What do you like the most about small towns? Ben Lomond raised me. I got my first haircut at Les’ Barber Shop, which was located in the lower left unit. I can still smell the blue hair tonic where he kept the combs. I got my first job at 13 at the Ben Lomond Market before it was a Supermarket. Had to get a work permit to do that. I was on Mill Street in 89 when the earthquake struck. Ben Lomond reminds me of a kind of person who believes in hard work and simple pleasures, in honesty and sincerity. It reminds me of my dad.
Five generations of Duarte’s have contributed to the foodie institution they are known to be. Nina Duarte gave Pescadero and the world this delicious dessert. The tang of California Central Coast’s favorite berry gives this swirl of ice cream its distinctive flavor. Complete with a wedge of pie crust, it’s a contemporary tribute to the Duarte legacy.
When I want to prove a point to myself, I take my camera gear and tripod on a hike through Nisene Marks to the Sand Point Overlook. Pain is inevitable in life, and emotional pain is sometimes worse than physical pain. By the time I finish an 18 mile hike with over 1500 feet of elevation, my mind is at ease.
I’ve been upping my fitness game and one of the beautiful consequences of exercising more is earning the ability to eat more of what you want. I’ve been burning 1,500-2,000 calories a day finding myself more often in a caloric deficit than not. As a result, I have been indulging in one of my favorite foods: sourdough bread.
I also recently started an Instagram account devoted to food content (you can follow me HERE: https://www.instagram.com/jakereats/,) so I took the opportunity to fuel up and get some photos. I stopped by the Companion Bakeshop in Aptos and purchased their last Chocolate Chip Baguette.
Fitness and Food
Health is wealth baby, especially when you get to eat delicious bread like this Chocolate Chip Baguette from Companion Bakeshop. I photographed the bread at the bakeshop taking advantage of the nice soft light coming in through the large windows. Then, I indulged. The tang of the sourdough and the bittersweet chocolate are perfect companions, living up to bakery’s name.
After this, I went and did 21 laps at the Seacliff stairs before walking down the beach to shoot the waves at sunset. I can’t imagine a Chocolate Chip Baguette getting better than this one, so I’m going to have to give it a solid 9.6/ 10 rating. I highly recommend stopping by and picking one up, but you might want to go early as they regularly sell out of all their bread.
