As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.
How’s that for a bit of a change from my typical “where on the road” posts? Because yes….we were on yet another road trip; though this time we had a cabin without cell or wifi for four nights. At an altitude of 9,400 feet! It was a new experience for me to be sure! I was a bit out of sorts…but both JJ and the Missus loved it.
At least the cabin had a full kitchen.
Though the lodge and nearby resort had small shops and places that served breakfast and lunch our meals basically looked liked this…..
Yes, we packed stuff from Carnival Market, etc…..to get us by, so not sure how many posts I’d get out of this road trip.
Each day would start with a hike….usually at a trailhead with an elevation of 10,300 feet! Oh, and I wasn’t prepared for the morning temps!
I packed one long sleeve pull over and had a windbreaker….so the first part of our hikes was…well, freezing….but things would warm up and the views were; well, outstanding.
Even JJ thought so!
All these morning hikes would be 4 1/2 to 6 miles long and have elevation gains of 800 – 950 feet. So yes, I was huffing along.
There were also so many beautiful lakes……
Which JJ also loved.
Each afternoon we’d hike along the nearby creek, where JJ would just avail himself of sticks and the clean water. And then……
It was an interesting experience. I did several posts ahead of time. And also we did two quick afternoon trips to places where there was cell service so I could check comments and such……
I especially loved the oncoming fall colors….I’m guessing it occurs much earlier at this altitude?
Anyway, even though we got back over 48 hours ago, I’m still recovering from the 8 hour drive.
So, thanks for dropping by and please enjoy the view……
While I catch up on some rest and get my act together!
The Missus wanted a hike during our full day in Scottsdale, so I chose the Quartz Ridge Trail in the Phoenix Mountains Reserve. Being that JJ doesn’t like heat or very much direct sunlight we got an early start. 3 1/2/ miles, 600 foot elevation gain, not too bad.
And of course you get a feel of the Southwest.
Some nice views…..
And JJ did well.
We headed back to our hotel and just laid low during the hottest part of the day. Then headed back out during the late afternoon, walking to Old Town Scottsdale.
Kind of corny in some ways….but also somewhat charming and fun…..
The Missus found a tea shop She liked…..
And did a lot of window shopping……
We’d be having dinner just a block down from the Hotel Valley Ho at a place I noticed during our last stay in Scottsdale, named The House Brasserie. They had outdoor seating and folks told me it was more of a fine dining destination, though I’m not quite sure of that. Based on the name of the place, I was expecting a full on French restaurant, but as you’ll soon see, the menu was quite diverse and our favorite dish was quite unexpected.
Of course, I started with a Kir Royale. I loved the service, my glass of Champagne was brought to the table and the Sommelier brought over the Creme de Cassis and told me let him know when the “color was right” for my Kir! Something that I hadn’t experienced before. This was an awesome start to the meal!
And then the Amuse was brought out…..some pretty decent Gougeres.
Of course we started with some Foie Gras ($26).
We found the popcorn topping to be quite amusing. The Balsamic based sauce wasn’t too sweet and the bread was fine….though perhaps this a bit much. Though I’d probably try this again.
The Escargot ($24) was interesting as instead of the basic garlic-parsley-herb butter, bone marrow “butter” was used instead.
It was just overkill and this was waaaay too rich and oily for our taste.
Then the dishes started deviating from the expected norm. Next up were the Tempura Oyster Mushrooms ($22).
And while the batter wasn’t as light as typical tempura, it was nice and crisp. This came with smoked cauliflower which was awesome.
And yet, our favorite dish of the evening was one I just ordered because it stood out on the menu. The Crab Fried Rice ($26) with house made XO Sauce! My goodness; this was so good!
The rice was a little moist, but that egg was cooked perfectly….soft yolk, crisp edges. The crab was tender and sweet. And the house made XO sauce? It was an umami bomb! Savory, rich, perfectly salty, not very spicy…oh man, this was so good….better than many Chinese restaurant we know of!
