H "Raven" R.'s Profile

Had the best vegan grilled cheese, evah, here. I chose a cup of tomato basil soup to go along with it. Then I ordered a hot green tea and a cup of ice to make my own iced tea and was in heaven. Sure, it's a bit dive-y, which is part of it's charm, and the garish orange decor is ugly as sin, but it has very good food, neat memorabilia, and is well located. The staff were really cool and the music and vibe were great. Would, and likely will, go again.

The Tehachapi Heritage League is doing great things for the little town of Tehachapi. Although the town has always been beautiful and offers interesting activities, they are making changes (adding colorful painted themed murals on unadorned walls around town and such) that really enhance the unique small town charm. The historic town is nestled between the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert and, being a short 2-hour drive away, is a great quick get-away from LA. There are sights to see and experiences to enjoy from apple orchards and alpacas to the train station and wine tastings at a nearby vineyard. There is hiking nearby as well as historic tours of Tomo-Kahni (Winter Village) a historical Kawaiisu (Nuooah) village.

I love this little theater. It's located in a beautiful little town near the Mojave desert. The price is better than right. Tickets are lower than any you'll find (except at a dollar theater or similar). You can find coupons (for snacks and such) on their web-site at http://www.hitchingpos.... I saw "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" here and it was great. Intimate little theater seating in a friendly home-town atmosphere. Can't wait to drive up this summer for a day-trip date to Tehachapi and the Hitching Post Theater there.

The price is really reasonable and the food is hot, fresh and filling - it's not gourmet, it's good. Great local atmosphere and very nice people. Had a happy-making breakfast here on December 26th, 2011. Michelle was our waitress and she was great (even though it was hectic and busy and I made special requests). It's pretty standard comfort food fare, yummy fried potatoes, eggs and such.

Today I had an overwhelming urge for "Mayan Pancakes" AKA pupusas (a thick corn tortilla, made with masa or white cornmeal) specifically, and some kind of Latin American Cuisine in general. I noticed this restaurant just as we were about to turn off of Sunset Boulevard. I made my desire known and D. made a swift U-turn. Happily it was Sunday, so parking was gratis. D. ordered huevos rancheros and I ordered a two pupusas, one queso y loroco (vegetable) and one queso y frijoles. We chatted and looked at a really cool 3-D map of El Salvador with great pictures and listened to the juke box while we waited. I LOVEed hearing the chef pound our tortillas by hand before cooking them. You don't get that at Baja Fresh. The manager played a wonderful song on the jukebox and we enjoyed the ambiance while waiting for our food. It was really like stepping out of time... as if we were in an authentic El Salvadorian restaurant south of the border. The food came and it was fantastic, close your eyes, in silence, and focus on being present to every delicious morsel in your mouth good. The huevos rancheros came with rice and beans and the aforementioned hand-pounded corn tortillas... the absolute best tortillas we've ever had in our lives (and I've had hand-made tortillas previously). The meal came with home-made slaw (it really reminded me of the kind my grandma used to make in Georgia in a country crock) and a red sauce. The slaw/cabbage was SO good. Just the right combination of sweet and sour. The service was very good. Our server recommended a dish that I might like the next time we come (I think he said it is called "marriage"). The picture of the soup on the menu looked like something D. might like in the future. The place was clean and homey, not fancy. The walls are a beautiful yellow ocher, with a hint of red paint, a previous wall color, beneath, and very cheery. There are beautiful living plants. Some might consider it a bit of a hole-in-the-wall and I loved it. I want to come back M-F for the pupusa special.

Loved my vegan, gluten-free crust Pesto pizza from Cruzer's (you have to ask for it, there's a slight extra charge, cause it's gluten all around by default if you don't specify). Sadly, there is no gluten-free deep dish crush but hey... I'll give up deep dish crust to avoid wheat allergic reactions any day. The herbs were all fresh and organic. That particular pizza comes with their gourmet Pesto Pizza Pesto Sauce, Spinach, Artichokes, Garlic and Daiya Cheese. I was happy with the texture and flavor of the cheese as well as the ratio of toppings to sauce. They were ever SO fast. I didn't do delivery as they are conveniently located to Silver Lake. I feel happily spoiled to live in La La land and have ready-made gluten-free vegan food at my beck and call. Are we lucky or what? Very happy that they are open til 11 so that, even after a long day on a set, could get some healthful pizza. Yah~*

