Category: American/New American Restaurants

Road Trip – Shangrila Himalayan Kitchen, The Landing Lakeside Dining, and Sugar Pine Point State Park

American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Indian Restaurants, Lake Tahoe, Nepalese/Himalayan Food, Road Trip, Travel

After spending two nights at the Forest Suites Resort, we checked out. We’d be spending the next three nights at the place I really wanted to stay at; the Landing Resort & Spa. Of course we had to figure out what to do before checking in….which was really easy. The Missus really enjoyed our stay in Tahoma on a previous road trip and while the small town didn’t have dog friendly restaurants or accommodations, we headed back up so She could do some paddleboarding at Sugar Pine Point Beach. The drive there was of course quite beautiful.

And once we got to Sugar Pine State Park, well, the Missus got to doing Her “SUP” thing ASAP. Which initially included JJ.

Who soon got tired of the whole thing. After which, I just took him to explore the area, which I was somewhat familiar with from our previous visit.

He enjoyed the walk and exploring.

Though he did miss his “mom”.

And then I saw this sign……which was indeed a “sign” for us to take our leave…..

On the way back into South Lake Tahoe, we decided to stop for lunch. The Missus waned something “different” so I found a place named “Shangrila Himalayan Kitchen”, a bit off highway 50 for lunch.

There was ample outdoor seating…..

And though the place was quite busy, the folks working were really accommodating as we sat outside.

We started with the Vegetable Pakora, basically vegetable fritters.

We enjoyed the sauces, because the fritters were on the bland side and the texture was quite “gummy”.

The Garlic Naan was fine, if a bit doughy. At least it had some nice garlic flavor.

The Lamb Curry was fine. Though the lamb was on the tougher side, at least it was quite aromatic, with a decent savory-richness. And quite hearty.

Really thick in texture…and we would have enjoyed a bit more spice.

We didn’t leave hungry though.

Shangrila Himalayan Kitchen
1142 Ski Run Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

We stopped to do some shopping on the way to check in…… We both cracked up when we saw this shirt.

And were tempted to get for….well…someone!

We then went over and checked in at the Landing Resort & Spa. I just wanted to stay here for the location. I enjoyed the view.

While JJ enjoyed…….

We just really enjoyed the fact that it was across from Lake Tahoe.

We decided to dine at the hotel’s restaurant; the Landing Lakeside Dining. The menu was no joke with entrees hitting the sixty dollar mark. Luckily, we weren’t very hungry and just did some cocktails and two apps.

The Duck “Nachos” were really like two tostadas.

The butternut squash sauce seemed a bit on the “thin” side and was too sweet. The duck confit tasted fine; good savoriness, but was on the chewy-dry side.

The Pork Belly just had too much going on.

With the yuzu emulsion clashing with the passionfruit glaze. Not sure why this needed chorizo, since the pork belly was nice and porky, and quite tender. The little dollops of parsnip puree was not enough to really contribute to the dish.

Really nice service with a good view of Lakeside Beach, but the dishes were a bit too over-the-top for us.

The Landing Lakeside Dining
4104 Lakeshore Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

But staying right across the street from Lakeside Beach had its benefits.

And dogs are allowed on the beach during the summer months; which is when we were here.

JJ does love the sand!

This was a lot more relaxed and peaceful than the busy Heavenly Village area. We enjoyed watching the sun set over the horizon!

Road Trip – Locals Taproom, Mr. Rick’s/Custom House (Avila Beach) and Industrial Eats (Buellton) Yet Again

American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

Just three weeks after returning from our short stay in Idyllwild we were headed out again. This time for a bit of a longer Road Trip. Because our final destination would be over 9 hours driving, I decided we should break things up a bit. We’d be going in a bit of a roundabout way, but I thought the combination of both the shore and the mountains would be fun.

On our way out, we stopped at a place I’ve posted on numerous times; Industrial Eats in Buellton. Of course, we just got our favorites; the Smoked Duck Salad and Miso Cod which never fails to satisfy.

Industrial Eats
181 Industrial Way
Buellton, CA 93427

From there it was just an hour drive to our destination in SLO. I’d read a bit about a little beach town named Avila Beach. So, we decided to stay there to expand our horizons a bit. It is a charming little town of about 1,600 people. There’s basically one avenue where most of the businesses are located, Front Street, a portion of which is pedestrian only.

We stayed at the Avila Lighthouse Suites, which is very dog friendly, at one end of Front Street, and right across from the beach.

A decent view of the park and the some of the beach from our patio.

After checking in, we decided to take a short stroll.

Being just a short drive from SLO, I can imagine how busy the beach here must be during weekends and holidays. But this was a Wednesday, so things were so laid back and mellow.

We walked down Front Street until the road headed up the hill.

Then wandered back down the street to the pier, which is dog friendly.

Which gave us an nice view of the waterfront.

We headed back to our room to relax for a bit. Dogs are allowed on the beach before 10am and after 5pm. So a bit before 5 we headed out and took a look at the lagoon and river on the other side of Avila Beach Drive. I wanted to find the path we’d be taking for our walk the following day.

And immediately at 5pm, we were back on the beach, right across from Avila Lighthouse Suites where JJ had a “swinging time”.

