Discovery Weekends: Inspirations

I’ve been looking through my iPhone photos (all 1,895 of them) and have realized that I have been remiss in some of my discovery adventures. In this post, I am going to focus on my inspirations for my future projects from Bay Area restaurants.

From Lazy Dog Restarant, Concord: Delicious Sticky Hawaiian Ribs, Unami Fries and Asian Slaw. I got to learn how to make ribs - maybe via the slow-cooker.

From Bocanova, Jack London Square, Oakland: Short-rib Empanadas - got to make empanadas before the weather gets warmer. It has been my goal. These were delicious and inspiring.

Also from Bocanova, Yucca Cheese Fritters. I've never worked with yucca before so this may be a good starter.

From Rustic Tavern, Lafayette, a delicious cod sandwich and truffle fries. The cod was very light and the fries... well, they got me at "truffle." In the background is my new vice... Ginger Beer.

Also from Rustic Tavern, Fettucine Carbonara - Did you see those chunks of bacon? Portions were really huge (We also shared a delicious salad to start). Unfortunately, we did not save room for their famous Mason Jar cheesecake. Got to return (and just share an entrée)!!!

From DJ's Bistro in Concord: Don't let the name fool you - this place is a really good German restaurant. I ordered the Jaegerschintzel because I had a craving and I have never made it before. 'Should attempt to make it with some spaetzle for my German-American husband.

From Fiore Italian Restaurant in Concord: Gnocchi Marsala - seems to be a good Marsala sauce starter recipe... and my husband loves Marsala. I still think of Fiore as Mediterranean cuisine - they have delicious tagines.

Also from Fiore, a not-so-traditional paella, half-order. I do like the presentation.

And their desserts look fantastic! I think this was a Berry Tartlet. Look at the wonderful design... I think this clearly shows their Mediterranean roots.

Speaking of desserts, From La Sen French Bistro in Concord, Apple tartlets. Reminds me of a portable apple pie... or empanada. Their food is delicious; we shared the French Onion Soup, Lamb Shank, and the tartlet for a sweet ending. The other pictures just came out too dark.

Sigh, too many recipes, too little time. To add to the clichés, "it has been a year since I started my blog". I have been posting almost every week. Because of this, I really have not had enough time to play with new ingredients, transform or develop recipes, and write. It has been a frantic schedule, and as you can see I have a backlog. So for Year Two, I will start posting twice a month to give me time to experiment, play, and most importantly, eat...err, discover.

Until next post...in about two weeks or so.

Discovery Weekend: Searching for Michael Chiarello – Parte Seconda at Bottega

Our search for Michael Chiarello did not end at Coqueta. My husband actually surprised me and said “why don’t we go out of town on your birthday weekend?” Since I did not want to cancel our reservations at Coqueta and wanted to be at home on Monday (so I can pick up my birthday gift), we compromised and decided on going out of town on Sunday only.

The first thing that came to mind was the Wine Country – perhaps to Napa. The plan was to go wine tasting in the morning(!) then lunch. I have been obsessing over going to Bottega after having dinner at Yountville last year – so this presented the perfect opportunity.

We had a late start that day and skipped the wine tasting. Yountville was only about an hours drive away from home (without the wine country peak season traffic), so it was a relatively easy drive.

Pomegranate Sicilian Soda: It's almost like a smoothie.

Bottega had a very romantic atmosphere and very classy. On our table, we had a birthday card from the Bottega team. Since I was eating my alcohol again (maybe avoiding it altogether this meal). I had a Sicilian Soda with Pomegranate, and my husband had his usual Pinot Grigio. While waiting for our shared appetizer, we enjoyed warm bread served with garlic, parmesian and perhaps basil. Love warm bread

We started with a shaved Brussels sprout salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing, Marcona Almonds and sieved egg. I have made Brussels sprout salad last winter, but this should be what I should aim for. Finely shaved Brussel sprouts with really lemony and cheesy dressing. The Marcona Almonds added a crunchy texture, and the egg was so delicate, one can mistake it for cheese. Delicious.

Brussels Sprout Salad... elevated!

My husband had the Pork Loin with potato pancake. My husband said it was the best he ever had. It was so tender it almost fell off the bone.

