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.
We just got back from our first road trip with JJ for 2026. It was a fun and interesting drive; starting in a place that JJ has already been to.
This time there wasn’t record heat and JJ enjoyed things more…..
And we did a couple of hikes and enjoyed the views….
And ate well…..
The next stop was one we had last visited during he waning days of Covid…..
And this is where JJ enjoyed hiking the most. And of course the views were fabulous.
It was interesting as we did a favorite hike of ours…but this time around…well, it was still icy.
Which JJ loved!
What he also loved was the place that served a Doggie menu; with a version of beef tartare he loved.
We actually returned the following evening….
On our previous visit, we hadn’t been too impressed with the food; but his time around…well, we found our spot.
Which served up a dish that is a favorite of ours; especially when we visit Paris, but is not allowed in California….
Definitely our favorite meal of the trip.
We’ll definitely be back!
Our last stop was a city; with definite retro vibes. We last visited back when we lived in LA. It had been a while and we recall not being particularly taken by what seemed a superficial, image driven vibe. But time changes things. And while there’s still a strong commerciality, we’ve come to appreciate the history…..
And of course everything with JJ in tow makes things more entertaining…..
Anyway, thanks for stopping by. We’ll be back to our regular programming tomorrow!
The Missus was so excited to be in Mammoth…She couldn’t wait to take JJ hiking. And so first thing in the morning we headed out. She had decided on doing the Skelton Lake Loop, which started at the large parking lot at Coldwater Creek Road. This was an interesting hike as there was still snow and ice at some parts of the trail. It was only 3 1/2 miles long, but seemed longer. What we did find out on this trail was that JJ loved snow….
And the views of the different lakes we passed were gorgeous.
Including Skelton Lake which we got to at the end.
We then headed back to the Village. The Missus decided that we should hit up Old New York Deli & Bakery again. She had really taken to those Sweet Potato Fries. This time we went with the Vegetarian Sandwich ($16.99) + Sweet Potato Fries ($1.89).
The sandwich was not nearly as good as what we’d had the day before. Very bland and routine, the red bell pepper hummus was not up to the task of adding flavor.
Still, the Missus loved the sweet potato fries.
From this point on, we’d stick with the club sandwiches all the way.
Old New York Deli & Bakery 6201 Minaret Rd. Suite 105 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
After a short afternoon “siesta” I headed out to the Earthquake Fault Trail. A place where one could actually see an actual earthquake fissure which was initiated 500-600 years ago!
It’s not really a hiking trail per se, but an amazing thing to see…….
And then we headed back to the Westin to relax before dinner.
For dinner, we decided to walk down basically a block from where we were staying to Mammoth Brewing Company. We weren’t looking for any beer; there’s a restaurant on site called the Eatery.
The Missus went with the Quinoa Falafel Bowl ($18). The looks of the falafel tells it all.
The menu said “crispy falafel”; this was actually overcooked, dry and gritty falafel. That tzatziki tasted a bit odd….then I read that it was coconut tzatziki. The quinoa was fine as the lemon vinaigrette paired well with it.
I saw a Pork Belly Banh Mi ($16) on the menu and I couldn’t help myself.
While there was so much “not right” about this sandwich…starting at the bread which was not a banh mi….so basically this was a banh mi in name only. The cabbage and carrots was basically the shredded stuff you can buy at the market. The pork was hard and dry, though it had a some hints of savory and sweet. At least that egg was decent, crispy edges, slight soft interior.
Totally “con-fusion” cuisine.
The Eatery at Mammoth Brewing Company 18 Lake Mary Rd. Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
As we crossed back to the Westin thru the Village, we decided to stop at Shelter Distilling. While not being fans of the food there, we had enjoyed their cocktails.
This time; instead of sitting in the front of the restaurant, we took JJ thru to the rear which had four tables with views of the ponds and courtyard.
We had the “Crib” again and also tried out their Old Fashioned. Both of which were really good.
While still on the search for something good to eat for dinner, at least we knew where to get our cocktails….
