Houston...land of Blue Bell and...surprisingly good food.

Okay, let me just start by saying that my favorite coffee house (courtesy of Houstonian friend, Blaire) burned down on Halloween this year. Total cry time. It was adorable. In the Montrose district. And now sits aside a completely ruined antique shop.

On a happier note: my cousin took me to this place called Barnaby's on Sunday for lunch. This. Place. Is. Awesome. And for a California girl like me, I took much delight in seeing dishes named after San Diego, Petaluma, Mill Valley, and other California cities. Hehe. I'm a little California-centric...no shame. But really, this place is adorable. It's named after the owner's childhood sheepdog, and sports a very youthful atmosphere in a sophisticated way. They offer great homey dishes in astronomical proportions. Want a salad? You're going to need to split it to even make a dent. I got a guacamole and cheese burger with fries (California girl loves her some avocado, and needed a fix after turkey and cranberries galore all week). The cousin got a grilled chicken sandwich, and took half the chicken home to use atop a salad later in the week (note: huge portions, still). If you do go, ask to swap out the fries for sweet potato fries. I didn't realize this was an option until we were leaving. Drat! (Sorry...no pic....totally forgot in the pre-airport lunch scarf and scramble)

We (being the fam bam) grabbed lunch with some old friends at Niko Niko's on Friday...err...Saturday? The past week is a blur. Anywho...it's a total dive Greek restaurant on Montrose. But amazing in all the right ways. You order at the counter, they give you a buzzer, you find a seat, then when the buzzer rings, you scarf your falafel, gyros, whatever is Greek to your heart's content. I think it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and it does not surprise me one bit. This place was hopping and so much fun! It's a little like the Fuddrucker's of Greek food (though nothing tops Greek Town in Detroit).

Another Houston find is, again, thanks to Blaire: Ouisie's Table. Now, it's been almost 4 years since I've been there so I have no specifics for you but the atmosphere is great and I remember the food being...well...I don't remember any food going back to the kitchen if that says anything. It's definitely a more upscale local. Check it out!

And while you're in Texas, or the South, or some parts of the Southwest, please go to your nearest grocery story and get some Blue Bell Ice Cream. Even better, make a point to go to the factor. Below you will find my Texas family branch's emergency supply of Blue Bell. Yeah, they'er serious about their ice cream. And for a good reason, too!

Home for a Weekend

I went home last weekend for Veterans day. Whenever I go home, I expect to have a nice, relaxing weekend and this is NEVER the case. Friday was full of appointments and visiting a friend with a broken leg in San Francisco, so lunch was on the go. I'd been hearing about a new french cafe that opened up in my home town for about 6 months now, but had yet to experience it first hand so Friday was an opportunity to try it for myself.

I give you La Boulange, a cafe and bakery in Lafayette. I got their club sandwich, a side salad with balsamic, and a dirty chai (Chai with a shot of espresso...try it! It's amazing!)

(I finally realized I have a camera with me always...thank you, iPhone)

I scarfed half the sandwich in the car before getting a few minutes to eat the rest outside in the gorgeous Bay Area fall weather before an appointment. Holy, moly! It was amazing!

They also carry a HUGE assortment of breads, pastries, tarts, you name it. Apparently they're the go-to salad joint in Lafayette now, too. My salad was just lettuce and balsamic, but they've got a bunch of fancier ones on the menu as well.

The night before, my sister also brought home pear, grapefruit, pistachio tarts for the fam bam for dessert. Also glorious. The grapefruit was a little weird and added a bitterness that I wasn't crazy about, but if you handed me a tub of the pistachio base I'd be eating it for days--no joke. It's that good.

Well...that is all for now. Fall quarter is almost over at school, and I could not be happier for that. Cruising to the finish line in June after the new year begins. In the meantime, mostly eating in and on the go from home.

La Boulange

3597 Mt. Diablo Blvd.

Lafayette, CA 94549

Now I'm going to jump back in time a bit, to the night before when I grabbed drinks with an old friend from American Conservatory Theatre's Young Conservatory. She lives in San Francisco now, and suggested Fly Bar on Divisadero at Fulton. It was my first bar experience in San Francisco and I wish I hadn't been so sleepy (5am wakeup calls for crew practice will do that to you once 9pm rolls around...lame, yes. I am old. Get over it.). I got a Mangorita (note: they only serve beer, wine, sake, and soju...which I'd never had before and is amazing). The soju in my Mangorita was smooth and didn't burn like tequila would have. No pictures, cause that was not on the forefront of my brain at the time. That's a work in progress.

Fly Bar

762 Divisadero St. @ Fulton

San Francisco, CA 94117

Last feast of the weekend occurred at Jardiniere in San Francisco (note: I spent 3 of my 4 days at home in San Francisco...so much for relaxing at home!). The familia went out for dinner on Saturday to this adorable, Art Deco restaurant just around the corner from Symphony Hall, the Opera House, etc. As soon as we walked in, I turned to my mom and said, "I feel like I'm in the lobby of a Disney Cruise Ship," because it felt like we were in Ariel's domain. Ha. We opted to go just as the performance crowd was headed to their respective entertainment for the evening which, if you're not seeing anything, is the way to go.

Dinner started off with an escarole salad with persimmon, pear, currants, and hazelnuts. We all then split fussily with wild boar and kale (THIS WAS THE STAR OF THE EVENING...as in, we should have ordered 4 instead of 1). I would go back just for this dish. For my main course, I got braised veal shank with polenta and autumn vegetables. It was good--I wish my veal hadn't had so much fat on it, but I wasn't insanely hungry at that point so it didn't matter to me. Dessert included a cheese tray, chocolate panna cotta, and pumpkin cake to share between the 4 of us. Now, I'm not much for panna cotta but this chocolate panna cotta was to die for. Between that and the fussily, I was a happy camper. But the meal did not end there. They brought us miniature macaroons (the French kind, not the coconut kind which are far less impressive): chocolate, amaretto, and...oh...I'm forgetting the third...probably a berry or pistachio. But all glorious in their own way. This is a pricier, special occasion restaurant, but worth a trek into the city.

