Home—Ah, Yes!

Home—an oasis of comfort and beauty, a place of simple pleasures and little joys.  It is where I watch our plums coming into their own and birds flitting from feeder to bath.  It is where I water my newly planted basil and parsley and hope the seeds of edible flowers take root and grow.  It is the starting point for long walks, short runs, home-made meals and just-down-the-hill jaunts to the Carmel Valley Creamery, for lattes and made-on-site cheeses.

It is a jumping-off point for visiting favorite local restaurants and discovering new ones. We just tried and loved the Thai Village Restaurant in Carmel Valley, which is under new management.  We sat outside in the sun with friends, started with a very tasty pot sticker appetizer, and then went on to four different dishes, each served on a different kind of plate.  My curry was colorful and creamy, with shrimp, chicken, broccoli, fresh mango and cashews. 

We also revisited one of our valley go-to’s—Cafe Rustica, sat inside at the bar/counter and ordered their thin crusted Vegetarian Pizza with every vegetable imaginable and their Red Leaf Salad with sliced pears, caramelized pecans, crumbled blue cheese and creamy balsamic dressing.  It was comforting and fun to see the owner and waiters who have made everyone feel so welcomed over the years. Good food, lovely service, and a winner close to home.

And I must mention a dessert we had at a favorite Carmel restaurant called the Rio Grill…it was an Ice Cream Sandwich…the ingredients: vanilla ice cream, almond wafer, chocolate sauce, strawberries, walnuts and a sprig of mint…SO good!

And as timing would have it, KQED-TV program “Check, Please,” just featured Monterey Bay-Santa Cruz restaurants on its July 10 and 17 programs (can also be seen via YouTube).  The food videography alone is worth a look-see. At least three of the restaurants are on our “want to try” list —Julia’s in Pacific Grove, a vegetarian-oriented restaurant; Schooners Monterey with its seafood specialties and bay vistas; and El Bistro by the Sea in Carmel.

I wonder what cafes or restaurants in your home territory are waiting to be discovered or rediscovered; I wonder which might be saying, “Come on in and make yourself at home.”  

                          ♥“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things  makes home    happy and life lovely.”  —Louisa May Alcott