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Half Moon Bay

I'm going to be in Half Moon Bay, CA over a long weekend in August as part of a work trip. It looks like an hour's drive could get me to San Fran for dinner -- or a day trip. Do you think I could get to Napa and back in a day? And if you've been there, do you have any recommendations?

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Half Moon Bay

Should be doable if you start early, although traffic seems to have grown exponentially worse since I lived out there. We used to daytrip from Palo Alto up to Sonoma to taste Zin, and Napa is maybe 25 minutes farther. It probably isn't as fast as cutting inland to I-280, but take the scenic drive up Highway 1...it's gorgeous. Unless you have a phobia against winding cliffside roads. Just be prepared for the considerable temperature fluctuations along the way.

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Half Moon Bay

Heading to Half Moon on Wednesday for meetings and have twp of my five nights free. Any suggestions as to where to have a good dinner there other than Navio at the Ritz where we are staying and having a couple of dinners already. Thanks.

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Half Moon Bay

Heading to Half Moon on Wednesday for meetings and have twp of my five nights free. Any suggestions as to where to have a good dinner there other than Navio at the Ritz where we are staying and having a couple of dinners already. Thanks.

Too late for you this time, but...

I recently had dinner on a beach in Half Moon Bay, and chef Lewis Rossman of Cetrella Bistro & Cafe cooked. His food was just fabulous. I can't wait to get to eat at the actual restaurant.

I also recommend Mezza Luna: very good Northern Italian.
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Half Moon Bay; Santa Cruz

I spent a few days in Half Moon Bay recently and recommend it highly. I wouldn't go as far as the tourist brochures that compare Half Moon Bay to Carmel (um, no). But it was beautiful and a wonderful break from the oppressive heat of DC. I was lucky enough to go on the trip courtesy of my last company, which was holding a "closing party" to celebrate the sale of the company (and all of our resulting unemployment). This ended up being the most expensive "free trip" I've ever taken. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton and it lived up to its website picture. ritz. I didn't often eat at the hotel, but I had coffee each morning and an expensive burger ($20) in the Conservatory room overlooking the ocean. No complaints at all. I didn't eat at the hotel's main restaurant, Navio, but the menu looked nice, if veering a little toward heavy food. I ordered, via room service, the makings for s'mores. So nice to sit on my private patio and make s'mores on the fireplace/grill. I think I came close to ruining the Ritz's incredible featherbed by attempting to eat s'mores in bed. That is an Olympic level sport with high technical difficulty and I am not properly trained. Yet. At the risk of interrupting my already marginally topical post with a tangent, I will add that the service at the hotel was wonderful. I don't know how the hotel trains and manages its staff, but the results are impressive. More on point: the Half Moon Bay Coffee Company on Main Street had terrific coffee and sandwiches and good breafast food (including their "breakfast rice," a sort of fried rice with bacon). We were responsible for our own food/incidental expenses, so it was a relief to find a good and reasonably priced breakfast place. I didn't go anywhere too fancy for dinner. At It's Italia I had a casual and tasty dinner: linguine with goat cheese, walnuts and asparagus for me and a crispy white pizza for my friend. I had a lousy meal at the Half Moon Bay Inn (also on Main Street). I ordered the lobster salad and it was overpriced at $29.00. About half an avocado and some fresh pineapple pieces were tossed in an empty pineapple shell with about 1/3 cup of overcooked lobster pieces. I mentioned to the waiter that the dish was overcooked. Suffice it to say the restaurant wasn't interested in any comments. I visited the Obester winery. A fun little place, but they weren't able to deal with more than 2 or 3 people at a time. My company had a dinner party at the Thomas Fogerty winery in Santa Cruz. fogerty. We had the chance to taste a number of wines, not as an actual "wine tasting," but as part of the beverage service available at the firm prom. I really enjoyed the Pinot Noir and the Gewurztraminer, but I didn't write down the vintages. The winery is in a wonderful location. Alas, the food, catered by an outside company, was not so great.

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Half Moon Bay

My wife and I dined at Pasta Moon while in Half Moon Bay with friends back in March and had an enjoyable meal there. Recommended. See some pictures of some of the food below --

Their lasagna:

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Which had more layers than I have ever seen in a lasagna before. BTW, that is olive oil and balsamic in the foreground for dipping our bread into.

Their pappardelle with pork sugo and mushrooms (a Bolognese sauce made with pork):

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And that was probably the best pasta of the four. It was so porky and the pasta was perfect.

Their linguine with clams and pancetta:

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Which was made spicy with red pepper flakes. Very delish.

Their linguine with Dungeness crab, fennel cream, carrots, and chervil:

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The Dungeness crab was a real treat!.

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Sunnyvale

quote name='mdt' post='107465' date='Apr 15 2008, 07:34 AM']Anyone have any suggestions on eats in the area? Local, fine dining, whatever...

Do you like Indian food? Some of the best Indian restaurants in the country (according to AnotherSubcontinent.com, the brainchild of "Mongo Jones") are in the South Bay.

Dasaprakash (Santa Clara)
Saravana Bhavan (Sunnyvale)
Udupi (Sunnyvale)
Amber of India (San Jose on Santana Row: really Butter Chicken and Lamb Roganjosh)
Turmeric (Sunnyvale: where Hemant Mathur at D�vi once worked)

From all the recs I've gotten from people I know, Dasaprakash is thought best. Amber of India is pretty darned good, too.

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Sunnyvale

Do you like Indian food? Some of the best Indian restaurants in the country (according to AnotherSubcontinent.com, the brainchild of "Mongo Jones") are in the South Bay.

Dasaprakash (Santa Clara)
Saravana Bhavan (Sunnyvale)
Udupi (Sunnyvale)
Amber of India (San Jose on Santana Row: really Butter Chicken and Lamb Roganjosh)
Turmeric (Sunnyvale: where Hemant Mathur at D�vi once worked)

From all the recs I've gotten from people I know, Dasaprakash is thought best. Amber of India is pretty darned good, too.

