This and that around the Bay Area

Aside from planning out reservations for new restaurants, nostalgic bites, spontaneous eats and recommendations from locals and friends fill the rest of my eating and drinking time in the Bay Area.

My trips back to the San Francisco area always satisfy my cravings for contemporary American bar food, Mexican fare, and Northern Californian wines and beers.  From dishes I used to have as a grade school kid to new discoveries, it all tastes like home away from home these days.

Fish and Chips at Bourbon Pub
Petrale sole, salt and vinegar tots, tartar sauce

Nibbling around the San Francisco Bay Area

This last trip back to San Francisco was pretty indulgent, a true eat-fest.

Here are pictures from the many other bites that I had during my two week trip.  It was filled with nostalgic eats (like the chicken wings by my alma mater), fun finds while catching up with old friends (which is the root to my love for bar food), and new bites which I can't wait to have again on my next trip (Smore's Pie at Bi-Rite!)

If you cant see the slide show here, check out my Flickr album: SF Nibblings

Summer Treats

Summer! For years that meant June through September of warm to hot weather and bright blue skies filling most of the days. For the second year in a row, these summer months I look forward to are now filled with monsoons, storms, and typhoons.

After two weeks straight of rain and gray clouds here in Manila, I was so excited to escape to the states for a two week trip. The two weeks were filled with the perfect summer weather.

And what's the best way to embrace the last days of summer? With ice cream, frozen yogurt and popsicles!!

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Summer Treats

Breakfast!

After I returned my car to the dealership on a Saturday monring, my friend picked me up and eagerly took me to this breakfast place. The interior was so fun, and the food was tasty.

Scrambl'z, San Jose
The Inside

Chicken Apple Sausage Scramble
With onions and goat cheese and campfire potatoes. Such a hearty place. The ingredients tasted nice and fresh.

Pancakes
My scramble plate came with a side of pancakes. Breakfast was so filling. These pancakes were really tasty - fluffy and flavorful.

The Boiling Crab

I went to the Boiling Crab tonight in San Jose.  I’ve been hearing so many things about this place, and I’m glad I finally tried it.  Overall, it’s a fun experience.  The food is on the table, and you eat it up with your hands.  The bib works, by the way.  Be ready to wait awhile for your table.

The Bib
Trust me, you’ll need it.

The Inside
Great set up.  It feels like a seaside getaway.

Crawfish
In garlic butter.  This was my first time having crawfish.  It was pretty good.

Dungeness Crab
A great choice!  Dungeness crab is always the way to go.  It’s so meaty and full of that tasty fat in the head.

We also got an order of clams, which were nice and tasty.  But my hands were too messy to take out my camera. 

Left Bank at Santana Row

Chef Roland Passot has two restaurants along the main street of Santana Row – Left Bank and LB Steak.

Left Bank, Santana Row
I’ve gone to Left Bank several times.  I’ve been going since it opened in Menlo Park years ago.  My main critique about Left Bank is that it has the oily smell and feel inside.  The attraction with Left Bank in Santana Row is that there’s outside bistro seating.  Perfect for those beautiful California days.

Moules Frites
A solid order of classic mussels and fries.  The fries are done well: not overly greasy, and not overly starchy.  The mussels are nice and plump, and the broth is delicious.

Salmon Hash
Generous bits of salmon with cubes of potatoes, topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce.  This was a tasty brunch plate.  The egg and the hollandaise nicely brought the dish together.

LB Steak, Santana Row
LB Steak basically took over the structure and design of Tanglewood, so the interior is nice.  Overall, I wasn’t too impressed.  The burger was dry and too compressed.  The steak was delicious, but my dad still cooks far more superb steaks.

Syrah/Grenache, St. Martin, 2006
A nice glass to pair with a burger or a steak.

Burger Americain
The burger was a fail.  The bun was too crumbly, and the meat was overcooked and too compressed.  The taste was good, but because of the texture of the meat, it failed the whole burger.  Nice presentation, though.

Side of Onion Rings
Decent.  The crispiness didn’t last long, as the batter and the oiliness took over.
 Porterhouse
A delicious order of steak!  We had to ask to kitchen to cook the steak a bit more, as it came in rare when we asked for medium.  After that, it had a nice caramelized coating.  The New York Strip side was far tastier than the Filet side.

Bringing Back the Happy Hour Tradition

Blowfish Sushi, Santana Row
I've only eaten in the restaurant once, but I have been the bar/lounge several times since I turned 21. They have a great selection when you're in the mood for summer drinks - a little sweet and very refreshing.

Mango Mojito
I love mojitos! It's one of my favorite summer drinks. I love the mixture of lime and muddled mint. This mango mojitos takes it a step further by adding some mango puree. So delicious!

Pear Spritz
This is my second favorite drink here. It's house sake, with orange liquer, fresh pear soda, and a squeeze of lemon. Another refreshingly fun drink.

Edamame
Japanese version of bar nuts. Mmm!

Happy Hour with the Folks

One of my best memories of college is happy hours in Santana Row. My parents were looking for a place for an early dinner, so we went to Straits. (Note: Happy Hour specials are only in the bar/lounge area)

House Cocktails - $5!
Ginger Drop

Gin Mule
Like a Mojito, but with Gin instead of Rum.

Indonesian Corn Croquettes
Decent, but this didn't really impress me. The whole bits of corn were nice, though.

Chili Garlic Dipping Sauce

Roti Prata
Indian flatbread with yellow curry dipping sauce. Delicious!

Crispy Calamari
Well fried with a kaffir lime cocktail sauce and jalapeno aioli. A great starter to share with the table.

Singapore Satay Sticks
Chicken and beef with a spicy peanut sauce. Both proteins were moist and tender. Another great starter!

Pizza Antica

Pizza Antica, Santana Row, San Jose
This is one of my family's favorite local restaurants. The pizza here is always delicious. The pizza is thin and the crust is crispy. Yum!

Antipasti of Young Vegetables and Housemade Mozzarella
Sweet Corn, Balsamic Onions, Green Beans, Sliced Potatoes, Roasted Red Bell Peppers, and deliciously fresh Mozzarella. Topped with croutons and a lemon aioli.

Sweet Red Peppers, Kalamata Olives, and Roasted Fennel Pizza
This is one of our usual pizzas. Great contrast of flavors from the sweet red peppers and sweet fennel against the savory olives.

Sweet Corn, Arugula, Bacon, and Basil Pizza
This is one of my favorite pizzas. I love sweet corn.

Warm Cornmeal Shortcake with Strawberries and Cream
The cake is deliciously warm, light, and crispy on the edges. Such a great ending!

Mexican Bistro

Consuelo's Mexican Bistro, Santana Row, San Jose
Tequilito
Mojito with tequila instead of rum. They add their own twist by adding pomegranite juice. It was ok. A bit too sweet for my liking and a bit too watered down.

Ensalada de Jicama
Great presentation. Jicama is always nice and refreshing when served chilled like this.

Tacos de Salmon
Nicely grilled salmon wrapped with fresh flour tortillas

Tostadas de Tinga
Delicious stewed chicken on a crispy tortilla. Best dish of the night.

Tres Leches
Americanized tres leches with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. It was ok, but I wouldn't order it again. The tres leches tasted more like un leche, just the milk and not the evaporated and condensed milk.



Overall a decent meal. If I'm in Santana Row and I feel like Mexican food, I would come here again.

Birthday in the Park

One of my girls joined the Quarter Century Club. We celebrated with La Vic's takeout and Asti in the park.

A glass of Asti with a Lengua Quesadilla


Ice Cream CupCakes from Cold Stone