Limp as a Thai Noodle

That's what I felt like after leaving Pho Siam, a Thai Massage joint that just recently moved into my neck of the woods.

Pho Siam was up until recently located in Hollywood. Jenny was addicted to this place after discovering it a few years ago. The LA Weekly gave it props in its LA's Best edition the other year.

Although I never attended the previous location, the new digs are quite nice. You wouldn't expect it, located in the no man's land stretch of Glendale Blvd. between Echo Park and Downtown. A variety of rooms are dimly lit and populated by a variety of "rooms" divided by curtains and containing thin mattresses on the floor. It’s all tastefully done.

If you've never had a Thai Massage, the lowdown is as follows. The massage is full body (sorry boys, I aint talkin about release) from your head to the tip of your toes. Not only that, but the masseuse uses not only their hands, but their elbows, feet, and knees. At one point, they literally walk on their knees up and down your back. The massage is deep and concentrated, facilitated with oil of course.

An hour massage is 40bucks and an hour and a half is 60. Not too shabby for the quality and style provided here. This place is coveted by the hip bargain hunters in the know. Definitely make a reservation before you go.

Pho Siam is located at 1525 Pizarro St. off of Glendale.

Sonic Scenery Reviewed

So I finally managed to make it over to the Natural History Museum for Sonic Scenery.

The Natural History Museum has been making an effort to cater to the hip crowd. They've been hosting a series of events and concerts including Fat Boy Slim and Autolux playing. Sonic Scenery is yet another attempt to draw in crowds that might not think to visit the museums private collection. And I think it’s a great concept. Simply, several musicians and audio artists were commissioned to create soundtracks to the first floors permanent collections. The soundtracks were made available on iTunes but are also available to be rented on custom MP3 players at the museum. Although purchasing on iTunes allows you to keep the music forever, I decided to use the house MP3 players. I'll say this, if you decide to rent, you might want to bring your own headphones. The ones provided are cheap and blown out. Disregarding that, the custom Mp3 players are great for one reason. They are synched to infrared sensors at the entrance of each exhibit. The sensor triggers the appropriate track.

The tracks themselves run the gamete in terms of composition. Matmos went for creating sonic vignettes for each diorama, the most direct representation of the visuals. Ozomatli and Sun Ra created traditional (or as close as any) songs that made me want to dance my way through the exhibits. Nels Cline created an effective mood for a room full of Dinosaur models as did Stephen Hartke for the gem room (one of my favorites).

The music really allowed the viewer time to reflect a bit more on what they were looking at, and was a great way to introduce one to these overlooked exhibits. Part of me hoped that they might make for a slightly more introspective experience, but there isn't much that can overpower screaming kids.

All in all, a good addition to the museum, but nothing more then an accent to what has been available for quite some time. Check out the museum regardless.

Brunch of Champions

So as is usually the case, a healthy dinner and early breakfast of oatmeal was in need for balancing. Before getting our day started, Jenny and I allowed ourselves to be seduced into Netties Sunday Brunch.

Netties, as the sign says, has been serving Silver Lake before it was cool. The 80's that is. And now, the original owner and chef have decided to step down. In the effort to transition the restaurant into a place she'd be proud of, the owner has begun a slow transition to a new chef. This Sunday brunch is part of the transition and so far they have provided it for the last four weeks.

This is one exceptional Brunch. Pricey, but delicious. A brief attempt to go healthy, we considered going with just one main dish and some sides....we quickly returned to our senses and ordered 1. A BLTA open face on a cheddar chive waffle. 2. Soy Chorizo scramble. In addition, we were served an appetizer of goat cheese and honey on toast.

The BLTA was the fanciest damn BLT I’ve ever had, and really good. Thick premium bacon, greens, avocado topped with a garlic lemon aioli all piled on a savory waffle. How could that not be good? And it was. Enough said.

The scramble was spicy and zesty. Served with small sides of sour cream and salsa. Very good.

They serve Bloody Mary's and Champaign as well, but we didn't go that far.

If you'd like to treat yourself, check out Netties for Brunch. For a taste of old Netties, stop by for lunch or dinner and say farewell to a Silver Lake institution.

