Restaurant Review: Zucca

There's not a lot of restaurants in downtown Mountain View that are not Mexican, East Asian, etc. I guess that's what happens when you live in a California town. You're influenced by the locals in just about every way from architecture to food. It definitely gives the area its own flavor, but in all honesty, that food is not my thing. I like savory stuff a lot better (think Italian, French, Spanish, etc.). So when the time came to pick out a place for my birthday I had the difficult task of finding a place that not only served that kind of food but also could fit a group of 10+. After calling around two towns and 10 restaurants later I stumbled upon Zucca. I have walked through town so many times and for whatever reason this place didn't stand out to me (I didn't even realize it existed) so I wasn't sure where it was or how good it would be. The food ended up being really delicious (mediteranean - both Italian and Greek). We tried the appetizer platter, cheese plates, ravioli, burgers, salads, and just about any other dish you can think of. There were no complaints from anyone at the table. The hospitality was also excellent. I tried really hard to avoid being sung to and the waitstaff would not let me do that. When I didn't order dessert they brought over small glasses of champagne for everyone and forced the Birthday Song on me. Definitely a place I would go back to for a large party, a visit from my parents, or a future date night (and maybe then I'll actually order a dessert).

Restaurant Review: Mayfield Bakery

Of my top five favorite things in the world, I think food has to be really high on the list. Maybe even before naps. Brunch may be one of my favorite meals as it combines breakfast foods with other dishes from the rest of the day and sometimes I just can't make up my mind what I want. Even better is when the restaurant has a breakfast dish and lunch-i-fies it. Recently I had brunch with my friend Kevin at Mayfield Bakery & Cafe and ordered a dish just like this (their beef hash made with poached eggs and barley). Soooo goooood. I loved the mix of salty, savory, and tangy flavors my meal had. The only complaint was that there wasn't enough!

We also split an order of Apple Fritters (what's a brunch without some kind of sweet treat) and Kevin got the more traditional El Camino breakfast). Needless to say by the time we were done we were stuffed and Charlie was grateful as he got a piece of the amazing bacon to munch on too. I'd love to go back and visit the bakery as the breads always look amazing or splurge on a dinner some day. The rustic atmosphere of the restaurant has a great feel to it. Bring the parents, a group of friends, or a date, either way the mood is a good one.

And now for some food pictures from the website!





I don't know why I always write these restaurant reviews right before meal time...

Restaurant Review: Scratch

Restaurants that are not your typical Californian fare (Asian or Spanish) are pretty hard to come by in downtown Mountain View. Don't get me wrong, I love sushi, chinese (that doesn't have MSG because I'm allergic), and sometimes I do have a hankering for Indian. But as a whole my favorite cuisines are usually on the savory side (like Italian, French, etc.) not the spicy side. So when I was out for my friend, Kristen's, birthday and she told me about this restaurant her boyfriend works at, it took a lot to not leave her party in Santa Cruz and rush over to Scratch. She described the menu as fancy American comfort food. Umm...have you seen my Mac and Cheese recipe? Or my chicken pot pies? Or burgers? Do you know about my love for butter and all things cheese? My stomach secretly thinks it's Paula Deen's granddaughter.

After I found out about the restaurant I schemed ways to get myself there and managed to make lunch plans with 4 different groups of people. I really only expected one of these plans to work out, but somehow every one did and I went to Scratch 4 times in 2 weeks. I think the waitstaff probably thought I was a freak. But I was able to try a huge portion of their lunch menu and hang out with awesome people, so it was worth it!

The first time I went I had the Scratch Burger with fries and it was phenomenal. I rarely get burgers outside of The Counter because I am so picky about how I like them, but this was so juicy and delicious. I ate everything on my plate. I have no idea how I did it because there was so much. But I couldn't let it go to waste. Since then I've also had the grilled cheese (which was also good, but mine was overcooked. Boo to burnt bread), their signature pizza, and the Americana pizza (which is essentially margherita). It's so hard to come by decent pizza here and the Americana pizza was just what this picky NYer wanted. It's not like I had a whole NY style pie, but the personal sized pie was really good and I now have a place to go to when I've got a craving for something better than Domino's. My friends have gotten salads and the cuban, among other things, and other than the relatively small sized portion for the salad, nothing has met with complaints. I've never had enough space to eat dessert (that tends to be a dinner thing for me), but half the menu looks like things I'd love to get (including seasonal creme brule and butterscotch pudding (both of which come with really yummy looking cookies) and a smores bar). It's too bad the dinner prices are not as affordable as the lunch ones. Or well, someday.

