Mrs. Olson's Coffee Hut

Gary:   Good Morning. Well, now that I am back from vacation, Hope and I are at it again. We originally planned to go to Santa Barbara but Hope informed me that Kim Kardashian was getting married. Who? LOL. I guess she is some reality TV celebrity who must have rented all of Santa Barbara. Anyway, with that down the drain, Hope had many places in that crazy little head of hers and I was given four choices this weekend, which was no surprise to me. The real surprise was, we actually went to the place I picked...

Hope:   A friend had warned me of the nuptial-insanity that was going to wreak havoc on the Santa Barbara/Montecito area when you factor in all the people that feel entitled to try to catch a glimpse of the festivities. Not liking crowds to start with and not looking forward to a day of lane-splitting and stupidity on the roads, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to stay in town for one more ‘Breakfast for Bikers’ meal. The truth is, there are still plenty of local restaurants we haven’t yet visited, so we weren’t without plenty of choices.

Gary:   Now, I actually arrived not only on time, but early; Go figure. Even though on Friday, after a long conversation about the weekend, I was informed from Hope that, and I quote, “Sunday AM is fine. I don’t need an early start”. Well, OK, if that’s the way you want it, cool. Well, Sunday rolls around and at 7AM my phone is making that annoying text sound which I tried to ignore but it keeps doing it until you look. So I get up and there is a text from Hope saying “Good Morning. Its 7AM, do you think you can be here by 9:30AM?” Hmmm, what happened to ‘I don’t need an early start’? Women....

So I stayed up and got my ass moving. It was a beautiful morning out so the riding today was going to be outstanding.

Hope:   When you read Gary’s part of the blog, keep in mind he’s a guy and looks forward to all those little opportunities to try to blame everyone else for his own short-comings. Mind you, we do this at approximately the same time each and every weekend, so why would this weekend be any different? I mean, if he arrives around 9:30, we get to where we’re going by 10:30 or 11:00 and depending on how crowded the restaurant is, that means not eating our first meal of day until 11:30 or 12:00. I am not one of those people who can eat “a little something’ to tide me over. If I’m hungry, I eat til I’m full, end of conversation! And knowing we were going to Mrs. Olson’s for breakfast (don’t tell Gary that I already decided our morning’s venture location), there was no way I was going to put anything in my stomach before I arrived in Hollywood Beach…which made for one very hungry little biker girl!

We did a fast blast up the 126 to Victoria and headed south, crossing the 101 and heading toward the Channel Islands. Take a right onto Channel Islands Boulevard West and go over the bridge. Take a left to stay on Channel Islands Boulevard West, and take a left onto Sunset Lane and a quick right onto Los Altos Street. You’ll see the crowd to get in as soon as you turn the corner! Drive slow as there are lots of people hanging out in the street while they wait for their name to be called.

Gary:   Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut is a very cool place and a lot of people must feel that way because the line to get in was very long. We were at the beach, so who really cares. And we both enjoy people watching, so Hope grabbed us a couple of cups of coffee and we just hung out.

Hope:   Mrs. Olson’s is a literal hole in the wall. Once you see the amount of people waiting to get in, you wonder if you’ll be able to eat before they close (they close at 2:00 pm daily). Fortunately, the looks are somewhat deceiving, as they also have an outdoor patio in the back. White sand covers the road and the ocean can be spotted the equivalent of a half block away. This is local place that I have no doubt gets most of their business from the locals and for those brave enough to wait in line. But I assure, their food is well worth the wait!

Gary:   My club is involved with our own version of ‘The Biggest Losers’ so I had to watch what I was eating. There is about $600 bucks at stake and I want to win but man, the aroma in this place was overwhelming and I knew ordering was going to difficult. We sat at our usual spot at the counter real close to the kitchen. This place was humming and the heat coming from the kitchen was at first nice, but after a while it became like a sauna. Next time, we sit on the other side of the counter. I was watching the chef cook and noticed that each meal was cooked individually so I thought, ‘this is going to be a long wait’. After looking at the menu, I picked an unusual breakfast for a change called ‘Bangers and Eggs’. It consists of English Sausage with bubbles & squeak (fresh mashed and grilled English style potatoes with cabbage and green onions) and two poached eggs (2 minutes) with rye toast. While waiting for this to come I was watching the chef and spotted some of their potatoes on the grill that were slightly overdone. They use red potatoes, which are delicious, and I had to have some. I ordered a side order for us to munch on while waiting (they were outstanding) and a good thing I did. The wait here can be long, so get an appetizer of some sort to tide you over. Hope and I nibbled on these while they were cooking things up.

