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I know its been a really long time since my last post. Don’t worry, I’m still eating and drinking. See my latest at https://www.instagram.com/bayareafoodie/
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Leave a comment »
The Farmer & the Chef Doc on VIMEO ON DEMAND
Posted on August 30, 2015 by bayareafoodie
Check out The Farmer & the Chef film documenting the unique relationship between Chef David Kinch (Manresa) and Farmer Cynthia Sandberg (Love Apple Farms).
A beautiful and meditative look at the seasonal restaurant — Food & Wine Magazine
Download a copy today!
He is a world famous chef with one of best restaurants in the world.
She is a Biodynamic® farmer known worldwide for her award winning heirloom tomatoes.
And one thing connects them…. the food served at Manresa Restaurant in Los Gatos,California. Together this farmer and this chef are revolutionizing how diners experience a modern Californian meal.
The Farmer & The Chef is a 1-hour documentary that takes you behind the scenes to see how two creative geniuses grow and serve the perfect meal at two-Michelin Star restaurant Manresa. Watch Cynthia Sandberg move from a 2-acre garden to a 21-acre farm that needs to be transformed into the new Love Apple Farms. And follow Chef Kinch as he confronts the challenges of cooking with a ten fold increase of product. It’s about the passion two people have for farming and cooking in a way that respects and pays homage to their local environment.
Watching them wordlessly root through the farm together is watching two masters at work. — TimeOut New York
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: cynthia sandberg, David Kinch, documentary, film, Manresa, restaurant | Leave a comment »
1 year of Sprinkles updates
Posted on August 8, 2015 by bayareafoodie
I can’t beleive it’s been over a year since I blogged. Don’t worry… I have still been eating…
All the new Sprinkles flavors for 2014/2015 so far
See how they ranked
Happy 10 yr anniversary Sprinkles!
- Gingerbread (Dec 2014)
- Apple cinnamon (Apr 2015)
- 10yr anninversary Sprinkle (Apr 2015)
- Pistachio (July 2015)
- Green tea (Aug 2015)
Filed under: Peninsula, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
The Farmer & The Chef at Cinequest
Posted on March 16, 2014 by bayareafoodie
Back in 2012 I mentioned a documentary my husband was making on chef David Kinch (Manresa) and farmer Cynthia Sandberg (Love Apple Farms). Well, it is finally done! It premiered at the Cinequest film festival on March 9th to a sold out crowd. An encore screening is tonight at 4:30pm. If you are in San Jose check it out. Sorry for the short notice.
For more info and screening dates check out http://thefarmerandthechefmovie.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/thefarmerandthechef
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: Cinequest film festival | Leave a comment »
Sprinkles update
Posted on January 6, 2014 by bayareafoodie
Better late than never…..Maple bacon (Sept 2013) & Lemon meringue (July 2013)
See how they rate
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: bacon cupcakes, baking, dessert, food, ratings, sprinkles | Leave a comment »
Giovanni Rana Pasta and Sauces
Posted on January 5, 2014 by bayareafoodie
TORTELLONI PROSCIUTTO w/ MARINARA
I recently had the opportunity to try the new line of Giovanni Rana fresh pastas and sauces. If you live in NY or Italy you may be familiar with Giovanni. From what I read online, he is a very popular guy and has a restaurant in Chelsea Market. All varieties of pasta tasted great but my favorites were the spinach and the mushroom ravs. I don’t have an Italian grandmother but if I did I imagine her bolognese sauce would be just like Giovanni’s. I was really impressed.
FETTUCCINE PAGLIA E FIENO w/ BOLOGNESE
The best part is that you can have dinner on the table in 10 minutes. No exaggerating. The pasta cooks in under 4 minutes. Find the Rana products in your local safeway supermarket –refrigerated section.
Thanks Gio!
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: chelsea market, cooking, fast, food, fresh, Giovanni Rana, italian, ny, pasta, product review, RECIPES, sauces | Leave a comment »
JALEO by José Andrés
Posted on October 29, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Best meal ever. If you are in Vegas this is a must. Really delicious food. Minus 1 star for leaving smelling like a camp fire. They have an open spit in the dinning area of the restaurant and they were roasting a baby pig and that bad boy was smoking up a storm. I had to air out my clothes when we got back to the hotel.
sangria 
white asparagus with lemon, thyme and idiazábal cheese 
traditional chicken fritters 
maine lobster salad with citrus and frisée 
shrimp sautéed with garlic 
flauta bread brushed with fresh tomato, extra virgin olive oil and serrano ham 
sautéed cauliflower with dates and olives
sangria
white asparagus with lemon, thyme and idiazábal cheese
traditional chicken fritters
maine lobster salad with citrus and frisée
shrimp sautéed with garlic
flauta bread brushed with fresh tomato, extra virgin olive oil and serrano ham
sautéed cauliflower with dates and olives
Favorite dish: white asparagus with lemon, thyme and idiazábal cheese. Not crazy about food served out of a shoe.
Website: http://www.jaleo.com/
Rating:
Filed under: Las Vegas, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: cooking, food, JALEO, José Andrés, las vegas, restaurant, review, small bites, spanish, tapas | Leave a comment »
Baume Palo Alto
Posted on October 23, 2013 by bayareafoodie
We were super excited to go to Baume because it is known for molecular gastronomy. Freeze dried strawberries…let’s just say I wasn’t impressed. Tasted and looked beautiful but not worth the $$$$.
Website: http://www.baumerestaurant.com/
Rating:
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: baume, food, michelin star, molecular gastronomy, palo alto, restaurant, review | Leave a comment »
Frances SF
Posted on October 19, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Amazing meal. Worth all the hype. Make a reservation! After 4+ years people are still sitting on the curb outside for hours waiting to grab a table.
market shot –best cocktail ever!
bacon beignets
baked clams
chickpea fritters
wine by the ounce
spring salad
steak
ricotta gnocchi
strawberry shortcake
Website: http://www.frances-sf.com/
Rating:
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: food, frances, michelin star, restaurant, review, San Francisco, sf | Leave a comment »
More new Sprinkles cupcakes
Posted on June 30, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Just when I thought I had made my last trip to Sprinkles this year they released a new flavor… margarita! Sounds good right…wrong. Some things shouldn’t be messed with.
Also, following in the footsteps of In-N-Out, Sprinkles decided to introduce secret off the menu flavors. First on the list – Neapolitan: vanilla cake with strawberry frosting dipped in chocolate.
See how they ranked here
*these cupcakes are from May 2013…better late than never…
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: baking, cupcakes, dessert, margarita, neapolitan, secret menu, sprinkles | Leave a comment »
Irish Soda Bread with Cranberries
Posted on June 25, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Around St. Patty’s day I decided to make a sweet Irish soda bread. I followed the recipe below but added a heaping 1/2 cup of cranberries and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Next time I’ll add a bit more sugar. Turned out super tasty. Tell me that doesn’t look good…
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, cooking, cranberries, food, irish soda bread, RECIPES, sweet | Leave a comment »
Absinthe Restaurant
Posted on June 23, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Ever since I saw Jamie on Top Chef I’ve wanted to try Absinthe. Even after her departure the restaurant remained on my radar. We finally stopped in for dinner. Everything was good but of note were the pretzels which were really little bite size garlic rolls. Insanely good. I could have eaten a dozen. The mussels/clams were also delish and a steal for $15!
SOFT GARLIC PRETZELS
Vermont cheddar Mornay
FRENCH ONION SOUP GRATINEE
PEI MUSSELS & MANILA CLAMS
andouille sausage,roasted bell peppers, lemon-chardonnay sauce, spiced crostini
COQ AU VIN
red Burgundy-braised Mary’s chicken,
bacon, roasted crimini mushrooms, crostini, persillade
Rating: 
Website: http://www.absinthe.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: absinthe restaurant, food, french, French Onion Soup, garlic pretzels, restaurant review, San Francisco | Leave a comment »
New Sprinkles cupcake flavors!
Posted on April 22, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Last weekend we made a trip to Sprinkles to try the new Cuban coffee cupcake. While there I also picked up a vegan red velvet (this was recommended by a reader) and a triple cinnamon. I don’t know how this (triple cinnamon) slipped by me but it must be relatively new because they don’t list it on the menu posted on the wall in the store and it’s available 7 days a week!
Check out how they ranked here
*Cuban is gone April 28th,2013
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: baking, cuban coffee, food, new flavors, palo alto, sprinkles cupcakes, triple cinnamon, vegan red velvet | 1 Comment »
Redd Napa
Posted on March 25, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Brunch at Redd in pictures. No commentary necessary…JUST GO!!!!
*click on any image for description and/or larger view
bacon bloody mary
brioche french toast with mandarin orange and granola
blood orange smoothie
Steamed pork buns, hoisin, vegetable salad
Redd lobster club, poached maine lobster, bacon, lemon aioli, shoestring potatoes
Website: http://www.reddnapavalley.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Leave a comment »
Dim Sum Coconut Jelly
Posted on March 23, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Have you been to a dim sum restaurant and tried the coconut jelly dessert from the cart? Well, if you have and you liked it …try this recipe. Who would have guessed Tyler Florence would have featured it on his TV show.
As usual the video and the recipe posted on the Food network site were not exactly the same. I chose wrong and decided to follow the written word… I have a feeling I should have gone with Tyler. In the end everything turned out fine but I had to cut the tops off all my jellies. For some unknown reason there was a layer of clear sugar water covering the top.
Recipe link
Tyler’s Ultimate
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: asian, coconut jelly, cooking, dessert, dim sum, food, food network, recipe, tv, Tyler Florence, Tyler's Ultimate, video | Leave a comment »
5 year Blogaversary! Chocolate-Stout Brownies
Posted on January 31, 2013 by bayareafoodie
Something sweet for this special occasion. This was deliciously dense, chocolaty and moist. You won’t be able to eat more than a tiny square. Soooo rich! More like fudge than a brownie.
Note: hit the foil with some cooking spray to ease the removal.
Recipe link
Bon Appetit Magazine / February 2012
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, bon appetit magazine, Chocolate-Stout Brownies, cooking, food | 1 Comment »
Shellback Premium Rum – Coquito Cocktail
Posted on January 2, 2013 by bayareafoodie
I rarely drink cocktails but when I do it is always rum based. I love the flavor of rum so when Shellback asked me to try their new line of silver and spiced Caribbean rum I jumped at the chance. It came at a perfect time because we were hosting a Christmas Eve gathering and I wanted to serve a signature cocktail. I ended up going with a Coquito which some call the Latin version of egg nog. Ingredients include coconut milk, evaporated milk and lots of rum. Although the drink took some time to make it was well worth it and a huge hit.
Some said the smooth cocktail tasted like rum raisin ice cream. I even got a few compliments from people who are originally from Latin countries. Coquito will definitely be our go-to holiday beverage from now on!
While the weather remains chilly we will be using our spiced Shellback rum in coffee, tea and cider. However, I can’t wait for the sun and heat when I’ll be mixing up some mojitos, coladas and daiquiris with the silver. Check out the Shellback site for recipes.
Website: http://www.shellbackrum.com/
Coquito Recipe link
*I left the egg out and didn’t miss it.
Filed under: Cocktails, RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: beverage, cocktail, Coquito, drink, food, holiday, latin egg nog, RECIPES, review, Shellback Premium Rum, silver rum, spiced rum | Leave a comment »
Willy Wonka Ice Cream Tasting
Posted on December 4, 2012 by bayareafoodie
I got a golden ticket!
I finally have time to write about our end of the summer bbq. After dinner we had a Willy Wonka ice cream tasting courtesy of Oakland based Dreyer’s. They sent me an ice chest full of their new line of wacky Wonka ice cream flavors. Fourteen of our friends tasted and ranked the creamy concoctions in order of their preference.
Here are the results:
- Kerfuffle Truffle, chocolate ice cream with chocolate truffles and swirls of fudge
- Caramel Nut Kadoozle, caramel ice cream with mixed nut brittle and walnut caramel swirl
- Chocolate Mintropolis, chocolate ice cream with peppermint patties and chocolate mint cookies
- Chipperberry Swirl, black raspberry and vanilla ice cream with chocolaty chips
- Chocolate Chipper Chip, vanilla ice cream with chocolaty potato chip bark and swirls
- Kernelpuff Caramelstuff, caramel ice cream with popped kernels, pecan pralines and salted caramel swirls
- Chocolate Snowflakes, vanilla ice cream with melt-in-your-mouth chocolaty flakes
The first place winner was a super chocolaty combination. We did have a bunch of chocoholics in the group which I think skewed the numbers. I was sure the vanilla with chocolate covered potato chips was going to be my favorite but it was too salty. I actually preferred the two caramel flavors. The brittle and praline were very yummy additions to the ice cream but don’t take my word for it go try them yourself. Thank you, Mr. Wonka!
A fight almost broke out!
Note: Wonka Ice Cream is currently sold exclusively in the Northern CA and Reno areas.
Website: http://www.wonkaicecream.com/
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: dessert, dreyer's, food, frozen, ice cream, summer, treat, Willy Wonka Ice Cream Tasting | 2 Comments »
Happy Turkey Day!
Posted on November 25, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Heritage (Left) Diestel (Right)
Sorry I have been away for a bit. I started a new job in October and just haven’t had time to blog. I aim to do better in the new year! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As always we were given the task to cook the birds. We ended up making two this year… One 10 lb. Heritage bird from a local farm and a 12 lb. Diestel Natural from Whole Foods.
Heritage -400 degrees for 1 hr 45 min
The heritage turkey was running around up until the morning it was delivered to our house. I guess that’s why it looks so slim and trim! Both turned out delicious in the end. The main difference was that the heritage dark meat tasted much more gamey in flavor. Yum!
Diestel -350 degrees for 2 hrs 15 min
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bird, cooking, Diestel Natural, farm, food, heritage, holiday, thanksgiving, turkey, whole foods market | Leave a comment »
Citizen Chef Healthy Meals
Posted on September 24, 2012 by bayareafoodie
A new company in San Francisco called Citizen Chef just launched a line of fast, fresh,healthy stir fry meals to prepare at home. Each package comes with cut veggies, a grain and a gourmet sauce. All you need to add is a protein of your choice and dinner is served in 15 minutes.
inside the box
When asked if I would like to try the product it was a no brainer…fast and easy are my two favorite words when it comes to cooking. Of the 3 varieties I had I was the most impressed with the Thai stir fry because I’ve always found Asian cuisine the hardest to recreate at home and this Thai Sesame sauce blew me away. It tasted just like the massaman curry that I love to order from our local Thai restaurant.
Chicken w/ Thai Sesame Sauce (fresh coconut milk, roasted sesame seeds, & a hint of ginger)
I also enjoyed the couscous in the Limone Garlic package. We are in a grain rut and always end up with rice. This was a very nice change.
Shrimp w/ Limone Garlic Sauce (fresh garlic, lemon peel, & extra virgin olive oil)
Overall I was impressed with the quality of the meals. Mike and I would definitely purchase them in the future…the only bummer is that you can only find Citizen Chef in certain Bay Area Whole Foods markets. Hopefully they get picked up nationally. See if they are in your neighborhood here.
Get a $3 off coupon here
Website: http://www.citizenchef.com/
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: at home, bay area, Citizen Chef, cooking, food, Healthy Meals, northern california, review, San Francisco, stir fry, whole foods market | Leave a comment »
Pizzeria Delfina
Posted on September 11, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Mike had some work to do in the City so I decided to tag along, especially since it was near the Mission, and I have wanted to try Pizzeria Delfina forever. I know I eat a lot of pizza but it is my favorite food so get used to it.
Pizzeria Delfina features six Neapolitan inspired, thin crust pizzas and two daily-changing special pies and a “piatto del giorno” from the oven. The food is Italian in spirit, using local, seasonal ingredients.
This location is super tiny … in order to leave Mike had to ask the table next to us to move over just so he could squeeze between the tables.
This is what we ate:
Insalata Tricolore
Special pasta of the day: Mac & cheese with meaty sauce (I forget the official name)
Salsiccia Pizza
Housemade fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions, mozzarella
Everything was delicious and fresh. I could have eaten a vat of that pasta and the pizza had great crust… not overly blistered. For dessert we walked down the street to Bi-rite Creamery.
Rating:
Website: http://pizzeriadelfina.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: food, mission, neopolitan, pizza, Pizzeria Delfina, restaurant, review, San Francisco | Leave a comment »
Grandma’s Coffee House, Kula Hawaii
Posted on August 31, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Not to be confused with Mama’s …Grandma’s is a tiny rural coffee shop in Kula where you can get a mean breakfast and sensational baked goods. We rolled out of bed early to go try the the highly regarded eggs benedict. This turned out to be one of my top 5 benedicts…it comes on a cornmeal waffle w/ lemon hollandaise and home fries with a kick! Super delicious. I’m still kinda bummed that I shared it with my sister. Mike had an omelet with basil, tomato & feta and my bro-in-law feasted on something I think was called the bullseye which was a spam, rice & egg concoction. I also devoured a slice of banana cake and a coconut pineapple bar (don’t judge). Arrive early with a pile of CASH and enjoy!
Website: http://www.grandmascoffee.com/
Filed under: Maui, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: breakfast, eggs benedict, food, Grandma's Coffee House, hawaii, kula, Maui, review, travel, upcountry | 1 Comment »
Mama’s Fish House
Posted on August 30, 2012 by bayareafoodie
On our fifth trip to Maui we finally decided to try the famed Mama’s Fish House. It may sound like a rustic joint but it is one of the most expensive restaurants on the island so we saved this for a special occasion…our 6th wedding anniversary.
Mama’s is located right on the beach and is decorated in the old Polynesian style. Think dark woods, antiques, staff dressed in colorful aloha gear and Hawaiian music. We arrived a bit early so we could check out the beach but since it was drizzling we decided to wait it out in the bar. The drinks were big and tasty. Our table was ready right on time and we were seated at a window table with a fantastic view. We made sure to make our reservation just before sunset.
view from our table
Our meal started off with a treat from the chef…a ginger soup. Then we shared the Ahi sashimi salad with crispy won ton strips, pohole fern, wasabi goat cheese, Kula vegetables and roasted sesame seed dressing. It was super fresh but could have used a bit more dressing. I already knew what I was going to order after looking at the menu online – Mahi mahi stuffed with lobster & crab and baked in a macadamia nut crust. Mike decided to go with a luau style plate that included Mahi mahi and slow-cooked Big Island Wild Boar with baked Hana rainforest banana, Molokai purple sweet potato, Lomi-lomi and fresh poi. Cool note about the menu – all the fish is wild and each dish lists the fisherman who caught it that day.
The presentation and taste of the food was wonderful. At this point we were stuffed and were going to pass on dessert but because we were celebrating our anninversary we received complementary scoops of their homemade ice cream (strawberry bannana). Sweet ending to the night. I now know why everyone says you have to go to Mama’s.
Note: Although you will pay a pretty penny don’t worry about the dress code – there were tank tops and board shorts galore!
Rating:
Website: http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/
Filed under: Maui, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: food, Mama's Fish House, Maui, ocean view, paia, restaurant, review, special occassion, travel | 3 Comments »
Maui O’o Farm Tour & Lunch
Posted on August 27, 2012 by bayareafoodie
view from the farm
My sister just finished building a beautiful home in a town called Kula (Upcountry Maui). When I read about an organic farm tour and lunch 10 minutes from her home I knew we had to do it (thanks for the tip mom). The farm supplies many of the high-end dining establishments in Lahaina.
The tour starts in the coffee tree lined parking lot and moves through the fruit trees up to the outdoor kitchen and dining area. There you meet the dedicated farm chef and he describes the gourmet menu he is going to prepare while you continue the tour through the garden. When the lunch bell rings a beautiful buffet of delicious food awaits you. Everything is harvested/caught earlier that morning.
Our farm Lunch included: salad (with greens we gathered from the garden), fresh caught mahi mahi w/ maui onion & fennel, fried tofu w/ beets, farm egg frittata w/ maui onions, raw veggie platter, crusty bread, brewed coffee & chocolate.
