September 29, 2017 - Blazin' M Ranch - Cottonwood, Arizona

A bus full of Las Palmas residents…which included Sandy Wilts, Carol Richmond, Glenda Squires and Pat McFadden....traveled to Cottonwood for this event.

Chuckwagon Dinner – BBQ chicken and Baby Back Ribs, Cowboy Pinto Beans, Baked Potato, Prickly Pear Coleslaw, Flyin’ Biscuits and Special Skillet Dessert – ours was an Apple Cobbler with a scoop of Ice Cream…dinner was excellent.  It also included Lemonade, Ice Tea and Coffee…served family style on each table.

I am not a big BBQ chicken fan but my piece of chicken was grilled perfectly…moist…not too much BBQ sauce.    I loved it.  My ribs were served dry..just as I liked ‘em.  Very tasty…lots of meal on the bones.  One could add BBQ off the table if one wanted…but of course…I never do that.

This was my first try of Prickly Pear Coleslaw…and it was very good…a little on the sweet side but I liked it just the same.  Biscuits were hot and served with butter…delicious.  Dessert was the perfect end of the meal.   Served in another tin cup with a scoop of ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce on top.

My plate from the Prickly Pear Coleslaw and Cowboy Pinto Beans side of the plate.

My plate from the BBQ Chicken and Ribs side of the plate

Blazin’ M Ranch

1875 Mabery Ranch Road

Cottonwood, Arizona

(928) 634-0334

blazinm.com

September 4, 2017 - Cafe Cruz - Soquel, California

Cousins Rose Filicetti, Neal Savage and I worked the Row Boat Races at the Begonia Festival most of the day.  We did go the very lovely After Festival Party at Laurie Hill's house.  She was this year's chairman.  That was followed by dinner at the Cafe Cruz.  I have dined here before...see my October 3, 2014 review.

Marvelous evening...we were seated on the lovely patio...what charm.  We were able to visit with noise.  It really did improve my dining experience.  I was a happy girl.

I just couldn't pass up trying the  Watermelon Margarita – yummy!

My Watermelon Margarita is the short drink with the watermelon wedge

Rose chose the Heirloom Tomato Stack – fresh mozzarella, red onions,  pesto crolis, crostini crumbles, Balsamic syrup, pea shoots.crumbles, Balsamic syrup, pea shoots.

Heirloom Tomato Stack

Neal and  I shared the 3-Beet Salad – roasted, raw and chips, wild arugula, glazed walnuts, Laura Chenel Goat Cheese, Champagne  Vinaigrette.  I love beets, so this was wonderful.  The first time I have ever eaten beet chips – fantastic.

3-Beet Salad

I ordered the Grilled Skirt Steak and Fettuccine – fresh gorgonzola-alfredo sauce and parmesan cheese.  I love white sauce…and their sauce is always perfect…well..in my eyes if it has gorgonzola cheese in it…it is perfect.  The steak was grilled perfectly to my request.

Grilled Skirt Steak on Fettuccine (the picture isn't very good)

Neal ordered the Harris Ranch Steak Tacos – 2 – fire roasted tomato salsa, guacamole – shaved romaine lettuce with house smoke black beans.

Harris Ranch Steak Tacos with Beans

Rose chose the Grilled Harris Ranch New York Steak – Marsala wine and roasted shallot reduction sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed Brussels sprouts.

Harris Ranch New York Steak

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.

For another review of Cafe Cruz...see my visit on October 3, 2014.

September 3, 2017 - Sparrow Cafe - Aptos, California

Rose Filicetti and I decided to try the Sparrow Cafe for brunch this morning.

I ordered the Crab Benedict – croissant with poached egg, lemony hollandaise and two crab cakes.   It was okay but nothing that I would order again.  I think that I just don’t like the benedicts because I don’t like the poached eggs…I just don’t like runny eggs unless I have a lot of toast to sop up everything.  I was hoping the croissant would solve that problem but it didn’t. I also thought the hollandaise was just too lemony…I like the Harbor Café’s much better.

I did love the fresh fruit served with each entree.  It was delicious.

Rose ordered the Toadstool Scramble – sauté of mushrooms, bacon and garlic with gruyere cheese.

The service was excellent.  The ambience was lovely.  I especially liked the dried hydregea wall hangings.  I thought it was too expensive.

September 2, 2017 - Jack's Restaurant and Bar - Pleasant Hill, California

We met more cousins for dinner at Jack's Restaurant and Bar.  Once again Rose and I shared our dinner.  We started with drinks…you all know us by now.  I ordered a Bloody Mary that was spicy but delicious….Rose ordered a Mojito that she thought was too sweet. 

Followed by The Wedge – crispy iceberg lettuce, blue cheese dressing, bacon, gorgonzola cheese (one of my very favorites), green onions and balsamic vinegar reduction. 