Who’s have thought…we’d go to a Brasserie and get some really good XO Sauce Fried Rice? Service was excellent and professional. We really enjoyed this meal and can’t wait to return.
The House Brasserie 6936 E Main St. Scottsdale, AZ 85251
The next morning, we were headed out to Sedona. But first we decided to check out the Papago Park Butte Loop, which turned out to be a nice 2 mile loop trail.
A very easy walk, well maintained.
Loved the red sandstone buttes along the way.
There’s even an stone amphitheater.
Which was built by the historic stone amphitheater built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression.
This was a fun walk and we left before things got too hot at 9am.
Back in January, we took JJ for his first road trip of the year. The Missus really wanted to take him to Sedona. Well, I figured we’d stop for a couple of nights in Scottsdale again. The Hotel Valley Ho is very dog friendly and the Missus really enjoyed the restaurant there; Zuzu.
The weather was much more pleasant this time around. On our previous trip, which was during the month of March, Phoenix was experiencing record heat! This time, JJ really enjoyed walking around old town Scottsdale.
And we decided on an early dinner at Zuzu.
I settled in with a nice, stiff Old Fashioned.
The Missus enjoyed the Cauliflower the last time….it was replaced by Romanesco ($14).
We find it interesting that the combination of fromage blanc and Thai Basil works well together. Though the capers were a bit too much for the dish. Still, this was our favorite dish of the meal.
If there’s one thing I want right away after leaving the state of California, it’s foie gras. So, I just needed to order the Beef Cheek and Foie Gras Gyoza ($22) from the Chef’s Special menu.
Well, this was a bit of a disappointment. The wrappers were plasticky and brittle, the chili crunch overwhelmed the dish. We could barely make out the offal-ly-savory flavor of the foie gras, the beef cheeks was really stringy. It was perhaps a too “over-the-top” dish?
We got 2 Short Rib Empanadas ($5 each).
The Chimichurri was very oily and bland…I like a lot of garlic and good sharp tones in my chimichurri and it was missing here. The crust of the empanada was much more crumbly and delicate than I was used to.
The filling was tasty, but a bit on the dry side.
Of course we had to get our favorite dish from our last visit; the Terra Heritage Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, which is amazingly, still just $21!
While still a bargain, this was not as good as what we’d had previously. The beef was room temp, so it lacked that refreshing edge. It also had a metallic taste to it. Loved all the Grana Padano which added some milky-savory-saltiness to the dish and the pumpernickel crumble added textural contrast. Not enough Dijonnaise this time around and we missed the anise tones of caraway which was missing this time around. Kind of a bummer since we really loved this dish last time.
Oh well, at least the service was nice, the price with my cocktail and the Missus’s wine was under $100 before tip! And our dinner the following night was a winnah!
ZuZu (In Hotel Valley Ho) 6850 E Main St. Scottsdale, AZ 85251
After dinner, the Missus wanted some time to relax, so “Da Boyz” had to find something to do. Well, there’s a Brew Pub – Pizza place less than a block away from the hotel named Craft 64. I walked over and the place has a nice back patio….and it wasn’t super busy so JJ and I got a table on the patio.
They’ve got over 30 beers on tap here! Talk about analysis-paralysis right?
In the end I got a light and refreshing Rocky Point Blonde.
4.5 ABV, low IBU. Just a nice and light brew.
And JJ enjoyed hanging out as well.
Craft 64 – Scottsdale 6922 E Main St. Scottsdale, AZ 85251
We enjoyed our evening in Scottsdale and the Missus had some activities up Her sleeve for the following day!
On the way back from Summerland, I decided to make one more stop. The Missus is really into Her plants these days….and I had read about Seaside Botanical Gardens right outside Carpinteria. Yes, it’s a nursery and plant shop….however, it spans three-and-a-half acres featuring plants from various regions around the world.
It’s also dog friendly……and plants are separated by region. The folks working here are so very knowledgeable.
