Mission Carmel

Since we were in the area, we wanted to make a quick stop at San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission, which is more popularly known as the Mission Carmel. Founded in 1770, the Mission Carmel served as headquarters of the Missions in upper California.

We were able to get in free since my Ninong smoothtalked the lady working in the giftshop. He used some line about being parishioners there (which they really are) and how they were entertaining out of town guests blah blah blah...

Day 5 - From Scratch

I am just posting these in Geologic time, aren't it?  I hope it doesn't take me a year like my Canada posts!

After last night's "hairy" experience, we hoped for something better for breakfast. My godparents took us to another one of their favorite places (favorite meaning a place where there were a lot of "senior citizens") in Carmel, From Scratch, which is located in a shopping complex curiously named The Barnyard.

There goes my white Ninong wearing his golf cap and his Pebble Beach Hawaiian shirt...

It's that "casual old man" style. My dad dresses similarly. Some sort of printed Aloha shirt (like Tommy Bahama) and shorts. At least he's not wearing black socks with sandals and Jorts (jean shorts) pulled up past his nipples.

SF Road Trip - Day 6 (Cont'd) - Carmel, The Lodge & The Mission Ranch

[Finally posting this weeks later on 7/22]

This photo should have been in the previous post, as this was taken in Lover's Point in Pacific Grove. The guy in white is my godfather who was showing Bert and TC where he likes to go for a morning swim and sometimes snorkeling.
More sea lions on rocks...don't remember where this was...Pacific Grove I think...
The Lone Cypress - more info here. The tree is actually chained to the rock to keep it from toppling...I really didn't see what the BFD was.
The Lodge in Pebble Beach. This is basically a rich, white community where golfing is the main sport of leisure.
This golf course is where the U.S. Open is slated to be next year
The 18th Hole at the The Links Golf Course. Got $400 to play one game?
View of the Lodge from below...
Blink and you'll miss it! The Mission Carmel - this is the Mission where Father Junipero Serra is buried. I kind of wished we had time to see this mission...
After what seemed like hours of sightseeing (it was probably only 1 hour) and looking at their fave places, we finally headed over to the quaint seaside town of Carmel by the Sea, which was once lorded over by Dirty Harry himself, Clint Eastwood. No, we didn't eat at the Hog's Breath Inn (which he used to own, but sold). In fact, the Mission restaurant we went to is owned by good ole Clint. More on that story here and Yelp reviews of the restaurant here.
Click photo to enlarge menu:
Out of sheer luck, my Ninong found a space a few steps away and was able to get us seated outside in the back, which overlooks a marsh and has a really nice view of the bay. Right after we were seated, the restaurant became completely packed and there were people lined up out the door. As in Fifi's, our family were the only "minorities", save for the waitstaff, who were there. I don't think the word 'economic recession' is even in the clientele's vocabulary. Garlic bread:
TC's clam chowder - which had bits of celery and carrot in it, along with potatoes and chopped clams. It was the most vegetably clam chowder I've ever tasted - it was quite good!
What a shitty photo - too bright. This was TC's "hamburger with cheese" which wasn't on a hamburger bun, but on some sort of foccacia..
Bert's Sea Bass with a tomato based sauce, spinach and orzo. He cannot seem to pass up any seabass entree - he just loves how the fish flakes so easily and is so chunky and meaty. Ha ha, I said chunky and meaty. I had some of his fish and it was so delicious! I'm not a fan of orzo though. It's just pasta masquerading as rice.
In a show of perhaps, tolerance or amusement even, for my compulsion, my godparents were willing to have me take photos of their food. This was my Ninang's Seared Scallops with cheese polenta as well as sauteed spinach in a lemon butter caper sauce.
This was my Braised Beef Shortrib Ossobucco style with a red zinfandel reduction, served with sides of asparagus and mashed potatoes. I love ossobucco style meat! If I hadn't had lunch, I would have ate this whole damn rib myself!!!
Another shitty photo - My godfather's "end cut" of the prime rib with the bone in, alone with fresh slivered horseradish (in the ramekin) and a twice baked potato:
TC and Bert shared a raspberry sorbet - nothing earth shattering. My godparents shared a Bread Pudding (craptacular photo) - it had raisins in it, whipped cream on top and some sort of caramel brandy sauce. I passed on dessert that night since I was too full from my RIB! Just one RIB!I passed on dessert that night. I was, in reality, dying to get back so I could sleep and also so we could turn on the TV and find out what happened to Michael Jackson...