Linn's - Cambria, CA

So we're driving up Route 1 on California's coast.  We didn't eat breakfast at the hotel, because we planned on trying something worth blogging about.  Now we're getting hungry.  We see a sign for Linn's telling us to take the first exit in Cambria, so we do, and are shortly pleased to see a sign that says turn right for Linn's.  As we pass it after the turn, we notice it says 5 miles, scenic drive and something else we can't see.  As the road gets narrower and narrower, as well as more blind curvy, we start to wonder.  But the scenes are beautiful, farms, hillsides with that wonderful contrast of dry grass and green trees.

After the requisite 5 miles, we pass Linn's - it's a bakery and food stand, not a restaurant.  It dawns on us, the restaurant is in town!  Oh well, we're having an adventure, and the GPS says in 9.3 more miles we'll be on Route 46 and then back to Route 1.  Not sure what point, but who cares?  The road gets even more scary, my biggest worry being a crazy local driver barreling around a blind curve and hitting me head on.  But it also gets more spectacular.

Five miles in we stop on a bluff for a breather - I'm having a blast but it's pretty white knuckle.  There's actually a really friendly local there getting ready to fly a model helicopter.  He tells us where we're going and that we'll actually be 4 miles backward on Route 1 when we get there.  But the view here is breathtaking: hills in every direction, colors that remind us of Cornwall in England, and a dramatic look at the ocean through the valley.

Back in the car and off to Linn's!  Needless to say we made it, and, I would recommend taking this scenic route every time (you should turn onto 46 from Route 1 and then drive into Cambria vice doing it backwards like we did.) 

The food was also excellent, the baked goods letting us know we should have stopped at the bakery and loaded up.  I had the Olallieberry Cream Muffin and Kari had the Olallieberry Scone.  The Muffin was AMAZING!  Creamy yumminess mixed with delicious muffin and topped with a sweet/tart jelly.  Read the link about the Olallieberry - talk about inbreeding a berry - that would be illegal for people!  The Scone gets a 3.75 and the Muffin a 4.75.

Kari had the Mr. Potato Stack, two potato cakes topped with eggs, cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream.  I had the Linn's Bin, more potato cakes topped with eggs, cheddar, avocado, ham onions and peppers.  The eggs were perfect and the potato cakes nicely crusty.  We both loved them and gave them a 4.25 (mine was better but Kari won't let me give it a higher score.)