On the Move..

Kiki takes one last look out our South facing window over Main Street..

on the road:

Hillside Poppies growing near Lebec, along the I-5



On the other side of the Grapevine and Fort Tejon, the Valley spreads out below:


a farm along the I-5:


sorry so blurry.. was trapped in the back seat with two cats and not much movement.. =) Didn't get any photos after I moved to another seat since it had gotten dark by then.. =)

Last Meals Pt 2

Our last meals before I headed up to the Bay Area with the cats were at Starry Kitchen on Tuesday and on Wednesday we visited the Nickel Diner.. my go-to spot for really good bacon-avo burgers,amazing onion rings,tasty "Smac N Cheese", tummy-stuffing breakfasts (OMG blueberry pancakes!) and oh so naughty desserts of all kinds..

We pretty much had lunch and then hit the road.. but we left DTLA very happy (and full):


Sean and our double dose of Bacon Avo Burgers!


Bacon Avo Burger w/ those yummy onion rings..


Same but different.. with fries

What to order when you know you won't be able to eat at the Nickel Diner for the unforeseen future??

Salt Peanut Cake of course!!

Thank you so much to Monica and Kristen for all the yummy meals and for bringing such a delicious and comfy place to our neighborhood. The Nickel was one of the many bright spots our good times in the Historic Core.. and yes, like an action hero with a heavy accent, we'll be back! =)

Moving Day

After the loaders finished..

Our mostly empty loft at the San Fernando, home for the last three of our four years in the Old Bank District.. Our neighborhood for 4 of the almost 6 years we've lived in DTLA.. Pretty happy times!

on the edge of moving..

Having issues changing my banner image.. but here you can see an image it's based:



Sean & I are still in DTLA but we've made the trip up & back on Sunday the 18th to sign for the keys and take measurements of the spaces so we know what we can and can't do with our furniture. Sean wil pick up what I found out to be a U*haul.. not a Budget truck (collective groan) but hopefully we get one of the "good ones" and will have no issues. =)

We'll still be back & forth in DTLA the next week til the end of the month.. then it's time to settle into our new old neighborhood. =)

Emeryville is sandwiched between Berkeley and Oakland along the Eastbay. Part of the 1 1/2 square milage of the city is actually offshore so that's fun.. I don't expect I'll be exploring that part of Emeryville much. =)

I expect I'll still post a lot about food and retail and events that I either attend or are going on in the Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland area.. and if we move back to Berkeley proper I am thinking I may keep the name anyway.. Sean suggested it when we neared our future loft home.. "See, we're on the edge of E*Ville!"

Aloha DTLA!

Alexander hanging out in our South-facing window.

The good thing about Aloha is that it's been used to mean 'hello' as well as 'goodbye' and so with this explanation, we announce that we've made it official. Sean & I put in our 30 day notice this morning. We're giving up our spacious, light-filled loft in the Old Bank District.

When Sean & I made the decision to leave the SF Bay Area & Berkeley for SoCal, it seemed like the logical choice, given how much traveling Sean was doing with work. It seemed like he was away or traveling more than he was home. We made the move thinking "nothing's permanent.." Well, that's what I told myself. That was eight years ago. We never imagined ourselves living in a live/work loft situation in DTLA. Since then, we find that time and experience changes things. Now I can't imagine why we didn't move to Downtown LA sooner.

We loved calling the Historic Core and the Old Bank District home. It's a little slice of what life should be everywhere. Where neighbors talk to each other, where we get involved in our community and take an interest in each other and how we can make life better for one another. I can't say I did much of that myself, but I really liked being a part of that environment. The creative and self-determined and civic-minded.

I enjoyed the time I was helping blog about our neighborhood, meeting new people and learning about the businesses around DTLA. I loved attending community events like Hope For Firefighters, National Night Out, or the Public Safety BBQ at 7th &Fig. Sean loved going to Art Walk and exploring the pop-up galleries and creative spaces around Gallery Row. We had favorite places we loved to go eat: Starry Kitchen, The Nickel Diner, Pete's Cafe, Syrup Desserts, Blossom, Wurstkuche,(as well as Royal Clayton's which will be re-opening in its new location on Spring later this year) to name just a few that we enjoyed regularly these past several years.

