The weather at Cannon Beach was absolutely beautiful. And walking on the beach barefoot for a few hours felt really nice.
It’s also a fantastic workout. Just walking for a few hours, I felt it in my calves and ankles. It felt really good.
Growing up, my family used to drive from Seattle south to the Oregon Coast for our vacations almost every year. I have a lot of really happy memories about the beach and as a kid spent hours walking the beach by myself, reading in the sand, and playing with cousins.
When we were at the Coast, I saw a few people running the beach. I’ve never tried running on the beach. One time I ran up a sand dune and injured my Achilles heel! That was not good. š But the one thing I noticed was that the runners were all running down right at the water line. I think the sand is more stable there and I bet running on the beach is much easier on the joints.
QUESTION: Have you ever run on the beach? What did you think?
After spending the day in Cannon Beach, we drove back to Portland to go to dinner for the last time as a group before the family went home. I made reservations for Cafe Castagna because I had enjoyed the food so much last time I was there.
I did not have a great experience at Cafe Castagna Saturday night–which was really disappointing. First, they gave away our dinner reservations. I was pretty upset about that. The hostess was apologetic but it was still ridiculous. I had called ahead and said we were running about 10 minutes late and to please hold the table. Yea, they didn’t hold the table. š We only had to wait about 10 more minutes to get a table but still, it was a big mistake.
Next, the waitress we had was AWFUL. She had the personality of a wet blanket, didn’t crack a smile the entire time, was impossible to flag down and just downright rude. I was sooo embarrassed. I had made the reservations because I loved the food last time I was there. After dinner I called and spoke to the owner of the restaurant to complain. She was really nice and apologetic and said she’d send Michael and I gift certificate. I’m not too happy about the experience and even with a gift certificate, it might be awhile before I go back.
Other than that, the food was really excellent. Everyone enjoyed their meals. I ordered the Hungarian Goulash with Polenta and carrots. I’d been craving it since the last time I was there. It was just as delicious this time!
I nursed one vodka tonic the entire evening. I just wasn’t into eating out anymore. I’m grateful for the wonderful dinners we had and the fun experiences, but I was just burned out on restaurants and drinking–and food honestly! It will be really nice to get back to normal….
I skipped dessert. Like I said, I was sort of sick of food at this point. I watched Jeremy eat his dessert instead. š He ordered the espresso with a scoop of ice cream in it. He said it was decadent and good.
QUESTION: Have you ever called to complain about poor service or bad food at a restaurant?
Carbzilla
Good for you for calling to complain. I know restaurant owners would much rather you do that than a)just never come back or b)complain to all your friends and/or post a bad Yelp review without giving them a chance to make amends.
I would have thought that getting “sick of food” would be totally insane except that it’s happened to me a couple times this year. After visiting my mom and eating every meal out, I felt like if I saw another plate it would be too soon. I guess that’s a good place to get to because then it balances out the previous eating.
Just glad you all had a nice visit and trip to the beach! I actually got in a fight with a friend b/c she was saying the WA coast was far superior to the OR coast but she’d never been to the OR coast! Nor had she really seen the WA coast but I think she was counting in the San Juan Islands which I thought was absurd. We worked it out though š
hundredtenpounds
I usually go the route of posting a negative Yelp review but this time I wanted to complain to the manager. I called to get her name to write her an email but she was available to talk! I’m glad I did. I like the restaurant and the food is great–I want to go back.
As for the beach, there is NO way the WA coast compares to the Oregon Coast. I’m from Seattle and have Washington Pride like the rest of ’em but no way does it compare. š
lisasfoods
That’s a shame about your poor dining experience, especially since you liked it so much before. If you end up going back, I’d be curious how it is the next time. Did you leave the server a poor tip? Not that everything was her fault, but if her service was poor on top of everything else, it’s something to consider.
I’ve never gone running on the beach because I worry about twisting my ankle or something. I prefer to just walk on the beach.
hundredtenpounds
If I had been paying the bill, I wouldn’t have left a tip at all. But someone else paid, and not only that they tacked on 18% tip since we had a large party.
Lisa @ My High-Carb Lifestyle
Ugh, I hate when I pick a restaurant for a group and it ends up being a disappointing experience! That’s too bad because the food looks really good.
I love the Oregon coast, it’s such a beautiful place. That’s where my husband and I went on our honeymoon. I like running on the beach but I stick to the firm sand, and it still makes my calves pretty sore!
hundredtenpounds
My calves are a bit sore still.