Jardiniere

300 Grove St.

San Francisco, CA 94102

That is all for now. I am careening towards finals week so nothing fancy for a while, but stay tuned for recommendations for Whistler, Canada over winter break!

My Summer in New York

I got back to California last week after 3 amazing months in New York interning for a casting company. While there, I was able to hang out with my best friend on an almost daily basis, explore the city with friends from school upon their move out there to do the actor thing, and, obviously, eat amazing food.

Because I have now lived in New York for an entire season, I think it's safe to say: the number of amazing restaurants in New York is incredible. I think there are somewhere around 48,000 restaurants. Hearing that statistic, my jaw dropped while making me really excited to continue exploring New York even more once I'm there for good.

The below restaurants are more of a summary of some of the best restaurants I ate at. These all had some sort of special occasion around it like having friends in town, parents in town, or birthdays. List is short, passion and love for these new finds is anything but.

While my parents were visiting with my sister and doing the college tour thing, we ate at Felidia on Saturday night and Perilla with my best friend in tow on Sunday night. Both were incredible, though I think I slightly favored Perilla.

Felidia, owned by Food Network's own Felidia Bastianich, was a truly gluttonous meal. We ordered 4 of every course (one for each of us) but ate almost everything family style. 4 salads, 4 pasta dishes, 4 desserts later, we were stuffed and waddled our way back to their hotel. We literally couldn't finish everything there was so much food (my family likes to order a lot and try everything, but many of the main courses, particularly the pasta, can be split because it's A LOT). Some of the highlights of the meal included wine from Lidia's own winery in Italy (which is both good and bad since they really do push her wines) and the coffee truffle risotto, a special for the night. The risotto was really interesting, and just confirmed that though I am a foodie, my palate is not quite up to par with the elite food community. I think truffles taste like dirt. Seriously. This risotto was no acception. I think my dad was the only one in the family to like it (it's been two months so my memory isn't as vivid as it could be). Overall, the meal was an adventure somewhere in the same vein as Babbo (just realized Babbo has NOT been addressed in my blog yet...see below) though not quite as out there. Definitely a keeper if you're looking for a nice Italian meal that isn't your typical Little Italy fare.

Felidia

243 Est 58th Street

New York, NY

Perilla, on the other hand, was so much fun. The items of the menu were some of the most creative I've ever seen and the price tag on everything isn't atrocious. Perilla is probably best described as American fare with inspiration from all over the world. To start off the meal, they have some really great cocktails, but the absolute highlight of the night (I'm skipping straight to main courses) was the farro risotto (uhh...can you tell we like risotto in my family?). Literally, if you gave me a popcorn bucket of this stuff I would be scraping the bottom of the barrel within an hour it was that good. Another great side was the creamed corn...never a bad idea. One of the more quirky items on the menu was popcorn popped in duck fat. The dish my dad got had this on the side, otherwise we would have ordered off the bar menu just to try it. They were good. Interesting, rich and delicious. Dessert was a collection of 5 desserts (BFF was with us, and while she's not a dessert person, if she wants to eat out with our family we make her order dessert...I think she's becoming a dessert advocate finally) the star being the souffle (a special that night) and the raspberry jelly doughnuts. No one in our family is much for doughnuts, but these were fresh...and pretty darn amazing. My mom ate one and went back for a second one, ending her doughnut fast of 20 years they were so good.

Perilla

9 Jones Street

New York, NY

One of my good friends Blaire popped into New York for a night before heading upstate for summer stock. She knew one of the hostesses at Mexicana Mama Centro just south of Union Square and wanted to say hi so we wound up eating there too. Holy Mother of Mexican Food, this place is INCREDIBLE. After eating there with Blaire, I kept trying to nudge friends to eat there with me again and finally succeeded once my friend from home, Vince, came into town and he and BFF and I went to play catchup. Both times I ordered the Tostada de Ave which is the PERFECT size if you want a good size meal that's not Cheesecake Factory sized. In addition to that, chips, salsa (made fresh there!) and their daily margarita special (Cantaloupe the night Blaire and I went) you will leave more than full. For a really amazing Mexican place, the prices aren't too bad. My tostada is $10 and a burrito runs around $12.75 (not quite Chipotle priced, but WAY better!).

Mexicana Mama Centro

47 East 12th Street

New York, NY

BFF turned 22 my last weekend in town which allowed me to add two great locations (one not so much a restaurant) to my list. For dinner, we went to Via Della Pace on the Lower East Side for some killer Italian with a really laid back staff. When scouting out the place, they had no problem making a reservation for 30, reserving their whole wine celler for the 30 of us, prepping the cakes we bought, and just allowing for a great evening for all in attendance. The bruschetta list is about a page long and while I was trying out the vegetarian thing that week and opted for your standard bruschetta, they had some amazing looking kinds with goat cheese, meats of all sorts, you name it. My main course was pasta and while this wasn't anywhere near as adventurous as Felidia's it was cozy and homey. I got the ravioli di carciofi...raviloli with asparagus and parmesan inside in a sage sauce with sun dried tomatos. What's not to love about all of that? Oh, and if you go, get the red sangria. Epic.

Post dinner we went to a dive bar then do a club, Arlo & Esme which is a bar upstairs and a club downstairs. Cover charge was $5, which is nothing compared to some of the other clubs in Manhattan and this place is so much fun. By the end of the night, the music was a little to loud (my ears were bleeding for like 2 days afterwards) but I wasn't sure if it was sobriety rapidly arriving, fatigue setting in, or the DJ being a jerk. Regardless, it was a blast. If you want a really great show at the end of the night, make sure you're one of the first people out of the club when they kick everyone out and watch all the sloshed girls in 4" heels panic as they realize they have to descend 2 steps to get to the sidewalk once they're out the door. This is me being totally candid right now, but a guilty pleasure of mine is observing the trashed of the trashed.

