The Parkside in Stinson Beach

I never heard of Stinson Beach before last weekend, but now it’s all I can think about. Stinson Beach is about an hour north of San Francisco – a tiny little beach town with no stop lights. We are already planning our trip back for next year. Last weekend, my husband and I flew to San Francisco for a wedding. The wedding was on the beach. On. The. Beach. It was idyllic. The temperature was heavenly with a slight breeze in the air and the bride was devastatingly beautiful. Every detail and non-detail were unparalleled in their perfection. But for me, the star of the weekend was the bread served on the table at The Parkside. Parkside Cafe is a restaurant in Stinson Beach that also has a snack bar for people coming off the beach, a marketplace and a bakery for early morning donuts and pastries. Luckily, I didn’t taste the donuts until the last day. (I’m sure you know what I mean). The bread is served with an unusual pesto. I didn’t get the recipe, but they sold it in the marketplace and the ingredients were listed on the label: basil, arugula, salt, pepper, garlic, oil and champagne vinegar. I made it last night and it wasn’t the same as theirs because a) I didn’t have their unforgettable bread with it and b) you know if you don’t have a recipe, they say “wing it” – well, “I winged it” so it wasn’t exactly like Parkside’s but it was pretty good. I’m sure I sound redundant when I say there is no superlative descriptive enough to describe this bread, but I promise you, it was the best bread I’ve ever had. Perfectly crusty on the outside, moist and warm on the inside. I truly don’t know when my tastebuds have been happier, the bread or the old fashioned donuts? I sincerely hope you are lucky enough to one day have the bread experience at The Parkside.