Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County – Page 3

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – The Alchemist Garden Revisited (Paso Robles) and Montana de Oro State Park

June 12, 2021 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Cocktails, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

*** Not much food in this one.

After our wonderful dinner at Les Petites Canailles we walked over for our "liquid dessert" at a place we loved on our last visit here, the Alchemist Garden. We'd enjoyed our selves so much the last time that we requested sitting at the bar again.

The Missus ordered the Alchemist Gold – basically a smoked Old Fashioned.

Which included quite a show. She loved Her cocktail.

As for me; like the last time, I left it to the Mixologist to create something for me based on my tastes on this evening. And boy did he deliver. This was amazing!

Smokey notes, a slight "bite", herbal notes, light bitterness….amazing……

Unlike the last time, we didn't need to order any food.

I asked about the cocktail and was told it used Laphroig 10 and he proceeded to get out several small shot glasses and gave the Missus and I small tastes of the Laphroig and how it compared to the Macallan, the Nikka, and a Rye Whiskey. The Missus is sold on peaty Scotch's it seems.

Places like this and Les Petites Canailles will keep us coming back to Paso Robles!

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

The next morning; just as had done on our previous road trip to Paso Robles, we made a stop at Spearhead Coffee…..an Americano for me, the pour over for the Missus.

Spearhead Coffee
619 12th St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

After which, we headed on out. On our last road trip, we had really enjoyed Fiscalini Ranch, so I did a bit of research trying to find a nice scenic trail for walking/hiking. Since we were headed back to Cambria, I came up with Montana de Oro State Park, south of Los Osos and Morro Bay.

We would end up loving our time here……hiking the easy Bluff Trail.

From the rugged shoreline to the beautiful blue sky…….I just loved the ocean views. While the Missus was absolutely taken by the patches of poppies along the way.

Much like Fiscalini Ranch much of the state park was once owned as dairy and produce ranches. The state of California purchased the property and it became a state park in 1965.

The Bluff Trail displays wonderful vistas, rugged coastline, tidepools, and amazing views.

Can you see the Morro Rock in the background of this photo?

At Corallina Cove, you can actually take the stairs down to the beach and explore the tidepools and the wonderful rock formations.

There's a ravine where wildflowers were blooming……

And of course our little friends all over the place.

Past Corallina Cove is Quarry Cove, with its own set of amazing geology.

And the very photogenic Grotto Rock.

This was a fun way to spend the morning; rugged shorelines with patches of color sprinkled about.

We really enjoyed the Bluff Trail at Montana de Oro State Park.

Montaña de Oro State Park
3550 Pecho Valley Rd.
Los Osos, CA 93402

It's well worth the time spent…..

And of course, we loved Paso Robles.

Thanks for stopping by!

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – New Frontiers Natural Marketplace (Solvang) and Les Petites Canailles (Paso Robles)

June 5, 2021 mmm-yoso French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Memorable Meals, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

We had enjoyed our time in Solvang and this was the view we awakened to at the Hotel Corque.

It was quite charming in some ways…..during the night before we saw an older couple sitting on the patio having a Dominos Pizza, just enjoying themselves….later during this morning I spied them sitting outside once again having their morning coffee….it's all good, different strokes for different folks and all that.

We saw a market on the way into town; called New Frontiers Natural Marketplace that we decided to stop into before heading on our way. It's really somewhat "Whole Foods" like, but perhaps even better focused on snacks…

They even had Ojai Pixie Tangerines which had just come into season.

However, unlike the watermelon and cherries we were already lugging along the Missus wasn't too interested.

So, I just grabbed some light snacks while the Missus went and got us coffee…..

I'm not quite sure what "Bird Friendly" coffee is, but this was not bad.

And the rest of the "snacks" I had held me over until dinner…..

The folks here were so very friendly…….that I'd gladly come back here again…..after all, who doesn't want to be "bird friendly".

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace
1984 Old Mission Dr.
Solvang, CA 93463

Solvang seems to have changed a bit since we last visited.

We made the hour-and-half drive up to Paso Robles with no problem. Our hotel wasn't quite ready for an early check-in, but that wasn't an issue as the Missus had really enjoyed Paso Robles the last time we visited. As on the last visit, we were staying at the Oxford Suites a couple of blocks from downtown. We parked our car and headed up to downtown…..

All the while enjoying all those familiar sites from our previous visit.

Once arriving in the charming downtown area around the city park, the Missus immediately headed to the General Store…..where one could spend a good amount of time (and money).

Yes, it touristy, but the folks working here are so nice…..and it's full of things you never knew you needed……

It's a fun stop, at least for us……we ended up visiting twice! It's just a nice place to stop and visit.

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

Our friends love the cookies from the Brown Butter Cookie Company, though we've never actually bought them for ourselves….so that was an obvious stop for us as well.

And on this trip, the Missus wandered in and out of various shops….it gave me the chance to take a look at the Downtown City Park.

I wondered about the statue next to the Paso Robles History Museum of Ignacy Jan Padereweski, wondering why this Polish musician and composer is featured here in Paso Robles. It's quite the story, Paderewski was born in Poland in 1860, while in his late 20's he became well known in places like Vienna, Paris, and London. His talents were in high demand and over work resulted in problems with his hands. His friends in San Francisco recommended a stay in Paso Robles, with treatments from the hot springs to bring relief to his pain. He eventually bought property in Paso Robles on which he planted Zinfandel and started a winery, York Mountain Winery. His wine and music are celebrated in Paso Robles each November at the Paderewski Festival.

After making one last stop, to restock on olive oil from Pasoilvo Olive Oil, we headed back to the hotel and our room was ready. We took a nice breather before dinner.

As for dinner; well, after our last experience, I spent a bit more time looking over menus and such and decided on a fairly modern French restaurant named Les Petites Canailles. We opted for outdoor seating and this being a Monday didn't expect the place to be very busy. Well, we were quite surprised when we arrived for our reservations and seeing the place almost full! Tables were nice spread out and we sat outside the tent area for more circulation.

