Happy 33 to Me!

Three is my lucky number since the 3^rd grade : )  So it makes sense that I feel turning 33 will be a good year for me.  For this birthday lunch, I wanted to go to Hillstone Restaurant.  Many of you may also know it by its former name of Houston’s.  It is a classy and respected eatery along the Embarcadero in San Francisco.  I especially love coming here to have their Kale salad.  It has a roasted peanut vinaigrette, which is to die for! I was so obsessed for this dish, that I scoured the internet and found someone who attempted to recreate it.  The recipe is pretty good, but I always feel it isn't perfect yet.  So coming back I get to determine what I am missing.  Go ahead and give both a try.  I'll finish with a Happy 33 to Me!

Christmas Lunch

San Francisco's Central Market Street is changing.  New businesses are emerging as well as new condominiums.  We had an opportunity to experience some of the changes by visiting a few local businesses for our annual Christmas lunch.  This year we went to Alta CA for lunch. We had items such as devil eggs, oysters, smoked pork trotter, and oxtail fritters.  It was delicious.  Then we decided to top it all off with caramels and toffee from Littlejohn’s Candies, which was right next door.  If you are ever in this part of the city, check out the changes and possibly stop in for some deviled eggs at Alta or some toffee at Littlejohn’s.  You won’t be disappointed.

Happy Belated Birthday Gregg!

Another year has passed for our fearless Architect, Gregg De Meza and in usual fashion, we celebrated with food and drink. This year we lunched at Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern and boy did we feast. For starters, we were feeling devilish, so we of course had to try the much talked about Deviled Eggs with english peas, salt cured ham and truffled pea salt. The yolks were airy and light - whipped into submission as Julie so swiftly commented in the movie Julie and Julia. We also had the Devil's on Horseback - Medjool dates, bacon, blue cheese, shiso hazelnut pesto. A sweet and smokey delight.

Now to the main event, Gregg happily had the tender Butcher's Filet as pictured - yum! Rachel had the Seared Ahi Tuna paired with a Carrot Margarita! How interesting. I strategically enjoyed a classic Dungeness Crab Louie to allow room for the final act - dessert.

Not just any dessert either, but Homemade Donuts, piping hot and served with dipping sauce. Please, please Wayfare Tavern, never part with the Earl Grey sauce, this is a must try. Great way to end a happy birthday luncheon! Until next year, happy eating.

p.s. also worth mentioning, instead of a bread basket, Wayfare Tavern starts with Popovers!

Get your Tomatoes, Red Ripe Tomatoes!!!

And so another year has come and gone. This year for my birthday, the gang headed over to Garibaldi’s in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights neighborhood for a little up-scale fare. At Garibaldi’s they had a watermelon and tomato salad on the menu that everyone wanted to taste. Now I have to tell you I’m a HUGE watermelon fan, more like a fanatic but not into raw tomatoes at all, just do something, anything to a tomato and I’ll most likely gobble it down.  This salad actually rocked, the watermelon was so ripe and the tomato was a nice compliment to the dish as a whole. I liked it so much I went home and scoured the internet for a recipe that was similar. I found it on Epicurious.com and have posted it here for you, enjoy!  Ingredients:

    8 cups 1-1/4-inch chunks seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds)

    3 pounds ripe tomatoes (preferably heirloom) in assorted colors, cored, cut into 1-1/4-inch chunks (about 6 cups)

    1 teaspoon (or more) fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt

    5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

    1-1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

    3 tablespoons chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as dill, basil, and mint)

    6 cups fresh arugula leaves or small watercress sprigs

    1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 5 ounces)

    1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted Preparation:

Combine melon and tomatoes in large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel and toss to blend; let stand 15 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and herbs to melon mixture. Season to taste with pepper and more salt, if desired.

Toss arugula in medium bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Divide arugula among plates. Top with melon salad; sprinkle with feta cheese and toasted almonds and serve.