Golfing with Grandpa
When I was golfing with my Grandpa on the par 3 course in my grandparents' retirement community this past weekend, I remembered the response my friend Len gave at dinner a few weeks ago, when someone asked him if he played golf. Len's father-in-law immediately replied that Len could hit the ball a ton. Len then clarified:
That's true, but I don't play golf.Unfortunately, not only don't I play golf, I don't hit the ball a ton. Fortunately, neither does Grandpa, and when we're golfing together in Leisure Village, neither of us cares.
Leisure Village Front 9Labels: California, family, vacation
(co)Restaurant of the week
Still haven't finished posting about the L.A. trip. Did I already mention we ate out a LOT?
Yes, I did. Here's another of our notable dining destinations.
Windows on the Water
699 Embarcadero
Morro Bay, CA 93442
+1 805 772-0677
On the second day of our L.A. trip, Serena and I drove up the coast to
Morro Bay, a small town just northwest of
San Luis Obispo, where the 101 meets route 1 (aka Pacific Coast Highway). Morro Bay is known for
Morro Rock, which is one of 9 volcanic plugs that can be found between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. The Rock dominates the ocean view from Morro Bay, and the women at the front desk of our hotel (
La Serena Inn, of course) recommended
Windows on the Water for dinner, because of its view of the Rock.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we realized that it had more than a nice view. Serena had the
Local Sand Dabs "Piccata Style", I had the
Pacific Bouillabaisse, which was absolutely packed with seafood, and we split a half bottle of a Sauvignon Blanc from the
Santa Ynez Valley, just an hour and a half away. Serena's fish was amazing - light and flavorful but not fishy. The bouillabaisse was a little spicy for me, but it had six different types of seafood (they brought what was essentially a toolkit for eating the different types of shellfish), and the broth left behind was perfect for bread-dipping. For dessert, we shared the
Meyer Lemon Mousse with Seasonal Berries, which in this case was blueberries. The mousse was amazingly light, and the tartness of the lemon was perfectly balanced by the blueberries. It was night by the time we were done with dinner, so you couldn't see the Rock anymore, but we didn't care. It was a great meal to end a great day.
Labels: California, food, Morro Bay, travel
Restaurant of the week
Just got back from a great week in L.A. with Serena and the family. We ate out a LOT. One of my favorite meals was dinner at a hidden gem along the coast, after a day playing tourist:
Neptune's Net
42505 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA 90265
+1 310 457-3095
I love seafood, I love the beach, and I love low-key restaurants. So, when my father told us he had heard of a place 'with an eclectic crowd' on the coast just north of the L.A. county border, I had a hunch we would be in for a treat.
Neptune's Net is essentially a seafood shack
overlooking the ocean in Malibu. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and the decor is exactly what you would expect from a place by the beach - basic. The 'eclectic crowd' label was 100% accurate. The table across from us had a couple of 20-something blondes playing quarters (maybe
speed quarters is a midwest thing) with some 50-something year-old men, another table had a husband and wife with their little kids, and another table had some teenagers who looked like they might have been surfing earlier.
Serena and I split the 'Neptunes Net Sampler', which is a fried seafood lover's dream - fish, shrimp, scallops, calamri, clam strips, and crab cake (all on a bed of fries). My mother went for the 'Fish and Chip', and my father had one of their (seafood) combo plates. The food was amazing, and even though everything was fried, the batter was light and we had no problem finishing what had looked like an overwhelming amount of food.
The next time you find yourself driving north on route 1 from L.A., and are thinking about where to stop for some food, look for the 'Ventura County' sign, and then keep your eyes open for Neptune's Net on the right. It's worth the stop.
More posts (and pics) about the trip to follow...
Labels: beach, California, food, travel
Meet the Fockers
OK, so no family is as dysfunctional as the
Fockers, but certainly having two get-togethers with more than 15 people at each (in our first 3 days in California) was a baptism by fire for Serena. How did she handle it? I would say with flying colors, i.e., she didn't change her flight for an early return to London.
Next on the agenda,
outlet mall shopping and
In-N-Out Burger.
Welcome to California.
Labels: California, family, travel