The Missus went to change and freshen up for dinner. JJ and I decided to grab a “cold one” and the Missus would meet us for dinner.

There was a place about a block away, down on the corner of San Miguel Street and 1st named Locals Taproom.

I asked the woman manning the bar if dogs were allowed, she laughed and said, “of course!” The small bar was full of folks, all of whom seemed to be from the area. All of the brews were also from the area….I guess that’s why they call it “Locals”.

I got the Aurora a Belgian Blonde made by the Apogee Brewing Company made in Grover Beach, just south of Pismo Beach.

Very easy to drink…perfect for a warm day!

All the folks came to pet JJ….who ate it up!

It’s totally our kind of place!

The woman working, who is also one of the owners was so welcoming saying if we wanted to, we can bring outside food here as well. She also introduced me to one of the local brew masters who was having a beer at the bar! Really nice folks!

Locals Taproom
90 San Miguel St.
Avila Beach, CA 93424

Soon enough, the Missus walked on over and we strolled down Front Street looking for a place to have dinner. There are two businesses right next to each other; a large bar named Mr. Rick’s……

We had a seat on the patio and I ordered the Missus some wine and I got myself a cold one. The food is provided next door at Custom House, which has a typical food menu; everything from burgers to sandwiches, salads, fish and shrimp tacos, that sort of thing. I ordered the Carne Asada Fries from the counter at Mr. Rick’s when grabbing our drinks. And soon enough it was brought to our table from Custom House.

Man, this was huge! I’m thinking it was worth the $21 price tag.

It was typical, cheesy, chewy, but slightly smoky tri-tip, the fries were nicely crisp. The hot sauce was pretty mild, but it was what we basically expected.

And it was more than enough food for both the Missus and I!

Mr. Rick’s/Custom House
404 Front St.
Avila Beach, CA 93424

We rolled back to our room at Avila Lighthouse Suites and enjoyed a restful evening.

Thanks for stopping by!

Idyllwild – Atomic Cow, Idyllwild Brewpub, and Pure Bean Idy

American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Cocktails, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Temecula/Idyllwild/Palm Springs - Riverside, CA, Travel

We had basically one full day in Idyllwild and the Missus wanted to get a hike in. After searching around a bit, we picked the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail, which was about 5 miles, but was also shaded…..since JJ doesn’t care for direct sunlight much.

Idyllwild is so peaceful in the morning……

We got to the trail early so had no problem with parking. There’s some inclines and such, but it’s a lovely trail.

I enjoyed some of the rock formations.

As did JJ….but for different reasons……

He seemed to like jumping on the rocks to taunt me….as in “hurry up daddy, you too slow!”

We took about 2 1/2 hours to complete the trail then headed back to the room to freshen up, then headed down the street to grab an early lunch.

There were a few choices….I guess we could have gone to the Red Kettle again….but we’d been-there, done-that and wanted something different.

Right past the Red Kettle is a little alleyway/lane called the Village Lane.

I had noticed an ice cream shop named the Atomic Cow the previous day, but taking a closer look, we saw that they did sandwiches as well.

While the Missus watched JJ, I went in and ordered us some sandwiches. I got us an Italian Sub and also the Cubano which featured an interesting ingredient.

The Italian Sub was typical, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, dressed with a vinaigrette.

I did like that they used Amoroso Rolls, very mild in flavor. This was your basic ham-pepperoni-salami-provolone sandwich.

The “wildcard” was the Cubano.

You see, this “Cubano” features; in addition to the ham, “Kalua Pork”! Say what?!? We actually enjoyed this sandwich.

This didn’t have all the veggies and was also toasted. The provolone cheese had melted, adding a nice milkiness! The “Kalua Pork” was basically pork made with liquid smoke, but was smoky, tender, salty, and savory….and it went really well with the ham! Who’s have thought, right? We enjoyed the pickles and mustard in this as they helped balance out the rich saltiness.

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. We polished off the Cubano, which was enough for the both of us, and saved the Italian Sandwich for breakfast.

Atomic Cow
54200 N Circle Dr.
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549

We then headed back to our room….it was time for a nap.

Upon waking we decided to get an early dinner and slowly made our way down to our dinner destination. Located in the Strawberry Creek Shopping Plaza is the Idyllwild Brewpub. You see the sign and then head down the flight of stairs…..

We had a nice table on the patio.

Where JJ could just chill. The Servers were quite friendly. Since this is a brewpub, my initial thought was to grab a beer, but the cocktail menu was intriguing.

All the syrups and fruit juices are made inhouse…..so we had cocktails.

The Missus had the Devil’s Slide….She does enjoy Her Tequila and this was pleasantly stiff.

I got the Smoked Old Fashion.

And while this won’t make me forget about The Alchemist’s Garden or even Shelter Distilling, it was very nice; aromatic, smoky, not overly sweet.

As for food, we just got two dishes. Starting with the Mountain Wedge Salad.

Nice and refreshing; the bacon bits and the blue cheese crumbles make this salad.

And I wanted to try the Fried Cheese Curds…..