I got to Udupi for one dinner and it was good. The rest of my meals were with business associates and nothing special.
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Sunnyvale

Bump

My boss and I are out there meeting with vendors on the south side of SF Bay area). Need suggestions for good (but not super expensive or super high end) non-chain restaurants to consider. All cuisines open, preferring something seasonal and super fresh (or really good seafood, too), but would not overlook something ethnic (Indian, Mexican, etc). A good wine list would be nice, too.

Probably staying in Sunnyvale. So anywhere in or between Redwood City, San Jose and Los Gatos would be fine. We will have a car for sure.

Thanks!

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Livermore; San Leandro; Hayward

In Livermore, we had a perfectly adequate meal at Zephyr Grill & Bar. I only mention it because literally everyone we asked (and we asked quite a few people!) told us to go there, and while it was pretty decent, there was nothing mindblowing about the place. I had a nicely prepared corvina and the sides were...nice, fine, forgettable, etc. My companion had a salmon that she didn't care for as much. Just so you know!

We did have a pretty great lunch at a little Thai place in town, though. Also in Livermore, Lemon Grass Restaurant serves up some generous lunch plates. We had a red curry and roasted duck, and both were very good. The duck was cooked really well, with crispy skin and fat rendered all the way through, over a bed of wilted greens - good contrast with the fatty duck. The dishes came with a very nutty and chewy (in a good way) brown rice. The Indian buffet lunch at the place a few doors down, Sansar, was disappointing. The selection was OK but the food was salty and quite cool.

In San Leandro, there was a Vietnamese place, LeSoleil, that I didn't care for. The cooked dishes were gloppy and sweet and the pho was only OK. So far when in San Leandro, I've found it best to just head across the bridge and eat in San Mateo.

In Hayward, there is a pretty decent Chinese dim sum (every day) place called New West Lake Restaurant. It's a classic dim sum place where you order off the set menu, instead of carts. There is also a lot of seafood swimming around in tanks. We ordered a variety of fried and steamed dumplings and other things and everything was good to great.

Also in Hayward is Oasis Grill, which is NOT the wonderful Mediterranean place I once ate at and was searching for. It is a merely fine place to pita sandwiches from rather inept (language barrier and/order unfamiliarity with their own menu issues) order-takers. Not much seating space and a very plain store.

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Paso Robles

I don't think there's an appropriate thread in the Intrepid Traveler forum for this, but mods please feel free to move if there is.

I'm planning a trip to CA for Memorial Day weekend and we're thinking about doing a day of wine tasting in Paso Robles. I was able to taste some wines at an industry event recently so I have a couple of places on my list, but I'm looking for other suggestions, particulary of wineries making high quality rhone style wines right now. Also, suggestions on where to have dinner the night we're there. Artisan and Thomas Hill Organics seem to pop up frequently in my searches, along with a few others, but I'd really love suggestions from someone on this board.

Thanks!

[ed. note: merged with California - Small Cities and Towns]

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Paso Robles

I've never been but my brother and his wife live out there and have worked on occasion in some of the tasting rooms. He is very knowledgeable about wines and had this advice:

"some of the best rhone style are MacPrice Myers, Herman Story, Tablas Creek, Linne Colada, Villa Creek and the top one is Saxum. For dinner Artisan is a good choice as well as Villa Creek....Turley has great petite, and their Zin's are some of the best...have a great time! B"

Hope this helps.

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San Mateo

If you're ever in San Mateo, I would be curious about your take on Sushi Sam. It is one of the go-to sushi places for chefs in the general Bay Area, and that's saying something -- chefs from the French Laundry trek to San Mateo on days off to eat at Sushi Sam.

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If you're ever in San Mateo, I would be curious about your take on Sushi Sam. It is one of the go-to sushi places for chefs in the general Bay Area, and that's saying something -- chefs from the French Laundry trek to San Mateo on days off to eat at Sushi Sam.

I put my thoughts on Sushi Sam in the San Francisco thread, as I consider major metropolitan areas to include nearby towns. Sam's and Koi Palace are really the best places to eat in the South Bay Area that I've found on the way to/around SFO. When I made the recommendation to bypass eating in San Leandro for San Mateo up above, I was thinking specifically of Sushi Sam's. It's worth the toll!

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I've never been but my brother and his wife live out there and have worked on occasion in some of the tasting rooms. He is very knowledgeable about wines and had this advice:

"some of the best rhone style are MacPrice Myers, Herman Story, Tablas Creek, Linne Colada, Villa Creek and the top one is Saxum. For dinner Artisan is a good choice as well as Villa Creek....Turley has great petite, and their Zin's are some of the best...have a great time! B"

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the suggestions!

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Paso Robles, Santa Barbara

Around there I particularly liked L'Aventure, and Windward. Both require a call ahead to go in for a tasting, but both were excellent. Windward is a pinot noir-only winery, which is rare in that part of CA. Écluse is also close by and is excellent. Very small-batch, with a lovely couple who make the wines. Also, need to call ahead, but in all three cases they were really easy to schedule with.

If you make it down as far as Santa Barbara, go to the Wine Cask for dinner - it is excellent - and be sure to try the Margerum wines, especially the M5. We were so impressed we joined their wine delivery club.

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Oxnard

Pho Oxnard Vietnamese is pretty decent! Sticky tables, cafeteria-plus atmosphere, and hardworking Asian service staff made me feel right at home. The pho broth is not bad, light and flavorful and not thirsty-making. The bun and pan-fried noodles were simple and tasty and the rice plates at the other tables looked good. I'd probably rank it around my usual spot Pho Thang Long in FFX, with the added bonus of having more types of cooked food. We were pleased to find it.

Sugar Beets Restaurant and Bar tried hard, but was kind of terrible. It had huge portions of heavy, gloppy Americanish food, without any of the redeeming lightness of "California style" food or ingredients. The server was very nice but, even though the room was nearly empty, it took forever to grab lunch - not great when you need to get back to work. We tried a soup, salad, and pasta, and wouldn't return to try any of them again.

