Who wouldn't love it? Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and a Disney Princess, all mingling about with the tourists at Grauman's Chinese. A a chili-burger at the Original Tommy's (at Beverly and Rampart). The best reuben, EVER, at Canter's, along with a fabulous story about pickles, the basement and smoking dope from the waiter. Searching for Paul Mazursky at the Farmer's Market and seeing Illiana Douglas instead. The biggest damn Book Expo ever!! Oh... and being live on KABC radio. I LOVE L.A.!!!!
It was a jolly good time for producer Darlene, Publisher Nicholas Beatty and me as we took in the sights of LA whilst participating in the largest Book Expo in North America . We spent nights at the Royal Pagoda Motel (2 blocks from the entrance to Chinatown, and thank goodness for the HUGE walk-in closet), and days at the 810,000 square foot LA convention center along with 49,997 other people. So much excitement, so many great experiences!
Nicholas had been to LA several times, but this time was the first for Darlene. And of course I was born and raised in SoCal, and worked at KHJ in LA, so this was like coming home for me. A home that had been reconstructed and refurbished in my absence... but it was home nonetheless.
Darlene and I drove from New Mexico (altho truth be known, she did all the highway driving). We had lunch with my father at El Cielito Lindo restaurant, where the highways collide in S. El Monte. This restaurant is famous for the mariachi groups who perform there, including the only all-female mariachi group. Originally, however, the restaurant was called the Jolly Jug, and our family spent many a Friday night there eating pastramis and reubens, with bowls and bowls of soft pickles served by Linda, the best waitress ever. I've never had pickles like them since. Even at Canters. But then, Canter's pickles have their own notoriety.
Most people who come to the Book Expo stay in high rise hotels near the site of the expo. Except if you decide to go at too late of a date to get a reservation at one of them. And too late would be anything more recent than 6 months prior to the event. We decided to go five days prior.
Since we were driving, we had a little more flexibility in where we decided to stay. B
ut I wanted Darlene's trip to be a memorable one, so when I saw the Royal Pagoda Motel getting good reviews at Hotels.com... and the price was right... I went for it. How can you not love a clean motel, 2 blocks from Chinatown?? And besides, Miss Universe 1965 stayed there, and beautiful Chinese starlet Josephine Siao was also a visitor.
Of course the fact that no one there spoke English only added to the charm. (Well, that's not exactly right. There are about 4 or 5 guys who seem to own the place, and they spoke in varying levels of English.) Dapper James was there when we checked in. I never learned the names of any of the others, but Mr. Smokes (because I never saw him without a cigarette) was the one who navigated me in to the tight parking spaces and lent me the iron (with a $10 deposit because everyone kept taking the irons with them when they left).
Since we were driving, we had a little more flexibility in where we decided to stay. B
ut I wanted Darlene's trip to be a memorable one, so when I saw the Royal Pagoda Motel getting good reviews at Hotels.com... and the price was right... I went for it. How can you not love a clean motel, 2 blocks from Chinatown?? And besides, Miss Universe 1965 stayed there, and beautiful Chinese starlet Josephine Siao was also a visitor.Of course the fact that no one there spoke English only added to the charm. (Well, that's not exactly right. There are about 4 or 5 guys who seem to own the place, and they spoke in varying levels of English.) Dapper James was there when we checked in. I never learned the names of any of the others, but Mr. Smokes (because I never saw him without a cigarette) was the one who navigated me in to the tight parking spaces and lent me the iron (with a $10 deposit because everyone kept taking the irons with them when they left).
The room had an air conditioner that never shut off (except at the plug) and a closet the size of my house. And it was two blocks from Chinatown. Have I mentioned that?
Chinatown seems to be going through death, or rebirth, I haven't decided which. A lot of the shops were closing and it didn't look as though new ones were coming in. The Wonder Bakery is still a wonder, and the shops with their close aisles are still jam-packed with buddhas, fans, scarves, ivory and jade earrings and lots and lots of stuff you just don't need. But you buy anyway.
We chose Hop Louie's for dinner the first night, and several nights after. It's a landmark at Chinatown, with it's formal upstairs dining room and the look of every 1950's B detective movie in the downstairs bar. I could almost hear the bad dialogue. The food was fresh and plentiful, and Lilly the waitress was friendly and funny. And best of all, it was only two blocks from the Royal Pagoda.
Part two of the Book Expo Adventure in the next post.
Ciao bella for now,
XX
P
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