The next time you are in Maui take some time to venture away from the beach and check out Kula. You can’t beat the amazing bi-coastal views!
Note: Be sure to wear long pants, sneakers and pack a sweatshirt and umbrella. It is chilly up there and it may sprinkle on you even in the warmest summer months.
Website: http://www.oofarm.com/
Filed under: Maui, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: farm tour, food, hawaii, kula, Maui, O'o farm, Organic, review, travel, upcountry | 1 Comment »
Greenwich Village Food and Cultural Walking Tour
Posted on August 16, 2012 by bayareafoodie
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … the best way to check out a City is with a food tour. We chose Foods of New York Greenwich Village Food and Culture Walking Tour. We arrived at 11am on Bleecker Street with empty stomachs. Our guide was a friendly young actress who had definitely done her homework. She was chock full of food & Village knowledge. We walked the charming neighborhood for 3 hours and were stuffed by the end.
Here is what we ate:
Stop 1. Cheese pizza slice @ Joe’s Pizza
Stop 2. Olive oil tasting @ O & Co.
Stop 3. Mac & Cheese @ Home restaurant
Stop 4. Rice balls @ Faicco’s Italian Specialties
Stop 5. Four tasty bites @ Centro Vinoteca
Stop 6. Chocolate chip cookie @ Milk & Cookies
Stop 7. Cheese @ Murray’s Cheese Shop
Stop 8. Cannoli @ Rocco’s Pastry Shop
There are a bunch of historical stops on the tour too but I’ll let you see that for yourself.
If anyone says the food is not enough they must have a tape worm because we were completely full with 3 stops to go. I had to bag my cookie, pass on the cheese and I FORCED myself to eat the cannoli!
Website: http://www.foodsofny.com/
Filed under: New York, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: food tour, Foods of new york tours, Greenwich Village Food and Culture Walking Tour, Home restaurant, Joe's Pizza, Milk & Cookies, New york city, review, travel | Leave a comment »
48 Hours in New York City
Posted on August 5, 2012 by bayareafoodie
We headed to NYC for the premiere of Mike’s latest documentary “Gringos at the Gate.” If you are into soccer especially the US -Mexico rivalry check it out (shamless plug). Anyways, I went mainly for the food. I had each day planned out weeks before we left. Here was our itinerary…
DAY 1
Our flight arrived at JFK at 8am and by 9:30am we were waiting in line for a table at Clinton St. Baking Company – yes, there was a 30 minute wait on a Tuesday. But it was voted best pancakes in NY by New York magazine and Martha (Stewart) is on their website homepage so I knew it had to be good. I ordered the eggs benedict -poached eggs, maple cured ham, classic hollandaise,over a toasted buttermilk biscuit. Awesome. Loved the biscuit and the chopped onion/ bell peppers on top gave it a zesty kick. Mike chose the famous wild maine blueberry pancakes with warm maple butter. Super light and fluffy. Worth the wait. CASH ONLY! This held us over till dinner.
I had to hit at least one of Mario Batali’s NY restaurants and we chose LUPA OSTERIA ROMANA which is a casual spot specializing in Roman trattoria fare. This was our best meal of the trip. Everything tasted superb. We had some great wine and service. Prices were reasonable but make sure you order a couple courses per person or you will leave hungry.
Apps: Seasonal salad with asparagus and peas
and
Roasted Mushrooms w/ Cavolo Nero & Ricotta Salata
Mains: *Special of the day* Fresh pasta with braised pork
and
Ricotta Gnocchi with Sausage & Fennel
We skipped dessert and walked to Puddin’ a sweet shop that serves up different flavors of pudding. I know, brilliant idea! We ordered some of the signature (pre-made) minis so we could sample a bunch.
My favorite was the Caramel Macchiato (coffee /chocolate puddings, brownie pieces, salted caramel sauce) followed by Banana Cream Dream (banana pudding, graham cracker crumbs, banana cake,whipped cream). Before arriving I would have bet that my fav would have been the Coconut Cruise (coconut pudding, pineapple, coconut-soaked lime cake, graham cracker crumbs) but it had a weirdly thick consistency that didn’t move me.
DAY 2
With all that eating I had to schedule some sort of exercise. We had never been to Central Park and after some research many said the best way to see it all (since it is 843 acres) is by bike. We took a guided 2-hour Bike Tour and had a beautiful ride. Look for coupons …they are out there. I found one for $10 off each person!
We finished up around noon so we walked to Shake Shack for lunch. This is NYC’s version of In-N-Out.
2 burgers and fries
We added a Fair Shake to our burger order -vanilla shake featuring 100% certified organic Arabica Fair Trade coffee. Yum! Something different for a fast food joint …they serve beer & wine too.
I was worried about eating a burger in the middle of the day since we were having dinner early but it was miniature…more like a slider. It was a very fresh and tasty burger. Did it put I-N-O to shame? I think not. Both do things well so I’m gonna leave it as a tie.
cereal milk soft serve with corn flakes – tasted best when it was all melted.
Next stop momofuku milk bar to pick up some treats for the plane ride home. Cookies and crack pie. I tried to make this pie at home a couple years ago. Mine came out good but this was mind blowing. Made the flight much more enjoyable : )
I couldn’t pass this soft serve up since it was really HOT out. I needed the energy to walk back to the hotel. Sooo much walking in the city!
Our final dinner was at The dutch. I had heard tons of good press about this place especially for the lunch/brunch. We were in a hurry because we arrived late and had to get to the premiere so we didn’t get to experience all it has to offer (namely THE PIE) but what we did have let’s just say I was not impressed. The food was just so-so and really expensive for what you got. Oh well, you can’t win ’em all!
I still ♥ NY
Note: The next morning before we jumped on our plane back to CALI we took a walking food tour of Greenwich village. Check it out here
Filed under: New York, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: bike tour, burger, Central Park, Clinton St. Baking Company, crack pie, food, LUPA OSTERIA ROMANA, mario batali, Momofuku Milk Bar, new york, pancakes, Puddin', restaurants, reviews, Shake Shack, the dutch, travel, trip | Leave a comment »
“The Farmer & The Chef” Documentary
Posted on July 22, 2012 by bayareafoodie
I don’t think I have mentioned this before but Mike, my husband, is a professional documentary filmmaker when he is not baking me cakes. I haven’t brought it up because his previous films were not related to food, but his current project is! He is working on a doc called “The Farmer & the Chef.” The film takes you behind the scenes to see how Chef David Kinch & Farmer Cynthia Sandberg of Love Apple Farms grow and serve the perfect biodynamic meal at two-Michelin Star restaurant Manresa in Los Gatos, CA . The idea came about following our amazing 3-year wedding anniversary dinner at Manresa in 2009.
This summer I have been helping with some of the production and I have set up a website and a facebook page for the film. Check them out and be sure to “LIKE” the facebook page to keep up to date with the progress. The film is scheduled for release in January 2013. It should be tasty!
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: biodynamic, celebrities, cynthia sandberg, David Kinch, documentary film, food, Los Gatos, love apple farms, manresa restaurant, michael whalen, michelin star, restaurants, the farmer & the chef, whalen films | Leave a comment »
Full Circle Organic Produce Delivery Review + $10 off Coupon
Posted on June 22, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Full Circle launched the Bay Area branch of its produce delivery service during the first week of June. They contacted me to see if I was interested in a free trial. I get offers to try similar services often and usually I pass because I am happy with my current delivery company, but when I checked out the Full Circle website the option to not only receive fruits & veggies but other groceries caught my attention. I thought the opportunity to purchase artisan goods including: dairy & eggs, bread & pasta, meat, seafood, jam, coffee, honey and chocolate was very unique and something I had to check out.
Box #1 with my balls of pizza dough
My first “Sprout” size box (feeds 2-3 people) arrived right on time and everything was fresh and pretty clean. Items come straight from the farm so you should expect some dirt and bugs. In addition to the produce I added 2 balls of pizza dough from the grocery. We love to make pizza on the grill in the summer. Each ball was the perfect amount for a personal size pizza. All it needed was some heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Turned out perfect…nice thin crust.
We also made a risotto with the leeks. Insanely good. See recipe here
Box #2 came the following week and we had just about eaten everything from our first box.
Contents of box #2 with my addition of free range eggs
The baby golden beats were delicious. I just put them in foil and roasted them in the oven for an hour and they were good to go.
Beets ready for the oven
Overall, the service has been great. The produce arrived in good condition and tasted wonderful. Every new service has positive things going for them and some areas that need improvement. Here is my assessment on Full Circle…
Pros:
1. Variety! Since the produce is not coming from 1 single farm but 10+ California farms there are many more fruit & veg options and you can’t beat the added grocery items.
2. Choice – usually you make an exclusion list of produce you don’t want and if one of the items is scheduled the farm will just double up or in some cases triple up on other items already in your box. At Full Circle you can login to your account and see what is coming and switch items out yourself by choosing other items that are available that week – usually there are at least 10 additional items to choose from. I LOVE this option!
3. Delivery time – boxes are delivered overnight at the same time every week so when you wake up it’s there. No need to worry about having a delivery midday and everything going bad while sitting out in the sun.
4. Customer service – the website was easy to navigate and the process from signing up to receiving goods was a breeze. Customer service has been checking in to see if my deliveries were on time, produce was in good condition and to see if I had any concerns.
Cons:
1. Exemption list – they only allow you to select 5 items to exclude. If you don’t have time to go to your account and make changes each week you may receive things you don’t like or need. I happen to have a lot of exclusions because I have several citrus trees, herbs and veg growing in my yard so 5 doesn’t cut it.
2. Delivery schedule – boxes are scheduled to be delivered automatically every week. You have to personally contact the company if you want to skip a week or place a hold on your account. Not a big deal but a little incovienent. I would prefer to be able to login to my account and make adjustments to an online calendar instead of having to send emails or make phone calls. *They fixed this issue in August!
The pros definitely out-way the cons so give Full Circle a try. Next shipment, I plan to order salmon!
Website: http://www.fullcircle.com/
COUPON OFFER: $10 off your first box. Use promo code (exp 12/13): SOCIAL10
If you decide to sign up, please let them know Nicole Whalen referred you.
Filed under: RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: $10 off, 50% off coupon, bay area, cooking, coupon, discount offer, food, fruits, Full Circle Organic Produce Delivery Service, home delivery, Organic, produce, review, vegetables | 1 Comment »
Risotto with Leeks, Shiitake Mushrooms & Truffle Oil
Posted on June 20, 2012 by bayareafoodie
This was the first recipe I made with items from my Full Circle organic produce delivery. Mike is not a fan of truffle oil but he loved this dish. All the ingredients worked together magically!
Tip: It was hot out and I was not about to turn on the oven… so for the mushrooms I just sauteed them in a pan!
shrooms & onions leeks & cream rice & stock
Recipe link
Bon Appétit | September 2007
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bon appetit magazine, cooking, food, italian, RECIPES, Risotto with Leeks, Shiitake Mushrooms & Truffle Oil | 2 Comments »
Los Gatos Gourmet Food Truck Festival
Posted on June 18, 2012 by bayareafoodie
In order to get folks in this neck of the woods to eat food off a truck the organizers had to step up their game. Unlike Moveable Feast here you will find real tables and chairs to sit at, a rockin’ band with a dance floor and a beer/wine tent (few truck events have alcohol). It’s a real classy affair held at the defunct La Hacienda Inn on Friday evenings. The crowd on our night consisted of thirty something year old parents with a minimum of 3 kids and 65 year old couples that like to shake a tail feather. Mike and I didn’t fit into either category but still had a good time.
The set-up only has room for 6 trucks but I was happy to see a few new options. We started off with a fried chicken sandwich from Pollo Fritto. Very reminiscent of the sando from BakeSale Betty. Nice crispy chicken, fresh slaw with a hint of heat on a toasty roll. Along with a Shocktop brew it was a great start.
Then we grabbed a Greek taco from Arabian Bites. It was basically a gyro but with the meat chopped up. Very flavorful. It came with a side of fries and a small tomato/cucumber salad…big bang for your buck.
For dessert we hit up the ice cream truck – Twisted Chill.
Note: As with all of these new truck events the food averages $8-10 for a sandwich/burger or couple of tacos…the days of cheap truck eats is over! Be sure to hit up the ATM and prepare to spend a couple Jacksons for 2 people.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/LGFoodFest
Filed under: Los Gatos, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: arabian bites, event, food, la hacienda inn, Los Gatos Gourmet Food Truck Festival, pollo fritto, Saratoga | Leave a comment »
Smitten Ice Cream
Posted on June 14, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Smitten Ice Cream first gained popularity when owner Robyn Sue hit the streets of SF pulling a red wagon equipped with a homemade liquid nitrogen run ice cream machine named “kelvin.” Eventually she opened a brick and mortar store in a converted shipping container in Hayes Valley. Mike and I finally had the opportunity to check it out 2 weeks ago. The shop has 4 “kelvin” machines and each makes a single flavor: vanilla, chocolate and two seasonal flavors (that change daily). Every single scoop is made to order in 60 seconds using liquid nitrogen! It will be the freshest, coolest, creamiest ice cream you’ve ever had!
Check out our ice cream being made:
The final product…..
Ritual Coffee with Cocoa Nib brittle (left) and Strawberry pink peppercorn with lemon caramel sauce* (right)
I’m sure the vanilla and chocolate are good but if you’re making a special trip to this place be adventurous and try the suggested flavor combination of the day as I did*.
Website: http://smittenicecream.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: cooking, dessert, food, hayes valley, kelvin, liquid nitrogen, review, San Francisco, Smitten Ice Cream | Leave a comment »
Green Bean Spaghetti Carbonara
Posted on June 11, 2012 by bayareafoodie
This was soooo good….like breakfast for dinner. I did add the egg to the noodles too early which ended up making my sauce more scrambled than oozy but that didn’t stop me from devouring every last bite. Next time, I will remember to let my spaghetti cool a bit before mixing all the ingredients. I had some spinach on hand so I added that to the bacon/onion mixture. Yum.
Recipe link
Rachael Ray Magazine /Oct 2011
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, food, Green Bean Spaghetti Carbonara, pasta, Rachael Ray, RECIPES | 1 Comment »
Food Trucks @ Moveable Feast
Posted on June 1, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Food trucks are increasing in popularity more and more each day. Moveable Feast is a company that organizes events that feature groups of food trucks at locations all over the South Bay similar to Off the Grid in San Francisco. It seems like every couple weeks a new city is added to their list. It took me a while to try because I wasn’t interested in the trucks they had lined up until I saw that the Nom Nom truck (yes, the runner-up on the 1st season of the Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck race”) was coming from SF to Willow Glen.
Moveable Feast: Willow Glen happens every Friday night and has the largest number of trucks of all the feast locations – usually 10+. We arrived just as it opened because I had read about the super large crowds that gather.
Like restaurants, all food trucks are not created equal. Here are the things we ate that are worth trying:
1. Nom Nom: pork banh mi sandwich – at $5 a pop this not only tasted good but was the best deal of the night. Great fresh crusty bread and sweet pork with tart veggies.
2. Eat on Monday: Fried chicken club sandwich – maple syrup glazed bacon …. nuff.said.
3. le bon: garlic noodles w/ bacon and grilled shrimp – very flavorful
4. Fairy cakes – looked and tasted like your mom’s homemade cupcakes. Just a little pricey ($3) for the size.
Peanut butter cup, salty caramel, pb&j, pineapple upsidown cake
If you see the red buckets you know you are in the right place. No fancy seating or tables here. Grab a couple buckets and get eating!
Tips for a successful food truck excursion….arrive early (within 1st hour) so they don’t run out of food, the lines are not long and the wait for your food is short. Also, hit the ATM.
Note: best way to find out when/where and who is showing up each week is to check out their facebook page.
Website: http://www.mvbl.org/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: banh mi, food, food trucks, Moveable Feast, nom nom truck, review, san jose, street food, Willow Glen | 1 Comment »
Redd Wood
Posted on May 14, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Famed chef Richard Reddington has opened a casual Italian eatery in Yountville down the street from his Michelin star restaurant REDD.
We arrived early on a Friday night and the restaurant was pretty empty except for the mini bar area which was standing room only. The tables around us seemed to be filled with locals as they knew the staff and brought plenty of their own wine. We were seated in a cozy corner booth that had a view of the entire restaurant. We decided to get a sampling of eats to share. We started off with the grilled artichokes with balsamic & Parmesan cheese which was crazy good but messy. I wouldn’t recommend ordering if you are on a first date. The balsamic glaze ended up all over our fingers and dripping down our arms (but maybe this just happens to us 🙂 ).
Next, potato gnocchi w/ duck leg, rosemary, olives & pancetta. There was no real sauce just the natural juices from the duck. LOVED this.
Of course we had to try one of the wood fired pizzas. We went with the basic fresh mozzarella, tomato & basil. I was expecting this to be my favorite part of our meal but it wasn’t. It was good but the crust was a little over-charred which left a burnt taste in my mouth. Minor mishap.
We finished with the chocolate caramel tart w/ praline & sea salt which was highly reccomended by our server. It was super rich so we had a hard time finishing it. If you are a chocolate lover this dessert is for you!
I didn’t know what to expect when we arrived since the reviews I had read were hit and miss but I really enjoyed the food, service and vibe so I will definitely return.
Rating:
Website: http://www.redd-wood.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: casual, food, italian, napa, pasta, REDD, redd wood, restaurant, review, Richard Reddington, wood fired pizza, Yountville | Leave a comment »
Morimoto Napa
Posted on May 11, 2012 by bayareafoodie
There are a bunch of cool spots that have opened on the Napa river over the last couple years…Morimoto is one of them. Because this was a sushi restaurant run by an Iron Chef I admit I had some high expectations. Morimoto himself was not in town on our visit but that was okay as we’d seen him in-person before.
Our meal started out on a super high note. We decided to order the hot appetizer called kakuni – a ten hour pork belly w/ rice congee and soy-scallion jus. It was melt-in-your-mouth good. Next, we had the tempura calamari salad which had a fantastic white miso dressing. The calamari was a tad over battered for my taste but Mike enjoyed it. We followed this up with some sushi rolls (soft shell crab,eel avocado,spicy tuna) which were…sushi rolls. They were not at all imaginative. They looked and tasted just like the take out I get at the spot down the street from my house – just slightly higher priced. We probably should have gone with one of the menu entrees. Oh well, lesson learned.
We still had a little room in our stomachs so we split the kabocha squash sticky toffee cake w/ buttermilk ice cream and asian pear. This was a pleasantly sweet ending to our night.
Next visit, it’s all about the OMAKASE (the tasting menu). I’m sure it’s as mind blowing as the price.
Rating:
Website: http://morimotonapa.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: california, food, iron chef, japanese, morimoto, napa, restaurant, review, sushi | Leave a comment »
Blue Line Pizza
Posted on May 2, 2012 by bayareafoodie
You’ve heard the rave reviews about Little Star Pizza in San Francisco, well, it’s now available in the South Bay (Campbell) but under a new name — Blue Line. Mike and I have been twice since the February opening and I have to say it’s my favorite deep dish in the Bay Area.
Here’s how it compares to other popular Chicago style pizza joints in the area…
signature deep dish “blue line” pie
Not too thick (like Patxi’s) which means it’s not overly filling and a shorter time to wait for your pizza to arrive.
Not too saucy (like Zachary’s) which means you can taste the toppings which also happen to be really fresh. You can tell they don’t skimp on the ingredients.
We tried a couple salads but our favorite was the bacon & blue cheese which was huge, super fresh and the blue cheese was tangy good.
Note: no reservations. Get in early (b4 6:30pm) or be prepared to wait.
