Condor Classic - San Juan Bautista, Ca

The 1st Annual Condor Classic Bicycle Ride

Take a tour of the best of the Central Coast on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008. The first Condor Classic Bicycle Ride invites riders to pick a route and sample some of California’s most scenic landscapes. San Benito County, located between the Diablo and Gabilan Mountain ranges near Monterey Bay, offers an all-too-rare mix of scenery, light traffic, ideal weather and history.

San Juan Valley Ride — 20 miles This flat ramble through farm fields leads riders past historic packing sheds and into California’s most verdant salad bowl. A rest stop in San Juan Bautista gives participants a chance to explore historic buildings and state parks surrounding Mission San Juan Bautista. This is a perfect introduction to cycling for families and casual cyclists.

What a great day! I finished the 20 miles and really feel a sense of pride and accomplishment! I want to do this again next year, but maybe be in a little better riding shape to shave some time of of my total riding time. The food San Juan Oaks served was fantastic. I had this marinated portabello mushroom with red peppers and it was to die for! Love, love, loved it. I hope it is on their regular menu so I can officially review them! Great day with great people!

La Villa de Jerez Taqueria - Downtown Hollister

So today was a beautiful day in Hollister, California! So beautiful that it was almost hot! Amazing October weather. Anyhow, I was feeling the need for chips and salsa so I decided to try the sister restraunt to the original Villa in downtown Hollister.



It was pleasantly busy inside the little taqueria, that is always a good sign! I am happy to see people out and about... makes me smile. You walk up to the counter and read from the menu listed on the wall. We ordered and took a seat outside. It is a great spot for people watching!




I am up first! That is me, proudly posing with my meal! I ordered the Baja fish taco and a basket of freshly made chips! I saw them come out of the fryer! Now that is fresh! I was excited to try ALL of the salsa's... my favorite one was a mix of the top salsa and the green! Yum, yum. The fish taco was respectable. For two bucks and some change it is a decent meal! The batter on the fish was pretty heavy, but not bad. I liked the really crisp parts. Give me some crunch! They do supply a pretty healthy portion of mayo-hot sauce-blend on the shredded cabbage. I liked it very much. Onward... Amanda's meal looked great. She said everything was fine, I was kind of eyeing her asada taco. It looked pretty good! You all know how much I love cheese, and that bad boy was bathed in it!

All in all, great experience. The lady at the counter is very quick and friendly. Everything looked very clean and orderly. I like that! I do have to say the outdoor dining is my favorite part. And the prices, who can beat them? No one on San Benito Street that is for sure! For a quick, spicy meal head downtown and check them out. Two thumbs up!

Knife and Fork - Hollister, Ca

So this Saturday was not your typical Saturday, it was race day Saturday! My friend Nina, her mom and I all competed in the Steeple to Steeple, a 5 mile walk/run benefit for Sacred Heart Church. So after that we decided to treat ourselves to something delicious... we drove down to 650 San Benito Street and cruised on into the Knife and Fork.



Right as we walked in we were greeted by a friendly girl asking us where we wanted to sit. That was nice of her, it wasn't too busy and we wanted to sit by the window. What I like about the Knife and Fork is that they use cloth napkins, usually ones with pretty flowers - just precious. Our drink order was taken and I was asked if I wanted French Roast or Hazel Nut coffee. Wow! Hazel Nut please!


Who are those cheese balls? Oh wait... that is us - very proud of our accomplishment!


Food's ready! Ok. I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy with a side of bacon. I ate the bacon first, maybe because I was craving protein or just because I love bacon! The bacon was crispy, and that is how I like it. So far so good... The Biscuits and Gravy are now up! I liked the biscuits, they tasted pretty fresh. The gravy was not your typical gravy, there was something in there that was throwing me a little bit... was it garlic? I am not sure but, it was still delicious all the same... I mean how can gravy actually be bad? Next was Nina's breakfast plate. She ordered two eggs, over medium, has browns, bacon and sourdough. I thought her plate looked beautiful! She said everything was cooked wonderfully. The eggs were perfect, and she thought the bread was homemade! Which is cool!

