Category: Restaurants & Bars

the yums and the not so yums

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Orange Hill Restaurant

Jane Sadek
Orange Hill Restaurant, Orange CA
Friends are my greatest treasure!

TRAVEL THERE:  ORANGE HILL RESTAURANT IN ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

This vacation is almost over, but there’s one more treat I want to share with you, Orange Hill Restaurant. It’s one of my favorite places to go and on this trip I enjoyed my meal with one of my favorite people – the one who introduced me to Orange Hill in the first place.

Friends Tell Friends About the Best Places

My buddy Lizbet and I met in Dallas while working for the same company.  She’s an extraordinary person, a great friend and a lot of fun.  After I moved to California, she made the move a few years later.  She settled in another part of the state and she plans on staying.

The first time I drove down to her part of California for a visit, she took me to Orange Hill Restaurant.  She tried to tell me how cool it was ahead of time but I guess I didn’t pay any attention.  Now I’m going to tell you, but you’ll probably doubt me, too.

The View’s the Thing

Orange Hill Restaurant is actually up on Orange Hill.  Most of Orange County is a flat plain, but right there just past the corner of Chapman Road and Canyon View is a small road with a sign pointing up a hill that promises Orange Hill Restaurant.  Even though the address is on Chapman Road, follow the sign.  You still have a way to go.  Just wait until you’re up the hill to enjoy the view.  Orange Hill Restaurant has a great patio and there won’t be any on-coming cars.

At the top of the drive you’ll arrive at a porte-cochères where a valet will park your car.  Don’t fall into the koi pond as you admire the unique masonry of natural stone.  Inside there’s an elegantly appointed dining room, but you won’t see it.  You’ll be bowled over by the view.  Spread beneath you like a carpet is all of Orange County.

Sunset, Orange Hill Restaurant, Orange CA
Sunset from Orange Hill Restaurant

But the Meal’s Pretty Good

There’s nothing extraordinary about the menu at Orange Hill Restaurant.  There’s nothing wrong with it either.  Steak, seafood and for the health nuts – Vegetarian Pasta Primavera.  The prices will set you back a bit, but they’re not unreasonable.  We ordered a table-ful of food and it was all delicious – but with a view like that, who cares?

Lizbet and I hadn’t seen one another in a long time, so we had a lot of catching up to do.  I’m sure our waitress hated us.  We camped out for hours. As we sat there in our window seat, the sun disappeared from view and the plain below us lit up.  It was quite a sight.  I guarantee you, the patio was at maximum capacity.

All This and Fireworks, Too

Here’s one thing I failed to mention – the fireworks.  You know how Disneyland has fireworks most evenings right at closing time.  Well, guess what!  You can see them from Orange Hill.  That’s right.  Give yourself a pat on the back.  If Disneyland has fireworks on any given night, then you can see them from Orange Hill Restaurant.

That’s why, with all of LA and Orange County to choose from, I drove from San Marino to Orange Hill and back to Studio City.  Lizbet would have met me anywhere I suggested.  Like Moonstone Beach and the Getty Villa, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to share one of my favorite places with one of my favorite people.

All that’s left on this trip is a couple of loose ends.  Join me next week for a great brunch spot.  Then I’ll have to think of someplace else to go.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Upper Crust in San Luis Obispo

Jane Sadek
Photo from Yelp
Photo from Yelp

TRAVEL THERE: THE UPPER CRUST TRATTORIA IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA

No, I’m not talking about the Central Coast‘s social elite. The Upper Crust is a great little Italian Restaurant on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo.

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

One thing led to another.  After I moved to the San Luis Obispo area I researched churches and discovered Grace Church in SLO.  At Grace Church, I met Marilyn, who invited me to Bible Study.  After Bible Study we went to the Upper Crust.  All three of these were pivotal events.  Grace Church and Marilyn were foundational to my life in SLO and Upper Crust was my go-to restaurant.

When we wanted pasta, we’d go to Upper Crust.  When we wanted a pizza, we’d go to Upper Crust.  If we wanted a a salad, a quick bite, a romantic meal, a glass of wine, to entertain clients, to entertain guests…  The bottom line was, we went there a lot.  Since this was beach country, we went to seafood restaurants quite often too, but for everything else, it was Upper Crust.

