Food and Entertainment

Hodad’s Ocean Beach – San Diego, CA

May 14, 2022 by Ole Leave a Comment

I’ve been neglecting this website. I’m going to end that neglect today. My first post back is about a burger spot I’ve wanted to try for years… Hodad’s in Ocean Beach (San Diego).

Back in September 2021, I finally got my chance while I was down at UCSD to watch my sons play in a water polo tournament.

Hodad’s is a famous place and often has a line to get in. I remember driving past this place in the late 90s while in San Diego for meetings, but didn’t have time to wait.

This time, I made sure to arrive before it opened. Even though we got there early, there was still a line. Fortunately, it was a short one.

Guy Fieri visited this place for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which I’m sure added to its popularity.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/ca/ocean-beach/hodads-restaurant

I was pretty stoked that we were able to get a table inside instead of on the patio.

According to the menu on the website, the prices have gone up since we visited last September. For nostalgia, here were the prices when we visited.

My oldest son got the Guido burger and onion rings. From the website:

Inspired by triple D’s Guy Fieri
Our Burger served with Pastrami, Ketchup, Pickles, Swiss Cheese, Grilled Onions and Spicy Brown Mustard

I got a double bacon cheeseburger with fries. I took this closeup to show that they even put bacon between the patties. That’s one way to make this guy happy.

There is no shortage of stickers at Hodad’s.

I’m really glad I finally got to try this place. My only regret is that I didn’t get a shake. They look awesome. Next time.

https://hodadies.com

Think Disneyland will let me live in Star Wars land?

February 16, 2020 by Ole Leave a Comment

The Millennium Falcon in Star Wars land at Disneyland.

When I first heard that Disneyland was going to build Star Wars land (Galaxy’s Edge), I knew I had to go. It just took me a little while.

Back in the late 1970s, my dad took me to see Star Wars at the Big Newport theater in Fashion Island. I was blown away. Back then, there was nothing like this movie and seeing it on the largest screen on the west coast (at the time) made it even more magical. I’ve been a Star Wars fan ever since.

My wife and I finally visited Galaxy’s Edge about a week ago and I loved it. If my dad were still around, he would have loved it too.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit, here are a few pictures:

This looks like a nice place to live. Maybe Disney will let us move in.

You’ve probably already seen a billion pictures of the Millennium Falcon, but wow. My inner child wanted to jump the barrier and run inside, but my inner responsible adult said no.

Well done Disney, well done.

Star Wars land (officially called Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge) is much larger than I expected. If you plan to go, here are a few tips we learned the hard way:

If you want to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (the newest attraction) you need to use the Disneyland app to join a “boarding group”. We went on a Friday and it was completely booked before we walked into the park. Check Disneyland’s website and learn what you need to do before you visit the park if you want to get on this ride.
Oga’s Cantina can be booked 60 days in advance, so plan accordingly. Again, we missed out on this experience because we didn’t plan ahead.

Even though we missed out on a few things, just walking around the place was awesome. A bit too commercial with all the shops, but still awesome.

After visiting Star Wars land, we had lunch at the exclusive members-only Club 33 in New Orleans Square. If you’re not familiar with Club 33, here’s a little blurb from a Disney Parks Blog post:

Envisioned by Walt Disney, who drew inspiration from the executive lounges at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, the club opened in 1967 and has since held a place of mystery and legend among Disneyland park guests.

We are not members and were asked by our host not to post any pictures from inside the club, so here’s a picture from outside.

Inside, we enjoyed a gourmet four-course meal and received exceptional service. It’s not every day that I have filet mignon for lunch at Disneyland.

It was a unique experience, but once in a lifetime was plenty for us. I’ll stick to the gumbo at Café Orléans and the corn dogs from the Little Red Wagon on Main Street.

Paradise Pier at Disney's California Adventure.

We don’t go to Disneyland very often anymore, and this was our first trip without any kids. We had a fun day, but it was definitely not as magical without the whole family.

