mmm-yoso!!!

Wildland and a Revisit to Sleeping Tiger Coffee (Carlsbad)

Between all our Road Trips, we've taking JJ out to "explore" a bit. On one fine morning, we decided to head up to Carlsbad. We had enjoyed Jeune Et Jolie so much, that when the team behind that restaurant opened a breakfast-brunch-bakery we really wanted to try it out. I had read that dogs were allowed on the patio area, so we decided to head on up.

We easily found parking on State Street and when we passed Wildland, it wasn't very busy at all. So we took JJ on over for a walk thru the village and along Carlsbad Boulevard.

But first, we decided t get our caffeine fix at a familiar locale, Sleeping Tiger Coffee inside of Witch Creek Winery. The two tables fronting Carlsbad Boulevard were empty, so the Missus sat with J, while I went in and ordered us a Tanzanian Pour Over and a cold brew.

We find it interesting that Starbucks next door is quite busy, while there's no one getting coffee here. 

The Missus enjoys the pour0vers from here and the cold brew is pretty strong and wakes me up.

We sat and relaxed for a bit. We both think the coffee at Sleeping Tiger is much better than the Starbucks next door and wonder why folks aren't supporting a local business with a superior (in our opinion) product.

Meanwhile; JJ was wondering where "All the witches" were?

Sleeping Tiger Coffees (In Witch Creek Winery)
2906 Carlsbad Blvd.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Current Hours:
Thurs - Mon 7am - 5pm
Tues - Wed   7am - 3pm

Fortified by caffeine we took JJ on a nice stroll along Carlsbad Boulevard overlooking Carlsbad State Beach, finally turning back near lifeguard tower 35. Walking back thru Carlsbad Village and along State, we arrived back at Wildland, which was still not very busy, so we grabbed a table on the patio.

I sat with JJ while the Missus went to peruse the menu.

The Missus decided on the three item Smoked Fish Plate ($18). Meanwhile, my food friend "LL" recommended the Shakshuka ($20), and after a pretty "meh" version at Flora, I was interested in trying this one.

Ordering is done at the counter; you're given a number and your food is brought to you.

The Smoked Fish Plate was quite good. We chose the Smoked Salmon, Olive Oil Poached Yellowtail, and the item that really made this for us; the Hot Smoked Pastrami Kampachi, which was full of smoky-peppery-herbaceous flavors.

Loved the veggies, so fresh, the tomatoes sweetly-fruity-acidic; man, those cucumbers crisp and palate cleansing. The vegetables were excellent. The weak point of the dish was the bread, too chewy, with a hard crust.

As for the Shakshuka.

 

  I thought this was going to be herb overload, but the dill actually complemented the acidic tones of the dish and the celery leaves added a mild "grassiness" to the dish. It seems that the versions in San Diego use za'atar and leave out the cumin and harissa. The eggs were nice and runny, with a hint of smoky-savoriness.

As with the smoked fish plate, the bread was the weak link here, being too chewy and the crust hard. Still, the dish was pretty good overall.

We did enjoy our time at Wildland and will make sure to return for that smoked fish plate and JJ enjoyed visiting Carlsbad.

Wildland
2598 State St.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Current Hours:
Sun - Thurs 8am - 9pm
Fri - Sat       8am - 10pm

Road Trip - Cailloux Cheese Shop (Solvang)

After our rather "busy" morning and afternoon, we settled back into the Viking Inn for a nice afternoon nap. When dinner time arose, we didn't want to go very far. There was a place we'd seen the previous day, that was actually open on a Tuesday (many businesses are closed on Monday and Tuesday in Solvang). Cailloux Cheese Shop is located in a courtyard that also houses McClain Cellars, Dascomb Cellars, and Cordon Tasting Rooms. It is a cheese shop - restaurant, you purchase cheese - charcuterie - wine to go, or have access to a menu of French style dishes along with accoutrements for a cheese plate along with beer and wine by the bottle or glass.

We were having an early (430) dinner, the place closes at 6pm, and this seemed perfect. So, I went in and placed our order, paid, and we had a seat in the patio. The folks working here are so very friendly and kind. We were immediately asked if we needed the heaters turned on. Which we didn't.