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Ventura

The Hill Street Café is a diner in an office park that perfectly serves out its mission. The food was homey, cheap, and filling, and we had some of the best service I've ever had in a dining establishment. Our server was an older woman who knew exactly how to charm and disarm, make knowledgeable suggestions about and tweaks to the menu offerings, remember each order perfectly, and make change effortlessly at the table for each individual place setting. All without ever consulting the menu or a notepad! I had a monstrous sausage avocado eggs benedict with excellent side potatoes for lunch and it was rich and wonderful, though I felt grossly full afterwards (not their fault; I shouldn't have finished it). It is an excellent place to grab lunch with picky coworkers when you want to bypass a chain restaurant.

Though we didn't get to it on this past trip, Tipps Thai Restaurant is an adequate little Thai place with wonderful, smiling service. I've eaten there for several business trips, and I wouldn't mind going back, though I don't make it a priority. If I recall, the rice noodles are the rehydrated kind, the curries are a little watery, and they don't serve Chinese, but American-style broccoli in its dishes. The soups are good, though, overall the food is not too sweet, and the restaurant is pretty and very relaxing. Hard to say what its equivalent restaurant would be around here, as I can't really think of any pretty dining rooms, but the food is probably on par with one of the Sala or Tara Thais and the service is like your favorite mom-n-pop.

Café Fiore is a surprisingly great Italian restaurant! I didn't know what to expect, but I suddenly found myself back on Long Island, amidst a hearty, humming dining room full of laughing, loud people. We had an excellent round of very fresh, colorful salads; the best were my burrata and the one dressed with grapefruit. The entrees were weirdly priced - my risotto, which came with a full portion of sliced lamb, was quite large, and priced about the same as the entrée pastas without meat. Mine was the best, though my dining companions were pleased with their dishes. I thought the squash ravioli were too sweet, but the owner gobbled them up, so had no complaints. Also, the salads were more expensive, being priced in the low-mid teens, while the pastas were only a bit more, in the high teens/low twenties. The portions were generous and we were too full for dessert. Overall the food was quite good, but what struck me most about the dining room was the energy and general feeling of congeniality. There seemed to be a lot of regulars in the crowd and the GM/owners were out working the room on a weeknight. The closest equivalent to a restaurant here in DC (take this with a big grain of salt, as I usually don't seek out Italian food besides going to Tosca) might be Dolce Vita, with solid food (the food at Fiore was better) and a convivial atmosphere.

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Camarillo and Ventura County

Well, it will be my new "˜hood, so I think I should start up some pages for Ventura County. My new hometown will be Camarillo and here are some thoughts about the places we've tried on trips so far"¦

Establos Meat Market Taqueria is a food counter in a grocery store. You actually order through the cashier and not at the back through the meat counter, as we'd guessed. The food here totally confirms my confidence that the Mexican food for the duration of our California adventure will Kick A**. We had some amazingly flavorful and juicy carnitas and very good carne asada (also pretty well spiced) tacos and combination plates. The food is simple, cheap, and AWESOME. There are a few tables set up along the window in front of some grocery aisles and we saw some Latin-looking folks and a bunch of military guys from the nearby base. We'll be back. Often.

The French Bulldog Bistro & Lounge recently opened in another former bar & grill-type space along the "Old-Town" corridor. It serves Americanish food "“ we had fish & chips, spinach lasagna, steak, and a nice cioppino plate at our table and everything was fine. The mixed drinks are expensive ($12 mixed drinks are a little ridiculous when you have entrees available at the same price) and very sweet. My girly martini-thing really didn't need a sugared rim! It isn't fine dining, but a place to meet non-DR-type friends for a bite and a drink. I didn't care much for the experience, but it does beat meeting people at Applebees and such.

Rubio's is a Mexican chain in CA, sort of a cross between Chipotle and Baja Fresh, and better than either of those, we think. The tacos are cheap and the fish tastes fresh. Pretty much all you need to grab a snack or meal on the go!

The Curry Leaf was touted as "pretty good Indian" and it was. Probably on par with Delhi Club at home, it's about the same size and with a similar variety of choices. No dosas here L but otherwise some nice renditions of our favorites: bangain bharta and lamb korma. It's a small, out of the way restaurant in a strip mall, but I think it will become one of our regular haunts.

The Old New York Deli & Bakery Co. is"¦fine. Everything looks great, from the large, colorful sandwiches to the baked goods, but each item we got was a teeny bit off from being good-great. The chicken sandwich was messy and not terribly tasty, despite a plethora of ingredients; the bagels were a little stale fairly early in the day; and the cookies were pretty and sweet but without that extra oomph that makes them cravable/worth the calories. We did like that they had some better bottled soda choices "“ root beer and black cherry.

There's In-N-Out Burger, of course, but I don't really care for burgers and prefer the thick-cut fries of Five Guys when I go. My husband tried his first one and liked it very much, for a fast-food burger. Doesn't compare well to Hellburger, though.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions for Ventura County, please post!!!! We'd love to target the better places rather than being blindly led by Yelp/Chowhound and well-meaning people with questionable (eh, let's just say unfamiliar) food standards. I miss DC already and we haven't even left yet.

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Port Hueneme (near Oxnard)

Pho Saigon in Port Hueneme (technically not in Oxnard but so close and I didn't feel like starting another page) makes me so, so, happy. It stands in very good comparison to the places I would frequent in DC and has great, simple food. The pho is fragrant and flavorful (though it does have a liberal dose of MSG) and they have a variety of other soups that I want to try. There are many cooked dishes and generous broken rice plates. The guy who serves as a GM makes a point to try and get to know customers (recognized us on our second visit) and his mom is the chef. Also, the beach is right down the road!! What's not to like?