Via Della Pace

48 East 7th Street

New York, NY

Arlo & Esme

42 East 1st Street

New York, NY

Right, so back to food...

CUPCAKES! I am so into this cupcake thing (really great blog entry about cupcakes and why cupcake bakeries are so amazing here). I've had them all: Crumbs, Sprinkles, you name it. But Pinisi's cupcakes top everything. Hands down. We're talking red velvet to die for, almond cake with chocolate ganache, and my FAVORITE: lavender with cream cheese frosting. Can we pause for a minute while I drool at the thought of one? My friend Jeremy was with my when BFF took my Pinisi virginity and had brilliant idea: twist off the bottom of the cupcake and put it on top of the frosting. Cupcake sandwich! Brilliant! Much less messy. :)

Pinisi

128 East 4th Street

New York, NY

I seriously cannot believe I haven't brought up Babbo yet. It's right off of Washington Square, and my family has eaten there twice now. Once with a good friend's family upon moving her into college and once with just the family. This is one of Mario Batali's restaurants and it provides some very, very adventurous Italian food. We're talking lamb's brain in your pasta, beef cheeks, and beef tongue, but there are absolutely more normal sounding dishes here. If you want to eat at Babbo, you have to call one month ahead of time by the date otherwise, I wish you the best of luck in getting in when you want. Seriously, call when they open or you won't get a table. This restaurant is on the pricier end of things, but if it's a night to celebrate all things Italian and creative, drink wine, and leave with food baby twins definitely put this on your list. The Mint Love Letters and the Sweet Potato Luna raviolis are my absolute favorite. My family actually bought the cookbook and made these last winter break because we missed them so much. Order a handful of dishes to share because they're so rich. That makes it more fun to taste thing anyways. :) They also have this side that is grilled corn or something. Get that too. You'll want a whole plate to yourself. But be nice and share.

Babbo

110 Waverly Place

New York, NY

And while we're on the Batali note: Po, another restaurant of his in the West Village, is great too and much more afordable. This is much less adventurous than Babbo, but much easier to get a reservation.

Po

31 Cornelia Street

New York, NY

Now for three bars. One more club, one wine bar, and one classy dive bar if you can even call it a dive. No, it's not a dive. It's just amazing.

Happy Endings was the location of a birthday party for a friend of mine. It's way down on the Lower East Side and when we got there, the awning said Xie He Health Club and we all went, "Uhh...where are we GOING? A health club with bouncers? This is bizarre." It was great fun though and incredible use of space. They took an old health club and made it into a bar/club/lounge. We had a private area for the birthday party and it was in an old steam room. No joke. So much fun. The DJs were great and the bartenders were super nice. I'm personally not one for crazy clubs (Note: Arlo and Esme was nuts, but fun because we had such a close group dancing together) and Happy Endings was great before about 1AM when the huge crowds started rolling in. That's just me, though. If you like dancing with an outrageous amount of people, 1AM is the time to arrive.

Happy Ending Lounge

302 Broome Street

New York, NY

Lastly (though I may very well add to this list in a week when I remember more), Sweet Afton in Astoria is a darling little bar off of 30th Ave. The wood walls make it super cozy and the drinks are well designed. I've heard the food there is good, though haven't personally experienced it. If you like pickles (I don't, but you might) they have a pickle juice cocktail that I've heard is quite fun.

Sweet Afton

3009 34th Street

Astoria, NY

Lastly, a wine bar I fell in love with despite some really interesting company that night. Ha. Aria is located down in the West Village and boasts a wine list of solely female vintners. Huzzah for that. But aside from loving that little tid-bit, the atmosphere is quite lovely. Wine glasses are only $6-$8 and they have a large table that is great for groups or to make friends with your neighbors. I believe they close at midnight or so, but if you're there before closing and just keep the place alive late into the night you might be treated with some bar food like meatballs (delish ones at that) while the staff closing up shop. ;)

Aria

117 Perry Street

New York, NY

That is all for now. I'm sure I'll add some more within the next week or so granted I have time between moving back to school, auditions, crew meetings, and class.

Happy eating!

Little Update

So it's definitely been a while...like...months since I last posted and I am not without good restaurant recommendations, I promise!!! I'm just crazy busy in New York interning all summer, slowly collecting an arsenal of business cards for restaurants. I guarantee you a HUGE post in September when I get home and regroup after 3 months in this crazy city.

On another note, I have asked for a snazzy new camera for Christmas. If I don't change my mind in the next 5 months, I'm sure there will soon be foodporndaily for you here on my own blog. Mmm...food porn. Click, Drool, Repeat. Then clean the bodily fluids off your keyboard. But seriously, go look. It's amazing.

Eat, Cook, Live, and Love.

Cooking at Home

So while most of these blogs are about restaurants, cafes, etc., it probably goes without saying that I eat at home most of the time. When that happens, I have a few favorite cookbooks that are AHHHHMAYZING:

My current favorite is Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients Into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. My roommate, Annie, discovered it at Anthropologie a few days after my birthday and wished she had uncovered them before my birthday so she could have given them to me. I went out with birthday money the next day and bought it cause everything looks sooooo yummy. It's divided up into Building Your Pantry, Grains, Color, Superfoods, Natural Sweetners aka everything is super heathy and the cookbook is really well rounded. There is pasta, sushi, cookies, salads, soups, dips, granola, and more. I've only cooked out of it a few times, but the spine is already starting to show much love.