It was so relaxing and yet overwhelming at the same time…….it just went to point out how little we know!
We’ll be stopping here whenever we’re in the area!
Seaside Gardens 3700 Via Real #3050 Carpinteria, CA 93013
When we got back to the downtown area, we decided to do some shopping…..the Missus had fun with some of the thrift stores….some of which had fun items…..
And no….that’s not a “real” goldfish!
Walking down Carpinteria Avenue we passed this huge tree.
This is the Wardholme Torrey Pine, standing at 126 feet tall, it is the largest Torrey Pine in the world!
After a short respite in our room, we decided to head on out for dinner. I had chosen a place a short walk away, named Zookers. Located in the Casitas Shopping Center, Zookers also has a meat and seafood market…so I thought the food might not be too bad.
Plus, they had a large patio area…perfect for JJ!
Service outside was a bit slow….we noticed this for others who sat al fresco as well. Very nice and friendly folks though. The Missus enjoyed Her glass of a White Blend from Paso Robles and I got a Island Brewing Blond, made locally in Carpinteria, fairly clean and refreshing, with a hint of hops.
We ordered one starter and an “entree” salad.
First up were the Duck Confit Tacos ($22).
Man, this was not very good. The tortillas were waxy-mass produced stuff. The duck “confit” was dry and chewy; really lacking in flavor as well. Not enough cheese to have an affect on the tacos as well.
What was good was the Dry Aged Rib Eye Steak Salad ($33). I think I need to put salad in quotes since the only representative “garden green” in this was the very crisp and refreshing Romain Lettuce. It was quite good and we were told it’s locally grown.
The rib eye, while a bit overdone for our requested medium rare was very tender in spite of the looks! It was perfectly seasoned and man, it was so beefy and earthy.
Since Zookers had a meat market; in spite of the Missus’s reservations, I wanted to order some red meat and I’m glad we did! This was our favorite meal in Carpinteria and nowadays, the Missus will order a steak now and then! It was a nice way to end our little road trip.
Zookers Restaurant 5404 Carpinteria Ave. (in the Casitas Plaza Shopping Center) Carpinteria, CA 93013
Breakfast was provided by the hotel. And the next morning, before checking out I took JJ for a short walk where he managed to meet a “cousin”, named Louie…..who it turned out was also staying at the same hotel!
It was a rather short, but fun road trip…..the 11th week took in 2025! Crazy, huh?
We slept in a bit during our one full day in Carpinteria. At around 7ish we decided to head on out. Like I mentioned in my previous post, we were staying about three quarters of a mile from downtown Carpinteria. On this morning we decided to do sort of a loop……we headed down what we thought was the strangely named Dump Road. At the end of the road is a lovely view of the ocean and the Carpinteria Bluffs Trail. Turns out that there was an actual garbage dump here until the mid-1950’s! Before that there was Asphalt Mining done.
I know….you look at this and think “what the heck”?
We could see traces of it during our walk along the trail and also in Tar Pits Park.
Though we weren’t going to do any intense “hunting” for tar…..
Use of the tar goes back to pre-European times as the Chumash people, some of the original inhabitants of the area had many uses for tar.
We kept walking along the trail, finally coming to a parking lot, road, then an RV Park…all along the shoreline.
We crossed over Carpinteria State Beach which ended at Linden Avenue which we consider “main street” of the town. We then headed up to Carpinteria Avenue passing all the little businesses…most of them closed at this time, along the way.
I was sad to note that one of the few businesses that I had heard about in Carpinteria, Robitaille’s Fine Candies had closed at the end of 2024.
We made our way back to our room freshened up for a bit and then headed out. I know of a few people whose family had property or would always go to Summerland during the winter. So, I thought it would be interesting to take the drive up there. We took the short drive up and parked on Lillie Avenue. The street is full of little boutiques, shops, and some charming buildings.
The Missus enjoyed stopping in and doing some shopping. Things seemed quite mellow, if a bit gentrified.
