Review - Bakery - Carlock's Bakery (Los Osos)

I finally got in to visit Carlock's Bakery in Los Osos and purchased a grab-bag of items to test out. My favorite was the maple thumbprint cookie (at 1:00 in the picture). I will definitely return for those if I am in the neighborhood. This family-owned bakery is always crowded and people visit when they come to town. There is a great bookstore next door, which is why I was there to begin with, and I will return there as well.

Follow-up: I heard that this bakery is no longer owned by the Carlock family, and that the last time someone visited they were served by a whole new batch of people. I hope they can match the success of the Carlock family, especially since I believe they will be keeping the name. Today I went by and, indeed, there was a whole new batch of folks working there. I ordered my favorite, the maple thumbprint cookie, and it was good. The cookie seemed a bit less crisp than in the past, but it tasted good. There were several people there, and they all seemed happy with the service and quality of the items they ordered. I hope the quality will continue, especially because I saw a listing for a baker in Los Osos on Craigslist today!!

2010 Seaside Highland Games in Ventura

I know this is not in Morro Bay, but this is apparently the closest that any Highland Games will get to Morro Bay!! I drove about two and a half hours down to Ventura last weekend to attend the 2010 Seaside Highland Games. I expected it to be similar to a Renaissance Faire, but it was a lot more serious, no play-acting that I saw. Serious people in serious plaid!! I lost count of how many men were wearing kilts, mostly plaid but some solid and more utilitarian. And I have to say I was pleased not to be surrounded by people joking about what is under a man's kilt!!

Their advertising promised "large men throwing heavy things", and they didn't disappoint. I watched the "pitching the sheaf" competition where large men (and smaller ladies) pitched a burlap-covered sack with a pitchfork up and over a high bar. The winner of the men's competition (Andrew Hobson) is known nationally and almost broke his personal record of 32 feet 6 inches!! He is a handsome 250-pound, 6 foot 4-inch tall Irish-Navajo from Arizona who teaches art as his "real" job!!

Andrew Hobson

Dancing, folk music groups, and pipe bands abounded. They were out and about practicing and competing all day. I witnessed the amazing Closing Ceremonies where ten pipe bands (known as the "Mass Bands") paraded into the arena and played some songs together.


There were two great tribal Celtic rock bands performing throughout the day on an outdoor stage. I loved that they used a didgeridoo and lots of drums to create that sonorous tribal beat. After most people went home there was a "jam" where they were all to play together on the stage. However, due to my long drive home, I left before that started.

BROTHER

Next time I will watch the loud demonstration of canons and Gatling guns, but this time I got to see some darling Border Collies do their thing with some sheep in the ring.


I could find only one authentic Scottish food booth, and the line stretched for many yards at lunch time. I tried their Scottish Meat Pie, which was some ground seasoned beef mixed with oats, in a pastry. They offered haggis, but I don't think I am ready for that yet!!


I brought my genealogy, which included three Scottish names, and attended the genealogy workshop. The teacher is a renowned genealogist whose specialty is Scottish ancestry. She also heads up several "Family Tree DNA" groups, and encouraged all the men in the room to submit their DNA for inclusion to the growing database. They are finding that you can verify which line you are from using the "Y" chromosome DNA and comparing it to the known samples in the database. If you have already tested with the "National Geographic" DNA project, you can add those test results to the "Family Tree DNA" database for free, but that only covers 12 points. You get a better comparison if you submit more points with "Family Tree DNA". I was disappointed that only one of my Clans had a booth at the Games, but they are not very common names. In fact, one of them does not even have its own clan, but is a "sept" of another one, which means it is under fealty to that name. I am definitely "sparked" now and hope to visit my local genealogy library soon to research some more aspects of my Scottish family names.

Alice M. Fairhurst

I definitely plan on returning to these Games next year, and I will plan on a whole day to enjoy the fun!!

Restaurants between Morro Bay and the Bay Area

I drive Highway 101 from San Luis Obispo to the San Francisco Peninsula at least twice a month. Often I get hungry on the road, and so I have stopped at quite a few restaurants along the route.

