More Crown Guitars

May 19, 2017

I was in Little Tokyo last week trying some ramen at Men oh Tokushima, and came across this Crown Acoustic in a store of trinkets and other things.

I should have asked to play it, but I didn't. I tapped it a bit to see what it sounded like, and the wood was certainly resonant. It's a 70's era guitar, made in Japan, and I've read that guitars from Japan during that time frame were using old woods and so have very good sound quality.

I actually played a couple of the ukuleles that they had in the store instead, and though they were no names, they looked nice, and played reasonably well for their price.

I should have written down the name of the store, but I didn't. Let's just say it's the type of store you expect to find in a Chinatown or a Little Tokyo. Lots of Asian trinkets, flags, Buddhas and things. I liked the Godzilla bank, where Godzilla would rise out of a box and grab the coin, and the headbands, one of which I bought. The symbol on it is supposed to be 'Victory,' but how would I know one way or the other.

About ramen. I don't know what good ramen tastes like as opposed to bad ramen. But my son likes ramen, and the place had good Yelp reviews, so we tried it.

I've intentionally had ramen three times in the last 6 months, and this was the best one, but I'm going to have to try more. 

I wouldn't make a special trip for the ramen, but if I was in the area and someone suggested it, I'd eat there again.

Where Have I Been

No place special, actually.

There was a point when I was posting every week. It was good writing practice, and I enjoyed it. Then, for a variety of reasons, I missed a week.

And then another.

And another.

And after a while, I just didn't have anything to say. But someone asked a question about buying a Crown Guitar, and I thought I'd better answer.

So, maybe it's time to start blogging again. Ventura is experiencing a growth of micro-breweries, and I'd like to chime in a bit on that. I've also been trying coffee places all over California lately, and I'd like to talk about that, too.

Thanks for stopping by-I'll have more up soon.

Tatiana's Coffee & Tea, Ventura

Tatiana's Coffee and Tea

2470 E. Main Street

Ventura  CA 93003

My son came home a few weeks ago talking about a coffee house that he and his friends put up a poster for a robotics competition, and he was saying how nice they were. He described the location, and I knew he was talking about Tatiana's Coffee and Tea, and he said he wanted to go back because they were so nice.

Tatiana's has been there for about six months, and I'd been in once before. That time Tatiana was off but her husband was in, and he was nice enough. There were a couple of reasons that I never went back, though. First, the hours weren't very agreeable with my schedule, they being open only 7:30 to 5, and, second, they serve Santa Barbara Roast.

I find Santa Barbara Roast coffee to be a bit bitter for me, and I prefer Beacon or Starbucks. Still, Tatiana was nice to my son, and I did say we can go, so after a morning run we swung in for a coffee, hot chocolate and as an afterthought, an empanada.

The empanada was a great choice. Prepared by Chef Galo of the late Cafe Bariloche, it was excellent. A light, flaky pie crust surrounding a seasoned meat filling, it was excellent, and made me long for the flavorful South American food that I had the few times I was in Cafe Bariloche.

But the coffee...

Tatiana was in on this visit, and she's very nice, and because of her I hope the coffee house succeeds. The prices were in line with other places, the walls were filled with local artwork, all of which is for sale, the chairs were comfy, and so everything seems in order. Tatiana herself struck the right balance between friendly conversation, and backing away so that my son and I could talk, and she seems genuinely proud of her space.

The empanada and Tatiana's pleasant demeanor means I'll be back. They also have Wifi, so it'll be good when I need the internet, but also need to get out of the house.

Attending Spanish Mass, Mission San Buenaventura

Mission San Buenaventura

211 E. Main Street

Ventura CA 93001

Bloody Jesus

I attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Maywood, CA, from first through eighth grade. At the end of eighth grade, my family moved to Downey, and gave me a choice of attending Pious X, St. John Bosco, or Downey High, and I quickly decided it was time to go public, picking Downey.

Still, the Sisters of Notre Dame, who ran the Catholic School did instill some level of Catholicism in me, and I'm often surprised at how much I remember. And in that Catholicism, I try to observe the 40+ days of Lent.

