Happy Hour Sangria & Tapas in San Mateo

Family dinner in the Bay Area.  Since there's a baby in the family, our dinner gatherings are earlier.  I love how baby-dinner-time corresponds perfectly with happy hour.  It's fun for the whole family.

We all met halfway in the Peninsula in San Mateo.  With several options for kid-friendly dining, we chose Cha Cha Cha Cuba.  I've eaten at the Haight St. restaurant up in San Francisco a couple of times.  It's always crowded with patrons eager for sangria and tapas.  This new branch is more family friendly, and at 5pm on a weekday it's the perfect place for my nephew and for happy hour.

Sangria is half off.  We ordered a big pitcher for the table, and it was more than enough.  The price was even better, $12.50!  That's a pretty great deal for all that you get.

A good selection of the tapas menu is $5.00.  They are pretty generous portions for tapas.  The food was satisfying and fun - I love eating with a variety of small plates to choose from.   

The overall experience was pleasant and the service was pretty good.  I can see myself going back here with a group of friends, and definitely during happy hour.

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

If you can't see the slideshow, check out my Flickr album: Cha Cha Cha

Revisiting an old favorite for more Tonkotsu Ramen

After proclaiming that Orenchi Ramen is my new favorite tonkotsu ramen in the Bay Area, I had to go back to my old favorite tonkotsu ramen just to compare.

For the years I lived in the Bay Area and become acquainted with the ramen scene in the Peninsula and South Bay, I had 2 go-to places for ramen.  Ryowa Ramen House for miso ramen and Santa Ramen for tonkotsu ramen.  These days, I've been favoring tonkotsu ramen.  It's a true art to produce a good bowl of this pork bone broth and chewy noodles.  The broth alone takes a whole day to simmer up that milky, pork liquid.

Santa Ramen is just as consistent and tasty as I remember with a standout pork bone broth.  Milky, creamy, and filled with pork flavors.  The noodles have a pretty good amount of chew that softens a little as you get down to finishing the bowl.

So who has the better tonkotsu ramen in the Bay Area?

By a hair...well, in this case, by a noodle...Orenchi Ramen has the slightest edge because of the consistent chewy bite of noodles down to the last slurp.  But, I still would go back to both.  It really just depends if I'm in the South Bay or the Peninsula.

If you can't see the slideshow, check out my Flickr album: Santa Ramen

Back in the Bay

I spent a few days in the Bay Area before leaving the country. In those few days, I was able to try out some new places.

Jack's Prime Burger, San Mateo
If you're looking for a local burger and beer place, this is pretty decent.
The Menu

The Beer
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - a classic choice

Sliders with Fries
The fries were pretty good. The bun of the sliders was tasty. I found the patty a bit thin and on the dry side, though.


Bocadillos, San Francisco
I brought my girl friends to my favorite restaurant. We tried a new cocktail, Kalimotxo. Red Wine, Coke, and an Orange Slice. It was refreshing and light.


Fentons Creamery, Oakland
After getting some won ton soup in downtown Oakland, we drove across town and went to Fentons (a la, "Up").
Fentons Special
Made in a tall glass with alternating layers of pineapple, strawberry, chocolate fudge and caramel sauces with Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate & Toasted Almond ice cream. Crowned with sherbet slices, whipped cream and cherry.
I shared this with a friend, and other friends took some nibbling bites. We still couldn't finish it. The portions are huge. The sherbet layers on top were delicious. It took us back to our childhood with comparisons like Flintstones Push Ups, Skittles, etc.


Howie's Artisan Pizza, Palo Alto
When I lived in the Peninsula, one of our special occasion restaurants was Marche in Menlo Park. Chef Howard Bulka was always at the restaurant, and he would greet and get to know his patrons. It's been a long time since we've been to Marche. A couple months ago, we read that he opened up a new place in Palo Alto. It's a great pizza place. Not as good as Delfina or Settebello, but I rank it up there with some of the better pizzas I've eaten.
The Inside

Eggplant Pillows
With ricotta and "salsa verde" of olives. Nice presentation and a good start.

The Pizza
Pancetta, Red Onion, Red Chili. No joke about the red chili. It was pretty spicy. The pie was nice and thin, with a non-greasy well-cooked crust.

Ramen!

Santa Ramen, San Mateo
I've been hearing about this place for years. It's one of the best ramen houses in the Bay Area. Living in the South Bay, I would always go to Ryowa Ramen House in Mountain View whenever I had a ramen craving (or fried chicken craving). There was plenty of time to kill during this one night before the premiere of Top Chef Masters. So my friend and I went to Santa Ramen. They are known for their Tonkotsu (Pork Broth) Ramen with a side on Kurobuta Pork. And that's exactly what I ordered. Delicious! The texture of the noodles were nice and chewy - not overcooked, not undercooked. The broth had a delicate, yet intense milky taste. The kurobuta pork was like falling in love. But, it's the kind of love that's not good for you all the time. I want to eat for as long as I can, so I monitor how much pork belly I have, and being Filipino I LOVE pork from all parts of the pig.