California, here we come, episode 10. In which we surrender to Pink's.

Mari says I have an incredibly acute memory for minutiae (actually, it was more like an incredible memory for stupid details) and I'll be the first to admit that I tend to remember seemingly unimportant details like the cost of parking or what I paid for some relic on laundry Saturday thirty years ago or even that it was Wheel of Fortune I was watching when Mari first entered my life (Chicago-Indiana-Michigan, episode 1), but what is important to me is another man's junk, to paraphrase popular fleamarketing philosophy.  Unfortunately, we were only able to visit one flea during my five-day-birthday-weekend (I promise, that's the last time I'll hyphenate that), but it was indeed a great one.  I look forward to a revisit to the Long Beach Antique Market as well as a revisit to California some day.  San Francisco is on a list somewhere in the depths of my travel journal as is the second-Sunday Rose Bowl fleamarket.  Imagine a second-Sunday Rose Bowl flea, followed by a few days in San Francisco, then back to Long Beach for the third-Sunday?!

(Flea) Heaven.

Back to the current journey, though, because it's still the final day, the 2 Broke Girls are still broke, and (sound stage sandwich notwithstanding) Mari and I still haven't had lunch.  Or dinner.  That was all about to change with the final item to be crossed off my itinerary.

Now, I really don't eat hot dogs every day, of course.  Or meatloaf. I have been trying to eat healthier now that I'm 50, but traveling whets the appetite for new foodie experiences and what better way to experience a culture than to immerse oneself completely?

Here I am about to immerse myself in a chili dog at Pink's.

After leaving Warner Brothers we headed to the original Pink's Hot Dogs on LaBrea.  Pink's became an LA institution shortly after opening over 75 years ago and the original location near the intersection of North LaBrea and Melrose has become legendary for celebrity sightings.  Celebrities get cravings, too, and the open-early-open-late hours are perfect for busy A-listers and fleamarketer-tourists alike.  Pink's made our own LA A-list long ago after (you guessed it) seeing it featured on several Food Network programs.  An early sighting back in 2007 on an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay earned it a place on my "some day when we make it to LA" list.  A late-night lunch/dinner hot dog (or two) has now earned it a spot on the "next time we're in LA" list.

Pink's was still very active for a Tuesday night at 10:00 PM, but there was no line when we walked up to order.  Mari and I were fairly overwhelmed by the more than 30 temptalicious (take it for a spin before you pass grammatical judgment) hot dog combinations as well as a standard sampling of burgers and other tasty treats.  I stuck with what I consider the classics:  a basic Chili Cheese (lunch) and a Kraut Mustard (dinner). Part of Pink's legendary status has to do with their chili, which both Mari and I found to be fairly irresistible. Another aspect of the Pink's legend has to do with the hot dog's "snap" which is something I had never experienced in a hot dog and which I found quite enjoyable.  Along with Mari's own Chili Cheese (no raw onion sprinkles or we would probably not have been able to board our flight the next day), there was also the exotic temptation of the Guadalajara Dog (add relish, grilled onions, tomatoes, bacon, and sour cream to that snappy dog).

Having never been to Guadalajara, we were happy to see

such an "authentic" interpretation of Mexican cuisine on the menu.

Our long-delayed lunch and dinner at Pink's that last evening in LA were so good and savorily satisfying at the time--although not exactly the best time for a 50-year-old to have "dinner."  There are some celebrity-named hot dogs as well as lots of photos (presumably taken during the satisfaction of hot dog cravings) covering the walls inside although I really doubt Nicole Kidman has eaten an entire hot dog in her life and I was unfortunately forced to look at "celebrity" Kim Kardashian aiming a hot dog at her mouth the entire time. Hmmm.

Check out the detailed and colorful menu online for the full story.

pinkshollywood.com

I didn't want to leave LA without a final look back and without thanking my awesome wife for taking the time to indulge me as I marked a happily memorable occasion with happy memories once again.  She'll be the first to tell you that she didn't do anything, that she's just along for the ride, but her support and love and trust mean so much more than words and pictures (and the occasional piece of fleamarketed jewelry) can ever express.

Not even a fully-loaded Guadalajara Dog can convey my profound and sincere gratitude.

A recent revisit to a "local" favorite next time.