Old Time Food in Stiletto

Schmeckl Is on a boat somewhere in the Greek Islands and Lillian is visiting her mother in El Salvador and Plot and Duck are in Stiletto City. Something is wrong with this picture. Still, we had fun last night taking Mummy P. to Taix, a venerable Echo Parque restaurant where we took our kids a million times in the old days. The place has been there since 1927, and the food has never been better.

It's the kind of place we never go to anymore. For one thing, there's a valet who parks your car right there in the restaurant's own lot. For another thing, they pretend to be French. Still bring you the same huge tureen of soup that you share around at the table, and it still tastes every bit as good as it ever did. The waiters all say bonjour, but really they prefer if you speak to them in Spanish. You eat comfort food in padded booths that are a little bit too small and they keep the lights low enough that you can't really read the menu without holding the candle close.

Mummy P. and Plotnik split the best rack of lamb he's eaten in years. Duck had a seafood tagliatelle. We got atmosphere and memories and great food and the bill came to way less than that place on Ventura Boulevard she always likes to go.

It's good to be here. Short trip this time.