Posted on July 8, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Yes, that says Buffalo. How did we come about preparing such a unique kind of meat? Here is the scenario…
Setting – Whole Foods Meat Counter
Mike: “That london broil looks nice”
Me: “I think that’s buffalo”
Mike: “No, the meat above that is buffalo”
Me: “No, I’m pretty sure that is also buffalo”
Mike (to the butcher): “I’ll take that nice london broil”
Setting – Our Kitchen unpacking the groceries
Me (looking at the wrapped meat label): “I knew it was buffalo…”
So that’s how we ended up eating a weird cut of buffalo. Oddly after scouring epicurious and foodtv.com I couldn’t find that many preparation options for our broil. We ended up using a recipe I found on the Eating Well website. Because Buffalo is a super lean meat you have to cook it pretty rare to avoid making it tough. Mike as always did a bang up job grilling and everything turned out nice. The sauce was similar to a Greek tzatzikiz and went perfect with the meat and the bitter radicchio. I adore beets so those were the highlight of the dish for me. Although tasty I don’t think this will go on our list of things to make again.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Side Dish | Tagged: buffalo, eating well, food, Grilled Buffalo Steak with Radicchio-Beet Skewers, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 7, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Every year we spend the 4th of July at home with our dog Edison. 
Our 105 lb black lab mix is deathly afraid of fireworks. Most of the evening he is cowering in our closet as our neighbors light off M-80’s loud enough to rock our foundation. This year in between consoling Mr. Ed we made S’mores. I decided I wanted to do something different so instead of a chocolate bar we used Nutella. I also toasted some coconut to toss on top because I like it. The Nutella was a brilliant substitution. Instead of the usual semi melted chunk of chocolate we had creamy chocolaty hazelnut. Give me S’more! I’ll never use a chocolate bar again…
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: dessert, food, nutella, Nutella Coconut S'mores, RECIPES, smore | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 4, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike bought a big, new, manly grill. It has a Rotisserie… we decided to take it for a spin.
Two hours and two birds later we had this…
Juicy, fall off the bone chicken. That grill was worth every penny!!
Recipes used:
We made one sweet and one savory. Huli Huli Hawaiian glaze and Lemon and Rosemary marinade (Warning: this stuff is potent — Mike’s hands after numerous washes smelled like garlic for 24 hours).
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bbq, food, Huli Huli Hawaiian glaze, Lemon and Rosemary marinade, RECIPES, rotisserie chicken | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 3, 2008 by bayareafoodie
While wandering around the Vintage Wine Merchant store at Santana Row Mike and I noticed a display of wines for under $10. The low price is not what caught our attention it was the labels on two of the bottles. One was called Bitch and the other Pure Evil. As we chuckled we then saw a sign that said Bitch, a Grenache, and Pure Evil, a Chardonnay, received 90 point ratings from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
For that price and rating we purchased a bottle of each. Turns out they didn’t taste half bad. Pick up a bottle or two if you know an Evil Bitch.
Both are produced by R Wines in Australia.
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: australia, bitch, food, pure evil, r wines, san jose, santana row, Vintage Wine Merchant, wine | 3 Comments »
Posted on July 2, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I finally attempted to make Eggs Benedict at home. I have been traveling to all kinds of breakfast cafes trying to find the Best Benedict of the Bay when I thought “Hey, I can do this.” So I decided on a ham AND bacon benedict smothered in, of course, Béarnaise. For a first try at pouched eggs I was pretty impressed with the creation Mike and I concocted. Our eggs were a little less runny than I would have liked but other than that it was pure heaven. Now all I need to do is work up a mean potato side dish and I could be in the running.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bearnaise, breakfast, eggs benedict, food, pouched egg, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 30, 2008 by bayareafoodie
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
-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 with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, the Coconut Cream Pie and
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 »
Posted on June 26, 2008 by bayareafoodie
If you ever travel through Anderson Valley make sure to stop at Goldeneye Winery for a tasting of their world class Pinots. Goldeneye is owned by the Duckhorn family so you know they produce some outstanding wines. While in Mendocino we decided to do a day of Pinot tasting and Goldeneye was our first stop. We had made a reservation to take their Estate tasting session which is a 45 minute semi-private tasting (8 people max) that discusses the winery’s history and production process while tasting wines paired with a selection of cheeses, nuts and dried fruit. This was one of the best tastings I have been to. Our host was knowledgeable and friendly and the setting was breathtaking. At $20 per person this was a steal compared to Napa. You will find that many winery tastings in the Valley are low in cost or completely free.
Tasty Tip: Before you arrive pick up a picnic lunch and sit and enjoy the magnificent views of their vineyard.
Hours: open daily
11:00am – 4:00pm
Website: www.goldeneyewinery.com
Filed under: North Coast | Tagged: anderson valley, cheese, duckhorn, food, goldeneye, pinot, wine, wine tasting, winery | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 21, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I took our dog Edison to Mendocino for a long weekend. We rented a beautiful house on the coast with Mike’s cousin John and his wife Raquel.
John and Raquel are wonderful cooks. On our first night they prepared a foodie feast. Here was the menu:
Cesar salad with giant crouton 
Grilled Flank Steak with sauteed Portabella and Cremini mushrooms and garlic mashed potatoes. They found the recipe on epicurious. The steak was marinated in a soy mixture and grilled to perfection. The mushrooms were combined with a hefty amount of balsamic so they had a peppery kick. Everything turned out delicious.
You would think that the meal was complete but NO… there was more. Raquel had made a Tomato and Cheese Tart the day before so we all had a slice of that too. I had not had anything like it before. For some reason I was expecting egg but all it contained was a light flaky crust with dijon mustard covered in Parmesan cheese and sliced tomatoes. It was finished off with a drizzle of garlic herb oil. Very unique and tasty.
After all that I was completely stuffed but then came dessert…. see deep dark chocolate cookie post.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: epicurious, flank steak, food, Portabella and Cremini Mushrooms, RECIPES, tomato and cheese tart | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 21, 2008 by bayareafoodie
While in Mendocino Raquel made the deep dark chocolate cookies from the bon appetit June 2008 issue. Wow, these were sinful. They were great right out of the oven but I think I preferred eating the balls of dough. They tasted like dark chocolate truffles! Made without butter or flour you can pretend they are healthy.
Tasty tip: watch the oven closely or these bad boys will burn. Recipe link
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: bon appetit magazine, deep dark chocolate cookies, food, June 2008, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 18, 2008 by bayareafoodie
You may have passed by the Cocola Bakery in Santana Row and drooled over the delectable pastries, tarts and cakes on display. Many don’t know this, but they also sell a handful of specialty sandwiches. My favorite being the turkey breast with cranberry sauce and brie cheese on a fresh baked baguette. It reminds me of Thanksgiving. It’s a bit on the pricey side at $9.90 but a nice treat every once in a while. For a more affordable bite try the ham and cheese croissants. They also have great beverages…on cold mornings I will sometimes pick up a banana hot chocolate. Really good stuff!
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: cocola bakery, croissants, food, french, hot chocolate, pastries, san jose, sandwich, santana row, turkey | 2 Comments »
Posted on June 17, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Conduit [kon-dwit, -doo-it, -dyoo-it, -dit]
–noun : a pipe, tube or the like, for conveying water or fluid.
