Quote of the Day: Police Chief Bratton Outs Lindsay Lohan

KNBC caught up with LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, who explained why he thinks a city ordinance controlling the movement of paparazzi is unnecessary:

"If you notice, since Britney started wearing clothes and behaving; Paris is out of town not bothering anybody, thank god; and, evidently, Lindsay Lohan has gone gay, we don't seem to have much of an issue."

Bratton interrupted his workout -- he was still sweaty on camera -- because, he told the station, an earlier KNBC report with Councilman Dennis Zine (who's pushing the new rules) pissed him off.

Rate-A-Restaurant #181: The Stand

Restaurant: The Stand

Location: 2000 Avenue of the Stars (Century City)

Type of restaurant: American: Hot Dogs, etc.



They stipulated: Have as many pickles as you want... but if you want more deli mustard, you gotta ask for it.

We stipulated: I missed lunch on afternoon at the TV Critics Assn. press tour -- being held at the Beverly Hilton -- and decided to hit the Breadbar in Century City. I called up TV Week's Joe and Andrew, and they were heading to The Stand. I'd never been... so I skipped the mall and headed into CAA territory.



What we ordered: Sorry, I wasn't in the mood for a hot dog. I went the sausage route -- in this case, a low-fat chicken apple sausage, which came with grilled onions and deli mustard. ($5.75). I also passed on the chips and got the slaw for $1 more.



High point: Service was reasonably fast, and I liked the option of putting the sausage on a poppyseed bun -- which I did.

Low point: $1 extra for a tiny side of slaw?

Overall impression: Decent crunch to the sausage, price was borderline reasonable... and most importantly, interesting crowd watching. Witnessing lawyers and agents in suits chomping on hot dogs next to others in t-shirts and shorts was interesting enough.

Chance we'll go back: Probably wouldn't go out of my way, but yes, I should probably try the hot dog next time.

For a complete list of our more than 180 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

The Problem With Mervyn's

What went wrong with department store Mervyn's? The department store just filed for bankruptcy, and blogger Party Pauper has a theory why: Shopping there is just not fun:

Outside of cheap bras and Hello Kitty pajamas in adult sizes, there is little joy to be found in Mervyn's. At the very least, there is nothing worthwhile about the Northridge outpost...

The cash registers were obscured by massive piles of wrinkled clothing and sales people were few and far between (it took a while to actually find a competent person to ring up my purchase). Then there were the customers. There is no return rack, let alone an attendant, in the dressing room, so people just toss unwanted items on the ground (including bikini bottoms, which is another issue altogether). Out in the ladies department, I saw one woman drive her kid's stroller into a rack of clothes, knock over some shirts and continue on without so much as a glance back at the mess she made...

Mervyn's is just one big reminder that you can't afford Macy's, let alone Barney's. It's a store without any dignity.

I've hit the Mervyn's at the Glendale Galleria many times, and Party Pauper got it right. The place is a disaster -- merchandise thrown everywhere, screaming kids, poorly designed displays. It's indeed quite depressing.

ADD: LA Biz Observed notes that several Mervyn's locations could be shut as a result of the Chapter 11. For the Glendale Galleria, that could be a good thing. Mervyn's doors represent the Galleria's only entrance on Brand -- and anyone interested in hitting the Galleria from the street has to go through a Mervyn's maze before finally hitting the mall. Now that the Americana has added tons of foot traffic to that part of Brand, the Galleria would be wise to construct a brand new mall opening there, coupled with new, smaller retail space, rather than attempt to find another department store to fill the void.

Quake Overload

Coverage overkill? Uh, yuh think? Our local TV newscasters have never been known for their restraint -- this is the land of STORMWATCH and car chases, after all.

But it's still a sorry sight to see our local stations struggling to make Tuesday's 5.4 quake into a bigger story. Some of it was pure fear mongering -- "Is this the precursor to something bigger?" was the first question out of everyone's mouth. The truth is, the odds of the big one hitting tomorrow aren't much better or worse than they were yesterday. When the big one's ready to hit, it's gonna hit.

