I had dinner tonight at the tiny original Las Casuelas restaurant on Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs. I'm a big fan of the Las Casuelas in Rancho Mirage -- this was my first visit to where it all began.

Unfortunately, the food seemed pretty mediocre to me. But I'm still glad I stopped by.

Cats on the Internets

Give Me: Dives

On Friday in Stockton I had the chance to check-out a couple of restaurants I learned about on-line.

First up was Chuck's Hamburgers for breakfast. Despite the name, this restaurant is known for its hearty and tasty breakfasts. Huge portions of good food at reasonable prices appears to pack them into this restaurant in a shopping mall.

I'll certainly be back.

Chuck's Hamburgers pumps a huge amount of food out of a tiny kitchen with a single grill.

I had lunch at the Ranch Coffee Shop -- a real blast from the past. Located on the north side of town on what I think is the old Highway 99, this classic roadside diner looked like it could have been from a movie studio backlot. And the waitresses were right out of Central Casting.

I had a nice chat with the owner of the Ranch Coffee Shop who is quite proud of her collection of telephone line insulators (top of photo). They're all decades old and lend some character to the place.

I'll Have One of Those

I did my internet research beforehand and came to Stockton prepared with what I hope will be some great restaurant ideas.

I had an outstanding dinner tonight at the El Rancho Inn, which claims to have the best steak in the Central Valley. That's a tall claim, but if it's not the best it has to be as good as any other.

In a fun twist, you stop by the kitchen on the way to your table and place your order. From that point on the service is very attentive.

Based on the surrounding architecture, I'm thinking the El Rancho Inn is located on the old Highway 99, before it was turned into a freeway. I can imagine folks making it a regular stop when passing through Stockton. And now I know it's worth pulling off the freeway.

Just About the Sweetest Thing Ever

The Cleanest Sidewalk in London

Who Says Carol Channing Can't Dance?

It's a Small World

Election Night in Beverly Hills -- March, 2011

Unidos da Tijuca Carnaval 2011

TV Alert

Win or lose, I'll be on KBEV-TV tonight discussing the outcome of Measure O on their Election Night special.

I think you can watch it at 9 p.m. PT  via this link: 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kbev-24-7

Craftastic!

A Fun Debate

What? What!

TV Alert

I'm debating Proposition O tonight on the Fox 11 News around 10:15 p.m. PT. If you're not in the Los Angeles area I believe you can watch the broadcast via this link:

http://media.myfoxla.com/live/

Why Do Babies Always Seem a Little Drunk?

Radio Alert

I'll be a guest Tuesday morning on Larry Mantle's Air Talk show debating the City of Los Angeles' Proposition O -- a new oil tax.  The debate is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PT.  If you're in Southern California you can listen-in at 89.3 FM or you can listen on-line via this link: http://www.scpr.org/listen_live/

More Downs Than Ups

Saturday night I went to see a new play by Michael Leoni called, "Elevator" at the Macha Theater in West Hollywood.

It's a predictable little play about seven strangers stuck in an elevator for hours. The characters are forced to reveal their "true" selves over the course of the ordeal.

This is one of those shows where the sum is less than the parts. The cast is talented, the script is fine, the show moves at a good pace.

But at the end of the evening one has to ask, "What was that all about?"

Not much other than an opportunity for seven struggling actors to showcase their talents and sell tickets to their extended family and friends.

My advice: Take the stairs.

Here's a Birthday She'll Never Forget

Ethel Merman Makes It Seem So Simple

That Thing Can Move

I Met Joan Collins at a Political Dinner in 1983

Don't Stop Believink

I Love the British

How Did I Miss This Interview?

"Out of an Albert Hitchcock Movie"

A New Year Begins

For 2011 I've made a resolution to pay more attention to my blog. In 2010 I joined Facebook (along with 500 million of my closest friends) and Foursquare. I continued to Twitter. And in the midst of all that the amount of time I put into my blog went down. (Although the videos are HILARIOUS!)

So I'm back...

As is almost always the case, the weather in Southern California on New Year's Day was terrific. Even the Hollywood sign seemed extra bright today.

Fingers crossed for a wonderful year ahead.

This afternoon I went to see "Black Swan," which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's a dark and twisted story set backstage at a New York City ballet company. Sort of like "All About Eve" with feathers. And Mother Issues.

I started the year with breakfast at one of my favorite coffee shops, Jan's on Beverly. It was excellent, as usual.

Much Ado About Nothing

A few nights ago I went to dinner at the new Capitol Grille in the Beverly Center. (They took over -- and radically changed -- the old Hard Rock Cafe space.)

This is the 42nd edition of the Capitol Grille nationwide and the first one on the West Coast. I've been to two others -- Washington, DC and Philadelphia.

I was underwhelmed with the Los Angeles branch.

There was nothing "terrible" about the place, it's just that there wasn't anything "special" about it either. It seemed like a high-end assembly line restaurant that's way over priced.

I can't imagine that I'll ever go back again.

Well, If James Franco's Grandma Says So....

Who Says They Hate Dressing Up?

These People Shouldn't Be Parents

I Would Kill To Be At This Audition

I Want an Eggs Box for Christmas

Another Injury Haunts "Spiderman"

Unique Striptease Act

Happy Christmas to One and All

Not Washing That Man Right Out of Her Hair

Last night I went to the Paley Center for the Media in Beverly Hills for a tribute to Bing Crosby.

The program featured a new documentary about Bing and Kathryn Crosby's trip to Argentina in 1970 followed by a panel discussion featuring friends and family of Bing Crosby sharing their memories inter spliced with film and TV clips of Mr. Crosby.

