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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!
Filed under: Peninsula, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
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 »
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 »
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.
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Brunch at Redd in pictures. No commentary necessary…JUST GO!!!!
*click on any image for description and/or larger view
Website: http://www.reddnapavalley.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Leave a comment »
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 »
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 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 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 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 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 »
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 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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/
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
I’ve wanted to go to Foreign Cinema for many years. Mike and I finally made it for brunch. It was surprisingly warm in San Fran so we sat outside on the patio. I really liked the rustic feel. We, of course, started off with the ever popular pop tart which was warm, light, flaky and perfectly sweet. Very good interpretation of the childhood classic. I had remembered seeing Giada on one of her getaway shows order the Fried eggs deglazed with balsamic served w/rose potato-roasted garlic hash & tender greens so that’s what I decided to get. The dish was a perfect combination of salty (prosciutto), crunchy (potatoes), creamy (egg) and bitter (greens). When you got a mouthful of everything it was harmonious. Mike had never had a Croque Madame so I told him to give it a go. He enjoyed it but he has never tasted Thomas Keller’s so he has no comparison and there is no comparison. Keller’s is king.
We vow to return at night when we can see a film.
Website: http://www.foreigncinema.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: brunch, Croque Madame, Foreign Cinema, Fried eggs deglazed with balsamic, pop tart, San Francisco, travel | Leave a comment »
Guest post by Mike (my wine guy)
On one of our recent trips to Napa, Nicole and I decided to visit Cade Winery (a PlumpJack property) because we had tasted their wine at Pebble Beach Food & Wine and were impressed. The winery is located at the top of Howell Mountain which takes a bit of time to get to but it’s worth every mile.
When you first arrive it almost seems like you’re in the Sierras. The building is Gold LEED certified which means is was built in the most environmentally conscious way. The tasting room is more like a living room than a business and we got to sit on comfortable couches while tasting four outstanding wines. It costs $20 per person but the “pours” are huge and you get personal attention – there was only one other couple that joined us. The winery-rep spent an entire hour explaining the wines and the production process. We were told they only have about 6-8 people max per tasting session.
We tasted the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Cuvee, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain and the 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. All were amazing. The Sauvignon Blanc was refreshing and the 7% Semillon blended in made it that much more complex. All three Cabs were out of this world but I particularly loved the Howell Mountain for it’s smokey aroma and herbal/black cherry finish.
After the tasting the winery rep took Nicole and I on a quick tour of the wine caves and barrel room – very impressive. If you’re looking for a unique tasting experience you can’t find a better, more inviting place than Cade.
Website: http://www.cadewinery.com/cade/
Tastings offered Monday-Sunday from 10 am – 4 pm by appointment only.
I have to say this is one of my favorite spots now (I almost didn’t post this so it stays a secret…Nicole)
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: CADE Winery, Gold LEED certified, napa, plumpjack | Leave a comment »
If you’re looking for Memphis style BBQ in Napa look no further than BarBersQ. The place is rockin’ — literally. Mike couldn’t stop shimmying his shoulders as classic R&B and Neo Soul tunes piped through the restaurant.
You’d think this being a barbecue joint I would order ribs or pulled pork but I had heard they had fried chicken and I NEVER pass up fried chicken. Mike chose the Caesar salad (very nice) and the Q combo with brisket and chicken. My 4 pieces of Southern fried chicken arrived with a side of collard greens and mashed potatoes. The chicken was hot with a light crispy skin that had a hint of sweetness. Compared to competing fowl I’d put it above Ad Hoc but just below Boon Fly’s versions. It comes with a vinegar hot sauce that looks more intimidating than it is. It actually could be hotter.
Mike enjoyed his BBQ but preferred the chicken over the beef.
We finished off our meal with a hefty slice of chocolate bundt cake from our favorite ABC Bakery.
We were beyond stuffed…it took days to digest.
Although it’s not located in the most prime location (in a strip mall sandwiched between a Target and a Whole Foods) I’d go back in a heartbeat. The large portions, tasty eats, reasonable prices, casually chic decor and jazzy music make up for the lackluster outdoor setting.
Rating: 
Website: http://www.barbersq.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: barbecue, BarBersQ, fried chicken, napa, restaurant, review | 2 Comments »
Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc serves up Brunch every Sunday from 10-1pm and it’s become supremely popular. We arrived at 10:10 and the placed was full by 10:30. It’s a 3 course meal for $34. I had heard from others that the Brunch menu included Bouchon pastries, yogurt and then a choice of a breakfasty main dish (waffles, pancakes, eggs) but on our visit the format had changed. This is the menu we received on May 16, 2010 (no choices available).
Ice berg lettuce with buttermilk dressing, red onions, apples and walnuts
Steak & scrambled eggs with creme fraiche, wild mushroom ragu and fava beans
Oven roasted potatoes
Beignets covered in sugar with strawberry, vanilla and chocolate dipping sauces
The salad was good but nothing special. The steak and eggs on the other hand was a masterpiece. It still amazes me how every single bite is perfectly seasoned. The man knows how to use salt! The beignets were divine even though they were more like donuts; dipped in a combo of vanilla-strawberry sauce was delish. We left satisfied but not stuffed (which is always a good thing).
Next visit I would make my reservation for a later time. It definitely is more of an early lunch menu than a breakfast. I don’t usually wake up and have a salad with my french press.
See our past Ad Hoc adventures:
Fried Chicken night
Pork dinner
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: ad hoc, brunch, napa, review, thomas keller, Yountville | Leave a comment »
It’s baaaaaaaaack! A new flavor brought me back to my old stomping grounds. See how it ranks
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: salty caramel, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Morimoto, Jamie Lauren, Richard Reddington, Michael Chiarello
Mike and I were lucky enough to attend the Sunday Grand Tasting event at the Third Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival courtesy of Foodbuzz our favorite foodie social network. The weather was not as nice as 2009 but that didn’t put a damper on our day. After taking a quick stroll around the tents to get acquainted we noticed right off the bat that we had entered Porkapalooza. Tons of chefs chose to serve pork — which is always alright with me! Our favorite was by Richard Reddington of REDD (Napa). It was not only the best pork dish but our top dish of the day. Richard’s glazed pork belly was smothered in a sauce I wanted to take a bath in.
Reddington (REDD) - Glazed pork belly, soy caramel,apples & burdock
Other standout eats:
I’ve never eaten an anchovy raw in all its glory. This was the perfect combination of salty, creamy, sweet and crunchy.
Jamie Lauren - Marinated anchovy bruschetta w/ beet puree, burrata & lemon evoo
There was a little issue with the execution of this next dish because the pastry was a tad hard but all was forgotten when I tasted that plump sweet lobster.
Mark Gaier/Clark Frasier (Arrows, Maine) - Grilled lobster w/ marscapone, tomatoes & basil
I’m a sucker for pizza. They called it a tarte but really it was a thin crust pizza and I loved every morsel of it. This was a close runner up for best bite.
Walter Manzke (Church & State) - Bacon, gruyere, onion tarte
One thing lacking this year was desserts but the berry cobbler by Dory Ford of Aqua Terra was pretty tasty.
Enough food bring on the wine…
Mike (my wine guy) will continue with our prize picks:
2007 Buty Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc: Supple and big body cab blend with super fine tannins. Lots of berry upfront and a nice hint of spice on the finish. This Washington wine is a great buy.
2006 Cade Howell Mtn. Cab Sauvignon: Big, bold cab with tons of dark fruit up front and a nice vanilla and chocolate finish. Very delicate tannins. Beautiful wine.
2007 Hanzell Chardonnay: a wonderfully refreshing California Chard with tons of melon up front and a nice mineral finish. Not your typical CA Chard – in a good way.
2007 Molly Dooker Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz: a fabulous velvety Shiraz from down under. Great smoky aroma with tons of currant upfront and a hint of pepper on the finish.
Another Grand Tasting bites the dust. We can’t wait till next year. 
Thanks Foodbuzz!
Additional photos:
Want more? Check out our adventures from Pebble Beach F&W 2009…
Lexus Grand Tasting @ Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009
Farm-to-Table Lunch, Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009
Thomas Keller Cooking Demo – Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009
Vérité Wine Tasting – Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009
Filed under: Monterey Peninsula, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: 2010, Jamie Lauren, Lexus Grand Tasting, Michael Chiarello, morimoto, Pebble Beach Food & Wine, Richard Reddington | 2 Comments »
I’ve eaten at a lot of Japanese restaurants and I gotta say this is my favorite if I’m in the mood for Teriyaki and Tempura. This was my go-to birthday/special event dining spot while growing up and every time I get a chance to go back I do. The food, decor and sweet female owner remain the same. I feel at home whenever I return.
Usually I go to sushi joints for the rolls but here (for me) it’s all about the Teriyaki combination dinners. Sato does it right! Before the meal starts you are presented with a hot towel to clean your hands. LOVE that. Then comes the hot tea and salad with a wonderful ginger dressing. Next, Miso soup with green onions and tofu. Then, a bowl of white rice is placed next to a plate with Teriyaki. I chose steak which was cooked perfectly and has a sweet sauce. Finally the HOT (trust me you will probably burn your tongue) Tempura is brought which has 2 giant shrimp and a bevy of veggies. This is not your typical Tempura heavily breaded and cold from sitting under a heat lamp. This is super fresh and arrives at the the table the moment it’s removed from the oil. Wow, I’m kinda drooling just thinking about it. Anyways, you get the point. Sato ignores all the fancy gimmicky stuff and instead provides simple, consistent, delicious yet economical (prices have only increased a few dollars over the last 20 yrs) cuisine.
Oh…don’t let me discourage you from ordering the sushi…it’s good too. Mike ordered a combo platter.
Sato was one of the first Japanese restaurants to open in Pleasanton and I hope it remains forever.
Address:
3015 Hopyard Rd
Pleasanton, CA 94588
Website
Rating:
Filed under: East Bay, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: japanese, pleasanton, restaurant, review, Sato Sushi, Tempura | 1 Comment »
It’s been months since Psycho donuts opened in Campbell and all the drama surrounding it’s unusual theme seems to have calmed down. When the doors first opened there were numerous claims that the shop was insensitive to the mental health community because they named donuts “bipolar” among other things. We arrived for our first taste of the crazy donuts on it’s one year anniversary and it looks like they tamed their ways by going for a more horror vibe and less medical. As we stepped inside there was a line so we checked out the Tim Burton-like art on the walls and listened to lady gaga blaring on the sound system. We then placed our order with a woman dressed in a 1940’s white nurses uniform. It’s definitely not your typical donut shop.
