December 30, 2014 - Which Wich - Scottsdale, Arizona

I stopped in here for dinner when I was staying with Judson and Jonah one evening before going to a movie.

This is an interesting franchise fast food establishment.  You walk into the store.  You will find a rack with small brown bag type sacks…pick out the bag that is the sandwich you want.  I want a Ham and Cheese Sandwich so I picked out the bag that said, “Ham & Pork”.  Then I colored in the circle for “Ham”.  I didn’t want any extras so I left that section blank.

Which Style of Bread?  I chose “White”.

Hot Or Not?  I chose “Hot”.

Size? I chose Small 7” (there is also Medium 10.5” and Large 14”)

Work Your Wich?

Cheeses?  I chose “Swiss”

Spreads and Sauces?  I didn’t choose anything.

Mustards?  I chose “Dijon”.

Mayos? I chose “Horseradish”.

Dressings?  I didn’t choose anything.

Onions?  I didn’t choose anything.

Veggies and More?  I didn’t choose anything

Oils & Spices?  I didn’t choose anything.

Place your order and it arrives in a few minutes in the bag which you used to order.  Pretty easy…get what you want fast food.  Try it...you are never disappointed...because it is exactly what you ordered.

Which Wich

15033 North Thompson Peak Parkway

D105

Scottsdale, AZ

(480) 451-9424

December 23, 2014 - Cruiser's Cafe 66 Bar and Grill - Williams, Arizona

Joshua, Jody, Judson and Jonah Hayes ate dinner with me here before boarding the Polar Express.  

Both Joshua and I ordered the Ultimate Porker Burger – Angus burger piled high with pulled smoked BBQ pork and cole slaw topped with kosher salted bun.  It was another of those burgers where you couldn’t possibly taste the whole burger in one bit.  It was piled high.   The pulled pork was tasty and very good.  The burger was also very good…so I ate the meat (with my fork)…and not the bun.   It was just a regular bun..and cold. The bun could have been toasted and served hot.  I don’t know why restaurants don’t do this just every time.  It’s always a winner.  

That's my only complaint - there is just nothing worse than biting into something hot and hit a cold bun.  It destroys the whole eating experience.

Judson tried the half rack of ribs…and said that it was good…and that the BBQ sauce was good.  Jody tried the BBQ brisket sandwich…and liked it.

This café is decorated to the hilt with Route 66 memorabilia…and has a very nice gift shop attached.  I liked the atmosphere.  Judson said that the mens room doors were old car doors.

 The Ultimate Porker Burger

Cruiser’s Café 66 Bar and Grill

233 W. route 66

Williams, AZ

(928) 635-2445

December 4, 2014 - Mount Athos Restaurant - Florence, Arizona

I visited this Greek Restaurant that was originally out of New York City today with Kitty Williams and Margaret Kase.   Mount Athos Restautant and Cafe specializes in Greek, American & Italian fine cuisine.  It was opened in Florence in 2005 under the ownership of Pete Koulouris.

Kitty and Margaret each ordered the Deluxe Gyro Sandwich served with a Greek Salad and Fries.  I ordered the Classic Gyro Sandwich served with a Greek Salad.

My Classic Gyro with a Greek Salad...the Greek olives were great...as was the Feta Cheese and the dressing.  The Gyro was loaded with meat, tomatoes and onions.  Each plate was served with one delicious Dolmadakia - stuffed grape leaves.

Kitty and Margaret with their Deluxe Gyro Sandwich served with a Greek Salad and Fries.

Mount Athos Restaurant
444 N. Pinal Parkway
Florence, Arizona 85132
(520) 868-0735

November 29, 2014 - Pizza A Metro - Gilbert, Arizona

I visited  with Joshua and Judson Hayes.  Joshua ordered the soup of the day…and it was Straccialella.  When this soup is being served everyone has to try it because it is handmade by the order.  I call it Italian Egg Drop Soup.  This one had slice meatballs in the soup.  It was creamy.  The egg was perfect…and just the right Parmesan cheese.  Delicious.  Judson ordered the Spaghetti Bolgnese…only he doesn’t like spaghetti so we asked if we could substitute penne and they were more than happy to do that.  Bolgnese is my favorite.  The penne was cooked perfectly and the red meat sauce tasted wonderful.  I will return here often whenever I would like to have Italian food.

