*Photo from this site!

Since Jack & Patsy have been staying on Main Street, we’ve been meeting the food trucks on the corner of Main Street and Ocean Park Blvd. most Tuesday nights. There are about 5 food trucks – that change every week.

It’s in the parking lot of The Victorian,

*photo taken from this site!

this place I’ve walked by for the past 10 years without going inside. Though known for their weddings & events, they also have a teee-rific and surprisingly kid-friendly happy hour!

G and I looooooooooove us some happy hour – ‘specially with the kids since we need to get out early anyway.

Say, what’s the difference between Happy Hour and Early Bird Special?

Anyway, The Victorian lets you munch your food at their outdoor patio tables as long as you buy a drink or two. (Actually – I don’t know if you are required to buy a drink or not but we sure do!) There’s live music outside, it’s totally kid friendly, & the happy hour menu is terrific!

Last night I toted the kids down on the bus in a TORRENTIAL downpour (read: sprinkling) to find a fuchsia sign warning that the food trucks were rescheduled for Wednesday due to rain. No way was I going to wait 15 minutes for the bus in the rainstorm (mist) with a struggling 1 year old, stroll home to make dinner, do dishes & mop up thrown food from the walls, floor and myself! Instead we headed inside the Victorian to the bar on the main floor. There is really only seating for three groups there. It was us, another couple with a toddler, and a poor couple without kids. I mean, not that they were poor for not having kids. Or that they had financial problems of any sort. Well, you know what I mean.

The live music act – Christopher Hawley Rollers was inside hiding from the rain & playing some classic and oldies covers as well as their own stuff. Instead of being bummed about playing for Romper Room (hoo boy, did I just date myself), these guys handed out stickers & gave the kids all kinds of attention! And the kids noticed it too. On one of the more somber songs Maddie leaned over and confided in me, “This kind of song makes you cry and feel scared.” She had a point. Anyway, these guys are cool and are there every Tues. night from now until time immemorial. As Mr. Hawley himself reminded me, “They (the kids) ARE our future fans!”

We had a big time there last night! So good that despite numerous pre-bus temper tantrums, some paint-eating, diaper explosions and various wardrobe changes, we headed right back down again tonight. Today was a beautiful (February) summer day so we sat outside and boy, did we love it!

Patsy, I just noticed you don’t have your Tom’s on. You trying to get yourself kicked out of Santa Monica or something?

There’s G at the Buttermilk Truck. He scored some red velvet pancakes with a mocha whipped cream. Holy heart attack!! Soooooooooooo good…

G and kid under the white lights!

This is some kind of fake chicken sandwich from the Gardein food truck. Tasty and the fries were most definitely NOT fake – not the potatoes, the garlic or the oil they were fried in. Yum!

Mother of Pearl! I failed to snap a pic of Patsy’s heart attack on a plate. She got a Buttermilk Brick. A Buttermilk Brick consists of:
- Hashbrowns
- 2 eggs over easy
- a buttermilk biscuit
all smothered under house made chorizo gravy.

Check out their menu to see more…

TUESDAY NIGHT FOOD TRUCKS/HAPPY HOUR @ The Victorian
5-8PM
Half off most of the food menu (i.e. salads, pizzas, tacos, lobster roll, hummus plate, cheese plate etc.)
$2 off all beers
$5 wines (selected ones)
cocktail specials

Parking is free in the lot by the Victorian BUT it fills up fast! Or you can take the bus and get dropped off by ZJ Boarding House.

You can sit in the patio or just inside the front door with your food truck food! There are heaters & couches as well as live music. You can also sit in the grass across the driveway near the CA Heritage Museum and bring a blanket, your own beverages & chairs. There are heaters over there too for you thin-blooded types!

I love mushrooms!! I haven’t cooked with them for years because *someone* doesn’t “dig on fungus.” But now that *someone* is working late a lot, and *someone’s* parents are in town and unable to eat anything with too much vitamin K in it (thanks, a lot, Blood Thinner!) I decided to cook them again! Why not? After all, he usually strolls in around 11PM claiming to have eaten at work anyway… This dish should be classified as an adult dinner due to the alcohol content. It may have burned off but it sure didn’t taste like it did. Or it sure did taste like it didn’t!

This is pretty easy – I chopped the mushrooms & onions ahead of time during someone’s (not my) nap. Let’s get started! You’ll need:

INGREDIENTS:
24 oz (weight) mushrooms, thickly sliced (I used crimini) (Baby Bellas are recommended but they were $$$ so I got crimini)
4 TBSP olive oil (2 for roasting mushrooms & 2 for sautéing onions)
1 large onion, peeled & sliced
1 c dry white wine
3/4 c whiskey (or another 3/4 c white wine if you don’t have whiskey)
1/2 c vegetable broth (I used bullion)
1 c heavy cream salt & pepper to taste
12 oz pasta, cooked al dente (I actually used the whole 16 oz bag so that I’d have extra “noonles” for the kids.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle mushrooms with olive oil, sprinkle salt & pepper on top. Roast for about 20-25 minutes. Drain & set aside.

Gorgeous, earthy little shrooms…

While they’re roasting, stand back & observe your child or pet.

If you don’t have a child or a pet, lie down on the pristine couch with Bravo TV on and be happy.

2. In a large pot, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions & saute for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.

Forgive the ugly lighting as I took it at night (I prepped the veggies during the day!) and do not have my lighting down yet:

Check on kids every once in a while.

Yes! Dinner is almost done!

3. Add wine & whiskey. I used Charles Shaw b/c we have a lot since Patsy’s visiting & Maker’s Mark (which is probably a little too “nice”) since we have loads as it’s G and his dad’s trademark father-son drink.

Ode to Patsy:

Ode to Jack:

Let this concoction bubble for a few minutes. Add the broth and let it reduce for another few minutes. (You can use vegetable or mushroom broth. I was out so I used Vegetarian Chicken Flavored Bullion added to water. It’s LOADED with sodium so I use caution and add much less than its label advises.) You are now up to 2 sets of a few minutes. About 4-5 minutes according to my calculations. Now add cream and reduce heat to low. Add mushroom, salt & pepper. Allow to simmer until it thickens.

Reserve a little of your pasta water in case sauce needs thinning after you’ve added pasta. Add cooked pasta & toss together! Season with salt & pepper to taste. Delicious & not for the Designated Driver.

Slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

Final verdict: the kids picked out & ate only the noodles. Although Maddie likes mushrooms, she likes them alone. She is definitely not French. But why would she be?

Oh, and guess who strolled in early & hungry that night? None other than *someone.* D’OH!