Roadfood_ Revised Edition - Jane Stern [246]
Cole’s also claims to be the city’s oldest restaurant, a boast that seems irrefutable when you descend a short flight of stairs into the commissary where wood-paneled walls are imbued with the savory aroma of countless steam-table meals. Decor includes panoramic photos of Miss California contests held long ago in the Santa Monica sun. The cash register at the end of the cafeteria line goes only as high as $9.99, and there is one table that always has a Reserved sign on it—for police officers who favor the robust food and neighborhood air of the vintage landmark. Tables in some of the cloistered back dining areas are made of oak salvaged from the sides of Pacific Electric Railway Red Cars, source of the “P.E.” in Cole’s full name: Cole’s P.E. Buffet. When it opened, and until the Pacific Electric ended service in 1953, Cole’s clientele was mostly commuters traveling what used to be the world’s largest interurban rail line.
The French dip is particularly well-executed here, where carvers stab slabs of hot brisket from the steam box and hand-slice mounds of thick, juicy pieces, spearing each half of the sliced roll and holding it in a pan of dark gravy long enough to fully flavor the soft part of the chewy bread but leave the crust crisp. The moistened bread melds with the mellow beef inside, and the result is a delicious mess. Cole’s is a great place for outmoded hot lunch other than carved meat on French rolls: oxtails, meat loaf, and turkey à la king with such sides as chili, mac ’n’ cheese, and baked beans. The dessert menu features apple pie, cherry pie, and Jell-O.
The Cottage
7702 Fay Ave.
858–454–8409
La Jolla, CA
BL | $$
Here is the quintessential southern California restaurant: supremely casual with food that is always fresh and delicious. Located on a quiet corner in the village of La Jolla, it offers vividly flavored meals in either a sun-drenched dining room or a breezy outdoor patio.
Breakfast is especially wonderful. As you walk in the door, look right. There’s the bakery case holding nut-topped cinnamon rolls, muffins, and buttermilk coffee cake with cinnamon and walnut crumb topping. The pastries are superb, but so are hot meals. In particular, we recommend Cottage Irish oatmeal, served with a full complement of brown sugar, sliced bananas, raisins, milk, and a dish of sensational sticky-crunchy carmelized walnuts. Also grand are meat loaf hash crisped with cottage-fried potatoes and topped with eggs, French toast stuffed with strawberry compote and mascarpone, and crab Benedict, which is like eggs Benedict, but heaped with pure rock crab instead of Canadian bacon. Cottage granola is extra-special—dark and toasty, a delightful chew.
Lunch is an opportunity to taste a high-tone version of San Diego’s favorite fast food, the fish taco, here built around grilled mahimahi, dressed with cilantro-avocado sauce, and accompanied by bowls of creamy black beans and chunky papaya relish. The pork and beef chili has a true-southwest pepper zest, and the hamburger is a So-Cal classic, served with an abundance of Cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, and mayo. The BLT, augmented with avocado, reigns supreme.
The restaurant is in a bungalow that was built early in the last century and served as a private home in the days La Jolla was a little-known community of sun-and-surf worshippers. It still exudes end-of-the-earth charm that makes this seaside community so appealing.
Duarte’s Tavern
202 Stage Rd.
650–879–0464
Pescadero, CA
BLD | $
Duarte’s is a 100-plus-year-old small-town tavern where locals come to eat three square meals a day at mismatched tables and chairs in a knotty-pine-paneled dining room. When it’s crowded, as it usually