Paso Robles is enshrouded in moist fog this morning. Soon our group of 6 will meet at Vic’s restaurant, a retro breakfast Café in town. Last night we dined at Bistro Laurent. Once again we had an excellent meal accompanied by Fred’s knowledgeable selections. Vicki and I had lamb steak, which was delicious. Potato leek soup preceded my main course.
I was again impressed by the vitality and creativity of Paso Robles. Last night the streets were closed, and hundreds of children and parents walked from business to business, where staff handed out candy. Our servers at Bistro Laurent were young and professional. They were smart, educated about food and wine, and personable. They weren’t servers as much as restaurant professionals. In addition to taking orders they recommended and sold wines from the adjacent wine store, owned by the restaurant. In my mind they symbolized the whole region, which seems to have attracted young, ambitious, hard working young people.
This morning we ate for the second time at Vic’s Café, a café that hasn’t changed much since 1942, when it first opened. Jay and I had eggs, trout, and hashed brown for $8.95. How can you beat that? We asked about Sandy Koufax, who was rumored to live in Paso Robles, and our efficient waitress told us about his ranch a few miles from town. Then it was time to say, goodbye. We drove south to Santa Barbara. Jay and Stella were returning to San Diego, and Laura and Fred drove to San Jose to catch a plane to Lindberg Field.
Vicki and I walked a few miles of streets today in Santa Barbara. We underwent culture shock, as the urban atmosphere of Santa Barbara couldn’t match the serenity of Pablo Robles. The city is a strange juxtaposition of poor people and the affluent. Homeless people with pit bulls hang out in front of Saks. I was glad to get back to my Courtyard Marriot, which was ten miles from Santa Barbara.Our waiter tonight was out of bounds. He was superficially friendly, but his boundaries were poor. My sense was that he needed to find another job, get a girlfriend, or go to Europe for a while. My vongole and martini however were both good.
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