Hope:   For the first time in a very longtime, I really had a hard time ordering, as I thought it best not to indulge with one of everything! Gary might be motivated to cut down on his food intake with the attraction of $600 but I do it so I can continue to fit into my favorite blue jeans! The things that caught my eye were crab cakes benedict, blackened catfish, chicken-fried steak (of course) and chorizo and huevos (I’ve been on a chorizo and huevos kick lately and just haven’t had my fill yet). I’m not even a pancake person and their pancakes looked scrumptious! After interrogating our waitress, I opted for the blackened catfish after I was assured it was fresh, not frozen. With that came two eggs (scrambled with onion), their infamous seasoned red rose potatoes (large chunks but perfectly cooked), and an English muffin (and a side of country gravy). On a side note, their country gravy looks more like paste. It is a fabulous thick, thick, thick concoction of gravy with LOTS of meat.

The coffee was great, the service slow (as Gary said, each meal is made to order and grill space is VERY limited, so the chefs have to work REALLY close together). The food is off the charts and yes, not only was the blackened catfish fresh, but the piece was h-u-g-e (probably a filet of the entire fish) and was the BEST blackened catfish I have ever tasted! Remember--It gets mighty warm at the small counter area where we sat, so if that bothers you, opt for the other counter area or a table.

Gary:   My breakfast was great and because I am watching what I eat, I had enough leftovers to have for my Monday morning breakfast. The eggs were perfect. The bangers are delicious and the bubbles & squeak was out of this world. Even the rye toast was great. Hope picked a winner here. The service was great but remember, they take their time making your meal so if you’re in a hurry, I don’t know what to tell you.

Hope:   After waddling back to our bikes with lots of leftovers (and by the way, my leftover blackened catfish was just as good the next day), we headed to a local art show and farmer’s market across the way at the Channel Islands Harbor. As if we hadn’t already eaten to the point of being F-U-L-L, we sampled peaches, plums, dried fruits, nuts, olives, baby beets, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes.

If your taste buds are craving some really wonderful food, do yourself a favor and get to Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut at 117 Los Altos Street, Oxnard (in the Hollywood Beach community), CA 93035, (805) 985-9151. You won’t be disappointed!

 

 

Ted's Country Diner, Monument, Colorado

Ted’s Country Diner

Monument, Colorado

Good Morning. Ok, today I am going to do something out of the ordinary, which is review a non-restaurant. Since my sister’s better half, Ted, prepared a travel (or a ‘thank God he’s leaving’) breakfast just for me and because of their wonderful hospitality, I felt compelled to write about it. This is a breakfast from the heart and what could be more worthy than that?

The name of this non-restaurant is ‘Ted’s Diner’ (really my sister’s house) and is located in the mountains of Colorado in a small town called ‘Monument’. It lays in-between Colorado Springs and Denver off Interstate 25. It is nestled on a quiet street that is filled with pine trees and spacious properties. It could be a bed and breakfast place with little effort. The dining room is small; it seats 8, but it is very cozy with a spectacular view of a large cattle ranch with the scenic Rocky Mountains as its backdrop. My ride to get there is something I try to do every year, which is get out on the road and enjoy this marvelous country of ours. I started in Northridge, rode to Paso Robles, through Hollister, Yosemite and then the high deserts of Nevada and Utah which have some of the most remote roads I have ever been on, and then on to Colorado. All in all, it is about a 1600 mile ride. It just goes to show you I will go to any lengths to get a good breakfast. No wonder my waistline is growing.

This all started when Jane recommended King’s Chef Diner and they were telling me about how great their breakfast is (read the review) and that their biscuits and gravy were better or equal to Ted’s. Well, I agreed that King’s was exceptional, but since it has been a while since I have tasted Ted’s it was hard to compare. Ted, not being one to be outdone, told me he was going to prepare a special breakfast for my departure. Since I have never been one to turn down a good meal, it sounded great to me. My ride that morning was going to take me to Santa Fe, New Mexico and I didn’t want to stop to eat, so Ted’s offer was perfect timing.

I woke especially early on Saturday (5am) to make some coffee, pack my bike, make sure I didn’t leave anything behind and give myself some time to visit my mother before breakfast was ready. In fact, I was up before everyone in the house. When I am on a road trip, unlike when I am at home, I don’t waste any time fucking around in the morning. ‘Chef Ted’ came downstairs right after me and immediately went to work. Now, of course I wanted to watch him prepare some of the morning offerings but was shielded from knowing too much. Since he was busy at work (plus he gets testy if you bother him) I decided to leave him alone to his creative powers and go visit my mother.