The documentary was fascinating. In 1970 the Crosbys went to Buenos Aires on vacation. A local TV host basically stalked and convinced the Crosbys to come on his show their last night in Argentina. On Channel 13's Saturday Circle show, both Bing and Kathryn Crosby sang and answered some wildly inappropriate questions like "what time do you go to bed?" and "which side of the bed does Bing sleep on?"

I don't know how Bing -- the consummate professional -- kept his cool through the whole thing, but he sure did. And, amazingly, during most of the show he demonstrated nearly perfect Spanish (except when it was in his interest not to "understand").

Mitzi Gaynor was, without a doubt, the star of the panel discussion. She knows how to command a stage, get a laugh, draw a tear and command the spotlight.

After the program was over I had a chance to visit briefly with famous producer AC Lyles.

Mr. Lyles has worked for Paramount since 1928, when he started working at a Paramount Theater in Florida. To this day he has an office on the Paramount Lot.

I reminded Mr. Lyles I'd met him at the White House in 1985 when he came to visit his friend, President Reagan. I was interning in the President's scheduling office and I remember how charming and dignified he was. Last night Mr. Lyles said, "I remember your face."

I don't think it was true at all, but what a terrific line. I think I'm going to start using it.

I'm Trying to Watch TV

Here's a Christmas Surprise!

Happy to Be Living in Southern California

I Ain't One to Gossip

Remarkable University of Western Australia Students Do This All IN ONE SHOT!

Baby Monkey Riding Backwards on a Pig

Can't Believe They Cut This After Dress Rehearsal

Me...Me...Me

No Subtitles Necessary

I Love How He Refuses to Acknowledge the Camera

Nina Hagen and Don Rickles!

No I Won't Dance, Don't Ask Me

Her Mother Must Be So Proud

Cher, Tina Turner and Kate Smith (or is it Dame Edna?) Salute the Beatles

One Night Only

Monday night I went to Glendale's gorgeous Alex Theater to see the Musical Theater Guild's production of "Hello Again" by Michael John LaChiusa.

Boy, the cast was talented but I was disappointed by the material (based on the structure of the 1897 play "La Ronde").

A few years ago I saw LaChiusa's new musical "The Wild Party" and was thrilled by it. So maybe my expectations going in were high.

The Musical Theater Guild utilizes a pretty interesting format -- they rehearse a show for only 25 hours and then perform it "one night only."

So I guess they aren't reliant on word of mouth to move tickets.

Politics as Theater

I enjoyed myself last night at the Cornerstone Theater Company's production of "Making Paradise: The West Hollywood Musical" at Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park in West Hollywood.

It's hard to imagine the topic of incorporating a city would make for an interesting musical but they pull it off with this tale of how a portion of unincorporated Los Angeles County became the City of West Hollywood 25 years ago. (It's sort of a local version of the musical "1776.")

Yes, the audience actually tapped its toes to a song about a report by the Local Agency Formation Commission on local revenues the new city would generate.

Pushed by an alliance of rent-control supporters, gay-rights advocates and Jewish Russian immigrants, West Hollywood citihood certainly had a colorful start. And much of that start took place in Fiesta Hall, where the musical is playing. (It was fun watching the scene where they argued over how to set the chairs for a community meeting -- in a row facing a podium vs. in a circle -- in the room where the actual argument took place.)

I thought Ivy Bottini (a real-life 84-year old community activist) stole the show as a maniacal Chamber of Commerce member determined to stop citihood by creating "chaos."

My only quibble with the show is the final scene where activists gathered around a TV to watch the election returns to see if citihood passed. Sorry -- not realistic. There was a bigger news story on November 6, 1984 -- President Reagan's re-election. In 1984 the way a small campaign would have gotten real-time results was to send a representative to the City of Commerce where the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters was counting the votes. Then, using a payphone, the representative would call with the results. (But it's a musical so I guess some theatrical license is OK.)

And while many in the audience may have marvelled at the "long-ago" events in Fiesta Hall, the last time I was in Fiesta Hall before last night was even further in the past, in 1979 or 1980, when I took first place in the Native Sons of the Golden West Speech Contest.

But, as Jackie Steinman warned me Tuesday night when I was telling old campaign stories, I'm starting to sound like I'm "a thousand years old."

Election Night

I had a fun visit to Sacramento to watch the Election returns come in. Winning makes it a lot easier to have a good time.

The War Room -- aka as a conference room where everyone plugged in to get the latest results.

Celebrating late into the night on the patio at Gallagher's after the results were in.

Several folks had a late breakfast Wednesday at the Fox & Goose in Sacramento. It's a British-themed place with a huge menu located in some sort of repurposed industrial location.

Final Radio Alert

I'll be on Rick Amato's show on KCBQ - AM tonight at 10:05 p.m.  If you're in the San Diego area you can listen at 1170 AM or you can listen on-line here: http://www.kcbq.com/

On the Campaign Trail

As is appropriate for the last full week of the campaign, I spent most of last week on the road. Here's a snapshot of downtown Chico.

Driving from Chico to the Central Coast I went through the Pacheco Pass and made my traditional stop at Casa de Fruta.

Peacock at Casa de Fruta.

Ducks at Casa de Fruta.

Tuesday night I had dinner at one of my favorite restaurant's in California -- Rosine's in downtown Monterey. Great food and wonderful desserts. They didn't disappoint on this trip.

This is the National Steinbeck Center in downtown Salinas. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to go inside.