The staff to customer ratio was amazing as was our Server, "Ally" who knew all the dishes, preparations, wine, by heart. She told me that she often eats here on her days off….that says something. The other thing we quickly noticed was that all the customers knew each other and the staff by name. I guess Monday is the local's night to eat out.

Even though it seemed like we were part way into the parking lot, we loved our table. In fact, one of the women on the other table told me, "you have the best outdoor seats"! It was interesting to watch the flow of customers…….

And by the time we placed our order, the place was full.

We had pretty much decided on our dishes for the evening, we'd be sharing four appetizers and a "side". Ally took our order and said, "wonderful, it's a five course meal"! And we left it to her and the kitchen to decide the order of the dishes. One note, just to give you a hint on the service here….our plates and silverware were changed with every course!

We started with the Jaune et Rouge (Yellow and Red) Endive Salad ($17).

This was very refreshing, the endive had been nicely prepared, crisp, cold, the bitterness smoothed out and went quite well with the classical pairing of a blue cheese, in this case Fourme d'Ambert.

The next dish was superb; the Rabbit Terrine ($17).

Served with wonderfully crisp and smoky toasts; the terrine was surprisingly light in texture, it had a mild gamey-sweetness…..this was so good!

The Octopus "a la Basquiase" ($22) was solid in preparation.

Served over chorizo veggies, with tapioca chips, the texture was perfect…..the highlite of this dish was the wonderful sweet-pungent black garlic oil paired with a nice parsley oil. It just went so well with this dish.

Hands down; my favorite dish of the night was the Beef Tartare ($24).

Served at the perfect temperature; made in a fairly classic style, capers, shallots, and with the perfect amount of pungency from horseradish. The acidity helped cut the richness of the dish. The beef had a tender and almost creamy texture…..and of course that confit egg yolk just added more creaminess to the dish…..this was just a decadent version of steak tartare.

We had also wanted to try the Grilled Asparagus ($14) with Confit Egg Yolk.

This is on the menu as a side dish. It fell kind of short as the asparagus sorely needed more acidity to bring out the sweetness in the asparagus.

This was my favorite meal of the trip. From the service to the presentation, to the wonderful flavors, an excellent meal overall. When Ally asked us about dessert we told her we'd be going to the Alchemist Garden for liquid refreshment, she laughed and said "perfect. If you're there long enough you might even see me there!" Like I mentioned before, there's something about the vibe and people in Paso Robles that we love.

Les Petites Canailles
1215 Spring St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

And I'm pretty sure we'll return here.

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Sensorio, Dinner at BL Brasserie, and Cocktails at The Alchemist Garden

June 1, 2021 mmm-yoso Cocktails, French Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

When planning for our trip to Paso Robles I read about an art installation by Bruce Munro named Sensorio, a "field of light" exhibition made up of 58,000 solar powered fiber optic lights. I went ahead and decided to get VIP tickets which allowed us priority entrance at anytime, along with a private seating area, and a free drink each. I arrived right at opening time, which is before sunset….we went to the front of the line, got our temperatures checked, tickets checked, and then headed to the VIP section. I'm not really going to add much more….this is very visual, so I'll let the photos tell the story.

As the sun started to set, we headed out and strolled the trails along the 15 acres of lights…..

It was quite the experience watching all the lights "come alive" as the sun set.

We headed back to the VIP area; the Missus and I had a glass of white wine and then headed off to dinner.

This was a fun experience; if you're interested in checking it out, Sensorio had been closed for a while during the pandemic shutdown, but has now reopened and I believe the field of light will continue to at least September.

Sensorio
4380 CA-46
Paso Robles, CA 93446

For dinner we chose a highly recommended and beloved Paso Robles institution, Bistro Laurent. However, a while back, the restaurant changed concept and became BL Brasserie. I was told however, that the chef and management were still the same; so I made reservations. We arrived and walked into the restaurant, which freaked us out; even though Paso Robles was at an Orange Tier while San Diego was in Red, the dining room just looked packed. Luckily, I had reservations for outdoor dining, which was in sort of a tent, which kind of defeats the purpose in my mind; but this being November, it seems that no one wanted to eat outside.

The Missus started with a glass of white, I had a glass of champagne and we placed our orders. Our Server wasn't the most friendly woman….I think she was a bit irritated that we were the only folks eating outdoors and she had to come outside to serve us, but whatever.

We started off with the Crispy Shrimp ($15.50).

The shrimp was over-cooked and what I assumed were strips of phyllo dough where really almost burnt.

Speaking of burnt; check out the "odd man out" Crispy Crab Croquettes ($17).

The one croquette was just about incinerated, really burnt and bitter….why would they serve something like that? I was thinking of calling our Server to complain and return this; but the Missus asked me to taste the other croquettes which had hardly any crab in it. Our Server was already not in a great mood serving us, so I figured let's just leave that croquette alone and see what happens……which was nothing……as it just sat there the whole meal.

Speaking of "interesting" service, a few minutes after receiving our croquettes our bread arrived.

Sadly the butter was ice cold……

Next up would be the "best" (it's all relative) of the night, the Crab and Avocado Salad ($15.50)

A bit heavy handed on the mayo and the balsamic reduction was way too strong and it just strong-armed what crab there was.

Our last dish was the Belgian Endive, Apples and Smoked Duck ($15.50).

Three small strands of smoked duck……..I'll leave it there.

Dinner did take a while…….you know social distancing is great for separating tables and groups of people….it ain't so great when your Server seems to want to permanently social distance themselves from you. I'm wondering, was this an off night? Was the "B" team on…..that's bit of a stretch on a weekend night. The inside of the restaurant was packed; perhaps the kitchen and staff was overwhelmed? I had heard and read so many good things about Bistro Laurent, perhaps the change to a brasserie concept really changed things……. Quite sad overall.

