hbpthomas's Profile
Best of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Shell Beach, Arroyo Grande, or Oceano?
I've eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner at Fat Cat's - I'm not sure what the major draw is. I'm not a favor of this type of diner food, so I don't go there if I have a choice.
Pismo Beach / San Luis Obispo - what's best?
The food at Guiseppe's in Pismo is okay - service can be an issue, especially depending on the time of night you go there. They don't always take reservations either, so you could be waiting a LONG time.
I vote for Mama's Meatballs in SLO - I have never had a bad meal there - LOVE the "fettucini alfredo con P" and their traditional Italian cheesecake is to die for!
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Mama's Meatball - Fine Italian Restaurant & Catering
570 Higuera St Ste 130, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Pismo Beach / San Luis Obispo - what's best?
Robin Covey only owns NOVO now, he sold French Corner a few years ago, and Shani Covey owns Robin's now. The pastries at NOVO are made by Russell Thomas of SLO (he's co-owner of Honeymoon Cafe SLO & Two Cooks Catering of SLO). I'm not sure where their breads come from these days.
Birthday Dinner in Paso Robles, Morro Bay, or Cambria
sounds like you've got a great itinerary planned - if you want a full breakfast choose Linn's, if you tend to eat on the lighter side (pastry & a coffee) then pick French Corner.
Birthday Dinner in Paso Robles, Morro Bay, or Cambria
I second Hoppe's in Cayucos, and also add Robin's in Cambria.
San Luis Obispo - Profile
I'd also like to hear more about it - been watching it transform into the new restaurant and am curious. Thanks.
Cambria
Big fan of Robin's here (need to make reservations though for dinner, especially on a weekend). Also love Moonstone Bar & Grill (they have the BEST cheesecake). For a completely casual dinner you could eat at the Cambria Bar & Grill, the grilled salmon sandwich is so good (but bring cash - they don't take credit cards)
If you HAD to use margarine...
Earth Balance makes a very nice one (I'm allergic to milk so have no choice about not using butter). But word of caution - they just changed their packaging and the vegetarian spread looks almost exactly like their one with part butter! Shame on them. Some Trader Joe's carry it you can also find it at Whole Foods, and Ralphs/Kroger.
Locally raised meats on Central Coast?
You could try the Arroyo Grande Meat Company (in the old village). It's been a while since I've been in there but I thought they used to carry local meats.
Best food finds at Costco? [old]
I buy the big packages of White Cheddar Cheese - same package sold elsewhere but a couple of bucks cheaper at Costco. I also buy the big packages of goat cheese - at our store it's about $5 for four times as much as you'd buy at Trader Joe's. I also buy milk there - can't beat the price! Oh, and the Kirkland coffee we recently purchased actually says something like "Roasted by Starbuck's"... my husband says it tastes the same as the Starbuck's.
In-N-Out Has Chiles? [Split from L.A.]
This post makes me feel like I've been missing out on something. I had no idea they offered chilies! I'll have to tell my husband - he'll go nuts!!
Legal Seafood?
I also have eaten frequently at the one in Cambridge, Boston & Framingham - all three were always good (granted it has been about 7 years since I've been to MA), but I've never had a bad meal at either of those. I LOVE Jasper White's Summer Shack in Cambridge (near the Alwife, I know I'm not spelling it right, T stop). If you want you can pick your live lobster/crab/etc out of the big tanks in the dining room. I have also heard that other Legals outside of the greater Boston area aren't as good... but I have not eaten at any other than the three I mentioned above.
Trader Joes frozen fish fillets, your opinion?
If you buy the shrimp make sure you buy the frozen "raw" shrimp, not the pre-cooked. I have noticed a big difference between the two. I like the frozen Wild Alaskan Salmon, but am not partial to any of the other frozen fish fillets. I've had quite a few that seemed frost bitten by the time I cooked them. Hope that helps. Those are the only items I've tried so far.
Dunkin Donuts Waffle Sandwich
Alas I haven't tried this either... makes me miss the east coast - we do not have a Dunkin Donuts here in CA... someone eat a Munchkin for me!
frozen fish quality and price--Trader Joe's or Costco?
I've never had frozen fish from Costco - we're lucky enough for our Costco to have a lovely fresh fish counter. I have tried some frozen fish from Trader Joe's, and to me it's hit or miss. My husband never seems to like it when I buy it - so I stopped. I do however like their fresh frozen Wild Alaskan Salmon.
Foods you love at Trader Joe's that got discontinued? [OLD]
This has been a fascinating post for me to read. Am I the first person to mention that Trader Joe's merchandises their stores regionally? And that even in the same county you will find some items at one store and not at another?? An old friend of mine used to work for TJ corporate and told me that himself. I've noticed this merchandising here in CA and when I was living in MA. That might explain why some of you haven't been able to find some things - they could have been moved to another store...
NY Times - Eating Well on a Downsized Food Budget
Or you could do what my mother does in the summer - cook a bunch of chicken/fish/meat on a cooler day or during a cooler time of day and have it cold later in the week. There is no reason cooking at home should take a long time or cost a lot of money.
Consumers cut food spending sharply - WSJ
We've noticed the same thing, and have done some shopping from Costco ourselves. I have to say - I've been really impressed by the quality of the fresh fish at our local Costco!
Milk prices alone drive me nuts (with a toddler and a milk guzzling husband in the house) we go through it too quickly. What bothers me so much is that "fresh" local ingredients, which are so much better for you to eat - cost so much more than the "unhealthier" choices you could find at places like Food 4 Less... no wonder the American waistline is having such problems. I'd like to think that the purer the ingredients the less expensive it should be - shouldn't chemical additives cost more??
In our house we have been actually planning weekly menus around store shopping flyers - which forces me to shop once a week instead of every other day (the way my husband likes to shop). His way causes us to spend too much on groceries - and that doesn't even include money spent dining out.
Big Sur this weekend-- where to go?
I've had some very pleasant lunches at the Big Sur River Inn - when the weather is nice you can sit on the lawn by the river and eat your meals. So nice. It's relaxed and casual - http://www.bigsurriverinn.com/
Visalia
I haven't eaten in Visalia in ages (live out in SLO now) but are Gina's and Rosa's still around. Their food was always so great - loved the calzone at Gina's.