Shelter Distilling 100 Canyon Blvd. #217 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
The next morning, the Missus (and JJ) were rarin’ to go. This time I chose the Sherwin Lakes Trail, which was a 8 1/2 out and back.
There was a 800 foot elevation gain, but JJ had no problems with that at all.
Sherwin Lake is quite beautiful…..
I was just glad to be done with it…..because then we could get some lunch….
So, after our revisit to the Alley and Ko Olina we actually went to Australia, before returning to Oahu. But recently, Bruddah Kimo asked me if there were other places than Kimchi II to get some Meat Jun. He is staying at Pagoda Hotel. Well, during our return from Australia we actually stayed again at the Ala Moana Hotel. The Missus had finally taken to meat jun during this trip and I had heard of a place right on the corner of Ke’eaumoku and Makaloa in the Azure Condo complex named Ireh. So, I’m kinda doing this one out of sequence so that Kimo can get an idea…..ok?
So yes, we were staying in the Ala Moana Hotel, yet again. Because of our stays at Accor Hotels, I had a nice discount and got us an upgraded room.
Even had a kitchen….but nah…I’m “home”…I going eat out….
Still, it was comfortable room and I didn’t get the “Ji-chan treatment” (jjk) when we checked in.
With our some what jetlagged schedules going, we wanted an early dinner. I asked the Missus what She wanted and wouldn’t you know it! She wanted Meat Jun! You gotta love it!
A couple of places came to mind. Choi’s Family Kitchen used to be a favorite way back when I lived in McCully and they used to be on King Street, but we didn’t feel like driving. I searched a bit and noticed that there was a place name Ireh right on the corner of Ke’eaumoku and Makaloa. It’s a huge condo complex now; but I remember when Green Papaya and a Jewelry Store used to occupy a small two story building on the corner.
Anyway, we walked on in…since it was still early, the place was pretty empty. The woman working greeted me in Korean! I had to crack up…..my friends used make fun of me because I’d often get mistaken for being Korean when I lived in HNL!
Anyway, we were seated and handed menus; but the Missus had already made up Her mind. Since it was pretty warm I got the BiBim Naengmyun.
The baechu kimchi revealed that this was more of a true “Korean” restaurant, than a local style one. It was more pickled, but still had some fermented tones to it. The Yangpa Jjangachi had good soy-garlic-slightly sour tones and was kinda refreshing.
The Bibim Naengmyun ($16.95) was a disappointment.
The noodles weren’t very stretchy….there was no need for scissors for these. The sauce was quite watered down, having more of the sweeter mul naengmyun type of flavor. It really needed some umph!
This made me somewhat worried about the Meat Jun ($18.95), but it was quite good.
A pretty large portion of meat jun. Which was on top of the rice, which was a bit on the hard side. But of course, this was about the beef….
The dipping sauce was good; savory soy, a hint of palate cleansing vinegar.
As for the meat….this was quite good. It was very tender, the savory egg batter batter had spots of light crispness rather than the usual sogginess. The marinade had flavored the meat well; soy sauce, some sweetness, a hint of garlic.
The Missus really enjoyed this and She said it was a step above Kimchi II. Hmmm………
Ireh Restaurant 629 Ke’eaumoku St. Suite 104 Honolulu, HI 96814 Current Hours: Daily 10am – 10pm
Bruddah Kimo; if you check this place out, let me know what you think?
Just about a month after we returned from our two week road trip up to Mendicino, we were back on the road again. This time to where the Missus wanted to go, Mammoth Lakes. One great thing I found out was that The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth Lakes is dog friendly. And it was right across the street from the Village at Mammoth, which had a variety of restaurants. We’d been to the area around Old Mammoth Road before and really hadn’t enjoyed ourselves.
We decided to make an overnight stop in Lone Pine to rest up before heading to Mammoth. So, I got us a night at the Dow Villa Hotel. This was back in June, so it was pretty darn hot already in Lone Pine. We checked in and basically just stayed in air conditioned comfort. When dinner time rolled around we just wanted to eat in the back garden area of the motel. It was too hot for JJ, so I walked the four blocks up to the Tacos Los Hermanos Truck. I was in a rush so I didn’t take photos of the truck which is on the corner of North Main and Willow Streets. I hustled back to the Dow Villa and we had dinner in the shaded public area behind the offices.