Rating:
Website:http://www.bluelinepizza.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: bay area, blue line Pizza, campbell, chicago style pizza, deep dish pizza, little star pizza, restaurant, review, San Francisco, south bay | Leave a comment »
Carrot Soup with Thyme and Fennel
Posted on April 16, 2012 by bayareafoodie
If you have any leftover carrots that the Easter bunny didn’t eat or your CSA gave you a ton … try this soup. Honestly, if I didn’t make this myself I would have had no idea it was carrot. The combo of thyme and fennel creates a super unique flavor that I could not get enough of. Mike and I really enjoyed this.
Recipe link
Bon Appétit | March 1999
Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: Bon Appétit, Carrot Soup with Thyme and Fennel, cooking, easter, food, magazine, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Guinness Float
Posted on March 20, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Our St. Patrick’s day was spent as usual making corned beef. This year we made reuben sandwiches and for dessert I decided to make floats. I’m not a Guinness kinda gal, but my Irishman is, so this was my gift to him. It’s a pretty involved cocktail to make but he thoroughly enjoyed it so it was worth the time. I downed the ice cream and the whipped topping but most of the bitter stout remained in the glass. All that was left of Mike’s was a bit o’ cream on the tip of his nose.
Recipe link
Bon Appetit magazine / Feb 2011
reuben
Past corned beef recipes:
Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage
Basic Corned Beef Sandwich
Corned Beef Hash with Fried egg
Filed under: Cocktails, Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: bon appetit magazine, cooking, corned beef, February 2011, food, Guinness float, RECIPES, st. patrick's day, Stout Floats with Cocoa Syrup | Leave a comment »
Bacon-Infused Carolina Fish Stew
Posted on March 9, 2012 by bayareafoodie
We arrived late in the morning to the fish booth at the Los Gatos farmers market and missed out on the lobster tail special they had so the fish lady suggested we try her insanely huge prawns instead. She said they tasted just like lobster and she was not kidding! I knew exactly how I wanted to use them… I had just read the Feb. issue of BA and this recipe jumped out at me. To go with the massive shrimps we picked up some cod and halibut from Whole Foods. The result was a pool of wonderfully sweet, salty,clammy, smokey flavors. I will for sure make this again in the future.
BTW -we used polenta instead of the suggested grits but I’m sure it would be great with grits or rice.
Note: The real name of this dish is Bacon-Infused Carolina Fish Muddle but the word muddle is unappetizing to me so I changed it.
Recipe link
Bon Appetit magazine / FEBRUARY 2012
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bacon, Bacon-Infused Carolina Fish Muddle, Bon Appétit, bon appetit magazine, cooking, february 2012, fish stew, food, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
The Cats Restaurant & Tavern
Posted on March 2, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Drum roll…..The Cats is back! To the dismay of many the Cats, a BBQ roadhouse in the hills of Los Gatos, closed without much warning about 4 years ago. The building has been around since the 20’s and has housed many different businesses but the most famous was the restaurant/tavern which opened in 1967. Whenever we went we knew we would see an interesting mix of folks and eat a nice piece of meat. Finally someone has got the BBQ pit burning again.
We arrived just before 5pm because we knew if it was anything like the old Cats if you arrived late you were gonna wait and wait and wait to get a table. When we walked in we were pleased to see the upgrades made but glad they didn’t go overboard and lose the charm that existed prior. If you are going for your first visit you will think nothing has been remodeled but the TVs, bar tables, floor, ceiling, fans, any decor whatsoever is all new. We sat in the bar with our friends and sipped on some micro brews for about 30 minutes until our table was ready. When we were seated we asked our waiter if we could order some appetizers and were told that they are only served in the bar. Weird…yes… especially since they don’t tell you that while you are in the bar…so we went straight to the entrees. Prior to coming I had looked over the menu online and was disappointed to find I couldn’t get a steak for under $32 but thankfully we were given a different more reasonably priced menu. Our table ordered the following…. filet mignon, bbq chicken, pulled pork, cheesecake & chocolate cake.
Everyone was happy with the food and the restaurant maintained its predecessors no fuss presentation style. My steak was a tad overcooked but I let that go since they’d only been open for 6 weeks. The only bummer was that the live music didn’t start until 9pm and we were long gone by then. When we left it was obvious that The Cats was as popular as ever as it was standing room only out in the bar.
Welcome back, Cats!
Tiny kitchen
Note: if you have never been it’s hard to find (especially in the dark)…so get your gps ready. Also, there is limited parking. If you want to avoid the drive The Cats is offering a courtesy shuttle from 5pm-10:30pm on the weekends near the Toll House Hotel (runs every 15 minutes). Check their facebook page for more details.
Rating:
Website: http://thecatsrestaurantandtavern.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: bbq, dive bar, food, forkandtell, live music, Los Gatos, review, roadhouse, santa cruz mountains, steak, The Cats Restaurant & Tavern | 1 Comment »
Minny’s Chocolate Pie from “The Help”
Posted on February 21, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Here is the recipe for the famous pie seen in the film “The Help” …minus the special ingredient! This was super simple to make and really delicious with just the right amount of chocolate. Make it for your Oscar party this weekend and you will be WINNING!
Recipe link
Food & Wine Mag/ Aug 2011
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: dessert, film, food & wine magazine, Minny's Chocolate Pie, movie, ocsars, oscar party, recipe, the help | 1 Comment »
Belated 4 year Blogaversary
Posted on January 30, 2012 by bayareafoodie
Yesterday marked the 4 year anniversary of Bay Area Foodie. I meant to do something special like go get a Jumbaco (j/k) then completely forgot. So on my way home from work today I stopped by a new cupcake shop in Campbell called Frost Cupcake Factory.
Luckily it was Mini Monday so I could get a bunch of flavors to try. I chose the following…
Mocha Java – stay away from anything with meringue butter cream frosting…has an unpleasant greasy/waxy consistency.
Salt ‘n sweet – should be called super salty! Probably better in the large size.
Frostfetti – frosting was overly sweet.
Maui coconut dream – good flavors but it has the dreaded meringue frosting.
Rose velvet – supposed to taste like red velvet but didn’t.
Snowball – THIS WAS THE BEST! Chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting and covered in coconut. WINNER!
The snowball will have me coming back for more.
Website: http://www.frostcupcakefactory.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities), VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: 4 year Blogaversary, bakery, baking, campbell, cupcakes, food, frost cupcake factory, review | 3 Comments »
NOPA San Francisco
Posted on January 25, 2012 by bayareafoodie
NOPA is located north of the panhandle in San Francisco and serves up rustic wood-fired cuisine. We stopped in for brunch on a Sunday morning and it was standing room only. Luckily I made a reservation.
We were immediately seated at a table upstairs overlooking all the action. We had a view of the open kitchen, bustling bar and main seating area.
Since we were going to watch a movie following our meal Mike and I decided to share a few apps and a main so we didn’t feel bloated in the theater. We decided on the following…
Goat Cheese Bread Pudding w/ Sautéed Chanterelles and Upland Cress
Bread puddings can sometimes be heavy… this was light and flavorful.
Oven Baked Farm Egg w/ Spiced Tomato, Shaved Pantaleo and Grilled Bread
So,so good. We slopped up every last bite of the spice laden sauce with our toasty bread. It seemed to have every spice under the sun in it (cardamon, cinnamon, cumin, coriander) but it worked.
Grass Fed Hamburger – Bacon, Pickled Onions and Herbed French Fries
The burger was perfectly pink and juicy and the fries were a thicker version of In-N-Out but much better tasting.
This is a great spot to have a homey meal in an energetic environment.
Website: http://nopasf.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: brunch, food, forkandtell, nopa, restaurant, review, San Francisco, travel, wood-fired cuisine | Leave a comment »
The Melt
Posted on January 17, 2012 by bayareafoodie
The man behind the Flip video camera has opened up a high-tech chain of grilled cheese fast food restaurants called The Melt all over the Bay area. Since we were at the Stanford Mall in Palo Alto to pick up the new S’more cupcake at Sprinkles we stopped in for lunch.
The menu was fairly simple composed of 6 grilled cheese sandwiches (called melts), 5 soups, 3 sweet melts and drinks. I was expecting some highly creative sando options but you basically just choose a cheese and bread. Mike ordered the special of the day… The Dirty combo (without jalapeños) – sharp cheddar, tomato, bacon, and BBQ chips on sourdough + Sweet Corn Tortilla Soup. I went with the Classic combo of sharp cheddar on potato bread w/bacon + Two Tomato Basil soup.
The Dirty
We took a seat and admired the cool order board that let’s you know when your food is ready. Since the menu was a bust I was hoping for a taste sensation. Unfortunately, that was also a disappointment. When biting into our sandwiches all we could taste was the cheese. The toppings were so sparse they disappeared completely. I was pumped that you could add bacon to anything for FREE (that should be a rule everywhere) but found you get what you pay for. It was razor thin, limp and flavorless.
The Classic
I can easily make better grilled cheese at home on my favorite panini grill. I will say we enjoyed the corn soup.
I guess if I was at the mall and wanted to grab a quick bite (we were in and out in 20 minutes) I might stop by again for some soup. If you are looking for grilled cheese done right, check out the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in SF.
Note: if you don’t want to stand in line you can order in advance online.
Website: https://themelt.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: bay area, flip video camera, forkandtell, Grilled Cheese, palo alto, restaurant, review, soup, stanford mall, the melt, travel | 2 Comments »
Sprinkles New Cupcake Flavor! I want S’more!
Posted on January 10, 2012 by bayareafoodie
S'more - Belgian dark chocolate cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache, topped with toasted marshmallow with a graham cracker crust
Although not photogenic, I had to show you the inside. The graham cracker bottom was genius!
Blake Lively of “Gossip Girl” teamed up with Sprinkles to create a cupcake for charity. 100% of the proceeds from the SUPER FABULOUS S’more cupcake will go to Oxfam.
Hurry up and go get one because it’s a top 5 flavor!
xoxo…Bay Area Foodie
Note: Only available January 6 to February 2, 2012
See how it ranks
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: blake lively, Candace Nelson, charity, cupcake, gossip girl, new flavor, oxfam, smore, sprinkles | 2 Comments »
Potato Latkes
Posted on December 28, 2011 by bayareafoodie
I’ve had the best of both worlds because I’ve grown up celebrating both Chanukah and Christmas. This year my parents came to my house to celebrate Chanukah and we made latkes. When I broke out my new Cuisinart food processor to grate the potatoes and onion my mom shook her head in dismay. “I always use a grater,” she said, “we are not making hashbrowns!”
My mom likes her potato and onion mixture to be like mush, not shredded. So after I used the shredder attachment and it was not to her liking I changed the blade and gave it a few pulses to get it to her perfect consistency. Making latkes is pretty simple and delicious. Happy Chanukah!
Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside
My Mom’s Latkes Recipe
Makes about 16
Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes (peeled)
1 onion
1 tsp. salt
1 egg (beaten)
3 Tbsp. matzo meal
Vegetable oil to fry
Apple Sauce & Sour cream for serving
Instructions:
Grate the onion and potatoes with a box grater or as I described above (much faster!) into a bowl. Then mix with the remaining ingredients. Heat a skillet with vegetable oil (enough to cover 1/2 of the pancakes) over high heat. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil (don’t crowd) and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain the latkes on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve with apple sauce and sour cream.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: Chanukah, cooking, food, Hanukkah, holiday, jewish, latkes, potato pancakes, RECIPES | 2 Comments »
Coconut Macaroons
Posted on December 27, 2011 by bayareafoodie
For holiday gifts this year I chose to make the 2011 Food & Wine magazine coconut macaroons because I thought it was going to be quick and easy. I was wrong. My first batch was a disaster. I tried to half the recipe because it said it made 40 and I only needed 20. What resulted was a bunch of coconut pancake-like cookies.
Round 1 = EPIC FAIL
I tried again and made the full amount because it was obvious I didn’t have enough coconut. Whoever “tested and perfected” this recipe at F&W mag didn’t do a good job.
Reason 1 – The recipe doesn’t come close to making 40 macaroons as stated, it was more like 25.
Reason 2 -Don’t bake for 25 minutes! If you don’t want badly burnt cookies watch them carefully once they hit 10 minutes in the oven …anything over 15 and you are in trouble.
Reason 3 – There was no mention that the macaroons may run during baking so if you want them to look like what you see in a store (round balls) then you will have to trim the edges.
Reason 4 – They say to stick the finished product in the fridge for about 5 minutes for the chocolate to set. It takes a good 20 min.
In the end they still tasted killer but in order to not have to doctor them up to look presentable they need either more coconut or less sweetened condensed milk.
Recipe link
Food & Wine magazine, Dec. 2011
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, Coconut Macaroons, cooking, danny cohen, december 2011, food, food & wine magazine, gifts, holiday cookies, recipe, RECIPES | 2 Comments »
Chez Panisse
Posted on December 24, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Who knew that it was harder to get a reservation at Chez Panisse than the French Laundry? I had no idea that it was still so popular. We attempted to reserve a table for my birthday about 3 weeks prior but they were fully booked. The reservationist said I had to call exactly at 9am one month in advance, to the calendar date so that’s what we did. To Mike’s disdain my usual 1 week birthday would now last 2.
Chez Panisse is a Berkeley institution where famed chef Alice Waters creates her fabulous farm to table feasts. In the 70’s Waters pioneered the concept of preparing meals using fresh seasonal ingredients that are produced sustainably and locally. The restaurant is located in an Arts and Crafts style house on Shattuck Avenue that is small and intimate. Each night they serve a new 3-4 course menu so you won’t know what you are being served until the week you have a reservation (you can check the website). If you are a picky eater and don’t like quail, duck or rabbit eating here may be a gamble for you. Mike and I are down to try anything so this was not an issue for us, but we ended up with a pretty safe menu.
Menu
Nov 19, 2011
An apéritif
Grapefruit champagne cocktail
Course 1
Bellwether Farms sheep’s milk ricotta with fall vegetables and coriander vinaigrette
Course 2
Roasted halibut with savoy cabbage and lobster butter
Course 3
Spit-roasted Piedmontese beef rib eye with Beaujolais sauce, potato cake, chanterelles, and Cannard Farm salad
Course 4
Black Mission fig tartlet with Chartreuse ice cream
Dishes were rustic and simply presented but service was a little stiff. I’m a meat and potatoes girl so course #3 was my favorite. They made beef melt in my mouth and a basic potato cake taste scrumptious. Mike and I both loved our meal. Chez Panisse lost its Michelin star in 2011 to many people’s dismay. If they are not deserving then I tend to question the guides’ ratings because it was more than a meal, it was an experience.
Note: if you are looking for a less formal (and less expensive) meal check out the upstairs cafe.
Rating:
Website: http://www.chezpanisse.com/
Filed under: East Bay, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: alice waters, Berkeley, Chez Panisse, farm to table, food, forkandtell, Organic, restaurant, review | Leave a comment »
Delicata Squash Soup
Posted on December 6, 2011 by bayareafoodie
I’d never seen or tasted a delicata squash until it arrived in our CSA delivery. After some research I found out that it is sweet and most commonly prepared by simply roasting it in the oven, but I decided to take it a step further and make it into a soup.
You know it's a delicata squash by the cool green stripes
When they said it was sweet I expected flavors similar to a butternut squash but it was much more subtle. This tasted like a potato soup with a touch of sweetness. I’ve made many squash soups and sometimes they turn out bland but this, although mild, I found uniquely delicious.
Recipe link
Food & Wine magazine / Feb 1999
For more winter squash recipes check out other bloggers participating in the Food Network’s Fall Fest (a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with blogs to share tips and recipes about seasonal produce every week)…
And Love It Too: Warm Winter Chili
The Sensitive Epicure: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Cooking Channel: Kabocha Squash Pasta
CIA Dropout: Stuffed Winter Squash
What’s Gaby Cooking: Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
Dishin and Dishes: Butternut Squash Bisque With Sage Cream
FN Dish: Simply Roasted Winter Squash
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Pomme d’or With Wild Mushroom Risotto
Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: cooking, delicata squash soup, everyday, fall fest, Feb 1999, fn dish, food, food & wine magazine, food network, RECIPES | 2 Comments »
Umami Burger
Posted on December 5, 2011 by bayareafoodie
When humans eat, they use all of their senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste) to form general judgments about their food, but it is taste that is the most influential in determining how delicious a food is. Conventionally, it has been thought that our sense of taste is comprised of four basic, or ‘primary’, tastes, which cannot be replicated by mixing together any of the other primaries: sweet, sour, salt and bitter. However, it is now known that there is actually the fifth primary taste: umami
– Umami Information Center
Umami burger if you are not familiar is a beloved Southern Cali chain that has now opened up on Union Street in San Francisco. When we arrived on a Monday night at 5:30pm the small space was almost empty. I made sure to come at a non-peak time to avoid the long waits I’ve read about.
I went with the signature Umami burger and Mike chose the Manly burger and we shared the truffle cheese fries. When everything arrived I was surprised by the petite size of the burgers (they look larger in photos). I gotta be honest we were hungry… we both downed our burgers within 4-5 bites so I can’t give you a real in-depth evaluation. All I know was mine was sweet and had kind of an Asian vibe and Mike’s had little yummy bacon lardons. Oh, and when I took my first bite my wedding ring was swimming in meat drippings (which was a good thing). The burger was cooked to perfection at medium rare which is their standard. It was juicylicious!
Manly burger (beer cheddar, onion rings,bacon) & Umami burger (shiitake shroom,onion,roasted tomato,parm crisp)
The truffle cheese fries (not on the menu but should be) were great and not overly truffley. They came with a trio of sauces but what I liked best was the homemade ketchup which kinda tasted like it was made with brown sugar.
We will have to go back again to savor the flavor.
Note: I thought we were going to leave hungry but in the end we were perfectly full. No burger bloat.
Rating:
Website: http://umamiburger.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: burgers, food, forkandtell, restaurant, review, San Francisco, travel, umami burger, union | 1 Comment »
Baked Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter
Posted on November 28, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Our CSA delivery was overflowing with beets in November. Since I was tired of making beet salads I started looking for a unique way to use them when this ravioli recipe grabbed my attention.
If you are not a fan of beets this is not going to convert you. You have to like the flavor because it is prominent. If you enjoy beets like I do you will find these truly satisfying. The only change I would make to the recipe next time is maybe use a more pungent cheese like blue. Other reviewers said they had tried that and I can see that really kicking up the flavor.
I made a few modifications to the Bon Appétit recipe.
1. I’m lazy so I chose to use wonton wrappers instead of fresh pasta (they suggested this option to save time)
2. Instead of boiling the ravioli’s I followed the directions on the wonton package to bake them. Preheat oven to 375. Mist a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place filled ravioli onto prepared baking sheet and brush tops of ravioli lightly with olive oil then bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Then I spooned over the poppy seed butter (which I added sage to).
This baked version would be better served as an Appetizer – cut in triangles with the butter on the side for dipping.
Recipe link
Bon Appétit | May 2005
For more tasty beet recipes check out other bloggers participating in the Food Network’s Fall Fest (a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with blogs to share tips and recipes about seasonal produce every week)…
What’s Gaby Cooking: Farro Beet and Herb Salad
My Angel’s Allergies: Roasted Beet and Potato Vinaigrette Salad
Cooking Channel: Garlicky Beet Salad With Walnuts and Dates
The Sensitive Epicure: Simply Sauteed Beets
FN Dish: Top 3 Beet Salad Recipes
And Love It Too: Raw, Vegan and Sugar-Free Red Velvet Fudge
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Beet Salad With Crispy Leeks and Bacon
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Beet Salad With Bacon Vinaigrette
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: Baked Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter, beets, Bon Appétit, cooking, fall fest, fn dish, food, food network, RECIPES | 1 Comment »
Farm Fresh To You – Organic Produce Delivery Service ($10 off coupon)
Posted on November 10, 2011 by bayareafoodie
If you were thinking about having organic produce delivered to your home here is your chance. I received a coupon code for $10 off your first shipment from Farm Fresh to You, a Bay Area delivery service. We’ve been getting deliveries from them for over 3 years and we really enjoy it.
To redeem this offer mention promo code #6164 when signing up online or by phone. Please let them know I referred you by giving them my customer id# 63355. Enjoy!
