The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Still pretty crazed at work right now, but we're closing in on the goal. Even though I'm 11 days into my second 13-day week this month, I feel good today. Maybe I'm just getting acclimated to working until 1AM. Maybe being on the summer side of the vernal equinox has given me some added strength. Maybe I'm just as beat and delusional, but I can't tell any more. At least it's not Public Enemies.

Today is our second preview, and we're in much better shape than we were for the first, both in terms of the content and the execution. That makes for a positive attitude and outlook as well as a chance to breathe today. Last time, we used our emergency time to take care of emergencies. This time, everything has gone smoothly thus far.

Even though I was at work until after 1AM, I still was up by 9, so I took advantage of the time to do a little shopping.

Cheap wine and expensive liquor kinda sums up my drinking habits, and it certainly describes this particular trip to Beverage Warehouse. 

I had some Miller's gin at Ford's the last day off I had, and one of my crewmates got a bottle of Plymouth for the cutting room the other day, so I've been thinking about small-batch gin lately. This Leopold's certainly passes Count Reeshard's label test, so I decided to try it. I have the opportunity to indulge in Taco Thursday this week, so I grabbed some 1800, and the Blavod is in memory of Dr. Amelia Haygood, who was a big fan and one of m drinking mentors.

I also got a chance to stop at Ronnie's Diner and have some good old American breakfast. Ronnie's is in the same strip mall as Fioretto, and just up the street from Beverage Warehouse and the LA Wine Co. I like that neighborhood.

Notice how the contents combine with the egg in the omelet rather than just being wrapped inside like a crepe. You probably can't tell from this pic, but those red potatoes have a really nice griddle sear on them. The coffee is strong and dark, and salsa is the preferred condiment. This is SoCal after all. Never disappointing, and $11 with tax (now 9.25%!) and tip.

After our setup, the crew went across the street for a little sushi at Sugarfish, the Marina Del Rey outpost of the famed Nozawa. Nozawa is known as the "sushi nazi." He only serves omakase, and is known to fiercely ridicule American trends in sushi, like California rolls and dipping everything in soy and wasabi. Of course, our tastes as consumers have developed, and we're all beginning to realize how right he is.

Sugarfish takes his "Trust Me" concept to the casual diner. The "light" lunch is $13.50, the full combo is $23.50, and a full complement of à la carte options is available. Drinking was not an option today, but I will return to sample some of their small, but varied sake list. Highlights of the meal included tuna sashimi; buttery albacore; thin, nearly transparent snapper; and delightfully fresh and mild uni. The house ponzu was especially tangy and refreshing. It made you feel like the yuzu was grown out back. The knife work was excellent, especially for the price, yielding perfectly thin, delicate slices of fish, respectful of the grain and texture and providing a more than satisfactory level of taste ad texture. 

All in all, it's a pretty good day to go to a favorite spot and discover another that's really good. Of course, at this point, any meal not served in a clamshell or cardboard box is a thing of true joy and beauty.