After spending the evening in Monterey Park and having dinner a Mandarin Noodle House we headed up to our destination. We'd be spending the night in Buellton with reservations for lunch the next day at one of our favorite restaurants in the area, Bell's. Of course we couldn't check in until 3pm, so we needed a a place to pass the time and also for some lunch.
We had always enjoyed Los Olivos; we had enjoyed our first lunch there back in 2018 at the now defunct The Bear and Star and had always enjoyed strolling and shopping the town. Even though our last meal there at Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe was just passable, we love the vibe of the town. We'd gladly stay there except that hotel and AirBnB prices there are way too expensive for us! Thus, we'd be staying in Buellton.
I had read that the owners of Bell's were now co-owners of a Seafood forward restaurant named Bar le Cote in Los Olivos and it seemed like a nice lunch and shopping stop for us. So, I made reservations for a nice Thursday lunch. The place opens at noon, and we got into town a bit early, which gave us some time to do a bit of shopping.
The Missus loved this shop.
It might have been this that drew Her in.
Avec Moi Decor
2906 Grand Ave.
Los Olivos, CA 93441
The shops kept us occupied until the clock struck noon and we walked over to the cottage which housed the self-described "Seafood Tavern".
We waited a bit to be noticed and when the rather abrupt hostess came over, we chose to eat al fresco since it was such a nice day.
The woman Serving us was very professional and nice.
We ordered a couple of dishes I'd read about and since I was a fan of the beef tartare at Bell's, we ordered that as well.
First up was the Peel & Eat Shrimp ($18).
We found the "BLC spice" a bit on the saltier side which nullified the flavor of the shrimp. The shrimp were also over-cooked and rubbery. In this case adding the cocktail sauce or the aioli just further distracted one from the shrimp.
The dry aged Yellowtail Crudo ($24) had a wonderful, firm, yet almost cheese like texture and the flavor was quite mild.
We enjoyed the acidity from the lemon vinaigrette as well.
Next up, the beef tartare ($28).
The fried oysters were an interesting touch, I guess it was there to replace the usual egg yolk, and of course BLC is a seafood based restaurant. but we didn't care for the fishiness it added to the beef which was almost mushy. The horseradish cream was excellent; adding the palate and nasal cleansing pungency to things. It seems like everything was minced too finely. The fries were crisp and lightly dusted with what seemed to be the "BLC Spice". In this instance it seemed to work fairly well.
Last up was the Crispy Skin Branzino ($34).
This was the best item of the day; the skin was very crisp, yet light, with a briny edge. The flesh of the fish was tender, moist, with a hint of oceany sweetness. The charred lemon added a smoky-citrusy-sweetness. The Romesco Sauce was fine, but not needed. The greens were crisp and fresh.
Overall, an inconsistent meal which ran over a hundred, plus an automatic 20% (which we have no problem with) was not quite what we expected. I don't think we'll return. Which is too bad since we'd enjoyed Bell's so much.
Bar Le Côte
2375 Alamo Pintado Ave.
Los Olivos, CA 93441
Then it was time to head on over to Buellton.
Thanks for stopping by!
The wrappers were good when the dumplings were first delivered, fairly tender, but got brittle and chewier as the dumplings cooled off. The filling was tender, moist, nicely seasoned, and full of pork flavor. This was a pleasant surprise. The filling was more finely chopped than many versions I've had recently. I think this compares favorably with 
The pieces of beef were decently tender and nicely flavored, good anise tones, with a hint of sweetness. The soup was of the clear variety and had some five spice and white pepper seasoning going for it, but it lacked beefiness and decent richness. At least it wasn't overly salty. The noodles were overcooked for my taste and lacked the springiness I enjoy.
There were 8 dumplings in all, enough for a light lunch. One of the XLB, the one on the bottom had, ahem, an 
Not much has changed since the last time, or even from 1947, when The Barbecue Pit first opened in downtown San Diego.
Other than the prices and having a daily availability of brisket (used to only be on weekends).
Walk up, order, pay and you walk away with your tray of food. Efficient.
Find a seat.
Go back to the condiment bar and beverage station. Remember to grab utensils!
A bowl of Navy Bean Soup-filled with beans, carrots, celery and bits of ham. An excellent version almost always ordered (except when I really want the Pea Soup)..
This went well with a beef sandwich. (Soup and Sandwich, $11.99). This is Pit Barbecue-slow cooked over oak-not overly smoked (there is a smokey BBQ sauce available on the condiment bar). The sandwiches are 1/2 pound, the bread is lightly toasted. It all comes together in each bite. 