We decided to stop at Field + Fort and have lunch at the Cafe there named Feast. Field + Fort had some pretty upscale and expensive stuffs to sell…..it was fun to browse and of course, the Missus got JJ some stuffs from here.
The Cafe is right next door. The Missus looked over the menu and had a seat with JJ…..
While I went in to order.
The menu seemed quite “hipster – upscale” in offerings……
Anyway, I ordered a sandwich and one of the salads from the very nice young lady and we sat…and waited…and waited….20 minutes in, the Missus went and did more shopping….She came back out and I was still waiting. 45 minutes later our order was ready.
The Broccolini and Romesco Sandwich ($16) sounded interesting.
This place loves their pickled onions…the actual salad was our favorite thing about this…though the bread….a simple levain was nicely toasted, though it really lacked the flavor of a decent sourdough.
The “crispy” broccolini was just roasted and while slightly crunchy not crispy…and there were two stalks lying in the middle of the bread for the whole sandwich. This was more like and arugula, crisp broccoli leaf sandwich with a overly sour Romesco sauce.
The Missus does enjoy Her cauliflower; so we got the Roasted Cauliflower Salad ($15).
This was fine, though the cauliflower seasoning was on the bitter side. It’s like something I could make at home.
Well, the food Feast was nothing to go out of the way for. Things looked pretty simply put together so that 45 minute wait? But at least it wasn’t a overly heavy lunch! And the Missus enjoyed shopping at Field + Fort.
Feast: The Cafe at Field + Fort 2580 Lillie Ave. Summerland, CA 93067
We headed back to the car. And there was one more stop I wanted to make on the way back to Carpinteria!
Since we had decided to stop at the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove on the way to our next destination, I decided to head south in Highway 1 instead of the 101. There was one place I had always wanted to check out; Hayashi Vegetable Stand in Oceano.
It’s a nice and fairly busy shop…with an interesting variety of items for sale…not only fruits and vegetables.
We ended up getting some of our favorite almonds here…..it was even cheaper than what we pay for them in Paso Robles and some other stuff!
I think we’ll make this a regular stop when we’re back in the area.
Hayashi Vegetable Stand 2876 Cienaga St. Oceano, CA 93445
Back on Highway 1, we just had to stop here in Arroyo Grande….just because….you can see why, right?
From here we got back on the 101 South. Our destination for two nights was the town of Carpinteria, which was just South of Santa Barbara and Summerland. It was recommended to me by one of the folks who often goes to Bay Hill Tavern.
We settled into our accommodations which were a bit out of the downtown area. After settling in, we took a nice 30 minute stroll to the end of Linden Street…basically the main street of the town and got a view of the lovely sunset at Carpinteria City Beach.
We strolled back up Linden to Carpinteria Avenue to our dinner destination. The same fella’ also recommended Rincon Brewery for simple pub grub.
Which had an abundance of al fresco seating…and was dog friendly….
The service was pretty slow….I basically had to go inside to place our orders and such. Still, we enjoyed our brews.
The Missus got the Cetacean Rice Lager, which was quite refreshing, while I got the Dos Arboles Pilsner which was perhaps a bit too light for my taste.
Since it was early, we got two Happy Hour items…one of which was recommended.
We started with the Potato Skins.
These were really dry, the bacon hard, and super salty.
And the Crispy Cauliflower ($9.25) which the fella had also recommended.
These decently spicy, though the “panko” breading really wasn’t too crisp. At least the cauliflower were on the tender side.
Overall, pretty basic pub grub. Which was pretty much all we needed on this evening.
Rincon Brewery 5065 Carpinteria Ave. Carpinteria, CA 93013
We took a nice leisurely stroll back to our room. We even saw this cat sleeping in the window of one of the businesses on the way back!
On the way up, we stopped in Los Alamos. The Missus had always enjoyed shopping at Los Alamos Gallery.
As there were always things that She never knew She needed!
Los Alamos Gallery 515 Bell St. Los Alamos, CA 93440
Still running a bit early, we made a stop in Pismo Beach, so that the little “crazy guy” could run around on the beach.
