City of Angels

After two weeks on the road and ten nights in a tent we made it to our mid-point - Los Angeles. This is Nick's former home, so there were plenty of people to see. Also, a four day break from camp fire food awaited us and we intended to make the most of it!

We started off in Orange County with Nick's former roommate Max and his wife Martina, their 2 cats and beautiful dog "Mogul." Friday night in "the OC" included Koran BBQ where you cook your own meat in the middle of the table and accompany it with an assortment of Korean dishes like kimchi, all of which is washed down with "sochu" and Korean beer. Delicious!

 

Saturday was a beautiful day in California. After brunching in a fabulous Vietnamese place, we headed to Hermosa Beach to meet our friends Will & Casey. The girls spent the afternoon on the beach reading, talking, watching the waves, and enjoying the sun while the boys played on the sand throwing the football (American) in the surf. In the evening, we headed to Manhattan Beach for cocktails and sushi - another of Nick's favorite foods.

Sunday morning was cool and cloudy and after breakfast we headed north to Santa Monica where Nick lived for six years before his excursion to Germany. We stayed with Nick's cousins Caryle and Bob and Irene not far from the beach and 3rd St. Promenade.

Our first evening in SM was spent at "El Cholo," the best Mexican restaurant in LA which Jo insists on visiting every time she was in SM. The food is delicious and the margaritas are always a perfect start to the evening :) (stock photo)

Other food haunts we visited over the weekend were Urth Cafe on Main Street where they make fabulous lattes. The milk foam designs aren't bad either:

We also visited Marmalade Cafe on Montana where they serve great breakfasts and the finest marmalade Jo has ever tasted! R&D Kitchen, also on Montana, serves great cocktails and food and is conveniently just around the corner from Father's Office, a great place for a few microbrews.

After our long weekend of R&R n LA, it was time to get back on the road and in the tent as we headed up the Big Sur drive along the west coast towards San Francisco.

- Nick & Jo