BL Brasserie
1202 Pine St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

We were kind of bummed…..we had really enjoyed Paso Robles so far.

Yet, we still had one more stop for the evening. And the Alchemist Garden would totally turn our opinion of Paso Robles right back around!

The place was basically across the street from BL Brasserie and was fairly busy, but the bar area was empty and asked for seats there, which turned out to be an excellent move. The Mixologist was amazing, friendly, professional, efficient…… At this time, there was a requirement that food had to be ordered along with drinks. He quickly told us, "if you've had dinner already, just o for the popcorn", which is what we did.

He then asked us what we wanted to drink. I explained that I enjoyed a good Mezcal Old Fashioned, I love the smokiness, along with the bitter, etc. He told me, "no problem, leave it to me" and proceeded to make me a custom Mezcal Old Fashioned…..not just a plain Mezcal Old Fashion, but with a twist.

He brought out the "heavy equipment" and started work……..

It was quite a show to say the least.

I was worried that the drink would be too smoky for my taste; but it was nicely balanced, smoky but smooth, rich, nice acidity, just a hint of sweetness. Perhaps the best Old Fashion I'd ever had.

The Missus loved Her cocktail as well. We loved watching the mixologist work, such perfect coordination, minimal wasted motion….he entertained us….chatting while making a zillion cocktails for his other customers.

Funny how these experiences really mold your visit. And Paso Robles was back on our "revisit" list.

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

After our cocktails we headed back to our room. Other than dinner, we'd had a great time in Paso Robles.

The next morning, it was time to head back home. We made one last stop at Spearhead Coffee, which did a pretty good job impressing the (coffee nerd) Missus. She said the pour over was not bad at all.

Spearhead Coffee
619 12th St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

So I guess we would be heading back to Paso Robles……….sooner than we thought actually!

Thanks for reading!

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Orale and Mt. Olive Organic Farm (Paso Robles)

May 31, 2021 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Taco Shops, Travel

We slept well after our wonderful dinner at Aubergine and when we woke the next morning, the Missus was ready to go. So, we grabbed some coffee to go from our accommodation and headed out to our next stop; Paso Robles. We made pretty good time; getting into Paso Robles in a bit less than two hours. We went to the hotel to see about early check in and left my mobile number for them to contact me when our room was ready then headed into town.

There was a craft fair going on when we arrived downtown that was pretty sparsely attended. There was quite a bit of street parking available, even though it was a Saturday (at the beginning of November 2020).

The Missus just loved the area around the Downtown City Park, spending a good amount of time at the General Store….we also bought some cookies for Frankie's favorite Auntie at the Brown Butter Cookie Company. If you've read some of our earlier posts, you know that the Missus just loves Olive Oil. So we ended up spending some time at the Pasolivo Olive Oil Tasting Room. The woman there was so knowledgeable and we ended up purchasing two bottles ($40 each!). The Missus really enjoys the olive oil from Pasolivo.

Pasolivo Olive Oil
1229 Park St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

There also seems to be a pretty active arts and crafts scene in Paso Robles; we spent some time in the Studios on the Park.

As we left the shop, the Missus mentioned being a little hungry, it was around 1030, so I searched around for something to eat. We didn't want anything too heavy and on the way back to the car we picked out Orale, a Taco Shop.

There was both a parklet and patio seating available, there were folks eating in the parklet, so the Missus and I decided on the patio.

I ordered two Al Pastor Tacos ( 2 "street tacos" with beans and rice $11) and the Missus decided on the Veggie Tacos with Beans and Rice ($11). I was surprised that our order came with chips and salsa.

The chips were nice and crisp, the salsas standard issue, but no complaints here.

Of the tacos; the Missus' choice was better. I was pretty surprised……

The pasilla peppers, onions, and black beans made for a nice combo. The zucchini was basically filler, but there was a nice mild smokiness to this and the queso fresco added a mild milkly-acidity to the tacos. The tacos were served with double corn tortillas, standard issue, but it held up well. Speaking of standard issue, the beans and rice defined that to a "t". The Al Pastor was nicely charred, but mushy in texture and lacking in enough sweetness-tanginess-salt-smokiness. As a matter of fact; I really enjoyed the nicely charred onions and cilantro more.

Still, this was enough for lunch, and we weren't stuffed which was good since our room wasn't ready yet.

Órale Taqueria
834 11th St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

I hadn't received a call that our room was ready as we returned to our car. The Missus didn't feel like doing a wine tasting, so I had to figure something else out. I checked my "list" and found that since it was Saturday, the Mt. Olive Organic Farm Store was open. So, we headed on out of the town, past several wineries and found the shop.

It was such a charming place with goats and alpacas hanging out in a pen in back of the building.

We got a kick watching them hanging out.

We did some shopping, the young lady working was very sweet. Along with produce, dried fruits, there were a nice variety of items…..including olive oil, which we ended up purchasing.

We really enjoyed this stop. Just as we were paying for our olive oil, my phone went off and I received a text from our hotel, letting me know our room was ready. Perfect timing.

Mt. Olive Organic Farm
3445 Adelaida Rd.
Paso Robles, CA 93446

We headed back into town and really enjoyed the scenery along the way. It sure is beautiful here.

We made it to the hotel, got to our room with enough time to take a short nap before having head out for our evening reservations for a Sensorio.

There was something about Paso Robles which we really enjoyed, the pace, the friendly people, the vibe. It was too bad that we would have only one evening in the town.

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Peidras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, Pacific Grove, and Dinner at Passionfish

May 7, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Monterey/Carmel/Santa Cruz - Monterey Bay/Peninsula, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Seafood, Travel

We had really enjoyed our time in Cambria; from dinner at Madeline's to walking the wonderful trails at Fiscalini Ranch. But it was time to head to our next destination. I walked into Cambria and back to Cambria Coffee Roasting Company for our caffeine fix, we packed, then headed on out. Our next two evenings would be spent in Pacific Grove. The Missus had been to Monterey several times; I've always thought it too touristy for me and decided that perhaps we should stay just a short stroll away. Plus, there was a restaurant I'd always wanted to try out.

