Amy "shut up, that's why!" K.'s Profile

We showed up extremely hungry, and then were met by a menu featuring so many tantalizing options that we were forced to carefully debate what to order/share.  The food took a while to get to us, but the restaurant was packed, I think only one server was working, and anyway, I'd rather it be made to order.  

The wait was worth it.  We split the Jamaican Jerk Burger with salad, and the Bacon Chili Cheeseburger with German potato salad.  The former choice was mine and it was brilliant.  The plantains were great, the black bean patty was delicious, there was a ton of fresh avocado, it was all over my hands, and I didn't care.  The salad, too, was light with a tangy dressing, really good.  I was less into the cheeseburger; it struck me as very salty, but my dining partner preferred that to my burger.  I didn't particularly like the potato salad, but I don't like dill; my partner thought it was good.

We didn't eat the Kind Kreme because we ate at the South Pasadena KK a few months ago, and that crap is terrible.  Seriously, save your money.  It was sad having this big ice cream bar next to our table, but knowing it's inedible.

One star deducted because we finished, our plates were cleared, and then...nothing.  Other tables were having checks brought to them, and we sat for at least 15 minutes before I finally went to the counter to ask for the check.  And I used the restroom to wash lunch off my hands and the hot water was icy, which I'm pretty sure is a health code violation.

I will 100% be returning.

True college radio is a gift to be treasured: commercial-free music of the kinds you've never heard before (and will sometimes never hear again), DJs who are doing their shows because they actually love the music, attention to local bands and labels, and the chance to expose your ears to more than you'd get on any commercial station.

I listen to KXLU when I can manage to get it in my car, and my favorite shows are "Part Time Punks" with Michael Stock (not just punk stuff you'll never find elsewhere, but he does theme shows like goth, twee, certain influential labels, etc.; people from around the world send him recordings, which is how you end up hearing things like Depeche Mode live in some small club in 1981.  PTP also has its own night at the Echo!)(Michael Stock is my DJ crush) and Peter Choyce's show (his incredible knowledge of underground music and its history makes his show a real treat, although his on-air personality is a bit esoteric).  Truthfully, I've never heard an underground show I didn't enjoy on KXLU.  

While the music is wonderful, I'm forced to deduct a star for what's not music, namely: DJ talk.  It's not even chatter so much as very frequently, complete conversations about any number of other things I promise the listeners don't care about (ex. the DJ's best friend's birthday).  I've heard DJs go on for close to 10 minutes, just babbling, nothing informational being said.  Random callers get put on the air to talk about nothing.  Some DJs backannounce a dozen songs at a time, which makes being able to identify songs impossible, and is a huge detriment to listeners who may never hear that song or band again.  I also frequently hear songs in the afternoon that drop the f-bomb, which is a good way to get fined by the FCC, and I know for a fact there are Christian broadcasting stations desperately trying to take KXLU's airspace.  Just lookin' out for y'all, KXLU - either mark your music more clearly, or train your DJs better.

(also, contrary to la h. saying KXLU is the oldest indie station in the world, speaking strictly for So Cal, KSPC 88.7fm Claremont is actually a year older than KXLU)

This is one of the cheapest gas stations in the area.  It's also well-lit, which makes me feel safe going at night, and there are ample squeegees and 12 well-spaced pumps.  I do frequently see douchebag dudes there, but fortunately I am not skanky enough to get hit on.

Steph C. hits the description right by saying this shop has no practical value.  This is true.  You can't go there for any needs...but damn, will you ever WANT.  The most popular toy of the future, in a box with no description.  Bottled social movements (nihilism, socialism, etc.).  An impressive selection of stick-on facial hair.  Hats from various eras, from flapper to pirate.  Etc.