The batter wasn’t particularly crisp, though the cheese was nice and gooey. A bit short in terms of flavor…I think horseradish might have been a good “dip” for this. Still haven’t found anything that matches up with what I’d had at the Old Fashioned in Madison.

Overall, a decent dinner. We’d return on a follow-up trip a few months later.

Idyllwild Brewpub
54423 Village Center Dr.
Idyllwild, CA 92549

I know “FOY” Junichi also visited the Brewpub! Junichi, I’m wondering what dined on?

Walking back to our accommodations; I could tell that J was pretty tired. He’s had a busy day after all.

The next morning, I saw something while walking JJ at 5am in the morning. I saw what looked like 3 dogs roaming down North Circle Drive. They basically walked past us…Coyotes! Walking down the main street like they owned the place.

Later in the morning, we decided to walk into town to grab some coffee and then finish up the sandwich from the day before. This is Idyllwild at 7am.

We walked down to the little mall that houses Pure Bean Idy.

JJ hung out with the Missus while I went in and ordered our coffee.

Very nice service and I enjoyed my Cold Brew.

Pure Bean Idy
54245 N Circle Dr.
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549

After finishing up, we packed up and headed home. The two nights went by in the blink of an eye, but we’d be returning id a couple of months.

Thanks for stopping by!

Idyllwild – Red Kettle and Ferro

American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants, Road Trip, Temecula/Idyllwild/Palm Springs - Riverside, CA, Travel

A month after returning from June Lake and Mammoth Lake we headed out on another road trip, albeit a very short one. Located in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County at an altitude of approximately 5400 feet, it seemed like a good place to visit during the month of August with JJ. Especially since there’s a special government figure I wanted to meet – more on that later.

The drive is just a tad over two hours for us; another plus fur a short two night road trip. The population is a bit over 4,000 and the place seemed pretty artsy to us.

We arrived a bit early for check in, so we decided to grab lunch in the quaint downtown area. Several folks I know enjoy travelling to Idyllwilde, especially during the summer as it’s 20+ degrees cooler than most of Riverside County. One of the place recommended was the Red Kettle.

Located right on North Circle Drive, the place was bustling. I peeked into the restaurant and mentioned having our pup with us and was directed to the side entrance of the patio. We had seat at the railing where we had a nice view of the street.

There was obviously a lot of shopping to be done here!

On the way to our seats, we noticed a gentleman really tucking in to his sandwich, so we asked the very friendly Server. Turns out it was the BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich ($19). It seemed like enough for the both of us and we asked if it would be ok just to order one sandwich, subbing sweet potato fries (+$3). The woman smiled and said “of course”! Soon enough JJ had his bowl of water and we had our sandwich with sweet potato fries.

At first, it seemed a bit over-sauced to us; but this was not bad. The beef was fairly tender, and though it lacked a real smokiness, it was quite beefy and the sauce was tangy, but not overly sweet. The French Roll actually held up well for the entire meal! And you know the Missus and sweet potato fries, right? These were on the drier side, but was still flavorful.

Not a bad lunch, especially since one sandwich was enough for the two of us! The woman working was really nice and explained that many businesses are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays because weekends are their busiest days. This would be good to know for future visits.

Red Kettle
54220 N Circle Dr.
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549

We had actually parked outside our little cottage like room further up on North Circle Drive and during our meal my phone went off with the entrance code to our room, so we headed back up. We soon git to understand the “feel” of the town a bit more….kinda artsy-hippy-otudoorsy. We actually passed two tea shops as we strolled up the street. And where else in California will find that the town’s mayor is a pooch!

Yep, Max is the Mayor of Idyllwilde! Actually, this is Mayor Max III. You can read more about it here!

On the way back to our room, we noticed this adorable nursery.

Which had not only lovely plants and supplies….guess who had to get one of these watering cans?

But all kinds of trinkets and “stuffs”…..

The Missus and JJ had fun wandering the grounds of the nursery.

Idyllwild Gardens
54385 North Circle Dr.
Idyllwild, CA 92549

It was a fun walk back to our accommodations.

We got back and did our entrance code and relaxed in our room for a bit.

For dinner we chose one of the more upscale places in town; Ferro which was just down the street….well, to be perfectly honest, everything is basically down the street. Even though we didn’t have reservations, we were seated on the front patio. I believe there’s a large back patio as well.

It’s a good thing we chose an early dining time as there was a never ending stream of folks coming in from about 5pm onward.

We weren’t overly hungry, so only got an appetizer and a couple of sides. And of course some cocktails….

It seems that you need to pay for the house bread these days and Ferro was no different. Their fresh baked Pane di Casa goes for $10.

The shipped butter was very nice and the bread arrived warm. The crust was too chewy for our taste and the bread lacked any substantial yeastiness. We took most of it back to the room and would have it for breakfast the next day.

The bread sticks and olives were a nice touch.

The Carpaccio de Manzo ($22) arrived nicely chilled.

The Parmesan was very thickly sliced, the beef tenderloin strangely chewy. Our wonderful Server provided a couple of turns of black pepper which really helped this dish. The lemon was needed for the arugula. A few drizzles of EVOO would have been a nice addition to the dish.

