Copper Coffee Pot, Ventura

The pandemic has given me the excuse to walk pretty much everywhere within a five mile radius of my house, and my dog and I have done exactly that. I've seen some interesting things on my walks, including this morning's "Nature in Action" moment, as I watched a small hawk pin down a pigeon in the middle of Main Street. Two large crows flew overhead, also with an eye on the struggling bird. 

A burst of traffic was released by a green light a block away, and the hawk was forced to temporarily give up his prize in the face of oncoming cars. He flew atop a telephone pole, and my dog and I paused our walk and sat on a wall on the opposite corner to watch nature unfold. The pigeon flapped his wings, but was unable to leave the asphalt, and the two crows flew lower, but also could not land due to the traffic.

A small break in traffic caused the hawk to spread his wings, but he opted to stay where he was when a bus swerved to miss the struggling pigeon. More cars followed until a large, black pick-up truck absently crushed the wounded pigeon with a squishy pop. The hawk seemed to look disappointed in his now flattened meal, and then flew on

My dog and I had enough of natural selection in action, and continued our walk.

The Copper Coffee Pot is part of Valentino's Take-n-Bake Pizza, located right next door.  Both are situated on the corner of Main and Seaward, next to the fire station and Foster's Donut shop. They have the least expensive coffee of the coffeehouses in the neighborhood, using locally roasted Calioh Coffee, which this morning cost $2.25 for a 16 oz. cup. Interestingly, today's coffee was the best I've had there, a slightly smokey brew with a strong taste of chocolate, and I'm wondering if after a year they finally figured it out. When I set out to write this, I was going to say that I always found their coffee a little thin, without the full body of a good dark roast. Today that wasn't the case.

The CCP people are always nice to my dog, so that's why I go there. A few of the high school/college kids working there even know my dog by name-not me, but the dog. They do have several reasonably priced breakfast items, but I've never had any. The CCP shares a kitchen with Valentino's, and everything looks and smells good, but I'm usually at the start of my walk, and I just want a coffee to go. There is seating both outside and in, and usually a few locals hanging about.

Today I'd have to say it was one of the better cups of coffee in town, and now I'm wondering what gives-which one was the fluke? The good coffee of today or the average coffee of most days.

Watch Gang-First Watch-Aeromat

 Later, I will write about my first Watch Gang watch. But before I do that...

The Harlem Globetrotter watch you see is the first watch that I owned. It was a Christmas present from Santa that I received in 1971, and it still runs! I was wearing it yesterday.

I remember picking it out of the Sears catalogue. I was in third grade, and was very excited that I could tell time and that my parents thought I was old enough to have a watch. I was torn between one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons, The Harlem Globetrotters (a quick note on the Globetrotters cartoon-the theme was written by Jeff Barry, music supervised by Don Kirshner, and featured three relatively famous African-American actors doing voices, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Scatman Crothers  and Robert DoQui-ask your parents if you don't know who they are), or one of my favorite toys, Hot Wheels. I remember thinking long and hard about it, but went with the Globetrotters.

I wore that watch every day, even breaking it twice, and for reasons unclear to me now, my Mom would take it and have it repaired for me. Around the Bi-Centennial, I remember switching the band for this great red, white and blue strap that I had on it through high school. In high school, I had more 'grown up' Sears diver-style water proof watches, but would still pull the Globetrotter out of a drawer once in a while to wear to change things up. 

Years later, in '90 or '91, I was on Melrose at Wanna Buy A Watch, looking longingly at the cases of vintage watches, and there was my Harlem Globetrotter watch! They had it for $200 at that time. That seemed like an awful lot for a character watch, (currently there is a 'Dudley Do-Right' listed for $750), and though mine is hardly mint, I dug it up, had it serviced, and put it on, alternating it with several other watches.

Which brings me to my Swatches....