As part of my Lenten Sacrifice, for the last 20 years I've attended Mass every Sunday of Lent. It doesn't seem like much, and I know that many people attend Sunday Services without fail. But when I was single, it was the only time of year that I attended Mass, and now, with my kids all going off in various directions and a wife who can be hit and miss about Mass attendance, it becomes a bit more of a challenge. And it has meant that I've attended Mass out of my comfort zone. 

Faux Marble Surrounding Alter

Many Catholic Churches have a Saturday night mass to make up for Sunday, which can be very helpful for when Sunday happens to be busy. Tonight I needed to attend Mass because of my daughter's all-day water polo tournament in La Palma tomorrow, and she was at a party this afternoon, so we attended the 7:30 Spanish Mass at the Mission. We don't speak Spanish, but since it was the only Mass available, it's the one we went to. For the most part, I have the mass memorized anyway, so I always have a pretty good idea of what's happening. 

Narrow Nave

I have very mixed feelings about Junipero Serra and his treatment of the Native Americans that surrounded the Missions, and Mission San Buanaventura is the last mission that was founded by him. Parts of the Church go back over 200 years, and that appeals to the historian in me. I don't attend services at the Mission often, and find it to be an adventure whenever I do. I enjoy the old, creaking pews, the thick walls and narrow nave, and the old style statues, (featuring a bloody Jesus).

I've attended Spanish Mass during Lent before, when a girlfriend I had and I were driving through Baja California. We made it as far as Bahia Palmas in Baja California Sur, driving my Honda Civic, and it was an eye opening trip for me. We were someplace in the interior, I'm guessing San Ignacio, but I don't really remember and would have to dig up my notes from 20 years ago to find out for sure. It was Palm Sunday, and everyone from the neighboring country-side was attending Mass in their Sunday best, all Stetson straw hats, polyester western pants and shirts and polished boots. I know there were women, too, but strangely only the men come back to my memory-possibly because they were all staring at my Arkansas bred, blonde haired, blue-eyed very petite girlfriend. She was the only blonde in the church, and if I stood out, being clearly an American of Mexican descent, she really had no business whatsoever in that church.

What I remember most was the volleyball game that started up after the service, with about 20 men on a side in their Sunday finery hitting the ball over the net.

In 2009, my son had a state project, and I told him that we could go to the state if it wasn't too far away. His teacher assigned him Utah, and that's how we ended up at St. Gertrude's in Panguitch, UT. Being from So. Cal, I'm used to huge Catholic congregations, so though I was familiar with the idea of the priest traveling from place to place and covering a great deal of ground, this was the first time I'd seen it in action. St. Gertrude's is a bit bigger than my classroom, and it still being winter, my son and I definitely stood out. Mass started with only 9 people, and got up to 16, including my son and me. Like I've had to do in Protestant Churches, I was asked to introduce ourselves,which I had anticipated by the way that everyone in the room was greeting one another. Though the priest delivered one of the more confusing sermons I've heard, and headed off to another service as soon as this one was over, we stayed after to talk to the congregates over some cake and punch. They were very friendly.

Possibly the prettiest Catholic Church I've ever been to was on my honeymoon just about 17 years ago, when my wife and I attended our first mass together as husband and wife on a Palm Sunday in Lahaina, Maui. Maria Lanakila Catholic Church is a small, all white interior Catholic church, and with the windows open, the building was filled with the smells of Hawai'ian flowers.

Fulfilling my Lenten of Mass attendance can be challenging, but the result is always interesting on some level.

Cordello's Pizza, Ventura

Cordello's Pizza

1700 E. Thompson Blvd, #E

Ventura, CA 93001

Every neighborhood I've ever lived in has had a neighborhood pizza joint, one of those places that specialize in take-out and may or may not have a few tables. They serve sandwiches, pasta and some sort of anti-pasto, and generally aren't too expensive.

For the most part, I've always felt that like potato chips, no matter how bad a pizza is, it's still a pizza. So what if a Little Ceaser's pizza and the box it came in taste about the same-it's still a pizza. The pizza taste bar is pretty low. 

