Cocktail Confessions

I received a pleasant surprise today; I got a call from my good friend Brian who wanted to see if I was up to meeting him for lunch since he was going to be in the area.  Knowing that the only thing I had with me today was a microwaveable cup of soup and a very generic roast beef sandwhich I made myself this morning, there was really no arm twisting involved.

We agreed to meet at Beach Pit BBQ located in Old Town Tustin.  Years ago the location was known as the Tustin Garage, and as the name suggests, was a place for auto and tractor repair.  Its been since retro-fitted and now sports a restauraunt that’s decked out is something akin to Texan and Route 66 decor on the inside.  The menu is a bit limited in choices for they only really serve ribs, pulled pork, sausage, salads, cornbread and sides, but then again, it isn’t meant to be a huge dinner place.

It’s fairly sizeable inside and open.  They have a small bar with a few flat panel televisions that usually are tuned to a sporting events.  It’s basically a beer bar only, with a few domestics in either bottles or cans, but also some craft beers on tap.  Today we both partook in a pint of Karl Strauss amber lager.  I normally would never drink during the work day, and haven’t in many years, but when the boss is away…..Anyway, the lager was very nice and somewhat light tasting with no bitter aftertaste.  It clocks in at 4.2% as well.  For those that are interested, they do indeed serve a standard fare in wine.

My lunch was the special: Grilled cheese sandwhich with pulled pork on Texas toast.  It comes with a side of seasoned fries for $6.95.  It was pretty darn good, and don’t think I didn’t slather on a little spicy BBQ sauce to boot.

Brian had a small platter of ribs, and although they counted five, they were huge.  He only actually ate four.  We also shared a basket of fried dill pickles.  He took the rest home with him with the left over rib.  Now I’ve had better fried dill pickles elsewhere, but these weren’t bad, they were actually just right and hit the spot.  They come served with a side of ranch.

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They have all the traditional BBQ sides, including cole slaw, mac ‘n cheese, baked beans, corn on the cob, potator salad and blueberry cornbread to name a few.  Deserts include ice cream sundae’s and banana pudding.   Additionally they have fried okra bits, sweet potato fries, pulled chicken, and more.

It’s a decent place for lunch with the guys, having a beer after work, or maybe a casual meal with the family.  They have four locations in So. California I’m aware of and its a fine little place.  Now, is it 100% lip licking traditional BBQ?  Not really, there are other venues like Bad to the Bone (SJC) and even Lucille’s I personally think is better, but overall, if you’re looking for a simplistic BBQ experience then Beach Pit is just fine.  I’d give it 3.5/5 stars, and 1/2 of those stars is based on teh decor, otherwise I’d give this place a 3/5.

This episode was a little fun to do. I started off of a script that I had written out which I thought was pretty good and witty, but upon reading back into a portable recording device, just sounded stiff and un-natural. After a few additional attempts and not liking any of them, I decided to throw the script out the window and record free style…in one take.

The result is something that sounds more real and fluid, although like most, I needs to work on my “um’s” and “uh’s”.

In this episode I start off by talking about a dinner party I was recently invited to by my friend Jon, and avoiding a piano bar party that my wife attended that resulted in chaos (people throwing up, getting thrown out, loosing articles of clothing) to a posh little place called Hush in Laguna Beach, CA. It’s a swank place with very good food (I’d give it a 4.25 stars on a scale of 5), great atmosphere for an intimate dinner party or romantic evening with your significant other. They have a very cool bar that is relaxing on the eyes and a mellow vibe with top shelf liquor.  Hush is a small place, but sometimes smaller is indeed better, and it’s hard to put into words, but the aesthetics is akin to a mash up of modern art meeting an episode of Miami Vice.

Next off we end up at the local chapter of Long Beach’s, “Club Bounce“, which none of us was really prepared for.  This Laguna iteration can be found in a subterranean bar on PCH that doubles as The Main Street Bar.  What I and most of our party didn’t know is that this location is a gay and lesbian watering hole, and needless to say it was quite the eye opener.  I loosened up with some liquid encouragement in the form of Manhattans and ended up dancing the night away, even if I was just a piece of meat in an all girl mechanic mosh pit.  I did learn a few things the next day however: 1) I need to work on my cardio as I was totally out of breath at various points in the evening, 2) my club shirt was the most feminine article of clothing in the joint clearly labeling me as a ‘metrosexual’, 3) cheap whisky and heavy handed sweet vermouth equate to a serious next morning headache.