We made so many friends here, we found a home, and community. That said, why are we heading back to the Bay Area? Well, it's home. The decision to leave Berkeley for SoCal was made with our heads and not so much with our heart. Sean's family is from the Bay Area.. and while I'm not from there, I fell in love with the City and pretty much everything about living there. With Sean's work travel it made sense to move to SoCal.. but we missed home and it was a topic of conversation that came up over the years. "Do you think we'll ever move back to Berkeley?" Who knows? "Do you think they'll let you transfer back?" Who knows? At first it didn't make sense to move back, as there was still some traveling involved with his work.. The last couple years he's been telecommuting (when he's not having to travel now & again). So with our place being a true 'live/work' loft situation, the topic came up a few times. Working from home, Sean & I could live anywhere.. While we have been very happy where we live, we realized that the time might be right to see about moving back to Berkeley.. or to the Bay Area in general (San Jose came up a couple times). So Sean looked into it, and here we are.

We found an adaptive reuse 'live/work' loft space to live in Emeryville,Ca. Many of our friends know Emeryville as Pixar Headquarters. =) It's also where Peet's Coffe & Tea is based, Title Nine, Leap Frog, and Jamba Juice among many others.. Emeryville is also a very small city: Incorporated in the late 1800s.. It has a police and fire department, but no public library or newspaper! Sandwiched between Berkeley and Oakland in the Eastbay, it may not need a paper but this is where community blogging comes in. Blogs are essential to sharing information and news around Emeryville. While I can't say what I personally will do along the lines of blogging, I do intend to keep posting updates.. I just won't be posting about DTLA so much. While I fully intend to visit to DTLA pretty often, I don't expect to make like I can keep up on the goings-on. We're relocating pretty far away; things will be missed.

I don't know if I should keep updating this, maybe change the name of the blog to something more Bay-centric? I don't expect DTLA friends & neighbors to be interested in what's going on in Emeryville.. I do have a wordpress blog that I started when I was doing research for the move back, but then it doesn't make sense to me to keep up two blogs about what is most likely to be the same topic. Honestly I just don't know.. Maybe some folks have suggestions.. Until such time, we're keeping busy.

I've been scavenging boxes from the neighbors and I got another moving kit coming in from Costco. We're looking into movers now and contemplating a visit from "Out of the Closet" for some of our furniture. I'm doing a lot of sorting, dusting, organizing.. Despite all that, the place is a mess.. and looks more untidy than it did before I started. The cats are getting a little upset about the constant movement of 'stuff' around the loft.

We're anxious. We're excited. We're happy. We're sad.. We're stressed. This is a good thing. We'll be missing so much about downtown and yet we know this isn't goodbye forever. With friends and community we found here, it's just "so long for now.. see you soon.." Aloha.


Kiki loves a warm patch of sun as it comes through one of our many frosted glass windows.

Dinner at the Nickel

The Nickel all ready for Halloween

The last couple times we've eaten at the Nickel it was for lunch. Hearing about a new dinner menu from Kristen, we made a point to go there Wednesday night.


New items include a variation on the chicken & dumpling, appetizers like the double stuffed artichoke and the white bean soup.


Double Stuffed artichoke is stuffed with its own artichoke hearts and mashed potatoes.


We also split an order of fried chicken drumettes with maple bacon jam served with polenta and braised kale.

I preferred the drumettes over the stuffed artichoke. The maple bacon jelly was had just a little (yummy!) spiciness to it, and we couldn't really tell there was bacon involved, but the drumettes were still very good.

We also split an order of the "Frim Fram Sauce with Ausen Fey with Sha Fa Fa on the Side"

This is that variation of chicken and dumplings which comes with a side of lemon cream sauce and herbs. It's served in a little soup tureen.


This is a very hearty soup..

Here's a close-up of those yummy dumplings and pieces of chicken.. I put a little bit of the herbs on my spoon. It gave a nice bit of seasoning:


SeanYoda said the lemon cream sauce "added a nice tangy flavor" to the soup. I imagine had we not shared this it would have been way too much for one person.


NIckel Diner
524 S Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Semi Sweet Now Open!

After several months of build-out, inspections, and anticipation, Semi Sweet Bakery officially opened today in the Santa Fe Lofts (near 6th and Main).

"Ding-a-lings" of various flavors including red velvet and traditional were available..


pound cake, triple chip cookies, cheese danishes..


Apple and Cinnamon "Pop Pies" and Lemon Current Scones


The Blueberry Corn Bread looked really delicious..


We picked up a couple of those "Triple Chip Cookies"


Along with the cookies, we picked up a red velvet "ding-a-ling" to try and a slice of the maple bacon sticky bun..

