miles. Not a long ride but long enough for me!


Canadian geese, ducks, and even an egret were among the wildlife we saw along the bike path.


Atwater Village Bike Bridge.. where we turned around and headed back.

Oh! I'm so out of shape.. I was dying by the time we got back to Toy Lofts. I needed a break before riding back to Main Street. Still, I'm glad I went. More Sundays. Less pain. ;P

More of Sunday's Meander flickr pix

LA History: Cross Roads of the World

LAist has a history expose on architectural original "Cross Roads of the World" (one of the first LA shopping malls). This Art Deco Icon still stands in Hollywood, one of few originals to LA that hasn't been torn down or remodeled into condos.

What I found interesting is how,(as reported by Lindsay Williams-Ross of LAist), the Cross Roads came into being from a murderous past:


"While the Cross Roads was a spectacular shopping complex and tourist attraction, how it came to be is very curious. Mrs. Crawford was the widow of an infamous man named Charles Crawford, known as anything from a prominent West Coast brothel and casino operator nicknamed "Goodtime Charlie", to "the Gray Wolf of Spring Street," to a prominent local politician, to an organized crime boss, or as the "model for some of Raymond Chandler's juicier villains" (Rasmussen). According to a detailed articled about Crawford by Cecilia Rasmussen published in 1999 in the LA Times, "[Charles Crawford's] notorious viciousness and cunning helped take public corruption to a new level in Los Angeles city government in the 1920s." Crawford, however, became most well known in 1931 as a corpse; he and newspaper man Herbert Spencer were shot and killed by former Deputy District Attorney David Clark. The incident took place in Crawford's real estate office, which just happened to be located at 6665 Sunset Boulevard."

READ THE WHOLE LAist ARTICLE

earthquake on art walk night

4.5 earthquake? and I missed it??

otoh, art walk was fun.. more later.

POZ Art Beautiful!

My friend Keith will be premiering his art documentary "Bloodwork" at the "Enzian Film Slam" at the Enzian Theatre in Maitland,FL.

Keith is an HIV Positive artist that uses his poz blood in many of his pieces to create beautiful works of art. Originally from Louisiana, he & my friend Rob make their home in Orlando, Florida. The show is on Sunday Janurary 11th. I wish I could be there! Check out the film promo:


Bloodwork Promo from David Bermejo on Vimeo.


If you'd like to see more of his actual work, I keep a link to it on my blog here under "meeko's favorites", but for those who aren't in the mood to scroll check out:

Keith Theriot ARTworks

One of these days I'm hoping to make it to one of his shows.. or maybe one day he'll make it out to LA (one can wish!) for a WestCoast show. ;)

Resolutions 2009

I know resolutions don't mean much, other than to be broken. Everyone makes them and then you just watch yourself break them from day one.

Hoping to think a little more positive, I'm going to make a list of challenges for myself that have no start or end date.. more of a guide of things I want to accomplish than 'must do's' and we'll see how far I get the end of the year?

THE LIST
1. More writing! not just here on my personal blog but in general, short stories & perhaps, if I'm lucky some bloggy stuff too!


2. Along with number one, be more active in community events and getting out and seeing more of the events going on in the neighborhood & blogging about them.

3. Start learning my way around the new D60 we got over here & taking more walks around the neighborhood & learning to read the light better.


4. Meander MORE! While I can't guarantee I will go every week, I'd like to see myself going on more LA Bike Meanders.. say twice a month at the least and some other bike adventures.

5. I'm going back on my personal Weight Watcher wagon as of Monday the 5th.. so I'm resolving to weigh in every day on the wii (unless I'm out of town).


6. Reading!! I was lamenting to my buddy Joe (Eureka Poz ) how I've not taken the time to read a thing this year. That needs to change! There's a great list of classic books that Metropolis Books will be reading for their book club this year, and maybe I'll read some! Also I love Charles Dickens, so maybe I'll give Tale of Two Cities another shot? Who knows!? I have a couple news books already I need to get started on, however.

7. Get back to art. Sean got me a great sketch set so I want to take some time and get back to re-learning technique.

I'm sure there's more but I think that's a good start for now.. I'll try and re-visit this post the end of the year. We'll see how I've done in general.

What about you?? Are there any personal growth things you'd like to tackle this year? I'm not talking pounds or miles or number of sales, but in general things you would like to try new or re-try?? The cool thing about new year is that you get another chance to start fresh. It's something to think about I guess.