As many people will tell you, I'm not very prompt. I've gotten better about it over the years, but punctual has never been a character trait of mine. I saw this watch in the case of the Broadway in 1984, and had to have it. It spoke to me! But I didn't have the $30 it cost, and had to wait until my next paycheck. Then when I was paid and went back, they were all gone! The nice girl at the counter said that she thought the next Swatch shipment was supposed to come in the following Wednesday, and the following Wednesday, I was there. I asked a different counter girl about the Swatches, that I wanted the one that said 'Don't Be Too Late,' and she said she didn't know if they'd gotten anymore of those, that she'd heard that Swatch made limited amounts, but she'd check.

I waited an agonizing few minutes as she walked to the back, but then she brought one out. Success! I had my first Swatch!

I've bought several Swatches over the years, but nothing struck me the way that this one did. It must have hit a lot of people the same way, because on eBay they still fetch a pretty penny. It was my every day watch from 21 to 28, and as you can see, I beat the hell out of it. I was surprised that it still ran, but with a fresh battery, my near 40-year-old Swatch fired right up. I've tried changing the batteries in a few others that I own, and though the watches ran fine many of the straps deteriorated to the point of being unwearable-and for a few of the Swatches, the bands were an important part of the design.

Swatch has re-released the "Don't Be Too Late," design like this (same design but words are different colors), and this (same message, but much less subtle). I might buy the first one for old time sake.

Watch Gang

A friend of mine belongs to Watch Gang, and he's been sporting some cool watches-but some not so cool ones, too. I looked on their website, and I've been going back and forth on it for months. I've read reviews, and watched people on YouTube, and couldn't decide. But I had a little extra money this month, and decided to pull the trigger. I signed up for the 'Black Level', figuring that I spent $99 a month on junk anyway. They list two other levels, "Original" for $49.99 and "Platinum" for $299, but I've heard that there's one more above platinum for those in the know. I figure I'll give it six months, and if it isn't working for me, I'll cancel the subscription. They do three giveaways every week, one for a Rolex, one for an Omega and one for a Tag Huer, so I'm crossing my fingers-I'd really like an Omega...

The watch came in an unmarked box, which I'm pretty happy about. We don't have too much trouble with 'porch pirates' in my neighborhood, but no need to tempt fate. Opening the packing box brought me to the actual watch case. The watch is an Aeromat. I've never heard of them, which implies that they're a small brand that most likely outsources their movements. So the question is whether they're using Chinese, Japanese (better) or Swiss (best) movements, though the difference between Japanese and Swiss is marginal. I unzipped the case.

Searching the Aeromat website, I found the watch pretty quickly. It's a Type GMT Black Bird, and has a list of $250! Over double what I paid-score! Except...

I can't find anyone that sells them, so I don't know it's true value. Apparently, a few others went out to Watch Gang members, because there's a two on eBay as I write this, one for $250 and one for $200. 

But as I well know, the value of something is correlated to what I'm will to pay, and would I have paid $250 for this watch? Or even $200? Well, no, not really. 

According to the website, this watch has a Swiss quartz movement and a mineral glass crystal, both good things. It arrived running, which wasn't a good thing because I don't know how much battery life was lost. It does have a certain heft to it, which I like. I've mixed feelings about the band, leather on the inside, canvas on the outside, which confuses me a bit. A thick leather band would have been cool. Leather always adds a little class. That the leather is hidden on the inside seems a little odd, though. I do like the engraving on the back.

When I look at the face, though, I'm not crazy about it. The size is good and seems like it would be easy to read, except that it's grey on black, meaning not much contrast. There does seem to be some luminescence, but I'm not sure how bright. The extra red hand is a 24 hour hand, designed for pilots crossing time zones, and that's actually pretty cool. There's no magnification on the date, and though it is in a contrasting color, it's tough to read because of it's size.

Looking on the website, I prefer the face of every other GMT watch to this one.

I don't know that I'd have paid $99 for it, but it's not a bad watch. I'll probably wear it when I'm feeling the need to be dark and moody.

Let's see how the next one is. Check back next month.

Pablito's Tacos

Pablito's Tacos

Coronavirus or no, I still love tacos.

In the background, here in my backyard, the soundtrack to some 'Bollywood' film is playing. Not sure why I have this...

