Coastal Journey, Day 5: San Francisco to Ojai

One of the highlights of the trip: Staying at the brand-new Hotel Intercontinental San Francisco for a fraction of the price. Thanks to an Internet deal, we secured a room for $129/night. That’s the same price as the utterly dreadful motel we stayed at outside of Ojai (more on that later).

The downside of the Intercontinental: Like many expensive hotels catering to business travelers (and this one definitely does, as it’s right down the street from the Moscone Center), just about everything costs money. Tiny hotels offer free WiFI, but the Intercontinental charges $12/day. And parking at the hotel was a jaw-dropping $50/day.

But we worked around it. We checked our email at the Apple Store in Union Square… and were too busy to be surfing the net. And like I wrote earlier, I scored free street parking thanks to the July 4 holiday. Meanwhile, we took advantage of the things that were free: The indoor swimming pool, the flat screen HDTV in our hotel room, the automatic coffee maker that made some of the best in-room coffee I’ve ever tried.

On the morning following Independence Day, it was time to once again hit the road. I woke up early to move the car — the meters went back online at 7 a.m., so I found some free 2-hour street parking a few blocks south. Then Evan and I swam one more time, and before we knew it we were packed up and ready to go.

We decided to grab breakfast in the Hayes Valley part of town; we remember hitting Frjtz there last time with our pal Karen. This time we walked down the street and happened upon a art opening. At 9 a.m. on a Saturday.

But it wasn’t your ordinary art show: It was an exhibit honoring a convenience store that had recently shut down, along with exhibits honoring the history of other Hayes Valley addresses.

The exhibit included free donuts and coffee. Sold.

We also stopped by La Boulange de Hayes, an outpost of an SF French bakery chain. Coffee was excellent, as were our pastries: A croissant bread pudding ($3) and a hazelnut croissant ($2.75). As one of the reviewers on Yelp notes, any restaurant that has Nutella readily available as a condiment is good enough for us.

Evan loved climbing on the spiderweb-like jungle gym (in the background, above) found in the minipark off Hayes. Then there’s the sculpture, above. More details:

Our bellies filled with pastries and coffee, we sped right to the 101… and it was time to start heading south. We drove quite a distance, stopping before San Luis Obispo for lunch at… well, El Pollo Loco. Hey, we were hungry, and it was the only decent place in the shopping center we drove by.

Anyway, we kept heading South… and by the time we approached Pismo Beach, we were antsy. I spied a park out of the side of my eye that looked kid-friendly. I headed off the freeway… and smack into horrible Pismo Beach holiday weekend traffic.

But we finally got to the park, and it was awesome. Nice views of the cliff’s edge, for starters.

But also a lot of green for Evan and daddy to run around. Apparently this is “Shell Beach.”

Later, as we started to approach the town of Buellton, we started seeing the famous road-side signs touting pea soup. We’ve been fascinated for years.

Why pea soup, of all things? Is it any good? We decided that this trip, we’d finally see what the noise was all about. So we took the exit into tiny Buellton, and right there was the famous Andersen’s.

Unfortunately, you can’t just saunter up to a to go window and order a cup of pea soup. Nope, you gotta get a table, sit down and order. We decided to sit at the counter, so that they’d get the hint that we were here just for the soup.

Maria had hope after seeing the mint plant out front that she’d underestimated how good it might be. So we decided to go through with it.

I took a bite… and our initial instincts were correct.

It was horrible.

It was puke-olive-green-clearly-poured-from-a-can horrible. The taste itself was nothing special. THIS is what an entire town had staked its visitor reputation on?

Still, I’m glad, I suppose, that we did our part for the little town. Inside Andersen’s, there’s an upstairs museum that tells the history of Buellton… and how a rerouting of the 101 passed them by. The owner behind Andersen’s had an idea on how to drum up business: Plant flags up and down the former section of 101 that passed through town. Call it “Avenue of Flags.” Then-Gov. Ronald Reagan even flew in to inaugurate the big initiative.

Now, 40 years later, I get the feeling that it’s all been downhill at Buellton since the day the Governor visited.

By the way, I’m a cheap enough sumbitch that I wasn’t about to let the $5.50 I paid for the soup go to waste.

