Category Archives: breakfast burrito

by | April 7, 2011 · 10:56 pm

Breaking the Chain: Parkview Cafe

This post is part of a new series I’m doing called “Breaking the Chain”. Check out previous broken chains like White Elephant and Rúla Búla.

There is absolutely nothing going on in my life since I’ve gotten back from Tucson. I LOVE it this way! I can finally catch up with my life, my sleep, and my EATS! My latest “break in the chain” is Parkview Cafe: a teeny tiny cafe located in the teeny tiny town of Newbury Park, California. I found this place while driving around in a glazed-over oblivion, desperate for some caffeine and brunch.
It seems very unassuming at first: located in a tiny strip mall next to a gym and a *gasp* TRADER JOE’S! (Already a bonus in my book!)
I ordered a soy chai. It came in a CERAMIC MUG!!! I haven’t gotten a chai/coffee/morning beverage in a ceramic mug since… I can’t remember when! It made me feel like I was sitting on the cozy sofa of a local coffee shop. Oh wait, I was! Let’s take a closer look…
SO PRETTY! Possibly the most delicious chai I’ve ever had. I wholeheartedly believe that ambiance truly adds to the enjoyment of food and beverages. Too bad I forgot to take pictures of the ambiance… The food was just THAT good!
I ordered the breakfast burrito. Simple, right? WRONG! This is, without a doubt, the BEST breakfast burrito I’ve ever had! I’m not sure what the owner, Abe, does to make this so amazing. Raw tortillas? Magic spices? The breath of angels? Whatever it is, I will NEVER be able to order a breakfast burrito from another restaurant without being disappointed. The intense combination of savory egg, rich sausage, saffron-scented potatoes, spicy and sweet salsa, plus whatever heavenly secrets they add make this worth the excursion. I can’t express it any more – this breakfast burrito tops any breakfast burrito you will EVER CONSUME! Disagree? Try it, then call me for a debate.

There are no other pictures. The homemade chai in a ceramic cup and the magic breakfast burrito top any other brunch I’ve eaten, and I have tried a LOT! This is one place you’ll be happy you went out of your way to try!

Tell Abe that Becki sent you. I would be proud to become a regular here!

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Filed under breakfast burrito, breakfast burrito of angels, ceramic mug, chai tea, parkview cafe

by | July 16, 2010 · 9:30 am

On Set: Day One!

     I take it back about yesterday being unbearably hot. I mean, it was hot, but today took the cake! Where we filmed in LA, temperatures got up to 105F! Speaking of cake, here’s a picture of my monster – it’s been a long day, don’t ask about my cake reference.

A sunrise monster! This has 3 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/8 a cup of frozen berries, 1/2 a banana and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Perfect to sip at 6:30am when the temperature is already 81F outside. Summer is officially here!
     My roommate went out for breakfast with some friends from church, and he brought me back his leftovers!
Now THIS is a breakfast burrito! Eggs, refried beans, pico de gallo, cheese, sausage and marinated potatoes in a delicate flour tortilla. It’s from a local restaurant, so each one is lovingly made, not mass-produced.
     Traffic was looking sketchy, so I headed out around 8:30am to get to set. I wasn’t supposed to be there until 10am, so I figured I’d get there with about half an hour to spare, which keeps me calm and gives me time to make sure I have everything I need. Today, I was LATE! I hate being late! I got lost and had to backtrack to find my way to location and got there ten minutes late. I know it’s only ten minutes, but I pride myself in always being to places on time or early. 
     Location was in a beautiful house in the middle of Hollywood Hills. There was a side-view of the Hollywood sign that I tried to get, but all pictures failed. When I got inside, they still had six scenes to get through before I even started! Turns out those ten minutes REALLY didn’t matter! I didn’t mind at all. There was air conditioning, and I’d brought my book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and was able to read a few chapters before they brought me in for makeup and wardrobe.
The makeup table that has EVERYTHING you could ever need!
So many clothes!
     I only had half a cup of coffee before I had to get on the road, and all the coffee on set was lukewarm, so I improvised.
Ice, lukewarm coffee, raw sugar and Silk creamer! Magic! Other crew members followed my lead and soon iced coffee was flowing like water.
     I also had a wide variety of snacks to choose from at the craft service table.
Cookies, chips, sweet bread, Chex mix…
Nothing exciting, but it was the healthiest choice there.
     We broke for lunch around noon, and I loaded up my plate with the delicious catering.
Salad, grilled chicken, creamy polenta with spinach, ricotta and parmesan, a slice of pineapple and a slice of watermelon. There’s nothing like ice cold watermelon on a hot day! All of us actors sat around and enjoyed the view, and realized how small Hollywood is: Heather and I both competed in a Massify competition, we both lived in Boulder, CO and know a bunch of the same people. This city is SMALL!
     Matt, my costar in the show, and I had two hours after lunch until we finally were called to set. Hair was straightened, makeup was touched up, and we tried our hardest not to drip sweat. I’m gonna keep saying it – It was so hot! We had 16 scenes to get through in five hours. Dough was smeared, magazines were chopped, clouds were gazed at and parties were thrown! That’s all I can say :).
     After about a million wardrobe changes, we were finally released. I fought traffic all the way home, and was greeted with a home-cooked dinner (reheated).
This is some pesto chicken from Trader Joe’s (I find that their pre-marinated chicken tends to be ridiculously salty), and a bunch of bell peppers, eggplant, onions and zucchini grilled on our new mesh grill pan. Grilling really brings out a lovely smoky flavor! My roommate said he could go vegan if all veggies tasted like that, and that’s saying a lot! He loves his steaks and tri-tip.
     I’m going to go crash now since I’ve been up since 6am. Call-time tomorrow is 10:30am, so I get to have a full cup of coffee before I head out to set. Stay tuned for day two on set!
Tardiness (on my part) is my pet peeve – what’s yours?

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Filed under Acting, breakfast burrito, filming, green monster, Hollywood, makeup, polenta, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, wardrobe