SoCal, Present and Past

It seems like everyone is blogging about Pinkberry, the frozen yogurt chain. Walking to my hotel one evening in Long Beach, I spied a Pinkberry shop. I wondered what the big deal was so I decided to try it out. I suppose the first thing one should know about Pinkberry is that it's healthy (not that there's anything wrong with that). I had the small cup--the manager told me there was just 90 calories in it (until I added stuff). The shop I was at had three flavors: original, coffee, and green tea. I ordered the original and added raspberries, coconut, and a few chocolate chips.

To imagine the taste, think of plain yogurt (no sugar or fruit added) frozen to the texture one expects in frozen yogurt. The taste of the yogurt was tangy, smooth, and, well, a little tart. I liked the bites that included raspberry, but wasn't crazy about the the bites sans berries. Overall, I'd say I'd choose gelato or Ben and Jerry's over Pinkberry. Still, it was fun to try something new.

I also drove down to Huntington Beach today. I used to live there in the late 80's when it was a sleepy surf town. Now it's commercial and crowded . . . but still beautiful.

I walked on the pier (rebuilt after the original blew out to sea during a bad storm), watching the surfers and enjoying all the woodies (cars from Australia owned by surfers) from years gone by. Here's a classic:

It was a gorgeous day--sunny, just cool enough to be pleasant, a little windy. I fell in love with Huntington all over again, wondering why I ever left. To continue the theme of nostalgia, I went to my favorite taco place in HB, Las Barcas. They had a big banner up to celebrate 21 years of business--although they opened the year I moved to HB, I think it took me a year or two to find the place. I really love their tacos--grilled steak, guacamole, lettuce, and cheese. Here's a blurry picture of the inside:

The steak to guacamole ratio was just right. And the crunchy lettuce was a nice texture to add to the soft tortillas.

I also decided to try a fish taco, which I also loved.

The white fish was also grilled, I think. Although this time I ordered it with tartar sauce, I think it would also be really tasty plain, with just a little bit of lemon. This was a juicy, mild, delicious taco.

Now I have two reasons to go back to Las Barcas.