Tonight, my husband and I met friends for dinner at Alice’s restaurant. The restaurant has been around since the 1970′s. As a building, it has been around since the turn of the last century. Pretty damn old for California! It started as a grocery for the loggers who were working/living in the area. “Alice” for whom the restaurant is named, was a fan of Arlo Guthrie and his famous song,  ”Alice’s Restaurant“, had just come out when she opened.

I’ll start out with full disclosure. I wasn’t wild about the food. It is your typical burgers and fries type establishment and they don’t seem to be aiming for perfection in this regard.

However, everything else about my experience there was terrific.

The restaurant is at a crossroads outside of the small hamlet of Woodside. You drive up to it at night and are met with bright cheery lights that shine out at the darkness. Woodside is on Hwy 84 which cuts through the coastal range that separates the South Bay and the coast. It is an intensely windy and scenic road surrounded by deep forests filled with old giant Redwood trees. On this drive, I always have to roll down my window to breathe in the scent of pine, earth and the vaguest hint of salty ocean.

It is amazing to me how quickly you feel remote and disconnected from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley on this short 25 minute drive. By the time you pull into the large parking lot at Alice’s you feel relaxed and settled of mind.

The restaurant is old and charmingly cozy. A large wooden bar takes up most of the main room and a thin long room lined with large windows is the only other space. I did have a very crisp and refreshing pear cider and this, combined with the lovely drive and convivial atmosphere is enough to draw me back.

Next time, I just won’t order the burger!

Photo credit to the slowlane