Checking Out Fleming’s “5 for $6 ’til 7″ Happy Hour, Prime Burger, and More
Fleming's Woodland Hills
After watching a day worth of glutinous food programming on the Travel Channel I was really hungry for something big, delicious, and if at all possible, greasy. I remember that I had a $20 gift card for Fleming’s that I acquired during the holidays. I also remembered that they do a seven-days-a-week happy hour special in their bar area called 5 for $6 ’til 7. That’s 5 cocktails, 5 appetizers, and five wines by the glass for $6 each. They also offer their Prime Burger for $6.00. That’s an amazing deal. Check it out:
5 COCKTAILS
WHITE COSMO, Ketel One Vodka
APPLETINI, Grey Goose Vodka
FLEMING’S CLASSIC, Ketel One Vodka
MARGATINI, Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila
TROPICAL MARTINI, Malibu Coconut Rum5 WINES BY THE GLASS*
PINOT GRIGIO, Redbank, Australia
CHARDONNAY, Glen Carlou, South Africa
PINOT NOIR, Mark West, California
PETITE SIRAH, Vinum, California
CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 14 Hands, Washington5 APPETIZERS
TENDERLOIN CARPACCIO, Creole Mustard Sauce
SWEET CHILI CALAMARI
WICKED CAJUN BARBECUE SHRIMP
SEARED AHI TUNA, Spicy Mustard Sauce
JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKES, Red Pepper SauceNEW FLEMING’S PRIME BURGER, Cheese and Bacon
Each Selection $6. Served Nightly Until 7PM.
Available 7 nights a week at all Fleming’s except where prohibited by law.
Hours and offerings subject to change in compliance with local or state liquor laws.
So, appetite in tow I headed over to Fleming’s (6373 Topanga Canyon Blvd.) at around 5pm. Keep it mind that it’s a Sunday, however the place was surprisingly busy, but not packed. I was however, easily able to get a seat at the bar. It really picked up about 30 minutes after I got there and the bar got full.
Fleming's Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
I usually only drink when I plan to get fully obliterated, so I didn’t partake of any cocktail specials. I did, however, order the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. They were flavorful, huge, and contained lots of crab meat. I will be back for more of these, that you can guarantee.
Fleming's Prime Burger
Next up, they delivered my Prime Burger – 8 oz. of prime beef (cooked rare and bleeding, by my command) with bacon, bleu cheese, “Served with a Mini Wedge and Fleming’s Signature Onion Rings.” Honestly, this burger was awesome. It was juicy, and just greasy enough to really satisfy that urge that has been boiling inside me. There are several cheeses you can get it with, but my selection of bleu cheese allowed me to evaluate it against the Bleu Cheeseburger at Gaucho Grill. And, to be honest, it definitely gives Gaucho’s offering a run for it’s money. And, hello, it’s $6.00 people. That’s AMAZING. Those onion rings were pretty good too, but after devouring the burger I only had room for one of them.
Fleming's Walnut Turtle Pie
Simply put the 5 for $6 ’til 7 deal has to be one of the best happy hours in the West Valley. I had a few bucks left on my $20 gift card, and rather than letting it go to waste I picked up a delicious slice of Walnut Turtle Pie (homemade caramel, walnuts and chocolate baked in a chocolate pie crust) to take home. I’m still buzzing from the sugar high. 
Popularity: 18%
What Is The Best “Pig Out” Place In Woodland Hills? Is there one?
Man vs. Food makes me very hungry.
I’ve spent the majority of my morning watching a Man vs Food marathon on the Travel Channel. It is making me extremely hungry. So, I pose this question to the readers of this blog, “What is tbe best ‘pig out’ place in Woodland Hills? And, is there one? I’ll even settle for all of the west valley. Is there a ridiculously big burrito somewhere? A gigantic hamburger? An over the top pizza? Anything? Leave your suggestions in the comments.
Popularity: 12%
Checking Out Topanga Pizza’s Delicious Cuisine
Topanga Pizza & Cafe has been serving up traditional neighborhood Italian cuisine in the west San Fernando Valley for a long time time now. In fact, it’s been at its current location at 22994 Ventura Blvd since 1995, and according to what I could find on Google, it was opened in a previous location on Topanga Canyon Blvd. even before that. Certainly, they must be doing something right!
I’ve always lived at the eastern edge of Woodland Hills, which puts me at the opposite end of town from Topanga Pizza. That being said, I haven’t been all that often. So, recently I made a specific effort to check the place out a couple of times.
