Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County

Roadtrip – Kalani’s Revisited, South of North Brewing Company, and the Echo Lake Trail (Lake Tahoe). A revisit to The Alchemists’ Garden (Paso Robles)

May 9, 2026 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Beer, Dog Friendly, Lake Tahoe, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

On our last full day in South Lake Tahoe; the Missus chose the Echo Lakes Trail, which you need a permit for. It was a pretty easy trail.

There’s an area called Echo Pass which has wonderful views.

The trail is basically along the lake.

JJ’s not fond of the heat and direct sunlight, so we’re glad we made an early start.

Another benefit of getting an early start is that we easily found parking. The lot isn’t very big and was full to the brim upon our return. The trail was starting to get busy, so we were happy to leave and head back to the hotel.

For lunch, we just stopped by the Whole Foods and got some prepared food and it enjoyed it on the porch and relaxed. And of course we had a nice nap!

When dinner time arrived, we strolled on over to Heavenly Village. This was a Tuesday evening so things weren’t quite as hectic.

We had enjoyed Kalani’s the previous evening; so we decided to head on back.

We walked in, fully intent of doing HH in the bar area again; but strangely, it was quite busy. The wonderful hostess just sat us in the dining room. As it was just past 5pm, we were the only customers.

I only got a mocktail on this evening….which was quite refreshing.

The Missus wanted those Brussel Sprouts again, which were just as good as what we’d had the previous evening.

And of course that crisp; then buttery textured pork belly.

Though we tried it with the sauce again….well, it’s still “no bueno”. The lovely pork belly was just perfect for our taste as is.

The Missus wanted one more dish and decided to try the Baby Back Ribs.

The Ginger-Soy-Garlic sauce was pretty good; if a bit strong in terms of ginger flavor; but the ribs were super tough and chewy. We probably should have stuck with the Miso Chilean Sea Bass.

Still, if we’re in the area, we’ll definitely return to Kalani’s. Here’s some history on Kalani’s if you’re interested. The founders are from Oahu.

Kalani’s
1001 Heavenly Village Way
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

On the way back to our room…..well..to give the Missus a break I took JJ to South of North Brewing.

It was a nice outdoor, really mellow area.

And we had a nice Blonde Ale……

And all seemed right in the world…….

South of North Brewing Co.
932 Stateline Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

The next day we had head back home……

But my goodness, a direct 7-8 hour drive wasn’t going to do it for us. So, we stopped in an area we had been to several times…….Paso Robles.

And then, after doing some shopping, had dinner a a place we’d been to many times before….The Alchemists’ Garden.

And while there were other places we’d prefer to dine at; the rail here was so very convenient. And having been here so many times; things were kind of easy.

The cocktails here are “king”….. I had the Nicolas Flamel…nice and spicy…..

The Missus got the Fifth Heaven, Mezcal with Dragonfruit and apricot…..

The last time we’d been here we thought the food was pretty good. So, we had dinner here.

This time though, it wasn’t quite as enjoyable.

The Yellowfin Tostadas were really fishy.

In fact, the Missus had one bite and couldn’t bear with anymore. It was on the very “pungent” side and quite assertive in flavor.

And then there was the Deviled Eggs.

Very strong tumeric tones….on the bitter end of the scale.

At least the bone marrow was still as good as before.

That cherry onion jam went really well with the rich, fatty, savory bone marrow.

Still, one out of three wasn’t really great for us…..we’ll need to find other options next time we’re in the area.

The Alchemists’ Garden
1144 Pine St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

As for where we stayed….well, the Missus has developed an affinity for boutique style motels….and the Stables Inn really was that.

I mean…..it was a very hipster style motel…..very convenient.

I guess we’ll be staying here whenever we’re back in Paso Robles.

Road Trip – Blue Moon Over Avila, The Bob Jones Trail, Avila Valley Barn (Avila Beach)

April 10, 2026 mmm-yoso Farmer's Markets/Night Market, French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

After a restful night at the Avila Lighthouse Inn, I woke early to have JJ “do his thing”. We walked along the beach; right across the street.

Right through the small downtown area.

Things were so peaceful on this morning. Avila Lighthouse Suites provides breakfast, which was a nice way to start the day.

Looking for something to do; I found the Bob Jones City to the Sea Trail, which basically started right across the street from where we were staying.

It starts on a paved bike path, next to a golf course.

Crosses over San Luis Obispo Creek.

Which, unlike what it looks like in SLO, is pretty wide in a parts near Avila Beach.