I did not order because we were leaving the third game of the hockey tournament in Gilbert and Judson's team this year gives me heart burn.  I couldn't have eaten a thing...and I was disappointed but I will return.

This is no regular pizza joint.  The original eatery is on Thomas Road in central Phoenix. It is good to have another site out in the East Valley.  I should also note that it is no longer owned by Chef Maurizio Benforte. 

November 24, 2014 - White Chocolate Grill - Phoenix, Arizona

We had lunch at the White Chocolate Grill between visits to the Penske Racing Museum and the Musical Instruments Museum.

I ordered the Southern Chicken Salad – crispy hand-battered chicken, field greens, smoked bacon, cherry tomatoes, avocado, chopped egg and house made Hailey’s croutons with Honey Mustard.  

What I really liked about the salad was that the whole salad was put together in bite sizes...no huge pieces of lettuce...or the hard boiled egg half plupped on top.  I also thought the salad came with lots of bacon chunks.  When I saw that it contained bacon I thought maybe a couple pieces of the bacon bits.  No actual bite size pieces of bacon.  It sure made for an enjoyable time of eating a salad.

Linda Hoover ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich – marinated, wood-fired chicken breast, Monterey Jack Cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and mayonnaise on a sesame bun.

For Dessert we tried the White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie – a graham cracker and chocolate chunk crust, fresh bananas and vanilla pastry cream – caramel, whipped cream and shaved white chocolate.

I would say the only negative was that our wait staff spoke too softly, otherwise she took great care of us, making sure that our glasses were always refilled.  I like that.

White Chocolate Grill

7000 E. Mayo Blvd.

Phoenix, AZ 85054

(480) 563-3377

November 17, 2014 - Babbo Italian Eatery - Phoenix, Arizona

After we left the day at the Heard Museum we met friend, Kelli Jo Welk for dinner at Babbo Italian Eatery.

The meal began with the Oil Bread and a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dip.  I told them to put another three loaves in the oven because I was Italian and hadn’t eaten Oil Bread in a long time.

Jo ordered the special for the evening – Spaghetti and Meatballs – Marinara Sauce, 2 large Meatballs, Parmesan, Oregano, Basil.  Since she saved so much money she also ordered The Pomodoro Tomato to begin her meal – whole skinless plum tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Fresh Basil.

Kelli Jo ordered the Quattro Formaggi Pizza -  Marinara Sauce, Mozzarella, Gouda, Provolone and Parmesan Cheeses topped with Oregano and Basil.

Linda ordered the Chicken Alfredo Pizza – Alfredo Sauce, roasted Chicken, Red Onion, Baked Spaghettini, Mozzarella, Parmesan.

I ordered the Babbo’s Bowl O’Bolognese – Marinara Sauce, Ground Beef, thyme, Bay Leaves, Garlic and Romano Cheese…served on Sphaghettini…but I asked to substitute Penne.  They were more than happy to do that for me.  It was delicious and I loved it.  I am sure it was because of the Romano Cheese.  I am half Italian…was served homemade Italian food my whole life but I am not crazy about pasta.   But this dish was perfect for me…the price was right…the atmosphere was right…the company was perfect.  Great meal.

Babbo Italian Eatery

6855 N. 16^th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85014

(602) 279-1500

November 17, 2014 - Courtyard Cafe at the Heard Museum

Jo Martin, Linda Hoover and I spent the day at the Heard Museum in central Phoenix.  Between tours we have lunch at the cafe.

I ordered the Tortilla Soup – creamy and spicy – loaded with chicken – blended peppers, tomatoes – crema.  Delicious!

Jo and Linda ordered the Chicken and Wild Rice Enchiladas – cooked in apple cider and garnished with apple slices.  Linda ate the house salad.  Jo asked if she could substitute that salad for the corn salad…and they were more than happy to do that.  I tasted a bite…great salad…served with tiny, tiny pieces of peppers and tomatoes…and it had a little zip to it.  I liked it.

