Once you’ve had a chance to see the art and architecture on the grounds of the Getty Center (see yesterday’s blog), head inside for some tours of the different pavilions.  

Tours around the Getty Center will provide some enlightening and entertaining background on the art on display.  The great thing about the Getty is that the tours are free and the tour guides are lively and interesting.We took the tour that showed the “Art after 1800” that showed us the West Pavilion.  Getty himself preferred his art early, especially before 1900 (except for the photos on display), so the art reflects that preference.

Our tour guide spent quite a bit of time examining this portrait by Tissot.  There is symbolism and much detail that tells about the people who commissioned the painting.  The Marquise has wealth and status, yet she looks bored or annoyed. 

Marquise de Miramar - Tissot

Monet’s paintings represent the early Impressionist works and a good example is the Haystacks, also sometimes called “Grainstacks.”  What is unusual about this and other similar paintings is that Money was preparing several paintings that each reflected how the light fell on the same haystack as the sun changed the lighting. 

Monet - Haystack (also called Grainstack)

The irises painted by Van Gogh have brilliant, vivid colors, but what the tour guide dwelt on was the one white iris.  Apparently, that symbolized Van Gogh – different from others.  The painting, completed while he was in an asylum, was the most expensive art ever purchased. 

Van Gogh's Irises

Although I favor the Impressionists, there is something for almost everyone.  The buildings connect at an upper level and you can wander about seeing sculpture, other paintings, decorative arts, photography and more without going outside if you have a bad weather day.

Definitely see the sculpture on the grounds and the gardens, though.  They are soothing and include a waterfall. 

Also, families should take some time to visit the family room to “explore art together.”  The family room allows hands on exploration and isn’t giant in scope.  The families we saw there seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We toured the Getty on a Saturday and a great crowd was arriving to enjoy a special courtyard event with live music and refreshments.  People were arriving in droves, so we took our departure.

We enjoyed our trip to the Getty Center.  I’d go back – especially to enjoy the grounds.

www.getty.edu

Before choosing to visit the Getty Center in Los Angeles, I asked a friend who had been there recently if it was worth traveling there.  Sometimes things are just hype, after all. 

Well, I’m happy to report that the Getty Center is absolutely worth visiting (as my friend said).  Especially the buildings, which are works of art themselves.

Arriving from the 405, which can be backed up with typical LA traffic, the Getty Center is reached by a tram from the parking garage.  Even the tram ride is an efficient, clean and scenic experience.

It takes only a few minutes for the tram to shuttle visitors to the Getty Center, a private art museum and architectural wonder housing John Paul Getty’s collection and works added since his death.  Parking is the only required expense ($15 per vehicle), as all visitors may access the collections for free. 

Tram to Getty Center

When you leave the tram, there is a real sense of presence on what is a spectacular campus.  With courtyards, gardens, sculptures and other engaging sights, a visitor could spend hours outside. 

There are free tours, such as the very informative architectural and focus tours, that take you around for about an hour or more.  Knowledgeable tour guides share insights and anecdotes that you would not otherwise learn.

Arrival Plaza

On the architectural tour, the guide shared that the metal and travertine building surfaces (brought from Italy) were removable so work could be done on the structures.  A fossil embedded in one of the surfaces was also pointed out. 

The buildings and grounds were developed with meticulous care.  The builder, Richard Meier, had a devotion to making things harmonious.  Working with restrictive requirements for the buildings (no dirt could be brought in and there were height restrictions as well), Meier managed to construct a campus that seems to shine in the sunlight. 

Getty Center's West Pavilion from Central Garden

In the courtyard, what appears to be one tree is actually a whole row of trees precisely planted.

The buildings have also been constructed to withstand major earthquakes.

One tree?

No, a row of many precisely planted

Plan to spend a day at the Getty Center if you are an art or architecture fan.  (There are snack bars and other restaurants, so you won’t starve.)  You will be inspired and glad you took the trip up the mountain.

Central Garden - Getty Center

Tomorrow – Inside the Getty Center.

http://www.getty.edu/

Just west of downtown L.A., and just south of Hollywood on what was formerly a dairy farm, the Farmer’s Market has grown from farmers selling their products from the back of their trucks to a mostly enclosed building offering groceries, shops and restaurants.

LA Farmer's Market

The atmosphere is festive and busy, but there are so many choices that is difficult to decide what to choose. Everything from a farmer’s produce stand to sit down locations, delis, Asian options and much more tempt the hungry shopper. There are 35 restaurants and drink choices with over 20 grocery and specialty food outlets.  You can’t decide what to eat?  Well, try a few!

With a plethora of dining choices, what did we decide on? The Pampas Grill.