The Missus went with a Chardonnay and I had a Savignon Blanc.

The Missus wanted to try the Cassoulet, which seemed like a bargain at $18, so we started with that.

At this price, I didn't expect anything like what I make at home, but this was pretty good. The Guanciale added a nice rich, porkiness to the dish, which wasn't overly salty.

There was a decent amount of duck in the dish; kind of chewy, but flavorful. The beans unfortunately, were pinto, I didn't expect Tarbais or even Flageolet beans at this price point, but thought even Cannelli would have been better. I did mention this to the kind older woman who helped bring out our dishes; I believe she is the owner, who said pinto beans are the only thing they can afford to keep the price down. I totally understand!

Our Cheese and Charcuterie plate was huge!

 I liked the fact that they "flagged" the cheeses for us. I especially enjoyed the Mitica KM39, firm and flavorful, it went well with the bread. I'm a fan of blue cheeses so I enjoyed the Stilton. I wish they sold Port by the glass, which would have been perfect with this; but unfortunately they don't. The Missus enjoyed the Spanish Chorizo and I the prosciutto and pate. The Pico went well with the candied walnuts as well.

This was a generous and well put together plate. The staff are wonderful. I was curious about the name of the place, "Cailloux" translates to "Pebbles" in English, but we weren't near a beach or river bed. I asked and was told that the owner named the shop after her late pooch, named "Pebbles"! You gotta love it! I know JJ did!

We were finishing right before the 6pm closing, but were told "please take your time - we won't be leaving until after 730". Very nice! It was a perfect early dinner for us and we'll make sure to return!

Cailloux Cheese Shop
1623 Mission Dr. Suite L
Solvang, CA 93463

We strolled back to the motel; the Missus relaxed in the little grass area reading. I took JJ for a nice stroll in the neighborhood. After JJ had his dinner, I took JJ to get a nightcap. During our last stay in Solvang, we discovered Vaquero Bar, attached to the Coast Range Steakhouse. The place seemed to have quite a few locals. I decided to take JJ and head on over.

The place was empty, except for one other customer, who seemed to be a regular.

I had a fairly "stiff" Old Fashioned and a nice chat with the Bartender, who also works with the county doing road repairs. He confirmed my "observations" on the morning and evening traffic patterns. He told me that this was indeed "slow" season. Things start picking up at the end of March, going all the way thru summer/early fall. 

Vaquero Bar (In Coast Range Restaurant)
1635 Mission Dr.
Solvang, CA 93463

This was a perfect end to an enjoyable stay. 

Though we had yet another road trip coming up in a few weeks!

Stay tuned!

Road Trip - Whiskey n' Rye, Exploring Solvang, and Bell's (Los Alamos) Yet Again

As soon as we got back from our last road trip with JJ, the Missus had me planning another one. Looks like we're doing one and month? Anyway, JJ had so much fun in Solvang and it was the slow season, so She wanted to stay there. I managed to find a dog friendly motel close to the edge of the "main drag" and we were set!

Of course, the Missus wanted to have lunch at Bell's yet again, so I made reservations for lunch and called to make sure we had a patio table. This time, even though it was on a Monday, I had 1pm reservations, so things were a bit more busy.

Still the service was great as they immediately brought JJ his own bowl of water when we were seated.

Lunch was as expected. Not going to go into much detail since I've done so many posts on the place before.

Though I will say, that even though the beef cheek in the beef cheek sandwich was delicious; we didn't care for the "rye-ish" bread that really messed up all the flavors.

Perhaps I should have stayed with my favorite here; the beef tartare. Still, this was a nice lunch.

Bell's
406 Bell St.
Los Alamos, CA 93440

After lunch we headed straight over to Solvang to see if our room was ready. And yes, it was! So we were able to check in an hour early.

We stayed at the Viking Inn on Mission Drive.

We liked the outdoor space with a fence right outside our door. The room was comfortable. I had read about street noise, but that wasn't a problem at all. Later that evening, the Missus, JJ, and I sat and relaxed outside for a bit. We had the whole area to ourselves. Being on the first level made taking JJ out at 4 in the morning a lot easier!

