Carpinteria

This weekend, our family went on our annual trip to Carpinteria. My parents rent a condo each year and invite us to visit. We arrived on Saturday and headed straight to the beach. Ryan has been an avid fan of the sand since he was old enough to crawl, but he didn't care too much for the waves. Every time a wave washed up on the sand, he would yell, "STAY!" And of course it wouldn't, so he would get angry and start to cry. We tried jumping over the waves and splashing in them, but he would not change his mind. I was surprised because he loves to swim in the pool so much.

The one thing he really has mentioned since he got home from our trip is that he played with baby Hank, the son of some family friends, who spilled his bucket of water while they were playing. At this point in his retelling, he wags his finger and says, "no, no!", to baby Hank. Too funny.

Checking out the sand

Running from Daddy (and the scary speedo man)

Chasing seagulls

Contemplating the waves

Montecito Inn and Cafe

Our Saturday ended with a date to the Montecito Cafe while Ryan stayed with Pa and Grandma. I love this restaurant more than any other eatery. We started out with a salad of mixed greens and slices of baked apple and fried brie. Next, Phil had lamb with a tomato, Kalamata olive, and mint sauce, and I had grilled Ahi with a saffron caper sauce.
Dessert is my favorite part of any meal and to my delight, the cafe had added something new to the menu; a red velvet cupcake. Our table was across from the dessert prep station and I looked at that cupcake all evening. I knew I had to have it. It was beautiful when it arrived. The cupcake had a delicious swirl of cream cheese frosting with a dark chocolate wafer sticking out of the top. The wafer was first to be eaten, followed by a bite of the decadent cake. When I cut into it, I thought perhaps there was a flaw, as the centered appeared to be undercooked. I investigated with a fork, and discovered, that it was perfection after all. It's center was filled with raspberry jam. Below is a picture of what I sadly could not finish. If ever you find yourself in the Santa Barbara area, this restaurant will not disappoint.