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Quito – Intiñan Equator Museum, Basílica del Voto Nacional, La Vid Restaurante, Yumbos Chocolate, and More

Chocolate, Ecuador, Ecuadorian Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Travel

We were having a fun morning exploring Quito and our next stop would be quite entertaining. Of course one keeps hearing about the “Center of the World” here. And after all, the name of the country is Ecuador, which in Spanish literally means “equator”. And this is where Charles Marie de La Condamine part of the French Geodesic Mission to the Equator from whom he split after disagreements and differing beliefs and methodologies, tested out the hypothesis of Isaac Newton and his work in Principia, that the Earth is not a perfect sphere. And that place where Charles Marie de La Condamine determined was the equator is where Ciudad Mitad del Mundo is located. Where the monument to the Equator is located.

Cool, right? But like a rather famous actor said “Hang on there, pilgrim”. His measurement was off. The “actual” location is about 250 yards away, which is where the Intiñan Equator Museum is located.

It’s a kind of kitschy , fun place….

The fella’s above’s name is…well Inti of course.

We did enjoy the exhibits of the Native Tribes and former residents of the area. One even had Cuy running around! Dinner bells must be ringing somewhere!

And yes, that’s a real shrunken head on the right in that glass case.

And there’s a pole to mark Latitude 0. Of course, I’ve read that this location is also a bit off; but not by that much.

Not that this sweet little one cares about it. He just wanted to be pet…..

There are some interesting activities as well. There’s a movable sink which shows how water drains from one side of the equator to the other.

And then there’s balancing an egg on top of a nail. It is said that it is easy at the equator which I’ve read is a myth. But of course, the Missus had to try, right?

Well, so much for that one…..

Regardless of if this is really the center of the world; we enjoyed this stop!

Intiñan Equator Museum
Manuel Cordova Galarza
Quito, Ecuador

We then headed back to the Old Town, stopping on top of a hill was this huge, imposing Gothic Cathedral. This is the Basílica del Voto Nacional.

Construction was started in 1892 and…well, never officially finished. You see, there’s a legend that says if the Basilica is ever finished, the world will come to an end.

You can actually pay to climb to the top of the towers for an extra fee.

And of course the Missus just had to do it. I think I’ve mentioned before….I’m not a fan of heights. Not that it really mattered to the Missus.

The views from the towers were wonderful.

I later mentioned that the Basilica reminded me of Notre Dame and was told it was modeled after it.

Of course, what goes up must come down….which was more scary for me…..

Yikes….

Look at the lovely stained glass window!

After our visit to the Basilica, we headed into the Old Town.

This lovely building was the home of our destination for lunch. We were told that it used to be the Archbishop’s Palace, but now houses shops and restaurants.

La Vid Restaurant is located on the second floor.

A lovely and classy dining room with a view of Plaza Grande.

The menu had a combination of various Ecuadorian dishes which I was really looking forward to, along with western dishes like Carpaccio, Beefs dishes, and pastas. Of course we stayed with the Ecuadorian dishes.

I’d been wanting to try Ceviche Ecuatoriano – Ecuadorian Ceviche ($11.95) – I think I’ve forgotten to mention; Ecuador uses the American Dollar for currency. We cracked up when the “side dishes” for the ceviche arrived……popcorn anyone?

We were told that Ceviche in Ecuador is commonly served with “Canguil”…..basically popcorn, unsalted to provide textural contrast.

We chose to go with ceviche pescado; in this case sea bass for our ceviche. This was almost like a soup. The fish very plump and instead of being “cooked” by citrus, it seemed to have been precooked? The liquid seemed to be big on “shrimpiness”, though lacking in acidity and spice.

We also got the Bandera Ecuatoriana ($8.95), a platter of two types of Ecuadorian Empanadas.

The Empanadas de Verde; green plantain empanadas were a surprise as it was not sweet as expected; but the cheese made it rich and savory….it also really stuck to the roof of your mouth! It was enjoyable. The Beef version made with white corn was crisp, with a wonderful texture if a bit on the salty side.

I was interested in trying the Seco de Chivo La Vid ($17.95); the Goat Stew.