We ordered:
Nutella the Hun – Chocolate Nutella cake donut covered in sprinkles
Headbanger’s Evil Twin – Cherry jelly filled donut
Cereal Killer – Donut covered in Cap’n Crunchberries (a bit stale)
Banarama – Custard filled donut with chocolate glaze and dried bananas
My favorite was the Banarama but I always get custard filled so that was not a surprise. The donuts were decent but not good enough to warrant the drive when I have a great little donut shop within walking distance from my home. If you’re in the area and are hankerin’ for a “Moodswing” (peanuts & coconut) stop by.
Website: http://www.psycho-donuts.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: campbell, psycho donuts | 5 Comments »
Mike’s “V” day gift to me this year was from a little local chocolate shop. The chocolate dream box is hidden in a shopping center in Los Gatos –you may have passed by on your way into Lunardi’s grocery. It’s kind of a hidden treasure.
Mike chose the following treats:
(Listed from bottom to top)
tahiti – milk chocolate with vanilla
créme brulée- burnt vanilla cream custard
coffee cup – caramel espresso in dark choc cup
cream coconut – coconut ganache with milk chocolate
caramel truffle – milk chocolate with soft caramel
milk truffle – milk chocolate with cream
He also picked up a pack of salted caramels.
(obviously I’m a Milk chocolate kinda gal)
They were all wonderful — super creamy and flavorful. My favorite was the créme brulée. They are pricey but worth it. Next time you are craving hand made chocolate go local and stop by the dream box.
Filed under: Los Gatos, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: chocolate boutique, Chocolate Dream Box, chocolate shop, Los Gatos | 4 Comments »
The morning after my Gary Danko birthday meal we headed to Tartine for a quick bite before heading back to San Jose. We were unfamiliar with this part of town so we were not sure of the location but as soon as we saw the line we figured we had found it. It’s much smaller than I expected.
We ended up getting the apple bread pudding and the Croque monsieur which was cheesy, hammy, tomatoey goodness on top of a thick, crusty, scrumptious slice of bread. The pudding was just ok… the Croque was delish.
I wish we had a bigger appetite. I gotta come back to try the huge morning buns and the croissants.
Warning: the cute carrots that came with the Croque were hot & spicy!
Website: http://www.tartinebakery.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: Tartine Bakery | Leave a comment »
My birthday week ended with dinner at Gary Danko in San Francisco. It was time to try the #1 Bay Area Zagat rated restaurant. When we arrived we were seated in a cozy corner booth. We were surprised to see that the place was packed on a Thursday night in November. I guess you don’t have a slump in business when you are so highly acclaimed. We started with a couple glasses of bubbly as we looked over the menu. One gripe about the menu… I thought the choice of wine by the glass was limited and the prices exorbitant. After the shock wore off I moved to the food. You have the option to have a 3, 4 or 5 course meal. We went with 3 since we had already partook in 3 other “b” day dinners over the last 7 days. To my delight there was an abundance of lobster on the menu that I just couldn’t pass up.
Our order:
Amuse bouche
Asparagus soup
Starters
Risotto with Lobster, Shimeji Mushrooms and Butternut Squash
Crispy Farm Egg with White Polenta, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Frisée and Pancetta
Mains
Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Purée, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Corn and Tarragon
Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers and Mustard Sauce
Dessert
Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces
Warm Louisiana Butter Cake with Caramelized Apples, Huckleberry Compote and Vanilla Ice Cream
Complimentary birthday lemon tart
Complimentary plate of bite size treats
The standout dish of the night was hands down the crispy farm egg. Imagine eating a deep fried poached egg. Pure deliciousness! Runner up was the roast lobster which was cooked perfectly and served with super buttery potatoes. The remaining dishes were nothing special. The risotto was a bit bland and the salmon dry. Dessert arrived and continue to arrive. They really like to dish out the sweets! Mike loved the butter cake with apples so much so that he really didn’t share.
The service was the way I like it…not overly attentive. They came around when we needed them then left us to enjoy ourselves. I especially appreciated the woman who would refill our bread plates after each course. I hate being given a single roll at the beginning of a meal and then nothing more.
Overall the food and setting was great but not the best in the Bay Area. The evening ended with our server giving us a fancy packaged banana cream cheese muffin (for the morning — which was yummy). If I were to go again I would do as the couple next to us did. Bring my own bottle of wine and order the 3 course menu but get 1 dessert and the cheese course to share. The cheese cart looked fabulous.
Sorry about the hazy cell phone pics. It was dark.
Rating:
Website: http://www.garydanko.com/
Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, San Francisco | Tagged: gary danko, restaurant, review, San Francisco, zagat rated | Leave a comment »
Mike and I took my sister and her husband to Napa for a weekend before they moved from the Bay Area to Hawaii. We decided we would dine at Bottega, Michael Chiarello’s newest creation. On the night we arrived he was actually in the house. While waiting for our table he walked through the bar and mingled with guests. As he was making his way back to the kitchen he made a comment to my sister and brother-in-law. The waiting area is small and the place was packed so my sister was sitting on her husband’s lap. Chef Chiarello said something like “You guys look comfortable… I’m gonna bring you a menu, actually maybe just dessert.” (at lease that’s what I think I heard — it was noisy so I could be a little off but that was the jist).
Soon after we were seated at a large round table in the side dining area. We started our meal with a raw fish appetizer and fresh mozzarella. For mains, I chose the seafood stew, Mike had the Quail and my sister and hubby shared a giant porterhouse steak and fries. For dessert we had a yummy cookie plate and a tart. The food and service was very good definitely worthy of a Top Chef Master but we didn’t expect anything less. For years Mike & I have been fans of the NapaStyle empire Chiarello created. If you haven’t heard about his wine club check it out. We have been members for over 2 years and we love it.
Pictured: Mozzarella (top left), Fish app served on a salt rock (top right), Stew (bottom left), Quail (bottom right)
Rating:
Website: http://www.botteganapavalley.com/
Note: This dinner occurred in May 2009.
Filed under: Napa Valley, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: bottega, Michael Chiarello, napa, napastyle, restaurant, review, Yountville | 1 Comment »
Boon Fly is a cozy cafe located in a bright red barn facade at the Carneros Inn (a Plumpjack resort) in Napa. It is a casual set up with a homey menu. The night we went I ordered the Fried Chicken and Mike had the Meatloaf special. Mike’s meal came with a large carafe of wine, salad AND dessert for $29. Great deal! It took some time for our meal to arrive. We found out it was due to the chicken being made to order. I was surprised by the huge serving size. The chicken was amazing. Just like I make it at home…it had a crispy light batter without any fancy herbs and spices but to give it a little kick they added a hint of hot sauce to the batter. Brilliant! It is the polar opposite of Ad Hoc’s famous thick buttermilk battered herby creation. To all those folks who think Ad Hoc’s got the best fried chicken in Napa, think again…they’ve got some serious competition! Mike gobbled down his meatloaf within minutes without any complaints. We finished things off with an awesome slice of banana creme pie.
Boon Fly is a great place to grab a tasty bite for a reasonable price. We look forward to coming back to try the breakfast. We hear it is out- of- sight.
Note: This meal took place in May 09.
Rating:
Website: http://www.thecarnerosinn.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Boon Fly Cafe, Carneros Inn, fried chicken, napa, review | Leave a comment »
12 months, 14 visits, 40 cupcakes digested! I did it! The final rankings can be found here
Filed under: Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: 40, best flavors, food, rankings, sprinkles challange, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
About a month ago we were at a party that was catered by Purple Onion. There were salads, little sandwiches and desserts. Everything was super tasty. Mike and I decided we had to try the place out. We arrived on a Friday just after noon and it was fairly full. We actually bumped into Mike’s mom who was finishing her lunch. I immediately knew we were going to like the food because his mom has a discerning pallet so if she is a regular it’s gotta be good. I ordered the turkey sandwich and Mike had the tuna melt. Each came with a side salad. When it arrived it looked like a work of art. The salad was so colorful. I took a bite of my sandwich and it was amazingly fresh. The bread was warm and a bit toasted like it had been taken straight from the oven. Delicious. Mike enjoyed his tuna too. We will be back to try out the rest of the menu.
Website: http://www.purpleonion-catering.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: cafe, catering, Los Gatos, purple onion, restaurant, review | Leave a comment »
I’m on the final leg of my Sprinkles mission. After these two cakes, I only have 1 to go and I will have tried all 40 flavors! The end is near…
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: almond dark chocolate, orange, rankings, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Just when I think I’m close to done they add some more! I guess someone thought a raspberry cupcake was needed — after trying cherry I wasn’t so sure. Rankings updated here
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: raspberry, sprinkels cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Cherry cupcakes… Good idea or bad? See here
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: baking, food, rankings, sprinkles cupcakes, summer cherry | Leave a comment »
We decided to try a bfast joint in Palo Alto on our way to IKEA. I looked on Yelp for a highly rated place. When we arrived at Joanie’s there was a line. When we left, there was a line. I guess there were a lot of 4+ person parties because we were seated immediately. The cafe is cute and clean. I ordered the benedict and Mike the bacon, tomato, spinach, & feta omelettte. My benedict was just ok. The sauce was not very flavorful. I couldn’t taste it when I had a mouthful of egg and ham along with it. Disappointing because it looked so good and the potatoes were some of the best I’ve had (lots of peppers and onions). Mike really enjoyed his eggs and fruit but I don’t think we will go out of our way to return (it is 25 minutes from our home).
Website: http://www.joaniescafepaloalto.com/
The current standings of the benedicts of the Bay: Continue reading
Filed under: Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Best Benedicts of the Bay, breakfast, eggs benedict, Joanie's Cafe, restaurant, review | Leave a comment »
Instead of going on a trip for our 3rd wedding anniversary we chose to have dinner at Manresa, a well established (2 Michelin star) restaurant in Los Gatos. It has had a resurgence of popularity because the owner/chef David Kinch destroyed Bobby Flay in a recent Iron Chef “cabbage” battle. This was our first visit to Manresa. We had heard rave reviews from friends for years but the expensive price tag had always kept us away. We finally decided to bite the bullet and go.
As you enter the restaurant there is a little window into the kitchen. We peeked in and there was Chef Kinch working away. It was cool to see him. We then approached the Maître d’ and requested outside seating because it was a beautiful evening. He informed us that their butane delivery had not come for the heat lamps so they were only seating inside, which was fine with us. He then stepped away for a moment and returned to tell us that he would seat us outside if we wanted so we had a private dining experience on their outdoor patio. Our reservation was at 6:30pm and the restaurant was already half full. As we walked through the room we could see some jealous glares.
There were only two options on the menu: a 4 course meal of your choice for $95/per person or the chefs tasting menu for $160/per person. We went all out and had the tasting menu so we didn’t have to make any decisions. You are not told what will be included only that you’ll start at the sea (usually raw), proceed to the garden, return to the sea, move to proteins and end with dessert.
