I know there is a big landslide in Monterey, but still, I have already booked everything for a late September, early October road trip SF ---> LA along US 1. Looking for recommendations of "not-to-miss" restaurants/eateries/food trucks along the way. Don't forget San Francisco and Los Angeles either, as we can sure use some good advice on where to eat in these two cities. No restrictions on food, we are omnivores, but I suppose seafood would be a special thing since the route is so close to the sea? BBQ will work just as well. Thanks!
The slide is not in Monterey but about 30 miles south in the middle of the Big Sur coastline. Note that there is no detour currently, so you will not able to take Hwy 1 all the way to LA from SF. The route will not reopen completely until late September at the earliest. You can follow regular updates on the status of opening up Hwy 1 in that area here,
https://www.chowhound.com/post/big-su...
Here's a current discussion for SF to Santa Barbara that you should find helpful,
https://www.chowhound.com/post/pch-1-...
US 1 is out on both the north and south ends of Big Sur. It's possible that they will have the bridge on the north end repaired by late September, but they can't even start work on the slide on the south end until it stabilizes.
I don't think it's doable, but check the CalTrans map for possible routes.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/05/26...
Meanwhile, you should take a look at Melanie Wong's recent posts about the central coast (tagged San Luis Obispo) for some ideas.
You will not be able to drive through Big Sur on Route 1 by then Plan on driving on 1 as far north as the turnoff to 46 east to Paso Robles, take 101 north to Salinas, then 87 west to Monterey to join 1 again. The big slide on 1 is still moving. It will take months to clear and repair.
What have you already booked - will the recommended detour let you get to these spots? We locals are discovering plenty of interesting stops along plain old Highway 101, which is a lovely drive in its own right. Yes, Highway one is 100 times more scenic, but quite frankly for those of us who have done it many times, a bit of a winding driving chore.
LA is big....really, really big. I'd suggest you make LA a separate thread, and specify where you will be staying and for how many days.
For example, we were visiting my brother in the Glendale/Burbank area in 2015 and had some wonderful food. But if you're going to be in the Southern or Eastern areas, no way is it worth driving through traffic for an hour just to eat out there. There are a lot of very good, fun restaurants that cater strictly to neighborhood locals.
Thank you all for helping me out for my October trip from SF to LA so far. Here are my hotel bookings, going North to South, with restaurant selections that I have gleaned from posting that fellow Hounds have recommended:
1 night in Berkeley: Bette's Ocean View Diner
2 nights in Monterey
3 nights in San Luis Obispo
1 night in Santa Barbara: Loquita, Sama Sama, The Lark, Barbareño, Los Agaves, Brophy Bros, Cold Spring Tavern
1 night in the Ramada Wiltshire, LA
So, all the hotel bookings are set, but definitely need restaurant recommendations. I also plan to drive up to the blockage(s) on US 1 from both sides, doubling back so that we will miss as little of the sights as possible. I love to drive and have rented a Mustang Convertible for the trip. Really looking forward to it. Thank you again!
Recent visit to Sama Sama (Indonesia Test Kitchen) in Santa Barbara was extremely disappointing, and I have long given the place rave reviews. Plus the place was filthy. Not sure what was going on with them. Are you looking for suggestions for your one night in Santa Barbara from your list or still looking for more possibilities?
What kind of dining experience are you hoping to have in this town. With the loss of Julienne, we no longer have a real wow dining choice, but there are other reasons to pick a restaurant here - location, ambiance, types of food, price.........
I am looking for restaurant/eateries/food truck recommendations in SF, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and LA (near the Ramada Wiltshire). I think I have enough recommendations for Santa Barbara...
Among your choices for Santa Barbara I would pick Barbareño mainly because the prices are lower for pretty much a similar menu and setting - others are okay too, but not spectacular enough to go out of my way for.
The cluster of dining choices around Upper State has long been the local go-to secret. Not sure why Sama Sama went down hill so fast - we were there a few months ago and it hit pretty much all the right notes. Except for that grim butterscotch dessert. But everything struck out this time, except for the "hot wings" which are pretty much a no-brainer. Even the sambals were canned.