Linda Taqueria
(Gonzales)

One of my favorite places to stop on this drive is the Linda Taqueria in Gonzales. It is located right off the freeway, in the "Dairy Queen" parking lot. In addition to standard Mexican-American fare, this taqueria also offers some traditional Mexican dishes (including dishes with tongue, head, gut, tripe, and stomach). I ordered a chicken burrito with no salsa or onions. They also sell a variety of Mexican drinks, I bought two of the Jarritos. Their food is affordable, and the chips are great. Their salsa was a bit too spicy for me, though!!

Follow-up, I ordered their standard-sized burrito the next time I went there and it was still humongous, I think I will have to see if they have a child's sized one next time!!



I tried something else the last time I was there, I think it was called a Chimechanga, although I could be wrong. It was deep fried and huge!! Definitely hard to drive while trying to eat this thing!! I think I saw something like a taquito on their picture menu, but they called it a "flauta". Perhaps I will try that next time!!

San Ardo Café
(San Ardo)

San Ardo is a little town on that stretch of 101 with the oil pumps. It is the only town for miles around that has a service station, and it also has only one restaurant, the San Ardo Cafe. This restaurant is a family-run restaurant that also runs a mobile food truck. They are known for their Mexican food, but it was so warm the day I stopped that I ordered a club sandwich. Next time I will try their Mexican food. They told me that I could call ahead when I am on the road and place the order to-go and it will be ready for me when I arrive!! They even gave me a paper copy of their menu so I could keep it in my car. The trouble is that they are only open for breakfast and lunch, and often I am on the road after they close.

The sandwich was nice, fries were crisp and tasty. The turkey was good quality, but I think it might have been processed and smoked. There was some confusion about what came on the club sandwich. I ordered a salad, and it was nice. The blue cheese was a bit vinegary, but on a warm day it hit the spot. There was some confusion about whether their sodas had free refills, turns out they are not free refills. One surprise was a bowl of fantastic chips and salsa!! I couldn't leave until I finished them all. I picked up a Jarritos on my way out the door, and they filled a cup I had with ice for the road. I will definitely be back.

Wild Horse Café
(King City)

The Wild Horse Cafe is right off of Highway 101, just south of King City. I have driven past here for years and only recently was I able to stop for a late lunch. I ordered the special tri-tip sandwich meal deal, with a salad on the side. It came with a drink. They are mainly a truck stop, but there are plenty of other travelers and locals as well. There is a little store for stuff you might need while on the road (e.g. pain relievers and no-doz), as well as a whole case of collectible pins. They offer wifi, but it is not free, you need a credit card. This would be great for the truckers, but these days they should not be charging for customers!! The theme of the restaurant was definitely Western, heads of animals and rifles decorated the walls. They had a TV going, on FoxNews!! I will let you draw your own conclusions. They have a bar, tables, and booths. I won't be coming here again, the two servers were so slow and were watching TV the whole time. A local came in and it was several minutes before they helped him, even though he was trying to get their attention by squeaking his chair!! Even though this restaurant has been in the family for over 30 years, good service is still necessary for repeat customers!!

The salad was good, but the sandwich desperately needed more meat!! I liked that the table has a roll of paper towels so I didn't have to ask for more napkins. I like that they use Hearst Ranch beef, but I wish there was more of it ...

In & Out Burger
(Gilroy)

I stopped at the Gilroy outlets on Leavesley and decided to get a burger for dinner. This chain is always popular, although I don't prefer it. I got a Double Double (double meat, double cheese) meal, which includes fries and a drink. They gave it to me in a "car" box so the fries wouldn't fly all over the car. The burger was good, I ordered it plain because they didn't offer mayonnaise (only their "spread", which is like thousand island dressing). Their french fries are certainly unique, purported to be made from fresh potatoes. I personally don't prefer their texture, although they are probably healthier than other fast food options.



I have to say, also, that I am not wild about their placement of Bible quotations on the bottom of their cups and burger bags (John 3:16 and Nahum 1:7). John 3:16 was familiar to me ("For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."), but I had never heard of Nahum 1:7 ("The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him"). I liked the sentiment of the Nahum quote, although I still don't believe that the Bible should be used a "product placement".