The main entrée -  Evening Special – crab stuffed shrimp served on a bed of orzo pilaf with a creamy pepper sauce.  I loved this entrée.

Dessert – Caramelized Banana Split – caramelized bananas, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, toasted almonds topped with a cherry

Our waiter Scot was fantastic.  Excellent service.

Jack’s Restaurant

60 Crescent Drive A

Pleasant Hill, California 94523

(925) 849-6195

Hours:  Sunday – Wednesday 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

             Thursday – Saturday 8:00 .m. – 11:00 p.m.

Price Range  $10 - $20 per entree

September 2, 2017 - Hobee's Restaurant - Mountain View, California

Cousins Rose Filicetti and Neal Savage along with yours truly met with more of my Filicetti family for a late breakfast/brunch at Hobee's Restaurant in Mountain View, California.

Rose and I shared a Stanford “Cardinal” Omelet – chicken, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, fresh spinach, Jack and cheddar cheese and topped with tomatillo sauce.  DeAnza browns – hashbrowns topped with Jack and Cheddar cheese, salsa fresco, guacamole and sour cream.   The entire breakfast was very tasty. I especially liked the “famous blueberry coffeecake” that we choose with our meal…this thick slice of blueberry cake slathered with butter…so hot the butter was melting…OMG!  It was so good.

Cousin Gina Filicetti Sturken's French Toast with Fresh Fruit  - it looked delicious and was so colorful.

Cousin Alan Sturken's Salmon Benedict - this looked delicious.

The service was wonderful.  The entrees were huge.

Hobee’s Restaurant

2312 Central Expy

Mountain View, California 94043

(650) 968-6050

Hours:  Monday –Friday 7:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

             Saturday – Sunday 7:30 .m. – 2:30 p.m.

September 1, 2017 - Rocky Point Restaurant - Monterey, California

Rose Filicetti, Neal Savage and I once again drove down the coast for dinner as we did four years ago...just about this time.

We started with drinks…Bloody Mary for me…Mojito for Rose…beer for Neal…we ordered the

Burrata Salad – arugula, pear, prosciutto, roasted pine nuts, tomatoes with a balsamic vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil…served with a crostini.  The burrata mozzeralla was perfect – the semi firm cheese with a soft, creamy center. I thought better than Lillian’s the other night..actually the whole dish was better than Lillian’s because of the prosciutto and pine nuts…and the presentation was beautiful.  I do have to add though...there was no pear in our salad.

We also ordered Cioppino – fresh fish shellfish, scallops, shrimp, crab, white wine tomato seafood broth.  Delicious – it was very hearty…and we not only had this wonderful lump crab but also two crab legs with large amounts of meat were also in the broth…mussels…clams…large shrimp…medium sized (as I like) scallops…

The broth was so hearty that we ordered two servings of the famous Rocky Point Cheese Bread – crisp pieces of then bread with lots of butter and cheese with pieces of corn…peppers..lightly grilled…Yum…to sop up the remaining broth (Italian style).

Prime Rib – slow roasted 14 oz. prime rib au jus, served with mashed potatoes, fresh grilled yellow and purple cauliflower, carrots and beans.  This was my least favorite entre.  I thought the prime was just too tough.  It was the first time I have ever eaten purple cauliflower…and it was delicious.  I love the taste…over the yellow and the white

The three of us enjoyed everything “family style”.  But who could complain about anything…sitting out on the patio overlooking a very rocky coast of the Pacific Highway. Plus since all of us have been there before this trip…we waited and watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean…beautiful..worth the price of admission…..

Rocky Point Restaurant

36700 California 1

Monterey, CA 93940

(831) 624-2933

Hours:  Thursday – Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

             Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

             Monday – Tuesday 11:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

             Wednesday –Closed

I decided to also include my review from my visit with Rose and Neal on September 30, 2014.

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.

September 1, 2017 - Harbor Cafe - Santa Cruz, California

Rose Filicetti and I went to one of my favorite Santa Cruz cafes for breakfast/brunch.  We ordered the Seafood Omelet as a Scramble and the Fruit Bowl…I also started off the meal with a Bloody Mary.   Rose and I went to the Harbor Café for breakfast/brunch.  I started out the meal with a Bloody Mary.  We shared a Seafood Omelet as a Scramble – shrimp, avocado and cheese, topped with Hollandaise Sauce.  The shrimp were good sized – were firm – it looked to me that they were sautéed in butter…and were slightly browned…just the way I liked my shrimp sautéed.  The Hollandaise Sauce was also just the way I like it – I could taste the egg yolk and butter in the sauce…and it was whisked to just a hint of frothy.  Marvelous!   The salsa was fresh…the taste was accented with just a hint the oil mixed with the juices of the tomato, onion and cilantro.  I could have just eaten the salsa without putting it on my entrée.