We stopped several times along the way, first at William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach.

And took a walk along the wooden pier.

On this day, it was a peaceful and scenic spot…….the breeze from the Pacific lightly caressing your face…..a lovely November (2020) day.

Just a few miles up the road was our next stop; the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.

There was a lot of parking and a nice boardwalk where you can view the Elephant Seals. This was November, when according to this website, the large male Elephant Seals will start arriving.

No huge males on this day….just a bunch of adorable Elephant Seals relaxing and sun bathing.

And the occasional seal taking a dip to cool off.

We both found this stop relaxing and entertaining.

Maybe next time; once it's back open, we'll check out the lighthouse further on up the road.

We drove up Highway one thru Big Sur (this was before the portion of Highway 1 collapsed). Only stopping once near Big Sur Station.

We made good time to Pacific Grove and arrived before check-in. Which, in the time of Covid was done touch free……everything was done by key code; we never saw a single employee during our stay. I called the provided number and was told we could check in an hour earlier than scheduled. Still, there was a bit of time to kill. So, we found parking on the street near where we were staying and decided to do some exploring.

Pacific Grove is known as "Butterfly Town USA", so we decided to walk on over to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary down Lighthouse Avenue.

First thing I noticed were how charming many of the homes were.

In fact, this would lead us to a fun little walk later on during our stay.

Loved this sculpture at the Post Office on Lighthouse Avenue; it's called "Butterfly Kids".

It was a nice walk to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary.

Monarch Butterfly's usually start appearing in October to stay over the winter.

And yet we saw none as we walked the trails…..

And so we decided to sit on one of the benches for a while. After a few minutes we saw two Monarch Butterflies….unfortunately, those would be the only two we would see.

And while we were a bit disappointed to only see two; it has now turned to sadness upon reading this.

Our accommodations were at the historic Pacific Grove Inn, a Queen Anne style mansion built between 1904 and 1908.

The Missus was a bit leery about staying in an old house like this, creaky floors and all; but I got us a huge room on the top floor, which was way more room than we needed. I mean, how often are you able to stay in such an historical house….with no one to bother you?

I'm sure that in times not driven by the pandemic there might be some great amenities; but I truly liked being left alone to my own devices.

Dinner was a place I'd been wanting to check out for years; a favorite of the late Ed from Yuma, Passionfish. In fact, Ed did a three part post on the place. Of course, with Covid-19 I wasn't sure what was in store. It was all outdoor dining in the area at this time and the restaurant had done a wonderful job setting up on the patio upstairs in front of what looked like a nail salon.

Service was very efficient and professional, the restaurant had even created a satellite drink/wine station upstairs so customers could get served quickly. Ed had mentioned the amazing pricing of wine at Passionfish; bottles are sold at retail prices. Of course, we really weren't going to do entire bottles, so the Missus got Hers by the glass and thoroughly enjoyed things.

We started things off with some Buttermilk Biscuits.

My goodness; these were some of the best I've ever had; perfect, moist, wonderful flavor, a great balance in texture……man this was good!

The Spicy Fish Stew was a bit of a disappointment. It was quite bland; really tasting like a watered down mariscos consomme that one could get from a Taco truck.

Dungeness Crab Salad was excellent.

The sweet-savory crab meat, along with the almost buttery avocado was a nice one-two punch. The vinaigrette added a perfect touch of aciditiy.

Sea Scallop was perfectly seared; still rare in the middle. We both loved the caper-walnut topping.

Though we found the artichoke risotto cake to be a bit too mild in terms of flavor.

Smoked Trout Ceviche Tostadas were a bit overwhlemed by the spicy salsa and the mild tones of the smoked trout were lost.

Passionfish was a pioneer with regards to serving sustainable seafood and we were excited to try at least one fish dish. So we ordered the Rockfish, with a Jicama-Mint Salad, Rice Crisps, and Cashews. The fish was cooked perfectly; tender and moist. The spicy nuoc mam sauce might have been a bit too much for such a delicately flavored fish, but you couldn't complain about how well the fish had been prepped. Not a big fan of the grapefruit, but the Missus liked it. Loved the greens, a nice combination of bitter-savory-sweet and the cashews added another layer of savory-nutty tones.

All in all a very nice meal; a couple of dishes that missed the mark a bit; but wonderful service and the Missus and I talked about Ed….how he'd be viewing the pandemic, etc.

Passionfish
701 Lighthouse Ave.
Pacific Grove, CA 93950

On the way back we noticed something in the window of this art store.

It was a cat!

We loved it! From this point onward, we'd always stop and check out the "art store cats" to see what was up! They kept us entertained on our walks back to our accommodations.

We were really enjoying Pacific Grove!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cambria (During Covid-19) – Fiscalini Ranch, Cambria Coffee, Shamel Community Park, and Dinner at Black Cat Bistro

March 4, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, European Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

During our roadtrip last November, our second stop was in Cambria. We had really enjoyed our dinner at Madeline's the night before. From the food, wine, and wonderful service….it was such a nice experience. We were looking forward to our full day in the town. Man, it really felt good to be travelling for a bit. We had really missed it.

I had gotten up early in the morning. The office had an urgent request so I was on my laptop and the phone for a bit. After my call, the Missus wanted a cup o' Joe. So I got dressed and headed out.

I crossed Highway 1 onto Main Street, which was quite sleepy at this time of the morning.

I really enjoyed the quaint, artsy, but unpretentious vibe of Cambria…..and a definite sense of humor!

A few blocks down was my destination; Cambria Coffee Roasting Company.

While I understand that there's a deck seating area upstairs with a view of the street; at this time, due to Covid restrictions it's closed. Basically, a table was set-up in the doorway and you could place your order.

