Tragic Sandwich

Category: Travel

  • Beach Blanket Baguette, Part 2

    So, what did we eat during our trip to Santa Barbara? Well, Baguette ate her usual array of dried fruits, Kix, and Wheat Thins, plus whatever seemed appealing from our plates. Our Motel 6 turned out to be very conveniently located; a host of restaurant options are found nearby. Our first meal was at Denny’s, largely to provide a grouchy, sick-of-the-car Baguette with an easy setting. After that, though, we avoided national chains (well, we did make daily trips to the corner 7-11 for milk) for local spots.

    On Sunday morning, Max’s Restaurant provided me with an excellent omelet, and all I had to do was cross the street. And while I’m not generally a fan of homestyle potatoes, these were excellent. I stopped in at Vices & Spices for a latte–great name, cute shop, good service, weak latte. Apparently their chai tea lattes are good; I’d have ordered that if I’d read the reviews first. An early dinner next door at Madam Lu featured chicken with black bean sauce and chicken chow fun–both fairly basic (although the black bean sauce had a bit of a kick to it) but tasty. As it turns out, Baguette was just fine with a bit of a kick to her black bean sauce.

    On Monday we walked half a block to Farmer Boy, where I rediscovered my mixed feelings about buckwheat pancakes. However, this is exactly the kind of local place we like–the patrons clearly are regulars, but everyone was very welcoming. We liked it so much we went back on Wednesday. Lunch came from the touristy but still worthwhile Pea Soup Anderson’s in Buellton. While the pea soup is vegetarian, the Monte Cristo was not. Neither was the vanilla milk shake, which seemed to be a glass full of soft-serve ice cream–decadent, but tasty. We spent the evening with cousins who live in the area, where we had delightful conversation and a delicious Indonesian dish featuring chicken in peanut sauce served with shrimp and rice. Their dog was a big hit with Baguette; naturally, she called him “Wicket” all evening, and was much better at remembering the meaning of “gentle” than she is with the actual Wicket.

    One day later and half a block in the other direction, Jeannine’s Bakery provided us with a breakfast of salmon hash and ham-and-swiss frittata. The coffee was great, and I wanted to eat every pastry in sight–they all looked amazing. For dinner, we did eat at one other chain; after our trip to the beach, we were hungry in a way that only a burger from The Habit could satisfy.

    We had thought we’d try to find some Santa Maria-style bar-b-que, since we weren’t that far from Santa Maria. Although nothing from that particular specialty emerged, we did stop by Killer B’s for pulled pork, brisket, and chicken. Our verdict? Food B+; Service C. Late that evening, Rusty’s Pizza Parlor provided us with the casual, customized meal we were looking for (I like thin crusts; Mr. Sandwich prefers pan pizza), complete with a back room illustrated by Frank Webb. If you don’t know who Frank Webb was, he’s the guy who published step-by-step drawings of faces based on letters of the alphabet–and created the original concept drawings of Disney’s Goofy.

    On Thursday morning, we consulted Yelp and made our way to Garrett’s Old Fashion Restaurant. As advertised, the blueberry pancakes were excellent, and so was the service. We sat outside, to minimize the effects of a mercurial 15-month-old on other patrons, and our waiter made us feel like the most important table he was serving. That evening we joined friends at The Brewhouse, a local brewery and restaurant. I had an apricot wheat ale, and Mr. Sandwich and I each ordered wiener schnitzel. It turned out to be crispy, tender, and flavorful–and Baguette spent much of the evening working on her own piece (when she wasn’t petting the gentle pit bull she insisted on calling “Wicket.”)

    Friday morning found us at Cody’s Cafe in Goleta, where the pork chili verde omelet is excellent. Even Baguette liked the slightly spicy salsa verde in which the meat had been simmered; I’m going to have to try this at home. For dinner, we had Santa Maria-style tri-tip at Woody’s; this visit pretty much convinced me that I’m underwhelmed by tri-tip. It just doesn’t seem to be a cut with much flavor, and I like beef to have flavor. Call me crazy.

    We wrapped up our trip with one more breakfast at Farmer Boy, followed by a chicken gyro at the Santa Barbara Greek Festival. My conclusion: the chicken gyro was just fine, although not as good as a regular gyro. On the other hand, the line was a lot shorter. So I figure we came out ahead.

    On the whole, food in Santa Barbara is worth stopping for. There are a lot of options beyond the usual fast food restaurants–and that’s good, because (a) fast food restaurants are kind of boring, and (b) they’re also not always that easy to find in Santa Barbara due to regulations on signage. So take your smartphone, and eat up.

