Seafood Tourism at the Gallery Cafe in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Seafood Tourism at the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

For a sunny spring brunch in April, my husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went to the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California that overlooks the Lodge Hotel’s putting green with glimpses of Stillwater Bay in the distance. 

We sat at a balcony table outside with comfortable rataan chairs with armrests and cushions. An umbrella shaded our back and breezes rippled through the manicured glossy green leaves of the California magnolia trees below. I ordered a seafood tourism meal for our relaxed brunch by the ocean. 

I began with an order of Monterey’s signature dish – deep-fried calamari rings, cones, and legs with a flour and corn meal crust. The calamari came with a perky, cocktail sauce flavored with freshly grated horseradish sauce. Before eating the calamari, Florence sprinkled them with freshly squeezed lemon juice.  

The scent of the lemon juice on the calamari reminded me of calamari I ate in Barcelona, Spain on my honeymoon after an afternoon of visiting the Picasso Museum and Cathedral. I still love the salty and lemony flavor of calamari on hot days. 

For my main dish, I ordered the three fish tacos plate made with Pacific tilapia, a white fish similar to sole. I like both spicy and mild tacos. The tacos at the Gallery Café are mild, which allows the buttery flavor of the large tilapia filets to shine. 

The oversize tacos are stuffed with grated pepper Jack cheese, chipotle aioli mayonnaise, cabbage slaw, cheddar cheese, and toned down jalapeño peppers. 

The tacos come with three sauces on the side: 

-guacamole – mashed avocados with onion, tomato, and Mexican citon mixed together 

-pico de gallo salsa – a chunky and mild mixture at the Gallery made with red bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro 

-sour cream that may have been a creamy Oaxaca cheese that is also made in California 

All these flavors combined to give a refreshing vegetable flavor to the delicious tilapia. The cheeses provided calcium to this protein-rich meal encased in lightly fried white corn tortillas. 

To go with this pretty spectacular brunch, I ordered a pink lemonade cocktail made with lemonade, Ketel One vodka from the Netherlands, and Chambord. Chambord is a black raspberry liqueur from France. That was a lovely cocktail for a sunny day. 

I finished my meal with a layered carrot cake with cream cheese dressing and a latte.  Nearby Salinas probably provided the carrots for this dessert as well as the vegetables in the sauces and the slaw in the tacos.

Eating brunch at the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California is a resort experience that is a welcome quiet, ocean side retreat from busy city life for locals and tourists alike. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Sunrise Brunch at the Gallery Cafe in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Sunrise Brunch at the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget  

I was all set to eat a tomato-basil soup with cracked black pepper mixed in it along with extra virgin olive oil when my daughter Florence Paget invited me out for brunch. Brunch out is always a fun option and especially when you set out for Pebble Beach on a sunny day to eat at the Gallery Café overlooking Stillwater Cove and the Lodge Hotel’s putting green. 

Florence and I started our meal with a large serving of fried calamari. I love cocktail sauce with fresh horseradish grated in it, which is how they make it at the Gallery. Tartar sauce is available if you ask for it. The calamari comes with lemon wedges for sprinkling on the squid. The lemon makes me think I am in Amalfi, Italy. 

For my main dish, I ordered the Breakfast Sunrise Skillet which cam with minced ham, spicy chorizo sausage, caramelized onions, green and red bell peppers, spicy green peppers (probably local Serrano peppers from Prunedale) and hash browns. On top of the sizzling basic ingredients were two over easy eggs with melted cheddar cheese on top. 

The spicy green peppers and spicy chorizo sausage gave the dish some heat but not too much. I really liked the combination of spicy and refreshing flavors with the salty ham in this dish. It is a perky breakfast dish perfect for the West Coast of the US. 

I skipped dessert and drank a hot latte instead. I enjoyed looking at the spring foliage. The landscapers at Pebble Beach nicely shape trees and bushes. There seems to be an omnipresent scent of freshly cut grass and branches in the air that I like. There were even some humming birds flitting about as we walked around the Lodge Hotel area. 

This nice brunch was unexpected and very welcome. I am a local who enjoys visiting Pebble Beach as much as tourists. I like the restaurants at Pebble Beach and the oceanfront scenery. 

In addition to the golf courses at Pebble Beach, there are several other things to do that might interest tourists like the health club, spa, golf lessons, equestrian center, bagpipe music at Spanish Bay, and hiking trails as well as several restaurants. 

Soon there will be another hotel by the Spyglass Golf Course with two new restaurants. 