Broken pipes, shampoo bottles on supermarket floors, some bricks from unreinforced buildings sliding to the ground -- interesting visuals and worth mentioning. But worth blowing out the afternoon with wall to wall coverage?

I suppose you could argue that at least this was good practice for when a big quake really does hit. But I was almost embarrassed for Southern California by the end of the day -- given the truly destructive quakes and natural disasters around the globe in recent years, our minor shake was a minor distraction.



Of course, there wasn't video from those other quakes of Judge Judy -- looking alarmed, probably wondering if that light above her was going to come crashing down.

Here's How the Quake Looked Live on TV

Above, here's how KNBC anchors Chris Schauble and Jennifer Bjorklund handled the quake live on their 11 a.m. Cool, calm and collected, the duo were extremely professional.

Quite, ahem, a difference from this:

Soy Long: The Tofu Festival Is Canceled

Longtime readers of Franklin Avenue know that Little Tokyo's annual Tofu Festival is one of our favorite events of the year. That's why we were sad to learn that the annual event has been scrapped.

It wasn't a surprise, however, as we noted last year that the event was in trouble. Indeed, last year's Tofu Fest, while still pretty well attended, nonetheless had fewer food booths than years past, and no major musical concert. Plus, the parking lot where it used to be held was under construction, forcing the event on to just one street, San Pedro.

As a result, the Little Tokyo Service Center told the Downtown News last year that the event might just go away.

Here's our description of the 2007 event.

We always loved the Tofu Fest because the food was plentiful and cheap, the booths were interesting (and many boasted free stuff) and the entertainment pretty good. It was never insanely crowded either, and we loved the downtown locale. We'll miss you, Tofu Fest!

Did You Feel It?

There are scary earthquakes, and there are not. Thankfully, today's shaker was a fun one. Here at Variety, we felt a little shake -- as if a truck was passing by -- followed by a gentle but firm sway from side to side.

The details, from USGS:

A moderate earthquake occurred at 11:42:15 AM (PDT) on Tuesday, July 29, 2008.The magnitude 5.8 event occurred 3 km (2 miles) SW of Chino Hills, CA. The hypocentral depth is 12 km (8 miles).

Turns out it was actually just a 5.4. A lotta shakin', but that's about it. Still, that's not stopping local news from going hogwild with wall-to-wall coverage.

Los Angeles: Ad Town One in a series

Here's one perk to living at the Milano Lofts that even the downtown building doesn't mention: Apparently it's giant-cupcake-adjacent. At least, according to this latest Visa commercial.

License Plate of the Day: "X-Files" Edition, Part II

While some still "want to believe," this motorist already does.

The Chapman Market May Have Changed, But It's Still Hopping 80 Years Later

(Flickr pic by fabooj.)

The Chapman Market, designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements and opened in 1929, is representative of the Spanish Revival architecture popular in that era. Designed as the first-ever drive-in market, the Chapman is now a Koreatown nighttime hotspot, as well as home to boutique eateries like Bosco Cake Salon, which we reviewed last month. The main building is at 6th and Alexandria, with an auxiliary building across the street.

Charles Chapman and his brothers were major land owners; besides opening Chapman Market, founded what's now known as Chapman University and also published county almanacs and county histories under the name "Chapman Brothers." Charles Chapman also scored the nickname "The Orange King of California."

Back to the Chapman Market... eventually, of course, the building fell into disrepair. Enter developer Wayne Ratkovich, who took a shine to the property (as well as the Wiltern Theatre and other spots) and restored the center in 1989. The L.A. Times recently wrote about Ratkovich, here.

I've driven by Chapman Market for years, always intrigued by the architecture and the name. These days, there's not much "market" to Chapman Market, but it's still completely packed with tenants, ready to sell you a good cake, soju, karaoke, a cell phone or clothes. (Guess there still is a "market" to the Chapman.)

A few shots:


The drive-in tunnel that immediately made the Chapman Market a 1929 novelty. Look how narrow that tunnel is -- fine for 1929 vehicles, not so much 2008.