Website: http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/
*This discount is for NEW customers only.
See my past posts about this great local company:
Our first delivery
Recipes made with our produce
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: $10 off, bay area, cooking, coupon, discount, Farm Fresh To You, food, grocery, Health, northern california, Organic Produce Home Delivery, service | Leave a comment »
Palacio Restaurant – Los Gatos
Posted on November 9, 2011 by bayareafoodie
The huge house on North Santa Cruz Ave. in Los Gatos is open for business again. The old site of Trevese is now Palacio featuring high-end Latin American fare. Walking in we were surprised to see the amount of renovations the new owners had made since the last tenants had already made major upgrades. They went as far as moving the kitchen from the 1st floor to the basement. Not sure I like it any better – it was loud, crowded and dark inside. But the added outdoor seating is terrific…that is what brought me back in.
We can’t frequent a Mexican restaurant without trying the margaritas. I had the pineapple and Mike the prickly pear. Mine was grrrreat, Mikes didn’t really taste like anything. Then we snacked on the trio of tacos appetizer which was the same price as the main entree of the same name which didn’t make sense. The steak was good, the rest not so much.
For the main course I chose the chicken enchiladas which were not as I expected. It ended up being a pile of dry, plain chicken on top of 2 sauced tortillas. First bite included half a wish bone… No Bueno!
Mike chose the chicken mole which he liked. Tasted like pumpkin.
Portion size was not large so we were open for dessert. I love coconut so we went with the coconut cheesecake, which was unnecessarily decomposed.
For the price I prefer Casa de Cobre in Saratoga. The quality of food is ten times better. I would not return for dinner but probably happy hour or apps & drinks so we can sit outside.
Rating:
Website: http://www.palaciorestaurant.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: latin american, Los Gatos, mexican food, Palacio Restaurant, restaurant, review | Leave a comment »
Fremont Diner – Sonoma
Posted on November 5, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Fremont Diner is a small revamped diner in Sonoma that serves up tasty vittles like pulled pork, corn fritters, Oyster Po’Boy, mac n cheese and fried pies. Yes, another healthy meal for us! When we told a local we were heading over for lunch he said the food was good but then warned us about the service. When we arrived we put our name on the waiting list and joined the small mob that was standing in the parking lot (no seating area). It looks like it used to be open seating but it is no longer which means on a Saturday you got a good 30 minute wait for your name to be called.
When we were finally seated inside we were not only starving but knew exactly what we wanted because we had plenty of time to peruse the menu. Here is were the poor service thing comes into action. We sat at our table for at least 15 minutes before our waitress decided to come and take our order and it wasn’t like she was buzzing around helping others because the 3 tables around us had just left.
We started off with a milkshake because I had heard they were a “not to miss” item. We chose the salted caramel which had chunks of crystallized salty sweet goodness throughout. I agree, they make damn good milkshakes. Next up Mike ordered the Chicken and Waffles. Bonus was that is was a boneless breast so no dirty hands.
I went with the Shrimp & Grits which I enjoyed but it came with those tiny baby shrimps (I prefer the big guys) and was pretty spicy, but it was topped with an egg and bacon so I forgave them.
For dessert we had the peach bread pudding which wasn’t as good as I had hoped. It had the consistency of a quiche and was a tad burnt but we still ate it all. Stuffed we waited and waited some more for the bill to arrive. Our quick bite at a local diner turned out to be an almost 2 hour event. Good thing we were not in a hurry.
Overall, the positive did outweigh the negative so we will return — on a weekday– and give it another go.
Website: http://thefremontdiner.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, North Coast, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Chicken and Waffles, food, Fremont Diner, restaurant, review, Shrimp & Grits, sonoma, travel | Leave a comment »
I’m on Facebook
Posted on October 19, 2011 by bayareafoodie
I bit the bullet and set up a page on Facebook for this blog. Now if you don’t feel like coming to the site everyday (which I know you do) you can keep up to date with my food escapades by finding me here or liking me on the left-hand sidebar <<<<<<<
Why did I do it? I needed a place to post links on the fly to cool upcoming Bay Area food events, news, restaurant openings and deals (groupon/yelp). I read and receive info on these types of things frequently and I rarely have time to create a full blog post about them so now you can find the details on Facebook. Enjoy!
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: bay area foodie blog, facebook, social media | Leave a comment »
Homeroom Mac + Cheese
Posted on October 17, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Rolled up for brunch on a brisk Saturday afternoon. Didn’t take much time to figure out what we wanted because the menu is limited to MAC + CHEESE! This is probably the only restaurant in the area where you will find that. I went with the Breakfast mac (only served Sat and Sun, 11am – 3pm) which includes classic mac with bacon bits and an egg on top.
Mike had the Gilroy Mac – gouda, sharp pecorino and just the right amount of roasted garlic plus he added broccoli (I guess to make him feel healthy). 
As you can see I added toasted breadcrumbs to mine and Mike didn’t. We both agree that you want to add breadcrumbs no matter what! It gives the mac a little extra crunchy dimension. It may look like it’s not creamy but once you break through to the under layer it is ooey gooey. Both were delicious but super rich and filling. We could only eat half but we also wanted to save room for the peanut butter pie which was amazing.
Mike really wanted to try the homemade Root Beer but they said it was not ready yet. Say what? 3pm on a Saturday and you can’t get root beer. Somebody needs to get up earlier and start brewin’.
Note: No, they don’t have a sampler option where you can try a variety of macs. I have requested it but it looks like they want to get you to come back instead of trying it all in one visit. Boo!
Website: http://homeroom510.com/
Filed under: East Bay, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: homeroom, mac & cheese, macaroni and cheese, oakland, restaurant, review | Leave a comment »
Billy’s Boston Chowder House
Posted on October 15, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Billy I wanted to fall madly in love with you but I think we are going to just remain friends. I was uber excited to find out that a New England style restaurant had opened less than 10 minutes from my house in Los Gatos. It’s located near Nick’s on Main where the Smoky BBQ joint and 29 Pizza used to be. Yes, this is the 3rd establishment to set up shop in the last 5 years. I hate to say it but I think this spot may be cursed…
Anyways, we came in early last Friday to check out the eats. They’ve only been open for a month so it can get busy with locals wanting to try the new eatery. We started with the fried clams appetizer which was not on the main menu but on a “specials” handout so I’m not sure if they have them all the time. I was very pleased with them although they were served with a tarter sauce and I prefer cocktail so we had to waive someone down to get some.
Mike went with the chowder in a sourdough bowl for his main course which he seemed to enjoy. I only had a spoonful and it was rich, creamy and buttery. Can’t go wrong with that!
For my main I decided to get the lobster roll (surprise) and against my better judgement I had it dressed instead of with just butter. When it arrived it looked great but as I took a bite the lobster had an unpleasant herby flavor and was dry. Also there was lettuce buried underneath the meat which I’m not a fan of, and I did find 3-4 pieces of shell – never a good thing. A plus was that the bun was nice and buttery but I could only finish half.
So overall we will return to try the other offerings (steamed clams, lobster chowder, fish & chips) but I won’t be having a lobster roll. If I’m craving that I’ll head to The Old Port Lobster Shack.
Note: this is not a cheap place to eat but they do have $4.25 pints of Blue Moon which made me happy.
Rating:
Website: http://www.bostonchowderhouse.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: Billy's Boston Chowder House, FRIED CLAMS, lobster roll, Los Gatos, new england, restaurant, review | 3 Comments »
Bitter + Sweet Coffee and Dessert Bar
Posted on October 5, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Cool little spot that serves humphry slocombe ice cream and you don’t have to drive to San Fran to get it!!! Nuff said…
You’re Welcome.
2 scoops: Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee & Red Bean Dr. Pepper
Note: they don’t have all flavors just like 4-6. Good coffee too.
Website: http://www.bitter-sweet.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: Bitter + Sweet, cafe, Coffee and Dessert Bar, Cupertino, Humphry Slocombe, ice cream, review | Leave a comment »
Hay Market Willow Glen
Posted on October 4, 2011 by bayareafoodie
We rarely venture to Willow Glen but a new restaurant caught my attention. Picture a space filled with old black and white framed photos (plus one random with Patrick Swayze and some dude with long hair), crates with bottles of wine, stacks of cookbooks and other antique looking stuff cluttered around. Johnny Cash is piped through the sound system as a flick of a guy building a log cabin silently plays on three big HDTVs. Take a seat at one of the long communal tables (be ready to talk to your neighbors) and check out the concise organic menu written on a giant chalk board overhead. Then choose from a few salads, a cheese plate, duck, beef, fowl, pork or fish (1 of each), a burger and a couple sides (menu changes daily/weekly!).
We started with the house salad which was micro greens with a vinaigrette. Very basic and nothing special. I did find it odd that it was served in a big pyrex baking dish. When we walked in and the guy next to us was eating out of one I honestly thought he had brought a salad from home due to the latest lettuce recall. Guess not… Throughout our meal we had 3 glasses of wine (limited choices but good) which were unfortunately served in tumbler glasses. I did see if you order a bottle then you get a real wine glass – I’m sure there is a rational reason for this but I like to swirl.
For our main course I went with the prime rib and Mike had the pork. Both were delicious. Whoever is in the kitchen knows how to cook some meat. Mine was cooked perfectly pink and didn’t have a lot of fat. Mike’s was fork tender with a bit of a kick – he only wished he had more. The portion size was a lot smaller than my dish so we had to get dessert :).
looks sizable but the porky outside skin was not meant to be eaten
For dessert we went with the plum clafoutis with marscapone whip and the chocolate³ which I think was dark & light chocolate crumbled cookies with chocolate milk poured over it. Coupled with decaf french press it was To Die For.
tastes better than it looks!
my tattoo...i feel so badass
I have no idea what the concept of the restaurant is … Quirky European Country? but I left wanting more. I took my temporary tattoo and fresh baked cookies (which came with the bill) and vowed to return.
Notes: Open seating, no reservations, full by 6pm on a Friday night. Look for the hay bales out front cause the sign is pretty hard to see. Serves lunch too.
Rating:
Website: http://haymarketwillowglen.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: Hay Market, meat, Organic, restaurant, review, san jose, Willow Glen | 4 Comments »
72 Hours in Seattle
Posted on September 14, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I spent a long weekend in Seattle visiting friends. We had never been so we arrived with a long list of things we wanted to check out and luckily our hosts were game to show us around. Here are the highlights!
Day 1
We arrived around noon and it was amazingly sunny and warm. Everyone said it was the best day of the year so far. To take advantage of the nice weather we decided to tool around Kirkland and grab a bite to eat at the Purple Cafe and wine bar.
I had seen a clip about Purple on the Food Network’s “Best thing I ever Ate” where Melissa D’Arabian said the calamari was to die for. For the table we ordered the calamari, a cheese plate, a bunch of spreads with flatbreads/crackers, bruschetta and lots of wine. I should have known better than to trust the opinion of a winner of “The Next Food Network Star” because I hate that show. The calamari was nothing special AT ALL! It was good but no better than any other calamari I’ve had.
Hey, Melissa! Next time you go try the bruschetta with cambozola cheese, prosciutto and red onion jam …now that’s something to drool over!
Day 2
Before we went on BILL SPEIDEL’S UNDERGROUND TOUR we walked up the street 2 blocks to Built Burger. Built specializes in burgers made with all natural meats from the Northwest. The meat, the buns, the toppings were oh so fresh! Check it out for sure if you are in the area. By the way the tour was fun too.
On our walk back to our car we ran into a little food cart called Street donuts. They serve mini donuts fried to order. We chose coconut with caramel…sooo good! Glad I don’t live here or this could become an addiction.
For dinner we went to a Tom Douglas joint. We had to because he is the king of Seattle. The Palace Kitchen features food cooked in its apple-wood burning grill. We feasted on the following: goat cheese and lavender fondue w/wood grilled bread, palace olive poppers,summer vegetables,washington flat iron steak,tagliatelle w/braised leg of lamb,warm roasted beets,smoked salmon chowder,peach-wild huckleberry crisp and the dahlia triple coconut cream pie. My personal favs were the fondue & coconut cream pie. Now I know why Chef Douglas has such a big following.
Day 3
Today was a little cool and cloudy and rained for the latter half the day but that didn’t stop us from strolling through all the hot spots of Pike Place Market. We hit up Daily Dozen Doughnuts (good stuff), Piroshky-Piroshky (I preferred the sweet over savory) and Pike Place Chowder (better than Boston). It was a slow Monday morning so no flying fish : (
Following that we jumped on a ferry to do some wine tasting in the small town of Bainbridge. The 30 minute ride was relaxing and had fantastic views.
view from the ferry
Walking distance from the boat we found 2-3 tasting rooms. We stopped at Island Vintners which featured wines from 3 local wineries and Eleven Winery. We were very surprised with the high quality of wines sampled and the woman working the Island Vintners room was hilarious.
For our last evening we headed to Bellevue to have apps and drinks at Black Bottle (cool spot) followed by dinner at Din Tai Fung. Din is an award winning Taiwanese run dumpling house that serves up dim sum like dishes all day long. We shared a bunch of entrées like steamed pork soup dumplings, pork buns, shrimp shui mai, green beans and fried rice. Everything tasted great but I gotta admit my favorite thing was the garlic green beans.
We had a blast in Seattle. Shout out to CB & DB for showing us a wonderful time.
Filed under: Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Seattle | Tagged: Bainbridge, black bottle, built burger, daily dozen doughnuts, din tai fung, eleven winery, ferry ride, food, island vintners, Kirkland, palace kitchen, Pike Place Chowder, pike place market, purple cafe, review, seattle, street donuts, tom douglas, travel, underground tour, washington, wine tasting | 3 Comments »
Cambridge: Hungry Mother & Toscanini’s Ice Cream
Posted on September 11, 2011 by bayareafoodie
For our last evening in Boston we headed to Cambridge. We decided to first check out a small restaurant called Hungry Mother that serves up seasonal southern grub. We ordered the following:
GREEN TOMATO GAZPACHO: maine crab salad, cherry tomatoes, cornbread crumbs
FRIED CHICKEN: sautéed collard greens, compressed watermelon, tabasco honey
LOCAL CATCH: summer corn maque choux, cherry tomatoes, lobster-basil emulsion
SKILLET CORNBREAD
All the food was very tasty and well prepared. My favorite was the compressed watermelon. Now I know why the locals love this place.
I highly recommend making a reservation because the space is small. There was a long line when we left.
Rating:
Website: http://www.hungrymothercambridge.com/
We took off without having dessert because I had read about a place a few blocks away that was named by the New York Times as having the best ice cream in the world!
We arrived at Toscanini’s Ice Cream and looked over the menu of over 20 super unique flavors like bourbon flake, salty saffron, vienna finger cookie, bourbon chocolate chip & goat cheese brownie. After trying about 6 my head was spinning and in a hurry to order and not hold up the line any longer I ended up blurting out green tea and cake batter. Yes, two flavors I could easily find at home. Oh, well. Mike won on the selections … he chose salted caramel and fluffernutter which were incredibly good. The ice cream was sooooo rich and creamy that I barely made a dent in my one scoop. It may also be that I had been eating like a pig for 3 days so I had hit a wall…
Note: if you get a small you can still ask for two flavors!
Website: http://www.tosci.com/
Filed under: Boston, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: boston, Cambridge, food, fried chicken, Hungry Mother, restaurant, review, southern, Toscanini's Ice Cream, travel | Leave a comment »
SPORTELLO restaurant & DRINK cocktail bar
Posted on September 5, 2011 by bayareafoodie
On our second evening we ventured to the waterfront area for dinner and drinks at Sportello and Drink, both owned by one of Boston’s most renowned chefs Barbara Lynch.
Sportello (Italian for counter) is a modern Italian take on a diner. The restaurant is composed of almost all counter seating with an open kitchen. The vibe is young and hip…you have to be to sit on a stool for 2 hours : )
We started with the beat, avocado & crab salad and they brought some of the softest bread I’ve ever had along with a cheese, oil & jam concoction that was to die for.
Mains included: tagliatelle pasta with sauce bolognese and fried basil for me and anson mills polenta with wild boar ragu for Mike.
We finished things off by splitting an ice cream sandwich composed of salty pistachio cookies and chocolate gelato (grand combo). All the food was simply prepared and presented but tasted fantastic. I would come back here in a heartbeat. Bravo Barbara!
Website: http://www.sportelloboston.com/
Located under Sportello is the bar Drink. This was the first time we had been to a bar that specializes in the art of cocktails. When you arrive you can’t just belly up to the bar and yell at the bartender. You have to wait for the hostess to show you to a spot either at a stool at the bar, or at the standing only counter tops that run along the walls. Then a server will come and take your order. There is no drink menu (except if you have wine) you simply tell your server your favorite flavors, liquor, or mood you are in and they will return with a drink prepared especially for you by a mixologists. We normally don’t drink cocktails so we had no idea what to order but our server returned with two really nice drinks without much input from us: Gimlet (gin/lime) for Mike and a Bohemian (vodka/grapefruit) for me. This was the perfect ending to our night out.
Website: http://drinkfortpoint.com/
Ratings:
Filed under: Boston, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Barbara Lynch, boston, Cocktail Bar, drink, food, fort point, italian, restaurant, review, SPORTELLO, travel | Leave a comment »
Sam Adams Brewery Tour
Posted on September 3, 2011 by bayareafoodie
BEST FREE TOUR EVER!!!!
If you have time to go out to Jamaica Plain and do this tour I highly recommend it because you get to drink beer for free ~kinda (they suggest that you leave a couple bucks that is donated to the local community).
Mike and I are not big beer drinkers but we still had fun. Our guide was a funny young guy that showed us around their small brewery which is now only used as a testing facility. We were schooled in Sam Adams history, tasted the malts, smelled the hops then went on to try 3 different beers in our free tasting glasses. Yes, more free stuff!
Note: arrive early in the day (b4 noon) or you may not get a tour ticket. No reservations.
Website: http://www.samueladams.com/share-passion/tours.aspx
Filed under: Boston, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: boston, free, review, Sam Adams Brewery Tour, samuel adams beer, travel | Leave a comment »
Mike & Patty’s
Posted on September 2, 2011 by bayareafoodie
if you blink you'll miss this corner store
I had heard that an itty bitty sandwich shop in Boston’s bay village neighborhood serves up some killer breakfast eats so on our way to the Sam Adams brewery tour we stopped by for some morning grub. You don’t want to drink on an empty stomach 😉 !
We ordered 2 sandwiches:
– fancy bacon and egg with cheddar, avocado, red onion and house mayo on toasted multigrain bread
– classic bacon and egg with cheese on an english muffin
We arrived on a Friday around 11am and there was only one person in front of us but it still took at least 20 minutes to get our food. It felt like the dude working the grill was movin’ in slow mo, but I would too because it was like 110 degrees inside the tiny shop. There are a couple stools to sit inside but we chose to sit out on the curb to avoid drippin’ in sweat. If you are in a hurry I’d call your order in.
Both sandos were good but it’s all about the fancy. The spicy chipolte mayo mixed with the cool avocado, salty bacon and oozy egg on toasty bread was a match made in bfast heaven. I will be trying to recreate this at home in the near future!
oh so fancy!
Website: http://www.mikeandpattys.com/
Filed under: Boston, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: bacon and egg fancy, bay village, boston, breakfast sandwiches, food, Mike & Patty’s, restaurant, review, shop, travel | 2 Comments »
Flour Bakery
Posted on September 2, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Joanne Chang is the chef/owner of Flour Bakery. The Harvard grad turned pastry chef beat Bobby Flay in a Sticky Bun throwdown so of course we had to stop by one of her 3 locations to see what all the hype was about. We arrived at 1pm so it was a bit busy with the daily lunch crowd but the line moved fast and there was plenty of seating. I was worried they would have run out of buns by that time but they had a bunch of them stacked on a display. We also ordered the grilled roast chicken sandwich with brie, arugula, roasted red peppers & caramelized onions, a slice of banana bread and a chocolate chip macaroon. The baked goods were good, nothing earth shattering, and the best part of the sandwich was the bread. It was really fresh and nicely toasted. I gotta admit when I tried the sticky bun I was not impressed. It was not straight from the oven so it wasn’t warm and when I took a bite the nutty caramel topping was solid. We decided to take the rest back to our hotel and by the time we returned it had gotten all ooey-gooey in the box due to the summer heat. I gave it another try and it was 10x’s better.