Time for a couple of pictures from the website of food!



Drool.

Cascal Restaurant Review

Downtown Mountain View has a ton of restaurants, but really not that much variety. Most of them are either Indian, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, or Sushi. There's a few exceptions, but for the most part that's what you've got. I'm a lover of savory food so I was pretty bummed to learn that there weren't a lot of more European influenced places (and the two I've been to weren't that impressive). However, when I learned there was a Tapas restaurant I nearly fell off my chair and practically ran out the door to go there for dinner. (For those of you who don't know, tapas means small plates. So think teeny tiny appetizer sized dishes that you can get a ton of and share and taste. Most places are Spanish, but there's also some other cuisines that do it too.) A few weeks later I had my first reservation at Cascal.

Since that first dinner there I've been back another four times and it has never disappointed. I've probably tried three quarters of the tapas menu and half the dessert menu (everything is great), but my personal favorites are the mushroom empanadas and stuffed dates (wrapped in bacon like most good Spanish food and stuffed with cheese). I also really like the goat cheese arepa (a corn cake with tomato chutney on top). Everything is rich and a great mix of flavors. I used to go a little crazy there because everything was so good, but usually my eyes were too big for my stomach so now I just eat two tapas and when it's dinner pray I've got enough space for dessert. I'm not always successful at that because their bread is also amazing and as a bread fiend I go a little overboard when I find bread that I like. I think the bottom line here is everything is delicious, so no matter what you order you will not be disappointed.

Whether you're there for lunch, a romantic dinner, or with a group of friends it's a great spot. It can get a little loud, which is sometimes annoying when you want to have a more serious conversation. But as an all purpose restaurant with great food, it's definitely high up there on my favorite places to go. Just make sure you get a reservation if you want to try it out. Any day of the week, once dinner time hits, there's a wait. Obviously everyone else knows it's really good too!

And now just a couple of pictures of the food from their website:

Restaurant Review: Joanie's Cafe

My mom recently came to visit and on her last day in town we only had time for a nice breakfast before I had to take her to the airport. I had recently had brunch with a friend at another restaurant and suggested that, but after Googling "breakfast spots in Palo Alto" we found Joanie's Cafe and opted to go there instead just to try something new. (The promise of breakfast crepes also kind of won us over too.)

As their website boasts, Joanie's Cafe was voted best breakfast in Palo Alto. When we first arrived at the restaurant we were pretty shocked at how packed it was for a weekday morning (there were only two tables available, one of which we snagged). But if there's people there obviously had to be something to the website. Yet I remained cynical. The first thing I ever learned to cook was breakfast foods so I am a stickler when eating breakfast out, especially when it comes to eggs. Joanie's serves up a lot of traditional food (eggs benedict, omelets, french toast, etc.), and I must say does it really well. We each opted for a crepe with hash browns. The eggs were not too dry and the hashbrowns were crispy and buttery. Between bites we both kept saying how good the crepe was and ate every last bit of food on our plates (well...I helped my mom finish hers off). Either way, we both left overly stuffed and very happy. Needless to say I think I've found my new brunch spot, and considering I can afford to eat there even when my mom doesn't pay, I will definitely be going back.

The Gage in Chicago

I like to do a lot of things alone. Go to the movies, go to museums, walk around cities, and work out just to name a few. There's something about having some quiet alone time around a ton of other people that I find to be really relaxing and rejuvinating. One thing I learned recently, though, is that I really hate to eat out alone. In an episode of Sex and the City, Samantha is stood up for a date, without any of her dining-alone armor (books, etc.). At the end of the episode Carrie takes herself out to lunch without any of this armor in an attempt to get over the fear of being single and alone. I think my recent lunch experiment was similar to this. Or maybe I just thought I'd be able to handle it considering I like to do other things alone so much. And then I failed miserably.

