Swinger's in Santa Monica

I love Swingers.  It's been one of my favorite Santa Monica eateries since the first time I ate there, shortly after it opened.  It's fun (there's a juke box and 60's-70's ambiance), the wait staff are always awesome (chatty, hip and always seem to get my order right), the food is lucious and fresh and the menu is lengthy. 


Friendly dogs are welcome -- they're not allowed inside but the long, narrow patio affords responsible dog owners the opportunity to have their dogs stay by them while they eat, talk, drink, laugh, meet and enjoy the experience of including their dog(s) through the day.  The wait staff will even bring a container of water for your beloved pooch. It's wonderful seeing several dogs curled up on the sidewalk by the patio tables where their humans are seated.  Recently, new bike posts have been installed on  Broadway next to the patio area so cyclists can secure their bikes to something sturdy rather than a parking meter. 


I stopped at Swingers Saturday afternoon after a couple hours of walk-about errands.  I was super hungry and I had to pass Swingers on the way home. I ordered my "usual": a burrito from the breakfast portion of the menu.  I sat at a patio table and within 15 seconds I was asked what I'd like to drink. Coffee and a glass of iceless water (that's the way I like it) were delivered in less than a minute.  BTW: their coffee is really good; I drink it black.  Minutes later I placed my order and settled in to read the "Santa Monica Daily Press".  By the time I was ready to read page two, the burrito arrived.  I'll admit the place wasn't that busy but even so -- that's fast.  I snapped the photo below and sent it with a text message via Loopt then dug into the warm, flavorful burrito awesomeness.  

Buried inside the whole wheat burrito are quinoa, spinach, black beans, some tomato-based sauce and really interesting flavorful spices.  There're probably more ingredients inside but I don't know what they are -- other than divine. The topping is the most delicious chipotle sauce I've ever tasted (garnish of spring onion tops). 


Swingers offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night nosh. The menu has plenty of interesting and delicious food for omnivores, vegetarians and vegans.  Many of my non-vegan/non-vegetarian friends now love Swingers.  If you live or work in Santa Monica and haven't eaten at Swingers... you really should.  Bring your out-of-town guests -- they won't forget the place and they'll probably want to go back every time they visit. 


The only drawback eating there, right now, is this view of the building across the street (NE corner of Broadway and Lincoln Blvd.)

Yep.  Another of the too-many, look-alike boxes being built in Santa Monica.  Fortunately, it  rained earlier so there was no construction cacophony and I could enjoy my burrito in relative quiet. 

All Things Bright and Bicycle Related

      

Santa Monica Ride

The Santa Monica City Council is making strong efforts to transform the city into a bicycle-friendly city.  Since I used to cycle all over Santa Monica and would love to do it again, this is very exciting and I say, YAY!

Santa Monica Beach Ready-to-Rides

Last Friday I attended an "I Am Santa Monica" workshop (more about that in another blog) and was delighted to hear other Santa Monica business representatives make positive comments about the bike valet stalls made available for recent city events.  Statistics show that cities that are "bike friendly" are better for businesses and its residents. 


I've seen an increasing number of cyclists in Santa Monica.  I know one resident/attorney/journalist/author, Frank Gruber (author of "Urban Worrier" and the "What I Say" column for Surf Santa Monica) is a dedicated (in my observation) bike commuter from his home in Ocean Park to downtown Santa Monica.  He's a great role model for cycling to work.

New bike posts (on Broadway) to secure our wheels.

For those Santa Monicans interested in supporting the "better bicycling" efforts being made, you may want to contact various members of the Santa Monica Planning Commission and City Council or attend the meetings to make public comments.  A plan has already started to take shape but community input is invaluable and vitally important.  Or, you may want to join/support Santa Monica Spoke, an energetic and thoughtful non-profit group whose mission is to help make Santa Monica a better place to cycle.  I'm 100% for that but I'm also committed to a well-planned integrated plan that allows motor vehicles, non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians safe and unfettered access around the city.  We CAN all get along. 

Cycling up the California Incline - not for the weak-thighed.

It's important to note that riding on the sidewalks -- although seemingly safer to the rider -- is illegal in Santa Monica.  

