Restaurants in L.A., San Fran, and in between

Alice, if you're driving, and I hope you are because February is a beautiful month to drive up the coast of California (when it's not raining) between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Besides the spectacular views (if you take the time to get off 101, the main highway) there are some really terrific restaurants to stop at.  Starting out, in Los Angeles, stop at Gladstone's on Route 1 (in Santa Monica) and, if you're lucky and get the right table, eat while you watch the surf break right below your feet.  Driving up the coast towards Santa Barbara, in a very little town called Mussel Shoals (which you could miss by just blinking at the wrong time), there's a restaurant called The Shoals which is tucked away in a 40's built motel called the Cliff House.  It's perched on a lip of land overlooking the ocean and is possibly one of the most stunning locations for a restaurant of any place along the coast.  The place has been spruced up recently and there are some colored flags waving from the rooftop to help you find it.  A few miles beyond that are the towns of Montecito and Santa Barbara, both of which are just filled with great restaurants.  To name just a few of the more outstanding ones: the Stonehouse at the San Ysidro Ranch (a hotel in Montecito) is fabulous (sea bass with warm white bean salad alla Toscana or chilled salmon medallions with tortellini salad ..... just makes my mouth salivate).  Also, Louie's, in the Hotel Upham bed and breakfast on De la Vina St. (the place is over a hundred years old......pretty old for California).  Or, for something more expensive but brilliant, try Citronelle (Chef Michel Richard) or Pane e Vino, a trattoria-style Italian restaurant which many consider one of the best south of SF.  As you're moving north you'll find some other great places to eat in Morro Bay (about 12 miles outside of San Luis Obispo where you can also see Morro Rock, a bird santuary for the peregrine falcon and other endangered species), Pismo Beach (known for it's clams), Solvang (a danish village about 12 miles off the highway from Buellton), Monterey (a historical town once the capital of California) and, Santa Cruz.  Hope you enjoy your trip.

Evan Reader

>Alice T. wrote:
>
>> I am going to California in mid February and need restaurant suggestions.
>>Perferably ones with fish, chicken and veggie combanations overall.

 have breakfast in Sacramento at Food For Thought. I think its on K St.
 go for the chicken/cranberry/yellow potato hash!