Ruth Paget: September 2026

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Friday Night Fish Fry at Black Bear Diner in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

I thought Friday Night Fish Fry was just an Upper Midwest tradition, but on a recent visit to Black Bear Diner in Salinas (California) I saw Friday Night Fish Fry on the menu and immediately ordered it.

The fish fry dinner at Black Bear Diner costs $23.59 as of today (8-1-2026) and comes with:

-two large deep-fried Pollock fillets

-French fries with their skins on

-coleslaw with creamy apple cider and cream dressing (seasonal vegetable choices are offered. I chose coleslaw but the green beans sounded good too.)

-lemon halves

-creamy tartar sauce

-3 large hushpuppies (This is a southern addition to the fish fry, but I like them, so I am not complaining.)

That dinner was just a crunchy, creamy, savory, and sour delight!

If you like deep-fried white fish, the Friday Night Fish Fry at Black Bear Diner in Salinas, California is definitely for you.

Note: For information on fish fries as part of local Wisconsin dining, check out my blog on a pre-COVID trip to Wisconsin:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2022/06/deforest-wisconsin-trip-by-ruth-paget.html?m=1

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette buying and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle games

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Country Outings at Toro County Park Outside Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

It is easy to pass by Toro County Park heading in and out of Salinas, California on Highway 68, but this overlooked gem has a lot to offer visitors interested in country outing.

To get to the park, you exit at the Portola Drive exit and turn under the Highway 68 bridge above into the Toro County Park parking lot.

At the Buckeye Picnic area, there are tables with seating capacity from 50 to 500. This picnic area has horseshoe pits by it. (Amazon sells horseshoes and game instructions.)

Toro County Park also has volleyball courts (you have to bring your own net and balls) and baseball diamonds.

There are several places on the edge of town (Salinas) where you can go for coffee to take on a stroll in the park that has a view on the hilly pastures of heaven that John Steinbeck wrote about in one of his short story collections.

These coffee vendors include:

-Jack’s (in the parking lot by Nob Hill)

-Peet’s Coffee (inside Nob Hill with an entrance on the parking lot)

-Starbucks (located in the second shopping mall from the edge of town by Lucky)

If you would like picnic items such as sandwiches and potato salad, there is a delicatessen section at Nob Hill on Main Street (what Highway 68 becomes as you drive into town.)

For a fun sit-down brunch for your country outing, you can dine at the Toro Place Café along Highway 68.

The Toro Place Café is a locals favorite that fills up quickly. If you would like to eat there, it is best to arrive early.

The Toro Place Café has some fame attached to it. It was filmed as part of the Ratched Netflix series. It looks like a whitewashed former 1930s gas station and café. Today it is good place for food and cool selfies.

Have a fun day in country outside Salinas, California at Toro County Park!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games