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I also finally saw the movie juggernaut that is know as Avatar, but in 2D.  It was good and I enjoyed it, but because maybe I didn’t see it in 3D or IMAX I’m not sure what all the hype was about.  In my personal opinion it wasn’t as good as people made it out to be, and I also understand why some critics call it ‘Dances with Wolves’ in space.  I saw a lot of other, shall we say ‘borrowed’ elements and ideas from World of Warcraft and the Star Wars franchise, especially ‘Return of the Jedi’.

Finally a few tidbits on some of the science fictions shows I’m currently watching such as Lost and FlashForward.

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Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day, one of those pseudo holiday’s that we as Americans have hijacked as one of our own in order to justify the act of getting piss ass drunk for no real reason at all and kid ourselves we really do indeed look good in green.

Where as Cinco de Mayo is to tequila body shots and garish ranchero music, St. Patrick’s day is about kissing strangers, copping feels and pinching.  You don’t even need to be Irish or red-haired, just some green accessories such as old Mardi Gras beads, paper top hats, and the requisite “Kiss Me…I’m Irish” shirt…even if you’re more Indian than a tech-support call center employee.

This year, it happened to be on a Wednesday, and I did pretty good job of surviving.  In years past when I lived in Huntington Beach, CA (I was in my mid to late 20’s) the ‘it’ places to be on March 17^th, was the ever popular Malarkey’s, known for their Sheppard’s pie and cheap drinks.  If you were near Costa Mesa, then it was The Harp Inn.  Hennesy’s Tavern of either Dana Point or Laguna Beach were other local favorites. 

All these places had a few things in common: 1) they were ridiculously over-crowded, 2) they often shook you down with a $5-$10 cover charge for no other reason to get a few more bucks out of you, 3) and usually offered some sort of live entertainment in the form of an Irish band.  I remember seeing The Finnegans a few times before they got as big as they are now.  I also drank copious amounts of Guinness or Harp beers, and danced the night away to bag pipes and folk music and was still able to bounce back the next day and make it to work.  I even hooked up a few times as well, but those are stories for another time.

This year I happen to meet some friends over at Rudy’s of Foothill Ranch.  It’s current incarnation is that of a sports bar and it seems to be doing fairly well.  It’s changed names and management at least four times in the last eight years, but I have a feeling Rudy’s may be around a while. 

It was decidedly un-Irish, other than the fact they added food coloring to their beers and cocktails and had reduced pricing on Guinness.  No real decorations, no Irish swag given at the doors, no corned beef and cabbage plates, and the music was satellite radio classic 80’s and 90’s mix.

They happen to have a fairly sizeable patio area, and it was so warm yesterday (I think the high was 88) we chose to sit outside and gab.  I guess you could tell we’re all in our late 30’s and early 40’s now as we were noticeably much more subdued than I can recall from years past.  I had a total of 4 green pints of Bud Light.  Yup, that’s it.  I didn’t hit any hard stuff like whisky or cocktails, although my wife did actually have green Crown Royal on the rocks.  By the way, that green die they use is nasty.  After a few drinks, everyones lips, tongue, and even teeth had a sickly greenish hue to them.  Not appealing unless one has beer goggles I suppose.

Our appetizers included chips & salsa, French fries, and Kobe sliders.  Doesn’t that just scream Irish to you?  Just to let you know, Rudy’s fries are indeed some of the best French fries I’ve ever had in my life.  They are always perfectly cooked, crunchy, and golden.  Their sliders are pretty damn good as well as they use Hawaiian bread for the buns.

Whereas in the past St. Patrick’s Day would keep me out to the very late hours or closing time and begging for a hangover, this time around I was in and out after just two hours.  No, I looked forward to going home, taking a nice hot shower and sitting my duff in front of the boob tube with my dog on my lap.

I think I’m saving myself and my energy for this upcoming weekend.  We plan on having a large BBQ at my house with neighbors and friends to mark the passing of myself into the realm known as being ‘middle-aged’.  The weather has been very nice and I look forward to grilling and sipping on beers with my closest friends.

I’ve been saying that for wee…..I mean months now.

The fact is, despite dropping some weight a few months back and being relatively proud of it, I’ve been feeling a little heavy as of late and kinda new something was up by the feel of my work pants and blue jeans as of late.