Ugh. This would come back to haunt me later. That’s all you need to know about that.

We eventually made it to our hotel, a pretty crappy motel in Oak View, right outside of Ojai. Quite a let down from the Intercontinental to the Oakridge Inn. On the plus side, free WiFi. On the downside, the hotel’s gross.

It’s mostly my fault, having waited until the last minute to book a room in Ojai. We weren’t sure for the longest time where we’d spend our last night, and by the time we settled on Santa Barbara or Ojai, everything was booked everywhere (damn holiday weekend). To that end, the Oakridge at least was in the right spot, and wasn’t ridiculously expensive.

We dropped off our bags and then drove over to Ojai, where we walked along the old shops and hung out in the park across the street. As it got late, we weren’t too hungry — damn you again, pea soup! — but we eventually decided to drive out to Boccali’s Pasta and Pizza.

The sad news: We got there right after 9. And apparently Ojai shuts down at 9. After some convincing, we at least were able to order spaghetti for the kid… Maria and I weren’t all that hungry, so their early shut down actually allowed us to order food just for Evan without guilt.

Next up: The final day.

Rate-A-Restaurant #179: Uncle Vito’s Pizza

Uncle Vito’s owner, with the San Francisco Twins

Restaurant: Uncle Vito’s

Location: 700 Bush St., at Powell (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Pizza/Italian

They stipulated: “Uncle Vito rises early each morning, prepares fresh dough from unbleached flour, cuts the freshest vegetables and grates part-skim milk mozzarella (less fat, but full flavor). All pizzas can be ordered with light cheese.”

We stipulated: We were in the mood for pizza. Our hopes were dashed in Monterey, where the joint one of you recommended wasn’t, alas, open for lunch. After a day of walking around SF, a pizza sounded ideal. I asked the concierge at our hotel for recommendations, and he noted that many spots were closed — it was July 4, after all. But Uncle Vito’s wasn’t — and that’s the spot he sends people (“and I’m Italian, so I know pizza,” he said). I knew he was on to something when, as we were waiting for a table, a cable car conductor stopped his trolley right in the middle of the street, leaving people hanging as he ran in to buy his dinner at Vito’s.

What we ordered: The Mountain: The house combo – with salami, pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and sausage. (We ordered without salami — seemed like excessive meat.) Medium was $15. Also: Spinach Salad (mushrooms, croutons and our own poppy seed dressing), $5, Got a 1/2 liter of the House Red for $5.75.

High point: Gotta say, that poppy seed dressing was pretty good. And the pizza was pretty good too — the concierge didn’t lie. But perhaps the high point was our surreal encounter with the Twins. They’re apparently regulars at Vito’s, so if you’re looking for that kind of SF experience, there you go.

Low point: It was the holiday, and with many restaurants closed, the wait for a table at Uncle Vito’s was unbelievable. We stood there for at least an hour. After we finally got a table, the owner came over and sheepishly asked us if we could trade down to a smaller table, to make room for some guests after we just arrived. I was waiting for him to offer something — hey, some free wine, anything — in exchange. But nothing. So we didn’t say anything, and it dawned on him that after an hour of waiting, we weren’t giving up our hard-earned table. He told us not to worry about it.

Overall impression: It ain’t Casa Bianca, our L.A. pizza of choice. But it’s not bad. And it’s a great place to both people watch… and cable car watch (a bonus for those of you with 3-year-old boys.) I’d definitely consider eating there again on a future SF visit, if we were in the mood for pizza.

For a complete list of our nearly 180 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant #179: Uncle Vito’s Pizza

Uncle Vito’s owner, with the San Francisco Twins

Restaurant: Uncle Vito’s

Location: 700 Bush St., at Powell (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Pizza/Italian

They stipulated: “Uncle Vito rises early each morning, prepares fresh dough from unbleached flour, cuts the freshest vegetables and grates part-skim milk mozzarella (less fat, but full flavor). All pizzas can be ordered with light cheese.”

