On The Road…

Even though this adventure is focused on Monterey county restaurants, we had opportunity to spend some time with our kids in Ripon, CA and thereby exercise a little sampling of ETEB (extra-territorial eggs benedict). Cory and Lyndsay joined us in our gastronomical gallivant as we found ourselves seated window-side at My Garden Cafe. This former Burger King building has been a local favorite for about five years and was one of but a couple of breakfast choices for this little burg. It is a friendly place with a decor somewhere between Denny’s and Grandma’s house. We weren’t excited about the plastic flowers at the table or elsewhere around the ‘garden’. But the booth was comfy and the company was great.

Off schedule

What set out to be a weekly field trip on Mondays a month ago has turned into a ‘catch it when you can’ trek for ‘ben’. Having missed last Monday with a hiccup in the schedule and knowing that this Monday would bring the same, we set out on a stellar Saturday morning to continue our task. With temperatures expected close to 80 (we’re talking steady 66 Monterey) we decided to chance an outdoor excursion. The natural choice seemed to be Village Corner in Carmel; a quaint, often crowded, spot just off Ocean Avenue.

On the trail…

After a wonderful start on a glorious Monterey morning we have been scheduled out of the last two week’s attempts to locate the eggceptional benedict. But this morning found us back on the trail, literally, as we elected to visit Trailside Cafe, situated on the Cannery Row portion of the Monterey Bay recreation trail. A quick visit to their website indicated the presence of three EB varieties on the menu. (Address info and directions are awkwardly located on the ‘contact’ page. It would have been nice to have street address on the home page.) So, on a quickly-clearing-but-cool Monterey morning we headed off to breakfast at 9:30. Cannery Row’s ravenous parking meters are ever-present, so the existence of a small parking lot for this little complex is a plus in our eyes. Had we not known of the location ahead of time, simply driving through the area would have made us none the wiser. The restaurant sits at the lower level of the complex and is not visible from the street. One would see it if walking the recreational trail, but we are not in the habit of seeking out restaurants in that fashion.

Breaking in

After an extended break in the search for the eggceptional Benedict, we set off this morning to renew our quest for the best benedicts in Monterey county. Our first stop was Rosine’s restaurant in downtown Monterey, winner of our 2005 quest. We thought we’d check up on their outstanding offering and see if it would serve up as fitting benchmark for what is to come.