MikoMiko Hawaiian Grill
(San Jose)

I stopped off on Cochrane Rd. in South San Jose for the Staples store for some Katsu Chicken at Ono Hawaiian BBQ but, alas, they are out of business and a new owner has taken over the building. I had a craving for Katsu Chicken so I decided to try some. The owner told me that they have the same menu.

The Katsu sauce is a bit more spicy than I remember, I had to mix it with the Teriyaki sauce to make it palatable. I have to say, though, that this dish is not easy to eat while driving!! In fact, I didn't even eat most of the rice. The dish comes with a scoop of macaroni salad and a scoop of rice. The macaroni salad is not very vinegary, which I like, and I suspect it might be bland like this in order to take the edge off the spicy katsu sauce.

Chicken Katsu, white rice, macaroni salad

Canton Garden
(Gonzales)

Stopped by the Canton Garden in Gonzales to get some finger food for my drive. The egg rolls were fantastic, but the cream cheese wontons were just OK. I might stop here again for some egg rolls and I might try some other finger foods. Priced somewhat high, but if the food is good that's OK.

I stopped once more here, but it was too expensive and disappointing. Also, it was hard to drive and eat Chinese food at the same time!!

Egg Rolls and Cream Cheese Wontons

Wendy's
(Paso Robles)

I stopped in Paso Robles at the Walmart and decided to try out Wendy's. I don't think I have ever eaten at a Wendy's and I see their commercials on TV all the time. I decided to try out their Chicken sandwich meal and a coffee-toffee shake. The chicken sandwich was OK, but their "new and improved" fries with natural cut and sea salt were not very good. Some people might like their fries like this but I prefer them thin and crispy. Also, their special shake was TERRIBLE, and it was quite expensive!! If I find myself at another Wendy's in the future I might order their chicken sandwich, but it will be a la carte and I won't be tempted by their coffee toffee shake in the future.

Jose's Country Kitchen
(Paso Robles)

I was driving home from the Bay Area and was hungry for dinner. I had always wanted to stop at this truck stop, but the time of day was always wrong!! This time I saw the light on as I passed and actually flipped a U-ey onthe 101 to get back to the turn-off. They are relatively new, although the building has been there for a while. There weren't too many folks there at 8:15 pm, but there was one "vagabond" couple, a pair of traveling businessmen, and a local guy came in for take out while I was there.

The salad was good, although the pieces of lettuce were quite large. I happily used both containers of blue cheese dressing. They also do free refills on the sodas.

I had decided to try their home-made chips, but won't again. They were either too done or not done enough. And there was no salt or flavoring on them. The cheeseburger was large and tasted good. I wish it had been a bit more rare, but these days it is hard to find a good juicy hamburger. I will definitely come here again, they have a varied menu and told me I could call ahead with my order from my car!!

Cool Hand Luke's
(Paso Robles)

I attended my work Christmas party here, and was impressed with the quality of their food. The server was attentive and friendly. The only negative was that the restaurant closed really early on a Sunday night and we had to rush through our party.

Their bread was amazing, warm and crusty, with herb butter. I tried not to eat too many rolls, but couldn't resist dipping it in everything.

They serve baked beans as part of the appetizer portion of the dinner. I don't eat these, but my co-workers enjoyed them.

I discovered that they will refill your salad unlimited, so I had croutons on my first round. The pita strips were amazing on the salad from my second round. I will definitely order these for all rounds when I come here again!! Great blue cheese dressing, also.

We had a limited menu (for the party) and I chose Prime Rib with a baked potato. I don't remember ever having prime rib, and it was nice, a bit fatty, but I don't know if that is normal. The potato was great, I got all the "fixin's".

I said yes to the dessert, Bread Pudding, which I had never had before. I enjoyed the flavor, although it seemed a bit burned to my tongue. Don't know if that is what it is supposed to taste like, though. It was sort of like french toast with ice cream and caramel sauce!!