We stipulated: We were in the mood for pizza. Our hopes were dashed in Monterey, where the joint one of you recommended wasn’t, alas, open for lunch. After a day of walking around SF, a pizza sounded ideal. I asked the concierge at our hotel for recommendations, and he noted that many spots were closed — it was July 4, after all. But Uncle Vito’s wasn’t — and that’s the spot he sends people (“and I’m Italian, so I know pizza,” he said). I knew he was on to something when, as we were waiting for a table, a cable car conductor stopped his trolley right in the middle of the street, leaving people hanging as he ran in to buy his dinner at Vito’s.

What we ordered: The Mountain: The house combo – with salami, pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and sausage. (We ordered without salami — seemed like excessive meat.) Medium was $15. Also: Spinach Salad (mushrooms, croutons and our own poppy seed dressing), $5, Got a 1/2 liter of the House Red for $5.75.

High point: Gotta say, that poppy seed dressing was pretty good. And the pizza was pretty good too — the concierge didn’t lie. But perhaps the high point was our surreal encounter with the Twins. They’re apparently regulars at Vito’s, so if you’re looking for that kind of SF experience, there you go.

Low point: It was the holiday, and with many restaurants closed, the wait for a table at Uncle Vito’s was unbelievable. We stood there for at least an hour. After we finally got a table, the owner came over and sheepishly asked us if we could trade down to a smaller table, to make room for some guests after we just arrived. I was waiting for him to offer something — hey, some free wine, anything — in exchange. But nothing. So we didn’t say anything, and it dawned on him that after an hour of waiting, we weren’t giving up our hard-earned table. He told us not to worry about it.

Overall impression: It ain’t Casa Bianca, our L.A. pizza of choice. But it’s not bad. And it’s a great place to both people watch… and cable car watch (a bonus for those of you with 3-year-old boys.) I’d definitely consider eating there again on a future SF visit, if we were in the mood for pizza.

For a complete list of our nearly 180 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Coastal Journey, Day 4: San Francisco

Day 4, the one day we were car-free. (Yes, there was a lot of driving on this trip. Thank goodness gas is just $5 a gallon, right?) We lucked out on parking: While our hotel charged $50 a day for unlimited in and out privileges (uh, no thanks), we found a metered spot in front. Normally $1 per 24 minutes — again, robbery — street parking was free thanks to the holiday. Comfortable in the knowledge that the car probably wouldn’t be broken into right in front of the hotel, we left it there and spent the holiday on foot.

It’s not a trip to San Francisco for us these days without a breakfast visit to Dottie’s True Blue Cafe. A morning visit means standing in line for as long as an hour — but like we told the first-timers behind us, it’s worth it.

When I think of San Francisco, my mind frequently wanders to Dottie’s breakfast, as a matter of fact. We woke up early and called soon after 7:30 to gage the wait. “There’s no line!” the guy on the phone claimed. We rushed to get ready, walked out to Jones.. and encountered the longest line we’ve ever faced there. No matter. We were there, and we were going to wait. Here’s what we ordered once we finally got inside the tiny dining room:

Louisiana hot link and eggs any style, grilled cornbread and potatoes ($8.95).

Smoked whisky fennel sausage, mushroom and baby spinach scramble with grilled cornbread and potatoes ($10.45).

Evan’s pancake ($3.50).

After breakfast, we decided to finally grant Evan his wish — it was time to ride the cable car. But given that it’s the height of tourist season, the line for the main cable car route in Union Square is crazy long. We weren’t in the mood to stand for hours in line, only to be squeezed into a cable car — so instead, we walked to Van Ness and California to take the other, less traveled line.

Yeah, it’s much shorter than the other route, and the views aren’t as breath taking. But it’s still cool, Evan’s still on a cable car, and we didn’t waste hours in line.

Once out near the Ferry Building, we turned around and walked up to Chinatown, and then down Columbus. We wound up in Fishmen’s Wharf, which was jam packed with people, some of whom had already camped out, waiting to see fireworks. Given the crowds and the foggy sky, we decided to skip the show and hop on the bus back to the Ferry Building. We then switched to an F train — another treat for Evan — and rode it back close to the hotel.

We asked the concierge at the Intercontinental for a decent pizzeria, and he suggested Uncle Vito’s, at Bush and Powell.

It was there that we dined next to the San Francisco Twins.