And then you stand aside until you are called. I was happy to note that Cambria Coffee does pour-over…..which would make the coffee snob in the family (the Missus) happy. So, I got a coffee and a pour over for the Missus.

It was nice to see locals seeing each other….during these times, with the social distancing and such, I'm sure it's a treat for those on fours legs as well for those on two.

I went and walked on back to our room. The Missus enjoyed Her coffee. While not quite on the same level as Birdrock, She did enjoy it.

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

Bolstered by caffeine, the Missus was ready to head out. I had done a bit of research and planning for this trip to keep the Missus busy. One thing that caught my attention was Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Previously owned by the Fiscalini family since the late 1800's as a cattle ranch, it was sold in the 1980's to a developer. The plan was to create a residential area, much like what surrounds the ranch. Fortunately (for us), the developer went bankrupt and the North Coast Small Wilderness Area Preservation was formed and raised 11 million dollars to purchase the property. The preserve consists of over 400 acres of trails which straddle both sides of Highway 1. You go from one of the last Monterey Pine Forests to the beautiful coast.

There are at least 17 trails available all of which are well maintained and makes for rather easy hiking. I decided that we should start at Huntington Road entrance, basically just an gate with street parking and walk along the Ridge Trail.

Where we quickly came upon an interesting bench.

This one is known as the, well, Dolphin Bench of course. We'd come to really enjoy the wonderful and quite artistic benches crafted with driftwood along the way.

We hiked along the Ridge Trail coming upon the pine forest.

And then meandered down to the Bluff Trail, which was scenic and beautiful.

And course there are those benches that I mentioned earlier….they really looked like works of art to us.

We took our time, sitting on the benches and enjoyed the views along the way.

These were the Missus's favorite benches.

Once we reached the North Windsor Boulevard Entrance, we headed back up the SeaClift Trail and eventually back from where we started.

Fiscalini Ranch Preserve was a fun, relaxing, and needless to say beautiful way to spend our day in Cambria.

It was time well spent.

After our hike, we headed into Cambria's East Village to do some shopping.

Which was a lot of fun……

We headed back to our very comfortable room at the El Colibri for, at least for me was a well earned afternoon nap.

I had made dinner reservations for this dinner at a restaurant in the East Village. I asked the Missus to get ready a bit early….She was a bit perturbed, but went along. We got into the car and instead of heading across Highway 1 I took a right turn down Windsor Boulevard and right at the turn down the hill stopped and parked at Shamel Community Park.

As we walked from the parking lot to the beach, the Missus got it…..

And boy was it beautiful!

Doesn't get much better than this, does it?

After the stunning sunset, we headed to our dinner destination, finding parking on the street. And enjoying the wonderful fun and artsy décor along the way.

Dinner was at Black Cat Bistro. The menu looked interesting…. We were seated in a covered porch area. During this time SLO County was under the Red tier and had 25% indoor, we requested outdoor. There were only two other couples during our whole meal….all from out of town and the other two parties had such cute and well behaved pooches with them.

The meal started in fine fashion with a delicious Crab Cake and Shrimp Salad ($17).

The shrimp was fried perfectly, the batter was light and crunchy, the shrimp sweet, plump, and oh so tender. The crab cakes was well made, full of crab meat, moist, the breading stood up well in the face of the remoulade sauce. The arugula added a nice balance as the mild bitterness helped to cut the richness. This was easily the best dish of the night, a memorable dish.

Next up was the "Paso Robles Pork Belly" ($15).

Love the addition of Gigante Beans; the pork belly was fine, the sauce was too salty and sweet for our taste.

Next up; the Gnocchi ($14). The gnocchi is fried giving it an interesting texture…..but beyond the light crispness, the interior was too mushy.

We did enjoy the earthiness of the mushrooms paired with the pleasant bitterness of the radicchio. This added a nice dimension to the plate, though that cream sauce just wasn't to our taste.

The last dish of the evening was the main reason I decided to book our dinner at Black Cat Bistro; the Strozzapreti ($25). The Missus loves strozzapreti and strigoli, the wonderful toothsomeness of the pasta. This was a vegetarian version which the Missus was more than happy to order.

There was just too much going on in this dish and the pasta was over cooked and on the mushy side, lacking in that nice chewiness the Missus enjoys. We enjoyed the purple cauliflower and Romanesco….the Missus just loves Her cauliflower. The currants seemed a bit too much for the dish as was the cream sauce. We would have preferred a bit more restraint in the saucing of the dish….but hey…..this is the US, not Italy. Sometimes, simple is best.

Overall a nice meal; friendly staff, the other two parties were from out of town and come to Cambria yearly. The Black Cat Bistro is a favorite of theirs. The Missus enjoyed the wine pairings as well.

Black Cat Bistro
1602 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

As you can see; we didn't go to bed hungry! We really enjoyed Cambria and will be sure to return.

Road Trip (During Covid-19) – Harmony, Cambria, and Dinner at Madeline’s

December 8, 2020 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

**** This is kind of a long one; so you might want to save it for when you more time to read.

We headed out from Morro Bay for Cambria where we'd be staying for two nights. But there was one stop to make. In doing my research for this trip, I'd come across a little town about 15 miles North of Morro Bay and 5 miles south of Cambria named Harmony. Population 18. Yep, you read that right, 18. At least that's what "Gladys the Town Cow" says.

Once upon a time the community was a dairy settlement; originally established by Swiss and Italian immigrants. There was a lot of competition which led to intense rivalries; which eventually resulted in a killing, you can read about it here, along with how a desire to restore peace, the town was named "Harmony". Eventually, the creameries closed down. For many years, the only business in the one street, one block town was the post office. Now, it has a winery, and is home to a small group of artisans who produce pottery and blown glass. It has a fun, funky feel to it. Along with the Gladys the cow; there's the "Holy Cow" to the right which celebrates the history of the town.