Our 14 course dinner included the following (each dish had a super fancy description but after 3+ glasses of wine each we couldn’t remember the details):
Amuse bouche
To the Sea
To the Garden
Back to the Sea
Proteins
Dessert
Manresa’s biodynamic vegetables are grown exclusively for Manresa at Cynthia Sandberg’s Love Apple Farm in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains and harvested in the morning for the evening menu.
It may sound like a lot of food but each course was only 2-3 bites. When we were done we were full not stuffed. Check out the slide show — by dessert it was too dark for my cell phone to take pics (sorry)
With our meal we started off with glasses of a sparkling Riesling then polished off a 2002 bottle of Joseph Phelps Insignia (magical). We brought this from home and the somellier was very nice to decant and serve it to us throughout the night. All the servers we had (about 6) were top notch. One thing we noticed that was unusual was for each course they gave us a new fork, knife and spoon whether we used them or not. After two courses we said that it was not necessary to clear them but we were told with a smile “oh, yes it absolutely is.” so we just went with it. I feel sorry for the dishwashers!
Manresa has now overtaken Picasso as our most expensive meal but well worth the expense. We l-o-v-e-d the food and ambiance. Mike said he would return annually for our anniversary. We will see…
Rating:
Website: http://www.manresarestaurant.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: David Kinch, food, iron chef, Los Gatos, Manresa, restaurant, review, tasting menu | Leave a comment »
Happy 4th everyone! Another one bites the dust…rankings updated here
round 10: lemon blueberry
Tip: For those of you who are on facebook and twitter be sure to check out Sprinkles daily tweets b4 you go to the shop. They usually have a secret word of the day which gets you FREE cupcakes. The cupcake pictured above cost me $0.00!!!
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: free cupcakes, lemon blueberry, rankings, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Only 4 more Sprinkles cupcakes to go! I can’t believe it!
Anyone try the Key Lime? I did…see my thoughts here
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: sprinkles key lime cupcake | 3 Comments »
gyro pita sandwich
Just a quick review of the new Opa! restaurant that opened in Los Gatos. Opa! is a small chain of Greek restaurants in the South Bay. We had never been to one before so we went without any expectations. Finally a place I can get a gyro that doesn’t look seedy. On our first visit Mike ordered the Greek burger which came with Opa! fries (hand cut fries with feta cheese). I l-o-v-e a good gyro so that’s what I ordered on the two occasions we’ve been. If you are not feeling the fries ask for a salad (they will charge you more). I received a wonderful plate of cucumbers,tomatoes,onion and feta with a Greek dressing. Everything was super fresh. One time we ordered the baklava for dessert. It was good but drowning in honey. A bit too sweet for me…if you can believe it!
greek burger
Although the location is not large both times we have gone we were seated immediately, the service was good, the portions large and the prices very reasonable. A nice casual spot in the heart of LG. I’m a fan!
Website: http://www.opalosgatos.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: food, greek, Mediterranean, opa!, restaurant, review | Leave a comment »
It’s that time again! My thoughts…. here.
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: baking, Cinco de Mayo, food, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Welcome to Foodie Paradise! If you can only go to one event during Pebble Beach Food & Wine this is it. You’ll find a little bit of everything here…famous chefs serving up their tasty bites, 100’s of wines from premiere wineries, cookbook signings, photo ops and panels. The slide show below will show all the highlights. Mike and I have decided Pebble Beach Wine & Food will be a yearly event for us.
Noteworthy dishes & wines:
My favorite dish: Michael Schulson's braised pork belly and kimchi slider. This was sweet & spicy an awesome combo.
Mike's favorite dish: Cindy Pawlcyn's duck burger. Sweet & Succulent.
Most clever dish: Mark Estee's BLT (pork belly,romaine ice cream, tomato gelee on a mini english muffin)
Best red wine: O’Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Best white wine: Morlet Vineyards “La Proportion Doree” Sonoma County
Best wine find: Terrazas de los Andes “Cheval” 2005
*tons more of Mike’s wine analysis can be found at the end of this post!
*to turn the groovy accompanying music on/off, click on the speaker in the top left corner
Tips for those going for the first time:
Check out more of Mike’s wine notes here… Continue reading
Filed under: Monterey Peninsula | Tagged: cat cora, jacques pepin, Lexus Grand Tasting, michael mina, morimoto, Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009, thomas keller, tom colicchio, top chef | Leave a comment »
Mike and I arrived at The Lodge at Pebble Beach ready for an extraordinary 4 course lunch prepared by celebrity Chefs: Ressul Rassallat (Club XIX), Traci Des Jardins (Jardiniere), Richard Reddington (REDD) and Nicole Plue (REDD). The meal would be served in the historic Club XIX restaurant which overlooks the 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf course. Our 2.5 hour culinary adventure began with a champagne reception outside on the grass with stunning views of Carmel bay. After some small bites and many refills of bubbly we were finally seated inside.
Our MC for the afternoon was Food & Wine Magazine Deputy Wine Editor Ray Isle (he was actually seated next to us and Mike had a field day talking about all kinds of wine stuff with him. For a wine writer he was very down to earth and super nice). As an added bonus to the meal before each course Ray (we are on a first name basis now…) would introduce the winemaker and/or rep from the winery that produced the wine that was paired with each dish. They would give a little info about the winery and the wine. The food was served immediately after the wine was poured. Enough talk! Here is a photo tour..
Hors d’oeuvre reception (Chef Rassallat)
Duck Nuggets w/ Honey Mustard &
Thai Lobster Shooters w/Avocado,Broccoli & Mango
MV, Champagne Louis Roederer, Brut Premier
Comments: The Lobster shooter was a perfect bite, one of the best of the day. The Champagne was light, fruity and refreshing.
each course was prepared by a different chef
Amuse Bouche (Chef Rassallat)
Foie Gras Parfait w/ Port Wine & Parmesan “Air”
This alone has made me want to come back to Club XIX
Comments: What a surprising and fantastic way to start the lunch. Mike and I had not eaten Foie Gras before and others at the table that had said it never tasted like this. It was sweet, warm and creamy with a flavor close to caramel. Simply Amazing.
1st Course (Chef Des Jardins)
Devil’s Gulch Rabbit Escabeche w/ Chantenay Carrots, Fava beans, Cara Cara Oranges & Fingerling Potato Chips
wine: 2007 Davis Family Vineyards, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
This also had fried rabbit skin which tasted like bacon!
Comments: The rabbit was poached and marinated in an acidic mixture. A very light and fresh salad. The paired Chardonnay was complex, full bodied with nice citrus and mineral flavors and a hint of oak. Davis gets his complexity in his wine by fermenting a third of the grapes in stainless and two-thirds in Oak (divided evenly between new, one year and two year old barrels). This attention to detail produces one of the best California Chardonnays we have had in a long time. The wine with the orange was a perfect match. This was Mike’s favorite wine.
2nd Course (Chef Reddington)
Alaskan Halibut Saltimbocca w/ Spring Onion Fondue & Confit-Giblet Jus
wine: 2006 MacPhail, Pinot Noir, Goodin Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA
Sorry... I took a bite before I took a picture...
Comments: The perfectly cooked halibut wrapped in salty prosciutto was superb with the non giblet tasting Jus. The talk of the table was how the giblet flavor was unrecognizable. I thought they were mushrooms. When it comes to Pinot the MacPhail family are pros. In 2007 they released nine different pinots and in 2006, seven. The wine had a cherry and plum nose with wonderful, spicy fruit up front and a smooth and slightly bold finish. The prosciutto brought out the complexity of the wine.
3rd Course (Chef Des Jardins)
Prather Ranch Lamb, Housemade Ravioli w/ Braised Morels, Spring Garlic Puree & Baby Fennel
wine: 2005 Highlands Estate, Cab Sauvignon, Trace Ridge, Knight’s Valley, CA
I'm not sure what those little crispy nuggets were on top but they made the dish.
Comments: The lamb was good but the handmade ravioli’s stole the show. The accompanying Cab was a big, bold wine that stood up but did not dwarf the meat. Tons of currants and blackberries up front, full bodied and a slight hint of vanilla on the finish. The tannins suggest that the wine will cellar well for at least a decade but it’s outstanding now. This was my favorite wine.
4th Course (Pastry Chef Nicole Plue)
Strawberry Pain Perdu
wine: 2007 M. Chapoutier, Banyuls, Rhone Valley, France
I have renamed this to "pure bliss"
Comments: What you see is a slice of buttery french toast with a bread pudding consistency topped with sliced strawberries, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Let’s just say I can’t wait to go to Redd. So, we learned there was something before Port! It seems Napolean loved Banyuls so much he banned it from being exported and then the World turned to Portugal for its after dinner wines. This was incredible as it was not too sweet but had a strong alcoholic nose (bit too strong for Mike’s liking) but the prune/chocolate finish balanced out the sweetness of the dessert.
The Chefs
Reddington, Des Jardins & Plue
The chefs came out of the kitchen at the very end just to say a quick hello. Unfortunately the event had run late so they didn’t get the opportunity to go into any detail about how each dish was prepared. I guess you can’t have everything…
In Conclusion: Our meal started and ended with a bang. The setting, company, food and wine were magnificent. This was an experience Mike and I will forever remember and cherish. Thank you Foodbuzz!
Additional note from Mike – Go visit these wineries! Call ahead as they are small and require reservations.
Filed under: Monterey Peninsula | Tagged: 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf course, Club XIX, Farm-to-Table Lunch, food & wine magazine, Jardiniere, Nicole Plue, Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009, Ray Isle, REDD, Ressul Rassallat, Richard Reddington, The Lodge at Pebble Beach, Traci Des Jardins | 2 Comments »
As Mike and I arrived in beautiful Pebble Beach we both headed off to our first events. He went to the Vérité tasting and I went to the Thomas Keller cooking demo. For those of you who need an introduction Keller is the renown owner/chef of The French Laundry, Bouchon, Ad Hoc and Per Se. Things started off with a quick intro by the head honcho at Food & Wine Magazine Editor-in-Chief Dana Cowin. This was the first time I had seen Chef Keller in the flesh and he was very personable and humorous.
He wasted no time and immediately began making two gnocchi dishes: a classic potato gnocchi with mushrooms and peas then a flour based choux dough gnocchi with onions and a garlic emulsion. Keller made the whole process look easy but I guarantee it isn’t. He grew up making gnocchi with his Nona. She said that you know when the dough is ready when it feels like your earlobe. Thomas said that the key to making great gnocchi is practice. The more times you make it the better it gets. Don’t expect it to turn out perfect the first time.
Throughout his demo he stressed three things:
1. Seasonal cooking is essential to making a successful dish. Everyone should have a garden.
2. The importance of getting kids in the kitchen and cooking.
3. Salt, Salt and more Salt (he loves this stuff). He talked about it at length. He feels salt enhances flavors unlike pepper which can change flavors. That is one thing I noticed while eating at Ad Hoc the food is always seasoned perfectly.