Yes, maple bacon sticky buns!! We split a slice before lunch.. It was so delicious.. not too sweet not too bacon-y (as if there was such a thing!) Very repeatable treat!

According to their Twitter account ( @SemiSweetBakery ) will be open Tuesdays through Sunday from 8am- 4pm initially. Right now they are just soft-opening and are getting their wares out gradually. I inquired about those savory buns and she expects to get her meat delivery worked out within the week and will be adding those items requiring meat to her menu soon.

As you can see by my images they seem to have several sweet choices to choose from. Their coffee is provided by New Frontier Coffee Roasters out of Century City.

Be sure and go by and check the place out.. and maybe get a cookie or some of the yummy sticky buns. As having just tried one, I highly recommend it! Based on what I've seen so far, there is definitely a niche for Semi Sweet in our neighborhood and welcome addition. Being a local DTLA resident you can feel right about supporting another local business owner.

Semi Sweet Bakery
105 E 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Tel: 213-228-9975

Changing Concepts on Broadway

One wouldn't be wrong in wondering if this location next to the Broadway McDonald's was cursed. There's any number of places around downtown like this, where a new restaurant or cafe will open and shutter within a year only to open a new concept just to close yet again. From "Hoagies & Wings" to "Kalbi BBQ" to "Teriyaki and Burgers" (which should be opening 'soon') you keep hoping for these mom & pops to make it.. to pull through and keep going.

I liked Hoagies & Wings.. It wasn't anything I could eat regular on my current lifestyle plan, but it was good (& greasy in a good way). They seemed to do alright for lunch but aside from the initial lunchtime hype, business seemed to taper off. Whether it was location, hours, or delivery options.. who's to say? They closed.

A few months later the Kalbi BBQ opened up and they too seemed to make a go of it, but like Hoagies & Wings they seemed to be empty of customers many times I passed by there. I am a bit embarrassed to say I never made it over there to try it. I always thought about it after the fact (after I'd eaten lunch at Starry Kitchen which I am still happy and amazed with). The Kalbi place sounded good and simple. I don't know if it lasted a year.. It shuttered maybe a month or two ago.


Now this:

Teriyaki & Burger "coming soon"

I guess if I want to put my money where my mouth is literally I need to be sure and check this place out when it opens. I"m honestly not excited about teriyaki and burgers.. like the predecessor, it's a simple concept that should attract a wide range of customers around downtown. It's up to locals to support it and for the business owners to get the word out about their place and have hours that are attractive to loft dwellers. It's not enough to be a lunch place and leave the loft dwellers out of your business model. It's not enough to have delivery (no idea if this place will have it or not) but only deliver to a short radius, or close early. Yes the stores on Broadway might close early but the thousands of potential hungry customers that live downtown are always looking for good, fast, affordable meals.

So now that it's on the radar we'll keep an eye out for it.

LA Reflection Plans to Open Next Week

Located at the breezeway of the LAPD Headquarters courtyard, LA Reflection has been poised to make its debut for weeks (if not months). Pending a Health Department visit ("within the next day or two") the upscale restaurant will be given the OK to open..


Speaking with an unnamed source at the restaurant, they might have sneak preview tastings on Thursday or Friday around lunch,(no specific time was given). Monday the 19th is a private dinner. They'll be soft-opening to the public for lunch Tuesday the 20th,(breakfast and dinner service will be added in approximate two week, staggered increments).

According to their website, the menu will offer a mix of International flavors: American or Mediterranean meals, specialty pizzas (including a "build your own" pizza) sushi, soups, salads, and desserts. The menu may firm up some based on feedback from patrons.

LA Reflection
155 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213)625-5011

Lunch at Cole's

If you want to 'getaway' without leaving the neighborhood there's not a better place to go on a mini vacation than Cole's.

Cole's was the place I went back in June 2006 for "Brother Mike" Schneider's 100th Rate a Restaurant meetup.. I can't say I could feel anymore like a tourist than I did that day.

It was talk of downtown that fateful day with Eric Richardson of Blogdowntown and Celia and Jim (Winstead) that put to mind the things we were lacking out in the burbs.. that put our wheels spinning to eventually move downtown.

We did move downtown October 2006, and we're pretty happy. DTLA lacks many of the conveniences we were used to living in the Bay Area (where Sean is originally from) but it's a city in transition. It feels like it's kicking the training wheels off after having not been up to speed in a while. Lots of bumps along the way.. It's not the city our friends think it is.. not the booming glamorous metropolis our out-of-state friends imagine; nor is it the grimy, crime-ridden death trap that some not so local think it might be.

