About one year ago Chels and I read of a weekly event held in Half Moon Bay and ever since we've had it on our to-do list. Regretfully, we never followed up on the opportunity to attend until just last night.
We found out that the Ritz welcomes anyone to come and enjoy an evening on their property where a Scottish bagpiper walks along the devastatingly stunning cliffs that have forever defined this remarkable landmark tucked amongst us.
We arrived a little after six in the evening. The valet service was unavoidable, but the ten dollar charge wasn't going to break the bank. Plus my research beforehand yielded that the cost would be knocked fifty percent with any purchase at the Ritz... hot cocoa or otherwise. Dressed in what could be considered old world golf apparel, two young guys welcomed us as we pulled in and courteously opened both Chels's door and mine with a warm friendly greeting and smile. It's the small things like this that I appreciate most when I visit an establishment; thus far the Ritz was living up to its reputation. Additionally, I took notice that Demee was not as young and seductive as the Mercedes or Porsche's that adorned the driveway, but our valet nevertheless promised undivided care and attention as he climbed in and drove off. Only at the Ritz I thought. Only at the Ritz...
Before leaving ho
me I made a last minute decision to bring a bottle of our favorite wine. While I considered the likelihood of being able to open it small as this
was the Ritz, I had hoped that we could potentially circumvent the inevitable exorbitant price of a glass of wine. Much to my surprise, when we stepped out onto the patio area, the man working the wet bar quite literally had two wine glasses prepped for us and offered to cork our bottle. Still apprehensive about "hidden costs" around this prized establishment, I embarrassingly inquired about any fees (corkage, glassware, etc). Again to my surprise, he said, "Absolutely not, Sir." Sir? Was I just referred to as Sir? Alas! Only at the Ritz! While he corked our bottle, he beat me to noticing that Chels was a bit numb. "Ma'am, may I offer you a blanket?" Wow. It was at this time that I realized the Ritz was making every effort to treat us like visiting royalty; we were being given the opportunity to enjoy all the same benefits that come with being an overnight patron.
Chels and I escorted ourselves to two heavy wooden patio chairs with glassware, bottle and blanket in hand. We arranged ourselves around a small community fire pit where a group of friends were already positioned, sipping on their individual beverages. As it was a typical Half Moon Bay evening with heavy fog and chilly wind off the ocean, it wasn't long before a cup of soup started to be at the forefront of our mind... and belly. For a few bucks we ordered a cup of soup each (I chose NE Chowder and she French Onion) and had it delivered right to our seats outside by the fire. This couldn't be any more perfect...
Then the magic happened. Anyone who knows me well knows that bagpipes give me chills. It stirs emotion. Deep down, in my inner most being, the sound coming from someone playing bagpipes catches me. And now, I sat spellbound, as this man played his Great Highland Bagpipe. Oh how sweet the sound! We were treated to sixty minutes of the most beautiful sound reverberating our ears, a glass of our favorite
Indian Rock Red in our mouths, and each others company.
Nine o'clock happened upon us very quickly. The bagpiper had since retired for the evening and our idle conversation with folks around the fire soon gave way to exhaustion. We packed our bags, bid au revoir to our evening company, and headed home. We were happy. This had been a special evening. One of new experiences and uninhibited gratification. And to say it cost less than twenty dollars makes it all the more memorable...
me from work not too long ago with information from a coworker on a neighborhood vegetable delivery service that came straight from the farmers. Looking into a bit more, I discovered several such services... one of which caught my eye: Farm Fresh to You. I had seen their vehicles pass through on various days of the week and their logo instantly jumped out at me. I researched them a bit, noted they deliver to your home (definitely a rare perk amongst similar services) and prices that were extremely friendly. A wide range of delivery options were available as were packages to choose from. You can also check off from a rather exhaustive list of offered produce what you would rather not receive (allergies or dislikes I suppose). Honestly, what could be better for us veggie lovers?
arrived this past Friday and we were very impressed. We chose to sign up for the smallest option on a biweekly basis to see what we thought. Yellow onions, sweet peppers, red leaf lettuce, crimson grapes, cantaloupe, gala apples, and heirloom tomatoes... for $20! Recipes accompanied our shipment for ideas on what to bake with the produce. Definitely cool! We've already consumed most of the food (and its only Tuesday) so we've upgraded to their most popular package (Regular Box) for an extra $10. Had we received this package we would've received significantly more produce in both variety and quantity.
