Ramos House again 03-05-15

I recently blogged about lunch at Ramos House in San Juan Capistrano.  And previously at:  http://www.delquilts.blogspot.com/2007/11/san-juan-capistrano-ca-11-10-07.html
Coincidentally the magazine from the Automobile Club of Southern California, called Westways, published an article about the area "Los Rios Historic District" in their March/April 2015 issue.  It is an interesting area just a block and a half from the old Mission.
They have renovated the small parking lot into a sort of plaza with landscaping and benches, so best to park in the multi-storied parking lot on the east side of the tracks and walk across.  There are a number of coffee places and small restaurants if Ramos House isn't to your liking, it is the only place I have eaten there.

There is a nursery where one can browse among the plants and flowers.  Something that grows wild and is currently blooming along the roads and walkways is oxalis.  The bottom picture is of my back slope covered in blossoms.  The park is in the upper left corner. 
 

 

 

 

Ramos House restaurant 02-19-15

 You can see the train tracks in the middle of this image.

Yesterday's  picture was taken at Ramos House in San Juan Capistrano, a lovely little outdoor place with unusual food.  It was almost too cool for me, but I managed a chair in the sun facing the railroad tracks.  Yes, it is right on the tracks at the SJCapistrano depot, so the trains come through regularly.  But they are not disruptive, actually rather interesting to me.   I didn't take pictures of my lunch, which was lox on toast, because it wouldn't have been much of a picture.  I also enjoyed a latte.  For some reason I am always interested in the other people sitting around me.  It is an eclectic bunch from young women in tattoos and long skirts, to business men in suits, to the "ladies who do lunch".  There always seems to be a group of women, of any age, celebrating a birthday with gifts and balloons.  The old house it occupies is in the original "town" of SJCapistrano and there are several museums, a lot of little shops and coffee places and adjacent is an interesting nursery and a petting zoo.  Nice place to spend an afternoon - you might even take the train down (or up) and back. 

Wordless Wednesday 02-18-15

 

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Lunch at Ramos House 08-20-13

Lunch out - again!  And at one of my favorite spots - Ramos House in San Juan Capistrano, across the tracks from the Amtrak station.   It currently is a "Road Warriors" job to drive from the I-5 into SJCapistrano, due to the complete reconstruction of the overpass and all the ramps.  Leaving to come home it took me almost 20 minutes to get through one signal.  I think I'll try the back way when I go again, although I have only taken that route once.  "lost forever......"


My lunch partner had the Pan Perdu with peaches, which is her frequent choice.  I have eaten it here and it is very, very good.
 

After watching Liz devour a serving a few weeks ago, I couldn't pass up a chance to try the hash with fried poached eggs.  Today the hash was vegetable hash with tasty and interesting veggies.  I did not eat all of it and brought it home in a box along with the biscuit and applesauce.  But this is a dish I will order again.  And I won't mind if I can't eat it all, I'll ask for a box.  Tonight for dinner I warmed the hash in a frying pan, stirred in a beaten egg, put it on a plate and topped it with half an avocado chopped.   Delish!
 

The two fried poached eggs are amazing.  Liz and I learned last time that the eggs are poached, crumbed and finished in the deep fat cooker.  The yolks were perfect - how come they weren't hard after all that cooking? 

Wordless Wednesday - Ramos House 01-30-13

 

Visions - the Int'l exhibit in Oceanside 01-25-11

Another trip to Oceanside today with three friends from the Book Group.  Verna and Teresa are quilt makers and Carol is a quilt admirer, so sometime when the exhibit is on we like to go down and talk about quilts and techniques. 

 
The sky was pretty clear as we drove down and the Oceanside Civic Center is as white as always!  This view is looking at the back corner of the museum building. I didn't notice the flag on the left side center, too bad the wind wasn't in a different direction.

 
Right now the Bird of Paradise flowers are everywhere, they are a great addition to the winter landscape.  The camellias are starting to bloom, but I got sidetracked and didn't take a picture.

It was very nice to look at the quilts without the crowd that was there on Saturday, but I missed Charlotte Bird's comments on the quilts.  I wish I had been able to tape them to go over in the peace and quiet of home.  But I know a number of the artists' work and am familiar with many different techniques, so I gave a pretty thorough spiel.   Two ladies, neither of them quilt makers, joined us here and there and seemed to enjoy seeing the exhibit.

Afterward it was a toss-up between Sammy's Wood-Fired Pizza a few miles south on I-5 or Ramos House Cafe in San Juan Capistrano for lunch.  They insisted I make the choice, so we went to Ramos House.  It was delicious, as always.  One of us ordered the sweet potato fries and I almost ripped them off her plate - yummy.  We all enjoyed the meal and the visit and the rustic atmosphere.  Where there was a small parking lot there is now a small park, so it is imperative that one park in the two level garage on the opposite side of the RR tracks.  I forgot and had to make a circuitous trip back to park after dropping the others off at the restaurant.    And then the drive home as the rush hour(s) traffic was starting.  Nice to have three carpool buddies to allow driving in the reserved lane.   Lovely day. Lovely company. Lovely lunch.  Thanks, my friends, it was a treat.

San Juan Capistrano, CA 11-10-07

I had a lovely lunch yesterday with my friend Nancy Ota. I took my old Pfaff down her way for servicing and I also had some things to deliver to her. She drove up from San Clemente and I drove down from Placentia to meet at Ramos House in the Los Rios Historic District of San Juan Capistrano. It is one of my favorite places for lunch, although I don't go often and haven't been for at least a year - the food is just as delicious as it has always been. It is not a fancy place, the dining 'room' is outdoors with just a roof over the top and the main north-south RR tracks are on the other side of the fence, so that when a train stops at the adjacent depot everyone has to stop talking due to the noise. Hey, I think the food is worth it! I almost always have the fried chicken salad w/hush puppies. The District, basically one street about three blocks long, is old, with three adobe houses built in 1794 - which for California is VERY old.

I didn't take a picture of the restaurant [next time] but this 1890s house is a private residence (see sign on right) just down the street. I'm sure they "fancied it up" so it resembles a place the Clampetts might have lived! I especially like the old wash tub hanging on the left side of the house.

The residents of the house must have some connection with this small "zoo" which is directly next door and smelly. There are several of these Emus, plus turkeys, llamas, alpacas, burros, many exotic birds and some other animals. I suppose children might find it fascinating - as sixty years ago my sister and I enjoyed a visit to Knott's Berry Farm. Which at that time it was very small, with a chicken dinner restaurant, a old west ghost town and what seemed to us like exotic animals (instead of thrill rides). We thought it was the best place on earth to visit.

Across the little private road is a plant nursery with many plants in bloom, one of the joys of autumn in this climate. These are labeled Tacomarie capensis - 5 Gal can is $25. Most of us know them as cape honeysuckle. The Plumbago image on yesterday's post was taken here. Up on the main street are little gift shops, a historical museum, a few tea rooms and what is claimed to be the original jail, a freestanding structure the size of a bathroom made of iron straps on all six sides. Somehow I doubt this.