June 2019 – Insider Irene

Jamming to legends at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH

Published on June 26, 2019June 25, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

No trip to Cleveland would be complete without a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I mean Drew Carey had continuously claimed how much “Cleveland Rocks” and it would be unpatriotic to ignore such a catchy tune. Open daily from 10am-5pm, my friend and I decided to visit the 6 floor iconic museum on Day 1 of the Midwest roadtrip and loved seeing artifacts and hearing some timeless pieces.

Photos from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

On this visit the museum hosted a special Woodstock exhibit featuring photos and artifacts from the 70s. While this period was instrumental in the development of Rock and Roll, I was most eager to see and learn more about Elvis, The Beatles, and The Jackson Five. And there were definitely some awesome garments and instruments.

You might notice that a few of the photos above feature artists in different genres. For example Britney Spear’s “Opps I did it again” outfit and Michael Jackson’s magic glove were prominently featured in the museum. Yet, I recently learned through one of the movie screenings (included in admission) that to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the criteria is based on global impact through music. This year Janet Jackson was inducted as a Class of 2019 recipient even though her music is predominately R&B and and Hip Hop.

Based on impact, who do you think should be inducted into the Hall of Fame? I think Kelly Clarkson, the first American Idol winner, should be considered for the Class of 2020!

XOXO,

Rockstar

Adventurously Eating African Food in Cleveland, OH

Published on June 21, 2019July 14, 2019 by Insider Irene1 Comment

When you think of Cleveland, OH you probably think of the Drew Carey Show and maybe the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s doubtful to even consider a predominately Caucasian area to be home to authentic mouthwatering African cuisine; however, after extensive research with many positive reviews I was curious to see if Kifaya’s Kitchen’s would truly be a diamond in the rough.

My friend and I finished a day of exploring Garfield’s Memorial (post here) and another iconic landmark that you will get to read bout next week (!!!) and eagerly anticipated our dinner. We drove up to the hole-in-the-wall with some reservations as the exterior evoked a Chinese take-out vibe. Nevertheless the philsophy of “never judge a book by it’s cover” could not be more true here.

The menu was very simple with one page of offerings. We wanted to sample their goat dish; however, they were out so we settled on a chicken platter with rice and vegetables. For $16.10 we were given this massive plate and a side of salad. The charred chicken was a little dry, but the vegetable stew mixture with their rice was money. My friend and I kept scooping spoonfuls into our mouths. It was so delicious I can only imagine how delicious the goat would have tasted, but we did come at the tail end of the night. Overall, this quaint mom and pop shop was a win in my book and I recommend for locals and tourists alike to check ’em out.

Have you tried African food before?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Kifaya’s Kitchen
3650 W 117th St, Cleveland, OH 4411
(216) 219-8263

Hours
Sun – Sat: 11am – 9pm

Touring President James Garfield Memorial in Cleveland, OH

Published on June 19, 2019July 14, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

As I was researching things to do I came across Lakeview Cemetery as a popular attraction. I thought it was an unusual destination especially since Cleveland is known for the lively Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but many reviews commented on the spectacular architecture and stainless glass windows so I decided to make a it a pitstop on my Midwest Roadtrip.

James Garfield Memorial Photos

My friend and I drove into the cemetery and headed towards Section 18. While the cemetery was vast and had many elaborate tombstones spread across the plot of land, we found the memorial site fairly easily as it was the tallest building there. There were three floors and two narrow spiral staircases for patrons to climb. The artwork inside and outside were very ornate and because it was a sunny day we were able to see the vibrant colors shine through. My friend and I paid also our respects to the president in the crypt.

James Garfield was our 20th President; however his term was short lived as he was assassinated 6 months into his term. Nevertheless, he was an important figure in history as he was one of the first sitting members of Congress to be elected to the presidency. The exhibition is a great place to visit as it’s both educational and free!

Have you visited Cleveland? What’s a cool attraction you’ve seen?

XOXO,

Rockstar

President James Garfield Memorial – Lake View Cemetery
12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 421-2665

Hours: Garfield Memorial is undergoing a restoration process and will be CLOSED to the public from July 10 through at least July 24.

Apr 1 – Nov 19: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Open daily.

Forgoing the Fork and Knife to eat with my hands in a Kamayan Feast in Covina, CA

Published on June 14, 2019June 14, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

On my Facebook feed I saw video that featured an impressive spread of food laid across several banana leaves. There was rice, meat, fruit among other things and the video made me drool across my keyboard. I inquired about this custom with one of my Filipino friends and he asked if I was interested to partake in Kamayan Feast, also known as the the Boodle Fight. I instantly said yes!!

The video that I watched was a shop located in Anaheim, but this friend said that Nova’s Grill (Yelp) in Covina (while far) would be an authentic experience as he knew the owner and had visited in the past. And as an added bonus this boodle fight was basically $10 per person (minimum of 8 people). My friend make a reservation for 20 and we easily found friends to join in on the fun. We had two tables and were ready to devour everything!