The Baked Mostaccioli was so good I actually went back to have it again. It really is a true classic that reminds me old school Italian meals that I used to have back in the old country. Well, by old country I mean South Florida where I grew up. The sauce is great, the cheese is wonderful, and you should get the meat balls added on for $1.95 because they are delicious!
With every meal they serve up two delicious garlic knots that will leave you craving more. I also checked out the Crispy Calamari appetizer, which was great, too! On another visit, I had Penne Carbonara – for the sake of some variety, since what I was really craving was that Mostaccioli again – and it was also very good, and very filling.
I’m not sure if Topanga Pizza is hip to the whole wacky Internet fad, as they don’t seem to have a website, an official Facebook page, a twitter account, or any of those new fangled inventions.
But if you haven’t been yet, I suggest you definitely drop by and check the place out.
Popularity: 8%
From Nixle: 3 People Shot At Mason & Valerio (Winnetka)
Just minutes ago from the Nixle system and LAPD Topanga:
3 victims shot at Valerio/Mason, suspects last seen in a dark Impala w/b Valerio 1 hour ago. Injuries not life threatening.
That’s just not good. Keep your eyes peeled for human garbage.
Popularity: 8%
ABC7 Trailer Sign Coverage From January 27th’s Broadcast
I had a chance to watch this segment (see above) on ABC7 last night, and I must admit it was really uninformative. They tell you there is a dispute, and it’s about trailers, but they never really get to the legal basis for the standoff. Basically, you have the trailers and the underlying notion of a disagreement on whether Los Angeles’ law about parking of unattached trailers is legal or not. The trailer owners treat them as vehicles, therefore the 3 day maximum parking duration in one place rule applies. However, there is a specific ordinance treating trailers as something other than a normal vehicle, and thereby prohibiting them from being parked on city streets entirely.
Now, the video never really gets that information to you about what exactly the legal component of the dispute is, other than residents don’t like them and the people that own them say they’re legal. They get a little lost on Dennis Zine and the cartoon character-esque cowboy hat wearing proprietor of Lone Star Security Bruce Boyer. It seems at the core of the trouble there is a disagreement on the state laws vs local laws on the issue.
Dennis Zine may be able to act as though he’d like to appease upset residents on the issue, but since the city does not seem to be busting hump to tow trailers, there must be some debate at the administrative levels regarding the validity of the the city’s trailer parking laws. You’d figure if they could be constantly towing them and collecting the fines they would, as the city is beyond desperate for cash.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Mobile billboards: they’re popping up everywhere. Viewers told Eyewitness News it bugs them when these ads park in front of their homes or apartments.
They’re popping up all over the place, advertising anything from attorneys to alarm companies to tarot card readers. These mobile ads are very visible — and to some, very annoying.
“We’ve received hundreds of complaints. The number one complaint I get in my district is mobile billboards,” said L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine.
Eyewitness News received a number of e-mails complaining about them as well. Viewers say it’s just more clutter on the roads, and it bugs them when these advertisements are parked in front of homes and apartments and stay there for days.
“People are fed up with them,” said Zine. “They are vandalized, they turn over in the wind. They are a real nuisance in the community.”
There is even a dispute about what to call them: “mobile billboards” or “trailer signs.”
Some don’t want to call them trailers because they fall into a different category according to the vehicle code.
“The issue is: Am I obeying the law? And I am obeying the law,” said mobile billboard proprietor Bruce Boyer.
Boyer is the owner of Lone Star Security. He has dozens of billboards all over the San Fernando Valley. He’s one of several companies that use the mobile ads. He says he gets several parking violations every day.
“The city says you can park here,” said Boyer. “My vehicle is no more clutter than your news van is.”
The main complaint the city gets is that these billboards are left on a street for days. The state vehicle code and local regulations allow any vehicle to stay parked on a road for 72 hours. But after that, if they’re not moved they can be cited or even towed.
“What the individuals do is they move them. They move them a few feet,” said Zine. “They don’t have to move them any great distance. They’ll move them a couple of inches. And they’re basically irritating the neighborhoods.
The city of Los Angeles changed its laws and banned unhitched trailers. Boyer, who’s suing the city, protested by putting billboards right next to some of those signs.
“I have a license plate. The state of California says I can operate on any street or highway in the state. I have every right that everybody else does,” said Boyer.
City officials say they’ve heard your complaints and will use them in their fight to eliminate the signs. For now the battle of the billboards continues on our streets and in court.