The Broccolini con Peperoncino ($12) arrived strangely almost cold.

The broccolini had been blanched and not roasted like we’d preferred so the texture was on the harder end of the scale. The caramelized onions were also on the colder side; though we did appreciate the red pepper flakes as it did add some heat to the dish.

The Peperoni e Salsiccia ($18) was out favorite dish.

The sausage was nice and peppery-savory-lightly smokey and not overly salty. The marinara added a nice acidity to the dish. The red bell peppers where nicely done, not overly mushy, adding a nice, almost fruitiness to the dish.

In spite of this being quite a smaller dinner, we actually had leftovers…which provided our breakfast.

Our main Server was a very funny and nice gentleman, who also provided some great information about Idyllwild. He moved here from Palm Springs which is just to the east. Overall, an ok meal.

Ferro
25840 Cedar St.
Idyllwild, CA 92549

We headed back to our room to relax and I got to do a post. We’d be doing some hiking and more exploring the next day.

Road Trip – Vulcania, Revisits to Emberz BBQ and Shelter Distilling, the MacLeod Lake Trail, Crystal Lake Trail, and Other Stuffs in Mammoth Lakes.

American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After spending a few nights in June Lake, we headed back to Mammoth Lakes. Being a bit early for check in, we headed off to the Twin Lakes area and took a nice walk and got some views of the falls.

When it was time for an early dinner, we headed back to the Emberz BBQ trailer.

We had enjoyed both the Heirloom Tomato salad and the Elk Sausage the last time. So we made sure to order those items.

That tomato salad was so refreshing; still a favorite.

Loved the smokey-savory elk sausage as well.

Didn’t care for the bland beans; though the potato salad was better this time around; not overly dressed as before.

While we were eating; the really nice gentleman came out and handed us some cornbread; gratis.

As I mentioned in my previous post…..so far, Emberz has been our favorite food stop in Mammoth Lakes.

Emberz BBQ
120 Commerce Dr.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

The next morning we woke and did the fun and easy MacLeod Lake Trail.

We had lunch at Old New York Deli & Bakery which I’ve posted on twice already.

Then the Missus just “needed” to do another hike during the early afternoon, so we did the Crystal Lake Trail.

Which along with the beautiful lakes had some lovely views as well.

Which even JJ appreciated.

When dinner time came along, we headed across the street to the Village. We noticed that there seemed to be an event going on.

Turns out that Mammoth has a yearly Reggae Festival in July and we just happened to be here on this weekend.

Several booths and lots of people enjoying the music!

On our previous trip to Mammoth we had wanted to dine at Vulcania, an Italian style restaurants, but was told that patio dining was not yet available. So, we decided to head on over. This time the patio was set-up and we had a nice table outside here we could enjoy the music.

We ended up getting two apps and one main for dinner,

Seeing Beef Carpaccio ($24) on the menu…well, of course I had to get that, right?

I’d say that this was more of a salad. The vinaigrette was so strong that it overwhelmed the beef. And even more strange was where those french fry looking things at top…they were hash browns! Still, I got my arugula fix, right?

We also got the Mortadella Toast ($23). The bread was nicely toasted, but was just your run of the mill ciabatta…like you’d get at the market.

Standard issue Mortadella, but I liked the Pistachio Mustard, which while nicely pungent, had a nice nutty-savory tone to it and went nicely with the Mortadella and (yet more) Arugula.

For our shared main we went with the Ravioli Bolognese ($30). I was looking forward to seeing how the lamb ragu was going to taste.

This was very over-sauced, so definitely an American style dish, definitely not the “Ragu” like we got in Emilia-Romagna! The ravioli was on the chewy side and the flavor of lamb was quite mild. I know that mint is supposed to go well with lamb, but in this case that was a distraction.

We enjoyed the service and the vibe, but am not sure we’ll return.

Vulcania
6201 Minaret Rd. #240
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

And of course, we ended the evening right across the way at Shelter Distilling, another place I’ve posted on before.

We enjoy sitting on the back patio area to enjoy an after dinner cocktail. And JJ likes the shade here as well!

Shelter Distilling
100 Canyon Blvd. #217
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

The next morning we had leftovers for breakfast and then checked out of the Westin. We headed back to the Twin Lakes area and went to take a look at the Tamarack Lodge.

Apparently, the Cabins on the grounds are dog friendly, but not the lodge itself. Still…..

And of course we walked along the lakes again and saw this posted on the bridge.

And JJ even had a morning “dip”!

And then we headed back home.

The Missus (and JJ) can’t wait to return to Mammoth!

Road Trip – Smokeyard BBQ and Chop Shop and Emberz BBQ (Mammoth)

American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Road Trip, Salads, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

So yes, here we were in Mammoth. The Missus loved the hiking with JJ….on this day we headed back out to the Horseshoe Lake Parking and then took the McLeod Lake Trail. Of course JJ just loved it out here.

And the views were outstanding.

And while the lake was lovely….it was what we saw near where w parked the car at the Horseshoe Lake Parking lot. While the lake views were lovely…..

This section looked totally different.

All those dead trees. We walked over and read the signage.