Another book Annie discovered that I bought as well is Fast, Fresh & Green: More Than 90 Declicious Recipes for Veggie Lovers by Susie Middleton. Veggies, veggies, and more veggies. I've started to eat a more vegetarian diet since veggies are what we're supposed to eat mainly anyways. I can't tell you the last time I cooked meat on my own at home. And when I do, it's just salad toppers. This book is divided up by the technique used to cook the dishes and gives suggestions as to what to eat them with.

Some other favorites:

The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. Alice was a pioneer in organic, local cooking. The cookbook explains what is in seasonally so you can go to the farmers market to pick everything up depending on what time of year and your location. I actually picked this one up after reading that Natalie Coughlin, Olympic medalist, cooks out of it.

Clean Food by Terry Walters. This is a seasonal guide to eating close to the source, per the cover. It's great because the pages are colored based on the season so, like with The Art of Simple Food, you can just turn to the "Spring" section, or whatever, and head to the farmers market.

Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero is great for anyone who is vegan, vegetarian, allergic to soy or gluten, eating a low/reduced fat diet, in a hurry, or unable to find more obscure ingredients. All recipes are labeled so it's easy to find what you need if you have any restrictions. The recipe that caught my eye, and quite honesly the only one I've made thus far, is the Lemongrass Asparagus Risotto. It was so good. I made it with a friend who also loves to cook and he said you can leave the mint out if you don't like mint. I like mint, Adam, so there. It's staying.

That's all for now. I'm sure I'll uncover more and more cookbooks as time progresses. If you know of any great cookbooks, let me know! I'm always up for fun kitchen time.

Birthday Dinner in Laguna Beach...How could I forget??

I just turned 21, and for my birthday, I decided to go to a restaurant I've been scouting for some time now: Tabu Grill in Laguna Beach. It caught my eye on Zagat over a year ago with it's score of 29 for food...there is no restaurant in San Francisco, New York, Paris, or Rome with a score of 29. AKA: Tabu Grill is AMAZING. And Lord, was Zagat right. I went with two girlfriends, one a foodie, and the other, a self proclaimed foodie after this meal. Her words from dinner: "I just realized what good food really is." I can't even begin to describe everything. We had potato ravioli, I had an asian pear salad with almonds, I got short ribs, we all split bomb.com macaroni and cheese, guava creme brulee (sounds weird...was actually really good), and the thing that three girls would obviously order: flourless chocolate cake. I literally died and went to heaven on my 21st birthday. To top it all off, they've got a great wine bar and this wine-o-in-training got a wonderfulArgentinian white. Seriously...it's a little pricey (especially for college students...thanks for the birthday treat, Mom and Dad) but for a special occasion, absolutely worth every penny.

Tabu Grill

2892 South Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

New York...Updated

Just got back from a short little stint in New York packed with interviews, shows, and, of course, food. Two great new places for meals, both down in the East Village are Veselka and Atlas Cafe. Also hit up a great place for unexpected desserts: Momofuku.

Veselka was featured in Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. It's open 24 hours a day, which means you can get your fix of amazing Ukrainian dumplings, salad, soup, burgers, or rice crispy treats the size of your face. Seriously, I kept skirting the recommendations of this place cause I though, "Meh...I'm not really a Ukrainian food person," but when a few friends of mine nudged me to go with them I was excited they had gotten me to go. I got honey and port braised short rib pirogues (Ukrainian dumplings) and sweet potato fries. So, so good. My friends got the potato pirogues (with a little bit of cheese to add flavor) and sauerkraut and mushroom pirogues. Much to my surprise as one who's not too keen on sauerkraut or mushrooms, the latter weren't too bad. While we were leaving, we all got a cocoa puff treat (a rice crispy treat with cocoa puffs, chocolate chips, and marshmallow chunks) to split. It was all so good and definitely a place I'll be hitting up when I'm down there late at night and get the munchies.

Veselka

144 2nd Ave.

New York, NY 10003

My last afternoon there, I got lunch with a friend at NYU at Atlas Cafe (also down in the East Village). I'm usually not one to get overwhelmed by restaurants, but the size of this menu is incredible. The walls on both sides of this hole in the wall cafe are covered in omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as coffee, smoothies, and shakes. I got an omelette with chicken, sun dried tomatoes, pepper jack, a bagel, and salad. It was an awesome way to leave the city. The one thing I was unimpressed by was my chai tea latte. It was really watery. Stick to the food. Also, while I didn't get any dessert, the friends I went to Veselka with said Atlas has great desserts too!

Atlas Cafe

73 2nd Ave.

New York, NY 10003

Lastly, I had some great, out of this world dessert at Momofuku Milk Bar (also in the East Village...I was under the impression I hadn't spent much time down there this trip...guess I was wrong. Haha). It's a little place attached to a much larger restaurant. The Milk Bar has a very avant guard take on dessert flavors. I got a cookie with chocolate chips, cornflakes, and marshmallows. I also tried the cereal milk soft serve, which is probably one of the most bizarre things I've ever tried (up there with guacamole flavored tortilla chips). It's a texture thing...I just wasn't about it. But lots of fun in concept, and the cookie was awesome. To try next time (if I'm feeling gutsy): the compost cookie--pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, and chocolate chips. I mean...it's on their menu and teh cookie is trademarked...it's gotta be good, right?

Momofuku Milk Bar

207 2nd. Ave.

New York, NY 10003

Costa Mesa is a gold mine...

I found my new favorite coffee shop in Orange County (still love Portfolio up in Long Beach, which is technically LA County, though): Kean Coffee. It is on Westcliff (the eastern end of E. 17th Street) in Costa Mesa...well...technically Newport...and cute, comfy, delicious, and artsy. The baristas all make fun designs on your foam (my friend Brittany and I went and both got pretty leaves) and their baked goods are amazing. We both got their honey vanilla latte, Brit got a biscotti, and I got a cookie. While I've only been once so far, I'm sure it'll become a regular study spot for me next quarter when I actually have reading and homework to do. It's right near my work too (shameless plug: Pure Barre Newport Beach, www.purebarre.com, come in for a great workout to lift, burn, and tone your body to look like a ballerina) so I'm sure I'll be stopping in every so often.