For dessert all three of us shared the Fry Bread Sundate – large round piece of fry bread cut into pizza shaped slices…topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream…all guzzled with chocolate sauce and caramel sauce.  And the Caramel Apple Quesadilla  - strips of a light flexible pie crust with apples and sauce into between.  The huge round pie type of dessert was then cut in huge wedges and criss crossed to make start shaped serving that was topped with a scoop of ice cream…caramel sauce and broken pieces of walnuts.

I like both desserts but preferred the Caramel Apple Quesadilla more because coming from the influence of the Plains Indians I like my Fry Bread hot and fluffy….this piece was too thin and chewy.

Caramel Apple Quesadilla

Fry Bread Sundae

Courtyard Café at the Heard Museum

2301 N. Central Avenue

Phoenix, Arizona 859004

(602) 251- 0204

November 16, 2014 - Nando's Mexican Cafe - Mesa, Arizona

We ate a late dinner at Nando's Mexican Cafe.

Linda Hoover ordered the Nando’s Nachos – a huge plate of chips and ground beef.  Linda didn’t want any of the tomatoes, peppers, etc…just plain.  It would have really been heaped if everything else had been added to the plate of nachos that she was served.

Jo ordered the El Numero Nueve – combination that included a cheese enchildada, taco, chile relleno with rice.

I ordered the El Numero Diez – two beef flautas served with rice and beans.  My entire plate was very tasty.  When I was given the choice of two items to be served on the flautas - I chose quacamole and the tangy cream cheese.  The first time that I have ever eaten any type of cream cheese on my Mexican food.  It was delicious.

Linda and I also ordered the House Margarita while Jo ordered a dark beer…and chose the Kiltlifter.

The servings are really large…and I had to bring one of my flautas home.  I rarely do that.  The only negative I would say about the restaurant is that it wasn't decorated like a Mexican restaurant.... but maybe because it was a trendy Mexican cafe.

Nando’s Mexican Cafe

6715 E. McDowell Road

Mesa, AZ

(480) 830-8181

November 16, 2014 - Porter's Bar and Grill - Superior, Arizona

After a good part of the morning and afternoon at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, my visitors from Montana...Jo Martin and Linda Hoover...drove into Superior for a burger at Porter’s Bar and Grill.

Jo ordered the 1/ 3 pound Hamburger and added avocado.  Linda Hoover ordered the same but added bacon and cheese for a delicious looking Cheeseburger. 

I couldn’t resist.  I had to order the Superior Burger – green chilis, bacon and pepper jack cheese.  It is the signature burger at Porter's.

 The burgers were about two inches thick.  Once the green chilis, bacon and pepper jack cheese were added to the lettuce, tomato and onion I couldn’t take one whole bite.  I know I have a “big mouth” but it just wasn’t big enough to take a whole bite of the burger.  I thoroughly enjoyed my burger…and I think that Jo and Linda enjoyed theirs as much as I did.

Each of us added a glass of ice tea…promoted as “the best ice tea in Arizona.”…and it was.

Linda Hoover's Cheeseburger with Bacon

 

Jo proudly displays her Regular Burger with avocado 

My Superior Burger - came loaded with green chilis, bacon and pepper jack cheese.  It is Porter's signature burger.

The interior of the bar was loaded with old posters, flags from different countries, sports team pennants.  My favorite was  the “Barry Goldwater For President”  poster…and of course, the University of Montana Grizzlies pennant.  They even had a Chicago Black Hawk 2014 Stanley Cup Champions pennant hanging.  Plus there were a couple of old bar outdoor signs hanging up inside…décor of the bar was laid back and very relaxing.

Porter’s Bar and Grill

404 W. Main Street

Superior, AZ 85173

(520) 689-5003

October 16, 2014 - The Landmark Restaurant - Mesa, Arizona

I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak…and it was delicious….it was steak and tenderized but not like they usually do by running it through the machine that makes cube steak..the breading was a homemade cornmeal based breading

…all of this set on a bed of more smashed than mashed potatoes covered with a white gravy….I liked it.  Cooked carrots were also served with the entrée.  I love cooked carrots. These had a very tasty sauce that spoke to be more than just brown sugar and butter…maybe a maple syrup base….very good..and cooked to perfection..they were not mushy.

                                    

I also decided to try the dessert – a 3-Layer Pistachio cake…it was moist and has a wonderful pistachio flavor…almost like a pistachio extract had been used.