Moral of the story… make sure you ask them to warm it up if you are going to eat it immediately.
THE sticky bun
Website: http://flourbakery.com/
Filed under: Boston, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: bobby flay, boston, Flour Bakery, Joanne Chang, review, sticky bun throwdown, travel | Leave a comment »
Neptune Oyster
Posted on September 1, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Our first meal in Boston had to be seafood and all reviews pointed to Neptune Oyster. I knew ahead of time that it was difficult to get a table because they don’t take reservations and they only have 6 small tables and a long bar. Protocol is to arrive and put your name on the list and wait it out at the park across the street, or come at 4:59pm (like us -it was our first day so we were exhausted from our red eye flight) and grab one of the last remaining tables.
We started off with the fried ipswich clams with lemon tarter sauce and the P.E.I. mussels in a red curry broth. Both were great but I preferred the clams and Mike the mussels. He made sure to order a basket of bread to sop up every drop of that broth. Next up the Maine lobster roll served hot and drenched in butter. I think it could use a tad more butter if you can believe it. I’m so bad… If you don’t want to feel totally piggy nix the fries like we did and order a salad. It’s nice and fresh.
The service, setting and food were all wonderful. I hope to return to try the lobster pasta.
Note: If you like oysters (we don’t) boy do they have oysters …there were too many varieties to count.
Rating:
Website: http://www.neptuneoyster.com/
Filed under: Boston, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: boston, food, FRIED CLAMS, lobster roll, Neptune Oyster, restaurant, review, travel | Leave a comment »
Boston 2011
Posted on August 31, 2011 by bayareafoodie
View from the top of Bunker Hill Monument
We had an awesome trip to Boston the first week of August. We stayed at the Omni Parker House Hotel which is not only in a super location it’s the birthplace of the original Boston Cream Pie! The pie is actually a cake with a custard filling and if you order room service they will bring you a little mini version. So cute! I didn’t realize that the hotel was haunted by Mr. Parker himself until after it was too late to cancel our reservation but luckily we saw no site of him. They say if you want to get a glimpse you must stay on the 10th or 3rd floor. I made sure we stayed clear.
The legendary Boston Cream Pie
The first thing we did when we got off the plane was hit the freedom trail. I signed us up for one of those walking tours with a guide dressed in an 18th century costume. This was a highlight of the trip. Our guide was funny and very informative.
We also took the Upper deck trolley tour and learned very little historic facts. If you have a choice choose the walking tours and if you need transportation get the 7 day T (subway) pass – it’s the best deal ever!
Website: http://www.omnihotels.com/findahotel/bostonparkerhouse.aspx
Website: http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/
Filed under: Boston, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: boston, boston creme pie, freedom trail, haunted, omni parker house hotel, tours, travel | Leave a comment »
Garlic-Pesto, Brie & Onion Burger
Posted on August 30, 2011 by bayareafoodie
We love burgers…this time it was made with beef from our grass-fed beef club. The meat was fantastic. This recipe is from the burger queen herself, Miss Ray. Tasty…but not good for a first date.
Recipe link
Rachael Ray
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: burger, cooking, Don't-Kiss-Me Garlic Burgers, food, Garlic Pesto Brie & Onion Burger, Rachael Ray, RECIPES | 4 Comments »
Project Open Hand Peanut Butter
Posted on August 18, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Project Open Hand peanut butter is all natural, trans-fat free, and contains ONE ingredient – peanuts!
Project Open Hand, a San Francisco non-profit food relief organization that provides meals and groceries to the city’s most vulnerable residents is now selling their popular homemade peanut butter to the Bay Area masses. Check out their story…
Purchase it at Project Open Hand – 730 Polk Street or SF Whole Foods markets.
Also, find the peanut butter featured in Humphry Slocombe ice cream flavor “Open Hand Fluffer Nutter” and Dynamo Donut’s “Open Hand Peanut Buddy” donut!
Project Open Hand provided me with a sample of the honey roasted peanut butter and, WOW, it was the best I’ve ever tasted. I decided to use some of it in a peanut butter milk chocolate pudding dessert. It turned out wonderfully creamy and soooo flavorful. If you can get your hands on some of this stuff you will be a happy camper and supporting a great cause.
Recipe link
Bon Appétit | January 2009
Website: http://www.openhand.org/
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: Bon Appétit, food, homemade, natural, Peanut Butter, peanut butter milk chocolate pudding, Project Open Hand, RECIPES, review, San Francisco non-profit food relief organization, short documentary | Leave a comment »
Old Port Lobster Shack
Posted on August 2, 2011 by bayareafoodie
The Naked Lobster Roll
I gotta get this out before we leave for Boston tomorrow.
Hi, My name is Nicole and I’m a lobstaholic. I can’t believe I’ve lived in the Bay for over 24 years and never heard of the Lobster Shack until late last year.
We finally made the trek to the Redwood City Shack in December 2010.
I didn’t write this post earlier because they are supposed to open a location in Cupertino which is very close to my home so I was going to complete the review after I had tried more of their offerings but as of today it’s still not open (tear)…
When we arrived I was amazed to see a long line outside to get in. Really…at 6pm? Is it that good? After standing for 30 minutes in the cold we placed our order and were seated in a mini picnic table for two. The decor is a classic New England motif filled with fishing gear. You will feel like you have been transported to a fish market on a East Coast pier. We had come for one thing…the lobster rolls. I ordered the naked lobster roll (comes with a side of drawn butter) and Mike the Maine lobster roll (mayo, green onions, salt & pepper). Along with the roll you receive salty crispy fries, slaw and some wicked awesome sweet pickles. The lobster was cooked perfectly and as you can see they give you a generous amount. I only wish the roll was buttered a bit more…luckily I had the side of butter : )
The Maine Lobster Roll
Everything was well worth the wait. I can’t wait to try the steamers and the fried clams!
WARNING TO THE OWNERS: you will see a lot of me when you open your Cupertino location! Please open soon…
Rating:
Website: http://www.oplobster.com/index.htm
Note: they also have a food truck now so you’ll find them rollin’ around the Bay. Their Facebook/Twitter pages have the best updates on its location.
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: bay area, clams, food truck, lobster rolls, maine, Old Port Lobster Shack, redwood city, restaurant, review, travel | 4 Comments »
Lillie Mae’s House of Soul Food
Posted on July 26, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Is there Soul Food in Santa Clara? You know the shabby looking wood building down the street from the San Jose Airport… well, they have a new tenant. Lillie Mae has moved in and is cookin’ up all your soul food favorites like BBQ ribs, brisket, catfish, collard greens, mac & cheese and of course fried chicken.
We arrived early on a Saturday night and as we got out of our car we were blown away by the intense aroma of BBQ. We knew we were in the right place. We headed to the counter ordered our meals then sat and waited for our # to be called. I knew things were going to go well when I saw a variety of hot sauces on the table. The food arrived after about a 15 minute wait. I had the fried chicken with mac & cheese, boomin’ baked beans and cornbread along with sweet tea. Mike chose the beef brisket/bbq chicken combo with collard greens, sweet potato fries and cornbread along with grape kool-aid. Yes…we went all in, taking no prisoners.
Let me start with a blow-by blow of my dinner. The fried chicken was just how I make it. Nothing fancy just downright good. Salty crispy skin and tender chicken. My mac was peppery and super cheesy and the baked beans were some of the best I’ve ever had — very unique rendition that tasted like sweet chili with big chunks of hamburger. They should change the name to Bangin’ baked beans! I had enough leftovers to take home for lunch the next day.
Mike on the other hand cleaned his plate. The smokey brisket & chicken was demolished along with the vinegary collard greens that he adored. The fries were standard fare and the only downer for Mike and I was the cornbread. It had a weird yeasty flavor. Everyone seems to rave over it so maybe we just got a bad batch.
We were really surprised to find tasty soul food in such an unexpected location (if you’ve been to Santa Clara you know what I’m talking about… let’s just say it’s not very soulful). Next time I’m leaving room for dessert…love me some peach cobbler!
Note: If you are into chicken & waffles they have them on the weekends. To avoid lines come early (b4 7pm).
Rating:
Website: http://www.houseofsoulfood.net/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: ca, fried chicken, Lillie Mae's House of Soul Food, mac & cheese, restaurant, review, san jose airport, santa clara, soul food | Leave a comment »
Dishcrawl San Jose
Posted on July 22, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Dishcrawl is a new company that hosts walking food tours in select cities across the Bay Area. I love a good food tour where you get to sample new and unique eats. Mike and I decided to go on the San Jose crawl on Tuesday June 28, 2011 at 7pm. Each crawl features 4 destinations.
Our night started off at Billy Berk’s large outdoor seating area where we checked in and got our dishcrawl team assignment (we began as one large group then split into 2 smaller 30+ person groups). We stayed here 1 hour and were able to have cocktails (not included in price) and sampled Billy’s American fare which included very good flatbreads and so-so fried zucchini.
Next we walked to House of Siam a Thai restaurant maybe 2 blocks away. After we took off our shoes (thank goodness I wore socks!) we were seated and ate a plate of fried sweet potatoes, a pickled salad and a spicy chicken curry (I think….we were not given any formal description of what we were eating). We were here for 45 minutes which left plenty of time (maybe too much) to chit chat with our fellow crawlers.
Then we were off to the Eat On Monday food truck which was parked a few blocks away to nosh on fried pork sandwiches with wasabi slaw, beef tacos and churros with strawberry sauce. This was our favorite spot of the night.
Last stop was the Dishcrawl San Jose office to nibble on Li’l Puffs Artisan marshmallows (they don’t have a storefront). They served up mini smore’s cupcakes as well as marshmallows.
The evening lasted about 2.5 hours and was co-hosted with LikeList who gave us some cool parting gifts (tshirts/flashlights). The Dishcrawl organizers are young, energetic and ready to have a good time. The majority of the people on our tour were in their 20’s to early 30’s but there were a handful of older folks like us. Although outnumbered we didn’t feel out of place. Overall it was a fun time.
The only drawback I see is that they don’t let you know where you are going until the last minute – if at all. In the first few months they were good about telling you what restaurants you were visiting but now they don’t say anything until maybe 4 days before. If you watch their twitter feed you might find a couple hints. I don’t know about you but I’m not interested in crawling to a bunch of places I’ve already been so I didn’t order our tickets until 2 days before the event.
They seems to add new cities and states every month so there is bound to be a Dishcrawl you would like to check out. I look forward to seeing what they have planned for Saratoga, Mike’s old stomping grounds.
Website: http://www.dishcrawl.com/
Our night in pics:
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: dishcrawl, food, san jose, tour, travel, Walking Tour | Leave a comment »
Strawberry Blintz Ebelskivers
Posted on July 18, 2011 by bayareafoodie
The ebelskivers are back and better than ever! Imagine a blintz and a pancake all rolled into one. These were over the top good. We again saved a little time by using the Williams Sonoma mix. The recipe suggests using 1 tsp. of filling but use close to 2 …you’ll thank me.
Ebelskivers from the past…
Chocolate Ebelskivers
Cinnamon-Bun Ebelskiver
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, breakfast, ebelskiver, food, RECIPES, Strawberry Blintz Ebelskivers | Leave a comment »
The French Laundry
Posted on July 17, 2011 by bayareafoodie
What did we do for our 5 year wedding anniversary? We went to one of the best restaurants in the world…the French Laundry owned by Chef Thomas Keller!! How did we get a reservation? See below. It was a gorgeous July day in the Napa valley when we arrived for our three hour lunch. As we entered we were welcomed, congratulated on our anniversary and promptly escorted upstairs to our table. We were the first to arrive to the small dining room. As our waiter described the menu the other 4 tables in our area filled with guests from China, Florida, Arizona and New York but no VIPs or celebrities. Due to the close proximity of the tables it was easy to hear the conversations around us especially the woman who decided she was going to make and receive phone calls during the first half of her meal (she did keep them short but still so rude!).
Deciding what to order was easy as we were not going to do any of the supplements and for the few courses that we had a choice we chose one of each so we could try everything served that day. Mike instantly fell in love with the 100+ page wine list presented on an Apple ipad (the technology not the prices…). He decided on two half bottles to accompany our meal. We started with a Lazy Creek Riesling and ended with a Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel. Together they ran about $125 and were some of the cheapest bottles on the list which brought our total bill to $720. Both wines were wonderful but the Black Chicken blew us away so much that we are going to visit the winery next week.
The menu for 7.8.2011
Amuse-bouche #1
Gruyère Cheese Puffs
Amuse-bouche #2
Salmon Tartare atop a Crème Fraiche Filled Poppyseed Cone
Course #1
“ O Y S T E R S A N D P E A R L S ”
“Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar
Course #2
S A L A D O F H A W A I I A N H E A R T S O F P A L M
Lychee, French laundry Garden Cucumber and Greek Basil
Course #3
A T L A N T I C C O D “C O N F I T A L A M I N U T E”
Brentwood Corn Mousse, Summer Squash, Parsley Shoots and Demi-Sec Tomatoes
Course #4
S W E E T B U T T E R – P O A C H E D M A I N E L O B S T E R T A I L
Charred Leek, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Piedmont Hazelnuts and Vanilla-Sauternes Emulsion
S A N T A B A R B A R A S P O T P R A W N S
Green Mission Fig, Young Coconut, Hass Avocado, Red Jalapeno and Cilantro
Course #5
L I B E R T Y F A R M P E K I N D U C K
“Confit de Canard,” Steamed Bun, Nantes Carrots, Radish, Edamame and “Sauce Japanaise”
D E V I L ‘S G U L C H R A N C H “E P A U L E D E L A P I N”
Summer Pole Beans, Smoked Garlic Puree and Hobbs’ Bacon “Jus”
Course #6
S N A K E R I V E R F A R M S “C A L O T T E D E B O E U F G R I L L E E”
“Pommes Darphin,” Chanterelle Mushrooms “a la Greque,” Quail Egg and English Peas
Course #7
“B R I L L A T S A V A R I N”
Pistachio “Pain de Genes,” Celery Branch and French Laundry Garden Strawberries
Course #8
N E C T A R I N E S O R B E T
Earl Grey Tea “Granite,” Honey and Grilled Nectarines
Course #9
C A R A M É L I A C H O C O L A T E “ C R È M E U X ”
Gros Michel Banana, Georgia Peanuts, “Dentelle” and Salted Popcorn Ice Cream
“Î L E F L O T T A N T E”
Lemongrass, Meiwa Kumquat, Black Sesame and Ginger “Anglaise”
ANNIVERSARY BANANA CAKE
M I G N A R D I S E S:
6 Truffles (hazelnut, cherry, ginger, meyer lemon, olive oil, peanut butter & jelly)
Cold Espresso with Cappuccino Foam & Sugar Doughnuts
Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts from Hawaii
PARTING GIFT:
Shortbread Cookies
Our experience in photos:
Lunch, like dinner, includes a couple Amuse-bouche items followed by 9 courses and concludes with Mignardises which are bite-size desserts. All the dishes were prepared perfectly and arrived at timely intervals. Mike’s favorite course was the devil’s gulch rabbit. He oohed and aahed through every bite. The thing I enjoyed most I hate to say was the desserts. Even though the beef melted in my mouth the caramel mousse with salted popcorn ice cream was off the charts. At the end of our meal we also received a small banana cake for our anniversary. As it was being placed on the table Mike told the server that banana was the top tier of our wedding cake which the server in turn said with a smile…we did our research. It was a nice coincidence.
About the service…you would think that a place that requires men to wear a jacket even at lunch (in California) would be uptight and stuffy, but our servers were all super friendly, down to earth and casual in their approach. They didn’t speak only when spoken to but engaged us in conversation about where we were from, how long we would be in town and what other plans we had while in town. We found that very refreshing.
Lunch vs. dinner… I was psyched that we got a reservation on our exact anniversary date but mildly disappointed that we didn’t get an evening seating. After finishing our meal we were extremely pleased that we had come for lunch because we were stuffed. We didn’t even finish half of our Mignardises and couldn’t imagine having to go to bed immediately following that food marathon. We couldn’t eat for the rest of the day. Another bonus was prior to the sweet portion of our meal we were offered the opportunity to stretch our legs. Being able to take a short walk outside in the sun and check out the garden across the street was just what we needed after 2 hours of sitting and probably not an option if dining late at night. I wouldn’t change a thing about our time spent at the French Laundry.
Rating:
Website: http://www.frenchlaundry.com/
How to get a reservation at one of the 16 tables? Perseverance is the key… just keep trying and you will get in. I read all the tips online about how to get an elusive reservation. It really was not as difficult as everyone says. It may not be the exact time you want but you will get something, especially if you are in the area for a long weekend… although booking a table for 2 is more difficult than 4+ because they have fewer small tables. 2 months to the calendar date I began dialing at 9:58am (they open at 10am) and was able to get through to a reservation agent by 10:20ish. On the two days I called all reasonable times for dinner (before 9pm) were taken but lunch and late night dining was available. I ultimately went with a lunch opening I found on opentable because Mike goes to bed early and I didn’t want him sleeping through dinner. On opentable reservations would randomly pop up between 9:30-10:20am. Another option is to have your hotel or credit card concierge call, but in my case both only got me wait-listed. I don’t think they are hitting the phone lines at 10am…
In the late 1920′s the building housed a French steam laundry
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: best restaurant in the world, food, how to get a reservation at the french laundry, napa, review, The French Laundry, thomas keller, travel, wine, Yountville | 1 Comment »
Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary
Posted on July 3, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Our glorious grass fed beef club sent us these bad boys. First time making lamb shanks in our house and we will be making them again. Fall off the bone yumminess!
Recipe link
Bon Appétit | February 1997
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: Bon Appétit, Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary, Grass-fed Beef club, Long Meadow Ranch | Leave a comment »
Top Chef Tour in San Jose
Posted on June 29, 2011 by bayareafoodie
The Top Chef demo tent
Last week I went to check out the Top Chef Tour since it was in San Jose just a couple blocks from where I work. I gotta say Bravo did a pretty poor job promoting it. I only found out because I happened to catch a tweet a week before. It was held in the back of a strip mall and if you didn’t look for it you wouldn’t know it was there. There was no visible signage from the street. The event showcased cooking demos throughout the day and the one I attended was only half full. Maybe since it was the last leg of a 28 day tour they were too pooped to put much effort into it.
The 45 minute demo consisted of a quickfire challenge between Fabio Viviani from season 5 and Ryan Scott from Season 4 (on the left). Although the crowds were lacking the Italian stallion Fabio still put on a great performance. He was just like he appeared on TV, very outgoing and the life of the party. The ingredient they both had to use was wild Salmon. While they cooked they chatted about life on Top Chef as well as what they are doing now. At the end we got to eat and their dishes were judged by Chef Jim Stump of LG brewery, food blogger Carolyn Jung plus one person from the audience. Ryan won easily. All 3 judges chose him as the winner but I think being a local SF chef gave him an edge. I thought both guys had a little something going for them… I liked Ryan’s fish and Fabio’s topping.
They tasted better than they look...
All in all it was a fun way to spend my lunch hour and I’m glad there wasn’t a bunch of Fabio groupies to deal with!
Check out Ryan in the city at his food truck 3-SUM EATS and his new brunch spot Brunch Drunk Love.
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: 2011, Fabio Viviani, quickfire challenge, Ryan Scott, san jose, Top Chef Tour | Leave a comment »
Clearly Fresh Produce Storage Bags
Posted on June 16, 2011 by bayareafoodie
I’m always looking for ways to keep my CSA greens from dying. When the manufacturers of Clearly Fresh bags contacted me with claims that they had a bag with BreatheWay® packaging technology that would help my produce last 50% longer I jumped at the chance to try it.
