Solvang Brewing Company

Three for me, none for you!

Solvang Brewing Company
1547 Mission Drive
Solvang, CA


Nothing cures an Aebleskiver overdose like some salty logs...am I right, ladies?

After a morning of fudge samples and pastry balls, I needed something savory.  Being a chick obliges me to order mass quantities of cheese any time it's on a menu, so Pretzels with Ale Fondue were in my immediate future.

Melted cheese is good, but combined with beer, it's GREAT.  The perfect foil to chewy soft pretzels rolled in salt, the fondue was rich without making me feel as gluttonous as I should have.  Spicy mustard provided a kick and rounded out this classic bar snack.

I left with the full intent of walking off the last few hours' calories.  Unfortunately, Olsen's Bakery was beckoning me next.  Dammit.

Egghead's Restaurant

There's no place like...THIS place!

Egghead's Restaurant
326 N. Main Street
Fort Bragg, CA


I'm one of "those people" who is thoroughly creeped out by The Wizard of Oz, largely due to those crazy Pink Floyd rumors and disturbingly bad special effects.

But, when I heard a Fort Bragg restaurant served up some wicked awesome breakfast fare, I was willing to patronize an Oz-themed establishment.  Oh, the sacrifices I make for you people.

The decor was more cute than obtrusive; more private collector than in-your-face Planet Hollywood.  That's a good thing.  One wall was painted with silhouettes of the Oz cast, and on the floor was a "yellow brick road".  Other Oz memorabilia peppered the walls and tables, but it didn't make me want to kick the Tin Man in his...tin can, so to speak.

Torn between my duty to order a famed Benedict and the desire to not blow up like a balloon on the first day of vacation, I chose the Dorothy's Delight.  English muffins were topped with poached eggs, melted cheddar, salsa and sour cream and were accompanied by home fried red potatoes.  It was more than someone who'd been dieting for the last five days could handle, but well worth it as the eggs passed the OSBPEYT (Official Stacy Barawed Poached Egg Yolk Test), all runny and mingling with the spicy salsa and cool sour cream.  I'm salivating just thinking about it.

A side of Grilled Cinnamon Raisin Bread was also ordered, and in my mind I pictured a small order of cinnamon French toast.  Wrong. So very wrong!  What arrived was a nearly five-inch high hunk of warm, chewy bread, slathered and soaked with maple syrup and topped with a generous scoop of whipped butter.  Dessert at 9am, anyone?

Good thing Fort Bragg is a walking community!

Yasoo Yani Restaurant

Bring your vehicle to a screeching halt!

Yasoo Yani Restaurant

326 E. Main Street

Stockton, CA

I grew up in Stockton, yet patronized this establishment for the very first time only recently.

Dumbass!

To be fair, it's downtown...off of a main thoroughfare...and I never knew it existed.  My cousin knows a few people who work there, and swore by the food.  I thought to myself, what does a 25-year old know about Greek food?

A lot, as it turned out.

Gyro Sandwich?  Amazing.  Perfect amounts of everything: just enough tsaziki, diced tomato, lamb...not a morsel left on the plate.  I stole a bite of my coworker's Moussaka and it was well-seasoned, hearty and served with fresh sauteed vegetables.

Great service, comfy atmosphere, and very generous prices.  I'll be back soon.