The setup was quite impressive and for this location they gave every participate an entire fish! (!!!). At the center the table shrimp and sig sig (pork belly mixture) were communal offerings and lumpias (egg rolls) were scattered throughout the table. Initially I was hesitant on how to start, but after grabbing with my fingers, tearing pieces, and dipping them in the different mixtures was so much fun! There’s something really satisfying with eating with your hands and not worrying about making a mess. lol

Nova’s Grill

989 W San Bernardino RdCovina, CA 91722

(626) 316-0595

Have you tried boodle fight? What did you think?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Reliving the Wild Wild West at Knotts Berry Farms Ghost Town Alive Event in Buena Park, CA

Published on June 12, 2019June 1, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

My investment in the Knott’s Berry Farm Season Pass has been a worthwhile one as I’ve been a regular guest since the beginning of 2019. I’ve already visited several time for the Boysenberry Festival (Post Here), Peanut Celebration (Post Here), and even lost 12 lbs through my weekly walks (Post Here). Over Memorial Day weekend Knotts began their newest series – Ghost Town Alive, where guests can roam Ghost Town and see re-enactments before their eyes. I went during the opening weekend and had a blast! As you wander through the town you’ll pick up the paper with a “Founders Day” headline detailing the activities going on in town. There were several competitions including a pony race, bean bag toss, among others and guests can visit different shops to learn about the people who live there. I recommend you start your day at the Town Hall then check out the school-house next door for lessons. However, my absolute favorite part of the day was when they hosted the hoe-down! There was live music, a ringleader to lead us in the different routines and many adults and children alike participating.Ghost Town Alive runs daily from May 24th through to August 11th, then weekends only beginning on August 17th through September 1st. Gallop on over before it becomes a Ghost Town.

What role would you want to take? Sheriff? Teacher? Bank Teller? Comment below.

XOXO,

Rockstar

Trying one of Granada Hill’s Best Kept Secret

Published on June 7, 2019June 7, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

It’s not often that I travel to this part of Los Angeles, but when my friend bragged about this place in great detail I decided to see what it was all about. On Yelp FurnSaj Bakery and Restaurant is one of a few restaurants with a perfect 5 star rating and with over 700 reviews I figure it was certainly worth a trip to see for myself.

The restaurant is situated in a strip mall and while on the outside it looks like any typical shop this casual bakery has a great selection of Lebanese food for all to enjoy. My friend and I shared a lamb gyro plate ($12.99), which included succulent slices of lamb, two sides and saj bread. we could barely finish half and I ordered another cheese bread with honey ($3.99) because I was curious to test it out. There was way too much food, but everything was prepared on the spot so it was all delicious!

For less than $20 and two people can enjoy an affordable and tasty meal with ample leftovers. I can’t wait to come back and try some of the other labneh combinations.

FurnSaj Bakery and Restaurant

11146 Balboa Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 91344

Have you tried Lebanese food? What’s your favorite item?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Cosplaying at the World Premiere of Dark Phoenix at Hollywood, CA

Published on June 5, 2019June 5, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

I’m an avid movie goer and average about 5 movies a month; however when I was invited with my x-men cosplay family to attend the World Premiere of Dark Phoenix, I was beyond excited. I didn’t really know what to expect aside from potentially having the opportunity to see some of the cast and see a movie before anyone else. The day was beyond amazing and suffice to say I can now check mark off one of my bucket list items – attend a VIP Screening at the TCL Chinese Theatre!

I arrived there with some friends at around 3:30pm to get checked-in for the 6pm red carpet event. There were so many amazing cosplay and I was actually really surprised by how far these cosplayers traveled. One of the Jean Greys few from Ohio with her boyfriend and a genderbend Magneto’s flew all the way from Dublin, Ireland! I sometimes forget that I live in one of the coolest places in the world and only had to drive 2 hours (mostly because of the traffic) to get here. There were ample reporters and press covering the event and you might see me (the only Psylocke there) in a few local and international televised and/or print clips! Some of the media outlets included one from Australia, a Chinese channel, Marvel, Disney etc.

After the press interviewed a few of the cosplayers and snatched candid footage, the movie cast members arrived! and walked the red carpet. I had the opportunity snap a few selfies with some of the actors including James McAvoy (Professor Xavier), Evan Peters (Quicksilver), and Jessica Chastin (Vuk) *squeel* and take a group photo of the entire cast before we were moved to the theater to watch the movie!

I really enjoyed the movie and feel that it’s especially important to celebrate all our diverse backgrounds, gifts, and talents. It truly brought people from all corners of the earth and I will treasure this experience forever!

If you could choose your mutant power what would you pick? Obviously I pick psychic!

XOXO,

Rockstar