I will definitely come here again when I am meeting up with folks in Paso Robles.

Review - Restaurants - Li'l Hut

My family has come to this cute little walk-up shack outside of the Harbor Hut for decades. There is plenty of outdoor seating, most under a roof, and it is quite casual and good for families. The condiments are on the tables, with the plastic utensils and paper napkins at the pick-up window. You bus your own table into the trash cans.

These chicken strips are the best in town, meaty with not too much batter, and served hot and crispy. There are 5 strips, and they don't offer a half-order like they do for their fish and chips. The french fries are crispy and lightly seasoned, but I wish they would disclose that they are seasoned somewhere on their menu. You could easily split this dish with someone else, the strips are quite filling and I usually can't finish my fries. I need to ask if I can order them without fries next time!! I wish they had a non-coleslaw option for salad, but I would rather have good chicken strips and no salad than bad chicken strips with a salad!!

I will definitely be returning here for chicken strips, but I also wish to try their burgers. My biggest negative is that they only give you one refill on your soda now (12 oz. cup) and that they want to charge you for extra dipping sauces (although they don't always actually charge you). You need to be careful of birds eating your food if you leave it unattended outside. Also, there are no signs posted for NO SMOKING, so people leave the restaurant and light up outside the door, or people are just walking through with a lighted cigarette. The safest place is under the roof if you wish to avoid the smoking.

Best Fish & Chips in Morro Bay??

To honor my two years living in Morro Bay, I began a quest today to find the best Fish & Chips in town. I often get asked by visitors where they can get the best fish and chips. Now, keep in mind that I am not a fish person, can't stand the taste of most fish. This is difficult to explain to people when living in a fishing town!! My goal is to use fish and chips as a segue to other fish. Once a week I will try fish and chips at a different restaurant, starting at the fishing end of the Embarcadero!!

Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant

I began my quest at the Rock end of the Embarcadero. Tognazzini's has a fish market, so I had high hopes for my Fish and Chips. The Fish was "lightly breaded", not the beer batter style I usually see people getting. They looked beautiful, but unfortunately the fish was rather chewy, rubbery really, it even got stuck in my teeth!! The fish was fresh, though, and didn't taste "fishy". The lemon was hidden under the fries, so I didn't even find it until I was done. They offered a little cup of tartar sauce, which I had never tried before today. They also included a little bowl of cole slaw, which I suspect is traditional. They do offer you the option of ordering a side salad instead of the "chips", but thankfully I didn't do this as the "Chips" were fantastic!! I dipped them in the blue cheese dressing I had left over from my salad. I won't be ordering fish and chips here again, but I will remember to order the french fries next time.

The Harbor Hut

So, my second ever fish and chips was disappointing again. I don't know if the technique of frying the fish makes it chewy at the edges, or if it is the breading, but both tries have been a bit chewy. The inside of the fish was more moist and tender, though. I tried some of their cocktail sauce, but it was a bit too spicy. I also tried the lemon, which helped a bit. Their menu version of this dish has 3 pieces of fish, but the waitress was kind enough to give me two and lower the price. Their "chips" were just passable, a bit too potatoey for me, I was happy they brought some ketchup to the table. Also, they forgot the coleslaw, which was listed on the menu. Perhaps she docked me the coleslaw since I had ordered a side salad? I am curious if the Lil' Hut will have the same fish, I will try them next.

Li'l Hut

I wasn't in the mood for fish today, but I wanted to try their fish. I ordered one piece for $2.00, and they said the "chips" I would have gotten were the same as the ones that came with their chicken strips (see the Li'l Hut review to see a picture of their chips). The big, meaty piece of fish is lightly breaded and is served hot and crispy. Their tartar sauce is also good, and if people like a breaded fish and chips, this is the place to come. They have abundant seating outdoors, are good for families, and you can get food to-go if you want.

