Pismo Beach

We decided to head to the beach for our Family Home Evening activity. I picked up Adam from work with a picnic lunch all packed. I have seriously gained liked 20 pounds in the past two months, so I didn't want to eat out. We have used like our eating out budget for like the next 3 or 4 months, just in the past month! So I didn't want to eat out. So I packed sandwiches, grapes, juice...I was being healthy. But, there wasn't a line. On the way to the beach there is a restaurant called the Splash Cafe. And everytime we have passed it there is a HUGE monstrous line, winding around the building. People wait for like an hour or more just to eat there. We knew that it must be good. We were definately missing out on something...we just didn't know what.




They did have a a sign in the window that said, "The world's best clam chowder." But every restaurant around here that sells chowder uses that claim. But last night, there was no line. Adam just walked in. I was fine with our picnic, but it didn't take much to convince him otherwise. I graciously followed. I ordered the sourdough bread bowl with clam chowder. Adam got fish and chips. We sat a the long counter with mirrors, so you can see yourself eat, I guess. We sat on bar stools. It was a skinny little place, not much room. It took a while for our food. But when it arrived, boy did it arrive. It was THE best clam chowder I had EVER tasted!

Growing up, we went to San Fransisco a few times. My mom raved about the clam chowder in a bread bowl that you can get on the wharf. She talked it up pretty good. When we could go everyone would get clam chowder in a bread bowl and just love it. I didn't eat seafood, or anything close for a very long time. My mom would make homemade clam chowder and I wouldn't eat it. It had clams...yuck. I went 19 years without even a taste of clam chowder. We went to San Fransisco just after I graduated high school. I was nearly 18, I went to McDonald's and had two cheeseburgers while everyone else enjoyed their clam chowder bread bowl. I didn't know what I was missing out on. I enjoyed my burgers. During my first year of college, I went with my roomates to San Fran for Spring Break. I was starting to get adventurous. I had a clam chowder bread bowl. It was delicious. I haven't looked back since. I LOVE clam chowder. I should have listened to my mother...clam chowder is good.

But, back to the Splash Cafe. The bread bowl came with a side of the bread that they took out...the middle of the bowl. A lot of places throw it away, this place, butters it and grills it for you, even. And you still get the top. So, you get all of this bread. Probably equivalent to a whole loaf. This is definately not a carb friendly meal! And let me tell you, THE BEST! I ate the whole thing. I gave a little to Macie, and she's already started to like clam chowder, but I thought she would eat it all. And I wanted to savor every bite...but I still gave her a lot of it. Just the other day when we were in Monterey, I told Adam that the best clam chowder was at a place called Anthony's in Edmonds, WA. But last night, I found the new best. Seriously. It was the best. It was better than Anthony's, it was better than Ivar's, it was better than any other those other places. It was so good. I guess they sell it at some Costcos. So...if you see it at Costco, you should totally try it. I don't know if it will lose some of the goodness being frozen and all, but it's so worth the shot!



Macie loved the beach. She even got her feet wet. She loves to chase the seagulls. She gets SO excited. Pictures don't do it justice. She LOVED it. They had so much fun digging in the sand and playing the water. It was cold... and yes, we are all sick. But it was fun. I'm glad we can just decide to go to the beach whenever we want. I never had buckets and stuff when I went to the beach as a kid. When you're a tourist, you don't have room to pack that stuff. Adam thinks it's touristy to bring a bucket and sand toys, but whatever. We like the beach.