Dorn's Original Breakers Cafe - Morro Bay, CA

Forget the gray skies and snow showers that seemed to be coming daily to Brightwood and head for the sunny skies of California ... well, that was our intention when we set off to picturesque Morro Bay on the central California coast, although this destination didn't turn out to be very sunny or warm.  In fact, at times we were bombarded by heavier rain showers than we've seen in Oregon in quite some time.  And how about the "warm" part of our escape from snowy Brightwood?  Well, we were bundled up in our cool weather rain gear most of the time.  Even the amazing Monarch Butterfly Grove in Pismo Beach was blanketed in a wintry garment of drizzle as the butterflies huddled together for warmth and protection from the elements; you could almost hear their little butterfly teeth chattering!

Still, our trip south was a lovely trip, made more remarkable by two visits to one of our all-time favorite eateries in Morro Bay, Dorn's Original Breakers Cafe.  Situated on the slope leading into the bay, Dorn's pleases both the eye and the spirit.  The view is flawless with the waters of the estuary stretched out before the patrons along with a glimpse of Morro Rock, that ancient volcanic mound at the end of the beach.  Here the welcome is always warm, and service is excellent.

Our first night at Dorn's we opted for a lighter dinner of bowls of Clam Chowder which turned out to be an amazing choice.  The chowder was thick, rich and filling... just the way that Mother used to make it.  Of course, mother had spent the morning pounding the sands in Seaside, Oregon and digging her own razor clams.  Dad would clean the clams, and then mom would prepare the best chowder ever.  That was the kind of mom she was.  Her chowder became the standard by which we judge all chowders, and Dorn's comes pretty close to equalling hers.  

Dessert was a decadent Mixed Berry Cobbler topped with a brown sugar crumble crust, served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.  What a perfect ending to a long day of driving in adverse weather conditions!

Our second dinner at Dorn's was with dear friends who had traveled up from Los Angeles thinking that by doing so, they might escape the pounding rains that had been visiting the City of Angeles.   Rather than escaping the rains, we wondered if they actually brought the rains of LA up to Morro Bay.   It sure seemed that way!  We ventured north to San Simeon to check out the elephant seals, always plentiful in mid-February, and even they seemed to be much less active than normal due to the weather.  We got soaked for our trouble.                                     

Our selections for this second night ranged from a traditional Crab Louie to a Calamari Steak sauteed in butter with a white wine sauce.  We splurged on desserts and weren't disappointed with a scrumptious Creme Brûlée topped with the thinnest layer of caramelized sugar possible.  Once again, Dorn's solidified its reputation as our go-to restaurant in Morro Bay.

 

Dorn's Original Breakers Cafe
801 Market Ave.
Morro Bay, California 93442

(805) 772-4415