The Pioneer #48
local stuff
Introduction Paragraph
I could use a good outdoor deck in my life. That put your Berkenstocks on or watch out for splinters type of hardwood. At sunset, I want Steely Dan out the Beats Pill with a chilled Kim Crawford chard in a stadium souvenir cup. I’m looking for that vibe that thrives in humidity. A steez that emulates Jack Johnson’s Curious George soundtrack. A fit or two that’s ready for supper AND a backwoods bonfire right after. The collision of formality and shitbaggary. The union of class and trash. Keeping my please and thank yous locked and loaded but adding a few insults to the arsenal just in case. The hostile harmony only a hardwood deck can cultivate. I could really use one right now. No longer have a deck to post up on as you can infer. But I’ve been fortunate enough to recline on a few in my life. Indulge in quite a few beverages out of quite the collection of plastic stadium cups as well. Each of which displaying a minor league baseball schedule, of course.
It’s sort of a Bull Durham type vibe. Sans the Costner, Robbins, Susan Sarandon love triangle…of course. I think I yearn for such an energy because I’ve veered slightly off track in the urban hustle without a backyard deck to anchor me. Swerving dangerously into a lane of peak trending style and vibes I should be wary of. Specifically, exploring fits that requires a baseline knowledge of auto maintenance. It’s been a winter of construction boots, leather coats, and facial hair experiments. All worthy choices to brave through the 62 degree California winters but ones that surely toe the line of what the kids are calling Silverlake Mechanic. Not sure I need to be that guy. Let me rephrase…I know I don’t need to be that guy. And while I do respect the white tank/button down combo paired with a sturdy pant crafted for manual labor, I went one step too far…I began attaching my keys to the belt loop. It’s best to pump the brakes once carabiners are involved. Especially when paired with the paltry goatee that had emerged on my chin and upper lip. I looked in the mirror one evening and asked…who am I becoming? Would I be able to diagnose a leaky spark tube if need be? I worked at a hardware store one summer in high school. That’s the closest to this life I’ll ever get to such steez. Not nearly close enough to rock a Caterpillar shepard hat as confidently as I did.
I may have moved a good amount of mulch that summer, but who am I kidding? I AIN’T FORKLIFT CERTIFIED. I write a Substack newsletter. I’m a novice at Adobe Illustrator. Most importantly, I’ve spent a whole lot of time in the suburban cul-de-sacs of Upstate New York and on the beaches of Playa del Rey doing absolutely nothing on beautiful outdoor decks. Posting up in my Arizonas (lose me with your bostons). Cranking some early Coldplay. Maybe locking into a crossword if that’s what the sunset entails. So it sure is time to course correct. Keep my style evolving, of course. But in ways that fit the pampered life I’ve come from and wherever the hell I’m going. Maybe I’ll pepper in a polo. Haven’t worn one of those in quite some time. Goddamn. I really just need to touch some stained hardwood…Pause….Now that I’m rereading this, it sounds like—Actually best not even to mention it. All I’m saying is…
Decks. Quite the concept. Could get back to that lifestyle.
Sidewalk Bars
We’re simply not socializing on the sidewalk enough. Not nearly enough, if you ask me. Fresh air, a good crowd, domestic beers, and some round tables will suffice.
I grabbed dinner last night with Brockwell, Marco, and BrandonCrockettFitness over at the BBQ + Rice on Venice. The joint sits on the busiest block of sidewalk in Mar Vista. Why so busy? El Chucho’s right next door, dummy. Couldn’t be me on a quiet Thursday night but nonetheless, I respected the modest crowd sippin’ natural reds and blasting smokes - floating around the sidewalk like Parisians I see on Pinterest. El Chucho’s presence on the West Side is not a new one but somehow still unique. It’s pseudo-divey contemporaries, all populated by emerging creative directors, are only found much further east of Mar Vista. The true sidewalk bars, dare I say, are found even further east than the East Side. So east, in fact, you might just find yourself in New York. Good for you in that circumstance. But out in my parts, where outdoor sidewalk sipping can, in-theory, be accomplished year ‘round…it rarely is. So it’s no surprise that El Chucho became such a hit. How its swarm of patrons sprawled across the sidewalk is all zoned and kosher? That’s beyond me. But I swear, their tables have extended to the curb by this point. THE STREETS RUN RED WITH ELWOOD I TELL YA. And while it’s easy to poke fun at their homogeneous crowd of multihyphenates, El Chucho’s infrastructure is one to be admired. I love a good night on their sidewalk with all of those Elwood gods. And are y’all surprised? I did just admit in the intro to experimenting with a little car key on belt loop action, for godsake. But let’s not speak of that again. Instead, let’s all hope for more sidewalk socializing. It’s become my favorite type of scene. And as of now, my Elwood army at El Chucho is the only true option…But I hear there’s an organic sidewalk bar emerging outside of Dudley Market. Might have to check that out.
Obviously, there’re plenty of outdoor dining locations around. But I don’t wanna see no shrub barriers or host stands. No table seating in the slightest. That’s not a sidewalk bar in my book. Hinano, Venice Beach Bar, and others - I’m lookin right at you. Make that cement out front a chose your own adventure. Where a few of us can take a seat or bop around between conversation. Where this spot and the next spot are one and the same. A few open tables and chairs on the block. No waiters needed. The El Chuchification of the Westside, dare I say.
Recs
The Press Box: Chris Ryan on Blogging (PODCAST) - I basically cribbed Chris Ryan’s 00s blogs for any style these newsletters may possess. His interview on blogging back when it was blogging had me ready to run through a brick paywall.
This skate video I saw on Twitter (SKATE VIDEO I SAW ON TWITTER) - I don’t skate. At all. But I do appreciate some good sound design. And those who can skate (I guess). Anyways, I saw this on Twitter.
Pork Chops (PIG) - I was at TJ’s the other night and found some pork chops on sale. When in Rome as I’m told the Romans say. 13 minutes on cast iron, medium heat. Could be the move.
Conclusion Conclave Watch
That Curious George soundtrack does go hard
I love Turkson +600