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Camarillo; Oxnard; Ventura

Camarillo

While Establos remains a solid place to grab burritos, tacos, and fresh tortillas, these days we generally get our Mexican fix across the street at Taqueria Potrillos.  It was started by folks who used to work at Establos, so they still have the same great meats, though the flour tortillas aren't as good.  The draw is the fresh salsa bar, with AYCE salsa, pickled vegetables, and chips. I get plenty of vitamin C eating cups and cups of the pico and the tomatillo salsa!

Ventura

Our last few trips to Cafe Fiore have been sub-par, with some seriously heavy, bland food. I think we're done there.

There is an interesting Nepalese place called Andria's Seafood Restaurant and Market is a great shack to catch some fried seafood.  Everything is fresh and firm and plain. Their non-fried offerings are significantly weaker, so don't bother going unless you want to have fried stuff on the harbor. For that, you're in the perfect place.  Watch out for the gulls!

Brophy Bros is a nicer but still casual seafood restaurant across the street from Andria's.  Seating on the deck has a magnificent view of the harbor.  It's a busy place, but less crazy than the Santa Barbara location.  The menu never changes (at least in the year or so we've been going), which is my main gripe, but they have excellent seafood dishes (except for the ahi, which is weirdly served breaded in cashews.  Dislike.) in large portions (you get a heap of cole slaw plus salad, unless you want a soup, so there are plenty of veg).

Oxnard

The Collection, a large, outdoor mall reminiscent of Reston Town Center, sat empty and unfinished during the bust of the recession years and only began opening stores in late 2012.  It's not completely tenanted yet but is a busy, happy place (lots of outdoor events like concerts, Santa, salsa dancing, etc.), and a couple of the better chain restaurants have joined our regular rotation. It's anchored by a giant Whole Foods, which we don't frequent but are grateful to have available.

Settebello is a part of a small West Coast chain of Neopolitan pizzerias.  They follow the VPN practices and make quite a pretty good pie, charred just enough with a fairly well-done middle (i.e., not soupy, because they do cut them) and a tasty crust.  The salads are large and pretty and they feature their dough in the desserts (including a dessert pizza!).  The staff are young, mostly competent, and very friendly but keep in mind the place is always busy at night.  Also, the front door opens a lot so the tables near the front can be cold.  It's not my beloved Pupatella but we are so excited that there is now pizza in the area worth eating that we don't have to make ourselves!!! They don't take reservations, but we call ahead and so far they have been very nice about putting us in the queue so our wait is shortened.

Gen Korean BBQ House is another California mini-chain that serves more-than-decent AYCE Korean BBQ. The whole restaurant is AYCE and grill-your-own at night, which makes service and eating in groups easy.  There are a few interesting meat choices (intestines and tongue), though we usually stick with the kalbi, marinated pork belly, and spicy chicken. Cooked food includes a very plain jap chae, fried chicken, and fried rice sticks. It comes with a dressed salad, 5 panchan (mostly pickles), rice paper, and dipping sauces.  This location, because it is so new, is still very clean and nightclubby, and the servers are good about coming back for additional orders and changing out grills (though they don't tend the grill for you).  There's usually a line on weekend nights (no reservations) but it's been worth the wait.

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Pismo Beach

It's a tiny town on the beach with a few obviously touristy restaurants.  Still, the beach is beautiful (especially great and less crowded at sunset, with some of the finest, siltiest sand I've felt in the Continental US) and if you have happen to want to eat in town...

The Cracked Crab  stinks of crab, which was tough for me but heavenly for my husband, so it depends on your preferences. The key here is to get the buckets o' crab, which they boil with potatoes and corn and sausages and dump out on the table. The other dishes are fine but not really worthy of mention, as the bucket is the real reason for coming. He LOVED it so I was glad that I stuck it out (and can't really comment on otherwise. My salmon dish was fine but boring).

When you are sick of pure seafood, Giuseppe's is a viable option (though they do have lots of seafood on the menu - they just have other stuff as well, thank goodness). They had excellent squash blossoms and house marinara, and some of the most professional casual service that I've ever experienced. The gnocchi were quite good and my husband really like the simply grilled lamb lollipops. It was a genuinely nice meal in all respects.

We did get a lot of suggestions to try restaurants (both for food and the views) up the road at Avila Beach, but at that point were tired of seafood-only menus so decided against.

Scoop the Ice Cream Parlor "“ skip it, unless you feel like paying extra for Dreyers in a cone. Just go to the store and buy a carton.

Old West Cinnamon Rolls smells ah-mazing! both inside and when walking by. My husband tried it and enjoyed his fresh-out-of-the-oven pecan roll, though he mentioned that the dough is drier than expected. Probably best for the freshest rolls.

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San Luis Obispo

Jaffa Café "“ a quick-serve Mediterranean place with above-average meats and dips. Very good hummus and falafel and baba ganoush, and the lamb was a little fattier than expected (in a good way).

We tried Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream Lab, a cute ice cream place with some inventive flavors (moonstone!), but it didn't hold up to the McConnell's I'd had in Santa Barbara earlier in the week.  Not quite as creamy or luscious, thought it was still nice. Instead, we went back to Batch, which serves ice cream cookie sandwiches. It's all in the house-made cookies, here "“ they are just crispy on the outside with some give in the middle, served with pre-formed discs of a more-than-decent local ice cream (SLO company or something). We had the cinnamon-caramel (? Something like that. Snickerdoodleish) with toffee ice cream and chocolate-chocolate chip cookies with mint chocolate ice cream and both were fantastic.

Thursday Night Farmer's Market "“ they close down the main street and have several blocks with of local vendors. Most are just extended storefronts from the shops on the street but the produce looks great and the atmosphere is crowded and very fun.  At one end, all the BBQ folks set up shop, and this is where you want to inhale the aromas and get dueling Santa Maria tri-tip sandwiches.  I tried the tri-tips (so plain and SO good "“ just tender meat, toasted, garlic-buttered roll, and jus) from Rib Line and McLintock's and both were great! (If you don't feel like waiting in the ridiculous line, both have storefronts in town.) Supposedly, the sandwiches at Firestone Grill are even better. ..

