Turn Around Trip

Friday morning, after lunging Winston (Yay!!  I worked with my horse!), Brett and I headed up to the Central Coast to move Kyle out of his campus apartment.  It took forever to get there -- LA traffic on Fridays, even mid-day, is just awful.  We pulled out of our driveway at 10 am and parked in front of the Carlton Hotel in Atascadero at 4 pm.  We checked in, dropped our bags and headed up to Paso Robles to taste some wine at Per Cazo before Lynne closed at 5:00.  We made it! -- and spent a wonderful hour nibbling cheese, trying her new releases, and catching up.  We bought two bottles (so hard to just pick two) and went back to the hotel. 

I settled into a big comfy chair in the room with my foot up while Brett got back in the car and drove down to San Luis Obispo to pick up Kyle for dinner.  There were no rooms to be had in San Luis Obispo since the university commencement ceremonies were going on.  So, we were stuck in Atascadero, 25 minutes to the north.  The hotel is a small, historic (built in 1924) boutique inn bursting with character.  It was quiet, clean and very comfortable.  We were pleased.  When Brett returned with Kyle, we drove back to Paso Robles for dinner at one of my very favorite restaurants: Thomas Hill Organics.

Thomas Hill is an organic farm in Paso Robles and they have a small, patio seating, restaurant that serves creative cuisine using ingredients from the farm.  The menu changes constantly and it is always delicious.   The menu Friday night said that they were celebrating cherries and apricots.  Fruit was in almost every dish.  I remembered my camera and remembered to take pictures of the food  -- despite the chuckles from the couple at the next table over. 

My salad: Baby greens and pea tendrils with cherries, kumquats and sesame crumbles

Kyle's starter: a halibut bromade (baked casserole) spread on crostini

Brett's halibut with pickled watermelon and strawberries.

Kyle's hanger steak with a fried egg.  He was dubious at first, but said it was wonderful

My duck breast on purple rice with Asian greens and grilled peaches (that you can't see)

Saturday morning, Brett and Kyle moved Kyle out of his campus apartment and into the off campus apartment he will live in for the summer while he is working (campus housing is not available during the summer).  I sat at my parents' house with my foot up, visiting, while they worked.  Sweet deal, no?  We all met up for lunch in Morro Bay at the Dockside fish market.  The fishing boats unload their catch there and you can get fish sandwiches, salads and fish and chips to eat ... well, dockside.  A harbor seal swam up the side of the dock and rolled around in the water looking at us.  When we didn't toss him any fish, he swam off.

We were back home at 10 pm last night.  Poor Brett did a lot of driving in two days.  We aren't going further than the barn today.