For a break from city bustle, Pebble Beach is a quiet retreat surrounded by nature. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Free UChicago Press Book for April: Old Beach: Toxic LA Ingrastructure reposted by Ruth Paget

The free University of Chicago e-book for April is Old Beach; How Toxic Infrastructure Threatens Life in the Ports of Los Angeles and Beyond by Christina Dunbar Hester.

This book may interest sustainable tourism students for its discussion of the fragile balance between needs of petroleum shipping and a rich marine life site.  Similar conditions might exist in other ports in California.

Details about downloading the book follow:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_promo/19d537a1f0f3411d

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer. Of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Jalapeño-Cheese Bagel and a Thai Tea Smoothie at Blazin’ Bagelz at Northridge Mall in Salinas, California posted by Ruth Paget

Jalapeño-Cheese Bagel and an Iced Thai Milk Tea Smoothie from Blazin’ Bagels at Northridge Mall in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

I ate a California fusion breakfast today that featured items that have been on the menu in Monterey County for at least 30 years.  

These items are now California specialties - the jalapeño-cheese bagel and a frozen Thai Milk Tea Smoothie flavored with star anise and cloves.  At least one generation of children has grown up with these now traditional American items.

Personally, I love toasted jalapeño-cheddar cheese bagels with cream cheese and a latte.  I tried a sweet Thai Milk Tea today and thought it was perfect for warm weather.  It is still a bit of a treat; I like iced lattes for everyday in summer.

Blazin’ Bagelz has an extensive menu with something for everyone before a morning of shopping at Northridge ZMsll.  Teens visiting the anime store at the mall might enjoy trying the iced smoothies after shopping in the afternoon.

Blazin’ Bagelz are good throughout the day, but I think that are a great morning treat.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

UChicago raises $12 Million on its Giving Day reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago raised $12 million and then some on its giving day.

Details on the amount raised follow:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_personal/19d4b7f0a2939a2e

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Book of Japanese Fans with Poems Facsimile Edition sold by UChicago Press reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago Press is selling its last editions of a facsimile book of Japanese fans with poems conserved in Prague’s National Gallery.  There are 120 poems in all in this 180 page book in the waka form.

Details about the book and purchase price follow:

 https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/B/bo19135745.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=A%20Book%20of%20Fans&utm_campaign=2026%20SALE%20low%20stock

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating DSoup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

UChicago Press - Creativity in.Chaos Books reposted by Ruth Paget

University of Chicago Press books about creativity in times of chaos and turmoil look interesting.

Francophiles might be especially interested in the notebooks of Albert Camus, winner of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Literature.  The notebooks have been translated into English.

Details on books and purchasing flow:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_promo/19d44887b6b026ba

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Hunan Chicken at Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Hunan Chicken at Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

Hunan chicken at Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas, California is not a secret menu item but almost. Basically, Hunan chicken is breaded and deep-fried chicken tenders. Then, the deep-fried tenders are coated in honey-soy sauce, which tastes like a barbecue sauce to me. 

The Hunan aspect of this dish comes in with the Sichuan hot peppercorn sauce. Chinese cookbook writer Fuchsia Dunlop describes Sichuan hot peppercorns as numbing. This affect is diminished somewhat by the sweet honey sauce the fat in the bread coating in the Hunan chicken at Golden Star. 

If you want the Vitamin C in the Sichuan hot peppercorns and the antioxidants without the chile pepper sting Hunan chicken might be for you. It has a pretty high calorie content, so dieters beware. For me, it is a once awhile treat. 

For super healthy Hunanese Chinese food, check out Fuchsia Dunlop’s cookbook Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province. (Hunan is considered revolutionary, because Chairman Mao was born there.) 

I have listed a link below to a recipe for Hunan chicken that is similar to what Golden Star offers by Nicki Borbishley: 

https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/chinese-crispy-chicken-honey-garlic-sauce/

Barbecue lovers who would like to try something similar in Chinese food might enjoy the Hunan chicken at Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas, California. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

China’s 8 Main Regional Cuisines reposted by Ruth Paget

The following website on fine dining does a great job describing ingredients,?seasonings, and techniques used in China’s main regional cuisines - it’s great a mini work of cultural anthropology:

https://www.finedininglovers.com/explore/articles/8-regional-chinese-cuisines-explained-depth#:~:text=The%20principles%20of%20Chinese%20cuisines,to%20distinguish%20regional%20Chinese%20cuisines.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Teen in China and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Farmers' Markets Agritourism in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Farmers’ Markets Agritourism in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

Market town Salinas, California has 5 Farmers’ Markets where locals and regional visitors can do some agritourism centered on the purchase of organic produce and prepared regional food dishes from food trucks and market stalls. 