The Great American Fish Company

These fish and chips were thick and crispy. Unfortunately, like all the fish I have tried so far they are a bit tough at the edges. These are lightly breaded and were just the right size. I ordered the children's/senior's menu size which was just right. It came with typical tartar sauce, some mildly spicy cocktail sauce, and a lemon wedge. The "chips" are crispy and tasty, just a touch of seasoning on them. I didn't even need to dip them in the blue cheese dressing I save just in case!! The side of red cabbage salad, which I tried because I had never seen it offered anywhere else. I expected it to be a bit vinegary, but it was rather sweet. The view at this restaurant is superb, and I would recommend coming here if you don't want to sit outside at the Li'l Hut.

The Coffee Pot

I have been to this restaurant before and was not impressed by the service, but the food was OK. Since I am trying all the fish and chip options, I had to try theirs. I talked with the owner about getting a smaller portion, perhaps a child's size. It got all confused, and I ended up ordering a half-order (4 ounces) and they took a dollar off the price of a full order. The owner told me that Fish and Chips is sort of a standard item around here, and I told him that I had been to another restaurant which used a tempura-style batter, compared to the others I have tried that use breading. Turns out this restaurant serves a tempura or beer batter style fish here!! It was tasty, crispy on the outside and the fish was not chewy, like it is with the breading style. Although the fish was moist, it was a bit mushy, not flaky. Perhaps it was frozen at some time? The fries, however, were nothing to write home about, and I couldn't even eat them with ketchup. They do not bring the salad separately, so by the time I got to the fish and chips the fries were cold and tasteless. I also found it interesting that they only brought me tartar sauce, no cocktail sauce or malt vinegar (although I didn't ask for it). They didn't even have a lemon wedge on the plate. Another weird thing is that they serve pickles with their salad. Bottom line is that I could eat this fish again, but it is not quite what I am looking for.

Bayside Café

I love eating at the Bayside Café, at the Morro Bay State Park Marina. I try to get a seat by the window so I can have a great view. This restaurant is so popular that people come in from out of town just to dine here. I once waited for over an hour on a Friday night to be seated. They serve some basic dishes, such as chicken strips which are pretty good, but they are known for their twists on the standard. They have an interesting clam chowder, and their beer-battered fish and chips have extra herbs in the batter. They offer two sizes, small (3 pieces) and large (5 pieces), but keep in mind their pieces are quite large. Although I enjoyed the herbed-beer-battered preparation, the smaller pieces were a bit tough and the larger pieces tasted more fishy than I prefer. They are flaky and moist, though, so much that the moisture bleeds through the crispy batter on the bottom of the fish. The fries are nothing to write home about, slightly seasoned and made with the skins on. The tartar sauce was good, but I wished that I had more of it!! Bottom line, these are good if you want a variation on the standard beer-bettered fish, and if you prefer a fishy tasting meal.

Flying Dutchman

I know I said I would start at the rock-end of the Embarcadero, but I ended up trying the Flying Dutchman next. They offer a large (5-piece), small (3-piece), and a child's size (2-piece). Since I wasn't very hungry I ordered the child's size, which the waitress said included the same items as the adult sizes. The fish is Alaskan cod and is beer-battered. The batter was crispy, the fish was fresh, moist, and flaky. In fact, the flakes seemed larger than some of the others I have tried. The pieces are smaller than other restaurants, but it was just the right amount. They serve the fish in a basket with some shredded cabbage as a base, a lemon slice, and a cup of tartar sauce. The chips are lightly seasoned and crispy, no need for ketchup unless you let them get cool. Bottom line is that if someone wanted beer-battered fish and chips on the Embarcadero I would send them here, but I am still searching for my preferred fish & chips.

Giovanni's Fish Market & Galley

Since discovering that I prefer the beer-batter style of fish and chips I checked before I ordered these. I was happy that they had a "fish by the piece" option, and I ordered one. They do offer a children's plate with 2 pieces of fish, their regular fish and chips has 5 pieces. The "chips" are from my chicken strips that I ordered for my dinner, just in case I didn't like the fish and chips. I am sure that they give you more french fries than is pictured here. Also, they will substitute coleslaw for the fries if you wish. Their tartar sauce was good, and the fish was crispy, thick, and flaky, only a bit tough and chewy at the edge. These were acceptable, I am still searching. Fries were better when they were hot, and since I got these to-go they were not as hot by the time I got to them.

