Trail of Crumbs

I recently wrote a post for my old college pal Danielle Rubi-Dentzel's wonderful blog, The Trail of Crumbs. This Paris-based culinary travel blog, which is run by Danielle and her husband Adrian, features contributions from friends across the world, writing about the meals, restaurants and recipes they've discovered. It's so much fun to read! This year, TOC was a finalist in Saveuer Magazine's Best Food Blog Awards, and Danielle & Adrian can be seen this fall on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations," giving Mr. B a tour of the Burgundy region. So excited to see that!

My post, on a few of my favorite Los Angeles-area Japanese restaurants, can be seen here.

A Wild Coast & Lonely

That title comes from an amazing and hilarious book on Big Bur by Rosalind Sharpe Wall. She died some time ago, but was born in Big Sur in the early 1920s and lived there until the late 1990s. Starting at the age of 11, she'd hike up into the wilderness and interview ancient pioneers and crazy artists, and she writes about the coast long before the hippies and billionaires arrived, back when it was a haven for bootleggers, criminals and naturalists. It was wild as hell and her book is such a great look into why all of these crazy and wonderful people fought tooth and nail to make this magical place their home.

Here's my favorite quote from the book:

"As a child I never felt alone: I was always being watched; the land itself or something within it was always aware of me, always watching men. Often I wished it wouldn't. I had no secret or private thoughts. I was transparent as glass. But as the late Frank Post wrote in his diary, "Many a time, in the deep woods, my Great Protector was with me, always watching me, standing guard over me."

It Never Gets Old Here

We go to a lot of aquariums in this family, and this is still the best one ever. I'm pretty much molding these two to work at this place someday, so I can live in Monterey and go there for free all the time. Isn't that why you have kids, anyway? So they can give you free stuff someday?

Big Sur: Day 1

Going Fourth!

A very relaxed 4th of July in sweltering Sac. Beer, a pool and the best people. And, a trip to the amazing new Bows & Arrows.

I'm On a Motherf#$%in' Boat!

Before you get on the motherf#$%in' boat, you have to empty the 200 gallons of mosquito-egg-laden water that's collected on the motherf@#$in' boat over the spring.






I'm going to assume that this guy rules.







Abby the Dog comes with her own life vest with handle. Very handy for dipping her in the lake.












This is what happens when solid American hips meet the side of a solid American steel boat. All I was doing was stepping off the boat and onto the dock! I'm gonna be that lady who breaks her hip in her sleep, I swear.