These markets include: 

*Northridge Mall Night Market at Northridge Mall 

-Wednesdays 

-4 pm to 9 pm 

Features local food vendors, taco trucks, live music, and family-friendly activities like pony rides and bounce houses. 

*Oldtown Salinas Farmers’ Market held one block from the Steinbeck Center on Main Street 

-Saturdays 

-9 am to 2 pm 

*Alisal Certified Farmers’ Market 

-Tuesdays 

-11 am to 4 pm 

Near WIC office. Accepts EBT/WIC 

*Natividad Certified Farmers’ Market on Constitution Boulevard at Natividad Medical Center

-Wednesdays 

- 10 am to 2:30 pm 

Accepts EBT/WIC 

*Salinas Valley Health Certified Farmers’ Market on Romie Lane 

-Fridays 

-11:30 am to 4 pm 

Accepts EBT/WIC 

These are market hours and dates as of March 30, 2026. Check websites to verify dates and times as we head into spring and summer. 

Salinas reminds me of the English town of Epping outside London that I visited on a trip to England. My blog about the town follows: 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2018/08/touring-epping-london-suburb-uk-with.html?m=1

I am watching YouTube and TikTok videos by Luke Palladino and Giovanni Siracusa for ideas on how to use market purchases for Italian dishes.

Happy Marketing!

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

European Beer and Lemonade Drinks Tradition by Ruth Paget

European Beer and Lemonade Drinks Tradition by Ruth Paget 

I first discovered European beer and lemonade drinks when I drank a French panaché at the St.-Nom-de-la-Bretèche Golf Club outside Paris, France. 

I had organized a golf outing for several of the Japanese clients of the firm where I worked. I do not play golf, but I have learned to keep score for many sports after being part of a junior bowling league in Royal Oak, Michigan at the Yorba Linda Lanes. 

This early bowling experience taught me how sports can promote food and beverage sales in local communities. I was very interested in the beer and lemonade combination and so were the Japanese, avid golf players. 

In the 1990s, panaché became available in canned versions in Paris and rivaled Orangina for television advertising ads. I might not have started the trend, but I was there and certainly drank my share of French beer and lemonade when I lived in Paris.

I discovered that Germany also has beer and lemonade drink called radler (or radlermass) when I lived in Stuttgart, Germany. Germans mostly make radler with lemonade, but will sometimes add grapefruit and/or oranges to the citrus mix. 

Back in California, I wondered if the English also have a beer and lemonade tradition. I looked through the internet responses and saw several websites describing a shandy, a beer and lemonade drink that can also be made with carbonated lemonade. 

Recipes for these drinks call for 50% beer (Pilsner or ale) to 50% lemonade. 

My preference among the three is German radler, because you can add many kinds of citrus to the citrus ade and avoid food waste. 

All three beer and lemonade drinks – panaché, radler, and shandy – are easy to prepare summer drinks perfect for a barbecue. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Pico de Gallo Salsa with Chips and Greek Chicken Salad at Woody's Bar and Restaurant at the Monterey Regional Airport (California) by Ruth Paget

Pico de Gallo Salsa and Chips and Greek Chicken Salad at Woody’s Bar and Restaurant at the Monterey Regional Airport in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget 

A recent heat wave with temperatures in the 90s encouraged my family to dine at Woody’s Bar and Restaurant and the Monterey Regional Airport in Monterey, California for their great food and equally great air conditioning. 

I wanted salty food and ordered pico de gallo salsa and chips as a starter. This dish at Woody’s is made with chopped tomatoes, chopped and mild green and reddening Serrano peppers (probably from nearby Prunedale), chopped onions, chopped cilantro, salt, and freshly squeezed lime juice. 

This salsa bursts with Vitamin C and helps rid the body of free radicals that may cause cancer. This chunky salsa tastes wonderful on house-baked tortilla chips that are lightly salted. This appetizer definitely “opens the appetite” as the French say. 

As my main dish, I ordered one of my favorite dishes from teen years in Detroit, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois – a Greek salad. The Salinas, California version of this dish comes with sautéed chicken breast seasoned with lemon-pepper salt and oregano, a heaping mound of bitter red and green frisée lettuce, and red wine and vinegar dressing as the basic ingredients. 

The red wine vinegar is sharp, probably house-made with apple cider vinegar and aged. It is mixed with the addition of oregano. This dressing makes the salad outstanding. The chicken, lettuce, and dressing alone are full of vitamins and antioxidants that taste wonderful for bitter and sour flavor combination lovers. 

Woody’s adds the following items to their Greek salad for flavor and spa dining: 

-sour feta goat cheese cubes for calcium and protein 

-pitted small Niçoise olives 

-minced red onions 

-heirloom cherry tomatoes cut in half 

-slice yellow banana peppers 

I never get tired of tonic Greek salads. I always feel healthy and chipper after eating one. 

