Completing the Trip

We wanted to try out another place on the list from Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives but were too tired and a little wary of driving to Compton to try the other dinner place on our list on Friday night. TSF found this place not too far away and we went because we're always up for a good steak.

One thing I really liked about the Cask & Cleaver (not the Cork & Cleaver nationwide chain) was that the retro agricultural advertising art that decorated it reminded me of a Calendar Journal (CJ) I worked in earlier this year. I liked our waiter too. She was a tiny blonde who loves handbags as I do, so we had a nice chat about Coaches and Dooneys while TSF laughted. I'm sorry that the photos are so bad but it was pretty dimly lit except for right over the tables and my little point and shoot just couldn't handle it. Or maybe I couldn't take a decent photo there because I didn't know how!


Our waiter was kind enough to take this photo of me and The Sports Fan at our table. This is the second table we sat at. Someone accidentally knocked a glass of Heferweissen over on the other table! We were tired. Me from a long day of relaxing and TSF from a long day at his conference. This place is in the historic Santa Fe train station in Orange, 4 miles from our hotel in Garden Grove, CA. It had plenty of atmosphere and great steaks.

The next morning, after sleeping in as everyone should do on Saturday, we drove to Long Beach to have lunch at Schooner or Later, but there was a line a mile long by the time we got there. So instead, we drove up to Malibu and had lunch at Coogie's. It's a bright, sunny restaurant on the beach and the PCH named after famed Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat. He was a musician, bandleader, actor, well known womanizer, and is now probably best known for being the husband of Charo, the entertainer. (Yes, the coochie-coochie gal.) I had the chili which was good. TSF had the fish and chips with a cole slaw that was out of this world! I'll have that the next time we go there. Sorry no pics. I forgot.

Afterward, we went next door to get a frap at Starbucks and sit outside to people and dog watch. There was a Malamute that was certain that everyone's food was for him in that oh-so-very-Malamute way. We watched a pair of bulldogs licking every kid that went by and a Yorkie peeing in the flowers around a tree in a raised bed. Then it was time to hit the road for the drive back to Phoenix.

Another terrific trip logged!