Road Trip – Page 15

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – The Raven Tavern and the Abandoned Casa Sirena Seaside Resort (Oxnard)

September 3, 2021 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Cocktails, Road Trip, Travel, Ventura County

After a wonderful lunch at Yai Restaurant we made it into Oxnard in pretty good time. Our room was actually ready when we arrived and we got a short break before heading off to dinner. I really didn't want to travel too far from where we were staying and after reading through a bunch of reviews and such, thought that the Raven Tavern would make for a nice, low stress dinner. The place was quite busy when we arrived, but we had reservations and were quickly seated outside right along the harbor.

The Servers and such were very nice; but they were obviously a bit overwhelmed…….I believe it's Covid staffing, so I won't hold it against them.

I started with the "Joe's Old Fashioned" ($15).

Too much bitters and not enough Bourbon for my taste.

The Missus looked at what other tables were having and really didn't seem too inspired. She wasn't overly hungry and went with the Veggie Hand Pie ($5).

The crust on this one was better than mine; but that sauce had a weird, almost sour tinge to it and the filling just wasn't very good.

The Missus figured that a hand pie would be enough for Her since I ordered the Steak and Mushroom Dinner Pie ($16) with Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($3).

The crust of the pie was on the gummy-mushy side and the filling was barely lukewarm. The gravy had a strange bitterness to it and wasn't hot. There wasn't very much "steak" in this pie either. The best thing were the mashed potatoes which were nicely seasoned…..the only thing the Missus enjoyed.

The food seemed very corporate and "chain-like"….

Too bad. You can't win 'em all, right?

The Raven Tavern
1651 S Victoria Ave.
Oxnard, CA 93035

We took the short drive back to the hotel and decided to take a stroll. We were staying right on Channel Islands Harbor, just north of Port Hueneme at the Hampton Inn. The harbor is quite lovely, very relaxing, and laid back.

There are many residences along Peninsula Road along with folks living on the various yachts and right next to the hotel was a quaint little park. We had a blast watching all the pooches having their evening social hour.

Right next to the park was an interesting site. We first walked along the dock and along this area there were no boats moored and this was where the sea lions hung out.

You see, right along the harbor is the abandoned Casa Sirena Seaside Resort, which closed down in 2009. I was fascinated in checking it out after reading this in Atlas Obscura. It's both eerie and depressing….the abandoned buildings looking run down and worn.

It was starting to get dark and we saw guys on bikes and other folk hanging around in the walkways and they seemed to be….well….you can figure that one out, right?

Very sad indeed. This must be prime property, so I'm wondering what the back story might be. Going down this rabbit hole a bit, I found this on the Channel Islands Harbor website, so perhaps in the near future a new hotel will stand in it's place. The Hampton Inn we stayed at actually used to be the "annex" of the resort.

Here's a photo of Casa Sirena taken the following morning.

As we sailed off to Anacapa Island……

Stay tuned for that post!

2022 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade float road test #2, Breakfast at Flo’s Coffee Shop (Azusa)

September 1, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog and there are many reasons we find places to eat. Cathy is writing today about the reason and the place. Kirk is busy at work.

Link to 2022 Rose Parade float Road Test #1

Link to Road Test #3

This past Saturday, The Mister and I woke around 4 a.m., let the dogs out and got ready to drive North. We left the driveway at 5 a.m. and got on the foggy, dark, empty freeway. There was a stop for coffee and treats in Tustin and then the sun was out and we were in Irwindale, at Phoenix Decorating Company, where we have not been since we decorated floats for the 2020 Rose Parade back in December of 2019. Floats were already on the road, being tested for mechanics and maneuverability.