The Wild Donkey "“ nice little Greek-Mexican shop. It was a slightly odd but workable combination (lamb burrito) and an easy, friendly stop for lunch.

Big Sky Café "“ this was a visit from a previous trip, and while we didn't go again this time, we definitely considered it. They are open all day and are pretty much the ideal brunch place. Their approach is fresh/local Cali-Mex American food with lots of vegetable options. I can't remember what we had last time but I do remember that we had a hard time choosing from lots of good-sounding and pretty options and enjoyed what we got.

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Oxnard

Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine is the nicest restaurant in the area that we've tried. The view of Channel Island Harbor is so soothing and the food is great! A Brazilian friend brought us the first time and vouched 

everything, but especially the moquecas, the fish fritters, and the drinks. The lunch specials are an amazing deal but the regular menu is worth it (we went for Mother's Day and were kind of hosed $-wise but otherwise everyone LOVED the experience, even at the jacked-up prices [which we had expected]). We've been several times and the food is consistently very good to excellent and the service is variable but quite friendly. 

Ventura

There's a McConnell's outpost in Ventura!!! I'm grateful. They don't have pre-packed pints and quarts but will hand-scoop a pint for you if you wish. It's sort of a weird location on the street by the mall, but the ice cream tastes the same  :)

Camarillo

I couldn't truly recommend it before, but now that they have seating and you can eat everything piping-hot in-house, I do want to tell people about Bianco Rosso. It's not VPN pizza but they have pretty great Neopolitan-style pies, especially for this area, and we eat there a LOT. We love the Kitty Hawk (white pizza w/ brussel sprouts and bacon) and Victoriana (red sauce, bacon and mushrooms and carmelized onions). It's run by a super-nice family and they've created an warm and casual place to work through multiple pizzas with friends. The price point makes sense to people like us (quite a bit higher than a typical fast-food pizza joint, but not excessive IMO), but this is "Ventucky" so I do worry about this place.

The Habit is a local burger chain, but I like it better than In-N-Out so thought it would be worth mentioning. Their burgers are flame-grilled and manage to be very juicy (unless you run into talky folks you know who won't stop visiting until your burger gets cold  :angry: Sigh, small-town life!). The fries are fine but the onion rings are big and crispy and the milkshakes and malts are worth the calories. It's where we go over and over when the burger craving strikes (unless it is late night and then In-N-Out is always your friend).

Rolling Pin is our nostalgia donut shop. It doesn't open until 8 or 9 (depending on the time of year) PM and they go all night and into the morning until they deem that they have sold out of the fresh stuff (usually noonish). The kids and all assorted people wander around and hang out (no seating inside, a few tables outside) all night - it's pretty much the only place to be in the middle of the night in this town. The fresh donuts are spectacular and they've developed what we think is a pretty excellent cronut (these ALWAYS sell out before morning, but keep in mind we haven't tried the real thing in NYC). Once they cool down, the assorted donuts and pastries are still all quite good and worth getting.

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Potentially planning a LA to San Fran drive along Rt. 1.

First day/night thinking about driving from LA to the Cambria area (seems to be about a 4-5 hour drive).  Spending the night around Cambria.

Second day hanging out in the Big Sur area, possibly hiking around Los Padres National Forest

Second night spending in the Monterey area.

Third day driving from Monterey area to SF with tours of the Red Woods.

Any recommendations for the Cambria area (dining and accommodations); Monterey area (dining and accommodations); Big Sur area; or anything else that would be of interest (but not the Hearst Estate).

Looking for places that are nice/reasonable price range but not looking to splurge too much since we are book ending this with weekends in LA and SF, where no doubt we will be dropping some cash!

Thanks

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Potentially planning a LA to San Fran drive along Rt. 1.

First day/night thinking about driving from LA to the Cambria area (seems to be about a 4-5 hour drive).  Spending the night around Cambria.

Second day hanging out in the Big Sur area, possibly hiking around Los Padres National Forest

Second night spending in the Monterey area.

Third day driving from Monterey area to SF with tours of the Red Woods.

Any recommendations for the Cambria area (dining and accommodations); Monterey area (dining and accommodations); Big Sur area; or anything else that would be of interest (but not the Hearst Estate).

Looking for places that are nice/reasonable price range but not looking to splurge too much since we are book ending this with weekends in LA and SF, where no doubt we will be dropping some cash!

Thanks

We just did this trip...with a 2-month-old.  It was...an experience.  :P

We stopped in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Monterrey.  The views were the only sight we saw - what a fantastic drive, even when we couldn't get out of the car due to baby sleeping (or not sleeping).  We spent 2 nights in Monterrey, and I found it to be a bit of a wasteland food-wise (lots of chains, very touristy).  If you can, take a bike ride along the 17 Mile Drive - so worth the sunburn I got.

The Apple Farm was a good breakfast in San Luis Obispo, and we were told that Cafe Moulin was good in Monterrey (we did not go, due to having screamer in tow).  I think the better restaurants are near Carmel.

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Thousand Oaks

Mouthful Eatery is a bright and bustling (read: loud) fast-casual spot specializing in Peruvian-inspired, overfilled sandwiches. Our favorites are the lomo saltado and the pork shoulder (especially when they have pork on special that day). The sandwiches are $10+, which reflects the "handcrafted" tagline of the business, but the ingredients are fresh and thoughtfully combined, and portions are generous enough to share. There are several tasty sides and they have pretty salads that I've never tried. The fried artichokes with aoli are heavy but slightly addictive, and the same goes for the mac and cheese. I like the cucumber mint lemonade and the alfajores cookies are good but pricey - $3 for 4 small cookies. FWIW, this place made Yelp's top 100 in the nation this year. I think it helped business, because the last time I went they had expanded next door and now have a lot more seating.

Umami Burger - there's a location down the street from Mouthful in a plaza full of other chains. I've only tried it once as it's too rich (taste and $) for me but my husband goes occasionally. They do have interesting sauce and topping choices: truffled seemingly everything, including aoli, housemade ketchup, parmesan crisp, hatch chiles, kimchee, etc.

