Jim and Rob's Fresh Grill - Ojai, CA

Soup. I love it.

Just the other day I got a tip from one of my local friends that the best soup they ever had was the Chicken Tortilla from Jim and Rob's and that I must try it.

Yesterday was a rainy day and it was the perfect kind of soup weather. I swung into Jim And Rob's for just a taste... I ended up pretty much licking the bowl clean.

BEST BOWL OF SOUP EVER.

Horse Babies of 2013!

We had two new babies to add to our remuda. Lets meet them:

This is Lexy. Her mom is Roxy, brother is Roddy and two sisters are Winnie and Cassie. She has quite the family. She is strong and beautiful almost two months old and could probably pack a saddle tomorrow. She is a strong one!

This is King Arthur, he is only a couple weeks old but looks like he is full of life. He has a lot of brothers and sisters out there but I couldn't tell you who they were. His mom spent a spell of her life as a broodmare for a California University. King Arthur is a special horse and we are full of hope for his successful future!

Jolly Kone - Meiners Oaks, CA

Scott and I were off running errands yesterday around lunch time so we decided to stop and make a date of it. The Jolly Kone was located just down the street so he suggested there and I agreed because I have not been there yet. It is CASH ONLY so that is why I probably never have, I live off my debit card. You walk up and order and then find a spot on the benches.

Like here. In the sun! 

First came our Onion Rings that we shared. They were great! Hot, crispy and well salted. Everything I like in my onion rings. An order is really large, perfect for sharing.

Now came our Corn Burritos. Before I moved to Southern California I had never heard of a Corn Burrito. They are kind of like taquitos but instead of meat filling they are filled with beans. They are then slathered in a chile or enchilada sauce and then padded with shredded cheese on top. They come two to an order and always served in a Frito Boat. Needless to say, I am now obsessed with them.

I saw a girl order a milkshake on our way out and I got pretty jealous. I will be back with a couple dollar bills to try one real soon. 

I would say this place is a winner.

El Pescador - Fillmore, CA

When Scott and I traveL back and forth on Highway 126 - the road that connects us to Interstate 5 - we often cannot stop anywhere to eat, as we are usually hooked up to the horse trailer. As you can imagine, horses are impatient in the trailer so we are always in a rush to get them home so stopping at sit down restaurants are out of the question. My mom and stopped by on our trip to Del Mar so I could finally try the restaurant I have driven past a million times. The chips and salsa started our meal off great. 

I even noticed a tortilla machine upon entering - How cool is that?!

I started off with a shredded beef taco and it was excellent! The tortilla was fried up to order and the beef filled with flavor. I would go back for another round of tacos!

My mom and I shared the Combination Fajitas and it was a ton of food! Steak, chicken, shrimp and lots of vegetables made this a feast! Everything was marinaded and cooked perfectly.

I was pleasantly surprised to have an excellent meal here and will be back to sample the margaritas next!

The Fish Market - Del Mar, CA

After our bad food experience earlier in the day we pretty much lost all drive to seek out fabulous eats. Our palettes were fried and were not appreciating anything. So went to dinner at the closest place to our hotel and that happened to be The Fish Market. It was packed and so we grabbed a drink at the bar to wait for our table. The Bloody Mary was marginal, the bartender service was excellent.

Kathy tried the clam chowder, bland and tasted like paste. We were off to a great start!

However she did have the Seafood Salad and was pleasantly surprised with the amount of great tasting shrimp and crab. I was envious of her order, can you imagine Melissa Good Taste actually wanting someone else's salad... I have officially lost it.

I ordered the Fish and Chips and it looked like it was off the Kid's Menu. Everything tasted fine enough however nothing was real hot, I mean barelly warm. I hate that. I want it to be so piping hot that I have to wait until it cools down or it burns my fingers in the process. That is how I like! Ah well, the cole slaw was giving off warning shots so my body feared the damage it might do if I took a bite. 

The Apple Crisp according to my Mom was good. Really impressed with it.  

My creme brulee was nothing to write home about but was not the worst thing ever either. 

My Del Mar vacation really started out on a high at Market but then nothing else could really measure up. That will teach me to go to the best place first! We should have saved it for last!

