After a few days of not too much driving, it was back into the car to head out for more fun on the road. Before heading out, one more meeting with a friend and collegue (Thanks for the smoothie, Roger!) and a quick trip over to pick up some items from my brother’s place. Then it was on the road north…making it to the San Fernando Valley in just enough time to hit the lunch rush at Dan’s Super Subs. I’ve been thinking about why I love that place so much – is it the nostalgia of having gone there in high school, special trips down in college, or are the subs really that good? I figured out that they really are that good!! Off of the 101 freeway at Shoup, this little hole-in-the-wall is still family owned and operated. I don’t know what happened to “Dan”, but the main family man there is Jack and he is always ready with a smile and a hearty sandwich. The Italian (#1) for me, no onions. A #16 Meatball (with cheese and onions) for my dainty sweetie… What makes it so good is the bread, and on non-meatbally sandwiches, the Italian sandwich sauce that brings it all together. I highly recommend it.
Stuffed from the experience, it was back into the car for the drive to Monterey. A quick wave of the hand as we passed by UCSB, my alma mater, and then a break in San Luis Obispo at the Foster’s Freeze. Vanilla Malt and a Butterfinger Twister, and we continue on our healthy eating ways! J We made it to Monterrey before 6, checked into our hotel (Deer Haven Inn). Another Travelzoo special that appeared just as we were looking for a place. Not the nicest hotel we will stay in this trip, but a decent room and a comfy bed. A quick change and we grabbed a cab to downtown Monterey to have dinner at a well-regarded/rated restaurant – Montrio Bistro.
The restaurant had a nice environment, but was pretty dead. Maybe 7 other tables occupied, so the staff on duty was pretty bored. Which made them attentive to us. Overly attentive, actually. The food was good, but not great (our friends at Rioja and Vesta have raised the bar for us far too much.). But because they had nothing else going on, our appetizer showed up quickly (good), but then the meals showed up before we were half way done with the app. The app was pushed to the side to make room for the meal, at which point the waiter took away what was left of it and we were left wondering why we were being rushed out of there. When the wait-staff wasn’t checking up on us, they were standing next to where our table was (as we were seated near the bar, though the restaurant was empty.) The staff that weren’t busy were shouting at the TV as the Lakers were beating on the Nuggets, leading to quite the ambiance… We finished our food, powered through our wine, and left for more of the nightlife.
We found the Crown & Anchor, a nice little pub with a great selection of beer and wine. We spent some time chatting and taking in the local scene, before heading back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. Another great day of exploring and traveling, and we look forward to our time in Monterey and heading up to Sacramento next. Check in with you later!
Until then…