  • Beach Blanket Baguette, Part 1

    It’s been a long time since the Sandwiches had a real vacation–and, technically speaking, this was Baguette’s first. Yes, we’ve gone out of town to visit family, but we’ve also stayed with them, so there’s been a bit of a safety net. After some discussion (consisting in early stages of “Hey, did you want to go somewhere this summer?”) and some rudimentary budgeting (consisting largely of “It costs how much to fly to Kauai this year?”), we settled on Santa Barbara.

    Next up: Where to stay. Unfortunately, the condos in our price range were not available in our date range, which meant that we needed to find a hotel. Motel 6 to the rescue! I’ve never stayed in a Microtel, but this is what I’ve imagined those are like: tiny, with the basics (although this room does have a surprisingly large bathroom, all things considered). But it’s clean and mostly in our price range, so here we are. And on the whole, it’s been a good base of operations. So what have we done from this base?

    The Santa Barbara Zoo is just off the 101, close to the ocean, and home to the first capybara I’ve ever seen. Unless you count the ROUSes from The Princess Bride, of course.

    Bridlewood Estate Winery features not just a few racehorses, but also one of the few chardonnays I’ve actually enjoyed. I’m not a big wine drinker (or drinker of anything, really, other than water), and I don’t tend to like wines that are too dry. This one wasn’t, so I bought three bottles. Baguette of course drinks no wine at all, and she’s a little afraid of racehorses, but that didn’t stop her from calling out “Wicket!” in an attempt to get their attention. (On this trip, we learned that Baguette thinks all animals–and some humans–are her dog.)

    One late afternoon, we went to Hendry’s Beach (that’s the local name–the “real” name is Arroyo Burro Beach). This is Santa Barbara’s dog beach, and there were dogs as far as the eye could see. Baguette wanted to run after each one of them, but was easily distracted by the ocean–she loved the waves and the sand, and had a wonderful time on Baby’s First Beach Trip.

    At the heart of town, Stearns Wharf is home to the Ty Warner Sea Center, where Baguette touched a shark and was delighted to find any number of fish, sea stars, and otters which are apparently named “Wicket.”

    Mr. Sandwich and I found the dioramas of elk, bears, birds, and newts at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to be delightfully old-school–although upon reflection we realized that neither of us has been in a natural history museum since perhaps the early 1980s, with the result that we don’t have the slightest sense of what is new-fangled in this field. It’s possible that the process of reinterpretation has passed right by this subset of museum management, and it’s also possible that modernity has passed us by, since I actually said “new-fangled” out loud today.

    Santa Barbara is home to two wading pools; we went to the one at West Beach. Since Baguette loves the pool (a recent discovery that has helped us conquer her fear and loathing of all things bath), we thought that an 18-inch-deep one might be just her speed. She had a wonderful time, although her big discovery was the tiny shower (a place to rinse feet, for those of us taller than an elf). One can only speculate about possible changes to her opinion of normal-sized showers.

    For a change of scene, we spent a couple of late-afternoon hours at Shoreline Park, stretched along the clifftop overlooking the ocean. You know you’re in an upscale park when people are grilling not hot dogs, but lobster. Speaking of lobster, you’d think by now I’d know enough to put on sunblock. Apparently I spent so much time worrying about whether I’d applied enough to Baguette that I neglected to remember that even the English think I’m pale. Now I have an odd assortment of gradated tan lines along my arms, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to peel soon.

    Fortunately for my sunburn, our last activity (on the way out of town) was the Santa Barbara Greek Festival in Oak Park. Oak Park is very shady, with lots of trees–it is aptly named. We thought the festival sounded like fun, and we were pretty sure Baguette would enjoy it. She loves music and dancing, and we were pretty sure a Greek festival would offer her that entertainment. And indeed it did! She just has no idea she was there, because she fell asleep and stayed out the entire time we were there. But while she missed the festival, she also stayed asleep for nearly the entire drive home. And much as we enjoyed our vacation, it is good to be home.

  • Another New Theme

    Much as I love the beach, and beach vacations (which surprises even me), I wasn’t loving that theme. Maybe this one will stick.

    So why am I surprised that I love the beach and beach vacations? After all, what Pere Sandwich says about the beach is true: it can make you sandy, salty, and sore. Beyond that, I am pale. Seriously, I have had English people tell me I’m pale. And if you think I’m pale, you should see Baguette.