Which came with plantains, super delicious avocado, tasteless steamed potatoes, and yellow rice. I liked the rice; but the Missus isn’t a fan of tumeric, which is one of the ingredients in the rice. Loved the gameyness of the goat, which a bit on the chewier side. Kind of strong in terms of clove tones; with a hint of cumin. Fairly rich and pretty good.

This was an interesting and enjoyable meal, which gave us a look at what Ecuadorian cuisine was like.

La Vid Restaurante
Venezuela Oe4-56
Quito, Ecuador

Right across the street from the restaurant’s location is Plaza Grande (Independence Square) which dates back to 1612!

The Independence Monument, which was unveiled in 1906 honors those who fought for Ecuador’s Independence from Spain.

Many grand buildings surround the square, like the Metropolitan Cathedral.

We were led around the corner to yet another grand looking church; the Iglesia de El Sagrario (“Church of the Tabernacle).

And were encouraged to take a look at the interior, which was quite grand and opulent….wait, did I really write “opulent”? Well, it was!

Check out the main altar!

From here we headed down Sebastián de Benalcázar, passing yet another church.

The Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco (“Basilica and Convent of San Francisco“).

Where our final destination of the day is located. As you know from previous posts; the Missus loves Her chocolate. And across the street from the Basilica resides Yumbos Chocolate.

Which is an artesenal chocolate maker. We were given a short tour, then directed to a table.

Where we were given a tasting. We were the only customers in the place, so it really felt like a private tasting.

Man, that 90% Cacao was potent, a bit too intense and bitter for my taste. The Missus preferred the 60% which had a nice balance of rich and sweet, with a hint of bitterness. I guess we’re kinda wussy when it comes to chocolate?

We did manage to get a few gifts even though we’d be lugging it around for the rest of the trip.

And we’d be having an even more interesting chocolate “meal” later on during our stay.

Yumbos Chocolate
Sebastián de Benalcázar
Quito, Ecuador

From here we headed back to our hotel. It had been quite a day! And since we weren’t very hungry and had access to the Club Lounge at the JW Marriott, we just had a light dinner there.

We had another private tour coming up the following day, plus reservations for a more “fancy” dinner. So, I thought we’d rest up.

Thanks for stopping by!

Quito – JW Marriott, Mercado Santa Clara, TelefériQo, and Helados de Paila Pomasqui

Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Ecuador, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Last year, before JJ came into our lives we took several trips. One of them was to a place we’d had on our “bucket list” for a while. The Galapagos. Being born and raised on an island, places like Easter Island have always fascinated me. So, of course we had to do the Galapagos. There were basically two ways to get there, it was either Guayaquil or Quito. After doing some research, I thought Quito would be a good starting point.

Well, getting there from San Diego was going to be interesting. We’d be flying Delta with Hartsfield as our transfer point. Man, Hartsfield….during the 90’s, I did consulting work in ATL, and Hartsfield was the airport….it’s always been crazy busy!

Well, at least we’d be flying domestic first, then international business, which means things were a bit elevated.

The actual lounge was a bit less crowded than I recalled.

With a decent selection of food.

So that made the three hour layover a bit easier to handle.

The flight from ATL to Quito was 5 1/2 hours and seemed to go by quickly.

I arranged for a private transfer from the airport to where we were staying the JW Marriott in Quito. I was using accumulated points for this and we had access to the Club Lounge which made things really easy.

It made arriving at 9pm at night and the check in a breeze.

Along with the lounge there was a rather popular restaurant in the hotel, though we never had to visit. The property was huge….like it’s own little city.

My guess is that it is set-up so folks wouldn’t have to leave the property.

The Executive Lounge was quite large and it was never full during our stay.

It had a nice view….

And made having a nice, light breakfast so convenient.

Since we had limited time in Quito; I arranged for a private tour….actually three private tours for our days in Ecuador. This would end up being such fun! I organized the tours based on what we’d be doing…in other words, first I’d want us to just get acquainted….then to expand our horizons so to say. On our first day, I booked us a Private City Tour of Quito, Teleferico, and the Middle of the World. We were asked about our interests and mentioned that we enjoy learning about food and cuisine. So, our first stop was the large Mercado Santa Clara.

Where we were able to taste some of the local products….

The most interesting was the Tamarillo aka “Tree Tomato”, a member of the nightshade family. It was quite puckery and acidic; the skin pretty thick.