All in all I believe this meal was a success! I have dined here a couple time before but never busted out my camera and did a review. I am glad this morning I finally got around to doing it. I will be back to do a lunch review because I like this place. I was shocked at how reasonable the prices were as well. We got out of there under $20 and that is hard to do now days! I give Knife and Fork 1.5 thumbs up for being a charming little addition to downtown Hollister!

Good Friends...

Good friends are hard to find. Thanks again Nina for making my day!

Red Robin - Morgan Hill, Ca

"Red Robinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn... yum." Red Robin's clever little television commercial gets stuck in my head sometimes. Anyhow, my sister and I were on a mission in Morgan Hill yesterday, trying to find the Trader Joe's but we stumbled on Red Robin instead. So, we figured God must have led us here, on purpose, to try out the brand new restaurant. Thanks God - owe you one buddy!


The restaurant was awesome! Cool stuff on the walls - mostly USA stuff which I love. I think there should be more American flags displayed throughout our country. We need more pride! Anyhow...

The Absolut Lemonade was great! The pleasing potion was a refreshing blend of Absolut Citron, amaretto and lemonade. Please ignore the not so cute photo, it was Sunday - my relaxing day of holiday and rest. Not glamour, obviously.

For my entree I got the Cheeseburger Con Queso, normally an appetizer, but you are dealing with an abnormal character - ME! Ay-caramba!!! The spicy cheese dip with ground beef, topped with salsa and fresh cilantro is perfect! Very tasty. I would definitely order this again and maybe bathe in it. That good, seriously.


Next up, the 5 ALARM BURGER! Crank up the heat with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, salsa, tomato, lettuce and chipotle mayo. After watching many commercials on TV with smoke shooting out a guys ears after eating this famed burger I had my camera on stand by as Jennifer took the first bite! Muaaahhhhhaaaaha. She took her first bite, no smoke. Second bite, still waiting for the smoke. Third, nothing-nada-zilch. So, she said it was just okay, nothing special. I was hoping for something entertaining.

All in all, Red Robin is fun. It is a lot like Chili's though, which is weird because there was a Chili's right next door. I like Red Robin better because of the proud USA decor. I counted 24 employees during my short stay there, and who knows how many were in the back! Wow. Thank you Red Robin for supplying our youth with jobs! City of Morgan Hill, you better send a thank you card! I give Red Robin 1.5 thumbs up, you know what you are getting every time and I can appreciate that!

-MD

John D's - Lemoore, Ca

Since we were in town for the evening from the Customer Appreciation Days - Pete, Don, Theresa and I made plans to go to dinner together. We decided on John D's, a steak house in Lemoore, that recently changed ownership. The building was always a steakhouse so we challenged JD to bring it on!


The inside was very cute. I liked the western decor - they really have a great layout too. There was a step down bar in the front (not pictured) and a wrap around outdoor patio (also not pictured) that I could envision many parties being held.
Onward!


I was a slacker with the photos so let me re-cap you. Maybe because I was with a new crowd, and taking pictures of everyone's food/drinks was a little awkward? I don't know, I am a sissy. Anyhow, I had a margarita, and this sucker was stout! I would go on to say maybe, the most potent drink I have had in a long time. I waited for the ice cubes to melt so it was drinkable! Pete had a beer, Theresa had ice tea and Don had a crown and coke. I ordered a salad with ranch but it was forgettable so I will spare you the blag photograph. However, Don ordered Portuguese soupas. This is a traditional Portuguese soup simmered for many hours, made with beef and all sorts of other spices. The one time I do not order the soup! Argggggggggghhhh! Don said it was great. Darn it.




So the top photo is Pete's - he ordered the ribs. There was a lot of food, which is not a complaint. He enjoyed the sweet and sour of the bbq sauce spread across the ribs. Tangy! I tried one of his fries and they were not poisonous! Mission accomplished, I saved the day. Don ordered the rib-eye. One of the pricier steaks on the menu, it seemed to please Don. Cooked to perfection and easy on my eye. Couldn't say a bad thing about that one. Next up, Theresa. She ordered a cheeseburger - it was said to not have been bad, but maybe a little expensive for what it was. And last but not least, mine! I ordered the CRAB CAKES! I love crab cakes. How does one screw up a crab cake, well, by dousing it in too much salt - that is how! I do love me some sodium chloride, but this just took the cake, the crab cake!