It seemed like the place was only half full, so no parking or similar issues. The only time we dealt with folks was when we checked in; the rest is done by code and text messages. While these accommodations were quite different from where we stayed in Solvang before, we enjoyed it.

Not sure how it is when things are busy, but this was really relaxing!

Viking Inn
1506 Mission Dr.
Solvang, CA 93463

After unpacking, we took JJ for a walk. On our last visit to Solvang we found a really nice Pet Store, which just happened to be across the street from where we were staying.

And then headed down 246 and did some shopping. While there seemed to be traffic heading out of Solvang......I found out later that all the folks working in the town head on home....the opposite happens in the morning, there we hardly saw anyone walking!

We enjoyed ducking in and out of shops!

It was quite entertaining.

Folks working at these shops were very friendly. I'd usually stop at the front of the shop with JJ and let the Missus walk in if there's no "dogs welcome" sign. Most of the time we got waved in.

This soap shop was interesting.....

Mainly because of this sign.....

I asked the young lady working about it and she told me that every once in a while they'd find teeth marks or a chunk bitten out of the soap when they close up! 

We ended up at the Mission Santa Ines, which we visited before.

We walked JJ along the grounds where dogs are allowed. JJ seems to be fascinated by statues. I call this one "JJ meets JC"!

I love the view from the Mission.

As we headed back you could see the line of cars heading out of Solvang.......

We got back to the room, took a short break and then headed out to dinner. One things about Solvang, it seems that many places are closed on Monday and Tuesday, so we had rather limited options when it came to dog friendly establishments. We decided to stay close and went to a place named Whiskey 'N Rye Smokehouse which was down at the end of Atterdag Road.

We were surprised to see that the entire interior of the restaurant and the bar was packed. I guess folks eat pretty early here? But we lucked out as the entire patio area was empty. I guess folks thought it might be too cold? The really nice Server was shocked when we said that he didn't need to fire up the heater.

As the name says; the place has a huge list of Bourbon, Scotch, Rye, and similar spirits; but I just wanted a beer.

The food offerings were BBQ/Meat/Burgers based, you know what I mean right?

The Missus had seen photos of the Brisket Dirty Fries ($22) and was fixed on ordering that.

While I don't think this was worth twenty-two bucks; it was the better of the two dishes. The fries had been "dusted" thus it was able to retain crispness thru the whole meal. The brisket wasn't very smoky and sort of stringy and chewy. I wish the cheese mix had more Gouda in it than Mozzarella, but it was great at making a gooey mess. The pickled onions and jalapenos were good as it added spice, pungency, and acidity. I thought this was decent "beer food".

We also got the Filet Mignon Tips ($34) which was a mixed bag.

 We ordered the meat rare. but only the large piece was rare, the rest were medium-well, skewing things to the tough side of the scale. The meat was well seasoned, though the "sauces" really didn't go well with the proteins but was necessary for the really dry "garlic bread" bites in our opinion. The Bloody Mary aioli was interesting, but pretty bland; the BBQ Sauce was too sweet. 

We were hoping for something in line with Shalhoob's, but this was more in line with "chain/tourist" food. At least the service, while a bit slow, which I can understand based on the crowd was quite nice. Not too many places open on this day so we had limited choices.

Whiskey 'N Rye Smokehouse
442 Atterdag Rd.
Solvang, CA 93463

Still, Solvang has it's charm and we were enjoying ourselves.

Thanks for stopping by!

Breakfast with JJ - Flora (North Park)

During one of our walks with JJ in North Park, we noticed that Truffle Neighborhood Cocina had been replaced by a restaurant named Flora. After doing a bit of research, I found that the place was dog friendly, so we decided to head on over for brunch one morning.

The outdoor area, while on busy University Avenue was separated from the sidewalk traffic by planters. 

We were greeted and seated in the nice patio area. The folks working here are wonderful, they immediately brought JJ some water while delivering our menus. He got served before us! Like I said; there's a difference between "Dog Allowed" and "Dog Friendly". Flora is definitely in the latter as the Servers came out to meet and greet JJ.

