Friday Started the weekend by stopping by
Sushi Teri (who’s that guy in the photo?) to
pick up raw fish and rolls for the Potters, who recently had a baby
boy. Our group of friends are part of a food-tree, which helps new parents by feeding them each
night. Thanks to Mike Cohen, owner of the Santa Barbara
Adventure Company
, for setting it up. Then it was off to a
last-minute bachelor party for a good friend at my buddies’ house
on the Samarkand. Sponsored by beer, tequila,
vodka, and hamburgers. Went late into the wee hours, ended up going to bed with mind
fixed on eating a club sandwich.

Saturday Mornings after bachelor parties can be
tough, but it helps when one’s significant other drops off a
breakfast burrito from Cantwells before you even awake. Although the burrito
was still packing my stomach around noon, I had to meet a friend
for brunch at Elements, everyone’s favorite courthouse-view eatery.
When my friend ordered herself a mimosa and the ahi poke salad, I
opted for something alcoholic as well. I chose the Fiddlehead Pink Fiddle 2005 Rose, thinking it would
make a nice sunny day beverage. That proved true, as the pink juice
also went perfectly with the Chinese chicken salad. After lunch, we
accepted my other friend’s offer of driving to the valley for some
tasting–and a wine club pick-up–from Artiste, which is
located in Old Town Santa Ynez. Greeting us was Christina
LoCascio
, the winery’s manager who is also semi-famous in wine
circles for being the woman who paints with wine. I had done a
couple articles on her and her technique for The Indy,
Wine Spectator, and SkyWest Magazine, so she always treats
us kindly. (And she’s just a nice, normal, cool woman too.) The
rest of the afternoon and evening faded into a wine-soaked
barbecue, sponsored by many bottles of red wine, a 12-er of
Pilsner
Urquell
, and some French champagne.

Sunday With plans to head to San Luis Obispo
for a travel story write-up on Sunday night, I made the most of the
day by playing tennis at San Marcos High
School
with some friends. Then it was onto SLO’s Apple Farm, which I
was covering for an upcoming travel issue of The Indy. The
hotel, located on that stretch of motels on Monterey Road about a
mile from downtown, proved quaint, nicely decorated, and, since I
was in a suite, quite luxurious. Dinner was had on the San Luis
Creek in downtown SLO at the tasty Grappolo, where I washed my veal wrapped with
cheese and asparagus down with a Domaine Alfred 2003 Pinot Noir. Breakfast came to the
room in the morning in the form of juice, tea, scones, muffins, and
yogurt with fruit. Good way to start a Monday.

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