Photo credit: Eater SF
We ended up at Conduit not because we heard rave reviews but because of its location. Mike and I were going to be in the Mission for an event and this was only a few blocks away. We met some friends for dinner with no expectations. As the name states Conduit is filled with many horizontal and vertical copper and bronze pipes. Interesting concept and design. As I scanned the precise menu I noticed it only lists the ingredients for the dishes which requires you to converse with your server to get the full description. Luckily our server was witty and engaging and he did a wonderful job explaining each item. For a starter we order the hamachi special for the table to share. It was refreshing. We then all ordered the beet salad for appetizers which as we all know I love. This version was one of the best I have had. For my main I chose the halibut with artichokes and almonds. The fish was cooked perfectly with a nice seared crust and seasoned well. The almonds gave a wonderful crunch. I accompanied my meal with a kick a** Bründlmayer Riesling. I don’t usually make a fuss about wine but this was amazing. Mike had the game hen with pea ravioli and our friends had the halibut and pork. All the plating was beautiful and the flavors melded perfectly. When it was time to order dessert, to my delight, we were told that all desserts come with a homemade ice cream. We ended up with the chocolate pound cake with espresso chip ice cream and the chocolate creampuffs with, I believe, a tangerine ice cream. I could be wrong about that — regardless, the desserts were out of this world.
I found Conduit to be a very pleasurable experience. Even though we were there for 3 hours I never felt rushed by our waiter. They let you take your time and enjoy your evening. At just six months old this venture possesses fantastic food, staff and prices. I’m sure you will hear more buzz about them in the future. If I lived in the city I would become a regular at this little gem.
Note: My pictures came out horrible so do visit the Conduit website. They have tons of clear photos to peruse. Oh, don’t forget to check out the restroom…I’ll just say it’s different…
Rating:
Website: http://www.conduitrestaurant.com/
Filed under: San Francisco | Tagged: conduit, Conduit Restaurant, food, mission, review, San Francisco | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 15, 2008 by bayareafoodie
When I saw the special June Grilling issue of Gourmet magazine I was inspired to make the pulled pork sandwich gracing the cover. After I read that it takes 10 hours to prepare I decided to make my own version of a pork slider. Here is my creation:
PORK
Mike’s parents have a no-fail recipe for preparing pork tenderloin on the grill. It comes out perfect every time Mike makes it. First you marinate the meat in equal parts of vermouth, oil and soy. You can drop some fresh thyme leaves in if you have it. Marinate for at least an hour then remove, add salt and pepper and toss on the grill for 10 minutes a side. You may have to adjust the time depending on the size of the loin.
COLESLAW
I did use the recipe from the magazine for the coleslaw. I like my slaw a bit sweeter but other than that it turned out well. It actually tasted better the day after I made it.
Assembly: I took a couple slices of the pork and placed them on a soft roll then topped it with the slaw and a dollop of bbq sauce. Delish!
For a side dish I decided on a roasted corn and tomato salad by Emeril Lagasse. I found this recipe while cruising the Food network website. I r-e-a-l-l-y wanted to love this salad. I mean look at it, it’s gorgeous! Unfortunately, the taste didn’t live up to the beauty. It was bla. Maybe it was because I left out the jalapeno peppers. I didn’t want it to be spicy. 😳
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Side Dish | Tagged: bbq, coleslaw, corn salad, Emeril Lagasse, food, pork slider, pork tenderloin, RECIPES, roasted corn and tomato salad | 1 Comment »
Posted on June 10, 2008 by bayareafoodie
On a whim Mike and I decided to check out Cin-Cin, the replacement restaurant for Cafe Marcella in Los Gatos. We were big fans of Cafe Marcella. When Mike and I started dating it was the site of our first night out at a restaurant that didn’t have paper napkins. Cin-Cin has only been open about a month and seems to be doing well. The evening we went they were relatively full. I really like the new look and feel. It has a very eco friendly vibe from the wicker-like chairs to the bamboo walls and floors. They also tout an organic menu. It took some time for us to go through the menu as it is pretty extensive. It’s filled with wine by the glass, wine flights, beer, specialty cocktails, appetizers, small plates, large plates and sides. Our server did a good job of explaining the majority of the menu items; I guess a new restaurant feels the need to do that. The thing that stood out to Mike and I were the wine flight options. See those three large glasses above… those were $9 TOTAL! Even if only two out of the three were any good the price was unbelievable. Mike was further impressed that the flight glasses came labeled. Usually glasses are dropped in front of you and you have to try to remember what is what. We started our meal with the mushroom empanadas with truffle oil. I found them to be lacking in flavor. 
For the main course I chose the braised lamb shoulder with mint fava bean puree and fingerling potatoes (is it me or is everyone serving fava beans these days?). Mike had the pan seared salmon with fingerling potatoes and fennel confit. We both enjoyed these dishes, the lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender. To finish things off we had the cheesecake beignets AND the coconut sorbet. The beignets came with a honey/hazelnut dip and a milk chocolate dip. Both desserts were fantastic, my only complaint was that there were 3 beignets. I have a pet peeve about receiving servings in uneven numbers. The chef should recognize that most likely there is going to be an even number of people at a table so give 2 or 4 not 3. I dislike having to cut things in half to share (by the way this was also the case with our empanadas).
Overall the food was good but nothing spectacular. I can definitely see myself dropping in for wine and dessert or to share some small plates with a group of friends. There are a number of large tables as well as a lounge like area with low couches. Cin-Cin seems like a prime location for a gathering.
Rating:
Website: http://www.cincinwinebar.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: Cafe Marcella, cin-cin, Cin-Cin Restaurant, food, Los Gatos, review, wine, winebar | 1 Comment »
Posted on June 9, 2008 by bayareafoodie
With summer comes homemade ice cream. Our ice cream machine is super easy to use. No ice or hand churning necessary…just set it and forget it.
This weekend Mike made Peanut butter ice cream to go with the Barefoot Contessa brownies I made. Chocolate and peanut butter is a classic combination. I found the ice cream recipe on a fellow food blog called Kitchen Chick. It turned out fantastic. This was the best ice cream we have made and we’ve made a lot! The flavor and consistency was perfect. The brownies also turned out terrific. They contained a chocolate triple threat (chocolate chips, melted chocolate and chocolate mix). These bad boys were flaky on top and ooey-gooey in the middle. Awesome summer treat!
Mix: Barefoot Contessa Brownie Mix
Tools: Cuisinart Ice Cream machine
More photos (click to enlarge):
Since this turned out so well I’m submitting it to the “You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Frozen Desserts!” Food Blog Event hosted by Mike’s Table (btw, not my Mike).
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: barefoot contessa, chocolate brownie, dessert, food, homemade ice cream, peanut butter ice cream, RECIPES | 1 Comment »
Posted on June 8, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I stopped at Thea Mediterranean in Santana Row for a bite to eat after we went to see the Iron Man movie. It was a lovely night and they have a great comfortable outdoor seating area. Thea serves Mediterranean food with Greek influences. We started off with the fried calamari plate. It was very nice. The batter was just like I like…light. For my main course I had the moussaka which is a casserole of eggplant, lamb and beef smothered in a thick bechamel sauce. This was enjoyable but very filling. I took more than half home with me. It was even better the next day for lunch. Mike chose the Garides, prawns pressed in Greek spices over a zucchini cake and topped with an arugula salad. The presentation was fantastic. It was a light and flavorful dish.
