Southern California is home to practically everything -- that could be our motto, right? "Southern California: Home to Practically Everything (tm)" -- but we don't always have what a person who came to live here from somewhere else craves.
Actually, wait: We kind of do. So, say you hail from Canada, and you want... great hockey? Rumor has it we have that, and how. Savory poutine? So many places have gone the gravy-plus-cheese-curds-plus-French-fries route, with excellent results. How about spots to celebrate Canada Day, which is July 1?
Indeed, Canada Day shall be celebrated, and how. Canadians Abroad, the robust organization that counts over 3,500 people as members, is always working to unite citizens of Canada who call the SoCal area home (unite for "social and professional networking" reasons, both). As always, they'll observe July 1 with a party, and this year it is headed for the Foundation Room at the House of Blues.
Will there be DJing and tunes? Yes. Will there be hobnobbing? Canadians are often painted to be ultra-friendly, so let's predict the hobnobbery will be high. And will there be a Molson Swag Giveaway? Please, of course. Molson!
While there's no straight-up Canadian staples food truck yet -- maple syrup truck, oh where are you? Someone start this -- there are so many fine places to poutine it up. Badmaash downtown serves a chicken tikka poutine, a spicy twist on the Quebec cuisine, but look for it to have the poutine basics (Badmaash's founders hail from Toronto).
Redondo Beach Cafe serves three different poutines: a Montreal original, smoked meat, and chicken poutine. Mmm x three.
And Soleil Westwood? There are so many varied versions of the rib-sticking goodstuff there's a pdf full of pictures. Waiter? We'll take an order of the mushroom-y Poutine Marat, just in time for Canada Day.