I got us four tacos, Adobada, CArne Asada, Buche, and Cachete. The Adobada wasn’t too bad, some good smokiness, sweet tones, and not too tough. The worst was the Carne Asada which was quite tough.
The Buche was pretty chewy, but the Cachete, beef cheek was nice and beefy. The tortillas were no big deal, but the salsas pretty good and spicy.
Not too much variety in Lone Pine, so this was a decent meal.
Tacos Los Hermanos 120 E Willow St. Lone Pine, CA 93545
This is what Lone Pine looked like when I took JJ out for his 430am potty break…..
In the morning I took JJ for a short walk before things got too hot…..
And then we headed out….stopping in Bishop at Erick Schat’s Bakery which I’ve posted on twice before. The Missus ran in and got us some stuffs and we ate at the park across the street, under the trees. JJ needed the shade!
We then headed up the 395. We knew we were going to be early, so we decided to take a detour to Convict Lake and did the easy loop trail.
JJ got to try out his “boots” which we would later find that he really didn’t need.
He even saw horses for the first time and did well when they passed by!
We then headed up to Mammoth Lakes. We were still too early to check in, so we got our parking pass and headed across the road to the Village.
We walked around Village Plaza and found this sandwich and bakery along the side facing Minaret Road.
And as you might know, I’m a sucker for a club sandwich ($18.99) which seemed kinda pricy, but I added sweet potato fries (+ $1.89) which ended up being a good move.
The Missus enjoyed the sweet potato fries, which while not crisp, was quite creamy with a nice sweet and earthy flavor. The sandwich was pretty massive and this was enough for the both of us for lunch! The sourdough was fine, the turkey thinly sliced and quite moist…….. Good crisp bacon.
This would end up being our “go-to” lunch during our visits to Mammoth Lakes.
Old New York Deli & Bakery 6201 Minaret Rd. Suite 105 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
Soon enough we got to check in at the Westin. We enjoyed the service there…in fact, one of the Bell men is from San Diego….Bay Park! He was so nice to JJ. To get an idea of how closed we were to the Village; this is the view from our room.
And there was a lot of space for JJ to do “his thing” as well.
When dinner time came along er headed down and across the street. It was interesting to see folks who didn’t want to walk down the steps actually drive their cars around the block! We came across Shelter Distilling, they actually make many of their own spirits, have outdoor dining, and serve food. So, we thought, why not?
Of course we started with some cocktails and man were we hooked!
I think the favorite was the “Crib” which was made with Jalapeno infused Blue Agave.
So good! We actually ordered another one!
We also tried the Beet It, made with Bourbon, honey, lemon, and of course beets! It was a bit sweeter.
We liked the fact that you could actually taste the spirits and it wasn’t overly watered down or overly sweet.
As for the food…well, we weren’t impressed. The Mandarin Orange Salad ingredients were good, but the Ginger-Soy dressing didn’t have enough savory-salty-tangy tones.
Like PF Chang’s lite…..
The Crispy Confit Pork Belly Tacos was fine, but one was served on a pita? The Harissa Shrimp Taco didn’t have much of a kick.
The pork was more chewy than crisp. The pico de gallo was too mild. The Harissa Shrimp was at least served on a tortilla…which fell to pieces quickly. The shrimp was overcooked and rubbery.
On a good note, we’d found a place to have cocktails each night we were here. And I also noticed a back outdoor dining area which we enjoyed the next evening. We’d be looking to dine elsewhere…..
Shelter Distilling 100 Canyon Blvd. #217 Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
And the Missus and JJ both were really enjoying Mammoth….
Our first day was supposed to be spent exploring Genovesa Island, famous for the abundance of birds and the Prince Philip’s Steps. The island however, was closed due to a outbreak of Avian Flu. So, the Evolve instead headed first to Santa Fe Island.
I woke early and got a nice cup of coffee on the deck. I started getting a hint of “who ran things” around these parts!
After which we got our gear on and boarded the Zodiacs.