I think I've been out of touch with regards to breakfasts and brunch. There was Shashuka on the menu; one of my favorite dishes. We'd end up having Shakshuka three times in two weeks! When did that become mainstream?

The Missus got the Avocado Toast ($18), which came topped with poached eggs (a bit overcooked) and a pile of arugula.

Taking a closer look we noticed that the mashed avocado (the Missus prefers slices) was turning a bit brown. The highlight of the dish for the Missus was the sourdough which was toasted to crisp perfection.

Of course I got the Shakshuka ($17). The menu said the eggs were "sunny side up", but these seemed to be have been just cracked into the tomato-bell pepper sauce right before serving.

   The toasts were again really good. The tomato-bell pepper compote was over processed and runny; I prefer something more rustic and thicker. It also lacked the seasoning I like; cumin, smoky tones, harissa, herbaceous flavors, and garlic. This had a decent acidity, though I'm not quite sure about feta cheese in my shakshuka. I really wasn't expecting anything close to what we had in Tunisia or Jerusalem, and I tend toward Tunisian style Shakshuka when I make the dish at home. But this was just mediocre to me.

Of the three versions we had; this was my least favorite. We were told that they use sourdough from Bread and Cie and also that the ownership is the same as when the place was Truffle Neighborhood Cocina. The Missus told me the interior of the restaurant is quite nice; but I didn't have a chance to check it out. And to be completely honest; I'm more about food than the "vibe".

We enjoyed the service and JJ had a nice visit to the park afterward as payment for being a "good boi" while we ate.

Flora
3021 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Sunday        8am - 3pm
Mon - Wed 9am - 3pm
Thurs - Fri  9am - 3pm, 4pm - 10pm
Saturday     8am - 3pm, 4pm - 10pm

Road Trip - Loquita Santa Barbara

After lunch at Bell's we headed back to the hotel and took a short nap. Upon waking, the Missus was ready to go once again. What She had in mind was taking JJ for a "walk" to the Mission Santa Barbara, which we had visited before. I had some reservations about this; first, yes we had walked to the Mission before but were a lot closer. This time, it would be a 2 1/2 mile walk each way and I was worried about how JJ would handle things. Well, I should have known better.....he was a total champ!

We headed under the 101 and up familiar State Street. But from there it was unfamiliar territory, where we hadn't visited before. Thru lovely and quite peaceful...at least on this day, Alameda Park.

Before getting to the Mission.

Where J enjoyed lying in the cool grass. It was still February when we took this road trip, so the rose garden wasn't in bloom, but JJ seemed to enjoy himself. As for the Missus, well once we arrived, it was "mission accomplished" and time to head back.

We enjoyed looking at the historic homes on Garden Street as we made our way back. Though it wasn't quite as diverse and fun as what we had enjoyed in Pacific Grove. We did make a nice stop at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden which is right next to Alameda Park. Lovely trees and ponds, JJ was especially fascinated by the turtles.

Before heading down on Garden, then on State, ducking under the 101, to get back to our hotel to freshen up.

Our destination for dinner was basically two buildings down from the Moxy. I had tried to make reservations for Loquita the night before, but none were available. This was because Loquita was one of the places closed for Employee Appreciation night on Super Bowl Sunday. We saw folks dancing and having a great time when we passed on the way back from Shalhoob's! It seemed like a fun place and was dog friendly, so JJ could hang out.

We had a table in the lovely outdoor patio.

The Missus started with a Sangria and I had one of the specialty Gin and Tonics; the "Costa Blanca" which had kaffir line infused gin; it was quite refreshing. JJ got a nice bowl of water.

Loquita features Spanish influenced dishes. It had been a while since we'd had some of these dishes, so it was fun ordering.

We started with the Jamon Tasting ($35) which featured Jamon Serrano, Jamon Iberico, Iberico de Chorizo, and Pan con Tomate.

While we would usually enjoy the Jamon Iberico (especially if it's Jamon Iberico Pata Negra), this time the "white pigs" (i.e. Jamon Serrano) won out as it was more tender.