The identical twins, Marian and Vivian Brown, live nearby in Nob Hill, and do virtually everything together — including wearing the same exact outfit, something they’ve done all their lives. Apparently they’re regulars at Uncle Vito’s, where they take their time sipping wine, eating dinner and having cake for dessert — all at a steep discount. Perhaps there’s a secret to growing old in there.

Uncle Vito’s earned Evan’s approval too, as it’s right on the cable car line. While we waited for a table, a cable car conductor stopped traffic by parking his fully packed trolley, running inside Uncle Vito’s and fetching his dinner.

We walked back to our hotel after that and caught some far-off fireworks via the room’s windows.

Next: The long drive south, and pea soup? Pea u!

Coastal Journey, Day 4: San Francisco

Day 4, the one day we were car-free. (Yes, there was a lot of driving on this trip. Thank goodness gas is just $5 a gallon, right?) We lucked out on parking: While our hotel charged $50 a day for unlimited in and out privileges (uh, no thanks), we found a metered spot in front. Normally $1 per 24 minutes — again, robbery — street parking was free thanks to the holiday. Comfortable in the knowledge that the car probably wouldn’t be broken into right in front of the hotel, we left it there and spent the holiday on foot.

It’s not a trip to San Francisco for us these days without a breakfast visit to Dottie’s True Blue Cafe. A morning visit means standing in line for as long as an hour — but like we told the first-timers behind us, it’s worth it.

When I think of San Francisco, my mind frequently wanders to Dottie’s breakfast, as a matter of fact. We woke up early and called soon after 7:30 to gage the wait. “There’s no line!” the guy on the phone claimed. We rushed to get ready, walked out to Jones.. and encountered the longest line we’ve ever faced there. No matter. We were there, and we were going to wait. Here’s what we ordered once we finally got inside the tiny dining room:

Louisiana hot link and eggs any style, grilled cornbread and potatoes ($8.95).

Smoked whisky fennel sausage, mushroom and baby spinach scramble with grilled cornbread and potatoes ($10.45).

Evan’s pancake ($3.50).

After breakfast, we decided to finally grant Evan his wish — it was time to ride the cable car. But given that it’s the height of tourist season, the line for the main cable car route in Union Square is crazy long. We weren’t in the mood to stand for hours in line, only to be squeezed into a cable car — so instead, we walked to Van Ness and California to take the other, less traveled line.

Yeah, it’s much shorter than the other route, and the views aren’t as breath taking. But it’s still cool, Evan’s still on a cable car, and we didn’t waste hours in line.

Once out near the Ferry Building, we turned around and walked up to Chinatown, and then down Columbus. We wound up in Fishmen’s Wharf, which was jam packed with people, some of whom had already camped out, waiting to see fireworks. Given the crowds and the foggy sky, we decided to skip the show and hop on the bus back to the Ferry Building. We then switched to an F train — another treat for Evan — and rode it back close to the hotel.

We asked the concierge at the Intercontinental for a decent pizzeria, and he suggested Uncle Vito’s, at Bush and Powell.

It was there that we dined next to the San Francisco Twins.

The identical twins, Marian and Vivian Brown, live nearby in Nob Hill, and do virtually everything together — including wearing the same exact outfit, something they’ve done all their lives. Apparently they’re regulars at Uncle Vito’s, where they take their time sipping wine, eating dinner and having cake for dessert — all at a steep discount. Perhaps there’s a secret to growing old in there.

Uncle Vito’s earned Evan’s approval too, as it’s right on the cable car line. While we waited for a table, a cable car conductor stopped traffic by parking his fully packed trolley, running inside Uncle Vito’s and fetching his dinner.

We walked back to our hotel after that and caught some far-off fireworks via the room’s windows.

Next: The long drive south, and pea soup? Pea u!

Rate-A-Restaurant #178: Osha Thai

Restaurant: Osha Thai

Location: 1149 2nd St. (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Thai

They stipulated: With parties of six or more, tip is calculated in. We almost didn’t notice that they’d done so, apparently counting our 3 year old and the 1 year old with the couple we were out with as well.

Yellow sea.

We stipulated: Meeting pal Lisa, her hubby Max and their little one Matthew, they were kind enough to come our way. We mentioned Thai or Chinese as something we hadn’t done on the trip yet, and they suggested Osha. It was walking distance from our hotel, so we were sold.

