My friend Lisa told me about this and I liked the idea enough to pass it on:

When one of her coworkers tries a restaurant and really likes it, she will pick up several matchbooks or business cards from the restaurant, write her name on it and pass them out to her other friends and coworkers. Now the whole group does this, and they each have a little collection to sift through when they need a recommendation or when they are trying to remember “what was the name of that Cuban restaurant that Karen told us about?”

We ate at several good places while we were gone – a couple of old favorites, and some places that were new to us. In Monterey, we spent a lot of time at the Crown and Anchor. Eric was impressed with the selection of beers, and they have pretty good pub food and a nice, neighborhood feel.

Whenever we’re in Big Sur, we always try to have a meal at Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn. The menu changes, but I’ve never had a bad meal there. We’ve never stayed at the Inn, but the restaurant is rustic and charming. Eric had bouillabaisse and I had bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with mushrooms and apples and polenta – delicious!

In Cambria, one of our favorites is Robin’s Restaurant.  They have an international menu that changes with the seasons – the last couple of times we’ve been there the selection skewed Asian, but everything is yummy. I had the kobe flank steak with ginger green beans and wasabi mashed potatoes, and it was fabulous. We also tried the Sow’s Ear for the first time – it’s basically upscale comfort food, in a warm and intimate setting. Very good. I tried the chicken fried steak, which was pretty good (still not as good as grandma’s) and Eric had shepherd’s pie with yams.  The food was good and they have a nice wine list. I’d definitely go back.

And although it’s not a restaurant, I’ll throw in a quick plug for the Cambria Pines Lodge. We’ve stayed there a couple of times now, and like it a lot. It’s a bit quirky, but nice and homey, and much better than an Econolodge or Motel 6 for not much more money (look for Internet specials).

On our way through Santa Barbara, we took the scenic route over highway 154 and stopped for lunch at Cold Spring Tavern. It’s an old stagecoach stop tucked away on a winding road off the highway. The food is great, the atmosphere is rustic, and you’ll be surprised how many people know about it – get there early. There are a couple of vegetarian options on the menu, but this is really a place for meat-eaters. They have venison sausage, wild game chili, and pretty darn good chicken fried steak (not as good as my grandma used to make, but pretty satisfying nonetheless). Yummy.