Irresistible Tender Pork Loin

I have been in a duck-mode lately and cannot resist ordering confit. I believe this is one of the things that I cannot really do justice at home, so I always order it when I find it in the menu. The duck came two ways: a confit leg (of course) and a beautifully roasted breast. This was a huge entrée, served with black rice, berry sauce and watercress.  I had some left-over for dinner that night (The confit is GONE! gone at lunch!).

Duck!

 

For dessert, I couldn’t decide between the Tiramisu or Zeppole. My husband believes that Tiramisu is my all-time favorite dessert. Although he is right, I really like exploring and I haven’t had Zeppole before. Again, it did not disappoint: warm Zeppole filled with Hazelnut Crema with a Berry Sauce: It’s like an elevated peanut butter and jelly doughnut hole. It’s a great sweet, but with a cappucino, it was the perfect light ending to a great meal.

Elevated Hazelnut Butter and Jelly Zeppoles...YUM!!!!

Bottega is becoming, if not already, our favorite Napa Valley Restaurant. Bottega featured fantastic food with friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable service. My husband said that it was one of the best, if not the best, dining experience that he's had. It was unforgettable. A visit to Bottega is a must for any Napa Valley Wine Country trip.

Discovery Weekends: Searching for Michael Chiarello (or “What I did for my Birthday Weekend?”) – Coqueta SF

Ever since I saw “The Next Iron Chef” a couple of seasons ago, I’ve always wanted to try one of Michael Chiarello’s restaurants.  The judges loved his food and the description was very scrumptious: made me hungry every time. I was really disappointed that he did not win.

I had to find where his restaurant (or restaurants) is. So, I researched and was delighted to find that his restaurant, Bottega is so close to where we are, so close, but a world away. With the variety of activities in the San Francisco Bay Area, we rarely find ourselves in the Napa Valley – we’re probably there once a year.

Fast forward a few years, I heard the Chef Chiarello is opening a restaurant in San Francisco, near the Financial District. I decided that this is the perfect opportunity to visit. Plus, I have a birthday coming up.

I also happened to check my twitter and found that Chef Chiarello was going to be on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon. I knew had to stay up. That segment was so funny (check it out on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon) – I knew it was a sign that this was going to be a great weekend.

The Big Day finally came. We went to "The City" via BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and took a comfortable stroll from the Ferry Building to Pier 5 at the Embarcadero, where Coqueta is located.  Coqueta features modernized Spanish tapas “with a touch of California.” Atmosphere was casual, but very classy, which complemented the the beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay.

Of course, tapas are not complete without drinking (or was it just wine), so Coquetta also features a very innovative bar, er… “cocktail program.” Since I tend to eat my alcohol these days, I stuck to non-alcoholic beverages and had a ginger beer and a J&T (Juniper and Tonic?). My husband, of course, had to try the sangria. Both were quite potent. The ginger beer was made in-house and was very gingery (loved it). I thought it would burn my palette but it actually enhanced my appetite. We sat at the bar for a while while we wait for our table, and admired the gorgeous drinks and fresh ingredients and spices used in the bar.

When dining out, my husband and I usually share an appetizer and an entrée. We made an exception this time. We really wanted to get the paella – one of my favorites. However, even knowing that it may be more than enough food, I was hungry enough to order a couple of tapas. My husband had me order (since it's my birthday weekend), so I chose the Chicken and English Peas Croquettes and the Albondigas – Duck and Pork Meatballs with a delicious cherry sauce and crispy shallots. I think we chose wisely.

The paella came and it did not disappoint. It had the key components of a paella: chorizo, huge prawns, clams, some root veggies.  Served with some spicy Spanish pickled peppers and lemon aioli, it was perfect and yes, we finished the whole thing and saved room for dessert, at least one of us did.

For dessert, I could not decide between the Churro “Fantasia” or the Machego Cheesecake Bites. My husband loves cheesecake, but said he did not want dessert. Although I wanted to get both, I opted to get only the churros (and have an excuse to return).

