Pismo Beach: Buggin'!

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Hot Lix of Pismo Beach, a sweet shoppe that features scorpion lollipops. Oh, at last. I was just really craving one of those the other day, y'know?

The Hubbins, David Keeps (host of Ovation TV's fab travel show The Scenic Route), and I continued to eat–er, drive our way up the Pacific Coast Highway. So, we went from LA's Indian-Mexican mash-up to Pismo Beach, a salt-water taffy seaside town. The local specialty? Clam chowder in a bread bowl, fish n' chips, more clam chowder, and clam chowder (in a bread bowl).

Did I mention a few blogs ago that I'm celebrating National Vegetarian Awareness Month by trying to be both vegetarian and aware? Yes, I've had two run-ins with fish since the start of the month. It's really hard to turn down fresh fluke caught by our buddy Cap'n Gene. I mean, he does it the way Grandpa used to, where it's just him, a line, some bait, and presto–fish. Turning down a gift of fresh fish is like telling your bestie her new pixie cut isn't flattering: Too late. So I said yes to the fish.

That was then. Here, in Pismo Beach–which has some of the most mind-blowingly gorgeous coastline ever–we went to Splash Cafe, which has been serving creamy clam chowder in bread bowls for over 18 years. David and The Hubbins got the chowder. Me? Veggie burger. Thank you, Splash, for offering a wanna-be aware veggie a meatless, clamless option. And it was delish! As was the chowder. I could tell because the men went silent as they chowed on their chowder. The only sounds were the schmeckin' of lips and the occasional "Mmmmm!"

After that, we headed to Hot Lix, one of Pismo Beach's sweet shoppes, for dessert. They had the requisite wall o' saltwater taffy, but when David asked what the house specialty was, the counter gals said, "Our lollipops." And what flavors of house-made lollies do they have?

Scorpion. And Worm. YEAH. Bugs–INSECTS, people–encased in candy. On a STICK.

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Holy $#!+, people: That is a scorpion lollipop.

Can anyone tell me why this would be an even remotely good thing? I mean, forget that I'm doing this whole aware vegetarian thing–bugs? In sugar? And the larva-lollies weren't the only creepy-crawly candies they had. There were also chocolate-covered ants and salted crickets. Yum?

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Okay, like, bad enough that they're putting ants in candy, but then they're trying to show us that the ants are okay with it. They're on board! See? They posed for an American Gothic-style caricature! (And what does that have to do with candy?)

So, Pismo: Gorgeous beach, apparently awesome chowder, and bugged-out sweets. Have fun!

xx,

S