Helping Hand Thrift Store

On Sunday, RJ's on Pico was really crowded, so Marlene and I went to Little Ethiopia to eat. Rosalind's was the only meat-serving restaurant open, so we had Yadoro Wat and a cabbage dish whose name I can't remember.

After the meal, we went across the street to a thrift store Marlene had seen. I didn't spend a lot of time looking at anything but the books--and what a book selection! There are about half a dozen large bookshelves, and several sections--including a Hebrew-language section and a section of books about Japan and China. There were also quite a few reference volumes, and a handsome partial set of The Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant.

I bought two volumes by a Chinese author, Lin Yutang. They set me back $10--not exactly thrift store prices, it's true, but along the lines of what to expect from a used bookstore.

Marlene checked out the rest of the store while I browsed the books, so she'll write (or provide me with info) about that in the near future.

Find the Helping Hand Thrift Shop at 1033 S. Fairfax Avenue, near the intersection with San Vicente and Olympic. 323-857-1191. Open Sun-Thurs 10 - 6:30; Fri 10 until 2 hours before sundown. Closed Saturdays. Donations are tax-deductible.

Transit options include Metro Bus 28 (stops on Olympic), Metro Bus 305 (stops at Fairfax and San Vicente), and Metro Rapid Bus 20 (stops several blocks north at Wilshire and Fairfax).

Chroni's Famous Sandwich Shop

This easy-to-miss-if-you're-not-looking-for-it shop on Whittier Boulevard in East L.A. makes some A-plus hot dogs. Mustard, ketchup, and onions is all they put on the dog, and these are really all the dog needs. It's very flavorful, and cooked so perfectly that, as Marlene points out, it snaps when you bite it.
Marlene has been going here for years with her mom and grandparents. Apparently, her grandfather took her mom and aunts for a tasty snack in the years when Marlene was just a glimmer in various eyes. The shop has been owned by the same family (we assume that their name is Chroni) since its inception; today Ron, a hulking, mustached descendant of the founders, mans the counter. He is polite, and likes people, as Marlene's mom puts it, but he'll pass you over and take the next customer's order if you don't know what you want. He also adds up all the totals in his head--no need for a cash register here.
We each ordered a dog, a hamburger, and a grape soda. $15 and change for both of us, which isn't the cheapest meal in town, but for such a delicious one, certainly a reasonable bill. The hamburger, though perhaps not worthy of a Huell Howser special as is the hot dog, was quite good, and the grape soda tasty--though next time I'll opt for that noble and long-neglected cola, Royal Crown.
Jonathan Gold of the L.A. Times has written elegantly of Chroni's pastrami sandwich and chili fries. Also according to Gold, Los Lobos gives the shop a shout-out in its liner notes.

Find Chroni's Famous Sandwich Shop at 5825 Whittier Boulevard, near Keenan, and between Atlantic and Garfield. 323-728-7806; closed on Sundays. Cash only (at least until Ron figures out how to swipe a credit card in his head).

To take public transit to Chroni's, catch the Metro Rapid Bus 720 on Whittier. The same line runs along Wilshire west of downtown.

Pasadena Really Really Free Market

We attended the third installment of the Pasadena Really Really Free Market this morning. I found some books for myself as well as for my classroom, and Marlene found some great coffee cups and yarn among other things.
The idea of a Really Really Free Market is that you bring stuff you don't need and take whatever you like. As the Wikipedia entry puts it, it's an effort to "counteract capitalism in a non-reactionary way" by setting up a "temporary market based on an alternative gift economy." You can also find information about the philosophy behind the idea at the Really Really Free Market website.
Unfortunately, we didn't have any items with us to share this time, but we intend to go through the garage and my apartment and find some things to take to the next installment. I might take my chess board if it isn't too hot.

Find the Pasadena Really Really Free Market when it meets at the Bresee Nazarene Church parking lot, a 1480 E. Washington in, you guessed it, Pasadena. Check their blog for upcoming installments.

Public transit options include the Pasadena Arts 31 and 32 and the Metro Bus 256 and 268.

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This blog is intended to share information and opinions about places and activities in Los Angeles that are a bit outside the scope of what's generally considered "hip" or "trendy."