The plumbing inspector returned and approved the drainage system we built after we changed one vent elbow from a 90º to a sweep bend. Which took like, forty seconds and cost 3 bucks. But made us wait 5 days for the inspector to come back. Whatever. We are done with drainage after a year since we first started planning the system!
And that means:
It is time to whack!!!!
We have been waiting to rent the whacking tool for ever, so Manuel and I got the dirt in the trench and got busy with this bad boy. The whole job was done in about an hour, and we are now in very large amounts of pain.
If you have never used a whacker tool, you have not lived. Words fail to describe the experience.

Yeah, restaurant work is really hard, hearings, trenches, inspections.

Like today for instance, Dean the representative of Paso Prime ranch (largest free range organic beef range in Cali) brought some samples for me to try. Since my stove isn’t hooked up yet my neighbor and colleague chef Andre (Maximilliano’s, Oinkster) was kind enough to host and cook! And damn can he cook.

http://highlandpark-ca.patch.com/articles/oinkster-owner-to-bring-italian-cuisine-to-highland-park

To return the favor Dean and I helped Andre sample the Italian vintages that his wine rep brought by. They were all good so it was tough work finding the best.That was my day at work.

Well, the city of Los Angeles has given me permission to serve beer, wine, and food until midnight, each night. So that’s it.

The judge took her sweet time making me wait for that decision, then slipped it in as she was heading off for vacation. I can apply for more hours in a year but I will have to pay the $7,500 fee again.  The beer and wine permit has cost a total of $30,000 so far. Yup. I said $30,000     Hope your thirsty.

So I dug all the trenches, Manny and I jack hammered through the wall. Moved all the dirt, then when all the hard work was done, I hired Ryan from EarthCare Plumbing to do the easy work! Actually Ryan is a great plumber and I highly recommend him http://www.earthcareplumbing.com/ He also gave us the best bid on doing the part that needed a licensed plumber. So Manny and I took the day off while he and his guy did their thing.  It it is some sweet plumbing let me tell you….

But…. The plumbing inspector shot us down!!!!   Over a $1.39 plastic elbow!!   What a dick!!!!

So now we have to wait until tomorrow for him to come back and sign off. After that I can put the dirt back in bury the time capsule and get on with some concrete pouring woo-hoo!

A very bitter and emotionally un-healthy neighbor who is very unhappy about noise at closing time has started a petition against my application for a beer and wine license. I am told that he has gone door to door asking people to sign his petition against the new “late night bar” that is coming in. He has also gone to the pentacostal church and gathered signatures there. The last time those people organized against something it was to ban gay marriage. That ‘s  who I am up against.

There is an article about it in the community paper. Read the comments section and you will see that something about French restaurants bring out the clock tower sniper in everyone.

http://highlandpark-ca.patch.com/articles/highland-parks-newest-french-restaurant-to-seek-liquor-license-next-week

I have applied for a beer and wine license and I have asked for permission to stay open until 2:00 a.m. The license itself costs 300.00 from the state but to use it I must pay the city of L.A. $16,000 in fees to allow me to apply to serve my alcohol at this address. I also have hired an expediter, a cartographer, a mailing agency and commissioned a traffic survey. that cost about $6,000.

The current zoning regulation demands that we close at 11:00 p.m. but since my whole business plan is based on being open late to feed the museum workers I am asking for permission to stay open until 2:00 a.m. though in all likely hood I will close at 1:00 a.m. I just want that permission in place so that I don’t have to deal with that again.

It does not cease to amaze me how 100% of the people I describe my project to want me to tell them a horror story about the government. Especially about the city of L.A.

I am really, really sorry to disappoint everyone but it just aint true.

Six months ago a city planner told me: ” It is going to take six months, cost you a shit ton of money, and you will have to do our dance.”

So I learned all the steps to their dance, paid the money, and now six months later, I have all my building permits. In fact, I have met quite a few people in the city who were very helpful and supportive. Yeah there are some cranky assholes, but for the most part the city was behind me all the way.

On the other hand… There are certain creative professionals that do not deliver on time as they promised yet are never late with getting you their invoice.

They suck. Not the city.

After months of hand wringing and arguing with Julia I decided to tear the ceiling down. I started int he back and then recruited Manny Vargas to help me do the main room. Came down pretty easy. It was two layers of plaster and mesh on top of the original lath. 90 years of dust, asbestos roofing, mouse poop, and lead paint! Yum yum.

Glad we waited till it was really hot to do this.

People keep wanting me to demonize the city government for them. A typical question about my progress is: “Why is it taking so long, is the city giving you a hard time, making you get permits?”

It is taking so long because I am building a restaurant from scratch, by hand, by myself. I think I am making pretty good time considering.

The city, so far, has been 100% honest , upfront and supportive of my plans.

Imagine if you didn’t need permits to build a restaurant. The alternative to proper sanitation is cholera and typhoid.  You should thank heaven for permits. Some people cant even run a coffee cart without getting a C from the health department.

Work is starting to go really fast!!! All of the trenches for the drain lines are dug. We cut the floor with the saw but after that it was all by hand.

I asked plumbers for bids for doing this whole job and the prices were between $16,000 and $20,000. Now that we did all of the work, prices are down to $10,000. So I am going to keep digging until the price gets down to 4K.

I think I now know why most entrepreneurs spend so much money build restaurants, they just don’t know how to dig a hole.