"Arctic Dream", the 2022 entry by Oddfellows and Rebekahs, a service organization, is so cute!
The Lutheran Hour Ministries will have their 72nd entry in the 2022 Parade. "Jesus Teaches" goes with the Theme of the Parade, which is celebrating education.
The Royal Court will ride in the same float as in the past few years. The exterior 'beaning' looks good; other details and, of course, flowers, will be added during decorating.
The Farmers Insurance float underwent its first test. I can see pine and palm trees-and the driver (in the center of the float). The driver looks down and follows the 'rose colored line' along Colorado Boulevard during the parade and does not see the route; there is a 'spotter' at the front of every float.
You can see the 'spotter' seated in the front of this rebar shell of a float undergoing its first road test. Unsure of who the sponsor is, but suspect it might be Trader Joe's, because of the banana shape near the back.
The 'spotter' will be out in the open-on the 'jeep'- of this float, sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. It looks like and ode to Wild Kingdom (a classic conservation educational television show since 1963, currently found on social media and digital channels).
The Kiwanis International, "Dream to Achieve" is another cute entry. Seeing the whimsical floats rolling down Colorado Boulevard on January 1 is a great way to start the year.

We were finished taking photos pretty early, since the testing started sooner than 7. Drove North, over the 210 and headed East on Foothill Boulevard; Route 66. Look at the sign; we had to stop.
Flo's has been in this location since 2012; it had been a Mexican restaurant for decades prior.

Breakfast has a good amount of choices. Thing is, we really did not want any coffee, since we had been awake since 4 a.m., so I can't comment on the 'coffee shop' part of their name. It was pretty crowded and we sat at the counter.
The Mister ordered the Waffle Combo ($10.45) with over easy eggs and link sausages. The sausages were very good, eggs cooked properly and the waffle had a distinct vanilla flavor and was soft.
Not being able to decide and wanting savory, the Huevos Divorciados ($10.45) was my choice. Two wonderful distinct salsas covering two over easy eggs along with (very good) rice and beans. The red salsa had a distinct heat and texture: finely diced onions were still crisp (and not part of the heat factor; the chilis had a great heat) the tomatoes added sweetness and were chunky. The green salsa was great, with a garlic an citrus undertone and smooth tomatillo tang.

All in all, a great breakfast on an early Saturday.

Flo's Coffee Shop 248 West Foothill Blvd Azusa, CA 91702 (626) 334-6600 Open Daily 6:30-2

Patrons of all occupations eat here. The fire station is on the next block.

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Yai Restaurant 7 Years Later (Los Angeles)

August 15, 2021 mmm-yoso Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Thai Restaurants, Travel

Just before this latest wave of Covid-19 infections, we decided to take another road trip; this time to Oxnard….yes, Oxnard. And, if you've been reading our recent posts, you'll notice that the Missus has been quite enamored with Thai food recently.

So, as we headed up the 101, the Missus requested a stop on Hollywood Boulevard at the edge of Thai Town….requesting a revisit to Yai Restaurant. Funny thing, when I checked on our last visit to Yai, I was shocked to find out it was seven years ago! And our previous visit was seven years before that one! Time sure does fly.

There was quite a bit of construction going on close to the restaurant; though it seems that there are now homeless encampments all along the 101. The location still looks a bit worn and the Yai sign is now quite faded. It does look like they've done a refresh on the interior though.

Our Server was quite efficient and we chose a table in the far corner. Wouldn't you know….geez, even with all the open seating in the place, two parties would arrive and insist on getting tables next to us….sigh…..

We had our aim on two dishes we've had before and the Missus wanted to try one additional item.

Things started with the BBQ Duck with Chili and Garlic which we had and enjoyed on an earlier visit.

As before, the duck was on the chewy side….but also as before, that wonderful garlic-basil-chili flavor with a hint of sweetness.

The Missus wanted to try the Som Tom, so we ordered it "spicy"……which, well it wasn't. We've always thought of Yai to be on the Thai-Chinese end of the spectrum.

This was still quite good though. Loved the cut of the papaya, you could tell, based on the rough edges, and different sizes, that it wasn't "bought in a bag"…in fact, we saw one of the women actually cutting the papaya. Nice acidity, perhaps a bit light on the fish sauce, loved the dried shrimp which added nice savory tones.