The churros were the perfect ending to the meal. It was just the right size and delicious: light, sweet, had that fried deliciousness, and can still have a touch of chocolate or a lot. After all, one can never get enough TCHO chocolate. Even my husband had half (two of the churros)– we both wanted to lick the chocolate bowl! This will definitely be one of my weekend experiments.

I also love the gold chocolate leaf with "Feliz Cumpleanos" - really nice touch. Too bad someone had a hard touch (one guess).

We will come back to Coqueta, even if it is just a quick bite at the bar after my weekend trips to the Ferry Building, shopping at the Embarcadero Center, watching the Giants games at AT&T park, etc….  I think we found a new San Francisco favorite. Besides, I got to have my ginger beer!

 

By the way, this was not the end of our search… stay tuned for next post.

Discovery Weekends: Duarte’s Tavern - Come for the Cioppino, Stay for the Pie

Over the holidays, we spent some time along the coast and enjoyed some dining adventures. The one stop that we needed to be sure to make was at Duarte’s Tavern. It was crab season, and Momma needs some cioppino.

Duarte’s is located in the small town of Pescadero, about 30 minutes south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1 (that is, 30 minutes if you do not make any stops). Duarte’s has been there and family-run since 1894, and was a recipient of the 2003 James Beard Foundation America’s Classic Award, and a local favorite!

We usually trek to Duarte’s to enjoy some of their cioppino whenever we’re in Half Moon Bay. We think that they have the best crab cioppino in the Bay Area – maybe anywhere, and is well worth the trip.

 We may need to wait for a spot especially during the weekends, but we’ve always had good luck in the bar area. If we do need to wait, we can take a nice stroll on Pescadero’s main drag, check out the local merchants, and maybe buy local jams, honey, breads, or some excellent produce.

The place may look a bit run-down, but that is part of the charm. It is after all over a hundred years old and I think the only thing that changed (in the bar at least) is the TV. Do not expect a fancy restaurant – expect rustic and lots of local color. The service is very friendly, and the food is well worth it – trust us!

As always, this trip did not disappoint: the cioppino was filled with fresh crab and enough for my Hubby and I. Your meal is served with WARM bread – WARM! And the bread is baked in their own kitchen each morning. I was a bit hungry, so I also ordered a calamari appetizer. It was a big portion and I did my best to finish it. With the cioppino, it was a very big lunch!

At Duarte’s, locals usually get soup, but stay for the pie. The pies at Duarte’s are all made in house and are as famous as the cioppino. They have different types of pie: apple, cherry, pumpkin, key lime, strawberry-rhubarb, and of course my favorite Ollalieberry pie. I have had a love affair with ollalieberry for almost twenty years - I love it!

So of course, I had to get some pie for dessert. Our long drive back home was my ‘justification’ - of course, I really did not need one. Although the strawberry-rhubarb was tempting, I did opt for ollalieberry AGAIN. Next time, I will have to try some variety.

By the way, if you have a craving for one of their pies, you can get them at your local Whole Foods (at least here in the San Francisco Bay Area) or at New Leaf Market.

For more info, check out the Duarte's Tavern website or drop by for a visit.

Discovery Weekend: Coastal Gourmet Adventures at Half Moon Bay

My husband and I usually spend our Thanksgiving weekend exploring - either locally, a long drive, or somewhere in between. After enjoying cooking on our Thanksgiving Day, we still had three full days off. We took advantage of this to get away. We’ve been working hard and deserved a few days off.

We decided to go to Half Moon Bay this time around. It’s one of my husband’s favorite destinations. He loves being close to the ocean, the antique stores, and of course, the dining.

The dining opportunities are excellent in Half Moon Bay. Through the years, we’ve enjoyed our favorites and tried new places. Here’s a sampling from our weekend adventure. 

Crab cakes from The Distillery

Moss Beach Distillery. This is our favorite spot for brunch and usually our first stop in our trips to HMB. Brunch is at the formal dining room, but the patio is great for munchies like calamari and wine while sitting by the fire and enjoying the great views since the Distillery sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Do watch out for the ghost of the Blue Lady. Every time I go to the ladies room, I freak out at every unusual sound.