As the cooking came to a close my mouth was watering and I was ready to eat but the gnocchi would not be mine. This was the first demo I’ve been to where you didn’t get to sample the goods at the end (a bit of a let down) so I can’t tell you if the food was tasty (who are we kidding …of course it was) but I can tell you that it smelled heavenly. What we did receive was a cool gift bag that had 4 chocolate bouchons and a French Laundry/ Pebble Beach apron. Spending the morning with Thomas Keller was a fun experience and I’m excited to make gnocchi at home for Mike, he loves them (ya…he will probably end up making them for me…😆).
RECIPES: Here is copy of the handouts I received.
Filed under: Monterey Peninsula | Tagged: cooking, food, gnocchi, Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009, RECIPES, The French Laundry, Thomas Keller Cooking Demo | 2 Comments »
**GUEST BLOGGER: MIKE – THE WINE GUY**
I usually attend wine seminars with a bit of hesitation. Too many times I have been excited only to have my hopes dashed as I sit for an hour-long “sales pitch” of a particular winery. Nothing could have been further from the truth with the seminar “Vérité Winery – Bordeaux Blends from the Best Sonoma Terroirs” at the 2nd Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine weekend. Why was this one of the best wine seminars I have ever attended? Simple. Vigneron Winemaster Pierre Seillan. He was affable, funny, knowledgeable and so inspirational that I wanted to start planting my own vineyard ASAP. Not only did I get to taste 8 (yes, I said eight!!) wonderful wines, but I also learned a ton.
The Vérité name comes from the French word for “truth” and Seillan believes his job as a winemaker is to bring forth the truth of the terroir. In Sonoma, he has found some of the best terroirs in the world for growing Bordeaux-style reds that knock your socks off. And is he ever picky. For each vintage he selects grapes from nearly 100 micro-crus, hand selects the oak for his barrels from 10 different forests and uses up to five degrees of toasting on any one barrel. What are micro-crus? Well, Seillan doesn’t just settle for mico-climates, instead believing that within one vineyard there could be rows of micro-crus that each have their own separate climate/terroir combination that gives the grapes in that row unique characteristics. Walk 50 yards and you will find another micro-cru.
Each year, Seillan might start 40 different wines that lead to a release of just three Vérité wines per vintage. Why does he do this? To create a well balanced, complex wine that can be cellared for decades or enjoyed the day you buy it. The process always avoids any one overwhelming characteristic to the wine, thus allowing for sustained complexity as it ages.
I think the real reason I enjoyed listening to Seillan so much is best captured by something he said at the end of the tasting. He mentioned that chemistry shouldn’t drive winemaking, but that the farmer (that’s what he sees himself as) should let the soil, wind, elevation, rain, exposure (the terroir) dictate what to do. He related winemaking to raising a child, “feed them (the vines) well, keep a watchful eye and stick to the basics.” Well, Mr. Seillan, your children have grown up to be the leaders of industry!!
Here is what we tasted. Watch out for the 2005’s… as a group they were amazing!!
Each bottle retails for ~$200
1998 La Muse (90% Merlot, 10% Cab Sauvignon)
Beautiful color, nice nose of chocolate and great sweet blackberry fruit with the first taste. Not too heavy, soft tannins.
1998 La Joie (70% Cab Sauvignon, 30% Merlot)
Much bigger, bolder wine than La Muse. Heavier tannins with rich dark fruity flavor.
2002 La Muse (92.5% Merlot, 7.2% Cab Franc, .3% Malbec)
Incredible nose of rich blueberry and herbs. Full bodied, yet soft on the palette.
2002 La Joie (64.2% Cab Sauvignon, 28.5% Merlot, 7% Cab Frac, .3% Malbec)
Wow!! This wine knocked me on my butt!! Big, bold and complex. Nose of blackberries and chocolate, with soft tannins and an explosion of dark, “jammy” fruit.
2002 Le Désir (52.7% Merlot, 41.2% Cab Franc, 4.5% Cab Sauvignon, 1.6% Malbec)
Wonderful berry and floral aroma with tons of juicy fruit up front. Smooth tannins leave you with a very refreshing sense.
2005 Le Muse (88% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc, 2% Malbec)
An outstanding wine. Great aroma of licorice and cherries followed by a burst of dark fruit through the middle. Tannins are a bit heavy but this wine is young.
2005 La Joie (67% Cab Sauvignon, 12% Cab Franc, 12% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec)
Another wow wine!! Great deep purple color. Incredible currant aroma and full of “jammy” dark fruit across your palette. Big, bold, well balanced, this will age exceptionally well.
2005 Le Désir (50% Cab Franc, 39% Merlot, 9% Cab Sauvignon, 2% Malbec)
Nice nose of dark cherries. This wine tastes “cool.” Very refreshing, fruit forward with a bit of spice in the aftertaste.
Filed under: Monterey Peninsula, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: la joie, la muse, le desir, Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009, Pierre Seillan, sonoma, Vérité Winery – Bordeaux Blends from the Best Sonoma Terroirs | 2 Comments »
Our friends over at FoodBuzz were extremely generous and gave Mike and I tickets to the second annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine extravaganza. This is one of the premiere culinary events in the Country with over 60 celebrity chefs and 250 Wineries. It is the ultimate Foodie weekend and we had a fabulous time!
We went to the following events:
We will blog in detail about all of these soon, but in the meantime here is a little taste of what’s to come…
*to turn the music off, click on the speaker in the top left corner
Filed under: Monterey Peninsula | Tagged: celebrity chefs, cooking, demos, food, food & wine magazine, Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009, tastings, wine, wineries | Leave a comment »
Finally a Mexican restaurant in the Saratoga Village. The town is slowly getting revitalized. The owner of “The Basin” recently opened Casa de Cobre in the old Gervais location. The interior has gotten a Latin makeover with copper/turquoise painted walls and handmade tables and chairs (Cute — but I give these things 6 months before they need to be replaced). You won’t find the usual burritos and fajitas here but much lighter unique and flavorful dishes similar to Consuelo’s at Santana Row. Mike and I decided to try a bunch of appetizers. We started off with the guacamole and chips. Everything was made to order and tasted ultra fresh. Next up taquitos. They have 7 varieties. We went with braised bacon!, Chivo (goat), Al pastor (pork with pineapple) and Camarones (shrimp). All were delicious but my favorite was hands down the shrimp (I know….better than bacon). Mike enjoyed the goat best. Then came the black bean flautas and Quesa de hongos (mushroom quesadilla). I’m giving you all the Spanish terminology because that is the way the menu reads. Be prepared to need translation unless you know Spanish. By this point we were pushing maximum capacity but of course had to try dessert. Jiricaya, a cinnamon flan/creme brulee creation arrived and was quickly devoured.
Mike and I decided this is now our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. The prices are reasonable and you can leave without breaking the bank as long as you stay away from the tasty $9 margaritas. Next visit we are actually gonna try a main course. Welcome Casa de Cobre!
Taquitos
Tasty Tip: you may want to avoid coming on the weekends until all the kinks are worked out and the novelty of a new establishment has worn off –our server said the Saturday before was super busy and the kitchen was slammed.
Rating:
Website: http://www.casadecobre.com/
Filed under: Saratoga | Tagged: casa de cobre, food, mexican, restaurant, review, The basin | 5 Comments »
These are the best holiday cupcakes thus far see my thoughts here
Round 7: brown sugar praline, flourless chocolate
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: easter, passover, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
For Mike’s birthday we decided to try Alexander’s Steakhouse. I had read numerous positive reviews despite it’s obscure location next to the dilapidated Vallco mall. Alexander’s is all about the meat so if you’re a vegetarian don’t bother. When you enter you are greeted by beef in large glass display cases. As we took our seats in the dining area we saw that the recession has not effected Cupertino. The place was packed. It was dimly lit, loud and kind of chaotic with servers running around. I was really surprised to see a restaurant where you can order a $200 piece of steak so busy.
While looking over the menu we were given complimentary glasses of bubbly (nice touch) as well as an amuse-bouche: celery root custard with shallot marmalade. Mike enjoyed it, I was glad it was free. For our first course I chose the tomato soup with basil oil and Mike had the caesar salad. The soup was the standout dish. Before the main courses came out we received a pallet cleanser: a small square of passion fruit gelee along side a raspberry and blueberry. A delightful bite.
Finally it was time for the beef — you will find a diverse selection of US, Australian and Japanese. Mike ordered the “Beef three ways” (filet, shortribs, kobe patty melt) and I chose the 6 oz. filet mignon. We shared two side dishes — beets & greens and creamed spinach. I was not impressed with the beets, they lacked seasoning. The spinach on the other hand was downright delish. After taking a taste of my steak I knew why the joint was jumpin’. The filet was seasoned and cooked to perfection and the accompanying sauce was on point. Mike started off with his kobe sando as instructed by the server. He enjoyed the filet the best, but the rest were just so-so. One gripe about the menu was that the majority of the meat entrees ranged from 14 oz.- 2 pounds! Who can eat that much? We wanted to try the featured dry aged cuts but they started at 24 oz. Now that I think about it we should have just shared one.
On to dessert… Continue reading
Filed under: Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: alexander's steakhouse, Cupertino, food, kobe beef, review | Leave a comment »
Sprinkles (left) vs. Kara's (right)
View from the Top
Check out that cake to frosting ratio
The biggest cupcake rivalry that exists in Silicon Valley is Kara’s vs. Sprinkles!
As mentioned in the past I work in walking distance to Santana row. Kara’s cupcakes opened in October. I was actually kinda excited because I currently have to travel 25 minutes to get my cupcake fix from Sprinkles. When I arrived I was surprised to find a shop the size of a bread box. There is a counter and the door. You can fit maybe two people inside comfortably. I was all jazzed to try their java and banana cakes but the employee working told me that since the store is minuscule they can only make 1/2 of the flavors you will find at other locations. I guess they don’t get the concept of making different flavors each day. I had to settle for lemon, vanilla (pictured above), coconut, fleur de sel and peanut butter.
So how did they measure up to my beloved Sprinkles? There really was no comparison between the two. Sprinkles trounced Kara’s in flavor, variety and size. Kara’s cupcakes tasted like they were straight out of a grocery store bakery (and that’s not a good thing). The cake was dry, almost flavorless and the frosting tasted like a GIANT glob of shortening. The best of the bunch was the coconut.
