Dinner at Justin was memorable.  Has a star from Michelin, and  here is what they said : Make your way through winding roads to find this lush retreat nestled within the Justin Winery. This restaurant champions local product sourced nearby and from the property's own 150-tree orchard, edible flower fields, vegetable and herb gardens and apiary. Whether your table is on the patio or in the dining room, expect to be enchanted by views of rolling hills and vineyards and cared for by a team that is serious about hospitality. Chef Rachel Haggstrom and her team flex their creativity across a single tasting menu. There’s no leaving hungry, and recent highlights include apple and sunchoke velouté, warm gougères filled with mornay sauce, and Santa Barbara spiny lobster with salsify. Back vintages of the estate’s wines are amiably priced. According to the chef: "95% of the menu’s ingredients are sourced locally, be that from the 26-acres Estate garden which includes a 150-tree orchard, ...

But first, those two wars. The Gaza Strip ceasefire is no more .  Israel launched a wave of attacks on Gaza after accusing the Hamas of attacks.  The U.S. State Department  had warned of this happening .  Attitude of President Donald Trump?  To come.   He did say two days ago that he didn't care about a Nobel Peace Prize .  Yes, but.... This is day 1336 of the Russia-Ukraine War. Still ongoing. When Trump met with Zelenskyy last week, he pressed Ukraine to give up territory to Russia. Trump talked to Putin  for two hours on the phone, and they will meet in Budapest this week. The drive from San Diego to Los Angeles on Interstate 5 ( 120 miles ) usually takes 2 hours and 25 minutes.  Then, Los Angeles on I-5 N to CA-46W to Paso Robles ( 205 miles ) about 3 hours and 15 minutes.  Of course, these are in ideal conditions with no stops. We were picked up by Linda in her Lexus at 10AM.  This is a self-driving car.  Kind of scar...

Today, two meals in San Diego.  We rarely go out for meals when we travel because the Marriott hotels we generally stay in usually offer us free breakfast and sufficient snacks at the end of the day cocktail period.  However, the San Diego Marriott Marquis offer neither on Saturdays and Sundays. We were invited to join cousins for dinner at  Callie . Chef/Owner Travis Swikard is a native San Diegan. Went to the New England Culinary Institute. First experience in England to join Chef Phil Thompson's Auberge du Lac. Returned to New York City in 2008 to work at Cafe Boulud, and subsequently was name Executive Chef of Boulud Sud. After more than a decade in NYC, returned home in 2019 to San Diego to open Callie. In 2022, named by Esquire and the Rob Report as one of the best new restaurants in America. From the right, Evelyn, Brendan, Colin, Colbert and us. Wine was a James Cole Meritage.  The corkage charge was $40. This is a Mediterranean restaurant, meaning mostly Gre...