We have returned to the Big Sur Bakery and Cafe. We've had many memorable, special meals here in the past. It's a crazy-looking place that you could drive right past thinking it was just the Shell gas pumps out front.

The mixed greens salad tasted so fresh it's as though the greens were just plucked from the garden out back.

Unfortunately, it was downhill from there. If you closed your eyes, you could not tell what my "grilled salmon + red pepper beurre blanc" was. It didn't taste like fish. And Ed was sawing away at the gristle on his "Niman ranch New York steak."

But then we ordered a special birthday desert. When I placed our reservation I had said it was my husband's birthday. Tonight our waiter said, "We have a candle policy.". I'm thinking--wildfires and no candles?

The waiter says, "No birthday candles."

Big Sur is too hipster for birthday candles?