THREE WORDS – RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE SALAD

The pizza was good.  Their pasta was great.  The Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad – to die for.  Fresh greens, candied walnuts, out of this world dressing, add chicken if you need protein – OMG.  If a had a nickel for every time I ate it, I would at least have enough to buy several more.

I heartily recommend anything on the menu.  You can’t go wrong.  However, if you leave without someone at the table ordering a Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad, you’ve made a huge mistake.  My friend Marilyn always maintained that another place had a better Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad, but she was wrong.  In all other things, I thought Marilyn was one of the smartest people I ever had the opportunity to befriend, but she didn’t know her Raspberry Vinaigrette Salads.

CENTRALLY LOCATED

Wherever you live or visit in San Luis Obispo County, no one outside SLO county residents will recognize the name of it.  Mention Heart Castle or Cal Poly and some people might say, “Oh yeah” – or you might have to resort to explaining it’s halfway between LA and San Fran.  The whole county doesn’t have as many people in it as Garland, a suburb of Dallas.

When I lived there, I sold real estate all over the county and Highway One was the main thoroughfare.  The Upper Crust is right off Highway One on Los Osos Valley Road.  That was an intersection I passed almost daily for one reason or another, so that made eating there or meeting there that much easier.  It also means that wherever you go in the area, you won’t have any trouble including the restaurant in your itinerary.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Do not miss The Upper Crust!  If you’re driving between LA and San Fran, it is just about halfway and it is worth the stop.

From SLO we drove on to LA.  I’ll tell you about that next week.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Fireside Inn at Moonstone Beach

Jane Sadek
From the Fireside Inn Website
From the Fireside Inn Website

TRAVEL THERE: PLEASANT STAY AT FIRESTONE INN ON MOONSTONE BAY

Well Merry Christmas to everyone.  I hope this is a holiday to remember.  I’ll continue with my travelogue.

Fireside Inn at Moonstone Beach in Cambria is now on my list of favorite bed-and-breakfast inns.  I think you’d like it, too.

TRIP INTERRUPTED

Several months back I explained how this trip to California went through several permutations before I actually got to take it.  Though pretty much everything about the trip changed several times over, I guarded my night on Moonstone Beach with a vengeance. It was one of those experiences that I’d wanted for a long time and I was determined to keep it on the itinerary.

I wasn’t so sure about the accommodations.  Though I’ve been doing my booking with Expedia for years, recently I’ve begun to do a lot of research on Trip Advisor.  Their reviews seem to resonate with me more than the Expedia crowd’s and I love using the Saved Trips feature for things I want to see while I’m researching.  And of course there’s an app, so I can get to the items I’ve saved when I’m out on the road.

There was one small problem with Moonstone Beach.  Every single inn sounded perfect.  Oh, there was usually one or two people who ranted about smelly rooms or noise or something, but those grumps were sprinkled pretty evenly among my choices. Each time I got online I’d change my mind and Bill wasn’t much help either.  Eventually, I chose Fireside Inn, but I have no reasonable explanation for it.  I just had to make a decision, so I did.

GREAT ROOMS AND BETTER SERVICE

It was late afternoon, almost evening, when we arrived and the desk clerk made it seem as if he’d just been dying for us to get there.  He was friendly in a genuine way, not in a corporate mandate way.  He was full of restaurant suggestions and well wishes.  He acted like he hoped we’d have a reason to call him so he could visit with us again.

With that kind of reception you want to like your room and we did.  It was huge and felt more like a suite.  The bathroom had plenty of room for two people and was perfectly appointed.  The room itself was down right luxurious.  Not in an expensive over the top sort of way, but it made me want to curl up on the sofa in front of the fire.

Speaking of the fireplace, it didn’t work at first, but when I called my friend at the desk he hurried over and jiggled whatever needed to be jiggled.  The flame lit right up.  My desk clerk fan explained that it would be safe to sleep with the fire going, so we did.

