The Watts Towers - Originally Published

Have you ever read the poem “Monte Blanc” by Percy Bysshe Shelley?  It seems that old P.B. went and took a look at a mountain in France.  Upon viewing, he has what a religious man may describe as nothing less than a spiritual experience. 

He has an intense sense of connection with the mountain.  On the one hand, he is completely dwarfed and made insignificant by it. However, at the same time he realizes that he and it are interconnected.

This is the magical moment that Animated Meat seeks out.  The moment when a human mind is blown.  And seeing the Watts Towers in person provides just that.

Why does it do so?  Because it goes to work on both sides of the brain.  On the one side, the brain goes into overdrive in order to take in all of the visual appeal of the place.  On the other side, the rational brain tries to sort through the facts.  Simon Rodia was a four-foot eleven immigrant from Italy that spent nearly every free moment of his time constructing the towers.  There was no math and no machinery here.  Not even a TIG welder.  Just a little old man climbing up the side of the towers, all to complete his vision.  

And by towers, I mean towers.  The tallest of them soars almost one hundred feet above the neighborhood.

God bless all of the people that struggle to keep and present this treasure to the world.

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.

Heritage Park Pumpkin Patch - Originially Published 2008

In the early 20th century, La Verne and much of Southern California was a citrus producer.  Somewhere, between then and now, contractors showed up and built the suburbs.  La Verne has managed to preserve a few spots; one of them being Heritage Park.

The park hosts a number of seasonal events.  Most recently, we swung by to take a look at the annual Pumpkin Patch.

Aside from just a pumpkin patch, there are animals to pet and old, rusty tractors to get lockjaw from.  It’s pretty amazing to consider that only one hundred years ago, most of Southern California looked exactly like this place.

This chicken ruled.

If you’re ever in the area, it’s worth taking a look at a piece of America that just doesn’t exist anymore.

The Sushi Cruise - Originally Published 2010

I know what you’re thinking.  The Sushi Cruise is shaped like a boat.  And it’s all you can eat.  Nothing good can come of this.  As someone who was once a member of the Los Angeles Glitterati, I know where you’re coming from.  But I assure you, this place is amazing.

Since I moved inland about four years ago, this has been my sushi place of choice.  It keeps getting better every time I come here.  Recently, there were some menu upgrades.  The creativity has made all of the rolls taste like angels came from heaven and kissed each one.

So here’s my advice.  You can spend a few hundred at a place because some celebrity chef went there one time.  Or, you can grow wings, fly out the window and take a cruise.