Yo Quiero La Comida

LA & Newport Beach

Early August

We have loved cooking-in most nights—large salads brimming with the superior fresh produce available to us from Trader Joe's (the stores here seem larger here than back East), tuna, salmon, potstickers, and the Two Buck Chuck Trader Joe's wine, isn't bad either! We did venture out for a few nights, but not to the quintessential Newport Beach cafés...instead we shamelessly enjoyed some of the local and national chains.

At the very fashionable Fashion Island—Newport's swanky outdoor shopping mall and multiplex cinema (where we saw Woody Allen's "Scoop"...don't bother!)—we gorged on California's famous FatBurger whose slogan is "The Last Great Hamburger Stand" and it was Great! Another joint that tempted our discerning burger tastebuds was the In-N-Out Burger, known for being California's first drive-thru hamburger stand. We were not as impressed, although we are going to give them another chance!

One Sunday afternoon, we ventured up to LA to look in on the Hollywood house and to meet with our friend Sheri. We were delighted when she commandeered us to a Caribbean oasis called Cha Cha Cha for brunch. With locations in Silver Lake and West Hollywood we had, by far, the best Jerk Chicken Cesear Salad we ever tasted, thanks to Sheri's recommendation.

And last but not least, and even though we might be slightly embarrassed to admit it, we have found ourselves chanting "Yo Quiero Taco Bell." But it isn't just any item that cause us to croon, it's the Spicy Chicken Crunchwrap Supreme—a huge soft flour tortilla bursting with spicy chicken (which we preferred over the beef), nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and a crunchy tostada shel—for just $1.89. In fact, all of our dining options were well within our budget!

We also discovered that California has more donut stores per-square-mile than any other place on the planet. We are absolutely convinced of that.