BREAKFAST AT THE SPORTSMEN'S LODGE, SHERMAN OAKS

Lured by the nice looking makeover at the Sportsmen's Lodge, favorite hangout of Hollywood and Rock'n'Roll celebrities in the 60s and 70s, I decided to pack my husband in the car and treat him with a Sunday breakfast at the Lodge's Patio Café. I have to admit that I have a fondness for rustic, dated decor, and with the few, recently added touch-ups, the Sherman Oaks legend looked quite appealing and in no way uncomfortably overdone. The place keeps true to his values, you could say. My first order of a freshly squeezed orange juice quickly uncovered a misunderstanding: I thought that the staff would squeeze fresh oranges in the kitchen, but was proven wrong at the first sip. When asked, the waiter insisted on 'freshly squeezed', informing me that this was what the package said, while laughing at the absurdity that they actually would do something like cutting oranges in half and SQUEEZING them. Well, I learnt my lesson. Then we ordered Eggs Benedict and Huevos Rancheros. The kitchen's philosophy of using pre-pepared, packaged OJ translated into their food as well, I could taste and smell artificial flavors and the distinct metallic taste of canned food all over the dishes. The worst being the almost inedible, tough ham and a super dry, strange tasting biscuit under the eggs benedict. Well guys, you lost me there. I will happily go back to the Sportsmen's Lodge for drinks at the bar enjoying the charms of the good old days, but for food? No thank you. Not for me.