Del Mar Rendezvous - Del Mar, CA

It was a beautiful day in Del Mar on Saturday so my mom and I made the most of the day by exploring in town. We became hungry for lunch so my mom suggested we go to the "Rendezvous" as she read some good reviews about it online... 

My hunger and desire for food stopped right here with this dish. It was supposed to be a fresh crab and mango salad. This was nasty. We took one bite and our bodies told us silently to stop, just stop. The crab tasted like canned tuna, there was tons of mayo (and I love mayo), unripe mango and absolutely no seasoning. We politely pushed the dish to the edge of the table, encouraging the busboy for rapid pick up. The manager came to our table and asked what was wrong with it, I didn't have the heart to say, "What was right with it?" - I just said it tasted like canned crab, there was no seasoning and the fruit was really hard. She didn't seem like any of those things were a problem, I hope she had it for it lunch.

With our appetites really gone and potential sickness coming on we trudged through a decent Cashew Chicken and white rice. It was ok.

We had ordered the lamb and it was very tasty. Very well cooked. We just were so turned off by food at this point and wanted to get out of there!

Imperial Shrimp on a bed of fried noodles. Done. We were so done. Nothing was tasting good so we ate a shrimp and jammed.

Paid the billed and just left feeling flabbergasted that one plate of food could just turn you off like that. Well, I guess it happened - We hit our food wall in Del Mar, California.

AKC Dog Show - Del Mar, CA

The reason I went to Del mar was to hang out with my Mom while her dog showed. Take a look at some of the dogs who caught my eye while we waited for her little champion to show...

Now this is Duke, he just got home from Westminster as Best of Opposite in the Irish Water Spaniels. I was impressed at how professional he acted at the show. 

On Sunday he took breed Champion and went into the ring to compete against the other breed champions...

He did great but was not picked by the judge as one of her four favorites. I understand that it only about one person's opinion, that day so I didn't take it personal. He did a great job, his handler did a great job and he was happy camper all the way home.

Market Restaurant - Del Mar, CA

ATTENTION: If you are going to just skim through this post you have been warned not to miss it. This was the best meal I have ever had! Read on...

I read about Market Restaurant through various reviews and decided that should be the first place my Mom and I check out on our mini vacation. I made reservations and at 6:15 we rolled in, valet parked our car and we were seated quickly. Corn muffins, sliced sourdough and salted butter were brought to our table rapidly. The corn muffins were outstanding!

The chef sent out an amuse bouche and it was breathtakingly good. I felt like I was on the television show "The Taste" - Poached prawn, cucumber watermelon salad with an amazing sesame vingarette served with cracker to finish. It was just beyond... If I could order six spoons of these for dinner, I would have.

You know how much I love my crab cakes so when we saw it on the menu my mom umped up and ordered it for us to share. The Macadamia Crusted Jonah Crab Cake had no filler at all. It was surrounded in a bath of passion fruit lemon grass broth with jewel pieces of avocado and pinapple. Stunning! Best appetizer I have ever add.

I ordered the Acadian Redfish and Crispy Shrimp Tempura because it sounded exotic. The gingered asparagus rice under the perfectly cooked fish was lovely. The red thai curry sauce that the dish was washed with was spicy! Enough to wipe your nose, thats for sure. The shrimp were just out of the fryer so they were crisp and lovely. An interesting meal, that I was pleasantly satisfied with.

My Mom swore she wasn't going to get a steak since she had just gotten back from New York and had a lot of steak while visiting. But when she read about the Waygu Filet served with caramelized onion confit, forest mushroom roast, bernaise and a souffle served along side - She ordered another steak. She said it was delightful and it was worth the order.

Whenever I see Budino on the dessert menu, anywhere, I order it. I loved this butterscotch custard so much. The thick caramel on top, dollop of cream and pistachio brittle made it just out of this world. Served along side were apple turnovers, I barely touched them.

My mom had the Mars Bars and they were a chocolate lovers dream. Too heavy for me with out a cup of coffee or glass of red wine but they were very beautiful. I didn't try much of it because I was too obsessed with my own plate. I like the "M" stamp...

Anyhow, can you see why this really was the best meal ever?! Beautiful food, simple flavors and excellent prices. I was so shocked to see the low price tag on such masterful food. I will be back and you should go! Now!!!