A fountain adds even more character to the inside courtyard. I stood here a few weeks ago and imagined the days where you'd walk one way to get produce, and the other way to find baked goods.


The Chapman Market's profile shot.

Soda Pop Music

One of our favorite L.A. spots is Galco's Soda Pop Stop. Located on York in Highland Park, Galco's -- once an Italian grocer -- remade itself about a decade ago under owner John Nese into a retailer of just about every known and obscure soda in the universe.

Now, local artist Greg Laswell has shot a music video to his song "How the Day Sounds" at Galco's. Check it out -- including a brief appearance by Nese:

How the Day Sounds

License Plate of the Day: "X-Files" Edition

I'm guessing this Mulder fan is already in line.

Retro Friday: Breakin' Hawaii

You know what's missing from TV these days? Super cheesy local dance shows. Here's one from the early 1980s in Hawaii: "Breakin' Hawaii." I post it partly because you gotta love what host Kamasami Kong is wearing -- hey, that Michael Jackson-inspired outfit I'm sure seemed like a good idea at the time.

The dancing's actually edited out of the clip above, so here you go:



Take that, "So You Think You Can Dance"!

And OK, one more goofy clip from Hawaii. Low-budget, cheesy local ads are also in short supply these days. I remember this one especially fondly -- white bread local DJ Michael W. Perry rapping about ice cream treats. They sure don't make 'em like this anymore:

More Destruction on Wilshire

(Old shot of the Bob's Big Boy on Wilshire via Chris Nichols at LottaLiving.)

As previously noted elsewhere (check out the Eater LA piece here and the Lotta Living message string here), Bob's Big Boy and Lou Ehlers' Cadillac on Wilshire both shut down recently. The land will eventually be the new home to Beverly Hills BMW, according to Eater LA (shouldn't it be renamed "Miracle Mile BMW"?).

It's sad to see how quickly the buildings have been shut down, with demolishment demolition already under way. Below, the boarded-up Bob's Big Boy:



And the Lou Ehler's (designed by Stiles O. Clements, according to Chris Nichols at Lotta Living) tear down:

Carpool Lanes Take Their Toll

The LA Times' Bottleneck Blog notes that toll lanes are one step closer to reality in Los Angeles County:

The California Transportation Commission just unanimously approved the plan in Los Angeles County to convert the carpool lanes on parts of the 10, 110 and possibly the 210 freeways to toll lanes.

The plan now goes to the state Legislature. What do you think? Would you pay extra for the opportunity to use the toll lanes?

Leno Thoughts

You may have seen this pic in the newspapers. Above, in a fairly cheesy staged shot, Jay Leno -- in bald cap and fake goatee -- poses as a TV critic with NBC Entertainment co-chairmen Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff. Leno showed up to NBC's TV Critics press tour event on Monday, in an attempt to make light of gossip that he plans to bolt for ABC once he leaves "The Tonight Show" next year.

But there was a local, bloggy angle to all this. When Leno walked into the Beverly Hilton ballroom where NBC was holding its press conference, the talk show host grabbed a random, unclaimed press credential:



Yep, he was wearing the name tag intended for my Variety colleague -- and DodgerThoughts blogger Jon Weisman. Jon writes more about his imposter here.

Of All The Hotels To Meet His Mistress, Why Did Edwards Pick the Beverly Hilton?

If the National Enquirer is accurate -- and it's sure starting to look that way -- then John Edwards isn't looking like a Democratic VP candidate much longer. Here's the detailed report that he was caught by National Enquirer reporters while visiting his mistress (and love child?) in Los Angeles.

Stupid enough move. But the Enquirer doesn't even note an even bigger gaffe: Edwards conducted the tryst Monday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Yes, where the TV Critics Association Press Tour was still taking place. Edwards picked a hotel where journalists from across the country were staying. Uh, oops. Doesn't sound like any of them spotted him, but that was pretty boneheaded... as if the whole affair isn't already. Why not just put a press release out at that point?!