The easy walk continues on Blue Heron Road and there’s some interesting things to see along the way.

And the terrain also changes; from the seaside, to hills, and some interesting rock formations.

It’s an easy 2 1/2 mile trail…we took it the opposite way and ended at the trailhead on Ontario Road. Instead of turning right around, we decided to head down the road and then take a right on Avila Beach Drive. No sidewalks here and some of the cars drive pretty darn fast, so it was head up all the time.

We got to our destination in about 15 minutes. The Avila Valley Barn, which features a market, a “sweet shack”, corn roasters, and several eating establishments; which were closed when we arrived since it was pretty early. But we mainly wanted to check out the market. We got some stuff for a light lunch.

The place was super farm themed……..there’s even a “farm zoo”.

And of course….you don’t mess with the chickens.

We enjoyed exploring…

Avila Valley Barn
560 Avila Beach Dr.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

To return to Avila Beach we headed down Avila Beach Drive and then took a short trail back across San Luis Obispo Creek. Along the way we came across this interesting outdoor dining area surrounded by gardens and trees across the bridge from Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort. This is the “Secret Garden”…it looked like a really cool spot and it also discreetly opens back up on the Bob Jones Trail!

From it, it was just returning the way we came.

We got back to our room, had our lunch, relaxed, and took ourselves a nice nap. We decided to get an early dinner and I knew just the place. So, we headed over to the pedestrian only area of Front Street.

Right at the beginning of the pedestrian walk is Blue Moon Over Avila.

We were seated by the very friendly Hostess on the patio. We actually took seats at the rail, so we could check out the beach.

Our Server went and pointed out the Coast Guard rescue exercises going on near the pier.

The Missus started with a glass of wine; I decided not to partake….I was going to get a brew later on. Our wonderful Server made some recommendations and we took him up two of them.

But first, we started with some Escargot ($18). This ended up being our least favorite item as the escargot was super chewy and the herb-garlic butter was to mild in terms of pungent savoriness.

The Croque Monsieur ($24) was delicious!

The melted Gruyere roasted crisp. Lovely cheesy-nutty-savoriness. It added an amazing textural contrast and layer of flavor to the toasted sourdough.

Heck, it almost seemed like the delicate rosemary-garlic ham and the milky cheese were just the secondary players on this. The salad was refreshing and nicely coated with a nice, light vinaigrette.

The Beef Bourguignon ($32) was also recommended and though I had my doubts, this was also good. The Missus really enjoyed it; especially since the flavor was nicely balanced, not overly winey like many versions we’ve had. And of course, the Missus really enjoyed all the lardons.

Pleasantly rich, nice savory beefiness, perfect amount of acidity, earth mushrooms, and a hint of smokiness. We’d end up having most of this for lunch the following day….it as still just as good!

This was a very pleasant surprise. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we’d return here a couple of months later!

Blue Moon Over Avila
460 Front St.
Avila Beach, CA 93424

After dinner, we took a stroll along Front Street and JJ got his usual “photo-op”.

The Missus returned to the room, while JJ and I made it back to Locals Taproom, which we had both enjoyed the night before. The bartender remembered JJ and even had treats for him! I was having so much fun chatting with the folks here that I forgot to take a photo of my beer!

Needless to say, we really enjoy this place! They made us feel so welcome!

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

We really enjoyed the vibe of Avila Beach and was happy to find a restaurant we enjoyed!

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

April 5, 2026 mmm-yoso 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!

Where on the road were we?

December 4, 2025 mmm-yoso Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

Would you believe we just got back from our 11th road trip this year? Yikes! I guess not being able to take those international trips because of the squirt really got us going huh? And yes, I’m like 6 road trips behind!

Anyway, this last one for the year was a short one, we actually went back to a familiar locale…we were just there in March.

But we thought JJ might enjoy the holiday festivities and he did.

Of course the Missus said we had to stop at Her favorite in the area.

And as for dinner; I went to a place that I had really enjoyed with JJ on our previous visit for drinks.

But this time we had the food which we really enjoyed!

JJ really enjoys this village; though it was a bit too crowded when we arrived. But he did make some new “frens”…..

Our next stop we had visited in in September and really enjoyed. Also, dogs can enjoy the beach before 10am and after 5pm…..

On days when the place isn’t busy; it’s so very relaxed and chill.

You could hear the waves crashing on the beach from our room.

On our last visit; we found a restaurant we really enjoyed and it was just as good this time around!

