Hey hey hey blogger land! Guess what time it is!
It’s hard to believe it’s already Wednesday! No time to waste though, let’s get this party started!
Emilia had some things she had to do yesterday to prep for school next week, so I decided to go on a little adventure…
I took a bus…a train…and ANOTHER bus…and I went to…
Before heading out for the day, I made sure to have something for breakfast that would “stick to my ribs” as my mom used to say.
Stovetop oats with cottage cheese, banana, and some of Emilia’s fabulous homemade granola!
Note to self: Find this cottage cheese back home!
Yep, I totally brought my gummies with me to Cali…can’t go a day without my candy!
😉
Luckily Emilia reminded me to grab a few snacks before running out the door to catch the bus, because with all the traveling, there was no time for lunch…
A pear on the train, a carrot-raisin muffin on the city bus, and another pear on the site- seeing bus!
Oh, and did I mention those are homegrown pears? Oh yes…be jealous!
After I finished taking 300+ pictures of the Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate, and Sausalito, I took some advice from my trusty tour guide and dined at the Blue Mermaid for lunch dinner linner?
Not only was this my first time using public transit, but also my very first experience dining alone.
I feel like I’ve hit some sort of milestone…now I just have to go see a movie by myself and my experiment in self-sufficiency will be complete! 😉
I started with a glass of house Chardonnay and some bread and buttah!
Then, upon my tour guide’s advice, I ordered a cup of their award winning
Dungeoness Crab & Corn Chowder
Good job Mr. Tour Guide…good job indeed!
But the star of the show was definitely my entree…
Parmesan Crusted Sea Scallops with a wild rice blend and sauteed greens
Cheesy, buttery, mouth-watering sea scallops!
It’s a good thing I WAS by myself, because I probably would’ve embarrassed any dining companion with my near When Harry Met Sally reaction to this dish!
After my meal, I enjoyed another glass of wine (hey, it was happy hour!) and sat back for a good people watching session. Then, after a quick stop in a shop to purchase a few classic souvenirs, I headed back to the bus station and made my way back to Santa Cruz.
It may have been a long day of traveling (about 8 hours total), but definitely worth the experience! In an upcoming post, I’ll definitely share more pics with you guys, but until then, “travel” on over to Peas & Crayons and check out all the drool-worthy link-ups!
Have you ever dined solo?
Are you a fan of seafood? If so, what’s your favorite surf dish?
loveee seafood. hand me a plate of shrimp, scallops, wild salmon or cod and i am one happy girl 🙂
Isn’t SF amazing?! I was there last summer and we biked over the bridge into Sausalito, which is a-dorable. Your pictures are extra lovely this (WIA)Wednesday.
That dinner looks amazing 🙂
Those sea scallops look unbelievable! Love ’em! Looks like you had a great time, lady! Glad you enjoyed venturing forth alone. I’m not sure if I could eat out alone or not. I’ve never tried it. Maybe someday I’ll give it a shot. 🙂
It’s definitely an experience. I’ve gone to coffee shops solo before, but dining alone was totally different. I loved being able to enjoy my meal slowly, without interruption and the people watching was fun too! Give it a go sometime!
The Blue Mermaid is in the hotel I stayed in for work last week! The seafood is good, but I love the sourdough bread that is served all over the city even more.
Oh my goodness, your seafood meal looks incredible! I love seafood but living in the mountains after living on the coast I’m pretty much always disappointed with what I can get here. My favorites are shrimp and crab, I don’t even care how it’s done. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad shrimp or crab dish, haha. SF looks like so much fun! So glad you’re enjoying it 😀
Oh yeah, fresh coastal seafood > than imported seafood for sure!! Any time I’m vacationing on the coast, I try to get my fill of it!
I’m glad you love San Francisco! I’ve been there at least 10 times and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sun shine- I bet it looks so much prettier in the summer!
Oh it’s gorgeous! I was really fortunate to have been there with the fantastic weather! A couple of people told me that only a few days before, it was cloudy and foggy! I definitely lucked up!
I am coming there JUST for those scallops! My husband and I may have just drooled over those pics, we both love scallops!!
I am glad you had so many yummies while there!!!
<3
Seriously, all I can say is YUM. Those scallops look awesome…and I don’t even like scallops!
Haha! You’d like them it they were coated and covered in that parmesan and butter sauce! I swear, they could’ve battered a stick in that stuff and I would have eaten it! Haha!
Looks like such a nice day, and your dinner looks fantastic!
this makes me miss San Fran so so much! lets all move there!
Unlimited walks on the beach? 70 degree temps? Zero humidity?! I’m in!!! 😉
Your dinner does look pretty unbelievable, but I’m allergic to seafood so I would have to pass (which is better than passing out ;)). And I’ve never done the solo dining thing, but I do go to coffee shops solo every once in a while. Sometimes it’s just nice to sit quietly and read or people watch.
