El Gaucho Grill

NOTE: El Gaucho Grill is now Carvao Grill focusing on Brazilian and Argentinian cuisine. I have not been to the new place.

Mouth-watering steaks, deliciously flavored chorizo and herbirific chimichurri sauce, oh yea, I'm talking Argentinian food.

El Gaucho Grill, located in downtown Brea, right across the street from theatres and surrounded by coffee houses, other restaurants this sleek little place stands out with bold yet classic flavor blends.

Every table is given a basket of sliced bread and a dish of chimichurri. It is so good! It is perfectly enhanced with empanadas or a taste of Argentinian chorizo sausage.

I am a creature of habit and generally order the garlic chicken. It is a butterflied chicken breast, bathed in roasted garlic cloves served with a rice pilaf and side salad. So good.

I have also tasted the steak and roasted chicken. I have never had anything I didn't enjoy.

210 W. Birch St., Unit 102
Brea, CA 92821
(714) 990-9140

Birthday at Lips Drag Club for Gospel Brunch

Lips - Drag Show
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

Our very own diva Janine wanted to do something different for her birthday. So she decided what could be better than a drag show at Lips in San Diego for gospel brunch hosted by Sister Nun-of-the-Above.

It was a four hours of jaw-droppping, cleavage-showing, gender-bending interestingness. LOL. I had no idea what to expect. I have never been to a drag show before, but was game for anything.

The show is irreverent, sarcastic and occassionally amazing. Some of the drag queens are incredible performers. Just as some are incredibly beautiful. I was amazed. Make-up is flawless, everything is hidden and since they often shove your face in their cleavage or even rattle your head between their legs you get a close-up view. It's also very interactive as you are all invited to "beam a queen" with dollar bills when you love the performance.

We were a group of 12, including a couple of men. I felt bad for them they were hit on constantly but were good sports about it. The food was expensive, pretty bad and took forever to arrive, but you're not there for the food or the watered-down over-priced drinks.

Overall, I have to say, it was really long. I think I would have liked the show a lot better if it were only a couple of hours versus the entire afternoon or if I would have gotten drunk. Go for bitchy bingo, diva night (80s). But I didn't much get into the gospel brunch.

I don't really feel the need to go again.

Bahia Resort Hotel

Imagine the finest hotel that San Diego had to offer, in 1960.

That would be the Bahia Resort Hotel and where we stayed to celebrate Nicole's elopement and Janine's birthday. Located on Mission Bay you can tell that this hotel used to be state of the art. It has the Dirty Dancing, all inclusive resort, feel. It was Miss Havisham's house, dressed for a party, one that was completely outdated.

Ok, you get the jist.

The hotel is painted a lovely shade of pinkish orange. The stairs and landings and patios are covered in green astro turf. Walking in we saw an exposed cement brick wall, art from the 70s, couches from the 50s and a very dated kitchen. It was retro unchic. LOL.

However we had a fantastic bay view, thanks to our birthday girl Janine. She's a beautiful diva who is unafraid to ask for what she wants. And we got it. All her efforts got us this upgraded suite. Oh yes, this was the suite. Sexy!

Who cares about accomodations when you're with two great friends, celebrating two great events in a great city like San Diego. We had a blast. I think going in the summer vs January the place might be really fun. They even have activities for families, can't beat that.

Olvera Street

Want to visit Mexico without leaving LA? Go to the birthplace of Los Angeles, Olvera Street. Home to 27 historic buildings, countless stands selling Mexican souvenirs and many different restaurants serving taquitos and full traditional entrees. It is a fun place to wander around tasting churros, fresh fruit and tacos.

A great time to visit is during Cinco de Mayo festivals (May), Mexico's Independence Day (Sept) or Dia de Los Muertos (Nov) and Christmas (Dec). The public square is full of additional vendors, sponsors, decorations, and musicians. It is colorful, delicious and a taste of one of the predominant cultures in Los Angeles.

