NORMANS on the HORIZON: Santa Maria Overnight

It is now Monday, March 15, 2010 and we are at the Santa Maria Elks for the night. Our original plan was to arrive Sunday and spend two nights. We had reservations for dinner in historic downtown Guadalupe at the Far Western Tavern. Debbie’s folks took us there a month ago and I had the best Rib Eye steak I have had in a long time. But we stayed in Morgan Hill an extra night so we could drive up to San Francisco and see the Tut exhibit with Blake, Stacey and Brad. Blake and Stacey gave us all tickets for Christmas and we were all going decide on a day we could all go together. We all planned to go the previous Sunday. Saturday night Debbie looked at the tickets. She had been telling me to look at them for a week. We discovered they were vouchers and needed to be converted to tickets. As luck would have it that Sunday was booked. Fortunately the following Sunday was available as was everyone else. We had a great time although Debbie and I thought the Tut exhibit thirty years ago was more comprehensive.

Anyway since the Far Western is closed on Monday we decided to go back to Alex’s BBQ in Shell beach. They have always had great ribs. Well its not so great any more. First there was no antipasto plate. When dinner arrived it came without the beans it used to have. The ribs were just ok. It appears they had been boiled and then just placed briefly on the BBQ. We had to make due with paper napkins during and after the meal. The napkins shredded and stuck to our hands and the sticky BBQ sauce. The waiter said they didn’t have any wipes. When I was done I went into the bathroom to wash my hands. Guess what, no paper towel! It looks like Alex’s is in trouble and cutting costs. One thing for sure, we won’t be back to help them out.