The restaurant was packed, I sat in a dark corner where I could see the whole restaurant, and just felt like everyone must be wondering where my lunch date was. At one point another middle aged woman walked in and was seated at a table 2 over from me by herself and for a moment I found some inspiration from her as she ordered a drink on her own. I thought to myself, "this is a woman I need to be more like." Then a friend joined her and our sister-hood of solitary diners ended. My solution? To get a really good imported beer and get drunk. So the dining experiment failed, and I have a pretty strong desire to never eat out on my own again (not sure if I'll follow this because I think this is something I should get over). But at least the food was good.

Speaking of food, the restaurant I went to was The Gage in Chicago. After walking around downtown for a couple of hours I was starving and the restaurant was perfectly placed on Michigan Avenue on the way to the Chicago Institute of Art. I arrived right at the start of the lunch rush so I was able to get a table no problem (although I still was told to wait for a different hostess to seat me). The menu itself has a lot of standard fare on it, burgers, salads, roasted chicken, etc. but with seasonings and sides that reflect the more sophisticated diner. One such example was what I ordered, the Gage Burger which was topped with Camembert cheese and onion marmalade. I'm a sucker for a burger with fancy cheese and any type of sweet onions. It was delicious and I think the waiter was surprised that little me could finish the whole thing plus all of my fries...did I say I was starving when I went in? And as I said earlier, I had one of the seasonal beers on tap, which was recommended to me by my waiter. I'm not a huge beer drinker, but I was in the mood for something to match my burger and it was great. I wish I had remembered to write it down for future reference as it's really rare that I find a beer that I don't get sick of half way through the pint. All in all it was a little pricy for lunch, but I figured 1. I'm on vacation! and 2. if I'm going to suffer through a meal by myself I should really like that meal. So I guess the discomfort was worth it then...although maybe next time I'll get dessert too.

Sorry Chicago fans, New York Pizza is still the best.

I think it's no secret I am from New York. Born, raised, and proud to admit it to anyone, even those who don't ask. I will always tell you why the things about New York that people don't like are the best parts of my home state/city. And then I'll tell you why New York is better than anything else too. Sure I'm biased, but can you honestly tell me a place with consistently better bagels? Subway service? Readily available taxis? Late night diners? Or really anything that's open late? And of course, for fans of NY style pizza, our pizza is the best too.

I'm starting to really wonder about that myth that there is something in the water. When I went to college in upstate NY, a mere 4 hour drive from New York City, the pizza was terrible. Whether it was from a restaurant or the dining hall, it was not the same. People from downstate moved up there, so it's not like there couldn't be a single person who had worked in a pizzeria and didn't know the tricks. So I thought, ok, maybe there was something about dirty water that had some kind of magical power?

Now after moving to California and living out there for over a year I am once again extremely disappointed in the pizza selections. I have found a place that is tolerable (ironically enough called New York Pizza), but you have to get their whole wheat crust and it's still not the same. And I've found a place that serves great Italian pizza in SF, but this is not like home where whenever I want I have a ton of great places within a short drive. When I am the city I go to my favorite Rays on 11th St. and 6th ave. There's close to 50 "original" Ray's, and everyone has their favorite, so asking which is the best will yield you a different answer every time, but that's mine. When I was in Westchester my favorite was Irvington Pizzeria (which unfortunately has closed after decades of business). And when I'm at my parents, Posa Posa in Nanuet is my favorite.

Despite what my aunt says about the pizza having "changed" over the years, to me it's still the perfect pizza. Crispy bread, perfectly pluffy crust, not too much sauce, just the right amount of cheese. Heaven. There's no other pizza like it, and it's enough to drive me crazy on those late nights when I'm studying for finals and all I can think about is crap food, but there's no good places to order from. When I am back in NY, as I am now, I definitely take advantage of that fact and go as often as possible. The waitstaff must think I'm nuts. I guess my appetite, despite all the fancy tea parties and recipes I make, is still that of a little kid's. And sometimes I just really need to eat a good pizza.

Sakoon Restaurant

I am not an Indian food fan. I'm not even a spicy food fan. Ask anyone and they'll tell you I am the biggest wuss when it comes to anything spicy. I don't even like to add ground pepper to my food because that is too much. So when it comes to certain ethnic foods I tend to stay away from them or order whatever is the blandest, sweetest, or savoriest thing on the menu and keep my fingers crossed that I can tolerate it. Unfortunately, though, every guy I have EVER been with loves spicy food. I wonder, is that a guy thing, or am I just attracted to guys who have opposite food tastes as me?

