Lunch at Beaumont's in La Jolla.

This was absolutely fabulous, and all the more so for being unplanned. My general rule of thumb when I want a really nice lunch is to stroll along the main shopping street of whatever town I'm in and pick the place that looks busiest. So that's what we did. In a suburb like La Jolla, it's hard to go wrong.

But we really lucked out, because it turns out Beaumont's is only open for lunch on weekends. (Yesterday was Sunday) The setting was perfect. Blue sky, sunshine, flowers, umbrellas -- well, you can see for yourself. And everyone made a fuss over Bao, which he loves.

The food was exquisite. We shared an intriguing variation of Eggs Benedict, two perfectly poached eggs served on a herbed biscuit rather than an English muffin with a cilantro flavored hollandaise sauce and thinly sliced steak and avocado instead of the usual ham. The combination of textures and flavors was culinary bliss. Chefs often overdo the cilantro, but not this time. It was just totally perfect. And the garnish of fresh pineapple and watermelon wedges provided the ideal finish.