I really wanted the tiny cakes to be good so I could fulfill my cravings on a more regular basis but I just can’t stomach them. So sad…
Note: An in-depth Sprinkles review can be found here
Filed under: Peninsula, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: baking, cooking, food, kara's cupcakes, san jose, santana row, sprinkles cupcakes | 8 Comments »
The cupcakes have gone green…check it out here
Round 6: Irish chocolate
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: Saint Patrick's Day, sprinkles cupcakes | 1 Comment »
What will be the next food fad after cupcakes? Bundt Cakes! There is a relatively new store in Los Gatos that only sells bundt cakes. They have 10 different flavors and each is topped with their signature cream cheese frosting. After much deliberation, we chose to take home 3 single serving bundtlets: lemon, carrot and marble. I was flabbergasted at the price. A bundtlet is only $3.99 which is cheaper than what most upscale bakeries charge for a cupcake and this is a tad larger.
Bundtlets are cute, but the larger version is a bit scary looking (when you see them you will know what I mean)
So how did they taste? The bundts were moist and flavorful. My favorite was the marble. I’ve admired marble cake since I was a child. My mom would make one every year for my birthday. Mike liked the carrot best. I was very happy to find out their carrot doesn’t contain nuts or raisins (those are the two reasons I never buy carrot anything). The lemon came in a tasty third. I’m not sure if bundt is better than regular cake but I’ll go back to try some more. I’m a bundt-liever!
Address: 421 N. Santa Cruz
Website: http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: baking, desserts, food, Nothing bundt cakes | 4 Comments »
A visit to Nick’s on Main in downtown Los Gatos was waaaay overdue. Mike and I had heard rave reviews about Nick’s American bistro for months. To celebrate a year of blogging and pigging out we decided to make a reservation. Nick’s has a very cozy atmosphere. Be prepared to get to know your neighbors as the tables are positioned within inches of each other. We lucked out and snagged an end table away from the front door (which can be freezing in the winter).
We started the evening out with my favorite appetizer — Mussels! Nick’s mussels come swimming in a spicy Thai broth with a side of crispy fries. There was a lot of bread and fry dippin’ going on. It was a nice alternative to the usual garlic and wine variety. For a main course I chose the sea bass with white beans, chard and butter sauce. Mike had the salmon with purple potatoes and an artichoke broth. Both dishes were cooked perfectly and the flavors fantastic. Nick makes a point to personally visit all tables to make sure his patrons are happy which makes you feel like part of the family. When he came by to see us he asked if Mike needed a spoon to slurp up all his brothy goodness.
The meal did not end here. As usual we had to get two desserts and coffee — banana bread pudding and a lemon tart. To me dessert is just as important as the main course. It’s very disappointing to end a meal on a bad note. Fortunately the desserts were grand and the coffee french pressed. Nick’s hit a home run and is a great addition to LG.
Tasty tip: Make a reservation. I lost count of the number of people who attempted to walk-in and get a table on a Saturday night. It’s just not happening!
Rating:
Website: http://nicksonmainst.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: bistro, food, Nick's on Main, review | Leave a comment »
The folks over at Foodbuzz sent me a gift just in time for Valentine’s Day. A “green box” of gourmet chocolates from Recchiuti Confections. A delicate assortment of fresh herb and tea infused chocolates. My favorites were the Spring Jasmine Tea and the Tarragon Grapefruit. I’m usually a straight milk chocolate gal but these could make me a convert. If you want to give them a try stop by the San Francisco Ferry Building. They have a S’mores kit that looks pretty darn tasty.
Tasty Tip: There is a cool chocolaty behind the scenes video on their website.
In my next life I think I want to be a chocolatier.
Website: http://www.recchiuti.com/
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, San Francisco | Tagged: chocolate, Ferry Building, Michael Recchiuti, Recchiuti Confections | Leave a comment »
Pinkberry has arrived in the Bay. All the hoopla in LA about this chilly treat had me intrigued. I went thinking I was for sure going to get the green tea because I love green tea ice cream, but after I tried a sample I changed my mind. It didn’t taste very good so I chose the original flavor. It was the first time that I had frozen yogurt that actually tasted like frozen plain yoplait yogurt. It was good but not earth shattering. I will give them props for giving large servings of froyo for a low price. The toppings… are another story. That’s where they get ya. I got a small with one scoop of fruity pebbles cereal which equated to about a tablespoon which didn’t come close to being enough to satisfy. Mike chose 2 scoops of raspberries and bananas (he is so healthy) and it was still not enough. I’ll probably be back once the weather turns warm to try again.
Verdict: Walk….don’t run…
Tasty Tip: Each and every day there are only 3 flavors of yogurt (original, green tea and pomegranate) so don’t go hoping for anything else.
Website: http://www.pinkberry.com/
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: bay area, dessert, food, frozen yogurt, pinkberry, santana row | 3 Comments »
Happy Valentine’s Week! Get that special someone a cupcake but which one? Check out my thoughts here. Only 11 more cupcakes to go!
Round 5: red hot velvet, cinnamon sugar, ginger lemon,dark choc
Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Mike and I headed off to Berkeley to take the Scharffen Berger Chocolate factory tour. Scharffen Berger is a boutique chocolatier specializing in dark chocolate. Don’t expect a wild Willy Wonka adventure but a low key highly informative romp through the chocolate making process from bean to bar. This isn’t something for the small kiddies as 90% is spent sitting listening to a verbal presentation while looking at old laminated pieces of paper (super low-tech but interesting). The last 10% is allocated for the tour of the facility. Unfortunately we went on a day in which no chocolate was being made so none of the equipment was in use but still cool to see.
NO HAIR IN THE CHOCOLATE! Mike with his hairnets
Throughout the FREE, 1-hour tour we got to sample 5 different chocolates! My favorite was the milk chocolate something Scharffen Berger just began to produce due to public demand. Even though we didn’t see a river of chocolate or any umpa lumpas we still had a great time.
UPDATE: Sad news…I just saw online that the live tours have been discontinued and it was announced that Hersey’s is closing the factory sometime this year. We must of been one of the last groups through. Scharffen Berger was bought by Hersey’s in 2005. They say they plan to move operations out of California to save money. You can still take the virtual tour.
Continue reading
Filed under: East Bay | Tagged: Berkeley, candy, chocolate factory, closing, food, free, HERSHEY'S, Joseph Schmidt Confections, Scharffen Berger Chocolate, tour | 5 Comments »
Zachary’s has won over 100 best pizza awards. That’s what brought Mike and I in for lunch. There claim to fame is a Chicago style deep dish pizza. I love pizza. I could honestly eat it every day without issue. When we arrived at the cutely decorated small pizza joint on a Sunday afternoon it was pretty packed, but we were still seated immediately. We ordered the special and 35 minutes later our meal arrived (the wait was LONG but normal for a deep pizza). Now, I had eaten a real deep dish pizza in Chicago so I had some expectations. Here are my reactions…
1. The pizza wasn’t very deep. I mean I ate 2 slices and wasn’t full. That wouldn’t happen in Chi- town.
2. The sauce was really saucy. I recall it being more chunky and zesty in flavor. I know we ordered a pie with sausage,onions & peppers but all I could taste was tomato sauce.
My overall feeling was that the pizza was a interesting change to the normal thin crust variety but I wouldn’t go out of my way to have it again. If you’re in the area give it a try.
Website: http://www.zacharys.com/
Filed under: East Bay | Tagged: Berkeley, deep dish, food, review, Zachary's Chicago Pizza | Leave a comment »
I found out about Alexis Baking Company from a Napa local. It’s known for having awesome breakfast and baked goods. As soon as I heard they serve eggs benedict it was put on my list of things to do. We arrived early on a Sunday morning and the joint was jumpin’. If you’re from the South Bay this place has a Sweet Pea’s vibe but is double the size (thank goodness). We grabbed the last table and placed our order with our hip waitress dressed in all black. No need to say what I ordered. Mike chose the creme brulee french toast with huckleberries (I know, sounds sooo good!). We sipped on some really great coffee as we eagerly waited for our food. We were both pretty famished after our horrible Go Fish dinner the night before. Our meals arrived and they looked too scrumptious to eat but we quickly dug in. Mike’s french toast was sweet, nutty, creamy and rich. A mouthful of decadence. Now on to the important stuff, the benedict…
OK everybody, this was the best 
eggs benedict I have had in my life. Everything was insanely fresh right down to the homemade english muffins. The ham was caramelized, the hollandaise light and flavorful and the home fries (NOT HASH BROWNS) were made out of red potatoes!!! I thought I had died and gone to breakfast heaven. The portion was large enough to make me sick but I couldn’t bare to let a single morsel be thrown away. I was in a food coma the entire ride home to San Jose.
The best benedict in the world!
From this day forward I will never venture to Napa without getting my ABC fix. What a find! You can always trust a local…
Tasty Tip: The english muffins were so amazing Mike wanted to take some home but unfortunately you have to order them a day in advance. Note to self: call ahead next trip!
Website: http://www.alexisbakingcompany.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: Alexis Baking Company, breakfast, downtown napa, eggs benedict, food | 2 Comments »
We were excited to try chef Cindy Pawlcyn’s restaurant Go Fish since we had a fantastic meal at her other establishment Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen earlier this year. When we arrived the decor was similar to other Pawlcyn joints — homey and comfortable. The menu was a cross between a Pier 39 seafood shack (with items like chowder/fish & chips) and a Japanese sushi bar. It was a weird combo but I thought if anyone could make it work she could. My first impression of the menu was that the sushi was over priced at $10-20 per roll. Luckily, I came in craving fish not sushi or we would have been in for a whopper of a bill. We did decide to order a Spider roll as an appetizer because I wanted to see if the sushi was worth the hefty price tag. The $12 roll arrived and it was just crab rolled up in rice NO avocado, lettuce or cucumber. It was the most boring, unoriginal version I have ever had, and to boot there was only 5 pieces not 6. Maybe the chef got hungry… For a main course I chose the cod with clams and Mike the branzino with mushrooms. I was surprised to see such a limited selection of fish entrees. When they arrived they were fresh but tasteless. The fish had no seasoning whatsoever, not even salt. We both barely got through our dishes. I will say that the 4 miniature clams on my plate were out-of-sight. I wish I had ordered a big ol’ bucket of them. After all that I was ready to bolt but Mike was still hungry so he ordered dessert. It was the highlight of the night – a pear pandowdy (like a tart). Needless to say we were highly disappointed with our dinner. As we left there was a gang of people waiting to Go Fish… I just don’t see why this place is popular, maybe because it’s one of the few sushi spots in town? I hate to say it but I’d rather go to Red Lobster.
Rating:
Website: http://www.gofishrestaurant.net/
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: Cindy Pawlcyn, food, go fish, napa, restaurant, review, St. Helena | Leave a comment »
The Chateau
I was amazed to find that Mike had never been to the Coppola winery in Napa since his favorite filmmaker is Francis Ford Coppola. Mike told me he had tried a couple Coppola wines in the past and was not overly impressed so he didn’t have an interest in visiting the winery. Well, I thought it was time to check it out.
