Fourth of July bucket list

Chocolate and pet friendly meals to Put on your bucket list

Some of the yummiest meals and specific foods I’ve ever eaten that you might want to devour over the Fourth of July this year or next r another time… and some of the places are even pet friendly… if I do not indicate a specific dish, it means ALL of the food is good, so try whatever appeals to you, it is all good, heave ho.

A vegan meal at Ravens, Stanford Inn, Mendocino, CA

A meal at The Farmhouse, Sonoma, CA

http://fathomaway.com/postcards/chill/farmhouse-inn-sonoma-california/

Eggs MacBenedict, Chocolate Extravagance, MacCallum House, Mendocino, CA

Apple pancakes, Strawberry Creek Inn, Idyllwild, CA

Ole’s Swedish Hot cakes, Little River Inn, Little River, CA

Greek pasta, chicken caesar salad, Dametra cafe, Carmel, CA

Chocolate Cocoa Lounge (Feb. 14), The Island hotel, Newport Beach, CA

Chocolate for Breakfast, Oak Knoll Inn, Napa, CA

Hot chocolate, Silly Rabbit Chocolate, Ashland OR

Robin’s restaurant, Cambria, CA

Chocolate cake, Gnome, Idyllwild, CA

Fish n chips, The Boathouse, Bodega Bay, CA

Calamari, Abalonetti Seafood, Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey, CAfis

Calamari, fish n chips, Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant, Morro Bay, CA

Authentic Pad Thai from Thailand

NY pizza, pretzel, knish (street food)

German pretzel, spaetzle at Englischer Gartens in Munich, and a meal at the Kunstlerhaus

Masala dosa, southern India and meals

Gyro or a Souvlaki and shake at the Mad Greek diner, Baker, CA

Turkey Fat burgers or original with eggs and fries, Los Angeles

Chinese meal from NY or SF Chinatown

Pick your own fruit at Gilcrease Orchards, Las Vegas, NV

fish n chips and stuffed potatoes, London and the midlands

Patty melt, and doggie menu, Park bench cafe, Huntington Beach, CA

Mama’s Fish House, Maui, HI

French toast, Roughley Manor, 29 Palms, CA

world”s largest chocolate fountain, Jean Philippe’s chocolates, Bellagio, las vegas, nv

Omelette, Bagel sandwich, Bagel Cafe, Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV

Chicken and Rice, Mi Casa Too, Carson City, NV

Raw vegan food, Living Light Cafe, Fort Bragg, CA

Breakfast buffet, Top of the Riverfront, Millennium Hotel, St. Louis, MO

BBQ chicken, St. Louis, MO and Kansas City, MO

Turkey burger and fries, Sequoia Drive-in, Sebastopol, CA

other views:

http://www.nerdtravel.com/2013/west-coast-road-trips/#.UdG7z57BkKE.twitter

http://www.businessinsider.com/memorable-meals-to-eat-in-your-lifetime-2013-6

http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/962095/fourth-of-july-flag-lasagna-recipe?sk_ref=poptoday

 

and some yummy pet menus at various hotels

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-dog-owners-hotels-20130705,0,5336075.story

squidelicious

Cici and I had a wonderful birthday yesterday. It was a gorgeous day here on the Monterey Bay. And Cici LOVED going out and about and meeting people. We did a few errands and she enjoyed putting on her floor show, showing off her very pink belly.

We had lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf downtown at Abalonetti’s, a lovely locals favorite seafood restaurant. There is a locals menu for $8.95 that includes an appetizer, entree and dessert.  Their patio is pet friendly although the wharf is not technically. Managing partner Kevin Phillips says that it is in the works and that the rule against pooches is not being enforced.

The clam chowder was simply divine. Smooth, creamy and full of flavor. No spongy, pale and bitter clams. The difference is that all of the seafood here is freshly caught and cleaned in-house unlike other places on the wharf that ship their fish to China for processing and then bring it back. About 1,000 pounds of squid is cleaned each week at Abalonetti’s in a room behind the restaurant.

I also decided to try the calamari and fries (although not technically on the locals menu. Calmari steak is on the locals menu). There are a dozen or more different ways to eat calamari from garlic, Baha, spicy Buffalo to flash fried over eggplant, with Sicilian red sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (called Marty’s special). Squidfest !

I had a totally satisfying ice cream sundae for dessert although I could have had cannaloni. I have had calamari that was rubbery and / or greasy. This calamari was fresh and delicious. The best calamari I’ve ever eaten. I let Cici try the squid but she was not a fan, she does NOT like seafood. The polka dot princess was given the choice of a burger or a chicken patty for her meal. I chose the chicken for her and it was served on top of a take home Abalonetti frisbee with a water bowl. She scarfed it up in record time (even for her) !

I checked out the neighbor’s salads which looked very fresh and inviting, house cocktails included various kinds of Margarita’s, and other offerings. The menu offers a diverse array of sandwiches, pizza, pasta and seafood. Some tempting and tasty looking highlights include fish and chips, battered in beer, Cioppino (seafood soup), Ahi tuna, smoked Salmon ravioli, crab and angel hair pasta. We will just have to go back again and again !

Much more than dogs being barely tolerated, Abalonetti’s is truly pooch friendly. Four paws up !  Kevin has a beagle himself. His beagle is ALL nose, sniffing along the dog path every day.

And the patio is private, cozy yet roomy and enclosed. Felt like we were in another world despite the hustle and bustle of the wharf. Sitting outside in the sunshine overlooking the water was relaxing and meditative. Another couple had two dogs on the patio, a Jack Russell terrier mix, six months old, named Angel and another small white dog. Cici of course, and the other dogs wanted to play. And Cici also wanted to chase the birds.