Favorite Spots for Breakfast in Riverside County

January 5, 2020 by Ole Leave a Comment

During breakfast this morning with my wife and oldest son, I decided to start the year off with a new feature: Favorites. Not scientific. Not based on polls. Just completely subjective rankings of places / things I (or we) like. The first category is Breakfast in Riverside County:

Kountry Folks, Riverside – I owe this place a review because the Hungry Hank omelet is my new favorite.
Cowgirl Cafe, Norco – Friendly service. Best “scrambled” omelet. Good hashbrowns. Drinks come in mason jars.
Brandon’s Diner, Riverside (Magnolia) – Love the small, hole-in-the-wall diner feel. Great pancakes with warm syrup. Good omelets and hash browns.
Corky’s Kitchen, Corona – Open 24 hours. Big menu. Big servings.

Honorable mention: Ed’s Place in Glendora. The best hash browns I’ve ever eaten. This place would be high on my Riverside list, but unfortunately it’s not in Riverside.

Think there’s a better breakfast spot in Riverside County? Leave a comment and make your argument.

Enjoy the scenery at Tio’s Tacos in Riverside, CA

January 27, 2019 by Ole Leave a Comment

I have lived in Riverside for a long time and I love Mexican food, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to try Tio’s Tacos in Riverside.

This place is a trip. It is filled with original works of art that are made up of “things that have been utilized, and in this country considered useless, then discarded”.

If you haven’t been here, you should give it a try and spend some time wandering through the art-filled compound.

I didn’t take pictures of everything. There is much more to see.

About the artist…

We sat in one of the outside dining areas. No matter where you sit, there is plenty to look at.

Plenty of birds, too.

Our bill was very reasonable. About $30 for three of us. Although we ordered water bottles, Tio’s also offers flavored margaritas and beer.

Chips and salsa…

Chorizo and egg burrito…

Carne asada burrito…

Carne asada tacos (they usually come with onions and cilantro)…

When you visit Tio’s Tacos, make sure you look up and down while walking through the gardens. The art is everywhere.

Tio’s Tacos is hard to miss, but here’s the address just in case:

3948 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside, CA 92501
http://www.tiostacos1.com

La Sierra Ranch Produce – Riverside, CA

November 16, 2018 by Ole Leave a Comment

My wife and I found a new organic produce stand today at the corner of McAllister and Blackburn in Riverside.

We didn’t have any cash with us, but my wife wanted to check it out. As a dutiful husband, I agreed. Happy wife. Happy life.

We spent some time talking to the guys who run the stand and found out that today was their second day in operation.

One is a farmer and the other operates a natural foods store.

You can find out more about the partners on Instagram:

You can also find more information here:

La Sierra Ranch Produce on Facebook

My wife already went back today. I’m actually eating a tasty red pear that my wife brought home as I publish this post.

The stand will be open 7 days per week and is located at 17475 McAllister St. in Riverside, CA.

Enjoy the chicken and the egg at the Crack Shack in Costa Mesa

September 4, 2018 by Ole 1 Comment

I haven’t written about a restaurant in a long time, but my sons and I tried a place on our way home from the beach over the weekend that deserves a mention… The Crack Shack in Costa Mesa.

If you haven’t eaten here, you might be wondering what kind of food you’ll find…

We’ve intentionally crafted both the chicken and the egg for you to enjoy with reckless abandon and the assurance that you’re savoring every bite of locally raised, free-living chickens without a care or antibiotic in them—just as they should be. – crackshack.com/our-story

You might also be wondering why this place is called The Crack Shack…

CEO Michael Rosen and celebrity-chef Richard Blais have translated their bold and brazen vision through a culmination of a meticulously prepared menu and our “crack spice” – a proprietary blend of spices that gives our fare a certain je ne sais ‘squawk’ for sumptuous delight. – crackshack.com/our-story

We didn’t know any of this before our visit. My sons thought the name was funny, so we stopped. We are glad we did. The food was amazing.

The three of us demolished the Mexican Poutine – “schmaltz” fries, pollo asada, jalapeno cheese sauce:

By the way, if you’re like me and have no idea what “schmaltz” fries are:

Schmaltz (also spelled schmalz or shmalz) is rendered (clarified) chicken or goose fat used for frying – Wikipedia

Dad chose The Royale – chicken sausage, fried egg, cheese and the crispiest English muffin I’ve ever eaten:

Older son chose the spicy Firebird, which lived up to its name:

Younger son chose the Señor Croque sandwich, which will be dad’s choice next time:

So good. Check the website for more info.

You can also find The Crack Shack in San Diego, Encinitas, Pasadena and Century City.

