No Cheap Food

Today we found the only mall in America that doesn't have a McDonald's. Our Garmin said it did. The GPS app on the Droid said it did, but (alas) as luck would have it, there was no Mickey D's to be found. (I know you can't really imagine that because our minds reeled for a full 15 minutes over the prospect of a mall with Ronald McDonald before we were able to pull ourselves together and eat something else in the food court.) Thus, our plan to eat the cheapest possible meal after four and a half hours at the beach, was foiled. This was not good news since we were all hungry despite having eaten sandwiches at Crystal Cove. As Jeff pointed out, we spent a good deal of energy walking up and down the sand, fighting the tug of the waves around our thighs, and (in our son's case) boogie boarding to shore.

While the food we found was tasty, it was not cheap. (This seems to be a recurring theme in coastal California eateries.) The guys opted for a Chinese place similar to Panda Express, but with better food. Jeff had teriyaki chicken and orange chicken that tasted suspiciously like honey chicken rather than oranges but was quite flavorful nonetheless with vegetable fried rice. His combo was seven dollars and change plus a drink and looked like it could feed an Indonesian family for a week. (Had we known he would get that much food, we probably would have split the meal.) Our son had the same not-so-orange chicken, barbecue pork (which was tender and tangy), and white rice piled high on the plate. However, being a growing boy, he ate nearly every bite of his! Between the two them, "lupper" (lunch + supper) was $19 and change. While they were choosing Chinese, I opted for a stand specializing in wraps and homemade sweet potato chips (which, by the way, were to die for). My "Malibu" wrap featured grilled chicken chunks, avocado slices, Swiss cheese, chopped tomatoes, and romaine contained in a large whole wheat tortilla. Since I just had to taste their freshly made chips, I ordered the combo which totaled $7 and change with a drink and tax.

I suppose we were paying for the ambiance of Fashion Island which features high ticket stores tacked together in a rambling indoor/outdoor pattern of multiple fountains, koi ponds, and palm tree groves. It is arguably the prettiest shopping area we've ever been to, but I would have traded one of those pretty little benches nestled into planters brimming with bougainvillea for a Mickey D's. Ultimately, our previously planned cheap lunch turned into $27 worth of food which we added another $7 to when we did actually pass a McDonald's on the way back to the hotel about 5 hours later having walked the mall and done some tourist-y shopping in Laguna Beach. (We decided ice cream would hit the spot as we strolled some downtown shops, but at $5 for single scoop, we decided to pass. So, when the golden arches presented an opportunity for two chocolate dipped cones, a milk shake, and a couple of sodas, we took it.

By the time we reached the hotel, the sun was just beginning to fade, so Jeff and I went for one more walk on the beach before heading home first thing tomorrow. Since we had ice cream so late, no one really wanted dinner (which was just as well because the chicken never actually thawed out), and we opted to fend for ourselves out of the snack bag, which made me happy since I found an avocado and some crackers hiding in the bottom of the sack. While I've had a good time playing on the beach, exploring historic buildings, and window shopping at upscale stores, I'm ready to go home to my kitchen. (And by the way, I bought a new cookbook to take with me!)