Granted, many journos had probably already departed the BevHilton -- Monday was the last day of press conferences at the hotel, while Tuesday was devoted to set visits outside the venue. Still, I'm assuming several out-of-town TV critics were still still at the hotel -- and quite possibly staying up late, as it was the final night of the tour.

So of all the hotels to quietly meet his mistress, Edwards chose the large Beverly Hilton, which could have been bustling with reporters (not to mention the usual group of Beverly Hills paparazzi)? It's like he wanted to be caught. On that count, apparently, he succeeded.

Rate-A-Restaurant #180: Camilo's California Bistro

Restaurant: Camilo's California Bistro

Location: 2128 Colorado Blvd

Type of restaurant: California cuisine



They stipulated: Camilo's has a small children's menu, but we snuck in Evan's pre-made lunch, which was a tad healthier than the cheese sandwich or bean burrito they had on the menu. No one complained.

We stipulated: Following an event at the Blogger Kid's preschool, we were hungry for a close-by lunch... but weren't sure what we were in the mood for. Maria suggested Camilo's, where she had dined quite frequently over the past month.



What we ordered: Mike -- grilled chicken sandwich (chicken breast marinated in fresh rosemary, virgin olive oil and fresh herbs, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, with pasta salad); $8.95. Maria -- Santa Fe chicken salad (grilled chicken, avocado, tomatoes, black beans, corn, red onions, pasilla chiles, cotija cheese, chips and lettuce, tossed with cilantro cream dressing); $9.95.



High point: The chicken sandwich held up well later that evening, when I was able to utilize the large sandwich's leftovers for dinner.

Low point: Service was a tad unattentive. Took a while for the food to come out.

Overall impression: Nice spot, decent food, perhaps not overly remarkable. Not necessarily a first-choice destination, but one that's a good fall-back when other plans fail. Convenient to us, and since we frequently find ourselves in Eagle Rock, it's a nice spot to have on Colorado Blvd.

Chance we'll go back: Probably, especially if we're looking for a slightly classy place in the 'hood with decent prices.

For a complete list of our more than 180 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Too Bad There's No Way to Tap The Tar Pits

My office is one block over from the La Brea Tar Pits, famed for the oozing black stuff that occasionally pops up beyond the confines of the actual pit. With so much tar oozing through the walls of our parking garage, the building management even put up wall coverings to hide the black drippings.

It's all lying there on the cement, sticky black tar. Quite a shame it can't be scooped up to fuel my car.

Los Angeles: Ad Town One in a series

The latest Mazda ad features the Los Angeles historic core, including the Eastern Columbia building (left).

The Real-Life "90210"

I just love saying Joe E. Tata's name. Say it with me: "Joe E. Tata." The Tata man was at the CW's portion of the TV Critics Association press tour on Saturday to help serve breakfast (at a faux "Peach Pit") and to confirm that yes, indeed, Joe E. "Nat" Tata would be back slinging hash and advice as a recurring player on the new "90210."

Meanwhile, the L.A. Times has put together this interactive map of new (and old) "90210" shooting spots. How do the tanned "90210"ers live? Check out these sites. A sampling:

Peach Pit (played by Kokomo Cafe: 6333 W. 3rd St.): "The favorite hangout in Beverly Hills for its cool hipster residents, but now it's more of a trendy cafe that Nat, played by the returning Joe E. Tata, still owns."

West Beverly Hills High (played Torrance High School: 2200 W Carson St): "In keeping with the original, all exterior shots of West Beverly High are done here."

West Beverly High parking lot and Lacrosse fields (played by El Segundo High School: 640 Main St.): "The scenes in the high school parking lot and lacrosse fields are filmed here."

Boulevard3 (played by Boulevard3: 6523 W. Sunset Blvd.): "The famed nightclub plays itself and is used for a climactic birthday party scene."

Peach Pit After Dark (played by Spider Club: 1737 Vine St.): "This is the Pit, the reincarnation of Peach Pit After Dark."