Poor Nick, he's stuck with me for the rest of his life. He loves Mexican, Indian, and anything with a kick. For years I told him I would go to an Indian restaurant in London with him, because it was my favorite of all time (they have a really good curry that I can order super mild) and we didn't make it there due to lack of time. Hopes and dreams were crushed (that was the closest we ever got to even looking at an Indian restaurant let alone eating at one). Then last weekend we went to our town's art and wine festival. On our way to the main street we made a quick detour through the farmer's market. There was a new vendor that makes Indian sauces I wanted to show Nick (again, things were rather mild so I was excited on his behalf that we might find something we both liked). I don't know if Hell froze over or pigs were flying, but trying all the different sauces really got me in the mood for some Indian food. So on a whim after we walked around the fair a bit we tried out a restaurant, Sakoon, and now I am hooked.

When we went there was only buffet. I don't know if that's a normal Sunday at lunch thing or if it was because of the festival in town, but I was able to try a lot of different stuff. Little potato puffs, fried cauliflower, two different kinds of curry (including the one that I like!), tandoori chicken, two salads, and a dessert...obviously I was hungry. While some of the things were definitely too spicy for me, everything was still good. The one thing I was disappointed in was the mango lassi. It was so thick and yogurty (yeah, I made that up), that I felt like I was drinking mango yogurt. I couldn't finish it as it was a meal in itself.

This past weekend Nick and I went back and had dinner. He had the lamb gosht which he devoured and I had another coconut curry. Mine was actually spicier than his was, which was a little disappointing. But I will try all of them until I find one I like...or maybe next time just as for it mild? Sakoon also has a wide array of fancy naans and stuffed breads, so while I have now tried the plain and the rosemary pesto and enjoyed them both greatly, I will be making my way through the list and trying all of them including the Kashmiri Naan which is stuffed with nuts, coconut, and rose. I plan to go back today with my student buddy at school, so maybe I'll order than then? And maybe then I'll also finally get to try the triple chocolate creme brule (according to Nick that's too weird of a dessert to order at an Indian restaurant. I say who cares. It sounds too good not to try).

Now here's some pictures of the yummies from their website:

RA Sushi at Huntington Beach

This past weekend Nick and I took a quick drive-by visit to Los Angeles. And when I say a quick drive-by visit, I really mean that. We drove down to my friend Scott's on Friday night, stayed with him, then went to the Getty, then down to Huntington Beach for the afternoon and evening to visit with my friend Ashley, and then up to Simi Valley to see my friends Sarah and Erin, then we took the Coastal Road home. It was a whirlwind trip, and I'm not sure how I feel about LA as a whole considering we barely saw it, but we had fun none the less.

Saturday night, after we spent several hours lounging around like lazy people and swimming in the ocean with Ashley, a group of us headed out to dinner for some sushi (because what else would you have when you're by the ocean but seafood?) at RA Sushi. The crowd was a mixture of beach bums (like us) looking laid back and tanned and townies dressed to the 9s and ready to party. The restaurant had a lounge kind of feel a fully stocked bar with lots of specialty mixed drinks with pop and dance music playing so they were definitely catering to that kind of crowd, but were more than happy to see us and take our money too.

Now, I know seafood in all its forms is better by the beach, but I am super picky about my sushi and I'd like to think that in New York I've had some of the best sushi of my life. Before we went out to eat we talked about some of our favorite places and lamented the closings of some on both coasts. Here in the Silicon Valley I've found a really great place in Mountain View (Momoya Sushi). I have no idea why it's rarely packed, but the sushi is cheap, delicious, and reminds me of one of my favorite places back home.

All that being said, I have really high standards of how I like my rice and what I like in my rolls. If I'm not feeling anything I just get avocado rolls and hope the place doesn't mess that up. But at RA, there were so many interesting special rolls on the menu it was actually hard to choose. I'm not that into spicy things (of which there was plenty of) so that's how I narrowed it down, but it was really impossible. Things like the Tropical roll (cucumber, mango & avocado rolled & topped with spinach tempura, spicy shrimp mixed with masago & mango salsa) and the Lobster shrimp roll (Lobster, cucumber & avocado rolled & topped with shrimp with an Asian pesto sauce) immediately caught my eye. I love sushi with fruit and odd sauces. Although ultimately I went with a Vegetable Tempura roll (Lightly battered asparagus, sweet potato & Japanese eggplant rolled & topped with tempura bits with a sweet eel sauce) and a Philadelphia roll. One of Nick's rolls was the Viva Las Vegas Roll (Kani kama crab & cream cheese rolled in rice & seaweed, lightly tempura battered & topped with spicy tuna, kani kama crab mix & sliced lotus root with a sweet eel sauce & spinach tempura), which is their signature roll and pictured at the left.