MOONSTONE BAR AND GRILL

Right next door to the Fireside Inn is the Moonstone Bar and Grill.  My desk clerk friend endorsed it as a great place for dinner.  I remembered having at least one meal there and reviewers had raved about it, so that’s where we had dinner.

The place was jammed and it had been redecorated since our last visit.  The menu had also been completely revamped.  We were looking to grab a bite and they wanted us to go the full monty.  We were tired from driving all day and the noise level was extreme.

So it was not our favorite dining experience of the trip, but I think that had more to do with us than them.  The last meal we had there was earlier in the day, so we got to enjoy the view out of the big picture windows overlooking Moonstone Beach.  I’m thinking this is a “go-there-for-lunch” place – at least for us.

BACK TO THE ROOM

So after dinner we chilled out by the fire.  My only regret about the Fireside Inn is that I only had one night there.  I think it deserves at least a three night stay.  I lounged on the sofa before the fire jotting down notes from the day.  Notes which, by the way, are now packed away in some box while I’m waiting for my house to get finished.  I’m writing this from memory rather than my copious notes.

One thing I wanted to be sure everyone understood.  This is a casual seaside inn.  For me this was a plus – and the rooms are out of this world.  However, this is not the Taj Mahal.  There’s nothing fancy about the exterior or the hallways.  There’s nothing wrong with them either.  The lobby is pleasant, but not opulent  It’s clear everything is meticulously maintained, but there are no frills.  They save the good things for the room and have extreme hospitality instead of Louis XVI antiques.

BREAKFAST WAS AMAZING

We woke up refreshed with the fire still blazing.  It was one of those memories that sticks with you long after you’ve forgotten what you ate at that expensive restaurant.  We got ready for another day on the road and wandered over to the breakfast room.

What a nice experience!  Breakfast was served buffet style, so you could get whatever you wanted.  They didn’t have anyone cooking fresh eggs and such, but they did have a fresh pancake machine.  I thought that was cool, because most places have a waffle machine.  I ate with a growing appetite and everything was delicious.

The room itself is next to the pool and the day was warm enough for them to have the french doors open.  Crisp linens covered the tables and I liked the ladderback chairs.  Everything felt comfortable and homey.  Did I mention the food was delicious?

We climbed in our car and continued down Highway One, exiting at Morro Bay.  We were about to wander down memory lane.  Come back next week and wander with us.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Beautiful Big Sur CA

Jane Sadek
Nepenthe, Big Sur CA
Sculpture at Nepenthe in Big Sur

BEAUTIFUL BIG SUR

You don’t need me to tell you that Big Sur is a beautiful place to visit.  There’s a reason it’s one of the top destinations in California.  However, I do need to tell you about a few of my favorite places along the way.

Nepenthe

Nepenthe is at the northern end of Big Sur, a little ways south of Carmel.  I have a hard time explaining this place to people. It’s mostly a restaurant, except that it’s not just a restaurant. The view is remarkable and the food is good, but it’s more than that.  When I pull off the road and into their parking lot I always feel like I’ve been granted entrance into another world. There are all sorts of legends attached to the place and at least one movie was filmed on site. You just have to go. That’s all that I can say.

Phoenix Gift shop, Nepenthe, Big Sur CA
From the Phoenix Gift shop

A part of the attraction, for me, is the Phoenix Gift Shop. It’s bigger than a mere gift shop or at least it seems that way and they don’t carry your average souvenirs. I’m sure you can buy t-shirts and ball caps with Big Sur splashed all over them, but that’s almost beside the point. They have handcrafted musical instruments, artisan jewelry, lots of books, unique wind chimes and the list goes on. Don’t neglect to go downstairs. That’s where they have the clothes.

I aspire to buy all my clothes at The Phoenix. Everything is handmade, unique, unusual and/or exotic, but none of it is weird. Does that make any sense? It’s the sort of thing that makes people want to ask where it came from, but not for the wrong reasons. It’s all out of my price range – not in the sense of couture pricing, but it costs more than it makes sense for me to spend, when I don’t have any room for anything else in my closet. It’s like if my house burned down, I’d go there with my insurance money to start all over, because most of what I’d buy doesn’t go with what I have.