On a previous visit I had the pita with regional spreads, the chicken souvlaki and the baclava. All were delicious. The food at Thea is fresh and tasty. I always leave satisfied. If you like Greek food, give it a try.
Rating:
Website: http://www.thearestaurant.com/
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: food, greek, review, san jose, santana row, Thea, Thea Mediterranean | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 8, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Have you ever seen a cookbook or a kitchen tool on Bay Area Foodie and wanted to purchase it for yourself or a friend? Now you can! Check out the Bay Area Foodie online store powered by Amazon. Inside individual posts when an item is mentioned there will be a link to the store or you can visit the store by clicking the permanent link on the right sidebar after the categories section.
I shop on Amazon all the time especially when I know what I want. Amazon has great prices and free shipping on most items if you spend over $25!
Start shopping 😛
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: amazon, bay area foodie online store, cookbooks, food, kitchen tools, magazines, shop, shopping | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 5, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I hosted a get together last Friday night. Since we both had to work during the day I came up with the idea to make a lasagna because we could make it in advance. I ended up using a recipe I found in the December 07 Food & Wine Magazine. It was a variation on a lasagna and looked really yummy. It consisted of penne pasta, a hearty amount of lamb and veal, some tomatoes and a creamy cheese sauce. It turned out really good. A small amount goes a long way with this dish. It’s very rich. We easily fed 9 people and still had leftovers for two more meals.
Minor modifications for next time would include more tomatoes and maybe some garlic. This was my first Italian dish without any garlic…
Photo gallery (Click to enlarge):
You can also find the recipe in the 2008 Food & Wine Annual Cookbook
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, food and wine magazine, Lasagna-Style Baked Pennette with Meat Sauce, pasta, recipe, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 31, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Last weekend it was again time to get my benedict on so Mike and I ventured out at 8:30am to Lou’s coffee shop in Los Gatos. When we arrived to the old school diner it was surprisingly empty. Usually in LG you have to be up at the crack of dawn to get seated in any bfast joint. By 9:15am the place was fairly full.
You know what I ordered and Mike chose one of the specials: coconut and banana waffle with macadamia nuts and raspberry syrup. 
He must of enjoyed it because thinking back he didn’t even offer me a bite. He devoured the whole thing. My eggs benedict was perfection. Ladies and gents, Lou’s has just bounced to the top of my benedict list. The best part was the sauce. It didn’t taste like a hollandaise but a bearnaise!! I freaking love bearnaise!! Although you can’t see it, the ham was also delicious. The cook had thrown it on the griddle so it had some crusty carmelization. Hands down #1.
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. Sweet Pea’s (Los Gatos)
FYI- I read a newspaper article from 1998 that said Lou’s and the Diner were owned by the same family. I don’t know if that is still true but they both have mastered the benedict!
Address: 15691 Los Gatos Blvd
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: bearnaise, breakfast, eggs benedict, food, Los Gatos, Lou's, Lou's coffee shop, Lou's Restaurant | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 28, 2008 by bayareafoodie
A couple times a year we have a wine & food night with friends. The evening consists of decadent food and many bottles of fantastic wine. This time Mike and I were assigned the salad course.
I attempted to make the Caprese Salad Mike and I ate at Enoteca San Marco last month. I had found an adaptation of the recipe online. I will admit I didn’t have time to make the pesto so I picked some up at Whole Foods. It was fresh and had the exact same ingredients the recipe called for but it was not as garlicky as I would have liked.
The 2 hour roasted tomatoes turned out well but didn’t have the same consistency as I remember at Enoteca. Enoteca looked and tasted more like stewed tomatoes.
Final verdict: No complaints from the foodies but I think I could do better.
You can find the original recipe in Mario’s cookbook:Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home
Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: caprese salad, enoteca san marco, food, mario batali, mozzarella, pesto, recipe, RECIPES, salad, tomatoes, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 27, 2008 by bayareafoodie
The Sprinkles cupcake shop is still not open in Palo Alto so I had to bake up a batch myself to hold me over. I picked up the red velvet mix from Williams-Sonoma. They turned out terrific… If I say so myself!
Get yourself some!
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, cupcakes, food, red velvet, sprinkles cupcakes, williams sonoma | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 24, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I have been watching Rachael Ray hammer out her 30 minute meals for the past 3 years and not once have I actually been motivated to try to recreate her dishes. That is until now…
Last weekend on an episode called “Believe in Bacon” she made American-Italian all’Amatriciana and for some reason I was moved. I went to the grocery, picked up the items I needed and set the clock for 30 minutes. I wanted to see if I could beat her time. I soon realized that she is a really fast chopper and she doesn’t follow all the steps that are listed on the recipe during her show. Looking at the instructions it takes 25 minutes just for the sauce to cook. That leaves me with 5 to organize, clean, chop and grab pots –IMPOSSIBLE. When I had finished it took me about 55 minutes. But it was worth it. Mike loved it and so did I. The pasta called for pepper bacon and fire roasted tomatoes so it was smokey and had a bit of heat. I was super surprised. Rachael knows her stuff.
Recipe link
By the way I didn’t use the cheddar. I stuck with Parm and I added chopped basil like she did on the show.
Rachael 30 minute meal cookbooks:
Classic 30 minute Meals
30 minute Meals
30 minute Meals 2
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: 30 minute meals, American-Italian all'Amatriciana, bacon, Believe in Bacon, fire roasted tomatoes, food, food network, pasta, Rachael Ray, RECIPES | 4 Comments »
Posted on May 19, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Ad Hoc is a fairly new restaurant in Yountville from the famous chef Thomas Keller (the French laundry/Bouchon). When you enter the building you will feel as though you stepped into a Pottery Barn catalog. The decor is casual and homey yet hip and fun. Ad Hoc is billed as a family style restaurant which usually means everyone at your table orders a few dishes and you share. Here, things are done a little different… Ad Hoc serves ONE 4 course menu every night which you share at your table. So whatever the chef decides to make, you eat. There are no choices to be made. When I first heard about this unique business model I was highly intrigued. With that said I expected every dish to be prepared flawlessly and guess what?…they were! Every morsel was perfectly seasoned. I could actually taste the salt and pepper in every bite.
Here is the menu we were served on May 10th, 2008 ($48/per person):
First course – Frisee salad with beets
I absolutely love beets so I was totally excited about this salad. It was delectable. It was simple yet refined. When you have fresh ingredients you can’t go wrong.
Second course – Stuffed pork with rice, barley, baby carrots, asparagus and apple compote
Mike was drooling…The pork skin was crisp and salty and the meat tender. The veggies and rice were a perfect accompaniment.
Third course – Goat cheese with pinenut brittle and blackberry jam
A combination I would never think of was a symphony in my mouth.
Fourth course – Thin pastry with baked bananas topped with strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream
I don’t know if you notice from previous posts but if a restaurant offers a dessert with bananas and ice cream Mike and I order it. We adore banana anything. It was like this menu was tailor made for us.
The one and only thing I did not care for was the music blasting in the dining room, it really contradicted with the homey vibe they wanted the restaurant to portray. Don’t get me wrong the soundtrack played throughout the night was great but extremely loud. I found it hard to talk with the friends at our table. Around 8ish the music and lights were turned down which was much appreciated.
