Friends since the mid-1980s. All three of us attended different (rivaling) high schools. Victoria attended Santa Maria High School as a Saint wearing red. Esther attended St. Joseph High School as a Knight wearing green. I attended Righetti High School as a Warrior wearing purple. Despite the rivalry, camaraderie prevailed as we grew up in a small town. We are as different as our school colors, but we love the same, and we love to spend time together. This summer, we decided to spend our birthdays together, celebrating each one differently on our special day.
Esther’s birthday came first in July. We celebrated her birthday in Paso Robles, CA, wine tasting at Justin Downtown and eating a quick snack with margaritas at the Fish Gaucho before heading to the Mid-State Fairgrounds to see Tim McGraw perform for opening night.
The bartender at the Fish Gaucho was superb. He shared his knowledge of Mezcal, Tequila, and specialty cocktails as we munched on nachos.
Victoria’s birthday was the first week of August, and she chose to taste wine at Beckman Vineyards in Santa Ynez with lunch from Panino in Los Olivos.
Victoria is a wine club member and a true fan of their wines. It was a balmy 102 degrees in the afternoon as we sat on the patio sipping their carbonic creations with their new label 1ngredient. Once we finished tasting their wine, we drove to Solvang and had a scoop of ice cream as we walked around town to cool off.
And last but not least was my birthday last night, the second week of August. I chose dinner on Avila Beach at my favorite restaurant, Blue Moon Over Avila. Neither girl had been there before and was truly delighted by the French cuisine.
https://www.bluemoonoveravila.com
For an appetizer, Victoria ordered Escargot, and Esther had her first snail. She was a little nervous about vomiting from the texture, but the sauce (butter) helped wash it down, along with a Chateau du Rouet from Cotes De Provence. Victoria ordered the Salmon, Esther the Mushroom Ravioli, and me the Ratatouille for dinner. We each shared a bite with the others to experience all the nuances of their chef’s cuisine. We licked our plates clean, not really, but it looked like it. For dessert, we ordered the cookie with ice cream; the cookie was freshly baked in the oven and served warm. It was an ooey gooey goodness way to complete the meal.
With the night being young, we stopped on the way home to watch the sunset at the Inn at the Pier overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
https://www.theinnatthepier.com
http://www.harryspismobeach.com
Well, truth be told, we were going to Harry’s nightclub because Victoria had never been there before. They were closed, so we walked to the Inn at the Pier. We sat at a fire pit and talked about life and boys like we were in high school. True Story! Being from a small town, everyone knows everyone. We didn’t solve any problems but listened to each other and enjoyed a beautiful sunset and the camaraderie of three lifelong friends celebrating birthdays. I hope we do it again next summer. Thank you for the friendship and the good times. #HappyBirthday!!