When we arrived at Rubicon (formally named Niebaum Coppola Winery) we were instructed by the parking attendant/security guard to go inside the Chateau and pay our guest fee. There was a $25 per person entry fee which included a tasting of 5 wines, a guided tour* and access to the Chateau’s museum and exhibits. We had about 50 minutes before our tour so we walked around the museum and then had our tasting. The ladies that were pouring in the tasting room that morning were a hoot. They were friendly and fun. Rubicon Estate is where Francis has decided to exclusively showcase all his higher end wines. Mike and I were blown away with the selections. The Zin was robust but not overly peppery like so many other Cali Zins. The highlight was the “Rubicon,” a Bordeaux style red that uses only organically grown estate grapes. It’s mild enough to drink now or will age perfectly for another 15 years. Another thing that impressed Mike was that the wines were not overpriced… just like his favorite winery, Phelps. As we finished our tasting the tour started.
The 30 minute tour took us on a walk around the grounds and explained the history of the estate. It was very educational. We learned that Coppola has moved all his lower end everyday wines to a 2nd winery called Rosso & Bianco in Geyserville, CA (it’s currently being remodeled but I’m sure we will make a trip soon). The Rubicon estate was beautiful and a landmark not to be missed. Our visit went surprisingly well. We arrived with no expectations and left with a couple bottles of wine and a wine club membership so we will be returning.
Front yard of the Coppola Family Home --straight ahead behind the mass of trees is their house
*Note: If you want to take the tour that’s included with your entry fee sign up early! The tours run 3 times a day (11:30,1:30,3:30) with only 20 people and its first come first serve. When we arrived at 10:20am we were the last 2 people that made the 11:30am tour. I would suggest coming in before 11am and signing up for whatever time you want.
Website: http://www.rubiconestate.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: Francis Ford Coppola, napa, Niebaum Coppola Winery, Rosso & Bianco, Rubicon Estate Winery, wine | Leave a comment »
For 20 years Tra Vigne has been a Napa staple serving up classic Italian cuisine. When we arrived we were seated in a large booth in the gorgeous open air dining room. We started our dinner with the hand made mozzarella and garlic crostini. It’s as fresh as you can get as it is made the moment you order. This appetizer is becoming one of their signature dishes and it didn’t disappoint. The cheese was smooth and milky and the bread was perfectly browned. Mike and I both opted for house made pasta for our main courses. I chose the rigatoni carbonara and he had the duck risotto with apples and thyme. Mike never orders risotto but the way the server described the dish he couldn’t say no. This was my first carbonara… I’m usually a red sauce gal but for some reason this called to me. The sauce was rich, creamy and peppery with thick slices of bacon. It was delicious, but filling. I could only finish half. Mike was in heaven with his duck which was succulent and tender. He said this was the best risotto he ever had (next to his). We really should have called it a night but, of course, we had to order dessert. Unfortunately it wasn’t a highlight. The gelato tasted like ice milk and the chocolate torte was just so-so. Next time we will pass on dessert and leave on a high note. If you’re looking for a great Italian meal at a reasonable price you can count on Tra Vigne!
Rating:
Website: http://www.travignerestaurant.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: food, italian, restaurant, review, St. Helena, Tra Vigne | Leave a comment »
After seeing the movie Bottle shock Mike and I were curious to check out one of the wineries that put Napa on the map. The Chateau is nestled in the hills of Calistoga. They definitely took some creative license with the film since the drive up didn’t look at all familiar. The estate on the other hand was as beautiful as it was on screen. For $15 we got to taste the following 4 wines: the Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Montelena Estate Zinfandel, and Potter Valley Riesling. I was kinda bummed that we didn’t get to try a Chardonnay. The wines didn’t disappoint. They were all yummy. We ended up bringing home a bottle of the Zin. After the tasting we were sent off with a map of the property so we could go on a self guided tour. We took a quick walk around the grounds as it was a gorgeous day and the vines were filled with colorful fall leaves. It was fun to visit a place with such rich history.
Tasty Tip: By the way, the tasting fee is not waived with purchase which I find chintzy.
Tasting Room Hours
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily
(except major holidays and the third Saturday in May)
Website: http://www.montelena.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: 1973 Chardonnay, bottle shock movie, calistoga, Chateau Montelena, James Barrett, wine, winery | Leave a comment »
If you can believe it we have never been to the Bouchon Bakery. Since it’s located across the street from NapaStyle we decided to stop by and grab some sweets and breakfast for the following morning. It’s a tiny little shop with many french bakery items to choose from. We purchased the following:
Nutter butter, coffee cake, walnut roll, Thomas Keller oreo cookie (TKO), blueberry muffin, chocolate bouchon (not pictured)
Everything was very good and even tasted fresh the next day. My favorite was the blueberry muffin and the TKO. Mike’s was the coffee cake and the Nutter butter. I think this will be a regular stop on future Napa trips.
Website: http://www.bouchonbakery.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: Bouchon Bakery, french, pastries, thomas keller, tko, Yountville | Leave a comment »
We headed back to Napa for my bday weekend. First stop was Michael Chiarello’s flagship NapaStyle store in Yountville. It was not exactly what I expected. The space was small and packed to the gills. Things it has that you won’t find at other locations include an olive oil bar, house-made salami section as well as a cafe. I was most impressed with the Panini cafe called Paninoteca. Mike and I had lunch there and the sandwiches were terrific. Very fresh, tasty and light. On the way out we picked up a jug of the NapaStyle everyday olive oil. It tasted delicious.
Toasted spice chicken with braised potatoes
Grilled flank steak with red onions and blue cheese
Shout out to the weather gods…thanks for the fantabulous weather. It was one of the nicest weekends I have experienced in Napa. On November 14th it was 86 degrees! At that time of year it’s normally in the 60’s. I was wearing shorts and flip flops. 😎
Address:
V Marketplace
6525 Washington St.
Yountville, CA
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: cafe, Michael Chiarello, napastyle, Panini, Paninoteca & Wine Bar, V Marketplace, Yountville | Leave a comment »
For my birthday this year I decided to return to the place Mike asked me to marry him…Sent Soví, a small, romantic French-California restaurant located in downtown Saratoga. We hadn’t been in for a meal since the summer of 2006 and I was surprised to find many changes had occurred over the last 2 years to the menu. The regular à la cart items no longer exist. You now only have the option to get the Chef’s tasting menu ($85) or a 3 or 4 course Prix-fixe menu ($65/$72). The wine menu was also overhauled. They now have wine flights as well as glasses by the 1,3 or 5 ounce pour for reasonable prices. This was a welcomed modification. I assume in response to the down economy last month they introduced a nightly special. Each day of the week they feature one signature dish complete with choice of soup or salad and dessert for $45. Mike and I chose to try it out since it was pork night and we are fans of the piggie.
Our dinner began with a complementary Amuse bouche of cold lemongrass soup which had a yogurt consistency but custard taste. It was a interesting start. I chose the Spinach salad with toasted almonds and a harissa vinaigrette for my starter. The spinach was crisp and fresh but the dressing was a bit too spicy. Mike ordered the Squash curry soup which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was Tuesday so our main course was Pecan Crusted Pork Loin With Celery Root Puree, Brussels Sprouts in Brown Butter and Shallot Jus. The pork was cooked perfectly and the puree was light and smooth. I’d never had brussel sprouts before mostly because I only hear negative commentary about them. I think they get a bad rap because these were incredible. I ate ever last one but I’m sure this is not how most prepare the veg at home. There was a bit of a wait in-between our main course and dessert but to hold us over we were offered (large) glasses of a delicious port. I have to say that we have always had stellar service at Sent Soví. The staff is knowledgeable about food & wine and extremely polite. For dessert I picked the trio of sorbets (coconut, dark chocolate and strawberry) and homemade cookies. My dessert was presented on a plate with “Happy Birthday” written in chocolate. I was instantly transported to July 2, 2005 when my dessert had “Will you marry me?” scrolled in chocolate across the plate. I like how they go the extra mile to make events special. Mike had the Rosemary creme brulee which was more savory than sweet. It had a unique taste but I think Mike prefers the classic version. Overall, the nightly dinner was tasty and economical but it didn’t really wow us like meals of the past. I guess we are gonna have to shell out the big bucks in order to experience the flavors we grew to love, and you know what, I really don’t mind because Sent Soví is worth every penny.
Rating:
Website: http://www.sentsovi.com/ Continue reading
Filed under: Saratoga | Tagged: food, Josiah Slone, restaurant, review, sent sovi | Leave a comment »
I’ve drove past The Happy Hound countless number of times and never had the urge to stop but the reviews on Yelp changed my mind. I love a good hot dog. This place is a dive but is always packed. Mike and I both tried the cheese hound (seen below). The dogs are big and stuffed to the max with toppings. When you bite into them they snap in your mouth — so fresh. Whoever works the fry station deserves a raise. The fries are perfection…crisp, hot and super salty. I’ve also tried the chili cheese hound which is also good but not photogenic. It’s a mess. You have to eat it with a fork and knife. In the future I think I’ll stick to the plain happy hound dog. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Address: 15899 Los Gatos Blvd.
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: food, fries, hamburgers, hotdogs, restaurant, the happy hound | Leave a comment »
You’ve heard me discuss my Sprinkles obsession in the past. Now I’m taking it to a whole new level. There are 23 regularly featured Sprinkles cupcakes plus 17 seasonal and I am on a mission to try them all! My plan is to go once a month to the Palo Alto store and buy no more than 6 flavors at a time. By my calculation it will take me 12 months to accomplish the task of eating all 40. Are you up for the challenge? Join me! MISSION COMPLETED SEPT 2009 but when new flavors are introduced I add them to the list.
I adore these cupcakes but all are not created equal. Here is how I rank them…
*seasonal/ limited edition flavors / secret menu
How about you? Which flavors make you drool? Leave a comment or two…
Continue reading
Filed under: Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: baking, best, cakes, challenge, cupcakes, flavors, food, Peninsula, rankings, sprinkles cupcakes, the original cupcake bakery, top | 16 Comments »
Roux is a Louisiana style restaurant on the row. I’ve never had the pleasure of traveling to “The Big Easy” to try out the delicacies (possibly next year!) so I can’t tell you if it’s authentic, but I can tell you it’s enjoyable.
The lunch combo is the way to go if you want to sample a bunch of the restaurant’s cuisine for an affordable price. I ordered 1/2 the pulled pork Po’Boy with a side of mac & cheese as well as the etouffe. The mac & cheese is not your standard fare. It has breadcrumbs and tastes more like parmesan cheese noodles. They were good but don’t expect your mama’s mac & cheese. The etouffe with crawfish was tasty but the highlight of the meal was the Po’Boy. The sandwich was really delicious. Tender pork covered in bbq sauce AND a yummy rémoulade on a toasted french roll with lettuce, tomato and red onion. My taste buds were happy. The portions are large so be prepared to overeat or get a doggie bag.