And was also cut thinner, so we enjoyed the texture of the Serrano more, even though the Iberico was more marbled, it was quite chewy. The Missus loves Spanish Chorizo, so that goes without saying. The Pan con Tomate was served on pan de cristal, the traditional bread and was quite good, even if it wasn't quite as honeycombed as what we had in Barcelona.

The tomato still had that wonderful "flavor of sunshine"! Sweet-acidity, with a touch of tartness, the olive oil lifting the flavors.

The Missus, always the egg lover, really enjoyed the Tortilla Espanola ($22).

Lots of flavor in this one; from the smoked tomatoes to the garlic aioli foam. Very tender, especially the potatoes. 

Our least favorite item of the night was the Pulpo ala Gallega ($28).

The pulpo was really tough, they really laid on the aioli, which had strong sour tones that we didn't enjoy.

At first glance, I thought the Gambas al Ajillo ($24) was over sauced. But we ended up really enjoying the acidic-sweetness, a nice amount of garlic, along with some sneaky spiciness of the dish.

The shrimp were sweet and tender and in spite of the assertive sauce, you could still taste them. They even bought us extra bread for sopping up that sauce.

The service was friendly and effcient; very nice folks here. Before doing this post, I found out that Loquita was designated as a Bib Gourmand restaurant by Michelin, so good for them.

Loquita Santa Barbara
202 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

We then returned to the Moxy. I have mixed feelings about the Moxy Santa Barbara. The staff was great, love the funkiness, the rooms were a bit small, but comfortable, but of course the freeway noise and if you needed a fridge you'd have to use the one in the shared kitchen.  Good thing we have a portable freezer for JJ's food. I believe they serve pastries and I do know there coffee in the lobby which I had before we left the next morning.

I read that the Moxy brand is directly aiming for Gen Z customers and I could tell by the decor.

I'm probably the wrong target audience! 

Like many boutique hotels these days; the check in counter doubles as a pseudo "bar" of sorts. And as a bonus, upon check-in you receive a token for a free cocktail from a list. After our nice dinner, I took JJ out to the lobby and had a decent Gin and Tonic.

It was the quiet time of the year in Santa Barbara, so it was relaxing to hang in the playfully designed lobby with JJ. A nice way to spend our last evening in Santa Barbara.

Moxy Santa Barbara
12 East Montecito St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Yes, I was learning to take time to "stop and smell the flowers".......

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip - Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio and Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. (Santa Barbara)

After our stroll along State Street, we settled into our hotel; the Moxy. We took a short nap and then had to decide on dinner. A couple of places on my "list" were closed; several of them for "Employee appreciation parties"! Pretty nice; I'm guessing Super Bowl Sunday is pretty quiet round these parts. There was one place I wanted to try; Santo Mezcal, but they don't do reservations and there was a 90 minute wait.

There was one interesting place I had on my "list", it was all outdoor dining, which was perfect for JJ. Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio was just barely two blocks away. An extension of a company that runs several butcher shops, the menu has everything from tacos to burgers to BBQ, and beer of course. So, we walked on over.

The Funk Zone is an interesting location; there are wineries, restaurants, breweries, shops, and even some houses sprinkled among auto shops, warehouses, it has a real industrial transitioning to hipster feel. 

The actual restaurant used to be the main "cutting room" for the butcher shops and has now been converted.

While the few parking spaces were taken....the place was maybe half full. There was a large screen television mounted on a large golf cart showing the Super Bowl pregame.

You order at the counter, they give you a number, and you have a seat at one of the tables or barrels. The Missus wanted a beer! Go figure! The features brews made inhouse. Not quite knowing what the Missus would want; I got a Funk Zone Blonde to go with what the Missus ordered; the Funk Zone Lager.

Turns out the Missus preferred the Blond Ale....whew...good thing I got that, right?

The Missus wanted a 1/4 Rack St Louis style BBQ ribs ($10.95), with a side of Street Corn ($8.95). I went with the Oak Smoked Tri-Tip Sandwich ($16.50). The woman working the counter was very nice.