Kean Coffe

2042 Westcliff Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

The Omelette Parlor

The Omelette Parlor in Costa Mesa was recommended to me by the stage manager I'm currently working with. One of the girls in the cast I'm ASMing for and I went to go get brunch there this past Sunday. It was amazing. We went during that awkward, not quite lunch time, but had both already had breakfast. The eggs sounded amazing but so did the burgers. Idea: 1 omelette and 1 burger to share. Brilliant! We got our breakfast and lunch all in one. Now, I've just recently started eating eggs, so omelettes are about as far as I go thus far. It was awesome. I got the South Coast with bacon, avocado, and cheddar with whole wheat English muffin, potatoes (really friggin' good potatoes) and fruit. Mmm... My friend got the Bravo Avocado Burger which came with a salad we hardly touched cause there was so much food.

Food babies post-brunch for sure.

The Omelette Parlor (the sign out front says Chester Drawers...it's tricky and hidden)

179 E. 17th St.

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys

So you know Hubert Keller, the Frenchman from Top Chef Masters? Yeah...this is his restaurant. It has been deemed one of the most romantic restaurants in all of San Francisco. So, while I didn't go there on a date, I did go with my foodie family for an awesome night of French food.

The restaurant is fairly close to Union Square (within walking distance) and is very quaint under and indoor canopy. We opted for the 5 course meal (parents got paired wines) including dessert and a cheese course. It was all TO DIE FOR. From the pistacio fig bread, to the ginger buffalo, to the Grand Marnier souffle. I even ventured out and tried my dad's lobster and salmon (I don't care much for seafood) and while they weren't to my liking texturally, I could tell they were delicious for a palate on which they were.

Fleur De Lys

77 Sutter Street

San Francisco, CA 94109

Brunch: Plums, Newport Beach

New bunch local in Newport Beach, courtesy of my roommate:

Plums Cafe and Catering

369 E. 17th Street

Newport Beach, CA 92627

I was having an indecisive morning, and also a greedy morning, craving eggs, meat, and the raspberry pancakes that looked, oh, so good on the menu. Lo and behold, our waiter let me mix-and-match whatever I wanted so I could have a little bit of everything. Amazing. My other roommates also got what they wanted. I don't think there was a bite left on the table when we finished. It was incredible.

Even though the cafe is in a strip mall, they have their own little patio under a skylight which provides a great atmosphere.

To try next time, when I am not starving and all I want is sugar: the Dutch Baby (it takes 30 minutes to cook...it's like a deep dish pancake, the coconut french toast, or the lemon meringue waffle...mmm...

On another note: went to Maya in San Francisco this weekend (where my family went in NYC a few months ago) and it is just as good. Too bad I couldn't bring my leftover mole pablano home on the airplane. Boo. I guess that just makes it that much more better next time.

New York Again

It's been a while, but since my last post, I've spent a week and a half in New York City. While there my best friend and I did lots of wandering of the city, allowing us to explore and discover new restaurants in territory we had yet to delve into.

A good cheap eatery we found is on the Upper West Side: Soom Soom. They have amazing falafel. You order either a salad or a pita with falafel in it, then get to pick and choose from their open salad bar of pre-made Israeli salads. I cannot tell you the names of any of them, but they're AWESOME. I actually went twice while in town. I prefer the salad to the pita because the salad makes you feel so good. All veggies and chickpeas.

Soom Soom

166 W. 72nd St.

New York, NY

Another place my family and I discovered when they joined up with me for Labor Day weekend is Maya. It is a really, really nice Mexican restaurant on the Upper East Side with, hands down, the best Mexican I've ever had. Their chicken with mole is to die for. Guacamole is made fresh for you on the floor. I had their chicken enchiladas which were pretty tasty. We also got corn pudding and plantains on the side. Deelish. We were stuffed and going to get gelato after a show later that night, so we took a look at the dessert menu but didn't order anything. Were we to order, we would have gotten the chocolate tarte with cinnamon ice cream. Then our waiter surprised us with one, not knowing that that is what we were eyeing. Needless to say, he got a big tip. Haha. To our surprise, we also found out that there is a Maya in San Francisco (Yippee!) so we can go when we're at home to. Chevy's no more. We're converts.

Maya

1191 First Ave.

New York, NY

or for the West Coasters:

Maya

303 2nd. Street

San Francisco, CA

Lastly, my best friend and I were treated to some gelato by some family friends of hers that we were crashing with for part of my stay. It's called Screme and it is definitely not wallet friendly but SO worth it. With a small starting at $5, it may steer many away, but believe me, if you walk through the doors and start tasting (employees are required to give as many free samples as you want) you'll want to order a large (which, if you're wondering, will set you back $9...but it's practically a pint when they pile it all on, and it's totally worth it). The two Manhattan stores have 5,000 flavors that they cycle through from pear sorbet to Captain Crunch or Fig Tequila gelato. The flavor intensities are awesome (though the sorbets slightly less so). There is one location on the Upper West Side, and the other is in the lobby of Madame Tussauds in Times Square.

Screme Gelato

2030 Broadway

New York, NY

Screme Gelato

234 W. 42nd St.

New York, NY

Thai Food...The Best of the Best in SF

Some of my good friends and I had a bougie night out in San Francisco tonight. We got dressed up all snazzy and had dinner at Osha Thai Restaurant on 2nd Street. It was probably the best Thai food I've ever eaten...no joke. The yellow curry one of the girls got was peerless...and trust me, I've had my fair share of yellow curry. I had a Lava Guava drink, a spring roll, a piece of fried tofu with peanut sauce on it, and country chicken as my main dish. I think the dishes are supposed to be eated family style, but with 11 of us, we each decided to get our own entree then mooch off everyone else for tastes. It worked out perfectly and I was able to get my fix of everything I wanted: lemongrass chicken, pad thai, curry, pineapple fried rice...all incredible. The bill came out to around $35 a pop including drinks, 11 entrees, and a few appetizers to share. Not too bad for an AMAZING meal.

Osha Thai Restaurant

149 2nd Street

San Francisco, CA

Berkeley Brunch

Ate at a new place this morning for a friend's birthday. La Note Restaurant in Berkeley on Shattuck. It's Provencal French food. Though I don't eat eggs, their oeufs (eggs) looked awesome and tended to be what people ordered. I got the lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears. They tasted like gingerbread cookies of pancake consistency, and were pretty darn tasty. I had a taste of another guy's pain perdu (French toast, essentially) and it was good. Too rich for me to eat more than a taste, and very dense, but good. Their orange juice was fresh. The mocha I had left much to be desired but was what I needed at the time. I'm definitely going back to try the oatmeal raspberry pancakes next time.

La Note Restaurant

2377 Shattuck Ave.

Berkeley, CA

The Sensations of Summer

Having lived in Southern California for two years now, I think I'm finally starting to appreciate the weather. It is perfect, especially in the summer. Highs of 85? Brilliant, and it stays just warm enough to be able to sit outside without a sweater until about 9PM.

I went to the farmer's market this morning. On my way out, I heard an announcer at the swim club across the street. I didn't even know there was one, but it made me miss my childhood summers. Saturday morning meets were the epicenter of my life. It's nice to know that there is a club as close to my home now as there is up north. It's comforting.

The countdown to Balboa has begun...two more months and I will be all settled with six of my favorite people. It is going to be an epic year.

New Favorite Guilty Pleasure

I made dinner with my little sis tonight which consisted of bison burgers. (If you haven't discovered bison/buffalo yet, please head to your nearest Whole Foods to buy some pronto. It is very similar to beef, only it tastes better and is better for you because it has fewer calories, less fat, and more iron. Be careful, though. The lack of fat means it can cook very quickly. It's taken me a few months of cooking it finally master bison meat. Low temperature for a longer time does the trick.)

Anywho...back to dinner...we decided to have frozen yogurt for dessert. Trader Joe's plain tart froyo was the yogurt of choice. I had some blueberries. Check. I was also in the mood for peanut butter. The Irvine Whole Foods just started carrying Nuttzo Butter today, which is a multi-nut butter with lots of omega-3's; it's crunchy and delicious. I also had extra peanut butter I'm trying to get rid of before I move out next month.

So try this: Tart froyo, Blueberries, and Peanut or Mixed Nut butter. To DIE for. Very strange. Your tastebuds might get confused, but it is incredible. Also, if you use Nuttzo, you're getting your omega-3's, antioxidants, and probiotics all in one. Absolute heaven, and so dangerous now that I have it in my apartment...eeek!

My new favorite coffee shop, ever.

I went into Long Beach early yesterday afternoon to get some studying done before the Musical Theatre West Little Shop designer run so I wouldn't have to sit in traffic for an hour and a half. I wound up at this adorable little coffee shop, Portfolio, on the corner of Junipero and 4th. It is amazing. I was able to finish Midsummer in one sitting, get in some leisurly reading, and catch up with my parents in Hawaii (they're in Hawaii, Meg's in France, and I'm taking midterms in Irvine...fantastic) in four hours. They are all about natural ingredients and their plastic coffee cups are really made of corn so their 100% biodegradable. Yay!

Going back today to catch up on some more reading on my day off before heading home for the 4th.

Happy 4th of July!

On another note...my scale was friendly as says I've lost 3 pouds since I started this. YES. Maybe if I had been more diligent with my eating habits winter quarter I could have lost more weight then...damn.

Sunny Sandy Eggo

Pannikin

510 N. Coast Highway

Encinitas, CA

I haven't been here...yet...but my friend Angel took my friend Blair there and Blair came back raving about it and telling me I need to experience it, knowing how much of a foodie I am. It's a cute little coffee shop in an old railway station right off the ocean.

Extroadinary Desserts

1430 Union St.

San Diego, CA

The name of this place is no understatement. It is extroadinary. I would drive all the way down from Orange County just for their peanut brittle ice cream. They have a different selection of desserts daily. They also serve real meal food, but why would you go to a dessert place to get savory food?

Margo's Mexican Grill

2015 Garnet Ave. #102

San Diego, CA

On a roadtrip down to SD, one of my friends researched this place and among all her cross referencing, it was deemed the best Mexican food in Pacific Beach. After tasting it, I think we all agreed. Just be careful...eating a whole burrito can be taxing on your stomach. Yeah...it was that good. Their happy hour is pretty awesome, including cheap drinks and tacos. Their margaritas are also great.

We Get Hyphy in the Bay...Eating in Oakland and Berkeley

So the Bay Area is and always will be home. What I miss most about the Bay is being able to go out with my foodie family all the time. But I figured I'd share with you all the best places (in my opinion) to grab a bite to eat or do your grocery shopping. This entry includes my Oakland and Berkeley favorites.

Rick and Ann's

2922 Domingo Ave
Berkeley, CA

This is a very homey place to grab brunch or dinner. The tables are communal, so you'll get to know your neighbors and see what they're getting to eat. The walls are always full of fun artwork from customers or local kids. Their pot pie is amazing, as are the burgers.