The actual main street is basically two blocks long; but it’s an enjoyable, relaxed place to stay!

Our last stop, was in an area recommended to me. The Missus enjoyed the shopping; folks were really friendly, and there were some nice walks.

We had one mediocre dinner; but our second dinner was pretty good.

So I think we’ll be returning.

Thanks for stopping by and let me spend this evening “juggling” things around…..

And I’ll be back tomorrow with a new post!

Road Trip – Revisits to Industrial Eats (Buellton) and Alchemist Garden (Paso Robles), and Lunch at Jeju Kitchen (Carmel)

October 18, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Korean Restaurants, Monterey/Carmel/Santa Cruz - Monterey Bay/Peninsula, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Taco Shops

Back in April/May, we took a two week Road Trip with JJ. He’d already proven himself during our road trips to June Lake, Morro Bay/Cambria and to Scottsdale/Winslow/Lake Havasu among others. We were basically doing a road trip every month and this “two-weeker” would cover two months!

This one was more “my thing” as I’m more of a city/coast kinda guy. Our northern destination was Mendocino.

Our “first leg” was going to be to a place now familiar to us Paso Robles. We decided to go up via the 101 and stop for lunch at another place I’ve posted on twice already; Industrial Eats in Buellton.

We had the same two dishes as on our last visit; the Smoked Duck Salad and Miso Cod. Both were just as delicious as what we’d had last time.

We’re still not quite sure what that avocado is for; but the cod is so buttery and the mushrooms add a wonderful earthiness.

From Buellton, it was an easy hour-and-a-half to Paso Robles. Since we started doing so many road trips during Covid; Paso Robles has become a favorite stop for us.

This time, with JJ in tow, we decided to stay at the Paso Robles Inn, which is right across the street from the Downtown City Park.

It was fairly pricey; but the location was great, as were the grounds….JJ was fascinated by the Koi Pond.

Our room wasn’t that great, the noise from upstairs and the rooms next door were fairly loud. So, while we loved the location; we’d try and find a different place to stay at the next time…..

Paso Robles Inn
1103 Spring St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

Of course, once we settled in we headed out.

We enjoy stopping in at the Paso Robles General Store…….which is dog friendly.

And they stock Paso Almonds which are a must buy for snacks and gifts when we get back home.

General Store Paso Robles
841 12th St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

As for dinner….well, our favorite restaurant in Paso; Les Petites Canailles is not dog friendly; so we thought we’d just grab some eats at what is possibly my favorite Cocktail Bar in California; Alchemist Garden; which I’ve already posted on three times! Though this would be the first time we’d actually be having a full meal there. We got a table on the patio so JJ could hang out with us.

Of course the cocktails were awesome!

We were pleasantly surprised at the food as well. The Bone Marrow was very buttery and though we had doubts about the Cherry Onion Jam; the sheet-acidity really paired well with the marrow.

It was also “Taco Tuesday”….so we ordered one each of the Shrimp, Duck, Chicken, and Skirt Steak Taco. Our expectations were very low….but man; the corn tortillas were decent and held up well. And the meats; especially the skirt steak and the shrimp, with a perfectly crunchy-crisp batter and tender shrimp were very good!

The skirt steak was topped with harissa; which had an almost kimchi like sour-spiciness….surprisingly good. We could even deal with the sour cream on the tacos as well!

Such a nice surprise and meal!

The Alchemists’ Garden
1144 Pine St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

The following morning we headed out to our next stop Carmel By the Sea. But first we decided to make a stop at Fiscalini Ranch. We had really enjoyed the easy trails and the views before, so we thought JJ might have fun. This time we did the Marine Terrace and Bluff Loop Trail.

Which JJ enjoyed!

And the views on the bluff trail are lovely.

And the wildflowers were beautiful.

And of course, there are the benches……

It was a fun time!

From here it was a two hour drive to Carmel. We’d be in early, so we decided to get some lunch. There is a Korean Restaurant in Carmel Plaza with outdoor seating…Carmel is known to be very dog friendly; we found street parking and headed on into the mall and Jeju Kitchen.

It was past noon, but it was pretty quiet. We easily found a table near the fire pit.

Serers were very friendly; even bringing JJ a bowl of water. Though the prices gave me pause.

The Missus got the Dolsot Bi Bim Bap. Which was $26 but had no meat!

The egg was fine; though we prefer crisp edges. Still the yolk was fairly soft and runny. The dolsot wasn’t hot enough, so no rice “crust” developed. The kimchi didn’t have a deep fermented flavor and was just salty and sour. And within the confines of the dolsot made this dish pretty bland.

