Gloria's Cocina Mexicana

A great part of living in Downey is being able to go to Gloria's Cocina Mexicana restaurant. Tonight, we enjoyed their three-choice combination plate. It included a chili relleno, cheese enchilada, and a taquito, rice and beans. Check out their website here.



They are family friendly and serve generous portions. Denise and Ernesto allowed me to show off their freshly prepared fajitas.



They make their own corn tortillas on premises and serenade you to mariachi music. Go and enjoy a great dinner and tell them Downey Daily Photos sent you.

To tip or not to tip

Hiding a service fee notice in the spooky decor doesn't make me feel any better about it.

As the minimum wage rises, restaurants and fast food places are struggling to find ways to cut expenses or increase income to stay profitable. Some are raising their prices. Others are adding a service fee to your bill. (And some are doing both.)

Unlike a tip, which goes only to the people who wait on you, a service fee can be used to compensate all employees, including the cooks and dishwashers who don't typically get to share in the tips. The reports I read seem to agree that restaurant staff people are supportive of this practice. Service fees are common in Europe and replace the tip.

This particular notice isn't clear on whether it will be given to the employees are not. Leaving me with the question—to tip or not to tip.

Cuban fusion

I discovered a new cafe in Downey—Caña by Tropicana Cafe. It is located on the corner of Firestone and Old River School Road.

They serve Cuban fusion and the menu choices make it really hard to decide what to eat. I ordered a couple of the sliders and a side of yucca fries. Here is a picture of the Ropa Vieja slider with some of my fries. Dinner was amazing.

"I am not a glutton, I am an explorer of food."
~ Irma Bombeck

Food for the stomach, food for the eye

Bonnie and I are in France for the next two weeks. We have been in Annecy for the past few days and enjoying every minute.

Except when the voice on the car's GPS didn't say anything about the direction of an upcoming Y in the road until the last second. By the time she said it and I obeyed it, I had to cross over the solid white line that divided the two paths. We followed the path which took us on a sharp turn that took us up to an overcrossing. We had to slow down because of several cars ahead of us. When we got the the top, two policemen were walking across the street and when it was our turn, they motioned us to pull over onto the sidewalk. He wanted my license, car registration, insurance, and my passport. He said he was watching from up above and saw me pull across the solid white line. I told him, "I know, but the GPS lady didn't tell us anything until we just got there." He said those things tell you of stuff half a mile ahead. I said, "Not this one!" I think he could sense my frustration because he let me go with a warning instead of the $100 fine.

We ate at the La Galejade restaurant tonight. We had some local dish called escalope savoyarde. This is "gratinated chicken in the oven with reblochon cheese" served with french fries. It was delicious. The view of the Le Thiou river was captivating.



For most of the day, we had a storm going through. Around 8:00 pm the sky cleared and we got some great pictures of Lake Annecy with the Alps in the background.

Bon voyage

Steve and his wife Bonnie are heading off to France tomorrow, visiting many of the same places that Joan and I saw just a couple of weeks ago. So we met at Mimi's tonight to share some information and tips, over a cup of hot chocolate with an extra portion of whipped cream.

"I love days when my only problem is coffee or chocolate."

New beginnings, BRB

Walking in uptown today, we noticed activity in the Mi Cielo restaurant. The sign out front says, "Coming Soon. Barriles Restobar". So, I went in for a closer look to see if the change had happened.

I talked with Simon, a worker, who told me that the new restaurant, BRB, had their grand opening last Thursday. They are now open Thursday through Sunday. They have a new chef with his own style, and live music on Sunday on the upstairs patio. Check it out soon and let us know how you liked it.

Dinner before the theater

This last Sunday, a group of us went to the Cinemark Theater in the Downey Promenade for some afternoon entertainment. We stopped at Ruby's Diner for a delicious hamburger before the show. We ate out on their patio to take in the beautiful sky and to watch the passers-by. Stop by Ruby's and have a leisurely Sunday lunch some time.

"The sky is an infinite movie to me. I never get tired of looking at what's happening up there."
~ K. D. Lang

Celebrate the luck of the Irish

Music, dancing and a whole lot of green...that and more will be happening tonight at Joseph's Grill in downtown Downey. I spoke with one of the managers this afternoon and he listed off an amazing number of performances and events going on in celebration of Saint Paddy's Day this evening.