For those who enjoy cycling, the Santa Monica beach bike path from the Pier south, is a little bit of heaven and is relatively confined to bicycle traffic only.  The part of the path north of the Pier is less so.  That part of the path is marked as restricted to bicycles and skaters only, but joggers/walkers/runners/strollers also use the path because there is no other place to walk if you don't want sand in your shoes.  Many a busy weekend has ended in discord between cyclist and foot traffic because of the path's lack of accommodation for both.  I'd like to encourage the re-striping of that three miles of bike path so pedestrians can share the outer portions of the path -- much like the pedestrians and cyclists who use the bike path in Rancho Cordova that parallels the American River.  Pedestrians share the outer edges of the two-way, four-lane path while cyclists and skaters use the wider, inner two-way lanes; pedestrians walk (sometimes with their dogs) against the wheeled traffic so collisions are avoided.  If there's no economically viable way to widen the Santa Monica beach path, then how about re-striping and re-signing it?  It might cause fewer fights and collisions between the admirably active cyclists and pedestrians.  

Cycling the pedestrian bridge over PCH.

A couple of months ago I participated in the 5th and Arizona Development community workshop and one of the most prevalent comments was a desire for bike accommodations and how much more time could be spent shopping and enjoying downtown Santa Monica if there were.

My bike (now residing in Rancho Cordova). 

After years of commuting 13 miles by bike -- Santa Monica to Culver City --  I stopped cycling Santa Monica in 2000 because increased traffic, hostile drivers ignorant of the laws regarding bikes and lack of bike lanes made it increasingly scary for me.  Since then, I've walked Santa Monica and while I love walking, I can't carry as many purchase walking as I did when I rode my bike.  Now, for purchases that require more than my two arms or are too heavy for me to carry more than a few blocks, I drive out of Santa Monica to avoid local traffic.

I’d like to cycle Santa Monica again.  I'm an advocate for an integrated approach to make Santa Monica safe for all traffic.  Everyone has their own point of view but, I’d like to see increased bike lanes and bold signage that indicates "No bikes on sidewalks" or reminders for cyclist to obey all traffic laws. This would educate drivers, cyclists and pedestrians and result in safer streets for everyone.  Widening or re-striping the beach bike path north of the pier to give pedestrians a designated narrow lane could allow safe pedestrian and cyclist throughway to locations like "Back on the Beach" or the Annenberg Community Center.  Seeing police on bikes as a yearly presence around the city says cyclists are welcome here and are an important part of this city.

Bikes galore for rent.

Cyclists create a community, not only with each other but with the businesses they patronize. I look forward to an integrated plan for the whole city that embraces cyclists, benefits our businesses and creates smooth flowing and safe traffic for all of us. 

Birthday in Santa Monica

My birthday snuck up on me again.  It always does.  One minute it's all "Happy New Year!  Who brought the champaign" and the next it's early morning Facebook chirps from my iPhone, delivering birthday greetings  to my FB wall. I have to say thank you to Facebook -- I had friends from all over the U.S. leaving delightful and appreciated birthday greetings.  And not one of them ask my age.  Good people.


I worked half a day opening trouble tickets for DSL behaving badly, answering questions about billing, and incorrectly answering questions about email behaving badly.  I love email but I still can't quite get a grip on all the variations and configuration algorithms (see previous post). I've been doing this for nearly 11 years.  It's pathetic -- inexcusable really -- that I still tell customers email is based wizardry and fairy dust.  Thank the internet Krakens for web email -- I don't have to deal with that.

Around noonish, I tidied up my little office, donned my Asics, wobbled off with my baseball cap and camera to take pics of what ever I saw.  My self-imposed mission: create a picture essay of my birthday. 

No many how many times I walk to the beach, I never tire of photographing the sparkling water, the track-stained sand and rippling waves and everything along the way.

What the?

Just beyond the barrier along Pacific Palisades park, I noticed more of he cliff had collapsed or eroded and now revealed what appears to be stone stairs.  In the early Twentieth Century, there was a long, steep wooden stairway leading from the cliff top to the beach.  However, that stairway was further north (where a high rise luxury condo building now stands guard) near Adelaide Drive and they're long gone, victim, as I recall, to a harsh storm.  These may not be steps -- they may be reinforcement from some earlier decade.  This is much further south, closer to Broadway Street.

Erosion

The pathway between the white wooden fence (above) and the cliff drop-off, used to be part of the original walkway along Pacific Palisades. 

Ocean Blvd. circa 1950s (?)

I've seen a number of postcards circa early 1900's depicting Pacific Palisades near Broadway and it's astonishing how much of the cliff has fallen away. Some members of City Hall blame the erosion squarely on squirrels (I kid you not), but I'm not convinced.  I think it's just cliffside giving up its battle with gravity.