A trip to the IndoChina Market in the K-Mart shopping center would have yielded far better choices with far better service. The disgusting stains and glops on the Sama Sama seating cushion bench were the final straw. It must not have been cleaned since they opened. This is a loss of what was a very fresh dining option in town. Darn it.
No wonder we find ourselves going back to Paradise Cafe for their excellent burger and chocolate mousse pie when we want to "go out to dinner" these days in Santa Barbara.
First time posting, so apologies if I am posting in the wrong place. :)
We had wonderful meal at Ember Restaurant in Arroyo Grande (20 minute drive from SLO) this past weekend. The only drawback is that they do not take reservations. We had to wait about 20 minutes on a Saturday night.
Ember Restaurant
1200 E Grand Avenue, Suite 101, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
http://www.emberwoodfire.com/
My visit to Sama Sama in March was also disappointing. The flavors were wimpy - not what good Indonesian food should be. Didn't care for the atmosphere, either.
For good, authentic Italian food in Santa Barbara, Via Maestra. In San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, Buona Tavola. I keep going back to all of these.
In Santa Barbara, my favorite breweries are Telegraph and Third Window.
Thanks for the tip. Will avoid Sama Sama. Have plenty of restaurant recommendations for Santa Barbara, looking for restaurants in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, SF, and LA around Ramada Wilshire.
Of all the places to eat in Berkeley, why Bette's Oceanview Diner (which, BTW, does not have an oceanview and isn't open for dinner)?
I like their Souffle Pancake!
OK, if not Bette's Oceanview, then what else would you recommend in Berkeley and environs?
Found a great yakitori in Berkeley named Ippuku:
http://www.ippukuberkeley.com/#yakitori
Had a great meal there!
Found a gem of an Persian/Armenian eatery in Fresno called Diana's Restaurant:
http://dianas-restaurant.business.site
Roasted eggplant to die for...
Are you going to San Luis Obispo for Hearst's Castle? Because otherwise it's just not a great place to eat. The Black Cat in Cambria was okay, but frankly the food and wine are a whole lot better in Paso Robles.
Where did you eat in San Luis Obispo vs. Paso Robles?
(And Hearst Castle is in San Simeon, not SLO.)
We stay in either SLO or Cambria, never in San Simeon. The drive over to HC is short and I personally think SS is one of the ugliest towns ever. Our preferred hotel is Sand Pebbles Inn/Moonstone Beach, Cambria, or one of its three sibling inns.
Last time we visited was during our mid-2015 driving trip 3 wks long to LA. Ate at Black Cat and Madeline's in Cambria, In Paso Robles it was Artisan, Il Cortile, and Panolivo. One of our good friends has a summer home in the PR area and when I sent him a copy of our reviews of these five restaurants, agreed with me all the way, as we like the same kind of dining.
We were tempted to return to Il Cortile in Feb 2017 when we were spending our usual 5 days in Monterey, but the weather was iffy then with serious road closures and slowdowns from rain and high winds, so we had to skip it.
Thanks, I couldn't understand what you did not like about the food in San Luis Obispo to say that Paso is better, sounds like you've not eaten in SLO for a while.
San Simeon only has about three or four places to eat. It's small and caters to Hearst Castle visitors, not really set up for overnight tourists.
I've spent 10+ days in Cambria in a vacation rental and at the Blue Dolphin Inn on Moonstone Beach and found it the most boring of the beach communities in that area and subpar food as well. Since I've not heard of any new finds, I have no desire to return.
We have friends in Cambria and have always enjoyed the general area although we don't get to visit often. I don't find any of the towns that far a distance from one another that a drive for dinner is a problem.
Our visit to Paso Robles was our first but it certainly won't be our last. The hotel we tried was okay but not good enough to make us want to return to it. We'll try somewhere else next time.
For the OP, the NY Times updated their article on visiting Big Sur:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/tr...
It's been quite a while, but I was very pleased with Harada Sushi in Morro Bay. A soothing room, and I remember being impressed by the number of fishermen in attendance.
Monterey area is not somewhere you will find food trucks .... but there are some great places to eat.