Also quite interesting was what they called the “Taxo”, also know as the Banana Passion Fruit.

Slightly sweet, acidic, and mildly fruity.

This was a fun way to start our tour of Quito.

Mercado Santa Clara
RG22+473 Antonio de Ulloa
Quito, Ecuador

In any city, there are things that are every day occurrences and Quito is no different. While driving up one of the streets our guide pointed something out to us saying; “I don’t think you see this in San Diego, huh?”

Can you imagine someone walking goats here? Well, maybe in North Park??? jjk….

Next stop was on the western side of the city. Along the eastern side of Pichincha Volcano, would you believe that the western side…Wawa Pichincha is still active, is the TeleferiQo, a cable car.

Here the 20 minute or so ride brings you up to over 12,950 feet. Making it one of the highest in the world. Quito itself is at around 9,250 feet.

Needless to say, the views, even on a slightly cloudy day are outstanding.

And, it’s even dog friendly…..

There a famous six mile trail that goes to the top of Pichincha ending at 15,400 feet….I’m glad we didn’t have time to do this one! Whew…..

Once back at 9,000 feet elevation we headed off. We stopped near the north side of the city at this little shop; Panificadora Quito.

Where the Missus got a Helados break!

Panificadora Quito
Av. Manuel Córdova Galarza
Quito, Ecuador

After which it was time to head to…..”the Center of the World!”

Thanks for stopping by!

Banh Mi Hoi An Revisited

Banh Mi, Vietnamese Restaurants

The series of posts on Banh Mi shops that I did this past summer had me wondering how places like Banh Mi Hoi An, which I last visited over 7 (!!!) years ago were doing. So, on my way back from Liberty Station I decided to stop by.

The place is starting to look a bit dated and the tables looked kinda dusty….good thing I was just getting a banh mi to go. The young lady working seemed a bit distracted by something, though I was the only customer.

I decided on getting the “Special”….which would probably be called the Dac Biet at traditional banh mi shops since they don’t have Banh Mi Pate Cha on their menu. Yes, I’ve always considered Hoi An to be a more “westernized” Vietnamese shop.

The dac biet Hoi An Special is now priced at $8.95, which is pretty much in line with places like Avian. Like I mentioned, I was the only person in the place, but it took over 30 minutes for my Banh Mi?

I would say that places like Avian, Banh Mi Express, and Saigon Sandwiches are a step above Hoi An. I’m sure location and demographics have something to do with things.

As for the sandwich, the bread was crusty, but strangely chewy. The proteins were sliced quite thin and the “pate”…well, there wasn’t much of it and the sandwich had too much mayo.

The pickled daikon and carrots were on the sweeter side and pretty much nullified the proteins; though I did appreciate the decent amount of cilantro and slices of Jalapenos.

Overall, a Banh Mi not to offend…kind of westernized, I felt that proportions of ingredients were off. ‘Nuff said.

As I noted in my previous post all those years ago: “The banh mi here isn’t bad. It just isn’t worth going out of your way for.” Well, at least in my opinion, they are consistent……

Banh Mi Hoi An
3145 Rosecrans St
San Diego, CA 92110

Road Trip – Doran Regional Park, Fishetarian Fish Market, and Dinner Again from Terrapin Creek Cafe

American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Road Trip, Seafood, Travel

After our caffeine fix at Roadhouse Coffee we headed off down Shoreline Highway a bit. The Missus wanted to do a bit of walking this morning, so I headed to Doran Regional Park. We got to the parking lot at the end of the road and had fun walking along the North Jetty and Doran Campground area.

We took the Doran Beach Trail, where JJ could find all sorts of “stuffs” to entertain himself.

After strolling along the beach area, we headed up the road a bit and found some parking on Doran Beach Road and did the Cheney Creek Trail and Bird Walk which was a lovely loop trail.

Walking the loop along the salt water marsh was beautiful and peaceful.

I’m sure my good friend “CC” would have really enjoyed the bird watching.

We actually did the loop counter clockwise from the south. Didn’t run into anyone until we got near to Highway 1.

Saw this interesting rock….but can’t really find anything about it online.

It was a nice way to start the day.

It was already getting pretty late for lunch so, we ended up stopping at Lucas Wharf at the Fishetarian Fish Market.