This was the best meal of the weekend and probably the best I have ever had in Napa. I hear the evenings with fried chicken and chocolate brownies are to die for. Unfortunately, they only post the menu the day of so you can’t plan ahead. It’s the luck of the draw. Make your reservation (far in advance) and keep your fingers crossed. But really unless you are a picky eater I don’t think you can go wrong on any night.
Side Note: We were told by one of the servers that Ad Hoc originally was a temporary fix until Keller could open a burger and half bottle joint but it became so popular that it had to stay. I’m so glad it did!
Rating:
Website: http://adhocrestaurant.com/
Keller cookbooks:
The French laundry
Bouchon
Filed under: Napa Valley, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: ad hoc, Bouchon, family style, food, french laundry, napa, review, thomas keller, wine, Yountville | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 18, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I had heard rave reviews about Solbar the restaurant in the new Solage resort in Calistoga. A bit off the beaten path, Solbar is an interesting mix of hip Napa style and a tropical island. The dining area is split in two — indoor and outdoor. It’s very open and airy and when you are inside you still feel like you are outside, as one main wall is open to the patio. Very much like you would find in a Hawaiian restaurant. Our group of 6 decided to sit on the patio next to the beautiful fire/water display. Mike and I had dinner with 4 friends so we sampled the majority of the menu (Hi- DB, CB, R & JB). We started off with a couple orders of the flatbreads & spreads to share and a bevy of unique mixed drinks. The breads were light and flavorful and the drinks refreshing. 
The appetizers that followed were the sliders, a mixed green salad and I had the asparagus soup. No complaints there. The dishes were enjoyed by all. Dinner then arrived for everyone except me. I had ordered the sliders as my main course and the kitchen forgot them. No worries …I was actually not super hungry that evening — for a change. Our server was very apologetic for the mix-up and she removed the charge from the bill. Other entrees included the yellow fin tuna, barbecued pork buns, pasta with fava beans and roasted lamb. When my sliders with bacon, cheddar and ten-hour onions arrived they were not all that they had been built up to be. Prior to coming I had a bunch of people tell me to try the sliders. 
They were tasty but a bit bland, they needed a sauce of some kind (maybe it was left off in the rush to get to my table?). I actually prefer the sliders at the Paragon restaurant in San Jose. For dessert we had the cinnamon sugar doughnut holes and a mix of house made sorbets. The sorbets were the hit of the night. Some were still talking about them the next day.
The food was good but the setting was magnificent. It was a great spot to hang out with our friends. I would go back to have cocktails and dessert anytime.
Rating:
Website: http://www.solagecalistoga.com/dining/index.shtml
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: ca, calistoga, food, napa, pork buns, review, sliders, solage, solbar, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 15, 2008 by bayareafoodie
For our first night in Napa we decided to check out Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena. The owner Cindy Pawlcyn, is the James Beard award-winning cookbook author, Chef and owner of Mustards Grill, so we knew it would be good. It was a beautiful evening so we chose to sit outside on the small patio under a large 100 year old fig tree. Light Jazz music pumped through some speakers. Don’t expect a loud, mardi gras like environment. Some colorful hand blown drinking glasses and rooster signs are as crazy as you will get. Cindy’s serves up home inspired dishes in a charming rustic setting.
Mike and I started our meal by sharing a warm spinach salad with smoked apple bacon, caramelized onions and pouched egg. It was nice and the vinaigrette dressing gave it a tangy kick. For the main course Mike picked the smoked duck with fritter and I had the pan seared halibut with fava bean mash, pickled onions, asparagus and artichokes. Both dishes were remarkable!! Check out those photos, they were almost too pretty to eat…but we did 😀 . Mike’s duck was HUGE. The skin was crispy and the meat juicy, it had been cooking all day in a wood burning oven. My halibut was cooked to perfection, light and flaky and the artichokes were magnificent. I love fresh artichokes not the marinated kind in a jar. These were soft and buttery like when I make them at home. Even though we were stuffed we couldn’t pass up a dessert called Campfire pie. I didn’t get a photo because we tore into it as soon as it hit the table. Picture marshmallow fluff filled with peanuts and chocolate chips on top of an oreo cookie crust placed in the oven so it had a meringue like finish. Sooo scrumptious.
I actually enjoyed Cindy’s more than the beloved Mustards. It has all the elements for a perfect restaurant: comfortable atmosphere, awesome food, attentive and fun staff plus very reasonable prices. I can’t wait to go back.
Rating:
Website: http://www.cindysbackstreetkitchen.com/
Cindy’s cookbooks:
Big Small Plates
Mustards Grill
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: Cindy Pawlcyn, cindy's backstreet kitchen, duck, food, James Beard, jazz, mustards grill, napa, review, St. Helena, wine | 1 Comment »
Posted on May 14, 2008 by bayareafoodie
We have been going to Napa for many years. For the first time we decided to check out the Del Dotto Cave Experience & Barrel Tasting as it was recommended by a friend. The tour starts off with some history about the winery owner, some background about the caves and info on the different kinds of oak barrels. A guide then takes you into the caves and you taste their red wines directly from the barrel. Following the barrel tasting you return to the winery and sample a few bottled wines along with chocolate truffles and cheese. Our guide was fun and knowledgeable and the wines were good. The tour lasted 1 ½ hours. You taste over 15 different wines so be prepared to be buzzed!
Tip: Make a reservation, not a walk-in situation ($40 per person)
Website: http://www.deldottovineyards.com/
Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: barrels, caves, Del Dotto, food, napa, tasting, tour, wine, winery | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 7, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I don’t usually blog about chain restaurants but I’m going to make an exception for the Cheese Steak Shop in Pleasanton. I have been going to this place since high school– so over 18 years! I have never been able to find a restaurant without “cheesesteak” in the name that can do it like they do. Establishments that don’t specialize in the sandwich just don’t make it right. This cheesesteak has so much flavor and so few ingredients it amazes me every time I eat one. Inside the soft roll is well-marbled steak, white American cheese, onions and sweet peppers from a jar. The shop claims to serve “Original Philadelphia Style Cheesesteak Sandwiches”. It’s so juicy and delicious, makes me want to move to Philly. All I know is if by the end of the day you still can’t smell that cheesesteak on your fingers you haven’t had the real deal!
Website:http://www.cheesesteakshop.com/
Filed under: East Bay | Tagged: cheesesteak, food, pleasanton, the cheese steak shop | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 30, 2008 by bayareafoodie
On our last night in Vegas we decided to have a light, casual meal at Mario Batali’s Enoteca San Marco at the Venetian. The restaurant is located in the Grand Canal Shoppes area of the hotel.
We started things off with a Caprese salad. It was the most interesting and tasty version of a caprese salad that I’d ever had. No sliced tomatoes and cheese. What we received was a ball of mozzarella surrounded by roasted tomatoes and covered in garlic pesto and pinenuts. I actually found a version of the recipe on epicurious. I plan on making this at home. Recipe link
or you can find the original recipe in Mario’s cookbook: Molto Italiano
Mike and I then shared an order of veal and ricotta meatballs and the cavatappi primavera which is corkscrew pasta and fresh veggies tossed with olive oil and cheese. Both were outstanding. We of course couldn’t leave without getting dessert. We had seen gelato shops all over Vegas for 2 days and we waited until now to get any. We chose 2 sundaes to share. Yes, two! The first was banana gelato with walnuts, chopped banana, carmel sauce and mini banana muffins. YUM!! The second was espresso gelato with marscapone, espresso bean chips, chocolate sauce and lady fingers. YUM YUM!! Both were deliciously sinful. Enoteca is great for lunch or dinner. In addition to the pasta they offer thin personal pizzas and many antipasti dishes. We highly recommend you visit.