Howard Marble sat next to me and he ordered the Crab Cakes so I had to take a picture of that also because it mine had been served with brown gravy instead of white….I would have switched to the Crab Cakes.

Our group ate in the Clock Room.

The Landmark Restaurant

809 W. Main Street

 Mesa, AZ 85201

 (480) 962-4652

Hours:
Lunch, Monday-Saturday: 11 AM - 3 PM
Dinner, Monday-Thursday: 3 PM - 8 PM
Friday-Saturday: 3 PM - 9 PM
Sunday: 11 AM -7 PM

Family owned and operated since 1981
Owners: Don and Candy Ellis

History of the building:

The distinctive gable roofed building which houses the Landmark Restaurant today, began its life in 1908 as a Mormon Church. Extension Road, the street that flanks the building’s east side, had an open canal. Large cottonwood trees grew on each side of the canal, with the branches touching in the middle. It was a favorite swimming spot for children in the summer.

(This restaurant closed after the winter season in 2015.  I will also miss this lovely place for dinner.)

October 11, 2014 - 54th Annual Greater Phoenix Greek Festival"

We ate our way through the Greek Festival today at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral located at 1973 E. Maryland.

There is always a small admission cost but when we went today they were not charging senior citizens an admission fee.  How nice!  Gave us more money to eat.

Our first snack was a Tiropita - Phyllo pastry filled with a feta cheese blend.  Even though the pan was marked "Tiropita" I believe they gave us the Spanokopita because our pastry did have spinach in the filling with the feta cheese blend.  That didn't matter to us.  We ate it anyway...and it was delicious.

Tiropita or Spanokopita

Found some great shade in the big tent while we ate...so we decided to try the Calamari.  This was exceptional because sometimes battered calamari can be quite tough and chewy.  This calamari was not.  It was very easy to eat.  It was served with a lemon wedge.  We squeezed that over the calamari and it was delicious.  I did detect a bit of Greek humor though.  At the very bottom of the order was on small battered and fried herring.

Calamari

We followed that up with an order of Greek Fries - a simple thing - French Fries served with feta cheese crumbled over the top and some chives.  It was delicious.  I love feta cheese.  I almost bought a shirt that read "Everything is beta with feta."  Isn't that the truth.

Greek Fries

That was followed with a Baklava Sundae.  Now this is quite yummy.  It is soft ice cream served with crushed pieces of baklava over the top and a cherry.  The lady explained to me that when they cut the baklava there are ends that they are unable to use so they crushed those up and voila the Baklava Sundae was created.  You haven't lived until you try one of these.   I also bought 2 of the Koulourakia.  Those are the Greek Easter cookies on the plate.  A dry cookie with a subtle lemon taste in the dough.

Baklava Sundae

There was a second dessert that we chased down.  The priest who conducted our tour through the cathedral told us about it.  We finally found where the dessert was located.  It is called Galaktobouriko.  We will try those next year because we were on the Las Palmas bus.  We had to buy four of them and they needed to stay cool.  Next year I will take my car with a cooler.  I can hardly wait.

October 4, 2014 - Linda's Seabreeze Cafe - Santa Cruz, California

Eggs Benedict

Huevos  Chipolte   

Orange Poppyseed Pancakes

Breakfast was delicious.  Rose ordered the Eggs Benedict….Neal ordered the  Huevos  Chipolte   and I ordered the Orange Poppyseed Pancakes….three big pancakes covered in dripping butter.  I have never tried anything orange with poppyseed…always lemon…I love poppyseed….I love pancakes…who could go wrong with this.

I tasted Rose’ Eggs Benedict….and it was yummy but I liked the Hollandaise Sauce at the Harbor Café a little better than at Linda’s.  I am definitely coming back to visit because Bacon Waffles are also on the menu…and I love those Bacon Waffles…so I want to try them at Linda’s.

Rose asked me to compare Linda's Seabreeze Cafe and the Harbor Cafe.  The items at the Harbor Cafe are delicious and not your run of the mill breakfast dishes...but the food was just as good at Linda's Seabreeze Cafe..and the menu offerings really outdid the Harbor Cafe.  Neal thinks the wait staff are hotter at the Harbor Cafe.