Of course, the one item we just had to have was the Black Egg Pow. This was as good, if not better then we recalled.

Man, I'm not sure how they fry up that pidan, but it's crisp on the outside and oh so creamy. That basil forward sauce has a nice hint of spice, balanced sweetness, good garlic tones, and is just plain wonderful.

We were so happy with our meal. And though the prices have gone up quite a bit….it's been seven years after all, and the portions are smaller…it's actually more in line with true "Thai portions" like we had in Thailand. We didn't order any rice with our meal…..after all, I still had a bit of a drive up to Oxnard….the woman working said "oh, you are trying to be healthy" when we didn't order any rice. And then when I paid, she gave me a couple of cookies for the road, "because you had no rice, you might get hungry." It just kind of put that "cherry on the top"; you know what I mean.

For some reason, the fact that Yai was just as good seven years down the line just made us feel great……..we felt blessed that in this time of Covid, we were able to get out for a bit and grateful for a wonderful meal.

And hopefully, we won't have to wait another seven years to have that Black Egg Pow again.

Yai Restaurant
5757 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Sidecar Cocktail Co. and Old San Luis BBQ Co. (San Luis Obispo)

August 14, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Cocktails, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

On the way back to the motel after dinner, I asked the Missus if She'd like to stop for a cocktail. I was somewhat interested in a place we had passed earlier in the day named Sidecar….no, not "that" Sidecar; this Sidecar, located on Broad Street.

This was the place we passed that had seating along the the creek. They also had tables lined up outdoors as well.

Unfortunately, none of those tables were available….plus, we weren't eating anything, so we just got one of the tables in the bar area which was nicely spaced.

The folks working were quite friendly….the Missus ordered one of the specialty cocktails….called "Walk on Home Boy" ($15).

Strange this supposedly had both Bourbon and Mezcal, but was quite mild in flavor and on the sweeter side/

I asked for an Old Fashion made with Mezcal – which wasn't too bad at all.

We decided to call it quits after one drink each and decided to head back to the motel.

We enjoyed the service and vibe was very nice.

Sidecar Cocktail Co.
1040 Broad St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

A half a block away, we stopped by this nice piece of public art named "Web of Life".

Close by was the Old San Luis BBQ Company – also known as "Old Slo BBQ". It was basically a window and small attached dining area.

Along with a small outdoor dining area along the sidewalk. The menu had tri-tip "sliders" on it, so I talked the Missus into ordering one ($4.25) to take back to the room.

It was a short wait, but soon enough our little slider was ready and we walked back to our room.

Old San Luis BBQ Co.
670 Higuera St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Returning to our room I opened things up……

The rather dry tri-tip was served on a standard issue sourdough-ciabatta style roll. The tri-tip had a strong smokiness with not much else in terms of seasoning and was quite tough and dry. The actual flavor of the bread was stronger than the meat….except for all that smoke.

That BBQ sauce was overly sweet for my taste. I guess we'll stick with our "old faithful" if/when we're back in SLO……

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Dinner at Koberl At Blue (San Luis Obispo)

August 8, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

After that nice lunch at Firestone Grill, we walked back to our motel and had a nice afternoon nap.

For our dinner in SLO; I created a list for the Missus to choose from and after looking at various menus; She chose Koberl at Blue. The appetizers and vegetarian menu items interested Her. And you know how we enjoy ordering a selection of appetizers to create sort of our own "multi-course" menu to share.

The interior bar area is very "old school" looking….I should have taken a photo. We did enjoy eating outdoors and the service while on the "SLO-side" (how appropriate, right?) was friendly.

The Missus had a glass of wine to start and I ordered the Yuzu Gimlet, which needed a bit more gin in my opinion……

Recalling our regret for not ordering the scallops at Les Petites Canailles, we decided to order the Seared Sea Scallops ($22).