With a stick he found of course.
We got to Avila Beach and was able to score an early check in.
And after taking a break, we went to our favorite restaurant in Avila Beach; Blue Moon Over Avila.
Which is open all the way thru from 1130am….so we did a late lunch-early dinner kind of thing. The place is totally dog friendly and we got seats at the rail so we could see what was happening on Front Street.
Since we had a fridge, we ordered more food than we needed.
Like this huge Charcuterie Board.
Nothing fancy mind you; but quite satisfying; I enjoyed that cheese that seemed like Manchego which was nice and milky. We saved a good amount of this to have as an evening snack.
We also got the Beef Bourguignon, which was just as good as on our last visit.
Not overly “winey”, it was quite savory, with the mushrooms adding the perfect earthiness, the lardons saltiness. We saved some of this for later as well.
And I was glad to know that our favorite item from our previous visit; the Croque Monsieur was just as delici-yoso!
That perfectly crisp layer of Gruyere makes this for us. It’s a bit milky-savory, with a hint of what seems like sweetness.
Buttery Bechamel, rosemary ham, and a nice yeasty sourdough completes the set. Man, I wish this place was in San Diego. Totally our favorite Croque Monsieur!
Blue Moon Over Avila 460 Front St. Avila Beach, CA 93424
Sadly, my favorite stop for a local brew, Locals Taproom was closed because it was a Tuesday, but because it was early in the week; all the kids from SLO and other visitors weren’t around. So it made a nice afternoon; then evening stroll really nice.
Of course we took a walk down the pier with J.
This little town of about 1,600 is quite mellow during days like this. And JJ even met a “cousin”!
We then headed on back to the hotel…relaxed. They had a free wine tasting during the evening which the Missus enjoyed. I had also gone to the little market and got myself a brew to have with the leftover Beef Bourguignon. We enjoyed a nice night of sleep and of course JJ got me up at 430am!
The beach is open to pups before 10am and after 5pm daily. So once the sun was up, we took JJ for some fun on the shore.
And there’s always something “new” to notice!
Our accommodations serves breakfast which is nice. We checked out and then headed back South.
We made a couple of stops on the way to our final destination for the road trip. Since this was in early December, I decided to stop at the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. Which is a well known migration spot for Monarch Butterflies between November and February.
There were a couple of people on the trail…two folks with major camera gear. But unfortunately we saw maybe 4-5 Monarchs.
Well, we’ve just done our sixth (!) road trip of the year! Go figure….this is actually a sort of a repeat of one we did a couple of months back and also a few times last year. We headed back home early, totally expecting the usual 6-7 hour drive….unfortunately, the Rock Fire closed the I-395 South right past Bishop for a couple of hours this morning; leaving us sitting and waiting. I had totally expected to get home and do a short post on a place in San Diego…..but, well it was not be….as I’m kinda beat.
So, I’m just gonna do one of the “where on the road” posts!
Like I mentioned earlier; these places have become regular stops for the Missus, who loves the hiking and paddleboarding…and now JJ, who loves the hiking and wouldn’t you know, the lakes and swimming! Remember last year, when I “taught” JJ to swim the way I did “back home”? Well, guess what? JJ remembers the lake and needs no prompting to jump right in now!
And of course, there are the hikes.
Not too many choices around here….and there’s a lack of dog friendly dining choices as well….so we packed quite a bit of food to prep and did takeout for other meals.
We spent four nights here….and JJ did two swims at the lake everyday!
Our next stop was only for two nights…..on an interesting note; we were here for the Reggae Festival weekend again!
And since our last trip here; thanks to “FOYs” Karen and Kenneth, we have two new dining “stops” which we ate at again during our two days here.
And of course we did the hikes…..
And took in the views!
All in all, a busy six nights! And after that 9+ hour drive home….well, it’s time for something simple to eat in the warm weather we’re having here and then catching up on things!