And we headed to Barrington Bay. Santa Fe Island used to be named Barrington Island after Admiral Samuel Barrington. During our briefing the night before, we were told that the island is considered the oldest by many at over 4.5 million years old, and there’s a specific species of Land Iguana only found on Santa Fe Island.
Fabrizio, the Naturalist in our Zodiac mentioned that there’s a large colony of Sea Lions in the bay and also pointed out the first Blue Footed Boobies of the trip!
They are so cool looking, huh?
We did our wet landing and being told that there’s a large colony of Sea Lions in Barrington Bay was a bit of an understatement!
You are not allowed to touch any of the wildlife and not approach and try to stay 2 meters away from them. It was amazing to visit a place where the wildlife has no fear of humans.
The sea lions would look at you and then “bust a pose”.
And having no fear of hoo-mans meant that if you weren’t paying attention, sometimes they’d catch you in some interesting situations.
We started our nature walk and Fabrizio quickly pointed out some lizards.
These were Santa Fe Lava Lizards. The ones with the bright red throats are the females.
The island is small, just 24 square kilometers and yet, it is an amazing place to visit.
Walking along the trail we came across a Mockingbird. It was just not phased by our presence. This is of a distinct sub-species endemic to Santa Fe Island.
Can’t you just see how Darwin would have been affected by this?
And then Fabrizio pointed what we’d been waiting to see.
This is Conolophus Pallidus, more widely known as the Santa Fe Land Iguana. Endemic to Santa Fe Island……which covers just about 9 square miles! Amazing!
It just stared at us; knowing it ran the place. You know, like “get off my front lawn?”
It was so amazing to see creatures totally not fearful of humans. This male Lava Lizard was doing “push ups”, trying to attract a possible mate.
We boarded our Zodiac and headed back to Evolve, where lunch was waiting for us.
Tables set, the Concierge, Joselyn, introduced us to the Chef, and lunch.
Which we enjoyed.
After which we headed back to our room for a break before our next stop.
**** I realize that I’m waaaay behind on these posts; so I’ll try to minimize the verbiage after this post.
Being born and raised on an island is something that has stayed with me. Islands and island life fascinates me…..and of course there are those amazing places to visit. We’d already done Easter Island like almost a decade ago now. There are places that this bookworm had always dreamt of visiting. And one of them was the Galapagos. With wildlife found nowhere else in the world, where a young Charles Darwin‘s observations would lead to the theory of Evolution. Well, ’nuff said, right?
While looking at different ways of visiting, it became clear that being on a cruise would work out the best for us. The problem being that the Missus is not into cruises as a whole. Then I did some research and discovered Ecoventura, a company that does “luxury cruises” with no more than 20 passengers on board! The reviews I’d read were mostly super positive. Yes, it’s not cheap…like 10k per person double occupancy…but you only live once, right? One we decided to go with Ecoventura, we had to choose which seven day intinerary we wanted. Was it the Southern Route, with beaches, bays, and water life. Or the Northern route, the volcanic soul of the archipelago? You know which we chose, right?
We were met at the airport and transported to the dock where we to meet our Zodiac to the Evolve. Check out the Sea Lions hanging around the harbor.
This one is having a nap!
Once on board, we were greeted and shown to our suite…and yes, it was a suite. Very comfortable, with nice amenities.
The views from the room was amazing. We got our own personalized water bottles and there were kettles and Nespresso Machines in the room as well. The dining area also had all these amenities. We were also provided binoculars.
Even better was that good WiFi was also provided. Rooms were also made up each day while we were out on our tours.
Everyday, there would be an itinerary posted.
This being the first day, folks would be arriving at different times, so there was a buffet lunch available.
And the view was wonderful…..
And it gave me time to explore the yacht a bit.
It turned out that there were 17 passengers on this voyage of the Evolve. There were 13 crew. The standard tour ratio of Naturalists to guests in the Galapagos is 16 to 1….we had two Naturalists on this cruise.
Soon enough we were underway. We’d find that there was always more than enough space for one to relax and contemplate the beauty we’d see.
We had requisite emergency drill and protocols reviewed and then were fitted for our snorkeling gear.