I drank a bitter, unsweetened tea with a squeeze of lemon juice with the salad. I like bitter tea when it is hot out and it made the bitter lettuce taste even better with the red wine dressing. 

Locals and visitors alike can benefit from eating Monterey County’s organic produce at Woody’s at the Monterey Regional Airport in California along with organic chicken from neighboring San Benito County.  

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Chicago Architecture Center Tours of Chicago by Boat reposted by Ruth Paget

Chicago Architecture Tours by boat on the Chicago River are a pretty spectacular way to visit the city.

Details about the boat tours follow:

https://www.architecture.org/city-tours/river-cruise?utm_source=google_cpc&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=cbc_gsearch_cBC-RiverCruiseMXC&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22327194634&gbraid=0AAAAADlWBGHMPR1jd0Ibu78_epcd5ZvrA&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ZjOBhCmARIsADDuFTCS3KItZRoxn1uy4j9vGUmfus0FcphFhu6byOLDsO1vijB4UbsvG28aAuXtEALw_wcB

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Bricks Tell Chicago’s History Reposted by Ruth Paget

The book Fire and Clay: How Bricks Reveal the Hidden History of Chicago by Will Quam recounts Chicago’s history through the development of brick.

Details about this book from the University of Chicago Press follow:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_promo/19d2f4755400207e

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Californian Building Use Idea: Bookstore or College Classrooms by Ruth Paget

Former Californian Newspaper Building Use Idea by Ruth Paget

Perhaps Hartnell College could use space in this building for a coffee shop, bookstore, classrooms, student lounges, study areas, or dining areas.

If Hartnell College became a four-year institution, this extra space would be especially useful.

Just a thought,

Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Milestone Gift to UChicsgo Endows Chair in Game Design and Media Innovation reposteD by Ruth Paget

Mouly-Carlson Family Establishes Endowed Chair to Advance Game Design and Media Innovation at the University of Chicago.

Details about this milestone gift to the University of Chicago follow:

https://humanities.uchicago.edu/articles/2026/03/mouly-carlson-family-establishes-endowed-chair-advance-game-design-and-media

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

UChicago Press Book Sale till June 15, 2026 reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago Press Book Sale is on till June 15, 2026.

There are many deals under $15.

Book lists and sale details follow:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_promo/19d24ed5a8aaa204

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento at Games

Personal Chef Information to Consider by Ruth Paget

Personal Chef Information to Consider reposted by Ruth Paget

The price of gas to transport groceries and deliver meals might influence prices in this information sheet website, but it provides good background:

https://www.gradito.com/blog/personal-chef-cost-for-one-person#:~:text=For%20a%20private%20chef%20to,$150%20to%20$300%20per%20person.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Camembert Cheese Games and Dijon Mustard Party Games

Italian Baking Secrets is on sale for $1.99 on Kindle today reposted by Ruth Paget

Italian Baking Secrets by Father Giuseppe Orsini is on sale on Kindle today (March 25, 2026) for $1.99 - 362 pages long.

I just bought this for its anthropological value and flavor secondarily.  :) - MS-DOS emoji.

There are historical details in this book as well.  Italian sweets are often linked to rites of passage, so this does look like a good read for Italian culture lovers.

Details about the book follow:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FIL9B9W?_bbid=329559119&tag=bookbubemail1-20

Note: I am not sure if the author is related, but the Orsini family is an ancient Roman family.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Vienna coffee shames and Camembert Cheese games

UChicago Receives $50 Million Gift to Restore Historic Campus Building

The University of Chicago received a $50 Million Gift to Restore Ida Noyes Hall from Board of Trustees ChairmanDavid M. Rubenstein.

Details about the gift to update Ida Noyes Hall follow:

 https://news.uchicago.edu/story/50-million-gift-revitalize-historic-ida-noyes-hall-space-students-visitors?utm_medium=03.24email&utm_source=UChicagoNews&mkt_tok=MjUwLUNRSC05MzYAAAGgv85EecShwczKYTLJ-4XqZii3nU3jR_W1EVL4GnH5ThYaHaE9XwWB4tZGpOQeIj38i8gExmZ5miNGFA0rweYsgddFurmf2Z4KE82a4k3VODovnYg

Personal Note: I was a student office assistant in the Student Activities Office located in Ida Noyes Hall and helped inventory the University’s collection of Marc Chagall paintings that students can take out on loan.  I also helped organize campus concerts in this building where the Major Activities Board had an office in the 1980s.  Lots of good memories here!

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games