Cambria Crushes it with a Laid-back Vibe and Tasty Cuisine

When asked about the past weekend and a trip to Cambria I was surprised how many people had heard about Hearst Castle (it's nearby) but never ventured for a visit to this charming, coastal town. I expected the usual: beautiful scenery and ocean breezes (so romantic!) but the cuisine and coffee were the things that really surprised this traveler (ok, really more of a day-tripper.)

Hearst Castle: it's a must. We took the 45 minute tour and then walked around to check out the views, art sculptures and pool. Yes, it's a bit tourist-y but fun to take in a bit of history amid the grandeur.

All that walking worked up appetites so we headed to dinner at The Black Cat. It's hard for me to convey how much I really loved this restaurant except to say we ate here both nights during our stay. The Black Cat serves "innovative fresh farm fare" which translates to almost everything on the menu is superb (the opinion of Funfeasts, of course!) Here's our menu for two nights:

Starters

• Fried olives - enough said!

• Pork belly with gigante beans.

• Black bean soup (who knew black bean soup could be THAT good?)

• Cauliflower gratin. This was definitely overkill but I couldn't resist.

Entrees

• Rib eye with black quinoia (drizzled with a ginger-scented sauce.)

• Duck, risotto and bok choy (overall my favorite dish.)

• Pesto pasta and prawns (this one disappeared really fast so no comment.)

Dessert

• Dessert the first night was a salted chocolate pot de creme, good but...

• The sticky toffee pudding and caramel sauce really took the cake (no pun intended) the second night. SO rich and flavorful it was hard to keep spoons from colliding in the bowl.

For breakfast and coffee here are a few options:

• Allocco's Bakery, next to The Black Cat, for housemade cookies and pastries with friendly service.

• Redwood Cafe for breakfast outside on a sunny day.

• Cambria Coffee - Main Street - serves house-roasted blends and items from the French Bakery up the street

Fried olives

Sticky toffee pudding

Should you venture out to a few wineries in Paso Robles, check out Penman Springs Vineyard (loved their Syrah), Sculpterra with amazing gardens and the Red Soles Winery. Red Soles was my favorite and most laid-back in atmosphere but there are many places to stop and taste from Cambria to Paso Robles.

Finally, for places to stay, check out the Chamber of Commerce website. We ended up at San Simeon Pines which is a bit retro but easy on the budget and very clean. Plus, the location is perfect for a stroll on the boardwalk and a view of the ocean.

This was a long post but there is a lot to love about Cambria and the surrounding area. Thanks for reading!

Iconic Hearst Castle

Originally published 5/28/14

Glo's Diner on Capitol Hill, Seattle

I love a good breakfast and Glo's Diner really delivered this morning. The 4-egg omelet covered in avocado, salsa and sour cream was made even more perfect with the addition of crisp hash browns nestled alongside. My mom ordered the biscuits and gravy (vegetarian gravy, I believe) which looked equally delicious and filling.

I read through a few sites which mentioned the long wait for a table. Ours was about 40 minutes made much more pleasant due to the warm sunny weather (yes, a bit of a rarity in these parts this time of year) and the Starbucks across the street.

Don't miss Glo's - and be sure to arrive very, very hungry!

Glo's Diner

1621 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98102

(206) 324-2577

http://gloscafe.com/

All my favorites on one menu - yum!

Originally published 4/13/14

Getting Started on My Kitchen Remodel

My favorite spot to relax: the built-in bench in my new kitchen!

When describing my planned kitchen remodel a friend said "you will break down at least once during construction."  I nonchalantly said "no way, I've got this under control." That statement now makes me laugh.

While working from home today I strolled in to the dining area to grab some juice from the still-plugged-in refrigerator.  The contractor mumbled something about the floor being damaged by water so I threw out something like "does that mean we'll need to pull up the cabinets we didn't plan to replace or is there another option?"

The contractor explained that what's visible is a "piecemeal floor".  As in, not really planned and pieced together (hence the map now visible ON the floor itself.)  Oh and damaged by water which means probably unstable long term.

I'm sure this is standard practice but I found this amusing as the demolition started.

It took me about 2 hours to reach the acceptance phase:  this project WILL cost more than I expected and I can't take shortcuts without risking problems down the road.   I drafted and then sent an email to Olga (Cabinets & Beyond, San Mateo) with this message:

Heads up: we might need to put a rush order on more cabinets!

And then I went for a walk around the block (after work of course.)  Breakdown averted for that day.

Cabinets and Beyond

San Mateo

Range hood

Vent-a-hood

Pricey but quiet.  "It won't sound like a jet engine in your kitchen when it's running". 

Manufactured in Texas, took 6 weeks to deliver and it arrived intact. Note: the hood is very quiet when it's on the low setting. No complaints!