Soon enough, our destination for the evening was in sight. And the Naturalists met the guests at the rear of the yacht.
And the lessons would begin! Man, I could written like several volumes for this trip!
That’s Leon Dormido aka “Kicker Rock”.
It’s name; Leon Dormido means Sleeping Lion which is said to resemble. Others say it resembles a foot, thus the name Kicker Rock.
It’s a volcanic Tuff Cone that has been eroded thru time, thus there’s that little channel in the split area.
FOY’s might know of another tuff cone…..named Diamond Head?
It was awesome sailing around Leon Dormido. From the sheers walls…..
To the little bays…..
It’s supposed to be a rather popular diving spot; but we’d be doing that several times along other islands during our trip. It’s quite stunning to watch as the sun sets…..
It was a great way to start our adventure!
After sunset, all the passengers met in the lounge and the crew was introduced to us by the Captain and we had a cocktail. Then we had a briefing of our destination the next morning.
We would have a briefing on our upcoming destination every evening.
And then it was dinner time. So, this being a “luxury” cruise, with under 20 people, there would be an ever changing menu each evening.
How was it? It was a mixed bag; though we appreciated the effort. With two choices for appetizers and mains, the Missus and I would get one of each every evening.
Nice presentation, but nothing particularly stood out to us during this dinner. Still, this was not typical cruise dining, right?
Tomorrow we’d be visiting Santa Fe Island and Plaza Sur.
Our two week road trip up the coast was nearing an end. To break up the last two days, we were staying a night, first in Goleta, south of Santa Barbara….I was trying to stay in Carpinteria since it’s been a recommended stop, but was unable to book accommodation. Then we’d be staying a night in Temecula, before heading home.
It was a uneventful 4 hour drive from Santa Cruz to Goleta. We arrived a bit too early to check in, so I had a stop in mind. We decided to stop and do a nice little walk/hike at Ellwood Bluffs and the Ellwood Beach Loop. There’s a Monarch Butterfly preserve, but it was the wrong season for that.
Some nice wide open trails and also views from the bluffs.
After our nice little walk, we headed back to the main drag in Goleta. I had gotten us a room at the Leta located right on Calle Real. We settled in and relaxed. When it as time to head out for dinner, we wanted something in walking distance and I’d found a ramen shop a block or so away from out hotel named Nikka.
The reviews seemed positive and they had an outdoor dining area that was dog friendly. We were greeted and seated. The young man who waited upon us was very nice; but I could tell that this was more of a “fusiony” ramen place as he kept calling he ramen I ordered as “tonkatsu” ramen and while the menu boasted of the 24 hour simmering time for the broth, they called the version I had as “Shiro ramen” not shio ramen.
They also had stuff like poke bowls and ramen “burritos” on the menu. And in fact, I decided to order the Combination Baos (3 baos for $12.50). I ordered one of each.
As I figured, the baos seemed like those premade frozen ones you can get at the market. The karaage was too salty and dry, the chashu had a very nice texture but was super bland and over shadowed by the sweetness of the bao. The shrimp tempura, while overfried was the best of the three as it was tender and presented a decent shrimpiness.
As for the Tonkotsu Ramen ($17.50).
Well, the broth was barely past room temp and was super thin for our taste. It was pretty darn bland as well.
I had ordered the “thick noodle” which was a tad overcooked, heading toward too soft. Also, you can tell how thin the broth was since the noodles rea;;y didn’t “pick” any of it up.
The chashu was the best item in the bowl, nice texture, perfect tenderness, though a bit lacking in the porkiness department.
Overall, a “C” level bowl of ramen.
Well, service was nice. We hadn’t expected much from this place and I guess they lived up to those expectations.
Nikka Ramen 5701 Calle Real Goleta, CA 93117
We did have a nice night of sleep at the hotel and breakfast was included in our stay, which was enough food to keep us until dinner!
We had decided on making one last stop before heading home, at a place that we’d never really taken to. We had visited Old Town Temecula several times while living in the SGV and when we first moved to SD. But had never really enjoyed the place as it seemed overly touristy. I thought that perhaps staying the night might make things more enjoyable, so I booked us a room at the Hampton Inn, which was right across busy Rancho California Road from the start of Old Town.
