Last week my Facebook feed lit up with the news that the Proud Bird Restaurant, an aviation-themed restaurant by Los Angeles International Airport for 48 years, will be closing effective November 21, 2013. Apparently they are closing because the landlords, Los Angeles World Airports, want to increase the rent to such an extent that the restaurant cannot afford to stay open. As the Proud Bird and I go back about 35 years and Tanya and I had been talking about going to a champagne brunch anyway, we decided that we would go for one last brunch at the Proud Bird yesterday since we already have plans for next week.
I could not count the number of brunches I have gone to at the Proud Bird as we used to get a group of friends to ride over there almost every Sunday for a few years. There was a pretty decent crowd yesterday, which I guess was the reason for the slower than usual service; or it could be that the employees know their time there is dwindling so there is not a lot of enthusiasm. After a couple glasses of champagne, the wait did not seem too bad and as least I could say we were there at the end.
The last champagne brunch at the Proud Bird will be Sunday November 17; if you want to be there for the last one, I recommend getting there early (they open at 9:00 AM) and stick around the hostess\’ desk. They may tell you there is a 20 minute wait, but it will likely be shorter and if they call your name and you are not there, they will move on to the next party. The brunch is $38.00 for adults and $17.50 for children. They have a wide variety of foods available and the champagne is poured freely, so have a good time but drink responsibly. The Proud Bird Restaurant is located at 11022 Aviation Blvd in Los Angeles just north of Imperial Highway. Continue reading
These photos are from Saturday afternoon at Ed\’s Stumble Inn where they hosted TJ Brutal Customs\’ First Annual Get to the Choppers Inaugural Bike Show and Charity Raffle. The fundraiser benefited Vision2Victory, a 501(c)(3) charity that gives back to the military community. The centerpiece of the event was the raffle for a custom Honda motorcycle built by TJ Stiles; with paint by Department of Customz, handlebars by Noise Cycles, leather work by Lower Class Leather, a gas tank by Paughco, grips and pegs by Hippy Killer and a fender by Lowbrow Customs, with the velocity stack and custom exhaust by TJ Brutal Customs.
Attendees were treated to lots of visuals with the bikes, cars and babes as well as numerous vendors and a food truck or two. Of course, Ed\’s Stumble Inn had plenty of liquid refreshments available for those that were into that kind of thing. It was nice to see craft beer making an appearance there.
If you read this in time and are in the area, Monday November 11, Johnny\’s Saloon will be having a Veteran\’s Day car show at the Huntington Beach Pier, also benefiting Vision2Victory. It runs from 8:00AM – 4:00PM. The weather has been great, should be a nice day for the beach. Continue reading
As I mentioned a couple months ago, I volunteered to help give the Torrance Rose Float Association (TRFA) some additional exposure to assist them in their fundraising efforts so the City of Torrance can be represented at the next Tournament of Roses Parade. A couple nights ago I heard that the TRFA needed volunteers to run their booth at the 2013 Torrance Annual Halloween Carnival, so Tanya stepped up to take care of their booth for a couple hours. Judging by the photos, she had as much fun as the kids playing the game.
The City of Torrance no longer provides public funds for entering a float in the Rose Parade, but relies on private donations to the Torrance Rose Float Association, a 501(c)(3) organization. The TRFA is looking for help with many activities that need to be done throughout the year. If you are interested in volunteering help or want to make donations, please visit the TRFA website at http://www.torrancerosefloat.com/.
The Halloween Carnival was held at Charles Wilson Community Park, 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard in Torrance, on October 31, 2013. Continue reading