All in all, John D's is a fine looking establishment. The wine selection was nice, the ambiance was fantastic and the service was meh. If I had to go back to Lemoore I wouldn't be opposed to this place, but I might want to venture out and try something new. I did like the fact that they let us sit and chat for a couple hours without trying to push us out the door. That was nice. I would give this place one thumb up.

-MD

Customer Appreciation Day - Hollister, Hanford & Lemoore, Ca

So every year Dassel's Petroleum Inc. has Customer Appreciation Day's for each one of their sites... We normally just do coffee and donuts with window washing and gas pumping. But, this year we spiced up Hanford and did a trial run of afternoon hot dogs. It worked out fabulously. Scotts Valley's will take place on October 15th and I am going to pull another experiment - Pizza and soda! We will see how it goes... Enjoy the photos!

HOLLISTER

HANFORD

LEMOORE

Happy Fueling!

-MD

Cafe Ella - Hollister, Ca

I WAS THE FIRST OFFICIAL CUSTOMER! How exciting is that for a new food blogger?! So if you want all the skinny on the new cafe in Hollister you better listen up, this is hot off the press! Located in the same spot Dimaggio's Cafe used to be at, by the new McDonald's and down the aisle from Tip and Toe can you find Cafe Ella...

Isn't the inside so charming? I was amazed on how cute it was! The color of the walls really was serene and calming - perfect after a stressful day at the office! My favorite part of the decor was the wall of mirrors. Very chic.

We were immediately seated and asked what we would like to drink. I knew I was feeling something a little heart healthy - so I asked for a Cabernet Sauvignon. The waitress recommended one from Rock and Vine, I had never heard of the winery but I was pleased with the choice. Very smooth. Bread and olive oil with balsamic came and we happily indulged.





On with the food! Ordered was the Panzanella Salad, it was very beautiful as you can see from the picture - very colorful! The salad had ciabatta cubes, roasted red pepper, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, feta, baby spinach and arugula. There were two other options of salads all worth trying on different visits. One entree was the lasagna. It is old world style and is made to order, not sliced from a pan. Very cool! Layers of fresh pasta, spinach, ricotta and peccorino cheese, and topped with a sweet, classic meat sauce. Emphasis should be placed on the "meat sauce" - this could also be dubbed the "Land Lovers Special" - ha ha... I ordered the Sweet Chilean Crab and Avocado. Lump crab meat, orange sections, chives, apple vinaigrette on a toasted ciabatta round made their way on a bed of greens. I found this appetizer/entree very refreshing. Light and reminded me of summer. I think this is a great option for someone wanting to end the meal with something sweet...read on...

And you thought I would sneak out of there without trying one of the desserts didn't you? Ha ha... wrong! The dessert menu was short and sweet, kind of like me! I decided on the Creme Brulee and was happily served quite quickly! I of course shared some, but mostly devoured it all on my own! I love this stuff. It tasted a little warm though, like it had been made not too long ago... which is not a bad thing - I just like my creme brulee ice cold, kind of how I like my beer. I am getting a little cheesy now, so I will move this along...

I was thrilled when I walked through the door and Ella, of Cafe Ella, yes THE Ella, said I was the first customer! I will always think I am royalty when I walk through there now. I will tell the waitress, "You do know I was the first customer" on all future visits... I can see it now... they will say, "Really? Take this VIP section table in the back..." Ahhh the fame I will enjoy. Anyhow, I think Ella's is a refreshing change of pace to restaurants we have in town. It is on the pricier side so don't expect a 99 cent cheeseburger. Expect to pay more and receive fresher and higher quality food! They are open Monday - Saturday for lunch and dinner, which is great because it is rare that anything is open on Mondays in Hollister! Overall, two thumbs up - you will see me there again and again!

-MD