The Crack Shack
196 E 17th St.
Costa Mesa, CA
crackshack.com

$5 Movies at Dos Lagos 15

December 23, 2017 by Ole Leave a Comment

Like most people, I like movies. When we first moved out to Riverside, there were no movie theaters close to us. Now there are three within a few miles, two of which are practically across the street from each other.

One of them is in The Shops at Dos Lagos in Corona, which has been operated by Starlight Cinemas since 2014.

As of December 23, 2017, regular adult admission is $12, but if you go before noon or anytime on Tuesday or Thursday, admission is only $5 (not including surcharges for 3D or EPEX formats). These are great prices for such a nice theater.

In fact, just a few nights ago, I saw a movie on opening night for $5. Hard to beat that deal.

A little history:

This theater opened in 2006 as the Krikorian Dos Lagos 15. Although it was a nice theater, Krikorian closed abruptly in July 2010.

The theater was reopened a few weeks later by Phoenix Big Theaters.

Then in 2014, Starlight Cinemas took over. Here is how it looks as of December 2017:

Starlight Dos Lagos 15
2710 Lakeshore Drive
Corona, CA 92883
Movie Line: 877-795-4410

Trying to Cut the Cable TV Cord

January 8, 2017 by Ole Leave a Comment

I have too many cable TV channels. I never thought I would say that, but with streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, we don’t watch as much cable TV.

Easy solution. Call Time Warner Cable / Spectrum (TWCS) and downgrade some channels. Cutting out all of the premium channels and converting to basic cable should save me at least $100/month, right?

Wrong.

The TWCS rep seemed very excited to tell me that I would save almost $300/year if I downgraded my service to basic cable and ditched the whole house DVR service. When she quoted me the actual rate, it wasn’t much more than $20/month savings. Apparently, the great deals you get when you sign up aren’t available when you downgrade.

I laughed and asked her if she could hear the words she was saying. Paying almost the same rate for basic service as I do for the premium service doesn’t work for me.

My TWCS TV service has been problematic since day one, anyway. I lost count of the number of techs (including the line techs in the big trucks) who came out to work on my service, only to tell me that the signal comes in too strong when it gets cold and overwhelms the boxes. The techs are very nice guys who really tried to fix my problem, but I don’t want to call them out for multiple visits every winter to adjust my signal. Not fun for any of us.

Since I already have Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu, I went searching for a live TV option.

My first idea was to try an antenna. I went to Best Buy and bought a Mohu Leaf indoor HDTV antenna that is supposed to be good for 30 miles. If positioned perfectly, it worked OK, but I couldn’t manage to get CBS or Fox. I think I need an amplified version and/or an outdoor/attic mounted antenna instead.

My second idea was to try a live TV streaming service like SlingTV (currently $20 – $40 per month + addon services) or PlayStation Vue (currently $39.99 – $74.99 per month). Both look promising, but neither had the channel lineup I want. While checking out those services, I learned about a new service by DirecTV called DirecTV Now (currently $35 – $70 per month).

Out of the three services, Vue and DTV Now look like the best fit for me. Vue seems to have better technology (you can record shows and stream on five devices) but DTV Now (no recording and streams to two devices) has more of the channels I actually want. DTV Now also has a great pricing promotion available until 1/9/17 – $35/mo for about 100 channels.

I decided to sign up for DirecTV Now. I even added HBO for $5/month, so after the 7-day trial period, my rate will be $40/month for 100+ channels and HBO. If I subscribe separately to CBS All Access (CBS is not currently offered on DTV Now), then I’m up to about $47/month vs. the top package for PlayStation Vue.

DTV Now offered an option to prepay for three months and receive an Apple TV device, but I skipped that option since I already have a Roku. Unfortunately, I found out that DTV Now is not available on the Roku yet. It’s not available for my Samsung Smart TV yet either.

Roku service is supposed to be added in Q1 2017, but I haven’t read about an exact date.

For those who have cut the cord or are considering it…#DirecTVNow is coming to the #Roku platform in Q1: https://t.co/E6zMyRujXz pic.twitter.com/atA7mUdDL6

— Roku (@RokuPlayer) November 28, 2016

I did find a tweet stating that the Roku app will be ready in a few weeks, but that didn’t come directly from Roku.

.@directvnow is Coming to Roku Players in The “Next Few Weeks” #CES2017 https://t.co/tgscrDXK95

— CordCuttersNews (@CordCuttersNews) January 7, 2017

My next step is to stream DTV Now through a laptop connected to the TV until the Roku app is available.