This was a wonderful way to end our Vegas vacation. In regards to the weekend battle between Flay and Batali… Who’s cuisine reigned supreme? Chef Batali!
Rating:
Website: http://www.venetian.com/ENOTECA.aspx
Filed under: Las Vegas | Tagged: enoteca san marco, food, italian, mario batali, vegas, venetian hotel | 1 Comment »
Posted on April 27, 2008 by bayareafoodie
For our “Big” night out in Las Vegas we decided to dine at Picasso which is located in the Bellagio Hotel. Mike had always wanted to go. Picasso named after artist Pablo Picasso serves elegant French cuisine with a Spanish influence and is prepared by chef Julian Serrano. The award winning restaurant has paintings and ceramic art by Picasso throughout the dining room. When we arrived for our 6pm reservation (the first seating of the night) we were offered the option to sit outside on the terrace. Since it was a gorgeous night (mid 70’s, no wind) we said yes. I love dining al fresco. We were ushered to a 4 table balcony overlooking the Bellagio Fountains. Every 30 minutes we viewed an amazing water/light show as relaxing music played throughout the night. If you ever have the opportunity to dine at any Bellagio restaurant and sit on the terrace…go for it. It really is an experience to remember. As we sat and enjoyed the view we opened the menu and SURPRISE we saw 2 prix fixe menus. One with 4 courses the other with 5. We didn’t realize you only have two menu options. After we made our selections we were promptly served an amuse – bouche which included potato leak soup and a smoked salmon spear. It would be a waste of time for me to go through all 8 dishes that followed and describe what we liked because we loved everything. ALL the food was wonderful and prepared perfectly. The service was impeccable. The only negative thing we can think of is the wine menu. It is EXTREMELY pricey. One of the cheapest half bottles was $70 and a glass was $22. When you are having a dinner like this you have to have wine. It really enhances the flavors of the food. The wine in conjunction with the 4 courses is what actually made this the most expensive meal of our lives (so far), but well worth it.
Since we sat outside we didn’t get to see much of the art so as we left we quickly checked out the paintings inside. After completing our 2 hour excursion I don’t regret making the decision to come to Picasso and if I am in Vegas, and I hit the jackpot, I will go again! As we left the hostess handed us a gift box. Inside were 2 cinnamon pastries. I am not sure why we were given this but they were great in the morning and a little reminder of our fantastic night.
Check out the slideshow of our evening below. Cue the Andrea Bocelli music…
Menu (Nicole):
Pea Soup
with Mint, Shrimp, Creme Fraiche
Kobe Beef Spheres
with Lentils
Veal Chop
with Mushrooms, Potato, Beets, Dash of Horseradish, Pinot Reduction
Chocolate Fondant Cake
with Espresso Toffee Ice Cream
Menu (Mike):
Crispy Squab Salad
with Micro Greens, Beets
Salmon
with Cauliflower Mouse
Sautéed Medallions of Fallow Deer
with Caramelized Apples, Zinfandel Sauce
Banana Walnut Torte
with Banana Ice Cream
Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/picasso.aspx
Rating:
(If the slideshow is not running above, click the PLAY> arrow in the bottom left corner)
Filed under: Las Vegas | Tagged: art, bellagio, food, french, Julian Serrano, picasso, spanish, vegas | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 24, 2008 by bayareafoodie
As you may have guessed from the previous post Mike and I spent the weekend in Vegas. Since I am a food network fanatic I decided we would check out a couple of the iron chef restaurants while in town. We started things off with brunch at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace. I was really excited about finally getting to try out some of the grill masters food. We arrived at 10:45am with an appetite. Mike and I both ordered egg dishes since it was still early in the morning. I picked the spicy chicken and sweet potato hash with poached eggs and green chile hollandaise. Mike opted for the scrambled egg enchiladas with chorizo, red chile sauce and goat cheese. I didn’t want anything too spicy but when I asked the server about the heat he said all 6 of the egg dishes have a kick. I thought to myself “how bad could it be?” I didn’t want a salad or burger so I didn’t have much other choice. The brunch menu which is served on weekends until 3pm is very small.
When my dish arrived it looked good. I soon learned that looks can be deceiving. I then glanced at Mike’s dish and actually laughed. His enchiladas were so tiny they looked like taquitos. There were two extremely small tortillas filled with barely any eggs on a plate with some sauce. For $16, I expected A LOT more. I then took a bite of my bfast and immediately felt fire swirling in my stomach. I could not taste any flavors of sweet potatoes, chicken or egg. The spice totally overpowered the dish. I needed a swig of water between each bite. I could only stand to eat half. Mike ended up liking his highly overpriced miniature meal. Since his chile sauce was on the side he could control the hotness.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Las Vegas | Tagged: bobby flay, brunch, Caesars Palace, food, iron chef, Las Vegas, mesa grill, southwestern | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 22, 2008 by bayareafoodie
If you’re in Las Vegas and looking for a wine bar, stop by Double Helix in the beautiful Palazzo Hotel. They offer VERY generous 2 and 5 oz. glasses of wine from around the world. Due to their unique preservation system they are able to offer highly sought-after wines not usually poured by the glass. Mike was impressed by the selection. A light menu designed by Emeril Lagasse is also available if you are hungry. At the moment the hotel is not completely finished so Double Helix is not overcrowded which is rare in Vegas. This is a great find — check it out before it becomes well-known!
Filed under: Las Vegas, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: Double Helix Bar, food, palazzo hotel, vegas, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 21, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Have you ever seen the mob of people on a Saturday or Sunday morning on the corner of Main & Maple in LG?
Well, they are waiting for a table at the Southern Kitchen, another small diner in Los Gatos. I had to venture in to see what all the fuss was about.
I of course had the eggs benedict. Only seemed right. I also got a side of grits since I rarely see grits on a menu. The grits were nothing like grandma used to make. They were thick and creamy with a mashed potato like consistency. All in all good food, friendly staff and great coffee. I’ll be back.
Address: 27 E Main St
Current ranking of the benedicts of the Bay:
1. The Diner of Los Gatos (Los Gatos)
2. The Southern Kitchen (Los Gatos)
3. The Los Gatos Cafe (Los Gatos)
4. Bill’s Cafe (Willow Glen)
5. Sweet Pea’s (Los Gatos)
Other places I plan to visit to get my benedict on…
- Gilley’s Coffee Shoppe (Los Gatos)
- Lou’s (Los Gatos)
- Little Amsterdam (Saratoga)
Any other recommendations? Leave a comment!
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: breakfast, eggs benedict, food, grits, Los Gatos, southern kitchen | 2 Comments »
Posted on April 17, 2008 by bayareafoodie
There is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G chocolate cream pie in the February 08 issue of Food and Wine magazine. It actually has you sieve the chocolate filling before you add to the crust. This process makes the pie extra silky and creamy. Since you can prepare this up to a day in advance it is great for when you are having guests over. This got me some rave reviews at our last dinner party.
