Some Valentine's Day tips for the dudes

Guys, in the words of Snoop Dogg, it’s time to step your love game up.

(yes, anytime I can mention Snoop Dogg here, I will take advantage)

We are four days out from Valentine’s Day, and some of you have literally done nothing towards showing your best girl you consider Feb. 14 different from Feb. 13.

This is not in your best interests. Trust me.

For some guys, I truly think Valentine’s Day is an enigma. They know it can be catastrophic to screw up, but they aren’t really sure how to not screw it up.

Before we get to some tips you can use, keep these two absolute truths in mind about women and Valentine’s Day:

Truth #1: women really just want to feel like they are worth your time and effort (and not just on Valentine’s Day, but especially on Valentine's Day).

Truth #2: women want to have the Valentine’s Day story that all their girls get jealous of when they discuss it the next day. And believe me; we all talk about it the next day.

If you only hit a home run once a year, V-day is the day to do it. Rock this day for your best girl, and it can get you several Get out of Jail Free cards.

One of the best ways to satisfy both of the absolute truths about women and V-day is simple: cook something yourself.

Getting in the kitchen — especially if you usually don’t — will make her feel like she’s worth putting in the extra mile for. Not to mention, it's pretty universal that we find men who cook incredibly sexy.

So, when she’s talking to the girls the next day, if she can say, “My man took me to my favorite (art exhibit, hike, band, store, etc) and then he cooked for me” all of her friends will burn with envy. Then they will go home and exclaim to their husbands or boyfriends, “why couldn’t you be more like (enter your name here)?!”

It doesn’t make sense to guys (and I don’t blame you) but friends burning with envy is a good thing. Believe it.

If you want something simple but special to finish off your V-day, go to the store and buy a cute container (shouldn’t be hard to find right now). Buy a roll of sugar cookie dough and some heart-shaped cut outs. Roll the dough out, cut out some heart shapes and stick on the cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheets in the fridge for at least an hour, so the hearts keep their shape when they cook. Let them cool and then decorate as you please. Stick them in the cute container you bought.

But, if you want to bring out the big guns and do more than baking, there are many places that can help.

Whatever you want to cook, there’s probably a video on the Web on how to do it.

My favorite cooking Web site in the world is www.allrecipes.com. There are videos, recipes and tips from real home cooks.  You can click on a recipe and it will have reviews from people who have tried cooking it, and many of them include tweaks and changes. You can learn a lot from the reviews, like good ingredient substitutes or how to make a dish healthier. They have a section of Valentine’s Day recipes here.

Check out www.lookandtaste.com too. They have videos for just about anything you would want to cook. They also have an awesome glossary that will tell you things like what mangoes are used for, and then demonstrate how to cut them in a video.

And if those don’t give you ideas and some help, there are oh-so many more.

Another Web site I really dig these days is Real Simple.  They have everything from food to beauty advice, and clearly, the overall goal is to keep it simple. This site has loads of easy, delicious dishes.

They also have a page here of easy Valentine’s Day ideas, which includes five easy Valentine’s Day desserts. The desserts have basic ingredients you probably already in your kitchen. One is a chocolate panini recipe which literally needs two ingredients: chocolate and bread. Honestly, there’s no downside to that.

Valentine’s Day — despite its overall lameness in your eyes — truly has little to do with how much money you spend (OK, some of you high super high-maintenance girls, and that’s a you problem. Get a girl who is more into you than sparkly jewelry). If it even looks like you thought ahead and did something that’s meaningful to her, you’ve done your job.

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Taste of the Town: Vancouver

  Gnocchi at Amarcord, an Italian restaurant in Yaletown. Photo courtesy of Geoff Peters.

My mom always calls me a planner.

While most of my family is perfectly happy to make things up as we go, that makes me want to run around and scream. I like to have a plan. You know, for like, everything.

This includes my restaurant choices when I’m in an unfamiliar area. When there’s no plan in place (NOOOO!)  we invariably end up at some boring fast food  becarestaurant use no one can agree on what to eat.

I don't want this to happen to you. So, if you are heading to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics that begin Feb. 12, I want to make sure you know your food options before you get there. That way, I won't have to worry about you not having a plan.

It's a sickness. I know.

