Tiny Carmel packed with Goodness
Some people come to look at the most stunning ocean views in Carmel, which I did, but then I found the bakery. Carmel Bakery has been baking breads and desserts for over 100 years in the village of Carmel-by-the-Sea. I bought a freshly made pretzel for the road and a slice of raspberry layered Napoleon....
Rustic Dining in Old Fashion Settings
Pull off hwy 101 in Nipomo (near Santa Maria) and on a side street is the legendary Jocko’s Steakhouse. Old time dining which is more about the food than the ambiance. Aubrey cooked all the meats and chicken to perfection over red oak and flare ups didn’t interfere with his timing of flipping and searing....
A Drive to the Los Angeles area for lunch and cherry pie
Let’s drive to Carmel and see the Big Sur area, I said, but certain stops along the route are a must. First stop was for Vietnamese food in Orange County. I had heard the food was very good in Little Saigon, near Westminister, but narrowing down the choices was difficult. In my constant search for...
Old San Diego with the New Rising Up
Oh how much my native San Diego has changed in downtown with new high rise structures in front of old buildings. Whenever I travel people always say how they love to visit our city. So I say to my local friends, get out there and experience it and don’t take it for granted. I soaked...
The Creative Sweets of the Holidays
Time for the holidays with food and decor. One of our favorites is the elaborate Holiday Chocolate Display at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad. It has become a traditional event for us and this year’s “Santa’s Workshop Emporium” is incredible. To create this masterpiece, Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Rull brought together a few teammates...
The Wine Artist-team building in Irvine
When my International Food, Wine and Travel Writers held their annual regional meeting in Irvine, I hopped the train from San Diego for a fun filled day. Little did I know, our host MJ Hong, owner of The Wine Artist, had cooked up an adventurous afternoon of New Orleans food including hot beignets. This peeked...
Barcelona, full of color and tapas
Make sure to look at the street lights, said the narrator on the Hop on Hop off bus along Las Ramblas street in Barcelona, so I did. Next, make sure to visit the market, so I did and wow so colorful! The man selling Jamon hams was an expert slicing samples with his large knife....
Valencia, Spain for Paella
In Valencia, Spain, Paella is very serious cooking. I found a local restaurant to try for authentic paella and asked a Valencia tourist information officer his opinion. He took a good long look at the pictures of cooked paella at Alqueria del Pou restaurant and deemed it the real deal! We started with a pitcher...
Palma de Mallorca History and Chocolate
Palma de Mallorca, Spain is a beautiful seaside town and rich in history. Father Junipero Serra grew up here and left on his journey to start the missions in California and is remembered with his statue. Being from San Diego, I’m familiar with his legacy. One thing I remembered about Spain from a previous trip,...
Nice, France and the Lovely Promenade
The elegance of Nice, France. People strolled through the streets while walking the dog and appeared to be part of an artist’s canvas. I found this shop which captivated me with special sugars for crepes, flavored salts, dried potpourri and many lovely items I just couldn’t live without. How I wish there was a Girofle...
Wine Tasting in Wonderful Tuscany
The weather was perfect for wine tasting in Tuscany in the foothills of Pisa, Italy. On the way there in the motor coach, our tour guide explained the minerals and sea breezes make for some very good wines in this region. This was my opportunity to taste Sangiovese wine since I usually drink California Cab...