Apparently, there were a series of small earthquakes under Mammoth Mountain in 1989. This caused the magma to push CO2 up thru the soil, which caused the roots of the trees to die. Testing by the USGS in 1994 confirmed this. Crazy, huh?

We headed back to the Westin to…well….you know what….

After resting up a bit; we headed across the way to the Village. There was a place we were interested in dining at; but because it was still early in the season, the place was not yet opened for outdoor dining.

So, we walked over a bit and found this place.

Which had a large outdoor eating area and also a Happy Hour menu.

We ordered a couple of appetizers and a salad…..

We started with the Tri-tip skewers.

The cubes of tri-tip was really dry and tough. The sauce overly sweet.

We also got the Peri Peri Wings. We were warned by the really nice Server that it was going to be spicy.

Which it wasn’t. The sauce was quite tangy and salty. The chicken had been really overcooked and was tough. It did have some decent smokiness though.

The Missus did enjoy the Wedge Salad, especially the Blue Cheese Dressing which had a nice funky tanginess along with a not overly sweet balsamic glaze.. This is why the Missus had me start making Blue Cheese Dressing from scratch at home.

Lots of crumbled bacon…nice refreshing salad.

Overall; very nice service, but I don’t see us returning here.

Smokeyard BBQ and Chop Shop
1111 Forest Trail Suite 201
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

We did sleep well. And JJ did fine staying on an upper floor. There’s quite a bit of open space around the hotel and I even saw some wildlife while taking JJ out to potty early…think 5am in the morning!

Up early the next morning, we did the hike from Lake George to Emerald Lake.

Where JJ could show off some of his newly found balancing skills…..

You actually pass five lakes along this hike. This is Lake Barrett.

Even though it was early June, there was still snow on the ground in places.

And of course you know JJ and snow, right?

Making it to Emerald Lake, we headed on back.

We had lunch at Old New York Deli & Bakery and then had a well earned nap. Upon awakening, we decided to take a drive around…we did the Mammoth Scenic Loop…then went to by JJ some toys and snacks at Tailwaggers. By now it was just about 430. The Missus was really not into hitting up the Village again. I had found a BBQ truck/trailer of sorts while doing some research. It was located in a business park, next to Devils Creek Distillery.

We got a combo plate with Ribs and Elk Sausage, plus a tomato salad.

The tomato salad was excellent…using sweet-acidic-tangy tomatoes.

The slightly sweet-acidic balsamic dressing was wonderful.

Our favorite item was the Elk Sausage, very savory, nice and smoky, quite rich. The ribs were nothing special…though decently smoked.

That mashed potato salad had a bit too much mayo in it, though the greens were really refreshing.

The gentleman working was really nice. And he even gave us some moist and tasty cornbread….which was gobbled up so quickly, so no photos.

Anyway, we enjoyed our meal and even returned here the following month! We made sure to schedule that stay with the days the trailer is open – only Thursdays thru Sundays.

Emberz BBQ
120 Commerce Dr.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

As we took in the view of the Village from our patio, the Missus had me planning a return trip to Mammoth the following month. She, and JJ had really taken to the place.

Road Trip – Old New York Deli & Bakery (again), The Eatery at Mammoth Brewing Company, and Shelter Distilling again (Mammoth Lakes)

American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

The Missus was so excited to be in Mammoth…She couldn’t wait to take JJ hiking. And so first thing in the morning we headed out. She had decided on doing the Skelton Lake Loop, which started at the large parking lot at Coldwater Creek Road. This was an interesting hike as there was still snow and ice at some parts of the trail. It was only 3 1/2 miles long, but seemed longer. What we did find out on this trail was that JJ loved snow….

And the views of the different lakes we passed were gorgeous.

Including Skelton Lake which we got to at the end.

We then headed back to the Village. The Missus decided that we should hit up Old New York Deli & Bakery again. She had really taken to those Sweet Potato Fries. This time we went with the Vegetarian Sandwich ($16.99) + Sweet Potato Fries ($1.89).

The sandwich was not nearly as good as what we’d had the day before. Very bland and routine, the red bell pepper hummus was not up to the task of adding flavor.

Still, the Missus loved the sweet potato fries.

From this point on, we’d stick with the club sandwiches all the way.

Old New York Deli & Bakery
6201 Minaret Rd. Suite 105
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

After a short afternoon “siesta” I headed out to the Earthquake Fault Trail. A place where one could actually see an actual earthquake fissure which was initiated 500-600 years ago!

It’s not really a hiking trail per se, but an amazing thing to see…….

And then we headed back to the Westin to relax before dinner.

For dinner, we decided to walk down basically a block from where we were staying to Mammoth Brewing Company. We weren’t looking for any beer; there’s a restaurant on site called the Eatery.

The Missus went with the Quinoa Falafel Bowl ($18). The looks of the falafel tells it all.

The menu said “crispy falafel”; this was actually overcooked, dry and gritty falafel. That tzatziki tasted a bit odd….then I read that it was coconut tzatziki. The quinoa was fine as the lemon vinaigrette paired well with it.

I saw a Pork Belly Banh Mi ($16) on the menu and I couldn’t help myself.