JJ got in a nice nap while we drove to Temecula.
We checked in and then headed to Old Town to wander around a bit.
Man, the bars were doing some good business; even at barely 4pm on a Sunday.
The Missus got some cream for Her and JJ, which they don’t always have at Temecula Olive Oil in Old Town. I also got some olive oil as well.
Temecula Olive Oil Company 28653 Old Town Front St. Temecula, CA 92590
We wandered a bit more…..
And then decided to grab some dinner. An acquaintance had recommended a Bar/Restaurant named 1909 Temecula to me. The place had outdoor seating and was fairly busy; even at 445!
The menu consisted of typical items like burgers and tacos, stretching into Korean Fried Chicken, Risotto, and even Lobster.
The Missus started with a Sangria, which She enjoyed.
I had the Cedar Smoked Old Fashioned, which had some decent smokiness, but was a bit on the sweeter side and tasted a bit weak.
We decided on a couple of items; one of which was recommended to me; the House Chili (bowl – $12).
The blue cornbread was too wet and mushy. The chili lukewarm. There was supposed to be “steak” in this; which I think was super hard pieces of meat. It had an interesting flavor profile; perhaps a bit on the sweeter side? I was told that they use beer to make this chili. It was the best item we had during this meal.
The Al Pastor Tacos ($16) were not good. The pork very dry and chewy. The flavor too sweet.
The supposedly house made tortillas too brittle and lacking in good corn flavor. The fries were dry and soggy.
The Shrimp in the Shrimp & Chorizo ($18) was tough and chewy, with a muddiness to it.
The sausage seemed more like Longaniza as the meat seemed on the courser side and without the spice of chorizo. Still that was not bad. The bread had been nicely grilled, the sauce was quite tangy and acidic.
Overall, 1909 seems like a very touristic place, though it was super popular as there was a line of at least 20 people waiting when we left. Good thing we had an early dinner. Service was nice, but things took a while to get to our table.
1909 28656 Old Town Front St. Temecula, CA 92590
We walked back to the hotel and relaxed. I did a post and caught up on things. We had a decent night of sleep. There was a bit of traffic noise, but things weren’t too bad.
While not quite the ending of our epic little road trip we had wanted; we…and JJ still enjoyed ourselves, from revisiting Paso Robles yet again and enjoying the Alchemist Garden, to our favorite meal of the trip at L’Escargot in Carmel, to lovely Mendocino and Santa Cruz, this was one for the books. And we are so honored that you were able to vicariously come along with us!
After a nice morning hike and a pork filled lunch we had ourselves a nice nap. Upon rising, we decided to head back to downtown Sant Cruz, where the Missus could get more shopping in. And then we’d find a place to have an early dinner.
Because the Missus didn’t feel comfortable among all the homeless in San Lorenzo Park, we walked over to the Soquel Avenue Bridge and crossed the river there.
Check out this truck and trailer crossing the bridge!
Right as we got to Pacific Avenue, one of the main streets in Downtown; the Missus saw this shop.
What else could I say other than “Ommmm on in”?
It was quite a “groovy” experience.
We wandered thru the side streets and alleyways. Check out the tea master at this Tea House.
We headed north to where Pacific Avenue meets Front Street and came to the Town Clock.
Which I later learned had quite an interesting story behind it. You can read about it here.
We then headed down Front Street.
Lined with shops, coffee places, and restaurants…..
And came across these Rockin’ Nana’s….man, they were really good! And much cooler than me!
Meanwhile, a street art thing was happening on the corner.
While walking thru one of the passageways, we came across this “groovy” tea shop/cafe. Named Roxa (and no my fellow Kama’aina’s it ain’t RockZa ok!) Hammock Cafe.
It sold tea and other herbal drinks and had actual hammocks spanning two floors! No, I didn’t feel comfortable taking photos since there were folks just having their teas and lounging on the hammocks. The Missus actually got some tea from here.