** Update 05/05/17: I bought an Amazon Fire TV stick and like it better than my Roku player. DTV works great on the Fire stick.

Still no @directvnow on @rokuplayer. Tried an @amazonfiretv stick & like it better. I plan to buy more. Sorry Roku. https://t.co/kjy6yHuqE3

— OLE (@rivandbeyond) May 5, 2017

Even with the increased internet cost when I cancel my TWCS cable TV and telephone services, I think I’ll still save close to $100/month by ditching those services for internet only + DTV Now + CBS All Access. I’m not including the cost of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon in this equation because I already pay for those.

I also might investigate the option of installing an antenna in my attic. I need to determine if my existing cable wiring can support cable internet and an over the air antenna. This could be a great backup for when the internet and/or streaming services experience problems.

Just thought I’d share my experience so far for anyone who might be considering cutting the cord. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.

Fatty, lean or mixed? They get it. Smoking Pig BBQ on 4th St in San Jose, CA

January 6, 2017 by Ole Leave a Comment

I wasn’t going to write about Smoking Pig BBQ because it is about 400 miles away from Riverside, but recent Instagram posts have changed my mind. Now it is on my brain.

Smoking Pig BBQ Company on 4th Street in San Jose, California served me the best brisket I have ever eaten. This is not meant to take anything away from Badlands BBQ in Norco, which serves my favorite brisket in Southern California. In all honesty, if brisket from both places was sitting on a table in front of me I’m not sure I could pick a favorite. Since these two places are separated by about 400 miles, I’m not sure how I could arrange this heavenly brisket faceoff, but a man can dream.

Look at this brisket:

Why was I up in San Jose? Last July, my sons played in the USA Water Polo Junior Olympic Tournament up in Northern California. Since my sons were staying with their teams, I was on my own at meal time. Luckily, I found this place on my first night.

I ended up going back four more times.

Day 1:

I showed up at dinner time and the place was crowded. I screwed up and ordered at the counter, thinking that the food would be served at the table. Nope. I ordered take out. They were nice and set me up at a table anyway.

I also tried the Wolf Turds – jalapenos stuffed with cheese and sausage, wrapped in bacon, and smoked.

Day 2:

This time I sat at a table and ordered the right way.

I knew this was a great place when the server asked me if I wanted my brisket fatty, lean or mixed. They get it.

Day 3:

I thought about trying a new place, but ended up here again. Instead of the stuffed jalapenos, I tried the Chicken Lollipops, which are marinated mini drumsticks wrapped in bacon and smoked. A little too sweet for me, but very tender.

I finally realized they serve Cajun fries. After pondering my failure to realize this fact during my two previous visits, I enjoyed some of the best fries I have ever eaten. The brisket kept getting better with each visit.

Day 4:

My oldest son’s last game was in the morning, so we were able to enjoy a post-tournament meal. Big surprise, I took him here. He loved the brisket and Cajun fries. We reminisce often.

We then went to watch my youngest son’s last game in the afternoon. Before we hit the road for the long drive south, we decided to share our new spot with him. This time we celebrated a great tournament with some Peanut Butter Pie… and some more amazing brisket.

Smoking Pig BBQ Company
1144 N. 4th Street
San Jose, CA 95112
smokingpigbbq.net

Yahtzee – Family Game Time with a Little Nostalgia

December 31, 2016 by Ole 2 Comments

We haven’t played too many board games as a family since my kids were much younger. The game we played the most was Monopoly, and we even started to collect various Monopoly editions (I think our favorite was the Transformers edition).

Last night we drove over to Target with the single goal of buying some new games. The first one on my list was Yahtzee.

As we were playing, I remembered that I had some old Yahtzee scorecards from when I was a kid and decided to break them out.

After a little research, I realized that these old scorecards are from the original 1956 version of Yahtzee. I guess that we had plenty of the old ones when I was a kid in the 70s/80s.

I remembered the basics of the game, but I wasn’t sure if there was a Yahtzee bonus on the scorecards we used when I was a kid. Nope.

Thanks to the bonus, my wife demolished us. Three Yahtzees.

It was fun to play a game with my family that I enjoyed as a kid.

As a bonus, I also found my late parents’ travel Scrabble game.

A little nostalgia built in to family game night.