    Well, in spite of the grit of salt and sand, and my propensity to sunburn, I’ve discovered that the beach actually is relaxing. And for those of you who think that you don’t have “beach-worthy” bodies. I say this: the beach is not looking at you. And if someone is looking at you and you’re the worst thing they’ve ever seen, well, then, that person lacks real issues in his or her life. Because most of us look normal, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

    So kick back, lay out, splash around, and have a good time. After all, that’s what really makes you look great.

  • Vacation Plans

    We don’t have any yet, but we’re starting to make some. We’re thinking about going somewhere that:

    –Is a short driving distance from home
    –Has child-friendly (and possibly pet-friendly) lodging and attractions
    –Is a good base for short day trips
    –Has affordable (but varied and tasty) dining options

    Any suggestions? If you were the Sandwiches, where would you go?

  • Bill’s Cafe

    If you’re in San Jose and wondering where to have breakfast, you might want to drop in at Bill’s Cafe. Located in the charming (and expensive) neighborhood of Willow Glen, Bill’s offers up the basics and beyond.

    Our table wound up with oatmeal, pancakes and eggs, and corned beef hash. I ordered the Eggs Cordon Bleu, a twist on Eggs Benedict with ham, Swiss cheese, scrambled eggs, and Hollandaise sauce, all served on a croissant. That was agreed to be the standout (lucky me!). And the coffee and fresh-squeezed juice were good, too.

    But there were any number of omelettes, skillet breakfasts, and scrambles that I’d be delighted to try. It’s probably a good thing I don’t live in San Jose.

  • Beach-tastic

    When Mr. Sandwich and I were planning our honeymoon, I was assigned to a stressful project at work. I told him, “I’ve never really wanted the traditional beach vacation, but I really want a beach vacation. And I don’t want to cross the street to get to the beach, or take the elevator down 10 floors to get to the beach. I want to walk out the door of my room onto the beach.”

    We didn’t manage to swing that for the honeymoon (although we found a great place by the beach, and liked it so much that we’ve gone back twice since), but we did stumble into that dream vacation. Some friends rent a place on the beach for a week every summer, and a couple of years ago, they invited us to join them. Imagine my delight when we found that the rental not only had a balcony that overlooked the beach, but that there wasn’t even a concrete path between the door and the sand.

    So what’s your dream vacation?

  • Assorted Thoughts

    This is a weekend of dinners with friends. One was here (love the potlucks–even with a small group, it halves the work) and one is out (love eating at someone else’s house–it removes the work). Last night’s meal: steak and fusilli tossed with spinach, olives, and grilled asparagus. Oh, and a cupcake array from Dots in Pasadena. Let me tell you, those are some good cupcakes.

    Our dog hates her car carrier. I think we’ll replace it with a dog booster seat that will let her see what’s going on and won’t make her feel confined. Just typing “dog booster seat” feels a little ridiculous, though. I started small, by buying her a harness to keep her safely in the booster seat. She seems to like it; I hope it fits right.

    People keep telling me that I don’t look that big. That’s nice, but let me tell you, I feel tremendously pregnant. Changing positions has become a surprisingly difficult undertaking. Thank goodness our couch is so comfortable, since that’s where I’m spending an awful lot of my days lately!

    And it has turned out to be a really gorgeous day in the San Fernando Valley.

  • The Sandwiches Eat Food on Kauai

    One of the benefits of vacationing in a condo is that you have a kitchen. While I don’t harbor much interest in cooking while on vacation, I’m perfectly happy to buy bagels at the local Costco, and yogurt, hot dogs, and other items at my favorite markets in Koloa: Big Save and Sueoka’s. I even bought a T-shirt at Sueoka’s, as if it were a concert and not a grocery store.

    But we didn’t eat every meal in the condo, and naturally we made a point of visiting some old favorites. Upon arrival we had plate lunches at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, and when dinner arrived it was time for calzones at Pizzetta. One evening we had a lavish and delightful meal at Plantation Gardens, which has become a Kauai tradition for us.

    On Friday, after snorkeling at Anini Beach but before leaving for Ha’ena and Tunnels Beaches, we paused for a bite at the Anini Beach Lunch Shak. It isn’t really a Shak, or even a Shack; it’s a lunch truck, serving a variety of tacos and burritos. I went for the fish tacos, and Mr. Sandwich had a kalua pig burrito. (This does not involve an entire pig, at least not at the time that you’re eating it.) Everything was good, but a little bland; the addition of the truly excellent salsa made it quite tasty. Dinner was actually breakfast-for-dinner at Lihue’s Oki Diner, which touts its pancakes and offers a variety of syrups (I opted for coconut). Verdict? Okay, but not amazing. I think their main strength is that they are open 22 hours on an island where most restaurants seem to close at 3 p.m. Our visit must have come at their slow time, because we were the only patrons, and we didn’t stay anywhere near 22 hours.

