The Great Race Place

 

Who knew? Santa Anita Racetrack, one-time home of Seabiscuit and still a popular racetrack, lets the public watch the horses warm up every morning from 7:30 to 9:30. There’s no charge, and you can even pick up a decent breakfast at Clockers’ Corner, a small stand surrounded by tables that overlook the track.

We got there around 8 (since Jack had been up since 6), picked up some French Toast, eggs, and coffee, and settled in for the show. Of course, my mechanical-minded son was more interested in the tractors smoothing the field than the horses, but it was fun all the same. The mountain setting really is stunning, and the pristine Art Deco building looks like its in as good a shape as it must have been during Lucky Baldwin’s time.

The Grove for kids

The Grove is a perfect example of “If you build it, they will come.” In the late 1990s, it was a dusty lot next to the Third and Fairfax farmer’s market. Today, it’s a shrine to 21st century excess with a Nordstrom, American Girl, Apple Store, and movie theater that charges $12 a head. But I have to admit, it’s a great place to bring small kids. The parking is easy (if you time it right and avoid the garage) and there’s a fountain in the central courtyard that “performs” a la Disney’s Fantasia to Frank Sinatra tunes. Every Thursday there’s an event geared to kids on the velvety green lawn: a concert, e.g., or a petting zoo. We caught a concert there last week and it was fun, though very, very crowded. Lots of $900 strollers and $200 haircuts.

Thankfully, they left the old farmer’s market standing when they built the mall. My favorite part of the excursion was sitting there at an outdoor table with Jack eating pizza and Caesar salad from Patsy D’Amore’s stand. It serves the best pizza in L.A. if you ask me.

Then we grabbed an apple fritter from Bob’s Doughnuts, got our parking validation stamped, and headed home. Will we be back? Likely, but not anytime soon.

The healing power of pancakes

Banana pancakes for Jack. Asparagus and tomato omelet for mom. Breakfast out on a Tuesday feels decadent, but it carried both of us through the rest of the day. It helps to have a kid-friendly diner, Dish, that serves parent-friendly fare like Portobello mushrooms and applewood-smoked bacon. Jack’s enthusiastic appetite continues to amaze me. He let out a giddy cackle when his pancakes arrived, then proceeded to dig in, brows knit in concentration as he speared each piece and drowned it in syrup.