Debbie was in town on family business but had time to spend a day with her very dear friend – me. So I planned a full day of food and fun and lots of conversation. First stop would be Terrace By Mix Mix in South Coast Plaza where I was anxious to share my favorite dishes with her. Then it would be off to Rose’s Bakery Cafe in Corona del Mar for chai and pastries. This would be followed by a long leisurely drive down Pacific Coast Highway enjoying the sunshine and the ocean view. We would end in Del Mar to enjoy a delightful dinner at Jakes’s on the Beach, sitting at a table overlooking the ocean where the windows open up to the sand. We might be there in time to watch the sunset.

Here is what happened to my perfect plan. It started raining as soon as we got to South Coast Plaza. Terrace by Mix Mix had completely changed their menu. Gone were all my favorites. We settled for sharing Oven Steamed Mussels and small Albacore Tostadas.

It did stop raining by the time we got back to the car, but the day was cold and windy. On to Rose’s and the next roadblock to my perfect plan. It was closed for upgrade and only a small part of the patio was open. They did have chai for us, but the only pastry left was the very last donut – we split it.

OK, we were still together, and moved onward toward Del Mar. We followed PCH through San Clemente and then took the 5 South – much farther than we planned. We immediately encountered 3 lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic as far as the eyes could see. It was frustrating and infuriating because this was not part of the plan. We were stuck. We couldn’t get off – there was nowhere to go except forward, on and on for what seemed like hours. Finally, I suggested we pull off in Carlsbad, to do what, I wasn’t too sure. It took a while to find a place to park, and when we did, we had to pay the meter. Between us, we had one penny. Parking was free after 6pm so we waited in the car for 20 minutes or so to be on the safe side. Then we encountered another dilemma – It was Saturday, and apparently if you don’t have a dinner reservation in Carlsbad, you are simply out of luck. The first place we stopped in had a small (and I do mean small) table in the corner of the bar. It was so close to the people at the next table, we could have eaten off their plates. The menu had nothing on it for less than $20, so we quietly walked out. The hostess said, “Thank you, please come again”. We walked a couple more blocks looking for other possibilities. Then, a couple of blocks farther, look what we found…..

No reservations available at Hello Betty, but we spotted 2 empty barstools and quickly made them our own. They had 20 beers on tap, but cocktails were more our speed. My drink of choice right now is the Paloma (tequila, lime, agave, grapefruit, soda water). Debbie opted for the Seaside Sling (an interesting blend of gin, apricot brandy, benedictine, cherry, and spiced syrup). The fish and chips were surprisingly delicious. The tartar sauce thick and flavorful and the side of coleslaw had dressing with an Asian touch. All quite enjoyable. We could see the ocean but sunset wasn’t quite visible.

Debbie and I have made it a tradition to always have dessert – whether we need it or not. We shared the cinnamon ice cream brownie sundae that could probably have served four. A brief stop at the pier and back to the car.

It was dark on our way home. We didn’t make it anywhere near Del Mar, but we still enjoyed our day, even though it was not the “perfect”‘ plan.

The Other Thing – It is really not the doin’ that matters – it’s who you are doin’ it with!!