During our visit to Catalina Island, we were looking for a reasonably priced restaurant with a waterfront view, and we found that in Antonio’s Pizzeria. They had an outdoor patio with tables to the side of the restaurant as well as in front of the marina. We were fortunate to have been seated by the latter providing a stunning view for our meal. The service was slightly slower than anticipated, but the food more than made up for it. One never knows for certain what the quality of the food will be when choosing a restaurant randomly, but we truly lucked out with Antonio’s. All of the dishes we ordered were pretty spectacular.
I requested the fish and chips. The batter and fries were crispy and seasoned perfectly while the fish surprisingly remained moist inside the batter. My husband’s chicken and penne pasta tasted as if it was cooked by an Italian grandmother.
The dish that stole the show, however, was Antonio’s cheese crisp which was a thin, crispy crust pizza brushed with garlic and butter topped with five cheeses, chopped pepperoncini, chopped pepperoni and salami. It was the perfect combination of a crunchy, garlicky, savory bite.
The restaurant is truly a gem. They understand how to put their best foot forward with their authentic Italian recipes. We would happily recommend Antonio’s Pizzeria & Cabaret to anybody visiting the island.
Antonio’s Pizzeria & Cabaret
230 Crescent Avenue
Avalon 90704
Despite growing up in San Gabriel Valley and living in Los Angeles most of my life, I had never taken the opportunity to visit Descanso Gardens. It was one of the few sites that reopened after the coronavirus pandemic shut down Los Angeles. After two months of limited options and social isolation, I finally had something to look forward to and was excited at the novel idea of being a tourist in my own city.
My husband and I headed out late one Saturday afternoon for our 4 p.m. admission, a time which was deliberately chosen in an effort to shield ourselves from the weekend’s heat wave. The 23 mile drive that would have ordinarily taken a bit over an hour was cut in half due to the lack of traffic on the freeway, one of the few upsides to the pandemic.
On arrival, I quickly realized that I had not allotted enough time to see the grounds. We had a mere hour to whisk through the gardens before they closed for the day. Our first stop was the Japanese Garden which was a miniature version of the gardens we visited during our time in Tokyo. For a brief second, on seeing the iconic red bridge, it felt as if we were back in Ueno Park, walking through the vermillion torii gates at the Hanazonoinari Shrine.
We made our way through the beautiful expansive Rose Garden, passed the fountain
as we headed to Mulberry Pond and then the lake where we came upon some ducks.
Afterwards, we walked through the Camellia Forest. Hearing twigs break underfoot as we walked on the dirt path and listening to the melodic birds singing as we made our way through the forest was calming and nurturing. The tall lush trees shielded us from the heat and the mindless chatter of the outside world. We were cocooned in a safe haven and for once, after months of anxiety, fear and confusion, we felt at peace.
Near the end of our visit we were surprised to see a pair of ducks waddling down one of the paths near the Japanese garden. It made us chuckle seeing how unfettered and unaffected they were by the small crowd gathering around them.
Descanso Gardens was brimming with life and possibilities. For us, it was a restorative place that helped quiet our minds, calmed our nerves and gave us hope that we will heal and grow. In times of stress and uncertainty, I will remember our first outing, the beautiful array of colors in the Rose Garden but as we trudge through this time of uncertainty, I will look to the pair of ducks as the example for how we will get through this together, by not looking back and only looking forward, walking with confidence and courage, not letting anything or anybody get in their way.
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011
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Knotts Scary Farm will always have a special place in my heart. It’s the original Halloween Haunt and as a teen, it was my dad’s and my special outing.
We both loved scary movies and got a thrill and a chuckle from being scared unexpectedly.
Over the years, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the Haunt due to the ridiculously long lines for each maze and ride. One year in particular when I brought a large group to attend the event, the wait times were so egregious that we could only partake in 3 rides/mazes during the course of the evening which prompted a very detailed scathing complaint letter to be sent to Knotts Customer Relations, resulting in the full refund of all tickets purchased. Traumatized, it took an entire decade for me to return to the Haunt.
Last year was the first year we bought a Fright Pass and though at times, we still had a bit of a wait, it was not nearly as much as the regular lines.
