Marie Swell Has Passed So It's Back To The Water. Plus Another Banh Mi!

So those huge waves that were pumping into Southern California beaches last week finally subsided once Hurricane Marie churned her way further out to sea. That's bad news for the big boys and girls, but good news for the more wimpy among us. Sunday I was out in Santa Monica, and while the waves weren't huge they were most definitely bigger than I was comfortable with so I just did a small swim session and left the board on the sand.  But Wednesday it was back in the water for a little work with the surf Guru. Again, it was lots of my attempting to pick and paddle into the right waves and not pop up but just ride them in.  I did okay, not great.  It was pointed out to me that I often pick waves that I know I can't catch.  I had to plead guilty on this front. Again, it's a fear thing.  I'm still trying to work through it. I will say this -- seeing some of those really monster waves on TV or on You Tube made me realize one thing -- I have been an idiot to fear these smaller waves. Those fifteen or even twenty feet ones? Yeah, be wary of those. But the smaller guys shouldn't be a worry. I need to get better, and I am determined to. But, anyway, the beach was nice and empty. All the summer and holiday crowds seem to have vanished.  See?

Another thing about being in the surf on Wednesday. Yeah, the waves were smaller, but there was wind, and there was chop. I went after as many waves as I could, and there was lots of paddling involved. I do seem to have powered through my phobia about being trapped in the impact zone. I don't seem to have any trouble diving through waves, with or without my big green Greco to deal with. The point here is it was a pretty good workout, and while the plan was to stop at the Kogi truck in Santa Monica afterwards, that plan got stymied because the line was like forty minutes long, and that wasn't going to fly. So I headed back to a place I had been wanting to check out in the neighborhood (well, close anyway, in Echo Park).

It's called Trencher (www.trencherla.com), and they make a bunch of different sandwiches. Here's a look at the outside.

Word is it's pretty good, so I'd been meaning to swing by. Also, I was trying to be healthy and when I looked at the menu online, there was a tofu Banh Mi.  I've said how much I love Banh Mi so I figured I'd give it a try (btw has anybody else wondered about the origins of this curious sandwich, which over the last few years seems to have exploded in popularity?  Why are Vietnamese ingredients like pickled daikon and carrots and Cilantro stuffed into a very French Baguette?  Why is there sometimes Pate in a Banh Mi, in fact? Well, the French did occupy Vietnam for a time, and this is where it all began. I once made an attempt at an at-home Banh Mi, but it's just not easy. All the ingredients have to be just right.  So you need the perfect Baguette (not sourdough) that's super crusty, almost shatteringly so, on the outside, but soft inside. Those aren't too easy to find. Then the vegetables have to be perfectly pickled, and if you're going veggie like I often do, you have to do something to the tofu -- marinate it and cook it in some fashion. My home attempt just wasn't what I had in mind, so I think this is something better left to the pros!

Here's a glimpse at the inside of Trencher.

It's a nice, simple space.  Place your order at the counter and they bring you your grub!  So here's the Tofu Banh Mi, with some crispy chips on the side. The baguette was perfect, as was the tofu. There's some spice to the sandwich, but it's also got some sweetness to balance it all out.  In short, a pretty perfect Banh Mi.

They have some cool drinks to choose from too, small-batch types. I went for a ginger ale. The tab came to about eleven bucks so not cheap, but not too steep either, and the quality was excellent, so worth it, I think.

So that was this week in surfing.  Guess what?  Another hurricane, Norbert, is down somewhere off Baja. Big swell coming again.  I'll have to see what that means for weekend surf plans, but if you're looking for a tasty sandwich check out Trencher.