Culver City

And here we are on daughter Z's home turf, Culver City, described by the NYT as

"Los Angeles's newest stylish neighborhood, a magnet for lovers of the arts, good food and culture. One part Hollywood nostalgia, one part modern design, the city-within-a-city now inspires expressions like “nascent Chelsea” and “L.A.'s new restaurant mecca.”

Her charming restored bungalow looks a lot like the ones in this mural (as seen from our outdoor table at Beacon, part of the landmark Helms Bakery complex, at dinner one night).

The palm trees in front of her house are among the tallest and oldest in LA.

There's a lemon tree in the back yard. Also oranges. And figs, too, in season.

This is the local wine bar - Vinum Populi. Wines are all priced by the ounce and self-serve, using a special plastic card you pop into a slot. The machines are called Enomatic dispensers, and it's the first I'd seen or heard of such a thing. It's like a wine ATM. The concept is bound to take off. Very young crowd here, all milling, sipping, party-style. I forget that I'm decades older than anyone else in the place. Nobody seems to care.

We had dinner afterwards at Tender Greens, around the corner. Casual, delicious. Another great concept I'd like to see more of. Fresh, organic, simple, affordable. Next door is Ford's Filling Station, the "gastropub" where Harrison's son, Benjamin, is chef-owner. Across the street is the Kirk Douglas theater, just a stone's throw from Sony (formerly MGM) Studios, where the Wizard of Oz was filmed.

And here we are in Surfa's. A restaurant-supply store since 1937, it's been enlarged, revamped, and now has a wonderful cafe, where we picked up cannelles and lavender lemon bars. If it's related to food you can find it here. Check out the on-line catalog. Then imagine being able to WALK there, like Z can.

Also part of the Helms complex is this French cafe, an old standby by now. Just enough time for a coffee and croissant before heading for LAX.

Where did the time go?