Meyer Lemon Parfait from Pasta Moon

Pasta Moon. This Italian restaurant is a downtown staple, and has been there for a long time. I started with the Florentine bread soup, my husband had the mussels, and we  shared a huge, tasty pork chop. My husband said is the pork chop is the best he has ever had. I ended my meal with a beautiful Meyer Lemon Parfait: delicious. Ironically, on our visit, we did not get pasta. It must be a sign to return.

Half Moon Bay Coffee Company and Café. Come for the coffee, stay for the desserts. They have a gorgeous selection of desserts. My husband was tempted by the Key Lime Pie. I just had a Gingerbread biscotti with my fabulous soy latte (word of warning: the latte kept me going until dinner time). HMB Coffee also serves breakfast and lunch if you want to stay downtown.

Cafe Mezzaluna's Pastry Selection

Café Mezzaluna at Princeton-By-The-Sea. The casual sister to the more formal restaurant a few blocks away. This is a great spot for breakfast, especially before a kayak adventure, or lunch after one. For breakfast, you can have your choice of omelets, frittatas, quiches, savory crepes, and pastries. For lunch, you can enjoy paninis and most importantly, gelatos.

New Leaf Community Market.  Although this is not truly dining, I think this market is awesome. It has locally sourced fruits and veggies and the highest quality of natural products. Their stores are mostly here in Northern California, and I cannot wait to visit my closest one.

Brussel Sprouts grew this way?

Our other staples are The Half Moon Bay Brewery and Duarte’s Tavern. We did not visit the Brewery this time, but did trek to Pescadero to visit Duarte’s to have cioppino. Duarte’s was so good it deserves its own post. Watch out for it in the next few weeks.

Half Moon Bay also has some awesome farmer’s stalls and markets. We often take advantage of these and get fresh fruit, veggies, and even honey. This weekend, we even got a medieval weapon… err, a huge Brussel sprout stalk. It was almost 3 feet long, really.

Discovery Weekends: Good Friends, Good Libations, and Comfort Food at Tyler Lawrence’s Wayfare Tavern

A friend was visiting from Southern California, so my husband thought it would be good to take this opportunity to check out Wayfare Tavern in The City (a.k.a. San Francisco). We’ve been meaning to do this, but have not had a good excuse. 

With no desire to drive into The City that late in the evening, we decided to take the BART (SF’s equivalent of the subway) and walk to the restaurant. It was a short walk from the Montgomery BART station (I still think it’s a shorter walk from Embarcadero station) and reminded me of the days when I worked in the City. In fact, it was just a couple of blocks away from my old building.

We got there a bit early, so we had to wait at the bar: All members of your party had to be present to be seated. My husband had his usual glass of pinot grigio, while I enjoyed a Virgin Mojito. It was a bit to tart for me, but the bartender was gracious enough to sweeten it for me. Awesome (Maybe "Sweet" is more appropriate).

My friend finally arrived and we got seated promptly. We dined upstairs where it was a bit more quiet than the bar area, and we could carry a more comfortable conversation. Almost immediately, we were served Wayfare Tavern’s famous pop-overs! Yummy! Moist and buttery… I could have eaten three or four of those (and take some home for breakfast). But I restrained myself.

For appetizers, we shared the “Devils on Horseback” – Medjool dates wrapped in bacon and topped with blue cheese with hazelnut pesto and Fried Oysters with Tartar sauce (self-explanatory). Since there is no picture, you can tell that these appetizers went quickly. The Fried Oysters were excellent (in cornmeal batter, I think), but I think my favorite were the dates. I’ve always had a sweet spot for that appetizer ever since I tried it at our favorite tapas restaurant in San Diego. Although I kept eyeing the deviled eggs every time they landed on another table. Awesome presentation – obviously, very eye catching!

We enjoyed conversation while we were having our entrees. My friend and I caught up with work, family, and mutual friends. For our entrees, my husband had the Seared Ahi Tuna. The dish had a generous helping of ahi, seared perfectly and had a good portion of roasted baby carrots and two or three dots of carrot puree. What he did not like was the roasted garlic (although I did not mind it). He said it was a bit too strong and almost tasted like horseradish.