However, I usually buy something.  This trip it was a t-shirt.  It had been marked down enough times for me to feel like I stole it.  Now that I’m home I love wearing my find.  People always comment on it and when I tell them where I bought it, they’re always jealous.

Ragged Point, Big Sur CA
The Cliff at Ragged Point from Highway One

Ragged Point

At the southern end of Big Sur is Ragged Point.  It’s sort of an inn/restaurant/gas station/snack shop/photo opportunity.  Call it what you will, I always stop.  I’m usually in need of a break and Ragged Point has an absolutely jaw-dropping view.

I have eaten at the restaurant, but I didn’t on this trip.  It’s been an uneven experience.  Great one time, horrid the next.  While we were there, someone said it had new ownership/management and was going through a sort of Renaissance, but don’t hold me to that.

There’s a nature trail that wanders down to the edge of a cliff – that’s where your jaw will become unhinged.  We sort of stroll down there and back. A nice little break.

San Simeon

Most people go to San Simeon to visit Hearst Castle and that’s a darned good reason to go, but I saw the sprawling estate frequently when I lived on the Central Coast, because everyone who came to town wanted to see it.  The tour takes a lot of time and the price of admission discourages casual visits.

Elephant Seals, San Simeon CA
Elephant Seals on the Beach at San Simeon

Just north of the Hearst Castle is a scenic overlook that looks over more than just sand and sea.  Elephant seals have chosen it as their home.  They aren’t very pretty and the smell is somewhat foul, but the sight of all the huge animals laying on the beach is pretty amazing.

The Day Draws to a Close

We woke up in San Francisco and at day’s end we were drawing close to Cambria, where we had reservations for the night.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you about one of my favorite places in the world:  Moonstone Beach.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Can You Say Ghiradelli?

Jane Sadek
Bill enjoying a Cannery favorite in Monterrey.
Bill enjoying a Cannery favorite in Monterrey.

Winning and Losing In Monterey’s Cannery Row Restaurants

One of the best things about Cannery Row might just be the food. With twenty-five dining possibilities to choose from, we still struck out – but dessert was delightful!

The Desperation Dilemma

We made a mistake.  You shouldn’t wait until you’re starving to pick a place to eat and you certainly shouldn’t make that decision while staring into a Ghiradelli Ice Cream Shop.

We’d stayed too long in the Turkish Bazaar.  We wanted a Ghiradelli chocolate shake.  We needed to have lunch – but we couldn’t drag ourselves very far from the ice cream shop.

Louie Linguini’s  

Yes, we should have eaten seafood. We realized that while we were trying to make up our mind.  We even walked over to The Fish Hopper, but it was crowded and loud – and there was a wait.  We settled for Louie Linguini’s.

You know me.  I can usually find something good about every place we go.  Sometimes that’s just not possible.  I confess, we went because the price seemed reasonable, there was no waiting list and Ghiradelli was downstairs.  Our first clue should have been the lack of a waiting list.  People were hanging off the rafters a few feet away at The Fish Hopper.  Maybe we thought Louie’s was a rare hidden gem or an undiscovered treasure.  It wasn’t.  The view was good, but the ambiance was wasn’t.  The price would have been reasonable if the food had been better, but it wasn’t.  And the service…or should I say, “What service?”

Drowning Our Disappointment in Chocolate

We love Ghiradelli.  We love Monterey Bay.  We love Cannery Row.  Therefore, enjoying a chocolate shake on the Cannery Row Ghiradelli Ice Cream Shop  Patio, overlooking Monterey Bay, was like heaven squared.  Bill’s happy face in the picture above tells the whole story.

We had one of those vacation moments.  You know – where all the hassles of travel melt away and you think, “This is worth the effort.”  The day had been a little chilly and grey, but the sun came out long enough for us to enjoy our shake.  Someone selling CD’s filled the air with Mayan native flute music.  Every where we looked were examples of the local flora and fauna.  People were laughing and kids were playing chase.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Heading on Down the Highway

As much fun as we were having, we needed to get on down the road.   We’d already paid for our room on Moonstone Beach and we were at least three hours away.  So, we walked back to our car and headed south on Highway One, driving right past Carmel, another favorite of ours on Highway One.  There’s never enough time to do everything that you want.