Although I wanted many things, what stopped me from buying (although I do believe I'll be going back for one of the posters, which advertise things such as Pangaea, the discovery of fire, the ice ages, future robot Tokyo, etc.  I'm pretty sure I'm getting the one about making your home in space) was the sheer unnecessary-ness of almost everything sold.  This is part of the charm, that you don't really need anything there, and that purchases support a young writers' program, which gives you the excuse to buy all the nonsensical things you want.  What do you get for the person who has everything?  Perhaps a 20 years-old Brooke Shields poster, parts to machines no one owns, or a bottle of (rubber) leeches?  You'll giggle your way through the store, so make sure to bring someone, because you'll say "Ohmygod look at this!" at least a dozen times.

I want to be friends with the people who create the stupendously clever and funny items available at the Time Travel Mart, but I'm pretty sure I'm not smart or funny enough for them.  Seriously.  The wares are brilliant.

I can't help but mention that both past and future goods are largely Eurocentric, even though that makes me a killjoy.

Normally, I would not pay this much for a meal, but a friend chose it and she went to chef school, so I figured I ought to trust her.

Once I'd walked from the parking spot I'd found several blocks away (I don't valet), I found my buddy sitting at the bar in what was a very crowded, very noisy restaurant.  We had to yell over the din, and ended up having to do so throughout dinner.  We were seated after waiting ~20 minutes from when our name was put in.  Our server was very friendly and helpful, and there were enough things on the menu that I had difficulty what to decide on.  I'm trying to eat a little healthier, but a salad for $13?  Nah.  The fact that the pasta is made in-house was the deciding factor, and I ordered their fancily-named version (Spaghetti Ca' Pummarola N'Goppa) of what I knew was spaghetti marinara.

Spaghetti marinara yes, but certainly a step up from the average Italian restaurant (that has prices I'm willing to pay).  The pasta was perfect, al dente and tasted good, and the sauce had basil leaves in it.  Push around some of the complimentary bread in it and you've got a good time.  I also had a bite of my friend's Cavatelli alla Norma, which was good, and I loved the pasta shape.

My friend said the desserts at Terroni are very good, and since she used to own a bakery, I knew that I should further ignore the vow to eat healthier and order dessert.  The selection made it no easy feat; I was torn between three desserts until I finally settled on the dark chocolate flourless cake sitting on white chocolate ganache.

A good decision.  The cake was actually a lava cake, although the inside wasn't so molten that I burned my mouth.  The white chocolate was a nice pairing to counter the richness.  At first I was irritated that such a little cake could be $9, but it was so rich that more probably would have been bad.  So what if I spent almost as much on dessert as I usually spend on an entree.  It's, uh...I deserve it for some reason.  We'll stick with that.

While I liked the food, stars lost for a) the noisiness, and b) it's expensive; this isn't necessarily bad on its own, BUT in my personal opinion on food cost, it's more than I'd normally pay, and that's what would prevent me from returning.  Except maybe for dessert only, and that counts as a meal in my book.

Smaller than a 99 Cents Only store, vibe more similar to a Dollar Tree.  Enough of their items were of good quality that I was suspicious that this was one of those dollar stores that's actually dollar-and-up, but no: everything's really truly just a dollar.  There was a great array of arts and crafts supplies, particularly for scrapbookers - lots of colors of fancy paper, stickers, etc. - little kits that might be great for scout troop projects, googly eyes and pipe cleaners, and even some halfway-decent brushes.  Elementary school teachers who are generous enough to put their own money into classroom supplies would also do well here.  Dollar King's makeup aisle is also extremely well-stocked, and while I'm sure many of us are hesitant to put on liquid eyeliner from a brand we've never heard of (even if it IS glittery), nail polish seems pretty safe, and they have an enormous variety of colors, including a few dozen colors of crackle polish.

I need to remember to get one of the frozen treats with a wrapper in Cyrillic that are near the front door.

Parking lot is cramped and awkward to get in/out of, I suggest street parking.