Raw Power

I've been eating a lot of crap lately. Too much work, too little time and energy makes me reach for the easiest and a lot of times, the most gluttonous of foods. Burgers, Pizza, Burritos....ooph.

Last night, I felt the need to brake the circle of carbs and fat. Jenny and I decided to try dinner at Jade Cafe, a fairly new Raw Vegetarian restaurant in the Silver Lake/Sunset Junction area.

The cafe is small but nice, dimly lit and decorated with "hip" photographs. One sole waiter was assisting the three other tables that were occupied (we were fairly early, 8 on a Saturday). The menu was laid on us and we perused. With descriptions using the words stew, fried, grilled and the like, we were a bit confused. We were assured that the words were simply used for the timid who would be scared off if words like dehydrated and almond curd were used. The waiter said that little if none of the dishes reach over 130 degrees. This approach is to maintain the true nutritional make-up of the foods. Also, its all vegan...no dairy, eggs or whatnot. So when it says Cheese....its usually some sort of tofu or almond concoction.

We ordered the Coconut noodles, Fried Yam cakes with Portobello mushrooms, a Ginger Ale, and for desert, a Praline's and Cream ice cream. It was all rather yummy. The noodles were much like a Pad Thai, with a spicy peanut sauce. Actual noodles were cut with shaved carrots and other veggies, garnished with almonds that added a nice crunch. The Yam cakes were oily in a way that attempted to hide its "rawness". Fried actually being dehydrated. Again pretty good. The Portobello mushrooms were marinated and juicy. It was presented on a bed of greens. The Ginger Ale was house made and super tasty. A true Ginger Ale that kicks the back of your mouth with spiciness. The waiter said it was sweetened with Agave Nectar.

After polishing off our entrees, we ordered the ice cream. Actually a bit too sweet for Jenny (amazing, since they claim to limit the amount of sugar used), I thought it was pretty damn yummy. Probably made out of coconut milk and nuts.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the cafe and would definitely check it out again. Prices are a bit high with entrees around 12bucks a plate.

Both Jenny and I have stomachs that were a bit "shocked" by all that raw fiber, so beware.

Jade is at 1521 Griffith Park Blvd in Silver Lake off of Sunset.

God Save Echo Park Pt. 1

It's been a while since I've made a post on my neighborhoods history. A topic that I try to make central to this site.

One topic that has been of interest to me, is Echo Park's unique place in the history of fringe religions.

These days, Echo Park is home to bohemian artists and hipsters who, in my mind, are the farthest thing from church goin kinds that I could imagine. But the area has a rich heritage of those finding religious freedom in this eastern LA neighborhood.

Aimee Semple McPherson was an Evangelist coming to fame in the early 1920's and the founder of the Angelus Temple off of Glendale Blvd. Originally, the temple sported a rotating illuminated cross that could be viewed up to 50 miles away. She also owned a broadcasting company (the first woman to do so) and created a magazine called Bible Call. Aimee's congregation was the "Western center of Evangelism". Aimee was the first major female revivalist in American History. Aimee's "Foursquare Gospel" is described as one of "uninhibited joyfulness joined with religious exultation".

Aimee loved the limelight. Aimee was a showman, Aimee was a little weird.

At the height of Aimee's public popularity, she mysteriously disappeared after she had been swimming in the ocean. Her mother recieved a ransom note demanding 500,000 dollars. Her mother believed she was dead and discarded the note. Exhaustive searches of the ocean were performed. Just as people were losing hope, Aimee appeared in Mexico claiming she had been kidnapped and held in a shack. Her homecoming drew more then 50,000 people. A record crowd for Los Angeles.

Many didn't buy her story and much evidence suggested she had been shacked up with her lover in a cottage by the ocean.

Aimee died by OD'ing on sleeping pills. Read more about Aimee here.

The Angelus Church is still alive and kicking. On my drive home from work I see crowds of people organizing for, only god knows what.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Ages ago, a friend of mine was quitting smoking. To curb his oral fixation, he started to chew these toothpicks he found at the local Fresh Fields (Kinda like Whole Foods in LA). I was always annoying people by chewing those coffee stirrers, the plastic ones. Anthony gave me one of his toothpicks. It was like the first time I tried an Altoid, an overwhelming flavor of mint. My whole mouth was filled with a menthol, like a cold fire. I was hooked.