We spent about an hour in the town visiting the two businesses; the pottery shop and the glass works, purchasing a couple of gifts along the way.

There's also a Creamery and Dairy shop; basically an ice cream shop which was closed during our visit.

There's also a charming and plain adorable Chapel. After all; like the tag line goes for the Chapel's website goes: "Shouldn't every wedding begin in Harmony?"

You can read more about the venue here.

The little town was such a pleasant and fun surprise, we're glad we stopped by and will probably do it again in the future.

Harmony Pottery Works
2191 Old Creamery Rd.
Harmony, CA 93435
Hours:
Daily 10am – 5pm

Harmony Glassworks
2180 Old Creamery Rd.
Harmony, CA 93435
Hours:
Daily 9am – 5pm

After our visit we drove the short distance to Cambria. I'm not sure why I picked the village, but it turned out to be a wonderful stay. We were staying at the El Colibri Hotel & Spa, right on the otherside of Highway 1 from the village. The actual shopping area is made up of the East Village and the West Village which is separated by about a half mile. Since we were still quite early for check-in, we headed to the charming East Village to do some shopping.

We found parking and went about our way. When doing research on Cambria two things kept coming up; Linn's, which has a restaurant, café, a boutique/bookshop, and a gourmet goods store in town. And a Farmstand about 5 miles out of town. The second thing I read about were Olallieberries, a cross between Loganberries and Youngberries developed at Oregon State in 1949. Even though it was developed in Oregon, growing it there proved difficult and it is mainly grown in Central California. And Linn's is know for their Olalliberry Pies and preserves.

We ended up buying a bunch of preserves for friends and some "hot jelly" (to have with cheese).

We walked around a bit more; then headed to our hotel. While our room wasn't quite ready, I had a plan for our afternoon anyway. The El Colibri is located right at the South end of the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk; which is why I chose the place. And so we headed off and did the approximately three mile walk along the boardwalk. It was easy and picturesque.

Of course we had some "supervision" along the way.

We enjoyed the walk.

There were very few people along the way.

One of our lasting memories of Cambria are the benches; which we first started seeing along the Boardwalk.

This one is one of my favorites….for some reason; I just fine the location somewhat romantic.

As I guess many other folks do.

It was a nice little jaunt for the afternoon.

We got back to the hotel, checked in, freshened up….I check in at work to make sure things were going ok.

After relaxing for a bit we headed out to dinner. I'd picked a restaurant named Madeline's. First off, it was in walking distance. Second of all; the wine by the glass list looked really good. During the day, along with serving lunch, Madeline's is a wine shop until 5pm. I'd made reservations for outdoor dining at 530 pm. So, with the sun setting, we headed out, crossed over Highway 1, onto Main Street, pass the Gas Station….we were a bit early and the Missus wanted to do some shopping. Unfortunately, it seems like many of the shop were closed due to Covid-19.

We did stop in at a shop named Bali Gems. The owner was so nice; we chatted for almost a half hour. He told us that the stones found on Moonstone Beach aren't really Moonstones, but a combination of different minerals like agate, jasper, and such. He asked us where we'd be having dinner and when I mentioned Madeline's, I was told that it is the "best restaurant in town", and not like other "touristy" places. He also provided a nice little map for us. The Missus really wanted to buy something, but couldn't find anything to Her taste….maybe next time….

We got to Madeline's and were seated promptly at a nice table….everything was spaced out wonderfully and the heaters worked well. Our Server was a very nice fellow whose name I believe is Oscar. He was efficient, very knowledgeable, and had the perfect combination of professionalism and friendliness. As we often like to do; we ordered a bunch of appetizers making our own tasting menu.

The bread was nothing to write home about.

The Missus picked Her wine, though I waited until our first dish arrived; the Diver Scallops ($18).

The scallops were nicely seared, still wonderfully rare in the middle. The searing added a nice crispness that held out well. The beurre blanc wasn't too heavy with some nice acidity. I went ahead and ordered a Viognier which went quite well with this. Strange, the Missus had never had a Viognier before???? She loved it and because Madeline's is a wine shop; actually ordered a bottle to take with us……which She's enjoyed here at home.

The Spanish Octopus ($18) was cooked perfectly; tender, with the slightest pleasant toothsomeness.

Nice smokiness, the citrus tones came thru nicely to cut the saffron. By this time; I just trusted Oscar to pick a wine to match. He was awesome; he ended up picking wine that weren't on the "by the glass list"; but rather had been part of tastings that afternoon.

The only dish we didn't enjoy much was the Stuffed Quail ($16).

The lemon beurre blanc overwhelmed everything on the plate and while the wild mushroom stuffing had very nice earthy-nutty-mildly sweet tones; the quail was really dry and tough. Oh, but the wine chosen for us…..by this point, the Missus and I were just sharing a single glass that was picked for us.

Sorry to say I never got a shot at the acorn squash in the Fall Salad ($11), but the Missus assured me that it was quite good.

I really enjoyed the mild bitterness of the baby arugula, combined with the mild, almost spicy flavor of the Gorgonzola, and the balanced tartness of the pomegranate vinaigrette.

The Missus enjoyed Her Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake ($11).

While I had a nice digestif to finish things off.

This was a nice meal. But, as is often the case, it's the staff and service that elevated the meal, into something memorable. We'll be back!

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

Road Trip (During Covid-19) – Cocktails from the Good Lion, Sama Sama, Handlebar Coffee (Santa Barbara), and Morro Bay

November 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Cocktails, Indonesian Restaurants & Food, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

After dinner at the Black Sheep we headed down State Street all the way to the "Funk Zone" area. It was way too crowded, even on a Sunday night, so we decided to head back to the motel room.