Come back next week and I’ll tell you about some things we did make time for.

 

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Last Bites of San Francisco

Jane Sadek
Happy and Relaxed in San Francisco
Happy and Relaxed in San Francisco

TRAVEL THERE: THE LAST BITES OF SAN FRANCISCO CA

The time to head south is drawing close, but let me tell you about a couple more meals in San Francisco.

Not Your Dallas Goodfellas

On Saturday night after Pinot Days we hung out at my nephew’s condo.  Confession:  I’m not good at hanging out.  I feel like I need to be DOING something – so I read while we hung.

However, I was quite happy to put down my Kindle when the Goodfellas Pizza arrived.  You need to know that a Goodfellas Pizza in San Francisco is a whole different thing than your Goodfellas Pizza in Dallas.  I haven’t been to the Dallas Goodfellas, but browsing around on the internet it was easy to tell.

The important thing to remember when ordering Goodfellas Pizza in San Francisco is that you only need to order a slice.  Heavens know what we would have gotten if we had ordered a whole pizza.  As my nephew went around taking orders, he tried to impress upon each of us that we could each have whatever we wanted, because you ordered it by the slice.  There was quite a bit of haggling as the other guys tried to convince my nephew that we should all just agree on a type of pizza and order one.  What eventually arrived was an array of huge pizza slices, but each slice was more like three slices.  There was plenty of each type of pizza and more to share.

Sunday Night at Vicoletto

There’s one more thing you need to know about the area of San Francisco called North Beach, where my nephew’s condo is located.  Another name for the area is Little Italy.  That explains why in the few days we were there we ate so much Italian food.

On Sunday night we walked to Vicoletto’s.  Like the other restaurants in the area, this is a small, neighborhood-type restaurant, greatly removed from anything resembling a chain.  Most of the world was still wherever they were after America played a playoff game in the World Cup – and it was a Sunday night.  However, Vicoletto’s was not hurting for business.

What they were suffering from was a lack of waiters.  For reasons that were never exactly clear, our waiter was the only waiter for the whole restaurant.  It might have been a small place, but it wasn’t that small.  A large party of perhaps twenty lined one side of the restaurant and then couples were sprinkled about the rest of the room.  then there was the four of us.

For being the only guy there, our waiter did a good job, but it was obvious he was stretched.  The lack of waiters had no effect at all on the food.  It came out hot and seriously delicious.  We’d brought our own wine and paid a corkage fee.  Their food and our wine made for a wonderful experience.

One of the things I liked best about my nephew’s North Beach digs is the whole walking to the restaurant experience.  the walk there whets your appetite and the walk home helps digest the food.  I like my house in Texas with a yard and garage, but there’s nothing wrong with having the world within a few blocks of your home either.

Monday morning we got up early and hit the road.  Come back next week and find out about the incredible scenery on Highway One.

ART, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The de Young Museum at Golden Gate Park

Jane Sadek

deyoung tickets07242014

 

TRAVEL THERE: ON THE MUST-SEE LIST

This trip to San Francisco was my second, so I’d already knocked out these San Francisco points of interest:

Jane’s Must-See Attractions in San Francisco

Golden Gate Park

I’m convinced I saw the very best of San Francisco on my first trip, but that didn’t make me any happier about missing Golden Gate Park.  We actually got into the park, but it was the end of the day and both the driver and the navigator were exhausted.  So the park was a must-see for this trip.

At the top of my list in the park was the de Young Museum of Fine Art, so that’s what I plugged into the GPS.  Last time we’d been to the park we didn’t have our electronic buddy, which explains why we were so disgusted and disgruntled.  This time we did have it, but we ran into another problem.  The GPS was telling us to turn into the park at one location and there were all kinds of signs telling us we couldn’t.  Finally we found a sign directing us to enter for de Young parking.  Victory!

deyoung brochure07242014
Instead of folding it up and putting it in my pocket, I should have studied the map. Following my nose wasn’t a good idea.

