On Monday (scroll down), we shared a photo of a sign proclaiming: “Cold Draft Beer — Budweiser and Wine,” and asked if you could identify the location.
On Tuesday (scroll down not quite so far), we provided another visual clue.
Have you figured out where that sign and that wagon are located?
Well, they are in the California desert, in the “ghost town” of Calico, now a San Bernardino County regional park and partially restored to provide visitors with a glimpse of the one-time silver-mining boom town.
And the sign is nailed to the wall of the Calico House Restaurant, the town’s main dining establishment, which “specializes in basic meals enjoyed by the townspeople in the late 1880s,” as the Calico website notes. “Calico House serves up stews, pot pies, shepherd’s pie, meatloaf, and the famous Buffalo Burger. It also offers the finest in homemade barbecue, chicken, salads, desserts and more.”
That “more” includes wine. On the day I visited, the choices included Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or White Zinfandel, served by the jar, half-liter or liter. There also was a sparkling wine available by the split or full bottle. And there were two other full bottles available — a red blend that I’d never heard of, and a Chardonnay made by Robert Hall Winery, one of the top estates in California’s Paso Robles growing region.
I didn’t have time to eat on the day of my visit, but had my schedule not been so tight, that Robert Hall Chardonnay would have gone quite nicely with the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and garlic toast.
It would have been a wining and dining experience to remember, in a place I never would have expected.
It just goes to show that no matter where your travels may take you, there’s a possibility that a good bottle of wine is waiting for you.
You just have to keep our eyes open.