While there was so much “not right” about this sandwich…starting at the bread which was not a banh mi….so basically this was a banh mi in name only. The cabbage and carrots was basically the shredded stuff you can buy at the market. The pork was hard and dry, though it had a some hints of savory and sweet. At least that egg was decent, crispy edges, slight soft interior.

Totally “con-fusion” cuisine.

The Eatery at Mammoth Brewing Company
18 Lake Mary Rd.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

As we crossed back to the Westin thru the Village, we decided to stop at Shelter Distilling. While not being fans of the food there, we had enjoyed their cocktails.

This time; instead of sitting in the front of the restaurant, we took JJ thru to the rear which had four tables with views of the ponds and courtyard.

We had the “Crib” again and also tried out their Old Fashioned. Both of which were really good.

While still on the search for something good to eat for dinner, at least we knew where to get our cocktails….

Shelter Distilling
100 Canyon Blvd. #217
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

The next morning, the Missus (and JJ) were rarin’ to go. This time I chose the Sherwin Lakes Trail, which was a 8 1/2 out and back.

There was a 800 foot elevation gain, but JJ had no problems with that at all.

Sherwin Lake is quite beautiful…..

I was just glad to be done with it…..because then we could get some lunch….

Road Trip – Tacos Los Hermanos (Lone Pine), Old New York Deli and Bakery, and Shelter Distilling (Mammoth Lakes)

American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Distilleries, Dog Friendly, Food Trucks, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Sierra Nevada, California, Taco Shops, Travel

Just about a month after we returned from our two week road trip up to Mendicino, we were back on the road again. This time to where the Missus wanted to go, Mammoth Lakes. One great thing I found out was that The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth Lakes is dog friendly. And it was right across the street from the Village at Mammoth, which had a variety of restaurants. We’d been to the area around Old Mammoth Road before and really hadn’t enjoyed ourselves.

We decided to make an overnight stop in Lone Pine to rest up before heading to Mammoth. So, I got us a night at the Dow Villa Hotel. This was back in June, so it was pretty darn hot already in Lone Pine. We checked in and basically just stayed in air conditioned comfort. When dinner time rolled around we just wanted to eat in the back garden area of the motel. It was too hot for JJ, so I walked the four blocks up to the Tacos Los Hermanos Truck. I was in a rush so I didn’t take photos of the truck which is on the corner of North Main and Willow Streets. I hustled back to the Dow Villa and we had dinner in the shaded public area behind the offices.

I got us four tacos, Adobada, CArne Asada, Buche, and Cachete. The Adobada wasn’t too bad, some good smokiness, sweet tones, and not too tough. The worst was the Carne Asada which was quite tough.

The Buche was pretty chewy, but the Cachete, beef cheek was nice and beefy. The tortillas were no big deal, but the salsas pretty good and spicy.

Not too much variety in Lone Pine, so this was a decent meal.

Tacos Los Hermanos
120 E Willow St.
Lone Pine, CA 93545

This is what Lone Pine looked like when I took JJ out for his 430am potty break…..

In the morning I took JJ for a short walk before things got too hot…..

And then we headed out….stopping in Bishop at Erick Schat’s Bakery which I’ve posted on twice before. The Missus ran in and got us some stuffs and we ate at the park across the street, under the trees. JJ needed the shade!

We then headed up the 395. We knew we were going to be early, so we decided to take a detour to Convict Lake and did the easy loop trail.

JJ got to try out his “boots” which we would later find that he really didn’t need.

He even saw horses for the first time and did well when they passed by!

We then headed up to Mammoth Lakes. We were still too early to check in, so we got our parking pass and headed across the road to the Village.

We walked around Village Plaza and found this sandwich and bakery along the side facing Minaret Road.

And as you might know, I’m a sucker for a club sandwich ($18.99) which seemed kinda pricy, but I added sweet potato fries (+ $1.89) which ended up being a good move.

The Missus enjoyed the sweet potato fries, which while not crisp, was quite creamy with a nice sweet and earthy flavor. The sandwich was pretty massive and this was enough for the both of us for lunch! The sourdough was fine, the turkey thinly sliced and quite moist…….. Good crisp bacon.

This would end up being our “go-to” lunch during our visits to Mammoth Lakes.

Old New York Deli & Bakery
6201 Minaret Rd. Suite 105
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

Soon enough we got to check in at the Westin. We enjoyed the service there…in fact, one of the Bell men is from San Diego….Bay Park! He was so nice to JJ. To get an idea of how closed we were to the Village; this is the view from our room.

And there was a lot of space for JJ to do “his thing” as well.

When dinner time came along er headed down and across the street. It was interesting to see folks who didn’t want to walk down the steps actually drive their cars around the block! We came across Shelter Distilling, they actually make many of their own spirits, have outdoor dining, and serve food. So, we thought, why not?

Of course we started with some cocktails and man were we hooked!

I think the favorite was the “Crib” which was made with Jalapeno infused Blue Agave.

So good! We actually ordered another one!

We also tried the Beet It, made with Bourbon, honey, lemon, and of course beets! It was a bit sweeter.

We liked the fact that you could actually taste the spirits and it wasn’t overly watered down or overly sweet.

