GROWING UP EATING ORANGE COUNTY

By Corky Carroll

A few weeks ago I did a column about great places we used to eat at back in the formative days of Orange County.  One of the all time favorites for post surfing was “backdoor service” at the La Paz Mexican food restaurant in Laguna Beach.   Since then I have received a ton of emails on many other favorite spots for the great and oh so embellished yesteryears.  I am including one of those emails here and then a brief summary of some of the mentioned cool chow down spots that I compiled from your emails.  The email following came from Ken Sineri in Fullerton.

“My first memory of Orange County:

We were on our honeymoon Sept 1958, I was 22 and my new wife was 19.

We traveled across the country from Ohio in my turquoise 57 Chevy convertible.

It was well past lunchtime and we were on our way to the mission in San Juan Capistrano. I asked my wife if she wanted something to eat and she said, “cheeseburger with the works and a chocolate shake”. I pulled up to a little white food stand, A Vic Tabeck look-a-like, white apron and t-shirt funny white cap and hairy arms was leaning thru opening on the shelf that was loaded with jars of hot peppers, mustard, ketchup, relish, plastic spoons, forks and napkins.

My Chevy was across the side walk about five feet from him with its maroon and white Ohio license plate looking him right in the face.

He said, “What’ll you have son?”

I said my wife wants a cheeseburger with the works and a chocolate shake and I’ll have a TAKEO and a Coke”

He Said “WHAT?”

I repeated, “My wife wants a cheeseburger with the works and a chocolate shake and I’ll have a TAKEO and a Coke”

He said, “its a TACO!” “ Where the hell are you from?”

I smile and pointed to the Ohio license plate on my Chevy

He said, “It figures.”

When I told him I was going to order that thing that begins with a B (Burrito) but had no idea how to pronounce it, he almost choked to death with laughter.

The only thing Mexican that we experienced in Ohio in the fifties was the Cisco Kid and Poncho.

We went back to Ohio a week later, and in 1965 we moved to Fullerton with our little daughter and son.”

Hey, we have all ordered a “ba rit o” or two haven’t we?  Maybe an “en chill  it tah” or “tor till ah?”  Anyway, I kinda liked that little story and wanted to share it with you.  
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From your emails here is a list the top ten of favorite eating spots from back in “da day.” 

1. Lucy’s Mexican Food in Capistrano Beach
2. Charles Chili in Huntington Beach
3. La Paz backdoor service in Laguna Beach
4. The arcade “strips” under the pier in Huntington Beach.
5. Richards Café in Huntington Beach
6. Henry’s Deli and Mexican Food at Doheny State Park… later in Capistrano Beach.
7. The Orange Inn on P.C.H. by Crystal Cove
8. The El Camino Market in San Clemente
9. Blackies in Newport Beach.  I think this was more for the bar than for eating.
10.  Captain Jack’s in Sunset Beach.   

I was amazed at the diversity in your choices.  From the El Camino Market, which is a market, to Captain Jack’s, which is a very nice dinner restaurant.  

I thought I would toss in one of my own and this one is completely for nostalgia reasons and NOT on account of the food.   The food had absolutely nothing to do with this pick.
It was the old Denny’s on Coast Highway in Laguna Beach.   The reason I bring this up is that it was open late at night and was about the only place in the area where you could go after some disappointing double date and drown your misery in a bowl of chili and some coffee or a large coke which was sure to help you fall asleep soon after.  Or not.   It was the late night hangout for all the dating losers of the evening.   If your date had gone well you for sure would not be hanging out at Denny’s.

So I have to ask myself this really hard question?  Why was I there so much?

HOLD ON TO YOUR BOARD ~ THE WAVE

by Corky Carroll

This morning I was out surfing at one of my favorite local breaks and there were some nice sized sets coming in every so often.  Maybe 4 to 5 feet.  A mellow but good day.  It was one of those days when it is a little bit inconsistent but when a set came it was pretty good.  There was a moderate crowd out, not really bad really.  Although there were a lot of beginners and they were sort of strewn out through the lineup and kind of in the way every time you got a good wave.  Nonetheless, it was all good and fun and everyone was mellow and having a good time. 

I had caught a good wave and ridden it almost to the beach.  I was paddling back out and was almost outside when another set came in, this one fairly good sized.  Not giant, but maybe six feet.  There were a couple of guys outside of me paddling like crazy to get over the first wave.  I knew I was too far inside to make it over so I just kinda held back and waited for it to break.  That way I would not be right in the impact zone and it would be easier to get through it.  Just as one of the dudes was going up and over the wave he panicked and let go of his board.  He would have made it over if he would have kept going.  But noooooooooooooo, he bailed out in fear.   His board got caught by the lip of the wave and came screaming back over the falls right at me. 

At first I was not really concerned because I was far enough inside that the dudes surf leash would stop his board well before it got to me.   But it didn’t.  He wasn’t wearing one.  By the time I realized this it was too late.  I only had time to dive for the bottom and hope his board didn’t hit me.   The result was a six-inch deep ding in my board from his fin.  I was just glad it was not my head with the 6-inch ding.  I have enough of those in it already and the patch jobs are brutal.  

Now this is not the first time this sort of thing has happened to me and I could see that this guy was a total beginner and just freaked out and didn’t know any better.   Yes, I was a tad annoyed about the ding in my board.  So I went into the beach and showed the guy my board and in a very polite manner mentioned that you never let go of your board when there is somebody right inside of you.  And that it is a really good idea to use a surf leash when you are starting out.   The poor dude felt really bad and was totally cool about what I said.  He offered to pay for the ding and all that.  No problems, I fix my own.  

What the deal was is that he came down with some friends that know how to surf and they stuck him on this big old board and just told him to “go for it.”  He had no clue at all as to what he was doing.   This was not his fault.  It is the classic case of going to do something with pals who can already do it and don’t want to bother with helping you out.
It is NOT the way to learn a new sport.

We see this in surfing all the time.  Also with snow skiing.  I can’t tell you how many broken legs are the result of pals taking pals who know nothing to the top of a mountain and telling them, “That way is down dude, go for it.”   

So this is a little word of advice to all of you.  First off, if you are a beginner get some professional instruction first off.   It could save you and others injuries or possible even worse.   Secondly, if you are one of those kinds of pals who is taking somebody for the first time don’t be a jerk and leave them alone to figure it out for themselves.  Either help them or get them into some instruction.  Basic safety stuff is really necessary.   Thirdly, and actually this is my whole point for this story.  Never let your board go when there are people inside of you that can get killed by it. Especially if you do not have on a surf leash.   If the surf is like a zillion feet and you can’t hold on to it and the wave rips it out of your hands that is one thing.  You can’t help that.   But hold on with all you can and try not to let it go if you can help it.   The head you save might be mine.  I admit it is not all that great looking anymore, but I really need the thing.