Thursday Plantation "Chewing Sticks" are loaded with Tea Trea Oil, Menthol, and Peppermint. They make Cinnamon flavor as well. They are super strong and are made of a wood that is incredibly chewable. The tea tree oil kills bacteria, the rest refreshes.

I turned these onto another friend who had a problem with chewing his fingernails. Again, these toothpicks did the trick.

Whether you're kicking some sort of oral fixation, or just like chewin on a stick, these little guys pack a whollop. As well, as far as I can tell, they are sugar free.

In LA the only place I've come across them is at Erewhon on Beverly Blvd., but I'm sure you can find them at any number of heath food stores.

Wake Up Juice

Although I've been drinking alot of Tea during my recent flu....I always come back to coffee to pep me up during the day. But i'm not a hardcore coffee drinker. I drink it slowly....alotta times not even finishing my whole cup. Some coffee I really hate, some of it just hits a perfect chord with me.

There are two establishments in my neighborhood that make a mean cup of joe. Both of these actually make what they call a Cafe Con Leche (simply coffee with milk for the clueless). These aren't Latte's, I hate latte's. Typically, I only put enough milk in my coffee to create a slightly opaque fluid...not much. But these cups....when i want something a little more rich, are necter of the gods.

Everyone who knows me, knows my love for Cafe Tropical. Along with Siete Mares, Cafe Tropical is one of my favorite local joints. Only one thing can properly accompany one of their slices of Guava Cheese Pie, or one their Chicken Pastilla's and that,s a medium cup of their Cafe Con Leche. I've been drinking em for years. In fact, to tell you the truth...I'm a bit burnt out on them. It's no fault of the java I assure you, just overkill on my end. So, when my friend Byron assured me that their Mocha's were of equal perfection...my ears and taste buds perked up. As he mentioned, this particular Mocha is made with a Mexican chocolate that makes for an enchanting elixer. Not an everyday beverage, but for a special treat this cup rocks. The chunks of chocolate is mixed with the steaming espresso in a blender then added to the steaming milk making for a rich and slightly bitter blend.

TiGeorge's is a Haitian cafe that I've reviewed previously and focuses on chicken. On the menu though, a coffee steeped with bay leaves is listed. This perked my interest, but the last time I went there for lunch, we were so damn late after having lunch i didn't have time to get a cup. Today, a workmate hoofed it over for lunch while I worked through. Two hours later he arrived back at work with a cup of TiGeorge's Cafe Con Leche. With the first sip, the Bay Leaf presented itself in an interesting way. I really can't describe it...kinda added a level of complexity to the coffee that I had never experienced. It's definitely an acquired taste, but I liked it. I couldn't finish the whole cup though, I'm not sure if "rich" is the word...but its definitely a sipping coffee unless you get really into it. The beans are a special organic variety that the owner takes great pride in. If you have the time, stop by and let him brew up a cup for you. If you're in a rush though, go to 7-11.

Excuses Excuses

Sorry Peeps,

Too much work and the flu make for very little time or energy to update this puppy. Maybe next week. Plenty of stuff to comment on.

Peas.

Pandora's Box

Holy Poo this site is amazing. Just go, and be amazed. That's all I can say.
Open the box, go ahead.

Sonic Scenery

Have to take a quick second to mention this cool opening party tonight. Sonic Scenery is an exhibit at the Natural History Museum that allows contemporary musicians to create soundtracks to exhibits at the museum. Tonight is the opening, with additional performances by Matmos and Languis among others. Should be fun!

I'll give a full review after I go. Might not make the opening though, so someone go and comment on here if you do.

Leave Your Name and Number

Sorry for the lack of entries as of late. A bit busy. I'll try and get around to some stuff on Sunday or something.

In the meantime, if you haven't been checking out my Yelp entries, try browsing some reviews there. You should sign up for the service yourself and start reviewing. Its fun! If you do, make sure you link up to me.