    Alas, the Camp House Grill in Kalaheo is closed, which means no more of their delicious pies. However, across the street is the Ohana Cafe, which makes excellent burgers, fries, and saimin. Note: a small bowl of saimin here is a meal, but we were really hungry. Then, by the end of our visit, we were really full. However, I did take home a slice of their ola pie, which is a Fig Newton crust filled with banana ice cream, peanut butter, and chocolate. Even lasting for two days, it was a little overwhelming–tasty, but with a lot going on. The answer, I think, is to concentrate on the main course, which they do really well; their menu is limited, but focused.

    Duane’s Ono Char Burger in Anahola is an institution. I opted for the teriyaki burger and a marionberry shake. I have no idea what a marionberry is, but I do know that it makes a great shake. The burgers were messy but good, and the fries were amazing.

    We had still more burgers at Kalapaki Beach Hut in Lihue. From the top deck you can see part of the bay at Lihue. You can also feed french fries to birds, although we probably weren’t supposed to do that. My conclusion is that, overall, Kauai is a good place for burgers. Especially teri burgers. I think I’m in love with them.

    Our last meal in Hawaii was at the Olympic Cafe. It’s open after 3, and we were in the middle of the aforementioned deluge. Service wasn’t fast, but it was friendly, and our meals (kalua pig burrito, kalua pig sandwich) were tasty and enormous. The result was that the restaurant was a nice place to while away both a rainstorm and a few hours before our flight–and we had a great view of the weirdly brown ocean.

    We also tried malasadas, a Portuguese donut (more spherical, no hole) at two locations: Hanalima Bakery and the Kauai Coffee visitor center. Both were good, but we determined that the best malasadas we had were on our last trip, at a stand outside the K-Mart. The secret? They were fresh, which takes a malasada from good to delectable.

    On the whole, we ate well. A little too well, I fear. But that’s vacation for you.

  • The Sandwiches Have Adventures on Kauai

    Why, yes, we have been on the island of Kauai. And it’s been a great week. So great that it cannot be confined to one post. Or it could, but it would be a very long post, and who wants to read that? No one, that’s who. Whom. Whatever. So let’s start with the exciting stuff and later move on to food.

    We arrived late Thursday morning and checked into our condo at the Prince Kuhio Resort in Poipu, on the south shore of the island. This is where we’ve stayed on each of our three Kauai trips; many of the units fit nicely within our budget, and the large studio has a kitchen–meaning we can have bagels and the like on hand for breakfast. But I digress into food.

    Friday we drove to the north shore for some snorkeling. Our first stop was at Anini Beach, which had looked promisingly calm two years ago. This time it wasn’t as calm, and the snorkeling wasn’t all that interesting. So we headed a little further west to find ourselves at Ha’ena Beach Park, which has poor snorkeling but quite a bit of parking. Adjacent to Ha’ena Beach Park is Tunnels Beach, where the snorkeling was fantastic. We had a great time splashing around the reef, where I saw what I swear is the girliest fish I’ve ever seen–white near the head, becoming pink toward the tail, and what appeared to be eyeshadow and mascara. In fact, I was struck by how much fish look like cartoons of fish.

    Saturday found us renting bikes and heading through Poipu and down a cane road to Mahaulepu Beach, where we found fishermen and several families camping. The sea was rough due to a surge from the south, but I only got scraped up a little on the rocks. This was a repeat outing; we made the same trip two years ago and enjoyed it both times.

    On Sunday we had what was, inarguably, The Best Time Ever. And what was that? Why, it was the Waterfall ATV Tour offered by Kipu Ranch Adventures. The guides provided simple instructions and sent everyone in practice loops around the yard, and then we were off, riding across one of the island’s historic land grants. After a stop to talk about the history of the ranch and its appearance in any number of Hollywood blockbusters (Jurassic Park, Outbreak, Six Days and Seven Nights, Mighty Joe Young, etc.), we drove along an earthen dam, between tree-lined berms, and down a steep hill–where we paused again for instruction on descents and how to navigate trenches. Both of us were new to ATVs, and found that the instructions and demonstrations increased our safety and comfort. After any number of scenic views, we found ourselves on the bank of the river where Indiana Jones escaped from the Hovitos via vine and seaplane in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Naturally, we made several of our own leaps into the river. From there it was back to the trails, with stops for lunch and a waterfall swim. The entire thing was a rattling good time, and although my arms and shoulders were sore from steering the ATV, it really was an amazing way to see a fairly secluded part of the island.