Pablito's Tacos is across the street from the Red Barn Market, in the parking lot of Iglesia Apostolica. (this church would sometimes serve tacos out of a pop-up). The Red Barn actually rates it's own entry, and maybe I'll get to that soon. They've got good meat and a good deli section. 

I'd initially planned on getting a bean and cheese burrito from the Red Barn deli-the beans are good, made in manteca, the way my grandmother would have, and it's only $3.50. But I noticed that Pablito's was open, and so changed up my plan.

I ordered the birrias taco, and I was just going to get an asada taco to go with it. The kid at the window suggested the gordita, and if he felt good enough to suggest it, I figured that I'd give it a whirl. I also got a can of Dr. Pepper to wash it down, for a total of $7.50.

At that price point, the bar is pretty low-if it's edible, it's probably worth it. I noticed that on their signage, they mention $1 Tacos on both Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, which I'll have to come back to try.

The wait seemed a little long, but not bad, and the food-well, it was pretty good. Everything was fried, of course, but not too greasy, and the birria sauce had a good smokey flavor with just a bit of spicy. There was plenty of meat in both items, and enough birria to dip both. The gordita looked more like what I would call a crunchy taco, with cheese and lettuce, but with some birria sauce, it was quite tasty. And he fished the Dr. Pepper out of a cooler of ice and water-Nothing quite like an ice cold Dr. Pepper.

No chairs or tables were out, so I plopped on the steps of the church in the parking lot. The lot was in the center of a complex of buildings-the taco truck is owned by the church-and several men walked by, seeming to do different things and all asked if I enjoyed the food and thanked me for stopping by. 

So, does it match up to my favorite taco truck on the Avenues of Ventura? No, but this one is open in the afternoon, so I'll be back.

 

Coronavirus Time

It's been a few years since I've written-I really had no idea that it had been that long-and now, like most everyone else, I'm sitting around the house.

Lots of Parking

In a few minutes I'm going to walk to my doctors-not for the virus, but because I have a wart on my nose. I'm tired of looking like the wicked witch and I'm hoping my doc will remove it. I'll take some pictures of my deserted home town on the way back.

One of the things I've noticed, though, is more families out walking. The car traffic is down considerably, but people are outside, riding bikes, walking dogs and just strolling about.The upside to the virus is it might bring the family unit together.


Last night I was up to late looking for the famed Boss Radio KHJ's Real Don Steele and his tagline, "Tina Delgado is alive! Alive!" If Quinten Tarentino had used that in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, it would have been the perfect movie. I did find an aircheck from August of 1966 with Garry Mack and the Real Don Steele, and that's what I have playing while I write. Like Tarentino, who's about my age, KHJ was the sound of the city, sitting in the back of my Mom's 1964 Chevy Malibu. It brings back memories.

There have been some changes in town, and I do plan on writing this again, but I'll wait until the city reopens.

Quinceanera

Some thoughts.

I dropped my daughter of at her friend's Quinceanera on a farm deep in Oxnard. I was just walking her in and then I was going to exit, but as I was walking out, I heard the grandmother call to me, "Get yourself some tacos!" That, of course, sounded like a fine idea, and I went over to the taco man and had a plate-three tacos, a quesadilla, rice and beans. Most of the party guests were inside, so I found a table outside and watched the crowd.

The Quinceanera was being held inside an old wooden barn, which was decorated with flowers and lights. The barn, if I had to guess, was at least 100 years old, and looked it, but with the ranchero and other Mexican music blasting, and lots of people young and old both inside and out,  it was a lively affair. The farm was in the middle of many fields, and really out in the rural part of Oxnard.

My daughter is a coconut, and that's mostly because I'm a coconut, too. We didn't have a quincenera for her, because that's not what we do. I'm glad she gets invited to them, though.

This one was interesting in that the girl who was being celebrated was only half Mexican. I guess my daughter is too, but she has the dark hair, eyes and skin that betrays my side of the family. Her friend has fair hair and skin, and a 'white' surname.