We wandered down to Olvera on a whim. What a treat! We felt like we were in Mexico. I can't wait to go back for one of the festivals.
Olvera Street El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historic Park, 845 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tea House Los Rios

After our trip to Casa Romantica we decided to head down into downtown San Juan Capistrano and roam around the shops near The Mission. As we walking down near the railroad tracks we pass by the Tea House on Los Rios.

What better way to cap off my birthday than with tea in an idyllic, rustic, yet Victorian setting. I was so happy they were open and had space for the three of us without reservations. The great thing is that it was all dressed for Christmas - full of white lights and greenery.

However, my most favorite thing was that we all got to choose our own hat. There is an actual hallway full of hats. That's right you get to wear a hat. While Lisa wasn't that into it she complied. Thank you Lisa.

We were seated within 10 minutes. We all had The Mission Tea which included our choice of tea (there are 21 varieties), soup or salad, assorted finger sandwiches, scones, fresh fruit and desert. It was a lot of food. My favorite were the little sandwiches and scones. The soup was a little cold. But all in all delicious.

It was great. I highly recommend it. Happy Birthday to me.

Casa Romantica

Today I grabbed two friends (Lisa and Debbie) and headed South. I didn't have a plan we were just driving along the magnificent coast, enjoying the sunshine and good conversation.

Then I remembered a really beautiful historic home in San Clemete called, Casa Romantica. It is the former home of San Clemente founder Ole Hanson.

From the front its an unassuming home, with a keyhole-shaped entry way. You are ushered into a beautiful grassy courtyard in classic Spanish hacienda style. However the money shot is the view of the ocean from the backyard. High above San Clemente Pier it has an unfettered view of the ocean. You can hear the waves crash but you're far removed from all the people and street noise.

The house has been restored as a cultural center and offers a glimpse into Southern California history, architecture, ecology and culture. Each room is beautifully restored and also houses a small library. It would be a great place to go read. They are also in the process of building an ampitheatre.

Casa Romantica's street address: 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672
HOURS: Tuesday 1-4 p.m., Wednesday thru Sunday 11-4 p.m., Closed Mondays.

Hollywood Museum

Sick of Britneygate Debbie and I were craving a little of the glamorous spirit of Hollywood past so we trekked up to the Hollywood Museum in the historic Max Factor Building.

There are four floors of Hollywood artifacts and memorabilia. Even walking into the building you can feel the history that lived there - the stars that were made there. It's amazing.

Standing at the door to the museum is a mafioso looking individual who appears to be the doorman. I don't know what his purpose is, perhaps to lure in tourists, make deals on the street, no idea. Inside we were greeted by a woman who I'm sure was alive when Max Factor walked the halls. She took our money and our cameras. That's right, no photos anywhere in the building and to make sure you don't, you're forced to check your camera at the door.

A little shaken at the thought of leaving our precious cameras with a total stranger we pressed on. Once you leave the beautiful art deco lobby, dressed in white and pink marble echoing the building's glory days, there are two floors above you to explore and one beneath you.

The second floor is mainly devoted to costumes by the stars in well-known films. It was so amazing how different the clothing looked in person versus on the screen. It was much smaller and the colors were odd, especially for early technicolor process. For example, a costume from White Christmas is white on screen but in person its actually gold. I guess the lights completely washed it out.

The third floor is an odd assortment of Hollywood memorabilia, ranging from the gold sheath Elizabeth Taylor wore in Cleopatra to an amazing collection of clothing and items belonging to Marilyn Monroe. There is no rhyme or reason to the display of the collection and in many instances there is no description or explation where it comes from. There was no one from the museum around to answer questions either.

A trip to the basement, though scary, is worth the fright. They have the cellblock from Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon. The entire set is on hand including all original props. It was eerie. Next to it is an exhibit on Egypt and memorabilia from Elvira, quite the odd combination.

We spent about 45 to an hour on each floor. There is so much too look at and digest. It really is the glory of Hollywood past with a sprinkling of the present, just to make you feel like you're a part of it.