After reading the not-so-positive reviews on Yelp, I wasn’t expecting much. I left pleasantly surprised and eager to come back to try some more.
BTW – Whoever invented the fried pickle is a genius!
Tasty Tip: M-F from 4-7pm they have a happy hour at the bar where they have a bunch of cheap eats.
Website: www.rouxkitchen.com
UPDATE – 2nd visit: I sampled the sweet potato fries and the fried catfish both were great. I tried the gumbo and was not impressed. Maybe I’m not a gumbo girl but I found the gravy/sauce to be overly fishy tasting. Also, the fried oysters were as big as my fist. Just not appetizing…
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: food, Louisiana cuisine, Po'Boy, review, Roux Louisiana Kitchen, santana row | 2 Comments »
Lamb Souvlaki
Mike wanted to go “somewhere new.” So I did a Yelp search and decided on a highly rated Mediterranean restaurant called Cafe Artemis located in the Campbell Pruneyard. I didn’t recall seeing this place before. It’s situated next to Trudys and is only a couple years old.
It was a sultry night so we, of course decided to eat outside on their large patio. We started things off with the Saganaki. It’s pan fried cheese. Nuff said! I ordered the Lamb Souvlaki which was marinated lamb grilled with peppers & tomatoes over rice pilaf. Mike had the Lamb Kofte – traditional ground lamb patties with toasted cumin, grilled and served with rice pilaf. Both dishes were very nice with classic Greek flavors. My only complaint was that I would have liked a real steak knife. The butter knife I had was not cuttin’ it.
The portions were large so that left no room for dessert. I hear the chocolate torte is awesome. The service was good even though we did end up with 3 different waiters throughout the night… but it didn’t bother me. I rather be served than made to wait. It was a tasty affordable meal. I will return.
FYI – Wednesday nights they have a belly dancer if you’re into that sort of thing…
Rating:
Website: http://www.cafeartemis.com/
Filed under: Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: belly dancer, cafe artemis, campbell, food, greek, lamb, Mediterranean, pruneyard, review | 1 Comment »
It’s been exactly 2 years and 7 months since I had my first Sprinkles cupcake in Beverly Hills. The event was life changing. Ever since I have been waiting for a store to open in the Bay Area. That day has come. On October 4th I woke Mike up at the crack of dawn and we made the trek to the new Palo Alto store. It had been open for 2 weeks and I was hoping the novelty would have worn off for the newbies. We rolled into the parking lot at 9am just as the doors were opening and there were already 20 people in line (by the way it was cold and drizzling). 
My reasoning for going this early was to avoid the 45 minute wait that had been reported on Yelp the past few days, and to make sure my cupcakes were fresh and in-stock. The cakes are made daily and when they are gone, they’re gone. The store layout is similar to LA. Although this is larger they still only allow ~ 6 people inside at once to order, the rest are kicked to the curb (at least they have a bench here). So it’s pretty much a guarantee that there will be people waiting outside when you arrive –pretty good marketing scheme. We were in and out in 20 minutes. We picked out 6 cupcakes ($3.25 each) and 2 dog cupcakes ($2.50 each). They have certain cupcake flavors each day so check the schedule before you go to make sure they have what you are craving. Well, was it worth the wait? You Betcha! I’m not going to go into any details on how things tasted here because in an upcoming ongoing post I will rate all the cupcakes in order of my preference. I invite you to give your opinions on the subject. 6 down 31 to go — I am determined to try them all!
I will leave you with this Warning: Do not attempt to eat the dots on top of the cupcakes. THEY ARE DECORATION and solid as a rock so if you don’t want to break a tooth…lick them and then dispose.
See you in line…
Hours: M-Sat 9-7pm, Sun 10-6pm
Address: 393 Stanford Shopping Center
Filed under: Peninsula | Tagged: baking, dessert, food, grand opening, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a comment »
Tapestry holds a special place in my heart as this was the location of our rehearsal dinner. Tapestry is a California bistro situated in a 100-yr-old remodeled bungalow in Los Gatos. We rented the entire house for that one special night. Mike and I dine here twice a year and each time the memories come rushing back. My favorite time to go is in the late summer because they have a large patio with an awesome outdoor fireplace. I usually order the same thing –the award winning filet but this evening I was adventurous and decided to try something different. After Mike and I split the Honeymoon Salad, which features blue cheese and candied walnuts (note: this name has no relation to our wedding — that is the official name, don’t know why…) I selected the Coconut Poached Halibut w/ Tandori Spices. This was lovely, but I love any kind of fish with a coconut finish. The halibut had a thick crispy crust, sat on a bed of mushrooms and was topped with a sweet relish that blew me away. Too bad this is a seasonal menu item or this would be my new go-to dish. Mike chose the Seared Rare Ahi w/ Coconut Risotto, Black Bean Sauce & Dried Pineapple. Another dish in which he wiped the plate clean…literally.
We never leave without dessert even if we are stuffed. I went with my usual, the Chocolate Lava Cake w/ Caramel Mascarpone Cream and Mike ordered Zack’s Favorite Peach Pie w/ Vanilla Ice Cream. Truly decadent. We always enjoy our time spent at Tapestry.
Rating:
Website: http://www.tapestrybistro.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: bistro, california, food, restaurant, review, tapestry | 1 Comment »
My office is walking distance to Santana Row so I have lunch there often. In the last 2.5 years I have never had the urge to go to Sino, the row’s version of a Chinese restaurant. I thought no way could this hip joint serve up some authentic eats.
Mike and I finally decided to give it a try. I was unsure about our decision as our leggy blond modelesque waitress took our drink order and Bobby Brown blared over the sound system. Along with the menu we were given a piece of paper with a list of dim sum items and one of those mini-golf pencils. We filled out the form and waited to see what would happen. One dish after the next was placed in front of us and to my surprise they were good. I have worked for Asian run companies for the past 8 years so I have had my share of dim sum and this really stood up. They didn’t try to do anything fancy to the dishes. They were prepared, portioned and presented just like any other Chinese establishment would. The one thing I missed was the rolling carts but getting my food served at well-timed intervals and pipin’ hot was a trade I’ll happily accept. You would think this place was insanely expensive but for 6 dishes we were only out $25 and we were stuffed. What a pleasant discovery…
Website: http://www.sinorestaurant.com/
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: chinese, dim sum, food, review, santana row, sino | Leave a comment »
If you want to grab a cheap bite after a movie or work stop by the Village Wine Bar at Santana Row. They have a slammin’ happy hour every night from 3-6pm (weekends too!). Almost all small plates and cocktails are $6! The only downer is you have to sit in the bar area which is small and can get crowded. But the wonderful selection of wines by the glass and appetizers are worth the pushin’ and shovin’.
Recommended eats: crispy Calamari, Heirloom Tomato flatbread, cheese stuffed figs and the crab cakes.
Website: http://thevillagebistro.net/
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: food, happy hour, review, santana row, Village Bistro and Wine Bar, wine | Leave a comment »
Tanglewood serves up modern American cuisine. Located at the very end of Santana Row (across from the Crate and Barrel) the restaurant can be easily overlooked which is unfortunate. After a lovely dinner here a few weeks ago it is now my favorite dining establishment on the row. Their seasonal menu can be eaten on their nicely decorated, fully covered outdoor patio. No worries of getting a sun burn!
The grub for the night:
blt salad: baby iceberg, applewood smoked bacon, cherry tomatoes, point reyes blue cheese dressing
corn chowder
maine diver scallops, fennel puree, lentil salad
maine lobster slider with homemade chips
I’m gonna keep the comments to a minimum. The pics say enough.
salad … mmm bacon
soup … silky sweet
scallops … perfectly seared
slider … if you’re hungry order 3!
We tried a couple desserts but the standout was the Lemon tart with honey gelato (sorry no photo). Give Tanglewood a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Rating:
Website: http://www.tanglewood.com/
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: food, restaurant, review, santana row, tanglewood | Leave a comment »
My favorite farmers market in the area is in Campbell. There are 2-3 blocks full of art, fruits, veggies, flowers, baked goods, jams, food carts, herbs, pasta, fish, cheese and more. Last Sunday Mike and I strolled through while eating a homemade raspberry cheesecake poppy-seed muffin. Yum! Then we shared a deliciously fresh gigantic savory crepe with spinach, tomato, cheese and lemon. Warning: eat before you go or you will spend all your money on pre-made foods… Finally we purchased some goodies to take home. When it comes to produce I usually buy from the farms that specialize in one or two items instead of 10. First stop, the heirloom tomato booth (you will see what we created with these here soon). Mike and I went crazy at Tomatero, the organic tomato stand and then grabbed some potatoes from Zuckerman’s Farms. If you are in the mood for strawberries check out Rodriguez farms (they’re delicious and organic!). You’ll find plenty of samples so take a walk through before you buy.
1/2 of the crepe!
heirlooms
Address: Campbell Ave at Central Ave Campbell, CA 95008
Hours: Sundays, 9:00am to 1:00pm year ’round
Filed under: Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: california, campbell farmers market, crepes, food, potatoes, tomatoes | 1 Comment »
© 2008 Unclaimed Freight
Mike and I spend a good amount of time in Napa so we of course had to see Bottle Shock. When I saw the previews I was a bit worried that a movie about a 1976 wine tasting competition between the hippies of Napa and the wine snobs of France could get boring fast. Fortunately this was not the case. As it is not heavy on wine mumbo-jumbo those who are not fans of the grape juice will be able to enjoy the film, and those that are will love the film. Check it out before it leaves the theaters. See Mike’s more in-depth review here.
Film website: http://www.bottleshockthemovie.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley, VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: Bottle Shock, france, movie, review, wine | Leave a comment »
The hunt for the best benedict of the Bay continues… Next stop, Gilley’s, another small diner located in the heart of downtown Los Gatos. Mike and I popped in one Tuesday morning to get some grub. I, of course, ordered the Eggs Benedict. Mike had the French scramble which was scrambled eggs mixed with a herb cheese spread and bacon bits. When the dishes arrived they looked unappetizing. The portion size for the scramble was very small. Mike was lucky if he got two eggs. His toast was stale and his coffee burnt. An all around bad breakfast. Surprisingly my benedict tasted better than it looked. The ham and muffin were cooked nicely but the eggs were a tad overcooked, and the hollandaise tasted like light foamy butter. Interesting take on my favorite morning entree. Then came the hashbrowns which were hard, dry and tasteless. As Mike paid he watched the cook slice open a COSTCO size bag of hashbrowns and dump them on the griddle. If you’re looking for fresh ingredients — look elsewhere. We went in with high hopes for a great meal and left disappointed.
