Check It. Howie's Ranch Market [Guest Post].

Remnants of Americana culture sounds like something few and far between to the rest of the Los Angeles County, but look no further -- aside from the all-American ice cream shoppe, the local grocer has still survived the test of time.

Howie's Ranch Market, a small grocery store located on the central street of San Gabriel Boulevard, provides choice cuts of beef from Alexander's meats -- potential idea for a nice homemade dinner for two -- baked goods from Lisa's bakery, as well as high quality produce. Though it is small, it provides shoppers all they need for their grocery lists. Howie's has everything that can remind many of 1950s nostalgia. What's missing is the milkman.

Though the prices are slightly higher than say, the more corporate high end markets (Whole Foods or Gelson's), it is definitely worth the splurge for the quality and the service.

Howie's Ranch Market is located at 6580 N. San Gabriel Blvd. in San Gabriel.

-- Muriel Nacar

Photo credit: hometown-pasadena.com

Eat Out. Tasty Garden Restaurant [Guest Post].

Trying to navigate the San Gabriel Valley for Chinese food can be pretty overwhelming when you're not Chinese, or a foodie at that, but a broken engagement with a colleague somehow found me here.

The aptly named Tasty Garden Restaurant, located on the constantly bustling Valley Blvd. in Alhambra, turned out to be a fun dining experience for my friend and I. Everything inside seems to reflect a departure from the typical Chinese decor one would encounter -- I was enamored by the turquoise tile lined mirror on one of the walls -- showing that perhaps, the place was not really catering to tourists, but rather, the residents of San Gabriel Valley, students and workers alike.

Philosophies aside, the service was pleasant. The servers seemed to follow the Westernized approach to customer service where they were always accommodating and nice. And they smiled too. We ordered the popular fare on the menu: French style filet mignon, fried pork, and fried rice. My filet mignon, not really a tender piece of steak, were really chunks of beef sauteed with a flavorful sauce and topped with green onions. The fried rice was delicious as well, but really, it wouldn't be right if a Chinese restaurant screwed up on your fried rice.

Our meal ended with dessert, and boy, did I not skimp on that. Tasty Garden is known for its Hong Kong waffle (pictured above), which I indulged in. It had enough crunch, but the eggs in the batter kept it from tasting too dry. My friend ordered one of the many puddings on the menu, which was also satisfying to her sweet tooth.

From its satisfying food, its great service, and its late night hours (it's open 'til 3am Fridays and Saturdays), Tasty Garden offers a great Chinese food option in Los Angeles.

Tasty Garden Restaurant is located at 288 W. Valley Blvd, Ste. 110 in Alhambra.

-- Muriel Nacar

Photo credit: Yelp