Like I mentioned above; the panchan was pretty bland.

I ordered the Korean Fried Chicken – would you believe this cost $28?

The Mu Kimchi was overly sweet. The batter was too thick and initially crunchy, but got mushy pretty quickly. It was also pretty bland….something I’ll almost never say about “KFC”. I appreciate a bit of “lightness” in my KFC; but this was definitely not that. This one went in the “soy-garlic” direction. Though it was more drizzled sugar-soy. Overly sweet for our taste. Not enough sauce, lacking in depth of flavor….

The meat was chewy, but fine.

In the end, a shadow of Korean cuisine. I should have known better when I saw Miso Cacio de Pepe, Smashburgers, and Coconut Prawns on the menu. Lesson learned.

Jeju Kitchen (In Carmel Plaza)
106 Mission St.
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923

We took a stroll around the plaza….I think we prefer the shops in the Downtown Village/Ocean Avenue area.

We did manage to kill time before heading to our accommodations. We were staying at the Green Lantern Inn once again. Though this time for two nights, so we could spend a bit more time exploring!

Thanks for stopping by – hope you have an awesome weekend!

Where on the road are we?

April 29, 2025 mmm-yoso Monterey/Carmel/Santa Cruz - Monterey Bay/Peninsula, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel, yoso-silly

I'm sure you've noticed that my posts have been somewhat sporadic, over the last week or so. Well, what's going on is that after four short road trips with JJ, we're off on a two week one right now. On previous road trips I managed to get a couple of posts done beforehand and thought with two in the can, I would have time to do some posts from the road…well, how wrong I am! I did manage a couple, but with the driving, meals, walks, hiking, shopping, and having JJ around well…..you get the picture.

Anyway, it's been quite fun so far.

I designed it so we started in some rather familiar locales.

Finding dog friendly accommodations and restaurants has been interesting. Though, I must say California has many options.

And we were able to get a nice walk in.

We had dinner at our favorite cocktail bar in the city since it was dog friendly and had a nice time.

Then it was off to what is considered to be the most dog friendly town in California. We stayed at the same accommodations as before. I must say, the place is bustling, but mornings and evenings were quite relaxing. There were so many pooches and scenes like this seagull holding up traffic!

We also did a rather well known drive….which we last did over 20 years ago!

And of course, JJ got into the act.

It seemed that all the restaurants here are dog friendly.

And our favorite meal so far was in this town.

It's been quite a fun adventure so far.

Thanks for letting me share this with you. I'll try to get posts done as JJ allows!

Thanks for dropping by!

Road Trip – A Revisit to Madeline’s (Cambria)

March 22, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, European Restaurants, French Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

Another one of the reasons for us returning to Cambria was to dine at Madeline's once again. We first dined here back in 2020 and enjoyed it so much that we returned a year later. I big plus is that the wine shop by day, restaurant by night has several outdoor tables and allowed dogs. I made sure to request our favorite, known as "patio 1".

After shopping and lunch, we drove over to El Colibri, it was before the published check in time, but our dog friendly room was ready! Lucky us. So we managed a short nap. When JJ woke, while the Missus relaxed and read, I took him for a stroll along the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk which I've posted on before. The boardwalk is basically right out the hotel's doors!

JJ enjoyed the walk and made some new "friends" and the view is just a lovely as I remembered.

And I don't recall seeing deer around here before!

I think that it is a "seasonal" thing?

After returning and freshening up; we were ready to head out for dinner a bit early.

Also close to the hotel, right down the road is Shamel Park. We love walking along the beach and the sunsets here are lovely, though on this evening we had to get to dinner.

We headed on back up Windsor Road and crossed over Highway One onto main street. West Main was very sedate on this evening.

As we passed Mushrooms on Main, this friendly gal popped up!

We gave her a treat and the friendly owner invited JJ in for a "play date". Unfortunately, we had to get to dinner, so we took a rain check. We'll definitely return here on our next trip.

We arrived at Madeline's and were directed to our table. The Server was quite friendly to JJ. The Missus looked over the wine list and immediately ordered a Sauvignon Blanc.

We looked over the menu which is seasonal and ever changing. It did have several items that we'd enjoyed on our previous visits.

And there seemed to be so many mushroom based dishes….it was our lucky day! We placed our order and then bread service arrived.

Sadly, the bread, while nice and warm was not ready for prime time. It had been smushed down and the middle was still wet. It was probably pulled out before it was ready.

