Breakfast at the Track

I live just minutes from Los Alamitos Race Course, which has recently been in the news as the home track of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome.

Despite the proximity, I'd never been to the track before, so when Lindsay invited me to meet her for breakfast at the track kitchen I thought that sounded like a lot of fun.

Lindsay had the stamina to drive down from Hollywood and arrive at 6:00 a.m. to see California Chrome make a brief run in near-darkness! I arrived about 6:30 and didn't see California Chrome, but his trainer Art Sherman stood a few yards away from us while we ate, watching the horses on the track.

Schwanie's Grill has a deck overlooking the track...

...and provides a hearty breakfast at a very reasonable price.

The above order was almost two full meals as it also came with a big plate of fruit!

You can't beat the view of beautiful horses getting in their work:

This unassuming restaurant with a one-of-a-kind view is a hidden gem found in my own backyard, thanks to Lindsay! It was worth the early wake-up call, and I'll be heading back over there in the future.