our camp trip… for cj’s birthday! glad you were born, brah.
tents, costco package of hot dogs, beer, smores, lots and lots of firewood, amazing friends… equals an amazing weekend.
i love you guys.
oh, doughnut dolly in oakland, why were you not around when i was in college? at $3 a piece, you have a variety of flavors to choose from. the filling flavors change on the regs but the naughty cream is a constant. we went here on a saturday morning… the line wasn’t too long.
my favorite is the naughty cream filling (which is similar to the cream filling you would find in a cream puff). pris and stella enjoyed the raspberry lemon jam and the dark chocolate fillings.
my doughnut was perfect with a black cup of coffee. don’t expect the most exceptional coffee…but a still a good pair with the doughnut. note that the raspberry lemon is on the sweeter side…so you definitely will need the coffee to offset.
so, i am a fan of this doughnut. the doughnut is soft and fluffy and the cream filling is a plus!
Doughnut Dolly
482 B 49th St
Oakland, CA 94609
after our full day of vineyard adventures in santa barbara, we decided to have dinner at los olivos wine merchant & cafe (after reading a bunch of reviews). immediately fell in love with the place just from the outside! we had to wait 15 minutes for our table so we roamed the streets and found awesome lawn chairs.
i ordered the ravioli, which they make in-house. mushrooms, ricotta, cream and parmesan ($16, a steal!). it was delicious! it’s on the hardy side given the creamy sauce but it hit the spot after a long day. this was the best thing we ordered. you have to get this.
skuna bay salmon – grilled, ricotta-butternut pot stickers, shiitake mushrooms, roasted brussel sprouts. the fish was very well cooked. $27 though? not worth it.
kyle and goldman got the orecchiette with roasted garlic, house-made chicken sausage, oven dried tomato, parmesan, fresh herbs. this was good but nothing out of this world. i wish it had stronger flavors. in my opinion, $18 was a little on the high side but this dish is large. i’d go with the ravioli.
Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café
2879 Grand Avenue
Los Olivos, CA 93441
so when it got a little sunnier, warmer…we took a mini trip to santa barbara to go wine tasting. first stop: paula’s pancake house in solvang for some breakfast.
we ordered the ortega special. roast beef, jack cheese, green chili on a sourdough bread. it was ok. we also ordered the paula’s special danish pancakes topped with apples and fresh whipped cream. this was my first time eating a danish pancake. it was pretty much a lighter pancake! i really enjoyed the texture. wished the the whipped cream was a little sweeter (it was on the bland side) and next time would definitely order berries…not apples.
paula’s pancake house
1531 mission dr
solvang, ca 93463
based on a brochure we picked up and some good ol’ interest research, 4 vineyards per day was considered plenty. 4 vineyards was definitely the magic number. it was the perfect amount of time at each one just lounging and learning about wine. here’s where we went:
first stop: imagine wine. met ross. learned about wine, his family, his start, local art, and drank some pretty good wines. we loved it. the tasting room looks like an art gallery. lots of natural light. wine tasting is $10 and you get to try 5 wines.
fell in love with the chadonnay and bought some bottles. oh, one of their wines is called the panty dropper (we know, we felt the same way) this was a great start to the day. we would recommend coming here for sure. say hi to ross for us.
imagine winery
3563 numancia st #103
santa ynez, ca 93460
next stop was next door to carr winery. wine tasting room was darker, colder, dark woods high ceilings and a shuffleboard (yes!). our host was pretty awesome. wine flights were $10. not to mention, they also have wine on tap. a pretty cool place (also on the younger side) to just hang out and enjoy wine with friends.
carr winery
3563 numancia st. #101
santa ynez, ca 93460
we picked roblar because they had food w/ wine pairing. we definitely needed food at this point. gorgeous place. we sat next to the fire place on some comfy couches and enjoyed some food and wine.
we went with the trio package ($20) – tastings of three featured wines paired with three hors d’oeuvres. we liked the wonton, pork was dry and the pears were ok. for the four of us, we just ordered two packages. this was definitely enough.
we couldnt resist. we had to take jumping pictures in the beautiful vineyard.
very pretty winery. would we come back? probably not because there are so many other wineries we would want to try. the wine was ok. nothing very memorable (we didnt buy any here). food was ok. you would definitely be going here for the atmosphere.
roblar winery
3010 roblar ave.
santa ynez, ca 93460
last stop: brander vineyard. we spent quite some time here taking pictures because the property itself is very charming. classic flight with a logo glass $10.
we loved the staff. very friendly and helpful. wine was good. they are known for their sauvignon blanc. we were fans.
i would definitely come back to you, brander vineyard.
brander vineyard
2401 refugio road
los olivos, ca 93441
it was nice getting away…and wine is always better with friends. thank you, santa barbara.
we always like to visit june lake when we spend time in mammoth. after a morning of sledding, we ended up at the tiger bar for lunch. pleasantly surprised and definitely hit the spot. picture cozy cabin, pool table, bar, and a jukebox.
we ordered:
the club is huge. the plate pictured here is split (yep). delicious! you will love the crispy bacon. fries are battered and yum.
bowl of chili was amazing. great kick and plenty of cheese. if i dreamed of a chili, it might be this one.
the burger was okay (according to our friends) and the blt was a winner.
service is great! overall, perfect lunch spot. wish we ordered some dessert!
Tiger Bar
2620 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529