Of course Mom was sad that I was leaving and reminded me in her own, ‘pass on some guilt’ way, that she won’t see me until next year, ‘if she is still around’. Well, at 84 years old, I guess you have the right to feel that way but I reminded her, God doesn’t want her yet; she is to ornery and  Jane still needs guidance about how to live life (My sister is going to kill me for that). After our morning talk, I went downstairs to check on the chef. The aroma coming out of the kitchen was outstanding. My mouth started to water as I was watching the final part, the eggs, being prepared. Jane, my niece and nephew also joined us for this farewell, ‘go the hell home,’ breakfast.

I had easy-over eggs, biscuits and gravy, bacon, grits and pancakes to top it off. Well, to start with, the eggs were cooked perfectly (Ted knows me) the bacon was crisp but not shrunk to nothing. Now grits is something that I have had to acquire a taste for. I have never really liked them but I keep trying because as I get older my taste buds change and they must have because with a little butter, salt and pepper, these grits were wonderful. The pancakes were real special because they were prepared with fresh raspberries that Ted picked from their garden that very morning. Yummy stuff. Ted’s biscuits and gravy is just, well, outstanding. It is not for the faint of heart though because this stuff has a bite to it. I won’t even begin to tell you what’s in the gravy because I have no idea but I can assure you, this is one of the best biscuits and gravy I have ever eaten. He could bottle it and make a fortune. There was alot of food on my plate and Ted tells me, ‘don’t worry Gary, you don’t have to finish it all, I just wanted you to be able to taste everything.’

Are you kidding me? Has he forgotten who he is talking to? I ate everything on my plate. After all, my mother is close by and if she finds out I left something on the plate I will never hear the end of it.  LOL

I have to say this breakfast was an ‘off the charts experience’ that sent me on my way totally stuffed and ready for the day’s ride. After a couple of tearful farewells, I got on my bike and headed south on I-25 to New Mexico. I exited the interstate at Hwy 64 and headed west towards Taos. The ride to Taos is very scenic which takes you to Eagles Nest, which, when you arrive, it is from the top of a mountain pass that reveals this huge valley with the view of an immense lake. Also there is a river alongside Hwy 64 that is very beautiful and it makes you want to stop and get out your fishing pole or just sit and daydream along the side of its banks, and of course the amazing scent of pine trees follows you the entire way.  After stopping briefly in Taos for some window shopping, a fresh lemonade and to replace the Swiss Army Knife that I left in some hotel (my bags always have more room on the return trip, now I know why) I was on my way to Santa Fe for the night. This is another of those ‘biker’ experiences when riding a motorcycle puts you in another place, another time. There are no troubles in the world and there is just you, the wind, the trees, the mountains and the best sound in the world, the rumble of your Harley eating up the miles of this beautiful country. This day started with ‘Ted’s Diner’, my family and the finish of one of the best vacations I can remember. I want to thank all of you for coming with me on this journey and if Ted really does open up a diner, be sure to go there for breakfast. This guy is one hell of a cook and a great guy. I want to thank my sister for her generosity and love.

Ride Safe and when you go to any of the places that I have written about, tell them Hope & Gary sent you. Well, for now, just Gary.

 

King's Chef Diner

Gary seems to be bursting at the seams after this little adventure....good thing he didn't get that tee-shirt!!

August 3, 2011

Good Morning.  I have to tell you that Colorado is no place to sleep late, especially this time of year. Although I am totally enjoying the slow mornings that I am known for, here, if you get a late start you are assured of getting wet in the afternoon. It is almost like clockwork that at 3PM the thunderstorms start arriving. I have gotten used to it and always have my raingear packed on my bike. But it just doesn’t sprinkle here, it fucking rains with thunder and lightning in full force. I don’t usually pull over for rain but this is the type that blankets the road with visibility of about 10 feet. The nice thing is all you have to do is wait it out and it passes over you in about 45 minutes and you’re on your merry way again.

So this morning I got up at 9:30am and headed down the 25 south to ‘King’s Chef Diner’. This is another place my sister recommended. It is in a nice section of Colorado Springs that has streets lined with old large homes with sprawling lawns and gardens.  Not that most will know this, but the exit off the 25 is Unitah (pronounced U-in-ta), make a left to Nevada Ave, make a right to Bijou Street and it is right on the corner. There is plenty of street parking but one caution right off the bat, you have to put enough money in the parking meter for at least an hour and a half or it will cost you a $20 parking ticket. How do I know this? Experience. Yes, I stayed so long in this place I exceeded my time and upon leaving was greeted with a very neatly written parking ticket.