I like my neighborhood, I like downtown. If I'm going to live in SoCal this is where I'm glad to be.. Just enough community spirit and activism and just small-town enough to make it cozy.

I'm going off the track for a reason I guess because having lunch at Cole's made me ruminate on that. The years that people have tried to make it here, find their own local spot and their own niche.. I don't hang out at Cole's. Since it's transition from hole-in-the-wall hangout to clean, retro chic. It's a hangout of another kind. Still worthwhile, still historic.. and they do make those dip sandwiches.



I'm not going to go on about whose is better.. I will say I am a big fan of the bacon potato salad. It's always a treat.. and for another time, the once New Orleans resident in me noted the Zapp's chips in the host station at the entrance (on our way out of course). Assuming there's a next time.. I might have to go with that just so they keep them in stock.

The thing is, we don't go to Cole's too often.. maybe one or two times a year for all the years we've lived here. Few enough times I always feel like a tourist when I eat here and can enjoy the cushy booths and the quiet solitude of not running into anyone in particular. At night it's a totally different story, with plenty of locals and Westsiders and business folks fresh off work hitting up the Association or trying to squeeze into Varnish, the little "speakeasy" in the back.

I'm not a bar scene kind of person.. I think those days are long gone for me. I do like the neighborhood scene though, and that's enough.

Awning is off Banquette

Awning is off Banquette
Originally uploaded by meekorouse

While the sounds of construction for new tenant Baco goes on behind the scenes, the awning of OBD favorite "Banquette Cafe & Wine Bar" has been dismantled from the facade of the San Fernando Building.

Coly's Stromboli

Coly's Stromboli is now OPEN!


Open as of Wednesday the 25th, Coly's Stromboli (in the former Pie Boy Pizza location) at 456 S. Hill Street is all about those delicious Italian-American pocket pizzas: Strombolis.

Coly is our downtown neighbor Coly Den Haan (of "The Must" Wine Bar) and she lends her name to the new eatery, one of three locations she & her business partner, Rachel Thomas, are opening this year in the Pershing Square Building*

At Coly's they serve 5 different meat-filled varieties: the Original (which has 3 different kinds of meat),Hawaiian (which has ham and pineapple as you might expect), Pepperoni, Sausage and Peppers, and Chicken Parmesan.

They serve veggie rolls and a few salads as well.

For my first order (I called in so I could pick it up as the spouse was tied to his desk) we chose the Sausage and Peppers. I ordered a full Antipasto Salad (you can order it as a half order for a little less).


Close-up of the Sausage & Peppers Stromboli:

Sausage and Peppers: sausage, sweet peppers, onions, mozzarella, provolone, and marinara. (I halved & plated it at home)

The Stromboli was as fresh it could be considering I had to carry it from 5th & Hill to 4th & Main.. so it was still hot, the sausage had a nice zest to it, the crust not too thick, so a little damp from all the juices inside. It's served with a little side of sauce, but honestly the Stromboli is great without it. The Stromboli is about 7in long, so a good size for one person or (as we split and shown on a plate at home) good with a salad.

Speaking of the salad:

Antipasto Salad: Romaine, salami, pepperoni, garbanzo beans, olives, provolone, mozzarella, onion & peppers.

Did you see the Salami??

Close-up of a chunk of salami.. pieces are large, and the olives are whole, pitted black olives.

The salad was really great.. and the oil on the salad was rather moderate, "not too greasy" was Sean's pronouncement. I would say not greasy at all.. but I'm used to ordering salads and having to ask for the dressing on the side because so many places over-do the oil. I forgot to ask for dressing on the side but I didn't have to worry. This was great! Pretty close to perfect!

A whole salad (which I ordered) runs $7.. half that amount for a half salad.

A combo (Stromboli with chips and a 12 oz can of soda) runs $9.




I think this might become a regular thing for me..

Coly's Stromboli
456 S Hill
213-627-9990
Hours: M-F 11-5pm (currently)


*"The Perch" will be opening this summer on the rooftop and later this year "The Must" returns, opening at 5th & Hill on another floor of the Pershing Square Building.

Mural on Main

Mural on Main
Originally uploaded by meekorouse

THURSDAY: As seen from 5th & Main Streets: A mural was in progress, painted on the side of the Old Bank District garage. @RawMaterials tweeted out that it was the work of Claudio Ethos.