I wanted to give the Dungeness Crab Sandwich another try. Even though the Missus wasn’t really feeling it, She relented. The shop is a rather charming restaurant/fish market.

Where you order at the counter.

There’s ample outdoor seating….well, at least on this day there was. So, JJ could hang out while we ate.

To make the Missus happy, I got a side of Kale Slaw to go with the sandwich and sweet potato fries..

The sweet potato fries were tasty, but on the dry – soggy side. We enjoyed the crab filling more here, but it still had too much mayo for the Missus.

That ciabatta roll didn’t hold out for the entire meal.

At least you could make out the oceany-sweetness of the dungeness crab here. And it seemed like the amount of crab was generous. I requested the sandwich with no cheese which I believe helped things.

I did get a small side of the kale slaw which seemed to have an Asian touch as we tasted sesame oil?

All in all, a fine, somewhat touristy meal. But JJ enjoyed himself.

Fishetarian Fish Market
599 Highway 1
Bodega Bay, CA 94923

After this, we did a couple of stops along the way, and then headed back to our accommodations for some R&R. After our nap, since Bodega Bay really isn’t great for walking, we just decided to get take out again at Terrapin Creek Cafe. While the Missus hung out in the Bodega Bay Inn “wine shack” to finish the wine we’d bought there the night before; I walked over to get our takeout.

We got the  Charred Octopus and Cauliflower Salad again which was better this time around.

You can’t really see it here; but much more octopus which was fairly tender.

The Roasted Asparagus and Maitake Salad didn’t have a whole lot of maitake….but a load of grated Manchego.

This was fine for a salad, the Missus enjoyed the chopped boiled eggs.

I also got the Pan Roasted Hokkaido Scallops….three scallops for $23.

Pan seared….not sure about “roasted”. Did not enjoy the overwhelming flavor of fennel, but the scallops were fine.

Overall, this was fine. I’m sure eating in the restaurant would have been better; though we enjoyed having the “wine shack” all to ourselves.

Terrapin Creek Cafe
1580 Eastshore Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923

We had enjoyed our visit to Bodega Bay; though I’m not sure we’d return as we prefer towns where we can walk and explore.

Ken Sushi Workshop

Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

I’m not suite sure who recommended Ken Sushi Workshop to me. And to be perfectly honest, I really wasn’t too thrilled about eating a “workshop”, which makes it seem quite fabricated and industrial to me? And after some really mediocre stuff at Moment Sushi, these interesting sushi locations give me pause. And yet I was curious. So I decided to drop by for an early lunch. The restaurant is located in the Carmel Valley/Torrey Hills area not exactly the hotbed for sushi/sashimi in San Diego…..

I found the restaurant in a business park-ish mall. The place definitely has an interesting looking exterior.

The reason for the golf cart soon became clear and the exterior had several plastic domes arranged….I guess for al fresco dining? For some reason, my mind immediately went back to the days of Covid.

Upon entering, the reason for the cart became clear.

The place was golf themed….I guess “Ken” is a major golfer? The woman managing the front of house was very professional and efficient. I was seated at the sushi bar, which is like those modern places that doesn’t have a glass case on the sushi bar where you can check out the fish.

I have a typical MO these days when checking out a sushi place for lunch. I am always interested in the quality of a variety of offerings and will go with the Chirashi ($24). I also saw Ankimo on the menu…man, it’s been a while since I’ve had decent Ankimo, so I ordered that as well ($18).

Soon enough some Miso Soup was provided.

Fairly rich, good miso-umami tones, pretty good!

And a few minutes later my Chirashi arrived.

Typical sashimi, though it was a step above Moment Sushi. The tako had a wonderful texture as did the almost creamy Hamachi.

The shiromi was fine and the two pieces of maguro were thickly cut, meaty, with no off flavors. The slice of salmon was quite elongated and along with the ebi, quite typical and nothing special. The Unagi was quite tender and moist.. Thankfully the unagi tare wasn’t overly sweet.

The actual highlight of the meal was the Ankimo.

Which was creamy, with briny-oceany-buttery and light offal tones. Very smooth and savory. The ponzu added a nice citrusy acidity to help cut the richness. Possibly the best ankimo I’ve had in a while!