Now, seeing as I have never had the pleasure of visiting Vancouver myself, I enlisted some help. Geoff Peters runs an awesome food blog on the Vancouver restaurant scene, called http://www.dineouthere.com/restaurants/ which also has fantastic photography (you already saw one at the top of the post, and there's more to follow).

Geoff says if you are staying near all the Olympic action, you won’t have to look far for some incredible restaurants. There are two “outdoor celebration sites” (as deemed by the City of Vancouver) for the Olympics, Livecity Yaletown and Livecity Downtown. We are going to be focusing on the Yaletown area. Geoff said all of his suggestions are within a 10 minute walk of Livecity Yaletown.

So, when you hit that point when you need to stop your “outdoor celebrating” and get your grub on here are some ideas. If you want more info, check out Geoff’s blog. All photos in this post are courtesy of Geoff Peters.

Hamilton Street Grill (1009 Hamilton Street): You can order the traditional steakhouse food at this spot, like steak and salmon. But the item Geoff mentioned that stuck out to me was the Lamb Burger with curly fries. Check out Geoff’s review of Hamilton Street Grill here.

 

Capones (1141 Hamilton Street) : This jazz club has everything from New York-style gourmet pizza to pastas to beef tenderloin to halibut. Bonus: there’s live jazz every night.

Urban Thai Bistro (1119 Hamilton Street): If you are jonesing for authentic and affordable Thai food, check this place out. Read Geoff’s review here.

Amarcord (104- 1168 Hamilton Street) Geoff calls this spot “truly great and unpretentious Italian food.” He also suggests you try the Gnocchi, which he calls “mouthwatering.” You can read Geoff’s review here, if for some reason you need more convincing to visit this restaurant.

There are also several chain restaurants in the area that Geoff suggests:

 Milestones: They serve salads, pastas, steaks and have several locations around Vancouver.

Earls: This spot serves burgers, pasta, pizza among many other things and there also several locations in the area.

Cactus Club Café: This restaurant serves salads, steaks, sandwiches and also has several locations.

Keg Steakhouse: I think the name is pretty self-explanatory. Check out their website for locations and more information.

Thanks for your help Geoff! And, for any of you lucky enough to be headed to Vancouver for the Olympics (or for any reason, really) eat well. By the sounds of it, that shouldn’t be too hard.

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Some Holiday Bowl help

View of the bay in San Diego from the Manchester Grand Hyatt. 

Photo courtesy of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego

On Dec. 30, two of my favorite things will be joining forces: my Arizona Wildcats and the city of San Diego. My Wildcat football team will be playing in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl against Nebraska.

I still do a double take when I see the Pac 10 standings this year, and see Arizona in second place, just under Oregon. But it’s real. It happened. The Arizona football team finished second place in the Pac 10.

So, for all you folks of the Arizona or Nebraska persuasion headed to San Diego for the bowl game, I thought I’d post a few of my favorite spots in one of my favorite cities to eat, grab a drink, or hang out. I lived in San Diego for about a year and half, splitting time between Chula Vista (practically in Mexico but very close to downtown) and Vista (north San Diego County).

I included how far these places are from Qualcomm Stadium, where the Holiday Bowl will be played. Most are 10 miles away or less. If you hit any of these while you visit San Diego, you won’t go wrong.


Top of the Hyatt- Distance from Qualcomm Stadium: 8.6 miles-If you’re downtown, head to the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego and go to the very tippy top of the hotel to reach this bar. You aren’t going to find cheap drinks here, but it’s well worth the romantic vibe and the breathtaking views of San Diego.  It claims to be the tallest waterfront hotel on the West Coast, some 40 stories high. So sip a cool cocktail (I recommend the chocolate martini!), take in the view, and you'll start to contemplate moving plans to San Diego.

View from the Top of the Hyatt
Photo courtesy of the 

Manchester Grand Hyatt

Extraordinary Desserts- Distance from Qualcomm: 1430 Union Street location, 7.85 miles; 2929 Fifth Ave. location, 6.3 miles- There are two locations, so you have no excuses. Go. Now. This, to me, is one of the best places to end a romantic evening, or any evening really. What better way to end your night than with an incredible dessert and a delicious latte? I miss a lot about living in San Diego, but this is near the top of my list.

