Archive for November, 2007
We have come to Campbell to go to the Farmers Market. Campbell is a nice little town not far from San Jose.
The Kings Head is a pseudo English pub which claims to ’serve food fit for royalty’. It is been built to look like a Tudor building with fake timbers. Outside there is a huge banner which says they serve breakfast from 7 a.m. Don’t be fooled by that - they don’t open until 8 on a Sunday.
We were the first customers to arrive at 8.15 and nothing had been set up. There was just one server and one cook. We seriously thought about leaving and finding somewhere else but decided to stick it out.
Our order for drinks was taken, one coffee and one water, but two coffees were brought. I had to wait another five minutes for the water.
The list of what was not available seemed endless - no hash, no eggs Benedict, no biscuits but -worst of all - no oatmeal. Hmm, shall we go or stay? Once again we decided to stay.
A party of 20 turned up who had apparently booked but the server had not been told. It was interesting to see how the served coped, but cope she did.
Now let me describe the interior. On the walls are swords and lots of brass plates. There are full sized figures of beefeaters and one knight. Hanging from the rafters are mock heraldic shields. There is an upstairs area for eating called the Kings Balcony. There are no booths - and you certainly don’t get those in English pubs - just table and chairs. Above the bar is a long painted log inscribed with the words ‘The Kings Head Wicked Wood, which is used in tossing the caber at Scottish Games. It is painted white with a Scottish flag at one end.
The floor is supposed to be flagstones but in places it is worn and you can see plain old concrete underneath.
Our order was taken after another fifteen minutes. Tom ordered the Joe’s Skillet ($8.95) and mine was for cheese omelet ($7.95). Twenty minutes later our food was served. Verdict, Tom said there was not much meat in his but apart from that it was OK. My omelet was good but the potatoes were barely warm. Also my toast was very crispy, more like crisp bread than toast.
The restrooms were labeled Knights and Wenches. Inside Wenches the lighting was inadequate. Just one dim light near the sink. The stalls were very dark. On one wall inside the stalls are boards with adverts but you can’t read them. There was no seat at all inside the handicapped stall. There were no little touches to brighten up the place. Also the handle on the hot tap was missing so only cold water was available.
All in all we were not very impressed with the Kings Head.
November 29 2007 | Breakfast Log | 1 Comment »
121 I Street, Niles, California, 94536. Tel 5010 791 6049
This is a real funky little cafe between Niles Blvd and Iron Horse Lane.
Outside there are a couple of small tables and dainty metal chairs all in need of a coat of paint.
Inside there are two large murals and one small on the wall on an Egyptian theme; one mural of flowers with a caption that reads ‘consider the lilies’ and one of Niles in the 1920’s complete with a train in the background.
There were no other customers so we had our pick of where to sit. The furniture is an odd mix. The table we sat at had a glass top over an amateurish painting. Some tables were round with tile mosaics and there was one large, round, table with red legs and a brown beaten up top. The chairs are worth a mention as well. Around our table were four black metal chairs with blue plastic seats and backs. In one window is a bar with three high wooden bar stools. Against the wall behind us are two, high backed, wooden, chairs with arms. One has the name “Julianne” painted across the top. I could go on but I’m sure you have got the picture.
The coffee is Peets, which is Tom’s favorite brew, so he was happy. I just drank water. We were brought the menus and perused them. Not much of a choice though I see the lunch menu is more extensive. Maybe this place gets more lively later in the day. There is no oatmeal so I chose 2 blueberry pancakes. Tom ordered a chicken and brie omelet with home fries and sourdough toast.
We waited twenty minutes for our order which was unacceptable. At least we knew that everything was freshly cooked. Tom’s comment on his food was that it was not too bad at all. My pancakes were very nice as well. The syrup bottle was a bit grungy though.
The restroom was more or less as I expected. It was in a cupboard at the back and there was just the one room for both sexes. Even though it was extremely small, every wall was covered in bright patterns and squiggles.
Don’t know whether we would come back again. It just had that run down feel about it.
November 27 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
Point Reyes Lighthouse is 50 miles north of San Francisco in the Point Reyes National
Seashore. This is a protected area covering approximately 71,000 acres and is a wonderful area to explore. There is only one, very small town in the whole area and that is Inverness. Most of the area is uninhabited but there are quite a few historic dairy farms which are still in operation so there are lots of cows.
Point Reyes itself is a curiosity as it is moving north at a rate of 2 inches a year. The rocks and vegetation are completely different here than on the opposite side of Tomales Bay.
There are a number of interesting places to visit. North of Inverness there are three, small secluded beaches on the Tomales Bay side - Shell Beach, Hearts Desire Beach and Marshall Beach. They are hard to find and not signposted at all from the road. At the northern end of Point Reyes there are free roaming Tule Elk and they are a wonderful sight. Also in the same area is the Historic Pierce Point Ranch with a self guided tour around the complex. Running past the ranch is the lovely Tomales Point Trail.