For our last road trip of 2025, we chose to spend most of our time in a city in Santa Barbara County that we had never visited before. We also decided to visit some of our “favorite” places to dine and drink on the way there as well.
So naturally, the Missus wanted to have lunch at Industrial Eats. Which I’ve posted on several times already! We arrived in time for lunch and along with the Missus’s favorite, the Smoked Duck Salad, She wanted to try something new; so I finally had a chance to try the Reuben, the salami is made inhouse, which interested me.
The salad, with a simple vinaigrette, was as good as ever.
The Reuben was quite large.
It had a bit too much cheese for my taste; the sauerkraut was crisp and assertively sour, though a bit too salty. Which combined with the generous portion of somewhat chewy pastrami really made this a sodium bomb.
Still, not a bad sandwich….though a bit too much for lunch for me!
Industrial Eats 181 Industrial Way Buellton, CA 93427
I’ve mentioned how much JJ enjoys Solvang before……so, we decided to stay the night before heading further North. It was a Sunday, so things were a bit hectic.
But we enjoyed walking around the town.
The Missus got to do some shopping.
And JJ….well, got to do JJ things.
We settled into our usual accommodations. When it came time for dinner, I wanted to try a place we had been to twice, but only for drinks, Vaquero Bar. The bar is attached to Coast Range Restaurant and on my last visit I found out that the bar features the same menu as the restaurant! So, I figured since it’s dog friendly and quite relaxed that we’d have dinner there.
I had a Medicine Man, a version of a mule that had both Tequila and Mezcal. Nice and stiff!
The Missus had a glass of wine.
We ordered two appetizers which proved to be enough for dinner. Starting with the Crispy Pork Belly.
This was interesting as the Gochujang Sauce had a sweetness to it. Came to find out that they actually put Coca-Cola in the sauce! The pork belly was more chewy than crispy by the time it got to our table.
We also got the Bone Marrow, which was quite good and a rather large portion to boot!
Nice fatty-rich bone marrow, tempered by a not overly sweet marmalade, with grilled bread. That pickled shallot vinaigrette would make for a heck of a salad dressing, but was a bit too much for the marrow.
We enjoyed this meal and it seems we’d finally found a place we enjoy having dinner at in Solvang!
Vaquero Bar (In Coast Range Restaurant) 1635 Mission Dr. Solvang, CA 93463
Weekday mornings in Solvang is usually nice and relaxed. This morning was no different.
We took JJ for a nice walk, where he even made a “friend”.
Even though the shop sits right on the corner of Atterdag and the 246 it’s easy to miss.
It was very quiet and mellow on our visit.
The Missus enjoyed Her latte.
And I found the cold brew quite refreshing.
Looking over the breakfast offerings; I decided on the Pesto Bagel with Tomato and Balsamic Reduction…this was quite good. The Mozzarella added a meaty-mild milkiness, the savory nuttiness of the pesto, and the acidity of the tomato. The bagel had been toasted and was nice and crisp.
Good Seed Coffee Boutique 1607 Mission Dr. Solvang, CA 93463
Well, it looks like we’ve found our coffee place in Solvang as well!
And after hamming in up a bit more……
We headed back to our room to relax a bit, then pack up, and headed on out……
To our next stop…..to a small beach town where we had enjoyed a nice dinner on a previous visit.
On our last visit to Idyllwild many businesses were closed. We were here on Tuesday and Wednesday so that seemed odd. It’s during our meal at Ferro that our wonderful Server explained that weekends are the busy times for Idyllwild, so many businesses use Tuesday and Wednesday as their weekend so to speak. So, I took that into consideration when planning this road trip. We were visiting on a Sunday and Monday, leaving on Tuesday morning. So, all of the businesses seemed open during our visit.
That made the short walk from our accommodation to Raven Hill Bagels so easy to grab some breakfast and coffee. The shop is indeed closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
It’s a small shop with some outdoor seating. You order at the counter….it’s basically a deli and then take your food.
