January 2010

  • Rock n' Joe's Cofeehouse and Bistro, SODO, Orlando, FL

    By Serenity Fox on 1/27/10 7:33pm
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    Located in a multiplex for retail shops, offices, and residential apartments and lofts, called Sodo right outside of Downtown Orlando, there's a cafe called Rock n' Joe's Coffeehouse and Bistro. I felt like I was not in Orlando anymore, but somewhere that reminds me of Seattle Metro.

    I found the ambience rather soothing with their collection of rock music playing in the background. Dark wooded furniture and shelving decorates the place with a living room styled seating area sporting a vintage styled love seat and matching chair. It feels homey. The walls are donned with framed vinyl disks from various rock groups and some are actually for sale at an inexpensive price as collectibles. It’s quite contemporary actually.


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  • Margie's Diner, San Luis Obispo, California

    By lisala on 1/10/10 9:02am
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    One of my favorite stops driving from Los Angeles north is Margie's Diner margie'smargie'sin San Luis Obispo. When I first started stopping there, the only Margie's Diner was in San Luis Opispo, in a former Howard Johnsons. Now there are three more in Salinas, Paso Robles and Morro Bay. Margie's is a family business, and the owners were often at the cash register. It's typical diner food in terms of the menu, but it's good food made with fresh local ingredients and served by people who want you to enjoy your meal, and come back. The breakfasts feature homemade buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy and cinnamon rolls, fresh local eggs, fresh squeezed orange juice (or mimosas) and fresh ground Columbian coffee. The problem with breakfast at Margie's is that, well the food is really good and the portions are huge, so I want to take a nap after.

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  • The Huntington Library Tea Room, San Marino, Southern California

    By lisala on 1/9/10 5:32pm
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    The Huntington Library in San Marino, California, with its art collections and gardens, is one of the best things in Southern California. The Library, which contains incredibly medieval manuscripts like the beautiful Ellesmere Chaucer, a Gutenberg Bible, letters and rough drafts of the works of Twain, and Joyce, and early Shakespeare editions is surrounded by 120 acres of gardens, including a rose garden, a cactus and succulents garden, a Japanese Garden . . . It's a lovely place to spend a day. In addition, the Huntington art galleries contain Old Master paintings, sculptures, fine porcelains, furniture and art objects. There's an admissions charge of $20.00 per adult on weekends, and $15.00 on the week days that the Huntington is open.

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