An Appropriate Sixth Grade Class Shirt, Circa 2021

 

Nathan's official sixth grade shirt. Completely appropriate, and yet a reminder of how unfortunate his final year in elementary school wound up.

Fair Foodie Fest: Too Much of a Not-So-Good Thing?

 

You're supposed to eat terrible things at the fair. That's part of the contract. But what if there are no fairs, but you're still craving a deep fried Krispy Kreme donut chicken sandwich.

Well, you've got problems. But nonetheless, fair food has become a crazy exercise in trying to top yourself with something even more unhealthy. It's fun at the Los Angeles County Fair in doses, and then there was the recent Fair Foodie Fest at the Rose Bowl. The idea: A drive-through experience with the chance of ordering all of your fair favorites.

Ultimately, as you see above, Evan went with a massive turkey leg, while below, we also got bacon cheese fries. Honestly, we were pretty tame vs. what we could have gotten. (The longest line of the evening was for a pulled pork sandwich stall.)

What was a bit disappointing is that it wound up being all the same vendor, and many of the stalls had similar food. At least at the fair, the choices are much more varied. Where was Chicken Charlie's?

The key selections: 

GIANT TURKEY LEGS
DEEP FRIED COOKIE DOUGH
MAPLE BACON FUNNEL CAKE
FUNNEL CAKE CHEESEBURGERS
KRISPY KREME DONUT CHEESEBURGERS
FUNNEL CAKES
DEEP FRIED OREOS, SNICKERS, KOOL AID, BUTTER
COTTON CANDY, KETTLE CORN AND LEMONADES
HAWAIIAN CHICKEN TERIYAKI PINEAPPLE BOWLS
Brand new BBQ ZONE featuring BBQ RIBS, BBQ CHICKEN, PULLED PORK SANDWICHES, and MORE
MEXICAN CURLY FRIES with JALAPENOS
CHEESE BACON CURLY FRIES

If you're looking for the Fair Foodie Fest, it's next appearing this weekend at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. Get your free entrance tickets here.

La Cañada Teepee Hike: Slightly Challenging, But a Great Reward

 

High above La Cañada, the 2.7 mile Teepee trail is a moderate hike, but still steep in places. I didn't quite do the homework beforehand, so the kids in particular were not happy with the difficulty level. I powered through and made it to the top, which afforded amazing views, a teepee and a rock garden, but the boys and Maria decided to stay a bit below. The final stage was perhaps the most sweat-inducing, but the reward was cool.

I'd advise hiking boots and a hiking stick as well. I found some makeshift sticks that I could use as a walking stick, but it wasn't ideal. Nonetheless, the views were. I saw a father and his kids bring a picnic up and eat inside the teepee.

Also cool: This rock garden, found at the top, nearby.

Also nearby: Bees!

It was overcast the day we hiked, which allowed for great temperatures — but some limited views.

Not seen here, but midway up the mountain is a spot with picnic tables where you can take a break. To find the trailhead, type 5399-5373 Harter Ln, La Cañada Flintridge, Calif. 91011 into your map app.

Drive-In Premiere: 'The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run'

Paramount Plus has officially launched, and one of its earliest original offerings is the new "SpongeBob Movie," subtitled "Sponge on the Run." As part of the premiere, Paramount recently held a drive-in experience and screening at the Rose Bowl (a popular spot for these things!). The line was long, and it took time to get inside, due to the slow-moving drive-thru experience. After volunteers helpfully ran a squeegee over our dirty windshield, we drove through a version of Bikini Bottom, and tried to play along with QR codes on our phone. Trying to drive and point your phone at a code is tough, though, and we failed on that account. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining drive-thru, featuring costumed SpongeBob and Patrick, among others. And it all led to the screen.

"Sponge on the Run" is a trip. Featuring appearances by Danny Trejo and Snoop Dogg, the movie is stolen by a fully game Keanu Reeves -- or more specifically, the head of Keanu Reeves, stuck inside a tumbleweed. Weed Reeves helps SpongeBob and his pals on their journey to save his pet snail Gary, and it's quite a journey. Maria and I let the boys sit in the front seat for a primo view of the drive-in film, and they enjoyed it. From the backseat, so did we. "SpongeBob Squarepants: Sponge on the Run" is now streaming on Paramount Plus.

Rate-A-Restaurant #406: Wax Paper (Frogtown)

Restaurant: Wax Paper

Location: 2902 Knox Ave., right off the LA River Bike Path (Frogtown)

Type of restaurant: Sandwiches

We stipulated: We usually ride our bikes along the LA river on Sundays, when Wax Paper is closed. I thought it would be a nice reward to get some exercise and bike out to Frogtown and finally see if the sandwiches lived up to the hype.

They stipulated: Sandwiches are named after NPR stars. "Wax Paper evolved from our dream of opening a simple, but delicious neighborhood sandwich shop. Menu items are available while supplies last. On occasion, due to our small nature, we will sell out of the menu entirely. Our recipes have been carefully thought out and made with love & care, thus we politely decline additions or substitutions, including bread." Closed Sunday, sadly.