The Mister ordered the chopped burnt ends plate ($10.99) which included two sides. The burnt ends are meaty, not fatty.
We decided to share a slice of pecan pie ($4.99) which had an excellent, flaky crust, not too sweet filling and still crisp pecans. A nice treat. 
The interior (there is outside seating) has 33 HDTV's, most showing local sports and at least one showing PAWS-a channel about animals. I could see 11 televisions from my chair and The Mister could see eight.
The two-sided menu mentions the weekday Lunch specials, as well as a Monday night special and Happy Hour. There's also a Tuesday night special of Sliders which flashed across one of the TV screens. The other side of the menu has weekend breakfast items.
The grilled chicken salad ($12.95) was topped with a still warm/freshly char-grilled chicken breast. The bowl is very large and we did take home some leftovers. The mixed lettuces had tomatoes, onions and shredded carrots and the ranch dressing was a better quality.
The cheeseburger Lunch Special ($14.75) includes your choice of soda, Bud Light, Coors Light or Amberbock. You also can choose the type of cheese and also get a choice of fries, chips or a salad. The burger is large (at least 1/4 lb) and also char-grilled, made with a coarse grind of beef, keeping the meat chunky and moist. The bun is toasted and those fries have a coating and seasoning, making them very crisp and tasty.
More than 20 beers on tap!
Here is the breakfast menu from a few months ago. Lunch and dinner is also served here.
Well, look at this from the breakfast menu- avocado toast, which comes with two eggs any style and a side of fresh fruit (or hash browns) ($13.49). A good quality multigrain toast topped with freshly sliced avocado and roasted cherry tomatoes. This was a surprisingly tasty and filling breakfast.
The Mister chose a Waffle Combo ($16.49). A strawberry cheesecake topped Belgian waffle with two eggs (over easy), two sausage (or bacon) and hash browns. I liked the waffle (plain). The batter was crisp on the exterior and had a malt/vanilla flavored fluffy interior. The strawberries were very flavorful-see the pink (not white) inner part? The sausage was standard with a nicely crisped skin and the hash browns were not watery and also had a good crisp. 
Coffee is $3.99
Mr. and Mrs. Takeda, who opened Hogetsu in 1983, have retired and passed along their knowledge to a younger couple. The name, Hogetsu, was given by permission of the prefecture when the store opened. The name now must be retired. 
What's that in the top left corner?
They've added a neon sign! Modern times are coming…
There is always a good variety to choose from when I stop in, and everything is always fresh. 
I have purchased the frozen Komochi so I can have a savory snack at home. The container is about one pound. The texture is similar to the suwama (chewy mochi).
Here are a few of my recent purchases. Yes, one day I was able to walk in and only order one coffee and one green tea-each were gentle flavored at first bite and ended up so flavorful at the end. 
The new owners have been experimenting with the name change and did tell me that they have settled on Thank You Very Mochi and will be ordering signage soon. The Takeda tradition will continue.
Step inside, order, pay and your name will be called. There are 18 seats inside and tables out in front.
The Monte Cristo Breakfast sandwich ($14.99) is served with warm syrup and a side of fruit. 
Made with Boar's Head oven roasted ham, Havarti cheese, mustard and mayo on egg-dipped white bread which is pan fried, this hefty sandwich is enough to share. 
There are four soups available daily, all home made: tomato basil, chicken noodle, clam chowder and chili (Cup $5.49-5.99, Bowl $7.49-7.99). The clam chowder is my favorite, although all are wonderfully flavored.
The cheesy flatbread ($11.99) is a meal in itself. A thin, made in-house crust topped with roasted garlic tomato sauce, provolone and mozzarella. Simple and good.
The garlic-cilantro jumbo shrimp plate ($16.99) includes a cup of soup or small salad, sautéed broccoli and asparagus and ten jumbo shrimp which are marinated in the house garlic and pepper sauce and lightly cooked (still meaty and firm).
On the bottom of the wall menu there is a section "Pepper Farm Special" ($7.99). A choice of four cold half sandwiches, chips and a fountain drink. (for $11.99, you can get a choice of four hot half sandwiches, chips and a drink). This is the Bovine: roast beef, havarti cheese, garlic aioli, mustard, red onion, tomatoes, banana peppers and spring mix on a hoagie roll. It's a large half sandwich. 
There are desserts, too.