My favorite part of the tour were the famous Max Factor make-up rooms on the ground floor. Being the first to realize color theory Max painted rooms to flatter the complexion of women of a certain hair color. It's a cool blue for blondes, peach for brownettes, pink for brunettes, and mint green for redheads. It is said that it was Max Factor who made Lucille Ball a redhead and Marilyn Monroe a blonde.

It's amazing but I looked best in the pink and mint green rooms. So Max would have let me be a redhead or a brunette, but never a blonde or brownette (lighter shades of brown). All original props from these famous make-up rooms have been restored from original Max Factor make-up to mirrors, lights and the photos of the famous stars who got made up there.

Also on display on the ground floor is Cary Grant's Rolls Royce, the largest autograph collection in the world and a film about great Hollywood performances and actors.

There are so many artifacts in this museum its hard to digest the fact that you're looking at Bob Hope's golf clubs, next to the first editing machine, next to the body cast from Puffy the dog in There's Something About Mary. It's insane. (For a semi-complete list of artifacts on display click here.

If you're a fan of Hollywood glamour, this museum is a must see. It is extremely uncommercial. They don't even have a gift shop. But maybe that makes it more pure somehow. Who knows. I loved it.

Cost: $15
Hours: Open Thursday through Sunday, from 10 AM to 5 PM. Closed Monday through Wednesday.
Location: The Hollywood Museum: 1660 N. Highland Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 464 7776

Pink's Hot Dog

Pink's Restaurant
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

Ready to test our gatronomical fortitude Debbie and I headed to Pink's to taste Hollywood's famous hot dog.

Founded by Paul Pink in 1940, on the corner of LaBrea and Melrose when it was home to spacious fields not trendy stores Pink's hot dogs has become a celebrity and local hot spot.

Touted as the only hot dog stand with free valet parking it always has a line, doesn't matter if you're there at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m.

Debbie and I split a chili dog (mustard, chili and onions) and a planet hollywood dog (Polish Sausage, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, bacon & cheese). Can you hear our arteries clogging. Yea. It's good like that.

I don't feel the need to go back, but one trip is required if you're going to be in LA. Come on if Bobby Flay, Celine Dion and Nicole Kidman have eaten one you gotta try it.

Ruby's Diner on PCH in Laguna

Ruby's Diner on PCH in Laguna
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

After absorbing the sunset in Corona del Mar we headed down PCH towards Laguna to have dinner at Ruby's Auto Diner.

Ruby's was founded in Newport Beach, by a So-cal native who got a long-term lease from the city for an old, run-down bait shop at the end of the Balboa Pier. What started as nostalgia is a now multi-state chain restaurant appealing to our love of Americana in simplier times. In this quintesential 40s diner you will find red vinyl seats, chrome-lined tables and waitresses in little candy-striper uniforms. The fare is predominantly hamburgers, fries and milkshakes but they have also traditional diner food, ala southwest - salads, meatloaf, soups, tacos, and fish.

I had the kobe beef burger and fries. Tina had a BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) on toasted parmesan sourdough bread. We shared a birthday milkshake that tasted just like yellow cake batter, oh so sweet and delicious. My favorite is the 50/50 shake or the chocolate malt. They have also adopted the Red Robin approach to fries and your basket is bottomless.

Ruby's also serves breakfast.
30622 S. PCH, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
P: 949.497.7829F: 949.499.0314

Ruby's can be found in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State.

Down to the Sea

Corona del Mar Sunset
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

After nearly dying on skates Tina and I headed down towards the water to see the sunset at Corona del Mar.

The light was amazing and the sunset was spectacular. The sky and mountains started out purple and pink. Then as the sun set it started fading to orange and red. It was amazing. I mean look at those colors.

The sad thing is the lens can never capture the true brilliance of the light at sunset.

This is why we pay a ton of money to live in Southern California. Next we headed to Ruby's for dinner.