The scallops were on the overcooked side for our taste and the artichoke duxelles was quite bland. There wasn't enough bacon to elevate the flavor of the dish and the brown butter sauce was a bit too cold in temp which led to a slightly greasy mouthfeel. I'm thinking that under normal circumstances the radish would provide a spicy-bitter zip….but it just didn't work out in this case. Not a terrible dish, but not good.

A menu item that fascinated both the Missus and I was the Crispy Snowe Crab "Chinois" ($18).

The crab was nicely formed, breaded, and fried but it was so darn salty. And that dressing reminded me of….well "secret sauce" if you know what I mean. We actually just had one each and as much as we hate to waste food, we just couldn't bring ourselves to finish this. We did mention the sodium level to our gracious Server….not to have it taken off our bill; but just to let the kitchen know.

My favorite dish of the evening was the Beef Carpaccio ($17).

The beef ethereally melted in my mouth. It did have a bit too much "stuffs" with all the celeriac and Parmesiano Reggiano. Just having the capers, less horseradish sauce, and onion would have done the job. Still, I enjoyed this.

The Missus was excited about the Wild Mushroom Ravioli ($20), but it ended up being disappointed.

The basil vermouth sauce was on mild side and really didn't help to bring out the earthiness of the mushroom in the ravioli….I think the Missus was expecting an elevated version of my porcini-cremini sauce. The spinach was perfectly sautéed, but the texture of the ravioli was on the mushy side.

After this dish, we decided to call it a night at Koberl.

Koberl At Blue
998 Monterey St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

We headed back to our room….though while walking down the pedestrian only Monterey Street, we decided to make one more stop….which would end up being two more stops before calling it a night.

Thanks for stopping by!

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Walking Around San Luis Obispo and Revisiting Firestone Grill 7 Years Later

August 6, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Salads, Sandwiches, Travel

After yet another nice meal at Madeline's in Cambria (and that beautiful sunset), we slept well. And after a wonderful night's sleep, I got up early, and just as on our previous visit walked on over to Cambria Coffee Roasting Company to get the Missus Her pour over and a Cold Brew for me.

Like Paso Robles; there's something about Cambria that is very comfortable and on this, our second trip here within a year, it all felt familiar.

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

We just relaxed and took our sweet time. We had one more stop before heading home and it was basically a 45 minute drive South. Finally, fully awake we headed off….to San Luis Obispo. We had made a stop in SLO years back, but I had wanted to stay for a night. But man, those hotel prices in the downtown area….over $300 a night! Yikes. So, I booked what was basically a motor inn right off the 101 and a short 15 minute walk into the heart of "SLO". Of course we had gotten in quite early; check-in wasn't until 3pm. So, the motel was nice enough to let us park in the lot and we decided to stretch our legs and grab some lunch.

We basically walked up Higuera Street then took a left on Broad Street. We were playing by ear.

The Missus had decided that She wanted to see Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, so we headed off in that direction. We meandered along, crossing over San Luis Obispo Creek; stopping to check out some of the public art.

The creek has nice green spaces and a creekside trail. And some of the restaurants and bars have what seems like serene creekside seating.

It was such a bright and beautiful day in May.

We passed the History Center and headed up to Palm and the garden area of the Mission.

It was a nice, peaceful area to take a break. The Mission is well known for the bells and bellringers.

After a short break we headed off to the front of the Mission.

And the bells went off just as we turned the corner.

The Mission was founded in 1772 by; you guessed it; Junípero Serra. The site itself is fascinating as the area was called Ilano de los Osos (though some say it was La Cañada de los Osos – "Valley of the Bears") "Plain of the Bears" by Juan Crespí, a Franciscan Missionary who documented Gaspar de Portolá's expedition thru what is now California.

There was a nice art display in Mission Plaza and all along SLO called the May Flower Initiative, with some wonderful, colorful displays.

There was something I wanted to check out just a block over. You see; once upon a time, like many cities in California, SLO had a Chinatown (there's a great article here). A block over from the Mission are the remnants of that Chinatown. The most well known being the Ah Louis Store.

