2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float decorating, dinner at Costa's Family Restaurant (Covina)

mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog which sometimes includes stories about attainment of the food.  Today, Cathy is writing while Kirk is busy at work. 

This past Saturday, the 'Dry Decoration Days' for the 130th Tournament of Roses Rose Parade at Phoenix Decorating Company began.   Here are some photos of materials and details of what happened.  (sentence descriptions are in order of  thumbprints)  The various colors of statice need to be cut from the stems (after drying a bit).  There are crushed peas, yellow straw flowers, some leftover straw flowers from last year.  You can see black beans which were tediously placed on some signage (those beans have white 'eyes' which need to be placed away from being seen).  There are branches and lunaria ('money plant'-those opaque white circles) and pine cones.  The beans use 'oasis glue' to stick to the foam backing. Green pea halves are glued on the 'Service Rocks' signage. The watermelons have the light stripes covered in crushed green peas and the dark stripes are covered in crushed dry parsley.  More pine cones are taken apart and the individual acicular shaped leaves (sometimes called needles) are individually placed on the edge of a small 'birdhouse'.  Dry materials are stored in large airtight trash cans.
Here's a look at the 'Glue Station' where each type of glue (white and oasis) are picked up (and where unused glue is returned).

Here are some of the 19 floats being decorated here (some floats are still under construction).
The Banner float- first one you will see in the parade. it introduces the theme of "The Melody of Life".  Each float will have some sort of way of showcasing music and/or musical instruments. The Grand Marshal of the Parade is Chaka Kahn.
"Service Rocks" sponsored by Rotary International.  See...the crocodile...and the title includes 'rocks'...I'm guessing 'Crocodile Rock' is the song for this float. 
 "Fezzy's garden of Hope and Healing", sponsored by Shriners Hospitals for Children. It's cute, pretty and will be fun to watch. "Rockin the Vest" sponsored by Lions Clubs International. If you recall, I posted a link to the 2011 Lions Club video (titled 'Rockin' the Vest') which was used to recruit new members.  Lions Club is the world's largest volunteer organization and members wear distinctive yellow vests when performing community service. The United Sikh Mission is sponsoring "A Divine Melody Resonates in All", featuring a Rabab, a stringed instrument from around AD 900. 
 "Garden Fresh" has such a cute float design for a new sponsor this year, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day."Yellow Submarine", sponsored by Western Asset will be. joy to watch as well as hear.  Many interesting materials will be used on this float. 
"Helping Kids Rock Their Future", sponsored by Kiwanis International is a giant 'jukebox'(the underside of those records are covered with either poppy seeds or black onion seeds).
The American Legion, a Veteran association, is sponsoring "Still Serving America" this year.  (All floats have to be able to fit along the parade route in certain areas and so that's why you see 'collapsed' parts, like the eagle head).
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, a service organization, is celebrating "200 years of Harmony" with this delightful calliope featuring flags of some of the countries where they serve.
The American Armenian Rose Float Association is sponsoring another history laden float, "Chanting Stones, Karahunj" and will feature two men dancing atop the 'Singing Stones' of Sisian. The City of Hope is sponsoring "Harmony of Hope", which will be another beautiful float reminding us of The Miracle of Science with Soul. You'll see some DNA strands and other details when the float passes. 
 "Joy to the World, the Lord is Come" is presented by the Lutheran Hour Ministries and will not only have bells and horns on the float, but also a choir! (we volunteer with the Petal Pushers to decorate floats which helps defray the cost of this, the only Christian themed float, in the Parade for the 69th year). 
The entry from Trader Joe's, "Ride, Captain, Ride" has a secret you'll see on January 1. Even without the surprise, it's an attractive float.
The final float in the parade will advertise what's coming up later that day, the 105th Rose Bowl football game. The float is a replica of the bowl and has a replica of the trophy given to the winning team.  
The City of Alhambra's float, "Home Tweet Home"is just so very distinguished and cute.  

I have had posts showing road tests of most of these floats (Road tests #1 and #2...Road test #3...Road tests #4 and #5...and Road Test #6. 2018 has been long and the parade will be here on January 1, 2019 to kick off a new beginning.  

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This is why (most of) you are here...the food portion of this post.  

The Mister and I were exhausted and left the float barn at about 4:30.  We did have lunch and a light breakfast (at the Kolache Factory) and were ready for a relaxing (seated on real chairs) dinner.  We headed back to a spot here we enjoyed breakfasts two weeks in a row-Costa's  Family Restaurant in Covina, a few exits east of our Irwindale entrance back onto the 210.The back room had a few Christmas decorations. 
 My meal came with a salad and I was asked if beets would be OK...of course beets are OK, beets are wonderful!
The Mister had a choice of soups and chicken and dumplings it was...made from scratch.  A great soup. 
The dinner rolls were, of course, home made. 
The Mister ordered the Trout Dinner ($10.49).  Lightly pan fried, skin on trout filet served with a house made tartar sauce, tomato-onion green beans and (real) rice pilaf. This food- all of it was wonderful. 
I decided on a menu dinner special, Prime Rib ($13.49). Got it with the same green beans and a baked potato.   Wonderful, satisfying, most of everything from scratch...what more could we want?
Dessert- included (!) This is a from scratch tapioca pudding.  Vanilla...very vanilla.
Bread pudding...caramel bread pudding.  

If we lived in Covina, Costa's would be a daily stop.  

Costa's Family Restaurant 851 E. San Bernadino Road Covina, CA 91723 Open Daily 5:30a.m. - 9 p.m.

Comments

[kat]

great meal to end a busy day!

[Cathy]

The food at Costa's Family Restaurant is great, Kat-each year we try to plan for a decent place to go after decorating and I am so glad we happened to take that exit that one September morning. I don't know if it was the food or my newer shoes, but on Sunday (the morning after), there were no aches, pains or exhaustion...a busy day of decorating for sure!

[caninecologne]

I am curious about that "surprise" for the Trader Joe's float! Can't wait to see it on TV! The floats look amazing even at this stage without flowers. As always, cool photos of the float progress. What a great experience to be a part of this New Year's tradition.

[Soo]

Thanks for the float preview! Flowers and floats look great!

[Cathy]

It's cute, cc....there actually was a peek on the Phoenix Decorating Facebook page in about June, but they didn't indicate it was for the TJ float. The floats will look different with flowers, but you have the general idea. The Parade is such Americana.
I figured you'd like it, Soo. Live flowers show up beginning December 26...that's when most people sign up to decorate. We're happy to be part of the 'details'.