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December 25, 2006

The Christmas Starbucks can't get a break blues

The Starbucks across the street from the Daily News is a bit overrun. Forget about getting through the line in the morning unless you budget yourself some time. My time budget is in serious deficit, and I usually crawl over in the early afternoon, if at all.

So today, Christmas Day to be exact, it was my chance. Who works in Warner Center on Christmas? Nobody but us trolls on the Daily News copy desk. I pull into the lot, which S*Bucks shares with a gas station, mini-market and dry cleaners.

I park right in front.

I'm second in line.

The family in front of me is, all wearing festive holiday headgear, by the way, was ... BUYING AN ESPRESSO MACHINE AS A GIFT. And there was second-guessing, discussion ... and what there wasn't was anybody shouting ahead in the two-party line to get my drink going. I had to leave. It was time to ... be here.

I had 50-cent machine coffee. Not fitty. Fifty. I ain't in da club.

I couldn't take it. I had to leave.

And that's the Christmas Starbucks Can't Get A Break Blues (insert harmonica break here).

(Sorry if I made you a little teary.)

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 8:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Good Earth gets a B from the Health Dept.

The little one spent the morning at Grandma's, and we hightailed it to the Good Earth in Studio City for breakfast. Everything was as good as usual (Tofu Scramble with beans and pancakes, a KILLER deal, and endless cups of Good Earth tea).

But then I saw it.

Tucked in the corner, at a right angle from the door, viewable by few.

B.

As in a B from the county health department. What could be lurking back in that kitchen to warrant a B? The county Web site offers no clue. The last restaurant inspection it lists is February 2006, when it received an A grade with a score of 94, meaning four violations. A B grade means a score of 80 to 89.

Hmmmm .... what evil lurks in your plumbing ... or scurries around the dry goods?

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 6:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Du-par's returns to Farmer's Market

Laist reports that Du-par's reopens its historic Farmer's Market location at 6 a.m. Dec. 26 -- that's tomorrow, people. There's nothing more L.A. than Du-par's, where we all spent countless meals, if not in this decade, then in some past incarnation when we didn't know what pounds and pounds of butter was doing to our arteries.

Seriously, I've never had better french toast.

Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 6:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack