Citizen Chef Healthy Meals

Posted on September 24, 2012 by bayareafoodie


A new company in San Francisco called Citizen Chef just launched a line of fast, fresh,healthy stir fry meals to prepare at home. Each package comes with cut veggies, a grain and a gourmet sauce. All you need to add is a protein of your choice and dinner is served in 15 minutes.

inside the box

When asked if I would like to try the product it was a no brainer…fast and easy are my two favorite words when it comes to cooking. Of the 3 varieties I had I was the most impressed with the Thai stir fry because I’ve always found Asian cuisine the hardest to recreate at home and this Thai Sesame sauce blew me away. It tasted just like the massaman curry that I love to order from our local Thai restaurant.

Chicken w/ Thai Sesame Sauce (fresh coconut milk, roasted sesame seeds, & a hint of ginger)

I also enjoyed the couscous in the Limone Garlic package. We are in a grain rut and always end up with rice. This was a very nice change.

Shrimp w/ Limone Garlic Sauce (fresh garlic, lemon peel, & extra virgin olive oil)

Overall I was impressed with the quality of the meals. Mike and I would definitely purchase them in the future…the only bummer is that you can only find Citizen Chef in certain Bay Area Whole Foods markets. Hopefully they get picked up nationally. See if they are in your neighborhood here.
Get a $3 off coupon here

Website: http://www.citizenchef.com/

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Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Full Circle Organic Produce Delivery Review + $10 off Coupon

Posted on June 22, 2012 by bayareafoodie


Full Circle launched the Bay Area branch of its produce delivery service during the first week of June. They contacted me to see if I was interested in a free trial. I get offers to try similar services often and usually I pass because I am happy with my current delivery company, but when I checked out the Full Circle website the option to not only receive fruits & veggies but other groceries caught my attention. I thought the opportunity to purchase artisan goods including:  dairy & eggs, bread & pasta, meat, seafood, jam, coffee, honey and chocolate was very unique and something I had to check out.

Box #1 with my balls of pizza dough

My first “Sprout” size box (feeds 2-3 people) arrived right on time and everything was fresh and pretty clean. Items come straight from the farm so you should expect some dirt and bugs. In addition to the produce I added 2 balls of pizza dough from the grocery. We love to make pizza on the grill in the summer. Each ball was the perfect amount for a personal size pizza. All it needed was some heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Turned out perfect…nice thin crust.

We also made a risotto with the leeks. Insanely good. See recipe here

Box #2 came the following week and we had just about eaten everything from our first box.

Contents of box #2 with my addition of free range eggs

The baby golden beats were delicious. I just put them in foil and roasted them in the oven for an hour and they were good to go.

Beets ready for the oven

Overall, the service has been great. The produce arrived in good condition and tasted wonderful. Every new service has positive things going for them and some areas that need improvement. Here is my assessment on Full Circle…

Pros:
1. Variety! Since the produce is not coming from 1 single farm but 10+ California farms there are many more fruit & veg options and you can’t beat the added grocery items.
2. Choice – usually you make an exclusion list of produce you don’t want and if one of the items is scheduled the farm will just double up or in some cases triple up on other items already in your box. At Full Circle you can login to your account and see what is coming and switch items out yourself by choosing other items that are available that week – usually there are at least 10 additional items to choose from. I LOVE this option!
3. Delivery time – boxes are delivered overnight at the same time every week so when you wake up it’s there. No need to worry about having a delivery midday and everything going bad while sitting out in the sun.
4. Customer service – the website was easy to navigate and the process from signing up to receiving goods was a breeze. Customer service has been checking in to see if my deliveries were on time, produce was in good condition and to see if I had any concerns.

Cons:
1. Exemption list – they only allow you to select 5 items to exclude. If you don’t have time to go to your account and make changes each week you may receive things you don’t like or need. I happen to have a lot of exclusions because I have several citrus trees, herbs and veg growing in my yard so 5 doesn’t cut it.
2. Delivery schedule – boxes are scheduled to be delivered automatically every week. You have to personally contact the company if you want to skip a week or place a hold on your account. Not a big deal but a little incovienent. I would prefer to be able to login to my account and make adjustments to an online calendar instead of having to send emails or make phone calls. *They fixed this issue in August!

The pros definitely out-way the cons so give Full Circle a try. Next shipment, I plan to order salmon!

Website: http://www.fullcircle.com/

COUPON OFFER: $10 off your first box. Use promo code (exp 12/13): SOCIAL10

If you decide to sign up, please let them know Nicole Whalen referred you.

Filed under: RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Blue Line Pizza

Posted on May 2, 2012 by bayareafoodie


You’ve heard the rave reviews about Little Star Pizza in San Francisco, well, it’s now available in the South Bay (Campbell) but under a new name — Blue Line. Mike and I have been twice since the February opening and I have to say it’s my favorite deep dish in the Bay Area.

Here’s how it compares to other popular Chicago style pizza joints in the area…

signature deep dish “blue line” pie

Not too thick (like Patxi’s) which means it’s not overly filling and a shorter time to wait for your pizza to arrive.

Not too saucy (like Zachary’s) which means you can taste the toppings which also happen to be really fresh. You can tell they don’t skimp on the ingredients.

We tried a couple salads but our favorite was the bacon & blue cheese which was huge, super fresh and the blue cheese was tangy good.

Note: no reservations. Get in early (b4 6:30pm) or be prepared to wait.

Rating: 

Website:http://www.bluelinepizza.com/

Blue Line Pizza on Urbanspoon

Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Melt

Posted on January 17, 2012 by bayareafoodie


The man behind the Flip video camera has opened up a high-tech chain of grilled cheese fast food restaurants called The Melt all over the Bay area. Since we were at the Stanford Mall in Palo Alto to pick up the new S’more cupcake at Sprinkles we stopped in for lunch.

The menu was fairly simple composed of 6 grilled cheese sandwiches (called melts), 5 soups, 3 sweet melts and drinks. I was expecting some highly creative sando options but you basically just choose a cheese and bread. Mike ordered the special of the day… The Dirty combo (without jalapeños) – sharp cheddar, tomato, bacon, and BBQ chips on sourdough + Sweet Corn Tortilla Soup. I went with the Classic combo of sharp cheddar on potato bread w/bacon + Two Tomato Basil soup.

The Dirty

We took a seat and admired the cool order board that let’s you know when your food is ready. Since the menu was a bust I was hoping for a taste sensation. Unfortunately, that was also a disappointment. When biting into our sandwiches all we could taste was the cheese. The toppings were so sparse they disappeared completely. I was pumped that you could add bacon to anything for FREE (that should be a rule everywhere) but found you get what you pay for. It was razor thin, limp and flavorless.

The Classic

I can easily make better grilled cheese at home on my favorite panini grill. I will say we enjoyed the corn soup.

I guess if I was at the mall and wanted to grab a quick bite (we were in and out in 20 minutes) I might stop by again for some soup. If you are looking for grilled cheese done right, check out the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in SF.

Note: if you don’t want to stand in line you can order in advance online.

Website: https://themelt.com/

The Melt on Urbanspoon

Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Farm Fresh To You – Organic Produce Delivery Service ($10 off coupon)

Posted on November 10, 2011 by bayareafoodie

ffty-box
If you were thinking about having organic produce delivered to your home here is your chance. I received a coupon code for $10 off your first shipment from Farm Fresh to You, a Bay Area delivery service. We’ve been getting deliveries from them for over 3 years and we really enjoy it.

To redeem this offer mention promo code #6164 when signing up online or by phone. Please let them know I referred you by giving them my customer id# 63355. Enjoy!

ffty_best_of_bayWebsite: http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/

*This discount is for NEW customers only.

See my past posts about this great local company:
Our first delivery
Recipes made with our produce

Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Old Port Lobster Shack

Posted on August 2, 2011 by bayareafoodie

The Naked Lobster Roll

I gotta get this out before we leave for Boston tomorrow.

Hi, My name is Nicole and I’m a lobstaholic. I can’t believe I’ve lived in the Bay for over 24 years and never heard of the Lobster Shack until late last year.

We finally made the trek to the Redwood City Shack in December 2010.

I didn’t write this post earlier because they are supposed to open a location in Cupertino which is very close to my home so I was going to complete the review after I had tried more of their offerings but as of today it’s still not open (tear)…

When we arrived I was amazed to see a long line outside to get in. Really…at 6pm? Is it that good? After standing for 30 minutes in the cold we placed our order and were seated in a mini picnic table for two. The decor is a classic New England motif filled with fishing gear. You will feel like you have been transported to a fish market on a East Coast pier. We had come for one thing…the lobster rolls. I ordered the naked lobster roll (comes with a side of drawn butter) and Mike the Maine lobster roll (mayo, green onions, salt & pepper). Along with the roll you receive salty crispy fries, slaw and some wicked awesome sweet pickles. The lobster was cooked perfectly and as you can see they give you a generous amount. I only wish the roll was buttered a bit more…luckily I had the side of butter : )

The Maine Lobster Roll

Everything was well worth the wait. I can’t wait to try the steamers and the fried clams!

WARNING TO THE OWNERS: you will see a lot of me when you open your Cupertino location! Please open soon…

Rating:

Website: http://www.oplobster.com/index.htm

Note: they also have a food truck now so you’ll find them rollin’ around the Bay. Their Facebook/Twitter pages have the best updates on its location.

Old Port Lobster Shack on Urbanspoon

Filed under: Northern CA, Peninsula, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Farm Fresh To You – ($15 off coupon) Organic Produce Delivery Service

Posted on June 20, 2009 by bayareafoodie

ffty-box
If you were thinking about having organic produce delivered to your home here is your chance. I received a coupon code for $15 off your first shipment from Farm Fresh to You, a Bay Area delivery service. We’ve been getting deliveries from them for over 5 years and we really enjoy it.  To redeem this offer mention promo code #NICZ9497 when signing up.  Enjoy!

ffty_best_of_bayWebsite: http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/

*This discount is for NEW customers only or those who have not received a delivery in 3 months.

See my past posts about this great local company:
Our first delivery
Recipes made with our produce

Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Farm Fresh To You – Home Produce Delivery revisited

Posted on April 8, 2009 by bayareafoodie

So we have been receiving deliveries of organic produce for 6 months now and we LOVE IT. We cook a lot more and eat much more healthy. I’ll be honest with you — I’m sooooo glad it’s Spring. I’m all greened out!

Here are some dishes we have made with our garden goodies (click on images to enlarge):
orecchiette-with-sauteed-greens fish-with-orange-fennel-salsa kale-gratin penne-with-spinach-sauce creamy-leek-soup pasta-with-roasted-veg ribollita spinach-with-mushrooms1

Recipe links (in order of appearance in photos above):
Orecchiette with Sautéed Greens and Scallion Sauce – kicked up buttered noodles, next time we’ll add shrooms & chicken
Grilled Fish with Orange-Fennel Salsa – yum!
Kale Gratin with Pancetta – mmm…we used bacon
Penne with Spinach Sauce – a little dry
Creamy Leek Soup – I added bacon
Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, Tomatoes and Basil – everything but the kitchen sink pasta, good hot or cold
Ribollita con Verdure – better the next day
Spinach and Mushrooms with Truffle Oil – truffle oil has an interesting flavor

If you would like to give Farm Fresh To You a try here is a $10 off coupon for your first order.

Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Pinkberry

Posted on February 18, 2009 by bayareafoodie

pinkberry11 pinkberry2

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: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Farm Fresh To You – Organic Produce Delivery Service

Posted on September 25, 2008 by bayareafoodie

Over the last couple months I have heard about people/neighborhoods getting produce deliveries from local farmers. I thought it was a wonderful idea but didn’t know if it was available in my area. While perusing a fellow bay area foodies blog I noticed he was getting deliveries from Farm Fresh to You, a family run farm in Capay Valley, CA. As soon as I visited their company website and saw that they would deliver to my house I immediately signed up. By doing this we hope to start eating more fruit and expanding the variety of vegetables we consume. We just received our first regular box of organic goodies:

a view inside the box

Heirloom tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Red sweet peppers
Garlic
Yellow onions
Honeydew melon
Arugula
Sugerpie pumpkin
Gala apples
Asian pears
Broccoli

All this for $29 (delivery included). This should last us 1.5-2 weeks.

We were very happy with our shipment. You will see recipes using these items soon.

If you decide to give this a go, here is a $10 off coupon for your first order.

Note: this is the real deal direct from the farm so expect some dirt and maybe even a few bugs!

Website: http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/

Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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