About two blocks down; the Missus and I looked at each other…….we still wanted a "nightcap" (or two). I recalled the place right under "The Earth Without Art is Just EH" sign, a cocktail bar named the Good Lion. The outdoor tables were nicely separated and we decided to stop here. The Server was really friendly and reminded us that the current law required us to order some food. Right next door was a restaurant that was on the "list" I'd presented to the Missus before our trip, an Indonesian Restaurant named Sama Sama and they had partnered with the Good Lion to provide food. So we decided to order an item from the menu.

The Missus ordered a "Good Toddy" a warm cognac and spiced rum drink that She said warmed Her up nicely.

I got an Oaxacan Old Fashion.

The first one was kind of on the weak side….so of course I ordered another, which was a bit stiffer and I enjoyed more.

While sitting a very friendly pooch wearing a couple of LED lighted collars walked on up…..she was soooo sweet and friendly, just asking to be pet. Her name was Lexi, I wish I took a photo of her.

Meanwhile, our food from Sama Sama arrived. We had ordered the Crispy Rice Salad.

A bit like Nam Khao, except milder in flavor and the rice was very light and crisp. Not very spicy, the Missus enjoyed the fried egg….it was a nice "dessert" of sorts. Really balanced flavors; cilantro, fish sauce, salty-savory sausage. Even though we would have enjoyed some pork skin in this, I'd gladly it again.

We enjoyed the service, our waters were constantly refilled, the servers really made an effort to keep folks happy. It was a nice way to end the evening.

The Good Lion
1212 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Sama Sama Kitchen
1208 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

We headed back to our room and fell asleep. Though the rooms were a bit dated and the walls thin; I could hear people talking and all of the street noise.

The next morning we woke and checked out at around 7 am and headed off….first stopping to refuel and grab some coffee from Handlebar Coffee

The Missus, the coffee snob, was disappointed that even though they roasted their own beans; that they didn't do pour over; so She got a double espresso, I got an Americano.

And then we were off to our next destination.

Handlebar Coffee Roasters
2720 De La Vina St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93105

We got on 154 West, then the 101 North, then the1, and made good time to our next destination. It was a place that I always wanted to check out….mainly for one thing.

It was still misty when we got to the village of Morro Bay. We easily found parking and started walking down Front Street. We decided to stop into this kinda touristy looking fish shack and shop.

And I saw something that I hadn't had since we visited Vancouver; salmon candy.

The really friendly young man provided samples and even though it was a bit more fishy than what I'd had before; I got some Salmon Candy. We always bring along a good sized ice chest on long road trips so we could purchase items like this.

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

From here we headed south and walked down the Embarcadero. There were many shops; but we didn't see any tourists; just a few locals walking their dogs or having coffee and also other "residents".

It was still quite foggy as we walked down the street window shopping. Though we could hear the barks and honks from seals.

There are quite a few memorials along the waterfront…..

I recall seeing this shop and telling the Missus, "I hope they don't get folks orders wrong….."

We ended up stopping and getting Frankie's "cousin" some treats.

We stopped at a couple shops that were open.

And walked all the way down to Tideland Park before turning around and heading back toward the car.

By now, the fog had started burning off; giving me a view of what I came here to see; Morro Rock.

The drifting fog gave the volcanic plug an air of mystery. We could also see the platform where all the sea lions were hanging out on.

Of course there's always that one fellow who has to do his own thing……

All while under the watchful eye of this one.

We'd enjoyed this stop; it was quite relaxing, the views were nice…..I'm not sure when the area is busy or if it's always this relaxed. Also not sure how the food is in the area; perhaps one day we'll spend a night.

For now it was time to head on out to our destination for the next couple of nights.

Thanks for stopping by!

Where In the World Were We?

November 12, 2020 mmm-yoso Monterey/Carmel/Santa Cruz - Monterey Bay/Peninsula, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

Does the map to the right look familiar? Yes, it's my "roaming range" which I've used in a couple of posts since the pandemic started. And as of March 246th (November 1st most years) it was as far as I'd gone since March 15th, the last time I ventured beyond those boundaries….232 days. For us, we who travel several times a year, having to cancel three trips sure took a toll on us. You could say that pandemic fatigue was setting in. The Missus kept complaining that we hadn't gone anywhere this year, even though we had gone to San Francisco in January and then Mexico City in February, it just seemed so long ago to Her. It was time…..we both needed some time off…..but stewing in our juices at home would just make things worse. So, we made a decision. To take a road trip. We'd play it safe, do things outdoors, stay at a variety of places, eat outdoors, with the option to "pull the plug" anytime we felt uncomfortable.

Well, where in the world were we? Not very far….though I got to visit a couple of places I'd had on my list…..it always seemed so close, that we'd always "put it off until later". I guess it was time.

We started in a familiar spot. Though on this occasion the always busy main drag of the city was now blocked off, made into a pedestrian only zone, with outdoor seating areas for eateries and coffee shops set-up.

We only spent an evening. And while my dinner plans fell through a couple of days before the trip; we did find a nice place with outdoor seating for dinner.

The next morning, after grabbing some coffee, we headed out, making a stop to see something that I had on "my list"….though strangely, the Missus had never heard of the place.

We had a fun little short break as this quaint little beach town was empty.

We also made another stop at a charming, tiny little village along the way.

We spent two evenings at our next destination. We enjoyed doing some walking along the beach front boardwalk and also "hiking" (the Missus said it wasn't "a hike" but merely a walk) along a couple of trails along the way.

The views were wonderful; but it was the benches that intrigued us.

It was all capped off with a beautiful sunset on our second evening.

We had one wonderful and one ok meal here.

We were charmed by this village of 6,000 and the Missus now has the place on Her "revisit" list.

We got to check out some Elephant Seals along the way to our next stop.

Our next stop was two nights in another seaside town. We loved the architecture and even did our own little architectural walking tour.

And on our full day in the town we walked along the seaside trail all the way to the neighboring city. Needless to say; it was a beautiful walk.

On our first evening, we got to pay respects to our good friend, the late Ed from Yuma by eating at one of his favorite spots.