The Prado- Distance from Qualcomm: 7.1 miles- This restaurant at Balboa Park (even if you don’t go to The Prado, visit Balboa Park for any museum you would want to see. It’s right where the world famous San Diego Zoo is too) is in my “special occasion” range but you won't be disappointed. I had one of the best steaks of my life there. Balboa Park at night, lit up during the holidays, is awesome too.

Basic- Distance from Qualcomm: 8 miles- This pizza doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary, but it's addicting. It is located downtown in a cool, old brick building and has a great urban vibe to it. Basic is a great place when you just want to grab some pizza and drinks with your friends in a relaxed, fun atmosphere.

Photos of Basic courtesy of Basic

The Living Room- Distance from Qualcomm: La Jolla location, 14.3 miles- If you’d like a place where you can order coffee, tea or wine in a cool coffee shop, and chase it with a walk on the beach, this is the spot for you. There are several Living Room locations, but the one I love is in swanky La Jolla, and within walking distance of a lot of upscale shopping too. You know, if you are into that sort of thing.

Pannikin Coffee and Tea- Distance from Qualcomm: Encinitas location, 25 miles- There are several locations, but the one in Encinitas off Highway 101 is my favorite. The building’s original use was as a train depot. While you are in San Diego, please, PLEASE drive Highway 101. It runs you through several beach towns, and Encinitas has a funky vibe to it that's worth checking out. It will make your life better. And while you’re doing it, stop in at Pannikin and get some good coffee and a freshly-baked pastry. It’s the right thing to do.

Little Italy- Distance from Qualcomm: 8.5 miles- There are several good spots here so it's tough to just  recommend just one, but there are several good Italian restaurants, and it’s right near downtown.

Old Town- Distance from Qualcomm: about 7 miles- Hit this area for some good Mexican food and also some cool shops. You can also check out some of earliest history of San Diego.

Las Olas- Distance from Qualcomm: Cardiff by the Sea location, 21.4 miles- a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place right across from the ocean off Highway 101 in Cardiff by the Sea (which has to win an award for one of the most pretentious sounding city names ever, but it is actually). They added a second location in Carlsbad, further north on the 101. Good Mexican food with an ocean view. It's the Southern California way of life. 

Mission- Distance from Qualcomm: Mission Blvd. location, 10.8 miles- I still have dreams about the French toast here. All the pancakes and French toast dishes come with fruit, and when it comes out to your table, the entire world seems right. There are a couple of locations around San Diego, and both are pretty busy and weekend brunch/lunch. But, the French toast is worth the wait.

Enjoy San Diego!

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How an Alabama or Texas fan survives Los Angeles

It occurred to me last week that very soon, Los Angeles will be inundated with crazy passionate Alabama and Texas football fans due to the Rose Bowl for the national title game (Oregon and Ohio State fans will be here too, but I assume they know their way around for the most part).

Anyway, we welcome you to Los Angeles. I thought I’d provide some tips that may help you enjoy your stay. I am sticking to the areas around Pasadena, assuming most Rose Bowl game visitors would be hanging around and staying in a hotel nearby. But by all means, go to the beach. No one is stopping you.

One: Avoid the 101, 405, and 110 freeways if at all possible. Unless of course, the tourist in you would like to experience Los Angeles traffic first hand. If you fall in that category, check out the 110 around 5 p.m. on a weekday. If you consider sitting parked on the freeway a good time, this is your moment. The 5 isn’t fun either, but it gives you hope of being open, because it is... sometimes. The other three freeways offer you no hope, except at 3 a.m. Oh, and I guess while we’re on the subject, I should mention we don’t really call our freeways, “Highway 101” or “I-405.” We call them “the 101” or “the 405.” It’s what we do.

Most directions to the Rose Bowl will have you take the 210 or 134, and those are the freeways you should try to stick to. The 210 will rarely give you trouble.

Give yourself time to get around town. You ask any Los Angeles resident “how long does it take to get to X place?” No matter where you are, no matter where you are going, their response will usually be, “It’s about 25 minutes with no traffic. Two hours with traffic.” Don’t ever assume traffic will be clear. EVER.

Two: Take the Metro. L.A. is jumping in on this whole “public transportation” fad, which only took a couple hundred years. If you’re staying around Pasadena, the Gold Line will be your line of choice. Want to see Chinatown, Downtown L.A., Pasadena and Little Tokyo in one day without hopping in a car and sitting in traffic? The Gold Line will be your best friend and  help you accomplish all of those goals. For $5, you get an all day pass. Some of the Metro stops have places for you to park, some do not. Visit the Metro website for more info.