While a pretty good meal, at over $50 with tip, this was by no means a inexpensive lunch. I was going to do a post; but I really wanted to do another visit before publishing. And I wanted that Ankimo again. So I waited…and waited……time just kind of flew by. Until a couple of weeks ago, when I just wanted my ankimo fix.

Again seated at the sushi bar.

I did notice a couple of things had changed. Like everywhere else, prices had gone up and the Ankimo was now $20. I also noticed that the miso soup was thinner with no green onions anymore.

The Ankimo arrived with one less piece.

It was still as good as before; though 11% more expensive and 33% smaller.

I had decided to go all out and ordered the Omakase Sashimi, which was, wait for it……$56!

Loved the huge slices of otoro, so rich, fatty, vitually melting in my mouth.

The hamachi was just as good as before, the hotate tender and sweet. The maguro was even better this time around. The shiromi and salmon was pretty much status quo.

Not a cheap meal at all, prices just seem so crazy….but I guess someone needs to pay for Ken’s Golf Cart.

And his Green Fees, right?

At this price point, I’m not sure when I’ll return, but the sashimi is of good quality and I saw a pooch in one of those plastic domes having lunch….so maybe if JJ hits the lottery?

Ken Sushi Workshop
11375 El Camino Real #120
San Diego, CA 92130
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1130am – 2pm, 530pm – 10pm
Saturday 530pm – 10pm
Closed on Sunday

Lunch with JJ – Silverlake Ramen (Fashion Valley)

Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Recently, I had to head on over to Fashion Valley….which I usually try to avoid. But since I going there, I was wondering if I should take JJ along and looked to see if there were any dog friendly places to eat. And there were quite a few. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Silverlake Ramen allowed dogs. It had been on the cooler side…..which I kind of look forward to since I can get all my noodle soup fixes in. So, we headed on over.

I’d actually been to the UTC location of Silverlake, but since it was a lunch with a group of people, I didn’t take any photos. And to be perfectly honest, I really wasn’t impressed with the ramen. So, this was going to be interesting……

Silverlake’s location at Fashion Valley is located right along the south side parking lots and driveway, so it’s pretty discreet. The young man working was super friendly and even though I was seated outside was on top of things. He even got JJ a bowl of water!

Which JJ appreciated…..

During my previous visit to the UTC location of Silverlake….which BTW was founded in the Silver Lake (duh) neighborhood in LA back in 2012. Anyway, I probably erred and ordered the Garlic Truffle Ramen, which was way too sweet….and the noodles were overcooked.

I was kinda hungry from having to keep up with the squirt, so I got the Combo ($20.50). Since I’d be having karaage for dinner; I went with the Pork Bun as my appetizer to go with the Classic Tonkotsu. The efficient young man brought out the pork bun soon after I placed my order.

The pickled onions were indispensable as this was really sweet and over-sauced for my taste. There was just too much of the sesame aioli. All of which combined to nullify any porkiness. That bun and the pork were on the chewy side as well.

Hmmm…..now this made me somewhat concerned about my ramen.

Which wasn’t bad. Not a fan of the overly sweet black garlic oil and I think the broth, which was on the thinner side in terms of tonkotsu has quite a bit of msg in it as I soon got the “ms-heebee-gee-bees” and actually gulped down two cups of water during my meal…..thank goodness for the great Server and another bottle in the car!

The tamago had a decently tender yolk…but sigh…..you know my pet peeve right? It was ice cold. Bummer!

The noodles were decently cooked. Nice and slippery, with a good “Q-Q” springiness them.

The pork was milder in terms of the marinade, but quite tender and you could actually make out some rich savoriness. I do enjoy some of that sweet-savory-soy sauce flavor that a good marinade provides for my chashu.

All in all, more of a “B” level ramen to me. This was definitely better than what I’d had at the UTC location and that young man provided very good service. Though I’m not in a rush to return as I’m going to have to revisit those ramen shops I consider San Diego “A” level…..hope the cool weather holds steady.

Silverlake Ramen (In Fashion Valley Mall)
7007 Friars Rd. Suite 357B
San Diego, CA 92108
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 9pm
Sunday 11am – 8pm

Saturday Stuffs – Trader Joe’s Coming to Clairemont Town Square, Oi Shiba Replacing Da Nang Corner, Hongdae DakGalbi Replacing Nice 2 Meet U, and the Tacos La Chorreada Truck Has Moved Two lots Down

Food Trucks, Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Taco Shops

Here’s a bunch of things I’ve found or noticed over the last three weeks.