Had the most beautiful decaf soy organic mocha here at L Monarca Bakery.  I drank it sitting in the golden afternoon sunlight on a recent Saturday. The location is light and bright, although the space is a bit narrow (yet skillfully used). The barista made my hot drink everso carefully, with a unique and very beautiful design in the foam on top, while the general pandemonium of Santa Monica was happening all around (people, both questionable in appearance and behavior, milling by the register, interrupting, being generally bothersome... even trying to lift my drink). The vibe is nice, the people nicer, and the coffee beverage was Divine. Truly lovely roast and grind. There were a couple of people on laptops and others just enjoying baked goods and their drinks. It would be nice to come back and write, or journal, sitting at a little table at the back. The decor and ambiance aren't shi shi, which suits me perfectly. I'm not into overdone and overpriced. If you try, and are especially sense-oriented, you'll taste the love and joy in the creations of this family owned business.

Lovely place to visit; gorgeous gardens and grounds. I walked barefoot on the springy soft green grass on an unusually sunny hot September Dublin day. Then D gave chase and when he caught me I convinced him to take his shoes off too. The beautiful flowers and spirit of the place make it a great romantic date place; I wished we had had a picnic basket and blanket, there were nooks and crannies that would be perfect for reading poetry and whiling away the hours. There were swans swimming in the water, adding to the romance of the place. Take a date here, or spend quality time with the family enjoying the beauty of Dublin.

I had the best time ghostwriting a book in the Overends café on two days on a recent trip to Dublin (having healthful hot food and tea) and visiting on a third day. Their Overends café is provided by http://brambles.ie/ and they had really wonderful food available including a number of attractive vegetarian and gluten-free options. D had a truly beautiful éclair with real chocolate on top and I tried a lovely strawberries and clotted cream gluten-free cookie. Other days I had an incredibly textured and tasty Roast Carrot & Red Pepper soup with delicious fresh brown bread and Irish cream butter on the side. They have wonderful salads; I tried a Broccoli, Feta and Cherry Tomato salad among others. The tea was wonderful and I had numerous pots of it over the three days. They don't have wireless available to visitors, which was terrific for me... it meant I focused solely upon the book and didn't escape onto the internet at all (during the two days spent writing). The Overends café is inside of a beautiful old historic house with large bay windows offering nice views out to the wild and formal gardens (and mountains in the distance). Be aware that the Overends café is hugely popular and not a "quiet" place to write. One of my favorite things about the farm is that the entrance is right by a pony paddock. So, each time I visited (or on the one day D came along), I got to see an adorable family of Connemara ponies on the way in and on the way out. NOTE: They are closing for 18 months (from 10/31/11 onward) for a serious redesign and renovation of the grounds and construction of new buildings.

I love Airfield Trust. I had the best time writing there on two days on a recent trip to Dublin (having healthful hot food and tea in their Overends café) and visiting on a third day. Their Overends café is provided by http://www.brambles.ie/ and they had really wonderful food including vegetarian and gluten-free options. D had a truly beautiful éclair and I tried a lovely strawberries and clotted cream gluten-free cookie. The tea was wonderful. They don't have wireless available to visitors, which was terrific for me... it meant I focused solely upon editing a book and didn't escape onto the internet at all (during the two days spent writing). The Overends café is in a beautiful old historic house with large bay windows offering nice views out to the wild and formal gardens (and mountains in the distance). Be aware that the Overends café is hugely popular and not a "quiet" place to write. One of my favorite things about the farm is that the entrance is right by a pony paddock. So, each time I visited (or on the one day D came along), I got to see an adorable family of Connemara ponies on the way and on the way out. There was a mare, stallion and colt, all everso tiny and adorable. On my last visit, I was leaving just after 5 (they close up then) and, on my way to the gate/exit, saw the colt rolling on his back in the grass... totally frolicking and enjoying the gorgeous sunny day. Connemara ponies are adorable. The grounds and gardens of Airfield Trust are particularly beautiful. They have a gift shop filled with beautiful things (I was only sad that so many are not Irish/made in Ireland handicrafts but imports). One day, Thursday I believe, there was a farmer's market with fresh veg and fruits and such for sale. They also offer all kinds of workshops in everything from arts and crafts, such as felt making, to gardening to sustainable living, concerts and performances, and so on. NOTE: They are closing for 18 months (from 10/31/11 onward) for a serious redesign and renovation of the grounds and construction of new buildings.