Oh yeah, I definitely agree. People watching is entirely UNDER-rated!
Allergic to peanuts AND seafood!? Bummer! But yes, please stay away from both…I kinda prefer you alive! 😉
So glad you are having such a great adventure/vacation! Esp with such fab food.
I love seafood – especially boiled shrimp. I could eat my weight in boiled shrimp and crab legs! I love scallops too.
I have dined solo – mainly when I was in school b/c I lived in another town and didn’t know people. I prefer company though.
Have a great rest of the week!
1. You are making me VERY excited to be going to San Francisco in November.
2. I go to the movies alone all the time, but have never dined alone! You’re inspiring me too finally take the plunge. 🙂
Oh girl, do it! Just make sure you’re in a good “people watching” environment…I think that made it even more fun! Almost like dinner and a reality]
showmovie in one!I don’t know if I’ve ever dined solo! Well, I guess I ate by myself in between classes in college. but I’m not sure that counts 😉 haha
That looks like SUCH a fun trip! Normally I’m just jealous of your eats… now I’m jealous of the whole day!
aww your day in SF looks so fun!! isn’t SF great?! those sea-scallops look PERFECt
also, that’s my favorite brand of cottage cheese. i have 2 containers in the fridge right now!!
It was SO much fun! I’ll have to go again sometime and devote more time though…there’s just TOO much to see to cram into one day…I need more like a week!
I’ve dined solo many times. My recent trip to Glasgow is the best example. Sometimes, you want a really nice meal, but it’s last minute and you don’t have the luxury of a dining companion at your side. And yet, sometimes, you need to take yourself out on a date! 🙂
I love seafood – all kinds. Fish, raw oysters, sushi, uni, everything. It’s all good to me.
“And yet, sometimes, you need to take yourself out on a date!” <- Sooooo true!
Not a fan of raw oysters…I can't get over the texture! Bleh! Haha! What is uni? I'm not sure I've heard of it before.
It’s sea urchin! Sooo good. It’s like the epitome of briny, oceany goodness.
Good to know! If I ever get the chance to try it, I definitely will! …And if I hate it, I’m coming after you! Haha!
glad youre alive. i hoped for the best when i hadnt heard from you. i wish you were here tomorrow for my day off 🙁
Yum–my favorite eats are the pears and carrot muffins…i’m a sucker for muffins 🙂
Me too! I just rarely ever make them when I’m at home…that needs to change very very soon! 😉
AHH omgggg so jealous!! everything looks amazingg!
OMG all that food looks delicious!! I went to SF when I was in highschool and I fell in LOVE! I want to go back soon! 🙂
I’m allergic to pretty much your whole meal, but it still looks delicious to me haha! 😛
I love all the seafoods that I’m not allergic to though. My favourite is a perfectly cooked, buttery soft salmon fillet. 😀
Ohhhhh no! My sister used to have a shellfish allergy and it was terrible for her since she LOVED all things seafood. Luckily the only thing that I’m allergic to (as far as I know) is kiwi…but I swear I crave it more only because I know I can’t have it! Haha!
And yes, there are few things out there better than a perfectly grilled buttery soft salmon fillet! Mmmm!
I actually LOVE dining at restaurants alone, because I pay more attention to the food. When with another person, I tend to pay attention to them and not experience what I eat as much. See a movie alone is pretty great too! Give it a go!
You know, I didn’t even think of that, but you’re so right! A lot of times, I get so caught up in conversation, that I won’t even realize that I was full until several bites later! And being at in the restaurant atmosphere helped me to eat slower which is something that I find hard to do when I eat alone at home. I rarely get a good amount of time to eat when I’m at work so I’m in the very bad habit of inhaling my food in 10 minutes or less. Need to get better about that!
Welcome to the best area in the country! (obviously this californian is not biased)
That dinner looks absolutely amazing 🙂
I stopped eating seafood a while back, but those scallops are making me seriously reconsider that decision, especially since they’re just a quick BART ride away!
Oh yeah, not biased in the least…I didn’t get that at all! 😉 Haha! If you ever do consider adding seafood back into your diet, I would DEFINITELY make The Blue Mermaid one of your top places to eat first! Soooo good!
those scallops look amazing!
also, i’m going to have to try granola on my oatmeal wow!
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What a fantastic day!!! I love san fran. Spent part of my childhood nearby. Homegrown pears? How awesome! And the corn and crab chowder looks fantastic
sounds like you two had a fab time together! Blogger meet-ups!? So jealous!! Your traveling adventures sound fabulous. I’m like you, I rarely dine alone. But the couple times I have it hasn’t been too shabby. And I usually find a bartender or somebody to chat up and keep things interesting. ha!
love your pics and can’t wait to hear more about the trip!!! I saw your yummy eats on Emilia’s blog. Oh. MY. Goodness. Two heads are better than one! heh 😉