And on the second evening, we had a wonderful meal….so here's another place on the Missus's "return to" list.

We actually stayed on the top floor of a Victorian Mansion – the entire set-up was contact free….we saw no one during our entire stay. And right down the street was an Art Store….closed, but with two cats that liked to sleep and hang out in the window.

The next day we were in another neighboring city, with reservations at a Michelin Starred restaurant that really delivered the goods. In fact, the Missus claims that this meal might be the best She's had in the US.

We also took a bit of time to visit a beautiful Mission.

Our final stop was another city the Missus wants to return to. Our main reason for visiting was to see a "field of light"……..58,000 solar power lights, blooming over 15 acres.

And while dinner was less than stellar.

We enjoyed our cocktails afterward.

And then we headed home the next morning.

Let me regroup and I'll start on more detailed posts.

Thanks for stopping by.

Thomas Hill Organics, Paso Robles, June 2014

July 18, 2014 ed fromyuma Fine Dining, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Pizza, Road Trip, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Today Kirk and Cathy can concentrate on their real work (or just kick back and relax) because Ed (from Yuma) has a post about a restaurant up in Paso Robles.

Tina and I had wonderful memories of a lunch at Thomas Hill Organics back in 2009, so we wanted to be sure to go there with Steve and Helen. Again we entered through the larger and fancier alley entrance to the restaurant:

This side of the restaurant has the larger indoor dining room, the Park Street side has a long skinny room with the bar and small tables, but whenever possible, we like to eat in the central covered courtyard in the middle of the restaurant:

Remembering a wonderful watermelon gazpacho from our previous visit, Tina and I decided to share the avocado-corgette cold soup with coconut milk and chili oil ($8):

What can I say? The cool smooth green avocado blended with the summer fresh squash seemed like the essence of a late spring harvest – rich, vegetal, tangy and complex. The chili oil added a touch of spicy hotness to balance the cool green creamy depth of the soup.

For Helen, the soup was her main dish, though she did share some of Steve's skirt steak sandwich:

All of the sandwiches came with extremely fresh field greens tossed with a light basil vinaigrette and a few grains of quinoa:

Along with the soup, Tina opted for the local grass fed beef hamburger ($17):

Her burger was topped with Cambozola cheese, caramelized onions, and abundant applewood smoked bacon, all accented by nut romesco and roasted garlic aoli. It was really wonderful:

I had the pork belly banh mi:

I love banh mis, but this seemed a little over the top for my tastes. While the pickled carrots, avocado, and chopped cilantro were good, the two thick slices of pork belly seemed excessive and were a bit chewy. Call me old school, but I also missed the light crunchiness of a good Vietnamese baguette:

Tina and I had always wondered about dinner at Thomas Hill, so we decided to have our last dinner in Paso at Thomas Hill Organics. The menu seemed wide-ranging, we liked that many produce and protein sources were identified on the menu, and it is hard to beat the ambience of that courtyard.

Our dinner began with ahi tataki style ($16), a plate that looked like a beautiful little tuna topped volcano erupting ginger/scallion relish :

This was very nicely done. The excellent fresh ahi was lightly seared, and the ponzu sauce was perfectly flavored and did not overpower the other ingredients. Speaking of other ingredients, when Tina and I removed and divided the tuna, the rest of the appetizer was visible:

There was a large clump of wakame (seaweed salad), slices of avocado, wedges of pickled apricot, rounds of beautiful purple radish and cucumber, sunflower sprouts, and that ginger and scallion relish. For Tina and I, these flavors worked well together.

The next course was an unusual ceviche ($15) with local yellowtail and Oregon baby shrimp accompanied by chunks of Rocking Chair Farms nectarines and white peaches with purple radishes, cilantro, shaved shallots served on tostadas made from plantain and drizzled with coriander/honey coconut milk:

In most ways, this was an ambitious and very tasty ceviche presentation. It was not too tangy/sour to accompany our wine (more on that soon), and we loved the combination of stone fruit and seafood – though I would have liked even more of the seasonal fruits:

For us, the only things that didn’t work in the dish were the discs of plantain. They were more chewy than crunchy, and while they stood up to the ceviche toppings, the flavor/texture profile just didn't appeal and we actually left most of one round on the otherwise cleaned plate.

Because we were starting with two seafood courses, we began with glasses of Lone Madrone 2011 Points West White ($13), a very tasty Rhône style blend of 4 grapes, the rich and creamy roussane being the most prominent. We had tasted that very same wine the previous afternoon at the winery and had enjoyed it very much. It did not disappoint with dinner, and of course, the stemware was excellent and the pours very fair.

Our next course was called Jewel of the Spring Salad ($15):

In that picture, you can see what they called a Fabergé farm egg, attractive and hard-boiled. The greens in the salad were wild arugula and pea leaves and tendrils. The orange carrot ribbons, dark pink macerated red onions, asiago cheese shavings, and abundant sweet pea pods added body, color, and variety to this lightly dressed and unusual salad, dense with the taste of spring:

From the moment we had been seated in the courtyard in the middle of the building that evening, we noticed a chef attending to the woodfired pizza oven:

So our last course just had to be one of their woodfired pizzas. Called the Verde Green pizza on the menu, it was topped with mozzarella cheese, black truffle salami, pistachio nuts, roasted zucchini, basil leaves and a light sprinkling of Romano cheese ($17):

It was excellent, the crust light and crunchy and the toppings tasty but not overpowering. We shared a glass of Enfold 2010 Jazzy Zinfandel ($13), which went well with the pizza.

We had a good time at Thomas Hill Organics, the service, ambience, and food were all first rate. Much of the food was local and organic. The wine list was well focused on local wineries. If we had any complaint, it was that we ordered too much food, so had to take about half of the pizza back to our room with us. Oh, hold on here, why am I complaining about a midnight snack?

Thomas Hill Organics, 1313 Park St., Paso Robles CA 93446, (805) 226-8555