Ah Louis is probably the most well known and most successful of those that settled in SLO. The Ah Louis Store still stands; though it's now called "Karson Butler Events at the Ah Louis Store".

Another business that still exists is Mee Heng Low; you can read a wonderful article on the business here. One can only imagine what challenges these folks had to overcome. The anti-Chinese sentiment, the Chinese Exclusion Act……and there are times…at least these days, where I think we haven't evolved very far from the racism and hate of those days.

By this time, the Missus was getting a bit hungry…..after a short discussion….a very short discussion, we thought it would be kinda cool to revisit Firestone Grill, which we really enjoyed over 7 years ago! My how time flies……

So we walked on over.

They were doing great business; but folks were all wearing masks and distancing and other processes were in place.

We placed our order at one counter; found a table outside. They had closed tables in order to distance diners….a nice job overall.

Soon enough our number was called and I headed off to another area to pick up our food. We had ordered the exact same items as on our previous visit.

The Missus got Her massive Steak Cobb Salad ($11.99), which She plowed thru like there's no tomorrow.

Yes, that tri-tip does well on this; but man, it's the bacon and blue cheese that makes the salad in my opinion. And with all that flavor, who needs dressing.

I got the Trip-tip Sandwich (no BBQ sauce please).

They still gave me BBQ sauce; but at least it was on the side….that sauce is way too sweet and for me doesn't bring anything to the sandwich. Not quite as much tri-tip as I recall; but it is still moist and tender, beefy with mild smokiness….I do like the roll they use; lightly toasted, a bit of garlic butter…yeasty. This was quite good……..even 7 years later!

Firestone Grill
1001 Higuera St
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

We were happy with lunch and were looking forward to dinner….but first; a nap of course. I got a text telling me our room was ready so we headed back.

There was one additional stop I wanted to make; Bubblegum Alley….but when we got there, the Missus was so grossed out that She told me I'd be napping in the car if I walked in…..

I dunno; we had been to the Gum Wall in Seattle……but maybe being surrounded by stuff that's been chewed…saliva and all that….in the heat of mid-day?

That's fine……at this point in time, that nap in air conditioned goodness was more important to me!

Thanks for stopping by!

2022 Rose Parade float Road Test (One) Breakfast at Norm’s

August 2, 2021 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Today, Cathy is writing the post; Kirk is having a really busy Monday at work.

Link to 2022 Rose Parade Float Road Test #2

Link to 2022 Road Test # 3

We couldn't wait any longer. Our last road trip to Pasadena was on January 2, 2020 to see the Showcase of floats of the 2020 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. If you are a reader of this blog, you know that The Mister and I enjoy "Start to Finish" (as well as Decorating) Rose Parade floats. Last year, the Parade was canceled, however the Theme had been chosen and it will be used for 2022.

Road tests hadn't been announced online, but we drove North on Saturday and, indeed, "our" decorating barn (Phoenix Decorating) was not open, so we drove about two miles North,

saw several news trucks and parked. The Fiesta Parade Floats barn was having a road test of three of their 2021 floats.
You can see this float, by the City of Torrance, will be adorable! The elephant's head sways back and forth and it looks like there will be a water feature.
The base of the Donate Life float (facing opposite of the drawing) will have people in the small boats at the bottom. You can see where the "spotter" is sitting in the front. The driver is way in the back (inside the boxed in area), since all he sees and follows is the 'Rose Colored Line' along Colorado Boulevard during the parade.

This one might be difficult to envision now, but you can see by its size that it will be magnificent! The UPS Store float will have to be able to 'collapse' along the parade route, that's why all the hydraulics are there. Again, this is the 'off camera' side view of the float-the "basket" is at the front of the float. The smaller photo is where the rooster tail feathers will be- and I think they will be moving.

