ON THE WAGON

Last week I had minor oral surgery. I'll spare you the details, no worries. Unfortunately, however, I have been a slave to amoxicillin and pain killers, and will be so for the next couple of days. I hate being "on the wagon," especially on a weekend. Not that I'm some kind of alcoholic or anything, but I had all sorts of opportunities for fun and drinks this weekend. I had to politely decline. And tomorrow, the gang will be going out after work to celebrate a good friend's birthday. What sucks is that this is my 'simpatico' friend, and I never pass up a drink in her honor (and vice-versa). BUT this time I'll have to pass. Minor issue, I know, but to me it's a big deal, and I'm not happy about it.

To try to get my mind off my weekend of sobriety, I've decided to speak nonsense about my real addiction: fries. I am a fry fiend. No matter what kind of mood I'm in, fries will make things better (or make things even better if I am already in a good mood). Seriously, there's no type of diet or situation in the world that will keep me from having my fries. And, for the most part, it doesn't matter what kind of fries they are, or where they're from --McDonald's or Belgian frites.

There's a restaurant/lounge in Venice that I'm totally in to called Beechwood. The food is decent, and the drinks flow. But what got me was their fries...! They serve 'em as shoe string, 1/4 thick, or sweet potato... and they come with three house dipping sauces. I don't know why I love it so much, but I do. Maybe it's cause I was tanked when I was there last, and my friend and I were adamant about ordering them. They hit the spot that night, and I'm sure they will hit the spot again.

Aside from the fries, the rest of the food isn't bad. The bar serves up "sexy-fied" comfort food (chilled heirloom tomato soup, ground rib eye burger, sweet baby pork ribs), while the small dining area serves up more of a sophisticated menu (sweet marinated lotus root, grilled diver scallops, roasted arctic char). The dining room is cozy, but the lounge area can get somewhat loud -- but the crowd is always very mixed, and it's not your typical "wanna-be" Hollywood-esque crowd. It's a lot more laid back, and definitely good times.

If ever you're in the Venice area, it's definitely a place to check out. Now if only the healing will finally be done and over with (and the anti-biotics, too), I could have my fries and drinks together.

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Beechwood, 822 West Washington Blvd., Venice, CA 90292

(Photos from beechwoodrestaurant.com)