Now Chipmunks Take Photos

Somebody gave Chunk's niece, Lovey, a camera for Christmas.

Here's a nice shot she took of the new place, Pacific Tapas.

She says they have Sangria ON TAP! Wow. And their plates are mostly under $10! And of course, everything is delicious.

Look at those ocean views! It's right down the Highway 1. For a chipmunk, that's an easy commute.

Lovey is becoming quite the little Ansel Adams of Little River. Look at this lovely composition of our cottage and the fields beyond it, fresh and green...You have to get really close to see us, but we are there in the Compound, enjoying the day.

I have told Lovey again and again that it's rude to take pictures of people while they are eating! However, she did get my good side. Sweet girl.

Fried Plaintains and a whole lot more...

Here is Chunk's niece, Lovey. She was doing his chopping when he was doing the chef thing. Now that he's studying to be a massage therapist, she's gotten busy canning and pickling some of the stuff she has chopped.

Chipmunks don't live on their body fat (don't tell Chunk!). They live on whatever they can store for the winter.

The rest of us can run down to Pacific Tapas! They are open 4 to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, no reservations necessary.

The dishes include things like Gambas Con Pancetta (Grilled Prawns Wrapped in Spanish Bacon with Sherry Dipping Sauce), Lobster & Fontina Cheese Chile Relleno (Anaheim Chiles Stuffed, Battered & Cooked Golden Brown & Finished with Lime Cilantro Cream Sauce), Croquettes de Zucchini (Zucchini Fritters Served with Tangy Apricot Mango Salsa) and those famous fried green plaintains!

If we keep on like this, we're going to get as chunky as Chunk!

Pacific Tapas is fantastic!

At least that's what the chipmunks tell us. Heidi and I were so busy with holiday parties and preparations, we didn't get down there ourselves this weekend -- the official opening weekend of the new place.

Chunk and Punk said a good time was had by all.

Neither of them are going to be sous-chef, as it turns out.

Chunk has decided that chef work is too stressful for him and is training to be a massage therapist now instead and Punk says their techniques aren't experimental enough for him. He wants to continue his work with foams, mousses, and sous vide.

As long as he doesn't expect us to eat much more acorn foam! Let me tell you, a little bit of that stuff goes a long way.

And being that Punk is a major conspiracy theorist (he doesn't believe in either luck or coincidences) we are very relieved that the major contest between the chipmunk cousins has ended so peacefully -- without Punk going too wiggy on us.

Punk's a busy boy these days, and that suits us all just fine. Especially Chunk, who needs to be left alone to meditate!

Pacific Tapas is open on Route 1, just down the road, Wednesday through Sunday, 4 to 10 p.m. No reservations, nothing fussy. Just delectable little plates and modest prices to make them even more delicious!

Thoughts from Heidi

Hello!

It's Heidi!

How are you all? I am very, very happy now that we have our classic, Mendocino Coastal winter weather. It's so lovely and misty in the mornings and our fields are a gorgeous emerald green!

It's no secret that I love board games and our Donkey Cottage is stocked with them, just like all of the cottages here at the Inn.

But enough about that.

I have noticed recently that with the imminent opening of Pacific Tapas, Monique has been making more comments that I am comfortable with on the subject of our friend Chuck's...girth, for lack of a more tactful way to put it. Here is a much more flattering picture of our little friend. I never think it's nice to run a photo of someone eating to begin with!

I just know he will make a wonderful sous chef -- if they can get past the whole "rodent chopping and stirring sauce in the kitchen" thing. I know a rat was a chef in a recent movie but I'm not sure if that was a documentary or not?

Monique and I get to the movies so seldom. We always catch a few films at the Annual Mendocino Film Festival but those are usually just very select, rather poetic pictures. It's been in May in the past but this year it's in early June. We have seen some really wonderful films that way.

I'd better run! Monique tends to hog the lap top. She's become obsessed with playing chess online with people from all over the world. I've warned her that you never know who you could be playing with long distance like that, but she just laughs and says she bets they don't realize they've been beaten by a miniature donkey.

You know what?

I bet they don't.

Love and kisses,

Heidi

Pacific Tapas opens next Wednesday!

The news is in!

Pacific Tapas opens a week from today.

Chunk can't stop eating those plantains he is frying constantly. Don't tell him I said this, but Chunk is going to get the job as sous-chef, but he's not going to be able to fit through the door when he gets it if he keeps on like this.

Beautiful ocean views, delicious dishes mostly under $10, sensational sangria and stuff on tap. The new place is going to be red hot.

Heidi and I might trot down there when it opens up and poke our noses in for a bite. It's not as fancy as La Petite Rive, what with being in the old post office building in what passes for "downtown" in Littleriver (one word), so we are assuming it's a mini donkey-friendly environment.

In the meantime, we will try to keep Chunk on an even keel and enjoy our seasonal weather!

This photo is old -- it's GREEN here now!

So now it's officially the "holidays"

Count down begins to the season when we shine the brightest!

A season virtually created for mini donkeys. But enough about that. This is just a teaser. You will have to tune in later on to get details about what I'm talking about.

If I didn't know better, I'd say that Punk and Chunk were frying all of those green plantains for their den. It's getting almost chilly enough for hibernation although, let's face it, it never gets actually cold this close to the coast.

Heidi is looking forward to whale watching soon.

I'm just looking forward to the opening of Pacific Tapas so the chipmunks can settle down! And YUM!

Pacific Tapas coming in NOVEMBER!

That's next month.

Just in time for mushroom season. YUM!

The chipmunks are a twitter with the news. They are polishing up their mushroom tapas recipes. You'd be surprised how many ways chipmunks can cook mushrooms -- all of them delicious.

I have to say, I love this time of year, even if Heidi has convinced me to go as "donkeys" again for Halloween.

She's right, we do rock the outfits...See for yourself.

I give

OK. I give. Even though there is no "donkey-seating" at La Petite Rive (just two seatings a night at 5:30 and 8 p.m.) even I have to concede that it's an awfully nice place.

And now that the weather is chilly at night, it's positively delicious in front of the fireplace in the farmhouse where they are located.

Five complete courses for under $40...wonderful local wines, homey, friendly, unpretentious ambiance...All set in this romantic, old farmhouse that dates back to the 1800s...

Not that Heidi and I would know anything about it! Not only don't we patronize the place (although we can smell it -- yum!) all we ever hear from the chipmunks lately is Pacific Tapas this, Pacific Tapas that.

Pacific Tapas. That's the name of the new place -- yet to be opened, yet to select a chipmunk sous-chef...Don't try to Google it. No website yet.

At least that's what those dizzy chipmunks tell me, between arguing with each other about the best way to braise!

They should be winding down, storing nuts for the coming cooler weather, and not fighting over sauces and reductions. Here's Chunk on a rare break. He's the favorite for the sous-chef slot at the new place, but don't tell him that.