Zachary's Pizza

5801 College Ave.
Oakland CA

This is the location I grew up on, though there is another location on Solano and they just recently opened up one in San Ramon (so my mom can pick it up on the way home...yes...). Their deep dish Chicago-style pizza is my absolute favorite pizza anwhere. I miss it all the time and have often considered getting one half-baked and driving it down with me when I come back after vacations. My personal favorite is the stuffed chicken and basil, but the thin-crust cheese is also incredible and a standard dinner at my house.

Cactus Taqueria

5642 College Ave.

Oakland, CA

Amazing Mexican food. Nuff said. Tres Leches Cake? To die for.

Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers

5819 College Ave.

Oakland, CA

This place has burgers that are to die for. Everything on the menu is incredible. There are a few other locations throughout the bay (and even one down in Brentwood).

Fenton's Creamery

4226 Piedmont Ave.

Oakland, CA

This makes for a great dessert outing. Their sundaes are gigantic and delicious and more that sufficient for multiple people. It was featured in the movie "Up" to...made me miss home.

Yoshi's

510 Embarcadero West

Oakland, CA

I've never actually been here, despite growing up in the Lamorinda music culture. It is a jazz club/restaurant and features all sorts of big names in the Jazz community. My drum teacher, band teachers, sister, mom, dad, and on and on have all been. Norah Jones performed there when she was unknown. The jazz music is brilliant and going for a performance is still on my "To Do" list.

Market Hall

5655 College Ave.

Oakland, CA

This market is lovely. There are many, many different stores within the market. They have fresh pasta, coffee, a bakery, and a gigantic produce section. One of my favorite purchases on a regular day: curry chicken salad. On special days (like around Valentine's Day): chocolate raspberry raviolis. You never know what you'll find there, but it is all delicious.

Cafe Gratitude

1730 Shattuck Ave.

Berkeley, CA

Raw Vegan. Amazing. Their milkshakes are TO DIE FOR. What's great about this place is because it's raw vegan, after you leave you feel incredible because you're getting all the nutrients (including the ones that would have been cooked off) out of your food. Their pad thai is definitely something to try.

Bette's Diner

1807 4th St.

Berkeley, CA

Great brunch in a cute little shopping area. There can be a little bit of a wait on the weekend.

Cheeseboard Pizza

1512 Shattuck Ave.

Berkeley, CA

Cheeseboard has a different kind of pizza every day, and that is the only pizza they carry that day. The line tends to be down the block but it's a fun outing to make with friends.

Bittersweet Cafe

5427 College Ave.

Oakland, CA

Bittersweet is a fun place to stop for dessert or coffee. They carry all sorts of chocolate treats, chocolate bars, and drinks. It is a little hole in the wall so seating is very limited but get something to go and wander College Ave.

Sketch

1809 4th St.

Berkeley, CA

I came across this place with my sister once, and it stopped us dead in our tracks. This is some fantastic gourmet ice cream. Sketch has flavors including Saffron and Earl Grey, with toppings like salted caramel and cocoa nibs. It's a little pricey (a small can set you back $5) but it is so worth it.

Naia

2106 Shattuck Ave.

Berkeley, CA

Naia has great gelato (inlcluding flavors like Rose and Lavender). I frequent the one in Walnut Creek more, but the Berkeley ones came first.

Cafe Fanny

1603 San Pablo Ave.

Berkeley, CA

So I've actually never eaten here, but Cafe Fanny Granola is a standard in my house. Alice Waters is the brains behind this legendary Berkeley restaurant, which gives it a stamp of note.

Crepevine

5600 College Ave.

Oakland, CA

When my friends and I want crepes, this is the go-to place. It's so worth the drive from the other side of the tunnel. They have all sorts of savory and sweet crepes as well as a coffee menu, salads, and all sorts of baked goodies.

Acme

1601 San Pablo Ave.

Berkeley, CA

Acme bread is TO DIE FOR. Like, literally. It is absolutely incredible. Acme is the the Bay Area as La Brea is to the Los Angeles area. My favorite way to eat this bread is as a burger bun (as one of my other Bay Area favorites, Chow Restaurant, serves it).

Berkeley Bowl

2020 Oregon St.

Berkeley, CA

Berkeley Bowl is unlike any other grocery store in the world. They carry EVERYTHING if it's healthy, organic, delicious, and comes in a an array of varieties. My sister was there with my mom once, and my mom told her to go get some eggplant for moussaka. A few minutes later, my mom got a call from my sister asking what kind of eggplant? There were at least eight different types. And that is just the beginning. Most of the apples come in a variety of sizes, too. Have you ever seen a 1 pound apple? I have. At Berkeley Bowl.

Gourmet Ghetto

The Gourmet Ghetto isn't so much a restaurants as it is a neighborhood full of delicious food. It covers the area north of Delaware Street, south of Live Oak Park, East of Henry Street, and West of Walnut. The majority of these restaurants are along Shattuck, but there are a few on the cross streets like Vine.

FatApple's

1346 Martin Luther King Jr. Way

Berkeley, CA

This place takes me back to my childhood. I think I actually had my 16th birthday dinner with my family there. They serve burgers and all sorts of comfort food. They make their buns fresh, and have milk shakes and malts to cause a heart attack...in the best way possible.

Khana Peena

5316 College Ave.

Oakland, CA

Located on a very sharp corner, Khana Peena has a great patio for warmer evenings. This is probably my favorite Indian restaurant in the Oakland/Berkeley area.

Cha-Ya Japanese

1686 Shattuck Ave.

Berkeley, CA

This is vegetarian Japanese. It's delicious. I've been there once and got a great rice dish with tarot root among other things.

New York Favorites

Here's a list of some restaurants I fell in love with during my month in New York this spring:

BREAKFAST

Alice's Tea Cup

156 E. 54th

102 W. 73rd

220 E. 81st

Three different locations, this small chain features adorable, hole-in-the-wall tea houses. You can get a pot of tea and scones for two for just $10 in the morning. I prefer to stop in for tea and a scone to go, followed by a walk through Central Park.