Linda’s Seabreeze Cafe

542 Seabright Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA    

831-427-9713

Hours:

              Monday - Saturday - Breakfast & Lunch -    6AM - 2PM

              Sunday Brunch - 7AM - 1PM 

October 3, 2014 - Cafe Cruz - Soquel, California

Rose ordered Linguini, Gulf Shrimp & New Bedford Sea Scallops  - fava beans, roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, smoked prosciutto with butter white wine sauce .

Neal ordered -  ½ Garlic Herb garlic aioli  - cooked on the spit.

I ordered Applewood Smoked Boneless Pork Chops with  molasses cured house made applesauce .  I was not happy with the first pork chop that I cut and ate….but the restaurant redeemed itself with the second pork chop…it was cooked exactly the way I like my pork chops cooked.  I chose the mashed potatoes and the steamed artichoke heart…that was very good as was the sauce..almost like a hot mustard sauce that was served with the heart for dipping.

Dessert – Rose – Polar Bear Famous Mud Pie - Coffee ice cream, Chocolate cookie crust, fudge,  House made whipped cream, Toasted almonds .   Neal – Black China Bakery Mile High Chocolate Cake with Fresh whipped cream.

I would have to say that I want to try this café on one of my next trips.  After some quiet time at home I realized how much the noise in a café affects the dining experience.  We were seated in the bar…and the talking was at a very loud roar.

Café Cruz

2621 41^st Avenue

Soquel, California

(831) 476-3801

Hours:

            Monday – Thursday 11:00 a.m.  – 9:00 p.m.

            Friday – 10:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

            Saturday – 11:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

            Sunday – 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

October 3, 2014 - Companion Bakery - Santa Cruz, California

Rose Filicetti, Neal Savage and I made a quick stop for morning pastries and muffins.

Oh what delectable delights!  I chose the Almond Croissant and coffee…Neal chose the Blueberry Muffin and Rose chose this pastry that looked like a little box with the four corners turned up…I hope it was a tart.  Rose and I also chose a shortbread cookie each.

Neal bought a crusty loaf of 3-grain bread…a small boule.

My almond croissant was very good.  It differed from Gayle’s in that Gayle’s Bakery almond croissant had an almond filling in the middle.  The Companion’s do not. So it was more of a bread type croissant where Gayle's is more like a dessert croissant.

Look what we had to choose from:

Companion Bakery

2341 Mission Street

Santa Cruz, California 95060

(831) 252-2533

Hours:

            Closed Mondays

            Tuesday - 7:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

            Wednesday – Friday -  7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

            Saturday and Sunday – 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

October 2, 2014 - La Fiesta - Mountain View, California

Late night dinner after watching and listening to the Sal Khan's  Interview of Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg on their just released book How Google Works.  It was held in the Theater of the Santa Clara Convention Center...with Rose Filicetti, Matt Savage and Kristy Calaway.  We each ordered a combination of enchiladas with different sauces.  I ordered the two enchiladas – shrimp with Grandma’s sauce and chicken with Mole.  .They came complete with rice and beans.  I really liked the shrimp with Grandma’s sauce.  The chicken enchilada was filled with chicken.  I will admit right now that I do not like Mole sauce but this was very tasty with the chicken.  I really liked the beans, but did not care for the rice.  There was no taste to the rice.

The chips were tasty...and came with the three sauces.  I tried all of them.  Each has a distinct taste and brought a variety of tastes to add to your chips.  I really like this.  Rose later ordered the chips and guacamole pictured above.

My selection two enchiladas - one...shrimp with Grandsma's Sauce...the other chicken with Mole Sauce.

La Fiesta

240 Villa Street

Mountain View, CA  94041

(650) 968-1364

Hours:

Monday-Thursday 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM 

Friday-Saturday 11:00 AM - 10:30 PM  

Sunday 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

October 2, 2014 - Harbor Cafe - Santa Cruz, California

Rose Filicetti and I went to the Harbor Cafe for breakfast.  

Iordered a Bloody Mary…great…they make their own mix…it comes with a huge piece of celery, a small slice of lime, cocktail onion, a slice of a jalapenos pepper ,  an Italian pepperoncini and a green olive…yum…almost a breakfast in itself.

Rose chose the Captain’s Frittata – egg and home fries scrambled with cheese, topped with salsa fresco and sour cream with toast.