Christmas on Main

wreath on the Old Bank at 4th and Main..

Merry Christmas Downtown Neighbors!

Haven't been home the last couple weeks.. Missed Art Walk and any number of things going on in the neighborhood.. and plan to spend Christmas with a dear old friend from out of town... but otherwise enjoying the holidays downtown..

When it seems like the city has closed down for the holiday take a minute to enjoy the silence.. or at least a hot toddy at Pete's I guess. I would be surprised if they were closed.

OtoH today is your last chance to enjoy holiday shopping downtown as many businesses will be closed for the next couple days..

DTLA Car-less, the MetroLink Way

I finally got around to editing a short clip from our return into Downtown LA late last month as we cross over the LA River and into the rail-yards of downtown.. I suggest turning down the volume as the iMovie 'theme' music wears on the nerves after a minute

Portofino Cucina Italiana is Open (again) !

The new Italian restaurant opened on the seemingly cursed corner of 5th and Main a little over a month ago. As happy as everyone was the place was now home to a well-meaning, determined restaurateur Diego Ortoli , it closed to as much sadness as they battled plumbing issues.

Diego thought it best to close while he worked out the plumbing fix. About three weeks later, he opened back up this past Monday. The food is just as good (if not even better than we recall).

One of my neighbors had gushed about the gnocci, so I knew exactly what I had to order.. Gnocchi piccanti


from the menu: "Home made potato dumplings with broccoli, roasted garlic, jalapeno and imported romano cheese"

While I didn't notice broccoli so much, the roasted garlic was deliciously prevalent and the jalapeno added just the touch to make a cheesy, spicy, garlic-y goodness. I was wishing I had a spoon so I could scrape every last drop of the sauce from the bowl. Seriously.


The spouse ordered the Scaloppine di manzo alla Piemontese:

from the menu: "Thinly sliced Sirloin steak sautéed with garlic, parsley, roasted bell peppers and basil in a white wine sauce, topped with fresh mozzarella, served with roasted rosemary potatoes and vegetables"

I am in love with these rosemary potatoes!! I swiped a couple from Sean so I could use them to mop up the last bits of my gnocchi sauce. The steak was tender, and IMHO ran a little towards sweet.. (Sean disagrees with me on the 'sweet' description, but this is why I don't do reviews usually).

Suffice to say I liked his dish enough I want to order that next time we go. Diego says he has a lot of new staff (3 weeks is a long time to go without regular work honestly) including a new chef who has over 20 years in the cruiseline business. He came out to our table and checked on us, and me not being in my "nosy blogger" mode I didn't get his name, but he seemed friendly and his food is great!

Sean wasn't wanting dessert, but I still had room to split something, so Diego surprised me with this great cinnamon-y apple cake/torte:


if you order this, try it without the chocolate first.. the cinnamon and apple is light and clean (and very filling) and I thought the chocolate murdered the cinnamon. In the words of Sean when I asked him what he thought of the cinnamon, he said "what cinnamon" but he had drenched his first bite in the chocolate drizzle.

I asked Diego if he'd be doing breakfast again and he said for now, no.. I guess there weren't enough people knowing he was open for breakfast.. so I can only hope that'll come back eventually..


NOW FOR THE COOL SURPRISE!!

Diego mentioned that he found out from his legal adviser that he can do BYOB Wine! So as long as he has "nothing to do with it," you can bring your wine bottle in a paper-bag, along with your own glasses & corkscrew and have that wine with your pasta. So all my friends whinging about "what's pasta without wine?!" you can stop whining and have your wine. =)

Just stay classy ok??? ;P

so.. you know the deal..

Portofino Cucina Italiana
464 S. Main
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Portofino Cucina Italiana"




the blogdowntown article:
Portofino Cucina Italiana Opens at 5th and Main"

Random LAFD

So I was meandering my way back home when I spotted an LAFD truck just off 7th & Hill Streets.. The firefighters were pulling a small ladder off the truck and headed to the sidewalk. Being the nosy person that I am (heh) I stopped to see what was up.. (I didn't smell any smoke but that doesn't mean something isn't amiss)

Apparently not much other than the ladder..


here comes the ladder..


and UP it goes!







meh.. they're done.



See?? Random! =)

Broadway is looking UP!

Broadway near 6th Street is getting a fresh coat of paint..




over at Payless..




applying new window treatment..


and next door they're making repairs to the storefront: