After a great Christmas celebration with the family in Oxnard we’re playing with our new toys in our room at the Courtyard by Marriott (A: 600 E. Esplanade Drive, Oxnard, CA 93036.  P: 805-988-3600.  W: Marriott.com/oxrvo).  Bella received an I-pod and I’m looking forward to using my new ergonomically designed Nikon S-630 point-and-shoot camera Bella bought me.  I’m anticipating better results and less low-light issues than I had with my older camera.

We hit the Starbuck’s near the hotel before entering the 101 Freeway.  We make good time, only stopping at a Santa Maria Carl’s Jr. for a Portobello six-dollar mushroom burger.  We pull into Cambria around 2pm and drive directly to our brand new hotel: The El Colibri Hotel (A: 5620 Moonstone Beach Drive, Cambria, CA  93428.  P: 805-924-3003.  W: elcolibrihotel.com).  Fortunately, the woman working the front desk is kind enough to let us check in two hours early.

We inquire about whether the Sea Chest Oyster Bar & Seafood Restaurant has re-opened (we’ve attempted to dine here for over four years).  The restaurant closes down around the holidays to takes their employees to Hawaii for a week.  Bella holds back her excitement as we are told they will re-open tonight.  They don’t take reservations so we prepare for a lengthy wait.  This is the most popular restaurant in Cambria, located directly across from Moonstone Beach and sandwiched between our favorite Cambria inns (Little Sur Inn and Moonstone Landing).

Our sizeable room features Indonesian-style décor, granite counters, marble floors, a gas fireplace, a sunken tub, 12 foot ceilings and Berber carpet.  Bella is amazed and disappointed that the hotel doesn’t subscribe to ESPN which is making it difficult for us to get updates on the college football bowl games.  I inform her that most people don’t come to Cambria for the cable TV; albeit I’ll confess it is a tad disappointing.

We drive to the east village where we buy miniature penguin salt and pepper shakers and a pelican magnet from Among Friends (A: 2254 Main Street, Cambria, CA 93428.  P: 805-927-7156.  E: friends@starcoast.net).   Down the street Bella buys us a bottle of Minassian-Young zinfandel wine and a wine tasting journal at Fermentations (A: 4056 Burton Drive, Cambria, CA  93428.  P: 805-927-7141.  W: fermentations.com).  We drive to the west village and visit Moonstone Cellars (801 Main Street, Suite C, Cambria, CA  93428.  P: 805-927-9466.  W: moonstonecellars.com) tasting room.  I taste six wines of which their zinfandel and syrah are agreeable but likely won’t be memorable.

We walk the half mile jaunt along Moonstone Beach Drive towards the Sea Chest Oyster Bar & Restaurant (A: 6216 Moonstone Beach Drive, Cambria, CA  93428.  P: 805-927-4514.  W: seachestrestaurant.com).  It is a little colder than I anticipated even though Cambria is warmer than previous years.

We arrive at the restaurant and put in our name.  They have an oyster bar, a dining room and a waiting area where people drink cocktails, beer and wine.  A four-some are sitting along some flat rocks on the lawn drinking white wine (with bottle in tow), chatting and watching the wave’s crash along the shore.  A light rain begins to come down so we seek the shelter of the restaurant’s overhang until our table is ready (1 hour 15 minute wait).  The interior is darkly lit with old-fashioned green carpet with a floral print, dark wood (unfinished) walls, white table cloths and inverted fruit baskets utilized as table lamps.

Bella and I open the meal with steamers (clams) with lemon, butter, chopped garlic and herbs.  I enjoy a glass of Justin Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 (Paso Robles) before our meal arrives.  I was a member of Justin’s wine club for a couple of years.  I order the California sea bass and Bella chooses the California halibut.  Both are lightly broiled with butter and lemon.

For dessert Bella chooses the crème brulee and I opt for their lemon tart.  The brulee has a fairly firm and crunchy shell and a straight vanilla (no bean) cream that is creamy and cool.  The lemon tart is thin in body with a raspberry sauce and whipped cream (can).  It is very tart with a crisp and refreshing taste.  Bella says this is the best meal she’s had in Cambria.  My rating for this meal (food, service, ambiance and value) is A.

Back at our hotel I regret not bringing our swimsuits as the hotel has a rooftop Jacuzzi where you can gaze at the stars while enjoying a nice soak.  In the morning, we check-out and venture to Linn’s Restaurant (A: 2277 Main Street, Cambria, CA  93428.  P: 805-927-0371.  W: linnsfruitbin.com).  For breakfast I have a cured salmon panini and a blueberry muffin.  Bella orders the brioche French toast combo with no cinnamon.  The salmon is a bit overcooked for my tastes but overall it is a decent breakfast sandwich. My rating for this meal (food, service, ambiance and value) is B+.

Afterwards, we browse Linn’s Home Style store (A: 4249 Bridge Street, Cambria, CA  93428.  P: 805-927-5717.  W: linnsfruitbin.com) and I buy “Uncorked” (wine mystery novel) and a book with penguin photos.  We return to our car and we’re off for Carmel.  We cruise Highway 1, enjoying the spectacular ocean and cliff-side views stopping occasionally for Kodak (sorry…Nikon) moments.  We park and eat fruit, cookies and snacks in the car with a view of what I believe to be either Big Creek Bridge or Rocky Creek Bridge.  A little further up the highway we come upon Bixby Bridge (seen in the Clint Eastwood film “Play Misty for Me”).

Bixby Bridge

We arrive in Carmel and stop at Rio Grill (A: 101 Crossroads Blvd., Carmel, CA  93923.  P: 831-625-5436.  W: riogrill.com) for a late lunch.  I order pumpkin bisque soup and fried calamari.  My calamari has black pepper, green onion, garlic, salt and an Asian vinegar sauce.  Bella orders a Castroville fire-roasted artichoke with a sundried tomato aioli sauce.  Everything was delicious but the artichoke could’ve been exposed to a little more “fire”.  Bella drinks a non-alcoholic “thirsty lizard” which has grapefruit juice and ginger ale.  My rating for this meal (food, service, ambiance and value) is A.

We check-in at the Best Western Inn: Carmel’s Town House Lodge (A: San Carlos & 5^th Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93921.  P: 831-624-1261.  W: carmelbestwestern.com) located in downtown Carmel.  This is our smallest room of the trip but we selected location over luxury on these accommodations.  Our room has a modern look with cappuccino colored walls and chocolate brown furnishings.

We walk into downtown to do shopping and restaurant research.  About 100 feet from our motel is the Eastwood Building which houses Clint Eastwood’s “Hog’s Breath Inn” restaurant and KRML radio station.  This is the same radio station that Clint’s character (Dave Garver) worked for as a disc jockey in the film “Play Misty for Me” (a pretty good psychological thriller from the 70s’).  I really liked this film and own it on DVD so a picture is mandatory here.

We relax at the room prior to dinner and catch some college bowl games on TV.  We walk around the corner to Christopher’s on Lincoln (A: between 5^th & 6^th, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93921.  P: 831-626-8000.  W: christophersonlincoln.com).

We open our meals with cream of mushroom soup which is splendid.  I choose the braised Niman Ranch BBQ beef short rib entrée in a red wine reduction with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage.  The meat falls off the bone and tastes delicious in this perfectly matched sauce.  Amazingly, I ate the cabbage and actually find it favorable (I typically despise the smell of hot cabbage and abhor the taste).  Bella selects the California halibut in a leak broth with asparagus, shallots and artichoke hearts.

Christopher’s: Interior

I order the Meyer lemon tart which far surpasses last night’s rendition.  Bella stays pat and goes with their vanilla bean crème brulee.  Her brulee is much nicer as well with a hard shell, a more caramelized appearance and warm custard with a plethora of vanilla bean specks.  We walk around downtown and window shop (stores are closed) before heading back to our motel.  My rating for this meal (food, service, ambiance and value) is A.

The next morning we walk up the street to eat at Katy’s Place (A: Mission Street between 5^th & 6^th, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93921.  P: 831-624-0199.  W: katysplacecarmel.com).  My “Basque omelette country style” has spicy cubes of chorizo sausage, onions, bell pepper and is topped with melted cheddar cheese.  Bella rolls with the blintzes with fresh berries (filled with their own special cheese).  Forking over $48 for breakfast (not a “champagne brunch”) is a bit excessive but the food is fantastic and you must factor in that this is high-rent district.  My rating for this meal (food, service, ambiance and value) is A+.

I pick up a cannoli at Carmel Bakery (A: Ocean Avenue & Lincoln, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93940.  P: 831-626-8885.  W: http://www.pepeinternational.com/carm_bakery.html).  The cheese is smooth and tough to identify (not ricotta), with chocolate chips and a crunchy shell rounding out this Italian delicacy.

We hop in the car and drive along the coast on Ocean Drive to the Carmel River State Beach (W: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=567).  The lagoon is home to various birds and has a picturesque environment.  I run into a city worker near the restrooms and he tells me about the job they’re here to do.  Apparently some pricey homes nearby are being flooded due to the overflowing lagoon.  At high tide the water flows over the beach and overflows the lagoon.  He says it is a time sensitive job as you can’t predict the tide accurately.

On the lagoon there are Canadian geese, brown pelicans, bufflehead ducks, mallard ducks and seagulls.  Unfortunately, we come across a dead pelican along the bank of the lagoon.  We walk along a path that surrounds the marshlands of the lagoon and leads back toward the ocean.

“The Birds”: Round 2

Afterwards we return our car to the motel and walk downtown for a light lunch and shopping.  On the way we pick up a brochure on “wine tasting” from the Carmel Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Center (A: San Carlos between 5^th & 6^th, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93921.  P: 831-624-2522.  W: carmelcalifornia.org).

I do a wine tasting at Southern Latitudes Wines (A: Lincoln Street between Ocean and 6^th, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93921.  P: 831-622-7652.  W: solawines.com).  The wines were of average quality so there is nothing worth mentioning here.

We stop at a tiny café called La Bicyclette (A: 7^th & Dolores, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93921.  P: 831-622-9899.  W: labicycletterestaurant.com) and share the wild coastal cream of mushroom soup served in a copper terrine.  I do a wine flight tasting of reds from a local winery named Georis.  Each wine I tasted was more forgettable than its predecessor.  My rating for this meal (food, service, ambiance and value) is B.

We watch college bowl games back at the room.  Our dinner destination is Anton & Michel (A: Mission Street between Ocean & 7^th Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93921.  P: 831-624-2406.  W: carmelsbest.com).  A light mist comes down as we walk to dinner.  The décor is on the elegant side with peachy tones throughout.  We share a half bottle of Saintsbury (Carneros) Pinot Noir.

Bella opens her meal with a delicious mushroom soup.  I skip appetizers and order the Guinness-hoisan braised American Kobe beef short ribs with baked polenta.  Bella has the poached Alaskan halibut in white wine, clams, chorizo, tomato and portabella mushrooms.  The short ribs are a touch drier than last night’s rendition but the meat quality is very good.  Per Bella, her fish is “yummy”.  We close the meal with a shared cherries jubilee (prepared tableside) that is stupendous.  Bella is thankful that less liquor than is typical is used during the flambé process.

Cherries Jubilee

Our waiter is a tad on the stuffy side but is accommodating enough.  I may have been reading into matters but I’m not sure we exuded enough of a high-class aroma for him.  A couple from Bakersfield received similar service and I was left wondering if a local “Richie Rich” couple would’ve received the same “acceptable” service at this five-star establishment.  My rating for this meal (food, service, ambiance and value) is A.

We close the trip with a breakfast at Em Le’s (A: Dolores between 5^th & 6^th, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA  93921.  P: 831-625-6780.  W: em-les.com).  Bella devours a “Tasty Italian Sausage” omelet.  I attempt in vain to destroy a house specialty French toast.  It is a morph between French toast and a funnel cake.  I’m speculating it is about 100 calories or less.  My rating for this meal (food, service, ambiance and value) is A. After breakfast we check out of the motel and are on our way home.