The biscuits were very large…hot out of the oven…the butter melted upon touch.  There is not anything quite like a great biscuit.  The hasbrowns were crispy…but not greasy!

We also shared the fruit bowl -  small chunks of cantaloupe, melon… whole blueberries, grapes, and cherries…slices of grapefruit and oranges.  Perfect…perfect breakfast.

This was not my first visit to the Harbor Café.  It never disappoints me.

I also included my last visit to the cafe...after reading this you can see...that in three years nothing has changed...the meals are great...the service was wonderful.  Plus we were able to sit outside on the patio.  Who could ask for more.

I visited on October 2, 2014 with Rose Filicetti for breakfast.  .  Rose chose the Captain’s Frittata – egg and home fries scrambled with cheese, topped with salsa fresco and sour cream with toast.

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.

First off, 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 weren’t 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.

I also ordered 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 pepper…yum…almost a breakfast in itself.

Harbor Café

535 Seventh Avenue

Santa Cruz, California

(831) 475-4948

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

August 31, 2017 - Lillian's Italian Kitchen - Santa Cruz, California

Rose Filicetti, Neal Savage and I chose Lillian's Italian Kitchen for dinner.  We started our meal with crusty bread – oil and balsamic vinegar.  That followed with Insalata Caprese – Heirloom tomatoes served with burrata mozzeralla, 14-year old balsamic, fresh basil, oregano and olive oil.   (Note: burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzeralla and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella, while the inside contains stracciatella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture.  It is also defined by some sources as an outer shell of mozzarella filled with butter or a mixture of butter and sugar. This agrees with original meaning of the word burrata, literally "buttered" in Italian  It is usually served fresh and at room temperature.)

Insalada Caprese

We ordered and shared the Sunday Gravy – their family’s tomato base meat sauce, simmered slow with beef, pork, Italian sausage and  spare ribs. We ordered ours with penne.  This one tasted a lot like my Grandma’s sauce.  I don’t know if everyone knows this or not but every good Italian cook’s sauce has a distinguishing taste. (All of us Italian descendants in Havre, Montana, once had a huge party where everyone cooked and brought their family’s sauce.  It was neat.  I, of course, brought my grandma’s, Luigina Devita Filicetti.  In came this one young lady who had spent a lot of time with my Grandma when she was young.  As she was tasting all the sauces, I heard her exclaim, “Who brought Luginia’s sauce?”)

Lil’s Kitchen Special – penne primavera served with arrabbiata sauce, topped with mozzarella, then baked to order.   I was surprised that each of these two dishes had a very distinctive taste.  I liked both of the dishes...but I really liked this one…and I don’t know if I would have ever ordered it…but Neal wanted it…I am so happy that we did.  (arrabbiata - is a spicy sauce for pasta from garlic, tomatoes and dried red chili peppers cooked in olive oil.  Arrabbiata literally means "angry" in Italian.  The name of the sauce refers to the spiciness of chili peppers.)

Lillian’s Italian Restaurant

1148 Soquel Avenue

Santa Cruz, CA 95062

(831) 425-2288

Hours:  Tuesday – Thursday 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

             Friday – Saturday 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

            Sunday – 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

            Monday – Closed

History:

            “Opened on July 4, 2007 by owners Joe and Charlotte Moreno and heir two sons, Chris and Matt.  The long time Santa Cruz residendts dream was to open a neighborhood place that was an extension of their family kitchen using Grandma Lillian’s recipes – learned from her parents and the many Italian influences in her neighborhood in Yonkers, New York where she was born.”

-          From the business website

August 31, 2017 - Surf City Sandwich - Soquel, California

I flew to San Jose, California today to spend some time with cousins, Rose Filicetti and Neal Savage. We drove from the airport to their home in Capitola, California...on the beach...located by Santa Cruz.  It is the weekend of the 65th and Final Begonia Festival in Capitaola.

We stopped for lunch at Surf City Sandwich.  Rose and I split a Surf City Philly – Angus steak, grilled pepper and onions, ghost pepper jack, American cheese and chipotle mayo on a French roll. 

The Philly’s meat was very good tasting…and moist…all the vegetables were grilled to perfection and the sauce added a real kick to the sandwich.   Homemade potato chips were served with the sandwich.

We added an order of Beer Barnacles…tater tots with with a spicy habanero cheese sauce and topped with applewood smoked bacon and scallions…yum!  

The Barnacles were crisp…the sauce was very tasty…and who can resist bacon.  I liked them.  We sat outside on the patio and ate lunch….it was about 80* at the beach. 

Surf City Sandwich

4101 Soquel Drive B1

Soquel, California 95073

(831) 346-6952

Hours:  Daily 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.