The super-rich, spiced mocha espresso “Abuelita Chocolate Tart” could last weeks on end. Our tummies were more than full, but we couldn’t resist the cinnamon “churros in a cloud.” A glass dome was lifted dramatically to reveal two dipping sauces, chocolate and dulce de leche. We enjoyed a glass of the Wolff Pinot Noir (I’m a longtime fan of that low-key winery) and one of the Daou Cabernet (always love visiting that winery for the Daou brothers, stellar views, and tasty cabs). We also shared the lobster – split and easy to eat my friend raved about the braised short rib ancho demi-glaze but my favorite dish was the llano seco bone in pork loin in an apple mezcal butter. We started with Kumamoto oysters from Baja, a tasty Baja caesar salad big enough to share, garlicky papa brava (small potatoes) and cauliflower fritta. The owner of a highly recommended Mexican restaurant in town, El Mirador, was in Mexico on vacation, but my traveling companion and I had a tasty dinner at the hotel’s restaurant – Pequin Coastal Cocina. Pequin Coastal Cocina Executive Chef Alex Aviles I liked the $40 “Pray for Surf” and other cool T-shirts, knit beanies, et cetera and – cowabunga! – assumably awesome surfboards. I will have to make a return visit to research! I discovered a trendy, cool surf shop with a super-friendly staff (to the older generation) called Esteem. I can’t remember if my friend “the pizza king” recommended Gino’s or Giuseppe’s for pizza. The town still has a bit of a funky side to it: Everyone recommends the bowling alley (Pismo Arcade) and Harry’s Bar (a loud cry from Harry Cipriani’s in Venice/Rome/New York) for live rock and roll or country music. Or cute little ones, such as 4-year-old Jackson, traveling with his single dad visiting from Boston on holiday, who “wanted to go home.” Don’t be surprised to see sand and Pacific Ocean water on the elevator floor – or passels of young kids especially hormonal (surf-age boys 12-17) when the elevator door opens. The 4-year-old Vespera Resort (part of the Marriott Autograph Collection) is perfect for a family getaway, especially if you have teenage grommets who’ve got the surf bug. That seems to be changing… case in point: Popular with families – and a lot of folks from California’s Central Valley – Pismo has been an affordable family vacation destination with a beautiful beach, a great pier, beachside strolling path, and tawdry gift shops. These days clams for the chowder come from Mexico, but the mighty clam is on the rebound. Pismo Beach has a long-held reputation as the clam capital of the Central Coast. No Clams in Pismo – And a Whole Lotta Gentrification Going On… The Vespera Resort offers views of the coast, a close by boardwalk, and is dog-friendly Or eaten at Bell’s, Pico, Full of Life Flatbread, Bob’s Well Bread, or Norman at the Skyview Hotel, which all have bathrooms for their customers. Maybe we should have picnicked at the 51-acre Los Alamos County Park in Drum Canyon, referred to as one of the town’s “hidden treasures.” The park website notes there are restrooms. A sweet staff member reluctantly gave me the code to the bathroom in my moment of need. This park needs a restroom – expressing my interest in skipping to a loo to a local named Don who was walking his dog he suggested I go across the street to a winery tasting room. As luck would have it, turned out that the pocket park with two picnic tables didn’t have a public restroom. The town was relatively quiet on the late-January Saturday afternoon I was there, while Los Olivos was jumping and jammed. We stopped at a little pocket park that I remembered from the kick ass Sunset Magazine / Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley benefit dinner that I attended in early November of last year, making it a quick and easy stop. Los Alamos – Build a Public Restroom… And Watch Your P’s and Q’s.įirst stop, Los Alamos for gas and a little picnic I’d packed for our easy jaunt up to Pismo Beach. Tourism was evident (but not too crazy) and staffing issues are still difficult in the hospitality trade. Our Central Coast hills, highways, and byways were verdant after the rains, making it hard to believe it’s still winter. After the deluge, I took a quick, much-needed weekend jaunt up the coast.
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