64. Best Sight L.A. for a First Man Date

In L.A. it is currently award season.

I appreciate those of you who have been following my "Bjork's Best Sights L.A Award" series.  I love you, man.  I am having a lot of fun creating the specific awards.

In life it is currently Valentine's Day as I write this blog post.  I always had it planned to include, as part of my "Hotel California Tour", sights from Venice that are location shots in the movie, "I Love You, Man"  The 2009 movie, "I Love You, Man" celebrated the bromance in a humorous way.  I loved this movie.  Scratch that.  I love this movie.  

I am also a huge fan of the obscure.  If you consider Valentine's Day a day to celebrate and share love in general, then in my mind celebrating the bromance is an obscure angle to write about on this day for love.

One of the things I enjoyed about the Venice location shots in the movie is that...wait...let me back up a moment.  I put it out there that I am an original Cali-girl, an original SoCal gal born in the City of Champions, Inglewood.  Considering my family moved away from this area (and just about as far away in the U.S.A. as possible) to Medway, Mass when I was five, when I moved back to SoCal in 2004 I seemed to experience a sort of surrealness.  Please let me explain.

For just about forty years most of my idea of SoCal was what I saw portrayed on TV or in the movies.  Fantasy.  Then to live in L.A. and experience many of these sights on almost a daily basis was sort of like fantasy coming to life.  Lately I find it fun to watch TV or a movie with L.A. locations and somewhat smugly (yes, I admit it) acknowledge to my self "been there, done that".

Now imagine me watching the "I Love You, Man" movie seeing the illusion is the main characters, Peter and Sidney, spend time together in Venice, California.  For instance, their first man date at James' Beach.  I watched the scene and thought to myself, "What!  I've never noticed a James' Beach in Venice.  Let me check this out."

Lo and behold, next time I went to the beach area in Venice (okay, first I Googled James' Beach and found out exactly where it is located, 60 North Venice Boulevard) I had to take a peek.

I also found my self wondering, "Okay, James' Beach exists.  Why haven't I noticed it before?"

Watch the video.  Note across the street from James' Beach is one of the tallest buildings in Venice with a painting of a footless Abbot Kinney that spans almost the entire height of the building.  Abbot Kinney is a celebrated, historic Venice developer.  Were you thinking it too?  "What would Abbot Kinney have thought about bromance?"  I digress.

I mention this painting because I thought maybe I was so busy looking at it that I never noticed James' Beach across the street.  Truth for me is the real reason is when I go to Venice, I rarely find a reason to leave the beach and/or Ocean Front Walk.  While James' Beach is barely a block from "the Walk", it is not on the walk.

My first James' Beach sighting was during the day.  This restaurant opens at 5 pm with the kitchen opening for food ordering at 6 pm.  In the movie, Peter is warned not to have dinner any more on first man dates.  Unless you go there simply to drink at the bar, dinner is the only meal available at James' Beach.

Knowing I wanted to write about this sight, I went back and forth in my mind about my own personal due diligence.  I had vowed to my self I wouldn't write about something I didn't personally experience.  In my mind, technically, I had not experienced James' Beach since I hadn't eaten there.  I would have to go back.

I stepped into James' Beach at about 5:30 pm on a Wednesday.  I was about the only person in the place.  I was warmly welcomed as one of the wait staff explained to me I could order something to drink, but nothing to eat until the kitchen opened at 6 pm.

I stepped out to get a newspaper to have something to occupy my self with while I waited for 6 pm.  I returned about 5:45 and ordered a draft beer.  So far.  So good.

 

I perused the menu deciding what I would order so I was ready.  You know?  In case all of a sudden 150 people showed up at the door for the 6 pm kitchen opening.  Anything is possible.  Then I cracked open the newspaper looking for the Sudoku puzzle.  Another gentleman sitting at the other end of the bar, also alone, asked if he could have the front section of my L.A. Times.  Sure.  Why not?  The sudoku puzzle was not in the front section.

I was working my puzzle.  I watched as the bartender fussed with the twinkle lights on the palm tree close to the bar.  I listened while the man, introducing himself to the bartender as Christopher, I gave the front section of my paper to commented to the bartender, "I had to return to James' Beach because the pork chop was the best I ever had."  Christopher further commented to emphasize his sincerity, "And I never say such things."

Tick tock.  Six o'clock.

Tick tock.  I successfully finished my puzzle and am currently reading the section about the upcoming Academy Awards.  6:05.  6:10.  My beer, almost finished, refused to be nursed along much longer.  No James' Beach employee asked me if I want to hear the specials, order another beverage or order what I'd already decided to order from the menu.  If you are wondering, my choice was not the highly lauded in "I Love You, Man" fish tacos, which are the Tuesday special.  I figured they were a given.  Plus, I like fish tacos, but they are not a fave.

Tick Tock.  Six Fifteen.  Now a half hour since I ordered my beer.  

Granted I was by myself.  Granted I was wearing a hoodie and a House of Blues cap.  Granted I am not of the male persuasion or a man date couple.  Yet, I had made it clear I wished to order as soon as the kitchen opened.  And most importantly in my mind in these so called tough economic times, my cash money is just as green and legal tender, In God We Trust, as anybody's.  So, I fished some of my green, legal tender out of my purse to cover the price of the beer, tax and a tip.  I threw the money on the bar next to my empty beer glass and walked out.

At this point in my life I understand that just because I had a less than stellar experience at James' Beach, doesn't mean you will.  Still.  I will not personally recommend this restaurant as a "Bjork's Best" sight.  So today's blog post is sort of a "Psych" for no award will be given.

About now you may be thinking, "Wow!  Lori!  This is Valentine's Day.  Where is the love?"

My reply, "Every where."  I loved the movie.  I loved having an excuse to visit Venice.  I loved having an excuse to try something new.  And I would have loved giving James' Beach an award.  But I honor and love my self too.  And I love my self enough to be true to me first.

Here's to love.  Here's to celebrating and sharing love.  Here's to celebrating and sharing the sights of L.A.

Ahhh!  It feels good to celebrate the sights of L.A.

Happy Valentine's Day.

P.S.  Video shows walking from Ocean Walk Park along North Venice Boulevard to James' Beach.  Enjoy!