    Monday meant that it was time to go back to the north shore for kayaking on the Hanalei River. The river winds through taro fields that, as it turns out, you can’t really see from your kayak–but we did see a freshwater turtle and a lot of traps that we can only assume were for fish. Once we reached the most navigable point on our inland journey, we turned around and headed for the point where the river meets the sea. There we beached on a sandbar and splashed around in the warm, calm waters of Hanalei Bay.

    We weren’t done with the north shore; the snorkeling at Tunnels was so good that we went back for more on Tuesday. We saw an enormous variety of fish, but the highlights were definitely the leopard eel, and the sea turtle hunting for lunch.

    Wednesday meant that it was time for another ATV ride–we went back to Kipu Ranch, this time for the Ranch Tour. This time the trails were a bit more advanced, and we headed up to the pass to Kipu Kai–a secluded set of beaches on the ocean side of the mountain range that divides the ranch. The views were unparalleled–and, due to the seclusion of the locale, rare even for locals.

    Alas, all trips must come to an end. With a redeye ahead of us, we spent Thursday driving westward, with a variety of stops, including the Waimea swinging bridge and Kauai Coffee. We learned that a flash-flood warning had closed the road to Hanalei, and decided that we should make our way back to the east shore, where the airport is. Sure enough, we found ourselves in a deluge that cut power to the Internet cafe in which we had taken refuge. That sent us back on the road, where we passed more time in Kapaa before reluctantly turning in our rental car. Let me tell you, Kauai knows how to have a storm. There was so much runoff from the rivers that right now the ocean is coffee-colored almost all the way to the horizon.

    Hmm. This is still a ridiculously long post. Good thing I saved the food news for later.

  • Feasting in Chicago

    A week ago, Mr. Sandwich and I headed out for a long weekend in Chicago. As it turned out, getting there felt longer than the weekend. Why? Because there were tremendous thunderstorms in Chicago, leading to a series of ground stops and, for us, an ELEVEN HOUR LAYOVER in Phoenix.

    But we finally made it to O’Hare, and, at 3 a.m., to our hotel room. After a late breakfast at the Silver Stallion (sounds like a strip club, but actually home to very nice breakfasts), we spent Saturday evening and much of Sunday with family (the purpose for our trip was a 50th anniversary party, which was a terrific event). And then Sunday evening we drove into Chicago itself to have dinner at the Chicago Chop House. Dark, wood-paneled, lined with photos from the city’s history (we ate under the gaze of Ada and Minna Everleigh, Chicago’s most famous madams)–the Chop House had just the atmosphere we were looking for. It also had just the steaks we were looking for. The evening was a tremendous splurge, but the dry-aged New York Strip was worth it–as were the Four Cheese Potatoes Au Gratin and the Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce.

    One might think that such a meal would be more than enough for one evening, and one would be right (indeed, I was not interested in more food until about 2 p.m. the next day). But thanks to Facebook, I had discovered that one of my grad school friends, now living in Philadelphia, was also in town. So four of us met in downtown Chicago and walked up the Magnificent Mile to spend some time catching up at the Ghiradelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop. A tip: the Decadent Drinking Chocolate is aptly named. While we were sitting, I looked through the front window to see that across the street is Hershey’s Chicago. I wonder if sometimes the competition gets too fierce, leading to a chocolate rumble.

    The next day, we took the L (El? “El”? So many options) into the city so that we could board the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s excellent river cruise (hint: wear sunscreen–a week later, I’m still burned between the knee and the hem of my shorts). From there, we headed south through the downtown and then west past the soon-to-be-renamed Sears Tower to Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant. This Chicago institution is open for breakfast and lunch, with great skillet egg dishes and donut holes. It’s also the starting point for historic Route 66.

    That evening we met another friend and her children (the younger is my goddaughter) at Nancy’s Pizza in the suburb of Niles. The deep-dish Hawaiian pizza was excellent, and if I’d had a way to eat the leftovers, I’d have taken them. But we were scheduled on an early morning flight back to L.A., so we sent them home with our dinner companions instead.

    So we met our goals: spending lots of time with family and friends, touring the city, and eating iconic local meals. However, even though it was directly across the street from our hotel, we did not get to eat at Mr. Pup. Maybe next time.

    And now, for your viewing pleasure, a few photos in no particular order: