Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Chantal Guillon - Palo Alto, CA

I had an appointment in Palo Alto and my Mom and I had some time to kill. We walked the downtown area and looked at shops. What a cute place! We came across a macaron shop and decided to try a few... 

We chose apricot, pistachio, coffee, caramel, vanilla and red velvet. Usually pistachio anything is my favorite but this time hands down the caramel. The filling was a salty caramel and combined with the delicate cookie it was amazing! The rest were good, that caramel was just outstanding!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Happy Birthday SCOTT!

Today is Scott Good Taste's Birthday! We are going to celebrate it with some evening surf, a nice meal and a baseball game! All things he loves... Stay tuned as to where we go! 









Cheers to Scott and his special day!

Monday, July 29, 2013

California Mid State Fair - Paso Robles, CA


Our summer horse show season has taken us all over the state and I was happy that we finally got some fair food in this season!

The cutting horses show at the fair is always one Scott and I look forward to. The loud music, hustle from the fair people and mostly the creative fair food get us excited to come cut. This year was no exception.

We made our way to the Frontier Town and picked out an evening meal at Good Ol' Burgers. Scott went for a boring old burger but I wanted something that I usually never eat...

A Philly Cheesesteak! Don't let all that artificial cheese fool you, it truly was delicious. The meat underneath the coat of orange goo was seasoned nicely and extremely tender. It was a knife and fork meal and i ate every last bite.

The next day was all about corn dogs. There were many booths dedicating themselves to producing the best one but after all said and done my conclusion was the booth located closest to the horse show arena.

I like more mustard than ketchup with my dog. What about you? The crunchier the better, in fact overcook it a little bit for me. There was not enough time for cotton candy and funnel cakes this trip but you never know where we might pop up next!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

El Lugarcito - King City, CA

Between drives from my homes in Ojai and San Juan Bautista I plan to make stops for lunch. On one of the trips I stopped in king City, tired and hungry from 4 hours of driving I picked El Lugarcito. Known as the "Little Place". 

They were fast and efficient in seating and ordering.

I ordered the Chile Verde and it came out within minutes of my ordering. The sauce was spicy and the pork very tender. I know others may enjoy having vegetables in their rice but it ruins the flavor for me. I spend most of my time eating around it. I like my rice and beans pure, exactly what they are. 

There are a lot of options of Mexican food in King City, at least 5 restaurant within walking distance on one street alone. Where should I stop next?

Friday, July 26, 2013

The Loading Chute - Creston, CA

 We have been spending a lot of time in Paso Robles in two weekends of cuttings so food posts of the Central Coast are coming your way! For years I have asked the locals where they like to eat and "The Loading Chute" in Creston always came up. We were stalling our horses in the area so we met our friends there for an early supper.
 
 Our table starter with a sausage and pepper appetizer and it was perfect. Not too much food but enough for each person to whet their appetite. 

It was Friday and I just had to try the Clam Chowder, it was ok. I could not predict the soup being made in house, in fact, it tasted for familiar in a Sysco kind of fashion. The Wild Horse Chardonnay was lovely though. 

 Salmon was on the menu with a lovely pesto glaze so I went for that. it was fantastic. Cooked to perfection and sized to fill me up! I enjoyed the mashed potatoes and picked at my vegetables. 

Scott ordered what a cowboy would, steak and fries. The meat was cooked lovely and the thick cut french fries were tools used to sop of the juicy steak and dollops of ketchup.

The restaurant is off the beaten path but if you feel like going out for a nice drive outside of Paso Robles, head out to Creston and sit int he lovely patio section of the Chute. it was a gorgeous evening.

The Loading Chute - Creston, CA

 We have been spending a lot of time in Paso Robles in two weekends of cuttings so food posts of the Central Coast are coming your way! For years I have asked the locals where they like to eat and "The Loading Chute" in Creston always came up. We were stalling our horses in the area so we met our friends there for an early supper.
 
 Our table starter with a sausage and pepper appetizer and it was perfect. Not too much food but enough for each person to whet their appetite. 

It was Friday and I just had to try the Clam Chowder, it was ok. I could not predict the soup being made in house, in fact, it tasted for familiar in a Sysco kind of fashion. The Wild Horse Chardonnay was lovely though. 

 Salmon was on the menu with a lovely pesto glaze so I went for that. it was fantastic. Cooked to perfection and sized to fill me up! I enjoyed the mashed potatoes and picked at my vegetables. 

Scott ordered what a cowboy would, steak and fries. The meat was cooked lovely and the thick cut french fries were tools used to sop of the juicy steak and dollops of ketchup.

The restaurant is off the beaten path but if you feel like going out for a nice drive outside of Paso Robles, head out to Creston and sit int he lovely patio section of the Chute. it was a gorgeous evening.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Anacapa Brewing Co. - Ventura, CA

The heat this summer has inspired us to get to work early, so the horses are done by early afternoon. We try to run our errands after that so we can meet up in Ventura to enjoy some normal, date time. This trip I had an appointment in Agoura Hills so I went on my way and met Scott downtown Ventura after he surfed. We used to always go to Anacapa Brewery when we first got to together, so we rekindled early relationship memories and met up there.

We shared an order or Onion Rings, so greasy. They were good, but on the soggy side. These were just oozing with too many calories, kind of kills the forbidden food buzz.

The BBQ Chicken Pizza is probably their most popular and our order. Grilled chicken, cilantro, red onion, bbq sauce with gouda and mozzarella are supposed to be divine. The lack luster crust and sparse sauce left us hungry for more. It was not bad, but it wasn't the outstanding food we once remembered.

There has been quite a few restaurant openings around them in Downtown Ventura. One would think now would be the best time to up your food game. The beer is still good, but the food could be raised back to their original standards.

Anacapa Brewing Co. - Ventura, CA

The heat this summer has inspired us to get to work early, so the horses are done by early afternoon. We try to run our errands after that so we can meet up in Ventura to enjoy some normal, date time. This trip I had an appointment in Agoura Hills so I went on my way and met Scott downtown Ventura after he surfed. We used to always go to Anacapa Brewery when we first got to together, so we rekindled early relationship memories and met up there.

We shared an order or Onion Rings, so greasy. They were good, but on the soggy side. These were just oozing with too many calories, kind of kills the forbidden food buzz.

The BBQ Chicken Pizza is probably their most popular and our order. Grilled chicken, cilantro, red onion, bbq sauce with gouda and mozzarella are supposed to be divine. The lack luster crust and sparse sauce left us hungry for more. It was not bad, but it wasn't the outstanding food we once remembered.

There has been quite a few restaurant openings around them in Downtown Ventura. One would think now would be the best time to up your food game. The beer is still good, but the food could be raised back to their original standards.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Brophy Brothers - Ventura, CA

When I am crazy for seafood cravings while in Ventura, we go to Brophy's...

The view is for free.

The bread and butter is one I should send away from the table, not because it is bad. It is that good! Gahhh, I eat more than my share.

The Bloody Mary's served slightly spicy are ones that cannot be resisted.

The Cold Seafood Appetizer is filled with most things that I love. The oysters on the half shell, shrimp, crab meat and ceviche were great. the raw clams kind of grossed me out, I am not sure why but it did.

Oh you know me, those darn Fish and Chips. I love them. Deep fried, flaky fish gets me every time. Throw in a nice tartar sauce and I am sold.

Scott went the healthy route and asked for grilled fish, pilaf and cole slaw. Lovely, healthy and he left feeling good.

Seafood for dinner is always my favorite. Readers, tell me where you go?!

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Groceries and Lunch? - Oxnard, CA

There is a very large group of my favorite food bloggers that do their lunching at Whole Foods Market. They hit the salad bar and know how to get the most bang for their buck. They know to not load up on salad dressings and other "heavy" foods as they price by the pound. Since I now live close to a Whole Market, I decided I could be one of those people!


They have an Airstream Bar inside of the store! How cool is that?! 

I settled in for my Root Beer, Salad and Soup. I am not going to lie it was pretty pricey. Twenty dollars for this masterpiece. My salad weighed over a pound and I did not even come close to finishing it. Salad bars and buffets make me always grab more than I need, I get too excited to try everything. The root beer was tasty, soup filling and salad a mix of all things.

Would I go to Whole Foods again for lunch? Of course, I just need to limit myself to small containers!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Lure Fish House - Ventura, CA

Melissa Good Taste had to go to the dentist yesterday so she got dressed up and made it an occasion! Date night was to follow so going to the dentist wouldn't be that bad... Turquoise pants, CHECK!

The dentist office visit went fine and i snagged a nice table top for Lure's Happy Hour. You truly cannot beat the prices for the quality of food you receive. The restaurant is always clean and staffed beautifully so it makes every visit a pleasure.

We started off with Charbroiled Oysters (my all time Lure favorite) and they were so good that we ordered another! I could eat plates and plates of these without even being fazed.

It was Scott's turn to order off the Happy Hour menu and he chose us Fish Tacos. The fish was battered and fried and the toppings were cool and refreshing. The avocado and pico de gallo were the right kind of fresh.

Scott saw a plate pass by us that caught his attention: Idaho Trout Almondine. Broiled with almonds and butter how could it go wrong? He chose sides of sweet potato fries and creamed corn. He dove into the corn, he just loves the stuff and politely finished his fish while sharing bites with the fries.

My weakness: Fish and Chips! I cannot pass them up on any menu. These were very good. True to rival the order I received at Pier 46 in Templeton. These fries were better and I just loved that the batter was cooked! Most places under do it and these were crunchy fabulous.

If you have not tried Lure's Happy Hour or Lure at all, you need to. The restaurant, bathrooms included, is always immaculate and staff always aplenty. You are always relieving quality ingredients no matter what you order. I highly recommend you give one of their locations a try: Ventura, Westlake or Camarillo.