Get The Pho In My Belly!

Despite having a fridge full of newly purchased groceries, the idea of cooking for myself was slightly less appealing than adding Baconnaise to a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich. Maybe it was ignorance. Maybe it was apathy. I don't know and I don't care. 

But it also could have been the little tickle in the back of my throat that cried out for some chicken and noodles in a giant bowl of steaming broth. Super Pho to the rescue! Add in a few squirts of Sriracha and it will open up your sinuses. Plus for less than $7, there's enough for two people...or two meals if you're stingy. It's like a flashback to my halcyon days of the $5 La Barca burrito!

Mmmm...that's goooood soup! 

Super Pho & Teriyaki

10953 Venice Blvd.

310.204.2829

20 Degrees Cooler Inside...

Do I have to wait that long for relief?

Hot Buttered Bugs

I'm pretty certain that my internal organs are compiling a daily list of grievances that they will file against me at the worst possible moment in some sort of misguided labor battle. But until the day my hands go beyond my control and literally cut my nose off to spite my face, there will be days like Saturday.

Because eating pizza and drinking beer in front of the television (allegedly) gets boring, my girlfriend Teresa was able to convince me to head out on a college football day to Redondo Beach for the Lobster Festival - but not until after the Trojans finished their beatdown of Washington State. Of course, the promise of more food and drink made the decision a little easier.

And food and drink there was...in abundance. All sorts of different booths selling all manners of tasty snacks. But I couldn't go to a lobster festival and not have lobster. That would be like watching an episode of Three's Company that somehow didn't involve a crazy misunderstanding.

Having just had my first crawfish experience a few months ago in New Orleans, it hit me just how much lobsters look like giant insects. Now if only silverfish tasted as good with lemon and butter. Did I just say that out loud? We'll chalk that up to the beer talking. Or the euphoria over hearing an honest-to-goodness Steely Dan tribute band.

It never stood a chance.

We were even lucky enough to hang out with Daniel Tosh's stunt double

Chairs of Palms, Pt. 2

In front of the Metro PCS store on Venice Blvd. Technically, it's on the Culver City side of the street.

To be continued...

This Little Piggy Went To Market

Friday afternoon, I found myself cruising the streets of Palms and Culver City feeling a little bit like Johnny Kemp, wondering what to do with the $20 burning a hole in my pocket. Beers at happy hour? Pizza and beer? Beer and beer?

Since a $7 12-pack of the High Life (it is the Champagne of Beers after all!) solved half of my dilemma for me, I started to think that maybe I shouldn't undo all of this week's good work at the gym in one fell swoop. After all, Rome wasn't destroyed in a day...or something like that.

So instead, I decided to hit up my local corner market for some goodies to cook up for a semi-nutritious dinner. $1.50 later, I had enough garlic to make a garlic butter cream sauce as well as keep Team Edward from coming anywhere near my apartment. Plus it erased what minuscule pangs of guilt I felt for continually using the change machine at the store-owned laundromat next door. Huzzah!

Palms Super Market
3658 Motor Ave.
310.202.1230

Chairs of Palms

You ever take a walk somewhere and just had a hankering for a good sit? Then come on over. We've got chairs and sofas on almost every corner. It's just like, it's just like a mini mall!

To be continued...

Wherefore Art Thou, (Alfa) Romeo?

Pardon the awful headline. It's late.

But not too late to enjoy another automotive gem gracing the curbs & sidewalks of West Los Angeles. Enjoy Alfa Romeo Meets Speed Racer.

Gotta love the missing passenger seat. Stuntman Mike would be proud.

Claiming India Sweets & Spices In The Name of Palms

I look forward to Tuesdays since they're normally centered around Law & Order: SVU marathons and futilely waiting for J. Wellington Wimpy to pay me back for lunch.

It's also Samosa Day! In what has become a weekly ritual after my stop at the Farmer's Market, I pop into India Sweets & Spices. I was introduced to their spiced potato-filled bits of Savory Snack Heaven by Eniko, who heard about them from Anuja, who just went there on her own. Go Anuja!

The lunch buffet is quality as well, not to mention cheap. But those little golden gifts of goodness give me something to look forward to every week - plus an additional way to use up the ginormous bottle of Sriracha I bought from their market. Wash 'em down with a Mango Lassi, aka the sweet nectar of the SSH gods and that's a pretty good afternoon.

Oh and pay no attention to the Culver City zip code. They're on the Palms side of Venice Boulevard, so they belong to us. Don't try to argue with me! (*fingers in ears* I'm not listening....LALALALALALA!!!!)

By the way, this is their new sign. It recently replaced one that was hand spray-painted. This one is nice, but it lacks the character of the old one. If anyone has a picture of the old sign, please email it to me. I'd love to post it - with all props to the appropriate person/people, of course.

India Sweets & Spices
9409 Venice Blvd.
310.839.8607

Marcas' Monday Mad Men Moment

We now return you to the rest of your work day.

Jack's 5th Show

The cool thing about being friends with cool people is getting to do cool stuff. So big thanks to Christine - always one of my favorite people for inviting me to the Jack show in Irvine on Saturday.

For one night, I ventured outside my five-mile bubble. Skid Row, Night Ranger, The Cult and The Steve Miller Band put on a damn fine show. But for a chance to see Young MC & Vanilla Ice...hell yeah!

