These guys did a pop up over in Studio City at a place called Vintage Wine + Eats. I knew nothing about it. Jo is the one in the family with her thumb firmly on the pulse of what the influencers are pumping up. I have to say, it’s quite nice because I have no idea what’s going on, ever. If it were up to me I would just follow the same boring routine ad infinitum, so getting out and seeing something new/eating something besides eggs or meat on a Sunday is good for me.

It was a very windy day and 55°. I wore shorts and probably shouldn’t have. I thought I’d be fine but California has made me weak and soft. I think it’s because I see people wearing sub zero insulated jackets when the needle dips below 62° and it pisses me off. But you know, it’s also nice to have an excuse to wear different types of clothing, like a full sweatsuit. I keep thinking someday I’ll purchase one, but still haven’t found the motivation.

We arrived, found parking. A nice farmer’s market was there in the back of the lot. The valley is foreign to me, but the stretch of Ventura up there in Studio City is quite nice. Full of shops, clean, lots of tall trees, and most importantly, no homeless. Hey, I realize it’s a problem but having children and seeing the crazy encampments mix together like dairy and citrus…Bleach and ammonia…Or sand and tacos? Choose one. Anyway, we waxed on about maybe someday living up there because there’s lots of families and it’s sort of affordable to buy a house. It’s still in the middle of nowhere and it’s like living on the surface of the sun in the summertime, but, in Jo’s words, “It’s cute.”

The Vintage Wine + Eats is a small place with a bar and pastel wainscoting. Good vibes, room for about 50 people or so. It was packed but not uncomfortably so. The staff was clean and sweet (this matters). We spoke to the owner, Zach, who was sitting at the bar. A friendly soul. I don’t know about you, but I like seeing an owner chilling at his own place. There’s something about it that adds a touch of reality for me. Does that make any sense?

So let’s see…We went with the lobsta, the Smogen, the Salmon Mousse Soft Scramble, and the Joint Venture.

Here’s the spread. My gnarly looking hand got into the shot.

Now, I normally avoid bagels at all costs because I try my best to stay away from all the dreaded gluten/factory made products because they do weird things to my body and brain. Jo told me these guys do all their dough batches sourdough style, meaning it’s fermented and so easier on the old gutski. I do have to report no bloating, painful gas, or insane amounts of brain fog and joint pain the next morning. So big win.

I used to eat bagels quite often at Bruegger’s Bagels in my hometown of Burlington, VT. My order? Olive cream cheese on a cinnamon raisin bagel. I know, I know…

Nowadays? I can’t really remember the last time I had a bagel. There’s a great spot in Manhattan Beach called Noah’s? I ate there a million years ago in another lifetime. I don’t know. Bagels. I think I lost the desire, but I do have to say the ones at Smogen were pretty delicious. Chewy but not overly so, and having lots of different choices makes it more fun, especially because it’s mostly fish related and I almost never eat fish anymore. I think about it but then go to a Whole Foods or wherever and all the fish looks sickly and gross in the case. I don’t trust it. I know “they” say fish is good for you but “they” will also tell you in the same breath that a bunch of other nasty things are good for you too…Yeah, yeah, the Mediterranean diet, yada, yada…I think it has more to do with stress and all the weird chemicals in American food than anything.

In other words, it was sort of a draught of fresh air to get out and eat some clean food. We’ll end up going back.