In monterey itself go to parker lusseau for breakfast - the munras st location will probably be most convenient , but hartnell st has some nice outside seating
http://www.parkerlusseau.com
Toasties in pacific grove for a full breakfast menu, nothing fancy local favorite spot well executed classics. Go hungry, portions are generous
Definitely dinner at Passionfish one of the nights.
If you decide to go wine tasting in carmel valley (highly recommended! There are some great tasting rooms) be sure to go to Rustica for lunch-weather should be gorgeous and they have a nice outdoor area. Perfect for simple yet well made fresh pizza and salads
http://www.caferusticavillage.com
ttrockwood: Just wondering, when was the last time you ate at Passionfish? Just wondering because we had a disappointing meal in February 2017 - and when we mentioned it to the friend who had originally recommended PF to us (we've had three great dinners there before this fourth bleh one), she remarked she had heard the same thing from another person who went there recently and was also disappointed.
On the February trip our best meals came from Bouchee/Carmel (very good) and Montrio/Monterey (superb).
Glad you recommended Parker Lusseau, sometimes I think we're the only CHers who go there, LOL. They are the #1 reason we return on a regular basis! We have been doing "croissant tastings" and theirs are still the best, by far. And their quiches are swoon-worthy.....yum. We prefer Munras St. because it's larger, the goods are actually baked there, plus it's more fun chatting with M. Lusseau or Mme. Parker-Johnson, who take turns running the front at Munras. Hartnell St. is the prettier location, though, I agree - but the parking can be tough around there, too.
I grew up in the area and my family still lives there- my parents were telling me about another great meal at passionfish they had about a month or so ago with friends. Not sure quite what they ordered but maybe there has been change in their kitchen ?
We have been parker lusseau fans since... forever! I always go when I'm in town and if my dad needs a treat for work (or himself!) it's from there, or croissants for a holiday breakfast, and my mom is a big fan of their quiche lorraine too.
For the OP:
Point Lobos is absolutely open and has some great short walks/hikes with spectacular views, or there are also the various local beaches. Either way you should plan to bring a picnic lunch, there are limited (overly expensive) nearby options.
Stop at Conpagnos deli for sandwiches- note that they are BIG and also better than the sum of their parts. You can order half sandwiches too
http://www.compagnos.com
Thanks for the picnic & Point Lobos tip, Ttrockwood! Compagno's was hopping. The affable owner said Thursday is their busiest day. I'm not sure I would wait in a long line for a Compagno's sandwich, but we enjoyed the Veggie on Dutch Crunch. Great selection of chips & drinks. We also couldn't resist a slice of cake. The slice, like the sandwich, was huge. We had carrot--after a few bites, it was too sweet, but happy we tried it. Solid local option near incredibly beautiful setting. Thanks, again!
Here's a LAEater's list of places in the Central Coast area like SLO, Paso Robles and Pismo.
The clam chowder at Splash Cafe in Pismo Beach recommended on that list has a slimy, mucous-like texture and does not taste like clams.
Firestone Grill is hands down the most over reviewed, over rated place in the County. The serve more people each day than a busy McD's and the food suffers for it.
I'll offer a counterpoint on Firestone Grill in SLO.
In January 2019, I pulled into town after 9pm and was happy to find it open. As I studied The menu board, the cashier informed me that tri-tip, The pig and chicken are all sold out. He didn’t want me to get my heart set on something that was already gone.
So a 1/3 pound Cheeseburger, $5.19, grilled medium rare as ordered. Golden brown toasted sesame seed bun, cheddar cheese and fresh garnishes. Very juicy and I needed to return to the ladies room To wash my hands again. I can’t think of a better burger at that price. This was considerably better than McD's.
The Open kitchen has three Santa Maria grills. The pitmaster told me that they use gas and Wood. Maybe I lucked out coming at the end of the day when it was not so busy. I would like to try the tri-tip some day.
Firestone Grill
https://www.firestonegrill.com/
I don't see a mention of Old San Luis BBQ in this thread. You wrote about it in 2018 and I added on in 2018.
https://www.chowhound.com/post/san-lu...
More bad news about the Hwy One landslide - it is still moving. No idea when they can even think about any road repairs.
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