Also, the fact that I almost don’t recognize the profile of the guy walking past the windows at work (my reflection) due to the slight protruding bulge located directly above the waist yet just below the chest has been somewhat….disheartening.

My friend Brian was a ‘heavy’ individual the last few years, tipping the scales at over 300 lbs although I would never have labeled him morbidly ‘obese’.  But through the determination of a friendly competition he had with a few friends and his modified take on the Atkins diet, he has lost over 80 lbs to date.

I, on the other hand, seemed to have gained weight.  Granted I did have a little ‘bender’ this past Friday night (I recall 2 pints of Bud Light, 1 bottle of Racer 5, 1 Stella Artois, 3 Jack & diet cokes, some Jim Beam & Pepsi, and a little rum) where I am sure the calorie count was pretty much up there for the evening.  The following day, I went to the gym and weighed myself and was personally embarrassed and ashamed I was clocking in at 238lbs!  Even though I did have breakfast only a few hours before, and it was smack in the middle of the day, I have never weighed that much before.

The last few years I had been hovering around 225 lbs and at my weeding six years ago I had managed to get down to 216lbs.  Oh, and I guess I should mention I’m 5’11″.  Needless to say, this recent revelation hit me hard and I’m placing myself on a self imposed diet.  Does that mean drinking is out?  Kinda hard to have Cocktail Confessions when yours truly stops imbibing in libations.  Rest assured, I have not stopped drinking, but need to alter my habits:

1) No drinking during the week while at home watching television….Save it for the weekends..and even then save it for social gatherings (i.e. not by myself).  Instead, drink much more water or zero calorie drinks in the evenings at home.

2) Mix alcohol with diet drinks where applicable, and/or switch to light liquors (vodka, clear rums) and avoid sugar mixers for the time being.

3) Try not to binge…At 39 years old, it’s a bit tougher to shake off that dull headache/hangover than when I was 19 or even 29 for that matter.

4) Eat more portion controlled dinners and slightly earlier.  I have a bad habit of eating around 8pm, and then hitting seconds as well.  Nope, need to eat earlier, smaller, and more veggies as well.

5) Dust of that Wii Fitness I spent $90 bucks on last year and now haven’t touched in a few months.  Although you would be surprised on how much I walk on a weekly basis.  I walk a lot both at work (between buildings) and when I get home to walk my dog.

6) I need to chart my weight on a semi-regular basis.  To measure my progress every other day or so as opposed to once today, and then recheck…say 4 weeks from now to never.  Maybe I’ll look for a little WordPress Plug-in widget that allows for charting/graphs that I can update and let you all give me shit if I begin to slip.

This episode/entry was fun to do for a few reasons: we (that is Brian Liles and I), had already had a few pitchers of Sam Adams Summer Ale under our belts that we enjoyed over at a beautiful day at Cook’s Corner in Trabuco Canyon, CA.  Then as we proceeded to records this, we had a surprise visit from Chip Gahagan of Smogtown who popped on by for a few minutes, and lastly we discuss a little bit of G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra movie as well. Listening back to make show notes was a little embarrassing as I caught myself being tongue tied and repeating myself multiple times.

Cook's Corner

So to start with Brian of Brians4x4adventures.com, or friend Scott W and myself headed out to Cook’s Corner (Wikipedia entry) for a little Sunday afternoon beer bonding.  The short synopsis of the place is as such: Built by Andrew Jackson Cook around 1884, the original building was meant to supply local miners as a mercantile and a few years later a place to eat as well.  It survived the prohibition era and was converted into a bar.  In 1970 a motorcycle accessory shop owner from Santa Ana bought the property and publicized it as a place for motorcycle clubs to enjoy.  It has changed hands once again a few years back and actively participates in the promotion of several charity motorcycle rides.  It’s now considered a historic landmark and is enjoyed by numerous social clubs and O.C residents.

It’s a great place to spend the afternoon, especially the weekends where one can typical witness 200+ motorcycles parked out front.  They have a very large outdoor patio area that has seen many improvements the last few years including new picnic tables, umbrellas, outside bars (three portable at last count), and a place for local merchants to sell various motorcycle accessories.  They have a small kitchen that turns out various burgers, tacos, and finger foods along with a inside band stage and the occasional outside band as well.  I’ve been coming here for at least 7 years now, and it really never gets old.  I have yet to run into a bad situation with a ‘biker’ and quite the contrary all the ones I have met or spoken to have been pretty personable for the most part.