Is it a cafeteria? Is it fast food? No, it’s a churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse barbecuing meat on a skewer). But this is not the fancy steakhouse that has become common in many large cities. Set on a corner on the north side of the market, stall #618 seems very unassuming. But, the line of customers that wrap around waiting to pick up a plate and tray say otherwise. You pick out your side dishes first, salads, corn, pastas, yucca fries, etc. before moving to the main course station.

There you tell the man behind the counter which cuts of meats you would like (beef, lamb, chicken wrapped in bacon, etc.) If you would like more than what he sliced off of the skewer, let him know – he won’t be shy. Reason: you pay by the pound. The meat servings can be generous – but you decide.

That’s why you see many people opting for light salads.

You have three options: Buffet dishes only – Buffet/Meat – Meat Only (most expensive option).

Once served, you find a table and “picnic.”  Your empty tray will be cleared off, promptly, by staff.

Looking for a grocery store that carries something a little different? Try Mr. Marcel Gourmet Market. A very helpful staff will literally run to help you! Things started to back up at the gourmet cheese counter and other staff came on the double to help! The selection includes gourmet cheeses, olives, cold cuts, wines, imported cookies, crackers, jams and much more crammed into a small, permanent Farmer’s Market location. 

Another long time favorite is Bennett’s Ice Cream. They make it themselves and many people were queueing up to get dishes, sodas and sundaes. They are in Suite 548, just down the row from the Mr. Marcel.

Bennett's Ice Cream

Trolley at Farmer's Market/The Grove

Parking: Parking lots surround three sides of the market, but good luck finding a spot on the weekends. Instead, you will probably have to opt for the parking garage at The Grove next door.

Farmers Market Rates with Validation: ?2 hours free with purchase from a Market merchant?

$3 for the third hour?
$1 for each additional 20 minutes ?
$15 maximum

Farmers Market Rates without Validation
$2 for each 20 minutes ?
$20 maximum
The Grove Parking Structure: One hour parking in the structure is free.

Fountain in The Grove (adjacent to Farmer's Market)

6333 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.farmersmarketla.com

Dinner

Parker’s Lighthouse – Long Beach, CA

If you are looking for a seafood restaurant with a view, you could do a lot worse than Parker’s Lighthouse in Long Beach. Located in the Shoreline Village shopping and dining enclave, the restaurant looks out onto San Pedro Bay, and, even more strikingly, the Queen Mary.

This is a free-standing building with, you guessed it, a lighthouse jutting out from the top. The red roof and white exterior is reminiscent of the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.

Parker's Lighthouse Restaurant

Much of the large main dining room has huge windows on three sides that afford excellent views of both the water, marina and the city of Long Beach. There is also a Galley Bar on the third floor that seats 120. If you enjoy outside dining, there is room for 144 guests.

Unlike the Crab Cooker, Parker’s menu is extensive including beef, chops, chicken and pasta for dinner and sandwiches for lunch. There is even a separate and extensive Sushi and Saki menu.

Although I had just had shrimp for lunch, I decided to try it fried, not broiled ($19.95). The panko coating was crispy and the cole slaw had a different, but similar flavor to what I had at lunch.

The white tablecloth service has white craft paper covering it and a somewhat fancier dress code, although not everyone was dressed up.

Parking: An enclosed lot that fills up quickly outside of the Shoreline Village shops charges by the hour, but you can get your ticket validated at the restaurant saving you the charge for up to two hours.

Open Lunch and Dinner Seven Days

435 Shoreline Village Dr.
Long Beach, CA 90802
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
(562) 432-6500

http://www.parkerslighthouse.com

Café Montana – Santa Monica, CA

It’s trendy, it’s fashionable, it’s the neighborhood. Montana Avenue is one of those eclectic neighborhoods not far from downtown Santa Monica. Lined with upscale shops and restaurants, it’s much quieter than the beachfront property just a few miles away.

Truly a neighborhood restaurant, the Café Montana serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even a brunch on the weekends.

I decided to jump out of the sea and back on land by ordering Pumpkin Ravioli in a sage and shallot butter sauce ($11.95 – 4 ravioli/$15.95 – 8 ravioli). The ravioli were great – I licked the plate – as discreetly as possible.

The desserts that are seen in the case as you walk into the restaurant are prepared by their sister restaurant daily. Although we didn’t see any celebrities during our visit, the restaurant has been frequented by the likes of Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw. Arnold Schwarzenegger has also stopped by as this place is known for its large array of desserts.

I was highly impressed by the apple-rhubarb pie.