If you are a dog owner visiting Monterey (staying at the pet friendly Portola hotel, a hop, skip and a jump from the wharf) or are a local who wants to have a relaxing day with your pooch, go to Fisherman’s Wharf, take a whale watching tour for three hours (pooches may not be allowed on the boats, call first). Then have a great lunch or dinner (lunch is from 11 am to 4 pm, dinner is 4 pm to  9 pm, seven days a week ), bring the furry ones with you to Abalonetti’s.  Tell them Cici sent you. Woof !

http://www.abalonettimonterey.com/news.htm

http://www.celiasuehecht.com/blog.html

http://members.seemonterey.com/abalonettiseafoodtrattoria/

http://montereywharf.com/index.php?page=whale-watching

www.chrisswhalewatching.com Phone: 831-375-5951

www.gowhales.com Phone: 1-866-GOWHALES

www.montereywhalewatching.com  Phone: 1-800-979-3370

www.randysfishingtrips.com    Phone: 1-800-251-7440

Other temptations on the wharf include salt water taffy, gift shops, face painting, and cotton candy.  Then you also have to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Carmel, Cannery Row, Pacific Grove and the Steinbeck museum. A perfect family destination. There are always events going on here year round.

Coming up soon:

Monterey County Fair, running from Wednesday, August 31, through Monday, September 5.

Cici probably would have jumped in the water to play…

http://news.discovery.com/animals/dogs-and-whales-enjoy-mysterious-connection.html

happy 5 years old

wow, time flies when you rescue a puppy and write about her… my baby is all grown up now !

Happy Birthday to my dear sweet polka dot princess Cici !

August 1 is my cici’s fifth birthday… and there are a few items she really wants… a new collar, leash, bed, if you would like to give her a gift, here’s our wish list, http://thegivingpaw.com/member​s/ciciwriter/ thanks !!!

Dear Cici,

Woof woof!

We want to wish you a very Happy Birthday full of love and joy and tail wagging. We are thrilled to be able to celebrate it with you!

Cici will be profiled today with other birthday doggies on Dogster’s special Birthday Stroll.

Since it’s your birthday we want to give you something special, so we have given you 25 Dogster bones and one vote of 5 Paws! Dogster loves you!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at Dogster

 

from Fetch Dog:

 

Cici

 

We are invited to a local seafood restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf with a pet friendly patio so am thinking I shall bring the polka dot princess there for lunch. She has her own menu, choice of burger or chicken patty served on a frisbee, woof !  Will tell you MORE about it after we go… it’s on Fisherman’s Wharf and a local favorite called Abalonetti’s. Lots of calamari, fish and chips, pasta, abalone, clam chowder and other freshly caught seafood. Yum.

http://www.abalonettimonterey.com/review.htm

Would like to go on a whale watching tour, but not with Cici. She’d be licking everyone on the boat and if she could, she would probably kiss the whales and dolphins, too 🙂

http://montereywharf.com/index.php?page=things-to-do

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is going on this weekend, was hoping to go but looks like it’s not going to happen.

if I were going to have a barkday party for Cici, first I’d invite all of her furry friends, including all of YOU…and your puppies…

We’d have pizza full of ham, sausage, bacon and liver… doggie meat lovers pie !

a peanut butter and cheese cake

treat and toy gift bags

Bowser Beer

Games:

play Smash the M. Vick Pinada

Chew the Tail off the M. Vick doll

Chase, wrestle, roll over and run on the grass

Entertainment:

Dog Singer/Piano Player

Love the food you eat…

Cici had a nice appetizer today before her regular lunch meal… She tried Smart Pak’s Real Food Toppers, healthy treats made from 100% whole real foods that are sourced in the USA and approved for human consumption. She gobbled up the pure chicken breast and pure wild salmon in record time. Yum, yum, woof woof…

There are only a few ingredients per Real Food Topper (one to three). They come in a package that is 4 oz.

Other flavors: Pure Beef Sirloin, Pure Beef Liver.

The Toppers can be sprinkled on top of doggie’s dinner, too… but Cici, my gourmet chow hound, liked hers ala carte … she says that way she could savor the tastes best…

http://www.smartpakcanine.com/productclass.aspx?productClassid=3634&cmPreserveSource=true&cmPreserveCategory=true

naming your dog: fish and chips…

According to Bruce, my mother’s poodle, Chips was large black and aggressive. When she found an adorable female to add to the family, my stepfather said, “What about Fish?”  I had to intervene. Imagine standing on Lakeshore Drive yelling for the dogs, “Fish, Chips”, and, without a proper food stand.

My mother was a fan of the movie, “Sister Act.” So I thought what better name for a black curly haired dog but the name, Whoopie. The name stuck.   Years later my mother and sister each claimed that they were the one who had named her. Chips died and a beautiful white poodle, we named Crystal was added to the family.  
Some time later, my stepfather, putting on airs, suggested we change the dogs names to Alabaster and Ebony.  I rarely stood up to him, but in this instance said, “No Way!”

http://dogs.suite101.com/article.cfm/dog_names

I was looking for funny names for polka dot dogs… and found this instead about sleeping with dogs, I could relate, except so far, Cici doesn’t yowl or howl or make loud noises, just hogs up the bed, sits on my head and /or snuggles against me tight and takes over the blankets… and I finally figured out that she likes to snuggle into my neck where it’s warm …

http://www.funny-dog.com/sleepindogs/ 

this about sums it up… too funny… make sure you watch the end…

TIP JARLike my blog? Drop a few bucks into the Tip Jar to buy Cici the wonder dog a bone!0px”>