Music for this episode

I’ve listened quite a few bands there over the years, and while I’m not a huge fan of classic rock they have the occasional bluegrass or jazz band out there and it always sounds good under the Southern California weather and sun with a couple of pitchers of beer and friends.

In this podcast episode Brian discusses his recent FJ Crusier trip across Canada and into Alaska that he took part in with his friend Luke from Radrod57.com.  Head over to Brian’s site for some gorgeous high quality pictures he took and read some of his continuing exploits.  You can ever read more over at Luke’s page as well.  Makes me wanna cash everything in, grab an RV, and do a roadtrip across America myself and hit up some hidden bbq joints, some town festivals and make some new acquaintences in local camp grounds.

Baroness

Finally we discuss G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra movie (hence the ‘criminals’ in my title).  For those of you who grew up on the property that made it famous back in the 80′s, you may be slightly disapointed in some of the character origin reboots in this 2009 feature film.  Being a comic book purist in my own right, and being a huge fan of Larry Hama’s creativity for the Hasbro line and the yarns he spun for Marvel, I have a few problems with the treatment that gave Cobra Commander, Zartan and the Baroness.  Also the Ripcord/Scarlett love angle and the CC/Baroness sibling reveal really bothered me.  But if you can put those issues aside ,(and the accelerator suits) then this was a pretty darn good matinee action-comic movie.  Good fight scenes, neat technology, grand in scope….but clearly sets up and demands a sequel.  I mean it is called ‘The Rise of Cobra’ after all, and we just get a taste of things to come towards the last 15 minutes of this movie.

The one that did surprise me however was the Joe’s dropping the “Shit” bomb as gratuitous as they did.  There were a couple of things in the movie that may have made the old cartoon watchers smile, like “Knowing is half the battle.” and the of course the reference to the “Kung Fu grip”.

Show Notes

• Bumper Music: “My ’98 Old’s” – Public Enemy, Yo-Bum Rush the Show (1987)
• 00:35 – Introductions
• 01:10 – Discuss Cook’s Corner memories and atmosphere.
• 07:55 – Brian talks about recent trip with Luke across Canada, including camping, camera’s, and food.
• 29:59 – Brian gives us an update on his incredible wieght loss thus far.
• 33:30 – We talk G.I. Joe the movie (lore vs current re-imagining), Transformers, comics

Cook’s Corner

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Here it is, Cocktail Confessions podcast episode #4, our recent trip to a sweltering 113 degree Fahrenheit Palm Springs run.

In listening back, I have to say I’m a bit embarrassed with the many  “Um’s” that spill out of my mouth.  I’ll have to work on that.  Anyway, this episode clocks in just shy of 35 minutes and I discuss a detailed day by day account of some of the sigths we saw and places we ate at.  Unfortunately we did not make it to the aerial tram and ride to the top of San Jacinto, but we all agreed that perhaps we’d like to go back later in the year when it’s a bit cooler.

<<Additional pictures to be added here later from Webshots gallery>>

Show Notes

01:50 – Shocktop Belgian Ale is the drink for this epsiode.  Spiced Belgian White Ale with hints of corriander and orange citrus.

04:30 – Our road trip begins and we have our first set back when we get to Redlands, CA and discover Slim Piggins BBQ has recently closed down.

07:44 – Pull into Palm Spring and have a nice lunch and drinks at the famous Las Casuelas on the main drag.

08:56 – Arrive at the retro and swanky Orbit Inn.  We enjoy the pool, modernism design, free sake Orbitini’s at happy hour, and gourment continetal breakfast.

13:32 – Dinner at the Kaiser Grille is mediocre at best.  You live and learn.

14:40 – Monica plays the one arm bandits at Spa Resort Casino while Jayson, Albert & Lisa hang out in the lounge and listen to coverized funk.

17:05 – Visit to the Living Desert Zoo where it was 113+ and some of the exhibits were closed like the LGB G scale train I was so looking forward to seeing.  The train exhibit reopens Oct. 1, 2009.  We take plenty of pictures of wild cats, reptiles, birds and more (to be posted later).

25:35 – Very delicious goat cheese tamales and excellent bbq lunch over at Babe’s BBQ in Rancho Mirage.

26:53 – 1/2 priced Sunday dinner at Oceans 111, where the drinks are large and the taste is just as big.

29:00 – Last night stargazing under a clear sky and a motel to ourselves.  Looking forward to coming back later in the year when it’s a tad cooler

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