My one complaint was not with the food, but rather the interior of the restaurant itself. There are large floor-to-ceiling windows facing the side street with two-top tables lining them. As you near the back of the restaurant the ventilation system that is just above the open kitchen blows cold air towards those windows.

In what I would call the Lake Effect (Chicagoeeze for cold wind blowing off of Lake Michigan in the winter), the window reflects that cold air back onto you. It creates the bizarre effect of being cold on the side that faces the window and warm on the other. This is probably great in the winter, not so much in the summer. Suggestion: bring a jacket. My wife who was wearing a sleeveless top was COLD.

Anyway, if that’s my biggest complaint, I’ll just ask for another table when I return.

Breakfast: 8am-11:30am (Daily)
Lunch: 11:30am-3pm (Mon-Fri)
Dinner: 5:30pm- 9:30pm (Mon-Thur)
5:30pm-10pm (Fri & Sat)
5pm-9pm (Sun)

1534 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA
310-829-3990
www.cafemontana.info

Parking: Very small lot directly behind the restaurant. Otherwise, find a place along one of the residential streets, either next to, or nearby, the restaurant. FREE!!! (if you don’t park in a No Parking zone!)

Tomorrow: Experience the LA Farmer’s Market – an LA tradition for 75 years

So there are things to do, and people to see, but, also, you’ve gotta eat …

The old adage: If you can’t find a restaurant in the Los Angeles area …

What is hard to find is free parking … so, bring along your quarters, or don’t forget to get your parking ticket validated.

I am not going to attempt to be a restaurant critic here as I have been a film critic and know that everyone has their own opinions. I’ll leave it up to you to make up your own mind.

Over the next several days we’ll look at some options for both lunch and dinner.

Lunch

The Crab Cooker – Newport Beach, CA

Located on a nondescript corner in a former bank, this 58 years in business establishment is long on atmosphere and short on menu. If you’re looking for beef, go down the street, if you’re looking for chicken … keep walking. But if you are looking for seafood …

Scallops, Alaskan King Crab, Shrimp, Lobster, Crab Cakes, Salmon, Oysters, etc. all take their place on the limited menu. If you go for a plate, there are lunch and dinner prices which include: sauce, fresh lemon and a choice of fresh tomatoes, rice pilaf, Romano potatoes, or cole slaw.

Even though you might find chairs that look the same in the dining room, chances that there are the same two designs at any one table will make you run to a casino for much better odds!

Some of the wait staff has been employed for 35 years. That’s longer than most roll-off-of-your-tongue chain restaurants have been in business! The service is fast and furious and your lunch is served not long after your waitress has disappeared with your order.

I opted for the Shrimp & Scallops broiled on a skewer (lunch price $10.95). It was served with cole slaw and the Romano potato. The seafood is succulent and fresh; the accompaniments homemade-style.

The restaurant came highly recommended and it doesn’t disappoint in quality. Dress is definitely casual.

Parking: Okay, as I mentioned, it’s not always easy to find free parking. Such is the case at the Crab Cooker. It’s a little game the city of Newport Beach plays called … feed the meter! Put parking meters out in front of a highly popular restaurant and make it a twenty minute max time limit! Either you or someone else at your table has to get up in the middle of their meal and … feed the meter!

Crab Cooker: Great!  City of Newport Beach Parking Authority: Not so much!

Sun thru Thurs 11-9 p.m.
Fri & Sat 11-10 p.m.
Fish Market Open Daily at 10 a.m.

Newport Beach
2200 Newport Blvd.
(949) 673-0100
http://crabcooker.com

Tam O’Shanter – Los Angeles, CA

Having lived in Chicago for several years, I was familiar with Lawry’s The Prime Rib restaurant. But, I had no idea I would be eating in the establishment that started it all back in the 1920s. Tam O’Shanter is Los Angeles’ oldest restaurant operated by the same family in the same location.

Near Griffith Park just north of downtown Los Angeles, Tam O’Shanter is the first restaurant opened by Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp, who would later open Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. But it is the item that adorns almost every grocery shelf that would make them a household name, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.

Pub Style Eating at Tam O'Shanter

As you walk in the door, the modern goes away and the classic Scottish pub and restaurant take over. There are several themed dining rooms with swatches of Scottish Tartans on the walls, stained glass windows, fireplaces, Bagpipes on the ceiling …

Tam O'Shanter Bagpipes

Of course the dinner menu contains guess what … Prime Rib! Served with mashed potatoes and gravy, Yorkshire pudding, horseradish, etc.

There are also crab legs, lobster tails, and steaks. But in keeping with the British theme, they offer Fish and Chips, Bangers & Mash (sausage & mashed potatoes) and what I had for lunch, Toad in the Hole.