The reason I was in there so long is that this place is amazing. I walked in and sat at my usual place at the counter which is totally 50’s style. The vantage point at this counter gives you full sight of the food being prepared which is in such abundance it is almost wrong. I looked over the menu and picked a dish called ‘The Thing’. This is a huge mound of food that consists of many layers. I will start at the bottom and work my way to the top. 

The first layer is Texas toast which is twice the thickness of regular bread, then the next layer is heaps of sausage and bacon, which is then topped with wonderfully cooked hash browns which are not greasy or too salty, then topped again with the eggs of your choice (I had over-easy, of course) with melted cheddar cheese on top of that with a choice of green chili salsa either on top of that or on the side. I chose to have the green chili salsa on the side because my waiter ‘Taco’ said it is real spicy and I may like it better with doling out my own portions.

I am glad I took his advice because this stuff is not for the faint of heart. It is ‘hot’. This mound of food must be 6” high. The eggs on top were cooked perfect and once you get through them, the fun begins because this is like digging for a lost treasure. I mean there are so many hash browns on top that it takes some eating to get to the sausage and bacon, and then you have to eat through all of that to finally get to the Texas toast. By the time you are even close to getting to the bottom, on one side mind you, I was just about as full as one can get.

As I am sitting there trying to consume more food than two people can eat, my sister texts me and asks me if I ordered the biscuits and gravy. What? Are you kidding me? They are going to have to call a tow truck to get me out of here as it is! Well, the reason for her text is that my brother-in-law Ted (he’s been with Jane for umpteen years, so he is my brother-in-law by time served, LOL) makes an awesome biscuits and gravy and he said this is better than his. So ok, you know I had to order a side of biscuits and gravy but ‘Taco’ says (who thinks I am totally nuts by now) it’s actually better with the Texas toast, so again, I take his recommendation and order it that way. Well, this gravy is just delicious. I still think Ted’s is a bit better (he paid me to write that) but man, they are real close and I ate the whole fucking plate of this. Now I am really stuffed and I need to get back to ‘The Thing’. I can’t finish it; I really tried. I found out (Taco again) that if you eat it all they give you a prize of a tee-shirt and candy. Just what I need, more shit to eat and a shirt that certainly won’t fit by the time this stuff digests. Plus, I think the prize should be a free gift certificate to some fat clinic because if you eat here on a regular basis, you will need it. 

Now, as I was eating all this, I was watching the kitchen, and was amazed at the amount of potatoes that this place goes through. So I had to ask and an employee who was eating at the counter (Hope would have liked this, she hates it when the employees run around with food in their mouths) told me that they go through 4 tons of potatoes a week. What? That is 8000 pounds!  He informed me that with all the hash browns, country potato dishes and the fresh French fries that are served during the week, this is a modest number. The cool thing is that all the potatoes are from Colorado farms and grown not far from the restaurant. So they are super fresh and I may be crazy but I swear you can tell the difference. 

Now it was not that crowded when I was there but as I was leaving this place started to hum for lunch, which by the way, offers burgers of a ‘half pound’ each, and their ‘to go’ orders were starting to mount up. ‘Kings Chef’ also only deals in cash so don’t bring checks or credit cards but they do have an ATM on the premises, so no worries.  The place is spotless clean from kitchen to bathrooms, has plenty of ‘stuff’ on the walls to keep you looking around and the most friendly staff that I have encountered so far on this trip.

So, after an amazing time with a cast of characters (employees) that all feel that they own the place and they say this with pride, I hoisted my ‘full to the top’ body on my bike to go for a ride. Not far from ‘Kings Chef’ is truly one of the most beautiful city parks I have ever seen. It is ‘Garden of the Gods’ that is solely cared for by the city of Colorado Springs. Now to me this is amazing because it is a pretty big size park that is the size of most cities and takes an hour and a half to ride through. Mostly because you stop a lot for photos and it is a slow ride. It is worth every minute of it and then you can top it off by going to Manitou Springs which is a right hand turn after the exit of the park. There you get to enjoy all the little shops, coffee houses, museums, and beautiful homes and churches that have been there since the 1800’s. After ‘Kings Chef’ you will need to park the bike and walk. It will do you some good to try and wear off some of that food.

So as my ride to Colorado comes to a close (I will be leaving Saturday) and my ride back to Los Angeles begins, ‘Kings Chef Diner’ was an ‘ Off the Charts’ experience to start  the ride home.  I do have to add that I did miss my partner in crime (Hope) on this trip because I don’t like getting fat alone but I will really miss my family.  Many thanks to Jane and Ted for being such wonderful hosts and for recommending these wonderful restaurants. So if you’re in Colorado stop by ‘Sheldon’s Luncheonette’ and ‘Kings Chef Diner’ and tell them Hope and Gary sent you. Well, for now, just Gary.