By the way the whipped cream that goes along with this is scrumptious …I could of eaten a bowl of just cream! 😯
Recipe link
Get the magazine
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: chocolate cream pie, dessert, food, food and wine magazine, RECIPES, whipped cream | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 16, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike went and did it again. Another killer risotto — this time with veal, shiitaki mushrooms and asparagus tips. The recipe can be found in our favorite cookbook: Risotto. If you make this dish, add more veal and double the amount of asparagus. We chose to omit the cream and add Emmentaler cheese. Serve with a simple green salad, some crusty bread and a hearty Pinot. You will not be disappointed!
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: asparagus tips, food, RECIPES, risotto, shiitaki mushrooms, veal | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 11, 2008 by bayareafoodie
If you’re at Santana Row in San Jose and you want a slammin’ burger, stop by the Counter. The beef/chicken is tender and always tastes extremely fresh. Be warned a little goes a long way. I always leave feeling stuffed. This is the only burger I usually end up eating with a fork and knife. It’s a tasty mess.
How it works: it’s a build your own burger or chicken sandwich shop. After you are seated you are given a clip board and a pencil and you choose your meat and toppings. I went with a burger with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and gruyere cheese. I kept things classic but they have more interesting options like herb goat cheese, grilled pineapple, roasted corn and black bean salsa or a fried egg.
Sorry about the blurry photos. First attempt at using images from my cellphone.
Don’t forget to try the onion strings and sweet potato fries. One order can feed 4 people. They come with 3 dipping sauces…good stuff. The shakes are yum too.
Website: http://www.thecounterburger.com/
Filed under: San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: burger, chicken, food, fries, onion strings, san jose, santana row, shakes, the counter | 3 Comments »
Posted on April 9, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Whenever I’m in my old stompin’ grounds and I’m craving a turkey sandwich, I stop by Gimanelli’s. It’s a fantastic little Italian deli with a variety of sandwiches, homemade soups, pastas and salads. It is located in downtown Pleasanton and is a little hard to find but is worth the search. Cruise by if you’re in the area around lunchtime.
Address: 915 Main St. Pleasanton, CA
Filed under: East Bay | Tagged: East Bay, food, Gimanelli Deli, pleasanton, sandwich | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 7, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I finally broke out the pizza stone we got as an engagement gift (2 years ago!). We decided to make a vegetable pizza with whole wheat crust. I don’t know why we didn’t do this earlier. I loooove pizza. We have it at least 4 times a month. I actually worked at a pizza place for 2 years during high school so I’m no newbie to the art of pizza prep. To make things easy we purchased the dough pre-made from Trader Joe’s which is a nice alternative to making dough from scratch. To start things off we sauteed the onions, peppers and shrooms before putting them on the pizza to ensure the crust didn’t get soggy. Next we rolled, sauced, cheesed and assembled everything then baked the pizza for 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees. It turned out magnificent. The dough was perfect — using a pizza stone really makes a difference. The pizza seemed a lot healthier. There was no grease and the veggies were crisp. Next time we are going to try more exotic flavors and fresh herbs. This was a great test run… I have a feeling we will have a lot less pizza deliveries in the future.
Tasty Tip: Invest in a pizza stone if you want authentic pizza crust. We got ours from Sur La Table but you can also order online from Amazon
Pics of the process..
Continue reading →
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, homemade, pizza, pizza stone, RECIPES, trader joe's, whole wheat dough | 2 Comments »
Posted on April 3, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike whipped up this classic french fish dish the other night. He got the recipe out of the “best of Cooking Light 9” special edition magazine. It can also be prepared using sole or flounder.
Take the cod and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium heat then coat with cooking spray. Add fish. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until flaky. Remove from pan, cover and keep warm. Add 3/4 cup dry white wine and chicken broth plus shallots (1/3 c) and garlic (1tbsp). Bring to boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 5 tsp butter, 1/4tsp salt, 1 tbsp chives, and 1.5 tsp fresh tarragon. Spoon sauce over fish and serve.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cod, fish, food, recipe, tarragon butter sauce | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 31, 2008 by bayareafoodie
For Mike’s birthday we went to the Plumed Horse in Saratoga. It recently re-opened after a lengthy remodel. The lodge like decor has disapeared and has become ultra modern. The dining area is fairly small. There are ~17 tables packed into a single room. It looks like there will be more areas to dine but they are not ready yet. Pretty unbelievable, but Mike and I were probably the youngest couple in the place. Those that were younger where having dinner with family members. The restaurants clientele is probably older because of the hefty price tags on the menu. Come to think of it, I think I even saw a couple coats and ties on some of the men. Who wears a suit to dinner in California anymore?
Let’s move on to the food…the evening started off with a complimentary Amuse-bouche from the head chef. We received a tiny mug that contained an artichoke and prawn soup. A single roll and butter was then served to each of us by one of the many assistant servers. (I’ll go into more detail about that later). Mike ordered our wine from the extensive wine list. You will see the new 1,800 bottle wine cellar as it is a prominent design element. 
Then we sat and waited for our first course to arrive. I don’t know if they were really busy or if they don’t like to rush things but there was a slight time lapse between courses. It also could of been that we were REALLY hungry. We had a 8pm reservation, which we never do, but because of things planned during the day this time fit our schedule. For the first course I chose the crab and asparagus bisque and Mike had the butter lettuce with radish and pine nut vinaigrette. My crab and asparagus bisques came in separate pouring vessels and were presented table-side. When poured into my bowl it looked like a yin/yang sign…very artistic display. The soup was good, nothing spectacular.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Saratoga | Tagged: food, plumed horse restaurant, Saratoga, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 27, 2008 by bayareafoodie
If you’re looking for an inexpensive wine club to join I urge you to consider Michael Chiarellos NapaStyle Wine Club. Mike and I have been members for 1 year and are extremely happy with our quarterly shipments. We receive the Cucina club which includes 6 bottles (red & white) from around the world for $90! What makes this club unique is that within each box delivered are recipes to go with each wine and suggestions on what types of foods they will pair well with. These are the kinds of wines that you can open up and enjoy immediately…no need to store in a wine cellar for years or wait for a special occasion. So far we have received 24 bottles and only 1 or 2 did I not care for. Michael Chiarello is a well known chef and proprietor of a small family winery so his recommendations are reliable.
Tasty Tip: There currently is an offer for $25 off your first shipment on the website.
Website: http://www.napastylewineclub.com/
Cool Chiarello items:
Napa Stories Wine Journal
Napa Stories: Profiles, Reflections,and Recipes from the Napa Valley
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: food, Michael Chiarello, napastyle wine club, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 25, 2008 by bayareafoodie
We finally made a one pot meal. The Feb 2008 issue of Sunset magazine titled “slow-cooked comfort” had a recipe for Smokey Beef Stew.
The preparation was fairly easy and it was all done in a single pot. I love that! The main ingredients included a 4lb beef chuck, smoked bacon, potatoes, onions, carrots, chipotle chile powder, smoked paprika and TWO full bottles of dry red wine. After 4 hours we had ourselves a delicious dinner for 8 (Yes, we had guests coming over!). It was garnished with chives and blue cheese.