Yin-Yang sea bass.

What we ordered: Yellow sea: Prawns, scallops, calamari and crab claws stir-fried with yellow curry powder sauce, egg, green onion, red bell pepper and celery ($18); Yin-Yang sea bass: Steamed Sea Bass fillet and Napa cabbage over thick red curry and green curry sauce ($18); Spicy eggplant: Choice of sliced chicken, beef or pork stir-fried with eggplant, basil and red bell pepper ($13); Pad see you: Rice noodles pan fried with Chinese broccoli, egg, black soy bean sauce and choice of chicken, beef or pork ($11); Tom Yum soup: Hot & Sour soup with lemongrass, galangal, Kaffir lime leaf, mushrooms, and tomatoes ($10). Also, drinks included a lychee martini ($9) and a Thai tea tini ($9).

Pad see you.

High point: Considering the hip surroundings, Osha is surprisingly kid friendly. Evan was demanding to see cable cars, and put on a bit of a scene, but luckily wasn’t really noticed. Other families at the restaurant also had kids in tow. Food wise, the spicy eggplant was nice.

Low point: Other than that automatic gratuity, there really wasn’t one.

Spicy eggplant.

Overall impression: Osha is actually a mini-chain of five restaurants in the SF area. Yet this one felt like it was one of a kind. Sometimes the food can be too dumbed down and Americanized at places like this… but that Tom Yum soup definitely tasted authentic, and the rest of the choices were winners as well. Good choice by Lisa and Max, and just what we were looking to eat on night three of our journey.

Tom Yum soup.

For a complete list of our more than 175 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant #178: Osha Thai

Restaurant: Osha Thai

Location: 1149 2nd St. (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Thai

They stipulated: With parties of six or more, tip is calculated in. We almost didn’t notice that they’d done so, apparently counting our 3 year old and the 1 year old with the couple we were out with as well.

Yellow sea.

We stipulated: Meeting pal Lisa, her hubby Max and their little one Matthew, they were kind enough to come our way. We mentioned Thai or Chinese as something we hadn’t done on the trip yet, and they suggested Osha. It was walking distance from our hotel, so we were sold.

Yin-Yang sea bass.

What we ordered: Yellow sea: Prawns, scallops, calamari and crab claws stir-fried with yellow curry powder sauce, egg, green onion, red bell pepper and celery ($18); Yin-Yang sea bass: Steamed Sea Bass fillet and Napa cabbage over thick red curry and green curry sauce ($18); Spicy eggplant: Choice of sliced chicken, beef or pork stir-fried with eggplant, basil and red bell pepper ($13); Pad see you: Rice noodles pan fried with Chinese broccoli, egg, black soy bean sauce and choice of chicken, beef or pork ($11); Tom Yum soup: Hot & Sour soup with lemongrass, galangal, Kaffir lime leaf, mushrooms, and tomatoes ($10). Also, drinks included a lychee martini ($9) and a Thai tea tini ($9).

Pad see you.

High point: Considering the hip surroundings, Osha is surprisingly kid friendly. Evan was demanding to see cable cars, and put on a bit of a scene, but luckily wasn’t really noticed. Other families at the restaurant also had kids in tow. Food wise, the spicy eggplant was nice.

Low point: Other than that automatic gratuity, there really wasn’t one.

Spicy eggplant.

Overall impression: Osha is actually a mini-chain of five restaurants in the SF area. Yet this one felt like it was one of a kind. Sometimes the food can be too dumbed down and Americanized at places like this… but that Tom Yum soup definitely tasted authentic, and the rest of the choices were winners as well. Good choice by Lisa and Max, and just what we were looking to eat on night three of our journey.

Tom Yum soup.

For a complete list of our more than 175 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Coastal Journey, Day 3: Monterey to San Francisco

Another day, another institution: The famed Monterey Aquarium. Located in one of the old sardine canning factories in Cannery Row, the Aquarium is well-organized and a great place to bring the Kid Formerly Known as Blogger Toddler. For history buffs, there’s even an exhibit on the rise and fall of the canning industry there (basically, the sardines disappeared from Monterey Bay virtually overnight due to overfishing, killing the industry.) Another interactive exhibit goes into detail on which seafood to avoid at restaurants, due to harmful fishing practices or endangered species.

