California « where food is, i am.

If you are in or around the area of Sausalito, California you should put your iPhone down, close down instagram (you’ll save battery) and thank your lucky stars because I know a place where you can eat mickey mouse pancakes.

It’s a cute little cafe down Bridgeway, the street that separates the Bay from the strip of cafes and shops on the other side. The Lighthouse Cafe is comfortably small inside, but there is no available seating for a party larger than (a very-skinny) six. We split up into two tables. The key is to get there early! We left the restaurant around 9am and there was a line out the door.

The Lighthouse Cafe seems to be the perfect combination of where the locals eat and the tourists flock to. I think it’s because of the makeshift lighthouse on their balcony, and their huge, dependable menu. Those are exactly the reasons we picked it and it definitely came through for us.

After my third cup of brewed coffee – these people were coffee re-filling machines – I ordered a delicious chunky omelet filled with avocado, mushroom and pepper jack cheese with lots of potatoes on the side. But I wish – after trying a bite of my sister’s chocolate chip pancakes – I WISH I had also ordered the Mickey Mouse pancakes sitting pretty at a mere $4.50. (I have a weird thing with shapes in food so I completely understand if you don’t or can’t share in my enthusiasm.)

I really loved The Lighthouse Cafe because it also feels like the type of place you could go on your own, with a newspaper, sit at the bar and make friends with whoever is around. But! my favorite thing about the Lighthouse Cafe, on the day we went, was a sticker on the front door; an old flip phone from 1992 floating in a circle with a line through it, and the words COURTESY PLEASE written above it. I’ve been desperately trying to get my parents to stop Instagraming during our meals and while this was a big help, I still couldn’t get to them. What can you really do though? It’s just parents these days…

Lighthouse Cafe
1311 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965

Since I’m going back to Australia the 24th and I’m terrified my family will not commit to the 25-ish hour flight to visit me, I’ve been devoting all my free time to them. We’ve been on the road going from BU soccer game to BU soccer game to spend time together. This translates into a lot of on-the-go food which, coincidently, has caused a huge wave of wanting and missing In-n-Out Burger.

In-n-Out Burger was a long time coming for me. Everyone has heard of it, but only the lucky few living in west of the country get to enjoy it. And tourists. And probably some business people during business trips. After my trip to San Francisco, I am one of those lucky tourists.

As many deliciously outstanding restaurants as there are in San Francisco (such as Mama’s), I could not skip a In-n-Out Burger meet and greet. It feels funny; wanting to visit a fast food joint as badly as any other specially recommended restaurants even though I’m not an avid fast food eater.

The feeling of walking up to In-n-Out Burger was one of familiarity and comfort. It was like, what I imagine, finally meeting your life long pen pal in person is like.

When I skipped up to the counter, the clerk recognized my enthusiasm and matched it. They are the happiest fast food employees on earth, some say. I couldn’t help it, I was beaming with excitement! I already knew about the Double Meat Burger (two pure beef patties hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, spread with or without onions, stacked high on a freshly baked bun), and I just wanted it in my hands.

To be honest, I was a little confused during the first few bites. It felt like I had been tricked, like I hadn’t just eaten a burger and fries. I even contemplated ordering another just to feel like one usually does after having burger. But then I got it. Their belief regarding healthy and quality food isn’t just a ploy, it’s all true and I could taste it.

My hands were not greasy, I was not grossly full, my fries felt dry (in the best way possible), I didn’t even want to nap. I was in awe of the carefully toasted bun and the juiciness of the beef. I would have gone back and back again had we not been on our way to the airport!

In my normal life (the non-traveling-and-being-my-sister’s-biggest-fan-life) I go out of my way to make sure I never give into that inviting yellow M, because when I’m hungry and in a hurry is the only time it’s ever even considered.

Right now, in this rented black Jeep driving from Dartmouth College back to Boston University, I can’t help but wish for an In-n-Out burger to magically appear and save me from the extra crispy chicken of KFC.