Sarabeth's

423 Amsterdam Ave. #1

Though there are many other locations, including Central Park South, I am partial to this one because it was the location of my first Sarabeth's experience. This place has the most incredible brunch. There can be a wait for a table, but it is beyond worth it!

LUNCH

Lombardi's

32 Spring St.

Open since 1905, Lombardi's is America's first pizzeria. Though I haven't yet been there, some good friends ate there on my recommendation and loved it. I'm waiting to go back this fall to hopefully get to try it!

Cafe Tasia

38 E. 8th

Located between Union and Washington Squares, this Thai restaurant is a great bargain on Sunday afternoons. They have a prix-fix menu where you pick how many dishes you want, then pick whatever you want to eat. 3 courses can be under $10.

S'Mac

345 E. 12th

This restaurant sells one thing and one thing only: macaroni and cheese. You can make your own or pick from their menu of suggested combos. My favorite is the Cajun.

Peanut Butter & Co.

240 Sullivan St.

Just off of Washington Square, this restaurant (owned by the owners of S'Mac) features the American standard with a slew of twists.

Friend of a Farmer

77 Irving Pl.

This homey restaurant east of Union Square is a great place for a weekend meal. Their cornbread and apple butter are incredible. Ask for a table upstairs by the fireplace!

DINNER

John's Pizza

278 Bleeker St.

This is supposed to be one of the best pizza joints in NYC, though I have yet to experience it. My best friend, an NYU student, has agreed with this statement many times.

Blockheads Burritos

322 W. 50th

This restaurant, just off of Times Square, has great margaritas for just $3. I have yet to experience this, but everyone from my program raved about it!

Vinyl

754 9th Ave.

This location, of four, is a trendy spot that features an Asian/American fusion menu. They have everything from pad thai to pot pie. Their pomegranate margaritas are incredible: big and strong. Splitting one might be a better option.

Republic

37 Union Square West

Once again, my love of Thai food speaks. This came to me as a recommendation from my mom last September and I have now eaten there twice. It is fantastic. Not the cheapest of restaurants, but delicious and so worth it.

Grimalidi's Pizzeria

19 Old Fulton St.

Brooklyn

Once again, I have yet to try it but this is supposed to be the absolute best pizza you can get in the New York Metropolitan Area (come to think of it, I've yet to have good pizza in New York...maybe it's because I like mine deep dish, Chicago style...but anywho).

Dovetail

103 W. 77th

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in all of New York. They have great cocktails and amazing California food (...I'm from California...what can I say, I'm partial). This is definitely a place for a nicer evening out, but a restaurant I hope to make one of my regular spots every time I visit Manhattan.

SWEET SNACKS

Rice to Riches

37 Spring Street

If you like rice pudding, you'll love this rice pudding parlor. It's not the cheapest of treats (an order of rice pudding can put you back almost $10...and that's on the smaller side of things) but so much fun. I'm not a huge rice pudding person, and I love this place. Just be careful not to order too much. This stuff is rich and you won't get through very much before wanting to put it down.

Milk & Cookies

270 Bleeker St.

This place is great: ice cream sandwiches made while you wait. They have a huge assortment of cookies with four or so ice cream flavors to pick from. A great treat if you're down in the area.

Magnolia Bakery

401 Bleeker St.

This is the original location of the bakery (and the one featured on Sex and the City) but they've sprouted up around town. Magnolia is known for their rich, smooth cupcakes. If you come to the Bleeker location, be prepared to wait in line. The NYU kids are regulars at this spot.

Max Brenner

841 Broadway between 13th and 14th

This place is awesome...if you love chocolate. And you better if you're going to come here. They have an extravagant menu of alcoholic and non-alcoholic chocolate drinks, fondues, cakes, cookies, and so on. They have regular food too (I got a burger with fries...sprinkled in cocoa powder) but their desserts are what they're known for.

Levain Bakery

167 W. 74th

This place is famous for their giant, half-pound cookies. These masterpieces are dense, delicious, and still warm out of the oven every time you buy them. If you're not too keen on the sugar overload, they have scones, bread, mini-pizzas, and coffee as well.

Crumbs Bakery

321 1/2 Amsterdam Ave.

There are a ton of these around the city, but this is the original. They have a huge array of cupcakes including Elvis (peanut butter and banana) and Cosmopolitan (in honor of the Sex and the City film release). They are awesome.

BARS

Divine Bar West

236 W. 54th

This is just north of Times Square, so it's a little pricey, but their white chocolate berad pudding is to die for and they have some fun mixed drinks. Beware, though, this is a wine bar, not a bar, so unless it's on the menu or really classic, they probably aren't equipped to make it.

Vintage

753 9th Ave.

In the heart of Hell's Kitchen, this bar has the biggest martini menu you'll probably ever see. Selections include oatmeal cookie and birthday cake martinis.

The Snug

751 9th Ave.

Right next door to Vintage, this joint has great happy hours and hot bartenders.

Cosmic Cantina

105 3rd Ave.

This place is a load of fun. Black lights, neon paint, and all organic products. In front, you can get your typical cantina food, but if you head into the back, the bar has some great, freshly made organic cocktails. Be nice to the bartender, Dan, and he'll be nice back (actually, he'll be nice regardless). And if you go, tell him I say "Hi!"

Birdland

315 w. 44th

Just off of Times Square, this jazz cabaret is know for hosting famous New York performers and writers. Check out who is performing while you're in town and plan on stopping in once during your stay!

So that's my lowdown. I'm sure I'll be able to add to this list every time I head out there, and even more when I eventually make the big move!

Alas...I need to head to bed. I have an Econ midterm in the morning. Hopefully it won't be too bad. My math brain has grasped supply and demand, trade, and elasticity pretty well so far...