If you like kebabs, hoops in the rain ...
The temperature is in the 40s, it’s raining sharp pellets of water and there’s a chance of hail in otherwise temperate Glendale. To most, this would signal an evening of cozying up indoors with a cup of Ghirardelli hot chocolate and reruns of “The Simpsons.” Not to my husband, Melkon, who has a radical idea for a couples activity -- he wants to go outside and play.
A transplant from Rhode Island, he believes in communing with winter. After all, what better way to fully appreciate California’s milder days?
“I feel a little stiff,” he might say. “Wouldn’t it be fun to take a walk?” Deep down, I know he’s not hankering for a stroll around the block. It’s basketball that’s on his mind. In the rain.
That such an endeavor is so foolhardy and distant from our regular lives is why it is so much fun, especially on a weeknight.
Rain or shine, we like to play basketball at Brand Park on Mountain Street in Glendale, with its rolling lawns, exceptional art library and youngsters eager for a quick game. The park, open till 10 every night, is pretty much ours on this blustery evening. Rain miraculously turns to drizzle as we pull through the ornate gateway. Melkon aims the headlights onto the court. We put on our hoods and button up our raincoats.
The air is fresh, scented by the young eucalyptuses that fringe the concrete. Even dodging puddles, it feels good to be outdoors, no longer imprisoned by the weather. We shoot hoops until our hands are numb.
Hungry and wet, we head a couple of miles down the hill to our Persian haunt, Shamshiri, in a quiet shopping complex off Central Avenue. After toweling off and changing into dry socks and shoes, we’re ready for polite Glendale society.
We order our favorites: a thick bowl of ash, the Persian soup anointed with an herb-infused oil for me, a gigantic portion of lima bean rice flanked with ground beef kebabs for the basketball all-star and an eggplant dip to keep us busy while the kitchen cooks our order. We drink tea to stay warm, but we need something stronger after dinner.
Enter the Side Bar, a warmly lit nightspot a minute’s drive away. Incense burns behind the counter and there’s a funky East-meets-West remix on the stereo. Normally, I’d be embarrassed to show up in my sweats, but it’s barely 8 and there’s only one other person at the bar. I order a hot toddy and Melkon a whiskey straight. The Clippers are playing the Nuggets on the bar TV. They’re missing shot after shot. We groan. For starters, they’re not even playing in the rain.
*
The tab
Basketball free
Where: 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale (cross street: Grandview)
What: Rain-soaked game of one-on-one
Dinner $29.00
Where: Shamshiri, 122 W. Stocker St.; (818) 246-9541
What: Dinner for two with tip
Drinks $15.00
Where: Side Bar, 1114 N. Pacific Ave.; (818) 241-4542
What: Drinks for two with tip
Total $44.00