We decided to get an early dinner. Of course the question was, where? I had heard about a nice Gastropub named Lupulo, that served up some decent brews and some “Latin” style dishes so we decided to walk on over and give it a try.
There was outdoor seating, which worked fine for JJ. I went in and ordered. The gentleman working was quite friendly.
The place was pretty busy as well…..
The menu was indeed Mexican/Latin based, I placed my order and had a nice Pliny while we waited for our order.
I loved the glasses here!
And we also enjoyed watching the customers……
As for food. Well, you know how the Missus loves Her meatballs, so I ordered the Albondigas.
The bread was meh……but those beef and pork meatballs were quite good. A bit dense, but you could tell there was pork there! The tomato “sofrito” was tangy, with nice garlic tones. This was fairly good.
I also ordered the Cochinita Pibil tacos….which was made from chicken rather than pork.
This was actually not bad at all. Nice tangy acidity, a bit on the chewier side, which is fine for tacos. Decent savory tones, really enjoyed the pickled onions. The tortillas were quite basic and routine, but not terrible. This was actually not bad and made for a pleasant meal.
Lupulo Craft Beer House 233 Cathcart St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060
It had been an enjoyable day for us!
As for the next morning….well….you know we’d be back at the Buttery. And by this time…..well, JJ was now into full “croissant mode”!
And it was just as good as the day before if not better!
The Buttery 702 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95062
We really enjoyed Santa Cruz and can’t wait to return….with JJ of course!
Upon waking on our full day in Santa Cruz, we decided to head up Soquel Avenue to a bakery I’d heard about. It was a short 10 minute walk from our hotel. Right past the Shopper’s Corner Market, was the Buttery.
The low key location had a nice outdoor area.
And the Missus watched JJ, while I went inside to get us some croissants and coffee.
There was no one in the queue when I entered and I was pleasantly surprised at the price of the plain croissants – $2.95.
So, I was ready to be underwhelmed at this croissant, but it was surprisingly good!
The exterior looked a bit overbaked, but the laminate was crisp, but not flaking to pieces. The ridges didn’t fall off either.
The interior was nicely honeycombed and fluffy. But most importantly, there was a decent amount of butteriness to this! Not bad at all! Better than what we’d had at Bouchon Bakery a few days previous!
I even gave JJ a taste and he went bonkers! Oh man, did I open up a can of worms here!
The Buttery 702 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Of course we’d return the following morning….
And of course the Missus needed me to “burn off” those croissant calories, so we headed back to the hotel, then set out to Henry Crowell Redwoods State Park. Marissa, the lovely young lady at BPC had recommended the Pipeline Road Trail, though she told me that it was kind of long – 6 miles or so. The big plus being that it starts at the Park Office and that it is well paved and maintained. It is the only dog friendly trail in the park as well.
There a 900 foot elevation gain, but we really didn’t feel it.
There were some nice views.
And of course those lovely Redwoods……
And JJ handled it like a champ. Actually, you can tell by his expression that I’m the “weak link” here…..
It was on the “easy side” for the Missus and JJ, who did really well.
After heading back and freshening up, it was time for lunch. Well, since we had enjoyed our dinner the previous evening at Special Noodle and the Missus was still missing Chinese food we walked on back to the restaurant.
The gentleman from the previous evening remembered us and we were seated in the same area. He even made sure got chopsticks without asking this time!
We decided on some different dishes this time around; starting with the La Rou with Smoked Bamboo.
This usual Hunan style dish was a bit short on chilies and spiciness, but the bamboo was nice and crisp; though the pork was definitely like the stuff I can get at 99 Ranch Market. It was far from bland though with a good amount of soy and smokey tones.
The rice had obviously just been finished as it was steaming hot; but also a bit on the mushy side.
We also got the Braised Pork Belly – Hong Shao Rou, which turned out to be quite good!
Just tender enough, without being mushy, the porkiness came through nicely. Ginger – Soy tones came thru nicely, and more importantly for the Missus, this was much more savory than sweet.
After finishing this; we really needed a nap!
Special Noodle 415 Ocean St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060
I guess this will be a regular stop when we’re in Santa Cruz!