After looking at the bag sample I had some serious reservations that it would work because it was just a regular zip lock bag with a hole covered by a sticker.
I decided to do a side-by-side comparison with two bushels of spinach I received in my CSA delivery.
DAY 1 - Bushel #1 goes into a Clearly Fresh bag, Bushel #2 does not
The BreatheWay membrane (big sticker) acts as an Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide passageway – allowing just the right amount of oxygen in and much more carbon dioxide out permitting produce to naturally create their own ideal atmosphere for storage life extension.
DAY 7 - Clearly Fresh Spinach on left, Non-bagged Spinach on Right
Clearly Fresh Spinach - Lookin' good!
Non-bagged Spinach - Lookin' sad....
There was a clear difference between the two spinach bushels on day 7. The one not in the bag had wilted and became limp and dry. I ended up throwing out a good portion of it. The Clearly Fresh spinach was crisp and healthy looking. It’s appearance had not not changed much from day 1. I think the pictures speak for themselves.
It really works! Clearly Fresh Bags… I thank you for the sample and so does my produce!
Website: http://www.clearlyfreshbags.com/
For a limited time visit the Clearly Fresh website and get 15% off your purchase. Use offer code: BAF15
Discount ends July 4, 2011.
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: Clearly Fresh Produce Storage Bags, food, review, save produce | Leave a comment »
Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble
Posted on June 13, 2011 by bayareafoodie
For the first time we received a few stalks of rhubarb in our CSA. I had never cooked it before so went on a search for a recipe. There was a trend to use it in a compote or baked good (pie/cake) and almost always with strawberries. I decided to go with the easiest and fastest …. a crumble.
It turned out really tasty and super sweet. Rhubarb looks like red celery and I didn’t taste it raw but it’s supposed to be tart, so to compensate the recipe used a lot of sugar. With a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream (we tried both) it makes for the perfect summer dessert.
Modifications we made: we used walnuts and added a little corn starch to the filling to keep it from getting runny per the comments others made.
Recipe link
Bon Appétit | May 2010
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, Bon Appétit, dessert, food, may 2010, recipe, RECIPES, Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble | 1 Comment »
Avocado Ice Cream
Posted on June 6, 2011 by bayareafoodie
As soon as I saw Rick Bayless’s avocado ice cream on Top Chef Masters in 2009 I knew one day I would make it. When I received a box of lovely ripe avocados from the California Avocado Commission this recipe instantly popped back into my head.
I decided to cut the recipe in half and initially used two avocados but when I tried the final product it was more of a icy sorbet and the tequila was a bit over-powering. Not what I was going for so Mike suggested that I add another blended avocado to the mix. I did and the result was perfect…creamy, sweet avocado with a hint of tequila. This ice cream would be great as a “palate cleanser” during a multi course meal.
To ensure you are getting the best most nutritious avocados INSIST ON CALIFORNIA AVOCADOS!
Note: I received these avocados courtesy of the California Avocado Commission as part of the Foodbuzz tastemaker program.
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: Avocado Ice Cream, California Avocado Commission, dessert, food, foodbuzz, recipe, rick bayless, Top chef masters | 3 Comments »
Burgers with Blue Cheese Mayo and Sherry Vidalia Onions
Posted on June 5, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Mmmm Mmmm good. The sherry onions were the best part. Even though summer is no where to be seen in the Bay Area we still BBQ’d in the rain this weekend.
Recipe link
Cooking Light Magazine /June 2011
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bbq, Burgers with Blue Cheese Mayo and Sherry Vidalia Onions, cooking light, everyday, food, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Tres Agaves Margarita Kit
Posted on June 4, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Tres Agaves, a local Tequila producer, contacted me to see if I wanted to try out their new margarita kit. They must of known I needed a drink! Tres Agaves’ entire product line has been carefully designed to help people make a delicious margarita at home using the only agave nectar that is cocktail-ready – in addition to their award-winning line of tequilas.
The kit makes over 12 margaritas and includes: Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila (100% agave /unaged), Cocktail-Ready Organic Agave Nectar and a custom lime squeezer.
What makes the lime squeezer special? Built in measuring cups! Smart design.
The Tres Agaves Margarita
– 2 ounces Tres Agaves Blanco tequila
– 1 ounce agave syrup
– 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
Shake with ice and strain into a glass with fresh ice.
This was a fabulous margarita. It had the perfect balance of sweetness to alcohol and I had a nice buzz after only one drink. Best part it’s low in calories! I think I see the next fad diet…
Website: http://www.tresagaves.com/
Note: If you are too lazy to squeeze the limes and pour the nectar try the 68 calorie margarita mix.
Filed under: Cocktails, RECIPES | Tagged: cocktails, drinks, Margarita Kit, review, Tequila, Tres Agaves | Leave a comment »
5 Minute Focaccia Mix
Posted on May 31, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Mike’s childhood friend, Claudia Pruett, dropped off samples of her new product called 5 Minute Focaccia Mix. We received all 4 flavors (original,rosemary,raisin,choc chip) but decided to go with rosemary for our first time.
only 3 ingredients needed: mix,sparkling water,oil
Here is a video of us making the fragrant and yummy rosemary bread.
The process was fast & easy but the end result although tasty was a little thinner than expected. Along with the mix Claudia gave us some focaccia she had prepared and it was wonderfully thick and spongy. We are attributing the difference to the rising time because she said she lets the dough rise overnight and we only let it sit for 4.5 hours. It probably needs 7-10.
Focaccia can result in a very oily texture. We wanted to try and make it a little less so we used half the amount of oil called for. The dough did soak up a lot of the oil so next time we will probably use a little more than half.
Buy the A Tavola Together 5 minute focaccia mix here! If you’re local I’ve also seen it at the Los Gatos NapaStyle store.
Check out her cookbook too!
Website: http://www.atavolatogether.com/
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: 5 Minute Focaccia Mix, A Tavola Together, baking, food, Italian home cooking, RECIPES | 1 Comment »
Mrs. DeLish’s Cupcake Boutique
Posted on May 27, 2011 by bayareafoodie
A friend (Thanks Julie!) brought Mike and I a sampling of cupcakes from Mrs. Delish’s cupcake boutique. She felt they were better than Sprinkles….
Here is what we got:
Red Velvet – good frosting & cake but tasted like a cupcake I could make at home.
Coconut/Coconut – best of the bunch..loved the toasted coconut on top. I’d even say better than Sprinkles.
Espresso – ok flavor but I wouldn’t pay to have it again.
Cherry Bomb – really didn’t taste like anything at all except peanuts which coated the top. (I chose this flavor because I liked the name. I had just seen the Joan Jett movie “The Runaways” – As we ate this you could here me chant ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb!)
Overall better than Sprinkles…not a chance.
Website: http://www.mrsdelishs.com/
Filed under: Monterey Peninsula, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: baking, cupcakes, monterey, Mrs DeLish's Cupcake Boutique, review, travel | Leave a comment »
Long Meadow Ranch Grass-fed Beef Club
Posted on May 26, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Yes, we like meat!
As stated in my Farmstead post we were impressed with the beef served so we decided to join the Long Meadow Ranch grass-fed meat club. There are many advantages to eating grass-fed meat: lower fat & calories plus it’s rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. We signed up in December and received our first shipment in late January. Since we spend so much time in Napa we actually pick up our shipments to save the $30 shipping fee. Each delivery contains 12+ lbs. of meat and is approx. $100. We feel this is a good price for the quality. When I saw our first shipment I thought there was no way 2 people would be able to eat it all but by the time the second batch arrived 3 months later we had consumed everything.
Shipment #1 - frozen & vacuum sealed
I gotta say there is some getting use to eating grass-fed beef. It is super lean and depending on the cut can be chewy and gamey in flavor. My favorites so far have been the stir fry, lamb shanks and the NY steak (pics to come in future posts). They were delicious. Even though we used the stew meat in a slow cooking Texas chili the meat was a little dry and our bbq’d London broil was a bit tough and gamey. Overall we have been very happy with the beef. I will update this post once we have received all four 2011 shipments.
Note: Grass-fed beef cooks much faster than corn/grain fed on the bbq so shorten the cooking time by like 2-4 minutes or you will overcook it!
2011 Shipments:
| January, 2011: | Winter: “Stews, Soups, and Comfort” Stew Meat (4lbs) Lamb Shanks (4lbs) London Broils (4 London Broils) |
| April, 2011: | Spring: “Family Packs” Stir Fry Strips (4 lbs) NY Steaks (6 Steaks) |
| June, 2011: | Summer: “Summer BBQ “ Ground Beef (6 lbs) Hot Dogs (5 lbs) Ranch Hand Filets (8 Filets) |
| October, 2011: | Fall: “Holiday Entertaining” Chateaubriand (4 Chateaubriands) Petite Tenderloins (4 Petite Tenderloins) |
Things we have made:
Texas chili made with our stew meat
London broil just off the BBQ
Join the club here: http://www.longmeadowranch.com/Clubs/Grazier-Membership
**You can also just order beef from their website without joining the club.
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: bbq, food, Grass-fed Beef club, Long Meadow Ranch, napa, steaks | Leave a comment »
Farmstead Restaurant
Posted on May 25, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I had lunch at Farmstead on one of our many trips to Napa to work on our Crushpad wine. The restaurant is unique because it sources many of the ingredients from Long Meadow Ranch including all-natural grass-fed beef, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and honey. If you venture outside they also have a garden and a chicken coop with some of the cleanest and attractive chickens I have ever seen. They serve a seasonal American menu in a modern renovated barn.
The day we arrived the special was a pulled pork sandwich with blue cheese slaw (yes, please!). Mike went with the burger with california cheddar and arugula which is pretty notorious. When they arrived they looked so good we ended up splitting the two. Both were fantastic! To push us over the top we concluded with the scrumptious chocolate cream pie.
Because we were so impressed with the meat we ate we decided to give the LMR grass fed beef club a try. So far we have received our first two shipments and we are lovin’ it.
Bonus: there is no corkage fee at Farmstead; instead a $2 per bottle fee is collected as a donation to a featured local community-building not-for-profit organization each month.
Note: Be sure to stop by next door for a tasting of wine at Long Meadow Ranch. The wine is good and the woman pouring (at least on the day we went) was a hoot.
Website: http://www.longmeadowranch.com/Farmstead-Restaurant
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Farmstead Restaurant, food, Long Meadow Ranch, napa, review, travel | Leave a comment »
Zero Zero Restaurant
Posted on May 13, 2011 by bayareafoodie
We were in the city checking out the wine exhibit (which was pretty cool) at SFMOMA. After we needed to eat so I jumped on Yelp to see what was in walking distance and I was pleasantly surprised to find Zero Zero. I had heard many good things about their food. We arrived at 2pm just in time to catch the tail end of the Saturday brunch service.
We decided to go with a couple pizzas as well as the special of the day: short rib hash, fried egg & mini biscuits. Who would pass that up?!
Top: Castro - Sopressata, Sausage, Mozzarella, Basil....... Bottom: Margherita
Everything was delicious. I especially loved the Castro pie which had really creamy cheese. We of course left room for dessert — the make your own sundae! Following your meal you receive a mini golf pencil and a piece of paper filled with scrumptious toppings. We could not decide on just one so we made two, half-orders (which were huge).
We are oh so bad…………
#1 Straus organic soft serve vanilla ice cream with Chamomile Poached Strawberries and sugar coated Ricotta Doughnuts on the side.
#2 Straus organic soft serve vanilla/chocolate swirled ice cream with Chocolate Lava Cake and Bacon Brittle.
These were oh so good………..
Some talk about how great the ice cream is but really it’s all about the toppings! Tell me your mouth is not watering…
Website: http://www.zerozerosf.com/
By the way there were 3 people eating so don’t think we are total pigs…
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: Bacon Brittle, food, pizza, restaurant, review, San Francisco, Straus organic soft serve ice cream, travel, Zero Zero | Leave a comment »
Heaven’s Dog
Posted on May 12, 2011 by bayareafoodie
A friend from LA was in town for business and staying near the Moscone center. I needed to find a place to go for dinner and drinks on a Friday night near by with only a few days notice. Heaven’s dog was one of the few restaurants I could make a reservation before 9pm and I had read that they were known for their cocktails and our friend is all about getting her drink on. I figured a Charles Phan spot had to be a safe option. He is the chef behind the famed Slanted door.
I gotta say I wasn’t impressed with the location. SOMA is not the nicest area. We had a hard time finding the restaurant as it is small with minimal signage. Inside it was modern, dimly lit, decorated in vibrant orange and brown colors and the walls were covered in cute paintings of dogs.
They serve Chinese food here unlike the Vietnamese at Slanted door. Since they had a good selection of dim sum items and apps we decided to order a bunch and share.
What we got:
shanghai dumplings – good but I’ve had better
salt & pepper local squid – delish…favorite of the night
stuffed sweet peppers w/crab, shrimp, shallots – nothing special
braised pork belly in clam shell bun – yum… we had to get a 2nd order
black pepper flat iron steak, red onions, bell pepper – tasty but not as good as the Slanted door shaking beef
shumai pork, shrimp and shiitake dumplings – a little dry
wild mushrooms w/ noodles – oh so good
lemon tart – nice… I was hoping for a more Asian inspired dessert but this is all they had
As for the drinks they were a hit with our friend. I thought my 2 rum cocktails (Savannah Planters Punch/Bumble Bee) tasted too similar. I actually preferred the wine Mike ordered. All in all it was a fun night. We hung out for over 2 hours and were not rushed. The environment is very chill. This would be the perfect spot to get a bite & a drink after work, before a show or late night.
Note: park at the SOMA grand parking garage next door. They validate!
Rating:
Website: http://www.heavensdog.com/main/HD.html
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: charles phan, chinese, cocktails, dim sum, food, Heaven's Dog, restaurant, review, San Francisco, travel | Leave a comment »
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Posted on April 25, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Whoopie! Mike gave me this Red Velvet whoopie pie mix for xmas. We decided to wait and make them for a party we were attending because I didn’t want to be tempted to eat them all… which I would have easily done.
The directions were easy to follow and they turned out like expected (although a bit stingy with the filling mixture – I could have used a tad more). They were a hit at the party.
You can pick up a batch at Sur la table
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, dessert, everyday, food, RECIPES, Red Velvet Whoopie Pie, stonewall kitchen, whoopie pies | Leave a comment »
Tropica Restaurant
Posted on April 16, 2011 by bayareafoodie
This Tropica Restaurant image ©Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Kaanapali
For our one special dinner out in Maui we decided to eat at Tropica, our hotel restaurant because it was outdoors overlooking the beach and had a lovely prix fixe menu. We were seated at a romantic table with a fantastic view of the water 20 minutes before sunset.
We decided to start the night off with cocktails. Not something we usually do but it was early and we wanted to take in the scene. I chose a cocotini (like a coconut martini) which rocked my world. I can’t even remember what Mike had because we were all about the cocotini! You gotta try one.
view from our table
After our drinks we proceeded to order the 3 course tasting menu with wine pairings, which was very reasonably priced for Maui.
First course:
Lobster Chowder - tabasco butter, chives, smoked bacon. Served with Sonoma Curter Chardonnay, 2007, Russian River Ranches
Pohaku Seared Beef - prime flatiron steak served on a hot cooking stone, ponzu, kula onion confit. Served with Charles Smith, "The Velvet Devil" merlot, 2007, Columbia Valley, Washington
I chose the soup which was creamy and rich and had lobster so I was super happy. Mike’s steak arrived sizzlin’ … be sure to take cover with a napkin because oil and beef juice flies everywhere. Mike loved the beef even though he had to “shout out” his shirt when we got home.
Mains:
Oriental Mushroom Linguini - grilled tiger shrimp, hamakua hon shimeji mushrooms, asparagus, mushroom sake broth. Serves with Lioco Chardonnay, 2007, Sonoma
Ahi - charboiled to medium rare, roasted tomato cous cous, sea beans, mushrooms, opal basil reduction. Served with Cartlidge & Browne, 08 Pinot, CA
My pasta was delicious with giant plump shrimp in a light tasty broth. Mike’s tuna was cooked perfectly and he cleaned his plate.
Dessert:
Green Tea Creme Brulee- grilled pineapple, berries, vanilla anglaise
Pineapple Fritters -fresh pineapple-apple banana donuts, raspberry, coconut
By the time dessert arrived I was stuffed to the gills and buzzed (by the way, the wine pairings were right on point). I could barely eat another morsel which was good because dessert was the weakest course of the night. The creme brulee was pretty good but the fritters were just okay with not much flavor. It did not damper the meal though (for the price we paid it was like the dessert was free anyway). We left very satisfied and would definitely return.
Note: The 3 course tasting menu is available ONLY from 5-6 pm and 8:30-9:30pm ($33/person or $43 with wine) Wednesdays – Sundays. Make a reservation!
Rating:
Website: http://www.westinmaui.com/dining/tropica/
Filed under: Maui, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: dining, food, hawaii, HI, Lahaina, Maui, menu, ocean view, prix fixe, restaurant, review, tasting menu, travel, Tropica, Westin Maui Resort | Leave a comment »
Hali’imaile General Store
Posted on April 13, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Bev Gannon is a super famous chef on Maui so we decided to give one of her many restaurants a try. We headed to the Hali’imaile General Store which serves up fresh island cuisine in a refurbished plantation store located Upcountry in the middle of nowhere.
We started off with the popular Sashimi Napoleon:
Crispy won tons layered with smoked salmon, Ahi tartar, sashimi and wasabi vinaigrette.
Then we shared the Chinese Chicken Salad:
Grilled chicken breast sliced over island greens, tossed with baby corn, water chestnuts, curried coconut, raisins and cashews with a sweet oriental dressing. Topped with crispy fried wonton strips.
We made sure to leave room for dessert….Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (the real reason I chose to come here)
A caramelized Maui Gold pineapple baked with a buttery vanilla pound cake. Served warm with whipped cream.
The food was fresh and delicious. I’d make the drive again just for dessert – oh so decadent. If you are looking for a tasty meal off the beaten path check out the general store.
Website: http://bevgannonrestaurants.com/haliimaile/
Filed under: Maui, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Bev Gannon, food, Hali'imaile General Store, Haliimaile, hawaii, HI, Maui, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, restaurant, review, Sashimi Napoleon, travel | Leave a comment »
Geste Shrimp Truck
Posted on April 8, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Finger lickin’ good! Who would have thought that one of the best meals I had in Maui would be served from a truck? I read all the stellar reviews about the Geste Shrimp truck on Yelp and had to give it a try. It is located less than 10 minutes from my sisters’ house on the side of the road next to the beach. All I have to say is …prepare to get dirty! Since they leave the shells on the shrimp there is a bit of work to do before you can grub, but it’s well worth it. I think leaving the shell on keeps the shrimp from getting dried out. They were plump and tender. We tried 3 out of the 4 flavors (hawaiian scampi, spicy pineapple, lemon-pepper). I really enjoyed them all but if I had to chose a favorite I would go with the scampi. I love garlic! Next visit…I’ll be back.
scampi
lemon-pepper
spicy pineapple
Tip: If you have a big order call in ahead of time and avoid a wait. They like that! Also, don’t wait till the end of the day because they do run out.
Kahului Beach Rd
Kahului, HI 96732
(808) 298-7109
Tue-Sat 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
http://www.yelp.com/biz/geste-shrimp-truck-kahului
Filed under: Maui, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: food truck, Geste Shrimp Truck, hawaii, hawaiian scampi, Kahului Beach Rd, lemon-pepper, Maui, spicy pineapple, travel | 1 Comment »
Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice
Posted on April 6, 2011 by bayareafoodie
The Lahaina
Shave ice… where have you been all my life? Don’t be confused…shave (not shaved :cool:) ice is nothing like a snow cone. Forget about sugary syrup and chunky ice cubes piled into a paper cone that leaks from the bottom. Shave ice takes fun frozen treats to a whole new level. While in Maui we finally tried Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice which prides itself on using high quality ice and additive-free syrups made from local ingredients. Mike and I shared a small “Lahaina” which includes 3 tropical flavors: Pineapple, Coconut & Banana — I wish we got a large. It was super flavorful and melted in our mouths. And if you can believe it, it had a creamy consistency that was truly delicious.
