Well, I spent a fantastic week at the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, here in beautiful Pebble Beach California. Although the first two days of the tournament it was raining most of the time, it was still lots of fun watching the professionals, the amateurs, and the celebrities and walking the course.

The weather held beautifully for the last two days and we got to see some great shots by Justin Timberlake, Bill Murray, Carson Daly, Andy Roddick, and Aaron Rodgers to name a few. (I'm going to put a link to our video that we're making at the bottom of this blog) and would recommend anybody traveling to the Central Coast should come by in February and get a day pass at least to this tournament.

The 17th and 18th holes at Pebble Beach are unrivaled in scenery and tradition. The 6th coming up the fairway is a monster shot up a hill to a huge green and then the 7th is a beautiful, short Par 3 right on the cliff.

I hope you enjoy the pictures and will find your way to Pebble Beach sometime soon. Until then, Ciao.

La Dolce Vita, (The sweet Life), and Dametra Cafe, Carmel by the Sea, Ca.

I'm heading back to Carmel by the Sea this week and am going tell you about two of my favorite restaurants there that you should definitely try when you're passing through or staying in this quaint hamlet by the sea in Monterey County.  Before I do, I should give you some small backround on Carmel BTS.

Carmel is directly between, and adjacent to, Monterey on the north and Pebble Beach on the south, and home to the world famous golf facility and the annual AT and T Pro-Am. (I've actually run into Clint Eastwood several times walking around town and at his famous Mission Ranch facility which is right in town.)

Carmel BTS is home to 26 Bed and Breakfast hotels, over a hundred restaurants and loads of overpriced tourist shops for every taste, all crammed into a mile square area.
(It may seem a little stuck up at first, by not having any actual addresses on any properties in town, and it can be fun trying to find anything without Google Maps), but actually, I can't think of a better place to spend a romantic weekend eating, window shopping and walking along the beautiful, dog-friendly beaches.

La Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant, owned by my friend Miguel Mendes, is a great place to stop for a romantic dinner and a great pizza to boot!  The food is freshly prepared and authentic.  With a great outdoor patio and local wine selection it's a real winner any time.

My other favorite restaurant in town, and known to be one of the best on the Central Coast is Dametra Cafe.

Dametra, owned by two other of my dear friends, Faisal and Bashar, combines a mix of unique Turkish, Greek and Mediterranean Cuisine in tasty dishes that are different than anything you will find anywhere else. Add the great atmosphere, where the owners sing, dance and play instruments for a ten minute "jig" during dinner and you'll walk away satisfied both in stomach and heart.

I'll be back in a few days with some more from these two favorites and some more pictures of the awesome food.

Until then, Ciao

Find LA Dolce Vita here:

And Dametra Cafe here: www.dametracafe.com

El Cantaro Vegan Mexican cuisine in Monterey Ca.

Yesterday I went to a really great Mexican place in Monterey California for the first time called El Cantaro Vegan mexican cuisine. If you've read my columns before you know I am a solid meat eater my whole life and love a good burger or steak sandwich. I also happen to consider myself somewhat of an expert on good Mexican Cuisine. I'll take salsa as hot as you can make it and the fresher the pico de gallo the better, so bring it on! I definitely separate the good from the bad based on these factors and conclude that this restaurant is an excellent choice even for meat eaters like myself.

The enchiladas were excellent and the "cheese" tasted great. The enchilada sauce was wonderfully prepared and the spicy orange salsa, (which I would assume most people would find a bit too much, but I loved), was excellent. The various tacos made with some types of protein (I'm not exactly sure what) were very delicious. The mango taco was my favorite .

What I will reveal now is that for the last several months I've been making an effort to cut way back on the amount of meat and dairy products I consume. I've noticed by eating less of these products I seem to feel a little bit lighter and I've lost weight without doing anything extra, and kept it off. Although these are benefits that help me personally, I can't help but mention that the benefits of eating fewer meat and dairy products, including poultry and pork, are good for society and the health of our nation as well. Watching movies such as "Vegucated", "Fed Up" and "Cowspiracy" (all on Netflix) have convinced me that by cutting back on dairy and meat products, and consuming fewer processed foods with added sugars and preservatives, we can cut down on the rate of cancer, stop much of the cruelty that is done to animals in the processing of the food and the raising of the animals, and also help the environment by saving our air and water for more important and useful tasks.

At the risk of sounding preachy here, I'd like to suggest that we all try to make an effort to cut back on the amount of dairy and animal products that we consume and try a vegan diet, which I have been pleasantly surprised with.

I'll definitely be coming back to this place often, and continue my exploration into a plant based diet and how it makes me and my family feel.

Until then, Ciao

El Cantaro is located only about 2 blocks from the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California and you can find them on the web at:

www.elcantarovegan.com

Lou Lou's Griddle in the Middle, far above middle. Monterey, Ca.