Lazy Wednesday day on Santa Monica's beach

On Sunday's this part of the beach, just north of the Santa Monica Pier, is where Veteran's for Peace create a vivid reminder of the cost of war, with Arlington West.

End of the Road

This is at the end of the Santa Monica Pier, a display of Route 66 maps and trinkets. 

Santa Monica Feathered Sentinal

Penguin or Photographer's Shadow?

Making Friends.

On Second Street with a Downtown Ambassador

 On the way home, I saw a member of Santa Monica's "Downtown Ambassador" team wheeling along alone on a Segway on Second Street.  I asked if I could take a photo of him but was told he was not allowed to have his photo taken unless he was posing with someone.  Just then an obliging young man exited the adjacent building and cheerfully allowed himself to be photographed with the Ambassador.  Unfortunately, I did not ask either man for his name!  What's the matter with me?  Anyway, they're a fine example of the pleasant and helpful people in Santa Monica.  Despite the traffic, we know we live in paradise.

Groovy Wheels

I love this bike.  It was locked to a parking meeter in front of Real Food Daily on Santa Monica Blvd., a casual restaurant with a vegetarian menu.  Hallalujah!

End of a Beautiful Day

The final delight was to meet Steve and Taylor for dinner and a long awaited get together at Bistro of Santa Monica -- which accommodates the vegan in me and my friend's taste for wild salmon.  The other attractive thing about Bistro of Santa Monica, is that they don't pump loud music at the dinners.  I love me some rock and roll but not when I'm trying to hear my friends talk.  Instead they have a pianist who tinkled quiet arrangements of pop music with an easy listening twist.  Sean was our delightful and handsome young waiter who tended to our every need flawlessly although we constantly teased him.  At one point we all were laughing so loud the gentle and pleasant owner ambled back to our table.  He was smiling but I had the sneaking suspicion he was about to make us eat at separate tables.  We must have quieted down enough so he didn't make us move. I had Insalata Contadina (tomatoes, roasted bell pepper, baby onion, grilled eggplant, celery heart and fresh basil) that was huge and perfectly delicious.  For dessert I had a luscious Raspberry sorbet, Taylor had the warm bread pudding and Steve had an sinful chocolate item. I don't know about them but my food was great.

It was a beautiful day. 

L.A. Dreamin'

I like to blog about all-things Santa Monica but today, I broaden my passion for where I live to include Los Angeles -- and I actually love L.A., warts and all (not as much as Santa Monica -- but I digress). I read Matthew Fleischer's article in today's Los Angeles Times, "Imagine: L.A. Bicyclists in the Driver's Seat, One Day a Week".  The opportunity to create something no one would believe L.A. could or would do has been suggested by a volunteer group of bicyclists called "cicLAvia" -- an idea born in Bogata, Colombia, 30 years ago!  Los Angeles has fewer parks, per square mile, than even New York City!  The statistics for child-asthma and obesity are escalating with ever-decreasing support for physical education in public schools starting with kindergarten.  The rest of the world, including many who live here, consider L.A. devoid of community.  Neighbors can live next door to each other for years and never know each other's names. Many come to L.A., on their way to somewhere else or as an "escape from" destination where one can disappear in a metropolitan jungle. Many, though, come here to build anew, to reinvent, to create something powerful and lasting.  One day a week won't reverse the negative trends for lifestyle, health, economy and general pride for where one lives.  Yet it cannot be denied how amazing it would it be if one day a week only pedestrians and bicyclists travel major L.A.'s streets. It's thrilling to think about it.  If that's too crazy an idea then, how about one day a week when only pedestrians, motor-less and electric vehicles can travel the streets?  Still too hard to imagine?  How about one `burb at a time takes on the challenge?  It's so easy to conjure reasons it won't work.  There'd still be accidents because lousy drivers are lousy drivers no matter what kind of locomotion they use. Many Angelenos get bent out of shape if they're inconvenienced one Sunday a year when 26.2 miles of L.A.'s streets are reserved for the L.A. Marathon.  Still, this is an exciting idea with tons of benefits to share.  Political and civic cooperation as well as the will to work through the obstacles can make it happen.  Besides some L.A. political leaders including Mayor Villaraigosa, groups like Community Arts Resources,  California Foundation and Green L.A. Institute are looking for ways to make this cicLAvist dream come true for this city.  Like everything new in life, it starts with a dream.