Rate-A-Restaurant #409: The Bucket (Eagle Rock)

 

Restaurant: The Bucket

Location: 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd. (Eagle Rock)

Type of restaurant: Hamburgers

We stipulated:

Another place we have driven past for years, The Bucket had gone dark a few years ago, and it looked like we had lost our chance to try it out. It was revived, yet we didn't visit... until New Food Sunday.

They stipulated: "With new owners and a new outlook it has gotten a second lease on life. The idea of providing locals a place to enjoy good food and good drinks at a reasonable price is re-energized and ready to become a place for the community to call a home away from home."

What we ordered: Bucket Burger (Cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, thousand island; $6.65); York Burger (Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms and Thousand Island; $6.90); Chicken Street Taco (Corn tortilla, cilantro, onions and choice of spicy or mild salsa; $2.25 each); Make your own fritas ($7.25)

 

High point: I was pleasantly surprised by the tacos. For a burger joint, the street tacos are solid.

Low point: There was no line, but we had to wait a surprisingly long time just to pick up our pre-ordered, pre-paid food.

 

Overall impression: Good, solid burger for the price.

Will we return:  I think for Taco Tuesday, when the tacos are just $1!

All Vaxxed Up

Before they put a hold on the Johnson & Johnson, we managed to get the one-jab at Glendale High School. Walgreen's administered the vaccine, but here's the bummer: Instead of giving us the CDC vaccination card that everyone else seems to have gotten and are proudly showing off, we have thin, photocopied sheets of paper from Walgreen's. Do they look official? No! If we didn't get the actual CDC vaccination card, are we really vaccinated?

We were mostly lucky with the aftermath: Maria got a headache, and our arms were sore for days after. But no serious side effects. Here's to a slow return to normalcy!
 

License Plate of the Day: Slick For You Edition

 

All right, "Slick 4 U" Beemer, we get it.

Socially Distanced Road Trip: Weekend Central Coast Getaway in Nipomo

 

For Evan's spring break, we decided to pull off our first family overnight getaway in more than a year. After doing research on various possibilities, Maria found a bed and breakfast in the town of Nipomo.  The Kaleidoscope Inn and Gardens is a beautiful, historic Victorian home built in the 1800s and now a venue for weddings and events — or long weekends for guests like us.

What we liked about Nipomo was also its seclusion. It's not a big town, and although close to the 101, not crowded with people. We could walk around and explore, with our masks on, without feeling unsafe.

And what we found was some great nature at Oso Flaco, a park filled with a lake, sand dunes, and a long bridge leading you eventually to the beach and the ocean.

Nipomo is not a dining mecca, but did have some fun places to stop and eat, including the unique The Mayor's Place.

Of course, the B&B was dog-friendly, good enough for Jacks...

Who also enjoyed his view from the front of the surrey we rented in Pismo Beach.

Speaking of Pismo Beach, you can't see it here, but the streets were FILLED with people for spring break. Some masked, some not so much. We rode the other direction, away from them, and quickly left the town after our hour in the surrey was up.

Perhaps the highlight was the impromptu wine and cheese picnic we created in the backyard of the Kaleidoscope, featuring goodies we picked up at Trader Joe's.

A high recommendation. In fact, Maria's brother and his wife wound up here the following week and they, too, approve.

Stop Asian Hate: Sign of the Times

 

As spotted in the window of our neighborhood coffee house, KAFN.