The current standings of the benedicts of the Bay:
1. Lou’s Coffee Shop (Los Gatos)
2. The Diner of Los Gatos (Los Gatos)
3. The Southern Kitchen (Los Gatos)
4. The Los Gatos Cafe (Los Gatos)
5. Bill’s Cafe (Willow Glen)
6. Gilley’s Coffee Shoppe (Los Gatos)
7. Sweet Pea’s (Los Gatos)
Address: 47 N. Santa Cruz Avenue
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: benedicts of the Bay, breakfast, eggs benedict, food, Gilley's Coffee Shoppe | Leave a comment »
Mike’s kind of a wine connoisseur. Before we met my wine of choice was a glass of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill or Sutter Home’s White Zinfandel. Growing up in an alcohol free home I missed out on Wine 101. Over the years with Mike’s guidance my palate has changed. These days I find myself liking Red Blends, Cabs and Rieslings. Mike’s favorite winery in Napa is Joseph Phelps. He has been a preferred club member for over 15 years. Whenever we are in the valley tasting Phelps is always on our list because they have informative seminars, friendly staff, reasonable prices, a beautiful location, and most important fantastic wine.
On our latest visit we took the Insignia Blending Seminar which discusses the different elements that make up a bottle of Insignia. For those of you not familiar with Phelps wine, Insignia is its award winning proprietary red blend. The class started off with a tasting of 4 other Phelps wines: ’06 Viognier, ’05 Pinot, ’05 Syrah & ’05 Cab Sav. Then we moved on to the 5 wines that made up the 2004 Insignia. Once we tasted the components we were free to create our own blend of Insignia by mixing the various wines provided. We had lots of fun and wine…but my Insignia concoction didn’t compare to the original!
Tasty Tip: call ahead, all tastings/seminars require an appointment. If you are member pack a lunch and reserve a picnic table.
Website: http://www.jpvwines.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: food, Insignia, Insignia Blending Seminar, Joseph Phelps, napa, wine, wine tasting, winery | Leave a comment »
THE Fried Chicken everyone goes gaga over
Typical conversation about Ad Hoc:
Have you been to Ad Hoc?
Did you have the fried chicken?
Oh, my gosh it’s the best chicken I’ve ever eaten. It’s life changing bla,bla,bla
Back in May we did go to Ad hoc but not on fried chicken night. We instead had a marvelous pork dinner. If you are not familiar with Thomas Keller’s beloved restaurant in Yountville, Ca read this past post.
Mike and I returned to Ad Hoc to finally try the legendary fowl. We arrived on July 28 super syked and ready to devourer some breasts and wings. Here was our menu for the evening:
First Course - Baby Iceberg Wedge Salad with house cured speck, sweet 100 tomatoes, red torpedo onions, herb-cream dressing
Second Course - Buttermilk Fried Chicken brentwood yellow corn & yukon gold potatoes
Third Course - The Cheese Board with berry jam & medjool dates
Fourth Course - Pecan Tarts with whipped vanilla cream & caramel sauce
The answer to every ones question…Did it live up to the hype? Unfortunately for me – No…as I have stated in the past I like my chicken with a thin salty skin. Keller’s chicken didn’t have either of those components. His chicken has a thick herby skin. Good, but not my style. Mike enjoyed it. At least I can now say — been there, done that!
My favorite parts of the meal were the two sides. The corn was so sweet I didn’t mind the kernels stuck in my teeth and when I die I want to be buried in a vat of that creamy buttery mash. Just because I wasn’t crazy about the chicken doesn’t mean I like Ad Hoc any less. The food is amazing and I love the concept of the restaurant. It still gets 5 drumsticks in my book and I will be back. I look forward to trying a fish and beef menu.
Tasty Tip: If you want to try it for yourself a fellow food blogger has a calendar that lists all the monthly Ad Hoc fried chicken nights. For those of you who can’t make it to Napa Keller’s chick recipe can be found here or to try my version go here.
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: ad hoc, food, fried chicken, napa, review, thomas keller, Yountville | Leave a comment »
imported Mediterranean olive trees
I read about the Round Pond olive oil tour and tasting on Giada’s Weekend Getaway to Napa recap on the food network website. It sounded like fun so Mike and I went July 26th. The tour was very private with only 6 people. It began outside next to the olive trees with a discussion about the family-run business. Then we moved inside the mill and learned how the olives are processed. I didn’t know this but olive oil is only pressed one time during the year (November) so we didn’t get to see the equipment in action. The tour portion ended and we went onto the tasting which included taking shots of the Round Pond Italian and Spanish olive oils as well as their lemon and orange infused oils. Mike and I preferred the peppery Italian blend to the fruity Spanish and the zesty blood orange over the delicate lemon. Next we tasted their two gourmet red wine vinegars by drenching a sugar cube and sucking out the juice. Odd procedure but deliciously sweet. We enjoyed the Sangiovese vinegar best. To finish things off we were given heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, bread, strawberries and mixed greens to try all the varietals with food. We had a foodie feast!
Mike and I highly recommend this unique experience. If you’re going to be in Napa for a number of days it’s a wonderful alternative to going to yet another wine tasting. I will definitely go back, hopefully during the harvest.
mill
tasting room
olive oils
(click images to enlarge)
Tasty Tip: Appointments required. 1.5 hours / $25 per person
Website: http://www.roundpond.com
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: food, napa, olive mill, olive oil, olive oil tour, Round Pond Estate, Rutherford, tasting | Leave a comment »
For our 2 year wedding anniversary Mike and I dined at Le Papillon. Mike’s parents had given us a gift certificate for Xmas and we decided this would be the perfect occasion to use it. Le Papillon opened in 1977 and was one of the first fine dining French restaurants in Silicon Valley. As we were seated at our table the first thing I noticed was that the restaurant was unusually quiet. Although the room was half full you could hear a pin drop. I guess everyone was deeply enjoying their food. I whispered to Mike “Are we allowed to talk?” This would soon change…
The moment we ordered a well organized food parade began. Starting off with THREE Amuse bouches: first cheese and duck, second shrimp in a citrus vinaigrette and third a tomato gazpacho. Three blissful bites. Next came our starters. We chose to share the Pan Seared Maine Day Boat Scallops with Hazelnut Polenta and Preserved Lemon. It was simply fantastic. I then moved on to my Lobster Bisque with Sweet Corn Timbale and Mike dug into his Baby Lettuce Salad. When I have ordered this bisque at other establishments it’s always a light shade of pink this time it was a deep brown. It was super rich and flavorful. Hands down the best bisque I have ever had.
For our main courses we both chose fish. We attempted to keep things light because we knew we were having dessert. I chose the Braised Sturgeon and Mike the Grilled Turbot. Again, both dishes were magnifique. Cooked and presented perfectly. Then came our two beautiful desserts. The Soufflé Grand Marnier with Fresh Berries and the Banana and Chocolate Torte (pass up a banana dessert–no way!) We r-e-a-l-l-y over ate.
The food and service was superb. The only negative for the evening came at 7:30pm when a large family arrived with two kids under age 4. This was a recipe for disaster. The tykes were tired and restless. They spent the night running around the table, clanging dishes and whining. I don’t hold the restaurant responsible for the unruly children but instead of a sign at the front door that says “No cell Phones” maybe it should say “No children under 8”. I like kids but when you are paying $140 per person you don’t expect to view an episode of romper room.
That aside, Le Papillon was an extraordinary eating experience and a grand way to celebrate two years of marriage. I’m sure we will be back for future anniversaries.
Note: Sorry for the lack of pictures but I took the night off…
Rating :
Website: http://www.lepapillon.com/
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: food, french, Le Papillon, review, san jose, wine | Leave a comment »
Crimson is hidden in the corner of a strip mall on Los Gatos Blvd. It’s really not a great location but worth the time to find. As soon as you walk in you will know why the restaurant is named Crimson. Inside it is covered head to toe in red decor. My favorite being the beautiful fresh red rose at each table. Crimson is a Green Certified restaurant serving ingredients direct from local farmers. We arrived on Tuesday July 8 for their weekly $30, 3-course prix fixe menu. We had heard about it over a year ago and we finally decided to go. After looking at the menu Mike and I ordered one of everything so we could try it all.
Prix Fixe Menu – July 8, 2008
With the economy as it is it’s getting harder to justify all our lavish dinners out. This $30 Tuesday is one of the best deals in town!
Rating:
Website: http://www.crimsonrestaurant.com/
Tasty Tip: don’t forget to fill out the form that comes with your bill to get on the weekly email list.
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: crimson, food, Los Gatos, prix fixe, review, wine | Leave a comment »
How could I not know about Mr. Pickles? I am in downtown Los Gatos at least once a week and I have never seen this little sandwich shop. I read a review on Yelp and decided to seek it out. It is located on a small side street across from the Wells Fargo bank. When we arrived on the 4th of July around 1pm there was a line out the door. I guess I’m the only one in LG not familiar with this place. They feature over 20 specialty sandwiches that are huge, fresh and tasty. Mike and I shared “The Abbott” which has turkey,avocado and bacon with a bag of dirty chips and were full for hours. If you are in need of a great sando, go see Mr. Pickles.
FYI- If you’re in Los Gatos and you see a man in a pickle suit don’t be scared it’s just Mr. Pickles.
Address:151 N Santa Cruz Ave
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: food, Los Gatos, mr. pickles, sandwiches | Leave a comment »
Café Beaujolais is a California French restaurant located in a restored Victorian Farmhouse. This would be the destination for our one dinner out in Mendocino with Mike’s cousin and wife. The restaurant has been a town staple since 1969.
We started the night with the following appetizers; seafood bisque, crab cakes and butter braised beets with micro greens. All were good but the award winning crab cakes seemed to get the most admiration. Our main courses included:
-Pan Roasted Quail, Organic Greens, Sparrow Lane Golden Balsamic Vinaigrette, Candied Walnuts, Cashews and Dried White Figs
-Pan Roasted California Sturgeon Fillet, House Made Tagliatelle, Truffle Emulsion Sauce, Wild Mushrooms, Beets and Snap Peas
-Salmon with Raspberry Chile Sauce, Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus
The boys had stellar remarks for the salmon special. The sturgeon also deserves some props. For dessert we ordered the Cherry Crisp with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, the Coconut Cream Pie and House Made Fruit Sorbets. Everything was delicious.
My only complaint was that the server wasn’t very knowledgeable about the entree ingredients or the wine we ordered. This is unusual in a small well established restaurant. Despite those minor setbacks we had a wonderful evening.
Shots of the Eats (click to enlarge):
Rating:
Website: http://www.cafebeaujolais.com/
Filed under: North Coast | Tagged: Cafe Beaujolais, food, French restaurant, mendocino, review, wine | Leave a comment »
Bay Area Foodie 