The Tri-Tip Sandwich was pretty good; the meat a bit on the drier side, but tender enough. There was a very nice smoke ring, and so I knew the assertive smokiness of Oak would be front and center.

I think the pico de gallo was kind of overwhelmed by the smokiness of the tri-tip, though the garlic bread and aioli came thru nicely; adding some moistness and a rich-mild pungency to the sandwich. The BBQ Sauce, which I believe is St Louis style was a bit too sweet for my taste, but this was an enjoyable sandwich overall.

The "street corn" was sweet and maizey; though it had too much other "stuffs".

Was still pretty good.

I had reservations about the ribs; but they turned out to be pretty good.

Like the tri-tip, the BBQ sauce was a tad on the sweeter side; but the ribs were tender, quite smokey. It might be a bit much for some folks, but the Missus enjoyed the smokiness and the "fall off the bone tenderness" was quite good.

This ended up being a relaxing and enjoyable meal for us. Just what we needed on this day.

Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio
220 Gray Ave.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel. JJ was pooped as was the Missus. I'm not sure why since I had been the one doing the driving up from San Diego! I decided to take the opportunity, since JJ wouldn't be displaying his yappy separation anxiety, to walk over to the Figueroa Mountain Brewing tap room a block away and watch the end of the Super Bowl. Like the rest of the area, things were pretty mellow. There was only one table taken and a couple of folks over at the bar.

I had a Frozen Goat Weizenbock.

Fairly boozy, fruity - yeasty notes.

And I took in the last quarter of the Super Bowl and chatted with one of the local guys, who told me that the sports bars around the area are pretty busy, but many places close during Super Bowl Sunday. He lives on State Street and walked on over here.

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Santa Barbara
137 Anacapa St. F
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

It was a lovely end to a fun day.

Road Trip - A Revisit to Madeline's (Cambria)

Another one of the reasons for us returning to Cambria was to dine at Madeline's once again. We first dined here back in 2020 and enjoyed it so much that we returned a year later. I big plus is that the wine shop by day, restaurant by night has several outdoor tables and allowed dogs. I made sure to request our favorite, known as "patio 1".

After shopping and lunch, we drove over to El Colibri, it was before the published check in time, but our dog friendly room was ready! Lucky us. So we managed a short nap. When JJ woke, while the Missus relaxed and read, I took him for a stroll along the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk which I've posted on before. The boardwalk is basically right out the hotel's doors!

JJ enjoyed the walk and made some new "friends" and the view is just a lovely as I remembered.

And I don't recall seeing deer around here before!

I think that it is a "seasonal" thing?

After returning and freshening up; we were ready to head out for dinner a bit early.

Also close to the hotel, right down the road is Shamel Park. We love walking along the beach and the sunsets here are lovely, though on this evening we had to get to dinner. 

We headed on back up Windsor Road and crossed over Highway One onto main street. West Main was very sedate on this evening.

As we passed Mushrooms on Main, this friendly gal popped up!

We gave her a treat and the friendly owner invited JJ in for a "play date". Unfortunately, we had to get to dinner, so we took a rain check. We'll definitely return here on our next trip.

We arrived at Madeline's and were directed to our table. The Server was quite friendly to JJ. The Missus looked over the wine list and immediately ordered a Sauvignon Blanc.

We looked over the menu which is seasonal and ever changing. It did have several items that we'd enjoyed on our previous visits.

And there seemed to be so many mushroom based dishes....it was our lucky day! We placed our order and then bread service arrived.

Sadly, the bread, while nice and warm was not ready for prime time. It had been smushed down and the middle was still wet. It was probably pulled out before it was ready.

In keeping with our usual ordering at Madeline's we went with all appetizers and a salad. This way we get a nice variety of dishes that tend to be more interesting.

The only real "clunker" of the meal arrived with the first three dishes; the Bruschetta ($20).

With the sweet balsamic glaze, the sour tower of goat cheese, this was a bit too much for this dish. You really couldn't make out the eggplant which had been breaded and fried, but got soggy quite quickly.

The ship was quickly "righted" as the Baby Spinach Salad ($13) arrived.