The crowd had a fair mix of ethnicities, which is good, and everyone was dancing and posing for selfies. As I ate my tacos, with the upcoming 4th of July, I was left thinking that this is what America is-the melting pot of cultures, and everyone is an American.

I seem to be much more race aware than my children, which I think is good. They're colorblind in ways that I try to be-as we all should be.

Now back to Oxnard to pick my daughter up.

Limon y Sal

Limon y Sal
598 E. Main
Ventura CA  93001

My wife and I would pop into the old Watermark for Happy Hour snacks and cocktails. It was a classy setting, with a 1920's, art-deco vibe that we enjoyed while sitting at the bar, and the food and drinks were served quickly and everyone was friendly. We always said that we should go for dinner sometime, but never made it.

Then the placed closed.

The owners of El Pescador bought the place and reopened as an upscale Mexican restaurant, Limøn y Sal. 

So first, I must confess that I've never eaten a meal here. But it's a great place for margarita's, and Margarita Monday is a great time to come. On several occasions, groups of friends and I have enjoyed appetizers and cocktails on their beautiful rooftop bar. It overlooks the roofs, mostly, but Main Street, the hillside, and the ocean as well. There is something special about being up high and enjoying a cocktail. The old Watermark bar is still downstairs, and it's rich art-deco flourishes make it a classy place to sit, but here in Ventura, the rooftop just seems better. The roof is enclosed, but with the ability to open and shut many doors and windows, depending on the weather.

The art-deco vibe is still in place, but with that is a reminder of the dark woods that I remember in the Mexican restaurants of East L.A. that my father would take us to when I was growing up. The food always smells good, and there's usually a crowd.

Friday and Saturday nights the joint is generally jumping, with lines going outside, so I've never been on those nights. Midweek is still kind of crowded, but the service on the rooftop bar is generally quick, and comes with chips and salsa. On my last visit, there was a dj as well as big screen tv's showing both the Dodgers and the World Cup. There are always signs in for Rico and Mambo, morning jocks on a local hip-hop station, who make regular appearances, as well as occasional mariachis. 

A good, margarita vibe.

Wexler's Deli / Blue Bottle Coffee

Several entries mention pastrami. I like pastrami, and good pastrami is hard to find.

Often, if pastrami is not cooked well, it is chewy and bland. Sometimes, it'll be chewy and way too salty, and it's very salty if I say it's too salty. Or, I'll order it, and it'll be just a couple of pieces on bland bread, and still very expensive.

Pastrami is expensive, more so than just a burger, so if I'm ordering it, I want it to be good.

Recently, I was at the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles, and decided that pastrami would be a good call. So, after circling the premises, I decided to try Wexler's.

Wexler's occupies a counter space in the center of the market, and after watching the guy in the back for a few minutes, I went ahead and placed my order for the O.G., a basic pastrami on rye. The reason I watched the guy is something I learned while watching a video on Langers Deli, (another great pastrami place), and that's if they're cutting with a machine, or just making a bunch of parallel cuts by hand, you end up with some really chewy pastrami. A good deli guy will cut against the grain, and to do that, you need to spin the meet on the cutting board at different points to stay against the grain, and that's what the deli guy was doing.

I took my seat at the counter-I really wanted to sit at the counter, although there were tables near by. The counter just seemed right for eating pastrami, and my order actually came up pretty quick. It came a pickle and either cole slaw or potato salad-I went with the slaw. The pickle was crisp and the slaw a bit tart, both very good. The sandwich, too, was solid. Not too much salt, a bit of smokey flavor, not chewy, everything that I could have hoped for. A good lunch choice.

 

 After, I though a bit of coffee would be nice, so I went over to the Bradbury Building, (one of the premier architectural buildings in the city, seen in many movies and T.V. Shows), and had the pour over coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee. 

I want to say that I liked it. At twice the cost of Starbucks, I really want to say that it was a transcendent experience that no coffee drinker should miss. But, frankly, it wasn't. It wasn't bad, mind you, but it wasn't worth twice what I would normally pay. The place looked nice, though.