There was a gasp in the room during the "90210" press conference when one of the show's new stars admitted that she was 1 when the original "Beverly Hills 90210" launched. Yes, it was nearly 20 years ago.

Retro Friday: L.A.'s Long-Gone Streetcars

Above, the yellow cars. Below, the red cars. With gas at $4/pop and traffic at a standstill, I frequently wonder what L.A.'s transporation system would be like today.

Santa Monica, Five Years Later

The L.A. Times' L.A. Now blog marks the five-year anniversary of the Santa Monica Farmers Market tragedy, and prints a remembrance from reader Helen K. Garber. She writes:

We live in Santa Monica and after my husband took an office near the Third Street Promenade, we made a habit of having lunch every Wednesday after shopping through the Farmers' Market. You get to enjoy the freshest ingredients at the local restaurants on a Wednesday afternoon. It is a wonderful part of living in Los Angeles to be able to sit in outdoor cafes all year round. Farmers markets are also wonderful places to shoot photographs, and occasionally, I would shoot while my husband would shop.

I got to his office late on July 16, 2003. My husband was very hungry and and since it was also the day that Whole Foods opened in Santa Monica, he asked to go to lunch directly and for me to shop afterward at the Whole Foods. So instead of being directly in the path of Mr. Russell's car, we heard and watched his car careen through the market from our front-row seats at the patio at Lago on Third and Arizona.

Read more at L.A. Now here. Garber notes that she bought stock in Whole Foods later, as a thank you for opening that fateful day, of all days, keeping her from the market.

Timothy Olyphant's Morning Moonlight

I wound up talking to Timothy Olyphant this week at the TV Critics Assn. press tour, and had to ask him about his gig as the sports guy on Indie 103.1's morning show (hosted by Joe Escalante).

Olyphant says he never knew Escalante, but appeared on the morning show one day. The subject turned to sports, and he was (jokingly, I assume) asked if he'd call in the next day to give a sports report. He did. Then he was asked to phone in again the next day. He did.

Suddenly, it became a regular feature -- and an unexpected side project for Olyphant. He'll be shooting something halfway around the world, yet he'll make sure to call in to Indie 103.1 and scan the headlines -- usually quite humorously -- for Escalante. Is there a deal in place? Is he making any money off his DJ gig? Sounds like the answers are "no" and "no."

Olyphant was at the press tour to promote FX's "Damages," which he has joined as series regular in season two. And yes, the fate of "Deadwood" did come up.

Meanwhile, in other local radio news, All Access reports that Los Angeles is about to get another new morning show.

Larry Morgan, who's been overseeing programming and services at Premiere Radio Networks, is the new morning host for 100.3 KSWD-FM "The Sound."

Morgan has spent time on air in the past at KIIS and KYSR here, as well as KHMX in Houston.

The Los Angeles Times Is Burning

(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Up until a year or two ago, I didn't believe I'd see the death of newspapers in my lifetime. People have been forecasting the death of print for decades, yet the idea of a major metropolis without a daily newspaper? Impossible.

But then the business went to Zell -- er, hell. The impact of the web was even more devastating than most predicted. And here in Los Angeles, the foolish way in which Sam Zell took control of Tribune is now rapidly killing the paper faster than any of Otis Chandler's race cars.

Now, 150 people have been given pink slips at the L.A. Times. And to save money,Tribune keeps killing features and sections in the L.A. Times at the very same moment so-called Tribune "innovation chief" Lee Abrams is asking employees, Hey, why don't the papers offer up those kind of features?

Check out this winning entry from Abrams' latest blog post:

CONCERT AND EVENT REVIEWS? If you want to see a movie or check out a restaurant, we have reviews. Helpful tools for a decision as the movie and restaurant will be around for awhile... But with concerts, it's usually a one day affair and we look BACKWARDS. That's fine, but the emphasis needs to be on PREview. Giving readers tools to decide if they should see the show. A review is after the fact...and I'm not sure if anyone really cares besides those hoping it'll drive their sales. We can be THE concert source by providing information BEFORE the show...to, like a movie, help people decide if they should go. This will make your music reporting MORE relevant and usable. All people usually get is what's in the ad, or cursory information and after the fact reviews. We have the opportunity to dive into the show and what to expect. A tool for a go/no go decision.