Trader Joe’s Coming to Clairemont Town Square:

I had to run to Ace Hardware to get something and I noticed that Burlington Coat Factory was being downsized, with a bunch of construction going on. I asked the friendly guy working what was going on. And to my surprise he told me that a Homegoods and a Trader Joe’s was coming! Which confirms what “FOY” Peter mentioned in the comments of a previous post.

Did some searching and found this on Instagram.

With this background – sorry for the terrible screen capture.

I knew that the old AMC theatres were becoming LA Fitness, but man….it’s about time, right?

Not sure what the exact address is for the new units….

Thanks for the initial heads-up Peter!

3962 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Oi Shiba Replacing Da Nang Corner and Hongdae DakGalbi Replacing Nice 2 Meet U:

I knew that Nice 2 Meet U at 4428 Convoy had closed, but then read that Da Nang Corner had closed as well.

So, I drove over and the two businesses which sit next to each other have their signage up.

Oi Shiba, is moving from PB….you know the folks, they own Steamy Piggy, Formoosa, Viet Nom, Flama Llama, etc, etc…..the one’s who will give out free desserts if you review them on Yelp. Though you gotta show the Server your review first. So let’s see, the SDB Restaurant Group does Taiwanese, dumplings, pho, Korean Fried Chicken, ramen, Peruvian….

HongDae from Seoul specializes in Cheese Dak Galbi, which I’ve heard folks call Cheese Fondue Dakgalbi.

4428 Convoy St Suites 120 & 130
San Diego, CA 92111

Tacos La Chorreada Truck Has Moved Two lots Down:

I had noticed that the Tacos La Chorreada Truck seemed MIA in the V Outlet Parking Lot.

Then I noticed a bunch of “Tacos” signs in the parking lot at 3040 Clairemont Drive; two lots down.

They actually have a nice spot with some tables and seating. I saw one of the guys who works in the truck and he told me they moved on the 2nd.

So, in case you were wondering!

The Tacos La Chorreada Truck
3040 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!

Road Trip – Terrapin Creek Cafe and Roadhouse Coffee (Bodega Bay)

American Restaurants, Caffeine Fix, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Road Trip, Travel

After a short post lunch nap; the Missus wanted to do a bit more exploring. I knew about the Coastal Prairie Trail close by. But of course, with all the speeding cars on the Shoreline Highway, we’d have to drive the two minutes to get there. There was ample parking and some interesting things to see.

And there’s this touching memorial, known as the Children’s Bell Tower.

It is here in remembrance of Nicholas Green, a local boy who was killed during an attempted carjacking in Italy. Nicholas’ parents donated his organs and corneas, in turn changing and preserving the lives of 7 others in Italy. This amazing gesture spurred on organ donation in Europe; creating what is termed the “Nicholas Effect“.

The Tower, designed by sculptor Bruce Hasson consists of 140 mismatched bells; most coming from Italy, those donated bells were flown to the US by the Italian Air Force.

The center bell was blessed by Pope John Paul II. To hear the gentle ringing of the bells when a light breeze passes thru is beautiful.

We decided to just take a nice stroll along Bodega Dunes.

After our walk, we headed down Highway 1, then up Bodega Highway to the little town of Bodega. There was one place I wanted to see. This church.

This is St Teresa of Avila Church. Does it look familiar? Probably not to many from Gen Z and beyond. But this church was in the background of some important scenes in one of my Mom’s favorite movies.

Yep, she loved The Birds!

After taking a gander we headed back up the 1, stopping at another location that was in the movie.

Yep, the Tides Wharf and Restaurant. If I recall, this is where people sought refuge from the birds. Though the original restaurant burned down in 1968. Still, this place really milks it!

If you’re interested in filming locations for the Birds, you can find more here.

We enjoyed looking at the views from the wharf area.

And also this cute “couple”.

We had fun exploring.

