Winnie the Pooh (and Breakfast, Too!) at the El Capitan Theatre

Who knew my teenagers would be so excited to meet Winnie-The-Pooh? I was invited to a screening of Disney's new Winnie the Pooh movie at the El Capitan Theater as well as a pre-show character breakfast at the Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store and I had initially thought I would pass it up – while my girls are still very much into Disneyland, I thought they'd roll their eyes at seeing an animated movie and the prospect of meeting a big, sweet bear in a red shirt.

Boy, was I wrong.

The last time I saw them this excited was when they discovered that the local high school's boy's cross country team runs right through our neighborhood, shirtless. They didn't even balk when I told them we'd have to get up early on a Saturday in order to make it to the breakfast by 9:15. Who knew that Winnie the Pooh was such a chick magnet?

Seriously, when they saw him appear in the doorway, they started squealing like a couple of - well, girls. It was as if they'd spotted the boy's cross country team running behind him.

Hipper than the average bear.

The pre-show Breakfast With Pooh was a huge hit with my girls. Along with getting their famous Mickey Mouse Belgium Waffle, they were genuinely excited when Pooh came around to our table and greeted them personally. I'm not kidding, my 13-year-old said, with all sincerity, "This is better than the time I met Miley Cyrus." Sorry, Miley, but you've been trumped by a bear.

Here's the menu – I had the scrambled eggs and bacon. Confession: I couldn't decide between the bacon and sausage so I had my 15-year-old, who doesn't eat meat, order the sausage and then I took it. Stop looking at me like that.

Bacon or sausage? It was like Sophie's Choice.

Here's an added bonus: According to our waitress, anything you order from the Disney Soda Fountain can be taken into the El Capitan Theater. So of course I had my coffee refill put into a to-go cup. I would have done the same with the waffle but it was gone shortly after I snapped this photo.

Get yer coffee and Mickey Waffle to go.

Seeing any movie at the El Capitan is a unique experience, and this was no different. It started off with an organist playing a medley of Disney tunes followed by a little pre-show by that stud himself, Winnie-The-Pooh.

I'm telling you, he's got the teenage girls wrapped around his paw.

The movie itself is sweet and lovely to look at, just what you'd expect from a story about Christopher Robin and all his friends in the Hundred-Acre-Wood. This is a brand-new movie that will have a limited run at the El Capitan and is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

And here's the kicker – as if my teens needed yet another reason to love it - it features the music of their absolute favorite person, Zooey Deschanel. I know, right? So now my girls are hooked on the song, 'So Long' that Zooey sings in the closing credits. Man, now Pooh's a teen dream and has indie cred. Put a hoodie on him and next he'll be headlining at Coachella.



This was a great experience all around. While it's perfect for families with younger kids, I was excited to find something I could do with my teens that was fun for them and nostalgic for me. It once again proves how timeless Disney is, and I have to give them kudos for providing entertainment that's wholesome while still managing to pique the interest of older kids. And for proving a silly old bear can even hold his own against Hannah Montana. And maybe even a pack of sprinting, skinny high school boys.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Winnie The Pooh is at the El Capitan Theater from Nov. 4 - Nov. 20. The pre-show Breakfast With Pooh is only offered on select days, so check the website for availability (I found it fairly confusing to figure out the breakfast/movie tickets on the website – you might be better off calling the box office at 818-845-3110.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Tweet Pin It

So Civilized: Tea By The Sea at Getty Villa

Around the holidays I was invited to experience the new Tea By The Sea at the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades. I'm more of a coffee drinker, but I love going to tea – it's one of the few times I feel like my life takes on an air of civility. Plus, 'going to coffee' just doesn't have the same ring to it, and I never feel all that civilized when I'm knocking back coffee from a paper cup while sitting next to some stranger who's watching cat videos on his laptop.

Tea By The Sea is a new offering by the museum – a Mediterranean tea that's inspired by the herbs, vegetables, and fruits that are grown in the Getty Villa's gardens. (It was explained to us that they don't actually use the ingredients grown in the garden, since the gardens are public and there are issues with pesticides and other handling concerns.) The tea takes place in the Founder's Room, an upstairs space featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Villa. (It's a few flights up, so I suggest you take the elevator. Then again, I get winded just stepping up into my van so what do I know.)

Along with our tea we were served a selection of sandwiches (my favorite was the prosciutto and brie with fig jam) a delicious variety of scones and breads and a nice selection of wines. See how civilized that all sounds? Plus it was laid out on this beautiful table – so fancy! I just wish someone had told me that big glass wasn't there to hold my iPhone.

I should also mention that we were served a mouth-watering variety of desserts – some beautiful tartlets and a dessert that I hear the Getty kitchen is famous for, Mrs. Garrett's Carrot Cake. It was sublime, but unfortunately no one else there was old enough to get the Facts Of Life references I kept throwing out. Damn - where's that stranger with the laptop when you need him?