The De Young

I confess, I don’t do spontaneous well.  By the time I visit a museum, I’ve usually studied the map ad nauseum and know exactly where in the museum I want to go.  Having not had the opportunity to do that, we walked into the de Young and followed our nose.  Unfortunately, at the beginning, our nose didn’t lead us to much stuff we really wanted to see.  Maybe that’s the reason so many people claim they don’t like museums – they’ve been following their noses around!

Different strokes for different folks, but we all know what we like.  Bill and I are less fond of modern and tribal art than we are traditional figurative art.  Bill told me to just put up the map and enjoy myself, but that wasn’t very good advice.  We saw every piece of modern and tribal art in the museum, before we found our good stuff.

Now once we found our good stuff we were plenty happy and we took a long time perusing delightful pieces. Here’s a few samples:

Rainy Season in the Tropics by Frederic Edwn Church
Petunia by Georgia O’Keefe
California Spring by Albert Bierstadt

Not everything was paintings.  There were some sculptures and decorative arts, but these were the postcards I picked up in the gift shop.

View from the Hamon Tower
View from the Hamon Tower

After our tour of the art, we went up in the Hamon Tower.  The view was actually quite amazing.  The light was not cooperating, so we didn’t get a good shot of the city vista – which would blow your socks off – but this picture gives you an idea of what you see directly below, when you’re up there.

Food Time

To my list of favorite places to eat in San Francisco I’d like to add the de Young Cafe.  Its a nice crisp modern sort of place that sits next to the Sculpture Garden.  Outside is patio seating and there were people sitting out there, but it was a little chilly for my Texas blood.  While we ate, we were serenaded by a big orchestra playing in the Temple of Music across the street.  It doesn’t get much better.

Kudos delivered, I’d like to have a do over.  This is one of those cafes where you really should have some sort of idea of what you’re doing before you actually get to the selection part.  They have a card menu to order from, they have pre-made snacks and sandwiches available to browsse and then they’ve got a sort of coffee bar, but that has a blackboard menu that you might miss before you get around to ordering.  So, if you ever go, check out ALL the options before you make a selection.

One Last Thing

Everybody but me probably already knew this, but if you’re also out of the loop, San Francisco actually has TWO Museums of Fine Art.  The Palace of Legion of Honor and the de Young.  The Palace is out by Lincoln Park and may be one of the most impressive buildings I’ve ever seen.  I know the view from the portico is certainly one of the best.  The grounds were covered with brides having their pictures made with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

If I only had time to see one of the museums, I would choose The Palace, for two reasons.  One being the spectacular nature of the venue.  The other being that the art is more classical.  Also, now that I’ve seen them both, I think I’d be quicker to return to the Palace.  I wish I’d had time for the special exhibition of Impressionist portraits they had while I was there.  However, you should take time to see both at least once and then choose your favorite based on your own taste.

After our meal we headed out to explore the rest of the park.  Join me next week to check it out.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

San Franciso Brunch Bites

Jane Sadek
Who wouldn't go to San Francisco to visit this little guy?
Who wouldn’t go to San Francisco to visit this little guy?

TRAVEL THERE: BRUNCH AT ORIGINAL JOE’S AND CAFE FRANCISCO

For us, the main attraction in San Francisco was Jack. He’s our grand-nephew and being one year old was still brand new to him when we got there. Imagine all the wonderful things you can do with a darling one year old boy and insert them here.  We also enjoyed some great food.

In the Thick of Things

Jack’s parents are hip.  Really!  Dad went to Greenhill, graduated from Wharton School of Business, got married in a museum and is an investment banker in the gaming industry.  If I wrote a novel about him, people would think I made him up.  Mom also went to Greenhill, has her MBA from UTD, had a ballet commissioned for her wedding reception and she spends her days being Jack’s mommy.

So, of course, they live in the coolest part of San Francisco.  From atop their building you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge.  They’re blocks away from Fisherman’s Wharf, Washington Square Park and the crazy intersection of Columbus and Broadway.

Brunch at Original Joe’s

Saturday morning after Jack’s morning routine was accomplished, we took a stroll to Original Joe’s.  In San Francisco you stroll a lot.  It’s not a car-centric society like LA or Dallas.  There are plenty of cars, but you don’t drive one unless you have to.