We then returned to the Inn and decided on getting dinner at the place right across the parking lot from the hotel. The place is named Terrapin Creek Cafe and sheesh; there was a line out the door. We hadn’t made reservations, so there was no way we’d wait like 2 hours. Also, we wanted some wine with dinner and there was no way I’d want to attempt walking down Highway 1. So I placed a takeout order.

Although Bodega Inn didn’t have a fridge or microwave in the rooms, there’s a nice shared dining area.

But even better than that was this little room set in back of the Inn.

They call this the “wine shack”. It’s a charming place to hang out and have some wine and maybe a self catered meal.

And no one was using the wine shack. Also, the front desk sells bottles of wine from local wineries. So guess what? I went and picked up dinner and then a bottle from the front desk and we relaxed and enjoyed things.

The Charred Octopus and Cauliflower Salad ($22) was kind of short on the cauliflower, though there was a good amount of decently textured octopus hidden under all the arugula and almonds.

There were also some brussel sprouts as well; which tasted really good with the smoky-sweet pepper aioli.

The Mediterranean Fish Stew was not a favorite though. The fennel broth was really salty and fishy. The calamari and mussels were super tough.

The cod fillet was tender; but the salmon was also on the fishy side. And priced at $36, we expected a bit more.

Still, the Missus enjoyed the salad and since the place was just across the parking lot, we’d return for takeout again the next night and dine in the “wine shack” and finish up our bottle of wine.

Terrapin Creek Cafe
1580 Eastshore Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923

Right at the other end of the building from Terrapin Creek Cafe is Roadhouse Coffee.

The place opens super early and was a handy stop for our morning coffee.

The folks working were super friendly and I got the Missus Her latte which She enjoyed and a scalding and stiff Americano for me.

Which we had on our little porch before heading out for the day!

We were looking forward to another fun day!

Road Trip – Earthbound Farm Stand (Carmel) and Ginochio’s Kitchen (Bodega Bay)

American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Dog Friendly, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Monterey/Carmel/Monterey Peninsula, Road Trip, Travel

After our wonderful dinner at L’Escargot and a nice night’s sleep we woke ready to head on to our next stop. Of course we needed our caffeine fix and I needed some breakfast, so we headed out east on Carmel Valley Road to a place I had on my “list”; Earthbound Farm Stand.

In addition to being a large farm stand; the shop served coffee, breakfast and lunch, and the garden grounds were lovely as well.

Dogs were not allowed in the market.

But JJ got to hang outside while I went in to get coffee and some breakfast to share.

The Missus got Her latte; I got a very smooth Cold Brew.

And I was shocked that the Croissant Breakfast Sandwich was $16; but it was huge and came with a salad as well.

Of course, this was a “Croissant” in name only as it was doughy, not crisp, etc, etc…..

There was a sizeable omelet with bacon and cheese in the sandwich.

Which was more than enough for “brunch”. Nothing amazing, but quite filling.

And after eating we strolled the charming grounds.

And JJ enjoyed all the smells and sounds……

Earthbound Farm Stand
7250 Carmel Valley Rd.
Carmel, CA 93923

From here it was about a 4 hour drive to our next destination. And JJ got to drive on a famous landmark.

We drove up to Bodega Bay, a place we hadn’t visited before. We were staying at the Bodega Bay Inn, which was right on the corner of Highway 1 and Eastshore Road.

We were staying in one of the units in the back of the parking lot which had its own parking spot.

It was rustic, but quite charming. Good thing it wasn’t raining since the lot was a basically all dirt.

The Inn had a couple of nice amenities which I’ll go into in the future post.

We had arrived early and our room wasn’t quite ready yet; but the nice gentleman at the front desk told us to go ahead and park our car and maybe get some lunch.

We decided to head on down Eastshore Road to the Marina area to grab some lunch. Looking at Google Maps I thought it would be a nice walk and not on crazy Highway 1. However, Eastshore Road doesn’t have true pedestrian walkways.

And the cars were zipping past us…..not a great walk for JJ and us, but we made it to the marina area in one piece.

For lunch I chose Ginochio’s Kitchen since it had outdoor seating.

And of course we had to try the Dungeness Crab Sandwich and some Clam and Scallop Chowder.

That sandwich was not cheap at $28!

The Missus didn’t care for the sandwich much as it had too much mayo-cheese which detracted from the flavor of the crab in Her opinion. We did like the nicely toasted sourdough which was crisp and light.