As for the food…well, we weren’t impressed. The Mandarin Orange Salad ingredients were good, but the Ginger-Soy dressing didn’t have enough savory-salty-tangy tones.

Like PF Chang’s lite…..

The Crispy Confit Pork Belly Tacos was fine, but one was served on a pita? The Harissa Shrimp Taco didn’t have much of a kick.

The pork was more chewy than crisp. The pico de gallo was too mild. The Harissa Shrimp was at least served on a tortilla…which fell to pieces quickly. The shrimp was overcooked and rubbery.

On a good note, we’d found a place to have cocktails each night we were here. And I also noticed a back outdoor dining area which we enjoyed the next evening. We’d be looking to dine elsewhere…..

Shelter Distilling
100 Canyon Blvd. #217
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

And the Missus and JJ both were really enjoying Mammoth….

Road Trip – Nikka Ramen (Goleta) and 1909 (Temecula)

American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Temecula/Idyllwild/Palm Springs - Riverside, CA, Travel

Our two week road trip up the coast was nearing an end. To break up the last two days, we were staying a night, first in Goleta, south of Santa Barbara….I was trying to stay in Carpinteria since it’s been a recommended stop, but was unable to book accommodation. Then we’d be staying a night in Temecula, before heading home.

It was a uneventful 4 hour drive from Santa Cruz to Goleta. We arrived a bit too early to check in, so I had a stop in mind. We decided to stop and do a nice little walk/hike at Ellwood Bluffs and the Ellwood Beach Loop. There’s a Monarch Butterfly preserve, but it was the wrong season for that.

Some nice wide open trails and also views from the bluffs.

Along the bluffs we came across this.

Along with this Historical Marker.

After our nice little walk, we headed back to the main drag in Goleta. I had gotten us a room at the Leta located right on Calle Real. We settled in and relaxed. When it as time to head out for dinner, we wanted something in walking distance and I’d found a ramen shop a block or so away from out hotel named Nikka.

The reviews seemed positive and they had an outdoor dining area that was dog friendly. We were greeted and seated. The young man who waited upon us was very nice; but I could tell that this was more of a “fusiony” ramen place as he kept calling he ramen I ordered as “tonkatsu” ramen and while the menu boasted of the 24 hour simmering time for the broth, they called the version I had as “Shiro ramen” not shio ramen.

They also had stuff like poke bowls and ramen “burritos” on the menu. And in fact, I decided to order the Combination Baos (3 baos for $12.50). I ordered one of each.

As I figured, the baos seemed like those premade frozen ones you can get at the market. The karaage was too salty and dry, the chashu had a very nice texture but was super bland and over shadowed by the sweetness of the bao. The shrimp tempura, while overfried was the best of the three as it was tender and presented a decent shrimpiness.

As for the Tonkotsu Ramen ($17.50).

Well, the broth was barely past room temp and was super thin for our taste. It was pretty darn bland as well.

I had ordered the “thick noodle” which was a tad overcooked, heading toward too soft. Also, you can tell how thin the broth was since the noodles rea;;y didn’t “pick” any of it up.

The chashu was the best item in the bowl, nice texture, perfect tenderness, though a bit lacking in the porkiness department.

Overall, a “C” level bowl of ramen.

Well, service was nice. We hadn’t expected much from this place and I guess they lived up to those expectations.

Nikka Ramen
5701 Calle Real
Goleta, CA 93117

We did have a nice night of sleep at the hotel and breakfast was included in our stay, which was enough food to keep us until dinner!

We had decided on making one last stop before heading home, at a place that we’d never really taken to. We had visited Old Town Temecula several times while living in the SGV and when we first moved to SD. But had never really enjoyed the place as it seemed overly touristy. I thought that perhaps staying the night might make things more enjoyable, so I booked us a room at the Hampton Inn, which was right across busy Rancho California Road from the start of Old Town.

JJ got in a nice nap while we drove to Temecula.

We checked in and then headed to Old Town to wander around a bit.

Man, the bars were doing some good business; even at barely 4pm on a Sunday.

The Missus got some cream for Her and JJ, which they don’t always have at Temecula Olive Oil in Old Town. I also got some olive oil as well.

Temecula Olive Oil Company
28653 Old Town Front St.
Temecula, CA 92590

We wandered a bit more…..

And then decided to grab some dinner. An acquaintance had recommended a Bar/Restaurant named 1909 Temecula to me. The place had outdoor seating and was fairly busy; even at 445!

The menu consisted of typical items like burgers and tacos, stretching into Korean Fried Chicken, Risotto, and even Lobster.

The Missus started with a Sangria, which She enjoyed.

I had the Cedar Smoked Old Fashioned, which had some decent smokiness, but was a bit on the sweeter side and tasted a bit weak.

We decided on a couple of items; one of which was recommended to me; the House Chili (bowl – $12).

The blue cornbread was too wet and mushy. The chili lukewarm. There was supposed to be “steak” in this; which I think was super hard pieces of meat. It had an interesting flavor profile; perhaps a bit on the sweeter side? I was told that they use beer to make this chili. It was the best item we had during this meal.