Everything we had was great and I left wishing I had more of an appetite to try another 3 rolls, a dessert, and have some drinks too. Maybe on our next visit...

Ok, and now for some pictures from the website of some really amazing rolls (including a dessert one).






Best part is, this place is a chain, so if you check out the website there may be a RA near you! Although I guess that's also the worst part for us too because all of the RA Sushis in California are in So Cal. Sorry, don't like LA enough yet to move down there for a sushi place, no matter how fancy and delicious it is!

Crepes

I think that Crepes may be in my top 5 all time favorite foods. A deliciously thin pancake I can stuff with anything I want from savory to sweet or both? How is that not the perfect food? I tend to have phases with foods and will eat one thing non-stop for as long as I can get away with. Sushi, pad thai, anything with smoked gouda cheese, and of course crepes. I'm not in a crepe phase right now, but I'd dangling dangerously on the edge of one. So while I drool for crepes and think about how I have the fixins to make my own for dinner tonight if I wanted to, here's a few of my favorite places to get crepes.

In New York City...

- There are a few savory crepes on their regular menu, but their dessert crepes are out of this world. My normal order when I go there includes the asparagus crepe, then the peanut butter one. The waitstaff must think I'm nuts...just really obsessed.

Creperie - A little whole in the wall place I dragged my family to one of their locations for some crepes after a graduation ceremony when I was finishing up my masters degree. Since then I've been back a couple of times and have tried several different items on their menu, each one more delicious than the next. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the one with Brie, walnuts, and apples.

In Palo Alto...

Stanford Library Cafe - Right outside of Stanford's Green Library there is a food kiosk that has sandwiches, salads, and of course crepes. They are huge, filled with yummy stuff, and cheap.

Crepewine - This is actually a chain and I've been to a couple of different Crepevines. There's lots of different stuff on the menu, but really, why get that other stuff when you want crepes? The Le Delice (cheese and onions), Jamaican (bananas in caramel rum sauce), and Monaco (the old standard Nutella and bananas) are all good but I think the Santorini (Walnuts, pistachios, brown sugar, coconut, cinnamon and mascarpone) is next on my list to try.

Bistro Maxine - I have actually not been here yet but I've got some friends who have been and really like it. This is another little place tucked away on a side street. I've walked past several times and it has a very quaint European feel to it. I'm hoping I can drag Nick there soon. Some menu options that sound good are: La Cévenole (goat cheese, walnut, honey), the Gorgonzola (ham, mushrooms, cream of gorgonzola), and the Crème de marron (chestnut purée).

And if you're like me and you can't wait to go out to the next place and you want to make your own...

Stonewall Kitchen - Search for this at your local specialty food shop, Crate and Barrel, William Sonoma, or just buy online. It's taken me a little bit to get the hang of it, but with a super thin rubber spatula and large frying pan, you can make your own crepes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at home. It takes some time because we do it buffet style which means you cook the veggies first, set out TONS of options on the table, and make each crepe individually (one batch can make anywhere for 6-10 depending on the size you make them---just keep in mind that too big=difficult not to break but too small=not lots of space to stuff), but it's well worth the effort.

Some of our favorite stuffins are:

-Gruyere cheese with mushrooms and onions
-Semi-sweet chocolate sauce or chocolate chips, peanut butter, bananas, and coconut (make sure you nuke for about 10 seconds)
-goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and smoked salmon

I think I've made up my mind, this is what I'm making for dinner tonight.