Memo to Lee: It was called The Guide. And you guys just killed that weekly Thursday section, along with a bunch of other sections and features.

Many of the other unique non-news sections that might still draw in younger readers -- and readers who are looking to supplement their Internet reading with the printed word -- have also been killed, or on the chopping block. Good thing the innovation chief is busy making sure the papers print more logos and bigger maps.


In 1910, the Los Angeles Times was blown up. Now, it's happening again.

One Day, Three Horrible Angelenos

Justice is served. From the L.A. Times:

Coastal Journey, Day 6: Ojai to Los Angeles

And then it was over. Our vacation, that is. It all wound up in Ojai, where we woke up early and headed to a coffee shop down the street for a little breakfast.

We then walked around downtown Ojai, stopping at several stores and visiting the Sunday Farmers' Market behind the town's Spanish-style arcade of shops.

After the stop downtown, we decided to grab lunch -- but in Santa Maria. That required taking the 150 east, and up.

The reward: A great view of the Ojai Valley. Just in case you didn't realize it, this handy sign reminds you. It's the OJAI VALLEY. Got it.


Cool, we get it.

And then... well, the Kid Formerly blah blah blah fell asleep, and we wound up just getting burgers (Maria from Tastee Freez; I held out for In N Out). A less than exciting way to end our trip. But at that point, we were just ready to head on home. We hopped on the 118 and traveled East. 

The clothes are unpacked, the photos have been downloaded and now, the blog posts have been written. Guess the trip is truly over.

The 110/5 Freeway Interchange: Now More Dangerous

(Flickr pic by Popvulture.)

There aren't many freeway interchanges that are more nervewracking then the northbound 110 switchover to the northbound 5. It's usually touch and go up the 110, and it's always a gamble to decide when to merge into the far left lane. Too soon, and you're stuck in the slow line to the 5. Wait too long, and you might miss the turn.

In the past, my strategy was simple: Continue in the middle lane until you saw the flashing lights, warning drivers to slow to 30 mph while turning onto the 5. Once I saw those lights, I knew it was time to make my way over. Kinda uncool, I know. But I wasn't big on the alternative -- creeping along the left-hand lane from downtown.

The lights, however, have stopped flashing in recent weeks. The first time, I almost missed the transition -- but luckily, noticed the lack of lights just in time. Someone else isn't going to be as lucky.


(Flickr pic by Cpomeara.)

Above, viewing the transition while facing South. What would you say is the most dangerous freeway transition in L.A.?

Coastal Journey, Day 5: San Francisco to Ojai

One of the highlights of the trip: Staying at the brand-new Hotel Intercontinental San Francisco for a fraction of the price. Thanks to an Internet deal, we secured a room for $129/night. That's the same price as the utterly dreadful motel we stayed at outside of Ojai (more on that later).



The downside of the Intercontinental: Like many expensive hotels catering to business travelers (and this one definitely does, as it's right down the street from the Moscone Center), just about everything costs money. Tiny hotels offer free WiFI, but the Intercontinental charges $12/day. And parking at the hotel was a jaw-dropping $50/day.

But we worked around it. We checked our email at the Apple Store in Union Square... and were too busy to be surfing the net. And like I wrote earlier, I scored free street parking thanks to the July 4 holiday. Meanwhile, we took advantage of the things that were free: The indoor swimming pool, the flat screen HDTV in our hotel room, the automatic coffee maker that made some of the best in-room coffee I've ever tried.

On the morning following Independence Day, it was time to once again hit the road. I woke up early to move the car -- the meters went back online at 7 a.m., so I found some free 2-hour street parking a few blocks south. Then Evan and I swam one more time, and before we knew it we were packed up and ready to go.

