Party Idea #5: Big Lebowski Party

The Big Lebowski is sort of a cult favorite, so I understand if this isn't one you'd like to celebrate. Nate and I happen to enjoy it and so do our friends, so for one particular friend's birthday, we decided to put this party idea into action. The group went bowling earlier in the evening, then went back to someone's house for dinner and the movie. If done right, the night can be rather inexpensive. I have signed up for

Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier

On the Pacific Wheel

Rating: You Should Go

Pacific Park is the amusement park located on Santa Monica Pier. It is free to get into, but you need "tickets" (really a card with money loaded onto it) for all the rides. We were on our way to Malibu for a friend's birthday, so we decided to stop by here for just a couple hours.

Santa Fe Importers in Long Beach, CA

Rating: You Should Go

My dad was having back surgery in Long Beach this past weekend, and we needed to find a place to grab some lunch besides the hospital cafeteria. I found Santa Fe Importers on Yelp. It was highest rated for lunch in the area and one of the cheapest. As we were driving there, the

Alpine Diner & Bakery in Girdwood, AK

Rating: You Should Go

Alpine Bakery was our breakfast stop on our way from Anchorage to Seward, and our first real introduction into how expensive everything is outside of Anchorage. We couldn't even get a doughnut for less than $3, so we decided to get pastries instead. Nate got an apple turnover and

Flo's Pancake House in Anchorage, AK

Flo's Pancake House

Rating: You Should Go

Flo's Pancake House is not the most scenic stop in all Anchorage, and it's not much to look at from the outside. Nate and I were starving for some brunch (we hadn't eaten all day at it was already 1:30pm) and saw this place had good recommendations on Yelp and was also inexpensive. We were not at all disappointed.

Taco Hut in Ontario, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

To be honest, Taco Hut never seemed very appealing to me when it opened. I thought it was a mix of Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. I had an old friend recommend their taco Tuesdays to us, so we decided to check it out. The inside is actually a lot cuter than I thought. It's cozy and

Flo's #2 in Chino, CA

Rating: You Should Go

Flo's is a local favorite for Chinoians...Chinoans...Chino residents, whatever they're called. It's a diner located on the busy street of Riverside Dr. that has a small-town community feel. In fact, it's so small-town that when one of the ladies stopped everyone in the middle of lunch to announce that someone at the counter had won a contest, we all clapped for them, and when a little boy spilled hot

Maria's Italian Deli in Ontario, CA

Rating: You Should Go

I heard about Maria's Italian Deli but couldn't find it until someone who had been there (my brother) showed the way. It's on the North-West corner of Holt and Laurel Ave (just west of Euclid), facing Holt. It's in a small building with offices. Look for the green patio umbrellas. Once I found it, I was pleasantly surprised by what it was like on the inside. Small but very clean and well decorated. It has a nice relaxed feel to it, especially compared to the busyness on Holt. We ordered the

Bert and Rocky's Cream Company in Claremont, CA

Rating: You Should Go

Bert and Rocky's is a little ice cream parlor on the corner of one of the blocks in Claremont Village. My family went here after Aruffo's (again for my birthday celebration). It's a mix of a candy shop and ice cream parlor. For ice cream, they have 4 cases filled with flavors and can make

Molly's Souper in Upland, CA

Rating: You Should Go

I was lucky to try Molly's Souper for the first time with one of my best friends. We went on my lunch break because it's only open from 6am-2pm. This restaurant is behind the Upland Library in a remodeled house. It's actually pretty big on the inside, with 3 different rooms

Handel's Ice Cream in Upland, CA

Rating: You Should Go

My brother and sister-in-law took me to Handel's Homemade Ice Cream as a birthday treat. It's down the street from where I live but I had only noticed it once before. It's on the corner of a busy shopping center so I only saw the signs when they were lit up one night. As

Donut Xpress & Mr. Gyros in Ontario, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

Donut Xpress and Mr. Gyros is a little place on Mountain Avenue that looks like it's a converted Weinerschnitzel. We went on a late night donut run and tried it out. There is a driveway through the middle of the building if you want a quick stop. We parked and walked up to the front

Super Sandwich in Montclair, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

I heard about Super Sandwich from my mother-in-law. Since I want to try little restaurants around where we live now, I stopped by. It's the kind of place that I probably wouldn't notice just driving by, even though it's right on a main street. It's really clean inside and there's a

Tropical Mexico in Pomona, CA

Us in front of Tropical Mexico

Rating: You Should Go

Nate and I actually heard about this place when we attended a memorial service for our friend's husband last year. Everyone who spoke about him mentioned his favorite restaurant, Tropical Mexico. It wasn't until my brother and sister-in-law invited us to go that we actually went. It's a decent sized place in the middle of nowhere. Even though I grew up in the area, I had never been to the part of town where this place is located. We went on Taco Tuesday. They offer chicken,

Scenic Sedona, AZ - Food

Picazzo's: Where Pizza is Art

A quick word of advice - check to see if your accommodations have discounts for local restaurants. We could have gotten a discount at most of these place if we had checked first.

Picazzo's - You Should Go
Picazzo's is an organic pizza place with a LOT of gluten-free options. The food was great and

Nubia Cafe in Anaheim, CA

Rating: You Might Like It

Nubia Cafe is an Arabic restaurant and hookah bar in Anaheim.  I had never been to a hookah bar before, but it was a place Nathan and his roommates liked to frequent when they were in college and I got invited along so I couldn't pass up the opportunity.  The place is a little hard to find.  Just look for the bright yellow signs along the strip mall (to the right of the Dollar Tree).  There is very little parking that isn't reserved in the lot attached to the restaurant, but there's tons in

Falkner Winery in Temecula, CA

Relaxed after "Hot Lips"

Rating: You Should Go

Falkner is one of the many wineries in Temecula's "wine country", but one to which I had never been before.  I went with a group of friends for a wine tasting birthday party.  The winery is on the top of a hill, making it a beautiful overlook in the spring and summer, I'm sure.  We went in January so the vineyards were brown all around us.  The wine tasting area has two long bars inside, a small bar outside, and a large outside patio

C&D Drive-In in Boardman, OR

Home of the Bozo Burger

Rating: You Should Go

C&D Drive-In was our food stop from Oregon to Idaho.  It didn't look like anything special, but there was quite a crowd around it.  Apparently, it's known for its "Bozo Burger", but I still don't know what that is because there weren't any

La Palma Chicken Pie Shop in Anaheim, CA

Rating: You Should Go

The La Palma Chicken Pie Shop has been around for decades, and so have its employees/customers.  The decorations look like they haven't changed since they first opened, either.  Although this place caters to an older crowd, it has a nice small-town feel

Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, CA

Rating: You Should Go

MOCA is split into 3 buildings: 1) the Geffen Contemporary, 2) MOCA Grand Avenue, and 3) the Pacific Design Center.  Only the first 2 are museums, and the one we went to was Geffen.  The museum is featuring Art in the Streets (street art) until August 8th, including some of Banksy's work.  (If you don't know who that is, I would recommend watching the documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop", now available on Netflix instant watch.)