My friend had the Halibut on Barley Risotto with Clams, Apples, and Roasted Turnips. My friend’s halibut looked perfectly cooked and the barley risotto looked yummy. I’ve been looking for ways to cook barley since I love the texture. I may just attempt to cook barley risotto sometime soon.

Of course, I had to have their Signature Buttermilk-brined Fried Chicken! I’ve read so many reviews about the chicken that I had to try it!  It did not disappoint: generous helping of juicy chicken (about 5 pieces) with hint of rosemary through-out (How did he do that! Must experiment) and served with roasted garlic and lemon. Delicious – reminded me of my attempt to make Chicken with Herbes de Provance (which is probably the inspiration for this). I was able to finish three -- leg, wing, and about third of the breast. The remaining two-thirds I meant to have for lunch the next day but unfortunately forgot my to-go-box at the restaurant (Nice touch: they gave me a claim tag to get my left-overs so it would not crowd the table). Oh well, I’ll take it as a sign to return.

For dessert, we had a beautiful French Almond Cake (the name escapes me) served with crème bruleè topped with a dollop olive oil ice cream and pluots. The almond cake was moist and the crème bruleè was probably the best I’ve ever had. It even had a hint of lavender, thanks to the edible petals that decorated the plate. The pluots were also quite awesome - very juicy and but not too sweet, a good counterpoint to the almond cake and creme bruleè. I should have been greedier and also ordered the peach pie, but we were so full. Next time….

Sadly, we had to end the evening. My friend had an early conference session, and it was also a school-night for me and my Hubby. Bite-sized pieces of coffee cake were served with the bill: perfect ending to a great evening.  Thank goodness, I did not get the peach pie! I told my husband that he was lucky that I no longer work in The City, otherwise, I’d be spending my paycheck at Wayfare’s every day…. well, maybe every week.

…Unless I get a raise, of course.

  

Check out Wayfare Tavern’s website for more info. You’ll be tempted to make a trip to The City after that, just to check it out.

Discovery Weekends: Celebrating 12 years with my Hubby at Sasa

My husband and I recently celebrated our 12^th anniversary dinner. We usually either go out of town or select a good restaurant to enjoy an evening out. This year, we opted to do the latter. We revisited one of our favorite restaurants: Sasa in Walnut Creek, California.

We’ve probably have been to Sasa numerous times.  We love the classy Asian-inspired decor.  We were there on a Monday, so a lot of people were taking advantage of their extended Happy Hour, Getsuyobi Monday’s. I found the happy hour name somewhat funny since "Getsuyobi" literally is Monday (so it’s Monday Monday’s). A lot of people were taking advantage of the $5 and $10 sushi rolls and special priced appetizers. Sasa also offers an extensive sake menu and a good selection of wine and cocktails, which makes it a great happy hour choice.

We never had a bad experience at Sasa. This evening was no different. We arrived a bit early, so we sat at the bar while we waited for our table.  The bartender was very attentive, in spite of the crowd that evening. I tried one of their non-alcoholic pomegranate mojito since I was designated driver (actually refreshing and hydrating especially in a hot summer day), and we shared an order of root chips and aioli. We’re not sure what roots were included, but it was delicious. The chips were very savory, and not too salty. To be honest, it was quite addicting.

Sasa specializes on small plates: Asian tapas-style. For dinner, instead of our usual share an appetizer, entree, and dessert strategy, we decided to share a few small plates... and dessert, of course.

The pork belly skewers were a good start. It reminded me of a Filipino Lechon Kawali (Deep Fried Pork Belly) on a stick. The only thing missing was the crispy skin (and lechon sauce) – the way it is traditionally served. Maybe if it was served the Filipino way, it will exceed the cholesterol limits of the dish. This went way too fast to photograph (My fault, lechon kawali is one of my favorites).

My duck confit on steamed buns had more a Chinese inspiration – like a duck confit bao. It reminded me of dimsum lunches, but elevated to a different level. Using a duck confit gave a good crispiness and the hoisin sauce and plum wine vinaigrette reminded me of its Asian roots.

The roasted spiced lamb chops was equally delicious. It was perfectly cooked and spiced and quite succulent.  The green pistachio sauce on it was different than what we expected, but had a refreshing twist.