The beautiful Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is also on Washington Square.
The beautiful Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul also faces Washington Square.

Original Joe’s faces Washington Square Park on Union Street.  The restaurant may be a San Francisco classic, but once I was inside, I thought I was in New York’s Little Italy.  Black and white tile floors, lots of woodwork, tuxedo-ed waiters, white linen tablecloths, gleaming chrome and brass;  and the aroma of marinara permeates it all.

The food?  OMG! We stuck to the brunch menu, enjoying treats like Crab Cake Benedict, Brioche French Toast and other amazing goodies.  The food looked so delicious when it arrived, I dove right in!  The prices are reasonable, but not cheap.

Brunch at Cafe Francisco

Sunday morning Bill and I ventured out on our own to Cafe Francisco, just around the corner from our nephew’s condo.  For me, this brunch spot felt more San Francisco-ish than the more famous Original Joe’s.  The space had for many years been an artist’s studio and along with serving great Belgian waffles, Cafe Francisco is also an art gallery.

If I lived in my nephew’s condo, I might just convert my kitchen into a gym and have all my meals at Cafe Francisco.  The prices were so reasonable that I doubt you can cook at home for so cheap.  The menu is not extensive, but it’s got everything from breakfast to Mediterranean salads to amazing cheese plates paired by the Cheese School of San Francisco.  I wish I’d gotten back over there to enjoy a bottle of wine and one of those cheese plates.

These were not our only gastronomic adventures in San Fran.  After brunch at Original Joe’s we went to Pinot Nights.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you about that.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Great Hotel in Carpenteria CA

Jane Sadek
Refreshed and Ready for the Road
Refreshed and Ready for the Road

TRAVEL THERE: GOOD LUCK OR GOOD PLANNING

When you’re traveling, is a good night’s sleep good luck or good planning? Or could it be because you’re too exhausted to do anything else?

We Gotta Get Out of LA

As we surrendered to Navi (the GPS) and headed north, I was fantasizing about pillows and linen,but my job as navigator wasn’t over.  About the time we got to Thousand Oaks, Bill wanted to eat.  Food was just about the last thing I wanted, but through experience I’ve learned, when Bill wants food I’d better find a restaurant.

Gastronomic Detour

Do you remember what life was like before our electronic traveling friends?  You drove along hoping to see a sign on the side of the road, but you’d never just pull off the road, because you might never figure out how to get back.  Using that method, I might have made it to Carpenteria without having to stop, but no, Bill tells me to get out my phone.  Lo and behold, Google Local tells me there’s a BJ’s in the neighborhood and Bill takes the next exit.  We kept Navi pointed towards Carpenteria and used Local to get to BJ’s.

Now I really want to whine and complain about how awful it was, because I was really tired and not very hungry, but we shared BJ’s new Roast Beef Dip Sandwich, and I’ve got to be honest with you, it was really good.  In my day we called them French Dip Sandwiches, but I guess in this new politically-correct world, that might have some negative connotation – like all French people are dips.  Either that or some teenager planning their menu didn’t know their au jus from their assembly line.

A Reward at the End of our Drive

Sandwich happily consumed, we drove on to Carpenteria and found the Holiday Inn Express where I’d made our reservations.  This was an older property, but completely renovated, so you had all the charm of the old with all the convenience of the new.  The desk clerk checked us in like a champ, then we found a parking place close to our room and we moved ourselves in.

The room was wonderful.  A small seating area and mini-kitchen were separated from the bed by an attractive divider.  The furniture was new, but some older decorative touches were carried into the new design to add character.  We were very happy.

I would have loved to crawl in bed oblivious to everything, but I knew the drill.  I wake up at six and Bill doesn’t. I’d get up raring to go and Bill would be livid at my rattling around, if I didn’t get things ready ahead of time.  So, with a foggy brain I started re-organizing everything and getting ready for the rest of the trip, because packing for a flight and packing for a road trip are two different things.