Doesn't this look delicious.  Here is a picture of what it looks like inside.

I ordered the Seafood Omelet – shrimp, avocado and cheese – topped with either Hollandaise Sauce or Salsa Fresca.  I chose the Hollandaise Sauce. Served with hashbrowns or Home Fries…I chose the hashbrowns…toast or a biscuit…I chose the biscuit.

The Hollandaise sauce was perfect.  I could just see them whisking together the eggs and butter…then slowly adding the lemon juice. This sauce was so smooth.  The shrimp were not those little tiny canned shrimp.  These were small shrimp.  There were also huge pieces of avocado.  The best seafood type of omelet that I have ever tasted.

Harbor Café

535 seventh Avenue

Santa Cruz, California

(831) 475-4948

Hours: Open Daily 8:00 a.m.  – 2:00 p.m

This isn't necessarily the Harbor Cafe's Hollandaise Sauce recipe but I thought someone might be interested in the simple one that I use.

Hollandaise Sauce

4 eggs

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/ 2 cup unsalted butter, melted (one stick)

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch salt

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.  Place the bowl over a sauce pan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle  in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving

October 1, 2014 - Sitar - Santa Curz, California

Neal Savage and I went to see The Hundred Foot Journey….about an Indian family who moved to France….they owned a restaurant in India…so decided to start a new one in France…just across the street from the big One Star Michelin restaurant.

About half way through the movie I was thinking that all the good food in the movie was making me think about maybe Indian food…just as Neal leaned over and said, “I am beginning to think that we should have Indian food for dinner.”  And so we did.

We went to Sitar…we ordered the buffet…Neal  had the Marsala Chicken add on…and I had a Tandoori Chicken add on…both dishes were marinated chicken cooked in a clay oven with lots of spices and herbs….but each tasted completely different…very good.  Off the buffet we tried Daal Tadka – yellow lentils with special spices…I really liked this…also tried a red bean mixture…and I loved that..went back for seconds…tried a chickpea fritter… and  dish that I didn’t get the name... was like a stir fry with okra…it was my least favorite…but then I don’t like cooked okra…but of all the cooked okra I have tried this was the best…rice with peas..and flatbread.   What I liked the best about the Indian food is the use of the spices…delightful eating….plus it is just darn good.

We shared a Mango Lassi – a yogurt drink served with mango pulp.  

October 1, 2014 - Pino Alta - Aptos, California

Rose Filicetti and I met Neal Savage at the Pino Alta for lunch.  This restaurant is  located in the Sesnon Home…on campus at Cabrillo College…it is used for practice by the culinary arts department of the college.

This week was a French Menu.  Rose ordered the Bistro Steak with Pomme Frites, Red Wine Demi glaze.  Neal ordered the Basil and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breast.  I ordered the Artichoke and Mushroom Filo Tart.

It came with French Onion soup, Pear, blue Cheese and Walnut Salad and Olive Bread.

Bistro Steak with Pomme Frites, Red Wine Demi-glaze

Basil and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breast

Artichoke and Mushroom Filo Tart

We thought they needed a lot of practice.  Neal’s soup was served without putting it under the broiler…it was sent back.  Rose’s meat was cooked perfectly but they did not give her a knife that would cut steak…so she just sawed away.  I thought Neal’s chicken had one overpowering spice that I could not identify…my tart though tasted just fine.

We decide to order just one serving of crème brulee and spoons around.  It was too thin…just about  1/ 2 inch thick..and it was too egg-y tasting.

What bothered Neal was our waiter…she kept serving him from across the table…oh…nooo…bad…bad.

Good effort on the parts of all the students…they just have to keep practicing.

Pino Alta

6500 Soquel Dr.

Aptos, CA 95003

(831) 479-6524

October 1, 2014 - Sweet Pea's Cafe - Capitola, California

Rose and I went to Sweet Pea’s Café for  breakfast.  I ordered the Lemon Curd Crepe.  The crepe itself was not as thin as it could have been…plus the lemon curd was very tangy…tart.  I would have thought with it being curd that the filling would not have had such a strong lemon taste as it did.

Rose ordered the Quiche Lorraine….it came with fresh fruit…I tasted a bite of it…and it was delicious…about 1.5 – 2” thick…homemade crust…and the filling was very creamy.

