There’s a rumor that Santa Monica has a coffee shop that sells Lunchbox cookies. There’s also a rumor that Santa Monica has a vegan deli. So it seems like time for a trip to Santa Monica.
I’d wanted to try out the new train line, so I took Metro from Long Beach to LAX to Santa Monica so I could see the new LAX Transit Center. (The thing I’m most excited about is the People Mover that will connect the train station to the LAX terminals, but that doesn’t open until next year.) Although riding Metro continues to be rough post-pandemic, at least I didn’t have to try to find parking by the pier.
By the time I got there it was well into the afternoon, and the pier was packed. The most interesting bit were a couple men with megaphones begging us to repent. “At the name of JESUS, every knee will bow,” their sign said.
I got to walk Palisades Park, which is a bluff-top strip of delightful structures and landscaping.
The rumor about the deli turned out to be true! B&T’s Deli serves plant-based specialty sandwiches. I opted for the Peter, which they claim is their take on a steak sandwich. It’s mushrooms, house spread, chimichurri, balsamic onions, lettuce, and pickles on a ciabatta roll.
The rumor about Lunchbox cookies turned out to be false. (Sort of. One coffee shop employee said to try back next week, and the other had never heard of Lunchbox cookies.) Fortunately, as I walked away feeling sad, I saw there was a new Ghirardelli ice cream shop across the street from the pier. And they had the non-dairy hot fudge sundae! So the day was saved. It is hard to beat walking the pier in summer with a hot fudge sundae.
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