In keeping with our usual ordering at Madeline's we went with all appetizers and a salad. This way we get a nice variety of dishes that tend to be more interesting.

The only real "clunker" of the meal arrived with the first three dishes; the Bruschetta ($20).

With the sweet balsamic glaze, the sour tower of goat cheese, this was a bit too much for this dish. You really couldn't make out the eggplant which had been breaded and fried, but got soggy quite quickly.

The ship was quickly "righted" as the Baby Spinach Salad ($13) arrived.

As I mentioned before, we love the Bacon Vinaigrette here! It adds a wonderful smoky-savory component to a salad.

Another item we've always enjoyed have been the scallop dishes, and the Scallops Saint Jacques ($20) was no exception.

I had thought that the duxelles would be a bit too much for this dish; but as usual, the scallops were perfectly cooked, perfectly rare the way we like it. The lemon buerre blanc added a nice refreshing note to the dish.

We ordered two additional mushroom appetizers, both of which were quite hearty.

The Duck and Wild Mushroom ($20) featured two of our favorite ingredients. But man, combined with the cream sauce it edged on being a bit too much!

And the Tartine Forestiere ($20), featuring both local and smoked mushrooms was a study in umami.

Even the goat cheese and balsamic glaze could not temper the wonderful flavors of the mushrooms!

I finished as always with a Tawny Port.

Overall, this was yet another wonderful meal at Madeline's. And since we can always bring JJ….and get "Patio 1", I'm sure we'll return again, Hopefully soon.

Madeline's Restaurant & Wine Tasting Room
788 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

The next morning, the Missus decided to sleep in, so I took JJ for a walk to Cambria Coffee which I've posted on a couple of times before and had a cold brew and just relaxed.

Cambria Coffee Roasting Company
761 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

And soon enough we headed back home.

This short road trip was a test to see how JJ would handle things. He always seemed to enjoy riding in the car. And he did enjoy Morro Bay and our stops in Ojai and Cayucos. He did well in Cambria and on the drive home. So, you could say he passed with flying colors. And since we can't really travel Internationally….we want to wait until JJ is a bit older before leaving him with his Aunty, this meant more road trips were in store!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cambria – Redwood Cafe

February 25, 2025 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Dog Friendly, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

We made it to Cambria from Morro Bay/Cayucos in record time! It was much too early to check in so we headed to the "East Village" where we had enjoyed the shopping on our previous visits.

IMG_5241a

Most of the shops were obviously dog friendly.

And if I wasn't sure, I'd let the Missus enter and wait with JJ outside. And more often then naught, I'd be waved on in.

The Missus really enjoys shopping and browsing in Cambria.

I think that Cinnabar is one of our favorite shopping stops here.

Soon enough, it was time for an early lunch. After checking out a couple of places, we thought that the Redwood Cafe, located in the lot where we had parked our car seemed to have a nice outdoor dining area.

We waked over and were told to go ahead and pick a table; which we did.

The service was very…shall we say "relaxed" and things happened at a slower pace; not a bad things since we were on holiday and didn't know when our room would be ready.

The Missus got the special of the day; Chilaquiles. The eggs were nice and runny. The beans were very…ummmm…"gringo" and pasty.

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The chips were nicely drenched in a red sauce; which was super sour and puckery.

I got a bowl of the Cilantro Chicken Soup.

Lots of tomato and celery. Also super sour! We ended up asking for some hot sauce and once we added some Tapatio to our dishes, things evened out a bit. I could then actually taste some chicken flavor.

Well, it was a nice day, the weather so pleasant and JJ enjoyed hanging out in the shade.

Redwood Cafe
2094 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

In fact, JJ kinda enjoyed the "hocus pocus" of Cambria!

And just as we were paying for our meal, I got a text that our room was ready! Nice! We'd be able to check in a couple of hours early and squeeze in a nap!

Road Trip – La Parisienne (Morro Bay) and Luna Coffee Bar (Cayucos)

February 7, 2025 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

We had a decent night's sleep at our hotel, the Harbor House Inn, which was super dog friendly. Of course JJ was still a really young pupper and had to go potty at 3am, but the hotel has a designated green space for that.

After waking and feeding the pup breakfast, we gave him time to "settle" then headed on out for a morning walk before checking out. On our last visit, we had spent time at the shops and such. This time around, we walked north toward the "rock". We had noticed a bakery of sorts during our last visit right off the Embarcadero and Front Street. In need of something for a light breakfast, this time we headed on in to the shop, named La Parisienne.