We had a great night of sleep at the Napa River Inn…and no, we didn’t have any “spooky” visitors as I had heard about earlier in the evening at The Fink. Before we left for our next destination, I decided to grab a quick Breakfast Sandwich from Sweetie Pies Bakery which is right next door to the hotel.
This place has quite a selection of treats for your sweet tooth. We had gotten a sample delivered to our room for breakfast the previous morning.
I ordered a Fried Egg Sandwich to take back to our room.
A basic toasted Ciabatta, with creamy avocado, and pesto.
The bacon was basically a single slice lining the middle of the sandwich, on the burnt side, and a single fried egg. Again only enough to cover two-thirds of the sandwich.
My guess is that “Sweetie” is mostly about the pies as the name indicates?
Sweetie Pies 520 Main St. Napa, CA 94559
After devouring the sandwich, we checked out and headed to our next destination; Santa Cruz. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to arrive at our accommodation, the Hotel Paradox. We were early for check-in so the hotel let us park and we went to explore Santa Cruz for a bit. The hotel was on the other side of the San Lorenzo River from downtown Santa Cruz and we were next to San Lorenzo Park. On the map, it looked like a nice “green space”. Unfortunately, it was taken over by the homeless population while we were in town. So, instead of having a nice green space for JJ to explore, well…..
We did think the Dragon Archway, which faces the last Chinatown in Santa Cruz across the river. And you can see the two folks hanging out under the archway as well. This made the Missus somewhat uncomfortable crossing the bridge at night. We ended up using the busier Laurel Street Bridge when it was dark.
Regardless, the Missus and I really enjoyed downtown Santa Cruz. It had a kind of Hipster-Artsy-Hippy-Surfer vibe to us. Very mellow and laid back; at least when we were there.
We dropped by Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting for our caffeine fix. It was recommended by one of JJ’s Bay Park Coffee “Aunties”, Marissa who used to work there and went to UCSC.
Cold Brew and Latte fortified we headed on to do some shopping.
Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting 1330 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95060
The Missus loved wandering thru the “eclectic” shops.
And bought quite a few items during our stay.
It seems that tarot card reading, and various psychic readings are big business here.
My goodness, check out the name of this shop! I wonder….
Yes, it was quite entertaining here!
We decided to grab an early dinner….by this time, the Missus was sorely missing Asian food…well, Chinese to be specific. I did some research before the trip and found a place that was dog friendly and basically two blocks from where we were staying. Now, I did have my doubts because the place served everything from Orange Chicken to XLB to Chow Fun to Sichuan/Hunan and has multiple locations, named Special Noodle. But I thought we’d give it a shot. Now if I had my doubts…imagine the Missus!
We arrived and I expected us to be seated on the patio; but the very nice gentleman escorted us to one of the back dining rooms!
He also spoke Mandarin….which eased some of the doubts the Missus had. The menu was huge….talk about “Vietnamese Menu overload” times 2!
Yep, this place tries to cover all bases.
It was a huge portion of rice for a single order.
We decided on some typical Hunan style dishes. Starting with the Pickled Beans with Minced Pork.
While kind of mild in the spiciness department, this was a pretty legit dish. Nice soy flavor, the long beans had a nice crunch adding that mild salty-sourness to the dish. The pork wasn’t overly chewy. Nice savory dish!
And of course I had to try the Intestines with Chilies.
Made with a combination of sliced jalapenos and dried chilies, this had a nice smoky kick. Nicely seasoned with soy sauce-garlic-white pepper and a touch of numbing Sichuan Peppercorns. The pork intestine was fairly tender, with a pleasant initial toothsomeness. Nice funky tones and a really good dish.
And of course……
What we did notice as the place filled up was that the Chinese customers were seated in the same area as us. While the “other” customers were seated in the front dining area, which we named “Eggroll Land” ! Kind of funny….
The Missus was pleasantly surprised at the food and even though She got Her “fix”, we’d end up returning the next day for lunch!
Special Noodle 415 Ocean St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060
We were enjoying Santa Cruz. In addition to the “vibe” we had gotten decent Chinese dishes as well!