 We stopped by one of our favorite breakfast places here in the Monterey Peninsula last week, Lou Lou's Griddle in the middle which is located on the commercial Wharf directly next to the main Fisherman's Wharf in downtown Monterey. With a beautiful view of the ocean the sounds and smells of the sea around us and seated outdoors on a beautiful summer day, it's a great place to enjoy a breakfast or lunch while passing through Monterey. The fresh fish, shrimp, crab, and calamari are excellent when mixed with eggs or in the crabcakes. The omelets and breakfast burritos are enormous and packed to the gills, (to use a pertinent reference) and so are the chocolate chip pancakes, which are bigger than a dinner plate, hanging over the edge, and grilled to Perfection right in front of you.

The decor inside is a very eclectic and a bit of a tight fit, where you watch them cook your food while sitting at the counter and drinking your coffee.

I'll be back to Lou Lou's often for the atmosphere, the food, and the fun friendly people that work there.

Find them on the web at www.loulousgriddle.com

Be sure to check out the interview I did with one of the owners, Gigi at my YouTube channel:
www.YouTube.com/uradioshow

Until then. Ciao.

Be sure

"Roughley Manor" A diamond in the desert

Roughley Manor Bed and Breakfast, Twentynine Palms, California.

When I was out to the desert a few weeks ago visiting my mother I stopped over for the night in nearby Twentynine Palms.  It's an area I've wanted to travel through for a long time because it's got such a long, storied history. It's an old-time desert community with spooky tales of Sasquatch and Aliens abound. Now as to whether that's all true or not, I'm not sure, hence my fascination with checking it out. (Google it for yourself to see what I'm referring to. It'll keep you busy for hours.) Well, I didn't find any aliens or Sasquatches but, while there, I came across a newly renovated hotel that has just changed owners called Roughley Manor B and B. It was really nice. The grounds are gorgeous, as well as the interior common areas of the main hotel itself. The rooms were very spacious, with kitchenettes and perfectly appointed with a desert style Motif and with a wide, wooden front porch to sit on and look at the beautiful desert mesa views. The breakfast was great, the hospitality was fantastic, and the atmosphere relaxing. It was only about 45 minutes drive from Palm Springs major and worth the drive for the beautiful California desert scenery. Twentynine Palms sits right on the edge of the Joshua Tree National Forest which is a great example of an untouched, Western U.S. desert ecosystem, but bring your water bottle because temperatures in the summer can get up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit!

Also be sure to stop by nearby Palm Springs, La Quinta, or Indian wells for some of the greatest restaurants in that part of the state and, for golf or tennis, you won't find anywhere better in the world. 

We'll be out there again next week and am going to do some follow-up on some more great desert restaurants and more b and bees in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that:)

Ciao
The Roughly Manor is located at:
74744 Joe Davis Drive
Twentynine Palms, California 92277760-367-3238
www.roughleymanor.com

Five Guys didn't fail me like most large chains :)

Well, since in the last post I just mentioned a great gourmet burger, I think I'll stick to the theme and talk about a little bit less expensive burger, but also delicious, that's at Five Guys.

I visited the Five Guys Burgers in Salinas last week and ate some free, fresh roasted peanuts while I waited for my extra large Burger and seasoned fries. I don't usually cover big chains, but Five Guys, in my opinion, is excellent and rivals In and Out, Sonic, The Habit and of course, Tommy's, as the only fast food hamburger chains worth visiting on the West Coast. There are a lot of Five Guys Burger joints opening up all around, including one in Santa Cruz that just opened last month, and they serve fresh (many local) ingredients (such as the fries), with zero cost add-ons for multiple toppings. My only complaint is not having a different cheese then the American cheese the burger came with, which I'm not so much a fan of. The Banana/chocolate shake I had to dip my fries in was also great.

For a reasonably priced, extra good hamburger fixed the way you like it and some gourmet fries and a shake, check out Five Guys the next time you see one.

Gabriella Cafe, Santa Cruz - One of the year's best?

I had the opportunity to eat at a very good restaurant this week for lunch called Gabriella Cafe in Santa Cruz California. The restaurant is set off the main drag in downtown Santa Cruz and he's been in the same location for over 24 years. (That's usually one sign of a quality run restaurant.) Both the owner Paul, and his son Matt were both there to make sure we had a good experience.

I find it hard to go out to a nice restaurant and pass up a good sounding gourmet burger if it's on the menu. This was no exception and believe me this hamburger did not disappoint. It was cooked perfectly the way I asked and was large but not too messy. Very flavorful.

Since trout is my favorite fish, I decided to go with the trout salad as well which was grilled and tasty and yet not overdone. I could have gone for a little more dressing on the salad, but the vegetables were great and the food was prepared and presented in a very professional and caring way.

Paul was well-versed and happy to help customers with choices based on seasonally available products. That also means so much when you're trying to get good quality food in my opinion. I will be coming back to Gabriella Cafe often and would recommend you do the same if you're in Santa Cruz.

We're going to be back going through Santa Cruz in the next few days with some of the other restaurants and places that we would recommend so check us out often here at Travel bum Diaries And subscribe.

Until then, Ciao