Cindy's Back Street Kitchen

When my family was here a couple of weeks ago we went up to Napa Valley to go wine tasting for a few days. My parents, who have visited the Bay Area several times, had never been. Plus my brother turned 21 and my mom figured what a better way to celebrate being of legal drinking age than to get drunk multiple times a day with your family? Well, no, that's not really what she thought, her plan was to educate my brother about wine. But I think the rest of us thought maybe it was the other way around? At any rate, in between drinking you have to eat, right? And besides wine and beautiful views, if there's one thing Napa is known for it's amazing food. We had more than our fair share of places to choose from, and I picked out a few restaurants ahead of time (including my all time favorite Celadon), but this time we did something I rarely do and it paid off in a big way. I didn't plan and instead asked the locals to recommend a few of their favorite places.

The Tuesday we were there we did some wine tasting up in St. Helena (which is in Northern Napa County) and then went into town to show my parents our favorite olive oil and vinegar shops. They are super expensive, but it's nice to go and taste all kinds of yummy sauces and things, and maybe splurge and buy ONE thing. Afterwards I wanted to eat downtown, but we had Charlie which can sometimes pose an issue. Not all restaurants have outdoor seating, and not all places with outdoor seating allow dogs. So we popped over into the local boutique pet store (where my mom, probably because she was drunk, got Charlie some peanut butter treats) and asked where they would recommend. Without hesitation the girl said Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, pointed us in the right direction, and within 5 minutes we were seated and devouring bread (because we were that hungry...and well, it was good bread).

Our waitress was extremely friendly and good to Charlie (bringing him some water and home made dog treats), which always earns brownie points in our book. And the restaurant itself had a homey feeling. It reminded me of being in some tiny whole in the wall town at the restaurant the local matriarch opened up. Comfort food and feelings of home. The one thing that bugged us, though, was the massive amount of flies that would drift in and out of the patio area. There was no food lying around, they probably just knew eventually our food would be delicious and they wanted a piece. At any rate, Cindy's needs to figure out how to deal with that problem because it was definitely annoying. Although in all honesty, it's not enough to keep us from going back because the food was too good to stay away.

So yes, the food. It was delicious. My mother and I both had the grown-up grilled cheese of the day which had two different kinds of cheese, a fig spread, among other things, and was on walnut bread. I think by now you know this, but I love complex foods. Sweet and savory together is my all time favorite flavor combination. So this grilled cheese was probably the best I'd ever eaten in my life. They came with polenta fries, which were also amazing and gave me a great idea for another recipe. When eating them I almost felt like a wild animal, smacking everyone away from my plate who wanted more than the little bit I offered up for a taste. My brother got goat cheese ravioli (which I had also considered ordering and was almost disappointed I didn't because it was that good that it rivaled the best grilled cheese ever). And both my dad and Nick ordered the fried cod sandwich (think fish and chips on a bun), which I didn't try, but they said was good. A family wide hit means we'll definitely be back. This weekend we're going up to Napa again with Nick's brother. I'm starting to think this is where we should go for lunch...

And now, just two pictures of food from their website:

Grilled Cheese Restaurant

My friend Brandi and I planned a recent shopping trip in San Francisco the day after another friend's party. I personally made sure not to drink that much (2 beers, normally no where near enough beer to get me even slightly buzzed...something about beer just doesn't do it for me), Brandi on the other hand planned to drink but was not expecting the intense hangover that followed. Then again, neither was I. So at 11am the two of us hopped in my car, huge headaches, fatigue, and all and made the drive into the city.

When we arrived at our first store, the two of us looked at each other and said that if we didn't eat, we'd die. And considering it was chilly (low 60s, think Fall weather (SF is COLD during the summer)) and we were hung over we wanted the greasiest comfort food we could find. For me, that's things with cheese and by a stroke of luck a block away from our car we found The American, a gourmet grilled cheese restaurant. We squealed with delight ran instead and ordered up two delicious and hearty sandwiches.

The menu was short, and of course consisted mainly of grilled cheese. I got the Mushroom Gruyère which had fontina and gruyère cheese, roasted mushrooms, potatoes, leeks, caramelized onions, thyme butter. Only one word can describe it. Amazing. Brandi got the Mousetrap which is loaded with three different kinds of cheese (Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, and monterey jack) and added bacon. The restaurant itself was tiny and cafeteria style (order at the counter, wait to be served). Luckily we managed to get some seats inside at a both (normally I wouldn't have minded sitting outside, but I was not feeling up to it). And when our food arrived a few minutes later we devoured every last bite. Hangover problem not solved, but at least our hunger was.

And now, some pictures from their Facebook:




I think I know what I'm going to make myself for dinner (a yummy grilled cheese sandwich).