After this wonderful semblance of 'normal', The Mister and I drove about six miles, South East. We had to stop. Norms, one of the first 24/7 Los Angeles restaurants, an icon since 1949, has a Norms Junior location in West Covina, in a former Spires Restaurant building. Because of new protocols, the menu is simple,

as is the order and pay area.
Beverages and utensils are ready at the end of the counter and you can carry those to wherever you would like to sit. Soon the food is brought to your table.
The Mister chose the "Bigger Better Breakfast" ($8.99). Wow, two pancakes, two eggs, two bacon, two sausage, a large slice of ham and hash browns. So much flavor! Perfectly cooked over-easy eggs, really nice pancakes. What a great meal.
I chose the breakfast sandwich ($5.99). I used to always try breakfast sandwiches following road tests for the many years and somehow got out of the habit. I am now back in the habit. The toasted eggy brioche bun was quite large. There were two eggs (I asked for over medium and they were). The cheese and sausages were just the perfect compliments; quality sausage and a better American cheese. A great meal.

So happy we stopped here.

Norms Junior 501 N. Azuza Avenue West Covina 91791 open daily 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Website (626) 859-2375

Roadtrip (During Covid-19) – Returning to Cambria and a Revisit to Madeline’s

July 17, 2021 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, French Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel

Just trying to finish up posts on our May road trip here.

After having a wonderful dinner at Les Petites Canailles in Paso Robles, then enjoying a nice walk the following morning at Montana de Oro State Park, we headed to our next destination. We had enjoyed Cambria so much during our November road trip that we decided to return for an evening.

It was a bit early for check-in when we arrived, so I headed over to the East Village where the Missus "caught up" on some shopping at the charming little shops.

Not sure why this pooch was so tuckered out, but he didn't move a muscle as customers came and went……it was quite amusing.

We decided to pick up some snacks for lunch and headed over to Soto's True Earth Market.

It's a lovely little market with everything from sandwiches and cheese, to local produce and snacks. Folks were very friendly and we enjoyed the little shop…..I even purchased a shopping bag.

Soto's True Earth Market
2244 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

I had noticed tables and seating arranged outside the charming Cambria Historical Museum which was closed due to the pandemic.

It was a beautiful day, so we decided to have our snacks here.

Though we did ask permission from the local "security detail".

Soon enough I received a text message letting me know our room was ready. Just like Paso Robles, we were doing a repeat stay….we had really enjoyed the El Colibri Hotel & Spa on our previous visit to Cambria, the staff at El Colibri are very welcoming and friendly, we enjoyed the quiet location as well, just a short walk to the West Village where I had made dinner reservations at yet another "repeat" location. We had enjoyed our meal at Madeline's during our November road trip, so the Missus and I decided for another visit. It was just as good….so I won't dwell too much on the details and leave you mostly with photos.

The Missus loves the scallops and the "Spanish Octopus", but also really enjoyed the seasonal salad……. Which had….a bacon vinaigrette.

So guess who had to make bacon vinaigrette when we got home? Actually, it was pretty easy as our Server asked the chef about the recipe…..we didn't get a recipe; but got a ingredient list.

They even split our main; the Aubergine Gratin without us having to ask.

The weakest dish of the meal as for some reason the bechamel really didn't bring out the flavors of the eggplant…….

But that's ok as the other dishes were wonderful.

And the Missus enjoyed the Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake for dessert, while I enjoyed a nice Tawny Port.

And we got the same lovely outdoor table as on our previous visit. When I mentioned that we enjoyed this table, we were instructed to request "Patio 1" the next time we visit. And….I think there will be a next time. There's something about the vibe and staff that we really enjoy here.

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

We finished up dinner and walked back to the hotel. Since this was at the end of May, the sun wouldn't set until after 8pm. So, like we did on our previous visit to Cambria we took the short walk down to Shamel Community Park and took in the beautiful sunset.

A perfect end to our day. Back at the room, I had a brew as a nightcap as I will often do on trips. It always gives me time to think about and ponder how blessed we are…….especially during these times to have our health, each other, and even though we'd obviously love to be in Paris, I've come to appreciate a part of California that I think is vastly underrated.

Thanks for stopping by!

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.