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Newbury Park (more or less in Thousand Oaks)

Sesame Inn - From looking around at the other tables, I think they do American Chinese food quite well, but we go for the non-secret Szechuan menu (they pass them out with the regular menus). There's a master fryer in the back and we love the chili chicken (like popcorn chicken with red chiles) and the salt and pepper fish (served with jalapenos). The three delight is a wonderful vegetable dish "“ like A&J's cold mustard greens and bamboo shoots dish, but served hot and sautéed with pork bits. The chili cabbage is pretty good as well. We were so so so so happy to find this place, as this is the first decent Chinese we had in the area (without driving down to the Valley).

Red Wok - We went to try the XLB but they aren't very good "“ thin but broken skins, perfect decently fillings, but nothing exciting. HOWEVER, their pan-fried dumplings taste like they are made in-house "“ plump, chewy skins, sizzling bottoms, balanced and tasty meat filling, and very juicy. We've been back several times for these dumplings alone. The rest of the American Chinese menu looks bleh (from spying other tables).

Szechuan Place - This place has my favorite fish dish since China Star's (or other Chef Chang places) scallion fish. The crispy chili fried fish fillets have tons of flavor and are expertly fried. The dan dan mien is pretty good (fiery!) but I didn't care for the beef noodle soup "“ too hot and not enough depth of flavor. The eggplant casserole isn't spicy enough (or at all, really). For several months we were getting double orders of the chili fish every week until our bellies couldn't take it anymore, taking a break, then starting the cycle over again.

Ali Baba's Cafe - Solid, simple, Mediterranean food. Great, crackling fresh falafel, perfectly decent schwarma and good kabobs. Pita is store-bought in a bag, but served warm. They have an interesting stewy dish - ful medames - of sauteed garlic and fava beans. We keep getting the family meal so can only speak to that set but it is a great deal. Service is always warm and friendly, even when you bring in a baby ;-)

Mama's Hummus - Fast-casual Mediterranean food with flavorful, juicy kabobs served over fluffy, seasoned rice. The hummus and eggplant dips are quite good, but the falafel isn't really my cup of tea (just tastes of salt and the fryer never quite gets it just right). Pita is store-bought in a bag, but they have nice baklava "“ flaky, nutty, and sweet, which makes my husband happy.

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San Luis Obispo

Thursday Night Farmer's Market "“ they close down the main street and have several blocks with of local vendors. Most are just extended storefronts from the shops on the street but the produce looks great and the atmosphere is crowded and very fun.  At one end, all the BBQ folks set up shop, and this is where you want to inhale the aromas and get dueling Santa Maria tri-tip sandwiches.  I tried the tri-tips (so plain and SO good "“ just tender meat, toasted, garlic-buttered roll, and jus) from Rib Line and McLintock's and both were great! (If you don't feel like waiting in the ridiculous line, both have storefronts in town.) Supposedly, the sandwiches at Firestone Grill are even better. ..

Per the recs we got last time, we tried Firestone Grill's tri-tip sandwiches while stopping in SLO for a bite. Wow, that place is busy and they move mountains of meat!! Granted we were there on a Saturday at the start of lunchtime but it was pretty crazy by 11:45 AM. It's a fast-casual joint, with emphasis on both. You order at the booth and should immediately move over to the counter to wait for your number to be called. When they are on, they will call it FAST (I swear, the tri-tip guy must just keep slicing meat all shift, assuming that someone will order whatever he cuts), which is nice because the line outside builds up down the street. The whole time we were there, they kept calling numbers out over and over to summon folks hunting for a seat back and get their food. The sandwich is piled high with tender, tasty beef, the bun is toasted and buttered, and one sandwich is enough for two people to split if you want to try anything else (we also got a small salad, which is served in a large, pho-sized bowl, and ended up taking a whole sandwich with us). Now, while it was a good sandwich, I actually like the others I've tried in SLO better, because the BBQ sauce, which is perfectly fine, doesn't hold a candle for me to the sandwiches served with jus. Since I'm not comparing them back-to-back, I can't speak to how the meat quantity or quality compares among them, but I'd probably say that McLintock's was my favorite. Still, if you prefer BBQ sauce on your tri-tip, this is probably your place, and you'll want to get extra sauce (they only use a dab)! The patio seating outside is particularly nice - you can watch the crowds waiting in line while you enjoy your meal, knowing that the line moves fast enough that you don't have to feel too guilty ;) . The ribs and burgers that the people around us were getting looked good, but the onions rings looked GREAT - thickly battered, golden-brown, and folks biting in with an audible crunch. Our southwest salad was nice enough (and the vegetables felt rather essential as a counterbalance for the meat) but people clearly come here for the comfort food.

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Oxnard

Carnitas El Rey is the real deal - all they serve are carnitas and some basic fixings for soft tacos made with said carnitas. It's fairly new, a small place, with one steam table worth of food that is constantly refreshed. One tray has the meat of the carnitas and the other has the bits - skin, fat, etc. They will chop you some meat and ask if you'd like a mix of the two (get that!). They sell the carnitas in tacos, with the meat piled on soft, fresh, house-made corn tortillas, or by the pound. They also sell the tortillas by the dozen (or half dozen). They have a little salsa bar with the red and green salsas (and also sell these to go), and sell their pico de gallo by the pint. My only quibble - I didn't get any of the crispy bits - other than that, these were some of the most flavorful and juicy carnitas I've ever had (and I've been trying carnitas everywhere since I moved to SoCal). They also have beans and rice but I didn't try those. Salsas are a tad bit spicy, but not overly hot unless you get all the jalapenos in one bite. Friendly service with limited but adequate English for ordering, and cash only. You can eat in or take out with equal ease. I hear it can get crowded on the weekends, and deservedly so.

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Half Moon Bay

Seeing a list from the SF Chronicle that has the top 100 restaurants in Bay Area 2018 with exceptional photos, spurred me to focus on my favorite dining site in the Bay area, down in the Peninsula, Sam's Chowder House.  I guess I've been visiting there pretty soon after they opened in 2006.  The restaurant gets on many  Bay area favorite lists and has been the recipient of some TV fame.