2 California Tea Shops

When my friends from New York were here, I made one promise to my friend Chloe. And that promise was that we would visit a tea room. Back home, she and I used to frequent Harmony Tea Room in Westwood on a regular basis. I had two places in mind, and needless to say I was pretty excited about the idea of two high teas in one weekend.

First up I made reservations at Lisa's Tea Treasures, which I've walked past a few times in Santana Row. I should have listened to the reviews on Yelp, though, which were generally mixed. And I have to say that my experiences were mixed as well.

One of the many reasons I really enjoy going to tea rooms is the chance to try lots of different foods. It gives me ideas for when we have our own tea parties at home. Some of the sandwiches at Lisa's Tea Treasures were very yummy, but the bread was dried out. Our waitress was also not the friendliest. And considering the amount of money we paid, we weren't given a lot of food. Tea rooms are generally not cheap, but at Harmony we would have gotten twice the amount of food. And at the second room we visited we paid less and got more. But on the other side we got free tea refills.

The room itself did its best to be fancy, but some of the things were also tacky. All in all it just seemed like the room was trying too hard and I don't think I plan to go back, although the tea shop had a lot of cute cups and things.

Meanwhile, we had the good fortune to visit Crown and Crumpet in Ghiradelli Square. The first time I visited San Francisco with Nick, we went to Ghiradelli Square and walked passed Crown and Crumpet. I nearly leapt with glee at the sight of it. Brightly colored, frilly tea embellishments, and British. I knew when my friend Chloe came to visit I had to take her there.

Luckily they had outdoor seating so we were able to go on our day in the city with Charlie. It was a little windy because the square is right on the bay, but it was worth it. Sunny, clear skies, and a great view. We got the tea for three (even though there were four of us) because there was so much food we had more than enough. Four different kinds of tea sandwiches (one of which had a roasted red pepper spread that I plan to try to replicate the next time we have our own party), crumpets, two kinds of scones, and four different desserts. Everything was so delicious, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it.

Compared to Lisa's Tea Treasures, their shop didn't have as cute of tea things, but they did have a lot of cute things for kids and craft-like food projects. Everything was a little pricey, so I don't think I'll ever purchase anything from there. Unless of course they expand their Alice and Wonderland stock and have something too cute to pass up...and I have a job...which technically I do, but that's a long story...

I can't wait to go back with Nick, or just about anyone for that matter. Definitely a new favorite, and I'm glad I have a suitable replacement for Harmony while I'm out here. It's just too bad that it's not within walking distance like when we were in Westwood.


Mmmmmm.

The perfect Summertime Date: Pizza & Ice Cream

Recently I've been totally obsessed with Fleetwood Mac's album Rumors. And then when I thought I had finally gotten over it, this past week it was featured in an episode of Glee. I guess of all the albums to play on repeat, that's a good one to be stuck with.

On a totally unrelated note, it's been super hot here in the South Bay lately. Normally anything above 75 starts to make me a little uncomfortable. I don't like to feel hot, and I especially hate to sweat when I'm not *supposed* to be. But for some reason, and I think the promise of a summer "vacation" has something to do with it, I'm pretty pumped about the warm weather. Lots of shorts and tank-tops, sandals, and getting tan. I've been having fun walking around without tights or leggings on. Windows open. Sandals and sunglasses on. It's been pretty awesome.

When Nick and I were living in New Jersey one of our favorite things to do during the warmer months was walk into town and go out on a date. We'd pick out a restaurant to eat at, then get dessert (sometimes at the restaurant, sometimes at one of the many ice cream places), and walk around. We lived in a really safe town, so we liked to wander the streets looking at store fronts and houses to burn off some calories before heading back to the apartment.

A few weeks ago one of my friends from college, Taryn, was in town and we went into the Mission area of San Francisco to have some very late lunch. It reminded me of going out with Nick, except I had Charlie and 4 other lovely ladies with me instead.

We went out for pizza at Delfina with a few of her other girlfriends. It's been really hard to find good pizza here, but I have to say that Delfina's was amazing. Not New York style, not Chicago style, but definitely Italian style. We had some of the specialty pies and the regular one. All were good and put me in the mood to have pizza for like a week after wards. Unfortunately there aren't any good places close by to us.