This year, we opted for the entire package which included parking, the boo-fet, Fright Pass and admission. When we first arrived, we asked one of the employees where to park if we had the all-inclusive package. He sadly didn’t know. Strike One. We drove to the Preferred Parking Lot and the attendant said our prepaid parking lot was next to the hotel lot. My husband offered to pay the difference between what we already paid and their $35 fee. She said it would be $35 regardless. I sped off not wanting to waste any more time with somebody who wasn’t going to even attempt to be helpful. Strike Two.
In hindsight, going forward, for future visits, we will opt for the Preferred Lot since come to find out, the regular lot typically has a long line to enter, and it ate away precious time we could have spent at dinner.
Fortunately, entering the lot by way of the all-you-can-eat boo-fet was fairly seamless. Heading towards the entrance of the park, just past Mrs. Knotts Fried Chicken Restaurant was a sign pointing left towards the boo-fet.
At the check-in area, women’s purses were searched, we were given a wristband for the Fright Pass, and then we were directed towards the scary ghoul for a photo shoot memorializing our evening which was an added perk to the cost of the boo-fet.
We headed to Spurs Chop House for our 6 p.m. reservation, albeit 20 minutes late. There was a short wait during which we were given large sip cups as free refillable beverages came with the boo-fet. Once seated, we went to town.
I had been saving my fried chicken craving for the dinner but also found an addictive cheesy mashed potato. There were plenty of options so we tasted a bit of everything as we went along until we couldn’t eat anything more.
A bit after 7, we waddled our way into the park and got on our first ride, GhostRider. Our wait time was 15 minutes while the regular wait was 2 hours. Not that we had any doubt about the splurge for the Fright Pass but at that rate, conceivably one could only go on 2-3 rides/mazes for the evening which was money and time not well spent.
After that ride, we went through 4 mazes, Wax Works, The Depths, Paranormal Inc. and Dark Entities, each averaging between a 5-10 minute wait. Then we headed back on GhostRider which had a longer wait of 30 minutes the second time.
We stood in line for our fifth maze, Special Ops Infected, where we met a couple who were new parents to a three month old. It was their first outing without their baby. We each talked about our travels around the world, our learnings and takeaways and how important it was to seek and learn from other people and cultures different from your own as the xenophobia that has become rampant in all aspects of politics and religion was the crux of what has been destroying our civilization. Our conversation came to a close as we got to the front of the line and were handed laser rifles to eliminate the zombies that were going to try to kill us inside the maze. It seemed like a fitting way to close the loop on our chat.
After we survived the zombies, we finally ventured outside of Ghost Town and headed to the Boardwalk area. The first ride my husband saw was HangTime which went straight up vertically and straight down before looping every which way at an accelerated speed. I was beyond petrified and couldn’t bare to look at the ride as we stood in line. It took about 20 minutes before we made our way to the front, and we ended up chatting with a group of couples in their 20s visiting from Arizona. One of the young women had somehow talked herself out of going on the ride by the time our turn came. I convinced her to sit with me/us on the ride and promised we would get through it together, suggesting that we keep our eyes closed for the duration of the ride to assuage our fears. Despite all our apprehensions, we made it back, strengthened and invigorated from facing and conquering our fears. After exchanging a high five and giving each other a celebratory hug, we parted ways.
That gave us ammunition to head to the next ride, Xcelerator. Sadly, its name was the antonym of the speed upon which people would be able to enjoy the 20 second ride. We saw people leaving during the 45-60 minutes we waited in the Fright Lane. It dawned on us that only one car was working and the crew was extraordinarily slow in getting people on and off the ride. We eventually gave up our place in line as it was already midnight and we still had a 45 minute drive home. Strike Three.
As we exited the line that barely moved, we passed by a maze, Shadowlands. Not wanting the last memory of the Haunt to be of irritation and disappointment, I convinced my husband to jump in the very short line and surprisingly, it was one of our favorite mazes due to its Japanese theme. Having gone on a 10 day vacation to Japan a year prior, we had a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Japanese design aesthetics as well as the samurai lifestyle and discipline. Obviously, it took the intrinsic Asian vibe and twisted it into a suspenseful, dark and heart-stopping experience as only the creatives at Knotts can do.