131 East Bijou Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80903-1407
(719) 636-5010

Ride Safe……

PS:  I will be riding through New Mexico and Arizona on the way back so if I find anything I will let you know.

 

Sheldon's Luncheonette

Gary is still on vacation and is now eating his way across Colorado...lol...

August 2^nd

Good morning.  Since I have been at my sister, Jane’s in Colorado, I have been so lazy and getting up late in the morning.  So I haven’t explored any breakfast places to report about. Plus, it is nice every once in a while just to get up, have some coffee and not do anything except read a book or play a guitar. Since I am on vacation, I don’t feel the least bit guilty about doing this and I can’t wait until I am done being a slave to the establishment so I can live free of the constraints of having to work. Soon enough, my fellow bikers; soon enough.

Yesterday, though, I woke up early and was ready to eat & ride. The weather here has been very spotty. Sun, then thunder storms, then sun again so when you ride it is like a game of cat and mouse. In Colorado they have a saying, ‘if you don’t like the weather now, then just wait a half hour.’ I have found this to be so true. If you let the weather bother you here then leave your bike in the garage because you’ll never ride. Even if you get wet, the storm moves on and you get a free bath. You’re dry in about 10 minutes anyway and you have a fresh scent about you. For most bikers this is a welcome change. LOL.

My sister recommended this place in Colorado Springs called ‘Sheldon’s Luncheonette’. I remembered eating there a few years back and I wondered if things had changed. So I got on my bike and headed down Interstate 25. My sister lives in ‘Monument’ which is half way between Denver and Colorado Springs in a beautiful area of pine trees and rolling pastures.  The ride to Sheldon’s is a short 17 miles and since I have ridden about 2000 miles since I started this vacation, a 17mile breakfast ride is like the blink of the eye, especially since no one obeys the 75 mph speed limit and is moving along at 90 mph.  The other thing about riding in Colorado is that I get to leave my helmet in the garage. Man, it is such a great feeling of freedom without that ‘thing’ on my head. I remember when California didn’t have a helmet law. Oh well, I will enjoy it while it lasts. The area where ‘Sheldon’s’ is located is not the most scenic of spots (it’s in a small strip mall) but as Hope has taught me, that has nothing to do with finding a great breakfast place. (Read our article about Hozy’s). I puledl in the parking lot and there were plenty of spots open. Since this is a Tuesday morning at 9:30am, I would imagine most of their business is at work already. This is a small place in the order of ‘Café 126’ and just as homey. It is an older place as you can tell by the tables (clean but worn) and counter (the style and seats) which is where I planted myself.  They have a staff of 4 people and the waitress immediately comes up to me asking what I want to drink. She is a ‘spicy’ type of chick with a quick wit. I order coffee and water. One hint about being in this altitude (above  6000’) is that being a lowlander you need to keep hydrated. It seems this altitude sucks the moisture right out of you until you get used to it. It has something to do with the amount of oxygen your body is used to and water replaces it, something like that. Just drink a lot of water and I will stop with the science class.

So I look at the menu and they offer a good variety of breakfast dishes but I do remember that their pancakes are exceptional. I just forgot how big they were. In fact, when I ordered, I asked for a ‘stack’ but the waitress told me they will do it but it is no longer on the menu. It seems no one could finish them and there was just too much waste. I trusted her and ordered ‘a pancake’, bacon and over-easy eggs. Well, this ‘pancake’ overlaps the plate (see photo) and must be a half inch thick. It is delicious. The eggs were cooked perfect and the bacon just the way I like it, crisp but not shrunk up to nothing. The service was great and the people were all characters. This place has personality as well as great food. When I was taking the pictures, I was telling them no one would believe me about the size of the pancake and they laughed about how no one does. I finished the whole breakfast with nothing on the plate to leave as evidence of my being there. They were amazed that I ate the whole thing. I guess they didn’t see my waistline as evidence of my finishing many of our breakfast adventures. The person next to me ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs which looked outstanding.  Hope would have loved this place and when we take this web site nationwide, this is one of the places we will revisit. So if you are riding to Colorado Springs stop in and check out ‘Sheldon’s Luncheonette’. You won’t be disappointed. Tell them Hope & Gary sent you.  Well, for now, just Gary.  Safe riding.

Sheldon's Luncheonette  

204 Mountain View Lane, Suite 16

Colorado Springs, CO  80907

(719) 599-0887