reunited (and it feels so good)

We checked out of Hotel Monteleone at 12:15pm (I think you get the idea not expect anything else if you ever find yourself traveling with us). Also, is it alarming to know that you’re traveling with someone who can break the code of your hotel safe with one guess? A testament of how well we know each other, I suppose. Please advise if I need to call LifeLock sooner than later. We quickly made it our mission to be one with sought out bagel. We did some research (which included Amy calling places to make sure they did more than just sell a bagel and cream cheese). So glad she did this bit of research and found Surrey’s. Surrey’s is a small artsy café advertised as a juice bar, but with so much more. I think it could possibly be top on the list of “hidden gems” found on this trip. Amy’s friend, Nicole, had mentioned hearing of this place, but not yet having found it. Nicole, GO! There was an extensive breakfast and lunch menu that included homemade bagels and house-cured salmon (lox). Amy ordered two scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, and an onion bagel with cream cheese. She made and consumed about twelve perfect bites to reveal a clean plate (well, I think she left some bacon – a little shocking, actually). I had the lox plate with an onion bagel. I love lox, but mostly for the caper/cream cheese/bagel combination. They also served this with an avocado mash – which was such a nice touch. I ate every bite and am not ashamed of that at all. I also washed it down with some awesome coffee. I like to think that Surrey’s has it all figured out – those that know, go; those that think it’s Jamba Juice, don’t. Oh, elusive bagel – today you were finally ours.

After brunch, we circled many blocks looking for the post office. Glad I finally got the chance to pass through a metal detector on the way to mail some postcards…that’s now checked off the bucket list. We made our way out of the Vieux Carre (we’re pros now), crossed the Mississippi, and headed on to Birmingham. Today’s drive didn’t contain as many profound moments as the drive from Austin to New Orleans, but we managed to keep each other entertained for the six-hour drive. We arrived in Birmingham with enough time to change our clothes and meet Amy’s friend, Smith, for dinner. Smith lives and works in Birmingham and I was more than thrilled to get to meet another one of Amy’s dear friends. After seeing Smith’s house, we headed to the Mountain Brook area for dinner at Avo. We had scoped out the menu en route to Birmingham and we were excited to try to options. We started with the fried okra sticks accompanied by a lemon-caper aioli and the homemade pimento cheese spread. Both delicious starters. For my meal I ordered the grilled cheese and tomato soup. The cheese was light and it had avocado, but the star was the sourdough bread. So toasty and sourdough-y – I loved it to the last crunchy bite. Amy had the panko-crusted chicken on polenta and she was pleasantly surprised by her dish. (I could tell she had hesitations about the chicken breast being dry and lacking flavor.) I looked over and it was quite juicy and it just looked appealing. The polenta was nicely cooked. Smith ordered the roasted beet salad and the bacon mac and cheese. She approved of the dishes by not leaving any leftovers – which was something we all did. We indulged in a few alcoholic beverages and a lot of conversation before heading back to the car. We got back to Smith’s and returned to our hotel (Holiday Inn Express in Birmingham, I love you) for a full night’s rest.

Joellen

P.S. Is it wrong to title your blog post for your bagel reunion? No.

in california

Today I got to fulfill a dream: vegetarian dim sum. All I have ever wanted is one little steamed dumpling that isn’t filled with questionable pork or “shrimp”. I got 5. Thank you Yank Sing (and Mo Rocca) for helping me live the Chinese-American Dream. Amy and I shared so many things for lunch. Amy first tried the pork soup dumplings. She had an indiscernible look on her face while eating, but I heard about them at least 3 times on the drive today. I guess that means she liked them. Then we got these green onion wontons (?) that were flaky and tasty. Amy got her turnip cakes (which, in her opinion, did not compare to the ones they make at Ming Court in Orlando). We flagged down the dumpling cart when we could to indulge in those highly anticipated steamy treats. We chose three types of vegetable dumplings – the mushroom, the spinach, and the Savory Vegetable. All three delightful, but I favored the mushroom (not a surprise). We shared a delicious Japanese eggplant dish and finished the meal with one egg custard filled bun each. This was a great way to start out the day and an even better way to solidify that we will, in fact, be returning to San Francisco. Also, the Holiday Inn Express in Pacifica was a great choice. A little outside of the city, but they sure made up for it with their kindness and I got to wake up to a rolling ocean two mornings in a row. (I hear from Amy that our current view is of the amazing parking garage.)

After lunch we decided to do the rest of our SF touring via car. We walked a lot yesterday and we wanted to get on the road at a decent time. We drove down to Haight-Ashbury so Amy could stand where people stood up for things. I was having a cranky morning, so I chose to drive around versus trying to battle a million people for a parking spot. (Despite what Amy may think, I do love her appreciation for history – I just needed coffee.) Then we drove through Golden Gate Park until I could no longer tolerate the driving and drivers. I’m sorry for Amy that we did not get to see the Golden Gate Bridge on a clear day – or at all. Another reason to come back…not on a Holiday weekend. Then we drove through The Castro – I wish we had planned better and spent more time down there. Next time. I did see my first naked person in public. I think he was all the way naked – he might have been wearing a sock…not sure. (RHCP fans (or anyone born before 1989) will likely remember when Flea made history with a sock. Hyperlink was inappropriate.)

We hit the road; and by road I mean the Pacific Coast Highway. It is absolutely no joke that this drive has the most incredible landscapes. I’ve always been mystified by the whole mountain meeting ocean thing. It’s amazing. The farmlands only add to the unique experience. We spent about 2 hours driving south and ended up in Santa Cruz where a good friend from high school currently resides. Josh and his girlfriend, Lauren, were exactly what we needed: a break from the road, the constant strangers, the empty hotel rooms, and maybe each other (a little). We had great conversations while enjoying the cool late afternoon surrounded by Max, a sweet mastiff weighing in at a mere 200 lbs., and some very entertaining chickens. They took us for our first Mexican experience of the trip where we had a lovely meal at El Palomar in downtown Santa Cruz. I had the guacamole sope (my first sope ever) and a tostada with beans, cabbage, cheese, and sour cream. Amy had green chili pork tostada and a shredded chicken sope. Josh and Lauren made a very strong case for the Santa Cruz area. We will definitely be back to visit. I can’t wait for gardening 101 with Josh…maybe it’s reciprocation for the help with the geometry homework in 10^th grade?

We took our full bellies and settled into the car for the quick jaunt to Monterey – our destination for the evening. Our hotel stay will be brief, and great wonders await us tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Joellen