The Gold Line will take you to Union Station (a cool to explore all by itself), which will allow you to walk around Downtown L.A. without having to take a car, which is as God intended Downtown L.A. to be. If you have the chance, go to http://www.downtownlawalks.com/ and download free podcast walking tours of Downtown L.A. There’s a history tour, an arts and culture tour, a shopping tour, and an international tour. It’s a great way to explore downtown on your own terms.

You can hop on another line at Union Station, the Red Line. The Red Line will take you right to Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue (just called “Hollywood and Highland” ‘round these parts) which is near just about anything you want to be near in Hollywood. You come on the right day, and you might catch a movie premiere happening along Hollywood Boulevard. Or, you can take your photo with a dude dressed as Spiderman. Or Jack Sparrow. Or Elmo, possibly.

Sigh. Hollywood is fantastic.

Three: If you are a Texas fan, avoid the USC campus. It’s not an especially great area of town anyway, (it’s getting better, but still sketchy), but you probably aren’t welcome much there. Especially if you happen to be wearing a Vince Young jersey. In fact, I wouldn’t bring up his name. I’m just trying to save lives here.

Four: We don’t care as much about football as you do. That’s fine that you care so much, but try to keep it under control, OK? No one here cares about Bear Bryant and you might as well know that up front. If you do that Hook Em’ Horn thing all over the place (one of my personal annoyances), you'll just look ridiculous. Please try to remember that.

Five: If you are driving, at least drive the speed limit. It’s not a suggestion here. That’s the slowest you can go in Los Angeles. DON’T drive in the far left lane, unless you plan on going at least 10 MPH above the speed limit, and that still might not be fast enough. I say this not knowing how Alabama drivers get around, but I do know my mom has gotten pulled over in Texas for going 10 MPH over the speed limit on an empty highway at 4 a.m. You would almost NEVER get pulled over for that on an L.A. freeway.

Six:  If you’re making a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, go during the week. The holidays get crazy busy around there, because it’s decorated in a way that will pretty much blow your mind. You’ll risk waiting an hour or more in line for just about every ride when you go on the weekend. Listen and repeat after me: “I will not go to Disneyland on a Saturday. I will not go to Disneyland on a Saturday.”

Seven: I wish I could tell you about each and every one of the awesome restaurants here, but that would take me weeks to put together. Just know that whatever kind of food you want, whatever you want to try, trust me, it’s here. I have a Sri Lankan restaurant next to my office, for crying out loud. Here is a guide to restaurants along the Gold Line extension, which just opened in the last couple of months. If you end up downtown, Phillipe's is a L.A. institution and is a must for French dip sandwiches (at a good price too).
They claim to have invented the French Dip sandwich, actually.

                                          Inside Phillipes

(Check out  http://eatingla.blogspot.com/  as a good place to start, where you can find more info on where to eat based on geographic area or type of food)


Eight: As for nightlife, uh, you’re probably asking the wrong girl. Sunset Boulevard is a good place to hop around if you want to stick in Hollywood and you want to hear some good music. Pasadena is a cleaner, classier area (sorry Hollywood. I love you, but it’s true). Hollywood, like downtown, is really getting a lot cleaner. But you do still need to be careful at certain parts of it. I like The Standard, for a cool rooftop view of downtown. Howl at the Moon is a dueling piano bar at Universal CityWalk that is always a good time.

Nine: If you want to attempt the Rose Parade (and you should, it’s fantastic), I suggest getting seats in the grandstands. You can show up right before the parade starts and your seats are waiting for you. You can spend the night on the streets or show up super early (we’re talking 5 a.m.-ish) and try your luck getting spots on the curb. As someone who has only done the latter, I’d say go for the grandstands. And make sure you use a bathroom before the parade. The portable bathrooms are scarce, and you just don’t know when you’ll see one. Keep that in mind.

Ten: Eat at In-N-Out. Look, I’ve been to Sonic and Whataburger. Just go. Get it Animal Style (if you order that you’ll sound like a local) and it comes with grilled onions. You won’t regret it.

I hope this helps.

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