Robert Van Winkle himself held court at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. No joke, RVW crushed his set. Never thought I'd see a Vanilla Ice show live...expected even less that I'd have a great time. The only thing more surreal than that was seeing Michael Rosenbaum hobnobbing with Young MC backstage. Yes, that Young MC.

Midway through Ice's set, it was taken over by a convention of Cougar Juggalos.

Not to be outdone, The Cult rocked pretty hard.

Even as a Dodger fan, I must bow down to a pair of kick ass Padre Reeboks, complete with the old-school Swingin' Friar logo. Props to Doug for this sweet find.

Vagina is for lovers. What's that? It's Virginia is for lovers? To-may-to. To-mah-to.

Chego!

A good Friday night usually begins sitting on my couch eating a tasty dinner. It usually ends with me waking up with a kink in my neck because I fell asleep on said couch - trying for the 12th time to make it all the way through Ten Tigers of Shaolin. Maybe one day I'll start it before 1:30 in the morning.

Earlier in the day, I was in service to others...namely driving in circles helping someone in need. And it netted me $10. With my newfound windfall, I thought I deserved a treat. My first trip to Chego!- from the makers of Kogi. For weeks, I've been wanting to eat here, but their hours of operation seemed to mirror my work schedule almost exactly. I don't have that problem anymore. But I digress. 

I went with the Sour Cream Hen House, mostly because it's the funnest name on the menu to say. I was hooked on the first bite. It's worthy of one of those Taco Bell-esque Frankenwords like tastetacular or cruncheweesy. Spicy, grilled, crunchy, creamy. Sprilluncheamy!

Chego!
3300 Overland Ave.
310.287.0337
www.eatchego.com

The Subcontinent's Greatest Adventurer?

Snake Surprise and Chilled Monkey Brains not on the menu.

Pimp My Ride: The Home Version

There will come a day when I will go out and remember to pick up everything I need in one trip. Tuesday was not that day. Since man wasn't meant to live on quinoa alone - no matter how delicious it may be - it was time for another outing.

It's not really out of the ordinary to see a Pimped Out Ride, it is Los Angeles after all. But a DIY pimp job involves a combination of deep respect and comedic ridiculousness usually reserved for Asians doing Christopher Walken impressions.

Not all "custom" paint jobs are suspect. For instance, maybe you drive an ice cream truck for grownups. I can get down with that. Though, I'd probably stay away from the Choco Taco.

Because driving an unmarked delivery van isn't creepy enough.

Barefoot Rattlesnakes & Smiling Trees

Calling yourself a "creature of habit" sounds a lot more mysterious than "guy in a rut". Regardless, it's Tuesday which means my weekly grocery shopping trip. It always begins with a walk through the Culver City Farmer's Market on Main Street between Venice & Culver. Having apples back in season (though I'm still waiting for the Pink Ladies) has slightly improved my mood over thoughts of summer being taken over by fall.

After getting my fill of fresh fruits and veggies, a brief stop at Trader Joe's rounds out the trip. Today was one of the days that I was rewarded for being a creature of habit.

Ladies and gentlemen...The Barefoot Rattlesnakes

At least, I think that's what they're called. That's the reluctant answer I got from one of the members. Nonetheless, any street band with not one but TWO singing saws is pretty cool.

Later, in an effort to not be "guy in a rut", I took a different route home. On the grand scale of life changes, it's not exactly picking up and moving to a new country, but it beats looking at the same scenery every day. And every once in awhile you find something out of the ordinary.

Sure, TVs and games are great...but how much for the oversized Mr. Potato Head pieces?

Taking the Fork in the Road

After five plus hours alternating my gaze from the computer screen to the television, I figured it might be a good idea to head outside and get some vitamin D. Plus the Law and Order: Criminal Intent marathon was over. 

Usually walking aimlessly has worked out pretty well for me. I wish I could say the same for Walking With Purpose. One night in Tulsa comes to mind. But that's for another time. I've always been fascinated with buildings sitting along forks in the road which is how I first stumbled upon the Parish of St. Mary in Palms splitting the difference between Faris Dr. and Watseka Ave.

Part of the charm of Palms is the diverse look among the buildings. In a city that gets knocked for its lack of architecture, it's always cool to come across something that looks like nothing else. Not to mention there's something kinda apropos about a church being located at a fork in the road.

St. Mary in Palms
3647 Watseka Avenue 
stmarypalms.org

Backstage

Not that I ever need an excuse, but the first Sunday of the NFL season is reason enough for me to check in for a long, productive day of drinking and eating at Backstage. As always Celina was there bright and early to cater to the walking zombies looking to shake off a Saturday night hangover - whether liquor or late night football induced.

After a few $2 Pabst Blue Ribbons and some fantastic chicken nachos, I was almost feeling too satisfied to notice I was smack dab in the middle of a Seahawks bar watching my 49ers get run over by the crowd favorite. To help make things better, I stuck around after 4:00 for their daily Happy Hour. Nothing helps chase the blues away like some garlic fries and a $3 Newcastle.

Backstage

10400 Culver Blvd.

310.839.3892

www.backstageculvercity.com

Hi...

My name is Marcas. I moved to Palms in February, 2009 - partially on the insistence of my good friend Eniko.

(Say hi, Eniko...)

Anyway, I just wanted to share some of what I think is good in my hood. Hope you like it. Feel free to share.

Oh and if you ever see that fella down the on the right walking around...it's just me. Feel free to say hello.