Today though we are headed for the lighthouse. This involves a drive of 20 miles from the entrance of the National Seashore, passing a few of the dairy farms. At weekends and holidays during the whale watching season, no cars are allowed to drive to the lighthouse and there is a bus shuttle instead. At this time of the year we can drive all the way to the small car park at the end.
As we got out of the car we had a marvelous view of the Farallon Islands. There is a 0.4 mile walk with some breathtaking views to get to the beginning of the lighthouse complex. There is a small visitors center before you get to the top of the steps leading down to the lighthouse.
As we approached the steps, we met a lady who was waiting for her son to return from his trip down to the lighthouse. We had a fascinating conversation with her. What an interesting life she had led. In the ten minutes or so we were talking to her we almost had her life story. The highlight was her telling us that for a few years she had been a hooker in Berkeley. I won’t give any more information in case anybody who reads this knows her!
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November 18 2007 | Special Places | No Comments »
We have been to this restaurant many times but this will be the first time for breakfast. Usually we sit outside in their lovely garden and have lunch but it is too cold at this time of the morning though I did notice a couple of smokers braving the weather.
They open at 8 and we arrived shortly afterwards so it was not crowded at all.
It is a large restaurant but there is nothing really different or outstanding about it. There are no booths at all, just table and chairs.
I ordered oatmeal with nuts and raisins ($4.75) and Tom ordered bacon and cheddar omelet with sourdough toast ($9.25). He also had coffee of course. The oatmeal was very good. It was served in a fair sized deep bowl. The sugar, golden raisins and walnuts were served in stainless steel cups which were much better than the normal plastic containers. The milk was served in a glass, which was very difficult to pour. Tom enjoyed his omelet. The potatoes were crispy, just how he likes them and the sourdough toast was great. The jam was very good and fresh - not your normal jam in plastic containers.
There were separate restrooms for men and women. The ladies was a single room with a very small sink in the corner. On the wall was a framed poster of local varieties of fruit from Tuscany. The towel dispenser was awkward to operate, especially with my broken wrist.
Verdict - food was very good but the interior was rather bland. Service was not brilliant.
November 08 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
We left home well before daybreak. It was dark when we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge; it was dark driving through San Anselmo; it was still dark driving through Point Reyes Station. It was just getting light when we reached our first destination - Nicks Cove and Miller’s Landing on the eastern side of Tomales Bay.
[Click on the image for a larger version]
When we were last here in March 2005, there was a dilapidated and abandoned restaurant here which was a well known seafood restaurant back in the 1990s. Signs were posted saying it was going to be renovated. recently we read that the work was finished and the restaurant had been reopened. So we have come to check it out.
There was a boat launch here as well but it is closed at the moment because that is now being renovated.
Tom got out and took a few photos but I sat in the car as it was very cold outside. I started writing but at first I could barely see the lines on the page. Gradually it grew lighter and I was able to see what I was writing.
Opposite the restaurant are some cabins. Back in 2005 there were cabins here but they were boarded up and ramshackle. They have been rebuilt as well and are very smart but they are very expensive to hire. There are smaller cabins alongside the restaurant and built over the bay on stilts. There are eleven cabins altogether ranging from $300 - $965 per night - I told you they were expensive!
I watched as someone from the restaurant cross the road and delivered newspapers to the cabins.
Guess I had better get out and take a look though I am very reluctant to do so as it’s very chilly out there. It was 63 degrees when we left San Jose and it is 20 degrees colder here. We are promised a warm day today though. As it is still only 7 in the morning I cannot expect too much heat just yet.
It was too cold to stay outside long and Tom was already making his way back to the car so I took a quick look at the restaurant. It certainly looks much better than last time. They serve seafood and cocktails and they are great views of the bay. It wasn’t open so I couldn’t go inside. There was a lot of activity so I guess they will be open for breakfast later.
We decided to head back to Point Reyes Station for breakfast. Just after we left Nicks Cove there was a wild turkey in the middle of the road. We need a turkey for Thanksgiving but Tom refused to run it down!
November 05 2007 | Special Places | 2 Comments »
From the Embarcadero we drove to the Marina to visit one of the best kept secrets of San
Francisco. I refer to the Wave Organ.
It is situated at the end of a short trail behind the Yacht Club. From there you have a marvelous view of the Gold Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the streets of San Francisco. You can even see the cable cars climbing and descending the hill. What is the Wave Organ? I hear you say.
It is a collect of pipes set into the water. When you place your ear against the open end of the pipes you can hear the the sound of the waves. The pipes are set at different levels so each one can produce a range of notes. For a good write up on this free attraction visit RoadtripAmerica.com.
This is one of the most relaxing places in the city and so few people visit it and hardly anyone has heard of it.
Here’s the view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Wave Organ. Click on the image for a larger version.
November 03 2007 | Special Places | No Comments »
