Tandoori Garden - Originally Published 2010

You remember those cartoons where some guy would be crawling through the desert saying “water, water”?  I think Sesame Street did one in Spanish where the guy wandered and said “agua, agua”.

 Let’s all hope that never happens to me.  I don’t think I would make it.  I feel like I would wander the desert saying “chicken tikki masala, chicken tikki masala”.

Thankfully, I don’t have to wander the desert looking for savory Indian dishes because there’s a great place right in my own backyard.  Good food, good service, and if you mention Yelp, you get a discount.

Phillippe's

Philippe’s is a little place in downtown LA that supposedly invented the French dip sandwich.  And French dip sandwiches are exactly what they serve here.  According to the website, they have been in business since 1908.  That’s especially remarkable when you consider that in 1908, there was nothing in LA.

Philippe’s is all about “no frills”.  You want a sandwich?  There’s a sandwich, some meat, some bread, and some of the sauce from the roasts.  That’s it.

Even if you’re into hot stuff, I recommend that you watch out for the mustard.  Go easy.  Go really, really easy.  Don’t squirt it directly onto your sandwich.  Just wave your sandwich over the bottle.  I even would go as far as to suggest that you don’t look at the bottle too long because you may develop cataracts.  Trust me.

 Philippe’s is the local spot that has been here longer that any of the locals.  Bench seating and sawdust on the floor make this an especially unique place.   Definitely worth a stop.

Fremont Street Experience - Originally Published 2010

Being a preservationist in Las Vegas must be maddening.  This city prides itself on the fact that it continues to reinvent itself.  As a result, anytime something starts showing its age, it gets blown up and rebuild.

However, if you are looking for a little bit of Vegas’ past, the place to head is downtown to a street known as Fremont.  Fremont boasts some firsts in Vegas.  This is where the first hotels and gambling licenses were.  The action on the strip came later. 

In the interest of steering some of the foot traffic back downtown; a few years back one section of Fremont Street became the Fremont Street Experience.  The street is closed to motor vehicles allowing folks to wander from casino to casino.  Also installed is a jumbotrom that plays themed shows throughout the night.

Fremont is a good place to wander if you’re a little more budget conscious.  The night we were there, we found plenty to check out without spending a dime including a Boston cover band.  From what I understand, the casinos pay off more frequently and you can actually five five-dollar tables.  Why should be gambling be a rich man’s pursuit?

Another thing that may entice you to take a trip downtown are all of the classic signs on display.  The good folks over at the Las Vegas Neon Museum have rescued some great old neon works of art and have put them out for public view in downtown. 

We’ve encountered the Red Goose logo before.

Clifton's Cafeteria - Originally Published 2010

Clifford Clinton was a bold man.  How bold?  First, he opened a business that catered to the everyman in the middle of the Great Depression.  Second, he took on the mayor of Los Angeles, the LA Times, and the LAPD.  That little disagreement got so heated that the LAPD set a bomb off in his Los Feliz home.  Needless to say, he was undeterred and as a result, he changed the power and scope of LA politics.  If you want more on that, follow this link.

Clifton’s is like a moment frozen in time.  This is a place that serves the stick-to-your-ribs kind of food that the shuffling masses in the last century yearned for.  Clifton’s specializes in the dense fair that our grandmothers told us would make us grow big and strong. 

The Clinton family has hung in there at the same location with the same menu for over seventy years.

The food is just one thing that sets Clifton’s apart from the rest.  The décor is another reason to show up.  The three-floored cafeteria is set up to look like a cabin, complete with real wood paneling, fishing bears, and a running stream.  There is also a chapel for those that are weary in spirit.

Stop into Clifton’s and get a piece of pie and some coffee.   It should be on everyone’s to-do list the next time you’re in downtown LA.

La Bomba - Originally Published 2009

As near as I can tell, there are two big differences between a thrift store and a vintage clothing store.  The first difference are the prices, but that goes without saying.  The second difference is that vintage stores actually spend a little more time organizing.

Deep in the Pomona Arts Colony is La Bomba.  This is a vintage clothing store.  I’m not much of a fashionista, but it appears that they have stuff from all decades.  It’s swimming in inventory and they use every available space to stock their wares.  If you are looking for that perfect piece of vintage foppery, this is a great place to start off.  Chances are if they don’t have it, no one will.

Aside from the clothes, this place just had a good vibe going for it.  It seemed like a really relaxed atmosphere where a fellow can procure a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and a pork pie hat.  Good attention to detail and design.