California Cuisine: Some Dining Out

It's been a bit of a hard week in the staying positive and being self-confident area of things. I know its a bit toxic and not particularly healthy, but I also know that in the end it won't matter and where ever I end up in life, I'll be content with it. Which brings the question of why I should subjugate myself to so much self deprecation when the end is definitely not guaranteed and likely the same as if I just saved myself and everyone some disappointment. I guess the main difference, and the one I so bitterly (stubbornly?) believe in is the fact that at least one way I know I tried. Even if I'm often not exactly sure if I'm trying hard enough since a lot of my trying hard involves wasting time on the internet. 

Anyways, not much to talk about on the food end of things, even though this is supposed to be a food blog.  My parents have become quite enthusiastic fans of dining out as they pass through their mid-life. With most of the kids out of the house, and just one with three more years to go, I think that ~retirement~ horizon has got them in the fine dining mood. Lucky for us kids, our parents are really far too generous and take us along with them.
In this case, we went to Downey's, a classic California/American restaurant for a birthday this week. By "California," I mean the typical organic, locally sourced meat/poultry/fish cooked over beds of also organic, locally sourced vegetables and the likes all impeccably plattered. While everything tasted great, I'm not sure it was worth the price. We've definitely eaten at other places with slightly lower prices that were both better and not as formal. Formality, like, the whole three-five course French tradition fixed meal sort of thing is not something I'm particularly into. But hey, if you like that kind of dining mixed with some great fine dining California cuisine, try it out.

For my entree I had the duck, which was quite good, but again similar to what I've had at other restaurants while dining on the parent's money. I did find it charming that they gave out truffles rather than mints with the check. In this case, they added a candle and some birthday writing to make up for the fact that no one in our family had space in our stomaches for actual dessert.

My insistence to post once a week is eating away at the quality of posts, so if you didn't make it this far, don't worry, there wasn't much you missed.