Dianderthal

All things Diane, not that you care (and mostly food)

[dianemariebrown]

Burger Quest :: Working Class Kitchen

New on dianderthal.com - Working Class Kitchen's #Chianina burger shakes up the Burger Quest list and sends me to lunchtime heaven

I hadn’t realized how long I’d gone without adding a new burger to my celebrated (by me) Burger Questlist until yesterday when my co-worker/work son William suggested relative newcomer Working Class Kitchen as our destination for lunch. I’d been here for the first time a week or so ago, considering it as a Quest spot after seeing the many mentions of their burger online. With such a long lapse in…

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[dianemariebrown]

Ladies Who Wine :: The Social List

New on dianderthal.com :: The Ladies Who Wine get social and try sour beer at Retro Row's The Social List in the LBC ||

It’s been a while since we’ve had one of our Ladies Who Wine outings, so there was a big turnout for our visit to The Social List on Long Beach’s Retro Row, those attending ready to be social, and to make lists (of all the food and drink they planned to suck down).

The Social List easily gets your attention if you’re driving by. The Social List begs you inside with it’s pale yellow façade, it’s…

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[dianemariebrown]

52 Notes :: Quickies

New post on Dianderthal.com - 52 Notes :: Valentine's Quickies

I’m that person whose party gift lands on the table without a tag, requiring the recipient to look around sheepishly as she opens it to figure out the givee, me lifting my hand, apologizing for my lack of decorum with a grand smile, a gentle shrug. A few times, I’ve written my name on the top corner of the bag, practically having to etch the letters, the waxy paper not easily accepting of ink.…

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[dianemariebrown]

Tasty Places :: La Vida Cantina

New on Dianderthal.com - Getting our post-race grub on at Costa Mesa's La Vida Cantina

It is finished. And that means that I’m just beginning again. I finished my half marathon on Sunday and I did so without my knee exploding or falling off. And this means that training for the (full) Los Angeles Marathon is back on. Yay.

Can you feel the enthusiasm?

I do this. Groan when I’m ailing – bemoaning the pain, jealous of those jogging the parks, the sidewalks as I drive; but lazy,…

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[dianemariebrown]

New on dianderthal.com :: My first 52 Notes response! Thanks, UCLA Early Care & Education This little project of mine was really meant to get my pen moving. To move me from talking to walking - me always saying, I should send so-and-so a card, a note, a letter, yet never doing it.

[dianemariebrown]

Tasty Places :: The Attic

On dianderthal.com - LB's The Attic is perfect for carbing up before the big race.

Tomorrow is my next half marathon – Surf City, which a year ago was my very first half marathon. So you’d think I’d be unfazed; to lack anxiety since this will be my fourth such race. But I’m off my game unlike my previous big runs, I didn’t train for tomorrow. Not that I didn’t want to. In fact, this race really wasn’t truly a BIG run but a training run for the upcoming LA Marathon, 26.2 miles…

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[dianemariebrown]

Tasty Places :: Panxa Cocina

New on dianderthal.com - Good things cooking up at LB's Panxa Cocina

Today ended my 21-day Daniel fast – and you know I had to break fast the Dianderthal way, with my homies at a new restaurant. The choice was Panxa Cocina, Broadway’s latest culinary delight in the LBC. My fro-worker and co-eater Kristina got me curious about the place, as she’s done before, previously telling me about such delectations as Anaheim Packing House and Tavern on 2. It’s kind of…

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[dianemariebrown]

52 Letters :: Get Well Soon! Hard to believe but I've made it to that age where I have plenty of friends and family to worry about.

[dianemariebrown]

Eat Dreams

I’ve lost count of which day we’re on, but there are only five days left on the fast I’m completing with my church – a 21-day Daniel fast that we do corporately at the start of each year, allowing opportunity for re-focusing, for clarity, for openness. This time has allowed me to grow closer to Him while dwelling on my various life purposes, my priorities and how I spend my time.

I must admit…

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[dianemariebrown]

52 Notes :: UCLA Child Care

New blog post on dianderthal.com - 52 Notes :: UCLA Child Care

It’s a classic story we’ve heard time and time again. Girl graduates from high school. Girl goes to UCLA. Girl gets knocked up. Girl gets kicked out of UCLA for missing too much class due to pregnancy. Girl has baby girl. Girl begs UCLA to take her back. UCLA takes girl back. Girl has no childcare. Girl leaves baby girl with parents far away. Girl is sad. Girl gets call from UCLA Child Care…

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[dianemariebrown]

52 Weeks :: Ms. Wilcox, Violin Teacher

This week's note goes to my music teacher Ms. Wilcox, who likely knew I hated the violin on dianderthal.com #52weeks

The second of 52 notes I’ll be sending out each week to family members, friends, people in my past, and awesome strangers over 2015 (read THIS and you’ll understand) went to my childhood music teacher, Rita Wilcox. This is a person born to teach music; a woman who could hardly contain her passion for helping children learn to play the violin, the viola, the piano.

I didn’t want to play violin. I…

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[dianemariebrown]

LWD Flashback :: MB Post

New on dianderthal.com || LWD Flashback :: MB Post #mbpost #ladieswhodinelb #dianderthal

September 2014’s outing (see Eating Chicagoon why this post is up so late) was a relatively hasty and spontaneous one. By the time we decided to go at the 11th hour, there were only three of us, but the die-hards never let numbers (or lack thereof) stop us from exploreating. We wanted to go somewhere beachy, but out of the LBC. Not too far away. And I remembered that for a couple years now, I’ve…

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[dianemariebrown]

Tasty Places :: La Boulange Sunset

Tasty Places :: La Boulange Sunset

This kind of a cheater post because I’ve already written up La Boulange Sunset’s young Southern California cousin, a bustling new spot on Fairfax, but why miss an opportunity to share tasty food pics. Besides, for this particular outing, I ordered  brunch instead of a late evening burger – the differences in experiences at these locations were practically day and night! :)

My girls and I were…

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[dianemariebrown]

Tasty Places :: Blue Bottle Coffee & Rolling Dunes

In pursuit of coffee and waffles - Blue Bottle Coffee in Oakland || on dianderthal.com

I’m already a sucker for a clean, bright, hipster space. Add coffee and waffles and I could move in for weeks. Lucky for my family, the closest waffle-serving Blue Bottle Coffee is some 300 miles north of home so daily commutes to and from Long Beach to there would make it difficult to get my kid to school in the mornings and back home in plenty of time to make supper for the husband.

Over the…

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[dianemariebrown]

52 Notes :: Lorre

New blog post on dianderthal.com || 52 Notes - a year full of letters and notes to friends & fam

January is here again and with it has arrived a collection of resolutions, promises, and great changes among the masses that will mostly be abandoned come the first of February. I’m not immune to the lure of January 1st – its cleanness and newness buzzing brightly, clearly visible even in mid-December, when saying yes to another slice of cheesecake seems okay because you’ll start fresh in the new…

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[dianemariebrown]

Tasty Places :: Boudin Bakery

New on dianderthal.com - Tasty Places :: Boudin Bakery and their fabulous French Toast @boudinbakery

It’s a wonder I haven’t written up this place before. I’m a regular here. This is my place. I eat here morning, midday, and evening.

Only the staff here doesn’t know it. And that’s because I live some 300 miles plus away from Stockton’s Boudin Bakery. When I visit my hometown in the summer and during the holidays, however, I stack up the visits, making up for the many days I’m too far away to…

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[dianemariebrown]

Was thrilled to watch Selma last night - get your tickets at http://bit.ly/SelmaMovieTix