Popularity: 7%
ABC7 To Air Segment On Trailer Signs Wednesday At 11PM
Lone Star Security Sign
An astute reader, 911jason, comments:
Just saw a promo for Eyewitness News on channel 7, they’re doing a story on these mobile billboards Wednesday, January 27th at 11pm. They showed brief clips featuring Dennis Zine and a guy wearing a cowboy hat, who I’m guessing is the Lone Star Security guy.
I indeed saw the same promo, and will try to tune in tomorrow to catch the segment. In my January 23rd post on this subject, another commenter pointed out that it is illegal to park detached trailers in the city of Los Angeles, which I confirmed on the LADOT’s website:
Parking an unattached semi-trailer on any street is prohibited, except for semi-trailers used for carrying personal property or for recreational purposes.
Note from Girard: A semi-trailer is any trailer that requires the support of a towing vehicle to carry it’s weight. These sign trailers are semi-trailers.
It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, the segment reveals. In the teaser, they showed a shot of a sign exactly like the one I photographed on Saturday (above).
Popularity: 7%
LA City Council Passes Pot Ordinance
Well, you can rest assured that this will lead to many, many lawsuits before there is a real resolution. I’m sure the saddest people involved in this are the real commercial real estate owners that will end up with many vacant storefronts. Maybe.
In a 9-3 vote, the Los Angeles City Council today gave its final approval to an ordinance that will shut down hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries and impose strict rules on the location and operation of the dispensaries that are allowed.
The measure passed quickly, without debate.
The ordinance, which the council first began discussing more than 4 1/2 years ago, will cap the number of dispensaries at 70 but make an exception to allow all those that registered with the city in 2007 and have remained open. City officials believe that number is around 150.
Hundreds of dispensaries have opened in Los Angeles as the City Council debated its proposed ordinance and failed to enforce a moratorium on new dispensaries. City officials believe there are more than 500 that will be required to close under the ordinance, but some are already preparing to sue the city and collect signatures to force a referendum on the ordinance.
The ordinance also requires dispensaries to be at least 1,000 feet from other dispensaries and so-called sensitive uses, such as schools, parks and libraries. Among other restrictions, dispensaries will be required to close at 8 p.m. and will not be permitted to allow marijuana use at the stores.
The ordinance will not take effect until after Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signs it and the City Council approves the fees that dispensaries will have to pay to cover the city’s cost of monitoring. City officials are studying those costs and expect to propose the fees soon.
Once the ordinance is in place, the city attorney’s office will send letters to affected landlords and dispensary operators telling them that they must close immediately. If the dispensaries remain open, the city attorney’s office likely will take them to court.
– John Hoeffel at City Hall
As you might imagine there are tons of comments both ways on the article. Even if you’re for pot smoking, pot legalization, etc. you should be angry at the city for not enforcing any guidelines on the dispensaries and allowing hundreds upon hundreds of them to be opened – many of them in Woodland Hills. Welcome to the totally ineffective and incompetent government of the City of Los Angeles, and State of California.
The reality is that defending the ordinance will probably end up costing so much that it will be abandoned.
From Dennis Zine’s Newsletter last week:
Medical Marijuana Ordinance Finally Passes
This week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt a permanent ordinance to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries. After over five years of deliberation and many modifications, the ordinance will be before Council for a second reading next Tuesday. The first reading of the ordinance passed by 11 votes.
Highlights of the ordinance include:
- Priority order for compliance will be given to the original 186 operators who registered during the initial Interim Control Ordinance.
- Collectives/cooperatives must operate in compliance with state law and thus, not operate be for profit. They will be subject to annual audits to ensure that they follow the law.
- Collectives/cooperatives will have to locate 1000 feet from sensitive uses, i.e. churches, parks, libraries, and from one another.
- Dispensaries cannot be located next to or across the street from residential uses or zones.
- Collectives will have to comply with conditions of operation including hours of operation, limited signage, conducting daily cash drops to the bank, and have security guards.
The ordinance needs a simple majority of the Council to pass next Tuesday. Upon adoption, the ordinance will be sent to the Mayor for consideration. The final version of the ordinance can be downloaded online at:
http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=08-0923
Councilman Zine believes that enacting these regulations will shut down a large number of the illegally operating dispensaries while protecting patient’s access to medicine as allowed by California’s Compassionate Use Act. Councilman Zine began this process in 2005 and initiated the initial Interim Control Ordinance in 2007.
Popularity: 7%
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