PS weekend

The weekend that was in now days behind us, so of course that means I am at long last writing about it!

Van had the idea of the two of us getting away to the desert last weekend.  I know, I know - it is bloody hot there at this time of year.  Each day easily got above 100 degrees, and we can comment on dry heat all we want, but it's still hot.  Nonetheless, we got ourselves packed up, and on Friday afternoon, after I had finished off some work things, we hit the road.  Olive came with us, by the way, but you won't be seeing photos of her in this blog other than this one. 

We made sure, I promise you, to keep her in air conditioned rooms and walking on pavement as little as possible.  She was comfortable, and she loved her meet-and-greet sessions with the other hotel guests.

Anyway, Van had had an email regarding some good summer time prices at a hotel we like and have stayed at before:  L'Horizon.  It's a handsome setting, with decent rooms and a fine pool and bar area. 

It's quiet, no outside people allowed to use the bar.  And at this time of year, although they told us they had a lot of bookings (good for them!), I don't think I saw more than ten other people using the pool area at any one time.

Oh, but we used the pool area. 

Friday evening after dinner.  Saturday, late afternoon after shopping.  Sunday morning before breakfast and then checking out.  I took advantage of it.

I also took advantage of cooler morning temperature (relatively speaking) to get out on morning walks.  In part to swing by Koffi and grab a decaf latte, but also it's just nice to see the neighbourhoods nearby. 

On the Sunday morning, that moon was still bright out when I set out. 

For such a tourist town, Palm Springs can be quiet early, and especially away from the main drag downtown.

We only had the one full day there, and we enjoyed ourselves with poking in some stores, buying a few things here and there.  I had scheduled an early afternoon online happy hour with some ALA friends as well, so I got a cocktail from the hotel bar (The Rhodonite) and sat in our room and then on our patio, catching up with folks.

We also dined well.  The new Thompson Hotel downtown has some dining options, and we tried out Bar Issi. 

Terrific waiter, some clunky service from the food runners.  Good cocktails

- just look at that drink that Van has! 

A variation on a mai tai for him.  My drink was so conventional and boring alongside that (but I liked it)! 

I enjoyed the fried zucchini blossoms

and the branzino,

but that bread was the star of the meal. 

So good!   The next night we went back to Workshop Kitchen, not without some trepidation given how poor the service was the last time we were there.  This time, however, the service was quite dine, affable and helpful.  Last Words for us,

bread

and a beet salad to share,

and then the pork steak for me. 

Really super - the cherry mostarda was intense, and the meat and the grits worked well with that.  Van enjoyed his corn risotto, and passed me the heads of the grilled shrimp to enjoy. 

We didn't need dessert, but we went for it (and felt so full afterward).  A passionfruit pavlova? 

Yes, please.  It made me feel a little closer to Conrad all those miles away in New Zealand.

An excellent weekend escape, and I was glad to be back in the desert after more than two years away from it.  I do sometimes still daydream about having a nice home down there, I admit.... 

August happy hour

Last night was our monthly online happy hour, and we left it up to the soon-to-be groom to pick a theme.  So he went with "extra, not basic", and we did our best.

I made two cocktails for me and Van to sample and gave him the one he preferred.  The light, greenish-yellow one in the photos is The Aphrodisiac.  I took extra down a joking road there, what with Chris' wedding coming up.  Van chose that one.  It was tasty enough, I agree, but unremarkable.  The reddish one took extra in a different sense:  starting from the basic negroni recipe, I revised it and added to it, resulting in a GInger Negroni Spritz.  I liked it fine enough, but I think the ginger could pop out a little more.

For round two, I didn't worry about being too extra.  I actually made a couple of other drinks first, neither of which I liked and poured out after a few sips.  I didn't want to go too boozy because of the Champagne dinner ahead, so that factored in.  I dug up one I hadn't made in a while, the Fino Collins.  Presumably a variation on a Tom Collins, but using fino sherry.  A light drink, which was welcome.

Next month, in honour of Allison, it's Britpop! 

fried chicken and Champagne

It's funny how it can sometimes take a long time to try something out.  No, not fried chicken, or Champagne.  Please!  I've had them each plenty of times.  I don't think I've had them together, but the combination absolutely makes sense to me.

No, I mean, it's funny that a restaurant can open in your neighbourhood, and you can walk by it dozens of times, and yet, it takes a couple of years to go in.  So, my apologies to Holy Saints! for taking so long.

In fact, Conrad and Van had dined there once when I was out of town, and they did enjoy it.  And I have tried twice to go but found myself stymied by something or another.  So it took me a while.  We have our favourites, as you should know from this blog, and we try to keep up with them instead.  Just the same, it is nice to try some place new.  Van was on their mailing list and learned about them doing a special dinner tonight, so we went.

The good:  the fried chicken was excellent.  A half chicken between the two of us, and with the hot sauce on the side. 

Can I confess?  I don't get having something crispy fried and then dousing it or drizzling it with something wet.  Makes no sense to me.  The cacio e pepe mac and cheese was tasty, too. 

I liked the radicchio and fennel slaw as well - a nice little bite of mustard in the vinaigrette. 

And the biscuits

were nicely baked but perhaps not as fresh out of the oven as I would have wanted so as to make the barbecue butter melt into them.  Oh, and the Champagne was fine.

The bad:  nothing.  Nope.  Great service, no protracted wait for food, all of it was good.  OK, one small thing - we needed a bigger table!

Van and I had a lovely evening, and I will want to go back there to try their regular fare.  My summer of eating well continues! 

Sharona

A quick entry to hold us all until I do some real blogging.  Tonight’s cocktail:  the Sharona.  Tasty!

coyote

A short post on my lunch break.  A morning walk as usual today, and when I set out and crossed the street to the park, I realized that what I thought was a large dog being walked was in fact not tethered to anyone by a leash and was a coyote.

I've seen lots of coyotes in Pasadena over the years, but they tend not to be this close to the busier commercial area of the city.  Mind you, at that time of morning, things are quiet enough all around.

The coyote loped along across the park lawn, stopping over at the base of a palm tree where it began pawing at the ground.  I headed the other way, giving it a wide berth.

But with that sighting and all the parrots having roosted in the trees on the south end of the park and nearby, kicking up a cacophonous chorus, it was quite the morning for Pasadena wildlife! 

a weekend done

And... I am home.

I'll post more on the weekend tomorrow or after.  But it was a lovely weekend.  Truly.  It's also nice to get away with Van, and L'Horizon is a lovely hotel.  I am happy to say I splashed/soaked in the pool every day that I was there.

I miss the desert.  Perhaps more than I admit to Conrad and Van.  I honestly could see living down there even with the weather that I claim to loathe.  Yes yes yes, give me autumn and winter, give me frost and snow.  But wow, do I like it there.  Cool architecture and a lot of amenities.  Wonderful to visit, but maybe not wonderful to live in?  I may never know.

Just the same, I had a great weekend there, and I look forward to the next one whenever that will be!