Posted on March 31, 2008 by bayareafoodie
For Mike’s birthday we went to the Plumed Horse in Saratoga. It recently re-opened after a lengthy remodel. The lodge like decor has disapeared and has become ultra modern. The dining area is fairly small. There are ~17 tables packed into a single room. It looks like there will be more areas to dine but they are not ready yet. Pretty unbelievable, but Mike and I were probably the youngest couple in the place. Those that were younger where having dinner with family members. The restaurants clientele is probably older because of the hefty price tags on the menu. Come to think of it, I think I even saw a couple coats and ties on some of the men. Who wears a suit to dinner in California anymore?
Let’s move on to the food…the evening started off with a complimentary Amuse-bouche from the head chef. We received a tiny mug that contained an artichoke and prawn soup. A single roll and butter was then served to each of us by one of the many assistant servers. (I’ll go into more detail about that later). Mike ordered our wine from the extensive wine list. You will see the new 1,800 bottle wine cellar as it is a prominent design element. 
Then we sat and waited for our first course to arrive. I don’t know if they were really busy or if they don’t like to rush things but there was a slight time lapse between courses. It also could of been that we were REALLY hungry. We had a 8pm reservation, which we never do, but because of things planned during the day this time fit our schedule. For the first course I chose the crab and asparagus bisque and Mike had the butter lettuce with radish and pine nut vinaigrette. My crab and asparagus bisques came in separate pouring vessels and were presented table-side. When poured into my bowl it looked like a yin/yang sign…very artistic display. The soup was good, nothing spectacular.
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Filed under: Saratoga | Tagged: food, plumed horse restaurant, Saratoga, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 27, 2008 by bayareafoodie
If you’re looking for an inexpensive wine club to join I urge you to consider Michael Chiarellos NapaStyle Wine Club. Mike and I have been members for 1 year and are extremely happy with our quarterly shipments. We receive the Cucina club which includes 6 bottles (red & white) from around the world for $90! What makes this club unique is that within each box delivered are recipes to go with each wine and suggestions on what types of foods they will pair well with. These are the kinds of wines that you can open up and enjoy immediately…no need to store in a wine cellar for years or wait for a special occasion. So far we have received 24 bottles and only 1 or 2 did I not care for. Michael Chiarello is a well known chef and proprietor of a small family winery so his recommendations are reliable.
Tasty Tip: There currently is an offer for $25 off your first shipment on the website.
Website: http://www.napastylewineclub.com/
Cool Chiarello items:
Napa Stories Wine Journal
Napa Stories: Profiles, Reflections,and Recipes from the Napa Valley
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: food, Michael Chiarello, napastyle wine club, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 25, 2008 by bayareafoodie
We finally made a one pot meal. The Feb 2008 issue of Sunset magazine titled “slow-cooked comfort” had a recipe for Smokey Beef Stew.
The preparation was fairly easy and it was all done in a single pot. I love that! The main ingredients included a 4lb beef chuck, smoked bacon, potatoes, onions, carrots, chipotle chile powder, smoked paprika and TWO full bottles of dry red wine. After 4 hours we had ourselves a delicious dinner for 8 (Yes, we had guests coming over!). It was garnished with chives and blue cheese.
The finished product was very hearty and had a spicy kick but the blue cheese helped tame the heat.
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Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: beef stew, food, one pot meal, pot roast, RECIPES, sunset magazine | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 18, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I had heard that the Los Gatos Cafe was one of the best breakfast joints in the area. We finally made it over last weekend. It is located on the end of the main drag in LG near highway 9. You probably would never notice it unless you were looking for it. It is a diner with very modest decor. Could use a bit of a makeover. When we arrived at 8:30am we were promptly seated and the place was almost filled to capacity. 
I ordered the eggs benedict and a slice of the Kahlua pound cake. About 6 months ago I strayed away from my typical bfast order of a denver omelet and began seeking out benedicts. Why?? I have no idea. This one was good… not the best. Better than Bill’s Cafe and Sweet Pea’s but not better than THE Diner down the street. They are still the reigning champs (yummy hollandaise). My eggs came with a side of potatoes. They were a blazing yellow color so I’m guessing they were saffron. They had a nice crispy top. Not bad but I prefer home fries. Mike had the french apple pancakes which ended up being mounds of apples wrapped in thin crepes. He said he enjoyed them. The best part of the meal was the pound cake! WOW! It was fantastic. Unlike typical pound cake which can be heavy and dry this was light and super moist. I love my baked goods. Anyways, the menu has a huge selection of omelets, benedicts as well as pancakes, waffles and french toast. We will be back to sample a few more of their dishes.
Tips: Cash only. Open from 6-3pm daily. Get there before 9am and be seated quickly, arrive later and plan to wait.
Address: 340 N. Santa Cruz Ave
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: breakfast, eggs benedict, food, los gatos cafe | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 14, 2008 by bayareafoodie
In an attempt to eat more healthy (during the week) Mike and I have been feasting on tons of white fish. Last night we tried orange roughy. We decided to cook on the grill so we placed the fish in some foil with a drizzle of evoo, lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary and thyme from the garden. I tossed in a few slices of tomato in mine. We seasoned it with some Citrus Rosemary salt from the NapaStyle salt box I gave Mike for Xmas.
It was super easy to prepare and surprisingly scrumptious. It tasted like butter.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, napastyle, orange roughy | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 6, 2008 by bayareafoodie
My prayers have been answered…THIS summer Sprinkles Cupcakes is opening up in Palo Alto. It’s not my backyard but it’s closer than LA. I’m truly excited. It will be at the Stanford shopping center. Start your diets now!
image © sprinkles cupcakes
Filed under: Peninsula, VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: california, cupcakes, new store, Peninsula, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 3, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Here is another shout out to a local hot-spot. Sweet Pea’s is a small cafe in Los Gatos. We go all the time for lunch especially on a nice day because most of the seating <if you can get one> is outside. The sandwiches are delicious. They use a lot of fresh ingredients. My favorite is the chicken salad. It has all kinds of goodies in it including nuts, red grapes and cranberries. They are also known for their savory & sweet crepes. One Sunday morning we stopped by for breakfast and were introduced to the homemade nutella muffins. They had just come out of the oven and were still warm. The muffin melted in my mouth. It was down right delectable. What is nutella? It’s the original creamy,chocolaty hazelnut spread. Sweet Pea’s also makes a nutella & banana crepe that is the bomb!
Feast your eye’s on the nutella muffin…Sooooo good.
Address: 453 N Santa Cruz Ave
Nutella Spread
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: food, nutella, sweet pea's cafe | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 1, 2008 by bayareafoodie
As I flipped through the Feb. issue of Sunset Magazine I saw an article entitled “What to do in Northern California in February”. They list Fleur de Cocoa in Los Gatos as having a uber-licious hot chocolate. How could I not want to try that?! So I did and it was screaming hot, super thick, incredibly chocolaty and not at all sweet. I could only get through 1/4 of the itsy bitsy cup it was served in. I guess French hot chocolate is too sophisticated for my pallet. What I will be back for is some of the pastries. The display of croissants looked magnificent.
My favorite hot chocolate:Godiva Chocolatier Hot Cocoa
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: Fleur de Cocoa, food, hot chocolate | Leave a comment »
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