The Al Pastor Tacos ($16) were not good. The pork very dry and chewy. The flavor too sweet.

The supposedly house made tortillas too brittle and lacking in good corn flavor. The fries were dry and soggy.

The Shrimp in the Shrimp & Chorizo ($18) was tough and chewy, with a muddiness to it.

The sausage seemed more like Longaniza as the meat seemed on the courser side and without the spice of chorizo. Still that was not bad. The bread had been nicely grilled, the sauce was quite tangy and acidic.

Overall, 1909 seems like a very touristic place, though it was super popular as there was a line of at least 20 people waiting when we left. Good thing we had an early dinner. Service was nice, but things took a while to get to our table.

1909
28656 Old Town Front St.
Temecula, CA 92590

We walked back to the hotel and relaxed. I did a post and caught up on things. We had a decent night of sleep. There was a bit of traffic noise, but things weren’t too bad.

While not quite the ending of our epic little road trip we had wanted; we…and JJ still enjoyed ourselves, from revisiting Paso Robles yet again and enjoying the Alchemist Garden, to our favorite meal of the trip at L’Escargot in Carmel, to lovely Mendocino and Santa Cruz, this was one for the books. And we are so honored that you were able to vicariously come along with us!

Revisits – Nate’s Garden Grill and Village Kitchen

American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Chinese Restaurants, Dog Friendly

Nate’s Garden Grill Revisited:

Well, the Missus has the “gardening bug” going really strong! We’ve been hitting up Walter Andersen Nursery at least once a week these days! Yeesh….

Anyway, She mentioned wanting to check out City Farmer’s Nursery on Euclid…..well now; opportunity knocks! Since Nate’s Garden Grill is right next to the nursery and my goodness, we hadn’t been to Nate’s since right before Covid! So, with JJ anxious to do some more exploring we headed out for breakfast.

Man, the place was pumping on this Sunday morning!

We got what was an old favorite of ours; the Pulled Pork Hash and an Avocado Toast on Pretzel Bun. The Missus went in to order while I got us a table on the patio.

Where JJ made himself right at home. There was some live music, so I made sure we sat on the other side of the patio out of the way of folks.

The Pulled Pork Hash was a bit of a disappointment.

Other than the crisp, perfectly buttered, and tasty sourdough toast. The pork lacked smokiness and was really chewy, the eggs overdone, and the dish was on the bland side. In a rare move, we had to grab some salt from the condiment table…and then went back for more hot sauce. Too bad, because this was one of our favorites from previous visits.

I’ve always enjoyed the Pretzel Buns at Nate’s and which didn’t disappoint with the Avocado Toast.

Slightly chewy, mildly salty-nutty, and crisp crust. The avocado was really creamily mashed, wish there was more of it. Didn’t care for the bacon which was really thick cut and chewy, rather than crisp like I enjoy.

Overall, not an especially pleasing breakfast. Though the two young ladies loved JJ and asked us if he could have some steak! Good lord……we got bland pulled pork and chewy bacon…..he got steak? What is this world coming to? So, I guess if JJ had his way; we’d be here often…..

Nate’s Garden Grill
3120 Euclid Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Tuesday 11am – 730pm
Wed – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Friday 11am – 9pm
Saturday 8am – 9pm
Sunday 8am – 5pm

Dining In at Village Kitchen:

It’s become a standard routine that when we return from one of many road trips that the first thing the Missus wants is…….well, Chinese food of course! And after returning from one of our road trips, the Missus was thinking of visiting Village Kitchen. I had thought we had just done take out recently….but no, that was from all the way back in November of last year! Man, time has flown by!

Another interesting tidbit is that She wanted to dine in…..looking at all my posts on Village Kitchen it seems that my last seven posts on the place were takeout visits! And the last time we’ve actually eaten in the restaurant was….yes, you guessed it, before Covid!

Over time we’ve noticed that several of our favorite dishes are no longer on the menu. We stuck with one old favorite, one that has been +/- over the years, and one new item from the menu.

Our old favorite, the La Rou with Bamboo Shoots Skin was quite good. We actually wanted the version with radish skin, but they were out.

Though not as spicy as we’d like; the smoked pork was more tender than usual; the bamboo shoots slightly crunchy and earthy. Not overly salty, nice savory tones.

I consider the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg to be the “signature dish” at Village Kitchen, though we’ve had mixed results ordering over the years.

These days it seems to have a lot less chilies, thus making it less spicy…but oh my; so much pidan! Which the Missus enjoyed…She loves that savory-complex umami flavor, with the ammonia like finish! Well, there was a ton of it here! The eggplant was very creamy and smoky, there was a hint of sweetness as well. This was a huge portion.

The one new item on the menu we tried was the Smoked Bamboo Shoots with Pork Belly.

Not enough black bean to really add much flavor to the dish; which was really salty. The pork belly was tough and chewy as was the bamboo shoots. This one is a “one-and-done”. Lacking in spice.

Overall, not a bad dinner….we’ll stick with our old favorites. We’ve noticed that the portion sizes here sure have gotten bigger over the last couple of years. It was good to actually dine in rather than do take-out for a change.

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Hope everyone is having a nice post-Xmas weekend!