After looking over the rather large selection; I decided on getting a quiche and ended up choosing the Bacon and Caramelized Onion Quiche. I ordered a coffee for the Missus who was waiting with JJ at the table outside.

The really nice woman working heated up the quiche and even delivered it to our table outside.

She even provided two forks without me asking! This was pretty good, sweet-savory, nice crisp top, creamy-rich interior. Well worth the $5.75 to me!

Not bad at all!

La Parisienne
1140 Front St.
Morro Bay, CA 93442

On our last visit to the area we didn't take the time to check out "the rock", so we decided to walk on over.

Though JJ seemed to prefer the Ice Plants…..

In Coleman Park is this Plaque. Morro Bay is where the first Filipinos landed in the United States on October 18, 1587!

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Well, didn't the Pilgrim's land in 1620???? So….maybe we should be having Adobo for Thanksgiving? Hmmm……

Based on how many folks we'd seen the night before, we were surprised to find the park around Morro Rock to be quite quiet and peaceful.

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The views of the coast were also quite nice.

The Missus asked me what that town was in the distance. I told Her it's Cayucos. I also mentioned that there's a pier with some nice views, so we decided that should be our next stop. So, we walked back to the hotel, packed up, and checked out and drove the short distance to Cayucos.

It was fairly busy, but we still found parking on North Ocean Avenue and made the stroll down the pier.

I admired those surfers, cause the water looked fah-reezing!

We then took a stroll down Ocean Avenue with JJ. I had thoughts about having brunch at The Hidden Kitchen, but the line was crazy long, so we looked for a coffee place instead and saw this sign.

And went down the little passage way to this coffeehouse.

Which had a quaint patio.

And JJ and I had a seat, while the Missus went in and ordered a Latte for Her and a Cold Brew for myself. The breakfasts looked quite large, so we decided to just get our caffeine fix.

The Cold Brew was fine, it did the job; the Missus thought Her latte was on the weaker end of the spectrum, but we enjoyed the vibe here.

Luna Coffee Bar
84 North Ocean Ave.
Cayucos, CA 93430

As a bonus, right next door to the coffee shop is a location of the Brown Butter Cookie Company. We had been to the Paso Robles location, so we knew it was a nice place to grab a few omiyagi for folks.

Brown Butter Cookie Company
98 North Ocean Ave.
Cayucos, CA 93430

We enjoyed the beach town vibe of Cayucos and will think about staying here or perhaps at Avila Beach in the future.

So folks, between Cayucos, Avila Beach, or Pismo Beach, which so you prefer?

JJ would like to know!

Morro Bay – Giovanni’s Fish Market And Galley

February 6, 2025 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Seafood, Travel

JJ seemed to be enjoying Morro Bay. After taking a short break, we decided to head out for dinner.

Like I mentioned in previous post, I had forgotten that it was MLK Day, but during our pre-dinner walk, things didn't seem to busy. Well, when we set out for dinner it was a whole 'nother story. Places were packed; we stopped by the Galley which didn't take reservations hoping that because it was winter folks wouldn't be sitting on the patio…well there was an hour wait for a table! We went down my list and the story was the same…..man, it was busy!

In the end, we decided to check out the place we'd stopped by before Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley, which I recalled had an outdoor dining area to see what was going on.

So, the Missus went to take a look at the market, while went to the walk up window.

And while still waiting in line, the Missus returned with Her bounty. I ordered to supplement what She had bought.

She had gotten the smoked fish, which was mild in flavor.

IMG_5187b It was very moist; though it had a ton of bones. Still it was not bad.

She also got the smoked mussels, which had some "grit" and was on the chewy side, but still retained the oceany-sweetness and a touch of smokiness. Also not bad.

Of course, the important accompaniment was the Pitcher of Modelo.

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Our favorite item of the meal were the Garlic Fries, which had been dusted, thus making it quite crisp.

They weren't shy about the amount of garlic or cheese, which made this quite enjoyable.

I also got a Dozen Oysters.

They also strangely gave me some packets of Tapatio….and after tasting the oysters I knew why. I'm always a fan of the "finish" when having oysters; these were on the chewier side and really mild in flavor. The Missus lamented the lack of a Mignonette, which cracked me up….as this was just a food stand of sorts.

It wasn't quite the dinner we had in mind.

Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley
1001 Front St.
Morro Bay, CA 93442

Though JJ wasn't complaining about things.