Back in the late 1980s, there was a Peacock Restaurant on Lake Boulevard near… oh dear. Femme de Joie was about to say it was near Timber Lanes, but that bowling alley had closed up by that time. So it was near Joann’s Fabric… but that’s moved twice since then. Well…. it was in the strip mall that is fronted by A&W (which M. de Joie thinks of as ( Read more... )

Redding and Anderson have their share of what Maman de Joie called “hard-luck spots” - places where businesses opened optimistically, closed quietly, and another business moved in rapidly - lather, rinse, repeat. For whatever reason, those locations seemed almost cursed, Bermuda Triangles of hopes and dreams that disappeared into the nether world ( Read more... )

Some 20-odd years ago, Femme de Joie had a close gal pal who lived near the Perko’s in Westwood Village. If we were out and about doing Girl Stuff, she’d often say, “Let’s grab a bite at Perko’s.” The options in that area being severely limited, M. de Joie went along with this, but was invariably underwhelmed. The food wasn’t inedible; it was ( Read more... )

When Casa Ramos closed in early 2009, La Casa Cuevas immediately opened in the same spot. Childress not being a main artery, and La Casa Cuevas not being part of a chain, the restaurant seems to be somewhat out of sight, out of mind to potential customers who come off I-5 or are staying at a nearby motel. Femme de Joie has visited several times and ( Read more... )

Generally Femme de Joie doesn't linger long in Anderson. It's a place she passes through on her way to someplace else. But recently she was bopping around the environs looking at thrift stores and second-hand junque places (junque being high-class junk) when, feeling peckish, she decided to take a chance on El Paraiso ( Read more... )