Those gifts that took up half my suitcase? Well they were moved to the tote-bag.  All my shoes, belts and accessories?  I’d packed a fold-up nylon bag for them.  Pretty much everything else we packed needed to be shuffled around, too.  When I’d reorganized everything to suit me, I pulled out my exercise gear and an outfit for the next day, then fell into bed.  I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

A Bright New Day

Yes, I did wake up at six.  I slithered into my workout clothes and found the exercise room – a nice one I might add.  They didn’t have a recumbent stationary bike, like I do at home, but the treadmills were in good working order and I slammed out an hour of cardio.  Then I was starving, so I went to the breakfast bar.

Cinnamon Rolls from Heaven
Cinnamon Rolls from Heaven

Let me tell you this – Holiday Inn Express rocks their breakfast buffet.  My particular favorite is their cinnamon rolls.   But they have everything from bacon and eggs to a pancake machine to hot biscuits.  They also have healthy things, so with my single cinnamon roll I had a boiled egg, yogurt and apple juice.

I returned to the room and Bill was stirring, so I returned to the breakfast bar with him – not to eat, just for companionship.  He got breakfast down, we got ready for the day and headed out.

Vacation Day One is ahead and it was a great one, so come back next week.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Stranded in a Frozen Dickens

Jane Sadek

2013 Dickens on the Strand Program, Galveston TX

TRAVEL THERE: STRANDED IN A FROZEN DICKENSFEST

Galveston‘s 2013 Dickens-on-The-Strand Suffered from Chilblains! 

“You can’t always get what you want!”  The Rolling Stones were spot on with that one – especially when it came to this vacation.  The Polar Express gypped me out of my luminaries on the Riverwalk and then followed me to the beach.

My mom used to say things like, “If you had the sense God gave a goozle,” (and  I’m not exactly sure what a goozle is) but I’m sure my husband was thinking the same sort of thing as we froze our assets off, strolling down the Strand.

Important, but Chilly Anniversary 

I was expecting big things from this British-flavored festival with its side order of Victorian literature.  This was the fortieth Dickens-on-the-Strand and for the first time, it was a three day festival, not just an overnight flash in the pan.  What I didn’t expect was London!  Actually London has been warmer the few times I’ve been there.  This was more like the cold, wet, windy day I’d visited Coventry Cathedral and had nothing but a thin windbreaker between me and the chill.  I think that’s the coldest I’d ever been up until that day in Galveston.

Bill really does deserve the Champion Husband of the World Award – at least in the travel department.  Anyone with any sense would have headed back to Dallas after our frozen stay in San Antonio, but not me.  I was going to Dickens on the Strand and I had friends to see.  The friends were worth it.  Dickens? Not so much.  The festival may have been in full swing the day before, but on it’s inaugural first Sunday, it was a ghost story, and not in a cozy Christmas Carol way.

Still, we found a cheap place to park, walked several blocks to the entrance, paid our fee and landed virtually nowhere.  A few braves souls strolled the streets in their Victorian finery, but we had to decide who was dumber for showing up – us or them.  A few performers mounted stages and tried to entertain the lost souls wandering the Strand, but it was cold enough out there without stopping and standing in one place.  The greatest hub of activity was an area for steam-punk enthusiasts, an important factor in the popularity of the festival, but try as I may, I have very little, beyond a passing interest, in steampunk – and Bill had less than that.

When All Else Fails, Eat

We might have had an interest in chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but most of the heat seemed to be at Yaga’s Cafe.  The crowded interior didn’t seem to suffer from it’s lack of an identifiable theme in the decoration or menu.  The service was friendly, if not adequate, and the food adequate, if not tasty.

Lunch behind us, we explored the island by car for awhile and decided we’d certainly return, but next time, we’d rent a beachside cottage and the weather would be warmer.  For dinner we drove back towards Houston to meet some Pearland friends, Jimmy and Melanie, at Pappas Seafood House. Now that was good seafood and good company.  We are fortunate in our friends, even if we don’t always make the best decisions about when to visit the beach.

So, should you go to Dickens on the Strand?  I might go back someday, but I’d check the weather, go on Saturday and stay somewhere besides the Beachfront Palms.  Come back next week and we’ll start thinking about a new trip!