Day 83 – 36 degrees this morning, cloudy, 8:20 a.m. The sun filtered through the clouds briefly around 10:30; we were waiting to take our hike until it warmed up some. Had lunch & left for the Day Use Area & the beginning of the Big Hendy Trail at 12:40 p.m., 54 degrees, partly cloudy.
This trail was longer than the previous ones we’d done here. We were in the old-growth redwoods for most of the hike, lots of ferns & azalea bushes covering the ground. At one point the Navarro River was bordering the trail, so we left it & went to the River. From there you could see the surrounding hills. Towards the end of the hike the trail comes out of the forest into a meadow. Very nice hike.
The high today was 48 degrees, mostly cloudy. Supposed to rain tonight. We’re going out to dinner at a restaurant that was recommended at Lula Winery. Meanwhile during the day, at the RV, we fought off curious cats while we tried to do our monthly expenditures & budget. Just the sound of a box of paper clips gets them going.
We went to The Bewildered Pig in Philo for dinner. A hip, trendy & relaxing restaurant, we were not disappointed; what we’d heard about the restaurant was true. A lovely, small restaurant, elegant, yet comfortable, service was outstanding. Staff was friendly without overdoing it, it could’ve been a dressy celebration or a casual meal. The menu changes according to what is in season & available locally. The wine list was extensive, plenty of beers. I had wine, Rob had beer. We split all the food dishes – we had so many things we wanted to try, each was unique, so rather than get dinners we ordered a series of small plates which added up to plenty to fill us up. We started off with Deviled Eggs Diablo, 4 boiled egg halves artfully arranged, the yolks mixed with a little red wine vinegar, miso & wasabi. That’s their plain deviled eggs – the “Diablo” was topped with three different chili’s, chopped or sliced finely. Then we had the soup of the day, a Seafood Chowder with fresh rock cod & dungeness crab. The chowder itself was not creamy but more light, with a butter & wine broth seasoned with tarragon & dill. It was served with a plate of homemade house rye bread & salted butter, plus from the Fort Bragg Bakery, their sourdough bread with garlic confit (which was roasted garlic cloves in salted olive oil). Next was the Brutus Salad. This was their Caesar Salad with baby kale & romaine plus extra garlic & anchovies, sourdough garlic crumbs & tiny diced serrano chilis. Last was the Fontina Mac & Cheese plus garlic sauteed freshly picked mixed field mushrooms. This, too, was sprinkled with the outstanding garlic sourdough crumbs & baked until bubbling with the topping crisp. We had no room for anything else & the dessert list was fantastic. We were not the least bit rushed; they just brought one item out at a time & brought the next soon after we finished the previous one. If you are ever in the area of the Anderson Valley (Carol & Ted; Mark & Mark), after a day of wine tasting, you MUST come here. By the way, because of the climate here & their proximity to the Ocean with the fog & ocean breezes, the Pinot Noir from here is world known. The Bewildered Pig, 1810 Highway 128, Philo, CA 95466, (707) 895-2088. In the warmer months they have outdoor dining.
We floated back to the RV with happy stomachs, fed the girls, read our books, and went to bed, listening to the rain on the roof. Great day!
Thanks……We’ll have to check it out when we’re up that way!