The restaurant offers a wide selection of crepes, salads, sandwiches, wraps, soup, quiches and breakfast.

Sweet Pea’s Café

2121 41^st Avenue Suite 107

Capitola, CA 95010

(831) 476-2737

www.sweetpeascrepes.com

Hours:

            9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Monday – Friday

            8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Saturday and Sunday

There is a second location in Los Gato, California

September 30, 2014 - Rocky Point Restaurant - Monterey, California

This restaurant sits out over the rocky cliffs…along Highway 1...on the California Coast...so we were able to watch the gorgeous evening sunset…plus the bonus was a bride out on the rocks in her gown being photographed.  We also were able to see seals through the binoculars surfacing at times around these three rocks…way down below the cliff where we were.

Rose chose the Mussels and Fries…the mussels cooked in a fennel, tomato broth, white wine and chives.

Neal picked the Wild Salmon (which is local) with polenta and asparagus in a sauce of balsamic vinegar and oil.

I ordered the Gnocchi stuffed with Crab meat…potato gnocchi and Dungeness crab meat with roasted peppers and a light cream sauce.  It was the best gnocchi I have ever eaten and that includes my homemade gnocchi.  We eventually asked for bread..and were served this crusty baguette…and we used it to sop up our sauces.

I ordered a Bloody Mary to drink.  Rose ordered the Anit-Oxidant Mojito – Plantation 3 Star Rum/raspberries/blueberries/blackberries/mint/pomegranate juice/club soda.

We wanted to order the Cheese plate for dessert – four local cheeses/dried fruit/organic walnuts and Big Sur honey…but we were just too full.

Rocky Point Restaurant

36700 Highway 1,

Monterey, California 93940

10 miles south of Carmel

(831) 624-2933

(831) 624-4091 -  fax

www.RockyPointRestaurant.com

Hours:  Daily – 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

September 30, 2014 - Roy's At Pebble Beach - Pebble Beach, California

I visited with Rose Filicetti and Neal Savage.

We decided to do a mixture of the appetizers for lunch.

We chose one sushi item:

Lakanilau Roll - Seared Kobe Beef wrapped around Dynamite Crab,
Tempura Asparagus & Avocado – we decided on our last pieces to take off the tiny piece of Kobe beef  and try it without the taste of the rest of the sushi piece.

Served with wasabi sauce and ginger slices....I love wasabi sauce and this didn't ...disappoint me...hot...hot...hot!

Dynamic Crusted Scallops in a Sesame Butter Sauce

Crispy Coconut Shrimp in a Chili Sweet and Sour Sauce, Black Bean

Crunchy  Golden Shrimp Dumplings in a Sake-Miso Butter Sauce

This picture is not the best...nor does it show the great presentation because we were so excited when it was served...and it was served first that we started to taste the dumplings before I remembered to take a picture...so this is a picture of the remaining two dumplings.  Five dumplings were served on the plate.

The sauces on each appetizer really made the appetizer as it accented the seafood.

I also ordered a Manchego Cheese Caesar Salad.

Dessert Time - We each choose one and then spoons around.

Rose ordered the Kona Coffee Mud Pie

Neal ordered the Melting Lava Hot Chocolate Cake

Served with a small pitcher of melted milk chocolate. There was  a twenty minute wait for this to be prepared…but we didn’t care….we weren’t in a hurry…plus it gave us time to update all of our tech devices.  It was served with a very large scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry sorbet.  I don't care for chocolate cakes...but this one was light...and not too gooey and sweet.

I ordered the Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee

The crust was perfectly thin and crunchy…. Inside was a creamy, eggy not-too-sweet mixture….perfect…and it was topped with huge blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.  Very good.

Great desserts

Neal and I drank ice water with our meal because we didn't want any interference with the tastes.

Rose ordered a Mojito

Roy’s at Pebble Beach

Inn at Spanish Bay

2700 17 Mile Dr,

Pebble Beach, CA 93953
(831) 647-7500

A little history:

Culinary pioneer Roy Yamaguchi created fusion cuisine at his original Roy's in Honolulu in 1988. Blending classic techniques with adventurous Pacific Rim flavors, he created an entirely new approach to fine dining.