The finished product was very hearty and had a spicy kick but the blue cheese helped tame the heat.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: beef stew, food, one pot meal, pot roast, RECIPES, sunset magazine | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 18, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I had heard that the Los Gatos Cafe was one of the best breakfast joints in the area. We finally made it over last weekend. It is located on the end of the main drag in LG near highway 9. You probably would never notice it unless you were looking for it. It is a diner with very modest decor. Could use a bit of a makeover. When we arrived at 8:30am we were promptly seated and the place was almost filled to capacity. 
I ordered the eggs benedict and a slice of the Kahlua pound cake. About 6 months ago I strayed away from my typical bfast order of a denver omelet and began seeking out benedicts. Why?? I have no idea. This one was good… not the best. Better than Bill’s Cafe and Sweet Pea’s but not better than THE Diner down the street. They are still the reigning champs (yummy hollandaise). My eggs came with a side of potatoes. They were a blazing yellow color so I’m guessing they were saffron. They had a nice crispy top. Not bad but I prefer home fries. Mike had the french apple pancakes which ended up being mounds of apples wrapped in thin crepes. He said he enjoyed them. The best part of the meal was the pound cake! WOW! It was fantastic. Unlike typical pound cake which can be heavy and dry this was light and super moist. I love my baked goods. Anyways, the menu has a huge selection of omelets, benedicts as well as pancakes, waffles and french toast. We will be back to sample a few more of their dishes.
Tips: Cash only. Open from 6-3pm daily. Get there before 9am and be seated quickly, arrive later and plan to wait.
Address: 340 N. Santa Cruz Ave
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: breakfast, eggs benedict, food, los gatos cafe | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 14, 2008 by bayareafoodie
In an attempt to eat more healthy (during the week) Mike and I have been feasting on tons of white fish. Last night we tried orange roughy. We decided to cook on the grill so we placed the fish in some foil with a drizzle of evoo, lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary and thyme from the garden. I tossed in a few slices of tomato in mine. We seasoned it with some Citrus Rosemary salt from the NapaStyle salt box I gave Mike for Xmas.
It was super easy to prepare and surprisingly scrumptious. It tasted like butter.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, napastyle, orange roughy | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 3, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Here is another shout out to a local hot-spot. Sweet Pea’s is a small cafe in Los Gatos. We go all the time for lunch especially on a nice day because most of the seating <if you can get one> is outside. The sandwiches are delicious. They use a lot of fresh ingredients. My favorite is the chicken salad. It has all kinds of goodies in it including nuts, red grapes and cranberries. They are also known for their savory & sweet crepes. One Sunday morning we stopped by for breakfast and were introduced to the homemade nutella muffins. They had just come out of the oven and were still warm. The muffin melted in my mouth. It was down right delectable. What is nutella? It’s the original creamy,chocolaty hazelnut spread. Sweet Pea’s also makes a nutella & banana crepe that is the bomb!
Feast your eye’s on the nutella muffin…Sooooo good.
Address: 453 N Santa Cruz Ave
Nutella Spread
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: food, nutella, sweet pea's cafe | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 1, 2008 by bayareafoodie
As I flipped through the Feb. issue of Sunset Magazine I saw an article entitled “What to do in Northern California in February”. They list Fleur de Cocoa in Los Gatos as having a uber-licious hot chocolate. How could I not want to try that?! So I did and it was screaming hot, super thick, incredibly chocolaty and not at all sweet. I could only get through 1/4 of the itsy bitsy cup it was served in. I guess French hot chocolate is too sophisticated for my pallet. What I will be back for is some of the pastries. The display of croissants looked magnificent.
My favorite hot chocolate:Godiva Chocolatier Hot Cocoa
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: Fleur de Cocoa, food, hot chocolate | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 27, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Williams-Sonoma in Los Gatos has a series of cooking technique classes on Sunday mornings before the store opens and guess what? They are FREE. Mike and I went to one entitled One-pot dinners last week. The class was about 45 minutes and the demo was for beef bourguignonne. Our instructor was Brad who had tons of personality. He kept us entertained and was well informed on the art of making food in a pot. The set up is not all that comfortable, you are standing in a group of 25+ people around a 5 foot cooking station but what can you expect for $0.00. They provide a handout with 4-5 recipes/tips and you get to sample the dish prepared. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday morning. If you stop by the store you can find the list of upcoming classes next to the register. Some of the other topics include souffles, spring pasta and grilling. You will see one of our attempts to prepare a one pot meal on a future post.
Our reason for wanting to take this class…
Our new massive Rachael Ray 7 quart cast iron dutch oven
Oh, how was the beef? Super tender, great aroma and color but the sauce needed some more seasoning. It was a bit bland. Mike said he would use a Cabernet instead of a Pinot to give more flavor.
Get your Rachael Ray dutch oven
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: food, one pot meal, technique classes, williams sonoma | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 21, 2008 by bayareafoodie
James Randall is another treasure in Los Gatos. Mike and I went for our first time last weekend. When you walk in you will feel as though you stepped into your parent’s living room. It’s a very small restaurant, dimly lit with candles and a fireplace. This evening the place was filled to capacity (30 people max). 
We took our seats and were handed the concise menu. Don’t expect more than 6 main entrees to choose from per night. We began with a 5 spice Ahi tuna stack which consisted of fresh spicy tuna, sliced avocado and mixed greens sandwiched in-between circular won ton crisps. When dipped in the accompanying wasabi mayo dressing it was a little party in your mouth. It was simply delectable. Things started off with a bang and only got better. For the main course I chose the double pork chop with red cabbage and maple jus. It came with a side of crisp, buttery spatzle like pasta. Everything was cooked perfectly and had really great flavors. Mike picked the flank steak that came with green beans, mashed potatoes and a chipolte bbq sauce. He practically licked his plate clean. Now onto dessert…you didn’t think we would skip this did you? We chose the cheesecake with blueberries. It was pleasing but nothing special. What impressed us more is that they served french-press coffee. Each of us were given our own individual press…so good! French pressed coffee is sublime. As the evening came to an end Mike said, and I quote “This is my new favorite place in Los Gatos!” Now that’s a huge achievement. I don’t know if I would rank it at the very top of my list but it came close. We will definitely come back.
Tip: Mon-Thurs they have a 3 course prix fixe menu for $40 per person! For all you wine lovers james randall offers 5 or 8oz pours per glass. We went with the 8oz which comes in a personal carafe and gives you about a glass and a half. Nice option that saves you money.
Rating:
Website: http://www.restaurantjamesrandall.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: california, food, Los Gatos, resaurant james randall | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 18, 2008 by bayareafoodie
If you ever get an invite to our house for risotto don’t pass it up! Mike is a risotto master. It doesn’t matter what kind he makes it always turns out fabulous. It is so good that I can’t order risotto in restaurants because they can never compare. For this special day he decided to make Lobster Risotto. It was his first attempt at preparing anything with lobster and he did a wonderful job. He chose this variety because he knows I am a lobster fanatic. My family lived in Massachusetts for many years so I have been eating lobster since I was young. Below are some pics of the fruits of his labor…
Mike started things off by making his own lobster stock which infused the rice with even more yummy lobster flavor. The final dish was silky and luscious. You can’t celebrate a special occasion at our house without a bottle of Joseph Phelps wine. This evening Mike chose a 2004 Chardonnay called Ovation which is what I gave him after I finished my 3rd helping of risotto!
