Do you believe in serendipity? I do. Numerous times, events happen that—strange as it sounds—turn out unexpectedly for the best. The experts define serendipity as something that happens by chance, but unexpectedly turns out in a happy way.
Sunset on Oregon Coast
Here is what happened to me:
My husband and I were vacationing in Cannon Beach, a resort town on the Oregon coast that is famous for its unusual haystack rock formations. I was in Oregon because I taught a gluten-free class at Bob’s Red Mill Cooking School in Portland and we were enjoying a few days on the beach before returning home to Denver.
After a day of sightseeing near Astoria to the north, we were driving south on Highway 101 (the only main thoroughfare along the coast), hoping to have dinner in Cannon Beach and then a nice quiet night by the fireplace in our hotel room—with the sound of the ocean in the background.
Sadly, a fatal accident blocked the highway and we had no choice but to return north 7 miles to the next town—which happened to be Seaside, a community not exactly known for gourmet dining. We were frustrated, to say the least.
Google to the Rescue
I “googled” the term “upscale dining” and a few restaurants popped up, with Maggie’s on the Prom at the top. It is located within the Seaside Oceanfront Inn, with Maggie’s being the only fine-dining oceanfront restaurant in the whole town. We sat in our car outside the restaurant, read all the reviews of the restaurant, and finally decided we would give it a chance. I had my doubts, since the reviews were mixed.
Gluten-Free Serendipity at Seaside Oceanfront Inn
What a delight! The restaurant faces the ocean, with outdoor dining on a patio. But it was raining so we opted for a table indoors. Our waiter was fabulously helpful and I had my choice of delicious dishes that I rarely get to eat in a restaurant such as clam chowder, crab cakes, and calamari. Obviously, the chef understood the gluten-free diet.
Chocolate Mousse at Maggie’s on the Prom, Seaside Oceanfront Inn
But the best part was the Chocolate Mousse, three tiers of luscious chocolate heaven topped with a drizzle of raspberry sauce. Easily the best dessert of the trip! Thoroughly sated, we began our journey back to the hotel.
As it turned out, the highway was closed for 4 hours, we had to take a detour that added another hour to our trip, but we were happy campers at having found this little gem of a restaurant. I would return in a heartbeat!
The moral of the story?
Sometimes, especially when traveling, it’s best to just go with the flow and let events happen. In this case, our story had a happy ending.