“Yeah, it's St. Paddy's Day. Everyone's Irish tonight."
~ quote from the Boondock Saints

Going for the gold

Many people go to a crowded sports bar to watch their favorite sport on TV. My daughter and I, on the other hand, enjoyed the quiet and calm atmosphere at Bob's Big Boy Restaurant, where we could watch one of the Olympic figure skating competitions while we had dinner.

Hold that space

Downtown Downey is bustling late on a Friday night. All the restaurants are filled with couples dining and dancing, and the streets are filled with their cars. There's not a free parking space within blocks. All of wich has the valet parking attendant at the Mi Cielo restaurant keeping a watchful eye out.

It's all about the food

I was walking through Downey Gateway as I waited for my to-go order from Bluewave Fish Grill and spotted one of my favorite places—Porto's. Here a little less than 7 years, it has become a Downey icon. I have to admit, just looking at it makes me crave a potato ball!

By the way, I ordered the tilapia with grilled veggies—it was yummy!

"One can not think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well." 
~ Virginia Woolf

Pancakes

If you get there early enough, you can beat the crowds at IHOP. For Veterans Day this year, IHOP gave out complimentary pancakes to honor the service of our veterans and active military men and women.

"The Boat"

Tonight, dinner was at La Barca Cantina and Grill. I had chicken in mole sauce, it was quite yummy.

The patio dining was much improved over the previous outdoor setting. The experience was a little loud with a live band and roaming musicians. But for me, it is all about the food.

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”
~ Luciano Pavarotti

Elep-ilable

The Elephant Bar restaurant was one of the original restaurants in Downey Landing when the shopping center opened in 2006. It recently closed, a victim of its parent company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. All that's left of its name is "ELEP," partially showing through the banner advertising the site's availability.

Here's hoping for a classy new restaurant to take its place.

Vintage aircraft and diners

Ruby's Diner, at the Promenade, is built on the site of the old Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation. Their decor, with its models and posters of vintage aircraft, pays tribute to the site's aeronautical heritage.

Tom's Jr arrives

Tom's Jr recently opened in Downey on Florence Ave. I had noticed its progress a few weeks before, but was reminded about them when I got a coupon in the mail that offered several different meals at a great price. So...part of DDP went to scout it out.

Tom's is a small, local chain, with locations in Compton, Los Angeles, Lynwood, and South Gate. They serve a variety of traditional American and Mexican food. Even without the coupon, the prices are reasonable and the serving sizes are large. The food was great—I've returned for more since that first time.

Plus, they have a lot of fun decorations on the walls. Always an important aspect of any dining experience!

Macarons and more macarons

One of the things I like about Downey is its proximity to so many places. We are freeway-close to downtown Los Angeles. In fact, it is less than 15 miles from my house to Bottega Louie Restaurant (7th & Grand). Tonight I joined some coworkers for an amazing dinner there.

What a fun evening! Great small plates to start, we ordered and devoured octopus, calamari, crab beignets and, of course, pommes frites. After seeing so many dessert choices when we first entered the restaurant, we could not leave without having dessert. So, we chose a few to sample. I'm thinking there are more trips in my future, there are still so many more goodies to taste!




“People who love to eat are always the best people.”
~ Julia Child

Vazza Cafe

Vazza Cafe is located just outside the north entrance of the Downey Library. With plenty of outdoor seating and our recent pleasant weather, it seems the perfect place to read a good book while enjoying your favorite latte. You can check out their Facebook page here.

They also deliver in this cute little golf cart. Give them a call and support a local Downey business.

“I don't really like coffee, she said, but I don't really like it when my head hits my desk when I fall asleep either. ”
~ Brian Andreas

Is Lazy Dog for the dogs?

You bet! With their dog-friendly patio and their special doggie menu, dogs get a warm welcome at the Lazy Dog restaurant in the Promenade.

One of the doggie rules is "no begging." Of course, no one said, "no  looking intently, longingly, and silently into your master's eyes." Because even though these pups had food of their own, everyone knows that what's on the table is way better than what's under it.

Outside, looking in

We have been waiting since last year for Mi Cielo to open. Tonight, I saw what looked like new employees being orientated (as I peeked through the glass door). At least that is what I'm hoping. I look forward to fine food and rooftop dining.