#88: Challah Garlic Bread
and a trip up the coast
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Hello friends! I’m typing this on my laptop while I swing in my hammock in the backyard. Remember when I used to sit in the hammock daily in KC? I realized recently that I haven’t used it once here in LA and vowed to have more hammock hangs in 2024. So far it is going great and I am very content with the makeshift hammock spot we have in our yard.
Today’s newsletter is a long one and here is what you will find below:
A full recap of our recent CA coast trip. Google map, restaurants, and where we stayed.
My garlic bread recipe that I served during my February Backyard with challahdad.
Links to 3 of the recipes Leigh and I served at our Backyard x Craving California dinner earlier this month.
All the usual articles, links, and random fun stuff I send out.
Let’s jump right on in!
Marco is on a six-week sabbatical right now which is…fucking fantastic. He is spending a lot of time working on projects in the yard and we planned two trips. Japan is happening next month and we just returned from a week-long trip up the coast. We have done this trip many many times over the years but this one was a little different. We celebrated our anniversary and as a treat to me, Marco planned the whole thing as a surprise. Those who know me know I am not good with surprises (very controlling) but I am learning to love them. He hit it out of the park, seriously, no notes on his planning. It was the perfect trip filled with all the things I love.
Los Alamos
We left LA and drove to Los Almos for lunch at Bell’s. Bell’s has been on my list for a long time. Lunch was great and now I’m dying to go back for dinner. Both of us are big on hospitality. There are small details that go a long way and Bell’s was filled with little things that made our lunch lovely.
We ordered Tinned Sardines, Steak Frites, and the Bell’s Salad with Chicken. Still thinking about the homemade saltine crackers with the sardines. They sent me home with some extra. Next time I want to try the Egg Salad Sandwich.
Elephants Seals
Sooo this was totally out of the way due to part of the 1 being closed from a mudslide BUT it’s really special to see these wild animals up close and worth stopping every time. The babies are born during December/January and you can see a lot of them through the end of March.
Big Sur
We always stay in cabins at Ripplewood Resort but it’s not luxurious. They are old cabins with drafts and sloped floors but they sit along the river. It’s charming, peaceful, and not $900 like everything else in Big Sur now. They also have kitchens which means you can bring groceries and make meals, we do this. If it’s cold you 100% need one with a fireplace.
Our second night there we went to Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn for dinner. The dining room sits on top of the cliff with never-ending ocean views. It’s also whale migration time and they provided binoculars. We did see a whale and it was so freaking cool! The dinner is prefixed with six courses at $145. They were incredibly accommodating to allergies (always make sure to email in advance) and Marco was able to have all six courses.
The best bite was the Onion Soubise that our waiter recommended. Neither of us expected an onion soup to be that good but it was killer. In the words of the guest sitting next to us, “dessert was rather anticlimactic.” They need to hire a pastry chef because it was lacking in every regard.
Big Sur is magical and that’s why we, and everyone else in California, keep coming back. But let’s be real, there isn’t really anything to do besides enjoy nature. We don’t mind cooking our meals and enjoying our cabin but if you are looking for something different Sierra Mar is well worth the price.
Calla Lily Valley
On our morning drive out of Big Sur we planned to pull over and do a beach walk off the highway. We walked down to the beach and stumbled upon a valley of calla lilies!! It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Monterey
Coffee at Bookworks, technically in Pacific Grove, is a coffee shop attached to a bookstore. We always stop here and I find it so lovely.
Then a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had sticker shock when we bought tickets for $60 each. I had never been and wanted to check it off my list. I know, I know, part of it goes to conserving the bay and its animals but we both agreed it wasn’t worth the cost.
California Academy of Sciences > Monterey Bay Aquarium
Santa Cruz
One of the only times I see Marco get mushy and nostalgic is when we are in Santa Cruz. He tells me the same stories every time like he forgets we have been together for 10 years.
Quick lunch at Steamers Lane Supply. It’s fast-casual sandwiches, bowls, and burritos right on West Cliff with the best views.
San Francisco
I’m going to quickly skip over SF. We spent one night, our hotel canceled our reservation the day before we got there, and we just did our two favorite things – California Academy of Sciences and dinner at Nopa. Both are fantastic and worth going to. Plan to spend a whole day at the Academy of Sciences and get the burger at Nopa. I decided to try something else this time and instantly wished I got the burger. Oh, we got a last-minute room at Palihotel. Pro: Diptyque products, Con: no windows lol.
Tomales Bay
This was our favorite stop on the whole trip! We stayed in Inverness at Tomales Bay Resort & Marina. Not a resort but a cute hotel right on the bay. You need to book a bay view room for the best experience. They have been updated semi-recently and the view from bed made the whole experience.
We spent most of our time in Point Reyes Station and we are ready to move there. It’s a small town but has great restaurants, coffee shops, and stores. We had salads to go (because everything closes at 8 pm and we hiked too long) from Station House Cafe and breakfast the next day at Side Street Kitchen. At the meat counter in Palace Market, you can order buffalo milk soft serve. Do not leave without enjoying some!!!
The old lighthouse hike was cool but you can skip it if you are short on time. Hiking the Tule elk reserve was epic. It’s more of a walk than a hike but when you get about 30 minutes out you have ocean views to your left, bay views to your right, and you will see LOTS of elk.
On our way out we sucked down some bay oysters at Tony’s Seafood sitting right on the bay! 10/10.
Mendocino
Tomales Bay felt relaxing but filled with people living their normal lives and Mendocino felt like a sleepy beach town for tourists. Still lovely but has a different vibe, ya know?
Highlight was our stay at Mendocino Inn and Farm. They have 15 acres, chickens, llamas, and a kitten in their garden – heaven! The rooms were great and they bring you breakfast in a basket every morning. We will be back.
We spent a lovely 3 hours at Sweetwater Inn and Spa. For the first half of our morning, we hopped back and forth between a private sauna and hot tub. Then we got massages. My massage was the best massage I have ever gotten. It was deep tissue but also so relaxing I fell asleep?
Our first night we went to Cafe Beaujolais which started with the owners living upstairs and running the restaurant on the weekends. So, just like Backyard?! Our meal was good but I would pass next time. The best part was being in the old house with so much history. Our last meal was at Ledfordhouse with more never-ending ocean views. Our meal was also good, the service was great with nice small touches, and we enjoyed being there.
And then we headed home! Below is a Google map with all these details and more. Do a California coast trip, there is nothing like it.
Challah Garlic Bread
Back in February I linked up with challahdad for a sexy saucy Italian night filled with challah. One of the recipes I served was Challah Garlic Bread, duh.
It’s easier than you think. Just a compound butter spread on challah halves and broiled until bubbly and toasty. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
227g salted butter, room temp
3 garlic cloves, grated
1.5 tablespoons minced chives
1.5 tablespoons minced parsley
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan (use a microplane)
1 teaspoon chili flakes (I use Burlap & Barrel Smoked Chipotle flakes)
A few cracks of black pepper
1 loaf of challah
+ more parmesan
Instructions:
Garlic Butter:
1. Add the butter, grated garlic, minced chives, minced parsley, grated parmesan, chili flakes, and a few cracks of black pepper to a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to evenly incorporate everything into the butter.
*I use salted butter for everything. If you are using unsalted here you NEED to salt it. Preferably with a nice sea salt.
If you are not using the garlic butter right away, store it in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature before you spread it on the challah.
Set your oven to broil with a rack a few inches from the heat.
Garlic bread:
2. Turn the loaf of challah on its side and slice through the center of the bread, as if you were cutting it in half to make a giant sandwich. You will have two large challah halves.
3. Generously spread garlic butter on both halves. Do not hold back. Spread on more than looks healthy.
4. Place the buttered challah halves on a sheet tray and broil for 3-5 minutes until melted, bubbly, and the edges are very toasty. Slice into long strips and grate a big pile of fresh parmesan on top.
Three recipes that Leigh and I served at our dinner together:
Check out more of Leigh’s recipes on her website, CravingCalifornia.com. She rocks!!
Our next Backyard dinner is May 4th and I’m cooking with another great chef, Mackenzie Richmond. Tickets go live April 6th, pre-sale link to mailing list April 5th.
Summer series is happening again this year – June 8th, July 13th, August 10th, and September 7th. A LOT of exciting things in the works for summer!
Make sure you are on the mailing list for ticket links and updates.
The Menu Trends That Define Dining Right Now *Look at this!!
Goodbye to Bob Moore, Whose Red Mill Changed the Way We Bake
Whole Foods Market to Open Smaller Format Stores as Part of Ongoing Expansion
*I gotta keep it real with you guys, I stopped reading so much shit online. The constant download of information was overwhelming and I have found a lot of peace in not reading random articles all the time. So I don’t have many articles for you but that is okay!!
Discovered Everything Is Stories on this road trip and binged all three episodes available from the current season. The stories are intense but fascinating and the podcast is really beautifully done.
I think we all need hammocks! I know I know, you are going to say “but I don’t have a yard.” It’s portable! I have strapped this baby onto many trees all over the United States. Get a hammock, it sparks joy.
“Your allergy to rejection is holding you back” Watch this video, love you.
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bless you for this recipe. a gift to the world