The best pizzas in town are probably those served at Toppers (good salad bar, too) and Ferraro's, but both can be a bit pricey if you just want a basic pepperoni or cheese pizza. Santino's (one of my early posts, before I learned how to add pictures) is where the family goes if we want to have pizza out. But if we're having pizza in, I'm usually sent to Cordello's.

Cordello's is everything a take-out pizza place should be. Reasonably priced, quick turnaround, and they'll deliver, though I usually just pick it up. They usually have specials, and you'll see coupons around town. At differet points, I've also had their sandwiches, wings and antipasto salad, and all are pretty good.

One thing to note-Cordello's is located in a sketchy looking stripmall. It's kind of like the Avenues, and though I've never been bothered in any way, I thought I should mention it. The liquor store next door usually has an array of odds and ends if you need to kill a few minutes.

I'm not saying I'd drive a long way to pick up a Cordello's pizza. However, it'd be worth a 10 minute drive if you're staying at one of the hotel/motels in town.

Taqueria Vallarta, Ventura

Taqueria Vallarta

278 E. Main Street

Ventura, CA  93001

Most of the places in the downtown area of Main Street are expensive, and not that expensive is bad-it's just that I can't always afford it. Sometimes I want to eat fast, cheap and not in a chain. There's a Subway on Main, but who wants to eat there?

My wife turned me on to Taqueria Vallarta years ago, going there with some friends of hers who worked at City Hall, which is a few blocks away. Taqueria Vallarta is across from the Mission, and is very reasonable for the area.

The service is fast and friendly. It's a clean space, too, though it has a worn look to it. They have a fresh juice bar, which my wife has ordered from. It's not a Jamba Juice kind of place, though, with no added sugar, just the blended fruit flavors.

But I wasn't there for juice. I had a ceviche tostada and an two asada tacos, along with a small Dr. Pepper. It came out to just under $9. 

When you order, they hand you complimentary chips, and the salsa bar, though not extensive, serves up a bit of fire.

I put my chips down at an indoor table (they have some outdoor seating, too), and went to the salsa bar, serving myself some pickled, spicy onions and one of their salsas. I brought them back to my table, and was just settling in when my order was up. 

Not worth a special trip, but I find that I end up there often, and might come even more if parking were a bit more convenient (free parking is located around the corner). My family will eat there, and I can feed them for around $40, which is a plus, too. It's certainly the best lunch deal on Main Street.

Palermo

Palermo

Coffee, Gelato & Gifts

321 E Main St.

Ventura

Though I'm sure I'll revise this later, I'm doing the first draft while sitting and enjoying my El Salvador sourced, Beacon roasted coffee at Palermo, which was always my intent when I started this blog-to write while things are fresh in my mind.

Palermo is a popular and busy place here in town, a gift shop that also serves a selection of Moonstruck chocolate (from Portland, Oregon), and Leo Leo Gelato (from Paso Robles). There always seems to be a large crowd of locals in exercise clothes lounging with their coffees and their dogs at the outdoor tables, while tourists walk among the shelves looking at the local tchotchkes for sale. It's clean, and as I sit here, there isn't an empty cup in sight. The counter girls (I don't see any men working right now, and all are reasonably attractive in the quirky, coffeehouse girl fashion), greet everyone as they walk in, even if it's only "I'll be right with you."

The 16 oz. medium coffee is served piping hot (a coffeehouse peeve of mine-too often I've walked into a "local" coffeehouse, and been served a warm coffee), and costs $2. There is ample seating both inside and out, with the inside seating being the thrift store couch and chair variety and outdoors being more bistro style. In the background, soft, "adult contemporary" music plays, amid soft lighting, unfinished brick walls and concrete floors. It's a comfy space that conjures "coffeehouse," and reminds me of coffee houses I've visited in every revived downtown space I've traveled to.

That's not a bad thing.

Years ago, I remember a wine bar in the back, but that's gone now. There are some baked items, too, as well as a variety of teas. Free parking is available about a block away, and the stroll helps one to get into the coffeehouse spirit.

Free wi-fi, too.