Was not a fan of the overly gloppy and thick chowder. Really too salty as well.

We like to be able to taste the seafood when having these type of dishes, which wasn’t the case here.

Ginochio’s Kitchen
1410 Bay Flat Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923

We did enjoy walking down to the marina at the end of Eastshore Road.

It was quite relaxing and JJ had some fun as well!

Before we took our lives into others hands and walking back up the road. Our timing was perfect as our room was ready when we got back. It was time to relax and have a nice afternoon nap.

Romanella Cucina Romana Part 2 – Lunch and More Meals

Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants

In part 1 of my post on Romanella, I covered Happy Hour and a dinner. So far, we had found two menu items we really enjoyed. The Oxtail Meatballs and the Lamb Chops. Happy Hour had been quite reasonable in terms of prices; but that $35 Bucatini Carbonara left much to be desired in our opinion. Still, we’d found two menu items we really enjoyed and looking over the lunch menu served from 12-2 looked interesting…especially since there was an Oxtail Meatball Sandwich on offer.

We decided to stick with a couple of sandwiches which come with either a House Salad or the Soup of the Day. And they even have bread service during lunch as well.

I went with the Italian Sandwich ($16) and both of us went with the soup of the day; which was a Red Pepper Soup….like a thinner bisque.

Very nicely flavored, good savory and lightly sweet tones, good amount of salt, not bad at all.

As for the sandwich.

Served on a nicely toasted focaccia….it looks like it was done up on the flat top. It had a good amount of salumi……Mortadella, Salami, Prosciutto.

A light Italian dressing, which did well not to interfere with the flavors from the salumi, tomato, and pungent red onions. I could only finish half of the sandwich. I had the rest for lunch the next day. Not outstanding; but to me, worth the price paid. I may try the Porchetta Sandwich next time.

Of course the Missus got the Oxtail Meatball Sandwich ($18).

That marinara sauce goes well with the focaccia. The beefy, fairly tender meatballs do well in a sandwich; though the positioning of the proteins left for some bites with only sauce-bread-mozzarella. Though the Missus didn’t complain about that at all.

The coarse cut of the oxtail meatballs really does well in this sandwich.

A week or so later, we took JJ up to Romanella again and by now we had a gameplan….at least for the time being; we’d be going with the meatballs and lamb chops and try another dish. This time I went with the Carpaccio ($20).

While I’m a big fan of carpaccio di manzo; this doesn’t “make the cut”. The meat seemed a bit beyond best served by…it was mushy and had a metallic finish. The EVOO wasn’t flavorful enough and there wasn’t enough parmesan to hide the shortcomings of the beef. Yes, I did enjoy the olives and the arugula….but I ordered carpaccio, not a salad.

And finally, we decided to walk on up last week with JJ for another three appetizer dinner.

This time I tried a cocktail called Smoke of the Gods which featured both Mezcal and Tequila. It had a nice smoky-not to sweet flavor, with an interesting, almost citrusy-nutty background. I was told they use Orgeat in this! Decent cocktail.

As for what we ordered….well, it was our two favorites. This wasn’t HH so the Oxtail Meatballs were $21 and four meatballs were provided instead of the three for HH. Do you see what the “third wheel” for this dinner was?

Yes, it’s in the back to the right.

Folks who read often enough know that I really like pulpo….but having had my share of rubbery-flavorless octopus, I often hesitate in ordering it. I’ve got to say that the Polpo Alla Griglia ($19) wasa very pleasant surprise as the octopus was very tender. I’m thinking they sous vide it? Lightly briny, the polpo was very good.

The Borlotti/Cranberry Beans were perfectly cooked, savory-nutty. Served over roasted potatoes, this was very good….though both the Missus and I thought it could use a bit more salt. Still, we had found our “third” dish for future dinners here.

You know, after almost a quarter century in Bay Park, it felt good to finally find a place where we could grab dinner every once in a while. And the fact that the staff is so welcoming and they are dog friendly….well, that just makes everything better. Now, if I can find a decent pasta dish here!

You can read part 1 of my posts on Romanella here.

Romanella Cucina Romana
3055 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 12pm – 9pm
Fri – Sun 12pm – 10pm