I'm sure there are countless restaurants in the Bay area with more modern and exciting menus.  Plus Sam's is huge, probably serving many hundreds or more most days. 

But it has the most wonderful setting directly off the beach, looking out into Half Moon Bay.  They have Adirondack chairs where you can grab a brewski, wine, or cocktail and contemplate the great Pacific!!!   You can wander in off the street, grab a drink, command an Adirondack lounge and contemplate life.  Sam's is a New England style chowder house, featuring lobster rolls, and a wide variety of seafood and other delights.  They do a damn good job.  I recall being amazed at Maryland style crab cakes some years back.  Lots of crab, virtually no filler. 

Between good food and an absolutely wonderful setting its a restaurant I keep returning to when  in the area.  With family nearby I've visited quite  a few times.  If you are going to give it a try I'd suggest an earlier evening reservation or between lunch and dinner.  It gives you more time to soak up the atmosphere.

 

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San Luis Obispo

Novo Restaurant & Lounge is a wonderful place for brunch. I can't speak to any other time, but we really enjoyed our meal there.  The menu is a California-American with a few fusion (pan-Asian, Mexican) accents here and there.  The food doesn't sound particularly exciting, and it's not exactly reinventing the wheel (in fact, the fusion accents feel a bit dated), but what we had was fresh, pretty, well-prepared, and served by warm and friendly people. What takes the experience up several notches, however, is the setting. The inside is nice, upscale bar-ish, but back patio overlooks the creek from high up, is surrounded by trees and is far away from the street.  The patio also has ample umbrellas, heaters, and lights as appropriate.  There were families below, walking by and playing in the creek, and we were sitting in the fresh air on a warm, sunny deck, with a morning cocktail in hand. It was one of the more relaxing meals of my life (haha, sure it helped that I was sans kids for the first time in forever, but still...).  We had both the savory and sweet crepes, and they were both hearty portions with very tasty fillings (and it didn't feel at all repetitive that I had crepes twice! I don't recall the specific fillings but the change weekly anyway), and a salmon? I think? Benedict. I recall the overall experience quite fondly and would definitely go back (even with my kids!).

 Atascadero

Between SLO and Paso Robles, Bristols Cider House is in a bit of an odd spot, tucked into an industrial park, but is the cider/music/snack house of my dreams that I truly wish were in my neck of the woods to I could go there All. The. Time.  We stopped in for a quick tasting on the way to some wineries and it was the most fun stop of the trip.  The ciders are varied and mostly crisp/dry (and seasonal, so constantly changing), the place is casual and welcoming, and the food sounds like a perfect pairing for drinks and music (we didn't get a chance to try any food).  It's not very far off the highway 101 so stop by if you're in the area!!

Ventura and Camarillo

Spencer Makenzie's Fish Company is the uber-Ventura County restaurant. Casual, beachy vibe, outdoor seating, near but not on the beach (the Ventura original location is walking distance to the Pier, but the Camarillo location is in a strip mall), Mexican by way of California, and with a focus on fresh ingredients.  Get the fish taco. Get it fried. I like the Brooklyn style (sweet chili hot sauce mixed with the creamy tartar). Actually, the grilled version is good, too, but the fried version is truly excellent.  Lots of cabbage, peppers, and sweet to fiery sauces (they make their own) draped over flaky yet tender fried fish whose exterior retains an satisfying crunch. Add avocado for extra creamy and California-ness. My family says the shrimp tacos are equally good.  If you can go during 3-5 PM M-Th, you can get 2-1 tacos (they can get pricey). Though they have them, now is not the time to be tempted by other meats - there are plenty of authentic Mexican restaurants for that and you are here for the Cali-Mex seafood.  Except for the ahi pockets, don't get those - they are oddly cold and dense and slimy (outside) and sweet.  The tempura vegetables and salads look really good, so try those instead. Or just get another taco.

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Thousand Oaks

Although this second location of Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine serves food that tastes the same as the Oxnard location, it's worth going to Oxnard instead!!! At this price point, even if the food is equally tasty, you'd much rather enjoy it in the harbor setting with some magnificent views.  The dining room in TO is newer and therefore nicer but it's a large-ish room in a strip mall with only front-facing windows so feels somewhat dark and oppressive. People always enjoy the chance to try a somewhat more unusual cuisine when we take them and we really like that the lunch special is extended to Saturdays.  

Dong Ting Spring in Ventu Park has several unusual dishes from China's Hunan province that don't usually make it out in the 'burbs.  In fact, several dishes that we liked there have been since dropped from the menu from lack of popularity.  Of those that remain, the potstickers are decent, the Specialty Fish Filet with Pickle is awesome (a soupy dish with lots of tender white fish, pickled veg, and peppercorns galore), the beef roll is tasty but not always rolled quite tightly enough, and the stir-fried lotus root is cool-looking and crunchy. Grandma’s Braised Pork with Buns have fluffy steamed buns and smoky, salty, tender pork.  There are some whole fish dishes that are uniformly good but require a larger group, dishes featuring pig ears feet, and intestines, and several options for authentically stinky tofu.  Dishes we find lacking include the wild chili beef (too spicy, unbalanced, with stringy beef), cauliflower (wan, boring), and sweet and sour fish fillet (great fried fish in a terribly sweet sauce), and the XLB. 

Tasty Shanghai in Newbury Park replaced our beloved Szechuan Place and has some good, snacky food that, while not tempting enough to lure us back to our previous weekly visit, still requires somewhat regular trips. They have Shanghai pan-fried pork buns (Sheng Jian Bao) which, while always under-seasoned, are here in my county and are therefore an automatic order.  The fish fillet in wine sauce is simple and comforting (Deceptively simple. I was sure I could make it at home and while my version came out ok, the expense and effort sent me right back to the restaurant), the green beans are equally deeply wrinkled and flavored, and the potstickers and rice cake dishes are always solid. The food is a bit greasy but, since it isn't spicy, is always a hit with both adults and kiddos.