After that we walked up the block to Bi-rite Creamery, a neighborhood ice cream shop. Affiliated with a small market across the street, Creamery makes their own ice cream, baked goods (like an amazing banana peanut butter cupcake we all tried), and candies. Flavors change daily, but when I was there I ordered two scoops; one of Earl Grey and one of Honey Lavender--considering they are two of my favorite things ever I LOVED them. I also got to try the Ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodles) and Brown Sugar with Ginger Caramel Swirl flavors. Both were also very good. And all were rich...pizza, wine, and ice cream...how am I not 1,000 pounds?

So good even the pup wants a bite.

The Counter, ie. my new favorite burger joint of all time

Sometimes I honestly think I have the stomach of a guy. I cannot even begin to describe to you of my love for a good burger enough. Top it with just about any kind of cheese and I'm in heaven. But alas, I'm not a guy. I'm a girl. And therefore I have a girly palate. I want sweet and savory at the same time, and I don't want my meat pink in the middle or dry and burnt to a crisp. And the fries better be good too. Can I also get a sweet sauce with that? So many demands! That solves it, I'm definitely a woman. Recently I've discovered The Counter, a small burger chain, and have become completely obsessed. With locations all over the country (but most in California), you can get your specialty burger fix wherever you are.

The menu itself is as simplistic as the decor. You're given a checklist to build your own burger with about 50 different options. Several different kinds of meat (all are ethically raised, yada yada) and meatless patties, toppings, cheeses, sauces, and buns to choose from. My personal favorite is a beef 1/3 pounder (that's AFTER cooking) with blue cheese, grilled onions, cranberries, and apricot sauce on a honey wheat bun. It sounds a little weird, but it is so good. My need for sweet and savory flavors are met. There's also some pre-chosen burger options to choose from too if all the options on the checklist are too much for you. Add a side of some REALLY good fries (plain, cheese, or sweet potato) or amazing onion rings and you're good to go.

Oh yeah, and don't forget the milk shakes and build your own drink menu.




Definitely looks like a great place to go to with a bunch of friends.

Northern Spy Food Co.

I love New York City. Bottom line, it is my favorite place on Earth. But, as much as I hate to admit this, I am really not that big of a fan of the Lower East Side. It's hard to get to by subway (and what subway stops are there smell horrendous), the sidewalks are a mess (try walking on those in heels!), and I always manage to have to go there on the most humid hot days so by the time I get there my hair looks a mess, I'm sweaty, and all around gross. These days it takes a really special occasion (or a really special person) to get me to go there. And when I was home for Spring Break, a combination of the two got me out there to have dinner with one of my best friends, Jen, at Northern Spy Food Co.

Jen teased me before hand saying how it was a big deal that I agreed to step foot in that area (and believe me, I crossed many many feet as I walked A LOT of blocks). When I finally did arrive at my destination (which I'll admit was not as far into the LES as I was expecting), I was welcomed by a warm and cozy room that was exactly what I needed after a brisk trek on a cold late winter's night.


Next up I perused the menu. Much to my delight, everything on it was locally sourced and sustainably farm. That, as you know, is always a huge score in my book. It means I can order whatever I want off the menu and not feel guilty. But, as is normally the case, I'm so used to not eating meat that I opted for a vegetarian option anyway. Well, semi vegetarian anyway. I got an appetizer of the crispy gnocchi (made with a butternut squash puree) and duck fat fries (french fries, fried in duck fat). Both were amazing. The gnocchi was really light and fluffy (hard to imagine for something that is normally sits like a rock in your stomach) and the fries were big, crispy, and flavorful. The perfect proportions with a little bit left over to share. Jen got one of the soups and her favorite, a side of the meatballs (which were also fantastic).

When dessert came around we were both really stuffed, but since we were sort of celebrating I pushed Jen into order something. We went back and forth about a lot of things (there were so many yummy options, like cookies, tarts, and cheese), but we ended up compromising and each getting a small scoop of house made ice cream to share. I opted for vanilla honey, and it was so rich and delicious, as good as it was, it actually made me wish we had ordered another dessert. If the ice cream was THAT GOOD another dessert (especially one that comes with ice cream on the side) would have been that much better.

All in all, it was well worth the trip into my least favorite part of NYC, and I have to admit, I'd do it again. No complaints (well, maybe a little bit).

And now for some pictures of the food!