As I mentioned before, we love the Bacon Vinaigrette here! It adds a wonderful smoky-savory component to a salad.

Another item we've always enjoyed have been the scallop dishes, and the Scallops Saint Jacques ($20) was no exception.

I had thought that the duxelles would be a bit too much for this dish; but as usual, the scallops were perfectly cooked, perfectly rare the way we like it. The lemon buerre blanc added a nice refreshing note to the dish.

We ordered two additional mushroom appetizers, both of which were quite hearty.

The Duck and Wild Mushroom ($20) featured two of our favorite ingredients. But man, combined with the cream sauce it edged on being a bit too much!

And the Tartine Forestiere ($20), featuring both local and smoked mushrooms was a study in umami.

Even the goat cheese and balsamic glaze could not temper the wonderful flavors of the mushrooms!

I finished as always with a Tawny Port.

Overall, this was yet another wonderful meal at Madeline's. And since we can always bring JJ....and get "Patio 1", I'm sure we'll return again, Hopefully soon.

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

The next morning, the Missus decided to sleep in, so I took JJ for a walk to Cambria Coffee which I've posted on a couple of times before and had a cold brew and just relaxed.

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

And soon enough we headed back home. 

This short road trip was a test to see how JJ would handle things. He always seemed to enjoy riding in the car. And he did enjoy Morro Bay and our stops in Ojai and Cayucos. He did well in Cambria and on the drive home. So, you could say he passed with flying colors. And since we can't really travel Internationally....we want to wait until JJ is a bit older before leaving him with his Aunty, this meant more road trips were in store!

Thanks for stopping by!

Breakfast with JJ - Parkhouse Eatery

We like taking JJ out to "explore". The new smells, sounds, and sights! And then we'd grab a bite to eat at a dog friendly place. I'm not sure if it's just me; but there seem to be many more dog friendly places post-pandemic. JJ seems to really enjoy Trolley Barn Park, which I've posted on before, and strolling along Adams Avenue. So, one morning, the Missus and I thought we'd take him for a walk, then have breakfast at Parkhouse Eatery. It had been over 20 years since we'd eaten there!

Once arriving we were pointed to a table and we had a seat. 

The place looked so familiar, but one thing that had truly changed since we last visited were the prices!

Up until JJ came along we really weren't big breakfast-brunch folks, so the prices really caught us a bit off guard!

The gentleman waiting upon us was professional; the Missus got a latte and I got an Americano to start.

The Missus got the Avocado Toast with 2 eggs and bacon. ($10.75 + $4.40)

The Missus didn't care for the bread as it wasn't quite toasted to Her preference. She did enjoy the basil; which was a nice addition to the fresh avocado. The eggs were nice and runny, though the bacon was on the chewy side.

I got the Carnitas Stuffed Roasted Polenta Cake ($19.50).

   The eggs were again nice and runny; no oof flavors. The polenta cake nice and crisp, good mild corn flavor. The carnitas a bit on the mild side in terms of flavor and also slightly stringy and dry, but not bad. The Mozzarella was fine, though the tomato added some good acidity to the dish. The "salsa" was also on the milder side in terms of spice and acidity. Still, this was not bad.

This was a decent breakfast and the Missus now wants basil on Her Avocado Toast! And JJ entertained himself by noodling with the pebbles.

 
 And we learned something from our meals with JJ. There's a definite difference in "Dog Friendly" versus "Dogs Allowed". This was simply dogs allowed. They are just ignored by the staff. Perfectly fine with us. It's been interesting finding places to dine with JJ!

Parkhouse Eatery
4574 Park Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92116
Current Hours:
Sun - Wed   830am - 2pm
Thurs - Sat  830am - 2pm, 5pm - 9pm

Cambria - Redwood Cafe

We made it to Cambria from Morro Bay/Cayucos in record time! It was much too early to check in so we headed to the "East Village" where we had enjoyed the shopping on our previous visits.

Most of the shops were obviously dog friendly.

And if I wasn't sure, I'd let the Missus enter and wait with JJ outside. And more often then naught, I'd be waved on in.

