Friday, January 27, 2012

Ajarski Khachapuri: Breakfast in a Boat

After many years living in South Glendale, I still haven't tried every hole in the wall restaurant within a few blocks of my apartment, and not for lack of trying.  Many of these restaurants serve regional specialties that you could never find in most of the country.  While walking down Central, I noticed Red Top Burger. Beneath burgers and pizza on their sign, they listed "ajarski khachapuri".  Intrigued, I ordered the ajarski.  It's a Georgian specialty that is  similar to a calzone with two eggs over-easy on top, generously sprinkled with pepper.  The bread was excellent - crusty exterior and tender on the inside. I worked my way around the perimeter of the ajarski, pulling crisp strips of bread from the edges and dipping them into the soft egg yolk. The cheese was smooth, mild and enjoyably salty. I topped mine with basturma, which gave it a bacon-and-eggs feel. It’s $12 with basturma, $10 without -- but it’s more than enough to feed two. You could serve it at IHOP if you called it a Breakfast Boat.

501 S Central Ave
Glendale, CA 91204
(818) 500-1376


Ajarski khachapuri is also available from Pizza Boy on Colorado - and they have a smaller, one egg variant.  I've also heard that a few other local pizza places nearby have them as well.  Red Hat's ajarski was delicious.  Are there others worth trying?



The definition of hole in the wall.


Thursday, January 26, 2012

Woman Drives Through the Verdugo Wash At High Speeds**

This is perhaps the ultimate Glendale driving story.  An elderly woman in a Mercedes drove down the Verdugo Wash at high speeds, including several foot tall drops, before being hailed down by maintenance workers.  From the Glendale News-Press:
She reportedly drove into the wash at Glenoaks Boulevard and Kenilworth Road in Glendale, drove through the water and several stepped portions of the channel while reaching speeds of about 70 mph, officials said.
The woman finally stopped near San Fernando Road after being hailed down by maintenance workers, who she whizzed by at freeway speeds, police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
"Right now it's unexplainable," he said.

To attempt to understand this, I checked out her route on Google Maps.  You can see where she might have been briefly confused by the ramp down, especially if it was open, perhaps for the maintenance workers in the wash.  But not noticing the water and accelerating to highway speeds is pretty remarkable.  If she hadn't stopped where she did, she would've plowed into a large wooded area just before the wash joins the LA River.

* The GNP just added a photo gallery of the scene.

** Good video of the scene from ABC7.

*** just added an image of her entire route, start to finish.



Blimps and Helicopters

Here are some of the interesting aircraft I've spotted over Glendale and Atwater Village in the last few weeks:

Hangar 1 Vodka Blimp
Glendale/Burbank/Pasadena PD Air Support MD520N
Farmers Insurance Zeppelin
 LA County Fire Department Firefighting Helicopter
Formation of four LAPD A-Star Helicopters over Forest Lawn Glendale
LAPD Bell 206 Jetranger


Monday, January 23, 2012

Mmmm Chili: The David Brothers Chili Parlor Opens in Adams Hill

I stopped by The David Brothers Chili Parlor last week for a bowl of the house chili and found it to be excellent: well seasoned, peppery, lean, and served in a delicious cornbread bowl.  It's a tiny spot, with two picnic tables outside.  I will be back to try the beanless "bowl of red", chicken and vegetarian options.  In addition to chili, they also had grilled cheese, quesadillas, and a few nacho/burrito type specials on the menu.  Hopefully the David Brothers will soon be known for their chili, but for now they are better known as a pretty decent folk band.  Their album is available on iTunes, as well as at the counter of the restaurant. Hours are currently Mon-Fri from 11am-3:30pm.

1145 E Chevy Chase Dr
Glendale, CA 91205
Neighborhood: Glendale
(323) 400-7612



Saturday, January 21, 2012

Get Your Knives Sharpened And Browse Medieval Weaponry



The most important tool in the kitchen is a super sharp knife.  If you cook as often as I do, you need your knives sharpened at least once every 6 months.   I get my knives sharpened at The Sword and Stone in Burbank.  They make custom weaponry and armor for movies and serious collectors...and on Saturdays, are open to the public for knife sharpening!

Sword and Stone charges a very reasonable $4 per blade for sharpening, they do it while you wait, and as you wait, you can peruse their stunning collection of bitchin' armor and weaponry!

723 North Victory Boulevard
Burbank, California 91502
(818) 562-6548


Knife sharpening hours are Saturdays from 10am-6pm.