I have realized of late, that everyone must have an occasional quest in their life. You know, some quirky exploration that opens up new experiences, a little “joie de vivre”, a bit of silliness, glimpses of different neighborhoods or people, perspectives on unfamiliar worlds.
And any worthy quest is best when it’s shared. Recently, in my case, it was my quest for coconut cake.
My friend had read about a coconut cake that is so decadently good, that actor Tom Cruise consistently gifts it to his friends at the holidays. It is a white chocolate-coconut bundt cake, made by Doan’s Bakery in Woodland Hills, CA. Reading about the rich bundt cake loaded with chunks of sweet white chocolate and generously topped with yummy cream cheese frosting and coconut flakes got our “foodie” hearts beating faster. (Or maybe it was our tummies rumbling…?) No matter, we wanted to visit the place, and get our hands on our own “Cruise coconut cake.”
You can get the cake (or other baked goods) shipped to you from Doan’s by the delivery service Goldbelly. But the cake wasn’t cheap, and adding the Goldbelly delivery cost to that was really out of my budget. So a coconut cake would have to be secured in person, at the bakery.
An exciting road trip to Doan’s Bakery became our quest. We would venture onto busy freeways and through unknown neighborhoods. We would explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go “where no man (or woman) had ever gone before!”
Of course this Star Trek description is a bit of an over-dramatization. But our quest would involve crossing OC’s “Orange Wall” into Los Angeles, which would definitely open up strange new worlds to us.
So one perfect “70-and-sunny” California day, we recruited another member of our girl possee, and piled into my car Pearl. It brought back memories of teenage forays with friends. Back then, we’d go to the White Hen or the Ford City Mall, in whatever car someone was able to secure. It was always for some very important errand we just had to do.
The small bakery is inauspiciously located on Ventura Blvd in Woodland Hills. It has been there for years, family-owned since 1983. The baked goods looked lovely, and we finally got our coconut cake prizes bagged up to enjoy at home. By this time we were hungry, and wanted to go someplace for a nosh. According to a fellow Doan’s patron who overheard us trying to decide, the nearby Leo & Lily’s restaurant was a great place. He said we could split portions, they gave you so much food. By the way, this friendly man looked very familiar, with the dramatic dress and bearing of an actor that I should have known but didn’t. We were too shy to ask him further, not wanting to act like out-of-towners that weren’t in the know. (So we’ll never find out who he was- I guess it’s just iykyk!)
We did check Leo and Lily’s but the line was too discouraging. We settled on the nearby Dog Haus, a laid-back looking place that turned out to have the best assortment of hot dogs, tater tots and onion rings ever. Despite its casual air, the food was hot and wonderful, and servers were quite attentive. It’s on my “return” list now. Finding a good hot dog is something I took for granted when growing up in Chicago. (In Chicagoland, great hot dogs were everywhere- sadly not so much in California). Thus happily fortified, we were ready for more exploration in this grand new world.
Westfield Topanga Mall was beckoning from across the street, so we went wandering there. Many nice shops, but alas, no Macy’s bargains for us. It’s still fun to window shop, whether successfully finding a bargain or not.
There were freeway glimpses of other beckoning places. We passed that hotel Chateau Marmont, where John Belusi famously lived and died. Since 1926, this gothic-style chateau has long been frequented by actors, writers, musicians, and directors. Anthony Bourdain, Katharine Hepburn, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, Sidney Poitier, Death Grips, Gore Vidal, Annie Leibovitz… the Chateau Marmont features a continual LA who’s who list. Miley Cyrus sings in her “Plastic Hearts” song that the Chateau is “The sunny place for shady people, a crowded room where nobody goes, You can be whoever you wanna be here…” Hmmmm, Chateau Marmont definitely has all the makings of a future quest…if a non-celebrity can even get near the place.
Other places flash past as we head for home. LA’s many conspicuous eye-candy cars, and its multitude of entertainment-themed billboards fade. OC’s usual Teslas and Hondas now rule the freeway, and billboards of unexciting products and accident lawyers replace LA’s movie and TV show ads. When we drive through the “little hills” of Cerritos, past the Orange Curtain, we’re almost home.
So went our successful quest, experienced with good friends on a perfect day. Unlike much of the world, we can still pile into a car (that too is a blessing, having a car!) on a pretty day, to make a fun trip. We have no raging war around us to fear, no military checkpoints to navigate, no worry of driving to certain areas where there is fighting. Places are accessible on roads that navigate well (though many folk may grouchily dispute this!) Going on a driving quest is a casual option available in a time of peace and plenty. It is an invigorating wonderful thing to be able to do- though to many, it is a rare thing. I’m just grateful for mine.
So how was the coconut cake that started it all? Let’s just say that I’ll be going on another quest for it again soon.