Mike’s risotto cookbook of choice is by Judith Barrett and Norma Wasserman. It’s a winner. Purchase it here: Risotto
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, lobster, recipe, RECIPES, risotto | 3 Comments »
Posted on February 12, 2008 by bayareafoodie
My favorite cuisine is Italian. All my life I have been searching for the perfect bowl of ragu. I have found it (well at least the best so far). If you stroll the streets of downtown Saratoga you will find a handful of quirky stores and upscale/expensive restaurants. To our surprise last year a quaint little Italian restaurant opened up. We’ve dropped in three times and have never been disappointed. Last week we took a friend to dinner. We started things off with an Antipasto platter that included mozzarella, San Daniele prosciutto and two types of bruschetta (tomato and mushroom). Everything was fresh and flavorful. We also had a new addition to the menu a thinly sliced stuffed eggplant with a marinara sauce. It resembled a cannelloni and was wonderful. For the main course I had my usual — the Spaghetti Bolognese. I just can’t say enough about this little bowl of heaven.
The sauce is light with lots of tiny bits of meat and mushrooms. I could eat it every day. By the way the Spaghetti with meatballs is just as good. Mike had the veal piccata and our guest had the homemade gnocchi with pesto and Gorgonzola cheese sauce. I’ve never been a fan of gnocchi but Mike and our friend both said they were fantastic. To finish things off we ordered the tiramisu and chocolate macaroons. Be sure to leave room for dessert because the tiramisu is some of the best I’ve ever had. During our meal Mike attempted to get the ragu recipe out of the hostess but she wasn’t leaking any family secrets. I guess we’ll just have to continue to visit Da Mario for all my future ragu cravings…
Rating:
Website: http://www.ristorantedamario.com/
Filed under: Saratoga | Tagged: Bolognese, food, italian, ragu, Ristorante Da Mario, Saratoga, tiramisu | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 8, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Growing up I was not into sweets. My mom would have to toss my Halloween candy in December because it was still sitting on the floor of my closet. As I have aged things have changed. I now really enjoy desserts. In 2006 Mike and I were in Beverly Hills and as we were driving down Santa Monica Blvd. looking for a place to eat lunch we saw a line of about 10 people outside a place called Sprinkles. We had no idea what it was but we decided to stop by after lunch. What we found was a tiny storefront with 4 stools a counter and a display of delectable cupcakes. I had never seen anything like it before in my life. I had a new found love …cupcakes. My favorite flavors SO FAR include: red velvet,banana & coconut. Note: if you want to make your business look like its always busy design it like Sprinkles (have absolutely no space for customers).
I have also tried cupcakes from “Icing on the cupcake”(Rocklin) & “Kara’s Cupcakes” (SF). Both are good but can’t beat Sprinkles. I really wish they would open a branch in Los Gatos…
Tip: You can buy Sprinkles mix at Williams-Sonoma! It takes a bit of work but they turn out pretty good. Eat them asap or they get hard. If you choose red velvet be advised that your hands will be dyed red.
http://www.sprinklescupcakes.com/
Filed under: Southern CA | Tagged: cupcakes, food, la, sprinkles cupcakes | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 5, 2008 by bayareafoodie
The Slanted Door is a modern Vietnamese restaurant located in the newly renovated Ferry building in San Francisco. It has a nice simple, clean design. If you can get a seat by the window (which we did) it has great views of the bay. Along the main wall to maximize space tables are situated tightly. Watch your bum cause you will likely bump the table next to you if you need to get up. The majority of the food was delicious including the Meyer Ranch shaking beef (filet mignon with garlic, watercress and red onions), Caramelized tiger prawns (garlic, onions and chili sauce) which had a nice kick, and for dessert a peach/apple tart. The only dish that didn’t meet expectations was the Slanted door spring rolls w/peanut sauce. This being a Vietnamese restaurant I was looking forward to trying their rolls. Bad choice, they were missing something….taste. On this rare occasion we chose to have beer with our meal instead of wine and we found an unexpected selection of German and Belgian beers. They were good but at a Asian restaurant — where is the TsingTao?! The service was another thing to be desired. I think our waiter was more worried about lookin good than servin good. The guy was nice and polite but we ended up getting our main course (after a very long wait) before our appetizer and never received the soup we ordered. Lucky for him we were not in a hurry and in a celebratory mood (Mike’s B day Weekend) so we didn’t let him ruin our evening. My suggestion to the waiter would be to write down an order instead of trying to memorize it. In theory that seems cool and sophisticated but when orders are incorrect or completely forgotten…I don’t mind the pen & paper. After all is said and done, I would go back to the Slanted Door FOR THE FOOD. Maybe take-out next time.
Tip: Adjacent from the restaurant they have a shop called “Out the door” where you can get some of The Slanted Door items to go.
Rating:
Website: http://www.slanteddoor.com/
Filed under: San Francisco | Tagged: food, restaurant, San Francisco, slanted door, vietnamese | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 2, 2008 by bayareafoodie
This is not a review but more of a shout out to the Green Papaya. If you are ever in Los Gatos at dinner time and are looking for a low key spot to grab a bite and don’t need a reservation drop by the Green Papaya. Mike and I like to eat here every once in a while. It’s a cozy Vietnamese restaurant with good food and a nice wait staff. I highly recommend the Los Gatos beef and the spring rolls. I would pass on the fried banana dessert unless you close your eyes as you eat it. Think big fried banana –no frills or fus. I wish I had a picture of it 😆
Address: 137 North Santa Cruz
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: food | Leave a comment »
Posted on January 31, 2008 by bayareafoodie
La Fondue in Saratoga recently re-opened down the street from the old location. The restaurant is much bigger and the dark medieval theme is gone 🙂 . When you walk in you will not recognize the place. I think the only thing they kept from the old spot were the fondue pots. The new decor is modern with a touch of crazy. The owner knows Mike so we got a tour after our meal. There are at least four different rooms all with their own style. Mitch (the owner) had the materials (wallcoverings,lighting..) flown in from all over the world. It was clear that a lot of time and energy had been put forth in coming up with the design choices. The food was as good as usual and filling. You won’t leave this place hungry. We ordered the Fondue Feast. We started off with the Stinking Rose cheese fondue, which is scrumptious. Then moved on to the main course which included the following: chicken, calamari steak, buffalo, scallops, shrimp and filet mignon. We chose to cook our feast on the grill. They no longer give you the garlic butter to saute but opt for a healthier oil. I must say I prefer the old fattening garlic butter! It was tastier. If you’re coming to La Fondue you’re not watching your weight! Keep in mind if you are more adventurous you can choose alligator, crocodile or ostrich for your meat. For dessert (my favorite part of the meal), we chose the milk chocolate fondue with a shot of irish cream. They give you all kinds of goodies to dip including the healthy: strawberries, bananas, apples and the sinful: cinnamon covered cream cheese balls, rice krispie treats and snicker bars. Coming to La Fondue is always a fun and entertaining way to spend an evening. Although your body can really only handle visiting once a year. If you haven’t been in a while, it’s worth going just to see the renovations.
Tip: Remember you can just go for the chocolate Sunday-Thurs at 10pm.
Rating:
La Fondue website: http://www.lafondue.com/
Filed under: Saratoga | Tagged: food, la fondue, Saratoga | Leave a comment »
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