What we ordered: TERRY GROSS (roast turkey, green chili aioli, jalapeño/cilantro/radish slaw, hominy, tomatillo vinaigrette, and pepper jack, on Bub & Grandma's focaccia; $15); STEVE JULIAN (roasted & shredded pork, miso aioli, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeño vin, pickled carrot & daikon radish, on a Bub & Grandma's baguette; $14).

 

High point: The sandwiches were sizable, and was good for lunch and then an afternoon snack.

Low point: There is a wait, even if you pre-order.

 

Overall impression: Maria didn't love her Steve Julian, perhaps because the pulled pork was too mushy and not warm. I loved the Terry Gross; the hominy was a nice touch.

Will we return:  It's a little too pricey to have regularly, but absolutely if we're on bikes and it isn't Sunday.

R.I.P. Fry's Electronics

A little over a year ago we were TV shopping and decided to stop by a Fry's Electronics, just to see what they had. It was even sadder than we expected. Empty shelves, dark portions of the store, no customers. Having remembered how jam-packed the stores once were, it was truly depressing. We knew then it was just a matter of time before Fry's closed all together. And indeed, it's now over. Such a shame, those Fry's stores — each one themed completely differently, like the alien space saucer crash theme in Burbank — made the experience extra fun. Still wondering what's going to happen to those old store fixtures, which were amusement park-level quality.

YouTuber Bitwit captured the sad end of Fry's life perfectly when he visited the Burbank store last year:

Between the Lines: Episodic Comedy Panel with 2021 Writers Guild Awards Nominees

For this panel I talked to the writers behind the TV scripts that are nominated for the 2021 Writers Guild Awards for Episodic Comedy. Pay no attention to the bizarre shape my head takes thanks to this Zoom background (sigh). Among the panelists:

Liz Feldman & Kelly Hutchinson - “It’s Not You, It’s Me” (Dead to Me)
Alex Kavallierou - “The Tank” (Grace & Frankie)
Kyle Lau - “Grandma & Chill” (Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens)
Bill Lawrence - “Pilot” (Ted Lasso)
Tony McNamara - “The Great” (The Great)
Isaac Oliver - “Trick” (High Maintenance)

License Plate of the Day: It's 5 p.m. Somewhere Edition

 

Oh, I hear you. Especially in the pandemic, indeed, it is 5 p.m. somewhere, so let's toast.

Rate-A-Restaurant #405: Tokyo Hot Chicken (Glendale)

Restaurant: Tokyo Hot Chicken

Location: 237 S Brand Blvd, inside Bourbon Steak (Glendale)

Type of restaurant: Japanese/Chicken

We stipulated: Maria and I continue "New Food Sundays," inspired by the Los Angeles Times' latest 101 Restaurants special issue. And we've also been on a spicy fried chicken kick, as has the rest of the world, apparently. Tokyo Hot Chicken was a quick, nearby choice.

They stipulated: Speaking of trends, this is a pop up, available only to go at Michael Mina's Boubon Steak restaurant in Glendale. "Tokyo Hot Chicken is a pop-up from the culinary minds of Chef Michael Mina and MINA Group. Hot Chicken meets Japanese Karaage, Tokyo Hot Chicken is the best of two worlds, combining the Nashville Classic with Japanese flavors and ingredients. This unique concept delivers food that has bold flavors, and that is satisfying and crave worthy."

What we ordered: CRUNCHY CHICKEN SNACKER kimchi slaw, spicy kewpie, pickle ($6.99); CHICKEN & WAFFLES Leg, thigh, mochi-matcha waffle, yuzu honey ($13.99); KARAAGE MAC Chicken nuggets on our classic cheddar mac and cheese with 1 sauce ($11.99); WASABI MASHED POTATOES ($5.99); KIMCHI SLAW ($3.99)

High point: The mochi-matcha waffle came and the yuzu honey sauce were unexpected delights next to the fried chicken. Plus, the portions were large enough that I even enjoyed leftover waffles as breakfast the next day.

Low point: That kimchi slaw portion was way too small.

 

Overall impression: I think the biggest win might have been the crunchy chicken snacker -- it's perfect for lunch, and priced right at $6.99. Well worth the carryout.

Will we return:  We're still making our way through all the hot chicken offerings in our area, but I would like more of those waffles, wasabi mashed potatoes and kimichi slaw — so yes, likely..

Golden Globes: Recapping the 2021 Ceremony's Best and Worst Moments

The Golden Globes is considered the most fun of all the shows: the Oscars’ naughty step-cousin, where celebrities get drunk and if we’re lucky, the wheels fall off by the end. Instead, this year’s mostly at-home edition had the opposite effect, as many a winner sat at their desk.

Read my recaps here and here.

And also, I talk to the Golden Globes producers to get the full behind-the-scenes info on details like how the bicoastal setup worked, those Zoom category rooms and Catherine O'Hara's acceptance speech joke here.