The view outside the aquarium.

Divers examine sea life outside the aquarium.

Our favorite sight at the aquarium: Sea otters swim and hold on to plastic balls.

The back of the aquarium.

After the aquarium — yes, we had to drag the kid away once he discovered the play area — we acted on another piece of Chowhound advice and headed up to a small market near the Presidio of Monterey for sandwiches (above). Several people had recommended Compagno’s Hilltop Market, and we weren’t disappointed. Large sandwiches — I ate half there, and saved the other half for the drive up. (Maria did the same.) It’s a mini-mart, but they did have a few tables out there.

Meanwhile, back on the road, we encountered Castroville — artichoke capital, so they say.

And they have a big-ass artichoke statue to prove it. Good enough for me.

After that, we sped up to San Francisco, driving through Santa Cruz, heading up and briefly stopping at IKEA in San Mateo for a break (we loves our IKEAs). We made it to the Hotel Intercontinental by 6, and set out to meet our friend Lisa and her husband and son at Osha Thai near our hotel. (Evan, of course, wanted to ride a street car at that very second. It took every effort to keep him with us; he might have ran off to find the cable cars himself hWe wound down the day by grabbing a piece of cake at the Red Ribbon Bakery connected to Jollibee near the Metreon.

Next up: On Day Four, clang, clang, clang goes the Street Car.

Coastal Journey, Day 3: Monterey to San Francisco

Another day, another institution: The famed Monterey Aquarium. Located in one of the old sardine canning factories in Cannery Row, the Aquarium is well-organized and a great place to bring the Kid Formerly Known as Blogger Toddler. For history buffs, there’s even an exhibit on the rise and fall of the canning industry there (basically, the sardines disappeared from Monterey Bay virtually overnight due to overfishing, killing the industry.) Another interactive exhibit goes into detail on which seafood to avoid at restaurants, due to harmful fishing practices or endangered species.

The view outside the aquarium.

Divers examine sea life outside the aquarium.

Our favorite sight at the aquarium: Sea otters swim and hold on to plastic balls.

The back of the aquarium.

After the aquarium — yes, we had to drag the kid away once he discovered the play area — we acted on another piece of Chowhound advice and headed up to a small market near the Presidio of Monterey for sandwiches (above). Several people had recommended Compagno’s Hilltop Market, and we weren’t disappointed. Large sandwiches — I ate half there, and saved the other half for the drive up. (Maria did the same.) It’s a mini-mart, but they did have a few tables out there.

Meanwhile, back on the road, we encountered Castroville — artichoke capital, so they say.

And they have a big-ass artichoke statue to prove it. Good enough for me.

After that, we sped up to San Francisco, driving through Santa Cruz, heading up and briefly stopping at IKEA in San Mateo for a break (we loves our IKEAs). We made it to the Hotel Intercontinental by 6, and set out to meet our friend Lisa and her husband and son at Osha Thai near our hotel. (Evan, of course, wanted to ride a street car at that very second. It took every effort to keep him with us; he might have ran off to find the cable cars himself hWe wound down the day by grabbing a piece of cake at the Red Ribbon Bakery connected to Jollibee near the Metreon.

Next up: On Day Four, clang, clang, clang goes the Street Car.

Pink Skies, Pink Twins… It Was a Road Trip to Remember

… And we’re back. We spent much of last week driving up to San Francisco, as we mentioned last week, and indeed took advantage of many of your suggestions.

Sadly, we had to skip driving through Big Sur because of the ongoing fires there; we got close enough to breathe in quite a bit of smoky air, particularly at the Hearst Castle. Also, during a part of the drive up and down the 101, we saw plenty of helicopters carrying water… and marveled at the smoky, pink sky (above).

The trip boiled down to a night in Morro Bay, another in Monterey, two in SF and one final night in Ojai. Stay tuned for details and reviews on where we stayed, where we ate and what we did. Some things we planned out, while other experiences — such as dining next to the infamous San Francisco Twins (below) were happenstance.

For now, it’s back to work…