Hofbrau

This restaurant is known for its roast beef sandwiches, dipped in "au jus" sauce, and I usually get chicken strips here. Today, though, I tried their fish and chips. It was a good thing they were beer-batter style because I forgot to ask before I ordered!! I ordered the child's size meal, which included 1 piece of fish, fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce, a lemon wedge, and a full-sized soda. They also sell fish by the piece, but this option worked out better for my meal. I am so impressed by this fish that I will put it on my "short list" for the best fish and chips in town. The fish was crispy, moist, thick and flaky. No fishy flavor, and it wasn't too greasy. The piece was small enough not to fall apart when dipping in the sauce, which sometimes happens when the size of the fish is a bit too large. The fries are excellent, also, hot and crispy without a need for ketchup!!

Otter Rock Café

I asked about how these are breaded before I ordered. I almost didn't order them because he said they were just floured, no beer batter. However, they weren't breaded with bread crumbs so I decided to order them anyway. They were lightly breaded, pretty thick, moist, and flaky inside. They did lost most of their structure as I attempted to dip them using my hands in the tartar sauce, though. And, while they are the least tough at the edges of the non-beer battered options, they were a bit chewy at the edges. They offered a 3-piece option on the regular menu, and a 1-piece option on the kids menu (which is what I ordered). The tartar sauce was nice, the fish came with a lemon wedge, and they brought some malt vinegar to the table. The chips are slightly seasoned and thick. Unfortunately they were not crispy and I used the ranch dressing from my chicken strips and ketchup with them, not even finishing them. Bottom line is that this style of frying is probably healthier and lighter than the other breaded options in town, but I still prefer the beer-batter style.

The Galley

Sorry about the dark photo, but I dined at The Galley for dinner tonight. I decided to give their fish and chips a try when I heard they were lightly breaded with panko crumbs. They offer a child's size as well as an adult portion. You can order the fish with fries or a salad, but I remembered that they had amazing fries so I ordered my salad on the side. Their fish portions are generous and, although they weren't as tough around the edges as other restaurants, I still find I prefer the "beer batter" option. There was barely enough tartar sauce for the fish, which was moist, flaky, and thick. The pieces held together pretty well, although I did use my fork for some that fell apart. The fries were not as amazing as I remembered, and I didn't like the little flakes of parsley that kept sticking to my lips!! Bottom line, these are darn good fish if you prefer your fish breaded. The service was great and the view was wonderful as the sun set.

I had found 2 great Fish & Chips places but, unfortunately, both restaurants closed down. I am still after a good battered fish and chips, perhaps the new place Rocca's will have my new favorite. They purport to be English Style. I will try them out soon and let you know.

Central Coast Renaissance Festival

I went to this festival last year, the first time I had ever attended a Renaissance Faire, and had such a great time that I decided to go again this year. I spent a year trying to find a pewter tankard that I could drink my mead from, and finally found one (and a pair of pewter goblets as well). That is about as far as my costume went, though.

Lara the Lacemaker

This event is nice and intimate, combining living history with vendors and a variety of shows. Kids would love this, but many of the games cost extra money.


The shows are free and usually involve singers, dancers, musicians, performers, and (the most fun) weapons!!


My favorite is the full-contact jousting, specifically the Queen's Joust, which is the final one of the weekend.


The food options are also varied and popular, the funnel cake line was the longest when I was there. I was a bit put off by the price for the mead I had looked forward to for a year. They charged the same amount but used such a cup half the size of the one they used last year. I will not be purchasing mead next year!! Bring lots of water, it gets warm here and the shade options are few and far between.


I loved how all the festival participants stayed in character, clothing, speech, and manner. The participants are like a family, they all know each other from the other Faires and have a good-natured banter going back and forth!! The Queen is perfect, just the right amount of "regalness" and her dress is beautiful. I got to play mancala with a Scotsman!! I will return here again next year if I am in town, fun was had by all.