In a span of five hours, we walked through six mazes and went on three rides and despite a few hiccups, we considered our visit to the park a success and well worth the upgrade for a Fright Pass. I initially felt we had missed out on more rides, having wasted precious time in line at Xcelerator but truth be told, we were there specifically for the Scary Farm.
We have visited other parks for the Halloween experience but choose Knotts as the King of all Haunts. It’s the original, has decades of experience with the perfect setting for a haunted and ghoulish evening. The all-inclusive package is reasonably priced compared to its competitors and Knotts’ lot is a manageable size for the activities. Most importantly, the visitors to this specific park fit the mold of those who seek an authentic haunting, chilling and fun experience and fully understand, respect and appreciate the production value of the event, abiding by the unspoken rules of decorum, making Knotts the only Halloween Haunt for us.
Knotts Halloween Haunt
8039 Beach Boulevard
Buena Park, CA 90620
https://www.knotts.com/play/scary-farm
More often than not, my husband and I are in town on Labor Day, enjoying our local sites and unwinding after a busy summer. This past weekend was focused around our favorite past time second only to traveling.
The foodie adventure began early on Friday afternoon for a late lunch at an Indian restaurant in Marina del Rey. New India’s Oven had an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $10.95. I sampled the white basmati rice, the yellow rice with veggies, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala and chickpeas. Despite my late arrival, the rice was still quite fluffy and light, the tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala were relatively moist and juicy. The chickpeas were mealy and flavorful. The lunch also came with two piping hot crispy naan which was the perfect vehicle to soak up the delicious tikka masala sauce off the plate.
For one of our weekend dinners, we ventured off to Rush Street in downtown Culver City. We ordered their special summer BBQ baby back ribs special, Mary’s pan seared chicken which sat on a bed of risotto and a side of Mac n cheese.
The ribs were fairly moist and juicy with a rich tangy sauce on the outside of the meat, the side of truffle fries were delicious and flavorful as always and the mac n cheese was gooey and rich.
Mary’s pan seared chicken was quite moist on the inside, with a crispy outer layer complemented by a large serving of savory risotto.
Manhattan Beach was our chosen location for weekend brunch with the girls and MB Post was the host of our delicious feast.
We started off with the very decadent bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits. With each bite, you could taste the teeny bits of crispy bacon separating from the flaky crispy exterior of the biscuit.
Next to arrive was the market fruit platter which looked like a gilded work of art, almost too pretty to eat. The slices of peaches had a light drizzling of a simple syrup which enhanced the natural sweetness of the fruit.
The crispy red bliss potatoes were absolutely divine and added a bit of heartiness to the meal.
The beautiful plate of egg and mushroom crostini was a light and savory addition as was the crispy rosemary flavored bacon.
To finish off the meal, MB Post treated us to a gorgeous delicious sticky bun dessert.
For a mid afternoon treat, we headed off to Fiesta Hermosa.
Although the vendors are typically the same year after year, it’s always fun to go and have a drink at the local bar, listen to some tunes, catch up with some friends and have a nice dinner by the beach.
We started off our afternoon at one of our favorites, Abigaile. They have their own brewery so it’s always nice to sample some of their recommendations.
After about an hour, we headed to Rok Sushi kitchen for some dinner. I ordered the baked salmon over garlic fried rice with vegetables. The salmon was perfectly moist and the rice was slightly crispy with a healthy helping of garlic and soy sauce. The vegetables were cooked perfectly with a light soy marinade.
To end the Labor Day feasting staycation, I came back to Culver City and visited Dot Saigon. It was my first time trying their food so I opted for one of their recommendations, the lemongrass beef bun which is a cold noodle salad with slices of tender marinaded beef and crispy onions on top with a fish sauce dipping sauce on the side. I added a crispy veggie roll for a $1. Considering how quickly I was served my lunch and how large the portion was, Dot Saigon was a great value of time and money.
Our holiday staycation in Los Angeles took us on a foodie journey to various parts of Asia as well as to certain areas of the South and Midwest without having the usual expense of travel. Trying new restaurants and cuisines is the easiest and cheapest way to experience what the world has to offer. We consider ourselves fortunate to live in such an ethnically diverse city which affords us the luxury to try out new cuisines in the comfort of our “backyard.”
Grace Gambin
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