Note: All shave ice is not created equal so be sure to go to Ululani’s!
I don't want to share...
Website: http://ululanisshaveice.com/
Filed under: Maui, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: HI, Lahaina, Maui, review, travel, Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice | 1 Comment »
Enoteca La Storia Wine Bar
Posted on March 31, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Did you know there was a new wine bar in Los Gatos? Me neither… okay, well it’s almost a year old but still fairly new. A couple people had asked me if I had been but I didn’t know where it was. Then I finally figured out it was not in the main downtown area that I walk every week but in a shopping center on the “other side” of Highway 9. Enoteca La Storia is operated by two ex- Santana Row Vintage Wine Merchant managers. Mike and I love that shop so we expected to love this establishment too. We stopped in one night late last year and had a leisurely dinner. They had a diverse group of customers… before 7pm the over 50 crowd, after 7pm the 30-somethings arrived. The menu included a variety of wines by the glass/bottle, cured meats, cheeses, salads and sandwiches.
We ate (good prices & portions)…
– Pesto crostini – average
– Porchetta panini – great
– Alba panini – good
– Gorgonzola salad – fresh and huge. Feeds 2 easily.
– Carrot cake – just ok (but I’ve never been a big fan)
and we drank (small pours are very generous)…
– Sparkling Rose – awesome!
– 09′ lambrusco – a sparkling red from Italy, very interesting and refreshing, like drinking an dark fruity Italian soda
– St clair 09 – stinky nose, slightly sweet, a bit light for Mike
– Stoller Pinot 07 – very musty and earthy nose, sweet cherry taste, silky finish- a bit light for Mike
– Cain concept 06 – favorite of the night- big and bold, velvety finish, cedar nose, dark plum taste
– 08 menhir salento nzero – full bodied, sweet fruit of plum and berry, very nice
Note: the menu doesn’t say it but the sandos come with a little salad so it wasn’t necessary for us to order one…
We really enjoyed our first visit so much that we came back a few weeks later for a evening drink. We arrived around 9pm on a Friday and all the seats at the bar and tables were taken. We stood at the bar for a bit but no one would help us. People behind the bar would make eye contact, smile but then keep on with whatever they were doing. I was hoping for an — I’ll be with you in a minute or some kind of acknowledgment but we received nothing and ended up leaving.
I guess if you are not seated you get no service. Reading other reviews now on Yelp it looks like someone is supposed to work the front door to regulate patrons but that didn’t occur on the 2 nights we went…it left a bad taste in my mouth but we will try again in the future now that we know the procedure.
Rating:
Website: http://www.enotecalastoria.com/
Note 4/2/11: We went again and had a great visit … see the comments section for the updates.
Filed under: Los Gatos, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Enoteca La Storia, Los Gatos, restaurant, review, santana row, Vintage Wine Merchant, wine bar | 2 Comments »
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits
Posted on March 8, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Today they are celebrating Fat Tuesday in New Orleans so here is a little Big Easy flavor for you. This Shrimp and Grits recipe is super easy and fast to prepare – you’ll be done in less than 20 minutes! How can you go wrong with plump garlicky shrimp and cheesy grits? You can’t….this was wonderful.
Note: next time I will double the sauce.
Recipe link
Food Network magazine, December 2010
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: everyday, Fat Tuesday, food, food network magazine, Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits, NOLA, recipe | Leave a comment »
Town Hall Restaurant
Posted on March 3, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I hit up Town Hall before checking out a screening in the City. I had heard good things about Town Hall especially the fried chicken and the Pot de Crème.
After looking over the New Orleans inspired menu Mike immediately decided he wanted to start off with the Buttermilk biscuits with Johnston family country ham & red pepper jelly. I was worried that it would be a bit heavy since I was ordering the fried chicken, and there was a nice bread basket already on the table, but when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised. On the plate were 3 teeny tiny biscuits (smaller than a quarter), ham that was thinly sliced like prosciutto and some killer jelly.<sorry no picture>
For the main course Mike chose the de-constructed seafood étouffée. It looked lovely but I can’t tell you how it tasted because Mike inhaled it before giving me a bite.
Seafood étouffée -Louisiana shrimp, scallop, rockfish, crispy rice, scallions
Now on to my buttermilk fried chicken with Anson Mills grits, bacon gravy & collard greens… The chicken was sensational. Crispy and super salty – just how I like it. Mike’s reaction to the greens… “it’s like a 5 alarm fire.” It definitely brought the heat but was a nice accompaniment to the chicken cause I usually like mine with some hot sauce. The grits were creamy and delicious but the bacon gravy needed more bacon.
Then came dessert – we decided to get two because everyone says you have to try the Butterscotch and Chocolate Pot de Crème and the ‘Coffee and Doughnuts’ sounded too good to pass up. After trying both selections I’m not sure why everyone is so hyped up about the Pot de Crème (it’s pudding people!). The dessert not to miss, hands down, is the coffee and doughnuts! That rocked.
Butterscotch and Chocolate Pot de Crème topped with buttercrunch
'Coffee and Doughnuts' warm brioche donuts, Blue Bottle coffee ice cream, chicory streusel
Rating:
Website: https://www.townhallsf.com/flash/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: Butterscotch and Chocolate Pot de Crème, fried chicken, restaurant, review, San Francisco, Town Hall | Leave a comment »
Recchiuti Confections S’mores Kit
Posted on February 22, 2011 by bayareafoodie
We spent Valentine’s day at home again this year but I didn’t mind because we made S’mores from Recchiuti Confections. Mike and I picked up a S’mores kit last time we were at the Ferry building in San Francisco and this was the perfect occasion to break it out.
Inside the fancy box you will find 9 handmade Marshmallows, 8 Recchiuti Grahams and a Recchiuti Bittersweet 85% Chocolate Bar.
It’s a grown up version of the classic dessert that is out of the world. The homemade graham crackers are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and the pillowy marshmallows are made with vanilla beans. You can make them in the oven (like we did since it was rainy and cold out) or you can do it the old fashioned way over an open flame.
Either way, you’ll be super happy with the results.
It’s the perfect little package. I plan on giving these out as birthday/holiday/hostess gifts this year so if you want one… invite me to a party :wink:.
Mike liked the sandwich
I preferred open face
Get yours here: http://www.recchiuti.com/109.html
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, San Francisco | Tagged: dessert, food, Recchiuti Confections S'mores Kit, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Susie Q’s Brand – Santa Maria Style Barbeque Products
Posted on February 19, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Just before the end of 2010 I was lucky to receive a sampling of the Susie Q’s Brand product line including the Santa Maria Valley Style Seasoning, Pinquito Beans and Red Oak barbecue chips – everything needed for a traditional Santa Maria feast. Santa Maria California is well know for its BBQ. I’ve been to Santa Maria once and the only thing people said I had to have was the BBQ, and of course due to circumstances out of my control I was unable, so I was excited to finally try the famed offerings.
The suggested cut of meat for an authentic Santa Maria BBQ is Tri-Tip so that’s what we made. First step was to get the oak chips prepped. I was unsure about using them with our gas grill but the instructions said any grill will do.
Mike then liberally seasoned the beef with the provided mixture and tossed everything on the grill. On to the beans…
The packaging on the Pinquito beans did not mention soaking the beans before preparing – so I didn’t. They bubbled away on the stove top for about 3.5 hours before they were soft and to my liking. The directions said they should be done within 2 so I think I may have done something wrong.
The results: the meat was fantastic. The simple mixture of garlic, salt, pepper and parsley was surprisingly flavorful. No A.1. sauce needed. The oak flavor was mild… I have a feeling the chips would work much better using a proper smoker. This was the first time I’d ever made beans that were not out of a can so I expected them to be like sweet Boston baked beans but they were more like a Texas chili flavor – a little smokey & spicy. Tasty and worth the long wait. Oh, and I stirred in some bacon in the end…why not?
Thank you Susie Q’s Brand for providing us with a genuine Santa Maria meal at home.
the beef
the beans
For more information about this family run Santa Maria Valley business or to get your hands on some of their products visit: http://www.susieqbrand.com/
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: barbecue, bbq, Pinquito Beans, Red Oak barbecue chips, Santa Maria Style Barbeque, Santa Maria Valley Style Seasoning, Susie Q’s Brand | 2 Comments »
Raspberry Chocolate Chip – New Sprinkles Flavor
Posted on February 14, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Happy Valentine’s Day! What’s better than a cupcake on this holiday …or any day really? This is the last new Sprinkles flavor I’m aware of for this year. See how it ranks
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: Raspberry Chocolate Chip, sprinkles cupcakes | 3 Comments »
It’s my 3 year Blogaversary!
Posted on January 29, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Three years down… So this little blog that could keeps chuggin’ along.
What to look for in 2011 from Bay Area Foodie: Maui madness in March, a 5 year wedding anniversary French Laundry dinner in July (if I can get a reservation), 4th of July in Carmel and a Boston Bonanza in August. Plus, we’re trying to lose weight by exercising more (Goal =5k in October) and eating right (when not on vacation :cool:) so I’m subscribing to Cooking Light Magazine. Get ready for some healthy recipes.
I’m gonna leave you with my favorite photo of this month. Edison in much anticipation of eating his first “new and improved” Sprinkles doggie cupcake. The cakes are just like the real deal – soft and smell of vanilla. The old kind was solid as a rock. I know for sure they are made in-house now not sure if the previous version was outsourced or they just overhauled the recipe…either way Ed loves them!
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto), TREATS FOR DOGS, VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: 3 year blogaversary, 3 year blogging anniversary, sprinkles doggie cupcakes | 7 Comments »
Another New Sprinkles flavor! 2 in 1 Month!
Posted on January 26, 2011 by bayareafoodie
After a long drought Sprinkles is pumping out the new flavors…late January brought German Chocolate. See how it ranks.
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: german chocolate, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Bon Appetit Food-Lover’s Cleanse Recap
Posted on January 24, 2011 by bayareafoodie
So the cleanse is OVER and Mike and I made it through the entire 14 days. When the 3 line description of the cleanse made no mention of what you were to get out of it a lightbulb should have gone off in my head but I was determined to start the year right so the claim of flavorful healthy food and no calorie counting was all it took for me to say…sign me up! I had no idea what I was getting myself (and Mike) into.
The cleanse began after I spent hours reviewing the 30-page 1-point-font pdf of recipes so I could prepare my 4-page grocery list. We had to go to 3 stores to find all the items and many I ‘d never heard of (hello, bulger wheat?). The plan provided 3 meals and 2 snacks per day and Rachel Ray was definitely not consulted because there wasn’t a 30 minute meal in the entire 2 weeks! Recipes were very involved… especially dinner. I guess they thought it wouldn’t be “Bon Appetit” worthy if it weren’t. Thank goodness Mike and I have flexible work schedules or we would have quit on day 2. This was not designed for a person with a normal 9-5 job. We never cooked and cleaned so much before in our entire lives. To make matters worse the menus were poorly organized. Many recipes didn’t list serving sizes, days where you needed to make enough food for the next day wasn’t always noted, and they included too many courses at dinner which resulted in tons of left-overs. By week 2 we had to stop making everything they told us because it was not humanly possible to eat that much food. It became obvious that no one at Bon Appetit actually completed the cleanse before promoting it to their readers, which is a shame.
How was the food? We cooked things we would normally never make, and were introduced to cuisines from around the world that had unique flavors and tons of spices. There were a handful of recipes we enjoyed (see list below), a couple we didn’t mind and a bunch that were downright disgusting (Coconut Oat Pilaf). But we had issues with most of the menus because some foods didn’t complement each-other. It was as if the creators just haphazardly chose which recipes to pair together.
The results…how do we feel? I honestly feel the same as when we started. I was hoping for substantial weight loss, a re-energize body and mind, or at the very least vibrant skin. But, alas I didn’t achieve any of those goals. Mike ended up losing 5 pounds and I lost 2 (bitter party of 1 – right here!). Yes, as my mom said that is barely water weight. So would we do this again? No, but we will try and continue to follow the general guidelines.
Final words…Dear Bon Appetit: next time you recommend a cleanse to thousands of people test it out first! Having the creator do the cleanse with us may have sounded like a cool idea but hearing her blog about her daily struggles (many that I have pointed out) just pissed me off. To read how she would modify the cleanse next time really doesn’t help me now that it’s over. I feel like I wasted my time and money on someone’s practice run.
Mike – Sorry for making you do this. You are a trooper…
Here are the few things we will make again:
Vanilla-Date Breakfast Smoothie
Black-Eyed Pea Curry
Almond-Banana Smoothie
Bulgur Pilaf
Kale with Pine Nuts and Currants
Quinoa with Pomegranate, Apple & Scallions
Salmon in a Bengali Mustard Sauce
The cleanse: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/food-lovers-cleanse/
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Food-Lover’s Cleanse, diet, fitness, Health, Recap, weightloss, wellness | 3 Comments »
New Sprinkles Cupcake Flavor – THE KING
Posted on January 14, 2011 by bayareafoodie
I’m all shook up….finally a new flavor from Sprinkles! “The King” – a mixture of peanut butter and banana honored Elvis’ 76th birthday and was only available for 3 days (Jan 7-9,2011). Now I wish his birthday was all year long. See how it ranked.
Sprinkles has a string of new flavors coming within the next 2 months!
*Frack the cleanse… I needed this…
Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: elvis, new flavor, sprinkles cupcakes, the king | Leave a comment »
Joe’s Cable Car
Posted on January 8, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Joe's is not huge but don't worry it's lit up like Las Vegas so you can't miss it.
Joe’s Cable Car is another place I saw on Triple D (Diners, Drive-in & Dives) and the owners want you to remember that. There are pictures of Guy Fieri all over the interior as well as the actual episode running on a loop on a TV. The restaurant (built to look like a cable car) opened in 1965 and was originally a drive-in but has expanded over time into a small diner. The joint prides itself on its fresh ground steak burgers which come in three sizes: 4, 6, and 8 ounces. Mike and I both went with the 4 ounce since the pictures on the menu made them look like huge flying saucers and they were $12 with cheese! To my dismay when they arrived they were the size of a slider. I guess you can’t put a price-tag on quality…. the meat was very good and I loved the little sesame seed bun. We also enjoyed the fries and onion rings which were crispy and hot. You could get a similar meal for 1/2 the price but the service was good and the food tasty so I wasn’t overly concerned by the $40 price tag. It’s an experience not to miss.
Website: http://www.joescablecarrestaurant.com/
*don’t worry this was pre-cleanse
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: burgers, Diners Drive-in & Dives, food network, Joe's Cable Car, restaurant, review, travel | Leave a comment »
Humphry Slocombe ice cream
Posted on January 5, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Crazy ice cream flavors in the Mission. We finally made it to Humphry Slocombe. Although it was December and freezing outside I still had to have it. I ordered the “Secret breakfast” (cornflakes & bourbon) which may sound disgusting but was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! Mike opted for the “guinness gingerbread”. As an Irishman just days before Christmas he had no other choice. He liked it… let’s just say I didn’t ask for a 2nd bite but I’ve never been a fan of gingerbread. The ice cream whatever the flavor is super creamy and amazingly fresh. I hope to return in the summer to try other flavors like: blue bottle Vietnamese coffee, cream cheese chocolate chip, government cheese and sweet corn-blackberry.
* don’t worry this was pre-cleanse
Website: http://www.humphryslocombe.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: Humphry Slocombe, ice cream, mission, review, secret breakfast, travel | Leave a comment »
We’re doing the Bon Appetit Food-Lover’s Cleanse!
Posted on January 4, 2011 by bayareafoodie
Week 1 Non-perishable items (took 3 stores to find)
Happy New Year! Mike and I are starting the year off right by doing the Bon Appetit Food-Lover’s Cleanse!! Yes, we started a few days late but who starts a cleanse on a holiday weekend?
Today is day 1 so don’t expect many new posts over the next 2 weeks.
We will do a full write-up of our experience when we are done but in the meantime you can follow our daily trials and tribulations on twitter: http://twitter.com/BayAreaFoodie
Let us know if you are doing it too…
Check out the cleanse here: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/food-lovers-cleanse/
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: 2011, Bon Appetit Food-Lover's Cleanse, cleanse, new year resolution | 1 Comment »
Skillet Bacon Jam
Posted on December 29, 2010 by bayareafoodie
A small sample of skillet bacon jam arrived on my doorstep just before the holidays. What is bacon jam you ask? It’s a gooey mixture of niman ranch bacon, onions, balsamic and brown sugar. Some recommended uses: as a salad dressing base, a substitute in a blt, or with cheese or fish. The product was much sweeter than I expected. You lose some of the saltiness you find in straight bacon but it’s tasty just the same. I decided to spread the bacony goodness on a grilled cheese sandwich. Mike’s response…Rockin’ Grilled Cheese. I think that says it all.
I look forward to slathering it on a burger.
Website: http://skilletstreetfood.com/
Note: I received the product mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com.
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: bacon spread, burger, Grilled Cheese, Skillet Bacon Jam, skillet street food | 1 Comment »
Dynamo Donuts
Posted on December 27, 2010 by bayareafoodie
I’m steadily crossing off items from my bucket list — dynamo donuts CHECK. I heard about this place on one of those Food Network “the best thing I ever ate” episodes when they revealed the “Maple bacon” donut at Dynamo. This was our last stop on my SF bday weekend as we headed back to San Jose.
What we got (in order of preference):
maple bacon glazed apple: like french toast and bacon, didn't taste any apple.
coconut: big slices of coconut were great.
lemon huckleberry: nice but didn't taste any lemon.
spiced chocolate: great chocolate flavor, spice was a little weird. I think I tasted chili powder.
caramel de sel: caramel was ooey gooey but tasted burnt. Didn't taste any de sel or orange zest.
These are some really good light and airy donuts. Most were missing one or more of the flavors it claimed to have but I didn’t mind. I’m usually pushin’ maximum capacity after 1 normal donut but I had no problem downing 2.5 of these in one sitting. They also have great decaf Americano. Stop by if you are in the area.
Website: http://www.dynamodonut.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: dynamo donuts, maple bacon donut, Mission district, review, San Francisco, travel | 2 Comments »
Wayfare Tavern
Posted on December 20, 2010 by bayareafoodie
2010 has been a stellar year for Tyler Florence in the Bay Area. He has opened restaurants in San Francisco and Napa within the last 6 months with a third to come in Mill Valley in early 2011. Best know for his 14 year run on the Food Network with shows like “Food 911” and “Tyler’s Ultimate”, Wayfare Tavern is Florence’s first foray into the restaurant biz. I was intrigued to find out if the food that looked so good on TV could be pulled off in person so we made a reservation for my birthday.
We arrived at 6:30 pm on a Saturday night. Unfortunately, Florence wasn’t in the house because he was out on his cookbook tour. We were quickly escorted to the 2nd floor to a table right at the top of the stairs. Wayfare serves up American comfort food in a chic rustic setting (think dark woods, leather, exposed brick and mounted animal heads). To start things off Mike ordered a half bottle of RIDGE red wine. Mike was very impressed with the wine offerings. Unlike some other high end restaurants in the area the wine list is not insanely marked up. We then perused the menu … I really didn’t need to look because I knew they had fried chicken and you all know I never pass that up. Mike decided to go with the steak.