Tea By The Sea takes place every Thursday at 1pm. At first I thought the timing was odd and a little inconvenient, but now I see the brilliance in it: No weekend crowds, and perfect for those of us who could use a little mid-week escape. Not that I'd admit to being so indulgent that I was going to tea in the Palisades on a work day – I'd probably just say I was going to a business lunch. With J Paul Getty.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Tea By The Sea
When: Every Thursday at 1:00 p.m.
Location: Getty Villa, Founder's Room
Admission: $36 per person (Wine and prosecco are available for a small additional charge.) See website for sample menus and to purchase tickets.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tweet Pin It

Wendy's Pick 2 Menu: Do the math and win a prize!

Last week I was invited to try out Wendy's new Pick 2, a new menu they're featuring that pairs one of their gourmet half-sized salads with your choice of one seven other menu items for $4.99. I agreed to check it out, mainly because I like food, and also it was a great chance to hang out with my friends Amy and Bernadette. They like food, too. They also like piña coladas and walks in the rain, but that's a sordid tale for another day.

(If you're against the consuming of fast food, you may want to stop reading right here. If you're like me and feel it's fine in moderation, then pull up a french-fry caked chair and join me, won't you? Sorry about the ketchup stain on your pants.)

The idea behind the new menu is not only value, but encouraging the consumer to make salad a part of their meal. Also, the salad is 1/2 the size of their regular offering, so portion control is also addressed. By choosing one of the seven other menu items 28 combinations are possible giving the consumer many options, with 18 of them being 600 calories or less.

It's sort of like Garanimals, but with food. Wendy's, you have my permission to use that as your new tagline.

So, to break it down, you have your choice of one of four salads: BLT Cobb, Spicy Chicken Caesar, Baja, and Apple Pecan Chicken, and then get to pair it with one of seven of their other menu items: Jr. bacon cheeseburger, chili, baked potato, Chicken Go Wrap, a small Frosty, Dasani water, or any other small beverage. (To me the cheeseburger or the Frosty don't necessarily do much for the 'healthy' image of the menu, but who am I to judge - I once had bacon-wrapped pork belly.)

That makes two items for $4.99. I used my abacus for that one.

I decided to try the BLT Cobb, since it had bacon on it and that makes me happy. I paired it with their chili, which I've had before and is one of my favorites – it really does taste homemade, isn't overly sweet like many restaurant chilis are. If I had my choice I'd spice it up a little, but I guess that's what the bottle of Tabasco in my purse is for.

The salad was really good, and I appreciate them using something other than big chunks of iceberg lettuce and carrot shreds. Although half-size, I found the portion more than adequate - I'm having a hard time imagining what the full-size looks like. There was a couple of slices of actual bacon (no bacon bits here), a generous portion of grilled chicken, chunks of bleu cheese and other veggies on top of a green salad. I ate the whole damn thing. Here, look:

Overall I'd say it was a good meal, and one of the better fast-food meals I've had in a long time.

Then again, I could be lying, which is why I'm offering to buy you your own Wendy's Pick 2 meal so you can judge for yourself. Just leave me a comment before midnight Wednesday, October 27 telling me what your combo of choice would be, and I'll use Random.org pick a winner on Thursday, October 28 for a Wendy's giftcard. You can count on your fingers if you need to.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I received a stipend, lunch and giftcards for participating in this program.

Tweet Pin It

Dining In Mammoth Lakes: Not Just Hoagies and French Fries

So what comes to mind when you think of eating at mountain resorts? Fried foods? Sandwiches? Digging up whatever's left over from inside the couch of your rental condo? Don't go there. We were recently invited by Snowcreek Resort in Mammoth Lakes to check out their properties and to get to know some local restaurants, and we were introduced to a couple of great places to eat that have fresh, inventive, imaginative food that you might want to try out. Besides, do you really want to gnaw on that year-old chicken bone?

The Publik Square

First up, for lunch we headed to The Publik Square, a small, locally-owned shop that serves breakfast and lunch. We had some great sandwiches – a big coup was finding a veggie wrap for my vegetarian 14-year-old that she actually liked. Score! I had an Italian wrap that was generously filled with Italian meats and veggies that I accidentally ate all of after telling my husband he could have half. On our way out of town the next day I stopped by for one of their Breakfast Burritos and it was equally delicious – and equally huge. Yes, I ate that one up, too, but my husband had learned a lesson and had already eaten.

Owner Ryan Farnes is also a snowboarder and owner of Publik Snowboards – there are a few of their custom snowboards, made from sustainable products like hemp and bamboo, on display and he mentioned they often have snowboard demos in front of the shop. (I also found this adorable story in a local paper about how Ryan met his wife in the aisle of the local Vons. Sorry, couldn't resist – I'm a sucker for how-they-met stories.)

