This was our day to visit the San Fernando Valley Relics Cultural Museum.  This Museum is the creative effort of one man, Tommy Gelinas, who collected artifacts and memorabilia  pertaining to the Valley, for  years before founding Valley Relics in 1997 as a non profit organization.
His collection, including cars, restaurant signs, and artifacts outgrew its original location so the Museum was opened six months ago at 21630 Marilla Street in Chatsworth.
As a long time resident of the San Fernando Valley many of the exhibits were familiar to me including some of the restaurants which I enjoyed for years as a customer
There is an interesting exhibit of the Hollywood and San Fernando Valley movie cowboys and western themed musical groups.
The collection of match book covers was a visit down memory lane for this Writer.  At some of the restaurants I had written reviews in the long distant past.
Tommy Gelinas has indeed captured a large part of San Fernando Valley history at his museum.
Valley Relics is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Admission and parking are free.  For more information call 818  678-4934. on the web at info@valleyrelics.org.

As we boarded the USS Iowa, berthed adjacent to the Cruise Terminal in San Pedro, our name was called as a military service veteran.  This is standard procedure aboard Iowa as it readies itself for inspection by people of all ages.
This battleship has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in serving the United States Navy and the country through three conflicts of the 20th century.  It took part in World War 2, the Korean War and the Cold War.
It had 20 years of active service, and 50 years in the Naval Reserve.
In 2011 it was presented to the Pacific Battleship Center and on July 7, 2012 opened at the Port of Los Angeles for public display and tours.
It was our first visit to a battleship and just looking at those 16 inch guns was breath taking.  When fired a projectile as tall as a man can hit a target 26 miles away.  Later the ship was  provided with Tomahawk Cruise Missiles that extended its firepower dramatically
Visiting the Iowa is delightfully easy.  Signs on the 110 freeway guide you to the huge parking lot that brings one just steps from the ticket office and ship.  Parking fees are most modest.  Once aboard docents are everywhere to answer questions and guide one through the ship.
We thought it a great experience.  It is open seven days a week for tours. For more information call 877 446-9261, on the web at pacificbattleship.com.  

On Monday I had the opportunity to tour the Costa Deliziosa  and lunch aboard while it was docked at Los Angeles Harbor.  Costa is an European based cruise line which has been in business since 1948.  Currently it has fourteen ships in its fleet.
The Costa Deliziosa"s stopover was  a part of its 101 day globe circling cruise.  The Costa fleet usually cruise the Mediterranean with a very international guest list.  Generally a Costa cruise is made up of thirty per cent Italian, 30 per cent German, 30 per cent French and the remainder from many countries.
The Costa Deliziosa presents an artistic ambiance that is all its own with unusually large lounge and entertainment rooms.
Our luncheon was in the Restorante Abatros dining room.  The menu included Shrimps sauteed with mint,tomato and battered zucchini as the appetizer, our Pasta, Risotto with artichokes and parsley.  The entree was a choice of either grilled sea bass fillet dressed with oil and lemon and served with chateau potatoes or oven cooked Guinea fowl served with mashed potatoes, onions and sauteed bell peppers.
We selected the sea bass and were not disappointed.  Dessert was warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.
We did not want to leave Costa Deliziosa.  Next stop was San Francisco, then Honolulu, then Pago Pago, then Suva in Fiji, but why go on.
We cried all the way home.

I have been familiar with the Make a Wish Foundation which brings dreams to reality for children with health problems.  But now I will able to take an active part in the organization's fund raising wine and restaurant tasting event to be held at the Four Season Hotel in Westlake Village.
Place Friday March 14 on your calendar for this event which will include some 35 wineries and 20 restaurants with a background of live music for sipping and tasting.
Some one thousand people are expected to attend this event from the west San Fernando Valley and Ventura county communities. 
The event is being sponsored by Tesla.  More details will follow for this event.

I did bring my appetite with me on boarding Carnival Imagination.  Fortunately, since I have had some very special culinary experiences in the Pride Dining Room.
In the past year Carnival has made some major upgrades in its dinner menus and in the future a whole new menu  to be called American Feast will follow.
One evening we opened with Escargot Bordelaise, another dinner with stuffed mushrooms and a third with Asparagus Vichyssoise.  Some of our entrees included lobster tail with large grilled shrimp, one evening a flat iron steak, unbelievable in flavor and tenderness.
The menu is large and varies each day but some favorite entrees are always available. 
There is a different "did you ever try' item each evening and we usually ordered them.  A cured salmon we enjoyed one evening was memorable.  The French styled escargot excellent.
With its outstanding cuisine and superior service we had to give both dining rooms, Pride and Spirit, five stars.

Aboard Carnival Imagination to Mexico proved to be a delightful experience.  Imagination had just completed a 16 day cruise from Miami through the Panama Canal to reach Long Beach.  Now it will be making Carnival's very popular three and four day Mexico cruises throughout the summer.
Our Ensenada shore excursion was to  Valle de Guadalupe, Baja's premiere wine country.  We visited L A Cetto once again and our tasting reminded us just how good their wines are. 
New to us was La Casa de Dona Lupe which proved to be an experience that went far beyond a routine wine tasting.  We met with Dona Lupe and told her how much we loved her Mexican gardens and patio.
This winery also has a restaurant renown for its pizza and variety of fresh baked breads.  Her Son, Daniel is winemaker and dedicated to making organic wines.
More about all this in a future issue of Vittles Newsletter.

The Pierpont Inn has been an attraction in Ventura since its founding in 1910.  With its classic bungalow style it is now one of the historic hotels of America.
We were there, once again, this time for lunch in the dining room named Austin's Restaurant.  Situated high on a bluff the Inn and restaurant offer wondrous views of the adjacent Pacific Coast.  This day there were a few high clouds but the clear air placed the Channel Islands in view on the horizon.
My dining partner selected the grilled chicken Panini with provoline cheese and a roasted red pepper sauce.
My entree was  wild mushroom ravioli with a brandy cream sauce.
Our table offered a perfect view of the ocean and both the fare and the service outstanding.
As part of the Inn Austin's is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.
The Pierpont Inn is located at 550 Sanjon Road in Ventura just a few minutes from Highway 101.For more information call 805 643-6144.