The Missus really enjoys shopping and browsing in Cambria.

I think that Cinnabar is one of our favorite shopping stops here.

Soon enough, it was time for an early lunch. After checking out a couple of places, we thought that the Redwood Cafe, located in the lot where we had parked our car seemed to have a nice outdoor dining area.

We waked over and were told to go ahead and pick a table; which we did.

The service was very...shall we say "relaxed" and things happened at a slower pace; not a bad things since we were on holiday and didn't know when our room would be ready.

The Missus got the special of the day; Chilaquiles. The eggs were nice and runny. The beans were very...ummmm..."gringo" and pasty.

The chips were nicely drenched in a red sauce; which was super sour and puckery.

I got a bowl of the Cilantro Chicken Soup.

Lots of tomato and celery. Also super sour! We ended up asking for some hot sauce and once we added some Tapatio to our dishes, things evened out a bit. I could then actually taste some chicken flavor.

Well, it was a nice day, the weather so pleasant and JJ enjoyed hanging out in the shade.

Redwood Cafe
2094 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

In fact, JJ kinda enjoyed the "hocus pocus" of Cambria!

And just as we were paying for our meal, I got a text that our room was ready! Nice! We'd be able to check in a couple of hours early and squeeze in a nap!

Dos Palmas Cafe

During our visits to Bica, we noticed this rather low-keyed shop across the street.

It seemed to be doing some rather steady business. So, after our coffee and sandwich, we took JJ on a walk all the way to Kensington and then back over to this shop.

We took a look at the menu and a gentleman was walking out with a package. We had noticed that folks in this area and Kensington seemed to be rather friendly, greeting us as we passed, some coming over to pet JJ. The gentleman said "you'll like this place; I drop by four or five times a week!"

So, we took a look at the menu.

Which we put in the category of a neighborhood coffee and sandwich shop. And there seemed to be a cute little patio in the back.

We also noted that the place opens at 7am, so we made a note to return when we took JJ "exploring" which was a few days later.

Dos Palmas Cafe is a cozy little shop, there was only one woman working when we arrived. The Missus ordered a Pour Over, I got an Americano and we also got two sandwiches and proceeded to take JJ to the quaint back patio.

I expected things to take a while since it was just one person working but our Avocado Toast ($10.75) with Bacon (+$2) and Truffle Grilled Cheese ($11.50) was ready fairly quickly.

There was a generous amount of tender, buttery avocado on the nicely toasted bread.

The bacon, which added that salty component could have been a bit more crisp, but was fine.

My Truffle Grilled Cheese was nicely toasted.

  Though I really couldn't make out truffle. This was bit too much for me in terms of cheese....yes, I know, it's a grilled cheese, but this really needed more than rich-milkiness. The tomatoes weren't ripe enough to add the sweet acidity to help cut the richness and there wasn't enough onion to add pungency. If you just want gooey cheese-land, this might work for you.

The Missus didn't care for Her pour-over, but I thought my Americano was fine. We did like the patio, the woman working was so nice, and of course, JJ enjoyed himself.

So, we decided to return. We'd take JJ for a nice walk in the neighborhood, do some shopping at Stehly Farms, the Missus would pick up a Cortado from Bica and I'd get my coffee and order a sandwich from Dos Palmas.

This time I went with the Turkey Pesto ($12.75).

  This was a pretty good sandwich; nothing fancy mind you, the turkey was totally Sysco stuff; but the bread was nicely toasted and held out well. The herbaceous-savory-nutty pesto, the sweetness of the roasted red peppers, the bitterness of the greens, the creamy, slightly sweet avocado all worked well together. And this was enough for both the Missus and I for a light brunch. I think we'll go ahead and add the bacon for an upcharge next time.

I've mentioned "threads in the fabric of a neighborhood" in previous posts; you know, the corner bakery, coffee shop, and yes, the neighborhood sandwich purveyor. I think we just found this area's "sandwich - coffee shop". 

Decent prices, decent food.....

And it seems that JJ was "praying" for more treats here.....

Dos Palmas Cafe
3562 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116
Current Hours:
Daily 7am - 2pm