Ventura

Tasty China is in a weird location in outer Ventura and I really hope it survives because it's currently our favorite Chinese food in the county.  The house-made XLB can be excellent (though I did get one tray with a few that broke) with plenty of soup, satin-y dough and thin skins (including the twist top), and actual well-seasoned meat.  Honestly, I liked them better than some of my Ding Tai Fung XLB experiences.  The beef onion pancake is a great version of a classic beef roll - not too sweet, plenty of fresh herbs, flaky pastry, tender beef, and tight rolling that doesn't fall apart.  The potstickers are also house-made, juicy with crispy bottoms and absolutely worth getting.  The beef noodle soup is good and the dan dan noodles are perfectly balanced - nutty, spicy,  just oily enough, and with a smattering of flavorful pork.  If it were closer to our house we'd be there constantly.

I've been going to Paradise Pantry regularly for years now, and it never fails to deliver an rustically elegant experience.  The serve wines and cheeses that are also available in the adjoining shop, but I usually go for the huge grilled sandwiches, mac-n-cheese, or pate plate.  It's the ultimate book club, brunch, or girls-night out spot (olives! charcuterie! wine flights galore!). The salads are always gorgeous, the specials feature local ingredients, and the servers are warm, friendly, and competent. I didn't even know I liked ham sandwiches until I had theirs (currently featuring Holey Cow Cheese & tomato clove conserve) and the chunky, sweet-hot pickles (also available in the store) are To. Die. For.  The place is basically an artisanal California cliche in the best way possible and I'm so glad we have it in our county. 

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Camarillo

The Waypoint Cafe  is a nicer All-American breakfast/lunch place that has quite a bit to recommend - it's at our teeny airport so you can watch the Cessnas land and take off, and has an outdoor seating and grassy waiting area where you can have drinks, take in the views, and wait to be seated.  That wait, however, is its biggest drawback, especially at weekend brunchtime, when it can take literally hours to top the list. The food is good (especially on tri-tip days, when they are grilling on the deck and making the neighborhood drool) but not that good, and there is no way to make reservations.  My town seems to have an unnatural fascination with breakfast dining (seriously. There is a wait everywhere on the weekends all morning long), and the wait here is exacerbated by the fact that friends of the house can count on cutting the line. Still, when I can pop over on a weekday before the lunch rush begins, it's a nice place to meet a friend amongst the chatty din, grab a milkshake/mimosa (or both!) with your choice of brunchy treats, and settle in for a while (which doesn't help the wait of the folks after you...).  The price point is higher but generally worthwhile for the loaded plates of pretty food, and the wait staff absolutely hustle - no complaints there at all.

The Hidden Cafe is a different animal, except for the wait.  It's a joint serving up breakfast/lunch classics with a few California / Hawaiian twists (loco moco is often/always? a special). At least one person at our table always gets the chicken-n-waffles and their omelette/eggs/pancakes, etc. game is solid. It's smaller, more crowded, the tables are closer together, and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly but not primed for lingering.  It's cheaper, faster, at the opposite end of town, and always packed. 

There are a bunch of other breakfast/brunch places in town, but I'd say these are both the best and most popular. 

Greek Cuisine, which has a terrible location in the Trader Joe's plaza (you can't park right in front and it's not visible from the parking lot) and a small, utilitarian dining room, serves up a really good gyro and has warm, efficient staff. I can't speak to the rest of the classically Greek menu because I always get the gyro, which comes loaded with well-seasoned, plump and juicy (freshly sliced, of course, and warmed on the flat-top until the edges crisp a bit) meat and nicely balanced tzatziki sauce. My husband likes their desserts, which are served in big portions. 

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On 3/1/2019 at 5:30 PM, Sundae in the Park said:

Ventura

Tasty China is in a weird location in outer Ventura and I really hope it survives because it's currently our favorite Chinese food in the county.  The house-made XLB can be excellent (though I did get one tray with a few that broke) with plenty of soup, satin-y dough and thin skins (including the twist top), and actual well-seasoned meat.  Honestly, I liked them better than some of my Ding Tai Fung XLB experiences.  The beef onion pancake is a great version of a classic beef roll - not too sweet, plenty of fresh herbs, flaky pastry, tender beef, and tight rolling that doesn't fall apart.  The potstickers are also house-made, juicy with crispy bottoms and absolutely worth getting.  The beef noodle soup is good and the dan dan noodles are perfectly balanced - nutty, spicy,  just oily enough, and with a smattering of flavorful pork.  If it were closer to our house we'd be there constantly.

Ooooh, Tasty China has a few new dishes that haven't made it onto their online menu, but they are GREAT! Their dry-fried chili eggplant "fries" takes me back to the early days of Peter Chang's China Star (from which I lived down the street and visited many, many times).  The eggplant is better than the fish version of the same dish (I think it is called chili fried fish or something like that, and the batter is a touch thick for my taste, though my husband loves that), and both taste like a cross between old China Star's cumin fish and the szechuan chili fried chicken (two of my all-time favorite foods). So happy to have these options in the county, since we haven't had anything like them since Szechaun Place in Newbury Park closed.  They are now on the picture menu on the wall; when they were menu-testing the dishes, we used to order them based on pictures off the owner's phone 😉

Also, they have good fried pumpkin dumplings and red bean paste buns (basically desserts), as well as big pork soft buns (not the char siu BBQ kind), none of which are super-common menu items, especially way up here. 

The owner and workers here are super sweet and helpful.  Yes, they definitely recognize me/my family at this point, but I've never seen them be less than pleasant/helpful to anyone who comes in.

The last couple times we went in I debated ordering a fresher vegetable (they have a nice sauteed bok choi and decent green beans) to round out our meal of dumplings, noodles, and fried stuff.  Luckily I've been overruled so we can order more snacky food and the group always feels guiltily, gleefully full and happy.

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