What? I’m not eating Toad, you say?

As with another frequently misread menu item, Welsh Rarebit (Actually Cheese, not Rabbit), there is ABSOLUTELY NO TOAD in Toad in the Hole.

Toad is actually Yorkshire pudding (sunken top pastry) topped with filet mignon, pearl onions and mushrooms in a Burgundy wine sauce. Don’t look at me, I didn’t name it!

Parking: FREE!!!! Lot is behind the restaurant. I suspect it might fill up for dinner, especially if there are large parties.

Ale and Sandwich Bar: Daily: 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Lunch: Mon-Fri: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Dinner: Mon – Thurs: 5:00 – 9:00 pm
Friday: 5:00 – 10:00 pm
Saturday: 4:00 – 10:00 pm
Sunday: 4:00 – 9:00 pm
Brunch: Sunday: 10:30 am – 2:30 pm

2980 Los Feliz Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90039
(323) 664-0228

http://www.lawrysonline.com/tamoshanter_gen_info.asp

Tomorrow: More seafood and fancier settings.

 
With grassy lawns, but also mountain vistas, you can see for miles – smog permitting. The roads leading into the park do not all connect, so it’s best to know where you want to go before you arrive or you may wander about trying to get to the correct location.

 
There are pony rides, horseback trails, hiking trails, picnic areas, an observatory and a merry-go-round, among other attractions.

First stop – Griffith Observatory

Driving up the road to the Griffith Observatory, the road curves and snakes about. Keeping alert to those coming in the opposite direction is a must as there are some turns where you just cannot see what’s ahead. Once you get there, if you’re early enough, you might be able to park in the parking lot. Otherwise, grab a spot along the road leading to the observatory.

Hollywood sign from Griffith Observatory

Before even getting near telescopes, from the Griffith Observatory a visitor can see the Hollywood sign nestled on the mountainside. You can also look in the valley below – seeing through the smoggy haze – and see Hollywood, and the business center of the City of Los Angeles.

It’s a great vantage point from anywhere you stand.

Griffith Observatory

Once inside the Observatory, there are exhibits on the planets, seasons and other things celestial. There are bright, appealing displays and people of all ages were enjoying the exhibits. (No charge just to head into the observatory and look at the exhibits.)

 
People line up (and pay) to see the planetarium show, but we didn’t stop since we had a lot to see and do. The shows are held every 60-90 minutes.

There is no charge to see the building and the grounds. The Observatory is closed on Mondays.

Next stop: Going round and round

I wanted to ride on the merry-go-round at Griffith Park. Really. I love merry-go-rounds. At least you purposefully choose to go up and down, round and round. Life doesn’t always give you that choice.

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round

The merry-go-round is a vintage one with painted, jeweled horses – some needing refurbishment – and a wonderful calliope (the Stinson Military Band Organ), playing rousing marches and other music.

Merry-go-round horse

Stinson Military Band Organ - Calliope

The painted scenes around the top of the merry-go-round have been partially restored. Some of the horses have their paint crumbling, but the ride and the music are still definitely worth it. For $2 per ride, it’s a joyous bargain.

Restored detail

Children were enjoying the ride, but some adults were unabashedly – like me – getting into the spirit of the old-fashioned entertainment, which has been around since 1937.

 
On one side under the roof of the merry-go-round is a small display with several wooden horses showing one just carved, one decorated, and one vintage horse with Walt Disney’s beaming visage on a large photo behind it.

 
If you’re going to LA, save a morning or full day to enjoy Griffith Park. And save time for the LA Zoo that is also in Griffith Park, which we didn’t have time for on this trip. Sigh – I also love zoos. Next time…I promise myself.

http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/griffithPK/mgr.htm

NEXT WEEK:  A trip to Alaska with guest writer Peggy Bradshaw

Traveling up the coast of California from San Diego, there are a number of glamorous beach towns and resorts and a clear view of the Pacific Ocean that makes it understandable why people would live in LA. From almost anywhere in California, you can be at the beach within a couple of hours. There is something calming and restorative about being near an ocean.

We chose a recent weekend to visit LA, not our first visit and certainly not our last. The climate was balmy with daytime temperatures in the 80 degree (Fahrenheit) range with a breeze blowing to keep it cool. For people who live in Arizona and endure 115 degrees in summer, it is heaven!

We crammed our weekend full of fun adventures that we’ll share, including our observations and suggestions. Some new experiences we’ll share include a visit to Griffith Park, including an observatory and a merry-go-round, an afternoon at the Getty Center, and a shopping trip to the LA Farmer’s Market.

Tomorrow: Some details about our visit to the Queen…the Queen Mary.