Publik Square took over the space formerly occupied by Quizno's, but their food is much better, and a cut way above the fast-food establishments located across the street. Good food made with fresh ingredients and at a reasonable price – it's a find.

Petra's Bistro

For dinner we headed to Petra's Bistro. I can't say enough about the meal we had here, except that I'm trying to bribe my husband to make the drive to Mammoth next weekend so that we can eat there again. The restaurant is owned by brothers Robert and Kirk Schaubmayer and they've done a great job of creating a warm dining environment with an attentive and cheerful staff. We ate there the day before our 17th wedding anniversary, but my husband and I considered this our official celebratory dinner since it was so exquisite. In fact, we considered changing our anniversary date but we figured it would just confuse the children.

Our gastronomical adventure started off with an amazing cocktail – the Sonny Carter, which consisted of cucumber vodka, fresh ginger and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I can't remember the story the waitress told us that's behind the name of the drink, but I'd like to rename it 'More Please.' Next we had a few appetizers, some exquisite ahi tuna bites that were followed by a dish consisting of polenta and pork belly that was one of the best things I've eaten in recent memory. I can't recall the official name, but again I would rename it something like, 'Five Of These' or 'Pork Belly Owns Me.'

For dinner I had their perfectly-cooked pork chop and even my vegetarian daughter admitted she was having trouble keeping her hands off of it. I had to remind her that she was going to have a hard time convincing her conscience that pigs were a vegetable. But can you blame her? Look at this creation:

To be honest, I can't remember what my husband or two daughters ordered because I was so in love with my pork chop, but I know that there were approving grunts all around. Then chef sent out a couple of desserts – a tiramisu and a beautiful dish of sorbets – and the grunts were replaced by high-pitched squeals. And that was just from me and my husband:

I plan to go to back to Petra's, but I hope I don't have to wait an entire year until my 18th anniversary. Although, to hell with the kids – I think I'll just move the date up a few months.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tweet Pin It

What To Eat At Disneyland

One of the most common complaints I hear about Disneyland is the lack of good, reasonably priced food. My answer is usually, "Hey, you don't go to Disneyland for the food, people. That's like saying you go to the beach for their clean bathrooms." Of course, there's always the one smartass that says why yes -- they actually do prefer the beach bathrooms to their one at home, but sometimes my daughter will say anything to get on my nerves.

But I have to agree that finding somewhere to have lunch and/or dinner is always difficult. The kids don't necessarily want to sit down and have a full meal when they could be riding Space Mountain or spending their parents' money on their six-hundredth Disney keychain. And the quicker options -- hamburgers or corn dogs -- aren't going to work for my vegetarian 14-year-old. Also, who actually eats those turkey legs?

But I was there on Saturday and discovered this:



These are grilled, bacon-wrapped asparagus kebobs from Bengal Barbecue, located across from the Indiana Jones ride in Adventureland. Did I mention two of my favorite foods, bacon and asparagus, together? On a stick? For only $3.79*? You'll still have plenty of cash leftover for keychains.

They also have chicken and beef kebabs that kids would love, and best of all -- an incredible vegetable kebab that my vegetarian daughter swooned over. How did I miss this place all these years? You'd think I would have smelled that bacon from way over in Tomorrowland.

*That's per kebab, but trust me -- you'll want two. Or five.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tags: disneyland | where to eat at disneyland | bengal barbecue

Tweet Pin It

You Had Me At "Deep Fried"

I was recently sent a gift card by Outback Steakhouse and invited in to help celebrate their 20th Birthday by trying their signature dish, the Bloomin' Onion, or any of their other menu items. As you can imagine, this didn't take too much coaxing. Free steak? I'll be right down.

While my family isn't big on onion rings, I insisted we order the Bloomin' Onion as an appetizer, if only to compare it to this awesome diagram they sent me in the press kit:



I say any appetizer that has it's own blueprint deserves to be tried at least once. Besides, I'm a sucker for anything deep fried; you could roll a toilet plunger in batter, drop it in some hot oil and I'd probably eat it.

The Bloomin' Onion didn't disappoint. Seriously, the thing is huge and looks like the original onion must have been the size of a basketball. It could easily serve six to eight as an appetizer - the four of us, even though we were starving and tore into it like a pack of wild dogs on a spare rib, hardly made a dent in it. And it really was pretty good - much lighter and less soggy than an onion ring, and way easier to eat. I would have liked to have the option of a different sauce though - the one they served it with reminded me too much of warm thousand island dressing. I would suggest a nice ponzu sauce, but that would be so snooty.

For my entree I had one of their special 'birthday menu items' that is available for a limited time - their Charbroiled Tuscan Ribeye Steak. It was quite nice - tender, juicy and cooked rare just how I like it. And if I hadn't just eaten a ten-pound onion I might have even finished the whole thing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tags: outback steakhouse | bloomin' onion

Tweet Pin It