We were looking for dessert at 10pm on a Sunday, and not much was open (and our quest was particularly hard since we had a vegan with us), but Yelp led us here.  Nicely done, phone app.  About half a dozen flavors of sorbetto, including chocolate tequila, pleased our vegan, and for the dairy-eaters, we had a big selection of flavors, including peanut butter sour cherry fudge (I got that one, didn't taste any cherry, but it was really good), burnt sugar, green tea, chocolate orange, vanilla raspberry, and I forget what else.  The fellows behind the counter were very nice and didn't seem exasperated when we asked for a couple samples each, plus told us with a smile that all their cups and spoons are biodegradable (can't argue with that).  We ate outside on the heated patio and all three of us were smiling.  I can vouch for the high-quality dairy content of the gelato due to my stomach's displeasure after eating.

It's really for the best that I didn't see until after I'd finished that Pazzo Gelato also makes sundaes and root beer floats.

The food isn't anything special, but not bad, either, and there's a Happy Hour $4.99 special on certain appetizers, curries, noodles, and rice; can't beat that.  My yellow curry lacked flavor, but the spicy rice was pretty good.  Veggie tempura was mostly zucchini and sweet potato.  Chow mein was basically just ramen with no soup.

I'd give the food three stars, but service/speed was bad enough for a deduction.  Although we were almost the only people in there, it took about five minutes to get water - which we asked for - our dishes came out very staggered, which meant two of us were eating and the other one was picking at the appetizer, no one checked on us or refilled our waters, and then we'd been done for 20 minutes until we got tired of waiting for the check and one of us went to the register to ask for it.  So the kitchen was slow and the server wasn't paying attention to our table.

There are enough vegan eateries in the area that I probably won't bother going back.

CK Cafe used to be Nick's Cafe, where there was merriment, live music, poetry readings, etc.  CK Cafe is your strict aunt's house (with hookahs and crummy murals).  The first thing I noticed when I entered the patio was the posted list of rules, which included that anyone who comes in must order something immediately, aka no waiting for your friend to arrive to make sure your drink doesn't get cold; that if you hang around for a while, you'll have to order something else; and that if you're using electrical outlets for anything except your computer, you'll be charged.  This is what brings in customers?  There was also no music playing over the speakers, which made CK even more sterile.  Jessica H. and I got soy hot chocolates, which were ok, I guess, and chocolate chip cookies out of a container that looks like it was purchased at the local grocery store.  The biggest draw for CK appears to be its tea selection, which is probably 40-50 kinds (thus meriting my second star), including a bunch where the dried tea flower opens up in your mug of hot water, like some alien beast.  Maybe I'd want to go back if I liked tea, but in the meantime, I hate to say that in the Village, I'm going to choose a corporate chain over an indie store in the future; at least at Starbucks, I don't feel like I'm going to be scolded/booted any second.

Whatever genre music you're looking for, old, new, CD or vinyl, if you need help on the purchase of a gift for someone with taste nothing like your own, or if you want recommendations for new tunes for yourself: this is your place.  The employees are music specialists, and experts are assigned to the sections (thus, you hear over the loudspeaker that they need someone from the reggae department).  Give me five minutes here and I can find $50 of used CDs I want (minimum).  Give me an hour, then I'll be asking to use your credit card instead.  Even when they don't have an album I'm looking for (out of Beach Fossils, had four Mirah albums but not the ones I don't own), it's no big deal.  Wander an aisle, look at the shelf markers, and you'll find yourself reminded you meant to pick up the latest by this band, or oh yeah, the limited edition double album of that other band, hey there's an EP by that band you heard on your favorite college radio station...or KIIS (Top 40, experimental noise bands, they've got 'em both), etc.  And I'm not even including the enormous selection of movies and other DVDs upstairs, that's a whole other review.

My biggest problem with Amoeba: it's overwhelming.  In the past, I've had to go in with a list, otherwise I can only remember artists whose catalog I already own, and end up cowering in a corner calling up friends for help.  Really, that happened.  There are towns in the midwest smaller than Amoeba or its maximum occupancy.

Parking in the underground lot can be a pain during certain hours, but there's also an outdoor lot or the Arclight complex.  Your excuses to not go, other than being broke ($4.99 used CDs, anyone?) or a music-hating freak, are nil.  So go.