We ended dinner with a Banana and Macadamia Cream Tart. I usually end an evening like this with a light sorbet, but I am a bit sorbet-ed out. The tart had the right combination of creaminess yet freshness. It was the perfect way to end the meal.

The food was plated and presented beautifully, it was inviting and you just want to dive into it. We had excellent service all through the evening. We’ve been there for lunch on a weekend and had the same experience. We love Sasa and will most likely return... soon. Hope you will also enjoy this Walnut Creek find.

Hanging out at Monterey Bay

My husband and I enjoyed a couple of days off last weekend (Hence, the absent posting). We enjoyed a couple of days around the Monterey Coast and enjoyed some dining and R&R: a great way to spend a weekend away from our home kitchen.

View from Schooner's... aaah!

Dining around Monterey is always an excellent adventure. We have been there many-many times and, have rarely had a poor dining experience. Here’s a sampling from most recent visit.

Monterey Cookhouse (on North Fremont Street). Great Sandwiches. Good Service. We had Pulled Pork Sliders, Onion Rings, and fries for dinner on Friday and shared a Grilled Chicken Sandwich for lunch on Saturday. The fries were excellent – crispy and lightly salted. The pizzas look pretty good too: must try for next time. Although we're not big beer drinkers, they have really good beer on tap and local root beer (Sparky's from Pacific Grove). We plan to return, even though it’s not really in the touristy part of town (It’s still pretty safe though). I suspect this is a local‘s hang-out.

Pulled Pork Sliders, Fries, and Onion Rings from the Cookhouse

Monterey Crepe Company (on Alvarado Street). Great crepes. Huge portions. I had the honey, banana, and almond with extra strawberries, and it was yummy. Last time, I had nutella and bananas (unbeatable combo). Service was a bit slow in the morning, so do not go there at that time if you are in a hurry.  (Note: When checking out their website, turn the audio on mute. The background music sounds classical, like a ‘French Opera’ – not a good match for crepes.).

Honey Crepes! Amazing!

Rosine’s (on Alvarado Street). Speaking of portions, Rosine’s may top the list. It was our first time there. The lettuce wedge is actually half a lettuce head, topped with a generous helping of bacon, tomatoes, and blue cheese dressing. Our shared calamari steak was enough for two people and a kid. And the ‘award-winning’ desserts… they are huge! For a modest dessert portion, I just had the cookies and cream brownie (it lasted two days). Only downside is that they only had two or three seafood items on the menu. I do wish they had more options, since we’re on the seacoast.

Rosine's Desserts: Objects may be larger than it seems.

Bagel Bakery (on Alvarado Street). Maybe the only ‘bagel place’ in town. Fortunately, the bagels and flavored cheeses are good and tasty. They have a good croissant, espresso, or latte. Nice and quick breakfast place, but service can be a little ‘iffy.’

Schooner's New Menu. Seabass BLT is back!!!!

Schooner’s Coastal Kitchen and Bar (at Cannery Row).  Schooner’s is probably our favorite place in Monterey: great food, great drinks, and truly excellent views. They have revamped the formal dining room – which was the Duck Club for a more casual yet classy dining area. We prefer to sit in the bar/patio area though. It’s a bit more festive.

It can be a bit pricey, but you just have to be selective. Cocktails are great, even the non-alcoholic ones (I had the Pomegranate Virgin Mojito). The tacos look really good (I think I had them last time). And for the piece de resistance, they brought back MY Seabass BLT! It was gone for about a year (our server said that it was the first week back after six months. I think it was longer). I love that Seabass BLT! I dream and talk about it all the while our driving down from San Francisco. My only issue is I think the “T” is gone in the sandwich, unless they made the “T” to be tartar sauce.

Overall, it was a great weekend. We enjoyed a short walk at Lover’s Point and a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (awesome place and they also recently remodeled their restaurant). Unfortunately, we did not make it to Asilomar (my favorite beach), the Spanish Bay at Pebble Beach (should be my favorite beach), and Carmel-by-the Sea this trip, nor take a bunch of food pictures, since we quite subconsciously unplugged. No worries, I am confident that we will be back soon again