It never ceases to amaze me how little I have seen of California and how each new place I go to lately is its own little piece of paradise. Of course we have our inner city places, and our every increasing homeless problem, but our shoreline from south to north is pretty spectacular.
This week I was in San Clemente, a quaint beachside community with a population of about 65,000. It’s the
southernmost town in Orange County and rests midway between LA and San Diego. “The Spanish Village By The Sea” is the name it’s often given with its terra-cotta style housing and vines of bougainvillea everywhere. The beach is a bit pebble-y unfortunately but the laid-back vibe of the locals and the quaint coffee shops and non-chain restaurants definitely make up for it.
One of the most fun things to do on a Saturday morning is to attend the South OC Cars-and-Coffee event at the San Clemente Outlets, which runs 9am-11am. It’s exactly what it sounds like: wander round the parking lot checking out all the one-of-a-kind and vintage classic cars and drink coffee. And of course if you’re in the mood for a little retail therapy – you’ve hit the jackpot.
It’s a free family-friendly event and there are usually 500-600 hypercars, supercars, exotics, vintage, classic, muscle and sports cars, hot rods, rat rods, pickups, 4×4’s and motor cycles on display. Talk about car culture! Go check it out!
Our good friend and Brits in LA member Fred Hulls-McGovern has created a pop-up store at The Canyon Country Store (up Laurel Canyon and directly opposite Kirkwood) very close to the romantic restaurant Pace. What’s he serving you may ask? Only the world famous British dessert Eton Mess. But with a very clever wordplay his business is called Eatin’ Mess. Geddit? For the uninitiated, Eton Mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, broken meringue, and whipped double cream. First mentioned in print in 1893, it is commonly believed to originate from top boys school Eton College and is served at the annual cricket match against the pupils of Harrow School.
Well I’ve been lucky enough to sample Fred’s wares and I am incredibly impressed. For the summer he’s making it with ice-cream, which is very refreshing in this heat. But the fresh berries and the meringue are ever-present and makes me wanting more. Served in a compostable cup (the planet thanks you) and $7 a tub you really can’t go wrong. Unless you want more of it. Fred is building up the catering side of his business and has scored gigs at quite a few LA pool and garden parties, including a recent fundraiser for non other than presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Not too shabby! But it’s not just desserts for Fred, he is a full service chef and can do a right good proper British roast too. So if you are having an event any time soon I highly recommend him. He’s warm, friendly, British and cool under fire. What’s not to love?
Follow @eatin_mess on insta or contact Fred directly at fredhulls.pr@gmail.com. And who knows you could be eatin-mess right up till winter!
Keep cool and Bon Appetit!
Till next time
Craig
