We were meeting a friend at the new cafe in the Huntington Library and gardens in Pasadena. Jen is a member so we got to be guests. Sweet. I was here 2 years ago with UK Sarah and I was not expecting such a transformation. There is an amazing new visitor complex with a series of outdoor rooms that are a great showcase of what you can do in a dry climate without sacrificing grace and beauty.
The cafe reminded us of the Google cafes–even the dish collection system. I chose the teriyaki chicken stir fry. Connie and Jen chose the salads with pizza. It was 96 degrees outside so we ate in the cafe. We still had great views.
Jen had to go prep for a dinner party so we strolled through the gardens to the Library. I have always prioritized the gardens and so this was the first time I enjoyed the rare book collection, including the Magna Carta. It also helped that it is beautifully air conditioned!
We also checked out the house with the Huntington’s art collection. As always it skews toward romantic French furnishings. I love the collection of Gainsborough portraits. Again, hooray for air conditioning.
We continued our stroll through gardens and we found some shady paths back to the gift shop. I am a connoisseur of museum gift shops and this one ranks up there with the NY Botanical Gardens or Buckingham Palace. That is, two thumbs up.
Another plus, they do not charge for parking and they have a small cafe right by the exit so we could grab some mini scones and cold water on our way out.
Other notes on our stay in Los Angeles
My friend Connie and I are in Los Angeles to celebrate Christie’s milestone: completing a masters degree! We flew into Burbank airport from SFO and SMF. It is one of the I have not been to Burbank airport in a while and I was delighted to see they replaced the stairs with a ramp. So while you still exit the plane outside it is a lot easier to handle my carry-ons.
We are staying at the hip and chic Elan Hotel in the Fairfax district near the Beverly Center. Our friend Jen recommended the restaurant Gusto. The Italian food was the best I have eaten in a very long time. The steak was amazing. Oh, did I mention that it was not steak we ordered. Our next-table-neighbors shared their food and we shared ours so we got more tastes! The 16 oz steak special was intimidating so Connie and I went for the Mary’s chicken and cappeccelli. We were completely full but I never say no to pie. The coconut gelato pie on a bed of chocolate sauce was perfect.
We went with our new friends Steve and Jodi to find a nightcap. We checked out several places on 3rd Street. Several places were serving dinner in their bars. We even crashed a grand opening party at Matiere, a hip men’s clothing store. Jodi talked her way into gift bags for all, but we moved on to Goldies and finally found space at the bar. Our adorable bartender from Melbourne made tasty cocktails. Connie said her martini was excellent.
Time to go back to The Elan and our quiet room for some good sleep.
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