We shared the beet appetizer which was very nice. Perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the accompanying ricotta was wonderful.
roasted local beets and housemade ricotta
The mains were masterful. My chicken was juicy yet crispy and the squeeze of lemon put it over the top. It did have herbs and I usually don’t go for that but for some reason it worked in this instance.
organic fried chicken, buttermilk brine, roasted garlic, herbs, lemon
You can’t go wrong with a Santa Maria tri-tip and a boat load of fries. Mike was in meat and potatoes heaven. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal.
grilled santa maria tri-tip steak, roasted heirloom onions, truffle butter, crispy fries
We didn’t have room for coffee and dessert but we got it anyways and didn’t leave a morsel. My favorite part, of all things, was the roasted pear. It was pure sweet goodness.
Hey, Tyler…can you hook a girl up with the recipe?
sticky toffee pudding, roasted pears, black pepper ice cream
Soooo did Florence pull it off? Indeed! Yummy food, big portions, reasonable prices, great ambiance, excellent service and a super wine list. What more can you ask for? I can’t wait to try Rotisserie & Wine in Napa.
Note: When we left at 8pm the first level of the restaurant was a mad house (glad we were upstairs). It was packed to the gills with a line of folks out the door trying to get a table …Seriously people?…MAKE A RESERVATION cause business is booming!
Rating:
website: http://www.wayfaretavern.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: food, fried chicken, restaurant, review, San Francisco, travel, Tyler Florence, Wayfare Tavern | 1 Comment »
Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
Posted on December 19, 2010 by bayareafoodie
Before our trip to the Disney museum we decided to get some pizza from the highly acclaimed pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani. Tony won the award for Best Pizza Margherita at the 2007 World Pizza Cup in Italy and he’s opened up a spot in North Beach where you can try that very same pizza. We arrived at noon on a Saturday just as a line was forming at the front door. We lucked out and got seated in the back room right in front of the 900 degree wood oven where all the action happens. The place has a cool vibe. 50’s music was playing and there was a young guy with a tight t-shirt and slicked back hair working the oven. Looked like someone straight out of GREASE.
We of course were ordering the famous Margherita pizza but decided to start with the Meatballs which were moist and light — not at all heavy and the sauce was fantastic. I slopped up the leftover sauce with our bread. The pizza arrived pippin’ hot and looked scrumptious. I was worried the crust would be thin and burnt like lots of wood-fired pizzas but it was really soft and airy. How did it taste? Simply delicious. I’ll be back to try the other varieties.
Note: only 73 Margherita pies are sold a day so arrive early.
Website: http://www.tonyspizzanapoletana.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: 2007 World Pizza Cup, Best Pizza Margherita, North Beach, review, San Francisco, Tony Gemignani, Tony's Pizza Napoletana, travel | 1 Comment »
Off the Grid: Fort Mason Center
Posted on December 8, 2010 by bayareafoodie
It looks like food trucks are not a fad. More and more keep popping up all over the Bay Area especially in the city. I’ve wanted to check them out but to find them you usually have to follow twitter feeds and I’m way to lazy to do that. So when I heard about “Off the grid,” a collection of over 20+ trucks/carts all in one location at the same time, I added it to my SF bday weekend list. We decided to go to the Friday night location which is held at Fort Mason center from 5-8pm and has the largest selection of carts. I was worried about November rain but we lucked out with some fantastic weather.
Upon arrival we bee-lined for the creme brulee cart because I’d heard they sell out fast and I wasn’t gonna miss out. We chose coconut and pumpkin spice. Both were creamy and delicious. We devoured them while standing in the Chairman Bao Chinese steamed/baked buns line. The buns are what everyone comes for. The line is long and stays that way the entire night. Still in line we snacked on a dim sum sampler from Tru Gourmet which was good but nothing special. Within 30 minutes of opening the Chairman ran out of baked buns (WTF!) so we were forced to have the steamed (pork belly & duck) which were awesome and well worth the wait. Next, we had a couple tacos (asian asada & char sui) from Kung Fu tacos. Interesting flavors indeed. Having had our fill of Asian cuisine we finished off with a couple Mexican tacos (carne asada & pork/bacon) from El Huarache Loco.
Although we had to navigate around people & strollers galore (“Off the grid” seems to be the place to be for Thirty-something city folks with kids) that didn’t stop us from stuffing ourselves silly. All in all it was a fun evening.
Notes: Fort Mason location is closed for the winter. Admission is free. Food Costs: $5+
Website: http://www.offthegridsf.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: asian, chairman bao, creme brulee, food carts, food trucks, Off the Grid: Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, travel | 2 Comments »
The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen
Posted on December 6, 2010 by bayareafoodie
An eatery that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches. Brilliant concept. Why didn’t I think of that? Food & Wine calls AGCK one of the Best U.S. Restaurant Openings of 2010 and I agree!
This was the first stop on my mega birthday weekend in SF. We rolled up on Friday (11/12/10) at noon and it was packed, but we scored a parking spot right in front….I took it as a sign…
We ordered:
Moscone sandwich (fresh mozzarella, fontina, roasted tomatoes, basil-lavender pesto, olive tapenade) + tomato soup
Mousetrap sandwich (Tillamook sharp cheddar, havarti, monterey jack, on artisan sourdough w/bacon) + tomato soup
Everything was wonderful and comes with an apple so you can feel like you ate something healthy when you really didn’t.
Tips:
Don’t attempt to eat the croutons on their own like I did. They are super peppery.
The soup is best when you dunk your sando in it or with croutons because it’s like a tomato puree and is very acidic.
Website: http://theamericansf.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: american grill cheese kitchen, restaurant, review, San Francisco, sf, travel | Leave a comment »
Momofuku Milk Bar Cookies
Posted on December 5, 2010 by bayareafoodie
Momofuko Milk Bar, the super popular bakery in NYC, has started shipping their goods (cookies and pies) just in time for the holidays. We needed to bring a dessert to our annual pre-thanksgiving dinner for 10 and I knew this is what I wanted to get.
I ordered 4 varieties:
blueberry & cream: dried blueberries, white chocolate
compost: pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, chocolate chips
corn: corn powder, corn flour
cornflake: cornflakes, marshmallows, chocolate chips
Here is our critique…
blueberry & cream
flavor – buttery, sugary, mild blueberry
texture – firm but moist (kinda raw dough like)
compost
flavor – oatmeal, chocolate, burnt caramel
texture – dense
corn
flavor – smelled like corn on the cob, tasted like sugary corn muffin
texture – undercooked (in a good way)
cornflake
flavor – buttery, salty, caramel
texture – chewy with crisp edges
Everyone raved about the cookies… for days. It was hard to choose a favorite because they all have something uniquely delicious about them. So what are you waiting for? Go order some and be ready to salivate upon delivery.
Note: I ordered the cookies on a Thursday night and they arrived the following Wednesday morning using standard shipping and they stayed fresh for a full week! Yes, they did last that long — they are super rich and need to be eaten in moderation.
Website: http://momofukustore.com/
* We did not buy a pie but I did make one earlier this year. Check it out.
Filed under: New York, Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: Christina Tosi, compost cookies, cookies, david chang, delivery, mail order, Momofuku Milk Bar, new york, online | Leave a comment »
Hickory Farms Gift Basket
Posted on November 28, 2010 by bayareafoodie
We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year for 14 adults and 2 kids. It was a tight fit but a successful evening with wonderful food. We were lucky to receive a Hickory Farms “Home for the Holidays” gift basket as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program one week prior to the big day. The HUGE box of cheese, sausage, mustard and crackers was a perfect appetizer. After spending the day preparing turkey we really had no energy to make any extravagant starters so this really came in handy. All we had to do was open and plate. My favorite part was the lean, slightly peppery sausage dipped in the sweet honey pineapple mustard. I even had a little sausage sando the day after cause I’d had my fill of turkey leftovers.
You sometimes forget about Hickory Farms because they are not in the malls year round anymore but they are great gifts for friends and family during the holiday season. Check out their wide assortment of gift boxes here. Receiving this basket put a smile on my face :smile:. Thxs Hickory Farms!
What’s inside:
– 3 – 10 oz. Signature Beef Summer Sausages
– 8 oz. Big Barn Cheddar®
– 7 oz. Cheddar & Havarti Blend
– 4 oz. Three Cheese & Onion Wedge
– 4 oz. Smooth N Sharp Wedge
– 2.25 oz. Sweet Hot Mustard
– 2.5 oz. Honey Pineapple Mustard
– 2 – .5 oz. Cracked Wheat Crackers
The Spread
Note: the “Home for the holidays” box has free shipping to APO/FPO Military addresses!
Website: http://www.hickoryfarms.com/
** My Foodbuzz nominee for a holiday gift basket would be my sister. She is a mother of three kids all under age 5. She works full time as a teacher, is a super mom and really deserves a little surprise during the holidays! **
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: Hickory Farms Gift Basket, Home for the holidays | 1 Comment »
Cider Bourbon-Glazed Roast Turkey with Shallot Gravy
Posted on November 28, 2010 by bayareafoodie
Turkey, Turkey, Turkey why do you give us so much trouble every year (the time is never right and neither is the temp on the thermometer)? This Thanksgiving we decided to use the Cider Bourbon glaze from Williams-Sonoma. The turkey, once finally done, came out delish and moist. We really loved the glaze. It was sweet with a hint of spice. We followed the directions from WS but skipped the brine and instead used butter, salt & pepper on the outside and stuffed the cavity with fresh herbs. We brined last year and it seemed like a lot of work without much added benefit. The gravy was tasty but not sure it was worth having to buy $29 demi-glace.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: 2010, Cider Bourbon-Glazed Roast Turkey with Shallot Gravy, food, RECIPES, thanksgiving, williams sonoma | Leave a comment »
Fish Story Napa
Posted on November 20, 2010 by bayareafoodie
FRIED CLAMS
The dude behind BarBersQ is now the chef at Fish Story which is located in the snazzy new Napa Riverfront area. As soon as I heard lobster was on the menu I made a reservation. The first thing our waitress told us upon being seated was that their seafood is all sourced in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program, which is cool. Mike decided to go with the HOOK, LINE & SINKER 3 course meal (which was a steal at $27). It included a cup of chowder, shrimp & grits and butterscotch pudding. I chose the fried clams appetizer and the Maine lobster roll. The clams were my favorite thing of the night… plump with a light salty batter and a zingy cocktail sauce (wish it was a larger portion!). The lobster roll with kettle chips was very good, especially the super buttery bun, but I have come to the realization that I am a lobster purist. Lobster boiled or grilled and drenched in butter with a squeeze of lemon is heaven. Mike was happy with his dishes but felt the grits could have been a little creamier. We shared the pudding which was delish. If you’re looking for a seafood meal in Napa that won’t break the bank (especially if you order the prix fixe menu) check it out.
LOBSTER ROLL
SHRIMP & GRITS
Note: after drinking wine all day I wanted something non-alcoholic and the Mixed Berry Cooler was yummy!
Rating:
Website: http://fishstorynapa.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Fish Story Napa, food, FRIED CLAMS, lobster roll, review, travel | 1 Comment »
Potato, Leek and Broccoli Soup with Pancetta Crumbs
Posted on November 19, 2010 by bayareafoodie
It’s all about the bacon crumbs (we didn’t have pancetta)! Really nice creamy soup with a crunchy, salty, herby crumble on top.
Recipe link
Food & Wine Magazine| Nov 2010
Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: food, food & wine magazine, nov 2010, Potato Leek and Broccoli Soup with Pancetta Crumbs, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Dim Sum Charlie’s Napa
Posted on November 18, 2010 by bayareafoodie
I don’t know if I have mentioned this but we are making wine at Crushpad which means we spent most of the month of October in Napa sorting, punching and pressing our Pinot Noir grapes. I will tell you more about that experience in another post. On one of our many weekends we decided to check out Dim Sum Charlie’s dim sum truck for lunch. I had read about it on twitter. The airstream is located right around the corner from Oxbow market, basically in the backyard of someone’s home (I assume Charlie :smile:)
When we arrived we grabbed a pen and the menu and marked the items we wanted to order as you would in any typical dim sum establishment. We opted for the honey baked bbq pork buns, white fluffy pork buns, stiiiicky rice, pork sui mai dumplings and the ten dolla make you holla dumpling combo (7 different items). The staff was friendly and happy to serve and everything tasted as it should. My only gripe would be the price. It is really expensive. The average price is $6.85 for 4 dumplings. I thought Sino at Santana Row was the most high-end dim sum at $3.25-4.25 but it’s dirt cheap in comparison. You would think they would be able to keep the cost down since they have no real overhead.
Verdict: You gotta give it a try. It’s something different in Napa.
Note: all seating is outside so if it’s raining and cold dress accordingly. It is also surrounded by construction so beware of loud noises even on the weekend.
Website: http://www.dimsumcharlies.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: dim sum, Dim Sum Charlie's, food, food truck, napa, review, street food, travel | Leave a comment »
Heirloom Tomato and Bacon Green Beans
Posted on November 17, 2010 by bayareafoodie
This recipe is actually called “Summer’s Tomato Green Bean Bounty” but as soon as I ate it I thought, “man these would be dyn-o-mite at Thanksgiving.” They tasted awesome and were even better the next day (we had a monster CSA delivery of green beans). If you are in need of a holiday side dish look no further.
Recipe Link
Epicurious / August 2001
Filed under: RECIPES, Side Dish | Tagged: epicurious, food, recipe, side dish, summer's tomato green bean bounty, thanksgiving, Tomato and Bacon Green Beans | Leave a comment »
BBQ Patty Melt
Posted on November 5, 2010 by bayareafoodie
I was inspired by a recent article Serious Eats wrote called: How to Make The Ultimate Patty Melt. My favorite burger is a patty melt. Always has been, always will be. Forget about lettuce, tomatoes, fancy mustard’s, aioli’s and chipotle ketchup’s. For a perfect burger all you need is quality bread, meat, cheese and onions.
I was drooling as I read the article but I didn’t feel like stinking up the house by frying so I decided to challenge Mike to make the darn things on the grill. He happily accepted.
We headed out to the market to pick up the ingredients:
- Jewish Rye bread (I never new there were so many choices)
- Aged Swiss
- Kraft American cheese
- Large Sweet onion
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef (made 3 patties)
- butter
When we returned we fired up the grill.
Mike made the patties kinda in the shape of the bread and added salt & pepper. I sliced up the onions and buttered one side of each piece of bread. Then we moved outdoors. Mike began to grill the meat and I started the onions on the grill’s burner (following the Serious Eats directions works well). When the meat was coming close to medium we placed some cheese on top and put the bread on the grill butter side down. Then we topped the bread with more cheese and the caramelized onions. Once everything was melty we sandwiched it all together and chowed down.
I don’t think I’ll ever make a Patty Melt on the stove again. This came out fantastic and not all greasy like it usually is. The meat was tender, the cheese gooey and the onions sweet. Perfection!
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: BBQ Patty Melt, burger, food, patty melt, RECIPES, Serious Eats | Leave a comment »
Rachael Ray Kitchen Products
Posted on October 29, 2010 by bayareafoodie
I’ve been collecting different Rachael Ray cookware and tools for a couple years. I think she puts a lot of thought into the pieces she produces. My favorite is the oval non-stick pasta pot. I swear my calphalon pot with insert takes 15 minutes for the water to bubble and when I’m hungry there is nothing I hate more than a pot that won’t boil. This RR pot is thin which allows the water to be bubbly in 5 minutes. I also like that the pot top has a little pour spout so you can easily drain the water without having to use a colander. Smart design.
When it comes to the tools I like them all. They feel like they are manufactured with quality materials. Mike wanted to get the tong set because he likes to use them when browning meat in a pan. With silicone covered tongs you don’t have to worry about scratching your cookware. I like the nylon spoons because they sit right on the pot/pan. I am notorious for dropping utensils on the floor while cooking. These allow our wood floors and counter tops to stay a little cleaner.
Thanks to CSN’s cookware.com for sending me the 2-Piece Tong Set & 2-Piece Nylon Turner Set.
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: pots, Rachael Ray Kitchen Products, tools | Leave a comment »
Naglee Park Garage
Posted on October 18, 2010 by bayareafoodie
I saw this local joint on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives so of course I had to stop by. I’m not a big fan of Guy Fieri but it cracks me up to see him stuff himself in a kitchen. I don’t know why…
Anyways, Naglee Park is a bistro set in an old garage and is small so we showed up early (like 5 minutes after opening) to make sure we could get in and out since I read that the wait could be long on a Saturday night. I now know why… they only had one person working the register and although she was nice it seemed to take at least 20 minutes to place our order (and we knew exactly what we wanted).
We then headed to the outdoor patio (95% of the seating is outside so beware if it’s raining or cold) to find a seat and wait for our food. Mike and I split the bacon burger, the mussels & the chocolate bread pudding. The mussels were my favorite. Plump and tender in a lovely broth with salty greens and garlic bread to slop up the juices. The burger was good but nothing special and the bread pudding was devoured. Everything was seasonal and fresh and not what you’d expect from a garage. I look forward to returning for breakfast. I hear it’s good.
Website: http://www.nagleeparkgarage.com/
Rating:
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: bistro, Diners Drive-ins & Dives, Guy Fieri, Naglee Park garage, review, san jose | Leave a comment »
S’more Pie
Posted on October 11, 2010 by bayareafoodie
We had an end of the summer BBQ and needed a dessert. S’more pie immediately came to mind. I had seen a couple versions online and I ultimately went with Smitten Kitchen’s take. I was limited in time so I did get some help from the Keebler elves for the pie crust (which I wouldn’t recommend because it was too thin and you could barely taste it). The marshmallow topping was grand but took much longer than the 5 minutes written in the recipe –more like 15. I almost gave up after the majority of the hot sugar got stuck to the side of my mixer but I just let it beat on and it turned out perfect, but maybe a little less sweet due to the loss of sugar on the bowl. I was amazed at the outcome.
The pie was a hit at the party although next time I would use a milk chocolate to get a more campfire Hersey like feel… this was rather dark in flavor.
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, food, marshmallow, RECIPES, S'more Pie | 1 Comment »
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Posted on October 8, 2010 by bayareafoodie
I didn’t know anything about Five Guys until I saw President Obama on CNN leaving the White House to grab a bite. Really, are they that good I thought to myself? Well, the east coast chain has come to San Jose so Mike and I went to try it out.
In the Bay when you think burgers most think In-N-Out so here is a comparison of the two burger giants:
5G = Five Guys INO = In-N-Out
The beef: 5G meat was tender, juicy and fresh – best part of the burger. I’d give them the edge over INO.
The bun: 5G bread was cold and tasteless. INO has a far superior bun that is baked-in house and toasted.
The condiments: 5G does have more toppings to choose from including BACON plus free mushrooms & jalapeno peppers but they had no flavor. I didn’t even taste my shrooms. INO has less options but better taste.
The fries: 5G fries tasted like ore-ida straight from freezer. I couldn’t eat them. INO has its own fry issues…after 1 minute they go cold and I don’t know why they are so stingy with the salt.
The ambiance: 5G line moved fast, the employees were nice and it doesn’t have that weird INO smell that gets embedded in your clothes and car. INO is always slow no matter if you go inside or drive-thru but the employees are nice.
The decor: Both have very minimalist approaches using only red & white but at least INO jazzes it up with palm trees. 5G is straight kinko’s.
So, overall I don’t think Five Guys Burgers are worthy of leaving the oval office for. The meat would bring me back if I was in the general area but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find it.
Note: Five Guys in San Jose has a good amount of outdoor seating and when we went on a Friday night the international buffet next door was jammin’ the reggae music which was great.
Website: http://www.fiveguys.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: Five Guys Burgers and Fries, review, san jose | 1 Comment »
Tomato and Pepper Gazpacho with Sherry
Posted on October 6, 2010 by bayareafoodie
Our CSA produce delivery gave us 4-5 lbs of tomatoes in a single week (3 varietals). That’s a lot of tomats! There was also a couple cucumbers so making a gazpacho was a no-brainer. This José Andrés recipe was delightful.
Recipe link
Bon Appetit /September 2010
Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: Bon Appétit, food, José Andrés, RECIPES, Tomato and Pepper Gazpacho with Sherry | Leave a comment »
Bay Area Foodie 