There were some tables outside and the Missus waited with JJ.
A simple order, two Americanos, and a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Bagel Sandwich ($13), with Avocado ($2).
I chose a Jalapeno and Cheese Bagel, which was fairly dense, but tasty.
It would have been on the saltier side; but I added avocado which was a nice buffer. This was also quite large….I saved half for the next morning’s breakfast.
I also noted that the shop also sells various cheeses and deli meats by the pound as well.
Raven Hill Bagels 54440 North Circle Dr. Unit A Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549
Heading back to the Fireside Inn, we got into the car and headed up to the Idyllwild Nature Center.
There are several easy trails here and also ample parking on this day. We took the super easy Idyllwild Park Trail.
There was some interesting signage along the way with some interesting things to see; like these Bedrock Mortars used by the Cahuilla, the Indigenous People who settled in the area.
There were also some nice views along the way.
Which JJ enjoyed.
It was a nice way to spend a few hours.
Back in town, we parked at our cottage and walked down North Circle Drive, stopping at what is probably the Missus’s favorite shop in the town, Idyllwild Gardens.
Though this time the Missus resisted the urge to buy a bunch of stuffs!
Idyllwild Gardens 54385 North Circle Dr. Idyllwild, CA 92549
Our stop for lunch would be where we had what was our favorite meal on our previous visit….yes, it was at Atomic Cow.
The Missus and JJ hung out on the patio and I went in to order.
This time the Missus also wanted to try the Chili Cheese Fries. Which turned we turned out to not really enjoy.
Soggy dry fries…really weak, but salty chili, and gooey, but tasteless cheese.
Yes, it was the Cubano, which had Kalua Pork as one of the ingredients. Nicely toasted bread, nicely melted provolone cheese, pickles helping to cut the richness of the tender, smoky, porky, but not overly salty “Kalua pork”.
I’m glad we still enjoyed this. We had also learned that the sandwiches are pretty large here, so one plus a side is more than enough for our lunch. In fact, we needed a nap after this.
Atomic Cow 54200 North Circle Dr. Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549
We then had our afternoon “break” before heading back out to grab an early dinner and headed down North Circle Drive. It was nice to be here when most places were open. Right next to the Mountain Paws Pet Supply store was this lovely Gallery – Gift Shop.
The owner was super friendly and the Missus ended buying some small “stuffs” as gifts for folks.
Artspresso Art Gallery 54380 North Circle Dr. Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549
We kept heading on down the road and before you knew it, we had reached the Market, where North Circle Drive meets the 243…….
Right across the street was this place, called the Lumbermill.
Which had a patio, so we decided to head on in. We were led to the patio….which we really didn’t take to.
But the stools at the rail seemed nice and the place had a pleasant view of the street.
Looking at the condiments provided, you just kinda knew this was one of those burger-sandwich family diner – bar kind of places. And the menu, with burgers, burritos, nachos, hot dogs, sandwiches and such confirmed things. With this in mind, I went simple with regards to my cerveza….
And we just ordered two apps for dinner….which we were happy about since the portions were pretty large.
We got the boneless wings ($16.95).
Which looked over-sauced. It was pleasantly crunchy, the Buffalo sauce was on the sour-puckery side, but it did go rather well with the Blue Cheese Dressing. The really nice Server told us that they make their own dressing inhouse.
Of course, I just had to try some Cheese Curds ($15.95).
A bit too gooey with the batter not crisp enough…the menu said Wisconsin White Cheddar, but I really couldn’t make out any of the cheddar “sharpness”. Of course, it’s probably mass distributed young cheddar. I wasn’t expecting what I’d get at say………..The Old Fashioned in Madison, but it was still mediocre.
Still, not a terrible meal. JJ got treated nicely’ they brought a bowl of water for him. Service was welcoming….very nice folks working here. And it was enough food for our dinner.
Lumber Mill Bar & Grill 25985 CA-243 #243 Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549
It closed up a nice short stay in Idyllwild for us.