We decided to grab breakfast in the Hayes Valley part of town; we remember hitting Frjtz there last time with our pal Karen. This time we walked down the street and happened upon a art opening. At 9 a.m. on a Saturday.



But it wasn't your ordinary art show: It was an exhibit honoring a convenience store that had recently shut down, along with exhibits honoring the history of other Hayes Valley addresses.



The exhibit included free donuts and coffee. Sold.



We also stopped by La Boulange de Hayes, an outpost of an SF French bakery chain. Coffee was excellent, as were our pastries: A croissant bread pudding ($3) and a hazelnut croissant ($2.75). As one of the reviewers on Yelp notes, any restaurant that has Nutella readily available as a condiment is good enough for us.



Evan loved climbing on the spiderweb-like jungle gym (in the background, above) found in the minipark off Hayes. Then there's the sculpture, above. More details:



Our bellies filled with pastries and coffee, we sped right to the 101... and it was time to start heading south. We drove quite a distance, stopping before San Luis Obispo for lunch at... well, El Pollo Loco. Hey, we were hungry, and it was the only decent place in the shopping center we drove by.

Anyway, we kept heading South... and by the time we approached Pismo Beach, we were antsy. I spied a park out of the side of my eye that looked kid-friendly. I headed off the freeway... and smack into horrible Pismo Beach holiday weekend traffic.



But we finally got to the park, and it was awesome. Nice views of the cliff's edge, for starters.





But also a lot of green for Evan and daddy to run around. Apparently this is "Shell Beach."



Later, as we started to approach the town of Buellton, we started seeing the famous road-side signs touting pea soup. We've been fascinated for years.



Why pea soup, of all things? Is it any good? We decided that this trip, we'd finally see what the noise was all about. So we took the exit into tiny Buellton, and right there was the famous Andersen's.



Unfortunately, you can't just saunter up to a to go window and order a cup of pea soup. Nope, you gotta get a table, sit down and order. We decided to sit at the counter, so that they'd get the hint that we were here just for the soup.

Maria had hope after seeing the mint plant out front that she'd underestimated how good it might be. So we decided to go through with it.



I took a bite... and our initial instincts were correct.

It was horrible.

It was puke-olive-green-clearly-poured-from-a-can horrible. The taste itself was nothing special. THIS is what an entire town had staked its visitor reputation on?

Still, I'm glad, I suppose, that we did our part for the little town. Inside Andersen's, there's an upstairs museum that tells the history of Buellton... and how a rerouting of the 101 passed them by. The owner behind Andersen's had an idea on how to drum up business: Plant flags up and down the former section of 101 that passed through town. Call it "Avenue of Flags." Then-Gov. Ronald Reagan even flew in to inaugurate the big initiative.

Now, 40 years later, I get the feeling that it's all been downhill at Buellton since the day the Governor visited.

By the way, I'm a cheap enough sumbitch that I wasn't about to let the $5.50 I paid for the soup go to waste.



Ugh. This would come back to haunt me later. That's all you need to know about that.

We eventually made it to our hotel, a pretty crappy motel in Oak View, right outside of Ojai. Quite a let down from the Intercontinental to the Oakridge Inn. On the plus side, free WiFi. On the downside, the hotel's gross.

It's mostly my fault, having waited until the last minute to book a room in Ojai. We weren't sure for the longest time where we'd spend our last night, and by the time we settled on Santa Barbara or Ojai, everything was booked everywhere (damn holiday weekend). To that end, the Oakridge at least was in the right spot, and wasn't ridiculously expensive.

We dropped off our bags and then drove over to Ojai, where we walked along the old shops and hung out in the park across the street. As it got late, we weren't too hungry -- damn you again, pea soup! -- but we eventually decided to drive out to Boccali's Pasta and Pizza.

The sad news: We got there right after 9. And apparently Ojai shuts down at 9. After some convincing, we at least were able to order spaghetti for the kid... Maria and I weren't all that hungry, so their early shut down actually allowed us to order food just for Evan without guilt.

Next up: The final day.